Bill Johnson continues his series on The Beauty of Wisdom, and teaches from the life of Solomon. Under Solomon’s reign, Israel came into a time in which Solomon described as having no adversary, nor any evil occurrence. Is it possible to come to such a place in God that we have no enemy? There is a place available to us in God’s Presence where we live ‘above the snake line’, safe from the voice of the enemy and his accusations and distractions. This is the fourth sermon in Bill Johnson’s series, The Beauty of Wisdom. Subscribe for the full series. Subscribe for weekly videos: https://bit.ly/bjmYoutube Connect with Bill Johnson Ministries: Website: http://bjm.org/ Facebook: https://bit.ly/bjmFacebook Instagram: https://bit.ly/bjmInstagram Mailing List: https://bit.ly/bjmMailingList Additional Resources: https://shop.bethel.com/collections/b… The Beauty of Wisdom Series is available for purchase here: https://shop.bethel.com/products/the-… Scripture References: Hebrews 11: 10 Matthew 5: 13-16 Matthew 13: 33 Isaiah 60 1 Kings 4: 20, 24, 27, 29, 34 Romans 5: 17 1 Kings 5 Psalm 105: 24-25 Bill Johnson is a fifth-generation pastor with a rich heritage in the Holy Spirit. He is senior leader of Bethel Church in Redding, California, and is passionate about seeing Revival and God’s Kingdom established and revealed in the lives of individuals, families, communities, and nations. Bill’s teaching on the Kingdom of Heaven, hosting the Presence, and the renewed mind has helped thousands around the world to step into their true identity in Christ, God given purpose, and walk in a supernatural lifestyle displaying both purity and power. #BillJohnson #BethelChurch #Wisdom #Enemy
is it possible to have
a sense of manifest presence that is so
worked into How We Do Life conversation
excellence and work all the gifts
activated as worship unto God community
life where there’s the celebration of
every individual person and gift is it
possible for life to be lived in such a
way that there is no adversary
I’ve been doing a a study that I’ve
wanted to do for years
and finally have been released to uh
to pursue this area of of study just as
of about a month ago I think maybe five
weeks ago
but it has to do with a life of Solomon
and the absolute need for Supernatural
wisdom Divine wisdom
for the shaping of culture and Society
that the Lord has a strategy for
impacting Humanity of which heart wisdom
is at the heart of the issue
when Solomon asked God for wisdom you
remember the story The Lord appeared to
him in a dream and asked him what he
would like to have
um he actually said I would like a
hearing ear
and the Lord said because you didn’t ask
for the neck the head of your enemies
and for wealth and for fame and these
things I’m going to give them all this
to you plus I’m going to give you what
you asked for and then the Lord
interpreted what he asked for and said
and so I give you wisdom but what he
actually prayed for was a hearing ear so
that should emphasize something to us
that Divine wisdom actually has to do
with hearing it actually has to do with
the breath the thought the heartbeat of
God that we learn to hear we learn to
recognize and the Lord is positioning
people all throughout culture and
Society to bring transformation not just
transformation outwardly where things
look nice and his prosperity and all of
that but down to the heart of the matter
what people are hungry for is the
kingdom of God
probably it was an evangelist some years
ago that came up with an example which I
think is brilliant and they said in ever
the heart of every human being is a
god-shaped vacuum and only a
relationship with God can fill that
vacuum
I would like to suggest that also at the
same time perhaps the other side of the
same coin the absence that exists in the
heart of people all around the world is
a desire for the kingdom of God
I say that because Abraham in Hebrews
chapter 11 verse 10 it says and Abraham
sought for a city whose Builder and
maker was God there was this drive in
him to look for something and to him it
looked like a city it looked like a
community we have to shift some of our
our language our thoughts our vision our
view from the individual needs being met
to god-thinking Citywide and Nationwide
he thinks in terms of cities and Nations
we see the rebuke that Jesus brought to
three cities uh but say the chores in
Capernaum in Matthew 11 because he
thinks in terms of entire cities moving
with him or moving against him in which
case correction comes you look at
Nineveh when the Lord sent Jonah the
prophet it was to a city for
transformation for change for repentance
the Lord thinks in terms of City so much
so that his the bride for his son is a
city
it’s actually called the New Jerusalem
it’s the most I love biblical metaphors
because they they they are beautiful on
one hand and they completely defy Logic
on the other and I I love that
combination I I love the fact that here
is the bride coming down out of Heaven a
city that’s Square it’s a cube
and that’s the bride
that that’s that’s not a normal looking
bride
but the Lord’s trying to speak something
