And so there's pressure around distractions, deadlines and
things are happening and we, God is moving, but we can miss it
when God moves because life is busy, deadlines, difficulties,
challenges. And so God, this is something
he's moving, but we we can miss it.
And so God is working, He's moving, and we don't notice it.
But I came with a word from the Lord for somebody today that God
is about to open your eyes to see what God is doing in your
life. Can I say I meant somebody?
Hallelujah. Yeah.
So God, he's turning the light on.
I just heard that so strongly. God's like, tell my that I'm
turning the light on. In fact, I'm shining on you.
And I'm going to give you the Scripture, what God gave, He's
shining on you. The Bible says that the Lord
makes his face to shine upon you.
OK? So when his face shines on you,
it doesn't matter what happens in the economy.
It doesn't matter what happens around you, in the economy, in
the politics, When the face of God shines on you, it doesn't
matter how dark the world gets. It doesn't matter because when
God's face shines on you, the face of God brings light.
Wow, light. When God's face shines on your
life, he turns the light on. And God, light changes
everything. Light casts out dark lights.
Light is powerful. He turns on the light.
Hallelujah. Now.
So that's the theme. Now let me give you the title of
today's message. OK?
Are you ready, Judge? The blessing of God's face.
Oh, Hallelujah. I feel the anointing right now.
Somebody say that the blessing of God's face, right?
I'm going to put that on there for us because I feel the
presence of God in this place. Listen, I really believe this
word is going to bless your life today.
Are you ready for the word? Somebody.
Can you shout Hallelujah already?
Yes. Yes, Yes.
I want you to talk to me today. Yeah.
Thank you. I really need you guys to talk
to me. OK, listen, I come from the end
here. I know what these are now.
I I love a loud chest. OK.
So we just got to get loose and
relaxing. Yeah.
And we're going to be talking. I don't want to hear your
response. I'm like, yes, Pastor.
If that's your preacher, Pastor, throw another one in that hole.
Yes. Go to there, pastor.
OK. Because that's how you receive,
OK? I'm not just preaching to empty
chase. I'm preaching to like, yes, OK,
Imagine you, like at a football match or a rugby match or
somewhere and they score a try. Yes.
Poker. Yeah.
Cool. So when you get the word that
plays you, you stand up and you shout.
Cool. Can you shout louder than
football? Or is football more important
than Jesus? Come on.
Let's just be honest and real. Yeah, that's right.
Yeah. So that's what we're going to
do. So this is how we're going to
flow today. And then you might be seated.
So any time when that word comes and you say Amen, that means
Amen means so be it. So when I say God turns on the
lights and I say there is a blessing, your eyes open, you
say Amen. That means you're receiving
that. That meant because this is very
exciting because I just laugh earlier as I walked in, post
Michelle was already saying that and I'm like, wow, she's reading
my mail because I'm like, what God, What do you want to see God
smiling over us? And yes, post Michelle saying
that I walk in, I'm like, well, that you you're taking my you're
taking the word what our God has given me.
But in fact, you're actually confirming the word.
And so God is smiling over you. Heaven is smiling over.
And I want you to say that say Heaven is smiling over me.
Yeah, Tell your neighbor Heaven is smiling over you.
OK, now do it again. But this time smile, smile.
Can you give them the biggest smile and say Heaven is smiling
over you and I'm also smiling at you?
Yeah. Yeah.
That's it. So now we're going to read.
Now, Are you ready for our theme scripture?
How many of you can remember the theme scripture for last Sunday?
Oh, Stephen, you got it. Yeah.
You see, he's already receiving. He's already there.
Pretty cheap, Pastor. You see, that's how we're going
to flow today. Back and forth responses.
OK, so Numbers chapter 6. Remember that is our anchor
verse for this entire series. And so we're going to break it
down. We're going to go verse by
verse. So Are you ready for this
because it's your father's blessing his people.
Hallelujah. Now Numbers chapter 6, let's
open. I'm going to read it up there as
I read from verse 24. It says the Lord bless you and
keep you. The Lord makes his face shine
upon you. And this is our title of our
message. And be gracious to you.
