TRUNEWS with Rick Wiles - Morning Manna - October 17, 2025 - Isaiah 54:2 - Enlarge Your Tent: Faith That Prepares for Increase

Episode Date: October 17, 2025

Isaiah 54:2 calls on believers to act on promise—enlarge the tent, stretch the curtains, lengthen the cords, strengthen the stakes. Out of redemption flows expansion: the covenant people must prepare for the nations to enter. This Morning Manna study with Rick Wiles and Doc Burkhart explores how faith readies space before the blessing arrives, teaching that divine growth demands both reach and reinforcement—expansion grounded in strength, not presumption.Teachers: Rick Wiles and Doc BurkhartYou can partner with us by visiting FaithandValues.com, calling 1-800-576-2116, or by mail at PO Box 399 Vero Beach, FL 32961.MEGA FIRE reveals the ancient recurring cycles of war and economic collapse that have shaped history for 600 years. These patterns predict America is now entering its most dangerous period since World War II. Get your copy today!www.megafire.worldGet high-quality emergency preparedness food today from American Reserves!www.AmericanReserves.comIt’s the Final Day! The day Jesus Christ bursts into our dimension of time, space, and matter. Now available in eBook and audio formats! Order Final Day from Amazon today!www.Amazon.com/Final-DayApple users, you can download the audio version on Apple Books!www.books.apple.com/final-dayPurchase the 4-part DVD set or start streaming Sacrificing Liberty today.www.Sacrificingliberty.com

Well, good morning, everybody. Welcome to Morning Manna on this Friday, and that means it's Faith Friday. And on Fridays, we study faith. And we desire to know more about faith. What is it? What can it do? How can we use it? How do we increase it?

How can we decrease it? Let's study faith together. Because without faith, it is impossible. to please God. Amen. That ought to be enough right there, Doc. Yes. We tell us that we ought to be studying faith.

It's the one thing that he says, you can't, I can't be pleased without faith. So why is it so important to our Father in heaven? Well, that's why we spend Fridays focused entirely on faith. Now, several months ago, We had come to the end of whatever lessons I had been teaching, and I sought the Lord, and I heard him say, your next theme is boat faith. Do you all know how this went? I didn't know what he was talking about. I asked him, what is boat faith? I've never taught on boat faith, and it's like the Holy Spirit just said, well, I'm going to teach you. And the Holy Spirit built at least two months worth of lessons out of boat faith.

I mean, I went from zero having no idea what he meant to teaching at least two months worth of lessons on boat faith. So you experienced it as I grew, as I was learning it. So last night, I got home, I had a meeting, I had to go to, this is nine, I got home, and, you know, I ate dinner, and, you know, it's starting to get into the 7.30, 8 p.m. time frame, and it's like, I've got to get to work on Morning Nana for Faith Friday, and I didn't have a lesson, didn't have a theme. Well, the first thing that happened, Doc, is my mouse stopped working. And I changed batteries, you know, and I thought, well, that wasn't it. Just a mouse died. I couldn't get it to work, okay? So me working a laptop without a mouse is not very, I'm not very agile.

My fingers are not agile. It seems like the Lord gave me 10. hot dogs instead of fingers okay so I don't I don't move very quickly on a laptop without without a mouse it's not comfortable for me so that was slowing me down I actually doc went to bed I just soon said what are you going to do and I said I don't know I'm tired I don't have a lesson the laptop's not working I'm I'm just going to go to bed when I get up in the morning I'm just going to trust the Lord gives me a lesson.

So that's where I'm at right now. So I'm telling you this because I desire you to see how I'm working through this by faith. So, Doc, the first thing I thought about around 4.30 this morning was, well, I'll just go back through my notes. and find an old lesson and nobody will know the difference you know you ever been there doc yeah I have yeah but the Holy Spirit wouldn't let me do it the Holy Spirit was like come on Rick don't do that that's that's cheating come on on that's an old lesson don't do it oh Lord I don't have a new lesson I'm telling you folks I'm trying to be transparent with you this is how this is how

this happened to me this morning and so the holy spirit was saying what has been in your heart for weeks to talk about and i'll tell you three words build it bigger build it bigger i've been hearing it for weeks build it bigger actually last week's lesson on joash and elijah was actually motivated by build it bigger because the lord took me to that verse first because i was thinking about builded bigger and he took me to to was the second king's 13 uh he took me to that story and i was like wow i don't see built a bigger in here but what was the lesson with King Joash

he built it smaller that's the lesson he did not fire he did not shoot the enough arrows the arrows were representing victory in Apat

in Syria where he had been humiliated defeated God wanted to desired to take him there and give him great victory and to undo the humiliation and joash had such he was so um lukewarm unambitious yes he just okay i'll shoot three arrows just to satisfy the old prophet who's on his deathbed and because of that he didn't get a victory right because he wasn't just rejecting the prophet he was uh rejecting the word of god through the prophet yes god was working in that moment there was a visitation in joash's life god was visiting joash

that moment saying you know you know that those memories you have of being humiliated in the syrian city of where you got crushed, defeated, run out of the city, tail between your legs. Remember that, Joash? I'm visiting you, King, Joe Ash, to give you an opportunity to turn it around, to get a victory there. And Joe Ash completely blew it. He missed it because he didn't build it bigger, he built a smaller. And the Lord's mindset was, well, that's all it means to you.

