WEBVTT NOTE Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver Episode: A City within the city Publishing Date: 2026-05-03T03:04:44-07:00 Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/a-city-within-the-city/ 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:15.000 This is the budget that happened since we spoke to you, and Heidi will come and do that really quickly. 00:00:15.000 --> 00:00:19.000 So today we start a new series. It's called… 00:00:19.000 --> 00:00:21.000 Huh. 00:00:21.000 --> 00:00:25.000 Oh, but what happens if we keep going this way? 00:00:25.000 --> 00:00:28.000 Gosh, all of you will have to do this. 00:00:28.000 --> 00:00:30.000 Okay. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:32.000 Do you want to try it? 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:33.000 No? 00:00:33.000 --> 00:00:36.000 Hey, Prosper won't have a problem. 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:43.000 You've got some special skills, man. 00:00:45.000 --> 00:00:48.000 Okay, so today we start a series called 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:57.000 A City Within the City. 00:00:58.000 --> 00:01:01.000 Derek, you just got it? 00:01:01.000 --> 00:01:03.000 A City Within the City. 00:01:03.000 --> 00:01:12.000 So in every city wherever there's a church, the church is actually a city that God is constructing. 00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:18.000 And we read about it in Psalm 48. So if you want to go to Psalm 48 first, 00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:24.000 I'll read from the passion translation. 00:01:25.000 --> 00:01:27.000 Passion translation. 00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:31.000 Psalm 48. 00:01:37.000 --> 00:01:39.000 Here's what it says. 00:01:39.000 --> 00:01:46.000 There are so many reasons to describe God as wonderful. So many reasons to praise him with unlimited praise. 00:01:46.000 --> 00:01:49.000 Zion City is his home. 00:01:50.000 --> 00:01:55.000 He lives on his holy mountain, high and glorious, joy-filled and favored. 00:01:55.000 --> 00:02:02.000 Zion Mountain looms in the farthest reaches of the north, the city of our incomparable king. 00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:11.000 This is his divine abode, an impenetrable citadel, for he is known to dwell in the highest place. 00:02:11.000 --> 00:02:15.000 See how the mighty kings united to come against Zion. 00:02:15.000 --> 00:02:20.000 Yet when they saw God manifest in front of their eyes, they were stunned. 00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:23.000 Trembling, they all fled away, gripped with fear. 00:02:23.000 --> 00:02:30.000 Seized with panic, they doubled up in frightful anguish like a woman in labor, pains of childbirth. 00:02:30.000 --> 00:02:36.000 Like a hurricane blowing and breaking the invading ships, God blows upon them and breaks them to pieces. 00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:40.000 We have heard about these wonders and then we saw with our own eyes. 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:44.000 For this is the city of the commander of the angel armies. 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:47.000 The city of our God, safe and secure forever. 00:02:47.000 --> 00:02:49.000 Pause in his presence, Selah. 00:02:49.000 --> 00:02:56.000 Lord, as we worship you in your temple, we recall over and over your kindness to us and your unending love. 00:02:56.000 --> 00:03:01.000 The fame of your name echoes throughout the entire world, accompanied with praises. 00:03:01.000 --> 00:03:03.000 Your right hand is full of victory. 00:03:03.000 --> 00:03:07.000 So let the people of Zion rejoice with gladness. 00:03:07.000 --> 00:03:13.000 Let the daughters of praise leap for joy, for God will see to it that you are judged fairly. 00:03:13.000 --> 00:03:19.000 Circle Zion, count her towers, consider her walls, climb her palaces, 00:03:19.000 --> 00:03:23.000 and then go and tell the coming generation of the care and the compassion of our God. 00:03:23.000 --> 00:03:26.000 Yes, this is our God, our great God forever. 00:03:26.000 --> 00:03:32.000 He will lead us onward until the end, through all time, beyond death and into eternity. 00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:35.000 Now go to Hebrews chapter 12. 00:03:35.000 --> 00:03:39.000 Hebrews 12. 22 onwards. 00:03:39.000 --> 00:03:41.000 Hebrews 12. 00:03:47.000 --> 00:03:49.000 22 onwards. 00:03:49.000 --> 00:03:53.000 Again, reading from the Passion Translation. 00:03:54.000 --> 00:03:57.000 Hebrews 12. 22 onwards. 00:03:57.000 --> 00:04:04.000 By contrast, we have already come near to God in a totally different realm, the Zion realm. 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:09.000 For we have entered the city of the living God, which is the new Jerusalem in heaven. 00:04:09.000 --> 00:04:14.000 We have joined the festal gathering of myriads of angels in their joyous celebration. 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:21.000 And as members of the church of the firstborn, all our names have been legally registered as citizens of heaven. 00:04:21.000 --> 00:04:27.000 And we have come before God, who judges all and who lives among the spirits of the righteous, 00:04:27.000 --> 00:04:29.000 who have been made perfect in his eyes. 00:04:29.000 --> 00:04:35.000 And we have come to Jesus, who established a new covenant with his blood, sprinkled upon the mercy seed, 00:04:35.000 --> 00:04:43.000 blood that continues to speak from heaven, forgiveness, a better message than Abel's blood, the Christ from the earth, justice. 00:04:43.000 --> 00:04:51.000 So in every city where the church exists, even if the church does not know it, in every city, 00:04:51.000 --> 00:04:57.000 there is another city, which is us that God is building. 00:04:57.000 --> 00:04:59.000 There is a city within the city. 00:04:59.000 --> 00:05:03.000 That's the series we'll stay on for the next little while. 00:05:03.000 --> 00:05:08.000 So within every city, within the city of Richmond, there is a city. 00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:12.000 And every church can claim this. 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:19.000 But often we are like Jacob, who did not know that he was in the presence of God. 00:05:19.000 --> 00:05:21.000 In the same way, we are not aware. 00:05:21.000 --> 00:05:23.000 So we are to be a city. 00:05:23.000 --> 00:05:29.000 We are to be a city within this city. 00:05:29.000 --> 00:05:33.000 We are to be a city within this city. 00:05:33.000 --> 00:05:38.000 And this is why Jesus in Matthew 5.14, what does he say? 00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:42.000 You are the light of the world. 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:45.000 Can you read it, Matthew 5.14? 00:05:45.000 --> 00:05:48.000 Matthew 5.14. 00:05:51.000 --> 00:05:54.000 Matthew 5.14. 00:05:54.000 --> 00:05:56.000 Here's what it says. 00:05:56.000 --> 00:05:58.000 You are the light of the world. 00:05:58.000 --> 00:06:01.000 A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 00:06:01.000 --> 00:06:06.000 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand. 00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:08.000 And it gives light to all the house. 