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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