Scripture Reference: Matthew 18:1-4 (AMPC); Galatians 1:4-5 (NLT); Revelation 18:1-5 (AMPC); 1 John 2:14-17 (TPT); Jeremiah 29:11 (AMPC); Jeremiah 29:11-13 (AMPC); Ephesians 2:10 (AMPC); Luke 1:66 (AMPC); Luke 1:66 (NASB); Matthew 19:14 (NIV); Luke 2:21-28, 33-35, 41-49, 51-52 (TPT); Daniel 1:3-8 (AMPC); Daniel 3:9-17, 19-21, 23-28 (AMPC); Esther 2:5-7 (NLT); Esther 4:13-16 (TLB); 2 Timothy 1:5 (AMPC); Psalm 106:34-42, 44-45 (AMPC); Acts 20:32 (AMPC)
Bless You, Lord. Praise You, praise You, Lord. Praise You, praise You, praise You, Jesus. Praise You, praise You, praise You. Hallelujah. Glory to You, Lord. Glory, greatest love song, star of the show – Jesus. Jesus, bright and shining morning star. Star, the star of the show. Hallelujah, hallelujah. We glorify You. We bless You, Lord. We bless You this morning, with all that is within us, we bless You, we bless You, we bless You, we bless You, Lord. We bless You. We love You. We are devoted to You. You are the object of our affection. You are the focus of our attention. You are the centre of our attraction and we declare Father that we love You – the Lord our God, with all our heart, with all of our soul, with all of our strength, with all of our mind, Lord. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. Glory, glory, glory, glory. Hallelujah, hallelujah. Yes, yes, glory, glory to You. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, Lord. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, Lord. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. Praise You, praise You, praise You, praise You, praise You, praise You, praise You, praise You, praise You, praise You. Hallelujah, hallelujah, Lord. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. Praise You, praise You, praise You. Glory to You, glory, glory, glory. Hallelujah. We bless You, we bless You, we bless You. We praise You. We praise You. Oh, we love You, we love You, we love You, Lord. Hallelujah. Yes, Lord.
Oooh Lord, thank You, Lord. Thank You, thank You, thank You. Thank You, thank You, thank You. Thank You, thank You thank You, Lord. Thank You. Glory to God. You may be seated, you may be seated.
Welcome everybody, it’s wonderful to have you here and I must say that in preparing for this morning, I was going through all the messages, you know. I believe it’s part 10 today. Ja, Pastor John did part 9, he did part 9 when he was with you the last time – very powerful, the things he was saying and so I’m continuing this morning with the series and we will not finish until the Lord is satisfied. We will not finish until the Lord goes, “My people are through, my people are through, they get it completely, it’s rubbed into them, it’s settled and established in them. They’ve got it.” Because this is very big in the heart of God. You only actually begin to understand how big it is in the heart of God that God sees the children as His and He sees parents as ones who will raise them up for Him and train them up in His ways. We only realise now that, how can we fully go into our promised land and have that so wrong and not have that massive building block built into us and that massive revelation and understanding because after all, that was why he chose Abraham for blessing. He knew that Abraham would command his children after God.
So, this is our legacy, this is legacy transfer that God is giving us in this way, by saying, “I will take the children,” which means the little children in Matthew 18 as well. The scripture out of the Amplified Bible, I’m just going to go through some key, our key scriptures, together, that God has given me as key, key, key scriptures. Matthew 18, verses 1 to 4, from the Amplified Bible, and let me just get my Amplified Bible because that is the one that I didn’t write out. I’ve got all the others printed out very nicely but I will turn here. Matthew 18, glory, what Jesus said, 1At that time the disciples came up and asked Jesus, Who then is [really] the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Who then is the greatest? And He called a little child to Himself and put him in the midst of them, 3And said, this is our Jesus, this is your Jesus, it’s my Jesus, beautiful Son, Morning Star. This is our Jesus and Jesus 3said, Truly, truly I, I say to you, unless you repent (unless you change, unless you turn about) and unless you become like little children [trusting – trusting who? God and His ways. Loving who? Loving the Lord, okay – trusting, lowly – that’s meekness, that’s humility, loving God, loving one another, forgiving], unless you do this, you can never enter the kingdom of heaven [at all] (Matthew 18:1-3 AMPC).
The longer I meditate on this scripture, the stronger the light becomes to me; that really, Jesus is speaking truth here. Don’t think you can enter the Kingdom in any other way. This is our Jesus saying this. Unless you become because the disciples are saying, “Greatest, greatest, best, first, greatest?” And He is saying, “Let Me show you a way. Let Me show you the way that everyone will be the greatest that enters the Kingdom of heaven cause you will enter like a little child or you will not enter at all.” Isn’t that beautiful? Isn’t that beautiful? You can never enter the Kingdom of heaven at all and then He goes on to say, what this little child is like. 4Whoever will humble himself therefore and become like this little child [trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving] is greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:4 AMPC).
So, what He is saying here, all my people that will become like this. And then I read you that scripture where it says and Jesus became obedient and humbled Himself and became utterly obedient to His Father. Glory to God. So we can think we can come to church and we are in the Kingdom, and yes, positionally, you have been translated into the Kingdom of the Son but unless you become like a little child, you’re not entering. So you will go to heaven when you die, I believe Pastor John said it in one of his messages that if He is your ticket to heaven and in-between you just live however you want to live, you know, because you are so wise, we are so wise in our own eyes, you know, then that is your choice. But Jesus is saying here; you want to enter the Kingdom of heaven then there is something that is going to have to happen in your heart with you and God. Just you and God and you are going to become. Actually what Jesus was saying is; you are going to become like Me. Right.
