Thanks for checking out the anchor Faith.
Message podcast from st. Augustine Florida.
Now, enjoy this message. Don't know the first
Thessalonians chapter 4. Back in November almost a year
ago. This message came up in my
spirit, I actually did not take Tom to see when I ministered it
to the church. I minister to our staff and
November of last year and then I prompt might have been into this
year at some point that we spoke along these lines.
But it sure seemed like I needed to bring this up again tonight,
in some in a direction concerning Seasons.
I was actually traveling home and had call my daughter.
And we were talking on the phone about the season wherein and she
says, you know, out of all because she'd been with me from
the beginning you know, from her beginning.
But she's been with me from the beginning to make her a church
and you know she's gone through Seasons with us and she says you
know, this season seems the most unique seems the the most
different than any season we've ever been him as a church.
I said yeah, I would agree with that because This season
launched into some things based upon us signing on a mall.
And once we signed on the mall, just prior to that, we received
this particular word signed on the mall and then we deliver
this word out of these couple verses we're going to talk about
and then we're going to launch into some other things and it
kind of put us in this we're just in this place, all of us
corporately and you know, if you have came on and have become a
vision partner rank of a church, Actually, what you're saying is
you're a part of this field. Now, the many you get become a
part of the field, that means you're going to go through the
same things that the rest of the field goes through.
All right. Now, if you've ever gone, you
know, driving down the road, specially here in the State of
Florida, you know, we have tree farms and those tree farms are
typically pine trees. And you know you driving buying
see, they plant them things in rows and then at some point
they'll Harvest those trees, right.
But you notice, you know, if you ever noticed those particular
fields, Pine trees are not all the same size.
You would kind of go they be a certain size and they may grow
more. Why?
Because the farmer plants them in stages because obviously once
the Harvest is one, he wants to be in a few years made a
harvest. Another one because I think it
takes about 15 years of Harvard's, pine tree.
I may be mistaken, but that just came to my mom, but I think
that's about the time frame. And so, you know, you want to be
able to kind of have things continually being Harvest.
You know, you don't wait 15 years every year before you get
a harvest in and so, but What he's doing, what those farmers
are doing in one field, a more mature pine trees.
He's doing in the ones that are you know, what we would consider
babes or saplings, so to speak, right?
So again, whatever care he's doing for mature one.
He still may have to do, he still has to do certain care for
even the younger ones. So the minute you get planted
here then you come into our season.
So what's coming on? You're going to become a part
of, in the realm of the spirit, are you hearing me now?
The good news is, is if you come in and you allow God to do what
he's doing in that season, it will Propel you because at the
end of the day you're going to get in the season seasons are
inevitable. Are you hearing me?
The Lord said himself in the old Tim he said until the Earth
remains seedtime and harvest. See, Tom is a season Harvest.
The season until the Earth remains seedtime and harvest.
So it's that way with us spiritually as well.
We go through Seasons. All right, we're going to talk
about that tonight but in 1st Thessalonians, chapter 4 verse
1. It says this Paul talking to the
church and he's admonishing the church, he's encouraging the
church. He said, finally them Brethren,
I'll get again, he's talking to the church, we request and
exhort you in the Lord Jesus that as you receive from us,
instruction. As to how you ought to walk.
And please God just as you actually do walk, notice, he's
saying you and receive this instruction on how you ought to
walk. And please God to please God,
there's only one way, right? Because we know Hebrew says,
it's impossible to please God without.
So when he says how to walk and please God, that conversation is
how you are to live out your righteous life, your behavior
how it should be governed. By the word, which means when
people see you walk, when they see your lifestyle, it should be
a reflection of God, but not only that, they should see you
pleasing God because they should see your fate.
All right? So you should walk away and have
a belief system and he says, and you're doing it. but, He's
asking that you Excel still more.
So it's not enough that we arrive to a place that we are
having the right behavior and manner of living.
And we are exercising faith, we can still Excel still more right
in first that's you drop down to verse 9 in this same chapter 9
and 10 it says it this way. Now as to the love of the
Brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you for you
yourselves are taught by God. Hard to love one another.
So he's seeing their loved walking, here's the thing Faith
worketh by. I mean, if you're not walking in
the love of God, then Your Righteous life is whole.
It is a clanging cymbal. You understand?
Your faith is a clanging cymbal. Right because First Corinthians,
13 talks about, you could have, you could do all these
particular actions that are in behavior and in faith.
But if you don't have love, it's nothing.
So they're doing it. But he's like, you're doing this
love and this love, you're walking in.
It's not like someone came and gave an instruction, you
obviously, because you're off, you're walking in it by the
spirit of God himself. You know, what that tells me,
you, we already know that anything, you know about God.
Is because the holy spirit in you revealed it now God uses the
fivefold ministry to bring instruction and pull things out
to develop in equip Us. In fact you won't get to a level
of equipping without them, but we also know this if no voice
was in your life and you were full of the Holy Ghost, that's
enough. So you're you can't have the
excuse well, no one's taught me. Are you hearing me because the
Holy Ghost will instruct you? You can be in places that teach
the word and the Holy Ghost will say.
That ain't right. He'll say that if it's not
right, he'll say that's right, take that at the end of the day,
he's the revealer of the truth man.
You got to receive it to yourself and he's like
acknowledging as far as the love of God and walking in love
towards, not listen not towards God.
You have no one to write you for yourselves are taught by God to
what love one. Another, this one at your site,
we love God. This is a church that I love him
and I love her and I love them and we walking in love, we don't
get offended and if we do we get over it.
Right, we get over it. So he's seeing this love in the
church. It's like awesome.
He's for indeed, you practice it towards all the Brethren who are
in Macedonia. He said, but I urge you Brethren
to what? Man?
Excel still more. So the first thing that we have
to begin to do because of what Paul said to this church which
applies to us. And if we read a lot of his
Pauline Epistles, he actually talks especially in the subject
of love that our love would abound more and more and more,
and more that we would get a height depth length.
Stubb love. I mean it would just like keep
growing. He was always talking about
Revelation knowledge. Well the mention get Revelation
knowledge, you should be acting on that which means now you're
living by faith. And what you're living out now
is the behavior of that. So these things should be
constant in our lives but too often I don't know why it is in
Christianity. Is that we want to arrive to a
plateau and stay like Coast To Heaven?
