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- [00:00]
Pastor Tim
Bless the Lord. He's the strength of our life. Amen. What a blessing to see all of you today. Talk about some things in just a second, just some what God has done. We're so excited that you're here today. Welcome to Times Square Church on 51st and Broadway. We're right right in the center of Manhattan. And what a blessing to see so many of you here today. Welcome to our annex, our Jersey campus. We want to welcome all those watching around the country and around the world, those that are live with us today. It's always our joy. We know that this is always a special time. We get to do this at every single service. So today we want to say hello to those that are watching live with us. We say hello to the nation of Kenya, Tunisia, South Africa. We say hello to Ghana, Eswatini, Botswana, Rwanda, Nigeria, Cameroon and Tanzania. We say hello to our friends from Asia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and the Philippines. Welcome to Indonesia, Hong Kong, Bhutan, India and Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Kuwait and Australia. We say hello to the United Kingdom, Scotland, Netherlands, Germany, Romania, Belgium, Poland, France, Ireland, Sweden, Czech Republic. We welcome Hungary, Finland, Austria. We also welcome Ukraine. We are believing in Jesus name that that war is going to stop and we're going to believe no more loss of life. We welcome Norway and Greece, Canada, Mexico, Bahamas, Haiti, Guatemala, Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica, Belize. We say hello to Saint Lucia, Grenada, Cayman Islands, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Suriname, Ecuador, Venezuela. We're praying for your nation, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Would you welcome all those our joy to always welcome those first nation groups that are watching from reservations around the country and even in Canada. The Navajo Nation, Key First Nation, MHA Nation and the EUHT Nation. Would you welcome all those watching? I'm. I'm going to get it. I'm going to get it. Just stay with us. So we welcome some 56 nations, some 45 states around the United States. And we also welcome our universities. We say hello to the University of Cape Town, South Africa. We welcome University of South Florida, Stony Brook University, Arizona State University, the Greek Bible College in Athens, Rochester Institute of Technology. Would you welcome all those that are watching around the country and around the world? All right, I feel strongly I have something for you today. I want to encourage you today. I want you to tell the person next to you this. I normally don't do this. I'm not usually the one that's going like, say to your neighbor this. Say to your neighbor this. I just don't do that. But I want you to say this. Look to the person on your right and say, what I go through just might be for you. Tell the person on the left, my fire may be your revelation. I want to talk to you about my fire, your revelation. What I go through just might be for you. And. And we're going to break free from any selfishness that says God, get me. We're going to get through. Listen to me. We're going to get through these battles for you. And I believe your victory is going to be somebody else's victory today. It's not about us. Can you. Can you just say that? Can you just for a moment say, it's not me. It's not about me. It's about the glory of God. It's about the glory of God. And I believe that. I truly believe. My fire may be your revelation. My fire may be your revelation. I'm going to tell you where this came from and what the Lord I. I have to teach you. Just a song. I'm going to need to help. I told Kareem. He's going to be my elder. Vicki. Where. Where are you, Kareem? Elder Vicky singing at a conference. I said, kevin, I need you because you know this song. This is an old song we used to sing here. Ricardo, You. You kind of know it. Okay. A little bit. Muy poquito. How many, Remember? I don't know if some of you know this song goes.
- [04:17]
Ricardo
Ever, evermore I will love you evermore I will serve you Evermore I will glorify the name of the Lord Evermore I adore you Evermore Bow before you I will bless your name forever more
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Pastor Tim
how many have never heard of that song? How many? How many have heard of that song before? I was. I was studying this morning, and I just came across that song, and I just started just to worship. And I am so grateful for Ricardo and Willie. I just said, can we do this song? And they always say, yes. And I just go, can we do that? Yes. And I'm so thankful. This song just as I just lifted my hands in my study and I just said, God, evermore no matter what comes our way we will praise you, we will glorify you. So I want us to sing this just a couple times, then, Kareem, we're gonna try the bridge. We're gonna try it. And so we're gonna. Let's sing the chorus just a few more times. Evermore. Come on, sing it.
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Ricardo
Evermore I will love you evermore I you ever more I will glorify I will glorify in the name of the Lord Ever more I'll adore you ever more Bow before you I will bless.
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Pastor Tim
Let's sing that one more time.
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Elder Vicki
Sing it with me.
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Pastor Tim
Come on. This is a good time. Lift your hands.
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Elder Vicki
Sing it.
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Ricardo
Ever more I will love you ever more I will you evermore I will glorify the name of the Lord evermore I'll adore you evermore Bow before you I will bless you. You alone I glorify your goodness I testify your banner I will lift on high forever and ever and when my life on this earth is done I like when my battles have been won I'll sing my praise around the throne forever and ever Sing evermore evermore I will love you ever more I will serve ever more I will glorify I will glorify the name of the Lord ever more I'll adore you with the bottom of my heart oh Lord, I will adore you I bless your name. Let's all lift your hands and sing.
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Elder Vicki
We're going to go up and keep on singing.
- [07:42]
Ricardo
Ever more ever I will love ever more I will serve you ever more I will glorify the name of the Lord ever more I adore you ever more Happy for you.
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Elder Vicki
Let me do one more time. Twist the voices. Come on. We're going to sing it again.
- [08:16]
Ricardo
Evermore. Sing it. I will not say evermore I will say everymore I will nevermore I adore you ever more I will bow before you I will bless your name forever more.
