After the miracle - the persecution

Chapter 4, Book of Acts, I am going to read only the first 3, 4 verses and then we will continue dealing with the rest: "... As they spoke to the people, the priests came upon them with the chief of the temple guard and the Sadducees resentful of that they should teach the people and announce in Jesus – mark that in Jesus – the resurrection from the dead…”

What's wrong with that? As someone out there would say. What's wrong with that?

“… And they seized them and put them in jail until the next day because it was already late. But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men was about 5,000..."

Let's leave it there in the name of the Lord. We are going to explore as much of this Chapter 4 as possible. We want to move forward and get the most out of this teaching. The theme that we see clearly outlined here is the theme of persecution in the midst of serving the Lord. This Chapter, for the most part, tells us about the persecution that is unleashed when Peter and John do the work of the Lord and mobilize the Holy Spirit in favor of this paralytic who has been sitting at the door of Hermosa. And the Lord has a message about that.

Last week we saw Peter filled with the Holy Spirit, fiery in spirit, clarifying to that crowd that he has gathered to contemplate this miracle of this man who is paralyzed for 40 years and who is currently jumping, praising, rejoicing, declaring the greatness of the Lord. They have seen him lying on the floor, all the time begging and now they see a man empowered by spirit, so full of wonder.

Peter, turn the gaze of the crowd towards Christ. He tells him, we have nothing to do with this in a sense, it is the Lord, this has been done in the name of the one you crucified. He is the one who has done that work, his authority and his power and God has used this to show them that he is the Son of God, he is the anointed of God. They took their eyes off themselves and stared squarely at Jesus, as we always must. Invite people to watch.

Christ said that it is necessary for the Son of men to be raised so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. In us there is no power, all power is in Christ Jesus. Amen.

And for the moment everything is fine, the people are happy, Pedro has made an appeal and a huge number of people have converted and Pedro says, wow, from here they are going to make me president of the nation at any moment. What's going on? The police arrive, 3 state troopers of 300 pounds each, 6.5 arrive and they catch him and lift him up and carry him in the air to the jail. What happened? Persecution, the anger of the enemy.

Brothers, I say here that after the blessing and the miracle, after the harvest of souls comes persecution, and here in that Chapter 4, a recurring theme is introduced in the book of Acts: the persecution that accompanies the preaching of the Gospel, wherever the Gospel is proclaimed with power, effectiveness, wherever people are being converted, wherever the word of God is being clearly announced, the Holy Spirit is moving, advancing against the forces of darkness, the devil is not going to be happy and is going to throw his fury against the church of Jesus Christ.

Do you know when the devil remains calm and does nothing against us? When we do nothing against you. When there is a church entertained with the ritual of religion, going to church on Sundays, doing what religious people always do, the culture is not affected, there is no change, lives are not converted, God does not perform miracles, the Holy Spirit does not manifest, the enemy does not have to do anything. Now when he feels that his interests are being threatened by a church that has revved up, by people who are living the Gospel red hot, by people who love God above all things, he is sanctifying, purifying, conquering ground, then the enemy throws out his wrath.

If you are living a life that pleases the Lord, don't slack off, but get stronger. It's not like he's scared either, looking back to see if the devil is going to hit him. No, but you also know, be healthy cautious. I say that Christians should be like those policemen who walk down the street whistling, turning their baton around, right? just in case. They are calm but they are always looking to see where a shot can come from or someone who wants to hurt them. And we can live the Christian life very well but know that the enemy is always going to be trying to harm our lives.

I say here that the wrath of the enemy is unleashed when the Gospel progresses as we see here. When believers are fulfilling the mandate of Jesus Christ, like Peter and John doing the works, undoing the works of the devil, this man tied up for 40 years, paralyzed and now Peter and John come and untie him, that's when the enemy wants to wreak havoc . The Gospel always progresses in the midst of opposition and conflict. The forces of hell and the world do not stay calm when their interests are being questioned and opposed.

