To go with God’s momentum, be a doer of the Word (2 Tim. 3:7) and check out your beliefs, because wrong beliefs about God equal a wrong approach to Him. We start with Jesus and then move to His truths. A key truth is the fear of the Lord. It contains and provides for great promises. It is not a spirit of fear nor stiffness nor lack of fun (Heb. 13:5; Ps. 23; 1 John 4:17, 18; Is. 29:13). The fear of God must be balanced with the love of God. The fear of God is the fear of wrath and judgment of God, the awareness of and faith in God, the divine order before His glory and presence, and judgment. If we want the glory of God and His presence, we must be in divine order and be in reverence and awe of Him (Heb. 5:7; Heb. 12:25-29; 2 Cor. 7:1), or we will be judged. Revival is the refreshing of new fire, a greater presence of God, and reverence and awe. Do not have a casual attitude toward God and don’t stop revival.
The Secret of Life
The 99 Going After the One Part 3
Text: Luke 15:4. After a brief review from the previous Wednesday service, Neal taught and led a discussion about the characteristics that will cause spiritual growth and what a disciple does. The three main characteristics are that you will continue (abide) in the Word of God (John 8:31-32), have love one for another (John 13:34-35), and pray (John 15:7-8). The fruit you produce is the answer to prayer. You must have a heart for the lost and to see them grow and develop. Discipling a person is laying down your life to care about that person. Train that person to also be a disciple-maker; help him develop good habits of getting into the Word and praying. Assess what the new disciple’s needs are. 1) Give him an understanding of spiritual growth (1 John 2:12-14); 2) Get the Word of God in the new believer. The congregation spent time praying together for the one each of us is to disciple and for “The 99” event.
Jesus, Anchor of Your Soul
Text: Phil. 1:27-2:2. We should be working together in one hope toward the work of the Gospel. Focus on the good of who others are or could be. We will have to suffer for the Gospel. There is consolation in Jesus Christ: Jesus guarantees and represents you. (Heb. 6:13-20). Satan tries to separate and divide the body (CWI). Jesus is our anchor. We must pray for Pastor Dale and Teri and for the leadership, because they are targets for division. Heresy is pushing your opinion and wanting to promote yourself. We need the anchor of Jesus so that we are not swept away by the current of life and the spirit of the world. Jesus relates to us through His covenant, which in non-negotiable. Jesus is our hope, and He reveals His love to us. Love Him and keep your eyes fixed on Him. Satan causes people to doubt leadership and the authority of God (Matt. 4:3-4), and appeals to us on the basis of our needs, but stay anchored and live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Let go of the past by dealing with it; forgive; forget your successes; keep moving forward (Phil. 3:13-14). Success is obedience. There was a communion service at the end of the sermon.
The 99 Going After the One Part 2
Luke 15:4. We are to make disciples. The Great Commission is to make disciples of all the nations. A disciple is a student, follower of Jesus Christ, learner, an adherent. It is Pastor Dale’s heart to double the church. Ask God to give you one person to win to the Lord and to disciple. We must be ready to bring in the harvest. Pray, give, reach out to someone, go to another land. When the harvest is ready, we must be ready for them, or we’ll lose the whole crop. (We saw a video entitled, “The Harvest”.) God wants to minister through us. How do you know if you’re mature? You’re mature if you’re reproducing. Believe to get someone saved. Win souls to the Lord. Share your testimony.
Let Your Light Shine
Offering Message: Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you… You won’t be able to contain it, because you’ll keep sharing it and increasing others. Respond to God’s nudges. Sermon Message: (John 9:4 I must work the works of Him who sent Me…) (Matt. 5:14-16 Let your light shine before men…) You are the light. Let your light shine by your works, and don’t be afraid to let people know you’re a Christian. God strategically places us as a light to guide others to salvation, deliverance, and freedom. We are here to do Jesus’ works. We must make a difference in our community. Jesus went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil. Be light where you are and obey the nudges of the Holy Spirit. There are never enough workers in the church. You are here for a reason, and we can change our world by being a light. Be the church. (Pastor Pat shares many testimonies in his sermon.)
The 99 Going After the One Part 1
Text: Luke 15:3-7. Neal Bratschun describes “The 99” as a walk-through reality theater for young people. Many volunteers, including 250-500 volunteers are needed to bring in this harvest of the lost. They will need to be mentored and discipled. Why do people get involved in a church? The move of the Holy Spirit, 2 to 3 close friends, and it’s where God called them to be. We are all capable and able to be used by the Lord to reach people’s lives (I Tim. 1:12; Num. 13:30; Phil. 4:13; Philemon 1:6). What is the good thing? Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, His Word, His anointing, His work, His grace, He is the Greater One, His mind, His joy, His kingdom… Keep a positive confession and pray for salvations, the location, team leaders, volunteers, corporate sponsors, Ben Krothe (who is in charge), and participation by other churches. It will be July 13 to Aug. 5 on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights from 7-11.