Well, you can't coach to heaven. I said you can't Coast.
You're either moving forward and moving backwards.
One of the other, there's only one posture and is still a
forward posture. When you've done all to stand
stand and that's active because you're in faith, believing and
you're not get being pushed back, but you're pressing
forward. Now, you may not have no
movement, right? That's why I says, when you've
done all to stand stand, why? Because we are pressing against
what is saying this won't work, but at the end, it will break
and I will go forward and have what it That were saying.
All right? So make no mistake about in the
stand is That's what it's looking like.
We're pressing against whatever that obstacle is is got to move,
eventually it's getting out of the way and we're going to go on
and keep moving forward. All right, if we're not doing
that then we're digressing. We're digressing, we are
backsliding. I said, we're backsliding.
We have to maintain the exercise of Faith but we can Excel still
more. You know, I found out this
weekend are today that both of our Washington teams won
yesterday. Yeah.
They're dominating.
I mean, we're not talking about winning.
We're talking about Winnie, like, I like to win leave.
No doubt. These games are not for the
faint-hearted. Okay?
So again, if you're a parent, Only opposing team and you don't
like your child to get beat down then don't sign them up.
Right. You said pastor Earle that's not
good. Sportsmanship Jesus wept and
strip the devil of his power so bad.
Now, it ain't like getting your face.
You're a loser. We're not talking like that.
We have sportsmanship. But to Ally, we're not going to
keep playing. We going to play the game.
We're not gonna sit on the cord and dribble around forever just
so that we going to make shots, we going to keep pressing,
right? Because at the end of day, if
someone done it on us, good. I mean why would I hinder them
from playing the game? Just go ahead and take the beat
down, learn from it. Let's go on if that's how it is.
A righteous man get knocked down seven times but he what he gives
up a girl's got knocked down the first game and it wasn't even a
bad loss and in one sense but it was bad for us.
We'll get that one back. So maybe you're just about
winning. No, I'm about doing your best.
Period. I can't guarantee our teams will
win but if they do then that's just a reflection of God.
We going to be like God leave. No doubt.
Okay. But my point is is that when you
start developing a reputation of winning, Right.
Number one. Everybody wants to knock you
off. Right there you really.
You get hated for winning. This is why I never have a
problem with the champion. You know.
They aren't you tired of seeing Alabama that?
No never, if they're in it there it.
What do you want me to do? If you don't want the guy in it
beating I need a beating. If you don't want the New
England Patriots when they were on that run Beetle at the end of
the day, just Beetle. What can I say?
I never have a problem because I never feel sorry.
Every time we beat the devil. I never feel sorry.
I don't I don't want to ease up one, you know I think Believers
he's up because they feel bad for the devil.
It's amazing. How will take not natural
mentalities into spiritual things though?
And how do I know this? Because Paul is talking to a
church man. You guys got it going on but
you'll never maintain this level.
Unless you make keep pressing. The thing that's so amazing
about some of the coaches and again, we talked about Alabama
but that's nothing compared to that one Yukon coach, you know,
he ran. I mean, so many seasons of just
dominating and dominating and dominating and winning and
winning. I mean, I think he went like I
have this dish that I told him to our staff one day.
Like 100-something. I mean I mean hundreds of games
before he lost. It's amazing. 13 years was it
just dominate. Dominate they show up on the
court, your intimidate, you know everybody wants to beat them.
But again, what did he get in the psyche?
That they were able to keep the intensity.
To be that consistently dominant.
I'm talking with different people which means he was able
to Rally them around a vision and a philosophy that he can
always get different players year after year after year and
still get the same result. Well, that's what God expects us
to do that. He's going to give us principles
but we keep the intensity. To want to be able to say I can
do that better. I can be quicker at that.
I can be more assertive attentive.
Whatever the case may be. When it comes to the things of
God we have to do self evaluations and where we
evaluate ourselves is when a season changes Now you're going
to make tweaks within Seasons, but man, when you get between
two seasons, there's a lot that takes place because again in the
realm of Athletics, we have when The Season's end and they call
it the offseason, a lot of guys where there is no offseason, but
there is an off season obviously because you're not in the game.
In fact, some of the coaches are learning now that they don't
want to pull their main players out at the end of the season,
because when they take them out of the rotation and rest them
for the playoffs, they're not. Sharp in the first player and
they're losing because they took them out.
So they avoid injury. But the mindset of being in the
game but then you take off a little bit, then you got to try
to reinsert that intensity is becoming a challenge.
I believe that we're going to see a lot of stuff in the
college football realm. Now that maybe some of these
smaller programs that aren't being recruited as well, but
those guys are going to go from freshman to a senior or going to
start knocking off bigger programs.
Because so many of those bigger programs are going to be doing
constant recruiting, and so many recruit athletes are going to be
moving around the system so much because the way Is because
there's something about when people come together and unify,
how do we know this? Because even the Lord when
rebellion was in the earth and they decided we going to build
us a tower. So that when God floods again,
he can't kill us. That was the intent and he said
they have set their mind together in unity and there's
nothing they can't accomplish. Even if it was ungodly.
So, I know. So because they were rebelling
against God's order, he changed the language and then they
couldn't communicate. And when communication was cut
off, Unity was cut off, right? So, the enemy always wants to
cut you off from your communication with the Lord and
his church so that you don't stay unified and stay strong.
And Paul knew. Now, listen, just because you've
seen the exploits of God. You got to maintain intensity
because you're going to go into another season.
And in between seasons in is where you go back and do a
evaluation of an old season to determine what you don't take
into the new one. Now, let's pick up a season in
Joshua chapter 5 and Joshua chapter 5.
We see a season occur that is a season in one sense delayed.
This is, here's the thing we see Seasons, you know, wheat, when
we hear season, we typically think of them in the realm of
whether right, which in Florida, you know, we basically have two
seasons Right? We, we boast are two seasons
summer a little winner and then bam.
Summer clothes. Anything cold is winter to us.
I know technically our season for Alaska is always fall but
it's never that with us. It is freezing cold winter?
When it's that way, right? But some of you have lived into
those places that have all four seasons, we understand.
There is a gradual change in between them, but, you know, not
so gradual that, you know, boom, we're in the season but some
Seasons spiritually. Speaking can have some length to
it. You know, we are getting built
to want to just go to the next season.
