The core message centered on John 20:21—"As the Father sent me, I am sending you"—as Pastor Tyrone emphasized that every believer is called to active ministry. He argued that Christians are meant to act as ambassadors of God's love rather than gatekeepers or "bouncers," using their unique gifts to serve others in daily life. He explained how Deke Ministries operates its "Welcome Home Church" outreach every Saturday at 485 Lowry Street. The program provides hot meals, clothing, supplies, and worship services to the local homeless population and surrounding community without judgment, treating every person with dignity and unconditional love.

Pastor Tyrone also detailed how the ministry equips believers to serve through structured training programs. These include brief Saturday morning onboarding for new volunteers, a four-week Bible study covering core Christian doctrines, and ongoing practical lay-ministry training. He outlined immediate physical needs for their neighbors in the nearby tent city—such as winter coats, boots, toiletries, and pop-top canned goods—and shared upcoming goals for the ministry, including a Black Friday food truck festival, the annual Serve Jesus Gala in June, a Back to School program in July, and plans for a monthly thrift sale to help fund their efforts.

• Access to the Throne: Reflecting on her recent visit to the White House and navigating Secret Service checkpoints, Pastor Rhonda reminded the congregation that entering God's presence requires no security clearance or documentation—only a hungry heart coming before the King of Kings.

• Altar Ministry Focus: Prayer teams ministered to individuals seeking physical healing, relief from crippling anxiety, and divine direction, declaring the authority of Jesus over every diagnosis and fear.

• Queen for a Day (August 29): Registration capped at 300 participants after filling within four days. Sponsorship drive for outreach purses continues in the lobby, coordinated alongside Susan Vernon.

• Midweek Wednesday Series: We Are Harvest Beyond the Walls continues at 7:00 PM featuring Pastor Tyrone Johnson presenting on DEAC Ministries and its outreach to Cleveland's homeless community.

• Men's Topgolf Event: Scheduled for Tuesday, August 18, in Chattanooga. Men interested in attending were directed to connect with Pastor Todd.

Preacher: Pastor Kelly Goins

• Beyond the Altar: Praying a prayer to receive salvation is not the pinnacle of the Christian walk—it is the starting line. A Christianity that promises heaven while permitting believers to live unchanged on Earth is foreign to the New Testament.

• Identity and Activity: Quoting evangelist Shane Pruitt, true gospel transformation changes both identity (who you are in Christ) and activity (what you do daily).

1. Don't Mistake Stupidity for Immaturity: Behaviors understandable in a toddler (e.g., eating dirt) become reckless or illegal when carried out by an adult. Certain spiritual behaviors permissible for a brand-new convert become unacceptable for long-term believers.

2. Don't Mistake Age for Spiritual Maturity: Physical age or years spent attending church services do not equate to spiritual depth. New believers pursuing Christ passionately often demonstrate greater spiritual maturity than lifelong churchgoers.

3. Posture vs. Promise: Unanswered prayers are frequently not a promise problem from God, but a posture problem from believers who refuse to step into adult responsibility.

• The Delayed Inheritance: An immature child legally owns their father's entire estate, yet functionally lives no differently than a servant until reaching the age set by the father.

• God's Patience vs. God's Blessing: God will give what He promised because you are His child, but He cannot entrust it to you as long as you insist on remaining a child. Many believers mistake living under God's long-suffering patience for living under His active blessing.

• Principles vs. Presence: Living merely by moral principles differs from learning to live daily in God's intimate presence and hearing His voice.

• Own Your Choices: Mature believers stop blaming government systems, past relationships, or upbringing, taking direct responsibility for their actions.

• Own Your Relationships: Adults guard their circle of influence, recognizing that close companions shape their spiritual future.

• Own Your Spiritual Growth (Hebrews 5:12-14): Mature Christians stop relying on pastors or podcasts to hand-feed them like infants on milk. They open the Word for themselves, consume solid food, and train their discernment to distinguish good from evil.

• Galatians 4:1-7 > "Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all... God sent forth his Son... to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons."

• 1 Corinthians 13:11 > "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things."

   

• Hebrews 5:12-14 > "For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat."

   

• Galatians 3:28 (Referenced) – There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

• Numbers 6:24-26 (Benediction) > "The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace."

• Exodus 15:26 – "For I am the Lord who heals you."

• Psalm 66:12 – "We passed through the fire and the flood, yet in the end, you always bring us out better than we were before."

• Psalm 147:3 – "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."

• Genesis 41:51–52 – The naming of Manasseh ("God has made me forget") and Ephraim ("God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction").

• Genesis 50:20 – "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good..."

Healing is built into the very DNA of who God is. In Hebrew, Jehovah Rapha means to cure, to mend, and to put back together again. Like a completed jigsaw puzzle, God knows how every fragmented piece of your life fits together without needing human wisdom to guide Him.

At the bitter waters of Mara (Exodus 15), God instructed Moses to throw a tree into the water to make it sweet. Symbolizing the cross of Christ, God often heals not by removing the place of pain, but by changing what that pain produces.

God intentionality wraps our wounds (Shabosh) to protect us while we heal. He invites us to surrender any bitterness so He can uproot it and replace it with His supernatural peace (Jehovah Shalom).

Just as Joseph named his sons Manasseh ("God made me forget the pain") and Ephraim ("God made me fruitful in affliction"), God can cause new life to flourish out of your hardest seasons. Your scars are not signs of defeat—they are trophies of victory displaying triumph over trial.

"What if the greatest miracle isn't just you surviving your pain, but discovering that God has made you fruitful because of it?"

— Pastor Rhonda Davis

• The Foundation of Love and Obedience

  • Scripture: John 14:15, Matthew 22:37–39

  • True obedience isn't about rigid legalism; it is a natural love response to God. Our primary purpose is to know Him, be loved by Him, and love Him in return—out of which all ministry flows.

• Jesus as the Ultimate Model of Yieldedness

  • Scripture: Philippians 2:5–11, John 5:19

  • Even Jesus operated in complete submission to the Father, doing only what He saw the Father doing. His ultimate obedience—even unto death on a cross—led to His elevation, setting the standard for how believers should follow His lead.

• 4 Practical Ways to Yield to the Holy Spirit

  1. Be Filled with the Spirit

     • Scripture: Acts 1:4–8

     • Beyond an initial baptism, staying continuously filled with the Holy Spirit is vital. We cannot guide others into the Kingdom without intimately knowing the King ourselves.

  2. Be Filled with the Word

     • Scripture: Psalm 119:105

     • God’s Word trains our spiritual senses. Grounding ourselves in Scripture provides the divine filter necessary to discern God's voice and test spontaneous impressions against His character.

  3. Stay Ready at All Times

     • Scripture: 1 Peter 3:15

     • Real-life ministry and miracles rarely happen on a planned schedule. Believers must cultivate a posture of constant readiness—whether in a church setting, at work, or during late-night errands.

  4. Make Obedience in the Mundane a Habit

     • Scripture: Luke 16:10, Matthew 25:21

     • Faithfulness in the small, everyday moments (serving family, showing patience, acting on quick godly thoughts) trains us for larger assignments. Yieldedness in spontaneous, miraculous moments is deeply rooted in our daily obedience in the quiet ones.

• The Wilderness Setting: Written by King David’s chief musician Asaph, Psalm 78 serves as a historical reminder of Israel's behavioral cycles in the desert. Fresh out of Egyptian deliverance—having witnessed the ten plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, and being physically guided by pillars of cloud and fire—the people began to bitterly complain against God a mere three days into their journey.

• An Honest Question vs. An Accusation: In Psalm 78:19, the people ask, "Can God really prepare a table in the wilderness?" Pastor Rhonda noted that the word really transforms a seemingly innocent question into a toxic accusation dressed up as reason. It is the phrase used when a human heart has already decided the answer is "no," waiting around only to prove its own doubt correct.

• Covenant Over Anger: Despite their rebellion, God did not slam the door or cancel His covenant. Instead, He commanded the skies to open and rained down manna—the food of angels. God systematically spread a feast in front of the very people who were whispering against Him in their tents the night before.

