Prayer Works Bible Study: March 3, 2024

Preserving What Remains

The Church is having its own fight between people who want to uphold the truth and those who think the Church is centered on them and their philosophy.

God’s Kingdom must go against the world, but sometimes you can’t tell the difference between the Church today and the world.

As believers, our goal is not just to be knowledgeable about the Word but to apply the Word.

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Totally devoted to the devil and in that regard, they just do what they've always done, and they do it so well. And sometimes you would actually think you know if you ever go to Singapore, it's one of the cleanest city in the world.  

But over there, they don't believe in God. You know, they have a whole different kind of doctrine. They do what they do and they've done it so well.

This is why if you ever see someone, high-ranking drug dealers, they look so blessed because not because they are blessed its because what they do, they do it so well.  

So there can be this illusion to make us think that. I mean over there its great because they are doing well. That that's not necessarily true. You know we are in a pickle as a nation. We are in a very difficult time.  

And the church is experiencing something really challenging and difficult within the church itself. It almost seems like the church is having its own fight. There's people who are trying to uphold the truth to make sure that it stays the way it has always.  

Then there's people who think the church is them. Even though we are the church, but they think they own the church. And by so doing the things they do and they are saying, it's more to side with their own philosophy rather than to side with this Kingdom. 

Because when you really think about what our Kingdom represents, right, it was designed to go against the world. Not to walk sidestep of the world, but to go against the world, its functions the way the doctrines are layered, the way things are done.  

They are all designed to make sure they go against the grain. But now, sometimes walking churches can't even see the difference between the church and the world. You can’t see it. Sometimes you hear pastors talk, you know, you don't even know whether this is a message or a motivation talk.  

You know, pastors are so much into everything except the word of God. I can stand on the pulpit and talk about race. The history of it, where it came from, who did what and where it is going. And I can appear knowledgeable, but really the goal is not to be knowledgeable.  

The goal is to take the word of God and apply it to all worldly systems. And this is why, as believers, sometimes when we are asked pertinent questions by people. We can't answer. Like hey your scripture seems to be contradicting themselves, right.  

I'm sure some of us we’ve heard these questions. That the scripture says ABCD how about it says this this there's a law that says this and then how about that law? Until you realize that the way our scriptures are layered, they are layered in a way where they sit on three different laws.  

You have the moral law, which is above all else law. Everybody knows moral law. You don't have to go to school to learn this. You're born with it's God-given it's in your spirit, moral law. Then you have civil law, which was given to the nation of Israel.  

And that was given to govern them so they can be distinct to everybody else. For example, you can’t cut your beard. Right. You can’t trim the edges of your beard that was for the nation of Israel. That was the civil law for the Nation of Israel, it wasn’t a moral law.  

It was a civil law to the nation of Israel, so they can be different from everybody else. Then on top of that, God also gave them ceremonial laws. Then when you go and do the feasts, you have to follow these procedures.  

And though civil law and civil law really died with the nation of Israel because it was to govern them. Ceremonial laws, they go as far as the nation of Israel goes. That moral law is for all of us so when Jesus comes and He says I'm going to fulfill the law. 

There were 617 laws, by the fulfillment of the law was I will give you one law that you have to subscribe to, and if you subscribe to this law, it supersedes all law. Love one another as I have loved you, and by these people would know that I surely you are my children, it's the greatest law.  

Because when you love somebody else, when you love this Kingdom, there's no way you can ever think of murdering another person. So, the fulfillment of law is Jesus instilling a love in us that is beyond human comprehension.  

Because laws really in order for us to follow laws, we have to be logical, correct. Because you can't, I can't regulate for Calvin to love me. You can’t put in the law, you can’t put a law for Calvin to love me.  

So Jesus now comes and fulfills that by instilling His spirit in us so that it supersedes every law. So the fulfillment of law is us walking with Jesus in order to rise above the laws. So when you see the church not rising above laws and we started dipping our hands in every source.  

And dipping our hands in everything and trying to be the voice for racism, the voice for, that is not our job. Our job is Christ in us, the hope of humanity.

The hope of Glory Christ in us. So when you really cannot think about where we are brothers and sisters, you realize and you've heard me, some of you might have heard me say this.  