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
OK, so let's just pray. Father, we thank you for your
presence in this place. Lord, let a lot of your face
shine upon every heart. Open up our eyes to see the
blessing of your face. In Jesus mighty name we praying
somebody shout. I meant I meant yeah, awesome.
Now let's flow because I want us to look at this blessing because
this isn't just a little cute poem, OK, This is just a little
church slogan. This is a word of God.
This is God's heart. This is God's wolf and he starts
or blessed you the first one God bless you.
So God gives you and is adding to your life good things OK to
you. And so the next one keep you and
they all flow together, keep you.
So God is protecting what he gives you so you don't have to
live afraid of losing it. And then the next one, because
listen, I want you to just see that keep you because the same
God who blesses you, OK, the blessing God is able to also
keep you. OK, All right now then he goes
on. He says, makes his face shine
upon you. Now God is turned towards you
with favour. Somebody say favour.
OK, he goes on. Be gracious.
That is the kindness, the goodness, the grace of God
showing up in your life. Then lift up his countenance.
God is looking at you, OK, And so he's and then the end result,
because she's not distant, and then he ends it off with peace.
That's the result. Shalom, peace.
Somebody say peace. OK, so that is the blessing.
Now what's powerful is the timing when God gave the
blessing. Now quick recap block from last
week when God gave the blessing to Israel, they were in a hard
time, a hard season. They were in the wilderness,
struggling challenges in a difficult dry place.
OK, they fell behind disadvantage, OK, and so
outnumbered. And so they in this season of
uncertain and right there in the difficult season, God does not
respond with judgment of pointing a finger.
God does not respond with shame. He does not respond with a long
lecture. He responds by giving a
blessing. Oh Hallelujah.
So God was for saying my face is on you.
I'm looking towards you, my face.
So I am not against you. I am for you, say agaris for me.
Yeah, somebody say it again. Agaris for me.
Now maybe you're here today and you are facing a storm in your
life. Maybe it's pressure in a
marriage relationship in in a health condition, difficulty and
challenges, financial storm. I have got good news for you
today that God's smile is stronger than your storm.
Hallelujah. Glory to God, say that with me,
God's smile is stronger than my storm.
Sorry, God's smile is stronger than my storm.
OK, Hallelujah. Now I want to say that you so
God's smiling over you, God's close his face towards you.
You are not at a disadvantage. He is shining on you.
I mean somebody say he's shining on me.
OK, so our key point today, see the blessing.
Now let me emphasize this point because it all comes down to how
we see how we perceive. Have you ever taken a photo with
a camera and you've accidentally used the wrong lens?
OK, yeah. Or you've like your own filter
and you look at it and you're like, oh, the photos all blurry
and it's out of focus. It's like you why?
Why does everything look rain and dull and this whole photos
blurry? It is same people, same moments,
same settings because of the legs, the filter.
So the filter, the lens made it look worse than what it really
was. Same people, same moment, same.
But the photo, the lens made it out of focus and it came out
blurry. Now life can do that.
Pressure can do that. A hard day can become a hard
lens, a hard, difficult, struggling day, OK.
A season of hardship can become a hard falter.
A hard lens, that stressful season, that difficult, it can
become a fear falter, OK? How we see things, how we
perceive, because there's been a lot of stress and deadlines and
difficulties. And So what happens is the way
we perceive the focus OK keeps blurred.
And so the blessing can be around the goodness, things are
happening, opportunity, great things can be around all around
us. But because of the difficulty,
you don't even notice it because life is busy and we just keep on
going. And so it is to get that focus.
And Jesus said something very powerful in the book of Matthew
6. He says the eye is the lamp of
the body. We are talking about the if your
eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light, OK?
And so that means that what you focus on doesn't just stay in
the eye. What you focus on, it spreads in
your whole life, OK? So if you keep on focusing on
the problem, the problem becomes bigger because what you magnify
multiplied, OK? So if you keep on focusing on
fear, fear gets stronger. Keep on focusing your problem,
the problem gets stronger, OK, But if you lift up your eyes to
God, fight prizes again, Hallelujah or something more.
