Brooks and welcome today to our online
Internet church service I'm so happy
that you're here and I believe that the
Lord will speak to you today through his
anointed Word now let's take our Bibles
and go to the Book of Proverbs chapter
22 let's drop down the verse 6 and we
are going to prepare our hearts to
receive the holy tithes and offerings we
are going to bring them into the
storehouse of God now it says in verse 6
train up a child in the way he should go
and when he is old he will not depart
from it now we should train up our
children in the ways of the Lord but I
believe that this particular training if
we keep it in the proper context we can
tie it into verse 7 the next verse the
rich rules over the poor and the
borrower is servant to the lender and I
think that if this was something that we
had been taught when we were young and
we were growing up now maybe you were
instructed by your father or mother
maybe your father was a banker and he
said son daughter let me explain how it
works it works like this the borrower is
a slave to the lender and he thus
explained the banking industry and how
borrowing works but my friends so many
of us were not illuminated with that
type of an education so we found
ourselves naturally following the
financial course of this world which
would take so many people into a place
of borrowing and thus being a slave to
the lender now debt you have to be
really careful because debt is dangerous
and debt can take away your sovereignty
what I mean by that is that when I say
you can take away your sovereignty is
that you're not able to do with the
money that you have what you want to do
with it
why because debt says
hey you all be over here and so you have
to pay me what you owe me despite that
you may want to do something else with
it you have got to keep bringing it over
here and that's why the more debt you
have you will begin to lose your
sovereignty and debt in so many ways
it's like a chord like a life chord that
ties you to the Babylonian world
economic system and as long as you are
in debt that chord keeps that life of
the world Babylonian system flowing back
and forth I'll give you an example when
you go into debt you review a contract
or a legal document and if you want to
finance a vehicle or if you want to
finance a house or if you want to get a
credit card that has a 200 dollar limit
and it's just an introductory beginning
credit card whatever it is whether it's
a 200 dollar credit card or a 2 million
dollar house loan it will all come down
to this they want your signature and if
you are approved you sign your signature
and thus you give your word and you
enter into a legal binding contract and
so really what happens is that when you
go into debt you are going into covenant
with somebody well what happens if you
go into covenant with the bank and then
you find out that this bank also has you
know other financial ventures that it's
involved in besides just banking and
perhaps some of them are immoral not I'm
not saying they would be illegal but
just because something is legal doesn't
mean it's right in the eyes of God maybe
you find yourself that you have joined
in covenant with a corporation or a
company that does not hold biblical
principles well it doesn't matter you
can't do anything about it you are
legally obligated to that covenant
that's why debt will keep you tied into
a Babylonian world system so God wants
you to be debt-free
and God wants to take you into a place
where your bills are play or paid off
and your debts are cleared off
hallelujah and he'll bring you into that
place so that you can be free to fully
serve Him imagine what you could do if
you did not have that mortgage payment
every month whoo praise God God wants
you to be free if you did not have that
vehicle payment every month think of how
much more you could do for the kingdom
of the Lord so we want to honor the Lord
with our finances and as we do this the
Lord begins to lift his people out of
debt so stay in faith that God is
bringing you completely and totally out
of debt now we're going to bring the
tithe into the storehouse of the Lord
tithing is 10% of all of your increase
bringing it into the house of God and
honoring the Lord now we know from 1st
Samuel chapter 2 verses 29 and 30 that
the Lord said those who honor me I will
honor but those who don't honor me
he said I'll lightly esteem them so it's
very important that we walk in obedience
but pastor Steven why do we obey why do
we tie well first of all because we're
commanded to thus we're going to be
obedient but really it comes down to
also the condition of our heart which is
that we are going to honor the Lord and
when we honor the Lord he says I'll
honor you and of course we have also all
of the benefits along with honor
that come with the tithing package of
benefits living under an open heaven and
also the Lord rebukes the Devourer
praise God and he protects you and he
establishes the hedge of protection
around your life so we always want to
honor the Lord with the tithe and we
also have special occasions when we can
sow seed money can be viewed from a
biblical perspective as being seed
we can so and that we can reap a harvest
on now we see in the Bible than the book
of Deuteronomy chapter 16 verse 16 it
says three times a year all your males
shall appear before the lords our God
and the place which he chooses and of
course that place would be Jerusalem at
the feast of unleavened bread at the
feast of weeks that's past
that's Passover and Pentecost okay and
at the feast of tabernacles
so you have those three feasts do you
have Passover Pentecost and Tabernacles
and they shall not appear before the
Lord empty-handed
every man shall give as he is able
according to the blessing of the Lord
your God which he has given you we're
moving very close now to Pentecost which
is May 31st on Sunday and I'm asking you
to sow your best pentecost seed and your
seed will be used to purchase airtime so
that we may continue to expand the pure
gold half-hour television program just
as much as we can praise God we want to
continue into sin do it to send it
further and further literally around the
world and your Pentecost seed will be
directly used for that and let me say
this and I mean this from my heart this
is not just like a religious clay cliche
type statement but I really believe in
the principle of 1st Samuel chapter 30 a
principle that David established that
those who go out to battle and those who
stay there and guard all the tents and
all the supplies while the soldiers are
out on the front lines David said we all
share in the rewards and I fully believe
that with all of my heart that for every
life touched through this television
program for every soul saved and for
every believer that's edified and built
up in the things of God this is not just
something that this is a reward for
Steven Brooks no because I can't even
reach those people unless you send me
and I believe we all will share in these
rewards together I believe it is a
biblical principle and I've I've seen so
much
how could I say so many stories from
those who have seen on the other side of
how the reward system actually works
and let me say God is very fair God is
very just and the rewards that we will
receive an eternity God will measure
them out to us and that's why we want to
do all that we can while we have life
while we have breadth to reach as many
as we can for Christ Jesus praise God so
thank you for standing with me
thank you for sowing your very best
Pentecost see because we are going to
see Souls saved and really here at the
ministry we really while we're gonna
continue to reach all across America God
has really given us a heart for Europe
God has really given us a heart for UK
and I believe that all of the immigrants
coming into Europe from the Middle
Eastern nations and from other parts of
the Muslim speaking world and they have
immigrated heav'nly into Europe and into
the UK I believe we're gonna get a whole
bunch of them I really believe that
through satellite television and I
believe we're gonna we're gonna see so
many of them one to the Lord and just
watch and see what God's going to do
pray with us believe with us but this is
something that the Lord has stirred
mightily in my heart and yes we're going
to really put a big push into that area
because Europe is now considered the
Dark Continent in other words the
continent that needs evangelism the most
and we're gonna go after it yes we're
going to continue to speak to America
this is our whole nation and we love
America but God has stirred us to really
reach into Europe and I would just be so
honored if you would stand with us as we
go after I mean I'm telling you we're
going after souls praise God so let's
share in the rewards together let's do
all that we can and put a big smile on
the Lord's face because we're gonna cast
and pull the big nets praise God so
thank you for your giving some of you
you've already sewn your Pentecost seed
others you need a little more time to
get it ready others you have it ready
now and you're ready to
but whatever your situation is go ahead
and get that seed in and as you saw it
be believing God to position you to be
debt-free be believing God to position
you with financial strength so that you
can stand on the front lines of all that
he is doing in these last days whoo
praise the Lord I'm talking about
anointed servant Lord prospering
flourishing and just walking with God
hallelujah on fire for the Lord praise
the Lord and let's also under the Lord
and bring the tithe in as well
Heavenly Father I pray for your people
as they do love you and as they do honor
you I thank you O God that you are
blessing them and you have you have so
many wonderful surprises for them and
you're going to plant them just like you
told the psalmist in Psalm 2 right by
the river and their roots are going to
go down deep and they're going to
flourish in your courts so father we
give you all the praise we thank you for
the great increase that's coming and
father multiplied their Pentecost seed
