This message is one of the Times Square
Church Pulpit series.
It was recorded in the sanctuary of Times
Square Church in Manhattan, New York City.
Other tapes are available by writing WORLDCHALLENGE P
.O. BOX 260 LINDALE, TEXAS 75771 or calling
903-963-8626.
None of these messages are copyrighted and you
are welcome to make copies for free distribution
to friends.
Praise the Lord.
I'd like you to open your Bibles to
Nehemiah, the 7th chapter, and just leave it
open, if you will, please, on your lap.
I'll be coming back to that through the
course of my message this afternoon.
Praise the Lord.
Again, welcome to all of our visitors.
We trust the Lord has already touched your
heart.
And now may the Word do a convicting,
cleansing work in all of our hearts.
Who's guarding the front door of your house?
Heavenly Father, I ask you to speak clearly
in me and through me and to all
of us.
Lord, I thank you for your Word.
I thank you for the Holy Ghost that
takes the Word that in itself is dead
without the anointing of the Holy Spirit and
brings life to the Word.
This is a precious Word, Lord, but it
was given by the Holy Ghost.
Holy men of old were moved upon by
the Holy Ghost.
And Holy Ghost, you moved on the hearts
of men and now anoint this Word that
you brought forth from the very throne of
God the Father.
Lord, sanctify my lips and my body and
my mind and give us ears to hear
we pray in Jesus' name.
Amen.
You know what's happened to our school system
in the United States?
They now have metal detectors at the doors.
Our schools are hotbeds of Gnosticism, atheism, evolution.
It's politically correct in our schools now that
you cannot have a Bible in class.
A teacher cannot even lay it on the
desk.
A teacher can lay any book on communism,
pornography, playboy, anything, but you dare not lay
a Bible on your desk.
Our schools have become so corrupt and so
vile.
We think of our children shooting one another
now.
It's incomprehensible that 7th grade boys could take
guns and mow down their friends and their
enemies without any sorrow, not any thought about
killing.
Folks, there's not a person within the sound
of my voice right now that could deny
that our schools, ever since we shut God
out of them, have been taken over by
Satan himself.
Not just colleges, but high schools, grade schools,
all the way down to kindergarten now with
New Age teaching and all kinds of foolish
doctrines and devilish, cultish things creeping into our
schools.
But let me tell you, it's not the
schools that are damning our kids.
It's not the schools.
We think about media, because many, many parents
blame the media, especially MTV.
Now, folks, I don't even know what MTV
is.
Evidently, it's a music channel, because we don't
watch television in our home.
We don't have a set.
I've got a monitor, but I don't have
a set that we watch.
But I understand that kids run around now
with...
I've heard on the radio rap music, and
I was in a music store not too
long ago, and you look at the lyrics,
I couldn't believe my eyes that such filth
could be perpetrated.
What kind of minds, what kind of money
-greedy music companies, credible music companies that push
this perversion.
Incredible.
And young people are given to music, and
you see them running around now with these
things stuck in their ears.
Used to be big boomboxes.
Now they...
Folks, I'm glad it's not boombox.
I don't want to hear what some of
them are listening to.
But folks, it's devilish.
Absolutely devilish.
It's creeping into the house of God, even.
Do you know what your kids are listening
to?
Do you have any idea?
Folks, if you...
Dad and Mom, if you see posters coming
in now with pictures of these devilish-looking
creatures in these rock and roll bands, you
better do some investigating and watch out.
But folks, let me tell you, it's not
the music ministry, it's not the media that's
damning our kids.
That's not the issue.
That's not what I want to talk about.
I could stand here and rail against the
music.
I could have gotten all kinds of statistics.
I could have really made a case.
I see our kids sinking deeper and deeper
into depravity because of the music that causes
a spirit of rebellion to get a hold
of their hearts.
But that's not what's damning our kids.
Well, what about the compromised church?
What about the backslidden church?
What about the church now that's bringing the
world in to the house of God?
What about churches now that are denying the
virgin birth?
They deny heaven, they deny hell.
What about the churches today that are bringing
in all of this foolishness and our kids
laugh at it?
Kids get bored.
You go to many churches today and you
won't find any teenagers.
You won't find any young people.
None.
To them, religion, church is absolutely irrelevant.
They have no time for church whatsoever.
You know, this is what happens when I
talk to parents about why their kids go
wrong.
And I usually get, well, they got in
with the wrong company in school.
They got in with the wrong crowd.
Or they'll say, well, I don't know what
happened, but I know that the music that
my boy, my girl, that's on drugs, and
I'll tell you what, over the many years
I've worked with drug addicts and alcoholics, I'm
going to tell you, the music is tied
to that culture.
The music.
There is hardly anyone, I know a teenager
who ever started on pot that didn't get
that rebellious idea.
They got out every time from his music.
And they'll say, well, my boy, my girl
got in with the wrong crowd.
They blame the crowd, they blame the school,
they blame the church.
There are people that don't go to church
or they never darken the doors of this
church.
