Samuel Rodriguez - God's Promises Are "Yes" and "Amen"
Five generations see it forever and they would have triggers forever more. I would be coming up here and I'm coming up and I'm going to distract your selfish forefeel. Oh Lord, come Lord Jesus come. So, I'm coming up I go right here, the guy looks at me and said, "Sammy the Lord says you look like a little boy but he sees you as a man". Everything I'm doing right now was laid out to me on that day. Again, from a mathematical perspective, the mathematical probability of what he laid out coming to fruition, not as a source of self-fulfilling prophecy or Hawthorne effect. The fact that I never made a call, he looked at me, says everything from the preaching to the ministry to the... all of that.
There was a young lady in the audience right here seated who saw it. I was about 11, 12 years old. She was right here a little bit older than I. She was seated and she saw it. She says, "If it is true, I'm gonna wait for that boy to grow up and marry him". That's my wife of 33 years. So, when you're single "God's going to give somebody else a word". I'm kidding. So, this is the way he concludes it. He says... Oh, couple hundred people, we had 'em on television. On TV and on Daystar recently so you could watch the interview on YouTube. He says, "Oh wow. The Lord says use him, he will be praying for presidents of the United States of America".
That's how I became an advisor for George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. I never made a call. Never sent an email. I never walked around going like, "God gave me a word. I have to be an advisor for the president". No. Because God's promises are, "Yes and amen". Why am I telling you this? Whatever God has promised you and your family, and your children, and your children's children, when heaven starts it, hell cannot stop it. How many believe he will fulfill his purpose in our lives? Psalms 138:8. I believe that for every, for you and your family member.
So that's how it... What does it have to do with speaking truth with love? But fast forward after advising George W. Bush, Barack Obama brought me in again. Not that I... I don't have to vote for them in order to advise them. Some of y'all are already judging me. Repent. So. I do have a biblical rubric that I confine to. I will only vote for candidates that support the following rubric and I will never sacrifice that. Because my integrity is much more important than my influence. So, George W. Bush brings me in. And then after that Barack Obama has me participating in his inaugural prayer service at st. John's episcopal church. So, I'm here with Barack Obama in that service and I participate but it's a private ceremony the one before the big stage, right? Myself, Rick Warren, Yolanda Adams, Charles Blake, T.D. Jakes. So, we do that, right?
So then, years later fast forward right after 2016 election. I get this call. I'm driving with my wife from San Francisco to Sacramento. We went to a... We're originally... My parents are from Puerto Rico so we were eating Mofongo in a... Mofongo is a great thing by the way. It's the, you crush the plantain, you put shrimp, you put garlic, lots of garlic, very anointing. Just don't talk to someone, they will fall back. They will get slain. So, but anyway, we're driving back home from San Francisco to Sacramento. It's after the 2016 election and we're en route and I get this call, unknown number on my bluetooth. I usually don't pick it up because I know it was probably the IRS, so I ignore it. So, I ignore it 'cause you know, unknown number. Holy Spirit prompts me, no joke and says, "Pick it up".
So, I picked up the call. I'm driving on route 80 home to Sacramento. "We're looking for reverend Rodriguez". I really thought it was the IRS, that's right. Or it could be my cousin Paco from the Bronx. You know what I'm saying. We all have a cousin... "No we don't. Know your audience". Okay. So I validated it. This is, "We're calling you from the senate inaugural committee, the president's transition team, reverend Rodriguez". "Yes, sir". "The president would like you to participate in his inauguration". So, I'm looking at my wife, and I'm like, "Wow, what an offer". I mean, you know, we're driving so I'm going like. I go, "Sir, I'm honored. Tell the president elect that I am really blessed and honored. What would you like me to do"? "Participate" he says. I go, "Yes. Wow, I really I'm honored. What would you like me to do"? He says, "Participate".
I'm trying to get a feel. Is it the private one, the public one, wait. So I go, "Would you like me to pray"? He says, "Yes". "Would you like me to read scripture"? He says, "Why not"? As a good preacher and pastor there was a third question, I wanted to ask but I didn't. Would you like me to raise the offering? But I didn't. So finally, he got a hold of why my questions, he went, "Revered Rodriguez, this is the one on the capitol steps over 1 billion people will be watching around the world. What say you"? And I go like, "Well, listen. I would... I'm honored". This is what I said, "I'm gonna need some time to pray about this". Silence. He went, "I'm sorry, you need time to pray about praying"? It's a great theological conundrum by the way.
