 You are at the right place at the right time. So with that being said, let's just go straight into the word of God and what God has for us tonight. We believe if you came here tonight with the sickness, God will be able to touch your life. We believe that those of you that came here with depression, with bondages, with heaviness upon your heart, that you will leave this place different. Or if you came here and you don't know God, you do not know who Jesus Christ is, that tonight is going to be an opportunity to meet your Father, to meet your Creator in Jesus' name, amen. It is unfortunate today to find out that many Christians, they easily grumble, murmur and complain. If you guys, anybody had those kind of people that easily, anything that happens, they right away, they throw their hands up, they begin to complain, they begin to murmur, why me, why certain things are happening. It is because their life is centered on how they are doing, how they are feeling and how they are being treated. Everybody in this place has a situation. You have a situation, I have a situation. But the question is, how do you respond to your situation? Ask your neighbor, how do you respond to your situation? How do you handle your situation? When we look at the biblical characters in the Bible, we see Joseph, we see David, we see different types of people. We each have understand that God had arranged different events in their life and these events, they continued to unfold until God's master plan, God's design and God's destiny was accomplished in people's lives. So this to show that what may happen in my life will be different in your life and what happens in your life will be different from your neighbor's life. In your neighbor's life, by each one of us, we will go through certain times of troubles, of situations and our trouble is to push it closer to God, amen. And this morning, this evening, I wanted to just be able to spend some time to talk to you guys about our dreams, our destinies and what God called us to do and what God called us to have. There's something far more important than our present situation and that is our divine destiny. Who God called us to be, what God called us to have and the dream that God has placed in your and my heart. If you have your Bible, let us open to Genesis 15 and we're going to read from verses 1 to 5. If you didn't bring your Bible, we have things on the screen that says, After these things, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision saying, Do not be afraid Abram, I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward. By Abram said, Lord God, why will you give me seen, I go childless, and the hair of my house is a laser of Damascus. Then Abram said, Look, you have given me no offspring. Indeed, the one born my house is my heir. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him saying, This one shall not be your heir, but the one who will come from your own body shall be your heir. Then he brought him outside and said, Look, now towards heaven and count the stars, if you are able to number them, and he said to him, So shall your descendants be. Tonight's message, if you are taking notes, will be count the stars. We're going to just go through a few points and if you have your taking notes, the first point will be that God will change your name in order to change your nature. Before God wants to give you anything, before God wants to bless you with the things, you know, a good future, a career, you know, a relationship, a marriage, a family, God will not bless you until he changes your mind until he begins to change your name. Many of us, many of us Christians, we come to God and we say, God, change my situation. God, bring me a healing. God, give me a better job. God, give me, you know, a better mom and dad. God, give me a better boss because he's making me mad. God, give me this, God, give me this, but with God, he does not work like that. Before God changes our situation, he first begins to change our name. He first begins to change our mind. Everybody wants a change situation. Everybody wants a better job, but they are stuck with the poor mindset. What's a better job when you're still thinking poor? What is a better job if you believe that God will not provide for your needs? What is a better job going to do? You know, it is actually been said, the national endowment for financial education, science, research, estimated that 70% of people who suddenly receive a large sum of money will lose it within a few years. In 2002, there was this man, Jack, he was already a millionaire and he won 350 million in lottery in West Virginia. Just four years later, he declared bankruptcy. This to show you that many of us, we pray and we ask God, give me a better life, but yet our name is not yet changed. And with God, God works the opposite. God first comes to Abraham and he says that, look, you will be no longer called Abraham. He will be called Abraham, the father of many nations. And to Abraham at that time, he was like, well, God, I don't know if you knew I'm old. Kind of, you know, you know, you have gray hair. My wife, she's barren, she's also old and she's, you know, and we have no children. How are you saying to me that I will be a father of many nations? But God works in that way. God first comes to us and he begins to change and name what we call ourselves, what we believe, our