Scripture reference: 1 Peter 2:21-25 (NKJV); Psalm 23:1-6 (KJ21); Psalm 23:1-6 (AMPC); Psalms 23:4-6 (NKJV), John 10:14-16 (NKJV)
Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah. Thank You, Jesus, that we can love You, and that we can come into Your presence boldly. Without fear, without shame, without any hindrance, we can come into Your presence boldly. Hallelujah. Glory to God. I thank You, Father, that even in this session this afternoon, that words, Your words of life will be imparted to all of us. And that whatever You need to say through this vessel, I speak them with boldness under the inspiration and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Hallelujah. Thank You, Lord, thank You. And I continue to declare that every ear that’s ready to hear, will hear. Every heart will receive. I thank You, Father, that there are no distractions, there are no things that are in between, but that Your people will hear. We will all hear what You have to say to us, in Jesus’ name. Hallelujah. Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you. You may be seated.
Praise the Lord. How was lunch? Fasting lunch. Yeah, some people are on a Daniel fast, that means that they have vegetables. How was it? Some people have fruit. How was that? Some people are just on water. Some people have given up coffee. Praise the Lord.
So, did you recover from the last session? Did it shock you a little bit or did you receive it? Or you’ll good or…Are you good y’all? Hey? Glory to God. Praise Jesus. Okay, so here’s the deal. If you didn’t know it, Jesus died for you. Here’s the deal. He died for you so that He could have an open, no interference relationship with you. Do you dispute that? [Congregation answers, No] No? He died for you to have an uninhibited, uninhibited, no in between, no nonsense, open relationship between you and Him. This is truth.
So, what happens if He has a, if He has a really power…if He has a continuous constant relationship with you? What do you think is going to happen to your thinking? What do you think’s going to happen to your emotions? What do you think happens to your view of finances? If He has this constant, open communication with you. What’s going to happen to those things in you and in your world? Surely, surely, if He is got an open relationship with you, then and you’re letting Him talk to you and you’re letting Him have that relationship with you, then surely you’re going to become more like Him. I mean this is just basic Christianity 101.
So, I wonder if you can find anywhere in the Bible, if you find anywhere in the Bible where Jesus asked God for provision? I dare you to go look. Where Jesus asked God the Father for provision. Why did Jesus never ask God the Father for provision? Well, here’s the deal. He always knew that the Father had the provision covered. So, if you had open communication, no interference relationship with Jesus, do you need to ask for provision? Okay.
If you and I have a contract, that I’m going to take care of all your provision. Let’s just say that you and I have a contract. I’m going to take care of everything you need in your life. And then you come and you come on your hands and knees. Come kiss my feet. And you say, “John, please, please, please can I just have enough money for my rent? Please, John.” I’m going to say, “What? You want what? Why are you asking like this? Is jy nou mal of wat? Why are you on your hands and knees like this? We had mos a contract.” Mos, it’s a good word, that. It kind of covers everything mos, ne? We mos have a contract. It’s there. I will take care of it. Where? Where do you need to live, where you want to live? Well, you know, I’ve got one of this place or that place or that place? Which one you want? Well, you see your mindset might say,” Eish, I can’t ask him for the most expensive one, because if it was me, I wouldn’t give me the most expensive one. Because me, I’m not worthy enough of the most expensive one. And so I’ll just ask for the cheap one.”
Okay, there you go. So where’s the problem? The problem is me, it’s not Him. So, if you need to have open, ongoing relationship with Jesus, then you are going to have to begin to think like Jesus. Because if He is talking to you all the time, then you’re going to be thinking like Him. And you’re going to be speaking like He speaks. And then your relationships that you have, your relationship with Him, will begin to speak into every other relationship, the way that it needs to be ordered.
I just used money as an example. That actually, if we begin to talk like Jesus, and you need, you have stress about a relationship, if you begin to behave like Jesus in the relationship, it will come into order. So the problem is not God, it’s you. It’s us, right? It’s the baggage we carry from failures, from insecurities, from hurts. And sometimes it’s not even your hurt, maybe it’s your mother or your father that got hurt, or maybe a friend, close friend or someone else that got hurt. And so it impacts you. And you carry that with you. Sometimes you carry offenses from other people that you shouldn’t ever have to carry. Because they’re not, they were not given to you. They’re not your offenses, or they’re not your problems. They are other people’s, and so you just look at it and say, “Well, if that could happen to them, then it could happen to me.” So you carry that baggage.
So, the Lord wanted me earlier on. Well, I prepared the message this way, that I would go from the young man that Jesus cast the devil out of him, and he was foaming at the mouth and convulsing as the devil left his body. And he was in such a weakened state, that Jesus had to reach down, and with His life force, He had to bring him back and raise him up and onto his feet and set him on his way. And you can trust Jesus. You can trust the Word of God, that whatever you are being delivered from, He is also providing the very life force to raise you up and be on your way.
And I was going to go from there. So I’m going to do it now, to Psalm 23. And I’m going to go through this in some detail. We’ll just see how we go with the time. I’m going to just read it from the King James version first. 1The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. 2He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters. 3He restoreth my soul; He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. 4Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. 5Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I willl dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. Psalm 23:1-6 (KJ21)
That sounds like a very, very healthy relationship with God. Don’t you think? I’m going to read it through the Amplified Bible. Same, same again. Psalm 23. 1 The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and to shield me], I shall not lack. 2 He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters. 3 He refreshes and restores my life, or my self life; He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him—not for my earning it, but] for His name’s sake. You can’t do enough to earn righteousness. If you could have, then Jesus wouldn’t have had to die. 4 Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with [a]oil; my [brimming] cup runs over. 6 Surely or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place. Psalm 23:1-6 (AMPC)
That sounds like a very healthy relationship. It comes with a recognition. It comes with a recognition that the Lord is my Shepherd. Who is your shepherd? The Lord. If the Lord is the One who guides you, leads you and shields you. So, He feeds me, He guides me and He shields me. If the Lord is your Shepherd, then you will not want, you will lack nothing.
