And He Knew Not

I have a targeted audience. I have a uh the Lord just I feel orchestrates these special special first families to challenge and equip our families. And I I do step behind this sacred desk tonight with a with a heavy word with a word from the Lord for this night and for us as a people. Um I could not shake what I felt uh this week and then Aresh in prayer today as God would to help me put together what he would have for us tonight. Didn't Didn't Bishop bless us this weekend? Didn't brother Huntley just bless us?

How many of you still got a God can? God will. God is. It's in our spirits. We're going to carry that through the rest of this year. What a phenomenal phenomenal weekend we had. Thank you for being here and blessing with your worship. just the whole atmosphere of the day. Judges chapter 16. Judges chapter 16 and verse 20. And she said, "The Philistines be upon thee, Samson." And he awoke out of his sleep and said, "I will go out as at other times." Somebody say, "Before." Before. I will go out as other times before. and shake myself.

And he wished not that the Lord was departed from him. Wow. There are few verses in scripture that I feel are as chilling as those words. and he whisked not that the Lord was departed from him. I want to preach to you just for a little while if you'll lock in and go with me on a little bit of a journey from this title. And he knew not and he knew not. Would you pray right now? Lord, I come before you and I ask that your anointing would be rich in this house as I know I have felt in private dedication and private prayer.

God, I stand humbly before your your people and ask God for your guidance and your anointing upon me. And God, I pray you anoint not only my mind, my heart, my spirit. God, I want to speak as you have given it to me. But God, I want the soil of everyone's heart and spirit to be prepared to receive the word of God in this house. It's in Jesus name we pray. And everybody say, "Amen." Hallelujah. If you're going to help me, you may be seated tonight.

It's been a while since I have been so intrigued with a character in the word of God like I have been this week when I began to study and reflect uh upon the life of of a man that stands paramount in the word of God. If I were to say the name Samson, uh most of you would would recognize the name. You may not know all the things that he did and how God anointed him. But tonight, I want to I want to peel back some layers and try to help you tonight. The Bible says that he was not the Lord was departed from him.

It doesn't say that Samson rebelled in that moment. It doesn't say he cursed God in that moment. It doesn't even say he felt anything in that moment. It simply just says in one translation, he didn't even know. That's probably one of the the most troubling and most thoughtprovoking and uh I I don't even really have the vocabulary to describe the words that I feel of of of when it can be said that he didn't even know the Lord had departed from him.

But when you get the context and you understand the life that had been marked by God from the beginning, you will better understand the the the magnificence of what those words truly represented. Before Samson ever took a breath, God had already written purpose over his life. In the book of Judges chapter 13, an angel appeared to his mother and declared that this child would be a Nazerite from the womb. He would be separated unto God. He would begin to deliver Israel from the Philistines.

He would he he would be best described as a man who wasn't ordinary but a man who was ordained by God. He was anointed with purpose. There were this was the instructions over Samson's life. It was simply no wine, no unclean thing and no razor upon his head. You may say, "Pastor, why the Nazerite vow? Uh why Samson?" Those are those are things that we may not fully know in detail, but he was chosen by God because his strength was tied to his consecration.

His power, which we will see on display as we walk through his life, was directly tied to his consecration unto God. And let me say this very emphatically and clearly, when God calls you, uh, he also claims you. Samson's life teaches us something powerful. You can be gifted by God before you're ever tested by life. That's right. The power of the anointing on Samson's life is so I is so remarkable that when the spirit of the Lord moved upon Samson, he would do what men would look and say in the natural would be impossible. Just imagine with me.

He would tear a lion apart with his bare hands. He would kill 30 men at Ashcolon. Now, this one right here is going to get us, brother Sparks. I being a hunter, being an out there's several outdoorsmen here. He would catch not one fox, not 10 foxes, not 50, not a hundred, 300 foxes. He would catch them and the Bible would say tailtotail, he would tie them and put a firebrand between the two tails. and he literally burned the enemy's field. And when you think that's remarkable, a lion, 30 men, 300 foxes.

