Daily Bread
Daily Bread with Dr. Jerrell & Angela Stokley offers inspiring biblical content designed to educate, empower, and engage everyone to seek God's Word as daily bread for the soul and live a life of purpose in Jesus Christ.
Daily Bread
The Struggle is Real - PT 1
Everyone faces struggles, but what if you could transform those challenges into powerful testimonies of faith? Discover the universal nature of struggles and how to navigate them through prayer and mutual support. Angela and I discuss the diversity of hardships, from financial to health-related, and emphasize the transformative power of personal and intercessory prayer. Learn how recognizing and respecting each other's battles can draw us closer to God and each other.
Next, unlock the power of prophetic declarations with insights from Romans 8:28. We delve into maintaining a positive profession of faith even when circumstances seem bleak. Through personal stories and scripture, we show how prophesying God's promises can activate your faith and invite divine intervention into your life. It's not about predicting the future but declaring God's eternal truths to uplift your spirit and hold onto hope.
Finally, we explore the critical role of the Holy Spirit in empowering believers. From experiencing a true baptism with the Holy Spirit to relying on His guidance in daily life, we discuss how the Holy Spirit equips you to face persecution and daily challenges. Discover the importance of praying for the Holy Spirit's presence and exercising His power, especially in moments of weakness. We also touch upon the consequences of resisting His guidance and how aligning with the Holy Spirit can transform your spiritual journey.
Please sponsor the Daily Bread Podcast by clicking the link above. You can also connect with Dr. Jerrell & Angela Stokely at www.JerrellStokley.com or www.CovenantGraceChurch.org. Visit our online apparel store at www.OfficialGloryGear.com for all of your faith-based outdoor, casual, and athletic gear with a message of faith and belief in Jesus Christ.
All right, great Welcome everyone. Welcome, welcome, welcome. Welcome to the podcast, the Daily Bread podcast, with Dr Jarrell and Angela Stokely. Welcome back. We're so glad you're back with us on today. We are super excited to be with you, to spend this time with you, to spend this time doing what we love to do, which is to find inspiration and life in the word of God and transfer that energy and that life to anyone that we possibly can. So it is great to be in the studio today. Welcome once again to the Daily Bread Podcast. I am with my host, angela Stokely. Angela, would you like to greet our audience on today? Look right into the camera, speak right into the mic. Let them see your beauty, as I see your beauty every day. Go ahead.
Speaker 2:What do you do? Hey, everybody, so glad that you chose to join us on today. We are excited to be back in the seat again to share encouragement, inspiration, a word from the Lord that we hope, trust and believe will propel you, encourage you, strengthen you towards the things that God has for your life. Thank you so much for jumping in, jumping on and listening to us on today.
Speaker 1:All right, thank you so much. Greetings everyone. Listen, if you are tuning in and you have heard any of our previous episodes or, by the time we're finished, you enjoy this episode. We invite you to be one of our partners, one of our sponsors, to help us continue to change lives, to aid and assist those who are going through transition, to spread the word of Jesus Christ, to spread love and to help transform. We cannot do this alone and we invite you to partner and sponsor with us in order to keep us on the air, on everywhere where you can get your podcast and everywhere on your social media platforms. It takes money for production, for cameras, for lights, for microphones, for studio time, but we need you to partner with us. We don't want to do it alone. We can't do it alone.
Speaker 1:So go to covenantgracechurchorg, to the podcast page or dailybreadpodcastcom and you can sow your seed. All right, all right, we thank you for your partnership and your sponsorship. All right, today we got a topic for you. We got a topic for you. Today, our topic is the struggle just got real. You know why that's an important topic why is that important?
Speaker 1:Because the struggle has gotten real for believers and non-believers. We are in a paramount time of challenge, of stress, anxiety, depression, and we actually are teetering on collapse. Our society is teetering on collapse. Economy is changing, companies are shutting down, restaurant are closing, stock market is fluctuating, there's global crises governmental, political on every continent on the planet and we are in such a great struggle and a lot of it has hit home. So nobody is exempt at this point in time from struggle, and the struggle just got real. So I want to talk today and we're going to be talking today to those of you who are dealing with struggles. If you're dealing with struggles in your family, your immediate family, your extended family, struggles on your job, struggles in your health, and most of us are dealing with multiple struggles, not just one, would you agree to?
Speaker 2:that I would absolutely. And you know, one of the things that just kind of highlighted, I guess, in my thoughts when you were talking was to remember that one person's struggle may look nothing like another person's struggle. So, in other words, you know what you you, because sometimes people may say, no, the rich aren't struggling. Yeah, they may not be struggling financially but they have a struggle, you know.
Speaker 2:And so, regardless of what we see on social media, what we see on television, what we see wherever you know that depicts this perfect, this perfect view or perspective, we have to remember that everybody's struggle is different, but yet it's still a struggle.
Speaker 1:Right, I would agree. All right, would you like to open us up to some prayer? And then we're going to go to our key scripture in the book of James.
Speaker 2:Amen, if you would join me in prayer. Lord, we bless and thank you and give you glory, honor and praise for this great opportunity. God, to share your word, to share encouragement and insight, revelation and inspiration. God, to your people. We pray, in the mighty name of Jesus, god, that you would just come in the room, that God, your spirit and your power will lead the way. In the mighty name of Jesus, that God, you will give us what it is that heaven has to say to your people, and I pray, god, that you would divinely connect them to this podcast, get them here by any means necessary to ensure, god, that they hear what it is that you have to say. In the mighty name of Jesus, father, we give you glory, we give you honor, we give you praise and we bless you in advance for the breakthrough that will happen. We bless you in advance for revelation that will show up and cause someone's faith to go up. In the mighty name of Jesus, we thank you, we glorify you. Use us, god, your vessels, for your glory.
Speaker 2:Hallelujah, we lift your name up on high and we say thank you for the things you've already done, in the mighty name of Jesus.
Speaker 1:Have your way.
Speaker 2:Oh great God, that you are in Jesus name. Amen, amen and amen.
