Close Proximity | Bishop T.D. Jakes

0:32 Thank you. Amen. I'm going to wear this every week now. I'm going to start in the King, I'm going to read out of the King James Version at the beginning at the 18th verse, and it says, And he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory. This is Moses talking to God. And he said, I will make God is now talking back to him. They're having a conversation. And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee. Can you imagine that? I'm going to make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious. And see, what you have to understand if you read the whole chapter, Moses is trying to figure out God's name because God has only told him that I am that I am. And he says, I want to know you.

1:26 I want to have a deeper relationship. You have known me. I want to know you. So the Lord says, I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious. I'm going to say that again because a lot of people don't understand that. God makes up his own mind who he chooses to bless.

1:49 God will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. Get out of my business. That's my business. Leave that up to me. I choose. I decide. I make the rules. Am I not the potter and you the clay? God is saying, I do what I want to do. If God gets ready to bless you, let him bless you. Sometimes it's not the haters. Sometimes it's you that's standing in the way of your own blessing because you don't feel worthy or you don't feel capable or you don't feel confident. God says, I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy. I will give grace to whom I will give grace. God will grace you to do things that you couldn't do on your own. You just got the grace to do it. Anybody else say it would have fell out, but you got the grace to do it. Are you hearing what I'm saying?

2:41 And he said, thou canst not see my face, for there shall no man see me and live. And the Lord said, behold, there is, now this is what I want you to really zoom in. And the Lord said, behold, there is a place by me. and I shall stand upon a rock.

3:07 Good God of mercy. And it shall come to pass while my glory passes by that I will put thee in a cleft, in the cleft of the rock and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by. Glory to God. He's talking to you. And I will take away my hand and thou shalt see my back parts, my afterglow. That we're going to get into that a little bit more. But my face shall not be seen. Can you say amen? Remain standing with me for a minute. I want to talk about close proximity.

3:51 Close proximity. No longer afar off, no longer at a distance, but close proximity. Let's pray while we're standing. Spirit of the living God, fall fresh. Anoint these lips of clay that they may be endowed with what is necessary to declare the word of God so clearly and succinctly that the children understand it as well as the oldest amongst us. from the illiterate to the most profound, educated person in the room. Let the word of God hit everybody and everybody come into an awareness of what you're able to do and speaking to them in your own language and in a way that they can understand it. Make it plain, make it clear, make it relevant, make it life-reforming, make it life-changing, make it thirst-quenching, mind-renewing.

4:47 Come on in, Holy Spirit, and do what you want to do as we came here to see you. We came here to be with you. We came here because we want to know you. We came here because we want to sense you. We came here because we want to be filled with you. We came here because we want your glory to live with us. And by the way, when we get in the car, would you get in the car with us? Would you get in the car with us? And if we go to the house, would you go to the house with us? And when we lay down, would you lay down with us? When we rise, would you rise with us? Would you cover us with your blood? In Jesus' name we pray. Somebody shout amen. Shout amen again. You can sit the rest of the day if you want. Let's go to work. Y'all got people all over the country saying that to me.

5:41 I go places to speak and they say, let's go to work. I was with Stephen Furtick the other day and they were up at Holland. Let's go to work. I think you're more famous than I am. Let's go to work. So let's go to work. We're stepping in the middle of the journey with Moses and his experience with the Hebrew children. Moses has had an encounter where he's been raised in the house of Pharaoh for about 40 years, and then he has run out of the house of Pharaoh because he has killed an Egyptian for fighting against a Hebrew, and he spends 40 years in exile in Jethro's house in the wilderness, in the wilderness he will later work in. God will expose you to an area that you will later... work in. And the Lord shows himself strong, and the Lord shows himself mighty, and the Lord reveals himself after a period of time. After about 40 years, God appears unto him in a burning bush, and he has an encounter with God unlike anybody else in the Bible. Moses has a face-to-face encounter with God. He has an experience with God that is so profound that he turned aside to see.

7:04 Not that the bush was burning, but that the bush was burning and not consumed. A sign of the presence of God is when you're in the middle of something that should consume you, and yet it doesn't consume you, and people have to turn aside to see because they thought you'd be dead by now. Now, I don't know who I'm talking to, but they expected your bush to burn up by now, but God's presence is so strongly omits you that your sign is your survival.

7:37 Your sign is your survival. Your sign is your survival. That's your testimony. That's your pulpit. That's your stage. That's your ministry. You've been asking God, what is my purpose? What in my ministry, you don't understand that God is proving himself and speaking through the fact that you went through that kind of fire and you're still standing tall. And all you got to do is stand there and grin. And if you just stand there and grin, you've already testified. You've already declared. You should have burnt up by now. Testimon said, you should have burnt up by now. But you're still here. And God is speaking to me by your survival. God is speaking to me because you're in a dry place, but you're still able to withstand. God is showing himself strong in my life. Can you say amen?

8:29 Amen. And then Moses is sent down to Peribor, to Egypt, to really confront the people he was running from. God will make a U-turn in your life and send you back to Egypt where he was running from, and he comes down there, and he comes down there with signs and wonders. He learned in the wilderness Let me say this real quick You learn more about God in the wilderness Than you do in the palace Almost everything important that I ever learned about God, I learned about it in a dry place. I learned about it in a place of discomfort. I learned about it in a place of trouble. Everything valuable, everything sustainable, everything that defined me didn't come when I was on the mountaintop. It came when I was in the valley. Didn't come when I was dancing. It came when my joy was dried up.

9:23 Didn't come when I was skipping all over the house. It came when I was going through hard times and the enemy was expecting me to die. And then all of a sudden God raised me up from the dead. To God be the glory that raises, he said, I am the God that raises the dead. I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth on me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.

