WEBVTT NOTE Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver Episode: Inbreaking-Hosting-God Publishing Date: 2023-01-08T05:00:44-08:00 Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/inbreaking-hosting-god/ 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:14.840 of God is in our midst. So the kingdom and I love going over this again and 00:00:14.840 --> 00:00:29.120 again, the kingdom of God is God-kinging amongst, God-kinging in the world. What 00:00:29.120 --> 00:00:33.240 does a king do? Think of what a king does, that's what God is doing. The 00:00:33.240 --> 00:00:38.600 kingdom of God is basically God-kinging in the world. He can do it with us, he can 00:00:38.600 --> 00:00:43.280 do it without us, but because we are co-heirs, he prefers doing it with us. 00:00:43.280 --> 00:00:54.080 Then we said, oh before that, the kingdom has always been as in it was, it is and 00:00:54.080 --> 00:01:02.880 it will be. If you read Psalm 145, you will find that the kingdom has been from 00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:07.160 everlasting to everlasting. If you read Daniel 7, 14, you will find that it's 00:01:07.160 --> 00:01:13.240 been from everlasting to everlasting. It is today because Jesus said the kingdom 00:01:13.240 --> 00:01:16.920 of God is in our midst. How can the kingdom of God be in our midst? It's in 00:01:16.920 --> 00:01:21.200 our midst because when the king is present, the kingdom is present. Let's 00:01:21.280 --> 00:01:26.640 wrap our heads around it, because it's very hard sometimes to do this. If the 00:01:26.640 --> 00:01:34.080 king is in a place, suddenly that place becomes where his rule or reign is. Just 00:01:34.080 --> 00:01:40.840 think of it that way. It's amazing how embassies are actually the territory of 00:01:40.840 --> 00:01:46.640 the nation they belong to. That's why as soon as someone runs into an embassy, you 00:01:46.640 --> 00:01:50.200 can't touch them. Doesn't matter whether you're in China, Russia, doesn't matter. As 00:01:50.200 --> 00:01:55.360 soon as you run and you're inside the embassy, that region is no longer the 00:01:55.360 --> 00:02:00.200 territory of the nation that the embassy is in. That's how the earth operates and 00:02:00.200 --> 00:02:04.880 the earth copies this from models that were first created in heaven and then 00:02:04.880 --> 00:02:13.040 counterfeits them or distorts them. That's why kings don't need visas when 00:02:13.040 --> 00:02:18.640 they fly. Even when the Iranian president flies to the US, he doesn't need to apply 00:02:18.640 --> 00:02:23.240 for a visa. You can't touch him when he comes there. You can criticize him on TV, 00:02:23.240 --> 00:02:27.800 you can try to take him out, you can do everything else in the quiet, but when he 00:02:27.800 --> 00:02:31.040 comes to speak at the United Nations, there's nothing you can do to him 00:02:31.040 --> 00:02:38.080 because where he goes, his entire nation goes with him. If this is how the earth 00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:43.520 operates, then we must understand that God is kinging continuously since Jesus 00:02:43.520 --> 00:02:48.560 came. When Jesus came, he inaugurated the kingdom. As in, I have now come. I have 00:02:48.560 --> 00:02:52.960 always had a kingdom. I've always been king, but I want you to know now the 00:02:52.960 --> 00:03:03.040 earth has this reality too. God is kinging. Wherever he is, the kingdom is. 00:03:03.040 --> 00:03:08.400 Wherever he is, he is kinging. What does kinging look like? Kinging looks like 00:03:08.400 --> 00:03:12.160 everything Jesus did in the Gospels and the work is continued by the Holy Spirit. 00:03:12.160 --> 00:03:16.580 What is kinging's main aim? Never forget this. We'll have to 00:03:16.580 --> 00:03:20.540 repeat this again and again guys just because we don't think like this. What 00:03:20.540 --> 00:03:33.500 is kinging's main aim? I will make all things new. I will set all things 00:03:33.500 --> 00:03:53.240 right. I will make all that is sad come untrue. This is what kinging plans to do. 00:03:53.240 --> 00:03:58.640 Never forget this. We forget this, we lose out on what Jesus is trying to do. 00:03:58.640 --> 00:04:03.080 Therefore, salvation is no longer, will you invite Jesus into your heart? 00:04:03.180 --> 00:04:09.100 Salvation is Jesus inviting us into the kingdom. That's what he came to do. 00:04:09.100 --> 00:04:14.980 Repent and enter the kingdom. I know we've said this over the last two weeks. 00:04:14.980 --> 00:04:21.340 This is how we learn. Truth is learned through repetition. What if we change the 00:04:21.340 --> 00:04:26.020 salvation message too? It's not if you invite Jesus into your heart, you will go 00:04:26.020 --> 00:04:29.980 to heaven. It is repent and enter the kingdom that he's inviting you 00:04:29.980 --> 00:04:33.920 into. You can only enter the kingdom through receiving the King. To 00:04:33.920 --> 00:04:38.160 receive the King is to agree to be loyal to him and to obey his commandments. 00:04:38.160 --> 00:04:43.560 Now would you like to do that? Once you do that you can start kinging with him. 00:04:43.560 --> 00:04:46.840 He can do this sovereignly but he chooses to do it with his people, with his citizens. 00:04:46.840 --> 00:04:58.280 This is what his aim is. When he put Adam and Eve on the earth, 00:04:58.740 --> 00:05:04.980 he said, I want you to be my vice regents. The moment he said in Genesis 1 26, what 00:05:04.980 --> 00:05:09.060 does he say in Genesis 1 26? It's brilliant. Listen to what he says in 00:05:09.060 --> 00:05:15.300 Genesis 1 26. Let us make them in our image and the next sentence after let us 00:05:15.300 --> 00:05:21.820 make them in our images and let us give them dominion. As in let them now extend 00:05:21.820 --> 00:05:30.480 our kingdom. It is natural for man who is made in his image to be part of the 00:05:30.480 --> 00:05:37.840 kingdom. Those sentences are together. Let us make man in our image and 00:05:37.840 --> 00:05:43.160 let us give them dominion. But dominion he didn't mean power, he didn't mean rule, 00:05:43.160 --> 00:05:47.400 he didn't mean let's annihilate a few people and let's preserve a few people. 