John 14:15-20. If we keep God’s commandments, we love Him and Jesus will love us and reveal/manifest Himself to us. Jesus is in me and I am in Him. Don’t separate yourself from God. You have His righteousness. When you obey His commands is to have more of Him. Acts 1:8 says that the disciples would receive power after the Holy Spirit came upon them. Then they would be His witnesses. Acts 1:15 says that they were praying. Church is more than what happens in these four walls. The function is what is happening outside these walls. Acts 2 is about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. He came upon them so they would receive power. When you receive Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes in you. When He comes upon you, it is for power. When the church gathers together, we worship and get equipped to go out to the battlefield. Live dangerously and He will keep you safe and secure. Even after the disciples were imprisoned, they went back preaching. They were empowered by the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:18-20 (The Great Commission). All authority was given to Jesus. He told us to go and make disciples of all nations. This includes training in the work of the body and expanding and growing the body. Go out and put into practice what you learn. Prepare the ground with prayer. Mark 16:14-20. If you’re not “fishing” for Jesus, you’re not following Him. Everything I need is in this Word. We can obey the Word. We are equipped in boldness. We can go in faith. Father, let Your Spirit be bold in me. Signs will follow those who believe. Operate in His name always. Luke 10:18-20 (snakes, poison). The disciples went out and preached and signs followed them. In following His commands, you are qualified for His protection.
More of Him: The Church Outside of These Walls
The Church Outside of These Walls
Offering message: Love compels you to give. God gave His very best. Why do you give? Godly love has to give. God wanted a people to give to and to love. Luke 6:38 (Give and it shall be given to you. With whatever measure you give, you shall be given.) We have to be good givers and receivers. Just say, “Thank you”, when someone gives you something. Loving means trusting. 2 Corinthians 9:6-12 (As every man purposes in his heart.) Give to God. Receive from the Lord. Sermon: Ephesians 4:1-16. Grace was given to each one according to the measure of the Messiah’s gift. The five-fold ministry is to train and equip in the work of the ministry, to build up the body of Christ. There should be unity of the faith and the knowledge of God’s Son. Matthew 28:18-20 (The Great Commission). All authority was given to Jesus. He told us to go and make disciples of all nations. This includes training in the work of the body and expanding and growing the body. Go out and put into practice what you learn. Prepare the ground with prayer. Mark 16:14-20 tells us to go and act as an agent on Christ’s behalf, laying hands on the sick, casting out demons. This is what we are to do in the world. Unbelief is not believing in the face of evidence. James 5:13-18 is written to the church; what to do when someone is sick, when you pray. Church has to be happening outside these four walls. Are you listening to the Lord? All of us are commanded to make disciples and to lay hands on the sick. Be looking to be used. Church is about proclaiming the Good News.
Go
After three years, Jesus told His disciples to go. Matthew 10:7 says to go and preach. In America we must go inside our country as well as outside. Preach the Word to the ones who will hear it. When you send people out to other countries, be praying here. Reach the world by prayer. Luke 24:49. Pray daily. Give your life to your church. You’re the light here. Find the lost Christians and youth. The Holy Spirit lives in us. The speaker shared how he died and went to hell. He was tied down in six places. The next day was his burial, but then he saw a lot of shiny things in heaven. He didn’t want to go back to his stinky dead body. Acts 1:8 tells us the power is from above, and we are to go to our Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria and the ends of the earth. We need to be short-term missionaries, so we can see how to pray for the people. God gave him a vision to write a book. He was to build houses, such as prayer houses, a training center, Bible School, and guest houses. Prayer is the key for everything and everyone. Acts 5 and Acts 19 tell of the divine power that is available for us. Do people get healed by being around us or touching our shadow or clothing? Find God’s divine power. Let Him help you. We all are witnesses. Jesus loves you. Be a Bible for others.
