 Thank you so much. I've often thought of myself as more of a Jed clamp it rather than a Jedi night Hey, it's so good to be with you. You know your your your worship team So powerful tonight, I just felt the anointing of God from the time I walked in and and just heard Lord It's so good. It's so good to see great musicians with greater hearts and And so I just tip my hat to the worship team tonight. Thank you Well, have you been handling this pandemic stuff? Okay, are you getting sick of it like I am? I'm so tired of these masks. I just can't hardly stand it You know in Christmas time we were you know They keep opening up restaurants and closing restaurants and opening this and opening that and you couldn't see people I couldn't see my little 85 year old mom and stuff like that and it was just a it's just a bummer and then Could only have my two daughters and their families with us at at Christmas time It couldn't get the whole family and and we were just trying to make the most of it watching the Christmas movies and doing all that stuff and you know and trying to put on a happy face, you know like you do in church sometimes and and Then the most wonderful thing happened Maya a little four-year-old grandson He had his mom pack all of his superhero stuff So every day he would come down and he would one day he'd be spider-man The next day he'd be the Iron Man Then he's favorite. I'm captain America America and it just like he was he was just encouraging us and and He he nearly died when he was born and and and we were so thankful that he's with us his name is Kaz and he Is just a joy bringer and Every day that he was with us. It just seemed like he was carrying this joy That was just invading us and before we knew it our spirits were light We were enjoying we were laughing rolling around on the floor having all kinds of fun together We're not gonna got a Christmas tree together like we usually do and we just in the middle of all this depression and despair We found some joy and it came in a little four-year-old boy and And I want to talk to you tonight about something the Lord spoke to me at during that time And I got to thinking about well, who was my Superhero when I was little who's that for me? Well, it was Superman When I was little Superman was it I mean he was special he had superpowers he could fly show pictures Superman Look at the graphics then they just get you Then I'd see Superman on Saturday morning I tie a towel around my neck and I would I was Superman Nothing could mess with me and he could leap over tall buildings in a single bound He was faster than a speeding bullet. He could see through stuff It was amazing, but he had one weakness That weakness was kryptonite Kryptonite was a compound from his home planet and and whenever he got near it He would start to lose his strength if he stayed if he stayed near it too long. He would even die So when his enemies started learning about kryptonite They were always trying to figure out how to get some kryptonite and get it next to superman And I'm thinking about that and I'm full of joy from my grandson Kaz as I'm going to bed that night. I just said Lord So cool to have Kaz bringing that joy and the Lord just whispered in my ears something that really touched me He said jump me to tell you your superpower And I said absolutely He said the believer's superpower is joy the believer's superpower is Joy And I just stuck in my heart and I remember immediately in the AMI 810 It says the joy of the Lord is my strength It's my power that word there in the Hebrew means to make glad to rejoice to have constant gladness creating an atmosphere of faith Joy is our it lifts our mood it strengthens our faith and it builds people up around us And I saw many many people losing their joy during all this mess that we've been through And I realized God was revealing something to me that I should have known we all should have known But Peter says I don't hesitate to remind you of things you should know So God was reminding me that the joy of the Lord is my strength and Then I started realizing I wonder if this pandemic ball of stress and worry and discouragement and Despair and losing your job and all that kind of stuff and all of the vitriol going on on social media I wonder if that is like our kryptonite If the compound of all that is it's actually acting as kryptonite on the people of God and We're losing our strength Statistics tell us that half the people that used to be in our church will never come back I don't believe in statistics. I believe in Jesus and He'll do what he wants to do But it is a fact that many people have lost Strength they've lost their zeal for sure You know, everyone's trying to figure it out. I'm gonna be a little bit crude here. Sorry for those unlined it a lot purer than I am but There's an old saying we say down south It's hard to remember your job is to drain the swamp when you're up to your butt and alligators And I think that's how we all feel I think that's how we all feel How do I remember how to do this and to have a good attitude when I when I feel like I'm up to there and alligators How can I stay focused on what I should be doing? Churches schools businesses students parents are facing the stress of coping with a very uncertain future Joy that fruit of the spirit we need most seems to have been misplaced when COVID-19 showed up Well, where do you find joy when it goes missing? Well, one of my superheroes in the Bible is King David He's always a go-to and I really need to understand some things about the Lord. It seems like I find a lot of it around David King David knew from Psalm 1611 in your presence is fullness joy I Walked in tonight, and I started worshiping with you guys and and I just felt joy just racing through me I was in his presence, and there was fullness of joy there David learned that when thieves tried to rob him of his joy and one Samuel 30 Why don't you turn there to one Samuel 30 and I'll get there in just a