Well, let's um let's take the jawbone of a donkey. The jawb something that was dead he would find. and he would slay 1,000 Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey. Goodness. He would carry the gates of Gaza of a up a hill when the spirit of the Lord would come upon him. This was not human strength, church. This was the anointing of God on a man's life who committed his life in consecration unto him. The Bible would say again and again, brother Edwin, the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him. That was the difference maker in Samson's life.

Not talent, not personality, not charisma. It was the spirit of the living God that would move upon him. It was the anointed. It was the anointing that would call him and the anointing that would equip him. But for all his strength outwardly, Samson had weakness inwardly. Samson had an issue with distractions. He had a issue living for God in between the lion and the fox. He had an issue living for God between the battle with 30 and the battle with a thousand. He had an issue living for God between the fire in the field and the gates.

He took up the heel. He had issues living for God in between. And I'm afraid that's where we are many times in life. He was drawn again and again to the wrong things, wrong relationships, wrong desires, wrong environments. He kept getting too close to what God told him to stay away from. YEAH, HE KEPT PLAYING WITH FIRE. YES, to the destruction of the enemy, but eventually the fire that destroyed others, he would have to encounter himself because eventually he would meet a woman by the name of Delilah. That's right. Now, I want you to hear this.

THE ENEMY COULD NOT DEFEAT SAMSON WITH FORCE. RIGHT. SO, he used distraction. Hear me. Not everything that destroys you comes looking like a devil. It doesn't have horns in a pitchfork. It doesn't come out saying, "I'm here to get you. I'm here to destroy you." I wish everyone in this building would look at pastor tonight and understand some things come looking like comfort. It comes looking like pleasure. It comes looking like companionship. It comes looking like relationships. It comes looking like career and busyness.

And uh I'm sure that you can name a few yourself. Uh but it was what I call the slow fade of spiritual sensitivity. Samson didn't lose his anointing in one moment. He didn't lose it in one moment. Samson lost his anointing in increments. He lost it. Every compromise dulled his sensitivity. Every step toward sin made the voice of God quieter until finally until finally Delilah would say the words, "The Philistines be upon thee, Samson." And Samson would say, because this wasn't his first time, I will go out as at other times before.

In other words, I've done this before. I'll be okay. I've done this before. I'll be fine. But this time was different, brother Edwin, because the words would be written and he wished not that the Lord was departed from him. This no doubt is one of the greatest tragedies ever pinned in the word of God. NOT THAT HE LOST HIS STRENGTH, BUT THE FACT HE DID NOT even realize THAT GOD WAS GONE. That's right. He hear me sec families. I felt so stirred today as I prayed and prepared for this night. Uh this isn't just a story of Samson.

This is a warning to us as the apostolic church. Uh this is a warning to me as your pastor. THIS IS AN ANOINTING to this is a warning to every leader in this house. Uh distraction is still one of the enemy's greatest tools. Not always sin that shocks you, but distractions that pull you away, too busy to pray, too distracted to worship, too tired to seek God, too consumed with life to hear his voice. And if we're not careful, we can keep going through the motions.

Still shouting, still dancing, still singing, still preaching, still leading, still attending church, still teaching Sunday school and still teaching youth and still teaching hyphen and still still in the media booth and still in the sound booth, still on the still on the keyboard and the instruments and still singing in the choir. But we don't even realize that the anointing has lifted uh and we don't even know it. I've come to sound the ALARM TO EVERY FAMILY. JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE ANOINTED DOESN'T MAKE YOU INVINCIBLE.

THERE IS A TARGET ON EVERY FAMILY UNDER THE SOUND OF MY VOICE. Just because you have a position in this church DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN'T GET DISTRACTED. SAMSON ENDED UP WHERE HE DID BECAUSE HE DIDN'T PROTECT THE ANOINTING. HE DIDN'T PROTECT THE ANOINTING. The reason, hear me, THE REASON WE ARE WHO WE ARE IS BECAUSE OF THE EMPOWERMENT OF THE HOLY GHOST. It's not in the strength of our talent. I said, I'll sound LIKE A BROKE RECORD. I DON'T CARE HOW GOOD YOU CAN SING. I DON'T CARE HOW GOOD YOU CAN PLAY. I DON'T CARE HOW GOOD WE ARE IN THE NATURAL.