9:49 I feel something already. I'm trying to be cool, but I'm already fired up. Now, this is Moses' first real encounter with God where he visually confronts him, but God's hand has been over him all his life. God's hand's been over him all his life. While his mother hid him, God's hand was over him. While he was floating in the Nile, God's hand was over him. While he was raised in the Pharaoh's house, God's hand was over him, and he didn't even know it. Do you know that sometimes God's hand can be over your life and you don't even know it? You're not even aware of it? Moses is now 80 years old and then he has a face-to-face encounter with a God who's been ordering his steps all his life. A God who kept him from dying. A God who kept him from crib death. A God who kept him from illness. A God who kept him from sickness. You didn't get here by yourself.

10:47 God kept you. It wasn't that you were slick. It wasn't that you were smart. It wasn't that you were cool. It wasn't that your parents were great. It wasn't that a rich uncle died. God has been watching over you all of your life. Even when you weren't thinking about him, even when you weren't serving him, God has been watching over you all of your life. You just didn't know it. And then all of a sudden, shazam, he reveals himself. He shows himself. He appeared, but he was there all the time. I said he was there all the time. The omnipresence of God was there all the time. The manifest presence of God, you can figure out when he manifest, but he was there before he was manifest. He was there all the time. He was there when you were sick.

11:41 He was there when you were failing. He was there when you were dying. He was there when you were in sin. He was there when you were in trouble. He was there all the time. He was there when the gun was about to go off. He was there in the car wreck. He was there in the storm. He was there in the crisis. And then all of a sudden he manifests himself and said, I was there all the time. If you have an experience with God, where God ever manifests himself in your life, you will never be the same again. You will never be the same again. You will never be the same again. Now, I don't know about crack because I never did crack because I was scared of crack. I heard about it. It's true. I was saved anyway. And it wasn't no need in me doing something that they said, if you do it one time, you keep trying to get the high every time after that.

12:38 Once you have encountered God, just taste and see that the Lord is good, you'll get hooked on Him. You'll get hooked on Him. One good hit of the Holy Ghost, one good dose of the Spirit of God, one good talk of the presence of God, just one hit, just one hit, just one hit. If you ever get a real hit, I'm not talking about a hit of church. I'm not talking about a hit of the bishop. I'm not talking about a hit of the pastor. I'm talking about a hit of God. Once He gets in you, once He touches your life, you will never be the same again. You'll always remember that feeling. You'll always want that feeling. I was talking to a group of pastors. What's wrong with the church today? We've got church people, but they're not God's people. We need more people who go beyond church to have an encounter with God. I mean an old-fashioned encounter, the kind you don't see much anymore.

13:40 I don't care about what you're wearing, what you got on, and what you look like, and the songs you sing, and all the stuff that we argue back. I'm talking about a real encounter with God, the kind of encounter with God that gets in the car with you, that goes home with you, that gets down in your heart, that never leaves you, never gets away from you, Even though you try to go back and be who you were, you're never the same again because you're haunted by the fact that he put it, oh, oh, oh, oh, somebody touched me. Oh, oh, oh, oh, somebody touched me. It must have been the hand of the Lord. If he ever touched you like that, make some noise in this house. Now Moses who encountered God in the wilderness is now bringing the Hebrew children to the place where he encountered God.

14:43 You cannot lead people where you have not been. I'm going to say that again for the people in the back. You cannot lead people where you have not been. It was important that he go into the desert first because he was sent to lead them through the desert. And sometimes God will take you through things ahead of time so that you can help everybody else get through stuff that they couldn't get through. And you know how to not lose your mind. You know how to survive a divorce and take a licking and keep on ticking. You know how to bury a parent and a loved one and still live and thrive and go forward. And God will use your pain for his power, your problem for his providence. God will show himself strong in your life. Look at your neighbor and say, I serve a strong God.

15:38 He's not just strong in the palace. He's strong in the desert. He's strong in the dry places. He's strong when you don't have a job. He's strong when they took your car. He's strong when you don't have a place to stay. He's strong when you've been rejected. He's strong when you weren't raised right. He's strong when you've been abused. He's strong when your heart's been broken. He's strong when you want to crawl up in a hole and die, and you think you're going to die. But because God is resident in your life. You can survive stuff you thought you couldn't survive. I'm telling you what I know because I went through the desert first. Now he is leading the children of Israel, the Hebrew children, through the desert. Yeah, I see it now. Excuse me a minute here, we've got a little technical difficulty.

16:34 He's leading them through the desert, a place that they have never been to before, but he knows the way because he's been there first. He knows the way. I don't want anybody leading me who's never had a hard time. I don't want anybody leading me who never climbed out of a ditch. I don't want anybody leading me who doesn't have a level of blessing and prosperity and anointing on their life because you cannot lead people where you have not been yourself. Give me more power. Come on, somebody. I want a leader to go first. Some of the things you're going through right now, you think it's the devil. No, it's God getting you ready. You're in the G-O-D University, and God is equipping you to withstand people talking about you, to withstand hard times, to withstand tests and trials. This Moses has equipped now with a power.

17:31 He meets God leading sheep the first time. The second time, he encounters God leading people. So God will give you something to practice on before he gives you the real thing. Everything about your history is a clue to your destiny. God's going to use everything that you went through, everything that you encountered, to prepare your heart for what he's going to do next. It started out with sheep. It ended up with people. It's the same thing with David. It started out with sheep. It ended up with people. And God used that to reveal himself. That's why David said, the Lord is my shepherd.

18:12 Because God knows how to speak in a language that you can relate to based on the things you've been through to manifest his presence as opposed to omnipresence. Omnipresence means God is there all the time. It doesn't come and go. Lo, I'm with you always. But manifest presence is when he shows up in your life and you know it's God and you know he's there and you're aware of his presence. Now, this is a time in our text that Moses is having a conversation with God that has been enriched because of his experience with God. Your conversation with God is enriched by your experience with God. You cannot have a great conversation and a poor experience. He's having a conversation with God, and he's having a conversation with God at a time that he has led the hard-headed, stiff-necked, God called them stiff-necked, Hebrews, out of Egypt.

