Texts: 2 Corinthians 5:7 and Proverbs 3:5, 6. We are to walk by faith, not by sight, and to trust in the Lord and not lean on our own understanding. [Apostle Dale had a word for Jon Fike.] There is the role of the heart and the role of our understanding, and sometimes they conflict. We do not ignore the understanding, but we must factor in God and what He says. Which do you go with – your heart or your understanding (mind)? You can always trust in the Lord with all your heart. Knowledge can lead to pride. Understanding needs to submit to faith. James 4:13, 14. You do not know what tomorrow holds, but you can live according to God’s will. Apostle Dale told of how he started the church here in Lancaster, and how if he had chosen what seemed to make more sense, it would hindered him in what he is doing now. Obey God. Following God’s will brings grace, favor, and freedom. God wants us to do something specifically for Him. He puts desires in us. Acknowledge Him in all your ways. Apostle Dale told of divine connections in the Ukraine. God has a plan for you. Understanding can either bless or hinder your faith. Romans 12:1, 2 tell us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds and not to be conformed to this world. We should be a people who listen, follow, and obey God more than following our understanding. God will use you wherever you go. See the simplicity of your lives and acknowledge God in all your ways.
Trust in the Lord – Sept 20
Times and Seasons
The Holy Spirit shows us things to come. Pray for the eyes of the Muslims to be opened and for workers to be sent to minister and witness of the Gospel to the refugees, wherever they go. Pray for your neighbors and our cities. Be a witness. Are you willing to be used by God? Text: Acts 1:3-8. The disciples were to wait for the immersion, the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They had gone from disappointment to joy when they saw Him after His death and burial. They expected Him to physically restore the kingdom of God to Israel. It is not for us to know the times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. There are many pieces of the puzzle of the times we are in, but the important thing is DO NOT GET INTO FEAR! GET INTO PREPARATION, and do not let the enemy in by being in fear. Ask God how you should get ready to be prepared. Jesus told the disciples that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit had come upon them. What was the reason for needing the power? It was (and is for us) so that they would be witnesses of Jesus Christ locally and around the world. What is your witness? It is what you have experienced of Jesus’ working in your life. When you witness, the power will go from you into the ones you are witnessing to. Make an agreement that you will operate in His power. Be bold. Boldness is a manifestation of His power. He can reveal Himself to others through you. The power will meet you as you step out.
Marriage – Trouble in the Flesh
Pre-sermon notes: Words of edification, exhortation, and comfort, revelations, and a message in song were given by members of the church. The theme of the words was to walk in love, not to fear, and to be comforters of our land, because we have true love and the true Comforter. Offering message: Jesus gave boat-sinking increase to Peter. God’s goodness leads us to repentance. His goodness to you is showing His love to you. We are humbled by His goodness. Sermon message: Matthew 12:25-29 states that no city or house (family) which is divided against itself can stand or survive. God releases great power through a married couple’s unity, but there is an enemy of that unity. The devil cannot break your marriage. Only you can do that, but Satan will try to bring strife and division and present opportunities for you to be selfish. The devil must first bind up the strongman before he can plunder you. What is the strongman of your marriage? It is the unity of the two of you. In 1 Corinthians 7:28 we are told that married people will have trouble in the flesh. When you marry, you become one flesh, not one spirit. The flesh realm is where there is selfishness with the possible result of divorce. If you walk in love in your home, you can walk in love anywhere. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit (Proverbs 18:21). Most problems in a marriage stem from selfishness and from the words we speak to each other. The words we speak can release victory if we speak with: 1) love, 2) faith, and 3) truth (the Word of God). Love never fails means that love never ends, stops, or gives up. God brings us out to rich fulfillment (Psalm 66:12), and this can be true of your marriage.
