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I’m gonna take a few minutes and I’m

gonna begin to answer some of the

questions but put some of the questions

up that are coming and we’ll see where

we go with them thank you Jesus

it’s the coronavirus part of God’s plan

to wake us up I am careful about

definitively saying what God is doing by

any particular thing because I have

lived long enough to see people

misrepresent God in crisis like this

I remember 9/11 and they said that God

was trying to purge New York and and

people have always quick to speak on

what God is doing but the truth of the

matter is I don’t know whether it is

part of God’s plan to wake us up but I

do know that the coronavirus is waking

us up yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah I don’t

know whether he sent it or whether he

allowed the enemy to send it for

whatever reason but I know that one of

the benefits of the burden of the

coronavirus is that it is waking us up

how is it waking us up it’s waking us up

in a lot of ways it’s waking us up but

the silly bickering we have been doing

for the last decade now seems foolish in

the face of a real attack it is waking

us up to appreciate the walk of faith in

a way that we didn’t appreciate it

before see now you’re fighting wanting

to come to church but before when you

could come you were staying at home in

the bed and some of the very people who

are complaining about not having Church

one half coming when we could have come

on talk to me for a minutes about it it

is waking up because sometimes we don’t

appreciate something until it is pulled

back from us and

it is pulled back from us we have a

deeper appreciation it is waking us up

to the perspective that we must bring

our church experience into our house

yeah it’s waking us up to the experience

that we must read our Bibles what what

happens if they shut us completely down

what happens if we get into a war and

we’re unable to do it and to all of you

who think that the church cannot survive

save we lead cannot take you to China

where the church was meeting underground

in basements for years can I take you to

the Upper Room where the disciples were

locked up behind closed doors for fear

of the Jews the churches often had to go

underground and even when it had to go

underground it has never been destroyed

for 2,000 years in many times we have

gone through periods and eras where the

Church had to go underground to survive

Hitler was trying to kill the church the

enemy has always been after the church

but the church has always survived every

attack whether it was a virus or man

jesus said upon this rock I will build

my church and the gates of Hell shall

not prevail against it what is happening

now is that this new kind of saints we

got now who are more church members than

there are Saints are having to become

Saints in a way they didn’t have to

before because the pacifier is taken out

of your mouth of being able to depend on

somebody else to pray for you now you

have to get down by the side of your bed

like your grandmother and pray yourself

through and drive the enemy out of your

house now you have got to go out and

really go old-fashioned and get you some

consecrated oil and anoint your house

and say coronavirus you should not come

in my dwelling place and I know it the

head of my doorpost and I’ll order

all in every window and you got to walk

through your house and please the blood

and sanctify your space since you in the

house anyway you might as well use it to

overcome the enemy that’s come against

your life yes

it’s waking us up it’s waking us up and

it is high time that it wake us up I am

just careful about saying what all God

is doing because I have learned in my

life that sometimes it takes you 20-30

years and you look back in retrospect to

fully comprehend what God is doing

whatever God is doing I can tell you

this it’s bigger than America whatever

he’s doing is global it’s reaching all

over the world whatever he’s doing I

don’t see us arguing over who’s got the

biggest weapons anymore because God had

a weapon that I did all the weapons we

were talking about I don’t see us

fighting and arguing between Democrats

and Republicans

sometimes it takes a common enemy to

create unity

sometimes it takes a real threat to make

you appreciate your spouse you don’t see

anybody fussing oh I can’t stand him no

now y’all praying together and now

you’re trying to see sometimes hardships

create gratitude

are you following what I’m saying I’ll

take another question as I get older my

fears seem to be challenging my faith to

act on my instincts how do I overcome

well let me say this let me just speak

for myself I have never had faith

without it being surrounded by fear the

notion that you either have one or the

other

destroys the very definition of faith

itself because faith Springs out of the

ground and the fertility of fear

dear what I’m saying to you now now if

there were no fear there would be no

need for faith let me show it to you

real plate when the children of Israel

got ready to go down into the Red Sea

and God made the water stand up on the

right and the left we talked about the

faith that they went down into the dry

bed with but we don’t talk about the

fear but imagine walls of water 40 feet

high and you got your children walking

through walls of water that could

collapse at any moment you don’t think

there was no fear the real art to life

is not to be controlled by the feeling

of fear but to let faith drive the wheel

even if fear is sitting in the back seat

[Music]

