In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of sharing the word of God and inviting others to worship. They encourage the audience to not be afraid of what others may think, but to focus on pleasing God. The speaker also discusses the concept of being a conduit of God's blessings, emphasizing the need to give to others. They draw parallels to biblical figures like Solomon and the responsibility of leaders to lead people back to God. The sermon also touches on the consequences of turning away from God, using the example of the 9/11 attacks and the symbolism of a beam breaking off from the North Tower and striking the sycamore tree that George Washington blessed. The speaker concludes by reminding the audience that God's judgment is His mercy, and that change and repentance are necessary.

The title of these meetings are Perilous Times. It comes from the book of 2 Timothy, chapter 3, beginning to read verse 1. Please listen. This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful and unholy. Verse 4, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, incontinent means casting off all restraint, fierce, despises of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. Verse 5, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof, from such turn away. Please look up. God says that this what defines, in his mind's eye, not in human psychology, but since he created us and we did not create ourselves, he says this what denotes if you're living in the last days. Now many people, as my wife said, well they said, haven't they said that, my husband, over the centuries in Jesus' time, they thought it was the last days, and there was a form of it. And then they said in the 18th century, wasn't this the last days, and yes, there's a form of it. And during World War I, in the 20s, in the teens, in World War II, in the 40s, they said, isn't this the last days? And it was, there was a form of it. You see, the opera starts, and there's a beginning, and there's a middle, but there's an end of an opera. A football game has a first quarter, it has a second quarter. The same kind of things happen, but there is a fourth quarter. Let me ask you if these are perilous times. For men shall be lovers of them own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce despisers of those that are good, traitors, petty, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. So I'm going to give you a little multiple choice, and I want to get some help. This is interactive. What I just read, what God defines as perilous times, is that A, these things have not transpired at all yet. B, some of these things have transpired, and we're in the process of. Or C, these things have already been happening, and we're living in the midst of it. Do you really believe in C? And you would be correct. I looked up in Webster's dictionary what perilous means. It means this, danger. It means liability of harm that could cost you your life. God says these are perilous times, and what he defines as perilous times, you just heard. Now, for those of you that heard this story from my earlier service today in New Jersey, and or Wall Street last Wednesday, because we teach down in another church at Wall Street on Wednesdays, I'll tell you this quick true story. The first capital of this country was in Washington, D.C. It was right here in New York City, the first two years. And the first president of the United States that the Electoral College appointed was George Washington. And he had his inauguration in a building called Federal Hall right down here at Wall Street, April 30th, in another 25 days, 1789. And after they had, on the balcony of Federal Hall, with the Vice President, John Quincy Adams, the Senate, at that time there were six, the House of Representatives, a handful, and the Chancellor of New York City, they walked to St. Paul's Church to spend two hours in prayer to dedicate the birth of this country to God. The President of the United States, the first president, and there's only one first, like this is only the first meeting, you can have two, three, four multiples, but there's only one first. The first president spent two hours in prayer dedicating and pleading the blood of Jesus Christ over the United States of America. And then he walked out of St. Paul Chapel and there was a sycamore tree. And he laid as he kneeled in prayer and he put his hand on the sycamore tree and he prayed this prayer, and I'm paraphrasing. Are you listening? Wow, that's good. This is the prayer that he prayed. He said, Father, give this country America as long as we keep in your ways. Bless this country because we cannot commit ourselves to government until we first commit ourselves to you. Amen. Come on. And then he gave a warning besides the blessing. The warning was this. He said, and if we turn from your ways to our own ways, I know, O Lord, have mercy on us but that you remove your providential hand, you remove your hand of mercy and blessing over this country. A hundred and fifty years ago was the last national revival in this country. There hasn't been