Samuel Rodriguez - The Mantle of Authority - Part 1
I wanna land this here right now as expeditiously as possible. So here's the verse 1 Kings 19:19. I wanna illustrate something real quick. Illustrating this, this is Jason Furtick, he's our security chief for our campuses in California. Because when we stand up for righteousness in California, and God bless Arizona, Texas, Florida, but it's not the same thing. Because in California we actually get real cuckoo for cocoa puff people, not just to protest but to attempt to do other things. So it just a nutty world we're living in. So this man right here, he runs security, he's been part of our church for years. Parents are pastors at our church.
After 9/11, in 2001 after 9/11 this man went to Afghanistan, went into Iraq, became an alpha team leader and he fought so terrorist cannot stop here and infringe upon my God given right... To preach that Jesus is the only way! This is a real captain America, an anointed avenger and this is what you get when you love Jesus, you're full of the Holy Spirit and you use steroids. Praise be the Lord for the power of God! Creatine! It came out wrong. It came out bad. It just slipped. I'm jetlagged, from California. Jetlagged. It's creatine. First, you may be seated. It's creatine, I promise. Sure it is. Here's the biblical passage that will undergird what the Spirit of God has placed in my heart for you today.
1 Kings 19:19. "So Elijah went and found Elisha son of shaphat plowing a field". This is the movie script right here. "Elijah went and found Elisha plowing a field". The guy was farming. "There were twelve teams of oxen in the field, and Elisha was plowing with the twelfth team. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak," his mantle. "Across his shoulders and walked away". Do your biblical due diligence, that is no conversational piece here. No words were exchanged. This man was plowing a field the most legendary, prophetic voice of his generation, one of the greatest prophets ever, as quoted by Jesus comes over, places his mantle, his cloak of authority across his shoulders and then walks away. This guy was farming. He was pushing a plow, breaking ground and sowing seed when the most famous prophet comes over, places his mantle across his shoulders and walks away.
I'm going to speak to you on the subject matter, the plow of perseverance and the mantle of promotion. The subtitle would be, if you can push the plow you can carry the mantle. And the second subtext is, when heaven starts it hell cannot stop it. I'm convinced and convicted that 1 Kings 17, 18, 19 speaks to that very hour. When I'm asked on media programs and certain programs, be it flash point or fox or whatever it may be. You know, "How do you compare this time in America"? Just like the days, we are living in the days just like the days of Ahab and Jezebel. Ahab was a horrible king, what in California we would call, Jezebel was his wife and she was nasty on steroids. No offense, Jason. She hated the prophets, she persecuted preachers, she rejected truth. Elijah was God's chosen prophet, a man with a mantle, a man with a message and a man with a mission.
Now, I live this, he placed his mantle upon him and walked away. Before I break down a couple of elements regarding the mantle and what it represents I wanna speak to al the plow pushers in this place. I don't think it's a coinkydink that the plow pusher ended up carrying the mantle. He wasn't binging on Netflix, he wasn't taking selfies for Instagram, he was pushing the plow. If you don't know what it is to push the plow do not expect to carry the mantle. Via the conduit of historical contextualization we are cognizant and privy to the fact that this man, with the exception of the day of rest, would wake up every morning and he would have to push the plow, break the ground and sow the seed. Six days a week. On good days and bad days, sunny days and rainy days, on happy days and sad days. On days where everyone loved him and on days where he couldn't stand himself he would have to get up, push the plow, break the ground and sow the seed.
It's not a coincidence that the mantle came upon the shoulders of a plow pusher. Hence, this message today is exclusively for the plow pushers. If you don't know what it is to push the plow, to push the plow on good days and bad days, on sunny days and rainy days, on days where everyone loves you and on days where you can't even stand yourself. Some days you push the plow with a smile on your face and some days you push the plow with tears rolling down your cheeks but nevertheless you get up every single day and you continue to push the plow, break the ground, and sow the seed. And if you can be weary, I'mma be transparent, there were day that I pushed the plow and there are days that the plow pushed me!