00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:15.000 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see you and your good works, 00:06:15.000 --> 00:06:18.000 and give glory to God your Father, who is in heaven. 00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:29.000 So we are to be a city within the city, and we are to be a city of light and of goodness. 00:06:29.000 --> 00:06:32.000 City of light and of goodness. 00:06:32.000 --> 00:06:33.000 Why? 00:06:33.000 --> 00:06:44.000 Because something has to blaze amidst darkness, sorrow, and evil. 00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:49.000 This is one of the reasons God places churches in cities. 00:06:49.000 --> 00:06:54.000 You know how many people it would have taken to save Sodom and Gomorrah? 00:06:54.000 --> 00:07:00.000 How many righteous would it have taken? 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:03.000 Ten. Five. 00:07:03.000 --> 00:07:06.000 What is it, five or ten? 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:08.000 Ten? 00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:13.000 Would it have taken ten to save Sodom and Gomorrah? 00:07:13.000 --> 00:07:17.000 Because God places churches in cities so that the city can be preserved, 00:07:17.000 --> 00:07:25.000 and the city can be made a place where things begin to once again turn around. 00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:35.000 So, Augustine actually wrote a book on the two cities, and the way he framed it is, 00:07:35.000 --> 00:07:38.000 there are two cities, in any city there are two cities. 00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:48.000 One is formed by love, and both these cities are formed by love. 00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:53.000 Only they are formed by two loves. 00:07:53.000 --> 00:08:08.000 One is the earthly love of self and the contempt of God, 00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:24.000 and the other is the heavenly love for God and the contempt of self. 00:08:24.000 --> 00:08:32.000 In every city this exists, in every city. 00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:35.000 And these two cities are constantly at war with each other. 00:08:35.000 --> 00:08:40.000 They are at war physically sometimes, they are at war philosophically, 00:08:40.000 --> 00:08:45.000 they are at war spiritually, they are at war culturally. 00:08:45.000 --> 00:08:50.000 This is our present situation too. It's always like this. 00:08:50.000 --> 00:08:53.000 Any questions before we go further? 00:08:53.000 --> 00:09:01.000 I mean, this is important to understand that in the city is a city, and you are that city. 00:09:01.000 --> 00:09:04.000 It's two different cities, two different intents. 00:09:04.000 --> 00:09:09.000 One is light and goodness, the other one is darkness and evil. 00:09:09.000 --> 00:09:14.000 And the light and goodness is supposed to change the darkness and evil. 00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:21.000 Any church that laments the condition of the city is a church that has lost its saltness. 00:09:21.000 --> 00:09:27.000 The intent of the church is, yes, it may be dark and evil, but I was part of that once, 00:09:27.000 --> 00:09:29.000 and I have been redeemed and brought into light. 00:09:29.000 --> 00:09:35.000 Therefore, it is my turn now to go and pay it forward. 00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:42.000 How we pay it forward is different, different skills, different giftings, different things that we do. 00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:45.000 The reason God has put us all together, and when you look at each other, 00:09:45.000 --> 00:09:50.000 you realize how different you are from the person sitting next to you. 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:54.000 When we come with diverse gifts, by the way, Vignesh got a job, eh? 00:09:54.000 --> 00:10:04.000 Sere still holds the record. What were you, two years? 00:10:04.000 --> 00:10:10.000 Fifteen months. That's almost two years. 00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:15.000 Thirteen months. Beat you hollow, man. 00:10:15.000 --> 00:10:20.000 James, no, James was different circumstances. 00:10:20.000 --> 00:10:27.000 It's like he didn't make the playoffs kind of thing. 00:10:27.000 --> 00:10:32.000 Those are different. James was because he couldn't work because of his visa. 00:10:32.000 --> 00:10:35.000 Otherwise, the fellow works like crazy. 00:10:35.000 --> 00:10:41.000 Yeah. So we must realize that we are a city within a city. 00:10:41.000 --> 00:10:50.000 Is there a struggle with that? Is it easy to grasp? 00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:58.000 Is it hard to receive, believe? 00:10:58.000 --> 00:11:04.000 Everyone can claim it. I mean, 00:11:04.000 --> 00:11:10.000 it's like the different parts of my body. It's one body, but each one may serve a different function. 00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:14.000 But there is a city within every city, and it is the city of God. 00:11:14.000 --> 00:11:18.000 And the city of God is where he dwells, and he dwells here. 00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:22.000 He has a government here. He knows how to run this place. There's an order to it. 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:26.000 There are resources to it. There are angelic armies. There are goals. 00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:29.000 There are things that need to be achieved. There are projects. 00:11:29.000 --> 00:11:34.000 There are things that we do for profit. He's a God who does things for profit. 00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:42.000 This is the only city or club that exists solely for the benefit of its nonmembers. 00:11:42.000 --> 00:11:50.000 This club called Christianity exists exclusively for the benefit of its nonmembers. 00:11:50.000 --> 00:12:00.000 The intent is, can we get ones who are nonmembers to become members? 00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:06.000 Does it apply to the body or to any case of individualism? 00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:08.000 Yeah. Claim it where? 00:12:08.000 --> 00:12:09.000 Individualism. 00:12:09.000 --> 00:12:15.000 Yeah. So how the city works in the larger city is when you go to work at City Hall, 00:12:15.000 --> 00:12:23.000 and she goes to work at a business, and she goes to work in a school, and he doesn't go to work. 00:12:23.000 --> 00:12:26.000 It doesn't matter that Aaron is working or not working. 00:12:26.000 --> 00:12:37.000 The moment we enter the larger city, we are now representatives of a city within the city. 00:12:37.000 --> 00:12:46.000 Do you know that when, I think it was Brutus, after murdering Caesar, Brutus escapes, 00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:53.000 and he goes to Philippi, and he hides in Philippi. 