Transcription
Good evening Beltway Park. Let's stand and worship our God.
I saw Satan fall like lightning. I saw darkness run for cover.
He's registered in heaven. My praise belongs to You for it all. Right, come on, here we go. This is my testimony. From there's a lie.
This is my testimony. This is my testimony.
Our God will finish what He started.
Wrote my story. I'll testify by Jesus Christ the righteous. I'm justified. This is my testimony. This is my testimony.
If I'm not dead, You're not done. Greater things still to come. Oh, I believe. If I'm not dead, You're not done. Greater things still to come. Oh, I believe. If I'm not dead, You're not done. You're not a good guy. Greater things are still to come. Oh, I.
This is my testimony from death to life, 'cause grace rewrote my.
This is my testimony.
This is.
There's a reason why the curse of sin is broken. There's a reason why the darkness runs from the light.
There's a reason.
There's a reason through the night.
Praise the key. He's alive. He's alive.
Hell, where is? Hell, where death is.
Praise the King. He's alive.
Hallelujah.
Still.
Came the world.
God, grace forever.
Knowing this was our salvation, Jesus.
Conquered.
Are restored.
It shall not be.
Free.
Praise forever. We praised. How we love You.
I once heard someone say, when you feel that the fire starts to burn in your heart for Jesus, and you feel that love for Him again, they said that flame is worth more. It's worth more than a million dollars. Guard that flame. That's the reason why we're on this planet. So Jesus, all across this room, I pray You'd let the fire burn again in our hearts. Let the fire burn again.
In my heart. For You.
In my heart.
La. La.
Um.
In in my heart for You. Jesus. Yes, my heart, it burns. Can you ask the Lord if that is true? I have to confess that it is partly true and part of it not. But that's what we ask, O Lord. He told Timothy, through his spiritual father, to fan into flame the gift of God that is within you. So Father, that is what we ask for this night. Whether we are online, whether we're in person, whatever it might be, do, do something to stir our hearts. We love and we praise and we honor You. It's in Jesus' name we pray. And all God's people said, Amen. And amen.
Hey, before you're seated, turn around and nod your head at somebody, but do not touch them. You know the rules. Let's be honored. Each of us greet one another, but let's do so in a very COVID-safe fashion. Come on, you guys are awesome. It's so good to see each and every one of you here. Now, how many are excited about being here tonight? Yeah. Do me a favor. We got people who are online right now for various reasons. Can't be here, they want to be here, but cannot be. Tell them how proud you are of them for being online. Give them a shout out right now.
I have to confess, I don't know if you've discovered this for you yet. Um, but I find myself, probably, um, probably by nature, I, I ride roller coasters emotionally a little bit more. It's probably my wiring. I'm asking the Lord to, to deal with that. But I found myself struggling some this afternoon, and it hit me. There's something I missed during the season of COVID. I miss personal ministry. I miss us praying for each other and laying hands. I know it's right, and I, I feel solid in my spirit. We're doing the right thing. I feel like the Lord's, I still miss it. And I just had to say, Lord, I miss it. And I felt like the Lord said, "Do you not think I can do something even if you don't do it that way?" So what if it's different tonight, but the same God who wants to, who's worked in us in the laying on of hands in days of old, works in us in the same way. Is that all not all we need? Here's what I would tell you right now. I might not should lay my hands on you, but God can put His hand on you. And if He can put His hand on you, it does not matter. There'll be a day we go back, no doubt. So don't, don't think, but I think we're going to learn some depths of what God can do during this season. And I, I just asked, you know, I had to repent and say, Lord, I'm sorry. I mean, part of me just thinks of, well, if we can't do it this way, then it's not going to be the same. And maybe He'd say, it'd be better. And so I just challenge you tonight. I want you to come back in the morning. I mean, probably, you know, having an event like this, man, I want you to be here. It's a rare opportunity in our world right now. Most of us being done on Zoom. But because of your willingness to try to be faithful and help each other and be safe and all that, we're able to do it here. I just invite you, won't you be back here at 9 o'clock in the morning? We're going to be strict on our time, but as many of you as possible. We knew doing a Friday night, usually Saturday mornings are a rougher time to get up. Just get your tail out of bed, get up here, and let's receive what the Lord has. Amen.
So let me tell you a couple things, and we're going to let Leif come up here and minister. What we're going to do is have a time of teaching. We'll have a time of ministry at the end. I want to let you know that we have his book, "Giant Slayer," which actually gave me the idea for the series we're doing. But I wanted to bring in Leif live. We planned this over a year ago to be able to go through this while we didn't read this book. So this is your next book to read. So you need to pick it up in the foyer on the way out. It is a great, great read. You can also get it on Amazon, but you get it right here as well.
One thing we're going to do this Halloween season, and because you're here, you get first dibs on this, okay? Actually, second dibs, Thursday night service got dibs, but we're still good. Um, we do an outreach into the darkness during the Halloween season. Um, we just feel like it's our opportunity to shine light into darkness. And we give gifts, and we've done a variety of things. This year, we simplified it real much, really easy. We have a card, and we want you, when you let trick-or-treaters if they're coming to your house, we want you to give to their parents, preferably. If not, give it to the kids. We want you to give them a card. If you are sending your kids out, let your kids give it to the family who give it to them. They'll take it from them. On the back of the card, they're going to be all sorts of good news on here. On the back of the card, there is a QR code. People do that QR code on their phone, they sign up, and what we're going to do to bless our community, come on, we want to help people find their way back to God by blessing, right? And we are going to bless. And so what we're going to do is we're just going to make mortgage payments for certain people based on this stuff. We are going to buy groceries for people. We're going to pay electric bills. We are going to do all sorts of things to bless. Come on, that deserves a round of applause. That's the way we're going to do it. But you gotta get the cards out. And so I'm inviting you to get. Those are in both foyers. And until we run out, believe it or not, you get a free t-shirt if you just agree. Now, don't go ask for a t-shirt and not take a card to give away, okay? And don't take cards you're not going to give away because I'm going to pray God's judgment on you if you. I'm just kidding, kinda. I want you to get a card. Let's, let's take back the seasons. Amen. We're going to shine light into the darkness. So I want you to do just that.
So let's do this. You're going to need scripture. You're going to need some notes. There's a lot of depth to what you're going to receive tonight and in the morning. You're going to want to be, you're really going to want to grab hold of that. Let's just get our hearts ready to receive. So let's do this. Let's bow our heads and let's just tell the Lord right now, I'm ready for whatever You have for me. Father, we believe that You have given us a brother, a friend, a co-laborer. And You said that the way we receive will determine the thing that we receive. We receive a prophet's reward if we receive a prophet. Well, we receive a prophet's reward. If we receive an evangelist, well, we receive an evangelist's reward. We want to receive well tonight, all that You have. And so we prepare our hearts. Give us ears to hear everything You would say. Give us hearts ready to receive everything You would have for us. We ask in Jesus' name. All God's people said.