Speaker 1:Oh, my wonderful prayer. You know, just as a segue into what we're talking about, the struggle just got real. Prayer is a key component, a key discipline and a key power when you are in struggle. Amen. Learning how to intercede for yourself, amen. Struggle, amen. Learning how to intercede for yourself, amen. Learning how to go into a warfare prayer in the name of Jesus and pull down every stronghold that is creating that struggle in your life.
Speaker 1:Amen. Learning how to touch and agree with the Holy Ghost and with somebody in your life to bind every demon, witch, warlock and adversary that is coming against you and your family and your peace. Learning how to get on your face before God and say God, I love you, All of you and none of me, instruct me in your ways today. Have pleasure in my life. I am your servant. I am your man or woman of God. There's nothing like prayer.
Speaker 2:Amen.
Speaker 1:Hallelujah, amen, keep you girded up on the inside. Amen, come on when you're in your struggle. Yeah, oh man, I just had to. I had to piggyback on that. Now, that was so good. That was so good.
Speaker 2:Somebody need to up the ante on your prayer life, baby, you, in this struggle, right now you need God.
Speaker 1:You need God, you need to be transformed in the moment of that struggle. That's what prayer will do. Prayer causes you to gird yourself up and encourage yourself and build up your faith and build up your belief. You will step out on faith after you pray, man, like you never did before. You need to pray, and I'm not talking about some little choir, oh God. I need you to get in there and sweat and cry and call out and shout and praise and rebuke and speak in your heavenly language and in your understanding until the devil flees, until all hell gets out of your face and out of your life Until you hear God speak.
Speaker 2:life until power falls on everything that's going on in your life.
Speaker 1:Hallelujah, don't get me started. That prayer jumpstarted something.
Speaker 2:Come on now. Glory to God.
Speaker 1:These people ain't seen me like this. Don't do that.
Speaker 2:Glory to God. As you see, I'm over here between a struggle of you know in my throat and in my eye, but that's OK, Cause you know what God is still powerful. I'm still excited about the things of God.
Speaker 2:And I know it's nothing more than a distraction. So, really, what, what, um, um, as I'm navigating this, that's going on with me. I'm, I'm tickled on the inside because I'm like, yeah, the struggle just got real, cause, what happened with my throat, what happened with my eye? That's okay, because I'm going to keep pressing and I'm going to pray. Yes, I'm going to pray and let the power of God come on in. Hallelujah, this thing going to ship. Glory to God. Hallelujah, it's already shifted. Hallelujah, I feel my health. Glory to God, I feel my breakthrough.
Speaker 2:You know what this is an example. This through, and you know what this is an example. This is an example of how we have to do. We still got to press, even when the distractions come Because, yeah, it was something in my it was. It felt like something was in my eye, but I had to keep.
Speaker 1:praying, Felt like something was going on with my throat Got to keep on praying.
Speaker 2:Got to keep on pressing, got to keep on doing what we do. Amen, that's so good, hallelujah Talking about pressing. The.
Speaker 1:Bible says we are hard pressed, yes, on every side, but we are not crushed Because. Why? Because we're in the hand of God. And he said nothing can separate Nothing can separate me from the love of God. Nothing, not life or death, or power or principalities or things to come. None of this stuff can separate me from God's love. So I can be broken and struggling.
Speaker 2:But I'm in his hand and that's love. So I can be broken and struggling, but I'm in his hand, I'm wrapped in his love.
Speaker 1:So come on life. I got God and I got prayer. I got the saints with me. Come on, I'm going to make it in Jesus' name. Let's not talk about the angels.
Speaker 2:Come on Don't get them started.
Speaker 1:We just went in. We did, but we want to talk about it, hallelujah. We want to talk about the struggle Just got real. Have you ever made that statement? Have you ever been going down a path of life minding your own business, managing things well, being a good steward of everything God has given you, and, all of a sudden, challenges, tragedy, setbacks, oh my God, conflict hit your life and you had to say, oh my God, it's my turn to go through now. What do you do when it's your turn to go through? What do you do do when it's your turn to go through? What do you do?
Speaker 1:We know what to do when we see others going through. We pray, we intercede for them, we give Come on. We know what we do when we read the Bible and we see how they go through. We get encouragement. But what do you do when the struggle just got real? I want to take us to the book of James, chapter 1, verse 2 through 4, and we're going to be talking about in this session, addressing the reality of spiritual, emotional and physical struggle on the Christian journey or on life's journey. James, chapter 1, are you there, pastor? James, chapter 1? Can you read verse 2 through 4, as we lay this foundation.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. I am reading from the NIV and it reads consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. Wow.
Speaker 1:The first thing jumped out to me about that scripture is that all struggle, all challenges are a test of faith not just some of them, amen.
Speaker 2:Amen.
Speaker 1:Because the author here, james, he never delineates the different types of struggle and which one is the test. He said count it all joy when you fall into all these diverse situations, because the testing of your faith is working patience. So God works patience in us through testing our faith. God works character in us through testing our faith. God works character in us by testing our faith. And it's interesting to me, when I first started reading this scripture I thought James had lost his mind. What you mean? Count it all joy? Why would I count it all joy? But see, that's thinking in your corner mind.
Speaker 1:That was me in my flesh mind as I read the story of Jesus. As I read the story of Paul, I realized what Paul meant when he said these light afflictions are not worthy to be compared with the eternal weight of glory that shall be revealed in us. In other words, he was saying to live is Christ, to die is God. He was saying I go through these struggles on this side knowing there's something far greater and that says Christ struggled and died and suffered. For me it's an honor to die and struggle and suffer in his namesake and this is why Paul said I boast in my infirmities and that's a learned posture. You have to grow into having resilience and perseverance and struggle until you can get to that place where you say it's OK to struggle, yeah, even when the struggle hits home.
Speaker 2:And it gets real.
Speaker 1:Let's talk about it. Let's talk about it here. What do you? When you read this passage of scripture, I'm quite sure a lot of things come back in your mind. Yeah, what immediately begins to? How does it begin to minister to you?
