(upbeat music) - Hey, this is Pastor John Ryan Cantu from Pneuma Church in Houston, Texas.

Thank you for listening to the message today.

I hope that it blesses you and all those that you share it with.

God bless you. (upbeat music) God bless you, church, how we doing?

How we doing, church?

(audience cheering) For most of, I guess most of you guys don't know, I'm the Spanish pastor.

And pastor gave me the privilege to bring the word to this.

Thank you, pastor.

A little side note, I do move a lot, so get used to it.

'Cause I'm not gonna change.

I've tried changing and it's not gonna happen.

But I will ask you, we can all stand as we read the word of God.

The book of John chapter 11, verse one through four.

God is good, amen.

And all the time.

Mm-hmm.

And if I jump to Spanish, I'm sorry.

I preach in Spanish, so it's just gonna flow how it flows.

You guys have it?

John chapter 11, verse one through four.

"And a man named Lazarus was sick.

"He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha.

"This is the Mary who poured the expensive "perfume on the Lord's feet and wiped them with her hair.

"Her brother Lazarus was sick.

"So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus, "telling him, 'Lord, your dear friend is very sick.'

"But when Jesus heard about it, he said, "'Lazarus, sickness will not end in death.'

"No, it happened for the glory of God, "so the Son of God came to the world "so that God can receive the glory.'"

This bow our heads.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day.

Thank you, Father, for your goodness, for your faithfulness, for your presence.

Ask, Father God, that this word may penetrate Father God and activate the Spirit, Father God, of worship inside of us.

Father God, activate the faith that we need to be Christians and followers of who you are and who you commanded us to be.

Father God, that we may walk with assurance about the great one and you will always come out, Father God, and fight our battles.

Ask that this word may be blessed, Father God, to every person that is seated here and is listening online.

Father God, that there be a breakthrough, Father, and that we may trust and rely on you, Father God, and solely on you, your mighty name we pray, amen.

We may be seated.

I was talking to Pastor Ryan yesterday, and I was going back and forth with God.

I just finished preaching this sermon a couple weeks ago at my friend's church, and I didn't wanna preach it.

And most of us that prepare sermons and preachings, well, I tend to rely on God to give me the okay to have the conviction to preach the sermon that I have prepared.

And I wanted to prepare a sermon.

I'm still gonna prepare it.

I'm still gonna get ready for it.

It's the development of Peter's life.

And when Peter, before Peter denied Jesus, Jesus told him, "Peter, you're gonna deny me."

And Peter, of course, said, "No, I will never do it."

And I believe the reason why he did it, even though Jesus proclaimed it, is because Peter went to an unfamiliar spot he shouldn't have gone to.

He was in a bonfire with people he shouldn't have been at.

And that moment, in that moment of Peter's life, he shouldn't have been in that surrounding, so he found comfort in a place he should have not found comfort.

And I really wanted to preach that, and I didn't feel the conviction to do it.

And I said, "Okay, God, so what do you want me to preach?"

I said, "Because I do not wanna preach the same sermon again."

And, well, he told me, just preach the word that I have given you.

Trust the process.

Tell your neighbor, trust the process.

You know, trusting the process is good when it comes to our fellow brother.

We tell him, "Hey, God can do it.

"God is all-powerful.

"If you just seek him, he will do it."

You know how many times we have found ourselves in that situation when our brother in Christ is going through a situation that he finds himself in and he doesn't find God's refuge at the moment?

And we say, "Man, just keep seeking God.

"He's gonna come through, just fast.

"Have you fasted?

"Have you prayed to God?

"Have you been praying?

"Have you read the word of God?"

How many times, if we're gonna be honest, have we said that to our fellow Christians?

But when it becomes personal, the situation changes.

You know, so we become in this participant faith where God wants us to go to a personal faith.

And we come to this story where Martha and Mary sent a message out to Jesus and didn't just say, "Jesus, Lazarus is sick."

No, no, they added a little bit more to that.

They added some more salsa in that little conversation.

They said, "Jesus, the one you love is sick."

How many times have we come to Jesus?

"Jesus, you said that you love me.

"So why am I going through what I'm going through?"

Jesus, if you said this, then why are we going through this situation that I confront myself?

And the reality is that there's reality versus truth.

