Psalm 127:1 tells us that unless the Lord builds the house, they who build it labor in vain. The same principles for a godly government apply to a godly individual, home, family, and business. People must ask for God’s aid. It is both an individual and corporate choosing God’s help and doing His will (Joshua 24:15). Those who were composing the constitution could not agree on it until Ben Franklin reminded them that they depended on prayer to God to give them the Declaration of Independence and to win the war. After praying, the Constitution was written. Apostle Dale is working right now on helping the Ukrainian government draft a constitution based on Biblical principles. Our nation’s government was founded on Biblical principles. William Penn, for whom Pennsylvania is named, had a frame of government. A government of integrity is one that is whole and morally complete. Only a small percentage of pastors preach and actually believe the Word. People have to want a government of integrity. The essential first steps are to establish the vision (a nation that looks like what wants it to be), the goal (a self-government requires that people live by God’s ways), and the authority. We answer as individuals, families, civil governments, and church governments. The existence of government is God’s idea and plan. God works through nations. The empowerment of government is from and of God through Jesus Christ. The effectiveness of government and the blessings of the nation are linked to the degree of our obedience to God’s commands. We understand the nature and role of God from Revelation 21:6; Colossians 1:16; Psalm 103:19. The nature of God is that He is sovereign, the Creator of all things, the sustainer of all life, and the supreme authority. He has created and delegated man’s authority over the earth and equipped man with skills. The nature of man is that he is sinful from birth, depraved, and does not naturally do what is right, except the Spirit of God moves in him. The purpose of government is to enact justice, to praise those who do good, and to punish those who do evil. The purpose of the law (1 Timothy 1:9) is to establish the framework for those things having to do with justice and was made for law-breakers, those who think they are above God’s law. The natural tendency of government is to consolidate control and power to violate God’s purpose (Genesis 9:1; 11:1-9) and to replace God. The components of Biblical justice (Isaiah 59:14) are truth and mercy. The requirements for maintaining a republic are responsible citizens and integrity in office. There is a need to build in safeguards (Isaiah 33:22) because the nature of man is selfish and greedy and because of the concept of accountability is God’s idea. There is a need to biblically educate (Proverbs 22:6; Joshua 4:19-24). Parents must biblically train up their children, and fathers must continually affirm God’s blessing and His role in their lives. We must understand the need for prayer (Psalm 127:1; 1 Kings 8:54-60; 2 Chronicles 7:14). It is the Lord who raises up a nation, a family, a business, and an individual. The building and maintaining of a government of integrity is spiritually-achieved. How intently do we desire a government of integrity? It is all about the focus on the souls of men. Satan tries to get us away from doing the work of God. Change can come when we repent of and confess our sins. Then we can have lives of integrity.
Foundations of a Godly Nation
Desire Spiritual Gifts
Texts: Colossians 3:1-4; 1 Corinthians 12. Seek and set your minds on what is above. You have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Keep the perspective of what is important. The heavenly things are the real things. Do not be unaware of spiritual gifts. Speaking by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, no one can call Jesus Christ accursed. The Holy Spirit gives the gift, the person ministers it, and the Lord completes the work. The manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one to produce what is beneficial to all. We are to earnestly desire the best gifts. The Holy Spirit comes in you when you receive Jesus as your Lord. The Holy Spirit comes upon you for you to minister to others. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is for you to minister to others and for you to be a witness. The word of wisdom is for the future. The Holy Spirit tells you something you do not know in the natural when He operates the word of knowledge. The gift of special faith, God’s faith, goes beyond your own faith, which you have by the hearing of the Word. There are the gift of healings, workings of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, different kinds of tongues (not the same as your prayer tongues), and interpretation of tongues. The gifts of the Spirit are not activated by peoples’ wills but by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit works these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. Other than different tongues and interpretation of tongues, the other seven gifts operated in the Old Testament. The gifts of the Spirit are grouped into the revelation gifts, the power gifts, and the speaking gifts.
Contentment
Pre-sermon notes: There is a spirit of man, and the inspiration of the Almighty gives him understanding. We have authority to bind and loose and have the spirit of seeing and of knowledge. Why was it necessary for not one bone of Jesus’ body to be broken? 1) Jesus had to be fully dead when the Roman soldiers checked Him. 2) It would have violated the Word. 3) The Word had to be fully fulfilled.