We live in a world of giants. Some come knocking on our doors. Others are far away. Many of us are standing at the threshold, asking whether we have what it takes to step into the field, let alone win the battle. What is your giant? What are you destined to victoriously overcome?
Even though we live in a world of giants, we also live in a world of giant slayers. The story of David and Goliath provides a blueprint to face our giants and to overcome the battle. In order to harness the sling, we must first master the heart. As giant slayers, we're called to show up and step into battle. Like David, we are destined for victory.
Will you step into the battlefield?
Just wave to me and smile. Wow. How are you doing? Okay. How is the rest of you doing? It is amazing, amazing for me to be able to be back again here with a Beltway Park family. Wow. And by the way, I'm sending much love and greetings from Papa Jack and Mama Freda. And it's almost strange to be here without them. And they just finished a Word, Spirit, and Power conference. Dr. R.T. Kendall and Papa Charles, Karen, and Papa Jack. They were there, and it was just beautiful to see their picture. I did have the honor of being part of the first Word, Spirit, and Power conference, my wife and myself. That was in 2001. And how about 19 years later, these precious fathers are still going strong. And I just want to be like, yeah, let's give them a good hand. And we just wanted to honor. And it is, it is an honor. It was a couple of years ago that Papa Jack says, "You need to meet this pastor. Three years ago, actually. You need to meet his pastor. His name is Pastor David, and you need to meet his wife, Jeanette. And there's this family, Beltway Park family. I just feel that that you're supposed to connect with them." And, and then I had a privilege of coming here with Papa Charles and, and Papa Jack for a Word, Spirit, and Power conference. And my wife had an opportunity also to be back. And, and even when I'm just coming into this city, I, I get tears in my eyes just thinking about a lot of the things that we've been able to do together. And for me. And I just shared a little bit on Thursday, and I just wanted to kind of share it here. That I got a call, actually, from Pastor David, and he said, "Hey, can you just come to Abilene? Not to do a conference and a meeting, just come and hang out with us at the eldership." And I didn't realize that this was just last year in the fall. But I didn't realize there was something in me. I was nervous. And I meet with radical Muslims in the Middle East. I'm in a room with 400 Talibans. And then in the next one, I'm coming to Abilene, Texas, and I feel this nervousness. And I could hardly sleep that night. And I was wondering, what is this? And I didn't realize there was 20 years earlier, exactly, that I had been kicked out of the Baptist church because I was messing around with the Holy Spirit. And it was almost like the last time. And I was part of a mega church and leading a movement of giant slayers. We were reaching unreached people groups. And I was part of the Global Priority Churches. And, and then here we were, my wife, myself, and our family, we didn't have a home. And I didn't realize that there was some trauma still, 20 years later. Some of that hurt was still in me. There was still a giant that I didn't know that I had. And when I landed, I still remember, we went to this incredible steak restaurant. We sat there, and by the time that night was over, I went into my room, and I just wept because just the love and the acceptance and the way that you just brought us and brought us to the family table, and we got to actually just to be adopted into the Beltway Park family and treated as family. And then they came in and said, "Hey, let's dream together." Yes. I just, I just encourage anyone of you that even if there's still a black hole in your soul. And part of my assignment, even now that we're going to be together, is that I was just thinking about it on my way here, just some of the giants we have seen. Just two days ago, three days ago, actually, I was in Columbus, Ohio. And sometimes we do not know what technology can do. But we were ministering, and I had just released a message called "Healing the Orphan Spirit." Take a group of leaders all over the world. But you do not realize they say, "Could you just pray for the people afterwards?" And we prayed. And then I had a whole room of people. They were part of that course we did online during COVID-19. And first, I met the very wealthy businessman. He came up, just wept, and he said, "Could I give you a hug?" And he started to describe his life was totally transformed. He had been an orphan with an orphan heart and an orphan spirit. And then his love came in, and the perfect love just took away fear, and he was set totally free. And it was a person after person after person. So I say that even when you see a Zoom call, I didn't know the power of Zoom and that God could do something even without you touching them. But it was just story after story. But it was one of those ladies that captured me because I was ready to go into the green room after my session. As I said, this was just this week. And this lady came up, and, and she said, "Could I just talk to you?" And she said, "Last night, while you were sharing, she said, something was happening because," and she came from a Mennonite, more an Amish background, and she was sexually abused. So she was one and a half years old. And I didn't even want to almost hear the story. It was such a trauma story. She was 12 years old when she actually was trafficked. Human traffic. And a group of Satanists lost 11 babies that were sacrificed during this. I've had a horrific life. And they bought the psychiatrist and the medication, everything she's been on. And she was just sharing. I was just hoping there was going to be a breakthrough that was like. And then she just started to weep. She said, "Last night, it was the first time in my life experiencing the Father's love." And all that pain that I've had for over some 40 years just disappeared, and I was set totally free. And then you saw the joy of her salvation, of her healing. I wish I could have shown you her face, but she was just hugging and squeezing. Even with the COVID-19, she broke all the rules. But I was kind of okay with it because whom the Son sets free is free indeed. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty and freedom.
So my wife, this is my wife, Jennifer. Can you just wave to everyone? We've been happily married for 31 years. So here I am, a Norwegian Viking that is married to a Cherokee Indian. And you can imagine how our kids are. And then hopefully, our son-in-law is African-American. So we are hoping to have chocolate grandbabies in the future. And so we, uh, but we're having a lot of fun time. And this COVID-19 season for us has been a tremendous gift. I almost wanted to write a book of the 10 major upgrades during COVID-19 because everything that the enemy meant for evil, God has used for good. And it's just, there's something that happens in the wilderness season where your roots just go deeper and deeper. And sometimes we wanted to go wider without going deeper. And He's taking us wider before He takes us deeper. And so God is allowing some of the things. There's a shaking going on, and all the things that can that can be shook is being shaken. It's a global shaking. It's happening all over the world. But there's something that is unshakable that is standing. And there's an unshakable King, and there's an unshakable kingdom. And Jesus, He rules and He reigns in the middle of everything that is going on. So I just want to encourage you. And it is an honor for us to start this journey. They're doing a little "Giant Slayer" conference or family gathering. But as I'm looking around this room and looking at all of these giant slayers, even Pastor David says, "Do you see that worship leader? He's 16." And I was like, "Wow." And I was just thinking about some of these worshipers that is being so overwhelmed by God that nothing else can overwhelm them. Because whatever overwhelms you, shapes you. So the first part of what I wanted to do now is just kind of creating a framework. And my goal tonight for us, eventually, is just kind of seeing the bigger picture of three specific things: what time we are living in, the Kairos moment we're living in, what is God doing in our generation, and where do you fit into God's? So you can wake up in the morning with purpose and passion and realizing who you are. And that perhaps some of the problems that we are facing in this season is actually an invitation for you and I. If it was not for Goliath, David would have only been a shepherd boy. So if there was not for some of those giants that we have faced, that we are facing in our life, some of those giants can be your stepping stone towards your next upgrade. That's why you consider joy when these trials come against you because it leads to upgrades. And sometimes when there's fear coming against me, it's an invitation for me to have an upgrade in love, so that you then receive love, so you become love. And a perfect love will cast out fear. When there's sadness that comes against me, I have an invitation to be able to taste of the oil of gladness. So who you are beholding, you're becoming. And what you become is what you release. And I'm just saying that even there, as you're making a list, and we're going to learn about some of those lists of some of those giants that we are facing, instead of saying, "In the middle of the shaking, you recognize maybe there's some cracks in the foundation." And that's okay. It is not to disqualify you. It's actually to qualify you. And some of those cracks is going to be filled up with Jesus in this season, so that you are living a life that is unshakable, and that you will have an unshakable foundation. And the same also with your family.