IF WE DON'T HAVE THE ANOINTING OF THE HOLY GHOST, UH, WE'RE NOTHING BUT A COUNTRY CLUB. UH, WE'RE NOTHING BUT A CHURCH GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS. YOUR TALENT CAN'T PRODUCE THE SUPERNATURAL. IT'S THE ANOINTING THAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE. IT'S THE ANOINTING THAT PRODUCES THE FIRE. It's the anointing that destroys the yolks of sin. It's the anointing that sets at liberty the captive. I don't care. I I I I want you to hear me tonight. I hope our services are aired worldwide and I hope people get the Holy Ghost all over the four corners of the world.

I hope people look into who we are as a church. But the day they start looking at us and we look nothing but like a show, God forbid. That's right. But every time they look, they better see fire in the pull pit and fire in the pew. Uh they better see a worship. UH THEY BETTER SEE A HOLY people living righteously and godly UH IN THIS PRESENT WORLD. WE CAN'T GRADUATE TO HAVE A FORM OF GODLINESS BUT NO POWER. HALLELUJAH. We've got to have the anointing. We cannot be powerless as a church. Right. We got to have the power.

When you look at the life of Samson, Samson's story turns tragic. He lost the anoint. He didn't even know. He didn't even know God had departed. His eyes would be gorged out. He would be bound in chains. He would be grinding in prison. The man who once led now labors in captivity. The man once conquered now entertains the enemy. Why? How could a man so powerful fall and be where he was? of my study and my prayer.

The only thing that I can come up with, the only thing, Brother Chris, that I can come up with is because he didn't guard what God gave him. That's right. He didn't guard it. He didn't guard the anointing. My call to our families tonight is to protect what God has given us. If you've ever heard a warning from your pastor, you better hear a warning tonight. Your anointing is worth protecting. I don't care how old you are. I don't care how old you are or how young you are. It does not matter.

If there's an anointing on your life, you better do everything in your power to protect it. That's right. If the hand and the call of God is on your life, you better guard it in prayers and fastings and reading of the word, surrounding yourself with people that are going to fuel and feed that that that desire and that purpose over your life. UH YOUR ANOINTING IS WORTH PROTECTING. AMEN. Your relationship with God is worth fighting for. It's not glamorous. No, you have to come to the church and nobody sees you come to the church.

We get addicted to this sometimes. Amen. We get addicted to a micro. We get addicted to what we feel when people respond and and we see their responses. Uh when we Come on, somebody help me. WE WE WE CAN IF WE'RE NOT CAREFUL UH WE CAN GET ENAMORED BY THAT. BUT I'M PREACHING TONIGHT TO SOME PEOPLE UH THAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE A PRIVATE PRAYER LIFE UH THAT IT'S GOING TO PRESERVE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH God and that anointing uh because your calling IS TOO VALUABLE TO LOSE to distractions. We don't drift into holiness, church.

I'm going to tell you where you drift. You drift into compromise. You don't you just don't by osmosis drift into holiness. No, it's intentional. It's intentional. You make your mind. I'm consecrating myself unto God. I will drift to compromise, but you will not drift into holiness. Being anointed doesn't cancel accountability. It's a call to submission. Samson fell in love with his abilities and lost sight of accountability. That's right. That was one of the downfalls that Samson had. What is it? Oh, God.

I'm telling you in the Holy Ghost church, I'm preaching to some young people right now. I'm preaching to some hyphen. I'm preaching to some I'm preaching to some married families right now. Whatever's going to affect your anointing, separate from it. If the relationship is going to affect your anointing, separate from it. If the friendship is going to affect your anointing, separate from it. If you can't get on SOCIAL MEDIA BECAUSE IT'S TOO MUCH TEMPTATION, separate from it.

There is nothing this world has to offer that is more precious that God offered us than his anointing. He put his spirit on the inside of us. He trusted us with his spirit. Uh, and there is an anointing that comes uh from CARRYING THE GLORY UH ON THE INSIDE OF US. UH, I believe I'm PREACHING TO PEOPLE. I'M PREACHING TO YOUNG MEN AND YOUNG LADIES AND FAMILIES. UH, YOU'RE ANOINTED WITH PURPOSE. UH, BUT THE ENEMY WOULD LOVE TO DISTRACT YOU. AMEN. He would love to distract you.