Sermon: Contentment in the Spirit is not wanting anything but God. Seek God first, and then other things will be added to you. The lack of contentment in the body of Christ gives Satan a great opening into our lives. God wants our lives full and joyful. Unforgiveness and sin are other doors for Satan, but discontentment is a big one. Discontentment is unrest, apathy, a loss of passion for God, an unbalanced focus, and a critical, judgmental, and fault-finding spirit. Let God inspire (being God-breathed) and teach you. Enjoy Him. Proverbs 11:1 tells about the abomination of false balances. Contentment affects everything in you, such as your attitude. Do not look to the world for confirmation. Balance is very important. Learn how to combine the spiritual and the natural. Adam was operating in both the spiritual and natural realms simultaneously. There is redemption for animals. They were innocent in the curse brought on by Adam. Jesus is the last Adam, and He will redeem the creatures. Discontentment comes through people and situations to show you what you do not have. Contentment shows you what you do have. There is no such thing as blind faith. Walk by faith, seeing faith. Discontentment is a task-master and is ungrateful. It makes you a slave. Contentment is grateful and appreciative. Be spiritually-minded. Would to God that we had been content (Joshua 7:7). Possessions do not make you godly. Gaining is not godliness. Godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Timothy 6:1-6). Paul said that whatever state he was in, he was content (Philippians 4:11). It is not the things that you have that produce contentment. Possessions do not equal contentment. God is the source of our joy, not possessions. To be content is to be satisfied- sufficient, raise a barrier (archeo). Put up a barrier of contentment. Discontentment is self-serving and is about me. Our joy is because of God, and then we bring it to other people. Joy is spiritual. We cannot expect others to make us happy. Godly contentment serves God and others and brings you into the rest of God. Prepare your life for God. Jesus is your source (Philippians 4:19). Discontentment drives you to long for something else. Contentment keeps you on course and will ensure the growth and maturity of the fruit of the Spirit. God is our Shepherd, and He has already supplied all things. He daily loads us with good things (Psalm 68:19). He took the weight of sin, guilt, and darkness off of us. Now we can carry the weights of the benefits of God that lift us up. There is no lack in heaven. He is our provider (Matthew 6:9).
Fasting and Prayer for Change
God wants the Body of Christ to be in unity. We need to be built up by reading the Word and Christian books and listening to teachings and sermons. Chapter two of Zephaniah is a call to repentance, seeking God, seeking righteousness, and seeking humility. It may be that we will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger. [We watched Kenneth Copeland ministering at the 2016 Southwest Believers’ Convention. He spoke about a great outpouring, great reconciliation between God’s people and between nations, a great move of God, and great change coming to North America. There will be changes in the people and in the mechanical structure of this planet. God has heard the heartfelt prayers of His people. We are to rest in Him, pray, hold fast before Him, pay attention to the Spirit, and pray in the Spirit. God is moving now, and things will not look like it looks now. The awakening is here. There will be change between now and the political conventions. God’s people who harken and follow Him can walk in the most prosperous times. For those who refuse Him, it will get worse and worse. More is coming that is disastrous. Walk by faith and the disaster will go around and over you. Stay in the Word. Stay in love. Stay in faith. He loves us. Walk in His love. Do not allow strife in your house. It is the most dangerous serpent. Serve God with gladness of heart for the abundance of all things, and you will walk free. The angels get excited when they can work for the Creator, but they only do what we have faith for. Stay in the love of God. Prayer changes things.] The United States is the only country started by people who loved God. Pastor Syd read Isaiah 58-60:5, which tells about the restorer of the wall and building up foundations and fasting and praying. We should be fasting for our nation, for the church, and for the unbelief to be driven out. Be real in your fasting and do it without strife. Prayer and fasting is for today. Paul told the Gentile churches to do it. Joel said that the result of prayer and fasting would be His pouring out His Spirit on all flesh. It was what was happening in the upper room before Pentecost. It is a time of putting God before yourself.
