Midnight Winners
Pastor Aaron Batchelor Preached on 5/31/2026
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Summary
Pastor Aaron Batchelor explores the story of Paul and Silas in the Philippian jail to show that victory is defined by how we stand during the battle, not just the outcome. He encourages believers to be 'Midnight Winners' who offer praise in their darkest hours, trusting that God is working for their good and the salvation of others.
Key points
- •Victory is not always visible; being in a difficult season or a 'prison' does not mean you have failed or missed God's will.
- •True faith settles who God is before the circumstances change, choosing to praise in the middle of the trial rather than waiting for the end.
- •Your personal trial may be a setup to reach someone else; Paul and Silas were in prison so that the jailer could encounter God.
- •Midnight is not just a time of darkness, but the moment when God's supernatural intervention is closest to breaking through.
Scripture
Faith
Worship
Perseverance
Trials
Purpose
Life application
Identify one 'midnight' area of your life where you have been waiting for a breakthrough, and commit to praising God for His character in that specific situation every day this week, regardless of what you see.
Reflection questions
- When you face opposition, is your first instinct to wonder if you did something wrong, or to consider if you are being a threat to the enemy?
- What does it look like for your praise to become 'bigger than your pain' in your current circumstances?
- Who in your life might be watching how you handle your current trial, and how could your faithfulness lead to their salvation?
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Full transcript
0:02[music]
0:03>> Hallelujah.
0:06Woo. Acts 16.
0:09Acts [music] 16 verse 16.
0:12Acts 16 verse1 16.
0:14And it came to pass.
0:17Listen, it came to pass as we went to
0:21prayer. Somebody say, "As we went to
0:23prayer."
0:24>> That's right. Remember that. As we went
0:27to prayer, a certain damsel possessed
0:29with a spirit of divination.
0:33That's a demonic spirit claiming to
0:34foretell the future. She was possessed
0:38met us as we went to prayer.
0:41>> Cuz that's when the devil likes to show
0:42up. I know we think the enemy likes to
0:45show up when we're already lost and
0:47already out there doing what we
0:48shouldn't have been doing. But the enemy
0:49knows that's not a threat to his
0:51kingdom. What's a threat is when you
0:53show up anyway. When you show up to
0:54prayer. When you show up believing
0:56anyway. When you show up to the house of
0:58God. That's when the enemy comes.
1:03>> So the fight that you're facing, the
1:05battle that you're in this morning may
1:07not be because you're doing everything
1:08wrong, but because you're doing
1:09something right.
1:12You're a threat to the enemy. I don't
1:14know if you know that or not, but you've
1:16got the victory and the authority
1:18already.
1:20And this woman demonic possessed which
1:23brought her master's much gain by susing
1:26fortune telling the same followed Paul
1:28in us and cried. Now this is interesting
1:31because she said these men are servants
1:33of the most high God which show unto us
1:35the way of salvation. Because if the
1:37enemy [music] cannot divide or separate
1:40or kill what's happening, he'll try to
1:42assimilate
1:44what's happening and he'll mix truth
1:46with a lie.
1:50Even [music]
1:51Even Satan himself can transform into an
1:55angel of light, the Bible says.
1:58>> And she did this many days. Somebody say
2:00many days.
2:01>> Many days.
2:02>> Come on. You can rebuke it one day, but
2:04it may come back the next day. She did
2:06this many days. You got to stay faithful
2:08in it. But Paul being grieved, he turned
2:12and he said to the spirit. Somebody say
2:14the spirit.
2:14>> The spirit.
2:15>> That's a little s. That's not the Holy
2:17Spirit. That's that demonic spirit that
2:19was within her. Because this woman,
2:20while she was the one speaking and the
2:23one following after Paul and Silas,
2:25there was something behind it. And what
2:26you and I have to remember is we don't
2:28fight flesh and blood.
2:30We fight against principalities and
2:32powers and the spirits behind it. And so
2:34when you pray, you're not saying, "God,
2:36I bind that man or Lord, I cast out that
2:39woman." But you bind the spirit of that
2:42thing. And that's where your authority
2:44lies.
2:48He said to the spirit, "I command thee
2:52in the name."
2:56>> I don't I'm sorry. I don't I'm not
2:58trying to be mean-spirited, you know.
2:59I'm not being mean-spirited. I just
3:01don't understand people that will sing
3:03about the name of Jesus, pray in the
3:05name of Jesus, command things in the
3:07name of Jesus, and then get baptized a
3:10certain way,
3:12that's not the name of Jesus.
3:16If you're going to sing about the name
3:17that's above every name, if you're going
3:19to pray in the name that's above every
3:21name, then have enough faith to believe
3:23that when I go down in the water, just
3:25like Jesus said, it's the name of the
3:28father, son, and holy ghost that all the
3:30glory of God is displayed. And it's the
3:32name of Jesus. Are there any people of
3:34the name that are not ashamed to know
3:37who he is?
3:40He said, "I command thee in the name of
3:43Jesus Christ, come out of her, and he
3:46came out that same hour. When her
3:48masters saw that the hope of their gains
3:50was gone, they caught Paul and Silas,
3:53they drew them into the marketplace and
3:55to the rulers and brought them into the
3:56magistrates, saying, "These men being
3:58Jews do exceedingly trouble our city."
4:01You think? Yeah. They teach customs.