Speaker 2:What it gives you to say to our audience. That is listening and viewing right now you know it made me think about, as I was listening to you. It made me think about Romans 8, 28.
Speaker 1:That talks about when I read the commentary of that scripture.
Speaker 2:They talked about God making good in every situation. God making good so it's like when you think about the trial. So here's James telling us you know when you think about these trials that you face, telling us you know, when you think about these trials that you face, you can rejoice in that, because Romans 8, 28 tells us that in all things so that means my trials, that I'm suffering for Christ, for God is going to make good. That is so powerful to me that I don't have to go through a thing with my head down because I have a heavenly father that will take the ugliest of my situations, because I'm his daughter. He will take the ugliest of my trials, the ugliest of all the stuff I go through, and make good, all the stuff I go through and make good Jesus. That's powerful Because, realistically, when we think about the things that we go through, because we're limited right, we're not God, so we're limited on how much we see, how much we know or whatever.
Speaker 2:So we look at our circumstances and we see gloom and doom. Sometimes we see these trials as the end. It's over. There's no way we see the Red Sea as I can't cross that Right, there's no way. I have the enemy behind me. I have this Red Sea in front of me Right. Where am I going to go? It's over Not realizing that God is like, but I have power Right To open that sea up and let you through.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean. And so when we realize, or even if we remember because I think that's the problem Sometimes we don't remember that even though I struggle, now God is making good, even of the struggle. I don't know how, I don't know when, I only know who and if I can grasp that with a whole heart and a whole mind, I can go through it and say you know what, some days I'm going to cry, some days I'm going to be angry, some days I'll be frustrated, but then I'm going to come back around to but God is going to make good, but God has got my back, but God has got me. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:What I keep hearing in what you're saying is it's important to develop a sound profession.
Speaker 2:Yes, I love it, yes, absolutely.
Speaker 1:It is important to develop a proclamation of goodness in the Lord in your life. In other words, it's important to prophesy, which means to declare the word of God. A lot of people get prophesied mixed up with prophecy. To prophesy and Paul said you know, I would, that all of you would prophesy, that's what he said. He said that. And to prophesy simply means to proclaim the good word of you would prophesy, that's what he said. He said that. And to prophesy simply means to proclaim the good word of God over your life and to other people. That's all it means.
Speaker 1:Ladies and gentlemen, let me give you some clarity on this. Please, please, refuse to be afraid to prophesy. Please refuse to be afraid to prophesy. Read your word in the New Testament. Paul told the church I think it may have been at Corinth he said I would, I would, above all things, that you, all of you, would prophesy. Amen. He said more than speaking in tongues. He said I wish that you would prophesy. That means to speak the good word of God over your life that he has already written in this scripture, so you can prophesy over your own life, and that is important in life, especially in struggle. You, you, you must you.
Speaker 2:Oh, my God.
Speaker 1:Especially in struggle, you must say out of your mouth no weapon formed against me shall. That's prophesying over my life. You, you must be able to say, and when you're dealing with lack in your life the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want See that's prophesying, proclaiming his word over my life. I shall not want he make me lie down in green pasture. He lead me besides the still water. I must open up my mouth and make a proclamation of good from the word of God over me and my family and my struggles, and I must put that on repeat.
Speaker 2:I've got to put it on repeat Because, realistically and that's the note that I wrote down because I didn't want to forget it is that that is what faith is. Faith is, it is professing that which we don't yet see Come on. It's what I hope for. I hope that God's word is going to manifest in my life. So when I open my mouth and prophesy, all I'm doing is activating faith.
Speaker 1:And activating word and activating God and activating spirit.
Speaker 2:My God, my God Absolutely, activating spirit. My God, my God Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Y'all we getting started with the Holy Ghost of God in this room right now? Oh my, gosh.
Speaker 2:I mean because think about it when we are prophesying the word of God over our lives, it's because it's in an area that we've not yet seen God's word manifest made. Manifest. Faith is the substance of things hopeful, the evidence of what we don't yet see. Glory to God. So when we prophesy just going to the point you made we shouldn't be afraid to prophesy, because prophesy no.
Speaker 2:Because prophesy is in alignment with faith. Come on, my God, come on. It is directly connected to faith, because we are coming out of the word of God, because that thing ain't yet manifested, so I'm going to profess it out of my mouth, because that's what we understand faith to be.
Speaker 1:Oh my God, this teaching is going in a strange direction in my head, because I'm over here thinking like the reason so many believers are drowning in struggle is because we're tiptoeing and flirting around with religion rather than power, and we would rather stay away from prophesying the Holy Ghost and supernatural things just to get along with people. But we're going home in our quiet spaces and our private environments and we're dying from the struggles that we're going through.
Speaker 1:But I would rather speak life I would rather float in the Holy Spirit, because religion, I will tell you right now, religion zaps the power out of your Christian worldview. I'm just going to put it like that. I'm actually conflicted about the way that the Holy Spirit is taking this, because I didn't want to, really want to go down this road.
Speaker 2:I will say this is confirmation, because that's exactly what I thought. I felt that same thing that sometimes the problem with being uncomfortable with prophesying is because of the uncomfortability that exists with the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 1:Which suggests that there are some struggles that we're in, because what is struggle, struggle, is inner conflict and outer conflict. It is inner adversity and outer adversity. It is possible that if we tapped into the power of the Holy Ghost and let him lead, guide and comfort us, we wouldn't be in some of the struggles that we're in. We wouldn't have inner conflict and we wouldn't have certain outer conflicts because there's some confrontation and conflict. We wouldn't have certain outer conflicts because there's some confrontation and conflict. We shouldn't be in and wouldn't be in if we would have listened to the holy ghost. Oh my god. But when we're so scared of the holy ghost, so afraid of the whole, what are you talking about? The holy ghost is on the inside of you exactly.
Speaker 1:you might be scared, but he in there, right, right, yeah, and he is there to give you power, direction, wisdom, guidance, to rebuke demons and adversaries, to speak life and see it coming to intercede your groans that you can't even put into words, as you are talking to God and agonizing and going through things. The Holy Ghost is the blessing. Here's the manifest presence of God on the inside of us.