what is that
Square
it’s perfect structure which tells me
that divine order comes out of romance
divine order comes out of romance so
many times we try to figure things out
on paper try to figure that out through
human reasoning instead of realize that
it’s the intimacy it’s the yieldedness
to God in which he unfolds his purposes
and plans
so back to the heart of the issue the
Lord created within us
a need a need to live in Supernatural
Divine community
is how the Lord describes the kingdom as
it pertains to Abraham’s Quest so for a
city this Builder maker is God
when it was Israel leaving the land of
Egypt into the promised land the
promised land was a prophetic picture of
the kingdom of God it wasn’t Heaven it
wasn’t a picture of Heaven it was a
picture of Kingdom lifestyle here on
Earth things work very naturally with
great uh practicality and yet the Lord
was King over all and the Lord used a
nation this time to illustrate the
kingdom
what I’m trying to do is is just to try
to jar us from just having a single
focus on the kingdom that says it’s how
God touches me as an individual it’s
healing in my body it’s my family doing
well it’s our local church instead of
realizing that the Lord is constantly
equipping us with blessing to be a
blessing to culture and Society
the Lord describes us in a number of
different ways but there’s three that I
want to highlight as I’m trying to rev
up this motor and get going where we
where we need to go today he describes
this in three very very unique ways
number one he says we are the salt of
the earth
and then he says if a salt if salt loses
its flavor
if it becomes tasteless it’s worthless
it’s thrown out and it’s Trampled Under
feet by men then he goes on and he says
you’re the light of the world
a city set on a hill cannot be hidden
interesting two illustrations metaphors
to illustrate how he designed us what he
designed us to be the third one doesn’t
speak to you and me as individuals or as
the body of Christ but instead refers to
the kingdom and the Lord says the
Kingdom of Heaven is like leaven
leaven works because it’s worked with
into the system of dough
and the impact of the kingdom of God I’d
like to suggest to you that your
neighbors the people we work with the
people that we love and care about all
through our city throughout our Nations
these people are crying out for
something that they don’t have language
for and I’d like to suggest you that
that they are crying out for is the
kingdom the king’s domain it’s the realm
of the perfect father’s dominion over
the hearts and lives of men women the
impact of a life when Jesus started
teaching about the kingdom we know that
he would illustrate with power there
would be Deliverance there would be
healing there would be setting things
right there would be divine Justice on
the Tormentor that would come to plunder
and steal men steal from people so there
would be that power display but then he
would talk about it and he’d say blessed
are the poor in spirit the be attitudes
the attitudes that enable us to be
filled with citizenship attitudes of
heavenness the way his world function
it’s it’s a piece of his own nature that
he breaks off and shows us blessed are
those who mourn for they will be
comforted and he begins to teach us on
the internal values so here this kingdom
is one of power display and yet it’s one
of internal structure instruction
internal structures that get built into
the way people think and live and
perceive reality so the Lord is working
on us in two Realms the power realm and
the wisdom realm all right something
interesting I just I just saw just I
didn’t realize this for all these years
that when Jesus says you’re the salt of
the earth and if the salt becomes
tasteless that word tasteless actually
is the word foolish
straight on it’s the word foolish it’s
not just one of the Dozen translations
it’s the word foolish
when salt becomes foolish what is
foolishness compared with
what is it contrasted to I’m sorry
okay it would be foolishness as
contrasted with wisdom all right
you are the salt of the earth but when
salt becomes foolish
I would like to suggest that the
implication is there is a a pattern a
process in life in which the wisdom of
God through a people whose nature it is
to have a hearing ear gets sprinkled
into culture and Society not as those
who have dominion in the sense of ruling
over people but as empowered servants we
get sprinkled into culture and society
and are absolutely able to bring the
solutions and answers to the heart’s Cry
of people all around us and the Lord’s
got this this thing going where he’s
working on on you’re the light of the
world and so how does he illustrate that
he says a city said on a hill cannot be
hidden what does he saying he’s saying
listen I’ve made you light
and so I’m going to put you in a
position where people will see you and
they’ll be drawn to you here’s a part of
the Gospel that isn’t always emphasized
at least in our our particular strength
my
perhaps my favorite chapter in the Bible
at least for for my own personal
recreational enjoyment is Isaiah chapter
16.
