1 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:06,000 Hello and welcome to the Arise Church Podcast. 2 00:00:06,360 --> 00:00:09,080 We are so glad you're here and want to thank you for joining us 3 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:12,080 today for the audio version of our Sunday morning message. 4 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:15,520 We want to invite you to join us in person at our Sunday morning 5 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:17,920 celebration every Sunday at 10 AM. 6 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:21,600 We are located on Old Jenks Rd. in Apex, NC. 7 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:26,800 Amen. Well, I am JJ Versolono. 8 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:31,960 I am one of the associate pastors here at Arise Church. 9 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:34,840 I'm also the director of the Rice School of Ministry and 10 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:38,320 Leadership, and I have the distinct honor and privilege of 11 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:39,760 bringing the Word of God this morning. 12 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:47,520 That is something that I carry with great awe. 13 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:52,200 Whenever we get to be the mouthpiece for the Lord. 14 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:57,040 That is nothing to take lightly and that is something that. 15 00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:02,120 I distinctly believe will change our hearts and our lives every 16 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:05,000 time we gather if we apply our faith and our expectation to 17 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:08,280 that. And so this morning, that is my 18 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:13,120 invitation to you as we get ready to dive into the word. 19 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:16,040 First, you're going to hear a little bit about me, which I 20 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:18,400 love that. I love that we get to share our 21 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:21,960 testimonies and pieces of our stories with one another because 22 00:01:21,960 --> 00:01:24,800 like it says in the Book of Revelation, we overcome by the 23 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:28,760 blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony, the victory of 24 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:31,240 the tests and the trials that we have gone through and what the 25 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:34,360 Lord has done in proving His faithfulness and His goodness to 26 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:38,120 each and every one of us. There is nothing like it. 27 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:40,400 And so in just a minute, we're going to jump in and you're 28 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:42,720 going to hear a little bit of my story and who I am and where I 29 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:44,600 come from. But then we're going to jump 30 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:47,160 into the message this morning, which is entitled. 31 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:51,200 The Lord is in this place, and I believe God's got a lot of 32 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:53,200 amazing things. There's a prophetic covenant 33 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:58,520 that He has established with His people for generations upon 34 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:04,560 generations upon generations. Our motto here at Arise Church's 35 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:10,840 Discipling Generations to Arise Now Discipling Generations. 36 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:13,800 See what God has in store for you is not just for your life, 37 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:17,200 but it extends far beyond which you will ever know this side of 38 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:19,800 heaven. But in heaven you will see the 39 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:24,160 full fulfillment of His prophetic covenant that has been 40 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:27,880 made with you. All right, well, I'm going to 41 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:30,400 just share a little bit of my story because you got to hear a 42 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:33,040 lot of our story when Pastor Tim. 43 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:36,320 Shared If you didn't know, this is my wonderful husband, Pastor 44 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:38,840 Tim will be married 33 years in November. 45 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:42,080 I know mind blowing because I look about 25, right? 46 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:46,960 Oh my goodness, no. But 33 years this November. 47 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:51,280 Best best gift the Lord could have ever given me outside the 48 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:54,120 salvation gift that he gave me and saved my life with. 49 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:58,200 But. My story is wrought with legacy 50 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:00,920 and miracles. Some of you may be a first 51 00:03:00,920 --> 00:03:03,800 generation Christian in this place today, and some of you, 52 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:07,600 like me, may have a legacy of faith from which you are reaping 53 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:11,200 the rewards of. Many of you, I believe, are 54 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:16,520 aware that I'm a PK, but not in your most normal sense. 55 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:21,000 While my dad, yes, was a pastor, I grew up as a president's kid. 56 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:23,760 So my brothers are five and six years older than me, and my 57 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:28,000 father pastored during during that season of their life, and 58 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:29,200 they were in. High school, but I was in 59 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:32,640 elementary school when he was invited to leave his pastor and 60 00:03:32,640 --> 00:03:35,680 become the president of at the time, Life Bible College, which 61 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:37,760 we now know is Life Pacific University. 62 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:42,240 And he he moved it from Echo Park, where Amy had planted at 63 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:44,800 the school, and then moved it to San Dimas. 64 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:48,240 And so I grew up as a president's kid, which was a 65 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:51,680 very different, different scenario than a pastor's kid, 66 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:54,000 but yet still many of those same. 67 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:58,360 Wonderful, wonderful rewards of being such. 68 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:01,040 It was the greatest honor and joy to have grown up as a 69 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:05,040 pastor's kid. It wasn't perfect, it wasn't 70 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:09,000 easy, but it was holy. I grew in the things of the 71 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:12,120 Lord. My parents lived even a greater 72 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:15,920 discipleship model at home. You know, they, they weren't 73 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:19,360 different people from the platform or where wherever we 74 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:23,480 were traveling around, speaking to what was at home, it was 75 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:26,280 consistent. It was consistent. 76 00:04:26,280 --> 00:04:28,040 And we were their number one ministry. 77 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:33,040 And my brothers and myself all knew that no matter what, we 78 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:37,240 were the number one ministry to my parents and we are great 79 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:40,800 recipients of a legacy of. Faith. 80 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:44,960 I'm also child of grandparents and great grandparents who were 81 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:49,480 not just believers but also in ministry on both sides. 82 00:04:49,840 --> 00:04:54,320 So my great grandfather, whom I never met, he died long before I 83 00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:56,560 was born. Who my daughter, who you'll meet 84 00:04:56,560 --> 00:04:59,400 next week, Shay is named after. His name is Shaylin. 85 00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:02,680 Her name is Shaylin, spelled a little differently, but he was a 86 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:06,440 pastor for many years and although my my grandparents on 87 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:09,720 my dad's side and my dad even until he was 18, didn't. 88 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:14,840 Live their lives for the Lord in in the same sense my dad gave 89 00:05:14,840 --> 00:05:20,680 his life had a complete. Just amazing miraculous call by 90 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:25,000 God calling his name when he was in the army and in El Paso, TX 91 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:28,000 but didn't grow up in church. However, my aunt was pulling the 92 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:30,720 strings trying to get everybody to church at all, all the time 93 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:35,200 his his little sister. But on the other side my my 94 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:39,800 great grandparents. Were heavily involved in revival 95 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:42,600 and and just lots of moves of God. 96 00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:47,600 My great grandmother Rosalie Chambers was the pianist for Amy 97 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:50,440 Semple McPherson and for Smith Wigglesworth and many of their 98 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:55,840 revivals in the in the early 1900s there and so worship. 99 00:05:55,840 --> 00:06:00,640 Is a legacy of our of our life. It is an understanding that that 100 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:04,320 is where we, we, we have earth kiss heaven, right? 101 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:08,200 We open the gates of heaven and the glory of the Lord is poured 102 00:06:08,200 --> 00:06:10,880 out upon us. And everything can change in 103 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:13,320 that moment. If we come and realize we're not 104 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:17,560 just coming to sing a simple song, but we are coming to be 105 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:21,640 transformed from the inside out, nothing can ever remain the 106 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:23,520 same. So when we come, it's not about 107 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:25,560 what songs I like, what songs move me. 108 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:28,720 It's about what the what the movement of the Holy Spirit is. 109 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:31,000 Amen. Amen. 110 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:34,000 So I've got a deep legacy, one that I cherish. 