John Gray - I'll Pass
The presence of the Lord is on me tonight to give you a word that I believe is going to change things not just for you, but I'm believing God for something supernatural in my own life, amen? Jesus Christ is the supernatural power of God in the earth. I'll make this statement again because there are times when as believers when we don't see, as dr. Paul said, God working, sometimes we wonder if the Jesus of the Bible is the Jesus of our lives, but I want to assure you that Jesus is not in any way just a mere man. He wasn't just a nice guy. He is the supernatural power of God in the earth. He still has all power.
The Bible declares that he is the lamb that was slain before the foundation of the world. Many times, we get bogged down with the stresses and the stressors of life, and because of the natural things that we go through, it's very difficult to spot the supernatural touch of God.
Tonight, I want to highlight that you are not just living a natural life. You are in the middle of a supernatural life. Now, I'm going to make some declarative statements throughout the next few moments that we have together, and if they apply to you and your family, then you grab them, and you make them a part of your daily devotional, but I am not leaving here without a supernatural touch from God. And I pray that you will strengthen your faith and set your faith for the same. I'd like you to go to Exodus 12, Exodus 12.
As you're going there, the last few weeks that I've been sharing, I've been coming from this idea of labor day and resting from your labor and going to Jesus with everything that you need. With all of the areas of your life, with every area of need, with every area of concern, Jesus says, "Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest". And he goes onto say, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, and you will find rest for your souls".
That's Matthew 11:28. Jesus was admonishing, lovingly welcoming people to come and trade him. He says, I'll trade you my power for your pain. I'll trade you your depression for my deliverance. Come to me. I'll take the bad. You take my good. I'll take your unrighteousness, and you can have my righteousness. This is the great exchange. This is our salvation in a nutshell. This is why we worship him. This is why we sing to him, because we believe that Jesus is who he says he is and has done what he said he can do. But something else has been stirring in me, and so I'm going to kind of go in a different direction because I believe that many of us are stuck.
I don't know about you, but I've noticed some areas of my life, some patterns that I have personally tried to break. I've tried to use my best human effort. Anybody ever tried with all of your might to break free from something or some things or some habits? There are some situations where your natural ability just does not work. You can have a heart to do it. You can have a desire to do it. You can have a team of people around you, but sometimes, what you need is not natural. This is the Word of God. It is the supernatural power of heaven giving instructions to the earth, and now we need the authority of the word over key areas of our life.
I want you to know that we're getting ready to put the word on this thing that won't let us go. I'm getting ready to declare the word over those areas, and so the natural ability and your limitations are getting ready to get some supernatural help from the Word of God. Heaven is about to come and see about you. It's time for you to be free. Too many people I've seen over the months and years, they come down, tears in their eyes, shoulders drooped, hearts heavy because of the situations of life, and that is not God's intent. It is not his will, nor is it his desire for you to live that way. What kind of loving God would say, yeah, I'm going to put some more tragedy on them and some more drama. Hey, why don't y'all throw some more bills on them so they can struggle. That's not God. God doesn't have that life in mind.
There are moments when we go through those things, but that is not to be the regular aspect of your life. God wants you to have a fruitful life, an abundant life, a joyous life. This is what Jesus said in John 10:10, "I came that you would have life, and life more abundantly," and I want the abundant life. I want the peace of God. I want the rest of God. I want some joy in my house. I want to be excited to go to work. I want my kids serving God. I want to be healthy in my body. I'm tired of waking up with pain here and here and here. Devil, get your hands off of my life. Get your hands off of my house. Get your hands off of anything connected to me.
Is there any faith in the church this evening? I told you I feel faith rising in here. We're going to go after God in a supernatural way. Exodus 12 starting at the 12th verse. I'm reading from the new King James version. This is the living God, and he's talking to the children of Israel as they're about to come out of bondage, and I want to just go ahead and declare and encourage you tonight that your spirit can be refreshed, that you're about to come out of bondage. You're about to have a supernatural push from heaven, and those things that you couldn't break are about to break off of you, and God is about to send the reinforcements of heaven because you couldn't do it on your own, and the people wouldn't leave you alone, so God's about to touch them and let them know who's the real G-O-D.
Exodus 12:12-13, "'for I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast: and against all the Gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you: and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt'".
Egypt is always symbolic of bondage. I want you to know that God is coming to see about you because God is always concerned about hostage situations. 430 years, Israel had been in bondage to Egypt. Generation after generation, all they knew was servitude, brokenness. All they knew was a life of being relegated to a third, fourth class lowest-rung-on-the-ladder citizenry. God is getting ready to answer prayers that are generations in the making. I believe prophetically that there is a generation in this church and those who are listening and watching online that represent the very best moment in history for your family line. You are alive right now because God's about to push you to the forefront and push your testimony to the forefront.