arise shine
not reflect
shine
it’s in you arise Shine for your light
has come the glory of the Lord has risen
upon you
for Hope Darkness will cover the Earth
deep Darkness it’s a mental depression
type darkness of people
but his light will appear upon you
his glory will arise upon you and then
he says this
Kings will come to your light
and Nations to the brightness of your
Rising
the purpose of God is to position you in
me and me with light light to where we
become positioned where people come
to us now I believe in the go of the
Gospel I believe in the sending of
missionaries we send people out all the
time all over the world I think it’s a
it’s a vital part of the Gospel go into
all the world but there is another
aspect of this gospel that I think in
the season we’re in I think it would be
wisdom for us to emphasize and that is
to have something happening that becomes
the light becomes a city that God puts
on the hill so that the Kings if you
will the Nations will come to the
brightness of our rising in other words
our light shines before men in such a
way that they see our good works but
glorify the Father which is in heaven it
is not see how smart we are coming to
get answers for life it’s look look how
how amended we are from our own
Brokenness and then come and receive the
answers in such a way that people get
connected to the Lord not just to you
and me and so the Lord is taking a a
revived people people and is using them
as a city set on the hill and the
scripture says that Kings will come to
your light and Nations to the brightness
of your Rising we go to a garden the
garden doesn’t come to us we go to a
spring to drink water the spring doesn’t
come to us there’s a certain part of
life in which God has instilled his
nature and he’s put us in such a
position in culture and society that
people start coming to find shelter in
the midst of the storms that they are in
to find Solutions and answers I would
like to suggest that part of what
Solomon created through this
Supernatural gift of wisdom was he
created an environment in which city
life thrived at a level never before
achieved and never since
achieved we’re going to look at a couple
verses here that I think are are quite
alarming I want you to open your Bibles
to First Kings
First Kings we’ll start with chapter
four and then we’ve got a great bonus
verse
in chapter five First Kings chapter four
we’re just going to randomly read a few
verses that just kind of give us a
picture of community life all right
verse 20 of chapter 4.
Judah and Israel were as numerous as the
Sand by the sea in multitude eating and
drinking and rejoicing
Judah and Israel were as numerous as the
Sand by the sea
having lots of children was the goal and
the ambition
of our spiritual fathers things have
shifted in attitude in the world system
around us today
but this was a mark of divine favor
that they would have children that would
live and that they could feed and
support and it was a it was a definition
or a description or illustration of
great Prosperity throughout the land Jim
down to verse 24.
it says he had dominion over all the
region on this side of the river from
the wherever that is to Gaza named over
all the kings namely over all the kings
this side of the river he had peace on
every side all around him
the end of verse 27 says there was no
lack in their supply verse 29 God gave
Solomon wisdom exceedingly great
understanding and largeless largeness of
heart like the sand of the sea how many
of you can feel God trying to birth into
you a largeness of heart you find
yourself caring for things a year ago
you would think of it a second thought
for and yet we start getting moved and
rocked by things because the Lord is
giving us largeness of heart verse 34.
men of all the nations from all the
kings of the earth who had heard of his
wisdom came to hear the wisdom of
Solomon there’s something here folks
we’ll get into chapter five to these
verses in a moment here but there’s
something I
I to be honest I’m not sure how to say
it I’m not sure how to describe it I can
just feel it
that there is this wisdom that the Lord
is imparting it’s actually wisdom in the
New Testament is the person of Jesus
Christ
so there is this wisdom this hearing ear
that the Lord is joining to his people
that makes us so effective in any
environment and I’d like to I’d like to
tell you we do our best when we’re in
over our head
we it’s very tempting to function out of
human reasoning when we are in an
environment we understand but when we
get in over our head there’s an
automatic dependency on the voice of the
Lord on the ear and I feel like the Lord
right now is just working us like leaven
into that lump of dope because he’s
trying to make sure that we are evenly
sprinkled over all parts of culture and
society and as I mentioned I think last
week when Benny used to make bread at
home she would work that the yeast into
the lump of dough and then we we always
lived in kind of a cold environment in
the winter because we only had wood heat
which is a wood stove we had no other
kind of heat and she would take that
bread that lump of dough and put it in
there by the wood stove and the heat
would activate whatever was in the dough
with activities then suddenly it would
begin to rise and there is a heat in the
land that is activating whatever yeast
is in us and the Lord is working Kingdom
into you into me a wisdom for Life
here’s something else I did not realize
the word Proverbs the title of the book
proverb
which by the way I have felt for
probably closer to 10 years that the
secrets for City transformation are
hidden in the Book of Proverbs
and so I I’ve been kind of pondering