another one since. All the missionaries that we sent out to Scotland, to Europe, to Africa, to Asia, every country is having a revival except this country. Now the missionaries we sent out are coming back and ministering to us because we are falling away from God. Now, was there any greater country than America? Even though it's economically bankrupt now, everybody still wants to come here. But look over the history of America. George Washington's prayer came to fruition at that same sycamore tree and God's blessing has been upon this country. But unfortunately, as the blessing has come to fruition, so was the warning. Because at 9-11, when the North Tower fell, a beam broke off from the North Tower. It's like that of a sci-fi movie. You can see it online, Google it. Isn't it sad you have to see if I'm telling you it's truth versus Google versus your Bible? You see how we've fallen away? But you can see it online. The history of what I told you. The North Tower had a beam fly two New York City blocks and guess where it struck of all places? The sycamore tree that George Washington blessed this country. So where he put the blessing came God's judgment. But be encouraged, saints of God, his judgment is his mercy if you're willing to change. Did you hear what I said? His judgment is his mercy. Because the psalmist says his mercy endures forever. Now, when it struck the sycamore tree, all the roots were exposed. You can see it online. And a world famous artist out of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, he has things all around museums, Chicago Museum, things in Europe, called Steve Tobin. The city contracted him. You can see it if you go down to Wall Street and Broadway. They did something to me that sounds satanic. They bronzed the roots, the exposed roots of the sycamore tree. Anybody ever see that down on Wall Street? You saw it down on Wall Street? Wall Street and Broadway. Amen? You just saw it today? When I spoke Wednesday on Wall Street, you went over there. It's on Wall Street and Broadway. They bronzed the roots of the sycamore tree. And in its place, they put a cedar tree, a spruce. A spruce is a coniferous evergreen. It's also in the cedar family. And Governor George Pataki said these words, and I'm paraphrasing. He said, We will rebuild. I heard that somewhere in the Bible. I think it was the Tower of Babel. John Edwards, the following year, on the anniversary of 9-11, when he was running for President of the United States, came to that same location. And he said, We would rebuild. And of all things, Tom Daschle, at that time, the majority of congressmen, came to the House of Representatives. The majority leader is the proper verbiage. And he came the following day, and he said, Out of all places, you know where he quoted out of the Bible? Isaiah, chapter 9, verse 10, and verse 9-11. That's okay. Thank you, Jerry. Turn to the book of Isaiah, chapter 9, my beloved. Because what I say is irrelevant. 2 Timothy 2.15 says, Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. You should take everything I'll be speaking every Sunday night, and check it against your Bible. And when you do, by inspiration, in the Hebrew of the Kadesh Ruach, which is the Holy Ghost, you could line up your Bible to the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal, and what's happening in the world. Because we are in perilous times. But be encouraged. Because it hit the sycamore tree, the only, they call it the miracle of 9-11, the only building that wasn't destroyed, was the church that George Washington prayed, the St. Paul's Church. So no matter what happens, if you have an abiding, honest relationship with Jesus Christ, the church, you will be protected. Somebody praise His holy name. Now everything I just told you in current events, which you can see online tonight, or when you get back to your hotel room, you Google, you see pictures of the Ruach, you see the pictures of, do you know that's in the book of Isaiah, that was written thousands of years ago? That's why we're calling this meeting, Watchmen on the Wall. Because we're living in perilous times. I'm coming here and I'm believing there's going to be lines of people outside this place, in a very short time, dying for the word of God. Because the time is short. Amen. Isaiah chapter 9, my beloved. I didn't write it. I'm just a messenger reading it. Verse 10, please listen. The bricks are falling down, but we build with hewn stones. The sycamores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars. They didn't even know what they were doing. Now, Pastor Bruce, you taught about the sycamore and the cedars, but how about the hewn stones? Well, when you go online later, you'll see Governor George Pataki at that time, the governor of New York State, authorized them to represent New York State as the foundation being built. My Bible says the foundation is Jesus Christ. He's the chief cornerstone. But the governor said, get Adirondacks rock and cut out hewn stones, and you could see that down on Wall Street. God is real. Everything in this Bible has come or will come to fruition. You and I just need to get more serious with God. God is not angry at us, but he wants us to change. And your life is not formed by your dreams. Your life is formed by your choices. We better start getting more serious with the Lord. The bricks are falling down. So I said, Lord, why was it a beam? And the Holy Ghost gave it to me, the Scripture. Get the beam out of your eye before you get the speck out of your brother's eye. That's why it was a beam, exposing the roots of hidden sin, the hypocrisy of Wall Street. Oh, by the way, do you know how Wall Street got started? 