My Testimony of the Goodness of the Lord
Pastor Demeke shared the testimony of his life before Christ and after Christ. Psalm 31:21. His father died when he was three years old, and he lived with his mother and three siblings. A communist military government that took over his country captured and tortured young students who were against their government. Demeke told of the torture and imprisonment for fourteen months that he and others endured. After being transferred to another prison, he was released and went home. He went to high school and college. He and some friends escaped to a neighboring Muslim country, going through a desert to get there. He attempted to commit suicide several times, not knowing why he was alive. He started drinking and doing drugs UNTIL one night when a voice came into his spirit to follow Jesus. The voice came again and again. He kneeled down and tried to pray. He saw the suffering Jesus on the cross looking directly at him. He wept and screamed, because Jesus’ love came into his heart. He kneeled for hours on the concrete floor. He understood that Jesus took his punishment. HIS NEW LIFE BEGAN. He had extreme peace and joy! His old habits were gone! He was thirsty and hungry for the Word, but it was hard to find a Bible. God started training and protecting him. God sent a backslidden Christian to pray with him. He saw that God was his provider. Psalm 37:25 says that He does not forsake the righteous. God opened a door for him to be a cook at the American Embassy. The Lord told him to give his paycheck to Him, all of it, which he obeyed. He told of how the Lord miraculously multiplied spaghetti for them. GOD IS THE PROVIDER! Revival broke out from that land. They prayed and fasted and the Holy Spirit came in where they were meeting. It literally rained in the room, and they were filled with and prayed in the Holy Spirit. Young people were attracted to them, but there was persecution. No Christian church was allowed, so they had to meet underground. GOD IS OUR PROTECTOR! Psalm 34:7. They were threatened to be deported. They prayed until the process was over. The officials came, but they never touched them! Then God spoke the impossible. He told them to get out of the country. God told them to go to the Ethiopian Embassy. Even though that wasn’t possible, he obeyed. Whereas others waited months to get in, the gatekeeper let him come right in. He had favor at another door and was told to come back with a photo ID. When he did, he got his passport. He and his later-to-be-wife prayed. He was to get his vaccination, but the Lord also told him to go to the post office. When he went there, there were two envelopes with money for him. God provides! He was able to get a Visa to go to Kenya (more provision), and a miracle happened there, which he didn’t tell about. He married Waguyu. God told him they would have three children and what their names were to be. He told him to go to the American Embassy, and there more favor was given, allowing them to come to the United States. Luke 1:71; Psalm 107:7; Psalm 107:29. God saves us from our enemies, guides us by His Holy Spirit, and takes us to the desired place. Don’t doubt Jesus. He is the real deal.
A Second Time
Text: Genesis 22:12-18. In Genesis 22:15 the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven. The Lord is speaking to you a second time. Samson turned to the Lord a second time, asking Him to remember him a second time. Something is moving from heaven in this place a second time, the anointing a second time. It is party time when you come back to the Lord. The Spirit of the Lord wants to blow on you a second time. When did God come to Abraham a second time? It was when he was going to sacrifice Isaac. He left his servants behind. God wants us to leave something at the bottom of the hill. If goodness and mercy are to follow you, you need to leave something behind. God will provide. The second time visit will be different. The Angel of the Lord first said for Abraham to not lay a hand on Isaac, because He would provide. He is coming back to you with double portion provision. The second time blessing is for future generations. Multiplying I will bless you and your descendants, because you have done these things and have not withheld your son. Your children will be many. Pastor Israel told of a time that four hungry, tired pastors came to his family’s home at dinner time. They fed them first, leaving very little for Israel’s family. His mother prayed for multiplication of the food, and all of the family ate and had plenty. It was multiplied because she first honored and fed the guests. God says, “I want to bless you because you did this.” Keep doing the good work. It’s time to reap because you have done this. Isaac dug a well, and there was water there. He dug more wells, and there was water there, too. He sowed in famine time, and then he was blessed. What are you doing in the church? He will come a second time with a reward for what you have done here. Do you want a second blessing?
Where Are You
(There was a word of encouragement.) Pastor Israel Jebaraj from India spoke on “Where Are You?” Genesis 3:9 says that God asked Adam where he was. God has a garden for you to take care of: your spouse, your children, and your church. You need to have dominion in your garden. There is a garden for everyone. God comes to your garden to have fellowship with you. Where are you? Are you in your garden today where God wants you to be? Adam and Eve hid from God. The world knows where God is moving. You need to be in the place where God is moving. He wants you to go from glory to glory. In Genesis 3:11 God asks Adam, “Who told you …?” To whom are you listening? Who told you that can’t do this or that? Be hearers and doers of the Word. What are you doing, and to whom are you listening? Elimelech moved from Bethlehem because of a famine (Ruth 1:1), but then he died, leaving his wife, Naomi, and two sons. Question: Are you moved by circumstances or by God? Ruth, one of Naomi’s daughters-in-law, said she would go wherever Naomi went. We need to be where God wants us to be. Be rooted and faithful in your garden. When she went back to Bethlehem with Naomi, she found favor. When you go back to where you are to be, there will be favor. Never give up. Get back on track. When we obey God, He will take us to places we never would have imagined. There is a place, a garden for you. Be there or come back there. Ask yourself: Am I in the perfect will and plan of God? The Lord will guide you to a place. Samuel heard a voice and thought it was Eli’s, but Eli told him to go back to his place. Don’t miss God by not being in your place. Pastor Israel told of sleeping on a concrete park bench with his ministry team. They were very tired from ministering for four days. In the night the Lord woke him up and told him to praise Him and to preach. He woke the others up, and they praised God and he preached. After he was finished, a man came who told him that he was going to commit suicide, but the Lord touched him through Israel’s obedience, and the man was restored to his family and is a believer serving in the church. Go back to your place, your garden. Who told you that you can’t …? Where are you? Are you listening to God? We are to have dominion over the things He planted in you. Like the Good Samaritan, He is coming back for us. Be in the “inn”, the church He planted you in. When He comes back, where will you be? (There was a word that went along with the sermon and was meant to deliver life to someone.)
