John Gray - The Storm Before The Calm
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Who’s ready for the word? Thank you for everything you do for me. Amen. That’s naughty church; I like naughty church. Spank you very much. Listen, it is legal; it’s a blessing. Um, everyone is standing. We’re going to read the word of God together. Y’all know me; I don’t leave the pulpit often, and when I do, I endeavor to make sure that the word of God is going to be preached in this room. So last week, the birthday girl shared a word; she shared a word, «Pump your brakes.» Thank you for stepping up into a very unique and necessary aspect of who you are as a communicator, as a leader, as someone who God has called. I’ll celebrate that.
Rashad said something very significant because as a husband, I have the ability to speak from multiple perspectives, but I’m not going to count you as familiar right now. I’m counting you not as my wife, not as the mother of all of my children, but as God’s daughter. I know that there have been many times that you felt misunderstood and unseen. That is because there’s only one you, and no matter how much you’d love to fit in, you will never fit in. You will always stand out because God intended for it to be that way. So on the occasion of your birthday, I want to rise up and call you blessed and tell you how much you mean to me, to that boy, and to that girl that danced from your legacy; that’s your heart. So I love you. Happy birthday! You did a great job preaching that word last week! Y’all can do better than that.
Now I have a word from the Lord, and since I wasn’t here last week, I’mma preach it like I feel it, if that’s all right with you. I want you to go with me, and it’s in Isaiah-it’s just a real short two verses. Now y’all know me; normally I give you the whole Bible, but today I’m going to give you two verses. Isaiah chapter nine — I’m starting at the sixth verse. I’m reading from the New King James Version. Pastor Robert, why is your grandbaby on the third? 'Cause all the people-where’s the great grandboy? He in children’s church? Y’all done kicked him out of service 'cause he’s been unruly? It’s 'cause y’all don’t whoop him over there. She’s like, «He just deserves a good talking to.» You must live in the suburbs! Better beat that kid with a spatula!
Do y’all know most of us should be in therapy for the way we got beat? Today’s kids- no, no, no! The other day I was telling my son to do something; he said, «Why are you yelling?» I said, «What? 'Cause I’m grown, I’m the father!» He was like, «But why do you have to yell?» I said, «Because you don’t listen when I whisper.» What’s funny is God said to remember that. The next time I was like, «Don’t be trying to use my son against me,» because I don’t always listen when God whispers; sometimes He has to yell to get my attention, but He shouldn’t have to yell if He’s close enough.
Isaiah chapter nine- I’m in the sixth verse: «For unto us a child is born.» Pastor Tracy, I’m about to preach it; I’m just telling you. Tell your husband to turn them lights on and that buckle on that Christmas sweater! The’C' is capital; a child is born unto us, a son is given, and the government that y’all were so worried about will be upon His- wait, it doesn’t say «two shoulders,» just one. I’m getting ready to tell you why it’s only one shoulder. I see y’all marching in. I see you; I see my peoples. What up, J-Wes? Late! Praise the Lord.
And His name will be called Wonderful- I need somebody from the South; you don’t say the full «is Wonderful.» Linton, take that New York Knicks hat off in this holy place; by the way, the Bengals beat the Cowboys! Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace! How are you the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace? A child born, a son given; how are you a child born, a son given? Then you’re Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace, and Everlasting Father? How are you the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost unless you’re the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost?
So good! Of the increase of His government and peace-somebody say peace! -there will be no end upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this, and the government will be upon His shoulder, and of His kingdom, there will be no end. The increase of his government will be from that moment, from the moment He’s born until this very moment and into forever. He runs things; He reigns unopposed, unchallenged. Doesn’t matter if you voted for Him because you can’t elect Him! Ha! Thank you, Jesus!
This Advent season, where we celebrate the birth of Yeshua Hamashiach, the promised Messiah, to save us from the sins of our humanity culminating in the day that we have chosen to celebrate, which is December 25th-we do not believe that is the actual day of His birth, but the actual day does not matter; it’s that He was born that matters. But today, I want you to reframe and refocus your attention not on your Amazon purchases, not on maxing out credit cards for people you don’t even really like, but on this day, ten days before we celebrate that day, we need to talk about why we needed a Jesus in the first place.
Today, I want to talk about the storm before the calm. Well, I thought it would get a little more excitement to it! Normally I say the calm before the storm, but there was a storm before the calm, 'cause He’s the Prince of Peace, but you wouldn’t need peace if there hadn’t been a-oh, I wish I had help somewhere in here! Hands lifted, Father, in the name of Jesus, speak through Your word. Give me the precise words that will pierce the hearts of the people, that You will get maximum glory in this moment. In Jesus' holy name, amen. You may be seated.
DJ, you’re in the Holy Ghost; just stay right there with me for just a few seconds. For those who want to be a blessing to my wife, there was a scan on the screen, or you can go to a drop-down; there’s a place for pastoral love gift if you want to bless her that way. If you have gifts of love or cards, there are bowls that will receive those in the back. I’m grateful for anything that you would want to do to be a blessing to her, and again, thank you for your words, your love, and your kindness. I’m grateful for Jesus, and I’m grateful that I know Jesus. I was introduced to Jesus by my mama, and I want to make it clear to parents that we must not make Jesus optional in this season.
