Text: 1 Cor. 10:13. God wants you to escape temptation. Learn how to get out of what you’re in. Satan wants to isolate you, so he lies to make you think your situation is unique, and you’re the only one experiencing what you are. Temptation can mean to solicit to do evil, but it also means a trial or test. Faith doesn’t mean that you won’t have problems, but that you’ll get through them. So, how do you escape temptation? The #1 way is praise/joy. James 1:2 tells us to count it all joy when you experience trials/temptations. Your response to a temptation will be your first step out. Joy is a spiritual force and belongs to believers. Neh. 8:10 says that the joy of the Lord is our strength, and it’s there for those who choose it. Temptation reveals that the devil is at work. Whatever is out of line will draw you like a magnet bringing Satan, trying to keep you depressed, etc. What’s the cure? Praise! (Ps. 33:1-2; 33:1; 8:1-2). Hit Satan with praise to God. Stop looking for answers. Praise – that is the answer. Praising God has a mirror effect so that whatever God is, we participate in. Praise is the weapon that shuts up the devil and is our declaration of God’s worthiness. Paul and Silas praised God when they were in prison and were delivered overnight. (Acts 16:22). Give thanks to the Father for He has delivered us and translated us into the kingdom of God (Col. 1:12). Instead of spending your energy fighting, praise! God is faithful. If you have a big problem, magnify God and choose to praise Him.
How to Escape Part 1
Submission to God Part 3 – God’s Choice
James 4:6-8. When we are humbled and submitted to God, then we can resist the devil, and he will flee. We are double-minded when we are in pride and then try to resist the devil, whose sin was pride. Submit means to arrange under. When we are under God, then the devil is under us. 1 Cor. 15:20-28 tells us that Jesus submitted to God. Respect God’s order. There is rank in God’s kingdom. When we keep rank, it brings unity. When someone is out of place, the rest have to work twice as hard, such as if a person is blind, then the other senses have to work much harder. DON’T TRY TO MAKE OTHERS SUBMIT. Children must be trained to submit (Prov. 22:6), so that they will be trained to be led by their conscience and the Spirit. When the wife submits to her husband, she is submitting to God. Pastor Sydney explained about submitting to government authority (Rom. 13:1-17; 1 Thess. 5:12-13). We must respect the place and the work of the leaders over us. Their position is their qualification. Aaron and Miriam learned this the hard way in Numbers 12. Paul corrected himself in Acts 23:1-5 for not submitting to the high priest. YOU HAVE TO SUBMIT TO YOUR LEADERS, but the enemy will tell you otherwise. Korah, Dathan, and Abiram came against Moses and bred rebellion in the whole Israelite community and experienced God’s judgment (Numbers 16). When the glory of God shows up, there is immediate judgment. Remember: God places priority on His choices. The centurion and his servant understood authority in Matt. 8:5-10. If you are submitted to your leaders, they have a right to stand with you for what you’re believing.
His Power Part 2
Offering message texts: Luke 6:38; Matt. 6:1-4, 19-25; Gen. 8:15-20. Sermon: God wants all men to be saved (2 Peter 3:9). His power is still available, and He needs His representatives (us) to take His power to show His goodness and signs and wonders to people. How does God work through men? One way He works is through miracles and the gifts of the Spirit, but these are not daily happenings. The second way is through divine healing. Read these Scriptures, and you’ll see how these people received healing: Mark 2:1-5; 3:7-8, 10; 5:21-28; 7:31-37; 9:14-22; 10:46-52. How did they get healed? They were healed through their own faith. Jesus did not pursue anyone who was sick, but they sick came and aggressively pursued Him. It’s not our prayer or our faith that makes people well. You can’t push your faith or anointing on someone who is sick. A person can be healed when that person draws on the healing anointing. We release God’s healing power that’s in us. People must seek Jesus; IT’S THEIR OWN FAITH THAT HEALS THEM. Don’t have altar calls for the sick, but allow the sick person to come to you. If people know the anointing, the Holy Spirit, and the Gospel are in you, they can expect to receive. Ed shares several testimonies of healing miracles that people received by their own faith. Expect and anticipate in faith (Acts 1:8-9 and Heb. 11:6). Rethink how you present the Gospel: I have the goods, but they must make the request. People are not healed by your faith, but by their own faith.