Pastor Rhonda unpacked the three distinct tables God establishes throughout biblical history:

• The Purpose of the Table: The wilderness table is never a structural reward for individuals who possess perfect, unwavering faith. It is a table of pure grace, deliberately established right in the middle of your human doubting.

• The Goodness that Pulls: Relying on Romans 2:4, it is the unmerited goodness of God—not His anger—that gently leads broken, derailed, or disappointed individuals into true repentance.

• The Commitment of God: God remains infinitely more committed to your ultimate destiny than your lingering doubt is committed to keeping you away from His presence. As highlighted in Psalm 78:38-39, He stays full of compassion, frequently holds back His anger, and remembers that human beings are fragile, temporary flesh.

• The Blinded Army at Dothan: In 2 Kings 6, the King of Syria surrounded the prophet Elisha at Dothan with a massive host of horses and iron chariots. When Elisha’s servant panicked, shouting, "What shall we do?", Elisha uttered the historic reality: "Don't be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those with them."

• The Spiritual Sight Shift: Elisha did not pray for his servant’s natural eyes, but for his spiritual eyes to be opened. Instantly, the young man saw the surrounding mountains packed with the fiery chariots of God's angelic hosts.

• A Feast Instead of a Sword: After praying for God to strike the Syrian army with blindness, Elisha boldly walked into their ranks and led them directly into the capital city of Samaria. When the King of Israel eagerly asked, "Shall I kill them?", Elisha commanded him to serve them a massive feast of comfort food and water instead.

• The Victory of Mercy: This exact battlefield feast provides the historical background for Psalm 23:5 ("Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies"). It was not the edge of a sword that permanently stopped the Syrian invasions—it was an overwhelming act of covenant mercy.

Pastoral Application on Stiff-Arming: Pastor Rhonda paused the message to deliver a deep word on forgiveness and breaking internal chains (Psalm 44:21). True forgiveness does not excuse the offender; it releases the victim from an emotional prison. She shared a transparent personal testimony of a spiritual son and backup worship leader who left her ministry years prior. Though she smiled outwardly, she spent years "stiff-arming" him to protect her own heart from being hurt again. After her late husband confronted her behavior, she broke down at the altar, embraced the man, repented of her coldness, and unlocked a deep, ongoing fellowship that persists to this day.

• Crushing the Enemy's Head: The framework for the final table was established in Genesis 3, where God promised that the seed of the woman would eventually crush the head of the serpent. Because Satan acutely understands this legal decree, he target-attacks human families with desperation and fear.

• Spread While We Were Rebellious: Reading from Romans 5:6-8, Christ did not wait for humanity to surrender, perfect their theology, or clean up their lives. He set out the bread and wine of the ultimate table at Calvary while we were actively operating as His lifestyle enemies.

• The Table of Communion: At the Last Supper, Jesus willingly broke bread, dipped from the same cup, and washed the feet of Judas Iscariot—the very man orchestrating His betrayal. He fully established a table in the literal presence of His enemy.

• Jesus Is Better: Moving into corporate communion, Pastor Rhonda echoed the foundational theme of the Book of Hebrews: Jesus is structurally better than legalism, religion, and all earthly material goods. He is the express image of the living God.

• Prophetic Prophecy Declared: During a prolonged moment of corporate worship, a prophetic word was delivered over the room: “I have not brought you this far to leave you, says the Lord. You are hidden in the hollow of My hands, and I am preparing you to move like an arrow shot from a bow at the right time. You are the ones called to set My tables of mercy in the wilderness of this world.”

• The River in the Desert: Standing across the sanctuary, the congregation applied Isaiah 43:18-19, commanding all spiritual squatters of doubt to leave, completely releasing old bitterness against parents, employers, or former spouses, and taking communion with a fresh, childlike awareness of Christ's healing power.

Here are the primary scriptures read, cited, or expounded upon during the service:

• Psalm 78:19 > "Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish [prepare] a table in the wilderness?"

• Romans 5:6-8 > "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly... But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners [enemies], Christ died for us."

• Romans 2:4 (Referenced) – Knowing that the goodness of God leads human beings to repentance.

• Psalm 78:38-39 > "But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away... For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again."

   

• 2 Kings 6:16-17 > "And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha."

• Deuteronomy 31:6 (Referenced) – Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, He it is that doth go with thee.

• 2 Chronicles 32:7 (Referenced) – Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him.

• Psalm 23:5 > "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over."

• Psalm 44:21 (Referenced) – Shall not God search this out? For He knoweth the secrets of the heart.

• Revelation 3:20 > "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."

• Isaiah 43:18-19 > "Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert."

• Numbers 6:24-26 (The Benediction) > "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."

1 You have searched me, Lord,     and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise;     you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down;     you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue     you, Lord, know it completely. 5 You hem me in behind and before,     and you lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,     too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?     Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;     if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,     if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me,     your right hand will hold me fast. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me     and the light become night around me,” 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;     the night will shine like the day,     for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being;     you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;     your works are wonderful,     I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you     when I was made in the secret place,     when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;     all the days ordained for me were written in your book     before one of them came to be. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God!     How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them,     they would outnumber the grains of sand—     when I awake, I am still with you.

19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked!     Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! 20 They speak of you with evil intent;     your adversaries misuse your name. 21 Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord,     and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? 22 I have nothing but hatred for them;     I count them my enemies. 23 Search me, God, and know my heart;     test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me,     and lead me in the way everlasting.

Location: Church of the Harvest (TL Lowry Center)

Special Occasion: Independence Day Weekend & America's 250th Anniversary Celebration

• Opening Prayer: The service opened with a focus on celebrating both national freedom and the ultimate freedom found in Christ, inviting the Holy Spirit to fill the room.

• Miracle & Prayer Focus: Believers were invited to join their faith with the prayer teams at the altars to see God work miracles, declaring that every need must bow to the name of Jesus.

• Underground Church Reflection: Preachers reminded the congregation of the immense privilege of public worship, noting that members of underground churches globally meet in secret and worship with unprompted passion despite the threat of death.

Pastor Rhonda invited members to share their recent experiences from the unique altar ministry lines held the previous week:

• Tina Toles: Shared that despite initial fear and hesitation to step into the prayer line, she experienced an overwhelming, unprecedented power of the Holy Spirit that left her with a deep, lasting peace throughout her work week at Chick-fil-A.

• KK (Mrs. Smith): Expressed that after a period of being away from church and feeling like she was simply "floating" through life, stepping into the line brought an immediate sense of peace. Pastor Rhonda ministered to her, saying, "God said, I am yours," validating a real, physical encounter with the Holy Spirit.

• Wednesday Night Series: Summer in the Psalms continues this Wednesday at 7:00 PM at the TL Lowry Center, featuring Pastor Joe Robinson teaching from Psalm 139.

• Next Sunday Guest Speaker: Welcoming back Lori Wilke, an anointed speaker, singer, and author with a deep prophetic teaching edge.

• Community Outreach Impact: Pastor Rhonda thanked the church for its continued financial stewardship, highlighting recent works funded by tithes and offerings: reaching the homeless, jail/prison ministries, assisting single mothers, and completely covering the rent for a local family in dire straits.

Led by Army Veteran Michael Cook (who served 10 years stateside), the service paused to honor first responders and military veterans present in the congregation:

• Presentation of the Colors: The United States flag was formally presented by Tina Toles, a retired Master Sergeant who served 21.5 years in the U.S. Air Force Air Combat Command, with deployments to Japan, Turkey, Germany, and Italy.

• Tribute Video: A special media presentation featuring interviews with church children and reflections on "American Grit," the founding fathers, and the constitutional right to pursue happiness was highlighted and credited to Austin and the media team.

Preacher: Pastor Rhonda Davis

• The Odds of Grace: Statistically, based on global birth rates, an individual has only a 2% to 3% chance of being born in the United States.

• A Beacon of Light: Over its 250-year history, America has outlasted its accusers, remaining a democracy through civil war, internal discourse, and external enemies. The nation historically leads the world in sending Christian missionaries to foreign sands and outspends the next three runner-up nations combined in global disaster relief.