over this for quite a few years and just
recently have had Liberty to talk to you
about it
but the word proverb of course means
riddle
um uh you know that kind of a a hidden
truth in a statement but there’s another
meaning for the word proverb that I
never knew I never realized until Brian
Simmons and his
Um passion translation of Proverbs
brings out in the introduction the word
proverb there’s a second meaning for the
word proverb and actually means to reign
to Reign or to rule
this this is
to me this is absolutely incredible
listen to this verse it says those who
receive the abundance of grace and the
gift of righteousness will reign in life
through the one Jesus Christ reign in
life that’s Romans 5 17. reign in life
think with me now what is wisdom for
what is that voice
that gives us
play-by-play instructions for how to do
life
foreign
it’s because the Lord is trying to raise
up people that know how to reign
in life
there are families out there that don’t
know how to do life they don’t know they
really want to they want to get along
with their spouse they marry them in
Covenant they really it was their dream
come true but they just don’t know how
to resolve conflict
they don’t know what to do with the
child that says no they they weren’t
raised in an environment to know how how
you resolve conflict how you live with
peace how you live in unity how you live
with actual affection for people how you
walk in forgiveness there’s a lot of
things that you and I may take for
granted there may be people here in the
room that don’t know how to do those
things this is raining in life and the
Lord has given us access to a gift where
these enemies of our personal lives
become so thoroughly defeated that God
is able to position you as a as a
standard as an example as a proclaimer
of this is how you resolve conflict in
your marriage this is how this is how
you work for a disloyal boss this is how
you all these environments that every
one of us get sprinkled into and the
Lord is trying to with that hearing ear
with this gift of divine wisdom with
this blueprint of Heaven if you will
sprinkle us into life so that those who
know how to reign in life will become
the shelter for those who need to learn
[Music]
chapter 5
now to the bonus round
Solomon is preparing to build a temple
so he hasn’t even built it yet
by the way just the amount of gold
that’s in this Temple is
somewhere around five billion dollars
worth of gold hit 100 over 180 000
employees do the math on that one
would it cost to feed that number of
employees just for the building of the
Temple
nothing like it has been built before or
since
but even I I don’t want to downgrade the
beauty of the and The Wonder of this
Temple
but for the sake of this study what I am
fascinated by is the building of
community life
what I’m fascinated by is stuff happened
here
in the life of a community that I don’t
think ever happened previous or since
happen in the days directly ahead
verse 3.
Solomon is Now setting his heart to
build this Temple he’s writing a letter
to a friend of his dad’s verse three you
know how my father David could not build
a house for the name of the Lord is God
because of the wars which were fought
against him on every side until the Lord
put his foes under the soles of his feet
but now the Lord my God has given me
rest on every side there is neither
adversary nor evil occurrence
foreign
I just read something that’s outrageous
that word adversary is the word Satan
let me try this side
Solomon’s writing to his friend of his
dad’s asking for help he needs cedar
wood from Lebanon
sent
for the building of the Temple and so
he’s writing
to hire him
his dad’s friend
and this is what he describes he says
the Lord has given me peace all around
there is no Satan for
[Applause]
ah there
is it possible to have such divine order
in life that the enemy can’t break
through
as I was just talking with one of our
congregation that comes out of a very
bizarre scary background the Lord has so
healed her heart and but she was telling
me uh this week actually during one of
our meal times at the conference
she was saying
she used to go to the prayer house
because she sees the Demonic all the
time
and she would go to the prayer house
because they couldn’t get in
and it was like it was her it was her
safe place she would literally that’s
where she would go and she’d look she
could see them outside but they could
never get in they couldn’t get in
all right Pro house
Jerusalem
is it is it possible to have
a sense of manifest presence that is so
worked into How We Do Life conversation
excellence and work all the gifts
activated as worship unto God community
life where there’s the celebration of
every individual person and if is it
possible for life to be lived in such a
way that there is no adversary
I I realize that’s an extreme idea and
and uh but you know what Solomon
and Israel none of them were born again
and they accomplished it
you’re not truly born again until Jesus
shed his blood and blood could be the
blood of Jesus could wipe away sin
so in a very unusual setting
wisdom was so impacting on how they did
life that his description was
there just is no adversary and there’s
not even evil occurrence
I uh I don’t like snakes
I don’t like I don’t like snakes of any
kind I don’t care if they’re not
poisonous get them away from me
I don’t like snakes
and and I know they serve a purpose in
God’s creation but I want them to serve
it somewhere else
that’s that’s my view
[Applause]
we used to backpack
quite a bit in the Trinity Alps which is
just a gorgeous
hunk of Wilderness Area and we would my
kids are wanting me to go again but the
problem is it’s all uphill and you have
