← Times Square Church - Sermons
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- [00:00]
A
Hallelujah. Let's all stand together. Hallelujah. Thank you, choir. What a blessing. You know, one of my favorite parts.
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Was watching.
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Our death ministry. What a blessing. These workers. And, and so I was watching them while you were going clap your hands and you go like this. And I was watching them go.
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So can we give them. I want you to look. Oh, no, no, no, not like that. That's. That's. We're going to give them a for. For a sign language round of applause. Could, could you tell the deaf ministry. And this is how you clap. This is how you. Would you tell them to look this way, Wendy? And because we want to clap for them. Look at the church. Just look at the church. Look. Come on, clap for them.
- [00:52]
Now you can clap. Now you can clap.
- [00:58]
What a blessing. Thank you for all that you do. God is going to begin to do something special in this community. We want to welcome all of you that are here today. What a joy. We've been praying and I want to speak to the universities that are watching later, but we're talking to some while you're here on 51st and Broadway. We have. I was looking at the, the annex. We almost have a full annex. We want to say hello to the annex and all those that are over there that couldn't get in. We encourage you to come here for the 1 o' clock if you want to get in the building. And then we thank God for the New Jersey campus. But I want to welcome not only those that are here today, but this is always important to us, is to welcome those that are watching around the country and around the world. 49 states, Montana. You got to get it together. We also want to welcome some 72 nations and 13 colleges. Let me welcome them. So we want to say hello to South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Namibia, Seychelles, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Liberia, Rwanda, Ghana and Nigeria. We say hello to those in Asia. We say hello to Indonesia, Malaysia, India, South Korea, the Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand. We welcome Israel. We say shalom to Israel and we're praying for you.
- [02:13]
Please share Israel, we love you. We're praying for. We're praying for the peace of Jerusalem. And we do ask you, those that are watching in Israel, share it with the Hebrew Channel that just launched last week. The United Arab Emirates. We welcome Turkey, Armenia. We say hello to Australia. We go to Europe and say hello to United Kingdom, Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Sweden. We say hello to Russia. Believing in Jesus Name that God would stand Stop this war. We say hello to Bulgaria, Croatia, Austria, Poland, Romania, Malta. We sell hello to Germany, Finland, Greece, Norway, France, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Bolivia, Suriname, Brazil. We say hello to Bermuda, Canada. Now this is. I've got to get this right. I'm sorry. They said it to me that we have a new Native American that are watching with us. It's the Ojibway. We say hello to them. So here's Ojibwe M, the MHA Nation, the Navajo Nation. Three reservations are watching with us today. We say hello and God bless all of you.
- [03:18]
Mexico, Jamaica, Haiti, Barbados, Cuba, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Panama, Costa Rica, Bahamas, Grenada. How come no one cheers for the Bahamas? Because none of you live there. How many want to live in the Bahamas? You should clap for them by faith. British Virgin Islands, French Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. We welcome all of you.
- [03:44]
And then this is my favorite part. And I want to speak to you in just a second. We want to speak and just say thank God for all the universities that are watching our universities. Not only 72 countries, but we say hello to Binghamton University. We say hello to Grand Canyon University, University of Delaware, Columbia University, Park University, University of Nairobi. We say hello to Norfolk State University. We welcome the Wharton School of Business, NYU Baruch College, Rochester Institute of Technology and Hunter College. And we say God bless all of you. Also Stony Brook University and NYU Shanghai. We say hello to all of you and we welcome. We're so thankful. I want to speak to those at the university. We do want to encourage you. Don't forget. I'm so excited about this because you can do morning and night. Don't forget the Chapter by Chapter podcast will do seven minutes a day, seven days a week. It is a great way. But here's what I want to encourage you to do, so you can do it morning and evening. Here's what I want you to do. In the morning, you do with Pastor Carter. Welcome to my morning. And then at night, you close with chapter by chapter. So you start off the day with Pastor Carter. You end with a chapter in the Bible and so you're gonna bookend your day in the word of God. Amen. So I want to really encourage you, chapter by chapter is so important. We'll start in Genesis and it's a four year journey and we're gonna go through every chapter. How many are gonna do their best to at least be part? I want to tell you a little story about that in just a few moments. The message today, I want you to keep this in mind. The psalmist says these words, I shall run the way of your commandments, for you will Enlarge my heart. Look at these words again. I shall run the way of your commandments, for you will enlarge my heart. Now, that phrase, commandments, it's not the Ten Commandments. It's wider than that. The psalmist is speaking about the voice of God when he's speaking to his people. It's a word. The word actually means a word from a father to a son. When God begins to whisper to you, it's God. When God begins to speak to your heart, that his words are commands to us. It's not commandments that go like, there's only 10 things he can say. Anytime he speaks, he's authoritative. The psalmist says, I shall run, but I'm going to need my heart enlarged. For where you're bringing wherever God is sending you. He says, if you run, I'll make your heart bigger. For where I'm sending you, wherever I send you, your heart will be prepared. Your heart will be ready. I shall, and you will, he says, and this is important to run where God wants me to run. I want to talk to you about this today. And let's pray. Where I am is not where I'm supposed to be. Where I am is not where I'm supposed to be. And this is. I'm going to encourage you today because God is going to speak to a number of you. Father, thank you for all that you're doing here in Times Square and around the world. May the Holy Spirit take us in these next few moments. Challenge us. Jesus name. And everybody said, amen. You didn't have a chance to do this. Shake the hands of three people before you sit down, and then you may be seated. Thank you, musicians, thank you. Great job today.
