losses on the enemy.
That a church, as soon as you use the word prevailing, means that it's a church that
engages, battles, endures, and overcomes, and therefore prevailing churches inflict
losses on the enemy.
Matthew 16, 18, we said, says, and Jesus said this, that the gates of hell shall not prevail
against the church.
So we inflict losses on the enemy.
That's what we said last week.
And we said to inflict loss is to restore what is stolen, to consolidate or strengthen
what is restored, and to sentence the one who stole.
That's inflicting losses.
Inflicting losses has three parts.
The first part is you restore what is stolen, and then you go and consolidate or strengthen
what has been repossessed.
And then the third part is someone stole.
Someone needs to be punished for it.
So the thief needs to be punished.
These are the three parts that are involved in inflicting losses, and prevailing churches
learn how to do this in lives, in situations, in cities, in nations.
And not too many of these churches exist, so our hope is that one day we can grow into
being like this.
The other thing we said last week was when you inflict losses, make sure that you don't
suffer collateral damage.
So we talked about four or five things that we have to take care of if we want to inflict
loss on the enemy without being affected by the enemy.
And some of the things we mentioned were pride, order, being part of the body, not continuing
in evil habits, and listening to the prophetic.
So we talked about that last week.
Then we said that we are up against an enemy who is a man of war.
Goliath was called a man of war.
He is skilled in battle.
This is what he's been doing since the beginning of the earth, or even slightly before that.
He is a man of war.
There is a shout in the enemy's camp, meaning he has a demonic horde that is very encouraged
by sometimes the small battles that they win, even though they know the war is lost.
And there is a relentlessness in the enemy's assault, and it's meant to wear us down.
We said that.
Then we said that the prevailing church must rise up, like David did, to stand before the
men of Israel and say to them, let no man's heart fail because of Goliath.
Your servant will go and fight.
That's what Goliath said.
And we need to say that for the sake of others, not for our own sakes.
And then the final thing we said last week was you can only go and fight if you've been
going out and fighting.
You can only go out and fight if you've been going out and fighting.
Meaning if you have dealt with the lion and the bear and have snatched sheep out of the
mouth of lions and bears, then you can snatch Israel out of the mouth of Goliath.
The only way you can go out and fight is if you have been going out and fighting, and
that then gives us a starting point saying, oh God, teach us, train our hands to war.
Not for our own sakes, but for the sake of others.
So that's where we finished last week.
So now we start this time's teaching and there'll be some left over from last week.
Guys, most Christian warfare doesn't look like fighting.
Most Christian warfare doesn't look like fighting.
It looks like proclaiming, praying, praising, prophesying, and planting seeds from the spirit
into lives, into situations.
So it doesn't look like fighting.
So most Christian warfare looks like praying.
Man, this is such a manly color.
Praising, proclaiming, planting seeds of the spirit into lives, situations, cities, nations.
That's what it looks like.
That's what Christian warfare looks like.
And therefore, if you notice, everything involves this whole thing of using your mouth.
And therefore, it is the one thing that the enemy wants to take away from churches.
If I can get them to be Canadian, that's all I need to do.
If I can help subdue their voice, and I've said this a million times and we'll do another
million.
If I can subdue their voice, if I can help them to be orderly, if I can help them not
to get excited or raise their voices or speak, then I have them.
Because everything that is a form of warfare in Christianity needs speaking.
And therefore, we said last time that words are the delivery mechanism.
Words are the delivery mechanism and the word, as in the word of God, is your primary weapon.
Words are your delivery mechanism and the word is your primary weapon.
We saw this with Jesus when he confronted Satan one-on-one in the wilderness where every
time the devil came up with something, be it an assault or a temptation, the intent
was, I'll use words and I will use the word.
So the words become your delivery mechanism and the word becomes your primary weapon.
We said last time that when words are wielded well, and how do we wield words well?
By dividing it correctly, meaning knowing what the Bible says, by adding faith to it
and exerting authority.
That's how we wield the word well.
By dividing it correctly, meaning I need to know what the word says about a situation.
I then need to mix that with faith because in Hebrews chapter 4, the promises of God
did Israel no good because it did not mix the promise of God with faith.
