Acts 9 x The Presence ft. edify+Elevate

I'll go while the mic gets handed to Taylor. Um, I'm sorry, I can't get over the first 15 verses, so I'm go back there real quick. Um, um, I've just been listening to what you guys are saying, right, about how it took so many— like, it didn't take much once he heard from God to pivot. And something that we've been talking to some people, um, especially those who have been around since the very beginning. It's like this year we're obeying and we're pivoting. Um, when you talk about like practicalizing it, it's like Saul heard and he completely shifted without being like, but what are, what are the people gonna say? But I was supposed to be on this mission, and what are they gonna say when— you know, he's not overthinking. Once he heard God's voice, he just went with it. And I think sometimes, especially, um, like Delilah said this, like social construct of time. Oh, I spent 10 years on this. What do you mean I have to move from the South Suburbs to Chicago to get this done? You know, so I think it's just there's real boldness in obeying, and boldness doesn't always mean loud. Um, silently obeying and obeying immediately, in my opinion, is the boldest you can be, you know. So just hearing that is so encouraging, and it's funny because it's the exact season we're in. We barely have a plan for May. We're just like, God, whatever you say, we're gonna pick up and we're gonna do that.

And, um, it's been amazing.

So I just, I just want to piggyback off of what Khalila said and how the Bible tells us that God doesn't search the outward appearance but the heart of man. So he knew Saul's heart And I believe that since Saul had that great capacity to do evil, he also had great capacity to do good. And following Christ is really about the capacity that you have in order to carry his glory. And so with that being said, don't ever feel like, oh my God, before you got saved, I did all these bad things, I'm not worthy. You actually are worthy because you have the capacity to hold God. And with that also, I just also wanted to, um, I forgot what I was about to say, but I wanted to share a scripture. Um, it's in Psalms 32:8, and God has been really dealing with me with this, and I'm reading the TPT version, and it says, I hear the Lord saying, I will stay close to you, instructing and guiding you along the pathway for your life. I will advise you along the way and lead you forth with my eyes as your guide. So don't make it difficult, don't be stubborn when I take you where you've not been been before. Don't make me tug you and pull you along. Just come with me. And as we see how Ananias sent— what God sent Ananias in Saul's life, I want to encourage you all to not despise the people that God puts in your life because he knows your beginning and end. As that scripture says, he will guide you with his eyes. So we may not be seeing, okay, you brought this person into my life, how can they benefit me? But later down the line, God knows where you're going. So don't despise who God brings in your life in this season.

Amen. Amen.

Yeah, y'all, this is so good. So someone mentioned what keeps sticking out to me is just the Lord's power and how this is after Jesus was crucified. He didn't have to do another thing. He didn't have to do another miracle. He didn't have to show nobody else nothing, but he is flexing. He is really flexing in this, and he is like issuing a challenge. Like Saul's conversion was a challenge, um, to the Pharisees. Like y'all, I think Kirsten, you mentioned also like he's giving everybody an opportunity. Nobody is going to be able to say that they don't know who the Lord is. These people know They know who Saul is, they know what he was doing, they know like what his doctrine was, and they saw him, they saw his conversion. They can't deny what they saw. And he issued a challenge also to the believers, the disciples who are already following the Lord. They have a challenge now too. Y'all gonna be afraid or y'all gonna really remember that I am the God who raised Christ Jesus from the dead? Like, I can do all things, so why can I not convert this man who was a murderer as well? Why can I not do that? And the scripture that keeps coming to mind from this is a passage in 1 Corinthians about how the Lord uses the foolish things to shame the wise. And he's talking about Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom when we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles. But that whole thing is about how the cross to the Pharisees and to folks is foolishness. The same way that this man who was crucifying the Lord's people, that would be foolish that he would now turn around and be saved and be preaching the word to people. But it's like, it's just so good to me that the Lord is still using him and he's still performing all these miracles, but he don't have to do it no other way.

Yeah, that's good.

