Pastor Ray…
Good Friday morning. I have a scripture I want to read this morning or some things about Ephesians. But first, I put this in my Bible a few years ago when Bishop Butler was here at Living Word. He said, God put us here for other people.” We’re not just here for “me, myself, and I.” “God put us here for other people. And when our act is together, we’ll become someone that God can direct in prayer.” So when our act is together, when we’re overflowing with the Holy Spirit, right?
I don’t know if you’ve ever heard him, but he has a really strong voice and he goes “Power. When the power force of the Holy Ghost gets in a city…” Then he listed some other things like families, leaders, ministers, ministries. He said, “Something is going to change when the power of the Holy Spirit gets in…” And then he said, “Prayer changes things.” The first thing that he said was, “When the power of the Holy Ghost gets in a city.”
I’m sure that you’re aware that we had a prayer walk last night, downtown Minneapolis, and then a meeting at River City Church, First Baptist Church, downtown Minneapolis on Hennepin Avenue. There were a lot of people and everything was right. The weather was good. We walked by so many…. First of all, businesses that were still [makes noise] … either they were shut down and they’d be open at some point. Or some businesses were out, gone. And that’s sad. Like Nick Hall said when he was here a couple of weekends ago, he goes, “It used to be ‘Oh my gosh, I don’t want to go downtown. There’s so much traffic and people and whatever.’ Not any longer, not right now.” There’s construction. There are some things opening up. But the thing that just kinda got me was you could tell people that would see the traffic, a lot of times the people would be walking and they’re all together in this huge chain of people walking. Well, if the light turned red, people just kept going. And most all the traffic would just stop because, you know, I’m sure they were thinking, “Uh oh.” But then they’d see the signs, you know, about revival and they’d get the gist. I felt like most all people that just came upon it, were extremely respectful of what was happening. And restaurants that were open, there’d be people coming out of the restaurant looking to see what’s going on. And, it was a good event. Do you want to share anything about what you said about what you saw?
Man shared…
Well, mostly I saw a peaceful gathering. I saw God magnified and I felt spiritually that something was going on. I felt that the Holy Spirit was in the whole thing. And along the route, there were several stops at I think it was the court building and several other stops where we prayed. I just felt God was doing something in the spirit that couldn’t necessarily be seen, but was actually happening. And, it was mostly people that were out doing work. When I say spiritual work, you know, it wasn’t just a casual walk maybe for a few, but most of it, I think this was all serious spiritual business.
Pastor Ray…
That’s good. Thank you. That true. Serious spiritual business. How many times have you ever seen a march downtown Minneapolis where it’s based on prayer? I mean, I love it. We went by so many apartment buildings and, you know, high rises and all that kind of thing. You can look right up in the windows and when we got to First Baptist, one of the pastors… A lot of different pastors prayed, including Pastor Manc and Lynne. But, the pastor that is now the pastor at First Baptist, when he came out, he said some things about their location, where they are downtown on Hennepin. He said, just within a few blocks surrounding First Baptist, there’s at least 21,000 people living downtown. They’re still there. They haven’t left. And he said, those are the people that we’re wanting to reach. I mean, more than that, but they’re wanting to reach the people that are actually right there around them. And, I said it two days ago, but you know, Sandy and I used to go there. We got married there at First Baptist years ago. But, when we were part of that ministry, I remember one of the pastors… All these pastors are gone. So it’s a whole new group. I’m not coming against the church First Baptist, but when we were there, there was one pastor that just … his desire was to get out on the streets and get people saved. That’s what he wanted to do, but the board weren’t happy about that. And I never could understand that. I don’t know why they didn’t want him out there. Maybe they wanted him to do something else. I don’t know. But he actually got in trouble with the board for going out and witnessing. Yikes! Isn’t that what it’s supposed to be about?
I saw a couple of different people being prayed with to be born again as the march was going and after the march at the event where there was worship and prayer outside of First Baptist. So you could see people’s lives being changed right there. From darkness into the light. I just wanted to give you that little update. Hallelujah!
So I found this this morning. I am on the mailing list and it’s called The Herald of His Coming. You can sign up for it. I’ve gotten it for years and it’s a little newspaper. And it’s all about prayer, revival, all the things that we are into. And, you can just go online and sign up for it. There are past editions that were put out. You could see what would interest you. You can go online and get it, or you can go online and sign up to receive it. I just wanted you to know about that.
