The Impossible Can Be Possible PT2

[0:00] Thank you for choosing to listen to today's message by Reverend Dr. David Entry. We know you will be blessed as you seek and serve God. We believe that this message will stir up a desire for more of God even as you listen.

[0:14] Be blessed. Last two weeks I spoke about how the impossible can be possible, but how do you get the impossible to be possible? And I spoke about, in fact, Jesus told the Pharisees something.

[0:34] He told them that you are wrong or you are mistaken because you do not know the word of God.

[0:47] But in, I think, Mark chapter 12, yeah, I think in Mark chapter 12, he says that you are mistaken, verse 20, for they came to him to query him.

[1:06] They came to him to, not the Pharisees, I'm sorry, the Sadducees. It's the Sadducees. It's the Sadducees who came to him from, I think, verse 20 or verse 21.

[1:20] And the Sadducees, they don't believe in the resurrection. They were very powerful people. In those days, very powerful people.

[1:37] Strongly powerful people. They were more powerful than the Pharisees. They were liberals, you know, but very aristocratic, very intellectual, and very strong.

[1:55] And they believe in Moses. So Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Most of the teachings and what you hear about resurrection are usually not in, you don't see it in the books of Moses.

[2:17] And they are strong. People don't know that the Sadducees, sad to see. The Sadducees, people did not know that the Sadducees were stronger doctrinally than the Pharisees.

[2:36] The Pharisees were very much respected and more appreciated by the people in the sense that if the law says that do not touch spotlight, the Pharisees say, don't look at it.

[2:58] They will say, don't look at it. Or if you see it, you have to go and repent for seeing it. So they took it. So they had a lot of things that they have incorporated into the Jewish religion traditions which could not be justified.

[3:15] So when you push them to the world, they can't explain things because much of what they are doing was just tradition. So the Sadducees were so strong, they always used to pin the Pharisees.

[3:30] But they were liberals. So they knew with this matter of resurrection, the Sadducees could not really explain it. The Pharisees could not explain it properly. Because the Pharisees, they don't just believe in the resurrection.

[3:41] They believe that when you resurrect, for instance, if you are sick and you die, when you resurrect, you continue from where you were. The condition you are in which you die, the same. If you are old, you die.

[3:52] You continue from old. If you are married and you die. If you are married and you die, you continue with the same family life on the next side. So people will even marry and have children after they resurrect.

[4:05] They will have children. You see, they taught all these things. So when you push them to the corner, to justify from the text, they can't.

[4:16] So then, these Sadducees, Pharisees have asked Jesus questions, he kept answering them. But the Sadducees, they came to ask him a question with the intention to make him look stupid before the people.

[4:30] Because they knew he couldn't answer the question. So they were bringing a question that when he attempts to answer, people will see that Jesus was not knowledgeable. He is just paper tiger.

[4:42] So they marginalize his credibility. So he doesn't have authenticity and authority. So don't listen to him. That's their intention.

[4:52] So in Mark chapter 12, I think from verse 20, they came, then some, verse 18 rather, then some Sadducees, then some Sadducees, who said there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him, saying, Teacher, Moses, they always talk about Moses.

[5:11] Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies and leaves his wife behind and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.

[5:26] Now that's what Moses said. So now they ask him a question. Teacher, Moses wrote this and left her brother behind and all that. Verse 20. Now there were seven brothers.

[5:36] The first took a wife and dying, he left no offspring. And the second took her, he died.

[5:47] Nor did he leave any offspring, and the third likewise. And the seventh had her and left no offspring and left no offspring. Last of all, the woman also died.

[5:59] So seven brothers, I mean, they painted a very extreme scenario, which was not usually realistic. They were just, see, because they were very intellectual.

[6:11] So sometimes when you say the Bible says, the Bible says this, the Bible says, some people begin to try and paint an extreme scenario. Use rationalization to justify the fact that what you are, to talk down on the rationale behind what you are saying.

[6:26] It's always been like that with people with a callous heart. They want to justify a point. So they take extremes to justify why I should be allowed to do what I want to do.

[6:38] So they asked Jesus, and they said, now the man died. So look at the question. Therefore, in the resurrection, when they rise, since you said they will rise, whose wife will she be?

