Ms. Annie led us singing Refiner’s Fire
Pastor Ray…
Refiner’s fire. We choose to be ready to do Your will. We choose to be holy. We choose it. Burn out any dross. Cleansed, cleansed, cleaned with holy fire from heaven; baptized in the Holy Ghost and fire. Hallelujah.
Thank you, Lord.
Those songs were written under the power of the Holy Ghost and the anointing was on them. And the anointing is on them. Heartfelt, they are prayers really, declarations.
Yesterday, I went over some things about faith and, of course, we see that in Hebrews 11.
1) Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].
2) For by [faith—trust and holy fervor born of faith] the men of old had divine testimony borne to them and obtained a good report. Hebrews 11:1–2 (AMPC)
Hebrews goes on to talk about all the different men and women. And you go down to where it speaks of Moses.
27) [Motivated] by faith he left Egypt behind him, being unawed and undismayed by the wrath of the king; for he never flinched but held staunchly to his purpose and endured steadfastly as one who gazed on Him Who is invisible.
28) By faith (simple trust and confidence in God) he instituted and carried out the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood [on the doorposts], so that the destroyer of the firstborn (the angel) might not touch those [of the children of Israel]. Hebrews 11:27–28 (AMPC)
And then I wanted read verse 30 and on.
30) Because of faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encompassed for seven days [by the Israelites]. 33) Who by [the help of] faith subdued kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promised blessings, closed the mouths of lions, 34) Extinguished the power of raging fire, escaped the devourings of the sword, out of frailty and weakness won strength and became stalwart, even mighty and resistless in battle, routing alien hosts. Hebrews 11:30, 33–34 (AMPC)
Joshua 6
1) Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.
2) Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.
That was the Word of faith to Joshua. It was up to him to take the Word he heard and operate in it.
3) March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. 4) Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. 5) When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”
6) So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant of the Lord and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it.” 7) And he ordered the army, “Advance! March around the city, with an armed guard going ahead of the ark of the Lord.”
8) When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets before the Lord went forward, blowing their trumpets, and the ark of the Lord’s covenant followed them. 9) The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard followed the ark. All this time the trumpets were sounding. 10) But Joshua had commanded the army, “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!” 11) So he had the ark of the Lord carried around the city, circling it once. Then the army returned to camp and spent the night there.
12) Joshua got up early the next morning and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. 13) The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went forward, marching before the ark of the Lord and blowing the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets kept sounding. 14) So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.
15) On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times. 16) The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city! 17) The city and all that is in it are to be devoted[a] to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent. 18) But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. 19) All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury.”
20) When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city. 21) They devoted the city to the Lord and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.
22) Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her.” 23) So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother, her brothers and sisters and all who belonged to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel.
24) Then they burned the whole city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the Lord’s house. 25) But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho—and she lives among the Israelites to this day.
26) At that time Joshua pronounced this solemn oath: “Cursed before the Lord is the one who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho:
“At the cost of his firstborn son
he will lay its foundations;
at the cost of his youngest
he will set up its gates.”
27) So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land. Joshua 6:1–27 (NIV)
Pastor Ray…
I wanted to make the point, it’s up to us to hear the Holy Spirit say what it is that we are to do, and when we’re to do it. We should not get out in front of the Spirit or we should not be behind. But we should be right on time. And we should watch as we walk—keep our spiritual eyes open.
What is it? What am I hearing? What is it that I am to do? And when am I to do it? Basically, that is being directed and led by the power of the Holy, Holy, Holy Spirit of the Living God. And it will get us to the place where we need to be.
If we’re to shout, then we’ll shout. But if we’re to be quiet, we’ll be quiet. If we’re to lay on the floor, we’ll lay on the floor—whatever it is the Holy Spirit is directing us to do. That’s my point. I want us to do what He tells us to do.
As Spirit directed pray-ers, that’s for us. If we’re just to be still in this room or wherever you are watching, tuning in with us today, then that’s what we’re going to do.
