Embracing God's Spirit: Removing Obstacles to Blessings

Summary

### Summary

Today, we are reminded of the profound invitation God extends to each of us to live fully in His Spirit and Word. God is ready to send the rain of His blessings and manifest His presence in unprecedented ways, but we must first remove the obstacles in our lives that hinder His work. We are called to examine what we allow into our spirits, whether it be the music we listen to or the influences we entertain, as these can choke out the seeds God wants to plant in us.

God desires for us to operate in His kingdom, which requires us to be comfortable with being uncomfortable and to humble ourselves. We must not be intoxicated by merely good preaching but be transformed by the Word of God, allowing it to change our lives. The signs of the times, such as eclipses and blood moons, are reminders that Jesus is coming soon, and we must not be desensitized to these signs.

We are called to live in repentance, aligning our lives with God's will, and not be swayed by the comforts of this world. The story of Lot's wife serves as a warning against looking back and being attached to worldly things. We must be real with our families, holding each other accountable and ensuring that we are all operating in the kingdom invitation.

Our words have power, and we must speak life and positivity, arming the angels with our intercessory prayers. To flow in the Spirit, we must die to ourselves and live in radical submission to God. The miracles and wonders we seek will come when we fully embrace the Spirit and the Word, allowing God to operate through us.

### Key Takeaways

1. Remove Obstacles to God's Blessings: God is ready to send His rain of blessings, but we must first remove the obstacles in our lives that hinder His work. This includes examining what we allow into our spirits, such as the music we listen to and the influences we entertain, as these can choke out the seeds God wants to plant in us. [02:16]

2. Live in Radical Submission: To operate in God's kingdom, we must be comfortable with being uncomfortable and humble ourselves. This means not being intoxicated by merely good preaching but allowing the Word of God to transform our lives. We must live in repentance and align our lives with God's will, not being swayed by the comforts of this world. [04:03]

3. Be Aware of the Signs of the Times: The signs of the times, such as eclipses and blood moons, are reminders that Jesus is coming soon. We must not be desensitized to these signs but be vigilant and ready for His return. This requires us to live in a state of readiness, constantly aligning our lives with God's will. [05:36]

4. Speak Life and Positivity: Our words have power, and we must speak life and positivity, arming the angels with our intercessory prayers. The words we speak can either bring life or death, and we must choose to speak words that align with God's will and bring life to those around us. [34:50]

5. Embrace the Spirit and the Word: To flow in the Spirit, we must die to ourselves and live in radical submission to God. The miracles and wonders we seek will come when we fully embrace the Spirit and the Word, allowing God to operate through us. This requires us to be in constant communion with God, seeking His presence and allowing Him to work through us. [38:38]

### YouTube Chapters

[0:00] - Welcome
[02:16] - God is Ready to Send the Rain
[04:03] - Operating in the Kingdom
[05:36] - Signs of the Times
[07:18] - Intoxicated with the Word
[09:06] - Living in Repentance
[10:41] - Personal Pentecost Experience
[12:44] - Kingdom Invitation
[14:04] - Choosing Barabbas Over Jesus
[15:31] - Living in Repentance
[16:46] - The Invitation Buried Under Bills
[17:52] - God Will Never Embarrass You
[18:35] - The Kingdom Operation
[19:15] - Seasons and Spiritual Growth
[20:02] - Worship Through Circumstances
[21:23] - Remember Lot's Wife
[22:36] - Accountability in the Family
[23:11] - Living in Repentance
[23:53] - The Azusa Street Revival
[24:31] - Hunger for God
[25:08] - Raising Godly Children
[25:54] - Accountability in the Church
[26:49] - Revival of Obedience
[27:36] - Kingdom Invitation
[28:24] - Knowing God Intimately
[28:59] - Paralyzed by Entertainment
[29:38] - Promoting Lawlessness at Home
[30:30] - Be Silent Before the Lord
[31:02] - The Face of Jesus Christ
[32:05] - God Manifested in the Flesh
[32:40] - Walking Worthy of the Calling
[33:12] - Knowing Who God Is
[33:47] - Speaking Life
[34:19] - The Power of Words
[35:25] - Intercessory Prayer
[36:59] - Dying to Self
[38:38] - Embracing the Spirit and the Word
[40:00] - Miracles and Wonders
[41:41] - Receiving God's Blessings
[43:20] - Sacrifice and Transparency
[45:02] - Receiving the Holy Ghost
[46:49] - Living in the Overflow

Study Guide

### Bible Reading
1. Acts 2:16-21 (KJV)
> "But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

2. Zephaniah 1:7 (KJV)
> "Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God: for the day of the Lord is at hand: for the Lord hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests."