• The Call to Stand: Reading from Galatians 5:1, the church is reminded that Christ sets us free for the purpose of living in actual freedom. Believers must actively choose never to be entangled again by a yoke of spiritual slavery.

• The Winter of 1777 (Valley Forge): To understand the value of freedom, Pastor Rhonda recalled General George Washington leading 12,000 under-resourced men into Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, after devastating defeats. 2,000 soldiers died from cold, starvation, and disease. Out of sheer desperation, men boiled their shoe leather for sustenance and left trails of blood in the snow from bare, frostbitten feet—yet they refused to surrender because they believed freedom outweighed personal comfort.

• The Cost of Spiritual Liberty (Calvary): Moving from Valley Forge to the hill of Calvary, Jesus Christ endured the ultimate price for human liberty. As prophesied in Isaiah 52:14, He was beaten beyond human recognition. Though He possessed the immediate power to call down 10000 angels (Matthew 26), He chose to stay on the cross because He determined our freedom was worth the price.

• Inherent Human Dignity: True liberty—both the civil freedom to vote and live without government interference, and spiritual freedom—stems from a singular source: God Himself. Because God is free by nature, and because humans are uniquely made in His image (Genesis 1:27), every individual possesses inherent, sacred dignity.

• The Living Room Jail Cell: Quoting Galatians 5:1 from The Message, Pastor Rhonda warned against trying to add legalism to grace. Living a restricted, legalistic life after being saved is equivalent to being liberated from a maximum-security prison only to build a voluntary jail cell right inside your own living room.

• Guarding Against Apathy: History shows nations are rarely conquered by sudden external conquest; instead, they fall through internal apathy and gradually forgetting what it cost to obtain their liberty. Pastor Rhonda recalled a WallBuilders podcast interview by historian David Barton featuring a Washington State pastor who had to sue the government in 2020 because secular establishments were permitted to stay open while churches faced criminal misdemeanors for outdoor worship and singing.

• Identifying Modern Chains: The enemy constantly attempts to lure believers back into old bondages. These chains manifest as:

  1. Rehearsing past failures on a continuous mental playlist.

  2. Slipping back into toxic, generational family mindsets.

  3. Trapping oneself in people-pleasing loops and performance mentalities.

• Prophetic Deliverance: Pastor Rhonda shared a personal moment from her youth when minister Billy Burke gave her a word detailing a "ball and chain" around her ankle representing the conditional expectations of others. Breaking that chain requires standing firm—derived from the Greek word stekete, meaning to stubbornly hold your ground, defend your position, and completely refuse to be moved.

1. Know What You Have: You cannot properly steward what you do not understand. Taking inventory of spiritual rights reveals that there is zero condemnation for those in Christ (Romans 8:1), sin is no longer your master (Romans 6:14), and the same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives inside you (Romans 8:11). Pastor Rhonda referenced a 2022 table talk discussion with Lance Wallnau and Cindy Murdock, recalling Wallnau's story of Donald Trump in 2015 challenging silent ministers to defend their biblical rights, which later resulted in the executive repeal of the restrictive Johnson Amendment.

2. Use Freedom for Something Greater: Freedom is never the final destination; it is simply the vehicle. According to Galatians 5:13, liberty must never be used to satisfy selfish, sinful natures, but rather to serve one another in love. The sacrifices of past generations are dignified when we use our voices to speak truth with grace and act as the hands and feet of Jesus to help the homeless, the prisoner, and the vulnerable.

3. Let the Holy Spirit Lead: Believers must maintain an open mind to how God wants to uniquely deploy their skills, influence, and talents across different seasons of life. It does not require unusual human ability to shift the world—only a caring heart, a determined mind, and a willing spirit.

• The Command to Pray: Aligning with 1 Timothy 2:1-2, the church corporate is called to make supplications, prayers, and intercessions for all people, explicitly including kings and all secular authorities, so that believers may lead quiet, peaceful, and godly lives.

• A Promise of Healing: God is not finished with America. Relying on Lamentations 3:23 (His mercies are new every morning) and the covenant promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14, the church closed by corporate prayer, repenting of negative mindsets, asking for systemic healing from the White House to the communities, and calling a wayward generation back into their divine identity.

Here are the primary scriptures read, cited, or expounded upon during the service:

• Psalm 139 (Referenced) – The focal text announced for the upcoming Wednesday night teaching by Pastor Joe Robinson.

• Galatians 5:1 > "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." (Also quoted from The Message: "Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.")

• Isaiah 52:14 (Referenced) – The prophetic description of the Messiah being marred and beaten beyond human recognition.

• Matthew 26 (Referenced) – Jesus declaring He could command twelve legions of angels to deliver Him, yet choosing the cross.

• Genesis 1:27 > "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

• Romans 6:14 > "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace."

• Romans 8:1 (Referenced) – There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.

• Romans 8:11 > "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you."

• Galatians 5:13 > "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another."

• 1 Timothy 2:1-2 > "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty."

• Lamentations 3:22-23 (Referenced) – The Lord's mercies are not consumed; they are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.

• 2 Chronicles 7:14 > "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

• Numbers 6:24-26 (The Benediction) > "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."

• Choosing a New Path: In Psalm 84, the sons of Korah write about longing for the courts of the Lord. This is significant because their ancestor, Korah, rebelled and was destroyed. Yet, his descendants chose a different path. You may come from generations of brokenness, but you can choose today to serve the Lord.

• Proximity Over Position: The house of God is beautiful not because of its physical architecture or staging, but because it is where God's people gather to corporately meet with Him.

• A Day in His Courts: According to the Psalmist, a single day in God's courts is better than a thousand days spent anywhere else. Proximity to God trumps any secular privilege—even a debt-free million-dollar resort or a palace.

• Strength to Strength: In the sanctuary, believers draw dynamic strength from one another's testimonies—seeing brothers and sisters who have conquered cancer, beaten addictions, and defied medical odds. Together, they pass through the Valley of Baca (weeping) and turn it into a place of fresh, living springs.

• The Roundabout Way: When God delivered Israel out of Egypt (Exodus 14), He intentionally did not lead them along the shortest route through Philistine territory. God stated His strategy: He knew that if they faced an immediate battle, they would get discouraged and turn back.

• Strategic Position vs. Apparent Mistake: God purposefully led them on a roundabout way through the wilderness to camp at a perceived dead end at Baal Zephon. To Pharaoh and the enemy, it looked like they were wandering aimlessly and trapped by the wilderness.

• The Enemy's Trap: What the world or the enemy labels as a disastrous mistake is actually God's hidden strategy. God didn't build a dead end to trap His people; He built a trap to eliminate their enemy.

• Through, Not Around: When the crisis hit at the Red Sea, God did not build a bridge over it, send boats to carry them, or take them around it. He took them straight through it. The obstacle itself became the road.

• Night Season Operations: God blew back the waters all through the night season. When you are in your own dark night season and cannot see a way forward, that is precisely when God is operating behind the scenes to clear your pathway.

• The Mystery of the Dolphin Skins: In Exodus 26:11, God instructs Moses to cover the ceiling of the Tabernacle's tent of meeting with dolphin skins. While finding sea creatures in the middle of a dry wilderness seems impossible, Jewish history and various scholars suggest a powerful reason:

  • As the Israelites crossed the Red Sea with walls of water stacked high on either side, they could see the marine life.

  • They carried those skins into the wilderness as a permanent structural reminder in their ceiling to look up and remember: “We did not get here by ourselves; it was the Lord who redeemed us.”

• The Right to Cross Over: Because the blood of Jesus has purchased you, you are legally classified as the redeemed of the Lord, giving you an absolute right to cross over your barriers.

• God's Unconventional Pathways: Throughout history, God has continuously built unexpected avenues of deliverance using unlikely people:

  • He anointed a heathen king named Cyrus to march through the Euphrates River at night to overthrow Babylon and deliver His weeping people.

  • He anointed a simple cupbearer named Nehemiah to stand before King Artaxerxes to secure the rebuilding of Jerusalem's ruined walls.