His Power Part 1
All other religions fear what we have. Pharaoh finally had to bless the Israelites because he experienced God’s power. The prophets of Baal saw that the true God answers by fire when Elijah called on God’s power. Paul said that the Gospel is God’s power for salvation for everyone who believes. The cross is the symbol of the power of God. We are authorized dealers of God’s power through the Holy Spirit. Why is the power needed? Jesus changed water to wine, and His disciples believed in Him. Nicodemus believed in Him because of the signs. Other Scriptures witnessing God’s power and causing people to believe in Him are: John 6:1, 4; 7:30-31; 10:24, 3; 11:47 (Lazarus raised from the dead); John 12:9; 20:30-31. Ed shared of a lumberman who died and was completely healed. Jesus’ signs demonstrated His love and compassion for people. He is the door and the way. Other religions are trying to get to heaven and to find the answer, but Jesus is the only way, the only answer. Why aren’t more coming in? Satan has blinded the eyes of most of the church so that it denies the power of God. There will be opposition even with signs and wonders. When God’s power is demonstrated, people will come. Believe God to use you to demonstrate His power to one person. The Holy Spirit is the sign of the power of God. Ed challenged us to print Acts 1:8 on index cards and stand in front of the mirror and read it aloud and pray in tongues. Keep refreshing yourself. God wants to use you to do signs and wonders.
Walking Boldly in the Darkness
A young lady received salvation. Bruce explained CWI’s call. The apostle governs the Word, the prophet guides, the evangelist gathers souls, and the teacher grows the Word. The word for CWI is REVIVAL IS NOW! God is waiting on us. It will be a sustained move of God. Are we ready? We need to be a warrior church of love. Revival is a new beginning of obedience to God. Bruce told of staying with an African warrior who intimidated a lion. The warriors went into the darkness to go after lions. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us that the devil walks about like a roaring lion. DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DEVIL, BUT GO INTO THE DARKNESS AND BRING PEOPLE OUT OF IT! We must rise up in fierceness and intimidate the enemy. The world needs us to be warriors. Step into your call. Do whatever you’re called to do. You carry the light that overcomes the darkness by walking as children of light (Eph. 5:8). Pray that our eyes and hearts are open to understand God. Be bold. Share the faith and don’t fear rejection. We must compel them to come in. Quit being judgmental and love people into the kingdom. Be filled with love and the power of God (2 Tim. 1:7). There was a time of ministry and impartation. (Bruce will be ministering the School of Miracles at CWI in early April.)
Shaking in His Presence
We are to worship God by worshiping Him with holy fear and awe (Heb. 12:25-29). We must live in His presence. His joy is our strength. The kingdom of God is within us, and everything else will shake and go away. Those who despise the Word will be destroyed, but those who fear it will be rewarded (Prov. 13:13). The church must be strong in the power of the Lord. We need to hear the Word and to do it. Only you can allow the Word to renew your mind. Put action to what you believe, and do what you’re called to do. Do we put importance on the Word, especially what we’ve heard over and over again? Ps. 19:7-11 says that we have been warned. There is danger ahead, and we need to know how to go forward. James 1:19-25 is a compelling and needed teaching for us to apply. The Word is powerful (Heb. 4:23). We can make a change in this nation, if we are doers, and if we don’t put up with what the devil is doing. Are you participating in what God has told you to do? Are you waiting for God to move when it’s your move? It is critical for us to live by the Spirit. There is a Miracle-Worker (Jesus Christ) inside of you. If we aren’t doing the Word we know, we are self-deceived. Walk in truth. Examine yourself to see if you are holding to your faith and showing the proper fruit of it (2 Cor. 13:5). If we live in the present, He will constantly change us. Are you walking in the faith?