And God is Not on your timeline. God's not on your Tom lat, he's
not obligated to get you. So I just want to kind of set
this up in this context in Joshua chapter 5.
Okay, we're going to start in verse 2.
It says, at that time of just going to read to you.
And then I'm going to give you a little back story at that time.
The Lord said to Joshua make for yourselves, Flint knives and
circumcised. Again the sons of Israel, the
second time now they have been slaves you know for 400
something years for him, 32 years, I believe it was Moses
went. Liver the people got them out of
Egypt through the Red Sea Into the Wilderness.
Brought them down to the promised land.
At that point, he allowed 12 Spies to go in spy out the
promised land you know to come and give him the report on how
they're going to take it instead of them telling them how we're
going to take it 10 of them says we can't take it.
Guess the whole congregation all jacked up and in disbelief and
won't do it, you know continue to strengthen their hard-hearted
rebellious lives, right? The mentality.
See, they didn't leave their slave mentality in the old
season. And came into a conqueror
mentality in, when they got out on the other side of the Red Sea
because they fail to drop a mentality and one season and
bring it into another season, it affected That season.
See, you can't keep thinking the same way season to season.
Now, I'm not saying you can't, thank God.
What I'm saying, is, you'll have to fine-tune that thought
because Seasons that we go into are always about cutting
something off. From the last one so that we can
bear better fruit in the new one.
Are you hearing me now? Those who did who didn't cut off
the slave mentality? Of Egypt rebelled against the
word of God says we're not able to do it.
And the Lord says fine. I won't take you, then.
I'm not gonna take you if that's what you want, that's what
you'll get. So what's going to take place?
You are going to wander around in this land for 40 years until
all of you die off since you blame me for your kids done.
For your desk, for your kids, done over into this land, that I
promised you a land flowing with milk and honey that you saw
would be. And instead of you going in
there and close, the Wilderness is that was just a transition,
they were never to spend a season.
Excuse me in the wilderness, that was never the intent.
You understand people say, well, I'm just in the wilderness
season. You're in a problem because a
Wilderness season is never a season.
Wilderness is a transition. When people preach man, were
just in our Wilderness season, you are in trouble because that
is just to go through. And if you're in a Wilderness
season you need to ask. Why is it something I'm doing?
That's hinder me from going in. Or is it something somebody else
is doing? Because for the kids it wasn't
their fault that they got stuck 40 years.
In a transition. it was the parents problems and as a result
of that, it fell back on the children and now they have to be
stuck in a transition now for 40 years, In that transition is all
about teaching and they did, he didn't try to teach them
something different, you understand, he began to teach
them within the first three days of what to learn in the
transition. Man, we hungry.
Why we have thirsty. We need something to drink.
We need some drinks. Okay, I get you some water.
We're hungry now. No problem.
I'm going to get you some bread and what'd he say it was there
to teach them? Man shall not live on bread
alone, but out of every word that proceeds out of the mouth
of God and if they learned that in that little transition,
within a month, they have been in the Promised Land.
But unfortunately, they did not and it caused a whole generation
to be stuck in a transition period.
But learning the same lesson. I've said here to learn the same
lesson and you know, what goes on, here's what, here's what so
deceptive about people who live in, what are the seasons?
Is your clothes, don't wear out, there's Provisions still being
handed to you. God still blessing you.
But it's not his fullness. See, I don't want to stay in a
transition period because it is God still taking care of me, but
it's not where he wants to take me.
So I want to go through it. I want to learn what you're
talking about. I want to cut off, when I need
to cut off, I want to get rid of what I need to get rid of, and I
want to get into the next one because I don't want to be in
the place of. Because, again, transition is US
leaning heavily on the word of God to navigate our steps, his
word. Lamp unto our feet, a light into
our path. We're navigating because then we
get into the next season and now that word is opening up all
these things that by faith, we're taking possessions of
things. And we're fighting a good fight
of Faith over there. So that transition is about
hearing God's word to get into the next place.
And he'll protect me during that time, but he wants to get me
over. Okay, so Joshua now has wandered
around the Wilderness for 30-40 years.
With this group of kids. He's now the leader because Was
Moses has made a mistake and can't get in himself and so now
he's the leader. And now, God is saying, listen,
we're bringing y'all win to the promised land that these kids
have heard for 40 years that they couldn't do it.
And then watch their parents die.
The same walls over there. The same Giants are over there.
They her for 40 years. The why they did it?
What? Weren't in now?
So they've had a story spoken to them, that's why this Joshua is
opens up and he says, be strong and very courageous.
Do not be afraid. He's telling job, don't be
afraid be strong crazy. Why do we gonna say this to the
people? And so he may get a similar
experience. They come across the Jordan at
flood stage to come into the promised land.
Much like they went across the Red Sea impossible, but Man,
lifted up a staff and the waters.
Well, guess what? A man.
You know, heard God and all of a sudden, the water part, right?
And they see you know, they go on dry land, just like their
parents did. They're getting a similar
experience? Here's the thing.
You can't live off your parents faith.
Seasons are transitions in the seasons are for you to say, I'm
going to start living my faith and not the faith of somebody
else's. So that you have your own
personal. Um victories where you yourself
are not having to tell the stories of someone else, but you
can tell your own. Are you hearing me?
I'll tell you my own healing one.
Some of you've heard this but it Bears repeating.
I went to a restaurant twice, One Summer and got the same meal
actually. And so when we have my staff,
they're of the second day without saying particular meal,
my hands started to Hitch and the bottom of my feet started.
Its I mean I was under the table, kind of like, Scratching
a bot. I mean, it was itches like crazy
so much, I just couldn't ignore it.
So, I was like, well, I'm even become a, such a pain, you know,
issue for me. But I didn't want to like, like,
what's wrong with Pastor? I'm like, well, let's go.
So, I got in my Jeep, a different shape at the time,
have the top off, and someone was riding with me.
And so, we were coming back to the office and all the while
man, I mean, I'm just feeling a certain way.
I know something's up. And I heard the Lord say you
better get on this. I heard him say that my spirit
I'm looking at myself, I get there and when I got there you
know, I said Pastor Mike come back to the office with me.