And yet they send their kids with somebody.
And they really hope that within the two
hours we have them here in the annex,
that we'll make angels out of their rebels.
And if we don't make angels out of
their rebels and their kids go bad, they
blame Times Square Church.
And that's happening all over the world.
There are some sitting here right now, you're
hoping against hope, your boy or your girl's
got a problem, or one of your children
has problems, and you're hoping that somebody up
there in the Sunday school department is going
to somehow magically get through your kids and
instill some principles that'll keep them from the
devil.
It's never going to happen in two hours.
There's no magical thing they can say.
Now folks, where's the blame then?
Because parents have a tendency to blame, even
Christian parents, to blame all of these other
influences as to why their kids go wrong.
You know, once a month we dedicate babies,
little children here on the stage.
Sometimes there'll be 15 to 25 babies up
here, and they're parents.
And I love to do that.
We take oil, we anoint them, and you've
heard how I pray, Oh God, keep them
from the wicked one.
Build a wall of fire around them and
keep them.
And every time I've done that, ever since
we've been in this building, ever since we've
done that, I look at these parents and
they walk off stage, and sometimes my heart
sinks because I know that many of those
kids are going to, not many, but a
number of those kids are going to go
to drugs, they're going to go to alcohol
because some of those parents are not going
to set the example.
Some of those parents are going to blame
everybody else but their own responsibility, and some
of those children are going to be lost.
They're going to be lost.
That's why I pray, Lord, you hear me,
Lord, don't let one of them go.
Don't let one of them go.
It won't be the problem, it won't be
caused by this church, a lack of the
anointing or a lack of a true word
that does it.
It's not going to be their music alone
that does it.
It's not going to be their friends.
It's something that happens in the home.
The responsibility of a parent.
Now, I'm not going to tell you how
to raise your kids.
I couldn't even begin to get into that.
That's not what my message is all about.
But who's losing our children?
Who's to blame?
All these forces that we talk about are
usually blamed.
But let me tell you something that many
of you may not want to hear this
afternoon.
There's something happening in the charismatic movement and
even in some evangelical churches that absolutely amazes
and frightens me.
There's something happening now in what we call
Holy Ghost circles.
People who claim to have the baptism of
the Holy Ghost and claim to have more
than any other church has and claim to
be the source of revival in the land
today.
And there's something absolutely amazes me and at
the same time frightens me.
Because I see thousands of parents running all
over the world getting on buses and planes,
going by car in every conveyance possible to
go to some revival meeting.
Now folks, I am not putting down revival
meetings.
I'm not putting down manifestations.
I'm not putting down...
I know that the Holy Ghost manifests in
many ways.
He has his own ways.
Who am I to say how the Holy
Ghost should manifest himself upon human flesh?
But what amazes me that many, many of
these who are going to these meetings are
mothers.
And they will leave their family and they
will go with some other ladies and they
will go from meeting to meeting to meeting.
And they ask for the Holy Ghost to
come upon them and they get some movement
or work of the Holy Spirit, they say,
upon them experiencing manifestations.
And they come away saying, God really touched
me.
And they go home so happy and rejoicing
and testifying this great, great move of God.
And they go home and their teenager is
not even in the house.
The teenagers are running around.
Teenagers are giving their souls to devilish music.
Well, what good is it?
What does it matter?
What is it profit?
You gain the whole world and you go
to every revival on the face of the
earth and lose your kids.
Where are the children?
Mom, where are your children when you're running
around trying to get a blessing?
I know lady preachers, teachers.
Kids are going to hell but they are
teaching you how to raise your kids.
I know because they call me and ask
me if I've got a place for their
drug addicted sons and daughters.
Pastors who have given their time to their
congregations and so little time to their kids.
And folks, all of this talk about revival.
All of this talk about we need a
Holy Ghost revival.
I'm sick and tired of hearing that from
parents who don't even have a burden for
their kids.
You need a revival in your home.
Need an awakening in your house.
The charismatic movement has developed a cockeyed interpretation
of revival.
It's cockeyed.
It's out of kilter.
It's become...
The definition of revival is some manifestation in
the flesh of some emotional thing where everybody,
happy people laying on the floor laughing and
making all kinds of animal barnyard noises.
And folks, now they're talking about gold dust
falling from the sky and gold teeth being
filled.
Folks, I heard that 50 years ago.
I heard it 50 years ago.
Folks, I can tell you more than that.
When I was in my teenage, there was
oil, they said, coming out of hands.
And I got so angry as a young
preacher and I said, How do you know
it's not sunoco?
How do you know it isn't gasoline?
You know, people would get their hands sweaty.
Up in Canada, just recently, they did a
national survey of those who said the Holy
Ghost had filled their teeth in revival.
One of them was a rather well-known
man.
And his dentist saw the telecast and pulled
his records out where he had filled the
teeth.
Did an investigation.
All 11 of them have been telling lies.
Folks, we are making a joke out of
the Holy Ghost.
