We are called to be an influence in the midst of difficulty and calamity. Bill Johnson teaches through Psalm 91 in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak. Let’s position our hearts to usher in the answer through the wonderful message of the gospel.

[Applause]

man what a amazing selection of songs I

was about to get lost on that blessing

song that song was just written by the

way if you don’t know it

Steve Steve verdict and and Carrie joven

and the husband and the funk yeah Cody

and buncha bunchems just wrote that

which is like a prescription God wrote

you know a couple of weeks ago for

what’s going on right now and the

blessings beat curses in the in the

Bible people would suffer with a curse

to the third and fourth generation but

blessings go to the thousandth

generation because it’s superior in

every way and it’s critical that we

adjust our thinking our anticipation or

expectation of prayers or everything

according to the lifestyle of heaven the

way God thinks the way he lives and he’s

not intimidated about anything if you

know decide who’s going to shape your

thinking decide hurry if you have more

input from the media than you do from

the Word of God your depression is your

responsibility your discouragement your

heaviness of heart is self-inflicted

turn the thing off and turn this thing

on I’m serious just adjust why because

we’ve been called to be an influence in

the midst of difficulty and Clementi

doesn’t matter what the situation is we

are always there to be not the we are

not the answer but we usher in the

answer through the wonderful wonderful

message of the gospel and this is the

privilege that we have as as believers

an illustration I’ve been using for the

last several years seems to be even more

fitting than it has been in recent times

and that is what you see in scriptures

you see that Israel in the wilderness

when it was in the heat of the day God

would manifest as a cloud covering the

shelter to bring coolness in the cold of

the night he was there as a pillar of

fire he shows up opposite to his

surroundings so how does he show up in a

virus in a pandemic he shows up as the

solution the redemptive solution to

bring healing to people’s bodies I agree

completely with what Christos led him in

prayer is this is supposed to be the

ignition point the ignition point for a

massive healing revival unlike the world

has ever seen

I believe eclipsing what took place in

the 50s which was the greatest thing I

believe the world had ever seen the

things that took place in that

particular period of time I remember

talking to one of the revivalist a man

who was alive during that era to see

what God was doing and he told me at one

time there would be up to 350 revival

tents scattered all across the nation

with miracles taking place unlike

anything had been seen before and I

believe what God is is doing right now

is going to eclipse that but we’ve got a

position of hearts for that and so our

online community this is a we always are

thrilled that you are there but but we

you just grew in number because we won’t

let our people come to church today so

and we’ll let you know week by week what

we’re doing but we’re really really

thankful for our online community and

today I just want to bless all of you

we’re going to receive Communion at the

end if you joined us just recently we’re

going to receive communion at the end of

the service we’ve got these little cups

set up with the wafer included so I

would encourage you those of you that at

home or your place of business if it’s

possible at all for you to get communion

supplies together I’d like for you to do

that so that you can join us I believe

it’s going to be a prophetic release of

power for us our church family our

households as well as for this nation in

the nations of the world so I want us to

look today at Psalms 91 so if you had

open your Bibles to that

do that please by the way I want to

suggest that everybody download the

antivirus software called the power of

the Holy Spirit the antivirus software

his name is Jesus and he is manifest

through the power of the Holy Spirit it

is not a philosophy remains a philosophy

you’re vulnerable to the virus to all

all all things credi so I just I just

declare the good news that Jesus is our

antivirus software and hopefully every

one of us can find something to really

grab hold of out of this 91st psalm

today so it’s my personal conviction I

know guilt or shame for anybody who is

suffering with this virus please wear

pray for it that that as a result of our

gathering today that multitudes of

people would be absolutely healed a

visitation of God that we’re going to

set something up in in the coming weeks

where people with the virus will be able

to call in or do FaceTime or something

Kevin Dedmon had a suggestion this week

so we’re going to try to figure out how

we can do that and have have our phones

or our screens occupied by believing

believers and pray for people around the

world with this disease because we’re we

believe that in every hellish situation

Jesus has predetermined to get

vindication he is predetermined to

reverse the effects into the promotion

of the gospel he didn’t start this thing

but he he is prepared to reverse its

effects so what if what if fear threw a

party and nobody showed up that’s that’s

kind of what I’m thinking about this

whole thing that’s this is just my

opinion but I believe the virus is real

I believe it’s very serious but I

believe what’s happening around the

nation’s is 5% virus and 95% fear and

right now it seems to me that viruses is

writing the wings of fear

and you can’t you know you can’t embrace

fear in love the embracing of fear is

the rejection of love and we’re going to

look in this particular study today that

the love of God is one of the things

that abiding in love actually repels

affliction infirmity and helps us to

live integration alright enough of the

warm-ups let’s just get into the word

and let’s begin with verse 1 in fact you

know what I want to read the whole psalm

and then we’re gonna back up and go back

through verse by verse all right so

let’s just read the whole thing

I’m reading out of New King James the

title of the psalmist safety of abiding

in the presence of God oh here’s my

prayer I believe that the manifest

presence of God upon his people is the

key to divine health and learning to

host him learning to yield to her to him

learning to cooperate with him is what

he is going to train us in and teach us

in in this particular season come on in

guys come on we’ve got a worship team

looking for places to sit so let’s come

on in we’ve got seats all over here so

and those of you online just crawl

through the screen no I’m just kidding

all right all right

verse 1 of Psalms 91 he who dwells in

the secret place of the Most High shall

abide under the shadow of the Almighty I

will say of the Lord he is my refuge in

my fortress my god in him will I trust

surely he shall deliver you from the

snare of the Fowler from the perilous

pestilence he shall cover you with his

feathers under his wings you shall take

refuge his truth shall be your shield

and buckler you shall not be afraid of

