Michael Koulianos shares a heartfelt message about the importance of drawing close to Jesus, emphasizing that in times of struggle, we don't need to be heroes; we simply need to hold on to Him. He reflects on his personal journey of faith, the sacredness of God's presence, and the transformative power of encountering His glory. Koulianos encourages the congregation to seek a deeper relationship with Jesus, reminding them that true Christianity is about experiential union with Him rather than mere theological knowledge. He passionately calls for a generation to prioritize intimacy with God over performance and numbers, urging them to embrace the beauty of His presence.

For the last two weeks, I've had the honor of standing at the pulpit that I got saved in front of 32 years ago. What a mighty God. I said, what a mighty God. Only he could write a story like this. What in the world is happening right now? How many of you were not here last week? Okay, would you just wave at me? Okay, good, you all come up to the altar call. Oh, the Lord is wonderful. It's really, just let me be me if you don't mind tonight. I've been teaching a lot because of my voice. Haven't been able to preach. For those of you who don't know, I had a vocal surgery. I'm only two months out. I'm doing wonderful. And thank you, Lord. It's been a trying four or five months. Jessie had skin cancer surgery. She came through beautifully. Thank the Lord. So many things have pressed against us in the last few months. The building scenario would certainly be one of those. Difficult decisions and God asking me to lay things down that were important to me. But I think sometimes we start to believe that Jesus needs us to be a hero. When we're going through stuff. He really doesn't need us to be the hero. He just wants us to stay close to him. And then he's the hero. And I feel that many of you tonight are going through a good bit. And I want to encourage you. He's not looking for you to accomplish something great in those moments. He's just asking you to hold on to the hem of his garment. That's the breakthrough. Hold on to Jesus. And just when you start believing that the reason you're getting through your difficulty is because you're holding on. He gently reminds you that he's the one holding on. I just wanted to encourage you with that tonight before I go any further. Isn't he wonderful? And for those of you who were here last night or last week. And by the way, we'll be here again next week. Thank you, Jesus. I look around this room and I see these places of encounter all over the room for me. This was my mountain. This was my Sinai. This is where I learned the Lord. Jesus said, learn of me. This is where I learned the scriptures. This is where I learned his touch. This is where I gained a value for worship. For those of you who are visiting. And by the way, how many of you are here for the first time tonight? Wow. Would you stand please? Just stand up. Welcome. Welcome. We're honored to have you. Welcome. A privilege to have you. How many of you drove in from outside of Orlando to be here? Oh my gosh. How many of you came from outside the state of Florida to be here? Wow. How many of you came from outside the United States of America to be here? Wow. Wow. That's what the presence of the Lord can do. And so this room, it just brings back so many memories. Pastor Benny wasn't lying last week when he said that the face of the Lord appeared right there on that balcony wall and stayed for weeks. You may not like it, but it happened. And I'm sorry to take it up with the Lord and tell him you didn't like that manifestation. But holy memories are good. They are sacred. And tonight, I haven't had the chance to preach or really let it go. I've been a very tame pastoral teacher over the last two months. But I do feel a river flowing inside of me. And I don't need to shout for God to move. What we are going to do tonight is let go and let the river flow. And whatever that looks like is okay with me. And if flesh comes around, we'll just shut it down. But Jesus is going to be himself tonight right here. In a few moments, I am going to give an altar call. And as I say every week, there's no salvation in the altar call. There's only salvation in Jesus. But it's really emotional for me to stand eight feet away from where I got born again. Right there. That's where I met him. It's too amazing to be here. And right over there, I got filled with the Spirit, as I told you last week. And right over there, I got healed. I think I fell under the power of God everywhere here. It was hard not to. You weren't even safe if you were in the choir back then. That coat was a little dangerous. This is where I learned his presence. And I'm concerned about a generation who doesn't know his presence. And they think they do. I guess that's probably the most concerning part. Many of you think you know his presence, but you don't. Because once you know his presence, then you gladly blow up every bridge but him. So that it's just him. And that you're just left with him. So finally he can be all in all in us. Once