Good evening, God bless you. Thank you so much for joining us, wherever you are saving. It is 730 to wherever you are, first of all, I am early. For the first time in a million years, I am on time, as they may say, just like the trains, no leaves on the line this evening. God bless and strength for you wherever you are across the globe this evening, we're going to be turning into the Old Testament book of Psalms, Psalms 18. And then we are going to jump straight into the New Testament. So in Psalms 18, that is the first one that we're in just the first one and through to verse two, and then look at the state of the Bible. And then we are going to Matthew the book of Matthew New Testament. This is not tech writer, Matthew seven, Matthew chapter seven, verses 24. And if anyone wants to know what the title of the signal is, I know it's holy communion, although we gather around that, but we've had a few requests are often what the main thrust or main understanding of tonight, maybe and the title of the sermon for your own notes is very simply, it is raining, it is raining, you might look out the window think that vicar is absolutely Off, off his bike, eat crackers, it is not raining. But it is you know there's a lot of things happen. And you will see very, very soon as the scriptures that a seriously raining wherever you are across this earth and I'm not referring to the natural rain, there is a different type of rain that is rising. And we are living in very powerful and very unusual times wherever you are this evening. And I see many jumping online across the earth at this moment. For those that watch in New Zealand that God bless you and strengthen you and those that are on holiday sun in oneself around the swimming pool. In those fabulous Speedos. Let's get straight into the word before I lower the tone of this evening's breaking of bread. Let's gather you know the Lord is good wherever you are. Let's get serious tonight. Wherever you are, we are in Psalms 118 Verse one through to around about verse two. And then we're going to accelerate up into the New Testament. And we're gonna jump into the Gospel of Matthew chapter seven, verse 24, round to the end of verse 27. Just a few scriptures and there may be many that want to gallop ahead, and you're more than welcome to jump head and to have a read of the scriptures. But get yourself some bread and some wine. We clearly understand that breaking of the bread together, has not been putting together and put in place by the institution of the church. But it has come together by the scriptures by the power of the living God and it is biblical, and it will always stay biblical. But we know that religion has taken it and has manipulated it and put a strain over that, and has shaped it in many different ways. But if you are a believer from Genesis to Revelation, and you trust in God's word, and as the screen says behind me, God loves you, that is the most important thing in your life to understand that the Creator of heaven on earth, He loves you unconditionally. John 316, For God so loved the world that whoever searched so shall believing Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. And we've got me church teeth in tonight, Eva, so I've got to sort these teeth out. So you might hear a little bit of strange speech tonight, I gotta pronounce my words very clear, and slow my speech down. So I hope you are welcome. And I'm just waiting for some more just to jump on. And then we're just going to quickly go So for all those in the world of podcasting, that, listen and share everything, just an uncountable amount of downloads around the world. It's just absolutely fantastic. And we thank God, and we praise God for every one of you that downloads all these podcasts and watch these live stream services across the world. You know, as I always say, the greatest investment anyone will ever have. It's not in your house. It's not in your education. It's not in your family. It's not in your friends. It is not in oneself, it is in the Word of God, the best amount of money that anyone will ever spend is the word of God or paperback version. You know, it's great to have the electronic devices that we have around us, but there's nothing finer than the Word of God. Straight out of paperback form. So wherever you are, whether you're on holiday this evening, whether you're at home, whether you're traveling, whether You're just sitting and being still, I thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for joining us this evening. As we gather around the word of God we are living in times the sun is out the sun is out, but it is literally raining there is a flood rising and there is situations happening and we are going to find through the word of God. So how do I build in in uncertain times, we are living in uncertain times we are living in times when, when the streams of life are rising, we are living in times where there's issues arising, we are living in times when where children are rising against their parents we are living in a time where respect is not found very easily we are living in times where where money is being stretched beyond human understanding. We are living in times when religion is literally just completely collapsing. We are living in times when governments are lying through their teeth we are living in times when when the systems are breaking, we are living in times when the media is manipulating the news we are living in times when when we are seeing children as I said rise against parents. We are seeing systems rise against humanity. We are seeing famines and wars, rumors of wars, we are seeing the floodwaters rise so it is raining. You might be at poolside at this moment you might have some might be out you might be walking, but I can assure you the floodwaters are rising. So wherever you are tonight, whatever your press, whatever your walk, whatever your human stretches across this earth, I pray that you will find the power of the Holy Ghost and you will find rest and peace. We are living in very uncertain times. And this is not a downer. This is an encouragement for anyone that is a believer. And we may be just perusing for the socials we may just be scrolling, whatever we may be doing waiting to pick the children up just sitting in the car looking at the socials we might be sitting on the sofa just thinking what's that crazy Vica that Inc, vicar What is he doing? What is he talking about? What is he going on about? Let