[6:52] For all seven had her as wife. You know, it sounds, ah! See, most times, most times, when religious people are unbelievers or atheists, they come and say, okay, the Bible is saying, they think they have asked a very wise question, but you look at that, you can tell this is imbecility at play.

[7:17] Most people, when they have questions about church and Christianity, they think, oh, you see, you guys are stupid. Look, look, look, look. What major intellectuals, wise mind, most of the wise brains in our world came from the church.

[7:32] Yes, yes, yes. If the West, if Europe had not been built around the scriptures, Europe would have been like other nations. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Europe would have been like other nations.

[7:43] Yes, yes. But it's so easy to be deviated or to be distracted away from God. It's very easy. It's very easy because what it takes to work with God is spiritual.

[7:58] So, they asked him, and Jesus says that, look at this, and that's where I was actually taking you. And Jesus answered and said, you, are you not therefore mistaken because you do not know the scriptures, not only the scriptures, the power of God.

[8:16] God has so much power. Even what you are saying, he can make it happen. You don't know the power of God. That's why you are opening your mouth and anything at all is just flowing like that. He said, you are, you err because you don't know two things.

[8:31] You don't know the scriptures. Do you know it's a big indictment for Jesus to tell Sadducees you don't know the scriptures. I mean, they are the Oxford, the runners of Oxford and the Cambridge of our time.

[8:42] And you are telling them you don't know the scriptures. Yes. Yes. You are telling a professor you are, you are illiteracy is what is causing you in this problem. You are telling me I'm illiterate.

[8:54] Jesus said, you err because you do not know the scriptures. And one, you also don't know the power of God. If you know the power of God, then you should know that that's your problem, that's your challenge, that's your case.

[9:08] God can sort it out for you. That's why I went to this. That problem you are going to, that challenge that is besetting you. If you know the power of God, then that is nothing because God is of power to establish you.

[9:20] God is able to bring to pass his word. God is able to do a fair exceedingly, abundantly, above all we can think or ask of. If you are the one I'm talking about, shout yes.

[9:32] Yes. Yeah. Yes. Yes. When you go, go and read that scripture. It's very interesting. I know what he did. And then he took them to Moses. He quoted from Moses.

[9:43] He said, God said, when he appeared to Moses, God said, I'm the God. He said, you have not read the book of Moses. Excuse me. We are the authorities of the book. He said, you are coming to ask me a question about Moses.

[9:56] You have not read the book of Moses. He said, you haven't read the book of Moses. Go and read it again. Because you think you know it. Go and read it again. I love Jesus.

[10:10] Well, so, one of the things about being a Christian is that you must know the power of God. You must know not just the scriptures, but also, you must know the power of God.

[10:25] That God does miracles. God answers prayers. God changes situations. God saves. God delivers.

[10:37] God helps. God prospers. God elevates. God can change any condition. With God, all things are possible.

[10:50] So then, if with God all things are possible, what are we supposed to do to make the whole things possible? Last two weeks, the first thing I said about that was that you first of all must be in the spirit.

[11:07] Like when they were doing the drama, I heard them quoting Revelation chapter 10, 1 verse 10, Revelation chapter 4 verse 2, Revelation chapter 17 verse 3, Revelation chapter 21 verse 10, all these scriptures point to us that I was in the spirit on the lost day or I was in the spirit.

[11:28] You cannot do anything significant or receive anything significant or go any further in God outside of the spirit. Now, listen to this very carefully.

[11:40] Even to walk by faith is not a mental exercise. To walk by faith is a spiritual thing. Sometimes your mind will play up on you but you have to learn how to stay in the spirit.

[11:52] Stay on God's word and engage your spirit. Some of you, I don't know how many of you, but I believe that one or two of you or a few of you will realize. When I said, let's pray, as soon as you began to pray, some of you started drawing from the spirit.

[12:05] You went off what the situation is and entered the spirit and began to call on the name of God and as you pray, you realize that it's possible. You realize, in fact, if you hadn't prayed, you wouldn't have seen it like that.

[12:17] But as you started praying, those of you who entered the spirit, you saw the possibilities in the spirit. There's so much possibility loaded up waiting in the spirit.

[12:31] But somebody must be able to move in the spirit. When I say move in the spirit, I'm not talking about look spooky. Start wearing funny clothes and start looking at and looking very funny.

[12:43] Looking unkempt, disheveled. So, you say, I want to walk by faith. I want to walk. Chances are that you're actually using your mind.

