Prayer Works Bible Study: February 9, 2025

"Grace"

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I wanna share something then we're gonna get into grace. I think we might take two weeks with this then that way you know, give kind of people time to study stuff and but one of the things one of the role for the church has always been to challenge the status quo of humanity has always been the goal for the church. 

Even prior to Jesus coming prophets leading men. They're always established to either deal with the prevailing government or a prevailing king, or a prevailing whatever it is that was going on in that era.  

God will always raise up a group of people to either deal with what was going on in the time of the Roman Empire. You know, God raised up Jesus and the disciples in the time of King Nebuchadnezzar, God raised up Daniel and his boys in the time of Pharaoh, God raised up Moses. So you can see how God always raises the church. 

For any particular thing or era that is dealing with whatever it is he's dealing with. So that's us too. All the stuff that's happening. We can’t look at them because it has always been yo do what needs to be done.  

And throughout history, this is the case is what it is. The Bible was written as an example of how ordinary men dealt with belligerent spirits.

Because remember, it's not people we are fighting is always going to be demonic spirit that come and invade a land or a place through people.  

Now there are instances where God himself set things up in order to get people to fight. And. And just today, earlier on when I was just thinking about what's going on around. I think that there’s a lot of that that's going on.  

So I want to read Judges 3 then we're going to dive into this lesson. This is judges chapter 3. Now what's happening around this period is that you have kings who are doing this is the first time really in the era of humanity that you are really starting to see Kings leaders go way, way, wayside.  

And is happening rapidly and over and over again. So you have had judges who had just been crazy and this is before kings. So in 3, by this time, the children of Israelite had left Egypt.  

They're now under the leadership of Joshua. Joshua is an old man and they're fought and conquered different people, groups to not be established as a nation. But in chapter 3 this is what he says now. these are the nations which the Lord God left.  

These are the nations that God left that the Israelite never defeated could not defeat. These are the nations that the Lord left to prove Israel as had not known, all the wars of Cannan. In other words, there was a new generation of Israelites that had no idea of who this God really is. 

They've never experienced him, they've never seen him, they've never heard from him. All they have is historical context. But God leaves out these nations namely, five nations.  

The Philistine tyrants and all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, the Hivites living on Mount Lebanon from Mount Baal Hermon to Hamath. And This is why God left them, and they were to prove Israel by them to know whether they would harken into the commandments of the Lord, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.  

These people had never. Says their forefathers dealt with this, but they didn't. Now let me show you what's happening. And this was really a revelation this morning. We are currently we have generation of Mother Jones and you guys.  

Who've been out of Egypt, went through slavery. Got out of slavery, sorry, civil rights. So the Lord move. You guys prayed for where you are. And you're enjoying the benefits of the prayers that were planted in the heavens before your time. 

All those people who were, the negro spiritual songs that were being prayed during that time when people were in strife. Praying to God to come and rescue them. God answered those prayers.  

And now here comes a new generation that all they have is history. They don't understand the pain of walking with the target on your back. That any moment, any day you could be gone.  

Not because you did anything. Whether you are living right, doing right just because you were present. So I believe I'm now convinced without a shadow of doubt, if this man is not the Antichrist if he is not then God is setting us up for a generation that did not know the God of our forefathers.  

That uh he says the NIV says in the New Living Translation. Says he left them so he could teach this generation how to war in spirit. And as a generation, that means to know and to learn how to walk in the spirit and God has arranged this now.  

I kind of felt it way before, even when he lost his second election. I was like, yeah, this dude is coming back. Because the lessons that were supposed to be learnt were not learned. The pandemic that was supposed to teach us something. We didn't learn it, we just brushed it aside and moved on.  

And now God has left this nation. In fact, this is why this man is affecting the whole world. Not just here, the whole entire world to teach a new generation of people how to war in spirit.  

It's a set up. So there's a great awakening that's coming. Now having said that I want to show you something. And we're going to study on grace and anointing at the same time, but more on Grace. 

2 Corinthians 8: 9. He says I speak not by commandment, but I'm testing the sincerity of your love. By the diligence of others. For you know not I hope you know, you should know for you know.  

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich, the grace of our Lord Jesus, though he was rich yet for your sake he became poor. That through his poverty might become rich.  

