Saturday Message - Rachel Hickson (June 23, 2007) | Life Bible Church

There are special places and this is one of them.

I just love coming to this church. It indeed

is a well of life. It ministers life to you.

It just, I don't know, just imparts something

to you and it's been such a privilege to be here

at this time. Those that have been with me over

the ladies' conference and then this morning

at the time that we just did with on relationships.

You know that it's been maybe a more challenging

time than usual when I come and that my mother

-in -law just passed away while on the road here

in the US. And so she died on Friday. And I go

home for a funeral on Wednesday. And so those

are the times when you begin to decide, should

I stay? Should I go? But my dear husband and

son both said, no, mom, stay. Or wife, love,

mom, stay. Finish the job. And we believe you're

in the right place to do the right thing. And

so they've released me. And I felt loved and

secured here and able to do what I know God has

asked us to do. And I do want to thank every

single person who worked at the ladies' conference

who did a most outstanding job. I think the men

that served were outstanding, the women who were

so creative. It was just the most phenomenal

time of just the practical and every gift and

skill and the ministry, the worship team, and

all the little touches that just give an atmosphere

for the word to come out. And it was just incredible.

I really, really commend you. And I tell you,

they deserve a great hand and a pause. I just

really do thank you. You did an awesome, awesome,

awesome job. I love the whole theme and design

and red roses were sort of tucked all the way

through. And as I explained at the ladies' conference,

roses have always been one of my God's signatures.

And in very individual and personal ways, God

puts... roses as a sign again and again that

I'm in the right place and so when I walked in

here and saw not just one rose but literally

hundreds of red roses on printed on cards on

the information the bulletins and then actually

in baskets and things it was just like God kept

kissing me with you're okay keep going girl you're

all right and that is something incredibly precious

And I think this is the third time, is it? The

third time I've been here. And so this time I've

come with Helen, Helen Aza. Come, Helen, just

say hello for those of you who haven't seen dear

Helen. Many have said, well, what's her other

name? So this is Helen Azer, A -Z -E -R. Because

people said, well, maybe it's an Egyptian name

we can't pronounce. I mean, well, we can't. No,

no. So this is Precious Helen who's been with

me. And God's just, in fact, just June the 11th,

she left the last church in which she was just

a trainee, finished her three -year contract

with them training. And in February, when we

were out in Egypt, she sort of caught hold of

my court. and caught me by surprising. Do you

think there's a way somehow, maybe, that I could

shadow partner with you and just... expand my

gift and teaching ability in the international

area because i've got such a cry for the nations

and i sort of said oh now that's an idea i like

and we've spent some time praying and literally

on june the 11th she got on a plane having completed

there and came so you're this is the first fruits

really it's been the most wonderful place for

us to partner together and be together and we

so on and that so do just greet them pray for

me and i'll preach Yeah, I do want to just echo

what Rachel's already said, but say it from my

heart to thank you for what you have blessed

us with. It sometimes feels like, you know, you

get a visiting speaker and they come to minister

to you, but actually you leave feeling ministered

to. And I think we both feel that that's happened.

And not only your beautiful geography, but your...

Beautiful people have ministered to us, blessed

us. And for me, it's just been a real amazing

way of just starting this new journey, new partnership.

And you know what it's like when you step out

of the boat and you think, how's this going to

be? And actually, we've both looked at each other

a few times this week and just thought, yeah,

we can do this. And it's you who've made us feel

that. So thank you. Thank you very much. Let's

just pray. Jesus, we do want to just thank you

and bless you for who you are and who you make

us to be. And just having that whole theme of

beauty this weekend, Lord, we want to thank you

that you are the beautiful one. And our souls

just expand in your presence, God, and we just

feel that sense of your touch on us. And we do

thank you, Father, that for each one of us individually,

you kiss us with your grace, with your favor.

with your blessing, with your encouragement,

with your strengthening, with your comfort when

we need that, with your healing touch, with your

forgiveness, with your mercy. And we just bless

you for that, God. And we ask that tonight, just

as you've been doing all week, Lord, we just

ask that you'd continue to pour your spirit into

us and to expand our vision of who you are and

who you've called us to be. Give us that sense

of a greater mandate, Lord. Give us that sense

of what you've called us to. And we thank you,

Father, for this church, this life church. And

we just bless you that you are the author and

the giver and the finisher of our lives. And

so we ask that as Rachel speaks tonight, you

would impart greater and greater measures of

your life, that life in all its fullness. In

Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you. Well, I want to

do a series really in the three services I'm

here and I'm sure you're used to that. It will

be the same chapter and I'm going to go for Isaiah

58. I think I did Psalm 23 one year and I did,

I think it was Honor, was it last year? Honor

last year, Psalm 23 the first. And I thought,

well, why break it to Drish and I started. And

I'm going to do Isaiah 58. that each service

will be different but the same in the sound,

a little bit like I've done in previous years.