3. Ephesians 4:1-3 (KJV)
> "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

### Observation Questions
1. What are some of the signs mentioned in Acts 2:16-21 that indicate the last days? ([05:36])
2. According to Zephaniah 1:7, what should our attitude be in the presence of the Lord? ([30:30])
3. In Ephesians 4:1-3, what qualities does Paul urge believers to exhibit in their walk with God? ([32:40])
4. What are some examples given in the sermon of things that can choke out the seeds God wants to plant in us? ([02:16])

### Interpretation Questions
1. How do the signs in Acts 2:16-21 serve as reminders of Jesus' imminent return, and why is it important not to be desensitized to these signs? ([05:36])
2. What does it mean to "hold thy peace" in Zephaniah 1:7, and how can this be applied to our daily lives? ([30:30])
3. How can the qualities listed in Ephesians 4:1-3 help us to live in radical submission to God and align our lives with His will? ([32:40])
4. The sermon mentions the importance of speaking life and positivity. How do our words have the power to arm angels and influence our spiritual environment? ([34:50])

### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your daily habits. Are there any influences, such as music or media, that might be choking out the seeds God wants to plant in you? How can you remove these obstacles? ([02:16])
2. Living in radical submission to God often means being comfortable with being uncomfortable. Can you identify a situation in your life where you need to humble yourself and align more closely with God's will? ([04:03])
3. The sermon emphasizes the importance of being aware of the signs of the times. How can you stay vigilant and ready for Jesus' return in your daily life? ([05:36])
4. Our words have the power to bring life or death. Think of a recent conversation where you could have spoken more life and positivity. How can you be more intentional with your words moving forward? ([34:50])
5. The story of Lot's wife serves as a warning against looking back and being attached to worldly things. Is there something in your past that you need to let go of to fully embrace God's kingdom invitation? ([21:23])
6. How can you hold your family accountable and ensure that you are all operating in the kingdom invitation? What specific steps can you take to foster a spiritually healthy environment at home? ([22:36])
7. The sermon calls for radical submission to God and embracing the Spirit and the Word. What practical steps can you take this week to deepen your communion with God and allow Him to operate through you? ([38:38])

Devotional

Day 1: Removing Obstacles to God's Blessings
God is ready to send His rain of blessings, but we must first remove the obstacles in our lives that hinder His work. This includes examining what we allow into our spirits, such as the music we listen to and the influences we entertain, as these can choke out the seeds God wants to plant in us. We are called to be vigilant about what we consume spiritually and mentally, ensuring that nothing stands in the way of God's blessings.

By being mindful of our spiritual intake, we create an environment where God's seeds can flourish. This means making conscious choices about the media we consume, the conversations we engage in, and the company we keep. When we remove these obstacles, we open ourselves up to the fullness of God's blessings and allow His presence to manifest in our lives in unprecedented ways. [02:16]

Hosea 10:12 (ESV): "Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you."

Reflection: What is one specific influence in your life that you need to remove to make more room for God's blessings? How can you start making that change today?

Day 2: Living in Radical Submission
To operate in God's kingdom, we must be comfortable with being uncomfortable and humble ourselves. This means not being intoxicated by merely good preaching but allowing the Word of God to transform our lives. We must live in repentance and align our lives with God's will, not being swayed by the comforts of this world.

Living in radical submission requires a heart posture of humility and a willingness to be transformed by God's Word. It involves daily repentance and a commitment to align our actions, thoughts, and desires with God's will. By doing so, we position ourselves to operate effectively in His kingdom and experience the fullness of His presence and power. [04:03]

James 4:10 (ESV): "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find it difficult to submit to God's will? What steps can you take today to begin surrendering that area to Him?

Day 3: Being Aware of the Signs of the Times
The signs of the times, such as eclipses and blood moons, are reminders that Jesus is coming soon. We must not be desensitized to these signs but be vigilant and ready for His return. This requires us to live in a state of readiness, constantly aligning our lives with God's will.

