Sermon
The Blessing of God's Face - Pastor Will Roos
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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And so there's pressure around distractions, deadlines and
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things are happening and we, God is moving, but we can miss it
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when God moves because life is busy, deadlines, difficulties,
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challenges. And so God, this is something
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he's moving, but we we can miss it.
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And so God is working, He's moving, and we don't notice it.
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But I came with a word from the Lord for somebody today that God
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is about to open your eyes to see what God is doing in your
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life. Can I say I meant somebody?
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Hallelujah. Yeah.
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So God, he's turning the light on.
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I just heard that so strongly. God's like, tell my that I'm
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turning the light on. In fact, I'm shining on you.
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And I'm going to give you the Scripture, what God gave, He's
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shining on you. The Bible says that the Lord
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makes his face to shine upon you.
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OK? So when his face shines on you,
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it doesn't matter what happens in the economy.
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It doesn't matter what happens around you, in the economy, in
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the politics, When the face of God shines on you, it doesn't
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matter how dark the world gets. It doesn't matter because when
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God's face shines on you, the face of God brings light.
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Wow, light. When God's face shines on your
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life, he turns the light on. And God, light changes
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everything. Light casts out dark lights.
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Light is powerful. He turns on the light.
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Hallelujah. Now.
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So that's the theme. Now let me give you the title of
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today's message. OK?
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Are you ready, Judge? The blessing of God's face.
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Oh, Hallelujah. I feel the anointing right now.
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Somebody say that the blessing of God's face, right?
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I'm going to put that on there for us because I feel the
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presence of God in this place. Listen, I really believe this
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word is going to bless your life today.
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Are you ready for the word? Somebody.
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Can you shout Hallelujah already?
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Yes. Yes, Yes.
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I want you to talk to me today. Yeah.
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Thank you. I really need you guys to talk
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to me. OK, listen, I come from the end
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here. I know what these are now.
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I I love a loud chest. OK.
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OK. So we just got to get loose and
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relaxing. Yeah.
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And we're going to be talking. I don't want to hear your
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response. I'm like, yes, Pastor.
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If that's your preacher, Pastor, throw another one in that hole.
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Yes. Go to there, pastor.
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OK. Because that's how you receive,
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OK? I'm not just preaching to empty
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chase. I'm preaching to like, yes, OK,
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Imagine you, like at a football match or a rugby match or
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somewhere and they score a try. Yes.
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Poker. Yeah.
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Cool. So when you get the word that
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plays you, you stand up and you shout.
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Cool. Can you shout louder than
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football? Or is football more important
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than Jesus? Come on.
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Let's just be honest and real. Yeah, that's right.
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Yeah. So that's what we're going to
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do. So this is how we're going to
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flow today. And then you might be seated.
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So any time when that word comes and you say Amen, that means
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Amen means so be it. So when I say God turns on the
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lights and I say there is a blessing, your eyes open, you
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say Amen. That means you're receiving
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that. That meant because this is very
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exciting because I just laugh earlier as I walked in, post
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Michelle was already saying that and I'm like, wow, she's reading
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my mail because I'm like, what God, What do you want to see God
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smiling over us? And yes, post Michelle saying
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that I walk in, I'm like, well, that you you're taking my you're
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taking the word what our God has given me.
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But in fact, you're actually confirming the word.
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And so God is smiling over you. Heaven is smiling over.
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And I want you to say that say Heaven is smiling over me.
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Yeah, Tell your neighbor Heaven is smiling over you.
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OK, now do it again. But this time smile, smile.
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Can you give them the biggest smile and say Heaven is smiling
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over you and I'm also smiling at you?
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Yeah. Yeah.
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That's it. So now we're going to read.
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Now, Are you ready for our theme scripture?
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How many of you can remember the theme scripture for last Sunday?
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Oh, Stephen, you got it. Yeah.
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You see, he's already receiving. He's already there.
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Pretty cheap, Pastor. You see, that's how we're going
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to flow today. Back and forth responses.
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OK, so Numbers chapter 6. Remember that is our anchor
Numbers 6 chapter mention
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verse for this entire series. And so we're going to break it
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down. We're going to go verse by
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verse. So Are you ready for this
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because it's your father's blessing his people.
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Hallelujah. Now Numbers chapter 6, let's
Numbers 6 chapter mention
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open. I'm going to read it up there as
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I read from verse 24. It says the Lord bless you and
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keep you. The Lord makes his face shine
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upon you. And this is our title of our
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message. And be gracious to you.
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The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
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OK, so let's just pray. Father, we thank you for your
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presence in this place. Lord, let a lot of your face
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shine upon every heart. Open up our eyes to see the
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blessing of your face. In Jesus mighty name we praying
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somebody shout. I meant I meant yeah, awesome.
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Now let's flow because I want us to look at this blessing because
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this isn't just a little cute poem, OK, This is just a little
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church slogan. This is a word of God.
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This is God's heart. This is God's wolf and he starts
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or blessed you the first one God bless you.
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So God gives you and is adding to your life good things OK to
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you. And so the next one keep you and
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they all flow together, keep you.
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So God is protecting what he gives you so you don't have to
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live afraid of losing it. And then the next one, because
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listen, I want you to just see that keep you because the same
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God who blesses you, OK, the blessing God is able to also
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keep you. OK, All right now then he goes
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on. He says, makes his face shine
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upon you. Now God is turned towards you
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with favour. Somebody say favour.
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OK, he goes on. Be gracious.
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That is the kindness, the goodness, the grace of God
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showing up in your life. Then lift up his countenance.
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God is looking at you, OK, And so he's and then the end result,
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because she's not distant, and then he ends it off with peace.
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That's the result. Shalom, peace.
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Somebody say peace. OK, so that is the blessing.
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Now what's powerful is the timing when God gave the
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blessing. Now quick recap block from last
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week when God gave the blessing to Israel, they were in a hard
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time, a hard season. They were in the wilderness,
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struggling challenges in a difficult dry place.
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OK, they fell behind disadvantage, OK, and so
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outnumbered. And so they in this season of
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uncertain and right there in the difficult season, God does not
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respond with judgment of pointing a finger.