multiplied it
oh god what the hundredfold return your
very best back into their life in Jesus
name let their entire family be saved
let there not be one family member
unsaved not serving the Lord may they
all be saved everybody ready for heaven
and washed with the blood of Jesus now
father we thank you and we bless you in
Jesus name Amen
shout amen praise God let's take our
Bibles today and go to the book of 2nd
Samuel hallelujah 2nd Samuel and today I
want to talk about the subject of the
making of a saint and I believe that
this is a journey that involves many
tears I believe that it's a journey that
involves a lot of joy I believe it's a
journey that involves your greatest
exertion and your greatest effort I
believe it's a journey
that at other times allows you to have
total tranquility and peace and it's
it's a balance it's a balance but I will
say this it will require everything that
you have the making of a saint will
require the complete emptying of
yourself and nothing less than that will
get you to the finish line that God the
Father sees you crossing and that finish
line is your conformity into the image
of his son praise God
well now pastor Steve and I know
according to the New Testament we are
all Saints yes I understand that I
understand that but how many of you know
that's not really the way you see in the
church when you meet so many in the
church you don't think hey that's the
holy man of God no you think uh the
persons are saved but there's there's a
lot of need for sanctification there now
we thank God that we are saved by grace
so even with flaws and even with
imperfections and even with sometimes
deep issues that need to be ironed out
and worked on nevertheless by God's
wonderful grace that goes beyond
comprehension nevertheless in the eyes
of God we are Saints and we are holy but
God also wants that worked out not just
as a spiritual position but as something
that has actually worked out in our
lifestyle whew praise the Lord and I
want you to consider yourself as a saint
to view yourself as a saint not just on
paper but in life and I want you to
yield to the working of the Holy Spirit
to get you into that place where it is
worked out mmm in your life praise God
so we're gonna talk about some things
that I believe are unspoken things that
maybe you weren't taught this growing up
in church I know I wasn't what some of
the things I'm going to share today I
wish somebody would have taught me these
types of things even even if it was
heavy even it was difficult I
have been told but you could only teach
what you know and I'm so glad that my
pastor did know the message of salvation
and I heard it and I got saved but what
happens after you're saved my friends
that's very important and we need to
know the process the sainthood it's a
path that the Spirit of God will take
those who want to walk it he'll take
them on it and he'll get you to the
finish line
maybe maybe there was a little bit of
kicking and dragging and screaming along
the way but as long as you continue to
yield
even if you fall you get back up and say
Lord God and get me to that place where
people see you in me God will get you
there praise God
it says in the Bible that though a
righteous man that that word man
includes mankind we're referring to
those in the body of Christ though a
righteous man or woman fall seven times
yet will they get back up and keep on
going and that has a lot to do with
reaching that area of sainthood of
development in the Lord of great
maturity in the Lord you must keep
moving forward praise God I'm reminded
of one of those great fights in boxing I
think it took place back in the 70s
maybe it was 1974 1975 when you had
George Foreman who fought Muhammad Ali
for the first time and George Foreman
was kind of like steamrolling everybody
he'd knocked got Joe Frazier and he just
seemed invincible he was this gigantic
man with huge arms and muscles just
everywhere and he seemed to be an
unstoppable force and Muhammad Ali
fought him and Foreman later said that
he underestimated Ali and not only that
but all a Foreman's team from his ring
trainer - you know his manager - all of
his you know support team they all said
hey you got this guy he's not going to
be any problem and they all
underestimated Ali his speed his really
his strength his endurance and
you know George Foreman got about six
rounds in and realized you know what
I've been misled about this guy this guy
can take a hit this guy is hitting back
I'm in I'm in deep and I'd better pull
it together well Foreman got knocked out
and after that fight was over he fired
every one of his corner men his manager
fired them all why they failed to
understand what they were up against and
they failed to realize what the battle
was really like and they had
underestimated their opponent and my
friends there perhaps were some things
when you became a child of God that you
were not told and I want to tell you
some things that are all in the Bible
through the teachings of the Lord Jesus
Christ that are not recommendations they
are Commandments and if you skip them
somewhere down the line you're going to
have failure and defeat and now I know
that the Lord can also teach through
these experiences and the example with
Foreman Foreman learned about that
experience and you know he came back and
he actually later on in life retook the
heavyweight world title but we must
understand in the spirit realm in the
spirit realm there's things you need to
know there's battles that will be fought
and you must be properly prepared for
them or else there can be there can be
many disappointments and I would even
dare say failures in life that we're not
God's planned so let's get ready for
this Heavenly Father as we go into your
work today we're asking that your Holy
Spirit would come with illumination
revelation flowing that we could see
your word and not just get illuminated
historically not just get illuminated
intellectually but that we could be
stirred spiritually to rise up and say
God make me into a saint now father we
give you praise we dare you to believe
it
and we yield by your grace for this
working in our lives in Jesus name we
all agree and say Amen now second samuel
chapter 14 verse 25 now in all israel
millions of people of course now in all
israel
there was no one who was praised as much
as Absalom for his good looks stop and
think about that you've got millions of
men and out of all those millions
there's one that stood hidden shoulders
above all the others when it came to
looks and that was Absalom and don't
think for a moment that he didn't know
it because he did okay there was no one
who was praised as much as Absalom for
his good looks from the sole of his foot
to the crown of his head
there was no blemish in him he was one
seriously handsome good-looking guy he
had the right back the right symmetry he
had the right chest he had the ripped
abs he had the arms he had the tan
he had the white teeth he had the right
complexion he had the right color eyes
we all know we had the hair he had the
complete package and when he cut the
hair of his head at the end of every
year he cut it because it was heavy on
him when he cut it he weighed the hair
of his head at 200 seconds according to
the Kings standard oh so he's Absalom
he's handsome he's he's really something
oh he's also royalty I mean he had a
spat on thick he's royalty good-looking
can talk really really well composed
dignified educated highly he had he had
it all oh pastor Stephen we need a man
like that nothing wrong with a man like
that obviously you know his father and
David was handsome it says that it says
that David was handsome and that's
passed down because his mother was very
beautiful as well put all that together
son surprising that the children end up
popping out looking really nice but he's
got it all oh and he knows it he's got
it all my friends you have to understand
in the kingdom of the Lord your great
strengths
can potentially be your great weaknesses
mmm and somebody in leadership know I
know his father was a prophet but his
father is very busy you know killing
Goliath and cutting people up with the
sword the enemies of the Lord and going
here going there you know he's got a
rule he's got a govern father's very
very busy but there should have been
somebody a priestly figure a fatherly
figure that sat down with him and said
look you got all this stuff going for
you but you're gonna have to keep all
this stuff in proper place and it's
gonna be a real struggle and the more
you have the greater struggle it can be
pastor Steve and I have a high IQ I'm
sure you do and I'm sure you want to
tell everybody about it now Steve not
real good-looking I'm sure you are that
you probably want everybody to take your
picture see I'm just saying there's
something wrong with these wonderful
blessings oh but I've got to tell you
the greater the blessing the greater
struggle
j'adore and a half in trying to keep
that thing in the right place Pastor
Steven what should he have done what
should he have done he can't help it
that he's so handsome no no he can no he
can and he's not the only one who's been
in situations like this in the 1600s
there was the very famous Catholic
mystic Saint named Madame jean-guy own
and just because she was Catholic
doesn't mean that she was just in that
particular stream of the Christian faith
Oh I mean her writings were so profound
they were so deep that even John Wesley
I mean he said this he said the writings
were incredible and he was greatly
influenced by her writings and then of
all people the Quakers they used her
teaching as a role model why she taught
such holiness she's taught such a deep
walk with God that even although she was
a Catholic the Quakers were just like
hey we're gonna claim her as one of our
own we love her teachings they actually
called her a Quaker born out of season
Oh but during her lifetime during her
younger years in her 20s before she
really
knew the Lord oh she was somebody she
was the Paris socialite and the word on