y’all don’t hear what I’m saying deep

yeah because you cannot count on fear to

get out of the car in order for you to

be mobile you just don’t want fear to

drive the car you want your faith to

drive the car and just because you have

the even though you acknowledge the fact

that you have a feeling that wants to

drive called fear it’s up to you not to

turn your car keys over to your fears

and be driven by fear

you want to be driven by faith so if I

want to encourage you to read Hebrews 11

by faith Abel offered up a more

excellent sacrifice than Cain by faith

Noah built an ark to the saving of his

house by faith even walk with God and

was not how did they do it by faith that

doesn’t mean that they didn’t have fear

they didn’t have problems they didn’t

have opposition they didn’t have

insecurities if you’re waiting for a

clear path before you walk you don’t

need faith you need faith because you’re

facing fearful times you understand

though he’s slavery

yet shall I trusted see see see the

paradoxical dilemma of faith how faith

is flourishing in an adverse atmosphere

now you you as an act of your will have

to decide what’s going to drive your

next move I’ll take another question

the bishop how do I stay holding to God

when I feel more and more depressed

daily I’m sorry you feel the press on

one hand I want to dig down into why you

feel depressed because there is a reason

that you’re feeling depressed it can be

an emotional reason it can be a

biological reason or it can be a

spiritual reason and depending on where

the depression is coming from how you

are to handle it not everything is

resolved just by laying hands on it

sometimes depression is a result of

suppressed anger and frustration and you

would be it would be better for me not

to lay hands on you but for you to

confront the issue that you’re angry

about so that you can get that anger out

because depression is often anger turn

inside ok but listen let’s let’s let’s

fly up into the higher aspects of your

question how do I stay holding to God

when I feel more and more depressed

that’s all the more reason you ought to

be holding only God you you you cannot

let your relationship with God be based

on your feelings the the trick the

answer to your question is when I feel

your relationship with God is not based

on feelings your relationship with God

is based on his word and the facts of

his word and they often stand in total

opposition to your feeling I’m not a

Christian because I feel like one I’m a

Christian when I don’t feel like one I’m

not a preacher because I feel like a

preacher I’m a preacher when I don’t

feel like being a preacher

I don’t need my feelings to a line with

my calling

so let’s not give too much power to our

feelings because they’re gonna change in

the morning see so so you can’t build no

house on sand because then it’s not

stable and emotions are not stable and

if you build your house on sand when the

storm comes is though calm down that’s

conditional circumstances you have to

build on something that won’t move and

feelings will move today I’m happy

tomorrow I’m not sometimes before the

day is over my moods change all together

you cannot base your relationship with

god on feelings listen dear heart you

have got to get back into the Word of

God and bill your faith on things that

are eternal and hold to God’s unchanging

hand you cannot build your faith of

feelings and circumstances and know

there is a God cause he gave me a

husband I know there is the God because

he put the dress on sale I know there is

a God cuz of mortgage I got the mortgage

of proof no no no no no no I know there

is a God if there is no house I know

there is a God if my spouse leaves me I

know there is a God if I shut up in a

hospital because my faith is not built

on my circumstances the into your faith

is built on your circumstances all the

enemy has to do to kill your faith is

attack your circumstances the reason he

couldn’t bring job down is job’s faith

was never in jobs possessions you gotta

build your faith on the integrity of

God’s Word and we have got to wean this

church we have today from leaning on

conditional circumstances rather than

building your faith on the integrity of

God’s Word are you hearing what I’m

saying to you

this next question I’m gonna take this

next question we don’t all right

everybody good everybody with me let’s

do this thing how do you explain all

that is currently going on to your

children especially if you have raised

them to pray and trust God 1 the fact

that you’ve raised them to pray and

trust God does not mean that because we

have trouble this in some way is an

indictment against prayer you wouldn’t

listen I would need to trust this chair

if I wasn’t gonna put weight on it but

you see you see the the whole notion of

trusting God means I trust you when the

circumstances are against me so what you

want to do is teach your children to

believe God and to trust God but to

differentiate God from Santa Claus he

didn’t just come down the chimney to

give you good stuff sometimes God

ordered sunshine and sometimes he orders