That's what it means to me too. God will agree with your faith. That either excites you or depresses you. If God is agreeing with your faith, is it exciting? Or is it depressing? See, God agreed with King Joash's little faith. Okay, King. That's it for you.

That's all you get. That's all you get. I'm going to be in agreement with your little faith. Jesus, when he visited his hometown of Nazareth, he could do no miracles there, no mighty works because of their unbelief, except he healed a few of the sick. he healed a few people who had you know a fever a flu doesn't say what it was they were sick but he did know mighty works there yeah it said he did know mighty works except healed a few sick folk so the sick were not deathly sick he healed him okay because of their unbelief jesus went to nazareth to do

mighty works and he could not do any because of their unbelief so doc i'm excited now because what i have in front of me is an outline i believe i don't know how many weeks it's going to go i'm not going to predict it i don't know where the how far the holy spirit is going to take it maybe to the end of the year but our theme is going to be built it bigger. And we're going to be looking at verses in the Bible that teach us to build it bigger, that our faith soar and build it bigger. So, Dr. Burkhart.

Yes, sir. Our verse today is only one verse. Oh, I can read one verse. Isaiah 54. verse 2 all right Isaiah 54 verse 2 this is going to and actually this verse will be kind of the anchor verse for all of our lessons I'll constantly refer to Isaiah 54 verse 2 right do you have it I do I'm ready all right go ahead all right reading from Isaiah 54 verse 2 it may seem to be a familiar verse 2

I bet we're going to glean some more nuggets out of it today. Verse two, enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations. Spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes. There it is. That's her verse. That verse has been in my heart for weeks. As I say, I believe this will be the foundation anchor verse for November and maybe December with our Faith Friday lessons.

Let's pray, Father. Father, we come to you in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. And, Father, we come in faith. By faith, we believe we are saved. by faith we believe our names are written in your book of life by faith we believe we will be resurrected when christ returns by faith we believe we shall live with you for eternity by faith father we know your word says that without faith it is impossible to please you we desire to please you and so father we ask that you teach us

us more about faith that's pleasing to you and teach us in these in this lesson and the lessons to come in the weeks ahead teach us how to use our faith to build it bigger and tell us what it is enlighten us illuminate us and tell us what excites you to see something built bigger in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Amen. Praise God. All right. So faith prepares for the promise before it arrives. That's lesson number one. Faith prepares for the arrival of the promise before the promise arrives. Right. Faith builds for what God intends to fill. Isaiah 54, verse 2, the Septuagin translation,

enlarge the place of your tent and of your curtains, make a firm covering, spare not, lengthen your cords, and strengthen your pins. This is God's instruction. What do we see here? Faith enlarges before it enjoys. Faith sees the promise before it comes. So the tent.

The tent represents limitation, and faith imagines expansion. Look at what President Trump is doing with the White House. Have you seen the renovations that he's doing? Yeah, he's adding a 60,000 square foot ballroom to the White House. Paying for it himself. Well, he's kind of changed that part. he's paying for a significant part but he had a dinner last night with a lot of billionaires to help help pay for it but he's enlarging the white house he's enlarging the vision of

america yes which i don't discount him for so when you have a tent no matter how big the tent there are limitations Is it a two-man pup tent? Is it a tent that can hold eight to ten people? Is it a big party tent that can hold 100 people? Is a giant revival tent that can hold thousands? Tents have limitations. Right.

But the great thing about tents is you can add on to a tent. Yes. You can enlarge a tent. Yes. That's a great thing about a tent. So faith imagines expansion. See, a person without faith says that's as big as my tent. That's it.

That's all I've got. But a person with faith says, we can make this tent bigger. Yeah. We can bring more people in. So what do we, what does God, why was God telling Isaiah, expand your tent? Prepare space. Prepare space for what God was willing to do. Yes.

Mentally, spiritually, relationally, God was saying, I plan to do something here and you need a bigger tent. Doc knows that's because he's pastored a number of churches in his lifetime. One of the most frustrating things for a pastor with vision is the Lord will give the pastor a vision for a bigger church. And the problem can be if that congregation is not spiritually mature built with understanding, understanding the principles of faith. If they don't know the principles of faith, that congregation will resist the pastor. Right.