- [08:49]
Pastor Tim
Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Isn't that a powerful song? Wow. Maybe we'll close with that today. We'll sing that one. We'll sing it one more time. So. And just that segment. Thank you for being Elder Vicki today. Thank you so much. I always look to Elder Vicki to. For those old songs. You may be seated. God bless you. Thank you so much. Thank you. What a blessing today. What a blessing. Okay, my fire, your revelation, what I go through just might be for you. Let me talk to you today. What is a real Christian? A real Christian? I can only give you three verses to describe a Christian. Now, this may sound odd to you. The word Christian is literally. That word is only used three times in the entire Bible. A word that we say over and over again. The Bible seems to use that word Christian sparingly. In fact, I want to just build a description, maybe, maybe a definition and a description of what a real Christian is. And it's the third one. It's the third time at the very end, the last time it's used even on a timeline. The Word Christian is used is the one I want to just focus on of why my fire may be your revelation. But let me give you the three passages that the word Christian is used at only time in the Bible. The first time it shows up is the Bible makes mention of it. And in Acts 11:26, it says, and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. That I kept thinking through this. The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. And there's a reason I'm calling this the Christian is a reminder. It's a reminder. See, the church didn't make up this name for themselves. It was put upon them. They didn't sit in a room with a marketing team and go, what's a good name for us since Jesus has resurrected and gone to heaven? They didn't go down the line and go, okay, what do we call ourselves? The world, an antagonistic society, culture, and unbelievers. Put that name on them. He said, we're going to call you Christians. For really, the word Christian actually means jot this down. Little Christ, Little Jesus. What they were saying was, you remind us of the guy that we crucified just a year ago. You remind us of Jesus. It was probably the greatest compliment I've ever received as a Christian. Came from a prostitute on the streets of Detroit that I was witnessing to. When she said to me, just out of frustration, she looked at me and just said, you remind me of the guy with the thorns on his head. Greatest compliment I've ever received. What she was saying was, is that's little Christ. That reminds me of what Jesus has done. See, a real Christian doesn't look like a church or a denomination. They look like Christ. So if your life points people back to a denomination because of what you wear, what you carry, what kind of dress you have on, or what kind of hair do you have? You've missed it. Where's the Remind them of Heaven. Remind them of Jesus? There is before all of these crazy cookie stores have taken off. How many Remember back in the 80s and the 90s, a place called Mrs. Fields Cookies? How many Remember that in the mall? You know, that took place before any of these other cookie shops. And you used to go there and you could buy cookies galore. And I was. I was intrigued because Debbie Field started this in Palo Alto, California. No one would come into her shop. And so what she actually did was she took what we would call samples, put little pieces on a plate and walk through Palo Alto, California. And people would try that sample and want more. And she would say, if you Want more? You gotta go over there. See, that's what we're supposed to be. They're supposed to look at us. See, you're not the whole package, and neither am I. We. We're. We're the little sample is what we are. We're the sample of grace, Sample of a miracle, sample of deliverance. And if all they do is get attracted to us, we've missed it then. Folks, you can't live on samples. You got to get to the cookie store. You got to get to Jesus and say, that's the one you want to get involved with. That's the one that can change your life. I'm just a little. I'm a little part of this.
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Elder Vicki
He's the one.
- [13:27]
Pastor Tim
I wouldn't call him the big cookie, but I'll just tell you this. He is Jesus, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. The second place was Acts 26:28, when Paul is standing before a king. Agrippa replied to Paul, in a short time, you will persuade me to become a what? Second time that word is ever used there. I think the Christian is a persuader. A persuader. Paul's talking to a king who is not a Christian. He wasn't just dispensing information, but according to what this politician said, according to what this man of power said who sat in the seat of power, Paul wasn't just talking to him. Paul was trying to influence him. That's what he was trying to do. Paul looked at this man and was unashamed and unafraid to persuade this man of what it is to give your life to Jesus Christ. What a challenge for us today. We have gotten to a place even in Christianity, that all we've gotten used to is inviting people to church. I want to invite people to Christ. I want to invite people to be born again, that their life can be changed, that God can use them. I. I've been praying for the Jewish community and especially what happened this last Thursday in Michigan when a synagogue was. Was senselessly attacked as a car bomb. Just drove in to kill children. That they were saying that this had the making of foot. And it's close to us. For those that are watching, because just up the road is Sandy Hook, that literally this could have been dozens and dozens of young elementary students at this Jewish school. And. And I. I didn't realize, but I was at a synagogue on Thursday while this happened. I was meeting here in New York City. I was meeting with a friend, and I joined them on their. In Hebrew, it's called the, the Shakarat, which is on Monday, Thursday and Saturdays, they read the Torah and they all, all these, all these religious, these religious men joined together. And my rabbi friend said, would. I said, I want to be there. And so they need 10, 10 Jews for a quorum, and they only had nine. So I said, well, if you count the Gentile, do, do, do we make it? Do we make it? He goes, we can't count you. We said, we can't count you. He said, we want you there, but you're not in the number. So it was, it was such a, it was, it was moving to hear the Torah read. It was moving to see the scrolls that were handwritten and to see these, these, these incredible men that I love and have been praying for. And whenever I leave my rabbi friend, I always ask him this. And then he always responds. I always said, I said, I want you to pray for me in Hebrew. And I watch this man just lean over me and pray a blessing over my life in Hebrew. And then he always asked me, he says, now you got to pray for me. And so when I prayed for him, and this is what I said at the very end, I said this and Lord, I pray and I won't use his name. I said, I pray that my rabbi friend would not be offended as I end this prayer that in Jesus name that all this would come true. And he just started laughing. Now why do I do that? Because I'm a persuader. That's what I am. Because Jesus said this. He said, whatever you shall ask in my name, I'll give it to you. So folks, I don't, I can't hold back in what I know to be true. And, and he, he laughed and we laughed. But there is no. My goal in life is to persuade men and women to follow Jesus Christ. And so they're a persuader. But it's the third time that the Bible uses this word, is what's the challenging one? And this is why. My fire. Your revelation that what I go through may just be for you, and I want to build from this today. And it's the third time that the word Christian is used not only in Acts 11 and now in Acts 26, but right here. First Peter 4, 16 is the third and final time that this word is used. They're not just a persuader. A Christian is not just a reminder. But this is going to be a tough one. But a Christian is a sufferer. They suffer. It is. They'll be