Tri-State District Youth Retreat Night 2
by DeMikale Knowles
First Apostolic Church of Maryville (Maryville, TN)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: Daniel 10:12, Daniel 1

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/demikale-knowles--tri-state-district-youth-retreat-night-2
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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Oh, come on, Zion. Clap them hands together one more time unto the Lord. Oh, come on. I need somebody that's been redeemed by the blood of the lamb. If you're on your way to heaven, I can't help but to hear somebody in my ear say, "I'm just a weary pilgrim traveling my last mile home." I don't know about you, but I'm thankful I'm looking to a city. Amen. There stands Jesus and mom and dad waiting there for me when I cross that river. It'll be worth it all to me. And I'm thankful. I thank the Lord. Amen. That when I was redeemed, it wasn't just through word. Amen. But it was through deed being buried in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. I can't help but to think about that old song that Amen. when I went down in that watery grave. I went down as day Michael knows but I came up day Michael Jesus knows why. Amen. Because I laid off that old coat and I put on the new and I thank him and I honor the Lord. Amen. For that. Amen. Clap your hands together as you're being seated. One more time unto the Lord. Amen. We thank him. Amen. For what we feel. Can we give honor where honor is due? Amen to our superintendent and our bishop. Come on, can we clap our hands together? Amen. For Bishop Carpenter and Lady Carpenter. Honor the Lord for them. Thank God. Amen. For their leadership. Amen. And honor God. Amen. For the assignment that rest upon him. That's not just a voice. Amen. To my generation. Amen. But a voice, amen, to this movement of Pentecost. Amen. And we honor the Lord for that. We thank God. Amen. What about Amen. Our superintendent of the tri-state. Amen. Pastor Mark Mcool. Amen. We honor the Lord for him. And Lady Mcool. Amen. Thank God. Amen. For our youth president. Come on, Pastor Hammond. Oh yes. You could do better than that. We honor the Lord. Honor the Lord for him. Lady Hammond. Thank God. Amen. For brother Nolan. Amen. And sister Flenry. Come on, clap our hands together for him. Amen. Brother and sister Vicar. Thank God for them. Honor the Lord. Amen. For all that God is doing. And Amen. I believe I look back and seen our national secretary. We thank God. Amen. For our youth secretary, Brother Mcool. Come on, clap your hands together for him. Amen. We honor God. Amen. For him. Amen. And every pastor. Amen. In your respect to places. We give honor to you. Every youth pastor. Amen. And youth leader. We thank God for you. I honor the Lord. Amen. For my beautiful bride that does not stand behind me but beside me. Amen. As we travel this country preaching a word of holiness and righteousness to a lost and dying world. And we thank God. Amen. For that. that honor the Lord for my baby girls. Amen. And our third blessing on the way. Amen. Grab your Bibles quickly. I don't tend to be before you long, but I believe the spirit of the Lord wants to talk to us tonight if we have an ear to hear what the spirit of the living God has to say unto the church. If you could stand for the reading and the reverence of God's word. And while you're standing, what about this praise team and these musicians? Oh yes. Thank God. Thank God for them. Honor the Lord. Amen. And I concur with Amen. Pastor Nolan. Amen. We thank God for the gift. Amen. Of Pastor Whitley. Amen. Thank God for the singing that we heard. Amen. And I'm telling you, if you didn't feel that, the old-timers said, "Your woods wet." Amen. But I'm thankful, amen, that I felt that good Holy Ghost. Amen. As they were singing, Amen. in that simmonic selection, we thank God. Amen. For that, the book of Daniel. The book of Daniel. Book of Daniel, chapter 10. One verse in your hearing. One verse in your hearing. Verse 12. And the Bible now gave us this intelligence. Then said he unto me, "Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that thou did set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words." May the Lord add a blessing to the reading and the hearing of his word. Set your Bibles down. Set your devices down. And can you lift your hands and lift your voice one more time? And let's ask the Holy Ghost to talk to us. Father, Savior, God, before we ask you for anything, we thank you for everything. We thank you for the gift of the Holy Ghost. We thank you for your power divine. We thank you that last night was not our last night. But God, we gather here in this tri state with one purpose, and that's to hear a word from you. Lord, draw us to a place in you that we're no longer satisfied, but we desire and yearn to go deeper in your presence. Oh, come on students, lift your voice right now, all across this room. Lord, we ask for your power to be manifested amongst us. Lord, say what you want to say. Do what you want to do. We thank you for the Holy Ghost that we feel in this room. We pray tonight that if there be a student or an individual that's lost without you, let them ask the question, "What must I do to be saved?" Lord, we