And the reality is, even though I'm sick through his strikes, I am healed.

Even though I face many circumstances in my life, the truth is that he is the one who fights my battles.

The reality is Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were being persecuted, but the truth is that there was somebody else inside of there.

The reality is that David was going to the lens, but the truth is that God was with him.

I'm gonna tell you today, the truth and reality are two different things.

Reality is what we're going through.

The truth is what the word tells us.

Reality is God puts us in situations for revelation.

I'm gonna say that again.

God puts us in situation for revelation.

Sometimes we shy away from the situation.

So when we shy away from the situation, he can no longer reveal himself as Jehovah Jireh.

Because what we do, we use God as a crutch.

And he said, we say, "God, if you can't do it, it's okay, the doctor's here."

God, if you're not the provider, guess what?

Biden, boo, is gonna provide me the resources to provide for my food.

God, it's okay, I know you say you have my back, but just in case you don't, I got this.

I know you say you're my everything, but I say you're my everything, but if you just don't come, even though you have given me the word, because the word contradicts the promise, my reality contradicts the promise that you have set before me.

So when you don't come through, God, it's okay, I got this for you.

You know, most cases, most of us, we fall in this moment where we just, we are conflicted with the reality and the truth.

The truth is God has promised.

The reality is I don't see it yet.

The truth is God said, "I am your provider," and the reality is, "Win."

The truth is, he says, "I'm your healer," and the reality says, "You have cancer."

See, there's a conflict between reality and truth.

There's a conflict between reality and truth.

God creates many situations throughout the Bible where he confronted his people, Israelites.

We would have never known God through the lens of Israel, as they were walking in the desert, if it wasn't for the situations they were placed in.

God created a situation where all they had to do was shout and praise his name, and he opened the Red Seas.

God created a situation where they were starving, and manna fell from heaven.

They created a situation where they were thirsty, and water flowed.

They created a, God created a situation for revelation, and many of us have been going through the situation and not accepting the challenge God has set before us.

And then we ask God, "I wanna get to know you more," but we cowered away from the situation for his revelation.

And I wanted to tell you, embrace the hurt, embrace the pain, embrace the hunger.

I'm not saying brag about it, 'cause there's nothing to brag about it.

Embrace it, 'cause it's in those moments God wants to reveal himself as Jehovah, Jehovah, Jehovah-Neh-see, Jehovah the provider, whatever you are going through, he is the great I am.

Meaning, as you walk, see I told you I was gonna walk.

I'm gonna walk.

As you walk, as you walk, God walks with you.

There was no reason, or no way Israel would have found out who is this great I am.

Great I am what?

Just walk and you will figure it out.

Walk and I am your provider.

Walk and I am the way.

Walk and I will split the seeds.

Look, I know there's gonna be a situation when we're confronted with the reality and we question God's goodness.

If we're gonna be honest, most of us are facing that right now.

God, are you in this situation that I'm confronted with?

God, you have said that I have a ministry, but yet again, I don't see it.

I don't see my calling.

God, I don't see you in this moment.

I don't see you in this torment.

God, I don't see you in my marriage.

You know, God puts us through a desert so we can find out that he is the great I am.

Not because he wants to see his dead.

No, because he wants to flourish in the desert.

Nothing flourishes in the desert, but only he does.

So he tells us, guess what?

I'm gonna put you through a situation where you have no other choice but to proclaim, my goodness, you have no other choice but to seek me.

You have no other choice but to kneel on your knees and seek my face.

I'm gonna remove every little thing away from you so the only thing you have is my presence.

And you might be finding yourself in that situation, God, where's my marriage at?

God, I don't see my marriage flourishing the way you have promised in your Bible.

I come to church every Sunday, but then again, I go out to church without the marriage being healed or being saved.

And the one suffering is my kids.

See, we go through reality and the truth and reality always crash.

Martha and Mary found themselves in this situation.

Couple days before, Jesus is at their house and Martha is attending the house and Mary's attending Jesus.

And then we come to this passage where Jesus is already saying this is not for the death, but this is to glorify God.

You know how many times I've asked God, God, I want you to be glorified in my life.

And I'm always transparent.

People in Spanish know that.

I say, God, I wanna see the lame walk.

It's not a fairy tale.

And he's not a fairy tale, right?