[12:56] And sometimes when things hit you, you really, in fact, that's when people say, let's face facts. Let's get real here, man. Who told you faith is not real?

[13:08] It's just that you have moved into a different environment. You've moved to a different platform. You're operating from a different, that's why it looks so real. Faith is not virtual. Faith is real.

[13:21] Bible says, by faith, we understand. Sorry, Hebrews 11, 1. It says, faith is the substance of things. It's substance. It's not virtual. Faith is substance.

[13:34] Faith is the substance. The hopus tansus. Faith is the substance of things hoped for. It's a kadasha. It's an evidence.

[13:45] Faith, oh, I like this. Thank you, Jesus. It's not evidence to people. You are not giving people evidence. It's your personal evidence. It's your personal evidence.

[13:57] Most of us, when we hear evidence, we are talking about what you are telling others. No, they will only see it when the manifestation comes. But you, so long as you are concerned, your evidence is the faith you have.

[14:08] Faith is personal evidence. So when others are saying it cannot be done, you already have the evidence. So you can't deny it.

[14:20] You can't, when you have faith, you can't deny, you can't do otherwise. You can't think otherwise, you can't operate otherwise because it's too strong. You just know it. I can't deny what I know.

[14:31] I can't deny what I've seen. Faith is the evidence of things that has not yet been seen.

[14:43] Things hopeful. Hope is always in the future, but you have the evidence. So it's no evidence you are going to show to anybody.

[14:54] It's evidence within yourself, which does not require others to convince you about. If you have faith, you don't need to be convinced. Convinced.

[15:07] Sometimes your mind will play up, so you need encouragement. But sometimes you can't be bothered. Once your faith says, you know it, you know it, you know it, you know it. Listen, listen, how many of you agree with me that that kind of living cannot be natural?

[15:24] That kind of living cannot be natural. As prayerless as you are, how can you work by faith? Because faith is supernatural. Faith is supernatural.

[15:39] You're not reading your Bible. And you say, I'm walking by faith. How? Listen, let me tell you something. Oh, thank you, Jesus. When you read your Bible, okay, so let's say you are believing God for healing, and you read the scriptures on healing, it does not necessarily mean you have faith for healing.

[15:59] it's been taught that it's good, it's good to be listening to a message on healing, but it isn't the message on healing that gives you faith for healing per se.

[16:12] It is the scripture itself. faith. So if the word can enter you, whatever it needs to, that needs to be done, whatever faith needs to be, you understand, it's the word of faith.

[16:25] It's the word of faith. So when the word enters you spiritually, and that's what, when Bishop said that thing, the thing hits me, he was talking, he was talking, and he was talking to others, you know the way he talks about faith, and he said, stop, stop.

[16:42] Most of us can't operate by faith because you are just engaging your mind. Naturally, every normal person is trained to use your mind. You go to school, you can't live without your mind.

[16:57] if you live without your mind, I mean, you know what it means, yeah, you need your mind to live. But he said, you keep, we keep just depending on our natural thinking, stop engaging your mind and start to engage your spirit.

[17:13] So they say, you have, you can't have a child. That's what the doctors are saying, intellectually, what don't you understand about that? Your mind understands it, so that's your, your mind has that information, but you, it gets to a time when you have to engage your spirit, but that's where the work is.

[17:30] The work is not attempting to believe, the work is engaging your spirits. But you are not, you've been watching movies and movies, how can you engage your spirit?

[17:44] Yeah, watching us now. How can you engage, it's not a sin, what's sinful about that? But you need a certain environment, you need a certain atmosphere, you need to expose yourself to something, that will cause something to, Bible says faith comes by hearing the word, faith, something is coming to you, something is coming, you have to expose yourself to the coming of the word, expose yourself to the infakadeshe magadaya, expose yourself to the inflow, inflow of the word, I might be, I might be, I can't, I might be preaching about marriage, teaching teaching from God's word, but you can receive a word for your business, you can receive faith for your healing, because it's the word, it comes by hearing and hearing of the word, too much, too much, it is the word, it is the word, pay, if you want to work by faith, then pay any price for the inflow of the word, pay any price, and that is also not natural, we don't have a natural taste, how many of you can say, since morning you've been reading your bible, every day you are going to work, you are just, oh, you like the stories, you like the stories, you will like the stories, but I guess the time it's like, you need something else, sometimes you become, it can be boring, oh yeah, don't pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about, they say we should read Acts, this thing

[19:24] Acts, every day Acts, ah, Acts, ah, some of you, the pages that are written in your bible, it's not because, it's not because a dog ate it, not because a dog ate it or something, you slept over it, you were reading, are you getting what I'm saying?

