Stephanie Ike - Exposing Deception

Hey, my friend, God bless you. Welcome to the one YouTube channel. You're getting ready to hear a dynamic message that's gonna bless you richly. I'm Pastor Torrey and on behalf of myself, my wife, Pastor Sarah, our incredible ministry team, which is glad that you're here and you're connected to us, and we want you to stay connected really quickly. There's two ways that you can do that. One is turn on your notifications. We want you to know every time we're going live, every time something powerful and edifying and encouraging is coming through. So turn on your notifications, click subscribe. And if you want to support this ministry that's doing great work all around the world, not just spiritually but even practically, there are instructions on how to do so here. And last but not least, if you haven't read my latest book, Balance if you don't have it in your life, you're missing out. It's changing lives all over the world, and you can go to the balancebook dot com and get that book and be a part of the thousands of people whose lives have already been changed by this great work. Now, speaking of great work, here comes the word I'm so glad you're here. Enjoy Thank you Lord. Two weeks ago, I'm very excited for what the Lord is going to do today. And even as I'm standing, it's all making sense to me the flow of what the Holy Spirit is doing. Two weeks ago, I had this encounter with the Lord in my dream. So there are sometimes when before like a message, or before I'm even aware of like okay, you know, to prepare for a Sunday, sometimes the Lord would encounter me and begin to speak to me about what he wants me to speak on. And so two weeks ago I had this encounter with the Lord, and he began to speak to me about deception, and he showed me that I want you. This is what I want you to teach and speak to my people on. And I believe there are some parts of this message that are very critical to your life, to your freedom. I believe that the presence of God is so strong in this house because there is freedom in this house. I believe that God is going to set us free from every trap of deception. There were there are two key areas that the Lord began to highlight to me, very very specific things he wanted me to speak on And what I prayed is that we will all be open to what the Lord is doing, not just what you're hearing, but what is a conviction in your heart, and that we will not go another day holding on to the deception of the enemy. You see, deception is very interesting one of the things that the Lord, you know, and as you're taking notes, my message is exposing deception because one of the things the Lord said to me, and I found this intriguing, he said, the seed of deception isn't planted, it's exposed and uprooted. And I found that so intriguing, because then does that mean it's in every one of us? It all depends on what type of fertile ground that we give it. Do we water it, do we give life to it? And are we seduced by it? Because when you think about deception, you know, just think of a kid. I have a niece and a nephew. My niece is in her teenage years, so she's more advanced and how she moves, but my nephew does not realize that we see it. The manipulation. Not too long ago, remember myles on the phone with my brother, so we're on FaceTime and my nephew wanted to do something with, you know, from things with from his mom and his mama's you know, the mom's asleep, my sister in law, and he's telling my brother. He's like, you know, daddy, daddy, can I play with it? And my brother is like, you know, mommy said you should not have it, And he said, but mommy's asleep. Ah, sir, What in the world. Why is it that kids nobody taught them this? But kids can be so manipulated and deceptive. You see, many of you you've heard the saying that we were all born in sin, right, but what does that actually mean? How is it that we were born in sin? I'm gonna do a lot of teaching today because I really want you to understand the message behind this. So there's going to be a couple of scriptures, but I believe God is going to do something so beautiful. You see. One of the first scriptures is Genesis one twenty seven, right, and check this out. The Bible says, so God created man in his own image, in the image of God. He created him male and female, He created them. So in the beginning, see how God created man in his image and the image of God. Is not flesh and blood. It was not about a physical attribute. It was about the spiritual attribute that we were created to bear the image of His nature, of his ways, how he thinks, how he moves, his rulership, his dominion. That's why when God created man, he talks to man about having dominion. So we were supposed to reflect the image of God. And God was watching the whole time. There was a moment when you know, God called Adam to name all the animals, and the Bible says he was watching to see what he will call them. And then the Bible says, whatever Adam called them, that was its name. Adam was moving in the mind of God. But then when the fall of Man happened, man no longer beared the image of God because God would never listen to Satan. Man was always supposed to reflect who God is to creation. That is why God, because sometimes you will wonder, why is it that even the enemy had access in the garden, Because man was supposed to reflect the image of God. God knows that, yeah, the enemy could be around, doesn't mean he will he will listen to him. It doesn't mean he will submit to his ways. It doesn't mean he will be deceived by him, because even after Satan has been kicked out of heaven, the Bible still gives us a count where Satan will show up. The conversation about job happened in heaven. So God is not intimidated by the presence of the enemy, and as image bearers, you are not supposed to be intimidated by his presence. So God allowed Satan to have access on the earth the same way he has access in the heavens, but none of it is his home. His home is hell. He just hasn't been sent there yet. But it was never about this fear or in intimidation, because God says, you have my image, you have my rulership, my authority. But when the fall of man happened, man began to reflect the image of a fallen man, the image of one who gives in to the desires of the flesh. And this is what happened as a result. If we go to Adam, I mean Genesis five, verse three, the Bible then says, and Adam lived one hundred and thirty years and begat a son in his likeness, and after his image and named him Seth. You see, no longer was Adam give it his children. It was not about how Seth bear the image of God. Now he's bearing the image of the fallen man. And so now all of reproduction is bearing the image of the first atom. That's what the Bible talks about, the first atom and the second atom, who actually has a better witness, because it is through Jesus that we were reconciled to bear the image of God. Again. That is why even when Satan came against Eve, because when you bear the image of God, you are not at war. Your flesh and your spirit is not at war with each other. And so the tactic of Satan. You see, Satan did not come against Eve with something fleshy, because if he wanted to really attack her flesh, he would have said, Eve, come on, now, if you eat this fruit, you would be the ruler overall, if you would not submit to nobody. So if you would just be sitting down and Adam will be fitting you grapes, it would have been something that enties the woman. You said, say what Saytan? All right? Now? But Satan was so you know, deceitful that he attacked the very thing that was a spiritual desire. They were created in the