Speaker 1:Jesus sent the Holy Ghost to the apostles in Acts chapter one and Acts chapter 10. The Holy Ghost fell on oh, what is his name. Ghost fell on. Oh, what is his name. I just had it in my head. The Holy Ghost fell on the Roman soldier who, Peter, went to his house.
Speaker 2:Cornelius. Thank you, Holy Ghost. Oh yeah, let's go come, because I got the Holy Ghost with me. Cornelius was a Gentile.
Speaker 1:Cornelius was a Gentile, a Jewish soldier. He was a man in authority. He was a man in a pagan city. He was not a Jew, but when Peter went to him and prayed for them, the Holy Ghost fell on his whole house and the Gentiles got filled with the Holy Ghost. In that very moment the Holy Ghost is operating all through the book of Acts. I'm telling you we did not intend for this teaching to go this way, but this is for somebody listening. Today, this is answered prayer.
Speaker 2:Come on somebody, Because he said Lord, come in this room. Come in this room and guide this, that's what he's doing. That's what he's doing. This is answered prayer.
Speaker 1:Okay, here's my question how intimate is your relationship with the Holy Spirit? Ponder that? Think about that. Here's another question Are you intimidated, afraid to talk about or talk to the Holy Spirit? Are you biblically informed about the Holy Spirit's role and God's mandate on your life as a believer to experience the Holy Spirit?
Speaker 1:What did John the Baptist tell the people that he was baptizing at the Jordan? He said I baptize you with water, but there's another who will come and baptize you. Come on now with what? With the Spirit? With the Spirit, with fire and the Holy Ghost. So have you had a true baptism as a believer if you do not accept being baptized in the Holy Ghost?
Speaker 1:See, see, church has done a disservice to the body of Christ and pushed the Holy Ghost in the back administrative office and don't let the Holy Ghost come into the service. So the people don't get a chance to experience true power, for miracle signs and wonders, for breakthroughs, for guidance, direction and truth, because they have a very weak, mild and probably, in some cases, non-existent relationship with the Holy Spirit. Jesus said he told his disciples when he was getting ready to die and in a sin to the right hand of the father, he said I'm going away. He said listen. He said, but I will not leave you comfortless. One rendition says I will not leave you as orphans, he said, but I will send another comforter. So if you don't embrace, if we don't embrace, the Holy Spirit and an intimate relationship with him, we're like orphans. We don't have the comfort of God. I can't live without the comfort of God and I don't know about you. But my life gets so hectic sometimes that it pushes me into my prayer and intimacy with the Holy Spirit and I have to get on my face and say Holy Spirit, guide me. I have to give up on all my intellect, my reasoning, my degrees which I got, a lot of them and all this stuff, and I have to say I need you, holy Spirit, speak to me, lead me, god, I don't know what to do.
Speaker 1:And if you're missing that in your spiritual walk, this is why you have so many struggles and this is why so many believers and non-believers are committing suicide. They don't have the comforter and we're in depression and anxiety. We don't have the comforter. Oh, my God Listening to me, whoever you are listening, this is for you. This is not we got. We got other stuff to talk about and I'm going to find a way to tie this back into the Holy ghost. But let me tell you something God is ministering right now, in this time together that we're spending in this moment. Don't you miss it.
Speaker 1:The day you hear my voice, the scripture says harden not your heart. It is time for your experience with the Holy Ghost. We are living in the last days and it is hard to decipher truth from a lie, the wolf from the sheep, the right from the wrong. And who is the discerner of truth? Who is the revealer of truth? The Holy Spirit.
Speaker 1:You need to have the Holy Spirit to show you who tried to deceive you, trick you into a relationship to kill you and take you out. Who is trying to manipulate you into a contract to take your, your hard earned money. Which one of your children trying to dupe you and deceive you and lie and pull the wool over your head. You need to know the Holy Ghost. You need to know the Holy Ghost to know how to vote. You need to know the Holy Ghost right now. You need to know the Holy Ghost. You need to know the Holy Ghost to know how to vote. You need to know the Holy Ghost right now. You need to know the Holy Ghost so he can tell you when not to leave out the house and when to leave out the house, because people is coming up unalive nowadays this word that they use now, unalive. Unalive for going to the grocery store at the wrong time.
Speaker 2:Unalive, for yeah, yeah, yeah, we need the Holy Spirit, for sure.
Speaker 1:I want you to say this with me I need the Holy Spirit. Amen. Ooh, I feel like it's coming. I feel him. I feel him. I feel him. I feel him. I feel him. I feel him. I feel him, I feel him, I.
Speaker 1:I need somebody to say, not that because you might not have tongues, but I need somebody to say See, that's me praying in my spiritual language as well as in my understanding language. I need somebody to say Holy Spirit, dwell in me, come even now with your sweet presence, say it, say it out of your mouth. Holy Spirit, dwell in me. I receive you as a gift from Jesus Christ. You are my comforter, you are my revealer. You are my comforter. You are my revealer, you are my guide, you are my troop, you are Christ dwelling in me to walk alongside this life with me. I believe in you, holy Spirit, and I receive you right now in Jesus' name. If you repeated after me with your heart, you just received the manifestation of the Holy Ghost, and if you need to chime off right now and go spend some time with God and continue talking with the Holy Ghost and pick this up later, you can do that. I wouldn't be upset at all. I can't even see you, I don't even know, but listen to me.
Speaker 1:I want you, from this day forward, every day, to engage the Holy Spirit in a conversation.
Speaker 1:I want you to study your Bible about the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 1:Look at all the stuff the Holy Spirit did for the people of God to bring God's will to pass in their life. I want you to have the Holy Ghost active in your life, in everything you do in your business, in your home, in your finances, in your relationship with people, in your marriage. I want the Holy Ghost of God bringing God's will and his power and his good and his glory and his majesty into your life every day. You deserve it because God said he would give you the Holy Spirit, and don't you let anybody discourage you in your walk with the Holy Ghost. Hallelujah, he is with you to lead and guide you, to receive him with confidence, courage and power, and believe by faith that he is with you every day. Learn to listen to him, learn to feel him, Learn to sense him, learn to know when he's moving and when he's moving you in your soul to certain decisions and certain realities and truths, and embrace it and watch God do supernatural things in your life today. Please do it.