And he's not a joke.
And what bothers me and what concerns me
and breaks my heart is that while parents
are around enjoying what they call these blessings
and revivals, the kids are going straight to
hell.
The kids are laughing.
Let me tell you what I believe a
true revival is.
A true work of the Holy Spirit.
First of all, it's restoring the gates that
guard the house from abominations.
And it's parents guarding the doors of their
houses.
That's what the book of Nehemiah is all
about.
If I want to learn a New Testament
truth, I go to the Old Testament to
look for the type.
I go to the Old Testament because the
Bible said these things were written for our
admonition or for our teaching, our learning, upon
whom the ends of the world would come.
And I've made that a habit all my
life.
If I want to understand the New Testament,
I go to the Old Testament because Scripture
explains Scripture.
Nehemiah, the 7th chapter.
In Nehemiah, the 7th chapter, we're very vividly
shown what happens to the church in times
of ruin and apostasy.
Beloved, look at me for just a moment.
Nehemiah's time, he and some 43,000 repatriates
go back to Jerusalem.
And what they find in Jerusalem is a
city whose walls are torn down and the
gates are lying in ruins.
Totally in ruins.
He said, because of our sins, our enemies
have dominion over our bodies and we are
in great distress.
Did you hear that?
Because of our sins, the enemy has dominion
over our bodies and we're in great distress.
And when you're under the dominion of sin
and when sin creeps into the church, it
brings distress.
It brings bondage.
It spreads like poison all through the body.
And there was nothing but ruin.
And you see, what really bothered Nehemiah is
that there was no safe place in the
city.
Now, Zion or Jerusalem represents, in our time,
the New Testament church.
It represents the church of Jesus Christ.
It represents the church.
And what we see now, it's a type
of what has happened in our time to
what is called the church.
And there is ruin.
There is apathy.
There is devastation.
Because the walls are down and the gates
are in ruin.
And I'll show that to you in just
a moment.
It's a picture of the religious system.
And when Nehemiah went into the city and
they began to rebuild the houses and the
walls, the enemy was coming in and is
pleased.
Send Balaam, Tobiah, all of the Midianites, anyone,
thieves, criminals, prostitutes, coming and going because there
were no walls and there were no gates.
There was no protection.
Folks, that's what I see happening now in
so many church circles.
I see walls that are coming down, walls
of protection.
Those walls are truth that we once stood
for.
We stood for this word of God and
anything contrary to this word was not allowed
in the house of God.
But somewhere along the line because of sin
and compromise, the walls have been torn down.
The gates have been ruined and destroyed.
And now the Bible said the wild boar
has free access representing the devil and demonic
powers.
Free access because there are no walls and
no gates.
Now, Nehemiah represents God's plan of restoration.
He represents what a true revival is.
You've got to have walls around the body
of Christ.
There has to be truth that rises up
that keeps the power through wickedness and darkness
and so far and no further.
The gates have to come up.
Folks, when I hear from parents who write
to me and say, Pastor Dave, you won't
believe what's happening in my church.
You won't believe what's going on.
And these are not complainers.
These people are not bitter.
These are praying people, godly people who are
worried about their kids.
And they say our youth pastor is a
lover of wild music.
In our church, I get this from Baptist
churches, I get it from Charismatic, Assembly of
God, Pentecostal churches all over the United States.
And you know I have one of the
largest mailing list in the United States.
Hundreds of thousands.
These parents write and say, you won't believe
what's happening in our church.
Our church used to be on fire for
God.
People used to get saved at our altars.
Nobody's been saved anymore and there's a death.
And now on Saturday nights, they move all
the chairs in the annex or wherever it
is, they move all the chairs and they
bring in these.
She said you can't believe the rock groups
that they're bringing in that have taken the
same music and just thrown a little bit
of Jesus words in, some Jesus words in
it to justify it.
She said those performers are tattooed and they
have rings in their tongues.
Their belly buttons are showing with rings.
And she said they look violent and have
that stance of the same ungodly rock and
rollers in the secular world.
They come staggering into the church and one
woman said, I went to my pastor and
said, I don't want my teenagers to be
lost.
The pastor said, there's no problem, send them.
They'll be blessed.
And the mother decided to go to the
church to see what was going on.
And she said I was horrified.
They were body slamming each other in the
church slamming their bodies against each other and
up against the stage.
That is supposed to be the work of
God.
I'd say the walls are down.
The walls are down.
There was a pastor that allowed the walls
to go down and allowed to be intimidated
by his own young people afraid to lose
them so he's going to give them what
he thinks they want.
When I see a church bringing in punk
rock, when I see multitudes run after every
wind and wave of doctrine wanting some new
thing and going through such foolishness, I say
the walls are down.
A revival, a true manifestation of the work
and moving of the Holy Spirit is the
heart cry of the godly who say, oh
God, raise up the walls.
Hallelujah.
In chapter 7, verse 1, it came to
pass when the wall was built and I
had set up the doors and the porters
and the singers, the Levites were appointed.
