Protection for the Journey
Bishop Henry Fernandez Preached on 8/21/2023John 5
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62:33
Summary
Bishop Henry Fernandez explores the necessity of spiritual protection for life's journey, using the book of Ezra to demonstrate how fasting and humility secure God's covering for our families, finances, and future.
Key points
- •Life is defined by three stages: the point of entry (birth), the process (the journey of gains and losses), and the point of exit (transition to the eternal).
- •Pride and a lack of trust often prevent believers from receiving the help God has sent through others and His Word.
- •Fasting and humbling oneself, as seen in the example of Ezra, provides spiritual insurance and protection for one's children and possessions.
- •The enemy attempts to derail believers at early stages to prevent them from reaching their God-ordained potential and 'graduating' into their purpose.
- •God has provided invisible spiritual forces and angels to monitor and protect every step of a believer's journey, even when the path is unclear.
Scripture
Faith
Purpose
Spiritual Growth
Family
Life application
Commit to a season of fasting and prayer this week specifically to 'cover' your children and finances, choosing to rely on the Holy Spirit's direction rather than your own sight or past hurts.
Reflection questions
- In what areas of your life has pride or past betrayal kept you from trusting the help God is sending?
- How does viewing your current struggle as a 'distraction' from the enemy change your perspective on your circumstances?
- Are you living at your full potential, or have you allowed the enemy to convince you that you have already maxed out?
- What 'possessions' or 'dreams' do you need to place back under God's protection through humility?
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Full transcript
0:00Father bless
0:02your word,
0:04anoint
0:05each and every one of us to hear clearly
0:09what you will bring to us in this hour,
0:12and we give you praise in Jesus name.
0:15Amen. Can you give them another praise?
0:19And please be seated in the presence of
0:22the Lord. Just for a moment, I'd like to
0:26speak to you on the subject protection
0:30for the journey.
0:32Protection
0:34for
0:36the journey.
0:38Almost every journey we embark upon in
0:43life,
0:44we seek to find protection.
0:48Uh it is not wise to
0:51get in your car
0:53and drive from point A to point B
0:58without protection,
1:01without insurance.
1:04Because no one knows the day that
1:07unfortunately you may be hit
1:11with an accident.
1:13So, you protect yourself.
1:15The same thing with our properties.
1:18We try our best to make sure that we
1:21insure our properties just in case. Just
1:25in case.
1:27Cuz
1:28whatever journey you're on,
1:31you can no longer continue on that
1:33journey and not be insured.
1:37Not getting the help that you need in
1:39order
1:40to guarantee that if something was to
1:44happen,
1:46that you are covered.
1:48There's no doubt in my mind that today
1:52is the beginning of a more meaningful
1:56spiritual journey for many of you.
2:00It's a journey that it's going to be
2:02different from the other journeys you
2:04have embarked upon before.
2:08And I wish I could say that it will be
2:12meaningful
2:14and it would be a spiritual
2:17meaningful journey for all of us. I wish
2:20I could say that, but that would not be
2:22accurate.
2:24And honestly, it would be deceiving.
2:27It would be deceiving to think
2:29that everyone in this room, everyone who
2:31was streaming,
2:33that it would be a meaningful spiritual
2:36experience for you.
2:38Cuz scripture has already explained to
2:41us
2:42that just because you are
2:44at Bethesda,
2:46John chapter 5, just because you are at
2:49church or you're at the place where the
2:52spirit of God is moving, it doesn't
2:54necessarily mean that you will be
2:56blessed or you will receive from that
2:59environment.
3:01Only those who will tap into the spirit
3:04realm, only those who would would do
3:07what it takes to to receive from the
3:10Lord.
3:12And I hope you're not just camping out
3:14here today not receiving from the Lord.
3:18It's deceiving to think that all of us
3:20know where we are going in life
3:23and that we have asked God for his help
3:28throughout the journey.
3:31Cuz a lot of us are not asking God for
3:33direction.
3:34We're seeking direction from everywhere
3:37else. We're seeking direction from our
3:40own
3:42um
3:43you know, uninformed self. We go based
3:46on what we think we know.
3:50We are on this journey of life based on
3:54what's trending, what people say, what
3:57people are doing, what society is doing.
4:00Unfortunately, some of you are living
4:02your life based on what you see on
4:04social media.
4:06You're trusting it and you're thinking
4:09that's the way to live life. For some of
4:11you, you are full of pride and that has
4:16caused you to live your life without
4:19God.
4:21Pride. Pride. If I had enough time, I
4:25would talk a little bit about pride. A
4:27lot of us, when you hear that word,
4:29you're saying, "Oh, I'm I'm not full of
4:32pride. I'm not a proudful person. I'm
4:36humble and so forth." But the truth is,
4:39you know, pride is eating up a lot of
4:41us.
4:42We don't know how to humble ourselves.
4:44We don't know how to humble ourselves
4:47under God and allow the spirit of God to
4:50lead us, right? We We don't like to be
4:53restricted
4:55cuz we live in a society now where
4:57people want to be free
4:59to do whatever they want to do.
5:04And that kind of a philosophy is is is
5:07really biased because they'll say they
5:10want to be free, but when that freedom
5:14interrupts their desire,
5:18then it changes,
5:20right?
5:21You see, pride has caused many of us to
5:24lean more on our own understanding
5:27of what to do. Watch this in the most
5:30important areas of our lives.
5:35Our pride
5:37has caused us to lean more on the flesh,
5:43the wisdom of man more than the wisdom
5:45of God.
5:47And we have some crucial areas of our
5:50lives such as your own personality, your
5:53own character,
5:55who God has created you to be. Instead
5:58of humbling yourself and going to the
6:00word of God and allowing the word of God
6:02to guide you,
6:05now you're being guided by the systems
6:08of the world and your feelings. So, you
6:10make decisions
6:12outside of the will of God because of
6:17pride. You just can't subject yourself
6:20down to someone, the word of God,
6:23dictating to you how to live your life.
6:27How to become that man that God has
6:30created you to be.