24 men, 24 men met under a buttonwood tree. It's called the Buttonwood Agreement. And they started Wall Street. I did a little research. You know what I found out a buttonwood tree is? Sycamore family. That's what we'll be teaching here every week. Because we're in perilous times, dangerous times. There's not going to be any empty hallelujah. You're not going to have an eloquent excuse to your boss, to your mother, father, your professor, sister, and brother. When you stand and I stand before the kings of kings and lord of lords, His holiness will kill us. He says in scriptures that we should judge ourselves, least thou be judged. By the measure we judge, we'll be judged. Everything I say and document in current events that we'll be meeting here every Sunday will be documented in this word of God. The current events doesn't document this. This documents the current events. Amen. Somebody's... Listen. Someone's in danger. Right now. They woke up this morning, they didn't think it could happen to them. Our houses are also on spiritual fire. You need to start telling people about these meetings Sunday night. Because the time is short. We're in perilous times. Now I told you what George Washington did. Where did he follow that model? Please turn to 2 Chronicles 1. I love scriptures. We'll go back to Isaiah in a little bit. In the Old Testament, turn to 2 Chronicles 1. Here's a man who governed. His name was King Solomon, the son of David. God did not let David build the tabernacle because he was a man of war. So he waited for his son Solomon to build it. You'll see here in 2 Chronicles 1, God bless you, that Solomon would never ever go to the throne before he went to the altar. Solomon, as king, the equivalent of a president, a legislator, as a king, he went to the tabernacle before he went to the throne. Before he did acts of government, he wanted to experience the acts of God. Come on. 2 Chronicles 1. Solomon asks for wisdom. And Solomon, the son of David, was strengthened in his kingdom. And the Lord, his God, was with him and magnified him exceedingly. Touch your heart and say, Lord, magnify me exceedingly. Lord, magnify me exceedingly. And now believe that. Believe that prayer for yourself. Believe it. You're believing something. Perhaps you're believing it won't happen. You're believing things are going to get worse for you or better. Why not believe things are going to get better? Say exceedingly. Abundantly. Bless me. That's God's language. Exceedingly, abundantly. Change your internal thinking, your vocabulary. That's how God talks. Not just making it, not using Visa to pay MasterCard. How God talks about it is exceedingly, abundantly. And that refers to money also. Oh, did you think I was first talking about money? Where our hearts are is our treasure. And where our treasure is, is our hearts. Proverbs says, keep our hearts with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. The least of the blessings are monetary. Important. If we're believing that our last breath on earth is our first breath with him, how can we not believe since earth is lower than heaven? If we believe that we'll never die, how can we live in fear and think he won't take care of us on earth? Amen. That's right. That's exactly right. It's thinking, thinking. Come on. That's exactly right. All disobedience to scripture say will be revenged once your obedience is fulfilled. Stop trying to change your husband, your wife, your sister, your brother on the job. Just be humble with God. Take the low road. Praise his holy name. Be locked alone with God. Let him change you. Change people, change people. We just want to change people with our words. God wants us to change them with our life. Because people don't believe everything you say, but people believe everything you do. Oh, I feel the Holy Ghost in this place. My Lord, he showed up again. Somebody praise him right now. Somebody praise him. And the Lord, completing verse 1 of 2 Chronicles, magnified him exceedingly. Then Solomon, verse 2, spoke unto all Israel, to the captains of thousands and hundreds and judges, and to every governor in all Israel, the chief of the fathers. Do you know Jesus loves you and so do I? Do you know I care about your souls? And do you know I care about the souls of New York City? Oh, Lord, give us a heart of compassion for this city. God, you're not finished with this city. You sent Jonah to Nineveh. You sent us to New York. Verse 3, So Solomon and all the congregation with him went to the high place that was at Gibeon, for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God. Where did he go? To the tabernacle. Which Moses, the servant of the Lord, had made in the wilderness. Look up. This is fresh from the Holy Ghost. I'm just learning this myself. The tabernacle was made in the wilderness. 