He literally make the heavens and the earth with his word, with his mouth, literally.

He literally split the Red Sea, literally happened.

So I believe what the word says.

So I believe what the word says and I walk with it.

And I start saying, God, we wanna see this church, the pastors wanna see the lame walk, the blind sea, the death here, here.

You know what he did?

He stripped everything I had away.

And I told him, not like this.

For those of you that do not know, I lost my house last year.

I lost, I had to make a financial decision to return a car that I did not wanna return.

And I got stuck with that dumb German car outside.

The reality is, I asked for the supernatural by trying to manipulate the supernatural in God's hands.

I wanted him to use me in the supernatural, but yet control the natural.

And I didn't know that it took all of that so God can reveal who he truly is in my life.

I'm not saying that God wanted me homeless, 'cause I'm not homeless.

But what I'm saying is, he stripped everything away so he can reveal his deity to me.

And not be a person who participates in the faith of others, but be a personal faith that I'm walking through.

Martha and Mary, I can just hear the conversations.

How many times do you think they had a conversation about Jesus' goodness?

Like, Martha, did you hear what Jesus did?

Yeah, he opened the eyes, the guy can see.

Martha, did you hear about the lame?

Yeah, he started walking, isn't it crazy?

I'm sure they had conversations of God's, of Jesus' goodness and the miracles that were seen.

Jesus was a good friend of theirs.

Of course, if the whole town heard Jesus' miracles, of course they were gonna brag about it as friends.

As friends that were gonna brag about it.

But now when it became personal, it was a different situation.

God, I know that you can heal the lame, I know you can heal the blind, but can you really heal Lazarus?

God, can you really heal him?

There's a conversation that took place, and Martha tells Jesus, Martha tells Jesus, I know that Lazarus will rise in the day of resurrection.

And Jesus says, heaven, I told you, if you only believe, you will see the glory of God.

For most of us, we have a theological sense or information of God.

And this is what Martha was having with Jesus, a theological response.

She was saying, God, I know who you are, because we know, the day of resurrection, which is the theology of Christianity, the day of resurrection, he shall rise.

'Cause most of us have a concept of who Jesus is, and we understand the ins and outs of Christianity, the doctrine side of Christianity.

So she's saying, I understand how this works.

I know in the day, in that day, when the day of resurrection, I know Lazarus will rise, but I just do not understand how you will rise and right now, and he's dead.

See, most of us only believe in the natural God, but not the supernatural God.

So that's the reason we go home sick.

'Cause we believe he's powerful, 'cause we have the theory, we have the theology that he's powerful, but we don't have the supernatural belief that he's powerful.

That's the reason we go back with a broken home.

That's the reason we go back with our kids being lost in the world, because we have forgotten the promises that he has given us.

And we have limited God, because we have not accepted the situation that actually creates a warrior inside of us, to actually believe in the supernatural.

So she's saying, I believe in the theology of who you are.

I believe you are the son of God, but I do not believe that you can actually resurrect Lazarus.

But I'm sure she's had table talk about how Jesus did all these miracles.

See, because when it becomes personal, that's a different situation now.

Yeah, we don't sound like the religious person anymore.

Oh, (speaking in foreign language) When it becomes personal, now you question if God is really existing, or is he actually listening, or does he actually love you?

When it becomes personal, we question his hand, his goodness.

Why, God, why do you let the evil people prosper in us?

Why do we just eat salad and they're eating cow?

God, if you're really good, why?

Why did you allow this?

But let me tell you the story of Job right quick.

So Job faced so many circumstances, and he questioned God's goodness.

And then in chapter 42, he says, I have heard, but now I see.

I have heard, but now I see.

See, so he created this, God used, Jesus, God used this situation to come to Job's life in a different way.

You might be questioning, God, what do I do?

You know, the only thing I can tell you is you raise your hand and you start worshiping God.

It's, for some, it's unknown and it's crazy talk.

When we were going through our losing our property, I had, the only way I can respond was by raising my hand and thanking God.

I know it sounds dumb, right?

I know, I know it sounds dumb.

The reality is it sounds dumb, but the truth is that my spirit knows that there's something greater coming my way. (audience applauding) And I know it sounds dumb for us to live in the reality when we're Christian and we're supposed to believe in the truth of God.