- [07:06]
Where I am is not where I'm supposed to be. This last Tuesday, I had a question answered that I could not figure out for the life of me for a number of years. I'll explain to you how it happened. I was not here Tuesday night, and I haven't had a chance to watch the service. Right after Pastor Claude preached that powerful word on Sunday, I flew out to Los Angeles and I was part of the Victory Outreach Global Conference. Now, Victory Outreach, for those that are not familiar with it, Sonny Argenzoni was the one that started this over 60 years ago. He was the first drug addict to get saved and delivered in Team Challenge. Team Challenge was our founding pastors. When David Wilkerson came from Pennsylvania to New York, you heard Nikki Cruz last month. Nikki Cruz came in, Nikki got saved, and then gangs were getting saved. And a number of the drug addicts and all over New York City and Teen Challenge was started, which is now all over the world, and God is using them. But the first person that was the first, not only the first person to be saved, delivered and graduate was Sonny Argenzoni. And there was an interesting question that I had. But when Sonny, as I told you, I'm sorry, when Nikki got saved, I told you two weeks ago that David Wilkerson sent him out to California to a Bible college. And I found out this week that he did the same thing with Sonny Argonzoni because he was afraid of him being killed and brought back into the drug. So he sent him. What I laughed about, I was learning from Pastor Sonny's widow because Sonny is now with the Lord. He died about six, seven months ago, I found out. So think about this. David Wilkerson sent Nicky Cruz, who could not speak English at that time, to, he only spoke with Spanish to an English speaking Bible school. And then he took Sonny Arganzoni, who could not speak Spanish, and he sent him to a Spanish speaking Bible school. I'm going, what is he thinking? So you have Nikki Cruz, who can't speak English with the English school, Sunny Arkansona, you can't speak Spanish at the Spanish Bible college. And they both struggled, but they, but there's a couple of things that came out of this. Not only did Nikki, I don't know if he did well in his courses, but he did find Gloria there, found his wife of 60 plus years there and got filled with the Holy Spirit there. So that was a good thing. Something happened with Sonny that I have to talk to you about because this is where my question was answered.
- [09:46]
So at the conference on Tuesday night, I spoke and sitting before me were 10,000 people. They represented 700 Victory outreach programs and 300 churches from 30 nations. I want you to think about this. First graduate 10,000 people from all over the world, 30 countries, 700 programs. A victory Outreach program is really, it's a, it's a team challenge, but especially used in the Hispanic community and 300 churches. But here is my question, and this is what is important. Sonny Arganzoni, who gets saved here from Brooklyn, how does he go and start everything in Los Angeles? Like, why wouldn't it start here? And that was the question I asked. This is where he was. Nikki comes back to the streets, preaches on the streets, runs Teen Challenge when it first started. But how did Sonny and Julie go to the projects of East LA and start ministering to the addicts. Why LA and not even Brooklyn? And I sat down with his widow and asked Julie this. When Sonny left Bible college to go to New York City, he was coming here to plant a church. He was just a newlywed. He was coming here. And Julie told me, his wife, he got a storefront in Brooklyn, got Teen Challenge guys to help him. They were painting the building to start their first services in Brooklyn. This would be the first church for Sonny Arkanzoni. And he told his wife, he said, something's not right. My heart is not here. There's something sad about my heart that the more we paint to start church, this is not the right place.
- [11:28]
And something was happening to him. I'd like to change Sonny's words. He said his heart was sad. I think really in actuality, his heart was getting bigger. And God was going, this is not gonna fit what I'm putting inside of you. What I'm speaking to you is larger than a storefront. I'm speaking nations, and you're painting a storefront. God needed to enlarge his heart. God was asking Sonny to run, run from that word to back to Los Angeles, because he didn't just meet his wife in Los Angeles. He also didn't realize he ran right into a burden for the streets of la. He goes back to Los Angeles, and all of a sudden he moves into the projects. And what happens is Sonny goes into these projects, and from there they start bringing in all of these drug addicts and start seeing God deliver, start a church which now has blossomed to 30 nations and seeing tens of thousands of lives and that have been changed. Because he doesn't start here. He goes back to Los Angeles. He hears what God says to him, and something wasn't right. The more he painted, he realized, this is not where I'm supposed to be, that where I am here in Brooklyn is not where I'm supposed to be. And I saw it. I saw the result of running the way when you hear God speak. It happened to me this week, or really a few weeks ago. I heard when God speaks, you run. You don't just dip your feet in the water. The Psalmist says, you run, you run to it. I'll run the way of your commandments. It's not. I'll test it. I'm not sure if this is it. And I heard it on Thanksgiving, my daughter brought home with her a number of her volleyball team that couldn't go back where they're from, different parts of the world. And she brought them back to our House for, for Thanksgiving in our New York apartment. We have 17 people sitting in this New York apartment. And so she's texting us during church. I'm bringing more players home. And so she's bringing them home. And we just keep saying yes and yes and yes. And so we, we did all this. I. I have to pause and say this. I'm. I'm a little bit weary, but there's a reason for it. I've told some of the elders my weariness is worth it. My daughter's volleyball team just finished playing in the NCAA tournament and they went to the Sweet 16. So I was so excited. I'm not crying because it was a sweet 16. Let me tell you why they. So they, they, they won the first two. They're playing the regionals. And I had a choice on Saturday when they were playing for the Eastern region finals in Boston, Massachusetts. And I knew it was an evening game and to get back. I wouldn't get back into bed until midnight last night. And I knew I was ready for today, but I knew I would be tired today. I've got our annual board meeting. A number of things happening, but I just said, God, the weariness is worth it. And I watched my daughter give it all. They lost in the finals, but I watched my daughter give it all. And I'm sitting. Sorry about this. This is tiredness and a dad.
- [14:44]
Every time that little girl plays, I wear a hat that says three on it so she could see me. That's her number. So she could look anywhere in the crowd and see this preacher up there screaming for her. And so when they lost, I watched her come off the court and just collapse in my arms and just weep.
