WEBVTT NOTE Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver Episode: Wilderness Forty Publishing Date: 2020-08-02T06:00:44-07:00 Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/wilderness-forty/ 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.380 Guys, so today's topic is, it's got an odd name. 00:00:04.380 --> 00:00:07.140 I'm calling it Wilderness 40, 00:00:07.140 --> 00:00:11.420 Wilderness 40, F-O-R-T-Y, Wilderness 40. 00:00:11.420 --> 00:00:13.040 And it's, 00:00:16.620 --> 00:00:20.580 it's as much for us as it is for the global church. 00:00:20.580 --> 00:00:25.260 It is as much for us as it is for the global church. 00:00:25.260 --> 00:00:28.740 And Romans 11, 16 says that if the 00:00:29.580 --> 00:00:32.340 first batch of dough is leavened, 00:00:32.340 --> 00:00:34.720 or if the first batch of dough is holy, 00:00:34.720 --> 00:00:35.980 then the rest is holy. 00:00:35.980 --> 00:00:38.460 Or if the root is holy, then the fruit will be holy. 00:00:38.460 --> 00:00:40.200 Why am I quoting that scripture? 00:00:40.200 --> 00:00:43.880 I believe that sometimes one just has to release 00:00:43.880 --> 00:00:48.500 what God is saying for a small church like this, 00:00:48.500 --> 00:00:50.620 and it has the ability to spread 00:00:50.620 --> 00:00:52.220 and affect the global church. 00:00:52.220 --> 00:00:55.100 And to the extent possible, I'm sharing with people 00:00:55.100 --> 00:00:56.180 in other parts of the world too, 00:00:56.180 --> 00:00:58.060 so that they can prepare accordingly. 00:00:58.060 --> 00:01:01.020 So this is as much for us as it is for the global church. 00:01:01.020 --> 00:01:02.800 Romans 11, 16, Mike. 00:01:03.900 --> 00:01:07.660 So the next, yes. 00:01:07.660 --> 00:01:12.480 The next 40 days, taking us into mid-September, 00:01:12.480 --> 00:01:15.300 the next 40 days will poise the church. 00:01:15.300 --> 00:01:16.820 And when I say church today, 00:01:16.820 --> 00:01:19.560 it will mean Acts 29 for certain, 00:01:19.560 --> 00:01:23.180 but it does apply to the global church. 00:01:23.180 --> 00:01:26.380 The next 40 days, taking us into mid-September, 00:01:26.420 --> 00:01:29.500 will poise the church for a new beginning 00:01:29.500 --> 00:01:32.540 in terms of the role of the church on Earth, 00:01:32.540 --> 00:01:34.780 in terms of the role of the church on Earth. 00:01:36.020 --> 00:01:38.580 Next 40 days, taking us into mid-September, 00:01:38.580 --> 00:01:41.180 will poise the church for a new beginning 00:01:41.180 --> 00:01:45.020 in terms of the role of the church on Earth. 00:01:45.020 --> 00:01:49.820 And this is almost like a threshold point, 00:01:49.820 --> 00:01:54.400 the 40 days that start now and go on till mid-September. 00:01:54.400 --> 00:01:56.280 It's almost like a threshold 00:01:57.200 --> 00:02:00.960 where as in Genesis 8, you see that at some point, 00:02:00.960 --> 00:02:03.760 Noah sent out the raven, 00:02:03.760 --> 00:02:06.240 and the raven kept flying to and fro, 00:02:06.240 --> 00:02:07.840 but could not find a place to land. 00:02:07.840 --> 00:02:10.200 And then after that, he sends out the dove, 00:02:10.200 --> 00:02:12.880 and when he sends out the dove, the dove comes back. 00:02:12.880 --> 00:02:14.960 He sends the dove out again after seven days, 00:02:14.960 --> 00:02:18.240 and it comes back with an olive branch in its beak. 00:02:18.240 --> 00:02:20.760 And that is the sense of these 40 days. 00:02:20.760 --> 00:02:23.960 That once these 40 days come to conclusion, 00:02:23.960 --> 00:02:28.600 you will find that it's the same condition with the pandemic 00:02:28.600 --> 00:02:29.740 where the raven has gone out 00:02:29.740 --> 00:02:31.800 and is looking for a place to land, 00:02:31.800 --> 00:02:33.800 and the dove comes back with an olive branch. 00:02:33.800 --> 00:02:36.840 And that is why the church has to poise itself in a way, 00:02:36.840 --> 00:02:39.960 so that as the waters now begin to dry up 00:02:39.960 --> 00:02:42.760 to a point where land appears, that the church is ready. 00:02:45.800 --> 00:02:48.680 So in other words, we are coming to that point 00:02:48.680 --> 00:02:51.920 mid-September or 40 days or so from now, 00:02:51.920 --> 00:02:54.920 where suddenly things will dramatically shift, 00:02:54.920 --> 00:02:57.720 where the world will begin to relaunch itself. 00:02:57.720 --> 00:02:59.520 And as it relaunches itself, 00:02:59.520 --> 00:03:01.480 the church has to be poised for it, 00:03:01.480 --> 00:03:04.320 because there is a post-pandemic church 00:03:04.320 --> 00:03:06.800 that God expects to rise up. 00:03:06.800 --> 00:03:09.360 And if the post-pandemic church does not rise up, 00:03:09.360 --> 00:03:10.720 then the church will function the same way 00:03:10.720 --> 00:03:12.520 as it has always been functioning. 00:03:16.120 --> 00:03:17.760 And in the Bible, you see multiple 00:03:17.760 --> 00:03:20.120 40 day, 40 night references. 00:03:21.000 --> 00:03:22.800 There was the 40 day, 40 night reference 00:03:22.800 --> 00:03:25.000 when it came to the rains that came down 00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:26.280 and caused the flood. 00:03:26.280 --> 00:03:28.720 There was the 40 day, 40 night reference 00:03:28.720 --> 00:03:31.040 when Moses went up on Sinai. 00:03:31.040 --> 00:03:32.940 And he actually went up twice. 00:03:32.940 --> 00:03:34.640 The first time he went up and brought the tablets, 00:03:34.640 --> 00:03:38.160 he broke the tablets, and then he went up a second time, 00:03:38.160 --> 00:03:41.240 again spent 40 days and 40 nights on Mount Sinai. 00:03:41.240 --> 00:03:43.760 And then you see him spending 40 days and 40 nights 00:03:43.760 --> 00:03:46.680 on his face, literally, weeping before the Lord, 00:03:46.680 --> 00:03:48.680 because in Deuteronomy 9, it says, 00:03:48.720 --> 00:03:50.480 you went to Kadesh, Barnea, 00:03:50.480 --> 00:03:52.640 and instead of crossing into the promised land, 00:03:52.640 --> 00:03:54.760 you rebelled and refused the voice of the Lord. 00:03:54.760 --> 00:03:56.960 And so God wanted to consume you, 00:03:56.960 --> 00:03:58.560 and for 40 days and 40 nights, 00:03:58.560 --> 00:04:00.800 I cried out and interceded for you 00:04:00.800 --> 00:04:02.500 that the Lord may not consume you. 00:04:03.600 --> 00:04:07.160 You go further and you see that the spies were sent out 00:04:07.160 --> 00:04:10.000 for 40 days and 40 nights to explore the land 00:04:10.000 --> 00:04:11.640 and to come back with a report 00:04:11.640 --> 00:04:13.880 of the promised land they were being sent to. 00:04:15.960 --> 00:04:17.400 You see that in Numbers 13. 00:04:17.440 --> 00:04:20.320 Then you see Elijah going for a long journey, 00:04:20.320 --> 00:04:22.880 40 days and 40 nights, ate angel food, 00:04:22.880 --> 00:04:25.620 and then spent 40 days and 40 nights without food. 00:04:27.360 --> 00:04:30.320 You see Goliath coming out 40 days and 40 nights 00:04:30.320 --> 00:04:32.020 to challenge the armies of Israel. 00:04:33.240 --> 00:04:36.040 And then you see Jesus post-resurrection, 00:04:36.040 --> 00:04:37.160 before he ascended, 00:04:37.160 --> 00:04:39.940 spending 40 days and 40 nights with his disciples. 00:04:40.920 --> 00:04:42.720 He spent about 40 days with them, 00:04:42.720 --> 00:04:44.240 preaching the kingdom, it says. 00:04:45.240 --> 00:04:47.520 But today what we want to focus on 00:04:47.520 --> 00:04:49.880 is Jesus in the wilderness. 00:04:49.880 --> 00:04:52.080 For 40 days and 40 nights in Matthew 4, 00:04:52.080 --> 00:04:53.760 verse one onwards to 11, 00:04:53.760 --> 00:04:55.920 it says he spent time in the wilderness. 00:04:57.200 --> 00:05:00.040 And so that's where we will go. 00:05:02.900 --> 00:05:07.080 So when you look at Matthew 4, verse one to 11, 00:05:07.080 --> 00:05:09.320 it talks about Jesus in the wilderness, 00:05:09.320 --> 00:05:14.320 and I am comparing this time in the life of the church 00:05:15.880 --> 00:05:19.680 to the time that Jesus spent in the wilderness. 00:05:20.620 --> 00:05:24.000 And like it says in 1 Corinthians 7, 40, the second part, 00:05:25.440 --> 00:05:27.600 I think I too have the Spirit of God, 00:05:27.600 --> 00:05:30.900 and so I'm saying to you that I believe 00:05:30.900 --> 00:05:33.000 this is something that the Spirit of God 00:05:33.000 --> 00:05:34.640 wants the global church to know, 00:05:34.640 --> 00:05:36.840 and definitely wants this church to prepare. 00:05:39.480 --> 00:05:43.240 And so these next 40 to 45 days, 00:05:43.240 --> 00:05:44.320 towards mid-September, 00:05:44.320 --> 00:05:47.440 are days like Jesus spent in the wilderness. 00:05:47.440 --> 00:05:48.960 That's what we need to compare. 00:05:48.960 --> 00:05:50.800 That's the context we have. 00:05:50.800 --> 00:05:51.960 Those are the reference points 00:05:51.960 --> 00:05:55.240 we'll be looking at for the next six weeks. 00:05:55.240 --> 00:05:56.060 And by the way, 00:05:56.060 --> 00:05:57.480 we are not wandering through the wilderness. 00:05:57.480 --> 00:05:59.360 We are not fleeing into the wilderness. 