Jentezen Franklin - Take A Leap
Thank you so much for joining us today on Kingdom Connection, we have a very special program for you. I recently had the honor of baptizing people at Free Chapel, and I'm telling you, this service was so powerful. You're gonna at moments laugh and the next moment you're gonna have tears in your eyes. It fills my heart with great praise as I hear these testimonies. God is so good, and He deserves to be praised. And right before that, in today's message I'm gonna share the importance of walking in your assignment. Many times we miss the calling of God because we're waiting the perfect timing, what we call the perfect timing. But today I'm telling you, don't wait for the perfect circumstances to start in your life to start walking and fulfilling the call and assignment God has for you. He does have a great plan and it starts when you take a leap of faith. This is a word for you from the Lord.
I want you to go with me to Luke 1:41, "And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?'" Listen to this, "For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her," Prophesied to her, "from the Lord.'"
What an amazing, fascinating story. I've always loved this story of how John, the Baptist, had thousands of years of prophecy spoken over him before he ever showed up on the planet. He was born with a prophesy on his life. Isaiah said, "There will come a voice crying in the wilderness, 'prepare the way of the Lord.'" Malachi, the last prophet of the Old Testament, prophesied that, 400 years before John, the Baptist's birth, would come one who would be the fore runner of Messiah, and that he would come in the spirit of Elijah.
And then in the New Testament, fast speed up to the New Testament, and an angel, the messenger angel, Gabriel, is dispatched from heaven to earth, and finds Zachariah's in the temple, a high priest, and he says to him. You and your wife are going to conceive and have a miracle baby, and that baby, even though you're old in age, that baby will be the forerunner, and listen to the words of the angel, and his name shall be called John, and he will be one who comes in the spirit of Elijah. All of this foretold by the prophets like Isaiah, 2,500 years, and then fulfilled, as the angel prophesies it. Then in John 1:29, you will come in the spirit of Elijah. "Behold", John said of Jesus, "The Lamb of God".
His assignment, his assignment before he was ever born, his purpose, his potential before he was ever born, he would have one assignment, and it would be to tell the generation that he lived in that Messiah is coming. Messiah is coming. Repent and be baptized in water for Messiah is coming. He fulfilled that prophesy on his life, and what is amazing is that there is a prophesy on all of us, in our generation. Psalms 139 said that, "Before you were fashioned and form in your mother's womb, God knew you". Every one of you, before you were born God knew you. Isaiah said that, "God has engraven your name on the palm of his hand".
That's a remarkable verse to me. And then in 1 Peter 2:9, "We are a chosen generation, we are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people". He's talking to a select group of people who will be on earth, and they would be given the predetermined purpose, no matter what they do for a living, our job to this generation is the same as John, the Baptist had. And that's prepare people, prepare them for the coming of Messiah. Jesus is coming again. Just like John, his assignment was, "He's coming. He's coming. Get ready, He's coming". Every one of us have an assignment. If we're believers and Christians, it is to tell men and women to repent, and be baptized in water, and get ready, Messiah is coming. He really is coming again.
It's amazing to me this story because babies, I mean, when you understand that Elizabeth, when she was waiting at her home, and here comes Mary. And Mary has just had an encounter with an angel, and the Holy Spirit hovered over her, she became impregnated as a virgin. And she comes and she goes to her cousin's house, and opens the door. And she says in so many words, "Hey cousin, how are you"? And when she says that suddenly, the Bible said that when she heard the voice of Mary, I wanna a little bit different. When the baby inside of her, at six months, heard the voice of Mary that was connected to the voice of Messiah, something in that little six month old baby that it had an intuition that was put in it when its DNA came together and in the egg, and the sperm, and something happened and was put in that child, and when he heard, something connected to the voice of Messiah, the baby leaped.
At six months, started jumping in her. And it was a miracle of confirmation before he was born. He was doing what he was born to do. Before he was even out of the womb, he was getting excited because Jesus was in the house, and he felt like his assignment, that little, bittle six month old... You know, I mean, a six month old is about 10 inches long, it's 1 pound and a half, on ultrasound it looks like an alien. You know I'm telling the truth. It's not fully developed, usually the face looks kinds like a, I don't know, an alien. And usually, the mother-in-law says, "He looks like his daddy". That's usually when she says that. And it has a cheese like covering called a vernix or something, you ladies would know. I think I said that right. It protects the skin, it's like cottage cheese, and it's like a little rubbery, and I need 'em to clean 'em off before they hand them to me, in that condition. Say, "Amen" somebody.