This scripture talks about a relationship that not only does it have a healthy relationship with Him, but it admits, and in fact that speaks quite deeply to the fact that trouble is a part of life. Even if the Lord is your Shepherd, and there are times when He makes you lie down in still waters and makes you eat from green pastures. There are still times of trouble that will come. Amen. Praise the Lord.
So David, of course, was familiar with what it took to be a shepherd. Because we know that actually when he was called by Samuel to be anointed as king, he was a shepherd. He was a shepherd boy, He is taking care of his dad’s sheep. So when he writes the Psalm, he understands what it takes to be a shepherd. We also know that David who wrote the song, King David, we know that David that wrote the song, also knew that threats would come to those that he was said to protect. And the Bible says that by his own words that he killed a lion and a bear when they came after the sheep. So because he understood that even though there is a shepherd present, and there’s a place to take care of the sheep, threats, real, real dangers exist in life.
And so, when we talk about our relationship with God, it is a relationship that we can understand, encompasses all relationships. And so if He is our Shepherd, then whatever relationship we are going to have, God is going to nurture it. And He is going to feed it. If he is the Shepherd of it. Amen. I’m grateful. I’m very, very grateful that God has given a group of people like you, to be in my life. Because I, I feel very privileged, and I feel honored, that there are a people that really want to press into God, and to have everything that God has for your life. I feel privileged, and I’m honored that I, that God has given me such amazing, amazing, wonderful, wonderful people.
I consider it a great honor that God has given, excuse me, given me a shepherding role. A shepherding role in your life. And the role that I play as a shepherd is not to, is not to try and make every decision for you. But the role that God has given me is to make sure that I keep the wolves away from you. The role of a Pastor and a Shepherd in the body of Christ is often, most often it is misunderstood. Because people feel like the Pastor should always be there for when they need him. And they can phone him every day or night. I’m not talking about you guys, you guys have been taught better than that. But just in general, pastors, people have an expectation. The Pastor, the dominee, the preacher, whatever, if I’m in the church, then if I need him, he must come.
I mean, certainly there are times when that’s necessary. I mean, I’ve told you this, I’ve told you many times the story of when I’m coming into Witbank, and a father and a son are struggling, because the son wants to kill himself, and he wants to get the gun out of the safe. And I got a phone call. And then it was necessary for me to go and be into, into that house. Still, today, when I think about it, you know, I realized just how, just how my walk with God was there for me. Because if someone calls you and says, actually, there’s a gun in the safe and my son’s wanting to shoot himself, you know, and you are called. The most likely thing is you should call a policeman. Because if there’s a gun involved, then there is a real threat that you’re going to get killed.
I mean, I didn’t hesitate for a second, because I knew my authority in Jesus. When I arrived at the house, the older, the father was pretty much out of strength and out of ability to contain his son. And when I walked into the room, the authority of God that was on me, I went and stood in front of the safe and I didn’t have to actually, I didn’t have to do anything physical. All I had to do was speak authority. And so in that moment, my presence there was required. And there are times when that needs to happen. But as a general rule, the role of the Pastor that, or a shepherd that I am, is to hear the words from heaven from God and, and feed you and to educate you, and to train you and to teach you and to touch you with the Word of God and also to stand in the gate, and make sure that there are no false doctrines.
And there are a lot coming amongst us, wolves in sheep’s clothing that want to draw attention to themselves and want to take you away from what God is doing amongst us, and come with alternative messages. And sometimes those kinds of things happen on TV or on internet or whatever. People have got all kinds of false doctrines and false things that are spoken, and then I believe that by the leading of the Holy Spirit, week by week as Pastor Sharon and I, and Pastor Christi, as we take care of you, we deal with that stuff. Which keeps our congregation safe, our people safe and it keeps us protected, and it keeps us strong, well nourished, well rested.
But even so, he refers to the fact that God has paths of righteousness that he wants us to walk on. These are paths themselves, they are paths that give us safety. They are directed by God and they’re pleasing to Him. They are the paths, as God gave me that message a long time ago, ancient paths that He has destined us to walk on beforehand that we must walk on, ancient paths. They’re ancient because they’re in Him and the Ancient of Days has given us paths that we must walk on in our lives.
Even so, when you’re walking on your ancient path of your purpose and your calling, in your life for His name’s sake, you are walking on those paths for His name’s sake. Even so, the Psalmist recognizes, King David recognizes that you will be on the right path, on the path of righteousness, having been nourished, having been cared for, having been protected for. On your right path, you will still walk through the valley of the shadow of death. And that valley, in the time that David wrote it in the Hebrew definition of that valley, it was a ravine that was overhung by high precipitous cliffs or high cliffs that are like, you know, if you’re walking in the high cliffs, and you’re in the middle of it, there’s very little light that ever comes in there. It’s only for a few hours when the sun is right above it, that there is some light that comes into that valley, because there’s high cliffs, and there’s lots of forests and trees. It’s filled with dense forests and often it carries with it beasts of prey.
Certainly the Bible refers to this in the New Testament that the devil goes around as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. So as you’re walking on the path of righteousness, the paths and the plan that God has for your life, you can still have a time where you’re walking through the valley of the shadow of death. Which feels like darkness is coming on top of you and you are aware of the beasts and you are aware of the fact that you are the target of those beasts in the darkness of this dark valley.
So while David is expressive about the great danger, and that it can cause terror, and that it can be a source of intimidation for you. It’s caused to bring terror and timidity to you to make you feel timid. Of course, because it’s called the valley of the shadow of death, it does not preclude the fact that death might be waiting for you. And this is a real thing.
4…Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Psalms 23:4 NKJV) So it doesn’t matter where you are going, the Shepherd is going with you. Even when you’re on the path of righteousness for His name’s sake, you are still in a place where you will need His rod and His staff to comfort you. His Word, and His Holy Spirit, the body of Christ, the gifts that God has placed in the church are designed to comfort you, and strengthen you, and to guide you in that moment.
