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thank you for what you're doing with all of our missions department from Child Cry to helping right there in Puerto Rico. We're now exploring for next year a child cry program right there in Puerto Rico. Right now we're helping a local church. Child Cry is your arm into feeding children all over the world. About 77 nations that we're in. Is that correct, Trey? 77 nations that you are supporting for children. So thank you for your generosity emissions. But I also want to thank you generosity on the Vision Fund. We want to just kind of give you a little bit of an update and I'll create, I'll talk to you about more of it that's happening. But it looks like right in the middle of June the first shipment came in. And so the marquee will all be led in June. We'll get that all together and then phase two will start which will go on the side of Broadway and the side of 51st. And so for those that don't know what that is, we have an answer for all the other billboards in Times Square and that is Jesus. So we're going to be having our billboards all LED outside. We figured there needs to be a good message to all of Times Square and around the world. So we are so excited. I do want to remind you we have something very special coming up. Our prayer and fasting next month is going to be very, very important. We'll be taking three nights. Usually we keep key it towards praying for you and certain things but this time we're taking three war torn nations in the world and we're going to be praying not only here each night from the Middle east to Ukraine and Russia, but we're going to be praying with people on the screen on the LED from different parts of the world. They'll be even leading us in worship on Sunday night. On the first Sunday night. I can't remember the dates right now, but on that Sunday night we will be praying for the Middle East. And joining us for worship here at TSC will be Solu from Jerusalem. So we'll be singing songs in Hebrew Arabic on that day and we'll be praying for the Middle East. We'll be praying for the peace of Jerusalem and revival in the Middle East. So we want you to join with us for prayer and fasting. Now let me talk to you about something that God's put on my heart, which is I'm praying that I can articulate it. This has to be one of my favorite description names for God in the entire Bible I want you to get this and remember this one name. It's a verse that I hold on to all the time. And it's this Psalm 65. 2. He says, you who answer prayer. How great is that? How many have heard God answer prayer before you have had him come before? It's one of my favorite names in all the Bible. For God who answers prayer. Prayer. I'm just telling you, God has done it for you. He's done it for me. I've seen healing, I've seen deliverance, I've seen salvation. I've seen so many things happen. I've been so amazed when God has done something so powerful and so special in our lives. It makes us want to worship, it makes us want to praise him, and it makes us want to thank him for all that he has done. But there's something I came across in the scripture that my. I usually don't talk about a title, but my title is a Reaction. I had a reaction to a man that saw a 20 year answer to prayer and I couldn't believe it. It was a man that saw he was forgetting God while being blessed by God. And when I read his story at the end of 20 years, this is what literally my, my reaction was. I'm going, God did that and you did what? That was my reaction. God. God did that and you did what? I don't even understand the reaction. And it's something that so gripped me that I want to share with you today from the book of Second Samuel. We'll get there in just a second. Let's pray. Father, in these next few moments, I'm asking you that I would just have the anointing of God to bring clarity and bring. To speak with power, to speak with an anointing. I'm praying that everyone that hears my voice there, there would be such clearness to what you're saying to their hearts. As Billy Graham said, that's not real preaching until the audience hears another voice, capital A. Let people hear another voice today. Let them hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. So God, I'm going to ask you that I would not be in the way. But God, I want to do my best with your help and to share what you have put inside of my heart. You have answered prayer. You are the God who has answered prayer. And now today, Lord God, I'm praying that you would begin to give us the proper response for when you do miracles. I thank you for it in Jesus name. And everybody said amen. Now before you sit down, this is the one O' clock service. I have to dismiss the choir. A screen needs to come down. So would you go ahead? I know you've probably greeted that person next to you about 10 times. Would you do it one more time and just say, it's so good to see you. For a final time, give someone a handshake. Thank you, guys. Choir, you're dismissed. Great job. Thank you so much. I just finished a book a couple days ago that I didn't even know existed. It's a book that brought me to the history of this church that I had no idea was even written. The name of the book was called A Final Warning by Nicky Cruz. A Final Warning by Nicky Cruz. It's a book where Nicky Cruz, the gang member that was saved from the book the Cross and the Switchblade, meets with our founding pastor and the man that came to New York City, David Wilkerson. And it was an interview. The book was literally an interview between them and how God sent David Wilkerson to New York City a second time to start Times Square Church. I was so surprised that I didn't even know it because really, it was the journey chronicling a journey that really is our history. I was riveted. As I was starting to read this book, there were stories I didn't know. And when I started to read through this, what I realized is what David Wilkerson and Pastor Carter went through. For us to be here today sitting in this building in 2026 was both miraculous and horrific. The battles that they faced, to listen to them firsthand, but then even to listen to some of them that went on in this book, I was so amazed to see these incredible battles, but yet the incredible miracles of. Of us sitting here today, folks, can I just remind you, you're sitting in a miracle today, right here for God. God made a promise. God made a promise to David Wilkerson that he would raise up a voice, a lighthouse right in the middle of New York City. That it would be a place that in the midst of darkness, that would shine bright with the gospel of Jesus Christ. And that's exactly what he has done. A few weeks ago, our friend from Montreal, Pastor Claude Hood, told a story that when David Wilkerson was feeling this urge to come back to New York City for a second time, just as he did the first time. The first time, it was through a Life magazine article and looking at gangs comes to New York City. And as a result, Nikki Cruz gets saved. Team Challenge is started. This program that is reaching those in any addictions all over the world to this day, Some, I think 1100 programs in 120 different nations all over the world. That was the first time. Now this time he is 1986. David Wilkerson feels God is calling him back. Pastor Claude Hood told the story that his confirmation came from a demoniac on the streets of New York. And I've heard that story before. But when I started to read this book, the book opened up with that story, but told it with more to it. And I want to read to you the first pages of this book or summarize what happened for David Wilkerson to come back to this city. Listen to this. He said when he was at 9th Avenue and 51st walking the streets, he hears he, he sees someone steal a baby in a carriage. And David Wilkerson shouts, he's stealing that baby. Stop him. And Nikki writes, this middle aged preacher, David Wilkerson is running down the Manhattan sidewalk at 51st and 9th. You have to keep that in mind. David Wilkerson is running after a child snatcher on 51st and 9th. Now remember, times Square Church doesn't exist. He is chasing a child snatcher on the street he's going to start a church on. So he's at 51st and 9th. They write that he said a child snatcher escaped with a baby in a stroller and was running with the stroller, headed up 51st and 8th. The corner right down the street here is where he is going. He said he passed bored prostitutes and drug dealers that just watched as David Wilkerson was running after this man, pleading with him to stop. The man is stealing that baby, he said. Finally, just before 8th Avenue, he said, or 9th Avenue. The women watched as her baby was crying, he said, but as he was approaching 8th Avenue, he got some help. He got a hot dog vendor and three boys in New York Yankee jerseys, he said they all joined the chase. And right there on the corner of 8th and 51st, the stroller tipped over. And if you can just even see this little skinny David Wilkerson jumped on the child snatcher, holding him down with the hot dog vendor. And three teenagers with Yankee jerseys on are holding the man down. Until the police got there. The baby was fine, was strapped in. But here's the part that was incredible and I want to read this to you, he said. David didn't remember the joy of reuniting the mom with the baby. What stands out in his memory, what was chilling was what came after it. He said a dazed, drug addicted mother kept glaring at him, unimpressed and Unthankful that he had just rescued her baby from the terror of kidnapping. And this is what he wrote, or what Nikki wrote. Filled with hatred, she stuck her finger. This is the mother of the baby that David Wilkerson just rescued. Filled with hatred. She stuck her finger at me and hissed in a demonic voice, you get out of this city. You don't belong here.