name, our insight and begins to change. Our insight, he says, this is who you are before your reality begins to change. You know, back in the day when I was in Russia, they used to call me Martyshka. And it means like, if you translate, it means like a monkey. So I look back now and I'm like, no wonder I acted like that. So here I come to America and I go to school and they called me in school, a Russian. You know, the ones who steals everything and drives a BMW. Exactly, that's what happened. I chose my brother's BMW. Then now I got married and my wife calls me handsome. That's still catching up to my reality. But it's many of us in here who are sitting in this place. We have been given a name. We've been given a name by our past. We've been given a name by our parents. We've been given a name by our mistakes, by our weakness. And in order for us to receive a different blessing from God, God first wants to change our name. God wants to first make you to understand that you are not somebody's mistake. You are not your past. You are not your weakness. You are not what you've done or you are not what you're left undone. You are what God's word says you are. You have what God's word says that you have. And you will do what God says word that you will do. God begins to call you by your future and not by your past. God is not concerned of what happened. God knows and God looks at you. He sees a prosperous you. He sees a healed you. He sees a you that is delivered. He sees a you that is on top and not on the bottom. He sees a you that everything that your hand lays on will prosper. But if you are stuck with the name that everything that I touch will not prosper, then how can God give you something that will prosper? Because you believe that anything that you touch will not work. You believe that every relationship that you get into will begin to break. You begin to be called that everybody in your family gets a cancer and they died at an early age. You begin to believe that everybody in your family does not graduate from school. They work and they don't have enough money to pay for the bills. They're always in poverty mindset. And God comes to that and begins to challenge us. He begins to challenge Abraham. You are no longer Abraham. You shall be called Abraham the father of many nations. Tonight I want to get a message across to you that God first wants to change your name. God first wants to change you on the inside. Begins to change your mindset that you do not think like a victim, but you begin to think like a victor. You no longer begin to think that I am just a poor me fighting sickness. That you begin to think that I am a healthy person fighting sickness. That you no longer begin to think how I am going to provide for myself. That you stand up on God's word and know that my God will supply all my needs according to his riches and not according to my boss. Amen. God wants to change your insight. God wants to change your name to make you realize that you will be the head and you will not be the tail. Yes, you might have done some things and they were wrong, but still God says this is who you are and this is how you will act. You are not your weakness. You are not your mistake and you are not your past. You are a child of God who is made to reign and sit in the high places with Jesus. Amen. God first changes our mind before God changes our reality. God comes to Joshua and in Joshua 6.2 and he says, I have given you a Jericho. It's like saying that Joshua is about to go fight a war. God comes to him and says, you have won already. Joshua is like, how have we won if we have not even fought yet? But God wanted to bring to Joshua into his mind and says, look, you are not fighting for victory. You are fighting from victory. You are already victorious. The battle has been won. You just have to go and take it. God comes to Abraham and he says, look, you are not Abraham. You are Abraham, so you need to be walking every day. Your wife has to call you Abraham. You need to hear. Your neighbors need to hear that you are Abraham. That you are no longer just Abraham. That you are a father of many nations. Yes, your reality might not align, but you need to first believe it and then God's begin to change our reality around us. Amen. There was a Dr. Yungichiro when he first was beginning his ministry. He had seven people in his tent. They first started off and they had only seven people in the church. And God spoke to him and said, look, you are not a pastor anymore of a small church. You are going to be a pastor of the largest church in the world. So you can't be preaching. You can't be talking. You can't be leading a church of seven people. You have to be preaching and talking. At first he gave me a vision that you will be a pastor of 300 people. So Dr. Yungichiro was like, well, how can I be? I only have seven people. One pew. How do you want me to act like I'm a pastor of 300? It doesn't make sense. He said, okay, I'll do it. He comes to his service. He gets up on the pulpit and begins to shout. Back then they didn't have any mics. God loves you. God's gonna save you. And the people in front of the road are like, why are you screaming? We're right here. So no, I am a pastor of 300 people. He begin to walk. He begin to preach. He believe God changed his name. That you're going to be a pastor of a larger church. From then his