So it is inadequate to know the promises of God.
Now I have to take the promises of God and mix it with because I trust who you are, oh
God, I know these words will come to pass and I will speak them.
And then the final thing is authority.
If faith is trust in God, authority is the place you have in God to know that everything
you are Jesus, you are for the sake of the church and you have delegated to me authority
over all the power of the enemy.
And it is your desire and pleasure that I go and fulfill Isaiah 61, 1-3, which your
son started and has included me in finishing.
What is Isaiah 61, verse 1-3 says, the spirit of the Lord is upon me for he has sent me
to proclaim the good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening
of prison doors, to proclaim the favor of the Lord, to proclaim comfort to those who
mourn.
There is so much a proclamation in three verses and you suddenly realize that words are the
delivery mechanism and the word is your primary weapon and if that can be taken away from
us, then we have nothing else to use.
The other thing that we've talked about in the past and we need to be made aware of is
that the spirit world is always listening.
Since the spirit world does not sleep, the spirit world is always listening and if the
spirit world is always listening, then they look to see what your delivery mechanism delivers.
Because they can work with what we say.
This is not a name it, claim it thing.
Like I said, the word is your primary weapon.
Everything you say must align with God's intent and nature, not even his word.
You cannot look at the word without looking at God's nature.
Anytime a person tries to understand the word without understanding God's nature, he will
get it wrong.
But once you know his nature, the word becomes clearer.
Because you can interpret Greek any which way you want, but if you don't interpret
the nature of God, your Greek will lead you askew.
You'll get whacked in your glabella.
I like the sound of that word.
So because the spirit world is always listening, what is your delivery mechanism delivering?
Because they're always listening.
And then we said that the word is a double-edged sword, Hebrews 412, and it is strategy for
fighting the enemy.
We talked about this last week where we said on one hand it's like a machete that cuts
both ways and so you can use it as the spirit of God directs where I love it in Psalm 103
and Psalm 105 or 7 when it says that he sent his word and healed our diseases, that my
word goes forth and does not come back void, that I watch over my word to perform it.
So there is a sending out of the word.
And then there are stories in the Bible which are meant to be strategies that we use.
Stories in the Bible that are strategies that we use.
There is a deliberate reason why Elijah lies over the boy and hand-to-hand, mouth-to-mouth
and causes him to come back to life.
There is a deliberate reason why Elijah or Elisha asks Naaman to dip himself in the river
seven times.
There are deliberate reasons.
These were stories or principles in the book of Leviticus that prophets would borrow and
say we know what this meant then.
Now I'm going to use this as a parable to bring to pass what God wants to bring to pass.
There is a reason why Peter sends everyone out when Dorcas is dead and brings her back
to life.
Some of the acts that you see in the book of Acts are things that are drawn from stories
in the Old Testament.
And so in the same way now we have a greater treasury because we got both the Old and the
New Testament and many of those stories are meant to be examples that we are supposed
to use.
To bring results and just imagine this every time you break bread we are reenacting the
death and resurrection of Christ.
Every time we reenact one of these stories you'd think the demonic realm is not aware
of what happened the last time this was used.
I gave you examples last time of ways that we can use stories in the Bible to bring to
pass things today where we take that example and use it today.
So I won't repeat it.
Guys, at the end of the day when we begin to work like this then the jawbone of an ass,
the jawbone of an ass can become a weapon of mass destruction in your hands.
fascinating how Samson is now facing a thousand Philistines and he does not know what to do.
So what does he go and do?
He sees the jawbone of an ass lying on the ground.
He picks up the jawbone and then if you notice in Judges chapter 15 verse 16 or 17 while
Moses is using this jawbone to slaughter a thousand Philistines he is singing.
Now what's he singing?
He's singing with the jawbone of an ass I've brought down a thousand Philistines with the
jawbone of an ass I've brought down a thousand Philistines.
Man that must have added insult to injury and he slays them all and once he slain them
all he stopped singing and he throws the jawbone away.
That man had a problem with lust otherwise he was one of the most amazing leaders in
Israel.
If that guy had somehow gotten through being seduced by every second woman who went past
him he'd have been one of Israel's greatest leaders.