pray tonight we could tell them, amen, to repent and to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of all of their sin. We pray tonight if there be one that is seeking for the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Fill them with dunamis power from on high. Would never fail to give you the praise, the glory, and the honor in Jesus' name. And the church of the living God can shout amen and amen. Clap them sanctified hands together like the devil's head is in between them as you're being seated in the house of the Lord. If I could preach to you for a few moments with the help of the Holy Ghost, I want to leave you with this thought. Speak up. Lean over to a neighbor and say, "Hey neighbor, speak up." My brothers and my sisters, on the onset of this exposition, if you will, you must understand that to be a generation that loves prayer and fasting isn't to bring glamour to your works, but rather to be consecrated in prayer and fasting is to bring glory to your willingness. These are times of uncertainty and major inconsistencies that leave one with the question, is the glory that we produce in our worship for God or is it for glamour? We have prompted and promoted glory to be about highlights rather than honor, reals rather than reverence, showmanship rather than sincerity, obstinate towards submission rather than obedient. And I fear that if we're not careful as a generation of millennials that we we have started viewing promotion as access rather than availability. You desire glory but you dread sacrifice. You desire glory but want to benefit rather than be earned. The glory comes with the cost my brothers and sisters. And though the hour that we live in has moved swiftly where there is very little talk about heaven and hell moving away from esquetology and eternal life. the the conversation must return that we need the presence of God more now than we ever have before. We're consumed with daytoday life, our achievements, our successes and uh that we can acquire while on this earth. But it seems as if there's very little preparation for the coming of his return and the glory that wants to be revealed to a generation of disciples and doubters. However you want to look at this, this world is coming to an end. And my brothers and sisters, I must state again that above all else, we need the presence of God. You could feel this atmosphere, the weight that it abounds, the fulfillment of scripture where Matthew says wars and rumors of wars, famine and pestilence in the land, mothers against daughters and fathers against sons, and the love of many waxing cold. The the scriptures are being fulfilled right before our eyes. In this uh we must turn to the pages that have been given to us as prophetic tools and insight written by God through his spokesmen, his prophets and propheticesses and ancient voices that spoke for the present times. They would declare back then what would happen now and what it is to come. That scripture says that we have a more sure word of prophecy. the teachings of the scripture, the revelation of Yeshua, Jesus the Christ manifested in flesh, dwelling among men, who said that these times would come. My brothers and sisters, students and elders, we must prepare for what is now, what is next, and what shall be. It's the preparation that comes from the study of scripture. It tells us the history of who our God is. We have to understand that he's more than a man of the figment of our imagination, but he is the God of ages. Uh he is our hope for years to come. He is our shelter in the time of storm. He is our ancient of days. He is our eternal home. Uh God who was before there was a God of present help in times of need. God the King of glory. He he is wonderful and counselor and prince of peace and almighty God. Uh but you must understand that we find oursel uh in a perplexed state of mind in the times that we're living in. Uh as we see the signs of the times uh times of travesty and devastation. I can look to the text that told me uh that he is the glory and the lifter of my head. this story that looks bad and a world that is growing dim. It will not end with our defeat. Uh it will not end with our dismay. But it will end with a generation that shall be held his glory. And I come to tell you uh in 2026 uh tri-state district uh the worst is not ahead but the best is yet to come. I believe tonight that there is a generation that says, "When everything else falls, uh, when everything else crumbles, uh, I will look unto the heels, uh, which cometh my help, uh, that I'm not a weak generation. I'm not a generation that's forsaken, but I will be one." Uh, that's like a tree planted by the water. I shall not be moved. Uh, he's not going to rain. He already reigns. Uh because he already reigns. That means I could trust uh what's happening in our world today. Uh I could trust him. Uh because I know the outcome is not the end. Uh but the outcome is what he promised. Uh that in the last days uh saith God. Uh I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh. Uh that means broke flesh. Uh that means rich flesh. Uh, that means black flesh. Uh, that means white flesh. Uh, that means Asian flesh. Uh, I don't care what side of the track you grew up on. Uh, when his spirit begins to