Join us today for service. I'd like to take a moment to share a little information about Ignite Student Ministries. From 6th to 12th grade every Wednesday night, Ignite is a safe environment where your students can come to have fun, hang out with their friends, while focusing on the relationship with Jesus Christ. Worship begins at 7th, but make sure you drop them off early for hangout at 6 p.m. in the loft for games, food, and fun. And don't worry, all of our leaders have been cleared through background checks and are members of our church. So your students will be safe and protected from start to finish. The spiritual and physical safety of your students in an exciting Christ-centered environment is our top priority. And as Ignite Student Ministries always say, once you're family, you're always family. You can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with everything that is happening in Ignite Student Ministries. And make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel so you can be a part of every service with your students. If you're watching online, we are so glad that you've joined us today. Let us know where you're watching from in the comments. If you have a prayer request, we have a team ready to pray for you. I am so excited for what God's doing at Pace Assembly Ministries, and I'm glad that you're here with us. Service is about to begin. Peace out. Summer Celebration. Join us on June 4th from 5 to 8 p.m. for the Super Summer Sunday. We're firing up the grill and serving up everything from juicy hot dogs and sizzling hamburgers to refreshing ice cream and sweet, juicy watermelon. But that's not all. There will be music and games for the whole family. Join in the fun as we organize kickball and volleyball games for all ages. It's an opportunity to bond, laugh, and create lasting memories. Remember the Super Summer Sunday will take place on June 4th at 5 p.m. right here on Mitchell Field at our church. Don't forget to bring your favorite lawn chair for your comfort and relaxation. So mark your calendars, spread the word, and get ready for an unforgettable summer experience with your church family. We can't wait to see you at the Super Summer Sunday Cookout. Subscribe to our channel for more updates and exciting announcements and share this video with your friends and family. Let's make this the best cookout yet. Summer Celebration. Join us on June 4th from 5 to 8 p.m. for the Super Summer Sunday. We're firing up the grill and serving up everything from juicy hot dogs and sizzling hamburgers to refreshing ice cream and sweet, juicy watermelon. But that's not all. There will be music and games for the whole family. Join in the fun as we organize kickball and volleyball. It's an opportunity to bond, laugh, and create lasting memories. Remember the Super Summer Sunday will take place on June 4th at 5 p.m. right here on Mitchell Field at our church. Don't forget to bring your favorite lawn chair for your comfort and relaxation. So mark your calendars, spread the word, and get ready for an unforgettable summer experience with your church family. We can't wait to see you at the Super Summer Sunday Cookout. Subscribe to our channel for more updates and exciting announcements, and share this video with your friends and family. Let's make this the best cookout yet. In the Paces and Lee Ministries, my name is Taylor Rogers, or as the students call me, Pastor T. I am the student pastor here at Pace, and I'm so excited that you've joined us today for service. I'd like to take a moment to share a little information about Ignite Student Ministries. From 6th to 12th grade every Wednesday night, Ignite is a safe environment where your students can come to have fun, hang out with their friends, while focusing on the relationship with Jesus Christ. Worship begins at 7 p.m., but make sure you drop them off early for hangout at 6 p.m. in the loft for games, food, and fun. And don't worry, all of our leaders have a clear-through background checks and are members of our church, so your students will be safe and protected from start to finish. The spiritual and physical safety of your students in an exciting Christ-centered environment is our top priority. And as Ignite Student Ministries always say, once you're family, you're always family. You can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with everything that is happening in Ignite Student Ministries. And make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel so you can be a part of every service with your students. If you're watching online, we are so glad that you've joined us today. Let us know where you're watching from in the comments. If you have a prayer request, we have a team ready to pray for you. I am so excited for what God's doing at Pace Assembly Ministries, and I'm glad that you're here with us. Service, it's about to begin. Peace out. Calling in today's your day. Father in heaven, we come before you right now, knowing that in the name of Jesus, there's power. In the name of Jesus, there is a fresh infilling for your people today. So for every heart that is in this room and those that are watching online, may the spirit of God come right now in authority and great glory. And we give you the honor, the praise and the glory in the mighty name of Jesus. Everybody believes that shout a great big amen. I want you to give the Lord the opening praise of this service. Come on, give Him a great high praise this morning and let's worship the Lord in spirit and in truth. I want you to give your attention to the screen right now. They stood as heroes in our midst with courage in their hearts and fists. And with each step, they faced the call to serve their land, to give their all. They left behind their homes and kin for fields of battle, fierce and grim. With steadfast hearts and selfless grace to fight for freedom in every place. They marched across the dusty sands to foreign shores and distant lands. And there they fought with all their might and blazing sun and darkest night. Their names now etched in history's page, a lasting tribute for every age. To those who served and fell in line to keep our freedoms ever shine. For those who paid the ultimate cost, their lives laid down, their battles lost. Their sacrifice of priceless gain for the freedom we proudly claim. We honor them with every breath and cherish them beyond their death. Their bravery and beacon bright guiding us through the darkest night. So let us pledge with all our might to keep their legacy shining bright and hold them close within our heart. Their memories never too depart. Serve a moment of silence and reflection for those that have given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friend. Heavenly Father, we thank you this morning, God for the blessings of liberty, the blessings of freedom. We stand here today, born again, bought by the blood of Jesus. And it's that freedom, Lord, that all other freedoms come from. And we recognize, Lord, the hand of God upon our nation and upon us, Lord, as a people. And, Lord, this day, as we pause to remember, let us remember not just the sacrifices of our fellow citizens, but the sacrifice of our Savior, Lord, who came and gave himself for us and gave himself a ransom for many. And, Lord, that's the memorial that we celebrate today. And that is the love that has loved us and there is no greater love. And, Lord, so as we begin this day, this Pentecost, son, the day, Lord, that the church began and the power of God began to be revealed in this age, Lord, come and visit us again today. And we will give you all praise and all honor and all glory. Thank you, Lord.  Let's give the Lord our highest praise today. Hallelujah, hallelujah. You may be seated for a few moments in the Pace Assembly in Pace, Florida this morning. Come on, do it right now. You're watching in Kenyon, Alabama, and Washington's Testar Church, and browsing the Philippines in Mississippi, in Germany this morning. Come on, let them know how much you appreciate them being here. It's a blessing to be in the house of the Lord this morning, trying to preach my face off this week. Come here, Ben, real fast. This week, I've preached to, I don't know how many, there's still, grab that microphone over there real quick. He's a little slow. He's worked hard to pass two days, got up two o'clock in the morning, all that kind of stuff, but he's gonna make it. I've preached to Pakistan this past week, millions of people that were watching on King TV, people that were punching in on the chat box as I was preaching, I've just given my life to Jesus Christ. You understand, this is a Muslim country right here. The Lord gave us the opportunity to do that, so we preached in Pakistan this week. I met with pastors, well, let me hold that one. And then it went out yesterday and had the privilege of preaching out at Family Beach Fest. And what a great day it was out there. Tell them what happened out there. He preached on the appointed time. It was an awesome word, but it was an amazing day honoring God, our family and our military, one of our biggest turnouts yet. We had over 45 baptisms, is what I'm hearing coming out, yeah. Healing services, the name of Jesus was glorified, lifted up the cross. It was an amazing day, I'm blown away. Hey, I wanna thank everyone who prayed, everyone who was there yesterday and served. Hey, my heart's just full, thank you so much. All glory to Jesus. Praise God. Amen. It takes a visionary and I appreciate