Word given by Larry Hostetter:
Oh My children, you are so precious in My sight. If you only knew how much I love you. If you could only grasp a little bit of that love that I have for you, of the giftings that I have given you. They are there. They are free, but you have to reach out and take them. You have to trust in Me. You have to walk in the anointing. That power and anointing are way beyond what you can understand, that power and that love, for I sent My only and begotten Son for you. He was willing to come. He was willing to lay down His life for you, everyone one of you, a whosoever. He did it willingly. He rose again, and He now sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty, interceding for each one of you. Remember, His prayers are with you. His prayers are for you. He wants the best for you. He gave His all for you, so now live for Him. Love Him. Love others. Give your life for others, for He did for you, remember that. He did it for you. So walk in His grace and His love. Walk in His power and His anointing, because in you the manifestation of Jesus Christ lives. Wherever you go, He goes. Don’t forget that. He has a love manifested in your life and heart, but it’s there to give away. It’s there to give away, so give it away, My children. Give it away.
Word given by Kevin Burrows:
Kevin Burrows:
Rise above it. When the accusations get louder, rise above it. Come to My secret place. Rise above it all. Let the junk of this world be drowned out by My voice. It’s time to let My voice drown out others’. You spent years, a lifetime, listening to others’ voices above Mine. It’s time to rise up, dust off, and to walk away from the counsel of the past. Seek My counsel. Every one of you, seek My counsel now, because My counsel does not rot. It’s not bitter, but it speaks the truth 100% of the time, the whole truth. It speaks life. Even while My voice goes forth, it imparts life. For many, My counsel will bring immediate healing, both physical and emotional. Others will bring protection and take you to faraway places. Where are My people who are called by My name? Where are you? Where are the ones who will stand up now and hear My voice? You can no longer get what you need from the voices of your leaders. Their voices have been scattered and mixed, but you must turn to Me individually, Me, God! You must turn to Me now.
So rise up and hear My voice of truth. Incline your ears to My written and loud counsel. I will no longer be quiet to you, but I will speak loud and bold.
Safe and Secure – Oct 12
Safe and Secure – Protection Promises
Offering message: God so loved you, He have His only begotten Son, so that you would be in the family of God. Try to outgive God. God wants us prosperous (3 John 2). Why does God want you to be prosperous? 1) (Deuteronomy 8:18) He gives you power to get wealth so that you will establish the Kingdom and covenant of God on earth. 2) (Ephesians 4:28) We work with our hands so that we may have to give to others in need. Jesus was wealthy. He had a treasurer. He was a giver and blesser. When we are blessed with our needs being met, then we meet the needs for others (Philippians 4:19). Be anxious for nothing. Ask God for more so that you can bless others. Sermon message: God make me live securely (Psalm 4:8). The Lord shall preserve you (Psalm 112). Psalm 91 says that if you live under the protection of the Most High, you will dwell in the shadow of the Almighty. The three parts to living safely and securely are: (1) I willsay of the Lord that it is Him in whom I will trust. (Psalm 91:2) (2) Trust in the Lord. What do you trust in? Is it your job, money, gun, ability, preparedness? It is okay to be prepared, but do not trust in that (Psalm 120:7; 60:11-12). Samson could kill the lion easily because the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. (3) I will not fear (Psalm 91:5). You control whether you will yield to fear. You will be tempted to fear. I will fear no evil in the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23:4). What is God’s part of keeping you safe and secure? He covers you with His feathers. The enemy is setting traps for you. You do not have to walk into the trap if you listen to the Spirit of God (Psalm 91:3). He knows how to protect you. GOD IS GOOD. THE DEVIL IS BAD. Take authority over what the devil is doing to you. Is everything that happens God’s will? We are to know the will of God. God did not give you sickness or disease. Pastor Syd related an experience in hearing the Spirit of the Lord. He was helping someone build a house. One morning the Holy Spirit warned him, “Watch where you step, or you’ll be crushed.” He needed to help loading logs for the crane operator. He was reminded about what the Lord told him and stepped away from where he was standing. The logs broke loose and fell right where Pastor Syd had been standing. When the enemy has a plan of destruction, the Holy Spirit will warn you. Satan will say things to you to get you into fear. Does what you hear inspire fear or unrest? Are you covered and in the secret place (Psalm 91:4)? Jesus lamented because the people of Jerusalem were not covered, so He could not protect them (Matthew 23:37-39). We are to be alert because our adversary (the devil) prowls seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). (1) Satan roars to inspire fear, giving him access to the person. (2) He has to seek for you, because he cannot find you, unless you open the door through fear. (3) He is looking for someone he may devour. He does not have the power and authority to devour you. James 5:7 says to submit to God, rebuke the devil, and he must flee. What might look like God’s judgment is really the result of people being uncovered, without God’s protection. If there is judgment, God desires to delay it (Luke 13:1-8). Prayer can delay judgment. The prayers of others can spare a person’s life and judgment. Your part for others is to be praying. Pastor Syd read the rest of Psalm 91.
