Pastor Ray…
Last night, brother Copeland started out by saying, “I’m going to minister on a thankful heart and gratitude.” I was like, “Wait, did you listen to brother Jerry’s messages?” Anyway, you know how Pastor Mac says in meetings like this, they connect together. It was awesome.
In everything we do here in the chapel, all the prayers, and flowing, and worship, we’re looking to do that, have a thankful heart. I saw this in a book that I was reading. The author quoted different people on what they said about their success. These are world people. The first one is by Isaac Newton. “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.” He was talking about how we have to be connected and relationships. His deal was he was the father of modern science, 1642–1727.
Then Henry Ford said, “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” I love that. You know what he did. They’re just saying how important it is to not be on your own. Yesterday, I felt alone. I don’t know why. I felt like there was a place where I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t pray. It seemed like a mini-wall. I’ve been in meetings with Pastor Lynne and I could tell if she was moved. And if she’s leading the meeting, if you’re leading the meeting, you better be moved. Otherwise, how are you going to lead? Sometimes, I could tell if it wasn’t moving her, she would stop and do something different that would get her into the realm of the spirit. She might sing herself. Sometimes the music would not move people into the realm of the spirit. We just have to be sensitive. Yesterday, that is why I asked Anne, “Come to the front and start singing in other tongues.” Just to change and lift. And that is what happened. Thank God. She started singing in tongues and began to sing in English the interpretation of her tongues. I’m just stressing the importance of us together. It’s not just a person, couple people. It’s all of us together. That’s how it’s always worked over the years. That’s how we get from one degree of glory to another.
This is a quote from Walt Disney: “You can design and create and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.” This other person was a professional coach of a basketball team. He said, “There is no such thing as a self-made man. You will reach your goals only with the help of others.” That was George Shinn.
So we’re in this together, right? We’re going in the same direction. A way to look at is, if you take Matthew 18:18–19 where two or more are gathered together and you’re in agreement, that’s the ultimate and only way we can move together corporately. That’s the way it is in the chapel.
I found this in Ecclesiastes 9:4. It says “Two are better than one because they have a good or more satisfying reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow, but woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up.” Verse 11, this is for being in the chapel. “Again, if two lie down together then they have warmth, but how can one be warm alone?” Okay, so sometimes here in the chapel, it’s pretty cold and you might want to get closer to your neighbor. Ha, ha… Verse 12 says, “Though a man might prevail against him who is alone, two will withstand him, a three-fold cord is not quickly broken.” That’s when we’re totally in agreement.
Prayed…
Thank You, Father… for the power of agreement… three-fold cord… we honor You and magnify You… we desire and purpose to have grateful hearts toward You… and thankful hearts for what You’ve done for us… and thank You, Father, for who You are… so good, so faithful… what You are doing for each one of us individually and corporately… how critical it is that we move together… Thank You, Jesus…
Dave…
“More than one together.” I just got in my spirit that Ray is leading this meeting. But really, Ray is not leading it. It’s the Holy Spirit leading this meeting. And every person here is part of that group. The Holy Spirit is here and dwells in each one of us. Each of us had a piece to contribute in this meeting. Even though you may not be the one that is the vocal person speaking out a word, you still bring an element to what is needed in this group’s corporate anointing. And as you engage in the process, it’s like all of us are painting this picture all at the same time. Directed and orchestrated by one person, the Holy Spirit. And when you pray out the things that are in your heart, you are helping the different hues and colors of that picture. You’re putting paint on that picture. Ray might be defining the subject matter by the words he is speaking, but you might get something in your spirit. “Yeah, the Lord spoke to me the other day and this is what He’s been speaking to me about that.” So you might be working on the background. And this other person is working on the trees over here and this other person is working on painting people into the picture. And at the end, we have this beautiful picture of reality.
Earlier this week, I was listening to brother Hagin and he was referencing the scripture in John. He was talking about when the Spirit of truth comes, He shall not speak of himself but that which He hears from heaven. When he’s talking about the spirit of truth, he’s talking about the spirit of reality. What is reality to you? Reality is the thing that you make. And as you pray out, you’re making that reality. It’s almost like there’s a focus for this meeting today and God’s got a plan for that meeting. You being there, you’re not just a spectator. You’re part of the process of creating that picture. When you’re listening to brother Copeland or whoever… a lot of times, we go into the meeting thinking that we’re just going to go in there and get something. And it’s kind of like that. But your participating in the process of what he ministers. You have to do with what he says. Because if he’s led by the Holy Spirit… when they are led of the spirit, what he’s doing is what you’re putting on the painting. It’s your expectation. It’s what God has been bringing to you, speaking to you. That’s why it switches gears. So you’re really the reason why that story is coming out.