And I know it just contradicts itself.

When God says something and then we see a different situation, and I know it's so contradicting when God is saying, just move forward, you are healed and the doctor's telling us, no, you have cancer, I don't know what you're talking about.

I know it sounds crazy to believe that God is actually Jehovah Rapha in middle of my sickness and still believe that he's still able to do it.

I know it sounds crazy to say, Jehovah Jirel will come into my situation.

I know it can sound crazy in the place that you're probably sitting today that you're asking God, God, where is your hand?

And God is saying, just keep moving forward.

Because God is trying to reveal Himself in a different way.

See, most of us here are new baby Christians.

Sometimes we just don't know how to face the reality with the truth.

We just don't understand God.

I understand the theology of who you are.

I understand it.

I just don't understand the supernatural of who you are.

And I want my family to be healed and I want my family to be saved.

But the reality is that they're so far apart that I can't even see it.

But I know what your word said.

Your word said my whole house will be saved.

So what do I do?

Do I actually kneel on my knees and proclaim salvation when it just doesn't look like they're being saved?

Oh, you know what my wife did when I was going out doing COVID, doing a whole bunch of stuff?

She would anoint my feet with oil.

And I will tell her, man, that sounds so crazy.

I will tell her, your God is not powerful.

I will tell her that.

I will tell her, your God cannot transform me.

While I was doing coke in the cleaning home drunk, she would anoint my feet with oil because she believed in the truth.

But the reality.

The reality of the situation is that I was still doing coke and I was still drinking.

That's when I decided to get a whole bunch of tattoos.

I'm not gonna say tattoos are a sin, so don't take it there.

Just saying I decided to get tattoos in that moment.

The reality is I was living a life far away from God.

The truth is that she believed what God said.

The reality is that we were ready to get divorced.

The truth is that God showed up and said, didn't I tell you, you are still a pastor?

Reality, my reality was contradicting to the truth and I just didn't know what to do.

But this warrior knew what to do.

What I'm saying is we are placed in situations where we can't move in the reality of the faith 'cause there is no faith in reality that we're living in.

We live in the supernatural, the spirit of God.

So he's telling her, what you're telling me is a theological answer.

I'm giving you the supernatural answer.

If I tell you, "Cabezona," that this is for the glory of God, then stop being hard-headed.

It's for the glory of God.

It's not for you.

This story's not even about Lazarus.

This story is about the Son of God.

And I'm just using him to be glorified.

So in other words, if you're going through a situation for revelation, don't take it personal.

You're just part of the story of who he is. (audience cheering) And isn't it beautiful?

At the end of the day, we're gonna be like, man, he used me to talk to other people.

You know, and he tells her, "Look, Cabezona, testaruda, "terca."

What, I've told you already, before he even passed away in your eyes, I said, "This is not for the what?

"For death."

I was already speaking when you were gonna see.

I told you, this is for the glory of God.

And sometimes, you know what we do?

You know what's the hardest thing to do?

Is to visit the grave where we have buried the promise of God.

The hardest thing to do is to go back to that grave where we have buried what God has promised.

The longest walk for Martha was when Jesus says, "Show me where you buried him."

Martha's like, "I just buried my brother.

"You want me to revisit the grave again?

"You want me to revisit where I have buried him?

"You want me to revisit where I have buried "what you have promised?"

'Cause most of us have buried the promises of God.

Still believe that he's good.

We still believe that he's king, the king's Lord of lords.

We still believe he's the Alpha and Omega.

But if we're gonna be honest and truthful, we have buried the promises of God because of the hurt, because of the letdown, because of the things that have been going on in our lives.

You know what he said?

He said, "Come here, Claudia, I'm sorry."

He says, "Claudia, walk with me.

"In this moment, it's gonna be probably "the longest walk, Martha, you will ever take.

"But just show me where you have buried him "because I promised a ministry.

"And maybe, just maybe, Claudia, "you have buried that ministry.

"Maybe just buried it.

"Maybe you just put it in a grave where it doesn't belong.

"But I have told you that through your voice, "many chains will be broken.

"And maybe, just maybe, you have buried it "in a place that it should have never been buried.

"So now I want you to revisit the place you have buried, "that promise I have given you."

