‘Just Flip It’ - Victory Series Pt.1

A man father, Be glorified in this place that you inhabit the praises of your people. Transformation is here. Do you have your Bibles? Let's turn to Matthew chapter twenty one. And I love what Minister Hunter did. Yes, Last week we went old school on us and we've been standing for a little bit just to kind of give reverence to God's word.

We're going to stand up and go old school, and then we're going to read the Scripture together. We might go to a Baptist next week and do a little responsive reading, but we're not there just quite yet. I'm just prepping you up to let you know for those who may not know what responsive reading is, what it is is when I say verse, you say the next verse, but we'll get there in a little while.

A man, a man, a man. And this is a new King James version, Matthew twenty one, verses twelve through fourteen in the word of God to rise. Then Jesus went into the Temple of God and drove out all those who brought in sowed in the temple and overturned the tables or the moneychangers in the seats of those who sold Dove.

And he said to them, It is written, My house should be called a house of prayer. But you. But you made it a den of thieves. Turn to your neighbors, say neighbor. Oh, neighbor. Just flip it. A man a man may be seated. And if your neighbor says something, if just love on him. Anyways, a may, I'm always kind of kind of questionable how far do I press on in just flipping.

And so this flipping today is part of our victory series that we have for the month of October. And so today's topic is not only going to challenge you, but it's going to hopefully challenge you to move in a posture of action. And I believe that we can't remain silent when God is moving. You can't remain silent while serving our God and right, because I know what God has done for me and I know what he's done for you.

So you should be radically change what God is calling you to do. But some of us are still sleeping while serving and God is saying, I need you to wake up, See, the things that we will accomplish as a church would not be an overnight success, but it will be victory. The things that we will be facing over the next few months, the next few years, we have to walk towards victory.

Even though there's a delay, there's not. God is not going to deny right now. And I have to be honest with you today, as I'm standing here as a pastor, there's a certain expectation. Many of you have asked me to be holier than thou, but I stand today in the twenty first century as a man. So for just a moment, I'm just going to take the role of a pass.

I'm going to take the head off right now. And yes, even though I have a master's degree and I'm somebody I see my educator in a graduate magnum. Q Lady, you guys may know all of that, but even though I'm a take that pass a row offer off right now, I want you to see Ryan, just the man that I am, this this rich man that I am.

This this just Ryan Just a plain old human being. The blood and the flesh is coming through my veins. And I believe that today I have a a holy anger, a righteous indignation that's been taken place over these past few years about events has been taking place in the United States and across the world, just as yesterday as we begin to look at how a war in Israel is taking place, there's a holy and righteous anger that God has called us to stand up in an hour in this place.

I'm somewhat confused. I'm confused personally, I'm confused theologically. I'm seeking clarity with what's taking place in the world today. I'm asking God, what are we supposed to do as believers? Over these past several years, I see black and brown lives being taken for no reason at all.

Abortion is all at an all time high. Our country cannot find a solution about immigration reform. But we can put a man on the moon. Come on, Church. You mean to tell me that we can find a solution to immigration and abortion and racial inequalities, but we can put a man on the moon? Well, I'm confused. Young boys and girls, men and women are being human trafficked every single day.

Right in this city on I-40. And we see it right before our eyes. I'm hurt. I'm confused. I'm disappointed. I'm struggling. There's something that God has called us to do. I'm struggling with the systems that we have in this world that's giving profit to other people based on the inequalities. Yesterday, we had the War for freedom were over.

Sixty of us took a stand against human trafficking. We walked all throughout downtown High Point proclaiming that God, righteousness will, will prevail and but that's not enough. We can walk week after week and day after day, but that's not enough. It's our calling and our responsibility to fully stand in the gap for those who can't speak for themselves.

Some lay out a lot of scripture today because I want to begin to lay a biblical foundation. What we're going to talk about Ezekiel chapter twenty two, verse thirty says this. So I saw four men among them who will make a wall and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land. God is saying that he's looking for someone to stand in the gap for people.

And on behalf of the lay this taking place on behalf of the inequalities, on behalf of the racial reconciliation that's needed, on behalf of the human trafficking, on behalf of the abortions. Got to say who was standing the gap for me, he is seeking such a man. He is seeking such a church. Yes, Proverbs thirty one verses eighty nine says this Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.

Yes, he says, speak up and judge fairly and defend, defend the rights of the poor and the needy. He's saying you can't remain silent. God is saying that you are to speak up for those who can't speak for themselves. Got to say I need somebody to stand in the gap. He is saying that you and I have been called to stand in the gap for those who have been marginalized, for those who don't have a voice, for those who are not able to speak up, be saying, are you going to stand in the gap and yet begin to realize when Jesus went into the temple to turn over tables, it wasn't just a casual turning

over tables. Now, when Jesus walked into the temple in his father's house and saw the systems of people making money off of the inequalities, he came in and he was hated. He was ticked off. He came in. That's what Jesus did. It wasn't pretty. It wasn't polite. He is saying, who is going to stand in the gap for these inequalities and I need you guys to get this.

