Holy Defiance

And then Pastor Mike came up and shared something that they wanted to say to us on the 20th.

And then George reminded me that we should take a picture before we go.

Yeah?

George looks for every opportunity to take a picture.

Thank God someone's chronicling our journey.

So we'll take a picture after this because we rarely dress up like this.

The next time I might see you like this is when you get married.

So let's take a picture today.

So let me ask Stacey to come up first and then after that Pastor Mike will come up.

There's a mic there, Stacey.

Stacey and Edwin are from New York.

Most of you know it, but just in case.

Good evening, everyone.

Sorry, testing.

She expects us to respond, so try it again.

You can grunt.

That's fine.

I'm just going to be reading.

My name is Stacey.

My husband is Edwin.

And we're here representing our church in New York.

It's called Antioch.

I just wanted to share a few words.

I first heard about Acts 29 in 2021, and it was from my husband, who at that time was

just a man that I was trying to get to know and trying to figure out, is this the one

that I'm going to marry?

And during our conversations, he would keep talking about this church in Canada who is

announcing a global revival and that it would come through them.

And at the time, I honestly didn't pay much attention to it.

But what I did pay attention to was how Edwin lived his life with God as father.

And I remember at that time wondering, who taught you how to live like this?

Fast forward a month before our wedding, a group of people from Acts came to New York

and included was a family with their daughter who had just turned two years old.

And the whole time I kept observing them and thinking, why are they functioning like this?

They speak to her and speak about her in a manner that I've never seen.

So the question is, what is so different?

And the answer is culture.

It's not an Acts 29 culture.

It's the culture of the king and his kingdom.

And that is what you are being called to announce, demonstrate, and invite the world into.

The other day, I was awake, I was sleeping, and I woke up a little bit groggy.

And immediately, this thought came to my mind.

And it was, what was Acts 29 for the last 20 years?

And what is ahead?

And instantly, a word came to mind.

And it kept coming to mind for the next couple of days.

So I finally sat down with God and I said, okay, flesh this out for me.

And that's what I'm going to read out to you and bless you with.

20 years of Acts 29.

The past 20 years have been a forming of a measuring stick, a plumb line, one that cannot

be altered, whose measurements are set in place.

Even with accuracy and correct weights.

Now the next 20 years and beyond, this measuring stick will be used to rebuild and restore

temples according to my requirements.

To fortify, to adjust, to weigh, to expose what does not align.

Then help rebuild, redesign, restore according to my specifications.

The nations will be weighed on the balances produced in these 20 years and will be found

wanting.

To those who hear, let them hear and correct themselves.

And those who don't will fall on the wayside.

They will slowly wither away like grass.

And then they will know that I am the Lord among the nations.

And my words stand the test of time, culture, space, and light.

Reading from Ezekiel chapter 40 verse 3.

Ezekiel 40:3

Yeah.

20 years of Acts 29.

The past 20 years have been the forming of a measuring stick, a plumb line, one that

cannot be altered, whose measurements are set in place.

One with accuracy and correct weights.

Now the next 20 years and beyond, this measuring stick will be used to rebuild and restore

temples according to my requirements.

To fortify, to adjust, to weigh, to expose what does not align.

Then help rebuild, redesign, and restore according to my specifications.

The nations will be weighed on the balances produced in these 20 years and will be found

wanting.

To those who hear, let them hear and correct themselves.

And those who don't will fall on the wayside.

They will slowly wither away like grass.

And then they will know that I am the Lord among the nations.

And my words stand the test of time, culture, space, and light.

Reading from Ezekiel chapter 40 verse 3.

Ezekiel 40:3

As he brought me nearer, I saw a man whose face shone like bronze standing beside a gateway

entrance.

He was holding in his hand a linen measuring cord and a measuring rod.

Next reading from Amos chapter 7 verse 7.

Amos 7:7

Then he showed me another vision.

I saw the Lord standing beside a wall that had been built using a plumb line.

He was using a plumb line to see if it was still straight.

Lastly reading from Revelation chapter 11 verse 1.

Revelation 11:1

Then I was given a measuring stick and told, go and measure the temple of God and the altar

and count the number of worshipers.

So Acts 29, I bless you with this word.

May you go forth with unwavering devotion to Christ and his bride.

And may your hearts be malleable to his formation as you bring his light to the nations.

Thank you.

Well, good evening everyone.

And it would have been 28 years ago, 29 actually, I came to Canada and one of the first brothers

that I met was this man sitting here.

And I was able to prophesy over his life.

And we've been friends ever since.

And it amazes me to see what God has used him to accomplish.

There's so much more in store for you.

And you know, even today the Lord was talking to me about you.

He said he's going to shift you a bit.

There's going to be a shift in.

Number one, he will use you in Canada.

This next season of your life, there will be more doors opening for you in Canada than

has opened before.

But not only that, remember Moses?

Moses was the prophet of prophets of the Old Testament.

He was the one who went up the mountain and saw God face to face.

And then God says, you know what, don't be afraid.

I'm going to put my hand over you.

And then God hit him in the cleft of the rock and he was able to see the back of God.

And then Moses now for you, the hour and the season will come in your life where you will

see God face to face.

Here's what, there's wanting to be a son of God.

And that's fine.

It's a nice place to be.

But it's a whole different story to be God's friend.

And I want to read a script here for you.

Amen.

Because God wants to bring you into a friendship with him.

You have made sacrifices and the time for your payment is coming.

And there's a script here in, where is that script here?

Let me see if I can find it.

I think I lost it.

James chapter two.

James chapter two.

We all know the story of Abraham, but I just want to read one verse.

James chapter two.

This is the wrong translation.

James chapter two.

Let me go to the New King James Version.