So I have these three chairs. How many of you have seen me teach under three chairs? Okay, that's probably three-quarters, that's about 75%. But I do want to present just a paradigm so that we're looking at the giant slayers, and we're going to look at it from this perspective, from a kingdom perspective. So are you ready? Okay. This is Chair Number One. Which chair is this? Let's try that one more time. Chair Number One. Very good. Chair Number Two. And this is Chair Number Three. Which chair is this? Everyone in the world, they live their life from one of these three perspectives. When I was a little boy in Norway, I learned the importance of chairs. Actually, my mom, my mom came from a Pentecostal background, and my dad, he was evangelical, which is very strange to be in Norway since the majority of our country is Lutheran. So I came from this kind of a little strange Pentecostal home background as a child. What we had, we had three big chairs up on the stage. And I still remember, I was about seven years old, and I thought, instead of the wood pew, the chair looked more comfortable than the pew. And the one chair was bigger than the other chairs. Who do you think that chair belonged to? It was not Jesus. It was actually the lead pastor. It was almost like Jesus, and then you had the two elders sitting by the side. So I decided to sneak up and find that chair. But I learned very quickly that I didn't belong there. Later on, I started to play ball when I was in junior high school, and I played soccer. And it was 11 players on the team, and it was 11, actually, it was 12 chairs. And I sat in Chair Number 12. That's when I learned about the sting of feeling unwanted, rejection. Can you? Because I realized, I mean, you're not good enough to be part of the main team. But if somebody gets injured, you get to. I learned about the value of chairs. And then I came to my home where my dad has a chair. And when it is soccer games in England, my dad was sitting in that chair. And I realized I do not sit in that chair. So I learned the value of chairs. But I also realized saying that everyone in this room, you're living your life from one of these three perspectives. Chair Number One is all about the Kingdom of God. Say that with me one more time. Say, Kingdom of God. If you live your life in Chair Number Two, it is about the Kingdom of Self. Say, Kingdom of Self. And if you live your life in Chair Number Three, it's about the Kingdom of the World. It's a Kingdom of the World. In the world right now, there lives about 7.8 billion people. That's a lot of people. And the majority of those people live in Chair Number One. If you live your life in Chair Number One, excuse me, Chair Number Three. If you live your life in Chair Number One, it is the Spirit-filled life. Say, Spirit-filled life. The Bible says, "Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the desires of your flesh." The key to cheering about one living. The Bible says, "The Kingdom of God is not about eating or drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit." So the kingdom is in the Spirit. The Bible also says, "Those who are led by the Spirit, they are the sons and daughters of God." So Chair Number One, if you're living your life in Chair Number One, the supernatural is what's natural. If you are in Chair Number One, you will not see how big Goliath is. You see how big God is. But there is a Chair Number Two. So if you live your life in Chair Number One, you are saved. Say the word saved. If you live your life in Chair Number Two, you are saved. Say the word saved. But this is about the Kingdom of Self. Say, Kingdom of Self. The people that are living their life in Chair Number Two, it's all about me. Give me, touch me, bless me, fill me, me, me, me. Well, I didn't like the song. I had this lady in Australia. She came and said, "I saw you on television on Sid Roth, and I, I traveled all the way to this meeting, but I didn't like it because the worship was going on for two hours and was so loud, and I didn't like the worship. I came here to hear you." And I said, "Well, it's okay, it's okay. I just want to remind you that the worship was not for you. It was for Jesus." And all of those young people, they are extravagant worshipers of Jesus. Actually, me as a teacher, that's not what it is about. The only eternal activity we're doing here is worship. Everything I do is temporary. What I do is temporary. It exists because worship doesn't. But the purpose of mission, the purpose of teaching, everything else is actually to bring people into white-hot enjoyment of who Papa God is. And that's what we're going to do for eternity. We're going to worship Him. And I just realized it myself because I want you to know, I've been in Chair Number Two quite a bit in this COVID-19 season. When I am in Chair Number Two, it is the soulish life. Say, soulish life. The people that are living in Chair Number One, they are saved and they are getting to heaven. I had an Assembly of God pastor. They came up to me and he said, "I don't believe that Chair Number Two can be saved." And I said, "That's okay. In my sermon, they are saved. In yours, they can be lost." And he said, "Are you saying that you cannot lose your salvation?" I said, "You can lose whatever you want to. I'm just saying I cannot lose mine. That nothing can separate me from my Father's love." But, but before we can talk about it, let's talk about the chairs. Because I'm not talking about just about a salvation message where you just have Jesus as Savior, but if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart. So let's first define salvation before we describe all the benefits of what Jesus did on the cross. So Chair Number Two, when the people are living in Chair Number Two, and here is the sadness, is that 91% of the believers live in Chair Number Two. The root system of Chair Number One is love. Say, love. Well, you are rooted and grounded in love. Hey, you are rooted and grounded in love. You are rooted and grounded in love. So the root system and the foundation of Chair Number One living is the very perfect love. And perfect love casts out all fear. You're rooted in love. A God so I love this world. A God's a love ability and God's a love. My root system and my foundation, and His love. And I've stepped into the ocean of love. According to how comfortable you are with love is how comfortable you are with God. Because God is love. First John 4:16. Let me say that again. It is according to how comfortable you are with love is how comfortable you are with God. And if there's any love deficiency in your life, there are God deficiencies. And you're trying to fill Chair Number Two. I want you to see then you're going to try to fill that up with either one out of two things: religion or rebellion. Because there's pain in your life in Chair Number Two, and that pain seeks pleasure. And you will find itself is going to be in the center. And we are going to deal with the giant slayers, but I am putting the foundation for it. So the second half, that when everything we do from here, we're going to actually get those into Chair Number One. Today, how many here would like to live in Chair Number One? You're living under an open heaven where you can see His face, where you can hear His voice, where you feel His love, where you're experiencing His presence. And I'm abiding in His pleasure. Wow. Where I have an A+ on my report card before I take the exam. Just ask Jesus. Before Jesus dealt with any giant, before He healed any sick, before He cast out any demon, before He raised anybody from the dead, He heard from His Father. He was baptized in water, He was baptized in the Spirit, and He was baptized in love. He heard from the Father, "You are My, and You are My beloved, You are My beloved Son, whom I love, and in whom I am well pleased." Why would you want to live from pressure in Chair Number Two when you can live from pleasure in Chair Number One? Why are you trying to live for love when you can live from love? Because everything comes from Him, it goes through Him, and it goes back to Him. Wow. And in my heart, is