Now look at me please.
When Nehemiah went in and saw that ruin,
he didn't call for the people to gather
around in the middle of this ruin and
have a shouting party.
The only manifestation you saw were people that
had picks and shovels.
The only manifestation you saw were those that
had brick and mortar in their hand and
trumpets and swords and they got to work
building up those walls because they said we
don't want this church anymore to have the
abominations of the land creeping into it.
So they built the walls.
Those were the only manifestations you saw.
Later the glory of the Lord would come
down and fill the house so that they
could minister.
But folks, that's not the time.
There comes a time to shop but not
until the walls are up.
Not until the house is sanctified again.
Why are some people running around seeking manifestations
when they ought to have a pick and
a shovel in their hands saying God help
me to rebuild the walls.
How can you laugh when your kids are
going to hell?
How can you sit around in the house
of God and just get blessed when you've
got family members right on the brink of
hell itself?
So the gates are up now.
What good are walls and gates without people
to police them?
Without people with discernment to know who gets
in and who is not allowed in.
What comes in and what does not come
in.
And so when the walls were built and
the gates were up Nehemiah appoints look at
verse 1 again and I had set up
the doors and the gates and the porters
and the singers and Levites were appointed.
He appointed laymen by shifts to stand at
those gates.
These were not preachers.
These were not priests.
These were ordinary they were singers, choir members,
musicians, people from all walks of life.
They were appointed by this righteous leader Nehemiah
to watch the gates.
Watch the gates.
There was a a pastor of a very
large church in the United States was exposed
outrightly exposed for adultery caught in the act
and also for mismanagement of funds large church.
But the deacons had a meeting and because
he was such a pal such a buddy
because he's such an eloquent speaker in fact
one of the women in the church told
the newspaper said I don't care what he
did I have a hard time getting my
church my husband to church but he'll go
to hear this man so I don't care
what he's done I want my husband in
church he's going to stay.
And some pastors who were concerned he was
so well known in the city and they
wanted to make sure there's no reproach on
the body of Christ so they went to
the elders and deacons and said would you
please let him have time off for six
months and let us minister to him and
restore him they said no he stays in
the poor never missed the beat never missed
the beat and I say to myself those
elders those deacons those leaders were supposed to
be watchmen at the gate so that the
spirit of adultery and these spirits of the
world did not creep into the church that
was their calling that was their obligation I
want to tell these elders that are here
now and any leaders of this church you
have a right before God and not only
a right but I beg of you if
you ever hear me or any minister of
this church bring anything into this pulpit that's
contrary to this book if you see anything
in our lives that is unlike Jesus Christ
and is open sin you have an obligation
to stand up if you sit in any
department of the church to stand up against
any invasion any sign of any any area
of the church you have you have an
obligation to be a keeper at the gate
God has ordained you he has called you
to be keepers of the gate and all
the leaders of all departments of the church
you to be keepers of the gate see
that no teacher brings in false doctrine so
that no one is living in sin you
don't just throw them out you bring it
to the leaders and you counsel with them
but I bring myself under authority not only
to Jesus Christ but to other pastors and
to elders and to submit everything I preach
and the life that I live I'm not
talking about what I've seen and what I
experienced when I was a young preacher my
first church I tried my best and I
know I made some mistakes in leadership but
I'll never forget today those bossy elders who
tried they had driven off every preacher in
30 years little church of 50 people little
country church my first pastor I was 19
years old sure you're going to make mistakes
at 19 but I remember them calling me
in and set me down there's four of
them just set me down I don't know
what hit me they just accused me of
everything possible I was dictator I was this
and I was that and they just railed
on me they didn't give me a word
and I didn't know any better I just
got up and said my bible says touch
not God's anointed do my prophets no harm
I knew they were the wrong spirit and
I said brethren I'm walking out on you
and I'm turning you over to the grace
and judgment of God and I lived to
see the day very shortly after all four
of them were severely judged death and sickness
and disease you can't rise up against God's
anointed but folks I'm not talking about elders
and deacons who have ruled churches and chastised
and intimidated pastors I'm not talking about that
I'm talking about godly men and women who
care about the house of God they want
to know that their teenagers and their young
people can come in and hear a word
of God and there's no foolishness in the
house of God there's conviction in the anointing
of the Holy Spirit and that's not going
to happen until people rise up on all
sides fast and pray and believe God and
everyone of you listening to me everyone that
names Times Square Church as your home church
you've been appointed to be a keeper at
the gate that means when we call you
to fast and pray and seek God that's
you standing up just like Nehemiah said appointed
to watch you're crying out oh God keep
us pure, keep us holy let there be
no bigotry into the church let there be
nothing between blacks and whites and Puerto Ricans
or anybody else keep the church holy, keep
it pure hallelujah
Nehemiah then said verse 3 will you read
it, just listen to it and I said
unto them let not the gates of Jerusalem
be open until the sun be hot in
other words, I don't want any dark thing
nothing done in the dark or quiet of