We'll look at it from different angles. And as

I was just praying, and if those of you who've

been at the ladies' conference have picked up...

I've just felt that this whole area of the northwest

of America, there is something that God wants

to break through here. I believe it's a breakthrough

time. And God wants something that has been resisted

for so long. You know, you can hit a wall, you

can hit a wall, and it feels like you're not

making much impact. But suddenly you've done

enough shaking to loosen it, and it doesn't take

much of a blow for suddenly the thing to give

and go. And I feel that in the whole of this

northwest region, there are all sorts of strongholds

that have stood and seem to be very established

and be stronger. But I also believe that there's

a cart cry and a war cry that's been rising in

the church that is shaking and irritating these

strongholds. And on the outside, they look very

secure. But actually, many of the foundations

and the inside has actually been shaken out of

a lot. alignment and it just needs a little bit

more pushing and shoving and it's actually going

to come down and I really feel that and I know

that this year is the 40 year anniversary of

the Jesus movement and I hadn't really connected

that when I was in California in our central

coast California and just ministering and suddenly

I found myself prophesying there's time for another

Jesus movement. Well in the audience was Jesse

Engle, Lou Engle's son. And just at that time,

they were praying and seeking and God had said

to them that they were to start certain things.

The Nashville call, 7707, all sorts of things.

And they were all to be triggers because God

wanted to celebrate 40 years, but also end a

tyranny and begin something. And so in my spirit,

I thought, okay, what's going on in this West

Coast? What is this 40 years? What's going on?

And I believe 40 years is a new generation. And

that which has been birthed generationally is

then going to come forth. And so God is doing

something for the Northwest. And I really do

believe California, Oregon, Washington, there's

something in this. particular area of geography

that God wants to display and bring forth. I'm

sure many of you are aware of Bill and Belly

Johnson, too, in Redding, California, and the

School of the Supernatural. And they have really

begun to press in with the prophetic prayer and

begin to just believe that God can do miracles.

And I've partnered with them on different occasions

and just seen the extraordinary things. But again,

it's like hit the ground. strike the ground,

strike the ground, strike the ground, strike

the ground, strike the ground, strike the ground.

Oh, now some fruit is falling off the tree. And,

you know, so often we hear the story when it's

exciting, but we don't hear the journey when

it wasn't. And so when I walked in here and then

I was told that last year, and I remember it,

we really prayed, if those of you here that remember,

for the breakthrough of the barren ground. And

as a sign, we said that babies are going to come

forth and those that were barren were going to

bring forth children. And so I've had great delight

in cuddling lots of little babies and being told

that 18, 20, 22, somewhere in that region, babies

have either been born or... We're about to be

born because God is breaking forth. And as in

the natural, I want to prophesy so in the spiritual.

Because that's what we did last year. We said,

come on, something's going to break through.

Barren ground is going to yield. And life is

going to come. forth in Jesus' name. And so I

want to go to Isaiah 58. And I thought that maybe

being a good scientist person, my background

is I'm a scientist, I should be logical and go

ABC 123. And it seemed to start at number one.

But because we've been in the worship and all

the time, I just could hear the momentum of the

Spirit saying it's time to loose chains. We're

going to start at verse six. And maybe I'll do

one to five sometime tomorrow. Maybe I won't.

Maybe we'll go from verse six on. Isaiah 58 verse

six. Is not this the kind of fast I've chosen?

To loose the chains of injustice. To untie the

cords of the yoke. To set the oppressed free.

And to break every yoke. Is it not to share your

food with the hungry? And to provide the poor

wanderer with shelter? When you see the naked

to clothe him and not turn away from your own

flesh and blood, then your light will break forth

like the dawn and your healing will quickly appear.

Then your righteousness will go up before you

and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

Then you will call and the Lord will answer.

Then you will cry, help, and he will say. panic

not here I am and so as we look at this I want

you to see it both for your own life but see

it for the regional I want it neighborhood nation

or little and large micro macro and I want you

to hear is Not this, the kind of fasting I've

chosen. And if you read back the previous verses

two to five, God begins to challenge our attitudes

and motives where we begin to say, well, God,

I've done this. I've checked these boxes. Now

you owe me. And there's this whole bit. It says,

you know, for day after day, they seek me out.

They seem eager to know my ways as if they were

a nation that does what is right. And has not

forsaken the commands of God. And really, I believe

in these days, it is a bit of an indictment both

to Britain and to America. I know we exported

some bad stuff, but we did export you some of

our best. We exported you the pilgrim fathers

that were carrying revival. And they actually

came to America with a vision to plant or birth

the holy nation. And at that time, Britain was

actually turning into a lot of apostasy, turning

their back. And America was to be founded by

the founding fathers to be a true illustration

of what a nation that belongs to God looks like.