So he came back to the office, I said man something's going on my
body but also I need to get on this getting a holy s.
It's get the prayer of agreement, you know.
So got in the prayer of agreement because you know, I
don't dowton and I'm we don't touch and agree on the hill of
the Lord. So, you know, all this while I'm
pray and pray and pray and he's praying, we are praying and
spear thanking the Lord that I'm Healed.
You know, the whole time, And then, you know, all of a sudden
things start moving in my body so I go to the bathroom, right?
And you know, I kind of keep going across the hallway to the
bathroom. If you time like, well, if this
is what's getting rid of it, I might as well, you know, go
home. Okay.
So I said, we'll take me to the house, so he's taking me to the
house. So, I got to the house and when
I got there, I, you know, I'm like hot.
I take my shirt off, my wife happened to be home that day
came in and she goes, where did you go to the tanning booth?
Because I was like, beet red, all the way.
Down to buy his really the color of my shirt all the way down to
here. I was like, just rip my, the
whites of my eyes were red. What did I said?
I send my body is having a allergic reaction to something
and so, but I'm going to be all right?
I'm gonna go pray. So I went to my room praying,
right? And so, I'm asking the Lord, I
said now, Lord, you know, I got it, it's allergic, right?
Do I need to take a Benadryl, I'll take a Benadryl.
No problem. Laura said, Benadryl won't touch
this and he told me he said, you have mercury poison.
Soo. Okay, so I'm like do I need to
go to the hospital, right? And he said he just said, I just
says he wanted me to. He's wanted me to pray so I did
because believe you me. I mean, I'll do whatever God
says, you don't not do what God says.
And yeah, I don't take medicine off the table.
Nora, doctor off the table. Because of the Lord says, it's
best for you to get it out. I probably had to go to doctor
because I won't self vomit. I'm not going to do that.
I don't vomit period, right? I mean, I'll fight that thing.
I'll believe God it goes the other way.
That's what I'll do. I will believe God.
It can exit another way, right? Because I am violent, the other
I mean I'm a screamer. It's bad.
Every the whole blocks gonna wake up, right?
You think it would mess up my vocal cord but it does it.
I'm talking the whole time, right?
Anyway. So, I'm praying and I heard the
Lord say look right, and I knew what he meant.
When he said it, you're saying when he says the word, he's not
just saying the word when you send your spirit and you know
what he's meaning because when he said, look, he showed me the
whole biblical account of when Elijah was praying for the rain
to come back and he sent his servant to go look for the rain
cloud and he ran over there, and he looked, and he said, there
ain't nothing. They say go again, go again, go
again, right? And I knew that was the context.
So I went to the mirror, I looked at myself, Kind of look
like this. Look like this.
And I went back praying in the Holy Ghost, right?
And then I'll go back and I kept doing this.
I didn't multiple top 45 minutes later after all of it started.
I got in the mirror. I look back like that in.
There was like, about the size of a quarter in the middle of my
back, right in the middle of all that red.
That was the color of my shirt was the color of my skin normal.
And I said, I got it within five minutes.
It was gone as if nothing was there.
Nothing now, see, that's my faith Victory.
So well, I didn't see it. I don't believe it.
That's your problem. Not mine.
I experienced God's healing power in a moment based upon
what he told me. And I believe God because I
stood on that word right now, just because I have a faith
victory in healing, doesn't mean I don't maintain and continue to
strengthen. It was a few years later that
the Lord started dealing with me about my health.
Again, he says you need to change the way you eat.
I'm like, what are you talking about?
Right? I mean I eat anything.
I want to monetizable. Ism is awesome.
He says son, you have no idea what it's doing to your insides.
And he was right because when I went to a nutritionist, Ten
Years Later, they're like man, you got a little sludge there in
your veins and your bascule our system.
It's like you know some of these numbers are like, borderline
heart disease. See if I hadn't changed, they
have been worse. All the while praying over my
food and eating stuff that's just clogging up.
My But the Lord news, what I'm saying on the outside of seem
seem healthy. But on the inside, I got other
issues. But because I listen to the Holy
Ghost, I have a relationship with God, I spend time with him,
then he was able to have a conversation, me at one time.
He says, you got to make some adjustments.
You think what you're doing is not having a problem but it is
and you've confess healing all day long.
All you want to But if you're putting something in you that
your body is having to revert an adverse reaction to our it's not
processing it effectively. Well, you might want to listen
to God. Now, a lot of times that's just
two natural four people. Why?
Because they want the gifts of the Spirit to be an operation
and get a, you know, Supernatural healing when the
Lord's like put it down, I mean again you can't be asking God to
heal. You of lung cancer and keep
smoking cigarettes. Nobody would believe that well,
Lord, Heal Me of, You Know, lung cancer, and then he does, and
he's going to still keep smoking.
And every time you get it, you're going to come back.
No, it's not going to happen well, you understand, certain
foods can do that to your body. Okay, my point is there's things
you have to let go and Seasons to be able to come to the next
one. And Joshua has a group of guys
that have been fed for 40 years by their parents.
That we're going to die. We all going to die and if you
ever get in there you do you really think they're like you
know, we were wrong kids You guys are going to make it.
Y'all are going to do what we should have done.
I mean, how many believe that was the report of those know,
once you become a hard heart, your heart heart and you are not
trying you too prideful. They were stubborn and stiff
neck. So many times, I mean, in the
40th year, that's when Moses got relieved of his duties because
of his faith, it was in the 40th year that their wine and about
water again, and the Lord. Just speak to the Rock and he
was so upset. He called he said, you
rebellious people. I mean so mad at him.
What about? And you think they're going home
and say, well that's our 40th year.
You know, some of us. Only a few of us are left.
That means y'all are gonna go in y'all gonna conquer those guys.
They were not saying that. So, they kept the same
oppressive mentality on their kids.
Josh was bringing over, God is trying to show them now, what
happened with your parents and I'm going to show you two so
that I'm going straight to you to believe me.
Are you hearing me? Joshua was smart.
He said, I ain't sending 12 to. Y'all gonna go over to y'all are
going over that way. If one of you Rogue, the other
ones ain't, there ain't enough of you to have a bath report to
mess this thing up. It's not going to happen but
here they are on the other side. Now, they are in enemy
territory. And the Lord says Joshua chapter
5 verse 2. They are ready to head towards
the most fortified City. In the promised land called
Jericho. And at that time, the Lord said
to Joshua, make for yourselves, Flint knives and circumcised.
