Stephanie Ike Okafor - Out of Darkness

Now can we give Jesus surprise and the heart. Nay man, thank you Lord. While we're all standing, I just want to open us up in prayer for this moment. Heavenly Father, we thank you. We thank you that it's not by chance or coincidence that we are in this room. We thank you that even those that are streaming in right now, it is not by accident. And so Lord, I pray that you would open the hearts of your people, that every callousness of heart be broken in the name of Jesus, and that what you have to speak to your people, that I would get out of the way, and that you would minister to the hearts and minds of your daughters. Oh God, and so Heavenly Father, have your way. Do what you only can do. You in no room when we. Call on you to glorify Jesus through it all. And we thank you Lord that as we are in an atmosphere with the presence of God, I speak freedom to these women, where things need to be broken, where chains need to break. O, God, by your power it is so have your. Way in Jesus' name. Amen, Amen, Amen, I'm so grateful. I'm so grateful to be here. I have been desiring to be with you all for some time now, but the Lord has given me permission and we're here. I just want us to take a moment I believe so greatly in honor. I believe, you know, just to take a moment to honor the pastors of this house. Even this very conference is such an evidence of their love to shepherd after God's people. And so I'm excited for just everything that is being poured out that you're going to receive. And one thing I will always encourage you whenever you're in a conference, don't just because there's so much coming at you, you know, be mindful to take notes so that when you go home you can sit with the Lord and reflect, and the Holy Spirit will begin to shine even more insight on the things that you receive. We never want to treat the House of God or the gathering of God's people as almost like a drug, you know, and the next one and the next one. When you receive, be intentional to reflect on what you have received, so that the Lord can cause it to take root in you and it would be a fruit. Amen. I also want us to just take a moment to honor all the volunteers, all the staff. But this together the hospitality team, has been incredible. There's so many. People behind the scenes that are working to make this happen, and so we thank you God, bless you. I want to take a moment. My husband is here. It's he's with our daughter right now, but I just thank God for him, and I personally thank God for my pastors Pasta Terray and Passa, Sarah Jix Roberts. A and Sock. Before we kick off, I just want to let you all know some of you might be aware, but I do have a book coming out. I have a book coming out August twenty seven, The Power of Your Dreams. And the reason I speak about this book is not just because I wrote it. It's because of what I have walked with God since I was nine years old when He encountered me, and the things I've learned about dreams, the power that you can receive insights from God about your life, about your destiny, about the things connected to you. You see, the Word of God talks about how we do not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds. Out of the mouth of God. You need a word from God concerning every direction. Of your life. And sometimes we are so busy with activities and things that the mercy of God in the mercy of God, rather he allows us to receive from Him in. Our sleep state. Some people would say I'm not a dreamer. I don't dream, but scientifically you dream. Every single person dreams every day. The problem is that you don't remember your dreams. And through this book, it's more of an assignment that the Lord gave me because you see, one of the language of the Last Days in the Bible will be dreams. And when you know how to tap into causing your dreams become holy ground, you can receive from God. Because dreams can come from three places. It can come from God, it can come from Satan, or it can come from self. And when you learn how to cause your dreams to be holy ground, you can dream and remember every night the. Messages that God has depositing. Knew. You see, one of the things the Lord taught me about dreams is that every night is an opportunity to know the will of God and every day is an opportunity to live it out. And so I encourage you, you know, after the conference, when you're free and whatnot. Pre order the book. It is going to bless you. Get one for yourself, get one for a friend, and it's gonna do such a mighty work in you. But let's get into the world. Amen. Now you may be seated. You may be seated. I love so much. The theme of this conference, the theme being light. And one of the things I love about that. You know, when the Lord had called me into ministry, there was a dream that I had, and essentially the dream was so elaborate in explaining to me the call of God on my life, and it boiled down to bring people out of the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of light. There was a part in the dream where I was in a location. In the dream, the location was held right and it was so dark, it was thick darkness. And there was an instruction that was given to me that there's gonna be You're gonna see a wall. On that wall is a lot of candles. When you grab a candle, the candle would would ablaze there would you know, there would be a fire and light that comes upon it, and the person that it belongs to would be drawn to you and then the Lord would receive them. So the Lord would bring them out of one kingdom into the next. But the dream, it's so for so layered and symbolic, because what the Lord was showing me is that you have to position yourself in spaces to represent light, and when you are light, light itself would expel darkness and it will draw people to come into the Kingdom of Light, which is the kingdom of God. Now, one