I believe for that. And I just ask You, Holy Spirit… I know you’re leading us, and I know you’re directing us. I know that there’s a specific hour and place where we’re to do the things that You’ve called us to do. And I know that we can’t just jump way out ahead. Because we know that Your Word is true, and we know that there’s power in Your name, and You’ll lead us and guide us. Those things are prerequisites for us to do in these days that we’re living in right now, to move with the Spirit, be directed by the Spirit. Oh, thank You. Thank You.
Ms. Jeani…
…Extinguished the power of raging fire, escaped the devourings of the sword, out of frailty and weakness won strength and became stalwart, even mighty and resistless in battle, routing alien hosts. Hebrews 12:34 (AMPC)
Then chapter 12 refers to Moses, refers to Jericho. All of it is in the midst of conflict. Absolutely all of it. And, here’s the deal: it wouldn’t be called faith if we didn’t need faith. We wouldn’t need faith if it wasn’t in the midst of conflict.
And that’s where we are at right now in our country. That’s where we’re at right now in whatever battle you’re in.
When the lockdown started and then the riots, what God kept saying to me, “Bases are loaded, and the Church is up to bat.”
I really didn’t like when He told me that. Because I would say, “Father, okay, thanks for that.”
The Church is tired and she’s up to bat. I mean, I don’t see the Church in the greatest shape. And then this weekend, I got it. The bases are loaded, and the winning team is up to bat. And whether you hit it to first base, whether you foul, somebody’s going to score, and it’s us. Whether you hit a home run… we win.
On the way here, I was listening to Andrew Wommack. God had shown him that we are in the middle of the next great awakening.
He said, “I’ve been wondering, has all this labor been in vain?” That actually helped me. He went on to say, “But I got a Word from God, ‘awakenings are messy.’”
If there aren’t any ox in the stable, it’s clean!
How many times did Jesus heal on the Sabbath? How controversial was that? We’re in a time right now where truth is more controversial than it’s ever been, where truth has a greater price than it’s ever had, but truth’s power is more apparent than it’s ever been.
The truth is coming out. The truth is doing its job. And faith is for such a time as this. It’s for conflict. It’s for winning. It’s for moving forward. And this awakening is going to be greater than any other awakening. And you’re in the middle of it! And you’re up to bat and you might think, “I’m not ready.”
Well, maybe you’ll just hit a foul ball. Okay. But then one person comes in, because bases are loaded. Or maybe you hit a home run and then everyone comes in! But you’re up to bat.
Pastor Ray…
The point is, we win.
Ms. Jeani…
Isn’t it a funny, He used a baseball analogy? Because if you look at the greats, they missed way more than they ever hit. But they were one of the greats. We can be encouraged by that.
All they did was stay in the game. Just stay in the game! That’s all you have to do. And you’re on the winning team. Hallelujah!
Scripture focus…
1) Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us,
2) Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
3) Just think of Him Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself [reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds. Hebrews 12:1–3 (AMPC)
Pastor Ray…
If we faint in our minds, we faint. We’ll just sit down, and we’ll watch things go by.
But we’re not going to faint. We’re staying with it. We can relax and rest in Him. But we can’t just sit back. We cannot stop. We cannot pull over to a rest area. We cannot let others do what we have been given personally to do.
We must proceed. We must step up to the plate. We must by faith, knowing full well in our own strength, we cannot do it. But in faith, just like the whole book of Hebrews, especially the 11th book. All of these people by faith… many didn’t see the absolute result that they believed God for. Many did. Many didn’t till it took place later on.
So let’s get out of our minds and be controlled by the power of the Holy Spirit so that we can go forth in a victorious way.
What was bound, be loosed in Jesus’ name. What was broken, be restored and made whole. A reshaping, a renewing, an alignment to the plans and the purposes of heaven’s ways.