00:05:59.360 --> 00:06:01.560 We are not sentenced into the wilderness. 00:06:01.560 --> 00:06:04.920 We are being led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit. 00:06:04.920 --> 00:06:07.340 We've been talking about this as a year of the Holy Spirit, 00:06:07.340 --> 00:06:08.720 and that still continues. 00:06:08.760 --> 00:06:11.960 We are being led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness. 00:06:11.960 --> 00:06:14.600 There were people who were forced into the wilderness, 00:06:14.600 --> 00:06:16.480 who wandered there, who fled there. 00:06:16.480 --> 00:06:18.280 Ishmael fled, not Ishmael. 00:06:20.960 --> 00:06:21.800 Ishmael, yeah. 00:06:22.680 --> 00:06:24.000 Sorry? 00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:26.480 Hagar fled into the wilderness, not Ishmael. 00:06:26.480 --> 00:06:28.200 Hagar fled into the wilderness. 00:06:28.200 --> 00:06:30.020 Cain fled into the wilderness. 00:06:30.020 --> 00:06:33.040 Moses was wandering in the wilderness. 00:06:33.040 --> 00:06:35.360 Elijah ran into the wilderness. 00:06:35.360 --> 00:06:37.480 But we are being led into the wilderness. 00:06:37.480 --> 00:06:40.120 Matthew 4.1 starts with the simple premise 00:06:40.120 --> 00:06:42.920 that Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit. 00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:44.840 And that's great. 00:06:44.840 --> 00:06:46.480 If this is the year of the Holy Spirit, 00:06:46.480 --> 00:06:49.560 and he's leading us into a 40 year time in the wilderness, 00:06:49.560 --> 00:06:50.620 look forward to it. 00:06:54.020 --> 00:06:54.940 Any questions? 00:06:57.160 --> 00:07:00.040 What about the so-called second game 00:07:00.040 --> 00:07:02.780 that you're going to be playing? 00:07:03.620 --> 00:07:08.620 As long as the dove returns with an olive in its mouth, 00:07:10.300 --> 00:07:11.140 I'm good. 00:07:17.300 --> 00:07:18.140 Let me put it this way. 00:07:18.140 --> 00:07:22.260 I'm not predicting what is gonna happen with COVID-19. 00:07:22.260 --> 00:07:25.580 I'm telling you that over the next 40 days, 00:07:25.580 --> 00:07:28.140 the church has to poise itself, prepare itself 00:07:28.140 --> 00:07:30.200 for what will happen after. 00:07:30.200 --> 00:07:33.600 And almost like the raven flying across 00:07:33.600 --> 00:07:36.460 and not coming back into the ark, 00:07:36.460 --> 00:07:38.640 like the dove going and not coming back. 00:07:38.640 --> 00:07:40.240 It was much later after that 00:07:40.240 --> 00:07:42.280 that things actually came to settle. 00:07:42.280 --> 00:07:45.880 But by then Noah's boat had landed on Mount Ararat. 00:07:45.880 --> 00:07:48.960 And I'm saying we have to now poise ourselves 00:07:48.960 --> 00:07:52.000 because God is bringing things to a new launch 00:07:52.000 --> 00:07:53.040 or a new beginning. 00:07:54.960 --> 00:07:56.380 And so come mid-September, 00:07:56.380 --> 00:07:58.620 if the church is not where it needs to be, 00:07:58.620 --> 00:08:00.620 then the world will have its way. 00:08:02.240 --> 00:08:04.420 Time and time again, this has happened guys. 00:08:06.340 --> 00:08:08.500 Again, I go back to the sons of Issachar. 00:08:08.500 --> 00:08:12.940 The sons of Issachar had the ability to look and collate 00:08:12.940 --> 00:08:17.140 and analyze and say, aha, as this has been in the past, 00:08:17.140 --> 00:08:19.820 so it is happening now, so this is what it means. 00:08:19.820 --> 00:08:22.940 And therefore the sons of Issachar were crucial 00:08:22.940 --> 00:08:26.660 to David's conquests and David's reign 00:08:26.660 --> 00:08:30.120 because they had an idea of signs and times. 00:08:32.620 --> 00:08:35.260 That is what we mean by knowing times and seasons, 00:08:35.260 --> 00:08:37.140 not the prophetic necessarily. 00:08:37.140 --> 00:08:40.140 Out of that you can learn how to steward 00:08:40.140 --> 00:08:41.660 God's future agenda. 00:08:42.940 --> 00:08:44.500 And so what we are saying here is 00:08:44.500 --> 00:08:46.060 the global church needs to, 00:08:46.060 --> 00:08:48.380 and I've already spoken to Chad and a few others, 00:08:48.380 --> 00:08:52.340 the global church needs to now get together and say, 00:08:52.340 --> 00:08:55.460 the beginning of the end is coming, 00:08:55.460 --> 00:08:57.740 how shall we position ourselves 00:08:57.740 --> 00:09:00.660 so that the world systems do not run 00:09:00.660 --> 00:09:02.600 how the world will look after? 00:09:04.620 --> 00:09:07.540 Every vacuum begs someone to enter. 00:09:09.420 --> 00:09:12.540 There is no question of a Jezebel succeeding 00:09:12.540 --> 00:09:16.780 as long as the vacuum that was filled by Ahab, 00:09:16.780 --> 00:09:18.780 the vacuum that was created by Ahab 00:09:18.780 --> 00:09:20.060 was not filled by somebody else, 00:09:20.060 --> 00:09:21.600 but Ahab would not move. 00:09:21.600 --> 00:09:24.620 And so in the presence of an Ahab, a Jezebel comes. 00:09:24.660 --> 00:09:26.500 Whenever there's a vacuum, 00:09:26.500 --> 00:09:28.700 either God fills it or the devil fills it. 00:09:28.700 --> 00:09:30.500 When God fills it, he looks for a people. 00:09:30.500 --> 00:09:32.540 And often his cry in the Bible is, 00:09:32.540 --> 00:09:35.000 I looked for a people but I did not find anybody 00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:36.340 because they were sleeping. 00:09:40.980 --> 00:09:42.100 I was saying they were sleeping 00:09:42.100 --> 00:09:44.700 because someone was sleeping, but they were sleeping. 00:09:47.700 --> 00:09:51.980 So, often in the Bible God does that. 00:09:51.980 --> 00:09:53.420 He goes looking for a people 00:09:53.420 --> 00:09:55.620 and then he has to roll up his own sleeve 00:09:55.620 --> 00:09:59.780 and roll up his sleeve and bring salvation by himself. 00:09:59.780 --> 00:10:01.460 I'm saying, my God, what a shame 00:10:01.460 --> 00:10:05.060 if he finds us sleeping when we should be awake. 00:10:05.060 --> 00:10:07.760 More than two months ago, more than a hundred days ago, 00:10:07.760 --> 00:10:10.160 if you look at the scriptures we had discussed, 00:10:10.160 --> 00:10:13.380 I said to you that there must be a post-COVID church, 00:10:13.380 --> 00:10:15.260 there must be a post-COVID response, 00:10:15.260 --> 00:10:17.100 there must be post-COVID planning. 00:10:17.100 --> 00:10:19.940 Businesses are doing it, why is not the church doing it? 00:10:19.940 --> 00:10:21.620 Do you know businesses are doing it? 00:10:21.620 --> 00:10:23.140 Do you know Microsoft is doing it? 00:10:23.980 --> 00:10:25.620 Do you know all the big businesses are planning ahead? 00:10:25.620 --> 00:10:27.300 Do you know institutions are doing it? 00:10:27.300 --> 00:10:29.460 But one person that doesn't do it is the church 00:10:29.460 --> 00:10:32.260 because we've gotten so used to the blooming live stream now. 00:10:32.260 --> 00:10:33.660 We're getting highly techie. 00:10:43.340 --> 00:10:46.180 So, please don't look at this as some kind of a prediction 00:10:46.180 --> 00:10:49.580 on when the virus will dissipate or disintegrate 00:10:49.580 --> 00:10:51.000 or when a vaccine will come. 00:10:51.000 --> 00:10:53.320 This is about, oh God, you're giving us 00:10:53.320 --> 00:10:56.160 till mid-September to prepare the church globally 00:10:58.000 --> 00:11:02.480 so that we are poised to take on what happens after this 00:11:02.480 --> 00:11:04.080 as the top of mountains become visible 00:11:04.080 --> 00:11:06.320 and as doves don't come back to the ark. 00:11:07.840 --> 00:11:09.640 I know that sounds a little abstract, 00:11:09.640 --> 00:11:11.760 but it'll flesh out as we go on. 00:11:14.260 --> 00:11:15.380 And don't think we are the only ones 00:11:15.380 --> 00:11:17.040 who are probably hearing this. 00:11:17.040 --> 00:11:18.940 Many small churches and big churches like us 00:11:18.940 --> 00:11:20.600 all across the earth will be hearing it. 00:11:20.600 --> 00:11:22.960 Guys, the one thing that happens once you get popular 00:11:22.960 --> 00:11:25.480 is you will have to, once you become popular, 00:11:25.480 --> 00:11:28.320 begin to cater to those that have made you popular, 00:11:28.320 --> 00:11:30.440 which is why God sometimes has to choose 00:11:30.440 --> 00:11:32.680 nobodies to bring his message forth. 00:11:34.820 --> 00:11:37.520 The biggest problem with popularity in today's world 00:11:37.520 --> 00:11:39.920 is that now you become a focus. 00:11:39.920 --> 00:11:42.280 Every word you say has to be measured 00:11:42.280 --> 00:11:46.680 because if you say a wrong word, you can be finished. 00:11:47.680 --> 00:11:51.280 And so God has to use nobodies to release his word, 00:11:51.280 --> 00:11:53.240 but he'll use a thousand nobodies 00:11:53.240 --> 00:11:54.740 instead of one popular person. 00:11:59.840 --> 00:12:00.680 God is smart. 00:12:01.640 --> 00:12:02.840 He doesn't need Twitter. 00:12:09.260 --> 00:12:13.580 So here's what I'm doing through this teaching, 00:12:13.580 --> 00:12:16.600 and I'm doing, I will be doing over the next few weeks. 00:12:17.520 --> 00:12:18.720 I'm calling a holy convocation. 