few minutes Let me set it up for you David had been away on a military mission and they'd had a bunch of victories But he and his army of 600 were going home And I think if they're like most men There couldn't couldn't wait to get home and see their families their wives and their kids and Know the joy of being with your family And they were on their way home one Samuel 30 Well to me King David was a superhero, but he's a very flawed man who made huge mistakes But through it all through everything he did right and everything he did wrong He was a man after God's own heart. He was a worshipper. It was a prophet. It was a warrior. He was a musician He was a king the songwriter It's my kind of guy He kept a tender heart toward God David Had more than his share of stress. Let me just give you some of his story Just reminds you after he slayed Goliath as a young boy He was like a superhero in Israel. They were singing songs about him Saul has slain his thousands, but David is slain his 10,000 They were singing about him. He was a superhero But he had more than his share of stress He barely escaped several assassination attempts by King Saul the guy he was trying to serve So he spent time in the wilderness hiding in in caves with people surrounding him who were described as being in debt discontent and distressed You ever been around people like that? You ever been to people like that? You're just in debt. You're distressed and you're discouraged your discontent David suffered the shame of having committed adultery and murder and having to live with that and His family was a hot mess His son Amnon raped his daughter tomorrow His other son Absalom murdered Amnon Then Absalom led a revolt against his dad resulting in Absalom being killed piling more grief onto David It was like a terrible reality show It helped me to see how David dealt with difficult people stressful situations and his own weaknesses. I Don't know if you've had to deal with those things during this pandemic But I have I sometimes my weaknesses gets highlighted to me and it doesn't Doesn't cause me to run away. It drives me to my knees When I discover what God's doing it usually makes me stronger Isn't that what most of us face difficult people stressful situations and our own weaknesses Well, how did David handle times of trouble when he was surrounded by enemies? How did he handle it? Let's read one Samuel 30 verse 1 through 10 David his men reached Zigg lag. That's where he had been living on the third day Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and the Zigg lag and they had attacked Zigg lag and they burned it They took captive of the women and all who were in it both young and old They killed none of them, but they carried them off as they went on their way When David and his men came to Zigg lag they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive Just think about that for a minute Think about it. You've been out fighting the good fight You come home and all that's precious all that brings joy in your life has taken away and you've been robbed So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. They were exhausted And now they were cut to the bone David's two wives had been captured a henoum of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him. They were blaming him That's kind of the role the senior pastor sometimes You get a lot of the blame that that's why you get the big bucks though. That's that's what that's about Because they were bitter in spirit because of their sons and daughters, but David look at this But David found strength or power or might in the Lord his God How did he do that? What did he do? Then David said to a by-thar the priest the son of a Himalek Bring me the e-fought and that was a Garment that they wore when they were going to really seriously get to seeking the Lord Bring me the e-fought a by-thar brought it to him and David inquired the Lord. That means he pressed in He sought the Lord with all of his heart And he asked the Lord this shall I pursue this rating party and will I overtake them? Who would do that if someone stole my wife and my kids? I would get on my bike and I would go after him without that thought I own guns I would take those with me You're not going to mess with my family But David didn't do that He asked the Lord should I pursue this rating party? Will I overtake them? Then he got what was waiting for hearing from God Pursue them God answered you will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue So David and his 600 men with him came to Bessor ravine Where some stayed behind for 200 men were too exhausted to even cross the ravine to get their own families But David and 400 men continued the pursuit Okay, I'll come back to that Just want to consider a few things that David did Number one. He kept doing his job He was a man after God's own heart no matter what he was going to seek God's heart first about whatever he did His job was leading an army of ordinary people To face whatever adversity came in the strength of the Lord and He was able to do it only by staying wholly dependent on God from whom his strength came from He kept doing that thing that he had always done keeping his heart hard after God Next thing he did is he went to God first Not in desperation as he's riding after his enemies. He went to God first When the enemy attacked and kidnapped his family and the families of his men his response was not fast enough for the men And they got angry at him. They were so angry and bitter of spirit. They were talking about killing it What do you mean? You're seeking God. We got to go after our family you idiot We're serving an idiot Rather than jump on his horse and go after his family the first thing David did was to encourage and strengthen himself in the Lord And although everyone around him was angry his slow response David asked and waited on God to speak to him and to restore his strength When David heard God and obeyed it goes on to say he recovered