image of God and sit in brother deception and says, there's a deficit in your image. He says, Eve, if you don't eat of this fruit, then you are not fully like God. But if you eat of the fruit, you would be like God, knowing good and evil. So even's like Wait, the more she was listening to him, she starts thinking, oh, there's a deficit in my image. There is something wrong with me. And you see the interesting thing about that moment. You see sometimes you're wondering, why is it that the enemy was after Eve? And the whole time Eve is the Bible says an Adam was right there. Why was it that he approached Eve and not Adam? What was it about Eve? There are many things that the Lord has been teaching me about the woman. One of it is that the woman is a gateway, but that would be another message. But another thing is that the woman came second in the natural. And you see many times the enemy is always looking for what is it like the moments, the things that you feel like you missed out on to use against you when people are telling you you see, maybe you know for me, I didn't grow up with a father. My father was murdered as a baby. The enemy would come and start looking for deficits in your life, and you don't even realize all along God was right there. I didn't miss out on anything. The enemy attacks Eve because he recognizes Eve has not even though she has been here since the beginning, but she was hidden. Adam was the one who was naming the animals. Adam was having conversations with God. You never really see any account in the Bible up until the fall of Man that Eva's having a conversation with God. So in the idea, he's looking, what is a loophole? Who has a loophole? What can I use against her? She wasn't really there when he gave the command. Adam maybe told her she wasn't really there when he named the animals. Maybe she's already questioning. Maybe she's wondering, and this is the thing with the enemy. Right before the moment you're about to press in and perhaps ask God a question, he shows up. And that is why when we talk about how the counterfeit always shows up before the real thing, you have to check that in your life. Right before God is about to bring you the answer the deal, the partner counterfeit just start popping up everywhere, and they look good. I had a counterfeit in my life that I was dating one time. I said, you know, he looked like sunrise, but he was the absolute counterfeit. Nothing about our lives made sense. But the enemy is looking for this loophole, he says, right before God does the real thing. Let me see if I can get you in the moment where you doubt. Let me see if I can get you, in the moment where you're lacking confidence. Let me see if I can get you. Because the reality is that God says, cast all your tears before me, cast everything for I care for you. When we cast it before God, he gives us revelation. But on the way of you carrying your burdens to the Lord, the enemy watches your posture. He watches your head held down, and he says, this is the moment to attack. You have to be very careful when the math is not mathing in your life, when something you have always desired and wanted, something that the Lord not enough sex and an obsessive way. Because we're going to talk about that. But when something the Lord has promised you shows up but it's missing some key details, do not be so quick to settle, because that is the counterfeit, approaching before the real thing shows up. Because the interesting thing family. There were two trees in the garden. There was a tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. When they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they had to be cast out of the garden of eating, because the Lord said, if they eat of the tree of life, they would live forever. We cannot have this. So what would it have meant if they ate of the tree of life first? Could it be? But there were just one conversation and one right fruit away from actually stepping into the fullness of everything God had from them from a pure place, not a perverted place. So the enemy finds Eve in a place of vulnerability and he attacks the spiritual thing, her image. And that is why the same technique he used against Jesus. He says, if you are the son of God, you know, then hey, let's see what you're about. But Jesus already knew the game by then. But when you are moving in God's image, you are not a war in yourself. But this is why deception. We all have to recognize that we are all likely and most likely have been deceived, because the thing about deception is that if deception is the seed, then what is the fruit, And the fruit is sin because sin does not just happen in just like that. Sin is the maturation of what has taken place in your heart. When it always says that God judges the heart, Jesus once said something that was so intriguing. He said, if anyone looks upon a woman lustfully, that he has already committed adultery with her in the heart. Because when and sin, you know, sin really is about missing the mark, right. Sin is literally you're going the way that the Lord did not call you to, your going away that has nothing to do with your destiny. You're giving yourself into the trap of the enemy where he steals, kills and destroys. But sin is what has matured. It is the revealing of what has already matured in the heart. That's why one of the greatest deceptions, even in culture's pornography, because many times we're just like, I'm just watching it, I'm not doing nothing, I'm just looking at the screen. But there is something happening in your heart. And that is why you know I'm Nigerian in my country. Sometimes in the movies, they will have this thing where a man or a woman whatever is caught in adultery and they're like, oh, honey, it's not me. Is the devil, And it has always been a thing of comedy, right it says not to me, here's the devil that did it. But the reality is that was some code switching. Okay. The reality is how many of us have found ourselves in situations that right after you did the wrong thing, you felt regret. Right after you did the wrong thing, you're like, what, like why, Like what was I thinking? Why did I do that? Because I'm someone I used to watch pornography in my past, right, I used to just you know, have my little turn up life because you know, I thank God that he still had me on you know, the truck hold. But but the thing is that I will literally find myself doing something and I'm like, why did I do that? And you start feeling shame and guilt and all these things, But you don't realize it didn't start when you acted on it. It started in the heart. That's the reason why you know when you're ready, when you know when you're about to like go out with your friends, you have a whole turn upsession. You're already texting in a group chat. What you know darker light? What songs are on the playlist? Come on now, y'all know it's true because sin needs an environl Sin needs to be cultivated for I don't know if some of you who are like Stranger Things fans, right, but Vecna who I'll just call him? For those who have not watched Stranger Things, it's like the monster, right, and when he inhabits a person, he needs an environment. And Stranger Things, don't we talk about he likes it cold, so you know, if he's in a person, the person needs to be in the you know, having a cold shower or sitting in a tub with Iyce. Because there is an environment for sin. And this is where when we don't realize that we can fall into the trap of deception and it starts in the heart. Then you find yourself being tripped up over and over and over again because on one end, you're like, God, I would never