you're in his glory, nothing else will do. It's difficult to explain his glory, isn't it? We try our best. We try to put words to what is indescribable. And it's another world, isn't it? It's just another place. It's him. What I'd like to happen in your heart tonight is for you to lose the contentment of being without him. I know he's in you if you're born again. But I'm talking about something much deeper. I'm talking about being poor in spirit. I don't know. I'm talking about a heart that would rather die than be without him. I just don't want to live without his touch and his voice. When you lose your voice as a preacher, it's pretty serious. And I didn't realize how much I needed it. But we often glory in our voice rather than his. In our volume rather than the wind. Don't we? And it's almost like we're reduced and diminished as we continue to walk with him. And what we once trusted in, the legs are broken from underneath those things. And Jesus holds us. And we become more aware of our weakness than our strength. This is true Christianity. You say, how do you know that there's a generation who has not known his glory? Because I live in this generation. There are great meetings and great events. I suppose we've hosted some of those. But his glory is altogether different. I've preached at most of the churches that you would all dream of preaching at. Most of the places that sell a lot of records and have big followings. But I've yet to smell anything like I smelled here in 1989. You say, why are you using the word smell? I don't know. There's a fragrance to him. Well, Jesus makes everything more beautiful. I'm trying to describe, as I said earlier, the indescribable. When the literal air you're breathing reacts to the King's entry. It's the only way I want to have church. Because I've been there. And I didn't get there because of my accomplishment. I was invited in. That's called mercy and grace. But I'm telling you, once you've been there, you can't go back. Because to go back would be to compromise and backslide. There's just nowhere else to go. This was before social media. I guess back then they bought ads and papers. I don't know. I think they did, actually. You guys are like, what's paper? This is paper right here. There's this black stuff on it. It's called ink. And this, my friends, is a book called the Bible. That's all we had, I guess, from a promotional standpoint back then and some television. But oh, the thousands came. They came to this property, actually. I was one of them. Why did they come? Did they come for a man with interesting hair? I don't think so. Probably not. A funny accent and interesting suits. Maybe a few did, but when they walked in the building, they met Jesus. And I watched arenas and stadiums fill for 20 years, helping my father-in-law. All he'd say is, I'll be in Dallas next week. And 20,000 people would show up. Here's the crazy part. 90% were born again and not sick. Why did they come? Why did they come? Evangelists would love to believe that everyone in their crowds are not born again. But I've been in this since 1989, and I can tell you that's not the case. Why do the people come? For his presence. I said they come for his presence. They want to be with Jesus. I think that's, the more I've thought about it, where many of my sermons are directed. I'm trying to provoke just maybe one person in this room to go have him. I believe that God wants to raise up a nameless, faceless people, of course, but is that the biblical narrative? Not really. Does the celebrity thing need to die? Oh gosh. It needs to be mutilated. But make no bones about it. He still looks for Samuels. The dedicated ones. Who minister to the Lord in private. Who learn his voice. Learn his touch. And I think that's what tonight's all about. It's somebody here in this room, one or two of you, who will die trying. Who have no plan B. Tonight, as I was there worshipping, and maybe some of you are wondering, why do they sing so much there? That's an hour of singing. Well, there's more worship in heaven than preaching, right? A few people preach while they hold the hand of Jesus. A few. And worship takes you straight to his hand. And when he's holding your hand, and you start ministering, you don't need to nail the sermon. Because then Jesus extends his hand to the people and calls them home. So tonight I was down there singing to the Lord the same songs that we sang 32 years ago. And I thought, who is like the Lord? Because it was in these pews that I prayed prayers that I wasn't even sure the Lord heard. Because they came out of my heart but seemed too big to be possible. One of which was, Lord, use me like you're using Pastor Benny one day. And so tonight I'm in this pew next to my wife and the Lord says to me, I answered your prayer. Here you are. What a mighty God. What a mighty God. What a mighty God, I said. What a mighty God. Oh, I'm concerned about how we depend on initiative. It's good, but there's a better way. I'm watching teams and ministries kill themselves to fill seats. All you need is the glory. If a team is working 12 hours