members grew to 300. Then God came to him again and said, you need to believe that your church is going to be a church of 1,000. From 1,000 you're going to have 2,000. From 2,000 to 5 to 10 to 20 to 100,000. To 200,000 to 500,000 and to a million. Today he is known to have the largest churches in the world. Who have over a million people in his membership. God first came to him. He said, look, you cannot be thinking of him more. You cannot be thinking on the level of your reality. Yes, things might have happened to you. Yes, somebody might have cheated you. Yes, you might be left behind. But you cannot be thinking upon your reality. You have to be thinking of the name that God gives you. That you are a chosen generation. That you are a righteous man through Christ Jesus. That you are a holy people. I remember the same thing happened with us. When we started off a church and we always used to meet on this side of the church. We had two pews filled. Two pews filled and Pastor Vladimir used to set a pulpit there. And he would preach to us like preach fire out of everybody. So for your first two pews you'd be covered in spit because we were just fired. And then God came to Pastor Vladimir and said, look, you cannot be thinking of a small church. You have to begin to expand your mind. You are a pastor of a big church. So God put on his heart to be able to move the pew from this side to the middle and to begin to preach that all this sanctuary will be filled. So we were like, okay, let's do it. Pastor said it, let's do it. Vladimir starts preaching, starts talking, and then at the end of the service we say, hey, how many people came to our church? Can you count? With everything that had breath you have to count those things. Even the pregnant lady, we call them as two. Regular attendance was about 30, 35. We hear announced 40. Let's sing adjante stocks all. Get ready for revival. So then that's revival. But sooner or later, every service, every service, we talk and talk. And now we have reports that people come to our church and they leave our church because there's not enough parking lots to park on our parking lots. Come on, give a clap to Jesus Christ. It was something that God had to change inside of our pastors. Mind to be able to know the look. You are not your reality. Yes, you might be rubbing heads with failure. Yes, you might be, you know, getting up and you might be falling. Yes, everything that you touch your hand does not prosper. It breaks and it becomes cursed. But you need to know that deep inside of you, you are a successful person. You are meant for greatness. You will be the head and not the tail. You will be blessed when you come in and you will be blessed when you walk out. Everything that you do will prosper and everything that will come and touch you will be blessed in Jesus' name. And that's the way you need to think. And since then, as a pastor, begin to receive, you know, these walking in faith. Begin to receive a new name. Begin to see healings, every service. Begin to see salvation happening in every service. And we believe and we pray and we know God had given us a dream that through our church, through the church, we'll be able to see thousands of people being saved. And through, you know, in our state and globally, we'll be able to see millions being saved. And that is the name that we're carrying. Knowing that God said in this Word that in the last days, He brought the Spirit upon all flesh. That means any who we are, we might be broken. We might not know how to pronounce the right words. But God will use each one of us because that is the name that God has given to us. Amen, church. God will first change your name before He will change your reality. Number two is you cannot know your name until you know God's Word. You cannot know who you are until you become to know the Word of God. Jesus Christ will not open up the doors for healing, for breakthrough, for salvation, for your life if you keep your Bible shut. If you keep your Bible shut, He cannot come into your life and begin to work wonders. How do you know what God has for you if you do not read it? How do you know what God has in store for you in the future that God has hold for you if you do not take the time to splash around in God's Word? To know God's Word is to know His power. To know God's Word, to be able to walk with God, is to know authority, is to be able to know good health, is to be able to know success, is to be able to know dominion, to be able to know multiplication. To walk with God is an exciting life. Jesus Christ and the Word are one. The Word of God, it replaces the unseen Christ in our lives. When we be able to able to take the time to give God's Word the best time of our life, not the time that we do not need. Not the time that, hey, I need to go to bed so I need to pray so I don't get attacked in the dreams. But give the Word of God the best time of our lives. You know, we need to read God's Word every day. We need to read it regularly. We need to read it systematically. We need to read it with devotion. We need to read it with time that we care the most. Because our life, my life, and your life depend on knowing God's Word. You know, it is one thing that God said that God does not do anything without His Word. God does nothing without His Word. We have to be the people that know God's Word and set out. Not that we