[Music] sandir de says the glory of this house will be greater than the former and in this place I will give peace declares the Lord of Hosts you're stepping into a latter house ministry the conclusion of a matter so when you have peace and greater glory you have greater character and maturity and so I want to encourage you with that and I saw not necessarily on the property you have but I saw a building that will seed at minimum five hundred people now that's not to have a church that's because you're going to train them and release them to destiny it's a training center so praise God and whatever whatever we can do to be part of that you lose no I'm pretty good janitor I know how to clean things reshma does good on windows I don't know yet so with that in mind I was going at one direction the Lord gave me a different message for this morning something that is near and dear to my heart and this is something that started many years ago in the year 2000 so that's 20 years ago and I I'm a person I love studying the Word of God I love word studies I'm passionate about discovering more about our Lord every day and so in that year I was in Oklahoma City Oklahoma and one of the interesting things about that particular visit this was over the new year I got to go to Oklahoma University the Sooners so beautiful University and they have an amazing campus with a museum so I thought well that would be interesting the museum was open and I love history so as I was wandering through the museum and looking at all the displays that came upon an eighth of them American section where they really were portraying the introduction of Europeans into the Americas and how their interaction affected the native cultures and so in this what I mean you know you know you had all the regalia how they were dressed in their formal attire and just everything beautiful the history of the different tribes many of which harken back to Hebraic roots as a matter of fact a lot of their language is ancient Hebrew and so I came upon this one display that was out of character for what I was studying you know Native Americans here was a Victorian dress if you don't know the Victorian era in European history the dress went from here all the way down past her ankles and it had a bonnet so here's this Victorian dress on this mannequin and these shoes and I'm thinking what's just got to do with Native American history so I started reading and when the very first European settlers were coming across the plains states of america when they came into contact with the cherokee nation they began to witness to them about their christian faith and in the bible and what happened is the Native Americans when they understood what they were communicating said oh we already know about Jesus and they were shocked they said what how did you learn about Jesus and they said well the purple lady told us the purple lady purple that's what this dress was this Victorian dress was all beautiful purple they said well what do you mean well she would come and she would share with us about Christ and preach the gospel for 50 years here's the story for 50 years she would translate from London England to the Cherokee Nation and preached the gospel and go back that's awesome you guys are really quiet is this the same crowd that was at the conference I'm just wondering 50 years as a matter of fact history also proves that in even earlier there was another woman that would translate from Europe to the Hopi nation down in Utah and and New Mexico and preach the gospel to them I didn't hear about any guys doing that how come that was ancient history what God's doing today you just heard an awesome testimony that was great keep practicing so while I was there I'm praying into the new year saying Lord what are you saying for the year 2000 what is it you want me to focus on he said I want you to study one word this year I thought one word because I'm always studying I thought this is gonna be easy for one word 20 minutes okay I'm done when he told me what the word was and I began to study it took over 10 years I never said anything to anybody because I was so undone by what God was revealing to me and is so impacted and transformed my life that I didn't feel free to release it until I was sure that it had much of it had been formed in me and so even to this day I still study this word the implications of what God has been communicating is so large so vast and as something that's for this generation to grasp because here's a hint the Lord is releasing mature sons and daughters in this hour all of creation has been groaning as I said at the conference over 50,000 286 earthquakes last year this year there have been over four thousand already 6.0 or greater earthquakes that's unheard of not four hundred pardon me they're still unheard of that's absolutely unheard of creation is groaning there's a culmination a season of conclusion that we've entered into and the good news is he's chosen us for this you know whom God selects and chooses he also equips he doesn't just pick you and throw you out there say go for it see what you can do he always equips those whom he chooses and he always gives you exactly what you need for victory he never prepares you for defeat in the way that we've always seen that he's always positioned you so that you will win if you rest in what he's given you and apply what he's given you you will win so the word he gave me I'll tell you later in John chapter 1 verse 12 it says this but as many as received him but this scripture says to as many as received him to them he gave the right to become children of God I don't know about you but I was born again I was instantly told now you're a son of God but this scripture doesn't see that the moment you accepted Christ you have the privilege to become something but you aren't that yet as a matter of fact in Hebrew culture we've all heard this at Christmas unto us a child is born and unto us a son is given between that child being born and that son being given as a 30 year timespan because in Hebrew culture when you have a child born unto you like this couple is going to have a son shortly that's a child that will be born unto them but then that child is placed under tutors until the time appointed by the father at which point they are recognized as having attained a level of maturity but your sons are coming forth sons and daughters and this is what they would do culturally the father would take that son and make an appointment