Open Heavens: How to Live From God’s Reality - Bill Johnson Sermon | Bethel Church

0:00 See, you are actually designed to live in an open heaven. He would like to build in us an awareness of the unseen realities of God. The unseen world is more real than what is visible. Paul said, what you can see is temporal, what you can't see is eternal. It's so good to have all of you here. Glad you showed up. And how many of you have great expectation for these days together? I'm sure you do. I mean, there's no other reason to come, right? Unless you get kidnapped and brought here. Otherwise, and those folks are pretty easy to spot. I'm not going to point fingers.

0:50 Jen, why don't you... Oh, there you are. Stand up. So everybody... Jen Johnson, my daughter-in-law, has a book coming out that I am so excited about because it's a different book. It's a coffee table book. It is excellence, beauty, health, spiritual maturity, integrity. It's like all the things you dream of are wrapped up into one book in an inspirational coffee table picture. It's going to be amazing. And it comes out in November. and so I just wanted to grab this moment since we actually have warm bodies in the room to let you know that something very significant and very fun, I have a coffee table we've been remodeling for three years and I have a coffee table ordered and I have just the place for this book I have just the place we're getting it warmed up, we are it's coming soon, actually they say January but we're rebuking that It's hard to get, anybody else found it's hard to get anything delivered besides demons?

2:06 Demons are delivered right now, but man, if you order a couch, it's months. Yeah, that's a whole new twist there. Anyway, the title of the book. I'm sorry. Oh, this is the book. Look at this. Yeah, All Things Lovely, Inspiring Health and Wholeness in Your Home, Heart, Community. It really is spectacular. I've been following this little journey for a while and am unusually excited for it. Is there a QR code? Oh, there is. Look at that. Right here it says there's going to be one, and it's there. It's a miracle. I work with people that actually know what they're doing.

2:49 So there's a QR code. You can put that up on your phone, and it'll take you to a site where you can order that. Beautiful. You know what? I've got so many books up here. Goodness gracious. What's that? Yeah, talk about mine, right. this is a weird coincidence to me Open Heavens Conference guess the title of my new book that just got released it's Open Heavens that was now planned my publisher invited me asked me to do a book on revival so I actually did it on revival reformation and renaissance and that's what this book is and he wanted to call it Open Heavens. And we have a conference called Open Heavens, so I wasn't that interested, but he talked me into it. Little did I know it would be released right when this conference is going on.

3:47 So this is the first event we've ever made this thing available for. So they're wherever Christian books are sold, which is right across the hallway there. Anybody have a birthday today? Yeah, come on, come here. You have a birthday today? Come on up here. And you have a birthday? Come on.

4:10 Let them come up. I want them to pay a price. There we go. There we go. Is there anybody else with birthdays? All right. Here you go. Merry Christmas. Thank you. Yeah, you're welcome. Happy birthday. Bless you guys. Yep. And I've got more books. Born for Significance. Yes. It's important. We have another birthday. I think, oh, well, here you are. Happy birthday. Merry Christmas. Yeah, you're welcome. You're welcome. Bless you. And let's see, God is good. I think some people just need to know that, that God is good. He's better than you think. And so we've got to change the way we think. Anybody born on Christmas Day? Day, not Eve. Day. Come on. Yep.

4:57 All right. I always have a burden for those born on Christmas Day because they share their birthday with, like, the rest of the gift-giving planet. Merry Christmas. Happy birthday. All right. And let's see, Power of Communion. This is my wife's book. Very, very powerful. And this is a devotional, Peace in Every Storm. I've heard occasionally there's a storm that comes up every once in a while for Christians, and this will help you. So let's see. Ben, why don't you just take it back and find a couple desperate-looking people. Just get the pitiful look on your face when he comes by.

5:37 Now, if he picked you, don't get a, you know. All right. Thanks, Ben. I'm sorry for those of you on this side of the room. Ben liked them better. He just, they liked them better, so. open heavens open heavens it's not just a cute poetic phrase it is a theme that is sprinkled throughout the entire Bible God placed Adam and Eve in a garden, and outside of the garden was darkness. Outside of the garden was chaos.