a day on filling the seats, those are 12 hours they could be in the glory. And then take one hour to fill the seats. Just invite them. I tell our staff all the time when they bring me stuff I don't want to hear at the wrong moment, I say, this is not Martha image. This is Jesus image. Save that Martha stuff for tomorrow. Martha, Martha. I'm going to start saying that. Martha, Martha. I'm going to start saying it twice. Jesus changes the room. He changes the air. The Bible says the place they prayed shook in the book of Acts. Not the wall, it's the place. He shakes the invisible. He shakes your insides. He shakes your heart. He shakes your being. He shakes self out of us and leaves us with a limp. And Jesus makes average rooms feel like heaven. And you don't want to leave and you feel like you're home because you are home. You are home and it seems like when you come into his presence the weights are lifted. The concerns are lifted. The fear and the chains are lifted and you don't ever want it to end. That's what Jesus does. I've heard much and I agree with it about stadium Christianity. I'm part of it. We do big events but that's not what I'm burning for. That's not what I want. I want a Jesus Christianity. And if he's not on those fields I don't want to be there. I have no desire because then I'd be doing it alone. That just sounds horrible. You say, well he comes to every event. Oh no, he does not. He comes to every Christian event, every outreach. Oh no, he does not. Read your Bible. I say, how do you know? Because I used to host events like that. I used to have to pay ice cream trucks and give stuff away and do face painting. All this stuff and spend all this money to get people. And then I said, I'm done with this. Give me a jug of water and a 40 day fast. I want his glory. And you came tonight without ice cream. You're not getting a car. You'll never get a car here. I just want to be straight up. I'm never giving a car to you for coming to church. You're not getting a golf club? I am. Oh man. Is somebody hungry enough? Hungry enough to shut the door? Is anyone in the room hungry enough to shut the door again? Anyone wonder what he's like? Anyone wonder what he looks like? Anyone hungry enough to not settle for what you've seen in a painting? Anyone wonder whether or not his eyes flicker? The Holy Spirit wants to stir your soul tonight. Anybody, while I'm talking, asking, I wonder if he's real. I wonder if he's true. I wonder if it's true that if I seek him with all my heart, I will find him. I wonder if that's true. Anybody wonder what his voice sounds like? It breaks the cedars. Costly? Uh-huh. Very costly. To have him at that level? So costly. But there's got to be one of you here. Just one. I was thinking about all the Lord has done in Jesus' image and it all traces back all of it to the door being closed. You say, what of your encounter here? 32 years ago. Doesn't it all trace back to that? Yes and no, it actually traces back to somebody closing the door in 1972. Had my father-in-law not closed the door and said, I'm going to know you, I wouldn't be here tonight. And I guess it's healthy to ask, what are we trading him for? What are we settling for? Do you know what I feel right now? His glorious presence coursing through my body and there's nothing like it in the world. It's amazing when he makes the weak strong. It's amazing to see your faces glued and I can't speak loudly because he's pounding a hole in your chest with his fire. There's nothing like his touch. Nothing like his whisper in the morning. Nothing like knowing he's right there when all hell is breaking loose. Nothing like it. There's nothing like having peace when it makes no sense to have peace. It's unbelievable. And then naturally you're going, why am I happy? I should not be happy. But I am happy. People have been texting me for months, are you okay? Are you okay? Now I had times where I wasn't okay but as I was answering the text I was like, I don't even think I'm lying by saying I'm doing well. This is a miracle. He said, my peace I give unto you, not as the world gives it. And what we've done in the West, sadly everywhere now, we've told people, if you believe these nine bullet points about Jesus, all is well. Here's his stat sheet. Born of a virgin, yep, check. Lived a perfect life, check. I believe that. Suffered and died, check. Buried, yep, I agree with that. Raised from the dead three days later, that's a stretch but I'm going to check off the box, yeah. Ascended on high, yes, check. Coming back again, check. Good, you're in. But Jesus doesn't offer his stat sheet, he offers himself. He offers himself. And James goes on to say, you believe in one God, you do well, so do the demons of hell. Now what I'm about to say might shock some of you but I still believe it and you're not changing my mind. Demons have better theology than much of the church. They knew who Jesus was before the religious Jews did. They called him son of God, the Jews called him a blasphemer. You can have great theology and be in hell. I remember before God gave us what he's given us, I