So when we talk about, 5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. (Psalms 23:5 NKJV) It refers to an abundance of food. Which means it doesn’t matter what the threat is. God’s provision is so abundant, so abundant, that my enemies will recognize that God is with me, and that as I’ve watched and observed His abundance in my life, that the very real threat of the shadow of death, or the beasts that wait for me, they cannot harm me.
5…You anoint my head with oil (Psalms 23:5 NKJV) is a symbol of joy and gladness and even so, even if you’re doing, wherever you are in life, joy and gladness needs to be your portion. Indeed, Jesus makes sure as the good Ahepherd that He does give that to you. Then, finally, Scripture says, 6 Surely goodness and mercy (unfailing love) shall follow me all the days of my life. (Psalms 23:6 NKJV) I’ll tell you, God has prepared for every single one of us, goodness and mercy that follows you all the days of your life.
Have any of you ever had anybody follow you very closely? Sometimes if you’ve got a little child, and there’s a, if you’re going through a dark passage, and they don’t really know, I’m painting a picture for you, and they don’t know what terror awaits them. They don’t within walk five feet behind you. They’re walking with both their hands clinging to your legs. Right? It’s like, you got to walk with his little hands and this little body that hanging to your feet, hanging on your legs, right? So if you follow God like that, if you follow God like that, then you are going to experience, I mean, His goodness, and His mercies are following you all the days of your life. It’s not like, way behind where, you know, if I turn around, I can’t see them. I mean, it’s like, I can’t actually get rid of it. They’re following me all the days of my life.
John 10, verse 14, says, 14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; So He is talking about us that were to come and be His sheep, as opposed to the sheep that are the children of Israel. 16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. (John 10:14-16 NKJV) Hallelujah. We can trust the voice of the Lord. We can trust Him.
So this is a moment where God is restoring relationships. I believe that with all my heart, I believe that God the word that the Lord spoke to me, that Pastor Sharon read last night. That word when I spoke under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that God is going to restore relationships this year, that He has already started to do that, and it’s an ongoing process. He is doing things that are powerful.
Well, you might say, some of my relationships have got worse. So I don’t really see how that’s working in some of my relationships. Well, if you don’t quit on the Word, and if you don’t quit on this, God is still working. God’s still working. God is still working. Praise the Lord.
You know, I have learned in my relationship walking with Pastor Sharon. So, I have learned that if I give my obedience to God, there is no limit to what a relationship, that is a godly relationship can do. There is no limit. There is no limit. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. Praise Jesus. Thank You Lord. Thank You Lord. Thank You Jesus. Glory to God. There is no limit. There is no limit to what a relationship can do, when it is committed to God. There is no limit. Praise Jesus. Hallelujah.
Hey, Nick, our relationship almost didn’t happen, hey? I mean, when we first met, it was under unfortunate circumstances in a cycling matter. It’s how it works. But look where it’s ended. Hallelujah. I need to pray for you, Nick. I do, I need to pray for you. Will you come up here? Hallelujah. Yeah, I mean, you know, it’s amazing that Nick and I have actually walked together now for many years.
Nick: Yeah.
Pastor John: I don’t know exactly how many.
Nick: Charlene will know.
Pastor John: How many years is it Charlene? Seven years. And our relationship never, almost never happened. Because of a misunderstanding. In the beginning of a cycling event, you know? Hallelujah.
Nick: Yes. Yes.
Pastor John: But I was just inspired by the Holy Spirit to pray for you.
Nick: Thank you, Pastor John.
Pastor John: And just do declare that there are good things that are still waiting for you to actually walk into them.
Nick: I can feel that.
Pastor John: Yes. And that God’s not done with you yet.
Nick: No, no.
Pastor John: And there’s some very good things…
Nick: I’ve known that for a long, long time.
Pastor John: For a long time. There’s some things He wants you to walk in. And so, you got to be bold now. You got to walk in them.
Nick: I am prepared. I’m ready.
Pastor John: Are you ready for it?
Nick: Yes. Yes
Pastor John: Hallelujah.
Nick: Very ready.
Pastor John: Glory to Jesus.
Nick: Thank you, Pastor John.
Pastor John: Thank you. Hallelujah. Glory. Glory to Jesus. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Yeah. You feel this anointing of the Holy Spirit has just become heavier and thicker in this room right now. Right now the Holy Spirit is right here. He is showing Himself to you. He is showing Himself to you. Are you experiencing His touch right now? I’m experiencing it so strongly, my legs are weak. Truly, His presence is so strong upon me right now. Hallelujah.
Yeah, I got to pray for you too Charlene. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Nick, I think you must come stand with her again, you know? Hallelujah. I don’t know Charlene as well as I know, Nick.
Nick: You do actually know her.
Pastor John: I do know her. yeah. But you know. The Lord wants me to say to you also Charlene, that He is going to draw you to a closer walk with Him. And that you and Nick together are going to experience the best days of your life ahead.
Nick: We were talking about that when we were going home for lunch.
Pastor John: When you were going home for lunch? I don’t want to know about lunch. [Laughing]
Nick: I saw everyone leaving the kids in the parking area…[Laughing]
Pastor John: Well, praise the Lord. Look, you know. It was like God was part of that conversation. And I’m just saying, by the Holy Spirit, that there are things that God in these years of your life, that He wants, He wants to show you His goodness. And there’s good things together, you’re going to do things and you’re going to experience things together in your life together.
Nick: It’s time.
Pastor John: It’s time. It’s time. Amen. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Praise Jesus. Glory to God, Glory to God. Praise Jesus. Praise Jesus. You know, I mean, Nick and I, we’ve spent hours and hours and hours, hours, probably amount of hours would be days or weeks, we spent together riding bicycles together, you know. And I didn’t ask him to come to this church. He decided all by himself, he was going to come to this church. I still today don’t know what it was that pulled him. I know the Holy Spirit pulled him. But I’m glad he came. I’m glad they are here. They are with us. They’ve been with us for all these years now.
