Samuel Rodriguez - Activate Your Mantle
We're from Puerto Rico and... One person. God bless you. So, Puerto Rico. The founding pastor back in 1930 was a Puerto Rican, and then an Italian came in. It's the same connection. We're Puerto Ricans and we love Italian food, man. So, it's really an alignment. You may be seated. I'm gon' get right into the word. My wife is with me. I referenced this morning, I met her when I was 11 years of age in the assembly of God church in Pennsylvania. We went from Puerto Rico to Pennsylvania. And I was 11 and she was a little bit... so... I didn't mention the years. It wasn't, there was no cross reference. And she came over, true story, she'll attest to this. She came over, she messed up my hair, and she was a little bit older than I, which is awkward and probably illegal except in Alabama.
The point to you is... So, she came over, messed up my hair, and what did you say? Now, she said, "I...", she looked at my mom and said, "That boy grows up, I'm gon' marry him one day". Again, pretty awkward. You were older than me by a couple years so now that I think about it, yeah, it's pretty strange. Anyway, that's my wife now of 33 years. Can you give it up for Pastor Eva? She's a church planner in the assemblies of God and plan at church and Spanish ministry in the state of California, and a dynamic preacher in her own right. I learnt from her and that's, next to my salvation, all kidding aside, next to the gift of salvation, my greatest gift is that beautiful young lady seated in the front row. She really is and that's what she told me to say.
So, let's continue here quickly. 1 Kings 19:2. So, I wanna frame this and I wanna put it in its appropriate wineskin for cultural and generational contextualizational purposes. What does that mean? It means that we're living in some interesting days as we referenced this morning. This is officially the coo-coo for coco puff season around the world. Every single time we think things cannot get stranger, things get stranger. Every single time you think there's a pivot and we're shifting towards some notion of logic, reason, common sense, all of a sudden things get crazier, crazier. It's not the first time. We have had moments throughout the course of human history where spiritual powers and principalities via the conduit of human beings infused with darkness and hatred have attempted to silence viable, legitimate oracles of righteousness and justice.
Not the first time. Every single time there's an awakening forthcoming, a move of God, right beforehand the enemy shows up to attempt to deter, hinder, obstruct. That's why we should be smiling. If things are so dark right now, it only means we're about to see the glory of Jesus shine like we haven't seen before. Not the first time. Matter of fact, approximately 2,800 years ago, if I were to use today's nomenclatures and descriptors, once upon a time there was a woman whose name was Jezebel. And this Jezebel, in essence, delivered a message that if she would be alive today it would be via the conduit of a tweet. In essence, Jezebel tweeted and I'm gonna read to you, are there any questions? That's 1 Kings 19:2, "Hey, Elijah, in 24 hours, you will die".
So, Jezebel sent this message to Elijah, "May the Gods strike me, kill me, if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you". What a declaration. We have to juxtapose that tweet, that declaration with 2 Kings 2:11, "As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire, it appeared drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, Elijah and Elisha, separating them. And Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven". I wanna speak to you on the subject matter, "The threat versus the testimony: when heaven starts it, hell cannot stop it". "When heaven starts it, hell cannot stop it". Repeat after me, "When heaven starts it, ell cannot stop it". Say it one more time. "When heaven starts it, hell cannot stop it".
You know what? Do it one more time, but this time you gon' think about your family, what he's doing in your health, in your calling, in your church, in your generation, in your community. Somebody say one more time, "When heaven starts it, hell", I said, "Hell... there's not a demon in hell or a devil on earth that can stop what God has already started". Jezebel had a threat. She issued a threat. Elijah had a testimony. That testimony stood Amplified, exemplified, embodied by what he carried. He actually wore a mantle, a mantle. And what I am believing for is that we're about to see an activation of mantles across America and around the world. We're about to see a brand-new generation of modern day, Christ-centered, Bible-based, spirit-empowered Elijahs and Elishas rise up.
