Elevation with Steven Furtick - What To Do In A Valley (Jabin Chavez)

Episode Date: October 21, 2019

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This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. I'm the pastor of Elevation Church, and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope it builds your fate. Hope it gives you perspective to see God is moving in your life.

Enjoy the message. Man, it's been fun worshiping today so far. We're ready for the Word of God, though. Amen. We're so blessed. We've got Pastor Javan Chavez with us this weekend from City Light Church in Las Vegas. He and his wife Shannon planted this church just a couple of years ago, and since then they've just seen God do unbelievable, miraculous things, people coming to know the Lord,

just by the hundreds, and just seeing the evidence of God's faithfulness. He's been a friend of Pastor Stevens in our ministry for several years now, and I believe God gave him a word specifically for our church for me and you this weekend. So help me welcome. Pastor Jay Chavez right now. Everybody, come on, keep those hands together. Let's give God some praise. Wow. Greetings from Las Vegas.

Anyone been to Vegas? Can I see your hands? Wow. A couple more hands than I was expecting. Okay. Well, if you're ever in Vegas, come say hi to us at City Light Church. And if you had a really good night on Saturday night, bring a little offering with you.

Amen. Praise the Lord. If you had a really bad night. night, we'll lay hands on you and cast the devil out of you and send you back home, holy and healthy and delivered. But we're very grateful to be here. And my wife sends her love. She's holding it down for us today back home. And I want to go straight to God's word. This is Ezekiel 37. I'm going to read out of the message translation. So you may just want to follow along on the screen. I'm going to read about 10 verses to you. And then we're just going to,

I'm going to preach quick, and we're going to sing that song again. Amen. And then I'm going to eat fried chicken because I'm in the South. And that's a true story. That's really going to happen. Ezekiel 37 verse 1, God grabbed me. And God's spirit, he took me up and he sat me down in the middle of an open plane covered in bones. He led me around and among them a lot of bones. There were bones. all over the plain, dry bones bleached by the sun. And he said to me, son of man, can these bones live? I said, master, God, only you know that. And he said, prophesy over the bones. Speak to the bones. Dry bones, listen to the message of God. God, the master told the dry bones, watch this. I'm bringing the breath of life to you. You'll come to life. I'll attach sinews to you.

I'll put meat on your bones. I'll cover you with skin. I'll breathe life into you. You'll come alive and you'll realize that I'm God. So I prophesied just as I'd been commanded. And that I prophesied there was a sound, oh, a rustling. The bones moved together and bone to bone. I kept watching sinews form and then muscles on the bones and then skin stretched over them, but they had no breath in them. So he said, prophesied to the breath. Prophesize son of man. Tell the breath, God, the master says, come from the four winds. Come breath. Breathe on these slain bodies. Breathe life. So I prophesied as he commanded me and the breath entered them. They came alive and they stood up on their feet a huge army.

I want to preach this for a couple of moments this morning from the subject, what to do in a valley. What to do in a valley. Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for this moment. And I do thank you for your word. It is living. It's active.

It's supernatural. It holds the power of it. holds the power of life and death. I thank you, Lord, that one word from God can change our entire life. So we're praying today that you would speak to us. We're listening. We're expecting. I'm praying for a tailor-made word today, the right word for every person and every season in the room.

Go beyond my voice, be the wheel within the wheel, and say what you need to say to every one of us. so that we could all leave church today saying, I heard from God, and I'll never be the same. This is our prayer in Jesus' name. And everyone said, amen. And if you are believing God for a word, let's clap our hands one more time. Let's let the Lord know we're ready.