This is very beautiful because the title of this series is, I will take the children. If God is taking the children, and when He took the children into the fullness of everything that He had for them, He took Joshua and Caleb they went into because they had become like little children because they had believed, they had trusted what God had said; I am taking you in. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. So that is part of our key scripture, and then Galatians 1:4 and 5, New Living Translation, is one of our key scriptures. The key for us to meditate on for ourselves during the week; meditate, meditate, mutter. The word meditate means to mutter. Meditate, mutter, speak it, Jesus, you know unless I become like a little child. Humble myself, Lord. Humble myself. Meditate. These are key scriptures. Galatians 1:4 and 5, New Living Translation. 4Jesus gave His life for our sins, just as God our Father planned – and here is the key part of the verse – in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live (Galatians 1:4 NLT). Jesus says the world in which men live is evil. I came to rescue you from the evil world in which you live. 5All glory to God forever and ever! Amen (Galatians 1:5 NLT).
So here is Revelations 18:1-5, Amplified Bible, one of our key scriptures. 1Then I saw another angel descending from heaven, possessing great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his radiance and splendour. 2And he shouted with a mighty voice, She is fallen! Mighty Babylon is fallen! She has become a resort and dwelling place for demons, a dungeon haunted by every loathsome spirit, an abode for every filthy and detestable bird. These are principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, spiritual wickedness that have been present, that were present – they fell like lightning from heaven. So it says here, 3For all nations have drunk the wine of her passionate unchastity, and the rulers and leaders of the earth have joined with her in committing fornication (idolatry) – that is they worship themselves and they worship one another. You know what I mean, they worship money, they serve money, they serve the world system, they love the world system – and the businessmen of the earth have become rich with the wealth of her excessive luxury and wantonness. Just like in the days of Egypt. Just like in the days of Babel. Just like in the days of Noah. Just like in the days of Sodom and Gomorrha. Okay, 4I then heard another voice, verse 4, from heaven saying, Come out from her – key scripture – Come out from her, my people. This is Jesus speaking. This is your Jesus and my Jesus; come out from her. Come out from her and a response is required from you and I at this time when God is bringing us this key scripture of I am coming out. I don’t exactly know what this means but I am coming out. Take me out. I am coming out. A response is required. You see, no response is a no. You can’t say; I am sitting here on the fence, I am not going to say much to God about this scripture that He is bringing me at this time. If you have no response you say; no. Right? So, it says here, here is the voice from heaven, Come out from her, my people, so that you may not share in her sins, neither participate in her plagues. 5For her iniquities (her crimes and transgressions) are piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her wickedness and [her] crimes [and calls them up for settlement] (Revelation 18:1-5 AMPC).
I read to you, in the days of Noah, in the days of Babel, in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah, there comes a time in the heart of God, not in our heart, we don’t say God we think it is time for you to judge this. In the heart of God, we pray, we pray, we turn from our wicked ways, God hears from heaven. But there comes a time in the heart of God where He says; that is it. And this is the time of God. I will tell you this, people, that He has orchestrated for His power and His glory to be seen in the earth. It is not the time of power politics, although you may see that. It is the time of God and He will move in the time of men and the church will arise. The true church of the Lord Jesus Christ will arise and these messages that He is bringing us, He has need of, this is helping us to become more of the true church that will rise up because we are not mingling, we are not in the world, we are determined to come out of it, we’re coming out of Babylon, we are becoming that church that will rise up. There is no church that will rise up in authority that is mingling with the world, that is in the world, loving it and of the world and not wanting rescue out of it. As we saw in the time of Egypt, they were just out of Egypt a little bit and they were already saying; we want to go back to Egypt, we’re going back. We remember the leeks, we remember, we remember, in fact, our children, we don’t know what is going to happen to our children here in the wilderness because we, it is not looking like we thought it would look like, so we are going to appoint a leader and we are going to go back to Egypt.
It is not a church like that that is going to arise and occupy. We will just get sunk, we will share in her sins and participate in her plagues. So, let me read this to you. One John 2, another key scripture, another one of our key scriptures for meditation. One John 2 from verse 14, hear how God is writing to you, children. He is writing to the children, He writes to fathers and the mothers as well, okay. He writes to young men and young women too. Its generic, right? There is no male or female it says in the Bible in the Kingdom. 14I write these things to you, dear children, because you truly have a relationship with the Father. So, what are children expected to have? A relationship with the Father, that is how you train your children up to have a relationship with the Father that your primary thing my son, my daughter, your relationship with the Father. Hallelujah. I write these things, fathers and mothers because you have had a true relationship with him who is from the beginning (1 John 2:14 TPT). You see, that is God’s pattern. A mother and a father having a true relationship with the Father and then teaching children to have a true relationship with the Father. Instead, parents go like, I don’t know, they go like; you’re mine, and I will say and I will do, I have my tentacles on you and I will show you. And actually, you should be having this awesome relationship with the Lord, and saying I am so fulfilled in this, this is what my children are going to have. My children are going to have this. Hallelujah. They are going to live for God. They are not going to live for me. Alright, glory to God. We’re busy, remember Pastor John said we are busy, we are not repenting because of what you hear Pastor John or I say, it is because of what you are receiving in your heart from the Lord.