I'd also like to note that in Acts 9:15-30, Saul— no, no, no, I'm not doing that no verse, y'all. I'm really just— this is what's really on my heart. Saul experienced persecution like immediately. It says, yes, he started preaching immediately. Right? So back to my original point where there was— he surrendered, we surrender. Lord, I want to live for you. Lord, I'm saved. And then now it's like, now life hard. Now people got a problem with me. Now family members acting weird. Now my friends feel like— now, now you don't fit in anymore. Now it's like things starting to change, but it don't all feel good all the time. And so we see that Saul, he, he, he gets saved, he get— he converts, but he is experiencing people wanting to stick to the old version of him. They want to hold on to the old version of him. And so we, we don't read that Saul had a moment, he cried, say, Lord, I can't do it no more, they talking about me, they this, this and that, I don't know if I can do it, Lord. We, we read that Saul continued. Saul was hiding, they was hiding out to figure out when they could kill him, and they had to bring him down and all these things. He didn't stop. Like, he could have immediately got discouraged, like, you know what, I'm better off just killing him, like, I can't do this no more, right? He stayed locked sin. And so I think it's really important to note that after we've decided to surrender, after we've decided and we have this encounter with him, the Lord literally says to Ananias like, no, I need you to go. Go ahead, he praying to me right now, um, but I, I will show him how much he must suffer for my name's sake. Like, that stuck out to me because I'm like, dang Lord, he couldn't get a break? Like, and he like, no, he needed— like, I gotta go show him that this is not about to be easy. But I feel like what all— what we've all been saying is that he's telling Saul, keep that same energy but with me. Keep that same energy but for my— for my works. And I think that tells us, like, keep that same energy. I love what Taylor said about, um, just like how— how he uses how you were operating before him and after him. He doesn't want to— he created you fearfully and wonderfully. He wants you to be you but for him. He doesn't want to change your whole personality, how you—

sick?

Why are we not out evangelizing, you know what I mean? Why are we not out making disciples? Why are we harboring the word for ourselves? Because there's people that's out here that's actually dying, the walking dead in the streets, and we're just content because we have God ourselves. So, and another thing, because I love—

we—

what we've been talking— so Edify and Elevate, cultivating the fruit, we've gone— we broke down each week. The first week was the plow, the second week was the planting, and in our study in, in And how it connects to this is that when we went through the parable of the sower, and when the seed falls, it's the same seed. And we know that the seed is what? The word of God, right? When Saul began to experience persecution and suffering, that seed had taken, that seed had fallen first on good soil. So that old version of him was plowed up, turned over. So that the soil was fresh, so that when the seed was planted, it took root. It didn't fall on thorny ground where he got distracted and he's listening to all these people say, "But ain't that, ain't he the one that," and he, "Oh, never mind." He gets discouraged and then the thorns choke out that what was grown and it dies. Or it wasn't on shallow ground where the seed is planted and it don't take root. So as soon as life happened and adversity happened, now you discouraged. Now you, "Lord, I can't.

I'm tired.

I ain't gonna do this no more." You want to go back and doing what you want to do. You want to go back to the unplowed view. But this fell on good soil.

So where—

when the persecution happens for us, when it happened to Saul, we stayed locked in. We still coming to Bible study. We still praying for the person we don't want to pray for. For real, for real, we don't want to pray for them, but we still got to pray for them. We're still going to go to that uncle we don't want to— like, we're still going to be around them and be cordial and be a light to what my husband said. Like, that is evidence. That is evidence that that seed fell on good soil. Because when persecution and suffering happens, how do you respond? How are you— are you— are you showing that you even connected to the Lord? Where'd that seed go? Did it die?

Go ahead, Bri. Y'all talking good.

Um, I really like what you said.

That's not what I'm trying to say, but I really like what you said because it brought me back to like why we're even here studying Acts, is the whole point of us gathering was like, what is the church supposed to look like? And so I appreciate I appreciate you raising that point. It's like we have to get more comfortable going outside of our bubble and going and preaching and teaching outside of the four walls of our church and our communities. Speaking of community, I got really caught up in like between verses 23 and 30 on the buts. There were several scriptures where in 23 it talks about they were conspiring to kill Saul. 25 says, but his followers course took him. Then you skip down to 26. He tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And so there's something in here about community, right? And how important it is for us to be in community with one another and for us to be looking out for each other and be able to save one another when things are happening, to be able to take us into shelter. It says when they took him to Damascus, he was able to move around freely and speak boldly in the name of the Lord. But that wouldn't have happen if these folks that were watching over him hadn't intervened for him. And so I just also wanted to call attention to how important it is for us to stay in community, but also how important it is for us to like stay close to new believers because they will experience that persecution and they will experience that wrestling with their faith. And is this worth it?