19:15 Stiff-necked because God has sent frogs, and he sent lice, and he sent all kinds of animals, turned the water to blood. He sent locusts, all to deliver them. And then when they finally get a chance to really praise and worship him, they worship the gold of the Egyptians more than they do God. And they have been stripped naked. And Moses finds them dancing naked around the calf. And the problem with that is they broke the law before they ever got it. Y'all didn't get that. Let me say it again. They broke the law before they ever got it. Thou shall have no other God before me was broken when they first got the law. It was already broken. So when Moses drops the tablets of stone, it's just an outward sign of an inward situation.

20:11 It was already broken. By the law shall no flesh be saved. It's impossible to be saved by something that you broke before you ever got it. You're going 120 miles an hour down the highway, and then you get a sign that says 70 miles. You're already guilty. Ain't no need in arguing about it. You have broke the law before you ever got it. So when the police stop you, ain't no need in you talking about, I don't know, ignorance of the law doesn't mean that you don't have to pay for the law. They had broke the law before they ever got it. So the only chance they had of having an encounter with God is the grace of God. Somebody holler, the grace of God. The law can't save me because it's already broken. So I need the grace of God because I was doing 120 when I saw the sign.

21:05 I was already, I was born in sin. I was shaped in iniquity. I had already blown it before I ever got it. I was a sinner and a wretch undone before I ever committed an act. You running around with your nose up in there talking about what you ain't done. It don't matter whether you did it or not. If you're guilty of the part, you're guilty of the whole. You need to fall on the mercy of the court and ask for the mercy of God. For without God's mercy, you don't have a conversation with him. Mercy gave me a conversation with God.

21:43 God's frustration with the people that he's leading. And I love this because God is acting human. but people have gotten on his last nerve. It's almost a theophonic manifestation of Christ because he acts human in the fact they've gotten on his nerves and God has told Moses, okay, I'll deliver you into the promised land, but I'm going to send an angel with you. I'm not going with you because I'm sick of you.

22:14 You're stiff-necked. You're dancing naked around the calf. Come on, come on. Don't act like, don't make me prophesy in here. God said I'm sick of you I'm not going with you but I'm going to keep my word and send an angel Anybody else would have been satisfied to have an angel. But we enter into Moses having a conversation with God that is a privileged conversation where he litigates with God. Moses literally argues with God. At one point they argue about whose people they are. God says they're your people. Moses says they're your people. God says they're your people. Moses says they're your people. They're going back and forth. Moses, other prophets have I spoke to through dreams and vision, but of my servant Moses I speak to face to face. Stop imitating people because some people have a grace to do things that you can't do.

23:12 They have a grace to say things that you can't say. They have a grace to endure stuff that you can't endure. Moses had the grace to be able to talk to God on another level. Are you following me so far? I'm just laying foundation. I haven't even gotten to the point yet. Moses doesn't just pray, he litigates with God. His personal burning bush experience has heightened his value that he wants close proximity with God. He doesn't want the promise of God without proximity to God. He's hooked on the crack of God's presence. he's not just trying to get the stuff. God said, I'm going to give you the land that flows with milk and honey.

24:06 He said, that's cool, but if you're not going, I don't want to go. Oh, y'all don't hear what I'm saying. Moses is for arguing with God. He said, I'm glad about all that, milk and honey and stuff, but I didn't come through all of this just to get some milk and honey and some land from the Canaanites. I want you to go with me. And if you don't go, I don't want to go. I want to experience the intimacy that I first experienced with you. I want the presence I felt in the bush. Perhaps an angel would do for them, but not for me. I want you to be with me every step of the way. Once you've stood barefoot in the presence of God, it changes what you will settle for. I never will forget we were having a woman at Luz Conference years ago, and we actually started the budget by the time we raised the first offering.

25:08 The budget was already met. And I came in my room, and I went over in the corner, and I had tears in my eyes because there was no glory in the service. And I said, Lord, I don't want it without the glory. If you're not going, I don't want to have it. I don't want to be anywhere that you are not. Stop going after God's stuff and start going after God's presence. Stop going after God's stuff, prodigal son, and start going after God's presence. The problem with the prodigal son, he wanted his father's stuff, but he didn't want his father's presence. You're going to run out of stuff, but you'll never run out of glory. You'll never run out of glory. You'll never run out of glory. You'll never run out. Do you hear me? You'll never run out of glory. If you make your bed in hell, he's there. If you take the wings of the morning and ascend to the uttermost parts of the earth, he's still there.

26:06 You'll never run out of glory. The witches will try to hex you, but you'll still have glory. The warlocks will come against you, but you'll still have glory. You'll go through hard times, but you'll still have glory. You'll go through grief, but you'll still have glory. Because glory is stronger than grief. Y'all didn't hear me. Let me tell y'all. Glory is stronger than grief. Glory is stronger than your feelings. Glory is stronger than your childhood. Glory is stronger than your emotion. Moses said, if you're not going, I don't want to go. He is not litigating from a position of strength. He's litigating from a place of failure. The people have already, they're down there dancing naked around the calf so they don't look good.

27:00 the true believer longs not for blessings or angels or promises, but for God himself. I came here to meet God. I came here this morning to have a meeting with God. I came here to throw myself on the mercy of the court and have an encounter with God, and I won't let you go till you bless my soul. I won't leave till you bless me. For many, the angel would have been enough, a divine helper to go along the way as long as they got the blessing and they got the land that had been satisfied, victory over their enemies. Sounds pretty good, but not for Moses.

27:49 Moses wants nothing but the presence of God himself. He knew the difference between God's gift and God's glory. Why are you here? Just to get you through a bad time in your life? Or do you really want God's glory? When you rush down to the altar, do you rush down to the altar because you got on a new dress? Or do you rush down to the altar because you really want God's glory? Is there anybody left in the church that will lay on their face and say, I want the glory of God? Imagine being married to someone or working for someone or working with someone who only sends you gifts and letters but never shows up. That's not intimacy.

28:44 Moses wanted more than blessings. He wanted close proximity. He wanted God's presence, not his presence. to see God, to know him, and to live in his presence was what he wanted. Beware of people who only want your stuff. whatever that stuff is. If they don't want you, beware of people who don't know how to give themselves. and you empaths have the tendency to try to make people be something that they're not i should say we empaths you try to make be something that they're not but some people don't know how to give themselves one because they don't value themselves they don't see their presence important enough to give their presence to you two nobody ever gave themselves to them so they never learned the language of giving themselves to anybody.