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We know who you are. And he said, at that moment, I knew I was supposed to be in New York City. He said that was my confirmation that this is what he said. These words, he said. Suddenly I realized that even Satan knew God was about to do something new on the streets of New York City. And that's where New York. That's where Times Square Church started when David Wilkerson jumped on top of a kidnapper on 51st and 8th with three teenagers and a hot dog. Man, this is incredible. Who would believe that all of this happens on the corner where God would put tsc? Who would even believe that that's the spot that God would do this? The journey to where we're sitting today in 2026 here at times Square Church is this journey with such intensity and such battles. Not only is David Wilkerson facing a demoniac that would be used to confirm. I was thinking through that just before Pastor Carter Conlon would come to New York City and the battles he would face, even just to get here, where his entire house burned to the ground in Canada before coming. And then, if that's not enough, he finally gets to New York City, and the house that he's living in has black mold, which almost kills him. Until they discovered it. Sitting right there in the back, in the center was David Wilkerson's wife, Gwen, who would go through 20 cancer operations while they're preaching here. It was just over and over again that the battles to try to shut this place down. And then it came down to this. And I've heard stories. And then I've heard even more stories that were chilling. And then in 1996, an uprising in this church to try to just commandeer it and throw out David Wilkerson and Carter Conlon takes place. 700 people rise up from the choir to pastors to leaders. They said it was one of the most chilling things that you could ever imagine. I talked with someone who said it was so destructive that while David Wilkerson. This is what someone told me on Friday, while David Wilkerson was preaching here, people came up. Somebody came up with a bag of garbage and threw a whole bag of Garbage at him. And on this stage while he was preaching, it was that demonic that was happening. And then a person told me they walked in the back of the church. Folks, I want you to hear how incredible this is that you're sitting in a miracle. They said they walked into the back of the church and there was people sitting in the back there with voodoo dolls that look like David Wilkerson and Carter Conlon trying to put hexes upon them while they were in this pulpit as leaders. I've got good news for hex people and that's this. Or maybe I should say bad news for hex people is that because there is a name above every other name that protects us. There is not a hex. There's not a spell. There is nothing you can do to stop the work of God that Jesus wants to do in this city. Hallelujah. We have been through too much not to stop and praise him and say, God, we are sitting in a miracle today that men have tried to fight this, the demons have tried to stop this, but God is winning right now in Jesus name. And that's why we just think to ourselves, this is a miracle. I was reading through Psalm 37, this journey of a battle. It starts 37:1. It says, do not fret because of evildoers. Verse 12 says, the wicked are going to plot against the righteous. But here's the good news. He ends it with this. But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord. He is their strength in time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them. He delivers them from the wicked and saves them because they take their refuge in him. Hallelujah, folks, it's going to happen. The wicked will plot. But don't fret. God is with us. God fights on our behalf. We have taken our refuge in him. What? When God delivers from evildoers, when God delivers from perilous times, when God delivers from troublesome times, the first response we would think should be is, God, you're so good. God, you're amazing. But sometimes there is a danger of forgetting God while being blessed by God. Sometimes we forget all that God has done. And this is where I want to start. I want to show you my reaction for just a moment because 2nd Samuel, chapter 5 is really God answering prayer. It's a dream come true. It's the moment that someone's going to say, it's been a long journey, but it's been worth it. We have seen God doing extraordinary things. The journey I want to talk to you about is really between what I would Call the two anointings. It's a journey between the two anointings of David. It's a journey where David would be anointed that he would be king. And then you're going to see the anointing where he does become the king and the journey. The length between these two anointings was 20 years between these two anointings, between when he was prophesied by Samuel the prophet, to when finally the elders of Israel put an anointing oil upon him. 1st Samuel 16:13 says, Samuel anointed him and says to him that one day you will be king. The problem is you have a young boy with oil on his head, but you got a madman that's sitting on the throne already. David had no idea it was going to take 20 years. And probably the battles of his life in those 20 years. It would be so intense, it would be his 51st and 8th rumbles and fights just to be here. And then in 2nd Samuel, chapter 5, verse 3, the elders anoint him. That verse is 20 years later from the first anointing. What he was and what he would become happens between those two anointings. Let me just throw them out to you and just summarize them. When David is told that he would be the next king, he finds out that his boss is really demonic. He is filled with rage, throws two spears at him out of jealousy to try to kill him in the palace. He is let down through a window by his wife. So his father in law, Saul the king, couldn't kill him. He is separated from his best friend Jonathan and will never see him again. He becomes a fugitive and arrives at a city that because he is the one being hunted. Saul finds that city, sends an assassin and they kill 85 priests just because David was there. He has to leave his parents, not just in a home, he has to leave them in an enemy camp. He leaves his family with the people of Moab. And the king of Moab, God miraculously saves David twice. Two more times from Saul, once in a cave and the other by putting an army under a deep sleep or David would have been absolutely slaughtered. Samuel dies his mentor and. And he can't even go to the funeral because if he shows up there, he'll be killed. He almost kills a man named Nabal, a fool for not letting him even just camp with his army in a field. Finally, at the end, he flees even to the enemy side because he felt like it'd be better to hang out with the Philistines for almost a year and a Half. And while he is a year and a half of the Philistines, the very people that he killed, their giant Goliath, he fights for them. And when he finds himself fighting for them, he starts fighting against Israel. That's going to be his own people. And while he is about to go out to battle, they lose. Another