111 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:37,800 And it is it is shared with the miraculous work of the Holy 112 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:42,480 Spirit generations of my family. We've had many, many, many 113 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:47,240 miracles in our family of of life and death situations. 114 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:53,360 So, so to when people argue and say that was for a time that has 115 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:55,280 since ceased, I can say, Oh no, it's not. 116 00:06:55,280 --> 00:06:57,480 Because I have lived it, I experienced it. 117 00:06:58,200 --> 00:07:01,560 My dad used to always say this. The person with the argument is 118 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:03,760 subject to the person with the experience. 119 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:08,960 And I've experienced God, I've experienced his miracle working 120 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:12,040 power. My grandmother, she was sent 121 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:16,840 home multiple times when she was in her 30s to die with her body 122 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:19,160 being filled with cancer and the Lord. 123 00:07:19,160 --> 00:07:22,160 In fact, there was a, a book written where she is, she is one 124 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:25,600 of the persons in it in the history of the Assemblies of God 125 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:30,320 movement and grandma's in there because of the miraculous work 126 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:33,440 of the Holy Spirit. She had rectal cancer, she had 127 00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:37,800 stomach cancer and she had breast cancer and she was at 128 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:40,000 that in that era. She was just sent home to die. 129 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:41,640 There was nothing that they could do. 130 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:44,800 In fact, she had had both her breasts removed and the 131 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:47,920 graciousness and the miracle working of power of the Lord is 132 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:51,040 not only did he heal her, but he also grew her breasts back. 133 00:07:51,040 --> 00:07:54,840 And so just like thanks you cannot deny. 134 00:07:54,840 --> 00:07:56,640 Thanks you cannot. And my grandmother lived till 135 00:07:56,640 --> 00:08:01,880 she was 95. My dad, Yes, Amen. 136 00:08:01,960 --> 00:08:03,000 Amen. Right. 137 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:11,000 My father was since 2000 in and out of the hospital with many, 138 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:16,560 many life, life, life, life ending diagnosis. 139 00:08:17,160 --> 00:08:20,200 He had his went in for a simple gallbladder removal and when 140 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:22,960 they opened it up, his, all of his insides were gangrene. 141 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:25,840 And they said, oh, there is nothing. 142 00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:28,360 We just, and we thought we were going to that was going to be 143 00:08:28,360 --> 00:08:29,560 it. And that was in 2000. 144 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:33,960 And the Lord restored him and healed him and set him free. 145 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:37,080 He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, which is a form of bone 146 00:08:37,080 --> 00:08:38,720 cancer. They'd found it in his skull 147 00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:40,440 where they went back to look at it again. 148 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:42,559 It was gone. There was nothing there. 149 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:49,840 My brother Brad was in 1991 we were at how many of you this 150 00:08:49,840 --> 00:08:51,240 going to take. You way back, if you have 151 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:54,440 history in Foursquare, how many of you remember the Summit's 152 00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:56,120 that we used to do with Greg Johnson? 153 00:08:57,040 --> 00:09:01,440 We're coming together at Summit 8888. 154 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:03,120 That tells you kind of the year it was so. 155 00:09:03,560 --> 00:09:05,760 So if you're raising your hand and you weren't even born yet, 156 00:09:06,560 --> 00:09:07,920 come on. Come on. 157 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:11,280 But it's Summit 91, which was held in Dallas, Fort Worth. 158 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:15,400 My brother Brad and my brother Jeff was in another car, was 159 00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:17,880 with a good buddy of theirs and they were driving. 160 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:21,960 It was before the the event had started. 161 00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:23,880 In fact, I you guys went, didn't you? 162 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:26,240 Because we all went together. Because at that time I was at 163 00:09:26,240 --> 00:09:29,960 Valley Community Church, and so Robin Yoli and I, we were on the 164 00:09:29,960 --> 00:09:33,040 same flight headed out there. And when we got there, I was 165 00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:36,320 greeted by someone at the door that that grabbed me and told 166 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:39,400 Pastors Jerry and Kimberly that I needed to go with them because 167 00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:42,600 my brother was in the hospital because he had been T boned. 168 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:45,000 They've been T boned. And my brother was actually 169 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:47,120 pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. 170 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:51,080 That they brought all of Summit together. 171 00:09:51,080 --> 00:09:54,800 There were several thousands, I want to say about 6004 square 172 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:56,880 young people. And we came together and they 173 00:09:56,880 --> 00:10:00,280 begin to intercede. And my brother Brad today has 174 00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:03,840 five kids. And the Lord resurrected him, 175 00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:08,280 brought him back. And he is. 176 00:10:08,400 --> 00:10:14,320 An amazing, amazing brother whom I love incredibly, and I'm so 177 00:10:14,320 --> 00:10:16,520 thankful to the Lord. And then there's my own life. 178 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:19,000 I'll talk a little bit more about that in a minute. 179 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:23,760 But my son also, the Lord did a miraculous work for Jackson when 180 00:10:23,760 --> 00:10:27,520 he was about 7:00 or 8:00, I'm going to say. 181 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:32,480 We were pastoring in Mission Hills, CA and we were praying 182 00:10:32,480 --> 00:10:34,160 for people. We were having praying for 183 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:35,720 healing. The Lord had just been doing a 184 00:10:35,720 --> 00:10:39,040 real move. And Jackson came forward at the 185 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:42,760 time he had suffered severely with asthma, just not normal 186 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:44,480 asthma. He's on multiple medications 187 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:47,800 daily. He had been the year about two 188 00:10:47,800 --> 00:10:52,160 years before in the intensive care unit for over a week with a 189 00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:56,200 collapsed lung from a horrible asthma attack that they were 190 00:10:56,200 --> 00:10:59,040 trying to get re inflated and and all of that. 191 00:10:59,040 --> 00:11:02,200 And he came forward on his own. We brought all the kids in from 192 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:04,880 kids classes because we knew the Lord was doing something and 193 00:11:04,880 --> 00:11:07,200 Jackson Park straight down, he said, he says. 194 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:09,000 I'm going to be healed of asthma. 195 00:11:09,240 --> 00:11:13,440 And he prayed and we, we agreed with him and us great man and 196 00:11:13,440 --> 00:11:15,840 woman of God and faith and power. 197 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:19,080 We went home and he marched right back this little 8 year 198 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:21,160 old to all of his asthma medications and he took him and 199 00:11:21,160 --> 00:11:23,920 he threw him in the trash. And we said, what are you doing? 200 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:29,160 You know, he goes, I'm healed. I said yes, but shouldn't we 201 00:11:29,160 --> 00:11:33,280 keep those just in case? He says no, I'm healed. 202 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:38,560 And he threw those medications away and and he is living 203 00:11:38,560 --> 00:11:43,200 outside of sports. He lives free of asthma, you 204 00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:45,760 know he'll pull it out when he's exerting on the ice, which he 205 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:47,680 doesn't do anymore. He's an ice hockey player for 206 00:11:47,680 --> 00:11:50,400 many years. But God is faithful and God is 207 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:56,960 good. My life has had multiple touches 208 00:11:56,960 --> 00:11:59,640 of God saving it. I'm going to get to talk about 209 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:01,560 one a little bit more in depth because it's a little more 210 00:12:01,560 --> 00:12:05,760 recent, but there's stories that my parents have told me that I 211 00:12:05,760 --> 00:12:08,520 was too young to remember. First one being when I was, I 212 00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:11,280 was a newborn. I was just weeks old and I was 213 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:14,680 born very sick. They don't call these things 214 00:12:14,680 --> 00:12:17,560 this anymore, but it was, I guess I had the London flu. 215 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:20,320 So I don't know what that was, but I had it. 216 00:12:20,440 --> 00:12:24,680 I was born, my mother had it when she gave birth to me and it 217 00:12:24,680 --> 00:12:27,720 was a Sunday morning and my mom will never forget it. 218 00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:29,520 And she walked over to the bassinet and when she walked 219 00:12:29,520 --> 00:12:32,480 over there I was just Gray and she knew I was I was dead. 220 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:35,400 And so no cell phones at the time. 221 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:37,680 Dad was preaching at church. So she picked up the phone and 222 00:12:37,680 --> 00:12:39,960 called the church line and got one of our. 223 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:43,400 Ushers. So ushers, God wants to use. 224 00:12:43,480 --> 00:12:46,040 You. Called one of the ushers and Don 225 00:12:46,040 --> 00:12:50,240 Strail happened to answer the church phone and she he said my 226 00:12:50,240 --> 00:12:53,040 mom said J JS not breathing and I think she's gone. 227 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:56,000 Don, you need to pray now and Don be prayed with her right 228 00:12:56,000 --> 00:12:58,800 there in that moment. And when she turned around for 229 00:12:58,800 --> 00:13:01,480 the first time since I was born, I was awake, moving and I was 230 00:13:01,480 --> 00:13:06,880 pink and was fully, fully healthy from that moment on 231 00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:10,000 other than myself. Had a little asthma and at 2 232 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:13,520 years old, my mom was watching PTL. 233 00:13:13,560 --> 00:13:17,800 How many of you remember PTL? She was watching PTL and they 234 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:21,080 announced on that broadcast there's a the 2 year old and the 235 00:13:21,080 --> 00:13:22,680 Lord's touching you and healing you of asthma. 