The Truth Church

The minister emphasizes that God has never had to say 'oops' or 'I didn't see that coming,' because He is perfect and calls things that are not as though they were. The greatest prayers are those that start in heaven—God has something He wants to do, but He waits for someone on earth to pray it, completing the cycle. The minister challenges the congregation to shift from selfish prayers focused on personal needs to kingdom-minded prayers, seeking first God's will. He draws from Jesus' model prayer, 'Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done,' arguing that when believers pray what is on God's mind—interceding for His purposes rather than their own—God promises to answer even before they ask and to add all earthly needs. The minister illustrates this by saying that if people pray for the kingdom to manifest in their city and church, provisions like food and gas will simply be provided. He calls for a revival of intercessory prayer, a dying breed where believers groan in the Spirit and utter unspoken petitions, connecting with God's heart. The spiritual purpose is to move the congregation from self-centered prayer to aligning with God's agenda, trusting that when they seek first His kingdom, everything else falls into place.

The minister begins by reading Psalm 48:1, establishing Mount Zion as the city of God, beautifully situated, and the place where God's name dwells. He then reads Acts 3, which describes the lame man healed at the temple gate called Beautiful. The sermon's core argument is that there is a spiritual battle for the place called Beautiful—symbolizing the church, which is the New Testament Mount Zion. The minister explains that Jerusalem means 'the Lord our God shall provide peace,' and that the devil fights the church because it is where God's peace, name, and power reside. He traces God's covenant with Zion from 2 Chronicles 6-7, where Solomon dedicates the temple and God promises to hear prayers made toward that place, declaring His heart would be there perpetually. The minister then connects this to the local church, declaring that Olathe, Kansas, meaning 'beautiful,' has been a site of spiritual warfare akin to the historical 'Bleeding Kansas' conflict over slavery. He identifies a spirit of bondage and slavery that has fought to keep the church from revival. The minister prophesies that God has stopped the bleeding in this place called Beautiful, that the wounds of war are healed, and that notable miracles—including the lame walking and the blind seeing—are coming. He calls the congregation to consecrate, fast, and pray, commanding every spirit of captivity to leave as the angels enter, and leading the people to walk through the sanctuary to claim the victory.

The minister begins by acknowledging that the devil will intensify attacks as believers near a breakthrough, comparing it to birds stealing seed before it can grow. He warns that wounds make a person a bigger target, like a lion preying on the weak. He then recounts how a visiting minister prophesied 20 years ago that revival would not start on the East Coast as expected but that God had chosen this church to do something that would shatter all previous expectations and catch the nation's attention. The minister stresses that many times, just before fulfillment, the devil brings attacks to shift focus from God's work to the enemy's. He insists the congregation must not quit pursuing God's promises, even if it requires tearing down strongholds like unbelief, one brick at a time. Using Joseph's story, he illustrates that God may take 30 years to prepare a person for the promise, allowing trials to humble and mature them. Joseph was elevated then cast down multiple times—enslaved, imprisoned, forgotten—yet in a moment God turned his situation from prison to palace. The minister explains that the delay is God working on the church, getting them ready. This current season feels different in unity and faith, more than any he has seen in 29 years. He declares that in an instant God can turn everything around, as He did for Elisha using four lepers to create a great supply. The minister urges persistence, assuring that if God can convert entire churches in Africa, He can do it in America, for nothing is too hard for God.

Bishop Riggen expounds on 1 Timothy 2:1-4, where Paul exhorts that first of all—as the highest priority—supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks should be made for all men. He emphasizes that prayer is the premier responsibility of every Christian, more important than job, education, or relationships, because it develops a relationship with Jesus Christ. Using Luke 11:1-2 and Matthew 6:9-13, Bishop Riggen examines the Lord's Prayer, highlighting that Jesus taught his disciples a method, not a recitation. He focuses on the pronouns: Jesus never used 'I,' 'me,' or 'my,' but only 'our' and 'us,' teaching that prayer must not be self-centered. Instead, the first three petitions concern God's name, kingdom, and will. Bishop Riggen illustrates the power of praying for others from Job 42:10—when Job prayed for his friends, God restored his fortunes. He warns against selfish, repetitious prayers, referencing the Pharisee who prayed only about himself. The sermon calls believers to shift their perspective from personal needs to the needs of the body of Christ, praying collectively for deliverance, daily bread, forgiveness, and spiritual protection, so that the church may prevail in prayer and see God's kingdom advanced.

The minister expounds on 1 Corinthians 12, emphasizing that spiritual gifts are essential for the church and mandated by Paul. He stresses that believers must earnestly covet the best gifts, not just attend church passively. The gifts are supernatural enablements given by the Holy Spirit to every believer for the common good, to edify and build up the church. They are not natural talents or skills, and they require the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, evidenced by speaking in tongues. The minister warns that having a gift does not make one spiritual, citing the carnal Corinthian church as an example where gifts operated amid sin. He highlights that spiritual gifts come with rules: they must operate in order, with discipline, and under authority—the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets themselves. God is not the author of confusion. Gifts can be imparted through prophecy or the laying on of hands, as seen with Timothy. Believers must stir up their gifts through faith and not neglect them. The minister concludes by stating that gifts reside within the individual, though their operation depends on the Holy Spirit’s prompting, and encourages pursuing a deeper move of God for the church's advancement.