It should have killed you : Revivalist Terry Sisney
Acts 28:1-28:6
How many of us have looked back at our life and realized that it is only the grace of God that we have lived this long?
Car wrecks, drugs, gang violence, drowning, and so many other circumstances have taken the lives of those we have been acquainted with,
(Some of you here, right now you know that if it wasn’t for the grace of God you would have died in that car wreck, you would have been the one spending your life behind prison walls,
or you would have been the one who died of a drug overdose.
We begin this message with Paul advising them not to sail.
Acts 27:10 Paul tells them not to sail:
How many know we don’t always listen to wise counsel, (we could have saved ourselves a lot of grief and pain had we just listened to those who tried to instruct us).
Acts 27:11 But they didn’t listen
And they sailed directly into the storm of their lives
Acts 27:18-19 They lightened the ship
There’s nothing like a bad storm for realigning priorities, (You find out real quick what you need and what is unnecessary, or excess baggage).
The ship was destroyed
But they made it to land on boards, and broken pieces of the ship:
Somebody ought to lift your hands right now and say (I’m going to make it) I may be broken but I’m still coming, wounded but I’m still coming, bleeding but I’m still coming, crying but I’m still coming, confused but I’m still coming, rejected but I’m still coming.
I know I’m not everything I should be, I’m still struggling with some habits and hang-ups, I’m still wrestling with some anger and forgiveness issues, I still slip up every once and while and say something I shouldn’t say.
I know I’m not where I should be by now, but I know I’m moving in the right direction.
I know I’m chopping up the water all around me, but it’s just because I don’t want to drown
Acts 27:44 They all escaped safe to land:
Somebody needs to lift your hands right now and thank God that you made it through the storm,
It should have killed you, but you made it ( Most of it was your own fault, you brought it on yourself) but God had mercy on you and you made it.
You shouldn’t have made it, You shouldn’t be here, you shouldn’t have made it through the storm,
(But just tell the devil) I’m still here
Acts 28:1-6
They’ve made it through the storm, landed on an island, the barbarians on that island begin to kindle a fire for them, Paul begins to gather sticks for the fire and out of the sticks, a viper fastens itself to Paul’s hand
Now it says (Howbeit they looked) = to watch, to anticipate, to wait for,
There are people that are watching you who do not want you to make it, they are anxiously waiting and anticipating your downfall, they rejoice when they see you going through hard ships and trials,
Their watching, their waiting to celebrate your downfall, celebrate your breakdown, your defeat.
When he should have swollen or fallen down dead suddenly:
This means that they had seen this happen before, and everytime it happened this was the end result.
He should have swollen or fallen down suddenly.
Medical science says you should have died
Every legal advisor says you should have died
Every natural circumstance says you shouldn’t have made it
it should have killed you,
You should be in a mental institution or strung out on drugs, mad at God and mad at the world,
I came to tell somebody that not only are you going to make it, but you are not even going to look like you have been through what you’ve been through.
When the children of Israel went through the red sea, God didn’t just part the waters, he dried the ground that they walked on.
When they reached the other side, there wasn’t even mud between their toes.
For a little bit it looked like the enemy was closing in on them and was going to overtake them, but they just kept on walking.
And while they were walking God was taking care of their enemies, ( while they were walking their enemies were drowning).
I want to tell somebody today (just keep walking) it don’t matter what they say about you, it don’t matter what they do, it don’t matter what the doctor says, it don’t matter what the rebellious child says, it don’ matter what the financial report says (this is no place to sit and cry, just keep walking) and when God gets through blessing you, you wont even look like you’ve been through what you’ve been through.
And the only evidence of you going through what you went through will be a greater faith, a greater love, a greater confidence and a greater commitment, and a greater testimony.
Somebody said: But you don’t understand, I’m going through hell with this marriage, with this job, this sickness, this financial struggle.
You ought to be shouting right there
Your going through
You just prophesied your victory.
David said yeah though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.
Your going through because you’re going to.
Let me remind you,You’re not the only one who has walked through the fire, (The bible tells us about 3 young Hebrew boys who walked through the fire, and when they came out the other side the only evidence that they had been through the fire was they were liberated from their bondage, ( Bondage) = The things that the enemy put on them, got burned off in the fire
They came out the other side with no hurt, their clothes were not burnt, their hair was not singed, and there was not even the smell of smoke on them.