So he finishes using the jawbone and now he suddenly realizes that man he's been fighting
for hours so he's super thirsty and so what does he say?
He says oh God I am so thirsty that I could die here of thirst so would you rather provide
me water or see the Philistines say that he died of thirst?
God says I'd rather see you provided water and so there's a rock and God causes water
to gush out of the rock and he drinks to his heart's content and both in the slaying of
a thousand Philistines with the jawbone of an ass and with having his thirst slaked what
did Samson use?
The power of the spirit of God and words.
It's in Judges 15 verses 14 to 20 you can read it later.
Some guys are known for some of their really bad exploits these stories of Samson's get
left on the roadside because we only remember him carrying the gates on his shoulder and
then getting killed under a whole lot of pillars but he did so many amazing things
but what a way for him to go what a shame.
Any questions before we go on?
Guys woe is me words are not helpful.
Not helpful.
When you feel like woe is me go and call one or two people and talk to them and get the
woe is me out of you because if you don't you'll woe is me for the next one month catching
every person that passes along to woe is me.
It is necessary to express what you feel.
God is that kind of a God.
Jesus probably expressed some of his frustrations to Peter, James and John besides his father
because that was his inner circle so woe is me is fine but after woe is me is done with
those two or three friends then do not carry it on because the spirit world is always listening.
Jealousy bitterness envy anger sadness God is not on my side stuff is prayed on by the
enemy because he knows that this guy is actually beginning to believe it let me provide him
some more circumstantial evidence.
This is the relentlessness of Goliath who can come and weary you for 40 days.
In Psalm 149 verses 6 to 9 there's a remedy for it because we are talking about how to
be a prevailing church and what our weaponry is and one of the remedies is that the saints
shall glory in God they shall lie on their beds and they shall engage in high praises
with a two-edged sword in their hands.
Again it goes back to this whole idea of using words.
High praises what are high praises?
What are high praises?
Okay high praises in your mouth okay character and nature high praises what are high praises?
Words that come from the heart?
Declarations of?
Declarations of his deeds?
I would take all these things that you've put together and let me give you an example
in 1 Samuel chapter 4 a strange thing is happening the Philistines have gathered at a place called
Affek and Israel is there and suddenly the Philistines hear a shout and the shout grows
louder and louder and the Philistines are wondering what's happening they begin to panic
a little and then they find out that Israel is shouting because the ark of God has come
back into their camp from Shiloh and here's what the Philistines say the Philistines say
what are we going to do?
God has turned up in their camp.
High praises are when a people don't necessarily need to shout loud or don't have to be on
top of a mountain don't have to have instruments but their praises literally cause them to
recognize that God is suddenly there.
It is the shout of a king in their camp we sing that song the shout of a king is amongst
us high praises is when you become aware that oh shucks the king is actually here that's
what high praises is what would low praises sound like?
Low praises would sound like you are there and we are here and we will praise you high
praises is when a people suddenly become aware that the shout of a king is in our midst the
shout of a king is in our midst and so it says in Psalm 149 that one of the ways you
undo the enemy one of the ways you inflict losses one of the ways you recover possessions
and one of the ways you execute judgments upon the enemy is by engaging in high praises
with a two-edged sword in your hand which is to say guys begin to learn how to have
the shout of the king in your midst even when you are alone in your home and begin to use
the word which is your two-edged sword to do what?