2023, 24, 25, and if the Lord tarries, this will not be known as the generation where target created interesting swimming suits. This cannot be known as the generation where truth, and hope, and love stood sacrificed on the altar of political or cultural expediency. This will not be known the generation that lost any sort of inclination, embracing the reality of the imago Dei, the image of God, and the reality of God ordained gender and identity that comes from our Heavenly Father. In the name of Jesus, I don't care what you see on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, ABC, NBC, CBS, Univision, Telemundo, I don't care. In the name of Jesus, this generation will be known as the generation, where modern day Elijahs and Elishas rise up in the name of Jesus and shift the atmosphere towards righteousness, and justice, truth, and love. It begins with the activation of the mantle.
We have a mantle. The mantle that we carry is greater than Jezebel's threat. I'm gon' repeat that for the hearing impaired. The mantle that we carry is greater than Jezebel's threat. And the mantle that we carry is not just any mantle, it's the mantle of the spirit. Somebody say, "The mantle of the spirit". 1 Kings 18:46, "The power of the Lord, the Spirit of God came upon Elijah". I am convinced and convicted, by the way that right now our very hour, it's very, not only similar to 1 Kings 17:18,19, speak to this very hour. Spiritually speaking, we are living in the days just like the days of Ahab, Jezebel, and Baal.
Let me give you a little historical context about these individuals, and here's the script. Ahab was a mucho malo hombre and that spirit of Ahab is definitely alive and well today. It is robbing love, killing joy, and destroying peace. Ahab represents forces with access and authority that attempt us to sacrifice truth on the altar of expediency. Ahab, that spirit is alive and well. 1 Kings 16:34. Let me tell you about Ahab. Ahab was the first king in Israel's history to ever have the audacity to rebuild the walls of Jericho. Do your biblical due diligence.
Let me explain. No other king in history attempted to rebuild something God knocked down. Ahab came along and said, "I give you permission. Rebuild the walls of Jericho". That spirit is alive and well. Y'all missed that. Why do you think it's happening in America, the whole racial divide, going back to racial division and discord? Things that have already been knocked down prophetically and spiritually? It's a spirit of Ahab. Ahab is trying to reconstruct walls that God already knocked down. I'm gon' tell you what the antidote is. The antidote to all the angst and the separation, and the idea of this perpetual discourse on division based on the color of one's skin, which is ludicrous, of course, but the devil loves to exacerbate.
So, what's the answer? The answer is not a political solution. I'm gon' tell you what the answer is. I'm gon' tell you what it is. The answer is what we see here at kings in Maui. What does that mean? I'm gon' get in trouble for this. It's by the church standing up and shouting, "There is no such thing as a black church, a white church, a brown church, a yellow church, or a red, there's only one church. It is one church, the church of Jesus Christ. And the gates of hell shall not, cannot, will not, may not prevail against her". If you believe it, shout like you're part of that one church at the gates...
Jezebel was Ahab's wife. Jezebel was nasty on steroids. That spirit of Jezebel is alive and well persecuting, prosecuting, and attempting to silence the children of the cross. She represents a manipulative, sexually cohersive, perverse, corrupt cultural spirit with all intentionality to kill the prophetic voices, to silence truth, and construct Asherah poles in order to marginalize the oracles of righteousness and justice. That Jezebel spirit is alive and well. A spirit that exploits the moments in our lives when we are exhausted. You'll get that by tomorrow morning. Jezebel showed up threatening Elijah after he ran against Ahab's chariot, after he had finished praying down fire. This man was physically and spiritually exhausted, and then Jezebel's threat shows up. And you say, "Pastor Sam, that's Old Testament".
Sure. Revelation 2:20. Even good Christians may be guilty of unfortunately tolerating the spirit of Jezebel. "This one thing I have against you. Ye have tolerated the spirit of Jezebel". That spirit is attempting, every time you see a prophetic voice, Jezebel shows up with the attempt to silence that prophetic voice. And the spirit of Baal is alive and well, demanding that truth and children in and out of the womb be sacrificed on the altar of the false. I said it this morning, I'm gon' double down on this. There is a spirit coming after our children. There's a spirit coming after our children, and our children's children, and our children's children's children. We need modern day Elijahs and Elishas to rise up and tell that spirit of Baal, "Get your hands off our children in the name of Jesus Christ".