I'm ready. What to do in a valley? I guess I need to start by telling you, I wish I could preach how to have a valley-free life. yo that would be bomb hey here's seven steps do these things no more valleys wouldn't that be great no more valleys what a great book I'm all right a book no more valleys wouldn't that be great going through a valley hey man you seem to have more faith you see and believe god don't have to go through that but I've come to learn that he is the god of the mountain but he is the god of the valley

I've learned that valleys are necessary and I've learned that God does a great work in me that he can only do in the valley. I want to remind someone today that there is no fruit on the mountaintop. There's only fruit in the valley. I've learned that God wants to do something great through me, so he must first do something very deep in me. And he can only do that in the valley. The valley is the stretching place. The valley is the place that when you're in it, you think it's warfare. If you're Pentecostal like me, you plead the blood, you speak in tongues, you cast out devils, you anoint with oil, you get your intercessors to lay hands on you, you start sending an offering to TV preachers, come on somebody, because you think I'm under attack. Only to find out on the other side of it, it was not a demonic spirit, but the Holy Spirit that led you into the wilderness, led you into the desert, led you into the valley to do something in you that could not happen. outside of the valley. So I've learned to love the valley. The valley is the gym of the Holy Spirit.

Now, I've never been to a gym. It's told me. Pastor Stephen told me the gym's good for me. I heard it's good for me. I'm going to try it out one day. I'm 36. It ain't looking too good. It's that place that it hurts when you're in it, but it's actually good for you. And when you come out of it, you go, thank you Jesus for the valley. I want to remind someone, you're not going to die in the valley because though you go through the valley of the shadow of death, you don't have to fear any evil because his rod and his staff, they do come for you. Goodness and mercy are following you. You're coming out of the valley and you're going to come out with everything God has for you in the valley. But I have learned that there's some things you have to do when you're in it so that it actually does make you better and bigger and stronger and doesn't destroy you. And I think there's some things from the text today that we can find that will help you.

And they've helped me. And I believe that God's really going to speak to you today. So let me just give you a few things today. If you're taking notes, write these down. If you're not taking notes, write these down. I'm embarrassed that I did that. But I'm a dad and a senior pastor. So that was like a bad senior pastor dad joke. But I'm okay with it. Like I'm doing me. Okay? Number one. Number one. Never forget this. God is with you in this.

the valley. God is with you in the valley. Ezekiel starts the text by saying, God grabbed me in the valley. Now, I do appreciate and love the poetic King James that says that the hand of the Lord was upon me. But I kind of like that gritty rated R version, the message that said, God grabbed me. And I think if you've served God long enough, you know there are just times where God has to grab you. Yeah, yeah. Am I preaching to anybody? There's where you let go of God, but thank you, Jesus. He didn't let go of me. There's, there's times I've run from God, but he's run after me. There's times I've tried to hide from God, but he is awesome at hide and seek. He just has a way of finding me. I want to tell someone today, you feel like you're

in a valley, you feel like you're all alone, you feel like there are bones everywhere, you feel like there are dry bones bleached by the sun, but I want to remind you God's with you. The hand of the Lord is upon you, and he is not letting go. And God is doing it. something in you in the valley. Don't let the valley lie to you and tell you you're alone. Don't let circumstances intimidate you and tell you it's over. I will take a valley with Jesus over a mountaintop without him because as long as I have Jesus, I have possibilities. I have a future. I have a promise. Give me Jesus in any situation. I'll take that. God's with you in the valley. And you may not feel it.

You may not be able to clap for that yet. You may be saying amen, but in your heart, you're going, I don't feel it. That's okay. We don't live by feelings. And when I cannot trace his hand, I can trust his heart. God's doing something in me right now. I don't see it all yet. But I do know I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

I do know God is doing something great right now. And I can't really sense it. I can't really see it. I can't really feel it. Quite frankly, it took every ounce of. faith just to get here this morning, but I do believe that God is still doing a work in my life. And maybe you feel today like, Jabin, I just feel like all of hell is against me. I just feel like I am coming up literally against the gates of hell.

That's actually good, because Jesus said the gates of hell won't prevail against the church. And you is the church. And that means that if you're coming up against hell, that is the devil's last defense to try to stop you before you inherit everything God has for you. So you might as well just clap your hands and shout and thank God in advance that you are about to cross over into something good. Come on, God has good days for you. God has good things for you.