Again the sons of Israel, the second time so Joshua made
himself blind lives and circumcised.
The sons of Israel at this location.
This is the reason why Joshua circumcise them.
All the people who came out of Egypt, who were males, all the
men of War died in the wilderness along the way after
they came out of Egypt for all the people who came out were
circumcised. But all the people, Who are born
in the wilderness along the way as they came out of Egypt, had
not been circumcised for the sons of Israel.
Walked 40 years in the wilderness until all the nations
that is the men of War who came out of Egypt perish.
Because they did not listen to the voice of the Lord to whom
the Lord has sworn that. He would not let them see the
land which the Lord had sworn to their fathers to give us a land
flowing with milk and honey, their children, whom he raised
up in their place, Joshua circumcised for They were
uncircumcised. Because they were not
circumcised, they had not circumcise them along way.
Here's the thing. The parents didn't even do what
they were supposed to do with their own kids.
They knew on the eighth day, there's Moses circumcise our
kids. They were violating, what God
had said, that you're a cup of of company to myself.
You're my people, I mean, not only, they're telling them, they
can't make it, but then they're, they're, they're basically
leaving them as the Heathen Nations uncircumcised.
Wow. Now, when they had finished
circumcised all the nation, they remained in their place in the
camp until they were what healed, we're going to come back
to that. Then the Lord said to Joshua
today, I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you so
the name of that place is called gilgal to this day.
He says they stayed there till they were healed.
Now why is that important turn over to Genesis chapter 34?
In Genesis chapter 34, we pick on him an Out of another
circumcision. Now, this is before Joshua 5
which means this nation has heard this account.
Moses is the writer of the first five books.
So he would have communicated the history of the nation, he
would have recounted to them this event.
And so what happened was is that Jacob moved into a Elaine came
back moved into a land. And one of his daughters from
his wife, Leah went and to see the other daughters of the land
While She Was Out. A guy saw her, thought she was
all that and raped her. Forced himself on her and laid
with her and he thought that was so great.
He went back home to his dad and says I want that girl from my
wife. So they came over to Jacob's
house and says we want that my son wants your daughter.
Well, the two brothers were so livid that their daughter had
been violated their sister. I mean, that they met those
guys, a little private lesson. It man we will We love to give
you our sister's, not problem, but here's the problem.
Where are circumcised nation and you're not and we cannot give
our children sisters our daughters to you as a
uncircumcised Nation. So if you if you just go home
and get all your guys circumcised, Then we can't get
you know we get together people and we've developed a community
well trade. Well this guy was so smitten
with her right now. I said southern term.
He was so in awe of her even though he done it in the most
grotesque way barbaric way right that he goes back and he
convinces them. So he's telling them only on
this condition. Will the me consent to live with
us to become one people that Every male Among Us be
circumcised that they are circumcised.
He says, listen, we will not their livestock and their
property and all their animals be ours.
Only let us consent to them and they will live with us all who
went out of the gate of the city.
Listen to the father, that's his name in the Sun and every male
was circumcised, who all went out.
Look at this of the Gate of the city.
Now it was about on the third day.
What day, third day when they were in pain?
Yeah, that Jacob that two of the of Jacob's sons Simeon and Levi.
Diana's Brothers each took his sword and came upon the city
unaware and what they do, they killed every male.
Now this understand Moses sitting with the nation saying
so they had them circumsized and on about the third day they were
in so much pain, they couldn't do nothing.
You know what those two boys did those two boys went over there
and kill them they killed us. Father they killed the some with
the edge of the sword. They took their sister because
again that was party here. She's with you all you did.
Okay here she is. But you know he ain't doing it
because he's cut third day, they come To get this.
The sister, they went into his house went for Jacob.
Son Came Upon the slain looted the city because they had
defiled their City. They took their flocks, their
herds, their donkeys, and that, which was in the city and that
which was in the field, they captured and looted all their
well not out. Not only that.
They took their little ones and their wives and all that was in
their house. Now they have this story and
Joshua said we going to circumcise y'all.
Wait a minute. Why couldn't we have done that
on the other side of the Jordan? Oh, you don't want to hear this.
We're in enemy territory. Don't you know what happened?
The hamor and shechem and the minute at City.
When they, we basically become sitting ducks That's the
mentality. That they have they would have
obviously had that yet they submitted yield to it.
Here's the thing. When you get into when you start
passing into your next season, God is going to trim things on
you. Where you going to feel your
most vulnerable. Not only are you going to feel
vulnerable but you're going to be some pain associated with it.
But here's the thing, we know the first verse of chapter 5 and
you need to know, God knows the first verse Of your transition.
All that with those cops in when I preach this in that context,
starting in verse 2, it go over to Genesis, you're like, man
that really stinks. Well, let's read verse 1 of
Joshua 5, though. Joshua chapter 5 verse 1 reads
like this. Now, it came about when all the
kings of the amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west,
and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the Sea
heard, how the Lord had dried up the Waters of the Jordan before
the sons of Israel, until they Cross that their hearts melted.
And there was no spirit in them any longer because of the sons
of Israel. From God's perspective, we're
going to cut this off right now because there's really no threat
with your enemy. Oh, you don't want it.
See when we get into a season, because if we don't have the
right perspective that our enemies already defeated, when
we get in that vulnerable place, that God is like, we gonna have
to cut this off right now. That's I'm vulnerable now.
Now that hurts. Well, I mean the enemy could
then the enemy could attack. Don't you know what I've done to
the enemy? I mean, hi Amy.
Go hit you in this next season. now, when I'm dealing with you,
See, we blame the enemy for our pain when the reality is God is
trying to prune stuff off of us and he not even let the enemy
get near you and his new season in his miebs in I mean oh God
been dealing with your junk. God is dealing with you junk
stuff that doesn't need to come in.
He's like, we going to excel still more, we going to prune.
Look how do I know he go a little more, go over to just go
over to John chapter 15, John chapter 15, get your New
Covenant here. Okay.
John chapter 15 verse 1 says this way, I am the True Vine.
And my father is the vinedresser Any branch in me that does not
bear fruit. That stops Barry.