scarred. They're going to go through the fire. They're going to be faced with difficult times. Listen to what the Apostle Paul says. But if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God. This name. Now the Christian, he's talking about a suffering for doing what's right. I'll read the context in just a second. I have to tell you what he was talking about here and what was going on here. There are times that you will not get cheers and awards for doing what's right. Sometimes the only. The only person that will respond will be heaven. And that has to be enough for us. Your only audience will be God. But a real Christian will go through the fire. They'll go through the fire. What does that mean? Let me read to you the context. Now listen to these words. This is. We're going to go backwards a few verses and read this. Dear friends, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad for these trials make you partners with Christ, his suffering. So you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. If you have are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed to the glorious Spirit of God. For the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you. If you suffer, however, it must not be for being for murder, stealing, making trouble or prying into other people's affairs. I just laugh how he went from murder to those that are just won't keep their mouth shut about other people. Folks, what a list. He says whether you're killing people or you're posting stuff about people, keep your mouth shut. And he says don't suffer for that. He says, but it's no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name. Real Christians will find themselves in those fiery trials. And that's what. That's what the Apostle Peter is talking about. Real Christians will find themselves in the fire. See, because your fire will be a revelation. This is what I want to build on. Your fire is going to be a revelation. Think of this for a moment. I discovered something I never knew before because I was so I. We've been so riveted by the news in the past around a certain season for the west coast that when. What? What, what by destruction that we miss that there may be something that even comes out of it. When you think about it the most. The natural disaster that's most destructive, the disaster that is most destructive to forests all especially on the west coast would Be fire would be a forest fire. It's the most destructive thing as thousands and ten tens of thousands of acres, especially in California during the hot season and the dry season. And it's destructive to plants and to wildlife. What possibility, what possible good can come from that? And I learned something that I never knew before, that they said there is a certain type of genre of plant called the pyrophyllae. Pyro which means fire in Latin, Pyrophylla plant, which is a categorization of plants that not only resists fire but needs the heat and smoke to raise seeds out of dormancy. Jesus, help us. Listen to this. He said there is a certain genre of plant that while everything else is getting killed, there's a certain plant that needs the fire, the heat and the smoke. It says not only can it resist the fire, the smoke, this genre of plant, but what the smoke and heat does, it brings out its seeds of out of dormancy to prepare the soil so it can grow even more. Without fire, they said plants like the cistus flower would be unable to reproduce. That that flower needs fire. Their seeds are dormant and the only thing that brings their seeds to expand is it needs fire to bring it out. That unless there's a fire, it literally will die. I. I couldn't believe it. What he was saying was these pyrophilae plant needs a certain ecosystem in order it for it to flourish. Can I tell you, today the Christian has a fire ecosystem that begins to bring stuff out of us that church can't that even a devotional life can. But a furnace can bring stuff out of us that can't come out any other way. A fiery trial can bring stuff out. That heat can awaken things inside of us that can't come out any other way. I'm just telling you right now. So while you're trying to avoid fire and avoid something, God goes, listen, I'll protect you and get you through this. I know, I listen and, and can I just tell you, I'm not profire. I'm not going like send it on, Jesus, send it on. I am not saying that, but I'm starting to realize certain things can't come out unless you've been through the furnace.
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Elder Vicki
Certain things.
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Pastor Tim
So while you're trying to seclude yourself from the fire, God keeps pushing that flame towards you. He says, I'm gonna bring something out that couldn't come out any other way. Listen, here's what I've realized. Two thoughts. Number one, Fire reveals real faith. Fire reveals real Faith. And number two, fire reveals. Get this now the real Jesus. Fire will reveal the real Jesus. Let me talk to you about revealing the real faith. First Peter 1. Peter goes back to this fiery image. There's a reason for it. First Peter 4. He talks about a fiery trials. Listen to First Peter 1:6. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while. I love that phrase, little while if necessary. I don't like that one. You have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith being more precious than gold, which is perishable, even though tested by what fire may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. And though you have not seen him, you love him. And though you do not see him now, but believe in him, you greatly rejoice with joy, inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. See, there's something powerful here. See, Peter uses this fiery image. Let me just take you back to Rome for a moment. As he is, as he is talking, Peter is speaking about what is taking place or what is what has taken place in Rome. If you were to go and visit Italy and visit Rome, you would see these gorgeous cement structures, stone structures, all over Rome. It wasn't always like that. But in fact, in the first century, much of it was made of wood. And what took place was, is that one of the most wicked, wicked emperors of all of Rome's history was, was Nero. Nero wanted to rebuild Rome. And so what he did was, and we've heard the phrase that he fiddled, he played his fiddle or violin while Rome burned. He had the whole city set on Fire in 64 AD and July 19 and found such joy as buildings that were made of wood were burning to the ground. And in fact, when the people try to put out the fire, he had the Roman soldiers stop the people from putting out the fire. And the people were so incensed with their emperor that literally a riot and a mob was raising up against him. And at that moment, what Nero did was he used the Christians as a scapegoat and blamed everything on this new group of people that were, that lives were being changed. And all of a sudden the fire and the burning that took place in Rome, Peter was referring and saying, this king, this emperor who has set this city on fire and now has blamed all of us, we're about to go like the city through a fiery trial, that this fight that we're going to go through is going to be A spiritual fire. It's going to be a furnace that we're going to go through. This is going to be now what Peter was saying, that your ecosystem is not going to be found in just a small group. You, I want you to meet in house by house. I want you to meet with brothers and sisters. But there is an ecosystem coming that's going to make it really hot for us. But don't be discouraged. This is what he says. Even though tested by fire, he says it may be found to result in praise and. And glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. This is amazing to me because the first result of the fire is praise. He says you can praise in the heat, in the heat of the battle. That's what shocks people, is that as believers, we don't need a band and we don't need a music to praise. We can be in the middle of a furnace, knowing God is with us. That's enough to lift our hands and to begin to praise.