I’m all for Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph and his red nose and the reindeer. I don’t mind your kids taking pictures with multiple mall Santas; all that stuff is cute, but I need you to remember why this season was necessary in the first place. We need to get back to Jesus; we need to get back to who He is, why He is, and how He is a man of sorrow acquainted with grief; but He was filled with love and compassion. When He could have judged, He loved. Whether it was ten lepers or a woman at the well, He was always available to those that the world would throw away. I believe that today’s New Testament church has fallen woefully short of the example that we see in the book of Acts: that they had all things common and distributed to each one as they had need; and they continued daily in the apostles' doctrine and the breaking of bread, going from house to house, building each other up, and souls were added daily to the church.
But today I want to talk about how we got to Jesus. How many people in here have children? How many people in here remember taking that baby home the first time? Me and my wife had that conversation when we brought our son to the house, and she was like, «He lives here! Like, like he’s not visiting; he’s not going nowhere!» I remember the first time he cried; I was like, «That baby, that baby is crying! That baby in there crying!» Now she’s like, «Can he stay? He can’t stay in this bed 'cause six weeks will be over soon! He’s not staying in this bed, but he can stay next to the bed. I don’t want his head bopping up and down on the-» Listen, what I’m saying is this: stay focused.
She appreciates what I do for her. Is it just me, or do babies take the oxygen out of every room they’re in? Let’s be honest. When you got a baby, lift your baby up-where that baby at? Look, she got a baby right there; look at that baby! What’s that baby name? Say it again! See you, Mara? Like, see you tomorrow! I’m looking at you today, but I’ll see you tomorrow! How old is she? Six months? That’s your baby? I see the eyes; that’s yours. I see that; I see the scare; that’s your-your baby has your DNA. Looks like you. So when you hear her cry, your heart turns towards her because she looks like you. She has your DNA. She came from you, and there’s a part of you that sees yourself in her, so therefore, when she cries, you move in her direction, because that’s what a good parent does!
I’m getting ready-you already see where I’m going. Some of you don’t know that your Father is coming to check on you because you have His DNA! He has heard your cry; you look like Him! You came from Him, and He’s getting ready to come and make sure that whatever issue is going on, He’s going to change it for you. I wish you’d give the Lord a very brief praise for His loving fatherly instincts! Pastor Joel, if you’ll just intercede for me, bro, ' cause I’ve got to do a little digging today. The storm before the calm.
Why do we come to church every Sunday? Why are we here? Why do you-why do you come to church? Why do you press your way, as the old church folk used to say? Why did you get in your car to get here? Say again-you came to do business with God. Anybody else? Why did you come to church today? The gathering of the saints, fellowship, to be able to be in the presence of like-minded individuals. I love Jesus; you love Jesus. I might not be a good singer, but I’m a good worshiper. Y’all missed that! God has never been like, «I didn’t like that note.» He is not big on talent. He’s never been moved by talent. If talent was the marker of success, Lucifer would still be in position, but if your heart is corrupted and your talent is amazing, He doesn’t want you; but if your talent is average but your heart is pure, He wants to hear from you all the time.
I’m going to need your help in here today! The fellowship of the saints-did you come to do business with God? What else? You need a refill! Why do you need a refill? Because the world is draining. Who will agree with that? How many people have at least one person on your job that if you could slap them and get away with it, you’d do it? I see some people that work at Love Story with their hands lifted. Don’t slap me; your check could be my check! Okay, if you could slap them and they’d have amnesia, they would feel the sting, but they wouldn’t know it was you-who would do it if you could do it? If you could just key a car, just scratch the fool off the paint-let me stop; some of y’all like that too much! I like this sermon; this is violent! You need to come to the altar. You got some stuff you need to work out.
You need a refill because the world is crazy! It’s foolishness going on; it’s all kinds of drama. Why else? Why else do you come to church? Say again! We’re not perfect, and we need to be able to be in here, and we get to worship so I don’t have to act like I’m something I’m not. When I come in here, I can be loud; I can be happy; I can be sad. I can be country! Okay, and I’m talking real CU-like, «Whh!» And Jen is just a good old boy, never meaning no harm. Some of y’all don’t know that song; you didn’t watch «The Dukes of Hazzard.» You’re not saved-get out!
What I love-one of the reasons why I come to this church is because I know I’m going to get a word from God. I know that the worship is going to be real and passionate, and I’m going to be around multiple different types of people. I don’t want to just go to church where everybody looks like me. I want to see some white people-that’s me. I want to see some country folk. I need some folk with no side teeth. I need to know that you got to chew on the other side of your mouth because I need some country folk-that’s just me! Now y’all don’t want to let — I actually don’t have a side tooth.
I want to be able to go to church where I won’t be judged for the humanity I brought in. I’m trying to set this up-do me a favor; look at three people. Tell them, «Don’t judge me, don’t judge me, don’t judge me because you don’t know what I’ve been through!» Go back; you didn’t tell three people. You’re on the road by yourself. Turn around here, Blondie; tell them. Tell somebody, «You don’t know what I’ve been through!»
