Text: Philippians 4:6-8. How can the peace of God keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus? God is interested in you, spirit, soul, and body. Your physical body affects your mind and that affects your spirit. Your thought-life has a bearing on your spiritual life. The peace of God comes after you think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. You can filter the thoughts that you are meditating on. What is the priority in your thoughts? Is it going to benefit you? Apply the filter of Philippians 4:6-8 to what you are thinking. What is the pattern in your thought-life? If that pattern is negative, cut it out! Write down what you think about before you go to bed, and then write down what you think about when you wake up. Those are the thoughts you are meditating on. You can wake up with thoughts of peace, joy, holiness, victory, and prosperity. How? Your mouth controls what you think. Think on what is true, honest… In 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 we are told to cast down imaginations and to bring into captivity every thought. Your thinking is not your identity; it’s an activity. Your filter is: #1 What is the priority in my thought-life? What is important for me to be thinking on now? The Word should be your importance. What does it say about my thoughts? #2 What is my focus? You can’t stop thinking about something by not thinking about it. You need to replace it with another positive thought- the Word of God. Focus with your mouth by speaking it aloud. #3 See what your patterns of thinking are. How do I interpret what I see? Tear down imaginations and strongholds in your life and think the Word and victory.
Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind
Faith – The Word of God is Alive
Texts: Psalm 107:20; John 6:63; Hebrews 4:12, 1, 2. The Spirit gives life, and the words that God speaks to us are life. His Word is living, active, powerful, and sharp. The Word of God gets into the heart of man and divides spirit and soul. You can find out who you are based on the Word of God. If you try to figure out your past, you will not live up to the glory of your future. Speaking the Word to people can change their lives. (Listen as Pastor Dale shares various testimonies of this truth.) You do not want to miss one promise God has for you. The Word has to be mixed with faith. God is sovereign (all-powerful). You can be bold if you know you are right (Philippians 1:20-24), and if you’re wrong, be bold to change. Choose life. Mix faith with what you hear. Choose to live. Choose to prosper. Choose to have a good marriage. Choose not to fear. Mark 4:14-15 tells us that the Word is seed, and the devil comes to steal the Word right after you hear and receive it. Why? He does not want you to get truth, because the Word is your answer. Endure and do not let go of your faith. The Gospel should benefit you.
No Condemnation
Text: Romans 12:1, 2.One time when Pastor Dale was in Russia, he prayed for a woman whose leg was gangrenous. He didn’t know it at the time, but she was going to have it amputated the next day. When he laid hands on her, he didn’t feel anything, but the next day her leg was as normal as the other one. Last night there weren’t many people here, but God healed people. God set us up with intent. Sometimes we need to be away from unbelief. Some things you need to flee, such as sexual sin, and some things you need to resist. Sometimes Jesus cleared a room from unbelief. There is something about corporate faith. You need to realize you are a believer. Present yourself before God. Get rid of the spectator mentality because of condemnation. You are a Christian, a devil-defying participator. We do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Condemnation needs to be dealt with in the minds of people, because it makes people feel that God is against them. If you have a mindset of condemnation, you can’t hear what God is saying. While he was in Russia, a pastor stole his church (in PA) from him. He was convicted by the Spirit’s telling him that no one can steal what you give. Teri confirmed what the Lord told Pastor Dale. When they met with the other pastor, that man became angrier and angrier, and he didn’t even hear Pastor Dale say that he was giving him the church. It wasn’t until his wife told him to shut up and that he was giving the church to him that his countenance changed. Condemnation puts you in a negative view, and you’ll judge everyone else negatively. Second Corinthians 5:19-21 says that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. We are ambassadors for Christ and should be reconciled to God. For He made Jesus to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. He has committed to us the ministry of reconciliation. God is not imputing our trespasses against us. If you have a negative view, you won’t hear the Word. His grace is sufficient for you. Men died for that grace. A negative attitude toward yourself brings defeat. Get into the Spirit. We do not war according to the flesh. The weapons of our warfare are mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3-6). Don’t try to war by using your flesh. The first stronghold you need to pull down is condemnation. How do you cast down strongholds? You replace the stronghold with a Word thought and then erect the foundations of righteousness.