fall, he said it's a promise. Uh, it's a mandate that I bring unto you uh, this greater comforter called the gift of the Holy Ghost. uh that in a world that is rocking and rolling, uh I don't care what they tell you down the road, uh the church is still growing. Uh the church is still alive. Uh there is a generation uh that desires holiness that desires separation. Uh that desires the deeper things of God. Uh I wonder right now, can you lift your handshake up? I'm speaking up for this generation. Uh come on. We're not dead. Uh we're not weak. Uh we're not anemic. Uh but we're powerful. We're mightyuh we will be they that turn the world upside down for the glory and the power of God. Hallelujah. You have to prophesy sometimes. Amen. To your circumstance. He's already made me a promise that glory will come to them that are seeking. Push your neighbor like you mean it and say, "Speak up." There's a process before the glory of promotion. There's a test before the glory of triumph. The art of waiting is knowing how to preoccupy my time by working and laboring until the glory comes. Some trust in horsesh. Others trust in chariots, but we will remember uh the name of the Lord as we begin to view the text. The book of Daniel opens up in a world where kings parade their might, empires roared, earthly rulers flexed their thrones which were temporal. This parigopy of scripture showed us uh that no matter how loud this king uh come on and kingdoms boast they were still subject and subdued by the sovereignty of the almighty God. Babylon rises but as soon as it rises it fail. God permitted its rise and God ordered its fall. Nebuchadnezzar conquered only because God allowed it. Armies marched. Nations fell, rulers decreed, kingdoms expanded, but it only happened because God allowed it. The Babylonians trusted in Mardut. The Philistines trusted in Deon. The Canaanites clung to Bale. The Hittites and Gosites trusted in their false gods of antiquity. They all trusted deities uh that supposed to bring strength that they could not survive contact with the true and living God. Yet our God introduced us to Moshe in the first book of the ancient text when he said in the beginning Elohim. I'm starting to get happy. I got to lay this foundation. But I feel a preach on me right now. He said Elohhe in the beginning. Elohim is magistrate or judge. He has the first and final say. Uh he has the highest seat in the order of any kingdom. His word is the final authority. He said, "I declare the end from the beginning." If he started it, the enemy cannot stop it. He might attempt to slow it down, but he cannot shut it up. Oh, somebody better speak up right now because I recognize uh what God called me for. Uh I will not be silenced. Uh I will not be shut up. But I will declare and decree that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church. For the church is righteous. The church is holy. The church is standing upon a rock. I got to speak up and declare that what he spoken uh it's already done. It shall not fall to the ground because the book of numbers declared that God is not a man that he should lie. Come here, brother Isaiah. He said, "So shall it beh the words that come out of my mouth," Somebody say, "Speak up. The words uh that come out of my mouth uh shall not return to you void. Uh whatever God says uh it's loaded with productivity. Oh, whatever God said it's loaded to be reproduced. When God speaks, he has the power to executed. God said let there be. It's always followed by it was so. Whatever God is wording, God is working. Whatever God is speaking, God is showing. Uh it's impossible for him to talk and creation not to walk. Uh it's impossible. All creations move. When God opens up his mouth, somebody say speak up. When he opens up his mouth, let there be light. Then there was light. When he opens up his mouth, something has to happen. When God's people come together, when he spoke in the beginning, uh, he had your future in mind, uh, if he knows the numbers of starshell heavens and the number of hair on your head, uh, then that tells me uh, even the tiny speckles on the seashore, when he speaks, it shall be done and establish. Somebody say, speak up. You don't believe me? Ask Prophet Jeremiah what Jeremiah told you. I know the thoughts I think towards you. Thoughts of peace and not of evil to bring you to an expected end. Destiny is calling a student tonight. Destiny is calling a young lady, calling a young man to open up your mouth and speak up. speak. Everything attached to revival will always be attached to your mouth. Ah, closed mouth, closed door, wide mouth, wide door. That means whatever you speak, it shall be established. That's why we find in scripture that it said life and death is in the power of your tongue. Your tongue has the ability to speak into the cosmos that as the cosmos comes in line with eternity something clashes and something has to happen because my words have effect on what I see and what I don't see. That's why he said you got to call those things that are not as though they were because my mouth when I speak up. Something has to shift. Something has to turn in my favor. I wonder if you could grab your neighbor and shake your neighbor's hand like you're going to shake it off and