the work that has been done there for the glory of God, and there were thousands that were on the beach, whether they wanted to hear the gospel or not, they got it. And then this week, I met with a group of pastors here in Pensacola Thursday morning, because everything starts with leadership. And so pastors got together in a room in a church in Pensacola, we all did, probably about 25 of us, gathered there together for a prayer meeting together, and this was the focus of the prayer meeting. For God to send a spiritual awakening to this area and let it start in us. Now when pastors get together and pray, wait a minute, not all Pentecostal pastors, but we had people there from First Pentecostal and people there from Olive Baptist, Pastor Ted and Pastor Kenzie from First Pentecostal and Baptist and Methodist and all kinds of denominations in the room, and everybody's shingle went down, everybody's title went off, and we humbled ourselves before God for the sake of a spiritual awakening. Can you pray with us about that? Pastor Ted and I are planning, along with some other pastors for next year to have a very special prayer meeting. In just next week, I'll be meeting with another group of pastors for a very special prayer breakfast for all of the administrators, faculty, staff, teachers over in the Scambia County school system. We're gonna be pulling them together, bringing them together and having prayer together before they go back to school. I'll be meeting with leaders here in Santa Rosa County and pastors as well as we will host right here at this church another time of prayer for our administrators, teachers, faculty and staff and our superintendent. I want you to be in attendance, I want you to serve. Are you hearing what I'm saying? I'm gonna want you to help get plates to them and serve the eggs or whatever that it may be. Clean up after it's all said and done so that we could have time to pray for our school system. When our teachers are having to deal more with discipline than teaching arithmetic, there's a problem in our land. When they're having to decide whether or not I should call somebody a they or a them, we've got a problem in our land. And as I was studying this past week and my little nephew brought it to my understanding in his devotional time, it was interesting that whenever that Jesus cast the demons out of the demoniac, he said we've got legion for we, pronoun, personal pronoun, we plural, plural pronoun, we are many. We're fighting over pronouns. Let me tell you, that fight is straight from the demon spirits of hell. I want you to know it's time for us to raise the standard, time for us to raise prayer, it's time for us to lift up Jesus Christ and if you're interested in doing that ladies and gentlemen, you're gonna get an opportunity. Let's believe God for that. I'm excited about the opportunity of prayer. I know that what God is going to do is going to touch the lives of people far and wide and especially another generation. And I've asked you this past Wednesday night to sign a petition, it is in the four year from the American Family Association, there are many of them, but I want you to on the way out the door, if you haven't already to sign this petition, get your information printed out because we will be sending it this week to the leadership of Target stores to let them know that we are completely against what they've been doing in the perversion of our children. Not only that, but you should say to yourself and to your family, we will not purchase not one egg from Target until this thing is turned completely around. Now I'm gonna tell you between Target and Bud Light which I wouldn't care if Bud Light went off the scene anyway. But the last count I got was over $25 billion that they have lost between just those two corporation. I will tell you, it is the love of money in these last days that's driving corporations to go woke. Jesus didn't call the church to be woke. He called the church to be awake. And the only thing that can break woke is the anointing of the Holy Ghost that breaks the yoke. I want you to believe God and make a stand. Listen, you may not like me after this. You might wanna find a different church after this. I don't know, but I'm just gonna tell you if you call yourself a Christian and you don't stand up right now and put your name on something that says I'm against this nonsense and this sinful activity I question your Christianity. I'll deal with that in a sermon in just a few minutes. Let's take an offering while you're still happy. Anybody happy and you know it this morning? Amen, 12 of you. How many of you are happy and you know it? Let me see your hand. Look at somebody smile at them right now. Tell them you're looking good. Tell them today you're gonna give their offering. So hand it over, amen. I want you to know that your church is continuing to move forward in every way possible. We are continually in the process of redoing and rebuilding out here. We were notified this week that our insurance company, one of many, has decided that this coming November, they're going to drop us with a no renewal. I don't know what that's gonna look like, but I know this. Let me tell y'all who owns this house and all the grounds. It belongs to the Lord. And if he can't keep it, then Amriss sure can't keep it. Come on, somebody. But your giving and your faithfulness in tithe and offering and towards missions and this morning we have all the kids in here from Kids' Church. I'm so glad for all the families to be together. Amen. Let me just tell you, it's important that you continue your faithfulness in this hour. It has been notified to my office that during the month of June, during Pride month, Pride, that there is supposed to be a ramp up upon even churches of pushback and adversity. I want you to know something. This church is over 90 years old. It started in the power of the Holy Ghost. It's continuing in the power of the Holy Ghost. And when it's all said and done, the Lord is still gonna be the Lord of his church. Amen. So I want you to help us continue that process, get your tithe and the offering ready. There's a QR code right up there. You can do it by the envelopes that are provided. You can do it also by the buckets for cash in the back. You can do it on the QR. You can do it on the internet right there, paceassembly.org or on the app. We encourage you to be able to do that. We're so glad to be able to have our friends right here from New Haven that are right here, wave at us right here. We're so glad to have them with us. Very special guests from up in Gainesville, Georgia. I want you to know that we've been able to preach up there a number of times and they're the worship pastors. I don't know how in the world they got out of this morning but they're here and we're so glad to have them. We honor them for being here and God bless you.  Father, we give you praise for all that you're doing. Thank you, Lord Jesus, that you're in charge of your church and not the gates of hell or anything else can prevail against it. So we ask you right now to let your spirit just overshadow this house and every giver.  God bless you this morning. I want to mention to you two things real fast. Well, one thing real fast, there is a sign up in the four year also for our super summer Sunday. I had to say it's slow so I could get it out the right way. That would be coming up on June the fourth. If you haven't signed up, be sure to do that before you leave today and God bless you. How many of you believe that one mention of the name of Jesus can turn it all around? I want to hear you speak the name of Jesus right here. Everybody in this building that's going to stand for Jesus stand up right now and let's do what God's calling us to do right now. Come on, somebody say the name of Jesus right out loud. Come on, say the name of Jesus right out loud. Come on, lift those hands and begin to send your praise towards God. He's going to do great things today. I just want to speak the name of Jesus. There's a mighty anointing in this place today. He said, oh, Pentecost Sunday. They were what in one mind? They were what in one? Lord, today we are gathered here today. We look to you. We expect you, Lord, if there's ever been a time in this age when we've needed you, Lord Jesus. It's today. It is this day. Refreshing in your soul today. Just remain standing. Thank you, worship team. I want you to take your Bibles with me. This never preached a message like this on this weekend, but something hit me this past week in a one-liner that I was listening to a talk radio program for a few moments and this one line came out and I was already thinking about these particular characters but I'd never seen them, seen these events happen in such a simultaneous way. So it's Memorial Weekend where we honor the fallen who gave the ultimate sacrifice and it's Pentecost Sunday where the church was born. And there are, there is as much honor needed to be given to those who have fallen for the sake of freedom in America as there are that have fallen for the sake of the freedom of your religion and your opportunity to worship inside of this house. How many of you know what I'm talking about? So I want you to turn with me to the book of Acts chapter number six, Acts the sixth chapter. This is gonna be a little more reading than usual but I need you to get the whole story. Anybody interested in the whole story? Acts chapter number six, if you found it, say a good amen. And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily administrations. Then the 12 called the multitude of the disciples unto them and said, it is not reason that we should leave the word and serve the tables. Wherefore brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom whom we may appoint over this business but we will give ourselves continually to prayer into the ministry of the word. And the saying pleased the whole multitude and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost and Philip and Proctorus and Nicarna and Timon and Pyramines and Nicholas, a proselyte of Antioch whom they set forth the apostles when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. And the word of God increased and the number of disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly. And a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. Verse eight, and Stephen full of faith and power did great wonders and miracles among the people. Then there arose certain of the synagogue which is called the synagogue of the Libertines and the Syrenians and Alexandrians of them the Cicillines and of Asia disputing with Stephen. Verse 10, and they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. Turn with me to the book or to over a couple of pages to chapter number seven, verse 54. Stephen preaches what is the longest message in the book of Acts, recorded.  