End Time Prophecy
Pastor Syd read through the book of Zephaniah and Haggai. The book of Zephaniah is about the day of the Lord, a call to repentance, judgment on the nations that do not wholeheartedly worship the Lord God, and the faithful remnant. Haggai is also about the shaking of the earth and the glory of God’s house. Zephaniah got a word from the Lord. The day of the Lord is about the destruction and gloom against the nations that worship false gods. It will be a day of great shaking. Hebrews 12:25-29 warns us to not refuse God and Jesus, and that there will be a shaking. What cannot be shaken will remain. What cannot be shaken? It is God’s kingdom. We are to have grace, so that we may serve God with godly fear. God is a consuming fire. Other Scriptures referring to the shaking and day of the Lord are found in: Isaiah 13:13; Haggai 2:6, 7; Matthew 24:35; 2 Peter 3:10-13. The believer will not be caught unaware (1 Thessalonians 5:2-5). We are to earnestly desire the coming day of the Lord. We wait for the new heaven and earth. Therefore, we are to be in peace, bring salvation to the lost, be on your guard, and grow in grace and the knowledge of God. The day of eternity begins on the great day of the Lord. The books of Revelation and Isaiah are books of prophecy, but the events are not written in chronological order. To better understand this period of prophecy, read what Jesus taught about end times, because His teaching is more in chronological order, and then go to the other books of Isaiah and Revelation. The earth will burn and melt away. There is a call to repentance. Bend yourselves together. Yield to the Lord. We still have time at this moment. Seek the Lord, righteousness, and humility. Perhaps you will be concealed on the day of the Lord. Seek God. Ask God what He wants you to do each day. Seek righteousness. Seek to help people to be right with the Lord. Repent for yourself, your church, the universal church, and the nation. Pride and arrogance bring woe to the cities. Think carefully about your ways. God said His house was in ruins, while the people were living in finished houses. The temple was not being rebuilt. We need to honor God with our finances. They should be for God’s purposes. Check yourself. Think about your ways. Am I honoring Him with my time and things? The people obeyed God’s instructions and feared Him. We must hear and do the Word. We cannot walk in our own ways and expect God to bless us. Be strong. Work. Do not quit now. Do not be afraid. God will shake the nations. The gold belongs to Him. In Habakkuk 3:16-19, Habakkuk expresses his confidence in God. Yet will I praise and triumph in the Lord even in the worst of times. I will rejoice in the promises of God. He enables me. Set your mind of things above.
Foundations
Offering sermon: Pastor Syd shared the testimony of giving his firstfruit and reaping a blessing for a new vehicle, and his children sowing a hamster and being given a puppy. God will do what He said He would do. God wants to be the central theme of your day. (There was a word given about coming back to the true and living God, seeking Him, praying for Donald Trump, repentance, revival, and a move of God.) Sermon: Schools in America were started to teach people how to read the Bible, and then the Bible was used to teach other subjects. We have let drop the responsibility for education and government. We must bring change from the inside. Pastor Syd read the Declaration of Independence. Many of the fifty-six signers were Christians. Now the agenda is to remove the how and why of whom we are. We have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, according to the Declaration of Independence, but that right is falling away. What rights does the baby in the womb have against abortion? Although the main concern was taxation without representation, there were other abuses that the signers had concerns with, such as religion. For them to stand up and to think they would win against England was like Hawaii taking on a war against all of the U. S. government. How did the colonists do it? There was no way other than by divine help! They were willing to fight for something they believed in. Be thankful for the freedoms we have. Our nation was founded on the rock, but it is now in the sand. We need to pray for and act on what we have been entrusted with. Talk to your representatives and Senators and encourage them. Pastor Syd shared about swimming in the Green River in Utah where there was quicksand in the bottom. If he would have stayed in the quicksand, he would have sunk into death. Our nation is now in quicksand. The time and season we are in is one of praying and acting. Be a person of prayer. Ask God what we are to do, and be willing to obey. Focus and desire God above everything else. Make God the central part of your day. Be the church outside these walls. Meditate on Colossians 3:1-4, setting your mind on things above, on those things that have eternal impact. Set your mind of His thoughts. Be moldable to His desires, and then He will give you the desires of your heart. Ask God what is important to Him.
Wisdom
Text: Proverbs 4:1-13. Proverbs four tells us to not forget the Father’s words, which means to meditate on them. Wisdom is the principal thing. Get wisdom and in getting wisdom, get understanding. Receive wisdom and live long. Wisdom and knowledge are the stability. Satan tries to distract Christians. Do not let him distract you from what is important. What is the most important thing? The wisdom of God is the most important thing. It is our responsibility to get wisdom. Wisdom is not intelligence. We are not limited if we are not intelligent. Spirituality by wisdom is attainable. In all your wisdom, get understanding. When you do something in obedience you do not understand, understanding will come. Apostle Dale told of an older mentor who went through five beach-heads in World War II. As a new recruit, he was desperate and thought it was wisdom to watch and do what the man did who had already gone through a beach-head before. The man said, “Somebody’s gonna make it, and it’s gonna be me!” He went to the front of the boat and carried his knife when they hit the beach. Then he used the knife to cut off the backpack. Walk by God’s wisdom, not your own intelligence. Find wisdom from somebody who has been there. Build on the rock foundation (Matthew 7:24-29). Be like a wise man and follow what a wise man is doing. Following the Word of God, works. Hear and implement the Word, because that is wisdom. Act on God’s Word, and understanding will come. Pride of being right is pride in making others wrong. You can be right but not be wise. Wisdom is how you apply knowledge and make it effective. Whatever the cost- time, money, or whatever- get wisdom. There is a cost to wisdom. Wisdom is hard work. It is not intellectualism. Before wisdom comes desire (Proverbs 2:1). Wisdom is available to you if you desire it. Pray for wisdom. Copy Jesus.