I just realized you are literally decorated like Will Ferrell from «Elf.» You are full stockings all the way up past the knee! My God! My employees go all the way, and my pastors apparently! Why else do we come to this place? You came to hear God? You said, «I came to praise the Lord!» Who else? Fellowship? You- somebody said to serve! You said, «To lift Him up because if I be lifted, I draw all men to Me.» So everybody comes here for a reason and a purpose.
Now, I might have different reasons from you. I do come to be refilled because there are a lot of things that I go through, and I just need to be in the presence of the Lord so He can get some of this stuff off me. Can I get an amen? The reality is it’s crazy out there! It’s crazy in that world, and I just need to be reminded that there is a kingdom that is not moved by the circumstances of politics and entertainment and foolishness. We’re in an era now where if people don’t like you, they’ll just walk up to you and shoot you! They killed that CEO of United Healthcare, and there are people who are like, «He’s hot; he’s cute; he’s this; he’s that.»
Do you understand how broken a society we are when there are people who are attempting to justify the murder of another human being because we don’t like the preferred outcome of a healthcare plan? Why am I saying that? Because this society is going straight to hell, and they’re calling wrong right and right wrong; and it’s even happening in the church, and that’s where the real wickedness steps in. When we got weak, punk preachers who are afraid to preach the gospel and are running around here trying to please these people! The moment you do something wrong, them people that you worshiping are going to spit on you and throw you away.
That’s why we need uncompromising preachers who will preach this book! I don’t care if you don’t like me; the Bible is still right! You don’t have to come to this church, but you can go somewhere where they will lie to you, and you’re going to end up in hell, and hell is a real place! Don’t let these people in the streets tell you, «Well, I’m living in hell!» Man, shut up! This ain’t hell; this is the earth! Hell is a real place, and you don’t want to go there! Stop listening to fools! There is going to be a party down there; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth! Get your life together! Stop sinning against God! Turn from your wicked ways! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand! Somebody ought to give the Lord a praise in this place!
High five three people; tell them, «He’s talking right!» Talking right! The storm before the calm! So we know in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters. God said, «Let there be"-I’m sorry, «Let there be» is the first thing He said, and it said this: «The light He called day, the darkness He called night.» You go study it; it’s capital’D' for day, capital’N' for night, which means there’s a different truth that’s happening at the same time.
There’s two levels of creation happening at the same time: one is in the natural realm that you can see, and the other was a spiritual truth that Jesus Christ is the Day Star- you got to know all of His names! Oh God, help me; I’m trying to help you! That when God the Father said, «Let there be light,» what He was really saying is, «Let there be Jesus.» Watch this! Not that Jesus hadn’t already existed forever, but that He became — the first begotten-He became the Son of Earth and Heaven. He’s the Son of Man, right? I’m trying to help somebody!
Jesus Christ is God and man. In the moment of creation, the Father said, «Let there be light,» light symbolic of revelation; illumination-Jesus is the light of the world! And so darkness hit the earth. God says, «Let there be light!» He didn’t need light 'cause He needed to see; He needed light to separate light from darkness, to let the devil know you don’t run anything anywhere! I kicked you out of heaven; you landed in the earth! Now I’m coming to the earth to make sure you stay under the feet of God’s people!
I need you to know-stop talking to devils face to face! You want to talk to a devil? Write a note on the bottom of your shoe 'cause he’s under your feet! I need a three- second praise break! On your mark, get set, go! Go! Go! Tell somebody you’re dealing with devils. Y’all keep yelling at people and cussing people out and going off on your wife and going off on your husband and going off on your children, and your children, your husband, and your wife ain’t the issue; you’re dealing with a spirit! That’s a spirit! You can’t see a spirit out; you got to cast the spirit out!
The enemy wants you to stay in your emotions 'cause your emotions have never delivered you from anything! If I’m right about it, your emotions delivered you into some stuff! Oh girl, he is fine! Now, two babies later, you can’t stand him, and you don’t like the kids that look like him! If you would listen to the Holy Ghost and not your emotions, tell somebody, «Don’t let your emotions lead you! Let your spirit lead you!» You need to be led by your spirit because your spirit will whisper, your emotions are loud!
At the beginning, your spirit is in the back like, «Don’t do it, girl! Don’t do it, girl! Don’t do it!» Let me get back-there was chaos, and there is a war right now competing for your mind! There is the spirit of chaos, and a spirit of peace, and they are warring for your attention! That’s why your phone can be either the greatest blessing or the greatest curse! Because some of y’all have missed prayer appointments checking Facebook! Thank you, man of God! Some of y’all have missed an opportunity to commune with the Holy Spirit checking how many people liked your posts that you reposted from somebody else!
I’m trying to help seven people! Pastor, where you going? You said the storm before the calm? Look at your life. How many people-how many people can be honest-you do better when your house is clean! I don’t know who this is, but if there’s stuff on the floor, I can’t do it! For like a week, there was one sock-it was not my sock; it was my son’s sock, and it was on the floor. I just wanted to see how long it was going to be there! I love my son; all of his toes and fingers work; he never picked that sock up, and it irked my spirit! It bothered my whole soul, that one little sock! That sock is clearly your sock; it’s got a hole in the bottom from you dancing on the rug every night!