to carry stuff
so if they can find a horse dumb enough
to carry me I might consider going as
long as they’ll carry me and my stuff
you know that’s
I don’t do uphill like that anymore
actually I do when I hunt but never mind
you go back into the Wilderness and of
course there’s Timber Rattlers if you’re
not familiar with this part of the world
we do have rattlesnakes I you can’t kill
them anymore but before they were
outlawed I did
and if there’s one in my yard
I will
I’ll have a grandfather clause to
include that into the Old Law decision
so anyway but myself in trouble
in the wilderness there is what they
call the Timberline where trees don’t
grow any higher you can see on these
mountains there’s just no more trees
well it just doesn’t grow up there but
there’s also a snake line
there’s just there’s an elevation at
which snakes don’t exist
wisdom will take you there
[Applause]
the hearing ear
the things that have followed you all
the days of your life to taunt and
torment
no there’s a place in God
or the enemy loses his voice
and strangely in the same way in the
light of that wisdom the Queen of Sheba
became silent actually became breathless
took a breath with a Wonder a Divine
wisdom The Wonder of it all took her
breath away I believe it’s time
it’s time for the word of the Lord to
come forth through people who know their
God and can stand in any adverse
situation
and bring the word of the Lord
the answer is not the destruction of
Nations
listen the political spirit will try to
stir up animosity to people groups
to make us think that the real answer is
destruction
when in fact the Lord has a plan
for every nation for every group of
people
he has a heart for people
Jesus didn’t die for some and ignore
others
his death was a payment made for all
Humanity
and we are positioned in a time of great
world need and great world crisis for a
reason
I believe that the Lord has us on a
process
of dramatic rapid expansion and Rapid
development and increase for a reason
there’s I don’t know what this is like
but somehow there is limited time
and much has to be done
in a short period of time and I believe
the Lord is raising up people sprinkling
us into the system salt light leaven
I’ve always taught that salt was was
preservative which it was it’s they
didn’t have refrigerators and in Bible
days and so they would immerse things in
salt and that’s how they preserve me but
that wasn’t the context in which Jesus
taught about salt he thought about salt
as being that which flavors something
and your life is to be is to add flavor
to community life flavor to culture
flavor to where you work there’s so
something about you that’s supposed to
add just the spice of life to wherever
it is that you serve the neighborhood
that you live in it’s something about
just your life and the king of glory
resting in you that you become a
life-giving encouraging spring of life
if you will influencing affecting all
that comes under under your influence
it’s the position of the Lord for every
believer the answer is not destruction
the answer is not being rescued and
whisked Away the power of the Gospel
must be fully displayed to me it’s an
offense it’s an offense to find
something higher in the Old Testament
than what gets achieved in in the new
there the old Covenant the inferior
Covenant is not to provide Superior
blessings
right
what Benny and I stood
here
this part of the stage wasn’t here when
we came here 17 years ago
but we stood right there on about that
second stair
the church was tired we just become
pastors here a little over 17 almost 18
years ago
they’d gone for about eight months
without a pastor
you could feel the fatigue in the air so
one of the first Sunday nights invited
everybody to the front so there’s I
don’t know how many but several hundred
people all crowded around the front
and we had come hungry for a real
outpouring of the spirit of God that’s
why the leadership of this house brought
us because of what we were experiencing
in Weaverville an hour west of here
Benny and I stood on these stairs right
here and we had everybody gathered
around and we just prayed a very simple
prayer we said holy spirit
just come
come in power
touch these people
the power of God fell
instantly
on one person
and that’s all
one person who stood right there
you’d think we won the lottery
Benny and I looked at each other and
we’re not trying to be full of faith we
were ecstatic we were besides ourselves
we looked at each other and we went we
got it
it is now Unstoppable
it was it was it was a cloud you
remember the prophet a cloud the size of
a man’s hand I want to tell you
something
what I have cried out for prayed for
studied for preached for
for almost 40 years
it was a dream
until about five years ago
it was entirely a dream I could see it
in my heart I could feel it I could
smell it I could taste it but I couldn’t
point to it anywhere I’m not saying it
wasn’t happening I’m just saying it
wasn’t happening in my world
and in the last five years I’m starting
to see the cloud the size of a man’s
hand
I see things changing in culture and
Society I see you getting sprinkled with
this passion this presence this power I
see God taking your life my life
sprinkling us into places of influence
in the city not to run things but to
serve and it’s and it’s I see things
coming into shape that I’ve I’ve been
I’m so used to Dreaming
that I’m not used to seeing
and now I’m seeing I’m seeing I’m seeing
the shape the form of things that I’ve
cried out for for as long as I can
remember and I see it and it’s this it’s
it’s this it’s some form of this this
this thing that came upon this man who
was a son of David and he was able to