Speaker 2:Please do it in Jesus name.
Speaker 1:Pastor, he just came in the room.
Speaker 2:And that's what he does.
Speaker 1:He came in the room.
Speaker 2:That's what he does.
Speaker 1:Hallelujah.
Speaker 2:And that's why we have to be. It's important to have a relationship with the Holy Spirit, because God doesn't want to come in and interrupt something that you're doing, because he knows that there's a need that you don't even know about.
Speaker 2:So sometimes, when we get so adamant in our day-to-day functions of life, we can miss what God. This is really a lot of what you just said. We can miss God by trying to stay with our agenda and not be led by the Holy Spirit. If we, if we work so hard to just push off the sense and instead of saying the Holy Spirit just said this to me or just guided me to do this or that, and if they say oh, somebody said oh, I thought I heard this or something told me no, acknowledge who he is, acknowledge who he is, and that's how you build your relationship with the Holy Spirit. So we have an agenda here, but God needed to intervene and so he sent the Holy Spirit Come on, and when you have a relationship, you can be sensitive to that movement, and that is vital.
Speaker 1:That's vital.
Speaker 2:That's vital, not just on a platform of any sort, but that's vital in day-to-day life, to make sure that you're making decisions that you're supposed to be making, oh my God, and going where you need to go, when you need to go there, and so forth, and so on. If I didn't have a, you know, if the Holy Spirit left me today, I think I would be done for because I completely depend and trust on the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 1:I must read, then, as we look to transition, to talk about the struggle is real. I must go to Acts, chapter one and talk about possessing the Holy Spirit in struggle, acts, chapter one and talk about possessing the Holy Spirit in struggle, possessing the Holy Spirit in life, because we need to see why the Holy Spirit has come. And it's in Acts, chapter one, and I want to give this to our audience. Why did the Holy Spirit come? Why do you need the Holy Spirit? What's the purpose of the Holy Spirit? I'm going to sum it up to you right here, and you don't have to get any deeper than this. It doesn't have to get any more biblical or theological than this. If you receive this, it could be enough. Sure, study your Bible and get more out of it and get a deeper understanding and spend time with him. But let me at least give you an amazing foundation here. It is right here, in Acts, chapter one, and here's what it says when Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to them, the Holy Spirit to them, it says, starting with verse four, and being assembled together with them, he, jesus, commanded them not to depart for Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of the Father. Now, who promised the Holy Spirit. The Father, god, is the one who promised the Holy Spirit. Have God ever promised a bad thing? Have God ever promised his children an evil thing? No, god has always promised to his children out of his love. God's promises are birthed out of his love, out of his care, out of his kindness, out of his mercy and compassion and good. So the promise of the Holy Spirit comes from God to us. Jesus is just the one communicating. Watch this, he said. You have heard from me, for truly, john baptized with water, but you shall be baptized. Watch this with the Holy spirit, not many days from now. Oh my God, watch this, he says. Therefore, when they had come together, they asked him saying Lord, will you, at this time, restore the kingdom of Israel? He said to them it is not for you to know the times or seasons which the father has put in his own authority, but watch this, but you shall. So why, the Holy Spirit, come, you shall receive power there. It is right there, and that word in the Greek means authority and boldness, or supernatural power. So it means it means authority and supernatural power. Okay, he says so you're going to have power. When, the Holy Spirit, when do you get the power? When do we get the power? When the Holy Spirit comes over. And that gets back to my point that I made earlier, when I said if you don't have the Holy Spirit active in your life, you are living powerless. That's why you're still in some of the struggles, internally and externally, because there is an absence of the Holy Spirit presence in your life. Watch this. So now you know why he come and you know who promised him. Watch this, he says when the Holy Spirit come upon you, watch this and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth. We are not an effective witness, then, without the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Speaker 1:They were not able to go out and witness to all the nations Because they were being sent out to all the nations. They were not. They did not have the power to go out and witness without the Holy Spirit. Why is that important? Because Jesus knew, and the Father knows, that they were going to be persecuted. They were going to go through trial and tribulation. They were going to going to be persecuted. They were going to go through trial and tribulation. They were going to be accosted. They were going to be beaten, thrown in jail, and they were going to need the power of God in them to help them persevere and endure, so that they can keep being light while being beaten.
Speaker 1:Keep being light while being persecuted. Light while being beaten. Keep being light while being persecuted. Keep holding up the bloodstained banner and saying God is good and he loves you, and keep spreading the good news of Jesus Christ, even though they were being persecuted for it. And it's impossible to do that if you don't have the Holy Spirit giving you comfort. While you're being racially biased towards, while you're being fired and laid off, while you're being talked about by family members who talk about your spirituality, while you're being you've got a husband that's cheating on you. It's impossible to do it without the comfort of the Holy Spirit. That's the truth, so let's talk about it. We're talking about the struggle is real and how badly we need and struggle to have passion and perseverance.
Speaker 2:I want to just say one thing, because of the way that my Bible reads about that first part in In four, in verse four, because I thought this was important to highlight. In four, in verse four, because I thought this was important to highlight, he said do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my father promised. And it goes back to the point that you were talking about. Has God ever given us something?
Speaker 2:that's not good A gift from God. Are you serious and you don't want it? You know what I mean. So I just wanted to emphasize in the NIV it's good, go ahead.
Speaker 1:And here's what the Holy Spirit just showed me Just like the struggle is real, yeah, the spirit is real, amen, that's really. The Holy Spirit is real. So when the struggle gets real, just remember the Holy Spirit is real, amen. And his guidance is real in the real struggle that you're going through. Oh my God.