Work With the Lord
Our fathers are symbolic of God, the Father. God is the example of a father. Be an example of the Father’s heart. The mark of ministry is working with God (2 Corinthians 6:1, 2). We are not to receive God’s grace in vain. Look, now is the acceptable time. Now is the season. Are you working together with Him? Are you on the job? We do not receive the ministry in vain when we work with Him. We are God’s co-workers (1 Corinthians 3:9). If you do not show up, it slows down what needs to be done, and it affects others. Be faithful. Faithfulness to God is huge to Him. Do as unto the Lord, and value what the Lord values. Work with the Lord. Concerning the gifts of the Spirit, we speak under the inspiration of God. There are different gifts, different administrations, and different activities. Desire the gifts of the Spirit. It is how we work with Him. The Spirit gives the gifts. Jesus administrates them. God brings about the results. God works it. Some Biblical examples of men working with God: Elijah had to go to the brook to be where he would be fed and get water (1 Kings 17). Philip worked with the Lord by obeying to go over to the Ethiopian eunuch’s chariot (Acts 8:26). We work together with God by being obedient. If you need a miracle, there is an act of obedience that goes with it. We have to be listening and acting when He prompts us. Let God bring the result. Cornelius and Peter worked with God to bring about salvation and the baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:1-48). We must work with the Lord. Mark 16 tells us to go, preach, teach, and baptize. That is working with the Lord.
Trust in the Lord, Lean Not on Your Own Ways, and Acknowledge Him
Text: Proverbs 3:4-10. When you give, let people know it is from God. Honor the Lord with what you have, not just with your salary. It does not matter how poor or rich you are. Tithe on what you have. Apostle Dale told about a pastor who tithed to Armada. Someone gave the pastor a check to pay off the church building. The Lord told Dale that the pastor was not going to tithe on the increase he had received. We are to tithe on all the increase. We are to trust in the Lord with all our heart (Proverbs 3:5). The problem is in any area where we are holding back and not letting go and letting God take it. We need to diagnose ourselves and our lives. Where am I holding back? First, we should get rid of the plank in our own eyes. Do not lean on your own understanding. Do not put any faith in your own perspectives. Find out how to get rid of things. Stop the “whys.” In everything you do, acknowledge God (Proverbs 3:6). Keep the connection of divine guidance. If you do not boldly tell the truth, you are denying the truth. (Dale told about a meeting with an important person. He did not care what the man thought of him, so he told him about the Lord, and the man shared that he understood because he had experienced God’s protection in an international connection.) God will direct your path when you acknowledge Him in all your ways. God has you on His path. (Dale told of an unusual experience on an elevator in Washington, D. C.) Get alone with God and say, “I quit.” Write down all the roles you have, and tell God that you will only pick up the ones He tells you to pick up. Write down what God has done in your life. Count your blessings. Name them. You will see how God has been working and how He gets us to the path we are on now. DO NOT BE WISE IN YOUR OWN EYES. Pride is worse than the devil. The more I acknowledge God, the freer I become. Jacob went to Laban and labored fourteen years for the wife he wanted. When he left with his posterity and prosperity, Jacob talked to Laban about his past, how he worked for all he had. He ended by saying to Laban, “and the Lord prospered me.” Whatever you do, acknowledge the Lord in it. Look for the Lord in everything you do. Fear the Lord in your business, relationships, and just walking down the street. (Dale shared how he asked the Lord to remove the people from in front of the monuments he wanted to photograph in Washington.) Acknowledge the Lord.
Loving the Truth
We should value and apply truth and let go of what is not truth. What we believe must come from the Word of God. You have to answer for yourself. Am I grounded in the Word of God? There will be deceptive signs and wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:10-13). People will perish because they do not receive the truth and are sold over to deception. How do we guard our hearts? God gives more grace (James 4:6). The more I put the Word in my mind, the more I have God’s pictures and thoughts. That is the natural way to renew our minds. However, it is by faith that the things that were not possible before, become possible. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). We are in pride when we exalt ourselves above God’s truth. Go to the Word to get your belief. How can you keep yourself from being deceived? Be humble. Be willing to change. Be willing to repent. People who reject God’s truth should weep and mourn in repentance. Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord. Psalm 51 is David’s showing his heart of humility and repentance, allowing God to move through him. The Lord can use anyone. Pastor Syd, Jon Fike, and Herb Baughman shared testimonies of God’s goodness in financial blessings.