If the church seats 200 people and the pastor says, the Lord is showing me 400 people here, let's rise and build. There'll be people say, no, not until they show up. Right. Why would we build? We only have 200 members, but the pastor's saying,

but I see 400. And others are saying, well, when the 400 get here, we'll build. But there won't be room for the 400. See, that's the lack of faith. And I have seen it in churches. I've seen that mentality break pastors. Just break them to the point that they're just, they can't deal with the congregation anymore.

A congregation of little or no faith. and if the pastor is visionary and god is trying to work through that past that pastor will eventually leave that church or actually sometimes even leave the ministry right so if you can see it by faith you can build it if you build it by faith faith will always build it bigger yes and you know this uh you've got this verse of scripture here, Rick. Why would you enlarge a tent? What would be the purpose of enlarge? Why would you need to enlarge a tent?

For more people. Right. In Middle Eastern culture, enlarging a tent meaning meant that you're adding new family members or new people are coming under your care. And it relates back to the very first verse because God speaks and says, I know you're barren.

I know you're empty I know you've been in exile in verse one that it sums it up there then he goes to verse two and says enlarge your tent yes I know you're barren but I tell you enlarge your tent

in other words don't look at what you got look at what I'm going to give yes the idea of enlarge that tent meant that the barreness was going to be over that the wound was going to produce again that there was new people coming into the family you're going to hear the sound of children yes enlarge the place of your tent and of your curtains make a firm

covering spare not lengthen your cords strengthen your pins The Paschita, Aramaic Paschita says, enlarge the place of your tent and stretch out the curtains of your habitation. Do not withhold, make your cords long and your stakes strong. So in this verse, Rick, faith is not a passive thing that's happening. you're enlarging, you're stretching, you're lengthening, you're strengthening, you're strengthening. These are all, in fact, they're all in the Hebrew, they're all in what they call the imperative. It's a command. Do these things. Enlarge it, stretch it, lengthen it, strengthen it.

In other words, there is an active component with us in faith being materialized in our life. we have not explained in detail to our our ministry supporters the renovations that the Lord is doing with us but Doc you know he is stretching he is stretching us

we are in renovation we are the entire ministry is being it's like it's being gutted and rebuilt and reformed and redirected and refocus it's a complete overhaul

yes I mean it is a top to bottom rebuild and it is stretching my faith part of me is look, I desire to be transparent with me.

Part of me is apprehensive and nervous because everything's like, you know what it's like when you're in construction and things are boxed up and there's dirt and there's, you know, walls are being torn down and you're like, I just, I want everything to be nice and orderly and put back in place but you can't do that if you're remodeling if you've ever remodeled you know what i'm talking about remodeling is messy it's inconvenient have you ever

gone to a hotel this has happened to me a number of times you go to the hotel and outside you see a sign pardon our mess anything oh boy Yes. Here we go. You go inside the lobby, and there's a big curtain. There's a giant curtain, so you can't see what's on the other side of the curtain, which is the walls are being torn down. And, you know, you understand the hotel is under renovation. And they're trying their best to make it keep the hotel operating.

But what they're saying to their customers is, we know this is inconvenient, but it's going to look so much prettier when it's done. And so what do you do? You tolerate it. You accept it. Yeah, you're renovating. That's what's happening to our ministry right now. God is doing a major renovation.

The biggest renovation, Doc, for me, is it's inside me. The work that he's been doing, very intimate private work that he's been doing in my heart preparing me for a bigger tent right okay Rick you need a bigger heart

before you can have a bigger tent think about that one dog you got to have a bigger heart before you can have a bigger tent so let's break this down enlarge the place of thy tent so if you've ever been to the Middle East you know you see the nomad tribes that move with their tents their herds of sheep and goats they have no set

place they move they're nomadic they're temporary mobile and so that was that was the norm in ancient times and you still have nomadic tribes in the middle east today enlarge signifies intentional effort to prepare a space for future growth in large Once you make that commitment to enlarge, you have committed yourself to a path of demolishing existing barriers, walls, to expand, put up new walls. You always have walls. The question is, how much space is between the walls?

isn't that really what it's about how much space between the walls how much space is between the walls of your house if you could expand your house how big would you make your rooms how big do you wish your kitchen was how big do you wish your

master bedroom is if you could do it how big would it be well see expanding the walls you still have walls but they've expanded the space is bigger so when you enlarge you have made a decision to prepare space for future growth before you have seen the growth you're already seeing the new furniture the new cabinets the new appliances So to enlarge requires obedience that anticipates divine increase. The command to enlarge assumes that abundance is coming.