Speaker 2:Every time we come up three times. I'm going to go ahead and say it. You know, I was thinking about when we were talking about the struggle and the importance of the Holy Spirit, and it's like God just kept, the Holy Spirit just kept giving me these flashes, and so I know I'm supposed to share it and that is I can remember. You know, sometimes you go through things that you feel like you can't give words to. Sometimes you may want to pray and you can't give words to the prayer because the struggle is real. And what I love about God giving us this gift his name is the Holy Spirit Right that, even when we cannot formulate words with, through and by the Holy Spirit, we have a gift to speak in tongues. And it is through speaking in tongues ie praying to God that I can recall I'm talking. An English word didn't come out of my mouth for a very long period of time because I was praying in my heavenly language.
Speaker 1:Oh my.
Speaker 2:God and it was through that prayer that I received this. It was, it was the. It was like the prayer was activating. I was being activated in the Holy ghost and his power starts showing up. Because when you're going through a struggle, it's hard, it's pressure, it's stress and sometimes you feel overwhelmed and burdened and oh my God. But I remember praying and praying, and praying, and I felt the strength of God.
Speaker 1:Oh, my God.
Speaker 2:Rising up on the inside of me. Oh my God, I love that I can recall receiving revelation, even through praying in tongues, about what the struggle was. Now I have words. Now I have English words that I can say oh my God, I thank you.
Speaker 2:You know, what I'm saying and when I tell you it blessed my life. Having the gift of the Holy Spirit changes the game, if I can say it that way, because it positions you to activate power that God has given us to overcome every struggle that gets real. We have power to overcome it even while we're still in it. I want to throw something the power to overcome the struggle while we're still in the struggle. Oh my God, wow.
Speaker 1:Oh, my God.
Speaker 2:That's powerful.
Speaker 1:You reminded me of the passage of scripture here in Romans, chapter eight, and it's right before verse 28. We always look at Romans 8 and 28, but, a few verses up is something just as powerful. That is said here by Paul. To the church at Rome he says likewise the Spirit, here it is again, watch. This also helps in our weakness. What, oh, I have help when I'm weak In our weakness, yeah, yeah. What? Yeah? Oh, I have help, I have help.
Speaker 1:When I'm weak, mm-hmm. When I have an understanding this is what it's called when I have an understanding of the Holy Spirit, mm-hmm. See, you can have something, not understand its purpose, therefore don't know how to tap into it or exercise it, mm-hmm, because you don't know how to tap into it or exercise it. Because you don't know its purpose, you don't understand its purpose. Oh my God, holy Ghost, help me to explain this to somebody in this room. See, you can have a fillet knife and be using a fillet knife to cut a steak, but a filleting knife is not for cutting steak. A steak knife is A filleting knife is for taking little thin pieces of meat and cutting really thin slices of it. A filleting knife is far more sharper with a steak knife. Got a fillet knife in the drawer but don't really understand the purpose of it.
Speaker 1:And that's how we are. We have the Holy Spirit on the inside of us, who is our helper when we are weak in the struggle. I don't know about y'all, but when I'm in a struggle, that's when I get. Weakness hits me. I'm not going to sit here and lie.
Speaker 2:I almost just started speaking in tongues, it almost just came straight up out of me.
Speaker 1:Let me tell you something the struggle gets real to the point where you can't even pray. I'm going to talk about what happens when you can't pray yourself right here in this same verse. The struggle can get so real where you skip a few Sunday services. I'm just at the career, I'm not going today. The struggle can get so real where you question God, oh, come on, Come on, this is turning into something else we can get back so far into a Well, Elijah said Jezebel, go kill me. I'm the only one that you left God. I'm the only prophet you got left God, Why'd you leave me here? And everybody else said God said listen, I got thousands of prophets that you know nothing about.
Speaker 2:What are you doing up here?
Speaker 1:in this mountain, elijah, come out of there. Oh my God, who was it? Was it? Was it Jeremiah who said I'm done preaching because his ministry was so tough, the struggle was so tough. He was always prophesying doom and gloom and Jeremiah said I said that I would not speak of him no more. He said, but it was like fire shut up in my bones and I couldn't hold my peace. The struggle was real for Jeremiah. Come on in here somebody. The struggle got real for Peter.
Speaker 1:Huh, denied Jesus three times, come on. So so are we gonna act like we don't deny jesus sometimes? Yeah, god is telling us to do a thing and we deny him a yes, we're like no, no, no, I'm not doing that. God asks us to forgive, and because we're so hurt because of the struggle, we said no, I'm not forgiving her, I'm not forgiving him. They gotta come to me. Oh, the struggle can get real where you go and smite the rock, like Moses did when the children of Israel needed water and God told him to speak to the rock so that water could come out, so that they can continue to see that God is merciful. No, he struck the rock which misrepresented God's mercy and made it look like God was angry because Moses was the representation of God. And just because we're angry about something don't mean God is angry about it.
Speaker 1:So you think God mad at you about something that God ain't mad at you about? Okay, sidebar note. But look at that. Moses smoked that right. That struggle got real. He got tired of dealing with the rebellious complaining, whining children of Israel and they got angry. Come on somebody.
Speaker 2:The struggle does get real.
Speaker 1:It does, and we need help and God has given help, because in the Old Testament and I forget what that passage of Scripture is, and it may also be in Ezekiel or Jeremiah and it says before they even call. I have already heard. Watch this Before they speak. I have already answered. God already knew we were going to need help. That's why he told Jesus, promise them, tell them that the Holy I'm going to send, the Holy Spirit. Jesus said the promise came from the Father. That's right. God already knows every struggle in your path, in your future and in your now, and he has given you the comforter to help you in your weakness. Amen.
Speaker 2:Oh, I wish.
Speaker 1:I had about two or three people that could say I've been so weak before, and it was only God's comfort that brought me out. Right the comfort. Can I read this?
Speaker 2:You know, I just thought maybe what is happening this just occurred to me is that one you know, for anyone who has not yet, you know, developed a relationship with the Holy Spirit, any believer who has not yet developed a relationship with the Holy Spirit? Maybe it is, and I lost my train of thought. Jesus, holy Spirit, bring it back to me in.