1 Corinthians, listen, 6, 19, and 20 says this. I'm quoting exactly out of the King James. I'm not paraphrasing. What? Know you not that your body, touch your heart, is the tabernacle of the Holy Ghost that is within you, and you're not your own, but you've been bought with a price, and that price was the precious blood of Jesus Christ? So you're the tabernacle, right? Your body. He wants to sit on the throne of your heart. Solomon went to the tabernacle. Look at verse number 3. It was made in the what? In the wilderness. Your tabernacle is made through the trouble and the wilderness experiences you go through. What you think is the poison is the cure. It's not the difficult things we're all going through. None of us want to suffer. I'm not minimizing what you're going through. I'm going through a whole bunch of other things. But be encouraged. Once these problems are solved, you're going to have a whole bunch of new ones. That didn't encourage you, huh? I guess I lost the anointing there a second. So what stays constant, what's immutable, unmovable, is a legitimate relation with Christ, no matter what I'm going through. If I keep my eyes on the circumstance, I'm going to live in fear. But the Bible says, and whether I feel it or not, whether those impulses and waves of fear come through me, it says those that keep their eyes on the Lord are in perfect peace, not in the circumstance. You have to train yourself. It's a wilderness, but it builds the tabernacle. So Solomon, in verse 3, went to the tabernacle that Moses built in the? Wilderness. We have to read this Bible out of the spirit, not out of the letter. New York City, not saying anything ill about anybody's congregation, many people are preaching the word of God. But there's a lot of religion and doctrine. There's nothing wrong with that, as long as it's predicated. That's formality and organization, that's good stuff. But it has to be predicated on the liberty of the Holy Spirit. Where do I get that? Jesus says it's good that I leave you. I leave you the comforter, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, that leads you into all truth. Doctrine doesn't lead you into all truth. The Holy Ghost does. Come on, that's right. Come on, speak a little Hebrew with me, because I'm a Jew for Jesus. Say Kadesh? Kadesh. Where do you get all these Jews, Deborah? Kadesh? Kadesh. You Puerto Rican Jews, you. There's Puerto Rican Jews, there's orange Jews, grape Jews, all types of Jews. Glory to God. Somebody praise Him here today. The joy of the Lord is our strength, amen? Amen. Oh my God, I feel God. You having fun over there, Eddie? You have nothing to say, huh? How about you, Minister Stanko? Hernandez or Michael? Here we go. Verse 4. Please look at verse 5. I don't hear him making any legislation here yet. Look at verse 6. Now you know where George got it from. Verse 6. This guy was not in a rush. A thousand burnt offerings. You know how I get burnt offerings? Here's something that's practical for you. Listen to this. When I believe God is going to bless me, and then when I'm about to go to sleep, the enemy's throwing thousands of things, how it's not going to come to fruition. I keep renewing my mind, Romans 12. Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind. So I have to keep turning it over and say, I'm not going to believe that. I'm going to believe God. That's my burnt offerings, even though I may have to do it a thousand times. Thank you. Thank you for me. I just learned that myself. And Solomon, verse 6, went up to the brazen altar before the Lord, which was the tabernacle of the congregation, and offered a thousand burnt offerings upon it. Verse 7. In the night did God appear unto Solomon. You see, He doesn't appear to you on a beautiful day like this. He appears to you in darkness. In your dark times. In your night. We have to read this Bible out of the Spirit. He says in Romans, My word is spirit and life. He says in the book of Scriptures, He says the letter of the word kills, doctrine kills, but the Spirit gives it life. Ask for the Holy Ghost to give you enlightenment. These words will jump off the page. Don't call to your happy. Don't go for a horoscope. Turn off Oprah. Get on your knees. Take the phone off the hook and call on the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, because we're living in perilous times. Verse 7. In the night did God appear unto Solomon and said unto him, Ask. Notice the ask is in the capital A because God is talking. Ask what I shall give thee. If God asked you tonight what He should give you, what would I ask for? Would it be things of God? Or would it be things of an idol? First let me define what an idol is for you. An idol is something that replaces God in your affections. See