Okay guys, so the teaching today, if you want a title for it, it's Resistance Required.
Resistance Required. Yeah? And so that's what we'll be talking about. Resistance Required.
So I'll let Ryan distribute the sheets of paper and then we'll start.
Ryan, are you done? Just kidding. Guys, so Resistance Required. So with what is happening around us,
there is this tendency to come up with statements like, this too shall pass. And this too shall pass
is a very passive statement and we cannot afford passive statements like that. Passive statements
always betray a passivity in our attitude towards what is happening. This too shall pass may be
the right scripture to use right now. And so what I want to talk about is that we as a people must
now begin to resist what is happening. There's a resistance required and the first thing we need
to resist is we need to resist fear. Resistance against fear. And please understand there's a
very specific route I want to take. Resistance against fear. And I want to quote from Psalm 27
5 and I'm taking the scripture from the New King James Version because it really conveys what I
sensed God wanted to have us do. And so here's what it says in Psalm 27 verse 5 from the New
King James Version. It says, You or God shall hide them in the secret place of your presence from the
plots of men. You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. Just listen
to that again. You shall hide them in the secret place of your presence from the plots of man. You
shall keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. And so there is this need to
resist fear by hiding from the ridiculous amount of news, words, sights and sounds that are coming
our way. That is what I mean by resistance here. One of the ways we resist fear in this situation
is to begin to come against the strife of tongues and the only way you can come against the strife
of tongues. The strife of tongues is the dissonance, the deception, the loud and the soft, the good,
bad and ugly that is just being, that we're being inundated with. And you have to decide in the days
ahead that you will probably listen to news channels once a day or at the most twice a day.
That it won't be something you continuously listen to. That you will take a position where
you will resist rumors, where you will resist gossip, where you will resist lament and you
will resist this idea of war is the earth because it doesn't lend towards resisting what is happening
around us. Guys, fear is a spirit. Resist it and it will flee. Fear is a spirit. Resist it and it will
flee. Because one of the things fear does is when it causes you to take your protection into your
hands. Fear causes you to take your protection into your hands and when you take your protection
into your hands you remove yourself from God's security. Listen to this again. It is critical.
I'm not saying don't follow guidelines. I'm not saying don't wash your hands while you sing
happy birthday to me much before July 17th happens. All I'm saying is that while you follow simple
guidelines of keeping your hands clean and stuff like that you must remember that fear is a spirit
and because fear is a spirit it attacks through sight and sound. It attacks through sight and
sound and so resistance to fear has to come by resisting the strife of tongues and hiding in
God's secret pavilion. Resistance to fear comes through resisting rumors, gossip, lament, war.
Everybody is lamenting. Do not join them. And let me repeat that line again. The moment you take
your protection into your own hands you remove yourself from the security that God gives. One
Psalm put it this way. I don't know if it's Psalm 27 or some other Psalm. It says some trust in
chariots and some trust in princes but I trust in the name of the Lord our God. This is the idea
that I cannot then think that washing my hands or using hand sanitizer is what keeps me. It is a
great guideline. It cleans your hands and it keeps you clean but it ain't that that keeps us safe.
There is a God who protects his people. That must be the first place we lodge ourselves in. God did
not have a problem with King Asa that he actually went to the physician. God's problem was, hey Asa
why did you go to the physician without first coming to me? That your first resort was not me.
So my question is as we walk around and we hear lament and woe and gossip and rumors,
as we hear facts that are true about COVID, as we begin to hear these things and see these things
and just saturate ourselves with the news and the dissonance and sometimes the deception,
my question to you is where are the speakers of truth? Where are the speakers of hope? Where are
the speakers of light? Where are the speakers of zest? Where are the speakers of life? I want to
be that. I want to sing that song after this. A history maker. I'm gonna be a speaker of truth
to all mankind and the truth is there is a God who does differently. Break the curse guys. If you
want to break the curse you have to break the curse by breaking the silence and sometimes silence
is the words that are being spoken all around you where if you don't break it you're not able
to break the curse. People have to rise up and begin to say yes there is something called COVID-19
but guess what? Yes there is something called COVID-19 and two of my friends have been affected
by it but guess what? That is how we break the curse. You can only break the curse by
breaking the silence and if we don't do it then who does it? Any questions? Any questions?
Ah shucks you can't put your hands up and ask questions. Oh there's a 30 second delay. Anything
Derek or Jeevan or Josh? Okay cool the second thing you have to resist is resist self-preservation.
Resist self-preservation as in choose not to self-preserve. Choose not to self-preserve. Choose
to be selfless in your giving. Choose to be selfless in your sensitivity to the world around you.
Choose to be selfless in your emptying and pouring yourself out. Choose to be selfless in your food
and drink and money. You know one of the things I'm doing get up in the morning and ask God Father
is there anybody around the world who is perhaps in a situation where they're locked down and have
no way of earning and so do you want me to send them any money and so couple of days ago it was
a man who used to drive the cab in this particular province whenever I went there and it's out of
question he can't drive his cab down the entire place has been shut down so I sent him some money.
He called today. He's not a believer. He's not a Christian. Ask God. Become ridiculously selfless.
