Mushrooms and fungi form a vast underground network called mycelium that connects trees through mycorrhizal relationships, enabling resource sharing, warning signals, and cooperative survival across entire forests, challenging the traditional view of trees as isolated competitors.
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[music] >> Since its launch in 1991, the World Wide Web [music] has helped connect Earth's human population like no other invention in history.
And every moment we use it to inform and entertain, shop and sell, educate, teleconference, play games, manage money, conduct research, share ideas, subscribe, create, invent, travel, encourage, strategize, and converse with individuals, organizations, and businesses almost anywhere on the planet.
Today, the web connects an estimated 5 billion people.
But, it isn't the only way living organisms interact on a massive scale.
In fact, it's possible the worldwide web may actually pale in comparison to another global network that's much older, larger, and perhaps even more crucial to the future of life on Earth.
So, put on some hiking boots and [music] grab a flashlight because we're about to explore a remarkable display of communication and connection [music] where digital code and fiber optic cables are replaced by the extraordinary power of mushrooms.
>> [music] [music] >> Though usually small, stationary, and unobtrusive, mushrooms are the most visible components in a hidden network with the power to connect every tree in a forest.
Biologically, [music] they're classified as fungi, and their primary components are slender filaments called hyphae.
These densely packed threads create the basic structure of a mushroom [music] stem and cap, but their importance doesn't end here.
Below ground level, the hyphae fan [music] out and merge to form mycelium, living, growing colonies of fungal strands. [music] These concentrated filaments are so dense and tightly compacted that 200 miles of mycelium fibers can be covered by a single footstep.
Each hyphae strand is loaded with enzymes designed to break down, absorb, and recycle the chemical nutrients stored in soil and dead wood.
Then they deliver their precious cargo to living organisms throughout the forest.
Now, let's consider what's happening here on a macro scale.
There are an estimated 3 trillion trees on our planet.
And each is anchored and sustained by a system of roots.
Right above them, clusters of mushrooms instantly pop into view as their mycelium [music] fibers branch out in every direction.
And when these strands attach to the roots, they create a sprawling array of pipelines known as mycorrhizal [music] networks.
The stage is now set for a dazzling performance.
When sunlight hits the leaves, it triggers photosynthesis, a chemical process that generates not only the oxygen we breathe, but also the sugar molecules the tree must manufacture and consume.
These carbohydrates [music] are distributed throughout the tree's limbs and trunk before reaching the roots [music] and a subterranean factory that's skillfully engineered and a wonder to behold.
Here, just inches below the surface, a web of fungi and wood efficiently perform a series of vital transactions.
As mycelium fibers, thinner than the diameter of a human hair, bore into tree [music] roots to siphon off sugar molecules, the fungi's primary source of energy.
In return, the fungi supply the tree with water and nutrients, including phosphorus, zinc, calcium, copper, and organic nitrogen.
Simply stated, the fungi help feed the trees, while the trees nourish the fungi.
But there's another level of interaction going on below these limbs, leaves, and trunks. A crucial exchange of chemical resources, not only back and forth between the trees and the fungi, but also between the trees and their neighbors using fungi as a highway.
Researchers have nicknamed this network of biological links the wood-wide web.
The name's both catchy and appropriate, for many biologists now believe at least 90% of our planet's vegetation is connected by complex webs of fungi and roots.
That means entire forests could be unified through an underground grid that enables individual trees to share resources, transmit warnings, and relay information.
Here's a quick glimpse at a few of the documented collaborations that reveal how trees can often work together.
>> [music] >> The tallest, oldest trees in [music] a forest are known as hubs or mother trees.
That's because evidence now indicates they're equipped to actually nurture their seedlings.
In controlled experiments [music] using radioisotopes to trace the connections, it appears that hub trees send their offspring shipments of carbohydrates by pumping excess sugar through the mycorrhizal network.
For seedling that struggles to find adequate sunlight in a heavily shaded forest, a steady flow of essential nutrients dramatically improves the young trees' chances of [music] survival.
How effective are these family ties?
In a small [music] 30-x-30 m parcel of Canadian forest, DNA analysis and fungal mapping revealed that one Douglas fir hub was linked to at least 47 of its progenies by root and mycelium connections.
>> [music] >> Researchers have also discovered that dying trees release large quantities of their stored nutrients into the soil for future access by their healthy neighbors.
While different species, like paper birch and Douglas fir, also exchange nutrients based on their specific seasonal needs.
Birches deliver sugars to shaded firs in the summer.
And in the fall, >> [music] >> the firs return the favor by sending nutrients to the leafless birches.
>> [screaming] [music] >> In another study, an adult pine that was attacked by insects sent chemical warning signals to its neighbors [music] through its roots and fungi.
In response, the surrounding trees [music] released defensive enzymes to protect themselves from invasion.
>> [music] >> Science is only beginning [music] to understand the inner workings and importance of mushrooms, mycorrhizal networks, and the [music] wood-wide web.
But recent discoveries are fascinating and important.
Since Darwin, biologists have generally viewed trees as disconnected loners, constantly competing for [music] water, nutrients, and sunlight in an evolutionary battle where only the strongest organisms survive.
Today, however, a rapidly growing body of evidence challenges that theory [music] by revealing vast ecosystems of vegetation and fungi, each thriving together in cooperative, [music] mutually beneficial relationships.
While part of a global network of roots and mycelium fibers >> [music] >> that if laid end-to-end would span nearly half the width of the Milky Way galaxy.
It is a magnificent [music] creation that speaks clearly of design, purpose, and a transcendent mind who made the [music] earth a living planet, perhaps unique from any other in the universe.
>> [music] >> Why don't we pray, or read the Bible, or just connect with God more? [music] There's the issue of time. Who has time to spend extra time with anybody, much less God?
And then there's busyness. Mercy, we are so busy.
Oh, and the hassle [music] factor when it comes to church, getting all gussied up and everyone out the door to go to church. Really? And that's just one day a week. What about every other day?
Maybe finding time to spend with [music] God isn't as complicated as we make it.
The psalmist writes, "How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty.
>> [music] >> My soul yearns, even faints for the courts of my Lord, my God. And my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow [music] a nest for herself where she may have her young.
A place near your [music] altar."
That's Psalm 84, verses 1 through 3.
Maybe we don't have to stop everything [music] to find a quiet spot to be with God.
Maybe we can be with God just by being bird-like and building a home, a nest, [music] near his altar every day.
We might pray when we load the dishwasher, leave a Bible open on the kitchen counter and pause to read a verse when passing [music] through.
Download an ebook devotional on our phone and check it when we go to check social media.
If we build our house near God's altar, maybe we won't have to move somewhere else to be in his presence.
>> [music] >> In the year 587 BC, the city of Jerusalem was attacked by the Babylonian Empire. And a year later, the city and the temple were plundered and burned.
Thousands of Israelites were taken from their homes and relocated all over ancient Babylon. They became exiles. And so now they're a minority surrounded by a new culture with new gods.
Now some Israelites chose to resist Babylon by revolting or withdrawing.
Others gave in, adopting the Babylonian way of life and accepting these new gods as their own. And you might think those are your only two options, but the prophet Jeremiah told them to do something totally different and surprising. To settle in, build houses, plant gardens, grow families, and most surprisingly, to seek the well-being of Babylon and pray to the Lord on its behalf. So, this is like a third way.
Yeah, it's not compromise or revolt.
What does it look like? Well, there's a whole book of the Bible that explores that question. It's the story of Daniel.
Daniel was one of the Israelites taken into the Babylonian exile. And because Daniel had a royal heritage and education, he was recruited, along with some friends, to work in the high court of Babylon. Work for the enemy? That would be compromise. Or they could gain the king's trust, take him down from the inside. That's what you might expect, but instead, they take Jeremiah's advice and choose the third way. They serve the king of Babylon, taking on Babylonian names and even clothing style. So, they seek Babylon's well-being. But, in doing so, aren't they just giving up their heritage?
>> It could seem that way, but actually, they aren't. As you read on, the story focuses on moments where they draw the line, and they choose faithfulness to their God and resist the influence of Babylon. So, for example? Well, like when they're commanded to bow down to the idol of Babylon and give allegiance to the king as if he's a god. Ah, they won't go that far. Right. This is where you see their true loyalty. It requires them to critique Babylon's idolatry of power, its arrogance, its injustice, but they do it non-violently by laying down their lives.