I write these things, fathers and mothers, because you have had a true relationship with him who is from the beginning. And I write these things, young people, because you are strong, because you are strong the Word of God is treasured in your hearts (1 John 2:14 TPT). See mothers and fathers, see what your children should be like and what you should be like and what a spiritual home looks like? It’s not in the world. It’s not of the world, there’s no love here of the world, there’s no Babylon going on here. It says here, the Word of God is treasured in your hearts, and you have defeated the Evil One (1 John 2:14 TPT).
See, young men here should be defeating the Evil One. We going to see today, I’m going to show today how Daniel, Shadrach and Abednigo and Mechack, when they were teenagers, how they defeated the Evil One. They came against the Babylon of the day. They were in Babylon and they said we will not bow to Babylon. We will not bow to the present current system. We will rather burn even if our God does not save us, but we know what happened. Right, so it says here; you have defeated the Evil One, young people. 15Don’t set, young people, mothers, fathers, children, don’t set the affections of your heart on this world or in loving the things of the world. The love of the Father and the love of the world are incompatible. 16For all that the world can offer us—the gratification of our flesh, the allurement of the things of the world, and the obsession with status and importance—none of these things come from the Father but from the world (1 John 2:14-16 TPT). Disciples, who are going to be the greatest? Let me show you a little child. Glory.
Obsession with status and importance—none of these things come from the Father but from the world. 17This world and its desires are in the process of passing away, Babylon is falling. It is falling. The world system, the wicked, the wicked, evil world is falling and it says here, 17This world and its desires are in the process of passing away, but those who love to do the will of God (1 John 2:16-17 TPT). Those who love to do the will of God, that’s eternal, it’s for while we’re living on the earth here and you carry it with you for eternity because you love the will of God. You’re not wise in your own eyes. That’s a beautiful scripture in Proverbs Pastor John read to you last week.
And so here’s another key scripture; Jeremiah 29:11 and 13. Here’s God speaking, He’s speaking in this scripture here. 11I know, God says to you this morning and to me, God says, Heritage of Faith people; I know the thoughts, I know the plans, the thoughts and plans that I have for you (Jeremiah 29:11 AMPC). He has thoughts and plans for every life of every child of His. He has them. And I’m going to teach you how to find them. It’s coming. It’s not today. It’s a whole thing that God’s given me. I’m following God in sequence. He has very specific plans for each one of His children, very specific. But if they are not inquired and required and desired and sought after, you will live your whole life never knowing what they were. Okay, so it says here, 11For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace, or well-being, peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. But here’s how you get it, just a little clue. 12Then you will call upon Me. Why? I’m calling upon You. You know them. I call upon You for them. I call upon you and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear and I will heed you. 13Then you will seek me, inquire for and require Me [as a vital necessity] and find me when you search for Me (Jeremiah 29:11-13 AMPC). Here’s part of how you get God’s plan. It’s all there – with all your heart. You see there. God, this goes with another scripture in the New Testament. God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. He knows when you’re just casually enquiring. And so You didn’t speak quick enough and so I activate my own plan. I make my own. Like everybody else in the world and look they seem to prosper. They all do it. Right, here’s another key scripture, Ephesians 2:10, Amplified. This is a supporting scripture to Jeremiah 29.
10For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship),]recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works – this is you walking in God’s plan. This is not just a good work of; that do the good works which God predestined (planned beforehand), here’s your good work, [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time] (Ephesians 2:10 AMPC). That’s the good work that you will do. So you can have many good works that you can put a badge on; I was kind and I’m not bad and I’m not hurting anybody. But if you did not take the paths which God preordained and pre-arranged for you to walk in. The good work is this; [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10 AMPC). For that, you have to seek Him. That’s in Jeremiah 29. So those are our key scriptures. Hallelujah.
Defining moments in our lives; Brother Jerry has said your conversations you are having with yourself, what you are saying, what you say and what you do right now, how you respond right now, what you decide right now will determine your future throughout the remainder of this year. Glory to God. And then we had this scripture in Luke 1 that said this in verse 66. I’m just going to read it, you don’t have to put it up. Whatever will this little boy be? 66Whatever will this little boy be then? For the hand of the Lord was [so evidently] with him [protecting and aiding him] (Luke 1:66 AMPC). That is God’s desire for every little one. For every parent to say; whatever will this little boy be? Not, I’ll decide what the little boy will be like the world decides for their children. And Pastor John read you that powerful scripture about Samson. Samson was going to be born to his parents and they said, “How shall we manage him for the Lord?” Pastor John said unless as a parent you are ready to say that to the Lord, what’s the point? What’s the point? Right. God has a plan for every person and every child.
This is a revelation God is bringing now. Not for us to live in any kind of regret of the past, but also this is not a place for us to – I’ll get there. So whatever will these little boys and these girls be that are being born to the parents of Heritage of Faith? Right? The New American says, 66“What then will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was certainly with him (Luke 1:66 NASB). The hand of the Lord is certainly with our children. Glory. And Jesus said in Luke and I’m just going to read it (Don’t put it up Daniel. I know I didn’t give it to you) 14Let the little children come to me (Matthew 19:14 NIV). Let the little children come to Me. Glory to God. We spoke about all of that.
