A Public Display

Pastor Joel @ Lakewood Church

God is going to show out in a way that not only will I see his power but EVERYONE will see. God will give me a public display. I won't have to say anything to my critics, God will. What He will do in my life remove any doubt.

The Lord replied, "Listen, I am making a covenant with you in the presence of all your people. I will perform miracles that have never been performed anywhere in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people around you will see the power of the Lord —the awesome power I will display for you.

Exodus 34:10 NLT

God could display his power however he sees fit but he's going to do it through me. 

Sometimes God will let you get in a situation that seems impossible so everyone will know it was God.

You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.

Psalms 23:5 NLT

Send me a sign of your favor. Then those who hate me will be put to shame, for you, O Lord , help and comfort me.

Psalms 86:17 NLT

People will see first hand God's favor on your life. 

David and Goliath

When David defeated Goliath,  a larger, older, more experienced fighter, in front of everyone they had no choice but believe God was on his side.

Then Elijah said to them, "I am the only prophet of the Lord who is left, but Baal has 450 prophets. Now bring two bulls. The prophets of Baal may choose whichever one they wish and cut it into pieces and lay it on the wood of their altar, but without setting fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood on the altar, but not set fire to it. Then call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord . The god who answers by setting fire to the wood is the true God!" And all the people agreed. At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, "O Lord , God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. O Lord , answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord , are God and that you have brought them back to yourself."

1 Kings 18:22‭-‬24‭, ‬36‭-‬37 NLT

If you ask big, God will show out big.

Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench! And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, "The Lord —he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!"

1 Kings 18:38‭-‬39 NLT

God will move what looks permanent.

Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the door of the flaming furnace and shouted: "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!" So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire. Then the high officers, officials, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn't even smell of smoke! Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. They defied the king's command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore, I make this decree: If any people, whatever their race or nation or language, speak a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they will be torn limb from limb, and their houses will be turned into heaps of rubble. There is no other god who can rescue like this!"

Daniel 3:26‭-‬29 NLT

Paul lived a blessed life performing and witnessing great miracle.

And King Agrippa knows about these things. I speak boldly, for I am sure these events are all familiar to him, for they were not done in a corner!

Acts of the Apostles 26:26 NLT

https://bible.com/bible/116/act.26.26.NLT

The Joshua Generation

Pastor Joel @ Lakewood Church

The freed Israelites only heard about the blessings God had for them wondering around for 40 years. The next generation experienced the blessings. Voices will tell you that you'll only dream like that first generation but we're in the Joshua Generation!

Oh, taste and see that the Lord  is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

Psalms 34:8 NKJV

We aren't just going to believe for promises, we're going to see the promises.

"Now therefore, stand and see this great thing which the Lord will do before your eyes:

I Samuel 12:16 NKJV

The people who went before may have struggled but I'm not with them!

In the Book of Joshua, the city of Jericho was the first Canaanite city that the Israelites attacked upon their entry into Canaan (the promised land). The Israelites destroyed the Bronze Age wall of Jericho by walking around it with the Ark of the Covenant for seven days.

Generational Blessings

"So it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build, houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant— when you have eaten and are full—

Deuteronomy 6:10‭-‬11 NKJV

John's Compaq Center Seed

Lee Brown was the first AA police chief; Pastor John and Momma Dodie sowed a seed of kindness by attending his reception and letting him know that that were praying for him. 

20 years later Pastor Joel called the same man, but he was a Mayor, to ask him about buying the compaq center. Lee Brown said that he thought it would be a great idea.

Had his parents not cultivated that relationship Lee Brown may not have even taken that call.

Dr. Todd Price

Was contacted about an executive who had symptoms similar to disease's he had treated on his mission trips. He determined that the man had a serious malaria infection but he didn't have time to request the normal medicine from the CDC. After prayer, he came up with an idea to do a blood transfusion and the man recovered within a day, the fastest he'd ever witnessed.

Wisdom that goes beyond your normal understanding.

The Lord will extend your powerful kingdom from Jerusalem ; you will rule over your enemies.

Psalms 110:2 NLT

https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.110.2.NLT

A year to remember...

John Gray @ Lakewood Church

So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: "The  Spirit of the Lord  is  upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to  the  poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to  the  captives And recovery of sight to  the  blind, To  set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord ." Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.

Luke 4:16‭-‬20 NKJV

Jesus made sure to remain in community.

Can we recognize when we see the thing that we've been reading (prayer journals, prayer notes, scripture, etc...)

2018 was a year of exposure.