• Shouting to the Mountain: When holy projects stop halfway and leave you in disappointment, we must speak the prophetic words of Zechariah 4:7: Cry "Grace, grace" to the mountain, and it shall be leveled into a plain.

• The Humble Arrival: When the King of Kings arrived, He bypassed the expected pathways of Middle Eastern royalty—the velvet tapestries, marble floors, and royal heralds. Instead, He started in a dusty, earthy manger filled with straw and the smell of livestock.

• Palace Transmutations: God took a route no human saw coming. If God can navigate a path from a low, dirty manger straight to the right hand of the Throne, He can take the "manger" situations of your life and turn them into a palace.

• The Strategic Weapon: The cross was naturally a site of execution, sin, deep shame, and public humiliation. The religious elite and demonic principalities assumed Jesus could never reach the throne from such a low place of defeat.

• Returning to the Feet of the Cross: The cross is not just the entry point of your salvation; it is your ongoing structural weapon against the enemy. When you are bullied by fear, intrusive thoughts, or defeat, return to the feet of the cross where the veil was torn, sin was destroyed, and shame was paid back.

• The Third Day Resurrection: The apparent defeat of the cross was turned around on the third day when Jesus was triumphantly resurrected from the tomb. Because of that structural victory, God has highly exalted Him and given Him a name that reigns supreme over cancer, sickness, debt, and every dead-end trap of the enemy.

Here are the primary scriptures read, cited, or expounded upon during the service:

• Psalm 77:19 > "Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known."

• Psalm 77:13-14 > "Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God? Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people."

• Psalm 84:1-2 > "How amiable [lovely] are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God."

• Psalm 84:6-7 (Referenced) – Passing through the Valley of Baca [weeping] and making it a well, as they go from strength to strength.

• Psalm 84:10 > "For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness."

• Exodus 14 (Referenced) – The account of God leading Israel the roundabout way through the wilderness to camp at Baal Zephon, and Pharaoh assuming they were trapped.

• Isaiah 51:9-10 (Paraphrased) – Awaking the arm of the Lord to put on strength as in ancient generations, drying up the great deep to make a road for the redeemed to cross over.

• Exodus 26:11 / Exodus 36:19 (Referenced) – The structural command to cover the tent of the Tabernacle with a covering of dolphin skins [badger/sea-cow skins in some translations].

• Zechariah 4:7 > "Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it."

• Isaiah 51:11 (Referenced) – The redeemed of the Lord returning and coming with singing unto Zion, with everlasting joy upon their heads.

• Numbers 6:24-26 (The Benediction) > "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."

Location: Church of the Harvest

• The Caleb Spirit: At nearly 74 years old, Pastor Lemuel shares his experience winning a silver medal at the national arm wrestling championship, emphasizing that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). We must actively care for our physical templates so that the Holy Ghost is not "living in a garage or a shed."

• Commanding Prayers vs. Begging: In his book Prayers for Healing, Pastor Lemuel explains that many believers stay in ignorance, begging God for things He has already accomplished. Spiritual maturity requires switching from begging prayers to authoritative, commanding prayers.

• Uprooting Sickness: True physical restoration requires looking past the surface pain and identifying the structural root causes of diseases.

  • Migraine Headaches: Often rooted in trauma and bitterness.

  • Kidney Disease: Rooted in deep unforgiveness, bitterness, fear, and self-rejection.

  • Leukemia: Often linked to bitterness and paternal rejection.

  • Lupus: Can stem from deep-seated guilt, self-hatred, and low self-esteem.

• The Human Dependency: Reading from John 5:19, Jesus explicitly declares that the Son can do absolutely nothing of Himself except what He sees the Father do. Many Christians incorrectly attribute Jesus’ earthly miracles to His inherent divinity, forgetting that He stripped Himself of that privilege to come as a 100% vulnerable human baby.

• The Earthly Blueprint: Jesus had to fully depend on human care and look directly to His Heavenly Father for supernatural strength. By doing this, He serves as a complete human blueprint for how we are meant to walk out authority on Earth.

• Fire Insurance vs. Full Rights: Most modern believers view being "saved" purely as a post-death ticket to Heaven to avoid Hell.

• The Greek Meaning: In Matthew 1:21, the term for save is the Greek word Sozo. When properly translated, it means you are actively rescued from:

  • Accidents, injuries, physical harm, and structural danger.

  • Destruction, risk, peril, loss, and premature/untimely death.

  • Sickness, chronic disease, physical infirmity, and generational curses.

• The Transacted Benefits: True Sozo simultaneously grants the believer legal rights to divine prosperity, total deliverance from addictions, inner strength, structural healing, and operational wholeness.

Using a vivid exploration of Luke 2:47, Pastor Lemuel illustrates the 12-year-old Jesus sitting among the elite rabbis and theologians, contrasting His dual lineage:

• On My Mother's Side: Born into natural law, generational trauma, human limitations, fear, hunger, thirst, trouble, and the lingering curse of sin.

• On My Father's Side: Formed in supernatural law, eternal life, and generational blessings.

• The Supernatural Exchange: * Hungry/Thirsty: On His mother's side, He fasts; on His Father's side, He is the Bread of Life and a well that never runs dry.

  • Natural Law: His mother's side is bound to gravity; His Father sits upon the flood (Psalm 29:10)—and a Father who sits on the flood raises a Son who walks on water.

  • Surrounding Defense: On His Father's side, He is covered by feathers and wings (Psalm 91:4), meaning His truth functions as a structural shield, buckler, and surrounding defense against the snare of the fowler.

  • Age and Identity: On His mother's side, He is a 12-year-old from Nazareth; on His Father's side, He is the Ancient of Days, Alpha and Omega, the Architect of the Universe, and the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world.

• The Age of Public Service: In Hebrew culture, a priest could not step into public high-priestly service until age 30. Accordingly, Jesus did not perform public miracles until reaching this baseline.

• The Necessity of Anointing: Acts 10:38 states that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and power. If Jesus was operating strictly as God, He wouldn't require an anointing or a companion. He operated as an anointed human being.

• Miraculous Power (Dunamis): When the Holy Ghost fills a believer, they receive Dunamis power—the explosive, dynamic, and supernatural capacity to perform miracles.

• Rebuking the Root: When dealing with demonic possession (Acts 16), Peter's mother-in-law's fever (Luke 4), or the raging sea (Mark 4), Jesus always used sharp, severe, and authoritative rebukes (epitimao). In the storm, He did not rebuke the water; He rebuked the wind—the structural root cause of the problem.

• The Whip Post Transaction: Based on Isaiah 53:5 and 1 Paragraph 2:24, our healing is already completely provided in the past tense ("by whose stripes you were healed"). Healing was legally settled at the whipping post, not two years from now.

• Faith is Practical Action: Believers fail to receive because they allow passive doubt to eat their seed of faith. Like the ten lepers in Luke 17, their structural healing manifested on the way because they actively moved in obedience to Jesus' command.

• Healing vs. Wholeness: While nine lepers were cleansed (cured of the disease), the Samaritan leper who turned back to worship Jesus was made whole (Sozo). Healing cures the virus; wholeness creatively restores every limb, finger, or piece of flesh that was eaten away or missing.

Here are the primary scriptures read, cited, or expounded upon during the service:

• Deuteronomy 34:7 (Referenced) – The account of Moses being 120 years old with eyes undimmed and his natural force unabated.

• 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (Referenced) – Knowing that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, bought with a price.

• John 5:19 > "Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise."

• Isaiah 7:14 > "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."

• Isaiah 9:6 > "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

• Matthew 1:21 > "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save [sozo] his people from their sins."

• Luke 2:8-14 (Paraphrased) – The angelic announcement to the shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night in the city of David.

• Luke 2:47 > "And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers."

• Romans 8:2 (Referenced) – The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus making us free from the law of sin and death.

• Psalm 29:10 (Referenced) – The Lord sitting upon the flood; the Lord sitting King forever.

• Psalm 91:1-16 (Completely Quoted) – The structural promises of protection, including abiding under the shadow of the Almighty, delivery from the snare of the fowler, protection from night terror, and angels bearing the believer up.