when we talk about the giant slayers, this is the difference with David, a man after God's own heart. And we're going to deal with some of that from this perspective. But let us just talk about Chair Number Three for a moment. Look at Chair Two. But the people in Chair Number Three, and we're living in a world where you have about 1.7 billion Muslims. You also have a billion and 50 million Hindus and 600 million Buddhists. We could just go on. But the majority of America lives their life in Chair Number Three. They are lost. Chair Number One, saved. Say the word saved. Chair Number Two, saved. Say saved. And Chair Number Three, lost. Say lost. And we're living now in America where the Chair Number Two is being shook. So if you're sensing a lot of shaking, it is time to let go. Don't try to hold on. Let go of it and come home. Find your resting place. Chair Number One is about the hard work of rest, because resting is receiving, and what you receive is what you become, and what you become is what you release. You teach what you know, but you reproduce who you are. And this is all about identity. Say, identity. And out of the identity, there is intimacy. Say, intimacy. It is that oneness. You are abiding in Him. Whoa. And when you are in Him, and He is in you, there is fruit that comes out of your life. It's about covenant relationship. Chair Number Two is about covenant relationship. Chair Number Two is all about fear. And the very thing you fear comes against you. And with fear, there's two twins that follow: shame and guilt. And shame is coming in, and shame will always tell you who you are not. What Papa God would always tell you who you are. Can I say that again? Shame will always point to who you are not. What Papa God would always focus on who you are. This is who you are. This is how Papa God sees you. And I believe with all of my heart, one of the things we need in this season is for us to see ourselves the way Papa God sees us, to love you the way that He loves you. What would that look like? Because you love your neighbor as you love yourself. For me to have a renewed mind, to have the mind of Christ, where I think about me with His thoughts. Wow. And when I start to speak and say what my Father says about me, because that is the truth. And knowing the truth sets you free. So in Chair Number One, it is freedom. Because when the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. There is freedom.
So let me put this into the David Perry and of the world. Here, 7.8 billion people. 91% of the believers are in Chair Number Two most of the time. They maybe have a visitation. Wow. It was a revival meeting. Papa visited me. And we maybe have visitation, but we don't know how to have habitation. We are looking for the fire where God is looking for healthy fireplaces. And He's inviting us to come home. Chair Number Two, we're living more like orphans. Chair Number One, we are living as beloved sons and daughters. It starts with identity. Say, identity. And out of that identity, there is intimacy. Say, intimacy. And out of intimacy, there is inheritance. And inheritance, that is everything that Jesus paid for is already available for us. It is not just something you're going to get when you get to heaven. It is something that happens when heaven gets to you. Can I say that one more time? It is not just something that you get the time you're not going to need it when you get to heaven. It is something that gets to you when you are not just going on another date with Jesus, when you realize you're married to Him, covenant at one with Him. And what is true of Him is true of you. As I am, so are you in this world. First John 4:17. And I have 240 scripture verses, and it's a 12 hours under three chairs. But all I want us to see is the paradigm with the life of David. So when we're looking at what was happening, there was a major shift going on in the Kingdom of God. Dr. R.T. Kendall, he wrote a phenomenal book about the anointing, and he talked about yesterday's, today's, and tomorrow's anointing. He was describing how Saul, Chair Number Two, Saul was a man after man's own heart. What David, Chair Number One, was a man after God's own heart. Could I say that again? Saul was a man after man's own heart. David was a man after God's own heart. There was, in First Samuel 16:1, there was a sunset of Saul and the system of Saul. That's similar to Babel, if you remember Babel, where they were building something from earth towards heaven. While Chair Number One is more like a Bethel, where there's an open heaven, and it is the house of God. Can you see the difference between Chair Number One and Two? By the time it is over today, you're going to recognize because David was a Chair Number One person. He visited Chair Number Two, but when he did, something was broken in David. So I just wanted to give you the big picture of his life. And let's start by the end in itself. David left a legacy, and he had one son. He was not a very good dad until Solomon came in, and he was actually pretty good father by then. And then eventually, what he did, and write it down, First Kings 5:4. I believe it is a verse for you. It's a verse for the city of Abilene. But a picture that is taken here now. We start with the end in itself, and then we're going to go all the way back again to where it started. And then we're going to start our journey, and then we're going to face our giants, and then we're going to see how you're going to go from being a little shepherd boy to the throne and going for the journey towards your destiny, what God had called you to be. And then see some of those giants that are obstacles between you and your destiny, you and your family, and your destiny. So that we can face those giants, so we can overcome those giants, so we can kill those giants, raise up a whole culture of courage. Because when you're facing one of those giants and overcome. I just came to think about one simple story. One of my close friends, similar like this church, for years has been very close to me. He had a daughter who died of cerebral palsy. Ended up with another daughter who is in the wheelchair, and still today's in a wheelchair. I've had all these surgeries. And this is a church that believes in Chair Number One and healings. And I've heard about the giants. But for me, it's almost like when I, when I'm facing that daughter over years, after years of the years, I've been praying and standing. And we've had some losses. It's, I just realized that something in me ended up sometimes in Chair Number Two when I was facing this giant. And it was like it was haunting at me. So every time I saw a wheelchair with somebody with cerebral palsy, because I had been fighting and fighting, which is wearing and tearing. And I'm saying that for 10 years, I faced that giant. But just in November, you were part of that trip as a church. You were part of investing of us doing an event we did in the Philippines. And I have it on my phone. And suddenly somebody came up to me and says, "Do you remember two years ago, you prayed for our daughter? She had cerebral palsy." And I remember she was with her head like this. And, and I still remember that. And she said, "Here is that girl you prayed for. She's totally healed." And what is happening now? The byproduct or the miracle of that girl that I have on the phone right now, when I'm faced with cerebral palsy, that sometimes even when the serpent has bitten you, it's actually where you have the greatest authority. So if you recognize him, where the enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy, it's often the area where Jesus came to give life and life more abundantly. And so I've seen that now. We've had it just in the last six months, things that I waited for 15 years, including in my own life, ten years, etc. We're seeing giant after giant after giants coming down. That is now lifting up a whole culture of other people that have faith in those areas where they hadn't seen breakthroughs. And it's just been beautiful not to watch, but it's been a journey. And this is part I wanted to do is to help us towards a