just have memorization, just we know, you know, the scriptures and everything, but we also live in God's Word. You know, Jesus Christ is a perfect example and Jesus Christ has given us the clearest example that to be able to the extent that we think the thoughts of God is the same extent we'll have the power of God. Jesus Christ at his weakest point was able to defeat the Satan because he stood upon God's Word. He showed us an example that to the extent do we think God's Word, the extent we begin to meditate God's Word to that same extent we begin to have the power of God in our lives. God's Word brings healing. God's Word is enduring power. God's Word is a lamp unto our feet. God's Word is our spiritual weapon. God's Word has cleansing power. God's Word has prosperity for our lives. God's Word has healing for our lives. God's Word has deliverance for our lives. My life and your life depend on knowing God's Word. Jesus Christ knew the importance of standing upon the God's Word and he did not quote his feelings. He did not say God. It's too heavy. But he stood upon God's Word at his weakest point and he was able to defeat the enemy. How can I talk weakness when Psalm 27 verse 1 says that my God is the strength of my life? How can I talk defeat when Romans 6.37 says that we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus? How can I talk bondage when John 8.36 says that who the sun sets free is free indeed? How can I talk lack when Philippians 419 says that my God will supply all my needs according to his riches and to his glory? My life depends on knowing God's Word. You and I, the more that you read God's Word, the more you'll understand yourself. The more you'll understand the God that created you. I challenge every single person, take the time to splash around God's Word. Take the time to know God, to walk with God because we see something from Abraham's life that Abraham, he walked with God. Abraham talked with God. You know, he knew God's voice. He understood the instructions that God had for him and his life was changed. And number three is step out of your tent and count the stars. Step out of your tent and count the stars. The scriptures that we read tonight, it is it is interesting to see that God comes to Abraham and he says come out of your tent and begin to count the stars. It is, stars are shining the brightest when it's the most darkness around it. You can see stars the most brightest when there's so much darkness around you. During the day stars still exist, they still shine but you cannot see them as bright as you can see when everything is dark. It is to show us that in our darkest times in our weakest point of our lives when we stand upon God's Word, when we know what God has for our lives, we'll be able to endure we'll be able to go from our situation into what God has called us to be. God comes to Abraham, he says step out of your tent and that tent for Abraham was his reality. That tent for Abraham was his comfort zone it was his cycle of life that he was accustomed to in his tent what he saw was his wife being barren in his tent we saw was his wife being old in his tent he saw that there was no children he was of old age and God comes to Abraham he says you need to walk out of this reality that you're in and you need to begin to step into faith because faith is the transformating power of the universe it is the power of change a change from sickness into good health faith is the power of change from bondage into freedom faith is the power of change from a faithless generation into a faithful generation God was asking Abraham you need to no more walk by your feelings you need to no more walk in your reality but begin to walk in faith because that is where God lives God does not live in your reality when God comes and he sees you he does not see the you of your failures the you of your mistakes he sees the you of faith the one that he created a victorious you a healthy you a overcoming you the one that soared with the wings like eagles that is the God that is the God that we serve in he is the God of faith and that is how he sees you we live in our comfort zone that is the tent and God challenges Abraham to be able to walk out of that tent many of us we live in the four foot ceilings in our lives where sky is our limit God wants us to be able to dream big God wants us to be able to dream that one day not just you will begin to you will be saved but you and your house will serve the Lord you know that God wants you to dream not just that you will be healed of your sickness but everybody in your family that is dying out of cancer will be able to be healed from that that curse will be done in your life God does not just want you to be saved but God says that you want you to dream so much people that you open up your home group you will have 12 disciples that's how God wants you to dream God does not just want you to dream that you get a good paycheck you know and then you pay your tithe and good God wants you to dream the one day you have so much money that you will be sponsored open orphanages giving cars away be able to sponsor scholarships that you will be building churches building hospitals God wants you to be able to dream bigger not just your reality God challenges Abraham the only thing you see in your tent is failure the only thing you see in your tent is you know barrenness you have