It’s your sock, and it was out of place! There’s something about disorder that hinders your ability to rest. The reason why you haven’t been able to rest in your soul is because there’s some stuff out of place and it’s out of order, and God’s not going to let you sleep till you get it right! Tell somebody, «You got to clean your house!» No, no, no, you didn’t hear me; I’m not just talking about your-you thought I was just talking about your natural house too! 'Cause when the roaches move out, you really-the roach is like, «I can’t stay here; this place is filthy!» Come on, roaches! We leave! When the roaches leave, you’re in trouble, baby!
Listen, tell somebody, «Clean your house!» Put it in the chat feed-"Clean your house!» That means God is blessing order in this season! They’re not going to clap; I’m already two weeks ahead of myself! Are you hearing what I’m saying? There’s too much chaos going on around you! You have too many people talking in your ear! You never have a moment to yourself; you haven’t talked with yourself in months! Some of you stay distracted 'cause you don’t want to face you!
God says, «I’ll turn the TV off! It’ll just be me, you, and your thoughts!» How many people need a little more time just to go ahead and just check on your soul? Do this, and just say, «Self-check! Self- check!» Listen, everybody’s not going to check on you; you need to check on yourself. And here are the questions you need to ask: What’s the state of my emotions? Am I angry right now? If so, why am I angry? What’s making me mad? Why am I snappy at my kids? Am I- why am I yelling? Why am I angry at my spouse? I’m not even really angry; they didn’t do anything! I’m mad at something else! What’s the real issue here?
Watch this, because when you start dealing with the depths of your emotions, you’re going to actually get to the root of some of your addictions! Wow! You don’t smoke 'cause you like smoke! You don’t like smoke, and you want to have lung cancer later! You’re smoking because there’s something in you that needs a hit; it needs a fix! You don’t just drink 'cause it tastes good; 'cause from what I’ve heard-I wouldn’t know-it doesn’t taste that good! I’m just saying, I heard; I wouldn’t know!
My point is this: we don’t do addictive things because we like it; we’re trying to cope! And you’re normally coping with a chaos that needs to be dealt with at its root! Am I speaking to someone? I want to help you! And please forgive the verbosity and this level of exuberance, and I’m asking for the call and response when the reality is many of you are just taking this in, so you don’t have to shout back-go ahead and receive it!
But there are people in this room that have dwelled in chaos, and you don’t have peace! You haven’t been able to sleep; you wake up early; your stomach is hurting; you got issues in your back; pain in your legs; tingling in your arms. Who am I talking to? Twisting and turning; can’t figure it out! Nothing- the food don’t even taste the same! Who am I talking to? The food doesn’t — do you understand? The Holy Ghost is keeping you agitated until you get to Him!
If the Holy Spirit didn’t take some stuff away, make you uncomfortable, you’d stay in that foolishness! You’d stay in that mindset; you’d stay in that filth! And God says, «I’m trying to call you out! I’m trying to bring order out of chaos!» Because at the end of this, all of this is about your soul! The most important thing is your soul!
Do you understand there’s an entire war for your soul? There is an entire kingdom of hell fighting to drag you into hell, and then there is the Kingdom of Heaven that has fought and continues to fight for you to walk into your inheritance. There was a movie years ago, «Brewster’s Millions.» Anybody ever see that movie? He had to spend money until he hated it to get the bigger inheritance. God says some of -you' re so close to your inheritance!
But I don’t need you to lust after the inheritance; I need you to come after Me! Wow! I think I’m teaching good! Okay, my God, somebody say «storm!» The storm is here! We’ve been living in it since November 1, Tuesday, storm! All year, storm! Hurricanes- storm sweeping through the whole state of Florida, storm! Y’all were not ready 'cause y’all thought it was going to be down there in the Gulf! Came right up 85!
Your backyard does not look the same! Storm! Puppies just outside dogs speaking in tongues! Why? Storm! Because some storms you don’t expect! Here’s the thing about my Father: when He said, «Let there be light,» it was a prophetic declaration that I’m going to get Jesus on the scene because the sun and moon were not even made until the third day! So what was the source of light on day one? It was Jesus! Because nothing was created without Him! You learn that in John chapter 1! So I’m trying to help you here: there was a storm before the calm!
So let’s talk about the storm that was taking place in the nation of Israel. For the 1,200 years that were happening, while the Old Testament was being recorded, we got to-we got to get to this! Because if you don’t understand the history, then you’re not going to understand your destiny! We have too many biblically illiterate Christians that can’t even defend their faith to a third grader! You need to know what it is you believe!
First of all, salvation is of the Jews! That’s number one! So you can’t be anti- Semitic 'cause your Savior is Jewish! Whoa, it’s quiet in here! Good! I hope I hit that thing right in the face! Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. God the Father chose to use the children of Abraham, the Israelites, as the chosen people. I don’t know why He chose them; that’s His business! All I know is I accept and receive the promise on faith, and the faith is through the Abrahamic covenant!
That’s why when God said to Abram, «Through your seed, all nations will be blessed.» What He was saying is not everybody would come from the same tribe, but we would have the ability to believe on faith that what you did as the finished work of Jesus Christ was the full payment for my sins! Now, if you don’t believe that sin is an issue, the entirety of the earth revolves around the reality of sin! Sin, your sin nature, is why you need Jesus! Help me, Lord Jesus!