Faith – Values and Priorities
Hebrews 11:1-6. When you value spiritual things and the Word of God, your priorities will line up. Faith becomes easier when you value the things of God. Faith and understanding are two separate things. Faith is a spiritual process, not an intellectual one like understanding. Believing (faith) is in your heart and probably won’t make sense. The visible has its origins in the invisible. Truth always trumps facts, and what is spiritual overrides the natural. It is impossible to please God without faith, and we must believe that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. We believe in His presence even more than His existence. In Mark 5:25-27 the woman with the issue of blood risked her life to go to Jesus for healing, based on what she heard about Him. That’s where her faith came from, and hearing the Word is where our faith comes from, too. It comes from communing with the Living Word. What she heard brought her to action and changed her. IF FAITH DOESN’T BRING YOU TO ACTION, IT IS NOT FAITH AT ALL. The woman had no other options. WHEN YOU PUT VALUE IN THE RIGHT PLACE, IT WILL CHANGE YOUR PRIORITIES, AND THEY WILL LINE UP. Proverbs 2:1-5 tells us to seek and cry out for God. The awe-inspiring presence of God will give you the fear of the Lord. What is the fear of the Lord? It is putting the right value in the things of God above the things of life. Faith is not repeating words but is sitting with Jesus. Don’t let the issue of faith condemn you. Recognize faith in your life. There’s no difference in healing warts and cancer, except our fear. God is not afraid of cancer or any disease. Use the faith that you already have to come to Him, speak to the disease, or to respond to an altar call. FAITH WILL DRAW YOU TO GOD. God does not teach us with bad things. The woman with the issue of blood again risked her life when she fell at Jesus’ feet, telling Him the truth. You can stake your life on the Word of God.
Faith: The Greater One in You
(This was the first Sunday morning service at the Landisville Church.) Texts: 1 John 3:1-4; 4:1-4; 2 Corinthians 4:16). God loves us so much He calls us the children of God. People in the world can’t understand spiritual things until they are born-again. As we move farther away from the world and closer to a supernatural, spiritual life, supernatural things should become the norm. Revelation is a good thing: every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Jesus is Lord. When you see Jesus, He changes you. Learn to love people, especially other believers. You can know the Spirit of God, because every spirit that confesses that Jesus has come in the flesh is of God. He has come and does come in human flesh- that means in your flesh. False religions can’t believe that Jesus can come into our human flesh. The inward man is renewed daily. The Greater One lives in you. You are full of God. We don’t look at things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen. Speak the Word boldly.
Faith – Speak the Word
Text: Hebrews 11:1, 6. You can apply your faith to anything you do not see but which is promised in the Word. We should be like Jesus. That means that we should please God with our faith. In Mark 9:23 Jesus told the father of the child who had seizures: “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” In Matthew 9:29 Jesus told the blind men, “According to your faith let it be to you.” Where you are in life is a measure of your faith. We must speak the Word (Romans 10:8-17) and have it in our hearts. You were saved by speaking the Word after hearing the Word. You cannot make someone else receive salvation. You have to receive salvation (John 1:12). Your faith cannot rise above your knowledge of the Word. God loves everyone equally. Jesus healed all who came to Him. The faith that you used to get saved is the same faith that you can use to be healed. Faith does not come by miracles or praying or reading. It comes by hearing the Word of God. Have you run out of faith? You have to stir up your salvation. You cannot live off of thirty-year old steak or a thirty-year old experience. The Word in Romans 10:17 is “Rhema”, the spoken Word. You do not have a faith problem, but you have a “Word” problem. Get into the Word. The carnal mind is enmity with God, so if you are fighting a habit or a lust, double-up on your Word intake. Experiences of the past are not faith. Faith is now. Do not think that you would believe if you saw a miracle or an angel, because faith does not come that way. They cannot save people or give people faith.