That the word remnant does not mean chosen, remnant means was left off. If you cook rice and you live a little bit in a pot, that's remnant. So when the scriptures start talking about the remnant, its talking about people who, talking about people who are going to be left holding on to this faith.  

So when you look at the Book of Hebrews 10, and it’s talking about, don't forget says don't forget and don't let go with this idea of meeting and coming together because as you see the day approaching know this, there will be a lot of things pulling people away from the church.  

So he says, hold on, you don't hold on if nothing is pulling you. Hold on means there will be things that are going to pull us away from the church, things people and it's already happening, brothers and sisters.  

Because the doctrine that was being preached out there is unbelievably rotten. So you know what I really want us to do brother, hear me, brothers and sisters and hear me really well because this is not going to be for everybody, not going to be for everybody.  

Remnant is not going to be for everybody. It's not because what's coming and this stuff that's happening in our world, that's really scary, really scary. Reverence has been lost. You know, when the objective of the thing is not known abuse is inevitable. 

It's inevitable if we don't understand why the change exists, abuse is inevitable. You know the value of your, the value of a thing is not determined by what we think. The value of the church is determined by the one who created it and who passed it on. 

Because if you understand that there is thousands and thousands of people that have to by all means, try to do right so they can be in the right standing with God, so that this Kingdom is passed from their generation to the next, to the next, and then when it's your turn to receive the Kingdom and to grow it, to hold it. 

To make sure that it's held together and then pass it to the next generation. If you know that that's your responsibility, then there is no way you can hold this especially holy things. Scriptural things in any kind of way.  

So what's coming is a lot, there's a lot. They want to be asking everybody else to get a pin on their body.

It's coming and there's technology that's being developed right now that if you are driving a car and the police is behind you how can we just you know, enter your computer in the car and malfunction the car to stop so we don't have to give chase.  

Total control, that's what the devil is looking for, total control. He wants total control of this world. We all know about scriptures that's being deleted from the Bible, right. It's been happening since 1984. If you use any electronic or Bible, over 54 scriptures are missing.  

And if you don't know the word you're going to be in trouble. It's on a time and coming time where there will be no physical Bibles to buy anyway. Everything is going to be electrolyzed and what, how are we going to live?  

So this is the questions that we need now to start thinking about it. Rather than just to say, well, we'll see when we get there, we need to start thinking about, well, what's going to happen when these things, what is our defense?  

This is why last week we were talking about spiritual weapons because understanding what your weapons of your warfare are then it's easy to engage in a battle because you know exactly I will not be intimidated. 

 If Elijah was intimidated, Elijah. He got a word from Jezebel and the man went to the hills, Elijah. How about us? So, here's some things that I want us to start grasping and really pushing for individually, right.  

We are all leaders in our own right, leading families, leading a job leading at with friends, families, you name it. We have some we all have some capacity of leadership in us, right. So, in order to be successful as a spiritual leader, you have to understand there is quality of leadership it's important.  

Then the quality of information you get and use in leadership is important. The quality of your anointing is important. You have to preserve your anointing. The things that you suffered for in order to have this position in Christ, you have to preserve that.  

You can't give up your anointing for something ludicrous. The quality of faith that you possess, the quality of your relationships it's important and how you use your time is important. Here are the problems that emerge when we are in leadership positions.  

Lack of leadership destroys next generation. If you as a parent, you’re not trying or working to become a great leader as a great mother, as a great father. It means that you are responsible for destroying the next generation because whatever you don't teach, they will never learn.  

Whatever you forget to teach or to pass on, it's lost. So now when your kids come behind you, they are having to start from scratch and there is nothing as difficult as starting from scratch if you don't have a plan of the original building. 

You're almost gonna have to destroy the whole thing and start all over again. A lack of understanding of how the Kingdom of God actually functions and work causes all of us, all of us, we're susceptible to this, that we can be, you can be swayed by any kind of doctrine. 

Every single one of us, we need to know what our gifts are. What are we competent in as it pertains to the Kingdom of God. What are you good at, you need to know it is. As it pertains to the Kingdom of God what do I do well, what has God gifted me to do in His Kingdom. 