There are thousands of years of storms before we get to this Isaiah scripture where it says, «For unto us a child is born and unto us a son is given.» That mirrors the Abrahamic covenant! Pastor Mike, as I was studying, the Holy Spirit broke this down to me: the Abrahamic covenant is that it was an old man; his wife was old, and they couldn’t have children. And then God says, «You’re going to have a son from your body, and I am going to bless all nations through that son! I’mma give you a child!»
Ain’t that the word? What was that boy’s name? Isaac. Now we know about Ishmael, but God said, «I’m not reconciling salvation through Ishmael because he was a product of your flesh. Isaac is the product of a promise!» I need somebody to say, «God made me a promise!» Say it again! «God made me a promise!»
And so the Abrahamic covenant- a child was born! But watch this-the second part: a son was given! We know that a child, Jesus, was born, but it was the son that died! It wasn’t a child that died; it was the son! This is the son of God, Jesus Christ, the King of the Jews! The son was given! But the supernatural part of that is that Jesus had to submit to the will of the Father. He had to submit to death. Isaac had to submit to his father on the altar, willing to die because he knew his father loved him too much to do something that was not necessary.
When you think about what happened to Jesus on the cross, some of you have probably thought, «Was this really necessary? This level of violence, this level of pain, this level of torture? Was there any other way?» There was no other way! That was the only way to save your soul and to save my soul! Jesus gave Himself! The child was born, but the son was given! Yes, sir! I need a praise break right there!
Pastor Mike, I told you I needed you on this one, man! Did you hear what I said? Pastor Alton, I said the child was born, but the son was given! That means I have to submit to death, even the death of a cross! But why did He have to die like that? 'Cause there was so much hell going on before Jesus arrived! So let’s do a quick brief historical synopsis of the Old Testament, shall we? Great! I’m glad you asked! So from creation to the flood, it’s about 1,700 years! The flood of Noah!
Then after that, you got from the flood to Abraham, from the days of Noah to Abraham! Right? Noah lived 950 years after the flood! People stopped living that long! Abraham died at about 175 years old! Then from Abraham to the exile, there’s another few hundred years that passed! And you’re talking about the exile of what? That’s why you need to learn history! Stop coming in shouting, jumping, but don’t understand the Bible! You need the word on the inside because the enemy is waiting for you to not have the Bible so he can pick you off!
From Abraham, the son of promise, to the exile of the Israelites when they had to go into Egypt-we know this, correct? I’m talking to somebody! They went into Egypt about 1870 BC! How long were they there? About 400 years! I’m talking to somebody! 400 years! Somebody say 400 years! Right? All right! So then the exile, and then we get into the monarchy! That’s when King Saul and David and Solomon, right? And we go from the exile of the Israelites into the days of the monarchy. Then you’ve got a united monarchy; you’ve got Saul! He reigned for about 40 years! Some theologians believe 20 to 30 years!
Then after that, David for 40 years, and then after that Solomon, and then after that-and then comes the splitting of the nation! There’s Israel in the north, Judah to the south, and they both were rebellious! I’m helping you because the Bible says the government will be upon His shoulder, and of His kingdom, there will be no end! Am I right? I need you to see that there was all of this storm happening! Everybody fighting for power! Help me, Holy Ghost! You’ve got Israel in the northern kingdom; you’ve got Elisha and Jonah and Hosea as the prophets in the northern kingdom! But then you’ve got Judah in the south, and they got Amos and Micah and Isaiah and Zephaniah, Nahum, Habakkuk, and they got Nineveh and Jeremiah going into the Babylonian exile! Then from the exile into Babylonian captivity-that’s when you get Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego!
Then you’ve got to go to Xerxes and Haggai and Esther, where she saved the Jews! Five years into the reign, you got to understand! There was always political infighting! I’m trying to help you understand there was a storm before the calm! Everybody was fighting for power! Everybody wanted a kingdom: Israel to the north, Judah to the south! And God would send prophets and say, «Repent! There’s a Messiah coming! The Messiah is coming! It started in Deuteronomy 18 when Moses said, 'There is one that will come from the people, one who is greater than me! In Him, you will listen to all things! '»
There was a whisper! The Old Testament was a shadow of what was to come! But if you could just get behind God, He was whispering, «My son is on the way!» Tell somebody, «Peace is on the way!» I need you to get up, find three people, tap them on the shoulder, tell them, «Peace is on the way!» I need a praise break right there! No, I said break! Don’t give no sorry clap! Help me! Help me, Holy Ghost! Help me, Holy Ghost!
From Genesis to Malachi was about 1,200 years! From Genesis to Malachi! Somebody say Genesis to Malachi! Does anybody know what Genesis to Malachi is? That’s the entire Old Testament! I’m trying to teach you so that when you walk out of here, you walk out with your head up! From the entirety of Genesis to Malachi, it was about 1,200 years of written history-it was thousands of years, but it was written over about a thousand to 1,200 years! And so there were all of these prophets trying to tell the nation, «Go this way! Go that way!» Israel wouldn’t listen! Judah wouldn’t listen! Because there was too much pride!