29:51 So forgive your mama. She gave you what she had. She gave you what her mama gave her. Forgive your daddy. He gave you what he had. He gave you what his daddy gave him. It takes something for you to give yourself, to be vulnerable enough to love somebody who is dancing around another calf. y'all didn't hear what I said to love somebody who's dancing around another calf somebody this is the crisis of distance God says I'm not going up with you lest I consume you along the way he said you don't want me to go with you I'll burn you up they're arguing back and forth sin separates us from God's manifest presence Israel's idolatry threatened the closeness that they once had at Sinai with God's glory descended falling on them.

30:53 They were in trouble. God said, you don't want me to go because you're too crazy. What I love about it is the amazing relationship that Moses has with God. That he can really talk to God and they're arguing back and forth and God can really talk to him. And no wonder Moses has a special place with God. That God allows him to debate him.

31:23 To discuss with him. That God uses his rod to heal, to deliver, to turn bitter water sweet, to bring water out of a rock. God did all of that. Angels are no substitute for God. A lot of times we fall in love with the messenger more than we do the message. Moses knew that angelic presence cannot compare with intimate fellowship. And a lot of you know it, but you don't know how to give it, and you don't know how to receive it, and you're not doing anything to fix it. because you can't stand the vulnerability of putting yourself out there yet you will get naked for a calf Not realizing that the calf is made of your own efforts, you keep working harder and harder to melt more and more gold, to get more and more stuff, and still feeling empty and wondering why you're empty.

32:44 You don't have close proximity with God. In thy presence there is fullness of joy. And at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore. I don't care how much stuff you got. You can have as much stuff as Elon Musk. But if you don't have God, it doesn't mean anything at all. You can understand galaxies and move mountains. You can do anything you want to do. But if you don't have God, you don't have anything at all. I wish I had some people that treasured the presence of God, that really treasured the presence of God. I wish we had a church that we didn't have to have. I'm glad for all these singers we got and all these musicians and all of their talent, but I wish we had a church that could have church with a washboard and a pot and a spoon. I wish we had some people that you didn't have to have a good voice in order to move the glory of God.

33:46 I wish we had a people that we didn't have to talk into praising God. I wish we had a people that would enter into his gates with peace giving and his courts with praise. I wish we had a people that would lay prostrate in the floor while somebody runs and jumps across them. And the other person is dancing and the other person is crying. I'm talking about real worship hitting the house. It doesn't look the same on everybody. One person is laying out in the floor. Somebody else is jumping up and down. Come on, somebody. You don't need all this technology. You need a touch from God. Do you remember when we had less stuff, we had more glory? Bring back the glory. Bring back the glory. Bring back the glory. I'm tired of the stuff. Bring back the glory. I don't need another smoke machine. I don't need another flying angel in the air.

34:42 I need the glory of the Lord. For the kind of demons you're fighting, you need the glory of the Lord. You need a touch from God. You need a moving of the Holy Ghost. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Moses said to God, show me your glory. Throw your hands up and say, show me your glory. Show me your glory. I want to see your glory. I want it in my house. I want it in my kitchen. I want it while I'm doing my dishes. I want it while I'm driving down the street. Show me your glory till I get my mind back, till I get my strength back, till I get my courage back. All you want is therapy. You keep getting more and more therapy. Good. I'm glad for therapy. Now let's get some glory. You've had all kinds of therapy. Now you need some glory. Hallelujah.

35:34 Before we had therapy, we had glory. You get down on your knees and start calling on Jesus. And when the Holy Ghost got through rolling you around on the floor, you get up and say, I looked at my hands, and my hands looked new. I looked at my feet, and I started to walk, and I had a new walk. I started to talk, and I had a new talk. You don't get that from talking to people. You get that from talking to God. N able! Everybody's a therapist. Everybody on the internet's a therapist. All of them telling you something different. Close up your phone and open up your heart and let the Holy Ghost touch you where you need to be touched. Make some noise in this house.

36:27 Zion! Zion! What's the matter now? Zion! I laugh at preachers who come up to me and say, what are you reading? I do read. Whose book are you reading? I do read books sometimes. But most of the time, my word comes from God. It comes from communion. You're used to getting stuff out of books. you need to get things off your knees. It's not what your eyes read. It's what your knees revealed unto you. All them theologians are guessing, I'm tired of preaching dead man sermons. I want to preach a living word from a living God that woke me up and spoke to me at 3 o'clock in the morning and said, you're still my God.

37:23 God, I feel you. God, I feel you. Somebody take 30 seconds and praise him. I feel glory coming in the house. I feel glory coming in the house. I feel glory coming in the house. The Hebrew word for glory is kabod. It means to have weight or to have substance. We have people now that have no substance because they have no glory. Glory has weight to it. Kabod, it has substance. the weight of glory is how it said in the New Testament, the weight of glory.

38:18 Glory brings weight. Glory attracts demons. Glory brings you, puts you on the hit list. Glory gets you attacked. Glory, they try to assassinate you. But if you got kavod, there's a weight of glory. When it settles on you, it'll rest on you, and it'll take several priests to hold it up. Not one priest can hold up the glory by himself. They got to get it on their shoulders. They got to carry it on their back. It took several people to carry the glory of God. I need some help in here. I need some people to help me carry this khabar. This glory is coming. The glory is coming. All hell is breaking loose. People act like they lost their minds. The laws are changing. They're burning people up. People are drowning everywhere. We need kabod.

39:11 We need a weight of glory. We need a real glory, a demon-chasing glory, a glory that'll catch these kids that are drowning, a glory that'll stop these fires, a glory that will put out these earthquakes. We need kabod, kabod, kabod, kabod, kabod. You're not going to get that laying on a couch. You're going to get that laying on your face before God. Somebody say kabod. I want kabod. I want kabod. I want kvad. I want glory. I want glory. I want glory. I want glory. I want glory. This is what he's longing for. David said, my soul thirsts for God. My soul is thirsting for God, for the living God. I'm thirsting for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? I am thirsty for God. Is there anybody in here that's willing to admit I'm thirsting for God?