Why would you enlarge if you did not believe that abundance is coming? It means you believe. that God's promise will outrun your present capacity amen you enlarge because you have faith

that God is desiring and planning to give you increase so faith sees more than current boundaries faith builds for blessings that are not yet visible

the Bible says that God will fill your barns with riches with proverbs says with gold and silver how many of you have an account to hold gold and silver how many of you have

financial accounts to hold stocks how can he fill it if you haven't built it right if you have and build it is because you don't have faith to foresee a day of that barn a financial barn being

utilized by God and filled up with prosperity so enlargement requires risk that's where we're at right now with this ministry we have embarked on a journey of enlargement and it inherently brings risk the risk that you may fail the risk that this plan won't work the risk that you will meet deadlines that you will miss deadlines enlargement stretches your faith it stretches your resources it stretches your expectations

beyond your comfort zone so the enlargement is spiritual before it's physical yes your heart must expand first in trust of God in love for

other people, in readiness for more responsibility. If you don't, this is what I said a little while ago, your heart has to expand before your tent can expand. God's not going to give you that increase if you don't allow him to expand your heart. With more love, more faith, more trust. What's the point? why would he increase what you've got now if it's not what he desires yes he desires more more of you he's looking just oh doc jesus jesus desires to expand his tent inside your will

oh my wow to enlarge his tent in your heart he sees increase in you and he says i've got to increase the space i have inside your heart i'm i'm cramped i'm limited inside your heart that's let's move things out i desire more room in your heart i didn't see that one coming. Profetically, this verse is talking about, now remember, this was Isaiah, Old Testament prophet. But Isaiah saw Jesus more than any other Old Testament prophet. Yes.

In fact, all of chapter 53 talks about the Messiah, about the coming of the Messiah, the salvation of the Messiah. Everything in Isaiah 53 is about the Messiah. But having established that relationship with the Messiah, where do you go from there? Well, he takes your barrenness and makes it fruitful by enlarging your tent. So, doc, theologically, verse 54-2 is foretelling the future expansion of the Church of Christ. Yeah. It's talking about, it's saying,

true Israel's tent must be widened to receive the Gentiles who are coming that's what this is about God is saying to Isaiah I'm going to stretch Israel's tent to receive the Gentiles that's not how the church is teaching it today

they're teaching that the state of Israel should stretch their borders to kill the Gentiles such a perverted theology but God says I'm going to bring the I'm going to save the souls of Gentiles I'm going to bring them into true Israel true Israel is the people of God see grace is not static

God continuously enlarges his dwelling among his people he is a go god geo it's everywhere first two letters of God first two letters of gospel go it's everywhere go he's a go god

he's not a standstill static god he's enlarging his dwelling so enlargement implies faith driven preparation you've got to dig the ditches before the rainfalls you've got to set the table before the guests arrive right the wise enlarge not through presumption but through vision yes their confidence is grounded it's rooted in covenant promise so every act of faith is an act of enlargement giving more generously forgiving more wisely believing more boldly you're you're always enlarging Every act of faith, you're enlarging your heart.

And Jesus said, good, I've got some room in here now. It was getting stuffy. It was getting claustophobic in your heart. Yeah, I like that. You gave. You're giving more. You're forgiving more. You're loving more.

I've got more room in your heart. I have never thought about this, Doc, that Jesus is like, hey you asked me into your heart well could you get could we build this heart a little bit bigger i need some elbow room yeah stretch forth the curtains of vine habitation spare not curtains represent covering extending the shelter to include new people, new purposes, new vision, new places. Stretch. Stretch forth the curtains of your habitation, your house.

The place where you hang out. Stretch it. Now, I say it's using the word, curtains. This is old, covenant days, ancient times. People live in tents. They were living in tents. To stretch implies tension. Stretch a rubber band.

What are you doing? You're building tension. You can't stretch without tension. Right. And what's interesting about rubber bands is the more you stretch it, the more energy is inherent in the rubber band. That's right. When the rubber band is just laying,

on the table not being stretched there's no inherent energy it's energy comes from being stretched and lengthened yeah let go of it and watch what happens that's right so growth requires stretching beyond what feels natural and comfortable there's that tension that's what i was talking about a few minutes ago about us right now the Lord is stretching us I feel a little uncomfortable okay I'm working at staying calm keeping my faith in God not becoming anxious just believing trusting just because you're in ministry doesn't mean this this becomes easier we all have to learn these lessons stretch forth the curtains of your habitation and spare not what spare

not don't hold back don't hold back break that spirit of limitation break the spirit of limitation don't allow the spirit of limitation to be in your mind spare not Faith refuses small plans in service of a great God. Doc, Dr. Oral Roberts had on his desk a plaque that said no small ideas allowed here. When you went into his office to see Dr. Roberts, let's say you were an employee. When you went in to see Dr. Roberts, the first thing you saw in his desk was a plaque that said, no small ideas allowed here. What was the message he was sending to his team?