Because knowing that it extenuates your value, but also it gives you a mind to know where your enemy is and where your betters are because there is nothing like engaging in a battle that you don't have spiritual weapons for. 

Then the lack of prophetic words that comes from us. Just a quick question, you don't even have to give an answer, when last when last did you speak a prophetic word over someone or over your current situation or conditions. 

Because prophetic word you’re supposed to do what 85 right. So, when last did we say man, I speak to this mountain. Or I speak that because in order for you to speak prophetically, that means you have to hear. 

Here's another thing, are we planning, we generationally plan financially, but we don't generationally plan for the Kingdom of God. What am I leaving, what am I going to pass on to these children pertaining to this Kingdom, you must prophesy. 

Ezekiel 37, Romans 4:17 here's another question. What have you started in God that you did not finish. Somewhere along the journey, either your face or lack of thereof, just let you let go and you studied well you knew God was with you and he says I'm going to equip you. 

But along the journey, just like Abraham, when it looked like I don't know if Isaac is going to come. Thank God that the men of God came back and finished what God started with him. The reason why churches are not strong anymore is because we have leaders who don't start, who don't finish what they started in the name of God.  

We stand in front of people and say God said for me to do ABCD. Then, over a period of time we then realized, no, that wasn't God and then we don't finish. And then the other generation is sitting there waiting for us, this is why the church is in the condition it is right now. 

 So us as leaders, as people that God is raising up in different capacities. We have a responsibility to understand and to know what our position in Him is. And the things that we need to make sure that we are constantly doing in spite of opposition in spite of immediate success, not being readily available for us.  

But what can we do to continuously do because the scripture says, if you don't faint, you will receive the blessing you might have heard me say this, and I'll keep repeating it. The problem with us is that we faint too much, we faint.  

So, when you look around those guys, when you really look around us, they are disturbing things that are happening. And someone has to stand for what's right. And in order to stand, you need to know the word of God and you need to have power and authority and anointing behind you.  

This is why I am saying to every single one of us, we really need to know who we are in Christ. No doubt it, not being I'm not sure, I'm still trying to figure it out. Because what's coming demands us to know exactly who we are.  

Because if you don't know who you are in Christ, you will be swayed. You will be pulled and I'm not talking about stuff that's happening. This is happening to people right now, right now. People who have been preaching and standing on pulpits for years, they're being pulled aside and it's tragic.  

And I don't want any of us to be pulled. I want us to remain steadfast in faith and want us to know who we are in Christ. So, this is going to be a part of your homework this week. Really examine your gifts, your talents.  

What do I do well? What has God put inside of me? Because what God has put inside of you is necessary for His stand, for His church to stand. What am I equipped to do now that you know that? What do I need to study even more to make sure that I continue to be greater in that area,  

Which door is the enemy going to use to pull you because he's going to, how can we keep that shut? What is this spiritual weapon for that? We talked about this last week, right, our spiritual weapons.  

What is my spiritual weapon for that? Knowing these things, it's important. And is going to help us to remain steadfast in Him. And to sustain our faith in the face of adversity. The devil is out in full force, He's not even hiding anymore, he’s right in your face.  

He’s going into churches and just putting his banner right there, I'm here. And making a mockery out here, there's nothing you can do because none of you here is praying. None of you has power here that I feel like the presence of God, can pray in the presence of God. 

Can come in here and I got a move, he says I searched, and I couldn't find one man, God saying, I searched all over couldn't find one person. When God went to Sodom and Gomorrah, he was looking for one, just one. 

And I want this so that when God shows up in your family company where you work, school wherever it is, where it says, yeah, there's one, there’s one. There's one I can work with here.  

You know, this past weekend, I learned an incredible lesson. You know, have you ever heard something that you're like, yeah, yeah, that's obvious. I should know that. Here's a lesson I learned this last weekend, he says you can't ask God to multiply things in your life when you haven't learned to add.  

Because 1 + 1 = 2, 2 + 2=4, 0 * 4 = 0. So if you don't have anything which is 0, you can ask God to then multiply what you have because it leads back to 0. So not knowing who you are and not knowing what God has put inside of you as a gift, as a talent, not knowing what it is that God has favored you to do then you can do what James told.  