Preparation for His Presence Part 2
Prophet Bob ministered an impartation to those who have an evangelistic call on their lives. Text: 1 Peter 4:12-19. We are blessed if we suffer reproach for the name of Christ. Verse 18 says “…the righteous one is saved with difficulty”. We must make a change in the compromising church in America. Judgment begins in the house of the Lord. We need to know Jesus Christ (Phil. 3:10). There are many who go by the broad way, but few take the narrow and difficult way to life (Matthew 7:13-20). There are many false prophets, and we need to know them by what they produce. The Word strongly states that every tree not bearing good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. Even people who have done wonders won’t be with Him, because they didn’t know Jesus Christ. We need to know God in order to know how to love others. Pray that the wicked things in you would be exposed. Let Him operate on you and know Him.
Preparation for His Presence Part 1: Being a Carrier of His Presence
Prophet Bob gave words for the church, and there was a tongue and interpretation with a song given. Sermon: 2 Tim. 3:1-5 tells of the danger of the last days. Sin is the problem, and we’re in a war against the powers of darkness. We should be wearing God’s armor, and Satan is under our feet. We need to allow God to search us intimately each day (Ps. 139:23-24), so that we can be in intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit. Live a lifestyle of being saturated with His presence. We are to fear God; God will bring every work into judgment (Eccl. 12:13). The fight is our “crucifying ourselves”, judging ourselves, and getting rid of the judgment against others. God is preparing us to carry His presence to the nations, so we will have layers of our inner man peeled off as we have #1 the fear of the Lord, #2 walk in His love, and #3 walk in the Holy Spirit and power. We also have to judge ourselves whether we are in faith or not, if we are bearing proper fruits, and not disqualifying ourselves at the end (2 Cor. 13:5). Ask yourself: What am I doing? What are my thoughts and attitudes? What are my emotions, body, and mind doing? Examine yourself. Remember, you are a missionary wherever you go.
Two Years to Repentance
2 Chron. 7:14 tells the Body of Christ to humble themselves, seek God, and pray. God needs men to stand in the gap and pray (Ezekiel 22:23-31). Daniel prayed a prayer of repentance in Daniel 9:1-19. Repentance should start in the Church, not just for the wrong we’ve done, but for what we should do and don’t. God wants our obedience. When we come to worship and together, we must come with expectation in our spirits to give to God, to meet with Him, and with thanksgiving. Religion is anything that takes from or adds to the truth of the Word. We must believe the truth. In 2 Chron. 7:1-16 the glory of God filled the temple on its dedication day. Intercede for your family and this land. We have access to the throne of God and are kings and priests because of Jesus’ sacrifice. We need both the fear of God and the love of our Heavenly Father. There was a time of corporate and personal worship, repentance, and prayer.
Submission to Authority Part 2 – Training Your Children
(Steve Broich shared a testimony of forgiveness, and there was ministry for salvation and baptism in the Holy Spirit.) God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Submission is voluntarily done by the person himself. Humility is submission under God’s authority. Do not talk like the devil, saying things like, “I am proud of …”, but talk like God: “I admire …, or “I honor …”, or “I am pleased with …”. Submit yourself to God in obedience. How do you make your children submit? Prov. 22:6; 13:24; 23:13-14; 22:15; Eph. 6:4 instruct how to train up children in the Lord. Training is not teaching and starts at infancy. When a child is able to crawl, he can learn “no”. The adult must be disciplined in order to discipline a child. The child is to submit to you, not the other way around. The child’s will is to be broken in order for him to be submitted. DON’T ABUSE! Do not tolerate lying and rebellion. Pastor Sydney goes through the order for discipline from making clear rules to restoring everyone involved after an incident. Training helps a child know there is a higher authority and to be led by the Holy Spirit, so they can be used in the Kingdom.
The Kingdom of God Part 9 (The Keys To The Kingdom)
Matt. 16:13-19 When Jesus told Peter that God revealed to him that Jesus is the Messiah, He said that Peter was a rock (like a piece of rock) and on the rock (the bedrock) He would build His Church. The bedrock is that Jesus is the Messiah. (Pastor Syd referred to Daniel 2:31-35, 44-46. God will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed.) Jesus gave us the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Keys are authority, and authority was given to Jesus and He gave it to us to go and make disciples. The keys are that we can bind and loose. In fact, it’s our responsibility to bind and to loose on earth (Matt. 16:18). Don’t pray for what you need to speak to. Jesus lived totally by faith, which is seeing things in the spiritual realm that you can’t see in the natural realm. Jesus used the keys of speaking, loosing, and binding. He did great works as a man by the anointing of God. Speak to the mountain. Declare what you need to declare, rather than asking the Father in prayer for what He has given you the authority to do. Use your authority. Operate with the keys. We are authorized to do even greater works than He did (John 14:12-13). Use His authority to do His will. Speak to your problem. Declare what should be in your body and circumstances.