hear from God and he was able to
implement things into culture and
society that the entire place was
changed so much so everybody had a whole
bunch of children Silvers piled up on
the streets counted as nothing he could
spend billions of dollars billions and
billions I’m building a house for God
and not begin to touch his own personal
Treasury
because of the extreme
lavish Heart Of God for Humanity poured
out in an Old Testament context to draw
us into some promises that we never knew
or thought were possible I’m not talking
building personal Empires or personal
wealth I’m talking about the impact of
humanity the impact of benevolence the
impact of purity of character the impact
of passion for God the impact of
presence do you know what Solomon
inherited he inherited this heart for
the presence of God tragically he lost
it in process but he started with the
passion for the presence this that we
read about right here the Lord God has
given me rest on every side there’s
neither adversary nor evil occurrence
this is before the temple was built
which means they are still living during
the time of David’s Tabernacle
it is wisdom for us to recognize what
stopped at the cross
what was transformed through the cross
and what continued through the cross and
one of the things that continued one of
the very few things that continued
through the cross was davidic worship
it became the pattern for New Testament
Christianity for the New Testament
worship we know that from the prophecy
given in Amos chapter 9 where he says in
the last days I’m going to raise up the
ruin that destroyed the Fallen
Tabernacle of David which was what
24-hour worship of song giving
sacrifices of the heart this place for
the glory where the presence dwells this
this is is the New Testament mandate and
privilege and worship and then you move
forward to acts 15 acts 15 James quotes
Amos 9 and he says this is now this is
now this is what he’s doing so here’s
this davidic worship that is centered on
continuous engagement with the presence
that is what this was written under
are you hearing me this this Mandate of
presence the chief value of everything
everything rotates around this
connection and this value to the
presence of the spirit of God that has
been given so liberally and so freely to
the people of God that
in a time of Peace shaped a culture in
which no adverb adversary could exist
and I’d like to suggest there’s
something in there
that is for now
I pray that the Lord would have released
to you and would release to me the
wisdom
of the sons of issachar
who knew the days that they lived in and
they knew how to navigate the days that
they lived in they knew what to do
because of the hour that they lived in
and I believe that you can find all
kinds of random instructions throughout
scripture but it’s wisdom to find what
he’s saying now
and I believe right now we have open
doors opportunities
to serve Humanity
in the ways that we’ve never had before
there are doors of favor being open to
you there are opportunities and
assignments that you’ve never thought of
never dreamed of but they’re they’re
coming about because there’s this thing
that God is doing in US equipping us
with a hearing ear enabling us to see
wisdom from his perspective how to
actually care for the longevity of the
city listen the kingdom of God is as
practical as money houses neighborhoods
jobs hospitals schools
it’s not practical it’s so practical
the kingdom of God is so practical that
it touches every single aspect of
culture and Society so then what would
it look like to have the nature of that
world actually affect the nature of this
one I believe that the Lord is releasing
blueprints
blueprints he is doing something in the
hearts of his people where things are
starting to form and to take shape they
almost appear too good to be true
they’re blueprints for how to do life
the blueprints for how to reign in life
you know some of you you’ve had such a
hellish time throughout your life in
economics and yet the Lord is is
reversed that he’s turned it and he’s
positioning you before a group of people
that know your history and they see what
God is doing in you and he is summoning
The Cry of the hearts of your friends to
come and to find a piece of the
blueprint this is how you do life and
this is how business thrives this is how
families actually get along this is how
there can be honor in a household even
through the two terrible twos as they’re
called even through the beginning
grammar school even through the teen
years even through married now with
grandchildren all these years or each
one is better than the previous we’ve go
from glory to glory how is it we do life
how is it that we can learn how to
resolve conflict between you and a
friend where there’s just there was such
betrayal or so such misunderstanding
people are watching they’re watching to
see how we handle the most difficult
situations in life why
because they’re looking for someone that
knows how to reign
they’re no they’re looking for somebody
that knows how to Reign their life
they’re looking for somebody who are
actually bigger on the out inside than
all of their problems are on the outside
they’re looking for somebody that has a
connection answers solutions that are
practical as practical as the dollars in
your pocket the house you live in
practical
and the Lord is releasing a wisdom for
life
I love what Chris shared earlier about
the Lord only leads us into a conflict
we’re equipped to win I I believe that
so
so strongly
there’s this passage in Psalms 105 which
to me is
one of the funny verses in Scripture
it says and the Lord made Israel
stronger than their enemies and then the
very next verse and the Lord worked on