40:14 Have you ever been drinking a whole lot of stuff, but you really needed water? And all that sweet stuff and all that Kool-Aid and all them Pepsis and all them Coke. When you really get thirsty, there is a thirst that only water can quench. Jesus said, if you knew who I was, you would be asking me for water. I'm the thirst quencher. I will put it out. I will put it out. I will put it out. If you just thirst for me, I want to see you dance for me like you danced around the golden calf. Hallelujah. Tell your neighbor, I'm getting ready to dance before God. I'm tired of dancing before naked calves and melted earrings and melted bracelets. I'm getting ready to dance before God. The only way I can make it through this wilderness is to dance before God. Can I preach?

41:17 I said, can I preach? I said, can I preach? Do you mind if I preach this morning? Do you mind if I preach this morning? I feel something in the house. Can I preach this morning? Now to my point. God responds to his hunger with a statement, and it is that statement that I want to deal with. When Moses says, I'm not going without you,

42:00 ain't no need in fussing, ain't no need in arguing, I am not going without you, I am used to an encounter with you, I need you in my life then God tells him a secret because the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he shall show them his covenant and so God says to him and it doesn't sound strong to you but you have to understand how old Moses is and how long he's lived without a manifestation of God and now he finally gets in God's presence and God says to him there is a place beside me Thank you. What? What?

42:47 There is a place beside me. There is a place. There is a vacancy. There's an opening. There's an opportunity. God says there is a place beside me. He had never told anybody that there is a place beside me. Nobody's ever dug deep enough, argued hard enough, cried long enough, laid flat enough to find out the secret. God says, there is a place beside me. the Bible said in another verse the eyes of the Lord go to and fro throughout the earth looking for someone he can show himself strong to there is a place beside me God said I'm looking for somebody is it you, is it you, is it you is it you, is it you, is it you is it you, is it you, is it you I'm looking for somebody that wants to be in that place there is a place beside me you mean there's a place beside you that I got a million people and none of them have hit you mean they danced around a golden calf and missed the place you mean there's a place there's a place prepared for me this matches up with the scripture I go to prepare a place for you that where I am, there ye may be also.

44:28 There's a place. there's a place beside me all these churches and all these steeples and all this stained glass window and still God is saying there's a place beside me and he says go and stand in the cleft of the rock in the opening of the rock, in the broken place in the rock, a broken man comes to a broken rock to see God because God has made an opening in the rock and God says if you'll come as cracked as you are, as confused as you are, as troubled as you are, He said, I created a crack in the rock.

45:23 And if you come and get in the rock, I'll cost all of my goodness. All of my goodness. I'll cost all of my goodness. If y'all believe that, you go absolutely crazy. God said, I'll cost all of my goodness. Not some of it, not half of it, not a third of it, not a quarter of it. God said, I'll cost all of my goodness. I'll cause everything you've been trying to make happen on your own. God said, I'll make it pass by you. If you get in the cleft of the rock, if you hide yourself over in the cleft of the rock and stop trying to do it yourself, if you get in the cleft of the rock, I'll cause, oh my goodness. So Moses comes to stand on the rock. This rock is Jesus.

46:16 This rock is Jesus. Through this rock he can see the Father. He can see God. The rock is Jesus. It is a safe ground so that I can see God without being consumed by his glory. This rock is a star of the Old Testament. Moses stands on the rock later he will strike the rock and the rock will bring forth water and follow them through the wilderness later he will speak to the rock and the rock will gush with water and it all has to do with rocks later on they'll get into a fight with the Amalekites and Moses will sit on the rock it's not about Jesus sitting on you it's about you sitting on him it's about you getting in a place where you settle down and sit on and all through the old testament you keep seeing the rock Goliath shows up and David gets ready to kill him not with a sword but he brings him down with a rock touch three people and say I need a rock I need a rock give me a rock give me a rock rock rock, rock, rock, I want a rock, I need a rock, I need a rock, I need a rock to stand on, I need a rock to sit on, I need a rock I can swing with, I need a rock I can shout with, I need a rock I can holler with, I need a rock, I need a rock, I need a rock, I need a rock, I got a giant, I need a rock, I got a thirst, I need a rock, I got an army against me, I need a rock, I don't care whether you stand on it, throw it, or sit on it, you need a rock. Somebody say, I need a rock. I need a rock

48:21 in my marriage. I need a rock in my house. I need a rock in my mind. God is offering him a rock. God offers a place beside him, but Moses stands on the rock to see it. The rock represents Christ, our only safe ground before the consuming glory of God. God covers Moses with his hand to protect him. Can you see how big this text is? He said, I'm protecting you from my presence and my goodness would be too much for you if I didn't put my hand over you. And you got to get way over in the rock.

49:17 Get way over in the rock. Because what I'm getting ready to cause to pass by you, you got to be covered. I don't know who this is for, but God said he's got you covered. I don't know what you're coming up against, but God said he's got you covered. I don't know what's going on in your life right now, but God said he's got you covered. I don't know what's been waking you up in the morning, but God said he's got you covered. I don't know what's been having you tossing and turning at night, but God said if you get in the rock, he'll cover you. He'll cover you. He'll cover you in the rock. Who am I talking to? God said, I'll cover you. I'll cover you. There's a secret place. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, he is my God. my refuge, and my strength, in him will I trust. Some trust in horses, some trust in chees, but I will remember the name of the Lord. Oh, my God, text, can't people say, the rock, the rock, the rock, the rock, the rock, the rock, the rock, there's a rock in the house this morning, there's a rock, there's a rock, there's a rock in the house this morning, there's a rock in the house, there's a rock in the house, there's a rock, there's a rock, there's a rock, there's a rock, There's a rock, there's a rock, there's a rock, there's a rock, there's a rock, there's a rock, there's a rock.