We beat you God. And so today we are changing the
lens. Yeah, the falter is coming off.
That fear falter. OK, we flipping off the fear
falter. It's coming off because when you
see his smile, light floods your whole life.
When you see the blessing of God's face, when you see the
smile of God shining upon you, it floods your whole life.
Peace and joy, It comes to you like he's coming to you.
So that decision that you have been afraid of, the light is
coming to it, OK? God's turning on the light.
God's shining the light. The light's coming to it, OK.
So that situation that felt confusing, light is coming to
it, OK. That season that felt heavy,
light is coming to it. So I want us to make this our
pray today. Oh God.
Lord, give us healthy eyes. Give me healthy.
Say that with me, Lord, give me healthy eyes, say light up my
life, form me with your light my whole life, I mean.
So now here's what I have learnt.
Many people, they believe that God exists.
Many I've been, I've been around for years.
Many people, they believe, yeah, God is real, God is exist, but
they don't believe he's smiling at them.
They live like God is angry. God is keeping score like the
strict teacher, OK, with a clipboard, You did good
yesterday, but today you messed up, OK.
And so now I'm distant. And so a lot of people, they are
walking around thinking that God, oh, God is angry.
God is God is mad walking around thinking God is disappointed.
God is decimal God's not distant he's turning towards as the
Bible doesn't say the Lord frowned you.
No, it doesn't say frown had you.
The Bible is very clear that he says the Lord makes his face
shine upon you. OK, and so this means that you
are not living under a frown. You are not living under the
anger and the madness. You're not living under, you are
living under a smile. I want you to grab hold of this
word to David. God is smiling over us.
And you know David goes into this as well.
I want to show you this because it's all over in the Bible.
I was just like, Lord, how can I do all these scriptures?
Because the smile of God, the face of God is everywhere in the
Bible and I will show you in Psalms as well.
Here comes David, he says it in Psalms 51 verse 16.
He says, let your face shine on your server.
And I'm like, what? It's all over in the Bible, in
the scriptures, OK, shine on it. And it's it's talking about the
grace of God, OK. And so God smiles and I just
love it that he smiles first. Because you see, he chose us
first. He loved us first, even before
we've done anything good or wrong or the God, the Bible says
Christ died while we were yet sinners.
So he smiled first. So if you are waiting for God to
smile, OK, when you are getting everything right, if you are
waiting for God to smile when I've been a good person, I've
done everything. If you're waiting for God to
smile when you have been a perfect person, you're going to
wait a long time, OK? Because grace smiles first the
blessing, it says it right there, make his face shine.
And then the very next verse he says be gracious.
So I want you to see how they both connected the face of God,
OK, shining upon us and His grace.
They are both connected in the blessing.
They are both there. So His shining face is about
grace and so once again I was going through the Scriptures and
I see the same verse again, they say in the Bible or everywhere.
Let me show you Psalm 6167 verse 1.
He says he said May God be gracious.
OK, you see that gracious to us and bless us and make his
studies. Come on, Are you getting this
somebody you can see how I mean we've just read it in the book
of Numbers from Moses Islam. Now we are reading the Psalms
and we see the same. You know, I just love that song.
Show me your glory. I mean, isn't that a powerful
song? And these songs, these letters
becomes a prey like a cry of our hearts.
Show me and I remember in Pretoria, I mean years ago, wow,
when that there was a song that came out.
Show me your face, Lord. Oh my word, there was just such
an amazing. I'll never forget those moments.
Ensures back in Pretoria before I moved to Joburg because I went
to study in Pretoria. Show me your face, your power
and grace. I mean, that is the cry of our
heart of this house. Show me your face.
Amen. Yeah, show me your face.
And it's just like this other words the the Lord showed me to
see the blessing of God's face, the title of our message.
OK. And so why does this matter?
And I want to show you this because here's why it matters.
The way we see God matters how we see God, like I've explained,
some people see him as mad and angry as some people the way
you'd see it. And we got to go right back to
the Bible the way we see God and perceive him.
OK, because if you see God wrong, you live wrong because
that's how it because you reflect his fight.
