You Are Anointed to Unlock God’s Solutions in Your Life - Bill Johnson Sermon | Bethel Church

0:00 The anointing is not to keep you comfortable in the middle of impossible situations. The anointing is to make it possible for you to invade the impossible and see those situations reversed. You are people born for problems. You're born for darkness. That's why you shine. Two weeks ago, I had mentioned to you that I was ending the series on the purpose of prosperity.

0:26 And that was my first ending, was two weeks ago. And every preacher was allowed, I think, three endings before he needs to start apologizing. That's just for one sermon. So a series, I don't know, that might be like 10 endings, I'm not sure. but I actually am going to do one more a week.

0:48 And I want to talk about how we were created to create. We were designed to be designers. We are actually, we have it in our DNA to be solution-oriented people, not just to fix things that are broken, but to build things that have never been dreamed of. the Lord has answers for every dilemma, every problem that exists on the planet, and some we haven't even thought of yet. He has solutions. He's a solution-oriented God. And one of the great tragedies in the Christian life is when we think that the answer for every problem is the return of the Lord. As spiritual as it may sound, it actually undermines the power of the blood of Jesus and his purpose, his plan, his commission for us to infiltrate, to fill the earth with the power of the gospel and to see his wonderful name, his person, his presence, his purpose illustrated.

1:52 And so that's really what I want to talk to you about today. You were created to create. And so this issue of prosperity with a purpose really is to grab hold of this idea that we have the privilege to live here with permission on this earth a lifetime, as long as the Lord allows us to live here, and to be contributors to the well-being of society, and to never look at a problem as though it's an insurmountable object, as though it's a problem for which the only answer is the judgment of God or the rapture of the church. instead we have to believe that the power of the blood of Jesus was effective enough, sufficient enough to put the redeemed in positions of servanthood, service to bring healing reconciliation, restoration to the purposes of God and we're going to start in the book of Genesis, I've got several things that I do need to read today I think today we'll probably do just Old Testament passages so just kind of bear with me here. I'll make reference to some others. Genesis chapter 1 is where I want to start and I'm going to start with those of you who have read When Heaven Invades Earth. I think it's the second or third chapter of that book. I dealt with this subject much more thoroughly than I'm going to do today. Genesis chapter 1.

3:22 starting with verse 27. So God created man in his own image. In the image of God, he created him. Male and female, he created them. God blessed them and God said to them, be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, over every living thing that moves on the earth. Go back to the first half of verse 28. God blessed them and God said to them be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it have dominion. It's interesting to me that in this initial commission for Adam and Eve they were given the assignment to subdue the earth. Be fruitful, multiply. Multiply means to have children who have children who have children. Be fruitful has nothing to do with having children.

4:18 be fruitful has to do with your contribution to making the world around you better. It's being productive. It's a word that actually refers to strength, strength, capacity, ability, an ability to actually contribute to make everything around you even better. The Lord drafted Adam in this creative process and gave him an assignment. His first assignment was to name the animals.

4:46 Names in Bible days reveal nature, the nature of something. Isaac was the child, his name means laughter, he was the child of joy, the child of laughter. So these names were always revelatory, they meant something to the people. And in this particular case, Adam was to give names to the animals. Now, I don't know if when he gave the names, if he assigned a nature to that animal or if he discerned it and gave it a proper name. I don't know which it was and it really doesn't matter. The point is Adam was brought in by God to be, in a sense, a co-creator to help to define the nature of the world he was going to live in. The Lord then gave him a commission and said, be fruitful, multiply, subdue the earth. subdue implies that there is opposition. There is chaos. There is something out of order in the system. So this is the picture we have. We have before Adam and Eve were ever created, before the garden was ever created, we have Satan being kicked out of heaven because he wanted to be worshiped like God. He was one of the three archangels. There's Gabriel, there's Michael, and there was Lucifer. He was booted out of heaven and somehow he landed on planet earth.

6:09 We know that he was here because when the Lord created Adam and Eve, he put him on the earth in a garden where they were assigned to reproduce until the greatness of the numbers could extend the boundaries of the garden until the entire planet was occupied by righteous people living in obedience to God, true worshipers of the Lord by choice, not because they were designed as robots. That very act of subduing the entire earth would cause the enemy to be homeless. But when the devil persuaded Adam and Eve to partake of the forbidden fruit, they disobeyed. When they disobeyed, they became, they disobeyed God, they obeyed the serpent. serpent. When they obeyed the enemy, they became his possession.