6:32How to produce your best self.
6:35How to be a teenager, young male or
6:40young female, how to develop through
6:43life. You're not leaning on the word of
6:46God. It is more self and therefore the
6:50most important area of your life, which
6:52is your self-development,
6:54is hurting because
6:56you're not leaning on God. You You want
6:59to do it your way.
7:01You're making important decisions of
7:03connecting with people, hooking up with
7:05people that you have no business hooking
7:07up with simply because of pride.
7:10Nobody's going to tell me what to do.
7:14Nobody don't don't I'm my own man. I'm
7:17my own woman. Well, let's see how far
7:19that's going to get you.
7:22Uh we're full of pride when it comes to
7:24raising our family. When it When we
7:26comes to
7:28what what career path we will take, how
7:30to run a business, right? How to run a
7:33business. We're We're doing it based on
7:36the greed of the outcome of the business
7:39rather than the passion to push the
7:42purpose.
7:45There's a difference.
7:47If you're just going to go in a business
7:48just to make money and so forth and
7:51don't have the passion for it,
7:54it's not going to succeed.
7:56The passion for the business will bring
7:58the resources.
8:03You see, when you work your niche, when
8:06you work your niche, when you work it,
8:09it will prosper you in every area of
8:12your life. Your mistrust of people and
8:15your lack of the word of God has caused
8:18you to not ask for help
8:22along your life's journey.
8:25You just can't trust people.
8:29You just don't trust people
8:31cuz you're broken.
8:33been hurt
8:34and a whole lot of people have betrayed
8:37your trust.
8:39And I can't tell you how many days and
8:41how many times I see people who go on
8:43social media and vent.
8:45YOU CAN'T TRUST PEOPLE NO MORE. YOU
8:47CAN'T TRUST PEOPLE NO MORE. And nobody's
8:49to be trusted and and they go on and on.
8:53And in this room and those who are
8:55streaming, you've been living your life
9:00on edge.
9:02You're just walking around because any
9:05moment now somebody is going to shake
9:08the floor that you're on because you
9:11keep living in the past. Somebody
9:14betrayed you.
9:16So, therefore, you can't trust anymore.
9:19And so many times God is sending people
9:21to you to help you.
9:25But because you just can't trust. Can't
9:28trust.
9:30I'm going to tell you something.
9:32You will live an unfulfilled life
9:35if you live every day
9:38thinking you don't need nobody.
9:56Then what you're saying to God when he
9:59saw Adam
10:01alone
10:03and said it's not good
10:06for man to be alone. It wasn't just
10:09for them to reproduce.
10:14God was so wise in his wisdom, he
10:17brought a helpmate, a woman of the
10:20opposite sex, if you will, to Adam to
10:22bring him her in his life so that she
10:26can help him, but don't miss the point.
10:31God did not create um Eve for Adam
10:35because
10:37he felt that Adam just need a sexual
10:39partner.
10:45And that's why when men just look at
10:47women as sex object,
10:50you miss it.
10:51In fact, brothers,
10:53you don't get the best part of the woman
10:55if all you lean on is the sex part of
10:58the woman.
11:04The best part of the woman is the part
11:07that helps you.
11:11I we I don't have time to talk about
11:12that.
11:15Because when a woman really extends her
11:18help,
11:21brother, she will help you build and
11:24climb mountains.
11:27WOO!
11:29THIS is good.
11:32Because of your distrust, this has
11:34caused many of you
11:36to develop into a fraction of who God
11:40has called you to be. You're just a
11:42fraction of who God has called you to
11:43be.
11:44Just a fraction.
11:46You're not your best self.
11:48You're living beneath your privileges.
11:50You're not where God has ordained you to
11:52be. You think you've arrived. You think
11:55you're doing well.
11:57But this fast is going to expose to you
12:00you are not even 50% at your potential
12:04yet.
12:08You believe the lies of the enemy
12:10that you have maxed out.
12:13I don't care your age.
12:16You haven't even reached 50%
12:20of your best self yet. And it's really a
12:23shame
12:24that you are allowing the evil forces of
12:28darkness
12:29to rob you of your development
12:32and possession
12:34in this journey.
12:37It's shameful.
12:38But you've allowed the evil forces of
12:41this dark world
12:43to rob you of your development because
12:44you're supposed to develop. You're
12:46supposed to change. You're supposed to
12:47be transformed. You're supposed to be
12:49renewed every day. But you're allowing
12:52the enemy to rob you of that development
12:55cuz again, I don't trust.
12:59I don't trust. You're you're you're
13:00you're still among the environment.
13:02You're in it. You're in the crowd. You
13:03go to work. You deal with family. You're
13:05you're dating. You do all the stuff
13:07you're doing and you're paying bills and
13:08you're living life and you're going to
13:10school. You're doing all of these
13:12things, but the problem is
13:16you let the devil rob you of what you
13:19should become.
13:22Should You should become
13:25written all over you. God has already
13:28predestined who you will be.
13:32And the enemy's robbing you of that
13:34because the help that he's sending your
13:37way, you are pushing them away
13:42because of your insecurity that was
13:45birthed from how you've been hurt in the
13:47past.
13:52You see, God has made available to every
13:54one of us
13:55a kingdom life,
13:57a kingdom life, a kingdom life
14:02that has everything we need, everything
14:05we need in it
14:06to be able to live that life
14:08successfully.
14:11If you are a Christian and you're in the
14:13kingdom of God, I'm here today to tell
14:16you you have everything you need as a
14:20believer to live this life.
14:24The moment you start just erasing out of
14:27your mind
14:29that just because you're a Christian,
14:31you shouldn't go through trials, the
14:33moment you get rid of that, your life
14:35will change.
14:37Don't run to God because you want to
14:39escape problems.
14:42You're going to be disappointed.
14:45Because I'm going to tell you maybe the
14:46the moment you really get your spiritual
14:48life together and say, "God, I'm fully
14:51sold out." That's when the devil is
14:53going to throw the sink, the kitchen,
14:54the stove, everything at you.