It should have killed them:
Somebody said (well God just took the heat out of the fire, well somebody should have told those 3 men that threw them in about that, because the bible says it killed them.
I’m telling you that God doesn’t always take the heat out of the fire, but he will walk with you through it.
Touch 3 people and tell them (it’s not going to kill you).
I shouldn’t be here right now, if the devil had his way I’d be strung out on drugs, or in a mental institution or in some hospital room, or prison.
But I’m here to tell you:
If you’ll keep your faith in God, God is going to bring you out,
Tell somebody,
I’m working on my testimony ( I may be in the middle of my test, that means I’m half way through to a testimony)
Now back to Paul (The bible says, that Paul shook off the beast).
This wasn’t’ a little wimpy wave of the hand (come on mister snake, this is not nice, please get off of me, please remove your fangs from my skin).
That viper had attached itself to Paul:
He had to become violent and aggressive against it.
There are some things that you can pray about and ask God to take away, and there are some things that you must become violent, and aggressive against.
And you must shake it loose, (You must shake like your life depends on it, because it does).
Shake that fear loose, shake that depression loose, shake that addiction loose, shake that spirit of hopelessness and suicide loose, shake that spirit of lust and perversion loose, shake that spirit of poverty and lack loose, shake that spirit of sickness loose.
Shake that dead powerless religion loose.
Shake for your family
Shake for your health
Shake for your mind
Shake for your ministry
Shake for your finances
Shake, shake, shake, shake,
Samson said: I will go out as at other times and shake myself (this leads us to believe that there was some Physical action on Sam-sons part that was a signal for the anointing, the anointing would come upon him as he shook.
There’s something about shaking that activates the anointing.
But shaking is not all there is to it (You need to be close to the fire).
There are a lot of people who shake = go through the motions of being a Christian, but not that many really have the fire.
In fact we have reached the place where we are considered old fashioned and out dated if we talk about the Holy Ghost and fire.
But I still believe that the only thing that can destroy the devils power is the fire of God.
We still serve a God that answers by Fire.
Paul shook that viper off into the Fire.
You need to ask yourself, are you living close enough to the fire?
Is there fire in your church?
Is there fire in your home?
It should have killed me, but I shook it off
It should have killed me, but I got close to the fire, and the fire delivered me.
It should have killed Paul, they fully expected him to die, but he shook it off into the fire.
It was the fire that destroyed the thing that was trying to kill paul.
Somebody listening to me, the devil has sent something out to try and destroy you, but it’s not going to kill you because Your turning up the heat.
Tell your neighbor (excuse me but I’ve got to turn up the thermostat) You might want to move to the other side of the room because I’m getting ready to praise like I’ve never praised before, I’m getting ready to shout, I’m getting ready to worship.
I haven’t got time to try and be cute, I haven’t got time to try and fit in, I’m praisin for my life.
I’m praisin for my destiny
I’m praisin for my ministry
I’m praisin for my children
I’m praisin for my health
Tell somebody I know it should have killed me, but I’m still here
I know I don’t deserve it but I’m still here.
I know the devil meant it for evil, but God is turning it around for my good.
I know what it feels like to be ship wrecked, and I know what it feels like to be bitten by the serpent, but I also know what it feels like to shake that snake off into the fire.
Somebody listening to this message right now: You know it should have killed you, you know if the devil had his way you’d be dead, You know if some people had been able to carry out their intentions you’d be dead, (but touch three people and tell them) I’m still here.
I’m still here because God has a plan for my life, and a destiny and I’m going to fulfill it.
it’s time for a change : Revivalist Terry Sisney
Deuteronomy 2:1-2:3
Deut 2:1-3 Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea, as the LORD spake unto me: and we compassed mount Seir many days. 2 And the LORD spake unto me, saying,
3 Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward.
You’ve compassed this mountain long enough turn you northward.
I came to this house with a word in my spirit (change).
God said this is a season of change, major change.
He said prophesy and tell my people change is coming, major shifts are going to be taking place.
God said: to prophesy change so his people could participate and cooperate with him in the process.