say, "Neighbor, if you need a healing, speak up. If you need deliverance, speak up. If you need breakthrough, speak up. If you need God to move for your family, speak up. It's in your mouth. It's in your mouth. In my mouth is joy. In my mouth is glory. In my mouth is power. Hallelujah. >> I'm telling you, I feel in the Holy Ghost. Somebody's going to leave here tonight knowing you're not just another number. You're not just another student, but God has created you to speak into existence. Well, preacher, you don't know. My home's in chaos. All around me is drugs and alcohol. You speak up and something's got to move. Well, preacher, I come from a long line of alcoholics. Oh, you speak up and it's got to break when you open up your mouth because God has commanded you, >> speak up. >> Hallelujah. >> Feel the Holy Ghost. I'm telling you, I'm not trying to be spooky tonight, but I'm telling you, I feel like a dove is being loosed in this room tonight to remind a young person when you open up your mouth, he'll take your request and put it with his commandment and something has to happen. You have to speak up. >> There's too much word over your life not to speak what's in you. I've got hope and a future. Hallelujah. I said, "I've got hope in the future because Elohim, who orchestrates all things, causing the cosmos to come into existence by his word. By his word, by his word, by his word, by his word. What are you saying, Elohim? He cannot show up without meeting your word. Because when I open my mouth and praise, something steps in the room. Yes, God. I feel old time Pentecost on me tonight. I come to tell somebody that when Elohim shows up, the word's got to go up. When Elohim shows up, something has to move across the face of the watersh. You're not going to die. It's not over. But my word uh shall be forever settled uh in heaven. Lift your hands right now. I feel the Holy Ghost in this tabernacle. Some of you are trying to figure out what's happening in this moment. I'll tell you what the book of Genesis said. He braw. Oh, he created out of none into existing materials shaping galaxies calling forth reality out of his own will. He is God. Every false deity is a less deity. Every idol is a false imitation. Every manufactured God is a powerless figure carved out of your human imagination. I stay gone. one encounter with the presence of God with the word of God. It caused him to thaw down and to break his arms and his face. They God's arms were too short to box with your God. I'm trying to tell you that when God shows up, the word made flesh, dwelling among men, I feel like telling somebody, if you want power, if you want victory, let Elohim, let Elohim, let the word, let the word in the beginning was the word in the beginning was the word. It'll never lose its power. It'll never lose its dominion. The word, >> no power, >> no authority. No matter who is in the midst of your circumstance, I know who's on the throne. The theme of the sovereignty of God saturates the book of Daniel one through the end. Every narrative becomes a declaration. Are you hearing me? Speak up. So from Daniel 1 all the way to the end, something happens. You know what happens? It's the word that begins to speak. Come on. That from Daniel one all the way to the end that a declaration that God rules and no earthly power can overturn what he has ordained. Book of Daniel is not a collection of inspiring narratives. It is a theological proclamation. A theological proclamation. A proclamation to speak up. God, I feel his help. a proclamation that as he speaks something has to happen that no ruler, no culture, no kingdom, nor seen or unseen attack can challenge or stop the power of God. Can I tell you there was a banner in the time of war that presents itself in chapter one? You see the sovereignty of God over systems and outcomes. Daniel named amongst three other boys who were chaldans. I'm moving quick. Many of you know about the three Hebrew boys. But tonight with the help of the Holy Ghost, I want to bring to your attention a dialect that happened here. They had been brought into Babylonian systems by the order of Nebuchadnezzar. His order was that they would bring the chiefs and the choices of these Chaldans. They were welllearned in science. They were welllearned in mathematics of the subjects with great knowledge. He brought the cream of the crop if you will out of Judah to Babylon. He wanted to use God's people to promote and prosper his system. The first thing Nebuchadnezzar does is change their name. We referred to him as Shadrach, Meach, and Abedneo. But the reality is the pagan system wanted to change their posture and their personality. I need you to hear me, student. What the enemy wants to do. He doesn't necessarily want to take you out the church. He'll get you while you're here. He wants to change your personality and he wants to change your posture. He doesn't necessarily cause you uh to backslide and openly rebel against your men of God against your leadership and your authority. No. He said, "If I could just get them where they are, if I could just come and sit by them in the middle of church, I'll try to change their personality. I'll try to change their posture. Oh, but I wonder if I got some Holy Ghost troopersh that'll stand up