00:05:47.400 --> 00:05:53.780 What he meant was let us now begin to steward with love as we have stewarded with love. 00:05:53.780 --> 00:06:04.140 And what is the earth trying to do? What is the world trying to do? Let us make man in our image 00:06:04.140 --> 00:06:11.580 and let us give them dominion. And so it's two kingdoms at work. That's what the world is doing. 00:06:11.580 --> 00:06:18.060 Let us make man in our image. Let us educate Ruben and Eliana in our ways. Let us change their 00:06:18.060 --> 00:06:24.580 names. Let us do what Nebuchadnezzar tried to do to 20,000 young Israelites. Let's indoctrinate 00:06:24.580 --> 00:06:34.460 them in the systems of Babylon. Let's make them forget their history. That's what is being attempted 00:06:34.460 --> 00:06:44.900 with all these kids. Through an industry that has education and entertainment and has the ability 00:06:44.900 --> 00:06:52.860 to brainwash. And then there is another kingdom which is doing exactly opposite. Let's culture 00:06:52.860 --> 00:06:59.460 them in the ways of the king. This is a constant tussle, but this is what God came to do. We must 00:06:59.460 --> 00:07:08.980 not forget this. He could do this sovereignly, but he right from Genesis wants to tend the garden 00:07:08.980 --> 00:07:16.800 with Adam. He wants to tend the garden with Adam. He could do it himself, but he wants to tend the 00:07:16.800 --> 00:07:27.900 garden with Adam because he sees us as vice regents or co-laborers. For those of us who may 00:07:27.900 --> 00:07:33.300 think this dominion stuff is dangerous stuff and there are a lot of doctrines and dominions that go 00:07:33.300 --> 00:07:39.820 crazy. This is not a good idea. Well then forget this word. Go for co-laborers. If that makes you 00:07:39.820 --> 00:07:45.100 feel a little humbler and better, so be it. Choose whichever word you want so that you're not stuck 00:07:45.100 --> 00:07:50.700 with dominion. Because I've had people who said this dominion thing is dangerous and perhaps it 00:07:50.700 --> 00:07:57.580 is. But that's not the point. The point is not dominion. The point is dominion. Look at the king 00:07:57.580 --> 00:08:12.740 we serve, man. How did he exert dominion? So one of the ways we can really begin to work with him 00:08:12.740 --> 00:08:21.860 and bring this end to pass is by moving from this idea of, or the Holy Spirit lives in us, to this 00:08:21.860 --> 00:08:38.420 idea of hosting the person of the Holy Spirit or hosting the person and the presence of the Spirit 00:08:38.420 --> 00:08:51.140 of Jesus. He is called the Spirit of Jesus in Philippians 1 19 and Acts 6, 7, Acts 16, 7. So 00:08:51.220 --> 00:08:57.260 it's not some term that I'm coming up with. What if we began to think along the lines of hosting 00:08:57.260 --> 00:09:07.820 the presence and the person of the Spirit of Jesus? What if we move to thinking hosting? 00:09:07.820 --> 00:09:25.980 What do we do? What do we do with whom we have? What do we do with whom, as in the Holy Spirit, 00:09:25.980 --> 00:09:34.900 we have? What does Jillian do with Maria? She's not a bed and breakfast place. She's not a paying 00:09:34.980 --> 00:09:44.780 guest. What does she do when you have to host someone? What do you do? Bill Johnson talks about 00:09:44.780 --> 00:09:52.780 what if we actually thought of the Holy Spirit as a dove? What if the dove was on your shoulder 00:09:52.780 --> 00:10:03.100 and it's your most treasured possession? Every step you take, you would be careful to make sure 00:10:03.180 --> 00:10:12.620 that everything with a dove is fine. You would do everything in your power to make sure that 00:10:12.620 --> 00:10:18.780 the dove stays on your shoulder. Every step you take, every breath you take would be, 00:10:18.780 --> 00:10:27.140 I've got to make sure that this precious treasure on my shoulder, this dove, is not undone in any 00:10:27.300 --> 00:10:34.980 way. Every step becomes important. That's what hosting looks like. What do we do with whom we 00:10:34.980 --> 00:10:49.180 have? How do we do this? We must learn how to host the presence, how to host the presence of God. 00:10:49.180 --> 00:10:57.460 And that means it's on one hand a privilege, on the other hand it's a responsibility, 00:10:57.460 --> 00:11:09.980 and on the third hand it's a challenge. Can you think like that though? Can you think it's a 00:11:09.980 --> 00:11:17.300 privilege? Can you think that hosting his presence is a privilege? Is it a privilege? This is why 00:11:17.300 --> 00:11:24.740 reverence is important because what happens with a lack of reverence is that we get accustomed to 00:11:24.740 --> 00:11:32.420 the Holy Spirit. He won't leave us. He's in us. We can feed him like we feed pigeons every few days 00:11:32.420 --> 00:11:38.380 and he'll be happy. He'll come fluttering, turn up for our services. There's something about 00:11:38.380 --> 00:11:46.460 reverence that changes that. It's a privilege. The older you are as a Christian, sometimes you've 00:11:46.460 --> 00:11:52.140 got a God against the blood of Jesus Christ, the Spirit of God becoming someone, something that 00:11:52.140 --> 00:11:56.860 you can take for granted. Do you know that we sometimes sin knowing that tomorrow we can go 00:11:56.860 --> 00:12:04.500 back and ask for forgiveness? It's crazy. We can sometimes sin knowing that tomorrow we can go and 00:12:04.500 --> 00:12:09.620 ask for forgiveness. So why not just go through it? Yeah, it'll take an extra hour of praying but we 00:12:09.620 --> 00:12:21.900 can get this done. It's crazy how sometimes our minds work. So it's a privilege and then it's a 00:12:21.900 --> 00:12:29.620 responsibility which means there are things that I need to do and then it's a challenge which means 00:12:29.620 --> 00:12:40.020 I will fail. Please get used to this. The difference between perfection and any pursuit of God and 00:12:40.020 --> 00:12:55.540 desire is very simple. Perfection sets a standard that you need to meet and you will try to meet it 00:12:55.540 --> 00:13:03.300 even without God. Desire is something that comes because you delight in what you want to pursue. 00:13:03.300 --> 00:13:10.580 Christians that aim for perfection will condemn themselves to a life of continuous failure. 