How many of you know that'll get you a crowd right there? Verse 54, when they heard these things they were cut to the heart and they gnashed on him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God and said, behold, I see the heavens open. And the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and ran upon him with one accord. Cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. That was Stephen's cry. And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice. Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. Continuing in chapter eight, the story, and Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house and hailing men and women committing them to prison. Therefore, you better watch out for those therefores. Therefore, they that were scattered abroad went everywhere, scared to death, frightened because of a virus, afraid somebody was gonna attack them. What'd they do? They went everywhere doing what? You gotta be kidding me. After watching their own leader stoned to death, they got up and went out and preached the word. Well, my dear friends, it's time for the church to pick up the baton because we've got those that have run before us that have laid down their life for the cause of Christ.  Oh, I know you don't like me now. You'll probably hate me worse, but I'm gonna give you the truth this morning because here's what the line was that I heard on the news this week that stirred this message because I am mixing today, the Memorial Day, and Pentecost Sunday in this message about Stephen. And here's the line, the myth. The commentator said the myth of neutrality, the myth of neutrality. I wanna say to everybody in this building, here's my title this morning. Neutral is not an option. Look at your neighbor and tell him neutral is not an option. Father, in the name of Jesus, may the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight. I pray that you anoint me as a man from another world. Today, Lord, not to preach what I say, but what thus say. And I pray that your spirit would touch every heart and create a hunger in this hour to be full of the Holy Ghost like never before. And we give you glory for it in Jesus mighty name. Everybody believes it, shout a great big amen. Look at your neighbor and tell him neutral is not an option. Yeah, neutral is not an option. Praise God. I've read to you a portion of this passage of scripture. The whole story is really summed up in the massive sermon that this young new convert from Pentecost started preaching about. In light of the sacrifice made of the stoning of Stephen as the first martyr of the church after Pentecost, the very first martyr period. Tomorrow and this weekend, we honor those that have paid the ultimate price and Memorial Day has been set up for that to take place. It was a week after the attack on Pearl Harbor that President Roosevelt made this statement. Those who long enjoy such privileges that we enjoy forget in time that others have died to win them. Inscribed on the Korean Memorial in Washington, D.C. are these words, freedom is never free. It always has been bought with the blood of those who died defending it. While I've not had but a short stint of my family that have been enlisted in the military and them for a short period of time, I still have great gratitude, great respect. And on this weekend, especially great honor for those and those families who have paid the ultimate price so that we could be in this building without fear of any intrusion to worship the living God that we choose to serve. So if we honor the memory of those who died in battle, both here in our land and on foreign shores to keep this nation free, then we also must be willing to stand in the evil day for the battle is no less intense and real and never forget the price that was paid at Calvary's Cross for our freedom. Jesus Christ died and his death on the cross is a symbol of freedom to those who believe and his resurrection is the assurance of the hope that we have that when he comes again he will take us to heaven when he comes as a believer to not stand in this evil day and let your voice be heard giving witness to the truth, the way and the life of Christ Jesus is a dishonor to his sacrifice and to every person who have laid down their life for the cause of Christ. If the battles we're facing now with the likes of major corporations who have decided to flip the Bible completely upside down and rewrite it, I told you a few weeks ago that PETA has now taken up rewriting the Bible to sanitize it so that the animals aren't hurt. There's no need now they say for a lamb as the sacrifice in the book of Genesis so he's still alive, not sacrifice for Isaac and on and on it goes in the rewrite. That's the reason why you better have the original. Why are we giving out Bibles? Because you can have it on your Kindle and you can have it in another location but you better have your real deal in your hand that you can open up at any time and nobody can stop you. Neutrality is not an option. Neutrality is not an option. All you've got to do is think in about recent history and the price it has been paid. This is important for us to understand because before Pentecost, before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts and we're only a few chapters away, just a little bit of time away from that in our reading today, the church was sent by Jesus Christ Himself to go into Jerusalem and tarry wait until they were endued with power from on high filled full with the Holy Ghost. Why was that? Because before Pentecost they were not yet equipped to face the challenges of preaching Christ and Him crucified and building the kingdom of God. Without the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit there is no preaching that's worth hearing. There is no singing that's worth hearing. There is no church that's worth going to. But when the power of the presence of the Holy Spirit is resonant on the inside of us and collectively we come together to worship one God supernatural things happen in the power of His Spirit. Before Pentecost they weren't ready. After Pentecost the fullness of the Spirit of God on the inside of them gave them boldness to speak the gospel. Furthermore to see manifestations of God in healing, in deliverance, in salvation and they love their life even all the way, love not their life even all the way to their death. The people that we preached and read about here this morning from the book of Acts chapter six all of them gave their life as martyrs for the cause of Christ. But there's only two that are mentioned further than the book of Acts chapter seven. That is Stephen and Philip. Philip enters into Samaria and becomes the evangelist that starts an entire revival in Samaria. But Stephen is the first one to step up and be bold. I want you to understand something and all of our military men and women that are in this building and those of you watching online you know this all too well. There are no atheists in the foxhole. You can talk about how I don't believe in God and all that. I just want to let you know this is coming from God. God don't believe in you either. Atheists say they don't believe in God. God said I don't believe in atheists. Therefore atheists do not exist. I've watched people that have said I don't believe in God and the first crisis they got to they started talking about Jesus help me. I've watched people that have denied the Lord and backslid on the Lord and the first thing that happened when their car started spinning on a slick road headed towards the embankment. They didn't start hollering out oh Buddha, oh Krishna, oh climate change. They hollered out oh Jesus help me because when it gets right down to it ladies and gentlemen, there's only one God who has represented in the Son Jesus Christ on this earth and he's the only one worth crying out to because he's the only one alive. There are no soldiers in the foxhole that are neutral. You better pick up the day and say today I'm gonna choose to serve the Lord with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength. Memorial Day reminds us of