To bind kings and nobles enemy kings and nobles to punish them to execute the written
judgment to inflict vengeance and loss upon the enemy Psalm 149 6 to 8 I am not adding
anything to it and then God goes on to say this honor or this privilege do his saints
have? One of the things that bothered me about the verse it says that these saints lie on
their bed and they engage in high praises and a two-edged sword and so why on the bed
why not they walk around and do it? Because if you look at Psalm 41 3 Psalm 6 5 or 3 5
you will find that whenever David talks about the bed the bed was either a place where someone
was sick the bed was either a place where someone was weary and mourning or the bed
was a place where one was absolutely tired and didn't want anything to do and God is
saying that's not what I call a bed when you begin to engage in high praises with a two-edged
sword a bed becomes a place where you repose in rest because all your worrying happens
out of a place of rest it doesn't matter how bad your situation gets Jacob remember Psalm
149 6 to 8 that you have the ability to be at rest because of who I am and then begin
to engage in high praises where the shout of the king is in your midst and a two-edged
sword in your hand and as you begin to use this strange things will begin to happen
kings and enemies that are coming against you will be bound in fetters you will execute
written judgments on them I remember this happened about three years ago where I had
to because of a mistake that was not my own I had to pay back $23,000 in ten days $23,000
in ten days and that's what I get paid now at Acts 29 but in those days it was different
and so I was thinking to myself how do I pay $23,000 in ten days and I remember panicking
because this would affect my credit history it would affect everything it would probably
affect me for the next seven years and instead of panicking and I would so suggest this to
you when panic hits withdraw from whatever you're doing if you're at work take an early
break if you're walking a dog let the dog walk you find a place where you come into
rest with God withdraw Jesus was good at this he would either do it early morning before
the disciples woke up or when he would hear really nasty news like when John the Baptist
got beheaded he would withdraw and why would he withdraw not to sulk he would withdraw
so that he could align his heart quickly with God because once you do that you're in a place
of rest and remember doing this and saying okay father so how do I deal with this I'm
saying okay father so how do I deal with this because for me it's impossible to pay $23,000
in a in nine days ten days so how do I deal with this and God didn't provide a way of saying this
is how I'll get you the money or anything of that sort all he said was they will besiege you but
they will not a shoot a single arrow into your city and that was a scripture from first Chronicles
that they will besiege you but you they will not enter the city nor will they shoot a single arrow
I thought I said nuts really so how are you going to do this they will besiege you but they will
not shoot a single arrow into your city very often God would rather have me see who he is and how he's
going to do it whenever you ask the question how when where you will get more panicky whenever you
ask the question who you will be at peace because in that who is all the hows whens and where's but
when you go after the how when where you always end up being consumed by the how when where and
your mind can only think so far and therefore you miss out on the who it is never how will you do
it Oh God it is never when will you do it Oh God it's never where will you do it Oh God it is Lord
who oh you then you will because you always do when where how will be provided as and when it's
only the who this is so important day it is only the who and so all I have to do is align my heart
with the who and not worry about the when where how because the when where how always gets me
into panic stressed scary impossible need more faith need more prayer need more worship but it's
always who how do I turn it off a practice I don't know I mean within 10 days I started
receiving money like crazy like crazy I had 23,000 paid off in nine days I thought to myself can you
do it again and it didn't happen on the next nine days but that got paid off and then I went on
Equifax to check my credit score and nothing had been touched man nothing had be touched
who not when where how any questions any thoughts any additions
guys we are called to proclaim Liberty to captives open doors to prisoners and to restore
desolate inheritances what does that mean in simple English it means that if there is a
situation in your neighbor's life or in anybody else's life that you become aware of where there
is some form of captivity and we can look at it out in two ways prisoners are sometimes this is
not always the case this is just for your consideration prisoners and captives perhaps
there is a small differentiation in this in that prisoners are those that are sentenced because
of something done because of something done captives are those that are taken prisoner
and put in bondage regardless Jesus proclaims freedom through you through you by the Spirit
to both of them and do you think there are people around like this tons and tons you must count it
a privilege to be able to be released and sent by God to proclaim liberty to the captives and
open prison doors for those that have been taken prisoner it's your privilege why is it your
privilege why is it my privilege to find people in Steveston in Langara in Surrey who may be
