good morning church family and ministry
friends I'm Pastor Steven Brooks welcome
today to our online Internet church
service I'm so happy that you're here I
want to ask you to grab your Bibles meet
me today in the book of 2nd Kings
chapter 5 we're gonna drop down to verse
26 and I want us to receive the tithes
and the offerings and then we're gonna
jump into the message and here we have
the story of the prophet Elijah talking
to his servant get hazy and Gaza has
made a major mistake in ministry and I
want you to see something as we read it
we want to keep it in context and it's a
powerful statement then he that would be
Elijah said to him said to Gay's I the
servant did not my heart go with you
when the man turned back from his
chariot to meet you the man would be
naming the Syrian leader of the military
who's just been healed through the
Ministry of Elijah the Prophet well
Damon has left but aJE's I took off in
secret running after him in order to
pursue a gift and he received some money
he received some clothing but all of
that was done in a very inappropriate
way it also broke some major rules of
protocol because you have a king
actually that two kings in the middle of
this dynamic relationship between Elijah
and this general of the Syrian army so
this has to be handled very delicately
and aJE's I didn't care about that he
wants that money even if it's going to
cause a a misinterpretation on
somebody's side and maybe a war could
start or something like that he doesn't
care he's in it for the money and look
what Elijah said to him
is it time to receive money while we
understand that God wants us to prosper
we understand that God is very
interested in our financial well-being
and that prosperity is something that is
our inheritance in Christ
but my friends you can't rush the Lord
you can't rush your harvest you have to
be willing to let God develop you in
this area and you have to be careful
that you don't get in the flesh
and rush ahead and tried to make things
happen when you're not supposed to be in
that place just yet now God will take
you into that place of greater increase
of greater financial expansion but don't
try to force your way into it or do
shady backroom deals in order to
experience it or live in it now the
Prophet again said is it time to receive
money and to receive clothing olive
groves and vineyards sheep and oxen male
and female servants
therefore the leprosy of naman shall
cling to you and your descendants
forever when the Lord blesses you when
the Lord makes you rich
he doesn't add any sorrow with it but if
you endeavor to add money or stuff or
possessions to your life in your own way
in your own timing you're going to incur
and unnecessary burden and really it
will be a weight and you'll feel it and
you'll be like well I've got it but now
I've got to sustain it I've got it but
I've got to somehow keep this rolling
now and now you have pressure you have a
weight upon your life you have a burden
that God never intended for you to carry
and if you would have waited maybe eight
months or maybe four months or maybe a
year you couldn't you could have stepped
into it
and done it with absolutely no strain
why because when the Lord does it
everything is peaceful everything is
good everything is blessed it's it's all
synced together with the Holy Spirit but
don't do like aJE's I did and get there
too quick because you're trying to do it
your own way even if you have to break
rules even if you have to lie and there
there's a lot of crookedness that's out
there in the world today we know that
Jesus said Satan is a thief he comes to
steal kill
destroying and so that's not something
we like to think about when we wake up
in the morning that really there's
somebody out there trying to rip you off
but Satan is out there and while our our
mind is on the Lord we are still aware
that we have to function in this earth
and we want to be as wise as a serpent
and as harmless as a dove but you really
do need to understand that there's a lot
of crooked dealings out there there are
people who could help move you along
faster if you if you're willing to play
by their rules but those are things why
today people are in prison and also
people are nervous and sweating and
looking over their shoulder because
they've done something wrong and they're
just you know expecting at any moment
they're going to get caught you never
want to do things like that
praise God so the devil is a thief he he
wants to steal from you any time that
you do it his way if you if he could get
you to follow his path really what he's
trying to do is he may say hey I'll help
you get it sooner I'll help you get it
now come on enjoy it now you you've
earned it you deserve it get it now
really what he's trying to do is he's
trying to rip you off and you have to
really watch out for that because he's a
very good thief he is such a good thief
he actually stole the entire planet from
Adam stop and think about that for a
moment the devil is such a good thief he
he stole the entire planet so he's very
very good and sometimes these are things
that we don't like to think about we
just want to be all positive which we
are we're people were people of faith
but you also have to be wise you have to
know that there's an enemy he does not
have good plans for you he would like to
hurt you he would like to take from you
so don't do it
his way and you'll see a lot of his way
expressed through the world system
well they'll say you can have it now
yeah you can have it now for you know
twenty eight percent interest or you
could have it now or this or that and uh
and so these things can really make a
pull on areas of our life that maybe
there's something that you want or you
I can there's nothing wrong with it it's
just that you can't step into it right
now with ease maybe you could get it but
it would be a real strain well if it's a
real strain like that it's not time yet
you need to wait until the Lord lifts
you in there with no strain and then you
can step into it now it's peaceful and
now it's good so don't ruin or
jeopardize the great financial future
that God has for your life through some
form of short-circuited game that you
could experience right now
praise God be very very aware of these
types of things because God wants you to
be a happy person God wants you to be
blessed but he has his own system and he
honors his system he honors his word he