00:13:10.580 --> 00:13:18.180 Anything you want perfection in, you will fail in because you are right back in the Old Testament. 00:13:18.180 --> 00:13:24.620 You want to make sure you never lose your temper and that every time you lose your temper you think, 00:13:24.660 --> 00:13:29.060 shucks I blew it again and then it ruins your whole day. I'll tell you why it ruins your whole day. 00:13:29.060 --> 00:13:35.820 It's not because of regret remorse about sin. It is because you blew it. When you blow it that way 00:13:35.820 --> 00:13:42.820 it's usually because you did not meet that standard that you had set for yourself. Perfection is trying 00:13:42.820 --> 00:13:49.540 to do things for God without God and he never calls us to that. How do we know that? He said 00:13:49.540 --> 00:13:53.340 throughout the Old Testament these are the standards I set for you and they were perfect 00:13:53.340 --> 00:13:57.540 standards and they could not meet it and so what did he do? He said let me make you perfect and 00:13:57.540 --> 00:14:05.220 the perfect one came and lived in me so that I would never pursue perfection again. In any area 00:14:05.220 --> 00:14:12.340 that you pursue perfection. Sometimes I think the word screwed is so perfect for occasions like this 00:14:12.340 --> 00:14:19.020 but I won't use that word because it's not the right word to use. Anyone who pursues perfection will mess up. 00:14:19.020 --> 00:14:32.220 Big time. Get used to failing and get used to getting up. Get used to having desire. That comes 00:14:32.220 --> 00:14:38.180 out of delight and if you don't have the delight go and ask the only one who can give you hunger. 00:14:38.180 --> 00:14:47.980 It's strange how babies never have to be taught that you have to be hungry. They are born hungry. 00:14:47.980 --> 00:15:03.980 And if you don't have hunger go and ask him. Any questions on that? It's a really bad idea 00:15:03.980 --> 00:15:15.380 to be perfectionist. Christians cannot be perfectionist. You didn't take everything I 00:15:15.380 --> 00:15:20.060 said in the beginning to heart right about you asking questions. Oh my lord. Okay go ahead. 00:15:20.060 --> 00:15:31.420 Oh my lord I set myself up for this. 00:15:45.380 --> 00:16:03.500 Yeah failing without aiming for perfection allows you to get up as enthusiastically. Failing when 00:16:03.500 --> 00:16:10.420 you aim for perfection destroys you. Destroys you because it is self-effort that has just caused you 00:16:10.420 --> 00:16:15.660 to fail and you can only exert self-effort so many times. But my god the Holy Spirit will pick 00:16:15.660 --> 00:16:19.300 you up again and again because it says in the scriptures a righteous man will fall seven times 00:16:19.300 --> 00:16:29.540 and every time he falls the Lord will pick him up. Seven was not a finite number. May this be the 00:16:29.540 --> 00:16:35.700 death knell of perfection in your life. Every time when you try for perfection may you have the 00:16:35.700 --> 00:16:42.020 words of Jacob haunt you. Perfectionists cannot be Christians. Christians. Christians. Christians. 00:16:42.020 --> 00:17:00.540 It is sin because we are living in the wrong covenant. Yeah we've been we've been if the 00:17:00.540 --> 00:17:06.500 covenant of death is where you want to live when we've been given a covenant of life. It is a 00:17:06.500 --> 00:17:12.940 covenant but it's the wrong covenant to live in because its intent throughout the Old Testament 00:17:12.940 --> 00:17:17.580 was let me show you what perfection looks like because I'm perfect and now that you've tried 00:17:17.580 --> 00:17:31.900 and realized that it doesn't work for you let me help you. It's a privilege it's a responsibility 00:17:31.900 --> 00:17:41.220 it's a challenge so how do we go about it. One be like Abraham. Be like Abraham where he sees these 00:17:41.220 --> 00:17:47.180 guys in Genesis 18 three of them he insists on welcoming them he persist saying please please 00:17:47.180 --> 00:17:52.380 come and have some food then he goes and runs and prepares food he prepares food and then he 00:17:52.380 --> 00:17:57.020 stands there and looks after them he doesn't eat with them he's like a waiter a servant waiting 00:17:57.020 --> 00:18:02.420 while they eat he waits upon them till they finish he waits upon them too because he knows 00:18:02.420 --> 00:18:09.340 there's more more that they'll say and he refreshes God that's what the word says that he refreshed 00:18:09.340 --> 00:18:15.860 those three he refreshes God. This is one way of learning how to host the presence of God and the 00:18:16.340 --> 00:18:26.060 do we do this? Insisting persisting one of the things that I find is now become a negative is 00:18:26.060 --> 00:18:31.380 the little books that people write to get you the five minutes of prayer that you need that is good 00:18:31.380 --> 00:18:37.300 for beginners but it should be banned for anyone who's over one year old in Christ those little 00:18:37.300 --> 00:18:53.780 things daily bread or versions of the daily bread I would call it more than pursuing it's like it's 00:18:53.780 --> 00:18:59.340 like creating cleaning up your house and saying please come and visit my house please please let 00:18:59.340 --> 00:19:05.460 me prepare some food for you it's more than that it's wanting him to stay it's wanting him to stay 00:19:05.460 --> 00:19:13.980 and you find a different thing when Jesus visits Simon the Pharisee Simon the Pharisee invites him 00:19:13.980 --> 00:19:20.540 and Jesus says of him at the end when I came in you did not wash my feet when I came in you did 00:19:20.540 --> 00:19:25.820 not give me the courtesy that you normally give Jesus invited me because you know I'm a rabbi and 00:19:25.820 --> 00:19:30.660 you wanted me here but look at this woman she's been weeping since the moment she came in she's 00:19:30.660 --> 00:19:37.380 wept and washed my feet with her tears she's taken her hair and wiped my feet with her hair but you 00:19:37.380 --> 00:19:43.300 you didn't even wash my feet you didn't give me any honor rarely does Jesus talk like that I may 00:19:43.300 --> 00:19:46.460 answer just to