00:12:18.720 --> 00:12:19.560 It's a big word. 00:12:19.560 --> 00:12:21.080 It's a word almost never used. 00:12:21.080 --> 00:12:22.720 Even the NIV doesn't use it. 00:12:22.720 --> 00:12:24.320 Only KJV uses it. 00:12:24.320 --> 00:12:26.120 But the idea of a holy convocation 00:12:26.120 --> 00:12:28.520 was the idea of an assembly, 00:12:28.520 --> 00:12:31.280 where in the KJV, say for instance, 00:12:31.280 --> 00:12:35.160 when they would have Passover or stuff like that, 00:12:35.160 --> 00:12:37.120 I think in Exodus 12 or somewhere it says, 00:12:37.120 --> 00:12:40.040 and so call a holy convocation. 00:12:40.040 --> 00:12:41.240 Get people together. 00:12:41.240 --> 00:12:43.400 And so this is what we're trying to do. 00:12:43.400 --> 00:12:44.640 Call a holy convocation. 00:12:44.640 --> 00:12:47.280 I'm summoning the leaders of the church, 00:12:47.280 --> 00:12:51.960 both locally at Acts 29 and in other parts of the world. 00:12:51.960 --> 00:12:54.520 And let us fast and be fed. 00:12:54.520 --> 00:12:56.760 Let us fast and be fed. 00:12:56.760 --> 00:12:59.940 As in, let us fast before God so that he can feed us. 00:13:00.800 --> 00:13:02.980 Let us serve at his convenience. 00:13:02.980 --> 00:13:05.880 Let us fast, and we'll talk about that. 00:13:06.800 --> 00:13:08.460 Let us fast and be fed. 00:13:09.660 --> 00:13:11.280 Let us serve at his convenience. 00:13:11.280 --> 00:13:14.920 Not even at his pleasure, but serve at his convenience. 00:13:17.280 --> 00:13:19.280 Sometimes it's easy to serve at his pleasure 00:13:19.280 --> 00:13:22.800 at my convenience, but serve at his convenience. 00:13:25.500 --> 00:13:28.240 Let us study and make everything according to the pattern 00:13:28.240 --> 00:13:29.080 that he prescribes. 00:13:29.080 --> 00:13:31.840 Let us study and make everything according to the pattern 00:13:33.840 --> 00:13:35.020 he prescribes. 00:13:41.560 --> 00:13:42.400 Let us fast. 00:13:58.680 --> 00:14:01.520 It talks about it in Exodus 25, verse 40 00:14:01.520 --> 00:14:03.640 where God says to Moses, listen Moses, 00:14:03.640 --> 00:14:05.560 all the patterns that I showed you on the mountain, 00:14:05.560 --> 00:14:07.760 make sure that everything you build here on Earth 00:14:07.760 --> 00:14:10.640 is based on the patterns I showed you on the mountain. 00:14:10.640 --> 00:14:14.100 would you please show us as a church because you are launching us again, 00:14:14.100 --> 00:14:19.100 relaunching your bride, relaunching your bride. 00:14:21.180 --> 00:14:25.420 You know, it's, we will never see the, 00:14:27.220 --> 00:14:29.820 we may never see on this side of the earth, 00:14:31.160 --> 00:14:36.160 the effect of our work, our prayer, our toil, 00:14:37.160 --> 00:14:42.160 our declarations with regard to the first 40 days between say March 23rd and May 00:14:44.600 --> 00:14:46.840 4th. We will never see the outcome of it, 00:14:47.040 --> 00:14:48.800 how the globe was affected because of that. 00:14:48.960 --> 00:14:53.360 We will never see the spiritual battles and the results of it on this side of 00:14:53.360 --> 00:14:57.120 the earth, but we know what happened during that time. 00:14:59.040 --> 00:15:02.200 And in the same way, now, as we prepare for the next 40 days, 00:15:02.520 --> 00:15:04.240 know that some of these things, 00:15:04.600 --> 00:15:08.360 the little people in a little church speak has global impact. 00:15:08.920 --> 00:15:12.280 It has always been that way. It has always been that way. 00:15:13.080 --> 00:15:14.640 One of the things I'm so convinced about, 00:15:14.640 --> 00:15:17.640 and I was repeating it again and again till about six weeks ago, 00:15:17.840 --> 00:15:22.680 is that I am a majority of one because I am walking with God and speaking what 00:15:22.680 --> 00:15:24.920 he wants spoken and that on the earth, 00:15:24.920 --> 00:15:29.760 things are rot when any ordinary person has the ability to hear and then declare 00:15:29.760 --> 00:15:32.320 what God is saying. Because that is how God works. 00:15:33.120 --> 00:15:34.720 The Bible is alive and well. 00:15:34.880 --> 00:15:37.880 The Bible is more alive today than it has ever been. 00:15:39.200 --> 00:15:42.760 The Old Testament stories are patterned so that we may take them and affect them 00:15:42.760 --> 00:15:43.600 here on earth. 00:15:44.800 --> 00:15:48.080 I really can't tell you stories that publicly, 00:15:48.080 --> 00:15:52.040 I cannot tell you stories that are rot because you hear God and say one thing 00:15:52.040 --> 00:15:55.840 somewhere and governments topple. Men are raised, men fall. 00:15:55.840 --> 00:16:00.840 It is the same way that Zerubbabel used to deal with in Zechariah that can be 00:16:00.840 --> 00:16:01.680 done even now. 00:16:02.920 --> 00:16:06.680 The reason I'm saying this to you is because you need to be encouraged 00:16:06.680 --> 00:16:09.880 somewhere deep in your heart that God operates this way. 00:16:10.120 --> 00:16:15.120 He will always skin down 30,000 to 300 so that we very clearly know where the 00:16:16.160 --> 00:16:18.840 power comes from, where the power went out from, 00:16:19.000 --> 00:16:21.760 and who deserves the glory for the power. 00:16:22.680 --> 00:16:24.580 So I'm calling a holy convocation, 00:16:24.580 --> 00:16:25.680 summoning the leaders, 00:16:27.920 --> 00:16:30.280 asking that we fast so that God can feed, 00:16:30.360 --> 00:16:33.280 that we serve at his convenience, serve at his convenience, 00:16:33.280 --> 00:16:35.120 not when you have built your house, 00:16:35.320 --> 00:16:38.760 not when you have completed your marriage, 00:16:38.760 --> 00:16:40.720 not when you finished your degree, 00:16:40.920 --> 00:16:44.120 not when your work is done at his convenience, 00:16:44.120 --> 00:16:45.360 at his convenience. 00:16:46.520 --> 00:16:47.680 Not when you are a Christian, 00:16:47.680 --> 00:16:48.760 not when you have a Christian, 00:16:48.960 --> 00:16:50.280 not when you are a Christian, 00:16:50.280 --> 00:16:58.740 convenience at his convenience and make everything just like the pattern shown 00:16:58.740 --> 00:17:02.820 on the mountain so that God can easily discharge command saying hey Mike here 00:17:02.820 --> 00:17:09.500 go speak this from your balcony facing east because I have found you faithful 00:17:09.500 --> 00:17:14.420 hey Manoj go speak this from your balcony facing south because I have 00:17:14.420 --> 00:17:23.860 found you pure hey Shikha speak in Coquitlam because I have found you 00:17:23.860 --> 00:17:28.100 seeking me more than you used to 00:17:30.780 --> 00:17:37.540 fasting is not so that we may show God how humble we are fasting is not so that 00:17:37.540 --> 00:17:43.600 we may get extra bonuses from God when I'm talking about fasting here in the 00:17:43.600 --> 00:17:52.800 context of wilderness 40 I'm talking about times of separation so that we 00:17:52.800 --> 00:18:07.520 can intensely focus on God things and so that we may wear sackcloth and weep for 00:18:07.520 --> 00:18:14.960 sometimes the world sometimes the church sometimes for others when was the last 00:18:14.960 --> 00:18:21.920 time you wept for anybody but your child when was the last time you wept for 00:18:21.920 --> 00:18:26.800 anybody but your child or your immediate family so we're not talking about a 00:18:26.800 --> 00:18:33.120 fasting where we are humbling ourselves or rending our garments or no we're 00:18:33.120 --> 00:18:36.640 talking about a fasting that allows us to separate ourselves and in the poor 00:18:36.720 --> 00:18:42.520 process of separation create time time for what time to intensely focus on 00:18:42.520 --> 00:18:46.960 certain things that God may want to bring to us as a church bring to us as 00:18:46.960 --> 00:18:52.360 leaders bring to us as individuals and to wear sackcloth in the sense actually 00:18:52.360 --> 00:18:58.720 find in the heart of God that space where he weeps for things that you can 00:18:58.720 --> 00:19:03.960 then participate in it's a kind of prayer that we know very little of 00:19:04.040 --> 00:19:07.600 because it's not common to our modern times which is supplication 00:19:07.600 --> 00:19:15.480 charismatic churches rarely see supplication or whatever church we are 00:19:15.480 --> 00:19:21.720 called any questions 00:19:30.200 --> 00:19:31.080 you're good tape 00:19:34.680 --> 00:19:41.480 any questions okay so let me describe the wilderness to you the wilderness is 00:19:41.480 --> 00:19:43.600 a place sorry was there a question 00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:54.640 sackcloth and weeping for the world for the church and for others 00:19:59.280 --> 00:20:03.880 the wilderness let me just describe the wilderness to you it's a place that we 00:20:03.880 --> 00:20:09.560 are being invited to that's the first thing that really makes me look forward 00:20:09.560 --> 00:20:14.280 to it this is the part that makes me look forward to it that I'm being 00:20:14.280 --> 00:20:19.640 invited into it one of the things that God said to Israel when Israel was 