It's very easy to look at this and think of the riches of this world because Jesus did not have any physical riches. So what's being talked about here is spiritual riches. He became poor in that's why the Scripture blessed are poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.  

He became poor in. So you and I could be spiritually rich, not physically rich. So which means that the grace that was on Jesus Christ, the anointing that was sitting on him. He gave that all up in order that you and I could be full of anointing and full of grace.  

That's what being said here. Now the word grace, right is bigger than any strife challenges. Mistakes that all of humanity could ever make. The Grace of God. His desire to afford access is bigger than anything humanity could ever do collectively, individually, it's bigger than that.  

Now grace is given in spite of whether you are saved or not. That’s the essence that get us to salvation. Because if it was given because of our own deeds, then there's no way we are getting salvation.  

But the grace of God is just thrown out there for all of humanity. That's why you can meet people who are not saved but have a lot of grace in their life. To do things that you like. I know he's not saved, but man.  

So grace improve quality of life. Grace has multiple definitions, including the gift of God. A state of freedom and equality of movement. In Christianity, grace is God's undeserved favor, which is freely given.  

It's a gift that can't be earned. That's why I want to see people, you know, I'll give you a prophetic word if you give me this much money. That's not biblical. Because we are saved by grace not because we deserve it or we did something. 

It is just God's desire and will that, he says know what? This is what I want to do. That's why you read the Book of Ephesians. He talks about God's will and pleasure. It's his pleasure to do what he does.  

We didn’t earn it will work for it. Again, that's why you can see people who are not saved and can have grace on their life to do things. Grace is God's help to people to overcome temptation and attain eternal life.  

You don't get to salvation without grace. It is an expression that means something happened through God's kindness. It was just his kindness that he afforded grace to humanity.  

Now, the fascinating thing about grace is that even though it is given. These different types of grace you have to find it. That's Peter if I have found favor in your eyes. Special privilege approval.  

Gives you the ability to perform to do things that you wouldn't ordinarily do on your own. When God just favors you just because. Now the thing about favor is that God does not favor you just because he has nothing better to do.  

God gives us favor because he wants something done. So I will equip you with this favor, so you can do something. Favor is one of the most dangerous things that humanity can have. Because if you have favor and you don't know how to use it, it's easy to abuse it.  

Very easy to abuse it. There's nothing as easy as abusing something that you never end. The things that you work for. Money that you work for and you're gonna work and you really work hard for it.  

You don't just spend it. You think hard before you use it. In fact, you don't spend money that you work for, you use it. But money that she did not earn oh you gonna spend it. That's grace.  

So easy to abuse it because it's unmerited. You didn’t earn it, it's just God's. Just his desire and willingness to just give it to all of humanity. Now, in order for us to get to salvation, we have to have grace.  

We're saved by grace. Not because we did something. Grace can also mean extending forgiveness, blessing, acceptance to someone who may not deserve it. That's why you see in court people when they have done stuff. 

They described the people usually say you are at the mercy of the judge. That whatever he decides it is what it is. So then people then ask for mercy.

And when the judge decides to so like, I don't know how many times I've heard this when the judge says I don't know why I'm doing this something just tells me that you need a second chance. 

You don't deserve this based on the records of the things that you have done, we need to lock you up and throw the key in the ocean. But out of my kindness and goodness I'm going to extend you a second chance. 

That's grace. That's what God has done for humanity. Now anointing on the other end, it empowers Kingdom people to do extraordinary things. Anointing is used by God for the members of his fellowship.  

If you are not in this fellow in his fellowship, you don't have access to this anointing. Anointing is the remedy for bondage breaking yoke. And it breaks any kind of strife. We as human beings will encounter.  

Or any kind of challenge that we would ever go through. How do we know this? Jesus says take my yoke upon you. And learn from me for I am gentle and lowly in heart. And you will find rest for your souls.  

That's what anointing is. It breaks your so that we can find rest for our souls. But my york is easy. My burden is light. Then in Lamentations 3:27 says come let us bear the yoke of the Lord, for it is good.  

Lamentations 6:2 says bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. Isaiah 9:7 says for you will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from shoulders. 