you that sometimes we are caught between these two there are times when we are 00:19:46.460 --> 00:19:54.140 like this but there are times when Jesus has become a regular guest what does it take to make sure 00:19:54.140 --> 00:19:59.420 that the dove is not disturbed I'm not saying the Holy Spirit is like a dove that he flies away at 00:19:59.460 --> 00:20:05.460 the least disturbance he's furious he's fiery he's strong he's not a pushover he's not some 00:20:05.460 --> 00:20:11.300 sensitive touch-me-not but what if we thought for a second of him as a dove that's on your shoulder 00:20:11.300 --> 00:20:25.500 that must not be disturbed how do we host him what will it take for me it'll take practice man it's 00:20:25.500 --> 00:20:36.820 learned it's learned hosts are who we are meant to be guys hosts are who we were meant to be and 00:20:36.820 --> 00:20:45.020 you will not come into the fullness of who you are till you both host him and manifest his presence 00:20:45.020 --> 00:20:50.420 hosts are who we were meant to be right from the bat when Adam was here on earth hosts are who we 00:20:50.420 --> 00:20:55.380 were meant to be when the Spirit of God came hosts are who we were meant to be in the temple 00:20:55.380 --> 00:21:00.660 in the wilderness hosts are who we meant to be the Ark of the Covenant hosts are who we were meant 00:21:00.660 --> 00:21:07.900 to be Israel hosts are who they were meant to be the church hosts are who we are meant to be until 00:21:07.900 --> 00:21:14.420 we decide till Jacob decides that I want to host the presence of God and both host him and manifest 00:21:14.420 --> 00:21:26.780 him not on a two-hour basis then you come into the fullness of who you are as ready ready Iris 00:21:26.780 --> 00:21:35.140 hosting someone right now hosting 24-7 you want to talk about the dove let's move from dove to the 00:21:35.140 --> 00:21:42.020 baby in their womb everything is measured what do I eat what do I drink what can I lift what I can I 00:21:42.020 --> 00:21:48.500 not lift when should I sleep how should I sleep will my husband buy me that pillow that I'm 00:21:48.500 --> 00:21:59.500 supposed to use or will Derek not sorry Derek that just came up here and all the husband said 00:21:59.500 --> 00:22:06.820 not a good idea but the point is this that everything is so measured what do I need to do 00:22:07.580 --> 00:22:15.300 to make sure I'm a host that will not allow this baby to be harmed in any which way that is a kind 00:22:15.300 --> 00:22:18.940 of I mean can you imagine if that is the kind of care that went into hosting the Holy Spirit 00:22:18.940 --> 00:22:31.420 can you imagine what that will do to your life it bothers me that it is not that important I'm 00:22:31.460 --> 00:22:45.460 talking only about myself bothers me he has entrusted you with the Holy Spirit we need 00:22:45.460 --> 00:22:52.220 to become aware of the person you wonder how Mary and Joseph felt when they had to deal with 00:22:52.220 --> 00:23:08.860 Jesus a freak them out man create place through practice guys and the strange thing is as presence 00:23:08.860 --> 00:23:14.220 becomes your lifestyle holiness becomes your nature as presence becomes your lifestyle holiness 00:23:14.220 --> 00:23:21.940 becomes your nature if presence is not lifestyle then holiness has to be something we sometimes 00:23:21.940 --> 00:23:26.940 strive for I have to keep in mind but when presence becomes your lifestyle holiness becomes 00:23:26.940 --> 00:23:35.740 your nature that's my let's for a second think that Iris and Rene were like they used to consume 00:23:35.740 --> 00:23:42.500 a bottle of wine every night okay and now it's gone the nature is completely removed why because 00:23:42.500 --> 00:23:50.860 they have to take care of someone that they are hosting when presence becomes your lifestyle 00:23:50.860 --> 00:24:02.140 holiness becomes your nature so automatic any questions guys 00:24:20.860 --> 00:24:30.780 yeah yeah and kids realize it very quickly here kids are smart enough to know this holiness thing 00:24:30.780 --> 00:24:38.860 doesn't work so then they have to fake it or hide it then we wonder why we lose them at 18 00:24:38.860 --> 00:24:50.020 presence is very hard to escape once you taste it's very hard to escape if you can introduce kids 00:24:50.180 --> 00:24:55.980 to presence oh my god you have them hooked for life looks what happened to Brandon and 00:24:55.980 --> 00:25:19.460 Jeremy can send them to the coldest place on earth if you want to yeah presence is also filled 00:25:19.460 --> 00:25:31.340 with joy guys presence is filled with joy and delight in your presence is fullness of joy 00:25:31.340 --> 00:25:46.380 Psalm 16 verse 11 so would that be a litmus test for where we are at are you a person that when 00:25:46.380 --> 00:25:52.940 people spend time with they find out that one of your characteristics is joy and delight is 00:25:52.940 --> 00:26:12.060 that what they would say of you presence carries peace presence carries peace in fact presence 00:26:12.060 --> 00:26:23.260 carries so much peace that it threatens the storm it threatens the storm you can see where 00:26:23.260 --> 00:26:29.700 Jesus was how he was man why is he sleeping in the middle of a storm because he's got presence 00:26:29.700 --> 00:26:34.580 he's got his father's presence he knows his father's presence and presence threatens the 00:26:34.580 --> 00:26:39.820 storm can you imagine that kind of a piece can you imagine walking into a room with that kind 00:26:39.820 --> 00:26:49.460 of peace and presence do you know what it'll do to a room that is chaotic we can be this none of 00:26:49.460 --> 00:26:53.980 these teachings are coming at the wrong time they're coming at the right time guys they're 00:26:53.980 --> 00:26:59.300 coming at the right time because God has a timing for things and then he supplies it and why is he 00:26:59.300 --> 00:27:04.540 supplying it it's not a wagging a finger Jacob can wag a finger but he's not wagging a finger at us 00:27:04.540 --> 00:27:12.620 his thing is this is the right time so that you can all step into this he's over the years that 00:27:12.620 --> 00:27:18.580 he spent working with us molded