He'd like to send the wrong boy your way, the wrong girl your way, the wrong opportunity your way. That's why you got to be careful. That's why it takes daily prayer, daily surrender, daily consecration, daily in the word, daily dying, daily being influenced by the spirit, daily walking in the spirit. This is bigger than just individuals. This is about our families. It's about our families. God, we must do some things. Samson Samson taught taught us and teaches us still even tonight. Families, guard what comes into your home. Guard what?

Guard who comes into your home. Not being ugly, not being rude. You better protect your young ladies. You better protect your young men. You don't know what the enem is out there planning and conniving an attack on your home. You better guard and know what's coming in your home. You better you you you better do some inventory and do some do some self checks on cell phones. Apps. I'm trying to just help us tonight. I'm I I'm telling you of the burden I feel in the Holy Ghost right now.

There is so many apps right now and there's so many means and ways of communication, the the sex trafficking and all of the all of the things that are unfathomable to even think. We think that's happening in New York or Chicago. It's happening right underneath our nose. And all it takes is one innocent chat room. Yes, sir. One innocent website. Guard your homes. Be intentional about prayer. Let your children see you pray. Teach your children about the presence of God. How does that how how how do I teach my children about the presence of God?

I'm going to tell you the best way. You know how I learned about the presence of God? being at church every time the doors open. Yes, sir. Making it an intention, if at all possible, be in the presence of God. And then it's my my obligation, Brother Weaver, as the pastor of this church, my obligation, Brother Paul, is to promote and encourage worship, consecration, unity.

So that when we get in here and we begin to worship and magnify God and worship him and we're unified as one body, the presence of the Lord comes into this house and we are blessed and we are edified and we know I'm right where I need to be. I expose my children to the presence of God by being a part of that process. I said this a few few weeks ago and it may have been the LA I started trying to remember. I know I can be repetitive on first families because I'm trying to hit our trying to help our families.

But if we're in worship service and everybody else is worshiping and this looks like me, y'all better come check me for fever. Everybody else is clapping. I got my hands in my pocket. Don't listen to me preach. Yeah, you got permission to walk out the door. They up here singing and I'm doing this. Uh-uh. All right. We've got to be part of the process of creating an atmosphere.

It says, "Clap your hands, all you people, and shout unto God with a voice of tri." I want to put our church in the POSTURE OF REVIVAL, A POSTURE THAT GOD WOULD BE WALKING. UH GOD'S SPIRIT WOULD BE MOVING UP AND DOWN 36 AND HE'S LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO DWELL. MY LORD, if your address is on praise, I want to be a one that's a praiser. IF YOUR ADDRESS RIDES UH ACCORDING TO MY I WANT YOU TO COME HERE LORD radical as it MAY BE UH RADICAL AS IT MAY SEEM UNNECESSARY MAYBE AS YOUR OPINION YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to be wrong.

This will be a worshshiping church. This will not be a dead church. This will not be a church where we wonder where the presence of the Lord is. It will BE EVIDENT. HIS PRESENCE IS HERE. UH HIS PRESENCE CAN BE FELT and experienced. Teach your children the presence of God. Can I help us? Y'all get We got small children. I love seeing the worship of virtue. Anybody else notic in the worship of our children? You know that. You know why that's happening? Because they're seeing people around them sitting around them. I know we bring coloring books.

There's a time and a place for that. We bring stuffed animals. There's a time and a place for that. We maybe bring a tablet. There may be a time and a place for that. But when the worship is going on, time out. Come on, get on your feet. Get on your feet. We're going to worship God. Get your hands out your pocket. Amen. We're going to give God some praise. Put your put put your dogs and cats down. Let's give God some praise. I don't think that's too I'm trying to because WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THEY'RE GOING TO BE IN THE YOUTH GROUP IN a few years.