Let me make sure that I can see it there.

New King James Version.

All right, let's do that.

Hallelujah.

Thank you Lord God.

When you're getting old this happens.

Takes me a little bit longer now to find stuff.

Okay.

In verse 22 it says, do you see that faith was working together with his works?

And by works faith was made perfect.

And the script here was fulfilled which says Abraham believed God and it was accounted

to him for righteousness.

And he was called the friend of God.

God says that you have made sacrifices.

And this friend of God to Abraham came after Abraham laid down his son Isaac.

He was willing to go that far.

And God said there are certain instructions that I've given you and you have obeyed and

now he's going to bring you into a friendship with him.

What are you going to see?

You're going to see some things and it's not for everybody to know.

This is going to be between you and God.

It's going to be personal.

It's things that are going to literally bolster your feet and give you the energy to run the

balance of your life.

So keep pursuing God.

Keep believing him.

Keep pressing in.

Spend your time.

You're a man of prayer.

You understand how to pray.

You know how to access heaven.

Keep pushing through.

And God is going to reveal himself to you.

He is real.

I'm here to tell you tonight he is real.

I know you know this.

But I want to say to you.

He is real.

He is as real as I'm looking to you.

And you can see him.

The veil has been rent.

It's gone.

We're living under a new covenant.

There's no longer a veil that blocks us from seeing him.

You know some people say if you see God you will die?

Nonsense.

God says you will see him face to face.

Christ will appear to you and you will see him.

Amen?

So I want to encourage this church.

Keep pressing in.

Keep doing all that you're doing.

God is going to break open doors.

The spring is coming open.

There's going to be a deluge.

There's going to be a flood.

There's going to be a release of anointings that you have yet to enter into.

Kribow, Cibro, Dabak, Rahi.

Can I lay hands upon you?

He lay bombree, Soto, Brahe, Hekri, Tebru.

Father, I bless this son of yours.

I bless this man.

I thank you for his faithfulness.

Thank you for the years of labor.

Thank you for the sacrifices that he has made while I'm here today.

For you have spoken.

You will bless him beyond his years.

You will add value to his life.

You will give him open doors in Canada.

This nation needs to hear what he has to say.

Kribow, Cibro, Dabak, Rahi.

Even as you shift from the U.S. to Canada, Canada is rising on the global scene.

And Canada will be seen.

And this man, on Acts 29, has a part in what we have been called to do.

So I bless him.

I bless him.

I call finances into his life like never before.

Let givers come, come, come.

From the east, from the west, from the north, from the south, come.

Acts 29 call you.

And the Spirit of God beckons you to come and lay at this man's feet, that which he

needs to accomplish all that the Father has assigned upon him in Jesus' almighty name.

Hallelujah.

Thank you so much, Pastor Mike.

Bless you, always.

Things are going to break open for us, guys.

Yeah?

Know that it is a sure thing.

I mean, I want to remind you of the time we were praying here when Remy was in an aircraft

and he sent that text saying what he saw, right?

And that's exactly what he's repeating again.

Things are going to break open for us.

Not just for Richmond, but for the rest of the land.

Yeah?

And then it goes forward.

Okay.

I've got a strange teaching today that I had to check with the Lord to see whether this

is what he really wanted.

And it's called Holy Defiance.

Holy Defiance.

Holy Defiance.

One of the scriptures we've been looking at, and that is the theme for this weekend, is

Isaiah 41, 13-20.

I want to look at Isaiah 41, 15.

Isaiah 41, 15.

Isaiah 41, 15.

Isaiah 41, 15.

And it says, Behold, I make of you, and this is to us, yeah?

This is to us as a people.

Behold, I make you a threshing sledge, new, sharp, and having teeth.

You shall thresh the mountains and crush them.

You shall make the hills like chaff and winnow them in the wind, and the wind shall carry

them away like a tempest.

You shall rejoice in the Lord.

In the Holy One of Israel, you shall glory.

One more time.

Behold, I make you a threshing sledge, new, sharp, and having teeth.

You shall thresh the mountains and crush them.

You shall make the hills like chaff and winnow them in the wind.

You shall rejoice in the Lord.

In the Holy One of Israel, you shall glory.

I want to talk about Holy Defiance because I really feel that God wants to unleash a

Holy Defiance.

Holy Defiance, a certain stubbornness, a flint-like forehead, and a stubbornness that can match

the stubbornness of anybody who comes against the things of God.

That kind of Holy Defiance.

Usually the words defiance and stubbornness are not welcome words in Christianity, and

yet for us, there has to be a Holy Defiance.

And so one of the things the Spirit of God wants to unleash on us is the Spirit of Holy

Defiance where it's forceful.

It's forceful.

It's forceful.

It forges ahead.

It forges ahead.

It's like an icebreaker, like those ships.

It's like an icebreaker.

It can plow through.

It can plow through.

And it's not an occasional thing.

It's an attitude.

It's a continuous attitude.

Yeah?

It's like this always.

There's not a time when it softens up.

An icebreaker, if you've seen it going through the Arctic, it's always breaking through.

There's never a time when it ceases.

It doesn't soften up.

It's that kind of thing we are talking about.

It's forceful.

It forges ahead.

It's like an icebreaker.

And I'm talking about the Spirit of God unleashing a Spirit of Holy Defiance.

As in, it begins to do something within.

And that's why I'm saying as you listen today, listen with hearts that allow the Spirit of

God to do something inside.

Because we're all scared of conflict.

We're all scared of intimidation.

We're all scared of stubborn people who come against us with an attitude.

And God is saying, let me show you what attitude is.

Let me show you what attitude is.

There's nobody who has attitude like God, eh?

That's what Holy Defiance looks like.