Honor the Lord by Loving Truth
Pray for those who are affected by their loved ones who gave their lives for our freedom. In 1 Samuel 2:30, God says that He will honor those who honor Him. We can know what we honor by what we spend our time and money on. If you honor the Lord, you will honor His Word. If you honor His Word, you honor truth. The Word is the Book of Life. There are 1500 verses about civil government. Public schools were started so people could read the Bible. Children were taught from the Bible. The Word tells us how to handle things. We should go to the Bible to get truth rather than trying to prove that what we believe is truth. The Word of the Lord was rare because the people did not honor the truth (1 Samuel 3:1). We should honor and look favorably on the Word (Isaiah 66:2; Psalm 119:161, 162). We should not compromise the truth (Proverbs 23:23). What truth are you willing to die for? Truth will cost you something. You are compromising when you do not believe the whole truth of God’s Word. Other Scriptures that show the Word is to be valued are: Matthew 13:44; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12. We are warned of a time when people will not look for truth but only for what they desire (1 Timothy 4:3). A Christian should not be a conspiracy theorist. Be wiser than children of darkness and do not be gullible. Think of truth. If people turn away from truth, they turn to myths. John 8:31, 32 tell us that the truth that we know shall make us free. What does the Word say? You must put the Word in you. Luke 8:4-8, 11-15 is the Parable of the Sower and the Seed. The seed is the truth. You may hear it and immediately reject it. You may get excited about it but then backslide. The seed may sprout but other things grow up and choke it out. Or the seed may fall on a good, honest heart which holds on to the truth and bears fruit. The one who endures bears fruit (1 John 2:3-6). Those who abide in Him ought to walk as Jesus did. He loved truth, and He gave His life for truth.
Obedience
Apostle Bruce is an adventurer. He rescues children and adults from slavery. He is currently working on his own TV series and a documentary. Dead people and dead churches need revival in America. Charles Finney said that revival is a new beginning of obedience. He encouraged us to be like his one daughter who is instantly obedient. One act of obedience can change lives and nations. He shared about his obedience to give over his network to God. In seven days it took off like it had not before. He went to Liberia to help a tribe get out of poverty. He discovered that their land has gold and diamonds, which can be used to help them and to advance the kingdom of God. How often do we say “no” to God? He rescues kids in Kenya. It is all about obedience. Go to your neighbors. Give money to someone in need. Disobedience puts us behind where we should be. We need preachers who speak truth. One act of obedience can take you on a journey. Apostle Dale and Bruce went to Ukraine years ago when they did not know the language well, so they prayed for direction, because the only map they had was a prophecy map from Jack van Impe. As a result of that trip, Bruce became Gloria Copeland’s personal protection. Do not be afraid to be obedient. Bruce’s life was changed by a slave boy at a crusade where there were twenty-five thousand people coming to the Lord a day. Because he rescued that boy, he is today rescuing and helping hundreds of others, and Bruce stopped doing crusade and went into rescuing slaves. In 2 Corinthians, we read that we have treasures to be released and revealed. We need to embrace the discomfort zone. God wants to speak through us. The act of obedience is to get the treasure out of us. God wants to use the treasure in you. Obey means to listen attentively and submit, to yield. Yield to God and listen attentively to Him. Do not substitute praying for obedience. The Bible is full of ways to obey, such as love your enemies, do good to those who use you, and bless those who curse you. Revival is renewed conviction of sin and repentance followed by an intense desire to live for God. We repeated a confession of faith.
Ministry of the Supernatural
Desire and expect the truth of God’s Word. The kingdom of heaven is like treasure, that is worth selling everything else for (Matthew 13:44; Isaiah 55:1). Do not let go until you are satisfied. We want to be delivered. Bruce gave a word about CWI being like a fire truck slowly going up a hill. The fire truck represents a vehicle of rescue, which accelerates once it gets to the flat area. He saw CWI as having a ministry of rescue for this region. It is about salvation, demonstration, and orchestration. Throughout the service, Bruce operated in the prophetic and had words of encouragement and words of knowledge for people needing healing. God wants to demonstrate Himself.