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Elder Vicki
How in the world.
- [27:51]
Pastor Tim
Here's my question. Because praise in the fire reveals if this Christianity is real. And that's why. Here's what's incredible.
- [28:01]
Elder Vicki
How do you see?
- [28:03]
Pastor Tim
How do you see here in this place, as we began to pray and fight for Glenda Hampton, as who had a stroke over a week ago, and we as a church said we will come together as an army and we will begin to pray. How in the world does Elder Jerry show up here on the front row today while. While his wife is. Is gone through the biggest battle that. Well, they have gone through the big, biggest battle of their life.
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Ricardo
Life.
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Pastor Tim
You know how he does it? Even though tested by fire, I watched him today. His hands were up. How can you lift your hands in a fire?
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Elder Vicki
Because that faith inside of him is real. Because when it's real, you can lift up those hands. You can praise him for who he is, because he is the God that will take you through every. Every single thing that you're facing.
- [29:03]
Pastor Tim
Folks, I'm telling you many times, I'm down here in a fight, and if you see me like this, just worshiping like this, always know this means I'm in a real fight. What do you mean? I'm just moving the smoke out of my way from the fire going. I can't see right now. So when you see me go like
- [29:21]
Elder Vicki
this, that means, oh, Pastor Tim must
- [29:23]
Pastor Tim
be in the front. Yep, I sure am.
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Elder Vicki
I'm just moving the smoke out of the way so I can see him clearer in the midst of this whole thing. Come on. If you're in a fight. Lift those hands and move that smoke out of the way and say, jesus, I've got faith inside of me. Hallelujah.
- [29:54]
Pastor Tim
Glory to God. Fire finally reveals the real Jesus. If you're visiting with us, when I say finally, that doesn't mean very much. So just. Just means it's the end of point 2. Fire reveals the real Jesus. Stan, who leads our connect groups, inspired this last week. Stan stood up here in the service just like he did today, and he started to talk about Daniel chapter three. And my mind started to go. As I was listening to Stan speak my mind, I just started turning into scriptures because I was so moved by what Stan was saying. He talked about the three Hebrew children, the fiery furnace, and Stan talked about the fourth man in the fire as we finished worship. And then Stan encouraged us. But I kept asking this question because that fourth man in the fire comes in Daniel 3. But God did some things in Daniel 1 and 2. And I kept asking this question while Stan was speaking. I said, why didn't they recognize him in Daniel 1 and 2? Why did it take a furnace for them to see Jesus? This is what I thought about. Let me just. Let me get you to Daniel three. So in Daniel one, all these, these. These thousands of young people from Jerusalem are brought as POWs into Babylon. The three Hebrew children that we would know, there's four characters we know, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Daniel. And all of them were put on the king's diet. Daniel said this. He says, I. We don't want to defile ourselves. We don't want to eat that diet. Let us be on the diet that we grew up with as Jews. Let us have this. And the leader of all of these POW Jewish kids who were brought into the palace, these kids were being groomed for Nebuchadnezzar. They were being groomed for political offices. And he says, we're going to educate them and we're going to take over their eating plan. And they said, let us do our own diet. And that's why some people call it the Daniel fast. It's just vegetables and water. So Daniel does this, Daniel and the three Hebrew children does this. And literally in a matter of weeks, they go, these guys look 10 times better than all of us. They look amazing. What's going on here, we can't.
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Elder Vicki
We can't believe.
- [32:21]
Pastor Tim
And it was so evident that they started to be. To even promote them, start to push them fast track them into the place. And then I asked the question I Said, why didn't they see it there? Why didn't they look at the law of God and the diet of God, the dietary regulations of God that they had in the Torah in the Pentateuch? And why didn't they just simply say, wow, this God must be true? Because what the. What their law says, or what the Torah says, what the Pentateuch says, why didn't they see it from there? But they didn't. Because in the next chapter, Dan Nebuchadnezzar has a dream and says, I want everybody. I want. Bring everybody together. I had a dream that really made me anxious. And he says, if you don't tell me what the dream was and interpret it, we're gonna kill all of you. Now, folks, if it was just an interpretation, then you could lie. Then you could just make something up. But he made it hard. He said, tell me what I dreamed, and then I want you to tell me what it means. Listen to it. The king replied to the Chaldeans. He says, the commandment from me is firm. If you don't make known to me the dream and its interpretation, he makes no words. You'll be torn from limb to limb. Your houses will be made a rubbish heap. But if you declare the dream and its interpretation, he says, you will receive from me gifts and a reward and great honor. Therefore, declare to me the dream and its interpretation. So now, all of a sudden, this is the group, the people he's talking to called the wise men that are around the king. He, Daniel, and the three kids, and the three. And the three children and the three teenagers are all in this group. Listen to him. Because of this, the king became indignant because they said, we can't do it. He gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. Daniel. The book of Daniel was about to be a short book. It was about to be brought down from 13 chapters to two chapters. Here it is. Listen to verse 13. So the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain. And they looked for Daniel and his friends to kill them. This is it. This is all about to go down. And it was about to be over with. And then all of a sudden, Daniel goes, give me a night. I'm going to pray and I'm going to ask God. And he says, tell the king to wait. And Daniel goes before God, and God gives him the dream, and the interpretation comes before them. He looked at his three friends and he said this, the three boys. He said, you go pray and ask God for compassion. I'll go before the Lord and God gave him not only what the dream was, but the interpretation. Showed up before Nebuchadnezzar and said, Nebuchadnezzar, I know the dream and the interpretation. All of a sudden Nebuchadnezzar was beside himself. He says, I didn't know we had a man that resided. This kind of great wisdom, he says, make no mistake, it doesn't come from me, it comes from the God of Heaven. He wasn't talk about being a persuader and a sufferer. Daniel was that Daniel was a real Christian at that moment. He was intimidated by the most powerful man on the planet, as either Paul was by Agrippa. He said, this comes from the God of heaven and shows him this dream and says, you had a dream of this gold, it was a gold head and it was your image all the way down to the feet, which was clay. And he talked about what was going to happen to Babylon, what was going to happen. He said, it's a future dream. And finally when he told him everything, he goes, this is amazing. And promoted Daniel. He says, I'm going to give you all these rewards. I'll promote you and all of your friends. Here's my question. Why wasn't it at that point that all of a sudden Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar goes, this is it. Your God is the king of kings. He's the one. I can't believe it. Nobody else can do it but you did it. How do we know that that didn't happen? Because Daniel 3 says he shows up and builds a 90ft high image of gold of himself and says everyone has to bow down before it.