00:12:53.000 --> 00:12:59.000 And Caesar, Augustus Caesar comes to the gates of Philippi, and he begins to say to Philippi, 00:12:59.000 --> 00:13:05.000 listen, hand us Brutus, and we will spare you. 00:13:05.000 --> 00:13:09.000 Keep Brutus hidden, and we will destroy this city. 00:13:09.000 --> 00:13:13.000 And so they hand Brutus over. 00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:19.000 And Augustus also says to Philippi, you hand us Brutus, and we will reward you. 00:13:19.000 --> 00:13:24.000 And here's the reward. We will give you Roman citizenship. 00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:31.000 Brutus is handed over. Augustus gives Philippi Roman citizenship. 00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:35.000 Now remember this. Philippi is in Greece. 00:13:35.000 --> 00:13:41.000 And in the middle of Greece now is a colony that is Roman. 00:13:41.000 --> 00:13:44.000 Their architecture began to take on Roman bits. 00:13:44.000 --> 00:13:48.000 Their clothes began to take on Roman fashion. 00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:55.000 Everything about this little city in the rest of Greece began to look Roman. 00:13:55.000 --> 00:13:59.000 Now you understand why Paul, when he writes to Philippians, writes saying, 00:13:59.000 --> 00:14:04.000 do you not know that your citizenship is not here? Your citizenship is in heaven. 00:14:04.000 --> 00:14:08.000 He knew that the Philippians would get it because they now had dual citizenship. 00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:14.000 It was the most coveted passport in those days, Roman passports. 00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:22.000 And Greek don't get Roman passports, but in the middle of Greece was now a city that held Roman passports. 00:14:22.000 --> 00:14:25.000 It's the same principle. In the middle of Greece was a Roman city. 00:14:25.000 --> 00:14:30.000 In the middle of every city is a city run by God. 00:14:30.000 --> 00:14:35.000 And so what we take out of here is actually representative of a city that is within, 00:14:35.000 --> 00:14:39.000 that has been given a different citizenship, that operates by a set of different rules, 00:14:39.000 --> 00:14:45.000 that is actually a place where people can come and taste imperfect taste, 00:14:45.000 --> 00:14:49.000 but imperfect taste of the kingdom to come. 00:14:49.000 --> 00:14:53.000 Like if you were to come home and I would say, let me make you chicken korma, 00:14:53.000 --> 00:15:02.000 it would be very imperfect, but you would get a taste of chicken korma, or you will get a taste of chicken. 00:15:02.000 --> 00:15:13.000 But the point is this, that the church is supposed to be an imperfect taste of the kingdom to come. 00:15:13.000 --> 00:15:20.000 And so we can never do stuff like, oh, the church should be out there, not in here. 00:15:20.000 --> 00:15:30.000 The church should be in here and out there. If it ain't in here, it's useless out there. 00:15:30.000 --> 00:15:33.000 But in here, I mean, we need to gather like this. 00:15:33.000 --> 00:15:39.000 Gathering at Starbucks and sharing a scripture isn't church. 00:15:39.000 --> 00:15:45.000 We need to gather like this. From here, you know, even when the temple was built, you know how it was built? 00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:53.000 They would cut the stones in the quarry and then they would bring and put it together so that it would form. 00:15:53.000 --> 00:15:59.000 There's always two things to the city. We are built up here so that we can be sent out there. 00:15:59.000 --> 00:16:03.000 The worship happens here so that the city is affected. 00:16:03.000 --> 00:16:16.000 Most other religions know this. If you think that calling out to their gods five times a day does not affect people, atmosphere, rules, religion, norms, 00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:22.000 if you think it doesn't affect, then either we are foolish or they are foolish. 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:29.000 Of course it affects. 00:16:29.000 --> 00:16:37.000 Everything about Christianity is supposed to be like this and then... 00:16:37.000 --> 00:16:42.000 Nothing is supposed to be like this. 00:16:42.000 --> 00:16:44.000 Go ahead, Vinny. 00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:54.000 I was seeing a lot of people, including the government and also some individual group, whatever, like that. 00:16:54.000 --> 00:17:04.000 They think Christianity is kind of like...that is a culture and they don't really accept it. 00:17:04.000 --> 00:17:20.000 Look at the people on the media. I was feeling so sorry for the people because the temple they are achieving is already out of date. 00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:29.000 Yeah, and so now it's our responsibility, it's William's responsibility, and my responsibility, to get an accurate understanding of who Jesus is 00:17:29.000 --> 00:17:32.000 and not just preach it, but first live it. 00:17:32.000 --> 00:17:37.000 Like I said earlier, the good news and the good works have to go together. 00:17:37.000 --> 00:17:43.000 Good works actually authenticate the proclaiming of the good news. 00:17:43.000 --> 00:17:51.000 I'm amazed at what Jesus says. They shall see your good works and they shall glorify the Father. 00:17:51.000 --> 00:17:58.000 Catholicism did so well in all parts of the world because the first thing that they would do as soon as they went into any country 00:17:58.000 --> 00:18:01.000 was they would establish schools and hospitals. 00:18:01.000 --> 00:18:10.000 The government there would give them prime land, prime property that even today is at the center of the city. 00:18:10.000 --> 00:18:17.000 Once they established good works, everything would open up for them. 00:18:17.000 --> 00:18:22.000 Smart. 00:18:22.000 --> 00:18:30.000 So these two cities are constantly at war, physically, spiritually, culturally, philosophically, and this was true of Goshen too. 00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:32.000 Remember Goshen in Egypt? 00:18:32.000 --> 00:18:42.000 Little group of Israelites in a little area called Goshen in Egypt, everywhere else things are going wrong, while in Goshen things are going right. 00:18:42.000 --> 00:18:48.000 Things must be distinct here as compared to the rest of Richmond and the rest of the world. 00:18:48.000 --> 00:18:54.000 We must have a distinct identity because of the presence of God in our midst. 00:18:54.000 --> 00:19:02.000 And when that does not happen, we must do everything in our power to ready ourselves so we can access everything that Christ is. 00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:08.000 Everything that the communion is supposed to do for us should be ours and never back off from that. 00:19:08.000 --> 00:19:10.000 Let not time become your enemy. 00:19:10.000 --> 00:19:21.000 Always make time an ally, saying, but I know God is true, therefore it has to. 00:19:21.000 --> 00:19:31.000 And so in here people should come and see what it is for someone who just lost a dad or mom to be hopeful and joyful. 00:19:31.000 --> 00:19:38.000 In here someone should come and see someone who lost their job or has been without a job for 13 months and 15 months. 00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:44.000 And yet they don't look like they hate people, hate the government or hate God. 00:19:44.000 --> 00:19:58.000 Someone should come in here and see that people trust God every day for healing, getting up tomorrow and saying today might be the day because I know Jesus Christ heals. 