And so, it is being possessed with a zeal so intense that God begins to say, this looks

like it was my own.

Listen to that.

It is you being possessed with a zeal so intense that God looks at you and says, boy, this

kind of intensity, it looks like my own.

And that's what he did with Phinehas.

In Numbers 25, in Numbers 25, there's a plague that's broken out.

And while things are falling apart in the camp, a guy called Zimri brings a Midianite

woman called Cosby and they enter a tent and it's insinuated in the scriptures, begin

to caress each other while the rest of Israel is gathered around the tent of meeting lamenting

that they have rebelled against God.

And Phinehas, God doesn't tell him to do this.

It's not God who tells him, Phinehas, I need you to do something about it.

Phinehas is suddenly possessed with a jealousy, with a zeal that is so intense that he takes

a javelin and he spears this man and the woman both and kills them on the spot and the plague

is stopped.

And God's response is, he was suddenly possessed with a jealousy and the zeal I have.

God did not ask him.

God did not give it to him.

But he had the ability to access it because he knew that God had said in Exodus that,

listen, I want you to know that my name is jealous.

My name is jealous.

He didn't even say I'm a jealous God first.

He first says my name is jealous and then he says I am a jealous God.

I want us as a church to be clothed with holy defiance because for what lies ahead, it's

critical.

And so it's something inside, eh?

It's something inside.

It has to rise up from within.

It's what you see of Phinehas in Numbers 25.

It's what Jesus talked about in Matthew 11.12.

Jesus talked about it.

The kingdom of God has been forcefully advancing.

The kingdom of God has been forcefully advancing and the violent take it by force or in other

words the forceful take hold of it.

This is what we're talking about.

The kingdom of God is forcefully advancing.

The kingdom of God is not some little butterfly that's flipping, flopping around.

It's forcefully advancing.

There's nothing about this kingdom that isn't like a flood.

It's forcefully advancing and the violent take it by force.

You cannot swim in the rapids if you don't know how to swim.

You have to be a surfer.

You have to look at the wave that is coming and say I'm going to ride this wave.

It's that kind of an attitude.

My preaching won't do it but my God my preaching can cause the spirit of God to stir up something

inside you.

And then what happens is the forceful take hold of it.

Meaning this is when you and I have to decide do I want to sit and listen to this and digest

it or do I have the ability for something inside me to rise right now and just grab

hold of it.

Musicians do that.

They'll be playing and suddenly they'll know there's a note I can play that I have never

played.

Am I going to risk it or am I going to stay within the confines of what I have learned

all my life?

And some of them risk it.

And those are the guys that become improvisers that can play.

Sportsmen are like that.

They've never done this move before and then they pull off the most amazing move.

They've never done it before.

You either have to grab it while it's happening or you can go study it all your life and nothing

happens.

This is the kind of person who like it says in 2 Kings 13, these are the kind of people

that will begin to strike the ground four times, five times, six times.

You know what another word that goes with holy defiance?

Unrelenting.

Unrelenting.

Unrelenting.

Let it do something inside you, eh?

Unrelenting.

It doesn't matter what age you are.

It is Yahweh closing you with his zeal.

It is Yahweh closing you with his zeal, his jealousy.

And it's the kind of defiance that then allows you to be appointed as gatekeepers in cities

and nations.

In 1 Chronicles 9, 20 it says many had the privilege of being gatekeepers in the temple

of God.

One of the first guys who had that privilege of being a gatekeeper in the temple of God

was Phinehas.

It was given to him as a special privilege.

Why?

Because his job was you will guard the house of God.

And there was a guarding that had to happen.

And it wasn't a weak pathetic guarding.

It was a guarding of the zeal of God with the zeal of God, with the jealousy of God saying,

I know what is sacred.

I know what is holy.

I know what is set apart.

I know what is true.

And I will lay my life down for it.

This is the kind of thing we are talking about.

I'm not trying to stir you up externally, but I want something to happen internally.

So that every time you then decide that you're going to rest from it, something will prevent

you from resting from it.

It'll wake you up again.

That's what needs to happen.

And it is all across.

There's nobody who's spared it.

Any questions before we go on?

Any questions before we go on?

Any questions?

Anything you want to...

No?

Okay.

Guys, we live in a time where the church has been either democratized or legalized or compromised.

We live in a time when the church has either been democratized as in everything has to

be decided by literally voting or legalized where everything is policy or compromised

where things happen so that we can't say what we want to say, we can't do what we want to

do.

And in Isaiah chapter 3, verse 2 to 5, it talks about a time, and this is happening

Isaiah 3:2–5

across the globe where we are seeing the removal of the mighty man, the removal of

the warrior, the removal of the judge, the removal of the prophet, the removal of the

diviner, the removal of the elder, the removal of the captain of 50, the removal of the honorable

man and in their place we've got mere lads, princes and capricious children ruling.

We got to bring that back.

Enough.

Enough.

We'll have to stop spending time with foolish Galatians, far too many foolish Galatians

that have spent time defending what we do against.

It ends today.

In this new season, Galatians 3.3, you foolish Galatians, what bewitched you?

You started in the spirit.

What happened to you?

Why do you walk in the flesh now?

We don't defend what we do to people who walk in the flesh.

Holy defiance makes you uncomfortable, right?

We're supposed to be people that are accommodating.

It's an intolerant love because of the jealousy that God has over the truth and over principles

that he wants to bring on earth.

If we want to be a plumb line, like Stacy was saying, or if we want to affect this nation,

as Pastor Mike was saying, our holy defiance is important because this land knows how to

accommodate, tolerate, compromise, embrace, bring into Kumbaya.

We have to find ways.

What's a new sign for 2026?

Try it.

It's quite expressive.

No, no, no.

It should hurt.