And so, God vindicates Daniel and his friends for their faithfulness. So, they would serve Babylon, seek its well-being, but their loyalty was always to God. Yeah, this is what Jeremiah was envisioning. The way of the exile is a combination of loyalty and also subversion. So, they're still exiles, but don't Daniel and his friends long to go home? Yes. In fact, Daniel believed that God was going to send a ruler to bring down Babylon and create a true kingdom of peace. Ah, when did he think this ruler would come? Well, at first he thought within his lifetime. But then he had a dream where he found out that after Babylon would come another oppressive empire, then another, then another. And so, Babylon did fall, and Israel did get to go back home, but now they're ruled by Babylon's successors.
And so, they maintained the mindset of an exile waiting for their true home to come to them. And they continued the same practice of loyalty and subversion to any new versions of Babylon that came along. And this leads us to the time of Jesus. The empire of his day was Rome, ruled by Caesar. Now, some Israelites wanted to resist, while others gave in and adopted Roman culture and its gods.
But watch Jesus carry on the subversive loyalty of Daniel. Like when he said, "It's fine to pay taxes to Caesar. Give him back his coins." But then he said, "Don't mistake Caesar for God. God's the one who deserves your total life and allegiance." So, the way of Jesus is this same mix of loyalty and subversion.
Yeah. Like he taught his followers to love and even bless their enemies. But he also got arrested for speaking out against the corrupt leaders of Jerusalem and Rome. He critiqued their idolatry of power and it cost him his life.
But God vindicated him by raising him from the dead as the true king of the nations. The king that Daniel had hoped for. Right. And Jesus promised that one day his kingdom would prevail. And so, until then, his followers are living in a type of exile. Yeah, this is why the Apostle Peter calls followers of Jesus foreigners and exiles. He told them to respect the authorities of whatever place you happen to live, to honor and love all people, but then he reminds them that this isn't their true home.
They're still living in Babylon. But well, they're not living in Babylon.
Babylon doesn't exist anymore. Well, it doesn't. In the Bible, Babylon has become a symbol that describes any human institution that demands allegiance to its idolatrous redefinitions of good and evil. Okay, so we all live and work in Babylon.
How do I seek the well-being of Babylon while my allegiance is to someone greater? Yes. Jesus' followers are called to live in that tension between loyalty and subversion.
That's the way of the exile.
>> So I I found this little phrase to help us remember um Spider-Man his Uncle Ben tells him that with great power comes great responsibility. And that is not the phrase I want you to remember, but it just helps me remember my phrases.
I'm going to give you a couple of examples.
With great difficulty comes great opportunity.
With great sorrow comes great opportunity. With great peace comes great opportunity. With great whatever it is comes great opportunity. And the opportunity is now for you to decide who and what are you going to put your trust in.
And and it was right on my doorstep the other day and I was thinking about it and I was like, "Well, you know what I would normally do?
I would find my enjoyable things and those gifts would become my source of comfort."
So for me and you think of your own for me it would be I'll you know, I'll play this game. I'll play guitar. I'll play basketball. Maybe I'll do some cook. I'll listen to some great music.
I'll hang out with some friends. I will take all these gifts and they will be the source of helping me deal with being overwhelmed.
And you put in what yours are.
Little escapes and things.
And all of a sudden those gifts would become my source rather than Jesus. And that came to me from the Lord of like, "All right, Peter, what are you going to do? You are overwhelmed. You're crying right now. What are you going to do? Are you going to go to chess on your phone and guitar and just sitting around and just looking at the view at your house and stuff and rely on those gifts.
And it was it was a moment of like, all right, no, I don't want to do that, Lord, because I know those things will all of a sudden become less enjoyable.
There's so much weight now being carried by things that are not supposed to be my source.
And so, I just got on my knees and I prayed to the Lord.
And the Lord met me there.
How did he meet me there? His spirit was there to comfort, to guide my heart and mind to go to scripture.
And to consider what is it I do regularly when I'm overwhelmed? Do I go to the giver or the gift?
So, I wanted to encourage you that in your seasons of being overwhelmed or even being stressed that you know is eventually on a trajectory to lead you to be overwhelmed worship the giver, not the gift.
Praise the giver.
Then enjoy the gift.
Or, better said worship the giver, not the gift. Praise the giver for the gift.
And when you get that order right, every gift from God is going to be so much more enjoyable and so much more of what it was meant to do for you as a gift from God because you know that all of it comes from God above.
And the way that I would encourage you to go to the Lord in your season of being overwhelmed and in your season of change, students, as you graduate and you navigate new territory and your season of change, church member, as you deal with new family situations, as you adjust to whatever your life has with houses and work and figuring out all this stuff and health concerns to go to the giver first and then the gift. And when you do that, that gift will be so sweet and Jesus Christ will become more and more sweet in your life and you will want to regularly do that as a spiritual discipline.
>> Mhm.
>> [music] [music] [music] >> Today we pause.
Not to celebrate war, but to honor courage.
Not to glorify conflict, but to remember sacrifice.
Today we remember the men and women who wore the uniform of our nation and stood in the gap when freedom was threatened.
They answered a call that required everything.
They ran toward danger so others could live [music] in peace.
They left homes and families.
They carried fear [music] and courage at the same time.
And some never came home.
Because of their courage we gather freely, worship openly, and raise families without fear.
Jesus once said, "Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one's life for his friends."
And on Memorial Day, we see that love reflected by ordinary people who chose extraordinary sacrifice.
So today we honor the fallen.
We grieve [music] with their families.
We thank God for their service.
And we remember their sacrifice.
>> Well, good morning church.
God is good.
And all the time Let's just start by this this morning by going to the Lord in prayer and thanking him for the freedoms that we enjoy as a country and just remember those who have given their lives for the for those freedoms that we are experiencing right here in this moment as we worship together without without worry and concern like many of our brothers and sisters around the world do. So, heavenly Father, thank you for this opportunity to be together. We don't take it lightly that we have freedom in this country to gather and we have freedom to worship and we have freedom to express our faith and our confidence in you as our Lord and our God and our savior. And Lord, we recognize that that has come at the cost of many lives of men and women who have fought for that freedom. And so Lord, we're so thankful for their sacrifice. We pray for those even today that are fighting for freedom for our country and for the for freedom around the world. Lord, we think of those families that have lost loved ones in in that endeavor and we just ask that your comfort and encouragement would be with them today.
Lord, what a what a what a weekend to have our our dear friend and Pastor VJ who who lives and serves and ministers in a country where those same freedoms don't exist. And so Lord, as we hear from him today, would we just ever be reminded of of the way that you have blessed us with the freedoms that we have and those who have have given the ultimate sacrifice of their lives for that freedom. We pray in Jesus name.
Amen.
Boy, it's good to be together this morning, isn't it? Amen.
It is. We have so much to celebrate. I know a lot of you had graduation this past weekend. And what maybe wasn't exactly what you were planning. Or do we have any family that are visiting for graduate that are in here this morning?
Not no family from out of town. Praise the Lord for that because I felt so bad for them cuz I didn't get to go to the graduation.
But we do celebrate our graduates. And we got to have a special Sunday last week where we honored all of our graduates.
And just Was it not so cool for those of you who were here to just hear from our students and see them lead in so many different capacities in your discipleship hour classes and during the service. Was that wonderful?
We are we've just officially officially officially transitioned from regular school year ministry to summer ministry.
And CLBC is just a few weeks away. It's not too late to sign up and be part of the camp ministry this summer. You can go to the website to sign up.
There is You don't have to say You don't have to commit to a full week. You could commit to one morning or one afternoon or one evening. Um and you you know by now that the camp is driven by volunteers. And so please be a part.
Luke and and Peter doing a great job of getting everything ready for that. And would love to hear that you want to be a part of it as well. One way that everybody could be involved is to is to drop off drop off Cokes or sodas. You You choose a flavor that you like. Bring it for the kids. We make sure they get lots of water. All right. You guys can treat them to something special in the snack shack. They don't pay for snack shack. They get it all for free. And so you can be a part of that. There there was a lady that came up to the the church today and I I recognize her. But she was dropping off uh she's dropping off drinks and I said, "Oh."