the terror by night nor of the arrow

that flies by day nor of the pestilence

that walks in darkness nor of the

destruction that lays waste at noonday a

thousand may fall at your side and ten

thousand at your right hand but it shall

not come near you only with your eyes

shall you look and see the reward of the

wicked

because you have made the Lord who is my

refuge even the most high your dwelling

place no evil shall befall you nor shall

any plague come near your dwelling for

he shall give his angels charge over you

to keep you in all your ways in their

hands they shall bear you up unless you

dash your foot against a stone you shall

tread upon the lion in the Cobra the

young lion and the serpent you shall

trample underfoot because he has set his

love upon me therefore I will deliver

him I will set him on high because he

has known my name he shall call upon me

and I will answer with it answer him I

will be with him in trouble I will

deliver him and honor him with long life

I will satisfy him and show him my

salvation this is a wonderfully well

known Psalm because of its the element

of safety the element of protection the

elephant element of vindication in a

sense

throughout this Psalm so I want us to go

through this because I believe there are

some specifics that the Lord would want

us to take hold of today especially in

light of this that is going on all over

the world and today is supposed to be

the day where we start a revival series

I am I am but we’re gonna restart but I

am this is what I’m doing this is just

this is this is revival flavored

antivirus software is what it is all

right but he who dwells verse one this

we’re gonna go through a verse by verse

all right so please follow with me in

your Bibles he who dwells in the secret

place of the Most High shall abide under

the shadow of the Almighty stop right

there

he who dwells you remember the scripture

talks about abiding in Christ if we

abide in him his words abide in us when

it talks about dwelling in the shelter

of the Almighty we’re not talking about

a point of theology we’re talking about

a lifestyle

in other words it’s not just a verse

you’ve memorized it’s supposed to be the

developing of an ongoing lifestyle of a

consciousness and awareness of the by

the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit

many people stopped short of a divine

encounter because they’re satisfied with

good theology the word is the invitation

to meet the person this is not supposed

to be just a verse I quote that’s

valuable it’s supposed to be the

endeavor of my heart is the discovery of

the manifest presence of God upon me as

a surrendered Sun upon me as a yielded

vessel he says he who dwells in the

shelter of the Almighty shall abide

under the shadow of his wings the shadow

of the Almighty the shadow is a dark

place I’ll never forget I my grandmother

my mom’s mom she was losing her eyesight

and and so many of us would read I would

take ten turns reading to her from the

scripture she would memorize entire

Psalms and my uncle would memorize books

of the Bible they were just into that

memory thing which becomes contagious

after a while you know and I would sit

down I remember she wanted me to read

her a particular book by Corrie ten Boom

and in this book it was as I recall it

was some sort of a of a devotional book

that she had written and in this book

she talked about dwelling under the

shadow of the Almighty as she made this

statement and I’ve never been able to

shake it thankfully she made this

statement that sometimes it’s dark

because he’s so close

sometimes it’s his nearness that causes

things to be out of focus

it’s that shadow of presence and

sometimes we we miss state the moment

that we’re in by by natural

interpretation instead of the

realization of what scripture says

scripture says you’re in the shadow of

the Almighty so the people who turn

their affection towards the ongoing

manifestation of the abiding presence of

the Spirit of God those people dwell in

a habitation that even when it’s dark

it’s only a

testimony of his nearness verse 2

alright I’m back I think I will say of

the Lord he is my refuge and my fortress

and my God in him I will trust I will

say of the Lord is my refuge my fortress

my god in him I will trust this is the

only proactive position in the saw one

is implied later but this one is the the

action point of this song and as I will

say of the Lord he is my refuge my

portion in him I trust I always take

this and I turn it into a personal

declaration God you are the one that I

trust you and you are my refuge and and

for years when I come to that I don’t

like the wording because I want to make

it personal and then it hit me the

wording is chosen for a reason we are so

supposed to confess and declare that he

is our trust but this is actually a

confession we are to make to one another

I will say of the Lord it’s important

that we guard what we say to people to

one another to the community you’re in

their grocery store yesterday I was on a

plane flying back from New Mexico from a

healing conference of all things packed

with people that were living the

antivirus thing you know and I sat next

to a lady who she said I I wish I didn’t

have to fly I’d rather not be in here

and she was wiping everything down with

sanitizing call which i think is smart

let me come back to that common sense

needs to be embraced

just on that common sense be the hiding

place of fear there there are some

people that are that are saying right

now taking any precaution is an act of

fear now don’t be stupid

don’t play with a rattlesnake and call

it faith

I feel better so the lady next to me was

wiping everything down she said would

you like one of these I said now I’ve

got the liquid stuff I’ve already done

it I’m I’m good

she said I wish I didn’t have have to

fly I’m you know she’s just very afraid

and that’s where you step in and just

just you don’t want ever want to make

somebody feel ashamed for their fear you

don’t ever want to do that you just want

to throw them a lifeline that’s all

don’t don’t make people feel guilty

because they’re struggling with fear

because you know some people have lost

loved ones other people have they have a

history of sickness they’ve got a reason

for it

you know don’t don’t make people feel

guilty for for their struggle just throw

them a lifeline just be Hope Center both

hopelessness and hope are contagious

choose how how infectious you want to be

alright so here it is he says he was I

will say of the Lord he is my refuge my

fortress my god in him I will trust so

when I was thinking about this here’s

this passage in Colossians it says let

the word of Christ dwell in you richly

in all wisdom teaching and admonishing

one another in Psalms hymns spiritual

songs singing with grace in your hearts

to the Lord what is that it’s actually a

confession of truth scripture and even

in song it’s interesting they would

apply Psalms hymns spiritual songs

Psalms are biblical songs hymns are

things that were written in things songs

that have been written spiritual songs

are spontaneous and they actually there

are times for them to be sung to each

other which is not a practice that we