Don't come in here with tiny little ideas. And don't come in here telling me my big ideas aren't going to work. spare not break the spirit of limitation refuse to entertain small ideas when you're talking about serving a great god the doubters the unbelievers the critics the naysayers the negative thinking people you can go over there and join the first church of unbelief yeah And there's plenty of those. There's one on every corner. But don't bring that stink over here to my place.

I'm serving a great God. Restraint, holding back. It dishonors God. Isaiah 54-2 is challenging us for to have lavish faith, lavish trust. When I say lavish, just what does lavish mean? Unlimited, bountiful, rich, rich faith, rich trusting God in His plans and His will. All of us are living far below God's plan for our lives.

All of us. all of us have missed his plan what we could do if we really believe there were no limits yes okay doc to stretch conveys partnership yeah

it's hard to stretch by yourself you are on one end of the fabric and the holy ghost is on the other end you can't stretch something ordinarily by yourself takes two people to stretch like are you talking about stretching a tent you can't stretch it by yourself you get one in a holy ghost gets the other end you stretch in partnership okay stretching rejects timidity Grace invites bold preparation, not cautious delay.

You can't be cautiously bold. You can't be timidly bold. What is that? That's lukewarmness. So God delights when his people prepare for, oh, listen to this stop, God delights when his people prepare for increase as though it was already done. Do you believe God has already decreed that you will be successful? that you will be prosperous, that you will increase your influence for his king. Do you believe it's already done?

He's already decided it. When you reach that state, he is delighted. Amen. It's the reason he wasn't pleased with King Joash. The prophet told him, open the east. the eastward window facing east was the city of Apat in Syria where he was defeated God was saying to Joash

I'm going to take you to Appet and you're going to win a victory there and we're going to undo your resume where it says you were defeated in Apat now it's going to say you won a glorious victory right and it should have excited him that should have stirred him up that should have got hot digity dog yes I'm I'm ready but what did he do he rest in his own strength and his own ability and just he wasn't excited about it he had no it's like God

oh whatever sure you should be running towards your every one of us every one of us have an app at city in our life there's a moment someplace where we wish I wish I could go back there and make that right. Every one of us. And God is saying if you just start shooting arrows towards that place, I am going to get involved

and give you a great victory. Just run. And if you run out of arrows and your quiver, start shooting imaginary faith arrows. Just don't stop running. So curtains signify a visible expression of faith. The witness that extends beyond your current circle,

stretch forth, enlarge the area of your influence. So faith without sparing, multiplies influence withholding limits the divine flow of blessings then lengthen thy cords and strengthen thy stakes cords and stakes balance the earlier commands why growth must be anchored if you're going to expand your tent you've got to have bigger stakes and they've got to go deeper in the ground that's right no if you're if you've got pup tent stakes they're not going to hold the enlarged tent that's right so lengthening the cords it says lengthen thy cords strengthen thy stakes

lengthening the cords means reaching farther and strengthening the stakes ensure stability while you are expanding these are good lessons in growth and development

whether it's your family your home your business your career your church your ministry whatever it is these are good principles look enlargement is never reckless it shouldn't be it's not reckless ambition it's faith that grows while grounded it's faith and yet it's practical yes it's practical faith yeah try try dwelling in a tent without stakes

yeah first wind's going to take it down the chords represent connection the lines that hold things together lengthen thy cords lengthen your connections

that hold things together. Lengthen your relationships. Lengthen your friendships. Lengthen your families, your organizations, your ministries, your businesses. Lengthen the commitments that secure the tent as it spreads.

The stakes symbolized conviction. You drive a tent stake deep into the ground. Have you ever more secure? Have you ever seen the circus tent stakes? You don't drive them in the ground with a hammer. You drive them in the ground with a sledgehammer. Right. Why?

The stakes represent the truth, the truth of God that's driven. into the soil of your life, your ministry, your business, so that the growth does not collapse, doesn't blow away. So faith that expands without strengthening doctrine or discipline will soon tear apart under pressure. That's what this is teaching. drive the faith, I mean, drive by faith, drive the doctrine stakes deeper into the Word of God. Pound that doctrine stake down deep. What are we doing when we quote these old commentators from centuries ago?