everything and It's interesting while he was waiting on the Lord the enemy We're getting drunk as skunks on the other side of the ravine When they were getting knee wobbly drunk, they were getting commode hug and drunk That's how drunk they are they couldn't even hardly walk and get around So by the time David came over they just waltzed in and just Took all their stuff back and laughed at them as they were doing it and went back home God's often doing more behind our back than we can see in front of our faces and sometimes it's while we're waiting While we're inquiring of him He's doing so much. She could not do if we were in the way Waiting is not a bad thing waiting is a good thing The other thing he did is he stayed committed to his friends and his community when they went over The 600 200 of them were too tired and exhausted. So they stayed with the supplies 400 went over and look at what it says in verse 21 through 25 Look over there Then David came to the 200 men who had been too exhausted when they were coming back with all their stuff They get back to the 200 men who had been too exhausted to follow him and who were left behind at the Bessar ravine They came out to meet David and the people with him and as David and his men approached he greeted them But look at this. There's always some people like this around you But all the evil men and the troublemakers among David's followers said because they did not go out with us We will not share with them in the plunder. We recovered however each man can take his wife and children and go They didn't fight with us. They don't deserve any of the stuff that we got Look at David's heart David replied no my brothers. You must not do that with what the Lord has given us He has protected us and handed us over to us the forces that came against us Who will listen to what you say the share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as That of him who went down to the battle always share alike David made this a statute in ordinance for Israel from that day until this David remained loyal to his friends and his community. He was a man of covenant They were a people of covenant They didn't forget each other like the Marines. They didn't leave any man behind That should have been their attitude, but it wasn't for some of the troublemakers It's tempting to forsake the assembling of ourselves together in community when the going gets tough We're so and so how come they're not helping us. So they just staying at home It's it's crazy what this pandemic has brought out in people people have actually been mean to each other Some people are just exhausted and fearful and sitting at home afraid to get out Afraid to stay in Just trapped So we think they're just weak Christians. Let's just get on with our life and forget them. No We're in this together. We're people of covenant We're people of covenant. We don't need anybody behind Well, how did David get his superpower back? How did he recover his joy? I've already told you but let me just mention he inquired of God That meant he worshipped he poured out his heart and songs of praise lament and joy He was transparent before God Psalm 89 15 says blessed are those who know the joyful sound They shall walk O Lord in the light of your presence. If you don't have joy run to where it is It's in God's presence Go find it go get your son Let it fill you up. Light exposes darkness and it dismisses fear. There's light in his presence There's joy in his presence David placed his trust in God to help him. He sang songs and he and Psalms He had written to strengthen himself by he determined to keep praising God no matter what keep inquiring of God no matter what He overcame anxiety by seeking the Lord through praise prayer and meditating on the Lord. That was David's life pattern I'm kind of like David. I get in trouble all the time and it's always bigger than I can handle And my only option is to go to God and to find strength in him and to let him be my champion And these Psalms David was saying the same thing over and over in times of trouble Put your trust in the Lord and joy will return stay close to him through praising God and praying to him asking him for help and We don't isolate ourselves even if we can't meet together in the same place We stay in covenant with the community of faith and it releases encouragement David knew without God. He was nothing So even when he messed up, he did not run away from God. He ran to God He knew where his help was and once Samuel 30 18 says simply David recovered it all everything the Amalekites had stolen his family all his stuff and His joy, I couldn't imagine what our life would be like if someone stole cash from us It'd be like our heart Was ripped out of our chest There's three enemies of joy that makes this pandemic ball of kryptonite fear Anxiety and worry. It's an unholy trinity And it's kicking us It's kicking us God told the prophet Isaiah and Isaiah 41 do not fear for I am with you Do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you I will uphold you with my righteous right hand Jesus said in Matthew 6 do not be anxious about your life what you will eat what you will drink Nor about your body what you will put on it It's not your life more than food and your body more than clothing We must decide to move in faith and not fear Fear will kill us Faith will move us into life When anxiety or worry shows up go ahead and cast all of it on the Lord That's that's an active word to cast your anxieties your fears on the Lord because he cares for you when I have anxiety I name it and I imagine it being on a baseball. I used to be a baseball player Whether it's fear or words about money or whatever it may be and I just imagine That's in my hand and I cast it away as far as I can I throw it away fear. You're not staying here Worry about money. You're not staying here Sickness you're not staying here and I and I physically cast it away as hard as I can Then I say Lord fill that place