We as believers are called to stand in the gap for our brothers and our sisters. So are you looking for a church is going to be quiet. This is not a church for you. If you looking for a church that's going to sit on the sidelines were my brothers and my sisters in the faith may not be we may not even be in the faith.

We are being marginalized or being prostituted. This is not the church for you. We will stand in a gap. We will stand up for biblical justice, because biblical justice is social justice. I want you to get that. See, I don't call it social justice because there's too much there. The Bible talks about biblical justice. Yeah. And it lays the foundation to everything that we have to talk about.

We will stand in the gap for those who don't have a voice. Jesus wasn't just flipping tables. Jesus was flipping systems right? He was flipping the systems because they knew that at some point in time that they were making money. They knew that the tax collectors and those who were selling their were making money prostituting the gospel so they can benefit.

Exodus Chapter twenty three, verse nine, says this Also, you should not oppress a stranger for, you know, the heart of a stranger because you were once a stranger in the land of Egypt. Leviticus Chapter nineteen verses thirty four says this Let me just go back and read verse thirty three. So when a foreigner resides among you in your land, it says, Don't mistreat them.

It says when a foreigner resides in your land, don't mistreat them. Some verses may say a stranger. So let me just piece it together for you. A foreigner, a stranger is the immigrant. Okay, So let me read it to you this way. When an immigrant resides among you in your land, the land of the free, the land of the USA, the land of the red, white and blue can make it any clearer When a foreigner lives in your land, do not mistreat.

In verse thirty four says, If the foreigner resides among you must be treated as a native born. He is saying this like they have equal rights and equal opportunity. As a citizen of that country, it says love them as yourself for you or for a foreigner in Egypt. And just in case you forgot, I am your Lord and your God.

He is saying above everything else, I'm your Lord and your God. He's your Lord and your God. We're challenging injustice. One table flip at a time at one church. Yeah. So just to give some context, we have a biblical justice platform, which we call Jeff. If Jesus flipping furniture. Come on now, how creative is that? Right? I didn't make it up so I can't take credit for.

But I'm aware I'm a writer all day long. Jesus, flipping furniture. It's so for one church where God has called us to do in three areas there we're focusing our energy, our economics, our our prayer life on everything. But more specifically in three areas racial reconciliation, Asian human trafficking and immigration reform, racial reconciliation, human trafficking, and in immigration reform.

Come on now. And it begins with bringing awareness about what the inequalities are. So, yes, we celebrate immigrants all day long, three hundred and sixty five days out the year because this is who we are. Maybe asking, should the church get involved in this social justice or biblical justice? Should we get involved in this? Yes, we should be running.

We should be leading the forefront of this. The church should be leading the pack for biblical justice. And many churches are not. And it's sad. The church should be taking a stance and not remaining silent. So the two sides either get involved or stay quiet. And we're not going to do that. We're going to do both of them.

We're going to get involved. We're not going to stay quiet. And it comes at a cost. We may lose members, we may lose money, we may even lose credibility. But nowhere in the Bible does the Scripture tells us that we need credit to speak up for the gospel. Yeah. So today I'm really going to hone in on immigration and what God is calling us to do as a body of believers, because immigration is not a Republican or Democratic issue, it's a biblical issue.

And let me say that one more time. Immigration is not a Republican or Democratic issue. It is a biblical issue. Now, we give you scripture for all of our two or three already, but and give you some more. But before we do that, I want to kind of just talk about the myths of immigration, some of the myths of immigration.

Right. And this this is a study from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. So don't get mad at me. Get mad at the US Chambers of Commerce where you pay your taxes. They may but want to highlight some of the myths because some of these myths, we we need to really begin to identify what God is saying. One of the myths is that immigrants.

Well, let me rephrase that, but let me educate you. Say this record, please stop saying illegal citizens, that is insensitive. You out. Come on, that is insensitive. The proper term is undocumented. Okay? You know, you can go to school today. Classes in session. Undocumented immigrants do not pay taxes. That's a myth. The fact is this undocumented immigrants pay billions of dollars of taxes every year.

Billions. I'm gonna give you a Romans. Chapter thirteen, verse one says this Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has already established. The authorities that exist has been established by God. Well, the Scripture is saying that God has put leaders in place and we as believers have to fall up under that leadership, even in the land that we live in.

So when you say that undocumented citizens don't pay taxes, we do undocumented immigrant immigrants pay taxes such as sales tax like everybody consume in the United States. Undocumented immigrants also pay property taxes even if they rent houses. More than half undocumented immigrants have federal and state Social Security, medical, Medicare automatically taken out for their paying taxes. And watch this.

A study shows that thirteen billion dollars thirteen billion, not nearly a billion dollars, is accounted for taxes through under documented Citizens House. What, ten percent of that thirteen billion. Wow. Another myth Immigrants come to the United States for their welfare benefits. I'm sorry, that's not true. Undocumented citizens, immigrant excuse me, are not eligible for public assistance. Now, there may be ways that they may get it, but officially they're not eligible for any type of federal or public assistance.