So in order to lift burdens or to lift anything that is challenging in our lives. We are going to need anointing and while in this neighborhood if you know of any challenges that exist in families life you don't need for that and the grace for that. 

What you need is anointing, anointing to break yokes. And anointing is different from grace because it will cost you will cost you to get it. Earn it by your obedience, diligent sacrifice. Spending time with the Lord.  

Growing your faith. Executing his word. That grows your anointing. It's a conviction in your heart and knowing that in order to have that, knowing that nothing is impossible with God. You have to experience it.  

Knowledge is incredible but experiential knowledge, when knowledge is applied and it had proved something, and then it moves from knowledge from information to knowledge to wisdom, and it becomes doctrine, tried and tested.  

That gives you incredible power but as for grace, we have to find it. Exodus 33 :13, this is  Moses pray now, therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in your sight. Show me now thy way that I may know thee that I may find grace in thy side.  

Different type of grace said I have found grace in your sight. General show me now the way that I may know thee that I may find what grace in thy sight and consider that this nation is thy people.  

Different type of grace. If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, turn from their wicked ways, seek my face and then I will hear from heaven. And hear what their land.  

Now in order for God to heal land, this is the equation. But in order to do other things God just does. But as it pertains to healing a nation this is the equation. Yes, people have to turn from their wicked ways, seek his face.  

Now there is, wait, once you sign on the dotted line, you now have to do something else in order to get to where you want to get to. Moses asked for two types of grace. Pray thee if I found grace.  

What kind of grace? Just general Grace, if you have found faith, I pray that if I, the person that you are choosing. Then show me now thy way that I may know thee. Why says now if I get to know you that I may find what? more grace to now do what you're calling me to do.  

If you give me the favor, if you have given me this favor to indulge me right now I'm for it but if that's the case now I pray that you show me more grace. So that these people is the nation you're calling me to lead.  

Genesis 6:8, But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time. He walked faithfully with God. 

So his righteousness and his faithfulness made him find what? Grace in God's eyes. In other words, even though everybody is afforded grace, I'm not giving you special grace because of your righteousness and faithfulness.  

Because they are things that I need done and I have to now equip you with the right kind of power, strength and wisdom to do the things that you now have found grace in favor for. So grace 1.  

Unmerited favor definition? Unmerited favor? 2 unconditional, the first part is unconditional. But once you sign on the dotted lines, it becomes conditional. Then 3 enabling power, right. 

Noah, this is what Noah got enabling power. Gideon got the same thing. And enabling power. Then definition 4 God's extravagant blessing God just blesses. The number 5. The ability to carry revelation. In reality all men are in need of his grace. 

But also in reality, all men don't find favor in his eyes, everybody can get grace. But in order to find favor, that's why the scripture says and Noah, he's living in a generation that is sinful and crazy.  

Yet he wards it together and is righteous and he's faithful. And then he finds favor because of the conditions that he was prevailing in. So Noah becomes separate from his generation from his peers because of his desire to be righteous and faithful.  

Now for us today, this righteousness is not our own, but only comes to us through Jesus Christ and it can be found in him. Let me give you a bunch of scripture here, 2 Corinthians 12:9.  

But he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in your weakness. Therefore, I will bust all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  

Scripture is beautiful, man. Ephesians 2:8- 9, for by Grace you have been saved through faith and this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that nobody can ever boast.  

Because you did not deserve this. It is just a gift that God says I want to give to humanity. This is why I get so frustrated and mad when people start selling the gospel. And selling prophetic words.  

I'm gonna give you a $10 prophetic word 100. What do you own? What do you have that was not given to you? Romans 6:14, For sin, who have no dominion over you. Since you are not under law but under what? See how powerful grace is, grace makes it possible for us.  

For sin to not have dominion over us but if it is by grace Romans 11:6, but if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works. Otherwise, grace would not longer be grace. James 4:6, I love this one, but he gives Grace, he gives more grace. 

Now think about this. We all have been given grace. But now, he says but he gives more grace. Therefore, it says God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. So humility comes with all kinds of different types of grace. 

Graceful salvation and merited favor. Grace to do things because, if you're humble, right? Then you can never boast. But if you're not humble, you will boast, which negates the idea of grace.  