What's happening here? These religious interests, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the people who rule in the religious area feel that their empire is being questioned. They have dominance. They distribute the cod, as we say. They are the ones who govern all these things, the industry of religion they are in control and now these renegades are coming, these rebels, they have no authority, they do not have a license for anything, they have not gone to a seminary, they cannot teach a official identification of nothing and they are converting 5000 people and misrepresenting everything that they have spent so much time to lull the people and control the religious system themselves.

At the moment when they see that people are being freed, their eyes are being opened, of course, the devil doesn't want that. The devil wants a sleepy church, he wants a religious system that kills faith rather, and that is what makes these people attack them. Behind that, brothers, is the enemy, the enemy is as he was behind Judas, as he was behind Caiaphas, trying to undo the work of God.

That is why in Matthew, Chapter 11, verse 12 the Lord says:

"...From the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force..."

I've talked about that before. Actually the original translation in Greek speaks of …… that is, biacetai means not only to suffer violence but also to do violence. It can be active or passive. The idea that Jesus Christ says is that the kingdom of heaven advances with force, advances with violence and is also attacked with violence.

Now, who comes in contact with the kingdom of heaven? Who seizes him? Who seizes the blessing of that kingdom? Who snatches what God has for them? You know what? Those who are equal, of the same temperature as the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is made for war, brothers.

When you look anywhere for the word of the Kingdom of God, that term, and you will see that it refers to the advance as of an army, it is a nation, it is a kingdom, it is a government. What does Christ say about this world? It says that it is ruled by Satan. The Prince of this world. He says that over and over again. That is why the Apostle Paul also says, our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of darkness of this century. Over and over he says that, that the whole world is under the rule of Satan.

God gave man the world and man in turn has allowed it to be taken away by the devil. And now, the enemy rules this world and when Christ comes into the world, he comes to break those bonds, he comes to break those chains. Christ, says the Bible, who came to undo the works of the devil.

Notice that always the Kingdom of God, the progress of the Gospel is always being described in terms of battle, war, binding, loosing, breaking, undoing. What does the Lord Jesus Christ say? It says that in order for one to plunder a strong man's house, remember that? What do you have to do first? Tie it up. And then you can ransack your house. What was Jesus Christ referring to? What is the house? The world. The world is under the rule of Satan. And for us to take souls, lives, to advance the interests of the Kingdom of God, to change society, to convert people, to establish the principles of the Kingdom of God, we first have to bind the devil, we have to be stronger than he. There has to be a fight, a confrontation, and then we can take away his weapons.

What happened here? 5,000 souls, 5,000 men plus their women, families, and the people they were going to witness to later, it says here 5,000 males, males, andronios is the word in the original Greek. But what about the wives and children of those men, the relatives who were going to evangelize. The devil sees, they are ransacking my house and that is why he sends the authorities that he controls. These men who do not love God but love themselves and the power they have, and they send them to imprison and silence these people.

That is why Lord Jesus Christ says that the Kingdom of heaven advances with violence and the violent, that is, those who are the same as that kingdom, aggressive, for this reason, brothers, is that we ask the Lord, Lord, give us a mentality of war. That docile, passive people, used to things, wanting the world's liking, the world's approval, those people who like comfort, who like that extra hour of sleep, who love the television, the microwave, the fridge too much , and all the comfortable things in the world, you know? And the silks of the pretty dresses, and 3-piece suits, that's not even used anymore, but whatever, there are new ones, you understand what I'm saying, right? Those people who love the world have no fellowship with the true Gospel.

If you want to serve the Lord, if you want to do the works of Christ, you have to adopt the mind of Christ. It is that my kingdom is not of this world, that you do not live for yourself, you live for God, you have lost everything, you have given everything, you are a terrorist of the Kingdom of heaven, you walk around with 4 grenades and a belt full of explosives to go and take 50 or 60 with you to the Kingdom of God. You understand what I am saying, I am not preaching terrorism here.

But we Christians have to be dangerous. The devil is not interested or bothered by those Christians who are all bored and eager to simply bake their cake here on earth and enjoy the world to the fullest. The devil is afraid of those skinny people, who don't eat much because they are always fasting and praying to the Lord and with their eyes on heaven. These people inspire terror in the kingdom of darkness, the people who have died to the world, the people who live for Christ. And against these people he is going to throw his darts, but God is more powerful, take courage, take courage.

