Today's message is called Baal Perism.
Baal Perism.
So if you want to go to 2 Samuel 5.
2 Samuel 5.
So we are breaking from the churches in Revelation.
And 2 Samuel 5.
Manoj, can I grab the water please?
Thanks.
Okay.
Let's read from verse 1 and then what I really want to look at is verse 17 onwards.
All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron.
The same story is in 1st Chronicles 14 by the way.
All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said,
We are your own flesh and blood.
In the past while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns.
And the Lord said to you, you will shepherd my people Israel and you will become their ruler.
When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron,
the king made a compact with them at Hebron before the Lord and they anointed David king over Israel.
I just want you to know that this chapter kind of is a map for us going forward.
This being the first week of June for the rest of the year.
So David was 30 years old when he became king and he reigned 40 years.
In Hebron he reigned over Judah 7 years and 6 months.
And in Jerusalem he reigned over Israel and Judah 33 years.
The king and his men marched to Jerusalem to attack the Jebusites who lived there.
The Jebusites said to David, you will not get in here.
Even the blind and lame can ward you off.
They thought David cannot get in here.
Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion, the city of David.
On that day David said anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shaft
to reach those lame and blind who are David's enemies.
That is why they say the blind and the lame will not enter the palace.
David then took up residence in the fortress and called it the city of David.
He built up the area around it from the supporting terraces inward.
And he became more and more powerful because the Lord Almighty was with him.
Now Hiram, king of Tyre, sent messengers to David along with cedar, logs and carpenters and stone masons.
And they built a palace for David.
And David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel
and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.
After he left Hebron, David took more concubines and wives in Jerusalem
and more sons and daughters were born to him.
These are the names of the children born to him there.
Shamoah, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibar, Elishua, Nefeg, Japhia, Elishema, Eliada and Elif-fileth.
When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel,
they went up in full force to search for him.
But David heard about it and went down to the stronghold.
Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the valley of Rephaim.
So David inquired of the Lord, shall I go and attack the Philistines?
Will you hand them over to me?
The Lord answered to him, go, for I will surely hand the Philistines over to you.
So David went to Baal Perizm and there he defeated them.
He said, as waters break out the Lord has broken out against my enemies before me.
So that place was called Baal Perizm.
The Philistines abandoned their idols there and David and his men carried them off.
Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the valley of Rephaim.
So David inquired of the Lord and he answered,
do not go straight up but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees.
As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees,
move quickly because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front of you,
like Don was praying when we started the service,
in front of you to strike the Philistine army.
So David did as the Lord commanded him and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.
I really think that this is a road map for the next seven months or so.
So here are some of the things we need to notice.
One, where is this happening? It's happening in Rephaim.
What is Rephaim? Rephaim is the valley of giants.
Rephaim, word giants, first appears I think in Genesis 14 or thereabouts.
Rephaim. So the scene happens in the valley of giants
and we've been talking about giants over the last week or week and a half.
And the Philistines had come and encamped in the valley of giants
and then God says, go up and wins the victory at a place called Baal Perizm.
Baal meaning master or lord and Perizm meaning breakthrough
or in other words, the master of breakthrough.
Another way to define Baal Perizm is to, Perizm means a breach that has happened
and so Baal Perizm can also be defined as possessor of the breach.
Master of breakthrough, a possessor of the breach.
That's the meaning of Baal Perizm.
It's almost, on one hand David names the place that,
but it's almost a title or a character that you can give God.
There's a word called parets,
which is used in other scriptures that we look at like in Micah 2.13 and so on.
I'll call them out later. But it basically means the breaker.
And that is something I want us to remember as we go forward today and tomorrow.
That God wants to be the breaker, the one who breaks through.
And David names it Baal Perizm and he says,
I name it Baal Perizm because God has broken through like a flood.
Breaker or parets is God who breaks through David's enemies like a violent, forceful flood,
sweeping away obstacles and resistance.
I want us to remember that he's a breaker. He breaks through.
He's the possessor of breaches. He's the one who breaches things.
Look at Micah 2.13.
Micah 2.13.
Micah 2.13
Talks about God again as the one who breaks things open.
Here's what it says,
He who opens the breach goes up before them.
This is the idea of God the breaker, God the master of breakthrough,
God the possessor of the breach, God Baal Perizm going ahead of you.
I've got a picture of the Valley of Rephaim. You want to put it up?