So first of all, let’s just do that one song. I wanted to just lift Him up and this is Psalm 23. I played it one time in here before when we didn’t have a musician. It’s all about Psalm 23. So we’ll do that right now. And then I’ll read this.
Group worship…
Pastor Ray…
This is a scripture I saw this morning. Ephesians 6:10, “In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].
So, we’re not so strong, but He is. And so in this article, it’s called “extra ordinary united prayer,” in Herald of His Coming. That same scripture and then two more added onto it in this version says “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the full armor of God so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil, for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but it’s against rulers against the powers against the world forces of this darkness against spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the full armor of God so that you will be able to resist in the evil day and having done everything, stand firm.”
That our call. We stand firm. And one thing I was so blessed last night, there were so many people that I met that I did not know that said they they’re online. But I mean, younger people, middle-aged people, older people… They were tuning in and it’s united prayer. That’s what this is.
So this article goes on to say, “Now here the reason we must unite in prayer. We have an unceasing enemy.” So, I’m not wanting to just put our focus on the enemy today, but there is an enemy. And we’re called to resist. So, “we have an unceasing enemy. He does not sleep. He doesn’t give up.” He does not say, well, you know COVID is here and it’s harder. So I’m just going to try to go after Jesus in His kingdom. And I’m just not going to do that anymore.” No! That’s not true. The Devil is an unceasing enemy. And I want you to notice a few things that Paul says about our enemy. He says, first of all, this enemy has powerful yet temporary authority. That authority will not be there forever. But look at the words Paul uses. He says, we do not wrestle against flesh and blood. That’s not our battle. We wrestle against rulers and that indicates that there is a level of authority and the reference to powers indicates that the enemy has a level of ability. He can do things. He can make things happen. He can abort the movement of God in specific ways. …
I was reading in Timothy this morning, how Paul was telling Timothy what’s going to happen in the last days… what’s good is bad and bad is good. I mean, it’s all turned around but it’s not people that we’re wrestling against. It’s the devil.
So Paul says, we struggle against the world forces of this darkness. This is not just a little isolated incident. Instead, this enemy has forces all over the world that are affecting the whole world. Then Paul says they are spiritual forces.
So in other words, it’s not just material things. The enemy has a spiritual dimension in the heavenlies to cause things to happen and to accomplish things. So this enemy has authority and he also has schemes. Paul says, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. The word for schemes is where we get the word method. Our enemy has methods. This is true. We have seen a lot of different leaders in the Christian body of Christ fall. And of course, they have their personal responsibility in it, choices that they made, but understand also there are schemes. The devil has schemes.
And do you know that the enemy has schemes against you? He knows you. He watches the patterns of your life. He’s interested in the effect of your life for the kingdom of God. He’s not as concerned about you as he is concerned about aborting the work of God’s kingdom. That’s his plan and it’s been ramped up. He’s got schemes to accomplish that.
Then down a little further, “Listen carefully as the church begins to unite in a desperate cry to God. The schemes are going to decrease. No, they’re going to increase. Correct? They’re going to increase. I’m not reading it to make us fear. We do not have fear. When we resist the enemy, he has to flee. So his authority is temporary. Not only does the devil have schemes. He also has an evil environment in which to work. Paul wants us to be able to resist in the evil day. That’s verse 13. And then this article says “anybody think we are now in an evil day?” Well, as we just walked through the city last night, you can see so many things that were evil… evil things that took place in the heart of our city. And what used to be a vibrant downtown, right now it’s not. And so as we walk through and there were different… there was prayer for healing and revival and bringing things back the way they should be and praying over the churches and the ministries that are downtown.
And, this article says “several years ago, I would occasionally hear statements by others saying that something clearly right was wrong or something clearly wrong was right. I began to study in Romans and the digression of a nation when the people say no to God and God says, well okay. I’m going to give you up to yourself. If you have the tools, study that word reprobate. It means that you have literally lost the ability to make moral judgments. Right really is wrong to you and you will die for it. Wrong really is right to you. I used to hear these statements every once in a while. Now I hear them all the time, constantly incessantly in our world. If you are naive about the day in which we live about the schemes of the devil, about the power and the authority and the reach of the enemy, then you’re setting yourself up for a fall. You are also missing your place as a warrior in the line and there is a gap where the enemy can rush through.