that we do but we should maybe

learn how to do it except some of you

just saying softly yeah I’m talking

about as a badger as bad bad Joe else

yeah that was like when Chris went to

visit my dad when he was in his final

days Chris said I feel like I’m supposed

to sing over you and and my dad asked

him to sing on the hill far away and he

said you mean the song on the hill far

away she’s no on a hill far away so he

was always good with a good sense of

humor some excuse me

so here it says I will say of the Lord

there’s another place in Isaiah 35 where

it says and I’ll just read it to you

quickly here it says that we say to the

one with weak knees with feeble heart be

strong take courage and the very next

verse says then the eyes of the blind

will be open then the ears the tongue of

the dumb will be loosed it’s it’s

gardening what we say to each other

being being intentional in our decrees

to one another is a huge part of this

thing we call faith this life of faith

this thing that we call the faith that

we are in this faith in Christ is walk

with Christ it’s the it’s the caution

but it’s the proactive position of

declaring what God has said what God is

saying in this environment and not

feeding and fueling this this fear

element that is gripping so many

people’s heart so here’s the one

intentional action in this Psalm is I

will say of the Lord he is my refuge my

fortress my god in him will I trust

verse 3 surely he shall deliver you from

the snare of the Fowler and from the

perilous pestilence to me this implies

snare of the Fowler they would set a

trap for a bird to catch to catch a bird

Fowler

snare he will deliver you from the snare

to me it implies that maybe you got

caught in the snare

and he’s gonna release you so if if if

you if you didn’t get the protection

you’re supposed to get to keep you from

the snare once you’re in it he’s going

to release you the whole point is so all

of you that are watching some of you are

an absolute divine health others of you

are struggling he will deliver you from

the snare if you got caught in this

snare it’s not shame it’s not

condemnation we live in a world of sin

we get exposed to stuff and it’s not

your fault the good news is he will

deliver you from the snare of the Fowler

and from the perilous pestilence verse

four he will cover you with his feathers

under his wings you shall take refuge

his truth shall be your shield and

buckler buckler is a small shield so

it’s more of a hand-to-hand combat type

picture all right I always quote this

first when people complain about

feathers appearing in our meetings he

shall cover you with his feathers well

that’s not literal bill and I’d say I

know that’s what I thought

all right first verse five verse five

you shall not be afraid of the terror by

night nor of the arrow that flies by day

this is important the distinction in the

New Testament the arrows are the the

enemy’s thoughts remember that the the

example of the armor of God the shield

of faith it’s to absorb the shield of

faith is to absorb the thoughts the

ideas the suggestions the temptations

all the junk that the enemy throws our

way so that’s what the the arrow comes

during the day when you’re alive and

thinking at night is the terror and so

he’s distinguishing if if you go to bed

with fear you you are you’re embracing

this thing this says I could something

could happen in the night it’s that it’s

that thing that foreboding spirits are

Chris deals with a lot the the

expectation or anticipation of something

wrong happening oh man I hope our family

member I hope something bad doesn’t

happen to this person that person that

foreboding spirit is that terror in the

night and so the Lord is actually

equipping us to

take a position shield and buckler the

the figure the shield of faith to absorb

the stuff that comes at us during the

day but to do it so well during the day

that when it’s time to go to bed we can

go to sleep in rest knowing that he will

defend us now I’m going to throw in a

word it’s not a biblical word it’s a

word it’s the one of two times in my

life I’ve had the Lord wake me up in the

middle of the night with his voice it

happened about ogen is 23 probably 23

years ago here soon after we came to

ready we’ve been there

I think it’s 24 maybe it’s 25 years I

lose track 24 years 24 years this last

month so it’s about maybe 23 years ago I

was awakened in the night with this

phrase he watches over the watch of

those who watch the Lord he watches over

the watch of those who watch the Lord

which we know in pondering after I heard

that he awakened me with that voice I

don’t ever want to equate that with

Scripture I’m just saying he spoke

something to me that was important for

me to hear in that season but also right

now he watches over the watch we know

what a watchman is a watchman is

positioned on a wall to see what might

be coming towards the city

good good news here we have people

coming in to trade open the gates bad

news here we have we have people trying

to sneak into the city city to kill

steal and destroy

and so the watchman keeps away and this

verse said he will watch over my watch

if I’ll watch him so this terror by

night thing is that is that we go to

sleep literally with our eyes on him

knowing that he will watch our watch on

our behalf amen

no that was a excellent point all right

let’s verse 6 is basically the same

thing nor the pestilence that walks in

darkness the destruction that lays waste

at noonday verse 7 a thousand may fall

at your side ten thousand at your right

hand but it shall not come

near you only with your eyes shall you

look and see the reward of the wicked I

want to be careful here first of all the

judgment verses in the Old Testament I

don’t want to ignore I don’t want to

wash them away and pretend they don’t

exist that’s not healthy nor is it

accurate whenever I see a person who

lives in corruption in evil it doesn’t

matter how deep they are lost

I always am praying for mercy I don’t

care how loss they are now you know how

demonized they are how they may be a

self-proclaimed devil worshiper makes no

difference to me I’m gonna pray for the

mercy of God but I will let you in on a

secret if I in my prayer Lord if they

absolutely refuse to repent and they

will not turn then please use your

dealings with them to release the fear

of God to the people of God awaken us to

this to this reality now another thing I

need to say is just because you have

difficulty or are struggling or you’re

sick or whatever that’s not the judgment

of God so anybody who’s watching online

hear we’re going to pray for this at the

end it’s not the judgment of the Lord

that’s not what he’s doing this is a

quite a different deal here all right

verse 9 smoove on from that because you

have made the Lord who is my refuge even

the most high your dwelling place

referring back to verse 1 no evil will

befall you nor shall any plague near

come near your dwelling for he shall

give his angels charge over you to keep

you in all your ways let’s go back over

verse 10 and 11 again I’m sorry verse 9

because so here’s a reason because you

have made the Lord who is my refuge even