to go to the gate of the city where all business and both religious and and worldly would be transacted so he'd say on a certain day we're coming and all the leaders would know they were coming because they had to bear witness and he would take this child this 30 year old child and take him to the gate of the city and then at the top of his voice announced today I adopt you as my son and my joint-heir at that point he is now recognized as a co-heir with his father in that house he can transact business with the authority of his father or his house and he's recognized as such but until that point he was still a child in need of tutors in the same way Jesus submitted himself to tutors until the time appointed of the Father and when he did the very last thing that was required for righteousness and he went to John and said I need to be baptized of you to be fulfill all righteousness when he came out of the water at that point the father said this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased he came of age maturity had now been entered into that is the clarion call that's about to be resounding across the earth as mature sons and daughters finally come forth at the end of the age now this tutelage that we have been going through this instruction for some has been grievous it's been extremely difficult and I'll tell you why you're extremely stubborn some of us are so hard-headed we could break granite you know I'm the second of seven children my parents did their best they could with all of us and they loved us they provided for us they brought correction when we needed it and anytime we needed correction you know here comes dad with the belt Shh I only do this because I love you you think it was you killing me you love me and you want to beat me they love me the best of all my siblings I'm telling you because love brings correction even the Bible says that a father chases his child that he loves so all of this that we've gone through in our life the heartaches the the difficulty some of it self-imposed we've done it to ourselves because we haven't obeyed or submitted ourselves to the correction of God and so we go around that mountain again and again and again until finally we just are broken of that but this generation a forerunner company of passionate believers that have forsaken their will to take hold of his will are going to come forth that's what this scripture is talking about to as many as received him to them he gave the right to become children of God it's a process it's not instant I'm all that amen you know Jesus said I give unto you authority to turn on serpents and scorpions and over all of power the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you how many of you were walking in that now big don't know hands but think about this if nothing will hurt you what are we afraid of I think you got the other side of that you think you can go out and knock down a principality and you'll get the stuffing kicked out of you because you're supposed to be under authority and everything you do so there's wisdom that comes with maturity we need that wisdom to walk in maturity to be submitted to the purposes of the father at such a point as he deems is right he speaks this is my beloved son that includes you two ladies and were released and you'll notice in the life of Jesus once that came he said I don't do anything except for what I hear the father say or see the father do that's the sign of maturity I don't make plans and purposes on my own I listen to what the father says and that's the only thing I do anything else I don't do and even in a Christian circles they would say well God gave you a mind yes he did and I gave it back I submit it to God because you know what I'd rather have the mind of Christ than the mind of Bruce he's still with me now we have the right to become children of God to those who believe in his name there's the key who were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God so the linchpin in this whole process is believing in his name that's the word the Lord gave me to study for all those who twenty years now name in Hebrew culture there are four major covenants given that every one of us must process or progress through to come to this place of intimacy and maturity now there's other covenants than the major four but these four major covenants are very descriptive and very important it and it started with the Lord slaying an animal to cover Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden when they had transgressed and literally given God a writing of divorcement we don't want you anymore follow the serpent because the lust of the eyes the lust of the flesh and the pride of life they wanted his wisdom they wanted to speak like listen they were deceived and I submit to you if a day is as a thousand years first Peter 3:8 they didn't get deceived within two hours that deception was a process over a period of about 1,500 years where the devil kept needling them pricking them it's like a dripping water until finally it wore them down to the point where they said well that does kind of look good see we all think that if we have negative thoughts it's a sin you're in the world you're gonna have negative thoughts because that's how the devil of attacks you that's not the sin that's standard operating procedure for the attack of the enemy sin comes when you grab hold of that and you begin to chew on it meditate on it and you begin to allow it to work in you till finally it drops down into your inner man and from that place it comes forth as sin but the battleground is the mind it always has been it's not out there it's right here you win right between your two ears you don't win out there amen so approximately 1,500 years how're you know cuz they were born on God created him on the sixth day the seventh day was a day of rest eight new beginnings something new started what was it the fall of man so we have a picture of the strategy of the enemy who attacks you subtly at first just little Inklings little impressions will thoughts so you don't even realize what's happening at first and pretty soon it grows in you pretty soon it becomes larger and now you're focused on it when you focus you will connect when connection comes activation takes place and you start walking in it that's why we make a covenant with our eyes our spiritual eyes in our natural eyes but more importantly our spiritual eyes what are those it starts with the eyes of your imagination you