old age but I want you to walk out and begin to count the stars it's kind of ridiculous God begins to ask Abraham go and just count the stars it's like God really I know I can't count the stars but God's like no you need to you need to get it through your mind your mind is still done in your reality you need to come and you just need to one, two, three, four until your mind gets so drilled this is who I am a father of many nations this is who I am, I am on top and I'm not on the bottom this is who I am, I'll be able to graduate school I'll be able to have my own job, open my business this is who I am, I'll have a good marriage I won't have divorce in my life this is who I am, I'll have a good family and my whole family will serve the Lord this is who I am, I will not just have a small church but we are a big church we got spiritual power in our old flesh this is who I am, a walking authority and I will not be walking in defeat and this is what God wanted to say to Abraham God was Abraham's coach and when Jesus Christ becomes your coach you'll be asked to see what has not yet had been seen you'll be asked to walk upon the bridge that seems not to be there Jesus Christ will be asking you to describe the taste of honey while you're swallowing tears what is a walk of faith this is where God wants us to be this is what God has called us to be and to be able to walk in that every champion, every hero that we read in the Bible today each one of them that had the weaknesses each one of them that had the struggles each one of them had their shortcomings but if I just don't have enough time to talk, to tell you about Gideon, about Barak, about Samson about Jeffstatt, about Malachi about David, about Sam about the prophets who by faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice and gained what was promised to them who escaped the edge of the sword who quenched the fiery flames who became mighty in battle and rotted the foreign armies by faith they were able to accomplish great things they were not concentrating on the weaknesses but they stepped into reality that God had for them said that they were victorious yet they might have had just a few God comes to Gideon, he says that look, you're going to fight an army with 300 people how many people are we fighting? 135,000 let go of the 20,000 just fight with 3,300 God comes to Gideon, he begins to break his mindset that look you're not a small person you're not a victim, you are a victor you are a champion and you're going to win I am on your side and if I am for you who can be against you? and that is nobody, put your hands together for Jesus Christ everybody in each one of us, we have our realities we are faced with things that begins to challenge our mindset that begins to contradict our consciousness we are faced with reality and I just want to give you guys just one tip, you guys want to hear that? how to overcome Satan is simply the greatest embarrassment you can give to Satan is to ignore his existence okay, so how do you do that? you may ask me every time you have a situation and Satan comes to you and says you need to cry about it you begin to laugh every time you have a situation and Satan comes to you and says you need to lament, things are going bad for you at that time, you begin to rejoice every time Satan comes to you and begins to say why is it you that is suffering why is it you that you're going through hard things that is the time you should raise up your hands and say thank you God for what you've done for my life every time Satan comes to you begins to remind you of your past failures this is the time where you remind him of his future failure because the battle has been won come on, put your hand together for Jesus Christ God comes to Abraham he begins to challenge the step out of the tent and count the stars stars are so bright at night, there's so many of them and that is where Abraham just begins to count and then same thing happened in Joseph's lives where he was a man that he counted the stars at the time where Joseph wanted to bring bread to his brothers and his brothers betrayed him and then tossed him into dry pits and he was surrounded by darkness had no food, had nothing with this nothing around him the only thing he had was to look up in the stars and that always reminded him of the dream that God had for Abraham his life and he told himself I am a chosen generation I am a royal priesthood I am a destined king I know where I belong and it's not here when going from that dry pit you know he was somewhat sold into slavery and then he was in part of his house things that were slowly working out for himself but every time at night time came and he looked up at the sky he was constantly reminded of his stars his life and he told himself that I am a chosen generation I am a royal priesthood I know where I belong I am a destined king and it's not in this place and after you know part of his house he gets falsely accused and he gets tossed in prison and this is where you think that hopes are lost, dreams are shattered everything is being tossed apart everything is being ripped into pieces at the darkest moment in his prison life he was able to still look out the window and see the stars and that's where he continued to remind himself that I am a chosen generation I am a royal priesthood I am a destined king I know where I belong and it's not here