the most high your dwelling place no

evil shall befall you nor any plague

come dear your dwelling

stop right there I just want to

re-emphasize learning to live in the

manifestation of

of the presence of God the abiding

presence of the Holy Spirit I I cannot I

cannot overemphasize the importance of

us learning to live with continuous

affection for the person of the Holy

Spirit

there’s something about that abiding

presence it’s not just that he protects

us it’s it’s that the closer I stay to

his heartbeat the more I know what to do

in a difficult moment the disciples come

to Jesus and say why couldn’t we cast

the demon out of the child Jesus says it

only comes out with prayer and fasting

and he didn’t pray or fast why because

the tenderness the closeness was already

there the devil was on his shoulder and

remain so there was a continuous ongoing

relationship and awareness of the Spirit

of God so he didn’t need to turn to say

what is fasting for is to refine our

focus to the kingdom it’s to say no to

other appetites so that we can truly

hunger for the reality of the unseen

promises of God there to become manifest

that’s what it is fasting is refining

focus Jesus didn’t fast in a moment why

he lived with a refined focus he lived

with the connection to the abiding

presence of the Spirit of God so this

promise here is not just this casual the

Holy Spirit is with us always think it’s

the invitation to develop an awareness

of the Spirit of God upon our life in

such a way it’s not just to protect me

from plagues it’s it’s to keep me in the

center of what he is doing on planet

Earth it makes me the the offensive

weapon if you will the one who can bring

hope in hopeless situation the one who

refused to to cower in the face of

threat and disease and all the junk that

goes on unwilling to cower I will not I

will not give honor to a disease I will

not give honor to a disease

cancer is with a small C Jesus is a

capital J always keep it big let me see

him silly to you but that’s that’s

what’s going on in my head alright

because you’ve made the Lord who is my

refuge even the most high your dwelling

place so here’s to people ever

conversation because you’ve made the

Lord who is my refuge even the most high

your dwelling place no evil will befall

you how about seeing people that live in

that abiding presence and making that

confession over them realities are

released through decree not what we

choose to say

I mean life and death is still in the

power of the time but you know I’d

rather just make sure I’m saying what

he’s saying but how about being in that

moment where you can look at somebody

say you know what I’ve got a good word

for you no evil will come near your tent

no evil befall you

it’s got to be declared Christian

remember that time you prophesied about

the people who couldn’t have kids that

were trying for 13 years or whatever the

Lord spoke to spoke to Chris and said

tell them they’ll have a child by this

time next year and he was struggling as

everyone of us would be to make that

kind of a declaration to somebody who

couldn’t have children and the Lord

spoke to me said if you don’t declare it

if you don’t say that won’t happen so he

did and they did some things actually

have to be declared to happen we have to

understand we are a part of that economy

that’s that’s who we are that’s how we

live that’s how we function verse 10 no

evil will befall you nor any plague come

near your dwelling why for he shall give

his angels charge over you to keep you

in all your ways in their hands they

will bear you up lest you dash your foot

against a stone

I as as most of you know one of my

dearest friends is is Randy Clark I was

just with him in New Mexico and he tells

the story of his time of ministry in

Argentina and Brazil both but in

Argentina one of the leaders that he was

learning from and partnered with as he

ministers in that country made made a

statement to him and I’m not going to

get an exact but I’ll get to just of it

told him that basically you in the

American Church know a lot about

operating in the gifts of the Spirit but

you don’t know how to partner with the

angelic now personally I do not believe

in me telling angels what to do I I

won’t go I won’t go there I will not go

there but what I will do is I have found

that in Scripture our decrees that the

angelic realm know what their assignment

is our decrees when we say what he is

saying I would like to suggest that a

decree that comes from the throne room

carries the fragrance of the father

carries the fragrance of its origin

there’s something about that that the

angelic realm have a sense this came

from the throne room and this is their

assignment in Psalms 103 it says that

angels carry out his word in my thinking

that’s when God declares the matter

there are sometimes he just declares the

matter that’s their assignment you can

vote yes you can vote no doesn’t matter

it’s gonna happen anyway but but the

second part of the verse says that the

Angels give attention to the voice voice

of his word in my experience I believe

the voice of his word that’s you and me

it’s when God speaks in the quiet of our

heart and unless we declare it it goes

unsaid

so if you can picture this saying

something that had its origin in the

throne room and we make that decree his

angels would give charge over you that’s

a part of this confession that is made

from one

to another his angels will give charge

over you what happens as that comes from

the heart of God himself the angelic

realm knows that’s their assignment I’m

just supposing that’s how it works

I know that in in the natural world we

know flies are attracted to decay

Satan is called the Lord of the Flies

the demonic realm is attracted to decay

in thought and morals values that’s why

what we say is going to attract one of

two worlds that’s why there’s life and

death in the power of the tongue

gardening ourselves to deposit in one

another not just hopeful words but

actually putting on them a bull’s eye

that the angelic realm will reinforce

that’s our assignment a people of

courage that must deposit the bullseye

if you will of the target of God in this

situation in itself it’s a lifestyle

that we have the privilege of living he

will give his angels charge over you to

keep you in all your ways in their hands

they shall bear you up lest you dash

your foot against the stone let’s go to

verse 13 you will tread upon the lion in

the Cobra the young lion and the serpent

you will trample underfoot this is a

passage that Jesus quotes at least in

part in the Gospel of Luke you will

tread upon the lion in the Cobra the

young lion and the serpent you will

trample underfoot here’s an important

thought in this passage this whole Psalm

is about protection until this verse

then it basically says the protected are

going to get vindication

they’re protected are going to get

vindication they’re protected are going

to trample on the very efforts of

darkness to kill steal and destroy to

protect the ones who have been kept in

safety the ones that death a thousand

fall at your side ten thousand at the

other side those folks are now released

to tread upon the powers of darkness