In the context of the world we live in, guys, a holy defiance and zeal is required so that

God can administer and enforce his intent.

In the context we live in, a holy defiance and zeal is required of us so that God can

administer and enforce his divine intent through the church across the earth.

These are not hollow words.

You know, the crazy thing is sometimes when you say things, you think to yourself, boy,

that sounds too grand for a small people like us.

But then I also look back 20 years, man.

The great thing about a church that is 20 years old is now you can afford the luxury

of hindsight.

And you look back 20 years and you see what you spoke when you were year one.

You see what you spoke when you were year two.

You see what you spoke when you were two people, three people saying, we will go to the nations.

And then 20 years later you look back and you see, oh, shucks.

Those were grand words, but they were from a grand God to a small people.

And that is the very nature of everything Christ does.

And so these may be grand words today, but not five years from now.

A holy defiance and a zeal is required of us so that God can administer and enforce

his divine intent through the church across the earth.

One of the things he always increases when you are zealous is his government.

Never forget that.

His way of ruling does not reside amongst the people who do not have zeal.

Isaiah chapter nine talks about it.

Of the increase of his government, there shall be no end.

Of the increase of peace, of the increase of justice, of the increase of truth, and

of the increase of holiness, there shall be no end.

But what shall accomplish it?

A zeal of the Lord shall accomplish it, which then means that the increase of his

government through a certain people is impossible.

The government of God will not reside on a people who do not have that kind of zeal.

And it's internal.

It is something, it's like eating a scroll and it causes a fire in your belly.

That's what it does.

People did that in the Bible, eh?

We are reading out what God has written on his scroll right now for us.

Eat it.

When you eat it initially, it'll either be sweet or bitter in your mouth, but my God,

it should start a fire in your belly.

Because zeal doesn't disappear when you go to bed tonight.

Zeal doesn't have to be re-stirred tomorrow morning.

It is a defiance that can be traced to Isaiah 42.13.

You're talking about defiance, and you can see defiance, these are words that go together,

defiance, zeal, jealousy.

These are all words that go together.

Divine stubbornness.

I know those two words don't seem to be put together too often, but in Ezekiel 3 you'll

find it, divine stubbornness, flint-like forehead.

You know what God says to Ezekiel, listen, I'm going to send you to a people that are

rebels and they are stubborn, and they have foreheads that are super stubborn, but guess

what I'm going to do for you?

I'm going to give you a forehead that is even more stubborn.

I'm going to make you so stubborn that their stubbornness will be neutralized by your stubbornness.

Receive it, eh?

Let me put it this way.

If this is not for you, this is the wrong church.

That sounds extreme, but it's true.

Because it's hard to fit into a shape if you don't change your shape.

Any questions?

Any questions?

I can almost hear Dilna in Portland asking a question.

It is a defiance that can be traced to Isaiah 42, 13.

Isaiah 42, Isaiah 42, 13.

In Isaiah 42, 13 it says, the Lord goes out like a mighty man.

The Lord goes out like a mighty man, like a man of war.

He stirs up his zeal.

He stirs up his zeal.

He cries out.

He shouts aloud.

Shows himself mighty.

Against the enemy.

So my question is, is this you? Is this us?

Mighty man, man of war, stirs up his zeal, cries out, shouts aloud, shows himself mighty against the enemy.

We've been talking about that, right?

That the moment you say kingdom, it implies warfare.

That it is impossible to advance a kingdom of God without warfare.

It is impossible.

The moment you say kingdom, you have already committed to warfare.

There's just no separation.

And the kingdom of God will not advance in Richmond unless we take on.

Otherwise, why do we even need to talk about Isaiah 61?

Is that captives' tree really from who?

It is a zeal that will restrict compromise of our exclusive allegiance to him.

It is a zeal that will restrict compromise of our exclusive allegiance to him.

Once we go down this road, and I don't believe we have to go down this road.

I believe we are halfway down this road.

I'm saying that in the year ahead, maybe find that compromising our allegiance to him gets more and more difficult.

There are constraints that it's restrictive.

Every time we want to compromise our exclusive allegiance to him, the spirit of God, you begin to feel the restrictive constraints of the spirit of God.

Sometimes the restrictive constraints of the spirit of God will come from within.

Sometimes it will come from without.

Sometimes it will come through the word.

Sometimes it will come through just opposition and obstacles.

When you see them coming back off saying, oh God, find me that hiding place in the cleft of the rock where I can start again.

May that be a joy.

A church on a short leash.

A church on a short leash.

We don't get much room to afford ourselves the luxury of sin.

A church on a short leash.

Can you be jealous for his house?

Can you be jealous for his house?

Can you be jealous for his house?

John chapter 2 verse 17.

John 2:17

Jesus went about turning the tables, chasing out the moneylenders.

And then suddenly John remembers what Jesus said.

That zeal for the house will consume me.

Can you have a jealousy for the church?

Can you have a jealousy for the church?

1 Corinthians 3, 17.

You are the temple of the living God.

Don't you know that you are the temple of the living God?

Anybody who destroys the temple of the living God, I, God, will destroy you.

One of the few places where God gets really nasty.

Can you be jealous for it?

You know, no movement, no revival, no reformation has ever started on earth.

Unless it was started by a person or a people that was zealous for God.

Someone had to.

Otherwise these things don't start.

And it is not a one night stand or a one week stand or a holy weekend stand.

It is continuous. It is continuous, Evan. It is continuous.

I say to you in the name of Jesus Christ that it is continuous, Evan.

That you were born for this.

That you will not have good days and bad days.

You will not have up days and low days.

This is what you were made for.

It's the steel within you.

It doesn't go cold.

God needs you. This church needs you. I need you.

Can we have a jealousy for the bride?