prisoners and captives and why is it a privilege because it is God's will that has already been
enforced in heaven it is God's great desire that every man woman and child be set free God lives
for freedom he said for freedom I have set you free it is so important freedom is such a core
value of God that he would rather give you your freedom to choose him or not choose him then take
it away but freedom is such a core value to God that he would rather send his son to die on a cross
so that you may receive it this is how important it is and since his will is already enforced in
heaven he has a deep desire that I go to Langara and Surrey and Steveston to set free sometimes
situations sometimes peoples sometimes land sometimes cities and sometimes nations because
it is his will and desire and his will and desire shall prosper in the hands of Christ the only
question is do you want to partner with Christ he doesn't need you but he wants you
prisoners are those that may be sentenced as in unforgiveness causes imprisonment the Bible says
in Matthew chapter 18 that when the man refused to forgive he was cast into prison and given over
to tormentors jealousy and bitterness caused imprisonment Saul became jealous of David and
so what happened a distressing spirit came upon him we can set that situation free and then there
are captives those that have been taken into bondage those that have believed lies one of
the greatest reasons for captivity is lies one of the greatest reasons for captivity is lies Satan
uses lies to keep us bound break the lie with truth and the person can be set free without
casting out demons break the lie with the truth and a person can be set free without casting out
demons demons hide in principalities and strongholds that are constructed with a set of lies you remove
that stronghold of principality built in here with lies and demons have nowhere to hide truth is not
conducive to demonic abode truth is full of light they can't stand it how do you hide in light
I pray God that we get opportunities to enforce decisions that Jesus has already made in heaven
where you are sure enjoy where you are sure in peace where you are sure in truth where you
are sure in healing by banishing or expelling bondages and lies and imprisonment that you get
an opportunity to do it this week not by casting out demons that can come later but by helping
those that are imprisoned look for them look for Gideons there are tons of Gideons really nice guys
really good guys who are in a winepress treading grapes where treading wheat where wine should be
trodden on where grapes should be trodden on he's in a winepress treading wheat all Gideons
require is someone to go looking for them and once you find them to be able to bring them out into
the open raise them in the light and these Gideons then end up shaping nations I thank God for the
people who had the willingness to come and find me in a wine press bring me out into the light
teach me and help me to change nations this is what we should be looking for looking for Gideons
what churches and businesses do is we are good at spotting talent but we rarely go looking for
Gideons hidden in wine presses spotting talent is easy it's no big deal to know that Mike plays
the sax duh that is spotting talent and so what do churches and businesses do we either monetize
the talent or we capitalize on it so we can put him up in the worship team and say you're a great
blessing to the church keep blowing that sax of yours till the next sax player comes along who's
better than him and suddenly we send him to Siberia as an evangelist because we got a better
saxophonist and he can play his sax in Siberia warm people up but the point is this that's spotting
talent but what if you looked beyond his sax and began to try to discover the treasure within that
is what God wants from churches and businesses that is what Jesus does if Jesus wanted fish
Peter was a good guy to pick on but he wasn't looking for fish the greatest affront to God
the he finds this as a obnoxious insult is when I either disregard or I'm indifferent to your dignity
and walk past it without giving you dignity or when I give you dignity based on your usefulness
to me two things that we Christians should never do one I should not be indifferent to conferring on
your dignity and worse if I'm indifferent to it if I'm if I'm dismissive of you if I disregard your
dignity it is an obnoxious insult before God it's a personal affront to him because he makes everyone
in his image so it doesn't matter whether it's someone who's gay or straight but it's someone
who's brown or black or white it doesn't matter the moment I do that it's like a horrendous
insult to God and the second thing is when I bestow dignity upon you based on your usefulness
to me that is horrible before him two things we must avoid I know I'm going off on a track but
perhaps it'll be important in the places you work in the businesses you run
that's a soft topic other weapons that we can use guys other weapons we can use righteous
living is a weapon righteous living is a weapon righteous living is a weapon in Proverbs chapter
two it says that a man who lives righteously will be delivered from death sometimes you can cast a
demon out of somebody and the demon comes back seven times stronger and then you cast it out
again and it comes back seven times stronger and it casts you out again and you'll be needing to
enjoy casting out demons not realizing that the guy is being ravaged over and over again and that
what you need to teach the person is righteous living because otherwise all that will happen is
