I take coming to Word of Life very seriously when they ask me to come up and speak.
Just the fear of the Lord and just the annoying thing that comes up here.
It's an honor. I want to thank Pastor Vernon Mary and Pastor Igor to let me come up and share my heart today in prayer.
They asked me to come and do prayer. And at first I wasn't sure what direction to go.
And then my wife actually said, well, it's the day before youth camp. Let's pray for the youth.
And so I thought that's a good idea. Let's pray for the youth today for camp.
I'm going to try not to cry. I don't know why I get up here and just tears come in.
I want to share a little bit about what's going on because we don't always see everything that's going on in the background
and all the ministries that are happening. So I want to share a little bit.
We have two groups that we do. High school, middle school. The high school is called Encounter.
And God gave us that name before we moved here because of what I'm going to share today
and what I want to pray for the youth and what Felicia prayed.
And I want to go back to that on Sunday, June 28th. She prayed from the piano.
Something that's been on my heart that I've been praying since I was 20 years old.
And that's for the kids to encounter the real living God.
Because I know that when a person encounters the real living God for themselves,
you are changed for your life. You'll never be the same.
You can never go back to that old person. You can try. But it will never be comfortable.
It will never feel good. The things that you may have done just don't seem right.
Because the conviction of the Holy Spirit is there. Because you know you met the real God.
And so we named that high school group Encounter because my heart's desire
is for these young men and women to encounter the living God
because God has a call on this generation to bring revival.
The other group that we do is the middle school group.
This is grade 6, 7th and 8th. And I just want to share with you
if you're going into 6th grade, if you know a kid that's going into 6th grade,
well start in September and 6th grade, they are welcome to come. It's starting to grow.
And we named this group a blaze. Because we want God to begin to set a fire inside these kids
at a young age, a fire within them to come a blaze.
We're all sitting around. I think Ari was there and then my son and Danny were sitting around.
What are we going to name this group? And it's a boom, a blaze.
Because you got ignite, you got a blaze. And encounter used to be called fusion,
which I still like because it has the key, so fusion is still there.
Because you have ignite, a blaze and fusion, you fuse all that together.
I named it encounter because I want them to encounter the living God.
But diffuse that together with everything that we've been teaching them.
And so in groups we've been talking about things like how do you love your enemies?
What is love? What is real God love?
Because the world today says, well, you don't love me if you don't accept me.
If you don't accept my sin, my behaviors, then you don't love me, which is a lie.
And a lot of people believe this. Real love is going to tell you the truth.
And stand up no matter if you hate me for what I'm saying to you, but this is the truth.
I love you enough to tell you where you're wrong, where sin is,
because it's going to separate you from the living father, from the father God.
And you'll spend eternity away from him.
So I love you enough to tell you that I want you in heaven with me.
And the things that you're doing wrong will separate you from the father.
And so we've been talking about things like that.
How do we love people who come at us and persecute us?
Because we're entering a time where it's going to be wrong to follow Christ.
We've celebrated 250 years in this country and I'm thankful for this country.
But I see it disappearing, the founding, the foundation.
There's a remnant there holding on to it.
But our youth don't know it.
That we were founded on the Christian values.
That we're founded on the principle of following Christ and him our king.
And we can't keep this country if we don't stay a good and moral people.
Because that's what the Constitution is for, is a good and moral people.
And we're straying away from that.
And it will become that this Bible will be called hate speech if it's not already in this country.
And to quote this Bible could bring persecution upon your life.
But how do you love those people who come and persecute you?
So we've been talking about that encounter.
At the blaze we started talking about how do we hear the voice of God for ourselves?
Because God speaks to everybody, young and old.
God speaks to, and he wants to speak to everybody.
He wants to reveal himself even to the young.
And we look in the Bible that we see many young, that God used many young people.
You have Samuel, you have David.
Great men of God.
And Samuel we'll be talking about in the coming weeks.
About he was 12 years old when God began to call his name.
Began to speak to him.
And so we're talking about that in a blaze.
Real foundational things to help bring this next generation up in a real presence of God.