Faith Is
Sermon message: Hebrews 11:1, 6. Faith is not in your brain but in your spirit. Faith comes by hearing the Word. You must speak your faith. Faith is obedience to the Word. In Luke 5:1-8 Jesus told Peter to let the nets down after a night of catching nothing. Because Peter obeyed Jesus, the fisherman caught an overabundance of fish. The Lord is speaking to you, telling you what to do. Listen to Him, because He has good things for you. In Joshua 1:6-9 God told Joshua to be strong and not afraid, and then he would make his way prosperous. God is with you wherever you go. In Jeremiah 1:12 God tells us that He performs His Word. Sometimes timing is an issue. In Genesis 28:12 Jacob saw the angels ascending and descending with the answers to prayers. In Number 13:2-23 God told the Israelites and leaders to be of good courage, but because ten of the spies did not believe God, they wandered in the wilderness for forty years. When you are in a problem, see and remember what God did for you before. (Frank told of several miraculous events in his and his father’s lives.) Speak and act on your faith and listen to the Spirit. We are living in the time of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ home town, the people did not receive miracles because they did not believe He was the Son of God. God will touch you and set you free. The communion part of the service held earlier is located after the sermon. Communion: 1 Corinthians 11:23-32. Examine and judge yourself, and if needed, repent and get right with God.
The Power of the Word: What Is Faith?
Texts: Luke 5:15-26; Hebrews 11:1-3. The people in Luke’s Scripture came to hear first and then to be healed. The power of God was there to heal, but the one who was healed was the one who showed his faith when his friends lowered him through a roof to reach Jesus. You can see faith, and it works. Jesus told the blind men, “According to your faith be it unto you.” Faith puts the priority on the living Word of God. Faith brings God into the now. Faith is the substance (reality) of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. You need hope for your healing or for your prosperity first, but do not confuse hope for faith. Make sure that you are not parroting what someone else has said when you are “confessing” or “professing” your faith. If you are wavering or in doubt, do not even think you will receive anything from the LORD (James 1:3-6). If you are in hope and not in faith, or your faith is wavering, get more Word in you (Romans 10:17). Faith is a measure of God’s faithfulness. We can be confident in Him and believe what we have heard God say. We can believe God’s report (Isaiah 53:1). Locate your faith. Am I in hope or in faith? Jesus is our High Priest (Hebrews 4:14). Hold fast to your profession of faith (Hebrews 10:23).
Being Transformed By What We Think
Offering message (Karen Burrows): Learn for the purpose of taking action. Think about what you are saying about your finances. Speak God’s Word and speak positively. Sermon: Our minds think in pictures. The dominant picture will direct your life. What are your dominant pictures? What are you looking at with your spiritual eyes? Elisha’s servant’s perspective changed when he saw the reality of God (2 Kings 6:8-20). Your perspective will change, too, if you change the picture in your mind. You can renew your mind through God’s Word (Romans 12:2). Transformation takes your involvement and allows us to know the will of God. Think about what you’re thinking about. To be conformed means being pressed, squeezed, and shaped into a mold. Allow God to conform you into His image. You decide what will form you by what you choose to think about. The angel called Gideon “a mighty man of God”, but that’s not how he saw himself. As soon as he accepted God’s word about himself, he became the mighty man of God. Think about what God thinks about you. A thought can be carnal or spiritual. What you think about, you will say and eventually do. Words are carriers of thoughts. Your thoughts are powerful. Wrong thinking about God leads you to deception. When you’re wrong but you think you’re right, you won’t change. Our problem is wrong thinking. To think like He thinks, you must be willing to change, and you must immerse yourself in the Word. To overcome, feed your spirit with the Word. What is on the inside needs to be addressed. Don’t treat only what’s happening on the outside. Find out the cause and let the Word put pressure on the inside. What you focus on is what you will see clearly and that’s where you’ll go. Ask yourself if what you’re thinking on is true, pure, noble, just. Speak the Word! Don’t talk about your problems. Our mistakes can be huge successes through Him. In the storm, think on these things. Take captive every thought and make it come into the obedience of Jesus Christ. Pray in line with the will of God. Stop yourself and ask, “What am I thinking about?” (Luke 8:35; 2 Timothy 1:7; 1 Corinthians 2; Philippians 4:4-7)