And so, I went like, "Yes sir". He went awkward silence again. You saw the affection shift. "How much time do you need"? And I'm looking for support here. My wife is no longer looking at me, which is both a sign and a wonder. And I'm going, "Three weeks". He went, "You need three weeks to pray about praying"? "Oh yes sir". He goes, "Alright. I guess we'll call you back in three weeks". "Thank you, sir. Thank you". I looked at my wife she's no longer looking at me. I go, "Honey please". She turns around, she goes, "What are you doing"? I go, "Honey, call pastor Carlo, our intercessors. We have to pray".
The reason is I pastor a church in California by the grace of God that is very diverse. It's 40% Caucasian, which is the code word for white. Google it, it's true. 40% African American, which means black. And 20% Latino, native Americans and Asians. And we have a Spanish service in each of our campuses. It's a beautiful church, it looks like heaven. My mind said if I do this in light of the whole nation being divided, even though I did it for president Obama. If I do this I'm gonna lose a portion of my church. So, I was thinking, layoffs all of that. I really was. My wife looked at me and she said, "What are you doing"?
Now she's from Puerto Rico so she has the double anointing. And I went and she was and she, "I was there". I go, "What do you mean you were there"? And she goes, "Well you don't need to pray". I go, "Why not? That's like sacrilegious". She goes, "No, I was there". "Where were you"? "I was there when you were a kid when God said, you would end up praying for presidents of the United States of America". She said, "You don't need to pray to see it as God's will. You need to pray for God to fill you with the right words in your assignment on that day". It's like speaking truth with love. The mantle. So, the day came I'm about to go up there. The day came and I'm... Can you have that picture up there please? Put the picture of the inauguration.
So, there I am speaking over a first Latino in American history, evangelical first, all of that. That's all God's doing. First person ever addicted to Starbucks. The point to you is right here, so there you have the Obamas, the Bidens, the Trumps here, the Clintons were here. I was seated and hiding behind the Bushs'. So, I was back there behind George W. Bush. And I'm here, I'm about to go up. This has all been documented and written about and all that. So, I'm here, I'm about to go up and I'm not this... I wanna tell you like integrity is everything. I could tell you I had all the confidence. Oh, praise be the Lord. I felt so great. Dude no, this was me. I was, when they called me, I'm like this. It was bad. I was about to like, I'm freaking out. This is like a billion people around the world. All the presidents are there. The Supreme Court is here wearing funny hats. It was weird.
So, I'm going up, my daughter texts me. Lauren, my youngest daughter. My kids never disrespected me. My youngest daughter texted me right there, right there. This was the text, I'm about to go up now, mind you. "Dad, shut your mouth". As a preacher first thing I said was, "Spiritual warfare". The devil shows up right before your greatest breakthrough. So I started rebuking. I go, "Devil you a liar, I rebuke you in the name of Jesus. No, you're not gonna distract me". Why would my daughter disrespect me right before I go up? So I text her back and I go, "Pardon me?!" Exclamation point. And she writes back and says, "No dad. You're on Fox News, your mouth is completely open. You were nodding off right now. You need to close your mouth".
So it seemed I was falling asleep and the camera got me and I was... So, she was telling me, nicely though but, forty-eight hours before, this is truth with love, the mantle. A reporter looks at me of a magazine who's name you recognize. I've worked with this reporter beforehand on a number of things. The reporter looked at me and said, "Sam". He called me Sammy. "Tell me you're not gonna do this". And I go like, "You don't understand 'cause you weren't there when I was a kid. I have no choice". This is in spite of Sammy. "God ordained this to happen. This is his assignment upon me. So I have to do this". He went, "You shouldn't. You're both on CNN and Fox. You wrote the book called the lamb's agenda. Both sides like you. You do this you're gonna alienate". I go, "But I did it for the previous guy. They are like, 'yeah, yeah. That had already happened. But you can't do this'".