00:19:58.000 --> 00:20:06.000 It's strange, eh? We're not talking about triumphalism here. We're talking about living God in our midst. 00:20:06.000 --> 00:20:15.000 Someone should be able to listen to, send story and say, Gosh, how do you forgive? 00:20:15.000 --> 00:20:21.000 That's what makes us distinct. 00:20:21.000 --> 00:20:26.000 This kind of a city, no human hands can build. 00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:35.000 The only one who can build a city like this is God in our midst. 00:20:35.000 --> 00:20:46.000 And he is. And those nail scarred hands are good building hands, man. 00:20:46.000 --> 00:20:50.000 That's what I hope the van will be known for. Oh, there comes that van. 00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:58.000 There are those people. Which people? Those people that are strange and different. 00:20:58.000 --> 00:21:08.000 Who are they? Don't know their names, but they're Christians. 00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:13.000 There are some distinctives that we should remember. What makes us distinct is these three things. 00:21:13.000 --> 00:21:18.000 Light is a natural result. 00:21:18.000 --> 00:21:30.000 Light is a natural result of one, the nature of Christ in us. 00:21:30.000 --> 00:21:41.000 Two, the work of the Spirit through us. 00:21:41.000 --> 00:21:51.000 Three, the nature of faith from us. 00:21:51.000 --> 00:21:54.000 Light is a natural result of these three things. 00:21:54.000 --> 00:21:57.000 The first thing is the nature of Christ in us. 00:21:57.000 --> 00:22:03.000 It says in Ephesians 3.16, and this is a beautiful prayer to pray. 00:22:03.000 --> 00:22:13.000 Ephesians 3.16 says, Oh God, I'm praying to you and I ask that you would grant me through the Holy Spirit, 00:22:13.000 --> 00:22:21.000 divine power that will strengthen my inner man out of the wealth of your glory. 00:22:21.000 --> 00:22:25.000 Rephrase, Oh God, I know you are very rich. 00:22:25.000 --> 00:22:30.000 You have such a tremendous wealth of glory as in your attributes are so splendid. 00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:38.000 So I'm asking that given that you're so glorious, could you by your Holy Spirit, 00:22:38.000 --> 00:22:45.000 strengthen my inner man with divine power? 00:22:45.000 --> 00:22:47.000 Could you please do that? 00:22:47.000 --> 00:22:51.000 And then you go to Ephesians 4.24 and it talks about the inner man. 00:22:51.000 --> 00:22:55.000 It says your inner man, everybody here who is born again, 00:22:55.000 --> 00:23:06.000 your inner man is made in the image of Christ in holiness and in righteousness. 00:23:06.000 --> 00:23:08.000 Crazy. 00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:11.000 It says your inner man as in Pawan's inner man, my inner man, 00:23:11.000 --> 00:23:20.000 Prosper's inner man, Reni's inner man is actually reformed, remade, renewed in the likeness and image of Jesus Christ. 00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:24.000 Like it was done in Eden, so it has been done again. 00:23:24.000 --> 00:23:29.000 In true righteousness and holiness. 00:23:29.000 --> 00:23:34.000 Just like Jesus formed Adam, so he reformed my inner man. 00:23:34.000 --> 00:23:42.000 Just like he made Adam in his image and likeness, he made my new spirit in his image and likeness. 00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:52.000 Just like he made Adam pure, so he has made me righteous and holy. 00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:58.000 And then he says, now that you have this, can you also ask the Holy Spirit to give you divine power to live it out? 00:23:58.000 --> 00:24:00.000 That's what he's asking in Ephesians 3.16. 00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:04.000 Now that you know Christ lives in you, now that you know you have a new spirit, 00:24:04.000 --> 00:24:10.000 can you ask the Holy Spirit to give you divine power to strengthen you so that you can live it out instead of living by the soul? 00:24:10.000 --> 00:24:16.000 So that's one set. The next one, the work of the Spirit, Isaiah 61, 1-4. 00:24:16.000 --> 00:24:19.000 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. 00:24:19.000 --> 00:24:27.000 Light is natural when we begin to let the Spirit of God work through us. 00:24:27.000 --> 00:24:35.000 Working through us, I mean, if I want to get that tambourine, I'll have to walk towards it. 00:24:35.000 --> 00:24:37.000 It doesn't matter how wonderful the Holy Spirit is. 00:24:37.000 --> 00:24:40.000 Holy Spirit, please give me that tambourine. Please give me that tambourine. Please give me that tambourine. 00:24:40.000 --> 00:24:42.000 Nothing is going to happen. 00:24:42.000 --> 00:24:47.000 One of you may take pity and bring the tambourine to me, but otherwise it requires going out. 00:24:47.000 --> 00:24:50.000 And it requires going out, and it requires risk. 00:24:50.000 --> 00:24:53.000 Isaiah 61 is impossible without risk. 00:24:53.000 --> 00:24:57.000 Isaiah 58, 6-12 is impossible without risk. 00:24:57.000 --> 00:25:01.000 Isaiah 58, 6-12 says, hey, what kind of fast do I want of you? 00:25:01.000 --> 00:25:07.000 To undo oppression, to rebuild the ruins, to be repairers of the breach in Richmond. 00:25:07.000 --> 00:25:11.000 And then the third one, the nature of faith from us. 00:25:11.000 --> 00:25:13.000 The nature of faith from us. 00:25:13.000 --> 00:25:19.000 Light cannot shine in a dark place till there is faith. 00:25:19.000 --> 00:25:26.000 Light did not shine in a dark place in Genesis 1, 1, till God spoke. 00:25:26.000 --> 00:25:30.000 And with His words, He created light in darkness. 00:25:30.000 --> 00:25:33.000 The principle is still the same. 00:25:38.000 --> 00:25:40.000 The nature of faith from us. 00:25:43.000 --> 00:25:46.000 Any questions on that before we move on? 00:25:54.000 --> 00:25:56.000 Okay. 00:26:02.000 --> 00:26:07.000 Yeah. You and I can talk about that. Yeah. We'll talk about that later. 00:26:07.000 --> 00:26:13.000 So then one of the things we need to realize is once we realize we're a city inside a city, 00:26:13.000 --> 00:26:16.000 this city is full of only three types of people. 00:26:16.000 --> 00:26:21.000 And you possess all three types. It's three types that are in you. 00:26:21.000 --> 00:26:28.000 And we take after our king. He was a prophet, he was a priest, and he was a king. 00:26:28.000 --> 00:26:32.000 Our equation or our DNA is exactly the same. 00:26:33.000 --> 00:26:39.000 In the city, our kings, priests, and prophets, and they exist in all of us because Christ exists in all of us. 00:26:39.000 --> 00:26:48.000 What does a king do? The king has the ability to let the rule, his benevolent rule, now spread into the city. 00:26:48.000 --> 00:26:58.000 Kings have the ability to counter opposing forces and powers that put people into bondage. 00:26:58.000 --> 00:27:00.000 That's what kings do. What do prophets do? 00:27:00.000 --> 00:27:05.000 Prophets begin to speak and reveal the will of God in the largest city. 00:27:05.000 --> 00:27:11.000 What else do prophets do? Prophets stand for justice and do acts that will bring justice 00:27:11.000 --> 00:27:16.000 because any prophetic without a desire for justice will always fall flat. 00:27:16.000 --> 00:27:21.000 And what do priests do? Priests intercede. They pray for people. Why? 00:27:21.000 --> 00:27:24.000 Because they can access the throne of mercy and grace. 