the street the talk on the newspapers
was there is no other woman in Paris who
could hold a candle to her she is the
most beautiful woman in the country oh
and she knew it and although she would
say all you know that's that's not
important you know the things that are
important or the things of God that
thing ate at her and ate what because
she loved it she loved hearing about
that she loved hearing about that as she
cried out to God God this beauty is
actually like a torment because it it's
doing things to my pride that are not
good and she talked about it she talked
about the vain life she got caught up
into because of these glamorous looks
that opened doors for her to walk
amongst elite the the royalty you know
the the the you know high up crowd so to
speak you know the hearty snooty all
that stuff she was welcomed in there and
she called herself a social butterfly
and all that stuff going on all that
stuff going on but yet the same time
spirit God is trying to pull her over
into what into the walk of a saint and
so she just was like Lord what am I
gonna do help me well what I'm going to
tell you next is not something that God
did to her something happened to her but
I will say this God worked through it
and she got smallpox and it hit her real
hard all over the face and it completely
ruined that phenomenal beauty that she
had but you know what she found out
while she was laying on that deathbed
almost did all of this stuff that the
world says is so wonderful and so
important she said it's all vanity and
in the eyes of God although it can be a
gift from the Lord in the eyes of God
that's not what's important to the Lord
and she said she was delivered and set
free from all of that
false importance all of those things
that the world says has value she
realized no that's not where God puts
focus that that's not where God puts
value at and she you know she had the
marks the scars on her face for the rest
of her life but she used that experience
and I know that was the enemy that sent
that awful disease but she used it as a
springboard to say life is short let me
live for eternity and she went after the
Lord and the Lord took her down the path
of sainthood and today she is considered
a true Saint hmm
praise God and she wrote some of the
most beautiful writings and if you've
read her writings you know stuff like
that you can't fake you cannot write
stuff like that unless you truly do have
a deep walk with God because you can't
you can't make that up that has to come
by the Spirit of the Lord thank you Lord
Jesus these are very interesting things
well pastor Stephen what was what was he
supposed to do what was Absalom supposed
to do I mean he didn't get smallpox how
was he supposed to deal with something
like this oh praise God God's got a
cross for you God's got a cross for you
and you must learn to love the cross and
to embrace the cross hallelujah let's go
on the chapter 15 second Samuel chapter
15 after this had happened let's see
this is where this went to because he
didn't know how the deal with all of his
blessings all of the glamour all of the
praise poured on him he didn't know how
to properly deal with it and because of
that look where he ends up going it's
tragic
after this had happened that epsilon
provided himself with chariots and
horses and fifty men to run before him
how stupid
how stupid can't you see it's totally
gone to his head and they're pumping him
up too and he's allowing it to happen
now Absalom would rise early and stand
beside the way to the gate so it was
whenever anyone who had a lawsuit came
to the king for a decision that Absalom
would called to him
say what city are you from and he would
say your servant is from such-and-such a
tribe of Israel then Absalom would say
to him look your case is good and right
but there is no deputy of the King to
hear you
moreover Absalom would say oh that I
were made judge in the land and everyone
who has any suit or cause would come to
me then I would give him justice how
many of you know that's just a bunch of
total baloney okay and so it was
whenever anyone came near to bow down to
him that he would put out his hand and
take him and kiss him in this manner
Absalom acted toward all Israel who came
to the King for judgment
so Absalom watch this so Absalom stole
the hearts of the men of Israel and
within days he's plotting to murder his
own father within days the spirit of
rebellion comes on him so strong that
he's ready to overthrow the kingdom that
God had given his loving father he's
ready to hijack that he's ready to see
his father murdered he's ready to do
whatever it takes to rise up and be the
man that he thinks he's destined to be
well pastor Stephen how could he how
could he have diverted all this with all
of these remarkable traits what went
wrong how could it have been turned into
the right path praise God I'm so glad
that you're thinking about that let's go
deeper let's go to the Gospel of Luke
Luke chapter 7 hallelujah Luke 7 verse
24 when the messengers of John had
departed he began to speak that Jesus
began to speak to the multitudes
concerning John and I think that's very
wise the way that the Lord handled that
because the Lord knows human nature
the Lord knows that John is very humble
living a life of great self-denial but
the Lord also knows perhaps I shouldn't
share this where he hears it directly
the Lord also knows that John's time is
very very limited
so he what he is going to share he's
going to share with some people that
will hear it and value it but John will
not hear it it reminds me of the wisdom
also that Saint Francis of Assissi
walked in when Saint Francis of Assissi
was getting older in life he never lived
to be that old anyhow by the way but for
his life towards the end of its life
when his ministry was just flourishing
and people were joining that that
movement that move of God that the Lord
had used him to raise up there was one
man he was one of the original twelve
that was exceptional
in his devotion to the Lord and in his
support and commitment and for his love
of st. Francis and st. Francis said one
day as he was coming out of this little
Hut that he had been in as he came out
he saw that brother walking out of the
forest that the brother had been in
prayer and when that brother who was one
of the monks of st. Francis when he
walked out of the forest the Lord Jesus
spoke the st. Francis and said of all
the men on the earth he's in the top
three who loves me the most whew now st.
Francis never told that brother that but
when that brother died
he told all of the others what the Lord
had told him about that man and
everybody knew that that man was very
very holy very very holy now my people
look at you when they look at your life
do they look at you as being a holy
saint is there enough salt in you where
they can detect something different from
the world mmm
thank you Lord Jesus and when the
messengers of John had departed he began
to speak to the multitudes concerning
John what did you go out into the
wilderness to see a reed
shaken by the wind and it was you know a
real fragile person well we know that
John wasn't like that but what did you
go out to see a man clothed and soft
garments indeed those who are gorgeously
appareled and live in luxury are in
King's courts well we know that John
wore the camel skin actually historians
who have studied tradition about John
and also tradition according to the
rabbi's about Elisha the prophet tell us
that John actually wore the camel coat
the camel skin turned inside out now
that means all of those hairs of that
coat or turned inward rubbing him and
perking him all the time well pastor
Stephen that must really be a great
irritant to the flesh yes I'm sure it
was and he was doing it on purpose
whew what did you go to see a king with
a nice fancy smooth robe mm-hmm the be
careful with the flesh I'm not saying to
be an ascetic
I'm not say walk around with the camel
skin on but I will say this if you end
up pampering your flesh too much it's
going to get you in trouble
thank you Jesus but what did you go out
to see a prophet yes I say to you and
more than a prophet this is he of whom
it is written behold I send my messenger
before your face who will prepare your
way before you for I say to you among
those born of women there is not a
greater prophet than John the Baptist so
Jesus just said that John the Baptist
was greater than Moses greater than
David greater than Elijah greater than
all the prophets under the Old Covenant
pastor Stephen why was that because
although the others many of the others
maybe were
they had a more well-known ministry such
somebody like Moses and then you had
miracles work by Moses great miracles
work by Elijah Elijah but yet John's
greater why because out of all of them
John is the only one who was given the
esteemed honor to stand on a riverbank
with this with a couple of his disciples
he was the only one who ever had the
honor to say hey guys you see that man
standing over there yeah that's him that
is the son of God in the flesh behold
the lamb of God who has come to take
away the sins of the world he was the
only one that had that privilege to say
that to declare that and to be the
forerunner of the Messiah the others did
not have that privilege of being able to
do that that makes him the greatest
prophet under the Old Covenant but he
who is least in the kingdom of God is
greater than he that's because even John
was under the Old Covenant but you are
now in the new washed with the blood of
Jesus and a child a child of God
hallelujah
with all the covenants rights and
privileges at your access now let's talk
about John just for a moment but what
did you go out to see a prophet
yeah a prophet one forerunner one
prophet saying make straight the pads
prepare the way of the Lord
Oh what we also know that John was a man
of fasting yes even Jesus mentioned
about all of the fasting that John did
but as he was the forerunner declaring
make the way of the Lord straight he's
coming one individual called to do that
John but the second coming of the Lord
