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welcome to the City of Refuge
with senior pastor Bishop
Noel Jones
worthy to be praised amen in Romans five it says therefore
being justified by faith
we have peace with God and I need not tell you again that peace with
God is through Jesus Christ
it is his death on calvary
that brings us into a place
where we can approach the throne of God
peacefully whatever the antagonism
was that God had toward us because of our sins
was settled by Jesus on calvary
so the propitiation is significant here because
it is appeasing the orge
or the wrath of God so now
we can approach the throne peaceably because Jesus
has eased God's wrath
now peace with God is not
the peace of God because the peace with God
is an operation of Jesus Christ through his work on calvary's cross
when he vicariously suffered for our sins
and rendered us free because of propitation reconciliation redemption
justification adoption and sanctification
now I have peace with God but
peace of God is a work of the Holy Spirit
that comes after you been through
a plethora of different conflicts and circumstances
and you have come to the conclusion
that the inner power of God offsets
the circumstances you've been through so in spite
of what you're facing I have peace
and that peace is the peace which I giveth not that the world giveth
that no man can take away so the peace
of God is different than peace with God
I suggest that all of God's children have peace
with God but all of us have not attained
to the peace of God he continues now
and says by whom also we have access
by faith that's by Jesus into this grace
wherein we stand there is
never going to be a time in your life mark this
that you'll ever say to God I have had enough
grace I don't need it anymore I have stood
long enough and grace has no more
significance in my life I am so holy now
that I don't operate with unmerited
favor I am able to stand
and receive justice you will never get to that place don't think it
don't ever believe if anytime
at any age no matter how long you been in church
no matter how many tongues you speak in if you're going to stand
you can only stand in
grace and so he says and rejoice
in the hope now here's projection in the hope of the glory of God
and not only so but we glory in tribulations also
knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience experience
experience hope and
hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts
by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us I want you to see
progression you're moving now from
the initial entry into the kingdom with peace with God
but by time you get through
tribulation patience
experience it
leads you now to hope and
and hope maketh not ashamed because not your love for God but his love for
you
is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit look at somebody
and tell 'em I'm not the same person
amen somebody looking at me ain't said a word amen looking at me
say something to me amen I
am look at somebody and say I'm different now I'm different I'm not the same
Moltmann says
and I quote he says the theologian
is not concerned merely to supply
a different interpretation of the world of history of the human
experience but he's concerned about transforming them in
expectation of divine transformation
unquote it is not good enough for us to
get dressed and spend all our gas
in these marvelous machines to come over to a place
simply for somebody to give you
more facts about biblical truth
and more insight into the characters
of bible figures the intention is not simply to come over here and
worship and celebrate Jesus and
and get up and hear somebody speak and
walk out the door the same way you came the real significance
is that there has to be a
change of mind
because without a change of mind and without becoming a different person
this would simply be a lesson
in futility you don't have the time neither do I have the time
to simply come over and
have entertainment if we want entertainment I'm sure there are characters
who best suit the capacity and the ability to entertain
on a level that would suit you other than coming into the house
of God and merely sitting looking for entertainment
when I walk out of this place the issue here
is how did I come in
and what did I experience during
the interim that makes
me leave different than
the way I came in I don't want to leave
with the same negatives and the same
debilitating
attitudes that I came in with I want to leave because somebody has
introduced something to me that helps me
to transform my
thinking it's a very important thing
because oftentimes we are
enamored simply by the activity
but the bottom line is when I walk out of this building I have to walk out of
here with me
and I'm not leaving with a choir
I'm not leaving with a preacher unless I
you know I don't plan to leave with him and I'm not leaving
with a preacher I'm leaving with me
and somehow when I get back into my car
I want to feel better about
me than when I approached because
I didn't come simply to participate
in a worship service that does not influence
how I feel about myself Moltmann is right because
nobody is going to speak into your life
whether it be your mother whether it be your brother
whether it be your significant other not no pun intended
and not expect you to be