6:36 We know that because they had an assignment to multiply and to subdue. Subdue is a military term. To extend the boundaries of that garden until an entire planet was brought under his rule. Now, he could have done that in a moment with a breath. destroyed all the powers of darkness, but instead he chose to give those made in his image the incredible honor to co-labor with him, partner with him, carry his name, carry his presence into redemptive purpose to restore a planet to God's intention.

7:14 That's never changed. that assignment that purpose has never changed in fact he gave his disciples very specific responsibility he said pray like this your will be done on earth as it is in heaven he gave a very specific assignment that as you relearn now how to represent me and my world, my dominion, my lordship. I want you to make this place like that place. I want you to pray it. It doesn't happen because of our wisdom.

8:08 It doesn't happen because we have brilliant strategies to transform cities or whatever. Those things have value, but in their place. They come because he comes. They come because there's something that happens in that, if I can use the term, a collision between the reality of heaven and the reality of earth. If we could take just one small story out of the gospel of Matthew, it'd be in Matthew 12, where Jesus says, if I cast a demon out of you by the spirit of God, then the kingdom of God came upon you. It's one of those moments where Jesus is describing something that they've been watching him do. Now they've been watching him heal. They've been watching him deliver. They've been watching the impact on families, on lives, on, you know, soldiers that, you know, the Romans, they've been watching this impact of this man, Messiah, man, on humanity. And they've been watching this. So Jesus says, if I cast a demon out of you by the Spirit of God, then let me tell you what's actually happening that you can't see. The kingdom of God came upon you. So what we see is we see a tormented individual, and all of a sudden, they're free. So he says, this is what actually happened. The kingdom of God, the reality of God's dominion came crashing into the torment that was in that heart and in that mind, and now they're free. It's because of a collision. Open heavens. Open heavens.

9:56 Jesus came to John the Baptist to be baptized. I've been on a theme for months here at Bethel, and let me just kind of bring you up to date on the bent that I've had for the last several months. I felt this need to review things that I've taught for years here. and the analogy that I felt like the Lord gave me, I've noticed truck drivers, they will have a huge load on their truck and they will drive a certain distance, then they pull over and they tighten the load down because loads shift and I had this sense we've had some load shifting for the last 18 months and I felt the need, let's just pull over and let's just tighten some things down and make sure that we know what we know, Make sure that we're living what we know to live.

10:53 And so that's the reason for this review. So Jesus comes to John the Baptist. John's been announcing to people, he said, I baptize you in water for repentance, but there's one coming who's going to baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire. In fact, open your Bibles to Mark chapter 1, because I want you to see it in your own Bible. I have several verses I hope to get to tonight but I'm not sure Mark chapter 1. It says in verse 9, it says, It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

11:52 and immediately coming up from the water, he saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove. I think New American Standard said he saw heavens open or opening. and the Holy Spirit descending upon him like a dove. John's gospel adds a statement where it says, and the Holy Spirit comes upon him in the form of a dove and remained. So there is this continuous resting presence upon Jesus always. So in this moment, we have the heavens parting, the heavens opening. is actually a term that is used in Matthew's gospel, chapter 27. And it's used to describe something that happened after the death of Christ.

12:47 When he died, it says the veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom. And it's like a four to six inch thick curtain. And it was torn from God's end to man's end. It was torn top to bottom. And in the same verse, it says, and the rocks around Jerusalem were torn open. The point I'm trying to make is when it says the heavens were parting, or the heavens were open, we're talking about a violent action.