And while he's doing a good work in me, I will not quit. God's with you in the valley. Number two, look, look, look for the possibility. Look for the possibility. Hey, Ezekiel, okay, I get it, I get it. I get it. Bones everywhere. Verse one, verse two, bones everywhere. Try bones, bleached by the sun. Bones, bones, bones, bones. Bones. Bones. It's from my 90s children right there. Bones, I get it. Um, but Ezekiel, can, can they live? I'm remembering pastor's message from two weeks ago. I caught a thought because, because eight jokers walked into that promise lane and said, there's giants. And the land's going to eat us up. And two other guys, Caleb and Joshua, said, we're well able. Same circumstance. Same enemy. Same bones. Same valley. Same situation. Same promise. Eight guys couldn't believe it. Two guys could believe it. I'm not making light of your situation. I'm just telling you God is greater than your situation. I'm not making light of your giants. I'm just telling you God's bigger than your situation. I'm just telling you God's bigger than your situation. I'm just telling you God's bigger than your situation.

giants. I'm not making light of your valley and the bones that are surrounding you. I'm just telling you, I'm begging you today to look for the possibility. I'm begging you today to forget about all the stuff that's going wrong. And for one moment, gaze your eyes on Jesus. Look at him. Focus on him. Look at this from his perspective. Ezekiel said, I was standing in a valley. But then God sat me down. And he said, look at it from my perspective. There's something about seeing it from where God sees it. There's something about God's perspective. There's something about saying, I'm not in denial of my situation, but I choose to see this through the lens of faith and not the lens of doubt. I refuse to just keep talking about it, and I'm going to see this from God's possibility.

Look for the possibility. And y'all, we all have this natural bent towards doubt, don't we? All right, no one said amen in Valentine, but I know y'all shout me down in the other campuses. I know it. You're driving on the road, tire blows out, you're like, man, the devil's after my tires. I just know. No, you're cheap. You were supposed to change your tires six months ago, and you, then holding out. Air conditioner breaks in your house.

I'll be, the devil's after our AC. No, no, I don't think so. I think you're good. I think life is life. It's amazing when it's rainy outside. You're like, oh, my gosh, my arthritis, I just know what's going to be? But when it's sunny outside, you're like, oh, man, we're in a trout. God's judge in America.

You know, it's always something. It's like, choose to see everything through a negative lens. Choose to see the possibility today. Choose to say, man, I'm going through a lot, but at least I made it to church. At least I got to praise God with some brothers and sisters. At least I'm still hearing the word of the Lord. I think God still has a future for me. I refuse to die in my doubt.

I'm going to believe God. Look. Look for the possibility. To Ezekiel, it was hopeless, but to God, the situation was perfect for a miracle. Look for the possibility. In Nehemiah 13-2, Nehemiah said, our God can turn a curse into a blessing. Can I just tell you God can turn it around? Can I tell you life can get better?

But while you're waiting on life to get better, you can get better. Yeah? And while you're waiting on life to get better. on things to turn around in your life, things you can turn around in your heart, and you don't have to be a victim to circumstance. Look for the possibility. Number three, I have to admit, this is my favorite point. Take a step into the unknown. Touch your neighbor, tell him, take a step, take a step. That neighbor was so stuck up. Touch somebody else. Tell them, take a step. Take a step.

Take a step. Take a step. Take a step. They were rude to you. Did you feel that? They were rude. They're still a little hungover from last night. They're like, what, what? Take a step. Hey, Ezekiel, can these bones live? Lord, you know, that was a really kind and sweet and really southern way of saying, I don't, you're God. God is never asking us questions because he doesn't know the answer. He knows. He's God. He's trying to give us a revelation. He's trying to level up our faith. He's trying to build us up. And he's not asking a question because he doesn't know the answer. He's asking us a question because he wants to reveal something to us. Ezekiel, can these bones live in? Is he goes, Lord, you know? Yeah. Yeah. God will take a yes with a question mark. Yeah. And the higher picture of voices, the less faith you have? Can these bones live? If y'all never squeaked? Thank God for this loud music, huh? Because sometimes all you can get out is a, God's okay with a squeak. God's okay. I think he appreciates the yes with an exclamation mark. I think those come. I think they're awesome, but I think a lot of life is in the, yeah. I love that Ezekiel did not say, of course they can live. I

know who my God is and I'm persuaded by the promises of God. Hallelujah. Honestly, I'm glad he didn't do that, because if you would have done that, I'd have just skipped the 38 and been like, I don't get you, Ezekiel. Because a lot of life is in the, oh.