And should I be doing this?

And if he not had not had those people around him, I just wonder what would happen.

And so yeah, that's what we call that. I hope you guys haven't already talked because I stepped out for a second. Um, about how—

so I don't know if we spoke on the Holy Spirit yet.

Did we?

No. So I think it's really symbolic that the scale didn't fall until the Holy Spirit was present. Um, Okay, so I think that is not to be missed because there wasn't a restoration of sight, there wasn't a restoration of wisdom, knowledge until the Holy Spirit was imparted on him. And Ananias brought it as a command of the Lord. And it's just like he laid hands on Saul, and that's the authority that Jesus has given the church to lay hands on people to impart the Holy Spirit. So I just think I, I don't want to miss that part, just how then he preached, he did all these good things, but not without the Holy Spirit. And I think that we just always have to remember that it's not us, we're not doing it.

It's—

if we're doing it and he's not we're not doing anything.

Uh, just real quick, because y'all two actually already said it, and I just think it's so fire. Like, God's been connecting, like, everything that's on your hearts. And I know somebody thinking about something, somebody else said to you, like, dang, like, God already said it. But I always like to put us in, in the text. And if you look and examine yourself to what she said, are you fully prepared to handle the persecution not just like, not just like, oh, people gonna disown me, or people gonna call me weird, or they're not gonna rock with me no more. But like, where God— because all of y'all are leaders, like every single one of y'all, and God is about to send y'all somewhere, um, to gain his territory back for him. And that means that persecution is going to come, because where the presence of God is, the enemy is going to try to take that back.

So, um, my question to y'all is, if you examine yourself, are you—

despite no knowing that persecution is going to come, are you ready to take on that responsibility that God has given you? And to where I know he gonna go, where he's about to say, it's going to prepare you to handle that. Because like she said, in our own strength, in our own might, like, we can't handle that. Like, we gonna crumble under the weight 100 times. But because where he gonna go, my next question to you is, are you also ready to be like Ananias? Because in Ezekiel it talks about the responsibility of submitting the word to the unbeliever and to the righteous. So if you see the righteous falling astray and you don't say something, you get that counted against you. And to the likes of that, if you see somebody stepping wrong and you don't say something, God is going to speak to you about that. So are you prepared to, one, take that persecution? And two, are you prepared to know that every opportunity that God speaks to you, the Holy Spirit speaks to you and tells you, hey, you supposed to go talk to her, you supposed to go talk to him. Like, are you ready to submit to that? Because the implications of what's on the backside and no, it's not only detrimental to them, the one that's fallen astray and the one that needs to find Christ, but it's going to be accounted to you.

Y'all, can we give the Lord a praise real quick? So Um, we can turn that mic off. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.

Thank you, Jesus.

See, there's something that the Lord has promised me in my walk with him. And as I do ministry, as I go to place to place to place, there's something that he has guaranteed me. He said that his presence will be with me. And there's a component of your walk with God where you can be a carrier of his presence.

So that means that Damascus Road that Paul had an encounter with. That road, that place of encounter, is inside of you. You are carrying that place of encounter everywhere you go. But are people being changed? Are scales falling from their eyes? We walk into rooms and leave and people remain blind.

How?

I'm tired.

That encounter that he had has been placed inside of you, and you pray for people and nothing happens.

See, I'm—

we studied the book, we got to live it out. And I love some good theology, I do. But in America today, it's not— if I can say— it's not that we are not smart, it's that we lack power. So I'm going to give you two choices tonight. You can either be Ananias or you can be Saul. You can either be Ananias and know what you carry and go to someone and fill them, or you can be sore knowing that you need to be filled, but once you're filled, you're still going back out to fill people. Those are your options. And one thing I love about this scripture, when Paul was running from persecution, you know where they took him back to? Sarsa. Let's go back to 30. When the The brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus. So this man went back to where he began. Some of you, when you leave this place, you're going back to your family and said, nah, something changed about me. When you leave this room, you're going back to a place and people gonna say, where did you go? Let me tell you, I had an encounter.

And you would testify that something in my life has changed.