honors his way of doing it and so we
have to conform with his way I believe a
lot of that is contained in what could
be expressed as the kingdom of God
sometimes called the kingdom of heaven
and we are to pray that the kingdom
God's kingdom come and be done on the
earth as it is in heaven
well what is this kingdom really it's
God's way of doing things and some
people they think they're smarter than
God they have their way and they've got
all kinds of uh you know contraptions
and conniptions to get you to where they
say they can get you to but you know
what it can cause a lot of misery a lot
of suffering in your life stop and think
about it the question again that Elijah
asked a haze eye is it time to receive
money well some people would say yeah no
matter what it's always the time well
remember the context also he has made a
major failure and he has he's done a
very grievous sin that really
disqualified him from receiving the
potential of walking in the leading
prophetic mental of any prophet in
Israel so that's now fallen to the
ground
praise the Lord by the way if you'll
just stick with the Lord if you'll stick
with the Lord you'll end up in
the full provision that God has for you
and you you'll get there and you'll
realize that really what God had for you
was better than what you could have
gotten even if you manipulated yourself
so what God has for you I would suggest
just probably better than what you're
even thinking so just stay patient keep
moving forward and you're gonna get to
that next level of blessing you're gonna
get to that next place of promotion but
don't force it don't try to rush God
just be patient and you'll get there
I tell you what when you move just a few
chapters ahead in just a short period of
time of head go to 2nd Kings chapter 8
and look at verse 9 and you just can't
help but think wow I wish days I would
have hung in there he really shot
himself in the foot by rushing God's
plan and look at verse 9 so hacia el
went to meet him that would be Elijah
and took a present with him are you
ready for the present here it is of
every good thing of Damascus every good
thing and it's being carried on 40 camel
loads okay
one man is having delivered to his house
40 camel loads of the very best that aid
that a nation has to offer I tell you
what there's not just 4k televisions on
those camels those there's 8k
televisions I don't know maybe one of
those camels is pulling a bitly or
something III don't know Pastor Steven
they didn't have all that back then we
understand that but but think of the
magnitude forty camels what's one guy
going to do with forty camels one camel
can carry 900 pounds they're amazing
animals they can go they can go six or
seven months in the desert without one
drink of water a marvelous engineering
design of God absolutely amazing well
you could
imagine 40 camels showing up what's that
that's God's blessing God's Way God's
timing beyond what you could ever do in
your own strength beyond your own
cunning your own ability to manipulate
your own ability to the figure out no
it's just God it's the God element dig
the God equation often described in the
Bible as the blessing praise the Lord
you don't need to cheat you don't need
to lie you don't need to do crooked
deals you don't need to be dishonest you
just need to walk with the Lord and the
Lord will take you places that would
even stretch your imagination praise God
all right 40 camels on the way to you be
patient pastor Steven what should I do
in the interim I'm I'm tied the you know
what should I do
well let's talk a little bit about that
today in today's message but just don't
rush God's gonna get you there
God's gonna get you there up you know I
was I was driving in the car with a very
experienced salesman years back this was
before I was married working with a very
good company he was the outside salesman
I was the inside salesman so he's out on
the field covering multiple states he's
getting the buyers to buy the product
cuz he's a phenomenal salesman and and
basically I had the Inside Sales I'm the
guy in the back at the office when the
calls come in I'm taking all the calls
that he's generated out in the field so
he and I had a good working relationship
and one time he he took me on a trip
with him he said hey Steven I want you
to meet a lot of our vendors a lot of
the buyers I said cool let you know let
me meet these guys that'll help that way
I have a face to a name when they call
in so we had we had a little road trip
together it was very enjoyable
but he went to a church there in town
that was a good spirit field charismatic
church and he he had he had an encounter
with the pastor that left him kind of
frustrated and he was telling me about
it in the car and he was he was upset
when he was telling me about it
and he said um he said Stephen um he
said my pastor he he basically rebuked
me on something not not in a mean way
but he just told me that I did something
wrong and I I don't agree with him I
said well you know what happened well
I'm in my 20s the the salesmen I'm
riding with this you know he's got 15
years on me with age so it's not like I
can really you know talk on the same
level with him he's way ahead of me
financially he's he's already married
he's got kids and stuff so you know I'm
I'm just gonna listen to him and see
what he has to say I can't like really
advise him because he knows a lot more
than I do but he said well he said I I
told my pastor what what had happened
that as a you know as a traveling
salesman you know I go from state to
state hotel the hotel and I I stayed at
one hotel for several nights for four
nights and when I checked out he said
the bill was
$400 less than what it should have been
well he's going to use a company credit
card to pay for that but he he realized
there were such a big discrepancy in
price that he's gonna get that back
later for the full amount he's just
gonna report it he hadn't worked the
numbers a little bit but basically he
walked out of there with four hundred
dollars in his pocket and he had
mentioned that to the pastor and he told
the pastor that's my blessing the pastor
said no that's not your blessing the
pastor said you failed a test you were
dishonest
when you were given that receipt from
the hotel and you saw that she had made
a mistake and there you know for $400 to
their deficit you should have turned
right back around and you should have
told her that that hey this I you know