A jealousy for the bride.

You should love her so much that anytime she is touched wrong,

anytime someone puts a costume on her that is wrong,

anytime there's filth on her bridal gown, you should feel jealous for her.

You should feel the same way P.K. will feel for Lenny.

If anyone as much as looks at her wrong or says anything to wrong.

That's what you should feel.

That's what zeal looks like. That's what jealousy looks like.

That's what holy defiance looks like.

This is what the mighty three and the mighty thirty are made above.

Crazy thing is God is inviting us all to step into this.

Anybody who's here.

It doesn't matter that this might be your first time here,

but it's the very thing God is asking you to step into.

You're not here by accident.

You're not here because you got invited.

You're here because this was what you were supposed to hear

and this was what you were supposed to step into.

Man, there's nothing. Everything is orchestrated.

And then you have an option either to step into what God has given you permission for

or say another time.

The very things that are under attack are the things Acts 29 will preserve and advance in.

The very things across the earth that are under attack.

The very things that are under attack.

I want you to hear this loud and clear.

The next few things that I'm going to read out, hear it loud and clear.

The very things that are under attack across the globe are the very things

that Acts 29 will preserve and advance in holy defiance.

In holy defiance.

Acts 29 is where sons will learn to rule.

Acts 29 is where sons will learn to rule.

I will not back off from raising sons.

It's the only thing we raise because that's the only thing the father raises.

The father is not raising a congregation.

Acts 29 is where sons will learn to rule.

Acts 29 is where your voices will begin to sound like trumpets.

You might be soft spoken, but my God, when you speak, your voice will sound like a trumpet.

Take the most soft spoken amongst us.

Pick one.

Emily Kay.

The most soft spoken among us, but her voice will sound like a trumpet.

This is a church where sons will learn to rule, where their voices will become trumpets,

where heavenly patterns will become movements,

where patterns that we've noticed will become movements that we further.

Expect this, eh?

Expect this.

Start writing down and sharing it.

Come and say, Jacob, this is what I saw.

Things that God shows you become patterns that we model here on earth.

You don't come to Acts 29 if you want inspiration.

You come to Acts 29 because you want consecration.

D.L. Moody put it this way, and you've heard me say it before.

The world is yet to see a man used by God who is fully consecrated to him.

That the moment there is a person here that is fully consecrated to God,

the world will see what they've never seen before.

That will never be something we back off from because you cannot open ancient doors

unless your hands are clean and your heart is pure.

Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?

He who has clean hands and a pure heart.

Consecration is a separation unto him.

And we'll press into it, right? Why?

Because we love blazing holiness.

You love blazing holiness.

You have changed.

You have desired purity.

You love blazing holiness.

And you will increase in it.

This will be a church that is sexually pure.

There'll be sexual purity in this church.

Whether you're married or not, you will be able to do it.

Whether you're married or not married, there'll be sexual purity in this church.

These are the things, little things that God looks for

so that he can make a mountain out of a small group.

Acts 29 is where fathers will arise and sons will be forged.

Acts 29 is where fathers will arise and sons will be forged.

Not one will be left out.

Hey, tell me something.

How can you stop Elion from becoming a father?

How can you stop Eden from becoming a mother?

How can you stop them?

The only thing you can do is kill them,

but then you'll have to deal with Dennis.

You cannot stop natural progression.

And in the same way, you cannot stop what God wants to do spiritually,

especially when a church decides that we will raise fathers and sons will be forged

because it says in Psalm 48 that a day is coming when sons will stand in the place of their fathers.

This is where we will not argue with foolish Galatians.

It's like saying the world is flat.

Why in the world do we have to prove that it is round?

Drive them to Abbotsford and see if they fall off.

And if they don't, but it's on their own gas, in their own car.

Acts 29 is where orphanhood will be dismantled.

And your inheritance will be prophetically released.

Acts 29 is where orphanhood will be dismantled.

Orphanhood will be dismantled.

Orphanhood will be dismantled.

You may be an orphan right now.

Sometimes because you choose to, sometimes because nothing has been done to take it away.

Doesn't matter which way it goes.

It's someone's fault one way or the other.

But it'll always be a place where orphanhood will be dismantled.

And your destiny and inheritance will be released prophetically.

Not through some survey.

Not through some, I think this might be a good idea.

It will be prophetically.

Acts 29 is where gifting differs to order and government emerges.

Government emerges.

One of the series that we'll start next Sunday is looking at the ark.

We talked about this a couple of weeks ago.

The ark represented four prominent things.

Worship, government, power, presence.

Worship, government, power, presence.

One of the things we'll focus on is what does it look like to govern?

What does it look like to govern Richmond?

What does it look like to be able to govern Richmond in a way that makes it beneficial for the citizens of Richmond?

You think other powers are not governing Richmond?

You think the condition of man is the way it is because other powers are not governing?

They've been governing for centuries.

We moved into Richmond with a specific purpose.

That we shall, because God wants to, bring refreshing to the 223,000 that know not their rights and have no right to be.

The 223,000 that know not their right hand from their left hand.

Acts 29 is where you will raise sons who carry scrolls.

And they will prophesy again to many peoples, many nations, many languages, many kings.

It says so in Revelations 10.10.

In Revelations 10.10, an angel comes and gives a scroll to John and says,

John, eat it. And John eats it.

It is sweet in the mouth but bitter in the stomach.

And then there's a voice that says, listen, you will again, again go and prophesy to nations, peoples.

You don't back off from that.

It was a grace given to this church.

It was a grace that I received.

It was a grace that connected me to this man and others like him.

It was a grace that we have.

We do not receive the grace of God in vain.

Tribes have traits.

Check Deuteronomy 33.

Check Genesis 49.

Tribes have traits.