This passage is about that, the preaching of the Gospel as a matter of war. The advance of a kingdom of light against a kingdom of darkness and death. Christ says, the devil only knows how to kill, steal, destroy, but I have come so that they may have life and life in abundance. The Bible says that Christ came to undo the works of the devil. The Bible says that on the cross Christ dethroned principalities and powers, he publicly exhibited them on the cross of Calvary. The whole Gospel, if you look at the Gospel, you continually see images of warfare against darkness and the powers of the devil. Satan is not necessarily always mentioned, but he is behind the empire of death, and persecution.

And in the book of Acts you will always see when the Gospel is most powerful the devil's attack comes immediately. Remember when Paul and Silas, we'll see later, free that young woman who is bound by a divination demon? People convert, a huge crowd wants to worship him because they believe they are gods. Pablo preaches a message and what happens? Right there the Jews come to put them in jail. They put them in jail, they persecute them. Now, glory to God that their faith leads them to worship the Lord and liberation comes.

But wherever you see continually, when Stephen filled with the Holy Spirit preaches that wonderful sermon, what happens? The people are filled with anger and the devil uses them to stone this man filled with the Holy Spirit and what happens? All hell breaks loose, great persecution, Christians are used. What's going on? They have to flee but wherever they go they start to preach the Gospel and they all crowd around with the Gospel.

Because it is that, brothers, a people of God who lives for Christ, look, as the Apostle Paul says, neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor the future nor what is to come, nor the height nor the The low, nor any other created thing will be able to separate it from the love of God that is Christ Jesus. When you have lost everything for Christ and you live for the Kingdom of God, the devil can throw all the missiles he wants at you, and you home run all of them. Persecution just makes you angrier against hell, that's all.

That's why we have to live in the Lord, for better, for worse, for good, it's like marriage, in sickness or in health, in poverty or in riches, until death do us part. The good thing is that not even death separates us from Christ. But you marry Christ and whatever it is you already live for him, you live for the Kingdom of God, you are a living dead in a sense, you know? They can't take anything from a dead man, they can't give him anything either.

You know that neither the praises of the world, nor the prestige of the world, nor the glory, that leaves you the same, but it doesn't bother you either. He lost his house, glory to God, more was lost when they burned Rome. The car has already broken down, well, don't worry, another one will come just like that one came, the Lord will provide. A loved one dies, God removed, as Job said.

Brothers, we have to strip ourselves of everything, we have to live life for the kingdom of God. Eternity is out there just around the corner. Live for Christ. My goal is for God to get as much juice out of me as possible before I leave here. That is my goal, brothers. And that should be yours too. The rest give it to God. The diplomas, the profession, the woman, whatever, the children, give it to God, live for him. And the irony is that God will give him more.

Do you know who are the most blessed and glorious people on earth? What they lost everything for Christ already in their hearts. They said, Lord, I no longer live for myself, as Paul said, I no longer live, but Christ lives in me, and what I live now, I live for the glory of the Lord. Those are the people that God uses, those are the happiest people on earth. Those are the most blessed people because you are living for the Kingdom and let the devil roar as he wants, let him wag his tail, let him gnash his teeth, better, let him suffer no matter how bad he is. You live joyful in the Lord and serve God, no matter what, because he is going to try, he is going to do everything possible to frighten you, intimidate you, embarrass you, but you stand firm.

The Apostle Paul says that we stand firm and having passed the bad day we still stand firm. Why does the Apostle Paul say that? Let's put on the full armor of God because we are at war. And that is what this Chapter 4 at the very beginning of the book of Acts teaches us and it is a theme that you will see again and again in the book of Acts. When the Gospel is preached with power, the threat of the enemy comes, war also comes, persecution comes.