They're going to BE IN HYPHEN IN A FEW. THEY'RE GOING TO BE LEADING THIS CHURCH IN A FEW YEARS. BUT IF WE'VE NOT TAUGHT THEM AS A YOUNG KID HOW TO WORSHIP, HOW TO MAGNIFY GOD, HOW to lift up the name of Jesus. We want them to experience THE PRESENCE OF GOD AT AN EARLY AGE, NOT WAY DOWN THE YEAR. WELL, I'll wait till they're 13 and then I'll No, no, no, no. You ain't going to teach them nothing. You're not going to teach them anything. Well, why didn't you make me do it when I was little? I don't want to do this.

We're creating a church of tomorrow today. We've got to make God more than just a Sunday experience. We've got to show our kids how to serve the Lord with gladness. We've got to show our babies what worship looks like. Show them. Show them. Don't get more excited when they hit the winning bucket. I'm sure that mama was happy when that when that when Connecticut sunk my bracket. I'm sure. Well, I know that mama was cuz she Anyway, if you'd have seen the clip, she said a few unchoice words.

But when he hit that three-point bucket, Connecticut couldn't believe the coach come out of his coat. He couldn't even hardly You better cheer when they do make the winning bucket. You better be on the sideline when they hit the home run and we're going to c. My goodness, man. Good job. Yeah. But if I get more excited about that than I do seeing what I saw Sunday, Juan, I saw you. Right. Where's Juan at? He's somewhere around one. Where you at, Juan? Where there you are, one.

When I saw you up here, when I saw you with your hands lifted up and Pastor Huntley laid his hands on you and tears begin to flow down your face. I DON'T CARE HOW MANY HOME RUNS YOU HIT, AND I HOPE YOU HIT A BUNCH, BUT I'D RATHER SEE THAT THAN I WOULD YOU TO WIN THE WORLD SERIES BECAUSE THIS IS YOUR ETERNAL YOUR ETERNAL REWARD DEPENDS ON WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS HOUSE. This is WHERE YOUR ETERNAL REWARD, IT DEPENDS ON THE PRESENCE OF GOD BEING ACTIVE IN YOUR LIFE.

When you see them sing a solo, you better have your phone out videoing and taking pictures. They're doing Christmas plays and night of worship and we better oo and a over these babies. We better BE ON THE COME ON, YOU CAN DO IT. WHEN YOU HEAR A YOUNG MAN PREACH FOR THE FIRST TIME, HE MAY STUMBLE OVER HIS WORDS. HE MAY NOT GET HIS EYES AND TEES CROSSED. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? IF HE'S UP HERE GIVING WHAT GOD TOLD HIM TO PREACH, WE BETTER BE CHEERING THEM ON. I refuse to stay silent and not be the watchman on the wall.

If we don't protect the spiritual atmosphere, distraction will fill the vacuum. Can I ask you something plainly? Oh God, help me. Are we still operating with yesterday's anointing? Are we still operating on something we got 20 years ago and it hadn't been renewed? Are we going through the motions but missing his presence? There are too many good pe I don't know. I look across this room right now. I'm looking at good men and women right now. I could come. I couldn't find one iod of fault with you. You're too good.

You're too good of individuals to go through the motions and miss his presence. We're too good of a people, and I'm saying that humbly and gracefully. WE'RE TOO GOOD OF INDIVIDUALS JUST TO come in and check the box and not have a demonstration of God's power. But I ask you humbly and respectfully, has distraction slowly taken the place of devotion? Because the scariest place to be is not open rebellion. It's in a place where God has stepped back and you hadn't even noticed it. You don't even know he's gone.

You don't even know he's missing in your life. Here's where we are. We come in for the Sunday shakes. I'll do it as I did last Sunday. And we feel a little DDAD and we feel a little chill bump and we think we're okay. And the spirit of God has lifted. We cannot win against distraction just casually and carelessly. It takes full devotion. Not partial, not occasional, not when it's convenience, but a baptism of an allin spirit has got to come on us. Tonight is a moment to recommmit our hearts.