Safe and Secure
Karen Burrows: God gives us so much including eternal life. Our response to Him should be worship with thanksgiving and in giving. God created us to worship. Sermon: Use the news as prayer requests. Pray and trust the Lord and declare that those evil things that are happening may not enter your house in the name of Jesus. Learn to know when the Holy Spirit is alerting you to pray. It may mean safety and protection for someone. 2 Timothy 3:1, 10-11 says that there will be perilous, fierce times in the last days. God delivered Paul out of them all in his day. Deuteronomy 28:1-14 tells of the blessings of the Lord under the law, if you faithfully obey His voice. Deuteronomy 28:15-61 expounds on the curses if you do not obey His voice. Every plague is part of the curse. Poverty is part of the curse. We are not under the law because Jesus redeemed us from the curse, having been made a curse for us (Galatians 3:13). Jesus took the curse for us! You can walk in divine health. Believe you have been redeemed. Psalm 4:8 tells us that we can lie down and sleep in peace for God makes you dwell in safety. Psalm 91 applies to those who dwell, live, sit, and abide under the protection of the Most High God. It is important what you say. Say, “In my God I will trust!” Because I said that with authority, He will deliver me from the hidden dangers. Be willing to take refuge under His wings, just like a chicken protecting her peeps from a hawk. Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling. He will protect, and He will save, even in these perilous times.
How to Be a Man or Woman of God in an Ungodly World – part 3
In Acts 19 Paul found men to be men of God in Ephesians. Ephesus was shaken for two years as a result of those men. Preach the gospel of the kingdom. What is God planning to do in the kingdom? Let’s let God do what He wants to do. We need the bold strength of men. Only fear God. Open yourself and let God be God. The book Rocky wrote,Jesus’ Return, came from one year of hearing God to prepare the church. We can let God’s kingdom be in each one of us. Some men are teachers. Some people are builders. It is about what God is doing in you. You need to do your part. Ezekiel and Isaiah said, “I need one man.” Get all the way in! Let God be strong again. Do what He tells you to do. Here’s my heart, Lord. Churches and lives are about ministering to the Lord. Soul and flesh need to be touched and cleansed. God wants to touch that part of you that you like in your flesh. Bring the fight to the enemy. Let God do what He wants to do. (Rocky tells about God telling him to go to Newtown, Connecticut before the Newtown shootings.)