Marriage – Unity and Power
Pre-sermon notes: When the Israelites became unthankful, snakes were biting people. God told Moses to make a brass (judgment) serpent on a pole, and if the people looked on it, they would be healed, similar to Jesus taking our sin by hanging on the cross. How much of the blood of Jesus did it take to forgive your sin? It took all of it. Jesus paid the debt. He gave His all to save and to keep us. May we have a greater understanding of the length Jesus Christ went to, to save us. A testimony is the result of overcoming a test. A great need is an opportunity for a great miracle. Do not confuse laziness with faith. Sermon: In 1 Corinthians 7 Paul tells us that the believer should stay with an unbelieving spouse so the other one is sanctified (set apart unto God). The believer becomes the open door for the Lord to keep knocking on the spouse’s heart door. The purpose of marriage is to have and raise godly children. It is NOT to make you happy, fulfilled, or contented. Marriage actually multiplies your problems, because you have to think about the other person, and you cannot be selfish. If you think marriage will make you happy, after a while you will become bitter and hate your spouse. The only sure cure for your life is your relationship with God. In Genesis 2, we are told that God created Eve to help Adam. (See Ecclesiastes 4:9.) Another main reason God created marriage was so that He could release power through the unity of the husband and wife. There is a lot more strength in two becoming one flesh in a marriage. One can put a thousand to flight, but two can put ten thousand to flight. Genesis 11 tells about negative unity when the people tried to build the Tower of Babel. God said that nothing they plan to do would be impossible. The authority and power of a husband and wife is why Satan tries so hard to break the unity of marriage. Psalm 133 compares unity with the anointing of God. (Also Matthew 18:18-20.) Out of unity comes authority and dominion.A purpose of marriage is for unity and power to multiply our effectiveness.
The Hope of Glory
What does it mean to be family? It is caring for each other, loving, checking in with one another, showing hospitality. When someone is grieving, we mourn with them. We know that the person who has passed into heaven is gain, but those left here deal with grief for a time. God is the God of all comfort: Isaiah 61:1-3 and 2 Corinthians 1:3-6. Christ died for our sins. It is because of His resurrection that we know we will be resurrected (1 Corinthians 15). We will leave this earth and body of corruption and mortality, and it will come to pass, “Death is swallowed up in victory.” Death is an enemy. Jesus and our loved ones who are born-again are in our future (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). We can know that we will have the hope of eternity with Jesus and God if we confess and believe, making Jesus Christ the Lord of our lives (Romans 8:8-10). Make Jesus not just your Savior, but also your Lord.
Youth Trip to Peru; In God’s Presence
The youth did a skit to demonstrate Jesus’ saving power, and then they shared their testimonies of how the mission trip to Peru changed them. Chester and Samantha Petersheim preached about engaging God by getting into His presence. Moses, Noah, Paul, Peter, Daniel, Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego all experienced the presence of God. When we engage God, He can give us dreams, directions, healing, deliverance, prophecy, love, freedom, peace, grace, strength, protection, and more. Know God. Encounter His presence and see what will happen.
Be Transformed by Meditating in the Word of God – Aug 9
Second Timothy 3:12-17 begins by stating that all who live godly lives in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. The world is getting darker with deception, but as the dark gets darker, the light gets brighter. Hard times can show you the true value of hope. People are realizing that society has failed. We need to go to the foundation of the Scriptures. Scripture is profitable. There is a profit factor in spending time in the Word: joy, victory, and blessings. It is profitable for doctrine (teaching which way to go), for reproof (when you get off the road), for correction (to get you back on the road), and for instruction in righteousness (to stay on the road). When you reach you destiny, you should be prepared for it (2 Timothy 3:17). The Bible is transformational. It will change who you are. Life may scar you, but there is something more transformational in your life than your experiences. The Word of God is personally transformational. Apostle Dale told of a man who broke his back, lost his job, had no insurance, and experienced his finance breaking up with him, but when the Word of God took root in him, he came into victory. Some people’s hearts have been scarred. They feel trapped and in fear. Even more powerful than negative experiences is the power of God’s Word and the New Birth. Apostle Dale also told of a former abused child who became a Hell’s Angel. He was gloriously saved, but he felt like something still needed to be fixed. His soul, his emotions and mind, needed to be renewed with the Word. Romans 12:1 and 2 tell about the renewing of the mind, which brings about a metamorphosis. People should not intimidate you. You are a child of the King. Joshua 1:5-8 tells us to be strong and of good courage. You will experience every promise that is coming to you. All the commandments are fulfilled in one word – love. Good success and prosperity come after meditating in the Word. Come face to face with God’s Word day and night. It will transform you. How you respond brings transformation. Be scarred the right way and do what is right. Meditate in the Word. Meditation comes before giving. Second Timothy3:17 says that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. First, become a man of God, and then you can experience success. Transformation is on a personal level before circumstances change. Meditate on the Word of God so it can transform you.