Thanksgiving Victory
Texts: 1 Cor. 15:57; 2 Cor. 2:14. Capacity is the largest number or amount that can be held. How do we increase our capacity? The answer is thankfulness. Thankfulness increases our capacity, and conversely, thanklessness decreases our capacity for victory. The Israelites grieved, tempted, provoked, limited, and didn’t remember God’s power (Ps. 78:40; Ps. 143:3-6). Grumbling opens the door to the devil. There are three steps to victory: #1 Believe the Word. Believe the promises. Recognize that His Word is the final Word. Everything must bow to Jesus. (Is. 55:11; 2 Cor. 1:20; Jer. 1:12; Luke 11:9-13) When the enemy comes, combat him with the Word. Submit to God, to the Word, and then the enemy must go. Christ is in you. Let Him have the right of way. (Rom. 4:20-21) #2 Rejoice at the promise. We can say and believe that we have the victory over anything that comes our way. Faith that believes that it receives can only rejoice. Just as children start thanking their dad when he says they are going for ice cream, so we can rejoice at our Father’s word. They don’t have the ice cream in their hands, but they believe that they will because of their dad’s promise. We have the promise of victory. All of the promises of God are in the face of the enemy. Refuse to get off the promise. #3 Tell someone about it. Tell about the LORD in your testimony. (Ps. 95:1-2)
How to Be Broken From Gravity and Reach Heaven
(A word was given after praise and worship.) There is spiritual gravitation. Before a plane can take off, there is preparation, such as acceleration and an increase of pressure under the small wings to bring lift to the plane. 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 says about turning from idols to serve God and to wait for His Son from heaven. Find your place where you can minister to God, and then wait for God. Waiting for God is like expecting and preparing for a guest. You do what you can to make it possible for him to come. You should be in expectation of heaven. There is a way to take off. We don’t know how long we will have to wait. Heaven is drawing us. Col. 3:1-4 reminds us to set our minds on things above. When Jesus appears, then we will appear with Him in glory. Our actions should keep in mind that one day we will be with God. Seek Him and keep your focus on heaven. Phil. 3:18-20 tells of people who think about earthly things, whereas our citizenship is in heaven. What are you thinking about when you first awake? What do you think about most of the time? Where is your heart? Look to heaven. The disciples thought Jesus was bringing an earthly kingdom and responded that way on the Mount of Transfiguration. When we meet with God and are filled with the Holy Spirit, we taste heaven. Jesus did everything for us to be able to take off. God increases the pressure “under our wings” so that we are pushed up. We don’t know how long our runway will be. Jesus will come for those who expect and have their focus on heaven. The Spirit and the Bride are calling us to come. We may have to suffer and pay a price, because earth pulls us down. Given thanks to God, stick together, and have fellowship with and help one another.
I Can’t Go With These
In 1 Samuel 17:38-40 Saul dressed David in armor that David couldn’t walk in. He told King Saul, “I can’t go with these.” Instead David took them off, got five stones and a sling. Sometimes we need to say, “I can’t go with these,” meaning we aren’t giving in to compromises. What does God say? What are you standing for? David said he would go in the name of the LORD. Be yourself, the way you were designed. When you draw a line, you have mercy and goodness with you. When you fall, get up. Don’t compromise. Are you ready to mark a line in your life? When things are going too far, say, “It’s enough!” It may not be easy, but God will help you, and you will see wonders and miracles. God is drawing a line in our lives. Are we ready to take it?