- [15:06]
And this is what I thought. I thought, the weariness is going to be worth it today. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but to be there for my daughter. Wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
- [15:20]
So in the midst of preaching today, if you see me fall asleep up here, just, Just say, wake up. Come on, finish the thought. Just say something to keep me awake.
- [15:32]
While Grace and her team were home for the holidays, I heard God say to me, I heard this, and I had to run the way of that command. I heard God say to me, see if Grace would take. We wrote a devotional for the 2024 Paris Olympics for all the Christian athletes called Eternal Gold. And we sent them over to Paris for the Christian athletes from all the different events for both Spanish countries and English speaking countries. So I offered it to Grace. I said, Grace, I don't know if it's the Lord, but I felt I'm supposed to ask you. She goes, dad, let me just take one. Let me take one. So she takes one. Then I get a text. She goes, dad, I started reading it. Five other girls want it, so would you send another five? So then I said, okay. Then I get another text. Four more is needed, and two are in Spanish. Then another text. When does chapter by chapter start? Because all the girls want to start beginning to go through the Bible in January and start to start to do it. And what it was, it just. It's just simply saying, okay, God spoke. Just do it. Run that way. God is will enlarge the hearts. This is what's happening in First Kings 6 that I want to take you to Second Kings 6. Elijah has a school. It's called the School of the Prophets. But the problem is, is that they're operating in a sense, like Sunny in Brooklyn. And God is wanting them to run for Los Angeles. Where they were was not where they were supposed to be. They feel that where they were living was too limited. Let me read to you the first part of this, and you'll see it now. The sons of the prophet said to Elijah, behold, now, the place before you were, where we are living is too limited for us. They said, where we are learning where God has put us, there's something bigger. There's something that God that we feel like is larger than where we are. Where we are is not where we're supposed to be. There's more that's there. And you will. When you feel that, it is almost like a squeeze on the soul. There's almost something beginning to push and going like there's more. There's more. If you're not a Christian, you'll feel that. You'll feel this thing inside of you that says that there's more to this life than simply what I'm experiencing. And if you're a Christian, you're gonna feel that when God begins to move upon your heart, when God does something. And this is what happens. Listen to the rest of the story. So they say to Elisha, please let us go to the Jordan. Each of us take from there a beam, beam of wood, and let us make a place there for ourselves. This is going to be there, in a sense, Los Angeles, that where we may live. We need a bigger spot. We see something larger. So he said, go now. I want you to see what happens in the process. Then one said, please be willing to go with your servants. And he answered, I shall go so he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down the trees. These are for the beams. But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water. And he cried, alas, my master, he's speaking to Elisha. For it was borrowed. I borrowed this axe, and now I've lost the ax head. The man of God said, where did it fall? Where did you lose it? And when he showed him the place, he cut off a stick, threw it in there, meaning the water, and made the iron float. And he said, take it up for yourself. So he put his hand out and took it and in a sense, started go back to building this larger place that they were called to, that they were called and felt the squeeze in their soul, that they needed something bigger, that there was something more than where they were, that the place where they were staying, the place where they were was limited, that God was wanting more. God wants more for you. God wants more for me. God wants to do more. I want to just give you two thoughts. I want you to write this down. You will feel limited where you are, but you will need miracles to where you are going.
- [19:31]
Let me read those again. Keep that on the screen for a moment. When you feel limited where you are, you are going to need miracles to where God is going to begin to call you. You will feel limited where you are, and you will need miracles to where you are going. Let's start with that. You will feel limited where you are. You'll feel that squeeze on your soul. It's the limits on what God is putting in your heart. You'll feel it at a time, spiritually. You'll feel it sometimes in a church that God is wanting to do more. That God is. I felt when we were talking, when we were clapping for the. For the deaf ministry, I've thrown it out there. And we are. We are in the process of trying to look at this, that one of the most unreached people groups in our country is the deaf community. And I'm thinking, God, how do we do this? How do we do this? How do we not just have just a section here on Sundays, which is such a joy. Every time I look over there and watch them, I love watching them begin to. To interpret for the deaf over here. And I. And I just go, God, but there's more. And I felt a kind of a squeeze on my soul going, God, there's more that you want us to do. I was talking to two leaders from two different states that in a sense felt that limiting that Squeeze on their soul. They're part of ministries and churches that they said, we're missing something. There's something that it's limited. It's limited. It's not expanding. And it's not that the church that they're at is not growing, but there's something he said we're missing. And I told him, I said, let me tell you what I think it is, what God has been putting on my heart. And I want you to hear this church because here's the squeeze, the limitation. I feel that I want to challenge you with this. Over the last 20 years, the church has done something here in America. And I'm just. And I'm starting to hear from leaders, the squeeze, the limitation. And we started that. We have now structured the services of our church so intently that you'll have people. And I've been in these situations that they'll tell you, you have 18 minutes to preach, you have 12 minutes to do worship. You have this. To get this done. We've got to get everybody out here in one hour and five minutes so the next group can come in. And then we're going to do this and, and everything. You'll get a, you'll get a run sheet, a run of show sheet, and they'll, they'll put all those. And I'm not against organization. I'm not, I'm not against, you know, just going like this. I want the spirit to move, but I get it. There's just some things that you just got to go. Let's keep according to time here because we do have a one o' clock service. I get that. But sometimes we've gotten so structured that we've missed when God wants to do something, when God wants to pour out his spirit. And I said, so what you're feeling is this. I said, this church has become so structured that we have missed what God wants to do sometimes. So now here's the part. Now stay with me. The good part of this is that this church in the last 20 years has focused on people being born again. It really has. And then they have focused in on getting people water baptized. I think it's amazing. The universities that are watching, we have seen it all over the country over the last couple years, these mass water baptisms that are taking place. And these are the churches I've been talking to and some of the leaders. But I think we've stopped short. I think we're feeling this limitation. I know this is what I talked to them about. I said, what is happening is that where you are is not where you're supposed to be. Because what you have done. Listen to me carefully. What's happening. Leaders, listen. They've stopped short to at water when God wants to also baptize with fire.