Submission to Authority Part 1 – You Submit to God’s Authority
Giving to God is an act of worship and submission. James 4:6-8 gives strong advice: don’t be proud; submit to God; draw near to Him; purify your hearts; submit to Him; then resist the devil, and he will flee. God is good (James 1:16-17), so if there is stealing, killing, and destruction in your life, it’s of the devil. Gen. 1:26 God created man (Adam and Eve) to rule and have dominion (prevail against, tread over, take). We, too, are to rule and reign in life by Christ Jesus. The god of this world is Satan. Why? Adam chose to submit to the devil and to give his authority to Satan. When he tempted Jesus in the wilderness (Luke 4:5-8), he had the authority to do so, because he held the authority. The devil is a master of shortcuts and leads to bondage to whomever will follow him. Temptation is not sin, but if you don’t make the thoughts of it come into obedience of Jesus Christ, the result is sin and death. BUT God raised Jesus from the dead, seated Him above all authority, put all things under His feet, and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church (Eph. 1:20-23). The one sacrifice for sin was offered forever. People get the wrong idea when they hear certain Bible terms, such as deliverance, prosperity, and submission. Find out who God is and who you are (Gal. 2:20). FIRST Submit to God- YOU DO IT! God doesn’t make us do it. Then resist the devil. Rom. 13:1 Authorities are instituted by God. There’s rank in demons, heaven, earth, the church. Keep rank (1 Chron. 12:3-38). There will be people over and under us. There’s freedom in submission. There is grace for your place. Study: 1 Cor. 15:23-28; Matt. 8:5-13.
The Joy of the Lord
Joy is not happiness. Happiness is grounded on the world and on the flesh, whereas joy is a condition of the spirit. The joy of the Lord is physical, spiritual, and emotional. It is a stronghold (done so repeatedly that you can’t get out of it) and gives you strength (Neh. 8:9-11). If you aren’t in joy, and you don’t speak up, the devil will take everything away from you. Joy works with faith. We start with expectancy, and then we can progress to hope, and then onto faith. Faith connects the natural with the supernatural. Faith is the perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses (Heb. 11:1-2). The joy of the Lord moves circumstances by faith such as in the life of Abraham (Rom. 4:17-21) and will cause you to walk in victory. Faith sees the end result. Rejoice in the Lord always (Phil. 4:4-7). Gentleness is strength and peace, which supplies understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Josh shares a testimony of joy and faith in his personal life and the victory over several serious diseases.
The Gifts of the Spirit
Before the sermon, Pastor Dale shared experiences of a former pastor who walked away from his salvation, even though he was miraculously delivered and filled with the Spirit. God doesn’t give up on us. Don’t give up on Him. Psalm 37: 18, 33. Focus on the next step and not the whole plan. God knows the days of the righteous, and their inheritance will be forever.
In 1 Cor. 12 Paul tells believers what we need to know about spiritual gifts. God wants to use each one of us differently and distributes the gifts as He wills, so listen to Him (He does speak to us !!!) and be led by His Spirit. When He speaks, the gifts are close, and be ready for more than one gift to be in operation. For example, a word of knowledge may be followed by the gift of healing. When He starts using you, don’t get so excited you stop the flow of the gifts after the first one is manifested. Go by the voice of the Lord. When someone prophesies over you, check if it reflects on Jesus. Obey Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Jesus gives the ministries (v. 5), the Holy Spirit gives the gifts, and God works the gifts in all the ministries. Eph. 4:7 says that each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Rom. 12:4-6 says that all members do not have the same function or office. We are members of one body (the Church) and are members of one another. We have different gifts according to the grace that is given to us. First there’s a call, then God gives us the grace we need to do what He has told us, and then He gives gifts to give away. 1 Cor. 14:1 Pursue love, desire spiritual gifts, but especially prophesy. Say, “I want to be used by You, Lord!”