rain sometimes he orders pleasure and

sometimes he orders pain well why should

I serve Him if he’s gonna order pain

because sometimes pain is what it takes

to get you into your purpose see so it

might not be good but all things are

gonna work together for good so you

begin to teach the children this is a

trial of our faith and this is a season

that we’re going through right now and

we’re going to lean and trust God to

take us through those circumstances and

to bring us out safely and so we’re

going to pray tonight and we’re going to

trust God and you must understand that

our faith is being challenged by a virus

that has been talked about since January

I know people whose faith had been

tested by hundreds of years of slavery

see how many weeks are we in today’s

let’s go back to the Holocaust let’s

look at how long the Saints were

persecuted let’s let tell your children

about how the disciples were crucified

upside down and thrown into snake pits

and die tell him how Stefan was stoned

and he’s a God looking up in the heaven

we got to teach a real faith not a candy

cane faith a real faith a faith that

struggles a faith that Russell’s a faith

that fights back

and you start back early I every time I

think about this I get emotional I every

day of my life I think the God thank God

for the way my parents raised me because

they were tough they were rough they

didn’t give you a whole lot of anything

borrowed money from my mother you just

assume go to the Internal Revenue and

try to get them to pay your taxes yeah

because she raised you not to expect

something for nothing we have got to

stop creating a euphoric world for our

children trying to give them everything

that we didn’t get because in the

process of giving them everything that

we didn’t get we’re not going to get the

results that we became from the

hardships we encountered so prepare them

for a real world some days it’s going to

be a Disney World kind of day and other

days you’re gonna not feel like getting

out of the bed but when you don’t feel

like getting out of the bed and when you

are afraid you keep going this is a

great opportunity to teach your children

obedience

boundaries structure order and you can

teach it if you are not terrified

yourself but it’s hard to teach a child

something that hadn’t fully penetrated

the parent in other words if

you’re afraid they’re gonna be afraid I

tell my children all the time don’t be

scared to you see me getting scared yeah

don’t be scared until you see me get

scared and and I live by that I’m on a

plane I can’t fly a plane and as long as

the pilot don’t come out of that door

white as a sheet I’m doing but the day

the pilot comes out the door and says oh

my god we got a problem I don’t know

what he’s talking about

but I’m worried about it as a driver as

a leader all my leaders listen at me

you cannot allow your feelings to be

projected on your passengers you can’t

vent on your children you have to be

steadfast because when you are not

steadfast you represent their whole

world so this is a great opportunity to

teach them about life that things come

out of nowhere change all your plans

rearrange all your affairs but your

adaptability quotient has to be so

designed that you adapt to change I know

you thought we were going to go away on

vacation

now we’re not gonna go we’re gonna have

a staycation so take that take the sheet

off the bed and let’s make a tent and

let’s learn how to play with what we got

let’s let’s do some creativity in here

this is an opportunity it’s not an

opposition it’s an opportunity to teach

your children the reality because if you

don’t take this opportunity when they

get out in the real world and something

happens out of the blue they don’t know

how to handle it see because we have

created this this world of euphoria

that’s really not real this is real it’s

I’m sorry I don’t like it I don’t want

it I want it to be over – but this is

real and we have to operate without

boundaries we have to obey laws we have

to respect leadership this is a great

opportunity to teach your children a lot

of life lessons and how to be happy in

confinement

but you don’t need all these people to

make you happy oh I can think of so many

things that you can teach from this I’m

excited I want to teach your child

myself

glory to God this is gonna be good do

you think the current a coronavirus

situation will cause a shift in how we

experience church after all of this is

over I hope so I hope that when all of

this is over we have a deeper

appreciation for the right and the

privilege to come together in worship I

hope that we’ll get up out the bed a

little bit more and drive to service a

little bit more I hope that the scarcity

of this moment would increase our Bible

study so that when I’m preaching I don’t

have to always go back to fundamentals

before I can build on it because you

have a foundation I hope that it does it

for I hope that it makes us love one

another more I’m hope that it makes us

reach out across generations lord I hope

it makes young people care for the

elderly