14:58So don't believe the lie to think that
15:01as a Christian, you're you're not
15:03supposed to have problems and when you
15:05do have problems, it's it's because you
15:07did something wrong or because God
15:09doesn't love you. Could it be that
15:11you're in the will of God journeying to
15:13get to somewhere and the devil is doing
15:16everything to distract you?
15:22Come on, work with me here.
15:24Could it be what you're going through is
15:26a distraction? So ladies and gentlemen,
15:28the earth has everything in it. The
15:31earth has everything in it to offer
15:35every one of us a future that is
15:38meaningful
15:40and rewarding.
15:42Here's what you need to know. Life is
15:44truly a journey.
15:47Let me say it again. Life is truly a
15:50journey. Would you say it? Life is truly
15:53a journey. And the journey begins at the
15:56point of entry.
15:59What do I mean by that? This is the day
16:00you were born.
16:03It's a journey.
16:05The day you were born, you got to the
16:08point of entry. You've started your
16:10journey on that day.
16:13And the journey also consists of what I
16:15called the process, the process, which
16:19is all about the decisions you make in
16:21life, the gains you will have,
16:25and the losses you will experience you
16:28will experience
16:30um throughout the process.
16:34So you have the point of entry. Let's
16:36say this is the point of entry, the day
16:39you were born. I was born on May 1st,
16:421964.
16:44That was my point of entry into this
16:47journey of life. Think of your birth
16:49date.
16:51You started your journey. You had to get
16:53here.
16:55So you started your journey on your
16:57birthday.
16:59And in your journey, you have developed.
17:04I I was born in 1964. I don't look like
17:06that baby you've got in your arms.
17:09I started
17:11my journey.
17:131964,
17:15I have started my journey year after
17:18year. I've started my journey. It's
17:21called the process.
17:23I'm actually in the middle of my process
17:26right now.
17:28The middle of my process.
17:31It has taken me through so many things
17:35over my 59 years on the planet.
17:39I'm in my process. I've had a lot of
17:42losses. Absolutely, I've had more gains
17:45and losses. I've just chosen to focus on
17:48the gains.
17:51I've had a lot
17:53of gains and a lot of losses.
17:56And then I have more to go.
18:00More to go.
18:01I'm at a pivotal point in my life where
18:04at this age, I understand that I'm
18:07getting closer and closer and closer to
18:10the third part of the journey that's
18:12considered the end.
18:16My preparation to exit,
18:19to transition into what we call the
18:22eternal.
18:25Don't be scared of this third stage of
18:28life.
18:30We will die.
18:32We're going to die.
18:35And the moment you embrace that you're
18:37going to die, don't be worried about
18:39this and panic because if you're worried
18:41about this, then the process won't be so
18:45enjoyable.
18:47You'll stress yourself over the process,
18:50right? Two things you cannot control
18:53unless you commit suicide. And this is
18:56the danger about committing suicide
18:57because the devil knows You see, here's
18:59the thing. Here's the date of entry,
19:02your point of entry. You're born.
19:04You're not a mistake.
19:07You're not an afterthought.
19:09God knew exactly why he wanted you here.
19:14And the moment you enter into your
19:16life's journey and you're walking out
19:18the process and you're living the
19:20process out and so forth. This is why a
19:23lot of people will contemplate suicide
19:25like me at the age of 10.
19:29Is we get so focused on the process and
19:33the losses we have had
19:36that we think we ought to end it. God
19:39says, "Your exit is this particular
19:42time." I don't know what year it is, but
19:44for some reason, we don't believe that
19:47where we're contemplating suicide, that
19:51God has already
19:53mapped out a plan for you to finish
19:57well.
19:58For you to get to the date when you're
20:00going to exit into the eternal. Do not
20:03take matters into your hand and rewrite
20:07the exit date that God purposed for you.
20:13Talk to me here now.
20:16I don't care how things get bad in life.
20:21You hang in there.
20:24You deal with whatever it is. We all
20:27have to go through those three stages in
20:31life.
20:33And what we must accept is this, no one
20:36will will escape the three stages of
20:39life.
20:40No one will escape the birth in process,
20:44the life process that's living through
20:46life. I don't know how long you're going
20:49to be on this planet and no one will
20:51escape the dying process.
20:54So I must tell you
20:56that all three stages are challenging. I
20:59get that.
21:02I get it.
21:03That's why we're fasting today cuz some
21:05of you
21:06going
21:07through
21:11You're in the process, the middle of
21:14What in the world is going on?
21:20And you're thinking this is it for you.
21:24And you're panicking over it. Well,
21:26the fast can break that kind of the
21:28spirit of depression over your life.
21:32The fast can reassure you
21:34that though it is challenging,
21:36confusing, and dangerous,
21:39yet
21:40we have been wired with the fortitude
21:43to finish life
21:46successfully.
21:53How am I going to do this? Okay.
21:56Sir in the gray shirt, come here. With
21:58the glasses, come here quickly. Come
22:00here. Come here.
22:02I got to demonstrate this. I got to
22:04demonstrate this. Oh Jesus.
22:07Would you come here? Pastor Gene's son,
22:09yes, come here.
22:10Carleen, would you come here?
22:12Come here.
22:15Uh
22:17Come on up here, please.
22:19Come on up here, please.
22:21Want you to stand right
22:24Actually, you know what? You go down to
22:25the end. You You come here.
22:27Yeah, you go down to the end. You stay
22:29right here, please.
22:30Right.
22:32Come here, Carleen.
22:34Uh
22:35What you have to understand, stay right
22:37there. What you have to understand
22:40is
22:42in spite of the challenges,
22:46in spite of how confusing your journey
22:48may seem,
22:50in spite of how dangerous you think
22:54your life journey
22:56is,
22:58you have to understand this.
23:01No one, listen to me,
23:04no one
23:06can get to the point of entry
23:10and watch this,
23:13get to the point of exit. Watch this.
23:20Without putting their trust in God.