00:20:19.640 --> 00:20:23.240 going through the wilderness was yes I took you there because I wanted to 00:20:23.240 --> 00:20:27.760 humble you wanted to test you but I wanted to do you good in the end and 00:20:27.760 --> 00:20:32.240 that was with Israel after sinning and being led into the wilderness in this 00:20:32.240 --> 00:20:37.160 case it's not because of sin it is him being is the Spirit of God saying like I 00:20:37.160 --> 00:20:41.240 did with Jesus I'm leading you into the wilderness so you're being invited as a 00:20:41.240 --> 00:20:45.000 church into the wilderness and that kind of wilderness is a place of provision 00:20:45.000 --> 00:20:49.840 is a place of provision as in this is not a place where you dry up shrivel and 00:20:49.840 --> 00:20:54.680 die it's a place for provision it's a place of overwhelming revelation of God 00:20:54.680 --> 00:21:00.200 it is a place where you find an overwhelming revelation of God nobody 00:21:00.320 --> 00:21:03.360 doesn't matter whether you went there because of sin whether you wandered in 00:21:03.360 --> 00:21:06.320 there whether you were sentenced or condemned to the wilderness there is not 00:21:06.320 --> 00:21:10.360 a person in the Bible who went into the wilderness and did not see God like they 00:21:10.360 --> 00:21:14.240 have never seen him before everyone had an overwhelming revelation of God doesn't 00:21:14.240 --> 00:21:17.960 matter whether it's Cain whether it's Elijah whether it's Hagar they all saw 00:21:17.960 --> 00:21:23.960 God that in a way they would have never seen him Acts 29 I say to you huh roll 00:21:23.960 --> 00:21:29.760 up your sleeves consecrate yourself lift up your hearts open your minds because 00:21:29.760 --> 00:21:33.840 of the invitation God is giving you because you can come away from this 00:21:33.840 --> 00:21:38.560 fully provided for invited with an overwhelming revelation of God in the 00:21:38.560 --> 00:21:42.920 next 40 days leading up to mid-september when I say 40 don't start counting the 00:21:42.920 --> 00:21:50.000 hours and minutes it's a place of testing which is what we will focus on a 00:21:50.000 --> 00:21:57.960 lot today it's a place of testing it's a place of encounter an encounter is 00:21:57.960 --> 00:22:01.400 something you haven't had before 00:22:03.600 --> 00:22:07.760 these are things that my heart is excited about I look forward to 00:22:07.760 --> 00:22:11.320 preaching these things because as I preach I begin to see things that I 00:22:11.320 --> 00:22:17.000 aren't in my notes and just excites me to think who are we who are you that who 00:22:17.000 --> 00:22:23.280 are we that you are mindful of us so God who are we that you are mindful of us 00:22:28.960 --> 00:22:34.560 to have a God who wants to bring to us encounters with himself we're not 00:22:34.560 --> 00:22:39.880 talking about no ordinary mortal we're talking about him who is far beyond the 00:22:39.880 --> 00:22:45.400 6800 year orbit of neo wise the comet that we've been trying to see far 00:22:45.400 --> 00:22:49.560 beyond that him encounters with him 00:22:49.560 --> 00:22:56.560 makes you want to go down on your knees man the wilderness is a place of renewal 00:22:56.560 --> 00:23:03.080 of being made new that's his intent with the church anyways and I'm talking about 00:23:03.080 --> 00:23:07.480 the global church not just acts 29 and the wilderness is always a place where 00:23:07.480 --> 00:23:14.520 you return from with power if you read Matthew 4 1 to 11 and Luke 4 1 to 11 00:23:14.520 --> 00:23:19.520 you will find this in Luke 4 the word changes slightly where Luke says that 00:23:19.520 --> 00:23:23.880 Jesus was driven into the wilderness by the Spirit not even led into the 00:23:23.880 --> 00:23:30.760 wilderness by the Spirit he was driven it is best to be led or driven by the 00:23:30.760 --> 00:23:34.920 Spirit I don't know why the word driven is used there but even that is great the 00:23:34.920 --> 00:23:38.240 spirit saying come on Jesus we got things to do don't want to waste a 00:23:38.240 --> 00:23:41.880 single minute of the 40 days we've got to do this we've got to do this we've got 00:23:41.880 --> 00:23:46.440 things to do don't want to waste a single minute of the 40 days 00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:56.280 sometimes going into the wilderness means setting aside the things that you 00:23:56.280 --> 00:24:02.680 presently are focused on this is an invitation to which you can respond 00:24:02.680 --> 00:24:07.400 saying can I bury my dad and mum before I join you I'll turn up there by the 00:24:07.400 --> 00:24:11.280 third day can I come a little later because I got a buddy bury my dad or can 00:24:11.280 --> 00:24:15.800 I just get the inheritance sorted out and then I'll come 00:24:23.760 --> 00:24:31.360 this is why it fascinates me that Peter and John Peter and the sons of Zebedee 00:24:31.360 --> 00:24:35.200 Peter and Andrew and the sons of Zebedee left their nets right where 00:24:35.200 --> 00:24:39.540 they were walked off with Jesus just because he said follow me there was no 00:24:39.540 --> 00:24:44.380 cost analysis there was no time given it was probably damaging to the family 00:24:44.380 --> 00:24:50.260 because Zebedee now is left without his sons and has to mend his nets himself 00:24:50.260 --> 00:24:55.820 and one would now argue oh that is very irresponsible one too bad they were 00:24:55.820 --> 00:25:03.540 praised priorities always mean something else is less prioritized 00:25:03.540 --> 00:25:09.580 the devil's intention through this is to tempt but it is being subsumed with 00:25:09.580 --> 00:25:15.140 God's purpose to test test so devil's intention of tempting is being subsumed 00:25:15.140 --> 00:25:25.500 by God's intention of testing and both are different one is to cause you to 00:25:25.500 --> 00:25:30.660 fall the other is to prove your metal and promote you one is to cause you to 00:25:31.140 --> 00:25:37.140 fall the other is to prove your capacity your metal and METTLE and to promote you 00:25:37.140 --> 00:25:42.180 so the devil's intention to tempt is being subsumed under God's intent or 00:25:42.180 --> 00:25:48.220 purpose to test why in order that he may reveal to us in order that he may 00:25:48.220 --> 00:25:52.700 reveal to us and prove our strength to us against the enemy and against the 00:25:52.700 --> 00:25:55.780 systems of the world that await 00:25:55.780 --> 00:25:59.460 what I was going to say when we when I was talking about the fact that we prayed 00:25:59.460 --> 00:26:05.540 for a long time every week both as a church and as leaders and as groups we 00:26:05.540 --> 00:26:10.580 prayed against things that are happening when COVID first started and I would 00:26:10.580 --> 00:26:14.900 like to say to you that with many others who were praying we were able to prevent 00:26:14.900 --> 00:26:20.580 the irreversible dent that would have been left on the earth and that is 00:26:20.580 --> 00:26:25.500 we were able to prevent the irreversible dent that would have been left on the 00:26:25.500 --> 00:26:30.060 earth had there been no prayer being offered from churches around the world 00:26:30.060 --> 00:26:35.300 if you don't believe it go on Midbar not if you don't not if you don't believe 00:26:35.300 --> 00:26:40.420 it if you don't understand it go on to that YouTube channel Midbar and look for 00:26:40.420 --> 00:26:44.380 a message called behind the scenes and in that it's very clearly explained what 00:26:44.380 --> 00:26:48.340 was happening what is happening and now I look forward to what else God is going 00:26:48.340 --> 00:26:50.740 to do 00:26:55.500 --> 00:27:00.100 so if God's intent or purpose is to test in order to reveal and prove our 00:27:00.100 --> 00:27:05.300 strength what does this testing look like so the Spirit of God will test your 00:27:05.300 --> 00:27:10.020 humility the Spirit of God will test your humility Spirit of God will test 00:27:10.340 --> 00:27:24.700 humility and the testing of humility is basically proving whether you have a 00:27:24.900 --> 00:27:34.220 helpless continuous dependence on God 00:27:36.660 --> 00:27:47.700 displaying a child likeness displaying a return to child likeness 00:27:55.700 --> 00:28:00.980 it'll come up again and again over the next 40 days where you'll find yourself 00:28:00.980 --> 00:28:06.060 struggling with pride struggling with offense struggling with not being 00:28:06.060 --> 00:28:10.540 recognized struggling with not having your way struggling with loss of 00:28:10.540 --> 00:28:15.340 control it'll come up again again and thank God it'll come up again and again 00:28:15.340 --> 00:28:20.060 ever since I started on this process I've been having to fight the fact that 00:28:20.060 --> 00:28:24.140 I'm not childlike for having to fight the fact that I'm not being acknowledged at 00:28:24.140 --> 00:28:28.940 times having to fight the fact that there are times when I'm being offended 00:28:28.940 --> 00:28:34.540 in a sense redemption is a restoration of lost humility redemption is a 00:28:34.540 --> 00:28:45.820 