you your numbers are wrong here you must
have missed tonight or two and he said
you didn't do that he and he said you
made it he said you made a mistake and
you failed the test and you know so this
guy that I'm riding with his name was
John he was so upset that the pastor
told him and he said well Stephen what
do you think well I said well I think um
I think that if you were to flip the
situation and you worked at the hotel
and that was your hotel
you wouldn't want somebody to do that to
your receptionist or you know you
wouldn't want somebody to walk out
knowing that a financial error had been
made to your deficit and so I didn't
want to say too much cuz he's already
mad at this bastard I don't want to get
him mad at me and you know so it's kind
of quiet for a while in the cars we
drove around but he knew by the Holy
Spirit that he was off but you know what
those things when you maybe you see you
know he saved $400 and you know really
should go to the company but he was all
even pocketing that all these crooked
things that people do they think they're
getting a hit they're not getting ahead
they are they're disconnecting from the
covenant that's why those people they're
always stressed out about money even if
they make good money it seems like they
still don't have enough and there is
just things aren't going well why
crooked dealings crooked dealings and
that's what happened to get hazed I let
there be no crooked dealing in you be a
Shh be a straight-shooter and if you're
in business and you're a straight
shooter and you give honest deals I'm
telling you what you you will shine like
a star on a dark night because there is
so much crookedness and fraud out there
that if you are honest and you are
Integris you will stunt you will shine
like a star I'm telling you that right
now
hallelujah and you will move ahead
praise the Lord father I am praying for
your people they're going to get into
that Promised Land but father they have
to be willing to stay in sync with your
spirit along the way father help them to
overcome the temptations of the flesh to
get it now help them to be patient help
them to exercise the fruit of
self-control and father take them into
the land of more than enough and that
the 40 camels show up at their house not
so much 40 real camels because then
somebody's gonna have to give them water
but father of 40 blessings are however a
big boat load worthy of for the
blessings let it come in let it come in
and we thank you that it will we thank
you that it will in Jesus name
amen praise God some of you you're still
new in this you're gonna find out that
as you keep walking with the Lord and
obeying these principles you're gonna be
shocked and how bulletproof this
financial covenant with God is you're
gonna be shocked at how much peace it
brings into your life and you'll never
again have to identify with what so many
in the world identify with which is what
they call the rat race why you're no
longer in a rat race
you're just blessed hallelujah the
others out there you know lying and
cheating and crookedness and all that
that's called the rat race and that's
why it's like that because they're all
stressed out and they're you know
they're just doing whatever it takes to
get money the lot of those people of
course the unbelievers don't know God
but you see a lot of Christians that
they just don't have the Covenant of
finances unveiled to them so they're
just they're feeling the heat just like
the sinners are and that that is not
your inheritance by any means in the
Lord Jesus Christ so connect with the
Covenant the financial covenant that God
has established praise God but it begins
with the sowing of seed and it's
anchored to tithing praise the Lord
at this time let's bring the tithes and
the offerings into the storehouse of God
praise the Lord a tithe is 10%
any any money coming into your life any
any money that even if you didn't earn
it if it's gift money if it's an
inheritance or something like that
10% belongs to the Lord let's bring it
into the storehouse of God and put God
first thank you Lord Jesus you can also
sow seed but I'm talking about seed I'm
not necessarily talking about pumpkin
seed or tomato seeds I am talking about
money money can be sown as a seed and
just as you can sow seed and reap a
harvest you can do the same thing with
sowing money as seed praise God
thank you Lord Jesus now those that are
bringing in the tithes and offerings by
mail please send your tithes and
offerings to Steven Brooks in
International pillbox seven-one-seven
Moravian falls North Carolina two eight
six five four those of you that like to
bring your tithes and offerings in
online you can do so I are wet website
is encrypted it is extremely safe the
giving process is extremely high-tech
and secure and it's also very very easy
so you can do that online there's a link
on the home page called tithes and
offerings so and reap and you can go
there at any time and bring that into
the storehouse of God we are also on our
current faith project our current
project is the ministry aircraft hangar
and the Lord is moving us along
praise God another website update was
made just a few hours ago as giving
continues to come in and so thank you
for everybody sowing into the aircraft
hangar as we are preparing for the
future need of the aircraft for the
ministry that we and we have a need
praise the Lord and I tell you what
we're gonna be running with it all the
time so thank you for sowing into that
praise God that also is available on the
internet website if you would like to
take a look at it just go to Steven
Brooks org there is a link called
projects and you'll see the current
project praise god father bless your
people as they bring the tithe and
offerings into the storehouse bless your
people and take them there the right way
into prosperity Thank You father help
them not to rush help them to be patient
in Jesus name Amen amen you know let me
just say this before we jump into the
primary message today
whenever you get a chunk of money that
somehow comes in maybe you get a big
year in bonus maybe you had an
inheritance come in or something like
that you have to be really careful
because it seems like some things just
pop up and it is so easy to spend money
in wrong places and you could spend
money boom just like that you could
spend $10,000 just like that
$50,000 just like that and before you
know it you're you could you could spend