elderly respect the young people in a

way that sometimes we’re at odds with

each other and we don’t need to be and

now we’re in a situation where we need

each other now I need the grandchild to

go to the grocery store for me might not

be able to go for myself those kinds of

opportunities either make you weaker or

wiser how you handle it is up to you

there another question I feel like my

faith is on trial any words of

encouragement first of all me too

I have had periods that I didn’t feel

like my face was on trial but but I’m in

a period now that I think that my faith

is on trial and it’s not necessarily

about coronavirus but anytime there is

going to be elevation there’s generally

preceded by frustration and the fact

that I feel like my faith is on trial is

not necessarily a bad thing

because a lot of times I think we have

been taught faith wrongly that we think

that faith is magic and that we’re using

our faith just to get what we want

but faith aptly taught says if I don’t

get what I want

I still believe God see others not

accepting deliverance that they might

obtain a better resurrection some dwelt

in caves it doesn’t see the Bible

doesn’t teach faith that always ends up

in a mansion the Bible is open that some

of the people with the greatest faith

hid in caves so don’t think that your

faith is on trial because your

conditions are being tested it might be

that your choices are on trial because a

lot of times we are not where we are

because of the weakness of our faith

sometimes we are where we are by the

poverty of our decisions so before you

think that that that you are where you

are because you didn’t believe God and

God didn’t come through for you and all

of that you got a whole litany of things

I go through before I get to bed is

there anything that I did that brought

this on myself is there a better choice

I could have made

do I have my handling my money correctly

am i living beyond my means what do i

what do I need to do before I even get

to what doesn’t God need to do you see

what I’m saying

because just because you’re going

through adversity doesn’t mean you don’t

have faith just because Peter was in a

storm didn’t mean that there wasn’t

faith on the boat Jesus was on the boat

but that didn’t mean the storm didn’t

come so don’t think it’s strange that

fiery trials have come against you to

try your faith don’t think that’s all

that’s supposed to happen that’s not a

demotion you’re not gonna ever outgrow

that as far as I can tell up to 62

there’s always going to be something

that tries to faith

there’s gonna be some gymnasium that God

puts your faith in to workout in

that’s what problems are there

gymnasiums for your faith to workout in

and with God gets ready for your faith

to get strong

he put some resistance in your life

because you’ll never build up strength

without resistance Oh glory to God

you’ll never be strong without

resistance

you’ll never be tenacious without

resistance the resistance it’s good that

we’ve been afflicted because through all

of that you become tough like like our

ancestors before us what we call

tribulation today our ancestors were

called kool-aid come on somebody what we

call my car lost my car they never had

one see see a lot of it is we’re

conditioned to things that fluctuate how

do you handle being alone in times of

trouble that’s a very good question

on one hand we all go through periods of

aloneness whether we are alone or not

you can be you don’t have to be alone to

be lonely okay

finding some safe place and and and I’m

not just answering your question I’m

also discerning you that’s into question

finding some safe place where you can

talk it’s very therapeutic

now that safe place may not be a

permanent friend it might be a temporary

encounter it might be a counselor it

might be a pastor it might be a minister

at your church but choose wisely in

times of trouble it’s really not company

that you need its sound wisdom so so

this is not just about being lonely in

times of trouble this is about getting

insight in times of trouble because

you’re really feeling alone because

you’re thinking inside of yourself I do

that sometimes it’s like I grew up in

West Virginia and your wheels will get

on ice and they be spinning and rubber

would be burning and your burning gas

but you’re not getting anywhere anytime

you think the same thing five times

you’re not thinking you were in anytime

you keep rehearsing the same thing over

and over again what am i doing about

this oh my god what if I don’t do

sometimes don’t happen oh it’s coming

back Thursday and I don’t know anywhere

I would say at first I was thinking but

if I keep repeating it I’m just worrying

and you’re never gonna get the answers

you need just by worrying I’m gonna take

one more question then I’m gonna close

how do I draw closer to God in prayer I

love that question how the more real he

becomes in your life the easier it is to

pray now let’s back then all the way

back and unpack that for a minute when

you first start praying you don’t really

feel like anybody’s listening because