Hence my favorite quote, I always say this. You can never write a book on humility. Because once you write it, you are no longer humble. Hebrews 4:16. Let us then, with confidence draw near to the throne of, the throne of grace.  

And what flows out of the throne of grace that we may receive mercy. Oh my God, this is beautiful. Listen to this. Let us with confidence draw near to the throne of grace. You gotta get close to the throne of grace.  

Why that we may receive mercy. Now when we receive mercy, it then says and then find grace to help in the time of need. Different type of grace. You need grace to draw near to the throne of grace but once you get there, you're going to find more grace to use in the time of need.  

Brothers and sisters, I want you to just stop and think about this. Know everybody here I've heard your stories. Ok, now think about how you have managed somehow to be where you are now.  

And a few years ago, you would be like, I can't even see tomorrow, can’t see tomorrow, especially some of you who are way up there in age. You remember the civil rights era. You remember you couldn't walk downtown Birmingham without the fear of being taken.  

And now we are because then we found grace that has led us to this place where now we are even find. This is why you know, when I see all these crazy stuff that's going on in our country. 

I'm like, man, you can only be afraid if you don't understand the scripture. That's the only way you can be afraid. Because, growing near to God you will find grace at the throne and you obtain mercy, which leads you to find even more grace to help you in the time of need.  

So in other words, to deal with the challenges that we're dealing with, what do we have to do? Draw near to the throne of grace and find mercy. To then obtain more grace to deal with things when it is challenging.  

Ephesians2:8 for by grace, you've been saved through faith snd this is not your own doing. It is a gift of God. Paul says by the grace of God, I am what I am. His grace toward me was not in vain.  

On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them. Though it was not I it wasn't me doing it. He said Paul acknowledging that I worked so hard than any of these brothers, but it's not because it was me. 

It was God who had given me grace to do that, said by the grace of God that was within me. The favor, the unmerited favor, the unconditional merit that I got from God allowed me to do this.  

Me walking hard as I went has nothing to do with me. Titus 2:11 for the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people. Training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passion and to live self controlled upright and godly lives in the presence of the age waiting for our blessed hope. 

The appearing of the glory of our great God and savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself up to give himself to redeem us from all lawlessness and purify for himself a people. Purify for himself a people for his own position, who are zealous for good works.  

You know what just a side note, you know what I don’t understand, you know what I don't understand, you know, when you read Scripture right, you hear how incredibly you know articulate it is, it's not confusing.  

It tells you if you just breathe and stop, you can really see God speaking to us. It's really confounds me that anyone would try to add to this. It's really surprising to me that somebody would think, you know.  

Let me add a little something in there to juice it up because just by itself is so juicy that you thinking like my God. You know what I want to do? You know this is Pastor Zees’ dream. My prayer is that one day I get invited to some conference somewhere, some big conference. 

And what I'll do is literally read the sermon on the Mount, Word for word. We pray and go home. Because the Scripture itself is unbelievable, that the idea of adding anything to it is ludicrous.  

2nd Corinthians 9:8 and God, we know this one and God is to make all grace. Not one, all grace abound to you. So that by having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may be abound in every good work. So in order to do every good work you need what? All grace. 

But the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:18, Here we go. But you, my friends, grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  

So in other words, right. The entrance to grace is just an entrance because now we have an instructions that says you have to grow in the knowledge. You have to grow in the grace grow in grace.  

So in other words, there is more other grace that God has given to us that we are not aware of right now. Because, we can't be touched to grow in things that we already know. So that means that this journey of faith is going to continue to lead us to the full scope of God's grace for humanity.  

I don't know if would ever really understand what happened on the cross. I know we talk about, but I don't think we will ever really fathom what happened on that day on Calvary. I mean, you think from Jesus to now that his blood is still flowing and healing people 2000 years later. 

I mean, there's things that were found in 2000 years later that are obscured now. There's animals that used to roam the planet that don't exist anymore. But his blood continues to flow for your great grandchildren. Great grandchildren will still be available to them.  

That's amazing grace. That's why it's called amazing grace. Let me tell you the history of this song. Then we can end. You know this song amazing grace. If you go to the museum in Washington, DC you see, you know the story about the amazing grace the song.  