Are You at Your There
(We declared the manifest presence, power, and goodness of our Lord and God over those people and jobs that impact our lives.) In 1 Kings 17:1-4 Elijah boldly said to the king of Israel that there would not be dew or rain except at his word. When we have the Word in us, we need to be powerful to speak it out as God’s Word. God promised to feed Elijah with ravens, because He had commanded the ravens, and to supply water for him by the Brook Cherith. If you are not willing to obey what God has already told you, he will not give you any more responsibility. Have you done what He has already told you to do? 1) Believe the Word of God. 2) Trust that God has your best interest in mind. 3) Provision is not necessarily where you are. It is where He has told you to be. Jay shared a testimony of the Lord’s preparing him to sell his business when it looked like the church (in Colorado) was so small and unable to support him. In order to walk on the water, you need to step out of your boat. To get a miracle, you have to be in a tight fix. Be obedient to the Lord. Every blessing carries a responsibility. Be at your “there”. If you are not, you will not be sustained. Face things. Obedience matters. When you hear something that does not line up with the Word, do not receive it. Let the boldness that is in you come out of you. Are you at your there? There is where your provision is.08.02.15 Sunday AM Jay Stoltzfus “Are You at Your ‘There’?”
(We declared the manifest presence, power, and goodness of our Lord and God over those people and jobs that impact our lives.) In 1 Kings 17:1-4 Elijah boldly said to the king of Israel that there would not be dew or rain except at his word. When we have the Word in us, we need to be powerful to speak it out as God’s Word. God promised to feed Elijah with ravens, because He had commanded the ravens, and to supply water for him by the Brook Cherith. If you are not willing to obey what God has already told you, he will not give you any more responsibility. Have you done what He has already told you to do? 1) Believe the Word of God. 2) Trust that God has your best interest in mind. 3) Provision is not necessarily where you are. It is where He has told you to be. Jay shared a testimony of the Lord’s preparing him to sell his business when it looked like the church (in Colorado) was so small and unable to support him. In order to walk on the water, you need to step out of your boat. To get a miracle, you have to be in a tight fix. Be obedient to the Lord. Every blessing carries a responsibility. Be at your “there”. If you are not, you will not be sustained. Face things. Obedience matters. When you hear something that does not line up with the Word, do not receive it. Let the boldness that is in you come out of you. Are you at your there? There is where your provision is.
Why Marry – July 26
Sermon: Romans 12:1, 2 tells us to be transformed continuously. God created marriage and His manual for it, the Bible. Why should a couple get married? A piece of paper does not make or break a marriage, since it is just a legal document with the state. Marriage is a public commitment and covenant with God. It is a covenant of oneness. What is the purpose of marriage? It is for reproduction and to raise godly children (Malachi 2:13-15). The world sees and experiences broken homes, which distorts their view of marriage. Marriage is NOT to make you happy (1 Corinthians 7:39, 40). The Apostle Paul’s thoughts were that you would be happier if you remained single. Marriage is NOT to keep you from being lonely. If your spouse does not meet your needs according to your expectations, you separate from your spouse and eventually from God. When man was sinless, before The Fall, God told Adam that it was not good for man to be alone. Wrong expectations and demands bring disappointment. Any problem you had before you were married are amplified after you are married. Marriage cannot substitute what God is meant to fulfill. A husband and wife are two spirits but one flesh (Genesis 1:18-24). Offering message: God established the law of sowing and reaping in Genesis 1:29. His plan was to bring multiplication to the earth through Adam and Eve. God is “I Am”, the God of increase, and when we give to Him, we can apply the law of sowing and reaping to our finances.