Speaker 1:Jesus' name. In the name of Jesus, he's going to bring it back to you, even if it's in a second. Watch this while you're pausing and meditating in your spirit. That's what I want you to do Meditate in your spirit for God to bring that back to you. By the Holy Ghost, I'm going to read this and I'm going to be praying for you in my spirit that it come back to you.
Speaker 2:Hallelujah. What was the last thing you said?
Speaker 1:We were talking about our weakness. When we are weak, we have comfort and we have help from the Holy Ghost. We were talking about how to tap into it. You can't tap into help that you don't exercise and know that you have.
Speaker 1:You see, what I'm saying, but it says here likewise the spirit also helps in our weakness. Watch this, For we do not know what we should pray for. As we all pray, we ought to pray oh Holy Ghost, show up in this room right now in the name of Jesus, when we don't know what to pray. The Holy Ghost, watch this. It says. But the Spirit Himself and I want everybody to understand the Spirit is not an it, the Spirit Himself, Come on somebody. It's not a thing. The Spirit is God in spirit form, dwelling in us. It says himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Watch this and your revelation is about to come back. Oh God, hallelujah. Now, he who searches the hearts knows heart. Hallelujah, Now, he who searches the hearts knows. The mind of the spirit is because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. So while we don't know what to pray, the Holy Ghost is praying God's will over our life.
Speaker 2:Every time, every time, my God.
Speaker 1:So when I'm drowning in something and I feel like I don't know what to pray Example the Holy Spirit is praying Lord. Bring him out. Oh Lord, make sure no weapon formed against him shall prosper, because he's speaking the will of God over me. No weapon formed against them shall prosper because he's speaking the will of God over me. Oh God, you told him or her that that, jeremiah 29, 11,. You know the plan that you have for them. That is good. You told him. No weapon for me. You told him, blesses the man who woke him down in the council of the ungodly. No, standing where the sinner sit in the seat of the scornful. You told him in your word the Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear, lord, the strength of my life? Of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even my enemies and foes, came to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. You told them.
Speaker 2:you would never leave them off. I say the Holy. Spirit is our helper, absolutely he is our God Absolutely, and he helps us in our weakness.
Speaker 1:He does Hallelujah. He is our God Absolutely and he helps us in our weakness. He does Hallelujah. I had to read that. Oh, and then you get verse 28. And we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose Watch this. For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among brothers. Moreover, who he predestined, these he also called. Whom he called, these he also justified, and whom he justified, these he also glorified. I'll tell you right now, we're going to have to do a part two. We're going to have to do a part two. We're going to have to do a part two of the struggle. Just real.
Speaker 1:So, pastor, a thinking back to what it was you were talking about. What were you talking about?
Speaker 2:I think I shifted. I think I shifted, I think I shifted. I think it was along the lines of, you know, just considering that maybe some of the things that are happening or are not happening could be a result of not activating the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 1:That's exactly what you were talking about In our lives Activating the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like consider that, that reality, that maybe some things that are happening or that have not happened could be because the Holy Spirit is not active. I'm not allowed him to be active in my life.
Speaker 1:Who are we to change and bind the Holy Spirit?
Speaker 2:The scriptures even talk about not quenching the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 1:Oh my God, not to quench the Holy Spirit. Oh my God, talk about that. What does it look like when we quench the Holy Spirit?
Speaker 2:It's really a form of resisting. You know, there are times when the Holy Spirit tells us to do something, tell us to say something, and because we're either intimidated by people or don't, we don't want to look a certain kind of way, or you know which really boils back down to being more concerned with what people think.
Speaker 2:We won't say it, we won't do it, we won't, we won't follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. And so it's resisting that, that scent that comes over us to to, to do and to say, and to all of those different things. And and so we resisted.
Speaker 1:First Thessalonians, 5 and 19. You want to get it.
Speaker 2:You got it.
Speaker 1:I can. Okay, first, thessalonians 5 and 19. Okay, let me find it here Now. Listen, this is what this says. Now y'all, look, it's not that we didn't come in prepared.
Speaker 1:The Holy Ghost took over our session and we are following the Holy Ghost right now to the scriptures that he give us and to be able to, to support what he's trying to do for you in your life right now. To you who are listening and watching. You're seeing it in real time because we have other scriptures and statistics and we're going to do a part two to. The struggle is real. This is part one. So if you tune in to us, make sure you listen to part two of this. The struggle is real. Listen, what did I say?
Speaker 1:First, thessalonians 5 and what 19. Here's what it says, and it's one simple sentence with a period Do not quench the spirit. Are y'all getting that? Do not quench the spirit. Now another thing I want you to get. Can you go to Ephesians 4 and 30 real quick, and I'm going to read this other part. It says do not quit the spirit. Then it says look, do not despise prophecies. Prophecies come from the Holy Spirit. See, we've got to get more spiritual in our Christian walk. We are in the end days, in the end times, and it is time for us to man up, woman up, buckle up, strap up, put on the whole arm of God and start walking in the power of God and the power of the Holy Ghost, because it's impossible for you to love with all this hate and vitriol going on in the world without the Holy Spirit exercising the fruit of love in your life. How are you going to have a sound mind without the Holy Ghost in this day and time in which we live?
Speaker 2:Ephesians 4.30?.
Speaker 1:Yes, Ephesians 4.30.
Speaker 2:Do not greet the Holy Spirit of God with whom you were sealed. For the day of redemption Wait a minute, stop Wait.
Speaker 1:A minute. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
Speaker 2:Read that again and do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God so rejecting the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 1:The Holy Spirit has feelings. The Holy Spirit understands love and rejection. Think about this the Holy Spirit is love and rejection. Think about this the Holy Spirit is God living in us. So when we reject the Holy Spirit, we're hurting God's heart. Oh my God. But then we go to him and pray for something. God, I'm still overheard from you rejecting the Holy Ghost. Watch this it says do not grieve. Oh my God, what is your? What is your footnote? I'll come say about that Do not grieve.