with joy Fill that place with work with joy We recover our superpower when we put our trust in Jesus When we choose joy Well, how do you how can you tell when joy your superpower goes missing? Let me just tell you what I do It's been over for everybody and I'm a little weird in my thought processes, but it works for me The thing I do is I check my joy gauge It's kind of like your fuel gauge in your car when you see that gauge starting to go toward empty You're gonna have to refill that thing or you're gonna be on the side of the road Here's some indicators that you might need to ref refuel You feel sad Or anxious for no real good reason You worry about things you have no control over now wise counsel can help Sometimes a visit to a physician is a wise thing to do to see if something physiologically is going on But it helps to take a step back from your stress in your life And then ask for and wait on the Holy Spirit to restore your joy and restore your strength And once you determine that you're Well, don't raise your hands or anything But let me just ask you how many of you just felt your joy tank is just sort of going toward empty these last few weeks I don't want to embarrass you so don't raise your hands, but I imagine a number of you have just thought I'm just not feeling it. I Just don't have any energy. I Want to doesn't want to So then what you need to do is you need to refuel Be honest that your joy tank is going down and then refuel your joy tank by doing a couple of things number one This sounds so silly, but it's so true rejoice Till you want to wants to How do I do that I just start reminding myself sometimes out loud of the good things God's done for me oh God, thank you that you gave me a smoking hot wife Oh God, thank you that you gave me a House to live in a job that I love Thank you for this friend and that friend and thank you for Kaz my little joy bringer and before I know it I want my my I rejoice until I want to wants to Thankfulness starts to come back It's a choice to rejoice and Then what I do is I start giving thanks till I become grateful and Often music is a big part of my life and often these old songs will just come out of my hard drive and start playing in my head I'll start singing an old nighties Don Moe and song give thanks with a grateful heart Give thanks to the holy one. Come on. Give thanks because he's given Jesus Christ his son and Now let the weak say I am strong Let the poor say I am rich Because of what the Lord has done For us now you can't sing that song and Not rediscover your happy place You can't really sing that song authentically and Stay in that place without your joy. It starts to fill up your joy tank The other thing I do is I ask the Holy Spirit to baptize me in joy before I go out into battle There's a description Romans 14 for the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking But of righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. It didn't say Holy Spirit. It said the Holy Ghost It's more powerful for a Pentecostal to say Holy Ghost Because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval Now when I read that scripture another song starts playing in my head by an old guy named Ron Canole that I met years ago It's got a little choreography. Let me show you how it goes. You got to do this with your fingers Okay, we're gonna sing it when we come to that part. You're gonna do this. Here's how it goes Righteousness peace Joy in the Holy Ghost Righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. That's the kingdom of God sing it again righteousness peace joy in the Holy Ghost Righteousness peace joy in the Holy Ghost. That's the kingdom of God Hey, don't you want to be a part of the kingdom? Don't you want to be a part of the kingdom? Don't you want to be a part of the kingdom? come on everybody now let let's put some sway into it okay ready here we go righteousness peace move joy in the Holy Ghost righteousness peace enjoy in the Holy Ghost that's the kingdom of God big voice righteousness peace joy in the Holy Ghost righteousness peace enjoy in the Holy Ghost that's the kingdom of God hey don't you want to be a part of the kingdom hey don't you want to be a part of the kingdom don't you want to be a part of the kingdom here we go come on everybody oh you did good you did good you did good you did good see sometimes you got to do silly stuff and you realize it's not silly stuff it's the real stuff so if you want joy in your life you got to refill that tank you got to refuel that tank you got to remind yourself of songs and things you're thankful about and you rejoice to your want to wants to well here's my take on how to win this tug of war between fear and joy number one run into God's presence David said in Psalm 1611 you make known to me the path of life and your presence is fullness of joy at your right hand are pleasures forever more that word pleasures means joys and your right hand are joys forever more there's good advice in the Bible read your Bible listen at what Paul said encourage each other today is the time to encourage each other to never be stubborn or hardened by sins deceitfulness it's in Hebrews 3 a simple word of encouragement could be that one thing that helps us hold on to our joy and defeat the kryptonite that is sucking the life right out of us Solomon said in Proverbs 1225 anxiety weighs down the heart but a kind word cheers it up we need to quit thinking about ourselves and be kind enough to see people around us and give them a good word let's practice whoever's besides you I want you to find something you can encourage them about it may just be nice shirt all right but I want you to say just real quickly I want you to say something to the person beside you that encourages them hey you got some guns dude anything like that hey nice hair okay come back come back come back here we go someone said this I think I said it I think it's original you know sometimes I write a song and it sounds like something