And there are days I didn't even wanna push the plow, there are days, I remember one time in the beginning of the ministry where we begin to advise president bush, the amount, my objective at that time and it was a God ordained objective was to mobilize the Latino Hispanic church in America for the purpose of voting pro-life, religious liberty and biblical justice. So I went around America and speaking to denominational leaders: the assemblies of God, the church of God, the four square, CMA, southern Baptist saying, "Let's join together. Let's make one powerful network. Let's mobilize the Latino church for the purpose of feeding the righteousness and justice movement in America. We can do this". I even said the following, "We Latinos have to stop drinking the Kool-Aid of political correctness and they have to raise up as a firewall of righteousness and justice in America".
So when I did that back in the day the amount of push back, the amount of animus hatred, the amount that you would argue according to your theological stream, the amount of spiritual warfare, it was either spiritual or otherwise, but there was warfare, nevertheless. And I experienced it. So I remember one day I spoke to God, I said, "I can't take it". The pressure was intense. It was impacting my family. And I remember telling God one night, "I just can't do this, I'm gonna stop doing this". I'm gonna stop pushing the plow. In context of today's message. "I'm gonna stop doing this. Lord, I love you, I'm saved but I can't continue doing this, I'm gonna find another career. I'm gonna do something different. Tomorrow morning I'mma wake up and I'mma do something different".
And that was my promise to God at one plus a.m. On that evening. When the morning came guess who got up and continued to push the plow, and break the ground, and sow the seed? What got me us was not my cultural heritage, it wasn't my personality, it wasn't, you know, the caramel macchiato that I was drinking back then. What got me up? Real simple, it's the Romans 8:11 principle, "The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives inside of me, inside of you"! So this message is for all the plow pushers. If you know what it is to push the plow on the best days and on the worst of days raise one hand. If you know what it is to push the plow even when you have angst, consternation, even when things are not perfect in life raise both hands. If there were days you pushed the plow, but to be very forth right there were days the plow pushed you.
Raise both hands and a foot. Now, I'mma tell you why I came to this conference. To tell you get ready, not hype, not out to the womb of emotional exuberance, but with a fear of the Lord. Because there is a fine line between the prophetic and the pathetic. So I come with fear and trembling in the name of Jesus to tell you, put a smile on your face. If you're a plow pusher, you're not alive by coincidence, you are about to see a mantle of promotion come your way that, you are about to receive an anointing from heaven that will enable you to advance the gospel of Jesus in your city like you have never seen before! If this is for you open up your mouth and shout like you're about to get your mantle! The mantle that I'm referencing for the plow pusher...
By the way, let's biblically make that legal. Galatians 6:9: "Do not grow weary of doing what is right, at the appointed time you will reap a harvest of blessing with the caveat if you don't give up"! 1 Thessalonians 5:24: "He who called you is faithful to do it". Philippians 1:6: "The same God who started then good work in you will finish, he is faithful to finish the good work he has started". Now, the mantle I'm referencing has a number of biblically substantiated applications. It's not just any mantle, it is biblically, 1 John 2:27, New Testament application. It is the mantle of the spirit. What does the mean? Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and other terms I cannot use in California, without getting push back. And you think I'm making that up.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, there is a spiritual battle in a America today. It is intense, it's real, it's not made up, it's not hid, there is a spiritual battle. Hence, without a doubt, a 100% certainty the spirit of Jezebel is alive and well. Persecuting, prosecuting and attempting to silence the children of the cross! Jezebel. What did I just say? Jezebel represents the manipulative, sexually coercive, perverse, corrupt cultural spirit, with the intention of silencing prophetic voices, killing truth, constructing Ashera poles in order to marginalize oracles of righteousness and justice. A spirit the exploits the moments in our lives when we are exhausted. A spirit according to the Book of Revelation 2:20, even good Christians in America today may be guilty of unfortunately tolerating.
"This one thing I have against you, you do great things as a church but this one thing I have against you, you have tolerated the spirit of Jezebel". The problem in America, the greatest problem is not moral relativism, cultural decadence, spiritual apathy or Ecclesiastical lukewarmness. The number one problem in America are pastors that surrender truth on the altar of political expediency! The moment pastors stand up America will change. The moment pastors raise up America will change! The moment pastors preach up America will change! The moment pastors get up on Sunday morning and preach that Jesus is the only way America will change! The moment pastors talk about human sexuality according to the Word of God America will change! The moment pastors declare that there is biblical gender, that there are men and there are women America will change! The moment pastors declare that every life is sacred in the womb and in the streets America will change!