This is the reason you don't have is because you don't ask. And the reason why you don't ask is because even when you do ask, you ask a miss. Why are we asking a miss because the scripture says in this season of rain ask for rain.  

We asking for snow in the summer and God is like I'm sorry, that's not happening. That's not the season for it. So in our quest of becoming, of trying to grow in Christ, the least thing we have to do and to know is what is God gifted me to do, who am I? What am I carrying? 

What does God want me to teach because all of us he wants us to teach something. What am I to give, you can't give anything when you don't have anything. You can’t give something when you don't have anything.  

This is the problem with the church now that you can see people standing in pulpits and they can’t give to the church because they themselves don't have anything to give.

Don't have spiritual food so we gotta know, we have to know who am I? What is God gifted me to do? What do I do?  

Ok, if I am gifted to do this then I gotta make sure I keep expanding that gift. If you know that you are a prophet, you better be reading Proverbs, right. If you know Veronica, you're a Psalmist, you better stay in the Psalms and keep yourself to the best of your ability.  

So you can grow that muscle and the reason for that, because if you know this is who I am when adversity comes, when they needed to go to war King Jehoshaphat could have been doomed if he had no Levites in the camp.  

Because God was saying I want somebody who can sing. And there was nobody available. Then that war was going to be a defeat. I'm looking for someone to inspire, you better know whether that's you or not. But do you know what we do, oh, you know that, you know that's not and I don't want to, I don't want to just be out there.  

Meanwhile, the house is on fire. No, I don't, I don't just want to put myself out there. See something at work, that’s not, that's not for me, that's not for me to say. And by so doing right we are not enforcing the Kingdom of God.  

You know my kids know this, their little friends, whatever. If I see something, oh, come here. ABCD because I know my responsibility because if I don't, I'm not waiting for somebody to come and do my job. So I pull them aside, hey, sorry. I know you came to tennis today, but sit over here 30 minutes, we're in the conversation.  

I'm sorry, because this is more important than hitting a tennis ball. You might not like me right now, but hey I have done my job. And then two weeks later, you know what I was thinking about what you said and my God, I really need help in that.  

Expanding the Kingdom of God. But it comes by what, by knowing who you are in Christ. What are your gifts, knowing the vision behind your life, knowing what God is instilled inside of you, what am I supposed to do?  

Because if you know that then you are continuously expanding that gifts that God has given into giving you so that when adversity arises, you are totally equipped to face it.  

So I want to encourage you, I know I'm all over the place but really, the key fundamental thing that I want all of us really to start grasping because we are in this whole teaching every month on the Book of Proverbs.  

And most of us here are going to be teaching morning and just sharing your prophecy. I want you to know who you are because when you speak from the position that God has put you in and you apply the gifts and tell him that God has given you, then it's going to affect all of us.  

You know, a few weeks ago, you know Brother Sargeant in the morning was talking and sharing about some of the work they are doing in the devotion. You know, because he's speaking from what God has put inside of him.  

You can feel the anointing come with it. Then you can feel this inspiration, says man I gotta get up and do my things. You know what I'm saying. The day he spoke about that I got up and I wrote a whole entire chapter.  

I got to do what I need to do because you're watching someone in their gift do what they they are doing for the Kingdom and you can't help to realize that men as a piece of this body, I have to contribute to that.  

That if you don't know what you're supposed to contribute just like going to church, not knowing what you're supposed to give an offer. Now you're just hoping that someone standing up there might say something that will conjure up your heart and now give.  

But if you really know who you are, you'll be like, no, I'm going to prepare myself because I know what my responsibility is and I know what I need to do. So, I'm asking all of us to really spend time in accentuating the things that we know we are good at that God is put in us.  

And the reason I'm asking you is because what's coming, it's going to be really challenging and difficult and in a few years time from now and I kept talking to Veronica about this, you see all these people that are running around my body, my choice.  

See all these teenagers yeah, I can do whatever I want to do. Just give them five years from now when children come home to you and they're going to walk on your door and knock and say I need help, this is what I did.  