Siberia Trip
Pastor Dale outlines his trip to Siberia and tells of Jesus Christ’s amazing life changing power in men in Siberia and how they are being used by the Lord in Russian churches. He shared his prayer requests for Teri and himself and his family, as well as for the Siberian pastors and people. Dan and Betty, Pastor Syd, and the congregation prayed over and for Pastor Dale and Teri.
The Kingdom of God Part 8
The kingdom of God is the realm in which God’s will is fulfilled. Luke 12:29-31 tells about the kingdom principle of sowing and reaping. Worry blocks the kingdom. When you focus on developing the kingdom, your living will come to you, because He will see that your needs are met. Your peace and joy levels are gauges of your faith. God is a giver. We should be sowing where we will reap a spiritual harvest. Mark 4:26-32 includes the Parable of the Mustard Seed. The kingdom is about people. How are you giving? The world’s way is taking, but God’s way is giving. If you are giving as if you’re bartering or trading or earning favor, you won’t receive any spiritual benefit. Love gives freely. Jesus bought us back. Sowing is giving because of love. Give of yourself not expecting anything in return. God is a giver: rest, keys of heaven, His life, the Holy Spirit. Sowing is a heart decision, and what you sow, you must release. Pastor Dale sowed a church, and it affects us even now. What you sow affects others. The opposite of giving, sowing, and loving is fear. Rev. 21:5-8 says that the cowards (fearful) will be in the lake of fire. Fearfulness will steal your seed. Faith and giving must be done in love (1 Cor. 13:3; Gal. 5:6-6:10). Sows as God sows.
State of the Church Address
Offering message: In the Parable of the Talents, the man in Matt. 25:14-21 gave talents and then left to come back later. Just as those men were to put to use what was given them, so we need to use what God has given us. Your problems are opportunities for God to show up. Sermon: Text: Matt. 18:11-35. Pastor Dale explained the process of dealing with someone in the church who has sinned. We are the church, and when as an apostle, Pastor Dale is away, we should be able to carry on, because we are caring for one another and are gathered together, agreeing on the Scriptures in Jesus’ name. He has given us authority to bind and loose and to bring reconciliation to others. Pastor Dale desires to see that the sheepfold increased when he comes back from being away. There are many open doors, but beyond those doors are many adversaries (1 Cor. 16:9). To see a need is a call to serve. We are family, and we all need to work for one another. The focus of this church is missions. You need to develop what God has given you, whether it’s like Moses’ rod or the talents given out. Pastor Dale shared some of the “open doors” and asked for prayer for him on his long trip to Siberia. Find your place in this family. We need watchdogs. What’s in your hand?
Prayer Night
A word of encouragement was given. We spent the time in prayer.
Wake Up Citizens
An 8 minute audio clip of Dale’s challenge of the government’s view of gun control. Pray for the churches in Syria, as Muslim sects are persecuting Christians. It is imperative for Christians to be good citizens. Politics tries to hide the real issue, such as changing the rights of a baby to life being changed to a woman’s right. The original meaning of the right to bear arms was to protect the citizens from government that had gone the wrong direction and to keep the balance of power. We need to pray for our country and government. Wake up!
Prayer: Abiding With the Father
John 15:1-7. If a fruit tree isn’t pruned, the “suckers” take away from the fruit. If we are to bear fruit, we need to cut some things off. Your life will change when you prune it. If we abide in Him, we’ll bear much fruit. The root of failure is our lack of daily time with God. Get into the Word to know God’s will. When you abide in Him, you can trust your desires. Prayerlessness is a sin. Pastor Dale tells about almost losing his wife and son and how it changed when they prayed. There are turning points of answered prayer or negligence. Someone’s life could depend on your obedience to pray. When Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, He was at a breaking point, but He knew the Father’s will and obeyed Him. We need to have the Word in us and be prayed up, so we can handle the pressure when it comes. During the Finney revival there was the prevalence of prevailing prayer, spontaneous prayer, and intercessory prayer groups. Be hungry after God