We're driving the stake deeper into the ground. Yes. What did John Wesley say? What did Spurgeon say? what did Matthew Henry say he's going back to the 1600s head it again hit that steak again amen I'm driving it deeper into the ground we're not tied to modern day flimsy doctrines we're we're driving it down deep to find the doctrines that held the church together for centuries so you got a dual command

and that's the divine order extension stretching must also equal depth as it goes out it must go down expansion must match endurance the ability to stand the growth can your growth withstand time it's similar to the growth of a tree the tree's roots must go down deeper and wider for the tree to be stable and durable as it grows taller as the tree is growing taller the roots are going down deeper and wider why the tree is going to be taller it needs to grip into the soil to hold on during windstorms right right so length and strength belong together reach wide dig deep that's what's in Isaiah 54 verse 2 reach wide but dig deep you can't go wide and not go deep why would you go deep if you're not going wide so in largest boundaries but it never abandons the foundations so what's our foundations right sound doctrine intimacy with God righteousness holiness prayer you see this imagery in the Great Commission to go into all the world. Lengthen the cords, lengthen the

cords, more ministry outreach, but dig, pound the stakes down deep into the ground. That's the discipleship. Lead the lost souls to Christ, but once they come into the tent, make sure that their roots go down deep with sound doctrine make them disciples stretch and dig stretch and dig matthew henry the church being in a tent state must prepare for enlargement faith must make room for the fulfillment of promise enlargement must be accompanied with strengthening else the tent will fall under its own weight. John Gill, this verse speaks of the great accession of Gentiles to the gospel church, whose place must be enlarged to receive them.

The cords of love and stakes of truth must be extended and fastened more firmly. So where does he get that from verse three, really, because it says that this tent. See, Isaiah is talking about a return from exile for. for God's people back to the land. And yet here in this prophecy, Isaiah says, expand your tent. There's new family

coming in. And in verse 3, what's the new family? Gentiles. Yes. Gentiles are brought in. Amen. And they're still coming in. Amen. Charles Bridges, faith and joys, and excuse me, faith enlarges

before it enjoys. The bleeding heart spreads its curtain because it knows that God will fill them. Adam Clark, do not stint your expectations. God will fill all the space you make, extend the habitation, and he will inhabit it. Albert Barnes, the imagery denotes preparation for prosperity. Faith shows itself not by waiting for signs, but by building for blessings. Alexander McLaren, to enlarge, is to believe. faith is the architect of hope it builds room for promises not yet fulfilled

George Campbell Morgan the command is not to dream of greatness but to prepare for it faith works in advance of sight it's good doc God didn't tell Isaiah dream of greatness dream of expansion he said prepare for expansion we are not the cords must be lengthened to reach the nations but the stakes must be strengthened in truth lest the whole fabric sway in the wind charles spurgeon god loves a large faith when he says spare not he means do not measure my bounty by your fear great expectations honor a great god so i want to wrap this up wasn't sure where this was going this morning doc at 430 i like where it's gone

isaiah 54 2 this is going to be our anchor scripture for weeks to come it it It is the anthem of faith that builds before it sees. Faith hears and sees God's promise and starts enlarging the tent, opening its life, its heart, its hands, in anticipation of the promise being fulfilled. So it's, you know, every command here that's in this one script, in large stretch spare not lengthen strengthen all that in one verse it's it's it's a rhythm it's a heavenly divine rhythm of expansion enlarge your vision stretch your obedience spare not your faith lengthen your reach

strengthen your roots see faith prepares for what grace intends to grow why do we build bigger because our big God is bringing more faith

enlarges before the increase arrives arrives faith stretches beyond safety faith spares not it doesn't hold back faith lengthens its reach in love and faith strengthens its roots in truth here's the last word i want to say to you about this verse prepare as if god has already said yes what is it that you desire from heaven today began preparing as though God has said yes and you will enlarge your place of his habitation but begin today begin building as though God has already said yes

what is it that you dream about what is it that is your heart's desire then prepare as though he said yes and he will delight himself in seeing you take action steps believing he is going to show up to fill the new and large tent of your life amen are your finances restricted enlarge your tent is your career stunted? Enlarge your tent Are your friendships few? Enlarge your tent

how do you find more friends be friendly Is your giving limited? Stretch your can't give more yeah give more give more I'd seldom talk about my own giving

because the Lord says don't let your left hand know what your right hands don't or whatever it is your right hand your left hand in other words just keep it quiet all right but Doc two days ago I was going through some folders and I found an envelope

that I had placed there years ago and it had it had $1,000 in it that somebody gave me personally and said this is yours and in the second envelope was $500 that was mine that was there and I had put that money away years ago in case I needed okay and I forgot about it all right what does that mean I didn't need it right got supplied all my needs and I didn't need that little emergency stash I actually forgot about it and the Lord revealed it to me, see, look at that. So my thought, my thought was, wow, I've been hoping to buy some silver.

Silver's going up in price. I just, I have $1,500 now I can go buy some silver. That was my intention. But yesterday, the Lord said, I've got a better investment. I'm going to show you a ministry that's more valuable to the Lord than silver. And I'm going to give you an opportunity to invest in that ministry. And you'll get a return that will let you buy a lot of silver.

Okay. And so I gave. I gave. and the leader of that ministry called me last night at 9 p.m. I was surprised. He called me at 9 p.m. And he was just, he said, I've never had anyone bless me. I just served the Lord.

