Josh Brake: Yo, yo, yo, what is up y'all?

Uh, good to be back.

Hey, I know I didn't, um, record one.

I recorded an episode this
last week, um, but that is not

because things aren't happening.

And so, uh, sometimes life
just gets a little busy.

So um, I just wanted to share a
few things, um, that have just

been going on in my mind and
heart over the last few weeks.

Um, First, just a couple,
couple more testimonies.

Uh, last Sunday night prayed for
a woman's foot that had a lot of

pain underneath it and said the
pain went away as we were praying.

And the next morning went for like a mile
or two mile run, uh, without any pain.

So, uh, that is awesome.

Praise the Lord because that's becoming.

Kind of the norm now, and I'm noticing
over the last several Weeks to months to

even the last couple years that it seems
like just just in my experience That

people are more likely to be healed in an
atmosphere where you worship you The Word

of God is taught and you invite the Spirit
More so than just like on the street or

in a restaurant or wherever you might be
now I have prayed for more people in a

gathering or a meeting than I have on the
streets So there's that piece of it But

it does seem like in Luke 6 when Jesus
is teaching in the synagogue and Luke

says that the power of God was present
to heal And, um, that he, there was an

atmosphere of healing in the synagogue.

Uh, it seems like there's some
warrant to that, obviously.

I mean, it's biblical, but
I've seen that to be true.

Um, just an interesting
thing I'm learning, right?

So now it's, how do you set up a ministry
time, uh, that is conducive to the

present, the Lord being present to heal.

Um, so there's that, um,
cool testimony there.

And, um, so the other thing I
wanted to share, uh, testimony

wise in terms of finances.

So, you know, I've been doing a
little bit of fundraising, but also

Nexus, the church planting network.

Uh, has a lot of churches in
the, in the network that are

participating and partnering with
this church plant financially.

And I talked with the guy yesterday
morning who said that he's never, this is

what he said, that he's never seen as many
churches partnering with my church or this

church, you know, that we're planting.

Um, he's never seen that amount
of churches partnering with

the church plant church plant.

Sorry.

And I was so encouraged by that
part of it is because they're

really trying to ramp up.

Activity in Texas.

They want to see more churches
planted in Texas right now.

Most of them in the network are in
rural cities and like, you know,

um, Oklahoma or Kansas or Indiana.

Um, and so the fact that there's a
church being planted in a large, large

city, the largest city in Texas with a
vision for planting even more churches,

they're, they're hopping on that.

They're excited about it and
financially giving a lot.

So I think we're close
to, you know, 200, 000.

Uh, raised from those churches and, uh,
the branch is going to help out, uh,

as well, the church I'm on staff at.

So just to see those numbers climb,
like, you know, I met with a guy on,

a guy on Sunday said he was given
and, uh, was so encouraged by that

and just had another meeting with
someone yesterday and this morning.

And it just seems like everywhere I
turn, there's openness and interest

in wanting to partner and help out.

So the Lord is faithful and he's
paying for what he has ordered.

And that is exciting.

As far as launch team goes.

Uh, we've had a couple of couples
come in and, um, shout out to JP

and Haley and Bryce and Karis.

They might not even know I have the
newsletter, which is funny, but I

need to, uh, uh, hook them up with it.

But anyways, we've had, so it's
now the breaks, me and Abby, Haran,

Sal and Nicole, and JP and Haley
who are getting married in April.

And then Bryce and Karis, uh, they're,
they're, they're, they're excited.

And, and the cool thing about them is, uh,
And I don't think they'll mind me sharing

is when we met with them to figure out
if, well, really, I met with them to see,

Hey, what is the Lord saying to you guys?

And how, how is he moving y'all
to partner with this church plant?

Um, they, they all said, or they were
all able to articulate back to me the

vision for the church for this house.

that we want to see, um, some major
breakthrough that we want to see people

get healed and delivered because the
Lord is present and his presence is

everything when we invite him and we
move in his presence, broken things

get fixed and, um, uh, demons flee and
sickness bows the knee to the, to King

Jesus and they all in their own words
basically said, we want to end on that.

We we're excited about that, and it
wasn't even about, we love Josh and

Abby and we wanna partner with them.

It was, we feel God in this and
we want to go with him and that,

so that is just so exciting.

You know?

Um, there's a few others out there that
are so praying and trying to discern.

We're a long ways out from launch,
so just wanted to share that.

It's exciting, exciting stuff.

Um, okay then, then this other thing
is more of just like a personal

giving, giving you insight into
the journey that I'm going on in

my heart as I, as I move forward.