deliverance ministry righteousness is key to inflicting losses upon the enemy because the
one thing that Jesus said in John 14 and he said it so brilliantly was that Satan has nothing in
me the prince of darkness is coming and he has nothing in me he has nothing in me the confidence
you can have when you know you're walking righteously I didn't say when you know you're
walking perfectly I said when you know you're walking righteously where right living and right
relationship with God and people around you is so important to you that it shows in your practical
living us Satan hates it because he suddenly realizes that even though he is the prince of
darkness he has nothing in you because you are pursuing righteousness righteousness exalts a
nation when a nation is righteous promise 14 when a nation is righteous it exalts a nation when a
person is righteous it delivers him from everything that is decaying and death mighty weapons of God
prevailing church can't have one or two people doing this the entire church begins to walk like
this what a great future awaits us guys we're going to ride into the sunset that will never
set it's like John Wayne continuously riding or some of you don't know who John Wayne is
we'll talk about it next week John Wayne is a mixture of Wayne Mike Barnes and Mark put
together oh the secondhand lion Elmer used to call Wayne and him the secondhand lions you
should watch that movie two movies I highly recommend no not I highly recommend two movies
I recommend secondhand lions and the other one which is a new release is the same difference
I'll find it it's a really good movie gosh this is dangerous when pastors recommend movies in
the middle of same same kind of different as me same kind of different as me really nice movie
true story same kind of different as me if you find anything objectionable in it my name is Wayne
so job 22 verse 30 I really like this was job 22 verse 30 job 22 verse 30 don't Google the movie
right now job 22 verse 30 here's what it says he will even deliver the one whom you intercede
who is not innocent yes he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands guys what
a powerful words what a powerful words I've used this word sometimes to pray for people who aren't
repentant but who I like a lot and who need a break they are not repentant they're still going
down a road that they should not be going down and here is God saying that listen the cleanness
of your hands will deliver even those that are not innocent it's like into this is real
intervention not the TV intervention this is real intervention where God allows the cleanness of
your hands to intervene for someone who is guilty and God spares him job 22 verse 30
30
the strange thing is remember that story I told you about how the arc returned and there was a
big shout in the camp that's only part of the story here's the second part of the story the
arc returned there was a shout in the camp and Israel went out of fight and lost the fight and
the arc was taken by the Philistines and Eli dies his wife gives birth and dies during childbirth
the Sun is called Iqabod Iqabod means the glory has departed it doesn't matter that you have the
arc if you don't walk righteously you can have all the high praises you want you can have a
two-edged sword in your hand and yet you can have nothing if we don't have righteous living
Sad eh?
some other weapons and then we'll end hearing is a weapon hearing is a weapon hearing is a
weapon as in oh God how do I go about this do I set up an ambush and in second Chronicles 20
or first Chronicles 20 God says to Jehoshaphat yep you go up this mountain and stand on the
mountain and start praising and here's what you need to say praise the Lord for his mercy and
doors forever and as you start singing this with the priests up front I'll set up an ambush that's
how he won that victory David in the second Samuel 5 oh God or first Samuel 5 I don't remember oh
God so how do you want me to go about this army here's what God says go behind the mulberry bushes
and when you hear the sound of troops marching over the trees you know it's time to attack what
ways to take down the enemy man you think it doesn't work now it works more now than it ever
did before
any questions before we go on another time David wanted to know how to take the city of Zion which
used to be called the city of Jabos he didn't know how to get it because it was up on a hill and it
was very well fortified and then God shows him how he says there's a water shaft go up the water
shaft and you'll access the city and David sends men up the water shaft they access the city and
take it down so whenever I'm dealing with the enemy on any level beat in the life of somebody
or beat over a city or a nation or a situation my question is father what is the easiest way what
is the smartest key I can use to stop this now or to change this now doesn't matter whether it's
someone who's suffering a disease or whether it's a loss that I am suffering or whether it's
something that is being taken away or something that has been has to be repossessed the question
is simple how do you want to go about this or God and God will show and when he shows you employ it
why is my interview taking so long or God how come I haven't gotten the results of God I send
those documents long ago where are they stuck oh God how do I get rid of this disease or God it's
been plaguing me for a while how do I go about juggling these three four things when things are
dropping and breaking why are there accidents in my life a lot why are things breaking down every