But at six months, they start responding to noises. And when they're first born, they're wrinkled and they're cheesy, and they're hairless. And this little person, John had no education, John knew nothing, he was a baby, but John, the Baptist knew, intuitively, that there was something in him that said, "When Messiah's coming, I'm supposed to tell the world". He didn't wait until he was five years old. He didn't wait until he was a teenager to let God use him, he didn't wait until he was 30 years old. I believed God really has a plan even for our children, and our children, and our young people, and our teenagers and our college students. John said, at six of age, "Before I'm out of my mother's womb, I'm being born to do something. And I'm gon' get with the program".
If an unborn baby in womb can catch the sound of Messiah is in the house and sense that Jesus is in the room, and go to leaping, I wanna say something in us who would have been born again, when we get to singing songs like this, and praising God like we're praising, something, I guess I wanna say it like this. I still believe in Pentecostal worship, I believe in the clapping of the hands. If a little six month old baby can start leaping in the presence of the Lord, how much more ought we to shout? Every once in a while, you ought to leap up off your feet and give God a praise. Every once in a while, you ought to throw a hand up. Every once in a while, even in the balcony, you ought to say, "Hallelujah, He's alive. Messiah is coming. Messiah is coming. That's my savior".
You're not too young to be involved with the work of God. Take a leap. Don't wait until you're 30. If you're 30 don't wait you're 40. If you're 40 don't wait until you're 50. If you're 60 or 70 hurry up, you're running out of time, but get with it, get with it. I love this story because the Bible said, "Law came by Moses, but grace by Jesus Christ". But isn't it interesting that when law showed up Moses, the law giver, Pharaoh tried to killed all the male children two years of age and under. And when grace showed up on the earth, and Jesus was born, Herod put out a decree to kill all the male children two years of age.
I'm saying to you that if Satan sense that you have a purpose, and he knows that our babies have a purpose. And by the way, I got the greatest news, they left me a note up here and I read it in between services that our stork bus, you know, has been going out. And we told you when we did this bus, and we send it out into the communities, when you bought this bus and we put it a nurse on it, a full time nurse and a full time driver, and they go every week to different communities. And we knew we weren't gon' save, you know, a baby every day, but we have had so far two babies that we know of. C'mon, somebody. That we know of. That the mother walked in and got born again, and walked out and said, I'm gon' have my baby. To God be the glory for that. How much is that worth? What is that worth? My goodness.
Now, I don't know who I'm preaching to, but I feel like telling you that if you'll just take a leap, I tell you, He can set you free, He can wash your past away, He can write a new name and a new future, and a new beginning, and He can take you from nowhere to everywhere He wants to take you. And all it takes is just take a leap. Just take a leap. Repent. It all started with a leap.
Mary walked into the room, John took a leap, who's going to take a leap this morning? Who's gonna take a leap? You know why these people are fixing to get baptized? It's because they took a leap, they were sitting in a service just like this, and they were unsure, and we heard some of the most beautiful, these are unrehearsed testimonies, you're about to hear. I don't have a clue what any of 'em are gonna say, that's a little scary. Are y'all ready to see 'em take a leak off the bank and into the water. Give 'em a warm welcome, let's do it. Praise God I love this.
Jentezen Franklin: What's your name?
Nicole: Nicole.
Jentezen Franklin: Nicole. You got a fan club.
Nicole: Yeah, I'm a part of New Beginnings. Yeah.
Jentezen Franklin: We love New Beginnings. And how did you get there and how did you get here?
Nicole: So, I struggled with addiction for about eight years. I started smoking Marijuana at about 16 years old. And I got hooked on cocaine, and Xanax and I ended up flunking out of school. And I moved back home and got introduced to Roxies and it progressed into Heroine and Fentanyl. But I can honestly and truly say that I am saved and sanctified, and set free, and delivered by the blood of the Lamb.
Jentezen Franklin: Let's just give God all the glory, right here. This is the cross, this is the blood, this is the name. This is the spirit of God. That's a miracle. Fentanyl had a spirit of death, and it wanted to take your life. And it had a day that hell had planned to kill you on, but Jesus stepped in.
Nicole: Yes, what the enemy meant for evil, the Lord means for good.
Jentezen Franklin: And so, you go the program, you end up in the program, how did you hear about New Beginnings?
Nicole: So, Granny and my grandmother are really good friends. And this is kinda the funny thing, so I always myself, “I would never go to New Beginnings.” But I ended up there, and I'm very thankful that I ended up at New Beginnings because I grew up in a very religious home. My father was an addict of alcohol for many years and I end up living with my grandparents at the age of ten, and they are very spirit-filled people. That I also, had the spirit of religion on me, and I was a very religious person. But through New Beginnings, I can truly say I've built an intimate relationship with Christ and I'm here today.