restoration of lost humility as in a return to child likeness a continuous 00:28:45.820 --> 00:28:51.740 dependence on him it is one thing to be intensely helpless and dependent and is 00:28:51.740 --> 00:28:55.740 other another thing to be intensely dependent continuously dependent 00:28:55.740 --> 00:29:06.140 continuous dependence a return to child likeness I look forward to it unafraid 00:29:09.340 --> 00:29:13.420 the next thing he'll test you on is the condition of your heart the condition of 00:29:13.420 --> 00:29:19.340 your heart he'll test you on the condition of your heart he'll test you 00:29:19.340 --> 00:29:22.620 on the condition of your heart 00:29:26.540 --> 00:29:34.220 he'll test you on the condition of your heart and it'll be on two levels one 00:29:34.220 --> 00:29:45.260 when it comes to the cares of the world versus his concerns he will expose the 00:29:45.420 --> 00:29:50.860 conditions of your heart condition of your heart when it comes to the cares 00:29:50.860 --> 00:29:55.980 of the world versus his concerns he will expose the condition of your heart the 00:29:55.980 --> 00:30:02.780 thing with testing is no test can happen without an expo exposing of what 00:30:02.780 --> 00:30:12.460 actually is the whole idea of a test is let me show you what is 00:30:13.260 --> 00:30:18.220 and once I've shown you what is let me show you what can be and now the 00:30:18.220 --> 00:30:22.220 question is which one do you choose 00:30:34.220 --> 00:30:38.860 when we talk about the cares of the world versus concerns of his heart 00:30:39.820 --> 00:30:43.180 remember there are four things that are struggling against it we haven't talked 00:30:43.180 --> 00:30:46.220 about it for a while so I'm quickly going over it family 00:30:53.100 --> 00:31:05.260 money work possessions these are the cares of the world and at the center is Christ and the body 00:31:08.860 --> 00:31:18.220 he'll test your heart why because what he wants to do is bring the church 00:31:18.220 --> 00:31:24.380 globally and locally into a place where once again he can fill in the vacuum that nobody else will 00:31:24.380 --> 00:31:30.940 that what has been thwarted in terms of what the enemy planned to do will not just be left 00:31:30.940 --> 00:31:36.860 thwarted but the world gets a second chance and who else would he speak to than his own people his 00:31:36.860 --> 00:31:41.660 own body his own sons and daughters who does he want to accomplish things through does he really 00:31:41.660 --> 00:31:46.060 want to roll up his mighty arm and intervene himself or does he want to stop repeating the 00:31:46.060 --> 00:31:51.660 scriptures from Isaiah and Jeremiah where he said I look for somebody and found nobody therefore 00:31:51.660 --> 00:31:56.780 I rolled up my mighty arm it's not his favorite scripture it is not his favorite scripture 00:31:58.780 --> 00:32:04.380 his thing is when I look for somebody I want to find somebody I don't want to roll up my mighty 00:32:04.380 --> 00:32:09.660 arm which father wants to do it continuously isn't he looking for his sons saying who's going 00:32:09.660 --> 00:32:21.900 to step up Ruth do I need to call out anything no tables in the way man you're being picky aren't you 00:32:29.420 --> 00:32:30.460 it's all your fault Ruth 00:32:30.940 --> 00:32:38.300 where are the people who helped move the table I can't find them today 00:32:44.460 --> 00:32:45.980 okay you can stay in Vancouver 00:32:52.860 --> 00:32:56.300 happy okay it's checking 00:33:00.860 --> 00:33:04.300 the other thing that God will test is 00:33:07.660 --> 00:33:11.820 deceit of the heart versus non-concealment 00:33:14.700 --> 00:33:21.100 decease deceit of the heart versus non-concealment as in Jacob over this time can I bring you to a 00:33:21.100 --> 00:33:28.620 place where there's less and less deceit and more and more and more and more and more and more and 00:33:29.580 --> 00:33:35.180 more and more non-concealment in all your ways in your dealings with people in your dealings with me 00:33:35.180 --> 00:33:38.460 in your dealings with the world in the dealings with your own heart that they 00:33:39.020 --> 00:33:42.700 that that scripture won't apply to you that the heart is deceitful above all 00:33:42.700 --> 00:33:47.820 will no longer apply to you that there be non-concealment 00:33:47.820 --> 00:33:58.140 God needs a people like this if you're going to if he plans to relaunch his body his bride to fill 00:33:58.140 --> 00:34:05.740 in the vacuum why is it do you realize that everything the enemy does is a counterfeit of 00:34:05.740 --> 00:34:10.540 what God is doing that the enemy by himself is not very creative because he's a finite being 00:34:11.020 --> 00:34:15.260 doing that the enemy by himself is not very creative because he's a finite being 00:34:17.660 --> 00:34:23.180 that if the world is preparing for a post-covid era why is it that the spirit of God is not able 00:34:23.180 --> 00:34:28.700 to get our attention to prepare for a post-covid era that there is more to the church than being 00:34:28.700 --> 00:34:33.180 able to live stream services so that people are fed for two hours once a week 00:34:33.180 --> 00:34:42.620 that there is a voice here on earth that there is a people here on earth amongst whom he dwells 00:34:45.580 --> 00:34:51.420 that he is absolute king and does whatever he pleases and he is sovereign god the lord of heaven 00:34:51.420 --> 00:35:00.620 and earth those titles haven't been removed from him the next thing he'll test he'll test his 00:35:01.100 --> 00:35:06.380 he'll test your obedience to his word he'll test your obedience he'll test your obedience to the 00:35:06.380 --> 00:35:19.500 word under pressure from your culture test your obedience to the word under pressure from culture 00:35:30.780 --> 00:35:36.060 and when i say culture i mean acts 29 culture may put pressure on you and then there is a word of 00:35:36.060 --> 00:35:41.580 god that comes to you who will you obey your school friends may put pressure on you and then 00:35:41.580 --> 00:35:48.860 there is a word who will you obey the government or people around you put pressure on you to behave 00:35:48.860 --> 00:36:00.220 a certain way who will you obey he will test your obedience to the word under pressure from culture 00:36:01.100 --> 00:36:04.700 so 00:36:06.780 --> 00:36:10.380 as the begins to test these things they'll become more and more obvious 00:36:13.820 --> 00:36:18.940 they'll become more and more obvious and every time god brings it up don't shy away from it 00:36:18.940 --> 00:36:25.340 don't avoid it don't come up with sunday school answers for it face it wrestle through it let him 00:36:25.340 --> 00:36:32.460 hurt you because the blows of a friend though they hurt initially are meant for your good 00:36:33.180 --> 00:36:41.340 let him hurt you god's questions and god's ways can be piercing they penetrate them the easiest 00:36:41.340 --> 00:36:46.060 way to avoid them is to just come up with a sunday school answer like oh sorry oh god forgive me 00:36:46.060 --> 00:36:51.100 forgive me forgive me yeah forgive me he does but the problem is never dealt with 00:36:55.340 --> 00:37:01.660 he will test you to prove whether you live by the word that proceeds from his mouth or whether you 00:37:01.660 --> 00:37:12.620 live by self-generated means he'll test you to prove whether you live by every word 00:37:14.780 --> 00:37:17.260 that proceeds from the mouth of god 00:37:17.580 --> 00:37:19.420 that proceeds from the mouth of god 00:37:25.100 --> 00:37:30.780 or whether you live by self-generated means 00:37:34.220 --> 00:37:36.540 self-generated means of sustenance 00:37:41.100 --> 00:37:44.620 like bread which is what the devil was trying to get jesus to do 00:37:47.260 --> 00:37:54.380 prove me in this oh god you know one of the reasons god does not have the ability to prove me in this 00:37:54.380 --> 00:37:59.900 it is because if i decide that bread is the only means i'm going to live by there is no question of 00:37:59.900 --> 00:38:05.260 proving me because i have to go look for the proceeding word of god every morning father today 00:38:05.260 --> 00:38:10.860 what do you have find the proceeding word as in what is the word today oh god that proceeds out of 00:38:10.860 --> 00:38:20.700 your mouth this is why one needs to fast to be fed as in find time to separate to him so that he can 00:38:20.700 --> 00:38:26.140 feed what does he feed you his proceeding word and what does he say as he feeds you his proceeding 00:38:26.140 --> 00:38:32.620 word that you jacob shall not live by bread by stuff you can bake and create with your own hands 00:38:32.620 --> 00:38:39.980 but you shall live as i prepare the church you shall live by the words of god you shall live 00:38:40.220 --> 00:38:44.780 by the words that come out of my mouth so that you will be effective here on earth because 00:38:44.780 --> 00:38:51.020 everything i do jacob since the beginning of time has been with my words everything i've done is 00:38:51.020 --> 00:38:55.900 through my words can you hear