Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] And turn with me to the book of Second Corinthians, chapter three. Two corinthians Chapter Three. I know you just sat down, but would you stand? We honor the reading of God's word in this house. Our series is Beholding and Becoming. Everyone say beholding and becoming.
[00:00:18] So I began last Thursday dealing with the promises of Abraham, and I'm going to build on that idea tonight. But let's look at this. Two corinthians 318. I'm doing this out of the Passion translation, and this is what it says we can all draw close to him with the veil removed from our faces. And with no veil, we all become like mirrors who brightly reflect the glory of the Lord Jesus.
[00:00:50] We are being transformed into his very image as we move from one brighter level of glory to another. I like that. We're being transfigured to his image as we move from one brighter level of glory to another. And this glorious transfiguration comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. Now, Galatians, chapter three and verse 26. You can turn over there. If you have this in the Bible app, you'll see under events. I've got all the verses in order. Doing this one out of the New Living translation. Galatians 326 says, we are I'm sorry. You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. Are you a child of God? Come on, I want you to say it out loud. I'm a child of God.
[00:01:43] You're all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus, and all who have been united with Christ in baptism. By the way, you all ought to get baptized. If you haven't been baptized, you have been united with Christ in baptism. Like putting on new clothes. I like that. You realize when you put on Christ, it's like putting on new clothes. The Bible says, oh, that's cool. Now, there is no longer Jew or Gentile, free or slave or free, male or female, you are all one in Christ Jesus. Now look at verse 29. Now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God's promise to Abraham belongs to you. You are his heirs, and God's promise to Abraham belongs to you.
[00:02:40] So this is a big deal, because now we begin to look at, well, God, what did you promise to Abraham?
[00:02:47] You said, these promises are for me. So what did you actually promise? Well, we're going to look at some of them tonight. Let's pray. And let's ask the Lord to speak to us through his Word this evening. Lord, I thank you for your word. I thank you that it is light, it's life, its instruction, its correction, where we need it. And Lord, I pray that even tonight you would, Lord, speak to us through your Word. I pray even now for an anointing to come and just to begin to saturate and permeate this entire atmosphere. Come on, church, pray for a mighty anointing to be released. Pray in your spirit. Pray with your understanding. Holy Spirit, I ask you to come. I ask you to saturate this atmosphere, break through any hindrance in the spirit God, that there may be from receiving what you have today. Give us eyes that see, ears that hear, a heart, and a mind that perceives what the spirit of the living God is speaking to us tonight. Lord, I pray, anoint me to preach your word with authority, as I ought to, and I bind the works of the enemy, he who would seek to distract, to distort, to confuse, or uproot the word as it comes forward. Holy Spirit, lord God almighty I pray. Give us liberty in receiving your word tonight. In Jesus mighty name, I pray. Everybody say, in Jesus name, amen. Amen. You may be seated.
[00:04:12] Now, we are going to move into the prophetic this evening. This is a prophetic night, but I want to deal with here tonight. In fact, I've entitled this message, beholding your Prophetic promise. Beholding your prophetic promise. How many understand there are promises in scripture that God has given you to lay hold of? And what I'm desiring is that we would see, like, I don't know, there's been all kinds of things all throughout scripture that I've read. It's like, whoa, I didn't know that I could actually have that. I didn't know that that was part of the promise. And what I desire to do is even just make us aware of what we have available to us. You have an inheritance.
[00:05:02] You have an inheritance.
[00:05:04] There was a guy I grew up in a small town. You wouldn't believe me, but the name of the town is Effingham, Illinois. Effingham. That's true. I'm not making that up. I'm not trying to be vulgar. That really was the name of the town. I graduated high school there. You can look it up, make sure you spell it right, or you're getting trouble. But I grew up, and it's small town, and there was an individual whose name was Granville. Granville was a homeless guy. He would walk around, always pushing a card. And it's not like kona. It's not like big cities where you have whole homeless communities. I mean, you're talking a small town. We had one homeless person in town. So you had this one guy pushing his card around. Most of the time, he was wearing a dress, and just an interesting kind of individual. And so we got to know Granville over the years, and we knew exactly where he would sleep every night. He'd go he'd live downtown. He'd sleep right outside of the pizza place that was down there. Joe's Pizza. We need to go back to Joe's Pizza one of these days. They got good pizza. But Granville, he'd always sleep in the back alley right behind Joe's Pizza. I remember when we found out, it was right after I graduated high school, we found out that Granville had passed away. And we were sad. But here's what was crazy. This guy who had lived homeless his entire life, we found out after he had died that his parents had been rather wealthy and had left him a massive inheritance. In fact, even though he was living on the streets, he actually had a home and people knew exactly where. His house had a beautiful home, had an inheritance, had money in the bank, and yet lived as a homeless individual as long as I knew him. And it blows my mind to think this man had an inheritance, but he never operated in it. He had an inheritance. He was an heir to his father and his mother. You guys are getting the preaching in this, aren't you? He was an heir to an inheritance, and yet he never operated in it. And he lived his entire life in lack and confusion and without having ever touched what was available to him. And I wonder sometimes how often we, as the people of God, do you realize you have an inheritance? You are an heir. You are royalty, you are a son. You're a daughter of the most high God. Guys, if there's anything that I want us to get through this beholding and becoming series is the idea that, God, you're incredible, god, you're wonderful, god, you're mighty, and you're transforming me to look into be and to operate as you in the earth. It's a big deal. You have an inheritance. In fact, I gave you some declarations on Sunday. I wanted to give you some declarations tonight. So I want you to write this down. First of all, write this down. I am an heir with an inheritance.