else and I thrashed around have you heard this song before have you heard this song before when Paul McCartney wrote yesterday it came in a dream and he kept going to people for weeks and have you heard disability and finally he couldn't track it down so he decided he had yesterday that came from a dream well I heard this and I think it just polled up to my spirit but you tell me if you've heard it from somewhere else if hope and peace had a baby it would be called joy if hope and peace had a baby they'd call it joy let the Holy Spirit fill you with hope let him satisfy you with peace and the baby called joy will be birth this picture of a little girl in a camel put a smile on your face can you put that up man she was so contagious she even got the camel to smiling there the Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy we are filled with joy life happens sometimes in ways that can rob you of your joy and I get that and I'm not one of those guys that just doesn't face reality but there's another reality there's another logic in heaven that's different than man's logic it comes in it overlays that human logic human logic would say it's hopeless be depressed heaven's logic would say put your hope in Jesus cast your anxiety on him because he cares for you rejoice till you want to wants to here's what I'd like to do I have a few prophetic words I'm gonna give in a few minutes but life happens sometimes in ways that can rob you of your joy I like to do a couple of things when I like to pray for anyone that's been struggling with a joy tank that was going down I'm gonna ask God to baptize you enjoy if that's you you just need to admit it you don't have to feel bad about it part that's part of the problem you've been feeling bad about it you just need to be honest Lord I can't find my joy will you give it back to me all right if that's you and you would love for me to pray for you to be baptized in joy whether your portage campus or online wherever you are here tonight I'd like for you to just stand up wherever you are and I'm gonna pray when everybody stands so you just felt your joy tank getting a little depleted these last few months thank you Father thank you Lord thank you Lord I'm gonna ask God to baptize you enjoy then I'm gonna speak a blessing over you put your hand on your heart really focus in this is between you and Jesus it's not about anybody else Lord Jesus I just come tonight and I'm sitting right there with my joy tank depleting running low and you sent little cash down the stairs in his Captain America uniform and you sent him to bring me joy and then that night when I prayed you filled my heart with rejoicing so Lord I come right now in the name of Jesus and every saint that has stood up everyone that stood up in this room on the other campuses there at home I asked the Lord Jesus to baptize you in joy joy that comes from heaven and not from positive thoughts joy that comes from heaven not as a reaction to something good just happened but from the one who owns joy from the one that surrounds himself with joy the one that only allows in his presence joy so I come in Jesus name and I ask you to baptize people let it be as real as if they were being baptized in water Lord let it just start to bubble up let a rejoicing and a thankfulness and a gratefulness just bubble up in their spirits until they're full of joy and they've recovered the joy of the Lord as their strength now father I want to bless them with this may the God of hope fill you with joy and peace and believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope I'm going to speak it over you again from Romans 15 may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace and believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope in Jesus name let's give the Lord a big hand clap and you have a seat thank you now there's one other thing I want to mention it's the joy of the Lord it's not the joy that you just found some money you didn't know you had it's not the joy of someone giving you a break and paying for your Starbucks it's the joy of the Lord it's his now the only legitimate way that you cannot know the joy of the Lord is if you don't know the Lord so I'm gonna give an opportunity here at the other campuses sitting there at home if you're honest you've really not made Jesus the Lord of your life Romans tells us if you'll believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord if you'll confess your heart that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved there is a joy in salvation and that's when real joy starts to come into you so if you're here tonight and being honest you just said I've got to get ahold of this I've got to give my life to Jesus once and for all whether you're another campus whether you're at home watching online or whether you're in here tonight once again I want to ask you to just stand up wherever you are and whenever everyone stands up that wants to I'm gonna pray a prayer and lead you in a prayer and you're gonna become a child of God you're gonna know the joy of salvation and the joy of the Lord is gonna be available to you if that's you would you stand up right now and I'll pray when those stand up that wants to go ahead and do that right now thank you Father thank you Lord come on here's your chance other campuses go ahead and stand up don't don't even care what other people think this is about what Jesus thinks about you anyone else want to stand up or if you're standing those of you that are standing would you just put your hand on your heart and would you pray out loud thank you would you pray out loud with me these words pray out loud Lord Jesus I need joy I don't have it I ask you to come into my heart and save me I repent of my sins tonight and I invite you to come and be my Savior and my Lord thank you Jesus for saving me by your grace I will follow you all the days of my life amen let's give the Lord a hand clap thank you thank you thank you I love being with