if you have your Bibles you can open them with me I want to show you one of the most powerful chapters in the Bible on fasting it's there over and over and over two two men are highlighted in it and uh we see in verse one of of Acts chapter 10 there was a certain man in cesaria called Cornelius listen to what it says in verse two a devout Man one who feared God with all his household he didn't know who God was he didn't know Jesus had died and rose from the dead because Peter
will go preach that message to him and all the Gentiles for the first time that he could gather in his home but he was after God you know there's a lot of people out there that are after God they have partial truth they're praying they're praying Muslims pray more than most Christians Buddhists pray more than most Christians people are praying they don't know they they they they want God they don't know who he is watch this feared God with all of his house who gave arms generously gave money gave much money to the people and
prayed to God always and he starts having a vision and I'll I'll go down now after after that happens you pick the story up and verse n said that Peter is Up on the Housetop praying about the six hour listen to verse 10 this I know I got The Right audience this morning then he became you wanted a word from the Lord God knows you where you are he became very hungry and wanted to eat listen to this and while they made ready that's in reference to food they were cooking he could smell it he
was about to break his fast he was about to eat he had his mind on food the fast was about food and while he made ready boom this is what happens when people fast and pray God does the unexpected he fell into a trance and a table comes down from heaven and food is on the table that is illegal for him to eat according to Leviticus 11 according to the religious rules he could not have anything to do with that and God spoke to him in verse 15 a voice spoke to him and said what
I call clean you must not call common and this happened three times and while he's wondering verse vers 17 and pondering the vision Peter thought about the vision verse 19 the spirit said to him behold there are three that are seeking you I I have so many ways that I could go here I want to highlight one more quick verse for you it's important for you to understand Not only was Peter fasting and was very hungry verse 30 said Cornel said to Simon Peter when he met him four days ago I was fasting until this
hour and I prayed in my house at at the ninth hour and behold a man stood Before Me In Bright clothing and he said Cornelius your prayers have been heard your arms are remembered in the sight of God and ear and in verse four he gives even more detail the angel told him your prayers and your arms came up as a memorial before God one more verse I promise I'm reading a lot but this is powerful and I'm going to sum it all up quick verse 44 while Peter was still speaking the words while he
was still preaching right in the not maybe not even maybe just the introduction of his sermon the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word and people were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit Spirit was poured out on the Gentiles also those who had never been associated with because if you take time to read it he preached he preached about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ and in the middle of it the Holy Ghost fell on all who heard the word and verse 46 they were filled with the Holy Ghost
and they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God aren't you glad that's in the Bible I preach the Bible and they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God and then Peter said Can anyone forbid water that these should be baptized to receive the Holy Spirit just as they have and he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord then they ask him to stay a few days let me sum it up real quick there's this man he's a gentile he's an Italian his name is Cornelius and he is a devout
man first thing the Bible says about him he is devoted that's the where that word comes from he's committed he's seeking he's searching he's watched the Jews they look different they act different there's something different about them he can't put his finger on it they stand out they're peculiar they're unusual but there's something more to what they do than religion and he saw it and he said there's something I feel when I get around those people I don't know what it is but it stirs me and it moves me and he went after it and
he started giving much arms and he started praying and so he's devout and the Bible said he's praying and he's giving and we know according to the verse I just read he's fasting he was fasting I mean here's a sinner fasting well pastor can I join the fast if I'm not living right you sure can there's biblical proof right there that if the ungodly and if the lost and the sinner joins in on a fast it I I would even say this if you don't believe God is real fast for him and the one true
God will find you he will find you wherever you are no matter how bad of he'll find you in a prison he'll find you anywhere you are if you'll if the Bible said the Bible said that if you draw nigh to God he'll draw nigh to [Applause] you then the angel appeared verse three an angel came to cornelus with a vision and he said your prayers I want you to think about this have built an ALT a memorial in heaven your fasting your giving your prayers have built a Memorial in heaven and it's about your
family and about who you are God has seen your devotion and please learn this prayer and fasting builds things it builds things in the spirit world that will invade the natural world when you pray you build up yourself in the Most Holy Faith praying in the Holy Ghost When you pray you build up your family when you pray you build build up your marriage When you pray you build up the plan and the scheme and the will and the and the desire that God has for your life when you're praying you're building and the angel