[00:08:09] I am an heir with an inheritance. You can see if you need help with how to spell heir, not airheir, that means you've got something that's been left to you. You have something you can tap into. And this works, my friend. I was actually hearing, did you know that recently, the Southern Baptist I grew up Southern Baptist the Southern Baptist Convention actually reversed their stance on the gifts of the Spirit. Did you know that? Why? Because they actually what was happening is these guys were they had a whole missions team of some of the presbyters, some of the higher up leadership who were ministering in Africa. They were preaching through a translator and all they were doing was preaching the gospel of salvation. Jesus is a savior. That's what they preach. But what began happening was all these people stirred by faith ended up responding to the altar call. And there was a lady in particular who needed healing in her just and you'll know, especially you go overseas, you go places like people are just God's in the place. I need a miracle. And so they ask these guys who don't even believe in miracles, pray for me. A miracle. And so these guys pray and they begin to see miracles breaking out all throughout this meeting. They end up coming back home and giving their report and saying, listen now don't kick us out of the Baptist Fellowship, but we had a bunch of miracles break out and like for real. So you can go, you can look at this online. They've actually reversed their stance to where they're not doctrinally a cessationist group any longer. They actually affirm that there is tongues and that the prayer of obedience may actually release miracles. Why? Because, friend, they tapped into something like you don't understand the power that is available to you and to me. If somebody would just simply believe, lord, you said I could have this. I'm an heir with an inheritance in Jesus. The same thing you operated in as the son of God. I can operate in as a son of God. As a daughter of God.
[00:10:25] Wow.
[00:10:26] Dakovan. This will work in your Bible club. You realize comma this will work in your Bible club. This will happen if we would just well, they don't believe in miracles. That's okay. That's okay. All you have to you preach the word and all of a sudden faith is going to come up. Oh, I'm excited. What's going to happen? Somebody just begins to get a hold of this. Now I shared about how even though we are in heir and we have an inheritance, I've been actually kind of slow to share about some of the benefits of this because I don't want us necessarily just coming to God for God. What's in it for me?
[00:11:08] I want us to learn to fall desperately in love with Jesus, to behold the glory of the Lord. Even if there's nothing in it for us, that's okay, it is enough. God is enough. But one thing that you cannot get away from the fact that when God came and made covenant with Abraham or made covenant with pick your guy, Noah or Moses, he always wanted, I want to be your God and I want you to be my people. Right?
[00:11:41] But there were always benefits.
[00:11:43] Everybody say benefits.
[00:11:47] There are always benefits in the Lord. And here's the reason why. It is who God is. And if you begin to behold the Lord, then guess what? He's going to show up and he's going to start telling you, this is my name. This is who I am. And God's got a lot of names because he's El Shaddai. He is the all sufficient one. He's the God of more than enough. He is the God who heals you. He is the God who fights for you, the God of all victory. He is the God who is your shield in your great reward. He is God of perfect peace. And so what's going to begin to happen as you behold the Lord, then guess what? These things will begin to manifest in your life even for Baptists who don't believe in miracles. Praise god.
[00:12:40] So one of the things that we're going to look at, the benefits and I've thought about doing some reels on that's not in the Bible.
[00:12:51] I don't know if it's going to go over real well. Probably not, but there's things like that. People say we need to seek God's face and not his hand.
[00:13:04] That sounds good. The problem is that's not in the Bible because God instructs us to seek his face and his hand.
[00:13:13] I want both. You see, you'll have people say we're not supposed to seek the gift, we're supposed to seek the giver. Again, the problem is that's not in the Bible.
[00:13:25] Most of the basis of what we've done on these prophetic nights is the very fact that the Bible says to seek the gifts of the Spirit. Seek that you may prophesy. The Bible tells you, seek the gifts of God and the giver of the gifts. For those of you who anybody ever get in Bible debates? Bible school students. Comma. Okay, let me give you one line that'll help you win a lot of arguments. I don't know if this is helpful advice or not.
[00:13:54] Where's that in the Bible?
[00:13:56] Just start asking people, like, where's that in the Holy Spirit's? A gentleman.