remember it. It was wonderful. This is wonderful too but it was still wonderful then. Nobody invited me to preach, nobody knew who I was. The ones who did knew I was related to Pastor Benny and in those days that didn't help so much. They'd say, no, your family's crazy. But I had a room. I said I had a room and a Bible and I had mornings and I had days, weeks, literally days at a time, alone in my room. In fact, the night I got saved right here, I told you last week I was on the ground and I remember the janitor's vacuum. It was going right by my head. I was the last one out of here. Finally they picked me up and I was shaking under the power of God and they put me in the car and I went home and I said I've got to have that. You've got to have what? I was a little boy. I only knew to say I know Jesus was in that room and I don't want to lose him. I didn't have my theology in check. I needed somebody to tell me that he was in me and would never leave me. But you know what I mean. The sense of his presence. I didn't want to be without that. And so I said I have to turn my room, Lord, turn my room into what I felt in that building. Teach me how to know you. Teach me how to be with you. Teach me what you're like. Show me what you love. Show me what you hate. What draws you? What repels you? Show me your ways. And it's one thing people cannot really do. They can at a surface level, but in the depths people cannot really teach you to pray. We can give you the fundamentals according to Scripture, give you the framework, but at the end of the day, prayer teaches prayer. You cannot teach prayer any more than you can teach wind. The ebb and flow of his presence, the grace that comes, his response, knowing what he wants, and when, and why, and then what to do when he does come in that way, and what to do when you don't sense his presence. This is learned on the job. What a journey it is. It's the great journey of the Christian life. Listen to me. The great journey of the Christian life is not big meetings. The high call of the Christian life is experiential union with Jesus. And if you find that, there'll be no stadium big enough. There'll be no home group big enough. There'll be no business blessed enough. I'm not talking about money. I'm talking about his touch. You can't teach that. And I think one of the great tragedies for a Jesus school student would be that if you came to Jesus school quoting Michael, I should say you left Jesus school quoting Michael and never met him. We've had students frustrated with this teaching that Jesus is enough. Because like all of us, we want to go accomplish things for God. God's not looking for us to accomplish anything for him. He's looking to accomplish through us. He's the hero. He's the hero. Jesus is the hero. And they resist. And sometimes even after two years, they'll say, I just don't get it. No, no, no, no. It's not just about loving him. It cannot be. It cannot be. And then they go. And they go do what they always dreamt about doing. And then we get emails. You are right. It is just about Jesus. Let me read this passage to you. Is this okay tonight? You say, why are you talking so much? Well, I haven't talked in a long time. That'd be first. But secondly, I'm just waiting. Because the moment will come tonight where he interrupts us. And so I'm going to talk about him until what I'm saying pulls on him enough for him to storm the room. When you talk about Jesus with an awareness of Jesus, what you talk about is an invitation. He told me when I first started, he said, Michael, if you'll talk about me, I'll turn and look your way. And when I turn and look your way, I'll come near. And when I come near, I do things. This isn't a sermon. It's an invitation to Jesus. He hears every word. Every word. Oh, I wish more churches were built that way. Exodus 24, verse 9. I don't know how to say this, but I feel God is filling somebody right now with the Holy Spirit. I feel somebody's come. Oh, he's in the ministry. Dry and discouraged. You came here tonight for a true touch of the anointing. You need Jesus. You need his Spirit because you're so discouraged. If that's you, just lift your hand. If you're next to that person, put your hand on them. You're in the ministry discouraged. You came tonight specifically for a touch from the Holy Spirit. Put your hand next to them right there. Put your hand on their shoulder. Yeah, don't be afraid. Wonderful Jesus. I want the whole church just to pray softly. Wonderful Jesus. Clothe them in your power and glory. Where are you from, sir? Where are you from? Tampa. Ryan, grab a mic. The Lord interrupted my sermon. Why are you here tonight? Why are you here tonight? Are you a pastor? What brought you? I just want more of Him. That's all. Are you tired? Extremely. Discouraged? Yeah. Yeah? Stretch your hands, church. Many hands went up, but I felt this strongly. Is this your family here? No, you're alone. Father, in the mighty name of Jesus, you told us to ask. Jesus, you said, how much more will your Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask? Clothe this man in