big chunks a hundred thousand just like
that and then a few days go by and you
think you know I don't even know if I
really even need it that thing what
happened to me well it's just the enemy
he'll try to like throw these things
before you and just you know and the
flesh might think oh that would be fun
and so you have to really be disciplined
that is a part of Walt walking in
financial prosperity you have to be
disciplined and walk with the spirit so
that your flesh is not controlling you
praise God
okay today I want to discuss the subject
of coming before the Lord from a
different angle trying a different
approach how about this trying a new
approach and let's talk about it today
from the Gospel of Matthew I I still
find this fascinating Matthew chapter 15
last Sunday we talked about praise and
worship and the Holy Spirit would not
let go of me concerning the importance
of this subject this is one of the
heavyweight subjects in the Bible I I
would suggest that instead of trying to
figure out you know so much of who the
Antichrist is or who the false prophet
is and I know that's fun the study
eschatology I like things like that too
but I would always say put the put the
focus on the major and you can mind on
the minor but focus on the major and one
of the major things in the Bible that's
very very important is praise and
worship and you know we talked about
last last Sunday how praise is a lost
key to victory well I know a lot of
people they're still trying to figure
out who to Antichrist is and while
they're trying to figure it out there
they're suffering all kinds of things
our life with all kinds of a you know
needless difficulties and things like
that so there's room to worship the Lord
more there's room the praise the Lord
more who knows maybe if you praise and
worship the Lord enough maybe he'll show
you who the coming Antichrist is but
it's just a matter of putting things in
order first things first
first things first you know even the
Lord's Prayer it starts out so beautiful
by saying our Father which art in heaven
hallowed be your name so there is a
Halloween of the name of God before
really getting into the petitioning or
the asking of things and it is so easy
to slip over into a place where all we
do in prayer is just ask ask ask and and
there's a place also where it's
scriptural to ask but with a lot of
believers it's just asking and asking
and asking and then nothing happens so
throw in some crying in some begging and
then more asking and asking and asking
and it's just a massive long list of
asking asking asking over and over but
the our Father which art in heaven
hallowed be your name very little time
spit on that very little time spent in
worshiping your Abba Father and just
saying father I love you I worship you
I'm happy to be awake this morning so I
can just spend time with you and I just
want to start off my day by coming into
your courts and coming into your
presence with singing and rejoicing Lord
I'm so happy today and you know what
when you begin with worship it makes
everything sweet praise the Lord
so let's pick back up on this subject
today and we're talking about a
different approach we are in Matthew
chapter 15 and let's drop down to verse
21 I'm not going to teach that long
today because I've got another message
coming to you later tonight I'm gonna be
preaching and ministering in Orange
California tonight and I'm gonna
endeavor to have that streamed as well
so you can get a double dose of the Word
of God today praise God
now verse 21 then Jesus went out from
there and departed to the region of Tyre
and Sidon and behold a woman of Canaan
came from that region and cried out to
him saying have mercy on me O Lord son
of David my daughter is severely
demon-possessed well everybody has needs
sometimes the needs can be quite
dramatic quite urgent I think it is
possible to over-exaggerate
and you know act like we need emergency
care or critical care when maybe it's
just a scratch
maybe we just need to clean it put a
bandaid on it but there are critical
cases I would justify her case as being
very urgent this this is something that
would need to be dealt with this is
something that's not going to go away or
get healed on its own and also some
cases it's not like just anybody can
handle that you know we'll send them
over there they can take care of it no
some are more of a specialized case and
it needs a special touch Oh Lord son of
David my daughter is severely
demon-possessed but he answered her not
a word wow that's amazing then this is a
principal we're looking at a couple
things here now let me bring out this
subject also you'll see in the Bible
that Jesus is not moved by need and I I
know that that could ruffle somebody's
feathers because you know you hear about
how loving Jesus is how sweet Jesus is
and he is loving the most loving person
there is and he's very sweet but he
still he's not moved by your need then
and that's something that you have to
understand and if you go through the
gospel slowly and look at the miracles
you'll see that he's not moved by need
he's moved by faith and that's something
that is a that has to be understood as a
basic understanding of what gets his
attention because if Jesus strictly
moved by need then you would see him
today moving in the most needy places
among the most needy people
but yet you look at the most needy
people and there is very little movement
of the spirit there's very little
miracles often why he's not moved by
need he's moved by faith let's continue
he answered her not a word excuse me and
his disciples came and urged him saying
send her away for she cries out after us
well this is this is very interesting
the Lord's not responding and now the
twelve aren't responding
so I mean she's like totally
hit a wall but he answered and said I
was not sent except to the lost sheep of
the house of Israel this is this is an
important focus here for your vision you
can't do everything this this is
important for ministers to know you need
to know who you're sent to and you need
to also know who you're not sent to you
cannot be sent to everybody jesus said I
was not sent except to the lost sheep of
the house of Israel you can't as a
business person tried to just do
everything you know McDonald's some
years back they tried to sell pizza and
really they just got out of their vision
there they're not a pizza franchise they