I’m going to read to you out of The Passion Translation, Luke 2 from verse 21. There are some very important points here that God wants you to see. 21On the day of the baby’s circumcision ceremony, eight days after his birth, his parents gave him the name Jesus, the name prophesied by the angel before he was born. 22After Mary’s days of purification had ended, it was time for her to come to the temple with a sacrifice, according to the law of Moses after the birth of a son. So Mary and Joseph took the baby Jesus to Jerusalem to be dedicated before the Lord. 23For it is required in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be a set-apart one for God.” (Luke 2:21-23 TPT). So now, as born again ones, that’s every one of our children set apart. But if parents have it in their heart to do it with their first one, it means they’re going to have it for their second born, their third born, their fourth born because that dedication has already happened in their hearts for their firstborn. You see, it’s not as if the firstborn is more special than the second born or the third born. Every child has got a calling of God on their lives. But this is a parent thing to give their first fruit to God because they have recognition of the power of it for the rest of their harvest and the rest of their seed. Glory to God
And, verse 24, 24And, to offer a prescribed sacrifice, “either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” 25As they came to the temple to fulfil this requirement, an elderly man was there waiting—a resident of Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. He was a very good man, a lover of God who kept himself pure, and the Spirit of holiness rested upon him. Simeon believed in the imminent appearing of the one called “The Refreshing of Israel.” 26For the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not see death before he saw the Messiah, the Anointed One of God. 27For this reason the Holy Spirit had moved him to be in the temple court at the very moment Jesus’ parents entered to fulfil the requirement of the sacrifice (Luke 2:24-27 TPT).
You see, when God called Mary and Joseph to be the parents of Jesus, He knew that they would fulfil everything – they would fulfil these things. God had need of the fulfilment of this on that day for that baby to be dedicated so that a man of God could prophesy over Jesus because that was what God had planned to happen. So, here, verse 28, 28Simeon cradled the baby in his arms and praised God and prophesied (Luke 2:28 TPT). Right, that is just a thing for you to see there. The reason I believe why there hasn’t been this standard of release of the Spirit of God for Pastor John to be able to speak into children, speak prophetically over children’s lives is because parents do not have that recognition that it is actually even necessary. So, therefore, that will not be released through Pastor John because parents have already prophesied over their own children.
Prophecy means what I say and what I speak over my child will go. So, therefore, the release of the true pure flow of prophecy will only come because the parents bring and the parents understand what they are doing – dedicating their child to the Lord with the servant of the Lord being there. I believe that this recognition and these messages are going to bring about a release of freedom of a prophecy because parents are going to come and bring with an expectation that the messenger has something to say. Lord, that the messenger has something to say. Because Pastor John will not speak unless he is spoken to by the Lord. You know that by now. But what a glorious thing if there should be an escalation of that through Pastor John where he speaks by the Spirit of God and he can say and he can speak. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Yes, yes, He spoke to Mary. He spoke to Joseph, the father, but there was both. You see this? It was the collective greatness. Okay, and so it says here, and praised God and prophesied, saying… Alright, let’s just go to verse 33. And so He prophecies – I am speaking principle and pattern here now for our children and what’s changing here amongst us. 33Mary and Joseph stood there, awestruck over what was being said about their baby (Luke 2:33 TPT).
Can you imagine we have that in our midst that these things will be so significant and important to us, that we would desire it? Then it would happen. Right? Awestruck over what was being said about their baby. Simeon then blessed them and prophesied over Mary, right. And said to Mary, 34-35“A painful sword will one day pierce your inner being, for your child will be rejected by many in Israel. And here, look at these words, And the destiny of your child is this (Luke 2:34-35 TPT). You see, we read that as if it is just for Jesus. The heart of Father God has that for every baby born, every baby born. The destiny of this child. Hallelujah.
So, we are going to go to Luke 2 verse 41 also The Passion Translation.41Every year Jesus’ parents went to worship at Jerusalem during the Passover festival. 42When Jesus turned twelve (Luke 2:41-42 TPT). This is a message quite to the children, to the children here this morning. To the younger generation to show you that even at the age 12 Jesus knew that He was to be in His Father’s house and to be about His Father’s business. Every child is to be like Jesus. Doesn’t it say in Romans chapter 8 that we are to be conformed, our destiny is to be like Jesus? Isn’t the destiny of my child to know by the age of 12 at least that he is to be in his Father’s house and about his Father’s business? Then I am not to fret and worry because he is having this relationship with God. Not trying to push him in some other place, some other direction. Right?
And it says here, 42When Jesus turned twelve, his parents took him to Jerusalem to observe the Passover, as was their custom. 43A full day after they began their journey home, Joseph and Mary realised that Jesus was missing. 44They had assumed he was somewhere in their entourage, but he was nowhere to be found. After a frantic search among relatives and friends, 45Mary and Joseph returned to Jerusalem to search for him. 46After being separated from him for three days, they finally found him in the temple, sitting among the Jewish teachers, listening to them and asking questions. 47All who heard Jesus speak were astounded at his intelligent understanding of all that was being discussed and at his wise answers to their questions (Luke 2:42-47 TPT). We think that this was something supernatural because He was Jesus, but He had been raised like that by Mary and Joseph in the Hebrew way. Same as Mordecai raised Esther – raised her in an amazing way when she was a teenager she knew what she had to do or the Jews were going to die. Same as Daniel. Same as Joseph, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo. They were raised that way. Hallelujah.