Many times it will come through illness, job loss, loss of a relationship we love, conflict situations at home or at work, with a child who suddenly starts to cause problems, a crash on the road, etc. When I was listening to Marcos, he was immersed in praise and then someone hit him from behind or whatever. There are many ways. The devil is shameless, brothers, he tries to destroy our love for God. There is that recently converted person, seeking God, sanctifying himself, wanting to serve the Lord and that temptation comes in one way or another wanting to push him away, complicating his life. There is a way, the devil is always trying when the Gospel is doing his work, he sends, sometimes his weapons can be hot, sometimes they can be cold, sometimes he uses a cannon, sometimes he uses a dagger, but he always knows how to he manages to try to misrepresent things. We are at war, keep your eyes... be sober and watchful.

Why does the Bible use so many images? It's not because we're paranoid. Be sober and watchful, why? Because your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. That's what the word says. We have to be wise and watchful.

If you are serving the Lord, if God is doing things in your life, don't let the enemy take away your joy. Even in the church you will find, brothers, the attack of the devil, a conflict with a little sister, a look that they gave you that you did not like, a position that they did not give you, that they took away from you, a recognition that they did not give you, They did it to another who did less than you, a leader who betrayed you or did not behave as he should. There are many ways, even in the church.

Look, who is chasing Pedro and Juan? It's not Rome, it's the Jews, it's religious people. The devil dresses as an angel of light, says the Bible. He wears any disguise, he is a master of disguises, not even the CIA is as good at disguises as the devil, brothers. He can dress in the clothes of a university professor, a model, a thief, a serial killer, whatever, he wears any costume, a Pharisee, he doesn't care, he wears any appearance, a pastor.

Be sober, watchful, ask the Lord for wisdom. If you are living the Christian life, stay alert because circumstances may change, but behind it is the same actor as always. And that is what this passage teaches us. That is why the Gospel always uses these images of war, of combat.

To preach the Gospel effectively, you must arm yourself with this combative mentality, ready to suffer persecution, to experience the contempt and opposition of the world. You have to know that we are at war and that the world is not our home. You have to be willing to be a martyr, which means both a witness and a victim of persecution.

Did you know that the word martyr, which comes from the original Greek martyr, also means two things: witness, but it also means victim of persecution. It is the same word. And it is very appropriate because when we testify of Christ we are also going to suffer persecution.

Brothers, I believe that what God wants to tell us through this passage, all of Chapter 4, that God told me this morning while I was trying to extract the teaching for you, is that the mentality that we adopt as Christians will have a lot to do with our success in doing God's will on earth. Our initial predisposition will determine our actions in the Kingdom.

In other words, God wants you to arm yourself from now on with a warrior mentality, a mentality of stripping yourself of everything and living only for Christ, a mentality of the Lord, everything I have is yours. The world is not my home. I am in the world but I am not of the world. My life belongs to you, for life or death, I am yours. I am going to preach your word on time or out of time. I don't care if I get fired from work or whatever, but I'm going to preach the truth, I'm going to live your truth. Understands?

Now, if you are going to preach, preach on time, don't be taking a salary and preaching too. No, work and do your 8 hours and when you can preach the Gospel. But in all contexts preach the word of God and never be afraid to say what you believe.

That warrior mentality, brothers, what I am saying is that we have to put aside the conventional religious mentality, understand? The cheap evangelical mentality, brothers, you are a warrior, a warrior for the Kingdom of God. Ask God to seal us.

That is what we deal with these youngsters here, it is what God has to do that work of renewal in their lives to change their mentality, to absorb the mentality that they love the world. The devil has hypnotized them and the devil has invented a number of toys and systems more powerful than ever to kill the creativity of that youth, to lull them to sleep with sex, with promiscuity, with technology, they are an armed tribe all among themselves, facebook , has created a family more powerful than the family of faith. The family that these young people have on Facebook is stronger than their own family at home. Do you know that?

He knows that these young people are brushing their teeth and they send a text, I'm brushing my teeth, and all their friends listen to it. They're eating a mustard hot dog, I'm eating a dog, Nathan's brand, I'm eating a hot dog right now, it's delicious, a hot dog, that's good. And everything, they are in the class, the teacher and doing texting, sent to facebook or twitter or whatever. Is incredible. The enemy has been binding you and you need to break that spell and acquire a kingdom mentality. That's why we have to teach them to think like men and women of God, in our houses, in our homes, our children, brothers, let's put in, let's put in a kingdom mentality so that they can enter into what God wants for their lives. And we too adopt that warrior mentality.