00:27:24.000 --> 00:27:30.000 When the church begins to condemn the city instead of accessing the throne of mercy and grace for the city, 00:27:30.000 --> 00:27:35.000 the church abrogates its actual responsibility. 00:27:40.000 --> 00:27:45.000 That's one of the things that we have to enter into is how do we intercede for the city? 00:27:45.000 --> 00:27:48.000 How do we intercede for the city? 00:27:54.000 --> 00:28:00.000 No. They're all present in us. Christ is present in us. He is prophet, priest and king. 00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:07.000 And so these qualities already exist. These qualities of learning how to rule benevolently, 00:28:07.000 --> 00:28:16.000 as in discharge His rule in the city, to speak and tell people about what He's up to, 00:28:16.000 --> 00:28:23.000 to be able to intercede for people. They all exist in us because Christ exists in us. 00:28:23.000 --> 00:28:29.000 City within a city. And we'll repeat it again and again and again until it won't leave us. 00:28:31.000 --> 00:28:36.000 Go to Isaiah 62, verse 6 and 7. Isaiah 62, verse 6 and 7. 00:28:36.000 --> 00:28:46.000 Just want to start on what intercession will look like. Isaiah 62, verse 6 and 7. Isaiah 62, verse 6 and 7. 00:28:53.000 --> 00:29:03.000 On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen. All the day and all the night they shall never be silent. 00:29:03.000 --> 00:29:11.000 You who put the Lord in remembrance, take no rest and give Him no rest until He establishes Jerusalem 00:29:11.000 --> 00:29:19.000 and makes it a praise in the earth. Amazing, eh? God is literally saying, listen, I dare you, give me no rest. 00:29:19.000 --> 00:29:27.000 I post you on the walls of Richmond. Give me no rest. Start asking. Start praying. Give me no rest. 00:29:27.000 --> 00:29:31.000 Tell me silent. Night and day. 00:29:37.000 --> 00:29:43.000 Jesus interceded when He was on earth and if you check Hebrews 7.25, He's still doing that for us. 00:29:43.000 --> 00:29:55.000 So what does the word intercede mean? Two meanings to it. One, to strike against. Two, to come between and entreat or cry out. 00:29:55.000 --> 00:30:13.000 Two, to come between and entreat or cry out. That's what it means. Both words. It has two sides to it. 00:30:13.000 --> 00:30:27.000 So in a sense, intercession is engagement. On one hand, we are engaging with God first. 00:30:27.000 --> 00:30:45.000 On the other hand, we are engaging, after we engage God, we are engaging the enemy and enforcing Christ's victory. 00:30:45.000 --> 00:30:51.000 It's both. It's both. 00:30:51.000 --> 00:31:01.000 But here are some fundamentals when it comes to intercession. Please don't forget this because intercession can go completely warped 00:31:01.000 --> 00:31:11.000 and super religious and very Christian but not God. These are some fundamentals that we have to keep in mind. 00:31:11.000 --> 00:31:31.000 Please don't forget this. One, intercession, I'll just call it I, is still coming out of a unique father-son operation. 00:31:31.000 --> 00:31:45.000 It's coming out of father-son intimacies. Please don't lose this. Please don't lose this. 00:31:45.000 --> 00:31:55.000 You lose this, it'll look amazing but it'll suck and it'll stink. I've seen this in India. I've seen this in the Middle East 00:31:55.000 --> 00:32:03.000 where intercession is almost like Luke 18, knocking on the doors of an importunate judge who is unwilling to relent. 00:32:03.000 --> 00:32:13.000 That's not intercession. Lose the father-son operation that comes out of father-son intimacies and it will look amazing. 00:32:13.000 --> 00:32:21.000 It will look like books written in the old. It will look like, oh, carry on the Lord, my brother, but it will not be actual intercession. 00:32:21.000 --> 00:32:27.000 I would suggest to you that when Jesus went up the mountain to pray a whole night before he chose his disciples, 00:32:27.000 --> 00:32:33.000 he was in saying, oh God, I hope I get it right. Oh God, please make sure you pick 12. Oh God, I implore you. 00:32:33.000 --> 00:32:38.000 No, he must have been discussing. So what do you think about Judas? And the father will reply, he's going to betray you. 00:32:38.000 --> 00:32:47.000 You still want him? Yeah, I do. John, the father will say, but isn't he too young? That's exactly what I want him for, father. 00:32:47.000 --> 00:32:54.000 I want to train him. He'll last forever. He'll go to the island of Patmos. Peter, oh my God, Jesus would have told him. 00:32:54.000 --> 00:33:01.000 He puts his foot in his mouth every time he speaks. But the father says, but I know that boy. He's going to work out. 00:33:01.000 --> 00:33:07.000 These are father-son operations that come out of father-son uniquenesses. We lose that. We lose intercession. 00:33:07.000 --> 00:33:15.000 I'm emphasizing this because I know what intercession can begin to look like. How we got to break that. 00:33:15.000 --> 00:33:23.000 Anytime, anything Christian does not come out of a father-son relationship. It is no longer Christian. 00:33:29.000 --> 00:33:37.000 When Jesus talks about the importunate widow and how importunate judge and how the woman goes appealing and he says, my God, I'm tired of you. 00:33:37.000 --> 00:33:43.000 You're veering me out. I'll grant you your request. You should read the rest of the lines. It says in Luke 18, eight, Jesus says, 00:33:43.000 --> 00:33:48.000 if that is the case with an importunate judge, don't you realize that I will do it for you much more speedily. 00:33:51.000 --> 00:33:55.000 Intercession can turn into resentment against a stubborn God. 00:33:59.000 --> 00:34:05.000 Intercession does come with emotions, but the emotion should be the result of your heart bearing a burden, 00:34:05.000 --> 00:34:12.000 either for the one you're interceding or your heart bearing indignation against injustice and against the enemy. 00:34:13.000 --> 00:34:20.000 Any emotion that comes from any other place will eventually besmirch the face of God. 00:34:21.000 --> 00:34:31.000 There were times when I would return home from doing things in Vancouver and I'd get home and my mom and another lady, 00:34:31.000 --> 00:34:37.000 really both of them were very nice. My mom was definitely nice and the other lady was also nice. 00:34:37.000 --> 00:34:43.000 And I would come home and by the time I enter the corridor, I could hear loud wailing. 00:34:43.000 --> 00:34:52.000 Man, it was like someone had died and you would go open the door and it would be my mom and this lady just wailing away and crying. 00:34:52.000 --> 00:34:58.000 Sometimes for me, sometimes for Dawn, sometimes for Derek, definitely for Derek, but they would be wailing and crying. 00:34:59.000 --> 00:35:06.000 And you would think to yourself, why? And I would go and say, I mean, why is it that you have to cry so loudly? 00:35:07.000 --> 00:35:14.000 Why is it that every time you pray, you have to cry so loudly? Can't God do this without you crying? 