Asked her what her name was, how did she find out that we were collecting soda?
She said, "I'm an Uber delivery driver."
So, whoever that was, thank you. Your sodas arrived.
That's awesome. Um and so, Craig, did you have that?
Yeah. Um I know.
>> [laughter] >> We do have something happening. So, would you help us Happy birthday Happy birthday [singing] to you.
Happy birthday dear Jeff.
Happy birthday [singing] to you.
>> [cheering] [applause] >> Elders, um just go ahead and just put a spot on your calendar for us. We're going to need marriage counseling. I'm going to be in trouble.
Big trouble. No, no.
I worked so hard to make this hour about the Lord and the Lord only.
But, thank you. Thank you.
>> [laughter] >> He is the giver and sustainer of life.
So, praise God for that. And I'm very thankful for Pastor Jeff and my husband.
One thing you you mentioned we're transitioning to summer ministry. If you're if you are a parent, you've got students that are home for the summer or if you're a student and you're here, we want you to know we have a a special discipleship hour class just for you.
So, you may have been away at college and didn't know about this, but Caris and Patrick Wright Patrick teaches this class. It is an awesome awesome class and they are going through the book of Galatians, right, Caris and Patrick?
Yes. So, that's at 9:00 discipleship hour. It's up on this side of the building. Don't miss out on that. This is a great way to plug in. Um digging into God's word matters and you have more time in the summer than you do during the school year. So, dig into that.
Uh just wanted to remind you Memorial Day is tomorrow, so um the church offices, the Hope Center will be closed tomorrow, but everything will be uh open as normal uh the rest of this week. And then also uh need to let you know that after the service next Sunday, we will be having a business meeting. So, for our regular attenders, uh if you want to be participate in that and just see what's going on in the church in a little deeper level, uh that'll be after the church service next Sunday.
Yeah, and lot So, lot's going on. We don't slow down, do we? We feel like the summer slows down, but we keep going.
Praise God because God doesn't stop in our lives, either. So, we're thankful for that.
Um well, one other announcement, Saturday is our camp work day. So, we call it a camp work day. We're really all over the campus. We have uh right around 40 acres, which takes a lot to keep up. If you're interested in helping and we especially are getting ready for camp, but also just kind of working all across the campus. And especially if you if you're like, "Man, I'm I'm kind of new here. I don't know a lot of people."
This is a great way to meet some people as well and kind of get to know some of the people at the church. Uh so, we'll be meeting out by the pavilion Saturday, 8:00. And uh just come ready to ready to work. Um just whatever, you know, outdoor spring cleaning type work. And uh we'll have something for you to do.
Um also, one other way that you can serve this week is uh I mentioned in my prayer, we have Pastor VJ and his with us this week. They're going to be They're staying in the mission house uh until June the 2nd, which is not this Tuesday, but next. And so, uh if you would like to take them out for a meal, uh you can call the church office and we'll get you signed up to uh to to host them uh at some point during this week. So, we're going to go to the Lord in prayer.
We're going to worship together. Uh we're going to uh hear a message from Pastor VJ. And uh I know this will be a wonderful time. So, uh Lord, thank you for this opportunity that we have to be together.
Lord, thank you for each one. I know we have a guest with us this morning that are visiting family. I know we've got church members on the road because it's a long weekend.
And Lord, we're just we're just grateful for this time to be together. And we just ask that you would work in each heart that's here this morning. That you would encourage us this morning. That you would challenge us this morning.
Lord, as we as we take a moment now to lift our voices in praise to you.
Lord, I pray that you would just do a work in our hearts that our hearts would be quieted. Our hearts would be attentive.
Our hearts would be prepared for what you have for us this morning. Thank you that we live in an area with many other good churches doing similar things this morning. We ask that not just that you'd work in our service, but that you'd work in services all across this county and all across this nation. Lord, thank you for the many blessings that you bestow upon us. And we just gather now to worship you. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.
>> [music] [music] >> Who is like the Lord?
In the heavens.
>> [music and singing] >> Who is like the Lord?
We bow in reverence.
You are enthroned on high.
>> [music and singing] >> Awesome are Your ways.
Who is like [music] >> [singing] >> Promise keeper, who is like the Lord?
>> [music] >> You deliver.
>> [singing] >> Let all within me [music] cry, >> [singing] >> "Holy is your name, for you >> [music] >> are great and greatly to be praised."
God, you are faithful. [music] You're more than able.
>> [singing] >> We stand in awe of your excellent >> [music] >> ways. God, you are mercy and you are [singing] worthy of all the honor >> [music] >> and the praise.
Who is like the Lord?
Strong in battle, who is like the Lord?
>> [music and singing] >> There's no equal.
How powerful >> [singing] >> you are.
>> [music] >> God, we stand amazed.
Who is like the Lord?
>> [music] >> Reigning victor, who is LIKE THE LORD?
>> [music] >> KING FOREVER, ALMIGHTY >> [singing] >> righteous God.
Holy >> [music] >> is your name, for you are great >> [singing] >> and greatly to >> [music] >> be praised.
God, you are faithful.
You're more than [music] able. We stand in awe >> [singing] >> of your excellent ways.
God, you are mercy [music] and you are worthy of all [singing] the honor and the praise.
God, you are faithful. [music] You're more than >> [singing] >> able. We stand in awe of your excellent ways.
God, you are mercy mercy, and you are worthy [music] of all the [singing] honor and the praise.
All praise.
Who is like you [music] among >> [singing] >> the gods?
Who is like you, majestic in holiness, [singing] awesome in praises, >> [music] >> working wonders?
>> [singing] >> There's no other.
You are God.
Who is [music] like you, the creator of all?
Who is like you, the rock of salvation, our great redeemer, [music] hope of forever?
There's no other.
You are God.
Who is >> [music] >> like you among the gods?
Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome >> [music] >> in praises, working wonders?
There's no other.
>> [music] >> You are God.
Who is like you, the creator of all?
Who is >> [music and singing] >> like you, the rock of salvation, our great redeemer, >> [music] >> hope of forever?
There's no other.
>> [music] >> You are God.
God, you are faithful.
YOU'RE MORE THAN >> [music] >> ABLE. WE STAND IN AWE OF YOUR excellent ways.
God, you are mercy, >> [music] >> and you are worthy of all the honor and the >> [music] >> God, you are faithful.
You're more than able. We stand in awe [music and singing] of your excellent ways.
God, you are mercy, and you [music] are worthy of all the honor and the praise.
All praise.
>> [music] >> All praise.
>> [music] >> Would you all stand for the God's word?
Thank you.
I'm kind of loud anyway.
This is Ephesians 1:15 [music] through 23.
For this reason, because [music] I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, >> [music] >> that the God of our Lord Jesus, the Father of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the [music] hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, >> [music] >> and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according [music] to the working of his great might, that he worked in Christ when [music] he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, [music] far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name, not only of this age, >> [music] >> but in the age to come.
And he put all things under his feet [music] and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all [music] in all.
>> [music] >> Open [music] the eyes of my [singing] heart, Lord.
Open the eyes of my heart.
I want to see [music] you.
I [singing] want to see you.
Open [music and singing] the eyes of my heart, Lord.
Open the eyes of my heart.
I want [music] to see you.
I want to see you.
>> [music] >> See you high and >> [singing] >> lifted up.
>> [music] >> Shining in the light of your glory.
Pour [music and singing] out your power and love as we sing holy, [music] holy, holy.
Open the [music and singing] eyes of my heart, Lord.
Open the eyes of my heart.
I want to see you.
I want to see you. This is our prayer.
>> [music] >> Open [singing] the eyes of my heart, Lord.
Open [music] the eyes [singing] of my heart.
I want to see you.
I want to [music and singing] see you.
To see you high and lifted up shining [music] in the [singing] light of your glory pour out your power [music] and love as we sing holy, holy, [singing] holy.
See you high and lifted >> [singing] >> up shining [music] in the light of your glory pour out your [music and singing] power and love as we sing holy, holy, >> [music and singing] >> see you high and lifted up shining in the light of your glory >> [singing and music] >> pour out your power and love as we sing [music and singing] holy, holy, holy, [singing and music] holy, holy holy, holy, holy holy, holy, [music and singing] holy.