You know, most of us are going to be confronted with walking back to the burial where we have set the promise that God has given us.

And it's gonna be the longest walk 'cause you know what happens is when we become transparent with Jesus.

Jesus, you said you were gonna do this, and you didn't.

Everything fell apart.

God, you said you were gonna do that, and it never happened.

God, you said you said this and you said that, and yet again, you're telling me to go walk back to that place where I buried that promise?

Aren't you sympathetic to my pain?

You know how many times we have said that to God?

Or maybe not even said it, but we have thought it.

God, are you sympathetic to what I'm going through?

These people who go out and go clubbing, yes, they are more blessed than I, and I give everything to you.

Why aren't you blessing me the way you blessed them?

You know how many times we actually thought it or actually said it to God?

And God is saying, "It's not over."

And God is telling you, "It is not over."

How many times have we buried the promises of God because he didn't come in our time?

God, you said my marriage was gonna be restored.

Maybe my kids know, I don't know.

They probably do, but I have my own apartment.

I have my own apartment, and we were already talking about divorce.

Until one day, (speaking in foreign language) started speaking in tongues, and I kidding out my prayer was, God, I'm sorry I have failed.

I'm sorry I have sinned.

I'm sorry I know I lost the ministry you have given me, but take care of my wife.

Maybe started speaking in tongues, and I really knew God was gonna talk to me.

I knew it 'cause I felt it in my spirit.

And she said, "You over there."

She called me out, I was over there, sitting down over there.

She said, "You come here."

And she gave me a word, and she confirmed my prayer.

And she said, "You just asked if you have the ministry, "and the ministry is still yours."

And I buried it, and when I buried it, I kept on sinning.

And most of us find ourselves in that situation.

We come to church, 'cause it's just the daily routine of coming to church.

And we have buried the promises of God.

We have buried the promises that he has given us.

We have buried the promise of your daughter being restored.

We have buried the promise of your son being restored.

We have buried the promise of saying your marriage is restored.

We have buried the promise of saying your marriage is restored.

We have buried the promise.

And if we close the tomb, and we say, "God, it's okay, I'm okay with it now."

And God is still trying to work in your faith, and trying to make you to understand if you only just believe, you shall see the glory of God.

While you have closed the tomb, because now it's out of your hands, see, God waits to the exact moment where we can control, manipulate the situation, and then we become desperate, "Lord God, "this is the only one that can actually move, "is you at this moment."

God, the only one who can actually answer at this moment, it is you.

It is the only one that you can actually just break the chains of those who have been captive so many years.

You are the only one who can heal.

You are the only one that can move in the supernatural.

So when it's out of our control, the only thing we have now is to control, to leave the control to God and let him reign, let him move, let him move in the situation.

See, if we believe in the supernatural, then we must believe that he is in control.

And well, you know what that carries?

That means that we can no longer move in our intellect when he's moving.

We can no longer manipulate the services.

You know how hard that is, pastor, right?

You know how hard it is as pastors when we come up here and we know what the spirit wants to do and our mind is conflicted, do we do it or no?

Do we keep singing or no?

Do we change the song?

I know they hate it when I change the songs, but I change the songs.

Do we do it or no?

Do we do it or no?

And sometimes as pastors, we have to listen to the, not sometimes, every time we have to listen to the Holy Spirit.

'Cause there's nothing I can actually do for you guys.

Nothing in the world I can do.

But there's one, there's one who can come into your heart, heal that broken heart, that broken heart who has been going through so much.

That heart, it just doesn't know what to do.

That broken heart that has felt let down by family member, by parents, by pastors.

We have gone through so much and we have buried that pain and we have closed the tomb and we have said, God, it's okay, I'm at peace with it.

God, don't worry about it, it's okay, you don't have to answer, I'm okay with it, I'm at peace with the answer.

And we have forgotten that God still says yes and amen.

And if he said, this is not for death, can I get the worship team up here?

If he says this is not for death, then this is not for the death, this is for the glory of God.

See, so when you see the situation, you've confronted it and you see nothing but sickness and you have to declare in your spirit and out loud that through his stripes, I am healed.

And when you see that you feel like you don't belong anywhere, you say, but I am seated in heavenly places.

And when there's troubles, when there's trouble and tribulation, you say, I've been persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed.