Pour yourself out. Empty yourself out. Do not ask people how they are and stop at it. Once you
ask people how are you your next question should be how are you doing financially.
How are you will always be met by we are managing we are doing well. How are you doing financially
now takes it a little deeper but the moment you ask that question now it becomes a problem
because what if the person says I have a problem. Resist self-preservation. Now is not the time for
Esther to preserve her life. Now is not the time for you to live carelessly or live too carefully.
There's two things we can do in this. We can either live carelessly in the palace that we have built
because Esther could have gone and done that. I mean she was a king's favorite. She could have
been careless in her living in the palace and the Jews would have died. She could have been
super careful preserving her life and the Jews would have died. I can't afford either. Self-preservation
means that I cannot be careless about the world which means that there are certain guidelines that
I'll have to follow that I will not flout for the sake of others. I'll also not be so careful that
everything now gets hoarded and everything is about Jacob preserving his life. Jacob's life will
never be preserved if he takes care of it. It's a very simple statement that Jesus makes. You try
preserving your life and you will lose it. You give your life away and you will keep it. These are
not just scriptures that are meant to get us saved guys. These are scriptures that ones who are saved
have to now live out. Man you will so regret it and I will so regret it if we don't live this way now
because this will pass and you will miss out on an opportunity. I want to use this time to show the
world that the Christ I believe in and the Christ that lives in me lives a different way. You know
what righteousness is really defined as? Sit Kenu the word. Righteousness and justice go together.
Righteousness is how are you to live in the world in relation to God and in relation to others? How
are you to live in the world in relation to God and in relation to the others? That is the simple
definition of righteousness. How do you live in right standing with God and in right standing
with others and times like this prove it man. There was a question from someone. What is the
curse we are breaking? Let's for a second assume that this is not a judgment from God that this is
the work of the enemy and that it is spreading across the globe that the globe is being brought
to a standstill. Well then it is certainly not a blessing and if that is the case then we need to
speak up and say what God likes to do in situations like this. What God likes to do. God wants to
bring this to a halt. Reading again from Isaiah 14 the verses I read just before we started. Let
me read it again. These are the things we can speak at a time like this and here's what Isaiah
14 says. If you missed it at the beginning. I will crush the Assyrian in my land on my mountains I
will trample him down. His yoke will be taken away from my people and his burden removed from my
shoulders. This is the plan determined for the whole world. This is the hand stretched out over
all the nations for the Lord Almighty has purposed and who can thwart him. His hand is stretched out
and who can turn it back. This is what we now phrase in words that are commonplace so that every
time someone says something out of me comes a different way of speaking. Because truth always
persists. Truth always will bear witness here on earth by the Spirit. Any other question Derek?
Okay. We have to resist. We have to resist the idea of virtual church. We have to resist the
idea of virtual church. We have to resist this idea. It is not good. What can happen if we don't
resist it? And so I'm calling on you who are hearing. Do not think that this is a great thing
for the church. I mean the only great advantage that I have with doing this is that I can go
on forever. There's no time limit. Because you're in your house so it's not like you have to leave
the service and go home. I could go on for three hours and feel zero guilty. But other than that,
let me take you to 1 Kings 12. There's a scripture that I felt the Lord highlighting last night at
1.30 in the morning. So I just want to read that. 1 Kings 12 26 to 32. 1 Kings 12 26 to 32.
1 Kings 12 26 to 32. Here's what it says. Jeroboam thought to himself, the kingdom will now likely
revert to the house of David. If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the Lord
in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their Lord. They will kill me and return to
the King Rehoboam. After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people,
it is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you
up out of Egypt. Once he set up in Bethel, the other in Dan. And this thing became a sin. The
people went even as far as Dan to worship the one there. Jeroboam built shrines on high places,
appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites. He instituted a
festival on the 15th day of the eighth month, like the festival held in Judah, and offered
sacrifices on the altar. This he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made. At Bethel,
he also installed priests at the high places he made. On the 15th day of the eighth month,
a month of his own choosing, he offered sacrifices on the altar he had built in Bethel. So he
instituted the festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to make offerings.
What's the intent of the story? Jeroboam decided that he would make worship convenient. He decided
he would provide, like Aaron did in the wilderness, a couple of golden calves for people to worship.
He did not want them to go all the way to Jerusalem because that would be tedious. Besides having a
political intent, he also wanted to make worship convenient. And so he set up these calves, he set
up priests who were not from the tribe of Levi. That was unheard of. And so we have to resist the
idea of virtual church because it will otherwise become convenient. It will end up with us molding
God to a point where people can access God by pressing a button. That is not how God is accessed.
You cannot have priests recruited from tribes other than Levi. How does that apply today?
Not, I mean, you should see the myriad versions of church that are coming up on Facebook. Some
of those guys I know personally, I know their lives. They're beginning to teach and preach
and their techiness is bringing them greater claim. That's not how this works, guys. You
can't recruit priests off the street. Pixels do not convey purity. And you cannot distort the church
this way. I was saying to the Lord, Father, do I really need to bring this point up? Because now
suddenly because we are live streaming, people are listening in different parts of the world. If this
was Acts 29, I could tell them it should be fine. Do I really need to bring this up? And when he
highlighted 1 Kings 12, I thought to myself, sure, I'll bring it up. You cannot do this.