And I think that depending upon where you're at in your season, there's something God will ask you, and it's like, yes. Can I bless your business? Yes. 2020 going to be good. Yes, I already got 20, 20 vision. Can I help your marriage?

Woman, you gave me in the garden. Do you know her? Look straight ahead. Don't you dare touch your wife right now in Jesus. I'm trying to save your marriage. Somebody stood in the 930. I said, sir, please sit down. Security, security? Okay. Trying to protect you. It's called security on his wife. Amen, because she wasn't laughing. You actually have to get comfortable giving God a yes with a question mark. I want to say it like this. You have to get comfortable giving God you're not enough. Yeah. You have to get okay with giving less than you want to give him, but giving him all you got.

Because I think a lot of you are waiting to do something for God when you have great faith, but you don't get great faith till you give God small faith. You don't have awesome faith until you give God broken faith, until you give God whatever faith you do have. And I know you want to feed 5,000 with 5,000 pieces of bread and fish, but sometimes all you got is a couple of loaves and a couple of fish. And you actually have to learn how to give God your not enough. You have to learn how to give him whatever you do have because God can use your not enough.

He can bless it, he can break it, he can multiply it, and he can turn it into more than enough. And a lot of y'all are waiting on more than enough. But God says, I don't just start with more than enough. I start with not enough. Oh, can I get some faith in here? And a lot of you are not going to do anything for God until you get comfortable giving him your not enough. But God can do a lot with a little. God forbid, by the way, by the way, God forbid you ever feel like you're enough.

Like, if you feel like you're ready, your pride is too high and your vision is too small. I always want to be shaking in my boots. I always want to be a little. Like, I woke up this morning, scurred, y'all, scurred. Don't let this smile fool you. I'm crying on the inside. Amen. Pastor's like, can you preach?

I'm like, I'm like, I, you. used to know how to preach. I think I forgot. I don't know. I'm not ready. I don't think I'm the guy for you. I like that. I like, I like feeling a little unqualified. Ooh, that's a good book title. I'm going to write me a book called Unqualified. Watch it. I like that because it means I have to rely on Jesus. I have to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit. I need grace in my weakness. And a lot of you are waiting to be ready before you do something, but you actually have to learn how to take a step on a Lord, you know, faith is risky, faith is gutsy, faith is grown people talk. Faith, faith requires a backbone, not a wishbone. Faith puts you in scary situations. By the way,

by the way, you're in a faith church. I don't know if you know that. Your pastor's gift is he has the gift of faith, the biblical gift of faith. It's in the Bible. He has it. And so anytime you get around pastor, you want to believe more, but never forget this, your flesh, your earth suit, your carnal mind, your dirt suit, it hates faith. That's why it wants comfort clothes and a comfortable chair and a comfortable bed and comfort food. Because we want, our flesh wants comfort, but our spirit is begging for adventure. Our flesh wants to stay in the boat, but our spirit saying, call me out of on the water. And you actually have to learn how to give your spirit first place. Because your flesh will always go to the comfort zone and God can't do anything great in the comfort zone. I've heard

it said by preachers that faith and fear cannot coexist. And I thought, I think they're married. I think they're sleeping in the same bed. The very fact that I need faith is because I'm afraid. The very fact that I'm believing God is because this is too big for me. The very fact that I'm believing for a miracle is because I need a miracle. The very fact that I'm stepping out in faith is because I have fear in my life. A lot of you have mistaken faith in facts. Faith is not always factual, but it's always truth. And you have to learn how to break past the circumstance and the facts and break into the

faith zone where God is and where your destiny is. Am I helping anybody right now? Come on. Say, may clap your hands one time. I'm going to keep preaching, but you have to learn how to take a step into the unknown. Did God call you to start that business? I think he did in January, but now it's October. Jamie, did God call you to plant that church in Vegas? Well, some Sundays for sure, other Sunday nights. I kind of want to sell calls. cars like God call you to move to Charlotte? I thought so. I think. I was a lot more confident a few months ago. You actually have to get okay there. Faith is a total assurance in who God is, but life is changing, y'all. And you have to get okay with that. I've learned that faith is like