- [23:20]
I want you to understand this because this is what we're missing. The church today has replaced that or stopped short. First that, that there we get water baptized and now everything goes. No, no, no, no. In these times that we live in, let me just say this. You need fire for dark times.
- [23:43]
We need people filled with the Holy Spirit, the church today. And I've studied this part. I've went out of the country to study this, and I'm not against it. But the baptism of the Holy Spirit has been replaced with apologetics. And what we have done is we think if we know the answers to questions, that's enough. You can know the arguments with no anointing.
- [24:16]
You can have. You can have the information, but no fire. And for every university that's watching, I am thankful that you're born again. I am thankful that, that you have been water baptized. But I'm telling you, there is a fire that you are going to need on these university campuses that is not going to come up here, but it's going to hit the soul and begin to set you ablaze in a darkened place. Folks, listen to me. Churches today are not asking people to be filled with the Holy Spirit. You know why? Because you can't schedule it.
- [25:01]
You can't schedule it. Why? The wind blows where it wants to blow. He'll do whatever he wants to do. You need. I need fire for dark times when apologetics will equip the intellect. We need more than information. We need power. And I feel I have to say this. I have to say this because I feel my heart is enlarging for this and God is asking me to run this way. It's just. I don't know what this looks like. But just listen to me. Listen to me. I know there is more to this than just announcing the universities that are. That are typing in. I believe that God may be wanting to do something. I don't know if it's a night that we go to your university and believe for God to baptize with fire and to come down with the Holy Ghost and to do something there. I don't know what this looks like, but I'm telling you, don't stop at water. Go all the way to the fire of God. Let it come. I want people to be saved. I want people to be water baptized. But if you're here today as a new Christian, I'm telling you, let the Holy Spirit take over your life.
- [26:17]
We need fire for dark times. That limitation, that's what people are feeling. David Wilkerson felt it. You are here today because he felt the limits where he was and not where he was supposed to be. That's why you're here. He felt the limits in Pennsylvania, and God was enlarging his hearts for the gangs of New York City. But it didn't stop there. We talk about that part all the time. But God had to do a second enlarging of his heart is why we're sitting here today. We're here because Brother Dave. David Wilkerson felt the limitations for decades. I was talking to his secretary by text for decades. David Wilkerson, many don't know, would come to New York City every summer and go to different parks. He'd go from Central park to Bryant park to parks in Brooklyn and the Bronx. He'd go all over Manhattan, Brooklyn.
- [27:08]
And the Bronx, and they would set up. There would be bands and there'd be testimonies, and David Wilkerson would preach. And she told me in 1986, after he's done his second meeting, that he was walking the streets and it was God that began to speak and say, it's time to run now. I'm gonna enlarge your heart. That you can't just keep coming up here and then going back to Texas. You're gonna have, this city needs a church to be planted. And in 1986, it was David Wilkerson feeling the limitations of just doing a street rally and every single summer. But God wanted to raise up a lighthouse and a witness right here in Times Square that would begin to touch the world. That's what that was. David Wilkerson, in a sense, According to Psalm 119, verse 32, ran because he felt God begin to speak to him. Ran because God began to give him a command. Ran to do this. He felt the squeeze of limitation that was coming. We'll feel it. Listen to me, leaders, you'll feel it on from a denomination, a culture, my goodness, don't let ethnicity ever trump what God is speaking to you. Don't ever say, well, you know, that's just the way we are in Italy. I'll start with me first. We always eat. Listen, let me just say this. You can't do that. You can't say, well, that's just the way we are in Puerto Rico. That's just the way we are in the that's just the way we are in the uk. That's just the way we are in Korea. Folks, enough. We're, we are believers first. We listen to what God says first. That's what we do. Denominations will, will limit, ethnicity, will limit, religion, will limit. Listen to what God is saying to you. Listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying. I'm just telling you, this is so important. When you hear his voice run. I was thinking of the words when we were at one of our old churches when Charles Stanley, the great Baptist preacher from Atlanta, came to our old church. He said the most important trip he ever took was when he was 18 years old before he started in ministry. He was Talking to his 85 year old grandfather who gave him advice about ministry. And he said to him this, listen to these words. He said, Charles, if God tells you to run through a brick wall, start running and believe that God will have a hole already in the wall. The stone size of your heads. Take a picture of that, tweak that. If God tells you to run through a brick wall, start running and believe that God will have a hole already in the wall the size of your head. And this is what he says. Get this down. Be obedient to God and leave the consequences of your obedience to Him. Be obedient to God and leave the consequences of your obedience to Him. Start running when he speaks to you. If he's telling you, get to church, get to prayer meeting, get to this, do this, whatever it is, start to run, give this book, do this thing, whatever it is, pray for this person. Let God speak to you. And when you start to do this final thing, but don't, this is not the end, but just you will need miracles to where you're going.