And you can see that it's this vast stretch where the Philistines were camped.
And then there are these small mounds that perhaps was the place where this amazing victory was won.
That was repeated again and again in scriptures as a place where God did something pretty amazing.
And so there is this valley and there are these small mounds or hills and one of them was called Mount Perizm.
And it is at this place called Mount Perizm that David sees God breakthrough in ways that surprised even him.
Because it must have been violent the way God broke through.
It almost was reminiscent of what happened in Joshua chapter 10 when the enemy was fleeing
and God caused hailstones to fall from the sky and completely vanquish the enemy.
So we don't really know the details of this battle.
But whatever happened there was swift, was violent, was forceful.
And here they were camped in the Valley of Rephaim and they had cut David off
because the only road that went through from Jerusalem to Bethlehem had to go through this valley.
And he cuts him off and that is why God, David says, but he was Baal Perizm.
As in he broke through like a flood breakthrough, swept away all resistance, all obstacles, made a way where there was no way.
One of the songs I want to sing after is Waymaker.
It should be, yeah, I wish there was another word that, Waybreaker.
Micah 2.13, he who opens the breach goes up before them.
They break through and pass the gate, going out by it.
Their king passes on before them the Lord at their head.
Guys, this scripture in Micah 2.13 is actually the basis for Matthew 11, verse 12.
This scripture in Micah 2.13 is actually the basis for Matthew 11, verse 12.
Matthew 11, verse 12 says, From the days of John the Baptist,
until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force.
The idea is this king, this God, sometimes Elijah, sometimes people that are appointed by God,
at the end of the day, either God turns up or God sets someone else up who has the ability to be the breaker.
And that since the days of John the Baptist, until now, Jesus was saying until then,
and I'm saying because scripture is perpetual, that until now,
the kingdom of God suffers violence as in it can stand the violence and the violent take it by force,
as in there's an aggression that has to come from God, by God through his people,
so that something happens here on earth that shakes the very foundations.
This is what God wants to do in this city and then after this city, in city after city.
Another scripture that I feel will affect us quite a lot is Isaiah 42,
Isaiah 42 where you see God turn up again with a zeal that is aggressive.
Isaiah 42, verse 13, Isaiah 42, verse 13,
The Lord will march out like a mighty man, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal,
with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies.
Listen to it guys, I'm not going to drum up any drama for these scriptures,
but I pray God that the Holy Spirit drums up the drama and the zeal necessary.
The Lord will march out like a mighty man, the Lord will march out like a mighty man,
like a warrior he will stir up his zeal, with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over the enemies.
I mean if you read from verse 6 onwards, look at what God is saying to us,
I the Lord have called you in righteousness, I will take hold of your hand Acts 29,
I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles.
I'm sending you to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison,
to release from dungeons those who sit in darkness.
I am the Lord that is my name, I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols.
See the former things have taken place and new things I declare,
before they spring into being I announce them to you.
I think June marks a new spring for us, a new journey, a new phase for us,
which is why one of the things we have to do is shed the old,
and one of the things we are shedding is that tenure at Pilgrim.
Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth,
you who go down to the sea and all that is in it, you islands and all who live in them,
let the desert and its towns raise their voice, let the settlements where Kedar lives rejoice,
let the people of Selah sing for joy, let them shout from the mountaintop,
let them give glory to the Lord and proclaim his praise in the islands.
The Lord will march out like a mighty man, like a warrior,
he will stir up his zeal with a shout, he will raise the battle cry and triumph over his enemies.
For a long time I have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back,
but now like a woman in childbirth I cry out, I gasp and pan,
I will lay waste to the mountains and the hills, will dry up all the vegetation,
I will turn rivers into islands and dry up the pools,
I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them,
I will turn darkness into light before them, make the rough places smooth,
these are the things I will do, I will not forsake them,
but those who trust in idols who say to images, you are our gods, and will be turned back in utter shame.
I'm praying that this will come to pass through in our lives.
What God is doing when he comes up as a breaker is almost rising to his full stature.
If you go to Isaiah 28, Isaiah 28 verse 21, Isaiah 28 verse 21,
Isaiah refers to this time when God turned up in Mount Perizom.
It seems like whatever happened at Mount Perizom,
whatever happened to have David call the place Mount Perizom must have been something else,
so much so that Isaiah years later is referring to it.