do this, but nothing about the ingredients of the atmosphere has changed. You're like, God, you know what I'm done with that. I want to live a celibate lifestyle. You are still listening to songs that is talking about things that you want to try. How you gonna be celibate? You have to look at your atmosphere. What is in my atmosphere that has deceived me from thinking I can actually do this? What am I cultivating around me? Because there is no ways? Just like, why is it that there is worship before the Word? Why is it that even in biblical times before sometimes if our prophet will profit side, he will say, bring me my minstrel. We need to create an atmosphere that is conducive to the Holy Spirit. In the same man of family, there is an atmosphere that is conducive to demonic spirits. And when you give into that atmosphere, they begin to function, they begin to move, and then you have no idea how you got tripped up into something And you wake up the next morning you're like, what was I thinking? It started in the heart. That is why the Bible says that the heart is deceitful above all things. Who can know it? The heart is deceitful above all things. This is where relationship with God is so important. God, what is in me? Search my heart, Old God, and reveal to me myself. And so when we're talking about deception, what is deception? Right? In simple terms, deception is to be led away from the truth. Anything that leads you away from the truth is deception. Now, the crazy part of this is that the truth is a person. I'm not talking about your truth, my truth, our truth. We could talk about this for hours. Yeah, the truth is a person. The truth is Jesus. The Bible says that Jesus is the Way, the tth, truth, and the life. So when the enemy is deceiving you, he is after your position in hearing. Because when you are deceived, when you're led away from the truth, you are led onto the enemy. And this is why many times one of the biggest signs of deception is confusion. You see, the Bible clearly says God is not the author of confusion. Why is this so specific to say that? Because God does not contradict himself. God does not confuse people. He doesn't tell you one thing and then switches up on you. If you've ever seen in the Bible, because maybe some of you will argue and say, well, God told Abraham one thing and then he said, you know, he's not gonna kill the son or whatever. But you see, Abraham was never confused one moment in his life. To be confused is a sign that whatever is being spoken did not come from the Lord. Because when God is speaking, even if he changes his language, then he knows you are at the place of maturation to know what he's really after. Abraham was never confused by God. When you read the stories that confuse you in the Bible, you recognize that the people you're confused about were not confused. They never questioned for a second because God knows who he can trust with certain types of movements. You see, everything about God is in stages. That is why one of what if a person just says, you know what I came into the Lord, I give my life to Jesus today and tomorrow, you now say you know what he wants me to cast judgment in America. I don't know who you gave your life to, and I don't know who you're hearing from, because God takes his time with you. God is a god of process. That is why the Bible will talk about being fed with me milk before being fed with meat. He uses the same illustration as how we feed children. You don't give a newborn meat, hear me, I don't that would be tragic, you know, CPS. Right, You start a newborn with milk, and the older they get, and you even transition slowly, you start getting all this. You know, you give them avocado before you get to the place where you're like, okay, have a piece of chicken. And then that chicken you have bit it, tore it, slashed it to make sure they don't choke. So God is a god of stages, so even how he moves is just like that. Oh that's a song. While But while am I sharing this with you family, because when we begin to understand the nature of God and the ways of God, then some of the things I'm gonna teach on is gonna make a lot of sense. You see. Why do I say that one of the signs is confusion, because where there is deception, and you know the Lord, the beauty is that when you come into Christ, because of Jesus, we can bear the image of God, not based on our salvage, not based on our righteousness, but His so the Holy Spirit can access you. But the thing is that when you give into the bit of deception, the enemy can also access you. And this is where confusion is born because there are two voices that oppose each other that are directing you to do something. So one moment, you're like, I got it. God wants me to move to San Francisco. The next day you're like something happens. You're like, you know, I just had a dream and he's changed the plan to Florida. Haw I mean, why is God switching up the plan just within twenty four hours? Because sometimes when you have opposing voices in your head, it is the evidence that there is deception that has been sown somewhere, and that is when it becomes very hard for you to tell the difference between what is the voice of God and what is the voice of the enemy. Has anyone been there? I know I have because when there are certain things that you want to do because you see one of the key things and I'm actually, let me not even get ahead of myself, one of the key things when we talk about how does deception happen? What are the gateways of deception? What are the fertile grounds of deception? There are three things that the Lord spoke to me about, and I'm sure there are many more, but there was a need to focus this message on these key things, and one is unchecked desires. The other two I will group them together because it is pride and offense. And I say this because the two things the Lord was teaching me about as it relates to deception, is relationships and worship. Relationships and worship. Now, when we think about unchecked desires, right, the Bible tells us that you know what God knows how to put desires in our heart. When God wants you to be drawn to something, he knows how to put a desire within you for it. But that does not negate the fact that your flesh also has desires. And when there's a desire has been unchecked, that means that desire has no restrain, that you become obsessed and the desire actually becomes an idol in your life. You see, as I'm speaking, the Holy Spirit is going to start putting a conviction in your heart because there are certain things or people that we have made an idle. We have made it an obsession and then we slap on the name of Jesus over it. You see, when it came to relationships, Who Lord, when I'm about to say, we've all been here about to expose myself to for you to recognize that, because this is gonna be for the people that disconnects to This is a very hard thing to let go of. It is very difficult when you marry a desire that you have that is unchecked with the word of God. It is very deadly and a recipe for disaster, because then to get set free from it is extremely difficult because on one hand, you want it above anything else, and then you say, the voice of God told me, the Lord was showing me marriage or dating relationships. And it's this notion that has plagued a lot of Christians when we come into this place and we say God told me person A is my wife or person B is my husband, and it becomes an obsession because here's the thing with deception, what is birth from deception can only be sustained through manipulation, but the end will always always be destruction. You don't need to think