Being aware of the signs of the times means living with an eternal perspective, recognizing that our time on earth is temporary and that Jesus' return is imminent. It calls for a lifestyle of vigilance, where we are continually aligning our lives with God's will and staying spiritually alert. By doing so, we ensure that we are ready for His return and can confidently stand before Him. [05:36]

Matthew 24:42-44 (ESV): "Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

Reflection: How can you cultivate a lifestyle of spiritual vigilance and readiness for Jesus' return? What practical steps can you take today to align your life more closely with God's will?

Day 4: Speaking Life and Positivity
Our words have power, and we must speak life and positivity, arming the angels with our intercessory prayers. The words we speak can either bring life or death, and we must choose to speak words that align with God's will and bring life to those around us.

Speaking life and positivity involves being intentional about the words we use, ensuring that they reflect God's truth and love. Our words have the power to uplift, encourage, and bring healing, or they can tear down and cause harm. By choosing to speak life, we align ourselves with God's purposes and become conduits of His grace and power in the lives of others. [34:50]

Proverbs 18:21 (ESV): "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits."

Reflection: Think of a recent conversation where your words may have caused harm. How can you seek to bring healing and speak life in that situation today?

Day 5: Embracing the Spirit and the Word
To flow in the Spirit, we must die to ourselves and live in radical submission to God. The miracles and wonders we seek will come when we fully embrace the Spirit and the Word, allowing God to operate through us. This requires us to be in constant communion with God, seeking His presence and allowing Him to work through us.

Embracing the Spirit and the Word means living a life of radical submission, where we die to our own desires and allow God's will to take precedence. It involves a deep commitment to studying and meditating on God's Word, as well as being sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. By doing so, we position ourselves to experience the miraculous and see God's power at work in and through our lives. [38:38]

Galatians 2:20 (ESV): "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to die to yourself and allow God's Spirit to take control? How can you start embracing the Spirit and the Word more fully today?

Quotes

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "God began to talk to me this morning he said tell my people I'm ready to send the rain I'm ready to send the rain but there's things that they're allowing in their lives right now that would choke out the seed that I'm ready to plant inside of them god is talking to me he said he's ready to manifest himself in a greater measure to you to this generation like we have never seen." [02:16] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "We've got to get to the place where we're so uh not so desensitized that we're not understanding that god has given us signs in april we had the eclipse right blocked out the sun we've had blood moons but we're so desensitized all we do is try to take a picture of it this might not happen ever again you're right because jesus is coming did you see that blood moon oh that was beautiful maybe i should paint a picture but god is saying no listen i'm coming quickly and i'm ready to do a work but you're not allowing me to bring the rain because you're fighting the process of the season that i got you in and that's to die out to yourself." [05:36] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "We've got to get in the spirit. We've got to stop operating in witchcraft. We've got to stop prophelying. Let me prophesy to you and manipulate what I want you to do. But I get scared of the real prophetic release because I might get found out. I might get to that place where all of you might see me. Can I be honest with you? Sometimes, pastor already knows. Can I be real with you? Is that okay?" [17:52] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "The words we speak are how we fight the weapons of the spirit world is our words are you too busy speaking negative all week we see it in 4, 7 and 10 he spoke the word it is written you've got to speak the word in your life it is written you've got to go back to the God file and know when God has spoke something in your life it shall come to pass and even when you don't see it know that he's working know that all things work together that they who love him you've got to love him you've got to know him you've got to marry him operating in a praying spirit." [33:47] (48 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "To be a witness is to die nobody wants to die see i went to college i got my associate's degree as an x-ray medical technician i've worked as a cna i've taken care of people who had cancer i would see them their body pastor it would just be going through all types of stages they didn't want to die you would hear the moans and the groans and all you could do is pray and keep them comfortable keep them cooled down they're throwing up bile they're throwing up all types of stuff they're dying but they don't want to die to flow in the spirit it's mandatory that we die it's mandatory to be a martyr die out to yourself die out to this gospel so god can trust you with it so you can truly live in blessing." [36:59] (65 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