Marriage and Submission to God – July 19
Text: James 4:6, 7, 10. When you submit in marriage and in other relationships, God’s grace is released. Satan hates submission, because that was the area in which he fell. God’s grace makes it possible for us to walk in His plan. Submission is not agreement. You submit to someone else’s will when you do not agree with it. If we don’t submit to the one God has put us under, we will not submit to God. Who should submit to whom? We should submit our flesh to our born again spirit (1 Corinthians 9:27); children to their parents; the wife to her own husband; the younger to the elder (1 Peter 5:5); employees to employers (Titus 2:9, 10); and citizens to their governing authority (Romans 13). The head of every man is Christ, the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God (1 Corinthians 11:3). It is not the husband’s job to make the wife submit. Your job is not to make the other spouse submit. The wife decides to submit. Ephesians 5:22-24 tells about the wife and 5:25-30 tells about the husband. Wives, submit to your own husband in everything. The husband’s role is to love his wife and to be constant. Her role is to submit to her husband, even if he is being ugly or mean. Your role is your role to the end of time. Colossians 3:18 tells the wife to submit to her own husband. Submission and obedience are not the same thing. Obey God. Peter submitted to the authorities, but he obeyed God when he was told to not preach in the name of Jesus. Marriage is a God-ordained relationship. Slaves are to submit to their masters, even if they are harsh (1 Peter 18-25). Submission brings grace. In the same way that slaves are to submit to their masters, so the wife is to submit to her own husband, even if he does not obey the word, so that those without the word, may be won by their wife’s conduct (1 Peter 3:1, 2). If your husband is abusive, and you can stay by faith, God’s grace will come to you. If you are not in faith, you may need to get out. A husband is to live with his wife with understanding, giving honor to his wife (1 Peter 3:7). Jesus became obedient to the point of death. Because He submitted, God gave Him grace (Philippians 2:8-15). Submit in your relationships. It allows God’s grace to work for you.
God Made Man in His Image – July 12
[Brother Cohn ministered under the anointing to an individual.] Praise puts a beautiful garment on you. God hides things for us, and the way to find them is to dig into the Word night and day. Then He can make our way prosperous, and then we can have good success. Even unbelievers can get results if they apply Biblical principles. The last great frontier is walking in the life of God every day. You can see God on people. Genesis 1:26-28 shows us that God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit were in the creation of man. God turned to Jesus and the Holy Spirit when He said, “Let Us make man in our image.” We were made after God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit and their image. In the Hebrew language this Scripture means that when God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit all came together, Jesus and the Holy Spirit got their instructions from the Father. They yielded to the Father. Image means representation. In Ephesians 5:1 we are told to be followers or imitators of God as dear children. We should imitate Him in everything. Be a creator by the words of your mouth. Create a new world. We can frame our world by our words. God made man to look, sound, act, create, and speak like God.
Marriage – Submission – July 5
Text: James 4:6-10. Submission is always your choice, because it cannot be forced on you. You choose to submit when you do not agree. The world thinks of submission in terms of bondage, but godly submission requires humility and opens the door for the person who is submitting to receive God’s grace. When we submit to God’s will, God tells us that He will lift us up. Satan did not submit to God, and he hates when we do, so he comes to steal the truth from us immediately. We are to submit to God and resist the devil. Satan wants to rob God’s grace (His power) from you by stealing your submission from you. Submission means under in rank, but not under in value. What is submission? 1) It is not agreement. 2) It is not easy. 3) It is not being forced. 4) It is not weakness. You have to be humble to submit. It is a safety net against deception. Who do we submit to? 1) To God. 2) To your own spirit. 3) Children to their parents. 4) Wives to their husbands. 5) Younger to the elder. 6) Employees to employers. 7) Citizens to civil leaders. (Pastor Syd cited Scriptures for each of these.) The time to not submit to authority is when the one over you directly goes against what the Word tells you. Philippians 2:8-15 says that Jesus humbled Himself by being obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. God exalted Jesus for His obedience and gave Him the name above all over names. When we submit to God, His grace can come to us.