of the things that was. So interesting about that dream was when you hear something about people coming in from out of darkness into light, you will think that this only applies to people who don't know God, those that are far from him. But actually it was not only the people that were far from God. It was also the people who believed to be in the will of God but were in darkness. That is why we see scriptures where people will come to Jesus. And Jesus was talking about how in the last days many will come to him saying, Lord Lord, we did all these things in your name, We healed in your name, we had all these activities in your name. And he will say to them, get away from me. I never knew you. There was the people that had an idea, They had a belief that they were doing things for the Lord, but he never recognized them, He never had fellowship with them. These were people who thought that they were operating in light, but actually they were. Operating in darkness. You see, the Bible talks about how the heart it's so deceitful that who can know it. So often, even in our walk with God, we begin to get more creative than the Holy Spirit. We desire to do things for God without consulting the one we are working for. We have all these dreams and ideas of what we want to do for God because that is the best way that we can interpret or not even interpret, to mask our true desire. Because how can you say that you're doing something for the Lord but he is not the one that spoke to you to do it. It is not his vision his word that is directing the assignment. And so what it comes down to is that it is a cover up for us to gain. You see, sometimes as a pastor, I've heard many things, and oftentimes one of the most common things people would reach out to me for was about, you know, can you pray for me? I just want I want to do something big for the Kingdom. And when I meet with these people and we go through pastoral counseling sessions. You know what, it boils down to envy. That they see what other people are doing and it looks fun, it looks amazing, it looks like they have influence, it looks like they're traveling, it looks like things are growing, and their names are in lights. And what they're after is not doing something for God, but after gaining what that person has through the name of God. So oftentimes we would say, God, I want to do something big for you. But if you ever take a moment to unpack it, it comes down to jealousy and envy. I only want to do something big for you because what I can gain in the process. See, this is just an example of deception. This is just an example of what happens when we think we are operating in light, but actually we are in darkness. The apostle Paul in the Bible, you know, at a time his name was he was known as Saul, and he used to persecute Christians. But he actually was doing this believing that what he was doing was right. So when the Lord encounters him, one of the first ways he manifests himself to the Apostle Paul was light the Bible tells us that there was a light that shone around him. And then after the light came from heaven. Now the Lord began to speak, and he says, why are. You persecuting me? But the first way the Lord manifested himself to him was light, because it was to first show him that you are operating from a place of darkness. But you think it's light, you. See, Biblically, we see light was first spoke about or introduced in Genesis. In Genesis one, during the story and the account of creation. You know, on the first day of creation, the Bible tells us that God said, let. There be light, and there was light. And so when you're reading let there be light, and there was light, it is safe to assume that you're thinking about natural light, physical light. But then as you're reading through Genesis one, you will learn that on the fourth day, the Lord created the sun, the moon, and the stars. So if the Lord created the sun, the moon, and the stars to give light to the earth on day four, what happened on day one? Jesus would say of himself, I am the light of the world. You see, on the first day, when the Father says, let there be light. He was speaking about the manifested presence of Jesus to come to the scene, that it had nothing to do with the natural light, but it had everything to do with a mystery in God that we're gonna see throughout the scriptures. And you will learn why it's important to you because it was so critical that Jesus, before anything started with creation in the natural, the manifested presence of Jesus would first be known. And it's so significant to us because when you study, and I'm giving you the scriptures, I want you to write it down. When you study John one, you will learn when the when the Bible talks about how in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, he was with God in the beginning, it's a distinction because the word that we're referring to is Jesus, and he says he was with God in the beginning. So the Jesus, there's the distinction between the Father and the Son. And it says and all things were made through the Word. That nothing was nothing that was made, nothing that was created, rather nothing was made outside of it. Right, So the Bible is telling us that all things created were created through the Word. And then then the Bible talks about how and he is life. In him is life, and that life is the light of men. Now why is this so significant? Because we go back to. Genesis, the account of creation and the first thing that happens, because the Word that says, let there be lights is actually saying light, reveal yourself. It's not about creating Jesus. It's saying, Jesus, manifest yourself. And then John gives us another insight and calls him the Word and says, everything that was made was made through the Word. Now what is so significant about this? As I was praying and as I was studying, the Lord began to show