Jentezen Franklin: So great. I baptize you in the name of the Father, and the Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Lord, we give you the glory. Lord, we give you the praise. Lord, we give you the thanks.
Jentezen Franklin: Good morning, what's your name?
Erbi: My name is Erbi?
Jentezen Franklin: How did you end up here?
Erbi: It's a twofold, the first one is that it's actually you. Thirteen years ago you were actually my English teacher without knowing it. So, I came in...
Jentezen Franklin: You're in trouble then.
Erbi: So, I came in the US about 13 years ago and one of my teacher told me in order to improve my English I had to, you know, watch the news, or listen to music or find something to listen to. I didn't like the news, I mean, music is fun, but I needed something that I can improve myself and God led me online to actually listen to your preaching. I barely understood what you were saying, but I knew there was a power of God behind it. And behind it I asked God one thing, I said, "God, the same thing with Elisha give me a double portion of that".
Jentezen Franklin: So, what language did you speak?
Erbi: French is my first language.
Jentezen Franklin: And so you just start listening online, and you're picking up words here and there. And I screamed, too.
Erbi: But the good part is that I remember a lot of hymns because we sang them in French. But down the line I fell off and about two years ago I moved to Georgia and six months ago I had to make a choice. A tough choice that, either, joining this church, or losing a lot of things in my life and breaking certain relationships. And I thank God for that, but by the time I walked in this room, I didn't know that you were pastoring this church.
Jentezen Franklin: Unreal. My Lord. That is that is astounding. The steps of a righteous man are ordered of the Lord.
Erbi: And the moment I saw you walk in the front to start preaching I say, "That's my English teacher". It's like going back to full circle and I trust God for the next step.
Jentezen Franklin: Thus says the Lord, "I have new orders for you and new directions. I have heard your cry I've seen your heart, I will bless you, I will guide you, I will prosper you, I will raise you, and you shall see my goodness, and you shall see my faithfulness. I have ordered you this day, there is divine purpose and mission on your life. You are a chosen vessel, and I will be your champion," says the Lord, "and you will give me the glory". Receive it. I want to get to know you better. We need to keep our eye on this one, I don't know who he is I don't know nothing about him, but God's hands on him. I know that, and you're gon' hear from him one way or the other. There's something great in you and God's gon' get it out of you and don't ever doubt again. It will doubtless come to pass, you will come to vision. You'll go through ups and downs and testings and fires, but you will come to vision. I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Let's rejoice greatly. Let's give God the glory, my goodness.
Jentezen Franklin: What's your name, sir?
Kelly: Kelly McMillen Senor.
Jentezen Franklin: Kelly, we're glad you're here today. How did you hear about the church?
Kelly: Sir, I'm also a member of Jericho House and the brotherhood there.
Jentezen Franklin: So great we're proud of you. We're proud of you. How long you been in the program?
Kelly: Going on two months now, sir.
Jentezen Franklin: You doing okay?
Kelly: Oh yeah. So much positivity and, you know, I didn't open a Bible, read a scripture until the first day I was there at Jericho House. And I have...
Jentezen Franklin: Never in your life. You'd never read the Bible, never been to church or anything?
Kelly: No sir, fourteen years military, did nine deployments.
Jentezen Franklin: Thank you. thank you, thank you for your service. Wow. How many deployments?
Kelly: Nine, civilian and military. And...
Jentezen Franklin: Afghanistan or?
Kelly: Afghanistan, Iraq, Turkey, Romania, Philippines, Thailand, whole bunch of places, sir.
Jentezen Franklin: What branch?
Kelly: US army.
Jentezen Franklin: And never opened a Bible and so, kind of coming out of war and everything else.
Kelly: Sir, I did really good. I had a great companion my spouse was amazing. Best friend, every day talk to her anytime I needed help. Never realized I needed God in my life and how strong He is until she passed last Valentine's Day from breast cancer, and I fell apart. And got two kids, amazing, and I found God at Jericho house, Mr. Larry, and them. And it's been amazing ever since and I got a little bit of a fight left in me, and with God beside me it's gonna be amazing.
Jentezen Franklin: How old are your kids, if you don't mind me asking?
Kelly: Eleven and five, they're out there in this crowd.
Jentezen Franklin: The kids are here, wow. Hey, guys. Hey, look at, Look at Daddy. We love you, God has a great plan for you and your family and He's gon' to restore joy to your life too. I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Everybody give God all the glory, that is a beautiful, beautiful miracle.