I want to see We join the angels. [music] holy, [singing] holy, holy holy, [music and singing] holy, holy holy, holy, holy.
I want [music] to see you.
holy, holy, [singing] holy [music] holy, holy, holy holy, [singing] holy, [music] holy.
I want to see >> [music] >> you. Amen, we praise you, God.
>> The spirit and the bride say, "Come."
And let the one who hears say, "Come."
And let the one who's thirsty come.
Let the one who desires >> [music] >> take the water of life without price.
And he who testifies [music] to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon."
Amen.
Come, Lord Jesus.
Revelation [music] 22, verses 17 and 20.
Sometimes [singing] I fall >> [music] >> to my knees and pray.
Come, Jesus, [music] come.
Let today [singing] be the day.
>> [music] >> Sometimes [singing] I feel >> [music] >> like I'm going to break. [singing] But I'm holding [singing] on [music] to a hope [singing] that won't fade.
>> [music] >> So, come, Jesus, [singing] come.
We've been waiting [singing and music] so long for the day [music and singing] you return to heal every hurt and right every wrong.
>> [singing] >> We need you >> [singing] >> right right now. [music] Come and turn [singing] this around.
[music] Cuz deep down [music] I know [singing] this world isn't home.
Come, [music] Jesus, come.
>> [singing] >> Come, [music] Jesus, come.
There'll be [music and singing] no more war.
Yes.
There'll be no chains. [music] When Jesus comes.
>> [music] >> Oh, let today [singing] be the day.
Cuz he'll come [music and singing] for the weak and the strong just the same.
[music and singing] And all will believe >> [music] >> in the [singing] power of his name.
>> [music] >> Oh, come, Jesus, [singing] come.
Oh, we've been waiting [music and singing] so long for the day [music and singing] you return to heal every hurt and right every [music and singing] wrong.
We need [music] you [singing] right now.
Come and [music and singing] turn this around.
Deep [singing and music] down I know this world isn't home.
Come, [music] Jesus, come.
>> [singing] >> Come, Jesus, [music and singing] come.
One day he'll come. [singing] >> [music] >> And we'll stand face to face.
>> [music] >> So, come and lay it [singing] all down.
>> [music] >> Cuz it might be today.
>> [music] >> The time is [singing] right now.
>> [music] >> There's no [singing] need to wait.
Cuz your past will be washed >> [singing and music] >> by rivers of grace. [music and singing] So, come, Jesus, come.
>> [singing] [music] >> We've been waiting so long for the [music] day you return to heal every [singing] hurt and right [music] every wrong.
>> [singing] >> We need [music] you right now.
Come and turn [singing] this around.
[music] Deep down [music and singing] I know this world isn't home.
Come, Jesus, come.
>> [singing] >> Come, Jesus, come.
>> [music] >> Come, [singing] Jesus, come.
>> [music] >> Jesus, we invite you to come into this room.
We know [music] you're here because we brought you with us. The spirit of God is alive in your children, so we praise you for that.
And you're here [music] to minister, to guide, to encourage, to convict, [music] to bring wisdom and truth.
So, will we listen to that? Will we expect that from you?
>> [music] >> And we ask in the mighty name of Jesus that you would come into the situations of this room and make yourself known and help us to trust you.
In Jesus' mighty name. [music] Amen.
Church, you can be seated as the choir continues to lead us.
Lord [music] bless you and keep you.
Make his face shine on [music and singing] and be gracious to you.
Lord [music] turn his face toward you and give you peace.
>> [music] >> The [music] bless and keep keep you.
Make His face shine [music] upon you, and be gracious to you.
The Lord turn His >> [music] >> face toward you, and give you peace.
Amen. [music] Amen.
>> [music] >> Amen.
Amen.
>> [music] >> Amen.
>> [music] >> Amen.
>> [music] >> The Lord bless you, and keep >> [music] >> you.
Make His face shine upon you, and be >> [music] >> gracious to you.
The Lord >> [singing] >> turn His face toward >> [music] >> you, and give you peace.
>> [music] >> Amen.
>> [music] >> Amen.
>> [music] >> Amen.
>> [music] >> Amen.
Amen.
>> [music] >> Amen.
>> [music] >> Amen.
>> [music] [singing] [music] [music] [music] >> May His favor be upon [music] you and a thousand generations and your family and your children and their children [music] and their children.
May His favor be upon [music] you and a thousand generations >> [singing] >> and your family >> [music] >> and your children and their children and their children.
>> [music] >> May His favor go before you and behind you and beside you all around you and within you.
He is with you.
He is with you >> [music] >> in the morning in the evening in your coming >> [music] >> and your going in your weeping and rejoicing.
He is for you.
He is for you.
>> [music] >> He is for you.
He is for you.
He is for you.
He is for you.
He is for you.
>> [music] >> He is for you.
>> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [singing] [music] [music] >> Amen. Thank you Peter and Jackie and and choir.
Uh kids can be dismissed to uh children's church in the in the back.
And uh and uh it's great to great to have kids in church, isn't it? Thank you to the families who make that uh making that a priority uh each and and every week.
We're really privileged this morning to have uh uh Pastor VJ and his family with us as I said earlier. Pastor VJ first came to House of Prayer in 2017.
He's a pastor in India that International Gospel Mission partners with and Jim Arnold brought him and introduced him to us at that time. You were just by yourself, but this is the second time he's brought his family with us and they have a table at the back and I know they'd love to tell you more about their ministry as if if you'd go back and and speak with them after the service. Well, Pastor VJ, why don't you come and you're going to tell us what the Lord's doing in the in your ministry.
Let me let me just pray for you as you prepare to open the word. Thank you, Lord, for Pastor VJ and the ministry that you've given him in in India.
Not just pastoring a church, but overseeing so many village pastors and and young pastors who are being trained up to lead their congregations and I just ask Lord as he now brings the word to us this morning that we we would be good hearers and not just hearers of the word, but doers only also. And Lord, we just ask you bless this time we have together in Jesus' name. Amen.
Morning, church.
Good to see you all once again. It's a such a joy to meet you all.
Of course, my name is Vijayanandam Kumaragunta.
Most of you know that.
It has a 27 letters. It's a big name.
When I come to the stage, people calls me short name.
You can go with a VJ.
And I want to appreciate church, especially pastor and the missions committee uh supporting us and standing with us for the mission and the ministry uh what we are doing in India.
The Lord is doing incredible work in India.
And you people are part of it.
You've been standing with us for the furtherance of gospel.
This morning uh I want to share about my ministry.
Before I share about my ministry, let me introduce my family.
Uh my children love to go to the Sunday school class. I just want to introduce them. I have my wife here.
Her name is Eunice.
Uh thank you. Thank you, sir.
Yeah. Uh >> [applause] >> Keep Thank you. Keep praying for Eunice.
Uh as Pastor mentioned, children ministry is incredible. They need to have a separate classes. We need to bring them up.
Uh in our church, we have 150 children.
So, 150 children.
Eunice and other couple women in the church, they take care of the children ministry.
And she is a great blessing for me in the ministry.
Please do pray for Eunice. She has been going through the uh little health difficulties.
Many of you know that she had a polio uh when she was 6 months old.
Uh due to that, there is a gap at the hip.
Uh 3 in gap.
She goes through the lot of back pain.
If any of you have a back pain, you understand what I'm speaking.
And she cannot sleep well in the night.
But thank the Lord, she is a great helpful for me in the ministry.
Uh God is doing incredible work.
We are blessed with the two children.
I have my son, Timothy, is going to turn 13 in November.
Uh thank you. [applause] Thank you.
Thank you.
I asked him, "What do you want to be when you to up?"
He said to me, "I want to serve the Lord.
I told him in India it's very difficult.
We live in the country uh where the Christians are more persecuted.
It's very challenging. It's very difficult.
I said to him, you still want to be a pastor? You should you still want to serve the Lord?
He said to me, um I will serve the Lord as long as God permits me.
If God gives me 10 years, I will serve 10 years and get out of this world.
That's what his dedication.
And I request you to please do pray that Lord may use him in the days to come.