Another myth building a wall along the US-Mexico border and deporting all undocumented immigrants from the United States will enhance the national security. That's not the case. A border or the wall itself. The wall and mass deportation will have a large impact, a huge impact on security, and severely damaging the US economy. Imagine all the undocumented citizens and most people believe that undocumented citizens are those just illegal citizens that may be coming through from Mexico.

But there's more undocumented citizens with expired visas than it is people coming from the border. Many people come under under a work visa that may has expired and they're still working. But many people believe that the issue is south of Texas, and that's not the case that God has called us to do some amazing things. Exodus twenty three nine says this You must not oppress foreigners.

You know what it is like to be a foreigner for you yourselves was once a foreigner in the land of Egypt. Truth be told, all of us sitting here today are immigrants. Newsflash My people came on a boat. A man. But they're mine. It's okay. Look, unless you are one hundred percent indigenous and Indian, then you are a foreigner.

Because this land that we're on, that we call the United States was first the home of many Native Americans. And that's a whole nother sermon by another, a whole nother damn. I even want to get on it by myself. God wants us to remember that we are all foreigners. And this is why I want you to realize I want you.

He's telling the story in Exodus. I want you to remember what it felt like to be marginalized, to be used, to be prostituted, to be overworked, to be in forced labor. He said, Don't forget where you came from. Like you yourself were foreigners. You know how to is to be mistreated. Like you know what it felt like. God.

So why are you acting brand new? Hebrews thirteen two says this Do not forget to show hospitality to the stranger for doing so. Some people have shown hospitality to angels and not even know it. God is calling us to remind, to remind us that we we should love the stranger. Because in loving that strange you may be entertaining an angel.

Now begin to think about Can you imagine our country without immigrants? I know I can't. Like I could imagine going out to eat and to have the choice of food that we get to eat. I got some friends that I hang out with. You know, their family. They love Indian food, Boy, They love familiar food out of mighty by the left.

She called herself out of it. You know, can you imagine a country without tandoori chicken, some butter chicken and some non woo boy, get that? Now you just kind of sop it up a little bit, you know our Hispanic culture, man, I love it, man. Missing some like some enchiladas some people us I'll pass on a menu the once I found out what it was but no I'll pass on that.

No more menudo for me. Mm. No, sir. Even Texas can help that. I grew up in Cowtown. I dated his chicken in Texas. She was a Latina and she gay. She like a somebody I showing in like it's chewy but tasty. And she told me she's cowtown. I think we broke up that night. Now I'm kind of jealous.

I'm actually I'm jealous and kind of mad, but disappointed, too. Like I've been around the Hispanic culture most of my formative years. I grew up in Texas. My brother and I, my family, we moved down at the age of seven, you know, grew up around the Hispanic culture for a while and this year, you know, this year we talked about, you know, I said, hey, guys, let's have a taco night.

They're like, Great, we can do it. So, Pastor Ryan, what are you going to do? I'm going, do what I always do. We're going to bring a cowboy Troy out. We go get the black stone. We go put the meat on the grill seasoned up and call it a day. But they're like, Pastor, what are you going to do?

I'm go get me on my crew. Now. They're like, I'm gonna go to the store and get, you know, three rolls, five rolls of ground beef, get the taco seasoning, keep it going. They're like, No, pastor, That's that's that's Taco Bell tacos. We want Mexican tacos. I'm like, What are you talking about? All my life, I've been getting ground beef and taco seasoning, meat, tacos.

But it wasn't till this year I learned that Mexican tacos are not Taco Bell tacos. I'm like, Man, what's going on? Like, I'm for real. Like, I break bread with my Latinos all the time and they never told me never Then hasn't said up for us like, Pastor, we got you. I met his news. We went to the spot and I can tell you where it is is low key is really I'm this is some good meat there The Esperanza man she made some tortillas and she was like this all day long and just cooking them up and stuff.

Homemade salsa. I didn't try to green one because super hot. But the thing was, this taco night at one church was bangin. And this coming back to me. Yes. Now my career, family. Can you imagine having a community without bingo? Lee Come on now, Mayor and kimchi. Woo! Yes, sir. Where will we be cast? I love you, girl.

For those watching online like Cassandra is my my career sister in law. So that's. That's why. Yeah, but can you imagine a community without diversity? A community without immigrants? The texture, the smells, the music would not be what we have today. I can't imagine a life of fellowship of believers that is not diverse. Yes, there's a blessing in our diversity.

Yeah, that. So three quick stories just to kind of pull some things together. I got to hear you. My God. Three quick stories to bring it together about immigrants. So I want you to get this because immigrants is all throughout the Bible. It's all throughout Scripture. And we've been reading and studying these stories, but we never saw this in the lens of immigration.

This let's start off with Abraham, right? Abraham. Father Abraham, how many so many sons have come have been in KISS George, I think Sheila James They changed it up. Now they're doing holidays and all of this stuff. This is crazy. But go to kids. Sure. If yeah, go to care Service volunteer. Hey, man. Abraham, the father of many nations.

God told Abraham to go to a place that I will show you. But it's then they're going to that place where Abraham was blessed. You missed it. It wasn't that he was blessed to. He got there, so he was in a place he said remove and go from, was comfortable, was familiar. And once you arrive to that different location, that different place, that's where I'm a bless you.