This is why, guys, three years ago we started this idea of house churches because house churches
are for times like this. When clampdowns happen, when persecution happens, when war happens,
when pestilence happens, we are forced into two or threes. It's a good thing. But it is still
flesh on flesh, bone on bone. And practice the breaking of bread. You got a family of four or
five, two or three, or just you and your cat, it's a little difficult. But practice breaking bread.
Because in the breaking of bread, there is both immunity and authority. Immunity and authority in
the breaking of bread. It's a distinctive of the people of God. Every time they were in captivity,
every time they would celebrate their freedom, one of the things that was common to the people of
God was the breaking of bread. I hope you practice it every week, not just on Sundays,
but whenever you sense you need to practice the breaking of bread, break bread, declare
who God is and how he is to the earth. Take Isaiah 14. Take those verses. It's a distinctive trait
of the people of God. It gives you immunity. It gives you authority. It also is a judgment
on the diseases of Egypt and the gods of Egypt. It is also a judgment on the diseases of Egypt
and the gods of Egypt. Exodus 12 talks about it. You know, it's strange. I heard this phrase
spoken by someone and I've changed it some. But listen to this. We socially distanced ourselves
through technology, living together alone. And now that social distancing has been forced upon us,
we are using every technology possible to one another virtually. Let me say that again. We
socially distanced ourselves through technology. All these years, we've socially distanced ourselves
through technology and we learned how to live life together alone. But now that social distancing has
been forced upon us, we are using every technology possible to one another virtually.
It's odd how this works. And we can't one another virtually.
Hey, I would suggest to you, and I've been doing this and I don't like doing this,
I prefer emojis and I prefer smiley faces. But I've decided that during this time,
one of the things I'll do is I'll FaceTime people. I'll look at their faces
and talk to them. I don't want to use text messages alone to convey things to people.
So if I call you and you're on FaceTime, trust me, it's more difficult for me than you.
Because it's so much easier to say something strong and put a smiley face and it kind of covers it all
up. But what do you do when you have to say something face to face?
But we can't one another virtually. I just need to emphasize this point guys that we must resist
virtual church. Stand up against it because it's a distortion that is coming upon the world and we
got to take a stance against it. And once it's spoken, it spreads, eh? Deceptions are exposed.
The next thing we want to resist is we want to resist the evil reality of what is happening. We
want to resist the evil reality of what is happening. What is happening is evil. What is
happening is evil. So some of you have already seen the video where we talk about the spiritual
realities behind the physical reality of COVID-19. But here's the thing, there's an acceptance among
believers, amongst churches, perhaps amongst us that this too shall pass. And like I said in the
beginning, it's a passive stance and it is unacceptable. It's unacceptable. The Bible instead
says stand in the day of evil. Stand in the day of evil. With your heels dug right in. Stand in
the day of evil. That's what the Bible says. It doesn't say receive it with passivity. It says
stand in the day of evil. It doesn't say say stuff like this too shall pass, but it says stand in
the day of evil. Ephesians 6.13 talks about it. And what do you mean stand in the day of evil?
Stand in the day when there is decay. Stand in the day when there is death. Stand in the day when
there is strife. Stand in the day when there is deception. Stand in the day when the power of evil
is being experienced with great intensity. Stand in the day when there's confusion. Stand in the
day when there is darkness. Stand in the day when demonic activity is greater than usual.
I'm trying to write as fast as I speak and I can't. Stand in the day.
So my question is where are the finnehases of today? Where is that man who had the ability
of today? Where is that man who had the ability when he saw this woman called Cosby who was a
daughter of a Midianite priest and in her own capacity was a pagan priestess? Where is
finnehase who took a javelin and thrust it to Cosby? Thrust it through Cosby and through Zimri
so that the plague would stop. This is the kind of violence that needs to arise. Resistance is never
passive. What do you mean Jacob violence? What kind of violence are you talking about?
It is to realize that many will not see the kingdom of God because they are being taken away
in death. That a harvester with a sickle and it ain't God is going around the globe
cutting lives down, paralyzing the globe. That this ain't the judgment of God. This is an evil thing
and that if something doesn't begin to bother me inside and begin to grow inside me as in oh God
I got to take a stance against it. Oh God I got to curl into a foetus on the top of Mount Carmel
and begin to look for that fifth size shadow that will cause the rains to come again.
And begin to look for that fifth size shadow that will cause the rains to come again and that apostasy would end.
I pray that the spirit of God would take my words and begin to ignite this inside of you.
If nothing else a deep crying or if nothing else a deep lamenting for the globe.
Go ahead Derek. What does standing look like? Standing looks like what will
unfold in the next two and a half minutes. Who was that?
Pawan, I'll get there man. We'll get there in more than two and a half minutes but we'll get there.
You know there was a guy called Benaiah in the Bible. You'll find him in second Samuel 23.
Benaiah was a man who later on became the commander of the armies of Solomon. He used to be
David's bodyguard and he had this ability to take on anything that was lion like.