With this new work, um, one of
the temptations when you're,

when you're planting a church or
starting some new work like this

is you could do a thousand things.

Um, there's strategy after
strategy after strategy for how

to start something like this.

And I'm, I'm just really
aware of those strategies.

So it's easy for me to
get off mission quickly.

And it might not even look like I'm off
mission from somebody, but internally

in my heart, I know I'm off mission.

So for example, um,

I'll just be as like practical down
and as I can, there is a church in

Orlando, Florida called Jesus image.

And it has played a significant
role in my discipleship over

the last year, two years.

Um, their worship music is anointed
and feels just the presence of God

is so pervasive in their worship
music, even if they do a cover.

But so that's marked me.

I've been, I've been there twice now
for the pastors conference and this

last one I shared I already shared
a story of how I was on my knees

weeping in worship this last September.

So I've shared some of that before, but
when you think about that experience

and I've had that experience that I've
had there, it makes you want to try to

recreate that, um, as much as you can.

So from, for me, or if I've, if
I've had that experience, I want

others to have that experience.

So I'm going to try and do exactly what
they do to recreate that for other people.

And that's not really how things work.

Although I wish they did.

I wish there was a formula.

I could just plug in XYZ
and this would happen.

So on Sunday nights when Sal and I have
been leading, um, with the, there's,

you know, the SLA guys, but there's
others as we've been meeting, I have

found my heart trying to be like Jesus
image, trying to be like their pastor.

And there is very little fruit in that.

And I've noticed that the weeks I've
tried to do that have been the weeks

that have been the most discouraging.

And cause I'm not doing it right.

I'm not seeing the fruit that I should
think I should be seeing and all of that.

And this last week I left Sunday night
and, uh, confess that to the Lord.

He brought it up to me and I was
like, man, I am so sorry, Lord.

You've not created me to do that.

You've created me to do something
different, something unique.

And I want to walk in that, you
know, I want to walk in that.

Purpose and the calling you have
on Josh breaks life, not on Michael

Koulianos or Jesus image or anybody else.

And so I was convicted and then I
was deeply encouraged because the

Lord said, Hey man, he said that he
said, Hey man, no, I'm just kidding.

He said, Hey, that, The things that
you've been seeing and the stories you've

been sharing that have been the most
powerful have been when you have just

unashamedly walked in the stuff you feel
called to walk in and it's stuff I've

shared here on this podcast, like, you
know, healing and deliverance and the

Holy Spirit moving in power on a people,
um, God wants that more than I want that.

And I try to get away from
it because I don't know why.

I mean, I've, I've been marked by these
other places, so I want to recreate

it for others, but the Lord's like,
no, I have something unique for you.

And for those that will follow you
in this work, and there was such

a freedom in admitting that and
saying, no, this is who we are.

This is who God is leading us to be.

Um, it reminds me of.

The story in Exodus 33 when Moses and
the people of Israel, uh, they disobey,

they, they worship the golden calf.

The Lord says, all right, that's it.

I'm setting an angel before you,
but I'm not going before you.

And Moses says, no, no, if
you're not going with us,

don't bring us up from here.

And it's this holy stubbornness
that what makes us distinct is

the presence of God in our midst.

And he is going to manifest himself
differently in each group of

people as needed and as he wills.

And as I'm seeking, as we are seeking
the Lord's presence and inviting him

in, he is going to manifest in a way
that is different than anywhere else.

And I want that so badly.

I want to give him freedom
for all of that, to do what

he wants to do in our midst.

He's the goal and ministry
is fruit of him being there.

And that ministry is just
going to look different.

And for us, it looks Like healing
and deliverance, signs and wonders,

people coming to know Jesus through
power encounters, and people

experiencing the Holy Spirit.

So, I just feel a freedom in
that, just unashamedly claiming

that that is our purpose, that's
what we believe God is doing.

For the glory of Jesus, um, and
for the glory of the Father.

So, um, if anything I just want
to encourage you to be the person

that God has called you to be.

Stop trying to be someone else.

It's exhausting.

It's not worth it.

I know it's a simple thing, um, but
the power of God flows through you

as you be who he's called you to be,
not to try to be someone you're not.

If you want to see the power of God
manifest in your life, then be yourself.

Um, accept yourself, forgive yourself,
be the self God has made you to be,

and his power will flow through you.

He can't help but do that with his people.

So be encouraged.

Um, thanks for your prayers.

Continue to pray and hopefully
Prayerfully next week.

I'll have some more Testimonies
for you as we continue to proclaim

and demonstrate the kingdom of God.

All right, you guys are awesome.

Love y'all.

Bye