236 00:13:22,680 --> 00:13:24,440 And I was healed of asthma in that moment. 237 00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:33,560 When I was in 6th grade, I got pretty sick with headache, real 238 00:13:33,560 --> 00:13:38,040 bad headaches, and I couldn't see real clearly. 239 00:13:38,040 --> 00:13:40,120 My hearing was getting kind of iffy. 240 00:13:40,840 --> 00:13:44,880 And in that day in the in the 80s, you didn't rush your kids. 241 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:47,960 There weren't urgent cares. We just either had your doctor's 242 00:13:47,960 --> 00:13:50,840 office or the emergency room. And we didn't really ever use 243 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:53,000 any of them. You know, you just didn't. 244 00:13:53,560 --> 00:13:56,840 And after being out of school for about 3 weeks, my mom said I 245 00:13:56,840 --> 00:13:58,800 think I probably should take you to the doctor. 246 00:13:59,360 --> 00:14:02,160 And so she took me to the doctor and the doctor was doing my 247 00:14:02,160 --> 00:14:04,560 exam. And I remember because my 248 00:14:04,560 --> 00:14:07,480 doctor's office was right here and there was this bridge that 249 00:14:07,680 --> 00:14:10,480 you walked across to the hospital, Glendale Adventist 250 00:14:10,480 --> 00:14:14,400 Hospital right there. And I'm in the doctor's office 251 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:16,920 and he's he's looking, they're doing a little strep test, 252 00:14:16,920 --> 00:14:18,520 things like that. And I remember when he took the 253 00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:21,040 thing up and they look in your eye and he got in my right eye. 254 00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:21,840 He goes. Oh. 255 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:24,920 My God, you know, he just starts freaking out and my mom and I 256 00:14:24,920 --> 00:14:29,640 were like what is happening? And the immediately nurses 257 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:31,760 rushed in. They threw me in a wheelchair 258 00:14:31,760 --> 00:14:34,840 and they took me right off and he saw a large mass right behind 259 00:14:34,840 --> 00:14:39,480 my right eye that was causing all that and so took me over. 260 00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:44,760 We had they began to do all the scans and I had a large tumor in 261 00:14:44,760 --> 00:14:49,400 my brain behind my right eye that was impeding everything. 262 00:14:49,400 --> 00:14:53,760 And so immediately was going to be setting up a, a series of 263 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:56,400 what the next steps were things like that, knowing eventually 264 00:14:56,400 --> 00:15:00,920 they were going to 1st get in and biopsy that with surgery. 265 00:15:01,480 --> 00:15:04,240 And so they did send me home and I was going to be home for, I 266 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:06,120 think it was about two days. And then I was going to come 267 00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:08,680 back to the hospital. And in that two days, people 268 00:15:08,680 --> 00:15:10,600 from all over the world began to pray for me. 269 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:13,360 And we have the, the scans. It's really cool. 270 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:16,200 I, I wanted to find them, but they're still in what has not 271 00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:20,600 been unpacked. But we do have these CT scans of 272 00:15:20,600 --> 00:15:23,560 my brain. And we went back for my 273 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:26,840 scheduled biopsy and they, they went to take me back and my dad 274 00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:28,960 said it's before you touch a hair on her head, you take 275 00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:30,880 another set of scans because that tumor's gone. 276 00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:34,960 And they said, Sir, that is not, he goes, I don't care if I have 277 00:15:34,960 --> 00:15:36,720 to pay for it. He goes, you take another set of 278 00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:39,760 scans cause the tumor's gone. And they took another set of 279 00:15:39,760 --> 00:15:41,960 scans, which I have two days apart, and that tumor was 280 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:49,560 completely gone. So when you tell me that God 281 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:52,680 doesn't move today, I say Oh no, no, no, you don't know my God, 282 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:57,960 'cause my God is in the miracle working business. 283 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:02,880 So it's required a lot, it's cost a lot. 284 00:16:03,640 --> 00:16:07,400 There were battles we had to come against because did fear 285 00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:08,840 want to end her in? Yes. 286 00:16:08,840 --> 00:16:12,520 Did agreement with diagnosis want to come in, come in, yes. 287 00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:19,000 Did did lies of of the robbing or abortion of future come in? 288 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:21,760 Absolutely. But what did we stand and 289 00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:23,320 declared upon the word of the Lord? 290 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:29,640 That I would live and not die? Well, we got to deal with that 291 00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:35,040 again in 2024 and I'm going to read. 292 00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:38,400 With you, a journal entry that I wrote last year. 293 00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:42,920 And it's, it's, it's a bit of a detailed part of our story that 294 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:48,520 I am still walking out today. But I want to invite you in to 295 00:16:48,520 --> 00:16:52,360 see the miracle working power of our God. 296 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:55,240 And here's how my journal entry reads. 297 00:16:55,840 --> 00:16:58,760 As I sit in the quiet and stillness of the midnight hour, 298 00:16:58,760 --> 00:17:01,000 I find myself in awe and wonder of God. 299 00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:04,760 March 8th, 2024. I went in for my first. 300 00:17:04,760 --> 00:17:06,800 Colonoscopy and I wasn't concerned. 301 00:17:07,520 --> 00:17:10,680 I went under the anesthesia for the procedure and what felt like 302 00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:14,280 only seconds waking up to overhearing my surgeon telling 303 00:17:14,280 --> 00:17:16,640 my husband in the hall that they found a large tumor in my 304 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:19,480 rectum. They both came into my room and 305 00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:22,599 I told them I heard you in the hall and I don't have time for 306 00:17:22,599 --> 00:17:26,119 this. My surgeon proceeded to tell me 307 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:29,960 they biopsied the mass and we would know more when the results 308 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:31,880 came back a few days or so later. 309 00:17:32,360 --> 00:17:35,560 I was checking in that wonderful patient portal that we all have 310 00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:38,200 where we get news prematurely, right? 311 00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:42,920 I was checking my patient portal for the lab results and I saw 312 00:17:42,920 --> 00:17:46,000 the biopsy results were there quietly and alone. 313 00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:50,280 I read them and was Googling the words I read Colonic 314 00:17:50,320 --> 00:17:54,600 adenocarcinoma. Within minutes, my phone rang 315 00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:57,400 and I saw my surgeon's name on the screen and I was fully aware 316 00:17:57,400 --> 00:17:58,920 of the news he was about to tell me. 317 00:17:59,320 --> 00:18:02,200 But in those moments between reading the words and hearing 318 00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:03,960 the words, my battle plan was made. 319 00:18:04,360 --> 00:18:07,720 I was determined to face this giant slingshot and stones in 320 00:18:07,720 --> 00:18:11,440 hand and the sword at my side. It was already defeated. 321 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:15,880 From the phone call on, everything began to move fast. 322 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:19,760 CT scans, Mr. is blood work, New doctors meeting with oncology 323 00:18:19,760 --> 00:18:22,640 and radiology. And telling my family. 324 00:18:23,560 --> 00:18:28,480 We called our kids and told them that I was diagnosed with stage 325 00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:32,160 3 rectal cancer and that it invaded my lymph nodes and 326 00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:35,560 broken through the rectal wall. And not one of us responded 327 00:18:35,560 --> 00:18:37,200 fearfully, but filled with faith. 328 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:41,560 My son Jackson said we need to pray together as a family every 329 00:18:41,560 --> 00:18:44,200 night until the doctor's. Report lined up with the Lord's 330 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:47,360 report. We also took communion on those 331 00:18:47,360 --> 00:18:51,680 calls regularly. Tim and I drove 40 minutes five 332 00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:55,520 days a week for six weeks while I had oral chemo and radiation 333 00:18:55,880 --> 00:19:00,080 with no side effects. In 28 rounds of radiation, the 334 00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:04,080 only side effect was fatigue. I finished radiation and had a 335 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:07,120 few weeks off before starting five months of chemotherapy. 336 00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:10,680 In a few weeks off I had my first surgery where a port was 337 00:19:10,680 --> 00:19:13,880 placed in my chest and that bothered me the most through the 338 00:19:13,880 --> 00:19:16,640 whole process as it was a constant reminder of an enemy I 339 00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:20,360 was waging war on. As the chemo infusions began, we 340 00:19:20,360 --> 00:19:21,640 would. Spend the day at the hospital 341 00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:24,200 and then I'd go home with a chemo pump which continued to 342 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:28,640 pump the toxic medications into my body for another 48 hours and 343 00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:31,440 then we'd go back to the hospital to have them disconnect 344 00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:34,200 the pump. The cycle repeated 8 times in 345 00:19:34,200 --> 00:19:37,120 five months. Again, I had very few side 346 00:19:37,120 --> 00:19:40,480 effects, Fatigue, hair thinning, and my hair turned white. 