As in when the enemy came in like a lion Benaiah would step up. So initially he takes on two of
Moab's mightiest lion like warriors and he slays them. Then he goes into a pit and he actually
fights a live lion that tries to devour and he kills it. And then it says he went down to challenge
an Egyptian who had a spear that was the size of Goliath and was seven and a half feet tall and he
took down that giant. Benaiah was one of the mighty three of David. And I'm saying I'm calling out
across the globe saying where are those Benaiah's? Where are those Phineas's? That would begin to
rise up now so that you can stop the plague. This is what resistance looks like. And so in your time
when you wake up in the morning begin to pray down this road. You have learnt enough church
and you can begin to pray this thing. You can pick nations, pick your own city,
pick nations and begin to pray. Not begin to plead and ask God because this is not God's desire.
Begin to declare God's intent. I'm doing it every day man.
And there are others doing it too so join in.
I explained this on that video but just in case there are people who haven't seen it yet,
remember this progression guys.
The enemy has always used war, lack, famine and disease
through centuries again and again. And by the way these four would constitute in a sense the
four horses of Revelation chapter 6 but we're not talking about revelations right now. The enemy has
always used these four things to create in mankind fear, need, greed, power, pride.
These have been used by Satan and his various ways of affecting the earth. These have always been used
to create this in mankind with the intent that once this is created man will turn to religion,
government and commerce to meet these needs. And history sees repetitive cycles of this.
War, lack, famine and disease have been used by Satan to bring about on earth amongst mankind for
centuries fear, need, greed, grasping for power and striving for pride.
So that in the pro and how do they meet these deficiencies that are caused by these
four things by either turning to false religions, false hopes or turning to politics, government
or turning to politics, government leaders who offer them the next new solution or by turning to commerce so that lack can be met.
This then is representative of Revelation chapter 6. This then is representative of
Revelation chapter 17 and 18 and there's another name for this grouping it's called Babylon.
But that's for another day I just wanted to bring it up in case some hadn't listened to the video in the past.
So there is something that we need to take a stance against and so Pavan asked the question
how do we take a stand? Guys before I talk about that just want you to know that all satanic
enterprise is by divine permission. All satanic enterprise is by divine permission with the
divine expectation that the body of Christ will resist, will stand, will overcome. So let me write that down.
It's a very cool thing to understand once we understand that we'll realize how powerful God
is and how powerful the body of Christ is in terms of the role it has to play. So all satanic enterprise
is by divine permission as in God doesn't provoke it, God doesn't instigate it but God is aware of it
and Satan is in accountable rebellion. So it's not like Satan can go do whatever he wants.
There is this odd permission that must be sought before the enemy can do anything
but all satanic enterprise is by divine permission with the divine expectation
that the body of Christ
will resist satanic enterprise,
satanic enterprise
will overcome,
will stand against, stand and persevere
and will overcome
and reign over.
Satan's plans and devices.
This is how it works. So on one hand there is nothing that happens without the knowing of God.
God doesn't instigate it, God does not provoke it, God is not saying yeah yeah go ahead but he is
aware. So all satanic enterprise is by divine permission but at the same time there is in the
heart of God the divine expectation that Satan may be doing this or that but I expect the body of
Christ to resist it because I have provided for them my son who lives in them and I have provided
for them the most dangerous spirit on the face of the earth which is the Holy Spirit. Who is the Holy
Spirit that I provided for them? The Holy Spirit that I have provided for them is the Holy Spirit
who has given me the power to stand for them all that is required to resist
all satanic enterprise and activity that I've provided for them a way to stand and persevere
and that I provided for them a way to overcome and reign.
Is the scripture for it? Yes. First Peter 4 7 resist, submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you.
In the day of evil stand with your panoply or with your supply of armor, helmet on your head,
breastplate of righteousness, the belt of truth, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the sword of the
spirit, the shield of faith. I've given you all that you need to stand. Then it goes on to say in
Revelation 2 27 that those that overcome I will give you the scepter that you can use to dash the
enemy like one would break pottery. Revelation 3 21 and to those that overcome just know that my
father and I will come and sup with you and you will be given the privilege of sitting with me
on my throne and reigning as kings and priests. If we are going to postpone all this into the
future then what in the world is the spirit of God supposed to do with us now?
This is what standing looks like.
This is what standing looks like. Why stand? Why should we stand at the time like this?
Guys if you don't stand how will the snare be broken? How will the snare be broken? Psalm 91 3
says that he protects us from the snare of the fowler. He protects us but what about the others?
Someone has to take a stand. Imagine if all of us took a stand for Vancouver and we declare that
father the snare that is over Vancouver shall be broken. You think it is ineffective?
I am not talking about praying for the ones that are in hospital. That is one of the things we do
but I am saying taking a stand against the evil that is being perpetrated upon humans.