Musicians, tonight is a night to renew your consecration. Tonight is a night to restore your hunger for God. When's the last time you were just hungry? I can't wait to get to church. When's the last Wednesday you woke up on Wednesday morning said, "I get to go to church on Wednesday night." When's the last Saturday night you got in your closet and said, "I'm going to lay out my clothes for Sunday morning cuz I don't want to be late. I want to come to the well and fellowship with my brothers and sisters that I hadn't seen in a few days.

When's the last time you said, "God, it's been a long time since I've done something in the kingdom, but I want you to stir up the gift within me. I want to stir it up with your help. I cannot let it ever be said about us that the anointing left and we didn't know it. I can't let it be said that we just rocked along, Brother Paul. And oh yeah, we've been here for 55 years in this area, in this city. Been in three different four different buildings. A storefront, a brick building, a metal building, and now in this facility.

What a tragedy it would be said of the sanctuary community church that we began in the spirit, but we tried to perfected in the flesh. The anointing cannot leave us and we not know it. But my charge and my call to this great church is for a dad and a mom. I see [name redacted]. I see so many of our children. I see I start calling names. I see [name redacted] on Sunday with mama down here when she ain't on the platform. See my grandma down here worshiping, trying their best to get on the platform. And sometimes pastor has to do interference. Come on.

Couple more years we're going to get you up here. But sometimes I wonder what would happen and it may happen Sunday. I say, "Come on, [name redacted]. Come on up here. Let's show them how to do this. Come on, [name redacted]. Let's come on up here and let's show them how to worship. Let's show them how to lift up the name of Jesus, not even two years old. A hunger for his presence. A hunger. I saw Sunday, brother and sister Weaver. I saw [name redacted] and Da. I know their little place now is about right over here. Right over here or right over there. I'm seeing them.

Just kids. You know what the We've got [name redacted]. And I don't want to leave any kid out. Please, please don't don't be offended. I see [name redacted] cuz I see him get the old holy grab by daddy. Come on, son. Boom. I see these kids. Then I see [name redacted] dancing before the Lord. Lord, I think I'll lay my head tonight on my pillow feeling a little better that there will be a worshshiping church in the future. There will be a church in a few years that treasures your presence, that values the anointing. Thank you, mas and dads, for showing them.

For those of you that would look back and say, "I can do a better job." That's okay. Admit it and let's move on. Come on and welcome. join in to what we're trying to cultivate and what we're trying to to do for his presence. If I could leave you and encourage you, I would say tonight, protect your anointing. Guard your anointing. Fight for your anointing. Because the anointing on your life is worth everything. Everything.

What the anointing of God on your life looks like is quite different than what the anointing on someone else's life may look like. I read this week and I say this, brother Weaver, I say this and I read the comments and this week was National Doctor's Week, I believe it was. And I I I've read them before, but it wasn't it's not in my notes, but I'm starting to I I started looking at comments, and here was a common thread that Dr. Weaver prayed for me before my procedure. Dr. Dr.

Weaver spoke words of faith over and I'm just paraphrasing but I saw a common thread of we're trying to get this right. I'm trying to protect something here. I see many of you men in here, you're self-employed. And I see many of you, you you work at you work at places and facilities and God's gave you promotions and God's gave you raises and God's opened doors that no man I mean I'm looking at men if I start calling your name. The hand of God's been upon you, brother. The hand of God's been upon you, brother.

And I'm looking at men all across this room and I hear what I hear. I hear, man, the Lord blessed us. The Lord, I applied for this job and got turned down, but God prepared me for when the door opened. I was ready for it. I'm now the lead. I'm now called upon to to to build rockets and I'm now called upon to fix. I I'm the problem solver and I'm this and I and that's not our doings. That's God gives us wisdom and anointing beyond our years. It does not matter what your vocation is.

It does not matter when you walk in tomorrow, you ought to hold your head up. Whether it's a Dutch bro making a cup of coffee, whether it be putting a ceramic coat on a car, whether it be laying brick and stone, whether it be making a a deck or a power line, Yeah, it don't matter. God, I want your anointing on my life. I don't know who I'm going to touch today. I don't know how my life is going to reflect your glory and your presence, but somehow let them feel something they never would have felt in any other manner.