You can either be Ananias— you see, when you were talking about the hospitals, the Lord been putting this in my mind for months, that we got a lot of people in the church playing doctor. There's no paramedics. And what happens when there are no paramedics? How are they going to get to the hospital? So we got all these people in pulpits doing surgery on nobody, cuz ain't nobody in the building except for the people that already believe. But we are supposed to take dead things, bring them to the hospital, and watch the dead come back to life. We need paramedics. Oh Jesus. I'm so tired of playing church. Talk, talk, talk, talk. Meanwhile, Paul said, I didn't come to you with the excellency of speech, but with the demonstration of power. There are some people in this world that won't believe what you say, but they will believe what you do, man.

The Lord is ready to mark some people tonight.

All we need is a few people like Ananias, ready to intercede for people that are still walking with scales on their eyes, ready to obey when the Lord says, leave your living room, go to the corner and preach the gospel. How many more scales will fall from the eyes of the city of Chicago if we actually preach the thing and did the thing, man. The Lord is upon that lady. Will somebody be like Ananias and lay hands on her? And everything the Lord wants to do in her life, everything the Lord wants to redeem, everything that's obscured your vision— if there will be some people like Ananias and go on behalf of the Lord and make an impartation occur by way of the Holy Ghost. Can a few intercessors stand on their feet with me right now and begin to pray? I don't know if you are Saul in this room. I don't know if you are Ananias in this room, but one thing is for certain: you will not leave here the same way you came. Can somebody begin to pray? Can somebody begin to pray? Gabe, I'mma need you tonight, brother. Whatever the Lord puts on your heart. See, this is the time we practicalize the presence. This is where you begin to understand what presence means. It's not about words, it's about a people marked by the Holy Ghost. You cannot walk into the room and they don't feel the presence of the Lord. Can somebody begin to pray? The presence of God is tangible. You can behold it. You can feel the weight of who you are.

No words can carry.

Who is like you, oh Lord?

Who is like thee? Who is like you, oh Lord?

Can somebody pray with me?

Who is like you?

I begin to intercede on everyone that carries a Saul-like spirit, moving around in darkness, no purpose. The Bible says there's a path that seems right to a man, but it ends up in destruction. You think you are doing well, you think you are living right, but you don't know the Lord has come to mock you for righteousness. The Lord has come to transform you. He's come to turn your life around if you will humble yourselves and be like Saul.

What is it, Lord?

What would you have I do? Where would you have I go? The Lord is sending you to some places, and you need a community that knows how to intercede. If there are some praying people in the room, can you begin to roar? Man, I got this microphone, so I'm holding back, but I need people that can do it for me. Oh, I need you. I need my people to pray. I need Holly to pray. I need Genesis to pray. I need Brittany and Brittany to pray. Can somebody begin to roar? This is where we practicalize the presence of God.

I know the weight of my calling. I cannot enter into a room and all you heard was good thoughts.

I need Eric to take his place of authority and set the captives free.

How do of their belly shall flow rivers of living waters. The scales cannot remain there. Blindness cannot remain there. Deafness cannot remain there. Because where the Spirit of the Lord is, there's liberty.

There's a fullness of joy.

Holy Spirit, you can leave with something tonight.

You can leave with something tangible.

You can behold it, you can handle it, you can wear it.

He is ready to give you the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Every heavy spirit in this room, by the power of the Holy Spirit, you have no business here.

Can somebody begin to intercede?

You will leave this place marked.

You came in this room, so you submitted to the authority of the gospel.

And the gospel says, let my people go.

Every Pharaoh, every Egyptian, Every occultic power holding you back, every spirit of Leviathan, break, break, break, break, break, break, break, break.

This is your day of liberty, for the Lord has anointed me to preach glad tidings to the poor. To proclaim the day of liberty to the captives, to lay hands on the sick and they receive their healing, to set the captives free.

Everything that has—

this is where you fight for your destiny.

Anything holding me back, this is your Damascus moment. Set the See the light, walk in freedom.

I take it back.

I take back my joy, my peace, my love, my goodness, my faithfulness, my patience, my self-control.

Every fruit of the Spirit, I take it back. I need an Ananias or two.

I need a Saul who is now Honest Paul.

She's not playing about her life. Tomorrow is too far.

I can't wait for tomorrow, not when today is available.

Lord, mark me, mark me.

I will not look the same.

I will not sound the same.