can't they can't do it as good as the
other pizza companies can and so they
drop they drop the pizza product and for
a good reason why that's that's not
their vision that's not what they excel
at so you know today we have over seven
billion people on the planet and that
that's a lot of people and we all have a
lot of similarities we've all got eyes
you've got eyes but so do seven billion
other people and you have you have hands
and you have legs but so does everybody
else on the planet
but yet there is something unique though
about your vision because we don't all
have the same vision so if you can
identify your vision you can identify
your difference then you can really
start to excel in the things that God
has for you why you're not out here
wasting time doing things God never
called you to do and Jesus understood
his his mission and he was very precise
with that vision I was not sin except to
the lost sheep of the house of Israel
well that's that's just like for the
lady cut it would seem like okay that's
a wrap you know he's not even gonna he's
not first of all he's on an stream and
now when he we do get a response he
basically says you're not on the agenda
you're not on my list and you know sorry
about that but it's just it's just the
way it is I've got to stay focused on my
assignment and you're not on the
assignment and this this is where you
have to
you have to stop and think if my
approach is not working if it's if it's
has gone as far as it can go and maybe
it was good I mean it got you that far
at least you know a report got to Jesus
about the lady I mean she did see some
nice things she said son of David and
that's pretty good for a Gentile woman
to recognize what that phrase meant
meant that he's basically the Messiah
so although she's a Gentile outside of
the covenants of God she still seems to
have grabbed some knowledge about this
Messiah believes that this man Jesus is
the Messiah of course any years but even
with the great need even with her
calling him son of David she's hit the
wall and so when you've got when you've
gone a certain distance and it's not
working then you need to change your
approach and there are some people that
are watching me today you love Jesus I
know you love Jesus but your prayer has
not yet been answered and now you're
sometimes resorting to you know bawling
and squalling and crying and maybe you
know laying on the floor and maybe we
should be honest maybe it's just a
complaining session I I'm not condemning
anybody I've had some of those in my
past experiences with the Lord right I
thought I was maybe really bring in my
case before the Lord really all I was
doing was just complaining about my
situation and I was upset that God
wasn't doing anything about it
but I've realized that if a certain
approach doesn't work you need to do
something completely different you need
a new approach and that's what she did
and I pray that you catch the revelation
of it and that if you're in the same
situation where the the trouble is still
there the situation hasn't changed I
know you're using your faith okay and I
know you love the Lord but I think
sometimes we need to make a tweak we
need to make an adjustment so that we
can we can get to where we want to be
and that's having the prayer answered
but he answered who said I was not sin
except to the lost sheep of the house of
Israel verse 25 then she came and
worshiped him saying Lord
me okay she worshiped him I think
there's a place where you just stop and
you realize God I prayed so much about
this I know you've heard me because I
know you're not deaf so I know you're
fully aware and probably the Lord half
the angels in heaven are aware of it as
well so Lord this is not a matter of
praying more and you know this is not a
matter of getting more people to join
the prayer team let's get 10 people
let's get a hundred people on a prayer
team and then we'll really get God to do
it as if we're trying to twist God's arm
to do what he already said he would do
well why is he not doing it let's pray
more well maybe maybe we've already
prayed enough and there is a point where
you can realize I think I've depleted
myself with prayer as powerful as prayer
is and it doesn't mean I'm not going to
pray anymore in the future but you put
you could put so much prayer on
something that you realize you step back
and say it's not responding to prayer
because if it did it would workers we
put a ton of prayer on it so what are we
going to do I would suggest doing what
she did she came and worshipped him I
think there's a place where you stop
praying and you don't need to do another
40 day fast you just need to get before
the Lord and maybe maybe lay on the
carpet maybe just or you don't whatever
makes you comfortable sometimes it is
good to just prostrate yourself before
the Lord laid before the Lord and say
god I worship you I have a father Lord
Jesus Holy Spirit you're well aware of
my needs I presented them to you and I'm
not here to bring that before you Lord
I'm just here to in advance thank you
for these things because I believe
you're going to do it but I want to
worship You God I praise you you're so
good you're so mighty lord thank you for
my coffee this morning thank you for my
breakfast father God thank you for my my
wife my children father thank you for my
cat my dog and just just begin the
worship the Lord begin the thanking for
everything because Thanksgiving is very
very big with the Lord just like it is
with you and I if you do something very
very nice for people for a person and
there's very little you know feedback or
phonce almost like they don't care
you're you're hesitant to do that again
so Thanksgiving is very very big to the
Lord and you need to be thanking him all
the time and so just beginning to thank
the Lord and begin to go into worship
Lord I just want to worship you today
lord I thank you you've you saved me
you've washed me with your blood and
just begin to spend time before the Lord
worshipping Him praise God for some I
sense that mechanism of asking and
asking for some of the you it's gonna be
a hot it's gonna be hard to break you've
almost made a habit out of just asking
and asking and asking that it's probably
95 percent asking 5 percent worship and
praise and I'm not saying you don't love
the Lord I know you love the Lord you're
saved and you love the Lord but maybe
this is something you just haven't been
taught maybe you you didn't realize how