that cost that the cause the disaster in

the first place we are we are summoned

not to sit idly by and just pray oh god

please protect me protect me please keep

me from harm to think that way is is

almost is almost yielding to the virus

is it in this case the corona virus but

just in general in the life of a

believer to just try to be the protected

safe person is the opposite of our

calling the opposite of our design the

opposite the safest place in the kingdom

is the front lines of battle you will

tread upon the lion in the Cobra the

young lion and the serpent you will

trample underfoot Jesus made that

statement to his disciples he brought it

into New Testament context verse 14

because he has set his love upon me

therefore I will deliver him I will set

him on high because he has known my name

he shall call upon me I will answer him

I will be with him in trouble go back to

verse 14 let’s cover just that one for a

moment because he has set his love upon

me therefore I will deliver him who

deliverance come from come to the people

who set their love on I don’t want to

twist the meaning of this so again

everything do everything to resist any

kind of guilt shame or whatever to me

this is an invitation by God to learn

what it is to fix the affection of our

hearts to be anchored in him

continuously he makes a point for a

reason because he set his love on me I

deliver I know when I’m home I I tell my

wife that I love her many times a day

many times a day many times sometimes

during a meal it’s going to be repeated

frequently I’m going to reset I’ve

already set my love on her but I reset

see in Acts chapter 2 it says and they

continually devoted themselves to the

Apostles teaching to the breaking of

bread to prayer to fellowship etc they

continued continually devoted they

continually reuptake on tract re-signed

the contract there’s something about

this passage that provokes me because he

has set his love upon me therefore I

will deliver there’s something about the

ongoing I hate to reduce it to a

discipline but if that’s what it takes

do it the ongoing resetting of our

affection for him throughout a day if we

need it set it on your alarm to remind

you the resetting of our heart of

affection for him

there’s something about that on he’s

such a lover that he’s drawn that you

know I’ve talked about this for the year

through the years but I in going to

sleep at night I turn my affection

towards him when I go into a difficult

I’ll stop turned my affection towards

him until I can sense his presence

resting upon me it’s not that he wasn’t

before but something happens either he

comes or I become aware I don’t care

what it is I like it turn my affection

towards him and something happens in

that moment where there there is a

manifest presence of God upon me for

whatever environment I walk into and

I’ve told you before I remember a story

I used to shop in that as a grocery

store but had celtic stuff there too and

and I’d love to shop there and I

remember the owner taking me aside one

day before I’d walk in I just stand at

the door as I’d go the back to

understand at the door and just turn my

affection towards the Lord make sure

that I could sense the Spirit of God

resting upon me then I would walk in and

just shop I wouldn’t do anything

different than anyone else but the owner

took me aside one day said bill said

something is different when you walk in

the room I know it’s because the

manifest presence of God resting upon me

so this is what he’s saying he said

because you set your love on me

therefore I will deliver so I just pray

right now that every one of us upgrade

that resetting of the affection of our

heart for him not just reduced to a

discipline but the increasing passion of

the Lord would become our passion I

remember a prophetic word I heard no

goodness as probably in 1972 as before I

was married which is 73 I remember

sitting in a service in Bethel Church

the other old location and that’s this

woman prophesied and she said if you

long for me as I have longed for you you

will be satisfied ah if you long for me

what does it mean to set your love on

God it means you’ve received his love do

you know that do you know the Scriptures

is we love him because he first loved us

do you know when I love him I’m only

love him him back with what he gave me

he when I opened up my heart to receive

his love he gave me the capacity to love

him back

strangely in Scripture

you see instruction on the husband to

love the wife but the wife to respect

the husband why because if the husband

does a good job loving the wife she

doesn’t need to be commanded to love and

return and all the women said yes but

you get the point you get the point the

point is is is it it’s actually carried

on in the illustration of Christ in his

church

the husband and the wife because he has

set his love upon me therefore I will

deliver him I will set him on high

because he has known my name I’m not

sure what it means my mind goes quickly

to being seated in heavenly places and

it’s at that particular passage we are

seated in heavenly places with Christ is

a wonderful wonderful truth the problem

that I have not with the verse but with

the issue is it gets reduced to a point

of theology and never becomes an

experience heavenly places is supposed

to be a place from which we think and

from which we see it’s not a mind over

matter thing it’s not a you know

discipline our minds to imagine this and

imagine that it’s not that it’s that is

that our love runs so true with

the resetting of our hearts of affection

towards him become so ongoing that we

not only have the point of theology that

is accurate we are seated in heavenly

places but we actually think and see

from that place

because our burning heart of affection

for him and his burning heart for us

brings us into such a place that our

perception changes everything changes

because in that abiding place of

presence we think and we see different

see it’s of that person that can say to

the disease it’s that person as John G

Lake discovered to hold the disease in

his hand put it under the microscope and

watch it die not everyone could have

done that what because not everyone has

life long from them continuously if you

take a garden hose and you put it in

foul putrid water whatever is in that

puddle is going to leak into the hose

the only way to keep the inside of the

hose unaffected is that before you put

it into the stuff make sure the waters

turned on and if there’s a continual

flow through the hose you can put it in

any environment and it doesn’t get

infected

we got people setting up barriers of

protection around themselves because

they don’t have enough flowing out

you get this stuff flowing through you

that yielded us yield earnest not

yielding this just for the sake of power

but yielding this because of this

romance because of this love because

I’ve set my heart of affection on

suddenly there’s stuff flowing from us

that starts changing the atmosphere so

changing the environment that we walk

into we’ve been called into this for

this season this is the season of

advancement all right we’re getting

close to the end that’s right

[Applause]