me tell you again, it is raining and the streams are rising. And if I build off of the system that the Bible talks about sand if I build off sand when these floodwaters rise, I will find that I will sink and I will collapse but if I build upon the rock, I've got to build upon the rock and we let's get into some Psalms 18 Let me put these glasses on and I didn't get it from Specsavers. I got it from good old ads that actually I don't know where I've gone from and be honest. Come on. Let's go Psalms 18. It says in verse one through two, love the Lord, my God with all your strength and in verse two it says The Lord is my rock, and my fortress and my deliver My God is my rock in whom I take refuge. So wherever you are this evening, if you grab a Bible, if you just have a quick google and have a quick look on where we are at this moment in Psalms 18 Chapter 18 verses one through two. And it says I love the Lord. He is my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliver a very key key key foundational biblical points that we have here to Christianity. I love God, I love him because he first loves me. I love him because he set me free. I love him because of all my idiosyncrasies because all my failings and because all the junk in my head and all the trash that is around me and everything that I the wrong lifestyle choices, I make this choice, that choice, whether it's a good choice or a bad choice or whatever choice it may be, doesn't matter what happens. God loves me and I say me, because it refers to you brothers and sisters, all you beautiful people you are looking great and fabulous this evening, on the other side of the lens. God loves you be on human understanding. He is with you. Here's your guide. Here's your strength. You know, Psalm 91. If anyone is worried or stressed out, read Psalm 91. Anyone else that wants to dive into Psalm 23, but we are looking at what the rock means. Here's our rock, he is our refuge, he is our strength, but I have to build upon the rock. You know, it's really important for me as a believer, as a son, or a daughter, I'm not saying I'm a daughter, I'm saying I'm a son. But whether I'm a son or a daughter, goodness gracious may, you know, I have to make this really clear. And I have to make this really loud and I had to make this really bold that I love God no matter what, you know, whatever the consequence may be whether wherever I work, whether my footprint is on this earth we have to let people know around us. Now this is not to do with the way that we live because the Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of His glory. So there is no one across this earth that can be living completely according to the Word of God because the Bible says As all have sinned and fallen short of thy glory. Now, the Bible also says, and it talks very clearly about adultery, and it talks very clearly about murder. And it speaks about so much other things going on that within the mind, within the concept of the mind, you know, the mind is a very powerful thing and what the Bible says that, when I think it, I've already acted it, I've already for lived it. So the mind commit so much staff, and it's not so much it's the physical exertion of the sin. It's not so much the physical existence of embracing whatever that may be the battlefield of the mind. So the mind is a very dangerous, but it is a very powerful and a most beautiful place, the mind, the mind of a human being, and it's strong, and it's powerful. It is controlling it is strong, but I got to make sure that I don't live by my mind that I got to live that I don't live by my physical understanding that I live by my faith, it is really important for me, that I live by faith, I've got a trust in God. So the mind, you know, we might come into church, we might say that we're believers, and whatever our press is in our lives, you know, and there are many churches, and there are many leaders and there are many people that won't speak the way that I speak. I'm very open. And sometimes I'm quite trashy with the way that I present things, but the Hey, yo, that's me, God loves my character. God loves me, God saved me, God set me free. You know, I don't have any filters. I don't need any filters. I will say how I feel my heart is being pressed. And I believe that's how it should be not because of arrogance, because I want to let people know that if God can set me free this Inc, vicar sitting in front of you, that is not frightened about speaking about feelings about thinking about understanding about the trouble of life, about the beauty of life, about the glory of everything, my feelings, I'm not worried to talk about my feelings, I'm not worried. To tell you what my head is thinking even though you might not want to know what my head is thinking, I will let you know, you know, my brain can be a dangerous place, my mind and my thinking can be a dangerous place. And I have to make sure that my mind doesn't activate certain areas of my life. Because if I live according to my mind, I will be in a bit of a bit of a mess. So it's got it's got to be the hardest thing that anyone will ever do, is to be completely honest with oneself and God. And it's, I'm only honest with you, because the reason I am honest with everyone on the other side of the lens, and in the church is if you look at me, and think that I've got it right, I haven't got it right, I am probably the most I could be the most unstable person that you know, but by God's grace, by God's mercy, by His power, by his love by the glory of God, God is with you. And the reason that I'm open and I'm honest, and I'm not afraid to say how it is or how I feel, is because I want to let you know that if God can set me free, if God can save me if God can deal with me, what a crazy way to put that if God can bring me to a place of forgiveness, redemption, and hope. How much more can he do it for you beautiful people? How much more can he do it for everyone on the other side of the lens, because if he can do it for this, he can do it for every one of you. God is with you. He is your strength. He is your rock. And I would urge you. And I would encourage you wherever you are across this earth tonight to build upon the rock and this is why I speak so open. While I speak so honest that I will not put no filters in, I will not put my religious teeth in. I will not speak as a lot of leaders speak I will tell you and I will be completely honest, if we're however I am. I