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God does not respond with shame. He does not respond with a long
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lecture. He responds by giving a
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blessing. Oh Hallelujah.
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So God was for saying my face is on you.
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I'm looking towards you, my face.
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So I am not against you. I am for you, say agaris for me.
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Yeah, somebody say it again. Agaris for me.
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Now maybe you're here today and you are facing a storm in your
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life. Maybe it's pressure in a
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marriage relationship in in a health condition, difficulty and
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challenges, financial storm. I have got good news for you
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today that God's smile is stronger than your storm.
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Hallelujah. Glory to God, say that with me,
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God's smile is stronger than my storm.
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Sorry, God's smile is stronger than my storm.
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OK, Hallelujah. Now I want to say that you so
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God's smiling over you, God's close his face towards you.
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You are not at a disadvantage. He is shining on you.
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I mean somebody say he's shining on me.
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OK, so our key point today, see the blessing.
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Now let me emphasize this point because it all comes down to how
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we see how we perceive. Have you ever taken a photo with
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a camera and you've accidentally used the wrong lens?
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OK, yeah. Or you've like your own filter
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and you look at it and you're like, oh, the photos all blurry
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and it's out of focus. It's like you why?
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Why does everything look rain and dull and this whole photos
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blurry? It is same people, same moments,
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same settings because of the legs, the filter.
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So the filter, the lens made it look worse than what it really
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was. Same people, same moment, same.
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But the photo, the lens made it out of focus and it came out
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blurry. Now life can do that.
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Pressure can do that. A hard day can become a hard
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lens, a hard, difficult, struggling day, OK.
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A season of hardship can become a hard falter.
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A hard lens, that stressful season, that difficult, it can
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become a fear falter, OK? How we see things, how we
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perceive, because there's been a lot of stress and deadlines and
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difficulties. And So what happens is the way
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we perceive the focus OK keeps blurred.
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And so the blessing can be around the goodness, things are
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happening, opportunity, great things can be around all around
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us. But because of the difficulty,
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you don't even notice it because life is busy and we just keep on
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going. And so it is to get that focus.
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And Jesus said something very powerful in the book of Matthew
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6. He says the eye is the lamp of
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the body. We are talking about the if your
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eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light, OK?
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And so that means that what you focus on doesn't just stay in
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the eye. What you focus on, it spreads in
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your whole life, OK? So if you keep on focusing on
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the problem, the problem becomes bigger because what you magnify
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multiplied, OK? So if you keep on focusing on
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fear, fear gets stronger. Keep on focusing your problem,
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the problem gets stronger, OK, But if you lift up your eyes to
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God, fight prizes again, Hallelujah or something more.
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We beat you God. And so today we are changing the
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lens. Yeah, the falter is coming off.
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That fear falter. OK, we flipping off the fear
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falter. It's coming off because when you
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see his smile, light floods your whole life.
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When you see the blessing of God's face, when you see the
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smile of God shining upon you, it floods your whole life.
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Peace and joy, It comes to you like he's coming to you.
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So that decision that you have been afraid of, the light is
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coming to it, OK? God's turning on the light.
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God's shining the light. The light's coming to it, OK.
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So that situation that felt confusing, light is coming to
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it, OK. That season that felt heavy,
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light is coming to it. So I want us to make this our
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pray today. Oh God.
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Lord, give us healthy eyes. Give me healthy.
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Say that with me, Lord, give me healthy eyes, say light up my
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life, form me with your light my whole life, I mean.
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So now here's what I have learnt.
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Many people, they believe that God exists.
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Many I've been, I've been around for years.
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Many people, they believe, yeah, God is real, God is exist, but
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they don't believe he's smiling at them.
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They live like God is angry. God is keeping score like the
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strict teacher, OK, with a clipboard, You did good
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yesterday, but today you messed up, OK.
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And so now I'm distant. And so a lot of people, they are
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walking around thinking that God, oh, God is angry.
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God is God is mad walking around thinking God is disappointed.
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God is decimal God's not distant he's turning towards as the
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Bible doesn't say the Lord frowned you.
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No, it doesn't say frown had you.
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The Bible is very clear that he says the Lord makes his face
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shine upon you. OK, and so this means that you
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are not living under a frown. You are not living under the
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anger and the madness. You're not living under, you are
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living under a smile. I want you to grab hold of this
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word to David. God is smiling over us.
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And you know David goes into this as well.
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I want to show you this because it's all over in the Bible.
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I was just like, Lord, how can I do all these scriptures?
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Because the smile of God, the face of God is everywhere in the
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Bible and I will show you in Psalms as well.
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Here comes David, he says it in Psalms 51 verse 16.
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He says, let your face shine on your server.
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And I'm like, what? It's all over in the Bible, in
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the scriptures, OK, shine on it. And it's it's talking about the
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grace of God, OK. And so God smiles and I just
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love it that he smiles first. Because you see, he chose us
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first. He loved us first, even before
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we've done anything good or wrong or the God, the Bible says
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Christ died while we were yet sinners.
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So he smiled first. So if you are waiting for God to
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smile, OK, when you are getting everything right, if you are
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waiting for God to smile when I've been a good person, I've
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done everything. If you're waiting for God to
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smile when you have been a perfect person, you're going to
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wait a long time, OK? Because grace smiles first the
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blessing, it says it right there, make his face shine.
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And then the very next verse he says be gracious.
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So I want you to see how they both connected the face of God,
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OK, shining upon us and His grace.
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They are both connected in the blessing.
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They are both there. So His shining face is about
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grace and so once again I was going through the Scriptures and
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I see the same verse again, they say in the Bible or everywhere.
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Let me show you Psalm 6167 verse 1.
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He says he said May God be gracious.
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OK, you see that gracious to us and bless us and make his
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studies. Come on, Are you getting this
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somebody you can see how I mean we've just read it in the book
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of Numbers from Moses Islam. Now we are reading the Psalms
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and we see the same. You know, I just love that song.
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Show me your glory. I mean, isn't that a powerful
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song? And these songs, these letters
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becomes a prey like a cry of our hearts.