army comes in and takes all of their Jewish wives and children and they're all gone. So when David comes back, he is weeping and the people are so incensed that they want to kill David. Saul then begins to go to battle. He is killed kind of in a battle suicide moment. Saul's son is put in as king and is assassinated. And we get to 20 years later and David is now at the cusp of seeing a dream come true. A prayer. Answer the God who answers prayer. David is finally 20 years later, he is anointed a king. God did it. God brought him through. God rescued him. God kept him alive the entire time. In a sense, it's his Times Square Church moment, where you fight and fight and fight and don't know what's going to turn into it. And yet God works through every single battle and brings us all the way to second Samuel, chapter five. And it will be David's second anointing as he goes through 20 years of pain and journey and sees the hand of God. Let me read to you what happens on the second anointing. This is the part that I had this reaction to. 2nd Samuel, chapter 5, verse 3. So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron and King David made a covenant with them before the Lord at Hebron. And then they anointed David king over Israel. This is the 20 year promise coming true. This is God answering prayer. And then verse 10 says, this David became greater and greater, for the Lord of hosts was with him. And then verse 12 and David realized that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people, Israel. Folks, God did it. God brought him through. God got him all the way to the end. And I was so amazed because as I'm reading this, as I'm coming up to verse 12, I'm going, God, you did it. God did it. God did it. And then all of a sudden, I'm about to go into verse 13, my God did it turned into. And you did what? David, I want you to see. Let me read verse 12 again to you. Verse 12 says, and David realized that the Lord had established him as king over Israel. He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people, Israel. And here's the next verse. Here it goes. Meanwhile, David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem after he came from Hebron. I said, what? Seriously? God just rescued you and you did what? That's how you say thanks? This is what you do. You just made it through hell and you did what? You violated one of the top three things that God forbid for any king to do. I mean, I'm reading this and I'm going, shouldn't it say that David had a praise party, David went to the house of God and sacrificed to God? Or he called a national day of prayer and said, let's thank. Thank God because he's brought us to this point. But instead David goes, we're going to have a bunch of weddings for me. He doesn't. It doesn't even make sense. Church. How does this happen to David? And can it even happen to us? That you see God bring you from hell, work a miracle, and then for some reason we forget while God's blessing us what he's done. I want you to see this, folks. This is so important. What David did was violating what God said 400 years earlier. He knew what the rule was. Listen to what God said all the way back in the book of Deuteronomy. God, before there was a king, God knew what was coming in the future. And this is what he said. When you enter the land which the Lord your God gives you, and you possess it and live in it, and you say, I will set a king over me, like all the nations who are around me, you shall surely set a king over you whom the Lord your God chooses one from among your countrymen you shall set as king over yourselves. You may not put a foreigner over yourselves who is not your countryman. Moreover, he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall he cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, since the Lord has said to you shall never again return that way. Verse 17. He shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away, nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself. And it shall come about when he sits on the throne. He shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priest. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes. Folks, it's simple. You have to memorize three things. You can't have a lot of horses. You can't have a lot of wives, and you got to read the Bible every day. Is that even hard to memorize? It's all you have to do. You just have to go. We don't. We can't gather horses. What he was saying was, you can't trust in horses or in chariots. You've got to trust in the name of God to bring you through every battle. Number two, you can't get a lot of women around you because this thing will begin to turn your heart away from God. And number three, I need you to keep your head in the book. I need you to look at the word of God. I want you to write it and be part of that. And it's been around for 400 years, this command. Why? Why? Why would David do this? Why would David violate this? Why would you go from 20 years in the wilderness, go through these amazing battles that God rescued you from? You should be dead, but you're still breathing, David. And may I just say this? Today, some of you are sitting here, today, you should be dead, but you're a miracle today. A miracle today. God has spared our lives for so many of us. Everyone in this place can tell a story, but I don't understand it. God did this, and you did what? God did this for you, and you did what? I kept thinking to myself that it could happen individually, it can happen congregationally, and it can even happen denominationally. I was listening to a friend tell me a story that our founder, David Wilkerson, was preaching to a large denomination gathering back in the 1980s. And he told me, he said, I'll never forget the message he preached. Don't miss this, he said. He talked about how God will call a people out of a people. He will call a people out of a people. A remnant, he said. And he spoke to all these leaders of this movement and this denomination, he said, because you wanted more of God. And what you were part of was becoming political and losing sight of why God established it. You wanted out and you established something brand new that would seek the heart of God. He said, and then something happened. You got what you prayed for. Listen. And then you became what you left. You became the very thing you left. You became what you vowed you wouldn't become. This is a whole denomination, he said. You left it because you're going. They're political. They don't even lift up Jesus. They don't even give to the poor. They don't even do this. And he said, you left it for that very reason. You started a church because you didn't like what you saw before. And now what you started has become what you left. This is the danger. God did this and you did what? You left that first love. You left that fire that was inside of you. I was reading the Psalms of David during the 20 years he was running for his life from Saul. The historians say it's these group of Psalms 27, 34, 52, 54, 56, 57, 59, 63 are the Psalms that begin to point when David was running for his life. Isn't it amazing that when you are