[19:46] You have to, you have to, you have to open up your spirit, let the word flow, let the word keep flowing and faith will come naturally, but there are too many people who are trying to, okay, I'm going to be in faith, I'm going to be in faith, you are trying, because there's no word, when the word, when God told Abraham leave your father's house and he, Bible calls Abraham father of faith, where do you get it from?

[20:19] When the word came, it's like medication, so it's not me, it's not, my mind is not playing a role in this matter, faith, when the word enters you and really receive the word of God, something happens to you and you begin to react, faith is more a reaction than a decision, it's more a reaction, so a word from God has hit your system, and hallelujah, I know it's coming down, and somebody's watching, what makes you think, I've received the word, I know it, I know it, you know it, so it's not bold speaking, boldness is different from bold face, so you cannot operate by faith if you don't, if you don't get into the spirit, draw the resources from your spirit, that's why prayer makes a difference, that's why studying your Bible, it strengthens your spiritual man, your spirit man, so your spirit, it's called another word for your spirit man, it's your inner man, so it strengthens your inner man, so your inner man is able to have communication,

[21:32] Bible says that as many as are led by the spirit of God, they are the sons of God, so the spirit of God communicates with your spirit, Bible says that Romans chapter 8 verse 16, the spirit of God bears witness with our spirit that we are the sons of God, so it's spirit to spirit, it's spirit to spirit, 1 Corinthians chapter 6 verse 17, it said he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit, so your communication and your connectivity with God is in the spirit, in John chapter 4 verse 24, it said God is the spirit and those that worship him must worship him in spirit, how are you trying to attempt to work with God in your mind, that's why an unbeliever cannot work with God, because your spirit is comatose, it's when Jesus comes into your spirit, then your spirit comes alive unto God, but you don't have the God sense if you are not born again, people call themselves Christians but they are not, they are not the children of God, well, they are

[22:32] Christians but they are not the children of God, some people call themselves Christians and they are the children of the devil, Jesus said you are the devil, so Satan has got children, Satan has got children, so the fact that you are a Christian doesn't mean you are God's child, but if you are God's child, if you are God's child, Bible says in Galatians chapter 4 verse 5 and 6, because we are sons, he has sent forth the spirit of sonship, of his son, it's the same as the spirit of sonship, the spirit of his son, and because you are sons, God has sent forth the spirit of his son into your heart, and it's this spirit that cries out, so the spirit of God comes into your spirit, and mingles with your spirit, with your spirit man, and your spirit man and the spirit of God, it's one spirit, it's inseparable, in you if you are born again, in you, so God and your spirit, the spirit of God and your spirit have become, what we say, he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit, and that is from that spirit, from your inner man, you can draw strength to walk by faith,

[23:45] Romans 1 9 said, I thank God, whom I serve with my spirit, I serve with my spirit, what are you doing with your mind? does it mean the mind is not necessary, your mind must be renewed, be you renewed in the spirit of your mind, Ephesians chapter 4 verse 24, so be you renewed in the spirit of your mind, 23, so well, the next point, because I actually spoke a lot about this, I think it's good for someone to get a proper perspective, but what most of us call I'm walking by faith, I'm walking by faith, it's a mental exercise, it's a mental exercise, you're psyching yourself up, yeah, have faith, yeah, yeah, yeah, have faith, no, it's not faith, faith will always produce results, and a God kind of results, so it takes being in the spirit to do the supernatural, number two, it takes faith, so I've actually spoken about it, it takes faith to do the supernatural, supernatural, or to the impossible, to experience the manifestation of the impossible in your life, or the impossible become impossible, it takes faith, it takes faith,