347 00:19:42,040 --> 00:19:45,280 And the worst for me was a thing called First Bite Syndrome. 348 00:19:45,280 --> 00:19:47,640 If you want to know what that is, I'll be happy to share with 349 00:19:47,640 --> 00:19:52,600 you later. October 27th, 2024 I completed 350 00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:55,560 my last round of chemo and the CT scan was ordered. 351 00:19:55,560 --> 00:19:57,960 The results of the scan LED the doctors to tell me I had a 352 00:19:57,960 --> 00:20:02,400 complete clinical response. However, my surgeon wanted to 353 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:04,880 confirm that nothing was hiding. So it was time for another 354 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:08,120 colonoscopy, the results of which came back having found 355 00:20:08,120 --> 00:20:11,880 remnants of tumor tissue hiding in my now healthy rectum, and he 356 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:13,640 told me I needed to have surgery. 357 00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:17,040 I was so disappointed as I believe that I would not need to 358 00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:19,120 do that. And we made the decision to 359 00:20:19,120 --> 00:20:22,600 schedule the surgery for December 18th, 2024, one day 360 00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:25,120 before my birthday and all during my favorite time of the 361 00:20:25,120 --> 00:20:29,160 year, Christmas time, as he. Detailed the procedure to us. 362 00:20:29,160 --> 00:20:31,360 He explained the hard and lengthy recovery and the 363 00:20:31,360 --> 00:20:34,440 possibility of an ostomy and I told him I don't want an ostomy 364 00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:36,040 and do. Whatever it takes to avoid that. 365 00:20:36,920 --> 00:20:39,320 And I went in for surgery as scheduled and I woke up and 366 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:42,600 miraculously they were able to preserve enough of my rectum and 367 00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:44,840 sigmoid colon that I didn't need an ostomy. 368 00:20:45,800 --> 00:20:47,960 I have to say this was a hard part. 369 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:50,680 Recovering from this resection surgery was hard. 370 00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:54,840 It was an open surgery and I was in the hospital for five days, 371 00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:59,840 came home in time for Christmas. I came home on Christmas Eve and 372 00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:02,320 we continued every day. We had still been having this 373 00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:05,160 family FaceTime call until we heard the words cancer free, 374 00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:08,120 which we heard on December 27th, 2024. 375 00:21:10,920 --> 00:21:14,480 Here's what I know from this journey that even continues in 376 00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:18,120 surprising ways today. God is faithful. 377 00:21:19,320 --> 00:21:22,720 My word for 2024 from my son-in-law was this press in and 378 00:21:22,720 --> 00:21:25,320 press on, and this was before we knew what the year was going to 379 00:21:25,320 --> 00:21:29,760 hold, and I did. The Lord told me three things 380 00:21:30,120 --> 00:21:33,440 for this journey that I was on. There was a plan for the 381 00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:37,160 process, there was purpose in the process, and there was power 382 00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:40,680 through the process. The next thing I know is God is 383 00:21:40,680 --> 00:21:43,080 good. He held me and covered me. 384 00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:45,240 I never connected with having cancer. 385 00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:48,360 It was nothing more than a diagnosis to me that I was not 386 00:21:48,360 --> 00:21:50,800 going to own. Because it was already defeated. 387 00:21:52,720 --> 00:21:55,200 I also know this, that God is working. 388 00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:58,960 The most unexpected thing that came was an emotional response. 389 00:21:58,960 --> 00:22:02,040 Like I've never experienced before and I continue to 390 00:22:02,040 --> 00:22:04,720 navigate. And this happened on on December 391 00:22:04,720 --> 00:22:06,960 27th. When I heard those words, 392 00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:10,680 something opened up in me that I'd never experienced. 393 00:22:10,680 --> 00:22:13,000 In fact, my mother used to always you never cry. 394 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:16,360 That is a lot. And I'm like, I'm trying. 395 00:22:16,360 --> 00:22:19,120 I don't know. But something began to open up 396 00:22:19,120 --> 00:22:24,320 in me and I began to weep from a place within me that I never 397 00:22:24,320 --> 00:22:27,440 knew existed. And it lasted for about 3 solid 398 00:22:27,440 --> 00:22:32,280 days, through the night, all day long, everything. 399 00:22:32,280 --> 00:22:36,520 And it was a chaotic mixture of joy, pain, abundance, 400 00:22:36,520 --> 00:22:40,760 loneliness, gratitude and anger being completely and utterly 401 00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:43,280 undone. And this is where I'm living 402 00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:46,920 now. I am healed, yet I am still. 403 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:59,970 Healing, it's a journey and it still has effects that I have to 404 00:22:59,970 --> 00:23:04,840 work on. Some parts of it have been 405 00:23:05,280 --> 00:23:09,360 exacerbated and it has have reopened places even since 406 00:23:09,360 --> 00:23:14,920 moving here, realizing that no, I don't have it, but there's a 407 00:23:14,920 --> 00:23:20,840 fear of getting that again that I have to battle getting Tim. 408 00:23:20,840 --> 00:23:22,720 I've got to get to, I've got to get a doctor established here 409 00:23:22,720 --> 00:23:24,320 because I've got to get an oncologist because we got to 410 00:23:24,320 --> 00:23:25,880 make sure we, we have everything. 411 00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:31,280 And it's like, no. We're not going to face this 412 00:23:31,280 --> 00:23:33,480 giant again. Once defeated, it's defeated. 413 00:23:35,880 --> 00:23:39,520 But still battling. There's a battle that that wages 414 00:23:39,680 --> 00:23:42,520 while I didn't have effects at the time of the chemo and 415 00:23:42,520 --> 00:23:48,560 radiation, I battle horrific. Neuropathy now, which is one of 416 00:23:48,560 --> 00:23:53,440 the side effects of the chemo in my feet and my my, the tips of 417 00:23:53,440 --> 00:23:56,800 my finger from the first line up, they're much better. 418 00:23:56,800 --> 00:23:59,040 I used to not even be able to put my necklace or my earrings. 419 00:23:59,040 --> 00:24:02,000 I had so much struggle. But I tell to let me do it. 420 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:03,640 I'm going to do it. If you can't tell, I'm a little, 421 00:24:04,160 --> 00:24:09,160 little ornery sometimes. I'm determined to do things. 422 00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:13,600 But I'm healed, yet. I'm still healing in many, many 423 00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:16,560 ways. And the Lord is gracious enough 424 00:24:16,560 --> 00:24:18,520 to keep saying JJ. Let's take a little peek right 425 00:24:18,520 --> 00:24:21,760 here. Let let's see, let's see the 426 00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:24,040 fullness of the work that I want to do. 427 00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:30,000 Because of that journey that I walked with you through didn't 428 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:34,480 take me by surprise and I get to see the. 429 00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:36,320 Faithfulness and the goodness of God. 430 00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:40,440 So that's a little bit of my story. 431 00:24:40,760 --> 00:24:44,040 That's just one piece of many of the amazing things that the Lord 432 00:24:44,040 --> 00:24:47,400 has done and that He continues to do. 433 00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:52,320 But my hope and my heart is that you are encouraged because we 434 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:56,560 serve a God of miracles. We serve a God that says let the 435 00:24:56,560 --> 00:25:00,160 blind eyes be open, let the lame man walk, and let the dead man 436 00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:04,240 live again. And church, when we get a 437 00:25:04,240 --> 00:25:09,160 revelation of that and we begin to live with it, everybody else 438 00:25:09,160 --> 00:25:12,280 who has. The argument must bow to the 439 00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:16,520 experience we have with God. Amen. 440 00:25:17,320 --> 00:25:18,720 Amen. Now I'm going to jump into my 441 00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:20,480 message. That was just a little bit story 442 00:25:20,480 --> 00:25:23,200 about me. Oh. 443 00:25:23,800 --> 00:25:28,400 Would you pray with me? Oh Father God, you are gracious, 444 00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:31,840 you are good, You are wonderful and marvelous, and we declare 445 00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:35,400 your works. To the generations. 446 00:25:35,880 --> 00:25:39,760 That they may know you. Lord, may it not be sad of us 447 00:25:39,760 --> 00:25:42,760 that there was a generation that grew that didn't know the things 448 00:25:42,760 --> 00:25:46,400 of the Lord or the things of that you had done for them. 449 00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:51,280 Lord, let it not be said of us that they did whatever was right 450 00:25:51,280 --> 00:25:53,760 in their own eyes. But God, let it be said of us 451 00:25:53,760 --> 00:25:56,720 that we know the covenant keeping God, and every 452 00:25:56,720 --> 00:26:01,480 generation will know the stories of our God, and they will share 453 00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:03,360 them with the generations to come. 454 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:07,000 Lord, we stand in a place of covenant with you. 455 00:26:08,480 --> 00:26:12,640 We stand in a place of recognizing Your favor, Your 456 00:26:12,640 --> 00:26:16,640 grace, and Your goodness. Now, Lord, as we speak, and 457 00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:19,280 declare Your word. I ask that it doesn't return 458 00:26:19,280 --> 00:26:22,920 void, but it accomplishes everything that you knew from 459 00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:26,120 the moment you said Let there be light would accomplish this. 460 00:26:26,120 --> 00:26:29,520 Day. Lord, accomplish your work in 461 00:26:29,520 --> 00:26:33,200 and through our lives. Let us not leave here the same 462 00:26:33,200 --> 00:26:36,000 way that we entered. Let us leave transformed, 463 00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:40,440 informed, and empowered by the power of the risen Savior. 464 00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:44,840 May your word be life. And health to our bones. 465 00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:51,880 And Jesus, may we have a revelation of you we honor. 