*You cannot stop change from happening around you, but you can either adjust to change or resist it*.
The word of the Lord said: you’ve been in this place long enough.
In other words you’ve been in this life-cycle this life situation long enough.
It may be your financial situation, or your relationships, it may be in your emotional arena of your life.
It may be a physical situation of struggle with your health.
It may be your spiritual life, your walk with God, your experience with God, (your ministry).
God said: it’s time for a change.
Is anybody ready for a change?
Is anybody sick and tired of being sick and tired?
Is anybody fed up with your present situation?
Is anybody ready to break that cycle of debt?
Ready to break that cycle of sickness? To break that cycle of depression?
Am I talking to anybody who’s tired of going around and around the same old problems every day?.
God said you’ve compassed this mountain long enough.
Tell your neighbor: enough is enough.
Now tell the devil: I’ve had enough.
I’ve had enough hell in my life, I’ve had enough fear and confusion, I’ve had enough discouragement, I’ve had enough lack, I’ve had enough disappointment, I’ve had enough rejection and betrayal, I’ve had enough misery, I’ve had enough shame.
Somebody shout I’m ready for a change; I’m ready for a turnaround, (is anybody ready for a turnaround?).
I don’t know who I’m talking to but somebody needs a turnaround and you need it today, you need it right now.
Somebody’s facing a situation that is impossible for you to change it’s out of your hands, somebody’s in a legal situation and you need God to move and turn that thing around.
Somebody else you need a miracle in your finances, you’ve done everything you know how to do but instead of getting better it looks worse.
Someone else you’re standing in the gap for your children, and you know that if God don’t move they’re in trouble.
But I came to prophesy to you in this house that we serve the God of turnarounds, this Bible is a book of turnarounds, from Genesis to Revelations we see God turning things around.
One of the worst-case scenarios in the Bible is in the book of Ezekiel chapter 37 the Valley of dry bones.
It looked hopeless, impossible, beyond the point of no return.
But when the man of God started prophesying to those bones something started happening, (change,) things started changing.
The situation started turning around.
Bones started coming together, and they didn’t just come together but every bone found its matching bone.
When the prophet finished prophesying, in the very same place where there was nothing but dry bones there stood a mighty army fully equipped and fully empowered to fight.
Tell your neighbor something’s getting ready to change
.
I feel a turnaround in the atmosphere.
I feel a turnaround anointing in this place, I feel a turnaround anointing rising up in my spirit right now.
Somebody’s getting your breakthrough right now, somebody’s getting free right now, free in your mind, somebody’s getting free in your emotions, somebody’s financial situation is turning around.
Somebody’s ministry is turning around.
Somebody’s marriage is turning around, it was headed for the rocks now it s headed for the rock.
Somebody’s getting a healing in your body, sickness is leaving you now. Pain is leaving your body right now (with his stripes ye were healed).
The anointing destroys the yoke.
Your season is changing: you’ve been in a winter season and it looked like and felt like everything was dying in you and around you.
But it’s a new season: it’s a season of new beginnings, I prophesy new beginnings.
I prophesy new doors in your ministry, new connections, new anointing, new fire, new jobs, promotions, new avenues of income, new joy, new friends, new confidence, new strength, new health, new fire.
Somebody’s going to go where they’ve never gone before, somebody’s going to take some new steps into new territory.
Is anybody ready to step out of the old into the new?.
Some body needs to activate your faith right now and take a step, a prophetic symbol of moving into the new.
Grab a neighbor by the hand and help them step into their blessing.
Tell your neighbor: I want to help you step into your new anointing, step into your new position, step into your new joy, your new doors.
Isaiah 43:18-19 remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old, behold I will do a new thing (now it shall spring forth).
This Scripture tells us that God is doing something fresh and new, but the condition and requirement for receiving the new is to let go of the old.
One of the greatest hindrances to your breakthrough is your memory, we have a tendency to want to drag our past into our future.
But God is saying: the only way to get the new is to let go of the old.
Tell your neighbor: just forget it
when Elijah ascended into the heavens in a chariot of fire Elisha prepared himself to receive the double portion anointing by stripping himself of his old clothes.
(He took hold of his own clothes and rent them into pieces).