your presence again. Invigorate him again. Fill him again. Let your glory and your anointing rest upon him. No more in your own strength. No more in your own strength. No, no, absolutely not. It is not by might, and it is not by power. It is by the Spirit of the Lord. Clothe him in your fire, Lord. In the mighty name of Jesus, let joy unspeakable, filled with glory, flow from his innermost being. You said, keep praying, guys. You said rivers of living water would flow. Rivers would flow from inside of us, from our innermost being would flow. Rivers of living water. And if we drank this water, we would never thirst again. You'll no longer thirst for the things of the world, sir. You'll no longer thirst for a successful ministry because only he defines that. If Jesus is there, it's good. If he's not there, it's bad. If he's their friend, it is successful. Be filled with the Holy Spirit tonight. All over again. All over again. Ryan, I want to know what's going on with him. What do you feel on you? What's happening? What's your name? Max. Max, what do you feel? A few days ago, I said to the Lord, you want me to lay down what I have and just be a minister to you. I'll do it. I came last week and that's what I felt. You drove all the way here from Tampa? Yeah. What do you feel tonight? I don't even know how to describe it. Just peace. Let me try to get to this passage. Exodus 24. Verse 9, And Moses went up also Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet, as it were, a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in clarity. But on the nobles of the children of Israel he did not lay his hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank. Wow. Listen carefully now. And then the Lord said to Moses, Come up to me on the mountain and be there. What does God want from you when he calls you to be with him? He just wants you to be there. That's all. And I will give you tablets of stone and the law and the commandments which I have written that you might teach them. And so Moses arose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up to the mountain of God, and he said to the elders, Wait here for us until we come back to you. Indeed, Aaron and Ur are with you. If any man has a difficulty, let him go to them. See, many of us think we're too busy to be with them. But Moses had a church of three million. Three million. And he said basically to the leaders, I'm going up to be with God, and Aaron and Ur will take care of you if you have any issues. He wouldn't even allow the needs of the people to keep him off the mountain. Then Moses went up into the mountain, and a cloud covered the mountain. Now God begins to endorse Moses' decision with his glory. Now the glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. Interesting. Moses goes up, and God comes down. I said Moses went up, and God came down. God will tell the world he's your friend if you go be with him. And he has no problem doing it. He has no problem saying Dion's my friend. The cloud covered it. This is verse 16. Six days on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. As I said this morning, we all want directions, but the directions flow from the cloud. We all want God to tell us where to go, and where to live, and what to do, and who to marry, blah, blah, blah. Get in the cloud. His voice flows from his face. The sight of the glory was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel. So Moses went in, into the midst of the cloud, and went up into the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights. God invites Moses. Moses hears the invitation. He goes up the mountain, leaves everything. I said everything. I'm going to say that again because it's not registered, I feel, in this spirit. Everything. Everything. Responsibility, ministry, you name it. Everything. Everything. He left his family to go be with the Lord Jesus. If your wife or husband is jealous when you spend time with Jesus, they need a revival. You'll be a much better spouse if you go be with Jesus. Spouses invest in your spouse's time with God. You're the first person who will be blessed by it. Jess is laughing because she knows that's the truth. He goes up the mountain, leaves everything. The cloud comes down because God responds when we respond to Him. He draws near if we draw near. He touches, we respond, then He comes in greater glory. You would think, listen carefully, you would think that Moses could just run into the cloud. I mean, after all, Jesus loves us all. Right? We're the Jesus people. Jesus, we're going to grow our hair out like hippies again. Let's go, let's go. We can all go in. We all have the glory. No, we do not all walk in the glory. In fact, most of the church wouldn't know the glory if it fried them. If He fried them, I should say. Oh, I feel such an anointing on that worship set. Are you kidding me? On that album, on that record. That song is so anointed. Please. The measurables are off. I don't care if it sold 10 million records. Does Christ Jesus walk into the room when they sing it? If He does, it's a good song. If He doesn't, start over. Sorry, I