try to get that over through the mic through the sermons through everything that we do. Because what we don't want are more leaders trying to big it out and drum it up Christianity and try and put a sugar coated because sugar is dangerous. sugar coated preaching does not help sugarcoat in preaching has got us into a religious issue. And thanks be to God that God is sure in many out of religion, God is drawing many out of the situations that church has opened up on this chasm. But I really believe tonight where I sit within in this within the UK and wherever you are, that you are loved unconditionally. And that's why I want to get over to you if God can do it for you. How much is so if God can do it for me, how much more can he do it for you? Let's get back to the Word. Let's get back in. I try to bring my feelings I tried to bring how I feel. I tried to let you know what I'm thinking. I tried to let you know how things are around the world and within the context of our living. Just to let you know that I am a human being that we are human beings that there is none of us. That is a super human being that there are our failings. There are issues and God loves you and I said again, if God can do For this vicar with ink with, with bruises with scars of life, how much more how much more? How much more can he do it for you, you may be perusing through the socials, you may be just sitting where you are looking at this stuff. And you might even call yourself an atheist and agnostic. You might even say, I don't know why I'm not sure I can't get this God God stuff. I believe in predestination, I believe through the word of God. I believe that God calls I believe, because of the Scripture makes it very clear that God says before the human being even thinks of God. So there are areas in your life where God is moving, and we don't even realize and it's the same. Even when we call ourselves believers, the God is opening, God is closing, God is hiding, and God is protected. I'm not saying God is hiding, but God is hiding certain things until we are ready to see and the reason I say that, because if you were to look at the two on the mass Road, Christ was hidden, even though he was walking with them. It says that they was kept from seeing Jesus until the correct time. So Christ is walking with you, Christ is beside you. Christ is with you in your vehicle. At this moment, the Holy Spirit is with you in your life. God is with you. God will reveal more through revelation or knowledge, and God will guide you but I really believe right now that as we come to this time at 748, here within the UK, and wherever you are across the globe, wherever your your life may be, whatever your stretch on humanity is, God is calling you. God is calling you out of religion. God is calling you. Wherever you are. God is speaking directly to your spirit to your heart. God is releasing you from troubles from worries from fears, God, there is a way and his name is Jesus. But when when this scripture that I'm going to read out, when I read this scripture, he talks about building on I can only build on when God reveals to me who he is. I can't build on him when I don't know who he is. So survive. So salvation comes to us. And there is through the power of revelation or knowledge God reveals Himself to me and God reveals Himself to you God reveals Himself to us before we ever choose and before anyone ever decides to follow Jesus, because God is the supernatural God God is the great I Am his the God that is stretching out the expanse of the universe. God is the God of all heaven and all glory. He's the great I AM. He is worthy of all praise. Here's your shield. Here's your rampart, he is your guide. He is your healer, he is your Jehovah Jireh, Jehovah Nissi, Jehovah shalom, he is your peace. He is El Shaddai. He is everything. He is your way. He is the God of all creation. And he is the king. He is the King of glory, He is the great I Am he is the door, he is the Good Shepherd. He is the I am And when Moses says, Who am I going to tell that lot of the foot on the mountain that sending us the Scripture makes it so clear. God says just tell them that I Am that I Am is sending you and then Christ comes up and Christ repeats that. And then the Gospel of John, we hear where Jesus makes it very clear. He gives us the seven items. I'm the door and the bread of life. I'm the Good Shepherd, and so on. And he is the access Christ is the WAY and there is that song out there the winemaker. But Christ is the way he says I am the Way, the Truth and the Life No one comes to the Father, except set through me. So when Christ died on the cross, He gave us access access to who he gave us access to God. And that is the access that is the very easy way to explain it to explain this the access that I'm referring to. And it's not that we can go and present ourselves and sit next to him because the Bible says, no one has seen God and can live. But I can see God through Christ. How do I see Christ? I see Christ through the living Word of God, how do I get the word I get the word through my gate from my air gate. I really I hear it. I study it, I push myself into that position. And it's got nothing to do with understanding the word. It's got to do with reading it because I read it. I trust that I walk in it. And what's really important to each and every one of us is that God reveals it. God reveals His word to you and to me. So wherever you are, whether you're a college, whether you're a university, whether you're a school, whether you're home, whatever your presses on humanity, God is with you. He's whether you have your studies, he's with you with your trials. He's gone before you He died on the cross of Calvary, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. And I just want to read the scriptures out very, very quickly before we come to the table. And Psalm 18. I'm going to read Psalm 18. And I'm going to jump straight in to the New Testament. So if you can bear with me a moment as I ramble my way through this There we go. Psalm 100, Psalm 18. Sorry, I apologize. Psalm 18 I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer and my God is my rock in whom I take refuge. Now I mentioned the word rock rock is important because as we, as we skip as we dance as we rollerblade however, we get up to Matthew chapter seven, Matthew chapter seven, Matthew chapter seven, verse 24. And it says, Therefore anyone who hears these words of