So just a couple of things. We’re not mad, we’re not magnifying the devil. We’re just making ourselves aware that we are in a battle. All right. Because we have this unceasing enemy, it follows that we have this unceasing struggle. Paul says it like this: “For our struggle,” Ephesians 6:12, “for we wrestle, this is our struggle. Not somebody else’s struggle.” I like that because when we’re praying and we’re praying out every day, I like to take it personally that if I don’t do it, it’s not going to get done. I know there are many, many thousands of people praying, but we have to take it like that. If we don’t do it, just to be responsible for what we know to do. Right? It says, “This is our struggle. The word used here is a word meaning hand to hand combat. It’s not, “Well, I’m just sitting in my recliner watching on TV what’s happening in Afghanistan.” But it is in my living room. It’s my struggle. It’s your struggle against the unceasing enemy. Listen carefully. If you do not sense the struggle or feel it, it may be that the enemy has already won the battle. It may be that he’s sidelined you. It may be that you’ve gone AWOL and you’re just sitting there watching TV and he doesn’t have to give you much attention.
We don’t want to be that person.
Paul goes on to say “so that you will be able to resist.” That’s verse 13. The beautiful thing about that little phrase is that it means that we can resist. We can win the battle. That’s the good news. What does the scripture say? Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. Hallelujah. First John 4:4. Does the scripture say that if you resist the devil, he might flee? No. Or he will occasionally flee? No. You resist the devil in the way that God has intended and he must flee from you. Period. Thank you, Lord.
So how do we do this in the battle that we’re in? Paul says, first of all, be strong. Now, if we stop right there, we would all be in trouble. We do not have any strength. It’s not our strength. But back to this scripture that we started out with… be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. That’s what we have to do now. And that is what was happening. I felt like that was what was happening last night. The church rising up. The churches getting together in one accord. Does that mean everyone just absolutely, you know, sees things exactly in the same way. No. But Jesus is magnified. All of the people marching through the city agreed on one main thing: Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. And I believe that Jesus is Lord over our cities, and we’re taking St. Paul right on in there with Minneapolis. They’re the Twin Cities.
Father, I thank you so much for the prayers that were prayed in the heart of our city last night. Thank you for the people that marched through the city, lifting up prayers being spoken forth in the heart of the city… making a difference. But that’s not the end of it. That’s the beginning of some things and some changes in Jesus’ name. So there may be, and there is an enemy trying to stop the plan and the purpose that God has as for our cities, for our States, for our nation, for the nations all across the face of the earth. God has a plan. And today we come by the blood. We know we have access to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. We come by the blood, made righteous through that precious holy blood. Thank you for the blood today. And we come boldly and we declare what you already set forth. When Jesus went to the cross and said, it’s done, it’s finished. When He shed His blood. That blood is working right now today, this Friday in Jesus’ name. The blood is not only working in the cities, but the blood is working all over the earth where men and women and children to rise up and say, I plead the blood. I stand on the blood. I overcome through the blood. I resist the devil and he has to flee because the authority has been placed in you and in me. Businesses that are not functioning the way they should function, we plead the blood of Jesus over them. We declare increase. A turnaround in Jesus’ name… a new momentum, a new direction, a new empowerment by the power of the Holy Spirit … increase, increase, increase in Jesus’ name. Hallelujah. (tongues) I just heard the word Billye. Let’s pray for Billye Brim. Father, we lift up Ms. Billye Brim, her ministry that she’s over under you. We come by the blood and we pray around that ministry. We go right on out to prayer mountain there in Jesus’ name. Oh Father, thank you for what has been done for the things that were and have been accomplished through that ministry. And I’m reminded of how you made it clear to her that she was on this earth to help the pray-ers. Thank you, Billye Brim for being faithful to help the pray-ers. Thank you… more and more and more empowerment to you to do what God has called you to do. We plead the blood of Jesus around you today. We come by the blood, but we plead that precious covering around you around the call that God has put upon you. And we pray that even greater numbers will begin to join up with you and with the ministry that you are over in these end times. Thank you for utterance. We pray for supernatural revelation about your assignment on this earth. (tongues) Thank you, Lord. What was stolen from you, we declare seven times returned in Jesus’ name… financially, whatever … properties in Jesus’ name. We go on over to Israel. We pray over that project at Migdal in Israel. Hallelujah. We plead the blood of Jesus there. Hallelujah. Thank you, Father. Some things have been put on the shelf. Maybe it’s time to take them off the shelves. (tongues) It’s not over. It’s not done. It’s not finished … Yeah, there’s more for your ministry… more for your ministry to accomplish on this earth before you ever leave this earth and move to your heavenly home. We declare absolute strength to you in Jesus’ name. We pray over your physical body from the top of your head to the very soles of your feet. A supernatural increase in momentum in Jesus’ name as supernatural strengthening today to persist, to hold fast, to keep moving, to keep on the increase from one degree of glory to another. Oh, thank you, Father … [singing in the spirit]