journey. Say, journey. David's life started out in Bethlehem. Say, Bethlehem. Everyone in this room, you will start your life in Bethlehem. Jesus was born in Bethlehem. And Bethlehem is the stage in your life where you learn to be faithful in the natural. Say, natural. A lot of us, we would like the supernatural without first a natural. And David started out in Bethlehem. And this was the time when he, as a shepherd boy, he went out to take care of sheep. He learned how to be son of his father, Jesse. His father, Jesse, had a dream, and the son had a vision. And Jesse, he was serving his father. He was probably, and we can see that, rejected, probably unwanted. And there are several things theologians say about David. But to some degree, we can see David as a shepherd boy out there taking care of sheep. Say, taking care of sheep. And sometimes what we're doing in the small things. And I just encourage, because I know that there's people with a sound, there's people that are greeting you at the door, there's people behind the scenes that are just learning to be faithful in the natural. And that's when God is often seeing people like a Gideon. And you can just go through scriptures, people that was just there, or Peter, they were just there fishing, and then Jesus comes in. They were doing something in the natural when they were called into the supernatural. And I'm saying that as an encouragement. Was David did something else? He learned how to use a harp. Say, harp. And this is when nobody was looking, and he learned to be a worshiper. Say, worshiper. And this is another thing that when nobody was looking, David was taking his harp. And I was thinking about the 16-year-old, and he just touched my heart. Because I realized before he is standing up there, I can guarantee you, because the difference between somebody having a song and a song having them, is what they've done in the secret. And what we get to see in the open is things that they've done in the secret. That when they worship, it's not something they do, it's something that they are. And as a result, you can see the becoming environment changer because this environment has changed. And there is a very difference when you perform and you learn something, or you become something, because what you become is what's being released. And this is what it was with David. When nobody's looking, he's being overwhelmed, he's worshiping. It is this one thing I desire. It is this one thing I long for. I just want to dwell in the presence of the Lord. I just want to gaze upon His beauty. Wow. David was a worshiper. But David was also a warrior. Say, warrior. I mean, when nobody is looking, he takes that sling with those smooth stones, and he's hitting that same target over and over. What scientists are talking about is they call it a 10,000-hour rule. That is saying that David probably spent about 10,000 hours on the harp, and he spent about 10,000 hours on the sling. He learned to be a worshiper, and he learned to be a warrior. He learned how to be a lamb. Say, lamb. And you learned how to be a lion. Say, lion. So when he roared, people gathered and not scattered, because it came from the lamb's heart. And Jesus is both the Lamb of God and the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. And I believe that what God is doing today also with all of us, many of us, what He's doing even in His covenant 19 season, He's just enlarging the heart of the lamb. When he starts to be broken over what is broken, even in our country, America. I shared on Thursday, I'm about to become a U.S. citizen this year, and I'm about to apply for U.S. citizenship. I've been in America for 28 years, been to all 50 states. But right before, in the end of last year, before we came into this year, God started, before all this shaking was going on, He started to show me His love for America. And He says, "Leif, I want you to love America the way that I love America." And I was like, "How do I do that?" He says, "I'm about to do something in America. But you only have authority over what you love. And are you willing to lay down your life for this beautiful country?" And I know the reason we are playing here today is because somebody else has been paying. So I just realized that this year, I'm just again, just, it's going to fill a lot of papers. I've been in this country for 28 years. But God loves America, and we need to love what God loves. But all of that starts with a harp. As you start to worship Him, and you see His face, and you're becoming overwhelmed by Him, nothing else can overwhelm you. And at one moment, there was a lion that was attacking a little lamb. What David did, and we know the story, he attacked that lion and saved the lamb. He's willing to give his life for the lamb. And I believe that God is raising up a culture that starts to love people in such a way that we're willing to sacrifice to be able to see, because we've learned how to love lambs. And this is what developed the heart of David, the tenderness, the sensitivity. And I'm saying later on, in Solomon's life, this is what was missing. So First Kings 5:4, it says, "I want you to say what we say there was rest on all sides." Say that with me. "No adversary and not one evil occurrence." Say that again. "There was rest on all sides, no adversary, and not an evil occurrence." First Kings 5:4. But read a verse before. David described, excuse me, Solomon described that my daddy, my dad, David, he paid. My dad, he did. He paid for all of this so I could inherit. Then what I did is I asked. Actually, it was my dad that taught me what to ask, because the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowing the Holy One is understanding. So I asked for this understanding and wisdom. And now look at Jerusalem. When you're coming into Jerusalem, there's only two times in history I find it. But if this is happening in a covenant less than what you have here in Abilene, imagine if I'm flying into Abilene, and when I come, there's no chronic pain because there's rest on all sides. The stage 4 cancer cannot live. There is no orphans. Every foster child has a home. There is no longer an addiction. And the rest of America says, "What is happening to Abilene?" There is rest on all sides, and there is no adversary. The enemy knows inside the city of Abilene, he cannot even move because there is such a shallow, there's such a wholeness taking place because there was a people that dealt with some of the giants, and they went all the way from Bethlehem to Zion, and then they set off for the next generation. And one generation paid so the next generation could play. This kind of a thinking.
can lead to dancing. So be careful, and you can become a joyful Christian. And then, one more scripture verse, putting it into the big picture: First Chronicles 14, verses 1 and 2.
I'm just putting some framework here so that everything else makes sense, and I still have a little time. And tomorrow, we're going to go more practical, coaching, and helping you step by step. But tonight, we're going to face some giants. We're going to get rid of some of the things in China produce so that you can come home. How many would like that? So that you can see His face, feel His love, being so overwhelmed by love that a perfect love would take away fear, shame, guilt.
So when we are looking at the giants, because I do believe we have to deal with some of the giants on the inside. I didn't know that we covered 19, including my restlessness, that COVID-19, I had to deal with so many giants. Because when this stillness came, there, I didn't realize that I'm addicted to the anointing. I'm so used to being ministry and being on the battlefield that I didn't realize just getting into rest. And I feel like my wife and I said, we'll argue. We were chair number two for almost six weeks. But then we started to say, "Now, come home. This is an invitation to come home to the resting place. Just getting connected to one another. Get connected to Him. Connected to one another. Let the dove say, 'Dove rest upon you.' Why would you want to live with pigeons and chair too when you can have the dove?"