7:02 They took the keys of authority that had been given to them. What was it? It was keys over whole earth. Psalms 115 says, God made the heavens for himself, but he made the earth for man. So when he created Adam and Eve, he gave them keys of authority over an entire globe and told them, just continue to increase until you're capable of managing the entire thing. And so what he did is he made a garden perfectly to fit their size. And then as they reproduced, they could extend the boundaries. But instead, they partook of the forbidden fruit, and their possessions then became the possession of the slave owner, which was the serpent. interestingly in Genesis 9 verse 1 it talks about the earth after the flood we have Noah and his descendants have survived because of the ark and the Lord comes to them and gives them a commission and in this commission the Lord says be fruitful and multiply he does not mention subdue the earth Thank you.

8:09 they can't be put into a military position until the keys have been re-obtained. So they've been commended in Genesis 9 verse 1, be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, the subduing will come later.

8:30 When Jesus came to earth, before he announced his ministry and began his ministry in Luke 4, we find the devil coming to him to tempt him. Remember, what did the devil want in the first place? He wanted to be worshipped like God. So he comes to Jesus who has come to die in our place and to reposition us to our original call. So the devil comes to him dangling keys and he says, if you will bow down and worship me, I will give you these keys to the kingdoms of the world. And then he makes this statement. For they have been handed over to me, and I can give them to whomever I wish. So where did the devil get them? He got them way back in the garden when they partook of the forbidden fruit. Jesus, of course, said nothing doing.

9:25 He died in our place. And when he rose triumphant, he rose with the keys. and in Matthew 28 announced, let me put it in my terms, I've got the keys back. He put it this way, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. That's the keys. And then he gives a commission. What does he do? In the training and in the commission, Jesus actually announced to his disciples that they will tread upon all the powers of darkness. he announced you will tread in Luke I think it's 1910 he says you will tread upon the lion the cobra over all the powers of darkness why because he says all authority has been given to me now therefore go when did this subduing get restored and it got restored after the cross and the resurrection. What did God do with Adam and Eve in the first place? He put them on a planet that was covered with chaos and darkness. And he created one place that was perfect in beauty and splendor.

10:35 And then he told them to increase. What's the point? God created Adam and Eve and put them in the middle of a problem because you were born to solve problems. You were designed by the Lord to be a designer of heavenly realms on earth, affecting how people live, how people think, how businesses work, how education is done, how music is written. Some of the most beautiful melodies that have ever been heard have been locked up in a realm called the mystery of God. the mystery of God contains melodies that have never been heard and no computer could ever analyze and figure out. In the moment they're to be revealed, they will be revealed to sons and daughters who have an affection for the presence and learn to hear mysteries. Because Luke 12 and Matthew 13 say, it is the father's good pleasure to give you the mysteries of the kingdom of God.

11:37 what is in the mystery. It's all the stuff we don't know. which is a really huge area. That's a large bank vault right there. It's all the stuff we don't know. What does it come down to? It comes down to medical science being able to invent or discover answers to physical problems that have no drawbacks. I'm looking forward to the first TV commercial where they say, we've got this, you know, we've got this thing. It will remove warts and they won't have to say that it may want you to kill your mother.

12:21 I mean, it's crazy. Some of the side effects of these drugs is worse than the disease. Jesus adds blessing to people's lives and he adds no sorrow with it. In other words, there's no rapid reading at the end of the commercial, you know, to tell you what might happen to you if you actually take this drug. I'm looking forward to medical science stepping into and honestly finding the things that are heaven born that have no side effects. Education. There are ideas about educating children that have never entered the heart of a person before. They've been locked up in the realm of mystery and they've been hidden for people that have a heart for the presence, the kingdom of God. Because as he unlocks these secrets, it happens for every era of politics, ways to do a campaign that doesn't slaughter or mutilize your opponent, but to do actual kingdom construction of campaigning, of ideas, of ideals, of being able to articulate absolute values without the wonder if you're going to be brutally dismembered with words by the press and by all these people with hidden agendas.