far about what is the who spoke to you. You just have to look at the fruit. Because the thing is that when you give into deception, the enemy now has other things he wants to say. That is why if we go all the way back to the beginning, after Eve was deceived. Then she deceived Adam. What happened? The Lord is walking and he says, Adam, where are you? And Adam talks about how he is naked and afraid so he hid himself. The Lord says, who told you that you were naked? Then he says, have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to the sequence of his questions reveals so much, because, first of all, we never see a moment where Satan is having a dialogue with Adam that you are naked. But the Lord already recognizes this voice is not mine, Adam, who told you you were naked? And the only way that this voice had access to you you must have eaten of this tree. Deception happened, and now the enemy has access to say other things to you, Adam, who told you that you were naked? And the same way we come all the way back. And then now we find ourselves in this position where you're like God said to me that this person person a person B is my partner. The person is not you. You both are not in a relationship. They're not, you know, taking interest to your pursuit. Listen, I don't know who this is for. But the urgency in my spirit to share this message. And so what happens many of the time what follows manipulation. Then you start using maybe your wealth or your body to lure the person in. Sometimes they may take bait, sometimes they might not, and even if they do, they're you know, they're out the door in a few But when manipulation follows, when you start to lack integrity and you say the voice was God, it was not the Lord. Because the word of God is not just a random word. God says, he is his word, so the word of God would always produce his essence. It would reveal his nature. So for God to tell you something that puts you in a place of obsession, it is very likely with a ninety nine point nine nine percent that that came from deception. I've been there. I'm telling you this as a pastor. You see, one of the biggest things when someone asks me to pray for them, if it's something extremely critical, the best thing you can do for me is not to give me all the details. I would only ask for details if I'm led by the Holy Spirit. The other thing is that if you are close to me and there is something going on in your line I have to remove myself completely because I recognize that my heart can deceive me because of the closeness of our relationship. What I might desire is good for you might not be the thing that God wants to do, and so my hearing can be easily corrupted. That's why many times, even when I'm praying for a loved one, I don't just wait to hear from God. I say, God, show it to me in a parable Show it to me in a way that is coded, in a language that would not be my norm. That the moment I begin to unpack it, then I would understand what you're saying. But don't speak to me in a way that I would understand immediately because I am not sure if it is your voice or the voice of my desire. That's why the Bible says the heart is deceitful above all things. When my heart has an interest or an investment, it is so easy to be deceived. I remember those There was some guy was talking to in the past, right, and we were not moving in the forward direction. Right. Pastor Roosevelt preached last week and he talked about listen, where are we going? Okay, I should have had that conversation because definitely we were not going in the same direction. But when your heart desires something, the voice of God was telling me, Stephanie, this is not it. Walk away. I will literally have visions where I will see him and I will see his face and it's like a demon is dancing on his face. I said, oh, man, but then you know what happened. Then I would hear another voice saying he is just a tormented soul. He needs you. You understand him. You can't walk away from him now. And I said, oh God, then you have dreams that satisfy what you desire. You see him in need, injured, you say, oh, look at that. The Lord has given me a person who is injured because he knows that I have what it takes to heal him. Oh Lord, I just thank you for this revelation. I thank you for giving me the insight to endure. We start quoting scriptures. But and then the moment you see that person slipping away, you randomly have tickets to your favorite game. He said, you know what, it's so crazy. Somebody just gave this to me. That is manipulation because you see them slipping away. Now you're trying to find how to bait them back in. I'm saying this family, because God wants to set you free. For anyone that is connected to this, We're going to go into more because and this would apply to so many areas. But I want to be obedient to the very things, the key things that the Lord said. If there is someone you are holding on too, if there is someone that you're like, God showed me, because here is the thing. God will never help you to build an idol. If God will give you a word that will cause you to build an idol, it did not come from the Lord. God kills idols, he doesn't build them, because an idol is anything that replaces your affection for God and turns it over to something else. When we think about the life of Abraham, Abraham always desired a son. It was his I mean like he just wanted a son so bad. When the Lord gave him a son, when he gave him the promised son, not the one who came from you know, the manipulation. Look at that, because he was deceived right before the real thing, the counterfeit showed up. The enemy says, I'm seeing the movement of the Lord here before the real thing shows up. Let me just let me plant a counterfeit. That counterfeit is still affecting. It is still the war between Christians and Islam till today. He presents a counterfeit and then Abraham settles in the counterfeit. Are aren't we so grateful for the mercies of God that even when He recognized that you have settled in the thing that is beneath you, he shows up again. This message is God showing up again. Don't settle in your counterfeit. When the real thing shows up and Isaac is born, Abraham, the Lord tells Abraham sacrifice Isaac on the mountain. And even though we believe that Isaac did not die that day, because you know, in the natural he did not, but in Abraham's heart he did. When God said kill him on the mountain. It was never about kill Isaac, physically kill the idol in your heart on the mountain, because on that mountain. Later on, in I believe in Hebrews, we get a full picture of what was going on in Abraham's mind. Abraham began to say that he knew that even if Isaac died, the Lord would resurrect him. But you see, this is the language of the one whose worship and affection is solely on God. Abraham was not looking at Isaac. He was not thinking about the corpse. He was not thinking about how do I explain this to my wife? Because even when he's saying I know that even if this happens, he didn't know the timeline. He had no understanding. But Abraham said, Isaac is not an idol. In my heart, I am focused on God. God, your will be done. You gave me this promised child, and you have the ability to resurrect him. What happened on that mountain was that the idol of Isaac was killed. It was never about killing him in the natural. God was doing something deeper or heart work. I'm sharing this family because God will never help you to build an idol. God will not give you a word that would activate an obsession in you. It is not to say that it is not within the power of God to tell you who your spouse is. But if he