### Quotes for Members

1. "God began to talk to me during the worship service y'all go ahead be seated we're gonna get to the word give honor to my dad my my smile my stepmom there with us today in the house amen see my dad see that man he he helped raise me he know who i was before jesus got a hold of me he lumped me up a little bit too but god began to speak to me this morning he said tell my people i'm ready to send the rain i'm ready to send the rain but there's things that they're allowing in their lives right now that would choke out the seed that i'm ready to plant inside of them god is talking to me he said he's ready to manifest himself in a greater measure to you to this generation like we have never seen he's calling us to the deep but there's things that we're allowing in our lives and situations that we're allowing that's keeping us from flowing and operating the way that we're supposed to be flowing and operating." [02:16] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "We've got to get to the place where we're so uh not so desensitized that we're not understanding that god has given us signs in april we had the eclipse right blocked out the sun we've had blood moons but we're so desensitized all we do is try to take a picture of it this might not happen ever again you're right because jesus is coming did you see that blood moon oh that was beautiful maybe i should paint a picture but god is saying no listen i'm coming quickly and i'm ready to do a work but you're not allowing me to bring the rain because you're fighting the process of the season that i got you in and that's to die out to yourself this is where we're at this is where we're at we've got to get so so in a place where we're being intoxicated with uh just another good word i love good preaching i do how many y'all love good preaching but i can't get to the place that all i'm doing is seeking just another good sermon well i'm ready to hear that preacher preach something's gonna happen but i don't take anything home and allow it to begin to flow and operate in my life we can't get intoxicated with the good word we need to get intoxicated with the word of god that's going to operate and change our lives it transforms us we can't get intoxicated with the word of god that's going to make us to the man and the man and woman of god that he's called us to be but we're vexed bible says that life was a righteous man but he was vexed from the filthy communications of sodom and gomorrah we're not running to the mountain we're running to zora what's your zora is it facebook what's your zora is it you hiding in the shadows watching pornography what's your zora is it you running around and being unfaithful what's your zora god is saying i'm giving you time right now to get your heart right because i'm coming." [07:18] (152 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "You better make sure your heart's right you better make sure when you walk in the house of god you're coming there to show god i'm here for you and you alone i don't care who talks about me i don't care who likes me or not i don't care who makes fun of me i'm trying to reach the king and i'm destination is heaven i want to go to heaven to see a new jerusalem heaven is real hell is real but there is a lake of fire that is coming there is a new jerusalem that is coming and you better make sure your heart's right don't just read the word you've got to eat the word and digest it so you can be the man that god's called you to be you can be the woman that god's called you to be." [09:06] (52 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "How our babies are going to know how to operate in the kingdom of invitation if we don't get real with them. If we don't humble ourselves and look at our babies. And I've been there. I've done it. Forgive your daddy, baby. I ain't been the right example. And if the trumpet was the sound, we'd all be lost. But what we're going to do as a family, we're going to hold each other accountable. I don't care if it makes me mad. You better say something. Daddy, we having too much fun. We haven't prayed today. Daddy, you haven't taught us the Bible today. Daddy, you didn't pray with mama today. Daddy, you didn't have that intimate time with God. You Daddy, you're ignoring the kingdom of invitation. It means nothing to preach conferences. It means nothing to preach revivals if my family will be loved. If anything, I said disqualify myself. Give my card to pastor until I get it right. How can I go and preach to you if my home ain't right? How can I get up and preach if I'm not living in repentance? See, I'm not just preaching to you. I'm preaching to me. And you know God dealt with me. He had me there. You're not spending enough time in the secret place." [22:36] (110 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "The words we speak are how we fight the weapons of the spirit world is our words are you too busy speaking negative all week we see it in 4, 7 and 10 he spoke the word it is written you've got to speak the word in your life it is written you've got to go back to the God file and know when God has spoke something in your life it shall come to pass and even when you don't see it know that he's working know that all things work together that they who love him you've got to love him you've got to know him you've got to marry him operating in a praying spirit the Bible says in Daniel chapter 10 that the angel of the Lord came for Daniel's word the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth the world says life the word says that life and death is in the power of the tongue we must as children of God speak speak life words are powerful heaven and hell are listening to our words your words are gonna hold you accountable if you're speaking negativity your words are gonna hold you accountable it's gonna allow an activity to be in your life but if you're speaking life and you're speaking positive things it's gonna hold you accountable you're gonna live that way they're gonna operate that way that's why angels came word intercessory prayer is what arms the angels it gives them power as they go forth into the heavens something about our words that heaven wants and hell wants and you've got to decide what team you're on are your words i ask you again are they heavenly or demonic are they wise or unwise out of the mouth preceded blessings and curses our words will either agree or disagree with our spirit you will reveal what's in your heart through the words you speak the sign of the time is to operate and be led up the spirit the bible says but we but ye shall receive power after the holy ghost has come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in jerusalem and all of judea and in samaria and unto the uttermost parts of the earth." [33:47] (48 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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Transcript

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