there’s 14 again look at it in your

Bible

there’s 14 again because he has set his

love upon me therefore I will deliver

him I will set him on high it’s actually

a place of safety in a sense unreachable

by the way the scripture teaches pretty

clearly that we are out of reach of the

enemy but not out of sight that’s why he

prepares a table before us in the

presence of our enemies you’re out of

reach but you you’re not out of sight

why I think the Lord loves to torment

the devil that’s just my thought I think

he rather enjoys and you know what

you’re sitting at a table and you’ve got

the enemy all around you what is your

attention on any situation where you

feel like you’re under heavy assault if

you’ll if you’ll refine your focus

you’ll find the table of fellowship he

prepared a table before me in the

presence of my enemies if all you see is

the enemy

then you need to readjust get back to

what God has said about your life find

the table of communion but in that table

of fellowship with God is your is all of

our place of great strength great

confidence great life great health all

right getting down to the end verse 15

he shall call upon me I will answer him

I will be with him in trouble I will

deliver him and honor him with long life

I will satisfy him and show him my

salvation verse 15 again he shall call

upon me I will answer him I’m not going

to go along on this one but I am so

tempted and let me just tell you why

continuous answers to prayer are what we

were designed for to not have them is

abnormal and that needs to matter it

needs to matter what I see happen for us

is that we’ll pray about this pray about

that have no breakthrough and just

assume it’s the will of God the

disciples tried to cast a demon out of a

child if we could bring that analogy

into today when the child wasn’t

delivered we would just assume that in

the sovereignty of God it must be his

will he works in mysterious ways which

is the cop-out answer

it’s the cop-out answer to explain away

our powerlessness I’m trying so what did

the disciples do Jesus comes along he

brings the deliverance I made reference

to it earlier it brings deliverance to

the child he has two disciples how long

am I gonna be with you which seemed to

be a question he asked often how long

shall I be with you and then the

disciples they’re stunned but first of

all they’re stunned by the fact they

couldn’t bring deliverance why because

they have a history of success Jesus

since I’m not two by two

they’ve they’ve been with him in those

moments they’ve been in there with him

they are the most trained people in

deliverance of anyone to ever live

except for Jesus up to that time and so

they’re shocked when it doesn’t happen

that’s a good shock when something

doesn’t happen the day is coming when

we’re going to be shocked when somebody

isn’t healed so Jesus brings deliverance

and it says the disciples took Jesus

aside privately they said how come we

couldn’t do it how come how come and

didn’t work when we try and of course

Jesus said this kind only comes out

prayer and fasting what’s the point when

they didn’t get an answer they took

Jesus aside what we tend to do is stop

praying it’s supposed to bother us

enough that we look at the lack of a

breakthrough as an abnormality something

didn’t work right I’m not going to blame

it on the sovereignty of God I’m not

just going to say well somehow this must

be God’s will I’m not gonna do the

cop-out thing and push it under the

sovereignty of God I’m gonna take

responsibility and come before the Lord

until I find out why take Jesus aside

take Jesus aside I’m asking all of the

Belleville family online community and

the reading of the local community take

at least a day this week if it’s

physically possible to fast and to cry

out to the Lord we’ve we’ve got to hone

our focus in this season we have to

refine the focus to what God is saying

doing this is our greatest opportunity

for advancement this is our greatest

opportunity it needs to come in miracle

power it needs to come in economic

release both for businesses churches

ministries all over the world are being

unbelievably hit by this thing what has

happened we are being set up for massive

massive revival how do we know this let

me give you just one historic lesson you

know we talked a lot about the Azusa

Street revival I did not know until

yesterday this is a street revivals 2006

excuse me 1906

maybe I just prophesied alright 1906 as

the Isuzu survived what I did not know

until yesterday is that there were

sparks of revival all over the the

United States in in 1905 and there were

about a million which the country signs

at that time is very significant a

million new conversions in 1905 which

set the stage for an explosion in 1906

what’s happening right now

corporate gatherings around the world of

tens of thousands and even hundreds of

thousands we have Luis Palau we have

Franklin Graham we have so many others

in the Calvary Chapel movement they’re

evangelists are holding these massive

Crusades we’ve got the send we’ve got

the call we’ve got all these things

Daniel kolenda we’ve got this stuff all

over the worlds of the gathering belphin

music and they’re gathering of tens of

thousands of people all over the world

this stuff’s going on and what’s

happening right now all of it is shut

down why the enemy fears the impact of

that of that and the assault is on the

business community because that’s what

funds the the the movement this is the

moment for vindication but I believe it

takes aggressive prayer on your part in

mind where we stand in the gap when we

say not on my ship not on my shift

what’s been happening in the last couple

years is 1905 all over again it’s it’s

that God has set the stage for an

explosion to take place then it’s to

take place right now we’re being

positioned for if we’ll posture

ourselves with faith guard guard our

hearts from those random fearful