You think if just this mega church called Acts 29
stands you think the snare won't be broken? So one of the reasons we stand is so that we break the
snare. Two, one of the reasons we take a stand is so that we can deliver captives. I love Isaiah 49
verse 9. I never know the scripture by heart but I always know what it says. It says something to
the extent that go now Jacob and say to those in darkness come out it's safe now. Say to those that
are bound come out you're free. Isaiah 49 verse 9. This is a marvelous privilege. I love standing in
my balcony looking north, south, east and west and some of you have seen me do it where I'll stand and
say hey Vancouver come out it's safe now. In places of darkness there is light. People have risen that
are breaking the snare. Isaiah 61 guys. The spirit of the Lord is upon us for he has anointed us
to set the captives free. I'm not saying don't pray for those that are sick. People that I know,
ones that I knew and have respect for are in hospital with in critical
condition because of COVID. So I'm not saying don't pray for the healing but as the church
is praying for a healing there must be a group of Gaddites.
And if you want to know what the group of Gaddites is I'll have to go down that road another time.
There must be a group of Gaddites. Lion faced, ambidextrous with weapons in both hands,
skillfully maneuvering the ravines and the mountains, learning how to undo the enemy
so that the darkness is being dismantled as light is being shown. And if that is our role,
remember we did an entire series on the prevailing church.
I was looking at those notes and saying oh God didn't know why we were going that way but please
Lord let them not remain notes in my life. Let them become practical.
We stand so that we break the snare. We stand so that we deliver captives. Acts chapter 10 verse
38. This is the reason the Spirit of God is upon us. This is the reason the Spirit of God was upon
Jesus and he was anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power and he went about doing good,
setting free those that were harassed by the devil. Guys, Acts chapter 10 verse 38 says
that were harassed by the devil. Guys, Acts 29 has always had a mandate for the nations.
You must pray for Peru. You must pray for Italy. You must pray for Ecuador. You must pray for India.
You must pray for Canada. You must pray for the US. Pick your nation because we are not supposed
to just go to the nations. We got to lift up the nations. This is something that we were given
as a gift before the Acts 29 even existed. God had this for us.
We stand so that we can destroy the works of the devil. First John 3 8. Someone has to stand
otherwise the works of the devil are not destroyed. Someone has to stand. Christ stood. The works of
the devil were destroyed. Jesus Christ the Son of God came down to the earth in flesh to destroy
the works of the devil. One day when the time is right I'll tell you what is actually being prayed
sometimes by this church across the nations.
Big deal. It's a command. You go do what you're told and you come home. Nobody needs to know.
This is not about recognition guys.
It's strange how people still think that it is Jesus Christ who goes around trampling Satan
and not us and yet Roman 16 verse 20 says that soon I will crush Satan under your feet.
Roman 16 20. It is I who tread and trample down the enemy. It is you who trample down the enemy.
It is us who trample down the enemy. The head is no longer separate from the body. Christ has
forever decided that he is the only one who can trample down the enemy. He is the only one who
has decided that he is not going to be severed from his body that he's connected to the body
and it is his body that will now fulfill what he has finished beautifully. Christ the head has
decided that it will be his body that will now fulfill what he has finished. Psalm 149 verse 6
to 9 that here church it is your privilege to have the high praises of God in your mouth and the
spirit in your hand so that you may go around executing the written judgment and binding
nobles and kings and fetters. This is your privilege. This is what you should do while you lie on your bed.
And guys this is not a we do we don't do this during times of crisis.
When we do this during times of crisis it's new but what if this was an everyday thing
and everyday resistance of the enemy and everyday refusal to give him an opportunity to deceive,
to trick, to bring fear and every day stand against his schemes. You can check scriptures out
and everyday resistance of the enemy. First Peter 5 9 James chapter 4 verse 7 and everyday resistance
of the enemy and everyday refusal to give him an opportunity. Do not give the devil a foothold. Do
not give him a foothold of fear through COVID-19. Do not give him a foothold to make you self-centered
or selfish or self-seeking or self-preserving. Do not give him an opportunity to begin to distort
the nature of the church. Do not give him an opportunity to begin to ask you to back off
saying stuff like this too shall pass. No passivity for this church.
These are the times when you have to have a spade in one hand, a sword in another hand
and a trumpet in your mouth.
It ain't enough to dig and build a wall. It ain't enough to have spears to keep the enemy.
There is also the need to have a trumpet to your lips so that you can dig and build the wall. You
can use the sword to push back the enemy and you can use the trumpet to announce God's intent.
It's a new kind of Nehemiah assistant.
All three in one.
And every day stand up against the schemes. Every day stand up against the schemes.
The public vocation of the church. I'll tell you who gave that question. Was it Tuni?
I'll tell you who gave that question. Was it Tuni? See, I knew. Don't worry, it wasn't a word of
knowledge. The public vocation of the church is to more than anything else be salt. In that one
statement that Jesus makes is encompass the public vocation of the church. Salt is not
to be used anywhere but... No, let me put it this way.
Rotting meat... Meat will rot if salt is absent.
Meat will rot if salt is absent. And so it is required... If you want to summarize the public
vocation of the church, take those two things that Jesus said. One, you are the light of the world.
Let your work so shine so that men may glorify the father. Two, you are the salt of the earth.