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Elder Vicki
He missed the whole thing.
- [36:24]
Pastor Tim
And all of a sudden the diet and what they look like and the laws of God didn't get them to Christ. Didn't get, didn't change the change. Nebuchadnezzar number two, they didn't see Jesus. Even in dream interpretation. They didn't see it that a man stood out above all of them. Because Daniel even said, none of your wise men will get this. He says, none of them know this. This came from the God of Heaven. That still didn't get a hold of him until this man builds a 90 foot image and three young people refuse to to bow down when the trumpets blow. Listen to this. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego answered and said to the king who told him, you must bow. O Nebuchadnezzar. We have no need to answer you in this matter. If this is the case. Our God Whom we serve is able to deliver us from your fiery furnace. He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known, O king, we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up. Folks, there literally is. This is a fight that's going on. This is a fight that. That a culture is saying, bow down to what we say is God. Unless you've been living in some ranch out in the state with a couple. Couple dozen people. That's the society we live in. We live in a culture that says, bow to this, Bow to this, bow to this. But we need a church today that simply says this.
- [38:12]
Elder Vicki
We know what you said, but we know what God has told us. So you're telling everybody to bow down because they voted on it. In a court system, that doesn't change anything for us. Because our laws, what we believe, comes from this book today. Fin us, chain up the doors, throw us into jail, post about us, but let it be known we will not bow today.
- [38:54]
Pastor Tim
That's what they said. I'm telling you, it's coming to that. It's coming to that. And if you're not ready for it, I'm telling you, there's a fire coming, but it's coming. But it's going to be a revelation to people. Well, here it comes. Watch this. Then Nebuchadnezzar really respected them. Full of fury, the expression of his face changed towards Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. He spoke and commanded that the heat of the furnace seven times more heated up seven times more than it was. You talk about a man that has a problem. He goes says, let's not just kill him. Let's really kill him. And he commanded certain mighty men don't miss this. He commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and cast them into the burning furnace. But then these men who bound their coats, their trousers, their turbans and the other garments which they cast them into the midst of the fiery furnace. Because the king's command was urgent and the furnace exceedingly hot. The flame. Don't miss this. Of the fire killed the men who threw Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in there. Can I just remind you who those men were? It says in verse 20, he commanded mighty men of valor from the army. Mighty men of valor. Verse 20. Put that on the screen, please. Verse 20. Verse 20. And he commanded mighty men of valor to do this. But it's interesting is the teenagers are thrown into a seven times heated furnace. But the mighty couldn't take the seven times hotter.
- [40:54]
Elder Vicki
But these kids are thrown in.
- [40:56]
Pastor Tim
So what happened? These three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego fell down, bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Here it comes. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished, rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, did we not cast three men down into the midst of the fire?
- [41:18]
Elder Vicki
He didn't get a revelation in Daniel 1. He didn't get a revelation in Daniel 2. He got a revelation of what it
- [41:27]
Pastor Tim
was like when three teenagers will not
- [41:30]
Elder Vicki
bow and stand for who Jesus is. That's when all of a sudden, something happened. It didn't come when you say, yeah,
- [41:37]
Pastor Tim
we're just on a clean diet. We're just eating a clean diet, we're going to look better. He didn't come and go, those Christians really look better. It didn't come when he said, okay, listen, we're going to pray. God's going to give us the gift of interpreting dreams and we're going to figure this out. Not there. It came here. He said, did we not cast three bound men into the midst of the fire? They answered, that's true, O king.
- [42:00]
Elder Vicki
He said, look, I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt. And the form of the fourth is like unto the son of God. I have to believe Daniel. I have three Hebrew children. I think we're just waving the smoke going. I want to make sure I see Jesus in the midst of this whole thing. Not only did they see Jesus, the king saw Jesus.
- [42:35]
Pastor Tim
Their fire was his revelation. Their furnace was his revelation. Three Hebrew children, they went through this fire so they can see Jesus.
- [42:51]
Elder Vicki
It's not about us.
- [42:55]
Pastor Tim
This elder is going to make it through this.
- [42:59]
Elder Vicki
His wife, who they said, Glenda, that
- [43:03]
Pastor Tim
she could be paralyzed, tells us yesterday, for the first time, lifted that leg
- [43:09]
Elder Vicki
up six inches from the bed at that moment,
- [43:16]
Pastor Tim
a face that was paralyzed.
- [43:18]
Elder Vicki
I walked into that hospital. She looked annoyed to be there, because
- [43:25]
Pastor Tim
I don't even want to be here. I looked at her. I'm going, like, your face is not paralyzed and you can talk.
- [43:32]
Elder Vicki
And she did.
- [43:34]
Pastor Tim
She talked about Jesus.