466 00:26:51,880 --> 00:26:55,920 You and we love you and it's in Jesus name that we pray. 467 00:26:55,920 --> 00:27:01,880 Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen. I want to remind us that the 468 00:27:01,880 --> 00:27:08,120 word is power. The word is more than just a 469 00:27:08,120 --> 00:27:11,480 historical collection of stories and account. 470 00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:15,360 Romans 15 four says for whatever was written in the past was 471 00:27:15,360 --> 00:27:20,520 written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through 472 00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:24,360 endurance and through the encouragement from the 473 00:27:24,360 --> 00:27:28,360 scriptures in second Timothy 316 and 17 continues to remind us 474 00:27:28,360 --> 00:27:30,680 that all scripture is. Inspired by God. 475 00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:33,760 And it's profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for 476 00:27:33,760 --> 00:27:35,640 correcting, for training and righteousness. 477 00:27:36,040 --> 00:27:39,200 So the man of God may be complete equipped for every good 478 00:27:39,200 --> 00:27:42,640 work. And this, this is a covenant 479 00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:45,200 that has been established back in the beginning, and it holds 480 00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:49,160 true today for you and me. This is while the original 481 00:27:49,160 --> 00:27:52,840 covenant is referenced in the coming of the promised Messiah 482 00:27:52,840 --> 00:27:55,760 in the Old Testament, which was the first Advent. 483 00:27:55,920 --> 00:28:00,200 We live as the disciples in the apostles did in a modern day 484 00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:04,360 Advent, waiting, awaiting the. Return of our Savior, right the 485 00:28:04,360 --> 00:28:07,240 King of kings and the Lord of. Lords, that is where we live, 486 00:28:07,520 --> 00:28:10,440 that is where we rest. That should be every thought 487 00:28:10,440 --> 00:28:14,480 that is like consuming us is the return of Jesus. 488 00:28:15,440 --> 00:28:18,960 And what am I doing with this limited, limited moment that I 489 00:28:18,960 --> 00:28:24,440 have this vapor of a life that I have to prepare the way for the 490 00:28:24,440 --> 00:28:29,800 King, right? So that is why the word is so 491 00:28:29,800 --> 00:28:34,280 important to us. It is relevant. 492 00:28:35,600 --> 00:28:42,400 It is everything that you have need of for every situation in 493 00:28:42,400 --> 00:28:48,600 every moment, big or small. So I'm going to invite you to to 494 00:28:48,600 --> 00:28:52,040 look up at the screen as we read the main text, that of our 495 00:28:52,040 --> 00:28:55,080 message today. And this message is called what 496 00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:57,000 I call it the Lord is in this place. 497 00:28:57,680 --> 00:29:02,840 But would you turn with me to Genesis chapter 17, Genesis 498 00:29:02,840 --> 00:29:06,920 chapter 17, verses 7 and 8? And I'm reading this out of the 499 00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:10,320 message translation, so I doubt anybody has that here with them. 500 00:29:10,320 --> 00:29:12,240 If you have your. Bible app, you can pull up the 501 00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:15,080 message translation or transliteration because it's not 502 00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:18,320 a true translation, but it's it's just written more modern 503 00:29:18,320 --> 00:29:19,960 day language so we can understand it. 504 00:29:20,600 --> 00:29:24,240 But it says this. Wait, did I do that? 505 00:29:24,240 --> 00:29:26,360 No, I'm not going to read it from the message. 506 00:29:26,360 --> 00:29:28,120 I'm going to read it from this because I put it in the 507 00:29:28,120 --> 00:29:30,120 translation of my Bible, which is CSB. 508 00:29:30,680 --> 00:29:32,840 So I'm going to read it from the screen, but then I'm going to 509 00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:34,240 read you the message. It says this. 510 00:29:34,440 --> 00:29:37,880 I will confirm my covenant that is between me and you and your 511 00:29:37,880 --> 00:29:40,640 future offspring throughout their generations. 512 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:46,480 It is a permanent covenant to be your God and the God of your 513 00:29:46,480 --> 00:29:49,480 offspring after you. And to you and your future 514 00:29:49,480 --> 00:29:53,400 offspring, I will give the land where you are residing, all the 515 00:29:53,400 --> 00:29:57,560 land of Canaan, as a permanent possession, and I will be their 516 00:29:57,560 --> 00:29:59,080 God. All right. 517 00:29:59,080 --> 00:30:00,640 Now this is what it says this way. 518 00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:04,520 I'm establishing my covenant between me and you, a covenant 519 00:30:04,520 --> 00:30:08,400 that includes your descendants, a covenant that goes on and on 520 00:30:08,400 --> 00:30:12,560 and on, a covenant that commits me to be your God and the God of 521 00:30:12,560 --> 00:30:14,960 your descendants. And I'm giving you and your 522 00:30:14,960 --> 00:30:19,640 descendants this land where you are now just camping, this whole 523 00:30:19,640 --> 00:30:24,000 country of Canaan to own. Forever and I'll be their God. 524 00:30:24,520 --> 00:30:29,920 That is our covenant, that is our promise, that is our our 525 00:30:29,920 --> 00:30:33,040 relationship with God. He's saying, hey, I made a 526 00:30:33,040 --> 00:30:35,160 permanent covenant, not one that's. 527 00:30:35,400 --> 00:30:39,000 For 8 generations, as we typically saw, this is a. 528 00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:42,240 Permanent covenant and you and I are recipients of that covenant. 529 00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:48,080 We are living out that covenant, whether you are first generation 530 00:30:48,080 --> 00:30:51,280 believer or whether you are descended. 531 00:30:51,880 --> 00:30:54,360 Clear back from then every person in your family line has 532 00:30:54,360 --> 00:30:58,400 loved Jesus. We are in a permanent covenant. 533 00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:02,680 President Ronald Reagan once quoted Dr. Goddard, who wrote a 534 00:31:02,680 --> 00:31:06,960 letter to HG Wells, and this is what Doctor Goddard said. 535 00:31:08,240 --> 00:31:11,960 There can be no thoughts of finishing, for aiming at the 536 00:31:11,960 --> 00:31:16,920 stars, both literally and figuratively, is a problem to 537 00:31:16,920 --> 00:31:20,640 occupy generations. So that no matter how much 538 00:31:20,640 --> 00:31:25,360 progress one makes, there is always the thrill of just 539 00:31:25,360 --> 00:31:29,840 beginning. Oh Church, may we never lose the 540 00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:34,280 thrill. May we never become complacent, 541 00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:38,200 maybe never become comfortable, maybe never become apathetic. 542 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:43,720 May we never become ritualistic. But may we come to the gates of 543 00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:47,240 the King, may we come to the courts of the Lord, with 544 00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:51,120 expectation and the thrill of what is about to happen. 545 00:31:53,800 --> 00:32:01,440 I dare say we very. Seldom do, but I challenge us 546 00:32:01,440 --> 00:32:07,000 that every time we. Come and there is an action 547 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:11,000 point of coming. That we come and there, that 548 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:13,040 there's that expectation and there's that. 549 00:32:13,920 --> 00:32:19,120 Oh, what is gonna happen? What is God gonna do in? 550 00:32:19,120 --> 00:32:21,840 Me what is God going to do in our church? 551 00:32:21,960 --> 00:32:24,120 What is God going to do in my family? 552 00:32:24,120 --> 00:32:26,200 What is God gonna do in my neighborhood? 553 00:32:26,320 --> 00:32:29,520 What is God gonna do through through me? 554 00:32:30,600 --> 00:32:35,440 There was a a program that I was privileged to to get to be a 555 00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:37,640 part of and it was where I fell in love with the word of. 556 00:32:37,640 --> 00:32:41,400 God, it was this whole season back in the early, early 90s, 557 00:32:41,400 --> 00:32:45,240 like literally 1990 to 92 when I was at Valley Community Church 558 00:32:45,840 --> 00:32:47,320 and I fell in love with the word. 559 00:32:47,320 --> 00:32:51,400 And there were two significant points that I can go back to in 560 00:32:51,400 --> 00:32:53,600 that time. And it's anchored me, my life. 561 00:32:54,320 --> 00:32:58,400 It's anchored me because the word has never become a, a 562 00:32:58,800 --> 00:33:01,680 mushy. It's never become Nah. 563 00:33:02,880 --> 00:33:08,040 It's been everything ever since. And one was a very rare rainy 564 00:33:08,040 --> 00:33:14,600 day in El Monte, CA and I was one girl on staff with 12 guys 565 00:33:14,600 --> 00:33:17,000 and so you can imagine the torment that was. 566 00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:23,600 Mine on a daily basis working with these 12 wonderful men and 567 00:33:23,600 --> 00:33:26,600 women of God. But well I was the only woman of 568 00:33:26,600 --> 00:33:30,560 God but man of God and I was becoming a woman of God. 569 00:33:31,960 --> 00:33:37,200 I was 17 at the time when I got hired on at the church and I 570 00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:41,800 don't know how or why I got hired on favor of favor 571 00:33:41,800 --> 00:33:45,880 generational favor as my parents were friends with the pastor and 572 00:33:46,200 --> 00:33:48,160 but I also believe the anointing makes way. 573 00:33:50,080 --> 00:33:52,920 And I remember being there and at the time we had these 574 00:33:52,920 --> 00:33:57,960 Walkman's, we all had a Walkman with a cassette tape, not even 575 00:33:57,960 --> 00:34:02,000 ACD Walkman with cassette tapes. And they're hooked to our thing 576 00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:06,320 because our number one ministry, even the pastors, not the senior 577 00:34:06,320 --> 00:34:08,960 pastors or the senior associate pastor, but from. 578 00:34:09,360 --> 00:34:15,080 From him down the other eleven of us, our number one ministry 579 00:34:15,080 --> 00:34:19,000 was to clean the church to to prepare the temple, to make 580 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:24,560 ready the House of the Lord and we did the ministry on our own 581 00:34:24,560 --> 00:34:27,679 time. And so we were all walking 582 00:34:27,679 --> 00:34:29,480 around doing our different things, and we had these tape 583 00:34:29,480 --> 00:34:33,639 recorders playing everybody and anything, you know, Kenneth 584 00:34:33,639 --> 00:34:37,840 Copeland and. Jerry Seville and I love Jesse 585 00:34:37,840 --> 00:34:40,920 Duplantis was my favorite. And we'd listen to these things 586 00:34:40,920 --> 00:34:43,520 and and we'd do that. And then we had our little 587 00:34:43,520 --> 00:34:45,520 pagers and we were so. Cool. 588 00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:49,040 You know I did. I wore that with honor. 589 00:34:49,040 --> 00:34:53,040 I thought it was so amazing. But I can remember this one day. 590 00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:57,040 I was frustrated and. One of the. 591 00:34:57,040 --> 00:35:00,360 Guys on staff, his name was Gil. And I was like, I don't 592 00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:03,320 understand everybody. Like there's this thing with the 593 00:35:03,320 --> 00:35:07,480 word of God here. Like literally there's like an 594 00:35:07,480 --> 00:35:10,880 obsession with it. Like what is that? 595 00:35:11,560 --> 00:35:17,280 Like it is just, it's, it's just a boring book to me. 596 00:35:17,840 --> 00:35:19,520 I don't know. And I was raised on it. 597 00:35:19,520 --> 00:35:21,520 I mean, there's a few scriptures I like here and there. 