the great sacrifice of the life because they had courage and valor to face the evil and defend truth and would not give up. I love watching these movies and documentaries and things of the true stories that took place of the stories that day by day are fading away because they're passing off of the scene. One of the reasons why we're in trouble in America right now is because we forgot about the sacrifices that have been made by those that have gone before us who literally laid down their life on the beaches of Normandy and Afghanistan and other locations, a disregard for it. Listen folks, truth worth dying for is truth worth living for. That's why so many soldiers many times do not speak of their stories because they don't see themselves as heroes or maybe standouts. But when it came right down to it, there were men and women that stood up and it counted. They were willing to give it all. And I have to ask myself the question of the church in this hour because I can tell you the Lord did not start this church in the book of Acts with the blowing of the Holy Spirit and people receive this great power from God for us just to come and go out of church and get another blessing and put Jesus on some lists with other gods. In fact, I submit to you, you and I have been brought to the kingdom for such a time as this. Otherwise we are useless to the kingdom of God. Did you hear what I said? Oh, I believe Jesus, no. I wanna know what are you doing to take a stand in this hour when you see evil coming at you 90 miles an hour because the battle is not on some foreign shore now. The enemy is among us. Daily, every day you're fighting battles and evil has its intent on stealing the soul and the heart of the youngest among us. A woke culture that has absolutely no moral compass whatsoever is leading like the proverbial pied piper. People buy the scores into the very battles of hell. Somebody's gotta stop and the church is the one designated to do it and say wrong way, turn around, repent and go back and seek first the kingdom of God. I'm afraid too many people that have come to church now and claim Christianity have turned into fearful, compliant cowards who have no fight strength or anointing to fight the battle that they're facing. It's much easier to acquiesce and lay back on the sin of the bed of laziness than it is to stand up and actually take the fight to the enemy. I submit to you that Jesus said that this church is gonna be built and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I don't know what church you're a member of but I can tell you Jesus' church will not be overrun or overwhelmed. It will prevail in the last hour and I wanna know which one of you are gonna stand up in this hour and take up the cause of Christ? Well, I don't wanna get involved. Neutrality is not an option. You're on one side or the other, Jesus said. Jesus said to be a friend to this world is to be my enemy. My Lord, can you imagine being the enemy of God simply by your choice? Jesus said to be a friend to this world is to be my enemy. David asked the question when he got to the camp in the encampment there of the Israelites under Saul and Goliath came out every day and tortured them with his words. Terrorists, the first gigantic terrorist there is found in the Bible is Goliath. Roaring and beating his spear on his shield saying send me out a man to fight and the entirety of the encampment were locked up in their tent fearful because they might get a virus if they got outside of the tent. I might need security on that one right there. That one hit like a dud. Pastor, you don't understand. I mean this, that, all this is going on. I know sickness is real, but I know Jesus is real too. Come on, that's the battle that's coming to your house. Am I gonna step out by faith? Let me remind you something. Are y'all listening? Heaven ain't so bad. Pastor, what if I die? Are you going to heaven? Have you been washed in the blood of the Lamb? Are you part of the chosen? Well, Pastor, I don't want to die right now. Let me just tell you something.  Until then, fight the battle. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his mind. Come on, church. I didn't ask you to join the Baptist Association or the Assemblies of God. I'm asking you to get on Team Jesus here because he's the water walker. He's the peace speaker. He is the disease destroyer, my healer, my buckler, my savior, my defender. Either we believe him or we don't.  Good, because when David showed up at the camp, he said, what is wrong with y'all? Is there not a cause? If you need for me to make it real, tattoo the word target on the head of Goliath. If I started saying what you know and I know in this building, they would shut me off of YouTube right now because the stuff that's going on is so perverted and yet it is being embraced by people. And Pastor, don't tell me to shop there.  You better come out from among them and be separate. Otherwise, you're not part of the family of God. Now, come on. I submit to you, there is a separation. And on the unsuperman part of me, the Clark Kent of me, I got my Superman suit on today, but on the unsuperman side, I thought about it this week.   I just stopped by the brook and I got five stones in my bag and I'm ready to do whatever it takes because you get between me and my little seven-year-old granddaughter and you won't see spiritual holy Joe here. You will see Clark Kent real bad cause something is gonna happen. Come on, talk to me, mommy and daddy.   I came out here not with a spirit of sword, but I come in the name of Jesus. Jesus let us be bold and run out into battle. Look at somebody and tell them neutrality is not an option. You can't be neutral in this. Let me preach this thing. You got time? Good. Y'all got time for some, I'm about to pack you with some raw gunpowder and raw meat right here. Oh pastor, don't say gunpowder. Let me tell you, in World War I, the doctrine of neutrality was part of the doctrine of the United States of America. And when we knew what was going on overseas, our president said because the polls say that it is unpopular for us to get involved in the war, we're gonna stay out until they sunk the Lithuania. Now you got Americans on board. Isn't that just like the devil? Everybody's trying to be neutral. I got all kind of images going through my head.  You're not in reverse, you're not in drive, you're in neutral, but you're having a good time at church, aren't you? Vroom, vroom, vroom, vroom. Ain't going nowhere. Just like revving your engine. I'll beat you on a bicycle like that. Come on, somebody. Right? We finally had to step into World War I because we could no longer be neutral. When I walk the halls and go into the museum of the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., one of the places that I get reminded often I'd read about in there. They have booths set up in there where you can read what was going on prior to the war, even leading up to the day that Pearl Harbor was bombed. Our president said we're not gonna get involved in that because like World War I, we're gonna stay out of that. That's none of our business over there. This is not a confirmation for any wars to go on. You hear me? But when the battle is such that it comes to your doorstep, that it comes to your doorstep, that's not a time for you to acquiesce and say, you know what, that's not my battle. I don't wanna get involved. Talk to me, somebody. The myth, they call it the myth of neutrality. What is the myth of neutrality? It is somehow that you can survive and live free without standing against evil and fighting for truth. The first thing you've got to have in freedom is somebody who will take responsibility for it. Where are my military men and women in this house right now? Stand up if you're military men and women in this house. Ladies and gentlemen, these men and women have served valiantly with courage and with honor and I got news for you.  It's time to rise up and go to war in the name of Jesus Christ because we win. America sat neutral as Hitler was taking Jews and others into Auschwitz and other locations and doing experimental vaccinations. I read yesterday, you don't like me for this, but I read yesterday that doctors were being paid serious amounts of money to vaccinate children under six years old. Where is our responsibility? That means you can't listen to the talking heads that are coming on the nightly news. Well, who am I gonna depend on? You don't depend on me. I'm a man just like you are, human being. Well, who are we gonna depend on?  It's a disgrace to me to think that we would know what was taking place and didn't do anything about it. Well, I've got news for you. It's come here. It's come here. It's come right to our doorstep. What did Hitler do? He took the young like Nebuchadnezzar did, changed their minds and their thoughts through propaganda, media, and everything else. That's what's happening today. My question in through this message is, what will it take to stand against evil in the day? You know the statement. You've heard this before. All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. Well, it's our time to stand. And it was the time for Stephen to stand. Here he is as a brand new convert from the Pentecostal outpouring on the day of Pentecost. What happens? He gives us a memorial day to remember because of his courage to stand. Stephen, fresh out of Pentecost. He's a man who has devout, the Bible says. He's committed. The early church had grown and increased so much. Watch this, that it had grown and increased so much that they said, wait a minute, there are some of the folks that are being neglected. We need to enlist some more people. So the apostle said, choose out seven men among you that are devout and full of the Holy Ghost. I'm gonna give you four things very quickly that are ingredients for us in the hour that we're in right now.  