• Psalm 8:4-8 (Referenced) – What is man that thou art mindful of him, creating him a little lower than the angels and putting all things under his feet.

• Luke 10:19 > "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you."

• Psalm 103:1-5 (Referenced) – Blessing the Lord and forgetting not His benefits, who forgives iniquities and heals all diseases.

• Mark 11:23 > "For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart... he shall have whatsoever he saith."

• Acts 10:38 > "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him."

• Isaiah 53:5 > "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

• 1 Peter 2:24 > "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed."

• Hebrews 1:14 > "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?"

• 2 Corinthians 5:21 > "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

• Luke 17:11-19 (Referenced) – The healing of the ten lepers on their way to the priest, and the structural wholeness given to the one returning Samaritan.

• The Trench Metaphor: Reflecting on spirit-filled believers in the midst of the Ukrainian-Russian conflict, journalists noted soldiers singing worship songs in the trenches. They understood an ancient biblical truth: praise is not just what you do after the battle; it's what you deploy before it.

• Not a Performance: True praise isn't an emotion or a staged show. It has consistently driven God's people from the very beginning—from Abel’s unselfish sacrifice in Genesis to the massive, roaring cascade of hallelujahs recorded in Revelation.

• The Historical Enemy: Throughout human history, oppressive forces (Pharaohs, giants, evil rulers, and hostile regimes) have tried to silence the praise of the church. Yet, the church remains alive, active, and vocal across every time zone.

• Declaration 1: “I will praise God first.” We must commit to praising Him before the natural circumstances catch up to the spiritual reality—before the doctor calls back, before the child comes home, and before we even check our phones on a Monday morning.

• Enthroned in Praise: According to Psalm 22:3, God inhabits and sets up His throne within the praises of His people.

• Declaration 2: “I will praise God in the middle.” When we choose to praise God right in the center of an unmanifested breakthrough, we are building a dwelling place for Him to sit.

• The Moving King: When God takes His seat in our praise, the atmosphere changes, chains break, and enemies scatter. He does not merely watch from a distance; He actively moves into the situation.

• The Noise of His Tabernacle: Citing Job, Pastor Rhonda speaks on the functional "noise" of worship. Just as water vapors rise to create heavy rain clouds, our spoken praise sends an invisible vapor before the throne, causing heaven to open up with a downpour of revival, joy, and new rain over dry places.

• Beauty for Ashes: Isaiah 61:3 details a transaction. God doesn't expect you to pile praise on top of your heavy heart; He offers an immediate replacement. You give Him the heaviness, and He hands back a garment of praise.

• Understanding "Heaviness": In the Hebrew context, the root word for heaviness links to a dimness of sight. A spirit of heaviness blinds you to your future, distorts your value, and makes you lose the desire to move into tomorrow.

• The Over-the-Head Garment: In ancient culture, a full garment was put on over the head. Symbolically, the garment of praise covers your mind and thoughts first, capturing intrusive despair, before draping over your eyes to restore vision.

• Morning into Dancing: God rips off the grieving bands and replaces them with a spiritual lightness. Even if you can't physically dance, it brings a stride of joy, a smile that won't quit, and a "whistle-while-you-work" perspective.

• The Lazarus Principle: When Jesus called Lazarus out of the tomb, Lazarus emerged alive but was still completely bound from head to toe in his funeral wraps. Jesus had to command the crowd, "Loose him, and let him go."

• The Wardrobe of Yesterday: Many believers have been brought out of their tombs by God, yet they are still walking around wrapped in the grave clothes of yesterday—draped in old bitterness, the shame of past additions, or a cloak of poverty.

• A Preview for Others: You must actively stop using yesterday's grave clothes as today's wardrobe. Your freedom and your praise serve as a vital preview to someone else who is still trapped behind a sealed door that you have already walked out of.

• A Functional Tool: Praise is operational, not just decorative. When Paul and Silas praised God at midnight while covered in wounds, an earthquake shook the entire prison. Your praise has a massive spiritual radius that can reach situations, jobs, and children miles away.

• Honesty over Pretending: Praise is not minimizing your pain, lying about your hardships, or pretending everything is fine. It is an intentional declaration that God is vastly bigger than the reality of your suffering. Praise through tears and a quivering voice carries incredible weight in the heavens.

• The Positioning: Just as King Jehoshaphat was instructed to send the singers, bass players, and drummers out to the very front lines of the camp to declare God's enduring mercy, our primary stance in warfare is to stand still, open our hands, and lead with our worship.

Here are the prominent scriptures read, paraphrased, or referenced during the sermon:

• 2 Chronicles 20:12 > "O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee."

• 2 Chronicles 20:15 > "...Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's."

• 2 Chronicles 20:21-22 (Referenced) – The positioning of the singers at the front of the army to praise the beauty of holiness, causing the Lord to set ambushes against the enemy.

• Genesis 4:4 (Referenced) – Abel offering an unselfish sacrifice of worship to the Lord.

• Revelation 19:1-6 (Paraphrased) – The great voice of much people in heaven crying Hallelujah, and the voice out of the throne commanding all small and great servants to praise God, sounding like rushing waters.

• Psalm 34:1 > "I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth."

• Psalm 119:164 > "Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments."

• Psalm 63:3 > "Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee."

• Psalm 22:3 > "But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest [enthroned in] the praises of Israel."

• Job 36:29 > "Also can any understand the spreading of the clouds, or the noise of his tabernacle?"

• Isaiah 61:3 > "To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness..."

• Psalm 30:11 > "Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness."

• John 11:43-44 (Referenced) – Jesus calling Lazarus out of the grave and ordering him to be loosed from his grave clothes.

• Acts 16:25-26 (Referenced) – Paul and Silas praying and singing praises to God at midnight in prison, triggering a great earthquake that opened all the doors.

• Numbers 6:24-26 (The Benediction) > "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."

• The only thing worse than waiting on God is wishing you had waited on Him.

• Scriptural Warnings of Impatience:

  • King Saul: Took matters into his own hands and offered an unauthorized sacrifice because his men were scattering and the prophet Samuel was delayed. As a result, the kingdom was torn from him.

  • Abraham and Sarah: Attempted to force God's promise of a child by involving Hagar, resulting in the birth of Ishmael and generational warfare.

• The Counter-Culture of God's Delays: Even when humanity makes mistakes or tries to rush the process, God is powerful enough to rewrite the story (e.g., the massive revivals occurring today among the descendants of Ishmael in places like Iran).

• What is "Waiting"?: In Isaiah 43, the Hebrew word for waiting (qavah) means to be tightly woven together like cords.

• The Principle: True waiting means binding your heart to the Lord, not to the outcome or the specific thing you are asking for.

• The Reality of Turbulence: Life brings unexpected turbulence, much like a bumpy flight 30,000 feet in the air. When God chooses not to immediately stop the turbulence, He provides the necessary grace to walk through it.

• God's Arrangement: In Ecclesiastes, "beautiful in its time" translates from a root meaning arranged, precise, orderly, and fitting. God is intricately preparing the circumstances to display His glory perfectly.

• An Eyewitness to Deliverance: Our survival through past trials isn't luck, coincidence, or superstition—it is a direct testimony of God doing what only He can do.

• The Ultimate "Reach": God bridges the massive gap between His absolute holiness and our deep hopelessness. Calvary was the ultimate extension of God reaching down to humanity.

• Deep Waters: Deep waters represent situations heavier and stronger than we are—depression, grief, financial crisis, or broken relationships. Even David, the mighty warrior who killed Goliath, had to admit when an enemy was too strong for him.

• The Parent Metaphor: Just as a parent jumps fully clothed into a pool to rescue a drowning child without a second thought, God moves urgently into our deep waters to rescue us and place us in a "spacious place" of freedom.

• The Purpose of the Furnace: Fiery trials are not strange occurrences; they are vehicles to burn off the "fake" attributes (like pride or addiction) and solidify genuine, veteran faith.

• Identity in the Fire: When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the furnace, the Babylonian king tried to change their identities by renaming them. However, Christ walked into the fire with them, burning away only their bindings.