The Vision of the Church Part 2
Offering messages: Text: Luke 6:38. It’s the same measure or manner you give that is given back to you, not the same amount. BE QUICK TO GIVE. SOW YOUR BEST. GIVE EVERY DAY. Text: Luke 15:4. BE QUICK TO OBEY. Sermon message: Text: Acts 13:1. Pastor Dale shares his many divine connections which sent him from northwestern PA to Armenia, the Philippines, Ukraine, Russia, and Argentina. God kept showing him that He could quickly place him in front of a large number of people. He also relates how Pastor Sydney Ropp from Colorado became connected to CWI Lancaster and will be going on a ministry trip to Oregon. What else does it take to be in God’s will? Being faithful, recognizing positions of authority, praying, fasting, and pressing in, and ministering to the Lord. Pastor Dale asked us to be praying for him while he is away and to prepare for “The 99” by coming for training on Wednesday evenings.
When God Speaks to You, It’s a Command
Gen. 16:16, 17:1-5 tells us that Abram was 86 years old when Ishmael was born, and God didn’t speak to him until he was 99 years old. God had told Abram that his seed would be in number like the stars and the grains of sand, but God was silent for 13 years because Abram tried to make it happen in the flesh. Moses was a zealous deliverer when he killed the Egyptian, but four years later when God spoke to him to be a deliverer, he was hesitant because he didn’t want to make another mistake. Deut. 28:1 says that we must diligently listen and obey (harken) to the voice of the Lord. In Matt. 4:4 Jesus said that it is written that man shall live by every word that comes from the mouth of God. God speaks to us, and we need to obey, fear Him, and realize that what He told us to do or not do is a command. John 10:17, 18; John 14:21. God manifests Himself to those who keep His commands. Allow the voice of God to be a commandment in your life. What has God told you to do? Don’t keep going in circles, but be quick to obey and do something that puts you in the right direction of obedience and commit to it. If God is silent, go back to the last thing He told you to do and do it. Your point of offense is your point of deliverance.
The Power of the Resurrection
Pastor Dale tells of the power of just declaring “Jesus is alive!” and how a deaf-mute girl was healed. Payment (Jesus’ blood) for our sin was not enough; punishment was required, too, and that started at the cross and sent Him to hell for three days. As much as the cross is a part of salvation, there is nothing mentioned about it in Rom. 10:7-10. Salvation is faith in the truth that Jesus IS alive. In Acts 9:4-18 Jesus asked Saul why he was persecuting Him (Jesus), showing that He took Saul’s persecution against the Christians personally. Like Paul we need to tell God that we’ll do what He asks, and then He will tell us what His will for our life is. Like Paul, we can know that Jesus has a purpose for each of us, and we need to be obedient to do it (Acts 26:12-19). Pastor Dale shared about the apostolic call on his life, first to Belarus and to intercede for the cities. God is stirring in Pastor/Apostle Dale to visit the cities of Russia to bring revival. We all need to be great, to be nation-changers, and we all need the blood of Jesus. Word in sermon: There are some things God won’t do until you finish your list. There was a word given to Pastor/Apostle Dale at the end.
The Vision of the Church
Offering Message: 2 Cor. 9:6-7. You can purpose to have abundance in your heart. What do you want to see in your life? That’s where you sow. You can’t give consistently and be selfish. There can be a miracle and blessing in the midst of the negative. Sermon Message: Why do God’s people perish? 1) Where there is no vision, the people perish (Prov. 29:18). 2) God’s people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). 3) Not discerning the Lord’s body and taking communion unworthily can bring on judgment (1 Cor. 11:29). What is discerning the Lord’s body? It’s understanding that we are all members one of another. We’re not only one with Christ, but we are one with other believers (Rom. 12:4-5). We are to preach the Word, be ready in and out of season, and rebuke (reprove), convince, and exhort, because there will be a time when people won’t listen to the truth ((2 Tim. 4:1-4). The church and ministry should be together. You shouldn’t be choosing a church but should join where God has put you (1 Cor. 12:18). Ask if this is your church, if God is in it for you. Remember, worship isn’t for you, but for the Lord. We should rejoice and suffer with one another (1 Cor. 12:26). If someone doesn’t walk in what God has for him or her, we all suffer. Jesus took Saul’s persecution against the church personally and called him to be a minister and witness of Him (Acts 26:15-19). Jesus gave Paul purpose. The vision is to preach the Word and the T- transform, E- equip, And M- mobilize. We are one body. Get involved.