This is Amplified classic he cuts away.
Trims off, cut takes away and he cleanses them repeatedly.
Prunes every Branch. How many branches?
So that means you're not getting into another season without
getting caught. I mean your cut period, it's
better to be pruned cut then cut off.
Are you hearing me? It's better to be pruned cut,
then cut off and every branch that continues to bear fruit
that to make it bear. What?
All right, let me go back and read that and he cleanses and
repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit.
That it may bear more and Sure. And more excellent fruit.
So I would entitle this message more seasons, meaning every
season I get in, is a more seasoned.
There's just more here. Now, I'm going to get into even
more. Now, I'm just going to get into
even more. I'm gonna get into more Glory,
more strength, more power, more faith, more ability to be healed
and walking Divine Healing more. More patience.
The matter was I got more patience.
Well, I had a patient's, y'all reason I have no patience is
because you didn't bring you did let God proved something in the
season before to get you over into this one.
I got more self-control in this. I'm Tom by the fruits of the
spirit, I got more self-control in this season.
I mean, if you don't have more of the fruits of the spirit in
the next season, then that means you drugged something from your
last season. You got to let that stuff.
Get cut off. Look at verse 23.
He says, you are cleansed and pruned already.
Why? Because of the word, which I've
given you, Jesus says the teaching I have discussed with
you. So, what is the pruning agent?
It's the word. Why do people quit coming to
church? They don't get pruned.
Well, you know shit hurt when I come to church.
Sometimes it should hurt. Sometimes, it's going to be
refreshing. Why after the prunings done?
Now, it's time for growth water's coming.
Fertilizing. Is coming.
We want growth, but if we keep coming to church eventually he's
gonna like wow that was a good season.
You had a lot of good fruit but I'm transitioning into the next,
guess what? And it seems to be tight.
I just seems like, I'm just kind of this weird because you're
being pruned. Why does it seem like there's so
many challenges, right? How come I'm dealing with so
many because you're being pruned.
And thank God. You're being pruned because the
latter is not good. I said the latter is not good
and I've seen the ladder. Well, I'm not coming back,
they're not ever back and they're not going to any then if
they go to any they're actually burying religious fruit.
And that's not of God. I mean you can bear fruit
without God, the Lord says it. He says now a good tree Bears,
good fruit but a bad tree So you can bear fruit without God.
It's just bad fruit. Okay.
Verse 4, dwell in me and I'll do
well and you live in me and I'll live in you just as no Branch
can bear fruit of itself without a body in being vitally.
United to the Vaughn. Neither, can you bear fruit?
Unless you what a by? This is not a casual
relationship. Okay, this is abiding.
I am the vine. You are the branches, whoever
lives in me and I in him. What do we do bears much
abundant through. However, apart from me cut off
from vital Union with me, you can do nothing.
You can start bearing bad fruit. And call it of God, but he knows
better and honestly. So to believers So, don't kid
yourself. And how do I know that?
They're kidding themselves. Don't judge me.
I am inspecting your fruit right now and your fruit stinks
stinks. Real bad.
We need to cut that off. Because you got to limit their
this bad. We need to cut that off.
Are you trying to hurt me? I'm trying to cut that off.
Not hurt you. I'm trying to help you the words
trying to help you because your whole life, when you look back
on your life, you should say, wow.
Every season, I became more fruitful That should not be
unrealistic. That should be normal child of
the king living. Wow, there's even more fruit
here. Wow.
Now again, transitioning into that season.
Yes, tough Don't feel great. Because here's the thing, how do
I know people are struggling with this season?
Well, we've always done it that way.
I don't care. You've always done that way.
We may never be able to do it that way.
In fact, Joshua ends up saying we're going away, you've never
been before. You've been wandering out here.
Running around these mountains. We are going away.
You've never been before. So you can't come to church and
we've always done it this way in church.
I don't care. What if the Lord says in this
season. We're done with that.
What the Lord says, we're gonna rip every dang light off.
Just rip them all off, right? And we're going to paint the
backdrop blue, baby blue. Well, where's the lights?
I really enjoyed the like, I'm going with baby blue on the
Lord. I'm just, I'm gonna go with a
war where the lord, I can't explain it.
His ways are higher than our ways right now, but let's go
with it, right? I mean, at the end of the day, I
don't care how we've always done worship first.
What if we doing it last? Who says we have to sing first?
Right. But I know a person is
struggling because I like this have always done it when solve a
sudden changes about Don't bring that in.
You got to make adjustment. Well we bought may have always
done that way, but what are we doing now?
Where we going now? How are we going to do it?
I see people stuck in places. They get stuck.
And what's crazy about our particular season wherein is
this, I can majorly different season.
Yeah, it really is which means there's so many different
mentalities that have to change to get to the next one.
And it affects everyone. I don't care how long you been
here doesn't matter because we have to change all of us.
Me included. I mean I was driving here today
thinking Madam who we're going to get it because you know, this
is what I know in no season when I'm feeling, I mean, you feel
like you're walking in mud, you know what I mean?
You're just like truck. He like, oh Jesus.
You know? Let me get to that next place,
right? You want there.
But you gotta your what do I got to do?
Where we, but I'm going to be keeping my Keep moving.
Right? And I'm evaluating where we at
what we got to do. What did I do different?
How we gotta change that? What?
And I'm already putting certain things in place that I know the
Lord's like gonna do this. Did it did.
Okay, I'm working that out. But even in that, there's
transition it takes time to even get certain things going.
You're like it's coming is going to be there.
We gonna get. That is going to happen.
I have to change the mentality of get it done.
It's probably my hardest mentality to let go of.
We got to get this done. Problem is when things get
larger, I heard one. Say you can take a job boat.
Turn it on a dime, but the Titanic.
We used to do announcements two weeks before an event.
We had to change that, you know why?
Because it takes us a month, just to let the whole church
know, we're doing something because that's how long it takes
to filter through the whole congregation.
And I, when I say a month, I'm talking Wednesday, Sunday,
announcing it because not everybody shows up, there's just
so many people associated with the ministry.
You just can't do it two times on Sunday and be done.
So yours changes you're looking at stuff and I just want to get
this done. Yeah, but there's this this this
will have to develop a different mentality.
Is it still going forward? Are they giving sustained
maximum effort in it when they're on it?