So when you’re sitting there, you can’t think of it in terms of “Let’s see what’s going to happen.” No. You come with expectation and that is what is actually putting paining the picture. Each piece that you bring, you walk out of the meeting and say, “I never saw it that way.” You’re thinking as if he is the one that actually read your mail. But it wasn’t him, it was the Holy Spirit who knows you individually and is ministering to you individually. See what I’m saying? And He furthers the ideas He’s been working with you during the week. He further the idea of what you’ve been praying about. And He connects you. “How does this connect with what God is doing in my life right now?”
Last night, I did that. I was listening and thinking, “where am I in this picture?” Then I’m connecting and as I’m connecting, I’m actually bringing it into reality the next piece that is necessary for me as an individual in my reality. Does that make sense to you? It’s important to understand. If you see it that way, then you come to the meeting a lot differently. You’re not just a bystander. You’re a participant. I hear somebody say something here. I’ll hear somebody say something like, “amen” or I can tell that they are engaged. So what ends up happening is, as I’m ministering, I will start going in that direction. Because I will sense that they are connecting with what I’m saying and then I’ll start pushing in that direction. See what I’m saying? So when you make the connection with what I’m saying, I start pushing. As I start pushing, more and more comes out and then that picture starts becoming more defined and then all of a sudden, you’re not just there saying, “I’m just listening to what is going on.” You’re participating in what is going on. Then you walk away and realize “that was good.” Prayer is like that. As you come and participate and as we pray and as I’m speaking, as you connect to that, you are putting things on that picture. Then when you’re done, you have this image in your mind of that reality. And if He is the spirit of reality, then He is going to create a reality for you, His will for your life is going to show up on that picture. And the way you see that picture is what’s going to be important to you. And I might see something different on that picture because I’m looking at it differently.
As he was sharing about the unity and being a part of this, what I’m here doing this, a lot of times I’ll say, “ That’s what I got.” Then I’ll go over here. And the reason I do that is because I don’t want to put any more on the picture because somebody else has something to put on the picture. Know what I’m saying? When you’re praying with people, you just have to get used to that. There is lots of flowing and a lot of things are happening and you just have to keep your interest in it.
Pastor Ray…
When you described it as a picture, what I hear in my spirit is “every time” it turns out to be a masterpiece. Piece by piece by piece. The call of God individually, it brings about a different slant or side or color of that masterpiece. We thank You for it, Lord. We’re not in this alone.
I thought this last night. I happened to be where no one was sitting in front of me. I was in the second row but no one was in front of me. I almost could not look at the screen to read the scripture because it took my attention over here but brother Copeland was here. You know how his eyes are. I had to keep my full attention on him, to stay tuned into what he was declaring and teaching. I want to stay hooked up.
Barb, I want you to lead us in prayer for Pastors Mac and Lynne.
Barb…
For this masterpiece You have created, this body, this church… thank You, Father… for Pastor Mac and Lynne… who You have put the vision for this masterpiece in their hearts… Father, we stand together in agreement that everything you put in their hearts will come to pass… Father, we stand with Pastor Mac in this stand he has taken in faith… we agree with him that we will continue to abound every week… we thank You that he is stirred in his spirit… so he can stand… thank You, Father, for unity in the family… total peace… in the minds and bodies… and a fire of the Holy Ghost… coming upon them… inside burning, burning, burning… Father, let Your voice be so clear… every direction… every step… total peace… there in Jesus’ name… that there would be no wavering… their sail would be set… by the power of the Holy Ghost… we lift up those that surround him… give him the staff… we call for unity… total unity in the staff… that they would stand together shoulder to shoulder, arm in arm with their pastors… that they would support them in every way… that any negative thing, Father… that would be inspired by the enemy… any negative thing, that they would put it down… they would not speak those things forth… they would speak good things over their leaders… that they would pray for Pastor Mac and Lynne… let that fire come into their hearts… to hold them up… open their eyes to see the power and impact they can have in a positive way… over this body, over this church, over the pastors… we ask for inspiration today… inspiration, inspired in their work… in their words… in their dreams… in every way… not living a natural life, but living a life inspired continually by the Spirit… the anointing of God flowing and working in them daily… hour by hour… minute by minute… a divine dependence upon You… we are asking for impartation tonight… for Pastor Mac and Lynne… for the pastoral staff… you point them in the right direction… and you point out those