And so, you know, God bless America wasn't a

cliche. It was a very heart cry of revival carrying

young men and women who crossed the seas at great

expense to find land at which they could establish

something that looked like God. And on the dollar

bill, you know, in God we trust, it wasn't a

cliche. They were fighting for their lives, establishing

economy, going through winters, feeling a good

night, especially over the west side where they

pioneered through heaven and hell and, you know,

winter and summer and all the rest of it to get

here. The west was the hard place to come to.

But there was a heart cry, let's see if we can

build a nation that looks like God. And so all

of that, actually as you come to Jaffa, that

is your heritage. That was the very cry of what

founded America. And it's interesting, it was

the two movements of reformation. It was that

that came out of British soil and German. It

was a British -German union. I don't know if

you know, but you are only English speaking because

of one vote. Did you know that? It was a holding

vote in your house and it was 50 -50 split right

down the middle whether America would speak German

or English. And the chairman of that table of

the things they prayed and he voted English.

And that's why America is an English -speaking

nation. If you then consider what happened in

the 20th century with the world wars, how different

the geography and the history might look today

if America had been German -speaking. Just some

thoughts of just who you are. You know, all the

destiny and the footprints. And so, yes, we can

joke the British are coming and the British are

going. Back up here to hide. But there's destiny

in all of this. And right here, right in verse

6, it says, is this not the kind of fasting I've

chosen? Come on, precious America. Come on, precious

Britain. Don't hide behind protocol and plastic

stuff. You know, day after day, you see me. You

ask me for just decisions. You seem eager to

come near. But actually, it's all become a plastic

cover -up. And you can feel the irritation of

God. No, no, no. Get past the plastic cliches.

Get past the appearances. You seem, Eda, you

seem to be a God -fearing nation. You seem to

love the commands of God. You seem to just adopt

it when it suits you and chuck it out when it

doesn't. And there's something in the heart of

God that says, no, I've had enough. And then

in verse three, it goes, why have we fasted,

they say? And God, you didn't do your side. And

why have we humbled ourselves and God, you didn't

notice? As if God owes us something because we

just do what's right. And you see, we can have

that attitude sometimes even with tithes and

offerings. Well, I've given mine. God doesn't

give back to me. Why should I tithe? That isn't

the motivation. We don't obey because we're saying,

well, God, I'm doing mine. Now, God, you owe

me. But that sneaks in, you see. And so God's

dealing with the attitudes and motivations. Well,

if I'm doing my right, then God is indebted to

me. The maker of all heaven. And that sneaks

in so quickly. And very quickly we get offended

with God. Well, I'm doing my right, so now God

owes me. And so right at the beginning of this

chapter, Isaiah the prophet is exposing, revealing

some of the wrong attitudes that are coming in

when we're seeking God. And you see, the raw

cry was right. The heart cry was right. But the

wrong motivations and attitudes have got mixed

up in the cooking, as it were. And then it says,

because these attitudes are coming in, verse

2 and 3, then on your day of fasting, you do

as you please. You exploit your workers. In other

words, you've got this great hunger for God at

one level, but your actual lifestyle is contradictory.

You're saying, I really want to seek God, but

actually where I go to work, I don't do well.

I'm exploiting my workers. I'm not really working

with grace and mercy and things. I've got my

church life where I'm seeking God. I'm passionate.

I'm out there for God. And then when I go home

and I go to work, I'm not a nice person to be

around. I think one of the saddest testimonies

that we have is that Christians are nasty people

to work with. And unfortunately, that's fairly

common. And to work for a Christian company is

one of the nasty ones because we play on the

grace and not on the... And so you see God saying,

you know what? Make it all measure up. Yet on

the day of your fasting, you actually are still

living for yourself. But the whole thing of fasting

is you're laying down your rights and you're

demanding your rights from God. God, you owe

me. And you're demanding your rights from the

workers and those you have authority over. But

really, you're not dealing with the I issue at

all. You're not dealing with the selfish issue

at all. And the whole thing about fasting is

just die and die fast. You know, get over yourself.

Stop worrying about what you want. And so the

prophet here is saying, you know what? It's not

very good. And then verse four, it says, and

so because of these attitudes sneaking in that

the I factor is not dying, your fasting and your

prayer meetings end up in fighting meetings.

Your fasting ends up in quarreling and strife,

striking each other with a fist. You cannot expect

to fast today as you do with your motivations

attitude and really expect it to bring you a

breakthrough in the heavens. God, I've done 21

days. I lived 40 days. Nothing changed. What

was that about? No, no, no, no, no. It wasn't

about that at all. I've given this. I've tied

this. I've sacrificed. I've spent so much time

in church. I'm always serving. And God says,

no, no, no, no. If actually all your fasting

and service to God ends up in an angry, fighting,

strife. being spirit, then you've lost the plot.

And so that all your pressing into God ends up

in striving, fighting. And there's two dimensions

always. And you see Isaiah 58 is picking this

up. Either against God. So why do you say against

me? Where are you God? Or against one another.