23:28If your trust is in God from day one,
23:31your parents brought you to the house of
23:33God, to the temple, prayed over you,
23:36boom, you got covered.
23:39That's why when mothers and fathers give
23:43birth to their children
23:45and never have their children blessed,
23:49makes you wonder
23:51who's covering them through life.
23:54Can't be the system of the world.
23:57Can't be the system of the world.
24:01They need covering.
24:03Who's covering you from the point of
24:05entry
24:06to the point of exit? You get YOU CANNOT
24:10ESCAPE THE PROCESS.
24:13The only way, come here Carleen, the
24:16only way you can escape the process is
24:19if if I some stage in life, and I want
24:21you to walk from him back to that end,
24:24unless
24:25you decide at some particular point in
24:28your life, that's it.
24:31I'm done.
24:34I'm done.
24:36I'm going to make the decision.
24:39I'm going to derail from his path.
24:43I'm going to do my thing.
24:47Let's see how far that's going to get
24:48you.
24:49Or you decide to end your life.
24:56Because the truth is, from the point of
24:59entry
25:00to the point of exit, God's got you
25:02covered. You don't feel it, the devil
25:05won't make you think that you're
25:06covered. All kinds of stuff will begin
25:09to happen in your life and you'll think
25:11that how could God cover me and I'm
25:13going through this alone. You trust me,
25:15you are not alone. THERE'S AN INVISIBLE
25:18FORCE
25:22WHO IS MONITORING your every step and is
25:26watching over you.
25:29SO MAYBE THIS FAST IS TO TELL THOSE OF
25:32YOU WHO ARE STREAMING AND IN THIS
25:34BUILDING, TRUST THE PROCESS.
25:38TRUST WHERE GOD IS LEADING YOU.
25:42DO NOT STOP, DO NOT QUIT, AND DO NOT
25:45DERAIL.
25:46TRUST WHAT GOD IS DOING in your life.
25:50You've got to understand that what the
25:52enemy of your soul wants to do, he wants
25:54to kill you from birth.
25:59That's his assignment. He wants to kill
26:02you from birth.
26:04That's what he wants to do. He will try
26:06to kill you during the process.
26:10That's his intention. Every step of the
26:13way you make, he's trying to kill you
26:16through the process. And as you're going
26:19to exit, HE WILL DO EVERYTHING TO STAND
26:22BEFORE you so you never see the vision.
26:25YOU NEVER SEE that in the end God will
26:29take you to the point where he can look
26:31you in the eye and say, "Well done, good
26:34and faithful servant."
26:42So I don't know what you're doing
26:43through the process. I don't know what
26:45you're doing through life. And I know
26:47you're looking this confusing. Boy,
26:48she's going back and forth and so forth.
26:51That's how God will operate in your
26:55life. Listen, some of you, thank you,
26:57Holy Spirit. Some of you are going to
27:00have to have a do-over.
27:09Because God is leading YOU AND FOR
27:11WHATEVER REASON YOU GOT BLINDSIDED AND
27:14GOD SAYS, "THE BLESSING I GOT FOR YOU,
27:17BABY, YOU GOT TO TRY THIS OVER AGAIN."
27:20YOU SAID, "WAIT A MINUTE."
27:22THAT'S WHY JESUS SAID TO NICODEMUS, "YOU
27:24GOT TO BE BORN
27:29YOU GOT TO COME TO ME. YOU GOT TO TRUST
27:31ME. YOU GOT TO LEAN ON ME. LEAN NOT TO
27:34YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING,
27:36BUT LEAN ON THE LORD." SOMEBODY SHOUT,
27:39"I WANT A DO-OVER."
27:42YOU CANNOT MISS where God is taking you
27:45this time.
27:49YOU MAY HAVE TO GO BACK
27:51TO THE PLACE OF REVELATION. YOU MAY HAVE
27:54TO GO BACK TO WHERE GOD GAVE YOU A DREAM
27:57CUZ YOU GAVE UP THE DREAM. YOU ABORTED
27:59THE DREAM. YOU KILLED THE DREAM. AND GOD
28:02SAYS, "IN THIS SEASON OF YOUR LIFE, I
28:04WILL NOT STAND BY AND LET THE ENEMY
28:07DISTRACT YOU FROM WHERE I'M TAKING YOU.
28:10I'M GOING TO TAKE YOU BACK TO THE PLACE
28:12OF REVELATION TO LET YOU KNOW, YES, YOU
28:15CAN DO IT. YES, you are empowered. YES,
28:18YOU ARE GREAT. YES, YOU ARE MIGHTY."
28:28THE DEVIL WILL ATTACK YOU
28:31AT AN EARLY STAGE IN LIFE
28:34WITH intention to derail you
28:37from the path that leads to
28:40a successful
28:41teenage period,
28:45a young
28:46adult life, a middle-aged life,
28:50and in your senior years.
28:53You think he's not after you?
28:57Listen to me, young people.
28:59You think he's not after you?
29:02You think he's not trying everything to
29:04derail you?
29:06But now you are 13, 14,
29:1015,
29:12and your parents have been depositing
29:15truth and experience in your head.
29:19But you don't understand the enemy's
29:21setting a trap for you.
29:24And now you're at this particular age in
29:26your life and you think you've got it
29:28all together figured out.
29:31You think you're smarter than your
29:32parents, you're smarter than the Bible.
29:34You don't need church no more and you
29:36don't need the Bible no more. All you do
29:39is posting pictures on Instagram and
29:42Facebook with yourself half naked,
29:45everything. Come on, talk to me here.
29:48Oh, he knows how to derail you.
29:51He'll I tell YOU CUZ YOU SEE HE KNOWS
29:54that at some particular POINT IN LIFE
29:56GOD'S GOT SOMEBODY. HE HAS reserved an
30:00anointed partner for you, but if he CAN
30:03DERAIL YOU FROM AGE 15, YOU MISS YOUR
30:06GOD MOMENT AT 25. DON'T YOU EVER LET THE
30:10DEVIL ROB YOU OF YOUR YOUNG ADULT AGE.