See, when there's situations in our life, I know it's a conflict between what do I actually see and what my spirit tells me and my spirit tells me that he is great and he is good.

The truth is that he is good and I am not.

The truth is that he is using this situation to reveal himself as the only one I need to rely on.

The reality is I see sickness and I see death.

The truth is that this is for his glory.

Martha, haven't I told you, if you just believe, you shall see the glory of God.

Reality is, God, I'm still going through what I'm going through.

God, I'm still crying at night because I still don't see what you promised.

Reality is, my husband has let me down.

My wife has let me down.

The situation and my job has let me down.

That's the reality.

I know what the truth says, God.

So what I'm going to do, I'm gonna do something to you.

I'm just gonna worship you.

I'm gonna worship you in the middle of the storm.

I'm gonna worship you in the middle of everything, the chaos, I'm gonna do something that I have never done.

And I'm actually going to believe.

I'm going to believe who you say you are.

You say you're Jehovah Jireh, I'm gonna hold you to that.

I didn't call you that, you called yourself Jehovah, the great I am.

You called yourself the all-powerful.

I didn't call you that.

You called yourself, so I'm going to hold you to your word.

So if you said it, I'm going to believe it.

See, if you said, don't worry about it, they're gonna put you in the den.

I'm not gonna worry about it.

I'm not gonna, 'cause I trust you.

So if they put me in the lions den, then guess what?

I know I'm just gonna chill, I'm gonna relax, I'll probably defeat him or braid his hair.

I don't know, we're probably gonna go over the lion king with him, I'm gonna tell him what happened.

But God, if you put me in the lions den, I know you have my back, God, and if I go in the furnace, I know I won't even come out with smoke, God, 'cause I know who you are.

You are the great I am in this situation.

And no matter what I'm going through, I still know that I'm gonna face trouble, I'm gonna face tribulation, but I know who you are.

And I am, I am your son, and because I'm your son, you are obligated to watch over me.

Once again, church, God uses situation for revelation.

And it's not for you to run away from this situation.

It's for you to tell yourself who God is in this situation.

If, look, if it wasn't for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to say, look, even if he doesn't, he's still God.

Even if he doesn't come through, I will not worship a false idol.

Even if he doesn't come through, I will never kneel to a false idol.

If it wasn't for Daniel saying, put me there, I'll cheer for the lion, it's all right.

Can you imagine the faith they had?

And God was like, just embrace the situation.

'Cause you know what the situation's gonna do?

It's gonna create an army of believers.

You know what happened with Lazarus?

This is what happened, can I have a second of, pardon?

So let's say Lazarus come out, and he's Lazarus, he's dead.

This is what the situation created.

It created a community to come together.

Because Jesus did the supernatural, and the people did the practical.

The practical job, what was practical for the people to do was to remove the stone.

It's not God's job or Jesus' job to remove the stone, something you can do.

You move in the practical, Jesus moves in the supernatural.

So he tells the people, you believe?

Yes, you believe, okay, remove the stone.

So I'm sure they were saying, God, if I remove the stone, it's gonna smell, I'm not telling you that, you cabezon.

I'm telling you, remove the stone, I'm not gonna remove it.

I'm gonna take care of the stuff that you can't take care of.

So I'm asking you, remove the stone, because you can do it.

So remove the stone, they removed the stone.

Jesus did what Jesus does, and that's the supernatural.

And he said, Lazarus, come out, he comes out.

And this is what Lazarus is facing with dead clothes.

And you know what he tells the community?

Andrea, can I get you?

Melissa, can I get you?

Maritza, can I get you?

He tells the community, unclothe him.

Community, unclothe, take the dead clothes away from him.

He doesn't do it.

You know why it's important for the community to embrace it?

It's not God's job to make sure, the community, the church, that's the church's job, when there's an unbeliever who saved our job as Christians is to embrace him.

And take the dead clothes and say, Jesus loves you, man.

It wasn't, it wasn't, it wasn't God, it wasn't Jesus' job to remove the stone.

It wasn't Jesus' job to remove the stone.

It was the hands that can actually do it.

The practical is for the man to do it.

The supernatural is for God to do it.

And sometimes we want God, we want God to do the whole thing.

We want God to do the whole thing.

And you know what, how faith moves?

You want me to move the stone?