thoughts where we deny love and embrace

fear and position ourself to find out

what God is saying and make the decree

get into the get into the battle get

into the fight take that time take a day

too fast cry out to God lift up your

voice contend for those who are

suffering we have friends right now

people that I know that have been hit by

this thing they’re suffering horribly we

stand in that place we stand in that

place we make that decree

I took the communion with me this week

and just it just walked in my hotel room

just declaring the names of these

individuals Jesus bore their affliction

on his body he bore yours mine on his

body

there’s no sense two of us paying the

same price no sense makes no sense so

here he says I will be with him in

trouble he says I will answer him I will

be with him

I just I feel like do you know where

every one of us started our life in

Christ all of us you could take all of

our gifts all of our history our

heritage or all the stuff about our life

and just take it everything away until

you come down to the one common

denominator the one common denominator

is we called upon the Lord he heard us

and he saved us our life started with an

answer to prayer our life started as an

answer to prayer we lifted up our voice

we cried out to God he met us and he

performed the greatest miracle we will

ever see in our life and that’s the

salvation of our own souls we started in

the miraculous it was never supposed to

decline it was never supposed to decline

so he says he’ll call upon me I will

answer him I will be with him in trouble

I will deliver him in honor I will be

with him in trouble that tells me

sometimes I’m in trouble

but he’s with me the table of fellowship

is there in the presence all right I

will deliver him and honor him that’s a

strange conclusion I’m not just going I

like this I’m not just going to set him

free and protect him I’m not just gonna

get him out of the snare I’m gonna honor

him as one of mine I’m gonna mark him

I’ll let him know let her know that this

one follows me I’m reminded of Gideon’s

prayer he told all of us the 300

soldiers around him

as you break these pictures remember

these torches with pictures Overman as

you break those pictures yell out for

the Lord and for Gideon there are times

where he will actually have somebody

honor you publicly for your courage

maybe in front of another friend I

remember as a parent I would I took on

the intentionality of bragging on my

children while to another adult while my

children are present

I remember when Eric drew on a bedroom

wall in our house and injured the city

landscaping of these high high-rise

buildings you know with windows and

everything and I got home Benny said you

need to come to see what Eric did so in

and I’m looking at this wall Eric

standing there like this you know I

remember how old you were four or five

so I like that so I’m looking at all you

know he did it with crayons you know and

marked all over the bedroom this spare

bedroom wall I’m looking at these things

I said son that’s really good you did a

good job look at these look at the look

at the details you look at these window

windows here is you big building small

buildings amazing we did a good job so I

went on to praise them for all I’m gonna

say you know next time you want to draw

they’ll just let us know we’ll get your

paper and then a week or so later we had

guests over for for dinner we had

friends over for a meal and after the

beyond say hey you guys got to come with

me come see this come back in a bit so I

took our guests back in their bedroom

and Eric standing there all happy and I

said I said this want you to look at my

what my son the artist drew you know but

what Eric you look at this look at the

details here look at the windows look at

all the stuff you know that’s what he

does and be the child that realizes the

privilege that he promised and I would

honor him

don’t deflect it don’t deflect it if we

don’t know how to receive honor

we’ll have no crown to throw at his feet

last verse with long life I will satisfy

him and show him my salvation it’s the

promise of the Lord just two wonderful

things about today because there’s not

another service following I don’t have

to tell you to go home I love that part

and the other part is I don’t have to

watch the clock

there’ll be no parking problem today

there’ll be no parking problem he

bruises open though I encourage you to

get coffee afterwards but look at this

look at this this promise with long life

I will satisfy him there’s two things

there there’s the promise of long life

but the long life is given to satisfy I

don’t know if I can say this very well

the quest for life means I must live

longer some have lost the quest for life

some have lost it they’ve retired from

this that quit from that all they have

is just the routine of making it through

every day it’s no longer the adventure

of faith for them is no longer the

conquest it’s no longer bringing in

fruit harvest for his glory it’s just

been reduced to just abiding in

Christian discipline and fellowship but

there’s no quest for life he says with

long life I will satisfy

all right

we’re gonna share a communion I want you

to stand you’ve been sitting forever if

you’re at home please grab your elements

and we’re going to share a communion

together and I more now than ever in the

beauty and the power of communion of the

broken body the shed blood of Jesus I

won’t make this as long as I do when

it’s me in Jesus alone because I like to

take time I like to take time I like to

be careful to never do anything just out

of a routine

I believe in discipline but I try to

make sure that whatever I’ve disciplined

myself in that I can that I can turn my

passion towards that thing so that so

that I am all in I so always want to be

in no matter what it is I want to be all

in Jesus do you need help there Chris

[Laughter]