again will be a John the bat
just call but not just one man one
corporate body the church you and I well
pastor Steven that would mean that we
would have to have a prophetic anointing
like John yes absolutely and that may it
rest upon your life praise the Lord
Oh Pastor Steven I'm liking that yes we
are the corporate anointing saying make
streak the pads the Lord is coming the
second time to take the church home with
him but first she's coming in great
power the parousia the appearing of the
Lord
the mighty presence of the Lord yes yes
yes
and it only would make sense that with
that anointing would also be a lifestyle
of prayer and fasting
Oh Pastor Steven i don't i don't want
that i want the john anointing but i
don't want anything to do with that
that's why well-meaning people run into
problems people like epsilon with a
great dad
a royal DNA and all of this good stuff
going for him
looks education yeah just just has as we
would say has the world at his feet and
and they get lifted up into vain pride
they get lifted up into their own
strength and their own wisdom and their
own selfish ambition and the next thing
you know they have missed the purpose
and the high calling that God had for
them they took another path and I'm here
today to say there is a path of
sainthood oh it is absolutely the path
less traveled in the body of Christ I'm
not even talking about false paths out
in the world because anything out in the
world leads to death and destruction but
I'm talking about within the body of
Christ yes you are saved by grace and
you can be the thief on the cross and
repent and ask God to save you and he'll
save you right there on the spot that's
how
merciful our loving father is but my
friends when you want to develop and do
more than just reach heaven when you
want to reach the mature image of Christ
then that requires a different level of
training and preparation and not many
want to go down that path but I believe
for many of you that are watching it is
what God has called and chosen for you
lest you end up with all of your
blessings and your nice hair like
Epsilon
dangling from a tree having Spears
thrust through his heart
after his rebellious overthrow was
crushed my friends these things are very
very serious these things of the flesh
that would try to hijack your high
destiny and calling in the Lord must be
dealt with praise God hallelujah let's
go to the Gospel of Mark mark chapter 4
thank you Lord Jesus mark chapter 4
verse 7 this is the parable of the sower
which is mentioned in all four Gospels
we were taking a look today at one
particular area upon which the seed was
sown mark 4 verse 7 and some seed fell
among thorns and the thorns grew up and
choked it and it yielded no crop now
verse 18 Jesus explains what the parable
means now these are the ones sown among
thorns they are the ones who hear the
word get ready get ready you're about to
find out the place where a large
percentage of the American church is
camped at right now now these are the
ones sown among thorns they are the ones
who hear the word and the cares
of this world the deceitfulness of
riches and the desires for other things
enter an in-joke
the word and it becomes unfruitful well
pastor Steven I don't want that to
happen to me
how can I prevent it especially how can
I prevent it when God wants me to be
blessed and God wants me to be prosper
how could I balance this how could I
balance this mmm thank you Lord Jesus
we're gonna talk about that today
because if you don't apply the spiritual
tools that Jesus said these are
available for the believer if you don't
take them and work them in your life
then you will have to face things
unfortunately not prepared you will face
them in the flesh and then you will find
yourself suffering needlessly praise God
but the Lord wants to get you ready he
wants to get you ready the Lord wants
you to be able to stand in places of
prominence a prominence places of fame
places of wealth places of fortune but
you have to be very very careful because
these are areas where others have been
lifted up to and they have God gotten
into those places and in some ways while
they have not forsaken the Lord they
have forsaken their clothes walk with
God they have compromised major
principles but yet they still want to
hold on to that lofty position but they
still want to do all of the other stuff
at the same time and you have to really
really be close to the Lord thank you
Lord Jesus hallelujah
I remember reading the story I have a
book the book is out of print in order
to buy the book it I had to buy it on
Amazon it cost over $100 to buy the book
and it was worth it
book book actually to me I believe it's
worth over a thousand dollars
is the life story of pastor William duma
d un8 from south africa and he talks
about the time the power of God came on
him to raise a young girl from the dead
who had been dead if I'm correct about
my memory serves me right she had been
dead for four days now this happened
back in the 1970s and he goes under a
mighty anointing of the Holy Spirit and
raises that did teenager back to life
and it shocked the church shocked the
community because everybody knew she was
dead and many had seen her and when she
came back to life it terrified people it
was a phenomenal witness of the power of
God and every newspaper in the area was
writing about it and he always stuck to
his commitment that he would never ever
do an interview with any any type of a
newspaper ever because you know secular
newspapers that can take things and
twist things to say amount of context
and even even some Christian newspapers
have been known to do that so he just
had a flat out rule no interviews ever
but after that great miracle happened
and the news was just going like
wildfire and everybody wanted him
everybody wanted them come preach here
come preach there we want you what we
want you on TV we want you on the news
please please yo and he just he pulled
back he pulled back and the Lord came to
him and spoke to him a few weeks after
that that major event and said Duma he
said I worked through you to do that
great miracle because of your humble
heart and your great faith but now the
enemy is very very angry so you must
stay humble so just go and sit in the
dirt and stay humble because the enemy
is going to try to get you lifted up in
Pride
hmm would you believe that after the
Lord appearing to him and sharing that
with him that later in his ministry he
got lifted up in pride and it really
really bit him it got him off track and
but I tell you it you have to be very
very careful you have to be very careful
the reason he fell for it later in his
ministry and got lifted up in pride was
he got away from that close walk with
the Lord
he got so busy with ministry phone calls
came in from all over the place and
meetings all over the place and now he's
famous and people just pull it on him
mic day pulling on him night and day and
he said I allowed it to begin to cut in
into my early devotional life the very
thing that had built my ministry into a
powerhouse now I'm he said I began but
give that up and sacrifice it for all of
the quote good Christian work that I was
doing but he said I knew I was getting
dry I would preach sermons and I knew
they didn't have any life in them and I
would go to meetings and the power of
the Spirit they used to write on the
meetings was not there anymore and he
said was greatly concerned but I didn't
stop just kept going and you know
everybody loved him in saying good kinds
of things about him he got lifted up in
pride and then he had some very
difficult things that he went through
because of that that God allowed to
bring him low and it was in that low
place that he got back right with the
Lord and everything end it beautiful but
my friends be very very careful very
very careful because the cares of this
world the deceitfulness of riches
there's something wrong with riches but
just be aware this whole realm is very
very deceitful in this area and if
you're not walking very close with the
Lord that stuff will pull on you it'll
pull on you so strong like a magnet and
that's what happened to Absalom I'm sure
as a young child he had no thought ever
of one day overthrowing his father and
even trying to murder his father
I'm sure such a thought never even came
into his mind but he had so much going
on for him and all of that stuff see the
more you have you're gonna have to
really be careful you're gonna have to
be really be careful because the enemy
will try to use it to bait you to get
you hooked into this wok of the flesh
and if you do that you have exited off
that path the sainthood
because I'll guarantee you on that path
to sainthood not everybody's gonna like
you if you're on that path the sainthood
there will be those that speak things
against you that would rile your flesh
mmm but what does the Bible say in Luke
chapter 6 let's go over there just for a
moment Luke chapter 6 verse 26 when
Jesus said woe to you when all men speak
well of you for so did their fathers to
the false prophets look if everybody
thinks you're wonderful something's
wrong something's wrong praise the Lord
if there is no bite to the message if
there is no salt or light in your life
something's wrong something's not right
that's not sainthood praise the Lord and
while we never want to be offensive
while we never want to do something that
would be a stumbling block we have to
understand that the gospel is not always
celebrated by some and even within the
body of Christ when you go all out to
live for the Lord and and walk with the
Lord there will be some that that will
say you know you don't you don't need to
be living like that and you know you you
don't need to believe this way and you
don't need to be so fervent in your
service of the Lord and you see that you
know come over here and and be like the
rest of us but if you look at the rest
of them and you look really honestly
those that are saying that are defeated
those that are saying that are not
moving in the power of God those that