598 00:35:21,520 --> 00:35:24,800 I said but I don't get it. And he looked at me. 599 00:35:24,800 --> 00:35:26,840 He says, JJ, it hasn't come alive to you. 600 00:35:28,040 --> 00:35:30,720 He goes, I want you to do this. He goes, I want you to go in my 601 00:35:30,720 --> 00:35:35,840 office and I want you to take your word, turn everything off 602 00:35:35,840 --> 00:35:38,760 and don't leave the room till it breathes. 603 00:35:40,360 --> 00:35:43,560 And I remember going into Gil's office and I locked that door 604 00:35:43,560 --> 00:35:46,480 and he had a little skylight. And so I could hear the tapping 605 00:35:46,480 --> 00:35:50,200 of the rain on that skylight. And I opened the Bible. 606 00:35:50,600 --> 00:35:53,920 I laid my hand, my chin on my hands. 607 00:35:55,160 --> 00:36:00,320 I said, all right, God. You say to test you, I want your 608 00:36:00,320 --> 00:36:04,320 word to come alive. I want it to breathe. 609 00:36:06,200 --> 00:36:10,680 And I tell you, within moments I literally begin to see that book 610 00:36:10,680 --> 00:36:17,680 rise and fall, rise and fall. And I began to devour the word. 611 00:36:18,760 --> 00:36:21,960 I began to I could wouldn't stop that day. 612 00:36:21,960 --> 00:36:25,240 I was in that office, I tell you, probably no less than six 613 00:36:25,240 --> 00:36:28,280 or seven hours. And I just every, I just would 614 00:36:28,280 --> 00:36:31,040 do that whole just. Close your eyes and flip 615 00:36:31,040 --> 00:36:33,840 somewhere and read. Everything was alive. 616 00:36:34,240 --> 00:36:36,840 Every story suddenly related to me. 617 00:36:37,040 --> 00:36:40,680 God was speaking to me and it was rising and it was falling 618 00:36:40,680 --> 00:36:42,560 with the cadence of the breath of God. 619 00:36:42,560 --> 00:36:46,520 And I was like. I will never be the same again. 620 00:36:48,520 --> 00:36:51,360 And then there was the opportunity to be a part of a 621 00:36:51,360 --> 00:36:56,200 very disciplined program. The first one it eventually 622 00:36:56,200 --> 00:36:59,640 changed into what you all know, most of you would know as OSL, 623 00:36:59,640 --> 00:37:01,200 but at that time was called Boot Camp. 624 00:37:02,440 --> 00:37:06,280 And in that is where I learned the power of scripture 625 00:37:06,280 --> 00:37:10,080 memorization. And those words, those 626 00:37:10,080 --> 00:37:12,840 scriptures, are still anchors to my soul today. 627 00:37:13,560 --> 00:37:16,800 They're still the very first thing that I think of. 628 00:37:16,840 --> 00:37:20,640 They're the very first thoughts I have in circumstances in 629 00:37:20,640 --> 00:37:25,000 situations out of the. Wellspring of my heart leaps 630 00:37:25,200 --> 00:37:28,160 these scriptures. That were planted deep back when 631 00:37:28,160 --> 00:37:32,920 I was just a young person. So I tell you, there is power in 632 00:37:32,920 --> 00:37:36,920 the word of God. And we've got to understand that 633 00:37:36,920 --> 00:37:40,480 it is rising and falling with the cadence of the breath of God 634 00:37:40,720 --> 00:37:43,840 that is in synchronicity with the heartbeat that you carry. 635 00:37:45,120 --> 00:37:51,520 So I invite you, I invite you to fall in love with His word. 636 00:37:53,840 --> 00:37:57,040 In First and Second Samuel, the Holy Spirit has given us a 637 00:37:57,040 --> 00:38:00,240 graphic century long look at one of the most significant and 638 00:38:00,240 --> 00:38:02,840 pivotal times in the history of the children of Israel. 639 00:38:04,040 --> 00:38:06,600 We're going to be living in First and Second Samuel for the 640 00:38:06,600 --> 00:38:09,680 rest of this message. The record of First Samuel 641 00:38:09,680 --> 00:38:12,440 begins with a barren woman desperately seeking God, who 642 00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:15,760 sings a song of praise for his action of grace and blessing 643 00:38:15,760 --> 00:38:19,760 because of her supplication. Second Samuel ends with David 644 00:38:19,760 --> 00:38:23,240 the king buying the threshing floor of one of his subjects to 645 00:38:23,240 --> 00:38:26,320 build an altar of worship on the future site of the temple. 646 00:38:26,960 --> 00:38:32,240 And in between our numerous episodes of Failure and VV, we 647 00:38:32,240 --> 00:38:34,920 are much like these stories glean from these books as we 648 00:38:34,920 --> 00:38:38,720 begin as barren and lifeless individuals who call out for 649 00:38:38,720 --> 00:38:42,160 God's salvation through Jesus and upon receiving it, we sing 650 00:38:42,160 --> 00:38:46,200 the song of our Lord. Our destiny is to be a temple of 651 00:38:46,200 --> 00:38:49,800 God. In between, there are ups and 652 00:38:49,800 --> 00:38:53,040 downs and how we navigate those moments determine if we are a 653 00:38:53,040 --> 00:38:58,320 hero or a coward. As we look at these spellbinding 654 00:38:58,320 --> 00:39:01,360 books, we will navigate the path of the maturing prophet that 655 00:39:01,360 --> 00:39:05,080 Samuel specifically took and the actions that made way for his 656 00:39:05,080 --> 00:39:07,000 anointing. And as we do. 657 00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:10,200 We will see Jesus, the trusted prophet, was the one fulfilling 658 00:39:10,200 --> 00:39:15,120 His word through Hannah, Samuel, Saul and David as he continues 659 00:39:15,120 --> 00:39:20,680 to do through you and I today. So my first point is this praise 660 00:39:20,680 --> 00:39:22,840 is the gateway for prophetic promises. 661 00:39:24,760 --> 00:39:27,960 Praise is the gateway for prophetic promises. 662 00:39:28,640 --> 00:39:30,240 I'm going to tell you the story of Hannah. 663 00:39:31,560 --> 00:39:34,320 The story of Hannah is wrought with emotion and tugs at the 664 00:39:34,320 --> 00:39:37,760 heart of the reader. Hannah's marriage to Alkana is 665 00:39:37,760 --> 00:39:41,200 filled with love. However, she is tormented that 666 00:39:41,200 --> 00:39:44,480 she is childless. Alkana affirms his love for her 667 00:39:44,480 --> 00:39:47,600 even though they were childless, He says in First Samuel 18. 668 00:39:48,040 --> 00:39:50,280 AM I not better to you than ten sons? 669 00:39:51,280 --> 00:39:54,920 Things seemed even worse by others perceptions that God had 670 00:39:54,920 --> 00:39:59,200 abandoned her rather than isolating and feeling. 671 00:39:59,200 --> 00:40:02,760 Sorry for herself, she goes to worship God and she makes 672 00:40:02,760 --> 00:40:06,080 covenant with him that if he would give her a son, she would 673 00:40:06,080 --> 00:40:08,680 give that child, the one she longed for, back to him. 674 00:40:10,080 --> 00:40:13,160 She received the prophetic promise of God as Eli answered 675 00:40:13,160 --> 00:40:16,120 her saying, Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant the 676 00:40:16,120 --> 00:40:20,400 request you've made of him. Hannah later returned with her 677 00:40:20,400 --> 00:40:26,720 son Samuel Shmuel meaning. Heard by God and she leaves him 678 00:40:26,720 --> 00:40:29,960 with the with Eli the priest, fulfilling her vow to the Lord, 679 00:40:29,960 --> 00:40:32,040 and she is blessed with five more children. 680 00:40:33,120 --> 00:40:36,040 When Hannah presents Samuel to the priest, she breaks forth in 681 00:40:36,040 --> 00:40:39,560 the song of prophetic praise as she praised these words. 682 00:40:39,560 --> 00:40:41,800 Now remember, this is her praise. 683 00:40:41,800 --> 00:40:47,560 This is a song she breaks out in my heart, rejoices in the Lord. 684 00:40:47,880 --> 00:40:49,800 My horn is lifted up by the Lord. 685 00:40:49,800 --> 00:40:54,280 My mouth boasts over my enemies because I rejoice in your 686 00:40:54,280 --> 00:40:57,280 salvation. There is no one holy like the 687 00:40:57,280 --> 00:41:01,360 Lord, there is no one besides you, and there is no rock like 688 00:41:01,360 --> 00:41:04,360 our God. Do not boast so proudly or let 689 00:41:04,360 --> 00:41:07,200 arrogant words come out of your mouth, for the Lord is a God of 690 00:41:07,200 --> 00:41:10,120 knowledge, and actions are weighed by Him. 691 00:41:11,160 --> 00:41:14,000 The bows of the warrior are broken, but the feeble are 692 00:41:14,000 --> 00:41:17,760 clothed with strength. Those who are full hire 693 00:41:17,760 --> 00:41:21,080 themselves out for food, but those who are starving hunger no 694 00:41:21,080 --> 00:41:23,960 more. The woman who is childless gives 695 00:41:23,960 --> 00:41:28,160 birth to seven, but the woman with many sons Pines away. 696 00:41:28,480 --> 00:41:30,480 The Lord brings death and gives life. 697 00:41:30,920 --> 00:41:33,840 He sends some down to Sheol, and he raises others up. 698 00:41:34,400 --> 00:41:36,960 The Lord brings poverty and gives wealth. 699 00:41:37,640 --> 00:41:41,920 He humbles and he exalts. He raises the poor from the dust 700 00:41:41,920 --> 00:41:44,160 and lifts lifts the needy from the trash heap. 701 00:41:44,640 --> 00:41:47,680 He seats them with nobleman and gives him a throne of honor. 702 00:41:47,960 --> 00:41:50,360 For the foundations of the earth are the Lords. 703 00:41:50,880 --> 00:41:54,560 He has set the world on them. He guards the step of his 704 00:41:54,560 --> 00:41:57,320 faithful ones. But the wicked perish in 705 00:41:57,320 --> 00:42:01,320 darkness, for a person does not prevail by their own strength. 706 00:42:02,080 --> 00:42:04,000 Those who oppose the Lord will be shattered. 707 00:42:04,000 --> 00:42:06,000 He will Thunder in the heavens against them. 708 00:42:06,680 --> 00:42:08,640 The Lord will judge the ends of the earth. 709 00:42:08,920 --> 00:42:13,200 He will give power to his King, and He will lift up the horn of 710 00:42:13,200 --> 00:42:15,600 his anointed. What a song of. 711 00:42:15,600 --> 00:42:19,280 Praise. Oh, could you imagine if our 712 00:42:19,280 --> 00:42:25,640 church responded in that way to the answered move and the 713 00:42:25,640 --> 00:42:27,600 answered prayers of God in our lives? 714 00:42:28,600 --> 00:42:33,240 Could you imagine if we begin to boast our praise to the Lord 715 00:42:33,680 --> 00:42:37,880 without being even to restrain or withhold anything back, but 716 00:42:37,880 --> 00:42:43,280 realizing like, Oh God my soul, everything within me can't 717 00:42:43,280 --> 00:42:48,480 contain, that You fulfilled your promise to me, and in return the 718 00:42:48,480 --> 00:42:51,600 very promise that you gave, I give right back to you? 719 00:42:53,120 --> 00:43:00,080 Oh, her words celebrate these unalterable truths in verses one 720 00:43:00,080 --> 00:43:03,840 and two. God is powerful and holy in 721 00:43:03,840 --> 00:43:07,000 verse. Three, God silences the critics 722 00:43:07,000 --> 00:43:12,160 of His people in verses 4 through a God reverses 723 00:43:12,240 --> 00:43:17,680 circumstances verse 9 God provides for his people and in 724 00:43:17,680 --> 00:43:21,400 verse 10 God defeats his adversaries and exalts the 725 00:43:21,400 --> 00:43:24,440 anointed king. We hear the echo of this 726 00:43:24,440 --> 00:43:28,560 prophetic praise by another woman who releases her first 727 00:43:28,800 --> 00:43:32,680 born son for the purpose of. Redemption, the redemption of 728 00:43:32,680 --> 00:43:36,280 humanity. And that woman is Mary, and that 729 00:43:36,280 --> 00:43:43,480 son is Jesus, and it is a song. That she joins with the echo of 730 00:43:43,480 --> 00:43:46,480 the generations from Hannah's original song. 731 00:43:47,240 --> 00:43:52,840 And she said, Oh, oh God, oh Father, be it unto me, according 732 00:43:52,840 --> 00:43:55,040 to your will, would you do such a. 733 00:43:55,040 --> 00:44:01,560 Thing and should you do it, He is yours, Jesus is. 734 00:44:01,560 --> 00:44:10,320 The anointed king eternal .2 contending and not compromising. 