me a mystery that Jesus, the cadence of creation starting with Jesus, was not just about animals, was not just about the trees, was not just about humanity. It was revealing how things are ex accepted before God as creation. It was revealing that for something to be accurate before God as a work, for something to be accepted before God, it must begin with Jesus. That anything outside of Jesus is regarded to as nothing. That is why you will see in the Bible. Jesus will talk about abide in me and I in you, that for without me you can do nothing. Now, what does this mean to you, that anything that we do, any works in our lives that did not originate from the presence of God or from the word of God, that the Lord looks at it as nothing. For something to be. Regarded as to God as significant, for something to be regarded by God as tangible, for something to be accepted in the sight of God, it must originate from the presence of Jesus. So even the creation of the world could not begin. Until he was manifested first, because outside of his presence, outside of what his word reveals to us, everything we do is regarded as nothing. Can you imagine committing your whole life, investing the entirety of your life to works, to a lifestyle, to things that at the end of the day, when you meet your maker, he says, all of this was nothing. Can you imagine that the things you are crying about, the things you compromise about, the things. You lost your integrity for. That then the last day, when the Lord is looking at you, and he's looking at what he wrote concerning you. He doesn't see anything. Do you know that their books written about you in heaven. Do you know that there are thoughts that caused the Lord to send you forth on this earth, That you are not random, even if the way your parents brought you about may have been random to them, even if. They were not expecting you. One of my best friends, her mother her her mother's tied her tubes when she was conceived, and she came out with the very thing the mother used in her hands. Because the Lord said, no, you're going forth, whether your mother likes it or not. For so muths, the mother just ignored. She thought something else was wrong with her. She was not gonna take a pregnancy test because she believed that could not be it until she finally went to the hospital and they said, you're pregnant. No matter how you got here, it wasn't random. There are things that God has written concerning your life. And that is why in the Bible it talks about how on Judgment Day there will be books opened. Why would they be books opened when you meet the. Lord, Because there is gonna be the book of what He wrote concerning your life, and there's gonna be the books written about what you did while you are on earth. To see if they actually mashed. And can you imagine if you walk through life doing nothing. I remember there was someone in our church community who I mentor, and he was going through so much in his life and he just needed clarity from God concerning the next steps. It was some very critical things that were going on with him, and I took time to intercede for him to really understand. Lord give him directions, show him. And for me, I encountered the Lord at nine in a very supernatural way. And so a lot of my experiences with God or the way he deals with me often works. Through the supernatural. And so as I was praying for this young man, I have this encounter and I'm giving a book. This book was called the Book of Secrets. When I opened the book, I see his life, the entirety of his life according to the perfect will of God. I saw things concerning his marriage, his children, the call of God on his life, the plans God had for him. So many things the Lord showed me, and then what he gave me permission to share with him. And while I was seeing this, I said, oh wow, And I mean, like anyone would I try to find my page? I said, well, this would be easy. Let me just know what you wrote concern in me. And when I every time I try to open the book to another page, it went blank. And I was like, Lord, why can't I see the other pages? Why can't I find mine? And he said, it doesn't come just like this. You have to truly seek it out. You have to have a desire. It's in the place of prayer, in the place of intimacy with Jesus. Because some things are not supposed to be known for certain seasons. Your life in. God is wrapped up in times and seasons, and so there are things He communicates to you when it's the season for him to reveal it. That is why you cannot be a lazy Christian. You cannot be a Christian who only operates from one thing God told you seven years ago, because you might be in a season that there is something new He wants to say to you, but you have to make the space and the time to hear him. But when he showed me this man's life, that was the moment I began to realize what the Word of God has always said, starting from what David said. When David will. Talk about even before he was formed in his mother's womb, that there were days concerning his life that were written about him. There are things concerning you that were written before you even got here. And our job is to be so connected to God that we seek it out that we posture ourselves in a way that we are not opera reading from darkness, but that we are operating in light. Thank you Lord, Thank you Lord. We're gonna continue, but I just see, I'm so excited. I see where the angels of the Lord are in the room. Thank you, Jesus, Thank you, Jesus, Thank you Jesus. I'm gonna just flow how the Lord is gonna lead me because there's some activities that are gonna begin to work in the lives. Of people in just a moment. Wow, Thank you Lord, Light. Light, m. I need to do something very quickly, and then we're gonna continue you because I'm just looking at the time. Thank you, Jesus, Thank you, Jesus, Thank you Jesus. Just if everyone