are saying that are not getting answers
to prayer mmm and those are the ones
that cannot advise you on how to
live the life of an overcomer why they
don't know they don't know the secret of
the Covenant but the Lord reveals the
covenant to those that fear Him what is
it it's a covenant walk it's the walk of
the triumphant Church mmm and I'll be
honest with you it was unveiled to me
primarily through the Catholic saints
that knew that if you want to walk this
walk there is an area of your life where
you have to deal with your flesh and if
you ignore mock or ridicule the primary
teachings of Jesus it will bite you and
your flesh will assert you somewhere
along the line it's going to happen even
if you don't want it to even if you
don't plan on it happening it will
happen and often it can happen in the
most uncomfortable places such as out in
public and you'll think I can't believe
I said that
and your think I can't believe I did
that and it's worse when there's cameras
rolling and they're you know who doesn't
have a camera today you can take your
phone send summer i phone or whatever it
is
everybody's got a camera now everybody
is a news reporter now praise the Lord
so you must have this walk dialed in
especially especially in the day and in
the hour in which we are living
praise the Lord thank you Jesus let's go
to Matthew chapter 6 Matthew chapter 6
hallelujah praise the Lord verse 1 take
heed that you do not do your charitable
deeds that's what we would call giving
the giving of offerings before men to be
seen by them otherwise you have no
reward from your father in heaven
therefore when you do a charitable deed
in other words when you do giving when
you give to support the work that God
has placed upon your heart to give
towards not if but when okay verse 3 but
when you do a charitable deed so these
are just things that are part and parcel
of the Christian life
and if you're not a giver something
severely wrong because the very nature
of God is a giving nature for God so
loved the world that he did what for God
so loved the world that He gave you
cannot love without giving you cannot
have true love and somehow hold it back
love demands love just flows and when it
does it will give for God so loved the
world that He gave what His only Son
that's what an only Son that whoever
believes in Him should not perish but
should have everlasting life
so giving needs to be a part of our life
verse five and when you pray not if you
pray but when you pray you shall not be
like the hypocrites for they love to
pray standing in the synagogues and on
the corners of the streets that they may
be seen by men certainly I say to you
they have their reward but you when you
pray go into your room so he talks about
private prayer and there's a place for
corporate giving there is a place where
even Moses said let's bring it all free
and he announced a whole offer in Israel
bringing those of you that can just do
what you can
we're receiving an offering for gold
silver brass also we're gonna we're
gonna course be building the tabernacle
and the furnishings so we'll need these
types of cloths and these types of
jewels and who named it all and gave
people different levels they could give
on and so forth that's the corporate all
free so you can't keep that hidden
there's also corporate prayer we have
corporate prayer meetings at times you
can't you can't keep that hidden but in
your own personal giving in your own
personal prayer those are things that
God expects you and I to do
praise the Lord even though they may be
personal and much of it goes unseen it
is still something that the Lord
requires of us but you when you pray
verse seven and when you pray do not use
vain repetitions as the heathen do verse
nine in this manner therefore pray so
prayer is that lifeblood that we have
with God it's that communication but uh
as powerful as they are giving
as powerful as prayer is if you
eliminate the next one something will be
not might be it will be missing from
your Christian development and this is
the one that if you want to go along
that path of sainthood this friend is
going to want to start walking with you
and this is the friend called fasting Oh
Pastor Steven well the path of sainthood
as long as I have giving on one side to
encourage me as long as I have prayer on
the other side to encourage me I'm good
to go no you're not no you're not and
somebody should have sat down a leader
in Israel should have sat down with
Absalom and say hey you got a lot going
for you you're real handsome guy ha ha
I'm glad you're noticed yeah I noticed
everybody else has to and this is uh
this obviously it's a problem for you we
need to talk about how you can get this
under well what do you mean get it under
God gave it to me I think I'll show it
off well look you're a gardener you're
going to end up in trouble because
you're you're a big ego this thing is
going to lead you to a place that's not
good I'm not saying my friends you're
going to end up somewhere dangling
caught between a tree branch you know
having the the donkey run out from
underneath you and you're left strained
it like that but I'm I'm saying that
people can get themselves tangled up
into some of the craziest things why
they've never were taught how to deal
with the flesh nature and so they pamper
it they pamper it they're clueless as to
who John the Baptist was oh that's not
my calling Pastor Steven to live down by
the Dead Sea to live out the Judean
wilderness
that's not my calling Oh since when that
God called you to feast team all the
time hallelujah praise God well pastor
Steve and I have a medical condition I
can't fast oh so you can't fast but you
could still drink all the alcohol you
want and you can still consume all the
sugar that you want and the doctor says
that's okay pastor Steve and I can't
fast medical condition well can you not
fast Netflix is it or is that also on
the prescription
that also allowed well what about the
Disney's streaming channel can you not
just cut that off for three months or
month and really seek the Lord we are
coming up on Pentecost this is a very
very important shift that's taking place
in the body of Christ
there will be literally new anointings
released upon the servants of the Lord
I'm talking about you but you must
prepare your heart you can't just do the
same old thing same old thing all the
time when there is failure and defeat
and you say I'm willing to tolerate that
because anything that you're willing to
tolerate will never leave your life whew
praise the Lord hmm many of the great
Saints they said they said oh yes giving
is good and prayer is good but that's
like kicking that root but when you
start fasting you pulled the axe out you
pull the axle - and what happens that
thing starts getting chopped chop chop
chop and that's how you could stand in a
place and accolades can be hurled at you
and people say oh you're the best thing
since sliced bread
we just think you're wonderful and you
say praise the Lord and you stand there
and in your heart you're totally dead to
it and you realize Lord that they love
you they see you and me and I somehow
reflecting you and they they really like
that but Lord you and I both know
without you I don't have anything that
can help them and so while you hear
these things and perhaps while God can
place you in a prominent position in
your heart because you know your friend
fast eNOS walking with you you know stay
humble stay humble I was in meetings one
time in India and the Spirit of God
moved so strong in meetings and miracles
were happening and on the journey home
on the long journey home they switched
my seat on the plane and they put me in
the very back seat in Economy right up
against a toilet now I had come out of
miracle meetings with a
very very powerful meetings I'll be
honest the passenger said he said
Stephen he said we haven't seen miracles
like like this since TL Osborn came here
back in the 1970s and so it was great
miracles and so I thought Lord this this
is wonderful this is wonderful but on
the way home the Lord had me in that
very back seat and I sat there and the
Lord said now go as low as you can and I
did
well I could smell the toilet the toilet
was overused and overloaded and uh and
the plane was packed full and I'm the
last one to get served and I'm the last
one to get everything everybody else
puts their seat back by seat won't go
back and I somehow felt the presence of
God so strong and said Lord this is what
I need right now
this is what Steven Brooks needs right
now I don't need to be at the front of
the plane I need to be at the back of
the plane maybe I even need to be out on
the wing
praise the Lord but see when the servant
of fasting comes and stands with you it
is for your preservation and it is for
your transformation into Christ so that
the sainthood process is developed and
worked into your life and when you get
to the end of the journey and you meet
others who finished it you'll find out
they made the same discoveries I'm here
today to try to tell you don't try to
change truth anytime you tried to alter
truth you're going to get yourself into
trouble do not try to alter the
teachings of Christ don't try to say now
we'll take this and that but that we
don't need you just pulled yourself off
the path to sainthood you pulled
yourself off of something that God knew
was necessary for you to stand in that
place and not be shaken and not be
swayed by what is surely going to be
thrown at you let me tell you the devil
is very cunning he's been around a long
time and he's taken down some big people
he's taken down some people that had
good
arts that had good commitments he's
taken down people that were very
talented and had the charisma had had
the look had it all whatever it was they
had it and he took them down it's
because so many of them neglected
allowing the friend of fasting to walk
along with them and because of that
because of that their destiny was never
materialized in Esau sold his birthright
sold out his destiny because of food
because of the urges of the flesh and