night he said this is going to be
a house of sunlight this is going to
be an open house where everything is open
our hearts are open, pastors are open everybody
is an open book nothing dark, nothing hidden
he said you don't even open the gates
until the sun is up glory be to
God and while they stand by let them
shut the doors and bar them anything unlike
Jesus shut it down keep it out oh
glory be to God keep it out of
the house keep the abomination out of the
house of God now here's my message and
appoint watches the inhabitants of Jerusalem everyone in
his watch and everyone to be over against
his house now here it is in the
original he appointed guards from the inhabitants of
Jerusalem each at his post and each in
front of his own house and door each
one in front of his own house and
his door now the reason I said who's
guarding your front door here in New York
my apartment doesn't have a back door I've
got one door that's my front door most
of you live in a house with one
door now some of you got two, God
bless you but what we're saying here that
I as a parent am responsible I am
responsible for everything that comes in that door
I'm responsible for every label of music I'm
responsible for every magazine, every book I'm responsible
for every friend I'm responsible for everything I've
been set as a guard at the front
door of my house who's guarding the front
door of your house you say well I'm
a single parent you may be here as
a mother I know God put in my
heart to encourage some of you mothers that
there's no husband there's no father in the
house and you're very very discouraged because you
know very very difficult it is but you're
the guard you are the guard you can't
sit around saying my son, my boy my
daughter, my girl needs a father right now
you're a father, you're a mother, you're everything
through Jesus Christ you have to be the
guard, you let down your guard if you
wait for somebody else to come and do
the job, it may never happen you can
lose your kids in the process two teenage
boys that went on a killing rampage in
Colorado this past year where was where were
the parents these kids were making making pipe
bombs in the garage did that mother never
go in the room to clean the boys
room because there were all kinds of demonic
paraphernalia devil paraphernalia notes left around about murder
and killings there was no guard at the
door these kids were running around like mafia
in black long coats and black hats and
black eye shadow didn't that mother ever wonder,
didn't that dad say what's going on where
were they dancing folks it absolutely sucks I
was at the shopping mall with my wife
the other day and I'm getting out of
my car and here comes some kids toward
me I'm not trying to be facetious they
look like escapees from some asylum god bless
tongues hanging out with everything and they stick
them out if you're gonna do it stick
it back in, don't let me have to
look at it they're pierced they're not just
glued they're pierced think of the infections what
kind of mother and dad comes home and
sticks out their tongue at mom look we
may laugh at it but folks it's a
life and death see these are symptoms these
are symptoms somebody crying out, kids crying out
dad, mom, you're neglecting me you're spending all
your time, you're too busy for me you
don't have time for me so they get
with their friends and these are all signs
and symptoms when they do things to their
hair and their lips and they're piercing so
this is something crying out I'm not, as
I told you I'm not here to tell
you how to raise kids but I'm trying
to tell you that one day you and
I parents we stand before a holy God
we stand before the judgment seat of Christ
and we're going to answer for our children
we're going to answer how we've raised our
children we've raised them in the fear, nurture
and admonition of the Lord have we set
the example before them I heard the cry
of praying parents all my growing up days
I told you what I heard my mother
pray up in the third floor and I'd
be out playing in the backyard, oh God
keep David and Jerry Juanita and Ruth the
Lord get a hold of David she prayed
more for me and I couldn't understand I
thought I was special it's just that was
a bigger problem than the rest of them
and I heard her pray one day, oh
God if he's not going to live for
you I'd rather you take him now I'd
rather he be saved now take him if
he's going to live for the devil and
I mean my mother prayed and fasted for
me and I did the same thing folks
I have four children all of them involved
in some kind of ministry husbands and wives
serving the Lord, eleven grandchildren serving the Lord
even the youngest have a heart for the
Lord because the Lord told me years ago
that I was to pray this prayer for
my children and he gave me the prayer
and I give it to you and if
you'll take it to God every day God
will answer you Lord make my sons as
oaks beside the waters of life and make
my daughters as polished stones in your palace
that's what we're to pray according to Proverbs
and I prayed every day keep them from
the wicked one and some of you singles
one day God's going to give you a
mate and you're going to have a child
or more and this is going to be
your responsibility if you don't hear everything else
I say hear me right now you may
have lost one of your children you may
be sitting here grieving right now say brother
Dave I'm hurting because I had a tender
child my children were once tender and now
I have a boy or girl on drugs
or you may have somebody in prison you
may have a child that's gone astray and
in trouble and you hurt and you grieve
over it but I'm telling you when you
look back it could be you have to
acknowledge that you were too busy you acknowledge
there's a lot of mistakes you've made but
you can't recall the past you can't bring
back the past but you have leverage now
you've got something that still works and that's
to pray and seek the face of God
and bathe them in prayer and preach Holy
Ghost miserables upon them till sin becomes so
miserable to them and brings them back to
the cross hallelujah you have that power and
authority in Jesus to lay hold of God
in their behalf and if you still have