To get the new you’re going to have to separate yourself from the old (mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically in some cases) In other words you may have to get some new friends.
You have to let it go (forget it)
the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Some of you have destroyed every good thing that comes into your life because you re processing everything through the lens of past disappointments past hurts past wounds.
It doesn’t matter what he or she or they did to you, it doesn’t matter what they said or didn’t say about you.
It doesn’t matter if they cheated on you if they lied on you if they stabbed you in the back, (you have to let it go, you have to forgive).
I have to stop here and say that its time to get it right, if there’s something in your life that shouldn’t be there its time to let it go.
Ministers you cant play around with the world and have the power of heaven.
You cant play the field and carry the anointing, let me make it plainer (you cant entertain a spirit of lust and pornography) and have sweet communion with the Holy Spirit.
You’ve got to let it go.
Some of you are so caught up in tradition and how it used to be that you can’t even enjoy when God moves in a different way.
God is bigger than his last move, (Let it go).
I want to talk to some people today who are standing on the edge of their miracle. There are those listening to this message who are standing on the dividing line between yes and no.
Between just enough and more than enough. Between struggling and stressing and resting in blessing.
Between debt and debt less.
Between weeping and rejoicing.
Just one step between empty nets and too much to handle.
The truth is: most of us have been at this place before, so close you could almost reach out and touch it.
So close to seeing that prodigal son or daughter come home.
So close to seeing your ministry launched.
So close to a breakthrough in your finances.
So close to starting your own business.
So close to writing that book.
So close to making that cd
So close to possessing your promise.
We’ve all been at that place before and for one reason or another we failed to cross over.
It could have been fear of the unknown.
Or unbelief, or pride, or memory of past disappointments, or just unwise decisions and actions birthed out of the flesh.
But God sent me here to help you get through, to push you over.
Give your neighbor a little push and tell them: I just want to help you get through.
There’s an old saying: always a bridesmaid and never a bride (in other words) you’re the one who is destined to do without, to watch everybody else get theirs, to see everybody else promoted, blessed, prospered, married, breaking out in ministry, and you just sit on the sidelines and do without.
But the devil is a liar.
But I’m reminded of the man in the Bible at the Pool of Bethesda the place of blessing.
No doubt he had seen many people get their blessings, no doubt he had seen many people get their deliverance, and get their breakthrough.
And no doubt the devil taunted him and tormented him and told him.
You’re never going to get out of debt.
You’re never going to get out of the projects.
You’re never start that business.
You’re never going to see your family saved.
You’re never going to travel to the nations of the world.
You’re never going find that godly mate.
You’re never going to have a successful ministry.
You’re always going to struggle and worry and push and pull just to make ends meet.
But one day Jesus stood in front him, and he did not address any of the negative things that he had experienced in his life or what the devil said he could never have.
He just ask him one question (Wilt thou be made whole?).
At that moment there wasn’t enough disease in the world to keep him sick.
There wasn’t enough poverty to keep him broke.
There weren’t enough Devils in hell or two legged Devils to keep him bound.
The only one who could keep him out was himself.
And I came to tell someone tonight: the only one who can keep you from your blessing is you.
The only one who can keep your prophecy from coming to pass is you.
I walked into a pizza place not long ago, it was buffet night, pizzas were all out on the food bar. There was spaghetti, potatoes, cheese sticks, and of course the salad bar.
I said will have two buffets please (it was about 10 minutes after eight) he said I m sorry the buffet was over at 8 PM.
I said thank you and left and went to another restaurant.
My wife said: why did you leave?.
I said: I refuse to stay at the place where I can see it and smell it but can’t partake or possess it.
It’s not enough for me just to be close, it’s not enough for me just to be in a place where it’s happening, it’s not enough for me just to walk by and look, and smell it.
It’s not enough for me to sit around watching other people enjoy theirs and I can’t have it.
That frustrates me
what I’m saying to you tonight is that it frustrates your faith to sit down on the edge of your breakthrough and just talk about how good it could be, or will be one of these days.
Faith is a possessor.
Faith will never be satisfied just to look, or just smell it, or talk about how good it was.
Some of you in a spiritual sense are doing that very thing (you’re walking around the buffet table of Gods blessings and promises) and you’re satisfied just to look it over and smell it and talk to each other about how good it could be or how good it should be ,um um, um, wouldn’t that be something.