- [30:26]
Let me put it another way, and you'll see it in this story. Your beams will need sticks. Your beams will need sticks. There are two kinds of wood in this story. It's interesting. Man builds with beams, but God makes iron float with a stick. There's two woods in this story. Man's hands are on the beams. We're gonna build this, we're gonna do all this. But when you lose the sharpness, when you lose the axe head, those beams mean nothing. God directs them, I think, purposely to pick up a stick, a stick and begin to throw it in the water and iron begins to flow. Be careful of thinking man's beams are enough, that what you got from your university or your experience is enough. We need miracles, folks. I've been in ministry for 42 years and I'll be the first to say that. Experience. I'm grateful for my education. I need him every hour. I need God. Once, once you rely on the beams of your education, your PhD, your MBA, your experience. Listen to me. You're going to lose your sharpness. And the only way to get the sharpness, his back. You need a stick. You need a miracle. You need a word from God to get that done. More can be done with a little stick if God is in it than a giant beam if man is the only developer. Always reminded me of this. Listen to this verse. Remember, Remember.
- [32:05]
The battle in front of this little kid. And this is what it said. He took his stick in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook. Put them in a shepherd's bag, even in his pouch. And his sling was in his hand. And he approached the philistine. What did he take? A stick. Why? Because God was in it. God was there.
- [32:33]
Folks, I'm just telling you, every time you do what God asks you to do, you're going to need a miracle. When Sonny Arganzoni and Julie went to Los Angeles, she was talking about the miracle when they moved into the projects. She said, sonny brought home six drug addicts he's been ministering to. That would be the beginning of victory outreach. And he looked at his wife and she said, we couldn't even pay our rent. It would cost US$36 a month to pay our rent. I said, oh, for those days again.
- [33:07]
And she said, we would be two months behind, sometimes two months behind. And Sunny said, I've got these six guys that I'm ministering to give them something to eat. And she didn't have the heart to tell him, we have nothing. And she went in there and she looked, and in the cupboard was a box of Bisquick pancakes with just a little bit left. She said, God, I don't want to disappoint these young men that are hearing the gospel. And she told us. She said, what I did was I took a bowl and I took that little, just a little bit and poured water in. And she said, and I prayed, oh, God, show yourself, faithful. Show yourself. She said, I started mixing. These were her words. She said, I started mixing with my eyes closed. And when I was done, it was at the top. She said she poured it into another thing. Then she did it again. It went to the top again. She says, I don't know how it happened. Everybody ate pancakes more than what they needed that day. Because every time God asks you to run, you need a miracle.
- [34:16]
Next year, not 26, but 27, we're going to begin celebrating our 40th anniversary. And we started recording some important legacy things in 2027, speaking to those watching around the world. We're going to be doing a special global conference in 2027 to bring in person and out of country people all together here in New York City. The other thing that we're doing is this. We're putting together a pulpit Bible that we'll have a Bible here that will begin to have. You'll have access to, to every sermon that has been preached from this pulpit, starting with David Wilkerson, from every chapter of the Bible. If we can't fit the sermon in, you'll have the QR code of where you can get it. And then finally we're gonna do the Cross and the Switchblade on Broadway. And all that starts in the summer. We start to get everything together. So let me tell you a story.
- [35:09]
When I was in Los Angeles, I flew in on Sunday night because Tuesday I was gonna speak, but Monday was gonna be something important that I want to tell you about. So on Monday.
- [35:20]
Myself and some of our team, we drove across from Los Angeles into Beverly Hills and sat for three hours with the person that played David Wilkerson in the movie the Cross on Switchblade. We sat with Pat Boone to interview him. How many remember Pat Boone? Wow. Pat Boone played David Wilkerson. I want you to hear about how iron floated for this movie and how God did this thing. It was just as I heard the stories from this 91 year old man who first of all looks amazing and is so articulate. I mean, I'm just always. Remember, this sin never ages well.
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I want you to hear me, listen to me. You never see a happy old sinner. They're always crusty and angry and irritated. Look at the person next to you and just go.
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Righteousness ages well. I'm telling you that righteousness ages well. So if you're old and not a Christian, you better get saved today.
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Because let me just tell you this. We see it, we see it on your face. The older you get without God, you start looking like Popeye. So just listen to me for a second. I don't even know why I said that. Let's edit that out.
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I want you to see the difference between the beam and the stick. Because many people try to put this whole movie together with beams. And it was David Wilkerson who began to pray for those miracles that would begin to take place. And he told me a miracle as the band begins to come. He told me about a miracle that. A number of them. But I have to tell you this one miracle, and you'll hear it from Pat Boone as we start to put together the legacy of all that's happening. I asked this question. I said, did David Wilkerson ever come to the set when they were filming the Cross on the Switch? He said, only once. He said, but I have to tell you the story and why he came to the set. He said, we are filming the most iconic scene of the story, the Cross and the Switchblade. It was a story where David Wilkerson goes to the MAU MAU headquarters in the basement in Harlem.
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And he is going to shake Nicky's hand for the first time. Nikki is the warlord. He's in charge of all the. All the rumbles and riots. And it's at that moment that Nikki slaps David Wilkerson and says, I'm gonna cut you. David Wilkerson says these words, yeah, you can cut me. You can cut me in a thousand pieces and throw me on the streets, and every piece will say, jesus loves you.
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It was that. That Nikki says, that was the arrow through his heart. That's when he goes, who is this skinny guy? In fact, Nikki goes, he was skinny like a spaghetti. And he says, who is this guy that would even say that in our headquarters?