your church I prayed for you a week before I came and felt like the Lord gave me a word and this is for the whole Radiant Church family here and on the other campuses those of you at home and I'm just gonna read this word out and then I will I will give it to Pastor Lee to keep while reading in Romans I heard in my spirit read Romans 12 21 over Radiant Church here's what that says do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good as I pressed in to understand I saw this church being given a grace to move another way than those who are choosing the broad path of the world Radiant Church will move in an opposite spirit of the many prevailing winds blowing across the world currently as you take lifestyle steps of faith you will discover a new freedom to walk a straight and narrow path your walk will reflect God's kingdom values and attitudes actions and affections this walk will not be an outward religious show it'll be from an honest overflow from transformed hearts so when you face greed be generous where you confront fear do so in faith with the power love and sound mind that you've been given where you see anger and hate show love and kindness where you see unforgiveness forgive and show mercy where despair our depression surfaces put on a garment of praise and remember these three things the joy of the Lord is your strength in God's presence is fullness of joy and joy is your superpower two keys to moving in the opposite spirit number one remember for the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost and this is very important but the Lord spoke this to me don't respond to how you feel respond to who you know should be a song in there somewhere going forward I'm seeing a timely Bible passage being worked into you in this season from Psalm 30 10 and 11 you turn my wailing into dancing you remove my sackcloth and close me with joy that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent Lord my God I will play praise you forever and listen at it from the message translation you did it you changed wild lament into whirling dance you ripped off my black morning band and decked me with wild flowers I'm about to burst with song I can't keep quiet about you God my God I can't thank you enough God is doing something remarkable in your hearts in this sea-law moment that you've been in you're being given an opportunity through your attitudes actions and affections to make Jesus attractive and intelligible among you and beyond you going forward I proclaim over you do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good and the joy of the Lord is your superpower amen let me give this word over pastor Lee and and miss Jane could y'all stand up I love these two as I were praying for you to I kept being distracted by the Paul Baloch song open the eyes of my heart it just would not stop playing in my head open the eyes of my heart Lord you remember open the eyes of my heart I want to see you I want to see you I love that old song but I kept trying to push it out of my head I was pressing in asking the Lord do you have anything for Lee and Jane and I heard this song is for them I'm sending it in a fresh and timely way for them to steward as I sit with that I realized the Holy Spirit was showing me something for you two together going into 2021 this will be a year that you experience an elevation in revelation I see the Holy Spirit visiting you in dreams visions and revealing wonderful things you don't know through words of knowledge revelation in the scripture and inspired lyrics for songs you'll lead the way to reestablish the family altar from house to house God's gonna use you to do that the song goes to see you high and lifted up shining in the light of your glory pour out your power and love as we sing holy holy holy this will be a year of combining honest prayer with authentic worship as you give yourselves to inviting his presence a sound will go up from here that will disarm strongholds vying for space in your hearts your church and in your city it will be a sound of transformation I began to read and pray Ephesians 1 18 and 19 over you I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people and his incomparable great power for us who believe I heard you speaking these verses over those the Lord is attracting to himself and the sound began to grow in volume and I saw power and love being poured out no hype no manipulation no marketing strategy just Jesus opening the eyes of hearts who were beating in rhythm with heaven and the sound of holy holy holy will rise from this house and you will know increased times of angelic visitation people will hear this sound they'll come to seek his face in this place and so the sound of this house will be multiplied here there and everywhere that the Lord opens your eyes to see amen amen thank you Jesus I want to give a couple of words to understand a couple of men that are on the Portage campus so if you're there in Portage you didn't escape as Pastor Lee said this is for Toby got to meet him today or maybe I'd met him before but he was leading the group of students that I spoke to and I heard this for you Toby this afternoon I know you have a heart for China you told me that but you need to know that China has a tender heart for you the Holy Spirit has led others to tend and water the seeds you have been given that you have been faithful to plant there a door will open this year in 2021 for you to go in time to see the ripe harvest that is coming forth you'll go at a time to fulfill Amos 9 13 through 14 behold the days are coming declares the Lord when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes new wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills and I will bring my people Israel back from exile Toby be patient do the work of an evangelist who equips evangelists this exile will come to an end and the door of the effective service will open and you'll go in the power of the Holy Spirit to a harvest field ready to reap amen