said this is what God sent me to tell you you've got his attention but you can't get to the next place God is going to take you without a preacher this is what God told him on the fast he said you need a preacher and here's his name they can just follow me with the verses there is by the seaside a Tanner who has a house now that's not talking about a sun tan that's talking about a man who tan uses the changes the color of animal skins and Tents he was all of that so
there there's a guy who's living Simon a Tanner whose house is by the Sea and I want you to go there his name is Simon Peter I want you to go there and he the preacher will tell you what you must do if you want your next step and thank God Cornelius wasn't so super spiritual that he had the attitude that a lot of people have about preachers I don't need a pastor I read my own Bible I this man this man was devout this man was a prayer person praying always this man was a
giving person he had a giving statement he was a tithe he was giving giving giving all the time doing amazing things but something was missing and God said you're not going to get it till you get connected to a preacher now this sounds a little self- serving but I'm going to tell you something there are some things you will never get from God until you get a preacher in your life a lot of people like to criticize them and put them down and put them all in a boat and say they all are after the
same thing and this and that no no you know what it is we're just like you we struggle just like you we go through ups and downs just like you we have problems just like you we feel like quitting just like you we have temptations just like you but this is what the Bible said about the preacher it said in 1 Corinthians 1:21 it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching do you know when you get under the right preacher you're supposed to have it'll save you from things it can save your marriage it can
save you from missing God it can save you from leaving your husband or leaving your wife it can save you from giving up on your children can save you from making the wrong step and going in the wrong direction I'm sorry but you need a preacher the Bible said in Jeremiah he will give you Shepherds who have his heart and they will teach you his knowledge and his wisdom and his truth and brothers and sisters never has there been a time when you needed a real preacher and if ever you needed a preacher it's in
times like these I want to celebrate Ministry in this house just a minute I want to celebrate the preachers of on our staff I want to celebrate the pastors on our staff I want to say to God be the glory for men and their precious wives who willing to lay down their life they could be in business they could start a business but they say no I'm called I'm called to have a word in season for them that are weary you know that God and you know that that's how it is and I guess from
a lot of you uh I I I'm your I'm your preacher and I'm going to say it like I want to and you can't do nothing about it if God really connected you to this pull pit I can't run you off I can't offend you I I may get on your nerves well I don't even like that hair on your face doesn't matter you can't go nowhere because when God calls you to a house you can't just get up and leave you can't just go somewhere you better leave right if you do leave because when
you leave you leave the word corneus was a gentile Gentiles were forbidden by the law of Moses the Jews could not have any association with those gentiles but a man is praying and fasting who doesn't even know God really but he's hungry after God and God sends the vision and they're going to his house your Bible said while when they got to the gate of the house that Simon Peter stepped out on his rooftop he's smelling the food he can smell the steak sizzling in the skillet he can smell the macaroni and cheese and he
can smell the cake bacon he was your Tech the text verse 10 he was his mind wasn't on God prove it he was very hungry and wanted to eat and I'd like to add one word meat he wanted to eat meat bread can I get a witness and while they were preparing it cooking it his mind's on food but watch this is what happens when you fast god releases boom suddenly he goes into a trance and the heavens were opened the text said the heavens were open unto him and a sheet and a table what
he's describing that is a table a a covered table with food on it that he was forbidden to eat and this happens three times three times and the voice speaks he notice that when you fast number one you build a memorial When you pray I want you to know that dreams and visions and and angels are activated when you fast and you pray do you don't you think all you're thinking about is all you're thinking about is is is the fast but you don't understand that Angels got activated a Dream came to one a vision
came to another The Next Step was connected to missing meals in God's Dynamic plan for two different men then he said tell me what you want me to do and they said we want you to tell us the Bible said that he stood up and he started preaching and and here's here's the part I wanted to get to here it is verse 44 while Peter was still speaking these words he had just started if you go back and read it he preaches about three verses he preaches the introduction of his message but he got a
lot in he said they hung him on a tree that's what he said read it they hung him on a tree and they killed him and he died for you and then he said but God raised him from the dead and with in seconds of that saying notice what happens when you fast and you pray folks not only will God give you Kingdom connections but he will send he will send interventions and interruptions into your life that you were not planning for he had a whole sermon he had all kinds of things he probably had
four or five points that he thought he would get to but right then and this is a big deal what I'm really trying to say is when you fast and pray not only will you have Kingdom connections but you will develop a sensitivity to to to God can shift things God can break things God can say no I know you're used to doing it that way and you're programmed to do it that way and that's how you've always done it but about to shift things and the Bible said the Holy Ghost fell on them all