[00:14:01] Where's that in the Bible? Like, you hear people say stuff all the time, but where is that? Because I'm telling you what, man, I've watched the Holy Ghost whip into places and knock people over and it's not very gentlemanly, I'll just tell you. I don't know. Have you ever been laid out by the Holy Ghost?
[00:14:19] Have you ever been surprised by the power of God? I mean, there's times I have been freaked out by the power of God. I've watched the Holy Ghost, like, throw my wife, like 5ft across the like, seriously, that is not very gentlemanly, but it is powerful. And so I don't know, would that be worth me doing that's not in the Bible, okay. I don't think so. Okay. Comma. Thank you, comma for your support. I don't know if this is going to work out, but my point in all of this is the fact that, listen, when God shows up, there's benefits. When God shows up, there's a blessing. God is a miracle worker. It is who he is. And so don't be afraid to say, God, I want you to do something in my life. You realize my kids have never in their life had to ask me, dad, are we going to be allowed to sleep in the house tonight? No. Because they're my children. And as my children, they have certain rights. They know they've got a place to sleep. Now, they may act at times like they're starving and like they're hungry, but I promise you there is always food in the refrigerator. There's always food in the cabinets. They never have to wonder, am I going to get to eat today? Why? Because they are a child of mine. And in the very same way, when we begin to behold the Lord friend, he's going to bless you, he's going to heal you, he's going to provide for you, he's going to work on your behalf simply because he's your God and you're his son. You're his daughter. In fact, that's the second thing I want you to write down, I am a child of God. If you're taking notes, I want you to write that down. I am a child of God.
[00:16:11] Come on. Can we say that out loud together? I'm a child of God.
[00:16:16] Tell your neighbor you're a child of God.
[00:16:25] I've had a lot of people who've told me when we began this series that it's really changing the way they see God.
[00:16:32] They see themselves.
[00:16:34] It's changing their prayer life.
[00:16:38] One of the things do you want to know something has shifted for me. If you would have asked me a year ago, what's the number one goal of God in the earth, if you asked me a year ago, I would have said to save souls.
[00:16:53] I've actually shifted on that just a little bit. I want you to hear kind of my reasoning behind this. I believe that the primary purpose of God in the earth is actually about building a family.
[00:17:10] I really think what his great desire is is to bring sons and daughters into his family, that Jesus is the firstborn among many brethren. And do you know what? When you're a son just like my kids, because they're my children, they have a home. And if people will get this idea I have a father who's welcomed me into his family, guess what? They have a home. And it's not of this world. Their home is in heaven. But in the very same way, you go talk to people, you'll talk to healing ministers, and they are driven. I just want to see people healed, right? You'll talk to deliverance ministers, and I want to see people delivered and set free. And that's all wonderful. I am about all of those things. But I'm telling you, it's all a byproduct of the primary thing that God is attempting to do in the world, and that's to create sons and daughters. He's building a family in the earth. Oh, my goodness. So we're going to see people healed and set free. We're going to see people saved from hell and have eternal life in the hope of God. We're going to see people blessed and provided for. I mean, fill in the blank. What are you believing for? It's all found in our sonship, in our identity. Why do you think the devil goes so hard after identity, even with Jesus? What did he say? If you are the Son of God, are you really the Son of God? I know you think you heard a voice from your Father in heaven, but are you really who you think you are? Three times? Each time he did the same thing to Adam and Eve. Did God really say, he's always trying to confuse, you're not who you think you are.
[00:18:56] You're not all that you think. And that's why the enemy, he's going after, you're not really a man, you're not really a woman. You don't really know what you're attracted to. You don't belong to this family. You don't belong in this church. The enemy is always gunning for identity. And I am more and more and more convinced it is the primary thing that God is trying to establish in our lives.
[00:19:20] So, guys, I'm just telling you, if we can get this, it's going to change the way we operate in miracles. It is going to change the way we witness to people.
[00:19:32] My wife and I, we used to go in fact, maybe we didn't take our kids on this one. We used to go down to the Gay district in Dallas and we'd witness to people, we'd preach to people. Now, there were some who would go down there with hateful signs and Turner Byrne kind of things, but we never did that. We'd actually go down there and what we wanted to do was just love on people and pray for people. We figure, this is my idea. I had people who hollered at me all the time about my drug use and they would try and pick at the fruit of my life. Guess what? I've got news for everybody within the sound of my voice.