These spirits are alive and well. They are. We can't deny it. They're alive and well. But here's why I'm here. Here's a deep, seminary-endorsed, biblically-contextualize, Hebrew, exegetically, substantiated phrase. Saw that on Google. Here's the phrase, ready? "Don't drink the kool aid". What does that mean? "Don't drink the kool aid". The church, we can't become the embodiment of whiners. We have to go way beyond whining, and complaining, and posting. "Don't drink the kool aid".
The most powerful spirit alive today is not what you see on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube. It's not what you see in the news. It's not. There's still one spirit more powerful than all the spirits I mentioned combined. The most powerful spirit in Maui, in Oahu, in the Big Island, in Hawaii, how about this? The most powerful spirit in California, yeah, I said. California. Even the most powerful spirit in San Francisco. The most powerful spirit in New York, LA, in Miami. The most powerful spirit in Europe, in and Asia, and in Africa, and in Latin America, it's not the spirit of Ahab, it's not the spirit of Jezebel, and it's not the spirit of Baal. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, rejoice, again I say rejoice, because the most powerful spirit alive on the planet today is still the Holy Spirit of all.
If you have that spirit, praise like you have that spirit. If you have that spirit, worship like you have that spirit, pray like you have that spirit, preach like you have that spirit, prophesy like you have that spirit, live, forgive, and give like you have that spirit. There is no greater spirit than the Holy Spirit. The most, where that spirit is present, there is power. Acts 1:8, we said it this morning. There is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17. We are to be driven by that spirit, not by the flesh. Galatians 5:16. We are to be filled with that spirit not be drunk with wine. Ephesians 5:18. We are temple of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 3:16. It is that spirit of new life and victory. Romans 8:11. It is the spirit that anoints us. 1 John 2:27. Hey, hey. Oh, it's that spirit. So, let not your heart be troubled. The Spirit of God is still moving. I said, the Spirit of God is still moving. The Spirit of God is still moving. The Spirit of God is still moving. We haven't seen anything yet.
"In the last days I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh". Spirit of God is still moving. God is up to something. I'm trying to calm down here a little bit. Little bit too much caffeine. God is up to something. You don't think God is up to something? I'm gon' prove it to you. I'mma substantiate this. So, it's not hype. It's not wishful thinking. It's not prophetic spaghetti on the wall. You ready? How did this year start off? A football player dies live on national television. Monday night football, Damar Hamlin dies. Two team coalesce, gather around him, and they pray and he comes back to life. And he himself said, "It was God who gave me life".
The very next day on ESPN, a national broadcaster for the first time ever interrupts a television program live, looks in the camera and says, "Yeah, what happened yesterday was so interesting. It was so, I mean, people just prayed". And then, he looks around and goes like, "I don't know if I can do this, but I feel like praying right now". Google this. He starts praying. In the prayer, he speaks about the power of God to heal. All y'all, listen, right after that by cowinky-dink the same, identical demographic deemed by Barna, Pew, and Gallup as the most non-Christian demographic in American history, generation Z, the most non-Christian generation thus far measurably so.
All of a sudden, it seems God never got the memo. And God says, "Wait a minute, you're saying the most non-me generation is that generation? Well, let me visit Asbury, Kentucky". Boom. Holy Spirit shows up in Asbury, Kentucky, young men and women pray, worship, get into God's word, repent from sin, accepting, receiving Christ as Lord and Savior. Right after that, my friend, Greg Laurie, launches a movie called, "The Jesus Revolution". It was supposed to have made five to seven million. He's made over 50 million dollars in box office receipts. What am I telling you? Ha-ha-ha. We are about to see more people get saved than ever before in human history. I need you to get ready. Holy Spirit is still moving. Pastor, are we streaming? Like live? We are? Gracias. I come from...