the enemies to hate Israel
that’s weird
first he made them strong and then he
went ninen
[Laughter]
there are impossible situations in our
city in our nation impossible in the
city’s Nations represented absolutely
impossible no answer
we’ve spent time Chris more than I have
but we’ve spent time with some national
leaders
and they will tell you they’re just
there’s no answers
for the for the problems that our nation
is facing
and that is true in the realm of human
reasoning
but I have a father
I have a father
and what the Lord is doing is he’s
taking people
that know how to hear hear first speak
second
and working into situations that look to
be impossible
but he wants to show his Wonder working
power his Wonder working wisdom to heal
the Brokenness of cities of families of
individuals
of Nations
your city set on a hill
that City doesn’t move
it doesn’t go anywhere
it just shines
and part of the go of the Gospel
is to actually become everything in the
context of community that you can become
not as exclusive Club
but as a people that are ready to give
away everything
for the benefit of the people around us
I believe the Lord is releasing
strategies in Realms of society I
wouldn’t I wouldn’t have the
the the the knowledge he be even be able
to give any counsel in
but there are people sitting here in
this room where the Lord is taking you
there are people watching on Bethel TV
that are watching and they are sprinkled
in various positions and places
culture and Society
this is important for us
in recent weeks or months I’ve talked to
you a number of times
about the process of reformation
in the process of Awakening all moves of
God start on a Grassroots level always
start with the poor if not the poor
economically at least the poor in spirit
but culture is shaped by those of the
upper echelons of culture and Society
these are the Mind molders these are the
influences and oftentimes they’re
ungodly people
but what happens when you have a move of
God
start to affect culture and Society at
this level where God begins to promote
them God begins to through their own
Excellence they start getting launched
in places of influence outside of their
normal sphere of influence suddenly you
have what started down at the Grassroots
level start affecting those who shape
culture Society that’s that’s
Reformation that’s Awakening right there
when the move of God impacts those in
the upper echelons of society and that’s
what I believe God is summoning us to
summoning not to rule but to serve to
come in place and to say Mr President Mr
Governor Mr Mayor Mr CEO
Mr Entertainer that has bankruptcy in
your personal heart Mr whoever you are
God has a plan for you and I’ve
covenanted with God to stay with you and
to pray you through into the blessing
and the Bounty of God’s plan he has a
purpose and a plan for your life that is
outside of your human ability human
capability human understanding he’s got
a purpose and a plan that has life in it
it has peace in it it has bounty in it
it has all the things that we ache for
in our hearts everyone is looking for a
city whose building makers God everyone
has a vacuum a city-sized vacuum in the
heart that is actually crying out for
the kingdom of God the king and his
kingdom good
we’ll cover this more later but let me
end with a comment or two
long
for a kingdom of principles
without the value of presence
is to look for a kingdom without a king
it’s the value for the Holy Spirit
who is God on Earth
the value for the person
everything everything is connected to my
value my treatment of my honor of this
wonderful
Holy Spirit
that is my connection to wisdom
it’s my value for him that positions me
for them
nothing’s impossible
nothing
I don’t believe
you can look at a Moses with his face
shining in the glory of God
and then say
we can’t have that now
I don’t believe it’s legal to look at a
city that was dramatically transformed
so much so there was no adversary I
don’t think it’s legal to look at an Old
Testament example and don’t walk away
thinking but that’s not possible now
the spirit of God
has been given to us
and what I keep finding myself praying
for I can’t find a verse that that puts
these two together but I
I’ll bet it’s in there
I will find
but it’s this need for power but it’s
this need for wisdom
it’s this combination to use be useful
in any and all situations
and I pray for you I pray for me that
together as a family
the Lord would give us holy spirit
downloads that enable us to be effective
in every environment to serve well to
love people for their sake not for ours
people hate being a project
people hate being a project they hate
being the object of Outreach
nobody wants to be a number
a notch on the back of a Bible another
goal
somehow this has to somehow wisdom has
to erase the line between us and Them
erase the line of secular and sacred
the willingness to get hands dirty to
love and to care for people
I didn’t mention this last session I
don’t know if I’ll mention it again
for maybe years to come I don’t know
but I believe that the Lord
is doing such a transformational work in
our city
that it will have lasting effect
odds gotten declared much like what
Calvin did for Geneva hundreds of years
ago that today they still live under the
weight of that blessing
I believe that God wants to release
stuff into cities
oh
over the Earth
I believe
possible to live above the snake line
I believe it’s possible to look in the
sky and to see things shaping up
and although it’s not the full-blown
thing we’ve prayed for it is the cloud
the size of a man’s hand we better head
for cover
because God’s about to do a work in the
Earth I I have this thing for Geneva did