and declare you can change my name, but you cannot change my nature. Haniah, Mishael and Aariah, Daniel is Belchazar. These names they receive in Babylonian systems is a very reflection of their corrupt culture. The Bible declared that they aren't the only Chaldans there. There was a hundred of them, many of them that were there. When we're introduced to these boys in the text were brought to these boys, come on. As they're on trial, they're not the only ones from Judah. Ah, they are the only ones, however, that spoke up that said, "The meat smells good. The wine looks good, but I refuse to take of the king's meat and to take of the king's drink. They spoke up. Oh yes. They took liberties. You got to understand why in the world did the scripture take time to carve out these three boys when there was many of them that came? It's because when they spoke up, they done what the others didn't do. When the others left home, uh, come on. When the students, uh, left home from under the protection of their men of God, uh, come on, of their leadership of their parents, uh, they took liberties that they didn't normally take. Can I tell somebody tonight you got to be careful in an environment that wants you to take liberties uh that when liberties that you never took before that you would never even take in front of your pastor that when those liberties come you stand up and speak up and say I've been liberated by the power of God. I've been liberated by the glory of God. I've been liberated to walk right talk right on because 99 and a half won't do tell your neighbor I don't want liberties I want liberation one of the reasons there's a percentage of this this new age of millennials that aren't is effective. I want you to look around. It done my so well to see many generals that we hold to high regard and high esteem that's here in this building tonight. They'll tell you that they had flaws in their generation as well. But one thing that I have noticed, Bishop Carpenter, in 27 years of living is something different about your generation is they wasn't scared to come to an altar and say this is me. Now in my generation, we have tried to live for the applaud of menuh that instead of coming to get freedom, we'd rather sit back, come on, in fear. But can I help somebody tonight? It's not the will of God uh for you to stay stuck where you are. It's the will of God uh for you to say, "God, uh there's things in me that's not like God, and if I'm never going to get it right, uh I got to lay it on the altar. You listen to me, young man. You listen to me, young lady. You must have a fear of God >> more than you fear man. >> Your fear of God should outweigh any type of emotions that you have >> because if we don't have the fear of God >> Yes sir. will become just like them Chaldans that came. >> They were one thing in Judah, >> but a different thing in Babylon. >> Yes, sir. >> It wasn't because they didn't have truth, because they were trained, >> are you hearing me? They knew better. >> They had the knowledge. But somewhere they stop speaking up >> sir >> because acceptance has become the norm where the approval of his strength >> has become a back burner. I need you to hear my heart right now. And I feel the Holy Ghost ministering in this moment to somebody. You say you know God, but if we were to interview him tonight, >> does he know you? God, I laid hands in your name. >> I've been buried in the only saving name under the sun. >> I got the gift of the Holy Ghost. He's asking some of you tonight. It's not the fact that you don't have the essentials. I want to know, do you have the stability? Can I tell you, I love talking in tonesues. I love hearing saints talk in tonesues. It does something to me. I'm tell I could wake up to talking in tonesues. Come on. And it put a smile on my face. And you see my pearly white teeth. But at the end of the day, brother Hammond, if I got tongues but no discipline and stability, why do I have it? God's asking some student right now. Come on. You thought you had it hidden. You thought you had it together, but you're on a slippery slope, my friend. The devil didn't pull you out of church. He's reeling you and baiting you in here because you failed to speak up against what you know is right. >> I need you to catch this. This revelation hit me. Brother Fallon, they all traveled together from Judah. Why did something in them, Pastor Nolan, not say if I don't get this thing right, I'm going to start indulging in things that my flesh was disciplined to never touch >> when I get there. I I I need you to hear me, my brothers and sisters. The devil isn't concerned about killing you on the spot. No, you hear this young preacher right now. The devil just wants to get in your diet and change what you desire for your appetite. If he could start sliding little things in there and little things in over here, before you know it, you meal prepped. Come on. You You had the armor of God. You'd wake up every morning praying and asking God to be with you on your day when you went to school. And come on, keep me, God. Come on. Keep me during the day at school and keep me after school. Let me be a witness to somebody. Come on. But eventually you stopped praying before your day started and you started pretending