us into this place where these things can now happen receive 00:27:18.580 --> 00:27:23.980 it with anticipation not with oh how difficult will this be it'll be easier in our minds we 00:27:23.980 --> 00:27:33.660 think it's difficult it's easy for us you've been on the potter's wheel for years the clay is 00:27:33.660 --> 00:27:40.620 malleable now and every time you think something is difficult some addiction is difficult to get 00:27:40.620 --> 00:27:47.580 out of some habit is difficult to get out of immediately switch to the Holy Spirit because 00:27:47.580 --> 00:28:04.140 he has a power he has a power just flip to him when in trouble when in doubt when in this place 00:28:04.140 --> 00:28:11.620 where you're under pressure run to the Spirit of God run to the Spirit of God because when you run 00:28:11.620 --> 00:28:16.780 to him he'll start engaging you in conversations with God and find time pull off the side of the 00:28:16.780 --> 00:28:21.700 road find time engage in conversations with God because engaging in conversations with God always 00:28:21.700 --> 00:28:26.260 brings awe and wonder always draws you to become a much-loved child if you don't know how to 00:28:26.260 --> 00:28:33.460 converse stick with it stick with it stick with it conversations will start if you wait you've 00:28:33.460 --> 00:28:38.700 sat before besides awkward people in the airplane and they'll stick with it they'll keep talking 00:28:38.700 --> 00:28:42.580 they'll keep talking you wanted to shut up they won't they'll keep talking and eventually what 00:28:42.580 --> 00:29:00.060 happens you begin to talk to them and then you have a conversation you know all this I'm just 00:29:00.060 --> 00:29:06.460 repeating what you already know presence requires feeling presence requires feeling don't shy away 00:29:06.460 --> 00:29:22.820 from it presence requires feelings presence requires feelings I'm sure I told you this that I stayed 00:29:22.820 --> 00:29:31.740 at a hotel called feeling hotel in Taiwan no said at a hotel called feeling hotel in Taiwan there 00:29:31.740 --> 00:29:37.580 was a big notice in the parking lot saying this parking lot for feeling guests only non feeling 00:29:37.580 --> 00:29:45.660 guests will be prosecuted so still remember that presence requires feelings a presence 00:29:45.660 --> 00:30:01.140 requires feelings so God is God is so desires to see Paul cry under the Christmas tree he Jesus 00:30:01.620 --> 00:30:07.340 used to cry quite regularly have feelings man let worship open your feelings sometimes let time 00:30:07.340 --> 00:30:12.500 spent with God open your feelings feelings must be felt if you don't have feelings ask God to 00:30:12.500 --> 00:30:24.140 restore feelings ask God to restore feelings Derek ask God to restore feelings yeah Don you 00:30:24.140 --> 00:30:32.460 don't need to ask at all that's not anything you need to do so okay which one of you was adopted 00:30:32.460 --> 00:30:48.340 man feelings that yeah presence requires words presence requires words make visible the voice 00:30:48.340 --> 00:30:54.040 of the Spirit make visible the voice of the Spirit majesty requires proclamation majesty 00:30:54.040 --> 00:30:59.580 requires proclamation you cannot be in the presence of majesty without going whoa if that 00:30:59.580 --> 00:31:08.180 is the only sound that comes out keep saying whoa but not woe woa h like whoa however it sounds when 00:31:08.180 --> 00:31:17.300 you say it but make sure that presence has words please like Paul was saying we got to get rid of 00:31:17.300 --> 00:31:25.300 the stiff upper lip a you can't have it presence requires words and so it doesn't matter I don't 00:31:25.300 --> 00:31:30.500 care which country you come from I don't care what your demeanor is and how you're soft-spoken 00:31:30.500 --> 00:31:34.780 get over it it doesn't help the kingdom it isn't help us doesn't have the body it doesn't have the 00:31:34.780 --> 00:31:43.980 church so why you're still sticking onto it simple get rid of it guys we've been around we've been 00:31:43.980 --> 00:31:55.940 with each other too long now to tolerate some of your idiosyncrasies if you knew this applies 00:31:55.940 --> 00:31:59.820 to you also just in case I wasn't you thought I wasn't talking about you and break 00:32:14.980 --> 00:32:25.940 let me end with this wherever you go the Spirit of God who you host 00:32:29.940 --> 00:32:34.380 is looking for people he can encounter 00:32:44.360 --> 00:32:51.900 love that wherever you go these are the things where can you be conscious of this 00:32:51.900 --> 00:32:58.140 can you be conscious of it wherever you go the Spirit of God is looking for people you 00:32:58.140 --> 00:33:03.740 can encounter he can and looking for people he can encounter sorry not t are you not you 00:33:03.740 --> 00:33:10.120 he can encounter through you wherever you go with the Spirit of God who you host is 00:33:10.120 --> 00:33:12.160 is looking for people he can encounter. 00:33:12.160 --> 00:33:14.540 Wherever you go, the Spirit of God, 00:33:14.540 --> 00:33:17.160 who you host is looking for people he can encounter. 00:33:17.160 --> 00:33:19.680 One last time, wherever you go, the Spirit of God, 00:33:19.680 --> 00:33:22.480 who you host is looking for people he can encounter. 00:33:27.480 --> 00:33:28.440 Be aware of it. 00:33:30.880 --> 00:33:31.780 Be aware of it. 00:33:37.440 --> 00:33:38.460 Here's another line, eh? 00:33:38.460 --> 00:33:43.460 Can you turn his affections, 00:33:46.900 --> 00:33:49.980 can you turn his affections towards them? 00:33:54.540 --> 00:33:57.040 Can you turn his affections towards them? 00:33:58.100 --> 00:33:59.020 Put it together. 00:33:59.020 --> 00:34:00.500 Wherever you go, the Spirit of God, 00:34:00.500 --> 00:34:03.700 who you host is looking for people he can encounter. 00:34:03.700 --> 00:34:05.980 Can you turn his affections towards them? 00:34:05.980 --> 00:34:06.820 It'll look different. 00:34:06.820 --> 00:34:08.620 This is how God kings. 00:34:08.620 --> 00:34:10.820 This is how God kings. 00:34:10.820 --> 00:34:13.100 Beautifully, wherever you go, the Spirit of God, 00:34:13.100 --> 00:34:15.620 who you host is looking for people he can encounter. 