can just close their eyes and begin to ask the Lord. To reveal to. You any area of your life that you're walking in deception, to reveal to you anything that you're holding on too that has become an idol in your life and is preventing you from hearing the voice of God concerning what he has called you to do. In a season. Thank you Jesus. Just take a moment. M hm h amen. Amen. You see there are things that as we continue in the service, there are gonna be things that the Lord is gonna highlight to you. Because I'm seeing where the angels of the Lord are carrying gifts in their hands, but they're people that in order to receive it. There's something that you're holding. You are calling it a gift, but it's actually I don't even know how to describe this animal, but it's something. It's like a leech. That's that's the word. That's the Does everyone know what the leech is? You know how leech? They suck? They actually they suck your blood. They're taking life from you. What you're calling a gift is taking life from you. And God wants to gift you with what is actually assigned to you. And so He's going to reveal to you the things that you're holding onto out of fear that would I receive anything better than this, Out of the fear that if I let this go, how would I gain any like it's almost like there's a control you desire in your life, and there's the word of God that has been telling you to it's going. To bring disruption in your environment. But there is a fear of how am I going to find my rhythm? But the Lord will make it plain to you. You see, on the way to when we were coming in, we came in from La when we were flying in something so remarkable. And every recently, literally every international flight that I have taken to minister, there has been circumstances that happened concerning the flight that brought a message that was connected to what God was speaking to his people, and this flight was no different. So normally when I travel all the time with my family and my daughter would always she's eight months old right now, and so we would have her as a lap infant because she likes to play around and do her thing. And you know, when we were coming here, I just I love this house. I love how they do everything. So they got her her seat. They were like, you know what, let her have her own seat, and I'm like, you know what, she loves to be carried, but during this flight, she wanted to be by herself. She was grown okay, So she was in her car. So because of the dynamics and the change, So I'm sitting with her on one side. My husband is sitting with another gentleman on the other side. So if this was if this did not happen, my husband and I would be sitting, you know, right next to each other. But it was all ordained by God, because now my husband is sitting next to a gentleman, he doesn't know him. All of a sudden, something the Holy Spirit begins to minister to my husband just to worship him in the plane. And if you meet my husband, he is not shy by any means. He will worship God anywhere at any time. And he just began to worship. And then all of a sudden, he gets into a conversation with the gentleman and they start talking about faith, and he asks the man if the man believes in Jesus, and the man said, he is part of a religion that does not believe in Jesus as Lord. So he begins to speak to him about the Gospel, and he speaks to him about Jesus, and the man begins to open up his life. He he sensed the presence of God, he couldn't, he couldn't shake it off. And he shared with my husband that within the past nine months he's had two heart attacks. The last one happened two weeks ago and he died. He said he actually left his body and saw his lifeless body on the table, that his spirit left his body and could see his physical body. On the table. And there was a fear that was that came on him that I can't, I can't leave right now, that please, I don't want to go. It's not my time. And as they were having this dialogue, now he learned this this man is a very successful, well established man who does incredible things with because he you know, they talked about what they do and all of that incredible things with some of the most talented musicians. But the man said, in that moment, he wasn't thinking of his properties, he wasn't thinking of his business, he wasn't thinking of his wealth, he wasn't thinking of his investments. But there was a knowing if I leave like this, it's not going to end well. There was a knowing in his spirit that even though I've had life, I have not lived. There was a knowing that, please, I need to get back to truly experience life, and all of a sudden he gets back in his body, and my husband began to talk to him that that is what the. Mercy of God is about. And as he continued to speak to the man, the man ended up accepting Jesus. This was on the plane they prayed together, they exchanged contacts, and my husband prayed for him that the Lord will make himself known to him in a deeper way. Why am I sharing this In that moment everything that he had been building in his life, his spirit knew it was nothing. Everything that he had labored for, and why was it nothing? Because none of it originated from the presence of God. That is why Jesus would say things like what would it profit a man to gain the whole world and. Lose his soul? This was not Jesus just telling a story. He's talking about real life that you can use. You can have your whole life chasing after things that in the end you would realize it was nothing because it did not originate from the presence of God. And while you thought you were doing great things in the community, you did outreaches. You you know, you did a lot of humanitarian work because the counsel did not come from God before his presence and before his throne. He will look at you and look at what he knew concerning who you should have been, and he will not see anything