because you said, "What's the use of doing what I've always done if they won't notice the difference?" But I tell you, my friend, you'll always know the difference in a saint of God by what they crave. Uh you might not eat it in front of us tonight. Uh but eventually uh when the enemy starts knocking on your door at 2:00 in the morning uh and your mom is asleep and your daddy is asleep and your man of God's not around uh to keep you accountable. What are you craving? What are you indulging in? Uh because I'm telling somebody the devil wants you to feel royal. That's why he didn't change the scene. He said come on to my table. You can eat at my table. And the danger of acceptance is you'll become vulnerable where you're not disciplined. >> He didn't change the table for them young boys. No, >> he made them feel important. And if the enemy can make you feel justified, >> you'll start questioning the guidelines of what's been sent to keep you safe. I feel the Holy Ghost right now. I feel like God's trying to talk to a student. Well, preacher, does it really matter? I'll tell you why. Because we're in a safety net. So, if our man of God tells us something that we don't understand or don't like, come on. It's not for us to push, come on, closer to the edge. It's for us to say, you know what? I might not understand it, but I'm going to do it anyway. I might not like it, but I'mma do it anyway. Because the safety netuh is not to just keep you in church. It's to keep your appetite the same. >> What does your appetite look like? Oh God, >> somewhere I got to say, God, if I'm going to be a disciplined student, I need to make sure that I am pure in my attitude, my motives, my heart. Because consecration, I dare to say, young people should not be an event that we do at the beginning of a year >> or the end of a year going into another year. >> Consecration should be an an experience, a lifestyle. something that we live out >> because we want to. >> It's receiving the power of God in private so that it could be shown in public. Consecration is consistent discipline of choices and a relation to the directives and orders of God. You have to choose it every day. Young person, hear me. We don't just wake up and just have it. We have to choose it even when our flesh doesn't want to. You have to understand that more than anything, I must be challenged to be changed. by the power of God. Here it is. The text declared that these boys made a choice. When they arrived, the king offered them meats and drinks and comfortability. But Daniel had a revelation. These meats and drinks have been a resort of pagan altars. These drinks have been mixed with the blood of human and animal sacrifices. It wasn't just a drink, young people. It was a defilement to what their God hated. We got to start hating what God hates >> and love what God loves. I know I didn't come with a grand, come on, a grand message that'll make you spell wow backwards. Come on. But I come with the simplicity, come on, of what God spoke to me in prayer for the tri-state district. When we start loving what God loves, uh when we start hating what God hates, uh we will be an unmoved generation. Uh that hell can throw it tricks. Uh but we can look back and say uh devil tricks are for kids. Uh I've made up my mind. I'm not going anywhere but I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Brothers and sisters, getting ready to land this plane. But you have to understand, we have to get to a place where we have to make up our mind that our appetite for God is more than our appetite for fleshly desires. Your bellies become your God. Your carnal desires drive your destiny. Oh, but I'm only hungry for God. I'll die before I partake. But the king's meat and king's drink I've made up in my mind. There's just some things I won't eat. Come on. And I'm telling you, God has tked us, come on, to travel, to travel this world, preaching the greatest message that there ever was since the apostles doctrine. And you could tell, come on. I'm not a picky eater. Come on. But there's some things, my friend, uh, you just got to make up in your mind, uh, I will not eat. Uh, I will not put it to my lips. Uh, I will not put it in my spirit. Come on. It might not be sin. Uh, but is it a weight that I keep you from going closer to God? Come on. It might not be something. Come on. That tears you apart. Come on. in the beginning but somewhere when you become disciplined uh you say I'm come on my appetite uh is in a place uh that if God required it in Judah he requires it in Babylon my consecration is too consistent to give up to profane ideology and idolatry tell your neighbor not perfection but decision. >> Denying myself and denying my flesh. >> Yes sir. >> Environment should never hear me student. Environment should never change our devotion. Opportunities should never change our devotion. Can I say that again? Opportunities should never change our devotion. >> Environments should never change our devotion. >> Cuz when it's devotion, it's a priority. >> I said it's a priority. They're not eating. New meal. Come to the music softly. Feel like we have built to this moment. >> God wants to touch us tonight. >> If you've not heard nothing I've said all night, hear this preacher tonight. They're not