50:38 There's a rock in my house, there's a rock in my car, there's a rock in my financing, there's a rock, there's a rock, this rock is Jesus, this rock's got me covered, the goodness of the Lord is about to pass over me. God's got some stuff that's getting ready to pass over you, you're watching online, God's got some stuff that's about to pass over you, he's got some good things in store for you, he said, He said, I will cause all my goodness to pass over you. Are you ready for the goodness? Everybody who's ready for the goodness, get up and make some noise if you're ready for the goodness. I'm ready for the goodness. I'm ready for the goodness to pass over me. I'm tired of religion. I'm tired of church. I'm tired of business as usual. I want the goodness of the Lord to pass over me. Put me in the rock. Hide me in the rock.

51:30 Rock of ages, cleft for me. Let me hide myself in thee. I've been messed around and feel like preaching now. I want you to cleft for me. I want you to close all around me. I want you to protect me. I want you to cover me. I want you to be with me. I want you to get in my tongue and get in my head and get in my mouth. Rock of ages, cleft for me. Cleft for me. Hide me. Put me in a secret place. save me from myself save me from my own wicked ways save me from my own foolishness save me from my own depraved way save me, save me, save me hide me in the rock, oh God

52:14 Now those that are standing and they act like they're hearing from God, tell them goodness is coming. Goodness is coming. Goodness is coming. You've been hearing a lot of bad news, but God said goodness is coming. Goodness is going to pass over you. A thousand shall fall at thy right side. Ten thousand shall fall at your left side. but it shall not come nigh you because I've ordered goodness to pass over you. I'll cause my goodness to pass over you. If you get in the rock, I'll cause my goodness to pass over you. I don't care what happens to somebody else. God said I'll cause my goodness to pass over you. I want you to take about three minutes and praise him for goodness passing over you. Praise him till you hear it.

53:07 Praise him till you feel it. Praise him till it gets in your mind. Praise him until it gets in your belly. I want to praise him for goodness passing over me. Goodness passing over me. The devil wants you to expect badness, but God said I'm going to call us goodness to pass over you. I'm going to make my goodness pass over you. I'm going to send my goodness in a tidal wave to pass over you. All you got to do is get over in the cleft of the rock and hide over in the cleft of the rock. You don't have to fight back. You don't have to go to war, but hide yourself in the cleft of the rock. You got a minute and a half to give him some glory for the goodness that's coming in your life. Praise him till hell gets nervous. Praise him till demons tremble. Praise him till Satan wonders what you're talking about.

54:02 Praise him till you scramble the line. Praise him with an encrypted praise. Praise him with a hidden praise. Praise him with the fruit of your lips. Praise him out of your mouth. Praise him out of your position. Not out of your condition, but praise him out of your position. Praise him because you're in the rock. Praise him because the rock has got you covered. Praise him because he's your shelter in a time of storm. Praise him because he's greater than any affliction in your bloodstream, in your body, in your bloodline, any tumor, any lump, any cell. Praise him till it shrinks. Praise him till it goes away. Praise him till your peace comes back. Praise him till your joy comes back. I can't hear you. Open your mouth and praise him. Praise him like you lost your mind.

54:56 Praise him like you know who you are. Praise him like you want to be close to him. Praise him like you came to see Jesus. Praise him in the balcony. Praise him on your pew. Praise him on your row. Praise him with your mouth. Praise him in your feet. Praise him in your hands. Praise him in your heart. Praise him in your spirit. Walk the floor and praise him. Move from where you are and start walking on the rock. Start standing on the rock. Start building on the rock. Start moving on the rock. I'm going to get close, I'm going to go and go, I'm going to be so much.

55:37 rock. I'm going to move in the rock. I'm going to move in the rock. I'm going to do it in the rock. I'm going to preach it in the rock. I'm going to stand it in the rock. I'm going to go through in the rock. I got to get close. I got to get close. I've been too far away. I want to be close to you. I want to be close to you just to be close to you. I don't care about stuff. I want to be close to you. Open your mouth and give God a praise, a praise, a righteous praise, a holy praise, a desperate praise, a ready praise, a sanctified praise, a glorified praise, an anointed praise, a Holy Ghost praise. Praise him on the couch.

56:32 Praise him in the living room. You sitting there watching on TV. Praise him on your couch. Praise him in your kitchen. Praise him on your job. I don't care where you are. Open your mouth and give God the praise. I feel a blessing. I feel a hubbard. I feel a glory. I feel an action. I feel a presence. I feel a move of God. There is a place beside me. I got a place beside me. I've been holding it for you. I've been waiting on you. I've been waiting on you. I've been waiting on you. I want to give it to you. I want you to have it. That's your place. Can't nobody have it. You got to take it. There is a place beside me. Beside me.

57:26 Get beside me. Get beside me. Stop being cute and get beside me. Open up your mouth and get beside me. Stand on your rock and get beside me. Cry loud and spread out. Get beside me. If you get beside me, I'll move in your behalf. If you get beside me, I'll heal your body. If you get beside me, I'll knock that devil out of your way. If you get beside me, I'll heal your nerves. I'll heal your hypertension. If you get beside me, I'll bring your blood pressure down. If you get beside me... Hold it.

58:42 Let God hear his people. Let God hear his people. Let God hear his people praising. God wants to hear your mouth. God wants to hear your voice. Hold the music. Hold the music. And let the first instruments, praise God. The first drum set, praise God. The first silver trumpet, praise God. It's your mouth. God wants to hear your mouth. The mouth that's been murmuring. The mouth that's been complaining. The mouth that's been bitter. Let God hear his people. People, where are you? so and and and and and and and and

59:46 who wants to go and is it the way the way the way the way the way the way the way the way the way the way the way the way the way the way the way the way the way the way the way the way the way the way the way the way the way the way the way the way the way the way the way the way the way the way the way the way the way the way Is there anybody in the balcony that wants the glory? Is there anybody over there that wants the glory? Is there anybody in the pulpit that wants the glory? Havad, it's heavy. Are you ready for it? Can you stand up to it? It's Havad. It's God releasing glory in your life. Thank you. This is serious. This is serious. This is real business.

