Annie led group in worship…
Pastor Ray…
More, more, more, Lord… Holy Spirit… do whatever needs to be done, Lord… we open our hearts and ears to hear… we know You’re speaking… we have a great desire and expectation to be changed… and we know Your Word makes it clear that we will be being changed from one degree of glory to another… hallelujah!… thank You, Lord… Now, Lord… in this place… do it, Lord… we yield to You… we’re hungry and thirsty for more… it’s all about You… You are moving… things are changing… thank You… for the new, Lord… we remove all limitations and open ourselves up to You… that is our cry… more, Lord… we yield to You for more… that we might be the more in someone else’s life… making a change somewhere… 2020 a year of greater increase…
Annie led group in worship…
Pastor Ray…
I don’t ever want to be in such a hurry to do something that I don’t allow Him to do everything… to move, to bring the change that we need, to be touched, to be rearranged, so that we would be effective for others… FOR OTHERS! We might be touched so we would go forth to bring Him to others. So they can be change. They can be rearranged, touched. That’s why we’re spending this time in His presence. For me personally, some of the biggest changes I’ve had and that I remember the most are when He came and touched me. When you’re changed internally by the Holy Spirit, you will never forget it and never want to go back to the way you were.
Last night, I had a meeting with all the prayer directors of the prayer groups here at Living Word. You never know what someone else might say or do that will bring change to you. Let’s expect it. We were in the small room. Someone was in there playing the keyboard. I asked, “Are you playing tonight?” He said, “No, I’m just spending time here.” So we came in to do the meeting. When I was leaving, he touched the keyboard and the sound was just right. And I was like, there’s an anointing on that. So we all got in there. Pastor Folu was with me and we had a plan. The Holy Spirit had a different plan. All we had to do was yield to His plan and the first thing was… if we walk through into the sanctuary, the doors that have windows… I went out into the hallway, looked into the window in the music area and this gentleman was in the music area. I was like, “Come. I need you to play.” We had him play. Then singing in other tongues. And guess what? The anointing was there. Right Folu? Let me hear what happened to you. Describe it.
Pastor Folu…
As brother Rob was playing, I just sat there. He started gradually and I just started shaking under the power. I was like, “What is going on?” It just kept on. I was like, “God is here.” I mean He’s always here, but I’m talking about His tangible presence. It was just amazing.
Pastor Ray…
So we got to spend time in His presence. We don’t ever want to do our own deal and miss out on His deal. I was reminded that Vicki Jamison Peterson… she’s now in heaven. You never know who the Holy Spirit will move through to bring change to you. Sandy and I had an opportunity to meet her years ago in the 90s. She came to one of our prayer conferences in the old building. Pastor Lynne called her up out of the audience. She wasn’t a guest speaker or anything. She got up on the podium and there was music playing and all she did was look over to the left and looked across the sanctuary, really slowly. And His presence manifested so greatly. So much so that I’ll never forget it. It was unexpected. I want to be more expectant to Him.
I want to share with you something Vicky said. In the services, she would say “I’m just a handmaiden of the Lord. I hold open the curtain and allow the Holy Spirit to do the work.” That’s what she saw herself as. All the time, she would yield. She would start to sing out body parts. It was so anointed. We got to spend some time with her in meetings in Alabama. I want to be like her, just be responsible to open up the curtain. And not get in the way of what the Holy Spirit wants to do.
Years ago, Pastor Mac said if you’re dry, get with somebody that you see the fire burning. Get around them. Get where you need to get. Let’s stay connected to the body.
I want to go through this excerpt from Vicki’s book called, “More Than Enough.” She had about three points. This week we’ve been spending time on the blood’s importance. Billye said the old timers had a revelation of the power in the blood of Jesus. When they woke up, they covered themselves in the blood. When they got ready to go to sleep at night, they would plead the blood. We need to be more aware of that. We believe for the blood to be over our President and those around him so they walk in wisdom and do what needs to be done. So we might live in peace. We plead the blood of Jesus over Living Word, over the staff, our school, all that serve, all those who call this their church.
This is from Vicki’s book called More Than Enough.
Through the limitless power of El Shaddai—the God of more than enough—you can be a tireless dynamo in God. When you tap into the power source of the universe, you receive the energeia of God. He becomes your “energizer” for life.
First, He gives you exousia, or divine authority. That’s yours the moment you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. He gives every child of God the power of attorney to conduct the Father’s business.
That authority—when used with knowledge—renders Satan powerless. It’s the clout that Jesus gave His disciples in Luke 10:19: “Behold, I give you the authority… over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
That is the same authority He gave the 12 disciples in Luke 9:1, “Then he called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.”
Second, when you step out to minister in the power of the Holy Spirit, He gives you dunamis or miracle-working power. That’s what Jesus promised in Acts 1:8, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.”
And it’s the same power Jesus used in His ministry on earth. “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him” (Acts 10:38).
God was with Him… and He is with you. Anytime Satan challenges your authority—and he will—you can back it up with supernatural power. Holy Spirit filled believers carry a big stick.
And third, as you grow in faith you develop dratos—the kind of strength described in Ephesians 6:10, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.”
You walk with quiet exousia, or authority, with instant access to the adrenalin of dunamis power, shielded and protected by the kratos of God’s might.
You’re no longer just a reservoir of God’s goodness. You are a conduit of His power. The immeasurable force of El Shaddai flows from your being.
You can move mountains. You can speak healing and deliverance to those you meet. You can lead men and women out of the darkness and into the light.
I challenge you to put El Shaddai to the test. Look your toughest problem right in the face, and then—with nothing wavering—way “With God’s help, I will defeat you. You cannot stand in the presence of almighty God.”
When you speak the Word of God—with no doubt or unbelief—miracles happen. You are going to discover a greater strength than you’ve ever known before. You’ll never again be defeated. Even when the battle seems to be going to the enemy, you’ll have the assurance that ultimate victory is yours.
There’s no question about it. The Bible says, “Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph (2 Cor. 2:14). Unlimited power flows through you as a believer. But you have to turn on the switch. You have to be an open channel.
May the strength of El Shaddai gush forth from you today!