Not just to know the Bible stories, but to live the Bible stories.
Because the one thing I liked about the book of Acts, there's no ending to it.
I remember the first time I finished the book of Acts, I was disappointed because there was no ending.
And then I heard someone said, the reason why the book of Acts has not been...
There's no ending is because it's still being written today.
And these kids can live in the miracles of God.
And so we want to impart that to them.
We want to give them the foundation that they just don't live on their parents' faith,
the church's faith, the pastor's faith, but they have their own faith.
That when they leave the house and they go in to live the world for themselves,
that they don't falter and fall away from Christ like we see so many times.
But they have a strong foundation in who they believe in because they have a relationship.
They've encountered him, they've heard his voice.
God is doing that right now.
We're seeing the prayers that have been prayed.
We're beginning to see a harvest.
And I believe this youth camp that's coming up, that we leave for tomorrow.
This is going to be impactful. I just feel it in my spirit.
There's something different. There's something that God wants to do.
It's like they're open heavens.
Where God is going to encounter them in a real tangible way.
And what I find interesting is it's called, the theme is Awaken.
God gave me in the beginning of this year something.
Actually, he gave it to me back in the summer of 2023.
He says, I have put the ember of revival inside the youth.
It is our job to fan the flame.
It's our job to awaken the fire that's within these youth.
It's our job to fan the flame within them
so that they become on fire for God like nothing ever.
That they have a heart for Jesus.
That they begin to speak the gospel.
And share it with those who don't know it.
God brought me to the vision book.
And I want to speak a little bit out of this.
When I opened it up this past week, God spoke something to me.
And this is personal, but I want to share it with you guys.
This vision book is very important.
And we should be reading it at least twice a year, if not more.
It says, to write the vision down, for those who read it will run with it.
Well, if we don't read it, we don't run with it.
God spoke a lot of things to Pastor Vernon and Pastor Mary
and through people over the past 30, 40 years
about what he's doing now.
So I just want to share that part.
The Holy Spirit reminded me, you need to continue to read this over and over again.
And take heart of what's being said so we can run with it.
I want to go to page 87.
If you have one at home, read it.
If you don't get one, I believe they're free, correct?
They're free, get one.
On page 87, there was a prophecy that was given on March 20th in 2010.
It says, I see you nine months pregnant.
I see stretch marks. You cannot get stretched much further.
It's time for the baby to be born, for revival to begin.
You ask me, how? How will this be done?
And here we'll come forth the Davids.
We've been hearing that a lot.
And I'm always like, explain that. What does that mean?
Well, here's what it means.
The least expected ones.
These youth that we have here sometimes, as society,
I'm not saying this church, but as society,
we look at youth as the least expected ones to accomplish anything.
But God wants to use the least expected one.
He wants to use a young David.
Pastor Igor on June 28th was prophesying about David
and being ready for battle when the battle comes,
that you don't run to the brook and grab the stones
before the battle, right when the battle begins,
that you are already prepared for the battle.
So it's the least expected ones.
The ones that others will say, go home.
Go home to your father.
David just came to serve.
He came on command.
He came to bring bread.
David remembered what God had already done for him
with the lion and the bear.
Remember what God has done for you in that same glory.
Remember what God has done for you in that same glory
will come on you and more.
Remember, you are the least expected.
You will take a rock to the head of the enemy
and he will fall.
And here comes the kings, here comes the kings.
And I pray that over this generation today,
that these Daves begin to rise up,
the least expected ones, and they pick up the rock
and they begin to slay the giants in society.
They begin to slay the giants in the crowd.
They begin to take down these things
that are trying to separate the youth from their God.
And they will stand up and they will rise up
and they will be an army.
So we need to prepare them for that battle
and awaken the spirit within them,
the fire that's within them.
Then I want to go to Felicia's prayer on June 28th.
It hit me hard because it's a prayer that...
it was a prayer that I've been praying since I was 20.
I was asked recently in encounter,
how'd you get into the ministry?
And I haven't really thought about it for a long time
because it's been a long time.