In the message it says, God will rise to his full stature raging as he did long ago on Mount Perizom.
There's something that is raging about God when he turns up as Mount Perizom.
He has his ability to smash things and stay, he has his ability to liberate things and lead.
But this is what I'm saying begins to happen from now on.
So come back quickly Dawn, otherwise you'll miss out on the action.
At least Derek is getting married.
And what we are talking about is just the outer fringes.
In Job chapter 26 verse 12 to 14, I love how Job says all these great things that you guys are talking about.
Don't think that's all that God is about. These are just the outer fringes.
He's much more than that. Job chapter 26 verse 12 to 14.
By his power he turned up the sea, by his wisdom he cut Rahab to pieces,
by his breath the skies became fair, his hands pierced the gliding serpent and you would think, oh my God, amazing God.
And then Job says, but these are but the outer fringe of his works.
How faint the whisper we hear of him. Who can understand the thunder of his power?
Whatever happened at Baal Perizom was devastating to the enemy.
It was an easy victory for David.
This is what we are entering into, starting June for however long it takes.
God is the breaker, but David has to carry out the breaking.
God is the breaker, but David carries out the breaking.
God is the breaker, God the breaker.
But David has to carry out, David has to carry out the breaking.
God is the breaker, but David has to carry out the breaking.
So who is he appearing as, starting today to Acts 29?
He's appearing to us as the possessor of the breach.
Worship team, songwriters, pastors, assistant pastors, make in position, preachers, take note.
Who is he appearing to us as from this day forward till he tells us otherwise?
Possessor of the breach or master of the breakthrough.
That's who he is appearing as. What does that mean for us?
If he's appearing to us like that, we have to take on that identity.
Our persona changes to match his.
May 2nd, when I was talking about signs and wonders, I told you the story of this couple in one of India's holiest Hindu cities called Varanasi.
And this couple, their name is Kalyan and Anandi.
They, I told you, are so ordinary.
You look at the husband and you think to yourself, why did you leave Tamil Nadu, which doesn't speak Hindi,
and go to the heart of Hinduism where they only speak Hindi when you didn't know the language?
Even today, he doesn't speak the language fluently.
Sometimes when I think of the thousands of hours and the dollars people waste on learning the language before they,
so that they can culturally assimilate, so that they can be good missionaries,
I think of people like this and I scratch my head.
And so they go to Varanasi. They went there in 2006.
And since 2006 to now, 15 years, they've planted 800 churches.
800 churches.
I want to take a page out of their book. I've met them. I'm fascinated by them.
Phoebe, you took the eraser, duster, can I have it back?
Okay. Thanks.
Thank God we have extra drummers now that Don is leaving and Evan will be on the cajon and Phoebe can still do the drumming.
So I explained this a month ago, but I'm going over it again.
Their way of dealing with the territory that is quite hostile to Christianity was
they would spend seven weeks praying or going on prayer walks or prayer bikes.
Hint, hint, mei wong.
And we can add prayer drives to it. Hint, hint, Jacob.
Okay. So they would spend the first seven weeks going out on these prayer walks.
After that, they would see miracles begin to happen amongst people or during that and after that,
they would see miracles beginning to happen amongst people.
When these miracles would happen to people, they would not then just say, okay, come to church.
They would say, hey, introduce us to your family.
And sometimes those families would be in villages that were elsewhere.
And then they would go to that village and meet the family and they would start a church in that village.
And they'd also have this person now attend a church in the city of Varanasi.
And so in the process, house churches began to grow in these villages and in these cities.
So starting today or tomorrow to July 25th for the next seven weeks,
every day let us go on prayer walks, prayer bikes, prayer drives.
Every day. Every day for the next seven weeks.
Like I said, we are drowning in teaching.
Like can you imagine dying because you got taught a lot, suffocated by teaching, teaching, suffocated.
How to be a terrible thing.
So now to output the teaching every day, all of us, and there's no way to monitor whether all of us are doing it or not.
It's completely up to us, right?
I can preach this and then not do it.
So you can do the same thing too.
So it's completely up to us.
There's no monitoring.
Oh my God, man.
You don't want to think on your grave saying, here lies Jacob who died of way too much teaching.
It's a terrible thing.
So you don't want that.
So let's go and now begin to work this out.
So he taught himself to death.
I'm thinking of all the phrases.
Yeah, I can come up with a few more.
But if I get morbid, right?
But I, no, I won't.