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Show me and I remember in Pretoria, I mean years ago, wow,
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when that there was a song that came out.
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Show me your face, Lord. Oh my word, there was just such
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an amazing. I'll never forget those moments.
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Ensures back in Pretoria before I moved to Joburg because I went
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to study in Pretoria. Show me your face, your power
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and grace. I mean, that is the cry of our
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heart of this house. Show me your face.
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Amen. Yeah, show me your face.
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And it's just like this other words the the Lord showed me to
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see the blessing of God's face, the title of our message.
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OK. And so why does this matter?
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And I want to show you this because here's why it matters.
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The way we see God matters how we see God, like I've explained,
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some people see him as mad and angry as some people the way
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you'd see it. And we got to go right back to
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the Bible the way we see God and perceive him.
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OK, because if you see God wrong, you live wrong because
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that's how it because you reflect his fight.
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So, so if you have a wrong perception of God and you think
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God is this angry man, disappoint God, That's how you.
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So if you think that God is mad, you hide.
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If you think that God is disappointed, you shrink.
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And so if you think that God is distant, it's like you're trying
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to get approval and strife. But when you see God's smile,
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when you see the goodness of God, how good is, how gracious,
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how loving, you just want to come close.
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You just want to run into his arms.
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You're like, oh, I want more of those.
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Wow, you are good. You are so, so good.
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I'm like, I'll have another dose of the Holy Ghost.
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One dose. No, I want another one.
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One time tasted. The Bible says taste and see
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that the Lord is good. So here you have just got a
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taste because once you taste it, I'm like, oh boy, that's
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amazing. So when you see his grace, when
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you see his love, if that he forgives, you can get back up
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because he's a forgiving God. He's a God of second child.
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He's going to give me Hallelujah.
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So say this with me. God's not mad at me.
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God is smiling over me. Now let's talk about what that
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shining face looks like. OK, The shining face because
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it's talking about God's focus. So face equals focus.
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Face is relationship. Now, this week it was amazing
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because I helped. I was holding baby Noah where
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they had youth events. And so, yeah, I was holding baby
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Noah and Noah was looking instead right into my face.
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You see, here's the thing. I love it when we have a
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conversation. And it's like you're looking
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straight into somebody's face. And I have you ever had those
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conversations? You talk to somebody and they
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just doze us off and they sort of like, look the other way.
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OK. It's just like, so I love it
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when there's that face to face conversation and you just look
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at the person that looks straight back at you.
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And here's a baby and I'm holding a baby.
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And so we were there at the youth event and and so Christine
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was standing there and Noah's and staring right at my face.
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That's what I love about babies. You see, they, they, they want
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that face to face moment. I remember that with my kids as
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well, you know, And still today, Josh, it turns my face.
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I love it because they get in your face and I love that.
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You see, babies don't just need food, they need a face.
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Babies need a face. Parents face to see the face.
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OK, face to face moment. And and it's like he says I'm
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here, I see you and I love it when you're only baby.
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And I'm like, I see you go on as a parent, I've always like, I
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see you, Daddy sees you. And I just love that because
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that's like I'm saying like I'm here, I see you, you're safe, I
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see you, Daddy sees. It's just so reassuring.
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And that is this is a longing and the cry of every heart,
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Everyone's God. Let's cry, Lord.
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I just need to know that you see me.
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It's in every heart. I just need to know that you see
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me, Lord, and that God. And he answers.
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I am not distant. I am not disappointed.
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I am not annoyed, OK, I am looking at you.
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My face is turned to you. That's why the blessing mentions
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God's face over and over again. Did you?
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Did you actually? And it's amazing.
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Well, I'm like over and over this.
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It says here, the first one. So it means it's twice the Lord
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makes His face shine on you, and then he means it again the
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second one. The Lord lift up his countenance
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upon you saying the same thing. OK.
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Meaning that you have got God's attention.
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Yeah, His attention is on you. His face is towards you.
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He's shining, He's smiling. Now attention, I love this
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because attention is valuable. When you have a conversation
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with somebody, attention is valuable.
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And we we don't always just say give attention, but we say pay
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attention. Oh, so attention is costly.
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Now here's the gospel. Jesus paid the price on the
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cross for a close to close moments, OK, for that close,
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those face to face closeness. Jesus paid for it on the cross,
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very costly, very expensive. He paid the price that we can
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live under the Father's Brexit, the Father's smile, the Father's
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fate, without fear, without Connor, but without shame,
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without distance. Jesus paid the price.
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I mean, my kids, they do it all the time and they're like,
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especially when they play and they say Daddy wants me.
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I'm like, okay, wants me dad, when they ride their bicycles,
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Oh my goodness, they're like Daddy, daddy, look, I'm going to
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go over the rack and I'm going to do this jump and they just
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keep on like daddy, daddy, they just keep on look at me, dad,
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look at me and they on their bicycles.
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And then they and my kids, they don't want half attention.
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They don't want like that on the you know, you like on a phone
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call somewhere. And now the, the, the, the kids,
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they want the moment that daddy's watching me, oh, daddy
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is looking at me. Daddy is giving his, my, my
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attention that I'm right there face to face giving them the
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moment because they're like, oh, my dad sees me and daddy is in
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all of us. We all, we want to be seen,
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every one of us. So the good news is God's not
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too busy. God's not distracted, OK?
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God's not distant and God is not unavailable.
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Somewhere in the Galaxy creating, boy, He's not too
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busy, OK? He's turned towards you with the
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light. He's turned towards you with
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favour, with goodness. And I remember a time when I was
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away from home and I missed my wife, I missed my Charlotte.
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And we're texting each other as I'm texting her and she's
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texting me back. And after a while I've, I really
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missed her, I realise I don't just need a text.
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And So what I did was because, and it's far away and I'm like,
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OK, you know what I'm going to do?
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I'm just going to. And it was, I'm going back years
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now, just when, when you have an iPhone, you can get free
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FaceTime. So I Facetimed her, wow, what a
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difference compared to just a text.