just wanted to barf for 30 minutes, 30 seconds. No, no, no. His glory is expensive. His glory is expensive. So you think Moses could just run on in? I mean, after all, he's God's friend. No, no. Six days, not minutes. Six, not six hours. Six days of waiting before the visible cloud of glory. How many of us would wait six days? Moses is on a desert mountain that's freezing at night. Could we wait in our recliner with our cappuccino in our hand? Six days. Because this is what Moses understood. Only Jesus could invite him in. Only Jesus. If the Lord doesn't say come in and Moses barges in, he dies. He understood something about his Lord that everything, listen carefully, comes via invitation. Everything. And so for six days he's waiting and most likely thinks nothing is happening to him. But there's a lot happening to him. Because you sit before the Lord in His glory. That fire begins to process you. And the Lord starts working. I feel the Lord so strong right now. I wish you had my view. It looks beautiful in here. That fire begins to process you and break you and mold you and try you and teach you. And you don't know this is happening. But as you sit before the one who's in the cloud you become more and more like him. It feels horrible. It feels boring at times. You try to make up for the discomfort with a song or screaming in tongues and the Lord's like, that won't do it either. I just need you to sit and wait until I start to dance. I grew up in Pentecostal charismatic circles and I can tell you most prayer meetings are too loud. They're too loud because they're praying their own agenda. If they were just shut up he would give them his agenda and they pray accurately and potently and rightly and things would actually happen. Less sweat, more waiting. I'm gonna make a t-shirt that says that. Less sweat, more waiting. Less screaming, more silence. Less activity, more stillness. Be still and know I am the Lord. God doesn't kiss moving targets. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth. The Shulamite said, I need more than one. Kiss me over and over and over again. You can't kiss a moving target. But this gentle Christ waits till we're so tired and because he's so merciful he waits till we're so tired and then finally we get done with ourselves. We wear ourselves out and then he says, can I help you now? So Moses sits there and most likely has no idea that God is rearranging him because of his proximity to his presence. You know what I want to say to everyone watching? God isn't just moving here. He's moving in many places. But if you ever heard someone say, I don't need to go there or there to go be with the Lord. He's everywhere. Don't buy it for a second. I'm not talking about the internal dwelling or the omnipresence of God. What I will tell you unapologetically if God is manifesting his glory do whatever you have to do to get there. Whatever you have to do because that proximity of that glorious touch of the spirit that fiery presence you just being near him begins to morph you into his image. Soften hard places. Change your perspectives. Breaks you down so that you can limp with that beautiful weakness. You don't defend yourself anymore. You just receive correction. Even if you were right you gladly welcome wrongful accusation because you need it. You know you need it because it softens you. Six days he waits and finally on the seventh day the Lord says come on in. Come on in. There's enough of Moses out of you and enough of me in you. Now you can come in. Isn't that what marriage is all about? Isn't that why we need new bodies? Oh I feel the Lord. Isn't that why we need new bodies at the resurrection? Isn't that the whole reason for the resurrection? That we receive these new bodies I mean our resurrection we receive new bodies so that we might marry. Because without those bodies you will burn like a moth in a flame. When the radiant King comes with a resurrected glorified body the likes of which man has never seen riding upon the clouds of heaven to come marry you you want that ring on your finger that is the Holy Ghost the seal of the covenant? You need a new body. Like kind for like kind husband for a bride a marriage takes place. He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with the Lord. One day that will manifest at the great resurrection. You get close to him you become more like him you become more like him he trusts you more when he trusts you more he pulls you deeper and when he pulls you deeper a oneness takes place that no demon in hell can take and it is the pearl of great price. This is the great treasure. Him. Him. Him. And I believe tonight the Lord is inviting some of you. I do believe that. And what I want to say unequivocally, unapologetically is that if you find this not only will your dreams come true you've never dreamt of what God will do with you. You couldn't on your best day. No eye has no ear no mind no mind conceived what God has in store. For who? For who? Those who love him. Could love take you that far? Oh yeah. It's interesting he didn't say those who labor for him. If you fall in