[00:20:10] Sinners. Sin, period. You know what sinners do? They sin. And they're going to continue to sin as long as they're rooted in sin. The problem is any gardeners in the house. What happens when you cut back a particular branch on a fruit tree or whatever it is? It grows back. Thicker, it grows back. And this is where I feel like this sin consciousness will actually work against us. Try harder, do less drugs, be less perverted, operate in less pride in the moment. We folk. What are we doing? We're picking at all of this fruit. And what ends up happening is we end up more bound in those things than when we actually began human effort. But if we would go for the root system, this is what Jesus instructed us to do. He said, Be engrafted into the true vine. And what happens is then the true virtue of righteousness begins to flow through Jesus and then into your life. This is how immediately upon conversion, you are the righteousness of God in Christ, not of works. Ephesians says, Lest any man should boast, it is faith. You are saved by grace, which is accessed through faith in Jesus. It happens instantaneously. And if you can get to the root system, guess what? The fruit of your life will begin to change. How many of you have experienced that? And so this is where, like, what do we need? We need identity. I'm a son of the most High God. I am a daughter of the king. You have a new identity in Christ Jesus. I'm going to give you some of the same verses I've given you over and over again. John one in verse twelve says, as many as received Jesus to them, he gave the right to become children of God to those who believe in his name. Wow.
[00:22:14] So you're telling me that people could come straight out of prostitution, believe in Jesus, and now they're a daughter of the king? You're telling me that a lying tax collector could come out of that lifestyle, deceiving the people of God, believe in the Lord Jesus, and he is a son of God? Absolutely. And that's what God has done in our lives.
[00:22:36] You hear how this will change the way you preach the gospel? Like, you guys, I just want to help you. If you're ever counseling somebody and you think, boy, that sin is a lot worse than anything I've ever seen or dealt with. You don't have to deal with the sin, deal with the roots.
[00:22:52] Do you know who Jesus is? Do you know how much he loves you? You don't have to have struggled with something in order to minister to something. You know that.
[00:23:06] So you guys are quiet tonight, but I feel like you're quiet when you're receiving surgery. Somebody told me that one time when God's working on us, but I can tell you guys are with me. Is this helping anybody here tonight? Okay, romans, chapter eight and verse 15 says this romans 815 says, you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful. Slaves. Praise God. Instead, you have received God's spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him Abba father. Everybody say abba, father.
[00:23:46] I don't like saying daddy. God. In fact, it kind of irritates me when people pray that way. But essentially that's what this is.
[00:23:54] It's a prayer of such intimacy. I am so close to the Father, right? Comma. What am I going to do?
[00:24:02] Come on, you go and sit on his lap. And this is Abba. This is abba. That's how you can be with God. Oh, you want a picture, Mariah? Here we go.
[00:24:13] This is abba. Abba. We've been like, you can go to God like that. I mean, imagine the difference. Now you're dealing with Moses. You can't even look at me. God said, but under the new covenant, born by the Spirit through Christ Jesus, we have been adopted. Abba sitting in his lap talking to him. Guys, what we have access to is absolutely mind blowing. I can imagine Moses and Isaiah and these Old Testament giants looking down and saying, wow, look at how close they get to be to God, the Holy Spirit in them. What?
[00:25:01] You guys, I hope somebody will grab hold of this and take advantage. Now we call him abba. Everybody say abba, father.
[00:25:10] For his spirit joins with our Spirit to affirm we are God's children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ, we are heirs of God's glory. What? We are heirs of God's glory. But if we are to share in his glory, we must share it's. A participation in his suffering. Literally, what the picture is, is you understand what Jesus has endured. Be willing to acknowledge. That's why we're going to preach the cross. That's why when they go through a Hellhouse, they will watch the stripes laid upon the back of Jesus. I want you to understand the suffering. I want you to understand the price that was paid because he was willing to suffer. We are united in his suffering. And the blessing, the benefit. Oh, my goodness. Everything flows out of that place, friend.
[00:26:09] So here's the third thing, and then I'm just going to rapid fire some of the promises that you can stand on. Can we review quickly? Number one, I'm an heir with an inheritance. I want you to say it out loud. I am an heir with an inheritance. Come on, tell your neighbor. I have an inheritance.
[00:26:29] That means you have access to things. Heidi Baker. You guys know who Heidi Baker is? Heidi Baker sees wild miracles. Do you know when her miracle ministry began? She actually was receiving prayer in a service in Toronto. She gets hit by the power of God, has an encounter where she is in heaven. During this moment of visitation, have you heard this? She goes up. I don't know if it's an angel or I can't tell you exactly. I need to refresh on the story. But I remember she was taken into a storehouse and they were opening up all of these drawers, and there were, like, eyeballs and new ears and body parts, and God was speaking to her. This is what you have access to. You find someone who's blind, I have eyes for them. You find someone who's deaf, I have new ears for them. And that was when she had that encounter. It was shortly thereafter she started praying and seeing wild miracles. Why? Because she realized I'm an heir. I have an inheritance. God has given me access to things in the heavens that I and that's not just for Heidi Baker, my friend. That's for you. You're an heir. You have an inheritance. Now, what's the second one?
[00:27:49] Good. You're with me. I was about to repeat it. I am a child of God. I'm a child of God. Now, the third one, this is my favorite of the night.