God loves me too much to let me linger in a relationship that isn't pushing me forward.

You can't argue with people who are committed to misunderstand you.

Stop showing a filtered version of yourself.

Don't throw out the whole year because you had a few bad days.

And he said to him, "Say now to her, 'Look, you have been concerned for us with all this care. What can  I do for you? Do you want me to speak on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?' " She answered, "I dwell among my own people." So he said, "What then is to be done for her?" And Gehazi answered, "Actually, she has no son, and her husband is old." So he said, "Call her." When he had called her, she stood in the doorway. Then he said, "About this time next year you shall embrace a son." And she said, "No, my Lord. Man of God, do not lie to your maidservant!" But the woman conceived, and bore a son when the appointed time had come, of which Elisha had told her.

II Kings 4:13‭-‬17 NKJV

1. What was God trying to teach us?

• You've been putting people on pedestals who don't belong there.

• 

People will judge your entire book based on the chapter they walked in on.

The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.

Proverbs 29:25 NKJV

2. How was God trying to reach us?

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

James 1:2‭-‬4 NKJV

Remember vs. Dismember

God had all the pieces to put 2018 together.

God pruned and planted.

Miracles In Your Mouth

Pastor Joel @ Lakewood Church 

The spirit of faith is in our words. Thinking positive us great but until you speak it, it may not come into fruition.

And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed and therefore I spoke," we also believe and therefore speak,

II Corinthians 4:13 NKJV

Beat your plowshares into swords And your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak say, 'I am strong.' "

Joel 3:10 NKJV

It doesn't say let the weak talk about the weakness and call 5 friends to discuss it. This doesn't mean that you lie, it means that you say the things that God says about you. 

When David faced goliath he understood that the miracle was in his mouth.

Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

I Samuel 17:45‭-‬46 NKJV

"Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.

Matthew 18:19 NKJV

There might be times when no one is there to agree with you. That's when you need to get you heart and mouth in agreement.

You don't need people to agree with you. 

We give life to what we speak. Your words can keep you from your destiny.

But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years."... And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time."

Luke 1:13‭, ‬18‭-‬20 NKJV

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

Hebrews 10:23 NKJV

Being directed to "hold fast" implies that something will try to take ot away.

Let them shout for joy and be glad, Who favor my righteous cause; And let them say continually, "Let the Lord be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant."

Psalms 35:27 NKJV

Words are seeds.

By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.

Hebrews 11:22 NKJV

There may be no sign of your God given heart desire but you should speak of ot before it happens.

Psalm 91 says "I will say of the Lord , "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust."

Psalms 91:2 NKJV

It then goes on to list great things that will happen. But in verse 9  Because you have made the Lord , who  is  my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place,

Psalms 91:9 NKJV

Use words to confirm what you heard not to argue it.

And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus . Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

Luke 1:31‭, ‬38 NKJV

Words are seeds.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Proverbs 18:21 NKJV

A man shall eat well by the fruit of his mouth, But the soul of the unfaithful feeds on violence.

Proverbs 13:2 NKJV

God said let the be light before he created a light source.

(Day 3)

Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.

Genesis 1:3 NKJV

(Day 4)

Then God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so.

Genesis 1:14‭-‬15 NKJV

Old Covenant 

So Moses cried out to the Lord , saying, "What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!" And the Lord said to Moses, "Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink." And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

Exodus 17:4‭-‬6 NKJV

New Covenant

Now there was no water for the congregation; so they gathered together against Moses and Aaron. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals." So Moses took the rod from before the Lord as He commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, "Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?" Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank. Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them."

Numbers 20:2‭, ‬7‭-‬12 NKJV

https://bible.com/bible/114/num.20.2-12.NKJV

Water can flow without too much effort.

The Danger of Dry Places

Pastor Joel @ Lakewood Church

It's easy to lose our passion when things don't turn out the way you thought. When you're dry, you lose the flavor of life.

"When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none.

Matthew 12:43 NLT

It's easy to live on autopilot and think whatever thoughts pop up.  If you fill your mind with positive thoughts then there won't be any room for negative thoughts. 

I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:

Acts 26:2 KJV

We were created with natural endorphins that we need to take steps to activate: get some sunlight, eat healthy, exercise, etc...

You can't override natural laws and expect to feel good. 

Find happy positive energetic friends.

"Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you.

Isaiah 60:1 NLT

You walked into that dry place so you can walk out of it. 

Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and

Psalms 42:5 NLT

God has never abandoned us but we've walked away. The flesh loves to feel sorry for itself.