Take Your Words And Return To The Lord
Hosea 14:2 says to “Take words with you and return to the LORD”. What are your words? Return to the LORD, to your first love, to your commitment. Be where you are supposed to be. The prodigal son went away from the father, but after wasting his life, his words were, “I will go to my father’s house as a servant.” The father received him will celebration, blessing him with authority and peace. Come back to the Father. Spend time with Him. Your words carry the power of life and death. Take your praise and offerings to the LORD and experience a party in His house. The woman with the issue of blood used her words: “If I can but touch the hem of His garment, I will be made whole”, and she received her healing. At the beginning of this passage, it says, “A certain woman”, but after Jesus knew that power went out of Him, He called her, “Daughter”. When you touch God and release your faith, you receive. Jacob said to the angel of the LORD, “I won’t go until I get the blessing”. Samson missed it by being in the wrong place. He knew that God had given him vision, power, and strength for a purpose. After he missed it, his hair grew again, and he used his words to return to the LORD: “LORD, remember me one more time”, and he killed more Philistines in his death than in his life. The thief on the one side of Jesus took his words to the LORD, and Jesus told him that today he would be with Him in paradise. Take your words to the LORD. He restores you. Today.
Where’s Your Focus
Sydney shares during the offering. Dale than introduces the special guest. Ethan Armstrong – Texts: Matt. 6:22-24 and Heb. 12:1-3. Checking out the meaning of “light” and “eye” and “full of light” in Matthew’s text, Ethen gained the understanding that the light is the spirit of the person, the eye means focus, and to be full of light signifies the knowledge and power of God. Don’t let go of your focus on Jesus. If you do, it affects you and the whole Body of Christ. Consider what Jesus did for you. He kept His eye single. Ethen exhorted us to connect with the vision of the church. Your focus changes your life. He shared his life’s testimony and what happened when his focus got off of Jesus. To run this race, it’s up to you as an individual to set aside your sins. You are the righteousness of Jesus, no matter how often you fall. Look to Jesus and the Word. Follow Him! Do what He says to do! Joy disappears when you get your focus off of Him. Are you connected to the church? Allow God access to your life. Is my focus where God wants it? Have I been personally serving God and the church?
Love Covers a Multitude of Sins
God teaches us to love one another (1 Thess. 4:9), and 1 Peter 4:8 tells us to maintain an intense love for each other, because love covers a multitude of sins. We are to consider others more important than ourselves, loving, honoring, and protecting the other person. Prov. 17:9 exhorts us to conceal an offense in order to promote love. Instead of bad-mouthing someone, don’t shame them, but forgive them, and you will strengthen a friendship. Repentance is not feeling bad about yourself, but it is changing your direction. Jesus showed how to protect a guilty person, when he dealt with the Pharisees concerning the woman caught in adultery. Instead of exposing someone, bring them into the love of God and restore them. Jesus said that the peacemakers are the blessed sons of God. James 5:19-20 gives instruction about turning a sinner from his way. If God has forgiven your sin, don’t remember it. We’re in the business of setting people free, so tell the Good News!
The Love and Power of God Displayed
Missionary Bob Dunfee shared his testimony about the supernatural way God worked and is working in his life in the USA and in Burkina Faso. This same supernatural love and power is in God’s body, the church, all over the world. God wants us to act on what He says to us and by doing so, we glorify Him. Bob related how God raised the dead, transported him 400 miles in 0 minutes, healed blind eyes, and appeared to him. We can do nothing without Him. Hear and obey His voice, change the atmosphere around you, trust and believe in Him. Scriptures used in the sermon:1 Peter 1:23; John 5:24; 1 John 3:14; John 14:12-21; John 6:47-69.