in trouble, man, you are locked into God? It's amazing to me read these psalms I was reading here. I'll give me give you excerpts because they're so full of faith and purity. Psalm 27 was written during encampments that Saul had all around David. And David writes this in Psalm 27. The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life. Whom shall I dread when evildoers come upon me to devour my flesh? My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamp against me, my heart will not fear, though war rise against me. In spite of this I shall be confident. Hallelujah. God delivered him when the Philistines were upon him and were trying to grab hold of him. Folks, this Psalm 34amazes me. What? In the middle of a of the battle, he writes this. I will bless the Lord at all times. This is not. There's no music, there's no instruments. Ricardo's not even playing and he's writing this. I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul will make its boast in the Lord. The humble will hear it and rejoice. Oh, magnify the Lord with me. Let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord. He answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Hallelujah. This is in the wilderness. He's running for his life. He doesn't even know if he's going to survive another day. While David was in Knob this city, Saul's assassin named Doag came looking for him. And David writes this in 52. Behold the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, talking about the money he was being paid to kill him, and was strong in his evil desire. But as for me, I'm like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the loving kindness of God forever and ever. I will give you thanks forever because you have done it. Listen to this. A city that David thought was his friend ratted him out and dropped a dime on him and says, we don't even like David. This is where he's at. You can find him here and kill him. Psalm 54 for strangers have risen up against me. Violent men have sought my life. They have not seen God before them. Behold, God is my helper. The Lord is the sustainer of my soul. When the Philistines finally captured David and Gath, David writes this, When I am afraid, I'll put my trust in you, in God whose word I praise. In God I've put my trust. I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me? Listen to this. David was hiding in a cave from Saul, praying that God would protect him while his adversary is right in front of him. Psalm 57 I will cry to God most high, to God who accomplishes all things for me, he will send from heaven and save me. All of a sudden in Psalm 59, Saul sent soldiers to watch David's house, to assassinate him in his own bedroom. And David writes, but as for me, I shall sing of your strength. I shall joyfully shout of your loving kindness in the morning, for you have been my stronghold and a refuge in the day of my distress. Oh, my strength, I will sing praises to you, for God is my stronghold, the God who shows me loving kindness. One more Psalm 63 David eludes Saul after he's hiding from Saul. Saul can't seem to find him, and David says, I will bless you as long as I live, I'll lift my hands in your name. My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips. When I remember you on my bed, I meditate on you in the night watches, for you have been my help. And in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy. My soul clings to you. Your right hand upholds me. Hallelujah. It's amazing. This is David in the wilderness. This is David running for his life. This is David not knowing if he's going to even see the next day. David, who doesn't know where he's going to get his next meal. All he has is this promise that he's going to be the next king, and nothing he's doing looks like he's going to be the next king or royalty. But God has a plan. God knows what he's doing. These psalms are filled with confidence in God, and he's seen God work for two decades. So why choose sin after a 20 year journey? Why choose that? God did it and you did that. How can you begin to recount all of these psalms? The miracle deliverances? God spares your life, blinds the eyes of armies, puts armies to sleep, has you go in certain directions that the army can't even find you. And then when it's time for the 20 year promise to take, to take to begin to come to fruition, there you are going. Thank you for the crown. I'm going to have a bunch of weddings and violate what I know is a 400 year old command. Why was God asking this of King David? I want you to get this, folks, because there's something here and there's something I want to get to here. God was protecting David from rooftop affairs and his family from destructive habits. He saw something further. He saw something that if he persisted on a path, if he. He was. He wasn't just giving him boundaries, he was telling him, I see the future just as I saw. Listen to this. Don't miss this. Just as I saw a second anointing and a crown on your head. I see where this is going. If you don't listen to what I'm asking you to do, you're playing around with something so dangerous here. Think of this for a moment. David's don't miss this. David's carelessness would be Solomon's demise. David's carelessness would be Solomon's demise. Listen to Solomon's life, which was David's son. Now, King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh, Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittite women from the nations concerning which the Lord has said to the sons of Israel, you shall not associate with them. Why, nor you shall associate with. For they will surely turn your heart away from after their God. Solomon held fast to these in love. He had 700 wives. Okay, did you see that in your Bible? Seven hundred wives, princesses and 300 concubines. And his wife turned his heart away. Okay, listen to me now. I want you to listen to this. I know you're overwhelmed with 700 wives. Listen to this because this is something very important. And this is. This is what. What I need you to get every father and grandfather in this place. You will have to confront your children what you didn't confront in your own life. Okay? Don't groan. Write that down. Take a picture of that. What you will not confront in your own life, you will eventually have to confront in your Children's life. Because David wouldn't confront when God was asking him, you're a king now. We don't do that. You don't do that. He wouldn't confront it. So now he's got to deal with this with a son with 700. 