- [43:35]
Elder Vicki
She talked about the power of God.
- [43:38]
Pastor Tim
And she talked. She knew that woman is a woman of faith, that man is a man of faith. And what God was doing was, your fire is so other people can get a revelation.
- [43:48]
Elder Vicki
Your fire is so other people can get through. Your fire is so they can see Jesus. So don't try to get out. God is going to do something in your furnace.
- [44:04]
Pastor Tim
Musicians, come. Hallelujah. Listen. I read something that so burdened my heart. I'm speaking to those watching from Canada. I want you to listen to me. It so burdened my heart because the mighty men. The mighty men can't make it through. The mighty men are getting burned by this. But three kids who love God are standing firm. They're standing there with Jesus, with them. Listen to this. I speak to my Canadian friends. My heart goes out. I read this week. It was shocking to me. There was a program in Canada that has been going on for 10 years called MAID M A I D. The MAID program. It's the Medical Assistance in Dying program. It's. It's. It's. It's licensing doctors to take people's lives with incurable disease. It. You do that when you don't believe in God because you don't believe in miracles. I believe in God, so I believe in miracles. I believe God. I don't care. I don't care if your cancer is stage four. I believe in God, so I believe in miracles. Let me be clear. So when you take a godless nation and you begin. And I'm just. I'm not speaking even about you, Ken. I'm talking about. We're becoming godless all over. When you take God out of everything, then your answer is maid. Medical Assistance in Dying. And this is what got me. They've been going for 10 years now. And this is what. This is the article. They've already. They've. I'll use the word. They've already killed a hundred thousand people in 10 years. 10,000 people a year. They're taking their lives legally. I want to tell you. I want to speak. You may be from Canada watching today, and maybe you've been thinking about that. I'm telling you there's a God of miracles. Miracles. I want you to listen to me. And this isn't. This isn't blowing smoke. This is. But you move the smoke, move everything. And listen to me. I want you to understand something. In your furnace, Jesus can be with you in your furnace. That furnace. For some, the furnace is illness. For some, it's sickness. For some, it could be a disease that. That will take your life. I talked with someone about this. I said, let me just be clear. We're all dying. Can I just help you? We're all. We're all the moment you're born. So some of us. Some of us just live longer. We're all we're all going to die. You're going like, this is the most depressing church I've ever been in. We should have went to the happy church down the stairs stream. No, no, we'll tell you the truth, but I'm going to tell you this. He walks with me, he will walk with you. He will be with you in the biggest fiery furnace that's there. And him with you may be the revelation that somebody else needs. I look at Glenda in that hospital room and I just think to myself, I'm saying, she's going through this for somebody else. She's going through this. Got a perfect, a perfect physical just months earlier. And then all of a sudden this happens. You've got to know this is a fiery furnace. God's going to get somebody's attention. Your fire is going to be their revelation. They need to see real believers. They need to see the real Jesus. That's how this thing works. Here's what happens. Listen to verse 26. Then Nebuchadnezzar came to the door, the furnace of the blazing fire, and responded. Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, come out, you servants of the Most High God. He never said that before. Why, he saw Jesus in their fire. He saw Jesus in their fire. And that's why a fire will reveal, will show real faith and the real Jesus. So here is this man who just built a 90 foot image of himself and says, come on out, come on out, you, you servants of the Most High God. Listen to these words. Come here. And Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego came out of the midst of the fire. Oh, it just gets better and better. The satraps, the prefects, the governors and the king's high officials gathered around. Can you imagine that? These are the, these are the, the most powerful people. And they saw in regard to these men that the fire had no effect on their bodies, nor was their hair of their head singed, nor their trousers damaged, nor had the smell of fire come upon. Can you imagine them wearing those robes? And none of it, There was no fire on it. I remember listening to one preacher, he said this, he said, I believe every year the three of them met in a coffee shop wearing their fiery furnace robes. Some of them may be a little heavier than normal. They were putting on that, that, that robe going, remember these robes? Remember Jesus with us on these robes. Jesus was with us. I said, I, I think, I believe that. I think, I believe those guys kept those robes to remind them that he will see you through. Listen to this nor their trousers damaged, nor the smell of fire coming upon them. Then Nebuchadnezzar responded, blessed be the God Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego sent his angel and delivered his servants. Put their. And who put their trust in him, violating the king's command, yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any God except their own God. Therefore I make a decree. Decree that any people, nation, or tongue that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, he's back to limb, tearing people from limb to limb. I don't know what this man's issue is. He's going to tear everybody from limb to limb. And their houses will be the same thing. Houses will be dirt. In as much as. There is no other God who is able to deliver in this way.
- [50:36]
Ricardo
Hallelujah.
- [50:38]
Pastor Tim
That's what he's able to do. Let me finish. Stand to your feet. Stand to your feet. Listen to this verse. Put up Isaiah 43 for me. Listen to these words. But now this says the Lord, your creator, O Jacob, and he who formed you, O Israel, do not fear, for I have redeemed you. I've called you by name, and you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you, for I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel. You're safe. You're hoping. Hallelujah. Listen to this. Two words to keep in mind, and they're both found in verse two. Listen to this. The two most important words of Isaiah 43, 2 is when and through. What do you mean, Pastor Tim? Listen to what it says. Verse 2. When you pass, when you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched. What he was saying was it's when. It's not if, it's when. He will take real Christians and show their real faith so people can see the real Jesus. My fire may be your revelation. My fire may be your revelation. Pastor Tim, are you in a furnace right now? Just. Just watch me during the service. Once again, if you see this, I'm moving the smoke out of the way. That's all that is. I'm moving the smoke out of the way. Anybody with me? You're moving the smoke out of the way to just. When? When. Sometimes when. Shows up often. When does when come?
- [52:38]
Elder Vicki
A lot.