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Wow, face top. I wanted to because there are
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moments that you don't just need a text, you need face top or you
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need some moments on face because a face carries wolf, a
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face carries comfort, a face carries connection, that face to
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face moments. And so that is what God offers
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us today. God offers you.
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God does it. He's not just offering you
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information. A lot of people hear things
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about God hearing about God, OK, He's not just giving you
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information, hearing about OK, he's offering you.
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He's giving you his presence. Oh, Hallelujah.
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He's turning his countenance, his face towards you.
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And so if you have felt distant, maybe felt that his silent
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season distant, God has never turned away from you.
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OK, His face is still towards you.
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Can you say I meant somebody? Yeah, the face of God.
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And so he sees the lonely, He feels unseen.
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God sees. And I want to speak to every
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person who feels at a maybe at a disadvantage, forgotten.
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OK, God sees you. He sees the single mother trying
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to hold it all together. He sees the single parent trying
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to do his best, the father, the single parent dad.
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He sees the dad trying to do his very best.
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He sees. He sees the pain.
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He sees the struggle. He sees the heavyweight that
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you've been carrying through what you've been going through.
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Every difficult, every challenge, everyday work, all of
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these, God sees you and God sees what you have been through.
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Now we see this so clearly in Hagar's story.
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Remember in Genesis chapter 16, Wow, yes.
Genesis 16 chapter mention
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And she was struggling in the desert.
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She's and God, but I saw her struggle and I love the moment
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because Hagar, she gave him a name.
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She gave him a name. Oh, Roy.
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He Al Roy. He Jesus, you have got to get
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this revelation. She's in the desert.
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She's struggling. Oh, my God.
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What am I going to do? God saw this.
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She gave him an Al Roy. He means he sees.
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Whoa. That's the meaning of Al Roy.
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When she named God. Yeah, God sees me.
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And she was basically saying now I know, oh Hallelujah, this is
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powerful. I know that you see me my God
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life changing. I know that you see me and I
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want to read. I want to this is powerful.
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Watch this. Please don't miss this.
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This is powerful. It says Genesis 16.
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It says she caved this name to the Lord who spoke to her.
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You are the car. Oh, who sees me for she said.
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I have now seen the one who see. Oh, somebody.
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So Hallelujah. Yeah.
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I mean, here she is. Fast forward 4-5 chapters later.
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Well, let's go to Genesis chapter 21.
Genesis 21 chapter mention
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She's cast out in the wilderness in a desert.
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Difficult time. OK, Single mom.
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She's got her son. They're about to die.
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No pride place, no resources, no water, no food, and they're
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about to perish. They're right there in the in
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the wilderness, in that dry season, in that.
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And it's amazing how in these wilderness difficult moments,
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how God meets us, God encounters us in these difficult times and
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she's right there in that light try place and God shows up.
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This is the same one. She's like, wow, God sees me
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from that. And God says, listen, it's like
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he's saying, I am about to open your eyes to see the blessing.
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Did you catch that? So she had the revelation God
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sees and now God's right, I'm going to open your now watch
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this. It says here in Genesis 21 verse
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19, it says, then God opened her eyes and she saw a wall of
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water. Now notice this God did not
-
create all of a sudden a brand new well right there in that
-
moment. Okay, the well is already it's
-
all it's been there. It's like it was just hidden
-
from plain sight. It's like, but now, so what's
-
happened is God simply, and this is it because the blessings are
-
around, the goodness of God is around.
-
Refinable is spreading like wildfire.
-
But some years ago I'm like somebody said to me, but why
-
don't we see this on television? I'm like, my God, you think
-
mainstream media is going to broadcast great outpourings of
-
the Holy Ghost? OK, no, OK, right.
-
So listen, it's happening. Refinable is breaking out live
-
rises. So if you're only going to watch
-
one TV channel and they'd say, of course it's not going to be
-
broadcasted in certain in certain channels.
-
And here she is, she's about to die.
-
God opens her eyes. Oh, there's the water.
-
It's not like God created a brand new world member.
-
He just simply opened her eyes. And that's what I'm praying
-
happens today, that you see the blessing.
-
That's why I pray that you start seeing the blessing in and
-
around your life. And it's not that God had to
-
create a new blessing. He has already blessed us.
-
Ephesians, gentlemen, we have already been blessed with all
-
spiritual bliss in the heaven. We have already been blessed.
-
So we just need to start seeing it.
-
Hallelujah. And so I want you to grab hold
-
of this word today of see the blessing.
-
Now this week my youngest one is bicycle the stabilizers much
-
time is ready enough to for the stabilizers to come off so he
-
can we want him now to go to the lecture and I was looking for a
-
tool everywhere. I couldn't find the tool for the
-
bicycle. And so I'm looking in the
-
kitchen, in the house, everywhere.
-
And my other son, he's like, listen, dad, have you checked
-
the drawer? I'm like, yes, of course I've
-
checked the drawer. I don't know where the tool is.
-
Maybe I have to go to Simon and go, maybe they've got a tool for
-
me or so. But no, yeah, where is the tool?
-
And so Peter, listen, let go, Dad, let's go and have a look
-
again. So right there in the kitchen,
-
the drawer that I've been open now, sure enough, there is the
-
tool and it was like a light bulb went up in my head.
-
I was thinking about this message about see the blazing.
-
I have looked in that for so many times, but it's like God
-
turns the lights on and you see the blazing.
-
All of a sudden, Oh my God. There's the business, there's
-
the opportunity, there's the right person.
-
Why is it that I haven't met or seen you?
-
We've lived in Joburg for so many years and it's like all
-
this time and then finally we get married.
-
God turn the light on. God made the connection right
-
there. And I was looking for the tool
-
and finally I found the tool. Even though I've looked in that
-
same drawer like so many times. And then it's not like it was
-
new provision, like the tools. It's always been there.
-
It's just like hidden provision. I mean.
-
And so I declare over you that this week you will start seeing
-
the blessing. Come on, somebody shot.
-
I mean, yeah, I declare that over your life that you will
-
start seeing the open door, You will start seeing the right
-
connection, the right opportunity.