My desire, as I have told you, to preach about the book of Acts is to induce in us that supernatural mentality. Because that's where the key is. That is where one begins to grow and do great things and receive great blessings from God.

The Christian's mentality has to be fierce, that is to say, that of a warrior, aggressive, aware of being at war with the world, the flesh and the devil. If it is a mentality of accommodation and integration to the world and culture, there will be no effectiveness and spiritual power. According to your mind, so will be your effectiveness, according to your disposition, so will be the benefits that you get from the Kingdom of God. God will work through a warrior heart and a heart given completely to the interests of the Kingdom of God. That is largely the problem with the modern church in the West, in these countries of America, Europe, that is why the church is so powerless.

The modern church in many parts of the world has lost that mentality of separation, opposition, war, aggressiveness, ready to fight and suffer for Christ. The Lord is telling you today, children of God here in León de Judá, he is telling you, if you want to serve me, you have to be willing to suffer for me. If you want to be effective in my kingdom and if you want me to bless you as I want to bless you, and you want me to cover you from the devil's attacks, even though he will attack you, but I will always cover you, be prepared to be in war with the world and adopt a warrior mentality, a mentality of separation from the world. Love the world, serve the world but don't be attached to it or place your allegiance in the world.

You have to be willing to die for humanity but don't let humanity control you, don't let humanity determine your values, don't let humanity make you live as it wants. No, no, you are the leader, you tell humanity how to live in the Kingdom of God. Because Christ says, if you live a Christian life the way I want it, the world will persecute you, it will not love you.

What does Second Timothy, Chapter 3, verse 12 say? Look it up with me, it says:

“…and also all those who want to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution…”

I assure you one thing, the world will never love you if you represent the interests of the Kingdom of God, because the world says the Lord Jesus Christ, it does not want to be pointed out by its bad deeds. And if you live as Christ wants you to live, your life will be a sign of what the Kingdom of God is. And those who do not want to conform to that kingdom will oppose you. So the church has to drop this idea that the world is going to love us, we have to win the world over. No, you win over the world by preaching the Gospel and living an authentic Gospel. Not handing over their weapons for the world to want. The world will not love you if you live as Christ lived. The Christian life is a life of war and opposition to the world, although we love, once again, I am not saying that they walk around with a bored face, of a person who hates and detests life, always serious, always holding back. party to the people, speaking all the time only of spiritual things. No, God wants you to be a normal person, laugh, to enjoy life but with a clear mission, like Christ Jesus.

The Lord Jesus Christ went to a party, he went to a dinner but you always see him doing the work of the Father, wherever he was. And that's how we have to be. Convinced and clear people in what we have to do.

Now, look here, who is leading the opposition? Says the Sadducees, with the head of the temple guard, the priests. Because? Because they preached the resurrection of the dead in Christ Jesus. They denied, the Sadducees were a very liberal, rational sect, very dedicated to the Greek culture, a very philosophical, very rationalist culture, and for this reason they denied the resurrection. Today, there is a whole wing of Christianity that denies miracles, denies demons, denies supernatural life because they have inserted a rational Gospel and when we preach a real Gospel, a Gospel of miracles, wonders, holiness, surrender to the Lord, they don't like it.

So, notice that, the persecutors are those people who don't want a Gospel full of life to be preached, a Gospel that frees people from their spiritual ties. The entire leadership caste of Israel rushes against the disciples because they feel that their interests are being threatened, and so it will always be. If you want to live a life as God commands, sometimes even your family will pounce on you to try to separate you from that fire towards the Lord, don't let them.

Let's go a little further. Notice the question, later when they are arrested, taken to jail and questioned, look at the question that the Sadducees ask Peter and John:

"... and putting them in the middle, verse 7, they asked them, 'by what power or in what name have you done this?'..."