Established To Reign
Ps. 34:15-17. God’s eyes are on the righteous, and His ears hear their cry. He delivers the righteous from all their troubles. We need to cry out for our country and for this region, because God’s people are being pulled into slavery. Listen to the Holy Spirit and pray, intercede, and cry out to God. Rom. 5:17-21 tells us that we must receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness to reign in life through Jesus Christ. Whose righteousness do we have? We have Jesus Christ’s righteousness, so we can be bold and confident in Him. By seeing through the eyes of faith we can see backsliddden Christians turning back to Jesus, revival in the home, people loving one another, and people being changed by the anointing. It’s up to God’s people to cry out. We are distributors of His grace. By reigning in the Spirit, we can get things done in the natural. This nation needs to be delivered from Satan’s control, and it’s our faith that can bring the change. Prevail! We have the advantage, the anointing, and mouths to speak the Word. Prov. 14:34 says that righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people. We must awake to righteousness and not sin (1 Cor. 15:34). Pray- the fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much; turn a sinner from death (James 5:16-20). Cover this nation with the righteousness of God. The righteous people’s cry will deliver us. Bob ministered several words to the congregation.
Offering The Faith Factor
In Mark 10:17-30 the man talking to Jesus had insight into Jesus’ ministry and wanted to know about eternal life. It’s important to have right attitudes toward God. Jesus was not telling the man that what he possessed was his problem, but what he lacked, which was a full trust in God. God wants us to go into our “Promised Land”, but there will be people who will tell you that you can’t do it. The faith factor says that you can! If you’re waiting for money to do what God told you to do, you’ll fail. Jesus’ disciples left all- houses, family, lands- for His sake. Jesus told them that they would receive 100 fold. Pastor Dale shares two experiences of forsaking all for the Gospel and how he and others were blessed. You must forsake all to get into the next level where the blessings are.
Honduras Team Sharing Make Disciples
Lynzee Hershey shared some pictures from the team’s trip to Honduras, mainly those of ministering to the children. She grew through her time spent with God. Sarah Bratschun wondered why she was to go on the trip and was blessed because God was honored by her willingness to go and to be used for the sake of the Gospel and other people. Sam Zook affirmed the importance of being willing and of the spirit of unity and power. He thanked everyone for their support and prayers and shared testimonies of God’s power touching the people. Kelly Burrows talked about ministering in a home for women who had been in trafficking and villages where people were saved, set free, and healed. The Friday service showed the young people’s desperation for the Lord and the Saturday morning time when people gratefully grabbed a hold of God goodness. She addressed a lack of unity in the body. Kevin Burrows was blessed by a night visit by the Lord telling him to share with the leaders that they need to set differences aside, forgive, speak well of others, love like God loves, be longsuffering, and to repent. The key words are unity and love. It’s important to focus on matters of eternity- salvations. Pray- 2 Chron. 7:14. How do we change the world? We show people that we care! Take new Christians and the young and make disciples of them by showing them that you care. They must know the goodness of God. Men need someone who believes in them and will speak life in them. Women need to know their identity in Christ. The Great Commission in Matt. 28:18-20 tells us to make disciples. Immerse the person in the Word of God by teaching them the ways of God. Set an example and live a life of God. Empower them to go and make disciples, too. We are to reproduce God’s life, not our own. God reproduced Himself when He created us in His image. Pour yourself into others and put God first. See the gift of God in your life and in others. Reproduce the things of God. Teach others.
Turn Your Circumstances to the Glory of God
Don’t allow circumstances to cloud your mind or to measure your purpose. God has the solution for the circumstances if you take action in faith. When the Israelites complained because they didn’t have water (Ex. 15:22-26), Moses cried out to the Lord for the people. He engaged his faith to see the supernatural. In John 9:1-35 Jesus acted in compassion toward a blind man and healed him. The blind man had to act in faith to receive his sight in spite of the circumstances that the disciples questioned whose sin caused the blindness, that he had been blind all his life, that Jesus had spit and made a “slime” and put it on his eyes, and that he was told to wash in the pool of Siloam. Besides that, he was rejected and not believed by the Pharisees, and even his parents wouldn’t say how he was healed because they didn’t want to be kicked out of the synagogue. In verse 35 the blind man knew he was accepted by Jesus and worshiped Him. Don’t allow circumstances to cloud your mind and way, but engage your faith in God. We want God to receive the glory. A pure heart glorifies God. (I Cor. 10:31; John 14:13; Rev. 4:8; Phil. 1:11; Eph. 3:19)
The Wealth of Wisdom Part 21
God Wants You to Prosper- God wants to bless you (3 John 2). Don’t ever agree with fear, death, disease, and don’t quit, but stand! How does your soul prosper? By the renewing of your mind. Heb. 11:6 says that faith pleases God, but faith can’t rise if you have doubt that God is good to you now. Faith feeds your spirit. God is – NOW! Faith that is alive will express itself with joy and victory. First you must seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matt. 6:33), have faith in God (Mark 11:22-24), believe what you say will come to pass, and it will. You affirm by speaking what you believe, not what you see (Heb. 11:1). Hope is a picture of the end result, but faith has it now. Faith will work for you. When fear comes in, ask yourself what you believe. Say the Word.(Rom. 10:17). Throughout the day make note of what you say, because it shows what you believe. Jesus used the example of faith moving mountains.