How to Be a Man or Woman of God in an Ungodly World – part 2
The Word is able to pierce down to the center of your being. It is able to change you from the inside out. The Word is something we have to give our time to so it can penetrate into your soul (Hebrews 4:12). God wants us to know our heart so we can know His heart. We must make room for God in our heart. The Word will let you know what the intents are of your heart. If you reflect on the Word, it is like a mirror that reflects back to you who you are and who God wants you to be. Then you can discern what is of you and what is of God. There has been a long season of dryness spiritually in our country. We have to watch that we are not dry because we are in a dry season. God is going to rain on the church again, but He is asking, “Who wants to be ready?” We are walking in the shadow of the Almighty. We are not from here. Do not mistake your conditions for God’s intentions. Give the Word place in your hearts to move deep inside you. Bring a heart of humility to the Lord. I need You. Let Him and make you “wet” on the inside, so you can help bring rain on the outside to those who are needy. The “mother” of forty parables (pictures of the kingdom) is the parable of the sower and seed. God is in charge. He knows what He is doing. Do we want to know? God sows the Word. God wants to make something out of you and out of the church. First of all, you have to be kingdom-minded. Jesus said the kingdom is at hand. John the Baptist came to prepare people for the coming of the kingdom. Where he was, was in the wilderness. It was a journey to get there. That is what it is like sometimes: you have to go through some things that make you think that it cannot be the kingdom. Sometimes we get into dry spells, and we ask if God is there. Is this religion or reality? Many of us have not seen God radically come to His church and do a work that the world cannot overlook. The seed is in the ground and needs to be grounded. God is working underground. There is a process of the seed-shell to be broken. You need to willingly go. God wants to use you to be something you cannot believe God would use you to do. Let God be God, but some of that process is underground. We are going to bring the war to the terrorists. When the church rises up, it shifts things in the Spirit. The spirit-realm activates what is planted in the ground and says, “Come alive!” The process of what is happening in you will start to work through you. The Word of God penetrates. God knows how to save the world today. He knows how to make the church ready and different. God is the only One who can make you radical. In 1 Timothy 6:11-12 Paul called Timothy, who he was training, “O man of God”. He told him to fight the good fight of faith. We, too, are to lay hold on eternal life. You are called. Many are called, but few are chosen. God wants you to be chosen. You are called to be conformed to His image. We are to enforce the victory that God has won. To get to the end God wants, we have to go through growth. We have to want God. In 2 Timothy 3, Paul again says, “Man of God”. He again told him to fight the good fight of faith. Do not neglect the gift, but stir up the gift. We have neglected some things. Repent and move on past those neglected things. Let the fire of God fall on you. Let the Word have free course through you and this church that men may recognize that God is true. (He prophesied that there is a revival work underground, but it is coming up.) (Rocky shared a dream from the early 2000s. God is seeking out the church in the last day. (There was a word of encouragement about using the gifts God has given each one, followed by the ministry to those who want God’s gifts in them released.) Learn to recognize patterns of what God is doing.
Word given on September 27, 2014 by Larry Hostetter after Rocky Veach preached on “How to Be a Man or Woman of God in an Ungodly World”
You know, I created each one of you. Each one of you is special in My sight, and I put things deep down in your heart, and maybe you think, “I can’t do it! I don’t have the talents and abilities to do it! I’m afraid to do it! I may have the gift in me, but I’m afraid to step out and do it!”
I’m with you. Those giftings which I have placed within you are real. You have them all bottled-up in that seed, but I want to water it. I want to get rid of all the weeds. I want to get rid of everything that would hold you back to be what I want you to be, because those giftings I placed in you, even in your mother’s womb, and I planned them to bring life. I planned them to touch peoples’ lives, but if you don’t allow Me to water you, if you don’t step out in faith and trust in Me to be and do all I’ve called you to do, it’s never going to happen. It breaks My heart, because I created each one of you to be a part of My church, whether it’s to go to your next door neighbor, or it’s to witness at work. When you work in your job, you work for Me first. Oh, indeed you have bosses and indeed you better work properly and well, but I’ll tell you, if you’re working for Me, you’re going to be the best that you can be. That’s what I’ve called you to be. I want you to be the best you can be. This is a tough world, but it’s going to get tougher, and there is so much to do, so I’m asking you, let Me water you. Step out in faith. Take those weeds out of your life, because it’s your job. Those things that don’t belong in your life, I haven’t placed them there. The devil did and he’s out to kill, steal, and destroy, so weed your gardens. Weed your lives. Rid yourself of those things that don’t belong there, and grow in Me. Grow in My Word. Grow in My understanding, My revelation. I’ve given you the Holy Spirit to help you in that. He is so real. You need to learn to hear Him, and then you need to learn to be obedient. He’s your best friend. How do you those voices? By the Word of God. The devil whispers in your ears, but you need to know the Word of God. You need to place it in your heart. Then you listen to that voice, that still small voice, and the more you hear it, the more you train your ears by the Word of God, the more you’ll know His voice, and the easier it is to obey. So I’m calling you. Weed your gardens. Get in those showers of blessings, and break open that seed. Break it open so that He can use you. He wants to use you. The Lord wants to use you.
So be faithful, My children. Be faithful because I love you. I died for you, and I have plans for you. Every one of you.