13:21 It's a violent action. They were torn. They were actually ripped open. The implication, anytime there is violence on God's part, It's because of the powers of darkness that are involved in keeping it closed. So there were closed heavens until this moment Jesus came up out of the water, experiencing a baptism of repentance when he had no sin to repent for. So he was taking an intercessory role where he stood in the shoes of you and me, and he went into the water, came up out of that water in a baptism of repentance. And when he did, the heavens were torn open. It was a violent act, torn open. And what happened? The Holy Spirit was released upon Jesus in the form of a dove and remained. I believe very strongly that this was the answer and the fulfillment to a prayer in Isaiah 64, verse 2. Many of us in various prayer meetings for our cities, for our nations, many of us have taken passages like this out of Isaiah 64. And we have prayed this, we've cried out to the Lord.

14:40 On this particular passage in Isaiah 64 verse 2 says, rend the heavens and come down. Say that with me. Rend the heavens and come down. Say it again. Rend the heavens and come down. This prayer slash prophetic word of Isaiah was a decree of something that must take place, that did take place when Jesus was baptized in water. When he came up out of the water, whatever spiritual darkness had kept people locked, if you will, locked into a place of darkness, locked into a place of deception, the Father ripped open the heavens and released the Holy Spirit upon Jesus. The Holy Spirit has been here for 2,000 years. It was never taken back, so there was no chance for those heavens to be closed.

15:39 Part of the problem that we have is that we live more aware of what the devil is doing and has done than we are of the presence of God upon us. When I stay mindful of the enemy's work instead of the presence of God, I will live in reaction to the works of the enemy. I will live in reaction to what he has done. And there are many Christians that would, I don't know, I think almost pride themselves in living in reaction to the devil because it feels industrious. It feels responsible. And yet Jesus didn't do that. He didn't live in reaction to the devil. He lived in response to the Father. He only did what he saw his Father do.

16:34 He only said what he heard his Father say. So there was this manifesting of the nature, the heart, the presence, if you will, of the Father on earth through the lifestyle of Jesus. interestingly jesus makes this statement in john 6 i'm going to get off track here i can feel it so let me just drop this and i'll get back to the subject I've got about a million things swirling in my head, so just pray. I don't try to give them all because it'll kill you.

17:13 So Jesus in John 6 says, my words to you are spirit and they are life. So this is fascinating because whenever he spoke, he only said what he heard the Father say. But those words became spirit. words became spirit and spirit gives life it's the reason we want to partner with the father to to learn to hear his voice to learn to to have him move in our hearts so deeply and so consistently that we we keep that connection to praying without ceasing that whole that whole abiding in christ thing that we've been commanded because in that position we say instinctively what he is saying and that's good but here's why because words become presence one of the reasons that is so significant obviously is when the presence of god is released through decree not by our control it's not manipulated by us it's not we get some great idea and we declare and command it's not that at all we become tools in his hand let's keep it Let's keep it there.

18:32 But one of the cool things about this process is Romans 14, verse 17 says, the kingdom of God is not meat or drink. Kingdom, king's domain, the realm of his dominion. The realm of God's dominion is not meat or drink. As much as I would like for it to be. Because I like meat and drink. the kingdom of God is not meat or drink but it's righteousness peace and joy righteousness peace and joy two of those three realities are felt realities don't dumb down the feeling aspect of the kingdom because you'll miss out on two-thirds righteousness peace and joy in the holy spirit the kingdom of God is not meat or drink but it's righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. The kingdom of God is in the Holy Spirit.

19:27 So when words become spirit, the reality of the kingdom becomes present. Come on. I want you to look with me at the book of Genesis and go to Genesis 28. You guys alright? The ones who aren't didn't say anything. And that's all right. I'm used to that. do you remember when Jesus rebuked the storm just the very fact that he rebuked instead of command he rebuked it implies there was a spiritual power behind it some of the natural things that take place are not from they're not natural and i don't believe looking for a demon behind every bush but if there's one in there shake the bush till he flies out and whack him Thank you.

20:37 I honestly do not look for demons. Tim will tell you, it's something I hardly ever, ever, ever talk about. But if he's in my crosshairs, I'm pulling the trigger. so here in Genesis we have an amazing story with Jacob and a vow that he makes at Bethel not here as much as I'd like to say it's not here he came to a certain place verse 11 stayed there all night took one of the stones put it at his head I don't understand a stone for a pillow although with the amount of hotels I've been in, I can tell you some of them, some of them got stone pillows. They followed this story. I'm telling you. Verse 12, he dreamed and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth and his top reached to heaven.