Speaker 2:Believers should not grieve the Holy Spirit through sin such as unwholesome speech and the outpouring of repressed anger. Come on, Since only persons can be grieved, this verse affirms the fact that the Holy Spirit is a person.
Speaker 1:Come on, did I not just say that? Did I not just say that, people of God, the Holy Spirit is like the person of Jesus Christ inside of us and we grieve in him? We're rejecting him because we won't receive the Holy Spirit. And it says, it says now grieve not the Holy Spirit, now watch this, go ahead. It says what now?
Speaker 2:With whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Speaker 1:With whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Now watch this now. Did not Jesus say he was going to sin and he was going to send the Holy Spirit? And it wasn't until the Holy Spirit come that you would be my witnesses and have power. So the Holy Spirit seals the veil. Oh Lord, help me, holy Ghost, to say that in a way that I should. I can say that better. I can say that better For Holy Spirit. When Christ ascended, his Spirit descended to live inside of us. Come on, that's it right there. And so Christ living inside of us is the sealed deal. Christ is the sealed deal.
Speaker 1:Christ is the redeemer and him living in us is how we is, how God knows we are his own. He said I'm the way, the truth and the life. No man goes to the father but through me. And see, when Christ returned, he's coming back for his bride, he's coming back for his own, see, and you have to have Christ in you for the day of redemption. Hallelujah, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God. You have to have the blood on you in the day of redemption when Christ comes back. And so, in other words, you must be born again of the spirit. The spirit is the regenerator, he is the rebirther, so he generates us over again into a secondary life cycle, which is into eternal life. So, the same way you come out your mother womb with the DNA of your mother in you, you have to come out of the womb of the spirit, born again with the DNA of Jesus inside of you, and that's the Holy Spirit. We can't breathe him because he seals the deal Christ in us.
Speaker 1:The Bible says that we have Christ in us, the hope of glory. See, come on somebody In him. We live, move and have. See, come on somebody In him we live, move and have our being. Come on somebody, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. We have to not only have Christ in us by the Holy Ghost, but Christ's mind in us. Do you see that? Oh my God, the Lord has been moving, moving, moving, moving as he teaches us the importance we would have a relationship. We need the Holy Spirit in struggle. Oh my God, so much has happened in this.
Speaker 1:In this session. We led some people to the Holy Spirit who hadn't embraced him ever before. We let him for the first time in this session today. Remember when I paused and took time to lead those who had accepted Jesus Christ but didn't really accept him as the Holy Spirit on the inside. And that is important, that we understand the doctrine of the indwelling Christ, the doctrine and ministry of the Holy Spirit, the doctrine of God dwelling on the inside of us. Oh, that is so good. That is so good. Well, we hope you have been on this journey with us.
Speaker 1:This is a journey that God chose for you and I to participate in together, that we would be led of the Holy Spirit, which I close on this key point that we ought to be led by the Holy Spirit. When Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, the Bible says when he came up out of the water, two things happened. The heavens opened and a voice said this is my son, in whom I am well pleased. In other words, god affirmed him as a son. When you and I were born again and accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, he said we are a chosen people, we are a royal priesthood and we are peculiar people, rather a chosen generation, a royal priesthood. That's God affirming us. He affirmed him this is my son. We are sons and daughters of the most high God. He has affirmed us. But then guess what happened? The Bible says Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness. God wants you and I to be led by the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 2:That's good.
Speaker 1:That's powerful. And some people will say does God want us to be led by the word? What did he say? He said he wants you to be led by the Holy Spirit, not to suggest that you don't learn from the word, practice the word, but the Holy Spirit is the one that is alive and in real time, speaking to you what to do and giving you unctions and utterances down in your soul as to what decision to make and what to believe and disbelieve. So we have to let him lead us. So, my friends, today I want you to make a commitment Begin letting the Holy Spirit lead you and, if you're already doing it, take his leadership to the next level and let him lead and guide you. We are so letting the Holy Spirit lead and guide us right now, oh, my God, because the struggle is real and we're making sure we're being led into the right decisions the right, yes. The right, no. The right maybe. So the right relationships, the right business deals. The right decisions the right, yes. The right, no. The right, maybe. So the right relationships, the right business deals. The right locations, the right geography, the right mindsets. As the Holy Spirit leads us.
Speaker 1:I don't even know how to close out this session because I'm still waiting. I'm tarrying for the Holy Ghost. I'm like the apostles in the upper room, the disciples at the time in the upper room, tarrying and waiting for the Holy Ghost to come, like Jesus said. And he will come. Ladies and gentlemen, why don't you practice that sometime? Why don't you tarry? This is another practice of waiting on the Holy Spirit. Just tarry, just meditating on God's goodness in your heart and soul, praying in your inner man that the Holy Spirit will come and lead you and guide you in Jesus name.
Speaker 1:Well, pastor, you want to try to wrap up and close us out, or would you like me to continue to be led by the Holy God? Well, my friends and family, at this point, if you've been following us and listening with us and watching, we need you. I want to ask you to be led by the Holy Spirit to become a regular monthly partner, to become a regular monthly. If it's just five dollars a month, whatever you can do. If it's fifteen15 a month, if it's $50 a month, you're going into good ground. If you've been seeded by this word, this must be good ground. If you grew any in your spirit, in your soul, this must be good ground and of course you know it requires support, financial support for production time, for cameras, for lighting, for equipment, at all costs and to be able to take it even further to different continents and countries and cities and towns and platforms.
Speaker 1:Will you pray and let the Holy Spirit lead you and guide you to be our partner today? Will you be guided and will you be led as a partner in this ministry? Well, we need you today and we pray that you would help us stay on the air with Daily Bread Podcast. Don't forget, go to covenantgracechurchorg and you can go to the podcast page and so right there or dailybreadpodcastcom there's a lot of daily breads out there, dailybreadpodcastcom or covenantgracechurchorg where you can see it. Thank you, god bless you. We love you. We got to go. We've been led by the Holy Ghost. We got to go Bye.