[00:28:01] Number three, I am created to look like God.
[00:28:07] I am created to look like God. This is what the whole idea of beholding and becoming is. I will behold the Lord. I need to have an accurate picture. I'm going to learn who he is and what he's like. As a loving Father who has adopted me, who treasures and values me. I'm looking at Him and he's transforming me into his glorious image. So I am created to look like God. Tell your neighbor you're created to look like God.
[00:28:41] That's real friend. You are created. And now this is so cool. I was reading Dr. Morocco's book, closing the Forbidden Door and he's talking about the origin of demons and the origin of Satan. It's very fascinating to open your Bible to Isaiah 14. Want you to see. You ever wonder like what is wrong with Satan? Why is he so bent on just like wiping us out? Why does he want to steal, kill? Have you ever wondered what is his problem? Why is he want to? Well, here's a hint.
[00:29:14] Isaiah 14 and verse twelve.
[00:29:17] This is a passage that describes the fall of Satan. And this is what it says. Verse twelve. You are how you have fallen from heaven, o Lucifer, son of the morning, how you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations, you said in your heart. Now this is Lucifer speaking, this is Satan. I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north. I will ascend the heights of the cloud. Now watch this statement. I will be like the most high this is Satan speaking. This was his rebellion, his self exaltation. In his pride he says, I'm going to exalt myself. I am going to be like God.
[00:30:11] Okay?
[00:30:12] Now watch what happens.
[00:30:15] We go to the garden in the book of Genesis, and in Genesis one, in verse 26, god said elohim is literally plural, is the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit speaking and moving and operating together. And he says, let us make man in our image according to our likeness.
[00:30:43] Let us make man in our image and according to our likeness. Now those are two separate Hebrew words, but to make it very simple, image is exactly what it sounds like. If you were to see a picture of God, he's actually formed us in the image of God. There is literally a physical sense in which you resemble God in his likeness. That means that what you're made of the things that make up your personality and your emotions. You are created not only the image you look like God, but you are created in his likeness. That means you're like God on the inside.
[00:31:29] Now you think about, you hear these two verses that I just read back to back.
[00:31:37] Satan was a worshiper who gets kicked out of heaven.
[00:31:43] And today we are the primary worshippers within all of creation. Satan wanted to look like and be like God and in his own pride and self exaltation attempted to be like God. God then turns and kicks him. Jesus said, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. And then God turns around and he kneels in the dust. And he says, let's make man in our image, in our likeness. The very thing Lucifer wanted, God has given to us.
[00:32:29] Now you begin to get a picture. What he wanted from the very beginning, god has given you that. You are to look into be. So why do you think he's going so hard after your identity? Why is he trying to have you quit? Why are there entire denominations that question our inheritance and what we are heirs to? As sons and daughters of the Most High God, we must know who God is. And you can access him. This is where you look at other religions in the world, Islam, you realize they're not allowed to talk to God.
[00:33:01] They're not allowed to talk to God, which is why it's so wild for them. This is happening like wildfire in the Middle East. They'll go up into their prayer towers and they'll begin to pray. Not to Allah, because they're not allowed to look at Him or even talk to Him. But instead they'll talk to Muhammad or they'll pray through another mediator. And all of a sudden, have you heard about this? They're encountering Jesus. Jesus, I mean, like crazy is visiting them in dreams. Or they're having encounters in this room and all of a sudden God, whom they're not even allowed to talk to, is visiting them, is speaking to them.
[00:33:41] I'm telling you what we have access to, my friend. It is beyond description. You are an heir with an inheritance. You are a son, a daughter of the Most, aided to look and to be like him that's beholding and that's becoming. Galatians 329.
[00:34:04] Now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs. And God's promise to Abraham belongs to you.
[00:34:20] God's promise to Abraham belongs to you.
[00:34:27] God's promise to Abraham belongs to you. That's straight Bible right there, friend in Christ, that's yours. So what do you in heir an inheritance to? Last week I gave you a few. I'm only going to give you a couple here tonight. But God will give you vision.
[00:34:48] God will give you I put all of these in the notes app. God will give you vision. That's in Genesis Twelve one. I'm going to give you this land. I'm going to give you this inheritance. God gave him a picture. Listen, one of the first things God's going to do in your life is he's going to give you purpose.
[00:35:01] He'll save you. He'll redeem you. You're a son, you're a daughter. And now you've got purpose. He's going to give you some stuff to do. He's going to give you a land to take. He's going to give you a people to love. He's going to allow you to be his hand extended somewhere. Second, he will make you a great nation. That's multiplication, that's legacy. Everybody say legacy.
[00:35:22] That means you're going to produce some fruit, you're going to produce some sons and daughters. Amen. Third is prosperity. Everybody say prosperity.
[00:35:32] I believe in prosperity. Do you believe for prosperity? I sure hope so. Show me the guy in the Bible who got connected with the king of kings and God led him straight into poverty.