4:05Now, here's where they mix some truth
4:06with lie. They teach customs which are
4:08not lawful for us to receive, neither to
4:10observe being Romans. That's a lie. The
4:13multitude rose up together against them,
4:15and the magistrates rent off their
4:16clothes, and commanded to beat them. And
4:19when they had laid many stripes upon
4:21them, they cast them into prison,
4:22charging the jailer to keep them safely,
4:25who having received such a charge,
4:27thrust them into the inner prison, made
4:30their feet fast in the socks, and at
4:31midnight, somebody say midnight.
4:34>> Oh yeah. At midnight, Paul and Silas
4:36prayed and sang praises unto God, and
4:39the prisoners heard them. And suddenly
4:42there was a great earthquake so that the
4:44foundations of the prison were shaken.
4:47And immediately all the doors were open
4:50and everyone's bands were loose. So I've
4:53come this morning to preach on victory.
4:55I've come to preach to somebody today
4:57that is still waiting on an earthquake.
5:00The chains are still there. The doors
5:02still shut. The answer hasn't come. But
5:05if God can bring Paul and Silas through
5:07a midnight prison, he can bring you
5:09through what you're facing right now.
5:12I want to preach to some people who may
5:14feel like you're in a midnight season,
5:16but God sent me to tell you that
5:18midnight doesn't mean you've lost. For a
5:20few moments, I want to preach from this
5:22subject this morning. Midnight winners.
5:26Midnight winners. I wish you turned to
5:29somebody. Just let them know I'm a
5:30midnight winner.
5:32Oh yes. Now Lord, I thank you for the
5:35spirit of faith that's in this house and
5:37victory that's in this people. I pray
5:38that your spirit would speak to us now.
5:40Help me to preach the unadulterated,
5:42forever settled word of God cuz that's
5:44the only thing that'll save us. We
5:46receive it right now not just to be
5:48hearers, but grafted into [music] our
5:49hearts that we may be obedient to it. I
5:51pray that faith would continue to rise
5:53in all of your people this morning. And
5:55we'll give you all the glory and all the
5:57praise because we know we have the
5:59victory because of what you have
6:01accomplished. We give you all the praise
6:03and glory. In Jesus' name we pray. And
6:06everybody said, "Amen." Oh, on your way
6:09to your seat, just tell somebody else,
6:10"I'm a midnight winner."
6:15If I asked you to describe victory,
6:16you'd probably describe the ending. a
6:19healed body, a restored marriage, a
6:21financial breakthrough, an answered
6:23prayer. But what if victory isn't just
6:26something you're waiting for at the end?
6:30>> What if victory is something that God
6:32wants you to possess while you're still
6:34in the middle?
6:37>> What does victory look like? And most of
6:39us would say open doors and favor,
6:41promotion healing financial
6:43breakthrough, prayers answered, and
6:45testimonies. That's that's what we want
6:46to talk about. But Acts 16 gives us a
6:49completely different picture.
6:51Paul the Apostle was originally Saul of
6:53Tarsus. He was born in Tarsus, a Roman
6:56citizen by birth, educated under Gil,
7:00one of the most respected rabbis of the
7:01day, a Pharisee, extremely devoted to
7:04Jewish law. He described himself as
7:08advancing beyond many of his peers in
7:10Judaism. And he wasn't wrong. Before he
7:13met Jesus, Paul was sincere. But listen,
7:17he was sincerely wrong.
7:21>> He thought Christians were dangerous
7:23heretics.
7:25He wasn't indifferent towards Jesus. He
7:27actively opposed Jesus. He approved of
7:31the execution of Steven, the first
7:33martyr of the church. He entered into
7:35homes. He dragged families, men, women,
7:39believers to prison. He threatened and
7:42persecuted Christians. And by his own
7:44testimony in Acts chapter 22 and verse4,
7:47he said,"I persecuted this way unto the
7:51death."
7:53So it's interesting the man singing in
7:55Acts 16 once put other people in prison.
7:59Silas called Sylvanas is more
8:01mysterious. Scripture doesn't give as
8:02many details about his early life. We
8:04know he was a leader in the Jerusalem
8:06church. He was considered a prophet
8:08among believers. Acts 15, he was trusted
8:10by the apostles to carry the the
8:12Jerusalem Council's decision to the
8:14gentile churches. But unlike Paul, we
8:16never read about his dramatic conversion
8:19story. And by Acts 16, neither Paul nor
8:22Silas is who he used to be. Paul went
8:25from persecutor to preacher. He went
8:27from imprisoning believers to being
8:30imprisoned for Jesus. He went from
8:32destroying churches to planting
8:34churches. Silas went from respected
8:37church leader to suffering missionary.
8:39He left the comfort of Jerusalem to
8:41travel dangerous roads with Paul. In
8:44other words, here's the story in a
8:46nutshell. They obeyed God. They helped
8:48people. They cast out a demon and they
8:51got beaten for it.
8:54>> And if we were to show two beaten
8:55preachers to people, bleeding, chained,
8:58humiliated, sitting in a prison, you
9:01wouldn't call them victorious. And yet
9:04heaven did. The world says victory is
9:07what happens after the ba battle. And
9:10we've got to make sure that we don't
9:12believe that halftruth or that lie. It
9:15victory is more than what happens after
9:17the battle. The Bible says victory is
9:19how you stand during the battle.
9:23>> Here's what I want to tell somebody this
9:25morning is victory is not always
9:28visible. Tell somebody that victory is
9:30not always visible.
9:33Paul obeyed God and he ended up in
9:36prison. This is why we got to make sure
9:37we're careful about how we label people,
9:40about how we label their situations and
9:42their circumstances. Cuz we could look
9:43at one person thinking that they're
9:45locked up in prison based off something
9:47that they did wrong, but they're locked
9:49up maybe because God is trying to work
9:51something out in them because of what
9:52they're doing, right?