Are there any questions? The spirit of Ahab is alive and well! Ahab represents forces of actions and authority attempting to prompt us to pray, to sacrifice truth on the altar of expediency. Matter a fact Ahab, 1 Kings 16:34. This is pretty interesting. Ahab was the first king who had the audacity, 1 Kings 16:34 to give permission of the rebuilding of Jericho. Y'all missed it. I'mma explain that. No one would dare to rebuild Jericho because of the Jericho declaration made by Joshua. He cursed it and he said, "Curse be the family of anyone who would attempt to rebuild what God knocked down".
What do you think some of the racial things happening in America are about? It's the spirit of Ahab trying to resurrect and rebuild, issues that have been dealt with prophetically and biblically and there's an attempt to rebuild Jericho. And I'mma say this, this is gon' get me in trouble, I may not get invited again. How do we stop this whole racial angst and all these issues, real simple. It's real simple. Don't drink the Kool-Aid. "What does that mean"? I'm just gon' say this. Technically speak, I'm gon' get in trouble for this. Here we go. In America there is no such thing as a white church, a black church, a brown church, an Asian church, there's only one church! I said there's only one church! There's only one church! The church of Jesus Christ! "And the gates of hell shall not, will not, cannot, may not prevail against her"! Matthew 16:18.
The spirit of Baal demanding the truth and children in and out of the womb be sacrificed on the altar of the false. A spirit coming after our children and our children's children. And by the way, anybody ask you, "Why are people leaving California, even good Christians"? Because they're afraid about their grandkids. The ideologies and constructs and mores, or lack thereof, and doctrinarian systems called the public school system in California. What is being feed is so egregious, it is nefarious activity. It is egregious maleficence, it so wrong. Out of alignment with our judicial Christian value system and even natural law and I would even argue, even science. And because of that there is this Exodus going on and they end up in Arizona. So here we are today. So these spirits are all out today, they are. But here's a deep seminar endorsed biblically contextualized Hebrew exegetically substantiated phrase for our generation, all the years of seminar for the following phrase, "Don't drink the Kool-Aid".
What does that mean? I'mma say it. I don't give a holy hoot what you see on ABC, CBS and NBC, MSNBC, and we don't discriminate here don't drink the Kool-Aid dream conference, the most powerful spirit on the planet today is not the spirit of Ahab, it's not the spirit of Jezebel, it's not the spirit of Baal. The most powerful spirit, even in California, in America, in every nation of the world today was and still is the Holy Spirit of all mighty God! The most powerful spirit on the planet is the spirit of all mighty God! It's the Paraclete, the pneuma, the Ruach, the comforter! And where that spirit is present there is freedom! The most powerful spirit is that spirit. 1 John 2:27: "You have received the Spirit". We are empowered by the Spirit. Acts 1:8. "We are driven by that Spirit". Galatians 5:16. "Be filed with that Spirit". Ephesians 5:18. "We are temple of that Spirit". 1 Corinthians 3:16. "Defined by the Spirit". Romans 8:11. "Anointed with that Spirit". 1 John 2:27.
Stop, are we streaming? Thanks. Okay. Here we go not making this up. Please do your Google due diligence, make sure there's no exaggeration here. In California, in our region, and I respect the other pastors, I love them and for whatever reason they took decisions to stay locked in, I'm not gonna get into that, I respect my fellow pastors in the region. There were two pastors of large churches that stood open, myself another pastor called Greg Farrington in the part of Rocklin, and we stood open. And I pastor a church that's very multi-ethnically diverse, our church is 40/ 42% white, which is code word for white. It's is, it's very really is. It's code word, white. And bout 38/40% African- American, which is code word for black. And the rest are Latino, Asian and native-Americans.
Beautiful church, we look like heaven and we decided to stay open, and we said, we're gonna go through this, throughout the course of it, we're in Sacramento, in the capital. Put this in perspective, the governor is right there. And the governor, God bless my governor. Or in the words of Mike Huckabee, "Bless your heart". Google this. He passed an edict, an executive decree in the middle of COVID so in California, as you know, jargon knows this. Church were shu... technically were shut down. A bunch of pastors sued, it because crazy, right so, but you can't have church, that was illegal. Like, you can't gather and worship, illegal. No services. "What if I have 12 people and they're all like, you know, 'nope. No churches, you can you could only gather outside on occasion if you're 50.000 feet separate from one another and you wear 30 mask'". Okay. And then he went. "You know what, this part I'm", you gotta Google this, he said, "You can't gather in your homes for worship services".