We are living in Acts 29, the chapter that is still being written. Be obedient and listen. Do what He tells you to do. Take it out of the church [walls]. Ephesians 4 says that the five-fold ministry is to equip the saints to do the work and ministry. Everyone has a God-cause. The only way to do that is to be obedient. Grace and favor reign through righteousness (Romans 5:21). Stay in a place of God’s presence. Go treasure-hunting. Find people and release what God has for them. The disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word with boldness (Acts 4:29). Have the courage to step forth. A small group can do the work of ministry. All of us are joined and knit together, each one fulfilling his or her God-cause with humility, dying to self, and speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:11-16). God has a mission for you. He has miracles in your mouth and in your hands. Why don’t people operate in the supernatural and miraculous? Because they don’t! We are to go and lay hands on the sick. Get out beyond the comfort zone of the church. All things are possible to those who believe. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is in you. Bruce told of a time he was ministering in Pakistan to twenty-five thousand people, and the prime minister’s brother was there. He spoke in boldness anyway and released God’s power. God can do miracles through you. Learn the Word. Faith begins where the will of God is known. What stops us? 1) Doubt and unbelief. 2) Tradition. 3) Hardness of heart. 4) Believing that the gifts and the Holy Spirit stopped working with the death of the last apostle (cessationism). 5) Lack of understanding of Biblical truth about healing and prosperity. 6) Undeveloped faith, little faith. 7) Experience or lack of experience. Do not build your belief by experience, but by the Word. The pathway to greater words and the miraculous is to believe in Him and the works that He did (John 14:12). The greatest issue is fear. If you have fear, you do not have love, because perfect love casts out fear. We have power, love, and a sound mind. It is lifestyle and power evangelism. Bruce shared his testimony of becoming angry and weary in ministry to a place where he was thinking carnally instead of blessing his enemies. In Matthew 14:13 the word “ask” means to put a demand on or to command. It is taking authority over the enemy. Religion is wimpy. Jesus gave us the keys and authority. We should be the most joyful people in the world. In His presence there is fullness of joy. We are examples of Jesus Christ. When we get words of knowledge, it is God talking to us. We have all the tools. The devil is under our feet (Ephesians 1:19-22). We are more than conquerors. That means that Jesus fought for us, and we get the prize. You will not be afraid if you are in the will of God. Find God’s will through prayer and the Word of God. There must be a rising up of end-time warriors, who will walk in God’s grace, mercy, and ability. What stops us is unforgiveness (Mark 11:25), the root of bitterness, compromise, and anger.
Honor God with the Truth
The church should communicate truth and be salt. Find out what your school’s policies are. Communicate with your representatives. Fight against unrighteousness. It took eighty years of preachers’ (The Black Regiment) preaching truth in the early colonies before it was put into effect when the Constitution was written. We need to apply the truth to our lives. God’s principles work even for the unsaved. We must live by His principles. Eli, the priest, displeased God by honoring his sons more than he did God (1 Samuel 2:29). Eli knew his sons were sinning against God and His temple, but he did not stop them. God said that He will honor those who honor Him. If you want to be honored, you must honor truth. Honor means “weighty, of value, of great importance.” How do we honor God? We honor Him by honoring what He honors. God cannot lie. There is power in His Word. God made everything. In Isaiah 66:1, 2 God said that He will look favorably on one who is humble and submissive and who trembles at His Word, a person who hurries to keep God’s commands (Psalm 119:57-60). God’s Word is truth. We can rejoice at His Word like one who has found a treasure (Psalm 119:162). The entrance of His Word gives light to those who are humble and open-minded (Psalm 119:130). Buy truth, and do not sell it (Proverbs 23:23). Do not let money pull you away from what is truth. Bribes prevent justice. Do not allow money to buy and pervert justice and truth. How valuable is truth? Are you willing to stand alone for truth? As a church, we must be established on the truth. Truth will cost you something. You may have to choose between truth and family and your friends. How do we know if we have the truth? It is in the Word. If you find a verse, read the context of that verse and search for more than one witness in the rest of the Word. Make sure that what is being said is right in the Scriptures. Be a student of the Word. The deceived ones do not have the love of the truth in them.
Rwanda and Namibia on Assignment from God
Gene English showed pictures and shared about his recent mission trip to Rwanda and Namibia, Africa. As part of the trip, he attended a Global Teen Challenge Conference in Rwanda. He also was looking for properties that could possibly be used for future Teen Challenge sites. While he was in Rwanda, he visited the Genocide Memorial, commemorating the death of the over one million people of the Tutu tribe, who were killed by a rival Rwandan tribe. Namibia also suffered much slaughter, but theirs was due to apartheid. A fruitful harvest requires a fruitful witness. We need to get past being afraid of rejection when we talk to strangers about Jesus Christ. We get comfortable, but we need to know that God is going to give us the words to speak when we step out to share Christ. We need to think about the lost. How is God going to use me to reach the lost? Remember where you were before you came to Jesus. We can see the goodness of God. You begin with the Word of God. Then you see that you are the righteousness of God. Your mind gets renewed by the Word, and you begin believing and confessing the Word. Your thinking changes. We are commissioned to reach the lost. We need to be faithful witnesses. The process may be ugly, but the result is good. Matthew 9:38, 38 tell about praying for the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into the harvest. Intercede for the lost (Psalm 2:8). Cry out for them. Gene told about Isaac Watts, who was an atheist at that time, confronting a Christian woman. She had three sons, and the first one heard from God to go to the mission field. He was killed, and her second son heard the same call to go. He went to complete the work the first one started, but he was killed. The third son also was called to complete his brothers’ work, but he, too, was killed. When Isaac Watts confronted her in the market place, he asked her, “How can you love that God? Don’t you regret it?” Her answer was, “Yes, I regret- that I don’t have another son to send to finish the work!” Ask God, “How can I be used by You today?” Let’s purpose to reach the lost for the kingdom of God. Pray that you may have a love for the lost. Are you casting out seeds? Are you multiplying? How can I build bridges? Ask God to stir up your gifts.