21:41 And there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. the Lord stood above it and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham, your father, the God of Isaac, the land on which you lie, I will give to you and your descendants. Yes, Lord. I thought you'd have a deeper voice. You're not like Charlton Heston at all. Back, sorry, sorry, sorry. Back to this. Jump down to verse 16. Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place and I did not know it.

22:40 There's a lot of church services just like that right there. Thank you. And he was afraid, and he said, how awesome is this place. This is none other than the house of God. This is the gate of heaven. All right? So back in verse 11, 12, 13, we've got a ladder. He dreams. And there's an open heaven. There's the voice of the Father. There's angels ascending and descending. All right? You got that? Open heaven, voice of the Father, angels ascending and descending. And he comes to the conclusion, this is the house of God, the gate of heaven. this is the house of God, the gate of heaven.

23:42 Gates are interesting. I've got a wonderful garden that we built for my wife. We've got two gates there. We've got a gate from our backyard to our driveway. We have a gate actually at the front of our property to come on and off the property. A gate is where you go through, you go through, you go from one reality through a gate to another reality. It may be from your front yard to the public sidewalk. It may be from your backyard to your driveway. But a gate is where you take, you go from one reality to another reality through a gate. And this passage of Scripture describes something that is more important than probably most any of us have considered. That the house of God, by nature, is built on the edge of two worlds. And as such, it is by design a gate between those two realities.

24:48 Now, that's not something we make happen. That is just a description of who we are. And when you understand who you are, you think different about your role. You think different about your responsibility. It's not like, so what do I do with that now that I'm a gate? It's not like you go through gate classes.

25:13 I don't know that there's something we do because of that. But somehow becoming aware of who he says I am and our purpose for being makes me much more conscious of things that I wouldn't have been conscious otherwise. Is that important? I believe it absolutely is. I believe it absolutely is. So here when you go to Gospel of John chapter 1. Turn there if you would please.

25:39 Gospel of John chapter 1. you have this interesting conversation between Nathanael and Jesus. Jesus in John chapter 1. Jesus saw Nathanael coming verse 47 he said an Israelite indeed in whom is no deceit I love seeing these moments where Jesus actually celebrates and gives honor to a person you know when he says to the century man I've not seen I've not seen faith like this in all of Israel and you see these moments where he's just captured he's just he's stunned he's set back and and this is one of those moments where he looks at Nathanael and says man there's no guile in you that's amazing there's no guile in you there's there's no deceit in you Nathanael says how do you know me Jesus said before Philip called you when you were under the fig tree I saw you I mean you understand Jesus wasn't there he was seeing in the spirit he was seeing something Nathanael answered and said Rabbi you're the son of God so that's a huge leap. You know, a guy says, I saw you under the fig tree. You're God. You're God. So that was, that was like, he didn't have a long ways to go in his journey. He was, he was pretty close to the edge already. And so when Jesus called him out, he says, you're it. All right, you're it.

27:06 I'm following you. So Jesus said to him, because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree. Do you believe? You'll see greater things in these. Makes you wonder what he saw. Greater things than these. And he said, most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. heaven open open heavens, angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man. is it too late to be thinking you're you've been traveling and you're all okay so if you have jet lag i'm so sorry See, in verse 14, it says, the word of God became flesh and dwelt among us.

28:12 Okay, now just think with me now. Jesus is the word of God made flesh and he dwelt. The word there is dwelt or tabernacled. Jesus was the tabernacle of God among men. And now he says to Nathaniel, you'll see angels ascend and descend upon the Son of Man. Jesus was the prototype. he was the dwelling place of the spirit of god had no sin walked in grace the eternal son of god but he chose to live with human limitation

29:10 so it makes this such a huge paradox impossible to comprehend fully God, fully man. And that here he is in this moment. He is the prototype of what the church is going to be in just a matter of months. Just a matter of months. What he is, the dwelling place of God, the tabernacle of God among men. What he is, angels ascending and descending, heaven open, the Father's voice present. That's the prototype of this. To expect anything less is to sell ourselves short, but more importantly, to sell short his purpose and plan.