And so, After a frantic search among relatives and friends, verse 45, 45Mary and Joseph returned to Jerusalem to search for him. Okay, verse 47, 47All who heard Jesus speak were astounded at his intelligent understanding of all that was being discussed and at his wise answers to their questions (Luke 2:44-45, 47 TPT). You see, it is not just Jesus. I have to tell you, here the Lord says to me to just tell you. Tell them about Samuel, the little boy. And He heard God’s voice clearly. First, he didn’t know it was God, at least Eli had the sense to tell him, “No, it’s actually God calling you. So when you hear that voice again you say; here I am.” Samuel was a little boy knowing the voice of God. Actually, Samuel grew up in a church with Eli and Eli’s two sons, who were really not honouring God in the house of the Lord and Samuel grew up absolutely the way that God designed him to grow up. Glory to God. Isn’t that amazing?
It says here, verse 48, 48His parents were shocked to find him there, and Mary scolded him, saying, “Son, your father and I have searched for you everywhere! We have been worried sick over not finding you. Why would you do this to us?” 49Jesus said to them (Luke 2:48-49 TPT). Well, there’s one translation that said; did you not see and know? Did you not see and know that I was to be in my Father’s house and about my Father’s business? Did you not have that recognition I was to be in my Father’s house and about His business? This is what God has for every child. This is not a Jesus thing because He was called to be Jesus. This is a son of God thing – that our children are to know that I’m to be at my Father’s house about my Father’s business because I’m like Jesus. And so it says here, 49“Why would you need to search for me? Didn’t you know that it was necessary for me to be here in my Father’s house, consumed with Him?” (Luke 2:49 TPT). Parents, don’t we know that our children are supposed to be in their Father’s house consumed with Him? Don’t we know that? Yes, we are realising that now.
51Jesus went with them back home to Nazareth and was obedient to them. His mother treasured Jesus’ words deeply in her heart. 52As Jesus grew, so did His wisdom and maturity. The favour of men increased upon His life, for He was greatly loved by God (Luke 2:51-52 TPT). I wrote here; is there anything God can say and prophecy about your child’s future? He cannot without your heart offering up your child as a sacrifice to the Lord. It will definitely involve the pain of your flesh and your pride and your self-will for your child if you want your child going this way. If you want the gold for your children, you’re going to need to have your hearts purified and your motives for things purified by fire. Right?
Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were children in Babylon, they were children in Babylon and they knew. Daniel 1, 3 and 4, verse 3 and 4, I want you to see that they were in Babylon. 3And the [Babylonian] king, I think it’s the Amplified. 3 … the [Babylonian] king told Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring in some of the children of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility – 4Youths without blemish, well-favoured in appearance and skillful in all wisdom, discernment and understanding, apt in learning knowledge, competent to stand and serve in the king’s palace (Daniel 1:3-4 AMPC). You see, they were that first because their parents raised them. Then the king said, “You bring them.” Because they were in slavery. “You bring them to me – those kinds of Jewish children and we’re going to teach them”. Look here, 4 …and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans (Daniel 1:3-4 AMPC), that they already had things instilled in them.
Okay, I want us to go to Daniel, chapter 1 verse 5 to 8, also the Amplified Bible, 5And the king assigned for them, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, all teenagers, a daily portion of his own rich and dainty food and of the wine which he drank. They were to be so educated and so nourished. That’s what the Babylonian system will… you are to be so educated and you are to be so nourished – spiritually, emotionally, mentally. Right? You are to be so, nourished, for three years that at the end of that time they might stand before the king. 6Among these were of the children of Judah. Praise, Judah, praise – tribe of Judah means, Judah means praise. 6Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. That’s just their Hebrew names. 7The chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego. 8But Daniel, look at Daniel, determined in his heart that he would not defile himself (Daniel 1:5-8 AMPC). That’s what a teenager can do. You, young man, young woman, children of my people, you can do this. You can determine in your own heart that you will not defile yourself. You can, if under the Old Covenant Daniel could do that, in the New Covenant you children of my people who are born again, who have the Spirit of God in you can certainly do this; not to defile yourself the way the world defiles themselves. People, right? 8 by [eating his portion of] the king’s (Daniel 1:8 AMPC). This is not about food, you understand? I’m not talking about actual food now. Right?
Let’s go to Daniel 3 from verse 10. I want to show you about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. A lot is said about Daniel, but these three men as well that were with Daniel, were absolutely amazing, you know. I mean, Daniel, we know about the lion’s den, because they tried to trip him up because he was making such progress in the then Babylonian system by walking with God, that they actually couldn’t get a handle on him. But then they found his secret, he was thanking and praising God three times a day. Then they went to the king, and they said to the king, “Anybody that requests of any other god anything for the next couple of times, that they be killed.” The king didn’t know that they were setting up Daniel to die and so it says of Daniel; when he heard the king’s decree, he went to his room to begin to thank and praise the Lord. And they came in and they caught him and they brought him before the king. He had determined in his heart for God. Hallelujah. And God shut the lions’ mouths. And so, Daniel 3 from verse 10, let me go there. Praise the Lord. You getting something wonderful out of this this morning? Right, where are you, Daniel?