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Pat Boone is in the basement of this random basement in Harlem that the producer, the director chose and said, this will be a good place to shoot that scene. Erik Estrada, who played Nikki Cruz, slaps Pat Boone. And then the line comes out, yeah, you can cut me and throw me in the streets, and every piece will say, I love you. And he said, tim, when I was done with that part, I looked up and I see in the window David Wilkerson looking in with a smile on his face. And he said, you did it. You did it. And he said to Pat Boone, he goes, that's exactly the way it happened. He says, that's the. That's the part Pat said. He said his face was so red because they did four cuts of him getting slapped is what he said. He said. And Eric Estrada was an actor. I. At that time. And he said he didn't know how to, like. Just, like. I guess they said, like, you practice, you don't go full out. And he said four times, and said by the third time, he goes, okay, let's just chill, he said, because I'm getting. I'm getting beat up here. And he goes, this is the way it happened. This is the exact way. And Pat was so happy. And he says, and then David Wilkerson said this. He said, and how did you know? He said, what? This is the headquarters. This is the basement where it all happened. You're in the MAU MAU head. He goes, we just chose this randomly. Of all the basements in Harlem, they end up in the exact place that it actually happened. And I asked Pat Boone, I said. I said, you come from a denomination that doesn't believe in miracles and doesn't believe in the Holy Spirit. He said, oh, I believe in miracles now. He said, I knew miracles existed. And he said, the denomination that I was raised in would tell us there is no more Holy Spirit gifts anymore. The denomination I was part said, there is no more miracles. He said, I saw them, Tim, on the set. I saw them. I saw as I was preaching David Wilkerson's message on set, there were people, There were extras in the balcony that came in off the streets that were shooting up, and I was preaching to them. Just like that moment in St. Nicholas Arena. Pat Boone said Eric Estrada came to him at one point and said, when you preach that message, I felt the Holy Spirit come upon my life, like something was happening. Iron was floating, and all you have is a stick, a script, and God goes, I can do more with a stick than anything else. And so Pat Boone, I was talking to him because he was the one who prayed. He said, we prayed. I asked God to fill me with the Holy Spirit. I want that fire. I want the Holy Spirit. He felt the squeeze, the limitation, him and Shirley. And he said, I want the Holy Spirit. And here's the part I want you to get. I don't want you to miss this. You can bring everybody out. This is where I want to end. This is so important.
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And this is what he said. He said, I surely got filled with the Holy Spirit. I got filled with the Holy Spirit in this house, the house that we were in. He's been there for 65 years. 65 years. He said, all four of my daughters, the Holy Spirit filled them all up. And then what he said was this. He said, then we started to believe in miracles. We started to believe that God, he said. So we started calling people and he started mentioning all these names that started to come over. We're gonna pray. We're gonna pray. He said, we even invited over. He was in a cast. We invited over.7 foot, 2 inch center for the Los Angeles Lakers, Wilt Chamberlain, who they said would not. May not be able to play again. Definitely not be able to play in the playoffs. In the. In the. In the finals against the Boston Celtics. They go, we'll come over. We. We believe in healing now. Come on over. We're going to pray. They said they laid hands on him. They said God healed his knee, scored 45 points. He said, right in that house. We're in the living room. He said, he goes, his head was hitting the ceiling. He said, right in the living room. He goes, God was using this house. And here was the part heart that got me. He said, we dedicated everything to the Lord. God started to do. We felt this house was more. We. We wouldn't want to limit it. We live in Beverly Hills. This was a ministry house. We. We would get filled with the spirit here. We would get. See people get saved and healed in this house. And then the part is, I said, pat, show me the pool. Show me the pool. And we looked outside and there was. They haven't cleaned it yet. It was all green water. And so I'm looking at the swimming pool, and this is what he said to me. He says, in that pool, we baptized 300 people.
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300 people have been baptized in that pool. See, when you build your life on your beams, your education, my knowledge, my know how the people that I know, my. My investments, my Wall street, my everything that you're doing, you're going like, man, we're. We're making a killing at our business when all you got are beams and no sticks. I want to say this to you. Many people have a water baptism tank in their backyard that you limited and squeezed into a swimming pool. Don't miss this. Let me say that again. Many people that are listening, you have a water baptism tank in your backyard, but you turned it into a swimming pool. Can you imagine? What does Pat Boone get if all four daughters just swim in a pool? You missed 300 baptisms. God's given you things that he's going. I want them to become bigger than what you. It's not a matter of going, I got some extra money, this girl. Maybe we're supposed. Maybe God's going to do something with it. Don't let him. Swimming pool. Don't let a Baptist that. That pool in his backyard was supposed to be a baptism, baptismal tank that just looked like a swimming pool.
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And many of us, I just kept going, God, don't let me ever think so small that God, I'm. I'm missing it, that I'm swimming around when God goes, you should be baptizing.
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I'm playing golf with Them. When God goes, you should be witnessing. And don't limit my life. I don't. I don't want to be limited. I want. I want the sharpness back in my life. The miracle of that iron head gave the sharp part back. When he lost the axe head, he lost the sharp part. Can you imagine? Singing, choir playing, and all you got is a stick with no axe head. It's just banging. Imagine preaching and all you have is a stick and you just bang and you lose the sharp part. I kept thinking of this verse. Solomon says that the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge. Then he has to exert more strength. It's man's strength, man trying. I want the sharpness back in my life. Where I am is not where I'm supposed to be. I want more. I want God. I want more in my life. Stand with me. I want to tell you. I want to give you a journal entry.
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That has moved my heart.
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I have one book now, usually I carry a number of them. I have one book in my briefcase. It's in there. Now, I put all the other books aside, and this book is moving my heart. It was written by a martyr. That means someone who has died for the faith. His name is Jim Elliot. His wife is Elizabeth Elliot. Jim Elliot, 1956.
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Let me just make sure that's the right. Yeah, that's amazing, because that's about the time David Wilkerson comes to New York City.
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Jim Elliot feels he's supposed to go to a group called the Auca Indians in Ecuador and to preach the gospel. He goes with five others to preach the gospel. The whole story is in a book called Through Gates of Splendor. The movie is called the End of the Spear. And he goes there to bring the gospel. And this is a man that's so on fire for God. He's the one who said the words. He is no fool to give what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.