If you're say, here, I can't bless you. I'm not going to bless you because what I have for you is it a different country God wants you to leave with comfortable. God wants you leave what's familiar? He wants you to abandon and migrate to a place that I will show you in That place is called Canaan. It is there that Abraham was blessed.

I mean, let me let me put it to you this way. It wasn't until Abraham became an immigrant that God bless them. It wasn't until Abraham became an immigrant that God blessed him. Abraham's obedience positioned him in a place to have favor with God. Not now. I'm not saying hear me out. I'm not saying that guy can bless you in your native country.

Yes, he can. But there's some things that God wants to do for you in a different way that may only take place by you moving and doing something different, by being a part of a church that's different, by being a part of a church that sings in English and Spanish, that is different by being a part of a community of believes that says we're going to reflect heaven on Earth, that we begin to reflect different nationalities and ethnic.

He wasn't blessing. He goes about Joseph. Joseph was a forced immigrant right? He was a forced immigrant. He ends up in Egypt by being human traffic, right? Our walk of freedom. We just walked yesterday about human trafficking, right? Joseph was trafficked by his own family. Never put two and two together. That's human trafficking all day long. You know what studies show most people that are trafficked are trafficked by their families.

And we see it through scripture. I never saw Joseph like that. I really begin to start preparing a message. I'm like, God, there's human trafficking taking place. And we study. Joseph The the coat of many colors. We know. Joseph Right. We know the story of Joseph where he was sold by his brother because there was jealous of this is the Joseph that we study human trafficking forced to become an immigrant Joseph found himself broken where God called him to be blessed.

The place that he was broken is where he found his blessing. Even in the midst of being a force immigrant, he was broken because he left his family. He was broken because he had to deal with knowing that his brothers sold him off. He was broken because he had to run and took tail because somebody was chasing him, because he they lied to them.

So he slept with somebody, you know, Joseph broken. But Joseph used the opportunities of the country that he was in to better his family. Come on now, I'm coming back around. Joseph used the resources of the country that he emigrated to to bless his family. Immigrants come to this country to better their family. Let me wrap this up.

The greatest immigrant known is Scripture fled. His parents fled the city because there was a call to kill all firstborn sons, kill them, kill every male child that you see their parents get on a donkey and they seek asylum in Egypt. This is before he turned water into wine. This is before he walked on water. This is before he heal the sick.

He raised it there. This is before he casts it out. Is this is before Jesus here. The woman with the issue of blood. Jesus, my Lord and Savior, Jesus, your Lord and Savior Jesus who hung on a tree, is an immigrant. So if you have an anti immigration policy, then you have an anti Jesus Christ policy. If you're going to say that immigration is bad, that you have an anti Jesus Christ policy, Jesus was an immigrant.

He migrated their parents, migrated to a country so that way they can save their son because God told them you had to flee. The angel told him that you had to flee. So you guys know that our church be in a journey on a journey for about a year where we where we begin to walk through an organization called Immigrant Connection.

Immigrant Connection is a nonprofit agency where we have the opportunity to partner with the Department of Justice and provide immigration legal services for undocumented senior citizens for a fraction of the price. We've been in this journey for a year, and we're getting close. But I regret to say that we have a small setback, that we have to go back through the entire process again.

And this may be news for some of you. I don't care if it takes us one year or ten years, we will see this through because we believe in providing affordable legal services for our families who are undocumented. You know, have you know that I serve as a well, I serve in the hotel industry and I've witnessed families being torn apart from ICE's.

I remember a time when I was in Raleigh and one of my properties in Raleigh, ICE's came in and cleared out my whole housekeeping department. I got a phone call. They like Brian, every housekeepers gone except for two. This is ICE's another family called me because I was coaching sixteen soccer teams several years ago. A father of a child that I coached for about four years got picked up.

I can tell you story after story after story how immigration has taken the lives of mothers and fathers away from the kids. So we will be a church that will stand in the gap not only for this community, but the community abroad. So today I'm I ask I've asked two people come up and kind of share their story a little bit about immigration.

And one is more recent than other. We'll call up Nancy come on is an honor. I have four and seven for them. Come on. Oh, yeah, I have. Have you seen everything? So you guys have a seat. One on one side, one out of the side. So many of you may not know the status of many people that we we do life with right.

And so today, Nancy, in honor is going to kind of share this story just a little bit. So that way you guys know that this this at home like this, this is home and this is the reason why we are advocating so much for immigration reform. I've been on the Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. lobby in like I've been there, sat in offices of senators with other legal assistance and other representatives to kind of really lobby for immigration reform and to hear them talk about how they're not going to pass a bill unless we unless we add this to the to the bill itself.

Our politicians are smart, they're crafty. Like the bills that we have to pass for immigration reform. Reform is so loaded with other stuff that we can't get it passed. I went from Senate office to Senate office to Senate office on the Hill talking about what do we need to do as Christian believers, as Christian leaders to have immigration reform.