I can assure you the Holy Ghost will never choose the middle position. Everything he does is pointing towards Jesus Christ who is the truth, the way, and the life. What will it take in these last days?  Now watch this, he was full of the Holy Ghost, he was devout, and the first job he got in the church was serving tables. Pastor, you don't take Holy Ghost to serve the tables. You haven't served the people I've served like that. I want my medium rare. Can you not be so loud? Can you not preach so long? Can we have church on Tuesday night instead of Wednesday night?  Because there's always somebody. But if you're full of the Holy Ghost, you can serve people without any excuse and without any hassle. And that's the reason why they chose Stephen. They chose him and six other guys who were pulled out of the crowd of people. Listen, thousands of people had gotten saved and God said, I want Stephen. Pentecost gave Stephen something he needed before he needed it. He was there in the outpouring of the Holy Ghost. I started thinking about it earlier this morning. Here he is, the first time he comes into salvation. He's on the day of Pentecost and he gets the Holy Ghost outpouring in the baptism of the spirit on the same day. This guy is on fire. And yet he says, I'll be willing to do whatever it takes. Just put me in, coach, I'm ready to play. Full of the Holy Ghost, he started serving tables, but it wasn't long before it was his time because something out of all these guys, in fact, you hear a little bit about Philip but the rest of these names that are listed there, you don't hear anything else in the Bible. They're not written about anymore. Only Stephen stands up in the hour that is necessary with boldness to speak because he was full of the Holy Ghost to the scholars of his day who he stood in front of and preached the longest sermon. Now, if you'll say, amen with me and get with me here, I won't preach all of Stephen's sermon. Oh, I'm feeling you out there now. This crowd's slow, you'll have to stay after detention hall. To the scholars of his day, he might have seemed unlearned, unskilled, but because the Holy Ghost was full on the inside of him, it made the difference on what he spoke out of his mouth.  To be full of the Holy Ghost means to be absolutely controlled by him, in my thoughts, in my actions, in my attitudes, in my speech, in what I do and who I am.  That was the result. The blessing increased inside of the church, the Bible says. What happened? The church was still unified. Anything and everything could have broken apart. In fact, this very event, because some of the older ladies, widows in the church were upset, because they weren't getting served first when all the rest of the Jews were. And that could have broke the whole church apart, but it was still unified because Stephen was full of the Holy Ghost, and so were these other men. It was still multiplying, it was still increasing, it was still magnifying, and watch what happened. That increase came immediately after the persecution of Stephen and others. Stephen's death would absolutely propel the gospel. Now remember what Jesus said. He said, you go and tarry in Jerusalem until you be endued with powerful on high. And then he drops down to the book of Acts, chapter one, verse eight, and he says, listen, you shall receive power. After that, the Holy Ghost has come upon you. Somebody wave your hand at me if the Holy Ghost has come upon you in baptism. Let me see your hand. Wave at me, now wave it big up there. Come on, like you're at the bragedane. Come on, that's better. You shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you. But that's not all he said, and you will be my witnesses. Where in Jerusalem started Jerusalem, and in Judea, and in Samaria, and into the other parts of the earth. Well, look what this persecution created. Suddenly people started standing up and scattering all over the land, and what you read about in the scripture is they went to Judea just exactly where Jesus said go. Persecution drove them to Samaria, and a revival broke out over there. All of the uttermost parts of the earth were now covered by the church that was sitting in Sunday service at Pace Assembly. Now the whole church got up, left out the door, and became the church in the marketplace.  When they preach the Bible says some 8,000 Jewish priests that worked in the temple surrender their life to Jesus Christ on that day. My Lord, there's 10,000 in that brand new church right there, just days after Pentecost. Hear me, the empowerment and the fullness of the Holy Spirit had such great effect that every reference that we read about of Stephen always is accompanied by these words and full of the Holy Ghost. He had wisdom and full of the Holy Ghost. He had faith and full of the Holy Ghost. Are you getting the pattern right here?   Well, pastor, I don't know if that could happen. Ladies and gentlemen, it's not up to you to do it, but if the Word goes forth in power and in anointing, it's going to affect change anywhere, everywhere that God is glorified.  Shout that, full. He was full of wisdom according to Acts chapter 6, verse 3, wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you men of an honest report. First thing you got to do is get them truthful. Full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom to take charge of the business of the church. I want you to know what we need in this hour is Holy Ghost wisdom. Come on, somebody. I'm telling you, they sent the letter and said, well, at November, we're gonna not renew your insurance. And when they showed that letter to me, I said, fine, and dandy, I got news for you. I've got more than insurance. I've got an assurance that God has kept us thus far, and by faith, we're gonna keep on making it, you know why? Cause God's got it in the palm of His hand. The moment that I own it or you own it, we'll lose it, we'll drop it, we'll shatter it. But in the hands of the Almighty, He's able to keep that that's committed unto Him against that day. God give us people who will cry out for the wisdom of the Lord in this hour. Holy Ghost wisdom. How powerful was this? You read about it in verse number 10. There's Stephen standing up to preach and the Bible says that they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spanked. That's what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the empowerment of those spirit of wisdom that comes upon you and you say things that you don't even know you had that area to believe and know. Come on, somebody. I promise you, all of my life, I have prayed. Lord, give me wisdom beyond my years. Give me wisdom beyond my years. Help me not to stand in a crowd of people. Help me not to stand in the pulpit. Help me not to be the pastor of a church and not have wisdom beyond my years.  So we'll know what we need to do. So what'd they do? They stirred up some false witnesses, just like they did Jesus. They stirred them up. But Stephen kept serving faithfully. Divine wisdom preached through him. And I'm telling you, it's impossible for me to preach this. Here's what Stephen preached in a nutshell. He said, I'm gonna talk to you about Abraham and I'm gonna talk to you about Joseph and I'm gonna talk to you about Moses and I'm gonna talk to you about Joshua. I'm gonna talk to you about David. I'm gonna talk to you about Solomon. And he said, I'm not just reciting some kind of familiar facts to you.  And that's when they started getting mad. Ladies and gentlemen, you can get ready in the hour that we're in.  But I got news for you. More and more, I'm fine. Just the other day, somebody told me that this coach who knelt down and prayed a prayer at the end of a football game and the team joined around him who was brought all the way to the Supreme Court. They dropped the gavel and had to release the man and made him not guilty. And he went back out on the field in the football game and prayed again in the name of Jesus. It is time, ladies and gentlemen, when the laws of the land defy the laws of God, you better pick up the law of God and live in truth. Shout him in, somebody. Not only that, but in this message, Stephen said you're misunderstanding your spiritual roots. Why? Get this, because Israel was the only nation that was privileged to have the glory of God as a part of their inheritance. Nobody else has ever had that privilege, Romans 9 and 4. The glory of the Shekinah. No other nation has been endued with the Shekinah glory. And what have they done? Stephen started preaching to him and he said, you got a problem, because don't you remember that the glory departed? Don't you remember when Eli did his thing? Don't you remember that when the temple was broken down, that the glory departed? He said God's glory has come through, not just through the temple, not through the temple anymore. God's glory has been manifest in front of you and none other than the only begotten of the Father Jesus Christ in the fullness of the glory of God and you have misunderstood your spiritual roots because everything from Genesis all the way to Revelation is not talking about Buddha, it's not talking about Christian, it's not talking about how to have a better life and a better marriage, it's talking about Jesus.  