Because it's not about how fast it gets done.
But all we intentional when we're on it.
Because here's the thing when you're having to turn a bigger
ship or you're having way more projects doing, you got way more
personnel. then all of a sudden, you know, you're having to say
are, are we at least maintaining maximal sustained effort Because
it may take a little longer, you would think the larger the
church, the fast you can get things done is just not true.
It's not true. Not true at all.
So I'm having a shift. I've got some people that are so
administrative, you know, they don't want to leave till the end
box but your inbox will never not be full.
So now they have to learn how to navigate with peace.
Knowing it's still there and I maintain maximum sustained
effort today, But I can walk away, why?
Cause he's really the Lord anyway and he knows I did and
you got to continue to cultivate that, then you got culture.
Because everybody comes in with their own ideas how they want to
do stuff right? Because when you've done it you
know when you're you're passionate about being holy and
righteous. You know you get a group of
says, do we relate to be that passionate?
Yeah, yeah we do. Yes, we do.
And so, you know, trying to conform 10 mindsets is one thing
trying to conform 100 mindsets. It's like, they're never going
to get it. These things that start creeping
in, they never gonna get it, they're never going to change.
This is happening, and that's happening.
They did this. And it's like multiply problems,
but yet it's still the same problem.
Just multiply people. But it's a season, why you got
to navigate? How do I handle me to move
forward while cuz I'm guaranteed this more I'm guaranteed more.
Let's finish this out and we'll close what verse was on.
Probably verse 6, if a person does not dwell in me, he is
thrown out like a broken branch and Withers, such branches are
gathered up and thrown into the fire they're burned.
If you live in me abide by idly, United to me, and my words,
remain in you, and continue to live in your hearts, ask
whatever you will, and it will be done for you when you bear
produce, right? Much fruit.
My father is what honored? And glorified.
And you show and prove yourself to be true followers of mine.
It's you bearing fruit. That proves your follower.
Not, I love Jesus and came to church.
You got to Bear the fruit. So the father gets great
pleasure at saying, let's trim this off.
So it would be more fruitful in the next season.
Let's trim this off so we could be more fruitful in the next
season. And then you produce That season
like wow, look at all that. A man is such an awesome time,
but then something else, cuz if you're going to go from Faith to
Faith, glory to glory, and here's the thing, just to let
you know, in the last of the last days, which we are in The
seasons of productivity. Can begin to compress.
How do we know this? Because they said in the last
days, the sower are the reaper will overtake the sower?
Which means there's so much fruit that you'll bypass the one
planning a seed for the next season, you got so much for your
already passing that. So we could be so full of faith
and go, we can believe for this and we could believe for that we
could believe for this and God saying to believe for that
you're like, wow, should we take a break for a minute?
No guys. Like keep going, man.
Then the curtains about to pull, man about to call everybody
home. There's too many people out
there. We've got to get the Harvest in.
You've got to do what you need to do in this last moment
because it honors him that you bear fruit.
It doesn't honor him that you cry about him, cutting you. so
again, when you're in the transition, know this,
everyone's in a transition, We all go through it together.
Do not let the devil lie to you, and act, like you're the only
one going through it because the menu take that you'll quit going
through, and you're going to be one of those dead branches.
That's laying out in the field. Just know there's nothing new
Under the Sun. It's the same thing.
God examine me deal with me. Help me become more perfected,
let who I am come out. More and more.
Because you know what? In reality we really don't think
we're as bad as we think we are. Even when we talk bad about
ourselves. Oh about yes, so it's a good
point. I'll take it.
I sensed, it was probably a good point.
I should stop and ask so when John George was with us, Pastor
John George, he gave a statistic during covid and covid.
There were two hundred sixty-five Evangelical churches
in the United States of America 265,000.
Okay and the United States, He banned jellicle Christian
churches. At the end of covid.
In 2022, two years later. There are 100 and 1000 less
churches. if those 100, 1000 less churches, because they shut
down and did not reopen, only had an average attendance of 100
people It would be 10 million. Believers who have quit
attending church in two years, just in the US.
He said, why is that significant?
Why? Because 5%, another city, he
gave us five percent of the world's population is right here
in the good old USA, But 95% of missionaries and financial
support for missionaries globally.
Come from here, which means, then if 265,000 Evangelical
churches, who were supporting mission, He's in 100 1000 of
them. Quit Then the support.
Quit the greatest export. The US of a has is not oil.
Cars are some corn chicken. It is the gospel.
And don't you think the enemy wants to stop that export?
So he doesn't want the church to prosper.
He does and he wants us to be discouraged.
He wants to get us to get lost in transition.
Because the last thing you want shoe is to get the guarantee of
a more fruit season especially a church to get them or fruit
season. Because again at the end of the
day, if not all it's one thing for again, if he's the vine and
we are the branch. What's he saying?
He's examining every brand if we are, anchor, Faith Church.
All of us are the branches of this particular church.
If we're all bearing maximize fruit.
What does that look like? But if some of us are And parts
of us are not because we're more concerned about the USA.
And living like the USA lives every day.
The American dream, the American calendar.
You don't want to hear it, okay? That's fine.
I don't live on American calendar.
I live on a god calendar so I don't wait for a holiday to
dictate what I'm doing. People at Pastor.
Christmas is on Sunday. Are you going to have service?
Duh. Yeah, well, I mean that's family
Tom, what family you win? I mean, I thought Chris was by
the birth of Jesus so you're going to stay at home under your
tree with your Commercial present, okay.
You mean you expect us to get up on?
And that's why you didn't come for as Jesus cuz you would have
stopped before the cross. Nah, I mean what better place
for me to be and again, if you had if your kids were like my
kids, they've already should have had those presents
unwrapped by 3:00 anyway, am that is so be no problem for you
to get dressed and come to church.
Now, if you don't come to church, you know, that's on you.
I'm not condemning, it's no big deal.
I'm just saying, don't let the psyche be?
It's because it's a holiday. I would not.
What do I take a holiday from God?
When does the United States? Determine when I have service?
No, that's the Lord's responsibility.
All right, what verse we ins will be in close.
We need to stop. Amen.
We were in bursts. What?
Nine. I have loved you just as the
father has loved me abide in my love.