Amen.
And I have my daughter, of course, daughters are always dad's little princess.
You know.
>> [applause] >> Thank you. Thank you.
Eva Eva is my daughter.
And continue to pray that she want to serve the Lord. She want to be a cardiologist.
She says that when I am a doctor, cardiologist, I keep the knife at the heart and say you must believe on Jesus, brother.
You know.
You know, she want to do that. I know I don't know. It may be threatening to them.
You know.
She She want to do that. Keep praying for her and uh keep praying for my family. And I want to thank you every one of you for for praying for us, uh standing with us. I still remember almost to 10 years ago, uh Pastor Jeff, you know, he is he was very young. Of course, he is young today, no doubt about it.
Um 10 years ago we met.
Uh he took me to the in some kind of restaurant.
I never saw I mean pizza buffet. I never saw that.
He took me to the pizza buffet. He said, you eat whatever you want, you know.
I was tired of eating at the time.
You can see my shape now.
That's the reason is a pastor Jeff, not me. Thank you, pastor.
I'm just kidding.
You may be seated. If you want to go for Sunday school, you can go. I have a small video which speaks about my ministry.
One more person I just want to thank. I want to thank brother Jim Arnold who introduced me to the wonderful church, House of Prayer.
Without him, it's not possible. It's not possible.
Jim Arnold has been a great blessing for me.
He took me around, introduced me to the churches.
I introduced our ministry to the churches. I really appreciate brother Jim and thank you so much. We continue to pray for him. I have a small video which speaks about our ministry. We'll see the video which is a 4 minutes, then I can come and bring the God's word.
Dear pastor and wonderful church, thank you for allowing me to share this update. I am deeply grateful for your prayers, love, [music] and generous support which have enabled us to continue reaching many for Christ.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. [music] For it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth.
To the Jew first and also to [music] the Greek. Romans 1:16.
We are witnessing a powerful movement.
Our church is growing and so is our influence.
>> [music] >> Souls are being saved, baptized, and added to the body of Christ. It is a joy to see lives transformed by the power [music] of God.
Through discipleship, we now have over 380 pastors [music] trained and serving in house churches and small gatherings.
Today, more than 27,000 people [music] gather to worship God guided by over 320 pastors serving in villages and cities.
Between 2024 [music] and 2025 alone, nearly 80 new house churches were planted.
We go out regularly through street preaching, gospel crusades, and outreach to unreached and tribal communities.
[music] Even in the face of persecution, the Lord is at work.
In many places, there [music] are restrictions, and in some areas, there is no permission to freely preach the gospel.
Because of anti-conversion laws, we face opposition, accusations, and at times [music] even imprisonment.
Some pastors have been put behind bars for the sake of the gospel. Yet, in the midst of all this, the spirit of the Lord is moving greatly.
People are hungry for the word of God.
Souls are [music] being saved and lives are being changed.
We count it a privilege to suffer for his name.
In one recent crusade, despite heavy rain, 145 people [music] surrendered their lives to Christ.
Our Bible college, SATCS, remains a cornerstone of this ministry. [music] Dedicated faculty train students for ministry. So far, nearly 150 students have graduated through about eight graduations.
They are now serving in different parts of India, and the Lord is doing incredible work through them. We have seen 120 graduates start Bible believing churches in different regions, including Delhi and Bengal. [music] We also have a special burden for underprivileged slum children.
These children lack basic necessities [music] and often cannot attend school.
The Lord has given us a heart for them.
We provide food, clothing, and school materials, believing that education and Christ [music] bring hope.
When we serve them, we see joy on their faces, and through this ministry, many [music] families have come to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. We also go to the streets where children are abandoned, >> [music] >> hungry, and without shelter.
Especially during the rainy season, their suffering is great.
We continue to go [music] regularly, feeding them, clothing them, and helping them in every way we can.
The Lord has also opened doors for pastoral training across different parts of India. [music] Through this ministry, many pastors are being equipped, and we are seeing great fruit.
Our ministry includes church planting, children's ministry, training programs, literature distribution, care for orphans and widows, skill development, evangelistic crusades, and relief work during times of need.
Our vision to ignite a spiritual transformation across India through the power of the gospel, bringing light into darkness, hope to the broken, and life through Jesus Christ to every soul is to see 10,000 churches established across India and neighboring nations.
We now have a special burden and vision to building more house churches, Bible college, and school for underprivileged [music] children, providing them with education, food, and a safe place to grow.
We are also working toward building proper facilities for our Bible college and church gatherings. [music] These are not just buildings, but an eternal investment in the lives of children and future leaders. [music] How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?
And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
And how shall they hear without [music] a preacher?
Romans 10:14 We thank all our partners for standing with us in this ministry. Will you join us? Please pray for us, partner with us, and invest [music] in this eternal work.
Thank you. God bless you. God bless America.
Thank [applause] you. Thank you so much.
I want to request you to please do remember us in your prayers.
Uh we serve in the frontline in India.
Uh it's getting very complicated in India.
You cannot share the gospel anymore in the streets.
And we cannot able to build the churches also.
Uh we try to build a house churches.
And house churches house churches are something that we build a small house where the pastor stay. We call it parsonage.
The same place where the people gather for the worship.
We conduct the Bible studies.
And the Lord is incredibly working on that.
So kind of continue to remember us in your prayers.
Uh we have a great challenge where I'm serving.
Um radicals want to build a temple right in front of our church.
They have a public park.
They occupied it.
And they want to build a temple there.
And every Sunday is a is a big day for us.
They try to hinder the people not to come to the church.
They try to do all kinds of things.
And lot of lot of lot of things are going on.
Continue to remember us in our prayers.
Over 380 pastors are working with us in different places.
And please do remember them. When I come to the states, um I try to raise some funds for them.
I go back whenever I receive some support from the churches, I distribute them to the my uh fellow workers who works with me in the field.
One of the greatest joyful thing is every day people get saved.
You can see many people are getting saved every day round the clock. I have a PowerPoint. We just want to Yeah. Oh, we Yeah.
Um India, of course, it's a very populated country in the world.
We have 1.4 billion people.
It's a 1/3 of size of United States.
It's the largest populated country in the world.
You can see the world map there.
Next slide, sir, please.
Yeah. You can see that this image has been taken from the Joshua Projects.
And they say that you can see the red color. All the red color the places where you have to reach the gospel. We go back the previous image. Yeah.
You see that all the colors there? The red color is all the areas you need to reach the gospel.
Look at the India.
India has a 2% of Christians. Only two.
Lot of missionaries came to India.
We've been doing lot of work.
Yet, you know, there are lot of lot of people yet to hear the gospel.
There are so many villages.
There are so many areas.
So many tribal places they never ever heard about Jesus Christ.
We try to reach them.
We walk miles to go to them and share the gospel.
And so many people are getting saved. Let's see the next one, sir, please. This is the India map.
We live in a here. We call it Hyderabad, Telangana, state of Telangana.
We are from there.
And the praise God, God is the place where we are living. We have a 12 million people. 12 million people.
And we go out every day.
We share the gospel. We go with the gospel tracts.
When we go with the gospel tracts, so many times we see the hindrances.
People doesn't like to have a receive the gospel tract.
I remember I shared with you one time I was sharing the gospel on the street and passing the gospel tract.
One man very mad on me.
He doesn't want to listen about anything. He doesn't want to listen about Jesus.
He kicked with his shoe on my stomach.
His shoe mark was there for the 6 months on my stomach.
It's a horrible.
I was behind the bars for the preaching the gospel.
And when they have taken me to the prison, of course my family, my wife and children they thought that I will not make it.
We remember book of Acts chapter number 12.
When the Peter and James was taken, they killed James.
And the church prayed for the Peter. God delivered Peter.
God delivered Peter.
And one of the thing when I was in the prison, and the church prayed, some of you received a prayer letter from my wife.
Uh some of you people prayed for us.
And thank the Lord God brought us safely out.
Um praise God for that.
And recently in April 19, 19th of April, the radicals came again upon the church.
They attacked us. They attacked us.
Consistently it goes on in India.
They want to our prime minister, our nation, they want to make us one nation, one religion.
They want to make us Hindu country.
We do not have any problem with the Muslims.