believers, new believers, unbelievers. If your life, if the works of your life is not found and originated from the presence of God before God, it is nothing. I want to share a screen with you. You see first John one five, And they were gonna read Matthew six from nineteen to twenty four, But starting with first John one five, it says, this is the message which we have heard from him, and declare to you that God is light and in him is no darkness at all. And then we jump to Matthew six from nineteen to twenty four. It says, do not lay up, and I love another translation will say, do not sore up treasures for yourself on earth, where moth and wrath destroy, and where thieves break in and steal, But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor roths destroys, and where thieves do not break in. And still for where your treasure is there your hearts, which speaks to your desires will be Also, the lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness. No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and Mammon. Now, first of all, I just want to give a disclaimer. This scripture is not against prosperity. This scripture is not against you being wealthy. It's not about you having things. It's about perspective. Because you see the Bible says, for example, the love. Of money is the root of all evil. Doesn't say money is the root of all evil, but the love of it. When the Bible talks about treasures that do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, the problem in the scripture. Is what you define as a treasure. Because you see, for example, first of all, even when the Bible says the love of money is the root of all evil, it's not just limited to dollars or pounds or currency. In that way, it's talking about gay. The love of gay is the root of all evil. When you're only focused on what you can gain, whether it's financially, relationally. Even marriage can be an idol. Because if you're so desperate to get married, you open the door for evil to come in. You open the door where you start, you know, sacrificing your integrity. You open the door for the enemy to start working with you. Anytime you are so desperate to gain something, it opens the door. Can you see the weight of that scripture? The love of. Money is the root of all evil, all evil that when you love gained so much, the enemy would always have the upper hand. And so when it says do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, it's not saying having, you know, prosperity is bad, because the Bible will also say a good man. Lives an inheritance for his children's children. But the Lord is talking about your perspective on what you call treasure. Do you see the things that you have as a tool or a resource. Do you see your marriage as a weapon in the hands of God for what he wants to do through a family, or do you see it flexing. Do you see your business as a tool in the hands of God for what he wants to do? Or do you see it to show off? Do you see it for personal gain? Whatever is your it in life, your perspective matters. Because let me there was something. Those are quotes I read about treasure, and I want to share this with you. It says when someone views something as a treasure, it means they regard it with great value, importance, and affection. To treasure something implies a deep appreciation and a desire to protect and preserve it due to its perceived irreplaceable nature or personal significance. This is why after the Lord begins to talk about do not store for yourself treasures on earth, then he goes into this whole thing about you cannot serve God and Mammon, for you. Would love one and hate the other. If your view of treasure is what you see on earth, you would be loyal to that that if the voice of God disrupts you from having it, that you will shut the voice out, and you will call the voice of your desire God. When something on earth grips your heart in a way. That it is gripping your heart above God. The voice of God has no place in you. This is why people would often say God said, God said, God said, And then when you know, when they're comfort when it's no longer comfortable for them, they say that God said something else that looks like God changed his mind. But what is happening is the voice of your desire is communicating to you. What you desire has a voice. What you desire can influence you. What you desire can shape what you do and how you think. If you don't surrender it before God, if you don't see it right, everything we have on this life we are stewards over it that whenever Jesus has a need for it, we align that. Whenever Jesus directs us to do something different, we align ourselves. You don't position yourself, you see. I remember when there was a time that you know, my family was harassing me about marriage, right, and I was like, you know what, I started to desire it because I will lie for a while. I was like, look, it's me and God, okay. And I started to desire it. And there was this guy who I was talking to, and the Lord had shown me Stephanie, this would be a disaster. Run there were many things he showed me concerning this individual that it was all bad. But then, because the desire was louder than my submission and surrender to God, I started to. Create my own words. I said, well, Lord, that is why I must pray for him. And then you use the Bible. You said, God, there is nothing impossible for you. You change the hearts of man foolishness, because here's the reality. Then you find yourself caught up in something that pulls you away from the call of God on your life, because you are running based on the voice of a desire rather than the voice of God. And I will be honest with you, what God has for you will always be far greater than what you could create by yourself. Whatever area of your life, there are moments that the Lord you see in anything that you in anything that you begin to