So, so if you have a wrong perception of God and you think
God is this angry man, disappoint God, That's how you.
So if you think that God is mad, you hide.
If you think that God is disappointed, you shrink.
And so if you think that God is distant, it's like you're trying
to get approval and strife. But when you see God's smile,
when you see the goodness of God, how good is, how gracious,
how loving, you just want to come close.
You just want to run into his arms.
You're like, oh, I want more of those.
Wow, you are good. You are so, so good.
I'm like, I'll have another dose of the Holy Ghost.
One dose. No, I want another one.
One time tasted. The Bible says taste and see
that the Lord is good. So here you have just got a
taste because once you taste it, I'm like, oh boy, that's
amazing. So when you see his grace, when
you see his love, if that he forgives, you can get back up
because he's a forgiving God. He's a God of second child.
He's going to give me Hallelujah.
So say this with me. God's not mad at me.
God is smiling over me. Now let's talk about what that
shining face looks like. OK, The shining face because
it's talking about God's focus. So face equals focus.
Face is relationship. Now, this week it was amazing
because I helped. I was holding baby Noah where
they had youth events. And so, yeah, I was holding baby
Noah and Noah was looking instead right into my face.
You see, here's the thing. I love it when we have a
conversation. And it's like you're looking
straight into somebody's face. And I have you ever had those
conversations? You talk to somebody and they
just doze us off and they sort of like, look the other way.
OK. It's just like, so I love it
when there's that face to face conversation and you just look
at the person that looks straight back at you.
And here's a baby and I'm holding a baby.
And so we were there at the youth event and and so Christine
was standing there and Noah's and staring right at my face.
That's what I love about babies. You see, they, they, they want
that face to face moment. I remember that with my kids as
well, you know, And still today, Josh, it turns my face.
I love it because they get in your face and I love that.
You see, babies don't just need food, they need a face.
Babies need a face. Parents face to see the face.
OK, face to face moment. And and it's like he says I'm
here, I see you and I love it when you're only baby.
And I'm like, I see you go on as a parent, I've always like, I
see you, Daddy sees you. And I just love that because
that's like I'm saying like I'm here, I see you, you're safe, I
see you, Daddy sees. It's just so reassuring.
And that is this is a longing and the cry of every heart,
Everyone's God. Let's cry, Lord.
I just need to know that you see me.
It's in every heart. I just need to know that you see
me, Lord, and that God. And he answers.
I am not distant. I am not disappointed.
I am not annoyed, OK, I am looking at you.
My face is turned to you. That's why the blessing mentions
God's face over and over again. Did you?
Did you actually? And it's amazing.
Well, I'm like over and over this.
It says here, the first one. So it means it's twice the Lord
makes His face shine on you, and then he means it again the
second one. The Lord lift up his countenance
upon you saying the same thing. OK.
Meaning that you have got God's attention.
Yeah, His attention is on you. His face is towards you.
He's shining, He's smiling. Now attention, I love this
because attention is valuable. When you have a conversation
with somebody, attention is valuable.
And we we don't always just say give attention, but we say pay
attention. Oh, so attention is costly.
Now here's the gospel. Jesus paid the price on the
cross for a close to close moments, OK, for that close,
those face to face closeness. Jesus paid for it on the cross,
very costly, very expensive. He paid the price that we can
live under the Father's Brexit, the Father's smile, the Father's
fate, without fear, without Connor, but without shame,
without distance. Jesus paid the price.
I mean, my kids, they do it all the time and they're like,
especially when they play and they say Daddy wants me.
I'm like, okay, wants me dad, when they ride their bicycles,
Oh my goodness, they're like Daddy, daddy, look, I'm going to
go over the rack and I'm going to do this jump and they just
keep on like daddy, daddy, they just keep on look at me, dad,
look at me and they on their bicycles.
And then they and my kids, they don't want half attention.
They don't want like that on the you know, you like on a phone
call somewhere. And now the, the, the, the kids,
they want the moment that daddy's watching me, oh, daddy
is looking at me. Daddy is giving his, my, my
attention that I'm right there face to face giving them the
moment because they're like, oh, my dad sees me and daddy is in
all of us. We all, we want to be seen,
every one of us. So the good news is God's not
too busy. God's not distracted, OK?