735 00:44:10,320 --> 00:44:15,640 Cultivates prophetic courage, Contending, not compromise, 736 00:44:15,640 --> 00:44:18,680 cultivates prophetic courage. And this is the story of that 737 00:44:18,680 --> 00:44:22,840 son, Samuel. Samuel was raised in the ways of 738 00:44:22,840 --> 00:44:26,600 the Lord by Eli the priest in Shiloh, which was the central 739 00:44:26,600 --> 00:44:29,440 place of worship. This should have been the most 740 00:44:29,440 --> 00:44:34,920 wonderful place, but Eli's sons were wicked even though. 741 00:44:34,920 --> 00:44:38,320 They were priests, they were corrupt, they were greedy, and 742 00:44:38,320 --> 00:44:41,600 they were sensual. Talks about that in First Samuel 743 00:44:42,040 --> 00:44:45,280 chapter 2. The most chilling fact about 744 00:44:45,280 --> 00:44:47,880 this time is found in these words written in First Samuel 745 00:44:47,880 --> 00:44:50,000 31. The boy Samuel served in the 746 00:44:50,000 --> 00:44:54,160 Lord served the Lord in Eli's presence in those days. 747 00:44:54,240 --> 00:44:58,760 The word of the Lord was rare. And prophetic visions were not 748 00:44:58,760 --> 00:45:03,040 widespread. But in spite of this culture of 749 00:45:03,040 --> 00:45:05,920 compromise, Samuel develops into a man of God. 750 00:45:07,160 --> 00:45:09,440 Because he is the He was a promise, right? 751 00:45:09,440 --> 00:45:14,680 He was a son of Covenant, right? So he was already set forth, as 752 00:45:14,680 --> 00:45:17,400 we all are, with purpose and destiny. 753 00:45:18,000 --> 00:45:20,920 But we got to come into agreement, right? 754 00:45:20,960 --> 00:45:22,320 We got to come into agreement with. 755 00:45:22,480 --> 00:45:28,280 What God says As a young boy, Samuel learns to recognize and 756 00:45:28,280 --> 00:45:32,200 acknowledge the voice of God. He speaks a prophetic word of 757 00:45:32,200 --> 00:45:36,000 the Lord with courage and clarity, and this spearheads A 758 00:45:36,000 --> 00:45:39,440 revival that overthrows the worship of idols. 759 00:45:40,640 --> 00:45:44,240 Samuel's intercession and effort brings about the victories over 760 00:45:44,240 --> 00:45:47,240 the Philistines, and it memorialized it with a stone 761 00:45:47,240 --> 00:45:50,160 called Ebenezer, meaning the Lord helped. 762 00:45:50,160 --> 00:45:53,720 US. Samuel travelled most of his 763 00:45:53,720 --> 00:45:57,280 life as the judge of Israel, speaking the word of the Lord 764 00:45:57,280 --> 00:45:59,200 and leading them in worshiping God. 765 00:45:59,560 --> 00:46:03,160 He built an altar of worship in his hometown and he returned 766 00:46:03,160 --> 00:46:05,840 there often. And when he got old, the people 767 00:46:05,840 --> 00:46:09,600 of Israel came to him wanting a king, which was unthinkable to 768 00:46:09,600 --> 00:46:12,600 him because they had just, he just walked through his whole 769 00:46:12,600 --> 00:46:16,920 life about this, the elevation of the priest being the leader, 770 00:46:17,080 --> 00:46:19,080 right? And now here comes the people. 771 00:46:19,080 --> 00:46:22,360 They know the corruption that they've all lived under with the 772 00:46:22,360 --> 00:46:25,600 historic kings. And they're saying we want a 773 00:46:25,600 --> 00:46:31,200 king, Samuel, we want a king. And he's like, like, what? 774 00:46:31,640 --> 00:46:35,640 Are you kidding me? It was unthinkable. 775 00:46:35,640 --> 00:46:38,240 And his own son, Samuel's own sons were. 776 00:46:38,240 --> 00:46:44,400 Corrupt and the people still desire to leader all of them. 777 00:46:44,400 --> 00:46:47,120 He was just like, ah, I thought we dealt with this. 778 00:46:47,400 --> 00:46:51,320 I thought we got. Rid of this The Bible tells us 779 00:46:51,320 --> 00:46:54,800 this idea displeased Samuel, But rather than debating the people, 780 00:46:54,800 --> 00:46:59,480 he prayed. How many of us love a good 781 00:46:59,480 --> 00:47:04,240 debate? Those comment sections on posts 782 00:47:06,760 --> 00:47:08,800 don't engage people don't engage. 783 00:47:09,640 --> 00:47:12,520 I mean it. You're debating with with an 784 00:47:12,520 --> 00:47:16,440 enemy that you you that enemy loves. 785 00:47:16,520 --> 00:47:17,960 He's Prince of the power of the air. 786 00:47:18,880 --> 00:47:21,800 It's going to get twisted, man. Let Jesus make Ray. 787 00:47:21,960 --> 00:47:24,280 Let Jesus make room. He's very good at speaking for 788 00:47:24,280 --> 00:47:26,000 himself. He's. 789 00:47:26,000 --> 00:47:33,080 Very good at that. God told Samuel to give the 790 00:47:33,080 --> 00:47:37,680 people what they wanted, but it would be hard and harsh and 791 00:47:37,680 --> 00:47:39,040 still the people were determined so. 792 00:47:39,080 --> 00:47:42,240 Samuel courageously obeyed God and satisfied the request of the 793 00:47:42,240 --> 00:47:46,040 people, and two men at two different times were anointed by 794 00:47:46,040 --> 00:47:49,160 Samuel. Saul, who was the choice of the 795 00:47:49,160 --> 00:47:55,360 people, and David, God's choice. Samuel remained the conscience 796 00:47:55,360 --> 00:47:58,080 of the people until the day he died, encouraging them to follow 797 00:47:58,080 --> 00:48:00,520 the Lord always. And he lived to see the failure 798 00:48:00,520 --> 00:48:04,040 of Saul and see David's rise to leadership. 799 00:48:05,120 --> 00:48:06,960 Samuel lived a life of integrity. 800 00:48:06,960 --> 00:48:09,600 He lived a life of courage in the face of various forms of 801 00:48:09,600 --> 00:48:14,240 pressure to compromise. Like Samuel, Jesus knows the 802 00:48:14,240 --> 00:48:18,680 voice of God, and we see Jesus as the trusted prophet who 803 00:48:18,680 --> 00:48:21,080 speaks the Word of God with boldness and courage. 804 00:48:22,000 --> 00:48:25,120 The revival of Jesus continues today in the heart of everyone 805 00:48:25,120 --> 00:48:28,960 who responds to his invitation, and the Word tells us that Jesus 806 00:48:28,960 --> 00:48:32,360 is seated at the right hand of the Father and is always 807 00:48:32,360 --> 00:48:38,040 interceding on our behalf. Jesus is the voice in the night, 808 00:48:38,280 --> 00:48:40,400 the faithful judge and the trusted prophet. 809 00:48:40,680 --> 00:48:43,560 I tell you what people, if you ever say thank you don't have 810 00:48:43,560 --> 00:48:46,440 time to pray, take a. Take a page from Jesus's 811 00:48:46,440 --> 00:48:49,920 playbook, because not only did he pray as man, but he praises 812 00:48:49,920 --> 00:48:52,200 God sitting next to his Father to this very day. 813 00:48:54,000 --> 00:48:56,760 And your name? And my name is the name on his 814 00:48:56,760 --> 00:48:59,560 lips, whispering into the ear of his Father. 815 00:49:01,880 --> 00:49:04,720 We've. Got to pray, we have got to be. 816 00:49:04,720 --> 00:49:08,120 We want to see a move of God, Then we have got to get down and 817 00:49:08,120 --> 00:49:11,160 get dirty. We've got to get on our knees 818 00:49:11,160 --> 00:49:14,520 and we've got to sacrifice things that we think we want 819 00:49:14,800 --> 00:49:19,320 because to receive the thing that we truly desire requires 820 00:49:19,320 --> 00:49:25,320 everything from us. It may require things that you 821 00:49:25,320 --> 00:49:28,200 are doing that you don't think are that big of a deal. 822 00:49:30,360 --> 00:49:36,600 It may require things that are soaking up your schedule that 823 00:49:36,600 --> 00:49:41,360 keeps you from being able having the ability. 824 00:49:41,360 --> 00:49:48,000 To say yes to God. Parents, that's a big one. 825 00:49:50,280 --> 00:49:54,560 Our kids schedule dictate more about our lives than our own 826 00:49:54,560 --> 00:50:00,040 schedules. You got to find the balance. 827 00:50:01,600 --> 00:50:05,440 You got to find the balance. The things of the Lord are 828 00:50:05,440 --> 00:50:08,520 uncompromised. The things of the Lord are 829 00:50:08,520 --> 00:50:15,600 without conflict. The commitments to the Lord are 830 00:50:15,600 --> 00:50:20,760 not secondary. You are setting the pace, how 831 00:50:20,760 --> 00:50:22,520 they respond to you and how they see. 832 00:50:22,520 --> 00:50:30,880 You respond is how they will respond to the Lord and trust 833 00:50:30,880 --> 00:50:36,040 me, I get the sports life and I know it's a hard one to hear but 834 00:50:36,040 --> 00:50:40,160 you don't understand what is it? Less than 1% become pro 835 00:50:40,160 --> 00:50:47,360 athletes. We had three who travelled 836 00:50:47,600 --> 00:50:52,360 nationally playing sports. I'm not talking just local 837 00:50:52,360 --> 00:50:55,680 around LA. There was one weekend we talked 838 00:50:55,680 --> 00:50:58,720 about it. Tim went to New Orleans or 839 00:50:58,720 --> 00:51:00,920 Minneapolis with Casey for volleyball. 840 00:51:01,760 --> 00:51:06,680 I was in Vegas or Arizona. I was in Phoenix, AZ with 841 00:51:06,680 --> 00:51:09,440 Jackson for hockey. What a random place to play 842 00:51:09,440 --> 00:51:11,960 hockey. What? 843 00:51:12,280 --> 00:51:17,040 And Shay had to fly by herself to Florida for competitive cheer 844 00:51:17,280 --> 00:51:22,160 nationals. But we get like, I get it. 845 00:51:22,560 --> 00:51:26,480 But you can ask my kids there wasn't a Wednesday night that 846 00:51:26,480 --> 00:51:27,520 they missed. Youth Group. 847 00:51:29,400 --> 00:51:31,960 There wasn't a practice that was allowed to be interfered with 848 00:51:32,080 --> 00:51:34,040 with being in the House of the Lord. 849 00:51:36,120 --> 00:51:38,720 And when there was a game and Jackson was the only one that 850 00:51:38,720 --> 00:51:41,920 had this conflict, the Sunday morning game, wherever we were, 851 00:51:41,920 --> 00:51:44,640 Jackson and I found a House of the Lord and we were in church 852 00:51:44,640 --> 00:51:48,440 that Sunday night. And then he also had to watch 853 00:51:48,440 --> 00:51:52,480 what happened in big church and take notes and show them to his 854 00:51:52,480 --> 00:51:57,320 dad and I. Because that wasn't going to be 855 00:51:57,320 --> 00:52:03,280 compromised. Nothing is more important than 856 00:52:03,280 --> 00:52:05,960 the House of God. Nothing is more important than 857 00:52:05,960 --> 00:52:07,960 gathering together with the people of God. 858 00:52:08,200 --> 00:52:11,520 Because it. Is in that place that He 859 00:52:11,520 --> 00:52:13,960 commands a blessing when we dwell in unity. 860 00:52:14,440 --> 00:52:16,920 Says where two or three gather, he is there. 861 00:52:17,160 --> 00:52:19,760 Does that not mean when we're alone and all that, that God's, 862 00:52:20,000 --> 00:52:22,240 God's presence is with us? It's with us always with the 863 00:52:22,240 --> 00:52:23,760 temple of the Holy Spirit, right? 864 00:52:23,960 --> 00:52:25,960 He's indwelling. But there is something that 865 00:52:25,960 --> 00:52:30,720 multiplies of multiplication that happens when we come into 866 00:52:30,720 --> 00:52:34,440 agreement with other believers. And I tell you, this generation 867 00:52:34,440 --> 00:52:39,640 has got to see the move of God. I would dare say the last two 868 00:52:39,640 --> 00:52:44,240 generations have got to see the move of God because we haven't 869 00:52:44,240 --> 00:52:47,760 seen a big move of God in a in a good while. 870 00:52:49,000 --> 00:52:52,280 I was birthed into the Jesus People movement and I remember 871 00:52:52,280 --> 00:52:54,520 little things about it but not very much. 872 00:52:55,280 --> 00:52:59,120 Our church was grew from 50 to over 1000 overnight. 873 00:53:00,200 --> 00:53:06,040 During that time, I was part of what God was doing in the 90s 874 00:53:06,440 --> 00:53:10,680 through Brownsville and Toronto and and this move of God. 875 00:53:10,680 --> 00:53:15,560 Where were you seeing his his outpourings, these these 876 00:53:15,560 --> 00:53:19,200 whispers of what he wants to do? But I tell you, I would dare say 877 00:53:19,200 --> 00:53:24,560 we haven't seen something in two to three. 878 00:53:24,560 --> 00:53:29,440 Generations and that is unacceptable and that has been 879 00:53:29,440 --> 00:53:31,800 our responsibility or lack thereof. 