[00:35:44] Not a single one. Every one of them. He brought increase and multiplicate. He gave them land and property and gold. I was talking to our Bible school interns this last Tuesday about David's $20 billion offering. That's right. With a B. God increased that family line so much that he could give $20 billion to the work of the Lord. That's prosperity. Hallelujah. Number four, I will make your name great. That's promotion. Everybody say promotion.
[00:36:17] Number five.
[00:36:19] This is all out of Genesis twelve. These are the promises of Abraham. They're your promises. According to Scripture. I will make your name great.
[00:36:28] That's promotion. Everybody say promotion.
[00:36:33] You're going to be promoted.
[00:36:35] How many? Leah, when we went into Lahaina, in fact, I saw some of our Lahaina family is actually watching this tonight. But it was mind blowing. I began to talk about promotions and all of a sudden, I think we watched three different people over the course of like, two months. All of a sudden, they were in the lowest levels in their workplace and all of a sudden became managers. Like promotion.
[00:37:00] God's going to promote you. You've got a photography business. You're going to be the photography business, right? You got a shuttle taking tourists around. Hallelujah. You're going to be the best tour bus on the island. Hallelujah. Right? You're selling jewelry, right? You're going to be the top salesman in the state. Praise God. I mean, promotion, you should expect this. Every time I talk to Jonathan, he's getting another promotion. Like, how much higher can they take you? Jonathan? I'm talking to people.
[00:37:31] Talk all the sisters I'm talking to, they're all getting promotions and raises and new opportunities, but that's what happens. Promotion. This is part of your inheritance. If you're not praying about that, my daughter's going to be running that coffee shop before you know it a promotion. In fact, she has been. Promotion. How many raises have you got since you started there? Oh, one.
[00:37:54] Hey, but you haven't even been there a couple of months and there's more coming. Promotion number five. You will be a blessing. Genesis twelve. Two. That's generosity. Everybody say generosity.
[00:38:09] It's not just prosperity and promotion so that you can be wonderful and you can have a great name. No, he's going to increase you so you can be generous on every occasion, so you can be a blessing to others who need it. I will bless them that bless you. I will curse them that curse you. That's god's defense of you.
[00:38:28] He will multiply. Bless. People are good to you, boy. God's going to be good to them. People are bad to you. Guess what? God is an avenger.
[00:38:37] He really is. Let him do his work.
[00:38:41] I could tell you stories about that, but I've got other blessings I want to get to in you. All nations will be blessed. Number eight is revival. Revival. That's in Genesis Twelve. Three, that's a blessing of Abraham is a mighty move of God, the Spirit on all people. Number nine, I will give you land. I will give land to your seed forever. So he'll give land and property.
[00:39:06] I'm praying for that. I had a pastor who heard this message last week. He says, you know, I was praying for property, and I've stopped. But when I heard you say that, that's one of the blessings. He's like, I'm believing for property once again. Like, for real. This is one of you. Let's read that. You don't have to go there media, guys, but listen to what it said. I read it three times. You belong to Christ. You are the children of Abraham. You are his heirs. And God's promise to Abraham belongs to you.
[00:39:37] He promised him land. He'll give you land. Now let me give you some new ones here. Number ten, multiplication of family. Multiplication of family. That's godly legacy. That is the idea. Jesus said that there's no one who's not left property or lands or houses. Sons, daughters, all of these that will not receive a hundred times more in this life and in eternity, eternal life. You remember that. So it's amazing how many of you have ever gone to another state or to another nation. And you get around Christians, and all of a sudden it's like I'm with family. Anybody ever experienced, like it's a weird sensation the first time. It's like, I feel like I've known these people forever. We have first time guests, and the first time I meet them, we're hugging and talking and laughing like we've been best friends forever. Why? Because God's given us family everywhere. That's part of our promise right there. Number I've lost count. Number eleven is protection. Everybody say protection.
[00:40:45] In Genesis 15, one, God spoke to Abraham. He said, I am your shield.
[00:40:52] God is your protector.
[00:40:55] God is your protector. When you really start to believe this, this is why I don't wear a helmet when I ride my motorcycle.
[00:41:06] I really believe that. I'm telling you, my wife and I, I've told you this story. I won't retell the whole deal. Wear your helmet. Wear a helmet. Okay. I'm just kidding. We're not foolish, but you will be hard pressed to find me wearing a helmet. But there was a time we were driving and we hit a patch of ice. I know that doesn't exist here, but we hit a patch of ice. We flew off of the interstate at about 70 miles an hour. We began going down this steep embankment. We even drove back because, like, was this my imagination? How steep and how dangerous is there is no way in the natural we did not tumble end over end going down that we slid down this thing. We didn't even lose a hubcap. I get up, I walk out. I'm walking around this like, I can't believe that just happened. I mean, it was crazy, wasn't it? Why? God is our protector. He's our shield. He's our shield. He's your shield. So we don't live our lives in fear. Pastor Jacob, do you really think Hamas could come and begin to affect us? Probably not here in Hawaii. But even if I'm not afraid, friend, I'm not afraid we would go. In fact, when I was in Egypt egypt is a very oppressive place. It's like 90 I don't know, 90 something percent Muslim. And we actually went and had prayer meetings in the mosque, the largest mosque in Cairo, Egypt. We went and prayed in there, and boy, it was a little bit freaky. We're like, Are we getting trouble here? Weren't they just burning Christians here, blowing up there? And they really do, they do that kind of thing.