- [52:39]
Pastor Tim
Okay, here's the thing. And the other key word is this. Here it comes Here it comes. When you pass through the waters, through the rivers, through the fire, three times, he doesn't bring you to it. He leads you through it. And the part I love when he says, I don't know, it just made me laugh. He says, when you walk through the fires, you will not be scorched. I just can't imagine as you're walking, if it's fire, I'm running, I'm going. He just goes, you'll walk, hands moving, but I'm gonna walk through this fire. Can I give you encouragement tonight? Those that are watching from London, those that are watching from Wales, those that are watching from Puerto Rico, those that are watching from Ukraine and Russia, you will walk through this fire. You will get through this, and you will be an example. You will be a. Your fire will be their revelation. How does he get you through that? I kept thinking I was reading through the chapter. If you look down a little bit further in the book, it says this in that chapter. Isaiah 40:3 says this in verse 16. Thus says the Lord, who makes a way through the sea and a path through the mighty wars. He says, I'll change the landscape. He says, when waters and floods come against you, this is what he says. He responds, this is God's response to verse two. He says, I'll make a way and a path through that stuff. And then I read on a little bit further. Then he says, behold, I'm doing something new. I'll spring forth now. I'll spring forth. Will you not be aware of it?
- [54:23]
Elder Vicki
I'll make a roadway.
- [54:24]
Pastor Tim
In the wilderness and rivers in the desert. We serve a God who is truly not a song.
- [54:32]
Elder Vicki
But I'm telling you, he's a waymaker. I'm just telling you right now, he's a way maker. Why not? Because we sing it. Because I've experienced it. I've been through the fire. I've been through the flood. I've been through the rivers. And can I tell you there is another side? And my fire may be your revelation. Your fire is not your fire. It's God using that to show Jesus to people. So stop complaining in the fire.
- [55:03]
Pastor Tim
Keep.
- [55:04]
Elder Vicki
Stop complaining. Stop walking around going, it's happening again. It's doing it again. Put those hands in the air and say, he's going to take me through. My goodness. Can you imagine? Meshach Shadrach?
- [55:20]
Pastor Tim
I can't believe it threw us in the fire. Can you imagine? Jesus is with you, rebuking you. Get your back together. People are watching us. You go into that fire with Those hands raised.
- [55:39]
Elder Vicki
Why?
- [55:39]
Pastor Tim
Because I've got a promise in Isaiah 43. Folks, listen to me. I'm telling you, we, this church, we live in the furnace. We live in the furnace. Furnace. Let me just help you. Even last Sunday, 1pm Service, there was an agenda. There was something that came into this place, try to disrupt the entire service. The 10 o' clock, going, what? What? That's why I come to the 10 o'.
- [56:08]
Ricardo
Clock.
- [56:08]
Pastor Tim
I just, you know, this is why I don't go to that. So you come to the ten, it's the furnace. Go to the one. Seven times hotter agendas for some reason, sleep in on Sunday morning and the fire gets turned up. I have to tell you, our people, our worship and our security were like. I looked at Ricardo Shadrach. Look at Elder Chris. Elder Chris Meshach. I looked at the church Abednego. We. We lifted up hands and folks, it was not easy. I thank God for our officers that were amazing. Thank God for New York's finest. We thank God for you. And I'm telling you, we didn't miss the beat. Because I'm just, I'm just, I'm reminding you it is. This is just a dress rehearsal. I'm telling you, more is coming. So don't go to the 1 o'. Clock. So service unless I have some people that are soldiers. Anybody here going like, I'm. Get me in.
- [57:16]
Elder Vicki
I'm in.
- [57:17]
Pastor Tim
Yeah. Three of you. Okay? So just listen to me, all right? We're by ourselves. We're by ourselves. Okay? Let me just tell you this. It's okay. It's a dress rehearsal for where we're at, but we're going to show Jesus. We're going to let Jesus be seen in this place. And I'm telling you, Sunday, one o', clock, Jesus was all over this place. And when Jesus is here, I'm telling you, it's going. Our fire will be someone else's revelation. They're gonna reveal. It's gonna reveal Jesus. It's gonna reveal Jesus. When you go through, when, when the fire comes, you will go through. You will go through. Just bow your head for me for just a moment. For just a moment. If you're here today and you've lost sight of that, I just feel strongly to say this. If you've lost sight of why you're in this furnace, your fire, their revelation, it's not just simply about you. There's a fire that God is bringing you through saying. And the Bible talks about. The Bible talks about those three Hebrew children. I'M gonna just. I'm gonna find it. And this is what it says. I think it's so important when it Sundays, I saw four men walking about. They weren't even standing still. I don't even know where they were walking. I don't know how big the furnace was historically. I don't even know how big it was. But walking around, I don't see this giant furnace that would be built big enough to walk around it. But it says, I see four men walking. So one. It has to be big. Maybe the walking was praising, but he saw movement. He saw movement in the furnace. It wasn't just four people standing at attention. He says, I see four men walking around, walking around. Which means we're not stuck, we're not paralyzed, going, oh, what are we? They're walking around. I have this belief. It's just me. I don't think that furnace was big enough for it to be movement. That was going to be. It was going to be geography. It was going to. They were going to begin to make grounds here. I do believe it was praise. I believe it was moved. And the only way they can describe it is these people are. Are walking around. Folks, look at me for a second. This is what I'm talking about. Some of you been so paralyzed by this fire. It's time for there to be movement. It's time for the. And I. I just think it was like, thank you. If they were doing this, I could just go, I see four men running. I could. That's what I think they were doing. I think they were praising in place. I've watched these guys. I've watched these guys, and sometimes when they're worshiping, they're worshiping like this. I could see them going, I see. I see all these people up there. They're walking around on that stage. No, no, no. They're praising. And some of you are praising in a fire. You're praising in a furnace. You're praising in a furnace. That's okay. And so while some of you going, like, I don't like when they're moving on that stage. That's a little secular, okay? You have no idea the fire they've been through. They have no idea. I just want them to stand there and just kind of lift their hands up. Well, you must not have been in a furnace, because once again, if you don't. When you see more movement in me, it means the fire is hotter and hotter. So when you see this, I'm in a furnace. When you see this, the furnace is seven Times hotter. But you will see Jesus at the end of this. Some of you have lost the walk. You've lost the walk in the furnace. You've lost the walk. I just think. I'm telling you, I feel strongly the Holy Spirit and you've been paralyzed in the furnace. Come get me, Jesus. Come get me. Come get. I don't walk.