• The Hebrew Meanings of the Three Hebrews:

  • Hananiah (Shadrach): "Yahweh has been gracious."

  • Mishael (Meshach): "Who is like our God?"

  • Azariah (Abednego): "Yahweh has helped."

• The Fire's Expiration Date: Every trial has a limit. The world cannot alter your identity as a son or daughter of God, and you will come out of the fire not even smelling like smoke.

• Relentless Delight: God doesn't love or rescue us out of obligation or because we performed perfectly this week. He is overwhelmed with delight for His children because of Jesus Christ.

• The Final Declaration: God is worth waiting for. From Joseph to Esther, to the arrival of Jesus in the fullness of time, He has proven that He is an all-time God who cannot fail.

Here are the key verses read, cited, or closely paraphrased throughout the service:

• Psalm 18:1-3 > "I will love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised..."

• Psalm 126:1-5 > "When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like those that dreamed. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing... They that sow in tears shall reap in joy."

• 1 Samuel 13 (Referenced) – The account of King Saul prematurely offering the sacrifice and Samuel declaring the kingdom torn away.

• Genesis 16 (Referenced) – Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, and the birth of Ishmael.

• Isaiah 40:31 (Referenced) – Waiting (qavah) on the Lord to renew strength and mount up with wings like eagles.

• Ecclesiastes 3:11 > "He has made everything beautiful in its time."

• Romans 8:38-39 (Paraphrased) – The conviction that no principalities, powers, height, or depth can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

• Isaiah 43:1-3 > "...Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior."

   

• 1 Peter 4:12 > "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you."

   

• 1 Peter 1:6-7 (Paraphrased) – Gold perishes, but a refined faith brings praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

• Daniel 3 (Referenced) – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace with the fourth man who looked like the Son of God.

• Numbers 6:24-26 (The Benediction) > "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."

• The Hostage of Attention: Satan utilizes modern technology, targeted algorithmic marketing (such as tracking data across platforms like Amazon, Walmart, and Facebook), and sensory notifications to take the human mind hostage. Pastor Todd notes that we have become like frogs in boiling water—so accustomed to constant mental simulation that we fail to notice our attention is being systematically stolen.

• The Immediacy Trap: Modern search engines process roughly 100,000 requests per second, conditioning society to expect instant results. This entitlement to immediate answers creates deep friction when brought into a walk of faith, as believers begin to mistake a sovereign God’s requirement for patient waiting as a lack of response or absolute rejection.

• The Danger of Emotional Amplification: When an individual enters a season of physical, circumstantial, or relational trauma, their internal spiritual hearing is instantly compromised. Instead of processing raw truth, the mind filters messages exclusively through the lens of active pain, causing the emotions to artificially amplify fear and distortion.

• The Logic of Elijah’s Flight: After executing the spectacular supernatural defeat of 450 prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel, Elijah fled in absolute terror from the threats of Queen Jezebel. He traveled to Mount Horeb (Sinai)—the exact opposite end of the kingdom. While Elijah was actively running from an earthly crisis, his instinct subconsciously guided him toward the historically established mountain of God.

• The Sovereign Whisper: God did not position His presence inside the mountain-shattering wind, the structural trauma of the earthquake, or the blazing heat of the fire. Instead, He chose to communicate through a fragile, low-whisper cadence ("a gentle whisper"). God uses the subtle volume of a whisper to demand that a believer quiet their environment and pull close to hear Him.

The core directive of the teaching centers on breaking free from the cultural demands for quick, easy formulas. When your current circumstances are completely obscured by structural shifting, you must lean on the historical consistency of God's character.

"All the information in the world is useless if you don't know how to apply it and use it... Quick answers usually aren't great answers. When we can't see His hand, we trust His heart."

• Isaiah 26:3: The promise of absolute, perfect emotional preservation for the mind that remains unswervingly fixed on God.

• 1 Kings 19:11-18: The structural recording of Elijah’s retreat into the cave at Horeb, the subsequent atmospheric disruptions, and the realization of God’s presence within the low whisper.

• Proverbs 4:7: The paramount structural command of scriptural living: "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding."

• The Reality of the Local Revival: Reflecting on a recent camping trip that spontaneously transformed into an outdoor church service where eight people were baptized in a cold mountain lake, Pastor Tim emphasizes that despite cultural narratives of a "great falling away," a genuine hunger for the raw gospel is spreading.

• The Origin of the Phrase: The expression "stuck between a rock and a hard place" dates back to early 20th-century American miners. They faced a collapsing roof (the rock) on one side and sudden unemployment and starvation (the hard place) on the other.

• Physical vs. Spiritual Amputation: Pastor Tim references historic survival accounts—such as hiker Aron Ralston, who spent 127 hours pinned by an 800-pound boulder—where individuals willingly severed a limb to preserve their lives. He observes the tragic irony that while people will desperately cut a physical limb to live, Christians routinely struggle to cut off toxic mindsets, sinful habits, or old hurts to save their spiritual lives.

• Owning Your Part of the Mess: True freedom requires complete, brutal honesty with oneself. Sharing a vulnerable confession about his wild youth—including reckless driving, jumping railroad tracks, and talking back to his father—Pastor Tim points out that breakthrough only occurred when he stopped projecting blame onto his upbringing and owned his behavior.

• Abundant Life is Inside Out: The true abundant life promised by Christ is not measured by material wealth, but by the structural alignment of the human heart: righteousness, joy, and peace in the Holy Ghost.

Pastor Tim presents a direct diagnostic question to the modern church: How long will you remain paralyzed in a toxic condition before choosing to cut yourself loose? God has already positioned Himself as the unmovable Rock of Ages; the execution of the next move relies entirely on a willful choice to step out of the snare.

"He doesn't set you free while you refuse to walk away from it... Today is the day that I get set free from this. Today is the day that I am going to walk free from this. Forgetting the past and pressing on toward the mark of the prize of the high calling."

• Matthew 5:29-30: Christ’s intense, hyperbolic command that if a right eye or right hand causes a stumble, it must be cast off entirely to save the whole person.

• Exodus 15:6 & Psalm 118:16: Biblical context displaying the "right hand" as the absolute representation of ultimate power and exalted strength.

• Romans 14:17: Definition of the true abundant life: "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost."

• Habakkuk 3:19 & Philippians 3:13-14: The prophetic promise of receiving hinds' feet to confidently tread upon the high places by forgetting what lies behind.

During the altar call, a distinct prophetic word was delivered regarding breakthroughs over specific mountains and personal adjustments:

1. Own Your Vocabulary: Shift your inner narrative immediately. Cease grumbling, crying, and whispering behind the bushes; raise your hands high and speak life over the spaces where you previously felt robbed.

2. Expect Turning Points: Trust that the adjustments occurring behind the scenes will cause demonic warfare to slide off the mountain. What the enemy manufactured for absolute destruction, God is twisting for your ultimate good.

3. Commit to Wednesday Table Fellowship: Pastor Rhonda Davis emphasized that deeper theological instruction and spiritual stabilization take place around the tables on Wednesday nights. The church will begin a comprehensive, transformative study through the Book of Psalms in the second week of June. Use this as your step out from behind the rock.

• The Low-Grade Anxiety of Our Day: Pastor Rhonda challenges the church to be vigilant about what they consume online. She warns against the "cannibalistic" culture of social media and AI-generated distractions designed to induce panic and tight chests, urging believers to limit exposure to things without godly intent.

• The "King Uzziah" Crisis: Isaiah's vision didn't happen during a time of peace; it happened "in the year that King Uzziah died." Uzziah had provided stability and prosperity for fifty-two years. His death threw the nation into panic. Pastor Rhonda notes that everyone faces a "King Uzziah moment"—the sudden loss of a job, a diagnosis, or a closed door that causes earthly foundations to shake.

• The Trap of Hedonic Adaptation: Humans naturally get used to amazing things over time, causing them to become routine. Pastor Rhonda warns against allowing our relationship with Jesus to fall into this routine, urging the church to return to the pure awe and amazement of their first love.

• The Breaking is Holy Ground: True encounters with God's holiness don't produce a shame that destroys us; instead, they produce a holy brokenness that opens us up. Real transformation requires moving past a polished religious exterior and being completely honest about our mess before the throne.