say, God, I surrender, he will test you in it. It's not just gonna be God I surrender. No, he will test you. I will be honest with you. One of the areas in my life that had a hold on me you was finances because growing up. I grew up with a single mom. And I saw my mom is just I mean she's like my superhero. You know. I watched her how she carried the family, and as a child, I remember saying, I will never have you know, I just I wanted to embody that so much. Well, I was like, you know what, I'm never gonna have any any need for anything from anybody, right had. I had this sense of independency that was almost toxic. And so when I got. Into a space where you know, I got into my own rhythm, I'm making my own money and X, Y and Z, it became an idol. And it began to define me. And when the Lord exposed it in my heart and I said, okay, Lord, I'm gonna lay it down. Oh he tested me. Oh many times. There was a time he literally told me to walk away from my entire business. I lived off savings for a year, not doing one work because what was the Lord doing. He was shaping and molding and causing me to unlearn things that had taken a hold on me. There are things that the Lord would do that would be disruptive in your life to set you free to be who you truly are. And so even as the Holy Spirit begins to reveal to you the idols in your heart that is keeping you from hearing what God wants to do with your life. You see, a tactic of the enemy is to make you feel like whatever you have is the best it would ever be, and so it becomes hard to receive what God is saying concerning you. Then the enemy throws the experience of your life or the limitations of what the things that you have seen, to make you feel as though this is just a pipe dream. This word that God gave you, it could never be. But what I will tell you is if you desire to come out of darkness and into light, it is a posture of absolute surrender before God. It is a posture that Lord, whatever it is you desire of me. I say yes. And it's a posture of a place of consistency in the presence of God. Because the truth is that God will not give you a disruptive word until you have learned His voice so that you don't fall into deception. Before God will begin to reveal. To you the truths about your life, you have to first learn His voice in the simple things. The first thing. God will say to you is not something that will disrupt you now, because that's how people find themselves in situations and they get angry at God because they're like, why did they work out? No, you have to first be in the place of consistency to know Him before you can know yourself. You have to know him because your life is hidden in Christ. You don't know yourself outside of Him. So when you come to Jesus, the first thing you you're not allowed. To first say, God, show me who I am. Nor show me who you are, because when I know you, I will discover me in you. And so today I. Just want to lay a foundation because tomorrow we're gonna build on this. But what the Lord began to show me as I was in prayer for this conference is that in your prayer time, begin to ask the Lord. Expose, and I thank God that he is partnering with me in this moment. Expose the places in my heart, the places in my life that I am walking in darkness. Expose the places that I have been deceived. Expose the places that have become idols instead. Of vehicles for your work. Expose the places where I have It's almost like I'm in bondage to a desire rather than seeing it as a tool for the thing you have called me to do. Expose it. And ask the Lord to show you. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you grace to be consistent in His presence, because you must first know Him before you can know you. But the Lord wants you to be all that he called you to be. You see, many of us we are living, but not truly alive. We have all kinds of activities going on. We have all kinds of things that we are working towards too. But before God, it is nothing because it did not originate from the presence of God or from the word of the Lord. You're doing things that there was no revelation of why you should do it in the first place. You're just doing it. You see. One thing I would say as a disclaimer, though, that I've also learned from God, and this is on a personal account. There are certain things in. God that are non negotiables concerning your life. Who he called you to be, what he called you to do on this earth is a non negotiable. This is why the books would be presented on the last days. But there are certain things that he doesn't really care about. I'm not preaching this message so that you can ask the Lord. Can I keep playing tennis or not play tennis for workouts? Right? Can I go swimming or not go swimming? No, go swimming, Okay, play your tennis. Right. There's certain things that are just activities, but there are key things in God that are non negotiables, and that is what you should be after. There's some things that the Lord is like. That's your social life. You know, have fun. But as long as there's balance. As long as there's balance, and the entirety of your life cannot be called nothing. You have to discover what God knew about you when he sends you here. You have to discover God, what is it? What is the reason I'm not just on this earth to eat, sleep, pay taxes, and die. There is more to my life than this. But first it starts with God. It starts with knowing Jesus. That's why in the beginning when it says, let there be life, that's where it starts. Am I connected to the manifest presence of Jesus in my life? Because that is where my life truly begins. When you know him, the next assignment is to make him known. Is to know Jesus and make him known, And that is the place the Holy Spirit begins to reveal to you the how of what God knows about your life that will make Jesus known. And the beautiful thing is that when