Samuel Rodriguez - Behold The Lamb, Beware The Lion
I gave my first sermon when I was 14. I did my first outing when I was 16, started our television ministry when I was 18. It's been a long time. So, all these years I told you that my wife was in the audience, right? So was my mom and so forth. And so, but my wife and I have had a 31-year conversation about one interesting thing. My wife has, and this is written, I mean, it's CTED, all the profiles they've done on me, they've written about, "When he was 14, pastor Sam had this encounter". And my wife and I have always had this conversation. She always says, "Hey, wouldn't it be cool if you could ever connect to that choir director from teen challenge, right"?
So, that's like 31 years we've had this discussion. Matter of fact, she would even ask with great due deference, yeah, we have to do that now, 'cause it's a part of the polity. She would say, "Hopefully that person's still alive, right"? And I'd go, "Yeah, that'd be cool and like, awesome". So, I've been preaching for all these years and I come to this conference. I arrived here yesterday, I preached. I come to this conference.
This story, if you Google it, it's everywhere, it's in books. From Time Magazine to New York Times, they've talked about this, "Sam, 14 years old. Sam claims that he, yeah", I mean people were there. A couple hundred people were there so it's not, it's been validated. So, pretty cool. So, I come to this conference yesterday, God gives me the word about be light and burning bright and all that. And then at the, oh, where are you, Bernie? Where's he at? Where did he go? Is he here? Can you come here? Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time ever in my life, I wanna introduce you to the person who prophesied to me.
You need to come up here. Ladies and gentlemen. When I was 14 years old, this man went to my assembly of God church in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and he prophesied into me about presidents of the United States of America. This is gonna sound awkward. I've been looking for you all of my life. You need to tell them just the whole thing, please.
Bernie: Well, we were singing song, David Wilkerson actually, he loved, "Holy Spirit, thou art welcome in this place". And right in the middle, God said, "You need to step out. There's somebody here named Sammy". And I said, "Bernie, you're crazy". His name is Sammy"? And I thought, "Well, it's a Hispanic church. There's probably at least one Sammy in the crowd". And he said, "Step out. Stop the song. Say, 'man of God'. He's not a man of God right now, but he's a man of God. That's how I see him. Tell him he will speak to presidents". And all these years, I have read about reverend Samuel Rodriguez, but when you told the story, I looked at my wife, and she looked at me, and she said, "Is that our Sammy"?
Samuel Rodriguez: Something amazing is, prophesy over your children, and your children's children. Prophesy over your family. Prophesy over your city. Prophesy over your nation. It shall come to pass. You told me that you kept, for a while you were praying over that Sammy.
Bernie: That's right. I'm gonna send you a picture of my wife and I in my office. I think you can see the little note that says "Sammy". Because we knew God was going to use you, and we prayed your name, and we said your name. You take that prodigal, say his name, pray his name. Say her name, pray her name, speak it. Let the lion roar!
Samuel Rodriguez: That right there should remove the lid. You can open up your mouth. You can open up your mouth right now. Go ahead, speak it. Go ahead, right now just lift up your, speak it. Speak it over your city. Speak it over your nation. Speak it over your community. Speak it now. Speak it. I am the byproduct of a prophetic impartation. There is a fine line between the prophetic and the pathetic. There is a fine line. The legitimacy of spirit, of Holy Spirit produced prophetic impartation is transformative. We need to speak prophetically. We need to prophesy, release a word, and stop cursing the stuff that God wants to bless. America is not gonna go to hell. America's about to be changed by the power of God, and there is salvation, there is salvation coming to America. There is deliverance coming to America. There is healing coming to America. The glory of Jesus is about invade. This nation, yeah.
Are there any questions? Number four, and we're about to land this. Lions pride, the lion's pride. Jeremiah 51:38 say, "They will roar together like lions," it's called the roar of the collective. You are who surrounds you. Stop surrounding yourself with hyenas, wolves, foxes and serpents. And stop surrounding yourself with wolves in sheep's clothing. John 17:21, Jesus prayed, "Make them one as we are one". Surround yourself with the right people, surround yourself who can handle the blessed you and the broken you. That's important. 'cause some people could handle the broken you, but the moment you get blessed, everything turns, because they were enamored to the broken you.
So, make sure you're around people that can handle both the broken and the blessed you. The you in the valley, and the you in the mountain top. It's about the lion's roar. That word that Bernie released, that God spoke through him and gave me, that word, that Marked me. It changed my life, and just defined me, and then subsequently, after that everything has been outlined. Everything I've lived out. I was in a conference when I was 30, which was yesterday, in my mind, and I was in a conference, in Pennsylvania, ironically enough, it just hit me, it was here. It was in Allentown. And transformation church, I'll give you data, information. And I was there. It was the third day back then, the name of the church. And the speaker comes in, very well-known national repute, he says, "Samuel, by the age of 40, I'm gonna do the following things for you. I'm gonna do blah blah blah blah blah".