Daniel 10, verse 10. Daniel 3, sorry. Daniel 3 verse 10, 10You, O king, have made a decree. 9They said to king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live forever! All right, so they had brought these three young men, these three very young men to the king. 9They said to king Nebuchadnezzar, Babylonian king, O king, live forever! 10You, O king, have made a decree that every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, you see the world, the Babylonian system wants you to dance to its pipe, piping for you, dance to its tune, pipe. Every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, dulcimer or bagpipe, and every kind of music shall fall down and worship the golden image, 11And that whoever does not fall down and worship, worship the things that the world worships, shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 12There are certain Jews, oh, okay, these are the people coming to. Okay, I see here, 12There are certain Jews whom you have appointed and set over the affairs of the province of Babylon – Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you (Daniel 3:9-12 AMPC). You see how they were paying no attention to the world? They do not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up. 13Then Nebuchadnezzar in rage and fury (Daniel 3:13 AMPC). I’m telling you, there are a rage and a fury. Satan will not be silent when you determine in your heart to not defile yourself. And you will not worship the world and you will not bow down. You will have a fury through men and through women that will come against you with hatred, with persecution. They hated Jesus. Jesus said, “They hated me so they’ll hate you.”
13Then Nebuchadnezzar in rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; and these men were brought before the king. 14[Then] Nebuchadnezzar said to them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image which I have set up? 15Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, and the pipe… and every kind of music to fall down and worship the image which I have made, very good. But if you do not worship, you shall be cast at once into the midst of a burning fiery furnace (Daniel 3:13-15 AMPC). And that is the threat of the devil gives you; if you don’t do it the world’s way you’re going to burn. You’re going to have nothing. What is your God going to give you and do for you? God, what God? We, world system, Babylon, we are it Powerful, the powerful world, wicked evil system, big, mighty. Satan will roar at you. He will be enraged at you. And it says, If you do not, you’ll be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
15And who is that god who can deliver you out of my hands? That’s what Babylon says to you, people. 16Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, it is not necessary for us to answer you on this point. 17If our God Whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up! (Daniel 3:15-17 AMPC). Satan, I don’t care what lie you are giving to me about my future that there is nothing in my future for me if I don’t go the way of Babylon. I will rather die if God doesn’t deliver me than bow. Something in the heart that does that. Right?
19Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury and his facial expression was changed [to antagonism] against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Therefore he commanded that the furnace should be heated seven times hotter than it was usually heated. 20And he commanded the strongest men in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21Then these [three] men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics or undergarments, their turbans, with their clothing, and they were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace (Daniel 3:19-21 AMPC). This is a true story. These are actual facts, people.
Today we have a fiery furnace of a different kind if you turn your back on the world. But it’s no less intense. It’s the wrath. It says Satan knows his time that it’s short and he has great wrath. He comes to your mind with great wrath, “You can’t do this. You can’t do this.” He is your adversary and my adversary. The devil is seeking who, going about like a raging, roaring lion seeking who he may devour. That’s why Pastor John said; if you make the decision that you are coming out and you are repenting and you are having a change of mind and a change of purpose and a change of lifestyle, a change of conversation – don’t think it’s not going to be contested because of your habituation. But if you just stay with God and you stay with your choice and you stay with your decision, you will be habituated in a totally different way. Hallelujah.
Verse 23, 23And these three men, well, they were young men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the burning fiery furnace. 24Then Nebuchadnezzar the king [saw and] was astounded, and he jumped up and said to his counselors, Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered, True, O king. 25He answered, Behold, I see four men loose (Daniel 3:23-25 AMPC). Supernatural deliverance. How can I give my child to God completely when I see the whole world give their children to the world this way. How can I? There’s the fourth man that will come. He will show up. He will show up for deliverance. Just like Abraham, the Lord showed me, Abraham took Isaac and Isaac went with the Father because Abraham commanded Isaac after God. So when Abraham said, “Come my son, we’re going. I’m coming to give you, we are going to sacrifice.” And Isaac was a young man between 27 and 34. And when they got to the sacrifice he said, “Where is the lamb?” And he said, “The Lord will provide.” And the Lord said to me, parents that will bring their children to the Lord now like Abraham brought Isaac, and children who will come willingly, like Isaac came because he understood the covenant, they will be provided for in a way that few people in this earth have actually tasted and experienced God. God – that covenant, that covenant that God had with Abraham that will kick in so supernaturally to a level that we will just fall on our face and worship to God. We just will. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
And that goes for all the parents of Heritage of Faith, no matter how old your children are. I told you this – if you will realise what you have done and how you put them, and where you gave them, and where you pushed them, and you will repent from these, God will begin to move in your children’s lives supernaturally. Supernatural deliverance because, while you stand proud and strong and say, “I did a good enough job. My father raised me like this and I didn’t turn out too badly. And I did a good enough job”. While you do that, and there’s no becoming like a little child, and there’s no humility, you give God no avenue. You give God no avenue, you give God no access because you stand there as one who thought you did. “And why did my child?” There were many things that Pastor John and I had to repent from. Many things that the Lord showed us. This is a time. This is a time to turn around now. Glory to God. (How much time have I got left?)
It says here, look, such a beautiful true story this. And 25 … Behold, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt! And the form of the fourth is like a son of the gods! 26Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you servants of the Most High God, come out and come here. And Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out from the midst of the fire. Hey, 27And the satraps, the deputies, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered around together and saw these men – that the fire had no power upon their bodies. The fire had no power, the fire, the raging fire of Babylon in this wicked evil world system will have no power over you. No power upon their bodies, nor was the hair of their head singed; neither were their garments scorched or changed in colour or condition, nor had even the smell of smoke clung to them (Daniel 3:25-27 AMPC). Glory to God, glory to God.