[00:42:41] But I wasn't in fear. I have an awareness that God is my shield.
[00:42:47] He is my protector. I want you to say that he is my protector.
[00:42:55] I think I'll end with this number.
[00:42:59] Oh, number twelve. Okay, let me give you can you handle two more? We're still early. It's only 711, and we can spend some time prophesying number twelve. I am not only your shield. Anybody know what the next part of that is?
[00:43:14] I am your yes, your great reward.
[00:43:18] The Lord said to Abraham, and this is a promise for me and you. I'm not only your shield, but I am your great reward.
[00:43:28] I want you to write this down. The blessing number twelve. I'm sorry. Blessing number twelve is presence.
[00:43:37] Presence.
[00:43:39] God himself is your reward.
[00:43:44] God himself says, I will be with you. I am your reward. I am your inheritance. Oh, my goodness.
[00:43:57] Guys, I don't ever struggle to feel God's presence.
[00:44:02] I'm just telling you, I grabbed ahold of this one a long time ago. In fact, I'll tell you exactly where it came. I was reading through all of the inheritances that God was giving the children of Israel, and he said over the Levites, you're not getting land. I am your inheritance. Your inheritance is my presence. And I was reading that, and I was a young pastor at the time, and I'm like, God, I'm a Levite. And as a Levite, as a minister of your word, part of my inheritance is your presence. I have you. But, friend, can I just tell you, even if you're not a minister of the gospel, one of the blessings of Abraham is you have access to his presence all the time.
[00:44:48] All the time. I had a pastor friend send me a sermon. And it was about going through the valley and it was about dry seasons and when the heavens are brass and when I can't hear from God and I'm listening to this message and honestly as I'm going through it's like dude, I like the preacher and I like the guy that you sent me his message but I don't get it.
[00:45:15] I have not gone through a dry spell like that since I really understood the presence of God.
[00:45:22] I mean, honest, this is something you want to know. What another that's not in the Bible? How many know we gotta go through the valleys if we're gonna get to the mountain? That is not true.
[00:45:33] That's not even true geographically. You drive up Monaco. You do not have to go through a valley to get up there. What? You go up and up and up and up and up. And what does the Bible say? We've been reading it every week. You in relation to God as you behold his glory. You're not going through valleys and mountains, ups and downs, highs and lows. No, you're going from glory to glory to glory to glory, friend. Like, I'm closer to Jesus today than I ever have been in my life, and I'm going to be closer to Jesus six months from now. I'm not going to go through a valley. See, I'm not saying that I never have tests, I'm not saying I don't ever go through moments, but I have never had a moment where, god, I can't hear you. God, where are you? God? Where's your presence? Even if I'm going through hell on earth, I open the Word, I get in the place of prayer, I get in the house of God. The only people I'm getting too up there, I'm getting too far, the only people I ever hear talk like that are people that are constantly backsliding in and out of the church. The only thing that'll keep you from hearing from God, typically, is sin.
[00:46:46] And as long as you live right with Jesus, even if you sin, get it right. Just get it right. The moment that you hit your knees and say, jesus, I'm sorry I said that. Jesus. I'm sorry I went there. I have never been met by a rebuke from God or, Listen, I'm going to withdraw from you for six months just to teach you a lesson. He doesn't do that. The moment I hit my knees in repentance, I am met by the grace of God and say, it's like the prodigal coming home. He wasn't waiting at the end of the road to whip him and beat him. No. He said, I've got a ring and I've got a robe and I've got a shoe and let's have a party. And that's how God receives you. You understand? Are you hearing me? So I'm not going through peaks and valleys. I'm not going through dry seasons and the heavens are brass, friend. Repent of your sin. Get around the people of God. That's the other thing. If he can isolate you where you're just hanging out all by yourself and you're not in the Word, you're not in fellowship, then, yeah, you might be struggling, but I stay in the presence of God. One of my favorite moments of every day is when my kids come in at the end of the night into our room.
[00:47:58] And we always take time, even if it's just a few moments, but very often we talk about our day.
[00:48:06] I've never had my kids walk into my room at night. Dad, I can't hear you.
[00:48:12] Where are you? Father, no, they come into my room and I'm there.