Some of you, like me, know you should not be where you are but by the grace of God, and since people don't know your story, God's about to reveal it and let people see his glory. The title of my message is, "I'll pass". For every failure in your life, you're about to pass. For every test that it looked like you got a 59%, I used to love 60%. That was a d- but it wasn't an f. Teacher's like, "I'm disappointed". I'm like, "Yes! I passed"! But no more living on the land of just enough. No more living in the land of twilight. You're about to see the sunrise in your situation. Somebody say I'll pass.
In this scripture, we see God speaking to Moses to tell the people after nine plagues, the enemy still didn't want to let his people go. Now, God was trying to be nice. He sent Moses. He sent him, over 80 years old. He sent them and said, tell him let my people go so they can come worship me. I just want their worship. After 400 years of bondage, when I free them, what else do you want to do? You want to worship. Why? Because the one who delivered me is worthy of my worship.
God says, you're going to let them go because what I'm about to do in their life is going to be so magnificent, they're just going to want to come worship me. So I'm going ask you nicely, Pharaoh, I'm trying to give you a chance, let them go. If you don't start nothing, it won't be nothing. But if you want it start it, I can promise you I'll finish it because I am the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. You don't really want it with me, so I'm trying to be nice.
I want you to know, God is finished playing nice with the enemy. I feel the Holy Ghost on a Wednesday night. There is no more negotiating with the enemy. Excuse me, can I have my peace? I'd like my joy. Could you please let my marriage go? No, those days are over. Let them go now, right now! Let it go! Give me my health. Everything that God promised me. God says, God says in this moment, he's not going to let you go, so I'm going to have to touch the thing that represents his favor. I got to take out the firstborn of everything that the enemy owns because that's where the double portion is.
I need you to stay focused on the Word of God in this season and on the plan of God for your life because those things that have been attacking you, God's about to attack them. That which has been holding you hostage is about to meet face-to-face with the living God, and you're about to experience a level of freedom that will sure enough let people know that God is still real, he is alive, and he is seated on the throne of heaven. We serve a supernatural God! God says, he said, Moses tell the people I'm getting ready to pass through. Whoo! He says, I'm just passing through.
I need you to know you're going to feel the wind of the Holy Spirit. I believe a supernatural wind is about to refresh you in your heart and in your mind. Some of y'all going to be walking down the street. You're going to feel a fresh wind. That's just God passing through. Listen to me, I'm speaking about supernatural things. End the practical element, and we'll get to the practical side in a moment, but I want you to know we're not just practical because there is nothing practical about believing in heaven. There's nothing practical about believing in an eternal God who has angels who cry holy, holy, holy. None of that makes sense.
Let me help you to believe is crazy, so you might as well get crazy every now and then. It's not always practical, but it's real. Somebody say it's real. How many people know that Jesus is real? I encourage you to tell somebody next to you, psss, he's real. Don't start, roxanne, but I feel like shouting, but I gotta get through the word. He said in the 7th verse, the 12th chapter, he says, I need each family, each household, to get a lamb, a year-old or less, and I need you to put the blood on the door posts, it says on the upper post and the door frame, this is deep, and then he says, and I want y'all to eat that with some bitter herbs and some unleavened bread. He says, now, the blood on the door will be a sign to you.
Now that's deep because I'm thinking like, okay, that's how God's going to know who belongs to him. He says, no, I don't need glasses. Like, is there blood on the door? I'm not sure. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to kill y'all. Get up. I was just playing. I didn't even see that blood. It's dark outside. I feel the Holy Ghost. This is about to bless you. He says, the sign is for you. Just in case the enemy keeps blessing with you, you let him know, hey, I got blood on the door. Hey, you can do what you want. You can whisper in the window, but I got blood on the door. You can send men to my house, but the blood is on, the sign is for me to know that I belong to God.
Watch this. He said, the sign is for you just so you know that you belong to me. He said, but when I see it, I'll pass over. There are a couple of "I will" statements that God made that I want to highlight, and if you can, write these down because God makes some declarations in this scripture that can be used in the area of your life that I'm speaking of tonight.