Or against the leadership thing. Well, I don't

agree. I don't think we should do this. I'm fed

up. And so a strifing, horrible spirit comes

in. And so that's the background. And in the

middle of that, we come to verse 6. And then

God says, no, no, no. Is this not the kind of

fast I've chosen? And he begins to describe the

atmosphere and attitudes that need to grip our

spirits. So that we have fasting that is heard

on high. Do you get what I'm saying? Because

if you've got all these attitudes, don't expect

to fast and it make any difference. It's not

going to penetrate. But is this not the kind

of fasting I've chosen that's going to make a

difference? Because fasting really, what is the

number of fasting? Coming to a place of sacrifice

to see a breakthrough. It's actually putting

sacrifice with your prayer and your lifestyle

to actually penetrate further. And he says, is

this not the kind of fasting I've chosen? To

break the chains of injustice. To break the cords

of the yoke. And to lift off the oppression.

And to let every yoke. go free. Is this not the

fast? Have you noticed immediately the kind of

fast that God has chosen is focused out, not

in. You see, verse two to five is all about,

well, what about me? God, I've humbled myself.

God hasn't noticed. I've given up this time.

God didn't care. I've done this. Nothing happened.

I'm now in a bad attitude and fighting and God

doesn't seem to care or worry about me. Our nation

is doing the right thing, but God isn't blessing

us. We seem, we're seeking God and God doesn't

seem to know. And it's all about what I'm doing,

God. Hello, God. Check in. I'm a good girl. I've

ticked the 21 day fasting. I've done this. I've

done that. Our nation's good. Our nation says

the right things. We're in the right place. It's

all about I, I, I. Do you see what I mean? And

suddenly God says, hello, is this not the kind

of fast I've chosen? Look in a different place.

Stop looking at you. Begin to look out. And the

first thing he asks us to do is break the chains

of injustice. And as I looked at this, break

the chains of injustice, this is external. This

is actually the cry that takes concern for injustice

that's happening around you. It's not on your

life. It's actually happening in community social

life. And so it's like we have to begin to look

around us and hear the sound of our community.

What is going on that's unjust? What is the cry

of injustice in the Northwest region or America

in 21st century? If you read Exodus chapter 2,

Exodus 2 · chapter mention

23 to 25. Exodus chapter 2, 23 to 25. During

Exodus 2 · chapter mention

that long period, the king of Egypt died and

the Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried

out and their cry for help because of their slavery

went up to God. And God heard their groaning

and he remembered his covenant with Abraham and

Isaac and Jacob. And so God looked down on the

Israelites and was concerned about them. Then

across into Exodus 3, 7 to 10. And the Lord said,

I've indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt.

I've heard them crying out because of their slave

drivers. And I'm concerned about their suffering.

So I have come down to rescue them from the hands

of the Egyptians and to bring them out of that

land into a good and spacious land. And you see,

I wonder when God looks down on our community,

what is the cry that is penetrating heaven? And

you see, he looked down and he saw the cords

and the chains of injustice on these people who

are burdened and enslaved. And he got concerned

because no one else was concerned. And something

began to trigger in the heart of God. And he

said, come on, there's such chains of injustice

here. Where is the cry to break those chains?

Where is the cry? To break through. If you look

at Sodom and Gomorrah, why would you say God

came against Sodom and Gomorrah and obliterated

those cities? What would you say is the main

reason? Immorality. Would we agree? That God

came down and he completely wiped out Sodom and

Gomorrah because they were immoral and they're

homosexual. Would we agree? I want to show you

that I think we're wrong. Or you're wrong. If

you turn to Ezekiel chapter 16 verse 49. This

Ezekiel 16:49

is what God said was the reason he was first

triggered to come against Sodom and Gomorrah.

Ezekiel chapter 16 verse 49. Now this was the

Ezekiel 16:49

sin of your sister Sodom. She and her daughters

were arrogant. They were overfed and unconcerned.

And they did not help the poor and needy. They

were haughty. and then did detestable things

before me. Therefore I did away with them, as

you have now seen. How many know that's pretty

scary? That's Ezekiel. Chapter 16, verse 49.

Ezekiel 16:49

This was the sin of your sister Solomon. She

and her daughters were arrogant, overfed, unconcerned.