28Then Nebuchadnezzar said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Who has sent His angel, that was Jesus, the fourth man, and delivered His servants who believed in, trusted in, and relied on Him! And they set aside the king’s command and yielded their bodies rather than serve or worship any god except their own God (Daniel 3:28 AMPC). Glory to God.
So Esther knew, Esther knew from a young teenage girl, she chose God. Esther 2 verse 5 to 7, Amplified, I want you to see young Esther. 5At that time there was a Jewish man in the fortress of Susa whose name was Mordecai son of Jair. He was from the tribe of Benjamin and was a descendant of Kish and Shimei. See how personal God gets? He names the names. He knows us, he knows every family and every child. His family, Mordecai’s family, had been among those who, with King Jehoiachin of Judah, had been exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. 7This man had a very beautiful and lovely young cousin, Hadassah, who was also called Esther. When her father and mother died, Mordecai adopted her into his family and raised her as his own daughter (Esther 2:5-7 NLT).
Now the kind of raising she got was, Mordecai raised Esther for her destiny. He didn’t know what it was, but he raised her up like Abraham raised up Isaac, commanded Isaac after God; you serve God. We seek God together with our simian, what the plan of God is and what God’s Spirit of life will say over our lives. We don’t use words in our family, you can be anything you want to be, you can do anything you want to do. My God. Right? No, we don’t ask you in our household what would you like to be when you grow up? We don’t ask other people’s children that either. We don’t want words to come into that young child’s mouth, to go into his heart, we don’t do that. We say like what everyone else said; whatever will this little boy be? We shall see because we are a people who inquire and we seek the Lord; whatever will this little boy be? Hallelujah. Whatever, whatever will this little child be? We will not speak as the world speaks but we will seek the Lord. Hallelujah. I am going to teach you what it is like, how it is like. It is no different for you to seek God’s plan for your life and your child’s life than it is for me. God has got the same way, how we seek the Lord for God’s plan. That is a big chunk of teaching, but God wanted me to bring this, this morning.
So his family exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon by king Nebuchadnezzar. 7This man had a very beautiful and lovely young cousin, Hadassah, who was also called Esther. When her father and mother died, Mordecai adopted her into his family and raised her as his own daughter (Esther 2:7 NLT). So here, look at the kind of man Mordecai was and how he raised her. Esther 4:13-16, The Living Bible. I am reading you this scripture so you can see what was in him and how he raised her and how he is now coming to her and she is understanding him. Okay, Esther 4:13-16. Let me give you a little bit of history before this verse. Mordecai was standing, he found out what was going to happen to his people. Destruction and devastation were coming to his people. So he stood at the king’s gate with sackcloth and ashes and he could have been killed for that because nobody was allowed to stand at the king’s gate to mourn like that. Esther found out that the uncle she loved as a father was at the gate doing that, so she sent a messenger to say don’t do that and she sent clothes to him and told him to change his clothes. Don’t do that, I am looking after you, my uncle or whatever she called him; I am looking after you. 13This was Mordecai’s reply to Esther. Verse 13, “Do you think you will escape there in the palace when all other Jews are killed? 14If you keep quiet at a time like this, God will deliver the Jews from some other source, but you and your relatives will die; what’s more, who can say but that God has brought you into the palace for just such a time as this?” (Esther 4:13-14 TLB). So this to me in my estimation should have been called the book of Mordecai because he was the hero in the book. He was the one that raised Esther, he was the one that spoke and said you will die just like everybody else if you don’t speak at this time. Okay, and he was the one that let the king know, he heard the plot of these two men that were going to kill the king. He let the king know and in the end, Mordecai was the one that was promoted in the whole country.
So here is Mordechai and then Esther said – her response now to Mordechai because they are not face to face. He is at the gate and she is sending messengers. 15Then Esther sent this message to Mordecai: 16“Go and gather together all the Jews of Shushan and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day; and I and my maids will do the same; and then, though it is strictly forbidden, I will go in to see the king (Esther 4:15-16 TLB). I’m not going to be quiet at a time like this.
I want to tell you that this is a time like this for God’s people that are in Babylon and in the world’s system when it is falling. It is a time like that and we must not think if we do not come out of Babylon and we stay silent and live in Babylon that we will escape. God has said; it has fallen and you come out of her. And that’s it. He loves us and He wants to protect us and He is giving us a strong word, strong word.
Eli’s sons, we have an example of that kind, the Eli type parent who doesn’t really mind if their children are liberal, you know. You can do what the world does, as long as you just, maybe, you know, go on the pill at least, you know. But you know if you want to go the way of the world, you know, or it’s okay if you want to go and do that. That’s exactly the kind of parent that Eli was, “Ag no, you shouldn’t really be doing that, my son.” You know, they were doing all kinds of things in the house of the Lord. Coming to church to meet girls, Eli’s sons. Right, and then you have the Moses type parent who just let Moses go into the will of God. The Hannah type parent that just dedicates. Then you have the Abraham type parent that commands. Then you have the Samson type parents, you know, they really did their best with Samson – don’t do this with the Philistine woman – and as a result of that the Philistines took Samson’s eyes out. You have all kinds of parents, but God, your children are to be raised by you the way Father God would raise them.