you partner with God, there is ease. That's why the Bible says, don't worry about what you're gonna eat, what you're gonna wear. X, Y, and Z. He says, seek first the Kingdom. Of God, and everything will be added onto you everything. This is a room full of women, and I know there are many women here, for example, that desire marriage. But in the place of you seeking that Kingdom of God, it will find you. When there's a posture. There is a way you posture yourself and God that the Holy Spirit will show you and will order your steps and the steps of the one He's ordained for you. You see, I would just hear this, and we're gonna pray even as a concerns marriage. When I woke up from that whole situation, okay and came back to myself. One of the reasons that my family used. To harass me is because as a pastor, I made a covenant with God that I was not gonna date anyone in our church. And my mom was like Stephanie this doesn't make sense. You're always in church, so if you don't see somebody there that you're willing to date, And I said, Mom, it's beyond that because as a pastor, I don't want anything that will cause corruption in my heart. I don't want to. Be praying for someone while asking Holy Spirit, is this my husband? This is distraction? Okay? So I was like, let me make it easy for myself. God, I need to focus on the assignment and separate the as assignment for marriage. And you were God enough that as I focus on my assignment, you can bring my husband, however, through another means. And so when I met my husband, it was a baby shower that I was actually not planning to go to. And then the Holy Spirit is like, you should go. You see direction. When you're so submitted the Lord, even if you're about to miss a path, he will speak to you. And I was thinking that maybe the Lord just wants me to be a good friend. And when I went, it was only five of us and they're the two people celebrating the baby shower, my husband, myself and one of my best friends who came with me. So it was like God orchestrated it in a way that we had to meet. When your focus it's about the Kingdom of God. Now I'm not talking about you know, don't like be you know off or you know a man comes to you he said please, I'm just focusing. On the Kingdom. No, not that you know someone is like, hey, I want you to meet my friend. I am just focused on the kingdom because that could be the Lord. I'm not saying that, But what I am saying is that make it a desire of your heart. Let the treasure of your life be about doing the will of God. Let that be what you see as treasure. And if you're in a place that you don't see that's treasure. Act the Holy Spirit to give you his perspective. Asktu, Holy Spirit, show me why this is more significant than the thing I call treasure, A comfortable life. And all those things are good, but there are means to an end. They are for something. They are not the thing. What we are after is a well done from Jesus. That is treasure. And when you see that as treasure, it begins to shape and tailor how you live your life. It begins to. Shape and tailor what you say yes to and what you say no to. It helps you set boundaries of your life that you're not willing. To compromise just because of gain. That where you see gain is in your relationship and intimacy with the Lord. But life starts with Jesus. I want to pray. Stand with me. Thank you Lord, Thank you Lord, Thank you Jesus. If you're in the house saying you want to give your life to Jesus, you know you attend things because they seem nice, you know. I have learned that they're Sometimes people will be in a church for community, right, not because they believe like you, but it's like, oh, these are great people. They're loving, they're kind, good vibes, you know. But it goes beyond that. Jesus is after you the same way that Jesus was after that man on the plane that he had to orchestrate things in a way that my husband will be sitting next to him and they will have this dialogue that would lead us in a plane to a man given his life to Jesus and a man opening up himself to say, Lord, I want to know you. You don't want to be like that man. That when his spirit leaves his body to have fear. And to not even consider all the things you labored for because you knew they were nothing. If you want to say yes to Jesus, if you want your life to be so rooted in his presence that what you begin to live for are the things that come from his presence, are the words he reveals to you, are the things he shows you are connected to the assignment on your life, not just the things you create. If that is your I want you to come to the altar. Thank you Lord, Thank you Lord, thank you Jesus, Thank you Jesus. Can we celebrate what God is doing? Thank you Jesus, Thank you Jesus, Thank you Jesus. You see, it can't just be about community. You need to have intimacy and relationship with him. Don't feel like you're by You might feel like it's a long walk, but we are with you. We are right with you. Don't let this moment go. Thank you Lord, Thank you Lord, Thank you Lord, Thank you Lord, Thank you Jesus, Thank you Jesus. Can we just rejoice like the angels are rejoicing in heaven every time someone comes to the Lord, Amen, hallelujah, hallelujah. And even as you see them walking I just want you to share them on Amen. Amen. Welcome to the family. Amen, Amen. Amen. And before we continue, I just want us to say a prayer, even as the ushers would give you something, but just close your eyes with me and everyone we can all close our eyes and just in agreement with them, and just place your hand on your chest and just repeat after me, Lord Jesus, thank you. I acknowledge you as my Lord and savior. I acknowledge that on the cross you died for my sense, and when you were raised up, I was raised up with you. Free and victorious. Holy Spirit, Come into my life and make my heart your home in