And I've never had anybody do this for me because I gave it to him, not an organization, not I gave it to him, because he's the servant. And he said, nobody has ever done this in my life. And he was, it brought me to tears. I just, I just had to call you to say, thank you. Well, what I did is I released my faith. And I said, Lord, you're right. sewing into his life is going to be more productive than me going and opening up

account and buying silver. And yet I know there will be a return, a harvest, and God will say there's plenty of increase here for you to go buy silver. So I'm saying to our morning manna class right now, I'm giving you an opportunity to sew into this ministry. I sell them say anything in morning matter. and we operate day-to-day trusting the Lord is going to bring and he does some days it's pretty sparse okay I am challenging you now to stretch your faith stretch start stretching your tent

God desires to fill it he desires to expand your habitation Expand your influence, expand your bank account, expand your whole life, stretch it. I'm asking you, I'm challenging you to give the most generous seed that you can ever give to Morning Manor. You can do it at faith and values.com. You can use the old true news website that's still active, but do something and stretch your faith in. Watch what God does in your life in the days to come. He'll be pleased with you. He will be pleased.

And he will respond by showing you that he's enlarging you. Now that you said, you know, by faith, I believe there's a blessing coming. I'm going to stretch my tent. And God says, because you believe before it has arrived, you're acting as though I've already said yes then it's coming to you because your faith

delights me it pleases me so we need right now an outpouring of gifts to sustain this ministry we're going through our own renovation we are going through a major

renovation we need support you need help you need the blessings of heaven he's the way it works in the kingdom is we have to stretch our faith every one of us must stretch our faith so this is your opportunity and i'll just let the lord speak to you about the amount to give i'm not going to suggest it you're hearing the holy spirit already talk to you about it and i'll tell you how you know it's god when you go oh whoa oh oh that's a lot That's when you know it's God.

If you're just reaching in your pocket and pulling out something, there's not much faith in that. It's when you've got to go, is that you, Lord? Are you sure about that? Or if you say, I'm going to have to break that up into faith payments. I have to do that in installments. You can do that. You say, I don't have that amount.

The Lord could be speaking in an amount to you right now. Say, $5,000. and you're like, I don't have $5,000. Yes, but he'll give it to you. Even if it's over time, you make a commitment. Lord, you give me $5,000, I'm going to sew it into Morning Manor.

Do it by faith. And God will arise, and he'll begin to expand your life. He'll inhabit you with blessings. You can't do anything apart from faith. That's the message here.

all right doc this i'm already half hour over let's um let's go to the lord's supper and conclude with what are we doing here by faith we're we're eating the flesh of jesus and drinking his blood by faith why because he said if you eat my flesh and drink my blood i will raise you up on the last day and if you don't do it you have no part of him yes You have no part of him. We part of the Lord's supper by faith, faith that he is going to raise up our dead body on Judgment Day and give us eternal life, a resurrected body.

We do this by faith. So everything is by faith. Everything. All right, Doc. Well, Patrick said, On Fridays, we normally set aside time at the end of our study on faith in order to honor the Lord's table, the communion, the Eucharist, goes by a variety of different names. But what it simply is, is the body and blood of Jesus Christ being shared by the community of believers around the world. If you're a confessing believer in Jesus Christ and you've been baptized in water according to the scriptures in the name of the Father,

son, the Holy Spirit. And we extend this invitation to you to participate in this blessed meal. And we encourage you to do so because it marks who you are. It marks you as part of a larger church, a larger body of Christ, and you become identified with him. In many ways, the Lord's table is the mark on the believer. And so I encourage you today. Don't neglect the opportunity. to participate in the Lord's table. The ingredients are very simple, bread and either red wine or grape juice. And so if you have that ready, we're going to pray a blessing over these elements here in just a moment. But before we do, the scripture instructs us that before we enter the Lord's table,

that we examine our hearts and examine our lives before the Father to see if there's anything that would hinder us. from fully receiving the blessings that are inherent in the Lord's table. And what I'd like to do right now is ask Brother Rick, if he would please to pray for us right now, that there would be nothing that would stand between us and our Father as it relates to this most holy meal. Rick, would you pray for us today?

Yes. Almighty God, our Father in heaven, we pray to you in faith faith in your son Jesus Christ faith in what he did for us on the cross at Calvary we believe we pray in faith that our sins are forgiven

when we repent and confess them to you and so Father we are believing in faith that you will forgive us of all things that we did wrong in the past week things that we said that were wrong, thoughts that were wrong, actions that were wrong, and also the things that we didn't do that were wrong.

Where we neglected somebody, where we failed to be your heart, your hands, your feet, your voice, where we missed opportunities to let you flow through us. We repent for all of these things, Father, and we ask for forgiveness and cleansing purification as we come to the table to receive your son's body his flesh and his blood

which we partake by faith in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Thank you, Rick. I appreciate that. And at this time, we're going to pray the Lord's blessing upon the elements of the Lord's table. And the elements are very simple.