important this is to the Lord but I want
you to understand he is worthy of all of
our praise he is worthy for us to stop
and to get on our knees and say God we
worship you we want to just take a
timeout and praise you because you're so
good
hallelujah and maybe not call a prayer
meeting maybe just call a worship
meeting and just come together and just
everybody praise and worship the Lord
together I tell you what that those are
very very special times then she came
and worshiped him and I'm sure she did
it in her own way I don't know what she
said but she just basically you know
came before the Lord and said you know
what Lord I really do worship you and
she just forgot about the
demon-possessed daughter she forgot
about her trouble and she realized you
know what he is the Messiah he is worthy
to be worshiped and so after she had
worshiped him then she said lord help me
maybe maybe we don't even have the
privilege or the right to say lord help
me unless we've worshiped him first
maybe we've even come across a spiritual
law here
that we need to worship him first before
asking what pastor Stephen God already
knows how great he is he already knows
all of that I mean he is all of that he
knows it yes but he likes to be told he
likes to be told he likes to be
worshipped oh praise God and it does
something for us it does something for
us - it changes us hallelujah in a in a
wonderful way Lord helped me but he
answered and said it is not good to take
the children's bread and throw it to the
little dogs really implied in the Greek
the little puppies well pastor Steve
with it did he just call her a dog well
he is expressing the cultural view of
that time he it's it's also like a sweet
catch phrase like a little puppy but
even still you don't really want to be
identified as a puppy that's uh that's
something that's really you know
justjust for on the side something on
the side and she said yes Lord yet even
the little dogs eat the crumbs which
fall from the master's table then jesus
answered and said to her o woman great
ease her faith let it be to you as you
desire I think I think it takes faith
for the Lord to move and respond in our
on our behalf but I think it takes faith
to worship the Lord faith the worship
the Lord when everything feels flat when
maybe the devil says you know he's just
not going to do it for you you're not
special he'll do it for other maybe
select ministers but he won't do it for
you you know and and when you don't feel
anything special I I really do believe
it takes faith just to open your mouth
when your flesh doesn't want to and
doesn't feel like it and just start
worshiping the Lord I believe that it's
very very important to do that so with
that with that faith and with that
worship the Lord basically says a woman
great is your faith let it be to use as
you desire and her daughter was healed
from that very hour so the initial
approach reached a dead end
it's just it wasn't it wasn't getting it
wasn't getting through
so worship worship brings you before the
throne of God worship catches God's
attention praise God and praise also
praise also just coming out of your
mouth this is something that we need to
be living in more often pastor Stephen I
I pray use the Lord and worship the Lord
in church yeah but that's only a few
hours out of a whole week what about
during the day what about Tuesday
afternoon Thursday morning you know
Friday night I believe it should be
something that is constantly flowing out
of us now I want to read a verse to you
one more time we looked at it last
Sunday but I want to read it I think
it's fascinating night I just want to
give you something today to consider
I'm not going to in essence lead you
into something I'm gonna talk to you
about but I would I would ask you to
consider it and if it's something that
you really like maybe it's even
something that you would like to step
into between you and the Lord now Psalm
34 it says a psalm of David when he
pretended madness before Abimelech who
drove him away and he departed even if
you probably didn't know that whole
story about David and Abimelech you
could probably just read that and think
wow that must have been pretty tough for
David that doesn't sound good
and you're right it's not that was one
of the lowest points of his life and
then he writes verse one under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit I will
bless the Lord at all times I don't I
don't know if your soul your soul is
your emotions and your feelings I don't
know if your soul will ever say I'm
gonna bless the Lord because there's
times your soul will not feel like it
maybe it's had a tough day maybe your
feelings were hurt or something like
that
so it may not feel like doing that and
the flesh who knows about the flesh you
you can't rely at all on the flesh to
flesh maybe just wants to eat ice cream
and watch TV all the time it's it's not
going to say yeah I feel like praising
the Lord but your spirit out of your
spirit your spirit really wants to
worship and praise and so when David
said I will that is his spirit speaking
out his
soeul agreeing with it and his body with
the usage of his mouth and his tongue
you know yielding to that desire and he
says I will so you could do the same
thing in your inner man in your spirit
you could rise up and say I am going to
do this hallelujah I'm going to do it
right now regardless of feelings or
regardless about maybe something kind of
a negative report I'm still going to do
this I will bless the Lord at all times
and when you start doing this your
troubles will begin to evaporate and God
will begin to dissolve those problems
they will begin to leave your life and
you'll begin to overcome every challenge
I will bless the Lord at all times his
praise shall continually be in my mouth
there was a time I pondered the
scriptures and I thought could it be
possible to actually come into a
covenant with God a covenant of praise
where you just you endeavor to make an
agreement with the Lord where Lord I'm
really gonna do this I will bless the
Lord at all times his praise shall
continually be in my mouth
Lord you inhabit the praises of your
people Lord all these incredible
promises now that are accessed through
worship and through praise I'm Lord I'd
really like to step into this and so I
begin to wonder Lord could a person
actually engage you in a covenant of
praise and worship I thought Lord I
don't even know if that's possible and