does, the fruit is that you will be so unbothered you would allow things to go in such a natural way, and there would be evidence that this came from the Lord. There will be some form of connection because because you see family God honors free will. If we go back to the story of Adam, before God even created Eve, that moment when Adam was naming all the animals, not only was the Lord saying that, okay, he moves like me, but the Lord was also watching if Adam would find a spouse in the animals, or if he would recognize then none of them is suitable for him. The Lord is watching because when you read it in your Bible, you would recognize that right after Adam finished naming the animals, the Bible said, and there was no helper found suitable for him. There was no helper found that every time Adam named the animal, because if Adam named a giraffe, Eve, the Lord is said, well, Eve, you gotta wait because right now Adam is entertained with this giraffe here. So the Lord is watching. Think that the Lord has his eyes on you. Pay attention to the Lord is watching. What is Adam calling every animal? And it was after that that the Lord created Eve. Now one of the things the Lord was teaching me and this encounter was the story of Rebecca, and I never saw it this way that after that I had to study it because Abraham when Abraham was looking for a wife for his son Isaac. He tells his servant, look, we can't you can't find a wife for her in this line. I need you to go back to my hometown and find a wife for my son. The servant goes back and the servant prays a prayer. He's like, Lord, show that you have favored your servant and that the person who is supposed to be the wife that give me this as a sign that not only because he was by a well. He said not only would she offer him water, but that she would offer his camel's water. This was a sacrifice. And by the way, this is a real sign. Is see, sometimes when we are in deception, we're like, God, if you want me to continue in this, let me see four white cars today. And God, if this is not of you, then like Oprah, just knock on my front door. It is like, clearly you know what side you're standing on. Okay, But this man acts for a real sign because to water someone's camels, they are extremely thirsty. And then Rebecca shows up. Rebecca is like, hey, you know you want to drink and do your camels want to drink? And she's over there just you know, giving everybody water, and he is like, surely God has favored me. He follows Rebecca to her house. He tells them everything. They're like, beautiful, you know what, she will marry that man. But right there, the servant says, you know. They were like, let her just stay with us for ten days, you know, just stay here. The servant says, please do not delay me. We need to go now. And then the parents said, she will go. Let us. Let's first ask her if she is willing, then she will go. Rebecca shows up and they asked her, are you willing to go? And she said I will. God honors free. Will you see in the midst of everything there was a sign from heaven. The Lord showed up and said, yes, surely that is your wife. But what was their willingness? The person that God has spoken to you about, Is there any willingness? And could it be that an actual sign that is a God thing, is that there is willingness? There is connection, you see for anyone who is praying about their spouse and how they identify them. I encourage you to watch our pastor's message on five keys to identify in your soul. Man. It is very powerful because there has to be a connection. God does not want to torture you. You have to understand this. God does not want to put you in a place of mental torture, watching going on fake pages and stalking the person on instagram, sending cryptic messages. This is torture. And then we slap the name of God on it, and he's looking and he says, my child, be set free. Don't give into this ideology any longer, because you would recognize that the moment you walk away from this delusion, that all of a sudden you will begin to see where there is willingness. You will begin to see the people that have been around you. You will begin to encounter people maybe I trade the jokes. You say hi, they said hi. You know that this willingness? All right? But family, I'm saying this, and that's why I'm sharing my own story too, because it's not a thing of judgment. The heart is deceitful above all things. And many times we hear the voice of the enemy and call it the voice of the Lord. But you have to look at what did this produce, What was the fruit? What did it produce in me? And what did it produce outside of me? Because in me. It showed me that I could be manipulative. It produced a version of me that was lacking integrity. It produced a version of me that will do whatever it takes to just acquire this. And then what did it produce out of me? Pain, relationships being cut off, all kinds of weird things. The fruit never lies. The fruit never lies. That is why, even when the Lord wants to talk to you about you know, prophets and evangelists and all these people, he said, test the spirit. And what does testing the spirit mean? Look at the fruit? God does not validate his own just because a miracle happened. He said, what is the fruit of their lives? Because later, in some later weeks, we're gonna talk about the spirit of divination. Just because someone was able to say something to you does not mean they came from the Lord. What is the fruit of your life? And why I'm saying even talking about divination because the second thing the Lord told me to speak to you about his worship? And what is that? Because now offense and pride, I couple that together so easily, because when you're offended, pride conceals your offense. Pride keeps you a prisoner. To your offense. Now there's a scripture I want to read to you before we go into what does the Lord mean by worship? Now it says in Matthew thirteen, from verse fifty five to fifty eight. This was when Jesus went to his hometown and the people could not receive him. They said, is this not the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas and his sisters. Are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things? So they were offended at him. But Jesus said to them, a prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house. Now, he did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief. Now, every time that you know I've read this scripture, I'm just like man these people. He was right there and you were offended at him. But we are like many of those people, because why were they offended at him? They had grown up with Jesus. He was there probably at many of their funerals. People got sick, and he was right there when they passed on. They needed help, they needed assistance, They needed the miracle. Jesus was always there, so all of a sudden, Jesus is moving and doing miracles, and they're like, hold up, isn't this the same Jesus. That's why they give you his whole background, his mother, his father, his brothers. They're like, we must be tripping, but this is the same. And for them to know the whole family tells you the closeness and the familiarity they had. He was I buried a son, I buried a father. My aunt was sick, and he's over here healing people with an issue of blood. Where was he when a cold took her out? They were offended at him. This is sometimes the same way we think that we are familiar with Jesus because we encountered he did not meet our expectation when that sickness happened. He did not meet your expectation, and you lost a loved one. And now you have made yourself familiar that the fact that he does not do that, And whenever