Oh, you have to have the anointing to fight some devils, we have to be anointed to fight the Devils. Because if we don't they will fight us whether we want to or not. So, let's spend some quality time this week just jotting some things down about what God is instructing you to do.  

What God has equipped you to do your gifts, your talents and then we'll start adding to spiritually. If you know you're a prayer warrior then increase your praying time. If you know your worshipper, increase your worship time.  

So that you can write songs that can rescue a generation. Think about there's power in that. Think about the man who wrote Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound. What had happened, he was a slave ship, captain, slave ship captain and he hears slaves who are bound in chains going to an unknown land.  

And they starts humming which was an African chant from their tribal group. And while he's staring up in the sky and he sees the stars and the moon, he hums Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, I am wretched but look at that.  

Years later we sing this song, its effect and its impact because one man in his crazy condition, he recognized that men are wretched. Hey, you could you could get inspired to write a whole way of dealing with society as a policeman.  

That's what we are trying to get to transformative power. Kathy, you could sit down and really brainstorm on men, how do we help adoptive kids and you could formulate a whole entire doctrine because God is giving you a gift to do it. And you've been doing it all these years.  

And in that, in all the challenges that comes with that, there's an anointing that comes with it too. So that you can stand and say, man, this is what God has equipped me to do and I can teach somebody else to do it. That's how this Kingdom expands.  

Gregory is oh, they started one of the architectural firms in Boston. Run by people of color in an industry where you don't have people of color running architecture in firms. There's an anointing that comes with that because all that you have experienced and seen and dealt with in dealing with people.  

Contracts being denied and having to fight for things that other people just get in their sleep. There's an anointing that comes with that, ok. So, when God is going as you are going through the fire in so many different aspects, there's an anointing that comes with that.  

So that one day you can stand as the pillar for this body. Taking pictures Calvin, there’s an anointing that comes with that. But knowing that I can see what other people cannot see, that you are busy looking at this color and I'm seeing something totally different because you are not experienced in that. 

There's an eye that can see things that are beyond human eyes. It's an anointing that comes with that. So now you have to understand, no, I'm a seer. So you are seeing things And because you know that I have this gift, we start utilizing it.  

I had a conversation with Calvin a few years about a few I think a year ago about pixels, and he's telling me this, no this image and I'm like I'm lost, I don't even know what you're talking about right now. But the fact that he has an eye that sees that, that's a gift, and God needs to accentuate.  

You need to understand now as you look at scriptures, you start asking yourself man. Let me study Samuel, he was a seer, he anointed kings. You can't be a great worship leader without an ear because in order to sing, you have to hear.  

You have to hear notes, you can accentuate that because in these difficult times you're going to need somebody to hear from the Lord. And come and tell us, hey, I heard from the Lord, this is what he said, Amen.  

It's 19:06 and I have a boss who watches my time. And on Monday, usually say you went over by 6 minutes, 19:06. So I'm going to end here today, it was more about me speaking from my heart because of the things that I'm seeing and I'm hearing and some of it is horrible.  

And we have to come to a place where we fight for the church. Because we are its citizens. We are the citizens of the church and we have to fight for it. Then to make sure that we are growing it by us doing what God has called us to do.  

And also on the flip side, do not be pulled by whatever that's going to be pulled, pulling us, Amen. Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your grace and thank You for your love. I thank You for Your peace. I thank You for speaking to us, warning us, encouraging us, inspiring us. 

 We are Your children, I know You love us And we know Lord that we are living in these treacherous times. And apart from just standing, we need to enforce the victory on the cross.  

So, I'm praying, Lord, for every single one of us that this week, as we go throughout this week, help us to have a clear understanding of who we are in You, what You've gifted us to do so that we can expand this gift inside of us.  

So that this Kingdom can grow but above all else that we will not be moved or swayed by any kinds of doctrine out there. Bless Your people. Bless every family represented here and I pray, Lord, that even as we go throughout this week, help us Lord to figure out our struggles and challenges.  

Because our desire is to grow. I thank You for our children, our grandchildren, as they go to back and forth to school, protect them from harm and danger. For our children that are dealing with difficulties.  

Father, visit them and speak to them that the Holy Spirit be evident in their life. Thank You for salvation, extend it to them and I pray, Lord, that may the goodness of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.