And I'm not going to stop. I'm going back to the Hill. I'm going back to Washington, DC. And so today, I'll start with Ana, because I may not know Nancy. She tells me, do some Mamadou It. I'll tell my mom. Yes. Oh, don't tell Mama. But Nancy Yeah. Then didn't have honest, honest in our worship team. She's just a phenomenal leader.

She's part of our young adults Nexus, just one of our core leaders in our church. And so where are you from? Where's Where's home for you? So, hi, everyone. Um, I'm going to cry. So just letting you know beforehand. I am from Honduras which is in Central America. My country is beside El Salvador and Guatemala. Um, I was born and raised in Honduras for about ten years.

Um, my parents migrated to the United States in nineteen ninety eight during Hurricane Mitch. Um, so they migrated here. Um, I was left around. I was about two years old. Um, I was left in the care of my mom's mom, um, for about nine years. Then I was brought to the U.S., um, with my siblings. My brother, and, um, I turned ten in the way on the way to the US.

Um, my stories of it complicated. When I migrated, um, the person that I came with, he helped us. Um, I was, I'm going to say he kidnaped, he held us captive for additional time until my parents paid double the price that he had initially requested to, um, cross us over the border. Um, and we arrived in New Orleans, where my parents were working at that time during Hurricane Katrina.

Um, stuff. So I been in the US since I was ten years old. I grew up here. The culture I have integrated into the I still have a bit of that Hispanic Latino stuff, um, for my country, but most of my culture is American. Um, in two thousand, if I'm not mistaken, in two thousand twelve or thirteen, he passed the DREAM Act, the Dreamers, which is the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, um, which I qualify for, um, due to arriving when I was a child to the US.

Um, I have stayed on that program the last about ten years now. Unfortunately, back in two thousand eighteen, when the Trump administration was in, um, he declared that act non constitutional, which it went to the Supreme Court and they have removed did not allow no new applicants to apply. But the dreamers are still current with their um authorizations.

They can still reason for me personally. Um, as pastor was saying, um, I do not have any benefits except I'm allowed to work legally. Um, I pay taxes, but I have no health, so I have no Medicaid. Um, I have no financial assistance for education. I have to pay triple the amount that a US citizen or resident pays.

Oh, Ana, actually, she just over the summer, we took a trip to Guatemala and she had to get papers just to say that she can leave the country. And so we're talking about weeks before she like pastor, I can't go like because her paperwork did not come back from USCIS. Um, so for me to go to the missions trip, I had to submit a parole application.

Um, because like I said, my authorization does not allow me to leave the country. Um, so I submitted this back in March. Um, the process usually takes about three to four months. Um, but it took longer. You know, you get to the holidays, officers are off and stuff like that. So I actually, I mean, I don't think the pastor knew that I was not a citizen.

Um, I informed him beforehand because I was like, I will need an actual letter from you so that I can present it to immigration. Um, and I feel the application and I told my mom, you know what? I'm doing this in faith. Um, because what people do not understand is that immigrants are walking in faith daily. Um, so I told God I was like, God, if it's your will that I go, you are going to allow me to go.

And I left it at that. I continue my life. I continue doing what I was doing and, um, the pastor he, like, reached out to us. He was like, I need to. I need a picture of your passport. And I was like, How did I tell him that I still do not have this? Because I think he by then he already had bought the ticket.

And I was like, I don't want him to waste money for if I'm not going to go. So, um, but guys, we prayed like our, our team came together. I'm like, Guys, honestly, she may not be able to go. So I'm, I'm like, team, we need to come together and just pray fervently, selfishly for Ana to go to this mission trip because we knew that she wanted to go and didn't.

And actually, during that week before my parole came, my family went through a situation, my died. So we were grieving and mourning and stuff. And my mom, she actually gave me a word. We were praying on my aunt's house. She's like, God is opening doors that you did not think we're going to open? And I said, okay, man, I receive it.

Um, Monday I get the papers in the mail and I text pastor, and I'm like, I got it, I got it. I'm going, I'm going.

So that was a rollercoaster of emotions because we were going through something in the family. And also that's where my I was, I was like, Law, what am I going to do? Like, I have the parole, but my family is going through something so hard right now. And that's when God spoke to me and said, Leave the dead to bury the dead and you do my work.

Mm. So I had to go like, okay, I'm going. And the missions was something that I, I share this with the group. It brought a lot of things to the like to my mind, because when you leave your country and you assimilate to a new country and a new culture, you are forgetting where you come from. You're forgetting like the things that you, you saw, that you knew.

Like back in Honduras, I was running outside with no shoes. I was, you know, going to the bathroom deep in the woods, you know, things like that. Our water was not clean, you know. And see, when we went to Guatemala, seeing people struggling seemed like what they were suffering through. It just brought back to my mind and I was like, look, this is where you came from.

What are you doing this moment? And for me, it was such a blessing being able to go and. I had a fear. I'm not going to lie. I have fear because the moment I came back, I had to do my interview. I had to do my interview with and I with an officer. And I was like, What if they do not let me come in?