There are some "I will" statements. He said, I will pass through the land of Egypt. Then he said, I will strike the firstborn, both man and beast, and then I will execute judgment on the false Gods of the Egyptians. And then he says, I am the Lord. So I will, I will, I will, because I am. I love that. He talked about what he's going to do because of who he is. So you need to take rest that the Lord is working on your behalf because of who he is. He's already made up his mind that he's going to go to war for you, and he is going to make sure that you are surely free because whom the son sets free is free indeed. Somebody say indeed. Get that in your spirit. Indeed means in translation in the slang, sure enough: for real, dog: for real, for real, all right? Keep it 100: I'm all the way free. I don't need a bail bondsman. I don't need to you bail me out. I'm free. I've been found not guilty.
Let me see this. Are there any parents or grand parents who have been praying for a child or a grandchild that just does not seem to act right? Keep your hands up. Just help them, Jesus. Help them, Jesus. You want to take them and let them go see Jesus right now, but you can't. Keep your hands up. I'm getting ready to show you something. Keep your hands up. The Bible says, God says, when I see the blood on the door... He said, one lamb per family. I need you to know if they came from you, they're part of your house, and if the blood is on you... I know you want to act up. I know you do. I want you to catch that. They don't even have to be living under your roof, but they're a part of your house. They don't even have to be believers, but because you put the blood on the door. That's why they're still alive.
Somebody give God a praise because he's been covering your wayward seed because he made a promise to you. He said, I'm going to pass through. I'm going to tear everything up. I'm going to tear it all up. I'm going to tear it up. I'm going to tear up Egypt. I'm going to let Egypt know. You think you're big. You think you're bad. Let me show you, I am that I am. He said, I'm going to strike the firstborn of man and beast. That means I'm taking out cattle. I'm taking out crop. I'm talking out financial resources: anything that the enemy has used to hold you hostage and any person, God's about to supernaturally remove them out of the way. I'm talking supernatural. It's going to require some faith for you to believe this.
Then I love what he says, "...And will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast: and against all the Gods of Egypt I will execute judgment". The Gods of Egypt are false Gods. Gods of Egypt are anything that you have elevated in your captivity. Have you elevated an addiction in your captivity? I'll never get free from that. You just worship at the altar of an addiction. You just made it bigger than your God. I'll never get free from the struggles in my mind. You just elevated that torment to a small G-O-D status, and God says, I'm going to strike down every high thing. I'm going strike down every God that you've had to deal with in your season of captivity.
I just want you to know that your warfare is coming to a close, and the bondage is about to fall off of you. It has to be God. No one else would be able to get the credit. It would be nice when you can say, yeah, I should some people walking with me, but it was God who gets the glory. God is about to do something that only God can get the credit for. Can I get an amen? He says, now the blood. Somebody say "Now". "Now the blood shall be a sign for you", and I love that it says, "When I see the blood, I'll pass over you".
And it tells you, I want it on the gate, and I want it on the door. And this is symbolic of the outer court and the inner court. I want the blood on the gate, 'cause I don't even want anybody comin' on to your property that thinks they have authority. I want the enemy to know, you can't even come in to my lawn. Let alone come knock on my door. The blood is on the outer court, the outer door post, and then on the door itself. This is outer court, inner court. God says don't worry about the holy of holies, 'cause I'm passin' through. I am the holy of holies, so I got that covered. You just take care of the outer court and the inner court, and I'll be the glory.
God is doin' something so amazing that it's gonna boggle the mind. You won't have any choice but to worship while you're driving. You won't have any choice but to praise at the stoplight. You won't have any choice. But when God starts doin' it, you're gonna get an email at work, and be like, "Hallelujah"! You're going to have to cover your mouth and run to the bathroom. And then you're like, "Glory"! I want you to know, God's about to show up in unexpected moments. Because Israel didn't know that they have their deliverance, it just happened to be that day.
Somebody say, "That day". What if that day is tomorrow? So since God declared some I wills, I will declare some I wills. Since you gonna do all that, God, then I will bless the Lord at all times. I will praise his holy name. My soul will boast in the Lord. The humble shall hear of it and be glad. If you gonna execute judgment, if you gonna pass through the land of Egypt, if you're gonna strike all the things that have been holding me hostage, then the least I can do is bless your name. I will bless the Lord. Oh, my soul. I will shout to the Lord with a voice of triumph. I will give you the sacrifice of praise. And so I'm encouraging you in your private time, in your home, in your apartments, in your house, give God those moments of praise, in expectation of the deliverance that even as I preach it, right now.