And they did not help the poor and needy. They

were haughty. And so were given over to do distasteful

things. So I did away with them. And so I began

to think, what is the root of the fruit of homosexuality,

sexual immorality, and disgusting things? That

arrogant pride thing, but that attitude that

does not care for. the poor needy, is not concerned

about anyone else, that is self -indulgent, feeds

itself. Do you get what I'm saying? Because when

we read this, and actually that root of independence

is that I look after me. I'm going to make sure

I'm okay. I'm going to feed myself, look after

myself, make sure my space is done. That grows

up into the arrogance pride. That arrogance pride

leads into the homosexual thing. And then God

steps in and has time. But the fruit is necessarily

the root. Do you get what I'm saying? And so

when we come to Isaiah 58 and we look at those

chains of injustice and we hear all the way through

the Bible, if you read the Bible, God is triggered

very quickly when there's a lot of injustice

around. Have you noticed that? Something stands

up in that father heart of God that begins to

cry, it's enough, finished. And I haven't got

time to read all the verses, but I've got this

sense that God wants to put a cry in the church

of the Northwest that begins to actually carry

the Father heart of God against injustice. And

I believe we need to begin to look in our communities

and begin to see where is there an atmosphere

that's overfed, unconcerned, arrogant and haughty

and does not care for the poor and needy. Because

that was the trigger that provided fertile ground

for that haughty, arrogant spirit to grow into

homosexuality and sexual perversion. And so if

we come in the opposite spirit and we're going

to break those chains of injustice, we've got

to go find these roots that have begun to grow

in the Northwest, which were unconcerned, overfed.

Did not care for the poor and needy, independent

thing. And we're going to go, how many of you

like to go for the root rather than just fruit?

Come on, you're farmers, you know. You know,

you can fruit pick for the rest of your life.

But let's get the roots out. And so God's saying,

is this not the kind of fast I've chosen? To

break those chains of injustice. And you see,

as God looks, and I read those scriptures from

Exodus, and he begins to hear the cry of the

land, of all the injustice. Far the heart of

God is, I'm going to send a deliverer. I'm going

to raise up a Moses. And Moses is going to go

stand in that bed of joggery and say, let my

people go. And I want to prophesy to this life

church. I believe God wants to put a Moses anointing

on you. He wants to put a deliverance. I believe

that a deliverer anointing is coming to this

house. I believe it's a season to understand

how to be deliverers. How to carry the anointing

of deliverance. And God wants to raise up a cry

in this house that says, let my people go. That

you can break the powers of sexual perversion

and sin that traps people. Break alcoholism.

Break drug abuse. Break gambling. Break anger.

Break tormenting fears. And deliverance will

come to the house because the Moses cry is going

to raise up and say, no, it's enough now. Let

my people go. But you see, is this not the kind?

We have to begin to recognize the chains, the

injustice. We have to open our ears. And I just

love, I mean, you can go home, put it through

your... computer or your concordance and just

see the incredible passionate heart cry of God

to be a deliverer for those that are suffering

under injustice he just he just says I will I

mean Psalm 82 verse 3. I will defend the cause

Psalms 82:3

of the weak and the fatherless. I will maintain

the rights of the poor and the oppressed. I will

rescue the weak and the needy and I will deliver

them from the hand of the wicked. Come on, that

should be a good cry for the church. This is

why we're here in the Northwest because we're

going to be those that defend the cause of the

weak. and the fatherless. We maintain the rights

of the poor and the oppressed. We will rescue

the weak and the needy. We will deliver them

from the hand of the wicked. Then you read over

in Psalm 89, verse 14. I mean, I could preach

Psalms 89:14

on this for the whole weekend. Psalm 89, verse

Psalms 89:14

14. Righteousness and justice are the foundation

of your throne. Love and faithfulness go before

you and surround you. Very foundation stone of

the throne of God. And so God wants that cry

to come out. So first of all, we've got to look.

What is going on in the area? How can we begin

to challenge and be the deliverers that break

those chains of injustice in our community? But

then it goes on to say, untie the cords of the

yoke. Is this not the kind of fast I've chosen?

Break the chains of injustice. Untie. The cords

of the yoke. And I want to suggest that as I've

studied this and looked and looked for definitions,

why chains of injustice, cords of the yoke. The

cords of the yoke are more personal. It is those

areas of restriction and confinement that the

enemy has put around your life to contain you.

You've tied into ungodly yokes and partnerships

where the enemy has put stuff on your life. How

many of you know there are times in your life

you want to go and it's just like this. stuff

on you can feel it on you and so not only are

we called as the church to stand up and to actually

be a voice that breaks that Moses anointing that

breaks the chains of injustice in the community

but he's also skilled us to untie the yokes that

the devil has put on people's lives so that we

can go to them Isaiah 61, for the spirit of the

sovereign Lord is upon me because he's put the

anointing of God upon me so that I can go up

to captives and set them free. I can go to the

prisoners and say, be loosed. I could go to the

blind and help them see again, both naturally

and spiritually, I believe. And so we've got

to untie those yokes. And we are yoked into the

wrong ways of thinking. How many of you know

that? Just because of our society, we've been

yoked. Many of us, most of us, suffer fear at

some level. Because that's the devil's atmosphere.

Would you agree? Just as God is love, the devil

is fear. Because love and fear are opposites.

The perfect revelation of the love of God drives

out all fear. Do you agree with me? And so you

see, we start life in our journey with God with

fear. And as we step more and more into the revelation

of the perfect love of our Father, fear gets

broken off our life. The first time fear enters

the Bible is in the Garden of Eden where Adam

and Eve sinned. And immediately they sinned.