so I remember there was a time back when
I just had thought about it and
meditated on it for about two weeks real
strong Lord Lord is such a thing even
biblical for a for a man or a woman to
come before you and for for them to
initiate that not so much God initiating
a covenant with man but man initiating a
covenant with God saying god I would
like to make a covenant with you or I'm
gonna bless you at all times and and I'm
gonna praise you continually could such
a thing even be made with the Lord and
so for about two weeks I had prayed
about that and pondered about that and I
felt like one day I got a a quickening
surge
the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit will
quicken you and he'll make the word
living and alive to you and I felt like
the Lord wanted to speak to me and I
took my Bible and whenever that
anointing happens and something like
this happens the Lord always speaks very
accurately to me I don't try to make it
happen because has to be by the spirit
but when it's by the spirit every single
time it's something it's something
amazing and so I felt the quickening
power of the Holy Spirit to open my
Bible and that the Lord would speak to
me through a scripture well I didn't
know where to open it and so I just I
just kind of took it and just kind of
sat it down and it fell it fell to a
certain page and it failed to Psalm 50
and it failed of the verse 5 and I saw
this scripture in luminate it by the
Holy Spirit it looked like it was
embroidered by gold by the Holy Spirit I
couldn't even see anything else on the
page it's like my eyes were like a laser
going right to this verse and it was
framed in such a beautiful way and this
is what I saw gather my Saints together
those who have made a covenant with me
by sacrifice I said O God I said it is
possible for a man to make a covenant
with you I already knew that God can
make a covenant with the man but for a
person for you or I to make a covenant
with God I said God I said I said I'm
doing it I'm making a covenant with you
a praise and worship and I said lord I
don't know about others if others want
to grumble to complain or bacon squall
and and cried I said Lord first of all
all that other stuff doesn't work anyhow
so I've tried that bawling squall and
cried I've tried that and so it doesn't
even work so I'm not gonna I'm not going
to do that I want a new approach I said
Lord I want to be a covenant person I
want to make a covenant with you of
praise and worship and I remember the
day that I entered into a covenant with
God where I made an agreement with the
god what is it was a covenant is a deal
between you and God
that's that has well-defined terms and
it's sealed with an oath and note that
you make and an oath that God makes and
then one that
done that covenant becomes binding
woohoo glory to God
and I remember I remember the time that
I made that covenant with God and I said
Lord I make this covenant with you and I
wrote it out anytime you ever make a
covenant with God you want to write it
out and I only have have two covenants
that I've ever written out with God but
this was one of them and I still have
that paper today but it was a covenant I
made with the Lord to bless him at all
times
and to let his praise be continually in
my mouth and all has hasn't been easy to
walk in that covenant No which is why it
says those who have made a covenant with
me by sacrifice it's a sacrifice it is a
sacrifice but although the revelations
that God begins to open up to you when
you are when you understand covenant and
when you have a covenant with God in
these various areas
Wow but it's a sacrifice I I remember
the story I think I was told by Kenneth
Hagin jr. who oversees Rhema today there
in Broken Arrow Oklahoma a wonderful
pastor a great man of God but he talked
about the time that he he had to tell
his father Kenneth Hagin senior that
somebody had broken into his father's
house I guess his dad didn't know yet
and somebody had to tell him so it was
it was Kenneth Hagin jr. he had to go
tell his dad that that his father's
house has been broken into and a lot of
things were robbed and stolen and he
said dad I'm he said I need to let you
know that your house was broken into
they stole a lot of things and the first
thing out of Kenneth Hagin seniors mouth
was hallelujah praise the Lord
[Laughter]
now you don't with some the moment if
they heard something like that tears are
gonna begin the roll ball and squall and
God why did you let this happen to me
and the whole time God didn't even do it
the devil's overdid it the devil
standing over in the corner laughing
because he's a thief working through
somebody who yielded him the steel and
to be a thief and the devil's over there
laughing he's especially laughing when
people blame it on God because he's the
one that actually did it
and so it makes it even
for him but Oh Oh hallelujah glory to
God of course you know the bigger
picture today is that Kenneth Hagin
senior he's in heaven now so so what if
you had a few things stolen what does it
matter now when you're walking on
streets of gold and you live in a
beautiful mansion and you have a you
have a vast reward my friends we really
do need to be people of worship and
praise and you have to get real careful
of what comes out of your mouth
especially especially when you're
treated wrong or if something that's
hurtful is done to you that lashing out
doesn't occur but you really maintain
that covenant it doesn't mean that you
can't speak correction it doesn't mean
sometimes also that you can't get angry
but you really want to be careful that
you stay in that covenant praise the
Lord
while look at it again Psalm 50 verse 5
gather my Saints together and by the way
for those that do make covenants with
God there there are gatherings in the
spirit who's invited only covenant
makers that that's that's the invitation
you you receive those invitations I I
had an invitation given to me from the
Lord one time he told me this will
happen in the future and I've already
been given the invite Wow
I don't know when it's going to take
place you just told me to be ready for a
certain invitation in the spirit realm
for various Saints gather my Saints
together to me those who have made a
covenant with me by sacrifice yes you
can make a covenant with God perhaps
perhaps you would like to peripherally
consider make a making a covenant with
God of praise and worship you could even