it’s awkward because we are sensual what

do you mean by sensual you mean I’m sexy

you might be but that’s not what I mean

there’s a difference between being

sexual and being sensual sensual means

that we have a tendency to gravitate to

that that titillates

our senses as ear smell touch mouth all

all those things are essentials through

which we sense the world a prayer does

not allow you to operate in your senses

because you can’t see God

you can’t audibly hear him answer you

now you have to work on another set of

senses did you know that we have another

complete set of senses okay we have

spiritual senses that the Bible says

that thinkers in Hebrews like thirteen

I’m not sure that that it is our senses

are exercised by reason of use so when

we first start praying it might be

mechanical it might be mundane but if

you keep praying after a while it

becomes something that you can sense and

that you can feel and that you can

commune with God and you rush to do it

you rested you can’t wait to do it oh

god I gotta talk to you

oh god I need you right now want you

right now in my spirit and in my life

and sometimes it’s the only place where

you can find peace is that sometimes

he’s the only one you can trust

sometimes he’s the only one you can

really open up to and see but that

happens by reason of use and then you

discern him more clearly and all of a

sudden you can hear him and what your

Bible calls your inner ear yeah you you

can hear you can literally hear him not

in your natural ear but in your

spiritual ear and you can sense him in

the room when God’s glory comes in the

room you can sense his presence in the

room you know that he just walked in the

room ah bless his name the choir can be

singing and the point where the glory

comes in everybody can sense the glory

of God those senses I’m talking about

are exercised by reason of use they’re

asking me to answer two more questions

yes I’ll do it

put it up there I have been trying my

best to stay positive during this trial

how do I bring God and the Holy Spirit

into the health care facility I work at

to boost morale and show them God has

got this that’s a very good question I

don’t I don’t think that there’s a way

in the world that you could leave him

out if you came

you’re asking me how do I bring God and

the Holy Spirit into the healthcare

facility that you worked in he walked in

in you and as soon as you grasp that he

may have not even put you there to make

the money hallelujah that you’re on

assignment in that place and that when

when you walked in the temple of the

Lord walked into that healthcare

facility and I’m gonna give you another

little tip that will really help you

sometimes influencing the morale of the

people and show them that God has got

this is not about what you say it’s what

you do it’s the atmosphere and you

create when you walk in the room

it’s the jovial disposition that you’re

had it’s the care with which you touch

them and all of a sudden your kindness

creates opportunities for your witness

it’s not where your witness creates

opportunity for your kindness your

kindness creates opportunity for your

witness because you’re gonna want to

know how can you be that upbeat how can

you be singing this morning why are you

always so happy and it over the other

way

well my peace comes from the Lord my

feet and you can be in that testimony

because when you walked in that place

God His Holy Spirit his angels his

authority his healing his deliverance

all walked in all walked in with you so

you don’t have to get in there and talk

God in the coming if you got in there

he’s in there with you too

if you make your bed in hell the Bible

said he’s there if you take your wings

and fly to the uttermost parts for that

he’s there they lock you in jail look at

Paul and Silas at midnight wherever you

go God is still there God is still there

conference yourself with those words let

them know that God is with them in this

season of their life let them know that

the God that brought them through all of

those years will be with him all the way

back home let them know that the God

that burst them into the world and that

they came out of their mother’s womb and

fell into his arms will be the same arms

that hunt them into bed as they get

ready to go back to the God that gave

them let him know that he is Alpha and

Omega the beginning and the end He is

God and life He is God over death he’s

gone over every stage of their lives let

them know that aging is not failure it’s

success old ages of rewards for people

who live right and make good choices

it’s a benefit it’s a benefit it’s a

blessing the rose it’s a blessing to

grow what’s sad is a short casket oh but

a life where live is a testimony Thank

You these let lets not a poor old age

let’s welcome it that’s why I wearing my

gray here I earned this grave I earned

this gray all right never spread of it

glory to God it’s my crown to my grown

man stuff holiday I ain’t do it

affliction I wear this gray hair to

remind myself that when I was suicidal

it didn’t work and I would live to be

the age I if this is success on my face