It was laid out. And the area he named it, from Time Magazine to thing... Then he said this, "By the age of 40, CNN will profile you". And I'm 39 years old, I'm with my wife, and it's at night, and we're about to hit, I'm 39, it's the first, second week of September, I'm about to turn 40, the 29th of September, and it's two weeks prior, and I look at her and she says, "Hey honey, all the prophetic impartations you've received all your life, we have them, right"? I go, "Yeah. I have 'em written. We have'em old school. We have them on tape. We have 'em on CDs. And we have, you know, we have it documented," 'cause we're very, sort of, you know, anal and OCD about just tracking and hearing the word of the Lord and just, so, she went like, "Which one hasn't come out"?
And I went like, "Well that's a good, I haven't asked that question". "Well, like what do you mean honey"? She went, "Like the word that the God said by the age of 40". I went like, "Well, this happened, this happened, this happened". But there's one that's missing. And I went, "Which is, well, the Lord said, 'when you were 30 that by the age of 40, CNN's gon' profile you as the most, you know, blah blah blah, influential Latino'", and I went like, "Well, maybe God meant CBN", 'cause sometimes the prophets miss it like, you know, you miss it by a little bit, not a lot, and it's not like with mAlice, it's just like they're human beings, they could err in the side of, and she went, "Nope. It was specific to CNN". I go like, "Well, what do you". "Again, I'm not like, dying, on this hill, it's like whatever, but God said it. Everything else he said came to pass". I went like, "I know, but it's CNN". Y'all missed that joke.
So, I went, "Let's just pray", she, Eva, my wife. So, we prayed. "Father, in the name of Jesus, thank you for every prophetic impartation. The legitimacy of it, the integrity of it, the fulfilling of it. God, you're so beautiful. Hey, we're two weeks away from", she's praying for Sam's birthday. "There's one more thing that, not that you're missing it, but the checklist, but the CNN thing, right"? So, and we just, "Alright, in Jesus' name. Amen". So, help me God, we have the email to prove it, couple days later, out of the blue, we get an email, "Reverend Rodriguez, this is CNN. We are doing a special called 'Latinos in America,' and we've identified you as the most influential Latino faith leader in the United States of America. We have an issue we have to profile with you immediately. Are you available in the next couple of weeks for a producer to come in there with a camera guy and shadow you" is the phrase, "And wherever you go, they go and we're gonna profile you"?
I looked at my wife and I said, "Who does this? Who does this"? I'm here to tell you it will come to pass. Final part, because this is about the lion's roar. The lions roar. The objective of the enemy is for you to sacrifice your roar. We are lambs in the presence of God, but as it pertains to our external presentation, we have to be lions. I'm a lamb in the presence of God, but in the presence of the enemy, I will not be a lamb, I will be a lion. Now, the church needs to get that reality. The objective of the enemy is for you to lose your voice, to take away your roar, to sacrifice truth on the altar of expediency. I was prophesied. You heard it right here. It's been validated, confirmed. But in 2008, I was invited by president Obama to pray in his st. John's episcopal inaugural prayer service prior to the inauguration. That same morning, they go to St. John's episcopal church across the street from the White House.
I was there, T.D. Jakes, Charles Blake, Yolanda Adams, Rick Warren, and we all participated. But it wasn't on the big, big stage. All of a sudden, everything God layed out prophetically in a conference like this, 2016, president trump gets elected, I get a call, I'm in my bluetooth with my wife, I'm driving, we're driving, we just left the Puerto Rican restaurant in San Fransisco, good stuff by the way. Mofongo. It's anointed. You don't know what that is. It's plantains that are crushed, and then they put shrimp and creole sauce and just, it's just so, okay. Back, back, back, back, back, back, back, back.
So, you know, I have the garlic smell, we're in the car, and I get this call. I get this call after the election. Ding, bluetooth, boom, yes. Random, unknown, which you usually don't pick up. But, yeah. Boom, it said "We're looking for Reverend Rodriguez". I go, "Speaking. Who may I ask is calling"? "Yeah, we're calling you from the senate inaugural committee, and the president's transition team". "Yes, sir". "The president elect would love you to participate in his inauguration". I'm thinking it's my uncle Paco from the Bronx. "Is that you again man"? Come on. No, but it wasn't Paco from the Bronx. And I'm trying to, in my mind going, "Is this legit"? Right?