You see something interesting here, these religious people know about what is truly important in spiritual life. They ask what power, what authority, under what name have you done this, who gave you the right to do this, why do you feel you have the right to preach the Gospel?

Brothers, because they understand that spiritual things, religious things have to be managed in terms of power and authority. Brothers, we have to understand, we are a people that moves with spiritual fuel, with power. The Apostle Paul says, I am not ashamed of the Gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.

It says elsewhere, the Gospel does not consist in words but in the power of God. We have to understand that we need to stick to that power. Now, where does that power come from, how does Peter answer the Sadducees? Says:

“…the God of Abraham, in verse 13, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers has glorified his son Jesus whom you delivered and denied before Pilate, when he had decided to set him free ..."

Verse 16: “…And by faith in his name this man whom you see and know has confirmed his name and the faith which is through him has given this man this complete healing in the presence of all of you….”

Peter looks back at Jesus. He says, okay, you want to know in whose name, with what power have we done it? We have done it in the name and with the power of Jesus of Nazareth.

Brothers, the church has to cultivate that attachment to Jesus Christ and has to cultivate that total dedication to Jesus. Christ says, abide in me and I in you and you will bear much fruit. The church has to cultivate that name, that appetite for power. That is why we come to the house of God and we look for in our time of worship, what we are looking for, how to plug in the battery, or better plug in the computer or the spiritual telephone to that battery that will give us power, will to fill with the strength of the spirit.

Life is going to absorb your energy, life is going to take away your effectiveness, the friction of problems and struggles. You have to be continually looking for power, looking for the anointing of God, looking for the filling of the Holy Spirit.

We have to combine the Christian life in terms of power and always ask the Lord, Father, teach me how to accumulate power so that I can do the works that I have to do.

I mean, last night for example, yesterday afternoon, long story but anyway, it came around 5 or 6 in the afternoon and I just felt the desire, look, you know what? I'm going to watch a little TV show to see if I get distracted a bit. But something told me in my spirit, you know what? Instead of doing that, fast from that and dedicate this time to me, and look for me. Tomorrow you have to be preaching the word. I have learned something, that even if it had not been anything bad, I would have seen a harmless program, I would have been there for a little while to distract myself. You need that too. But I felt from the Lord, you know what? I'm going to fast from that entertaining meal and I'm going to dedicate that time to the Lord so that tomorrow the anointing of God will manifest itself more powerfully in the service. I am the spiritual authority of this church, there are other authorities, but I am the main pastor. And God works through those things of power and authority.

When church leaders are looking for the power of God and put things together in terms of power, God can move. Today has been a glorious day, two wonderful services, brothers, God has moved. It's not just because of this, right? because there has been a precious adoration, but all that has to be united. If the worshipers on Saturday night are getting ready, or get up early on Sunday morning to seek the anointing of God, the one who will lead, the ushers are there in their homes, Lord, fill us with your holy spirit, the church is praying, Father, anoint the pastors who are going to preach, anoint those who are going to worship, they are in the morning, instead of being there wrapped up and with the sheets, they are praying and doing spiritual warfare, brothers, when comes here is an explosion of the power of God, the power of God is manifested. The father, the mother who are having problems at home, there is difficulty at home, the children are out of the Gospel, brother, war in the spirit, fill yourself with the power of God, fill yourself with the authority of God, fast a little more , read the word more, ask someone to pray with you, look for power, because you are a consumer of power, you are at war. The devil will ask you, what power do you have? You are asking me for your son, what power, in what name are you asking for it? And you have to know exactly in whose name you are going to fight. With what power are you living?

That's why these men don't know what they are asking, but they are inspired in a sense almost by the Holy Spirit. In what name are you doing this, with what authority, with what power? Thank God that Peter and John knew that power, they say, in the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

The musicians who pass through here, please. That Jesus that you crucified, God has raised from the dead and has given him authority and power. You want to know in what power? In his power. That power that Peter told the paralytic, I don't have silver or gold, but what I have I give you, in the name of Jesus get up and walk. That power, brother, sister, young man, old man, wife, housewife, worker, parent, head of a home, usher, servant of God, person who runs a cell, worker, professional, teacher, you want to snatch souls from the devil ? Do you want to live a life of power? Seek power in Christ Jesus, fill yourself up, live a life.