Timothy, from his childhood, knew. Two Timothy one, verse five, Amplified Bible – I think that will be my last one. Timothy was a young man and Paul is writing to Timothy. 5I am calling up memories of your sincere and unqualified faith (the leaning of your entire personality on God in Christ in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness). Here it is, look here, [a faith] that first lived permanently in [the heart of] your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice. It could have very well been your grandfather John or your father, Peter. Could have been, you see. And now, I am [fully] persuaded, [dwells] in you also ( 2 Timothy 1:5 AMPC).
See how that appearance impacts the children, influence and imprint the children. Okay. And then he says here, okay. (What do I want to finish off with here? Alright, I’m going to finish now) I’ve got so much for you, precious people, precious children, so much for you. I think I want to read Psalm 106 from verse 34, Amplified Bible. I want you to pick up God’s heartbeat here. Psalm 106:34, from verse 34. He is talking about His people. 34They did not destroy the [heathen] nations as the Lord commanded them, or Babylon, or Egypt or the world system. 35But mingled themselves with the [idolatrous] nations and learned their ways and works. 36And served their idols, which were a snare to them. 37Yes, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons (Psalm 106:34-37 AMPC). I spoke to you about the spirit of Moloch that is still at work in the earth and Baal that works with Baal. You need to do this so that you can earn a living, and you can have money and you can – it’s that spirit of Baal. It’s that whole world system, James Dobson calls it the gold medals, the gold medals of the world – rich, famous, talented, beautiful, you know, and let’s see what money you can make of it.
They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. 38And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with their blood. 39Thus were they defiled by their own works, and they played the harlot and practised idolatry with their own deeds [of idolatrous rites]. 40Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against His people (Psalm 106:37-40 AMPC). This is the main thing that God’s wanting you to see here, how He feels about this. It’s not what Pastor John and I say. God wants you to know how He feels about all this. He wants to know if He can touch your heart, if you can touch His heartbeat on this. Can your hearts beat as one? Can you get with the heart of God? Because He’s in you, you see. Can you actually get what God, how God feels about this?
40Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against His people, insomuch that He abhorred and rejected His own heritage. 41And He gave them into the hands of the [heathen] nations, and they that hated them ruled over them. 42Their enemies also oppressed them. Verse 44, 44Nevertheless He regarded their distress when He heard their cry; 45And He [earnestly] remembered for their sake His covenant and relented their sentence of evil (Psalm 106:40-42, 44-45 AMPC). Oh, so there’s a story. There’s God’s story. It’s a story of God’s love, of what His people do, and how they mingle. Right? I’m going to read you this, this last one. I will do this other part. But just this is a beautiful rhyme that God gave me – His grand design, His particular plan for me. His direction I seek, His voice must speak. My own desires I forsake. I give Him my life to take. To the cross, I come. Let the past be done. I dedicate, I consecrate today. Isn’t that beautiful? Isn’t that beautiful? We put the past behind us. Can I read that just one more time? His grand design. His particular plan for me. His direction I seek. His voice must speak. My own desires I forsake. I give Him my life to take. To the cross, I must come. Let the past be done. I dedicate, I consecrate today. Hallelujah. Let the past be done to the cross I come. Glory to God. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Glory to God. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Glory to God. Glory to God. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.
I had someone in Witbank quite distressed come to me and say; how am I going to come out? How am I going? How am I going? How am I going? And I said to him; you don’t even have to stress. As long as you come and you keep your foot in these messages. Keep your foot in the sound, keep the sound of our house coming into you. Right? You keep your foot in these messages. Meditate on these scriptures – you will find yourself by default, because you’re in these messages, walking out, not loving the world. Loving it less and less, walking out. You’ll find yourself this is how we’re all coming out together. We’re coming out of Babylon together. His Word, His messages – He’s leading us out together. Hallelujah.
There’s no, no, any angst here that needs to come. We just keep listening. Let Him rub it in, rub it in, and rub it in until we’re so fully established and we let the light keep coming in. You bring them more light, bring more light because more light came today. So we walk in the light and we become sons of the Light and our paths get brighter and brighter. Hallelujah. There’s nothing here to be anxious about. I commend you, this is the scripture that I read to you the last time, 32And now [brethren], and now children, and now parents, and now men, and now women, boys and girls, I commit you to God [I deposit you in His charge, entrusting you to His protection and care]. And I commend you to the Word of His grace [to the commands and counsels and promises of His unmerited favour]. It is able to build you up and to give you [your rightful] inheritance among all God’s set-apart ones (those consecrated, purified, and transformed of soul) (Acts 20:32 AMPC).
Thank You that the Word and the blood of Jesus protects everyone here. Thank You, Father, that they will trust the work of Your Word in their hearts by the Person of the Holy Spirit and not become anxious and not become full of remorse or regret or anything like that or condemnation, Lord. We just now are walking in this light we get now, that we have now. Hallelujah. We take it all, we take it all. We see it all and we’re walking out in the light, with the light. You bring the light and we walk right out of Babylon. We’re coming out, Father. Thank You that they’re blessed coming in, blessed going out, blessed in all their things. Blessed in their bodies, blessed in their spirit, blessed in their physical bodies, in their soul, in Jesus’ name, Father. Becoming with Pastor John and I and inquiring, seeking people like we never have before. Hallelujah. Becoming more collective greatness, increasing supernaturally, in Jesus’ name and we all say; Amen. Have a wonderful day. Thank you for listening so intently to God’s Word this morning.
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