me so that you can repeat them because that's why that's how i've 00:38:55.900 --> 00:39:03.820 always done things this is the church that he's calling forth raising up saying can you step into 00:39:03.820 --> 00:39:06.300 the gap or do i have to roll up my sleeves and do it myself 00:39:08.780 --> 00:39:16.620 thank god for the influence we have today through just divine connections that god has given us all 00:39:16.620 --> 00:39:24.700 over the earth that allows a simple truth released by god into a small church like this to begin to 00:39:24.780 --> 00:39:32.940 go across oceans go across nations we do not realize the power of the mustard seed 00:39:35.340 --> 00:39:39.180 all it takes is a mustard seed that is planted with care 00:39:39.180 --> 00:39:43.820 and absolute belief and you do not realize how much that mustard seed can do 00:39:43.820 --> 00:39:48.940 him 00:39:53.900 --> 00:40:00.700 he will test to you see if you can look past the scorching sun the desert creatures the hunger and 00:40:00.700 --> 00:40:05.820 thirst and spot the table that he has prepared for you in the presence of your enemies he will 00:40:05.820 --> 00:40:10.860 test to see during this time whether jacob you can lift your eyes off the scorching sun as in 00:40:10.860 --> 00:40:14.780 the hostile terrain that you may presently occupy as in the pressures of life that you're 00:40:14.780 --> 00:40:18.540 facing as in the number of things that you are dealing with as in the things that you're 00:40:18.540 --> 00:40:23.580 believing for as in the things that are breaking down through all that can you look past the 00:40:23.580 --> 00:40:29.020 scorching sun can you look past the desert creatures can you look past the thirst and 00:40:29.020 --> 00:40:34.700 the hunger that you actually feel and if you do you will spot the table that i have prepared for 00:40:34.700 --> 00:40:41.100 you in the presence of your enemies in the middle of a desert you will find that table where you 00:40:41.100 --> 00:40:46.940 can come and get what you need why so that you can go forth and do for the earth that which i want 00:40:46.940 --> 00:40:51.500 to do for the earth because this is really not about you axe 29 this is really not about you my 00:40:51.500 --> 00:40:54.540 beautiful bride it is about the dwellers of the earth 00:40:54.540 --> 00:41:09.820 the angel comes and says to elijah elijah eat because you still have things to do you had to go 00:41:09.820 --> 00:41:21.100 anoint jehu you had to go anoint elijah so eat because he had retired he had decided done i'm done with this 00:41:25.100 --> 00:41:29.100 angels came and ministered to jesus 00:41:32.140 --> 00:41:37.100 because there was a new beginning that jesus was being given he's already lived here on earth for 30 years 00:41:39.740 --> 00:41:45.180 but behold the son of god is being given a new beginning it was not that he didn't have the holy 00:41:45.180 --> 00:41:50.700 spirit but he returns with greater power than he's ever returned as in the expression of power 00:41:54.540 --> 00:42:02.700 these stories were not written for our amusement these stories were written so that we may have an idea of what we can step into in god 00:42:04.700 --> 00:42:10.700 my dad used to tell me stories about his youth not to keep me amused because none of those stories were amusing 00:42:13.500 --> 00:42:17.500 but the stories he told me were so that i would not make the same mistakes that he made 00:42:17.500 --> 00:42:27.900 like trying to catch a duck in a pond that dives as soon as you go to catch it and how he was completely wet and was suspended from school 00:42:27.900 --> 00:42:32.940 and you won't believe it 1976 i did exactly the same thing 00:42:34.940 --> 00:42:42.940 went with a friend to catch one of these little ducks that as soon as you go to grab it it bobs under and it doesn't take much to drown me at that age 00:42:42.940 --> 00:42:52.380 and i come soaking wet and i remember this teacher called anjan sinha mr sinha suspended me immediately some learn some don't 00:42:56.380 --> 00:43:00.380 that was just a clear my throat 00:43:04.380 --> 00:43:08.380 the devil on the other hand will try to poison your relationship with your father 00:43:08.780 --> 00:43:15.580 the same things that he tried with jesus he will come and try with you during these 40 days 00:43:16.300 --> 00:43:21.820 he will make you think your father does not actually like you he will question and put 00:43:22.620 --> 00:43:29.020 suspicion on your sonship and on his fatherhood during this time as you see jacob you're standing 00:43:29.020 --> 00:43:31.340 and doing all this for him what has he done for you lately 00:43:34.380 --> 00:43:36.780 he'll try to poison your relationship with your father 00:43:39.180 --> 00:43:45.980 he'll try to provoke you to take things into your own hands he'll try to provoke you to take things into your own hands 00:43:47.980 --> 00:44:03.980 saying just just do it just just this one chance just do it after this you can repent the thing with the blood of jesus is sometimes it is so easy to think of repenting tomorrow knowing that you can commit a sin today 00:44:08.700 --> 00:44:19.980 he will provoke you to take things into your own hands during this time many churches will do it many churches will not wait for this period but they'll begin to rebel against their governments 00:44:23.980 --> 00:44:37.980 take things into their own hands with a degree of passion or perhaps even having good reasons but in wrong time guys one of the things we have to watch during these next 40 days is the ability to do things 00:44:38.620 --> 00:44:39.180 in time 00:44:42.140 --> 00:44:45.260 people at axe 29 can do good things at the wrong time 00:44:49.580 --> 00:44:53.660 i can do good things at the wrong time i want to be in the timing of god 00:44:53.660 --> 00:44:58.460 how do you find that time by getting up and seeing what the proceeding word of god says 00:45:01.660 --> 00:45:06.620 he can prod you into behavior that betrays the father-son relationship he can prod you into 00:45:06.620 --> 00:45:21.580 behavior as in he can during this time when these tests happen you can just say forget it this is not good for me i'll do my own thing and it just prods you into behavior that is the same as it always has been pre-covid 00:45:21.580 --> 00:45:33.420 pan-covid post-covid this is who i am these sins are part of my life yes this behavior is sorry but nobody is perfect the same old lines let's keep committing the same things we always do 00:45:33.420 --> 00:45:36.940 guys we got to come out better than this jacob has to come out better than this 00:45:40.140 --> 00:45:41.820 because otherwise the earth is left 00:45:45.580 --> 00:45:51.740 untended one of the things that jesus says to adam or god says to adam in the garden of eden is listen 00:45:51.740 --> 00:45:59.420 i've made you someone who tends the earth tends the earth it's not just about being green 00:45:59.980 --> 00:46:03.340 tending is much more than that being my brother's keeper 00:46:07.820 --> 00:46:10.300 and so what happens at the completion of the 40 days 00:46:12.780 --> 00:46:18.940 at the completion of the 40 days you will either be proven as servants fit and ready for new kingdom work 00:46:18.940 --> 00:46:26.220 or not at the end of 40 days we will either be proven you will either be proven as a servant 00:46:26.220 --> 00:46:27.900 who is fit and ready 00:46:30.780 --> 00:46:33.900 for new kingdom work or not 00:46:37.420 --> 00:46:43.180 you know wall-e is like a tiny lab that god is constructing for us so that we can try out some 00:46:43.180 --> 00:46:48.700 of the things that god will teach us over these 40 days in our tiny lab so that we can export it 00:46:48.700 --> 00:46:51.020 around the world i'm looking forward to it 00:46:56.220 --> 00:47:03.340 here's what you should expect to experience guys the words are very deliberate expect to experience 00:47:03.340 --> 00:47:09.260 not here's what you will experience not here's what you could pray for here is what you 00:47:10.380 --> 00:47:14.380 here is what i expect to experience i may be the same for you 00:47:15.900 --> 00:47:22.460 i expect to experience a surge in the power of the holy spirit i expect to experience a surge 00:47:22.460 --> 00:47:27.620 in the power of the Holy Spirit, a surge in the power of the Holy Spirit. It's not 00:47:27.620 --> 00:47:34.260 that I'll have more of the Holy Spirit, it is that I will experience a surge of 00:47:34.260 --> 00:47:44.060 the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in me. I expect to be able to 00:47:44.060 --> 00:47:49.900 throw down a staff and pick up a serpent. 