love if you just fall in love your dreams are too small, Jordan. Too small. If you just fall in love and you can't fall in love from a distance you just can't because he's not merely asking you to think of him he wants you to fall for him. And that requires touch and voice and he becomes your food and he's no longer part of your life but is your life. Is your life. That's the Christian life. We don't add him. He is all. He's everything. Everything. Everything. That's the glory of God. That's the glory of God, yeah. One person. One person. One marriage takes place. Just one marriage. A whole nation can shake. Just one. Just one. One person who doesn't have it figured out. Because I have news for you. Nobody does. Nobody knows exactly how he moves. Nobody knows exactly what's gonna take place in prayer. Nobody knows exactly what song touches his heart that day. Nobody knows. He's not looking for everyone to know. He's just asking you to go. Go in. Leave the crowds. Leave them. And that way you stand before a crowd maybe less often. But the voltage of heaven pierces your being. Because it's wonderful to not work for him and work with him. I'm so grieved when I hear pastors talk more about their numbers than Jesus. That's the first thing you hear out of a pastor's mouth when he gives his testimony about planting a church. We had 3,000 on the first day. Run. Run. There's a more excellent way. There's a more glorious. God forbade David to take a census. In fact, the Bible says the devil caused David to take the census. And God let it happen because he was angry with Israel and he allowed the devil to tempt David and David bit the hook and judgment came. Why did God not want David to take the census? He didn't want David to take his eyes off the Shekinah, the glory in the tent. Leave the numbers to God. Learn Jesus. Are you hearing me? Learn Jesus. Find Jesus. Touch Jesus. Sing to Jesus. And all you do, do it unto the Lord. There's life in that cloud. It's where angels trod. It's heaven on earth. And he's coming so close tonight. This touch right here in this room, this kiss in this room is what I grew up in. Right here. Right here. Emma, grab your instrument. Right here, this is what I grew up in. It seems so far away from our normal existence, doesn't it? All this peace. All of this wonder, amazement. I guess you can teach people how to preach, but you cannot teach them His glory. No, no, no. If I were you right now, I would give yourself away. I would forget about me. I'd forget about Michael. Michael has nothing for you. He's just an usher. I am an usher who is leading you by the hand to the Lord. I just need someone to break the dam with their hunger. Just someone. Someone. Someone. Someone. Like David, who said, if thou be silent unto me, it's like I've gone into the pit. Someone, someone. Someone to say, I'm coming. I hear your call. That's all. Father, let the fire of the Holy Spirit come upon your daughter. You say, why are these people crying? They're hungry. They're hungry. They're hungry for Jesus. That's what the scripture teaches. Deep calleth unto deep as waves billowing at the sound of thy many waterfalls. They're hungry. You say, I don't like that. I don't like this. You don't like the Bible. You just, all you need to do right now is just call on Him. I would say something like this, I'd say something maybe that I said as a little boy right here. Oh, Jesus, don't pass me by. Don't pass me by. If you're real, and you must be real, because I sense you in the room. I feel you in the room. Jesus, don't pass me by. I don't understand what Michael's talking about. But here's my life. I want to know you. I want to know your breath. I want to know your heartbeat, what makes you tick. I want to be your friend. Whether I preach or not, I want to be your friend. I want to know you. Show me your way, Moses said. Show me your glory. Who is like the Lord? Kids, you can know the Lord. You're better at it than us. We need you, children. We need you to lead the way. Such is the kingdom, the Bible says. We need you. We need your simplicity. Maybe you've been born again for a day. We need your simplicity. We don't need professionalism in his presence. No, no. We need simplicity. If Jesus is there, I'm coming. If Jesus opens the door, I'm running right through it. It's just one of you. Just one of you. That's what I told the Lord. I'm telling you, it's what I told him. And if he did it for me, he will do it for you. He is not a respecter of persons. I told the Lord, I am coming. I feel your pull. I will spend my life coming. I'll spend my life coming. I'll spend my days and my nights. I will chew the scriptures like heavenly bread. I am coming, Jesus. I don't know much, but I feel your pull. I will not live life with regret. I'm coming. I'm coming, Lord. And oh, the mistakes I made. The many mistakes in his presence. Not knowing. I didn't know. I didn't know. I didn't know. I spoke when I should have been quiet. And I was quiet when I should have been speaking. I didn't know, but he never left me. He saw my heart. He saw my heart, you see. And then