children in your home that are half way
that is the time to lay hold of
God more than ever before by setting the
example and seeking his face you need to
be praying for wisdom can I just offer
you parents something I've learned something I've earned
this gray hair you better believe it I
used to first of all can I give
you some good old fashioned grandpa advice don't
look at every problem your has as terminal
just about the time they dump something on
you and you're worried about it and you're
afraid and they're often forgotten all about it
they've moved on to something else take it
to Jesus pray through then forget it don't
preach at your kids if they're back slitting
don't hassle them mom don't get on their
back and just preach and preach and preach
because the mother told me one time she
came to me she said my boy is
back slitting he smokes and he drinks he
comes in all hours of the night and
I have to wait up this mother would
wait up till 2 or 3 o'clock
in the morning she'd be up there waiting
and where were you questions and all of
this and she said pastor Dave what am
I going to do you're going to stop
preaching to him first of all because every
time he'd get up in the morning she'd
fix breakfast she'd say honey please go to
church with me and he says I don't
want you ever talking to me about church
again I don't want to hear anything about
it and I said would you please stop
preaching at him and just pray for him
and when you go home tonight don't you
wait up for him you go to bed
even though you don't sleep pretend you're sleeping
when you get up in the morning fix
his breakfast don't say anything about church don't
say anything about God just leave him alone
pray for him love him do what is
right as a mother but no more preaching
she said okay she went home that night
and he came in about one o'clock
and she wasn't there she wasn't at the
door she wasn't in the kitchen mom she's
up in the bed pretending to be asleep
she'd get up the next day and he
comes cranky into the kitchen for his eggs
and bacon and says I got in at
1.30 last night she said good for
you son he couldn't get over
because he'd just been using mom manipulating her
and they'll do that to you she said
son you know the rules if you want
to break them fine but I'm not going
to lose any sleep over it anymore I've
turned you over to Jesus and she said
you don't have to go to church with
me anymore he said I'll go if I
want to go nobody can keep me from
going and it took only less than two
weeks that boy came to church and got
saved every
man at his door now if you're married
you're a Christian family sir you are the
priest of your family you're the one who's
to take the authority and it should never
and mother it should never be wait till
your dad gets home if you're on your
knees you've got the spiritual authority they will
listen and mother another piece of grandpa advice
don't ever scream at your kids I've had
drug addict after drug addict tell me I
still hear ringing in my ears a screaming
mother screamed and screamed and screamed you could
hear him down the street supposed to be
Christians screaming at their kids you can scream
your kids right into hell the power is
not raising your voice and then your kids
lose all respect for every word your word
doesn't mean anything because you said you do
it once more and I'll get you you
don't do anything you don't pick up the
belt you don't apply the rod one more
time and about 20 times later you still
say one more time and he's laughing at
you but when dad walks in the door
there's got to be a holy respect for
his word and that comes often by applying
a proper discipline you have every right until
your children are of age to set the
rules for your house you set the rules
for your house whether they run whatever it
is my book makes it clear if you
raise them right if you'll stand by the
book God will honor you and when they're
old they'll not depart from the way it
may be down the road somewhere but God
somewhere along the Lord they're going to bring
them back to that place because you stood
for the word of God you didn't compromise
on the word of God you wouldn't let
your children intimidate you and tell you what
things how things are going to be you
took the stand not as a dictator but
as a loving father and a loving mother
amen now before I close this afternoon I
want to talk for just a moment I
want to bring a word of hope folks
I didn't expect this is not some great
theological discourse this is just out of my
heart today something this week that God just
put in my heart that there would be
those of you here that are absolutely concerned
about your children some of your Christian parents
and you're worried and concerned about how your
children are going to be raised in this
wicked age because of the school system because
of the way society is going and you
wonder what your teenagers become maybe you have
little children you're concerned about it and some
of you single mothers especially God has put
this in my heart and I'm going to
give you a promise from the word of
God a covenant promise that if you lay
hold of it God gave me this last
night I said Lord I've got to have
something from you and the Holy Ghost led
me to this particular covenant promise and I
want you to go with me to Isaiah
44 before I close Isaiah 44 if every
parent listening to me now will claim this
promise God's going to work a miracle in
your life and home for your children now
before I tell you where to go in
Isaiah would you look this way for just
a moment and those in the annex God
never moves on a praying pastor to preach
something that isn't relevant for some reason this
had to be preached this afternoon as he
knew who would be here he knew the
cry of some of you some of you
may be grandparents weeping and grieving over your
children first of all if you're not going
to fast and pray none of these covenant
promises I'm going to give you now have
any merit for you at all they don't
apply to you but if you have if
you're willing like Nehemiah when he heard about
the walls down he heard about the gates
destroyed the Bible said he mourned he wept
he prayed he fasted and if you have
a concern you say I want my children