and this is for Rick Burmeister I know that your role is at Radiant Church I was told that today so I know that about you but I see that your investments made here will be among the best returns you'll ever receive you have an entrepreneur's view through an apostolic lens of getting the foundation strengthened another move of the Holy Spirit is coming to this church and this city God has sent you to lay solid infrastructure that will allow building on top of a strong foundation and anointing to receive and restore prodigals is rising even within your own house as it will be in God's house look again at the story the prodigal's father and make it your aim to be like him you're a good man you're a gift to this church be encouraged I'm gonna ask pastor Lee to join me and we're gonna come down and walk around and give words and season now some of these words may may find that they are in another campus because I got some words of knowledge that had to do with what people was wearing that's been happening for the last couple of months all right man with a dark blue gray hoodie I saw he was on the third row the right side that be you what's your name Travis you stand up Travis you struggled to come tonight but the Holy Spirit drew you here to tell you something it's better than it seems your setback was actually a set up for the Lord to get you to be open to the new he has for you I see a fresh season of all things all things becoming new in your life let go of the old branches the Lord has pruned the branches left will be the strong ones that you need a phone call in March and open door in April a new field of grace to walk in by May things are much better than they seem be encouraged nope here well while he's doing that it's rough when Wayne drain wants you to do prophetic ministry with him but it's an honor this young lady right here yeah you just stand up what's your name Mackenzie I don't think I know you but so I'm saying that because I'm the pastor and I never want to take advantage of people that I know so I felt like the Lord during worship spoke over me that your worship comes up before him as a sweet smelling aroma and he wants you to know that there's been a season in your life where you felt like you were overlooked but God has never overlooked you that he's always seen you he's seen you in the public and he's seen you in the private and that you're entering into a season and into a time period of your life where there's going to be a public reward of some sort I don't know what that is but God it's actually God God's going to promote you and he's going to bring about reward and it's going to be a gift to highlight all of the years or all of the times where you felt others were shining and others were recognized and others were out in front God says because you were willing to take the back I'm pulling you to the front and there's a reward that's coming in the next season for you so God bless you Mackenzie this afternoon in my room I get the hotel the Lord showed me what some people were wearing and then I was relieved and delighted when I came in the night and saw them it's great I saw a guy in a gray flannel shirt and that would be you what's your name Evan would you stand up Evan you weren't made to blend into the background or call to go along to get along you were made to stand out from the crowd in order to stand up as a disciple of Jesus the Lord has given you attention so you can draw attention to him as your zeal for the Lord grows his favor increases you're calling us to show and tell of God's goodness his kindness as you tell your story your wins and your failures your strengths and your weaknesses you're going to be a herald or of the good news of God's kingdom don't be afraid don't doubt yourself use what he's put in your hands whatever gifts you've had trust Jesus he will always give you what you need right there stand up help me with your name Ethan I heard the Lord say do not despise the days of small beginnings Ethan that there's something that's in your heart it's a dream it's an idea it's kind of a forecast of where God's taking you I think you have a really strong sense of purpose and the things that you're going to do later on in your life there's a tendency to try and get too far ahead of yourself and the Lord says do not despise the moment yet that you're in or the smallness of that dream protect the dream submit the dream and be faithful to the process and God has his hand on your life God bless you even there was a another one I saw in the hotel room was a girl with a yellow top and that would be you would you stand up tell me your name melody melody great name you've been through many ups and downs through dangerous tools and snares you've already come but you're an overcomer who has exchanged a prison of anxiety for becoming a prisoner of hope I hear Psalm 119 114 for you therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices my flesh and also will rest in hope hope is a confident expectation of what God has promised and its strength is in his faithfulness not yours I see a gift of faith rising up alongside a gift of hope you will encourage many to exchange their current prisons to become set free prisoners of hope so you will know this is true someone will tell you they feel hopeful after they talk to what camera okay so this this word is for portage this is over at portage and so center section four rows back on the center aisle so let's see if I'm looking out it's to my left center section four rows back somebody in that section the word of the Lord is this that it's a it's a gentleman it's a man and the Lord says that this is a season where God is cutting things away that actually hinder you and limit you from being and being in a position for what God wants to direct you into the next season there's some things that right now feel like pain because they're being removed and they're being taken away and God says surrender them those are weights and hindrances that