30:18HE LETS YOU DO DUMB STUFF.
30:21At the age of 18, 19, 20, you do all
30:24kinds of crazy stuff, waste your money,
30:27mess up your credit.
30:30Eat up all of your salary.
30:34Cuz he has an intention.
30:37HE DOESN'T WANT YOU TO GET THE BLESSING.
30:41SO, HE WANTS TO KILL YOU IN THE PROCESS.
30:44THIS IS WHERE WE STRUGGLE.
30:47IT IT IS IN THE PROCESS OF LIVING LIFE.
30:51HOW DO WE GET FROM THE POINT OF
30:53REVELATION TO WHERE GOD WANTS US TO BE?
30:57WE STRUGGLE, AND THE MOST danger damning
31:01damaging thing about this whole idea is
31:05that the enemy will attack your ability
31:08to get your life right back with God
31:12before you exit the world.
31:17Most damaging thing
31:20is
31:22to be hard-headed
31:27and live
31:2875 years,
31:3180 years,
31:35come before God. Watch this.
31:39Come before God
31:42with unused potential.
31:46Do you know what it feels to invest in
31:49your children,
31:51deny yourself and send them to college,
31:55gave them everything,
31:59and find out
32:01they're not graduating?
32:08I sent you to college all these years,
32:13and at the end we get notification
32:16that YOU DIDN'T MEET GRADUATION
32:19REQUIREMENTS?
32:23HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE, DAUGHTER AND SON?
32:27I PAID THE TUITION.
32:29I SENT YOU MONEY ALONG THE WAY EVERY
32:32SINGLE MONTH. ALL YOU NEEDED TO DO, GET
32:35TO CLASS, DO YOUR ASSIGNMENT, TURN IN
32:38YOUR ASSIGNMENT SO THAT YOU CAN WALK
32:40DOWN THE AISLE BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO SET
32:42YOU UP FOR YOUR OWN FUTURE, AND THEN I
32:45GET A NOTIFICATION YOU'RE NOT GOING TO
32:48GRADUATE?
32:52CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW GOD FEELS?
32:56THAT HE GAVE YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEEDED
32:59TO PASS THE TEST.
33:01ALL YOU NEEDED TO DO IS SHOW UP EVERY
33:04DAY AND RECEIVE THE NEW MERCIES THAT HE
33:07HAS GRANTED YOU.
33:11COMPLETE THE ASSIGNMENTS, TURN IN THE
33:13ASSIGNMENTS. I DON'T CARE WHAT IT IS. HE
33:16ATTACKS YOUR BODY. WELL, DO WHAT THE
33:18WORD OF GOD SAYS. SPEAK THE WORD OVER
33:20YOUR LIFE. HE ATTACKS YOUR FAMILY. WELL,
33:23DO THE ASSIGNMENT. YOU ARE GREATER THAN
33:25THE PROBLEM.
33:31THE QUESTION IS,
33:32ARE YOU GOING to graduate?
33:37YOU CAN'T KEEP GOING TO COLLEGE CAMPUS
33:40AND DON'T GRADUATE.
33:42YOU CAN'T KEEP COMING TO CHURCH,
33:47spiritual campus,
33:54and at the end of the day
33:56don't graduate.
33:58That's crazy.
34:00That is crazy.
34:04To get this far in life
34:08and you can't graduate.
34:10It's very sad and disappointing.
34:13And what we are doing today by fasting
34:16is so powerful that it is designed
34:19to address the root cause of your
34:21inability to be a true reflection
34:25of who God says that you are.
34:28The fast is designed to release
34:30everything to you
34:32that has been held up
34:35in the spiritual atmosphere. Picture it
34:38with me.
34:39Picture it with me.
34:43God is a spirit.
34:45It's not a man.
34:47And in the atmosphere,
34:50as the song
34:51they did before, God is here.
34:55There are spiritual blessings he has
34:58already released.
35:02It's all in the atmosphere. All the
35:04things that God has already declared for
35:08you
35:09is already in the atmosphere.
35:13And you better believe that there are
35:16some people in this room, those of you
35:19who are streaming,
35:20who are fighting
35:23to keep your mind stable.
35:30The process is a fight
35:34just to keep your mind stable.
35:39Just to clear your head. Just to think
35:42with all the stuff the enemy is throwing
35:45at you. Some of you are fighting to keep
35:47your family together. You are fighting
35:49to keep up with the financial demands of
35:52your life. You are fighting to stay
35:54alive due to medical conditions, and
35:57some of you are fighting to understand
36:00why on earth did God choose you to fight
36:04the battles you are fighting. Why? Why
36:07does I did I deserve such a fight? I
36:10DON'T MIND A FIGHT, but not this one.
36:17Why do I have to fight this particular
36:20battle? You know what I'm talking about.
36:22I don't want to deal with it. So, I want
36:24you to know that in this season God has
36:28dispatched angels
36:31who are already handling what you can't
36:34handle.
36:36I love this, man.
36:39Psalm 91:11,
36:41the Bible says, "For he shall give his
36:45charge."
36:51Ooh, GLORY TO GOD. HE SHALL, ACCORDING
36:54TO THE BIBLE, give his angels
36:59charge.
37:01THAT MEANS THAT MEANS HE HAS angels
37:06who will give their charge over you.
37:10Over you. You are covered. I don't care
37:13what the enemy has tried God says, "I've
37:16got an edge of protection around you."
37:20Watch this. And he'll keep you in all of
37:24your
37:26He'll keep you in all EVERY STAGE OF THE
37:31PROCESS.
37:33You're kept.
37:35You're kept. So, God sent ME HERE TODAY
37:38TO TELL SOMEONE AS LONG as you are in
37:42his hands, he has already provided
37:48for you everything you need. God has
37:52already provided for you.
37:55So, you are protected.
37:58You are absolutely protected. Every
38:01stage in life you're protected. The fact
38:03is this fast is so powerful that it is
38:07going to Watch this. That it is going to
38:10allow you to step into a season of
38:13greatness. This fast is so powerful
38:16that what God told me to tell you, the
38:19Bible talks about the enemy shooting the
38:21fiery darts at you.