00:35:15.000 --> 00:35:20.000 And that would always end up in an argument which I would lose. 00:35:21.000 --> 00:35:30.000 But the point is this, I'm not saying emotions should not come, but emotion should be a result of the burden or the indignation. 00:35:31.000 --> 00:35:36.000 If not, it begins to turn against God. 00:35:38.000 --> 00:35:45.000 Even when he's crying in the garden of Gethsemane, he still maintains the father-son relationship. 00:35:45.000 --> 00:35:49.000 And he says, father, not my will, but yours be done. 00:35:49.000 --> 00:36:00.000 Guys, what I'm saying here is going to be so not well received by many, but I really don't care because it is biblical and it comes from the father-son equation. 00:36:01.000 --> 00:36:08.000 We've got to bring things back to that one relationship that is critical to our existence. 00:36:12.000 --> 00:36:20.000 Everything else is religion. And you must possess a hatred for religion. 00:36:20.000 --> 00:36:29.000 Intercession is provoked by God. Like everything else that comes out of a relationship, intercession is provoked by God. 00:36:29.000 --> 00:36:33.000 It is initiated by God and it's also ended by God. 00:36:34.000 --> 00:36:39.000 Here is a guy on a mountain interceding. Hours have gone by. 00:36:39.000 --> 00:36:43.000 His servant is deciding, maybe this is not good employment, I should have done this. 00:36:43.000 --> 00:36:46.000 But he says, go up a fifth time, go up a sixth time, go up a seventh time. 00:36:46.000 --> 00:36:50.000 And the seventh time, all he sees is a fifth-sized cloud, guys. 00:36:50.000 --> 00:36:55.000 But he knows why. Why does he know? Because God is saying, enough, you've gotten what you've gotten, you can leave. 00:36:55.000 --> 00:36:58.000 And so he gets up and he doesn't wait. 00:36:58.000 --> 00:37:01.000 Here's the thing. You know how normal intercessors work? 00:37:01.000 --> 00:37:03.000 I've seen a fifth-sized cloud, I can't leave yet. 00:37:03.000 --> 00:37:05.000 Then I've seen a second cloud, I can't leave yet. 00:37:05.000 --> 00:37:07.000 And then I've seen a third cloud, I can't leave yet. 00:37:07.000 --> 00:37:09.000 And then I've seen a fourth cloud, I can't leave yet. 00:37:09.000 --> 00:37:13.000 You know how normal intercessors work? I've seen a fifth-sized cloud, I can't leave yet. 00:37:13.000 --> 00:37:15.000 That fifth-sized cloud now has to become something bigger. 00:37:15.000 --> 00:37:20.000 No, God says, you're done, leave. 00:37:20.000 --> 00:37:22.000 What does he do? He gets into a chariot. 00:37:22.000 --> 00:37:27.000 He tells Ahab to get into a chariot and he says, I hear the sound of rain, off you go. 00:37:27.000 --> 00:37:30.000 Intercession is provoked by God. Intercession is ended by God. 00:37:30.000 --> 00:37:34.000 Intercession requires God to tell you what he needs you to pray. 00:37:34.000 --> 00:37:37.000 Intercession is never based on the needs of the people. 00:37:37.000 --> 00:37:42.000 It is always based on the provocation of God, who is aware of the needs of the people. 00:37:42.000 --> 00:37:48.000 You can cry for the needs of the people, but you will be surprised at how sometimes God is not crying for the needs of the people. 00:37:48.000 --> 00:37:51.000 Because he has a completely different solution to it. 00:37:55.000 --> 00:38:00.000 It is critical in intercession that I know what God wants. 00:38:00.000 --> 00:38:04.000 I may have sympathy for him. 00:38:05.000 --> 00:38:09.000 Oh God, please Lord, with prosperity, God's responses, that boy is strong enough. 00:38:09.000 --> 00:38:13.000 I know you feel sympathy for him, but here's what I want you to do for him. 00:38:20.000 --> 00:38:22.000 Any questions? Push back. 00:38:22.000 --> 00:38:29.000 From the Bible, if you can show that it works any other way, then don't go to the Old Testament because they didn't know the Father. 00:38:30.000 --> 00:38:34.000 Show me from the New Testament how it can operate any other way than this. 00:38:45.000 --> 00:38:49.000 Gosh guys, you have no idea how we need to reshape things. 00:38:49.000 --> 00:38:53.000 If we don't, it's going to go the same way it has gone for 200 years. 00:38:59.000 --> 00:39:03.000 Here's another thing, and we'll end with this. 00:39:03.000 --> 00:39:11.000 Intercessors come in different shapes and forms and can be gifted differently. 00:39:11.000 --> 00:39:17.000 Which means then that if I am gifted a certain way, then I am gifted a certain way. 00:39:17.000 --> 00:39:21.000 This is so normal, and usually it's with the pastoral. 00:39:21.000 --> 00:39:31.000 If I'm gifted a certain way, Jacob is gifted a certain way, and he has certain emotions that come with his way of intercession. 00:39:31.000 --> 00:39:35.000 This is so normal, and usually it's with the pastoral. 00:39:35.000 --> 00:39:47.000 If I'm gifted a certain way, Jacob is gifted a certain way, and he has certain emotions that come with his way of intercession. 00:39:47.000 --> 00:40:04.000 And if he has certain habits that come with intercession, then what happens is this becomes the method that everyone now has to subscribe to. 00:40:04.000 --> 00:40:10.000 And that defeats how God wants it. 00:40:10.000 --> 00:40:19.000 Because at the end of the day, be it corporate or be it individual intercession, it's again a unique relationship between father and son and father and the corporate son. 00:40:19.000 --> 00:40:25.000 Sure, there'll be ways that I may say this is how we should do it today, but look at the different giftings of intercession. 00:40:25.000 --> 00:40:27.000 And there are biblical examples for it. 00:40:27.000 --> 00:40:30.000 One, some can do lists. 00:40:30.000 --> 00:40:32.000 Some can do lists. 00:40:32.000 --> 00:40:34.000 I'm fascinated by these people. 00:40:34.000 --> 00:40:39.000 I find it super boring to take their church directory and go through six names, praying for them. 00:40:39.000 --> 00:40:42.000 There are people that do it so brilliantly. 00:40:42.000 --> 00:40:45.000 Other examples in the Bible, Ezra. 00:40:45.000 --> 00:40:48.000 That whole book is full of lists. 00:40:48.000 --> 00:40:52.000 Either he's listing individuals or he's listing families, and he would go and pray for them. 00:40:52.000 --> 00:40:55.000 Some people are good with lists. 00:40:55.000 --> 00:40:58.000 Some people are good with lists. 00:40:58.000 --> 00:41:00.000 People who pray like this are very faithful. 00:41:00.000 --> 00:41:10.000 People who can do lists are usually super faithful, and they have done it for 30, 40 years, man. 00:41:10.000 --> 00:41:15.000 Second, some can be called to pray regularly for one person. 00:41:15.000 --> 00:41:20.000 Regularly for one person. 00:41:20.000 --> 00:41:23.000 Someone who did this in the Bible was Simeon. 00:41:23.000 --> 00:41:27.000 He kept praying for the appearance of the consolation of Israel, this Jesus. 00:41:27.000 --> 00:41:30.000 Oh God, when? One person. 00:41:30.000 --> 00:41:35.000 There are people like that who can spend years praying for one person. 00:41:35.000 --> 00:41:37.000 Not just for their salvation. 00:41:37.000 --> 00:41:40.000 After they get saved, they move on to something else. 00:41:40.000 --> 00:41:46.000 There were two ladies like this when I was not a believer who would fast and pray every Tuesday or Thursday for me. 00:41:46.000 --> 00:41:54.000 For years on end, and they would just get news that kept getting worse. 