I just have the sense we’re coming around the bend, so to speak. I just have that sense we’re coming around the bend to where we can see some somewhat further. We can see out further ahead.
Oooohhhh, get on board! Get on the train! A turning, a change, a rearranging, breaking out of old patterns and old ways and stepping up and stepping out and stepping through into greater days!
Oh, we take it. We take our assignment. We take our assignments.
We will not lean on our own understanding. Oh no, we can’t figure it out. We don’t know how. But He knows. But God knows. The power of the Holy Spirit shows. There’s a revealing. There’s an uncovering. There’s an opening.
There are personal interpretations about what the Holy Spirit is saying in these days—personal. He’s speaking and you are receiving because He said He would transmit these things to you—to us personally.
Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit, You said You would transmit it to us and show it and reveal it to us.
Yeah, we will walk. We will walk. We will talk. We will believe. We shall receive. Oh, hallelujah. We’re coming around the bend now.
In the name, in the name, in the name let things go, let it go. Let it go. We’ll let those things go.
We’ll let it go. We’ll let it go. So, we can flow. Hallelujah. We’ll not be held back. We’ll not be held down. Oh, hallelujah. We’re running all over town, up and down every street to say, “Jesus is Lord! Jesus is Lord! Have you heard the word? Ooh, there’s freedom in Him. There’s victory in Him. There are breakthroughs ahead.”
Hey, get out of your head and get in your hearts to know. We’re in the march and we’ll go. Come on up with the Church.
Ms. Jeani…
Before you said that, I saw people in the body of Christ had their jerseys on. But they had their eyes on the pressure, on the bases, loaded on the crowds. And they stopped thinking about it. They just obeyed.
When they obeyed, massive victory happened immediately! Immediate massive victory for themselves and for others when they got their minds off of everything other than Holy Spirit and obeying His voice.
Father, we thank You that we are now in that time of immediate victory and “suddenlies” that follow. We thank You for it! Immediate obedience, immediate victory, immediate suddenlies upon the Church, suddenlies in the earth!
Scripture focus…
So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me? Hebrews 13:6 (AMPC)
Pastor Ray…
What’s the answer to that? Nothing.
Most or all the spectators, those are all the doubters, those are all the ones that are speaking negatively about you and what you’re doing… But what we’ve been called to do, we have a Helper! Helper above all helpers! Hallelujah. The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords!
We shout victory in this place! Victory!
Many things will be new and many places will be new, but the Word will still be the same for me and for you. The Word will work. The Word will continually work. The Word will expose the lies that were trying to stop you from carrying it out. For you’ve been given a spirit of victory and not of doubt. You might as well put a bow on it. It’s been sealed by the blood.
There’s a stamp of approval, a stamp of the blood on it! And we’ve overcome!
Oppression of any kind, get out! Get away from the body in Jesus’ name. Oh, oppression, depression, doubt—leave, get out in the name of Jesus.
Ms. Annie led us singing Jesus, Be Lifted Up
Pastor Ray…
On June 21, Sandy and I will be moving to Florida. It doesn’t mean I’m retiring.
As soon as we are settled in there, we’ll be doing something online a couple of times a week.
I want you to know how blessed it is to be together. I want to let you know, especially for those who are in our area, on Wednesday, June 2 at 6 p.m., we’re going to have a little get together in the fellowship hall. You are all welcome to come. We’ll just do some celebrating together.
So why are you looking at me like that anyways? No, it’s just, you know, changes. There are always things changing and there are always new ways, new days, you know, that kind of thing.
But like I said, the call is still the same. He never takes it away. So, it’s up to us to be faithful to what He’s called us to do. And then we’ll be out of here.
Where will we all be? Heavenly places.
I’m not leaving until the middle, toward the end of June. Yes. So, Palm trees—you can think about us when the snow flies (ha, ha, ha).
Thank you. Thank you for coming. Appreciate you tuning in today. We’re blessed. Amen. Hallelujah.