1:01:02 We're going through some tough times, some rough days. You can't just go skipping through this. You have to let this get all the way inside of you, all the way in your heart, all the way in your spirit. I'm going to obey the Lord. I want every one of you to take one person by both hands. every one of you take one person by both hands face them give God a place to dwell in the Bible said he inhabits the praises of his people and if you get together one can chase a thousand and two can chase ten thousand I said I want you to take one person by both hands. You got to learn some obedience.

1:02:02 We're not going to do this just any kind of way. the person you're touching need some glory they've danced around enough golden calves they need a touch from God a real touch from God they came to church but they didn't come for church they came for a touch from God God moving that balcony moving that young man's life move in that sister's life move in that grandmama's life move in that mother's life move in her life we touch and agree that they will never be the same again that they're going to get a hit they're going to get a touch they're going to get a sample they're going to get a taste of God squeeze that hand they're going to get a taste of God right now that's going to start a new beginning that's going to usher in a new era.

1:03:12 They're going to get a touch from God right now in their spirit. And while I'm praying for her, she's praying for me. While I'm praying for him, he's praying for me. While we're praying together, God is moving in our behalf. That's right. Open up! Open up! Open up! Open up! Open up! Open up! Open up! It's been a long time since you really opened up before God. You bring your stuff, but you don't bring yourself. Bring yourself. Throw yourself on the mercy of the court.

1:03:58 God wants a close proximity. You think if you get enough stuff you have peace. There are people with all kinds of stuff committing suicide. And God will not really release what he has for you As long as you worship him This is an opportunity to break your covenant with worshiping the things of God more than you do the presence of God. The biggest mistake the prodigal son makes is that he does not value the presence of his father. He says, give me the portion of stuff that comes to me.

1:04:57 and he took the stuff and ran out and in the hall pen he came to himself and he recognized the best part of a person you can ever have is them the best part of God you can have is God himself How many of you understand what's being preached this morning? It wasn't hard for me to break covenant with things when I didn't have hardly anything. but the more he put in my grasp, the more I had to break the grip of the blessings in front of the blesser to know that I'll let nothing separate me.

1:06:00 Nothing. Nothing you give me. Nothing you do for me. Nothing you provide for me. I'm not going to let it separate me from the love of God. I will not be more passionate for it than I am for you. I will not give myself to it and not to you. It will not replace you in my life. I am safe to bless because I will not make a God out of stuff. as we prepare to worship the Lord this morning we're doing more than worshiping the Lord in an offering we're breaking our covenant with the things of this world this world is going crazy It's going real quick.

1:06:57 And when the cry is made, who is on the Lord's side, I want it to be clear and resounding. They say that you can't write a check big enough. You can't create a car long enough. You can't build a house wide enough to separate me from my God. And this morning, whether you're watching online or you're in the balcony, I want this offering to be an expression of whose side you're on this morning. I will let nothing separate me. Not a raise, not a promotion, not a business, not an opportunity, nothing. you can trust me with favor. You can trust me with famine.

1:07:55 I have learned whatever state I'm in there with to be content. My prayer is just to be close to you. And I want to sow my way. into a deeper place of communion with you.

1:08:21 When I pray and fast, I'm fasting to say I want to be close to you. It means I'll give up food to be close to you. When I give an offering, it means I'll give up stuff to be close to you. When I lay my sins on the altar, it means I will repent to be close to you. That's my desire. nobody can do this for you we can sing for you, we can preach for you we can write books to you but nobody can bring your sacrifice to the altar but you it's going to have your sin on it your hand on it your commitment as we sow into the kingdom of God for somebody a sacrifice is $5,000. For somebody sacrifices $500. For somebody sacrifices, it's $50.

1:09:23 It's real sacrifice for where I'm at right now in my life. But I will not give to God something that costs me nothing. I will not treat the waitress better than I treat the kingdom. Quickly now.

1:09:45 If you don't believe offerings are important, ask Abel. ask Cain if you don't believe that offerings matter ask Jesus sitting by the table watching the widow give her might if you don't believe that offerings are important ask Noah why he gave his offering before he built his house Ask Abraham why he brought his son to the altar and said, I'll let nothing separate me. And God said, now I know by your offering, now I know that you are serious about me. Me and the lad are going yonder to worship. Worship to him meant sacrifice.

1:10:40 when you prepare your sacrifice this morning it may be the greatest act of worship you have done all day and I want you to stand like the like the priest you are

1:11:35 I'm not just a church goer. I'm not just a person that goes to the potter's house. I'm not just somebody visiting. I'm not just somebody hanging out. I understand who I am. and I lift my offering up to God. I lift my offering.

1:12:13 Come and stand with me, honey. I lift my offering. ask for me and my house I can't speak for the neighbors I don't know what they're going to do down the street but as for me and my house we're going to serve the Lord Hallelujah, the whole world's going crazy I want the blood on the doorpost of my house I want the blood on the doorpost of my house. I want it on the lentil. I will not live in a house that has no sacrifice. I lift my sacrifice up to God. Lift it up high.

1:13:02 Father, right now in the name of Jesus, we slay a lamb. We offer up a sacrifice. We put the blood on the lentil in the doorposts. We cover our houses with the blood. Curses are out. Diseases are out. Trouble is out. Turmoil is out. Chaos is out. Weather like we've never seen. Volcanoes erupting. Earthquakes breaking out everywhere. This is no time to play. Hallelujah! As for me in my house, my house. I'm standing here to make a commitment. We're going to serve you. Somebody watching online, you don't normally even give like that, but the Holy Spirit is challenging you right now to lay your seat up on the altar.

1:13:58 Hallelujah. death angels are passing by floods are passing by fires are passing by earthquakes are passing by hallelujah but I'm going to put my treasure where the fire can't burn where the wind can't dry I'm going to put my treasure where the earthquake can't swallow it up my hope is in Jesus as we consecrate our offering and our tithes up to you. We know that we're so in tithes at times that people are losing jobs and we're grateful to have something to tithe on.