Your Normal Is Their Supernatural
When you use the name of Jesus, you invoke His presence. Don’t live without the presence of God in and on your life. Jesus is alive, seated in heaven, ruling this world. Jesus Christ always causes you to triumph (2 Cor. 2:14). You don’t know how anointed you are, because when you conduct the anointing, you don’t feel it. When you walk in the light, people in the dark see you glow. There should be a savor of victory around us. Liberty is an unveiling and being in the presence of God in mercy and truth. His presence is not a place. We should praise God for what He has done in the past, as well as for things more recent. David praised God for what He did for Moses. You become what you worship. Heb.4:14 tells us to hold fast our profession. A profession or confession is positive if it’s based on the presence of the living Christ. He is easily touched with the feelings of our infirmities (Heb. 4:15). People run and hide from His presence because of sin and condemnation, but we should come boldly (freedom of access) before the throne of grace, not crying and hiding (Heb. 4:16). Boldness comes before grace. The main point is that we have a High Priest (Heb. 8:1). We must offer something to Him. What is that? Heb. 13:15 tells us that we are to offer the sacrifices of praise to God continually, giving thanks to Him who always causes us to triumph… who redeems us… who sets us on a firm foundation. Hosea 14:1 notes prophetically that our sins are taken away when we repent and sacrifice praise.
The Love of God – Part 7
Text: Gal. 5:6-22. Love is a choice and a commandment. Sin always hurts someone. Love will purify you and can motivate you to serve others. Change the way you talk to others. Walk in the Spirit, and you won’t fulfill the lusts of the flesh. When are you walking in the lusts of the flesh? It’s when you do things for what’s in it for yourself. Walking in the Spirit is walking in love. Don’t set yourself up as an idol. The love of God will get you out of sin. You won’t be fulfilled until you serve and bless others. Walking in love is tapping into the Spirit. Love your enemies and pray for them. Bless implies finances. Give out of your heart.
The Love of God Part 6 – Get Outside of Yourself and Serve Others
Text: Gal. 5:13-14. Dig in and chew on the Word concerning love. Charity (selfless love) fulfills the commandment along with the commission of serving others. You can’t cover up the wrong thing by doing a good thing. (Review: 1 Kings 3:16-28.) Love gives without limitation and reservation, and love always wins. You have to take the initiative to love. 1 Cor. 13 tells us to love, which begins in the spirit, and then comes the act, and then the emotion. Get out of yourself and serve others. Prov. 15:1 tells us that a soft answer turns away wrath. Don’t try to prove a point at the expense of hurting others, but listen respectfully to others. Prov. 25:21-22 says to serve your enemies. Pastor Dale tells of a man in Russia who saw the fruit of doing that. (Pastor Dale also explains the Hebrew meaning of the term “coals of fire”.) What is in it for you? The Lord rewards you, “reward” meaning “paycheck” (Gen. 15:1). Fear makes us think, “When is it my turn?” Sometimes God has us kill a dream, so He can have us fulfill a bigger one. Get outside yourself and ask, “What would love do?” Don’t be afraid of walking in love.
The Love of God Part 5 – The Heart of the Father for You
Offering: Jer. 17:5-8; Mal. 3:10-11; Ps. 121:1-7; Ps. 119:130. Sermon: 1 John 4:15-16. God is love! If we confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God and His love abide in us. Do you believe in God’s love? God is full of compassion, gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in mercy (love) (Ps. 86:15). He Loves Us! Don’t judge God’s love by your unfaithfulness. He loves us today! What did Jesus do on the earth? He preached, He taught, and He healed (Matt. 9:35-38). He was moved with compassion (Matt. 14:14). The more revelation you have of God’s love, the greater you can believe for His willingness to heal you. He heals because He loves you. He healed the blind men, because Jesus had compassion on them (Matt. 20:30-34). Jesus was moved by compassion and cleansed a leper (Mark 1:40-45). He healed a demon-possessed man (Mark 5:19), telling him to tell others so they would know that if He healed him, He would heal them. The father of an epileptic boy called on Jesus’ compassion for his son’s healing (Mark 9:20-23). Jesus raised up a dead boy, because He had compassion on the widow mother. When He had compassion, He healed. Do you have faith in Jesus’ love? Having faith in God’s love is more important than having faith in His power. What do you believe about the love of God?