[25:06] Jesus said to them, where is your faith, where is your faith, it takes faith, if all it takes, if all, what you need is God, then all it takes is faith, faith, if what you need is God, and all it takes is faith, in Mark chapter 9 verse 23, Jesus said to the man, if thou can believe, all things are possible to him that believes, if you can move yourself into the faith realm, then you have moved yourself into the realm where things are possible, that's what Jesus said, you see, this is my actual point, which every now and then I just think about it, and I want to pull it up, or bring it up, I thought you said you were a Christian, I dare you, believe God's word then, it's not somebody's idea or opinion, believe God's word, oh but pastor, it doesn't mean that, tell me exactly what else it means, if you can tell me what else it means, then possibly go with what you think, go with what you think, but if you find out what the Bible is saying, it says that blessed are you if you do these things when you know them,

[26:20] John chapter 13, Matthew chapter 13 verse 17, and John 13, 17, one of them talks about the righteous men desire to see, so John 13, 17 says that if you know these things, now that if you know these things, blessed are you if you do them, there are things you got to know for yourself from the text, from the text, from the text, from the text, other than that, you see, this church thing you are doing, you are not serious, you are just religious, one of them, this, okay, man at his lowest is religious, being religious is man at his lowest, that's why most of the serious problems in our times is from religion, man can be reduced to nothing when it comes to religion, so some of us, you have a fat Bible, but sorry, you are not a believer, so it makes you nothing, you are just an ordinary person, coming to church doesn't make you a believer, the advantage it gives you is it exposes you to a very healthy environment where the word of

[27:35] God can enter you, because being in church is different from watching TV, you can watch TV in church, it's different, so you can come and be sitting in church, but you are faithless, you are just practicing religion, you are not working with God, you are not working with God, that's why the thing is not having an impact on your life and producing certain godly results, if you are working with God, no one can work with God without results, you can't work with God without results, you cannot work with God without results, so if you are working with God, let your results prove it, I dare challenge you that let your results prove it, that you are working with God, he said a tree is known by its fruits, a tree is known by its fruits, not people's thinking, its fruits, he said it's what's this mango tree, don't mind, that's an orange tree, but I can see mango, I believe it's orange, but the fruits are so strong, every rational person can deny that this is mango tree, you are working with

[28:42] God, where are your fruits, Jesus said that if you don't believe me for what I say, believe me for what I do, believe me for my work's sake, John chapter 5, 34, 35, somewhere there, believe me for my work's sake, faith without works is dead, James 2, 26, faith without works is dead, the way the body without spirit is dead, even so, faith without works is dead, for as the body without spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead, it's your waste that validates your faith, it's your waste that show you have got faith, it's not the form you filled and said, what's faith Christianity, you don't have faith, I'm moving somebody into the reality of the spirit, because most of us are, we profess faith, but we don't possess faith, it's all there is to us is professional faith, professional faith, but no possession of faith, no possession, it is time, people look at your results and know that that's the faith man coming, your Christian mother,

[30:10] Christian father, your children must know my mother is coming, things will change, because I know when my mother prays, when my mother speaks, your children must know that you are a woman of faith, your children must know that you are a man of faith, it looks like I'm preaching, you want to do the impossible, you can do it, don't leave it in the hands of a pastor, he doesn't deserve that, no pastor can live for you, the job of a pastor is to teach God's word, that's the job, the real job, not to pray for you, not to pray for you, his main job is to read your Bible, Acts chapter 20 verse 22, feed the flock of God, feed, he told the elders, feed the flock, not pray for them, feed the flock of God, which is amongst you, which the Holy Ghost has made you overseer, God purchased the church with his own blood and he said, now feed them, pastor, feed them, pastor, not teach them, feed them, there is a difference,

[31:24] I can come and be talking about, motivational speaking and all kinds of, all kinds of ideas, I'm teaching, I may be teaching and not feeding, God, Jezebel can even teach, wow, wow, wow, yeah, she has doctrine, Revelation chapter 2 verse 21, the teachings of Jezebel, you have permitted Jezebel to teach, Jezebel can teach, she calls herself prophet to teach, she teaches, teaching, but listen, I taught you this some time ago, yeah, the Nicolaitans teach, they have their teachings, Balaam verse 14, Revelation chapter 2 verse 14, it speaks about the teachings of Balaam, yeah, yeah, there are a few things I have against you, you see, the doctrine, give me NIV, give me NIV, the teachings of Balaam, so Balaam is teaching, and you can have a teacher, someone is teaching you, you think you are learning new things, it's just your mind that is being empowered, your mind is just being empowered, your mind is being empowered, your mind, a pastor is speaking, and you are so much, your mind has been empowered on how to, serving ways to handle anger management, but you can practice it, because you don't have the strength in your spirit, so you know how not to fornicate, but you cannot not fornicate, because you receive teaching, not feeding, feeding goes straight into your spirit, and empowers your spirit, man, so the teachings of