How to Be a Man or Woman of God in an Ungodly World – part 1
Rocky Veach: [God wants you to do what He wants you to do, spirit, soul, and body. Our heart can let in things from the soul or the Spirit. The Word is what determines whether it comes from the soul or the Spirit. Ask God, “What do You want me to be?” What do You want this church to be? The soul needs to be transformed. It is hard to control what your heart wants. Get quiet and see what is in your heart. When we have been disobedient, it accumulates. We need to awaken to God and let God do what He wants to do. To be a man or woman of God we need to associate closely with Him. Today will require more of your heart. God’s plan is waiting for you. Use the S-L-A-N-T reminder: Sit up in life, saying, “I’m here.” Listen to God.Ask questions. Nod yes. Track with your eyes. A Christian is a follower of Jesus. Look for key people in your life. God wants you to talk to others about Jesus.] In 2 Kings 1, after Israel’s evil king, Ahab, died, Ahaziah became king. He fell and was injured, so he sent messengers to inquire of the god of Ekron whether he would die. The angel of the Lord told Elijah the prophet to intercept the messengers. He was to ask them if there is no God in Israel that they are inquiring of the god of Ekron and to tell them that the king was going to die. The king sent fifty men to get Elijah to come back with them to him. They called Elijah, “Man of God”. Elijah said that if he is a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume the captain and his fifty men. God did, because they were mocking Him. Two more times the king sent fifty men with the same result to the second group, but the captain of the third group pleaded with Elijah to go to the king. God told him that he was to do so and not be afraid. He went to the king, and the king died. Being a man of God is a serious thing. It means you are in strong association with God. Be established in the Lord, and do not let church and Christianity become common. The five-fold ministers train the saints. Apostles build things. The prophet says, “Thus says the Lord.” How do we treat a man of God or the concept of God? We cry out, “Let my life and the lives of these servants be precious in Your sight”. How far do you want to go with God? Let God reveal what He wants to do in you. Intercessors are needed to stand relentlessly in the gap and to make hedges. It has to come from within you. David worshiped God. God is inside you. The most important thing is the call of God.
The Mother of Jesus Was There
“The Mother of Jesus Was There”
Text: John 2:1-12. On the third day of a wedding celebration Mary was there as an invited guest, along with Jesus and His disciples. Mary was the first one mentioned. The third day was a resurrection day. Ask yourself why you are here at CWI. Without an answer you cannot be a blessing. We have to find our purpose. Adam was in the Garden of Eden to protect it and to be fruitful and to multiply. He had a job to do. We are to contribute to the kingdom of God. Mary was a game-changer at the wedding celebration. She was ready to be used by God to make changes. Weddings in this culture lasted seven days, and it was a shame and unheard of to run out of wine and water on the second day. When there is nothing in the natural, look to the supernatural, because there is no lack there. #1) God used Mary, not because she was the mother of Jesus, but because she was available. She gave herself as a living sacrifice to the Lord. We must be available and willing. God is always looking for someone to stand in the gap. (Ezekiel22:30; Isaiah 6:8) #2) She was used by God because she took their problem as her own. Jesus was moved with compassion. Missionaries must take other people’s problems as their own to go to hard places. Pastor Dale is a game-changer because he has compassion for the Ukrainians. Ezekiel sat where the captives sat for seven days to feel what they felt (Ezekiel 3:15). We cannot serve people if we do not feel their pain. #3) She sought Jesus for the solution. The answer is in Jesus, and He should be the solution to all of our problems. Go to Him first. (Psalm 121:1-2) God is our help. Come to Him, and He will give you rest. The throne of grace is a place of rest between heaven and earth. Sit in heavenly places before walking. #4) She acted by faith. She believed that the wedding would continue to the seventh day. She was sure of a miracle. Jesus’ response to asking why she would involve Him was because He was not in the realm of time. He was the beginning and the end. She said the servants were to do whatever He said. Pastor Demeke shared about his niece who was told by three doctors that she had breast cancer. She declared that God would heal her. She recently was given a test, and there is no cancer there, praise the Lord! Faith works! This is the third day for CWI. It is a time of resurrection and restoration. God is stepping in. A new chapter is starting. Step in and drink the new wine.
Sword of the Spirit – Praying – part 2
(Apostle Dale shared about some things happening in Russia and Ukraine.) Romans 8:26states that the Spirit makes intercession for us. Your prayers pave the road you walk on and put signs on the road of your life. Have a prayer life and follow the Holy Spirit to guide you. Jude 20-21 tells us to build ourselves up in faith by praying in the Holy Spirit. We build ourselves up, but it is in God’s strength, not our own (Ephesians 6:10-18). Realize that you cannot do it and rely on His strength. The battle is the Lord’s, and the victory is ours. Even if you are struggling in your life, God is still Lord. It is a finished work. You are expected to defeat the enemy and your problems, not to be afraid of them. Pray in tongues and pray the Scriptures. The only part of the armor (Ephesians 6) that is offensive and brings external changes is the sword of the Spirit prayed (the Scripture prayed). Apostle Dale shares about a man who fell a couple stories and broke his back. When Apostle Dale yelled at the man screaming in pain to speak out a Scripture, he started quoting the 23rd Psalm. After a confrontation three times with the doctor, the man started repenting to his wife. He was admitted on Saturday with a broken back and went home on Monday without a broken back! Praise God! THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT IS THE SCRIPTURE YOU SPEAK AND PRAY!