What if they don't allow me to come back in because they cannot allow you to go out? That coming back in is is the issue. And we arrived in Miami and they started to separate US citizens to this area, non-citizens, residents to this area. And now I look back at it and I laugh because like the citizens, it was the line was so short.

Like I think you guys, it took only like ten minutes right quick. Mine took I think it felt like hours. It was like eight lines. I'm not even kidding. It was eight lines and it was only like three officers working through the people and when it was my turn, the officer that was took my fingerprints. You know, he asked me questions.

It was like where you come from and stuff like that. And I told him I was like, I'm coming for missions from Guatemala. And then he's like, okay, because you have a parole, you're going to have to go into courts, which is like a little room to the side. And I was like, Okay, Lord Jesus, this home moment, I'm like, I am praying.

Like, I'm like, in my mind praying. And I texted the pastor. I was like, I'm taking to the other room. Like, I got to go. And I think Pastor was more freaked out. Then I he gets next to me like every five minutes. Are you done? Are you, are you okay? What's going on? And I don't know how it happened, but I went in and I sat down and the offer.

So when I went in there, the officer was like into, like interviewing another person and he was super mean to him. And I was like, Lord, please do not let me get this man. I beg you, I beg you. And that this other lady came from another room and she started yelling. She was like, If whoever I call you need to get up and come to this room was like, Do not let me get her in, please.

Like, please, My nerves are shot. Like I I'm going to start crying right now. And when the officer, he was like, I not holy. All right, cover that. I was like, Dang, what did I do? Let me tell you, I forgot my neck pillow from, like, the haste and the nerves that I had in that moment. And he was like, Come here.

I'm like, okay, I'm going. So I got my stuff and he's like, Look, your parole is only for one entry. Are you aware of that? MM Yes, yes, yes, I am. And he's like, Okay, here you go, Here's your passport, your paper, and leave. There's a door. And I was like, Okay, bye. Thank you. Look, I turned that corner and God is my witness and pastor, my witness and Trinity is my witness.

Ashton I was crying. I was sobbing because there was so much fear in me. I was not able to come back home. And this is what people forget that when we have been we have grown up here. This is our home. This is not just a place where we come to take away from nationals. It's a place where we call home that we give back.

We pay, you know. And I was crying and then I was like, I could not stop. I think I cried for probably ten minutes and I was just I was telling people I'm thankful and that I was allowed back in and I'm going back out for next mission stripped again because you know what? That's just show me. It does not matter.

I don't matter here. Taking the gospel to people that are in need in other countries, that is what's important, you know, And that really brought to kind of humble me a bit. Well, a lot, actually. It really did humble me for me, at this moment, there is no reform. I have two options here. I have the option to get married, to get papers.

And unfortunately, let me just tell you, I ain't I'm I'm not I'm not getting married for no papers. No, no. Because I believe in a god. Yes, that is powerful. Come on, now. And for me, I fear my God. And I'm not going to do something that I'm not going to get unequally yoke somebody and then get divorce, because that ain't happening.

So while we do have some candidates on there that they need some Jesus first, come on now. So they got me there pastor too, and her brother and how the six seven brothers do. Yes, they do have to pass that test. So, you know, me coming to one church, I never came to this church with the thought that, oh, you know, let me go to that church so that they can help me get my image like my status.

You know, I came to one church because God directed me to this church, God, in twenty twenty show me a vision. And I did not understand it like I do not understood this nation here. He actually showed me pastor and I was like, That's all here. And, you know, we were walking in that vision and we were walking with a couple other young adults and we were going into a hospital.

And in this hospital we were we were praying and laying hands on people. And I cannot understand that that's what we did in Guatemala. We went it was just young adults that went. We went, we were praying over people. We were laying hands on people. And, you know, I love what one church represents because I don't I have no fear, you know, like, if you'll see me differently after this, that's how you business like, that's you between you and God.

But I don't feel that shame. I don't feel like I need to hide who I am. I can be me, you know. Yes, I am a darker. I am a dreamer. But that does not define me. My who I am is rooted in who Jesus says I am, who God says I am. Yeah. You know, So I. I thank the pastor and the leaders and everyone that is working to improve, you know, the lives of many undocumented because we are not getting any help from the government.

And that is sad because we make the vast majority of this country, we help this country. And but you know what? I got one of their that he says that my citizenship is not here. That's right. Yes. So thanks a lot. So so she kind of breezed over the part that were I was struggling with. So when we got back from Guatemala, we land in Miami.

As I was saying there, you know, most of the missions team went to the right and she to the left and she went to the right. She was the only one. And so I'm up here thinking we got through pretty quick. You know, our team went through and customs and everything is fine. We go down. I said, Look, roomie, you down by baggage claim just to make sure things are good.

Ten minutes past twenty minutes past. Thirty minutes past. I'm praying. Forty five minutes pass. I'm praying in tongues. An hour past. And I'm thinking to myself, how in the world? Yeah, can I tell her mom, her dad, that her daughter, their daughter is left, has been deported back to her country? Like that's the way that I begin to start carry.