• Sustained from the Inside Out: God doesn't just create the universe; He actively sustains it. Pastor Rhonda points out that if God can naturally replace the seven octillion atoms in the human body without our effort, we can completely trust Him to sustain our families, our health, and our finances.

The central premise of the sermon rests on a foundational truth: where you look determines what you see, and what you see determines how you live. If you can see God completely sovereign above your storm, you can easily survive the waves beneath it.

"God isn't looking for people who have figured out how to make the world stop shaking, because you're not gonna do it. He's looking for people who will see Him clear enough and say, 'The shaking in my world does not determine my yes.'"

• Colossians 1:16-17: All things were created through Him and for Him; He is before all things, and in Him, all things consist.

• Isaiah 6:1-8: Isaiah’s majestic vision of the Lord seated on the throne, surrounded by the seraphim crying, "Holy, holy, holy."

• Psalm 139: A reminder that we are fearfully and wonderfully knit together by God.

• Luke 12:27: Jesus' teaching to consider the lilies of the field and abandon toxic worry.

1. Silence Your Mouth, Guard Your Clicks: Step back from online arguments, negative commentary, and profit-driven clickbait that feeds your anxiety.

2. X-Out the Dragons: Like master mariner Sir John Franklin, look at the maps of your past trauma and write "Here Be God" right over the spaces where the enemy tried to plant demons and dragons.

3. Attend Consecration Service: Use the upcoming Wednesday night service to lay down your performance, stop pretending you are okay, and let the fire of God's grace touch your wounds.

Would you like me to help you create a specific scriptural reading plan focused on the sovereignty and peace of God to ground you when daily life starts to feel overwhelming?

• The Tragedy of being "Dropped": Mephibosheth was born to royalty but became disabled at age five when his nurse dropped him while fleeing a takeover. Pastor Rhonda notes that many of us feel "dropped" by circumstances, failures, or the decisions of others.

• The Reality of Lo Debar: Mephibosheth ended up in Lo Debar, which means "no pasture" or "place of nothing." This represents a mental state where hope dries up and we believe our best days are behind us.

• Grace Seeks You First: David didn't wait for Mephibosheth to find him; he went looking for someone to show "Hesed" (loyal, unfailing love) to. Similarly, God doesn't wait for us to get it together; He comes looking for us in our broken places.

• Hidden Limitations: When Mephibosheth sat at the King's table, the tablecloth covered his crippled feet. Pastor Rhonda explains that at God’s table, His grace covers our past, our limitations, and our shame.

• Treated Like Family: Mephibosheth didn't eat like a servant or a charity case; he ate "like one of the king's sons." Grace provides full dignity, honor, and rights to the household of God.

Pastor Rhonda shared four powerful stories of modern-day "Mephibosheths" who found their seat at the table:

1. Jenny Cross: Survived a childhood of abandonment, homelessness, and witnessing the drug trade to become a miracle of love for her own children.

2. Zachary Wages: Spent years in foster care due to abuse but was adopted by a teacher who saw a son where others saw a case file.

3. Priscilla Phillips: Overcame childhood trauma and a hard battle with addiction to celebrate three years of sobriety and a new life in Christ.

4. Jay Dennison: Facing total organ failure and the "devils" of despair, he received a miraculous physical healing and a divine reminder that God wasn't done with his journey.

The message concludes with a challenge to the church to have a "Yes face"—to be a place that welcomes the outcast, the addict, and the broken without judgment.

"When you sit at the king’s table, your past is under the table... because grace has the final word."

• 2 Samuel 9: The core story of David restoring Mephibosheth.

• Romans 5:8: "But God put his love on the line for us... while we were of no use whatever to him."

• Psalm 139: God’s ability to find us even if we "make our bed in hell."

• Proverbs 21:1: "The heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord."

• 2 Corinthians 12:9: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

• Ephesians 2:19: "You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but... members of his household."

• The Information-Transformation Gap: Many believers are "religiously obnoxious"—they know the scriptures by heart but their lives remain unchanged. The problem isn't a lack of information; it's a lack of revelation followed by application.

• Old Bread vs. Fresh Bread: Michael stresses that revelation must be fresh. Holding onto an old encounter with God is like eating stale bread—it once nourished you, but it won't sustain you today.

• Faith is a Verb: Faith is not a feeling or a passive belief; it is your specific response to what God has spoken to you. The water only turned "hard" for Peter when he actually stepped out of the boat.

• The "Whose Move Is It?" Principle: We often wait on God to move in our lives, forgetting that He may be waiting on our response. If He has already spoken a direction (even if it’s "quit eating junk food" or "call your former boss"), the next move is yours.

• The Healing Power of Obedience: Sharing his own testimony of a potential cancer diagnosis, Michael explains how he stopped relying on past experiences and "washed himself" in the Word until the healing promise dropped from his head into his heart.

Michael poses a central question: Are you waiting for God, or is God waiting for you? He suggests that many people are stuck because they are waiting for a "zap" from God, while God is waiting for them to take the step of obedience He already asked for.

"God is not waiting for something to change in your life... He’s waiting for you to respond to what He’s already told you. It’s really simple. If He’s spoken something to you, He’s waiting for you to say, 'Yes, Lord.'"

• Romans 12:1-2: The command to present our bodies as a living sacrifice and be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

• Psalm 1:1-3: The promise of prosperity for those who delight in and meditate on the law of the Lord.

• Matthew 5:6: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness."

• Mark 5:25-34: The woman with the issue of blood, who acted on her faith by touching the hem of Jesus' garment.

• Mark 3:1-5: The man with the withered hand, who had to "stretch it out" before he could be healed.

• Matthew 14:28-29: Peter walking on water only after responding to Jesus' command to "come."

The message concludes with a call to identify where you are "stuck." Whether it is a need for salvation, a specific mountain you need moved, or simply a need to reignite a cold heart, the solution is the same: identify what God has already said and take your move.

• God Doesn't Speak to Your Condition; He Speaks to Your Calling: Using the example of Gideon hiding in a winepress, Michael explains that while we focus on our current struggle, God addresses our future potential.

• The Power of Obscurity: David wasn't developed in a palace; he was developed in a field tending "dumb sheep." Michael reminds us that God does His best work in hidden places where no one is clapping or watching.

• Dangerous to the Devil: A recurring theme throughout the message is that when you step into the identity God has for you, you become a direct threat to the enemy's kingdom.

• Identity vs. Resume: God doesn't call us based on our past failures, our degrees, or our social status. He calls us based on the "you" He knew before the trauma and the rejection.

• A Personal Journey of Redemption: Michael shares his vulnerable story of traveling to Danville, Virginia, five years ago to pursue his now-wife, Lisa. He recounts the intense fear and "puking" anxiety he felt, believing he was too "black sheep" and "reprobate" for God’s plan, only for Holy Spirit to override his insecurity with peace.

Judges 6:12-16

"When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, 'The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.' ... Gideon replied, 'But how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest... and I am the least in my family.' The Lord answered, 'I will be with you...'"

1 Samuel 16:6-12

"But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height... The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'"

Additional References:

• 1 Samuel 17: David defeating Goliath using his own tools (the sling and stones) rather than Saul's armor.

• Psalm 139 (Referenced): Being fearfully and wonderfully made/known by God.

• Zechariah 4:6 (Theme): "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit."

Michael emphasizes that God often strips away the things we try to hide behind—like Saul’s armor or reliance on numbers—so that the "real you" can emerge.

"God will remove anything that tries to replace who He knew you to be. Victory doesn't come from imitation; it comes from revelation."

1. Stop Rehearsing Failures: Cease listing your limitations like a CPA and start believing what God says about your strength.

2. Dream Big: Reject "small thinking" and embrace the "greater things" God is calling you to do.

3. Acknowledge Your Value: When the enemy reminds you of who you were, let Holy Spirit remind you of whose you are.

The service concluded with a call to the altar to let the Holy Spirit wash over the congregation and "re-identify" them. Michael prayed that every person would sense their worthiness, not because of what they’ve done, but because of who God is.