First Chronicles 14, verses 1 and 2. It says, "King Hiram, King say, 'Hi, Aaron, to what Hiram means, 'Exalted be my brother.'" One guy, he becomes king, and he saves all of his money for one purpose: that one day there's going to become another king. And what he did is he used all the finances, and he built David a White House. David had already become king over all of Israel. He had only become king, but he didn't know he had become. He knew it, but he didn't know it. And I believe there's a key here that many of us, everything that Jesus paid for, we know it, but we don't know it.
And then in First Chronicles 14:2, it says, "And David perceived he was king over all Israel." It is almost like a Donald Trump. When he walks in, he leaves Trump Tower in New York, and he walks into the White House. There's something that changes in you because you're suddenly realizing that when you have a White House. King Hiram built him like a White House. And when David stepped into this, because if not, David would have only built an upgraded shepherd's shack. But at the moment when you see you the way Papa God sees you, and you perceive and you see you the way that He has always seen you, who you were in glory before you were in your mother's womb. He knew you. Who did He know? Even before the foundation of the world, He predestined you in love. You were there in love with the Father, Son, and Spirit in the beginning. Ephesians 1:4. So who are you? You started out in glory, and you're going to end up in glory because you're glorious. And in chair number two, you will always deal with sin management. And in chair number one, always with glory management. And if we're going to go from glory to glory, this starting place is glory.
Let's look at now. I get to play with this new toy. I want us just to see here. So here's one of my questions. There's a battle fatigue going on right now. There's a battle, and there's a war going on, and there's a war against rest. How many of you have experienced that? That there is a lot of noise, a lot of tension, two billion dollars in the airways that is just pulling you towards chair number two. And everywhere we go, this chair number two, it's almost becoming a super glue, and it's hard to get out of it.
And here's the picture, and I'm setting up the stage now. Israel and the whole army of Israel. First Samuel 17 is what we're going to use as a guideline here. But you are seeing that the whole army of Israel, there was a battle fatigue that was going on. And in verse 24, it talked about they were actually crippled in fear. So Saul, who was the king, he was one head taller than everybody else, and he was supposed to actually be the one to go in the front of everybody else. But the problem was, Goliath was bigger than him. And when you looked at this giant of the Philistine, he came from Gath, which was the home of the giants.
So in chair three, the Philistine, there was an enemy. God's kingdom, God wanted them to get into chair number one. But they had a superglue in chair number two. How do we know that? What was it? Fear. Fear. So when the giant, the giant shows up, Goliath. Even the name Goliath. Goliath, say Goliath. I mean, I guarantee you that any NBA coach would love to recruit that guy. I mean, this guy is nine foot five, huge, huge giant, captain of armor that weighs about 175 pounds. And I want us to capture this culturally speaking, because usually what it was is like you have a team. One of the team, what they did is come in and challenge the other team. And you found one person to challenge, and whoever won here, the rest of you had to submit. Meaning that the God's people would end up under the slavery of the Philistines if Goliath won. And the problem is, all of them, they are crippled here in fear, and there is absolutely nothing they can do. And this is kind of the picture that shows up.
So let's look at a scripture verse that kind of puts this into perspective. I want you to say that with me. Say, "The Philistines." Say, "The Philistines." "They came forward." "They came forward morning and evening for 40 days and took his stand." I want you to capture the perspective. Let's say one more time. "The Philistines, they came forward morning and evening for 40 days and took his stand."
You know, there is a giant. All of us. Let me first ask the question, how many of you ever faced any problem? Just wave to me. Okay. Anyone here that never had a problem? How many of you face some big problems in your life? Just wave to me. I'm the first one. Some big, big problems. And we all are facing problems. We're facing situations, problems. But when some of those are becoming bigger than ourselves, it would be a giant. When something is bigger than you can handle, it is bigger than you. It doesn't matter how much you try in chair number two, it is too big for you to handle. It actually paralyzes you.
This giant was going on day and night. So if you have had something in your life, you go to bed, it's there. It's coming forward. It's coming after you. You can't run away from it. That can be like, I just talked to somebody yesterday that in this whole season, I've had some pain that have led to alcoholism. And over a period of time, he's used the pain of chair number two by just trying to put a band-aid on that pain. Because the enemy continues to go forward. He goes to bed and he thinks about the drinking. He wakes up in the morning and he thinks about the drinking. He can't get rid of the drinking. I had somebody else, I just ministered to 12 years of pornography. The giant was there. And as soon as he faced that giant, he ended up in a super gluing channel, but too overwhelmed, and the pain seeks pleasure, and he started getting more and more drained. For 40 days and 40 nights, this giant just continued and it continued and it continued to be there.
So what are some of the things? Question number one: What are some of the things in your life? Prodigal son, maybe a health issue. This year, I'm going for Shalom, wholeness in my body. I've had over some 20 years of chronic pain, broken neck, broken back, body cast. And I prayed in December, I said, "Lord, in 2020, I want to be whole." I don't know how it is to wake up in the morning. I've not been on opiates for a very, very long time. I think it's 15 years since I got off it. But to wake up in the morning, I don't know when I go to the Middle East, the pain is there. I don't know if I'm going to have a migraine headache. I don't know how the day is going to be or the night is going to be. Over and over again, night and day, night, that chronic pain. And I just felt the Lord said, "That giant in 2020 is going to come down." Then I fell, and I tore my rotator cuff, and I'm 90% better. I had surgery because I stood against this giant. And for about 12 weeks, we fought that giant. And eventually, I ended up with surgery. And I got a little disappointed. Have you ever been there with disappointed? And I was a little bit disappointed with God because I said, "God, you promised me 2020 was the year of Shalom, and you said you were answering my prayer. And for 12 weeks, I've been standing on Your word. I've been prayed for by everybody." And He says, "Life, I don't do second-class healings. I chose. If I had chosen a word of knowledge or somebody prayed for you, would you be happy?" I said, "Yes." And He said, "This time, I choose to use a surgeon for you to go through a process. But don't you know that if I chose to do that way, it is because it's going to be a greater upgrade than if I didn't?" And I just had to repent because I didn't know the ways of God.
And during this process now, including right before I came to the meeting, I did physical therapy. I'm there with my rubber bands. I'm traveling with a heavy suitcase, but I'm smiling because I know that the byproduct of the process I'm going through, the process that David went through, the process of the wilderness, the process in life that God is using, that if you're allowing it to become a great upgrade. So I consider joy when these trials then come against me.