There was too much infighting! People fighting for power! Strange! People are still fighting for power! Every four years there’s a kingdom shift-kingdom of Democrats, kingdom of Republicans, kingdom of Independents! But there’s only one kingdom! And there’s only one God and Father and ruler of all! So I don’t know why you still worried like God is not in complete control of the affairs of men and women! Help me!
And why was it necessary for Jesus to come into the midst of all that chaos and all of those storms? What transpired to precipitate the arrival of Jesus out of heaven into the earth? And we know He was in heaven because the Bible says, «In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.» He didn’t see God the Father; he saw Jesus the Son! He’s the King of the Jews! We saw a pre-incarnate Jesus all the way in Genesis! We’ve seen pre-incarnate Jesus in multiple places in the Old Testament! It’s called a Christophany- it’s a glimpse of the Christ before He was born as a child! Because He was and is and is to come!
He didn’t just-He wasn’t born and became king; He was king before He was born! I need some worshippers in here! I’m fighting in here! Oh, I need to pause real quick and give God some glory! I said I got to pause real quick and give God some glory! What a brilliant God we serve! What a wise God! What a wise God we serve! What an awesome, mighty, all-powerful God that we serve! He is unstoppable! He is inspiring! Who can rival the effulgence of the Living God whose very presence lights the universe? Every king that we talked about, every king in the Old Testament, began with hope and promise, not unlike our politicians today! But it would always give way to the ephemeral nature of power!
The reality is it’s going to leave your hands eventually! I don’t care if you get power in a few years; you’re not going to have it anymore! It can only last for so long! Tell somebody, «It’s only going to last for so long!» There are some people that can’t stand you that have power; you need to know it’s only going to last for so long! There are a couple supervisors that just have it out for you. I need you to know their reign is coming to an end!
God’s getting ready to move them out of the way! I’m trying to help you, man of God! And anybody around you that has the ability to praise God with you in that section back there is getting ready to get a breakthrough! And the people online who are shouting and typing, saying, «He’s talking to me!» Baby, you better know I’m talking to you! I’m absolutely talking to you, and I’m talking to your sister too, so call her and tell her I said it! That no good, filthy, lying boss that was trying to holler at her, but she kept her integrity, and now he can’t stand her! God’s getting ready to expose him and move him out of the way!
I need some help in here! I need some help in here! Oh my God, that’s right; go ahead! That’s right, baby, go ahead! I serve the real God; the Living God! The God- the Almighty One! The Everlasting One! The Holy One of Israel! The one who lives in unapproachable light! The Mighty God, the Everlasting Father! Living creatures cry, «Holy!» when they see Him! No one’s ever seen Him! He is self-contained, self-sustained! Nobody counsels Him! Nobody can get to Him! He is impenetrable! He is unsearchable in His riches! He is unfathomable in wisdom! He is unstoppable in power, and He is filled with love!
He created the universe from His words and then breathed into you! You are the actual representation of the Living God in the earth! What devil can stand against you? What sickness can stay in your body? What devil can take you out of here? I bind every devil in the name of Jesus! I need some worshippers in here! James, I need a couple of people in the back to act like some natural-born fools!
We don’t do it like we used to, Warren, but the old saints used to bow the knee when they’d pray! Some folk, they’re too cool for school! But I remember when you bow your knee to God and say, «God, I thank you!» Is there anybody that still gets on their knees to pray?
My mom has sensitive skin, and her knees-you can tell that she’s been on her prayer pillow! Eighty-two years of living! I’m looking at this thing! Randy Moss was just diagnosed with cancer! He had a Whipple procedure, where they take the top of the pancreas; they take the bile ducts, part of the liver, the spleen, and a resection! That’s what they wanted to do to my mother when they found pancreatic cancer! The cancer she had had a 1% survival rate over five years! They said, «We need to do a resection!» She said, «The Holy Ghost told me not to do it!»
I’ll never forget this! She asked the doctor, «If you go in there, and there’s no cancer, would you still do the procedure?» He said, «If I go in, I’m taking everything!» She said, «But what if there’s no cancer?» He said, «If I go in, I’m taking it!» That’s pride, and that was a devil! And what it was saying is, «Do you trust man or do you trust Me?»
That was June of 2011; it’s 2024! About to be 2025! And right now, on the other side of that camera, there’s an 82-year- old woman sitting in her kitchen lifting her hands to God because she serves the God that doesn’t need a Whipple procedure! You need a worship procedure! Now I need some help in here! I don’t know who this is for, and I’m all for medicine, but baby, when medicine fails, God does not! When people fail, God will not! When banks fail, God will not! When the loan doesn’t go through, watch God blow in another direction and bring funding from another place!
I don’t care if you don’t want to bless me; you are not my source anyway! God is my source! God is my provider! God is my helper! God is my sustainer! God is the one that makes a way out of nowhere! God, just in case you needed to see a miracle, that’s my mama on FaceTime! I said that’s my mama on FaceTime-the one that the doctor said wouldn’t live! The one that the doctor said was going to die. They told her, «Go ahead and prepare!»