one day. One day. Suddenly. After years of seeking. There came the Lord. October 23rd, 2007. After years of seeking. There he came. And plugged my being into the source of joy himself. Plugged my soul into the one who is peace. I felt his fire go through me. I felt the lightnings of God go right through my body. Right through me. I could feel hours and hours and hours and hours in his presence. I was just a struggling preacher then. Small church. Wouldn't grow. In fact, it grew the other way. It got smaller every week. But I was never in this for church. Church is never what I wanted. It's never been about church to me. It was about Jesus. The one I met right here. Maybe others met him in months. Took years. When he came. That night in Westport, Connecticut. I can take you to the pew. Second row, left side. Right where your family is sitting, Jordan. Second row, left side. All those years built up, built up, built up. I was already preaching. But preaching doesn't feed your soul. No, I wanted more. I wanted him. I wanted him. I wanted to be his friend. I wanted to be the apple of his eye. I didn't want him to look at me like he looked at other people. I wanted to be special to him. I wanted him to trust me. Years of sitting, sitting right in front of that fire. And then finally the door opened. My sermons before that took hours. Nobody would do this. No. Nobody would get saved. Nobody would be healed. No. But that night. That little Lutheran church. 2007. Yeah, that night. The heavens opened. And oh, my beloved came. Skipping on the mountains. Who is this one who comes skipping upon the hills? And he came dazzling and ready. And plugged me in. And in seconds the altars filled. Without a long sermon. A girl was healed of leukemia. Without me laying hands on her. God began to move. Telling you, friend. Every second. Every second, yeah. It's worth every second. If you were to ask me. What should I do right now? I want you. I'm not sure I know what to do. Other than to say. I want you. And I'm asking for something special tonight. I'm asking that he'll answer that prayer. Tonight there will be marking encounters. Marking experiences. As you ask father in Jesus mighty name. Come our way Lord Jesus. And consume us. With the vision of your face. The beautiful awareness of your presence. This isn't a traditional altar call tonight. This applies to everyone. Whether you've never met Jesus. Whether you've been walking with him for years. I don't know. All I know is to say is the Lord is in the room. And if the Holy Spirit. Is drawing you to the lamb right now. I just want you to do something. It might be on your knees at the pew. I don't know. I just. It might be to get here in the altar. It might be to come into the aisles. You're probably going to need them. Whatever you do. Don't treat this moment. Like it's common. Because it's not. You come. And offer your life. This is your response. This is your response tonight. We can let this man. Dion if you'd help this man behind you. You can sit right there sir. Sit in Dion's spot. Just give him something to work with. Whatever you do. Don't sit and stare at me. You can sit. But don't stare at me. Don't look at me. Look to the Lord. Look to the Lord. See this is what he does. This is what he can do. Some of you are so institutionalized. And religious. In your thoughts. That it keeps you from the Lord. It's about Jesus friends. Now give your life fully to the Lord. Do it again. You've given him your life in the past. Do it again. Oh Jesus thanks. I'm going to pray over you in faith. It's the only way worth praying. In faith. And I'm going to believe every word I'm praying. Father in the name of Jesus. Touch your people tonight. Touch your inheritance. Those wondering. If what I'm saying is true. If your word is true. Touch them tonight. Visit your people. We know. We're standing on sacred ground. We know. Move in this house. Wonderful Father. Deeply ignite a fire. Receive tonight a fresh touch. A fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit. From front to back. In the balcony. Down here at the altar. Receive a fresh touch of the Holy Spirit. Every pastor who's come. Let them leave burning. Burning. Burning with holy fire. Burning with holy fire. I want you to say this out loud. Holy Father. You are perfect. You are righteous. You alone are holy. Tonight I lay aside every weight. And I hear your invitation. To fall in love. With your holy son Jesus. I give my entire life to Jesus. And I repent of my sin. And give Jesus all. Say Father. Let your holy spirit come upon me. That I might never be the same. Never, never, never. Say this. Walk with me as I go tonight. Let my life. Be yours. Fill my bedroom with your presence. Fill my home with your presence. Oh Lord increase the anointing I pray in Jesus name. Increase it. Something fresh for you tonight Jordan. Something fresh. Fall upon your people. Fall upon your people. It's not by might. Not by power. But by my spirit says the Lord. By my spirit says the Lord. By my spirit says the Lord. The treasure is him. And the weight of Calvary's cross.