So I want you to at this moment, we're going to look at the next one, and then I know the time is running so fast. Are you okay? How many of you are learning something? Are you receiving something? Because eventually, imagine chair number three. These people that we will live and love in such a way that we will make it hard for people to go to hell and make it easy for people to go to heaven because they will have an encounter with a God. Just like Jesus experienced a city. And imagine other cities when people are coming to Abilene and say, "What has happened?" And you can describe Jesus. Newspaper will start to talk about it. People start to tweet. People are starting to see giant after giant after giant coming down over a city. But I do believe it starts with our lives, including my life. He's dealing with some other giants in my life so I can be ready again in the next season to deal with some of those giants that are in America and around the world. Because God is looking for some giant slayers. But what He is doing, it is not just to get us out of Egypt. He wants Egypt out of us. And there are certain things there. And I want you to know Jesus is the ultimate giant slayer. And it is so phenomenal that when you're coming into this covenant relationship with Him.
But I want you just to see here for a second. And then whatever overwhelms you, shapes you. What are some of the things that is overwhelming you in this season? I want you to write it down. And I want you to be very clear, because we're going to look at some action steps that you're going to do about it. But what are? Is it fear? Is it shame? Is it pain? What is it? When you go to bed, what overwhelms you? Because whatever overwhelms you, shapes you. And I want you to be very clear here, because we're going to name your giant. Because if you can name your giant and be clear about the name of your giant, God has a name for it. Let me say that one more time. If you can name your giant, God has a name. And some of us, we need healing. Do we have anybody here that needs healing? Just wave to me. I am one of them that needs healing. Anybody needs freedom in any areas in your life? This is family time. We have freedom in any areas of our life. Anybody here that just needs a fresh baptism of joy in the middle of everything that's going on? And I think as we just go on and on and on, and we're looking at things that we need an upgrade, whatever issue you are facing, there's something in the nature of God, something in the face of God, that is an answer to the problem you are facing. So whatever overwhelms you, shapes you.
So here now, we are kind of landing this, and the worship team is going to come up. And tomorrow, we're going to practically taking time. We're going to learn how you're going to show up. How many of you would like to show up? How many of you know there's time we didn't show up? We're going to learn how to show for the right battle. And some of us, we are fighting the wrong battle. We maybe think the war is between Democrats and Republicans. I'm Norwegian, I'm neutral, I cannot vote yet, so I can kind of be free here. I love Democrats, Republicans, and everybody else. I'm very safe there. But I'm saying that we think that is really the war that's going. That's chair number two thinking. And I'm not saying these things are not important and vital. But I want us to see there's a spiritual battlefield going on in the spirit realm. And we have to win the spiritual before we can win the natural. And we just need to know that Jesus is actually showing up here. And we're trying to get Him to pick sides. Why? Jesus is coming to take over. And by the way, we are on holy ground. And we recognize who He is. All you can do is bow down before Him and worship. Whoa. I know I pushed some buttons here, but I love you. And if some of you got upset with me with the mask, I'm going to give you a big, big hug. But I want you to see, look at Goliath. Look at the giant in your life. I want you to call out some of the giants right now. Let's take a couple of minutes as the worship team. What are some of the giants? Fear, health, rejection. What else? Laziness, complacency. What else? Discouragement, judgment, complaining, anger. I want you just to close your eyes, just for a second. Let's invite the Holy Spirit. I didn't know I had a big giant until the Holy Spirit came and says, "Leif, you got a giant, and we need to deal with." There's a giant on the inside. And I want you to know deception is very deceiving. It is totally possible to think we are in chair number one, but we are actually in chair number two.
I want us just to stand to our feet. And tonight, we're just going to take a few moments, and we're going to name the giant. And I want you to be specific. Be specific about a name. Name. And maybe you have one giant, or maybe two giants. And perhaps there's maybe even a Goliath, which is actually the champion of all the giants. That is a giant that is so big, so overwhelming. What we're going to do today is we're going to come back into chair number one, the resting place, Papa, to see His face. That's what we're going to do during worship today. And then we're going to start to declare. And we're going to see if you're specific. Maybe, and I just heard earlier, there's somebody here with the L4, L5, and your pain is going down your left leg. You're going to be healed today. Somebody else, it is with his shoulder. When I mention my shoulder, one person, you have a frozen shoulder, and the other one is also the rotator cuff, and you're going to be healed today. I just believe Jesus wants to heal. But I want you to be specific. The more specific you are with the giants, the more specific we are to look into His face. And He says, "I am, I am, I am your healer. I am your strength. I am your joy. I am your freedom. I am, I am a covenant-keeping God." David said, "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine?" David said, "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine?" Chronic pain is an uncircumcised Philistine. Cancer is an uncircumcised Philistine. The tension in your marriage doesn't belong. So a circumcision is a picture of covenant for God's people. Chair number one. And anything that comes against us from this wall that is affecting us is uncircumcised. So this, the secret of David against this giant is that he looked at his wedding band. And David knew he was in a covenant relationship with a covenant-keeping God. And he knew how big that God is. And there's absolutely nothing that is little, nine foot five giant can do compared to this God that rules and reigns this universe.
So we're going to just take a few moments. Can we be honest? Can everyone here thinking about a giant, several giants? Just wave to me. I want to just be focused today. Just let's hold up our hands, and we're coming home to chair number one. He says, "I have not given you a spirit of fear. I have not given you a spirit of fear, but I have given you a spirit of power. I have given you a spirit of love, because you're lovable. And I have given you a sound mind." Three things He has given you: the weapon of power, a love, and of wisdom. Come home, beloved sons and daughters. Papa, overwhelm you with His love, and that love takes away all fear. We're going to take our eyes on Him for a second. And we just got to worship Jesus, the ultimate giant slayer. Jesus is king over sickness and disease. Whoa. In His presence, there is fullness of joy. And in Him, you find total freedom. Because whom the Son sets free is free indeed. So if you have pain in your body at this very moment, I just speak to chronic pain, be healed in the name of Jesus. I speak to that shoulder, be healed in the name of Jesus. You have the wedding band of the covenant-keeping God, and there's healing in His covenant. Who is this uncircumcised coming against your marriage? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that is giving depression and oppression? We are coming against you right now in the name of Jesus Christ. Can we just worship Him for a second and lift up our hands? And then we're going to declare. We're going to just lay down, wow, lay down our burden and put up His blessing. We're going to lay down all pressure and we're going to pick up up a God's pleasure. When we are coming before Him, it is because we have an A+ on our report card. We don't have to live with guilt, shame, and fear. Jesus took all of that so that you can be free. And you can come boldly to the throne of grace, knowing you have an A+ as you come before a good, good Father. And it is the Father's will to give His sons and daughters good gifts. So, holy, holy, holy, Holy Spirit, come. Holy, holy, holy, Holy Spirit, come. Could you beautiful David just play over them for a second? And I want you just to receive. There is healing right now in His presence. I even saw this lady that had been abused. Satan just got totally free. For some of you that have had a dark cloud over your life, I just saw He's moving the dark cloud. There is freedom in the name of Jesus. I saw some of you looked like in this season that your dreams have died. But I saw there was resurrection of dreams in this season. Whoa. Because it is the resurrection and life, and it is time for you to dream again. I heard the word hope. Hope deferred makes the heart sick. I'm just sensing this, your hope, you had hope and hope, but it didn't happen, and has made your heart sick. But in this season, you're going to start to desire and desire and dream again. It is the tree of life. I just sensing that right now. Is there people have been struggling with disappointment? Just wave to me. And let's just be honest, because I'm seeing it right now that He's going to take many of our disappointments and He's going to bring divine appointments in His presence. So Father, just in the middle of what's going on, whoa, I just asked, we're just taking our disappointment, we're just laying them at Your feet. Jesus, we thank You that You're going to use those disappointments. It says that hope, and that means you have stopped expecting. You didn't want to expect too much because if you expect too much, it leads to disappointment. And I just saw that you have lowered your expectancy because you're afraid of disappointment. But I'm just saying He's lifting the lid of your life and inviting you to come up again to start to desire and dream again, because it is the tree of life. So let's take a moment and let's just worship Him. And then we're going to do a little giant shout, and we're going to speak to that giant together, and we're going to release freedom of us today. Come on, let's worship Him.