00:34:15.620 --> 00:34:18.180 Can you turn his affections towards them? 00:34:18.180 --> 00:34:21.260 This is why God needs people with skin on them. 00:34:21.260 --> 00:34:23.500 I mean, you can't tell a child who's afraid at night 00:34:23.500 --> 00:34:25.140 saying, God will take care of you. 00:34:25.140 --> 00:34:27.060 Doesn't help the child much. 00:34:27.060 --> 00:34:29.060 The child wants someone with flesh on them. 00:34:30.460 --> 00:34:32.860 That's why he provided parents so that, 00:34:32.860 --> 00:34:34.980 otherwise he could send a child to the hospital, 00:34:35.260 --> 00:34:37.900 otherwise he could send a loud voice saying, I am here. 00:34:37.900 --> 00:34:39.500 I will never leave you nor forsake you. 00:34:39.500 --> 00:34:41.580 Doesn't help the child at all. 00:34:41.580 --> 00:34:43.980 You want someone with flesh on them. 00:34:43.980 --> 00:34:46.340 Man, to go and say, oh, it's okay, 00:34:46.340 --> 00:34:47.780 oh, it's okay little Mikey. 00:34:48.940 --> 00:34:49.780 Sorry. 00:34:49.780 --> 00:34:50.620 I'm sorry. 00:34:50.620 --> 00:34:51.460 I'm sorry. 00:34:51.460 --> 00:34:52.300 I'm sorry. 00:34:52.300 --> 00:34:55.780 You know how long I spent doing my hair this morning? 00:34:55.780 --> 00:34:56.620 Sorry, Mike. 00:34:59.660 --> 00:35:01.460 Sorry, my bad. 00:35:02.740 --> 00:35:04.580 I just didn't think it would go that. 00:35:05.500 --> 00:35:06.340 Yeah. 00:35:06.340 --> 00:35:07.540 It's not going that way. 00:35:07.540 --> 00:35:08.380 Okay, sorry. 00:35:08.380 --> 00:35:09.220 Yeah. 00:35:11.340 --> 00:35:15.980 So, little Mikey needs someone who can be there. 00:35:15.980 --> 00:35:18.060 And that's what God is trying to do here. 00:35:18.060 --> 00:35:19.100 Wherever you go. 00:35:19.100 --> 00:35:20.580 Only my mother would try to help me. 00:35:20.580 --> 00:35:21.420 Yeah. 00:35:25.060 --> 00:35:26.380 Okay, moving on from Mike, 00:35:26.380 --> 00:35:28.460 we'll move on to someone else. 00:35:28.460 --> 00:35:29.300 Yeah. 00:35:29.300 --> 00:35:30.980 Wherever you, 00:35:30.980 --> 00:35:31.820 sorry. 00:35:31.820 --> 00:35:33.820 Can you put the word direct? 00:35:35.180 --> 00:35:38.180 Can you turn his affection, 00:35:38.180 --> 00:35:39.020 can you direct? 00:35:39.020 --> 00:35:40.860 Can you turn his affection? 00:35:40.860 --> 00:35:41.700 Sure. 00:35:41.700 --> 00:35:43.340 Can you direct his affection towards, 00:35:43.340 --> 00:35:45.140 no, can you turn thumbs better? 00:35:45.140 --> 00:35:50.140 Can you turn his affection towards him? 00:35:50.140 --> 00:35:51.460 Yeah. 00:35:51.460 --> 00:35:53.180 So, wherever you go, 00:35:53.180 --> 00:35:54.020 the spirit of God, 00:35:54.020 --> 00:35:56.580 who you host is looking for people he can encounter. 00:35:56.580 --> 00:35:58.060 And once he encounters them, 00:35:58.060 --> 00:36:00.380 can you turn his affection towards them? 00:36:00.380 --> 00:36:01.380 His affection. 00:36:01.380 --> 00:36:03.580 And he's going to turn his affection towards you. 00:36:03.740 --> 00:36:04.900 His affection. 00:36:04.900 --> 00:36:07.660 And his affection then will have to be heard. 00:36:07.660 --> 00:36:10.180 What do you want me to do for Mike? 00:36:10.180 --> 00:36:11.620 What is it that he requires? 00:36:12.620 --> 00:36:13.940 Maybe it's his knee. 00:36:15.100 --> 00:36:17.740 Maybe it's some money. 00:36:19.820 --> 00:36:22.660 Maybe, I'm not going to try it again. 00:36:22.660 --> 00:36:23.900 Maybe it's just to... 00:36:26.900 --> 00:36:27.740 No. 00:36:27.740 --> 00:36:28.580 No. 00:36:28.580 --> 00:36:29.420 No. 00:36:29.420 --> 00:36:30.260 No. 00:36:30.260 --> 00:36:31.620 But at the end of the day, 00:36:33.580 --> 00:36:35.780 we are going to have to turn our affection. 00:36:35.780 --> 00:36:36.620 Mike, come on. 00:36:36.620 --> 00:36:37.460 Come on. 00:36:37.460 --> 00:36:38.300 Come on. 00:36:38.300 --> 00:36:39.140 Come on. 00:36:39.140 --> 00:36:39.980 Come on. 00:36:39.980 --> 00:36:40.820 Come on. 00:36:40.820 --> 00:36:41.660 Come on. 00:36:41.660 --> 00:36:42.500 Come on. 00:36:44.780 --> 00:36:45.620 Oh, my Lord. 00:36:47.820 --> 00:36:49.060 Mike, don't leave. 00:36:50.460 --> 00:36:51.300 Yeah. 00:36:53.580 --> 00:36:55.940 But we need to turn our affection. 00:36:55.940 --> 00:36:57.740 The one day Karen doesn't come, 00:36:57.740 --> 00:36:59.420 this happens to you, eh? 00:36:59.420 --> 00:37:01.220 We need to turn our affection, guys. 00:37:01.220 --> 00:37:02.980 This is so critical, eh? 00:37:02.980 --> 00:37:16.100 this. Yeah. This is so critical guys. Any questions, any thoughts on this? Can you turn 00:37:16.100 --> 00:37:22.500 his affection towards him? I know direct fits, but can you turn, it's almost like God saying, 00:37:22.500 --> 00:37:28.780 hey Jacob, just, it's not even, it's not even look forward. It's like, Jacob, can you see 00:37:28.940 --> 00:37:33.540 what I see? It's almost like drawing you towards someone. Can you turn your affection towards 00:37:33.540 --> 00:37:43.020 them? No, it's a sense of God saying, hey Jacob, I want you to see as I see. Did you 00:37:43.020 --> 00:37:48.620 see what I saw just now? Can you do what I'm thinking? It's this engagement process. Hey, 00:37:48.620 --> 00:37:55.420 it's a conversation. It's not just a command. Everything about God is so relational that 00:37:55.420 --> 00:38:00.420 the fun of it is in the relationship, not in the command. The Old Testament is full 00:38:00.420 --> 00:38:06.860 of commands. Jesus came to establish a relationship through which the nature of God can be expressed. 00:38:06.860 --> 00:38:11.080 Then it becomes, yes, so in the end it becomes a command, but it is so much more fun when 00:38:11.080 --> 00:38:14.820 he's trying to say, and you then ask, what do you mean? What are you seeing? And then 00:38:14.820 --> 00:38:21.580 you don't see it and then you realize it's a process. It's in the conversation that you 00:38:21.580 --> 00:38:44.300 get to know God better. Yeah. Yeah, and he had to totally just do it. And when they couldn't 00:38:45.300 --> 00:38:56.100 it. But we don't realize this, guys, how badly God enjoys conversation. This is part of the 00:38:56.100 --> 00:39:04.220 reason why he's so not interested in giving you answers. He is not interested in giving 00:39:04.220 --> 00:39:10.980 you answers. He's interested in engaging you in a conversation to arrive at the answer. 