9:56Think about the progression of Paul and
9:57Silas. God gave them a Macedonian call.
10:00If you read your Bible 15 and verse and
10:02then chapter 16, Paul obeyed. Lydia gets
10:05saved, gets baptized, and her whole
10:06household. A demonized girl got
10:08delivered. Everything is looking great.
10:10They're obeying God. And then suddenly
10:13false accusations, public humiliation,
10:15beatings imprisonment.
10:18And that's where often times many of us,
10:20our faith gets shaken because we believe
10:22if God led me here, it should be easy.
10:25If God led me to this church, if God led
10:27me to this life group, if God led me to
10:29this job, everything should be easy. But
10:31sometimes, oh God, help us with this
10:33right now. Obedience leads directly into
10:37opposition.
10:40Joseph obeyed and landed in prison.
10:43Genesis 39, Joseph's masters took him,
10:45put him into the prison, but the Lord
10:48was with Joseph. God won't send you
10:51somewhere that he's not willing to be
10:53there with you.
10:56>> Daniel obeyed and landed in a lion's
10:58den. Hebrew boys obeyed. They landed
11:00cast into a furnace. Paul obeyed and
11:03landed in prison. Jesus obeyed and
11:05landed at a cross.
11:08>> If I'm in prison, some people think if
11:11I'm in prison, if I feel locked up, I
11:13must have missed God somewhere. But not
11:16necessarily, my brother. Not
11:18necessarily, my sister. You can be right
11:20in the center of God's will and still
11:23find yourself in a difficult place. The
11:26prison was not pro was it was proof of
11:29opposition. It was not proof of failure
11:33>> because victory is not always visible.
11:36>> Because here's another truth that I want
11:37to tell you this morning is victory is
11:39decided before the breakthrough.
11:45At midnight, Paul and Silas prayed and
11:49they sang praises unto God. They prayed
11:53and they sang praises unto God. They
11:55prayed and they sang praises unto God.
11:57The earthquake has not happened yet in
11:59this in this part of the story. The
12:01chains have not fallen off yet. The
12:03doors haven't fallen off their hinges.
12:05The miracle hasn't come yet. And yet,
12:08somebody say yet.
12:09Yet they are praising because they had
12:13already settled who God was before their
12:16circumstances change.
12:19>> Anybody can praise God when the chains
12:22fall off, but faith praises him before
12:25they fall.
12:28Most people say, "I'll praise when God
12:30answers." But faithfilled people say,
12:32"I'll praise God because he's worthy.
12:35because he's alpha and omega, the
12:38beginning and the end. And he started my
12:41faith, he'll finish my faith. I don't
12:43praise him because my circumstances is
12:46good. I praise him because God is good
12:49and he never left me and he's still
12:51worthy. Whether the sun shines or the
12:54moon is bright, I worship him because
12:56he's God.
12:59Oh, they'd made up in their mind that
13:01they were going to pray and sing
13:02praises. No freedom and still praising.
13:05No breakthrough and still praising. No
13:08healing and still praising. No answer
13:11and still praising. Got grief and
13:13[snorts] I'm still praising. Broke, but
13:15I'm still praising. Broken relationship,
13:18but I'm still praising. Hurt in my soul,
13:21but I'm still praising. Troubled in my
13:23mind, [screaming] but I'm still
13:25praising. I won't let anything stop me
13:27from believing that God is still worthy
13:30from the rising of my son to the setting
13:33of it in my life. I'll still give him
13:35praise cuz he's good. [cheering]
13:43I remind myself of Habach 3:1 17.
13:46Although, somebody say, "Although."
13:49>> Although the fig tree shall not blossom,
13:52neither shall the fruit be in the vines,
13:54and the labor of the olive shall fail,
13:57and the field shall yield no meat, and
13:59the flock shall be cut off from the
14:01fold, and there shall be no herd in the
14:04stalls. Oh yeah, that sounds really bad
14:06right there. Everything I'm laboring for
14:08and I'm working for and I'm trying to
14:10accomplish and I'm trying to put
14:11together and it's still failing. And
14:13although I go out into my fields and I
14:16go out to the job, it seems like I'm not
14:17getting the promotion and things aren't
14:19working for me. And and Habach didn't
14:21stop there because he says, "Yet I will
14:24rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the
14:28God." Oh, yet I've got a yet praise this
14:30morning. I've got a yet joy. I've got a
14:33yet faith. I've got a yet life that yet
14:36I will. Though he slay me, yet will I
14:39trust him. Though I get dead from this,
14:42yet will I still praise him. And though
14:44everything is taken from me, yet I will
14:47still bless the name of the Lord at all
14:49times. And his praise shall continually
14:57be in my mouth. Victory. [snorts]
15:01Victory. It begins the moment your
15:03praise becomes bigger than your pain.
15:09I
15:09>> can I say it? Can I say it this morning
15:11like this? The miracle is not that the
15:12prison shook for Paul and Silas. We
15:15rejoice about that. I think the miracle
15:16is that two men who had every reason to
15:18complain chose worship instead.
15:22>> I think that's the real miracle. the
15:24miracle of two men that are bloodied and
15:26beaten and hurting and in pain and
15:29separated from their family and their
15:30friends and trying to obey God and still
15:33suffering for it and they're still in
15:35that prison and they're still locked up
15:36in that chains and they could have been
15:38bitter and they could have been anxious
15:39and they could have been afraid and they
15:41could have been complainers and they
15:43could have been murmuring but what did
15:44they do? They prayed and they sang pray.