someone will tell you their testimony only amplifies your fans. It's like, you know what, you can keep that for yourself. I don't want to believe anymore. You see, the Lord was highlighting this to me because I literally saw how there is a seduction and a deception, especially in our culture, where you want to start looking I don't know who this is for, but you want to start looking for answers elsewhere. You're like, you know what, you've been contemplating, visiting a psychic, visiting mediums. You're so hungry for an answer that you're willing to go anywhere. You want to open up your chakras, you want to try ayahuasca. There's so many things that you want to open up yourself to because you're like, try this with God, and he did not answer me here, I don't want to go back to him and expect to be disappointed again. It is this same offense that the enemy is using even in the lives of many black Americans, because it is the light that how could you serve a god who was the same god of the slave masters. It is this same tactic that the enemy is using over and over again, and he's not presenting you with other options. He said, why don't you actually go to a psychic? And there's some of you in this room. Your friends have actually been telling you about someone to see. They're like, if you see this person. They will tell you so much about yourself. And that is why later on we will talk. I will teach on the spirit of divination because it is possible to access information that exists without going directly through the Holy Spirit. And so because someone just told you something that sounds like truth, that you don't recognize that the enemy is using truth to bait you into a curse. There's a friend of mine that went to see a psychic and she told me that the story much later, because what happened she went the psychic was telling her all types of information. She's like, oh my gosh, that is so true. And when they bait you in slowly but surely, slowly but surely, the next thing, Hey, be careful, you're gonna have there's an accident awaiting you. Be careful. But what they're doing you don't know the power of words. There's an accident awaiting you. You've already come in agreement that there is an accident about to happen. So now you start tripping and you're not even giving it to God. You're just like, oh my gosh, And now you're moving with paranoia. But you don't understand that that agreement just gave the enemy access for that accident. So you think that on one hand, you're opening up yourself to a solution, and the enemy says, no, open up, because I'm gonna plant other things to bring disaster. You see, while you're contemplating, I'm telling you don't open up yourself because you're offended by God. God, and your pride is keeping you a prisoner, because all God is saying is just say ouch, Just say God. I want to understand, where were you when this happened? God, I want to understand I'm going through. This is heavy on me, but I want to still believe that You're a good God. You see, I'm so happy the Lord highlighted that we should bring RB on stage even with her past kidney failure, and I'm gonna prophetically declare that it is a past even if even with it. You know what she does every Sunday is serve in the House of God. That is a person who has hid the word of God in her heart. She says, even though it doesn't look like my expectations are being met, God, I honor you above everything else. You are still we were singing, You are worthy of it all. God, you are still worthy. You see, one of the problems even in our culture is that we think blessings are only things that make us feel happy. But what the Lord has taught me about the blessing is that a blessing is a responsibility. And sometimes the Lord would burden you. God would give you the blessing of trouble. God would give you the blessing of an issue. Because your testimony does what in the life of many. It bears the image of God when your testimony is declared. You, guys, remember the story when there was a man born blind and the disciples saw the man and they asked Jesus who sinned? Was it him or his family? His parents? Jesus said, no one sinned. Actually, this is a blessing. He says, no one sinned, but this would glorify the name of God. Sometimes a blessing is not just the things that is celebrated. Sometimes a blessing is really the moments of pain and tormil because of what it would produce. But I want to speak to you today, whatever has caused you to have offense in your heart. That's why the Bible even says guard your heart with all diligence, because the opportunity to be offended happens probably one hundred times a day anything. If you just open yourself up to be offended, you will be offended every single minute of the day. How a person was walking, how they were looking at you. They didn't wave, they didn't say hi. You were on the phone, you said by love you, No one said love you back. They just hung up. You would be offended every single minute of the day. And why because we are flawed people. But whatever it is that you had an expectation of God, come before him and say, Lord, I don't understand your ways. Matter of fact, the Bible says that your ways are not my ways. But Lord, give me insight. When your heart is open. I kid you not. God will speak to you when your heart does not look at him like the evil one. God will give you revelation. God will minister to you. His peace will overtake you. Don't allow because even offense one of the words, who are offenses actually a trap? There's a book you have to read. It is by John Bervie called the Bait of Satan, and the bait of Satan is really offense. Don't let that trap you and lead you into things that are very deceptive. I'm telling you there are many things that you open up yourself to. You have no idea. You think that what you're doing will bring a solution. But write in this house, we have some of our prayer ministers in the front row. Some of the things that we have to pray and deliver people from by the power of God. Spirits that needed to come out because they had access through things and culture that will tell you this is the way to progress in life. It is not worth it. I'm not speaking from a place of just you know, randomly like, oh this happening that sounds weird. No, I have seen the outcome of these things. I have seen what actually happens when a person does things like ayahuasca. I have seen the doors that are open when you go to a psychic or a medium. You see the Bible says that Satan appears as an angel of light. He doesn't come to you like he wants to ruin your life. He comes to you in a beautiful way. I will share with your personal experience I had. I remember there was this particular person who portrayed himself as a prophet in my country, and the Lord had revealed to me that this person, it's not what it is. This is a he is not called of me. I remember telling my mother, I said, Mom, this ain't it. Whatever he's dabbling into, it's not the Holy Spirit. One day, when the you see, when the enemy finds you, finds finds your weak points. One day my mom called me. She was with that particular you know, self proclaimed prophet, and she was like, he wants to speak to you. Now, I'm very playful, and you know I'm extremely goofy, but when it comes to things of the spirit, I will check you. And so when she was about to give him the phone, I said, Mom, don't do that because my tone will be different. And she was like, no, Stephanie, he and this is where the enemy gets you. She said, no, Stephanie, he told he just said he wanted to pray for you. No, he wanted you to pray for him. And I said, oh, shoot, he's over