Brother DJ led worship and shared…
This morning when I was driving here, I heard from the Lord “pray for John.” Then I started seeking while I’m driving here. I heard that it would be a lot more Johns who go to Living Word Christian Center, or they have family member named John. We’ll pray for those in a little bit. We’ll be praying for Johns today. If you’re watching, John, this is your day to give many thanks, especially for your Father. Thank you, Father.
A few days ago, Pastor John was praying for Ukraine, “cease fire.” And we were all praying here with Pastor John. And I heard like Pastor Mac will say, “Hey, if you’ll serve in the military, stand up.” And I heard Pastor John had served in Ukraine, not as a military man, but a spiritual man. He can pray. We should honor him as we honor the military. He served in Ukraine.
A donation can for Ukraine…
A few days ago, somebody walked into my restaurant with a can. They made a donation can and put “Ukraine” on it. They wanted me to put on my restaurant counter. They asked, “Can we put it here so people can put coins and stuff.” Because Hopkin is a sister city of Ukraine. I don’t have the whole story. But anyway, I said, “Sure. No problem.” Because they are also our business neighbors. So she put the can on my counter. She gave me a card and said, “When it’s filled up, please call us and we’ll take it and give you another empty can again.” One week passed by and nobody dropped any money in the can. Not even a penny! I looked at the can, and it was empty. I have a lot of customers, but none of them put in a one dime or nickel. I was amazed.
But the problem is this. In our restaurant, people don’t use cash. In places retail like a gas station and a convenience store and so forth, people use money and when the change come, the put it in the little can. And their cans are full. My can is empty. Because we don’t have change. So a few days later, I was going to go to work and I heard the Holy Spirit say, “You know the jar you filled up coffee for your coffee cans?” And I would buy those coffee cans just purposely to fill it with change. And when it’s totally filled up, it’s too heavy to carry. When it’s full, I’ll give it to somebody, maybe my daughter or whoever. I heard the Holy Spirit say, “Take this jar.” I went to their retail store and said, “Here it is.” She said, “Man, you filled up so fast.” I say, “No, nobody even put a quarter. The Lord told me to give to you.” And it was probably $120 in it. So I gave it to her. She thank you. And I left.
Few hours later, I’m working and somebody from Speak the Word Church called me. They said we looked for your number from morning to now. I said, “For what.” “We want you to buy us properties.” I’m a real estate broker. I sell properties. Anyway. I asked, “How many.” Is this a coincidence? My jar will not be empty again. That jar will keep filling.
Then the same night, I got up and said let’s check my voicemail. Somebody else left me a message. They used to go there but they go here. “Hey DJ, can you come into our house? We want to sell our house.” God is working! Obedience is better than sacrifice. Thank you, Father.
Sister Cindy…
I love the testimony that he has about Father’s day. Because that Father’s day he was laying on his couch. His word was that he was bored. God doesn’t want us to be bored. He wants us to be active, doing things with Him, partnering with Him. And so he got up from the word that he heard in his heart. The word that we’re supposed to live by, the rhema of the Spirit. We read this written Word and it speaks to us, but we’re feeding our spirit and that connection with God’s Spirit and our spirit is a wonderful thing. Because the Lord gives our spirit things to say. I mean, we hear from God and then, he gets up, he goes to church, God gave him a certain number, and he engaged with the Father. He did business with the Father. And, you can listen to his testimony and say, “Well, that’s a good idea. I’ll do that.” And that wouldn’t be bad, but you want to hear from God yourself. What is He speaking to you? How is He wanting to engage with you? How is He wanting to do business and partner with you in the world? And that’s the joy. I mean, He doesn’t want you to be bored, sick, busted, and disgusted. He wants you to be moving with Him. And even if you move out in the wrong direction, He has the opportunity to steer you because you are moving.
Prayed…
So I thank you, Father, for all that you’ve planned, all that you have in store for us in communion, being in relationship with you. For that is our wealthy place. I mean the smallest thing that you do for Him I think somebody said that the other day it says what you think is small, God’s put a lot of weight on that. And the things that you want to do that you think are so big, He’s just like, “I’m not in that. Come over here. Let’s do this together.” Because we’ve been called to bear His fruit.
Cindy shared about the love of God…
This morning, I wanted to share about the love of God. It’s His love that He wants to show us and fill us. You’re saying that today we’re going to be filled. But He needs to fill us with His love before we ever do anything for Him. Pastor Lynne said something many years back. She says, “We go to God and we spend time in His presence. And from the overflow of that presence, that’s where we go and do things for God.” It’s a partnership. He fills our tank, but God wants to fill our tanks every day so that we can go places with Him, so that we can do things and be astounded because He’s doing them through us. And, it’s from our heart, from the overflow of His presence in our heart that we go and bear His fruit.
We’re all going to be filled today…
DJ called me this morning and I said, “Yeah, we’re all going to be filled today.” And then you said that. I still were going to be so filled. But before we get filled, we get empty. And then we get it filled. And then we get empty. And then we get filled. And then we get empty and then we get filled. And I go that kind of sounds like the river. It’s always rushing through us. It’s always, you know, we’re not holding onto anything. It’s in us. It’s out of us. It’s in us. It’s out of us. And it is getting us where we need to be and we are bearing His fruit.
Prayed…
So, Father, I thank you that the love of God in us compels us, constrains us. And it gives us boldness to just move with you in those little things that we wouldn’t consider, that they are big things. But you don’t call us to do difficult things. You don’t call us to do hard things. They might be. Yes, His yoke is easy and His burden is light. The things that you’ve called us to do, they’re not difficult. They might be inconvenient or they might be uncomfortable because we’re learning to get out of the world system and get into your river of life.
Love is…
And the greatest of these is love because faith works by love. If you do all the things in the Bible, but you don’t have love, He wants us to know His love. God’s definition of love… Love endures long and is patient and kind. God’s love in us, a full tank is patient and kind. God’s love in us never is envious nor boils over with jealousy. God’s love in us is not boastful or vainglorious. It doesn’t display itself haughtily. It’s not conceited, arrogant, and inflated with pride. It is not rude, unmannerly and does not act unbecomingly. God’s love in us does not insist on its own rights or its own ways, for it is not self-seeking. It’s not touchy or fretful or resentful. It takes no account of the evil done to it. It pays no attention to a suffered wrong.
Prayed…
So all of these things are what we get when our tank is full. We don’t have any condemnation. We cannot love like this without you. We need to everyday. And you’re saying “Pull up to the gas station and get filled with Me and watch and see what I will do through you. And My love will give you boldness. My love will constrain you and compel you in the compassion for those around you.” Because I’ve got good works for you to do, works of love, works of faith that works by My love. And I’m with you always.
Father, we are waiting on you. For you’re the one who fills us… and you’re the one who shows us where to go, what to do… because I have appointed you to bear My fruit …
Sister Barb shared…
The Word says that the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. And so today we pray for the revelation of that love that He’s already put on the inside. It’s a love that sends you to Ukraine. That’s the love of Jesus. That’s what faith works by, that love on the inside. It’s already in here. We just need to let it come out.
Prayed about revelation of the love of God…
And so in Jesus’ name, Father, we ask today for your Church, for your body, for a revelation of that love. Everything she read that love is on the inside. You put it in there. How deep, how wide … that the full expanse of your love on the inside of us, let a revelation come to your body that we would completely know and understand that love, that we would experience that love on a daily basis. So we can let that love flow out, let that love, let that compassion flow just like it did in you, Jesus, when you were here in the earth. You were moved with compassion. Love compelled you to do. In Jesus’ name, we thank you for it. Thank you for that love flow. We put you first in all things.