13:41 The point is that God has a way of doing things and he has an answer for every single dilemma that exists on the planet. I don't care if it's the Middle East, the ozone layer, or conflict between two of your neighbors or people that are mad at each other at work. It doesn't matter what it is. There are solutions and the Lord has put you there to be a problem solver, to be a kingdom person, a person that can help to create, to design, to have impact on God's intended outcome. The tragedy is, is when the people of God live with this idea that the only answer is to go to heaven. And that almost sounds, it almost sounds blasphemous to make that kind of a statement because we hold going to heaven, the presence of God, eternity, so dear as we should. But to consider that that is the only answer is to degrade and take away from the power of the blood of Jesus and the redemptive purpose of Christ. He has an answer. We know this. We know that if somebody is distraught, they're addicted to drugs, they're homeless, or whatever the situation might be, difficulties in life. We know that person that receives Christ today, they get put on a pathway to find solutions and answers. And we believe for that person to be restored. But can we believe for not only that family, but for the neighborhood? Can we believe for the neighborhood? Then we can believe for a city. If we can believe for a city, we can believe for a nation. The whole point is What God does in a person is the prophetic testimony of what his intention is for a nation.

15:19 And you and I cannot afford to think that when tragedy comes, well, it's just the prophetic destiny of a nation to be doomed and to be condemned. When we as a people carry with us the message of redemption, of reconciliation, of restoration, of healing, that's who we are. And if we believe it for one person, we have to believe it for a household. If we believe it for a household, we must believe it for a family. for a city. If we believe it for a city, then we have to believe it for a nation. We cannot allow unbelief to give way to the prophetic doom that the enemy wants to bring on a nation. Jesus has answers, period. All right. I feel better. I want you to look at Deuteronomy chapter 8, if you would. Deuteronomy 8. You guys alright?

16:15 Yep. Me too. In case you're wondering. Deuteronomy chapter 8. here's a verse that we've quoted in the prosperity series by the way I didn't give any disclaimers I know we have a lot of guests with us today I don't know for what it's worth I don't believe that spirituality is measured by what you own or the income that you have but neither do I believe it's measured by the lack poverty is no more spiritual than prosperity and what the Lord is longing for how much is too much money? It's whatever replaces trust. The issue is not a dollar amount. The issue is always the condition of the heart. Money's not the root of evil. It's the love of money that's the root of evil. God still puts money at our disposal to be able to direct its course, if you will, to shape the course of history. And I believe that the Lord has so much that he wants to entrust the people to, entrust to people to really affect the course of history. I've got a favorite story. Someone who ate frequently in a church, the food pantry, the closet, because they didn't have enough to feed their family. And one day the Lord gave them an idea and they sold the idea to one of the large corporations in our country. And that corporation paid this individual $30 million for his idea. And I'm looking for some of that in this room, right here. People that honestly can think in terms of creative thinking to provide solutions and answers. What's the problem? Creative thinking is natural and normal for a believer that has no anxiety.

18:05 I could pray for a creative release on you and probably will at the end, but the bigger issue isn't that. That's your, that's your nature. That's your norm. Anxiety. The enemy works to cause us to be fearful or distracted, divided in attention so that he can shut down our creative influence in society. Not to be the people who have all the answers, but the people that have access to the answers so that we can serve people for their wealth, for their benefit. Thank you. Deuteronomy 8 verse 18 says you shall remember the Lord your God for it is he who gives you power to get wealth that he may establish his covenant which he swore to your fathers as it is to this day that word establish in my translation I think in some translations is the word confirm it actually means to confirm. What's the point?

19:07 He gives you the power to get wealth that he may confirm his covenant. Now think with me on this. The power to get wealth is not some ability to magically cause dollars to reproduce. The power to get wealth is to work with money creatively so that it solves problems and it brings you a return. the power to get wealth is the wisdom to use resources in a way that people around you are benefited but there is a return it's called profit for your contribution that is normal, it is right it is actually biblically expected this idea to operate without profit in a business you can only do that a short time before you're at the food bank it's not the way it's supposed to be it's normal and proper for there to be profit when the Lord says he's given us the power to make wealth, it is a strength and ability to use whatever God's given us. As Eric mentioned last week, to stay in our lane, to stay in our place of responsibility, in our place of assignment, and use the resources we have in that assignment to reproduce, to be a contributor, and to allow the Lord to bring the return.

20:48 I love the thinking, the philosophy of some of the great inventors and creative people throughout history. I actually collect articles on these folks. I don't ever teach on them because it's hard to have you turn to Steve Jobs chapter 2. But I love how so many of these people would think and how they would plan. And one of the things that Steve Jobs was noted for with Apple is that he wouldn't make what people wanted. He would design what people would want if they knew it were possible. And think about that for you and me. One of the major crises coming to the end of people's lives, I don't know if you've ever studied this or read about it. I've read from nurses, from doctors, from people who were caregivers of the elderly in their final days, final weeks, final months.