use Psalm 34 verse 1 as your covenant
Scripture that's what I did or if you
find another one
maybe that's uh that kind of really
catches you you could use that but this
is something that you could step into
and when you when you praise and worship
the Lord the Lord the Lord turns defeats
into victories he turns negatives in the
positives and he'll just he'll keep you
he'll keep you winning all the time even
even Jesus
who had Judas stealing out of the money
bag the Lord he was just so blessed
it didn't even hinder the ministry and
the Lord knew the whole time who the one
was that was going to be trained so the
only person hurting himself as Judas
praise the Lord
you're just too blessed you're just too
blessed and if something it was done
wrong to you something was taken from
you you're just too blessed you keep on
going you just cannot go under because
God just keeps that blessing on you and
you just keep increasing and you stay in
the joy the Lord let me pray for you
Heavenly Father I pray for those that
are watching today I know that there is
a group whose hearts have been touched
to ponder and consider perhaps coming
into a covenant with you of praise and
worship where they are people appraised
and they're going to begin to praise you
every day of their life and so father I
thank you that you're going to open the
heavens over them and you're gonna do
great and mighty miracles in their life
father I just pray that you give them
further revelation about this covenant
and I just thank you that your Holy
Spirit would invite them into a covenant
made through praise and worship so
father God we thank you we thank you in
the name of Jesus amen
praise God the reason I'm talking about
this today is that some of you really
need to consider a new approach because
prayer fasting a petition intercession
those all have a vital role to play they
are very important subjects in the Word
of God but if you if you don't
understand praise and worship you can
still bump up into a place where the
prayers not being answered and I just
really sense that's where some of your
aunt and there are some that you don't
know the power in praise you don't know
the the glory that's released the
revelation the blessing that's released
through worship and God wants to reveal
himself to you integrator measure and
one of the one of the the paths that we
take through that open door of knowing
God more deeply is that door of praise
and worship
praise God hallelujah father we thank
you we thank you let your spirit of
praise and worship be upon us we thank
you father God we thank you in the name
of Jesus for all the great victories
that you're going to do in Jesus name
Amen
Oh hallelujah I sense Holy Spirit
invitation coming into the hearts of
many to step into this to ponder this
consider it and to step into it and by
the way you can write your covenant with
the Lord and just get a piece of paper
if you want to do that and the pin and
just you know write it right out the cut
the covenant pledge Lord I it I covenant
to be a person who blesses you at all
times who who praises you continually
with my mouth and then put the date sign
your name and put a line for the Lord
and in the spirit he'll sign his praise
God that's how you do it
it's just that simple let's take
communion today as we celebrate the New
Covenant whoo praise God that has been
sealed by the blood of Jesus our Savior
grab yourself some grape juice some
unleavened bread and let's as a church
family take communion together God's
gonna meet every one of your needs
abundantly abundantly according to his
riches and glory by Christ Jesus father
we now bless and consecrate the bread
and the juice we think that is now the
flesh and the blood of Jesus father we
thank you as we praise and worship you
Revelation is going to come down like
rain from heaven such a revelation of
who you are of your power of your
majesty of your glory it will be life
transforming for many so father we thank
you we receive now the body of Jesus we
thank you Father God we feast at the
Covenant table a feast that is so
bountiful and that we eat from with such
relaxation even while in the presence of
our enemies we thank you Father God we
enjoy all of your goodness
we received now the body of Jesus
together amen
let's partake
pray used to Lord you know I'm thinking
about our last our last tour the Israel
when we went to Israel the last time and
we're going to get another tour again
soon so hang in there it'll it'll be
it'll be promoted before you know it
praise God we're going to go back to
Israel do another tour soon but the last
time we went I think I counted up the
songs on the tour eleven days together
traveling together all around Israel we
sang over 200 songs it was probably way
over two hundred but I know for a fact
that it was at least 200 just praising
God praising God all the time well
pastor Stephen I don't know if I want to
go on a tour like that I just want to
sit and look out the window well you you
probably should maybe go on a different
tour but if you want to go and you want
to praise the Lord and we go more than
just a site seat we actually go to meet
the Lord the presence the Lord will
always come and meet us at one point on
that trip with his presence so we have a
lot of fun and it's a lot of fun the
praise and worship the Lord we worship
the Lord on Mount Carmel we worship the
Lord in Jerusalem we worship the Lord on
the Golan Heights we worship the Lord at
the Dead Sea hallelujah and you can
worship the Lord always always right
where you're at
praise God blessed be the Lord forever
father we thank you for the blood of
Jesus we thank you Father God that you
wash all of our sins away you cleanse us
from all unrighteousness and we are
determined that Walt this is close to
you as we possibly can we ask you for
more grace more 19 more strength thank
you father draw was unto you and we will
run after you father we received the
blood of Jesus with great Thanksgiving
knowing the tremendous price he paid to
shed his blood for us father would
Thanksgiving we receive it and all of
its life-giving benefits in Jesus name
Amen let's drink together
praise the Lord hallelujah my friends it
might be time for a new approach I
believe we can always make room to
praise and worship the Lord more may you
be found at the feet of Jesus
worshipping Him thank you for watching
I'll see you back next time bye bye