time why does the same thing happen again and again and again why oh God show and in a second
he shows you I remember telling the story to acts 29 ages ago every time I would go out to
distribute tracts downtown or do anything downtown that had to do with evangelism I would come back
and my car would be told I don't know why either be a minute past or there'd be some strict car
tour on a Saturday who didn't have anything else to do who'd be waiting there to tow your car because
it's slightly off the line or slightly off the minute and so every time I went to do any
evangelistic work in downtown I would pay about 80 or 100 bucks and I remember it happening again
and again and I remember sitting down with Mike Scandalberry and I said you know this keeps
happening every time it doesn't matter it's the fifth time it's happening and he says Jacob if
you have a house where the thief breaks in through a window again and again and again what would you
do and I said I would put bars and rods and belts and whistles and alarms to prevent it from happening
he says do that in the spiritual and so I remember sitting and this was about 16 or 17 years ago
sitting and saying oh God this has happened so often I've lost so much money in the name of
Jesus Christ I barred this window from ever being broken through again that no longer will
the enemy deprive me discourage me do harm to me so coming in through this window again and again
it's been 17 or 18 years since my car has been touched another time when we were at River Road
here's what happened someone broke into the car and they took surprisingly all they took was my
CDs but the car was broken into I remember coming to River Road and telling the church hey we need
to pray that this be recovered because this cannot happen this is not how God works God has the ability
to protect and so whatever has been taken must be returned we finished prayer and I go home that
night and the strangest thing is waiting at the door someone has gathered all these CDs tied them
in a nice ribbon and left it at my door who does that which thief has the time to gather all the
CDs put them nicely together like I never used to keep them tie them up in a ribbon find his entry
into the building without a key know which house I'm living in come to that house and place the
CDs outside my door how do these things work again and again and again and again I mean I'm
looking at the clock otherwise I can tell you stories and there are others here who can tell
stories here and do the next thing is rest if you want to if you want to go up against the enemy
learn how to rest because one of the favorite tricks of Satan is when situations happen to make
you go all gung-ho and start praying like crazy and going gung-ho and praying like crazy is not a
god way it's usually a way of panic useless flailing using your power to turn stones into
bread trying to take control self-effort striving machinations manipulating things are signs of a
lack of rest when things begin to break down in someone else's life you should be the one who
Jesus can look for and say aha there he is asleep at the stern of the boat let me go rest my head
on Jacob because he's my pillow he's the only one who seems to be sleeping in this God is looking
for ones who are sleeping in a storm those are the ones he can really use the guys who are bailing
out water they don't realize that they're in the middle of the sea of Galilee and they're going to
drown he's always looking for the one sleeping in a storm what a qualification for usage you
would think that God would pick on the one who's really let's pour out this water let's bail it out
let's know he is looking for a pillow find me a pillow in the midst of the storm and I can use
a person people are rest are tremendous fighters people of rest are tremendous fighters I mean the
Queen's horses are like that right the horses that pull a chariot restful horses thoroughbreds
who've been trained so well and it doesn't matter that you shoot of a cannonball approach them with
a flamethrower reverse your exhaust so that it makes noises shoot these horses won't move because
they respond only to one thing the whisper of the guy who drives the coach that is all these
horses respond to they don't respond to anything else only once in her last 60 years has a Queen's
horse ever gone up on its two legs hind feet and because she was a good rider she still stayed on
top only once in the last 60 years and that was because an old Morris Minor backfired
Jeremiah 51 verse 20 it says I want you to be my battle axe I want you to be my battle
axe God is talking about Cyrus but it applies to us as a church I want you to be my battle axe I
want you to I want to use you to break down things I want to use you to cut down things I want you to
use you to dismount rider and horse I want to use you as my battle axe Jeremiah 51 verse 20
at the end of this week I mean on Sunday I want you to look back at the last six days and I want
to ask this question of you did you bind up the strongman this week and plunder him and what did
you plunder him off it's a question that's supposed to make you and I think what did we do in terms of
the first few lines of Isaiah 61 was there a proclamation of good news was there a proclaiming
of liberty to the captives and the opening of prison doors and a proclamation of the year of
the favor of the Lord as in Matthew 12 29 did I go and bind up the strongman in situations life
cities and nations and if I did how did I plunder him what did I plunder him off
what a glorious life awaits us I'm glad I'm still young
I mean that very sincerely for once I am glad I got years left to see this happen man I pray