-
Yeah, you will see that connection, that you will see
-
the breakthrough this week. God, I believe this is a word
-
from the Lord, that you will see it and then somebody shout
-
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, glory to God.
-
Because sometimes it's hidden. If it's a relationship or if
-
it's an opportunity or a career or ministry, it's hidden.
-
But all of a sudden God turns the light on.
-
The moment that light flicks on, Oh my God, it's been right.
-
This city, that opportunity, it's already, it's been there.
-
And I heard a story about also talking about having a single
-
mom. And so she was overwhelmed.
-
She was feeling so worried because the balls is piling up.
-
Kids are hungry. It felt like she's in this
-
abandoned place. There's a dry place and she
-
prayed like Hagar that one night she prayed like a the very next
-
morning she felt a prompting just go check that old savings
-
account that she had been completely forgotten about.
-
She when she checked. Sure enough, that's saving to
-
God right there. The provision, the money has
-
already been there the whole time.
-
Somebody showed Honolulu. Yeah, as you said.
-
Listen, one moment I was staring and looking at this difficult,
-
no finances trace, no money in the bank.
-
And all of a sudden it's like God flick the sweets, open eyes
-
and all of a sudden there's more than enough to bless you.
-
Yeah. I just love that song.
-
Open the eyes of my heart. Open the eyes of my heart.
-
I want to see. See you high and lift it up.
-
Shining in the light of your glory, you see.
-
Open the eyes of my heart. I want to see the blessing of
-
God's face. Now can't we go deeper?
-
Somebody OK. Because the blessing.
-
All right, the favour, the goodness of God.
-
But now across the wall, Does that mean we're not going to
-
have problems? OK so the placing it does not
-
mean that there's no darkness. It doesn't mean that darkness is
-
not there. OK, it just means that the
-
darkness doesn't win because God shines his light now as I seeks
-
the gives us the bigger picture. It says, as I see, arise, shine,
-
for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon
-
you. For behold the darkness shall
-
cover the earth, and deep darkness the people, but the
-
Lord will arise over you, and his glory will be seen upon you.
-
So notice this, that he acknowledges the darkness.
-
It's not in denial that there's no darkness, OK?
-
Because placing and fiber and all that is no, no, no problems,
-
no child, OK, that's denial, OK? It's very clear darkness is
-
real. We live in a fallen world.
-
Life difficulties, troubles, storms of life is very, very
-
real. But he gives us the promise that
-
the Lord rises upon you. So the blessing doesn't mean you
-
won't face problems or face troubles or difficulty or
-
darkness or shadows. It means that God's light shines
-
on you. That's what we talk about, the
-
blessing, the face of God, the goodness of God.
-
Grace is on you. There's light on you.
-
The grace, the peace, the joy is on you.
-
And so when God's face is shining on you, what it does it
-
it releases a favor upon your life that you cannot explain.
-
And he says in Deuteronomy 28, verse 2, it says all these
-
blessings shall come upon you and overtake you.
-
Now that word overtake it means chases.
-
It chases you, so it catches up. It's like a rugby tackle, A
-
tackle, okay? It overtakes you, right?
-
So chases you, overtakes you, surprises you.
-
It shows up in your life, okay, so it's like a magnet attracting
-
things. You know when you hold up a map,
-
it attracts the good, the favored pools and attracts good,
-
the right things into your life, the right people, the right
-
connections, the right open doors, the right opportunities.
-
It's like a magnet that's on your life, a favor magnet that
-
attracts the blessings wherever you go.
-
It's like there is this favor. I'm like, oh wow, I got that
-
approved for my passport. Thank you.
-
My passport is true and it's true and no time favor.
-
Not because I'm a good person or I've done anything right because
-
of his face shining around me. I've seen it over and over when
-
my job interview as well, I got promoted, somebody told because
-
of God's favour of my life, not because I answered the questions
-
right. I didn't even have the right
-
qualifications. God's promotion, God's favour,
-
the right call, the right e-mail, the right call.
-
That's why the enemy hates it, OK?
-
Because God's blessing cannot be cancelled.
-
Oh Hallelujah, Hell, demons, the devil, Hell cannot cancel what
-
God has blessed. OK, Remember that's what Palin
-
had to admit when he wanted to try and curse the people of God.
-
He had to admit it that he could not curse.
-
I don't care if it's a Harry Potter witchy or whatever curse
-
or spell, it cannot curse what God has blessed.
-
I don't care if it's witchcraft in Africa or shongolo or
-
whatever, traditional doctors or whatever.
-
I come from Africa and we see lots of shong comas.
-
And I said, wait, roll the bones, whatever.
-
Come on. I, I, I've seen these little
-
witchcraft things in Africa. I come from, I'm an African boy,
-
you know, I'm, I'm from Africa. I've seen these witchcraft and
-
witch doctors and, and multimedicine and Copco, you
-
know, and, and all these things. This cannot curse what God has
-
placed. I've, we've had so many
-
outreachers mixing traps, all of that, all the way through.
-
I've been to every country. We do with some Mozambique,
-
we've gone through Malawi, all these places.
-
I've been there. I know it.
-
I've done that since I was young.
-
We've seen these things. But I cannot curse what God has
-
blessed. That's what Thailand had to
-
admit it. It's like God's people I
-
blessed. I cannot curse what God has
-
blessed. So no devil, no demon, no curse
-
can cancel what God. They don't have the power or the
-
authority to cancel it because the Bible says God's word is
-
eternal. It's forever simple.
-
God watches over his words. The blessing, the word of God,
-
the face of God, the light of God shines on you.
-
I don't care what witchcraft they want to practice, They
-
cannot curse what God has blessed.
-
I don't care whatever incontation, whatever spell they
-
try and cast. Read the Bible.
-
Palin could not do it. Not Harry Potter, no witch.
-
God wants us over his Word. God's it, He protects it.
-
He doesn't just give the blessing, but he keeps his
-
blessing. He protects it, He keeps it.
-
The Scripture says it, that I will bless you.
-
Now when God Almighty, that is powerful, says I bless you and I
-
keep you. No devil, no demon, no, he's
-
confused when God says it. That is the command of God.