880 00:53:34,480 --> 00:53:40,320 We need a move of God because it's where faith meets action. 881 00:53:40,680 --> 00:53:47,080 And then we can say, oh, I know God, ha, you can't argue with me 882 00:53:47,080 --> 00:53:50,600 about that. And finally. 883 00:53:51,080 --> 00:53:53,640 Prophetic obedience opens the door for overwhelming 884 00:53:53,640 --> 00:53:56,840 opportunity. And this is the story of David. 885 00:53:56,840 --> 00:53:59,200 And before we dive into his story, we must understand what 886 00:53:59,200 --> 00:54:01,920 happened with Saul. There was no one in Israel who 887 00:54:01,920 --> 00:54:05,080 had more potential than Saul. He was from a wealthy family, 888 00:54:05,080 --> 00:54:07,520 incredibly good looking, trusted, and lived with a sense 889 00:54:07,520 --> 00:54:10,200 of humility. But through a series of events, 890 00:54:10,200 --> 00:54:12,960 Saul is anointed as King of Israel and the Spirit of Lord 891 00:54:12,960 --> 00:54:15,000 comes upon him and begins to prophecy. 892 00:54:15,840 --> 00:54:18,480 After his first year as king, things go downhill fast and he 893 00:54:18,480 --> 00:54:20,360 becomes impatient and presumptuous. 894 00:54:20,840 --> 00:54:27,680 Which leads to disobedience, and it ultimately leads to God's 895 00:54:27,680 --> 00:54:31,480 rejection. He becomes angry and explosive, 896 00:54:31,480 --> 00:54:35,080 a man who takes out his rage on the closest to him, Jonathan his 897 00:54:35,080 --> 00:54:38,640 son, and David his servant. He ends his life consumed with 898 00:54:38,640 --> 00:54:42,440 jealousy and fear. The man who once prophesied in 899 00:54:42,440 --> 00:54:45,360 the name of the Lord was found to consult a witch and 900 00:54:45,360 --> 00:54:49,560 eventually committed suicide. What a tragic ending to a life 901 00:54:49,560 --> 00:54:52,000 with such promise. We must be careful to not fall 902 00:54:52,000 --> 00:54:56,040 into the same trap as soul and think because of the power of 903 00:54:56,040 --> 00:54:58,640 God is present, we can live any way that we want. 904 00:54:59,560 --> 00:55:02,040 That is a deception that will lead you to a day of reckoning 905 00:55:02,040 --> 00:55:04,720 before the Lord. Beginning well is good. 906 00:55:05,320 --> 00:55:08,200 Finishing well is better. Tim, I'm going to invite you up 907 00:55:08,200 --> 00:55:12,760 as I begin to wrap this up. David is one of the most beloved 908 00:55:12,760 --> 00:55:15,760 people in the Bible, and David's life is best summed up by the 909 00:55:15,760 --> 00:55:19,520 words God spoke over him. He was a man after God's own 910 00:55:19,520 --> 00:55:21,400 hearts, because he. Did the will of God. 911 00:55:23,240 --> 00:55:26,080 No matter the situation, David kept his heart tender before 912 00:55:26,080 --> 00:55:28,360 God. It was when Samuel anointed 913 00:55:28,360 --> 00:55:30,600 David that the Bible records these words. 914 00:55:30,960 --> 00:55:33,480 So Samuel took the. Horn of oil and anointed him in 915 00:55:33,480 --> 00:55:36,560 the presence of his brothers, and the spirit of the Lord came 916 00:55:36,560 --> 00:55:40,200 powerfully on David. From that day forward, the rest 917 00:55:40,200 --> 00:55:42,520 of First Samuel is about. David and Saul and their 918 00:55:42,520 --> 00:55:46,800 interactions and then Samuel. First Samuel 17 One through 58 919 00:55:46,800 --> 00:55:49,280 we find the famous Bible story of David and his defeat of 920 00:55:49,280 --> 00:55:53,600 Goliath and shortly after this is when Saul's rage turns 921 00:55:53,600 --> 00:55:56,320 towards David and he goes and hides in the caves as a 922 00:55:56,320 --> 00:55:59,880 fugitive. This is a time where he composed 923 00:55:59,880 --> 00:56:04,160 many of the songs that became the book of Psalms. 924 00:56:04,840 --> 00:56:07,240 It was also during this time that David was able to put to 925 00:56:07,240 --> 00:56:10,280 test what he valued most and it was not the throne of Israel but 926 00:56:10,280 --> 00:56:14,600 it was the approval of God. This is what made him a great 927 00:56:14,600 --> 00:56:16,640 king. He trusted God and had patience 928 00:56:16,640 --> 00:56:19,920 for his plan. The relationship that God and 929 00:56:19,920 --> 00:56:23,200 David have results in the covenant that God's Son, the 930 00:56:23,200 --> 00:56:25,520 anointed, redeemed and the Messiah will come through 931 00:56:25,520 --> 00:56:29,320 David's family line. David is a model of what 932 00:56:29,320 --> 00:56:32,960 repentance and humility of repentance and humility as he 933 00:56:32,960 --> 00:56:37,040 faced the failures of adultery and murder and the treason of 934 00:56:37,040 --> 00:56:42,000 his son Absalom. David demonstrates that it's not 935 00:56:42,000 --> 00:56:45,040 power position, but he illustrates that subjection to 936 00:56:45,040 --> 00:56:48,920 God in all things is what can make the most common king a 937 00:56:48,920 --> 00:56:51,960 servant. This royal reality is 938 00:56:51,960 --> 00:56:55,480 accomplished through Christ, the Son of David, who loved us and 939 00:56:55,480 --> 00:56:59,080 washed us from our sins in his own blood and made us kings and 940 00:56:59,080 --> 00:57:04,240 priests to God and his Father. First and Second Samuel ends 941 00:57:04,240 --> 00:57:07,240 with an insightful account of David facing another failure 942 00:57:08,160 --> 00:57:10,080 that had an impact on the whole nation. 943 00:57:11,560 --> 00:57:14,480 As David is offered a way to remove the plague of judgement 944 00:57:14,480 --> 00:57:17,760 from the Lord, he proves once again that he has learned a 945 00:57:17,760 --> 00:57:20,640 valuable life lesson from the crushing experience. 946 00:57:21,520 --> 00:57:25,480 And he builds an altar of worship where he performs an act 947 00:57:25,480 --> 00:57:27,480 pledging allegiance to the king of kings. 948 00:57:27,800 --> 00:57:31,080 And this act has prophetic implications, for this is where 949 00:57:31,080 --> 00:57:36,080 his son Solomon will build the temple, and it will be filled 950 00:57:36,080 --> 00:57:38,080 with the glory in the presence of God. 951 00:57:39,480 --> 00:57:43,840 This threshing floor where David offers this sincere offering is 952 00:57:43,840 --> 00:57:47,480 a symbolic picture of how like the weed is on the ground, is 953 00:57:47,480 --> 00:57:50,840 ground down to its nutrients. Our lives can be crushing and 954 00:57:50,840 --> 00:57:54,520 when our flesh is removed. We can offer our lives poured 955 00:57:54,520 --> 00:57:58,960 out as a living sacrifice to Jesus, which is our reasonable 956 00:57:58,960 --> 00:58:05,240 act of worship. So I conclude with this, the 957 00:58:05,240 --> 00:58:11,600 prophetic covenantal promise. There's power in living in 958 00:58:11,600 --> 00:58:14,120 obedience to Jesus, the trusted prophet. 959 00:58:15,920 --> 00:58:18,520 We see through the. Lives of Hannah, Samuel, Saul 960 00:58:18,520 --> 00:58:21,120 and David that praise makes way for the promise. 961 00:58:21,760 --> 00:58:24,320 Contending for the promise cultivates courage and 962 00:58:24,320 --> 00:58:26,440 obedience. In the process opens the 963 00:58:26,440 --> 00:58:32,320 opportunity of the promise. Jesus is the fulfillment of 964 00:58:32,360 --> 00:58:35,680 every promise, and He has been and continues to be and will 965 00:58:35,680 --> 00:58:39,920 always be our trusted prophet. And it is because of this that 966 00:58:39,920 --> 00:58:45,680 we must live committed to the covenant, the permanent covenant 967 00:58:46,280 --> 00:58:50,160 that is established from generation to generation to 968 00:58:50,160 --> 00:58:54,760 generation to generation to generation until the day our 969 00:58:54,760 --> 00:59:01,360 Lord returns. It doesn't matter if like me, 970 00:59:01,360 --> 00:59:07,600 you can, you can take it back. But today can be the first day. 971 00:59:10,960 --> 00:59:16,160 Today is where it can start. I'm stepping into covenant. 972 00:59:17,560 --> 00:59:23,480 I'm stepping in to be one who. Reaps the rewards of those 973 00:59:23,480 --> 00:59:25,760 prophetic promises that have been declared. 974 00:59:25,960 --> 00:59:27,400 And I'm going to say I'll take that. 975 00:59:27,400 --> 00:59:31,480 And that's mine for my family, that's mine for Arise Church, 976 00:59:31,720 --> 00:59:36,000 that's mine for my city, that's mine for my life. 977 00:59:41,410 --> 00:59:43,210 But my question is, are you willing to pay? 978 00:59:49,860 --> 00:59:55,340 See, what we have through Jesus will cost you. 979 00:59:58,580 --> 01:00:00,660 What I have through Jesus has cost me. 980 01:00:02,600 --> 01:00:05,880 Hoping I'm ready to pay it again and again and again and again 981 01:00:09,040 --> 01:00:11,680 every day. I want to grab a hold of that 982 01:00:11,680 --> 01:00:14,680 cross and take it upon my back and say whatever you would 983 01:00:14,680 --> 01:00:18,160 require of me, I want to do that. 984 01:00:21,080 --> 01:00:23,760 I'm disciplining myself to do that. 985 01:00:24,840 --> 01:00:28,200 I'm still working towards doing that. 986 01:00:32,440 --> 01:00:39,320 But see, part of this promise is wherever you are at in the 987 01:00:39,320 --> 01:00:44,720 middle of this, He's never leaving you. 988 01:00:46,760 --> 01:00:53,280 You're not in it alone. See, not only is the Lord in 989 01:00:53,280 --> 01:00:55,400 this place, but the Lord is in this place. 990 01:00:58,120 --> 01:01:04,560 The Lord is in this place. So walking through a cancer 991 01:01:04,560 --> 01:01:11,120 journey, I wasn't alone. The Lord is in this place, 992 01:01:13,960 --> 01:01:16,520 walking through fear and doubt and. 993 01:01:16,600 --> 01:01:21,280 Lack walking through abundant reward and joy. 994 01:01:21,440 --> 01:01:29,520 The Lord is in this place. And I live cognizant of that, 995 01:01:30,560 --> 01:01:40,960 fully aware of that, and because of that kindness of God, I can 996 01:01:40,960 --> 01:01:46,200 run to the space of repentance again for the moments that I 997 01:01:46,200 --> 01:01:53,320 fall short. He greets me each morning with 998 01:01:53,320 --> 01:02:00,480 the kiss of mercy. His abundant love for me 999 01:02:02,840 --> 01:02:06,080 satisfies every place of abandonment, rejection, and 1000 01:02:06,080 --> 01:02:12,600 loneliness. See, He fulfills all. 1001 01:02:15,520 --> 01:02:23,920 I'm the one who is withholding. Oh Father God, we come to you 1002 01:02:23,920 --> 01:02:31,960 this morning as your people, as your people who once again are 1003 01:02:31,960 --> 01:02:35,000 in a place to say Ioffer my life to you, Jesus. 1004 01:02:37,360 --> 01:02:42,000 Oh, I choose covenant with you, the permanent covenant. 1005 01:02:45,320 --> 01:02:48,800 I choose to lay down my will for yours. 1006 01:02:50,320 --> 01:02:52,560 Thank you, Jesus, for your faithfulness to us. 1007 01:02:53,080 --> 01:02:53,960 We love you. We. 1008 01:02:53,960 --> 01:03:00,040 Honor you be the salt and the light of the earth, for He has 1009 01:03:00,040 --> 01:03:03,040 gone before you in everything that you do. 1010 01:03:03,040 --> 01:03:04,800 You are the head. And not the tail. 1011 01:03:05,080 --> 01:03:08,240 You are above and not beneath. You are blessed and not cursed. 1012 01:03:08,560 --> 01:03:13,240 And whatever you set your hands to will prosper in Jesus name, 1013 01:03:13,520 --> 01:03:15,800 Amen. Amen. 1014 01:03:18,640 --> 01:03:21,080 We want to thank you again for joining us for the Arise Church 1015 01:03:21,080 --> 01:03:23,160 podcast. We hope you were encouraged by 1016 01:03:23,160 --> 01:03:26,160 what you heard today. You can find us online at Arise 1017 01:03:26,160 --> 01:03:29,760 Church n-c.com and on Instagram at Arise Church NC. 1018 01:03:30,040 --> 01:03:33,200 If you need prayer or support or are interested in learning more 1019 01:03:33,200 --> 01:03:36,880 about Arise Church, we encourage you to connect with us online or 1020 01:03:36,880 --> 01:03:38,920 in person at our Sunday morning service. 1021 01:03:39,160 --> 01:03:40,440 Thank you and God bless.