Sword of the Spirit: Praying
Ephesians 6:10-19 tells us to be strong in the Lord and in the power of Hismight. The weakest person can be as strong as God is, but apart from Him, we can do nothing. Do not be afraid of the weak and hard times. Enemies are meant for you to defeat in the strength of the Lord. Who would David have been without a Goliath? Teach your enemies a lesson. When you cannot make it, He can. The devil is evil and tricky. God and the devil NEVER agree. God will bring good things around, but He does not cause the bad. Be a person who looks for good. Put on the armor of God so that you can stand against the tricks and strategies of the devil. Do not wrestle against people, but leave the door open for them to come to you after they repent. Dealing with principalities and power in prayer and spiritual warfare is dealing on a higher level than with earthly authorities. Stand against the devil, so you can withstand in the evil day. Standing is warning the devil, “You will NOT take this away!” Do not chase after what Jesus already purchased, but just stand in it. The devil is defeated, so we do not have to wrestle with him. When we stand girded and equipped, we have the sword of the Spirit, praying always with all prayer and supplication. The two-edged sword coming out of His mouth is the Word of God prayed. The Scripture can be applied to your life. Apostle Dale tells of the Spirit using Scripture that he had in him to pray for their son, Ethen. He also shared about the Spirit waking him up at 3 AM to pray Psalm 75. He later found out that that was when Pastor Demidovich had been captured and later released. Pray in the Spirit and let the Spirit lead you to Scriptures to pray. Obey the voice of the Lord (Deuteronomy 28:1). Let the Spirit tell you what to do, and if you obey Him, He will set you high above the nations of the world. If the voice you hear tells you to do anything that violates His commandments, it is not God’s voice you are hearing! (Apostle Dale also shared about upcoming personal changes.) Other Scriptures: Psalm 2:1-8; Acts 4:23-31.
Sept 7, 2014
You Are Not Who You Use To Be
Offering message by Karen Burrows: God wants us to prosper (3 John 2) – spirit, soul, body, family, finances. Decide to agree with what He says about you (Joshua 1:8). Hear and do what He says. Giving is a principle of prospering. God increases and multiplies (2 Corinthians 9:6-11). Sermon: Lucifer (the devil, Satan) could not be like God (Isaiah14:12). He was a worshiper of God, but he brought sin into the earth (Ezekiel 28:12). He is a liar and a murderer (John 8:44). Satan is sin. God is love. Satan has no love in him. He is death. In Genesis 1:24-26, we see that God created everything according to its kind. When He created man, He made man after His image, according to their (God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit’s) likeness. Genesis 3:1-7 tells us that the serpent (the devil) was cunning, and Eve was not where she was supposed to be. When she and Adam sinned, love drained out of them. Sin and death came through one man (Romans 5:12) and has spread to all men. The ungodly are estranged in their spirit, go astray, and speak lies (Psalm 58:3). After they sinned, Adam and Eve hid, and God’s heart was broken. Their fellowship and covenant with God was broken, but they could have repented (Genesis 3:8-13). We did not fall into the pit of hell (Psalm 9:17) because Jesus went there for us. God told His people that He would give them a heart of flesh and would put His Spirit in them (Ezekiel 36:25). This is possible by covenant. The first covenant made was when God made tunics of skins and clothed Adam and Eve. Jonathan and David made a covenant, which was for future families. Their covenant was based on God. David showed kindness to Jonathan’s kin, Mephibosheth, because of his covenant (1 Samuel 18:1-4; 20:13-17, 42; 2 Samuel 9:1-8). Covenant representatives must be related. Jesus came as a man. Covenant-makers walked through a split animal, representing living for the other person. What is mine is yours and vice versa. We used to be crippled with sin and fear. Through the Word we were led to salvation. Covenant is the strength of our righteousness. We are at the table with the Father. Coming before the throne of God was sure death, but God sees the blood of Jesus on us. God made Jesus to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). (Josh read a revelation God gave him about the light of Jesus Christ.) Tell others your testimony. You are the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Believe you are love, and you are loved.