But here comes somebody who got there on time and paid the price and they started eating everything you’ve been looking at, smelling, and talking about.
And what happens?
Instead of being glad for them you get mad at them (why?).
Because they got what you wanted but you weren’t willing to move when it was time to move and you didn’t want to pay the price.
Well you’ll have to excuse me I really don’t want you mad at me but the fact is; I’m going to get my blessing, I’m going to get my breakthrough, I’m going to get my miracle.
You can stand around and watch, you can criticize and analyze, you can call me undignified, you can talk about me, you can put me down.
But you can’t keep me out.
God said I could have it and I’m not going to spend the rest of my life talking about what I missed.
For 40 years that first generation of the children of Israel wandered around in the wilderness till the doubters all died off and all they could do was talk about what they missed because they wouldn’t move when it was time to move and they wouldn’t pay the price.
I don’t know who I’m talking to but up until now you’ve been satisfied just to be close, just think about it, sing about it, talk about it, dream about it.
But I’m telling you right now its time to move.
It’s time to pay the price.
And if you don’t make a move you’re going to frustrate your faith.
Somebody needs to get on your feet right now and start moving (take a prophetic step) activate your faith, somebody needs to dance, dance into your blessing.
If you can’t walk stomp your feet, if you can’t stomp your feet, wave your arms.
Do something to say I’m on my way.
You’ve compassed this mountain long enough.
This is just another way of saying it’s time for change.
I don’t know if I’m talking to anybody here tonight but in the natural when it’s time for the seasons to change you feel it in the atmosphere, sometimes there’s a period of tug-a-war as one season gives way to another.
I’m just wondering is anybody feeling what I’m talking about? Is anybody feeling the tugging, the pulling, the urgency in the atmosphere?
Change is in the atmosphere. Something is pulling me, something is stirring me, I used to be comfortable, I used to be satisfied,
I used to be.
But not anymore, I’m not comfortable where I’m at anymore, I’m not satisfied anymore, in fact I’m uncomfortable, I’m disturbed, I’m agitated.
Does anybody know what I’m talking about?
You can’t just sit there with your hands folded
you can’t just watch the world coming into the church and not say anything
you can’t just sit there while they strip the blood of Jesus out of our songbooks and not say anything
you can’t just sit there while they preach and teach damnable doctrines that any road you choose will get you to heaven and not say anything.
And that everybody is saved already they just don’t know it, and everybody will be saved in the end.
And there’s not really such a thing as right and wrong its just what you choose and whatever you choose is right.
you can’t just sit there and act like everything is okay while homosexuals and lesbians are being ordained as ministers of the Gospel and not say anything.
I said I hear the Spirit of God saying it’s time for a change.
Truth is parallel: These tea parties are a group of people that are fed up with things as they are and they want a change, and they’re not afraid to stand up and speak out.
There’s change in the atmosphere and part of that change is (Gods people are getting fed up, somebody’s getting a backbone) God is raising up men and women, boys and girls who are not ashamed of the gospel and will not bow to the spirit of this age and will not compromise their faith in God.
Maybe like me you’ve been feeling uncomfortable agitated even sometimes frustrated and you don’t know why.
Here’s part of the reason why: you were created for more, you were created to possess more of the power of God and manifest more of his glory.
You were created with the capacity to carry that same anointing the Jesus had, and to do the same works and even greater works than he did according to the scripture.
The discomfort, the agitation, the frustration, is your spirit telling you (it’s time for a change).
When my feet start hurting me I know it’s time for a change (I need new shoes, bigger shoes).
When my eyes start hurting me I know it’s time for a change in my prescription.
I’m talking to somebody today who’s agitated, and stirred in your spirit, because you sense God calling you to another level.
Many times the agitation and frustration you feel is the unwillingness of the flesh to make the necessary adjustments.
But somebody today is going to say yes.
Somebody today is letting go of the past, is moving with God and paying the price and you’re going to see the glory of God.
In your ministry, in your family.
In your finances, in your health.
In your relationships.
It’s time for a change.
Is there anybody in this house who knows it’s time for a change in your life?
2Co 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are (changed) into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
It’s time for a change.
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