What was the first yoke that came on them? We

hid because we were? Afraid. Fear. Up to that

time, fear is never mentioned in the Bible. But

because they sinned and they lost their communication

with God, the yoke that came on them instantly

is be afraid. Be afraid of God. And so many times

there's a hunger in us that says, oh God, I want

to give you all that I am, all that I have. And

that limitation, that yoke of fear holds us back

from a total yieldnessiness to God. Do you agree?

So we play hiding and we feel God in the garden.

We can feel his presence. Maybe you walked in

here tonight and you thought, whoa, what's that?

It's a bit over the top, but it was good and

bad, sweet and sour, nice and nasty. And you're

not quite sure. And you go through this thing,

but there's a yoke on you. And of that fear,

don't go there. They're only after your money.

The devil's got all the off pattern. They'll

reject you. They'll just want you for a while

and then they'll leave you. And all the fears.

Don't let God really get in your world. He'll

only work for a little while. And we get yokes

on us. Fear is one of the main ones. The other

one that I think is almost endemic in the whole

world is rejection. Poor self -esteem, lack of

identity. Because you see, God is all about giving

you destiny, purpose, identity. The whole heart

of God is to build you up and make you look good.

Would you agree with me? Everything about the

Bible is to affirm. And first it affirms you

and then it just corrects you to affirm you to

a greater level. Would you agree? And that is

mirrored in parenting. You know, when we first

have a child, what do we do with it? We affirm

it. We love it. We kiss it. We cuddle it. Babies

are great because you can just love them. And

then they begin to get to toddler stage. And

then as a parent, you're beginning to think,

oh no, now I've got to do this parent thing of

correcting and loving. But the first sound that

ever touches. us should be pure affirmation.

And that then gives us a right to bring in correction.

And that is how God is with us. The whole of

the Bible is, I affirm you, I love you, you're

valued, you're honored, you're special. But the

devil is totally the opposite. The first sound

he speaks is to accuse night and day, night and

day, night and day. Do you agree with me? And

so he tears down, destroys your identity, makes

you insecure. You don't know who you are. And

so most of us suffer that yoke on our lives.

Am I okay? Am I not? Will I make it? Will I not?

Will I be good enough? Will I not? Will people

like me or not? You know, you walk into church

even. And last week, the person who is most friendly

seems to ignore you the next week. And suddenly

it's like, it's yokes. And we've got to begin

to realize there is a devil out there and he

loves to put yokes. But we, is this not the kind

of fast I've chosen? That we begin to notice

the yokes on people's lives. It matters to me

that you're not looking good. It matters to me

that you're not upgraded into all the fullness

of God. It matters to me that you're not going

for your destiny. It matters to me that the devil's

got you tied in the wrong place and your destiny

and purpose is not accelerated and released to

be all that you are. Is this not the kind of

fast I've chosen? That you take personal responsibility

to go untie the yokes. It's not enough that my

life's looking good. It's together we're going

to upgrade. Together we're going to cross that

line. Together we're going to be formed in Christ.

Together. And we've got to kill the fear and

the rejection identity thing. And so how do we

do that? Well, my Bible says, I think it's Hebrews

Hebrews 10:25

10 verse 25, where it starts verse 23. It says,

so let us spur one another on towards good works.

We've got to be cheerleaders for one another.

We've got to begin to see the good. And so often

the church environment or the religious spirit,

let's not blame the church, that's called the

religious spirit, will correct all the time and

rarely affirm. Because there's this little sound

that goes, well, we're not going to make them

arrogant and proud, so we won't say too much

to build them up. We'll just make sure they know

the truth, brother. And it's all... this thing

of just hitting your side hair. But actually

the Bible and the biblical sound is a firm, a

firm, a firm, a firm, a firm. And it is the religious

spirit sound that wants to tear down and kill.

So God says, come on church, is this not the

kind of fast I've chosen? Lose those wretched

yokes of people. And in Isaiah chapter 10, oh

Isaiah 10 · chapter mention

no, I was in Hebrews 10, 23 to 25. Let me finish

that. So let us spur one another towards good

works. And then it goes on, it says, for let

us not forsake gathering together while it is

still called today. Why? Why do we come together?

Let us encourage one another daily all the more

as we see the day approaching. And what day is

that? Well, yes, of course, there is the final

day when Jesus appears again. But for some of

us, we've got a day when we're going to die before

that day comes. It's whatever that day of assessment

and judgment is, when we're going to have to

give account for our lives. And our job while

we're on earth and people are alive is to affirm

them, encourage them, motivate them, inspire

them to do the best they possibly can for the

kingdom of God. And that's why we come together,

because we've got an energy. that's going to

put a yoke on us that tells us, you're no good,

Rhonda. You're not doing it, Rhonda. Heather,

you're missing it. Elton, you can't do it, et

cetera, et cetera. You're just missing it. And

so we need to come together not to hear, yeah,

well, you've got a problem. We need to come and

say, you know, I see the destiny of God on you.