And they go, "Yes. Reverend Rodriguez, what say ye"? I go like, "Do it again. Say it one more time". "Yes, the president elect would like you to", I go like, "What do you want me to do"? My wife's looking at me like, "And we want you to participate". I go, "Great. What do you want me to do"? "Sir, we would like you to parti...", I go, "Yeah. What does that mean? Do you want me to like, help people sit? What do you mean? Like usher..." "No sir. We would like you in the inauguration we want you to share, and we want you to participate". "Okay". He goes, "So, what say ye"?
So help me, true story. And I go, it has to do with what just happened here. And I go, "Can you tell the president elect, 'I'm honored?'" 'Cause there's never been a, you could do due diligence on this, there's never been a Latino evangelical that's ever done that in American history. There has never been anyone who has, I'm the first person to have a prayer language, that's code word for speaking in tongues. There's never been anyone, the first person with a prayer language to participate in the inauguration. So, I was the first one to do that because I spoke before Paula. So, all of that, right? First Puerto Rican, first person addicted to Starbucks, all of that first ever in all that, right? So, all that happened.
So, this is a true story. I'm with my wife, and he goes, "Whay say ye"? I go like, "Sir, I am so grateful, I'm so honored. Please tell the president elect I am so just floored and blessed by your invitation. Can I get back to you"? The awkward silence on the other side. "Pardon me"? I go, "Yeah. I just need a little time. Can I get back to you"? This is what you heard, "Okay. How much time do you need"? I look at my wife, she's not looking at me. She's doing one of, I'm trying to get like affirmation, validation. No. And I go, "I need about", and I'm trying to go and she's not even looking at me. And I'm going, "Two weeks"? The guy goes, "Two weeks? So, I will call you back in two weeks"? I go, "Yes"? He goes, "Thank you"? And I go, "Thank you"? Inflection and all.
Boom, boom. You may be asking, "What just, I looked at my wife and go, honey, look at me, please. I need your help". She goes... I go, "Honey, look, you know the election, and the whole division, of the country, and we pastor a multiethnic church, and because it's multiethnic, and it's, I know that we, if I do, I may, we may, and if we lose, we're gonna have to unemp... I'm thinking budget. I'm thinking, you know, so, the prophetic faith was not there there. It was just pure CEO, admin, you know, we're gonna lose 20,30% if I do, I'm just being transparent. And I go like, "So, I need to get like, approved, should we go to the board? Do I get an get an approval", and she's looking at me like, this going like...
And I go like so, I even got really spiritual about it. I go like, "Call the intercessory team. Let's fast for two weeks". And she went, "No". I go, "You're not gonna call the", she goes, "No". I go, "Why wouldn't you want the intercessors praying to see if it's God's wish"? She goes, "Are you kidding me"? And then she stopped me and went, "No"! She goes, "What did you just do"? I go, "What did I do? What was wrong with what I did"? She went, "I was there when you were 14 years of age and God said you would end up doing this. You're looking for a confirmation when God already gave you a word. You don't need to pray about it, all you need to do is say, 'yes, Lord. Here I am. I'm absolutely...'", are you with me right now?
So, it's a couple of weeks later, I'm gonna land this, a couple of weeks later, I get the call. "Reverend Rodriguez," and now, the person has a little bit of Vin Di, you could tell in the tone of the voice, it wasn't as friendly. "Reverend Rodriguez, have you made up your mind"? And I go like, "Yes sir. I'm definitely doing this. Can I ask you a question"? He goes, "Yes, ask me". "Like, will, and I know, and I respect that, you know, the way you work. Will you be censoring what I say? What do you want me to do? Pray? Do you want me to read scripture? Whatever", and then he says, "Whatever's in your heart". And I go like, "Okay, okay. But I have to submit it and you will censor it, right? You will take away, matter of fact, are you gonna give me the passage"? They go, "No". "Will you be monitoring and you wanna prove what i..." "No". "So, you're gonna me tell me a specifi..." "No". Finally, the fourth time I asked, "But you're gonna limit..." "No". He went, "Sir, sir, sir, listen. The reason we're inviting you is because we want you to share whatever the spirit tells you to share".
Somebody lift up your head and open up your mouth. I'm telling you nothing can stop the spirit of the living God. Nothing can stop the presence of God. Alright, I'm gonna land this. Put the photo up. Put the photo up, media team. So, so, I'm seated here, so, here, you see Obama and Biden and all that, and Schumer and all that, the Clintons? You see that? So, I was hiding. I was seated behind the Bush's, no, I mean the bu, like, George W. Bush and his wife. That came out bad, right? It came out weird, right? I was literally behind the Bush's. I'm about to go up, right? Before that right there. Couple days before, a major reporter from a magazine, you would recognize her, who had became a friend of mine beforehand and said, "Hey", she said, "Sam, you're doing this dude"?