15:46I think that's the real miracle cuz I
15:48know Aaron and I know there's times
15:50whenever I feel locked up and I don't
15:52feel like giving God praise. But a real
15:54miracle happens whenever you can feel
15:56locked up and say, "Yeah, I'm still
15:58going to praise the Lord. I'm still
15:59going to give him my dance and my shout
16:01and my energy and my love. I feel
16:04rejection and failure and regret and
16:06persecution, but he's still good cuz
16:08he's never left me. I still feel his
16:10love. I still feel his peace." That's
16:12the real miracle.
16:18Yet at midnight, Yet at midnight, they
16:20prayed and sang. Midnight winners.
16:22Somebody say, "Midnight winners."
16:24>> Yeah. Acts 16. It's not just a story
16:26about prison doors popping open. It's a
16:28story about what happens when God
16:30changes a person so completely that even
16:32the chains can't silence your praise.
16:35>> That's the real story. Yeah. I got a
16:37testimony. I got a testimony of even
16:40after I was born again and even after I
16:42was saved and filled with the Holy
16:43Ghost, I went through some of the most
16:45difficult heartache and pain in my life
16:47that a human would ever experience. And
16:48yet, I'm still here praising God. Some
16:50of you had that testimony. You're
16:52sitting in here in pain this morning.
16:54You're sitting in here with the little
16:55difficulty and frustration and you don't
16:57have all the answers, but I saw faith
16:59arise in your heart today and you got to
17:01praise. That's a real miracle is because
17:04my victory doesn't start at the end. My
17:06victory is right in the middle. My
17:07victory is right whenever you look at me
17:09and it seems like I lost everything, but
17:11God's still good and I'm still here. And
17:14if the devil could have taken me out, he
17:15would have. But God, God has kept me.
17:18And [cheering]
17:20oh, I'm still here. I still got a voice.
17:22I can still raise my hand. I can still
17:25do my day. Whatever I've got, God's not
17:27done with me yet. He's not finished with
17:29me yet. He's still working it out.
17:32[cheering]
17:36>> [applause]
17:39>> Oh, somebody has the victory. Get him
17:41praised one more time, would you? In
17:43this place, [cheering]
17:49[applause]
17:51let's take it as believers. We're
17:52following Jesus. So, let's take it to
17:54another level because we could stop
17:55right here and shout over the victory
17:57that God, Brother Leman, wants to give
17:58to us, that he has given to us right in
18:00the middle of our circumstance. We could
18:02praise. But God does things that are so
18:04beyond our imagination. It goes beyond
18:06our thinking and what we're even asking.
18:08God, get me out of this or God, get me
18:10through this. And he is answering, but
18:11he answers in ways that are so much
18:13larger and bigger within the fabric of
18:15his kingdom that he blows our minds. And
18:18at the end of it all, we're going to
18:19turn back. Maybe that's what the 30
18:21minutes of silence is all about in
18:22heaven is that we're going to be so
18:24flabbergasted. We're just going to be so
18:25amazed at the majesty and the glory and
18:28the perfection of God that we won't have
18:30anything to say. that there will all the
18:32masses and all the people still
18:34gathering there that there will just be
18:36a silence in heaven as the glory of God
18:38is revealed. I don't know what that's
18:40all about, but all I do know is that God
18:42is still working in ways our minds
18:44cannot fathom. So, here's the third
18:45thing that I've got to tell you about
18:47victory this morning is victory is often
18:50working for somebody else.
18:55>> This is where believers, where the
18:56rubber meets the road. This is where
18:58trust begins in God. Because notice what
19:01started the prison sentence for Paul and
19:03Silas. Paul wasn't beaten for preaching.
19:05He wasn't beaten for praying. He wasn't
19:07beaten for worshiping. He was beaten
19:10because he disrupted a demonic
19:12stronghold and somebody's prophets.
19:16>> The prison wasn't evidence that Paul
19:18lost. The prisons of the prison was
19:20evidence that Paul had just won.
19:24>> I thought about this scripture the other
19:26day because victory looks like we're
19:28leading the charge. Victory looks like
19:30we're out in front. Victory looks like
19:32we're out in front of everybody and
19:34we're getting the best the best of the
19:36promotions and the best of the blessings
19:37and we're getting it. That's what
19:38victory seems like in our mind. But read
19:41what Isaiah 53 and verse 7 says that
19:44Jesus was led like a lamb to the
19:47slaughter. Why would Jesus who could
19:49call 10,000 legions of angels down in a
19:52moment? Why would he allow them to lead
19:55him to the slaughter? this man that
19:57we're following, this Messiah that we're
19:59looking to be like, and our faith is
20:01developing like his, why would Jesus
20:04allow them to lead him to the slaughter?
20:07You and I know the answer because our
20:09Bible says, "Who for the joy that was
20:11before him endured the cross, despising
20:14the shame, and you and I were his joy."
20:18It was the salvation of your soul and my
20:20soul, and everyone who had put their
20:22faith in him that Jesus allowed them to
20:24lead. Here's what the enemy didn't know.
20:261 Corinthians 2:8 tells us that the
20:29princes of the world didn't have that
20:30kind of wisdom. Otherwise, they wouldn't
20:32have crucified the king of glory. But it
20:34was the princes who led Jesus into a
20:36victory that was already determined
20:38before the foundations of the world.