[33:08] Balaam, and then the next verse, verse 15, talks about the teachings of the Nicolaitans, the teachings, likewise, you also have those who hold the teachings of the Nicolaitans, and then verse 21, said that Jezebel teaches, and then verse 23 and 24, it talks about the teachings of the devil, for that is teaching, teaching, teaching, teaching, teaching, teaching, teaching, teaching, and have not learned Satan's so-called deep secrets, deep secrets, I'm just, open your eyes right now, man, so people in our generation, we want one-lineness, we want things that, you know, sound very intellectual, and very, yeah, powerful, wow, guys, we want, we appreciate oratory, oratory, yeah, yeah, and locationism, and locationism is what we appreciate, the way the guy comes, we like that, we like that, it appeals more to us, because we have eaten of the tree, so we like that, pastor, tell me something,

[34:28] I love it, but see, you see, you still are cheating on your wife, you are enjoying the pastor's teaching, but it's not having any impact on you, because it's teaching you are receiving, not feeding, when you are fed, you don't have a choice, something, something begins to force you, it says the grace of God that brings salvation, has appeared to all men, Titus chapter 2 verse 11, verse 12, teaching, the grace is teaching, but in the Bible, anytime Bible speaks about teaching of his people, it is the same as feeding of a people, but when the world also tries to mimic it, they end up with just the teachings, so it doesn't really feed, it just teaches, but the Bible teaching feeds, I don't know if it makes sense to you, it feeds, 1 Peter chapter 5, verse 1, to the elders, of whom I am also an elder, and I have tasted of the sufferings of Christ and the glories that you follow, he says that, verse 2, he says that shepherd, the word shepherd means feed, shepherd the flock of

[35:39] God, feed, feed, feed, feed, feed, feed, feed, so, don't be looking for pastors to pray for you, it is not fundamentally Christian, I'm not saying it's against Christianity, get me right, it's not fundamentally Christian, maybe out of ignorance we can start from there, but please, grow up.

[36:11] Pastor, so, are you saying we can't ask for a pastor to pray, so no, if anyone, let them call for the elders to pray for them, so, there's a provision for all that, but the job is not to be praying for people, I want to jump ahead and give you this, so you can write down some scriptures, can I give you scriptures, I discovered in the Bible, that prayer is so central, number three, oh no, is it number four, number three, prayer, it's so central, it's so essential, for the any day church, the church, Christ was always praying, Luke 11, one, Bible says, it got to a time, there was a time, when he had finished, his disciples came to teach us how to pray, as John taught his disciples to pray, so Jesus was prayerful, he was always praying, so his disciples saw that we have to learn prayer from him, in Luke chapter 5, verse 16, he withdrew himself off him to go and pray, in Matthew chapter 14, verse 23, Bible says that he just, he left the people down there, and went up onto a mountain to go and pray, went up to the mountain by himself to pray, in Mark chapter 1, verse 35, a great power before day, he rose up and went to pray, in Luke chapter 3, verse 21, when it came to pass, when the people were baptized,

[37:31] Jesus himself also being baptized, and praying, he was praying, Jesus was a prayerful man, in the book of Matthew chapter 17, he went to go and pray with his disciples, and he took Peter, James, and John, that's when he got transfigured before them, he was, Jesus was a man of prayer, to the stand that before he went to the cross, in Matthew chapter 26, from verse 36, he took them aside to go and pray, and he left them and went a stone's throw away, went further, and he knelt down, there he prayed, he came and found them, in verse 40, found them asleep, and he said, couldn't you wait, watch with me for one hour, watch and pray, lest you fall into temptation, Jesus told Peter, in Luke chapter 22, verse 31, Satan has desired to sift you like which, but I have prayed for you, Jesus was always praying, on the cross, he prayed to the father, Jesus was always praying, so disciples knew the value of prayer, and guess what, when he told them to wait for the Holy Spirit, after Jesus has left, this is the book of Acts, I was just giving, because we are doing the book of Acts,