them all them which heard the word I I think he was probably reaching 50% I I'm not naive when I stand up here and preach because there's phones you know PE people on their phones you know they they they they they they talking to each other and texting her cousin over I'm up preaching and PE people I'm not I'm not naive I it's almost it's like the Holy Ghost probably said you're a good preacher now you you you keep the rest of that sermon I enjoyed that now go sit down and let me take over
cuz I can touch them all at the same time see the question is are you hungry because what happened to to this is so important because what happened to Simon Peter is he was very hungry hungry and he was ready to eat but then the heavens opened up he got in the glory he got a fresh Vision he got a fresh dream he got his next assignment and he never mentions food again see I know you're hungry but which one are you most hungry for the Holy Ghost fell on the house you know who was
in that house it tells you the family and everybody he could have find room for in the neighborhood and they filled the house up but it was his personal residence and his family the Holy Ghost fell on his house and they all and then it goes on to say they were filled with the Holy Ghost the same Holy Ghost they got in the upper room listen to this and they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God when you fast and you pray God will give you a prayer language fill you with the Holy Ghost
he does not care about your denominational eyeglasses you read everything through he's up to something and he's just looking for people all of this is dependent I mean he goes in and for the first time the Gentiles hear the gospel and we would not be here this morning had some two people not fasted and prayed and Miss meals maybe you are uh today knowing that you're at a crossroad and you need a change in your life just receive Jesus Christ at the beginning of a brand new year if you need a friend if you you
need forgiveness if you need a future it's all in Jesus he'll forgive you he will absolutely be a friend to you he'll comfort you he'll strengthen you and he will give you that future today pray Jesus be Lord of my life I surrender all to You Hear My Cry hear my heart I I dedicate my life to you Jesus Christ praise the Lord if you just prayed that prayer we would love to hear from you and it blesses us to know that people around the world get saved every week through these telecasts call the number
on the screen or visit the website their free resources and all kinds of AIDs that will help you and we'd love for you to join us on this 21-day fast fast in is one of the pillars in the faith that needs to be rediscovered in our generation when you say God I want more of you and I mean I am rearranging my schedule my priorities for 21 days I'm giving you my life I'm establishing Bible reading and prayer during these 21 days look out God will find you God will bless you and God will do
Great and Mighty things in your life and I realize that some of you have never f Ed and you feel challenged but you're afraid you're apprehensive but I I just want to encourage you that anything you do in an attempt to draw closer to God he will respond to he said draw near to me and I'll draw near to you I want to invite you to get involved this year in our latest initiative in Israel light over Darkness this project is the largest commitment this ministry has made it's a 15 million project that will protect
and save lives in the eshal region in Israel would you consider giving a first fruit offering at the beginning of a brand new year to help us remember when you give to projects like this in Israel there is a blessing that is found in Genesis 12 and: three God himself said I will bless those who bless Israel andto the enemy enemies of Israel I will curse those who curse Israel and in Israel all the families of the Earth shall be blessed I want you to watch this and see and pray about how you can be
a part of this miracle on October 7 Israel was attacked by the dark Forces of Hamas it was the worst massacre the Jewish people experienced since the Holocaust the eshal region in southern Israel was attacked directly this is where Jensen Franklin media Ministry R in partnership with the Jewish National Fund have been working the Last 5 Years to build fortified schools bomb shelters and other life-saving projects thankfully these projects did save many lives that day and now we stand at a pivotal moment poised to provide a Lifeline for the people of eshal who continue to
be attacked by terrorists every day Jensen Franklin media Ministries recently committed the largest amount of funding ever towards the initiative from Darkness to light re presenting our unwavering dedication to not just help rebuild communities in eshal but to mend hearts and restore what seemed irrevocably lost we have a comprehensive plan that will be completed in three phases phase number one provides physical safety that is why we are building civil defense centers and over 800 safe houses making sure every family in the region has a safe room in case of terrorist attacks when you give to
a project like this there is a promise for you found in Genesis 123 three I will bless those who bless you Israel together we can demonstrate that Faith combined with Collective action can illuminate the darkest moments and Forge a brighter more hopeful future for the esal community call or go online today but the Lord is saying today that through prayer and through fasting whatever walls the enemy has put up in your life those walls are going to fall in the name of Jesus Jesus wouldn't have told us to pray if it didn't work welcome to
Free Chapel where everything we do is about inspiring people to live for Jesus from our uplifting worship and encouraging messages it all points to him and we'd love for you and your family to join in head over to our app or website to find out more [Music] [Music] this program has been sponsored in part by friends and partners of Jensen Franklin media Ministries we hope you've enjoyed this teaching by Jensen Franklin and thank you for your continued support of this ministry for more information about this message and other Ministry resources visit us online at Jensen
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