a pit in my stomach. Yeah, yeah. You know, you know the pit in your stomach, the thing that you call the lack of peace? Yeah, you know, I just don't, and you know you're charismatic if you touch your stomach. You know, I just didn't have a peace about it. I was praying about it. I know you guys need people to serve, but like, right now, like the Lord has me resting. It's funny because it's true. And we're running from the pit in our stomach, but I actually think it's where faith really is. Peace, by the way, it's not a feeling in your stomach. Can I help you? Peace is not that. Peace is a person. His name is Jesus. And peace will be right in the middle of a storm on the waves and he will call you to come. Peace will lead you into some crazy situations that are way

bigger than you, but they're under his feet. That's where peace is. Peace will lead you into some unpeaceful places to build you up. That's peace. I've honestly, for last 20 months, we planted our church 20 months ago. I've had a pit in my stomach for 20 months. Like I used to live in Newport Beach, California. No one could even cheer because y'all just mad about it, right? Because it's just Newport. It's beautiful. Newport is like, like the Garden of Eden before the fall. You all know what I'm saying? Like, it's good. We used to wake up the same way every morning. Alarm would go off. We'd wake up. Ah, birds will start chirping. Like, birds don't chirp in Vegas. It's 115 degrees. They can't open their mouth or they will die. They'll explode, you know? They don't chirp. We don't.

I don't even see a bird. I know they're there somewhere and haven't seen one. Birds will be chirping and you wake up. Look at your wife. Hey, babe, what do you want to do today? You want to go to the ocean and pray? Yeah, then let's go to Disneyland and witness to Mickey and like, oh, it's this Orange County. Just let's float there. Yeah, let's just float. And then we moved to Vegas. We're trying to pass through this shirt. We're trying to help people. It's scary. Like, I don't need an alarm clock anymore. I wake up the same way. Every day, 5 a.m. Same way. Every day. Just like this. In a pool of sweat.

My wife will roll over. You okay? Yeah, yeah. Just thinking about Sunday. I've got to preach another message. Got to write another one. Another one. This, another one. Okay. We'll wake up some mornings and all to go, hey, babe, you're screaming again in your sleep. Oh, what's like? Just thinking about that new building. I like that thing. You know what that pit does? It keeps me right on my knees. That pit keeps me on my face. That pit keeps me in the word. That pit in my stomach keeps me humble. That pit in my stomach keeps me praising God, clapping, shouting, cheering, saying, thank you, Jesus. That pit in my stomach keeps me praying in English and tongues.

That pit in my stomach keeps me hungry for God and keeps me in community. And a lot of y'all are running from that pit, but actually what God has for you is right there, because by the way, God is not going to give you a life where he is unnecessary. And y'all trying to follow God from the comfort zone. You gotta take a step into the unknown. Believing God. Taking a risk, taking a step. Trying it out.

Moving on a maybe. First Samuel 14.6. Jonathan goes to his friend and he goes, hey, there's an enemy around the ridge. Let's go pick a fight. Maybe. Jonathan was hood rat. You know what I'll say? Let's go pick a fight.

Got nothing else to do today. Let's go pick a fight. Maybe the Lord will give us the victory. Maybe. Not having on a 40-day fast. The angel Lord talk to me. We have the victory in Jesus' name. No, no, no.

Maybe. And on a maybe, Jonathan's assistant says, turn down for what? Let's go. On a maybe? You get comfortable with a maybe. I call it a Holy Ghost maybe. I call it a Holy Spirit hunch.

I call it a book of Acts, the apostles pray, and they go, it seems good to us and the Holy Spirit. That word seems, it feels like, it feels good. Like, we don't really have a yes or an note, but it just seems good. And a lot of life is right there. It's like, I think I got a word from God. My pastors are cool with it. Me and my spouse are in agreement, but it's still scary. Let's take a step of faith.