I did I mention the prayer meeting with
uh God wanting a city was that last
service all right I’ll end with this
then we’ll pray
an experience I think I mentioned it
here last week in fact but but I it’s
worth repeating we have so many new
people in the room
I was in a prayer meeting in Vacaville
California some dear friends at the
mission great great church down there
and I had just met a man that day that
was I had corresponded with by email his
name is Mike Civello from Utica New York
wonderful wonderful uh great great
leader there and I had just met him and
there’s worship going on there’s prayer
meeting going on uh there’s a wonderful
band on the stage and all this stuff’s
happening it’s just it’s just one of
those overflow days and I was standing
over to the side by the wall and just
praying and and this gentleman Mike
leaned over to me while I was praying
and he said Bill he said God is looking
for a city
a city that would belong entirely to him
and once he gets that one city it will
be like a domino effect Across the
Nation
[Music]
and we talked together about our cities
in the place that we felt our cities had
in that plan of God and I don’t know how
much longer is maybe 20 or 30 minutes
later I found myself in a I was back
about four or five rows back in this
section here and I was standing next to
a wonderful lady that we actually met
through Bobby a number of years ago Gene
criesel and I was just standing there
just worshiping cheese scoots over next
to me and she leans over she says bill
God is looking for a city and I’m
telling you exact word word for word
what I just heard 20 minutes earlier God
is looking for a city a city that would
belong entirely to him once he gets that
one city it will be like a domino effect
Across the Nation when the Lord talks
about the harvesting if you will of a
city I don’t think he’s just saying I
want everyone born again in the city
I’ve been a pastor long enough to know
it just because you get everyone saved
doesn’t mean you have the kingdom
and I was very modest in the way I
expressed that I want you to know that
just because you have people with fire
insurance doesn’t mean they know how to
do life
what I believe Gene was prophesying Mike
was prophesied that my heart leapt over
was that the Lord is looking for a city
that would come under the influence of a
king
King that is a perfect father
a king that is more extreme in his love
and benevolence for people than we could
possibly imagine
Bobby gave us
an invitation a number of years ago I’ll
never forget it and I’ve taken it
seriously he says you have God’s
permission to try to exaggerate his
goodness
can be done can be distorted perverted
but it cannot be exaggerated
and I believe there’s something that the
Lord is really seeing into the Earth
through intentional people
that cry out in secret God
infiltrate my heart with Divine wisdom
I want to be a spring of life I want to
be a part of a city that people run for
shelter in I want to be a part of the
company of people that actually
communicate The Wonder of your rule The
Wonder of your kingdom your Delight in
people and your Delight in us having
pleasure in you and in one another help
me to be a standard bearer of that kind
of Lifestyle I believe the Lord has
given us cities of the earth to see
transformation I’ve seen it in Vision
form day after day after year day for
the last many many many years and now
I’m starting to see the cloud the size
of a man’s hand I think it’s time to
head for cover because the Lord’s about
to release something in through you and
through me that we have never even had
the brains to ask for why don’t you go
and stand up and we’ll pray
we’re going to have Ministry team come
down in a moment we’ve got a place for
those of you that need to meet Jesus
if you’ve never given your life to the
Lord Jesus Christ today’s day don’t you
dare leave the property to take care of
that number one issue
but I want to pray right now because in
this room
are transformational people people that
are in line to live in a wisdom beyond
that of Solomons
a wisdom that is not just that which
makes you smarter
that which gives you answer but a wisdom
that comes with the presence of a person
father I pray for this
this contagious sense
of divine wisdom to capture hearts
to capture Hearts ruin us for anything
else
God I pray
with our friends that are here from
other cities other nations
that together we would become infected
with hope for our city for our nation
not just dreams
but the passionate cry from the heart to
see cities transformed that we truly
could present to you the Treasures of
the earth that is transformed cities
cities that represent your world well
I pray for this in the mighty mighty
name of Jesus
amen now I’m going to close with a
thought I know I already closed once
actually I probably closed twice but
this is the last one
The Lord’s Prayer on Earth as it is in
heaven
we specifically call an Apostolic prayer
Apostolic prayer because
the apostle
was to lead as a military term to lead a
group of people to transform a city like
let’s say Philippi so transformative
that it was it would be a mirror copy in
a sense of the culture and nature of
Rome so that when the emperor of Rome
would travel from Rome and visit
Philippi he would feel at home when we
pray on Earth as it is in heaven it is
an Apostolic prayer saying God we want
this world to be as comfortable for you
to walk the streets of this city of this
world of this place where we live as it
is in heaven that’s the prayer and
that’s the Mandate that God has given us
so I pray that you go forth in Jesus
name praying Apostolic prayers and
bringing transformation to this
Apostolic City