those of you at home probably don’t have

this problem of trying to get the

combination to work here Jesus broke

bread and he turned his disciples and he

said taking eat this is my body now to

understand this part but I don’t I don’t

feel I need to I just want to honor what

he said he said this is my body he

didn’t set represents my body I said

this is my body so my approach to this

is supposed to be with that kind of

reverence with that kind of value I

don’t need to understand I don’t need to

explain what I need is to approach it

with the value he placed on it later in

Corinthians he says many sick are sick

and a number even die because they don’t

judge the body correctly he could have

been talking about this he couldn’t the

context been talking about this so today

we hold in our hand the testimony of his

death the stripes that he bore when I

partake of the bread I used that as a

moment to declare over myself my family

my extended family to declare over them

by the stripes of Jesus I was healed by

the stripes of Jesus I was healed I pray

for different friends by the stripes of

Jesus I’ve taken you through this in

times past something I added about three

or four months ago is I remembered

something out of the book of Ephesians

chapter 2 where it says Jesus bore in

his body the dividing wall between Jew

and Gentile he destroyed the power of

division with this offering

so I prayed not only for people with

sickness disease friends of mine based

on the payment has been made I have then

moved into praying any place I know

where there’s division Jesus you paid

more than an adequate price for there to

be no division in that situation doesn’t

matter to me whether it’s a family

conflict it’s racial reconciliation that

needs to happen doesn’t matter in what

category how large or how small the

payment he made was more than enough

more than enough so I’m gonna ask all of

you here all of you at home we’re gonna

take maybe two minutes I want you just

to pray for whoever God brings to mind

but I here’s what I’m gonna have you do

that’s important in my walk I have to

make it a confession by the stripes of

Jesus I was healed by the stripes of

Jesus and then I’ll pray for different

people for Cathy Valentin by the stripes

of Jesus Cathy Belton was healed eli

Spooner was in a very very tragic

accident last night

very very tragic I’m not going to go and

do it now but one of our own and and we

today need to stand in agreement for an

absolute creative miracle in his body

right now and you have different people

but let’s take like two minutes and I

want you to pray for whoever God brings

to mind you won’t be able to cover

everything but let’s do the best we can

in two minutes but make the confession

and I’m gonna ask you to pray this out

loud no one needs to yell but I want to

hear the sound of people before God with

the value for his body that has been

broken for us let’s do that now

I’ve got two minutes

by your stripes I was healed by your

stripes by the stripes of Jesus almoner

a was healed by the stripes of Jesus

Mary Burke lives in divine mantle by the

stripes of Jesus Cathy valve was fully

versed or Elife Spooner fully restore

jean fully restored fully restored

entire house fully restored by the

broken body of Jesus by the broken body

of Jesus

remember pray for both for division

areas and healing areas declare absolute

peace the peace of God to overwhelm the

broken situations any broken situation

in our community we declare the peace of

God rules and reigns over all

and now let me pray over this and we’ll

partake together I’m glad that these are

harlot wafers the reason is I it’s just

a reminder to me it was broken he was

broken that I could be whole

he was emptied that I could be full he

was despised that I could be celebrated

he was rejected that I could be embraced

he bore affliction that I could be

healed he became poor that I could

become rich he did everything in

opposite to launch us into what’s

available right now so let’s just make

this decree together by His stripes I

was healed I pray for divine health to

rest over my household and over our

extended church family in the name of

Jesus amen partake of the breath

now take the cup I love this hello so

much this is why this is why I get to

pray for every one of my family members

by name and it might decree my

confession at this point is as for me in

my house we will serve the Lord

say that with me as for me and my house

we will serve the Lord I want you to

declare it like you actually believe

that this is the gospel truth right here

all right

as for me and my house we will serve the

Lord

say it again as from me and my house we

will serve the Lord

now what I do is I open the cup and I

hold it before the Lord and I pray for

specific family members you may not be

able to pray for everyone I’m going to

give you just a minute or two but in

fact let me tell you what I want you to

do I would like for you to take a minute

to pray for family members by name and

this is what I do I just took our I

played the blood of Jesus over Eric and

Candace over Kennedy and sailor and this

is my prayer Jeremiah 24 give them a

heart to know you I plead the blood of

Jesus over Brian and Jen over Haley taya

Braden Moses and the new little one

that’s coming because they’re adopting

another I plead the blood of Jesus over

them God give every one of them our

heart to know you I plead the blood of

Jesus over Gabe and Leah over Judah

Diego Bella and Cruz give them a heart

to know you I want you to do that first

pray for family members and then I’ll

take you into the next phase

give them a heart to know you’ve done

every family member

dreams in the night encounters

dreams in the night divine encounters

prodigal son prodigal daughters prodigal

parents uncles aunts we just declare

come home come home that I pray that

every household here we would see

salvation extended to neighbors around

us next to us across the street behind

us there would be this awakening that

would take place in home after home were

the dreams the visions of the men and

white would no longer just be in Muslim

territory but it would actually invade

America have actually invaded our own

cities that people would be awakened in

the night with encounters with a man in

white now the next thing I do is I pray

over those who in my case have opposed

me and spoken against me videos books

whatever that I pray for them that they

would prosper inside now and that they

would have the joy of having children

and grandchildren that served him well

that they would have a rich heritage in

Christ because these are all people

confess Christ who well-meaning as they

may be I’m I you never have the right to

criticize a servant to their master I

will not do that and so what I do is

that pretty to bless them so anybody was

affected you negatively take just a

moment to pray for them and then we’re

gonna share this together

yes prosper them inside and out Lauren

set the stage for them to step into why

they were born but they would have the

joy of a rich rich heritage family line

richly devoted to you for what it’s

worth I’m always careful to not pray

that they would have a prayer a power

encounter with God because I’m not

asking to be vindicated I pray for their

blessing in their context like God

choose how do you understand what I’m

saying

I’m not trying to sneak in my opinion

about something I’m praying for blessing

in how they walk alright so the cup

before the Lord let’s make this

confession together as for me in my

house we will serve the Lord let’s share

this together Wow thank you lord I would

encourage you I we have a couple little

jars next door a little couch sitting

area and we have jars with communion

supplies in there continuously and and

we keep it focused for staff members

just to be able to take community at any

time and there’s always a number of

these cups in there today there was only

one left so I think our team has been

taking communion more often which is

good news I want to encourage you I

ordered I ordered on on amazon.com I get

these little cups I have them at home I

take them with me when I travel it is a

part of our household routine I

encourage you guys online do something

you know if you want to do the wine and

the bread however it doesn’t matter to

be just in this season especially we

need to upgrade our focus and the broken

blood of Jesus and the shed blood means

something

it’s not just eternity it’s now and it

must be declared now what we’re gonna do

right now is we’re gonna wrap this up

and obviously you are the ministry team

and at home you are the ministry team

and so I’m gonna ask you here if you

want any prayer at all turn to the

person next to you and just tell them

they are drafted their assignment is you

and honestly ask them to pray for you it

may very well be we have people that are

watching that don’t know the Lord and I

want to take this moment listen don’t go

through life on your own it’s just

simply not worth it it’s not worth it

jesus paid a price for your salvation

like you paid for mine all of us were

saved by the absolute grace of God none

of us earned it I don’t care what you’ve

done you are being set up in this moment

to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior

it means you turn for what you from what

you’ve been serving to follow him and

you do what the verse I quoted earlier

he who calls upon the name of the Lord

shall be saved his name is Jesus call

upon that name Jesus and ask him for the

absolute full forgiveness of sin ask him

to fill you in this holy spirit and all

of our church family at home you know

what now is a great time for you to

learn to receive prayer from family

members if you need a miracle you can’t

turn to the one next year unless it’s

your son or daughter or spouse or

whatever but do that take advantage pray

God give us them or cause us to be

people with great courage in this moment

not to cower in the face of a virus of

all things

no we come forth wash our hands wash

your hands

don’t be stupid don’t play with the

rattlesnake and call it faith but please

let’s go after this thing in Jesus name

Amen amen let’s pray father we ask that

you would take the Army of God the

Bethel family but every church across

this nation and the nation’s right now

that there would be a supernatural

equipping of courage and faith to stand

in the face of this virus and say back

down

go back to your source in the name of

Jesus

the enemy came to kill steal and destroy

not Jesus Jesus came with abundant life

so we stand in his name and we declare

the all sufficiency of Christ in Jesus

name in Jesus name Amen