mine, and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house upon the rock. This is what is the key part of the scripture this evening, is that I build my house upon the rock, I build my house, on Christ, he is the winemaker He is the God of all Gods He is the great I AM. And when I look at this scripture, I have to build upon the rock, but I don't know who the rock is, until the rock the King of Glory, presents Himself to me. Now, we are living in times where, where God is drawing people out of different religions. God is revealing Himself through Christ Jesus through dreams and visions, especially in the world of the persecuted church, where there is such a persecution going on where churches are being flattened, and where lives are being taken, and everything that's going on with that. But if you are a believer, and what what is a believer, let's just try and pack this down into a couple of moments. What is a believer, a believer, is someone that just believes it is that simple. So when I believe the just shall live by faith, so I believe so what do you mean pastor Ben, as a believer, a believer is someone that says, I believe from Genesis through to Revelation, the 66 books in the complete entirety of its writings. I believe that God created the heavens and the earth, I believe that he is stretching out the universes as we speak, I believe in in creation, I believe in the birth and the death and the resurrection of Christ Jesus, I believe in the word of God, but I don't quite understand it. It's great when someone says, I believe but I don't understand. How can any human being understand the entire Word of God, we have great thing because we have great learners, we have great and highly educated people out there, that we can get our way through through knowledge to a certain degree in a certain platform and a certain climbing facility that we're able to climb for education and the way we climb for knowledge and the way we we climb up the ladder of life and the way that we journey in life, but there comes a point in our Christian walk when we have to be completely real and authentic with with ourselves and say actually, I believe, but my belief is different to knowledge, knowledge is different to belief, belief is different to knowledge, knowledge is great knowledge is powerful, but also knowledge can be troublesome knowledge can cause a stumbling block, knowledge can cause brain fog, because with knowledge, it is it is it is it is just like this knowledge has a level where it cannot punch through into the supernatural. Knowledge is of the human body, the human body is limited to what we know and what we understand. We are not finding any life form on any other planets above the ceiling. We are not finding anything about the Big Bang Theory, what we are finding is very simply that we are spending uncountable amounts of money, firing it up into the air, firing it down in the ocean, firing it around the Hadron Collider, when we have a world that is hungry and thirsty, and we have people dying all around the world. But the reason we are farming money in the heavens above and in the earth below, and looking for the big bang theory is control. You know, knowledge, knowledge can be dangerous and what knowledge can do knowledge can build us up so much that we forget about our neighbor, to the left and our neighbor to the right. And I'm not referring to the ones that we live next to, I'm referring to the people around us. The Bible says love the Lord thy God with all your heart, and seven are gone, and love your neighbor as yourself, the ones that are around you. But if we keep firing money up, and if we keep focusing on the heavens above and not the God of the heavens above, but on what the life form may be, and the world is looking and certain scientists and certain parts of the world are looking to control the world. If I keep looking at knowledge and trying to gain knowledge, I have become very clearly someone that is focused on wanting control because knowledge likes to control when someone is very knowledgeable when a situation and when when governments and when areas get ahold of knowledge, they can manipulate and they can shape. Knowledge is great and knowledge is powerful, but knowledge can also be damaging, and it can be controlling. So so what I've got to do is build upon the rock or what you mean building upon the rock, we understand that the rock is Christ Jesus, the rock is God. And when I build on God, what I'm saying is I don't build on knowledge, I don't build on the foundation of the world. Because as I look at the scripture here that what is the foundation of the world, it is sand. And as I said earlier, at the beginning of this communion tonight, the streams are rising, and it is raining, and it is raining heavily. And the floodwaters are rising. And there are famines. And there are wars and there are rumors of wars, the shelves are getting less and less things are happening now I really would trust God at this particular point, whatever your situation is, in time, is do exactly as Hebrews chapter 12, verse two says, Keep your eyes on Jesus, the author, the perfecter of your faith, whatever is happening in your family, in your life, in your marriage, whether you're married or married, whether you got trouble, whether you're going through a divorce, whether you'll get whatever your life is, whether you're a single parent, whether your house is lovely and wonderful and there are bubbles and champagne popping out everywhere, whatever your life stretch is, however glorious it may be, however bad it may be, whatever is going on in your life, I really believe that humanity is about to stretch into a position that we've never been in before. And I will I will say like this, it doesn't matter how much money we have, because money is not going to get us through the next two years, that's for sure. So, the less that I have, the easier it will be for me the more that we are storing and the more that we are accumulating, whether through wealth, whether through financial, fruit, through gaining through stocks, through shares, through houses, through through deals through whatever it may be, we are going to start and we have seen and what we will start to find is that we are seeing banks are closing and banks are collapsing. But they will not put that out across certain media platforms, because of the fear and almost the writing that that could could develop into So knowledge can