different because of the interaction I feel and I like to have people around me
who causes me or forces me to think
because in the process of thinking
I begin to understand
my weaknesses and my strength
and it's good to have people around you who stimulate the better side
of you should and cause you to become more
of who you really are that's buried on the inside
sometimes you have people around you who bring out the bad in you
people who cause you to curse I mean
now if you start this
I will read your mail I promise I will talk about
your business in a way that you thought I was the fly
on the wall amen so don't start that or I'll come your way
you see the truth is you have people around
you who irk you there are some people
who just get to the nerve
that is under the muscle that is under the rib
that is behind the cage
in your spirit and before you know it something bounce outta your mouth
that you can't get back and it's not so bad
because if it's in there I heard the psalmist say search me and see
if there be any wicked way in me
and lead me into the path
everlasting and so its in you
and the whole interaction is to
bring out what's in you
so that you can visualize it and
ultimately change it's all about
transformation now the wonderful thing here
is if there's going to be change
then truth has to bring
with it the promise of a different
I am in this business and I'm signed
up because somehow
in changing me
you change my future you see
and let me approach it another way you see many of us come to church
without the inkling of
participation in our change
we come to church and it has been broadcasted and marketed
that the Lord changes circumstance
we we we we expostulate something that says this
prayer changes
things but I'm telling you the truth about prayer
is that prayer changes
individuals more than it changes
things you see because God
is not going to simply just run around
and change your circumstances that
you brought about because of who you
we just talking ok
we just talking we just talking you see we come in and
we have a faith that has been
given to us by others for God
to change circumstance but what
good is a circumstance change
if you're putting the same person
in the new circumstance
the real issue here is that God intends
to change you and
then you will change
your circumstance
I gotta make it plain since we just talking you see
you see why my future has to change and it's predicated on
my changing is because
I attract certain flies
well you know I got a little honey
in me and my flavor of honey
attracts certain flies
and I'm getting sick of the flies that my honey
attracts and its always attracting the same
kind of fly so now
I need God to change my honey
so that I can attract different I think you got it
alright it's an important piece
here because it changes
the future I cannot have a
different future if I'm the same person
and so it is then that my whold
God approach has to be different from the Greeks
I studied the Greek mythology and
and the God of Penicles
is different than the God of Exodus
he's different than the God of
the resurrection and here is why
the Greek thought is that God
is an ephiphany of the eternal
present what you ought to be glad about and what I'm glad about
is that nothing in the present
is utopic
maybe use another word nothing in the present
has to keep on being
what it is I think everybody ought to take a minute to
rejoice about the fact that your
present is not a prison I wish I could rejoice
where you I am right now
does not determine where
I will be tomorrow and I want to rejoice
about that because today is
not fixed in the state of mind
that I cannot be any bigger
or better than my right now
I would not be in this place
and I would not pick up a bible another day
if where I am right now
cannot be changed I feel it here
because of that fact
the good things that you are right now
because they can change you should they need
to be guarded anything that you have gone through
a whole lot to achieve and
anytime you have gone to hell and back
to get to where you are right now
whatever you've achieved right now
needs to be guarded
I have learned I have learned you see I'm trying to preach this without involvin myself
but I can't
you see I have never learned the hard way
yeah and I'm talking about the hard hard hard
costs you money costs your attitude keep me up at night
way and that whatever you have achieved needs to be
guarded
and whatever you have achieved needs primarily
to be regarded guarded from non
achievers I wish I could talk to you
you gotta watch your flank and make sure you not
letting anybody in that has not achieved anything
themselves because people
who don't know how to build only know how to tear down
I have to go to work ya'll excuse me it's an important thing to understand that
and all you got understand that what you have achieved in the present
has to be guarded because it can change
and what you have not achieved
in the present is
possible so it can change
and so now he is a God of rhetoric
he not a God of the ephiphany of the eternal present
because he is a God of exodus
which means he's a God who takes people
out of slavery and takes them
to personal possession and that's
why the movement if you will because the
tendency and the proclivity of the
challenge of change is to back