It is terrible when the sons of a tribe turn their faces away from the grace that was given to them by God himself.

We will not receive it in vain.

This is what holy defiance looks like.

Sons in this house will eat.

Eat scrolls.

Here you will eat scrolls till your belly burns with the same fire that called your forefathers.

You will eat scrolls till your belly burns with the same fire that called your forefathers.

What do you mean by forefathers?

The ones that have gone before you.

The ones that have paid a price.

The same thing that caught them will catch you.

We don't stand on the shoulders of what happened yesterday, guys.

There are generations behind us.

I love Isaiah 50 or 52.

Look at Abraham, your father, and Sarah, your mother.

Look at the quarry that you were cut out of.

You will speak un-intimidated.

You will speak with flint-like foreheads.

What's the sign?

You will speak un-intimidated.

No more, no more.

You know, there's an art of learning how not to lose your temper, but to be angry enough to stand up.

Parents know that.

Good parents know that.

Good parents know that.

They are angry enough to see what is happening and know that truth, love, and justice must come together to solve the situation.

And so they're angry enough to know that, but they don't lose their temper to the point where they react the same way that the child is reacting, because it makes you childish.

We have to learn that.

What does it look like?

You know, in Ezekiel 3 again, it says,

Beautiful words.

I felt anger.

I felt turmoil and I felt bitterness in my heart, but I also felt the strong hand of God upon me.

You should have seen Jesus that day in the temple.

Holy defiance.

Acts 29 is where men and women will be circumcised in the fires of obedience.

Acts 29 is where we will raise men and women who have been circumcised in the fires of obedience.

In the fires of obedience.

Not in the fire of a college degree, but in the fires of obedience.

That's where circumcision happens.

Moses got almost killed because he didn't circumcise his son.

Why was he going to be killed?

The Bible actually says God nearly killed him.

Why was he being killed?

Because he was an ungodly man, because he wasn't passionate about God.

He was, but there was one thing missing.

What? Obedience.

But these are things we look forward to in church.

We look forward to this.

You don't realize how desirous you are of obedience.

I met with a young adult on Friday.

I was looking at them and I thought to myself, these guys are desirous of obedience.

I look at the ones that were here in 2005 and 2006.

You don't know how many times they've sacrificed because they were obedient.

I look at young adults 1.0 and I look at the leaders that we have in this church.

You have no idea how obedient they are to the Lord.

This is a church that loves obedience.

But we don't let go of it because it is a continuous thing.

Like she said, it's a culture that belongs to the kingdom and obedience is what circumcises us.

It sets us apart, sets us apart, consecrates us, consecrates us.

At the end of the day, there is no holiness without obedience.

Holy Defiance.

Acts 29 is where you are forged in silence of divine dealings and by apostolic fathers.

Acts 29 is where you are forged in the silence of divine dealings.

Guys, like when Pastor Mike was talking, one of the things he said was,

Jacob, there will be things that God will ask you to do and he'll deal with you quietly.

You have to go through silent divine dealings, silent divine dealings.

God is working on your heart.

It's not a quick work. It takes time.

The one thing God has is time.

This idea of Acts 29 being a place where you are forged in the silence of divine dealings by apostolic fathers.

What are apostolic fathers?

Apostolic fathers are men and women who have the ability on the one hand to accurately represent God,

to have this continuous mode of you are here so you can be scattered.

I will raise you up not to keep you. I will raise you up so I can scatter you.

Every good dad or mom has only one desire.

Can I raise my son up to look like God so that he can go forth?

It's following the Genesis 1.28 mandate.

Andrea is new here. What is our desire for him?

What's Tunis' desire for him? What's my desire for him?

Very simple. Can I raise him up?

Can Tunis raise him up into a man who imitates God and then send him off to Brazil?

Nobody wants him here.

You're welcome.

To send him off.

But to be raised by apostolic fathers.

And if you think there aren't any apostolic fathers in this church,

why don't you really start training so you become one?

Sarcasm dripping, dripping, dripping.

In case you didn't notice.

Acts 29 is where you don't babysit people's calling.

Acts 29 is where you don't babysit people's calling.

You don't babysit their calling.

You may be highly talented, you may be highly gifted, ain't gonna babysit your calling.

Instead, we will help you burn the 12th oxen.

We will help you burn the 12th pair of oxen.

Remember what happened with Elijah?

Highly talented man.

The next prophet.

What does Elijah do?

Take his mantle, throw it on him.

And then he begins to walk away.

Elijah says, can I go say bye to my parents?

And Elijah's response is, what's that got to do with me?

You don't babysit people's giftings and callings.

You help them burn the 12th pair of oxen.

And you actually kill their earthly ambitions.

There is no carrying the weight of divine anointing till you kill earthly ambitions.

There is no carrying of the weight of divine anointing till you kill worldly ambitions.

You cannot have both.

You cannot have holy defiance if you want to kowtow with people.

It is one or the other.

You have to burn up the 12th pair of oxen.

Feed people with the sacrifice that you make.

And then walk away.

You kill worldly ambitions if you want to carry divine anointing.

Any questions before we go on?

And then when you do that, you get not only the ability to carry the weight of the divine anointing,

you get everything that the world runs after.

You get both.

These are sure words that can be backed up with scripture.

This is not some kind of thing being pulled out of the air.

And you're thinking, perhaps it's true. Perhaps I need to examine it.

You do not need to examine it. I'll tell you why.

Because scripture after scripture after scripture says the same thing.

What good is it if you gain the whole world and lose your life?

When it comes to believers and we say that, what are we saying?

We are saying, do not be like Demas who deserted Paul and went back into the world.

It didn't mean that he lost his salvation.

It is that he lost his destiny.