-
When God is not a man, that he lies.
-
God keeps his word because a lot of people, they live afraid.
-
We are not under, we are over, we are not the, we are the head
-
and not the tail. And so when God's place, they
-
think, OK, God's now place, but now am I going to lose the
-
blessing? God please and keep.
-
That's the same word. It goes together.
-
He is a keeper. He's not going to stop.
-
He's going to keep blessing. That's his word.
-
So the enemy cannot curse what God has placed.
-
So I heard about a young man and he started his career and he
-
works hard, real hard worker, go the extra mile over and above.
-
But his boss never liked him, even though he's doing a good
-
job, he's working so hard. But his boss never gave him one
-
credit, not one good compliments.
-
In fact, other people were promoted that had less
-
experience and the supervisor never given career.
-
And so this young man is like, OK, it's the start of my career
-
and I'm going to continue to be faithful.
-
I'm going to show up and I'm going to still continue to do a
-
good job. I'm not going to slack off.
-
I'm going to do good. One day he walked in his boss
-
supervisor as he resigned and the management called him in.
-
They said your supervisor, your boss recommended you for his
-
job, for his position, what Mike recommended by the one who did
-
not like him. That work colleague that don't
-
like that recommend. That's favour.
-
That's Lacey. That's God opening a door that
-
no man can shut it. When God says yes, nobody can
-
say no. I don't care if it's supposed to
-
super. When God opens the door, when
-
God promotes, nobody can say no. What God has blessed cannot be
-
cursed. OK, so the enemy cannot cancel
-
or shut down what God has set in motion.
-
The Church of Jesus Christ has been going on for thousands of
-
years. You cannot stop the church, even
-
with covet. You cannot just lock down and
-
stop the church. The church is going stronger and
-
stronger. For thousands of years the Bible
-
says the gates of hell cannot prevail.
-
Hallelujah, somebody. Now as we bring this to a close,
-
let's come back to the heart of it, the blessing of God's face.
-
Because the Scripture says God spoke to Moses face to face as a
-
friend speaks. A friend, my God, God speak to
-
Moses face to face as a friend speaks, that's friendship.
-
As a man speaks to his friend. OK, that's not distant.
-
That's not God in a Galaxy far away.
-
And that is close personal relationship.
-
And you know, what I love about that personal relationship is
-
that we don't have to strive. We don't have to earn brownie
-
points before them. Strive strength.
-
It's a friendship. I mean, how do we hang out with
-
our buddies, our friends? This is a friendship
-
relationship that we have. It's it's not in striving.
-
It's just about spending time in his presence.
-
And Moses shows us what it looks like when we spend time in his
-
presence. The Bible says that the shining
-
lights of God. His face.
-
Come on, somebody. The face of Moses.
-
Come on. Am I talking Bible?
-
Yeah. Or somebody's opinion?
-
I'm giving you the word of God. Yeah.
-
His face was shining. Thank you.
-
William. Is this a fairy tale or is it
-
really true that his face is actually shining?
-
Glow, Exodus 34. That's really not the skin of
-
his face shot while he talked with him.
-
Now you see this relationship, Moses with God.
-
OK, He was not forced, not strained, not performing.
-
OK Moses was just reflecting God, the light of God.
-
He was reflecting. And so when we are spending time
-
with God in His presence, we walked out different.
-
I have just been with that person and we've had a business
-
meeting and while we got the deal right, so you've had that
-
spent time with God, you walk out changed because you have
-
been in the praises of God. And what happens is you are
-
reflecting peace, joy, grace, favour, because that's theirs.
-
That's who God is. You are reflecting it.
-
And so that's why some of you this week you are going to be
-
walking in places, workplaces, rooms, places which are and
-
people are going to start sensing something on you.
-
They're going to start sensing something on your life.
-
They're like, they don't, they cannot explain it or wonder or
-
what this, but they sense something.
-
When you walk into a room, you walk into the office, you walk
-
into a place, they sense there's something calm about you.
-
They sense that there's peace on you.
-
There's confidence on you. When you walk into a place, into
-
a business meeting, wherever you go into the shops, there's
-
something different about you. I just cannot.
-
I put my finger up, but you carry.
-
There's a presence, there's a peace, there's a joy on your
-
life at grace. And I wonder what, what is it?
-
What is it about you? I mean, you smiling.
-
What is it? I mean, life isn't that good,
-
but you're smiling. Why are you happy?
-
Why are you smiling? I mean, life is stressful and
-
you're smiling and you walk around out in the shop smiling.
-
People think you're crazy. You're like, OK, And they're
-
like, what's why? And the answer is simple.
-
The blessing. Somebody say the blessing.
-
So here's the key. We don't make the light.
-
We don't manufacture the light, reduce the light.
-
We reflect this great. We reflect.
-
OK, so we don't strive. You don't strive to shine.
-
You just reflect to shine. Yeah, you just reflect his
-
glory, his praises. OK, so let me give you an
-
illustration. So if I stand here, so yeah, I'm
-
in the shadow. So if I stand here, all of a
-
sudden I'm in light from the light that's projecting from the
-
projector. The this projector, the light is
-
projecting. So when I'm now, I'm standing
-
over here. So if I'm standing here, this is
-
the shadows. So if I step over here, all of a
-
sudden I am reflecting what is shining on me.
-
Are you getting this somebody? Yeah.
-
So to project the light, it doesn't say make your own light.
-
It doesn't say produce, manufacture your own light.
-
It says step into the light, Messiah 60 arise and shine.
-
So arise and shine. It means step into it.
-
So I'm just you just step into what God has already given, what
-
a God is already doing. You step into his grace, his
-
favour, his joy. OK, you step into that.
-
And so it's so simple what we do.
-
It's not striving to forming. Oh, I've got to be this good
-
Christian. Oh, I've got to know though, you
-
know, not you know, wow, I've got to know.
-
Listen, there's freedom where the spirit of the law these
-
days, not bondage. It's been most filling
-
relationship I've ever had is with the law when we get to know
-
him. Oh, wow.