Let's take a maybe. let's believe God let's try and even when you do it at first your flesh and your faith are still fighting so much but it's like you know what I'm going to forgive that person I'm going to take a step you know what we're going to go to counseling we're going to try to make this work we're going we're going to go we're going to try we're going to give it a shot we're going to do all we can do you know what I'm going to start giving in the offering y'all ever remember when you first started giving in the offering how scary that was okay no one's to me. Y'all remember how scary that was when you first started giving? You finally must, okay, end of the year giving. I'm going to do it. Babe, we're going to do it. All right. We're going to stretch.

Okay. We're going to believe big. Okay, let's go. Write that check. You don't even have checks, but you went got to check. Trying to be official. Get that check. Bucket passes by. You put it in. You're feeling good. But then you look down, and it starts leaving your life. And all of a sudden that check goes, hi. And it starts waving to you. And you go, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, I'm sorry, baby, baby, baby. I didn't mean to do that. And he goes, no, you don't love me no more.

And it leaves. And then you get mad. And you start staring at Pastor Stephen. He's preaching good, but you don't care. You can't even hear it. And you're like, they manipulated me. He got me all worked up. Chris started singing those high notes.

The lights hit my eyes. I added a zero. I want my money back. Y'all ever give it online? and you finally get the faith, give. You're ready to give. You're not ready to do anything God's called you to do. You all ready to get married? No. Grace on the other side of your step of faith. I don't know if my parents can remember that. All the parents in here. Before you have the baby, you're like, I don't know how we're going to do this until they're in your arms. And you go, we can do this. it's like on the other side of it there's the grace to do what God's called you to do so you have to learn how to move on a maybe number four

prophesy prophesy to your situation and now the room's split I can feel it because half you all don't come from this background and you go prophecy what you're a prophet what do we let's say at the Lord what we're predicting the future and then half of y'all are carous maniacs like me and you're like, yes, Shundai, I feel this right now. So I'm going to try to bring some balance. Amen, to both y'all. Because some of y'all got too scared, and some of you got too excited. So I'm going to bring it to the middle. God said, Ezekiel, verse 1 and 2,

you've been talking about the bones a lot. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Stop talking about them. Watch me. Talk to them. Jesus did not say, talk about the mountain. And he did not say, deny the mountain. He said, talk to the mountain. And there comes a point in your life, Ezekiel, where you have to become a prophet in your family. And you have to speak the

word of the Lord over your destiny. So when I say prophecy, I'm not talking about predicting the future. I'm not talking about a King James utterance during this service. I'm talking about, here's Prophecy 101, every New Testament believer in the house. Here's prophecy 101. You get a word from the word. Amen, everybody. Say amen. You get a word from the word. And you say it, and you say it, and you say it till you believe it. And then you say it until you see it. You say it until Psalm 119, it gets hidden in your heart. You say it to like Joshua chapter one, it becomes the meditation of your mind and comes out of your mouth constantly. You say it and you say it and you say it. And it's not that you're denying your circumstance. You're just, you're just choosing a promise from God over the

problem. And you're saying this is more real to me than this because the earth is going to fade away, but your word is going to last forever. So I'm going to stick with your word. And I'm just going to keep saying it and saying it and saying it until I eventually see it. You get a problem. You get a promise from God over your life. This is the prophetic for us. We believe God and we keep declaring and we keep trusting and we choose God's word over everything else and it feels a little crazy and it feels a little uncomfortable. But you're choosing in that moment to say, I'm not just going to talk about it anymore. I'm going to talk to it. I'm not going to keep posting about it. I'd love that God did not say, Zekeel, grab your phone, get on your Instagram story right now.

Post the video with Super Zoom. Bones. Don, time, time, time. Come on, somebody. He said, talk to it. He said, get a word and speak that word. And that word becomes powerful in your mouth. God's word in your mouth becomes a double-edged sword.

It becomes Hebrews chapter four. out of one side it comes out of God's mouth and out of the other side it comes out of your mouth and when you start saying what God has already said God starts moving and heaven meets earth and earth meets heaven and all of the sudden something supernatural can begin to happen because it's no longer just a book that's collecting dust but it now becomes the living word the rama word out of your mouth and God begins to move at his word not your word His word in your mouth. So we don't believe that we just get whatever we say and we can just, you know, confess it and possess it, blab it and grab it.