700 wives. Oh, my goodness. Let me just tell you something. This is a side note. Never. I've told this to Cindy. I said we had a conversation one time is, what if you die? Would you ever get remarried? That's such a dumb conversation. Let me just tell you that right now. So here's what I told Cindy. I said, if you die first, that's it. This one time, that's it. I said, we. I felt like I found the woman of my dreams, we got married, and that's it. Now I wait for the marriage feast of Jesus. That's it. There is nothing else. There is no. Let me go from here and find this and do all this. No, stay focused on Jesus. What you don't confront in yourself, you will confront in your children and grandchildren. That's why you deal with what. What God is speaking to you. How dangerous it is for a man or a woman to be getting. According to 2nd Samuel 5, 10, and 11. You're getting greater and greater. Things are growing bigger and bigger, yet you're compromising more and more. How dangerous is that? This is what's going to happen. This is where David is in a dangerous spot. Somehow success and attainment has allowed David to do what he never thought he would do. Folks, don't miss this. This is so important. I want you to get this one down, too. This is one other thing. It's so important because. Because this has to deal with David and it has to deal with us. Leaders who cannot be questioned will do questionable things. Okay, don't groan. Take a picture. Leaders who cannot be questioned do questionable things. And the reality is, it goes for any one of us. You can't be questioned. Listen, I've been. I've been with that. I've watched it take place. I've watched wives go, can I just see your phone? And the husband's going, hey, what do you mean, see my phone? Okay, let me just help you. Wives, have you ever asked your husband to see their phone? And they go, oh, that's a no, That's. Come on. What are you. Look at their phone. Let me help you look at their phone. And if they ask you, what are you doing that for? Say Pastor Tim told them, and that's why we have to look at this when you get married, the two are one. So my stuff is yours. There is. No, that's my password. That's my stuff. Folks, if they. If. Listen, if someone's going, like, why did you open up the mail? Because we're one and Pastor Tim said we can open up each other's mail. That's exactly right. That means email, too, and text messages. Ooh, we're getting letters this week. We're getting letters this. Hey, look at me. Send them all. Send all the letters. Send them all you want. Send them. Send them all. Look at the stuff. Because when you watch your reaction when people are trying, then something's going on. When the leaders that are. When the men that I work with and the men that I do battle with, from the elders to my general overseer to our board, if they can't question me, then. Then something is wrong. And that's what happens with David. A rooftop. Listen to me. Just as shocking as 2nd Samuel 5, as 2nd Samuel 11 is to me. 2nd Samuel 5. God did that, and you did what? God delivered you for 20 years. And you did what? You went out. You went out and had a bunch of weddings when you knew what God had planned for kings and those that would walk in a place of authority. God did that, and you did what? And then it happens again, this shocking moment. So he gets all these wives. So you figure, how in the world does 2nd Samuel 11 happen? 2nd Samuel 11 is the adultery with Bathsheba. Folks, he just got all the women he wanted, and now he's get. Now he sees a woman on a rooftop, and now he goes, get me her. Okay? What happens is he says, get me her. They question him and he takes her. He goes, get me that woman. They go, isn't that Uriah's wife? And he just took her. He wouldn't be questioned about it. Here's what's incredible, okay? Write this down. It won't be on the screen, so get this down. Lust has no taste buds, so it's never satisfied. Lust has no taste buds. It's never said. So that means you take all the women you want in second Samuel 5 and you still want somebody in second Samuel 11. How insane is that? God did that and you did what? God did this and you did what? David was questioned and he still wouldn't let it go. It's almost incredible. It blew me away. Just as it did again, as I kept thinking about this Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the great martyr from Nazi Germany, he would die in Flossenburg, had this incredible statement on lust he said, this is. He made this observation that when lust takes control, he said, at this moment, God loses all reality. This is what he says Satan does not feel. Fill us with hatred of God, but with forgetfulness of God. He said, we're so. We're so entrenched, we don't even think God exists. But keep this in mind, folks, when we talk about those rooftops and this lust, it's not just sexual immorality, it's not just pornography. Rooftops are those. Or our eyes see something that we want to join ourselves to that God says, avoid that, avoid that. Don't join yourself to that. Okay, I figured I'm in so much trouble today. Let me just go. Let me just go for broke here today. It's the final service, so why not? Let's just go for broke. I met with lunch with some friends yesterday and I was just. And I said, one of the most dangerous things happening in the church today, talk about lust of being in partnership is the most dangerous thing to do, is to find yourself, is to find the church. I want you to listen to me. I want to say this as clear as I can. I don't care if you post this. I don't care. Whatever you send to the office, I will not read. I want you to listen to this right now because here it is. Because the worst thing you can connect yourself to is politics. Politics. People are going to get angry. I'm not connected to Trump and I'm not connected to the Democrats. I'm not connected. And people are going like, you don't support Trump. You don't support. Come on, you don't support. You don't support aoc, you don't support. I serve Jesus. I serve Jesus. I'm just telling you. So what about our mayor? I pray for Mom Dahme. He's on my every night prayer list. I pray, I pray, I pray, God give him wisdom. I pray, God guide him. God save him. But when you find churches in bed, in a sense with politicians and political viewpoints, it's the most dangerous thing to do because you're going to find yourself. Here it comes. Listen, let's just say it. Here we go. One of the most amazing things is one of the most powerful men in the world in the book of Daniel is Belshazzar. He is in the midst of a party celebrating his kingdom. And all of a sudden, handwriting comes on the wall and they call in, Daniel, listen to this. He says, now, Daniel, if you're able to read the inscription and make interpretation known, to me. You'll be clothed with purple. Wear a necklace of gold around your neck. You will have authority as the third ruler in the kingdom. Daniel, if you use your God given powers to tell me what's going on, I'm gonna make you something. You'll get to take a selfie with me, post it on Instagram, on Jerusalem Instagram, show everybody that we were together. I'll put you in purple and go and look. I love Daniel's response. Daniel said this. Daniel said, keep your gifts to yourself. I give your rewards to someone else. I'm God's man. I'm God. What God called to do. I don't get involved with this kind of stuff. Daniel, read it. And here's Daniel. Read what was on the wall. And here's what's amazing. The man couldn't keep one promise to Daniel. You know why? Because the Bible says that same night Belshazzar, the king of the Chaldeans was slain. Folks. And I'm telling you, listen to me. Every Christian leader that's watching this around the country and around the world, there's not a