The Muslim population is very less, very very less.
But the Hindu population is huge.
They they try to eradicate the churches, eradicate pastors.
Very recently a couple days ago in Manipur, many of you may know about it.
Um they came and they had taken almost more than uh 35 pastors.
Among them, they killed a couple pastors.
And they kept a couple of them. They warned them, "We are going to kill."
This is the what the situation we go through in India.
Uh I would like to request you to pray for India.
The Lord may do the incredible work in India.
And um we don't afraid because the persecution is not new thing.
Persecution is there all the time.
The church and the persecution always together.
Church is grown in the midst of the persecution.
You remember from the first century till today, the church is grown always in the midst of the persecution.
I also see it's coming in America.
It's a coming in America.
Many of you know, many of you may not know about what is exactly persecution meaning.
I see it is coming.
I do see it is coming.
Because so many people other countries, they come and they try to build the temples and mosque. I'm not trying to make any political comment on that.
But I want to let you know that you know, they are trying to build them.
They are trying to pollute the children from the childhood.
They are trying to destroy the purity of the nation.
It's It's coming up.
I You need to be very careful about the nation. You must also remember, we pray for the America. And of course, you also do that. I strongly believe that.
In this morning, I don't want to walk through the all the PowerPoint. But I want to go through the sermon. I want to encourage you. Since it's a Sunday, let's turn our Bibles to book of Romans chapter number 10, please.
Romans chapter number 10.
We'll be reading from verse number 1 and 2.
Maybe we'll be walking through the couple of verses from this passage.
Romans chapter number 10, please.
Brethren, my heart to desire and my prayer to be for the to God for the Israel is that they might be saved.
For I bear them record of that they have a zeal of God, but not according to the knowledge of God's righteousness.
For the being ignorant of God's righteousness and going about establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
May the Lord bless this passage in this morning.
Dear brothers and sisters, when we look into the book of Romans, book of Romans is a incredible book from the Bible.
It speaks about so many important things of human being.
It speaks about sin.
It speaks about the solution for the sin.
It speaks about the holiness of God. It also speaks about the plan of God.
When we come to the chapter number 9, chapter number 10, chapter number 11, it speaks about the plan of God for the Israel, people of Israel.
And they need to get saved.
Especially when we read chapter number 9, verse number verse number 1, I say truth in Christ, I lie not. My conscience also being me brings me a witness in Holy Ghost.
You know, Paul is speaking a beautiful thing here. He tried to say that I speak truth. I'm not lying.
BECAUSE MY HEART DESIRE, I HAVE a burden that my people need to get saved.
My people need to HEAR THE GOSPEL.
PAUL SPEAKS ABOUT THE PLAN OF GOD. HE SPEAKS ABOUT THE SALVATION.
God has a eternal plan for everybody.
Everybody.
One of the ministry I admire from the house of prayer, which is a Bible camp.
So many students come up.
So many children come here. They hear the gospel.
I want to appreciate you. I want to clap for you for that. You've been doing incredible work for that. Bringing the children and feeding them and feeding the word of God to them.
It's incredible work. Praise God. May the Lord continue to bless you.
Coming to the subject. When we read the book of Romans chapter number 10, I want to talk to you the biblical mandate for the missions.
Biblical mandate for the mission.
GOD HAS A DESIRE FOR THE PEOPLE.
WHEN WE READ THE BOOK OF EXODUS CHAPTER number two, we read a beautiful thing.
God has a desire to deliver the people of Israel from the bondage.
We read very clearly in the passage, God has seen the affliction of the people.
Affliction of the people. We read in Exodus chapter number two and verse number eight, the Bible says, I'm reading from the King James version.
And I am come down to deliver them out of the hands of Egyptians.
God's desire, GOD'S PASSION, God always having a desire to save the people.
People are in bondage.
They are bondage for the sin. There are so many people addicted to the so many worldly things. In India, WE GO FOR THE STREET PREACHING. One of the greatest need I see in the street whenever I meet the young people.
They love to receive the gospel.
They tells me all the time, "Brother, I am a addicted to the drugs."
I don't know how far in America. No, I don't know that. But there are so many younger generation, they were unto THE SLAVERY. THEY SOLD themself for the addictions.
They were not able to come back.
Let me tell you good news today. MY GOD IS A GOD who can deliver from bondage.
Who can bring you out from any kind of issues, any kind of challenges, my God can bring out. My God can bring out.
The Lord saw the affliction of the people.
The Lord saw the difficulty of the people.
And he called Moses. He introduced himself. I am that I am. Then he said unto me, "Moses, you need to go to the people of Israel. You need to go to the Pharaoh. YOU NEED TO DELIVER THEM."
And Moses has given five excuses.
And he said, "Uh God, I cannot do."
Even pastor makes announcement and the Bible camp director or whoever makes a announcement by saying, "Buddies, you need to participate in the Bible camp."
Some people may say that, "Oh, well, I'm not I'm not well to do that."
"I don't have a good language. I I I don't know." So many people have a so many excuses. Let me tell you one thing.
If you are ready to used by God, God can use anybody.
God God he has used a broken vessel.
MOSES WAS A FEARFUL MAN. HE RUN AWAY FROM THE PHARAOH. He He run away to the Midianites.
Still, God can use him.
A extraordinary God. The extraordinary God can use us. He will use us. He uses ordinary people.
He focuses upon the ordinary people. He can use them. As the God HAS A DESIRE.
AND the Paul says, whatever the desire God has, I also has it the same desire.
I tell you the truth.
He says, chapter number 10, verse number 1, brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God of God for the Israel is they might be saved. They might be saved.
And this morning, I just want to talk to you four important things. Number one, the first one is the desire of the Paul.
The missions, the mandate for the missions is you MUST HAVE A DESIRE.
YOU MUST HAVE A PASSION.
WHEN YOU HAVE A DESIRE FOR THE MISSIONS, God can use you.
So many people in this world, they have a so many desires. Some want to earn the money. Some want to do some kinds of things of their life. Some people have a desire to build a big bungalow. That's okay. That's a good to have a desires.
But what is your desire for the mission?
Paul says he has a desire. I never READ IN THE SCRIPTURE PAUL HAD A BEAUTIFUL BUILDING. I never saw that.
I never saw that. PAUL'S DESIRE IS HE WANT TO TRAVEL AND HE WANT TO SHARE THE GOSPEL TO THE PEOPLE.
To the people. There are a so many people yet to hear the gospel. In the first century, we see the first century church always have a desire to send the missionaries.
Send the missionaries overseas.
They have done that.
And I appreciate the house of prayer.
You people stand with us. We have a desire to reach our nation. MY WE ARE A FRONTLINE WORKERS. We see the persecution. We see the hatredness. Yet we work because, you know, the Lord called us to work there.
The Lord called us to work there.
We continue to work.
And I want to thank you all for standing with us for the furtherance of God's the first thing what we see the desire of the heart.
He has a desire and he has a burden for the people.
We must have a desire.
God is a God who can fulfill the desires of your heart.
The desires of your heart.
We need to have a right desire.
Right passion for the gospel.
When you have that, God can do incredible work. We read in We read in the Psalms chapter number 27 verse number four. You know, David says, "I have a desire to dwell in the house of God, to go to the house of God." He has a desire to do that. We also read in the Psalm 23 What end of the verse he says that throughout my life I want to dwell in the house of God. That's his desire.
That's his desire.
That is everybody have a desire for the Lord's work.
There are the people yet to hear the gospel.
When we read in the book of Hebrews chapter number 11, it speaks about the heroes of faith in the Bible.
When we come to the chapter number 11 verse number four, it speaks about the two brothers, Cain and Abel.
We read about their story in Genesis chapter number four.
When we look into these two two brothers, Abel was a killed by his own brother.
Killed by his own brother.
The Bible says, Abel died at he speaketh.
At he speaketh.
Surprising to me is how can a dead person can speak?
Dead man cannot speak, but the Bible says, he died at he speaketh.
How is that possible?
He speaks through his faith.
He speaks through his work. He speaks through his righteous sacrifice what he has made to the Lord.
Dear brothers and and if you have a right desire, you can do the great things for the Lord.