make a covenant with those eyes you're not gonna look at things you shouldn't that means I'm not gonna meditate on think on look on things that I shouldn't did my inner man because the more I do that the more it grabs hold of me drops into me and I become that the I gate is a dangerous blessing amen same thing with your ears so we've been sharing you we have damaged our eyes or spiritual eyes and damaged our spiritual ears by what we focused on we need to focus on it Christ on his word so the first covenant that was enacted has a very significant meaning in Hebrew culture in a Hebrew wedding and I love this that you know the the bride and groom go through a process I won't go into all that of negotiation and sealing it with wine and on and on and on until they come to an agreement the bride begins to weave her garment and the bride is the only member of this wedding and the wedding party if you went to a Hebraic wedding back then every single one of you would have to put on fine linen a garment of white that's why in the parable of the one who snuck in how to friend he's still a friend how did you get in here you were supposed to come the right way and receive this garment because it honored the bride and bridegroom spoke of maturity holiness sanctity of marriage but you snuck in you don't have one caste mouth so everybody had to have a garment of fine linen but the bride had four layers of fine linen and it started with the undergarment or in Hebrew the word is katha not you'll find in Genesis that when Adam and Eve were covered with the skin of an animal because they God covered their nakedness it was the Hebrew word it was the undergarment of a bridal garment it was the process whereby you the Lord said I am going to begin this process of restoring you back to relational intimacy with me and it was a process now that first covenant is called the blood covenant and it equates to servanthood when you are born again the blood covenant you are now a servant that's it here's the thing in Hebraic understanding and culture also covenants build upon one another they don't negate the former covenant when you have a new covenant they build of all these four covenants this one covenant is the only covenant that must be renewed every day the blood covenant must be renewed yes you see we have this gospel of hyper grace I call it greasy grace the doctrines of demons well you only have to wear underwear once and you never have to change it I'm being descriptive but do you understand see undergarment you know I said forgive me once I'm done try that in a marriage or a friendship that's not how that works if you want to keep this open if you want to walk in humility and love honoring and respecting one another you're quick to repent forgive me I didn't mean to hurt you forgive me I transgressed you want that line to communication with God open all the time the blood covenant must be renewed every day then we step on it now every covenant God initiates and you have the opportunity to receive do you know he's a he's extended these covenants to all of mankind it's not his desire that any should perish but everybody makes their own decision based upon the input or the focus of their heart in their life see what you focus on captivates you that's why so many are in darkness because they're focused in the wrong place so at some point in your Christian walk your journey in Christ he initiates the second level of covenant with you called the salt covenant now that's an interesting covenant it's the covenant of friendship it's quite involved I won't get into all of that but in those days salt was a commodity that was used for transacting trade so if Pastor Steven and I wanted to enter into that level of covenant we choose a day where we were going to meet we'd have witnesses we'd have a table with bread with a cup and a bowl and then we'd get together and he would take a pinch of salt from his pouch I'd take a pinch of salt from my couch put it in the bowl we'd stir it up break bread dip it in the salt eat it and drink to seal the Covenant the other aspect of that would be we take a sword he put his hand down I put my hand on top we put the sword there and drive so we both had a cut we cut a covenant then we would put ash on there so we would always agree it remained a scar that would match the scar in his hand that means we're one that was the Covenant of friendship that covenant is eternal unbreakable and in those days the man's word was his bond not like today not even a contract is a bond anymore but that's how that worked so you went from servant to friend however you're still a servant you're never going to move away from being a servant Jesus the Lord of all was servant of all he still is think about that is it he ever ready to help you in time of need he still serves us we should be serving him actually covenant is reciprocal you treat each other the same although he deserves all the glory that is someplace in your walk with God he initiates the third level of covenant this is the third layer of a bridal garment that's the sandal covenant you read in the numbers Leviticus where when they went into the promised land they were instructed to take their old sandals and mark out the boundaries of their inheritance well when you enter into inheritance you can only have an inheritance because you're a son so it's the Covenant of sonship so in that covenant God shows you what your destiny inheritance is we look at Exodus we see how Moses was tending sheep on the back side of the wilderness for 40 years and after 40 years he came around again to the mountain of God Mount Horeb which means desolation and despair it's brokenness it's the place of Mount Sinai where God gave the law brokenness where you recognize apart from him I'm nothing and he'd done this for 40 years 40 is the number of testing he'd gone through this 40 years of testing to get Egypt out of him and now he sees something he's never seen before see it's a broken and a contrite spirit God doesn't despite brokenness is the first step to maturity he sees this burning bush he goes to see it and what Heath what is the the angel say heard that the Lord say actually there was the Lord and the angel was there because the fire was God the angel was his messenger they said Moses Moses both of them spoke take the sandals off your feet why cuz you go bout to mark out your inheritance and it's holy what was his inheritance a nation not land and cattle and houses and cars and