It's been many years.
And I remember the day that...
God gave me a dream, but I remember the day
that I knew what I'm doing is what I'm supposed to do.
I was probably about 20, 21.
And I was...
I went to my parents' house.
Someone gave me a DVD.
For your young ones, that's like a CD
that used to play movies.
I put this DVD in and I start watching it.
And it's a worship...
it's just kids' worshiping
all ages from very young to high school.
And the anointing of God came in.
And I fell on the floor
and I was bawling before the Lord.
And as I began to intercede, I said,
I want to be a part of that.
I see that it was just...
it was raw. It was pure.
It wasn't corrupted.
It was just, we love Jesus.
It was genuine.
So I want to talk about Felicia's prayer
because this is what came out of me that day.
I'm reminded of a prophecy my father gave years ago.
And Jesus was speaking about the father.
He was saying that this next generation
is needing a raw display of the power of the father.
Does that sound like an encounter?
He said it is the only thing that will bring them in.
We're not going to bring them in by programs, by gimmicks,
by lights, shows, and fog machines.
We're going to bring them in by the raw power of the father.
He said it is the only thing that will bring them
the raw supernatural power.
He said, and I want you to wield that power
for it will bring them in.
The next generation is crying out
and the old way is not going to work anymore.
They're crying out for us to stand up.
They're crying out for us to show them who the father is.
They're crying out to see the raw power of God.
And it is us that God wants to use.
It's the older generation to show them
the power of the living God.
Then she began to pray,
Father, Father, we want you to come.
We want you to come visit your church.
Father, Father, come.
Make us ready, God.
Make us ready for the souls.
Make us ready for revival.
For the youth.
Because God is going to bring in the youth.
Make us holy.
Prepare our hands for war and battle
for they will come with demons
and they will come with torments.
But they will find freedom in your church.
And your power will set them free from the world.
Your power, your power, Father,
it will make the way.
So God is saying,
I want you to wield the raw power of God.
And he's speaking to us older generation
to wield the raw power of God
to show them to the youth.
He's calling us to rise up
and to show that raw power to the youth.
We need to walk in it.
Not just them,
but we need to show them how to walk into it.
We have to be the example.
We have to be the warriors in this.
So I want to go to page 72.
This is just in the middle of a prophecy
given to Pastor Vern in 2008 of August.
Do not be satisfied.
Do not be content for the way it used to work
because it won't work anymore.
We cannot do what we have been doing.
We have to do something.
That's where the raw display of the power of God
needs to come in.
We are living in a time where wickedness is increasing.
Can we see it?
More than 2008.
Imagine this was given in 2008.
Look where we're at now compared to 2008.
But I have good news, amen.
Where wickedness abounds,
my grace, my favor also abounds
and the standard is raised.
But with the raising of the standard,
new, new, new comes.
I need a people, listen,
who are willing to wield the raw,
invincible, unquenchable,
unfading power of the Almighty God.
This is the one that Felicia was quoting from.
It will bring this generation in.
It will give hope where there is no hope.
It will bring life where death seems to be to rule and reign.
It will resurrect from the dead.
God is asking for us to step into that raw power.
And now I'm going to go to page 96.
And older generation.
This was a prophecy given,
so it's at the end,
of September 9th, 2012.
There's also a parallel prophecy from 2007.
This is at the end.
God is beginning to speak,
and the older generation.
I'm going to consider myself part of that.
I'm no longer in my 20s, so...
my body tries to remind me that every day.
It will submit.
How will that one go as expected as they sent?
I will convince you by my spirit.
I will convince you, I will convince you,
and it will be a supernatural convincing
because I am raising up an army
that is not going to be complacent.
So he's talking about the next generation.
He's going to raise up an army that's not going to be complacent.
Now he's talking, I'm going to convince you of something here.
An army that is not going to be slothful.
And I was thinking about this.
I'm a supervisor.
I deal with the younger generation,
and they call in sick for just odd reasons.
The work ethic isn't there like the older generation.