A ship of slaves from Africa was crossing the Atlantic Ocean on its way to the United States. And under the belly of the ship there were slaves bound in chains from West Africa.  

And in agony and in pain and in the cold of the Atlantic Ocean, they started chanting a West African chant from their village. And that West African chant was and on top of that ship, you have the captain of the ship who was looking at the starry skies. 

And it hit him so hard. What he was doing or what he was part of. Hearing this chance from the bottom of the belly of the ship. He's staring at the skies and he came face to face with God.  

And he was broken in that moment and he penned the words amazing grace, how sweet the sound. I was once lost, but now I'm found. And that song went on to be iconic. We still sing it today.  

And wherever you find it, where it is actually written properly you he say it says, written by I think I can remember the name of the captain and African slaves, grace. I mean, you think about story, you think about how God can take struck people who are in dire, desperate need.  

And the man standing in on top of them in victory of pushing a sail board ship across the Atlantic, bringing slaves to New York. And God unites this moment for all of humanity to forever sing amazing grace.  

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is an incredible, phenomenal thing. And there is a plethora of it you can go anywhere with it.

It's important for us as believers to know. The different types of grace that exist because there's an instruction in Peter that says but grow, you have to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  

Why do we have to grow in the grace? Because you cannot get to anointing without grace. Because grace says it will give you strength to one to deal with trouble situations. Anointing comes as a conviction of having gone through something and knowing that surely God is my victim.  

Without that you are not breaking any yokes, conviction. That's why I love seniors. I have a really soft heart for all the seniors because in order to be where you are now Mother Jones. You have gone through hell and back and you have seen Lord answer some prayers.  

And the level that's why if you ever get a senior person, pray for you. The level of anointing that flows from that river, it's unbelievable. That's why if you ever get a black person, pray for you.  

The level of anointing that comes from strife. I pray that we grow in this knowledge of grace. This is a very broad subject. And we're going to teach on it again.

And I think what we should do we should do now Vee, that list you put together there that should be a yearly list that we teach on every single at the beginning of the year.  

We should know these things. We should be able to explain. We should be able to teach it because we again, I started with judges 3. There is a generation that has no idea of this. And it's our responsibility to teach, because if we don't teach whatever we don't teach is lost forever.  

One of the hardest things in life is rebuild without a plan. You wish somebody who was there would tell you. Before the British left Zimbabwe in 1979. They knew their eras come to an end. An independence date was set.  

21 February 1980 was set and they knew their time is done. But because they have incredible hate in their heart they took every map, sewer maps, phone system maps all the city maps that existed of where the water runs, where the sewer goes, how it starts, all that they took, all that and burnt it.  

Says go ahead and rebuild without a plan. It took 10 years of men and women tracing back and redrawing everything. So instead of rebuilding, instead of starting here and rebuilding a nation, they had to retrace where the sewer lines and pipes and draw the mall over. 

It took ten years, now can you imagine what was lost in 10 years? You don't want your grandkids one day to start asking this question, what is salvation? So we want to teach all this stuff I'm giving you guys.  

I want you to teach your grandkids. Everybody should know this so that. When they come into the full knowledge of Christ. They are not starting at grace.

They’re not starting at salvation. They're not starting at anointing. They're going to start even further so that they can gain more territory, Amen. Mother Jones, can you pray for us? 

Dear Lord, we thank you for this day. We thank you because you are the great I am. Father, God, we bless your name for the word that we've heard on this evening.

Let it nourish our bodies, our souls, and especially our spirit and the awakening to walk in what we learn and to desire more and more of you, to know where we are in the words that we are receiving.  

Lord bless Pastor Zee, his family and those around just nourish back to him what he gives to us. As well as Veronica and Calvin and all of the ones on this ministry that come to you, Lord wanting and desiring to learn more about the Kingdom of God.  

As we stepped into this, Lord, we will become your vessels of praise, honor and glory, lifting you up for everything this week Lord, we just desire that we are endowed with more power, wisdom and knowledge.  

Learning who we are in you. Thank you for your correction, your direction, your perfection and your protection of all things that we give you glory and praise in your name we pray, Amen.