be dangerous. Faith is life changing. Knowledge is limited. Faith is life changing. Knowledge is life changing. And sometimes it changes us and it changes our thinking for the wrong understanding. So faith, so faith and actions go together. So when the Bible says about building upon the rock, I understand who the rock is, the rock is my God, the rock is my king, the rock is the great I am Jehovah Jireh, Jehovah Nitze, all that stuff that we looked at a moment, but let's just read a little bit further and see what the Scripture says about when the waters rise. Because the waters are rising, do not be hoodwinked. COVID-19, was a very interesting time in humanity. And for those that have lost loved ones and friends and situations and businesses, I pray that you will find peace COVID-19 was a very interesting time for humanity. And ask that I still walk in and breathe in we are on the other side of that. We have survived that we have come through that. But it was a full run out of what is now to come. Now, this is not a downer, this is not for us to go, oh God, the end is nigh on put a plaque around our chest and walk around Westminster with a cross on it. And so the Lord is coming. I'm not referring to that what I'm referring to is about me getting myself right with the King of kings and the Lord of lords. The Bible says do not do not. Well, sorry, the butler before I go to that scripture, when I say this, Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything else shall be added unto thee. Seek ye first the kingdom of God. What I love about the Bible, it always talks about Christ, it talks about the day to talk to the Father, Son, Holy Spirit. And when it says Seek ye first the kingdom of God. It doesn't talk about seeking church doesn't talk about seeking religion doesn't talk about seeking pastors and leaders and deacons and elders and brothers and bishops and everybody else. It says Seek ye first the kingdom of God, the Kings domain and everything else shall be added. So Jesus has to be the the beginning of my day, the end of the day has to be in the Northeast, the South, the West, he has to be everything. My life has to be completely incompetent him, my life has to be completely absorbing him because when I seek ye first the kingdom of God, everything else shall be added. See, the Bible says this My God shall supply all my needs according to their riches and glory. We I've had the prefer prophets of the the false prophets, the forerunners of everything that's gone on. And we've seen the forerunners of the false prophets. And they've been shouting and hollering for many years. And nothing has come through the prophecies that they said. It is completely empty. It's full of our it is full of nothings. And now we are living almost in a time where those that have been caught in false prophecies and false ministries, could almost say, God, where are you in this situation? God is with us and God is with you. We are in famines, we are in times of unusual uncertainties that are around the corner. Now, I want to encourage you tonight to build upon the rock as we come to the table, build upon the rock. Now the rock is God, the rock is Christ, the rock is the word of God, He is the rock He is the great I AM. And however, we want to unpack summer 18. And look at Psalm 18. Sorry, well, I clearly understand that God is my rock. God is the rock of all ages. Now when I look at that, and I unpack that through the through the word of God. And I see very clearly that Christ is the image of the invisible God for the book of Colossians chapter one. So Christ is the way Jesus says, I am the way the true for life, no one comes to the Father except through me. But we are living in this time that we're about to read, we are living in the times that I am about to read, the Scripture says as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be as the return of Christ, understanding what the days of Noah was, we go back, and we study that and we see what was happening back in the days of Noah, you just got to look at Sodom and Gomorrah, see what was happening at Sodom and Gomorrah, see what was happening through the Old Testament, see what was going on for the land of Canaan and the Canaanites, idolatry to worship the scripture says in the book of Ecclesiastes, there is nothing new under the sun. So there is nothing taken God by surprise, there is nothing that is going to jump out the cabinet go, Oh, I've got your God. There is nothing on this earth that that will take God by surprise. God knows God speaks God, God's dealt with God's made a way there and in His name is Jesus. But we are living in times when the streams of, of stress are rising, we are living in times when the streams of life are rising, we are living in times when the streams of uncertainty arising. And I just want to get to this Scripture because this is key for your life. And my life, we just got a few moments left, here we go. Let's go to Matthew chapter seven, verse 24. Therefore, I'm going to slow down because I can tell them speaking very quickly. And that is because there are just so much to get through. So I'm gonna read this bit slower. And I will take my time. Therefore, anyone who hears it says, Therefore anyone who hears these words of mine, and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house upon the rock. We understand what the rock was just for a moment. In Psalm 18, the rain came down the streams rose, the winds blew against that house, yet he did not fall, because it had its foundations upon the rock, very simple and very basic and very strong, biblical teaching sound doctrine. This is what sound doctrine is about, about building on the scripture of the living God, not coming out of the Word of God and making my own interpretation as a human being, and not trying to stretch the word and make the word fit my lifestyle. But actually, if my lifestyle is looking like a livestock style, that is the prodigal son lifestyle. I say, Father, forgive me, for I have sinned and fallen short of thy glory. The Scripture says, each man is drawn away by his own lust. So within anyone that is a believer, believe it or believe it not. There is something within each and every one of us known as the flesh and the tendencies of the drawing of the flesh as the great New Testament writer writes the apostle Paul, the great thinker, the great writer, the great educator, he says, A wretched man Amaya. Why do I do the things I hate? Why