eating Bishop Carpenter a new meal. They're eating the same thing they've always ate before they got to Babylon. They told the keeper of the Unix, watch this, indulge us. Let us keep eating what we've been eating for the next 10 days. And at the end of the 10 days, Pastor Hammond, they got to that 10th day, here's the power of the text. I want you to hear it. Our Bible said they were fairer. I feel the Holy Ghost. They They were fairer. That word fair in the Greek speaks of their countenance, their external projection. Hallelujah. Their skin look good and smooth. Their skin done what all they can't do. Oh, come on. Come on, young people. Come on. Come on. Their skin looked better than what Accutane. Come on. Can't do why. Come on. Because somewhere ah they were radiant. They were glowing. God, I feel the Holy Ghost. Come on. They look like they went through detox of the glory. I I come to ask a young person right now. I come to ask an elder right now. When's the last time you went through detox of the glory? Oh, come on. When's the last time what was in you uh it couldn't stay there because when you showed up in his presence, his presence begin to drain you uh of everything that wasn't like God. I'm telling you, I've been sent on assignment. Come on, to talk to the tri state. You know what we need? We need a detox of the glory. We need a detox of his power. We need a detox of his presence. >> Everyone resting on your feet. Here it is. Brother Sullivan, scripture didn't make a mistake. Here's what it said next. They were fatter after they detox. Now, I I'm not calling none of you big. And husbands, you better not. Come on, look over at your neighbor if your wife's by you and say what I just said. >> Cuz I assure you, you'll be in the doghouse and I'm not coming to get you cuz you just didn't hear me. They were fatter. Al and I I like to ask the the text questions here. Here was my question to the text. If they went on a detox and they went on a fast, why are they bigger? Because if you read scripture, in fact, if they were eating other king's meats, I would see where the meat with protein would put on some healthy pounds and the sugar in the wine that the king gave and offered them would put on some pounds. But they said, "No." What was it? These other people been eating meat and drinking wine full of sugar. That's fattening food. By virtue, they should be fatter. At the end of the 10th, the boys who didn't change their diet. They were more fat and bloated. How do you gain weight on a diet? How do you get bigger on a diet? I'll tell you why. Here it is. You ready? This is getting ready to blow your mind. Th This is a revelatory, Come on. theological bubble bust. Are you ready? Here's why. They were doing what they've always been doing. >> All right. >> They were consistent >> and what they allowed in their temple. Because they said, "Even though I'm away from home, home's not away from me." >> Even though I'm away from the altar, I didn't just build it in Judah. I built it in me. Come on. I didn't just have a worship in Judah. Woo. No. Worship was a part of me. It was a part of my DNA. It was a part of my lineage. Come on. I didn't just have consistency in Judah. I had it in Babylon. I'm doing what I've always been doing. Oh, see we shout for the vicers. Scripture saying that they stood up and spoke up. And if not, that's what we what shout were on the floor. And that's good. >> But let's look at the meat of the text. Before they got to that place, somebody had to make up their mind. They were going to speak up in private before they spoke up in public. I'm telling you, I I'm speaking I'm speaking to a generation. Come on. The greatest tool that the enemy can do to a generation is silence you. But when you make up your mind, I'm going to speak up. >> I might can get away with it and my man of God never know it. >> Come on, hear me. I might could do it and mama and daddy never find out. But when you've been consecrated, liberties that the world offers, it's no longer viewed as freedom. It's viewed as a liability to who God's called you to be. The liberties of the world must be a liability to you. I said the liberties of this world, young person, must be a liability to you. What's that mean? That means I can risk it, but it's not worth it. I can do it, but it's not worth it because my appetite is to please God. Here it is. text said that when they spoke up they were fear. Nebuchadnezzar said, "All right, I'm throwing you that fiery furnace. You've heard this story whether in BBS or growing up in church. Those that haven't, let me wrap this up in a quick paricopy of scripture." He threw them in. He looked and seen that it hadn't affected them. He sent his guard to turn it up seven times hotter. But here's the beauty of them speaking up with an appetite to please God. They were willing to go because I may come out. I may not come out. But if I don't be it known, >> we got to get that attitude in this generation. Be it known. I don't care what you say about me. You can talk about me. You can make fun of me. Be it known. I'm sold out. Chapter five. Find them under the rebellion. As Daniel said, I have to pray. I be known. Time won't allow me tonight to really dive in to Daniel. But when Daniel's told not to