businesses it was people every one of you has an inheritance and it's not all the bling that we always think of as inheritance in the natural realm it's a people group it's a desk it's what you're called to do in the scroll or the book of your life that's your inheritance and when you finally get to the places of sonship you get to mark it out amen so now we come to the final covenant at some point in your walk God initiates the fourth covenant which is the bridal covenant throughout this whole process the bride from servanthood on has been making herself ready revelations 19 verse seven and eight to her it's been granted to become the bride and what she's doing is weaving the garment of fine linen clean and bright for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints in other words God gave you a measure of faith you weave a bridal garment by responding in faith to everything he tells you to do not everybody in the body of Christ is the bride not everybody's the son not everybody's a friend but you're all saved the determination for when he initiates a covenant with you is up to him but the determination to get there is up to you how do you do that as a servant you be the best that's why I love what pastor said about this church how you're a servant Church and you all stepped up and did that you're ready to move on you're positioned for promotion that's the difference that we have to understand in this whole process of our kingdom walk it says as many as received him to them he gave the right he gave the right to become the right to become the right to become we start at the same place we are all given the exact same measure of faith we're all given the exact same tools we have no excuse about well my grandmother was angry with me when I was two and you know we come up with the lamest for our psychological props and look those things can be real but you also have a solution it's the blood of Jesus yeah you know when I first got saved in the 70s 1973 the big message then was faith faith faith faith faith if you they boy that was drilled into you but it was also warped in some areas and there was the healing movement was still pretty predominant so there were a lot of people getting healed and it had to do with face and they would line people up to pray for them if one wasn't healed and we're brother you don't have enough faith sit down and I'm like I get so angry and I just watched these guys belittle individuals because they didn't get here because you know can't be me finally I'd had enough I'm 17 years old this guy said this to us to a little old lady why sit down sister you just don't have enough faith and I thought that was it I went off I was wrong I was right but I was wrong I was wrong I said brother how much faith delet did Lazarus have where's your faith the leaders looked at me and I went oh boy that guy was got angry and so they course brought me in later I said look I know I was wrong but you guys are wrong you're letting that into that man who's visiting destroy the sheep that God gave you to care for with his arrogance and pride and haughtiness here's great faith scripture you want to know what great faith is persevering faith that's all it is everybody's got the same measure you grow strength in persevering little faith is NaN persevering faith that's the only difference some of you give up way too soon brother I tried that did you yeah it didn't work how long did you try two hours okay you're right on the verge of no faith faith is not something you try faith is something you live and it only increases by the Word of God faith comes by hearing and hearing comes by the Word of God or faith comes by revelation Rhema and rain becomes by the Rhema of God that's the only way faith comes brother would you pray that my faith would increase yeah Lord give them more trials that's not what I wanted well that's how you get there amen proverbs 18:10 says the name of the Lord is a strong tower now think about that the name of the Lord is a strong tower does that mean in the Old Covenant the word name in every instance but three means character honor and authority in the New Covenant the word name is character and authority in every instance but one let's look at that passage again the name of the Lord the character of the Lord is a strong tower the second part of that is the righteous run to it and are safe in Hebrew it literally means the righteous are conformed to it and are safe the character of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous are conformed to his character and now they're safe now do you see how this study still goes on so many instances in Scripture here's what we this is our tendency human kind Jesus made one statement you don't pray to me you pray to the Father in my name so what do we do we got the magic wand in the name of Jesus was a principal not a formula we've made it a formula most of us can't even say grace over our meal without saying in the name of Jesus and that's not even what the Bible told you to do he said to be received with Thanksgiving that's it but we've made a formula out of her principle and formulas and patterns equal witchcraft principles our foundational truths to build upon now listen I'm not telling you don't pray that way I'm saying no what you're doing it's not a religious mantra it has everything to do with character everything the Lord told me this one time your gift will carry you where your character can no longer sustain you in other words you can get so proficient in the gifting of God in your life and step well beyond your level of character and it will destroy you because you don't have the foundation that you need the foundation is the character of Christ you look at Jesus I love this study and I'll just throw a couple things out you need to study this John 14:12 the the clarion call of the church in the 21st century the works that I know sure you do also and greater works and boy we're just clamoring we want to do the stuff know what we want is the spectacular we don't want the supernatural well no you want the spectacular so somebody gets their brother you're so powerful but the supernatural is a daily walk every day walking communicating with Jesus developing in character loving your family providing for your family loving your neighbor as yourself that's all supernatural and we have moments of spectacular but we gravitate to that because it soothes the flesh makes us look good well look in the mirror you don't look that good I'm