Brothers, the price must be paid, the price must be paid. Do you want to be effective for God? You want to cover your family with your authority, invest in the kingdom. Use your time. Time is short, use your time properly, use it to fill yourself with power. Oh, learn to enjoy the delicacies of the Kingdom of God. Put aside, sometimes the food of the world and say, you know what? I am going to be content with this delicate delicacy of the Kingdom of God.

You know what? Instead of that tasty and interesting movie, you know what? I am going to say, time to offer this to the Lord, Father, I am going to spend these two hours reading a good book, listening to a message or simply being silent, giving glory to you. Ugh, I'm sleepy, I want to sleep. You know what, Father? In the church there is a service, I am going to dedicate these two hours to you, I am going there to fill myself with power. I'm going to adore you.

You understand? You have to live red hot. To be an instrument of God you have to pay a price, you have to accumulate power. If you want to be used, because you are at war, you are a warrior, you are under oppression, the enemy has your name and your number and he wants to wreak havoc in your life, so you have to live like a soldier. The sword can't be too far from his hand, ever. The word of God cannot be far from your mind. You have to continually renew your strength because that is what you are, your identity is a warrior. His identity is a member of the Kingdom of God that advances, with strength and vigor and breaks and is going to receive attacks from the devil, and I am part of that powerful kingdom.

I explain? People of God, God calls you this afternoon, assume a correct mentality. Shed the civilian mentality and assume the warrior mentality of the kingdom. That Christian who breaks for any little thing that makes him 20 thousand pieces, as they say out there? Like a glass of Bethlehem. They look at him and at once he becomes depressed, gets upset, offended, leaves the church, pouts at the pastors, stops serving the Lord. Take off that dress, put on the dress of a warrior, a strong warrior, a warrior that things slip.

That person who has a little headache and that's why he won't go to church. Come to church with a headache and everything, God will bless you, your headache will go away when you are in the house of the Lord. That person who is sad and depressed and does not feel like praising the Lord, tell your emotions, control yourselves and hold on to the spirit, I am going to worship the Lord, whether you like it or not. That husband, that wife who is having problems at home and says, that's why I'm not going to serve the Lord, because he was already offended with God because he didn't give him the answer immediately. Look, you have to fight, you have to war, you have to battle, you have to bend your knees, you have to fast to win the battles of life and win victory. What you need is going to cost you. God is not going to give it to you immediately. Many times he wants you to develop spiritual head, so pray more, fast more, persist until God gives you victory, what you are asking of him, but stay because you are a warrior.

The person who feels bored because it's the same, every Sunday, it's the same, I've been doing that for 10 years, I'm going to take a vacation. No, go on. You are a soldier, the soldier disciplines himself, the soldier marches even if he doesn't feel like marching. The soldier is a soldier 24 hours a day, whether he feels happy or not, you serve the Lord, whether you feel like it or not, you serve the Lord, whether bored or not, you serve the Lord. Whether you have it or not, you give to the Lord. We are warriors. That is the mindset you have to adopt. Power mentality, discipline mentality, surrender mentality because you are at war. There is an enemy that wants to cut off your head and God has called you to be victorious. God has called you to hit the devil with a home run whatever he throws at you. And you need the power of God, in what name, in what authority are you serving? You're serving in the authority of the Lion of Judah, forget it. That if he is serving in that, there is no power there. Roberto Mirando, even less, imagine. Christ Jesus, Christ Jesus, risen Christ, the Holy Spirit, the power of God. That's where the power is. We are at war, so we need power and the soldier's mentality.