Don’t Go to Church, Be the Church – June 28
Your faith can cause someone who is in unbelief to receive from God. You are the church. Do not let others’ unbelief stop you, but be bold and step out. You do not need a word from the Lord to pray and lay hands on someone. Have compassion. There is a world that needs Jesus. To fight for freedom is to fight to serve. Christ came to set you free. If you are free, you will not allow Satan to get to you. We are to re-present true love. Everything Jesus did was done in love. Homosexuality is a deceptive spirit. It comes out of wanting attention, rejection, as well as from other things. Our mission is to bring heaven to people. Jesus came to manifest glory to God. You fulfill God and are messengers of deliverance, love, and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Live a life of love. To not rest is a sin. Jesus only did what God told Him to do. Be effective by having a relationship with the Father. He did the Father’s agenda. Do not be a slave to works, but spend time with the Father, loving Him above loving the work of the kingdom. Homosexuals do not know who they are but have a spirit of confusion. Matthew 5:11 tells us that living out the Beatitudes is persecution. If someone does not hate you, you are probably not representing Jesus. Satan tries to get you into self-pity. Loving Jesus strongly will bring persecution. Deliverance for the homosexual is a one-step process: JESUS! Matthew 5 leads to Matthew 6, which instructs us to pray, give, and fast in love. Treasure Jesus, and do not treasure the work of the kingdom, which is a works mentality and will not cause people to change. Walk in love and get yourself out of the way. Your needs are already met.
The Father’s Heart – June 21
(Marie shared her testimony.) Fathers, do not take the fight out of your strong-willed boys but direct them. We need men and boys with backbone. Have we forgotten what men are? Text: Revelation 12:7-11. Fight the right thing. God wants us to overcome – by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of our testimony, loving not ours lives unto death. Know what you are fighting for and against. The Ukrainians do not what they are fighting for, because they have not experienced it. They understand family, but they do not understand freedom. The fight needs to come back into the church. (Apostle Dale shared about a leader in the Armenian church who was killed in Syria a couple days ago.) What really matters? Revival will come when what is not important and is not of content goes. Catch the spirit to fight and go. Be tough. What is your concept of overcoming? Pray for all in authority. There is purpose in overcoming. Get rid of the apathy. A rebuke is spoken. The illegitimate child does not receive chastisement from the Lord, because He is not their Father. Overcoming is based on Jesus’ blood and by our using our mouths to say something. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so. When we praise God, we set the stage for God to do it again.
What You Are Afraid of is Afraid of You or Your Crisis Is Afraid of You
What is the purpose of crisis? In Exodus 14 and 15 God used the Israelites as a trap to get Pharaoh, because he wanted to destroy Egypt. God does not always tell us what He is going to do and how it will turn out. Sometimes we think, “God, what are You doing?” The promises of God look like they are not working when things look hopeless. The children of God went out of Egypt and captivity with great boldness, but it turned to great panic in a short time. We can get into great fear and the strategies of the enemy, but we need to realize that God has a plan. God told them, “The enemy you see today, you will never see again.” The breath of God blew and separated the waters of the Red Sea. What is stopping you from entering the promises of God? God has a plan to destroy the enemy and to bring glory to Himself. We may get something from God, but then something else tries to stop it; it sees God and then becomes afraid (Psalm 77:1-20). We do not know God’s plan and how He will remove what is stopping us. The earth and the sea are alive. In Psalm 114:3 the sea saw it and fled and the Jordan River turned back. Satan is afraid of you. Psalm 85:13 says that righteousness will go before Him, and shall make His footsteps our pathway. Do not worry. Here comes God. Why do crises come? To destroy the enemy and to glorify God. Trust Him. There is always victory. The three Hebrews did not lose the victory when King Nebuchadnezzar threw them into the fire. We lose the victory when “we are marching to the fire”, and say, “It didn’t work!” God is willing to deliver us. Can you trust God in a crisis to do a miracle? Change can cause a crisis. In Mark 4 the disciples had a crisis when it looked like the boat they were on was going to sink. When a crisis comes, focus on the crisis controller (God), and your boat will not sink. Moses and Paul almost despaired, but when they refocused on God, He “resurrected” them (2 Corinthians 1:8-9). Trust in God. Every miracle was first a crisis. God wants to work a miracle in you. Say, “This is just a crisis, a miracle in the making.” Sometimes we have a crisis because of wrong decisions. Even so, every crisis can be a set-up for a miracle. DO NOT LET CRISES TALK TO YOU! Do not listen to the repetitious recording, but listen to God’s Word. God is faithful (2 Timothy 2:13). Jesus’ life sacrifice was the greatest change, and so is your salvation, healing, and deliverance.