here repenting. Rather than me to stay sensitive to the Holy Spirit, the enemy got me with my emotions. I was on the phone. I said, let me you know what, let's pray, which was pride. I prayed for the man, but it was only an open door for him. To pray for me. After I prayed, I'm all vulnerable and whatnot. And then he began to pray for me. And when he prayed, he was like, you know, the Lord, and this is where all you have to ask God. God, show me what I am. I'm weak, two show me what could be an idol in my life, because that was a moment in my life that God has stripped me of everything. And I was like, God, I mean, I just need, you know, a breather. And he said, you know what, the Lord is showing me. That the angel that was with Solomon he's sending to you. I said, oh snap, I said, because you know, Solomon was over there having a lot of fun, you know, wealthy and all that good stuff. I said, Amen, Amen, sir, Amen, Man of God. I go to bed. I kid you not that night. So I've had different encounters with angels, so it's not that they scare me. That night, I look up, I see this angel standing by my bedside, beautiful, has all these like his whole makeup is like diamonds and rubies, and he was I've never seen an angel like that. He was gorgeous. I was like, oh snap, this is the angel that was the Solomon look at that, but then he started to smirk. I said, I've never seen an angel do that, and so within me there was like this alarm in my spirit and I was like, God, something is wrong here. And I began to ask the Holy Spirit who is this person? What is their name? And the Lord gave me a name. And while he's standing there looking at me, you know, the spiritual that natural is very interesting because I went on my phone and I went on Google and I put the name in Google and the name translator to Lucifer that it was another name for Lucifer. The moment I saw the name, next thing I know, he was in front of me. I was in bed. He was in front of me, grabbed me by the legs, and I kid. That was one of the scariest moments in my life. It literally felt like my soul was leaving me through my feet, and I began to call on Jesus. I said, Lord, whatever I have done in my ignorance, whatever door I have opened, Lord, you need to save me in this moment. Then this other angel appears and strikes his hand and he was gone. And then I asked the Lord that said, God, if this came from that person when he prayed for me. The same thing that hit this ain't the Lucifer's hand. Then let it strike that man's head. Let him have a headache so bad that he would even say that I feel like I'm about to die. But he's not gonna die. We don't want to kill nobody. But I said, God, give this to me as a sign. You know what happened. The next day, I called my mom and I shared everything with her, and she was like, you know, Stephanie, that is so interesting because I just got off the phone with him and he said he has a headache so bad that he feels like he's about to die. Why am I sharing this with you? Family? In our culture today, you have to be vigilant. You have to open up your eyes. Don't just give into anything that appeases where you're in. Because you miss your grandmother, because you miss your father, don't just give in and say you know and let me just go to a medium. Let me hear from them one more time, because you're not hearing from your grandfather, you're not hearing from your mother. You're hearing from a demon disguising himself so that he can bait you in be watchful where you give your worship. And as we are talking about exposing deception, what the Lord showed me was as simple as this. You expose deception by exposing your idols. What is an idol in your heart? What is the thing that you have put above God? And you know it when it is the very thing that will cause you Can you think of something that, if it happened, you might start questioning your faith. Can you think of the thing that if you don't get it, if it never happens, it will cause you to question your faith. That is the evidence of an idol, because that means you have put it above your affection towards Jesus in your life. When something happens to you and it causes you to feel like God, I don't know if I can trust you anymore. It is the evidence of an idol. And I have been in prayer that the Holy Spirit would reveal to each and every one of us, what is your idol? What is the thing that will take you out of character? What is the thing that will cause you to lack integrity? What is the thing that will cause you to compromise? It is your idol? But when you expose it and say God, this has a hold on my heart. You don't need a lie to the Lord. You can tell him exactly like it is. This has a hold on my heart. This is where partnership comes in. God does not need you to do everything by yourself. He just needs you to open up. If you just say, Lord, this person has a hold on my heart. I really wanted it to be them. The idea of this thing has a hold on my heart. This job has a hold in my heart. This city has a hold in my heart. Whatever it is, fame has a hold in my heart. Being an influencer has a hold on my heart. Whatever you are willing to compromise yourself for is an idol. But when you expose it to God, it is the mercy of God and the grace of God and the goodness of God that steps in and He will begin to empower you for you to experience freedom. Isn't it crazy how sometimes you can go from completely being obsessed about something and then all of a sudden, it's like you woke up from a dream because you're like, what the heck was I thinking? What was I doing? It is the grace of God that stepped in that the same way you didn't know how you could get free. When I used to watch pornography, it had a hold on me. And at the time I was like, God, you just have to allow me to do this since I can't do anything else. You know, I said, just let me watch a little bit. But I remember, I'm sorry, Mom, but I remember it was a particular day. Never forget that when I recognized that, no matter my mess, the voice of God never left me. God will talk to me in all my foolishness. And I remember one day I said, God, I want to represent you in truth. I don't want to live a double life. I don't want to act like one thing and or say one thing and do another. I don't wanna talk because no matter what, one thing that is consistent. Anyone will tell you this. Anyone from my past, people that we used to dance on the DJ book together will still tell you. After all of that, when we're in the car heading home, I'll be talking about Jesus. I'll be like, after everything, you can't even see straight. I'm like, are y'all coming to church on Sunday? It's youth night. But I said God, I don't want to live a double life. And in that moment that stronghold broke immediately. I never had a desire for it, and never It is supernatural how God can just uproot because remember, deception is a seed that has to be exposed and uprooted. You do the exposing God uprooted because God already knows what it is, but you need to know what it is. So when you open it up to him, he uproots it and it's a beautiful journey. So, families, stand with me, And in this moment, I want you to only focus on Jesus. I don't want you to focus on who's next to you, who you came with, because to respond to messages like this might feel like, man, that's embarrassing. No, it's not freedom. There's nothing embarrassing about freedom. Don't allow the enemy to even use this moment to deceive your perception about what is taking place. And so if you know that I was talking to you in the room, whoever you are, because the freedom of God is in this room and it is a work that only He can do. We