talking about the mayor of his word what do you think no to be like Jesus is the highest and greatest calling of every human being he's not impressed with numbers he's not impressed with how many miracles you've had he's not impressed with how eloquent you can speak what he's impressed with the only thing you take to heaven with you is his character how much of it you have allowed him to develop in you or how little you have that's the only thing that goes with you Bob Jones said well the Lord asked him did you learn how to love love is a pat as it is who he is that's part of his character that's the only thing you have whatever gift you have is either gonna blow off going up or burn off going down you don't need prophecy in heaven you don't need healing matter of fact if you understand scripture the church shouldn't have to need healing that's for the lost but that's for another day so the character of the Lord is a strong tower Psalm 61 3 says for you have been a refuge for me a tower of strength against the enemy some 61 5 says you have given me the inheritance of those who fear and revere respect your character they that dwell in the secret pace of the Most High shall abide under the shadow the listen his character is the shadow that we abide under it's his character his character and Genesis 17:5 the Lord speaking to Abram it says no longer shall your name no longer show your character be Abram for I have made you a father of many nations I will make you exceedingly fruitful here's what the Lord was saying to Abram I have given you a destiny and a hope for your future but your character isn't sufficient to walk that out so in the process of your wilderness wanderings in the process of this promise coming to pass I've done a deep work within you and I'm continuing to do so now when it's read before it comes forth I have to change your character so it will sustain that which I am releasing you to your name is no longer Abram I'm giving you a facet of my character hi so your name is going to be Abraham hi as a derivative of his name he went from exalted father Abram to Abraham father of a multitude he couldn't fulfill his destiny without a change of character neither can you neither can I if we don't submit to the tutelage of the Spirit of God we will never fulfill our destiny ever amen then he said in Genesis 17:5 he said to Abraham as for Sarai your wife she shall no longer you'll no longer give her the character or pronounce this character on her Sarai but she shall become Sarah and I is a derivative again of the name of God she went from princess - princess of a multitude because she had a destiny her character had to change we must submit ourselves to tutelage John 14 these works these works the first work Jesus ever did is he divested himself of glory he humbled himself and came in the form of a man we don't want that first work we don't want the humility humbleness no no no we want the miracles feed 5,000 he didn't feed 5,000 that's what the Bible says well the Hebrew code this is what it says 5,000 married men because that's only counted that's it didn't include women and children and single people there were 20 to 30 thousand people he fed that day and the only reason he could do it because of the character the father that he was walking in not because he was so much anointed for that it was because of his character his intimacy with the father that the father entrusted to him that level of authority and anointing amen that we have the story in Genesis 32 Jacob at Jabbok I love this story I won't get into detail in this but Jacob wrestled with God he had a destiny he had been prophesied over before he was born that the elder would serve the younger but at some point he and his mother decided to help God we're gonna fool Papa we all do that we you know God gives us a call and a prophetic word and we're gonna help him you just created another 20 years of going around that mountain and don't help God let him do it so now what his son is born he understands that this has to be passed on to his son this prophetic promise and he's going back to make amends he doesn't know if he's gonna live so he said Jabbok all night wrestling with god Jabbok means to be poured forth and become transparently empty it's the dark night of his soul where he wrestles with God and contends for his destiny that angel that being some say the pre-incarnate christ says let me go the day is break I'm not gonna let you go until you bless me okay there you go how's that for a blessing you're crippled for the rest of your life God doesn't do that well he just did and your haughtiness in arrogance you walked in you place you wanted all of your life now you've got humility you're only gonna walk or I tell you to you got to lean upon me now that's still on enough I like him bless me okay what's your character what's your name who see Jacob means he'll catch your supplanter deceiver he's a liar he's lied all of his life now he's confronted with either speaking truth or lying again but because he's poured forth and transparently empty because he's emptied himself out he speaks the truth my name is heal catcher supplanter deceiver he's a used camel salesman used-car salesman you guys don't get that over here okay and this is what the Lord says no longer is that gonna be your character from this point on I'm changing your character to prince of god or one who rules as god is cry out now he's ready to fulfill his destiny until we understand the need for the change of our character to be like him we will never fulfill our destiny and it can be long prolonged and painful or we can just agree to submit to God doesn't have to be long I finally came to the point in my own life where I said Lord whatever it takes I I didn't know what I was praying but that's so burned in me I began to pray that way and over the next three and a half four years he beat the stuffing out of me that's what I say it's probably not what he says but that's what I say it felt like that until I was broken and it lost everything and I at that point I gained everything intimacy with God became a reality the revelation of his love how that process had got me to the place of recognizing him seeing him for the very first time face to face hmm we talked about Elijah going through a process careth which means circumcision and cutting he's to camp there Zarephath purifying refining and of fusing together with the next step was Mount Carmel the place of God's glory the next