Thank you, Father. Over, over this nation now … over the United States of America, every state. We know that in every state yesterday, people got together in a united prayer time and lifted it up. Oh Father, thank you for what you called this nation to be –one nation under you and it would be undivided. We’re thanking you right now that the church would get its act together and stop fighting one another. We take authority over whatever the enemy’s tried to bring separation in Jesus’ name … one church united together in one body on this earth and in this nation of the United States of America. (tongues) Thank you, Lord … things that were broken, being restored. From city to city to city in Jesus’ name… a turnaround… a shift now … a paradigm shift… words that had been spoken …words that were directed by the enemy, calling things down, speaking wrong words, saying it’ll never be this way …that can never happen here… We stand against words like that and we call things up and over and into a great momentum by your precious Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit, You are welcome in this country. You are welcome… we welcome your presence today. in America… let those bells begin to ring, ring out. Miracles are happening here! (tongues) I’m hearing two words we prayed about the other day: process and progress. A process given by the Holy Ghost, taking us over into greater progress in the plans and purposes that God has called for the United States. Oh, open openings, openings, doors, doors, opening openings in Jesus’ name … now, right now … just the right keys for the right doors, for the right atmospheric conditions for the power of the Holy Spirit to move and cover an outpouring of your Spirit. (tongues) Thank you, Father… we take authority this morning, right here against the works of the enemy. We’re not in fear. We’re not in doubt. We know that when we resist the enemy has the flee… we see some movement of the enemy of the church…
Barb…
We shut down those operations… in the name of Jesus that are working against the church. We shut down those operations and those plans in the name of Jesus. We close the door to you, Devil. You will not function or operate in any way in the church. You will not work … your plan in the body in Jesus’ mighty name… We drive you out… we hold the blood of Jesus over the body of Christ over the church of the living God… the blood of Jesus is flowing through your body. The blood of Jesus is flowing through your body, purging everything that doesn’t belong… purging out the darkness. Purging out deception… lack… darkness that’s rising … for we are called and appointed for such a time as this… to be the body, to rise up in this land… a mighty moving force… the army of God… marching into battle… destroying the works of the enemy… we are empowered to prosper in this day… we lift up the Heartland in Jesus’ name, that it would truly be a land that has your heart, where your Spirit is flowing and moving in the Midwest, God… that your anointing is moving. Your Holy Ghost is moving all through this land, into the Heartland, in Jesus name… moving in the hearts of people moving into the hearts of those… we are determined, Father… to hold fast to your Word, to hold fast to your promise. We will not let loose of the words that you have spoken over us. We hold fast to those prophecies, God… we hold fast to those things that you have spoken over our cities, over our land, God, over our nation, Lord… And we declare that this nation will be and one nation under God… every other God shall bow to the name of Jesus… Yes Thank you, Father, for increase…
We stand in our place of authority… we move those things out of the way… we move out every obstacle… to your plan… we clear the way… for the return of your Son… our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ… we lift up our heads for our salvation draws nigh… thank you for increase… a rapid increase… manifestation … from day to day… hour to hour… things changing for the good… changing and turning for our good… you have given us the keys and we use those keys… the keys over death, hell and the grave … glory to God. Thank you, Father nothing will dissuade us… from our call and purpose… nothing can stop us… death cannot stop us… the enemy has no right to touch us… the blood of Jesus covers and keeps us… from the enemy’s hand…