Flavor. Both these things. And now if I were to go down this track, then you find that salt can be
used to preserve. Salt can also be used to give things a new start. Let me quickly go down that
road. And so the people of Jericho come to Elisha. He has just lost his master Elijah. And they say
to him, Jericho is a great city but people here are barren and they do not produce and the water
is bad. And Elisha takes... says, bring me a new bowl. And he takes some salt and he sprinkles the
salt on the source. And once he sprinkles the salt on the source, a curse that was put on Jericho
by Hiel who built Jericho at the cost of his firstborn is now lifted up.
And the source of the water is healed and Jericho becomes profitable and fruitful. We think salt and
flavor is one sided. That it is only the niceness, the kindness, the goodness. True. But who will
remove the curse that was put by Hiel on Jericho when he built the city at the cost of his firstborn's
blood? For that too salt is required. In those two statements of Jesus, you have the public vocation
of the church. Good works, good lives, good homes. And good works include destroying the works of the
devil. May we never think that good works does not include destroying the works that are bad.
You can never build good works on top of bad works because the foundation will always show or crumble.
Good question Tuni, but you got me too excited.
Two more things that we need to actively resist and then we can stop. Guys, resist the hankering
for communal life. Resist the hankering for communal life. We've hardly been into this for 10 days
and there is this itch in the heart of man, woman and child to once again get back into being a
community. Usually a church should lift up the idea of community and hold it as a high virtue,
but at a time like this I'm saying to you that resist the hankering or the deep desire to gratify
the need for, I need friends. Because an aspect, and this was a line that someone else said,
an aspect of a Christ-enamored heart is a gnawing ache to get alone with him. An aspect of a Christ-enamored
heart is a gnawing ache to get alone with him. Use this time to create that habit. Most couples in love,
when they, why do people go off on a honeymoon? Because they want a break from a year of preparation
of people, of crowds, of bad cake, of useless gifts and they want to disappear for a while
to a remote island somewhere that just allows you to be with the one you love.
Song of songs is so often full of phrases that seem to indicate, come aside,
arises my love, come away, come away. And so an aspect of a Christ-enamored heart is a gnawing
ache to get alone with him and it is a habit that must be cultivated to withdraw from others,
to withdraw from sight and sound and to withdraw from screens, to converse with God in solitary
places like David. My God, where did that boy learn his ways except sitting in solitude with
sheep that just said, bah! And he would sit and he would learn the ways of God. He learned like no one
learned. He learned how to battle the bear and the lion. He learned how to know God like no man on
earth knew Him. He was both in love with God and He was one who knew that to love God was to obey.
Where do you think Moses learned everything he learned except through the 40 years of solitude
in the backside of Heron, of Mount Sinai? That is where he became the meekest man on the earth.
What about Abraham? Alone in the desert sky looking at the stars being told that at 95
he still doesn't have kids. At 75 he didn't have kids. 95 he doesn't have kids. He looks out and he
sees the stars and he hears the voice of God. How does a man whose father was an idol worshiper,
how does a man get chosen out of millions on earth to become the father of faith?
There is this precious thing about solitude man.
Where do you think Jesus started His ministry or how do you think He started it? Spending 40 days
in the wilderness with beasts and with Satan and it launches Him. What about Paul? I love what he
says. I was in the desert for 14 years through walking through Damascus, walking through Saudi
Arabia and in those times Christ Himself appeared to me and then He has the audacity. This man who
did not live to see Christ was born at a time after Him was the least of the apostles says
and I pass on to you what I received from Christ. Where? How? When?
Use this time guys. Don't hanker for communal living. How are we hankering for it? How are
we meeting the need? We're meeting it through Facebook. We're meeting through WhatsApp. We're
meeting it through hours of video conferencing. Nothing wrong with it. Let it be part of your day
but my God you don't need this that desperately. It's okay. It's okay.
You know I don't want things to go back to normal just so I can have my rights and freedoms and
distractions and noise back. I was telling the Lord that yesterday. I said to the Lord, Father
I'm praying that this thing will end but I don't want this to end so that I can have
my normal life back. My life of noise, of distractions, of peoples, of things to do,
of rights, of freedom. That's not what I am asking for. I don't want an end to this for that sake.
I can learn how to live without that for a while.
Psalm 84, 6. It says turn the stagnant pools of
Baka. Baka means mourning or lament or weeping. It says as they walk through the valley of Baka,
they turn it into pools of refreshing rain or flowing water. Take the stagnancy that is
happening around in the world and turn it into a pool of refreshing rain in your life, man.
Let this Sabbath for your life and for this land bring forth so much fruit when this ends
and it will end. Isaiah 14, read it again. The past, the bits that I read out,
the things I'm saying, take a stand, this will end. You know the strange thing and I'm sure it
applies to pastors and to people and to Christians and non-Christians. The strange thing is men and
women are struggling to be home with their spouses, with their children and with their
parents because the legitimate excuse of work and business is taken away. They don't know how to
function with their husbands and wives and children and parents because they're stuck with them now.
You can't disappear from nine to five. I'm feeling really bad for pastors. They could go away into
ministry five out of seven days. What do they do now? Thank God I have this flourishing, thriving
relationship with my wife and kids
because the legitimate excuse of busyness is stripped away. And so I'm glad that covenant
relationships are suddenly taking on an importance that you didn't have to pay attention to before.