[00:48:20] But I'm telling you, like, well, I don't know why we as the people of God, like, God, where are you? Just come into his presence.
[00:48:28] Come into his presence. He's right there. You're a son. Part of the blessing of Abraham is his presence.
[00:48:37] Is his presence.
[00:48:41] I know this is simple, but I'm telling people, believe you've heard other preachers say, well, in order to go through the mountain, you got to go through the valley. Where is that in the Bible?
[00:48:53] Where is that? It's not in the Bible.
[00:48:57] And we need to get some of these idea we've just believed it because somebody said it, and maybe they had it in a rhyme or they said it eloquently, and we just well, that just must be true. It's not in the Bible. My Bible says I'm going from glory to glory. My Bible says that I'm constantly reflecting his glory in the earth. All right, now let me give you the last one. This is good. This is a promise. I felt that this is something we needed tonight.
[00:49:24] He says, this is another promise that God gave to Abraham.
[00:49:28] Genesis 15 two. He says, Your own son shall be your heir.
[00:49:37] Your own son shall be your heir. I want you to write this down. This is one of the blessings of Abraham. Your blood family is a part of your inheritance. Your flesh and blood is a part of your inheritance.
[00:49:57] This is important because you realize Abraham got this promise, and he in works tried to fulfill that promise, ends up sleeping with somebody who's not his wife, having a servant, having a son through a bond woman. And he just thought, this must be how God is going to fulfill the promise in my life. This is how I'm going to be the father to a multitude of nations. This is how my seed is going to be as the dust of the earth and the stars of the sky through his own effort. But God stops him and says, through your own son shall be your heir, your own son, your flesh and blood friend. I want you because it's sad and I'm not speaking.
[00:50:45] We could go around this room. I could point you to ministries. I could point you to pastors who have built wonderful ministries, who have many spiritual sons and daughters, yet they've lost their marriage, they've lost their children in the building of the ministry. And I'm telling you on the authority of Scripture, one of the promises of God is that your own flesh and blood are going to be a part of what God's doing.
[00:51:14] This is why this prodigal hour of prayer is so important.
[00:51:19] We're laying hold god, you promised Abraham it wasn't just spiritual sons and daughters, but it was his flesh and blood. So listen, you might have a prodigal. You begin to lay hold of God. Your word says, if I'm in you, it is my inheritance. And that's one of the promises. My son, my daughter, my spouse, my grandbabies are part of what you are going to do in the earth in this day.
[00:51:51] I'm just telling you guys, I'm going to do great things for the Lord. I will do great things for the Lord. But you're going to watch, Pastor Jacob, when I'm 80 years old and my wife is still going to be loving Jesus and holding my hand, and my kids are still going to be loving Jesus and maybe not holding my hand, I don't know. You'll hold my hand, won't you? They're going to still be loving Jesus and loving me, and we're going to have grandbabies and great my flesh and blood.
[00:52:21] They're going to be part of this inheritance that I'm laying hold of, not just spiritual. I've got spiritual sons and daughters all across this room, but my flesh and blood, my spouse, they're going to be with me. And that's your promise. You can lay hold of that as well. Amen.
[00:52:40] Hallelujah. All right, well, I only have, like, 30 more points to this message for real. There's 48 blessings of Abraham, but we're not going to do that tonight. Amen. Why don't you stand and I want to pray for this right now. And hey, Elohama, would you come and get on the piano here? Come on, you can do it.
[00:53:09] And we're going to spend a moment in prayer just before we begin to release some prophetic ministry here tonight.
[00:53:20] I want to pray about a couple of these things in particular, just a couple blessings that I shared about tonight.
[00:53:31] There we go.
[00:53:35] I want to pray for God's protection over families this evening, even just a sense of fear that some may have that something bad is going to happen.
[00:53:47] The Lord is your shield.
[00:53:50] He is your protector. He is for you. And it's part of the blessing that we're going to lay hold of even tonight. So come on, let me just pray this over you right now. Lord. I pray that even the awareness that you are fighting on our behalf, we don't have to fight our own battles. We don't have to defend our name. We don't have to wrestle in the natural. But God, you are our protector. You cover us, you shield us, Almighty God, and I thank you, Lord, even according to your word. In the New Testament, you said that we could lift up a shield of faith, and it would quench the fiery darts of the enemy. We have been created in Your likeness, in Your image. And, Lord, I know the devil is flaming mad. He is seeking to steal, to kill and destroy. But we, as sons and daughters, get to walk under the shield, under the protection, under the banner of the Most High God. And so, Lord, I pray even tonight that you would shatter fear off of our lives, Lord, that you would remove anything that would have a sense of impending doom or judgment or whatever it may be. Your word says in thessalonians that you have not appointed Your sons and daughters to wrath. You have a blessing for each and every one of us. You will protect us, mighty God. You are for us. You are fighting for us. And I thank you for it, Lord. I thank you for it, Lord.