20:40What I'm trying to tell you right now is
20:42whatever you're going through is God is
20:44working that victory not just for you,
20:46but somebody near you, somebody in your
20:49family, somebody in your community. And
20:51it may look like they're leading the
20:53charge right now. And they get to have
20:54the say on Facebook and they get to tell
20:57their story. And it may look like
20:58they're winning right now, but what they
21:00don't know, they don't have the wisdom
21:02is they're leading you right into the
21:04place of victory. Oh, God.
21:08I know. I know. I know. I know it
21:10doesn't look and feel like it right now,
21:11but God is allowing the enemy to lead
21:14you right to the place where God for
21:17ordained you to be. right where he
21:19predestined your life to be. I know it
21:21looks dark right now and like
21:23everything's going to be gone. And it
21:25looks like the enemy has the upper hand.
21:27Uh but we already know he was defeated.
21:29He doesn't even have the keys to his own
21:31househ. And so if God allowed him to
21:33come into my life and put me up in a
21:36prison somehow, you just don't know.
21:38You've set me up for a victorious
21:40testimony. [cheering]
21:41>> Yeah. You don't even know God's about to
21:43save my family. You don't even know what
21:45you're messing with me right now. God's
21:47about to bring breakthrough to my
21:49church. What you don't know is whatever
21:51you meant as evil against me, God is
21:53turning it around for I wish somebody
21:55believed it in the house that the
21:57enemy's been messing with you. But God
21:59says this isn't for you. This victory is
22:02going to come cuz I'm working it out
22:04because of things you've prayed over and
22:06people you've been fasting over and
22:09things you've asked me. He said, I'm
22:10allowing them to lead you through this
22:12so that somebody can be free. uh so that
22:15somebody can walk through those doors uh
22:18and lift their handsh
22:22[cheering]
22:30next level faith right there. Come on.
22:32That's next level faith where I don't
22:34believe God's just getting me out of
22:35this circumstance for me, but God's
22:37working on my friend. God's working on
22:39my spouse. God's working on my children.
22:42And they're watching me. And I can't
22:43give up now cuz they're looking at me.
22:45And right now, what are you going to do
22:47with this problem? What are you going to
22:48do with this pain? I'm going to pray.
22:51I'm going to sing praises. I'm going to
22:53pray. I'm going to sing pray. Keep on
22:55watching me. Uh cuz God's going to do
22:57something. I don't know when. I don't
22:59know how. I don't have it all figured
23:01out, but I'm going to pray. Uh I'm going
23:03to sing praises. Uh and something's
23:06going to happen. [cheering]
23:10I wish you'd lift your voice in this
23:12house like you believe you've already
23:14got victory. In spite of what it looks
23:16like, in spite of what it feels like.
23:19You're a glorious church without spot or
23:22wrinkle. You've been washed.
23:25[cheering]
23:30>> I wish you praise him right now like
23:32God's doing it for somebody else. I wish
23:35you praise him like God's God's working
23:37through your pain. He's working through
23:39your problem to bring healing to
23:41somebody else. Uh to bring victory to
23:43somebody else. He's going to get you out
23:45of this baby. He's going to get you out.
23:47But while you're waiting, while you're
23:49standing, God's working on other things.
23:52You don't know what he's doing, but he's
23:54working on other
23:57He's working on other things.
24:03[applause and cheering]
24:10See, this prison wasn't for Paul and
24:13Silas.
24:18>> This prison wasn't for Paul and Silas.
24:20You know, this prison was for the
24:22jailer.
24:27God said, "I'm reaching for somebody
24:29right now. And if I got to put you boys
24:31in a path of pain, they had surrender.
24:34They say, "Yes, Lord, whatever you
24:36want." And God said, "This is what I
24:37want." Cuz I'm reaching for a jailer who
24:39can't hear me right now. Cuz all he
24:41hears is Rome. All he hears is the
24:44emperor and Caesar speaking. All he can
24:46hear is other people saying what his job
24:48is and what he needs to do. But this
24:50prison ain't for you, Paul. This prison
24:52ain't for you, Silas. It's for a jailer.
24:54Because the Bible says when they sang
24:56and prayed, everybody heard them.
24:58Everybody started listening something
24:59within that jailer. His ears perked up.
25:02He said, "I've never heard singing like
25:03that in this prison before. I've never
25:05heard prayer like that in this jail
25:07before. I've heard him plead and beg
25:09with me, but I've never heard him have
25:11that kind of joy. I've never heard him
25:13have that kind of peace. Cuz this prison
25:15ain't for you. This prison is for
25:17somebody that God's been trying to reach
25:18for a long time. And if God can use you
25:21to be the salt and the light, I don't
25:22know if you can believe this or not. Uh
25:24but if we can put our faith and trust in
25:26God, he's about to open up the door for
25:29everybody [screaming] we've been praying
25:30for, everybody we've been seeking for.
25:33And this community is about to
25:35experience that revival [screaming] cuz
25:37the church didn't give up in pressure.
25:39And the church didn't give up in pain.
25:42Uh and the church didn't help us. This
25:45prison isn't for you. It's to lead
25:47somebody [screaming] back uh to Jesus.
25:51I wish you praise him like you believe
25:53that. I wish you let your faith explode.
25:56Uh like you know God's still on the
25:58throne uh and he's still working and he
26:01can't be stopped. Uh his kingdom can't
26:03be stopped. Uh no weapon [screaming]
26:05formed uh against me is going to
26:08prosper.
26:10[cheering]
26:12>> [applause]
26:20[applause and cheering]
26:24>> Paul said, "All these things, all this
26:27pain." He wrote from another prison and
26:29he said, "All these things,
26:31they've succeeded in the furtherance of
26:33the gospel.