But I’m trying to show you that actually something that developed as a friendship on a bicycle is unlimited when you’re walking in the paths of God. And because I was walking in the paths of God, and he was in my path, God said you are supposed to be in his path. I’m going to make you walk together. And today, he decided that relationships got to go to another level. I don’t know what that looks like, but he just said it. Hallelujah. Yeah.
What do you say? He’s got to go to Bible school. Well, that’s what Empy says. [laughing] I don’t know what God has said, but God has said it today. You have to just work it out with Him. Hallelujah. Praise Jesus. A relationship that God brings together is limitless. Limitless in His possibilities, if you will walk in the paths of righteousness with Him. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
Is that you sitting at the back there, Tina? I don’t know where Otto is. Well, I just want him to hear what I have to say. Hallelujah. Praise Jesus. Praise Jesus. You can just stand at the back there. The two of you stand up, Tina. You know, they were in our ministry and then God took them to Dubai. But when I released them to Dubai, the Lord said you got to call them back. They can’t go forever. And so the time came when they had to come back. And now they are part of our missionary team. And so I just want to, I want to say to the two of you. If you will stay on the path of righteousness for His name sake. You will stay on the path of righteousness. Even though there is a valley of the shadow of death that you walk through. He has prepared a table before you in the presence of enemies. He will restore your soul. He will restore your soul. Hallelujah. And if you will stay on the path of righteousness as a restored soul, what God called us to do from before the foundations of the earth, will be limitless in the nations that we can touch together. So stay with that, Tina. Stay with it, Otto. This week God has had us had holy conversations. You must stay with it. Hallelujah. Amen. Amen. Hallelujah. Glory to Jesus. Praise the Lord. Praise Jesus.
Brother Jerry, when he was last here, he said it in many places and many times, Brother Jerry said, “if I had to have all the people that said that God called them to be with me, if they all stayed with me, I wouldn’t have enough church real estate to put all the people that God called, to stay with me”. And the same applies to me. If everybody stayed with me that God did cold to be with me, I wouldn’t have enough real estate to put everybody that is supposed to be with me. So what happened? What happened? When they were walking through the valley of the shadow of death where decisions were being made, the terror and the intimidation of the beasts and the darkness of the valley, intimidated them to leave.
And so what God designed to be limitless, the enemy has limited, them and me for a time. God is in the business though, of making sure that what I need, He brought into my life. And the table that stands before me is full and abundant, and blessed and overflowing. Hallelujah.
The Lord wants to restore your soul, because your spirit man who is the real you knows where you belong. That’s why you came Nick and Charlene. Because the spirit man, the real you drew you here because this is where you belong. This is where you know you’re supposed to be, strong pull in the spirit, exactly. Your spirit man knew where you’re supposed to be. So if the problem is not with your spirit, the problem is with your soul, it’s your mind, it’s your emotions, it’s the stuff that goes on there. And so God is speaking by His Spirit this weekend, that He is restoring your soul. So when He restores your soul, it’s the same as bringing it at least, at least bringing it back to its original state.
So you might say, “Well, Pastor John, I’m a new creature in Christ Jesus.” But the new creature is in your spirit being. Your soul still has to be restored. To what original state? The one that Adam and Eve walked in? The one that Jesus will have your soul be in relationship with Him. So relationships are limitless. Limitless.
So I had a young woman, who in our ministry wanted to start a Bible School and so she started a Bible School in another Church. Then one day they were having some conflict and as a result of the Bible School, and so they pitched up here to come and do conflict resolution. Yeah, and I didn’t know, even actually they were coming. I didn’t know there was a conflict. To be honest, I didn’t even know we had a Bible School there. I don’t know. I don’t know everything that goes on in the ministry. There’s a lot going on in the ministry. I don’t know all the details of everything that’s going on all the time in the ministry. If I did, I wouldn’t be making space for others to grow. Right? Yeah.
So praise God. I woke up that morning and I was in prayer. And it was on my heart to phone Pastor Lynn, sitting at the back there. My beautiful friend and spiritual man that I walk with. Yeah. He is a man that I hold myself, to him, accountable to him. He knows he can talk into my life anytime, because I value his spirituality, I value his values, his morality, his walk with God. He knows that. He knows he can speak anything to me. Hallelujah.
So Pastor Lynn, you know, he is going all over the place starting Bible Schools, I don’t even know, he comes in, he tells me, “We’ve got another three Bible Schools.” “Where Pastor Lynn?” “This one and that one and over here.” Yeah. Praise the Lord for Pastor Lynn. Anyway, I phoned him that morning and so he said, no, I’m going to meet with him or talk with him. And he says, “No, I’m going to be in Witbank.” I said, “You are?.” “I’m going for a conflict resolution.” So it really, “Yeah. Now we’ve got some challenges in the Bible School.” Whatever.
So while I’m on the phone to him, the Lord says, “You got to be there, John.” “What? He can deal with it.” I mean, he has got more experience in conflict resolution than I have. Truly, he does. So he can deal with it. The Lord said, “You got to be there. Got to be there.” So I said, “Well, Lynn I’m going to be there. I’m coming.” “Well, of course.” He said, “Okay, if you want to come, Pastor John, you must come.” Praise Jesus. So I arrived there. And so the conflict is resolved. But the young lady that was there, the Lord spoke to me in the meeting, and said, “This young lady is supposed to be walking with you.” So I couldn’t say that, I had to find out other stuff first. So I asked her and her dad to stay behind, so I could talk with her and talk with him.
And so here she sits on the front row. Sunelle who started a Bible School in Secunda ne? So she and her dad were kind of the main guys running the Bible School. The Lord said to me, “Actually, her life is supposed to be here.” So in our conversation together, I found out she has already resigned from her job. And she’s working out her waiting period because she knows that God’s got something for her life that she’s got to walk into. She doesn’t know what it is yet, but she’s got to walk into it. And so God arrested me that morning and said, “Go to that conflict resolution.” Not because I needed to be there to kind of resolve the conflict, I’m needed there to meet her. Because God has called her to us. Stand up please, Sunelle. Stand up, Melissa. Just stand up, stand up the Delport family all of you, all of you.