And I went, "Dude" is a California term for dude. And she went, "Are you doing this"? And I went like, "Yeah". She went, "Man, you shouldn't be doing this. The moment you do this, you're known as the lamb's agenda guy that you know, you don't marry to a political party and all that. And that's what", she goes, "The moment you do this, you're gonna alienate half the country, you're gonna lose constituents. You're gonna lose doors. You're gonna lose contracts". She goes, "You're gonna lose invites. Don't do this". I go, "No. God, this was pro... I was 14 years old. This is like destiny. I was made for this". She goes like, then she goes, "Alright, alright, alright. Can we at least agree to this? If you do it, don't say the name". I go, "Trump"? She goes, "You're being silly, not that name".
I go, "Are you kidding me"? She went, "No. Sam, if you do this then... Come on man, not everyone believes in Je... You can't... You're gonna go back... Come on, this is a progressive country. This is not what we're all about, and you're gonna look like a fundamentalist, like a freak. You're gonna look like a radical, like a Nutcase. Don't do this man". I go like... She goes, "Are you gonna say the name"? And I go, "Just watch". That day, I'm right there, I'm right there, I'm seated behind the Bushs's I get a text from my daughter Lauren, daughter Lauren, my youngest daughter. This is her text. I'm seated, I'm on my phone and this is the text. Never got this kind of text from my kids ever. It was weird. "Dad, shut your mouth". I go, "Is this spiritual warfare? Is it the devil"?
I text her back and I go, "Pardon me. She goes, "No, dad, I saw you on Fox News, your mouth is open right now, please close your mouth. Your mouth, so help me. "Your mouth is open. You kind of dozed off, and your mouth is completely open. So, shut your mouth right now. You gotta close", and I go... You can ask Lauren. You could go to her, ask her. So, I come up. I come up with fear and trembling. I shared what I shared yesterday, the beginning part of Mathew 5, and then the latter part, and then I finished. I looked at the camera and I'm about to finish, 1 billion people around the world watching, the president, congress, the Supreme Court, and I look across and I say, "How am I gonna finish this"?
I looked at the cameras, hearing everything, that 14-year-old prophetic impartation, and I'm there, and I go, "Yeah, I'm not gonna sit without doing this". Looked at the cameras and said, "I pray and declare these things respectfully in the name of Jesus Christ". I want you to YouTube it. The presidents said, "Amen". You heard members of congress saying, "Amen". You heard the crowd going, "Amen". So, you ask, "Why do the people resent that I was receiving text from people around the world"? "Oh goodness, the BBC, you just lifted up Jesus on the BBC". Prior to that the FCC was about to limit Jesus as a bleep word. There was a movement prior to that. Google it. There was an attempt to make Jesus a bad word.
So, all of, after we led the new years, the name of Jesus was not mentioned on that stage for eleven years, and all of a sudden, Jesus in the name that... So, I'm asked, "Why did people, why did the nation, why did they respond like that to you mentioning a name? Why"? Believe it or not, there is still power in the name of Jesus. There is power - everybody, lift up your roar, shout. Let the lions roar. With your hands raised, with your hands raised, so, quickly, six minutes and two seconds, all I want you to do right here, if you're in this audience, and you're saying, "Pastor Sam, that's... Wow. The validation of all of this. I get this".
If you have been in a season, if you have been in a time, if you know that you have promises, viable, legitimate promises and there are words that you have yet seen the fulfillment of these corresponding words, we're gonna push back on every vestige of the enemy that will try to stifle, limit, obstruct, impede, hinder the fulfillment of that word. What you're going through has nothing to do with the foolish things you did in your past. The enemy is attacking you because the of glorious things you're about to see in your future. It has nothing to do with your past, it has to do with your future.
Five minutes, 17 seconds, I'm gonna count to three. If that's you, and you wanna just right now, renew your roar, you wanna push back on every hyena, serpent, and wolf, in Jesus' name, I'm gon' count to three, come out of your seat, go somewhere. Go, go, go, go, go. Run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run. Quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly. The fulfillment of that word. Your roar is about to get louder. Your roar, here, just take us with worship. I got four minutes and 52 seconds, so lead me in worship, lead me in praise, let's go. I'm just gonna lay hands as God leads me, and just pray over people, and release words, but go ahead, do it.