Stand up for a moment and receive God's anointing, receive God's call on your life. Church of God, put on your batteries, Church of God, put on the warrior's helmet, Church of God, put on the warrior's boots, put on the full armor of God because it is battle time, time to snatch souls from the devil, it is time to advance the Kingdom of God, it is time to achieve things for God, it is time to unify your family, it is time for your home to be a temple where the Holy Spirit dwells with all comfort. It is time for your work to be the vineyard in which you work and bring life to Christ, it is time for the church to be the place where warriors train for battle and receive the word that makes them skilled to serve the Lord and do great deeds for the Kingdom of God. It is time for the church to change its mentality because these are times of war, and times of harvest, and power must be accumulated, authority must be accumulated, we must know that we move in the name of Jesus.

And when they tell us in what name do you serve? I serve in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, the risen Christ. Hallelujah! That Christ that I know, we have seen his resurrection. We have seen him, we heard his word, I know him, he has done things in my life, and he has done feats through me. In what name do I serve? In the name of Jesus. Under what authority? Under the authority of Christ.

Church fill yourself with the call of God. Don't let what you have received today slip away. When you leave here, treasure what you have been given, please, the warrior's mentality, put it in there in your mind, seal it. Don't let anyone take that away from you. Cultivate it every day, more, more, because God wants to do great things. They are harvest times, they are times of feats, they are times of celebration, they are times of doing things that will be legends in the future. Get ready, people of God, pay the price, pay the price. There is much to die, much to die, much to kill, much to give, much to deliver to the Lord. You have to die a lot, you have to be like the grain of wheat that if it does not fall to the ground and die, it remains alone, but if it dies it bears much fruit. He is calling you to die to live. He is calling to give so you can give more, to lose so you can have and receive.

Fill yourself with the power of God. Empty yourself of everything that is not of God so that God can pour his oil on you. He is not going to fill a full vessel, he is going to fill an empty vessel with his anointing and his power. So, people, receive the call of God in your life. Father, raise your hands now, raise your hands and receive this word, it is the word of God, it is the word that has come out of the heart of God for you, people. And the word of God is life, the word of God is power, it is anointing.

I am not communicating information, I am communicating energy, I am communicating authority, I am communicating the Kingdom of God through words. It is apostolic prophetic word that I give you, people. Receive in the name of Jesus a warrior heart, receive a warrior mind, receive a supernatural mentality, people of God, open your heart, open your mind.

Father, open the big doors in the minds of your children right now so that the Kingdom of God can enter their hearts. In the name of Jesus, create a church for you, Father, create a church that honors you, Lord. Create a church that pleases you, Father, to your heart. Begin with me, Lord, take away everything cheap, vile, earthly, Lord, and put on the costume of a warrior priest, Father, of princes and princesses who walk with all the authority of your kingdom, in the name of Jesus, Lord , create a new church and reach those who were this morning, those who did not come also and fill them with the same power, Father, the same authority, in the name of Jesus.

We put on the armor of God, the soldier, the soldier's uniform, we put it on in the name of Jesus, the warrior, the princess with the sword in her hand, in the name of Christ. I declare a strong heart, I declare a warrior's mind, an aggressive mind, a conquering mind, in the name, change us Father, change this church, Lord, change your people, Father, change our priorities, Lord. Oh forgive us, Father, for we love this world too much. Change us, Lord, and give us a new mind, a renewed mind, Father.

We die, we die, we die, we die, we get rid of everything that is not yours, Father, everything that competes with exclusive loyalty to Christ Jesus, to his kingdom and his interests, eternity. I live for eternity, I am from eternity, I move in eternity. I fight and war for eternity. Christ is my general, Christ is my head, and what I live I live in the name of Jesus, in the work, in the life of Jesus.

Oh, Lord, do not let us fall from the height of this message, but take us more and more, higher, more consecrated, more dedicated, Lord, more sanctified. Thank you, Lord, we give you everything, we give you everything, Lord, we give you everything, everything, everything, Father. Possess everything, fill our homes, fill our finances, fill each member of our body, Lord, Lord, take possession of everything and make us instruments in your hands for the glory of your name, Lord, we want to be martyrs, we want to be martyrs, we want to be witnesses and we want to be too, if we have to die for Christ, amen, we will, Lord, but we know that you will give us victory in everything. We will shame the devil and defeat him time and time again, because we move in the power and authority of the name of Jesus.