This will be a church where people will receive their inheritances and destiny.

And much of it will be prophetic.

I don't care what happens in Bethel.

I don't care what happens in some corner of the earth.

I don't care what happens there.

It's a grace given to this church and it must be prosecuted accurately.

And when we are inaccurate, when we make mistakes, we should correct them.

We are in a season where heaven is looking for apostolic fathers, eh?

Who can give birth to a generation of sons that don't just shout and dance.

You've got plenty of that happening.

You turn on Instagram, you'll get a bunch of young people and old people shouting and dancing.

That's great. I love shouting and dancing.

I just don't look very graceful, but I love shouting and dancing.

But we are going to have a place where there are fathers that can raise sons that shout and dance here, but they build.

They are builders.

You're a builder. This is a building church.

This is a church that builds.

This is a church that builds because of the skill that is put in you.

You have that skill in you.

It's not a learned skill.

It's a skill that comes because of the work of the Spirit in you and then the anointing of God over you.

You cannot survive in this church if you were not a builder.

That you have stayed so long that some of you have been here for 20 years.

Either you're delusional or it's a good place.

Any questions?

If you don't like the tone, that's okay.

Why? Because...

But do you have questions about what I'm saying?

Do you want scriptures to back up anything I'm saying?

You have a right to ask.

At a time when abusive, absentee, and alcoholic fathers like Noah and Lot abound.

At a time when Ham and the daughters of Lot quarrel and quarrel about the baby of Lot.

At a time when Ham and the daughters of Lot are repeatedly abused, abused, abused, and abused.

At a time when Ham and the daughters of Lot are brutally abused, abused, and abused.

of Lot strip fathers of their dignity, spawning more bites within the church.

I'm saying to you, the Lord is restoring households and the way He'll restore households is by

restoring fathers.

I want to say that again.

I've experienced this and it'll come at us again and again and again.

At a time when there are absentee fathers, abusive fathers, alcoholic fathers like Lot

and Noah, at a time when there are sons like Ham and daughters of Lot that strip fathers

of their dignity, at a time like that is the time when we really need to restore households

by restoring fathers.

It's a mantle, it's not a title.

Rise up with that in mind, eh?

Rise up Anna, rise up James, rise up Fuyo, rise up Echo.

We live in, we have churches that are widows' homes and orphanages.

You know what true religion is?

True religion is taking care of the orphan and the widow.

James chapter 1.

James 1 · chapter mention

Rise up P.K., rise up John.

He's restoring households by restoring fathers.

It's not a title, it's a mantle.

Fathers don't qualify because they were chosen by Bible colleges.

They qualify because of the scars of rejection, betrayal, accusations.

They don't have authority because they preach well.

They have authority because they have bent knees, pierced ears and bloody altars.

That's why we have good fathers.

We don't have good fathers because they are chosen by Bible schools.

We have good fathers not because they preach well, but because they've got bent knees,

people that pray.

You think your leaders don't pray for you?

You think you don't pray for others?

Forget leaders for a second.

You think you are not praying for others?

This church does a whole lot of good things without showing it, which is sometimes highly

annoying, but it is the truth.

Bent knees, pierced ears, bloody altars.

Bent knees, pierced ears, bloody altars.

We should write a song on that.

Bent knees, pierced ears, bloody altars.

Bloody altars is where sacrifices are placed, man.

Bloody altars are where sacrifices are placed.

Nobody hears about it.

Do you know that if God hadn't instructed Moses to write about it, that we would have

never heard about Abraham and Isaac?

Because there were only two on that mountain and they worshiped the Lord.

Nobody heard music.

They worshiped the Lord.

Nobody heard music.

It was one of those worship sessions with no tune.

No instruments.

And nobody would have known about it.

Nobody would have known about it.

The only reason we know about Abraham and Isaac is because God dictated things to Moses.

No one else saw it.

The ram saw it, but it died.

The only witness there was.

Fathers have been through wrestlings and the silence of God and they've been trusted

by heaven.

You know what, guys?

Here's a dream of mine, eh?

And it is a dream that has come to pass and will come to pass.

Here's a dream.

We are raising sons and daughters in this church that will not be ones that just function

as Christians who do good worship or good teaching.

We are raising sons and daughters.

We are raising men and women who will become territories.

Hear me again.

Men and women who will become territories.

Men and women who will become territories.

If a man in the flesh who is the president of a certain nation can disrupt the entire

system of the world, if another man who used to be the head of the Bank of England can

bring and steer order into the Middle Earth, then what happens when a man or a woman consecrated

to God, touched by God, with holy defiance?

You have no idea how men and women can become territories.

As in, they have clout, they have flow, they have say in what happens in an entire region.

It has been the history of the Bible.

The Bible has always been this way.

It's always been this way.

Keziah can have sway over a territory.

Dawn can have sway over a territory.

We are raising men and women who will become territories.

There are things that will not happen if Musk says no or Bill Gates says no.

How do we get there?

By sacrificing the 12th spare wax oxen.

By killing our ambitions that are worldly so that we can carry the weight of divine

purpose and anointing.

Over the next 10 years, we will raise prophet theologians.

Not just prophets, not just theologians, prophet theologians.

Prophet theologians who can both see what the Spirit is doing and read what the Spirit

is writing.

Prophet theologians.

Don't be one of the other guys.

The earth is divided into churches that either have only the prophetic or only theology.

We'll be prophet theologians.

We'll be like Isaiah's and Jeremiah's and Ezekiel's who know the in and out of Scripture.

We'll establish 15 training hubs.

15 training hubs.

You've heard this before, but here's a new one.

15 training hubs.

10 years.

15 training hubs.

20 different parts of the globe.

And 23 cities where we will have churches in the next 10 years.