the demand that says I have to have it
now really yeah look I know you've been
on a long hunting trip and I know you
weren't out probably for a day or two
maybe you've been gone for two months
and these were big hunting expeditions
and you obviously didn't come back
anything but but really you you can't
hold out for another couple hours can't
we can't we can't we do something else
oh and there was somebody there ready to
take advantage because that's that's the
way the enemy will always play it
there's always somebody there and to
take advantage hallelujah praise God my
friends you must be developed in this
area let's go to one more let's go to
one more but remember the teachings of
Jesus giving praying and fasting
was the last time you fast it hallelujah
you need to make sure that fasting is an
integral part of your life because it is
one of the key components it is one of
the key friends assigned by the Lord on
your path to reaching sainthood praise
the Lord thank you Jesus because it
helps didn't the senses it helps get you
to a place where in this in the next one
you still see it all swirling but you're
able to step back in the Lord and say
Lord it it doesn't have the value that I
once thought it had and some of you you
need
the fast because some of you are
pursuing things desiring things that you
think it's good but if you actually end
up getting them it's going to pull you
away from the Lord and if you're not
careful you're gonna keep pushing and
pushing so strong you're gonna actually
end up having it but it will then
consume your time it will demand all of
your attention and for some of you could
even destroy your marriage be very very
careful with these things I'm telling
you there is a deceitfulness of riches
and I teach about God's plan and
blessing for your life with prosperity
but let me tell you richest you've got
to be very very careful there is a great
deceit in that area a great deceit and
many of the people of the world that
walk in that they were just I mean you
just start getting around all of that
and it's a fog it is a thick fog it's a
spirit really its spirit and if you're
not fasting you walk into that stuff and
it'll just it'll just pull you right in
and the next thing you know you got you
yeah I excuse me it's got you you have
to be very very careful praise the Lord
all right let's go further
one more second Kings chapter three
second Kings chapter 3 what if somebody
would have taught you this 20 years ago
what if when you were in church and you
were at youth camp
what if somebody would have taught you
this we can't help how water has passed
beneath the bridge it's gone we can't do
anything about that but my friends what
you hear today you can take it and if
you begin to practice it and implement
it and embrace fasting where you get to
a place where you look at yourself in
the mirror like Epsilon should have done
and said hey it's just hair it's just
hair it's just a tan it's just a
blessing from the Lord and that's all it
is let's not make this up more than it
is it's just hair you know I mean maybe
should have cut it often you
don't you use it to help people make a
wig that maybe it somebody needs a wig
somewhere I don't know do something
instead of glorying in yourself this is
all fantasy this is all vanity some of
you are going to begin to smell
supernaturally the fragrance of grass
and I've had that happen in meetings
before and people are saying Pastor
Steven and they're excited when they're
telling it to me they don't know what it
means
Pastor Steven I'm smelling grass I'm
smelling grass what does it mean it
means that what you're pursuing is not a
value in the eyes of the Lord because
it's temporary and it's passing it's
transient and it should not be your
focus because grass like Jesus said is
here today and the morrow thrown into
the oven and it's gone and it just wilts
and it goes away so quick grass and you
have to be aware of that because it can
grab your attention oh I just love this
I'm this is my new thing I'm really into
this and that can be a fad and you know
six months later or six years later it
just all changes but just lock onto the
Lord lock on to the Lord now second
Kings chapter 3 I know this is heavy
teaching I know this is heavy teaching
but you need this to stabilize you in
the place of prominence that God wants
to take you into lest you get lifted up
by all of your qualities it could be
your hair who knows who knows second
Kings chapter 3 and let's go to verse 25
then they destroyed the cities now what
I'm about to read to you I've had I've
had spiritual sons I've had spiritual
daughters ministers from around the
world contact me ask me email me text me
Pastor Steven what is the meaning of
this strange story here in the Bible
what does it actually mean what is it
about we know it's a natural story a
natural story of war
and something very bizarre that took
place but what is what is it trying to
mean because in the Old Testament we had
the types of shadows what is the New
Testament reality of this let's jump
into it then they destroyed the cities
and each man threw a stone on every good
piece of land and filled it and they
stopped up all the springs of water and
cut down all the good trees while I'm
teaching this to you
I hear the prophets and the Apostles in
heaven shouting preach it praise the
Lord
so my friends I'm going to continue to
share this with you today and they
sucked up all the springs of water and
cut down all the good trees but they
left the stones of cure heresit intact
however the slinger surrounded and
attacked it and when the king of Moab
saw that the battle was too fierce for
him he took with him seven hundred men
who drew swords to break through to the
king of Edom but they could not oh now
he's real desperate now then he took his
eldest son who would have reigned in his
place
and offered him as a burnt offering upon
the wall
now all the Israeli soldiers are
watching this and I've been told that
there's nothing as memorable or
disgusting as the smell of burning human
flesh then he took his eldest son who
would have reigned in his place and
offered him as a burnt offering upon the
wall and there was great indignation
against Israel so they departed from him
and returned to their own land this act
carried out by the king of Moab against
the army of God against the intent and
purpose of God because God said look
I've given bow up to you
he told these people I've given you mow
app now go destroy these people they're
filthy people they do human sacrifice
these people are worthy of being removed
of the face of the earth now go remove
them but yet Israel when they saw the
resistance of Moab they didn't know how
to respond what this Moab represent and
this heinous act
Moab the king of Moab represents the
outrageous even desperate measures that
your flesh will take in order to
surrender to the path of sainthood
mm-hmm it will quick it will kick it
will squirm it will fight it will make
excuses
it will say start the fast tomorrow
start it next week well we don't need
the fast we don't need to be so severe
we don't really need to follow the
teachings of Jesus and that's why that's
why believers look at Bible verses and
they say how can that be how could such
a thing be yet God promises but we never
see it how could it be because you are
disengaged from something that will
carry you there into it and the flesh
has this nature of making the most wild
bizarre excuses and putting it off
putting it off and maybe it's been
playing that game with you for years and
you need to finally nailed the king of
Moab and you need to take Moab out and
the Israelis should have pulled back
they should have they should have said
this is the most disgusting thing we've
ever seen but if they want to go all out
we're gonna go all out too and the the
the leaders of Israel should have said
whose tribal allotment thus this land
belong to that we're fighting here
against Moab and the leaders should have
come forth and said this is ours and
they should have said look every single
one of you this is your land you want it
we're going to stand with you and fight
but look you guys need to lay your lives
down and fast and get ready because this
is more than a physical challenge that
we're facing this is diabolical
this is satanic this is the flesh
empowered by bad forces praise the Lord
praise the Lord look when that King got
up on that high wall of the fortified
city and took his young handsome son
and plunged a knife down on him in front
of all the Israeli soldiers and then
burned him alive then burned him it sent
a shockwave of wickedness and evil over
there just it hit like a shock wave over
the Israeli soldiers and they were just
like stunned and they did not know how
to counter assault against such
willingness to not surrender and because
of that act moab ruled another 200 years
before israel finally got those wicked
people underneath their feet but they
could have had it then but they didn't
know how do we get through this mmm-hmm
thank you Jesus
let me just revealed to you from those
that have walked it and proved it true
do not eliminate any of the three
principles of the Christian faith giving
you you can never have a harsh harvest
if you're not a giver praying you could
never have prayer dancers prayers
answered if you don't pray and fasting
you can never come into the power and
into the life of that self-nature
crucified that Absalom nature put under
unless you know how to fast one of the
leaders of Israel should have sat down
with Absalom and said look you're
handsome everybody thinks you're great
but you're gonna have to deal with you
have to deal with your strengths and let
me introduce you to fasting
come on Epsilon let's go on a 10-day
fast right now mmm
praise the Lord but sometimes sometimes
we were not taught and you cannot walk
in what you don't know and you can't
have you can't have faith for what you
do not have understanding of in the will
of God but my friends I'm here to tell
you that if you want to get to the top