Authority of the Believer: Being Made Righteous
Review: The earth is the Lord’s (Psalm 24:10); God gave the earth to man (Psalm 115:16); Man has been made to have dominion over God’s creation (Psalm 8:3-9). Pastor Syd compared it to the fact that their house belongs to him (Pastor), but his sons may do what they want in their own rooms within certain guidelines. God owns the earth and gave authority over it to Adam, but Adam gave it to Satan. Jesus took the keys away from Satan when He went into hell after His crucifixion. Through Adam’s trespass, death reigned, how much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ (Romans 5:17). Jesus is seated to the right hand of God, interceding for us. If we do not have a sense of righteousness, we will not reign. If we mess up and ask forgiveness, God has no remembrance of it. His righteousness is on you and fills you. A king reigns through his words. On Christ, the rock, “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:13-19). Because you know the Word, you may think you are doing it, but you must act on it by speaking and believing it. Speak the Word to your problems. Speak the way it is going to be. Jesus became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). He sees me like Jesus, without sin. He says, “That’s My son, in whom I am well pleased.” Do not allow condemnation and Satan to beat you up. We can have boldness in the day of judgment, because of God’s love (1 John 4:16, 17). There is no fear in love. Jesus always lives to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:24, 25). We need a consciousness of righteousness. Jesus is our defense attorney and our judge. Tell the devil how it is going to be. There is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:10). God is for us (Romans 8:31). He will grant us what we need to walk in victory (Romans8:32). If God gave His all to buy you, He will do all to keep you. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. We are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ (Romans 8:33-39).
Our God Is Faithful
Dr. Panicker shared about living in Kenya when they had no church support and during a time of famine. They fasted and prayed for a month, declaring that they would not lack. A man from Morocco blessed them, and a woman they did not know came with two boxes for them. It was at a time when they had no food, and the boxes were filled with all the food they needed. They wanted to send their son to school, but they had no money. Dr. Panicker went to the headmaster to ask him to keep his son there for two weeks and at the end of the two weeks he would have the money for him. He was impressed by the Lord to go to the headmaster after just one week. The headmaster informed Dr. Panicker that someone had come in the first day he came with his son and paid for the whole year. Our most precious times are as we sit at the feet of the Lord. Prayer is talking and listening to God. Do we truly pray, or do we assume that God will do this or that? Are you always engaged with the Father? We talk and listen to the Lord. Daddy God will minister to your every need. Learn to talk to the Lord in prayer. We need silence with Him, too, to hear His voice. If you do not walk with Him, you will not talk with Him. Be inspired to pray and pray for the American church-goers to read the Bible. Jonah was called to the city of Ninevah, which was Assyrian, but he was afraid to go. God’s heart was broken by all of its sin. He had a heart for the people of Ninevah. God’s character is love, mercy, and holiness. He knew He had to punish the people, so He called Jonah to warn them to repent. Jonah tried to escape God’s call for him to go to warn Ninevah, so he ended up spending time in the belly of a fish. Jonah did obey God and warned the people of Ninevah to repent and turn to God. Assyrians were fighting the Jews, but the people believed God and proclaimed a fast. God touches the hearts of the wicked, and this happened in Ninevah. The wicked king was afraid of God’s judgment, humbled himself by stepping down from his throne, repented, and cried out to the Jewish God, declaring a fast of food and water, even for the animals, and Ninevah was spared. Prayer has the power to humble the proud. Much of the American church is a coffee-club. When your belly is full, it is easy to sleep and hard to pray. God listens to the cry of the wicked, because His character is love, mercy, and holiness. We say “no” to “political correctness.” Another city was Sodom in Genesis 18 and 19. Ezekiel (16:49-50) referred to Sodom and Gomorrah as arrogant, overfed, unconcerned, haughty, not helping the poor and needy, and detestable (morally disgusting). It takes both prayer and action. The righteous are bold as a lion. God destroyed Sodom. Why did God destroy Sodom and save Ninevah? Sodom did not repent, and it was burned. Ninevah repented and was spared. [Dr. Panicker had said in 2012 that it was wrong for the United States to invade Iraq. Some countries need a dictator because the people are not able to handle the responsibility. In Iraq churches were protected and even built under the Iraqi dictator, but that all stopped when he was killed.] In 2012 the president of Uganda brought his nation’s people together. He repented and called the people to come together to God. Dr. Panicker read the prayer of repentance that the Ugandan president prayed asking for God’s forgiveness of many sins, such as idolatry, witchcraft, shedding innocent blood, and pride. Our national leaders need to repent. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.