Continue on my love, with me. If conditional statement, you
keep my Commandments, if conditional statement, you
continue to obey my instructions, you will abide in
my love and live on in it just as I have obeyed my father's And
live on in his love. Oh, Jesus.
I have told you these things that my joy and Delight may be
in you, and that your joy and gladness maybe full measure and
complete and overflowing. Praise the Lord.
Amen. You know, Jesus preached the
message, one time that he lost the crowd.
Was his message? Truth would you be of the crowd?
That would have left. I'll find out next year.
Because I am going to have to preach a message on love next
year. That is wrong.
And unfortunately, 98% of Believers believe it's true.
I've gone through the Bible too many times and I've already gone
to others above me and say, let's talk about this statement.
And no one's been able to defend it.
And they've all come to the same conclusion now.
And that's the most demonic statement in the church today.
I'm I'm saying it right now because I'm a set you up because
I want. You have ears to hear.
But I do know it runs the risk of you leaving.
At the end of the day. Because some people just love
their tradition more and they just cannot fathom that it
couldn't be that way when it's going to.
I mean, it would be obviously probably a 13-week.
That's what's so bad as I'll have to take a quarter. 13
weeks. Just to dissect it.
I can prove it so easy but its 8 time it's not a one message.
It's not a one message. but if you'll see it, if you'll grab
it, if you'll abandon your thought, The love of God will
become so awesome in your life. Your faith will be at a whole
nother level. I mean, we'll go.
We'll as a church body, we will ratchet so far.
Hmm, geez. I'm telling you right now and it
is for the end times. It is for.
We have to walk in this kind of love.
I'm telling you we have to the god kind of love literally.
But I'm not going to pretend that it isn't.
That it won't rock you. I'm not going to pretend it
won't. Hallelujah.
You do not need to be mature to know truth.
But the mature, apply the truth, they know.
Season. It's just a transition.
I know it hurts. But keep moving.
Because you're going to Bear more.
And when you bear, more dad is glorified.
He's glorified. He's glorified.
Are you hearing me?
Hallelujah. Thank you Lord.
Boy, there still things to learn in the word.
Do you believe that many? If you don't believe it, you're
going to get stuck. But I know there's still more
Revelation, more things to learn and I know how Revelation comes.
Because I was raised in a denominational church.
That only taught Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from
the dead, so that when as a substitute for your wrongdoing,
if you'll call him Lord, you will be saved.
And that was true and I acted on that in a denominational church
at nine years old and by All Rights was saved.
Now I didn't live great for God and some teenage years and
moving into my early 20, but at the end of the day, I met a
woman on a blind date and realized I better get right with
God. And we did.
And next thing, you know, I ended up at another church that
taught about the baptism of the holy spirit with evidence of
speaking in tongues, And I didn't run out of that church
saying that's of the devil because I was never taught that
it was anyway. But when he presented it to me
in two months at 5:30 in the morning before, I would go to
work because I was hungry for God, I realized.
Wow, where's this been? How?
Come a, it teach that. And then I received it now that
I have, and I know it's true, just like, I know I'm born
again. I know it's truth.
What I did is I realized I didn't abandon that.
Jesus Christ is Lord to be able to receive this truth.
It just strengthened it. Then when I went off to Bible
College, I found out about faith, faith Beyond being born
again, and being filled with the holy spirit.
That this thing could be lived out all the time.
Then I was blown in my mind that I had Authority as a believer.
But I was no longer a victim. A sorry sinner saved by grace.
But I look back and say, what did I abandon the truth of being
filled with the holy spirit that I abandoned being born again in
the Holy Ghost came and lived inside me and bore witness.
My my spirit that I was no he just kept adding then I found
out about the kingdom man. When I found out about the
kingdom, we were asking hard questions because we're like
wow, nobody's saying this, cause we start talking stuff that it's
just ways that people aren't communicating.
But I get went back. What did I abandon the authority
of the believer? Did I abandon healing?
Did I abandon being filled with the spirit?
Did I abandon that? Jesus know, all those troops
became stronger. man, when I learned about Finance, Wow.
And still learning as there's a few verses that still Jack me up
and I know I'm not living it out to its fullness yet.
I know it. But then when I found out about
the love of God and I thought I knew it and this is the problem.
I went swimming with my daughter one day because she used to swim
in school. and I said, I'm gonna go swim with you, so I jumped in
the pool with her and I took off I'm stronger than her.
I'm faster than her. I'm do more weights than her,
but she was crushing me. I mean, crushing me, I mean,
she's like and I'm like, you know, hanging on to the side and
then I'll take off and like I'm by getting beat and so I'm like
man how are you doing that? She said, where are you
breathing while you're swimming? I'm like, what?
Honey, you don't breathe when you're underwater girl, that's
called drowning. You know, she said no dead.
You'll understand when your face is under and, you know, you're
doing your stroke, supposed to excel, you know, just do it.
Like your viewer running when you just do your exhale
underwater. I never saw that watching the
sport because there's so much you know, splashing going on.
I didn't realize they were doing that.
You know what? That made a difference that
little technique and I thought I knew how to swim And
unfortunately, I've been around many Believers that God said,
let me pull you out of this season into a more seasoned but
the problem is they think they already know how to swim.
Yeah, you can get in the pool and take off.
But you gassed, you don't have the longevity, you don't have
the endurance. You have to get out of the pool
faster. You're not conditioned properly.
Yeah, you can get to the other side, not drown.
How many Believers are living that you can get to heaven
without drowning? but some of us, We choose to be
champions. And that requires discipline and
learning. There's a new way to do this,
like the guy who decided to do the high jump backwards, For
years, they just went forward and went forward.
And then all of a sudden this crazy guy went out and went
backwards and they got to new heights.
They've never just because he changed his approach.
To many believers. Are stuck in there.
Same deal and won't ask what? Lord do.
I know everything there is to know about the love of God.
Do I know everything there is to know about forgiveness because
as you're pulling me out of this season to next, is there
something I need to let go of him for me, for me.
A lot of times the Lord's like you're going to have to drop
that thought about me because there's a more clear way.
And that's what Priscilla and Aquila div with a policy.
He said, son, you've been preaching good, but let me show
you a clearer way. And I'm glad Apollo says, I'm
going to this preaching in this season.
I'm not going to preach that no more.
Amen. Thank you so much for listening
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