how unreligious that statement was? An idol is an affection you seek before God. So an idol is the last thing you think about before you go to sleep and the first thing you think about in the morning. That is your God. There's nothing wrong with your CD, I'm just waiting. His presence is thick. Thank you, God. Ask what I shall give thee. Verse 8. And Solomon said unto God, Thou hast showed great mercy unto David my father, and hast made me to reign in his stead. Verse 9. Now, O Lord God, let thy promise unto David my father be established, for thou hast made me king over a people, like the dust of the earth in multitude. His heart were for others. You know why monies haven't been released to us? Because we would only use it for ourselves. If you ask to be a conduit of God, for God to release blessing through you, so you can give to others, it will be released in Jesus Christ's name. Solomon's heart was for others. The same way we started this meeting. The same reason why we're coming to New York. To be a watchman. These are watchman meetings. Because we live in perilous times. Danger, liability and harm, are God forbid to your life. But remember, His judgment is His mercy, if we just leave the roots exposed. If we just leave the roots exposed, and call sin what He calls sin, and allow Him to change us. When you study, we don't have time tonight, but when you study the Bible, all the great kings, when the people turned their hearts away from God, the leader's responsibility was to have them repent, and turn back to God. So then, their blessing would be restored. Not because they would receive their blessing, but because they didn't want to break the heart of the Father. Don't you know, when we repent, we even have to repent for our repentance, because our repentance is wrong? In the Greek, the word repentance means, a change of mind. So when I repent, oh God forbid, I'm not living in any secret sin, thank you Jesus. But if my attitude's bad, and I blow it, and I sin, and I yell at my wife, or whatever God forbid I may do. I say, Lord forgive me. Please don't hurt my children because of this. Don't give my children my bad temper. No, I have to repent of my repentance. It's not, because even in my repentance, the focus is not God, it's me. The real sin is Father, I broke your heart. Because what father wants their children at each other's throats? What father wants to catch their child doing wrong? A good father just wants them to change. That's why he gives a correction. That's why Proverbs says, for whom the Lord loves, He corrects. Even as a father, the son in whom He delights Him. Then it says, I'm quoting exactly out of the King James, happy is the man that findeth wisdom. Exactly what Solomon asked for. He asked for wisdom. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom. Now I'm happy if I win the lottery. If you seek the present things of this world, you will always come up empty in disappointment. Don't you know that? That's right. Come on. Now, oh Lord, verse 9. Now, oh Lord God, let thy promise unto David, my father, be established. For thou hast made me king over a people, like the dust of the earth in a multitude. Look at verse 10. Give me now wisdom. Not a chariot, not a Lamborghini. Wisdom. Look up. Why did he ask for wisdom? Listen to this. Does silver have value? Absolutely silver has value. I'm only talking from the natural now. But if there was abundance of gold, if there was an abundance of gold, you would despise silver. That's why Solomon asked for wisdom. Because gold compared to wisdom, gold should be despised. And that's why you see in verse 15, because anything you have a lot of reduces in value. You have a lot more money in the economy, supply and demand, it's worth less. Look at verse 15. We'll go back. And the king made silver and gold at Jerusalem as plentiness as stones. The pavements, the silver was as plentiness as stones. Because Solomon knew what his true riches were. Do we? Do we? Listen. If we got upset because we haven't fasted for a few days or weeks or months or years. If we got upset because we don't pray to God. If we got upset because we don't reach out to other people because we're going through things and we mostly, that's what the enemy wants, is for us to be isolated in our own mind, in our own thinking which is futile. If we were upset about that, it would be okay. If we were upset because we didn't have the things of God, that would be okay. But mostly we get discouraged and depressed and live in fear is because we don't have enough things of the world. Solomon asked for wisdom. George Washington knew to do that. He gave a thousand burnt offerings, King Solomon. George Washington prayed on this country. Not rubbed it up, thanks for the grub, praise God. He spent two hours. Then went out and put his hand on a sycamore. And then 150 years later that sycamore was struck down at 9-11. Loved ones, family members and friends, don't misconstrue what I'm saying. God doesn't hurt people. We hurt ourselves by our choices. God wants to bless us. He just wants us to call