My. Every battle you've. Is. I've tried so hard to see. It took me so long. Raise them to glory. You are my champion. I am. Who has conquered it all? Now I can finally see. This is. Every battle you want. Is. Oh, every wall comes crashing down. That Jesus has given me. Jesus. Jesus Christ. I am. My.
I'll just, just, just be a few more moments in His presence. But I just saw this picture that came to my mind. It is taken from the scripture, and that was when Elijah, there was a king that was facing some giants in his land, and he came to Elijah, and he was wondering, "What do I need to do?" And first of all, he says, "I want you to take the bow and an arrow. Look out the east window, and I want you to shoot the arrow." And the first picture here is that as far as we're sometimes going to go in this season has to do how far we're going to be pulled back, because He's going to shoot us in towards the target and our destiny. But here's the picture. We're going to just sing it one more time, and it's like these Jericho walls is going to come down. But the second, He says, "Now, I want you to take the arrow, and I want you just to hold your hand like you have an arrow in your hand." But I just saw that all over. We just sang this one more time, and then we're going to continue tomorrow. But I just felt, and even when you go to your room, you're just going to continue to strike until your prodigal son is home. You're going to continue to strike. He only strikes three times, and the king was mad because the king said, "Why did you just get a temporary victory? Not just for tonight, but why didn't you get a victory for your nation? Why don't we get a victory for our family?" But I want us just to strike now, and we're going to continue to strike, and we're going to continue to strike. It is not a chair number two thing. It is not, not a performance. It is the chair number one thing out of passion. So as we're just saying one more time, and I want us to take our arrows, and I want you to be just naming that giant. Some of us, it is the prodigal son. Some of it is that chronic pain. Some of it is just to see the orphans and the widow. But let's go after this, and let's strike our arrows. Let's go after it.
Take your arrow and let's strike the ground. Let's prophetically speaking, take that arrow and you strike that ground, not for temporary victory, but permanent victory. Strike for your family. Break it down. Is.
So here's, here's what I want you to do. I want you to take this place of prayer. And where you are, we're going to whisper the name of our giants. We're not going to shout them. They don't deserve that kind of attention. But we are going to speak them. It's interesting. I, I would just as life was talking, and I wrote down so many things, and so many things I'm going to go over it. It, it hit me. Goliath had a name, and they knew his name. He wasn't just the big dude. They named him. But it's interesting, David never spoke his name. He just called him the uncircumcised Philistine. He wasn't going to give him that credit. And so he's the one outside the covenant. Everybody else knew his name. So we're not going to give credit, but we're going to recognize them. Just so, where you are right now, I want you to whisper the giants you want to have come down in your life. It could be health-related. It could be inner. It could be sin that we've struggled with and beset us right now. Just name them right now. Whisper where you are.
Now, on the count of three, I want you to shout the name that alone matters. The name that is above every name. The name alone who can tear down our giants. We read it, remember? We don't have to become David. I mean, not to become David. Jesus is David. Jesus tears down our giants. Jesus is the one. He has won the victory. He has won the battle. It is already done. We lay hold of that which we have been promised right now. That's what we are doing tonight. So I want you to lay hold of the promise that God has for you. And I want you to shout the name Jesus on the count of three. Ready? One, two, three. Now give Him praise in advance. Come on, He is worthy. Thank You, Lord. Bless You, Lord. Bless You, Lord. Bless You, Almighty One. Thank You, Lord. Holy, holy.
Now, before we go, no, we're going to change it. How Great Thou Art. I want us to just declare with an old hymn. Oh, Lord, my God, when I look in awesome wonder. Y'all got it. I'm giving you all the clues you can get right now. And I want us to declare how great and how mighty our God is over these things. How many of you have received something tonight? Yeah. You've got something. I, I'm telling you, we lay hold of it. I get it. And the temptation is to go back and let it go. But we're just going to sing through this old hymn and declare how great He is together. Whichever one of you got it. Is. The unity. How great Thou art. God, when Christ shall come with shouts of acclamation. The voices. How great Thou art. How great. Then sings my soul, my Savior God, how great.
Now, what we're going to do is the worship team's just going to play for a little while longer. We're going to dismiss. I thought I had. If you came with somebody that, I mean, you're gonna, you'll understand this. You're already exposed to them. You know what I'm saying? So it is what it is. I mean, they get it. You're exposed. I mean, we're living life that way. We have some people doing that way. Many of you came with someone like that. I want you all to find you a place. I want you to pray for each other now. I want to release the spirit of God to do the work that He wants to do in each of you. If you say, "May be a quick prayer, and you get out of here." You may linger a little while. We're going to be here. We'll fellowship. In the four years, you can pick up your packs on your t-shirt for our Halloween outreach on your way out. At both four, you're thinking we've got a few more minutes. So we have to give our kids. I don't think we have to give our kids. Are we? We're either 15 minutes early or 15 minutes late. I think we're ready for 8:30. So I think you've got 15 minutes. Believe it or not, that never happens at Beltway Park that we're early. And so you've got time. If you've got kids, in fact, to be honest and be helpful, if you didn't get them yet, because there's a good chance they are right in the heart of ministry right now. So just, if you will, take a moment again. We're going to end. We're going to say, "Thank You, Lord." And I want you to find someone that you are currently exposed to already. It's going to be a spouse, kid, someone like that. I want you to pray for each other for the giant that needs to go away to go down in Jesus' name. Amen. God bless you guys. We're back here what time in the morning? Nine o'clock. And I'm gonna tell you, the practical stuff is sharp. So you want to be here. Pray for each other. Come on.