puss ha hopeless his name hallelujah I

don’t know if I’m helping anybody or not

hallelujah don’t despise Ange

those despise days appreciated glory to

God that all the people who despise it

you just wait you hope to be lucky

enough to get here if God cover you and

you make enough good choices and you’re

kind enough you might get here you might

get here

Bishop just was wondering could you do a

worldwide prayer right now I can always

pray I don’t know if it’s worldwide but

I can always pray I can pray for the

world I can pray for you right now and I

think this is a good thing to do I might

ask you to stand with me as we do it all

over the world there is chaos all over

the world there’s hunger all over the

world there is poverty and all over the

world there’s pain all over the world

there’s political unrest all over the

world there is disease all over the

world there’s disorientation all over

the world there are people with dreams

wondering how will they be realized all

over the world there is turmoil there is

no place on the planet that sin didn’t

reach no tribe no culture no color no

language of people that do not wrestle

with their flesh all over the world sin

you did about but the Bible said where

sin did about grace did much more about

all over the world the blood of Jesus

will prevail

all over the world the name of Jesus has

hired and lifted up and worthy to be

prayed all over the world God is a

healer there’s not a place in the world

you can go that there’s enough power in

Jesus name so as we pray wherever you’re

watching from it may be the middle of

the night you may be over in Europe

somewhere watching me so sleeping you

can’t keep your eyes open you may be in

South Africa in the middle of the night

watching me right now it must be about

four o’clock in the morning over there

I’m praying for you

glory to God you might be in Hawaii

watching me right now I’m praying for

you even though I’m a day ahead of you

I’m praying backwards and forwards

hallelujah

prayer didn’t have hands own prayer than

we’re about calendars pray that watch

The Watcher care about the clock father

in the name of Jesus as we come together

in prayer hallelujah prayer knows no

boundaries

we’re right where I am there’s telling

us to distance ourselves but prayer is

my hookup

it’s my connection it brings us into

unity and fellowship and I pray for pain

all over the world I pray for people in

the hospital I pray for families that

are in divorce and trials and tests I

pray for emotions that are distraught at

mental disorders and physical disorders

that those that are wrestling with the

virus and those who have lost loved ones

and those who have incurred tragedies

that are not even on our radar while

we’re talking about one thing somebody’s

fighting something else I rebuke cancer

and hypertension and lung disorders I

pray for my brother-in-law I pray for my

neighbors I pray for my friends I pray

for people in South America and in

Africa and in Europe and Japan and China

and Australia and New Zealand I pray for

the Caribbean islands I pray for

wherever there is faith I pray that God

would touch amongst all the languages of

the world that the hand of the Lord

would make itself resident let no

ministered to the needs of your people

whether they’re in the slums of Soweto

or whether they’re in the mansions of a

Leawood

prayer knows no boundaries go there now

in the name of Jesus find their Lord in

the name of Jesus in the bush and can

you find them Lord right now in the name

of Jesus in what Sid Los Angeles

damara walking the street itself Chicago

fandom right now God in the name but you

blanket the world with your love and

your peace and your power because you’re

gone all by yourself you’re not just an

American god you’re the god of the whole

earth you sit on the circle of the earth

everything is up under your power my god

tonight

leave the name of Jesus let healings

flow let it flow right now let it go

into Italy

hallelujah let it go into the Vatican

let it walk up and down the streets of

Rome oh my god I lift up fit people and

disease and hurting people and dysentery

and infections and disorders and mental

disorders and strife and confusion and

autism arthritis and every kind of

disease a list of Alzheimer’s and kidney

failure I lift of blindness and blood

diseases I lift up the hiv-positive and

those that are wrestling with age I lift

them up before you in the name of Jesus

hallelujah I lift up worried parents

that are sitting in waiting room praying

over children wondering what the outcome

is going to be I lift up parents that

are sick and diseased in age and don’t

recognize their children but the

children recognize them God let your

power overshadow every situation for the

ID she gave them the power and the glory

forever and ever and ever amen

give God the best praise you’ve got

right now

my brothers and sisters you are

appraising right where you are in your

living room sitting on the couch and on

your job where we in the hospital

you ought to lift up some hands and give

God some glory right