You know why? Because it is the revelation of Jesus Christ. A world is misunderstanding and the reason why is because we're preaching everything but Jesus. But I came to tell ya, I've come to lift him up and he said, if I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto me. Somebody shout yes before I start running again. So Stephen preaches the message and he said, you remember Abraham, your founder, our founder. He said of this Hebrew nation, but I want you to know that he wasn't saved by the circumcision and he wasn't saved by keeping the law and he wasn't saved by worshiping in the temple. The Bible clearly states that Abraham was saved by faith because he put his trust, he trusted God. He believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness sake. Let me tell you something, America's in the shape she's in right now because we have forgotten our spiritual roots. There are people that are trying to rewrite history and tell you that America is no longer, has never been a Judeo-Christian nation. Let me tell you what kind of responsibility we have right here in Pensacola in Pace. The very first Christian service marked by a cross out there on that beach. The very first service was held right here in Pensacola on the North American continent. You know what kind of responsibility that carries? That means, ladies and gentlemen, if anybody's gonna be holding up the banner, then it should be us. Don't you forget your spiritual roots.  I came to tell you, do you remember when you had to pray and everything? Do you remember when you were having to walk to work? Do you remember when you didn't have the car and didn't have the money and didn't have the means and yet the Lord came along and rescued you? I want you to know it can pass from generation to generation. I'm looking at you right now and you got your generations that are sitting beside you. You better tell them babies about their spiritual roots and let them know that it's for us in our house. We're gonna serve the Lord. What else did he preach to him? He preached that they rejected the God-sent deliverers that come in Joseph and in Moses. I briefed this for you this morning. First time Joseph came, his brothers rejected him. Second time they saw him for who he was. First time Moses came as deliverer, they rejected him as being a murderer.  Why is that important? Because Israel had rejected the Messiah when he came to them the first time. But according to the book of Zechariah, when he comes again, they're gonna look on him whom they pierced and say, this is the true Messiah. Come on, church. Why is that so important? In spite of what they did, listen. In spite of what happened to Jesus Christ and their involvement in it, Steven says, the Lord has never rejected you. Did you know, did you know right now that you're sitting in a country that people are jumping the wall to get into? I don't hear nobody jumping into walls of Russia. I don't hear nobody beating down the doors of the Ukraine. I don't hear nobody running across the borders of China or any other location. You know why? Because there's still a remnant in America that still trusts the Lord. And they said, if we can get to the promised land, we might be able to thrive. Are y'all with me this morning? America has forgotten its spiritual roots. America, people are rejecting the message of God's messengers. I wanna say this from behind this pulpit to every preacher that might watch this and every minister, every evangelist. Thank God for faithful pastors, preachers and evangelists who will preach the Word of God who may never have their name in neon but they're trusting and faithfully preaching behind a pulpit what the Word of God has to say. You may have five in your congregation but go ahead and be faithful. God's not gonna reward you on another man's church.  You ought to lift up some pastors, ladies and gentlemen and let them know how much you appreciate the Word of God. Stephen then next went on in his dissertation and sermon to tell him they've been disobeying the laws of God. I just wish Stephen was here to preach this thing today but I can tell you where he's at. He's looking over the portals right now saying, tell my story the best way you know how. They disobeyed the laws of God. He said, you're all disobeying. Now listen, he's talking to the religious leaders of the day, the politicians, the upper echelon, the elite. And here is a devout man who nobody knew anything about until Acts chapter six, pulled out of a crowd of thousands of people who now has the boldness to stand in front of the magistrate, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom. And says, every one of y'all disobeyed the laws of God. Wow. He said, you know that we've had a history in Israel of obeying the Word and then we fall away and break the law and start wallowing and worshiping after pagan idols. This has been a repeated discipline that God said, you read it for yourself this afternoon. He said it repeated itself all the way to Babylonian captivity and it finally cured us of idolatry. Religions and the world have put emphasis on tolerance today. I promise you, Jesus better hurry up, come get me. I mean, I want to say I can put up with a lot. But I can tell you right now, my days of tolerance are running short.  Let me tell you something. Jesus said, I offended them and they're always going to be offended in me. Look for them to be offended in you.  Why? Because you stand up for Jesus Christ and declare thus saith the Lord. How dare, who are you to call the senator? Well, first of all, he works for me.  He works for you. I sat right there in Rick Scott's office, just about a year ago, looked him in the eye and said this, this, this and this. He said, you know what, we can do this and we can do this and we can do that. I said, well, thank you very much and we'll see you tomorrow. Listen, we've created such an atmosphere where somehow Christians feel like that we're on a no conversation, can't do anything about it attitude and we have sunk into neutrality. Pandemics and everything else have pushed us down to the place where we just wanna hide in the corner. But I'm calling you out today because neutrality is a myth. America has fallen into idol worship just like Israel did and broken the laws of God. Right now, the greatest debate in states is whether or not abortion should be legal or not. Right now, some of the greatest debates that are going on is the legalization of drugs. Ladies and gentlemen, the Bible has something to say about all of that.  That wasn't a time to choose a neutral position and say, well, God, how about you just take out these houses and I'll stay right here? He said, no, the whole place is contaminated. Did you hear what I said? So here comes Stephen and he says, you've despised your own temple. Churches are closing today because there's no interest in people coming. They resist God and they resist the truth. In America now, there's more lying going on than there's ever been before in our life. Distrust of institutions that we put our trust in and gave them our trust. I'm just preaching to you Stephen's message in a nutshell. And what happened? Stephen got through with all of that and he said all of you are following after dead traditions when in fact you should be looking at this man Jesus who just passed by. In the middle of all of that, Stephen stands up, a man full of faith and full of the Holy Ghost and the Bible said he started reaching out and his hand through the power of God started performing wonders and signs and miracles among them all. Let me just tell you something. We won't have to put billboards up out there that says Jesus, come to church or anything else. You just let a few folk get healed by their blindness and their lameness and miracles. Wonders and signs start happening among us. You won't be able to keep them out of the parking lot. They'll be saying let's have church every night. You know why? Because just like those folks that came to the altar in the middle of that blazing sun the other day and just like the millions that I was preaching to in Pakistan who were reaching out and saying Lord help me just like an individual. I was talking to a preacher down there. He just came back from Japan. He said when I preached to him about the Holy Spirit and about it getting saved, they thanked me by the mirrors because they had never heard this kind of gospel preaching before in their life. Ladies and gentlemen, God said I'm wrapping up the last days and I'm collecting my church and it's gonna be a church that's gonna honor me in these last days.  I hurry. He was full of faith. Faith to help the church increase. Have you got faith to help the church increase? Faith to see signs, wonders and miracles. He was full of Pentecost because he came fresh up out of it. You know what he said to them? You've embalmed the truth so much and you're hanging out with faithless people that you can't get your own faith to stand up in fullness. Listen to me. We're in a time when religious leaders are choosing whether or not they wanna ordain something that God calls sin, religious leaders. Come on, somebody. I had some woman from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, sent an email in and said, Pastor, please keep sinning. This prophecy file is briefing out. We're hanging on. We don't have something like that around where we are. I'm wondering where they're in the world. What's going on? Are we living in a foreign land? I'm just gonna tell you something. Don't despise the Word of God. Don't despise it when it convicts you. Come on, somebody. Don't despise it. Run towards it and say, Lord, do your work on the inside of me. Fill me up with faith because I don't know what tomorrow's gonna bring. He said he was full of grace.  