in the comfort zone of what you was used to be
so I'm not talking to everybody right now
I'm talking to those of you
who have the courage
to let go of your comfort zone
and take a journey into transformation
that your future will not be the same
as your past I feel it here
if I may digress
for a moment I immediately think of the God
of the exodus said and the God of the exodus
does not look for a plan he looks for
a man understand this that every
plan of God is in you
right now because you as a human being
has to execute the plan of God
for your life can I put it another way
you see everybody who's going to transform
and have a different future has to have avision because
you have to have a vision of
what you will be in spite of
where you are you cannot live
without a vision of where you're going
because without a vision
the people perish where they are I hope you understand
it does not necessarily mean
an immediate death it means
that there is no motion and when there is no motion there is no life
which means if you don't have a vision
where ever you are right now
with whomever you are
right now that's where you're going to die you're going to perish
right where you are if you don't have a vision
I feel like preaching now now vision
is not looking backward vision
is looking forward and I'm
not about to have a vision of going
back to Egypt I've been there done that
I need something new
I feel like churching a little bit
it's a critical piece here because many of us have been stuck
where we are and when you're stuck
where you are you're stuck with who you been with
and you can go by the history
and you can come to a conclusion that it ain't gone work
it ain't gone work
I've been here long enough to discover its
not going to work I feel like preaching
now now you can stay in Egypt if you want to
or you can pack your little bags
get your little knapsack and let's start the
journey into a new future I
feel it in here somebody have I told you touch your neighbor yet I haven't
alright I'll hold it
it's important to understand this
that it takes courage
you've got to have courage
for transformation because there's going to be a time
where you're caught between
your vision and your past I wish I could preach
you see
Moses Moses he's an interesting character
because here is Moses and God intends
for him to lead Israel in the wilderness
how is it God that you
know Moses needs to understand
wilderness and yet still you
have him raised
in Pharoah's house for forty years
he is in the most decandent
house in all of
Egypt can you imagine Egypt has now
employed 600,000 men as slaves two to
three half million people when they left
and all of them worked for Pharoah
so every dope you can think of was in Pharoah's house
every woman you can think of was in Pharoah's
house and here comes Moses
raised in all the decandence
if there was *** Pharoah had it
if they had grey goose Pharoah had it
if they had Jack Daniels Pharoah had it
I mean why ya'll looking at me like Alice in Wonderland
amen whatever there was it was in Pharoah's house
and God is raising Moses
to lead them out of Egpyt
and 40 years in Pharoah's house then
God snatches Moses and then puts him forty years
in the backside of the desert because it needed forty years to
take the forty years out of Moses
to qualify him to lead his people
I feel the Holy Ghost can I talk to you the Bible says that he gave
up the riches of Egypt
and took the reproaches
in order to lead them out now here is what's funny
when the people left Egypt they were slaves
and they were now being lead
to a promised land notice promised
land because if you're going to have a different future
you got to have a promise
because a promise draws you where your history can't
push you I wish I can talk to somebody in here
your history can't push you but your faith can draw you
so I'm not being pushed by what I've been
I being drawn by what I can
become I'm not living in what I was
I'm living in what I will be
I feel something here the critical piece is
that the slaves were talking about going back
every time they had a challenge
they wanted to go back yet Moses came out of Pharoah's house
and he never wanted to go back
I wish you have some folk around you that already been there
and done that because if they been there
and done that they don't want to go back to that
you need a man with you baby thats been there and done that and
ready for some new stuff on a new level in a new place
in a new environment with a new mind with a new house with a new car
with a new God with a new shout with a new vision with a new new new
new
I feel something happening in here give somebody a high five
and say I ain't going back
been there done that left that ain't going back to that
bye-bye you can't come I can't come back
we got to part ways right here in the present 'cuz I'm going to a new future
I ain't going back I ain't going back to welfare
I ain't going back to not having nothing I ain't going back to that ole raggedy car
I ain't going back to the house with the roaches I ain't going back to dem rats I ain't going back
to living underneath that place
I ain't going back to you drinkin' and smokin' slapping me up kickin' me around I ain't going
back
to no cooking no eatin' I ain't going back I'm going forward I'm out bye
see you later I'm gone I feel like lifting him up