of Mount Zion this is the way you go and
those that made it and those that we
look at throughout church history and we
esteem their lives they were called
Saints for a reason not because you know
they just said well we
well it's just who we are in the Lord
well they already knew that but they
said sainthood denotes something where
you have given your whole heart to the
Lord and there are evidences that go
along with that and it was verified
verified verified look not just in
Catholic faith but in Protestant faith
and throughout all the rich history the
Orthodox faith going down through the
beautiful streams of the Christian faith
there have been those throughout the
centuries who just said you know what I
cannot live this normal life of just
living some type of complacent
Christianity because it's not working
it's not producing what the word says it
will produce where am I missing it
where am I missing it and for many they
have not accepted the knock of
friendship a fasting saying will you let
me into your life can I walk on this
path with you I'll teach you what you
need in order to get to where you need
to go and see on that climb up Mount
Zion many have said this is good enough
I'll camp here I have a certain degree I
have a certain level of blessing right
here and I'm happy here but God says oh
I've got so much more if only you would
keep on climbing but my friends that
choice is up to you I'm here to tell you
today that the reward is worth it and
you will know the Lord and you will be a
friend of God and God will come and he
will share secrets with you and you will
have no fear of the end times regardless
of what has unfolded in the earth you'll
have no fear you will have no fear why
you're walking with God like Enoch in
the earth and you're walking with the
Lord in a sense where you can truly say
the fullness of the statement that's so
many in the church when they quote it
leave it out they overcame by the blood
of the Lamb
by the word of their testimony and the
last part which is so frequently left
they loved not their lives unto the
death and you cannot say that and mean
it and you cannot live it unless fasting
is incorporated into your life if that's
not there
you've got to love life you're gonna be
just running and running and running and
running and before you know what your
life is over and you can't get a repeat
on the way that you live it and it's the
way that you live at this once this one
time that determines your position of
reward and eternity for heaven and so
you have to make it count and that's why
I say it's worth it because life is
short and you need to go all out for the
Lord now and you to make sure you
incorporate fasters into your life and I
know they're actually preachers today
even in spirit-filled Pentecostal
churches who mock and ridicule fasting
and belittle it and say you don't need
to do that and you know I just stand
back and I realize Lord they don't even
know what they're talking about they
don't see it because the moment you
begin to practice it and you you sense
the flesh go under you're like this is
vital this is vital praise God and it
will it will do things for you that
prayer alone will not do and prayer is
very important but you have to have
these when you pull all three together
you begin to quickly go along the path
of sainthood and I'm here to tell you
that if you feel like you've had wasted
time the Lord will expedite that path if
you'll get on it he'll expedite you
he'll fast-track you and you'll make
progress you'll make progress beyond
your dreams praise the Lord but you need
to get moving it's very very critical
I'm concerned for some of you that you
love the Lord and you have strong faith
but some of you are targeting things and
eyeballing things and the angels are
going you know what that the person is
actually going to move into this but
it's going to be a burden so you have to
get some things
ironed out and settled quickly praise
God praise the Lord I could tell you
story after story of pastors that went
into things out of great
passion but they got there and it was
not what they thought it was and now
they're now they're in it in some of
those things and they're good things but
it wasn't the god thing for them
it wasn't the God thing for them let me
give you a short story Jerry Falwell
pastor of the great Church therein in
Virginia now he's in heaven now his sons
running the ministry but you know his
his family's sons are doing a great job
today with Liberty University but Jerry
Falwell ran into a place years back
decades ago when Liberty University got
in real financial trouble you had the
scandals that took place in the church
in the 80s because of those scandals
involving television ministry partner
donations plummeted all over the all
over the country and brother Falwell
said that his he said his ministry port
support dropped twenty five million
dollars a year they had good money
coming in still but they had a huge drop
of twenty twenty-five million dollars a
year so within four years they had had a
drop of 100 million dollars up until
that point they had built everything
debt-free they just paid cash as they
went and they had built over 250 million
dollars of facilities and beautiful
property but now they have found
themselves suddenly in the deficit but
brother Falwell said he realized that it
was time to do the ultimate it's time to
do a forty day fast because not only did
they have now huge debt hanging over the
university major debt I think like a 100
million dollar debt over the university
but they were faced with losing the
accreditation of the University and who
wants to go to a university that has no
accreditation because if it's not a
credit that your diploma doesn't mean
anything as a worthless piece of paper
so he said he had to do something and do
something quick praise the Lord
you know what the first thing he did was
when he went into this fast and began to
seek the Lord the first thing he did was
he shut
on this political group that he had
formed called the moral majority why the
Lord never wanted him to started in the
first place it's causing money to be
deviated or sent in a direction where
it's not supposed to go and that's often
what happens to ministers when crisis
hits or when the rubber meets the road
and you really seek God oftentimes
ministers find out they've got projects
or they're involved in things that God
never told them to get involved in in
the first place they took that
initiative they took that thing and God
was never in it and suddenly when the
going gets tough and the rubber meets
the road they realized God's not
carrying this fly because God never
commissioned it and so if you really
want to get back on track and get right
if it's not of God cut it completely and
let it go so he said the first thing he
did he's just shut down completely the
moral majority just shut that off
praise God moved onto the campus and
begin to fast and pray and fast and pray
anything he said things got a little
better but it still that massive debt
was looming and then he launched into a
40 day fast and drank only water and I
think every third day he drank a v8 like
a tomato juice type drink just a few
ounces of that but that was it you know
for 40 days lost a lot of weight and he
kept asking the Lord for money lord I
need money Lord we need money and he
said the Lord refused to talk with him
about money and would not discuss money
at all he's doing a forty day fast lost
40 pounds and not once
would Jesus talk with him about money
but he finished a 40 day fast he said
all the Lord emphasized to him was get
your relationship right with me is your
life right with God right now that if
your life ended today and you stood
before the Lord everything's all right
between you and him Reserve Kufa or is
there is there goofy stuff going on in
your life that you're tolerating that
you shouldn't be well if there is you
need to get that stuff fixed
praise the Lord you need to allow a new
friend to come into your life named
fasting jerry falwell
finished a 40 day fast and he said he
sensed really good things were going to
happen and he saw some small things
happen but still nothing really happened
the debts still there the potential loss
of accreditation is still looming but he
said he felt good in this spirit why now
his walk with the Lord is right well he
ate for 25 days after he'd finished a 40
day fast he ate for 25 days and he
gained all the weight back and then he
said the Lord spoke to him and said I'm
ready to talk with you now about money
whew you know what he did mmm-hmm would
you be willing to do something like this
if your destiny if what God had birth
through you was really worth it would
you do something like this he did
another 40 day fast so with only a 25
day break and yes he regained this
weight he goes right back in to another
40 days do you know how long 40 days is
on a fast when you're really on it it
seems like when you're on it seems like
it's like year days go by so slow one
day seems like five days forty day fast
while though we could talk about it let
me tell you it's a long long thing to go
through for an individual so he didn't
he did another one lost another 40
pounds and he knew when that fast was
over he knew God's going to do it God's
going to do it and God did it wasn't too
long afterwards when he finished that
fast that a businessman he and his wife
walked onto the campus met dr. Falwell
and gave him a cheque I believed a
couple checks that came in over a period
of time that totaled 70 million dollars
paid off all the debt and replenished
the cash storehouse as well with
millions of dollars of cash so now the
debts gone now you've got millions of
cash
set aside and then God gave them a
financial genius to come in and to run
the university so that everything was
prepared for their accreditation test
and so when they were tested and
everything's financially in order well
they were given flying colors and now
everything's stabilized with
accreditation now everything's back the
way it should be and so today today you