That's not what I'm talking about. But I am saying, but I am saying that this word becomes a compass. It becomes my true north. And over time, my life begins to go in the direction of the word. Y'all with me? Over time, this becomes my guiding North Star. God said, speak to it. Not just about it.

We can have the team come up. I'm almost done. I remember as a child, all of us kids, I'm one of five, we all went crazy. We all, all the parents of teenagers started laughing just now. But it wasn't like a funny laugh. It was like, we all went crazy. We all did things we regret and put our parents through a lot. But can I tell you, my parents, they just never left the word.

It was weird. It was like any time we woke up. up in the morning, they were in the word. And the Chavezham, we called it a quiet time. They were just always in the word. They always knew a word. They always had a word. And it got a little annoying to us kids, but really it was agitating something deep in our soul. I remember, I remember waking up one night in the middle of the night, and I felt liquid hitting my head. Now, again, every Pentecostal is with me. Every Baptist online right now is like, what? Is he talking about?

And I remember waking up thinking there must be a leak in the roof, and it must be, there must be water hitting my forehead. And I'll send out, I finally come to it. And there's my mom a five foot nothing with a bottle of olive oil. Come on, somebody. And the promise of God in her mouth, devil take your hands off of my child. As for me and my whole household, we shall serve the Lord. Me and my whole household shall be saved.

I plead the blood of Jesus over this baby right now, and I tell the death angel to leave this house in Jesus' name. I command angels to surround this room. Every spirit that's not the Holy Spirit. Get out! In the name of Jesus, I'd wake up, start freaking out. My mom, start. It looked like an NBA championship with champagne, but it was oil.

And my parents never left the word. Can I tell you today, we are all in God's house. We're all in love with Jesus. All of our children are in God's house. I'm not here to tell you that by this time tomorrow, everything is going to be perfect. But here's what I'm telling you, that if you will get the word of God in your heart, and you will get the word of God in your mouth, your life will start to come into alignment. Because as Ezekiel spoke the word, bones came together, flesh came together, muscle came together.

Skin began to form. Sinus begin to form. God started doing something when you speak God's word. Things begin to happen. Hallelujah. Lastly, though, lastly, praise the Lord. Go ahead and clap if you want to. I'll feel this right now.

Don't let her praise alone. You don't know what she's going through, but maybe a miracle's in motion right now. Why don't you praise with them right now? Hallelujah. This last point is why elevation is so special. This last point I want to tell you about is why you love this house. It's beyond just the natural,

gifting, hard work and talent of your pastor. beyond just the beautiful production and lighting and music. I want to lastly tell you about the wind. Invite the wind. Speak to the wind. I want to remind you today that we believe in the power, the presence, and the person of the Holy Spirit. The Godhead is not Father, Son, and Holy Scripture. We believe in the Holy Spirit.

We believe in the wind of God, the breath of God. God, the life of God. We believe that the wind can blow in your life. We believe that grace can begin to breathe upon your life again. We love the structure. We love the form and we love the muscle. Oh, but when we've done all we can do, I need the wind to blow. This is not by Mike, nor by power, but by my spirit, sayeth the Lord of hosts. There is something about leaving just your natural grit and hustle and grind and saying, Holy Spirit, I need you to breathe upon my life. And Lord, I don't just need you. I want you. I want the move of the Holy Spirit. I want the breath of God in my life. Lord, would you speak to me? Would you lead me? Would you guide me?

Would you convict me? Would you correct me? Would you comfort me? Would you empower me? God, we don't want to do this without you. And like Moses said, God, we ain't going to the promised land without you. If you don't go, we don't go because we want you more than we want anything else. And God said, Ezekiel, why don't you invite the wind to begin to blow? Why don't you invite the breath of God to begin to breathe upon your life? Thank you for joining us. Special thanks to those of you who give generously to this ministry is because of you that this ministry is possible. You can click the link in the description to give now or visit elevationchurch.org slash podcast for more.

more information. And if you enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe, you can share it with your friends. You can click the share button, take a screenshot, and share it on your social stories and tag us at Elevation Church. Thanks again for listening. God bless you. This is an IHeart podcast, guaranteed human.