Your assignment for the next seven days, should you choose to accept it, is to believe that God's word is now running swiftly towards you, to bring you into a place of final freedom, so that you can live the life that you've been dreaming about. Because right now, your past has been holding you hostage. Your circumstance has been holding you hostage. Your addictions have been holding you hostage. But listen to this. Let me ask you. This is a practical question. How many of ya'll would think that there'd be just a little bit of stress if you were a slave in a strange land. Just a little bit.
That would probably mess with your marriage. It would probably mess with your mind set. It would mess with every aspect of your being, because you wake up broken. This is all the children of Israel knew. You know how much stress it puts on you, to be in bondage? To an invisible word? They didn't even know anything other than bondage. They didn't even know how to get free. That's why God had to come do it himself. There's nothing wrong with process, there's nothing wrong with 12-step programs, but sometimes, at the end of man's wisdom, is the beginning of God's supernatural power. And sometimes, you need both. But I'm gonna tell you, when one fails, God cannot fail. And for those of us who need that supernatural touch, this moment is for you.
Imagine the stress of just bein' in bondage. You walk in the house, "Hey how was your day"? "How do you think my day was"? Think about this. All of the quarrels and drama. We act like issues and drama at work and marital problems were something we deal with just today. They were dealing with that back then. Couple that with being in bondage in a place where they couldn't even worship the God who created them. Now, imagine how fast your whole world would change if God freed you overnight. You wouldn't even remember what you were arguing about.
"What was we talkin' about last night"? "Girl, we done walked out of Egypt with all this gold and silver. We got lamb's blood on the door. God is in front of us. There's a fire behind us. He just got us covered, he just split the Red Sea. Ain't no need to argue, girl, we need to slow dance, right here, in the middle of the Red Sea".
Let me tell you something, God's about to restore the joy of your salvation. He's about to restore your heart. He's about to restore your smile. I cannot serve a God that is my size. I gotta serve a God that's bigger than me. I have to serve a God that's beyond my ability to comprehend. I have to serve a God who I can't get my hands around, because he's too fast. But out of his love, he comes down to see me in my bondage, and see me in my brokenness, and wrap his arms around me and free me from what I can't free myself from. I want a God that says I'll pass over you, and I'll pass through the camp of the enemy, and I'll touch everything that's touched you, but I'll heal you, and set you free while you're walkin' over the things that have stepped on you.
Help me, Holy Ghost. God said the blood is gonna be assigned to you. I know it was the blood I know it was the blood I know it was the blood for me one day when I was lost, he died on the cross and I know it was the blood for me Jesus. His blood still works. I don't know who this is for, maybe you're a visitor, you never even heard of me, you don't even know who I am. You're like, "When did suge knight start preachin'"? I don't know. Straight outta shape. That's funny. You need to get this in your spirit. The blood still works.
Some of the things you can't get free from, the blood's got it. The stuff that you've been held hostage by, the blood's got it. I need you to understand that the blood of Jesus is still active. It's still powerful. And it's still seeking out people to deliver and set free. The blood of Jesus is moving right now in the area of the place of your greatest need. The blood is still working. And if you can just prophetically get the blood on the doorpost of your life, just get a picture of your life in your mind, and just put the blood of Jesus over the door so that the plague doesn't come near you. The blood of Jesus can stop the touch of the enemy.
It's the job of Egypt to hold you hostage. To make you see yourself from the perspective of brokenness. God says, "I'm not gonna let you be held hostage anymore. And I'm not negotiating". God's not a hostage negotiator. He's a deliverer. God is about to release you from the spiritual root of your bondage. And then God's going to surround you with a community to aid you in walking out your newfound freedom. It's one thing to get free. But it is not God's will for you to get free, and then go back to the same people that liked you better in bondage. Now, God's about to change your circle.
"Yo, I got freed". "For real? Smoke this". Now with the church, God changed everything. "I don't even have a taste of alcohol". "Well just try it, see if you like it still". "Uh, no"! So God doesn't just have to free you. He's gotta elevate you, and surround you with a new community. You need to start looking around prophetically, because there's some people that are probably not far away from you right now. God is literally gonna assign them to your life to help you get to the next place. You need to get excited. You didn't just accidentally sit next to some of these folk.
While you're praising God, just ask him, "Will you walk with me"? Ask him, "Will you walk with me"? Look behind you. Let me tell you something, your circle's about to change, 'cause your address is about to change. I wish I could high-five somebody over here, I said your circle's about to change 'cause your address is about to change. Where'd you used to live? Yeah, 000 Egypt lane. Yeah, I lived right off the corner of brokenness and addiction. Yeah, down the street from generational curses.