politician that will make you a promise or give you a post that all of a sudden is going to help you. I tell them to give their rewards to someone else. Listen to me. I want you to get this. The only one that can keep his promise is God himself. Only God can keep his promises. Only God can keep his promises. I don't care what anybody tells me. Well, if we do this, then our mayor will do this. We do this. Trump will do this. Mamdani will do this. Listen, give your gifts to somebody else. The only one that keeps his promises is God. God and God alone. You have worn me out today. Let me finish this. David's second anointing is what happens when God gives you your promise. And what are we supposed to do? God did that and you did what? What are we supposed to do? Brings me to the story. In Luke 17, as he entered a village, 10 leprous men who stood at a distance met him. They raised their voices saying, jesus, master, have mercy on us. When he saw them, he said to them, go and show yourselves to the priest. Don't miss this. Now, as they were going, they were cleansed. As they were going, they were cleansed. Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorified God with a loud voice and fell on his face at his feet, giving thanks to him. The other nine, listen to me, kept going. They kept to their agenda. They kept doing what they're just going like, oh, God did that, and I want to go. You did what? You kept going. You nine lepers were just set free from a disease that was taking away feeling it was taking away the limbs of your body and. And would kill you in a matter of a few years. And you just got cleansed, miraculously, from a word from Jesus. He did that. And you did what? He set you free and you just kept going on with your business. God just delivered you, kept you alive from that car accident, from that overdose, from. From being. From being put in a situation that could have taken your life. He did that in you. Did what? My goodness, Turn back and give him glory. So you. You come to church. Listen, I. Listen, I've got both guns pulled today. I'm fine. I'm ready. You come to church and because it's too long, we gotta go. We gotta do what. Are you serious? God did that? But you can't be in his house now. It's an inconvenience. I'm not used to church this long. I'm not used to people. I'm not used to a preacher who spits and yells. I've watched it. I've watched it. I've watched it in my own life. I mean, just. Just this. It was this last week, we just got back from overseas, did a. A Minister's conference overseas, 400 leaders. It was just miraculous what God has done. And so I was still. I was battling some illness, and so I wasn't sleeping well from jet lag. And when I don't sleep well, then I face congestion issues. And then with the weather in New York, you don't know if it's 40 or 90. You just. It's gonna be 90 today. And then two days ago, it's like, oh, my goodness, it's freezing. You don't even know where to turn the heat or the air conditioning here in New York City. So this week you turn on the air conditioning, but hold on, you'll turn on the heat in a few days. And so I'm going. I haven't been sleeping, I'm congested, allergies, everything. And then Friday I'm just going. And then my tooth fell out and I'm just going. Like, it just doesn't get any worse than that. I said, I'm sleepless, I'm breathless, and I'm toothless. I said, I just don't even. So what do you do? What do you do when you can't breathe? You can't. You. Have you lost the tooth and you're not sleeping, you go get a haircut. You figure, if it's going bad, let me at least try to look decent. Going bad. At this point, I'm breaking down. So I just said, I'm going to go. And I'm sitting. I'm sitting there. I went to a barber shop here in Manhattan, and I'm sitting there, and I'm looking at this precious man from Mexico who's cutting my hair, and I notice something. I see. I see his countenance is different. It's kind of like Joseph noticing the baker and the cupbearer in Genesis when he's going, why your countenance down? And I've known this man. I've been there a few times. And I just go. And something in me. Here's the selfishness. God just did incredible things overseas at this conference. Incredible things. But here I am, I'm just. I'm sleepless, breathless and toothless, sitting in a chair. And so I see his countenance, and something in me goes, says, you noticed him. Say something. I said. And I'm having this conversation with myself. I just said, notice him. I need someone to notice me. I'm the one who's not feeling good here. I need someone. I need someone to have a word of God for from me. Send someone in here to do that. And so for the whole time, I'm not going to minister to him. I'm not feeling good. This is your pastor. So I was so. And I just. I was upset that I felt like God was going, like, you need to go do something. And then. And then I was reminded, God, you did that? And I did what. I mean, the. What would have been is I'm just gonna walk out. I see it on his face. I'm just gonna walk out. And just before I was leaving, I looked at him, I said, something's not right, is it? And I looked at this precious man. I said, what's going on? And I watched tears well up in this precious man's eyes. He said, it's my daughter. She's battling. And he mentioned this illness. She's been in and out of the hospital. And I. And I. And I don't even know what to do. And I looked at him, I said, let me pray for you right now. And we're sitting there, there's six, seven haircut stations, and they're all cutting hair. And I just said, come, come to this corner. I laid hands on this precious man. And folks, I'm just telling you, when I started to Pray for him. He fell into my body and just was crying uncontrollably. And he just kept saying, amen. Thank you, Jesus. Amen. Thank you, Jesus. Amen. And he looked at me and he whispered this. He just goes, I'm a Christian, and all around us are Muslims. And he goes, I'm a Christian. He says, thank you for stopping and praying for me. And all I thought about was this. I thought, God, you did that. And I was going to walk out. I was just going to walk out with this precious man that just needed someone to pray. Folks, when God answers prayer, when God finally comes through, stop like this leper. Turn around. Don't keep going. And the Bible says this. He said he glorified God with a loud voice. It says, listen, I've watched people bless. I've watched God bless people with children that they said that they'll never be able to bear children. And all of a sudden, God gives them a miracle child. And now they come to church less because they got soccer now. And now, oh, you need me to come on Sundays and Tuesdays? You mean I got to put that car seat in twice all of a sudden? I've watched it. I've watched God going, give them blessing and watch their children raise up. And you want me to bring them on Friday nights to youth group? Now I got to just hang around until they're done with youth group for the midweek service. And now you want me to come in from Long Island? Doesn't we have a train?
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Train?