They told her, «It’s over, baby! The most we can do is give you pain medicine!» She leaned over the counter; I stood right next to her! She said, «God’s going to heal me!» I need you to know we serve that God! So when the storm comes, you need to have peace on the inside! When the storm comes, you need to have rest on the inside! Because there’s a God who sits high and looks low! I wish I had a church in here! Yeah, yeah, and I don’t even ho, but I feel it on me today!
I don’t normally do this here, but that thing is on me! When I think of the goodness of Jesus and all He’s done for me, my soul cries out, «Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!» This word is for anybody that’s waiting on the Lord! They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength! They shall mount up on wings as eagles! They shall run and not get weary! They shall walk and not faint! I need a couple of people that don’t mind embarrassing yourself! Just spin around, say it just turned in my favor!
I need a couple of people to run through this church! I need a couple of runners! Get out of that seat! I dare you to jog up the aisle and back down again! I dare you to find somebody that’ll praise God with you! There was a storm! It was called sin! It was called sickness! It was called disease! It was called fear! It was called lack! But then here comes the peace! The Prince of Peace! The peace of God that passes understanding! It’s not just a feeling; peace is a man! His name is Jesus!
Are you with me, Prophet? You praying me through, Prophet? Pray for me, Vonnie! Tell somebody, «Peace is coming!» No, no, no, you didn’t say it like you mean it! Get three people! Tell them, «Peace is coming! Peace is coming! Peace is coming! Peace is coming!» Hey, baby, peace is coming! I said peace is coming! Counseling and therapy are good; you need peace! Therapy is nice! But therapy didn’t have the authority of the Holy Ghost! You need therapy; you also need somebody to cast some devils out your house!
You need the Prince of Peace to walk into your house and set supernatural order! Oh! Tell somebody, «Peace is coming!»
I bow the knee at the thought of the assiduous nature of my Creator God, who so lovingly and intricately planned my life, that we would have this moment together! All I need is one or two people to agree with me! I said, all I need is one or two people to agree with me! Because if they can agree with me, everything that’s been held up has to show up! Did you hear what I said, Elder Sharon? I will tear this hole-oh Lord! I’ll tear a hole in this rug!
I’m sorry! This is going to sound really crazy, but a portal just opened up over here! Heaven just started pouring out blessings right here! Some of y’all still ain’t moved! I don’t know why you’re sitting right where you’re standing! There’s an open heaven, and I see answered prayers, and I see wealth! Pastor Lois, I see money that just got released! This may sound strange, but right here next to my young king with the dreads in the gray hoodie up there in the balcony-about four levels up-throw the peace sign up, my guy! Throw the peace sign up, my dude! Throw the peace sign up! Right where that man is, there was a portal opened for healing! Healing is in the house right now!
Does anybody hear what I’m saying? Now, if you needed God to do a financial breakthrough, I don’t know why you are still standing over there looking goofy! You need to take your goofy self over there and be like, «Lord, just in case this man is not tripping, he’s talking to me!» The 17 million held up is about to show up for you! I said 17, and I meant it, okay? And it’s for you, not for y’all 'cause I don’t know who y’all is! There’s something God wants to do for you!
'Cause there’s some things you’ve been praying about, and you’re like, «God, if you do this, I’mma do this!» Like you make some condition, like, «Lord, if you-if you meet me with this, I’m going to do this!» God says, «I’m going to put you to the test! Don’t forget your promise to Him when they’re writing checks bigger than you’ve ever seen in your life, and it’s going to happen just as I said!» Thank You, Jesus!
Help me, Holy Ghost! Am I talking to anybody in this room? All right, all right, all right! I need you to say this one more time! Tell somebody, «Peace is coming! Peace is coming!» No, no, no, no, no, no! Peace is coming! No! No! Peace is coming! Coming! Peace is not a feeling! Peace is a man! His name is Jesus! Did you hear what I said? I said His name is Jesus! Somebody say His name! J! No! Somebody say His name! Jes!
Now that’s a couple of y’all that’s been sitting in pride like, «I don’t want to go over there and look embarrassing 'cause I need a little bit of something, but I don’t want to act like I need it!» You need it! Just that pride going to have you broke! I just said a window opened! Why y’all all-I would push people out the way! No, no elderly, just push somebody’s weird out the way! There are plenty of room over here by this altar! I don’t know what you’re doing! Y’all playing! Get around there! Get down there-pack it in! Should’ve put on deodorant!
Now, this is going to sound crazy, but a portal of deliverance- I believe there’s-if there are windows in heaven, then that means something’s being poured out! Yes, sir! Deliverance just hit right here! So if you need freedom from anything-from debt, from bondage, from addiction-that thing just opened up right here! If I were you, I’d get there! I’d get there right now!
Online, God just opened up wisdom for business! For all of the online entrepreneurs, God just opened up a portal for you to be able to walk in the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to build the idea that He gave you! Oh my Lord! See, here’s the problem: people think church is a nice thing! There are people who say, «Jesus is a way!» No, Jesus is not a way! He’s the way!
Jesus is not a solution; He’s the solution! Yeah, yeah, yeah! Jesus is not just a historical figure; He is the central figure in all of human history! Are you hearing what I’m saying today? His knowledge is boundless; His love is incomprehensible; His power is endless! And on this day, before we go into manger things next week, I needed to help you to understand that there was chaos, foolishness, power grabs, money grabs, all kinds of foolishness! And then there was 400 years of captivity in Egypt!