00:41:54.000 --> 00:41:58.000 You don't have to laugh, Crossbow. 00:41:58.000 --> 00:42:04.000 Until eventually, when I got saved, there were some of the first people I called. 00:42:04.000 --> 00:42:06.000 Next one. 00:42:06.000 --> 00:42:11.000 There are some people who can pray decisively in crisis. 00:42:11.000 --> 00:42:16.000 They can intervene in life and death situations. 00:42:16.000 --> 00:42:20.000 It's almost like an intervention through prayer. 00:42:20.000 --> 00:42:24.000 One of the guys who would really pray well in crisis was David. 00:42:24.000 --> 00:42:29.000 When you look at his Psalms, every third Psalm is a crisis. 00:42:29.000 --> 00:42:34.000 But he knew how to pray, man. 00:42:34.000 --> 00:42:37.000 He knew how to pray. 00:42:37.000 --> 00:42:40.000 He knew how to pray, man. 00:42:40.000 --> 00:42:43.000 He knew how to intercede when it came to crisis. 00:42:43.000 --> 00:42:46.000 These are different ways. 00:42:46.000 --> 00:42:48.000 You may have a way. It doesn't mean you get stuck there. 00:42:48.000 --> 00:42:56.000 But you need to know that we are all gifted by God to intercede certain ways and then learn other ways. 00:42:56.000 --> 00:42:59.000 Another one is... 00:42:59.000 --> 00:43:01.000 Okay. 00:43:01.000 --> 00:43:04.000 Pardon? 00:43:04.000 --> 00:43:09.000 They know what God is saying and how to intervene in the crisis. 00:43:09.000 --> 00:43:10.000 So that... 00:43:10.000 --> 00:43:14.000 Where there was death, you bring life, Lord. 00:43:14.000 --> 00:43:17.000 Where there was fear, you bring courage. 00:43:17.000 --> 00:43:21.000 When I was afraid, you were with me. 00:43:21.000 --> 00:43:23.000 And you lifted me up. 00:43:23.000 --> 00:43:27.000 You lifted me up. 00:43:27.000 --> 00:43:28.000 Yeah. 00:43:28.000 --> 00:43:33.000 I think I'll respond to you in song from now on. 00:43:33.000 --> 00:43:38.000 I should have done it years ago. 00:43:38.000 --> 00:43:51.000 Some are appointed to pray for cities and nations. 00:43:51.000 --> 00:43:57.000 One of the guys who was good at it was Daniel. 00:43:57.000 --> 00:44:04.000 And his prayer, his intercession, not only changed the situation of cities and nations then, 00:44:04.000 --> 00:44:10.000 but changed it a thousand years into the future too, which is just nuts. 00:44:10.000 --> 00:44:16.000 Intercession may be done now, but it can affect 300, 400 years from now. 00:44:16.000 --> 00:44:26.000 Just think of that, guys. 00:44:26.000 --> 00:44:42.000 Another method of intercession is when you pray for leaders, politics, or political issues like abortion, like rights, cultural issues. 00:44:42.000 --> 00:44:47.000 One of the guys who was very well known at this is William Wilberforce, 00:44:47.000 --> 00:44:57.000 who brought about the abolishment of slavery, championed education, and a restoration of moral behavior in public spaces. 00:44:57.000 --> 00:45:02.000 He was one... When you read his life story, the guy would spend hours praying. 00:45:02.000 --> 00:45:07.000 He was a politician, and one of the first things he does when he decides to go to the South is he says, 00:45:07.000 --> 00:45:10.000 I will make sure that I spend an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening. 00:45:10.000 --> 00:45:15.000 That's how he started off. 00:45:15.000 --> 00:45:20.000 Some have the ability to do this. 00:45:20.000 --> 00:45:23.000 Here's another one. Some can pray for extended family. 00:45:23.000 --> 00:45:28.000 I've met people who prayed for the extended family till everyone got saved. 00:45:28.000 --> 00:45:31.000 Everyone got saved. 00:45:31.000 --> 00:45:35.000 Not a single person left. 00:45:35.000 --> 00:45:41.000 Stubborn grandfather, raised from the dead grandmother who hadn't gotten saved, 00:45:41.000 --> 00:45:45.000 children, grandchildren, all of them saved. They just keep at it, eh? 00:45:45.000 --> 00:45:49.000 Eureka! 00:45:49.000 --> 00:45:52.000 Not waking up. 00:45:52.000 --> 00:45:54.000 Extended family. 00:45:54.000 --> 00:45:56.000 Next one. 00:45:56.000 --> 00:46:13.000 Some persist in praying for physical and emotional wounds and healing. 00:46:13.000 --> 00:46:25.000 And sometimes they can do it corporately, too, for large groups of people that are wounded. 00:46:25.000 --> 00:46:30.000 How many of you remember Jim Caruso? 00:46:30.000 --> 00:46:35.000 Many of you met him at the Young Adults Conference some years ago. 00:46:35.000 --> 00:46:38.000 He used to pastor Richmond Pentecostal at one point. 00:46:38.000 --> 00:46:41.000 So this is an amazing story. 00:46:41.000 --> 00:46:44.000 You want to hear these kind of intercessors? 00:46:44.000 --> 00:46:46.000 Jim and his wife live in Langley. 00:46:46.000 --> 00:46:54.000 They wake up in the morning, read the newspaper, and they find out that there's this horrible shooting that has happened at Tumbler Ridge. 00:46:54.000 --> 00:46:58.000 He can't bear it. He's pacing up and down, doesn't know what to do. 00:46:58.000 --> 00:47:02.000 So he decides to do the only thing that seems practical. 00:47:02.000 --> 00:47:07.000 He jumps into his car and he drives a thousand kilometers with his wife to Tumbler Ridge. 00:47:07.000 --> 00:47:10.000 What's he there for? He's there for only one simple thing. 00:47:10.000 --> 00:47:13.000 He wants to go hug somebody and comfort them. 00:47:13.000 --> 00:47:18.000 He wants to take away the wound of what has happened in Tumbler Ridge. 00:47:19.000 --> 00:47:26.000 He ends up going there, meets a reporter, talks to him, finds people, hugs them, brings comfort to them. 00:47:26.000 --> 00:47:31.000 One of his desires was that he eventually get to speak to the parents of the shooter. 00:47:31.000 --> 00:47:33.000 Eventually he gets to do that, too. 00:47:33.000 --> 00:47:36.000 The strange thing is he does it quietly, nobody knows. 00:47:36.000 --> 00:47:38.000 You know how I found out. 00:47:38.000 --> 00:47:47.000 Because when Carney delivered the State of the Union in the Parliament of our Canadian State of the Union kind of thing, 00:47:47.000 --> 00:47:51.000 he was talking about Canada and how rich the people of Canada are. 00:47:51.000 --> 00:47:59.000 And one of the things he said was, I spoke to Jim Caruso, who drove all the way from Langley to Tumbler Ridge, 00:47:59.000 --> 00:48:04.000 and all he desired was to hug somebody and comfort them after the shooting. 00:48:04.000 --> 00:48:11.000 And I'm thinking to myself, this man drives a thousand kilometers just to do that. 00:48:11.000 --> 00:48:14.000 Something immediately triggered in him. None of us thought of it. 00:48:14.000 --> 00:48:16.000 For him it was the first thought. 00:48:16.000 --> 00:48:19.000 Guys, we are gifted certain ways. 00:48:19.000 --> 00:48:22.000 We're not supposed to get stuck in the way we are gifted, 00:48:22.000 --> 00:48:28.000 because then we become specialized and Christianity hates, Jesus doesn't like specialization. 00:48:28.000 --> 00:48:34.000 But we are gifted, we choose that, and then we fan out to learn the other ways. 00:48:37.000 --> 00:48:39.000 Chris, you know Jim? 00:48:39.000 --> 00:48:40.000 Yes. 00:48:40.000 --> 00:48:41.000 Yep. 00:48:41.000 --> 00:48:43.000 Next one. 00:48:44.000 --> 00:48:47.000 Some pray for souls to be saved. 