sin what He calls sin in our life. Repeat after me. He's God, I'm me. He's God, I'm me. In closing, verse 10. Give me now wisdom and knowledge that I may go out and come in before this people. Before he went to the throne, he went to the tabernacle. Before he took care of the people's business, he took care of his father's business. I believe that's what Jesus said to Mary, I'm about my father's business. Why do you call a woman? That always threw me off. I was studying that for years. Why do you call a woman? I thought that was disrespectful of Jesus. Look at me, I'm judging Jesus. I'm getting good, right? And then the Lord revealed to me one night in my study. He called his mother a woman, not because he disrespected her, but because his father was the Holy Ghost and his humanness came from Mary. He was about his father's business because he denied his natural mind. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. When you were born again in spirit filled, he gave you an Ezekiel 11. He took the old spirit on you. He put a new spirit on you. He took on a heart of stone. He put on a heart of flesh. If you were Afro-American, he didn't make you beige like me. Thank you, Jesus. If you were Hispanic, he didn't make you Afro-American. It's an inside job. He gave you a new heart, but the old memory is still there and the enemy's game is to bring back all your past sins of yesterday, last month, yes, years. When you were a little girl, a little boy, the evil spirits want to bring like a cell phone wave those thoughts back to the evil part of your memory because that wasn't born again. So you have to deny your humanity and say, no, I belong to God. You guys get to this? We're in perilous times. We're going to be here every Sunday at 6.30. You guys need to invite somebody because let me tell you something. I'm not trying to scare anybody. I said it to my wife. I just got a new report today. I told you a couple of weeks ago, if you haven't been there because we have some new people here tonight, put away non-perishable foods for 30 days. That's one of your warnings. That was the price of admission if we were charging to get in, which we're not. I am telling you, put away non-perishable foods. And I got a report today that put it away. There was a prophecy meeting of someplace I pretty much trust. I checked out some of the documentation. I'm going to look at it more tomorrow because after this, I'm going back in the prayer closet and being prepared for next week. What's going on in Israel? What's going on in this city? What's going on in our hearts and minds? Despises of parents. Despises of those that are good. Heady minded. I didn't define it. We are in trouble. Let me tell you something. He will always protect God's remnant. He will always protect you. Bill Gates is not safe in his 100,000 foot bunker in Arizona, New England. That's air conditioned. God knows where he is. The only way to be safe is to hide yourself in a legitimate relationship with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. His name is Jesus Christ. Get all compromise out of your life. Get all secret sin out of your life. Because he's going to expose the roots. Where's that in scripture? Please turn to the book of Matthew in closing. I have a couple more scriptures. You'll be out of here in four hours. Don't worry about it. Matthew chapter 15, my beloved. Give me a strong amen when you're there. Matthew 15, verse 13. Jesus said, please listen my beloved. Every plant which my heavenly father have not planted shall be rooted up. The love of money is the and the roots of the buttonwood, the sycamore have been exposed. A stimulus is not going to bail you out. A relationship with Jesus Christ is going to bail you out. And in closing, turn to Luke 17, 6. Really, we have one more scripture after Luke 17, 6. Tell me when you're there. Give me a strong amen. As the beam uprooted the sycamore of the secret sin, the symbolism in Wall Street in the same tree that George Washington blessed because everything that our heavenly father have not planted must be uprooted. Look what he says as an encouragement to us in Luke chapter 17, verse 6. He says, and the Lord said, if you have the faith, the sigh, not a feeling you may feel challenged. You may wake up Monday morning and the whole world has dropped in your lap. I'm not talking about feelings here, my beloved. I'm talking about faith. And the Lord said, if you have the faith the size of a mustard seed you could say to this what kind of tree? Don't worry. You could say to the sycamore tree be thou plucked up by the root and be thou planted in the seed and it will obey you. When I was studying this yesterday, I was fasting yesterday and I was in prayer and studying for about 14 hours not that it makes me anything. My wife says, what did I think, makes you something? I said, no, really, it's less of an anointing when I read like that. The Lord showed me that. So I'm not going to be doing that anymore. When I read it, the Lord said in John 15, 3 you're washed clean by the word of God. The word is known, washing