Like David you may have seen God do amazing things but the discouragement test comes to everyone.

You sent abundant rain, O God, to refresh the weary land.

Psalms 68:9 NLT

God knows your circumstances and will send the things you need.

Research shows that most people are their 2nd happiest at 20 and happiest after 70.

Sylvester Turner

"My mom became the CEO of the Turner household. With no high school education, working as a maid at the Rice Hotel a few blocks away, never learning how to drive, she raised nine sons and daughters. She saw to it that they were educated, and when times were rough, she told us that tomorrow would be better than today. Today, it is evident that what my mom said is very true."

But the path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.

Proverbs 4:18 NKJV

Elijah witnessed a great miracle but still felt like his life was in danger and ran into the desert hoping to die.

And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord  came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

I Kings 19:9 NKJV

You don't make good decisions when you're hungry, dehydrated, and worn out. 

When you're in a dry place it's easy to think no one is in or has ever been in your situation. But the truth is God has brought many people out of your same situation.

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."

Matthew 4:1‭-‬3 NKJV

For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. During that time the devil came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread."

Matthew 4:2‭-‬3 NLT

Put yourself in a position to leave the dry place by thinking positive, keeping yourself nourished, and .keeping yourself in good company

From Finish to Start

Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

Philippians 1:1‭-‬6 NKJV

Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there  is no other; I  am God, and there  is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, 'My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,' Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man who executes My counsel, from a far country. Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it.

Isaiah 46:9‭-‬11 NKJV

This requires that you shift your mindset, you aren't waiting for your destiny, it is already finished.

Sometimes our plans don't work out because things shifted. It looks like life is random because things don't seem to make sense but there isn't one detail in my life that God didn't plan.

I'm not a cosmic accident.

I'm a spirit having a human experience.

God wrote my life backwards so I could live my life forward.

All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Revelation 13:8 NKJV

1. A finishing praise. A praise that acts like it's done even in the middle.

2. A finishing posture. 

3. A finishing perspective.

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

Colossians 3:2 NKJV

The best traffic reports come from above because you can see what's causing the problem and where it ends! It gives you hope.

The Lord can resurrect anything that is dead.

When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up." Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead.  And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him." So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. Jesus wept. Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"  Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"  And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."

John 11:4‭-‬7‭, ‬11‭, ‬14‭-‬15‭, ‬17‭, ‬35‭-‬35‭, ‬40‭, ‬43‭-‬44 NKJV

The Place of No Return

Bishop TD Jakes @ Lakewood Church

Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.  And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.  Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.  And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.  And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?   Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.  He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.  And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.  And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.  Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.   Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.  And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.

Matthew 26:36‭-‬47 KJV

Gethsemane was beautiful but people bring and undercurrent of pressure.

Gethsemane appears in the Greek original of the Gospel of Matthew^[1] and the Gospel of Mark^[2] as Γεθσημανή (Gethsēmanē). The name is derived from the Aramaic ܓܕܣܡܢ (Gaḏ-Šmānê), meaning "oil press".^[3] Matthew (26:36) and Mark (14:32) call it χωρἰον (18:1), meaning a place or estate. The Gospel of John says Jesus entered a garden (κῆπος) with his disciples.^[4]

A fish and a bird could fall in love but where would they live? This is the conundrum of our relationship with the Lord.

What happens in private determines the power of what happens in public. If Calvary is the light that changed the world then Gethsemane is the light switch.

The disciples were under a lot of pressure.

And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.  And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?

Matthew 26:21‭-‬22 KJV

The garden is where the problem started (Genesis 3).

Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.  So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Genesis 3:23‭-‬24 KJV

Sometimes in order to advance you have to be lonely. Don't stop where others have stopped.

Jesus was in the right place struggling to get in alignment with the will of God.

Disappointed evolves out of what you had in mind. (Not my will) Jesus is praying to get over what he had in mind. 

Everything in life is on hold because we're worshipping what we had in mind.  We're asking God if there is any way that we can win if we do it our own way. But Jesus broke the curse with a decision and that's what we need to do. (Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, "My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done." Matthew 26:42 NLT But Jesus prayed this one more time)

The most powerful tool you have is a decision.

A bad decision in the garden messed everything up so it's going to take a good decision in the same place to turn things around.

You are one goid decision away from turning everything around.

Some people will sleep on you but you have to go a little further.

Then he came to the disciples and said, "Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But look—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Up, let's be going. Look, my betrayer is here!"

Matthew 26:45‭-‬46 NLT

Light was made from oil. The Lord says He will not crush you without bringing you out shining.