00:39:10.980 --> 00:39:15.780 That's the nature of God. What do you think was happening in the cool of the evening? 00:39:15.780 --> 00:39:19.540 Why can't God just turn up at the oaks of Mamre and say to Abraham, Abraham, I just 00:39:19.540 --> 00:39:23.860 want to tell you I'm going to destroy Sodom. Just came to tell you that and see you later. 00:39:23.860 --> 00:39:27.700 No, it's this long process, man, where now the guy has to go get a fatted calf. You've 00:39:27.700 --> 00:39:33.940 got to cook it. I believe it takes time to cook a whole calf and then you've got to get 00:39:33.940 --> 00:39:38.660 cookies and biscuits and all that stuff. And they're waiting there. And then that's not 00:39:38.660 --> 00:39:43.460 done yet. And then there's a promise given to him in Genesis 18. It goes on for so long. 00:39:43.460 --> 00:39:46.820 But in the process, what do we get to know? What do we get to know? We are the readers 00:39:46.820 --> 00:39:51.460 now. Abraham doesn't know what is happening. But now we get to know the nature of God, 00:39:51.460 --> 00:40:00.780 how he behaves. Shall I hide from Abraham? It's so rich, man. This thing that God has 00:40:00.780 --> 00:40:05.340 given us called a relationship. It is so rich. You know why it is so rich? Because there's 00:40:05.340 --> 00:40:13.620 no end to it. All riches on earth have an end. You can put only so many zeros behind 00:40:13.620 --> 00:40:21.820 a figure. This thing is endless, man. And it'll continue into eternity. If you think 00:40:21.820 --> 00:40:30.540 what you taste now is good, what does that even look like? And your kids have such an 00:40:30.620 --> 00:40:38.900 advantage because they miss out all those miserable years we had. I mean, today I was 00:40:38.900 --> 00:40:42.980 watching as one kid after the other came up with those whatever you call them thingies 00:40:42.980 --> 00:40:47.940 and doing their own thing, finding their own location and position. The worship team was 00:40:47.940 --> 00:40:56.140 not important at all. And I looked at it in a marvel saying, Father, what a privilege these 00:40:56.140 --> 00:41:16.780 kids have. Can you see him moving on others? Can you see him moving on others? Can you 00:41:16.780 --> 00:41:22.620 see the Holy Spirit moving on others? Can you spot the woman with the issue of blood 00:41:22.740 --> 00:41:30.900 in a crowd? Can you see the lame man at the beautiful gate having faith to be healed? 00:41:30.900 --> 00:41:35.700 Can you in a room like this suddenly go up to someone and know that the Spirit of God 00:41:35.700 --> 00:41:42.700 has Brecht's heart and that this is the right time to speak a prophetic word into his heart? 00:41:42.700 --> 00:41:53.740 And the Father wants to say to you that as you grow older, you will have the characteristics 00:41:53.740 --> 00:42:03.460 of Aslan. You're a cub now. At times you recognize your strength. At times you realize your strength. 00:42:03.460 --> 00:42:09.460 But times between recognizing your strength and then going back into the natural Brecht 00:42:09.460 --> 00:42:17.460 are long. So you get a taste of him occasionally and then you go back into Brecht. What I made 00:42:17.460 --> 00:42:24.540 you for was to behave like Aslan, to be fierce, to know how to handle weapons with both hands. 00:42:24.540 --> 00:42:36.420 So Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, I pray two things for this man. That when he gets up, 00:42:36.420 --> 00:42:43.380 when he gets up Father, that he would shake his head like a lion that shakes its mane. 00:42:43.380 --> 00:42:52.580 That when you rouse him up and the time is coming, even this week Father, when you rouse him up and 00:42:52.580 --> 00:42:57.140 he gets up, Brecht will suddenly find himself looking in the mirror and he'll see the lion. 00:42:57.140 --> 00:43:09.020 I pray Father, a fierce passion for Aslan. A fierce passion for Aslan. Let it rise up Father. 00:43:09.020 --> 00:43:18.060 Let it rise up Father. This is what I ask for him, Aba, and I know you'll complete the picture over 00:43:18.060 --> 00:43:27.020 the next two days. I thank you for it in Jesus name. Amen. So Father, I just lay hands on him 00:43:27.020 --> 00:43:34.180 right now. I lay hands on him right now. I pray this into his heart Aba. I stir his heart up Aba. 00:43:34.260 --> 00:43:56.580 I stir his heart up. Brave heart. Commander of men. Fierce battles. They call your name. 00:43:56.580 --> 00:44:10.220 They call your name. Give him the roar of the lion Father within him. Let everything else fall. 00:44:10.220 --> 00:44:22.380 Nothing left but that. So I thank you for this man Aba. We bless him. We bless him in Jesus name. 00:44:22.380 --> 00:44:30.780 Can you see him moving on others guys? Because if you can see God moving on someone, you can 00:44:30.780 --> 00:44:36.500 immediately hone in and direct the affections of the Holy Spirit on the person. Can you see him 00:44:36.500 --> 00:44:44.340 moving on others? These are the things that all of us are called to do. To watch for it. Doesn't matter 00:44:44.340 --> 00:44:50.180 whether it's in a church setting like this or in Wally or in an aircraft and sometimes it'll be 00:44:50.180 --> 00:44:55.500 awkward. Sometimes it'll be risky. Sometimes it'll be inconvenient. But isn't that why we were born? 00:44:55.500 --> 00:45:08.540 To serve, to exist for his service. When presence becomes your greatest treasure and you learn to 00:45:08.540 --> 00:45:15.020 protect it, right? So it's not just that. See I'm almost done guys. Give me about five minutes. 00:45:15.020 --> 00:45:23.780 Presence gives you presence. If presence becomes your greatest treasure, becomes your greatest 00:45:23.780 --> 00:45:42.420 treasure, you will protect it. So the question is, is presence my greatest treasure? Yesterday we were 00:45:42.420 --> 00:45:47.460 coming back from LA and Maria had come to LA and I had given her the cars, the keys to my car and 00:45:47.460 --> 00:45:52.460 the token to get out of the parking lot. And I'm thinking to myself, she's not a Canadian citizen. 