38:23That some of you he's shooting at you.
38:27Shooting at you with your kids. He's
38:29shooting at you with all kinds of stuff
38:31and so forth. And you've become so
38:33fearful.
38:35And you are ashamed of what you're going
38:36through. But God says in this season of
38:39your life he's got you covered. Your
38:42family will no longer suffer from the
38:43attacks of the enemy. In this season In
38:47this season
38:49In this season
38:51And here's how I know that you are no
38:54longer in jeopardy of being taken out by
38:57the devil.
38:59He's a sniper.
39:05He has zoomed in on you.
39:10Zoomed in on you. He got you on his
39:12radar.
39:15And he wants in this season to fire his
39:18shot
39:20to take you out.
39:23But God is preparing.
39:27Ah, he's preparing you. He's preparing
39:30you. If you're ready, say, "Lord, I am
39:32ready." Come on now.
39:34God is preparing you in this fast to put
39:38on the shield of faith
39:41so that you are able to extinguish all
39:44the flaming arrows of the wicked.
39:46Ephesians 6:16, that's what it tells us.
39:50So as we go into the book of Ezra,
39:56we find here that
40:00we can say this is a perfect example
40:04for us to understand how to face and
40:07overcome difficulties,
40:09especially
40:11for those of us who are children of God.
40:14The prophet Ezra,
40:17the Bible says that he summoned a fast.
40:22He summoned a fast
40:25at a river or canal
40:27that is interpreted as the love. And
40:30I'll get with that in just a moment.
40:33He summoned the fast to the people, and
40:36the first thing he told them, he says,
40:39"You are to humble yourself
40:43at this fast.
40:45Come to this place
40:48and humble yourself. The place that is
40:50called to love.
40:54To love.
40:56Come, people of God,
41:00and fall in love
41:03again
41:04with God.
41:09Come and let's go on this fast.
41:13It's interesting that Ezra called the
41:15fast
41:17at a at a place that represents the love
41:20of God. He summoned the people to humble
41:23themselves
41:25and fast at the place that would bring
41:27them back to the love of God. And when
41:29they did, the supernatural
41:32took place. The supernatural took place.
41:36The supernatural took place.
41:42It is a dangerous thing to be uninsured.
41:48It's risky, and it makes you
41:52walk an edge and
41:55frightened, and you're not at peace
41:57because you know
42:00anything bad can happen.
42:03But you're not insured.
42:05Ezra was trying to tell the people of
42:08God
42:09FOR US TO HAVE WHAT GOD HAS FOR THEM, or
42:15for them to have WHAT GOD HAS, THEY MUST
42:20FALL IN love with him again.
42:23Get back to that place
42:26where they're fully devoted to him.
42:31And then the moment God's people
42:34consecrated themselves and camped out,
42:38the Bible says they prepared themselves,
42:41and they took, watch this, the correct
42:44path. Can I just read that verse again?
42:47The Bible says that we might humble
42:50ourselves before
42:53our God
42:55to seek from him the right way or path.
43:02Right way or path. You cannot go on this
43:06journey doing your own thing and think
43:08you're going to exit well.
43:15He that dwelleth under the secret place
43:19of the most high shall abide. That word
43:22abide shall be kept.
43:28When you're under the pavilion of God,
43:31what the scripture is saying, you will
43:33be kept. You will be kept. You will be
43:37kept. The moment they consecrated
43:40themselves, they were kept, and I
43:42strongly believe that God wants you to
43:45be a part of the supernatural blessings
43:48that are scheduled to pass by.
43:51You are about to go on a journey
43:55that is going to make you forget all the
43:58things that you currently are going
44:00through and have gone through. I promise
44:03you, the next season that God is going
44:06to take you in is going to make you
44:08forget Egypt. You are not even going to
44:10remember.
44:13You are not even going to remember
44:16Egypt.
44:18The angel of the Lord is covering you.
44:22Yes, he is covering you and protecting
44:24you and your children and your
44:27possession because after all, that was
44:29what the fast was about.
44:33Ezra said, "Let's turn to God in fasting
44:38so that we can be protected. OUR
44:44CHILDREN." HE'S TALKING ABOUT ABOUT A
44:46GENERATIONAL BLESSING HERE.
44:49THAT OUR children will be protected.
44:51Watch this, our possession.
44:55Our possession.
44:58Listen, when you prepare to take the
45:00correct path, you and your children's
45:03and your possessions will be secure.
45:08So I strongly believe that God wants you
45:11to be a part of this supernatural
45:12blessing.
45:13Watch this, that is scheduled to pass
45:16you by.
45:19You don't have to go the through this
45:21journey alone.
45:24You don't have to do it alone.
45:26You don't have to do it alone.
45:28Take
45:30just take little steps as I'm speaking,
45:33little steps.
45:35You don't have to go it alone.
45:38It may be slow.
45:41The pastor had to wait 20 years
45:44for God to give him what he told him he
45:46was going to get.
45:50He's covering you.
45:53But could you for once in your life
45:57stop using the natural man, the natural
45:59senses, and your naked eyes
46:02to figure out where you're going?
46:05The people of God had to go on the fast
46:07because they were living their lives
46:09their way.
46:11Their way.
46:13The moment they got into the fast,
46:20the angel of the Lord
46:22did something marvelous because what the
46:25enemy did not want them to see
46:29is that later on in chapter 24 to 30,
46:34while they were waiting on God,
46:37God had so much blessings ready for
46:41them.
46:44And if you're not careful,
46:46you will literally cancel the blessings
46:49that God has for you.
46:53Because your problem is
46:55you want to see where you're going.
47:01And what God told me to tell you,
47:03he's bringing you in a season
47:06where the Holy Spirit
47:09will lead you now.
47:14Now,
47:17this season
47:19of your life,
47:22you are almost at the point of your
47:25breakthrough.
47:30You're almost there. You're almost
47:32there.