God that God gives me years to see this happen for all of us don't be in a hurry to die guys
there's a lot to do yeah if you get sick get healed live so much to do any questions before
I conclude and I really mean that this time any questions is this impractical is this something
you can reach to I mean these are rhetorical questions it's not impractical it's something
you can reach to absolutely doable you know Nehemiah in chapter 6 he's building the wall
and doing all this stuff and Nehemiah chapter 6 the enemy which is basically Sanballet, Gershem
and Tobiah they are the enemy and so Nehemiah is in the process of building the wall in chapter 6
verse 3 here's what the enemy tries first he says to Nehemiah hey why don't you come and meet with
us let's talk and sort out our differences and Nehemiah says I got a greater purpose than I'm
involved in right now so leave me alone I ain't coming down that's what he says so one of the
tricks of the enemy is to deviate you from your purpose deviate you from your purpose how does it
deviate you from your purpose by making your job your possessions your money your family your work
far more important than Christ and the church heard me oh no okay I'll repeat it how does Satan
deviate us from the greater purpose he deviates us from the greater purpose by presenting to us
something like work family possessions money future security as of greater importance than
Christ and what he wants to do through the body that's the way he deviates us from purpose and
he'll present it like this at this stage in your life this is what you're meant for later on you
can do the Lord's work as if Satan knows the least of life you have how dare he offer me that
that you you need to focus on this now later on you can focus on God really since when does he
decide how long I live in what I do with my life Nehemiah chapter 6 verse 3 in verse 9 here's what
he comes up with he says the enemy says to Nehemiah hey Nehemiah I think we need to talk
because I think you're doing wrong and I'm gonna say this to you if you don't come and talk and if
you don't sit down with me I'm gonna send a letter to the king and the king is gonna shut you down
and so now he introduces a new way of trying to stop Nehemiah and that's through fear the threat
of fear and that is something Satan uses really well the threat of fear fear for your life fear
for your loss of security fear for how you will be deprived fear for how others will prosper and you
will not all those fears that doesn't work because Nehemiah says nope I'm not gonna listen to you so
then they come with a third ploy and here is the third ploy they send a false prophet who is an
Israelite and when Nehemiah goes into the temple the false prophet comes and says to Nehemiah hey
Nehemiah let's withdraw into the inner sanctuary of the temple and let's shut the door because in
here we will not be killed and Nehemiah's responses really you think I'm afraid I will not withdraw
into the temple because I have to build a wall I refuse to stay within because you will not bring
fear and cowardice. That's the third thing that the enemy does where we will continue to grow stronger
in the church but we will never go out there we retreat deeper and deeper into the sanctuary of
the church waiting to be raptured while God is saying I placed you on the earth so that I may send
you out I placed you on the earth so I may send you out I placed you on the earth so I may send
you out tell me when to stop I placed you on the earth so I might send you out I placed you on
the earth so I may send you out someone say stop I placed you on the earth okay thank you I placed
you on the earth to send you out not to withdraw back in I am called we are called by the Spirit
listen to these words because I don't mean them glibly I mean them earnestly I believe this based
on what I know God will and can do we have been called by the Spirit to alter the course of history
we have been called by the Spirit to alter the course of history and to rebuild ruined cities by
proclaiming the good news by proclaiming liberty by proclaiming the favor and the comfort of God and
the opening of blind eyes this is what we've been called for this is what I've been called for to
alter the course of history in cities and nations that are ruined to rebuild and restore them to
open the eyes of the blind to open prison doses set captives free and to proclaim the good news
of the gospel this is what we've been ordained for never forget that guys like I said last week
if that is not our purpose I pray God that he shuts us down I was praying that this week at home
oh God if you are not able to accomplish this through acts 29 will you please shut acts 29 down
may it cease to exist because there's no other reason for our continuance I'm scared of that
prayer because I'm praying it sincerely and it's an honest prayer and if you don't he's got no
problems he let the ark be stolen and he named the boy Iqabod his glory was never meant to stay
in the church Habakkuk 2 14 and the knowledge of the glory of the Lord shall cover the earth as the
waters cover the seas you have been set aside by Christ to assist him in setting others aside
through the pouring out of your life never forget that you have been set apart by Christ you have
been I have been set apart by Jesus Christ to assist him in setting others apart by the Holy
Spirit through the pouring out of your life one last time you have been set aside by Christ to
assist him in setting others apart by the power of the Holy Spirit through the pouring out of
your life I just sing this one song and then end