And I told our team, I said, Guys, we got to pray like we need to pray right now. So I'm walking around baggage claim. I'm just praying. And actually I'm just I'm first in a gut. I'm like, I'm crying out to God, my God, help me, Like help us to get her home. So I get back to the States and we know we see Ana and she's come she walks through and we all just broke.

Like we embrace Ana because that's what family do. Like we had this big family hug and she was safe like she was with us. And my God, we got to get this immigrant connection thing going like got sin leaders sin Site Director Seymour Department just to represent us in legal assistance. God, you know what we need for this office.

So this is not only a prayer, but this is a commission for you guys. If you want to be a part of what this immigrant connection is going to look like within one church, come and see me. Tiffany has to go back to the whole process again. So we need more hands feet to walk this through. And so another story I'm asked this year.

Last year I met this amazing couple, you know, connected with Jose and Nancy and their kids, just amazing family. They started going to, um, our multi-ethnic conversation and we get to more hear about their story and Jose and it Nancy and she brought some more light in. Oh, boy. Oh, it was good, too. And then she's like, pass, Ryan, I'm waiting on like, the call.

Like, what's the call? She like the call where I get to be a citizen, but I have to go back to Mexico. What is? And so I'm gonna let Nancy kind of talk about what that looks like, because all I know for them face face value. This is family adding acid. She was documented undocumented. But I got your back like, yo, if we're doing ministry, do life together.

I got you like I got you through hell or high water. I got you. And so Nancy's like, I got to call in my family, we got to buy tickets to go back to Mexico, like on a drop of a dime. And so she got the call. And you want to tell us what that looks like? Well, this was last year, so I was already here.

They me and they said you were due for your interview. And the interview is the part where they took me to what I thought would be a scary room. And they're like, well, what you doing? What you doing here? How did you get here? What do you want? But it honestly look like a bank teller, you know, go this teller.

You go to that teller, and if he's having a good day, he'll say yes. If he's having a bad day, he'll say no. And my life is pretty much done for it. My life was in the hands of a complete stranger and I'm a control freak. I like to control things. So for me, that was scary. We headed down there.

I was scared because I was taking my girls. Juarez is what number one for trafficking. And here I am showing up with, you know, all my kids have them lined up like little ducks holding hands so nobody takes them. And we got to the embassy out. Nobody was allowed to go in there with me. I had to do it alone.

I go in there and, you know, we take comfort in each other's stories, make friends with whoever is there, because the long wait and just like I was saying, I you hear the stories of other people because they're right next to you. And I'm like, Oh, don't let me get her. She looks scary or Don't let me get him.

He's asking too many questions and I'm counting. I was like, This one goes there. Then I get him, This one goes there, then I get her. And my faith was not where it should have been because otherwise I wouldn't have been worried. I got to the window and the guy asks me my name, asks me who Jose is, where he is, and he says, Congratulations.

You are now a permanent resident of the United States. That's all. That's all he asked to be. He could have asked me over a hundred questions. He could have had me there for hours. He asked me three questions, and I was done for. And I was so happy. I was like, But before I went through all that, I was preparing my children for the fact that, you know, I might have to stay over there.

I had to let them know that, hey, if I don't come back, you'll need to make you know how to do this and that and other. And it's scary. You know, they're children. They shouldn't have to do that. Um, we also came up with a plan where I had to take them with me because if I had to stay there, they might stay there with me, too.

How do you separate a mother from her kids? That was also scary. Oh, thank God none of that happened. I really don't know what I would have done had that been the case. I was brought over when I was seven years old. My story is that I am very blessed. I didn't have to go through the desert. I didn't have to go through the river.

I was brought in through a car. Oh, my father paid more money so that we didn't have to do that because my grandmother who came with me could not swim. Neither can I. By the way, to the day. So we didn't have to face a lot of the hardships that the earlier generation did or even my husband did.

We were just brought in by a car and dropped off at our house at the time, and that's all I really remember and that's all I was able to tell them. Because immigration will ask you, they want to know the routes so they can block them off. And I didn't know. I was like, I'm sorry. That's all I know.

My dad, he had it worse than I did, which is I think a lot of our parents did to have to ask them or have them tell us how much they suffered to get here is not an easy task. Nobody wants to hear, You know how your parents suffered. He was able to share some of his story with me and he said it took him a good forty five forty seven tries before he was able to come through.

This is a man that while he believes that God does not step foot in a church, and when he was telling me the story, he was he said they hadn't eaten for two weeks. It was January, it was cold. They didn't have jackets. They have shoes. Somebody had stole them. They were laying down by the trains because they would jump on a moving train to cross the border.

And they were laying there he's like, we were freezing. We were. He's like, The only reason I thought we were alive was like, God is good. That's the first time I've ever heard Father acknowledge God. And I'm glad that he knows that that's what got him through. I'm just very blessed, you know, being here in this country. You hear people and you hear the remarks of, well, like they were saying earlier, you don't know illegal immigrants don't pay taxes.

And I'm like, I'm sorry. When I go to Walmart, I get charged at all. They're seven two. So I didn't know what that was about. When I buy my dollars, I get charged a dollar seven out of the other illegal immigrants not getting charged that that's not cool. Right. But that's how what they meant. But I didn't know that's not what they meant because I was raised here.