So God used the conflict resolution to bring all of these people into their walk with God, all of them. So Sunelle I need you to come and stand here. So this applies to all of you. Come here, Chriso. So God arrested me and he brought her, and so what we can do together is limitless, has no limits. There’s no limits. Hallelujah. So what’s happening right now? Is what’s happening is that I mean, I was clear about. I mean, God almost hit me over the head, I got to be there on that morning so that I could talk with her and her dad. And it became clear that actually they were already on their way out, and they needed to be here. And so, it took about a couple of months and you were here. Yeah, you had to work out your notice period. That was about it, hey? Hallelujah.
And so now what am I waiting for? There’s a lot of potential here. Right? There’s a lot of potential in this family, in this ministry. So what am I waiting for? God. So why do I have to wait? What’s going on? Why, why why? I have to wait for Him to say, “Do this. Go here.” And so you might feel frustrated in your waiting. You and I have never had this conversation. But I know in the spirit, He is frustrated. Am I right family? They know it’s the truth. I know it. I don’t have to talk to him, I know it. So why don’t I move on it? I’m waiting. Because I’m on the path of righteousness and they are too and they’re right behind me. And I’ve got to wait for the moment that God says, “Go.” And then the opportunities are limitless. So now you have the answer too. Thank you. Thank you. Praise the Lord. Praise Jesus.
Limitless, limitless, limitless. There are no limits in God, when people on assignment God brings them into your life and you say, “Here I am, I’m ready to move.” Let me tell you what they did, is they actually, I mean, he decided there was a lot of stuff about his job, and He is no longer working full time. And they moved from Secunda to here and then they moved here to wait on God for actually for me to activate them. Now, you know He is frustrated. But I can’t make him do anything until God gives me the green light. I can’t, I can’t speed up the process. So why is God doing this? I can’t answer it. But it could be that he’s got valleys to walk through that He is going to count on God in his own soul before God will act. I don’t know, I’m just saying it could be. It could be that there’s some things that God wants to restore in him, between him and God and between his own thoughts and his own desires for God and then he’s got to say, “Okay, Lord, but I’ve got to be patient.” Because I don’t know Christo well enough for that yet but I suspect He is not a patient guy. If he wants to do something He is going to do it now. Right now. Is that right, Christo? Just about?
Do you see what happens when you have a shepherd that is being led by the Holy Spirit, that’s involved in our lives? Nothing is happening by coincidence. Nothing is happening by coincidence.
It’s been my declaration, and based on revelation knowledge for a long time; nothing is happening by coincidence. There are some relationships in this ministry though, I will tell you this; that God has already spoken to you to do things and you are waiting for me to tell you that you’ve been with me long enough to know that actually what you’re supposed to do, you must just come and do it.
And when you come and tell me then I’ll know and I’ll activate it. So why is that different to this relationship? They’ve only been with us for 18 months, maybe. There’s some things they’re going to learn about us, and us about them. Ah, I’m talking about relationships. And I, this ministry, God has shown me before, you can’t just bring, you can’t just promote people in the ministry or put them in positions because they’re talented. You’ve got to be obedient to God and let God do the business and get God to do the job. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. Praise Jesus. Praise Jesus. Praise Jesus. Praise Jesus.
I have two people raising their hands to me. Are you wanting to say something, Angie? And you wanting to say something, Pastor Lyn? Or were you just praising the Lord? Thank You, Lord. Come talk, Angie. The Holy Spirit is here to do some stuff today. Hallelujah. Because tomorrow is a big day. Yeah.
I need a microphone, I think, and some tissues, I suppose. This is my daughter, Angie, and Marie have been with me the longest; she was too small to remember how long she’s been with me. This is the truth, hey, Marie? Yeah. Must be 30 years or whatever. 30 whatever years? How old are you now? Don’t tell them, maybe.
Angie: I always ask them how old I am, late 30’s.
Pastor John: Yeah, I think she’s been, that you guys have been with me for over 30 years. What do you want to say Angie?
Angie: Pastor John, through the messages that are coming, you know, repentance brings a revolution, and Pastor Sharon brought all those scriptures on repentance; We touch God with our obedience, and how when we integrate our ways with Him, we show Him we obey. And so, last week, you were saying how people have resisted you in ministry, and my immediate response to that was, “Who are they?”
Pastor John: You want to bring fire on them? You and me both.
Angie: But then, the Holy Spirit started to deal very deeply with my heart, and He brought back to my remembrance, 10 years ago, when you had, you had those meetings in Johannesburg, and you said that the parents needed to teach the kids ministry, you know, and we were having those meetings in the church offices; they weren’t, there wasn’t a church yet.
And 10 years ago, The Lord dropped into my spirit how I was called to you, but I had a very wicked response, like the people in the wilderness; and in my own sight, I was like a grasshopper, and I said to myself that there are others more educated, that there are others more gifted; and that was my response to God.
So I didn’t come, and so then you brought the message, you said, “How are you called to me? You have to come and tell me.” And still then, I had that exact response, like you said, “but surely, Pastor John knows.”
And it took me a year before I came, and so, Pastor John, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. And I have to say to the ecclesia, I’m sorry, because I’ve had a sober shock of realization, that I’m not in guilt and condemnation, I’ve received the Lord’s forgiveness, but I saw clearly how other people had to pick up what I was supposed to do, and our gifts couldn’t come alongside, hat was supposed to help, and so I repent before everyone; and I’m so sorry.
And I fully expect God to do in one year what took ten, and in two years what took twenty. So like Pastor Christie says, “We exchange”, and I exchange that wicked, wilderness way with the spirit of Caleb, and we say, “We are well able, let’s go in.” This God is bringing giants to you, and you’ve removed their protection, Pastor John, and they are big to us.