It doesn't have to be, you know, you doesn't have to have a great qualification. If If you have to share the gospel, you don't have to graduate in Moody Theological College and Seminary, no.
You You just need to know the gospel, and you can share the gospel to the people. The first one what we see, the desire of the Paul.
The second one we also notice, you know, missions minded. If you want to have a biblical missions minded, first thing you need to have a desire.
Desire for the people.
They need to know the Lord.
They need to You need to have a same desire which God has. The second one is Paul says, here the first one is his desire, the second one is his prayer.
He prays for the people. Not only having a desire, when you have the biblical prospective for the missions is the first one is a desire, the second one is a prayer.
He prays for the people.
Dear church, how much time you spend with the Lord?
Do you have a habit of prayer?
Everybody, every individual, sometimes we can talk TO THE SOMEBODY IN PHONE HOUR.
WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO PRAY ONE HOUR.
YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO TALK TO THE Lord for hour.
Let me encourage you.
Prayer changes everything.
Prayer heals the broken hearted.
Prayer brings the revelation. You know, prayer brings You know, REVELATION AND RESTORATION to the churches.
In America, I thank the Lord for the House of Prayer is doing incredibly.
There are so many churches in America are going down not because of lack of preachers, no. They have a wonderful preachers, but the problem is they lack in prayer.
Prayer is essential.
Paul says that I I I HAVE A DESIRE. NOT THAT NOT only desire, I have a I pray for them.
Every individual here, let me encourage you today.
You may know some of your friends. You may know some of your colleagues. You may know some of your neighbors who are not who is not saved. You can write them write down their names. You can pray for them.
Pray for their salvation.
Let me give you abbreviation for the prayer.
Prayer has a six letters.
In P, P stands for there is a power in prayer.
There is a power in prayer.
You may not see that.
IT IS UNSEEN POWER.
Which delivered Peter from the prison.
NO NO INFLUENCE CAN WORK THERE. NO AUTHORITY CAN WORK there to the Roman government. The first century church in book of book of Acts chapter number 12, they gathered and prayed and the Peter could able to release from the prison.
Today is a a day of Pentecost actually.
You know the first century church, they gathered in the upper room for the prayer.
Very small group. They prayed. God brought the revelation.
So many people can able to hear the gospel. R R stands for restoration.
Prayer restores everything.
Brokenness can be healed. The restoration can be done through the prayer. Anybody fallen away from their spiritual life, when you pray for them, God will bring them back.
God will bring them back. Prayer does the restoration. A, in prayer there is authority.
According to John chapter number one verse number 12, we read that we are the children of God. We can go to the Christ. Matthew chapter number seven verse number seven says that ask, it shall be given unto you.
We can ask to the Lord because he said, you can ask me.
We can pray in with authority. Why? Y stands for yielding in prayer.
[clears throat] We should have a submission.
That's the reason we read in the James chapter number four, verse number two and three, you are not asking, that's the reason you are not receiving.
If you want to receive, ask to the Lord.
Submit ourself to the will of God.
Submission is necessary. We need to yield ourself. E E stands for encouragement. E stands for encouragement. When somebody prays, and other people also will be encouraged to the pray.
Sometimes the problem is if a church makes announcement, everybody tomorrow we'll have a fasting prayer. Let us pray for the 24 hours prayer.
Nobody will show up.
If you say Pastor Jeff comes up and say, "Everybody, let's go for the picnic."
Everybody is here. Everybody is here.
Pastor, I'm ready. How many days picnic?
Oh well, can we go for the 10 days? Oh, I'm ready. I don't have anything to do.
Let Let's PRAY FOR THE 10 DAYS? NO.
I have so many things to take care, Pastor.
That would be the our answer.
Hey church, let's pray. Prayer brings encouragement. The last letter, R.
Prayer is our responsibility.
Pray for the sick people.
Pray for the people. You know, we read in 1 Timothy chapter number two. If you want to live a peaceful life, you must pray for the people.
PRAY FOR THE LEADERS. Prayer is essential. Paul says that I have a desire, not only a desire, he says that I pray for them. I pray for the salvation.
Pray for India. We pray for you, dear brothers and sisters. We are safe today, not because I'm a great man, no.
They can kill us at any time, because some of the people are praying for us.
We want to thank you for that.
Many of you praying for us, that's the reason we we could able to see another day in our life. The third one is number three.
Third one is his message.
The first one is his desire.
The second one is his prayer.
The biblical mandate for the missions is a desire and prayer. And the third one is right message.
You need to have a right desire, right prayer, right message.
Paul speaks the gospel very clearly, very clearly.
And we read in verse number 9 to 10, you know, the salvation is very clear that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, thou shalt believe in thy heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Salvation message is very clear.
Paul has a right message.
Dear church, when we have a right message, God will work in right time to the hearts of the people.
I was mentioning in my video, um I was preaching in the conference.
All glory to God. Not trying to boast myself. No, no, not at all.
I was speaking in the conference.
It was raining.
When we went for the meeting, it is open air meeting.
Uh it's raining. I thought meeting will be canceled.
And we went to the meeting.
I was preaching.
The water rain is a pouring.
I don't know where they got the small sheets they got it. They hold it. One fellow was holding that side. Another man is holding this side. I was preaching.
I was preaching.
Surprisingly is people are listening.
Even in the rain.
That day, one of the greatest thing in ever in my life, 145 people accepted Christ as personal savior.
All glory to God.
I cannot do alone. The Holy Spirit, THE SPIRIT OF THE I PREACH THE MESSAGE. I SPEAK I PREACH THE RIGHT MESSAGE. Of course, spirit of the Lord worked in THEIR HEARTS.
THE GOD really worked in their heart.
So many people every day we go out and pass the gospel tracts.
People get stuck.
I don't I don't know. I hear that. Some of the time I hear immediately they got saved. They believe on Jesus Christ.
They pray sinner prayer. Sometime I hear a years later.
Years later, but right message.
Biblical mandate is right message is important.
Number four. The fourth one is Paul's prospect. Paul has some kind of prospect for the gospel. Let me speak this and close it off. We'll read verse number 14, Romans chapter number 10, verse number 14 and 15.
How then they shall call on him who they whom they have not believed?
And how shall they believe on him whom they have not hear?
And how shall they hear without preacher?
And how shall they preach without they be sent?
Paul says one prospect of going to the mission.
His prospect is very simple.
People has to believe the gospel.
If they have to believe, somebody has to hear the gospel. If somebody has TO HEAR THE GOSPEL, somebody has to preach the gospel. If somebody HAS TO PREACH THE GOSPEL, somebody has to send them.
His prospect is very simple.
The churches need to send people for the missions.
Somebody has to SEND OUT. SOMEBODY HAS to stand beside and beside with them holding their shoulder. One of the passages I like from the Numbers chapter number 16, we read you know Moses people of Israel are doing the battle with the Amalekites.
You know, when the battle was going on, Moses was a standing on the mountain and watching what is going on there.
The people of Israel defeated by the Amalekites.
And the Moses stood up and lifted up his two hands to the Lord.
God, we cannot win the battle.
We need your intervention.
You please help us. And Bible says when Moses lifted up his hands, people of Israel got victory.
And when his hands are heavy, he put the hands down.
When his hands are down, and the people of Amalekites got victory.
There are two people are observing that.
They they brought this small stone there.
They kept Moses to sit down there.
And Moses sit down. And he lifted up two hands.
One man is holding this side. The another man is holding this side.
The Bible says when his hands are heavy, two people, Aaron and Hur, they came.
They stood with the Moses holding the hands each one one side.
The mission cannot be done by one man.
When our hands are heavy, we need somebody who can stand by.
Who can hold the hand for the furtherance of gospel.
Paul has a desire to reach his own people, people of Israel.
To be honest with you, my desire, I want to see my nation to be Christian.
Because life is one-time opportunity.
They worship many gods. They don't know truth.
My desire, my prayer, my intention, my heart's burden, my nation to get saved.
And you everybody here in America, too.
Everybody need a gospel.
America need a gospel. The people need to hear the gospel.
I pray that every individual in the church may stand with the missions for the furtherance of gospel.
Let me close this matter and close it off.
Very recently, one of our pastor is serving the Lord in a rural area.
Um very tribal area.