00:47:52.500 --> 00:47:57.340 These are very deliberate things that I'm writing down, so they're not just 00:47:57.340 --> 00:48:05.220 stuff that makes the prose sound better. I expect to be able to throw down things 00:48:05.220 --> 00:48:10.380 that are my security. Moses had a staff that he would always carry, he had been 00:48:10.380 --> 00:48:15.140 a shepherd for 40 years. That staff meant a lot to him and God says throw it down 00:48:15.140 --> 00:48:19.540 and he throws it down, throwing down things that are my security, that the 00:48:19.540 --> 00:48:22.660 things that I have begun to depend on and then picking up things that I'm 00:48:22.660 --> 00:48:27.300 afraid of. He picks up the staff that has now turned into a serpent by its tail 00:48:27.300 --> 00:48:34.220 and the serpent was a symbol of Egypt. You have the ability to throw down a 00:48:34.220 --> 00:48:41.280 staff and pick up a serpent unafraid to pick it up unafraid to throw down what 00:48:41.280 --> 00:48:52.200 is so important to you. I expect to be nomadic in following the pillar of cloud 00:48:52.200 --> 00:49:06.920 at a moment's notice. I expect to be nomadic in following the pillar of cloud 00:49:06.960 --> 00:49:14.200 at a moment's notice where like a nomad I refuse to anchor myself down to a point 00:49:14.200 --> 00:49:18.560 where flexibility decreases. This is a time when the church should be more 00:49:18.560 --> 00:49:31.240 flexible than ever. I expect the church to be able to level mountains and to 00:49:31.240 --> 00:49:40.640 raise foundations with shouts of grace grace. Not by might but not and not by 00:49:40.640 --> 00:49:45.800 spirit power but by the spirit of the Lord. Zechariah 4 is where I'm 00:49:45.800 --> 00:49:49.840 bringing this out from. For in Zechariah 4 it says, Zerubabel what are these 00:49:49.840 --> 00:49:53.200 mountains before you? You will level them and you will raise up the foundations 00:49:53.200 --> 00:49:56.920 of the temple with shouts of grace grace. Level mountains and raise foundations 00:49:56.960 --> 00:50:01.520 with shouts of grace grace. I expect this church to do it for sure and churches 00:50:01.520 --> 00:50:05.680 around who will catch on. Why? Because there'll be mountains that need to be 00:50:05.680 --> 00:50:09.280 leveled. How do you level a mountain? What is a mountain? A mountain is an obstacle 00:50:09.280 --> 00:50:14.680 in the path of the kingdom, in the path of God's agenda and so how do you level 00:50:14.680 --> 00:50:17.680 it? Do you level it again with the one thing that God has always leveled with 00:50:17.680 --> 00:50:22.880 mountains with which is clearly stated in Mark 11 23 where he says speak to it 00:50:23.680 --> 00:50:35.760 tell it what I need to say to it and it shall move. With shouts of grace grace. I 00:50:35.760 --> 00:50:51.160 expect to be authorized I expect to be authorized to shut the heavens and to 00:50:51.160 --> 00:51:01.120 smite the Nile. I expect to be authorized to shut the heavens like Elijah did and 00:51:01.640 --> 00:51:14.640 smite the Nile like Moses did as in when necessary bring judgment and relief. This 00:51:14.640 --> 00:51:20.640 is why God is saying listen I want a church to rise to this capacity. I want 00:51:20.640 --> 00:51:27.840 churches to rise to this capacity. The last time the let me remind you of some 00:51:27.840 --> 00:51:36.080 of the things we've said the last time the earth was shut down like this cannot 00:51:36.080 --> 00:51:42.320 be remembered. Was it World War two or was it World War one more than 84 years 00:51:42.320 --> 00:51:49.880 ago? Was it some never before has a globe been shut down like this. Do not think 00:51:49.880 --> 00:51:54.280 that this is God's plan that this was something that God wanted to do to give 00:51:54.280 --> 00:52:00.160 the earth a Sabbath. God gives the earth a Sabbath without killing the number of 00:52:00.160 --> 00:52:03.160 people that have been killed. 00:52:09.560 --> 00:52:13.160 People are saying oh God was trying to give us a break by shutting down a 00:52:13.160 --> 00:52:17.760 baseball and soccer and football and hockey. Really? All that happened is you 00:52:17.760 --> 00:52:24.600 flip to Netflix and Amazon Prime. That's all that happened. You saw more movies 00:52:24.600 --> 00:52:34.600 than football. To bring judgment and relief. 00:52:34.600 --> 00:52:43.320 Yeah. The next one is something I wanted to avoid. I was talking to Chad last 00:52:43.320 --> 00:52:49.920 night and he brought this up and I thought I won't write it down but he 00:52:49.920 --> 00:52:52.920 wants a church to be persecution ready. 00:53:00.000 --> 00:53:03.000 He wants a church to be persecution ready. 00:53:07.520 --> 00:53:11.560 See the thing with persecution is that it is different in different countries. 00:53:11.560 --> 00:53:17.600 So in India, in North Korea it might be death, in China it might be prison, in 00:53:17.600 --> 00:53:22.880 India it might be a beating, in certain other parts of the world it takes 00:53:22.880 --> 00:53:26.320 different forms. In this part of the world it might be the taking away of 00:53:26.320 --> 00:53:33.080 privileges. It might be being branded a certain kind or a hate monger. But the 00:53:33.080 --> 00:53:36.760 church, one of the things God will do through this, if the church begins to 00:53:36.760 --> 00:53:40.920 function the way it should function post-COVID, then know that God wants a 00:53:40.920 --> 00:53:45.080 church to be persecution ready and it is only a persecution ready church that 00:53:45.080 --> 00:53:49.520 can avoid becoming religious or being co-opted by the people in power. It is 00:53:49.520 --> 00:53:54.720 only a persecution ready church that can escape being religious. The one 00:53:54.720 --> 00:53:59.120 thing that persecution does to churches is churches immediately become religious 00:53:59.120 --> 00:54:04.880 to avoid persecution or they get co-opted by powers so that they become 00:54:04.880 --> 00:54:15.840 part of the state machinery. One or the other happens. These are the things that 00:54:15.840 --> 00:54:20.240 I expect and I expect the church to be the kind of church that you find in 00:54:20.240 --> 00:54:31.440 Revelations 11 and Zechariah 4. Fitting the mold of, stepping into the mold of 00:54:31.440 --> 00:54:41.840 Revelations 11 and Zechariah 4. This is what God's dearest heart yearning is. 00:54:41.840 --> 00:54:44.840 And 00:54:52.200 --> 00:54:54.880 yeah. 00:54:56.360 --> 00:54:59.880 Why should we follow the Holy Spirit into the wilderness for the next six 00:54:59.880 --> 00:55:04.400 weeks? Why should we follow the Holy Spirit into the wilderness for the next 00:55:04.400 --> 00:55:13.000 six weeks? For the sake of the one who loves you and enjoys you. That's one 00:55:13.000 --> 00:55:17.640 reason. Why should I follow the Holy Spirit for the next six weeks into the 00:55:17.640 --> 00:55:24.920 wilderness? Simply because of the one who loves me. He's inviting me. Why 00:55:24.960 --> 00:55:30.320 would I not go? If you read the Song of Songs, she was willing to go in the 00:55:30.320 --> 00:55:35.680 middle of the night looking for a lover. Why would the bride not go looking for 00:55:35.680 --> 00:55:40.400 the bridegroom if he's inviting her? So what if it is into the wilderness? We 00:55:40.400 --> 00:55:44.600 already know that it's a place where we have an encounter and an overwhelming 00:55:44.600 --> 00:55:48.680 revelation of the bridegroom. Why would you not? Why would you not church? Why 00:55:48.680 --> 00:55:54.760 would you not individual? So one of the reasons I would go into the wilderness 00:55:54.760 --> 00:55:58.800 over the next six weeks is because I'm being invited by the one who called me. 00:55:58.800 --> 00:56:03.000 It brings to mind Psalm 80, I think verse 15 or thereabouts where it says, 00:56:03.000 --> 00:56:07.960 Jacob, you are the root my right hand has planted. You are the Sun that I'm raising 00:56:07.960 --> 00:56:17.040 up for myself. My God, why wouldn't I not go? That's one reason. The second reason 00:56:17.040 --> 00:56:23.380 is for the sake of those that I love and enjoy, I would go. I would go 00:56:23.380 --> 00:56:26.800 for your sake. I want to say this categorically. I'll do everything in my 00:56:26.800 --> 00:56:33.140 power with great passion, with labor so that you can enter. I have every 00:56:33.140 --> 00:56:43.660 intention of opening this door so that you can enter. I will labor with a 00:56:43.660 --> 00:56:50.820 tireless intensity by his power flowing through me to present you mature through 00:56:50.820 --> 00:56:58.480 this door so that you get to partake in it. I would do it for your sake. You can 00:56:58.480 --> 00:57:02.400 try no a couple of times, big deal. 00:57:10.040 --> 00:57:15.640 Third reason I would do it is I would do it for the sake of my calling. I would do 00:57:15.640 --> 00:57:19.240 it for the sake of my calling and when I talk about myself, I'm expecting you to 00:57:19.240 --> 00:57:22.780 have exactly the same reasons that you would do it for the sake of your 00:57:22.780 --> 00:57:27.060 calling. There's a purpose that you were appointed to. There's a reason why you 00:57:27.060 --> 00:57:33.000 happen to be at present either a member or connected to or attending Acts 29. Do 00:57:33.000 --> 00:57:36.900 not think that it's coincidence or that your friend is the reason you are here. 00:57:36.900 --> 00:57:46.400 It is very hard to come with a friend and stay in this church. You are here 00:57:46.400 --> 00:57:49.820 because at present God has knit you into this place and if he's knit you 00:57:49.820 --> 00:57:53.640 into this place then there is a calling and purpose that this church has that 00:57:53.640 --> 00:57:59.600 then begins to form an umbrella over you. In Acts 26, Paul is before Agrippa and 00:57:59.600 --> 00:58:04.440 he says to Agrippa, and I saw God in a vision and in that vision he said to me 00:58:04.440 --> 00:58:07.760 I'm sending you to draw those out of darkness into light out of Satan's 00:58:07.760 --> 00:58:13.040 captivity into freedom. Oh King Agrippa, how could I then be disobedient to the 00:58:13.040 --> 00:58:21.560 heavenly vision? We would enter into this because of our calling. The fourth 00:58:21.560 --> 00:58:26.360 reason, I would enter into it for the sake of the kingdom. I would enter into 00:58:26.360 --> 00:58:30.800 it for the sake of the kingdom. Matthew 6 verse 10, your kingdom come, 00:58:30.800 --> 00:58:37.280 your will be done here on earth as it is in heaven. I would do it for the sake of 00:58:37.400 --> 00:58:45.920 the kingdom. For times like this, esthers have been appointed. I would do it for 00:58:45.920 --> 00:58:48.720 the sake of the kingdom. 