I come from a generation that taught me,
you show up and you work until the work is done.
If you're sick, you come in and do what you can
until you can't do it no more.
You work, you work, you work hard.
You have this work ethic that goes,
and we need that for the kingdom of God.
We need someone who's not going to be slothful.
We're not going to be someone who's just going to sit on their phone
and look at TikTok every day.
We need people to come out there and show them
how to pull the cart, pull the plow,
and get in and do the work.
Because it is supernatural,
but he has to wield it through us.
We have to partner with him, correct?
I'm raising up an army that will not be slothful.
An army that is not going to be with me one day
and against me the next.
Talking about perseverance, talking about endurance.
Who better than a generation that has gone through some things
that had to persevere in their life?
I've had to endure.
I've had to persevere.
I can teach how to do that, to go through it.
To a generation that's... I call it the TikTok generation.
That's sincere, and if it doesn't feed what they need
in 30 seconds, they move on to the next.
So if they're not getting what they want from God
in 30 seconds, they're going to move on to the next.
Do you know sometimes you have to sit and wait?
Sometimes you just got to be patient.
Sometimes the answer doesn't come in 30 seconds.
Sometimes the promise takes 21 years.
Sometimes the promise takes 40 years.
Pastor Vernon and Mary have been praying for revival.
For revival you see little spurts,
but they're not talking about a little spur of revival.
They're talking change, like society change, regional change,
national change revival, world changing revival.
Not just a spurt.
So we have...
us older generation teach them.
And he's raising up an army.
Fight for me...
I am raising up an army that will step into realms
of the supernatural and will operate with me at their side
like this world has never seen before.
And I'm standing at your heart's door
and I am knocking this morning and I'm asking,
open the door and let me in.
Commit yourselves to me this one day.
We've been hearing a lot about sacrifice,
dying to self, going low.
And these are things that we need to take seriously,
that I need to take seriously.
Because this is...
this, when I read this booklet,
there's two foundational things.
There's a lot of things,
but two things that is going to help bring the next revival.
One, everything must be reliant on the Word of God.
Must be a foundational thing with the Word of God.
Everything lines up with the Word of God.
Second is worship.
There's a battle going on that worship is becoming emotional.
This next generation is very emotional.
And it's going that way because of the next generation,
but it has to be rooted in the Word.
Because if you go too emotional, you get into a ditch.
If you're too much in the Word, you get into a ditch
and it becomes religious.
You need both and both are here.
But what I find interesting,
the first time the word worship is used in the Bible
is in Genesis 22.
It is when Abraham is going to take his son
to sacrifice him.
And he uses the word,
we are going up the mountain to worship.
Worship is a sacrifice.
Worship is obedience.
Worship is laying down.
Worship is going low.
Everything that we've been talking about,
God is preparing us to true worship,
not just music and emotional,
but where we lay down our lives in sacrifice.
Romans 12 says that laying down our lives,
that is true worship.
Sacrificing is true worship.
So what I'm going to ask this week
is that you sacrifice a little bit.
You die to yourself, die to the flesh a little bit,
and pray for the youth every night.
As a matter of fact, I just got an email
saying that there's a prayer chain going around
and that they'll send out a text
of every night of what they need prayer for.
And I can send them the names and numbers
and you'll get that text.
I said, well, how many can I sign up
as many as you want?
And so I'm asking if you want to,
I don't have a sign up sheet, it was quick.
We'll get one out there real quick
before service is over.
Sign up, put your name, put your number,
and I will send it to them and they'll pray for you.
Or it sends you a text to pray for the youth.
And what I want to do this morning, I know...
Yeah, I better do this.
What I want to do this morning
is I want to pray for them.
I want us as a congregation to pray for them.
To come up and to begin to speak over them
and the workers that are going
and the workers that can't go
but are going to stay back
and hold the fort down and pray for them.
We need to pray for these...
This is an important time for them.
God wants to encounter this generation.
He wants to make himself real to them.
And he's asking this older generation
to stand in the gap, sacrifice,
and to lay down and worship
and show them the way.