21:43 And these people at the end of their life would open up and they would share their regrets that they had in their life. And one of the most tragic regrets that is repeated often is the person would say, I regret so much that I spent my whole life trying to become what others expected of me instead of me becoming who I really was. That authentic self, that authentic nature who we are. See, that's the whole deal is the fear of man causes people to become what others expect, never tapping into that creative contributor to society, that creative force in the earth that actually lives to make life better for everybody around them. It's crazy, isn't it? That the fear of man, you would think it would position me to serve people well. It doesn't. It positions me to dry up because I never become all that God intended. The best that you and I could do for the world around us is to become the best that we could ever become. To be authentically who we are, honest people who just simply think and live creatively. It may be, you know, it may be how to do the irrigation in your backyard, how to sprinkle your yard. It may be something exotic and bizarre, like fixing some scientific issue or problem. It doesn't matter what it is. The point is you and I were born and planted in the middle of chaotic situations that we might even today learn to be fruitful, multiply, contributors, multiply, disciple pour ourselves into other people so that we could extend the boundaries of God's blessing until all of our neighbors, all of our family members, all of the people around us come under the shadow of that blessing of God of God's outpouring. It's His heart for people. It's heart for you. It's His heart for me to make us contributors. And here he says, he's given us the power, the strength and the ability to make wealth. The goal is not just more money. The goal is, he says, that I may confirm my covenant. We talked about this in, I think we studied Psalm 67, I think the last time,

23:49 if I remember right. And in that Psalm, this is fascinating to me, in that Psalm, he says, Lord, bless me, cause your face to shine on me, that your way would be known in the earth and your salvation to the nations. Think about that, that, that, that logic. God bless me so that they, they will know what you're like and salvation will come to the nations. The point is God demonstrates your covenant here that you are covenant making God. Number one, you're real. Number two, you give favor. Number three, that favor is available for everyone. And that's the lesson. If you don't taste of it, then others won't know it exists.

24:32 People aren't going to be persuaded by our words. They've got to be persuaded by a lifestyle that's not secluded, not a lifestyle that is selfish and that I care about me and just my household, but a lifestyle that says there's always enough to do the right thing. And I'm alive to serve and contribute to a shift in atmosphere and environment around me. Here's the amazing thing to me that happens in this process. We find it in Psalm 67, where he says, then the earth will yield her increase. The earth will yield her increase. In Romans chapter eight, it says that the earth groans and travails for the revealing of the sons and daughters of God. So what do we have here? We have this reality that creation itself responds to your maturity. Creation itself responds to what you and I are carrying. As we become free in Christ, as we become free, yes in worship, yes in our corporate celebrations, but how many know you can you can make it work in the building and not have it work outside at home or at work.

25:43 So it's actually kingdom that we experience here manifested in how we do relationships, how we do neighborhood events, how we do serve at the hospital, whatever it is. It's how we deal with the banker, how we work with people. So here's this kingdom that we experience here. it translates into how we do life out there. And suddenly there is this, I don't know, this rumbling in the earth as the earth adjusts to accommodate people who have found out who they are. And the Bible says, then the earth will yield her increase. what is all this? what is the ability to make wealth to increase, to prosper what is this earth yielding or increase it's everything saying amen towards the people that have recognized the goodness of a loving father the fact that he's a covenant making God and I step into alignment with all of my heart to manifest and demonstrate who he is and what he's like because I'm an open book. It's not because I'm special. It's because he's good. And this that he's done for me is available for you.

27:04 It's the unwritten tract, testimony tract of his salvation. It's the unwritten, it's the unproduced book that, or music that shouts God's kindness. And it's actually what you experience, what I experience, that gets taken into people's lives because we know that we have access to answers. We, by design, have been placed in the middle of problems, and we are there because we have a hearing ear for the voice of God that gives us wisdom into any and every situation. This that I felt like doing today, to just kind of wrap this up, My dream, honestly, is to have people discover answers to stuff. and sometimes you know like with our Bethel music group the whole team you know I expect as this anointing increases the music gets even better the lyrics become even more revelatory and that has been skyrocketing for years just continues to increase I expect that because that's their area of expertise but there are times when the Lord provides solutions to people who who are not qualified to bring a solution one of my favorite stories of Chris and Chris has so many good stories Chris you do not lack for stories one of my favorite stories of Chris is when he ran, I remember this, when he ran the auto parts store in Weaverville they had a special software for the stock, for the inventory.