Well, where'd you move to? I'm glad you asked. There's a moving company called the blood movers. They came in and he said, "I was just passing through, I noticed that there was blood on the door, and the people who hired us said we need to get you outta here right now. And not only are we taking you out, but the Bible says you're supposed to take the spoils of the enemy with you. So, I need you to ask the people that hated on you, whispered, back biting, all of that. Held you hostage. Tell them to give you some silver and gold. Give you some articles, because you're coming out. We gotta move you. Don't change your clothes. Keep on what you have, because we gotta move you right now" it's a sudden move. It's a sudden shift. You're in the moment of suddenly. You're about to pass through. Tell 'em, "I'm passin'".
So when the enemy offers you an opportunity to go back into bondage, I'll pass. The next time something comes into your mind that tells you you're not free, devil, I'll pass. I don't receive that thought. I cast down every high thing that every imagination that exalts itself above the knowledge of God, I'll pass. When somebody comes from your past, "Hey girl! Boy, you sure look good. I saw your pictures on Facebook. I think that you look good, I think I'm gonna", uh, uh. Earl, I pass. Earl. Somebody just say, "Earl". Fellas, it might be Felicia, she be like, "Hey! I saw your pic you been working out". Bye, Felicia, bye. Bye! I'll pass! Earl and Felicia. That's gonna be trending. God says with a mighty hand, I'm about to do for you what you cannot do for yourself.
What I'm encouraging you to do is write a list of the impossible things. The things you've tried to do on your own. You can start scribbling now. Type it in your phone in your notes. Those things that you just can't seem to get free from. You don't have to share it with anybody, 'cause then, "Ooh, what you struggling with? Let me look. Ooh look at that, ooh you naughty". No, don't worry about what I'm struggling with. What are you struggling with? Earl. Say Lord, I've tried with my best effort, human wisdom, to get free from these things, but I can't. And so I'll pass on trying to do this in my own power. And since you're passin' through, would you go ahead and take the enemy out, and pass over me?
I want you to know that the blood causes the wrath of God to pass over you. This is what's amazing. God said I want the blood of a lamb. And then this is the scripture, thank you, Lord. He said when I see the blood. That word see is not casual observance in the Hebrew. It means to inspect closely, to consider. That means God went up and made sure is this blood of a lamb less than a year old? In this season, obedience is the open door to the next adventure. Don't put chicken blood on the door. I want a lamb. I know ya'll frying chicken. Don't put no chicken blood on this door. I want a lamb. Don't put no goat blood. No, wait, watch this. He said and if you can't find a lamb, you can get a goat. And goat is cool, 'cause I'm the greatest of all time. G-O-A-T, ya'll didn't?
Okay, thank you. It literally says in Exodus, if you can't get a lamb, get a goat, but I didn't ask for no deer, I didn't ask for a bull. I want a lamb. Because this is a prophetic picture of how I'm going to save all mankind. I'm gonna let the lamb's blood be upon the doorpost of anybody who has obedience and faith to believe that Jesus is the finished work of heaven. And if we finish this place of faith, if we just get it settled in our spirit that Jesus is who he says he is, we will see the supernatural power of God no, I don't deserve for him to pass over me, but the blood is on the door. A smattering of applause filled the church.
Here's what's powerful. The blood on the door didn't mean the people inside were perfect. It didn't even believe they understood what was going on. But they obeyed, and out of obedience, came deliverance. I know some of those people thought Moses was crazy. I bet they put their blood on the door. "What he say? Nobody killing no lamb. That's crazy, that don't even make no sense. But just in case, ya'll go on and get that lamb killed. Let's go on and get that lamb goin'. I don't want no plague. I thought I saw a cloud up in the sky comin' this way. You need to hurry up! Get that lamb! Let's go on and kill that lamb. Let's get that lamb goin'".
Some of those people probably didn't believe. They didn't even know what to believe. But on obedience, the blood was on that door. And God says I'll pass. It's symbolic of God saying judgment should've come, but I saw the blood, and I passed. God says, I'll pass on punishing you. I'll pass on giving you what you deserve. I'm gonna give you what you don't deserve. I'm gonna give you a new life. A fresh start. Because of what my son did. And since I see his Mark on your door, I'm gonna cover you, and your kids, until they get free. Until they come into the knowledge of who I am, I'm gonna keep 'em alive. No bullet's gonna take 'em out. I'm not gonna let anything happen, grandma, mama, daddy, so rest. I'll pass. But I ain't givin' no passes to the enemy. I'm gonna take him out. And everybody that's held you hostage is gonna know you got a God standing behind you.