I see the hot cry of a mother and father on you.

I see that which is for the local given to build

up a firm train and courage. I see that. Don't

forget it. Don't let the other sounds distract

you. And we break the yokes that the devil tries

to put on us. Because when we come into the house,

we're here to cheerlead one another. And so then

we go into Isaiah chapter 10 verse 27. And it

Isaiah 10:27

says, in that day, I will break their yoke off

your neck. In that day, I will break their yoke

off their necks. What day? In the day of the

anointing. Because you have grown so fat. That's

what it says. In that day, I'll break their yoke

off your necks. Because of the anointing that's

upon you. Because you have grown so fat. How

many of your Bibles say fat? Some say because

of the anointing oil. But most translations say

because you've grown so fat. Isaiah 10 verse

Isaiah 10:27

27. And as a woman, I don't like that word fat.

You see, it doesn't have good connotations. We

don't like the thought that the more anointed

we get, the fatter we'll become. You know, maybe

we're back in the ladies' concert. So I puzzled

about this. I said, God, I want a nice explanation

for being fat and anointed. And so I began to

think about it and pray about it. And this is

what God spoke to me. And he says, if we're going

to break the yoke off the necks. What it is,

is that God begins, because of the anointing,

that affirmation, that word of encouragement,

that word that we begin to speak, it makes that

spirit man grow. And as that spirit man grows,

it becomes fatter. You see, we don't want just

nice words. You don't want to come to church

and just get a nice little, ah, you know, a little

tickle. And we all go out and say, wasn't that

a nice thought for the day? That was cute. Cute

words aren't going to change us. It's anointed

words. It's words that carry the anointing, that

started in the mouth of God, ended in the mouth

of a preacher, and ended up written on your heart.

That's the word that makes you fat. And so in

Hebrews we read in verse 8, he says, you know,

you're going to know me from the least to the

greatest because I'm going to start writing these

words on your heart. How many of you know when

you've been in the presence of God and he's been

writing, you've become his scribble pad? And

you know he's writing stuff on you. And you just

think, okay, God. And that, if you will then

meditate on it, will grow inside you and make

you fat. Now here's a picture for you. For those

of you, I didn't show you, but the ladies saw

it and those who came this morning saw it. I

haven't got a grandbaby yet, but I have got the

most adorable chocolate Labrador puppy. and when

we bought this little puppy he was a darling

but we couldn't get a collar to fit him oh they

got him you see he's cute and when he's there

we're not going to tell him this because I might

have to go through affirmation rejection take

yokes off him but that I think is still the cat's

collar because we couldn't find him a dog's collar

but that puppy ate and he ate and he grew and

the next one He's no longer got the cat's collar

because he got fat. And as he got fatter, the

collar of the cat broke off him and he's now

a man and a dog. And you know, that's going to

happen to you. As you start eating the right

food, you're going to break the wretched yoke

of the devil. And as we start feeding each other

with the right food, we're not going to have

to, we will just watch people get fat. Turn to

your friend and say, fat is in. How many of you

are happy? Pastor Brad's happy. He's laughing.

You won't forget that, will you? Is this not

the kind of fast that I've chosen? To break every

chain of injustice. To untie every yoke. And

then, I think it is, I'm doing a lot from memory

because I'm too lazy to run up and down. So you

can check me out. And then it goes to set the

oppressed free. And so it's really interesting

because you've got the external, you've got the...

Personal yoke. And then you've got the atmospheric.

This is set the oppressed free. This is much

more about oppressive atmospheres. It's about

the oppression of the devil, oppressive spirits.

And it can be upon a person or it can be upon

an area. How many of you know that there's certain

areas of Eugene, Harrisburg and this area where

if you go at night, it's got a totally different

appearance, feeling. than during the day. And

you know, pieces can look great during the day

with the sun out and all the view. And suddenly

at night, the atmosphere changes. And you could

just walk down certain parts of the street and

suddenly you're like, ooh, what's that? And there's

not a person around you, but you've just hit

an oppressive atmosphere. There's occultic powers

here. There's witchcraft stuff here. There's

slime. I don't know what you call that. But you

know what? There's just times you feel slime

and you think, ugh. And how many know that's

an oppressive atmosphere? It's not because it's

just a bad wind blew. There are spiritual forces.

And God says, is this not the kind of fast I've

chosen? To put a heart cry in you, to break those

chains of injustice, get the yokes off, and then

clear the airwaves. To begin to address those

spiritual powers and atmospheres so that people

can just breathe. And to break every yoke at

every dimension, the external, internal and atmospheric.