can't I do the things that I should be doing? So there is a tendency built within this earth Sue, to follow the way of the flesh to follow the way of the world. So the biggest battle anyone might ever have in their lives is not with looser or not with the devil. But the biggest battle is within within oneself just just trying to live without following the tendencies and, and and the way of the world and the itch that needs to be scratched occasionally, it's false. It's living by faith, because each and every one of us has an earth so each and every one of us is flesh. Each and every one of us has the makeup of a human being And when you look up, and you work out the makeup of a human being, it has a tendency to follow the way of the world but, but I don't want to follow the way of the world, when I actually follow Christ. But there comes issues and there comes points in one's lives where temptations and fears might grab us and, and doubts might grab us and, and the flesh is drawing us this way. And that way, and when we're trying to find it hard we it's like we're, we're sailing across the world on this vessel when we're, we're being battered by the storms of life, we understand what it says that greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. He is in you, He is the God that is within you. And He will never leave you nor forsake you. But But with each and every one of us, the more I start to admit to myself, there are failings, but through the failings, God is revealing himself to me and through my, my idiosyncrasies, and through my, my stretch across the earth, and the more I say, God, strip me back on myself, the more I become, I can forgive more I can become less selfish I can I see that there are things within me on on me and around this earth. So that needs to change that is not right. And I'm not quite right with God and I'm not walking right. And I'm not thinking right and I'm not not stretching, right. The Bible says God said to Abraham, he said, walk before me and be blameless, that scripture Lord just makes me want to fund my head against the desk, walk before me and be blameless Lord, that feels Lord at the moment living within the UK an almost impossible task for any believer. The Bible says narrow is the way it is so thin. It's like such a narrow way the Bible says, broad is the road to destruction, the way of the world is broad is wide, is lit up like Las Vegas, it's lit up, it's attractive, it is drawing but but he says, My ways are not your ways. My thoughts are not your thoughts, and His way is different to the way of the world. And it's the narrow path. Now that path to me, sometimes can almost be as thin as a fisherman's line, and almost impossible to see. Because it is so thin. It is so difficult to find the narrow path in a world that is trying to grab me and tempt me and draw me in and pull me in and grab hold of me. Following Jesus will be the biggest challenge that anyone ever faces in their life. I don't need to worry about the devil anymore. I thank God that through breakthrough it made me realize that's as a Pentecostal preacher, teacher follower of Christ to whatever label I've got on me at this moment in time, the biggest enemy that I will ever find they'll ever face is jumping into the arena with myself. You know, I don't have to give the enemy any more airtime any more AirPlay I don't need to shout and dance and do any more deliverance prayers. I don't need to do this, do that. Because, because because because I am flesh I am blood, I am human. I am a human being and the more that I recognize I am I am a human being. But the buts is I'm saved by grace, I am redeemed I am washed in the blood of Jesus, I am a son of the living God. Now I understand what this means we are living in times when the streams of life are rising. The the issues the the strain on humanity. Look at the fuel pump. Look at the how far finances are not stretching. Look at the lawlessness, look at look at certain generations look at certain areas of culture. Look, just look around us at this moment in time. We find the streams of life are rising at such a rate they're rising. And as it was in the days of Noah What do you mean in the days of Noah also when the rain came the floods came the earth push rain up when right not if it could ever run out. But if you if you cannot see i My head is seen as the springs pushed up. The water came from beneath the earth. It pushed up. So we are living in times now as in the days of Noah and the streams are rising because we've got serious rain falling on us serious rain, and I've got to make sure that I don't drown. How will I drown? I will drown. If I build upon sand I cannot afford to build on sand. I'm going to read this last part of the Scripture. And we're going to go straight to the communion and we are we're going to get out of it. We're going to get out of it. It says Therefore anyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house upon the rock. The rain came down the streams rose the wind blew against house yet it did not fall because it built his foundations on the rock. But anyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not put them into practice is like the foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down the streams rose, the wind blew against that house, and it fell with what a great crash. denominations are falling at a great crash, because many denominations, many are not building on what the rock they are building on sand of force teaching. Religion is going to crash it will and it has started to crash. But we are seeing very clearly now in the last days we are seeing a great falling away within the church we're seeing an exodus within the church, we are seeing the collapse of businesses, we are seeing the collapse of systems, we are seeing the collapse of monarchies, we are seeing the collapse of governments we are seeing collapsing, issues around the systems are collapsing, the world system is buckling under the strain. You've only got a look at the health care it is collapsing. It is dropping because of the way and the strain upon it. But if I build upon the rock, if I build upon the King of kings and the Lord of lords, it's really important for me that I build on the rock and I understand who the rock is. Now I don't build on church. Now hold your horses. I understand what the Scripture says, Christ is there to the body. And that is he is the head of the church he are built on on