30:07 So you were actually designed to live in an open heaven. He would like to build in us an awareness of the unseen realities of God. Now I know that sounds, especially for Western culture, it's very abstract and it sounds like make believe, pretend, imagination stuff. The unseen world is more real than what is visible.

30:42 If we can catch that one thing, Paul said, what you can see is temporal. What you can't see is eternal. That's like a huge thing to get when you realize everything I see is temporal and the reality that surrounds me that I cannot see is eternal. So it is greater than what I can see. It's not that the spiritual is the shadow of the natural. It's the opposite. The natural is the shadow. The natural is lax substance when the eternal is forever. And so then being aware of this open heaven is cultivated, I think, number one, as a worshiper. A worshiper when nobody's watching.

31:25 I love to worship. My goodness, I love being with our teams. I love to be here with you. I love to just take time. But before that was ever a reality, there were lights off in my home. Nobody there but me, scared to death to raise my hands, even scared her to dance. 18 years old, 19 years old, no history in that. And yet there's this summons, there's this call to come in and just to learn to be an affectionate one.

32:13 It's not the performance of worship. It's the privilege of adoration. It's beholding. And how can you see him and not love him? How can you encounter him and not just want to absolutely pour out everything you are at his feet? It's not a performance thing. I'm thankful we get to do it corporately because it enhances everything. But that way was carved out when there was nobody else in the room. and this that we are privileged to be a house that's on the edge of two worlds where the realities of both worlds affect the other. I want you to look at Acts chapter 2. Verse 1.

33:31 and when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place and suddenly there came a sound from heaven. as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the house. All right.

33:52 A sound came from where? Heaven. Heaven. And it came to where? A house. To a house. It came from one world, and it filled another world. Yes? A sound came from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and they filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. Interesting. What are the two elements that you see in these two verses, the two natural elements? What are they? What are they? Wind and fire. Hmm.

34:46 and of the angels he says who makes his ministers wind his angels wind and his ministers a flame of fire Hebrews 1, quoting a passage from the Old Testament,

35:15 from Psalms 104. So here in this upper room, there's 120 people there. There's a sound that comes from another world. Came and filled the house where they were, and there are tongues of fire. And Hebrews 1, quote Psalms 104, speaking of the angels who remember on the house of God ascend and descend, because it's a gate between worlds.

35:47 This is weird, I know. I'm just trying to describe to you what to expect. a wind I've studied some of the words here in this chapter and they're fascinating and one of the words for this sound comes from heaven the word sound there's a roar roar it's this roar of heaven it's this thunderous roar that is released from one world to fill a room of 120 people in another world gere use tuna when the sound occurred, a multitude came together.

37:06 Let me read these verses for you. They were confused. Verse 7 says they were amazed and marveled. Verse 12 says they were amazed and perplexed. Verse 13 says they were mocking. So that sounds like a revival to me. That sounds... Anybody who expects to get a revival without those manifestations, you're dreaming. You're dreaming. You want Disneyland. You don't want revival. Here's what fascinates me, and I'll try to wrap this up in the next few minutes here. it says when the sound occurred, when the sound occurred, where did it come from? Another world, heaven. When the sound occurred, a multitude came together.

38:04 Now I've heard people say the multitude came because they heard people speaking in tongues. No, no, no. An international city doesn't gather around those speaking in their language. Redding is not. Let's be honest. Redding is not. Actually, it has become an international city because of our school. We now have 70, 80 nations here at a time. But I can tell you, as new as this international thing is for Redding, if you take some Portuguese students down to the mall and they stand there and have conversation in Portuguese, people are not going to drop their merchandise in the store and run into the center of the mall and stare at them as they speak in Portuguese. This is not a natural phenomenon of people being wowed by foreign languages.