Everywhere the The gospel is preached, I will be received in the fullness of the Lord. Can somebody pray? They laid hands on him and he was filled with the Holy Ghost. Your story can be the same. Fill me up till there's nothing left.

Can you submit to the authority of Jesus?

These signs shall follow them that believe. Let the Holy Spirit have his way.

Don't let this moment pass you by.

I will not take it up to chance. Tomorrow is too far. What right now is available, I take it now.

You are free, and whoever the Son of Man sets free is free indeed.

Can someone intercede?

Where are the tarrying aunties?

Where are the praying uncles? You can be like Ananias.

It may not be about you tonight, but it's about your neighbor.

Can somebody pray? Practicing the presence of God.

When God shows up, fear must leave, anxiety must leave, depression must leave. Darkness must leave, death must run, for what business does darkness have with light? All power to you, Holy Father, we worship precious Jesus, our Savior, Holy Spirit.

I pray for you in the name of Jesus. Your life will never be the same. Your life will never be the same.

Your life will never be the same.

Your life will never be the same. Everything you have lost so far in life, the Lord restore. You recover it all.

You will miss no good thing. Your yesterday is yesterday. Your today is today.

The Bible says the path of righteous shines brighter and brighter and brighter unto the perfect day. All things have passed away.

Behold, you are a new creation in the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus, everything that was stolen from you, the Lord recover full.

The Lord is your shepherd.

You lack no good thing.

Can somebody pray?

Can you find someone to pray for?

Husbands, pray for your wives. You are her priest.

You are her pastor.

She can't cover you. It is your responsibility to cover her.

I wish the men would take their place.

Can sisters pray for their brothers?

For fire, you serve.

Can you be like Ananias and leave the comfort of your home to intercede for a man you are afraid of?

You're my battle.

For someone they may not treat you well, can somebody pray for their enemy?

You fight my battles.

For likewise you heap hot coals on their head.

You do not repay their evil for evil. When they give you evil, you give them good. When they give you good, you give them grace.

There's enough people in this city to flip Chicago upside down.

The Lord knows what's on the other side of this gathering. My provider.

For in Jesus' name we have prayed. Acts chapter 9 and verse 31, and scripture reads, then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified, and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied. You see, after this encounter, those cities had peace. I believe that we can leave this room and just by obedience, the city of Chicago can find peace. It don't take many. It don't take a mega church. It takes one Ananias. It takes one willing vessel that finds someone like Saul and pray, and the city of Chicago receives their peace. Can somebody pray for their city?

We cannot have the fruit of the Spirit called peace and our city lack peace.

It's not possible. I cannot carry the fruit and my city does not have evidence of it. The north side, peace be upon you. The south side, peace be upon you. The west side, peace be upon you. Downtown, peace be upon you. For there's a fruit of this thing in these bellies, in these mortal bodies. You don't need to know them by flesh. We know them by the Spirit.

We know none by the flesh.

I pray for you because I know you by the Spirit. So I pray for you, my friend, peace in your life.

Spirit of God, fall fresh on us. We need your presence. Spirit of God, Fall fresh on us, we need your presence. Spirit of God, fall fresh on us, we need your presence. Oh, Spirit of God, fall fresh on us, We need your presence. We need your presence. We need your presence. Spirit of God, for fresh On us, we need your presence. It's your breath in our lungs, so we pour out our praise.

We pour out our praise. It's your breath in our lungs, so we pour out our praise to you, Lord.

Holy, it's your breath.

It's your breath in our lungs.

In our lungs.

So we pour out our praise. We pour out our praise.

It's your breath in our lungs. So we pour out our praise to you, holy.

And all the earth will shout your praise.

Our hearts will cry, these bones will sing. Great are you, Lord.

And all the earth will shout your praise.

Our hearts will sing.

These bones will sing.

Great are you, Lord. It's your breath So we pour out our praise to you only. Great are you, Lord.

Oh, great are you, Lord.

So I wanna, I wanna do something, and you don't have to come, but the Lord has given me permission to lay hands on people. And if you want me to lay hands on you as Eric begins to minister, just come forth and we will impart whatever the Lord has put in a few hearts tonight.

You are Alpha and Omega.

Yes, we worship you, our Lord, because you are worthy to be praised. Yes, you are Alpha and Omega. We worship you, our Lord, 'cause you are worthy to be praised.