• The Definition of Unlikely: Pastor Rhonda contrasts the dictionary definition of "unlikely" (holding little prospect of success) with God’s track record of choosing the least expected moments and people to reveal His power.

• History of Divine Interruptions: From the "Great Awakening" during the American Revolution to the "Jesus People Movement" of the late 1960s, Pastor Rhonda illustrates how God frequently uses times of deep darkness and unlikely instruments (like "burnt-out hippies") to set the world on fire.

• Uncommon Strategies (SPS): Instead of GPS, God uses a Sovereign Positioning System. He can position you, your boss, or a specific door of opportunity exactly where it needs to be for His glory.

• Qualified by Jesus: A powerful reminder that society's disqualifications are often God's qualifications. Whether you feel too old, too young, or uneducated, being "with Jesus" is the only credential that matters.

• The Azusa Street Legacy: The message honors the 1906 revival led by William Seymour—an "unlikely" African American man with one eye who couldn't read—whose obedience birthed a global spirit-filled movement that now numbers over 500 million people.

The central theme of the service was a call for every individual to recognize themselves as a candidate for God's use. Pastor Rhonda emphasizes that God isn't looking for religious perfection but for loyalty born out of being forgiven.

"Your disqualification in the eyes of people is often your qualification in the hands of God... The church is here not to expose people; the church is here to remove the barriers to get people into Christ."

• Isaiah 64:1-3: "You did awesome deeds beyond our highest expectation... no eye has seen a God like You."

• 1 Corinthians 1:27: "God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise."

• Zechariah 4:6: "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord."

• Joel 2:28: "I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy."

The service concluded with a prayer of salvation for several individuals and a corporate time of intercession. Pastor Rhonda encouraged the "Harvesters" to maintain the "wood on the fire"—to not let their spiritual experiences become mere memories, but to use them as launching pads for the coming week.

• Making Room for the Extraordinary: Pastor Rhonda emphasizes that miracles require space. Whether it's the physical vessel of the church building or the spiritual vessel of our hearts, we must intentionally "make room" for God to move.

• The Inconvenience of the Divine: Recounting stories of missionaries staying in her childhood home, Pastor Rhonda notes that anointing often comes with inconvenience. Making space for God may disrupt our schedules, but the visitation is always worth the cost.

• The "Now" Moment: Addressing the crisis of the widow in 2 Kings 4, Pastor Rhonda explains that God isn't interested in just discussing the past. He meets us in the raw, authentic "now" of our desperation.

• Childlike Expectation: Using the story of a young girl bringing an umbrella to a prayer meeting for rain, she challenges the congregation to increase their "expectation trigger." Logic is good, but faith must remain creative and expectant.

• The Power of Shutting the Door: A critical step in the widow's miracle was shutting the door behind her. Pastor Rhonda explains that we must "shut the door" on critics, mourners, and the voices of doubt to allow the oil of the Spirit to flow.

Pastor Rhonda thunders a word of encouragement to those feeling "void" or "without form." Just as the Spirit hovered over the darkness in Genesis, God has extraordinary grace for the empty places in our lives.

"Don't curse the empty places. Don't let them mock you. Every time that empty place tries to get your focus, start saying to the Lord: 'I know you are the God who fills this. You've done it before, and You will do it again.'"

• Habakkuk 1:5: "Watch and be utterly amazed... I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe even if you were told."

• 2 Kings 4:1-7: The story of the widow's oil and the empty jars.

• Genesis 1:1-3: The Spirit hovering over the void before creation.

• Ezekiel 16:6: "And when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood, I said to you... 'Live!'"

As the church prepares for a week of healing services, Pastor Rhonda leaves the congregation with a final image: the "Red Umbrella." She urges everyone to live with an active expectation of a "suddenly," believing that the oil of God's provision will never run dry as long as there is an empty vessel ready to receive it.

"Thanks for listening! For more information, visit churchoftheharvest.com. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and YouTube @cothcleveland.

• The All-Access Pass: Using an analogy from her visit to a high-profile event, Pastor Rhonda reminds us that through Jesus Christ, we have an "all-access pass" to the Father. We don't need special connections; the Name above all names is our entry.

• The Tension of the "Gap": The space between ask and receive is often filled with confusion or depression. Pastor Rhonda explains that this tension is where our faith is stretched and where God does His most intricate work.

• 10,000 Moving Parts: A powerful reminder that when we pray for one thing, God is moving 10,000 things behind the scenes to bring the answer to pass. Our prayers don't expire; they are held in "gold bowls" in heaven (Revelation 5:8).

• Handcrafted vs. Prefab: In a microwave culture, we want instant miracles. However, God is a Master Craftsman. He isn't building a "prefab" life for you; He is crafting a masterpiece that requires time, precision, and maturity.

• Barren but Blameless: The story of Zechariah and Elizabeth highlights that a delay is not a denial. Their long wait was connected to a purpose—the birth of John the Baptist—which had to happen at an exact moment in history.

• Ministry in the "Waiting Room": The service opens with a moving prayer for those facing sickness, worry, and impossible circumstances, declaring victory in the name of Jesus over every situation.

• The Mission of Restoration: Stacy and Melissa Hayes share testimonies from their work in Tennessee prisons (Bledsoe County and McMinn County). They read letters from inmates describing how they have shifted from a life of addiction and "religion" to a genuine relationship with Christ.

• "No One is Impossible": Stacy emphasizes a unique approach: he never asks inmates what they are "in for." He believes that if God has forgiven and forgotten a person's past, we should too.

• The Concept of "Rest": Drawing from Matthew 11:28-30, Stacy teaches that the "yoke" of Jesus is easy and light. He challenges the "evil report" of unbelief, encouraging listeners to rest in their identity as children of God rather than their past mistakes.

   

   

• A Call to the "Sheep": Stacy reminds the congregation that while a pastor leads and feeds, it is the job of the "sheep" (the believers) to propagate the kingdom and reach the lost in their daily lives.

Stacy Hayes delivers a stirring message on the difference between "religion" and "relationship." He argues that many people are "church hurt" or feel unworthy because they've only been taught about their failures.

"Your past will be forever connected to you as long as you're speaking about it... If God has forgotten about it, you need to forget about it. That’s the key to stepping out of the life you’ve been living."

The service concludes with a heartfelt invitation for those who feel "unwilling" to change. Pastor Rhonda encourages listeners to simply be "willing to be made willing," allowing God's power to bridge the gap. The congregation joins in a prayer of salvation and a special blessing for the Hayes family as they continue their mission to reach "every prodigal."

• Divine Intervention: Trusting that God can step into any circumstance to change its direction instantly.
• The Power of Persistence: Staying anchored in prayer while waiting for the spiritual "tide" to turn in your favor.
• Shifting Perspectives: Moving from a mindset of defeat to one of expectancy, recognizing that your breakthrough is often closest when the pressure is highest.
• Restoration: Understanding that when God turns the tide, He doesn't just stop the waves; He restores what was lost during the storm.

Exodus 14:13–14 "And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace."

Exodus 14:21–22 "And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left."

Psalm 126:1–3 "When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them. The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad."

Isaiah 43:19 "Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert."

Psalm 61:2–4 – The foundational call to be led to the "rock that is higher than I" when the heart is overwhelmed.

Luke 18:1–8 – The Parable of the Persistent Widow and the Unjust Judge, emphasizing that we should always pray and not lose heart.

Isaiah 40:27–28 – A reminder that God does not faint or grow weary, and our "just claim" is never passed over.

Proverbs 15:8 – Highlighting that the prayer of the upright is God's "delight."

Matthew 7:7 – The command to ask, seek, and knock with persistence.

Psalm 141:1–2 – David’s plea for his prayers to be set before God as "incense."

Revelation 5:8 – The heavenly vision of golden bowls full of incense, which are the "prayers of the saints."

Hebrews 2:17–18 – The description of Jesus as a faithful High Priest who is able to "succor" (run to the aid of) those who are tempted and suffering.

Psalm 18:6 & 116:1 – Declarations of God hearing the cry of the distressed.

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