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Jim goes with his four friends and they're savagely murdered by these headhunters. Lays his life down because he's bringing the gospel in Ecuador.
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Long story short, Elizabeth, his wife, goes back to the same people that killed him, the husband, her husband, and all the others, and leads them all to Christ. The gospel comes.
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So I'm reading Jim's journal like a diary.
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That'S leading him to make this faith step. And he writes these words. So every day he's reading a chapter and then he writes this. It's called the Journal of Jim Elliott. It's like it's this thick. You have to read it slowly. Not because it's hard to understand, because it's so moving. And it's just simply his, what God's doing. I want to read to you. And I had to stop because I felt like God. I want more of you. This is what he wrote. It's the February 2nd.
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Journal entry. Genesis 39 thrice. In this chapter, it is stated of Joseph that God was with him. Not only so, but Potter foresaw that God was with him. For whatever this man put his hand to. What did it do? Okay, here comes the next part. This is the part that got me, he said. Then he prays, lord, I know thou art with me, but I fear that because my life is barren of Thee so much of the time. You gain little glory from being with me. Leave that up there for a second. A heart. Let me read it again. Lord, I know thou art with me, but I fear that because my life is so barren of thee so much of the time. It's me. It's a life of beams. You gain little glory from being with me. Look at me, folks. You gain little glory from being with me. You gain little glory from being with me. Oh, God, help me. Oh, God, help me. I want. I want him to fill me and get the glory. I want him to fill me. When I saw that, I said, oh, God, please.
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I know you are with me. But so many times I feel I've gotten so much other junk in my life that you don't get the glory. They knew. They knew God was with Joseph. They knew he was with them. They knew he was in prison. God is with you. All the sinners were saying, God is with you. I want God to get the glory. I feel I don't want him to get the glory simply when I preach. I want him to get the glory all the time. I want him to get the glory. If you're on Wall Street, I want them to get the glory. If you're at university, I want him to get the glory. If you live in housing projects or you act on Broadway, I want him to get the glory. If you're an athlete, I want him to get the glory. If you're a businessman, I pray if you're a Christian and God is with you, I pray he gets all the glory and everything. I pray you get the sharp part back. Get the sharp part back.
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Don't build a life on beans. Get the sharp part back.
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The last thing I would want is a swimming pool in my backyard. That was Supposed to be for water baptisms. And it's just me and a towel tanning. Oh, God, help me.
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That's. That's what my life is for. I got a swimming pool, which I don't. I live on a 26th floor. There is no swimming pool.
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It's. But that's. There's more. There's more that God has for you. So when you're feeling the squeeze and he goes, man, I've got something for you. I'm doing something as he's going, now, now, run. Run with what I'm telling you, run.
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Because when you don't, things start to decay. You depend on beams. God is asking you to run. Where you are is not where you're supposed to be.
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That's why I just tell you, run to God. Run to an altar.
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And just say, God, I feel the squeeze. I'm running. Come and take over. I'm not where I'm supposed to be, but I want to be in the right place today. Would you bow your head for just a moment? I feel so strongly to do this. Just a moment. I'm going to have Ricardo sing whatever's on his heart.
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I'm just simply going to ask this.
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Some are believers and some are unbelievers that are in this place. What do I mean by believers and unbelievers? There are some people that have trusted their life to God, and there's some people that haven't. For those that haven't, you're feeling this squeeze because you felt like the beams are failing you. Just your efforts and all that you've put together and all that you've built and you're going, this is it. That's all I have. And you don't even know the miracle. The greatest miracle is when God comes into somebody's life. It's the miracle of Christmas. God comes in and changes us from the inside out. But the second thing is this. There are believers here.
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They're living with swimming pools. When God's going, it's bigger than that.
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It's bigger than. I keep using that. Listen, if you have a swimming pool, it's not evil. Just listen just for a second. What I'm talking about is that God has more. More than what we have. He wants to do more with it. That school goes.
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Where we're living is limited where we're living. So you feel the squeeze. And now you need the miracle. And maybe you're here today. And as we sing this song, if you're going.
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Where I am is not where I'm supposed to be, but I choose today to run to God. And in fact, I'm gonna ask you to do this. Balcony, main floor. Those online, just wait. Those at Jersey campus, those in the annex.
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If you're going, I need. I need to be where God wants me to be. I'm willing to run that way. Whether it's sunny, running from Brooklyn to Los Angeles.
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Whatever that may look like.
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I'm going to ask you. We're going to turn this altar. Let this be this place. Maybe you need. Maybe not literally, but get to an altar as fast as you can and just say, God, I'm going to make this a spot that I can say, I want to be where you want me to be. We've got about five minutes left. If you. As we sing this song, if you're going. I am letting God enlarge my heart today. I want to be where he wants me to be, and I'm not in that place. Now get out of your seat, get down here as fast as you can if that's what you want. Let's sing this. As you come to this altar and I want to pray for you quickly. Just get down as fast as you can.
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B
I live for you alone Every breath that I take.
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Every moment I'm aware.
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Lord, I have your Lord, I give you and Lord, I give you my.
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A
Heart.
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B
I give you my soul I live for you alone I live for you alone Every breath Every moment I'm awake Every moment I'm awake have your way Lord, I have your Lord I give you my heart Lord, I give you my heart.
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I give you my.
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A
Soul lo.
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B
I live for you my Lord Every breath that I take.
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Have your way in me, Lord.
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One more time. Sing, Lord Lord, I give you my heart.
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I live for you Lord, I live for you.
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Every breath I take Every breath.
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A
I know some are still coming. Would you just look at me for a second? Just look at me for a second. I'm looking at the tears. What is.