Yes, you are Alpha and Omega. As we worship you, our Lord, you are worthy to be praised.

And we give you all the glory.

'Cause we worship you, our Lord.

'Cause you are worthy to be praised. Yes, we give you all the glory. We worship you, our Lord. You are worthy to be praised.

'Cause you are Alpha and Omega.

Omega.

'Cause we worship you, our Lord. Our Lord. 'Cause you are worthy to be praised. Oh Lord my God, when I'm in awesome wonder, consider all the works thy hands have made. I see the stars as I hear the roaring thunder, thy power Thou art throughout the universe displayed. Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee, how great thou art, how great thou art.

Then sings my soul Oh, my Savior, God, to thee, how great thou art.

Lord, we worship you. So worthy, so worthy, so great. We worship you.

And day and night, night and day, let incense arise. Day and night, night and day, let incense Incense arise! Day and night, night and day let incense arise! Day and night, night and day let incense rise! And—day and night, night and day let incense arose! In-day-and-night... Night and daylight Incense arises! Day and night, night and day, let incense arise. Day and night, night and day, you're worthy of it all. You're worthy of it all. From you are all things, and to you are all things. For you deserve the glory. You worthy of it all. You worthy of it all. And for fruit You are all things, and to you are all things, for you deserve the glory. Hallelujah! All day and all night, worship surrounds your throne. Day and all night, 24/7, God, worship, worship.

Worthy of every song we could ever sing. You're worthy of all the praise we can ever bring. Hey, you're worthy of every breath we could ever breathe.

We live for you, no one else.

We live for you.

It's Jesus' name above every other name.

Jesus, the only one who could ever save. Yes, you are.

You're worthy of every breath we could ever breathe.

We live for you.

Oh, we live for you.

Cuz only There is no one like you, and there is none beside you. Open up my eyes in wonder, show me who you are, and fill me with your heart, and lead me in your love to those around me.

<LYRICS>I will build my life upon your love.

It is a firm foundation. I will put my trust in you alone, and I will not be shaken.</LYRICS> And I will build my life upon your love. It is a firm foundation, and I will put my trust in you alone, and I will not be shaken. Is holy. There is no one like you, and there is none beside you. Open up my eyes in wonder.

Show me who you are and fill me with your heart and lead me in your love to those Those around me, those around me, and your name is the highest, your name is the greatest, and your Your name stands above them all. All thrones and dominions, all powers and positions, your name stands above them all.

Your name, your name is the highest, and your name is the greatest.

Your name stands above them all.

All thrones and dominions, all powers and positions, your name stands above them all.

And the angels cry, holy, holy, holy. Creation, Christ, holy. You were lifted high, holy, holy forever. Hear your people sing holy to King of kings. He's holy, and you will always be holy, holy forever.

Holy, holy are you, Lord God Almighty. Worthy is the Lamb. Can we sing this together? Worthy is the Lamb.

You are holy, holy, holy.

Who is he to you? Are you Lord God?

Tell them who he is.

Tell them who he is. This is Holy Week. We are marching towards the cross. We are moving towards the resurrection.

You are hope.

We are saying the grave is empty.

Are you Lord God?

Lord God, Almighty, worthy, worthy is the Lamb.

Worthy is the Lamb. Worthy is— You are holy, holy, holy, holy.

Sing, are you, Lord God? Are you, Lord God, Almighty? Sing worthy is the Lamb, sing worthy is the Lamb!

Worthy is the Lamb— Sing worthy is the Lamb! Holy is the Lamb— This is what it means to stay here. Holy is the Lamb, worthy until the Lord has done. Worthy— somebody take that angel beat! Sing worthy is the Lamb, worthy is the Lamb, sing worthy is the Lamb, worthy is the Lamb, sing worthy is the Lamb, worthy is the Lamb, I told you about this boy, I told you about I told you about this boy.

See, worthy is the Lamb, and your sons and your daughters.

See, worthy is the Lamb, and your sons and your daughters.

Worthy is the Lamb. Sing, worthy is the Lamb. Worthy is the Lamb.

Amen.

Amen.

I want to do something with all of the capacity for prayer in this room right now.

I want to pray for him.

My God, my God. I want to pray for him. My God, my God.

I want to pray for him.

My God.

If you need proof, if you need evidence that the Holy Spirit is taking over not just us, but our children and their children and their children and their children and their children and their children and their children for a thousand generations.