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We can't even get on the railroad to get in here. Do you know what this. You know what's interesting? When you were running for your life, nothing was difficult. I'm telling you, when you were running for your life, you'd sit there, your kids would go, we're tired. Well, you could be tired in church. You're going to sleep, but you're going to sleep in the presence of God is what you're going to do. But we're going. And I'm just telling you, folks, when you are running for your life and you're running like David, you're not thinking about multiplying wives. You're thinking about, I need a miracle from heaven. But something kicks in when God answers. God does this. And now we're doing that. Come on, folks. It's incredible. Now you got the crown. Now you got a new agenda. I've watched the blessed now become critical. I've watched people where God has rescued them. Now all of a sudden, they become independent. I've watched People that have been blessed and now they're uncorrectable. I've watched people where God has performed miracles and now they are their own self proclaimed theologian. You really don't have to go to church to be a Christian. I can just sit at home and read the Bible myself. And there are some things wrong with that pastor. And listen, if you're looking at me and going, there's some things wrong with him, yes, I got a bunch of problems, but I got God. I'm a desperate man that has God in my life and want all that God has. But it's amazing. You got the money, you got the degree, you got the extra house, you got this. But now church is an interruption. God forbid if you have breakthrough services on Friday night prayer and fasting. Now you don't want me to eat and show up at church. Listen to me, you better be careful. Because when God blesses for those who have been blessed that the cancer is contained or you are cancer free, you better turn around and shout, God, you're good for those that you have children living for God. You better stand up and say, God has worked miracles for you that got a job. When it said you can't get it. That's nothing but the power of God for you that is here today by a miracle of God. We need to turn around and say, this is nothing but God coming for us. Hallelujah. Stand with me. Hallelujah, Hallelujah. God did that. My new thing is. So I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna stop, praise him, shout with a loud voice, God is good. But he said to him, a man was giving a big dinner and he invited many. And at the dinner hour he sent a slave to say to those who had been invited, come for everything is ready. But they all alike began to make excuses. The first one said to him, I bought a piece of land, I need to go out and look at it. So please consider me excused from your big dinner. Another one said, I bought five yoke of oxen, I'm going to try them out. Please consider me excused. Another one said, I've married a wife. For this reason I cannot come. The slave came back and reported this to the master. And he then the head of the household became angry and said, go out at once in the streets and the lanes of the city. Bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, the lame. And the slave said, master, you are commanded. It has been done and still there is room. The master said to his slave, go out into the highways and along the hedges Compel them to come in so that my house may be full. For I tell you, none of those men who are invited shall taste of my dinner. You know what's amazing about that story is that what kept those people from getting to that feast and that dinner was not sin. It was the blessing of God. They were given a wife, they were given a home. Listen, I can't come. I can't come because I got married. I got a boyfriend now. Why not? Why not? Like, why? Just. I can't come now. You want me to come? I was coming to 21 2. But that's Friday night. That's date night. No, it's 212 night. And if the boyfriend doesn't come, then you go. You gotta go. Because I gotta get to church. And if you want to see me, you come to church. And you better lift your hands to get born again, too. Another guy goes, I can't come. I just bought a piece of property. I bought some property in Florida. Well, it doesn't actually say Florida, but it just bought property. So I can't. I can't come. Other one says, I just bought some oxen. Can't come. No one's buying oxen. But I can't come. I just bought some new golf clubs. Sin never hindered them from the feast. There's no drugs, no addiction, but it's the blessing. I want to go. God did that. And you did what? God blessed you, and you did what? You did what? God gave you. That university, that job opportunity, that place on Broadway, that job on Wall street, that job in professional sports, that job to work at this law firm. And then all of a sudden. And you did what? What? Folks, don't get angry with me. Let's look at our hearts and say, God, did I just keep on going? Did you just cleanse me? Change me like those lepers? And it says, and he kept going. Nine, 90% kept going. God help us not to be that way. We turn around and give him the glory. There is an old song. I started to sing it yesterday, and I just started to lift my hands, and I texted Ricardo and Willie. And I just said, hey, can. Can we do this? And it was a song that just gets us to the place that we need to be. And it's. It's written by Andre Crouch. It says, take me back, take me back, dear Lord. Take me back to the place where I first received you. Take me back, take me back, dear Lord, Where I first believed. Then the verse says this. I feel that I'm so far from me, Lord but still I hear you calling me those simple things that I once knew Their memories keep drawing me I must confess, Lord, I've been blessed but yet my soul's not satisfied Then he cries out renew my faith Restore my joy and dry my weeping eyes Hallelujah. Take us back, God. Come on, lift your hands as elder Vicki begins. Just to lead us and recall. Come on, sing this. Take me back. Come on, Church, sing it. Take me back.
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Take me back Take me back, dear Lord to the place where I thirst to see you Take me back. Take me back. Take me back Take me back to where I
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Sing it again. Come on, Church. Come on. Lift those hands and sing.
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Take me back.
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Hallelujah.
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Take me back, Take me back Take me back to you More to the place where I Where I first receive you, oh, Lord Take me back Take me back Take me back Take me back to
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Vicki. Sing that verse. Sing that verse. Listen to this verse, Church. Listen to this verse. Hallelujah.
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I feel like I'm so far from you, Lord but still I hear you calling me those simple things that I once knew, Lord all the memories I dream me I must confess, Lord that I've been blessed but still my soul's not satisfied Renew my faith, God. Restore my joy and drive. Drive my weeping.
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Come on. You sing it, Church.
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You sing it, Church. Take me back.
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Sing it, Church. Come on, sing it. Too.
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Long. Where I First me.
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We're gonna sing this again and it's just gonna be simple. God's calling some of you back. You hear his voice, hear his voice. It's this, he did that, and you did what? He kept going. He didn't stop. Just to go. God, thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you for what you've done in my life. How many need a take me back moment with God today? Just. Just lift your hands. Just say, I need a take me back moment with God to call me back to that place that was supposed to be balcony, main floor. Those watching around the world, if that's you as we sing this again, I'm gonna ask you to make this a true altar. I'm gonna ask you to get out of your seat. But here's what happens. This is what happens. God is. God is sending a wake up call. But still some are going to. Are going to stay put. Cement is in your feet and I'm telling you in Jesus name, break that cement and start to walk and let God begin. Just to set free this morning. So as we sing, you come. You come. This is Going to be that take me back moment. Come on, come on. Lead us, Elder Vicki. Come on.
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Take me back. Take me back to you, Lord to the place where I first received you. Take me back. Take me back. I need to go back. Take me back. Take me back. Take me back. Oh, God, take me back. Take me back. A place where I. Want to go back. Take me back.
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Sing that verse, Elder Vicki, come on. This is. Verse is so important. Come on.
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I feel like I'm so far from you, Lord but still I hear you.
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Hallelujah.
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Come lay me back to the simple things that I once knew, Lord, the memories
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I must confess. Come on, lift those hands and resing this part. I must confess, Lord, I've been blessed,
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Lord, that I've been blessed.
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Now here's the cry. Renew my faith. Renew my faith. Restore my joy. Come on, Church, sing it. Take me back.
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Hallelujah. Take me back. Take me back, Jesus, take me back. Take me back to you to the place where you are the only thing.
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Let's sing that one more time.
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One more time. Come on, church.