He and his wife went there to preach the gospel.
Freshly married 3 months ago they married.
They went there. They started a church there.
Um they have a church of 50 to 70 people in the church. 50 to 70 people.
They are serving God.
And when he was preaching the gospel, he took take care of two churches.
One church here, another church is in some place.
After preaching in this church, he need to walk 5 miles to go another place and share the God's word and come back.
And completing our first church around 2:00, he went by walking for 5 miles.
Preached the God's word and supposed to come back by 9:00 in the night.
And they were blessed with the two children.
One is 3 years old, another one is 9 months, 10 months closely.
And this man went there to preach the God's word.
He did not come back by 9:00.
His wife was worried and uh she went out to find out him.
She could not find. She took the two children. One is a back, you know, tying one fellow backside, the another one is a friend side. She went to the forest taking the torchlight to find out her husband.
After walking couple miles, she found her husband dead.
Some radicals killed him.
She saw there you know, that broke her heart is they chopped off his head.
And they they put the note.
He was a preaching the gospel. They cut the tongue. It's very rude to say. I don't want to make you panic.
And they don't they said that this fellow is converting people.
Sharing the gospel.
That's the reason we killed him.
We went to the police station to make a complaint.
Nobody took it.
And they said that that fellow is a sharing the gospel.
That's the reason we killed him.
My brothers and sisters, we serve the Lord in front line.
We need your prayers.
We need your financial support, whatever the way you Lord leads you.
You can stand beside us. Thank you so much. Go to the pastor.
>> [applause] >> It's a different world, isn't it?
Different world.
Pastor, our prayers are with you.
And not just you, but for your for your nation. And the the network of churches that you help to lead and and guide and and serve.
Be before we We've got a couple of things to do before we finish the service today, but let's just let's just go to the Lord in prayer for for Pastor VJ. Lord, thank you for our brother and our sister that are with us and their their kids that are with our kids.
Lord, we have so much in common because of salvation that we have found in you. And we have all the same blessings in Christ because we are your children. And yet we we face two different realities in the countries that we live in.
We're blessed here, although so many have not received the gospel.
Uh We we've we've all had the opportunity to hear the gospel.
In a country like India, and there's many others like this country around the world that just have such a a small percentage that have even heard the gospel, let alone received it. And so Lord, our prayers are are with Pastor Vijay and Eunice, their church, their community, the the network of of churches that are just boldly proclaiming the gospel. And people are hearing and they are receiving. And Lord, we we pray and ask that that would continue. We pray for their government, that their hearts would be softened towards the ministry of the gospel in that nation, that the these pastors might preach and teach and and [music] share and shepherd without persecution. And Lord, we we think of this this young [music] family, this dear family that's lost a this this woman who's lost her husband, and these children that have lost a father. And I know there's just represents many families that have suffered persecution in this country.
Lord, would you minister to them today?
Would you continue to be all that they need? Would they be able to see your love and your goodness despite this horrific tragedy that they've had [music] to face?
Lord, we were were united together because we're we're family. We're part of the family of God. And so when one one member hurts, we all hurt. And Lord, we just ask that you would continue to [music] do a work in India, that you do a work here, that we we would have a desire that we that we would have [music] prayer for those who haven't received the gospel right here in our own community.
That we would be burdened to share that message, and that we would have a plan, and people would receive and and hear the gospel, and >> [music] >> that we would help them in their in their walk in their faith, just as Pastor Vijay and Eunice are doing around the world.
And so Lord, we just [music] thank you for this time we've had together. We prayed in Jesus' name.
Amen.
All right, before we dismiss this morning, we have a couple people we're going to welcome into our membership.
And so if if that's you, you've gone through our membership process. You know, Tony and Kathy are here and Rafael are here.
Uh Come on up. That's your cue. That's your cue. Come on up to the front. [music] Uh I'm not sure if Bill's here this morning or not.
Uh but I'd like to introduce you to newest members of our our church. And then Betty Jo and and [music] Chris, if you guys want to make your way forward, you're not new members by any stretch.
Uh but you're about to to leave for [music] uh Tanzania. So we want to pray for you guys this morning as well. Um I saw Did they have to leave already? Okay.
Okay.
>> [music] >> The Vernon and Betty Jo's daughter's in the hospital down in Gainesville. Um but we'll pray we'll pray for Chris and uh come on up guys. There's >> [music] >> room for everybody up here.
Uh come on over here, Chris. This this is Chris Hayek. She's not new to us by any stretch, but [music] Chris and Betty Jo are headed to Tanzania Wednesday. Is that right? Uh now Betty Jo, we're never sure when she's or uh excuse me, Chris, we're never sure when she's coming back.
>> [music] >> How long? I'll be back for 5 months. 5 months. So she's going to be gone for a while. Betty Jo's there for about 2 weeks.
Um and so we're going to pray for for Chris and Betty Jo. Uh but let me introduce you to new members. This is Rafael Torres. And Rafael, you've been coming to House of Prayer here for 2 or 3 months now probably. And uh it loves the Lord, has [music] a passion for the people of Israel. We heard about the passion for the people of uh of uh India to this morning.
Um Rafael has a a passion that the the nation of Israel would know the Lord.
[music] And so it's great to be welcoming him into our fellowship. And then Tony and Kathy Perna, now you guys have been around for a couple of years and and and just decided, you know what, we need to officially be say we're part of this family. And so we're excited to have them with [music] us. And you say, what does it mean to be a member of the church? Well, really it's just saying, I'm committing to this this this local body of Christ and I'm committing to to be a part, to be involved, to [music] to serve and to support. And then what we're asking of you is to say, let's welcome these people in.
Brothers and sisters in the Lord, but now also part of the the House of Prayer Church Bairsville family as well. And so, I want to pray for you guys. I want to pray for Chris and and [music] Betty Joe as we close this morning. And then after I pray, Pastor VJ and Eunice are going to be at the back to have a display table.
[music] They would love to talk with you this morning. If you would like to take them out for a meal, go back [music] and let them know and they would love to share with their ministry. We're going to have going to just say Chris will come down on this side if you want to just share >> [music] >> prayer with her, a word of encouragement as she gets ready to leave. She's going to be on this side >> [music] >> and then our new members are going to be right over here on this side. Now, one last thing.
As you leave this morning, you guys know we we don't pass the plate here at the church, but we do have giving boxes on the walls as you leave. If you would like to contribute to the ministry >> [music] >> that's taking place in in India with Pastor VJ and Eunice, anything that you would like to give to them, there are envelopes there or if you put on if you want to write a check and put in the memo Pastor VJ or India, I will make sure that all of that goes to them so they [music] can continue to do the ministry that they're doing there.
You got all that?
All right, let's pray.
Father, thank you for this time that we've had this morning. We think of Chris and Betty Joe as they get ready to leave for Tanzania this week and what opportunities they have there to share the gospel and and I know there's many meetings planned. There's events planned.
There's >> [music] >> discipleship planned and Lord we just ask as as these ladies go that you would guide them and lead them that you do a mighty work there that many would not just hear the gospel but receive it and and [music] come into the family of God.
And so Lord thank you for their willingness to go, for their passion to go and Lord we just ask that they would be effective in all that they're doing there. And then Lord we think of Raphael and Tony and Kathy and thank you for >> [music] >> letting them find us here at House of Prayer and and even for the the time already that we've had to fellowship with them, to worship with them, to study your word together with them.
[music] Lord I pray that as as they commit now to be part of this family that we would have many good years ahead. Lord thank you for each one that commits to this church and says this is going to be the the the local family that I'm going to be a part of and we just ask Lord that as we commit to one another >> [music] >> as members. It's It's not so that we can be comfortable in a nice country club where we come and just make [music] sure we get what we want but that this will be a place where we would be encouraged, where we would be discipled and we would be prepared to go out into the world that needs to hear the gospel, that [music] needs to accept Jesus as their savior. And so Lord we just ask that you would continue to do the work [music] that you began in each one of us and we pray it in Jesus name. Amen.
All right, if you want to give to Pastor VJ's ministry you can do that as you leave.
Pastor VJ and Eunice are at the back.
New members are here on your right.
And Chris headed to Africa on your left.
God bless.
>> Mhm.
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