00:58:54.400 --> 00:58:58.960 And the last reason, I would do it for the sake of the ones who are on earth. 00:58:58.960 --> 00:59:04.600 None of these reasons are less important. I put them all together. I would do it 00:59:04.600 --> 00:59:10.840 for the sake of the ones who are on earth. It's always a contest for land and 00:59:10.840 --> 00:59:17.760 life. From the day that the devil managed to get into Eden, it has always 00:59:17.760 --> 00:59:22.560 been about land and life. The thing that they lost besides the presence of God 00:59:22.560 --> 00:59:28.880 was land that was carved out for them in the eastward part of Eden and they lost 00:59:28.880 --> 00:59:35.680 it and since then it's always been a contest for land and for life and we 00:59:35.680 --> 00:59:42.000 would do it for the sake of the earth in Isaiah 18 verse 3. It says, 00:59:42.000 --> 00:59:47.040 Oh earth dwellers, if you read the message it says, Oh earth dwellers, when you see a 00:59:47.040 --> 00:59:53.920 flag or a signal, pay attention. When you hear the trumpet, listen. God is 00:59:53.920 --> 00:59:58.080 desiring to raise the church so that we can put a flag up on the mountain and we 00:59:58.080 --> 01:00:02.360 can blow the trumpet so that the earth inhabitants of the earth can hear and 01:00:02.360 --> 01:00:06.360 say, Aha! There is rescue. 01:00:11.880 --> 01:00:19.000 I'm done. How shall we begin? Let me cherry-pick scriptures from Hebrews 01:00:19.000 --> 01:00:26.440 chapter 12 and put it on the slide and have you read it. How shall we begin? How 01:00:26.480 --> 01:00:29.920 shall we begin this process? Where shall we start over the next six weeks? We'll 01:00:29.920 --> 01:00:34.280 be going through this. Unfortunately or fortunately depending on your 01:00:34.280 --> 01:00:38.320 perspective, you'll start receiving again 12 minute videos that will help us 01:00:38.320 --> 01:00:44.760 prepare for this. But this is how do we begin? These are scriptures cherry-picked 01:00:44.760 --> 01:00:49.440 from Hebrews 12 to give us a sense of how we begin. Do you see what this means? 01:00:49.440 --> 01:00:56.160 All these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on, it 01:00:56.200 --> 01:01:01.200 means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running and never quit. No 01:01:01.200 --> 01:01:07.760 extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus who both began 01:01:07.760 --> 01:01:12.840 and finished this race we are in. Study how he did it because he never lost sight 01:01:12.840 --> 01:01:17.760 of where he was headed. That exhilarating finish in and with God. He could put up 01:01:17.760 --> 01:01:24.080 with anything along the way, cross, shame, whatever and now and now he's there in 01:01:24.160 --> 01:01:28.840 the place of honor right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in 01:01:28.840 --> 01:01:34.520 faith, go over that story again item by item. That long litany of hostility he 01:01:34.520 --> 01:01:40.160 plowed through that will shoot adrenaline into your souls. Watch out for the Esau 01:01:40.160 --> 01:01:45.920 syndrome, trading away God's lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term 01:01:45.920 --> 01:01:51.260 appetite. You well know how Esau later regretted that impulsive act and wanted 01:01:51.260 --> 01:01:56.900 God's blessing but by then it was too late. Tears or no tears. Make very sure 01:01:56.900 --> 01:02:00.940 that you never refuse to listen to God when he speaks. For the God who spoke on 01:02:00.940 --> 01:02:05.820 the earth from Sinai is the same God who now speaks from heaven. Those 01:02:05.820 --> 01:02:09.940 who heard him speak his living word on earth found nowhere to hide. So what 01:02:09.940 --> 01:02:14.460 chance is there for us to escape if we turn our backs on God and refuse to hear 01:02:14.460 --> 01:02:18.700 his warnings and I would throw in invitation as he speaks from heaven. 01:02:18.700 --> 01:02:23.700 Since we are receiving our rights to an unshakable kingdom, we should be extremely 01:02:23.700 --> 01:02:28.580 thankful and offer God the purest worship that delights his heart as we 01:02:28.580 --> 01:02:33.380 lay down our lives in absolute surrender filled with awe for our God is a holy 01:02:33.380 --> 01:02:38.740 devouring fire. This is where we start. We start with these scriptures from 01:02:38.740 --> 01:02:45.580 Hebrews 12 saying, oh God you're inviting us so that you can change us into a 01:02:45.660 --> 01:02:50.900 church that will benefit the earth and change us like other churches into a 01:02:50.900 --> 01:02:54.420 bride that will benefit the earth. We want to say yes this is where we start. 01:02:54.420 --> 01:03:01.180 Today is just a start but it is so important to release this word so that 01:03:01.180 --> 01:03:12.620 the earth may now prepare. Like I said I will labor with a tireless intensity. I've 01:03:13.340 --> 01:03:17.940 taken this out of Colossians 128 from the Passion translation. I will labor 01:03:17.940 --> 01:03:21.860 with a tireless intensity by the power of the Spirit flowing through me to 01:03:21.860 --> 01:03:27.140 present you mature and you able to walk through this door that God is opening 01:03:27.140 --> 01:03:30.860 for us into the wilderness so that we may become the kind of church he wants 01:03:30.860 --> 01:03:36.260 us to be as he begins to bring us into a post-COVID era so that the earth may 01:03:36.260 --> 01:03:45.780 benefit. So do we say yes? Because I am giving him permission in the church. Not 01:03:45.780 --> 01:03:50.260 that he needs permission but because he's a kind of God he always comes to 01:03:50.260 --> 01:03:55.420 the person in charge. Be it your family, be it a school, be it your own home, be it 01:03:55.420 --> 01:04:01.540 the church. He'll come and say what do you say? And when you say yes then he 01:04:01.540 --> 01:04:05.620 doesn't have to wait anymore because he then says great my people are 01:04:05.620 --> 01:04:11.460 cooperating with me. And so when I say do I give him permission it's not like 01:04:11.460 --> 01:04:17.260 he needs my permission but giving him permission allows him to do what he 01:04:17.260 --> 01:04:21.580 would otherwise have to work really hard at because the one thing it does not 01:04:21.580 --> 01:04:31.140 violate is the free will of man. We're gonna end with that song. Here I am down 01:04:31.460 --> 01:04:39.380 on my knees again and as I sing that a couple of times could you please say yes 01:04:39.380 --> 01:04:43.700 could you give him your will because the only thing that you have to give is 01:04:43.700 --> 01:04:49.380 nothing else than your will. The breath you have is not yours, the money you have 01:04:49.380 --> 01:04:56.300 is not yours, the body you have is not yours, the promises you have are not 01:04:56.340 --> 01:05:02.180 yours, the future is not yours, you've got nothing to give him. The only thing 01:05:02.180 --> 01:05:06.540 that you have that you can give him that is entirely yours because he decided 01:05:06.540 --> 01:05:09.980 that it is the only thing a man will possess that he can have ownership over 01:05:09.980 --> 01:05:17.580 is your will. So as we sing this see if you can surrender your will to him. Do 01:05:17.580 --> 01:05:21.540 not surrender your will to him as in oh Jesus I surrender myself to you. Come 01:05:21.540 --> 01:05:26.260 with it in the context of what has been spoken. Oh God you are inviting us as a 01:05:26.260 --> 01:05:30.700 church to step into the wilderness. I lay down my will I say yes to you so 01:05:30.700 --> 01:05:35.060 that we may become the church that you want us to so that you can bless the 01:05:35.060 --> 01:05:40.460 earth. Remember we are a majority of one do not sell yourself do not sell 01:05:40.460 --> 01:05:44.540 yourself short but do not sell your God short.