Marriage Submission and Irreconcilable Differences – June 7
God can move and revival can come when our marriages reflect Christ and the Church. Satan wants us to think truth is bondage. God’s commands carry power and authority. Irreconcilable differences in a legal sense mean that there is no chance a marriage can be saved and the two partners can no longer agree. The point you disagree on opens the door to seeing more points of disagreement. Focus on what you agree on and find the common ground. The only solutions that will work are God’s solutions. Submission is not bondage, because God is not the author of bondage. We need deliverance from strife in our marriages, not from our marriages. Submission applies to the man as well as to the woman. James 4:6 tells us that He gives greater grace. He resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Pride is the nature of Satan. We should say, “I am pleased with …” rather than saying, “I’m proud of …”. Pride is being unteachable. Pride cares about looking good. Pride is 100% devil. James 4:7 instructs us to submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you. You only successfully resist the devil when you submit to God. There are demonic spirits working in the disobedient (Ephesians 2). The spirit of rebellion is deadly and opens the door to destruction. Humble yourself before the Lord, and He will lift you up. Submission literally means “under the mission”, to be under, to yield to, and taking your place under the person God told you to be under. We submit by making Jesus Christ our Lord and king. We all have the same rights to the kingdom of God, but we are not of the same rank. Submission is NOT: 1) agreement, 2) easy, 3) being forced or made to do something, nor 4) weakness. It takes great strength to submit. Meekness is not weakness. Jesus and God had two different wills, but He submitted to God’s will. God may ask you to lay down your life. Jesus suffered when He submitted. Submission is done in the heart. Submission was required in the Godhead (1 Corinthians 15:28). 1 Corinthians 11:3 tells us, “Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of the woman, and God is the head of Christ.” Some people mistakingly call love, submission. It is God’s anointing that gives leadership to the man. He is the one who is to lead. Hebrews 13:17 reminds us to obey those who are leading us and to submit to them. Today many pastors are not shepherds, but hirelings. The man is the head because he is ordained by God. Respect the place, even if you do not respect everything. Respect the place, but you may not everything he does. A mark of submission is humbleness. His grace will come to you. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
Marriage – Being One with Christ – May 31
(Communion was received during praise and worship time.) Mini-sermon: The disciples were kingdom-minded (Acts 1:8). They waited for the Holy Spirit and power, and they became witnesses. Being a witness means you share what you have seen and experienced of the Lord and what He has done for you. Allow God to move through you. Sermon: Text: Ephesians 5:22-33. Your marriage should reflect Christ and the church. God loves us because we are part of His own body. Like Christ, the husband provides, protects, and gives gentle care-taking. In Matthew 1:1, 16 the Bible records that Joseph was the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called the Christ. In Luke 1:26-35 the angel appeared to Mary and told her that her son would be called the Son of God. Then she went to Elizabeth, and she came back three months pregnant. Luke 3:23 records that Mary’s baby was thought to be Joseph’s child. Mary became one with Joseph and took on his lineage. When a couple marries, the wife takes on the husband’s lineage, and they become one. This is not about headship in the home. In the same way we take on Jesus’ identity. Your body is your spouse’s (1 Corinthians 7:1-6). The body is for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body (1 Corinthians 6:12-20). There is a covenant of oneness between spouses. Christ is the image of God over all creation. Colossians 1:15-23 tells about the image of being one. Christ is the head of the Body. He presents us as holy, blameless, and above reproach. A husband should lead.