pray, he prayed anyway. Time we get to chapter 6. God was sovereign over Daniel. He was in danger, needed deliverance. He was thrown in the den of the lions, looking like a two-piece canes mill to them lions. God said, "Your consecration, I've seen it. Now I'm going to use what should devour you to deliver you. God can satisfy the soul. God satisfied the lion because he created it. Daniel was lying between the lions. But then we seen a sovereignty again in chapter 7. Pastor Ericson, we see the sovereignty of God. His dominion is transferred to the son of man whose kingdom will not pass away. Chapter nine, we see the sovereignty of God again. Daniel has the revelation. He sees prophetic insight about the future. Chapter 10, we see a window of prophetic demonstration. Here it is. When we combined our consecration with intercession, we talked about prayer last night and I felt to stay in this vein tonight when consecration is attached to intercession. will find Daniel in chapter 10 seeking God. He saw things pertaining to esquetology, those those things that were to come. And Daniel knew not the understanding of what he saw. But 21 days, he added to his consecration a fast. The Bible declared that on that fast he ate no choice food. The liberties he could have taken, he resisted them. 21 days he sought God. When he was seeking, he heard no response. The word for prayer in the Hebrew is to follow, to intercede, to make supplication, to make worshipful conversation. Watch this. Intentional communication. The word for prayer in the Greek is prozzuk. Face-to-face exchange, a posture of surrender. Prayer is not random speech, but prayer is defined dialogue. It's divine dialogue that when I open up my mouth and I speak up Jesus, he was in Gethsemane. He prouced. He said, "I didn't want to do this, but if you can let this cup pass from me," prayer brought him to a placeh where he said, "Nevertheless, that I will be done." talking to a young person right now. You've not really prayed until God turns your rebellion into obedience. >> You you you've not really tapped in, come on, to a vain of prayer, come on, into your rebellion. Come on, you do what you want to do. When I'm grown, I do it anyway. Come on. No. When God gets a hold of your rebellion and turns it into obedience, he said that's when you prayed. You prayed when you didn't want to. But when you prayed, you yielded your flesh to an altar. You've not really prayed until God turns the things you don't want to do into things you want to do. Here it is. Those of you taking notes, prayer isn't about getting heaven to change. It's about getting my desires to come in sync with what God is saying. Prayer doesn't move God. Prayer moves us. Prayer harmonizes us. Time kisses the eternal. And whatever's been held up has to be released. I was praying and the spirit of the Lord spoke to me. He said, "You tell the tri-state. I'm not making them another generation that just voices and just speaks up. No, I'm making them a generation that's in sync with my glory. Man, I'm telling you, I feel this in the Holy Ghost. Come on. He said, you tell the tri state tonight, come on. Well, when we gather together at functions like this and at Strong Tower, come on. There's going to be many people come, come on, from different apostolic reformations. But you know what I heard the Lord say in prayer? He said, "You tell the tri-state the reason why they're going to stand out, brother McCoy. When they're the first up in the front, when they're the first to lift their hands, and they're the ones to stay on an altar, when everybody else is getting up and going to play games, you know why I'm wanting to make triate different? Because they're going to be in sync with my power. They're going to be in sync with my glory. They don't want another performance. Uh they want the presence of God. They don't want another performance, but they want the glory of God. I come to prophesy in the Holy Ghost over tri state tonight. I know I know you thought this was another Friday night, but God sent me here to tell this assembly that he wants you to be in sync with his presence. You can't be satisfied. You can't be satisfied. Come on. I'm seeing tears all across this room. Come on. If you got to push in here, push in here. If you got to find your face, find your face. Come on. I need a brother to link up with a brother. Sister, link up with a sister. But I'm telling you, I feel a drawing right now. I feel a deep uh calling under deep. Uh I said I feel a deep uh calling under deep. Uh there's a young man tonight. You said, "God, I don't want the gifts. I want to be in sync with your presence." Uh there's a young lady tonight. You say, "God, I don't want the gifts. I want to be in sync." Come on, Tri State. Come on, Tristate. I want to be in sync with your presence. from the first day, Daniel, that you prayed. I heard you. Speak up. Come on. God's touching this generation right now. God's touching your youth group right now. Come on. Speak up. Speak up, young man. Speak up, young lady. Pray. Pray without ceasing. Pray without ceasing. Pray without ceasing. Come on, somebody needs to pro right now. Come on, somebody needs a proc right now. I got to meet God face to face. I got to meet God face to face. That's it.