Righteousness Consciousness
You are made in Jesus Christ’s righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21). You won’t have boldness if you don’t know you’re righteous in Him. We are righteous through faith in Jesus, and His blood justifies us (Rom. 3:10-26). We can have boldness in the day of judgment (1 John 4:16, 17) because our wrongs are covered, erased, and forgiven (1 John 1:9). Heb. 7:25 Jesus pleads (intercedes) on our behalf, and if our hearts don’t condemn us, we can have confidence toward God. (Rom. 5:17). Jesus became sin, so we can come to the Father and can be the righteousness of God, walking in boldness. Heb. 12:18-24 Our spirits are made perfect; Jesus is our mediator of the new covenant. Heb. 4:14-16 Jesus was tempted as we are, so hold fast your confession and come boldly to the throne of grace. Rom. 8:28-38 God freely gives us all things, and we are more than conquerors. Nothing can separate us from the love of God.
The Wealth of Wisdom Part 20
God Wants You to Prosper- Prosperity is WORK and God’s blessings. God doesn’t bless lazy people. Matt. 6:28-32 DON’T BE AFRAID OF RICHES, but don’t be greedy or covetous. God knows you need things, but seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. After that, take care of the physical needs. Ps. 112:1-3 tells us that God blesses the righteous with wealth and riches. A righteous man with money is a powerful weapon in the world. You have more power in the name of Jesus than any amount of money. Look at things positively. The gospel is good news (2 Cor. 4:3-18). Satan tries to get you to blame God for the bad things he does. Get up and get to work. Letting go of your faith is seeing only the physical side of life. Change your outlook. Remember God is for you. No matter how you feel toward God, you can’t stop His loving you. You are more than a conqueror.
Salvation
Salvation is now and here. Jesus paid the price for our salvation. What does salvation mean? It means deliverance, victory, prosperity, rescue, and health. We can live this life walking in the freedom of good health- here and now. When someone comes against us, they are coming against God; we are one with God and Jesus. Acts 4:12 tells us that there is no other name whereby we can be saved, but the name of Jesus. The anointing does the work that God set out to do, and He needs us to lay our hands on people. We need more fellowship and time with God to know Him and His voice. We are Jesus’ body, and salvation is not just for us, but for us to extend to others.
The Wealth of Wisdom Part 19
God Wants You to Prosper- Offering message: Phil. 4:10-19 God’s promise to supply our needs is a promise that we will have needs. The sowing of seeds is to meet our needs. Sermon message: God wants us to savor thinking like Jesus thinks and to know that God wants us to experience His goodness, because He loves us (3 John 2). Heb. 11:6 tells us that we need faith to please Him- faith that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. We aren’t to despise His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, but we are to know that His goodness leads to repentance (Rom. 2:4). Loving, blessing, doing good, and praying for our enemies exposes our heart and shows that we are the sons of God (Matt. 5:43-45). Bless means financial goodness. God is better than whatever you think is good. When we seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, God takes care of the natural needs (Matt. 6:28-31). If you are in lack, don’t think that it’s because God is not pleased with you. Ask, seek, and knock and your Father will give you good things (Matt. 7:7-12). When you prosper, remember that it’s God who prospers you and gives you the power to get wealth. God is gracious, full of compassion, slow to anger, great in mercy over all His work, and you are His work (Ps. 145:8-9). God loves you and has the best for you.
The Wealth of Wisdom Part 18
God Wants You to Prosper- Pastor Dale explains why he agrees with the King James version in 3 John 2, where it says “above all things”. God considers our prospering above holiness. It’s a matter or degree and priority. God doesn’t want us to go to hell, be sick, or be in poverty. God wants to give us good things (Matt. 7:7). Saying God causes car wrecks and other evil things is calling God a child-abuser, which HE IS NOT! God’s riches in glory (Phil. 4:19) are greater than your need, but you have to ask (James 4:1-3) and to speak to those things that come against you (Rom. 8:31-34), because God reconciled us by the death of Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:10). We must believe that God is, and that He is a rewarder (Heb.11:6). He gives us the natural things (Matt. 6:28-33), but we are to first seek His kingdom and His righteousness. Wealth and riches are in our houses (Ps. 112:1-3), and God gives us the power to get wealth (Deut.8). God wants you to prosper (Josh. 1:7,8; Ps. 1:1-3).