place is Mount Horeb broken it's desolation displayer all of this was leading him to the fulfillment of his destiny the next place chariot of fire the next place the mountain of Transfiguration the next place at the end of the age when he returns and preaches again see you don't know your destiny you never will until you submit to a process of conformity to Christ what's in a name everything think about Adam who had the mind of Christ and invested in every living creature their character because he named them all like I said at the conference he and I are gonna talk about mosquitoes and bugs and thing you know what were you thinking man you have a picture in Luke 15 of the what I call the praying prodigal these are parables of the kingdom a certain man had two sons who would that be god the father two sons the elder was the Jew the younger was the Gentile the younger charismatic church gimme gimme gimme gimme gimme gimme gimme gimme gimme gimme my name is Jimmy and I'll take all you can give me give me my inheritance that's rude but the father remember type of God the Father gives him his inheritance he runs off and wastes it all on doing what first were we're playing G you know what most of us in the charismatic Pentecostal churches we've wasted our gifts among ourselves we've never used it to reach the lost we just keep it within here so we could show off a little bit aren't we blessed no you're dead that was given to you to reach the lost touch the world not keep it in the four walls of your Fortress of Solitude so he begins to be in want so what do we gonna do well then we gotta step this up a bit let's get a smoke machine flashing lights a little bit louder because we have to be culturally relevant no you have to be biblically relevant the culture will come to biblical they're tired of your program gets so desperate he's in desperation so he compromises to the extent he joins himself with the world what do they say go feed the swine he's starving and he looks at this slop that these pigs are eating he says you know in my father's house even the servants eat better than that I know what I have to do I have to go back to my father and say Father forgive me and make me as a servant that's when it shifted for him he went from gimmi gimmi gimmi my name is Jimmy - father make me he heads back the Father the type of God and father sees him a long way off here comes a stinky filthy son you don't see this too often in Scripture he runs and grabs him and he tries to explain father of it bring out the best mantle he's ready put the signet ring on his finger he's mature sandals on his feet he's ready now for ministry and killed the fatted calves we're gonna celebrate because this my son who was dead and gimme-gimme-gimme is now alive and father made me maturity that's where the church has to be today hallelujah I'll finish here in the New Testament we have the book of Acts chapter 9 where Saul on the road to Damascus how many of you heard he was knocked off his horse he heard that he was knocked off as I heard four years ago he was knocked off his sword what horse well maybe his high horse in his own there was no horse here's what it means Saul's persecuting the church he's very intelligent very learned in the religious system of his day and saw means significant one or sought-after I'm a popular conference speaker but when he met Jesus his name became Paul means little now the measuring rod is correct apart from you Lord I can do nothing do you know even Jesus said that without the father of my own self I can do nothing I only do what I see the father do if Jesus walked and comported himself that way what are we doing other absolute total dependence upon the Lord is basic not leaning on your gift your intellect your education your charisma your good or bad looks your sense you know absolute dependence upon the Spirit of God that's where God moves now Matthew 6:9 in this manner therefore pray our Father who art in heaven Hallowed be your character your character father is to be revered to be Hollywood to be respected to be understood jehova rapha jehova shamma jehova shamma jehova simcha new Jehovah Jireh all of his characters wrapped up in his name his Anoma his name if you want to know him study his name if you know his name you know him his character says he who receives a profit in the name of a prophet so receiver it's reward now wait a minute character and authority he who receives a profit in the character of a Prabhu there's a tell what do I mean by a tell I give away you know apostles and prophets or did we foundational servants that lift you up not say serve me carry my books open my doors no no that's the that's the job with a apostle and prophet let me help you then we lift you up so he who receives a prophet with the character of a prophet servanthood receives a Prophet's reward I used to laugh at that you know I had so many people cope I'd give anything to have what you got really I got so tired of hearing that brother would you impart to me Oh get your own can I can I talk about a pet peeve we go to conferences sometimes thousands of people rather we're gonna one part to everybody no you might be but I'm not that's not scriptural you show me any place in scripture with that scriptural well Jesus breathed on them yeah okay there you go Moses imparted to seventy you see Paul imparted to mark and Barnabas and the in Timothy but nowhere does it say to lay hands on impart on everybody that is not scriptural that's lazy Christianity that's the easy way they think that no impartation comes to process you want an impartation a prophet releases impartation through what they speak so there's an apostle sometimes they lay your hands but if you want a impartation you spend time with those who walk in and stop asking for the easy the quick fix so this young man come I'd give anything okay let me pray father kill him take him through 23 years Lord of broken it no no I don't want that I you just told me you do anything that's how I got here well I I don't want that I said I didn't think so your prayer should be father make me whatever you called me to be I trust you much as I like pastor Stephen I don't want to be pastor Stephen I know he doesn't want to be me you couldn't handle that sense of humor I was gonna say something else but I didn't in his name Gentiles will trust Matthew 12 21 in his character in his authority now listen to this Matthew 18 24 where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst let's reverse that where two or three are gathered together in christ-like character there he is because there are churches that are apostate away from God that still waved the banner of in the name of Jesus and he's nowhere to be found because the Chabad is written there it is not a formula it is a principle and when character reflects character he's there amen it's not a magic wand it's not a magic phrase as a matter of fact I never saw the disciples praying in the name of Jesus now they came in the character of Christ they understood the principle when Jesus said after this manner therefore pray he said you don't pray to me any more pray to the Father in my name well that's what we got that he's means if you take on my character like I took on his director when you pray he hears you religion is putrid it's a dead work now I'm not saying don't do that I'm saying we can grow you know I highly he was again over these years as he taught me this I said well Lord I see how you did your ministry and when can we do this he said go ahead no way oops we were doing a conference in Maryland we've done this many times since this first one I like and I said who and here's got pain in their body many hands went up and one guy in particular was just very demonstrative and I said okay sit come up here what's your the platform was I tell us what's going on he had something in the heels of his feet that was undiagnosable excruciating pain every morning he get up he'd have to oh and he would weep as he was loosening up and he said everything they tried nothing worked nothing worked and I said brother how you gonna know you're healed he said tomorrow when I get up there'll be no more pain I said I agree go on feast your faith has made you whole now the church who's the First Church of the spectacular I want to see something kind of went said all you God see they don't believe until they see that's the vast majority of the church there's more unbelief in the church than in the world often why I so the next morning I was up teaching he came in late I wasn't worried about that and what's happening with my notes fix this thing he he came in late and I stopped and said brother come up here and I handed him the mic he said tell me what happened he said I got up this morning I'm late because I was busy dancing and worshiping God I was healed no more pain you notice I didn't say brother we agree together tomorrow we agree in the name of G I just said your faith has made you whole I decided to start walking the way Jesus did I did get a revelation but I started doing this then I started looking at other aspects of ministry in the first century here's what religions done you got a preach so they can get saved okay they need the word Jesus is the word he's appearing to millions of people who reconcile that one because I didn't preach it did you preach no he did he's the word now you have to come to new believers class that's good foundational truths are necessary but now we're gonna go to baptism class you got to go to that and then we're gonna baptize you okay and then at some point out now baptism the Holy Ghost you got it would let class and now we got to put you in servanthood class so that you can help you know and we give 47 steps to being useful in the kingdom why don't you just say you're going to accept Jesus the moment you ask him into your heart here's what's going to happen to you you're gonna be healed of every sickness and every disease because life is now come you're gonna be filled with the Holy Ghost speaking in tongues prophesying having visions and dreams seeing clearly in the realm of the Spirit we just this is the package accepted not just this piece so they get saved and they're instantly walking and all of that now you have a God's foundation now let me explain what's going on in your life but we want to parcel it out so we are secure and our attendance and our income we still friends that's how that works religion makes something that is so simple very difficult relationship keeps it simple I really like you I don't like you that's okay I like you really religion says you got to do all of this so you're like a bull jesus said you're likable and because you are you going to do all this that's a natural outflow a man now I'm just picking through John 14:13 whatever you ask in my character whatever you ask with christ-like character I will do it that my father may be glorified see we asked a myth when we don't have his character because without his character were praying based upon the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes in the pride of life most of the time but with the character of Christ that which we ask is not the begging and pleading from the less than the position of the lust in the flesh the lust of the eyes in the pride of life why am I always begging pleading for more when if you have the character of Christ you know mores already orders am I making sense no if you have the character of Christ in you ask the Father he goes off there's my son Jesus give it no hindrance to prayer no hindrance to prayer we can go how about this I just come to come to a landing maybe maybe touch and go at the name of Jesus every knee will bow every tongue will confess he's Lord how about at the character of Christ in you every knee bow sickness disease poverty fear demonic oppression every knee bowels and every one of those tongues confess he's Lord in you remember Jesus step out of the boat on Ganesh right the moment he stepped out those D Melanie Acts ran and fell at his feet he didn't say a word but he had the character the father boom what do we have to do with you leave the character of Christ cultivated in the life of a believer propels you into the kingdom of his love the Kingdom of Heaven to such an extent that wherever you walk that kingdom is now we know that intellectually we can receive that by promise but when you walk in the revelation of his character being perfected in you wherever you go there spontaneous reaction to that character that's exactly what Peter did when he walked down the street and they said don't you pray in that name anymore and the Lord said it's okay Peter you have my character just walk down the street and they were healed you walk in favor Jesus grew in wisdom stature and favor with both God and man you have favor when you have the character of Christ people fall all over themselves to bless you even when they don't like you I don't know what I'll tell you a true story