47:33But because you made so many different
47:36mistakes in the past,
47:39God is saying he doesn't want you
47:44to regress. He doesn't want you
47:47to get to a point. Come on, come back.
47:49Come back. Come back. See, see, that's
47:51the thing.
47:52That's what he wants.
47:54HE WANTS TO SHUT OFF YOUR EYESIGHT.
47:58WHERE HE'S TAKING YOU, HE DOESN'T WANT
48:01YOU TO FIGURE OUT HOW IT'S GOING TO
48:04HAPPEN.
48:05WHY? BECAUSE
48:07YOU ARE COVERED, AND WHERE HE LEADS ME,
48:11I WILL FOLLOW. WHEREVER YOU WANT ME TO
48:14GO, GOD, I'LL FOLLOW YOU. WHY? BECAUSE
48:18I'M NOT SEEING IT. I'M NOT SEEING IT. I
48:20DON'T KNOW WHERE I'M GOING, BUT I KNOW
48:22YOU'RE TAKING ME SOMEWHERE. I KNOW
48:26YOU'RE ABOUT TO BLESS MY LIFE. I KNOW
48:29YOU'RE ABOUT TO OPEN UP THE WINDOWS OF
48:31HEAVEN, AND I CANNOT MISS MY SEASON.
48:34SOMEBODY GIVE GOD A PRAISE IN THIS
48:37PLACE.
48:44That's why IT'S MAKING YOU NERVOUS, CUZ
48:46YOU CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW IT'S GOING TO
48:49WORK OUT IN THE END. GOD HAS COVERED
48:52YOU, SO YOU CAN'T KNOW WHERE YOU'RE
48:54GOING. YOU HAVE TO RELY ON HIM.
49:06SO LET ME close with this.
49:09In Ezra,
49:11verse 24, chapter 8,
49:15the enemy saw
49:18that they had
49:21that there were going to be so much
49:22blessings.
49:26Ezra
49:28was about to now call on the priest.
49:32The blessing was so loaded and so much.
49:36Read it.
49:38There was so much wealth that came into
49:41God's people
49:43that their giving was outrageous.
49:46Their resources was outrageous. He had
49:49to call priests
49:52to weigh it and protect it.
49:55Weigh it and protect it.
49:58Weigh it and protect it. What God is
50:01about to bring into your life
50:05going be so huge.
50:14It's going to be so heavy
50:18that you're going to have to learn to
50:19protect it. Oh, some of you God's about
50:22to catapult you into greatness.
50:25YOU CANNOT BE SO NAIVE. YOU GOT to
50:28protect. You got TO PROTECT WHAT GOD has
50:31given you. ANYBODY READY TO GO TO WAR TO
50:35PROTECT WHAT GOD is about to bring in
50:38your life?
50:43The Bible says
50:46they ended up with 650 talents.
50:51200 talents and 100 talents of gold and
50:5420 bowls of a thousand
50:57coins.
51:00God empowered the same people who were
51:03struggling.
51:06The same people
51:08who had to be on a fast.
51:10The moment they followed the prophet
51:14Ezra
51:16and did the fast,
51:19all of the lack
51:23four verses later
51:26came in so powerful
51:31that it was too much to weigh
51:34and they had to call bodyguards
51:37in the priesthood
51:39to protect it.
51:41Ah,
51:42when I read that,
51:45ALL I COULD think about where's my
51:47angels?
51:49Where my angels? Cuz what GOD'S ABOUT TO
51:52BRING IN OUR LIVES,
51:54the angel of the Lord will encamp IT
51:56AROUND ABOUT THEM that fear him. Oh,
52:00angels are protecting your homes. Angels
52:03are protecting your cars. Angels are
52:06protecting your children. ANGELS ARE
52:08protecting your finance.
52:20Stand on your feet. I'm closing with
52:21this.
52:23And then we're going to
52:25we're going to give and we're going to
52:27do communion.
52:31In the fast,
52:33the people number one
52:35humbled themselves.
52:40Humbled themselves.
52:43Humbled themselves.
52:47Why?
52:49They were not covered.
52:52Humility brings the covering of God.
52:57That's it.
53:00She can't see us.
53:04But she can hear.
53:06That's how you ought to live. You won't
53:08see God.
53:20But you can hear him.
53:23You don't need to see him.
53:26You just need to hear him.
53:29They humbled themselves number two.
53:32They sought God for direction.
53:36For safety.
53:39For safety.
53:42Because now
53:44now
53:46you have to be led.
53:51So
53:53in July of 2023
53:57August is coming.
54:00Let him lead you into August.
54:05September is coming.
54:09October is coming.
54:12November is coming.
54:14December is coming. Let him lead you.
54:17Quit doing it on your own.
54:21Quit trying to figure out everything
54:24including your finances, everything.
54:26Stop it. The preacher who got the
54:29building absolutely free
54:32did everything TO GET THE BUILDING AND
54:35HE WASN'T QUALIFIED.
54:38BUT HE WAITED ON A PROMISE
54:42THAT GOD would not back down on.
54:45What have you been waiting for?
54:48Could it be that God is saying take your
54:50hands off it?
54:52Stop looking at it. Look to me, the
54:54author and the finisher of your faith
54:56and let me lead you so that when you go
54:58into 2024
55:01he'll lead you.
55:032025
55:052030
55:072035
55:08Right? He'll lead you.
55:11He will lead you
55:14to wherever he wants.
55:17Because you fasted
55:20you humbled yourself
55:22you sought for his direction.
55:24And the final thing is
55:26you have prayed to me
55:30to save your children.
55:34Watch this now.
55:36I want every parent in this room and
55:38those of you streaming.
55:40Do not listen to me.
55:44Never give up on your children.
55:49DON'T YOU.
55:51OH!
55:55DON'T YOU EVER GIVE UP ON YOUR CHILDREN.
56:00DON'T YOU EVER I DON'T CARE HOW CRAZY
56:03THEY'RE ACTING.