[38:34] I gave a little bit of consideration into the activities of the book of Acts, and I realized preaching was very central in the book of Acts, preaching was a fourth part of the book of Acts, one fourth, 25% of the book of Acts was preaching, but I also saw something significant, that prayer featured heavily, practically in almost every chapter, apart from just a few chapters, in Acts chapter 1, verse 14, and they returned to Jerusalem, and they went and prayed, including the women, so they went and prayed, in Acts chapter 1, verse 24, Bible says, they prayed and said, God, you know the heart of men, show whom are out of these two you have chosen, in Acts chapter 2, from verse 1, Bible speaks about actually prayer, they were together in one place, Holy Spirit came, verse 4, and they began to speak in tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance, in Acts chapter 3, verse 1, it came to pass, at the time of prayer, it was at the time of prayer, Peter and John were going up into the temple to pray, in Acts chapter 4, verse 23, they went back to their company, after they had been released, they went back to their company, and told them all these things, and they lifted up their voices together, in prayer, in Acts chapter 4, verse 31, and when they had prayed, the place where they had assembled shook, and they were filled with the

[39:48] Holy Spirit, prayer was a necessary part of the early church, in Acts chapter 5, no record of prayer, and Ananias and Sapphira were killed by God, and they were killed by God, and towards the end, verse 41, 42, the Bible said they left glorifying God, but I believe it's even a certain time, an aspect of prayer, they left rejoicing, rather sorry, rejoicing that they've encountered worthy of the suffering of Christ, but in Acts chapter 6, verse 2, and 3, verse 3 says that we can't leave prayer in the table, in self-tables, so select verse 4, it says that for Acts chapter 6, verse 4, we will continually give ourselves continually to prayer and the ministry of the word, because that is what can keep the work going, prayer will keep the work going, and so when they had appointed some people in the verse 6, they laid their hands on them, and prayed for them, laying on their hands is an expression of prayer, and prayed, and they had prayed, they put them in office, so you see prayer in Acts chapter 6, in Acts chapter 7,

[40:51] Stephen before he died, Acts chapter 7, verse 59, he lifted his voice, the Lord Jesus, he prayed, receive my spirit, in Acts chapter 8, verse 15, when the church heard that Jerusalem and Samaria had received, the same Peter and John, who when they came, prayed that they might receive the Holy Spirit, in Acts chapter 8, verse 22, they said that you, the man who wanted to buy the Holy Ghost, he said, please, what should I do, they said, pray that God will forgive you, for all this nonsense that is in your heart, so they even called him to prayer, that God, if God will forgive you, they called him to prayer, and now in the verse 24, he was telling Peter, can you please pray for me, that these things will not come upon me, so you could tell that prayer was so much path, in Acts chapter 9, verse 11, God appeared to Ananias, he said there's someone called Saul, he's praying, he's praying, go, sort him out, for he's praying, Paul is praying, Paul is praying, prayer was a regular part of the Acts, the book of Acts, in Acts chapter 10, verse 2, verse 3, verse 4,

[41:54] Cornelius, he said at the hour of prayer, I was praying, an angel came in, verse 4, angel says that your prayers and your arms given, in the verse 9 and verse 10, verse 10 in particular, verse 9 and verse 10, actually verse 9, Peter says, I was also praying, when I received a trance, I fell into a trance, Peter was praying, when he heard God say go, and when he got to Cornelius house, in the verse 30, Cornelius said, I was praying, and an angel appeared before me, and Bible says in verse 44, whilst he heard speak these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, and they began to speak with tongues, verse 46, that was prayer, in Acts chapter 11, Acts chapter 11, verse 5, Peter was recounting what happened to Cornelius, and he made reference to prayer, he said he prayed, and Cornelius prayed, in Acts chapter 12, verse 5, you know already, Peter was kept in prison, but prayer was made by the church unto God for him, in Acts chapter 12, verse 12, when Peter came out of prison, he went to Mary's house, where prayer was being made, in Acts chapter 13, verse 2, as they fasted, as they worshiped