28:59 And there was a problem in the computer program. And they worked on it, worked on it, couldn't get a solution. Finally, the guy who wrote the software came and couldn't figure out how to fix his own software. I mean, you've got a problem when the creator can't fix his creation. Thankfully, our God is not quite like that one. He has an answer for every problem. and one night Chris had a dream of a sequence of keys to push. Now he's better today but at that time he knew zero about computers barely knowing how to turn them on and I can say that because that's his description and he rolled over and told Kathy I think I know how to fix the computer and she just did not want to go down in the middle of the night to the auto parts store to hear his solution for how to fix a computer when he knows hardly even how to turn it on. And sometimes the Lord, honestly, he does that with all of us. He gives us solutions outside of our burden, outside of our expertise. Why? Because it gives him more glory. He loves to use the gifts of people. Don't misunderstand me. He breathes on the skills of our musicians, our actors, our actresses, our designers, our people that do what they do. But he also steps outside of our skill level. And he breathes on, Chris gave him a sequence of keys to push.

30:22 He finally persuaded Kathy to go down to the auto parts store. And I would love to have a video of just that conversation, but I'll leave that right there. And he wrote down the sequence of keys. He did it and it completely fixed the software program because the Lord loves doing that. He loves doing things that, you know, we can't ever take credit for. He loves to share with us as well. He'll use us in our area of expertise. But what's the point? You were designed for problems. You were designed for difficulties. God has, you know, next time somebody tells you, oh, I live in a place that's so dark and so I work at a place that's just so, oh the people around me they're just not Christians and they just don't live right you know tell Daniel you know how hard you have it as he was planted with the devil worshipping king and he was numbered with witches and warlocks and that was his home group you know I mean, you know, a wacko king that kills anyone that doesn't bow down and worship the image that he made of his own image, you know. That's the environment that he lived in. And yet in that environment, he literally thrived and became the contributor that redefined the nature of the world that he lived in. Every believer has that privilege and responsibility. So what's the problem? What's the enemy. The enemy to this is fear. It's anxiety, jealousy, those kinds of things. If you could picture this, I don't know how to illustrate it, but if there were like tentacles, darkness holding me down, and they would be fear, they'd be jealousy, they'd be anger, they would be envy, these kinds of things that just shield me from being effective. Isaiah 60 verse 1 says, arise, shine. It's in the getting up that my capacity to shine changes my effect on the world around me.

32:24 Suddenly what held me hidden, what held the light of God that was in me restrained or hidden, suddenly has no control because I chose to stand. I chose to change my posture according to what he said to do. I didn't wait till I felt good. I didn't wait till I heard another 14th prophetic word to confirm that this is what God wanted for my life. He just said, arise and shine. And in response to the command of the Lord, we get up off of our rear end. We take that posture of responsibility. And then we find our capacity to give changes. You stand, he'll give you the capacity to shine. And the end result of that profound series of verses, Isaiah 16, 61, is literally the most broken people in society get healed. And together we watch as cities get rebuilt. And that is the design of the anointing of the Lord. The anointing that was released upon Jesus that made it possible for us to get back to subduing, that anointing was to restore people out of places of absolute brokenness to be contributors, to become builders, to become people that say yes to God and begin to contribute, not just for, you know, fixing nice little problems, but actually the rebuilding of broken, destroyed cities. Culture, society become reconstructed around what? Around a people that know what it is to taste of death. And now they're in life and they're there to reproduce themselves and the joy of a hopeful future. God provides this through the power of his gospel. And that is the nature of the anointing. The anointing never comes upon us so that something won't work.

34:06 the anointing is not to keep you comfortable in the middle of impossible situations the anointing is to make it possible for you to invade the impossible and see those situations reversed that's who you are you are people born for problems You were born for pride. You were born for darkness.

34:32 That's why you shine. Yeah. Good work. Yeah, good work. You were born. All right, one more passage. Go to Joshua chapter 1. and I love that it gives you power the strength the ability to create wealth so that it confirms and proves who he is as a covenant making God a loving and gracious father Joshua 1 verse 5 no man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life as I was with Moses so I will be with you I will not leave you nor forsake you be strong and of good courage for to this people you shall divide the inheritance and inheritance of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them only be strong very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night. See if you keep it in your mouth, you'll think about it.