Jesus' name. Amen, Amen, allelujah. The second thing that I want to pray concerning is if you're in the room and you know in that moment, you see it's almost like you could feel like your chest was on fire. And the Lord began to reveal to you things that you need to let go, things that you need to walk away from idols of your heart. He began to reveal to you the areas of your life that is actually darkness, and you seem to have been calling it light. If you're willing to surrender, I want you to meet me at this altar right now, and just come quickly. We'll pray very quickly, very quickly. Thank you Jesus, Thank you, Jesus, Thank you Lord. Very quickly, very quickly, Holy Spirit, have your way, have your way, Thank you Lord. You see for some of you, it it could even be. There's almost like these toxic patterns in your life, toxic patterns. When the Lord opened my eyes to see. Leeches on your hand, can you imagine calling a leech a gift? Something that is draining life out of you, and that is what you call a gift. There are these toxic patterns that you keep allowing in your life. And the reason is also because there are areas in your life that have been bound by shame and guilt, and so you begin to believe that this is the best there is. There are things that the enemy constantly brings to accuse you, and because of his accusations, you start to believe that your life is not worth it. You see, the. Area that is a battle filled spiritually is the mind where the enemy always strikes is your thoughts, Because how can you receive what God wants to get if you don't believe you're worth it. How can you receive that this is a gift God. Has concerning your life, that this war God spoke concerning you is actually who you are. If you're plagued by shame, you see in God there is no condemnation. The spirit of God does not work through shame. He works through conviction, and conviction is positive. Conviction reveals to you where the problem was, but then it shows you there is a way out. Conviction tells you, hey, I know you're stuck right here, but you can't do something. The Bible says, repent, turn the other way, and God will continue to walk with you. He would receive you like nothing ever happened. But where the enemy works, it is condemnation. Hey, because you did that, you're no good. Nothing can come out of this. But then Jesus even modeled it himself. Jesus came from Nazareth, the place that they said no good thing comes out from. He modeled that what man, when people, when society, when life's experiences say you're no good? That is where he begins his work. Don't allow shame and condemnation. And I don't know who this is for, but I'm seeing a woman and it could be a particular woman or the woman represents many where an abortion has kept you trapped in shame and you feel as though there is it has been the thing that has kept you in living in a lesser version of your life because you feel as though God, this thing I did and was silent about, there's no way you could use me. There's nothing that could come out of me. I want to tell you this, God's voice would never be against you, and God did not create you to be against yourself. Whenever those thoughts come up, you have to know this is straight from the enemy. He is called the accuser of the brethren. His job is to accuse you. His job is to make you feel unworthy because in that posture of unworthiness, you can receive from God. That's why the Bible says we should. Come bold before the throne. You can't come bold while feeling unworthy. Your worthiness has nothing to do with you. It has everything to do. With what Jesus did on the cross for you. When you feel like you're not good enough, it's almost like you're putting Jesus on the cross again, like his sacrifice was not worth it, because on the cross he became everything that should keep you bound, and he killed it on the cross so that you will know how to live in freedom and how to experience the life God truly has for you. So if I'm talking to you and you're still in your seats, come on down, come on down, come on down. Thank you Lord, Thank you Lord, Thank you Lord, Thank you Lord, Thank you Jesus, Thank you Jesus. You're not unworthy. You made some mistakes, you did something in darkness, but that's why the Lord causes you to come out of darkness into. His marvelous light. The Lord does not keep you in darkness. He recognizes the darkness and that's why he has the power to bring you out of it. And how does he do this his word. The Bible says the entrance of his word gives lights. When you begin to sit with the Lord, when you begin to stay in the place of intimacy with Jesus, he will show you who you really are, and that every time that you felt unworthy, you felt shame, you would know that that was just a tactic of the enemy. So I want us to pray. Just lift up your hands, Heavenly Father, we thank you for. Meeting us in this room. We thank you Lord, Jesus for your daughters, that as they are coming before you saying, Lord, this is an idol that I am willing to surrender, empower them, give them the grace to lay it down. And I thank you Lord, that even where unworthiness has become an idol, it has become the thing that they are defined by because of a lie told by the enemy. That that mistake they can never survive it, that that mistake they cannot grow out of it. Lord, you are the same God that uses the foolish things to confound the wise. There is no one that is too far gone from your side. And so Heavenly Father, I thank you that every demonic chadter be broken right now in Jesus' name, every demonic narrative. We silence your voice right now in the name of Jesus. They would begin to receive your words concerning them, and they would live from it. They would live from the place of your presence, and from the place of your revealed word. Have your way in and through their lives. In Jesus' mighty name, we pray, Amen, Amen,