Authority of the Believer
Our purpose is to rule and reign on the earth. Adam brought death, but Jesus brought life and righteousness (Romans 5:17, 18). Our battles are with evil spiritual forces (Ephesians 6:12). God demonstrated His power by seating Jesus over every dominion now and in every age (Ephesians 1:20). The Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act was passed in North Carolina, but there is opposition from LGBT. This group comprises only 1-3% of the U. S. population but is using financial forces and businesses to force NC to change this act. In Mississippi it is legal for religious organizations to deny services to someone who functions contrary to their beliefs. Governor Wolf has a “Bathroom Rule”, HB 1510 and SB 974, that will mandate public use of bathrooms to both sexes, as a person may self-identify his/her sex. Why is the church silent about these important issues? 1. Relativism. 2. A moral code that is wearing away. 3. Fear of being labeled a hater. (Evil wins because of our silence.) 4. Need for moral approval. In Genesis 19 Lot knew the city was dangerous, and he knew the culture he lived in. (It is the same spirit as the LGBT.) He compromised by offering to give his daughters to the evil men. The men accused Lot of acting like a judge, which the present day agenda does, too. If you do not participate with them, they assert pressure on you, which is what the men did to Lot, when they wanted the men (angels) who were staying at Lot’s home. In Lot’s case, the angels caused the evil men to become blinded. Guard yourself against what is sin. Do not wink at it. Peter recognized Jesus as the Messiah, and Jesus said that He would build the church on the revelation of who Jesus is (Matthew 16:16-19; 18:18-20). The keys of the kingdom are binding and loosing. When you use Jesus’ authority, the kingdom of God is established. A king reigns with words. The same spirit that Lot dealt with is the spirit in this nation. We must stand for righteousness. The amount of babies aborted is equal to all of the men, women, and children west of the Mississippi River and all of Italy! We must be salt and the light on the hill. Offering message: To prosper in your soul (3 John 2), yield to the Lord Jesus. We can have confidence to know that we have heard from the Lord. God loves an obedient heart. There were two testimonies of God’s prospering- one pay raise and one who led someone to salvation. Pastor Syd encouraged us to make a righteous choice for president.
The Authority of the Believer: What’s Our Purpose?
In Genesis 1:26-28 God told Adam, man, to have dominion. In Revelation 22:1-5 God speaks about the future, saying that we are to reign forever and ever. We are here to take dominion. Our purpose is to reign and take dominion, and worship to God is the fruit of our taking dominion. Revelation 5:9, 10 says that He has made us kings and priests to our God, and we shall reign on the earth. This is also stated in Revelation 1:6. Death reigned by Adam’s trespass, but we are to reign in life (now) through Jesus Christ. We are in training. We need to pay attention as to how we are to rule and reign. How does a king reign? He reigns with his words (Ecclesiastes 8:4; Job 22:21, 22, 26-28). He reigns by delegating authority (Luke 9:1-42). We see this in a policeman. His power is in the courts, the law, and his gun. His authority is because of his power. The kingdom of God is in us. It is where God is exercising authority and His will is being done. It is the coming of His kingdom that allows His will to be done. The disciples were to preach the kingdom of God. Jesus delegated His authority (Luke 10:20). We have been given authority over the enemy (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16). We restore divine favor, which is the ministry of reconciliation. We are authorized to take this message to others. Fill yourself with the Word. Expect what you speak to be fulfilled. A king reigns by his word, and we reign by preaching God’s Word and that the kingdom has come. (There was explanation concerning last week’s service, finances, and prayer needs in the CWI body.)
Tithes and Offerings
This service was orchestrated by the Holy Spirit. The Word benefits us only when we hear and do what it says. We are to give God our best. The tithes, the first tenth, belong to Him. What we give beyond that is an offering (Malachi 3:8-12). Second Corinthians 8:9 is in the context of giving an offering. You cannot sow your tithe, because that belongs to God (2 Corinthians 9:6-15). You sow when you give what belongs to you. Our needs are met by our giving. Pastor Syd shared how the Lord blessed him and his family in multiplication when he was obedient to sow the only money he had, which was four dollars. Larry Hostetter gave a word that we make God too small. We prayed for those who need miracles in their lives. An offering was taken to bless Pastor Syd and Jen. Karen Burrows shared a testimony of how the Lord provided for her to go to Andrew Wommack’s pastors’ conference when she was obedient to sow her $192 in coins. There was ministry to those people who need jobs.