to grow up as godly young people I
want my children to be strong in Christ
I want you to read with me follow
me the first four chapter 44 first four
verses yet now hear O Jacob my servant
in Israel whom I have chosen thus saith
the Lord that made thee and formed thee
from the womb which will help thee fear
not now look at me please Isaiah is
speaking to the Jews of his time he's
also speaking to the church of Jesus Christ
it's very clear in the context he's speaking
prophetically of our time in which we live
right now and God is saying in this
right now hear O Jacob my servant Israel
now there's an Israel of God that those
who are chosen whom I've chosen those are
chosen in Jesus Christ if you can sit
here right now and say pastor David I
know I'm chosen I know I'm in Christ
then here's the word of the Lord for
you the next verse thus saith the Lord
that made thee and formed thee from the
womb which will help thee fear not here's
his message to you right now don't be
afraid don't let the devil lie to you
you're going to lose your kids don't live
under bondage and fear keep the concern keep
in prayer but have faith right now my
God who chose me from the womb is
going to keep my children God's going to
keep me from fear of the enemy destroying
and getting into my home and destroying my
family my husband my wife my marriage I
will help you fear not O Jacob my
servant and Jerusalem that means the righteous is
the interpretation there is righteous whom I've chosen
now folks look at me can you say
in all faith that you are righteous person
before God through Jesus Christ and his righteousness
can you say I'm chosen in the Lord
raise your hand if you can't wave it
at me I am chosen I am righteous
not my own but the righteousness of Christ
then this applies to you this is your
covenant promise look what it says in next
verse I will pour water upon him that's
thirsty and floods upon the dry ground now
look at me you sit here right now
I will pour water have you been getting
the water in your thirsty soul are you
feeding on what I'm preaching right now are
you feeding on the word of God has
the Holy Ghost poured floods of water on
your dry soul have you known dry spells
and the Holy Ghost came and lifted that
dry spell did he touch you then this
next verse why won't you claim it I
will pour my spirit upon thy seed and
my blessing upon thine offspring that's your children
and they shall spring up among the grasses
willows willows are trees that grow fast and
spread far willow trees one of my favorite
trees you see them beside the water course
wherever there's water you're going to find and
the very water that the Holy Ghost is
pouring on you he's going to pour on
your children and the Bible says I make
you an iron clad oath promise a covenant
promise that if you'll cast out your fear
and put your trust in me seek my
face pray hold your children name them right
here in this verse I will pour spirit
upon thy seed put your kids names there
upon thy Michael upon thy Susan and my
blessing my think of it my blessing upon
your children I have claimed that I have
proven it oh glory to God his word
is true you say my boy is vaccinated
my girl is gone keep feeding in the
word seek his face and believe this promise
right now and you that have children that
are so high lay your hands on them
that's right while they're sleeping just go once
a week and lay your hands on them
take this verse with you memorize it memorize
it and Lord you've made me this covenant
promise and I'm going to tell you God
told me to tell you this I'm telling
you now that's why he had me preach
this right now many many children are going
to be saved from the powers of hell
out of this service now many of you
from the elders to the choir and all
over this house God is going to save
God is going to save your children because
you have laid hold of his word and
you believed it my daughters laid hands on
their children while they were in the womb
sang songs to them and quoted scripture verses
you get a hold of your children you
lay hands on them while they're sleeping say
now in Jesus name I claim this Lord
you've put water on me you satisfied my
thirsty soul and you made me a promise
you're going to bless this child of mine
you're going to keep this boy you're going
to keep this girl I don't care if
he's 20 years old when he's sleeping go
in and pray the same prayer you watch
the devil run will you stand you
hallelujah well I got that off my heart
do you realize I was preacher to you
today I was pastor and grandfather you're
clapping for Jesus amen glory be to God
how many of you no I'm not going
to ask you I'm going to say how
many of you have unsaved love teenagers I
don't want to do that I don't put
you in a spot we're going to just
take it to the Lord we're going to
take it to the Lord bow your heads
Jesus there's something else you're trying to say
by your spirit and I want to hear
it I want us all to hear it
Lord the devil is trying to destroy every
Christian home and rob every Christian parent of
their children trying to deceive the children trying
to engage the parents in such activities that
they're not taking the spiritual time making them
so busy they don't have time they're not
taking the time to pray and seek your
face Lord we need to repent of that
I'm asking Lord to burden my heart and
the heart of this church for all of
the unsaved children and all of the children
Lord that are going to schools oh Lord
Jesus our children when they go to school
and fight through hell and see all their
friends into wild stuff Lord they've got to
come home to something where there's peace and
power with the Lord they've got to enter
in a home where there's no turmoil Lord
there should be no fighting no bickering they
should come home to a place of peace
oh God for the single mothers the kids
shouldn't come home and watch the mother watching
television soap operas those kids need to leave
the house every day with a prayer said
over them and mother praying for them while
they're gone and they need to come home
to loving arms and to a mother who
sits down with her children and reads the
word and prays with them oh God help
us to establish family altars Lord I thank