God's not distant and God is not unavailable.
Somewhere in the Galaxy creating, boy, He's not too
busy, OK? He's turned towards you with the
light. He's turned towards you with
favour, with goodness. And I remember a time when I was
away from home and I missed my wife, I missed my Charlotte.
And we're texting each other as I'm texting her and she's
texting me back. And after a while I've, I really
missed her, I realise I don't just need a text.
And So what I did was because, and it's far away and I'm like,
OK, you know what I'm going to do?
I'm just going to. And it was, I'm going back years
now, just when, when you have an iPhone, you can get free
FaceTime. So I Facetimed her, wow, what a
difference compared to just a text.
Wow, face top. I wanted to because there are
moments that you don't just need a text, you need face top or you
need some moments on face because a face carries wolf, a
face carries comfort, a face carries connection, that face to
face moments. And so that is what God offers
us today. God offers you.
God does it. He's not just offering you
information. A lot of people hear things
about God hearing about God, OK, He's not just giving you
information, hearing about OK, he's offering you.
He's giving you his presence. Oh, Hallelujah.
He's turning his countenance, his face towards you.
And so if you have felt distant, maybe felt that his silent
season distant, God has never turned away from you.
OK, His face is still towards you.
Can you say I meant somebody? Yeah, the face of God.
And so he sees the lonely, He feels unseen.
God sees. And I want to speak to every
person who feels at a maybe at a disadvantage, forgotten.
OK, God sees you. He sees the single mother trying
to hold it all together. He sees the single parent trying
to do his best, the father, the single parent dad.
He sees the dad trying to do his very best.
He sees. He sees the pain.
He sees the struggle. He sees the heavyweight that
you've been carrying through what you've been going through.
Every difficult, every challenge, everyday work, all of
these, God sees you and God sees what you have been through.
Now we see this so clearly in Hagar's story.
Remember in Genesis chapter 16, Wow, yes.
And she was struggling in the desert.
She's and God, but I saw her struggle and I love the moment
because Hagar, she gave him a name.
She gave him a name. Oh, Roy.
He Al Roy. He Jesus, you have got to get
this revelation. She's in the desert.
She's struggling. Oh, my God.
What am I going to do? God saw this.
She gave him an Al Roy. He means he sees.
Whoa. That's the meaning of Al Roy.
When she named God. Yeah, God sees me.
And she was basically saying now I know, oh Hallelujah, this is
powerful. I know that you see me my God
life changing. I know that you see me and I
want to read. I want to this is powerful.
Watch this. Please don't miss this.
This is powerful. It says Genesis 16.
It says she caved this name to the Lord who spoke to her.
You are the car. Oh, who sees me for she said.
I have now seen the one who see. Oh, somebody.
So Hallelujah. Yeah.
I mean, here she is. Fast forward 4-5 chapters later.
Well, let's go to Genesis chapter 21.
She's cast out in the wilderness in a desert.
Difficult time. OK, Single mom.
She's got her son. They're about to die.
No pride place, no resources, no water, no food, and they're
about to perish. They're right there in the in
the wilderness, in that dry season, in that.
And it's amazing how in these wilderness difficult moments,
how God meets us, God encounters us in these difficult times and
she's right there in that light try place and God shows up.
This is the same one. She's like, wow, God sees me
from that. And God says, listen, it's like
he's saying, I am about to open your eyes to see the blessing.
Did you catch that? So she had the revelation God
sees and now God's right, I'm going to open your now watch
this. It says here in Genesis 21 verse
19, it says, then God opened her eyes and she saw a wall of
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.
Not one day when you perfect, OK?
Not one day, Sunday will be make no mistakes.
Or when the pressure is gone or when the storm is gone.
Right now God's face is turned towards you, OK.
And so even when you have made mistakes, the Bible says
everybody have sent them for short of the glory of God.
Even when you've made mistakes, even when you've the face of God
is on you. The mercy never leaves the grace
of God. The love of God is
unconditional. It's not.