Then there was the Babylonian exile, and then there was the intertestamental period of silence- 400 years of silence between Malachi and the arrival of John the Baptist! And then six months later, here comes Yeshua Hamashiach, Elizabeth’s cousin! Mary, «That which is conceived of you in you is of the Holy Spirit!» Four hundred years! God said nothing in scripture canon for 400 years! But don’t you ever mistake His silence for inactivity!
Some of y’all have been talking too much! I pray a spirit of silence over you! The power of silence is your greatest weapon right now! There are people, «Girl, what are you working on?» «A little of this, a little of that!» Oh, y’all missed that! This is not the time for details! I’m going to stay in the presence of the Lord! I’m not telling you because God didn’t tip His hand! Four hundred years of silence!
But He was working behind the scenes, preparing the way! Left them hungry long enough that when Jesus showed up, they said, «Oh, finally!» See, the reason why God hadn’t released you is because the hunger for where you’re called to go is not where it needs to be! See, because if you got there too soon, they would treat you like an appetizer instead of the whole meal!
No! I’mma need you to be hungry for me, baby! Uh-uh! I’m not the shrimp appetizer, baby! I’m the T-bone steak with all of the stuff! Tell somebody, «I’m the main course!» Main course! And if you get there too soon, people won’t have an appetite! God allowed the appetite of the earth to be so hungry that when the Savior showed up, the whole earth said, «Ah, finally!»
Stop being somebody else’s option when you can be one person’s finally! What I’ve been waiting on this Sunday for six and a half years! Deliverance! Healing! Wisdom for business! Financial freedom! The storm before the calm! Yes, God! He’s the Prince of Peace! He’s calming your spirit! He’s calming your soul! He’s calming your mind! Peace is not a feeling; peace is a man! His name is Jesus!
Hands are lifted! Father, I thank You! The people of God have received the word! And I pray that as they have received the word, that You will release into each lifted hand, not just what they need, but more than what they need! I’m not just talking paying their rent! No, no, no, no! That’s low-hanging fruit! I’m talking investment properties so that the overflow of their financial picture allows more Kingdom work to be done!
Not so we can walk around like we’re better than other people, but if You give us more, we will sow more, and we will serve more people! Because at the end of the day, that’s all that matters! And God raise up shepherds that will preach this book and not be so thirsty for likes, and plots, and accolades that they sell out the gospel to their way into the subconscious of the people! Strengthen Your folk today, in the name of Jesus!
There are some people in this room that want to be a part of Love Story Church, and if that’s you, meet me right here! You want to be a part of this church through salvation, rededication, or you want to be a member-meet me right here! Some of y’all waiting on you; you can meet me right here! Our pastors are here to greet you! Meet me on this platform! That’s right! Come on!
I don’t want anybody leaving; we’re going to leave together! If you can! I’m from Cincy; my niece-you’re welcome home! Come on in! B, I know that’s-hey baby, how are you? Okay! How are you? Ta’Quin! Ta’Quin? Ta' Quin, come here, nephew! Ty, where you at? Throw your hand up; is he coming? He might have went to the restroom!
Okay, is there anybody else? I love you! I love you, Jes! Sweet girl, I worship and adore! I worship you a little more than anything! Are you coming? I love you! You-anybody else — you’re welcome! Oh yeah, you’re more than anything!
Ladies and gentlemen, we got family today! Let’s celebrate! Y’all got to do better than that! Come on! Come on! Still coming! Still coming! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Thank you! Oh, y’all going to do better than that? God is — God is winning souls today! Welcome home!
Let me tell you why I’m emotional-I said I don’t want to go to church only with people that look like me! I’m in a season where if I speak it from here, it happens! I’mma say something-stop the music! I’mma say something. I don’t know how this is going to land, but there are people in here that are about to be so impossibly improbably wealthy! Jesus! That until Jesus comes back, your family will not need money!
God is opening up ideas! Unexpected inheritances! Land that some of you didn’t know about! Minerals on your property! Oil under your feet and oil in your mind! Oh God! Touch one person! Say, «You’re one idea away!» Did you hear what I said? He- you brought that little bad boy back in! Stretch your hands towards our family; I’m going to move to the side 'cause I want your family to see you! How you doing, honey? Good? Welcome home!
Hey baby, how are you? You are so pretty! What’s your name? Ivy! I’m glad to meet you, Ivy! We’re going to pray for our family! Everybody that’s on this platform-your family! Yes, anybody mess with you, they messing with me and these leaders behind you! We love Jesus, but we also throw hands! Amen!
I want you to repeat what I’m about to say! Everybody on the platform and everybody here, we’re saying it together: «Lord Jesus! It’s me! I confess with my mouth and believe in my heart that Jesus is Lord! Thank you for the blood that was shed for me! I receive the free gift of salvation, not through my works, but the finished work of the cross! The blood is enough to pay for all my sins! Now, Holy Spirit, come live inside and teach me how to be more like Jesus each and every day! You are my Savior and my Lord! In Jesus' name, amen!»