No way, they're gonna tell me I'm done for removing the stone.

So that's a conflict.

Because while their spirit is telling you, remove the stone, your flesh is telling you, what are you doing, you're dumb.

It's gonna smell.

And then the God is telling you, Cabezon, remove the stone.

You wanna see miracles, remove the stone.

You wanna see supernatural, remove the stone.

I can't do it for you.

I'm not gonna do it for you.

That's something you need to do, 'cause that requires a supernatural faith.

That doesn't require a participant's faith.

That requires a personal faith.

So God is trying to take us from a participant faith to a personal faith.

And that personal faith require us to actually move.

So Jesus is saying, mira, move the stone.

If you trust me, if you believe who I am, remove it.

Once I remove it, you're gonna see me at work.

Yeah, okay, yeah.

You believe that these altars are gonna be healed by sick people, then get on your knees.

I can't get on your knees for you.

I do the supernatural.

You do the natural.

You wanna see blind see?

Go preach the gospel so they can come.

I can't do it for you.

I already died on the cross.

Bring them here.

Bring them here.

You wanna see the lame walk, well, carry them over here.

You wanna see the supernatural, bring them over here.

You don't have to do it.

You're not a musician.

You're not gonna do it.

I'm going to do it with the power of the Holy Spirit.

The only thing we need to do is bring the sick people.

The only thing we need to do is do the practical and we will see God be glorified in this house.

When I ask that we stand to our feet.

Second Corinthians four. (soft music) Verse 17, it says, "For this life and momentary trouble "is achieving for us an eternal glory.

"An eternal glory that far outweighs them all."

You know, that trouble that you're going, it's just, I always say this tomb shall pass.

Yeah, this tomb shall pass.

It's not gonna stay here forever.

This pain that I'm going through, it's not.

You know, I say it in my Spanish, in my Spanish congregation, God is just writing my book.

And at this moment, I'm in a chapter I just don't like.

I'm in a chapter that I just don't like.

And God is still writing the chapter.

And God hasn't finished with my book.

So if I believe that he is Jehovah Jireh, if I believe he's only present and he already spoke my tomorrow and I live in my present, he already said, Daniel, it's okay.

I see you tomorrow and you're going to be okay.

Just keep pressing, keep moving forward, and it's okay.

Don't look back 'cause I have seen your tomorrow and I know what you carry and I know the anointing you carry.

You're not just this average guy.

No, you carry an anointing because you have been put through the fire.

And because you have been through the fire, you haven't.

You haven't cursed me, you haven't left me, you haven't abandoned me.

You have said, "In everything my soul longs for you "and everything I will glorify your name.

"If I have it or don't, if it comes or not, "I will still glorify your name."

So he says, "I have seen you tomorrow.

"All I require is that you just worship me "through your trouble.

"I have seen the way you're going to carry yourself tomorrow, "Daniel.

"So yes, it hurts, I understand it, but this pain, "this pain that you're carrying is for my glory.

"And because it's for my glory, my glory will fall upon you."

And sometimes as a church, we forget that.

Don't throw no more pity parties.

You're not a victim.

We're victors in Jesus.

We're not poor me.

No, we're like, "Yes, me, God.

"Use me as a vessel.

"I wanna be used by you.

"I want people to be transformed because of their testimony.

"God, I'm not gonna throw no more pity parties, God.

"I'm gonna embrace the pain, I'm gonna embrace the hurt, "I'm gonna embrace the situation "'cause I know there's a revelation, not just for me, "but for my family, and because of my families, "they're gonna be saved, and my family, family's gonna be saved, "and my kids, kids are going to save "because I have used the situation for a revelation." (congregation cheering) And I know we are going through so much, I know it.

God didn't just tell me to prepare this sermon just because.

I know there's many of us who are facing those moments right now.

I'm gonna ask you, if you actually believe that God is good, you believe that His promises are yes and amen, I want you to come to the altar.

Come to the altar.

If you believe that His promises are yes and amen, but you're going through a lot, and maybe your faith is, I don't know, just weakening day by day, come to the altar. - Thanks for listening.

If you'd like some more information on Pneuma Church, visit us on our website at mypneumachurch.org.

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Thanks again, and God bless. (gentle music) (gentle music) [ Silence ]