56:05I DON'T CARE HOW DISRESPECTFUL THEY ARE.
56:07I DON'T CARE HOW THEY'VE BROKEN YOUR
56:10HEART. I DON'T CARE HOW THEY'RE STRUNG
56:12OUT ON DRUGS AND DOING DON'T YOU DARE
56:15GIVE UP ON YOUR CHILDREN.
56:17GO TO WAR FOR YOUR BABY.
56:20FIGHT THE DEVIL FOR YOUR BABY.
56:24FIGHT FOR YOUR BABY.
56:46You go in that bedroom.
56:49I don't CARE WHERE YOUR BABY AT.
56:52Come here, son. Come here, son.
56:54I don't CARE YOU GOT TO NOW COVER your
56:56baby. Cover your baby.
56:59I speak the blood of Jesus. I speak THE
57:02WORD OF GOD OVER MY CHILD. No evil will
57:05come near my baby. Fight for your
57:08children. Get your children back.
57:20Fight for your children.
57:24The fast
57:27was to bring order back to the family.
57:33God protect my children. That's what
57:35Ezra
57:36said that God you'll protect my children
57:39and watch this, my possession.
57:42My possession. A lot of you have lost a
57:45lot of stuff.
57:46But I speak prophetically today.
57:49You're going to get much more than what
57:51you've lost
57:52and you are about to get a big blessing
57:54in your life BECAUSE YOU ARE COVERED.
57:57SOMEBODY SHOUTED I'M COVERED.
58:04PUT YOUR HANDS ON SOMEBODY'S shoulder
58:06right now.
58:08Just on their shoulder.
58:10Ah hallelujah.
58:13You're covered for the journey.
58:16Oh, I can't wait to see what you will
58:18become.
58:19Oh, glory to God. I can't wait
58:23to see what August is going to produce.
58:26I can't WAIT TO SEE WHAT SEPTEMBER is
58:28going to produce. I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE
58:31WHAT 2024 IS GOING TO PRODUCE.
58:35Cuz you're covered.
58:38YOU SPEAK LIFE
58:40TO YOUR FAMILY.
58:42YOU SPEAK LIFE TO YOUR GENERATION.
58:45Don't look AT WHAT YOU SEE. LET THE HOLY
58:48SPIRIT COVER YOUR NAKED EYES.
58:52AND YOU SEE THAT YOUR BABY is going to
58:53be okay. YOU SEE THAT THAT BOY IS GOING
58:56TO COME TO KNOW GOD AS HIS PERSONAL
58:58SAVIOR. YOU SEE THAT YOUR DAUGHTER IS
59:01COVERED. I DON'T CARE WHAT THE ENEMY IS
59:03TRYING TO DO. HE WILL NOT snatch her
59:05away from you. YOU PUT TOO MUCH PRAYER
59:08ON THAT GIRL. YOU PUT TOO MUCH PRAYER ON
59:11THAT BOY.
59:14HEY! GLORY TO GOD.
59:16HEY! GLORY, GLORY, GLORY, GLORY. OH, I
59:20FEEL SOMETHING IN THIS ROOM. I FEEL
59:23something in this room.
59:26GLORY TO GOD.
59:29HEY! GLORY, GLORY, GLORY.
59:35FATHER, we thank you today.
59:40And you have spoken.
59:47And you have demonstrated to us
59:50that the journey is a fixed one.
59:54EXCEPT THE LORD BUILD THE HOUSE,
59:58THEY WHO LABORS labors in vain. So,
60:00Father, you're going to build it now.
60:03You're going to take us through the
60:06journey now.
60:08AND WE HAVE EVERY CONFIDENCE
60:12THAT our children are well.
60:14They're blessed. They're anointed.
60:17They're full of the Holy Spirit. Your
60:19protection is on my boy. Your protection
60:22is on our girls. Your protection IS ON
60:24THEM RIGHT NOW IN THE NAME of Jesus.
60:27They will inherit a blessed, blessed,
60:29blessed, blessed land in the NAME OF
60:32JESUS. WE SPEAK IT ACROSS AMERICA. WE
60:35SPEAK IT ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN. WE SPEAK
60:37IT IN ASIA. WE SPEAK IT IN EUROPE. WE
60:40SPEAK IT AROUND THE WORLD.
60:43Your blessing is on our family.
60:46And God, in the name of Jesus, whatever
60:48we have possessed,
60:50whatever you have blessed us with,
60:53we're not going to lose it.
60:55We're not going to lose it. No more
60:57foreclosure. No more foreclosure. We're
61:00not going to lose it. We're not going to
61:02lose it. We're not going to lose it in
61:04the name of Jesus. We're not GOING TO
61:06LOSE OUR MONEY. We're not going to lose
61:08it in the name of Jesus. Everything that
61:11the enemy's eating up, in the NAME OF
61:13JESUS, THIS FAST IS GOING TO break it.
61:17God, WE SEND A SPIRITUAL CEASE AND
61:20DESIST letter now.
61:22Give me back my blessing. Give me back
61:26my breakthrough. Give me back my peace.
61:29GIVE ME BACK MY JOY. GIVE ME BACK my
61:32peace.
61:35I claim it now.
61:39In the name of Jesus.
61:42I claim it now.
61:44And we claim THE BLESSING OF EZRA 8,
61:48BEGINNING AT VERSE 24 TO 30.
61:51BLESS US, GOD. BLESS US. INCREASE US.
61:55INCREASE US. Increase us. LET WHEN THIS
61:58FAST IS OVER, GOD,
62:01BLESS US WHERE EYES HAVE NOT SEEN, EARS
62:05HAVE NOT HEARD, neither have it entered
62:07into our hearts.
62:10What you have already prepared for us.
62:13The shoulder that we have touched in,
62:15Father,
62:16let the blessing be extended to them
62:18now.
62:20And we give you praise for it in Jesus'
62:22mighty name. And with the clapping of
62:24your hands, if you receive it, come on.
62:27Make a joyful noise.
62:29Make a joyful noise.
62:31Come on. Make a joyful noise.