-
The more you walk with me, the more you conversate with you
-
realize he's actually incredible and he's so simple.
-
You just step into the light like that.
-
Suddenly the light. Here's another picture.
-
The moon doesn't produce its own light, am I right?
-
OK, so the moon doesn't produce its own light.
-
The moon reflects the light of the sun.
-
That's so everything that's beautiful about the moon is a
-
reflection from the sun. The sun shines on the moon.
-
The moon just reflects it. That's us.
-
We are not shining in our own strength.
-
We are not shining in our own goodness, our own.
-
We are shining because of what we have received from Him.
-
Come on. That's why we are shining.
-
So anything that is good about us, OK, it comes from the Lord.
-
Anything that shines, it comes from the law upon our lives.
-
So it's not like trying to be this perfect Christian.
-
Are we just reflecting him? Amen.
-
OK, so so the so the sun shines on the moon.
-
Now the source is the sun, not as UN.
-
Your source is SOA. Yes, you got it.
-
That's your source. Your source is Jesus.
-
So we just reflect him. Now comes to close.
-
I want to show you these two. Moses, I'll cover.
-
I'm going to show you something in the New Testament.
-
We just buy it. Moses shows glory in the
-
presence. Flip over to the New Testament.
-
Stephen shows us glory in pressure.
-
Now I want you to see this. So 1 isn't 1 isn't pressure.
-
OK? Are you ready for this somebody?
-
Because in the book of Acts, please go read it.
-
Stephen is full of the Holy Ghost, full of faith.
-
Bible says full of faith. Miracles happen.
-
No, still happen. OK, Miracles are people believe
-
God. Now, just because you have
-
faith, that doesn't mean you're not going to have opposition.
-
Just because God's face shines on you, the lights on you, the
-
favour, the blessing, doesn't mean you are not going to face
-
opposition or difficulties or challenges, OK?
-
So because when God starts promoting you, not everybody's
-
going to be happy. Not everybody's happening.
-
Not everybody. When you get promoted and when
-
you get in the place of open door favour and the goodness of
-
God upon your Life, OK, not everybody's clapping for you,
-
OK? Let's just be open and let's
-
just be honest. Not everybody celebrates your
-
success, OK? Let's just be honest and real.
-
We are living in a real world. There's some critiques, OK?
-
These enemies, critical people, spread lies, stirs up lies,
-
rumours, gossip and think. Not everybody's happy when you
-
are successful, OK? Now Stephen was arrested,
-
brought before the council. Hostile faces, hostile voices.
-
And so the Bible says something incredible.
-
Watch this. At this point, everyone in the I
-
council stayed at Stephen White because come on, somebody.
-
Really. His face became as plied as my
-
God. So his face is shining now.
-
When in pressure, in a time of pressure, in a time of difficult
-
hardship, struggling situation, God shines his glory on him in
-
the world. In a difficult situation, he's
-
in a hostile situation. And so God was showing us that
-
when it gets harder and harder, I am not going to leave you, but
-
I'm going to shine brighter and brighter.
-
So when it gets harder and harder, I'm going to shine
-
brighter and brighter. Can you sign me in somebody?
-
And so Stephen lifted up his eyes.
-
So they are raging, but he's calm.
-
OK, He's steady. So they they're accusing
-
himself. So they are pulling, but he is
-
glowing. Now let's go full circle where
-
we started. Yeah.
-
It's the secret. Stephen changed what he was
-
looking at. Did you get that?
-
He got the revelation, the secret I'm giving it here.
-
It is just Stephen changed what he was looking at.
-
The Bible says he lifted up his eyes, he shifted his focus.
-
Come on, we're coming right back where we started, how we see,
-
how we perceive Acts 755. But he being full of the Holy
-
Spirit guys into heaven, saw the glory of God and Jesus standing
-
at the, Oh my God hand of God and said, look, I see the
-
heavens open. I see the Son of man standing at
-
the right and I go, oh, don't you catch that?
-
He gazed up into heaven. He looked up, and not because
-
the pressure was gone. OK, the pressure was still
-
there, but he refused to let that pressure be the biggest
-
thing. So he looked up.
-
He went open pressure still there, difficulty, challenge,
-
okay, hostile Fred, still there. But suddenly Steven, he saw
-
something that is greater. Yes, there's problems, yes,
-
there's wars, rumors of more economy problems in the world,
-
but there is something that is greater.
-
He saw something that is higher. He saw something that is more
-
powerful. He saw the Bible says he sees
-
glory, he sees Jesus. OK.
-
And he didn't see Jesus city. The Bible is very specific.
-
He saw how did he see Jesus? Thank you standing.
-
So that means that heaven is not passive about your pressure.
-
Heaven's not passive about your pain.
-
Heaven's not passive. Heaven is engaged.
-
Watching Jesus is present. Jesus is standing for you.
-
And Stephen's face changed. His face changed.
-
Why? Because of what he was looking
-
at. That's why it's fashion.
-
What are you looking at? What are you looking at?
-
Because what you look at, what you be, all you become, what you
-
look at, that's what you reflect.
-
Come on, Jesus said it. What the eye is going to your
-
whole life, it's going to fall your whole life.
-
I love that song. Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
-
Look full in His wonderful faith, and the things of this
-
world will grow straight of His glory.
-
So you turn your eyes upon Jesus and the problems of this world
-
very steep start to be start right?
-
See Jesus higher, bigger, higher door.
-
So when you fix and focus your eyes on Jesus, peace floods your
-
life. So what are we looking at?
-
What are we beholding? The Bible says in the book of
-
Corinthians what you behold like a mirror.
-
You look at the place, they're like a mirror.
-
The word of God, we are changed. That's how we changed.
-
Not performing. Oh no, I've got to like, you
-
know, do another fast or something.
-
It's not performance. We behold Him.
-
That's how we changed. When behold him in a mirror, we
-
are changed from glory to glory. That's how we changed.
-
What you're looking at, Behold, when you behold Him, peace
-
floods your life. So when you change what you are
-
looking at, you change your whole life.
-
Oh Hallelujah. People want to do all sorts of
-
things. These that do change.