She has labored over this child, and she sees What the Lord is doing in her sight. Holy Spirit. Oh Jesus. Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit.

I don't even know how to pray for the boy.

Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit.

So set a fire down in my soul that I can't contain and I can't control. I want more of you, God. I want more of you, God. So set a fire down in my soul that I can't contain and I can't control, cuz I want more of you, God, and I want more of you, God. So set a fire down in my soul that I can't contain and I can't control. I want more of you, God, I want more of you, God. And set a fire down in my soul that I can't contain and I can't control, cuz I want more of more of you, God. I need more of you, God. We want more. We want more. We want more of you, so pour it out. We want more. We want more. We want more. Pour it out, pour it out, pour it out. Overflow, overflow. Yes, God. Yes, God. Overflow.

Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.

Thank you, Jesus. John, can we turn that pad down?

I promise y'all I want to go, but imagine if we left and that didn't happen. I promise I want to go.

I don't even know what's happening right now.

I just keep seeing his presence.

Can y'all stretch our hands to him for me and just begin to pray as the Spirit leads you? Scripture says, train up a child in the way that he will go, he will not depart from it.

He decided to minister unto the Lord, he would not depart. He decided to find an instrument led by nobody but God himself, he would not depart from it. He found something nothing doing in our gathering. He will not depart from it. He didn't allow his hands to be empty. He will not depart from it. He did not say that he's too young. He did not say he is too young.

He did not say he's too young. He is not.

Lord, we thank you. Lord, we pray for every pregnant woman in this place, every parent to be.

Every current parent, your children will not go wayward.

Your children will not be a nuisance.

Lord, we pray for every child represented in this room.

But children are the heritage of the Lord. Our nieces, our nephews, our sons, our daughters.

They are marked for God in the name of Jesus. Whatever we can't do, they will do. Wherever we can't go, they will go.

We leave behind an inheritance of prayer, an inheritance of worship, inheritance of studying the word of God in harmony. Lord God, as we go, I pray that you give us the understanding that there's nothing special about this gathering, that your Holy Spirit is capable inside each and every one of us. I pray that we take revival to our living rooms.

I pray we take your presence to our cars.

I pray when you go to work tomorrow morning, I pray when you go to work tomorrow morning, I pray when you go to work tomorrow morning, the pagans in your office will bear witness to the God inside of you.

Be with you. There's nothing like your presence, Lord. All I want is to worship you. There's nothing like your presence, Lord. All I want is to be with you. There's nothing like your presence, Lord. This is where we stay. All I want is to worship you.

Lord God, we bless you. We give you glory, honor, and power, for it belongs to you.

Lord, I pray that it doesn't stop here. I pray that even our fellowship will be anointed.

Lord, I pray The same way you connected Ananias to Saul, may you make connections in this room in the name of Jesus. Whoever we are in need of that is in this room, may the Lord send them to us in the name of Jesus. Jesus, whatever destiny helper is in this room right now, may we not walk past them in the name of Jesus. Father, give us the eyes to eyes to see and the ears to hear. Well, we love you, for yours is the kingdom, yours is the power, yours is the glory, now and forevermore. Until Christ comes.

And the church said amen. I just want to thank God. Um, I want to thank Kirsten and the Edify and Elevate team. I don't even know what to say, to be honest. But, um, I know for the Tank community, this is going to be our last study for this season, and then we come back in, in May. So we're taking April off because April is our month to do what we just learned. So we're not going to be studying in April. Your job is to go out there and do what you just read in Acts chapter 1 through 9. Do it. The Tuesdays that you carved out for study, I'm giving you permission. Go preach to someone. Go to a homeless shelter. Go give some clothes away. Do something. Sell some of your possessions and go give it to people in need. What you just read in the Bible is not theory. It's something that you practicalize. So we'll spend all April practicalizing that, and then we'll come back in May. Um, any departing words?

I love y'all. I do. I love everything. Yeah, I do. I'm a words of affirmation girl, so I, I just, I'd like to affirm folks. I love you all. I appreciate, um, your pour out and that you will be filled back up. Um, I always leave spaces like this like empty but full at the same time. Um, and so I want to just honor P.O. and Christine. I want to say thank you for Seriously, I told Brittany, my husband, all this. When you all ready to open the church, you got some founding members.