So resist the hankering for community. Resist the hankering for community.
Guys, I'm not saying don't video chat with each other. I'm just saying don't
fall for the lie that you cannot survive without it. Actually learn to survive and then learn to
thrive so that you, like the men I mentioned, can find a place in the sun, S-O-N.
One last thing that we need to resist and this might be a little extreme. Any questions guys?
This might be a little extreme and not for actually none but for some who may be hearing
the first time. Guys, resist sickness. Resist sickness. Resist sickness.
At times like this, learn how to resist sickness. There's a passivity that can happen towards
sickness during times like this where it is. This is the condition of the world. True.
But resist sickness. Identify yourself with people or places where you will find food for faith,
the kind of faith that does not deny facts but the kind of faith that denies that facts have the
final word. Let me say that again. Find places or people that you can associate with, that you can
identify with, that you can connect with, who will feed your faith. What kind of faith are we talking
about? Not a faith that denies the facts but a faith that denies that facts have the final word.
Facts do not have the final word.
Resist sickness. When this thing comes in like a flood, the Spirit of God takes up a stand against
it. And if that is the case then take a stand with the Spirit of God and the Spirit of God
always takes a stand against sickness. Say what God says about Himself and say what God says about
you. What does God say about Himself? I am the one who causes you to fall sick. No! I am the one who
will not put any disease on you. I am the one who takes away your sickness. He said this in the Old
Testament before the New Covenant. Say what God says about Himself, say what God says about you
with song and thanksgiving. Psalm 107 verse 20 to 22, Behold I sent forth my word and I healed your
disease. So now let people gather and give thanks and sing to the Lord for the good that He has done.
Sing the goodness of God. While you're sniffing sing the goodness of God.
Proverbs 420.
The difference is at a time like this use it to your advantage because most other times you will get
Oh yeah let me repeat the question. Can you say the question again?
What's the difference between hankering for communal living
and just being made to be with others in the body? Yeah, most of the time the idea of community
is highly valued and must be highly valued. It is critical to our existence because we are called
the community of the spirit. So I'm not devaluing that. I'm not saying that we are not devaluing
the spirit. So I'm not devaluing that. But at a time such as this use it to your advantage. Use
the valley of Baka and transform it into refreshing pools of water first for yourself
and then for others in the future. Use this time. It is okay not to be
ones that are a community now. It is okay.
Go back and look at all those men who were critical parts of community. Moses, David, Jesus,
Paul, Abraham. These men were founders of community but they gained their strength in solitude.
Going back to resisting sickness, Proverbs 420. Proverbs 420. My words are life to those that find
them. My words are life to those that find them and health to their flesh. Hey, there's this little
cat in there. My words are life to those that find them, find them, find them, find them, find them.
My words are life to those that find them. It's not that God is hiding it but you still have to go
find it. Manner had to be found. You could only find it by going out. You had to go out in the
morning. You couldn't go out at noon. This is a great time to form habits.
My words are life to those that find them and then it's health and the word health comes from
a Hebrew word marpe and marpe means medicine and medicine to their flesh. Gouge, not gouge, gorge
yourself on the word during times like this. Gouged out of the Bible and gorge yourself on
the word because those that find them, to them it becomes life and health to the flesh. Romans 8-11.
Romans 8-11. With his spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ's. With his spirit
living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ's. Romans 8-11 says his spirit quickens us
so most people take that and say he will quicken us once we die. True but you think the presence of
the spirit of God in this temple doesn't keep this temple in a way that is amazing? This is
God's property man. Let the spirit of God that is within you, who lives in you, make your body alive
as Christ's or if you think that Romans 8-11 only applies to those that will one day die and their
bodies will be quickened. Let me take you then to Psalm 105 verse 37 where it says that a God who
did not dwell in them but a God who dwelt amongst them, outside of them, it says that he took Israel
through the desert and not one of them was feeble. Not one of them was feeble. Through hostile terrain
they walked and not one of them was feeble. Psalm 105 verse 37. Guys why am I giving you these
scriptures because I'm saying to you learn how to resist sickness. I don't think there's anyone I'm
speaking to who hasn't fallen sick at some point but man learn how to resist sickness. It ain't a
natural, it isn't supposed to be something that we just, hey why is it that you resist sin?
Is that the only thing that we are supposed to resist?
Resist sickness too. I'm sorry if you think it's an extreme position because I don't.
Proverbs 17-22 and then we'll end with this. Proverbs 17-22. A joyful heart is good medicine.
A joyful heart is good medicine. You'll get another chance to be joyful for two songs
but two songs don't make good medicine. Two songs are just two songs but a joyful heart is good
medicine. A crushed spirit dries up the bones. A crushed spirit dries up the bones. What does that
mean guys? Why am I throwing that verse in? Guys if you know people that are not well call them.
Your call makes a humongous difference. It cheers people up. A joyful heart is good medicine. A
crushed spirit dries up the bones. Call others. Call others.
Resist sickness. Resist sickness. Let me conclude.