Why was that important? Now I'm gonna just tell you, I don't know what you individually may have to face, but I know in Africa just this past week, there were several thousand killed at the hands of terrorist Christians that were killed. And I promise you, they're not praying, Lord, fill my tank with fuel. They're not praying, Lord, can I get a vacation? I'll tell you what they're praying. Even so come, Lord Jesus. Are you hearing me?  And he didn't know exactly what that was going to be, but he could sense that there was some rage in the town and rage in front of him.  And you know, I preached this, I preached around this before and I always had the thought cause I didn't really see it in scripture, but we've heard preachers say it before that he gets out and starts, they start throwing rocks and stoning him. And I wanna make sure I say that right cause there's some people that think that he got stoned, but I want you to know he got stoned. I know that that may be strange to some of you that I would explain that, but there's a lot of people don't know what I'm talking about. The Bible said they threw rocks at him and crushed his head. And I always had this image in my mind that it was, when he was getting hit by the first three rocks, that suddenly he looked up and saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. But your Bible says before they ever took him outside while he was still, this is what enraged him. I mean, the Bible says they gnashed on him with their teeth. Going up. Can you see it? These are the folks that he was supposed to go to church with.   He said there's a change coming as of today. They got so enraged and mad you can see blood shooting out of their eyes. Do you know what they saw? The Bible said while Stephen was preaching the message, they looked at him, you read it for yourself. This is what the Bible says they saw. They saw him as if he had the face of an angel. It's a hard, hard thing to try to beat up somebody who looks so good in the face. Look at the left and right of you and tell them you're looking good, you got the face of an angel. Come on somebody. Yeah, yeah, what was that all about? He glowed with the presence of God.  They got enraged and before they took him out, the Bible said he's standing there. Now I'm gonna tell you, it's one thing to think it. It's another thing to open your mouth and testify about it, somebody. Because for fear of rejection and you don't know what in the world's gonna go on and suddenly the spirit of the Lord, this fullness. I'll preach this to myself, y'all ain't here.  And the Bible says one of only a few times this ever happened in the Bible, the heavens open. Shoo! He saw it with his eyes and nobody else did. But he saw the glory of God and he saw Jesus. Now typically the scripture only records Jesus as being seated at the right hand of the Father but one and only one time in all of the scripture that Jesus knew that this man of God who had stood for me on the earth, I'm about to stand up for him. Up here in heaven. Stephen opens his eyes, the heavens roll back.  So he said, hey, Stephen, look right here. I am he that was dead but behold, I'm alive forevermore.  And there he is. And then for most of us we say, well, we don't wanna offend anybody and we don't want people to think we're crazy because I had a vision, cray-cray. They've lost his mind.   And I'm just gonna tell you, don't bother explaining it to people who have a carnal mind who don't see what you see. Just go ahead and believe what you believe because what, hey, he didn't have to do that but when Stephen saw him standing at the right hand, he must have been so full of the Holy Ghost that he had to tell it, tell it, Stephen. He said, hey, behold y'all, I see Jesus in the glory of God standing at the right hand of the Father. They said, blasphemy on you.  That's right, that's right. That's right. And being full of the Holy Ghost, the heavens were open and he saw Jesus standing. And they started crying out with a loud voice. I love reading this story because here's what they did. Bible says they stopped up their ears. They didn't wanna hear anything else he had to say because it was piercing them in their heart.   Don't be that impressed with yourself. It's the fullness of the Holy Ghost on the inside of you that somehow is electrifying the atmosphere around them. I mean, it happens to me. Unfortunately, all the time they think I'm the Pope. I said, I'm not the Pope, he's the Pope. Why, because I run up on people and they start confessing everything they've done for six years and why they're not in church and this and that day I said, please, please, I don't wanna hear. They got so enraged. Now you better hear me. The days that are ahead for Christians are gonna be challenging days because your faith, all this singing, oh, have faith into all this worshiping, all this church going, everything has come down to this moment right here where you gotta draw a line and this saying because the pressure and the persecution is gonna come against churches, especially those that preach the gospel. You better hear me.  Are you hearing what I'm saying?  I want you to look at the humility of this guy and I'm about done. Come on, singers. According to the law of the day, the ones, watch this, the ones who came and they stirred up liars. They found some false witnesses. They found some false witnesses. I know that's not happening today. They found some people to lie and make accusation and according to the law of the day, the one who made the accusation, it was their job to push the person down who was gonna be executed or stoned. They were to push him to the ground before anybody ever got to Stephen, a man full of the Holy Ghost. Your Bible said, he knelt down. I keep my eyes on Jesus. Y'all throw your stones if you want to. I got my eyes on Jesus. You can mock me if you want to. I got my eyes on Jesus. And with every blow of a stone against his head and body, this physical body was passing off the scene.  Forgive them for they know not what they do. And the Bible says, before Pentecost, it would say they died in the scripture. After Pentecost, this is the first record of this, your Bible said, he fell asleep. He fell asleep. He just fell asleep. Oh, I'm tired. I've done my best. I fought a good fight. I kept the faith. I think I'll just lay down and go to sleep. Friends, do you know whatever persecution comes your way, the Lord has got you if you put your life in the palm of his hand. Are you hearing me? Stephen is the first martyr of the church. And on this Memorial Weekend and Pentecost Weekend, I want us to honor and remember him because he set a marker for us.  We're gonna be faithful to God. And on the Memorial side of things, it don't take me long to weep when I start reading the stories of people that are real heroes. Please keep your Hollywood heroes, your sports heroes, your whatever heroes, give me men and women who know what it's like to have been through something for real. I think about in our history, put it up on the screen of the Tuskegee Airmen who were persecuted because they were of a different color. Now, there are those in our nation that would say that we are systemically racist.  But what I want you to know is, is that when you're looking at these men, you're looking at men who have the Medals of Honor awarded to them because, not because they had everybody patting their back, but because they pressed through all adversity and all obstructions and kept the faith and kept right on doing what they needed to do, and they are in the Hall of Fame today. Please don't tell me you can't make it when you've got heroes like that. I don't have a picture of him, but just read the story. Tell your children about George Washington Carver and then take them out to the peanut field. You don't understand what I said, you're reading the wrong stuff. The only reason why you got peanut butter is because of him and everything else. He's a hero. What about, what about a guy named Butch O'Hare? What's his story? World War II. He was a Navy pilot on the USX Lexington. He and all of his fliers were taking off to do another sortie into Japan, the surrounding areas. When they took off, all of them got up and started flying away from the Lexington, but when Butch O'Hare got out there, he looked down at his gauge and his fuel gauge and saw that somebody had forgotten to fill him up before he left. He told his squad leader, I've only got this much. He said, you won't make it, turn around and go back to the Lexington. He was disappointed because he wanted to be in there with his guys. When he turned around and started going back to the Lexington, this is what you need to tell your children. This is a hero. When he turned around and went back towards the Lexington, all of a sudden he saw a squadron of Japanese fliers and the fleet of the Pacific was out there in the ocean where he was. And he was the only guy in the air. He saw them and he made up his mind. I can't stay neutral and I can't preserve myself. I only have a limited amount of fuel.  