you for the family altar I still have
with Gwen and I we still pray every
day we pray for our children even though
they're married and our grandchildren even though many
times we don't see them oh God I
pray I know in my heart that this
simple message is going to be the salvation
of a host of our children thank you
for them Lord keep them by your power
I want everybody raise your hands and ask
God right now to save all of our
unsaved children Father I'm asking you right now
to put this burden the Holy Ghost on
our families even the singles can pray for
the mothers and fathers and for the children
and the teenagers God especially for our teenagers
oh God they're facing hell in school and
just walking the streets God send a guard
if they have no father God you be
their father send angels to walk with them
God give wisdom to mothers and fathers I
pray in Jesus name he is Lord he
is risen from the dead and he is
Lord will you sing that for just a
moment Holy Spirit just now told me what
I was feeling I'm going to make this
invitation very very succinctly and for certain people
only up in the balcony here and even
in the annex Holy Spirit spoke to my
heart there were there some of you sitting
here right now listening to me you're looking
back over your childhood and what you've been
through and the hurts that you've had and
you have carried for a long long time
there's some people here that have carried a
root of bitterness toward one or two parents
you've had something you've not been able to
deal with it it has you said almost
ruined my life or you say it did
ruin my life but and it may be
also those that have been divorced you're a
single mother and you're here and say Pastor
David I am overwhelmed I have got to
have a miracle I want to pray for
you if you're here there's no husband or
father in your household you have a child
or more I want you to come if
the Spirit of the Lord is moving and
I want to pray God give you strength
and wisdom and I'm praying for those who
have bitterness God made that clear to me
I don't know where you're at don't walk
out of here carrying that and those in
the annex you can come right down go
to the back of the auditorium there and
the officers will show you how to get
into this building walk down the aisle come
and meet me right here now don't be
afraid to cry let it out right now
let that stuff come out and these single
mothers God has a word for you God
has a touch for you He's going to
give you wisdom and those that have this
thing that you've carried now if you're backslidden
you're not right with Jesus come with these
that are coming right now as we sing
He is Lord again He's Lord of everything
in your life He's going to deliver you
God's going to do a good work in
your heart right now Amen I see a
lot of handkerchiefs a lot of tears but
you see the tears have to come from
a heart that is ready and prepared to
say Lord I will give up everything in
the way of a grudge or bitterness toward
anyone who has ever hurt me it doesn't
matter anymore you can't relive the past you
can't bring back anything of the past let
it go will you let it go right
now in Jesus name let everything go and
for mothers and for those that are here
right now led to this altar by the
Holy Spirit look at me please for just
a moment all you single mothers hear me
please get in a habit starting today when
you go home get in the habit to
get your bible out just go please just
go through the book of Psalms to start
go through the book of Psalms put a
check mark on every chapter read it if
you can only do 2 or 3 chapters
a day if it's a long chapter like
119th Psalm take 2 or 3 days to
read it if you have to every day
because the Lord is going to give you
wisdom and direction right here and then bow
your head and ask the Lord right now
Isaiah 44 can you remember that Isaiah 44
verses 1 to 4 Isaiah 44 1 to
4 again Isaiah 44 1 to 4 that
is a promise the Holy Ghost gave you
I want you to cling to that and
I want you to quote that every day
and I want you to lay hands on
your children but folks I want you to
pray don't ever bring into your home any
video don't turn on any television that has
one word of filth don't let your kids
go and watch Disney now or anything else
that's full of demonic new age filth that's
going to flood their mind you got to
guard you have to be the door keeper
now you've got to be watching the door
you're the one now I'm going to ask
God to give you a Holy Ghost gumption
a Holy Ghost fire in your belly so
to speak I'm not going to turn my
kids over the devil I'm going to set
some standards in my home now and I'm
going to stick with them Father I pray
for the mothers first of all the single
mothers that you will give them strength you've
given them a promise you've stirred their hearts
that you're going to keep them and Lord
you're going to keep their children that first
of all sanctify these mothers every one of
them to be mothers of God mothers of
Zion for those backslidden for those that are
coming to this altar now who need a
new touch for those Lord who need to
lay down all kinds of bitterness and rebellion
laying down things that have to be given
to Jesus Lord let it be done now
through the might and power of the Holy
Ghost I want everybody that came forward to
pray this with me now Jesus I come
to be serious before you no games I
ask you Holy Spirit to give me power
and wisdom I ask you help me to
forgive and to forget every hurt against me
everything said against me everything done against me
in Jesus name I lay it down I
surrender it now Lord Jesus cleanse me purge
my heart of all sin and iniquity and
draw me close to you and give me
faith to walk in the Holy Spirit and
the fear of God I love you Jesus
and I know you heard my prayer and
I give you thanks now thank him right
out loud Lord I give you thanks I
give you praise I give you thanks I
give you praise I am free I am
free you know that folks time is getting
away in just about 15 minutes we start
again, can't meet in time so I want
you to turn around and I want you
to just a good God bless you or
a hallelujah or praise the Lord some good
word to at least five people around you
as you walk out of this church singing
I am free