Overcoming Fear
[There was a word at the beginning of the sermon about whom will you serve.] Text: Mark 4:35-41. In this passage it mentions that there were other boats with Jesus. Maybe there was a lot of fear in those people in the other boats. Those people benefitted also when Jesus calmed the sea. Sometimes we can experience what someone else is going through, especially when we are helping that other person. Learn what to yield to and what to resist. The disciples were expecting to die. Jesus told us not to worry and that we should not say things about lack or loss (Matthew 6:25-31). We are to ask in faith, not in fear and doubt (James 1:5-6). Are you expecting hope or dread? Fear is contagious. In Luke 8 Jairus would have had reason to fear, especially when the report came that his daughter was dead, but he stayed in faith. Fear will stop your miracle. Do not be afraid but only believe. How can we not be in fear? The God of hope fills us with joy and peace in believing so that we may abound in hope (Romans15:13). He has promised us the victory (1 Corinthians 15:57-58). Trusting in man brings a snare, but we are safe if we are trusting in God (Proverbs 29:25). Do not be led by the fear of man. If God tells you to do something, do it! People are held as slaves by fear (Hebrews 2:15). Do not be afraid of death. The Lord is our light and our salvation, whom shall I fear? God will conceal me in the day of adversity. Wait on the Lord. Your assignment: Personalize Psalm 34 and declare it. [Kaytie Lueke shared a testimony about trusting God completely.]
It Is Time for a Visitation
LaVere Soper, a missionary and evangelist from Scotland, preached on the timeline of God’s visitations to the earth starting from 1184. Do we understand what is happening in the world? (Luke 12:56; Luke 19:41-44) The percentage of Christians has dropped compared to the population. God wants to use us now! Romans 13:11 says that our salvation is nearer than we first believed. God can give you a vision of what is going to happen. (Ephesians 5:15-17; Revelation 7:9-10) The revival is coming, and we need to be alert and self-controlled (1 Thessalonians 5:4-6). LaVere compared the number of churches to the number of unreached people groups. (Matthew 24:14; 2 Peter 3:11-12). For what is ahead of us, we must be strong and courageous. Four different times and with four different circumstances, we read that someone (and that includes us) needed to be strong, to be of good courage, not to fear, and not to be dismayed. In Joshua 1:1-9 God was speaking to Joshua. I Deuteronomy 31:1-8 Moses was speaking to Joshua. In 1 Chronicles 28:20 David was speaking to Solomon when he was turning the kingdom over to him. In 2 Chronicles 32:7 Hezekiah told his military captains to be strong and courageous, neither be afraid or dismayed. In Revelation 21:8 God said that cowards will go to the lake of fire. Are you willing to die for Jesus? An extremely high number of people are martyred every day for their faith. How can you be strong? It is a command. There are seven keys that make it possible to be bold, courageous, not fear, and not be dismayed. 1) Deuteronomy 31:6 tells us the Lord goes with us. 2) He does not leave or forsake us. 3) He goes before us. God has already finished the works He has for you to do. 4) Joshua 1:8 God is not a respecter of persons. 5) 2 Chronicles 32:7 says there are more with us than with the enemy. 6) 2 Chronicles 32:8 tells us that the Lord is with us to fight our battles. 7) 1 Chronicles 28:20 He will not leave until the job is finished. What are the reasons that we can be motivated? 1) We will inherit the promises of God (Deuteronomy 31:7). 2) No man shall be able to stand before us. (Joshua 1:5). 3) Obeying God prospers you wherever you go (Joshua 1:7). What are some practical things for you to do? 1) Seek God (2 Chronicles 15:2-15. 2) Be loyal to God (2 Chronicles 16:9). 3) Hear and received words and prophecies of God. Get fear out of your mind and soul by filling your mind with faith. The more faith you put into yourself, the less room there is for fear. [Communion was served.]
Overcoming Fear: Resting in His Word- Aug 24
Psalm 91 belongs to us and tells us that we do not need to fear any evil. The first person mentioned having his part in the lake of fire in verse 8 of Revelation 21 is the coward (Revelation 21:6-8). The other sins named are based on fear. Ask yourself what you are expecting? Are you in fear or in faith? A spirit of fear will grow on you if you yield to it. Fear is a spirit. We are a spirit. The spirit of faith is not knowledge. We are to operate in it. The Spirit of Christ is the spirit of faith. What do we do with fear? #1) We resist it. #2) We replace it with the Word of God. Fear is so pervasive that it can become a basis of what we do. Ask God to show you where you have been operating in a spirit of fear. Root out fear! It is our responsibility to walk in faith. Rest, taking hold of His Word and promises.