Jesus. Of course I do because this is what it's about. But I don't build on the fabric of religion, religion, really, I will drown. If I build on religion, I will drown. Religion is drowning, because very simply, it is not preaching the word of God. Religion is of man's thinking, of understanding religion is about money control, manipulation and power. But the kingdom of God is about the Kings domain, the kingdom of God, you belong to the kingdom of God, you are a child of the living God. And I believe I believe whatever your life looks like at this moment, I don't know. And I'll never know hardly any of you on the other side of the lens until we get called to glory. I believe that you really are building on the rock. My lifestyle, my thinking might not look like that I'm building on the rock. But it's our heart condition is our heart condition. You know, look at David look at David with his with his with his with his great leadership skills with his, with his the way that he was what was the what was David he was a leader. He was a father, he was a king. He was a shepherd boy, he was anointed, but he fouled as well. The he found it in many areas of life. But the Bible says David at a heart after God. That is the key to a Christians life. Having a heart after God, have a heart after God. I've got to be wise I've got to be wise in scriptural in biblical terminology, I've got to build upon the rock Mum, I'm quite Trappy I'm quite loud, are quite noisy. I can be annoying. I, you know, whatever. All that stuff that goes away goes on with me and me and around me. But there is one thing I believe many. And I pray that everyone in my life and around me understand is that I love God with all of my heart, and I love the Word of God. And I am not frightened of Shaolin. If I have to die for my faith, I will die for my faith. That is it. And yeah, we may say that, and we've heard that we've seen that. But I love God, and God loves me and I can't wait to get into glory. I believe in the word of God, I don't understand it all because I can't understand it all. But I believe in the word of God, His Word is power. His word is life. His word is strength. His word is yes and amen. And we are coming to the table. And there are many ministers there are much there is a much ness of religion at this moment. Churches are building on what there are many building on sand. The sand in the Scripture represents what the world is doing. You've got to look at religion, you got to look at the monarchy and look at political. Now that triangle is linked together. You will not find within that satanic triangle and I will say Titanic, you will not find the kingdom of God you will find the king's domain is separate and stands alone and it is far above and far and wide. God is calling you. God is in charge of you and God loves you. The power of free will what a conversation that is, we are going to break bread, I literally have to hold the horses. It is 17 minutes past we got people coming into the building very soon, there is a premier and the church will be moving quite quickly. So I have to bring this to a pause, I have to bring this to a full stop. And I pray and I apologize that God will continue through revelation or knowledge continue to reveal his word to you. But it's very simple tonight as we bring this to a close and as we take this bread and wine, I build upon the rock, we are living in times when the streams are rising. We are living in times when it is raining heavily. We are living in times when when the streams of pressure or rise in stress and everything. But if I build upon the rock, if I build on the King, I will not fall. But if I build on sand. If I build on government, if I build on policies, if I build on spreadsheets, if I build on the system of this world, I will find that I will fall and not only will I fall, I will fall with a great crash. The Bible says we have a great crash. ivory towers are very dangerous places to be. Father in the name of Jesus as we break bread together as brothers and sisters. As we gather around this cup Lord of remembrance, I thank you that as I break bread with whoever is with me tonight, on the other side of the lens, the Scripture Lord that we've looked at, I pray Father that you did God will open the Word Up, Lord and we will go deeper Lord, when we turn the camera off. Lord, have your way with me tonight. Lord, I pray, Lord, that I will work with you Lord, I will continue dear god to listen to you. I will continue Lord, to repent of the failings Lord, I repent lot of the stuff in my head. I repent of my thinking. And I come to you tonight Lord and say, Father, forgive me because I have sinned and fallen short of your glory. But by Your grace and by your love and by the goodness of God, and by sanctification by justification. And by redemption. I am redeemed Lord, you went to the cross for this ink vicar. You went to the cross for this ink pastor, you went to the cross for this son of yours. And I'm saved and I love you God of all my heart. And I pray love for everyone the other side of the lens tonight, God that you will just draw them, wrap them, bring them into you. Bring them into you tonight, Lord, bring all those that are online that will capture this podcast, this live stream later, wherever they are, wrapping them up in your love wherever they are across the earth. Let them know that they are loved by the Creator of heaven and earth, that you had their lives that you fought spoke their lives. So Father bless this bread that symbolizes the body of Christ in Jesus name. And I thank God that religion has finished in my life and has been broken, in Jesus name, amen. God is with you and you are loved. God love you unconditionally. You know, each and every one of us is unique. Each and every one of us is very different to one another. Because God created us. I am different to you, you are different to me. You have different giftings and I have different giftings God loves you and God loves me God that God sent His Son to Dan across for us. But you know what, you are unique. You are. You are beautiful in the eyes of God in Christ. You are chosen, you are blessed. You are a child of the living God. And your unique unique ness is powerful. Don't become a robot. Don't become controlled by the world. Don't allow culture and society to dictate to you don't allow governments and policies to control you. I believe freedom is upon you. And the scripture says who the