I go like, "I'm gonna do this". She went like this, "Alright, if you're gonna do this please promise me you're not gonna mention the name". I go, "What"? "Sammy you do know the name hasn't been mentioned for 12 years". I go, "What"? "The last person to mention the name was Billy Graham in 2004". I go, "What do you mean, after the 2004 elections? What do you mean"? She goes, "There's an unwritten rule after Graham that people would not mention the name that if you're gonna pray conclude the prayer in the name of love, hope, faith. If you have to say, 'God'. But don't mention the name". And I looked at her and went like, "Twelve years"? She went, "Twelve years. Are you gonna men... Tell me you're not gonna break it. You're not gonna break it. Tell me you're not gonna mention the name". And I went, "Watch".
So, it was my turn and I'm walking up. I get here, and so help me, you could watch it on YouTube, the Holy Spirit hit me. A kid from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania that does not deserve to be there, only there by the grace of God. Only there because my momma said, "There is a God in heaven who has a purpose for your life. Who spoke into me, who spoke into me constantly and said God has a purpose for your life". I was there. 1 Corinthians 15:10. By the grace of God alone. And I get there, and I read from Matthew 5, the presidents were here. All of a sudden, I conclude from Matthew 5, and I conclude. I'm about to walk away and the Holy Spirit says, "Do it. Do it Sammy, do it".
The mantle fell upon me so help me no more nervousness. I wasn't shaking. With holy authority, I looked at the camera knowing very well that right there in 2017 January all around the world people were streaming. On the major television networks of Europe and Asia, the Middle East nations. All around the world were streaming live. So, I looked at the cameras and I said, "I'm about to walk", God says, "Do it". I said, "Respectfully, I make this prayerful declaration in the name of Jesus Christ'". All y'all gotta YouTube this. The president shouted, "Amen". Look it up. The president said, "Amen". The members of congress started going, "Amen". The audience started going, "Amen". Everywhere they were saying, "It's a Jesus fest, it's a Jesus fest". They mentioned Jesus. There are nations that heard the name of Jesus mentioned for the very first time.
I got texts from all over the world. "You said, 'Jesus'. We heard Jesus". Why did the world react like that? Why did the world... You should have seen the reporters. The newspaper articles, "Oh it became a Jesus freak festival. Jesus was the highlight of the... And they were doing it in a critical way. Jesus was the highlight. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus". Why did everybody respond like that? Believe it or not, hey listen Louisiana, there is still power in the name of Jesus. There is power in the name of... I said there is power in the name of... There is salvation in the name of Jesus. There is deliverance in the name of Jesus. There is healing in the name of Jesus. There is breakthrough in the name of Jesus. If you believe it lift up your hands.
There are generational blessings. Multigenerational blessings in the name of Jesus. Your family will be saved in Jesus' name. Acts 16:31, "You go from glory to glory in the name of Jesus". 2 Corinthians 3:18, "You are blessed and highly favored, anointed and appointed in the name of Jesus". Romans 8:30 with your hands lifted high. "That name is the name above every other name. It is the name to whom which every knee shall bow, every tongue shall confess". "No other name given unto man to by which salvation has come into all mankind, but the name of Jesus". "The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run into it and there they are saved". "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord". Nothing is more powerful, I'm gon' say this, there's no AI there's no Artificial Intelligence, there's no technology, nothing is more powerful than the mighty name of Jesus. Somebody praise like you believe it and give God glory.
Stand with me. You are standing. There's power in that name. Our job is to exalt that name, elevate that name, proclaim that name. Oh, there's power in the name. I sense the Lord. We're about to see this nation and the nations filled with the glory of the risen Christ. We're about to see that name lifted high. There's power in that name. The mantle of the spirit. The mantle of drought, fire and rain. The mantle of speaking truth with love. The mantle of when heaven starts it hell cannot stop it. Elijah had his moment. Just like I had my moment, Elijah had his apex moment, mount Carmel. I had my moment. Not to be compared to Elijah but on the steps of the capitol where I was told not to, but I did lift up the name of Jesus.
So, we all have these moments, we all have these moments. We'll beat the silence. Again, this is what happened, Jezebel finds out what took place and her tweet, "In 24 hours you will die, 24 hours you will die. In 24 hours you will die". I have a question for you. What would be your expectation of the prophet Elijah? He prayed for a drought, and it took place. He prayed for fire and fire came down. He prayed for rain and it rained. So he gets a tweet from Jezebel, right? What would you expect him to do? He got a message from Jezebel. What would you expect him to do? Every time Elijah prays what happens? God answers. So he gets this message from Jezebel, what would you expect him to do? Pray. "Every time I pray God answers". But no, he freaks out. He suffers fear, anxiety and depression. He leaves the ministry. Go ahead. Read it.