So what did he do? He pulled back in his seat and opened up his 50 cal machine gun on that plane and started flying directly into that Japanese squadron and firing as hard as he possibly could, hitting, trying to hit anything and everything that he could to keep them distracted from the fleet that was just below. When he ran out of ammunition, he decided, not neutral, he decided, I've got to keep on fighting. So he took his plane and started ramming the other planes and hitting the wings of the Japanese fliers to try to get them immobile or crash them to the ground. Watch this. He kept flying and hitting planes as much as he could. And finally, he detoured the Japanese fliers until they started flying away from the fleet. When he landed on the Lexington, made it back. They checked the cameras in his cockpit and discovered that he had actually taken down five of the Japanese fliers and the rest of them went away discouraged. That's not the end of the story. The next year, when he turned 29, he was tragically killed, fighting in the battle. And his name would have been wiped off of the map and nobody would have remembered him ever again except for his hometown. His hometown said, we will not let this man's memory go down in the dust. We will remember him always. How can we do that? And so they opened up the Chicago O'Hare Airport. And every time you walk through that airport, you're gonna find the flight suit of Butch O'Hare, who is a hero today. He used to be remembered on Memorial Day. But for believers in the year of our Lord, 1555, Thomas Hawks was preaching the gospel and telling people about Jesus Christ. And he was getting ready to be burned at the stake for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. He knew the sentence was going to come. All he had to do was renounce Jesus. All he had to do was renounce Jesus. All he had to do was renounce Jesus. And he said, I will not. He was more concerned about those people that were of faith that were standing around him. And they said, what are you gonna do? He said, well, I'll tell you. I'll tell you that they're going to burn me at the stake but I want you to know something. When they tie me to the stake and the flames get unbearable, if they get unbearable, or rather, he said, if they are bearable flames. He said, I will raise my hands as a sign to all of you if I can bear the flames and clap my hands three times. They tied him to the stake. They lit the fire underneath him. His skin was melting off of his body for the cause of Christ. And his friends and family and those that were around him were waiting for the sign. And all of a sudden, Thomas Hawks lifted up his hands. It's bearable, it's bearable. I'm calling this church to action today. If you haven't signed that petition, it's the least you could do. And on the flip side of that, the least we can do is honor our fallen both in America and in the Christian world that have given us the ability to stand. And I wanna say to you today that no matter what's going on in our world, it's bearable. I said, it's bearable. No matter what you're going through, it's bearable. It's bearable. If they went through trial, if they were burned to the stake, it's bearable for you to take a stand for Jesus right now. Everybody stand, everybody standing. Everybody standing. I know what time it is. I'm gonna ask every one of you to come around this altar right now because I believe that we need this moment. It will not be long. Come and join me around this altar. Do it right now. Do it right now. Come on. Come on. Come on. Thank you, Jesus. I don't know what you're gonna have to stand for in these last days. And I don't know when you're gonna be put on the block to make a stand. But I'm gonna ask you as you gather around here to ask yourself this question. Have I got the fullness of the spirit enough that whenever they ask me, do you believe in Jesus? That you're willing to say, not only do I believe, but he is my Savior and my Lord and I follow him. Not to deny him. I promise you, my friends, the sense that I have in our land today is much like the days in the Book of Revelation that is written to us where the persecution is gonna come upon the church. The news articles have come out in recent days that there's going to be a heightened attack against the church from the pride community. Well, let me tell you, it isn't the first time. I said it's not the first time. And it won't be the last. But the last thing I wanna do is dishonor my Lord, dishonor Thomas Hawks, and as American citizen, dishonor all of those who laid down their lives. So I'm asking God, I want you to fill me with such power and faith and wisdom that when it's my time to stand, when it's my time to stand, when it's my time to stand, when it's my time to stand, you can count on me. Here's what I'm asking you to do. In a moment, I'm gonna ask you to lift your hands. And when I do, I want you to begin to ask the Lord to fill you fresh with the anointing of the Holy Spirit to cause you to be able to stand in the days that we're in right now that no matter what, I don't care what's coming in your way that you're willing and you and your house are gonna stand in the evil day. Are you ready? Come on, let's do that right now. Lift those hands all around this building. And I want you to ask the Lord right now. I want you to ask the Lord, fill me to overflowing God, fill me up like you did Stephen. Lord overflowing today where there's nothing on the inside of me that would lack from your presence and let there be a daily hunger in my soul. For I cannot go into tomorrow. I don't know what tomorrow's gonna hold. I don't know what kind of accusations are mocking or cursing of the Lord. And I cannot turn it around and render evil for evil. I've got to be prepared to speak life and to speak kindness and to speak love and the truth into the lives of people. Fill me up to overflowing today, mighty God and let the joy of the Lord be my strength every day.  Lord, I need a fresh and holy preacher with the anointing of the soul that nothing lacks in my life. Give me wisdom, God, that comes from you. Give me glory and power that comes from you then receive you the Holy Ghost. You know how to speak in tongues, open your mouth and begin to speak as the Spirit gives you utterance right now.   This week, you're going to face that. There are teachers that are in this room right now that have been facing that dilemma, what do I do? There are business owners that are getting hit from every side and you're asking, what am I supposed to do?  Be full of the wisdom of God. You don't have to make some rash decision. Maybe the Lord is gonna keep you in that place so you can be salt and light. But whatever you do, don't deny Jesus in word or deed. Not now. I'm gonna pray for you because I'm just telling you in my spirit, I sense that every week at this moment it's gonna be changing. And you're gonna find out that the well of my salvation I've got to drink from multiple times a day. Are you hearing what I'm saying? I'm gonna have to go back to the well throughout the day. I'm gonna have to find a place where I can steal away and call upon the Lord for a fresh anointing in my life. Because the more this world pulls on you, the more the anointing has to flow, the more you're gonna need a fresh anointing upon your life. I want you to know something. As your pastors, Rita and I, love you. We're praying for you. We're believing that God is going to keep pace, assembly strong in an hour of great darkness that there will be a place of light that people will be attracted to the light. If that's your desire, lift your hand this morning.  Father, in the name of Jesus. Lord, this is not my church to own. It is mine to be your under shepherd. And today I take my pastoral role on now. And I pray for this congregation of lambs. And there are times, God, when there's an attraction that would pull them away. And there are times, God, when they feel beat up and discouraged and bruised and wounded. But today, Lord, would you pour in the ointment, the oil upon their heads?  And I pray today, God, that you would cause this church to continue to stand in the evil day that we're in right now as a witness. A remande casundro bococeae, as a witness. Not just so we can consume blessings again and again, but for the third and the fourth generation to rise up and call upon the same God that their fathers did. Protect our children, God. Give boldness to your people. Give strength to your people. Give wisdom to your people. Give faith to your people. Give faith to your people. Fill them with the fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit. He's pouring out of you right now. I said, he's pouring out of you right now. Be filled with the Holy Ghost right now. Be filled with fresh oil right now in the name of Jesus. Now the Lord bless you. And the Lord keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you. May the Lord be gracious unto you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you and your house peace in this hour of trouble, peace, in this hour of pressure, peace, that passes all of my understanding in Jesus' name, in Jesus' name.  I want you to turn around and encourage somebody in the Lord. You're gonna need their strength in the days ahead. Encourage them in the Lord today.  Let the presence of God continue to repress you. I'll see you Wednesday night. God bless you.