I didn't know I wasn't part of this country until I got to high school. That's when I was like, oh, wait, we're not the same. But God says we are. So they So this is our stance. This is our call. This is the assignment that God has given this church. So I ask that you partner in prayer, not just for what God is doing here, but what He needs to do across the world.

And so we will continue to walk in unity. We will continue to walk where others are afraid to go. Biblical justice is social justice. I would not and I cannot. We will not sit idly by and not do anything. And so my prayer and my desire is that you guys would unite with us in such a way that we will begin to make a change, a difference not only in this community, but in this city and this state.

And let's just do our part. Let's do our part. And I have Stephanie and let's give Ana and Nancy a hand, a round of applause. And so, you know, my acts, our worship team, to make their way up front. Thank you. If you want to know how real this is, when my husband got to the football game Friday night, I told him, if I get a phone call, we're just going to get this kid and we'll work the rest of it out later.

I have a young girl from, Peru. She has only ever been in the home with her mother for one month. She was raised by her grandparents, both of whom she lost to COVID within month of each other. And some friends in the community raised the money to send her here, to live with a family, to get an education.

And on Friday before our game, I was walking across campus and that young lady was sitting there sobbing and I taught her in applying. She's a multi language learner, taking college classes determined to make the absolute best of herself that she can, because in her country she wouldn't have that choice. And I was walking across as she was sitting there sobbing, and I went over to and I put my arm around her, I said, Baby, what is wrong?

What's wrong? The Guardians are now telling her she's got to figure out how to pay three hundred fifty dollars a month rent and she's got to figure out how to pay them gas money for taking her to all the things that she does at school or they're going to put her out and under the visa that she's here, if they put her out, they'll send her home and she has no one in Peru.

And so I and my band director and one of our assistant principals gave her our personal cell phone number, which is against school board policy. And we said, Baby, you call, we will come get you and we will figure the rest of it out later. And I looked at some of those kids and I was like, She lives in a country she didn't has to come to because of circumstances beyond her control.

Working to death. What are you doing when you're living in a stable two parent household with everything that you could want? This this young lady is going to be such an inspiration to somebody at some point. But we have to protect her opportunity to be able to do that. And the whole time they were talking, all I could see was her face and sobbing because she has nobody but her American now.

And I'll pick her up at work the rest later. Hey, man, as we get ready to close, there's a picture that's going to be presented on the screen. This picture was taken from or taken by Zach Zamora. Zach, is he the CEO or the the leader of Immigrant Connection? The connection that we do for immigration reform. Zach has served as a missionary throughout the country, Mozambique, Panama.

I mean, he's been everywhere and he was telling his story in Africa that that gets in the car and he has several hundred parking tickets. And there's a sticker that you had to have on your your I guess, your your truck window that shows that the cars register kind of like our registration for. And so Zach said, you know what?

I'm going to pick a day, grandma, go get my registration ticket because I can't get any more tickets. He said, Well, he goes to make a phone call, so we're not going to get this registration check. So you see this radio tower, That's where you need to go to get the tickets. So he sees this radio tower afar off, gets in his car and drive towards that destination.

And he's driving. He's driving, but he can't seem to find this radio station. Every turn he take, every every maneuver that he goes that he just can't get there. So Zach ends up pulling up to what we will call a convenience store. And he pulls up and he asks these two guys in, you know, in whatever language it was and say, how do you get to this radio station where I need to get a sticker for my my truck?

He said, Well, they say, you know, yada, yada, yada, whatever, whatever. And so next thing he knows, these two guys leave the convenience store, hops in to the truck with Zach. Now, this is a white guy with two or three black guys. Zach gets out of his car. He's like, What's going on? He says, In our culture, we just don't tell you where to go.

We in with the journey with you. So will you join in with the journey with us? Will you join in what God is calling one church to do what God is calling what church to become? Will you join in with us? Let's not just point and say this is where we're going. No, I'm willing to walk with you.

I'm willing to walk hand in hand with you. I'm willing to walk and form a relationship with you in such a way that your sorrows in my soul was your pain is my pain. Your winds are more with your your disregards is my disregard. Will you join in with me? Will you join with us? Better yet, will you join with Christ Christ God our Savior?

So today we're going to close out by saying God had your way. And that's dangerous. Because if you're saying God have your way with me, then that means there's some things that he may want you to do that you're not comfortable in doing. That means you may have to have some conversations that may not be comfortable, but God had your way.

Got whatever it takes, have your way. Got to lay down my life. A living sacrifice. So God, have your way with me. God have your way. So let us stand as we proclaim God's glory and His goodness. Heavenly Father, we thank you, God for who you are. God, We ask that today that you will have your way with us.

If that means that we have to come to the altar and repent, God have your way. And that means I need to come to the altar to give my life to Christ. The God have your way, God, even if that means I need to come and grab a phrase. Hey, will you just pray with me? God have your way.

God, that means I want to lay down everything that I. That I want, that I desire. God, have your way with me. Father redeemed What was said today got plenty in fertile ground and grow it there by God, have your way with your children today