Yeah, so prayer walks, prayer drives, prayer bikes.
It's summer, July 25th.
Go out every day, every day.
So every morning I'll put up on our Acts 29 website what we need to pray for every morning for the next 49 days.
So it's a closed group in the sense only those that subscribe to the website can access it.
So yeah, because I'll put the, I'll send the link out every day that only people who, what do you call it when it's not public?
But it's, yeah, YouTube.
Yeah, yeah, unlisted.
Yeah.
So you'll have to access it and every day we'll tell you what to pray and a portion of scripture.
Why the portion of scripture?
Because I want to be really well versed in the word.
All of us getting really well versed in the word.
Over 49 days we'll have an idea of the 66 books.
Not huge chunks, but we'll all be reading together.
Portions that help us become who God wants us to be.
Who does he want us to be?
Possessors of breaches and masters of breakthrough.
It'll be fun, guys.
Every morning I'll have to post whatever God wants us to pray for.
And that day, either while you're driving or you're walking or you're biking or when you're driving to work, you begin to pray this.
Every day.
And on one hand you're praying this and then here are some of the other things that'll happen.
We might meet people during these 49 days and every time you meet them, find a way to provide for them or pray for them if they need provision or prayer.
Yeah?
Because miracles and signs and wonders will follow.
City is right for taking men.
We can't go on teaching anymore.
We've got to go and do now.
So I've decided last month, May 31st, I said, Father, I love teaching.
I can do this until the cows come home.
What's the point?
So I pray, God, that what happened in Varanasi, why does it always have to happen in India and Asia and Africa?
What about us?
I'm Indian.
So it's got to happen here too.
Jacob?
Is it okay if we do a multitasking?
Like, we go and pray while we're doing something?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Because we don't get borrowed by the council.
No, no, no.
So Evan's question is, can we multitask?
Like, can I go pray around the city or walk around the city?
Well, I'm going to get a burger or going to get Envy apples from T&T, but that's a very short distance.
Go to Superstore.
Go somewhere driving or walking.
And in the process, pray.
Yes, you can combine things so that you don't have to say, okay, now that I have done everything, I now need to go for another drive.
No.
Yeah.
So walk your dog.
Some of you can walk your cat and pray.
Yeah.
So, and a portion of scripture.
So this is just a really bad idea for me because this increases my workload every day.
49 days.
How dumb is that, eh?
But even I'm committing to it.
So that's the first phase.
The second phase is once we learn how to be possessors of the breach, I guarantee you God will show us how to be repairers of the breach.
That's how it always works.
It begins as, hey, let me show you how to be possessors of the breach so that you can then become repairers of the breach.
So one is to take enemy positions that aren't yours yet.
The second is to repair the gaps that the enemy has left in the cityscape.
That comes next.
That's phase two.
That's Isaiah 58 verse 6 and 7 and 12.
That's when we go back to what we said a few months ago when we said the two things that Acts 29 will focus on is one, to help the homeless,
and two, to rescue and restore women caught up in the sex trade one life at a time.
We talked about that a few months ago.
One last thing I want to make clear before I conclude and ask Jane to come up and respond with singing is I just want to give you a key here
because I will not be giving it in future.
When I put up something on YouTube for the next 40 days, I'll use F for First Nations, H for Hinduism, B for Buddhism,
W for anything that has to do with Wiccan, S for Sikhism.
So let's have that key for now.
C for Catholicism.
So those will be letters I'll use so that I don't have to necessarily highlight any category.
And we'll just begin to go down that road.
Yeah?
So I'm looking forward to this.
And tomorrow we'll continue down this road and see where we go.
So I've got to understand what it means now to pray a certain way for the next 49 days.
And let this be the beginning of all that we've learned.
Yeah?
Thank God we're done with teaching, teaching, teaching, teaching.
From now on it'll be teaching, doing, teaching, doing, teaching, doing, teaching, doing.
Yeah?
And please, as much as possible, try and do this every day and try and read the portion sent.
And pray that God will help me come up with what he wants for the next 49 days so that I'm not like one of those TV guys who has to say something every day.
Because then you end up having to say profound stuff that isn't profound.
Cool.
So Jane, you want to come and just respond to this?
Pardon?
Or one of them?
And then as you see fit.
I really appreciate what Jane does say.
It has to be on the, what's it called?
Like when you have no...
On the ball.
On the ball, yeah.