the water by the word. That's in Ephesians chapter 5, I believe verse 26 that the church will be washed by the water of the word. The word always in symbolism represents water. This sycamore tree, if you have the faith of a mustard seed you will be plucked up by the roots and it will be thrown into the sea. Last time I looked, the sea had a lot of water. You have to throw yourself into the word. The sycamore has to be in the word. Who's the sycamore? You. Palm Sunday, what do they do? They wave palms. Now it could be religious, it could be doctrine but you've got to read it by the spirit. He says in John 15, my beautiful wife read it today at our first service He says, I am the vine, I am the root, you are the branches. So when you wave the palms for Jesus' triumphant entry you're waving your life before Jesus. In Psalm chapter 1, he says to be prosperous You, the man, it says. I take no liberty with the scriptures, help me Jesus if I'm in error. He says the man is like a tree planted by the rivers of water and whatsoever he does, he prospers. You want to be protected? The only building that was protected, it's called the miracle of 9-11 Google it tonight, was that small church across from the World Trade Center. Somebody praise his holy name. We want to ignite this city and I believe right here on 64th and Park Park, Park trees, it was Park Avenue because they parked trees on Park. Thank you Holy Ghost. Bronzing over their sin put it on Wall Street and Broadway it is? No. Anything that's not of our heavenly Father must be plucked out. Now we'll close in Isaiah 9. Anybody knows me, when I say I close, I have three closings. Who called me a liar here? Now this is going to be the final close. Isaiah chapter 9, I have to finish some up. I got to leave you with an encouragement before we go. Give me a strong amen when you're there my beloved. Isaiah chapter 9. Let's start in verse 10 again. About what happened to the North Tower. The bricks are falling down but we were built with adorotic stones. I put that in, just connecting the dots. Hewn stones. The sycamores are cut down but we will change them into cedars. I believe they didn't even know they were putting in cedars. And you know why they were putting in cedars? You know how Solomon built the temple? He built it out of Palestinian cedars. So a new church is going to be built where the roots of sin were exposed. He's building a new church and you guys are part of it. That's why you show up on a Sunday evening. So look at this. Pay attention to this word now. Listen to me. Therefore the Lord shall set up adversaries of Israel. Look at verse number 12. The Syrians before and the Palestinians behind. They say the Syrians financed 9-11. You know what the Philistines are behind? That's the next challenge we're going to have. That's Palestine. Do you know what's happening to Israel with all the governments? Everybody in place? The Syrians before and the Philistines, that's the Palestinians, behind. And they shall devour Israel with open mouth. The whole world talks about Israel. But it's the gods of apple's eyes. Israel's best friend is the evangelical Christian. It's you and I. That's where we got our Christianity from. Judeo-Christian roots. For the people turn not on to him. See verse 13? For the people turn not on to him that smites them. When the sycamore tree was struck, all they had to do was humble themselves before God. As Solomon taught his people. As George Washington did. To turn back to God instead of bronzing the roots. Neither do they seek the Lord of hosts. Therefore, verse 14, the Lord will cut off from Israel the head and the tail, branch and rush in one day. Hang in there with me, I'm almost done. The ancient and honorable, he is the head. The prophet that teaches lies, he is the tail. Now here's the answer. George Washington was the first leader of this country. I'm going to repeat this again, I'm being redundant intentionally. He prayed for two hours. Solomon was the leader of his country. But what does it say in verse 16? The leaders cause us to err. People are voting for people because of the color of their skin, not based on their spirit. True worshipers, John 4, 24, worship in? Spirit and truth. Not in whiteness and truth. Not in blackness and truth. Not Hispanic and truth. I don't care if you're black, white, green, red, Hispanic, Asian. Tell me if you're a citizen and you're thinking of heaven. Tell me if you're a citizen of heaven in your affections. Tell me if you're a citizen in your righteousness or you're a citizen of hell. There's not a famine of denominations, but it's a famine of the word. Amos chapter 8, verse 11, don't go there because I'm going to finish you in Isaiah, I promised you. Says there'll be a famine now. I told you there's going to be a natural famine. But first, it manifests in the spirit. It says this famine doesn't start. That's why we're here every Sunday. Not by bread. I'm quoting exactly out of the King James. Not by thirst. But this famine is a famine from, listen, from hearing the word of God. Faith comes by hearing