26:35>> I don't want it, Bishop.
26:37I don't want to be in prison. I don't
26:39want to be in pain. I don't want to
26:40hurt. I don't want to be beat, but I
26:43gave my life over to somebody. And I am
26:45not my own. I've been purchased with the
26:46precious blood. He took all the beatings
26:49that I deserve. He took all the stripes.
26:51He took all the suffering and the
26:52humiliation and the shame that I
26:54deserved. So, what is it that I should
26:56give him my life and have a momentary
26:59affliction? That's how Paul described
27:00all of his pain. He said, "It's
27:02momentary affliction." He said, "I got a
27:04new perspective on this now." He said,
27:06"I thought I was bringing affliction to
27:08the church, but he said, God showed me
27:10what affliction is really for, and it's
27:12only to further the gospel. And so, I
27:14got just a little bit of pain." Paul,
27:16what kind of perspective is that? He
27:18said, "I've just got a little bit
27:19momentary affliction right now. One
27:21year, 3 years, 5 years, 30 years." He
27:24just counted it all. He said, "It's a
27:25momentary affliction." He said, "That's
27:27going to be revealed by the glory of God
27:29that's going to come. His glory is going
27:31to outweigh all the affliction.
27:38what's coming. I wish you tell somebody
27:39and say, "Look what's coming."
27:42>> Yeah. Yeah. You better look what's
27:44coming. That's why you can't give up now
27:45cuz it hurts a little bit. You can't
27:47give up now because people walk away
27:49from you. Oh, God help us right now. If
27:51I'm preaching to anybody, I'll just
27:52preach to myself this morning. But you
27:53can't give up right now because you need
27:55to look what's coming. There's glory
27:58that's coming. There's salvation that's
28:00coming. There's revival that's coming.
28:02There's miracles that's coming. There's
28:05an earthquake that's about to shake
28:07[laughter] the very foundations of the
28:09prison you thought held you right now.
28:12But something is about to shake. And God
28:15is about to open up everybody's
28:17[screaming]
28:18door.
28:19I feel it in the spirit. Something's
28:21coming. Something's shaking. Something's
28:23moving. You better hold on, mama, to
28:25those prayers, son. You better hold on.
28:27Keep the faith and don't deny it now.
28:29You better hold on to the word of God
28:31like you never have before and get
28:33involved like you never have before. Cuz
28:35this prison, this pain, uh it's not for
28:38you. God's working through you uh to do
28:41something good, something new, something
28:44wonderful.
28:48Come on, lift your hands all over this
28:50place. I know it's a deep word. I know
28:52it's a big word, but raise your hand and
28:54ask God to restore your faith in this
28:56right now in his word.
29:29>> [snorts]
29:33>> As you're praying, I see a trauma,
29:36grief, pain, sickness, fear. But I've
29:41come to declare the word of God to you
29:42to let you know that victory is about to
29:45uncloak itself.
29:49You've been going through so much. You
29:51felt like you were drowning in it. But
29:53God never left your side. He never
29:55walked away from you. And he's not going
29:57to waste this moment. And in just a
29:59little while, victory is about to
30:01uncloak itself and say, "I was working
30:04all the time. He's about to bring shame
30:06to your critics and to your enemies and
30:09people that talked about you. God is
30:11about to unveil a victory right now to
30:13say, "I will defend. Vengeance is mine,
30:16sayeth the Lord, and I will repay." You
30:18don't have to talk back to them. You
30:20don't have to fight against them. You
30:22can stand still and see the salvation of
30:24the Lord. [snorts] Or you can sit there
30:26and see the salvation of the Lord. But
30:29either way, baby, it's coming. Either
30:31way, victory is about to uncloak itself.
30:34and an earthquake uh of supernatural
30:37proportions uh is about to rumble
30:39through your life. Uh it's about to
30:41shake everything that needs to be shaken
30:44and break up every I'm speaking a
30:45prophetic word right now to this church
30:48is going to break up everything uh that
30:50needs to be broken. Every demonic
30:52influence over your life uh is about to
30:55be broken in the name of Jesus. Uh,
30:57every spirit of shame, uh, every voice
31:00of judgment, uh, every thought of
31:02condemnation, uh, foundations are about
31:05to be shaken.
31:10[cheering]
31:14Come on. What you need to say is, I will
31:16survive this, but while I'm going
31:18through it, I'll give God the glory.
31:21While my heart is hurting and my body's
31:23in pain, I'll give God the glory. Uh,
31:26I'll pray and I'll sing praises and
31:29nothing's going to quiet me down.
31:31Nothing's going to shut me up. Uh,
31:33nothing's going to steal me down. Uh,
31:35I'm going to pray and I'm going to sing
31:37praises cuz I got victory.
31:40[cheering]
31:45>> We better learn to praise him in the
31:47tough times in the midnight hours.
31:50I said we better learn to praise him in
31:52the midnight hour
31:54>> cuz my Bible says at the midnight cry
31:58[panting]
31:59a trumpet's going to sound
32:02voice of an archangel
32:04and Jesus is coming back.
32:07Not in the midday, not in the bright
32:09morning hours, at the midnight hour.
32:13When things are dark, when things are
32:15depressing, when it looks like the world
32:17can't get any more evil, there's going
32:19to come a trumpet at the midnight hour.