Every day we’re looking to you… we’re listening… for your voice… we’re being led by your Spirit… our steps are sure… we’re standing upon that rock that cannot be shaken… by any attack of the enemy… we’re standing on that rock… we are firm on that rock… we shall not be moved… not shaken… hand in hand we stand together until the end, a united force, a mighty force… glory to God… thank you for operations now.. by the Holy Ghost… supernatural operations… assignments… send out the assignments now… every single one… receiving those assignments… prayer assignments… work assignments… it’s time to take them up… into your hands… by the Holy Ghost… pour it out… pour it out, Father… that which is necessary for this time, for this very day… flow, Holy Spirit… flow… let your river flow today… in each one of your people… being that light… that is not under a bushel… that light that shines brightly everywhere they do… even as they pass by those that are infirmed, that they are healed in the name of Jesus, just because they get near the presence of the holy one… this is the time, the hour for the church to shine in the earth… time for Your people to be who they are… moving, moving, moving… possessed by the holy ghost… full of the Holy Spirit…and fire… changing atmospheres… by their very presence… changing atmospheres just be entering into a room that the glory of God would fall in every room they step into… because you are with them… this is the time… for the supernatural… to become natural with us… and in us and through us… this is the time for the Holy Ghost to make a move… for the holy ghost to make a move in you… it’s time for the body of Christ to rise up and shout for He has given us the land… the victory… He has filled us with this love and nothing can defeat us… nothing can hold us down… nothing can hold us back… great is His glory upon the church… and he will get glory… He will be glorified… we call for complete cooperation now… everything coming together… unity… all the parts together… release… a release … be released… be loosed unto your call… to your purpose… into the earth… go ahead and testify… everywhere that you go, open up your mouth and let Him fill it… be bold in this hour… be bold… let the weak say I am strong… let the poor rise up and declare that I am whole, I am healed, I am wealthy, I am strong in the Lord and in the power of His might… I am a mighty man, a mighty woman of valor… I can rise up, I can leap over a wall, I can climb that mountain, I can do anything that He’s called me to do… His anointing is upon me… He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor… to open the eyes of the blind, to raise the dead… there is nothing that we can’t do… He has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness… let us be consumed with your passion… a passion for you… let your fire burn in us… like never before… let courage come to the body… yes, we cast out fear… get out of here! Go, go, go, go… we will not be held any longer by the bondage of fear… we will not be held by the bondage of doubt… today the body is coming out of that place of bondage… of that place of containment…
Ha, ha, ha, ha… ho, ho, ho, hey, hey, hey… ha, ha, ha… ha, ha, ha… ho glory, glory, glory… ha, ha, hey, hey, hey… ha, ha, ha… hey, hey, hey… victory, victory… did I not say that you are the head and not the tail… did I not say that you are above, far above, seated with me… did I not say that you are far above… far above… hallelujah… ha, ha… hey, hey, hey… ha, ha, ha… oh glory, glory, glory… this is the day … this is the day… this is the day… this is the day… this is the day… we will rejoice… rejoice, be glad, be glad, be glad… ha, ha… hey, hey… every chain… is broken… every chain is broken… the storm is coming to an end… the storm is coming to an end… and you will testify of His goodness… Can anybody glorify the Lord? Can anybody give Him praise? Can anybody magnify the name of Jesus? Hallelujah! Yes, there’s a holy anger that will rise up in you… that you will not let the enemy take anything from you… you let the Holy Ghost rise up… so that you can resist the enemy in his power, in his strength… He said he has to flee… don’t fellowship with those things of the enemy… don’t fellowship with his thoughts… don’t fellowship with those things he brings against you… you cast them out and resist them by the power of the Holy Ghost and they will go… in Jesus’ name… thank You, Jesus… hallelujah… hallelujah… glory to God… hey, hey… thank you, Jesus…
Pastor Ray…
I saw something. The devil likes to take what he wants to bring against us and underline every single word. He’ll underline it and he’ll bring it to us in capital letters, like DEPRESSION! SICKNESS… whatever. Just take the list that he tries to bring against us… he tries to underline it and magnify it so that we’ll walk in fear. But the blood of the Lamb and the name of Jesus cancels out every evil plan of the enemy, removes it and rewrites it over on God’s will and God’s plans and God’s purposes for us in these days. It’s a sudden removal… it’s a supernatural removal by the blood of the Lamb and that name that is above every other name… so we only see victory and we can laugh and walk in the joy of the Lord knowing it will work out right. He has to go! in Jesus’ name. And we agree today because that’s what the Word has said.
Barb…
I have one thing to say. Before I came here this morning, the Holy Ghost gave me one word. I was getting ready and out of my spirit, He said, “Nothing great ever happened by being cautious.” I went, ohhh. You want to say, “I mean, what about…” No. You say, “true, Lord.” Nothing great ever happened by being cautious. So when the Holy Ghost tells you to do something, do it. Just like Mary said, “Do whatever Jesus tells you to do. Just do it.” I know the flesh is like, “Ahhh!” but the Holy Ghost is like, “If you could see what’s on the other side of that obedience… just throw caution to the wind and listen to the Holy Ghost. And you will be so amazed at what happens on the other side of that step.
Pastor Ray…
Thank you for tuning in today. Bless your weekend.