Pastor John: Let’s go in together, let’s go get them.
Angie: Yes, and so, if we don’t bring our gifts when God requires them, we are resisting you, Pastor John.
Pastor John: Thank you, Angie. Thank you. Wow. Let’s go in together, Angie, let’s go take that land. Let’s go get that land. Praise Jesus. Hallelujah. Well, I pray, I mean, I didn’t expect that; but I pray that the Spirit of repentance that’s on her, wherever it’s needed, you receive it and you take it and you search your heart. And you do whatever God is dealing with you. You don’t have to come and do it here, just obey God. Hallelujah. Praise Jesus. Praise Jesus. Hallelujah.
You know, The Lord said if He is going to restore your soul, He is going to bring it back like it was brand new. And so there are things that are in your soul, you and me both. We all have things in our past that have entered in our minds that have entered into our hearts; that some ways we’ve been, we’ve done stupid things, we’ve made mistakes, we’ve said things, gone places. Come on, don’t look at me with that tone of voice. We’re all in that boat together.
And so we all need our soul to be restored. I watched Pastor Sharon, I watched her some years ago because of things that had happened in our lives and things that had happened in her soul. I watched God bring a message to her to restore her soul. I watched God restore her. Her soul. I watched God, at work, restoring her soul.
Because, He showed her specifically, “There are things that I have to restore in you Sharon.” You remember that, Sharon? Of course you do. Yeah. And so at that time, He showed her that her soul had been scattered, and He gave her the revelation of a scattered soul, and He began to say, “I’m going to come and bring wholeness back to you in your soul.”
So God is restoring our souls. Because your fight with God is not through your spirit man. Your spirit man will never fight with God. Your spirit man will never resist God, but your soul will. And most of it has got to do with ideas, emotions, past experiences, things that you can, legitimately or illegitimately, depending on how you justify them. Say to yourself, “That is a real thing that happened there and I can’t ignore that.” Well, you can look at it that way all you like and never be restored. Or you can just say, “I lay it down and restore me now, Father. Restore me. Restore everything in me.”
It’s important, you know, because the restoration that God does is so good, it is so amazing, it is so beautiful. And I’m going to be ministering about this tomorrow morning and then we’re going to have communion together, but it is so beautiful that in a moment, in a moment, a lot of people legitimately, actually set up a woman that they could actually catch her in the act of adultery. And so they wouldn’t have done it unless it was, “We caught her in the act of adultery.” And they brought this woman, the law, the religious people brought this woman before Jesus. And they said, “The law says we must stone her. And what do You say?” Jesus doesn’t answer them. He just leans into the sand and He starts to write in the sand. And then He stands up and He says, “He that is without sin, cast the first stone.” And so one by one, all of them left Him.
Remember, these were people that were demanding judgment for a wrong, based on a law. Legitimate. They came legitimate with a law. But, when they’re all gone, Jesus stands in front of her and He says, “Where are your accusers?” And she says, “They are gone. There are none.” And now He stands as the arbiter of the law. He stands as the originator of the law. He stands as the fulfillment of the law. And He stands in that moment and He says, “Neither do I accuse you. Go and sin no more.” (John 8:3-11).
When He said those words to her, there was a power that was released in His words that restored her soul. What was restored in her soul? All of her mistakes, all of her adulteries from the past. Some people, some translations and commentaries say that she actually did it for a living. Doesn’t matter whether she did or didn’t, her mistakes from her past, all of the shame that she had that came from that moment at least, all of the judgment and condemnation of that moment, she needed her soul restored. Jesus makes one statement, “Neither do I accuse you. Go and sin no more.”
I want to tell you that when Jesus came and died for us on the cross, there is nothing that you do that He stands in accusation of you. Not a single thing that you do, does He accuse you of your sin. Nothing. Can you tell me what He is doing right now? He is sitting at the right hand of the Father. Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the Father right now in heaven. And what’s He doing for you and me? He is interceding for us, isn’t He? Why would He be interceding for us when His blood paid the price? He is interceding for us because He knows that there are many accusations that come to your soul. Many things that come to your soul in your life that want to keep you in fear, keep you off your righteous path that He preordained you should walk on that ancient path. And He Is interceding for us that we should walk there because that’s where you have abundance. That’s where you have blessing.
So, I’ve got good news for you today. This weekend is a time for us that we can look back and say, “God restored my soul. God restored my soul. God has touched all of my stuff from my past and they are no more. I now walk in a state of restored being.” Praise Jesus. Hallelujah.
Divine, divine, divine, divine productivity. I’ll tell you, when we are integrating our ways with Him and our gifts start integrating our ways together, He reveals strategic intentions to us. There is a strategic intention that God is revealing to us right now, as a ministry, and we are just going to launch it. We are just going to go. I’m not waiting anymore; I’ve waited 20 years to do this. We are just going. And, Angie is one of the solutions. She is. She knows she is. She is one of the solutions for divine productivity to happen on this road that we are embarking on, this thing that this ministry is doing. Hallelujah. And I’m not ready to launch it here today. I’ll tell you when we are ready, got all our ducks in a row. So that, I mean, we’ve got 95% or 90% of what we know we have to do. It’s just a matter of making sure that it’s packaged in the right way so that we can share it with you in the right way, so that you can be part of it. Hallelujah. Glory to Jesus.
It is so strong in me for this weekend. It is so strong in me that relationships are so important. Our relationship with God is the number one relationship, but the relationships that God has brought into the body of Christ are so important that we must, we must access His anointing to bring us into a place of restored being so that we can walk in the fullness of everything that God has for us. Everything. And so I know that there are young people in the ministry here that have dedicating their lives to God. I want to tell you that God is going to take them. He is going to take them and He is going to launch them into things that He has planned for their lives. They are going to walk on paths of righteousness because they don’t have as much baggage to deal with from the past. And they’re in a good state that even if there is baggage in the past, He’s already this weekend, He is restoring their souls.