I love this one we were ministering in st. Luke's Episcopal Church in Seattle now that's where Dennis Bennett father Dennis Bennett that was so there were had been a an awakening there at one point in the 70s 60 70s now here we are it's Morse code and they asked me to come and teach for a week so I said okay we'll come and I haven't been doing that much here but I would always say amen and they kind of like Amen see their Episcopal that's that's not their mindset so we went all week Saturday morning come because we're going to do all Saturday and this man he's very dressed very ruffly he comes up said why are you always trying to make a say men we're not Pentecostal it was really hostile I said so I kind of rose up a little bit like shut up flesh I said brother I don't care if you say Amen or oh no I'm just trying to get you to break out of that religious box he said well you got me so angry by Tuesday I had to keep coming that's what then he said here and he handed me a check it was folded in half no way that's strange what said now cuz I was gonna give it to the pastor pretty weird now they're singing their kumbaya song whatever that was oh and I was just like that was so strange I took the check out open it went ten thousand dollars I said God can i annoy a few more people what to give it to the pastor he said no that's yours he gave it to you that's what favorite looks like when you walk with the character of Christ even those who don't like you will bless you just tell me you don't like me today that's all I'm saying it's crazy all these lessons he builds into your life to confirm his word to confirm his word whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved you know what close with this story when I in their late 70s I was going to Bible College and working at TBN and it was a live show that was always fun anything could happen and Paul and Jan you know back in those days we had very interesting people some of them were even filled with God I mean and I watched these people come on the set because I was one of the directors and then you know cameraman Laura you did all that but you meet some people that Jesus just oozed out of them Arthur bless it man he died B mesmerizing when he come on talking because the glory of God dr. Richard EB he wrote the book caught up into paradise a medical doctor who died what they have it in cake I mean some wonderful people evie Hill and then you'd have people come on that we're very anointed but something was off and this one man would come on the set all the time cuz he was a favorite he had a tremendous anointing people would get healed in the audience he had words of knowledge preached with fire and one time before the show he come up and I and another guy were standing nearby the sound board he's you guys want to hear a joke yeah okay I've never been so embarrassed in my life he'd make a sailor blush with that joke I were like oh then he got up and preached how can that be few years later he died of AIDS he repented on his deathbed but see that was a mixture there was a gifting that he had perfected through practice but there was no characters to sustain it and I learned to see the difference between gifting and character I don't care how gifted you are let me see the fruit what's the fruit character I don't care how many visitations you say you've had and third heaven third realm experiences if there's no fruit of that in your life stay away I love you I'll pray from you for you from a distance but I don't believe it because a lot of people just want to be recognized that was another brother came on tremendous teacher three PhDs retired army colonel been to war calling me this guy was brilliant Paul and Jan were not on the set that day they'd had him gifts toasts and they called and said keep going this is good I said well he wants fine but time it was done we've gone over at 45 more minutes he picked up his books he came off said I work too long and too hard to give this stuff away for free I didn't even think just out of my out of my spirit I don't know if it was but it I said well I got a nickel he looked at me daggers I thought oh I'm gonna get fired tomorrow Jan really likes that guy see freely you have received freely charge as much as you can get but do you understand gifting is one thing every one of you has gifting you're born with it now are you going to submit it to God to perfect it and it's only perfected through character I hope I challenged you with this thought today in the name of Jesus is not a magic wand it's a principle you can have great Authority without character you can walk in it because you've exercised it however if you've got character you'll have all authority just like Jesus did how do I know cuz he said all authority is given to me go ye all Authority has been given to my body you go do it but it's character that does it for you amen let's stand out pray the church in the world and in this nation needs a people of character to come forth where they see Christ in you and not just hear about Christ through you your living example will do more than your verbosity your your eloquence your words your living example will will speak more and speak louder you know and you go to these malls and you start walking in the character of Christ and people start getting delivered and healed just as you walk by you think something's not going to break up this is the hour we're in because you're gonna be told don't you speak in that name don't you practice your religion well you can have my religion I just walked with Jesus and if he does it I didn't do anything father teach us all to yield to the process of becoming like you make it so loud and clear in our hearts that just as Jesus said in John 5:19 that apart from you he could do nothing Lord apart from you we can't do anything and matter of fact apart from you we are nothing so father whatever it takes perfect your character in us bring us to the place of maturity but before they say yes Lord help them to count the cost I thank you that this isn't a formula it's a relationship it's a process of intimacy and growing up into you Lord when we get to the place that we want you more than we want our next breath [Music] we're ready bless them with this seed of Destiny today I pray father position them for your glory I agree with the prayers the groanings of creation that you're working in them to bring forth mature sons and daughters and I thank you for it in the name of Jesus amen [Music]