The Fullness of God – May 24
The Word of God is a revelation of Jesus Christ, who is the Word. Jesus Christ is greater than the written Word. When we read the Word, we need to engage the author. The Book is not greater than the author. Your theology should match your experience, so you live out the Word in your life. Your barrenness only reveals the greatest battle, yet the greatest victory to be had in your life for the fulfillment of the promises of God. Where are you barren, hurting, sick, or in a broken relationship? That is the place where God wants you to live. We are to face it with the fullness of God. He wants to mend and to fill the barren place. Contend for the fullness of God in the area that you are in the most need of it. Ephesians 4:11-14 says that the purpose of the five-fold offices is so that the Body is built up and there is unity of faith in the Body. Build, encourage, and attain His fullness. In His presence there is fullness of joy and more (Psalm 16:11). We have God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit in us, the measure of His fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9; Galatians 4:6). How do we live in the fullness of God? We begin by understanding that the fullness of God lives in us. Embrace the mystery of experiencing His love that surpasses knowledge (Ephesians 3:19). His love is the centerpiece. When have you experienced God’s goodness? Moses experienced God’s goodness and was changed. Release hope. God will teach you all things that He has (John 16:15). What fills you will come out. Moses was full of the law. Jesus was full of grace. When you are full, it is easy for heaven to come to earth. Earth’s atmosphere is perpendicular to heaven. Where you feel you are disqualified, that is where He wants to come in with power inside of you. Stir up the gift of God which is in you (2 Timothy 1:6-7). Everyone has a gift. Use your gift. We need each other’s gift.
Marriage – May 17
(There was a time of prayer and a powerful testimony by John) The answer to every question in your marriage can be answered by the relationship of Christ and the Church. Satan attacks marriage because it should resemble Christ and the Church. If someone should be caught or snared in wrongdoing, those who are spiritual should restore him/her (Galatians 6:1-2). Those who are developed spiritually in love carry one another’s burdens. To restore means to repair, build up, and lift up out of the trap. Restore with a spirit of gentleness, humility, being quick to listen and not being full of pride. The greatest problem in marriages is selfishness. Watch out for yourselves, spy on yourself, take aim at, and keep an eye on yourself. A fleshly person examines others for faults. You can be tempted by pride. Flesh and the devil always want more. Temptations begin in your desires. Each person is tempted by his own evil desires (James). Is your flesh ruling you? Tempted means to be drawn away, enticed, lured, and baited. Satan tempts you based on your desires. He often gets blamed for what is really your own flesh. Remember, Satan is not omnipresent. He just gives the order for his fallen angels and demons to do his work. Just like Satan with Jesus in the wilderness, he overplays his hand. Satan wants you to go against the Word of God. Take authority over both Satan and your flesh.
How to Pray Like a Mother – May 10
Ephesians 5:17-20 tells us to not be unwise. (The Greek language used a double negative for emphasis.) We are to understand what the will of God is. If you do the will of God, you will not have to focus on trying to be holy. We are to make melody in our hearts to the Lord at all times. How do we do that? We do it by being filled with the Holy Spirit. Prayer is a lifestyle. It is being with the Lord all the time, dialoguing with Him. We are to give thanks to Him. Prayer is like a rudder. Your tongue is a rudder, because you go where your words take you. In 1 Samuel 1 we see the result of a praying mother. Before Samuel was conceived, Hannah prayed and made a vow to the Lord. Although the priest thought she was drunk, she was praying in the Spirit (1:9-16). Why did Israel transition from prophet to king? Israel prayed for a king. Why? Because there was no one praying for what came after Samuel. Hannah prayed a selfless prayer, praying by the Spirit’s leading. Apostle Dale shared about his mother praying for his salvation and his praying with his grandmother for a Russian believer. Prayers are never lost. God collects them and pours them out. Prayer directs destiny and directs us into the will of God. Do not live in a house that prayer has not built. Apostle Dale related about meeting a Ukrainian four-star general, who did not look good in a report, but when Apostle Dale would pray, this general would keep coming up. He asked, “Lord, what about him?” We need to trust the Holy Spirit in prayer. God sends you divine appointments. Apostle Dale met a Muslim in Crimea and after about three hours of talking with him about Jesus, the other man said, “I believe god (God) sent you to me.” Look for God. When you have divine appointments, do not let them go. Keep in touch with them. Before Apostle Dale and Teri moved to Moscow, he met a Russian pastor from Moscow in Tulsa. God put them together. Dale asked the Lord to give him an idea for a gift for him when they were in Moscow, and He told him to get a book on Ronald Reagan. It was exactly what the Russian pastor wanted. Prayer will open doors. Galatians 4:19 says that Paul labored in birth pains until Christ was formed in the Galatian believers. Praying is giving birth to salvation and to people being established in the faith. The character of Christ is formed in prayer.