32:21And those of us that have been praising
32:23God in the dark, we're going to
32:25recognize the sound cuz we didn't give
32:27up in the night time. And we didn't give
32:29up in the pain. Uh, and when he blows
32:31that trumpet, victory is going to
32:33uncover itself. Uh, and he's coming
32:36back, King of Kings, uh, and Lord of
32:38Lords, with a blood stained garment.
32:41He's going to come back victorious over
32:43everything.
32:45[cheering]
32:47[applause]
32:49Give him praise in the midnight hour.
32:51Give him praise in the darkest time.
32:54Pray when you don't feel like you can
32:57pray. Pray anyhow when the pain seems
33:00unbearable. Cast your cares upon the
33:03Lord because he cares for you. When you
33:06feel like you don't have a friend in the
33:07world, pray and sing praises cause
33:12victory is yours. Lift your hands high
33:14right now.
33:18There's a word from the Lord for
33:19somebody here this morning right now.
33:22There's a miracle making its way to you.
33:25There's an earthquake getting ready to
33:27happen in your life.
33:31Everyone that needs something from God
33:33and you're in the middle of it right
33:35now, I dare you to step out and run down
33:37to the front of this place right now and
33:39declare glory and honor belongs to him.
33:42I declare right now I'm going to keep on
33:44praying. I'm going to keep on singing
33:45praise. I'm not giving up. Every man,
33:48every woman, every child, every
33:49teenager, come down to the front of this
33:51place right now if you want him, if you
33:53need him, if you're not going to give up
33:55on him right now and say, "I still trust
33:57you." If you need the Holy Ghost, you
33:59can receive the Holy Ghost. If you need
34:01peace of mind, you can receive peace of
34:03mind. If you need peace for that
34:06troubled spirit, it's yours this
34:07morning. Right now, victory is yours.
34:10Victory is yours. It's already settled.
34:13It's already declared. It's already
34:15done. Go ahead and believe it. Cuz this
34:18prison isn't for you. This prison is to
34:21just demonstrate the glory of God. It's
34:23to demonstrate the power of God. is to
34:26demonstrate God is bringing somebody
34:29home.
34:33He's bringing somebody home. I said he's
34:36bringing somebody home. If I got to
34:37suffer a little while longer, if I got
34:40to bleed a little while longer, if I got
34:42to struggle a little while longer, he's
34:45bringing sheep home. Uh he's bringing
34:47sons and daughters home. And he's not
34:50forgotten me. And he's not lost me. And
34:53he's not left me. He's still working in
34:56my life.
34:59>> Come on, lift your voice, Paul. Lift
35:02your voice, Silas. Lift your prayer.
35:05Lift your praise. Lift your faith to him
35:08right now. Come on, church. Don't be
35:11silenc.
35:15But lift your voice in the pain. Uh lift
35:17your voice in faith. Uh this is the hour
35:20of your victory. This is the hour of
35:23your deliverance. Uh this is the hour of
35:26your breakthrough.
35:37This is your hour. This is your hour. I
35:40know it doesn't look like it, but this
35:41is your moment. God perfectly designed
35:44it. He perfectly orchestrated it. He
35:47designed everything to bring about his
35:49light, to bring about his glory.
35:56Come on, that's it. Forgive God. Forgive
35:59others. Let that go in Jesus name. I'm
36:02sorry I was bitter. I'm sorry my heart
36:05got hardened. I'm sorry [snorts] I
36:07doubted. I'm sorry my faith got shook.
36:10Uh Lord, I'm returning back to you. I'm
36:13believing your word. I'm going to trust
36:15your hand. I'm going to [clears throat]
36:17watch you work a work that no man can
36:20stop.
36:25Victory. Victory right in the middle.
36:29Come on. Victory right in the middle.
36:31Right in the middle of it all. Victory
36:32is mine. Victory is mine. I command you,
36:35Satan. In the name of the Lord Jesus
36:39Christ, let God's people go. Let my
36:43sister go. Uh I bind [snorts] you wicked
36:46spirit of deception. Uh I command you to
36:49go. Uh in the name of Jesus, I speak to
36:53you. Spirit of lust. You spirit of fear.
36:56Uh you've got to go in the name of
37:01Shah. I command you in the name of Jesus
37:05Christ. Let God's people go.
37:19Pray and sing praises. Pray and sing
37:22praises. Pray.
37:25Come on, young people. You got it in
37:27your voice, too. You lift up your voice.
37:29The devil's lied to this generation long
37:31enough and told you you're worthless.
37:32Told you you don't matter. You can't
37:34measure up. But greater is he that's
37:36within you. You are fearfully and
37:38wonderfully made in the image of God.
37:40And we believe with you. We stand with
37:42you.
37:49Come on, mama. Lift your voice. I know
37:51it feels like nobody's standing with you
37:53right now. But if God be for you, who
37:56can be against you? If God is with you,
38:12Hey. Yes, Jesus. Let it overflow. Let
38:15the Holy Ghost overflow. Uh renew,
38:17refill, baptize us with Holy Ghost and
38:20fire.
38:26[cheering]
38:40Come on. There it is. Some of you
38:41already doing it, but lay a hand on
38:42somebody. Come on. We're in this
38:44together. I'm not alone. I got Silas
38:47with me. I got Paul with me. Where two
38:49or three are gathered together in my
38:52name. There will I be in their midst.
38:56And if they agree as touching anything,
38:59it shall be done of my father which is
39:02in heaven. Link up right now. Yoke your
39:05faith up with somebody. Put your hand on
39:07their shoulder. Remind them they're not
39:10alone in this. You're going to make it.
39:13You're going to make it. You're going to
39:15make it.