You have some founding members.

Yeah, yeah. The last thing I will say, and as far as the Edify and Elevate community, so we— this was our very first like in-person gathering, and I seriously thank you all for um, there's a lot of firsts when you start stuff. You always remember the firsts. And so I've always remembered this and every single person that was a part of this. Um, we, we meet virtually, um, but we don't meet every month. The next Bible study will be in July, um, in Jesus' name. It will be in person if the Lord will give us a space. Um, but if that's something that you all are interested in, just come and find me and I can make sure that you all get that information. And then the last thing I did want to share is that another space that we are gathering in the end of April, April 25th. Um, we're having our first event, um, and we will be— it's called Radiate and Elevate the Fruit. And so we're partnering with Divine Radiance. They're a faith fragrance brand, and so you can curate your own fragrance. And we know the importance of fragrance in the word. I think Corinthians talks about how, um, it's a sweet aroma. Our, our worship is a sweet aroma to the Father. So if that is something you're interested in, come and find me as well. That's April 25th. It's gonna be refreshments, you'll make your own fragrance, we'll have conversation like this. Um, it is co-ed, so fellas, go on and come and bring your boys, um, because we need more men. Like, there's a whole bunch of women in spaces like this, but the men need to be in there too. Your voice is very important. So I hope to see you all there, and thank you. Everyone be safe. Cover him, Lord.

All right, a few last things my wonderful wife reminded me of because she cold. Um, Prayer Gym. We pray every day, twice a day. So if you love prayer, we got some prayer for you. It's called— okay, what is the Prayer Gym? The Prayer Gym is the space we've created to help people build their faith through prayer. So, um, it's an app. We come into the Iowa Oluseun Arowolaju, in Jesus' name. And it's just something we've put together to just help people build up the capacity to pray. None of this happened without prayer. I just want to say that, like, you know, this is a byproduct of prayer that happened before today. You get me? You don't come in spaces like this and pray and then this stuff— that's mercy when that happens, you know. So this prayer that came before, and it's been daily, twice a day, so we will continue on if the Lord keeps giving us that grace, as I believe he will. The second thing is we are the church and we are not a church. I gotta put that disclaimer out because the requirement to be a part of the tent is that you have to belong to a local assembly. I'm sorry, but like, if you don't belong to a local assembly, I have nothing to help you be accountable. Um, like, I just—

I'm not a pastor.

I mean, I, I don't, I don't, I don't, I I don't function as a pastor in this season, let me say that.

Like, I'm not, I'm not doing a ton of shepherding. I'm doing a lot of disciplining and forming in this season. So I, I have like a really— I have a rod with me and not necessarily like a comfort right now. So God bless the people that can be around, cuz I don't know why y'all stay around, but apparently people like correction, uh, in the name of Jesus. Um, and then the last thing is to stay connected with us. Just follow us on our Instagram. Um, we got a WhatsApp, whatever. If you want to— we changed our Instagram. We changed our Instagram to the 10CC. That now stands for the 10 Christian Collective. Um, so that's the banner that we're going under. Um, I think that's it. Not Community Church. These— they be playing. They going to be the ones that run it, cuz I'm not going to be here. So, um, we got merch, the giving stuff. Amen. Let's pray. Lord God, I just want to say thank you.

Thank you for community.

Lord, we learned today that one of the things that set Saul apart was community he had in Ananias. He stayed and studied with the disciples. Lord, may we not overlook that. Lord, whatever we have learned May we go take it back to our communities and solidify it. May we be like the Bereans and study the scriptures and to see if what we said aligns with what you said. Lord, have the final say, have the only say, in the name of Jesus. Lord, I pray that as we go back out into that world, the world will recognize the anointing we carry. I pray that they see the light that we shine. I pray that they see the salt that we possess. Lord God, I pray for anybody that is still struggling to believe that God is speaking to them. Anybody that is asking, Lord, is that you? Lord, I pray that you affirm your own voice in their heart right now, in the name of Jesus. Yes, God.

Yes, God. We create space to do so.

Lord God, we love you and we bless you. We pray this in your Son Jesus' name. And the church said, happy Holy Week. God bless you. No, I'm talking like here. Like, not today.

I'm trying to tell you something else. I don't know what you heard, but really, I'm like, who are you?