— Hey, we can turn it off if you want for a minute.
— No, no, we're good, man. We're... God, is that you again? No, no. God has an accent. That's good. We're good. No. Keep on streaming. We've crossed this. We crossed that Jordan. I come from California, not with a banjo on my knee, but I do come from California. And during I'm not gonna get political, I promise. I'm not. No politics. So, in California during that season, that COVID season, we had some interesting things happen. And I'm not getting political, I'm just telling you what happened as a testimony. You go Google it. Make sure you do your due diligence. During COVID, the governor of California, I haven't said anything negative. God matter of fact, bless his heart. The governor of California issues a decree that no other elected official in American history has ever, ever issued, ever. Google it.
So, of course, he shut down churches. Churches were not essential. We expected that. But when he issued the decree that said, "Not only can you not go, to church but even in your own house, you're not allowed to gather with anyone for the purposes of," Google it, "Worship, singing, praising, or chanting". The chanting part killed me. The Rodriguez's wake up every morning and we go, "Ahh," with a Puerto Rican accent, "Ahh". It's what we do. Seriously, no ever in American history did an elect official ever say, "You can't worship with your own family in your house". We weren't allowed legally to... Cameraman, give me a tight shot. We're streaming. I just wanna make this clear. That's your tightest shot? Should I walk to you?
I wanna make this clear, there is not a legislative initiative, an executive order, a law, a presidential or a governor's decree, or even a Supreme Court decision that will ever have the power to stop the Holy Spirit of God from moving. You can't stop the Holy Spirit. You can't de-platform the Holy Spirit. And you can't cancel the Holy Spirit because it is not by might nor by power but by my... Somebody praise like you have that spirit. It is the mantle of the spirit. It is the mantle of drought, fire, and rain. That mantle was on the prophet Elijah when he exercised holy authority and unleashed a drought, 1 Kings 17:1. When he prayed down fire, 1 Kings 18:38. When he shouted, "Here come the rain". 1 Kings 18:41. It's drought, fire, and rain.
This mantle... I'm speaking prophetically, we were about to come under a new anointing. A fresh anointing that will empower us to overcome the spirit of Ahab, Jezebel, and Baal. That's what I'm preaching about. You need to get ready for an anointing that's about to hit you, and your family, and your church, and your children. This is spiritual infusion. God's about to anoint us. 1 John 2:27. It's gonna be powerful, but it's not an anointing just for us to do, to take selfies, and have some sort of, you know? A self-enamored moment of, "I'm anointed". No. It's about confronting these spirits. But it is the mantle of the spirit. It is the mantle of drought, fire, and rain.
Somebody say, "Drought, fire, and rain". That's the chronological order of what took place in 1 Kings 17:18,19. We've all been through a drought. I don't wanna be presumptuous. Let me ask. If you been through at least one moment in your life where nothing grew, things were dry, things were tough. One moment of drought. Relational, spiritual, physical, ministry wise. If you've been through, in your family, with your kids, in your marriage. If you've been through at least one drought in your life, raise one hand. If you've been through a couple of significant moments where things were dry, nothing would grow, it was hard ground, raise both hands.
If you've been through so many droughts beyond as you've lost count, raise both hands and a foot. Alright, if you've been through so many droughts that if right now, I get on my iPhone and I Google the word "Drought" automatically the algorithm will take me to your Instagram account. We've all been through a drought. All of us have been through a drought. But people, the chronological order is critical because the God of the process is the same God of the outcome. You can't bypass the process. People wanna jump from drought to rain without going through the fire. We all gotta go through the fire. The fire season is that season in our lives when that sanctifying Matthew 3:11 reality kicks in. It's God sanctifying, purifying. We know about instantaneous and progressive, but it's God removing things from inside of us, and even from outside of us that would hinder the fulfillment of his purpose in our lives.