36:08 if you'll declare it it'll capture your thought life the book of the law shall not depart from your mouth you shall meditate on it day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it for then you will make your way prosperous and you will have good success whose responsibility whose responsibility is it to be prosperous that sounded like a trick question I know I wouldn't trust me if I were you either I would I would just sit there and let your neighbor look like a fool but not you that's the way I would do it he says, then you will make your way prosperous. And then you will have good success. What is he saying here? The Lord is saying, the Lord is saying that you and I have responsibility to make sure that our own way becomes prosperous and blessed. How? Identify the enemies. What are the enemies? What are the enemies to your own emotion? What happens when we get distracted by

37:40 by accusation, by problems, by fears, our emotional real estate gets spent on trying to solve impossible situations that have everything to do with us. They drain us of emotional strength. They drain us of faith. They drain us of all these areas to where we actually can't be contributors to the nature of the world around us. How do we deal with that stuff? The only thing I know to do is you get before God with the word. And I find promises. I've done this for 40 years. You look at a problem, you're facing a difficulty. I get before him until he talks to me. I get before his word. I read and I read, I may read 20 Psalms in one setting, but I'm going to read and continue to read until I hear him speak to me and answer. And once I find what he says, what does he say in Joshua? He says, you keep it in your mouth. You meditate on it day and night. In that process, you make your way successful. You make your way prosperous. That process is what enables you to take the upper hand in a situation to guarantee that it works.

38:52 So often there's lack and there's need that gets blamed on God. Oh, it's just him working on my character. No, no. I mean, if you prefer it, you know, he can use it. but I don't buy it. I don't buy it. I think what happens so often is people get lazy in their spirituality and then they can blame God for the outcome or the absence of an outcome. When the Lord says, get it in your mouth, meditate on it day and night, make the decrees over your life, make sure that what you're doing is truly an offering where you as an individual contribute to the well-being of people around you. What happens then? You make your way prosperous. It's like he says, here's the tools. Don't let anxiety and fear and jealousy, these things rob you of your moment. You have a moment in life to contribute to the well-being of people around you.

39:47 I feel like educators in the room are going to discover different ways to train children I feel like musicians are going to hear different chord progressions and melodies that have never been put together before ever I feel like there's revelation in song that's about to be tapped that's never been tapped it's brand new I feel like politicians are going to learn different ways to communicate to people in a way that's not manipulative, it's not fear-based, but it actually builds hope, sets a direction. I feel like businessmen are going to get new ideas for how to adjust with the times and the seasons. So that instead of growing a business that only dies when the season changes, that we learn how to adapt to the change of seasons. things change so dramatically in this present day that we have to be, we have to know how to adapt.

40:50 I just feel like as leaders, as spiritual leaders in the church, that we learn how to shift and to change, not from the absolutes of scripture, but from just adjusting with culture to know how best to communicate and how to demonstrate and love people. I'll tell you, the big one for me is I want to see poverty destroyed. I want to see it destroyed. I want it I get this thing in my head and I I just can't get it up. Not that I would want to but I get obsessive over this idea. If I post something on Facebook I will always get a comment. Jesus said the poor will always be with you. Oh well thank you so much for your encouragement. Slap yourself. just slap yourself and if you don't I'll help you you know when Jesus said the poor will always be with you he wasn't giving us a promise he was defining a condition that we were to serve him So I feel like the Lord wants to give solutions, long-term solutions that actually fix things that are in here.

42:07 One guy said, I read a few weeks ago, he says, I've never been poor. He says, I've been broke, but I've never been poor. Because poor is on the inside. and what the Lord prayed for us through the apostle John was beloved I pray that you would prosper and be in good health even as your soul prospers that you would always be full here and let that define the nature of the world around you why don't you stand I I I want to I want to see things created. I do.

42:51 You know what? I actually felt, after I ended this series a couple weeks ago, my first ending, I actually felt, grieved is the wrong word, but I felt incomplete. Because what I sensed in my heart is there needed to be permission given for a new creative era. I believe we're on the edge of what could truly be another renaissance. Another renaissance affecting absolutely every single part of life. I don't know about you. I want to be a part of that. I want to be a part of that, that creative breath of God and culture and society and cities. Because I believe that the Lord wants to breathe on city and regions in such a way that there's such joy there. and there's such peace that things just work there so well that people come from the outside to study it and try to figure out what happened here.

43:47 How come this is different than 30 miles down the road, 100 miles down the road? And I want that. I want people to study your blessed life and say, they're good, but man, this must be God. This must be God. So Father, I pray for this. I pray for this body of believers and all of our guests that are here today, that there would be such a release, not only of creative anointing, but you would especially help us to confront and deal with the enemies that drain us of emotional and intellectual strength. I pray that creativity would be restored and that we would contribute well to the world around us. And the people around us would honestly just be blessed, just blessed because we're there. We pray for that.