You may be sitting in an office. You may be writing a proposal. You may be in the surgery room or dealing with an office full of nurses. I don't know. But wherever you may go and whomever you may touch, you better always recognize that your anointing is worth everything. Your anointing is worth everything. It's worth guarding. It's worth protecting. And it's worth fighting for. As you stand all over this place tonight, I felt led of the Lord to call you to the front. I felt led.

If you're able, if you're able to, if you're able to get to that front row and sit down, that's good. If you're able to walk to the front, that's good. There is a season that this church is getting opened up to. There is a season God's getting ready. He's opening this church up to of favor and a blessing. There is a season of favor and blessing that God's opening this church up to like we have not yet seen before. We've been in between seasons. We've been in between seasons. And I'll tell you what I feel in the Holy Ghost.

You've passed the test. You've passed the test. You've passed the test. If you can survive in between seasons and protect your anointing, get ready to step in. Get ready to step through because it's in between se. It's in between miracles. It's in between blessings where it seems like God's been silent and you wondered where you kept your spirit right. You didn't get too far off course and you didn't wander. You didn't wander. You just remained faithful.

And because you remain faithful, God says, "I'm going to escort you by my hand in my will into a new season of abundance, a new season of prosperity, a new season where when people look back over your life, you will be able to deflect. You'll be able to deflect what you did and how you were a part of the equation.

and you will look toward the heavens and you will declare, "If it had not been for the Lord who was on my side, I don't know where I'd be." If it had not been for the Lord because you handled rejection righteously, because you handled the misunderstanding properly, God said, "You're ready. You're ready because you because you handled the offense and didn't get bitter. God says, "I'm going. I'm going to take you to a place prepared. I'm going to take you to a place that prepared." The story of Samson ends differently.

The story of Samson ends in a way. It's almost that God lets us look into his life one last moment. What they're going to sing in just a second could probably be best described as Samson's last prayer. The lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Deeon their God, and to rejoice, for they said, "Our God hath delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hand." And when the people saw him, they praised their God.

For they said, "Our God delivered them him into our hands and our enemy and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us." And it came to pass when their hearts were married that they said, "Call for Samson that he may make us sport." And they called for Samson out of the prison house. And he made them sport, and they set him between the pillars.

And Samson said unto the lad, "Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them." Now the house was full of men and women and all the lords of the Philistines. And there were upon the roof about 3,000 men and women that beheld while Samson made sport. And Samson called upon the Lord and said, "Oh Lord God, remember me. I pray thee and strengthen me. I pray thee. Listen at these words. Verse number 28. Only this once, oh God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.

And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars which the house stood and on which is was born up, of the one with his right hand and the other his left. And Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines." And he bowed himself with all his might. And the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life. In other words, what Samson was saying, it was an act of war. In my opinion, it was an act that God would use him one more time.

Yes, he would die in battle, but what he was saying, God, would you just anoint me one more time? Would you anoint me one more time? Some of you need to ask God to anoint you one more time. Because what he's about to do for you and do through you, it will pale and compare. What he's done before, God's going to do through you and in proportions that you can't even fathom right now. You can't even process how God's going to use you in this next season.

I just need somebody with bold faith that would lift up their hands and say, "God, one more time. One more time. God, would you anoint my family? Anointing. Follow me. Follow me. One more time. God, I want to rock those babies in that nursery with the anointing one more time. I want to teach that toddler class. I want to teach that Sunday school class with anointing. God, I want to teach that youth class in that hyphen department. I I want to teach preach with an anointing. God, I want that path of life class to be anointed.

It's the anointing that'll make revelation come off pages. I want to get something tonight. as a husband. Come on, husbands. Come on, men. I want to get an anointing on my life. Holy Ghost. Oh, fall on me, God. Baptize me. Fall on me. Can we sing it as a choir tonight? Oh, anointing anointing falling. Oh, why don't you pray? Do you pray in the spirit? Why don't you pray in the spirit right now? Why don't you pray in the Holy Ghost? The power of the Holy Ghost fall on. Oh yes, anointing fall. Come on men. Come on ladies, get your hands out.

Won't you look at your hand and say, "God, let the anointing How many more miracles I remember?