are holding you back from running the race that God has for you so get ready you've only just begun so receive that word whoever you are and if there's nobody sitting in that seat just pass it on down to the next person there you go the other the other word I got in a hotel was a guy with a USA or America shirt I met him earlier are you still in here the USA there you go what's your name Nathan Landon you've been told of your potential and that you have hope in a future all your life those words have seemed to be words of hope deferred and even disappointing at times but listen those words are true in this place among these people at this time you'll move beyond a realized potential the Holy Spirit will empower spiritual gifts within you you will prophesy and you will preach prophecy and evangelism will team up in you as they did in Philip the evangelist in Acts 8 two things to learn from Phillips example he learned to serve by waiting tables as a deacon then he learned to hear God's voice and acting obedience let Philip become a model for you hope will rise and faith will explode in you and your character will run aside your gift as evidence of the Lord's hand on your life there's a lady right here with dark hair and white top sitting on the front row would you stand up please tracing trace you saw the object of my message tonight I think when I saw this I looked over at you during worship and I saw explosions of joy inside you they were bursting out beyond you you were infecting people with a spirit of joy like a joy virus I saw people rediscovering their smiles as joy strengthened them you aren't called to be an encourager a woman who carries a yes in her heart for whatever Jesus asks it's a joy to serve it's a joy to praise them it's a joy to be free of pain and you have known pain you made a good move the day you made a choice to rejoice now you're called to be a joybringer you will prophesy encouragement edifying words of comfort that's your portion is there someone in here named Griffin that's sitting on the front row maybe oh he's here I met Griffin just back in the in the office before we came out Griffin I just heard this when I glanced over at you during worship you are a good fit in this family you will lead the sons to honor the fathers in this house and so you will know the blessings of the fathers you've been a man of honor a good son and so you'll be a good father who blesses many sons and daughters without who don't have connection to earthly fathers and you'll know the joy of reconciling prodigal fathers with prodigal sons and daughters you are a good fit in this house in this family just be thankful let God use you to help set the lonely into God's family you're a man of the word a man of the spirit and a man of high character I come to affirm you tonight be at peace you found a good fit amen I have one more word and it's for Anna Asbury you stand up Anna I know you obviously the Lord showed me a picture of you and it was you and I know you're an artist so it was you standing in front of your easel and the Lord had your paint brushes in his hands and he was soaking them in a jar and cleaning them out and the Lord said you've wondered why nothing new has come and the Lord says he's changing the paint on your palette and that you're in a season right now where the brushes are in the water he's rinsing out the brushes and it feels like you've lost everything that there's no more color on your brush but the Lord says I'm only cleaning it because I'm putting new paint on your palette and you're gonna paint brand new pictures and there's a brand new season coming and it's gonna be brighter pictures the brighter colors so hold steadfast the master artist has your brushes and your heart in his hand God bless you does the does the number 52 mean anything personally to anyone that's in this room tonight or at Portage the number 52 if that's you would you stand up the number 52 thank you Lord what's that number 52 mean to you that's the level wow did you hear that my I was promoted to level 52 in my company at 52 which well I fasted for well I heard the Lord say double that double that I see increase and I see increase in influence increase in provision you are a good steward God can trust you with finances so he's gonna increase what you have and he's gonna he's gonna he's gonna move heaven's resources from here to there he's gonna use you you love the poor you're not intimidated by the wealthy you're just a giving generous man and I come to affirm you tonight in 52 days something big is gonna happen in your life amen wasn't that good somebody got some joy this morning or this evening it's almost morning let's all stand up together and can we just put our hands together and think Wayne drain thank you so much for coming so Wayne let me tell you something about that song open the eyes of my heart so when Jane and I planted radiant the one of the first guests that we ever had was Paul Beloshe he came when we were less than a year old we were meeting in the school cafeteria and he said to me when we were in the car I just wrote this new song I've only played it at my home church but I rewrote the chorus to it and I'm gonna sing it in your church for the first time and it was open the eyes of my heart so that song has a special place in our hearts so thank you thank you so much for that Lord we love you thank you for a powerful beautiful joy filled evening thank you Lord that you rejoice over us you dance over us sing over us with joy and songs of deliverance Lord we love you we love being in your presence we love seeking your face we love to hear your voice and we welcome you and we leave this place tonight not leaving your presence but as carriers of your presence Lord we love you we look forward to seeking you early in the morning at noon and at night tomorrow and every day as we continue to seek you with prayer and fasting send us from this place full of joy we pray in Jesus name amen amen everybody