39:23>> You're going to make it, church. You're
39:26going to make it. Your house is going to
39:28make it. Your family is going to make
39:29it. Come on. Your faith is going to
39:32survive this. Uh, your mind is going to
39:34survive this. Uh, it's in the hands of
39:37Jesus. Uh, it's in the hands of God. Uh,
39:39you're going to make it.
39:57Oh, I hear sounds of revival. I hear
40:00sounds of revival in this house. I hear
40:03sounds of revival. Nobody can stop it.
40:05Nothing can stop it. Hell can't stop it.
40:07Demon activity can't stop it. Money
40:10grabbers can't stop it. Witches can't
40:12stop this. Demons can't stop this. I
40:15hear revival in this house. I hear
40:17reviving of life. If I hear revival
40:24revival, I hear revival. I hear the
40:27abundance of rain. I hear the abundance
40:29of rain.
40:34It's yours. I said, "It's yours, church.
40:37It's yours, honey. It's yours, sir. It's
40:40yours.
41:15Another
41:17[cheering]
41:39head shot.
41:42Heat. Heat.
42:27She
43:22Oh.
43:24Yes,
43:49God.
44:01Holy
44:29Ghost. Holy Ghost. Keep going.
47:54Hallelujah.
48:06Hallelujah.
48:29Hallelujah.
49:30Amen.
52:23Hallelujah. [music]
53:05Hallelujah.
53:44Hallelujah.
53:59Fore! Foreign! Foreign!
56:27Happy
56:36birthday.
57:16Another
61:34Praise [music] God. Sister Tommy's
61:36friend, Cadia, and I think this is her
61:38second or third time. She's been coming
61:40in the new life, but she said today's
61:41the day to have old things passed away
61:43and all things become new.
61:47Would you just stretch your hands forth
61:48right now and help me pray a blessing
61:49over her before we baptize her? Heavenly
61:51Father, I thank you for Cadia's faith. I
61:54thank you, Lord, for her obedience to
61:56your word. I thank you, Lord, that your
61:59blood still works, your name still is
62:01powerful upon our lives. I pray grace
62:03upon Cadia right now in the name of
62:05Jesus that even as she comes up out of
62:07this water that [music] Lord she'd
62:09receive the gift of the Holy Ghost
62:11speaking with other tongues and that
62:12your joy would be hers your peace would
62:14be hers God we give you praise today for
62:17what you're doing in her life and we
62:19thank you for it in Jesus name we pray
62:20[music]
62:21Jesus nameless
62:31Praise God. [music] Cadia, based upon
62:34your profession of faith in the Lord
62:36Jesus Christ and the confession of all
62:38of your sins, it's my privilege to
62:40baptize you in the only saving name of
62:42the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission
62:45of all your sins.
62:54[music]
63:25Praise God. [music] Come on, let's bless
63:27the name of the Lord again and thank him
63:29today.
63:31Heaven rejoices over one sinner's that
63:33repents. I think we could also join with
63:36the angels and giving praise to him
63:37today. Somebody's door was open. [music]
63:40Come on, somebody's door was open today.
63:42Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus.
63:45If you've never been baptized in the
63:47name of Jesus Christ, today's your day.
63:50[music] We got the robes ready, water's
63:52ready, we're ready. Just step over to
63:54this sign. I have decided if today
63:56[music] is your day to be baptized in
63:58the name of Jesus. Amen. Praise God.
64:00Today's your day. Let's all stand
64:02together right now. The presence of the
64:05Lord is so [music] prevalent and strong
64:07in this place.
64:10If after we dismissed,
64:13if you want to continue to pray and seek
64:15after the Lord, you are more than
64:16welcome to stay and do that. That's what
64:18this house is for.
64:20But if you leave here today after we're
64:22dismissed, I want you going home knowing
64:25that you're walking in victory. Even if
64:27it doesn't look like it, even if it
64:29doesn't feel like it, you're walking in
64:32victory. And you're not the only one
64:33that God's going to set free. Those
64:35people around you, God's going to set
64:37them free in [music] the name of Jesus.
64:39He is working behind the scenes. He is
64:41working in this scene and he gets the
64:44glory. Amen. Let's lift our hands and
64:46voice to him right now and give him the
64:48praise. Heavenly Father, thank you.
64:50Thank you that your word is forever
64:51settled. Thank you, Lord, for the
64:53victory you have already pre-ordained
64:55and established for those [music] that
64:57would put their faith in you. Lord, I
64:58know that right now this circumstance,
65:01this problem, this pain may seem
65:03difficult, but it is not the end. It
65:05[music] does not get to define my life.
65:07You, Lord, are writing my story. And I
65:09thank you, Lord, that I'm going to walk
65:11in victory today. I thank you that this
65:13church [music] is victorious. And I
65:15thank you that you're about to shake
65:16something in this city that is
65:18supernatural, that's going to open up
65:20everybody's doors. I give you praise and
65:22glory for it and all the honor in the
65:25name of Jesus we pray and everybody said
65:27amen. [music] One more time let's just
65:30clap our hands unto the Lord and thank
65:31him today for his goodness and for the
65:34victory that we have in Jesus.
65:37[applause]
65:38[music]
65:41[cheering]
65:43>> Praise God. If you want to continue to
65:45pray and hang around, you're more than
65:46welcome to. But please love somebody.
65:48Hug somebody's neck. [music] Shake
65:50somebody's hand. High five somebody.
65:52Tell them that they're victorious. We're
65:54midnight winners in Jesus name. You're
65:56[music] dismissed in the precious name
65:58of the Lord. God bless you today.
66:02[music]