38:59 This is different. This is different. This is the roar of another world. And because day of Pentecost is often called the day where the church was born, birthed, created. So if this then is the house of God and a sound comes through, not just an upper room, but actually 120 people who are now born again, filled with the Holy Spirit, a sound was released that actually summoned a city to their rightful place. They didn't come hungry for God. They didn't come saying, teach us the word of the Lord. They came mocking. They came confused, but they came.

39:52 They came and as they measured the evidence, they realized something holy was happening. Something powerful was happening. And it was at that point they finally said, what must we do? But back up in the story, they were being called or summoned to this place. I like to describe this. I love a real good saxophone. and the breath of that musician who so artfully just releases that breath across the reed and plays that sound or the breath that's released into that flute or the horns whatever that breath that is released the sound is so unique so distinct i remember working years ago fresh out high school up in the mountains, way up in the mountains, and back in the middle of nowhere. And we're on a survey crew. And I remember there were people that were buying property back there, but there's little cabins and stuff. And then one day I heard this guy play a saxophone miles away, and it just echoed through the canyons. It was like encountering God. It was just the most amazing sound as it just traveled through the canyons and the echo. It's just the one, the breath of one artist across that saxophone. If he would have been, you know, two, three hundred yards away where we could see him, our crew would have gone to him because of the sound was so unique. It was compelling, inviting. So here's the sound across 120 different saxophones.

41:34 And it already says they were in one accord, so they weren't in conflict in their harmonies. they were already not in tune with each other. They were in tune to him. If you take an orchestra and they tune to each other, they can be completely out of tune, but harmonious together. They're unified. They're just not right. There's a lot of people that are unified and they're wrong.

42:05 They're unified in stupidity. Don't push my buttons. That's as far as I'm going right there. Oh, yeah. No, I better stop. All right. But this is different. In an orchestra, there'll be one tuning fork, or there'll be one note. All the instruments tuned to that. So here we have 120 that were in that upper room, and for 10 days, they had to sort through their stuff. We don't know how it happened. We just know they came to a place where they won a chord. You know, they just had experienced the greatest disappointment of their life. The one they've been following died. And then he rose again, and they don't know what to do with that. They were just told to go to this room and pray, and so they're there. What are we looking for? We don't know. You'll just know it when you see it.

42:57 Well, thanks a lot. That's a lot of help. And then he comes. And the prophet, the apostle stands up, says, this is that. What is this? It's that. This is that. but what happened was this sound of God, if you will, this breath of God was released across the yielded hearts that were in tune to him and created a sound over a city that caused thousands of people to drop their tools, the kids, their toys, the dishes, all the stuff that you got going on at nine o'clock in the morning, all the activities that are going on, preparing for the day, the business deals, whatever, everybody drops stuff and they come by the thousands, thousands. Thousands don't gather to hear people speak in Spanish. Thousands, because there's something else going on. There is a sound that was from one world that came through a gate into this world, and I've got to find out why I'm being drawn to this location. I don't even know that it was a sound they could audibly hear. All I know is they became unusually aware that they shouldn't be here, and they needed to go there. And they went there, and they found themselves in a place of mocking, of questioning, of admiring, not knowing And what's going on?

44:35 Bewildered. Peter stands up to preach, and suddenly things become clear. And they say, what must I do to be saved? a gate with an open heaven. Why don't you stand? the big deal for us the invitation if you will for us is tune our hearts with his heart and we'll find ourselves tuned with one another to be that people that would actually attract that roar of heaven.

45:25 I've seen it for years. I wish I saw it every day, but I don't. But I've seen it for years where there's no explanation for somebody who just suddenly wants to get right with God. There's no explanation. I've stood up here during worship, and somebody taps me on the shoulder and says, are you going to be doing that thing today? I go, what thing is that? We're out in the middle of worship, you know, where you have people surrender their life to Jesus to get born again. I say, yeah, we'll be doing that. I say, well, I have friends that want to do it right now.