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I just love seeing. I love watching people. Our deaf ministry interpreting right here at the. I love that they come to the altar because they are part of this church. Those that are watching online, you are part of. And our team is going to minister you online. Those in the annex, our team is up there. They'll be praying for you in Jersey campus. They'll be praying for you.
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How many have felt that squeeze, that limitation that God is going, there's more, there's more, there's more, there's more, there's more. I felt that. I felt it in my own heart, God, I'm watching people gather toys and thinking, that's what this is all about. They're getting an extra this, a this and this. And there's nothing wrong with God's blessing on that, but not if that swimming pool was meant to be a water baptismal tank. Then there's something wrong with that. I never want to take what God gave me and turn it into an ordinary. I want it to be used for the glory of God. Listen, if it's my voice some of you are hearing, and it could be your voice, whether singing, acting, whatever it may be. And you're going, no, I'm waiting for Broadway. Don't dedicate it to Broadway. Dedicated to God. Give it to him. Some of you are sitting there going, I don't want to ruin my voice. Ruin it.
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You think God will let you ruin it, singing praises to him?
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I don't play unless I get. I get. I need a contract in order to. So I can get paid for this and paid for this and paid for this and paid for this. These guys are amazing up here. These guys do a great job. But if you're. But if you're out, you're going, like, no, no, no, no, no. I. I've got. I got. They got to talk to my agent for me to play. Talk to God.
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Come on. Let God take this belongs to him. Everything we have. Bel.
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Don't turn a keyboard into a job, a guitar into a job. It's meant for something bigger, something more. Don't be limited by anything else. Let God take over. Let him take over. That's what I'm telling you. Those at this altar, let them do it. Let me ask you this. If you're here at this altar and say, I gotta start here. If you just go, and I'm not gonna be long, here it is. But if you're here and you're going, my life has been built on beams and it's not there. I need God. I need a miracle for me. I need the stick. I need Jesus to come in and change me. I'm speaking to those that don't know Jesus. For those that have not had a relay. You've known religion, you've known a church, you've known a mosque, you've known a synagogue, but you haven't known him. You've known a cathedral. And if you're here today and say, tim, I need God in my life, I need a miracle in my soul today, would you just raise your hand saying, I need God in my life. Hold your hand up high. Hold it up high. Yes, yes. Keep them up. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Even if you're out there, let me. Yes, yes, yes. Let me keep them up. Balcony. Keep those hands up. That. Yes, yes, yes, yes. All the way back there. For those that are here that have your hands up, just receive and just say, God, come in and change me from the inside out. Ask him to come in. The greatest miracle happened on a piece of wood. It was Jesus dying on the cross. For us, it was the greatest miracle. And those that are at this altar, I'm telling you, don't limit your life. Say God, if you speak and you whisper, I'm running. And you will enlarge my heart. Come on, lift your hands. Father, we're just asking you today, enlarge our hearts. For those that raise their hands first to be born again, Father, make their hearts big. Let Christ come in and change them from the inside out. Let them, God, begin to confess with their mouth. Jesus is Lord. Believe in their heart that God has raised them from the dead and that God, they will be saved. So, God, today, would you fill their heart with Jesus? And I'm praying that God soon after that, fill them with the Holy Ghost. Fill them with fire. Start even at this altar. Altar. Come on, ask him. Say, God, give me all that you got. I want it all. I want the Holy Spirit. I want. I don't want to be limited in my walk with Jesus. I want it all. I want the Holy Ghost in my life. So, Father, I'm going to ask that for every person here at this altar, I join with them. God, May there not be one possession that I have that doesn't belong to you, that you want to expand, that you want to make bigger. God. May there not be a. Whether it's. Whether it's a property, a second home, whether. Whatever that may be. God, we give it all to you. We just say, God, it belongs to you. Let me not do, Father, what everybody else is doing with beans. I'm praying, make iron float again, Lord God. Make iron float in the Bronx. Make iron float in Long Island. Make iron float in Staten Island. Make iron float right here on Broadway, in New York City. Do it around the world from Lima to London. From Los Angeles. Oh, God. All the way down to Tallahassee. Pour out the Holy Ghost in Dallas and Saskatchewan and also in Toronto. Move in Canada, Lord God, move. Oh, God, we're giving you our lives. We just say, make it bigger. God, just help us. Help us, God. Where you're leading us, we're going to need miracles. And so I'm just asking you now to come and do that in Jesus name. Look at me just for a second. Going to get ready to go. And as Ricardo sings, we're going to. We're going to dismiss you with this, with let a song. And everybody can just use this as a dismissal. I am so convinced, so convinced. Your schedule belongs to God. Your ministry belongs to God. You ready for this? Your golf day belongs to God.
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Your vacation, it all belongs to him. But God, don't let me. Here it is. Don't let me dumb things down when you want to make it so much more. When I looked at that swimming pool, I said, God, thank God he didn't dumb it down. Dumb it down to sit out there and get a tan. Thank God he didn't dumb it down. God said, it's too limited. I'm going to make it larger. I need that. How many are with me? I need that. We want that today. So we're gonna sing a song. I'm gonna bless you. I just want to pray for you. We're gonna use this as a dismissal. As Ricardo is singing, the curtain's gonna come down. These people, these amazing prayer warriors in the red church will come up here, line up. And if you just want someone to pray for you and just say, just pray. Pray God, enlarge my heart. Pray that I'd run the way of his commands. Pray that God would do that. Then we're gonna believe. For Father, I'm gonna ask right now, enlarge our hearts. Do what we can't do. Let us not build a life on beams which you want to do miracles. Give us the sharp part. Back again. The sharp part. The sharp part. I pray that for everyone that's here. They came to an altar. Start the work, start the process. In Jesus name. And everybody said, amen. God bless you. You can leave. We'll sing you out. And then prayer warriors will come up. God bless you.