Because it's a new day. And there's new things

that God wants to do in this atmosphere. And

I just believe that God wants to give this church

such a breakthrough anointing. I just believe

that, I don't know, I just had a sense, I mean

maybe, that you've been doing a series or you've

been looking at the whole thing of deliverance.

And you've been teaching in deliverance. And

there's been a training in the area of deliverance.

And God says it's very key because he wants to

put that deliverance tool in your hand. There's

an anointing that needs to come upon the northwest

area to break chains, loose yokes, set oppressed

free. I also felt as I was just praying that

God really wants just you to get a whole new

vision that when we come to fast, it's very easy

to look at our needs and ourselves. But is this

not the kind of fast I've chosen to look out?

We're fasting for the out, not fasting for what

I need. And I believe that God wants a whole

new fast to come that is going to bring a breakthrough

of the atmospheres for the release of signs,

wonders and healing. It's going to be a healing

time. A deliverance time. And he wants that breakthrough

of those oppressive spirits. And then I'm just

going to just give you a few lines from verse

7. Just as a counter for, because yes, this is

all the spiritual. But I do believe, is this

not the kind of fast he's chosen? Is it not to

share your food with the hungry? To provide the

poor wanderer with shelter? When you see the

naked to clothe them, do not turn away from your

own flesh and blood. And I believe in these days

God is really challenging us as a church to put

natural with spiritual. And that it's not enough

just to do all the spiritual prayer and fasting

and then close our eyes when we see the physical

needs of the people we've delivered. Because

you see, I believe we've been through those times.

Where, remember, we really preached about, you

know, integrity and sexual morality and all that

stuff. And so we didn't want abortion. We're

saying no abortion. But then for those that have

already got themselves in a compromised situation.

Do we just turn our eyes and do the spiritual

stuff and leave them pregnant with no home, no

shelter? No, the church had to pick up the mandate

of pregnancy crisis centres, houses for young

mums and single mothers. And then when we get

a single mother join the church with a baby,

we shouldn't be looking down our nose. Come on,

we just said don't have an abortion. So why are

we giving her a hard time? Because she's got

a baby. You know, we've got to sort some of this

stuff out. And so, you know, is this not the

kind of fast I've chosen? You do the spiritual

stuff, you break the yokes, you break the oppression,

but those that got caught in those atmospheres,

we then have to be real practical about. We've

got to begin to acknowledge that actually this

may be the social welfare system isn't looking

after them and they need housing. believe God

has begun to challenge certainly us in Britain

and I believe there's a challenge in America

too is this not the kind of fast I've chosen

come on America take care of your own that are

naked and not struggling to dress and take care

of your own that are looking for shelter And

I would say both in Britain and America, in the

church, we've had incredible generosity. Well,

especially America. I mean, you are outstandingly

generous in missions. Look at tsunami and all

these things. I mean, you are exemplary at giving

to the poor and needy across the sea. The way

that you have clothed the naked, built orphanages

all across the world, provided for the poor and

needy. I mean, I'm a missionary kid. I grew up

in India and in Africa. And the American generosity

towards the third world is exemplary. But I hope

you know I love you enough. I wonder, is this

not the kind of fast I've chosen? What about

across the street? Because there is something

a little bit in the American psyche that goes,

well, you made your bed, now lie in it. You've

sowed, now you reap it. But the thing is, is

this not the kind of fast I've chosen? There's

been a lot of yokes, a lot of oppression, a lot

of chains of injustice. And so that's why I believe

what you do is life church. You know, July the

4th and these expressions in community need to

just be right through the very heart cry of your

life. That it is both totally spiritual and totally

natural. And you see at the end of that verse

7, there's a little phrase that the Holy Spirit

so got hold of me. And do not turn away from

your own flesh and blood. And you see, it's very

easy to give to Africa. It's very easy to give

to India. But what about giving to an American?

And you see, it's quite easy for us to turn away

from the American that's got himself in a pit

and can't get dressed and got drunk and in the

thing. And you'll send it to Sudan and Africa.

And they've got themselves in holes because of

wrong choices too. I've lived in these nations.

They're not all innocent victims. Do you get

what I mean? But somehow in our own streets,

and I'm not just saying it's you Americans, it's

us British. It's that first world church thing.

I believe God is now challenging us. Come on,

don't turn away from your own flesh and blood.

So what about those in Harrisburg, Eugene and

in this area? Is this not the kind of fast I've

chosen? You. Clothes. The naked. You take care

of those that need housing, shelter, set up housing

programs. You take care of the practical social

needs. Well, that's the government's fault. That's

why I pay my taxes. Actually, I don't believe

any one government can do it. That's why there's

the kingdom of God and the government of his

peace. And it's time for the church to step back

in. To social welfare programs. We can't keep

turning away from our own flesh and blood. Is

this not the kind of trust I've chosen? Then,

then, then, light will break through. Let's pray.

If you are interested in hearing other podcasts

or contacting Life Bible Church, go to www .lifebiblechurch

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