46:04 They're just jumping in the boat. There's no explanation. I haven't even cast the line out yet. They're just jumping in the boat. Sometimes there's just no explanation. You know, where somebody that you walk up to and put your hand on their shoulder, and you're just kind of acknowledging they're there and you bless them, and then you find out a week later they're healed. Ten years of afflicting migraines, and they're gone. And they ended just with an affectionate touch. In other words, it wasn't great faith. It wasn't great anything. It was just something happens when you live conscious of him, what he's saying, what he's doing. More stuff happens by accident than ever used to happen on purpose.

46:49 Just being available for the Spirit of God to move. And that's what I want us to do right now. I want you just to put your hands before the Lord. and just in your words, I'd like for you to say it out loud, actually, but I'd like for you to invite God. I want to be a part of the gate. I want to be the people upon whom angels ascend and descend. You know, it's foolish to worship angels, but it's equally foolish to ignore them. So we want to just be in the place where God can release what he wants to do into the earth, where shadows heal again. The affectionate touch restores.

47:32 Clothing is used to bring deliverance. The miracles of God are released in the earth. Jesus is exalted. Father, I just pray with what Chris prayed earlier, this courage, this boldness would come upon us. But Lord, I'm praying that you, Holy Spirit, would come crashing into this place. even now. Let people be filled with the Holy Spirit now. filled with the Holy Spirit. I want you just to begin to give him praise, just to honor him with your mouth, with your lips. Give him praise. Dear kids.

48:28 Yes, God. wonderful Lord God wonderful wonderful Lord Thank you, Lord God. Okay, don't stop. Just put praise on your lips. just instruments in your hands Lord God instruments in your hands Instruments in your hands, Lord. I want to be used by him, but I want to know him more. And so, Lord, that's what we pray.

49:21 We just pray to encounter you this week. Even as we sleep tonight, God, we're inviting you to rearrange our dream life. That you would instruct us in the night. that there would be encounters with you in our hotel rooms that are as profound as the encounters in this room, that it would be ongoing all throughout the day, all throughout the city. We pray these things in Jesus' name. Is there a ministry team? They're ready. Have them come on in. Yeah. Thank you, Lord.

50:01 Thank you. Thank you, God. bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me bless his holy name thank you Lord God I believe that we're going to see amazing bizarre things happen in this room and beyond keep moving down we've got more coming It looks like we're going to have one for every person here. Not quite. Your own personal servant. There we go. Thank you, Lord.

50:48 They're still coming. Yep. It's the... Thank you, Lord. One of the things that we love to do is we love to pray for each other. And we'll be doing that throughout the week. And then we have people that we know and trust that we want to be able to open it up for you to receive extended ministry for whatever you want. And they're not Santa. You don't crawl on their lap and tell them what you wish for. But you bring the burden of your heart. and they will partner with you and we'll just see God do great, great things. There's somebody with an issue of the right rib cage, this right in here, that the Lord is healing that. There's ongoing migraines that the Lord is healing. There are women that have migraines connected to your monthly cycle and that is to end tonight.

51:49 We've had an unusual amount of Lyme's disease healed. If you have Lyme's disease and or you have a relative or somebody at home, please come and receive prayer for that. We've seen some extraordinary, extraordinary miracles. Cancer is always on his menu. He always goes after that. And you know what? We've got to learn to hate what he hates, and he hates that stuff. And, you know, we don't mention the name Cancer with any sense of reverence.

52:21 Zero reverence. absolute disgust. And COVID, you know what? You got family at home with that, friends. Let's go after that together. And one of the things that we really picked up on strongly out of the COVID season was the power of the declared word. We couldn't be together, so we made decrees and watched things happen. And so we want to partner in that. So Lord, we just say, just fill our days 24-7 for these next few days with encounters, with breakthroughs. Surprise us, God, as you always do. Surprise us with your purposes, with your will, and help us to live aware and conscious of the open heaven, the voice of the Father, and the angels of wind and fire ascending and descending to bring the reality of your world into this one.

53:21 I pray this in Jesus' name.