ya'll try to rest I gotta work give somebody a high five say its a new day now
he's a God of rhetoric
he's a God of changing discussions because one of the things that
become so important is that we
have to have discussions and he is not a God of the eternal
present he's a God that moves things
and operates within the scope of death and
resurrection he's a God of
changing concepts because you can't deal with him and
think like you used to what was
impossible yesterday has become
possible right now because the revelation
of the risen Christ is not a form of the epiphany
of the ever present eternity
and so now it has to necessitate
a view of the revelation as an
apocalypse I have to look beyond and see the promise future
of truth I didn't sign up
to be the same I don't come over here
to be the same I come to be different I come to be challenged
and the future of truth
is now the manifestation of
the promise and that's why when the writer
takes us through he introduces the hope
of the glory of God hand that is the glory that God is going to
bring
out of me because of my
relationship with him so the
demands then our experience
our reality as historical in all
its possibilities and dangers because that's
what is needed now courage and the courage
is in many of us needed to overcome
the fear of failure I want talk to you here
because many of us are afraid
to do something different
because we are afraid to fail
when I was growing up I was told that the only thing that
beats of failure or that beats success
is not to try that's what they tell me the only failure
you will ever have in your life is when you don't
try because the next level
ought to be apprehensive because
the next level shouldn't be gained comfortably
it should take all of the good
of your past and put it all together as a deposit
for your future
everything you have ever learned in your past is now
the down payment for where you're going
can I talk to you a minute about that
if what you have achieved right now
came from nothing
imagine if you take all you have achieved
and put it as a down payment
to where you're going from here
I came from where I am out of nothing
but I've got the courage to take everything I am
and make a deposit on where I'm going I feel the Holy Ghost
in here you will not become everything you will be
if you sit here holding what you are I've got to
release what I am in order to get
to get to the next level I want talk to somebody here
I feel like preaching here I've noted in the context that
you have to identify God
in Christ as he deals with the dangers
and possibilities of our existence
because in every possibility there is a danger the greater the possibility the
greater the danger because Satan
lurks in the midst up possibilities
and he lurks to bring your mind to the place where you fear
the next because he wants you
to abort your next move because I
guarantee you if you move on the promise
the result is already guaranteed
because the promiser has already told you
that I call the end
from the beginning so do you wanna play
I feel like preaching give somebody a high five
and say do you wanna play because
God is dealing the cards I feel like preaching now
who is dealing the cards God
and all God wants to know what is do you want to play
because I got the right card and every time you say to God give me another
card
it's the right one everything you've been
through in your life was the right one
to get you where you are right now
and are you going to fold or are you gonna play
because if your gonna play the victory is already
I feel
I'm almost there Pat I'm almost there
the dangers are there I found something out
that the resurrection is not contradicted
by the cross because the cross is not antithetical
to the resurrection
and I got to talk about myself for
last two years or maybe three years
I have been very self-destructive
I don't know if you felt it I don't know if you see it
maybe somebody out there who loves me thank you
somebody's who's got discernment could tell that
the poor preacher was going through some rough stuff
for about three years of my life
and I called one of my friends and he said look Noel
you just going to have to die you up on a cross but you're struggling
to live and you're living a life
of some past junk that you're going to have
to die out of do you feel me
because many of us have settled ourselves
in places that aren't working but we just living we just going through the motion
because we don't have the courage to make the break
can I talk like I feel it
I can't understand how you can have the strength
to take the nagging pain yet but you don't have the strength
to take the sharp pain and
make the break I feel it in here
what has to happen that hasn't happened for you to realize
its time to go
what has to happen Pharoah has
killed your first born Pharoah has destroyed
your life Pharoah has destroyed your hopes
what else has to happen do you have
AIDS before you decide do you have to have some ***
before you decide do you have to be in a madhouse
before you decide do you have to be in a hospital bed
with your jaws sewed up before you decide
that its time to just die out to this
I feel like preaching I'm going to preach 'til the devil gets mad
he's mad already and I'm glad
you gotta understand he said you got to die Noel