And then he listed what you can do. Google it. He said, "In your home with your family, friends or others you cannot do the following: sing, worship, chant". It was the chanting part that got to me. That part broke me. "Singing, worshipping". Nah. "Chanting". Hey, you crossed the line, buddy! You crossed the line. So I just wanna make it, the was an attempt and if you think it's a coincidence there are different states led by politicians with certain ideologies that finds, somehow they punish the people that didn't vote for them. And they came against the church. I don't care if I get banded, de-platformed, I've been there, done that.
So I used... camera man, give me a tight shot. I just wanna make it clear with great due deference. There is not an executive order, a Supreme Court decision, a legislative initiative, a law or a social media campaign that will ever have to power to stop the spirit of all mighty God from moving! You can't stop God's spirit from moving. I said, you can't cancel the Holy Spirit! You can't defund the Holy Spirit! You can't de-platform the Holy Spirit! The White House can't stop him, congress can't stop him, Facebook can't stop him, Google can't stop him! Nothing can stop the Spirit of God from moving! If you believe it praise like you have that spirit! Pray like you have that spirit! Preach like you have that spirit! Live like you have that spirit!
"For it is not my might nor by power but by my... Spirit". The mantle. The mantle it is the mantle of speaking truth with love, it was the prophet Elijah with that mantle that confronted Ahab. Confronted him. I love this moment. There was a moment in 1 Kings 18 when confronts Ahab and says, "Enough is enough. Let's do this. I'm tired, let's do this hey Ahab, you and your prophets, let's meet. I'mma let you go first. You call upon your God, I'm gonna call upon my God. The God that answers via the conduit of Fuego... That's the real God". One of the scariest verses in all of the Bible, which is tragic. It's one of those moments that makes you reflect and Elijah looked at the people and he said, "Alright guys, take sides. Which side will you select"?
And then the Bible says something that is, it's beyond sad. It says that God's people said nothing. They stood silent. Today's complacency is tomorrow's captivity. You are what you tolerate. There is no such thing as comfortable Christianity. truth must never be scarified in the altar of political or cultural expediency. And number five, for any single person here who says, "Well, you're preaching about Elijahs getting up in the 21 century in America and Elijahs, you're talking about confronting Ahab and Jezebel and Baal, but it doesn't matter Samuel Rodriguez, Christ is coming, he's right around the corner. Here we go, praise the Lord and pass the ammunition, we're outta here. So it doesn't matter what we do right now, things are gonna get darker and darker and darker, and darker you're wasting your time".
Well, sunshine let me remind you of the following, it's time for you to reconcile your eschatology or your misology. What does that mean? It means you need to make sure you're theologically in full alignment. "What does that mean"? It means while we are waiting for Jesus to come down Jesus is waiting for his church to stand up. This is that hour! Why are you at this conference? We are about to see the church of Jesus Christ stand up in America like we have never stood up before! The next thing to fill America will not be a new variant! The next thing to fill America will be the glory of the risen Christ Jesus! The gospel of Christ! "Elijah, the man with a mantle the prophet will be dead". She said, "I swear by my Gods, in 24 hours he will die".
She #prophelied. 24 hours passed, Elijah did not die. A week passed Elijah did not die. A year passed Elijah did not die. A decade passed Elijah did not die. To be very forthright a century passed Elijah did not die. To be ever more transparent and thousand years passed Elijah did not die. To be more even more accurate it's been a proximately 2.800 years since Jezebel #prophelied and Elijah has yet to die. 2 Kings 2:11 says, "Elijah and Elisha were waking together when a chariot of fire separated them and he was taken up in a whirlwind".
And he never died! The next time we see him, we see him taking a selfie with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration! What does that mean for you? Whatever hell has declared upon you, your family, your church, you ministry, your calling, your destiny the opposite will take place! In other words, what heaven starts hell cannot stop. When your integrity is more important than your influence nothing can stop you. When you were driven by anointing rather than ambition can stop you. When your hunger for righteousness is greater than your fear of criticism nothing can stop you. And when your praise speaks louder than your pain nothing can stop you.