- [61:30]
Ricardo
Walk.
- [61:30]
Pastor Tim
That's what Isaiah 43 says. You will walk through. Walk through. You can't walk through like this. Today is a day to add a step to you, to add freedom to you. Can I just tell you how many have experienced before when God has broken bondage in your life? Anybody experienced that before? All of us have. You know what the worst form of bondage is? Is when the trial becomes the bondage, when the fire becomes the bondage. And instead of people seeing your fire, their revelation there, you would just stand paralyzed. It's time for God to start loosening the bonds. And now the hands and the feet go up and say, I will praise you in the flood. The fire. You make ways out of. No way. You take me through. Listen, I know we're coming to the end of this service. It's 11:58. I know we have a time frame, and people are going to get angry. Going like, this is the longest service ever. Lift those hands for a second and just say, God, put movement in my feet again. Put movement in my. My feet again. God, let these feet go again. If you need to move the smoke out of the way, just move the smoke out of the way. Just say, God, I'm gonna see you more than ever. I, God, I ask you, don't paralyze these feet anymore. But God, get me through this thing. Get me through this thing. You made a prop. Would you just declare the promise?
- [63:04]
Elder Vicki
You said through. You said through.
- [63:06]
Pastor Tim
Come on, tell them.
- [63:07]
Elder Vicki
Say, God, you said through. You said through this. Through this.
- [63:11]
Pastor Tim
So, Father, today, come on, tell them. My fire is going to be their revelation. My fire is going to be their revelation. Those people that wouldn't listen to me witness.
- [63:21]
Elder Vicki
Those people that wouldn't open up a
- [63:23]
Pastor Tim
Bible, those friends at the university that will not listen to Jesus. They may see me in a fire,
- [63:29]
Elder Vicki
but they're going to see a fourth
- [63:30]
Pastor Tim
man in this fire.
- [63:32]
Elder Vicki
They're going to see Jesus in this fire. Whether it's sickness, whether. Whether. Whether it's. Whether it's something inside of us, whether. Whether it's family, whatever it may be. We need a fourth man. We need a fourth man. We need a fourth man right now. Hallelujah. Come on, get those hands up. Get those hands waving to him right now. Say, I may be in it, but, oh, God, you're with me right now.
- [63:56]
Pastor Tim
In Jesus name.
- [63:57]
Elder Vicki
Hallelujah.
- [64:02]
Pastor Tim
Hallelujah. Come on, just tell him. Just say evermore. Come on, tell him right now.
- [64:08]
Ricardo
Evermore I will love you evermore I will serve you Evermore I will glory the name of the Lord.
- [64:22]
Pastor Tim
Lift those hands in the furnace.
- [64:24]
Ricardo
Evermore I'll adore you Evermore. Bow before you I will bless your name forever. Sing it again. Come on. Evermore.
- [64:38]
Elder Vicki
Come on, sing it, Church.
- [64:40]
Ricardo
Evermore I will love you Evermore I will serve you evermore I will glorify the name Name of the Lord ever more I adore you ever more. Bow before you I will bless your name. Have you ever more. I will glorify the name of the Lord ever more I'll adore you ever more. Bow before.
- [65:35]
Pastor Tim
Come on, church, we're going to sing
- [65:36]
Elder Vicki
it one last time.
- [65:46]
Ricardo
I will love you ever more. I will serve you ever more. I will glorify the name of the Lord ever more. I adore you ever more. Bow before you I will bless your name forever.
- [66:15]
Pastor Tim
Hallelujah, Father. Put movement inside of us. Get these feet moving in the fire. Your fire, their revelation. The people that you've been frustrated with, they don't listen to me. My family doesn't listen to me. I've shared it with my roommate. I've shared it with my. My partner of my firm. I've shared it with this. Your fire will be their revelation. Your fire will be their revelation. Your fire will be their revelation. Just keep moving. Keep those hands lifted. Your fire will reveal real faith. Your fire will reveal the real Jesus. So we're praying for that right now in Jesus name. You know, I'm gonna pray for you as you leave and we're finished. That first verse of Isaiah 43 says, but now, thus says the Lord, your creator, O Jacob, he who formed you. Do not fear. I've redeemed you. It's amazing words. Can I just challenge you today? Because there's two relationships there. He says, there's the Creator and there's the redeemer. It's the Creator is why you're here today. You are breathing because God created you. That's your first birth. But he says, but I have redeemed you. That's the second birth. That's what changes everything. How do you get through? How do you get. How do you get joy in the fire? You have to be redeemed, called by name and that can happen today. I want to pray for for you. I want to pray that God begin to take you from just breathing to redemption, to new life. Today, Father, I'm praying work a miracle in this place today. Father, I know what you've spoken to me. The fires, our fire becomes their revelation. And Father, what you brought us through, what you've brought Glenda and Elder Jerry through and all of us in this place which you've brought us through, you are with us. You have called us by name. And I pray those that just know that they're alive today and that there is a Creator, let them know today there is also a Redeemer. Let their lives be changed today and it can happen today. We bless you, we praise you in Jesus name and everybody said Amen.
- [68:45]
Podcast Host
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