-
I need a better counsellor. I need to change.
-
But you know what's amazing is behold knowing that God's face,
-
he's turned towards you. Now let me close with this.
-
There was this little boy in A room and he's in the little
-
boy's in his room and it's only a few feet away, the other
-
hallway from his parents. They were in bed for some reason
-
that night. This little boy was afraid and
-
so he called her. Daddy, are you there?
-
The father answered. Yes, my son.
-
I'm, I'm here. 30 seconds later, again, the little boy asked,
-
Daddy, are you in there? The father said yes, my son.
-
I'm Yeah. Again.
-
The boy, little boy is the phrase.
-
Guys are. Daddy, are you still in there?
-
Yes, the father. Yes, my son, I am still.
-
Yeah. One minute went by.
-
The boy asks something deeper. Danny, is your face turned
-
toward me? Yes, my son, my face is turned
-
towards you. Can I tell you something, Judge?
-
This is the word of the Lord for you today.
-
God's face is turned towards you, and he will never turn his
-
face away from you. Never, no mistake, never, no
-
problem, No devil, no devil, nothing.
-
That's the message today. So it's very simple as I 6 did
-
the rise and shine for your lightest God.
-
The glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
-
Amen. Let's all stand.
-
Praise God so the Father's face is shining on you.
-
Not when you get it all right, OK?
-
The Father's face is shining on you right now.
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Not one day when you perfect, OK?
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Not one day, Sunday will be make no mistakes.
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Or when the pressure is gone or when the storm is gone.
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Right now God's face is turned towards you, OK.
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And so even when you have made mistakes, the Bible says
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everybody have sent them for short of the glory of God.
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Even when you've made mistakes, even when you've the face of God
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is on you. The mercy never leaves the grace
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of God. The love of God is
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unconditional. It's not.
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God is not like mood swings. It doesn't go up now.
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You've been a good point now and now I love you.
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You're not being that. God's love is forever settled.
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It's eternal love. It doesn't go up and down like
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this. God is not like he's everlasting
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love. I meant, and so I declare that
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this way, you will see the blessing in your life.
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You will see the blessing, God's present, God's face in your life
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this week. And people will start noticing
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something on you. People will notice something in
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the shops wherever you go. They're like, there's something
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about there's a peace, there's a calmness, there's a confidence,
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not panic, but peace. And they'll notice that because
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the King's face shines upon me. And that's why the king turned
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towards Ester and she's found favor with the king.
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Now we're going to respond because we are not just hearing
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a message. We are stepping into it.
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I mean, because we're not we. Now maybe you are here today and
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you're thinking that you feel that you know, you feel at a
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disadvantage, you feel unseen, you feel maybe lonely at
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distance from God, believing that you're not good enough.
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Or maybe you just need peace in your mind.
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Maybe there's sleepless nights, panic, stress, fear, worry.
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If you need favour, OK, maybe you feel you've stuck in a
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situation. Bring it to the Father.
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OK, So if you've courage, shame or rejection, maybe you're just
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feeling unseen you need and this is our moment and you feel,
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listen, I just want to see the blessing, the Father smiling.
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OK, this moment is for you. If that's you, lift your hands
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and I want you to say, Lord, let me see the blessing of your
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face. Come on, say it again a minute
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from your heart. Say, Lord, let me see the
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blessing of your face, your countenance toward me.
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Now put your hand on your heart. I just received this prayers.
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I pray of you Lord, I just pray shine your light on every heart.
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Lord, I pray that you open every eye to see the blessing shine on
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every mind that has been under pressure.
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Lord, I pray that you just calm every storm.
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Release favour, open doors that no man can shut.
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Release provision, release blessing right now, Lord,
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resources to show up. Break every lie that says I'm
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not enough. Break every lie that says I'm
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unseen or forgotten. Father, let your smile break
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every yoke, every chain. Let the Father's face shine
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right now on your people, Lord, right now in Jesus mighty name.
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Come on, give God some praise. Somebody.
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So right now, I want you to open your mouth and I want you to
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declare it like you mean. It's like God.
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He's smiling over me right now. I see the blessing.
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His face is shining on my life. The Lord is keeping me.
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What God gave me will not be stolen.
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Every curse is breaking, every fog of confusion is lifting,
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Favour is chasing me. Doors are opening.
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I want strive for shine. I reflect his glory.
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Peace is my portion because I am blessed.
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Hallelujah. So right now, if you're here and
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you want a relationship with Jesus, maybe it's your first
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time or you want to rededicate your life to Jesus.
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If you don't have a relationship with Jesus right now, I want to
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give you a chance. I want to give you an
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opportunity to give your life to Jesus.
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Just quickly, that's you. You just want to slip up your
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hand and just say yes, pastor, that's me.
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I want to I want to make sure that I'm right with God
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relationship with Jesus. I want to go where he goes.
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I want to see what he sees. I want the blessing.
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I want because it starts with the relationship with Jesus.
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Thank you, thank you, thank the God sees your hand.
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This is family. We are family, OK, We're not
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shy. We don't we worry about who's
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beside us. This is eternity forever.
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It's the biggest best decision you can ever make.
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OK, It's the highest best decision ever.
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So if you say right now quickly, I'll just just slip up your hand
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very quickly. If you all say you're born
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again, want to be a child of God, Thank you, thank you.
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Anybody else's quickly that want to be included in the spray.
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Yes, I see that hand. OK, I see that hand.
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Thank you. OK, Let's just pray this.
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Pray that Lord say, Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins.
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I believe you died for me and you rose again.
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I receive your forgiveness. I give you my life.
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Hide me new for me with your peace in Jesus name.
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So if you pray that prayer, welcome home.
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You're part of God's family. You're a child of God.
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Come on somebody. OK, so raise your hands to
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heaven. Just want to declare the
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blessing over you. So the Lord bless you and keep
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you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance
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upon you and give you peace in the mighty name of Jesus.
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God bless you. Hallelujah.
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We believe it, we step into it. And so remember, you're not
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living under a frown, you're living under a smile.
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So this week, see the blessing. Come on somebody.
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Hallelujah.