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You sing it. You sing it. Come on, church. Take me back. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. My shock was this. God did that. And you did what? God did that. Some of you have seen in action the God who answers prayer, haven't you? The God who's answered prayer. You're sitting here today, you're a miracle. God did that. But like those nine, the 90%, they just kept going. They kept. They kept doing their thing. And this is that moment that God has paused us today. Those at this altar. Would you just look at me for a second? I'm so happy you stayed. Because there's probably stuff inside of you, maybe people you were sitting next to. Don't look back. They were going like, can we go? Can we go? Can we go? Can we go? Come on. He's done. They're calling the band back up. Let's get out of here. Before and you stayed because you know why? There's something inside of you was going take me back, God, to the place. Take me to the spot, Lord God, where, Lord, I'm weeping again. I'm going to believe that this word becomes life to me again. That when I open this up, that this is going to become life to me. That when I pray that when I fast that God, you would come. And so I want to be able to say, you did that. So I lifted my hands. You did that. So I gave you a shout of praise. You did that. So now you've got a shout out that's crying out, God, come with power again. Lift your hands to him right now as I pray for you, Father, I lift my hands with these precious people that are crying out, take me back, Take me back. Take me back to that place, Father, you love, you love us today. And it was just. This is just a little bit of an alarm clock. Today, it's an alarm clock. God, we have a battle. We've got a journey still ahead of us. As a church, I'm so grateful for the, for the, for the, for the, the really the warriors that Carter Conlon and David Wilkerson were to think where we are today in 2026. Those men fought those battles from, from, from all those things that seem to come against them. And they stood strong. Lord, I'm praying for the generations to come. May we stand strong, God. May we begin to have a renewed fire inside of us. A fire for missions, a fire for giving, a fire of generosity, a fire for soul winning. A fire, God, for worship, a fire, Father, for even not, not, not, not even just putting aside family prayer time. A fire again, just to pray over a meal and not just eat to say, God, thank you for this food today. Thank you so much that you provided God, I just feel like you're taking us back. You're taking us back. So, Lord, I'm asking you, start with me, start with us. May you raise up a church here that has a fresh fire again inside of us. Take us back, take us back. Look at me for a second. I'm just telling you, I don't know why. I don't think I've ever done this in 42 years of ministry. But some of you, you used to even pray over your meals. You don't even do that anymore. You stop and you go, God, I thank you for providing this. I thank you for providing this today. And if all your, if your family's looking at you going like, what is this? Just look at them and say, pastor Tim said we're going to pray over every single meal and just go, blame me, blame me, blame me. But it's biblical, it's in the Bible. But just sit there and say, we're going to thank God. He provided the money for us to eat this food that God has provided us. And I just feel that's a good place to start. That's the first take me back. That's the first take me back moment that you start there. So let God. Let God begin to do something. Whether it's Tuesday nights Whether it's chapter by chapter, noon, whatever it is for the young adults, for those in college and high school, two, one, two, get it, but just let God. Those are the easy wins. But there's so much more that God wants to do. I just don't want to be known as this. You did that. And I did what? God is too good. He's too good. He's too good. Come on, take me back. Come on, sing it again.
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Take me back, dear Lord, to the place where I.
- [68:53]
B
And I can't. I can't just. We're gonna. We're gonna dismiss you. I promise you this. I need three minutes because I can't do this. Some of you are sitting here today. You are alive because of the mercy of God. So I want you to listen. Listen to me. Just because God's kept you alive doesn't mean you're in a right relationship with him. The Bible says he reigns blessing on the just and on the unjust, which some of you are here today. You've experienced God's miracle on your life, but you've never experienced his salvation miracle. It's when he comes in and changes you from the inside out. You've known what it is for him to help you, to protect you, to work something for you. But you've never known them on the inside. You've known religion. You've known church. And I'm just telling you, today's a day to say, God, come into my life and change me. Come into my life and change me. I'm not talking about church. I'm talking about a relationship with Jesus. He calls that relationship being born again. What is that? Just. You're in a first birth physically. You need a second birth spiritually. I can't play around with Jesus words. He says, no man will see the kingdom of heaven unless they're born again again. So let me just help you. You can't go to heaven unless you've been born again. I can't believe you said that. It's not me. Your problem's with Jesus. He said that. So how do I get born again? It's as simple as ABC A admit that we're sinners. We're all broken on the inside. We can't fix ourselves. You can't take a prescription or go to a program to fix you. Is that a priest, a pastor, a synagogue or a mosque? So God comes 2000 years later and begins to send his son to fix this problem. And it's believing that God's done it for us. That's A, admitting B, believe that God came 2,000 years ago to fix my sinful condition. And then C, confessing him as Lord, saying, you're in charge of my life now. You don't have to bow your head. You don't have to close your eyes. But if you're sitting here today and you're saying, pastor Tim, I need that relation, I've experienced this blessing and I just kept going on with my life. But today I want to stop and say, come in and change me, God. God, come in and change me. Keep your heads up, your eyes open if you're here today and say, pastor Tim, I want that relationship with Jesus. Balcony, main floor. Just raise your hand, say, I want a relationship. Hold your hand up as high as you can. I want to see those hands. Oh, my goodness. Keep those hands up as high as you can. God wants to do that today. God wants to do that today. God wants to do. So here's what we're going to do. Would you do all of us pray this together? Say these words, Dear Lord Jesus, I. I believe you're the son of God. I believe that on the cross you took my sin, my shame and my guilt, and you died for it. You faced hell for me so I wouldn't have to go. You rose from the dead to give me a place in heaven, a purpose on earth, and a relationship with your father. Today, Lord Jesus, I turn from my sin to be born again. God is my father, Jesus is my savior, the Holy Spirit is my helper, and heaven is my home. In Jesus name. And everybody said amen. Hey, we're gonna sing this song and call. But listen, if you prayed that prayer, here's what you can do. You can look on the screen, you can text the side of the 51,000 online, you're gonna have a link. And if you've raised your hand and you've got five minutes, you can go to exit seven to my left, your right. They'll take five minutes, get you a Bible and get you started on this journey. But God is starting a work here. Look at someone and say, he's taking us back. He's taking us back. Come on. Sing this again and we'll close. Come on. Take me back.
- [72:34]
A
Take me back.
- [72:37]
B
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