are only messengers to deliver His word for the Holy Spirit to take over. And so family, if you know what was speaking to I want you to just meet me at this altar. And it was interesting because while in prayer, and whoever you are, if you're already coming down, but I need to even say this, the Lord showed me someone who kept looking at their watch over and over and over again. You just kept looking at your watch. And I asked him myself that what does that mean? And he showed me that there are some of you in this room and maybe even listening for our global family, that you have put God on a time schedule. You have literally said to him God, if you don't do this by this time, I'm walking away from the faith. And when the Lord showed me this group of people, it wasn't just one person. There were several people who had their hand just kept looking at their watch. You see, you can't bait God. That is not the right heart posture. That was what the Pharisees would do, the ones that were against God. They would say, well, why don't you show us a miracle, why don't you show us a sign? Because it was never about that God is for you. He is for you more than anything else. He is for you than you are for yourself. He knows your end from your beginning, and that is why He is taking his time with you. If the Lord began to give you everything you ever desired when you wanted it, it could destroy you. You may not know how to handle it or what to do with it. But God is taking his time with you. God is taking you in a process. Whatever it is, just give it to him. Say Lord, here I am you see there are some of you and distrument. You've already gone to a few places. You've already gone searching for answers, and the Lord is going to set you free. The Lord is going to set you free. Thank you Jesus, Thank you Jesus, because already you sense the torments. What started off beautiful, what looked like Wow, that is crazy. I just spoke to my grandmother. Next thing. Now your dreams are tormenting you. Things are happening in your life. You can explain weird stuff. God is gonna set you free. There are many things we do in ignorance, and that's why I thank God. We have a God who is so merciful that the Bible says his mercy and his goodness follows us, that his mercies not only do they follow us, they are made new every morning. God says, I know that you went in the wrong path, but my mercy is new upon you today. The mercy of God is when God holds you in his hand. No matter what you did, God says, I am right here with you. I will heal you, I will deliver you, I will set you free. But open up to me. Deception is a trip man, because you will think you are in the right. You will think you're doing the thing God wants you to do. But look at the fruit. What is the fruit telling you about the source? I thank God because I just see breakthrough all over this room. Thank you, Jesus, Thank you Jesus. If anyone else needs to walk out of their seat, I want you to walk out. Don't be so bothered about you know, composure and all this stuff. Don't be so worried about what you think you're supposed to do. But I want you to take this act and say God, I am not going to be bound by the sly. Maybe you don't want to come all the way to the front. Maybe you know you know you're worried about COVID, but just move to the left, Just do a little movement right. But whoever you are in this house, because we're gonna pray. I want you to just lift up your hand. If you're saying yes to Jesus, Thank you Lord, family. Can we celebrate them in this house? Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. Heavenly Father, we thank you, Lord Jesus. We worship you. Lord. I thank you for your sons and your daughters who are here, Lord God, and I thank you for the breakthrough that is happening right now in their lives. I thank you that many of them are already feeling this burden being lifted, because literally I can see it, this burden is being lifted, Oh God, that whatever trap of the enemy, they have been set free. In the mighty name of Jesus, Lord God, I thank you for those who are saying yes to you, Oh God. I thank you Lord, that this decision is literally the best decision that would ever make in their lives. And I thank you Lord that you would hold your hand and you would walk with them. Holy Spirit. You said that you will teach us, you will guide us. You are the helper, Oh God. I pray that they will know what it means to have a personal relationship with you. I thank you that they will not just know you by hearing, but they will know you by experience. Because Lord, this is not religion, this is relationship. And I thank you, Heavenly Father, that they would come into true relationship with you, and they would be lovers of truth, lovers of Jesus, that when a liar is coming, that they will detect it from a mile away. That, Lord God, I thank you that every trap of the enemy, we will not fall into it. Lord Jesus, when you were raised up, you are raised up with all power and authority and might, Oh God, And I thank you that as your children say yes to you, you are raised them up from defeat. You are raising them up from weakness. You are raising them up from insecurities. You are raising them up with God from bondage, from addiction. You are raising them up from torment into victory. In the mighty name of Jesus, Lord, we love you, we worship you. Continue to have your way in Jesus' mighty name. Amen, Amen, Hallelujah, hallelujah. Family, Can we just shout to God, thank you, Jesus, heyk you, Jesus, Hallelujah. Not family. I never want to miss an opportunity for anyone, because I know that there are people coming in even while the message was going on. If you will love to give into this house, if you will love to sow a seed, an offering, or your tithe, then this is that moment. If you have an envelope you want to give by cash right outside, there are boxes just on the walls that you can you can give into, or some of our team may have a collection for you. I love the given moment, family, because it always reveals where my trust is. Whenever I tie, there reminds me of where I put my trust, and I put my trust in Jesus. I recognize he is the one that provides for me. He is the one that makes ways for me. And so it's for me. It's such a it's a personal thing. It's like, Lord, I want to keep building. What is lifting your name up? I want to keep building what is praising you, what is demonstrating your image? And the offering, just like Pastor Ebenezer mentioned earlier, whatever the Lord puts in your heart, whatever the Lord places on your heart to give, whatever that could be, it is between you and him. For me, the offering is always how I mark the spot when I know that God met me in a message. I sew into it because the mystery about seed is that wherever there is seed, there is harvest. And so I don't just so randomly. I sow with intention. I say, God, I'm believing as I'm sowing this seed, I am marking the spot of what you have already done. It's not we don't bribe God with it. We acknowledge him. And I say, Lord, I am thanking you for my breakthrough. Thank you that I'm free from this, and I am marking the spot and I'm watching and I can't wait to testify to the fullness of what you have done in my life. And so family, as we're giving, let's just if you didn't give it you want to give, you can lift it up. Well, let's close out in prayer. Heavenly Father, we thank you, we love you. You have shown up in a mighty way. We thank you God for what you're doing in and through us. And Lord, as we give, multiply it's impact in the mighty name of Jesus. Have your way of God in Jesus' mighty name. Amen, Amen, m