things that they need to see… point out those opportunities… You highlight those things that are good… more, Father… that which has been diminished, Father, You restore… in Jesus’ name… that which has been held back, Father…You bring it back… in its fullness into this body… where things have been slowed down, I thank You, Father, that You begin to speed them up… so we’re right on track and on schedule… we’re arriving at the right time to the places You called us to be… we’re never late… but we’re right on time… because You are ordering our steps and leading us by Your Spirit… and Your presence carries us… this body into the right place… carries our pastors in their places… into the fullness of their callings… grace, grace, grace… we speak grace to them… into their lives… to their minds… to their bodies… we speak grace to their finances… to their families… operate, Father, and make changes… You rearrange things… You bring everything into order today… for the body, for the body, for the sake of the body… Father, You are bringing us into a wide place… into the land that is more than enough… we have stepped into that place… we have stepped over into that place of more than enough… as a body, Father… I thank You that, that limitation has been destroyed… by that step of faith that was made, Father, I thank You that, that spirit of poverty was broken… lack has been broken… we are walking in the place of abundance and grace… that place of supernatural provision… miracles, miracles, miracles… up and out in the name of Jesus Christ… we declare that every debt this church has was destroyed in Jesus’ name… we call this building paid in full… we call this building paid off… every debt wiped out in the name of Jesus… every part of this ministry abounding in Jesus’ name… more than they can spend… every single… every department financed beyond expectation… more than enough to do more than enough… we take the brakes off… we step on the gas and we’re going full speed ahead into Your grace and into Your plan… You are the Master of this place… You are creating a masterpiece here… thank You, Father… riding, riding, riding… yes, we’re riding with You… we ride upon the wings of the eagle… ha, ha, ha… and You carry us unto Yourself… into the plan.. by Your grace, by Your strength, by Your power… we rest in Your truth, in Your reality… in Your peace… by Your hand… it’s by Your hand… no more calamity in Jesus’ name… no more! … open us… to the possibilities… open us up, Father, to Your possibilities… let us take hold… of the great things that You’ve prepared for us… pour out…
Dave…
I got this word—synergy. It means “the interaction or the cooperation of two or more organizations; substance or other agents to produce a combined effort greater than the sum of their separate effects.” As we were praying, I hear that word, that there is a synergy in the will of God. That it is not an individual like a pastor that brings synergy. It’s the Holy Spirit that brings a body, a group of people, and synergizes them. He bonds them together. He knits them together and makes them greater than they are as individuals. The Bible says one will put a thousand to flight, two will put ten thousand to flight. It went to ten thousand. Pastor Mac gave a word a few weeks ago and put himself on the line for the body. He started speaking words of faith and called himself out on certain things and said, “The reason we’re doing this was because of the way I was looking at it. And now I’m not looking at it that way. I’m looking at it this way.” He switched. He got in agreement with what God was doing. So he agreed with God’s purpose and plan. Now it’s important for the people to synergize with him. See what I’m saying? You got to connect into that and it builds momentum and that which is placed before you will come into the reality as we understand it. Because the spirit of reality brings it. He’s saying this is what is real. And He gives it to the leader, then the pastor communicates that word and it’s our responsibility to get behind that word and get in agreement with it and not just “watch.” We need to get involved with our faith and prayers. When he said that, it turned something inside me. It changed me. Because I knew what he was saying was exactly what the Holy Spirit was saying and once I connected with that, I knew this is a new direction. Let’s all get together and start pushing. Pushing means engaging in our prayers and our words. We speak good things. In agreement with his statement. And the words we speak are going to prepare the path for the reality of that truth. The more we put positive words on that, the quicker it will come to pass. As we were praying, I saw us doing that. I saw us praying together and pushing, getting in agreement and connecting and bonding and bringing in the body. Getting bigger and bigger to the point where the momentum of that group overcomes.
Barb…
If you’re willing, the Holy Spirit will use you. If you’re willing… If you’re willing to connect with the Pastor’s vision, because the Holy Spirit is going to bring it through you, the increase. He has to increase you. So if you’re willing, receive that help of the Holy Spirit to bring the increase. It could be a raise. It could be an unexpected inheritance. So many ways. But open yourself up to the possibilities because in order for pastor’s vision to come to pass, it’s going to come through you. Don’t think it’s going to come through so and so because they’re in business. No! It’s going to come through you. If you’re willing. So be willing.