and hearing. Not heard, hearing, as you were teaching last week, Rev. It's hearing, it's a process. You have to get your marching orders in your life, in your business, in your finances, for your family. You need to spend time with God in the morning. Find out how to handle a problem in my family with my children. My wife's so good, she says she didn't read Proverbs today. It's the manual for living. It'll teach you, answer not a fool according to their folly, lest you become like him. I'm quoting exactly out of the King James. Answer a fool according to their folly, he'll be wise in his own conceit. It also says it's an honor for a man and a woman to cease from strife. But every fool will be meddling. Throw that sycamore which is you into the sea of the word. And let God get you wet. You don't have tomorrow. Because Proverbs also says, and I'm quoting exactly, Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for now knoweth not what a day may bring forth. Those fire rangers you heard, they thought it was going to be another house. Here's the good news. It's all been good news. Because his judgment is his grace. If we just call sin, sin, and let him be God in our life. Here we go. Verse 18. For wickedness burns as the fire. It shall devour the brides and the thorns and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest. The forest is where we all live, all trees. Symbolism. And they shall mount up like the lifting of a smoke. Verse 19. Though the wrath of the Lord of hosts is the land darkened. And the people shall be as a fuel of fire. No man shall spare his brother. Verse 20. And he shall snatch on the right hand and be hungry. And he shall eat of the left hand. And they shall not be satisfied. And they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm. The manifestation of the physical hunger starts from the spiritual hunger. Does he not say if you hunger and thirst after righteousness, you will be filled? And here it is. Manasseh. Ephraim. Verse 21. And they together be against Judah. Godly fathers, their sons were ungodly. Manasseh. Ephraim. The look of God. Look at his mercy. And they together shall be against Judah. For all this, his anger is not turned away. Look up. But God's hand is still stretched forth. The hand in the Bible represents the will. If two children are fighting over a toy and one gets it or a piece of candy, their hand clasps. Share the candy. No, no, no, no. The hand represents the will. That's why we'll be celebrating this Good Friday at Encouragement in Christ. Join us in Jersey for our 12 o'clock Good Friday service. It's one of the most beautiful services of the year. We'll take communion again together. That's why Jesus Christ's hand was manifested open. Because he said in Gethsemane, Not my will be done, but thy will be done. He defeated the cross, not on the cross. He defeated the cross in the garden. And last time I looked, a garden has trees. The garden of Eden is within you. It's not a place outside of you. Be fruitful. And multiply. Forgive those that have hurt you. Because we've hurt others. Let God change you. You're not here by accident today. His hand is stretched forth. His will for you is stretched forth. Because change people. Change people. This I pray in Jesus Christ's name. And we all say, Amen. Won't you stand as we pray for the tithe and offering. Please support this ministry. We want to stay here. I'm signing a year contract. I'm no longer doing this on a weekly basis. I made a commitment for one year. Whether it's 60 or 70 tonight, praise the Lord. Or 6 or 260. When you give unto God, when Solomon received from God, he gave unto the people. The receiving of God is the gift. When you use it for God, your gift is redeemable. You're part of the blessing of what this ministry would do when you donate to this ministry. If you have a check to make out, you make it out to EIC. That's Encouragement in Christ. I know we all have bills, but we all have to do something. We do this because we love the Lord. As a matter of fact, it's part of our worship. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word. The engrafted word that's able to save our soul. We thank you, Lord, that this first meeting was awesome. That you made it succinct and clear to the people. We thank you that these 60 or 70 soldiers, this modest beginning that started, that they will go out and bring another 60, another 70. Because we live in perilous times. Let us not be afraid to invite people because of what they think about us. We care about what you think about us. We're not looking to offend people. We're looking to please you. But if it takes offending people to please you, let it be so. Can we say, Heavenly Father, let this engrafted word, as the book of James says, be able to save my soul. Let me be not a hero of the word alone, but let me actually be a doer. Let there be not one empty hallelujah in what I heard. Let this word I heard be a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. This I pray in Jesus Christ's holy name. And we all say, be blessed. We'll see you next Sunday.