It's Supernatural

SID: Now David, I’m excited because you’re a young man and you are so filled with the Spirit of God. And you came to this revelation. That’s fine. That was, how did you develop this relationship, this intimacy with the Holy Spirit?

DAVID: Well this is one of my favorite parts. I like the how-to because I would often hear sermons and I would go, that’s awesome, but tell me how I can do that, too.

SID: All right. There are even books on having a relationship with the Holy Spirit, but they don’t tell you how to.

DAVID: I mean, I’m the type of person, like you have to give me something I can apply right now, immediately, I can shut off this program, put this book down, go into my room and start acting it out.

SID: Right.

DAVID: So I want to talk about two things: silence and stillness. You see, the flesh, our carnal side, it can do many things and it will not put up a fight. You can sit in a worship service, it won’t put up a fight. You can watch a Christian broadcast, it won’t put up a fight. You can read the Word, atheists read the Word, cult leaders read the Word, but they don’t see transformation. But the moment you begin to seek the Lord, the flesh starts to put up a fight. Why? Because it’s in the seeking that the flesh dies. It’s in the seeking of the Spirit that the flesh dies. This is why, one of the reasons why the Holy Spirit wants to be sought. And so I had to learn this somewhat the hard way and I’ll just give you the short version, because I had pressed in to seek the Holy Spirit. There was a time in my life where there was swift movement to my spirituality and then I felt like I hit this wall, and I said I can’t go any further.

SID: By the way, you know David, a lot of people relate to what you’re saying. They’ve hit a wall, but they’ve never gone further. They just stayed there. It’s sort of they’re stuck as a ten-year-old.

DAVID: I’m going to say some things that are a little harsh, but some people need to hear it. The true proof that you believe in prayer is that you actually pray, and the only reason we don’t pray is because we don’t believe that it will work. And so, I mean, God made us promise. He said, “Seek me with all your heart and your body.” That’s a guarantee and if you’ll believe that you’ll seek him. If you don’t believe that, you won’t seek him. But the reward is him. He’s my great reward? Of course. So I found myself in that place. I hit that wall and I’m getting frustrated, but I moved beyond the frustration with the help of the Holy Spirit. I tried everything. I tried emotion. I tried to make up for in volume what I lacked in connection and I tried to connect with God with my emotion. He wouldn’t have it. I tried to use my intellect. I tried to use my passion. I tried to guilt God into a response, Lord, don’t you hear me, can’t you see me. But you see, intellect failed, emotion failed, willpower failed. “It’s not by power nor by might, but by my spirit,” says the Lord. So Matthew 6:6, Jesus says, “When you pray, go away, privately.” Private prayer is revealed in public power. If there is no public power it’s because there’s no private prayer. And so I began to seek the Lord privately.

SID: You know, that’s so good. You slipped right by there. I hope you heard what he said.

DAVID: And so then I had to learn the harder thing, which was stillness, and this is difficult. Psalm 46:10: “Be still and know that I am God.” Be still and know. Stillness precedes revelation, which means—

SID: I don’t see too many things in the movies and TV where people don’t say anything. We’re taught to fill empty space.

DAVID: Right and we’re uncomfortable with silence because the moment we’re silent we start to notice all the chaos within. And we say things like, well I didn’t feel this way until I began to pray. It’s not that it came up and we said, well the enemy attacked me when I started to pray. That’s not the case. That inner chaos was always there. You just were never quiet enough to recognize it. No wonder you’re walking around with depression and anxiety, and frustration, and confusion. That inner chaos is constantly going. But when you go to pray, it’s not, it doesn’t show up, it’s revealed. And so that’s why it used to take me four hours to get into the presence of the Lord to where I sensed his presence, not always physical manifestation and tangible power, but always the sense. We’re always to sense his presence, 24/7 awareness. I can tell you with all honesty, and I would not say this if it wasn’t true, I think you know that about me, there is hardly five minutes that go by where I’m not aware of the Holy Spirit, hardly five minutes where he doesn’t cross my mind in some way, where I don’t sense some communication. You might call it retreating within myself and fellowshipping with him.

SID: You know what, I need you to explain a little bit about this silence.

TONY:  Actually in the original language when Jesus said “lay hands upon the sick and they shall recover,” the Greek word for “recover” means that from the moment hands are laid on you, you will get better and better until you are completely well. Is there another change? Father, touch joints, touch bones and bring her healing to completion and Lord, let the pain fade away in Jesus’ name. You get to stay right there. And we’re going to let you, because you’re the oldest, sit. She said “Oh, yeah! But schooch over so she can jump in with you because she’s tiny! I was that size when I was born!

AUDIENCE:  (LAUGHS)

TONY:  Stretch forth your hand towards those with back conditions and touch, touch somebody who needs a healing. That’s all right. Just go ahead and touch them. Father in the name of Jesus we release healing grace into every person standing. Be healed in the mighty name of Jesus. You may be seated. I’m going to do this real quick and then we’re going to do some praise and worship. Uh, who’s having pressure behind an eye? Stand up and you’ll be healed right now. Pressure behind an eye. Stand up. You’ll be healed right now. Do you have that pressure now? (woman speaking without microphone) Do you have that pressure now?

WOMAN #7:  I don’t feel it right now.

TONY:  You don’t feel it. And sister, you stood because of?  Okay. So let’s stretch forth your hands and let’s pray for their healing. In the name of Jesus I curse these eye diseases! Die, dissipate, and disappear from their bodies! I command glaucoma. Disappear! I command the pressure and all the reason for the pressure be gone and stay gone! And Lord this degeneration disappear! I command total restoration of their eyes now in Jesus name! Lift up your hands and give God a praise!

AUDIENCE:  Whooo!  YAY!!  (CLAPPING)

TONY:  Now, yeah, go ahead praise him. This is the moment some of you I know have been waiting for. All of you who want to supernaturally lose weight starting tonight stand to your feet right now. And I don’t want any really skinny people to stand up! (laughs) If you’re like really, really skinny please don’t stand up. Just sit down and stand up on the inside. Somebody next to you might slap you. Here’s what I want you to do for real serious. Here’s… I want you to do this. I want you check and see how tight you are all the way around and memorize it. Um huh. Check and see how tight your pants are, your shirt is, all that kind of… see how tight. Memorize how much room you got and how much room you ain’t got. But don’t tell nobody right now. Just do that. Let me know when you got it. You got it? Are you ready? Here’s my instruction. Number one: If you’ll repent of the way that you’ve been eating wrong and tell God, “Lord forgive me” and you promise to eat right, I’m telling ya that some of y’all its going to happen in just a few moments. So go ahead and do your prayer of repentance, æcause some of us… you know I’m still repenting. Hmmm! C’mon now. But I’m doing a lot better but I’m still repenting. Begin to pray your prayer of repentance and then we going to pray for you. I was at Tennessee. A man was there. He was a, uh, praise leader. He was wearing a suit coat. It was unbuttoned. The Lord gave me a word of knowledge that he was causing people to supernaturally lose weight. And he burst out into laughter saying “Pastor, I think I’m one of those guys.” He comes up and he’s able to button all four of his buttons. I was in Tennes… I was in, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, Mississippi, and a woman was there. She also had a coat. God supernaturally caused her to lose weight. She couldn’t button her buttons. But then supernaturally she was able to button her buttons. And listen, this is funny. Lord forgive me. But we, and my wife will tell you, we’ve seen people who had their stomach out here and it would shrink and they’d have to grab their pants and their underwear.

AUDIENCE:  (LAUGHTER)