And so it might show up from time to time that there’s still stuff there, but let me tell you, it’s history. You just got to depend on the One that says, “No, no. That’s not of me. You don’t need that. No more. You don’t have any more access, no entry sign here. No entry sign to my soul. My soul is committed to Jesus and to His ways. His paths of righteousness.” Hallelujah.
If you are being restored, then that’s put or bring back into existence or bring back to use; to bring back or to put back into a former or original state; to put again in possession of something. Come on. God is wanting you, to put you back into possession that you are in charge of and in control of your future, no one else. That’s the way He designed you to live. He wants to bring you back into a renewed state. He wants to put you back onto the existent path that you should be walking on. And He is doing it, He is restoring you right now. Right now, this weekend. Hallelujah.
Yoh, Jesus. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. How much pain, how much pain do people have to endure? How much pain, how much pressure must come upon you? How much trouble, stress must you be subject to? The devil wants you to only live in pain. He wants to steal, kill and destroy you. And everything is designed in his system to destroy you. There is nothing in his system there, that is there for your benefit. It’s only there to destroy you.
So God, Jesus prayed, and He said, I’m praying for these. In John chapter 17, He says, I do not pray that You take them out of the world, but I pray that You protect them from the evil one. Because you can’t be taken out of this world, because your body is here. But to be protected from the evil one is what? It’s not just your body, it’s actually your soul. It’s the place where you live with your persona. It’s the place where you live with your desires. It’s the place where you live with your dreams. It’s the place where you live with your intentions. It’s the place where you live with failures. It’s the place where you live with all manner of things that have come into your world, into your life that have driven you with energy that have brought you to all kinds of different ideologies and worldviews and, and different thoughts about different things.
That place of your soul, He restores it now. Is this a one time one meeting thing? No. It will be an ongoing process where you completely constantly are saying, I’m walking on the paths of righteousness. Even though I’m walking through the valley of death sometimes and it feels like that pain and that oppression of my past is coming upon me. I count on His rod and His staff that comforts me. I count on Him to be my good Shepherd. I count on Him to restore me, and to feed me, and to nourish me so that I don’t have to live in the pain of my past. And I don’t have to live in the pain of mistakes and on the issues of all the stuff that I’ve had to deal with. Or unfulfilled desires, unfulfilled dreams. God is making a statement this weekend, by the Holy Spirit He is making a statement, He is making a statement that He is restoring you. He is restoring you. Hallelujah.
I’m going to read one more scripture to you. It’s in one Peter chapter two verse 20. Verse 21, I’m going to read. 21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps; 22 “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; This is a man who didn’t ever need His soul restored because He walked in the fullness of every thing that God wanted Him in His soul.
23 Who when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; God is a righteous Judge. 24 Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness – that we, having died to sins, might live, might live for righteousness. Hey? These are the paths that we are supposed to walk on, righteous paths. We who have died to sins, we who have died to our soul power, our soul strength, our soul everything. We have died to that person. Now we are walking on the way of righteousness.
24 Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness – by whose stripes you were healed. He is talking not just about a physical healing here, He is talking about every part of your being, who sins that, you sins when you sin, you are set free from them. 25 For you were like sheep gone astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. 1 Peter 2:21-25 (NKJV).
From today, you make this declaration, “I give my soul to You, my good Shepherd, You are the Overseer of my soul. And because You oversee my soul, I say right now that I walk in all of the plans and purposes and the paths of righteousness that You have made me to walk in it. Hallelujah. Glory to Jesus.
You know, I am going to finish off with this. When the Lord gave me the revelation that He wants to touch us, it became so real to me that the touch of God is so necessary for us every day. The touch of God is so necessary. So necessary. I’m going to turn to these young people. I mean, part of the reason why you are so engaged with God is because you touch Him regularly, don’t you? I mean, on a daily basis, you’re actually encountering God through the Word, through the people around you. You’re touching the Spirit of God in each other, and your words and your unity and the power of, you don’t run each other down and you don’t have politics and you don’t have anything that you can be ashamed of, or guilty or feel guilty about whilst you are in the flow of God together, right? You are free, you are free in this house, you are free to express and explore and to follow God without shame. And without anything in your past have been stopping you from actually soaring in God. Yes? Hallelujah.
You want to know what the future generation in God looks like? They’re beginning to walk in it, only beginning. Hallelujah. They’re beginning to walk in it because God put it in me and we make it a thing in our, amongst us. We don’t want to hear you criticizing and having backbiting talks about someone in each other’s here. They stop each other from doing that. They don’t permit that with each other. And if anybody’s got negative stuff that comes out of their mouth, some of them get a bit more aggressive than others. But, you know, they make sure that they don’t have stuff coming out of their mouth that is going to prevent this, that is going to stop their souls or going to hurt their soul, so that they can achieve what God wants them to do.
Actually what God has done if you want to know, when He said I’m calling My children, and I’m going to – and I’m calling them out of Babylon. What He said is, I’m going to call them out of the damage that will happen to their souls. And I’m bringing them into a place where I can protect their souls so their spirit man can grow, and when their spirit man and their souls cooperate together, they walk in a power that we still yet have to go. Because we have got too much soul. Where we got to say, Lord, You are the Overseer of my soul. Hallelujah. Glory to Jesus.
I started off my day today talking about institutions. And I promise you, there is not a university, there is not a school, there is not an institution that is not infiltrated by the corruption of the devil. And some of the stuff that we are going to be doing in this ministry, is to provide an alternative so that children’s souls don’t get corrupted. Because when your soul starts to get corrupted, you got so much baggage to undo before you can begin to follow God. And it’s not because, it’s because they’ve got to get, we’ve got to get rid of our baggage.
That’s why an entire generation of people died, their carcasses fell in the wilderness. Why? Because their souls were still too engaged with Egypt. Even though God called them out of Egypt, their souls, Egypt was still in their soul. These young people, they don’t have to have Egypt in their souls, they are ready to go into the Promised Land. And they’re just waiting for God to say, let’s go. Let’s go. Let’s go and take some giants, like Angie were saying, let’s go and slay some giants. Let’s go and do some damage. Let’s go and take back what the devil has stolen from the church. Let’s go and do something significant for God.