I have a feeling it will happen faster, but let's just take 10.

Keep this in mind.

Why am I saying these things?

Because we want a goal?

No.

We want a target?

No.

Why?

Because certain things that God speaks must be spoken so that he may then do it through

us.

Do I do anything without first revealing it?

Through our prophetic people and then establishing it.

Amen.

God is zealous about his glory.

Anything and anybody and yeah.

God is zealous about his glory.

Anything and anybody, especially among believers who threatens the bride will be opposed with

divine power at some point starting today.

I'm not addressing this to you, but I want to say that again.

God is zealous about his glory.

Anything and anybody, especially believers who threaten the bride will be opposed with

divine power at some point, but it starts today.

Today is the day to stop guys like Diotrophus.

Diotrophus was a guy in 3 John 1, 9 and 10.

He has a Balaam like arrogance.

I know people like this Balaam like arrogance who go around telling people not to go to

certain churches.

Today is the day when Diotrophus will be judged.

This is the time to hand over Hymenaeus and Alexander who caused a lot of harm to Satan

that the Lord may repay them and they may learn not to blaspheme.

Hello.

Now is the time to stop engaging with foolish Galatians of Galatians chapter 3 verse 3 who

Galatians 3:3

began in the spirit but are now completing God's works in the flesh demanding that we

defend what we do.

And I say to them what Gamaliel said in Acts chapter 5 verse 38.

Acts 5:38

Remember in the present case I advise you leave these men alone.

Let them go for if their purpose of activities of human origin it will fail.

But if it is from God you will not be able to stop these men.

You will only find yourself fighting against God.

That's the warning I send out today.

You know in the Lord of the Rings, the Fellowship of the Rings, there's a scene on the bridge

where Gandalf stands and he's facing this monster called Balrog.

I don't know if you remember that scene.

And he has a staff in his hand and he says this iconic defiant line.

He takes his staff and bangs it on the ground and he says you shall not pass.

That's what we are doing today.

We are saying to the enemy that's it.

We are saying to people that oppose the ways of God that must advance you shall not pass.

There's a holy defiance that takes over.

From here on we go forth like an army, like a bride in army boots on assignment.

We learn how to walk like that.

So I want to end with Acts chapter 4.

Acts 4 · chapter mention

We'll decree it together.

Acts chapter 4.

Acts 4 · chapter mention

Acts chapter 4 verse 24 to 31.

Acts 4:24–31

Acts chapter 4 verse 24 to 31.

Acts 4:24–31

We say to those that don't agree with our ways, read Jeremiah 6.16.

Stand at the crossroads.

Stand at the ancient paths and look for the ancient paths.

Ask where the good way is and there you will find rest for your souls.

That's what we say to them.

But here we decree Acts chapter 4 verse 24 to 31.

Acts 4:24–31

Acts chapter 4 verse 24 to 31.

Acts 4:24–31

Should I take my thingy off the thingy?

You won't understand these terms.

They're very technical.

Are the kids here?

I want you to come up and say we want to see Jesus lifted high.

Jane can you organize that?

I want to end with us declaring Acts chapter 4 verse 24 to 31 together.

Acts 4:24–31

Brandon should I just ask him to open the Bible or are you putting it up?

You look different carrying that baby in a suit man.

Hey guys, this teaching was important.

It's not a teaching, it's a proclamation.

It was important today.

It is important because it will go out and it will go out and it will affect situations.

It will affect people.

It will become a plumb line.

It will bring justice.

It will give us the fearlessness we need to come up against any intimidation.

It will make us rise up in holy defiance.

It will catch the entire church.

This is not a teaching, it's a proclamation.

But it is the kind of proclamation that will begin to do something inside your heart.

And it will be a plumb line that will judge situations.

And it is important now to judge situations.

You know we've reached a place where we are not in a cave anymore.

We have to come out and call this darkness and call this light.

The time has come for that.

Brandon?

Where did all of you come from?

I didn't see you in the beginning.

So many kids?

Oh you were out there?

I'll just ask them to open the Bible, man.

Okay, if you can turn to Acts chapter 4, verse 24 to 31 from the message.

Acts 4:24–31

Acts chapter 4, 24 to 31.

Acts 4 · chapter mention

Acts chapter 4, 24 to 31 from the message.

Acts 4 · chapter mention

Can we read it together?

Starting at verse 24.

Hearing the report, they lifted their voices.

Wonderful. Let me turn off my mic and I can hear you.

Message.

Okay, let's start.

Hearing the report, they lifted their voices in a wonderful harmony in prayer.

Strong God, you made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them.

By the Holy Spirit, you spoke through the mouth of your servant and our father David.

Why the big noise, nations?

Why the mean plots, peoples?

Earth's leaders pushed for possession, position.

Potentates meet for summit talks.

God deniers, the Messiah defiers.

For in fact, they did meet Herod Pontius Pilate with nations and peoples.

Even Israel itself met in this very city to plot against your holy son Jesus,

the one you made Messiah.

To carry out the plans you long ago set in motion and now they are at it again.

Take care of their threats and give your servants fearless confidence in preaching your message.

As you stretch out your hand to us in healings and miracles and wonders

done in the name of your holy servant Jesus.

One more time, verse 29.

And now they are at it again.

Take care of their threats and give your servants fearless confidence in preaching your message.

As you stretch out your hand to us in healings and miracles and wonders

done in the name of your holy servant Jesus.

While they were praying, the place where they were meeting trembled and shook.

They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God's word with fearless confidence.

Holy defiance, yeah?

So the kids are going to come up.

Do not look at them as kids.

Look at them as worshippers.

Do not get cute about them, yeah?

They are worshippers.

Come, you are cute but we won't, we're not going to get cute about you.