He literally tells God, "Duces, I'm out". Ends up under a broom tree. God has to feed him. Ends up on the side of a mountain where God literally asks, verbatim quote, "Elijah, what are you doing here"? When God asks what you're doing there, you're probably lost. Why? Because there is a battle, the battle was between your mind and your mantle. The battle is between your mind and your mantle. The number one battle is not between republicans and democrats, donkeys and elephants. It's between the serpent and the lamb. It's between your mind and your mantle. The number one battle is between the thoughts that run through your head and the calling of God upon your life. The real battle is between your memories and your imagination. Between fear and faith, trauma and testimony, drama and destiny.
But how many here know, the battle has already been won? Come on. How many know the battle has already been won? 1 Corinthians 15:57, "Christ is my victory". Romans 8:37, "We are more than..." You have that victory. So this is what... Twenty-four hours passed. "Twenty-four hours you gon' die". Twenty-four hours passed. Elijah did not die. Forty eight hours passed, 72 hours passed, a week passed Elijah did not die. What if I tell you a month passed Elijah did not die. A year passed Elijah did not die. Ten years passed Elijah did... Jezebel said, "I swear by my Gods in 24 you gon' be dead". A hundred years passed, what? Elijah did not die.
What if I tell you 1,000 years passed, what are you talking about, Willis? A thousand years passed, guess who did not die? Elijah didn't. It's been approximately 2,800 years since Jezebel said, "You gon' die". And guess who has yet to die. The Bible says, "Elijah and Elisha were walking together 2 Kings 2:11, when a chariot of fire showed up and separated them and then a whirlwind took him up". Ha-ha he never died. He never died. What does that mean for you? Why I'm I sharing this with you? It doesn't matter what hell has declared upon you, upon your family, upon your marriage, your children. When heaven starts it, hell cannot stop it.
Can anybody here come in agreement with me? Whatever hell has declared the opposite will take place. Did y'all miss that? Whatever hell has declared upon you physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, financially, your children, your children's children. Even your generation, the opposite will take place. If you come in agreement lift up your hands. 1 Thessalonians 5:24, "He who called you is faithful to do it". Hebrews 10:23, "He is faithful to keep his promise". Luke 1:37, "The Word of God never fails". Ha-ha. The opposite will take place. Why? Because when your integrity is more important than your influence nothing can stop you. When you are driven by anointing rather than ambition nothing can stop you. When your hunger for righteousness is greater than your fear of criticism nothing can stop you.
And when your praise is louder than your pain... Let me say that one more time: When your praise speaks louder than your pain... come on Bethany, when your praise speaks louder than your pain nothing can stop you. Somebody praise like there's a mantle on you and your family, and your children, and your children's children. Pastor come up here. If you got this word lift up one hand. If you receive the mantle of the spirit, the mantle of drought, fire, and rain, the mantle of speaking truth with love in the name of Jesus, the mantle of when heaven starts it hell cannot stop it, raise both hands. Ah-ha.
As I pass it on to pastor, I have one final biblically substantiating query for you. I sense the Lord here. Elijah's spiritual son was Elisha. Is there anything in the Bible that says that Elisha inherited Elijah's depression? What about his fear? What about his anxiety attacks? What does the Bible say Elisha inherited from Elijah? Anybody know? The mantle. Great news. Your children, and your children's children, and your children's children's children will not inherit your sins. Our children will not inherit our anxiety, our fear, our depression, our trauma or our drama. Our children and our children's children will inherit the mantle of anointing of God ordained purpose.
Father, in the name of Jesus activate these mantles upon each and every person here. The mantle now is through the Holy Spirit who lives inside of us. I pray that every single person here will rise up as an Elijah and Elisah, with this mantle in the midst of this broken world. We're not fighting people. We're fighting principalities and powers and darkness. Ephesians 6 "For we have the power to overcome". Luke 10:19, "In the finished work of Christ". So today we release these mantles upon each and every person by the authority of heaven. May the strength of the Father and the grace of the Son, the anointing of the Holy Spirit, make this season the season of the mantle upon you and your family.
Hey Bethany let's do one thing together in the name of Jesus, like never before. Are you ready? Let's go change the world. God bless you and God keep you.