I, you know one of my hopes for Acts 29, one of my hopes for you is that when you come back,
when we start meeting again together once these rules are lifted, when you come back,
that you will come back with unveiled blazing faces because you encountered
Yahweh in the burning bush, because you heard the still small voice of God through this season,
because you saw Christ himself turn up to receive your sacrifice like Abraham when he saw two angels
come near the trees, the oaks of Mamre, that you will encounter angels, that you will
overcome Satan in the wilderness. I pray God that every person in Acts 29 will come back
radically changed through this time for the better because the times ahead we have to,
I'll talk about that in a second, I pray that you come back radically changed. What should your
expectation be of me? That Jacob when he returns or Jacob when he begins to meet with us again,
there'll be a kinder Jacob, there'll be a meeker Jacob, there'll be a less self-engrossed Jacob,
there'll be a more caring Jacob, there'll be a Jacob who's spiritually much sharper, there'll
be a Jacob that has increased in intimacy, increased in authority, there'll be a Jacob
who has been significantly changed by the oodles of time that he now spends in the presence of God
because he has less to do, less hockey to watch, less places to go to, less hanging out in denny's,
all those things are gone and Jacob instead of Netflixing is now beginning to enjoy and being
changed in the presence of God. This is the kind of Jacob you must expect and this is the kind of
person I expect of you that when what's her name, Jane begins to lead worship, there'll be something
in that worship that you have never met before. That when Jeevan begins to speak, that even though
he has so much at the age he is at, that something else will rise up, that when Derek speaks there'll
be such authority, that when Don sings there'll be something about an anointing and the presence of
God. I'm just picking on different people. That when Mike begins to play his sax, it's no longer
the Mike the saxophonist, it is Mike the man of God. I expect Acts 29 to come back changed.
I expect you to have a burning bush encounter. I expect you to have Christ come and receive your
sacrifice and say to you, lay them apart and behold a torch shall pass through them and I expect you
to receive promises from God who is your exceeding great reward and shield during this time. Not only
is he a shield, he's your exceeding great reward and that's a word that goes out across the earth
right now. If you're listening, then listen to this rema, the rema of the Lord, the rema of the
Lord and here is a rema word for you that he says to you right now that I am not just your shield,
I am your exceedingly great reward through this time.
This is who we are talking about. This is who we are talking about. Guys, come back changed, eh?
Come back changed. Persevere through this time. Come back changed with unveiled blazing faces
because you have encountered Yahweh, you have encountered his son, you've known his spirit in
a way that you've never known him before in your life. This is how we turn the valley of Baka into
a pool of refreshing water. This Sabbath will bring back life to you and when it brings back
life to you, it will bring back life to this land and to the nations of the earth.
Guys,
conspire with the Holy Spirit. Conspire with the Holy Spirit. 2020, God told us,
was the year of the Holy Spirit. You think suddenly that it ended? My God, man, I'm telling you,
this, he's setting us up. This will be more the year of the Holy Spirit than you have ever known.
I love the fact that every time Satan thinks he's one, he loses bigger than ever.
This is still the year of the Holy Spirit. Conspire with him. I'm already conspiring. Once
this thing lifts, where, when, what, why, how? Conspire with him. I want to end with
this. Others in the world, as in people of the world, are already predicting and preparing
to fill the vacuum that will be created when COVID-19 lifts. Hear me carefully.
The people of the world are already planning, predicting, and preparing for life after COVID-19
because they know there will be a vacuum. And they're already thinking ahead,
what will the world need most when this ends? And they're thinking ahead technologically,
they're thinking ahead corporately, they're thinking ahead financially.
They're thinking that if we don't find ourselves on the cutting edge, then someone else will come
and take over that space or the vacuum that exists now as soon as COVID-19 lifts.
One of the things I'm hoping God will give us as a church is ways for businessmen, for IT professionals,
for guys who are sneezing, for guys who are coughing, for guys who are not, for pastors,
for the church, for all of us to begin to plan ahead. And I'll be talking about that. One of the
things I'm asking is, Father, could you show, could you please show? Hey, God did this with Joseph,
man. Just think of it. This is not in my notes, but just think of this for a second. So there was
a famine that was coming across. This is in Egypt. God knows it. Joseph didn't know it.
But then God reveals it to Joseph through Pharaoh, a pagan king who sees a dream. And what does Joseph
do? He begins to preempt, plan, predict, and then prepare. And in the process, the world gets grain,
but Egypt becomes the greatest empire of the times. And Joseph becomes the prime minister
who has all power. He was like unto Pharaoh. I am praying that God will give us the same ability
in this rag-tag, motley crew called Acts 29, mega church as it is, that God will give us this ability
so that in your different fields of work or your different fields of retirement,
God will help you begin to plan for what will happen when a vacuum will exist as soon as COVID-19
lifts. I pray, God, that I'll be able to give you that. Pray for me, guys, that I won't back off,
that I won't take it easy, that I won't get passive, that I won't resign myself to kayserah,
that there'll be such a passion that begins to arise in my heart. That will be a benefit to you
and to the nations, eh? Because I'm praying that for you.