sun sets free is free indeed. And I believe that there are many just feel that they just feel like they are I'll put it like this. An athlete waiting to lead the starting blocks. You're waiting you you feel that you've been held back for so long. Just wait a little bit longer. God is opening the doors don't let society and culture come troll you, you are free. But we still know that he's God. God has a great and God's plan for your life is perfect. And His ways are just hold on to God, He created your character. And he is shaping you into the person that he wants you to be. He sees you now, he created you before the very beginning of time. He loves you, He died on a cross for you. And as we take this cup together right now, I can back this up through scripture, you know, about the prophet that said, I went down to the potter's house, and the master was working the clay, I am clay in the Masters hands, you are clay in the Masters hands. And he will shape us into the vessel that he wants us to be. Don't let your culture don't let your family don't let your husband, your wife, your brother, your sister, as you look across the sunbed to each other now and across the table and you wink at each other and you say Did you hear that what Pastor said, I'm unique wherever you are across the world, God is shaping you, God is with you. Do not let policies shape you do not let business shape you do not let your family shape you. And the reason I say this is very simply, if we are being shaped by a human being. We are not the people that we are supposed to be in God, you are still a husband, you are still a wife, you are still a friend, you are still married, you might not be married, whoever, whatever your press is on life. Don't let the people around you shape you. Now that is not being disrespectful to the people around you. Because God created you. And we have a bigger impact in culture and life. When we be and we live the person that God has called us to be. But when I'm shaped by society and culture, and people around me, we become frustrated, because you're almost frightened to be you. Right now, wherever you are, just be you. Because the Masters hands are shaping you. And don't fight the Masters hands. Because we cannot run we cannot do a Jonah there God in the name of Jesus Lord, as we as we take this cup together, I thank you that we are washed in the blood of Jesus. And Lord, I thank you that we are unique, that we are different, that we are chosen, that we are loved, that you chose each and every one of us that our DNA is different, our understanding is different. Our thinking is different. But you are the master working us as Clay says, shape me and shape all of us into the vessels that you want us to be. Please, Lord, cover us in the blood of Jesus, wash me and cleanse me in Jesus name, amen. The you, be you and just say thank you, Lord, that I made because you know me, and how can we leave this without not mentioned in this beautiful scripture that we know. And I speak about a lot. I created you, I formed you in your mother's womb. When you look at that text, when you really break open the envelope or that I created you I formed you, I put you together I knitted you together. So if I am trying to be someone that I am not and I'm trying to be someone that the world is trying to create, I am wrestling God. If I am being shaped by culture, and there are many in culture, all of us come from some shape and form of culture. Wherever we are birthed across the earth. If I let culture shape me, I am not allowing God to use me. I shouldn't have I shouldn't have closed on this is more of an opening into something else. But I just want to speak for a couple of seconds a couple of moments into anybody that is being shaped and molded and being put into a situation that is not really the correct situation. I pray that you will find your own legs because your own legs are what God has given you. Don't let someone else shape you on the potter's wheel. because there is only one that can shape you, and that is God. But he was already shaped and it was already formed, and yours already created before the ones that are shaping and trying to create you in the cultural setting. Because before the very beginning of time, the Bible says before the creation of the I knew you are formed you. So it's very important that when we say well, how do I know what I should be the will of the Father, finding out what the will is and what the purpose is, for you and for me for walking this earth? What is your will? And what is your purpose? And what is your calling? And what are you asking me to do? The will of the Father will look very different to the cultural will, will look very different to the business will will look nothing like the political will. Because you belong to the master, and you are a slave to righteousness. I thank you so much for staying with me for this long time this evening. We've almost done the hour. And I'm sorry that that is pressed on. But I just pray as we come to a close, that you will just be you. Because God created you. God bless you and strengthen you. May the hand of God shape you tonight. And be the vessel that he wants to shape you into. Don't be frightened of change. Don't be frightened of a different outlook. Be careful of cultural settings. Be careful of political agendas. Be careful of someone else's understanding on their life on they're thinking of your life. Find out who you are in God. Find out who you are in Jesus, find out who you are in the Word of God. God bless you. Thank you so much for staying with us in this podcast this evening. Thank you so much for staying with us through this live stream service tonight. And wherever you are tonight. Never give up. There's always hope. Have a wonderful evening. Thank you for allowing me to walk with you for this hour. Thank you for allowing me to stay with you for this 57 minutes and 21 seconds according to the clock there. Thank you for walking and staying with us. And I just asked God that God will take any fear away from any one of you that he's worried about change. Don't worry about change. Find the living God in your understanding. God bless you. We'll see you soon. in Jesus precious name. Amen. God bless.
Close:Thank you for listening to Elim church Swanleys latest podcast. You can find us on Buzzsprout Spotify, Apple Music, I Heart Radio, Google Play, Alexa Mixcloud, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.