God is not like mood swings. It doesn't go up now.
You've been a good point now and now I love you.
You're not being that. God's love is forever settled.
It's eternal love. It doesn't go up and down like
this. God is not like he's everlasting
love. I meant, and so I declare that
this way, you will see the blessing in your life.
You will see the blessing, God's present, God's face in your life
this week. And people will start noticing
something on you. People will notice something in
the shops wherever you go. They're like, there's something
about there's a peace, there's a calmness, there's a confidence,
not panic, but peace. And they'll notice that because
the King's face shines upon me. And that's why the king turned
towards Ester and she's found favor with the king.
Now we're going to respond because we are not just hearing
a message. We are stepping into it.
I mean, because we're not we. Now maybe you are here today and
you're thinking that you feel that you know, you feel at a
disadvantage, you feel unseen, you feel maybe lonely at
distance from God, believing that you're not good enough.
Or maybe you just need peace in your mind.
Maybe there's sleepless nights, panic, stress, fear, worry.
If you need favour, OK, maybe you feel you've stuck in a
situation. Bring it to the Father.
OK, So if you've courage, shame or rejection, maybe you're just
feeling unseen you need and this is our moment and you feel,
listen, I just want to see the blessing, the Father smiling.
OK, this moment is for you. If that's you, lift your hands
and I want you to say, Lord, let me see the blessing of your
face. Come on, say it again a minute
from your heart. Say, Lord, let me see the
blessing of your face, your countenance toward me.
Now put your hand on your heart. I just received this prayers.
I pray of you Lord, I just pray shine your light on every heart.
Lord, I pray that you open every eye to see the blessing shine on
every mind that has been under pressure.
Lord, I pray that you just calm every storm.
Release favour, open doors that no man can shut.
Release provision, release blessing right now, Lord,
resources to show up. Break every lie that says I'm
not enough. Break every lie that says I'm
unseen or forgotten. Father, let your smile break
every yoke, every chain. Let the Father's face shine
right now on your people, Lord, right now in Jesus mighty name.
Come on, give God some praise. Somebody.
So right now, I want you to open your mouth and I want you to
declare it like you mean. It's like God.
He's smiling over me right now. I see the blessing.
His face is shining on my life. The Lord is keeping me.
What God gave me will not be stolen.
Every curse is breaking, every fog of confusion is lifting,
Favour is chasing me. Doors are opening.
I want strive for shine. I reflect his glory.
Peace is my portion because I am blessed.
Hallelujah. So right now, if you're here and
you want a relationship with Jesus, maybe it's your first
time or you want to rededicate your life to Jesus.
If you don't have a relationship with Jesus right now, I want to
give you a chance. I want to give you an
opportunity to give your life to Jesus.
Just quickly, that's you. You just want to slip up your
hand and just say yes, pastor, that's me.
I want to I want to make sure that I'm right with God
relationship with Jesus. I want to go where he goes.
I want to see what he sees. I want the blessing.
I want because it starts with the relationship with Jesus.
Thank you, thank you, thank the God sees your hand.
This is family. We are family, OK, We're not
shy. We don't we worry about who's
beside us. This is eternity forever.
It's the biggest best decision you can ever make.
OK, It's the highest best decision ever.
So if you say right now quickly, I'll just just slip up your hand
very quickly. If you all say you're born
again, want to be a child of God, Thank you, thank you.
Anybody else's quickly that want to be included in the spray.
Yes, I see that hand. OK, I see that hand.
Thank you. OK, Let's just pray this.
Pray that Lord say, Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins.
I believe you died for me and you rose again.
I receive your forgiveness. I give you my life.
Hide me new for me with your peace in Jesus name.
So if you pray that prayer, welcome home.
You're part of God's family. You're a child of God.
Come on somebody. OK, so raise your hands to
heaven. Just want to declare the
blessing over you. So the Lord bless you and keep
you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance
upon you and give you peace in the mighty name of Jesus.
God bless you. Hallelujah.
We believe it, we step into it. And so remember, you're not
living under a frown, you're living under a smile.
So this week, see the blessing. Come on somebody.
Hallelujah.