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