If you’ve been paying attention in the last two Tuesday nights of prayer, you will see what kind of generation God’s raising. And I’ve got good news for the older people here where damage has been done to your soul. Today, the Overseer of your soul says “Give it to me, give me all your stuff. I washed it in My blood. I’ve washed it, all of your sins. You are righteous before Me. Leave that baggage behind. Leave it behind. You don’t need it in your future. Hallelujah.
So, there are godly things, there are godly things, God ordained things that He has planned for all of us, you and me. He has got God ordained things. Do I have to say this one more time? I have to say this one more time. I promise you, Sharon and I made a decision many years ago, that we will preach the truth as God reveals it to us and we will walk with the men and the generals that God has placed us with. And we will preach that same gospel, we will not preach another gospel. And we will do everything that we can, to preach the whole counsel of God to you. And if we end up only being the two of us, with our boys in the church, then that’s what we will do. Because that’s what our commitment is to God.
God didn’t put it in me to keep pumping, we got to have more buildings and bigger buildings and we got to do more, do more, do more do more, and we become known by what we do rather than who we are. In the realm of the spirit, those spirit beings don’t care about how many buildings are built for God. They don’t care how many buildings with how many seats there are in the name of God. It’s not what you do for God, it’s what you become for God. And if in your becoming, God says, “Do this” then I’m okay with that. Hallelujah.
And so, I don’t have to say this again, but I’m going to anyway. You know, I don’t, our ministry is not focused on this building or other buildings or how much more excellent we can become. Because it’s a reflection of our identity. It’s much much more important that you are a reflection of His identity where you live; every day where you live. And then when you come together with your gifts into this body, it’s “boom.” You want to know a drum beat in heaven? Every time the Ecclesia comes together with gifts, “boom, boom, boom, boom.” The Ecclesias together, the gifts are flowing, the Spirit of God is working. The relationships are pure, God’s using every gift, they are functioning the way they should, they are walking on the path of righteousness, the Good Shepherd, is overseeing their souls. Here’s a people that are committed to the things of God. “Boom” – it makes a noise in the Spirit. Hallelujah. Praise Jesus. Praise Jesus. Praise Jesus.
I got stuff to say tomorrow, I’m going to speak to you tomorrow, I’m going to speak about a few things; about the way forward for those who want their soul restored. I’m going to talk about some principles, some things, some forces that you can tap into, that God has revealed to me that you have been a part of, but if you will, if you will keep this in the forefront of your mind, God, there will be no place for the enemy to remind you about what you did. Or what’s in your soul now. You will just keep in the front of your eyes what God’s got for you.
And then we’re going to break bread tomorrow, we’re going to remember the Lord’s death and His resurrection, what His body was broken for, just like Peter said. And that’s why the Lord led me to finish with this scripture. Because tomorrow is a big day. When we have communion tomorrow, it’s the end of that whole saga of your life. Because God is restoring our souls. He is restoring relationships, He is bringing things to a whole new place. A whole new place. A whole new place. Thank You, Jesus. Hallelujah.
Well, I have the Spirit of God working in me now. You know, I have God speaking and saying things to me. And I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’ve been waiting for Him to tell me that I can go ahead and speak and He hasn’t released me. And now He just told me, He said, “It’s for tomorrow, John. That’s for tomorrow.” So I said, “Okay, Lord.” Now I’m at peace. Because I’ve been standing here waiting, there’s some things I knew I could do but then He is got some stuff in me that I needed to get out. And He said, “No, it’s for tomorrow. It’s for tomorrow. It’s for tomorrow.” So praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise Jesus.
Why don’t you stand with me please? The power of the Holy Spirit is here. The anointing in the presence of God is here. Hallelujah. I’m [Pastor John praying in the Spirit] Yes, thank You, Jesus. Thank You, Jesus. Well, what I’ve just spoken now is not for interpretation; today. This is part of what is coming out of me for tomorrow. Hallelujah. I could hardly contain it. It’s just spilling out. It’s just spilling out. And so I need to close the meeting because I can’t disobey God and let it spill out today. I’ve got to keep it for tomorrow. [Pastor John praying in the Spirit] Yeah, I can’t hardly speak in English now because otherwise…I got to contain it. Praise Jesus. Pastor Sharon, come close the meeting please. Just come pray over the people, bring that mic and just come and pray. [Pastor John praying in the Spirit]
Father, we thank You. We thank You, for all that You have done today. Our hearts have received, our hearts believe and we’re going forward as your people, all of us Lord, recognizing and realizing that our souls are being restored. What a big day – this has been today, Father. And we carry it all of us in our hearts. We carry it today, in our hearts, with us. What You’ve done today and what You’ve said today and what we’ve sensed today is lodged within our spirits by the Holy Spirit. And we come with all of that tomorrow, Lord. A big day, another big day for You and with You tomorrow, Lord. And we say thank You to You right now. All of us, Lord, we say thank You that You have chosen these days, to be big for You and big for us and big with You and big with us, Lord. And we thank You for all that You will accomplish and have accomplished and will do tomorrow.
So Father, Your people are blessed, going out now. They’re blessed Father, with the lodgings, the lodging of what You have lodged in them with the Holy Spirit. They will not be distracted Lord, and they are blessed going out and they are blessed coming back in again tomorrow, Lord, and they are above Father. They’re busy having their souls restored even tonight. As they go home Lord this afternoon they are aware, they’re aware of You Holy Spirit. They are aware of You. Hallelujah, restoring their souls and they are blessed. They are blessed with what You’ve lodged in them. The Word remains, and the blood of Jesus surrounds them and protects them in Jesus Name. And we all say, “Amen.” Hallelujah. God bless you all. Bye bye, everybody. Be blessed.
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TOUCH | TEACH | TRAIN | TRANSFER