00:48:47.000 --> 00:48:49.000 Souls to be saved. 00:48:49.000 --> 00:48:54.000 And they specifically have this fervency for souls. 00:48:54.000 --> 00:49:00.000 And they can pray, sometimes they pray for the Muslim world, sometimes they pray, like Jackie Pullinger. 00:49:00.000 --> 00:49:02.000 Some of you have read a book, Chasing the Dragon. 00:49:02.000 --> 00:49:05.000 She used to weep and pray for the addicts in Hong Kong. 00:49:05.000 --> 00:49:08.000 And because of her prayer, a strange thing would happen. 00:49:08.000 --> 00:49:13.000 These would be addicts who were in triad gangs and were completely undone by heroin. 00:49:13.000 --> 00:49:15.000 And she would go pray for them. 00:49:15.000 --> 00:49:18.000 And they would, she would pray for them and lay hands on them. 00:49:18.000 --> 00:49:23.000 And addicts would begin to speak in tongues and get filled with the Holy Spirit and be delivered immediately. 00:49:29.000 --> 00:49:32.000 But the burden was for the addicts, the burden was, oh God, please. 00:49:32.000 --> 00:49:36.000 This God is more merciful than you can imagine. 00:49:38.000 --> 00:49:42.000 I hate it when I have to go plead with him, beg with him, implore him. 00:49:42.000 --> 00:49:48.000 Because there's something about it that destroys my simple son-father relationship. 00:49:48.000 --> 00:49:54.000 Because I did not have to do it with my dad, except when I wanted something he didn't want to give me because it was bad for me. 00:50:02.000 --> 00:50:03.000 Some pray for the Muslim world. 00:50:03.000 --> 00:50:07.000 Some pray for the wall in Berlin and the Iron Curtain to fall. 00:50:07.000 --> 00:50:09.000 For addicts in Hong Kong, for Iranians. 00:50:09.000 --> 00:50:11.000 Two more and we are done. 00:50:11.000 --> 00:50:12.000 Some fight. 00:50:12.000 --> 00:50:17.000 Some fight the enemy in prayer. 00:50:17.000 --> 00:50:21.000 Some fight or intercede against the enemy in prayer. 00:50:21.000 --> 00:50:30.000 And they are able to block, thwart, overcome or shut down. 00:50:30.000 --> 00:50:35.000 Demonic activity. 00:50:35.000 --> 00:50:41.000 And then the last one, some can intercede. 00:50:41.000 --> 00:50:44.000 Some intercede through worship. 00:50:44.000 --> 00:50:46.000 Some intercede through worship. 00:50:46.000 --> 00:50:50.000 Some intercede through worship. 00:50:50.000 --> 00:50:53.000 Like Miriam. 00:50:53.000 --> 00:50:57.000 How do you do that? 00:50:57.000 --> 00:51:17.000 You have this acute awareness that your dancing, your flags, your instrument playing, your kneeling, your shouts are actually more than what most people may be doing. 00:51:17.000 --> 00:51:21.000 It's beautiful when you're aware of it. 00:51:21.000 --> 00:51:26.000 Like I met drummers who can drum and they drum not for the music team. 00:51:26.000 --> 00:51:27.000 Yes, they do. 00:51:27.000 --> 00:51:29.000 But they're not drumming for the music team. 00:51:29.000 --> 00:51:32.000 They're not even drumming for the worship band or the worship congregation. 00:51:32.000 --> 00:51:39.000 They're drumming because they know that the way they drum is exactly how, at that moment, God needs to hear it. 00:51:39.000 --> 00:51:43.000 This is what David did when he started playing the harp. 00:51:43.000 --> 00:51:46.000 At the end of the day, find your groove. 00:51:46.000 --> 00:51:51.000 Once you find your groove, realize that, okay, this is where I'm gifted in intercession. 00:51:51.000 --> 00:51:55.000 But now that I'm gifted in this, let me learn the other ways too. 00:51:55.000 --> 00:52:02.000 Because if you don't learn the other ways, you get specialized and specialization is not something one should desire in the kingdom. 00:52:02.000 --> 00:52:06.000 Any questions? 00:52:06.000 --> 00:52:15.000 Any questions, guys? 00:52:15.000 --> 00:52:24.000 I can look at people in this church and I can immediately tell you some that are gifted a certain way. 00:52:24.000 --> 00:52:27.000 I know the one that I find groovy. 00:52:27.000 --> 00:52:32.000 I know it's a very old fashioned word, but Dillon understands and Mike understands. 00:52:32.000 --> 00:52:44.000 And so there are people here that I can tell you will pray a certain way and can pray strong in that track, but doesn't mean you stay in that. 00:52:44.000 --> 00:52:56.000 And when it's your track, you'll be surprised that you can spend one and a half hours doing that and not feel exhausted. 00:52:56.000 --> 00:53:01.000 Well, I'll ask me to do a list and it's like, now what do I do? 00:53:01.000 --> 00:53:06.000 Any other questions? 00:53:06.000 --> 00:53:15.000 Okay. 00:53:15.000 --> 00:53:25.000 Okay, so either Salome or Shobha can come up and end the service. 00:53:25.000 --> 00:53:50.000 If you need prayer, there'll be people here to pray with you. 00:53:50.000 --> 00:54:11.000 Lord, our heavenly Father, we thank you for the time you've given us to come in your presence. 00:54:11.000 --> 00:54:15.000 Father, we know what we are today is nothing but your grace, Lord. 00:54:15.000 --> 00:54:22.000 Father, we know when we are in your fellowship, Lord, there is joy, there is courage, there is strength, Lord. 00:54:22.000 --> 00:54:27.000 For you alone are our Redeemer and our Healer. 00:54:27.000 --> 00:54:29.000 You know in and out of us, Lord. 00:54:29.000 --> 00:54:33.000 Father, you know the desires of each one of us here, Lord. 00:54:33.000 --> 00:54:38.000 As we heard the words today, Lord, strengthen us by your words. 00:54:38.000 --> 00:54:43.000 Father, we heard that we are a city, Lord. 00:54:43.000 --> 00:54:52.000 And we have helped us to understand how important our lives are to others, Lord. 00:54:52.000 --> 00:54:59.000 Lord, give us the passion to have concern for others, to intercede for others, Lord. 00:54:59.000 --> 00:55:02.000 Intercede in the way that you want us to intercede, Lord. 00:55:02.000 --> 00:55:08.000 Father, give us a burden for those who are not knowing, Father. 00:55:08.000 --> 00:55:11.000 Give us a burden for their souls, Lord. 00:55:11.000 --> 00:55:15.000 Father, we pray for all those who are in need of our prayers, Lord. 00:55:15.000 --> 00:55:17.000 There are many who are not having jobs. 00:55:17.000 --> 00:55:23.000 There are many who are in a depressed state of mind, Lord. 00:55:23.000 --> 00:55:28.000 Lord, I pray that you intervene with each one of them, Lord. 00:55:28.000 --> 00:55:32.000 Father, help us to be living testimonies wherever we are, Lord. 00:55:32.000 --> 00:55:37.000 Lord, in whatever situation we are, Lord, help us to look upon you alone, Lord. 00:55:37.000 --> 00:55:41.000 We commit each one of us into your mighty hands, Lord. 00:55:41.000 --> 00:55:43.000 We especially pray for Pastor Jacob, Lord. 00:55:43.000 --> 00:55:47.000 As he's ministering your word, we pray that you empower him, Lord. 00:55:47.000 --> 00:55:50.000 Let each one of us be strengthened by your word, Lord. 00:55:50.000 --> 00:55:53.000 Forgive all the shortcomings in our lives. 00:55:53.000 --> 00:55:57.000 Everything we ask in the sweet and matchless name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 00:55:57.000 --> 00:56:00.000 Amen. Awesome. Thank you, guys. 00:56:00.000 --> 00:56:03.000 Bless you, Salome and Shobha. 00:56:03.000 --> 00:56:05.000 One of them will be leaving this room.