00:45:52.460 --> 00:45:56.100 What if they don't allow her in? I was not concerned about her. I was concerned about getting the keys 00:45:56.100 --> 00:46:01.460 to my car because that was my greatest treasure, not her. And I found myself praying saying, 00:46:01.460 --> 00:46:08.900 Father please let immigration let her through. Time for confession since you're going tomorrow, 00:46:09.060 --> 00:46:13.660 my dad will tell you now. So presence becomes, if presence becomes your greatest treasure, 00:46:13.660 --> 00:46:22.700 you begin to protect it. May I suggest to you that perhaps it's not. Otherwise it protected, 00:46:22.700 --> 00:46:29.940 it guarded. Like these women guard their babies in the womb or like you would guard something that 00:46:29.940 --> 00:46:34.020 was sitting on your shoulder in terms of the dove. If presence becomes your greatest treasure, 00:46:34.140 --> 00:46:41.340 you will protect it. And if it becomes your greatest treasure, Eden will be restored in your life. 00:46:41.340 --> 00:46:52.220 I want to say to you that the best thing in Eden was the presence of God. I want to say to you that 00:46:52.220 --> 00:47:01.260 the worst thing that happened in Eden was the loss of presence. Eden will be restored in your 00:47:01.260 --> 00:47:07.260 life. That is all that was, everything else, the trees, the elephants that could speak and all that 00:47:07.260 --> 00:47:11.420 stuff. I don't know whether elephants could speak, but he named all the animals. Yeah, 00:47:11.420 --> 00:47:17.220 that wasn't the big thing. It was not that there were no cats and roses didn't have thorns. It was 00:47:17.220 --> 00:47:32.140 not that. All that came after the fall. But Eden will be restored when presence becomes super 00:47:32.140 --> 00:47:36.900 important to me and I protect it. Eden will be restored. Jesus had this ability to walk through 00:47:36.900 --> 00:47:42.060 the earth and see two things. And you will begin to see those two things. Guys, this is not pie in 00:47:42.060 --> 00:47:46.780 the sky. You will begin to see two things. And they will have two different reactions. One, you 00:47:46.780 --> 00:47:53.300 will see the brokenness of the world and everything in you will scream for it to be restored. And two, 00:47:53.300 --> 00:48:01.420 you will see what awaits a person at a time and the world and everything in you will exalt. What a 00:48:01.420 --> 00:48:08.100 place to be. Caught between these two brilliant tensions. Broken because of all the things that 00:48:08.100 --> 00:48:12.940 you see. That is so broken because you know how it used to be and you know what he has done in your 00:48:12.940 --> 00:48:18.620 life. And then you see what awaits. And you see some of it will happen here now. And some of it 00:48:18.620 --> 00:48:24.140 will happen only at the end. And you're caught between these two and you live there. The thing 00:48:24.140 --> 00:48:34.240 that was lost in the garden was presence. We still find the world so beautiful to look at. The thing 00:48:34.240 --> 00:48:38.540 that was lost in the garden was presence. The thing that was given back to us and that we should now 00:48:38.540 --> 00:48:45.140 carry with great protection, great pride, great challenge, great privilege, great responsibility is 00:48:45.140 --> 00:48:51.980 presence. And when we do that, not only is Eden restored for you, now other people start getting 00:48:51.980 --> 00:48:57.900 restored through you. Because you're caught between these two things and there's a groaning inside 00:48:57.900 --> 00:49:02.580 you that occasionally bursts into laughter because you see things happening where things are being 00:49:02.580 --> 00:49:07.900 fixed. Setting things right. New things being beginning to happen. I will put all things back. 00:49:07.900 --> 00:49:16.700 I will make things new. Ah, sadness in some places is coming untrue. This is where we live and it's a 00:49:16.700 --> 00:49:25.500 great place to live in church. This is not later. This is what we're being invited to now. It is a 00:49:25.500 --> 00:49:37.420 good time to live. People will experience the power of miracles of restoration. Yeah, let's close. 00:49:37.420 --> 00:49:45.660 Praise God. Father, we just thank you for what you're inviting us into. I just take great joy, 00:49:45.660 --> 00:49:51.020 Father, in being able to announce it. That's all I'm doing. I'm just announcing your intent. That's 00:49:51.020 --> 00:49:57.740 all I'm doing, Father. I'm like a herald who's opened a scroll and is reading out the announcement 00:49:57.740 --> 00:50:11.020 of God to our people that are listening. That's all. So we accept this challenge. We want to 00:50:11.020 --> 00:50:18.020 carefully receive this privilege and we want to take the responsibility of protecting it. Please, 00:50:18.140 --> 00:50:22.940 oh God, I know you'll do it. I don't need to plead to you. You're the one who's inviting us. 00:50:22.940 --> 00:50:26.660 You're the one who's inviting us. We just want to say yes. 00:50:48.020 --> 00:50:59.820 Let's end with no instrument. Just sing it without. The sun comes up. It's a new day dawning. Yeah, 00:50:59.820 --> 00:51:06.060 we won't do communion today. The sun comes up. It's a new day dawning. We haven't done communion 00:51:06.060 --> 00:51:10.020 for a while here, but you guys do communion in the house churches and hubs. I apologize for not 00:51:10.020 --> 00:51:15.460 doing it together as a group, but we always seem to run out of time. I can keep you here until two 00:51:15.460 --> 00:51:27.460 and do it, but somehow I feel that would be unfair. The sun comes up. It's a new day dawning. It's 00:51:27.460 --> 00:51:42.060 time to sing your song again. Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me. Let me be singing as 00:51:42.060 --> 00:51:48.700 the evening comes. We thank you for what you're doing, oh God, and we bless you. Bless the Lord, 00:51:48.700 --> 00:52:07.980 oh my soul. Oh my soul. Worship his holy name. We sing like never before. Oh my soul, I will worship 00:52:07.980 --> 00:52:19.860 your holy name. I will worship your holy name. See you when I see you next.