1:14:42 Grateful, grateful. We don't take it for granted. We don't take it for granted. The enemy is moving through, touching every place he can. And here to this present moment, You have blessed me, fed me, covered me, clothed me. And you dare to say that you will cause your goodness to pass over me. I'm going to stand on your word today. I'm going to stand on the rock.

1:15:17 And I believe in you for goodness to pass before me. All the stuff I've been working on in my own strength. I'm turning it over to you if you don't do it it can't be done I offer this up before you in the name of Jesus it's my personal commitment to wholly serve the Lord in Jesus name I mean a big amen I mean a big pass your seat all the way to the left Thank you. All the way to the left how many people have sensed the presence of God in this place right now PMT served the people of God. Somebody give him a praise.

1:16:19 You've been real good. You've been real kind. You've been real patient. I ask you to move away from the front of the altar, not to raise the offering, not that kind of offering, but to give the opportunity for somebody who knows that going to church alone will not cut it. I need to be close to you. my kind of sin, my kind of center, my kind of weakness, my kind of trouble, my kind of vulnerability needs your closeness.

1:17:13 I'm scared of myself if I'm not close to you I don't trust myself if I'm not close to you I gotta get close to you when I'm close to you I'm cool but if I get too far away from you I need Jesus in my life in a real way I need Jesus in my life in a real way Thank you. Y'all didn't hear me. I need Jesus in my life in a real way. I want you to come, stand for a moment. I want you to come down to the altar if I'm talking to you. If you're a backslider, you're a sinner, I want you to come down to the altar with business on your mind. All of us have sinned.

1:18:06 All of us have sinned. Come short of the glory of God. Don't let nobody fool you. But if there's something down inside of you that wants to be close to him, I don't care if you're in the back of the balcony. I don't care if you're in the middle of the road. I don't care if the person standing beside you won't move. Go around them. In fact, everybody stand up so you won't be nobody's excuse for not coming. If I could get everywhere there's a soul, if I could get a minister.

1:19:01 to lead them to Jesus. Without hesitation, without reservation. You are bringing the greatest offering that has ever been brought is to bring your life and your heart to Jesus. I want the ministers to get in front of them and lead them to Jesus. That's what ministry is.

1:19:39 I want the ministers to get in front of them and lead them to Jesus. There's still room at this altar. There's still time left. There's still a chance. There's still an opportunity. though millions have come there's still room for one there's room at the cross for you preacher you don't know what i did you don't know what i did the blood will save anybody the blood will wash anything away come right now while the tug is there that tug is god's mercy that tug is God's grace. That tug means God hadn't given up. You ought to be glad he's pulling at you.

1:20:31 You ought to be glad for that uncomfortable, nervous feeling means God still wants you. You ought to move right now. You ought to move before he changes mind. You ought to move before you go reprobate and can't feel it and can't sense it and can't see it. I got five ministers over here not praying for anybody. if there's a soul, if there's a backslider, if there's somebody in the house, come right now. Yes. Yes. Yes. If it's full, they'll get you next. Come right now. Come right now. Come right now. Somebody ought to get glad about it. Somebody ought to get Holy Ghost glad about it. Somebody ought to get Holy Ghost glad about it. get Holy Ghost glad about it.

1:21:26 Hold your music for a moment. You mean you're going to get this close and not come? You mean you're going to get up and get dressed and drive down the road and park and walk all the way over here and know you need Jesus and stand there this close and won't get in the place beside Him? Are you serious? Oh, you're saying you're going to clean up first and then you're going to come. If you could clean up first, you wouldn't need to come. Close proximity. This is my chance for change.

1:22:28 This is my chance for change. This is my chance for resurrection. This is my chance for renewal. While you're standing, if you're here and you need a church home where you can go and grow and have fellowship with the saints, I'd like to recommend this church. Don't let nobody tell you this church is dead. They wouldn't be saying that if this church was dead. They're only saying it because the church is alive and on fire and moving forward and doing things in the name of the Lord. The devil don't fight what he already got. The devil don't fight what he already owns. if the devil is fighting it's a sign that something divine is happening if you come to my left and say I want to be a member of this church our pastors are standing there with their hands outstretched ready to receive you into the Potter's House family whosoever will let them come If you have a loved one that's in trouble, drunk, alcoholic, bad attitude, suicidal, depressed, if you've lost a loved one.

1:24:09 If you know someone that really needs Jesus, look at the souls of this altar and rejoice right now. This is another soul that got away. This is another soul that got away. This is another soul that escaped. This is another soul that got loose today. You ought to get glad. This is somebody's child. This is somebody's husband. This is somebody's mama on the altar today giving their heart to Jesus. A generational curse is breaking right now in the name of Jesus. God is doing a new thing.

1:25:04 Help me praise the Lord. If you just gave your life to Christ and you do not have a church home, why don't you take the final step and come to my left and make this church your church? You just accepted Christ. You just renewed your walk. Now let's seal the deal and make this church your church, your home right now in the name of Jesus. Not just for one Sunday and never see you again, but a commitment. I'm going to make the Potter's house my church home. Would you welcome them to the house? Would you welcome them to the house?

1:26:03 Would you welcome them to the house? Look at God.

1:26:25 Look at God. Look at God. Look at God. Look at God. They're still coming. Look at God. You're so welcome. We're so glad to have you. Look at God. They're still coming. They're still coming. They're coming from every direction. They're coming from every direction. You're watching online. You're going to be coming soon too. Hallelujah.

1:26:59 Something just broke in your spirit today. You're coming too. You're coming too. Come on down. Isn't that what they said on Let's Make a Deal? Come on down. This is a deal of a century. This is a deal of a lifetime.

1:27:32 Come on down. Let's seal the deal this morning. I'm going to ask Dr. James to come and dismiss us. How many are glad you came to church this morning? How many people want to hear that word again? You want to hear it again? Hallelujah. Right now. God is good and all the time God is good and all the time God is good and all the time God is good all the time Amen Clap your hands and thank the Lord Receive Dr. Cynthia James as she comes now You