[42:58] God and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, separate unto me, and verse 3 says, that when they have fasted and prayed, they sent them away, they let them go, in Acts chapter 13, there was prayer, and in Acts chapter 14, I'm telling you, there was prayer throughout, Acts chapter 14, verse 23, Acts 14, 23, now listen, listen, listen, please, write it, Acts 14, 23, Bible says that they appointed elders, and prayed for them, they fasted, and prayed, Acts 15, there was no prayer, and you know what happened, Barnabas and Saul, the arguments came, and they went their separate ways, they went their separate ways, Acts chapter 16, they wanted to go to Lystra, the Holy Spirit said no, they wanted to go to Galatia, regions of Galatia, the Holy Ghost said no, verse 9, and at night, Paul saw a vision, a man of Macedonia, saying come to Macedonia, so they conclude that the Holy Spirit want them to go to Macedonia, and when they got to Philippi, they went, verse 13,

[43:59] Acts chapter 16, verse 13, they went to where customary prayer, prayer was held at the riverside, that's when they met the women, so they went, so they went, prayers were, it was prayer, and verse 16, they were on their way to prayer, when this demon possessed girl has been saying that these are the people, prayer was featured heavily, how about Acts chapter 16, verse 25, at midnight, Paul and Silas, they prayed and prayed, and there was a shaking in their place, who told you that your prayers cannot make a difference, prayer is so important in the life of the Christian, they prayed in Acts chapter 16, Acts chapter 17, 18, 19, they didn't record any significant aspect of prayer, but because of time, I will leave about Acts chapter 20, after he had told them, take care of the church, verse 36, Bible says that just before he left, they nailed down and they all prayed, Acts chapter 21, he spoke about verse 5 and verse 6, how the women and the people gathered around him before he at the shore, and they nailed down and prayed, Acts chapter 22,

[44:59] I like it, talks about Paul verse 17, he says that I was praying and I was in a trance, and God came and spoke to me, they were always praying, they were always praying, prayer was the necessary aspect, and Acts chapter 23, 24, and 25, those places we didn't hear much about prayer, because it was Paul's judgment, there was so much preaching, Paul was preaching to the saint that King Agrippa, Felix was scared, and he said, King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets, Acts chapter 26, verse 26, he said, I know you believe the prophets, he said, verse 27, he said, do not, you almost persuaded me to be a believer, or do you think that by Jesus you persuaded, he said, not only you, but all those who are with you here in me, except for this change, so Paul was a man, but Acts, the book of Acts, chapter 27, verse 9 and 10, he went and prayed for this sick man, the man was sick, he went and prayed for him, and he received his healing, but Acts chapter 28, that's Acts chapter 28, verse 8, actually, sorry, that's how he ends, he ends with prayer, and he went and prayed for the person who was sick, so prayer is such an intrinsic, essential part of your spiritual life, how can you claim you are walking with

[46:15] God and you are not praying, how can you, how can you, Jesus was always praying, the apostles were always praying, the Acts of the apostles were the manifestation of behavior of the early Christian church, if you know how Christians should behave, what they should be preaching about, how they should relate to one another, go to Acts, it tells you, and Bible says pray without season, pray without season, and when he spoke about the armor of God in Ephesians chapter 6, then he finished by saying, above all taking the shield of faith, then he said, after saying, taking the shield of faith, and then pray, pray, pray for me, verse 18, praying always with all prayer and supplication, praying always with all prayer and supplication, most of us have more complaints than praying, more complaints, what God hasn't done, what the other person did you didn't like, and what, you have more complaints than you praying, that's why you don't, you have less results, pray, prayer is not the, one of the things, it's the main thing, prayer is not the last result, it's the only result, pray, prayer, most Christians now, so you see

[47:35] Christians, when we come, your greatest prayer life is our church, when you say let's pray, that's when you come in power, and that's all there is, your wife knows it, your wife knows it, that's all there is to you, that's all, you don't pray, you, there's, most of us, all our prayer life is corporate prayer, you don't have any personal, private prayer, you want to experience the impossible, it's not possible, somebody shout hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, don't wait for us to call for an atmosphere for prayer, sometimes create one at home, create your own atmosphere at home and pray, cry out on the name of the Lord, because God is a prayer answering God, is a prayer answering God, hallelujah, did you receive something?

[48:39] We thank God for using his servant, Reverend Dr. David Entry, to share this awesome word, if this message has blessed you in any way, please spread the word by sharing it and send us an email to amen at caris.org, remember to stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter for regular updates on what God is doing here at Caris Ministry.

[49:01] Stay blessed.