quit fighting to live in a situation
that ain't worth it die to it
and finally when I died somewhere around January
now I come up from
the grave with a new life in my hand
the cross is not antithetical to resurrection
you need a cross if you going to rise
again Jesus went down
saying my God my God why hast
forsaken me but when he came up
he said all power in heaven and earth
is in my hand
I feel like preaching here can I preach like I wanna everybody
I know who went down into the grave when they came back
did not come up by themselves because when Jesus went
down into the grave when he came up
he loosed everybody that was in the grave with him
God told me to tell you hurry up
and come out of your grave so you can release
some people who've been where you been and I sent you
down there to set them free I'm not the same person
give somebody a high five and say neighbor
I'm not the same person I'm changed
something about God has taken
me through some changes and I'm different right now
so don't come with the same game
I'm not the same person your same attitude
don't move me and I like myself
give somebody a high five for the second time and say neighbor
I like what God
is doing with me couldn't stand myself
but I like myself now don't need you to compliment me
don't need you to pat me on the back don't need you to
affirm me I affirm myself
don't need your validation I'm not the same
person can I preach like I feel it give somebody a high five
for the third time and say neighbor it ain't coming from the outside
'cuz I heard Jesus say you can't
take my life I lay it down
when I get ready and I'll pick it up because the power
is not from the outside the power is on the inside
and I've got confidence that he
that started a good work in me
will work it until finishes it God don't do things half way
its all the way or no way
and I'm getting to the place where you either coming right
or don't come at all 'cause I don't need a half baked cake
I need the real thing I'm getting ready to close
but I feel a move of God give somebody a high five
say I'm a different person because I'm drinking
from the water of will be
instead of the water of what used to be
I'm moving to higher place
because my future is brighter than my past
give somebody a high five and say neighbor I'm excited
about your future I see I see I see
I see I see I see I see new things
I see new attitudes new
victories new power I see hope that
maketh not ashamed for you to look back over your life and
tell your neighbor I told you so I told you God
was in the middle of my move
I told you weeping may
endure for a night but joy
is coming in the morning I like it
I like the new me shake somebody's hand like you're going to shake it off
and say neighbor I like it
I like my alone time I like my down time I like it
I like it because I don't need the club
to have a party I don't need grey goose
to get high I don't need weed to
get through my day
I like it I
like it I like to be able to
lift up the name of the Lord I like
to walk in a place and feel
good about my environment I
like it when I can tell the devil get out of my house
get out of my place
I used to be weak
I used to be needy but I'm standing
on my own two feet I'm glad
I'm going higher
give somebody a high five
for the second to the last time and
say neighbor I'm different neighbor I'm new
old things are passed away
and all all
things are become new new mind
new desire
new praise lucid new clothes
new hope new power new vision
new manifestation I'm new
somebody holler I'm
not the same I'm not the same I
love myself
I respect myself I thank
God
for who I am
give somebody a high five
for the last time
and say neighbor when you pray for me
tell the Lord
keep on doing what you
doing keep on moving like you moving keep on
blessing like you blessing 'cause
I like I like I like the new
praise him for yourself
praise him for who you are
praise him for what he's done
praise him praise
him
praise
come on lay that burden down
lay that burden down
lay it down
lay it down
lay it down get it off your back and lay it
down put it under your feet you don't belong up
here you belong down there
I'm not the same
I'm not the
same
I'm not the same I'm not the same
oh Jesus in the name of
Jesus
I'm not the same
I'm not the
same
I'm not the same
I'm not the same I'm
not
thank you for joining us at the City of Refuge located at 145
27 Sout San Pedro Street in Gardena California
the purpose of Noel Jones Ministries is to assist in
providing answers to situations we face
on a daily basis relating to social consciousness
sexuality and religious thought
our mission and ministry is to serve as
mediators in our families, church and
community as we are empowered by the word of God and His Holy Spirit
please join us for live streaming on
Sunday mornings at eight and eleven a.m.
and the hour of power at 6 p.m. and
on Wednesdays for Bible study at 7 p.m.
Pacific Standard Time to obtain this and
other material for you spiritual growth and development
swing by the bookstore at Noel Jones dot org
or make a local call at area code three one zero
five one six one four three three
or nationwide at one eight hundred
five two six Noel that's one eight hundred five two
six
six six three five we pray God's
richest blessings upon you in Jesus name
amen he's worthy of all of our praises