It's not a complicated meal. It's not a religious meal. It's a meal of faith, as Rick stressed before. And so by faith, let's pray together for the Lord to bless the elements of the Lord's table and that we would follow in the instruction that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ gave us in honoring his body and blood. Pray with me, please. Almighty God, in your tender mercy, you gave your only begotten son, Jesus Christ, to suffer death upon the cross for our redemption.

He offered himself and made, once for all time, a hurt, and sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the whole world he instituted this remembrance of his passion and death which he commanded us to continue until he comes again so father we ask you to bless and sanctify with your word and Holy Spirit these gifts of bread and wine that we may partake of his most blessed body and blood Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed once for all upon the cross therefore let us keep the feast hallelujah on the night that he was betrayed our Lord Jesus took bread

and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to his disciples saying take eat this is my body which is given for you do this in remembrance of me thank you Lord hallelujah the body of our Lord Jesus Christ which was given for you preserve your

and sold everlasting life this is the bread of heaven take and eat in remembrance that Christ died for you after supper Jesus took the cup and when he had given thanks he gave it to them saying drink this all of you for this is my blood of the new covenant which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins whenever you drink it do this in remembrance of me glory to God hallelujah the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ was who shed for you, preserve your body, and soul to everlasting life. Drink the cup of salvation and remembrance that Christ's blood was shed for you and be thankful. Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who takes away the sins of the world and blessed are those

who are invited to the married supper of the Lamb. This sacrament is the gift of God for the people of God. Feed on Him by faith with Thanksgiving that Christ died for you. Glory to the name of Jesus today. Thank you, Lord, for allowing us to come together as a community of believers and honor your body and blood today. In Jesus' name, praise God. All right, Rick, what a great Faith Friday lesson and what a great way to end with the Lord's table today. Thank you. Your greatest threat to what you learned today will be creeping complacency the enemy will do his best to convince you to slip back into your rut and tell you your little tent is okay right now the holy spirit has you stirred but the enemy is going to

try to get you to be contented with your little tent that's your greatest threat Your greatest enemy is creeping complacency. Yes. Oh, it's not that bad, but a little tent. Now, God desires you to have a bigger tent, whatever that is. What dreams do you have? What does he put in you to do for him? What does he put in your heart to improve your life?

He desires you to act on it. And today's message was to stir you up. to start stretching your tent and pounding in stakes deeper I saw who is it is it Kevin who's building a refuge in southern yeah Kevin a refugee camp in southern Montana okay go for Kevin build it build it build it bigger build that trout pond big built it stretch it you'll be surprised what the Lord will do here for you I'd like to visit it someday not as a refugee though I'd like to visit it it but do it I would love to see people in this class a year from now say this was the

turning point this day was the turning point where something sparked inside of you and you said i'm going to do it i have the assurance god is going to fill this place i'm going to build it stretch it enlarge it and god is going to fill it up go for it don't listen to the naysayers don't listen to the critics just do it enlarge build okay it's it's If you're doing it for God's kingdom, he's in it. If you're doing it for his kingdom, he is in it. He's not going to turn down somebody who's doing something for his son. What are we doing?

Gathering the inheritance that belongs to his son. His son, Jesus Christ, receive the inheritance on Calvary's Cross what are the what is the inheritance the souls of mankind the nations of the world

yes our responsibility is to gather in his inheritance that's why he says enlarge we're bringing more in all right be blessed got to go well rick i know you're a fan of pt barnum

and pt barham he was a christian man he was a christian man yes and uh he didn't have the biggest tent but he is the one that popularized the phrase big top the big top and no one had ever done a circus under a tent the size that P.T. Barnum had imagined. And as I said, it wasn't the biggest tent that had ever been made, but it was the biggest tent with a circus under it. And no one had ever done three separate rings under a tent before. Now, that was a new idea.

But he was always a visionary, always casting out bigger, bigger, bigger, bigger. Built the hippodrome in London. I mean, did all these things. But he cast that vision because, and he saw the tent full before the tent was built. Yes. He would go around. I see people filled up in a tent. Filling every seat.

I see elephants and tigers and the lions. Yes. He was a visionary. Yeah. We need that kind of vision today that says, I like one of my favorite saying, we're going to go whale hunting. I'm taking a jar of tartar sauce with me.

That's right. That's your faith. That's your faith. He says, we're going to get what we're going after. Amen. Okay, everybody, go do it. Go start stretching. Praise God.

Stretch your tents. We'll report back here on Monday. And we pick back up in Proverbs on Monday, so be sure to join us on the next edition. of morning manna god bless you we love you