have a university that has an endowment
of over a million dollars and has
thousands of thousands of students on
campus as well as online praise the Lord
but all of that all of that would have
fallen apart if they had not sought the
Lord with fasting and sometimes it's the
only thing now fasting will not work in
some other situations you can't get a
harvest by fasting you get a harvest by
sowing seed okay and there are some
things that if you do if that if you
don't pray faster you won't touch it you
have to you have to also pray but I
believe for many that are in the church
the friend that they've wanted that
they've needed who may not his
appearance may be a little bit rugged in
the sense that it looks like John the
Baptist coming towards you that's the
friend call fasting that's the one that
you need in this hour yes keep sowing
keep giving that's the commandment yes
keep praying that is a commandment but
there are some things you can't lift it
without fasting because it will bring
the power of God into your life it will
bring the power of God on the scene and
it will bring the power of God into your
body so that the members are crucified
and your body is not boss anymore
hallelujah it's not running the show
you're regenerated spirit you're born
again spirit made in the image of nature
of God that's calling the shots
hallelujah and honestly it's time for
some of you to tell your body you're not
going to call the shots and you're not
gonna boss me around anymore I'm not
living like this anymore praise the Lord
hallelujah thank you Lord Jesus praise
the Lord
thank you Lord Jesus
the king of Moab was defeatable he could
have been taken out there just needed to
be a reoccurring of the Saints do some
prayer and fasting and come back and hit
them because they they attacked they
countered with that with that evil thing
that they did which released evil spirit
power okay so there needed to be a
comeback with the power of God and push
it through and tear this city down and
burn it all to the ground but they
didn't do it but I see you rising up
I see the new friend coming into your
life and walking alongside with you
praise God hallelujah now if you do have
medical conditions please just check
with your doctor make sure everything is
good to go in that area and if you can't
do a real fast with food there are other
things that you can do that before the
Lord would be a sacrifice hallelujah
maybe sugar maybe soft drinks maybe
television or something like that but
for many and I would believe it's
probably the majority many could push
the plate back and seek the Lord with
fasting praise God let me pray for you
Heavenly Father I thank you for those
that are watching today that I know that
my assignment from you is not just to be
a pastor that just puts out messages
that just keep people in the kingly
courts with kingly robes although we
know we're kings and we know that wealth
and prosperity are our inheritance but
we also know father too much softness
can cause a softness in our spirit and
then we begin to let our guard down so
I'm praying for that touch that balance
for your people of the John the Baptist
anointing to be released into your
people where they have the right lift
and they have the left wing they have
the right wing and they get the flight
that they need thank you Father thank
you Father
Oh hallelujah hallelujah let that
anointing come thank you Father
no fear but faith to accept the heavenly
friend
father we give you praise we think you
fathered that the end time prophetic
company that will proclaim the return of
the Lord must be a prophetic company
must be in the similar to of a John so
therefore there would be fasting
required so father we thank you that
even Daniel the esteemed prophet who
stood in the court of the king who saw
into the very day in which we live
yet he was such a man of prayer and
fasting
so father let that anointing let that
mental be upon us
and we thank you for your grace more
than enough grace to even do it with a
joy whereas Jesus said don't do it
sombrely where people notice but anoint
your head with oil and wash your face
and father we thank you that as you see
in secret you will reward openly and we
thank you for that promise and we
believe it and we give you praise we
thank your father for the greatest work
of molding us into the nature of Jesus
father help your people now they slow
down and catch the anointing catch the
anointing that comes through fasting we
give you praise in Jesus name Amen
say I receive amen
praise the Lord now as you walk into
this many of you will begin to have
stronger dreams stronger visions and
greater ability to hear from the Lord it
will happen quickly get ready for it
praise God
hallelujah thank you Jesus now we're
going to take communion in just a moment
let me share some wonderful news this is
the results from the podcast that we
have on our website where people
download the podcast on their iPad or
iTunes and we have now had since the
podcast were put up on the website
twenty twenty three thousand eight
hundred and three downloads
the podcast have been downloaded in 83
countries around the world and guess
what
out of all the messages that are on
there there's a bunch of them guess what
the number one message is download it
it's this message that I taught called
spiritual empowerment through fasting
and prayer my friends God knows what
he's doing
God knows what lies before you and there
is a strength that you need for the last
days where you could really say I don't
love my life unto the death and that way
you're not afraid of anything and you're
really not you're not regardless of what
might be floating around out there you
just have no fear you're ready to go and
do anything that God would instruct you
to do and he is releasing divine
instructions this is very important
becoming independent across please
prepare your heart prepare your heart
and should the spirit graduate in a
sense where you say I really should do
some fasting know that the Lord would
bless that praise God if you're watching
today and your life is not right with
God if your life in this day you and you
think pastor Steve and I'm not where I
need to be please make it right right
now Jesus is waiting with open arms to
greet you please pray this prayer after
me say Lord Jesus I come to you today
and my life is not right with you I ask
you to forgive me of my sins wash all of
my sins away I give my heart to you
right now Jesus write my name in your
book of life thank you Jesus for saving
me thank you for saving me and I'll
serve you all of my days thank you Jesus
I accept you now as my Lord and Savior
amen and amen and if you have prayed
that prayer I'd love to hear from you
please email me at contact at Steven
Brooks dot org praise God hallelujah
it's time to run with the Lord
now let's take holy communion together
please grab some unleavened bread excuse
me and some grape juice and let's
celebrate communion today Heavenly
Father we thank you for the bread the
juice we bless it we set it apart as
Holy this is now the body and the blood
of Christ our Savior Father as we
receive his body we thank you that there
are some things in his word that make us
shout hallelujah and other things that
make us shout ouch but father we must
eat it all we must eat all of the
Passover lamb so father we we receive
what Jesus said about fasting and we
thank you that although the Passover
lamb had bitter herbs we thank you that
is our portion and it is necessary and
we rejoice we thank you that life is
found in the dying price process your
life thank you Jesus we receive your
life now in your name amen
let's protect the body of Christ
together
you're going to come out of this
Pentecost on fire you're gonna come out
of this Pentecost on track focused
hallelujah and I believe that the fires
of God will visit you in such a way that
if there's anything that is not the
agenda of God it will be consumed by the
fire of the Lord hallelujah praise God
hallelujah praise the Lord father thank
you for the blood of Jesus his mighty
cleansing power his mighty delivering
power hallelujah hallelujah I pray
father for any believer watching that
would be almost like an Absalom not even
in the right mind perhaps maybe somebody
that would even be thinking of a serpent
although they wouldn't use that word but
taking over their church or doing
something behind their pastor's back
Lord stop them in their tracks with your
holy fear right now thank you Lord God
hallelujah thank you Lord God praise the
Lord praise the Lord forever
Oh God we give you praise others you
realize today that there's an issue oh
it's probably not your hair although for
some maybe it is when I was in high
school when I searched youth group there
was one guy all he was into was his hair
and he's a guy literally spending two
hours every day to get his hair done
right this is when jail first came out
the jail that was real strong and boy he
had to have it just right two hours
every single day total stupidity and
today today as the Lord as my witness
he's bald totally bald hit it today
hmm may God reveal any foolishness and
vanity in your life
Oh God we give you praise we thank you
for the blood of Jesus may it wake us up
to righteousness and for eternal living
thank you father in Jesus name Amen
let's receive whoo praise the Lord
glory to the Lord thank you for being
mindful of Pentecost thank you for
standing with me as together we're
stepping out into a greater level of
world evangelism
thank you for sewing your Pentecostal
seed I'm praying for you that God make a
saint out of you you're giving your
praying and your fasting and that angel
stand back and look at you and say
that's a holy man that's a holy woman
praise the Lord and that Christ be so
strong on you and so strong in you that
sometimes you witness without saying a
word father bless your people we thank
you we thank you for bringing everybody
to the finish line that you intend for
their faith to reach in Jesus name Amen
thanks for watching I'll see you back
next time