This is the morning the church members were “grandfathered” in. Eph. 3:5-6, 10. The Body is to serve the Lord, and not to be takers. God gave up Jesus, and He is willing to give you up for the purpose of the Gospel. The joy that Jesus had in going to the cross was God’s plan for the church. People will gather, even in extreme persecution, because they have the vision of what the church is. We are in a family, are fellow partakers and heirs. We are to reveal God’s wisdom to principalities and powers. Is that what your church is doing? Your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, but if you reject Jesus Christ, your name is removed. What is church membership? It is accepting the Lordship of Jesus Christ and finding your function in the body. Look for ways to serve and to give. Rom. 12:3 You must have purpose. Realize who you are and how you fit into the body. You are a member of the person sitting beside you in a church service or wherever you are with other believers.
God’s Vision of the Church
God’s Word is Medicine
Prov. 4:20-23; Ps. 107:17-20; Matt. 12:34-37;Mark 4:14-19. You must “keep” (protect, guard) your heart. God’s Word is medicine (health) to your heart, and it goes to healing the flesh. Sickness is always from sin, from Adam’s sin on. Jesus Christ came to destroy the curse of sickness. Your words reflect what is in your heart; you must give account of the idle, non-operative words your speak. Fill your heart with the Word of God, because prosperity and healing begin in your heart. Meditate (mutter, repeat) the Word like in the negative you might worry. MAKE THE WORD FIRST PRIORITY IN YOUR LIFE. Satan comes after the Word in your heart to stop your prosperity by putting affliction on you. The Word will produce according to your heart condition. How do you heal the human spirit? Pull out the “weeds” (deceitfulness of riches, lusts or pressures, cares of this world.) Renew your mind- change the patterns of your mind. Control your thoughts with the Word. Pastor Dale shares a testimony of extreme depression and anger that he needed to change in his life.
A Vision for the Body of Christ
Eph. 3:8-11; Eph. 4:1-3, 11-13. From the beginning, God wanted a family. He didn’t leave Adam alone. As much as God loves the individual person, it isn’t about one person. It’s about the Body, the Church. The members of the five-fold ministry must love one another and work together to equip the Body. The faster and stronger the Body grows, the faster and stronger the individuals in it grow. Unity doesn’t mean conformity; the Body needs differences. Not everybody sees things the way you do, because you see things in light of the calling you have. Get hooked up with a local church, and don’t float from one part of the Body to another. There’s a limit as to how far we can go, and then someone else has to carry it from there, just like Moses and Joshua. Your point of offense is your point of deliverance, because that’s where the crisis came. Break through the past and tap into what God is doing in the church.
Prayer
James 5:16. Our prayers are effective if we are in right alignment with God. When righteous people pray in the Spirit, we pray the perfect will of God. Prayer is interactive dialogue. You must listen to God and put your ear to His heart. Sometimes we need to repent before we can hear God’s voice. Be in God’s presence. Be a worshiper. When you pray, you can change the course of history for nations, a business, the people you are praying for. How do you get manifestations? Pray! God will change things from the inside out. Hook up with God in prayer. Look for people who need Jesus and pray for them. We are in covenant relationship with God: what is His is ours. Prayer is the tool that changes everything. It causes faith to rise because we have heard the Word from God. God is still on the throne! Big things happen when righteous people in alignment pray.
Spiritual Authority
Matt. 8:8. Being under authority protects and empowers you and does not control in a manipulative way. Do not see yourself as the one who is manipulated. Authority is meant to liberate and to build up. You will never have more authority than the authority you are under. In Eph. 5:22-33, we are shown that the authority in the family is derived from the authority of the church, and you can’t understand that authority unless you understand church authority. When you leave a church it is like a divorce. Pastor Dale shares a couple experiences in which he had to submit to authority and how God took care of “you-know-whos”. God, reveal Your Glory to the church!
The Tangibility of The Anointing
Acts 8:12-21, Luke 6:12-17, Luke 5:15-17, and James 5:13-16 are the texts for this sermon. The baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues is found in Acts 2, 8, 9, 10, and 19. Although tongues are not mention in every text about the people receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, there is a tangible manifestation that could be seen by everyone there. Jesus prayed all night. Prayer is a privilege and brings power. The people who came to Jesus came to hear the Word and to be healed. The Word is a priority of the manifestations and always agrees with the Spirit. Jesus didn’t operate in hype. He operated in the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Hype dilutes the anointing. You can put pressure on the Holy Spirit to get a more accurate word of knowledge or word of wisdom. Do not try to please people. PLEASE GOD! If there is no power, pray in faith, but do not use faith or lack of it as a “pause button” to postpone the manifestation you need. If you are sick, you call for the elders of the church and let them pray over you. The prayer of faith will save the sick. PRAYER + THE WORD = MANIFESTED POWER. Part 2 is a principle of giving teaching- Using Luke 6:36-38 Pastor Dale expounds on the word “measure”. “Measure” here is not an amount, but a principle or manner of giving, so “it” is given back to you the way you give. For example, Pastor Dale shared how he received $6000 needed for a trip to Russia at “the last minute”, and the Lord showed him how hesitant he (Pastor Dale) had been to give a new suit to the drummer at his church. The “measures” of giving are: 1) Be quick to give. 2) Give your best. 3) Give something everyday. 4) Sow to the Spirit and not to the flesh.
Authority
Matt. 8:5-13 (Jesus and the Centurion). Some things are not covered by believing, and some things are not covered by prayer. You may have to speak or do something (heal the sick) with authority instead of praying for the person. The name of Jesus through faith in His name made the man well. You need to believe in the authority to use His name. You represent Jesus fully, regardless of how close you are to the pastor. Do not pamper, accommodate, and use sickness! Matthew’s version of the centurion’s servant’s healing is from the Jewish standpoint. The Roman centurion was saying that Jesus was a higher authority than him and that He could speak the word only and his servant would be healed. He said he wasn’t worthy to have Jesus come under his roof. Jesus is our “roof”- protection, our realm of power and authority. We need to put faith in His authority, that we are under His “roof”. In Luke 7:2-10 the centurion sent elders to Jesus, and they told Him that he was not worthy because he was a Gentile, and he was giving Jesus respect, because by rabbinical law the Gentile does not fellowship with the Jew. The Jews understood authority. Luke’s version was written to the Gentiles. Luke’s account says that the Centurion sent a group of elders to contact Jesus, which is showing delegated authority. When we say, “In Jesus’ name be healed”, it is really Jesus speaking. God does not want us to be independent. He wants us to be in unity with each of us keeping his/her own unique expression. You must submit to God and walk in love for John 10:10 and James 4:7 to work for you. “Agreement” is like a symphony where you maintain your uniqueness. Eph. 1:3 tells us that Jesus blessed us, meaning the body, with every spiritual blessing. Pastor Dale tells the story of the water buffalo calf, lions, a crocodile, and the herd (on YouTube) and also about a unique man named Ron Con. Satan can devour you more easily if you are not connected with the Body.
Do Not Be Deceived
Pastor Bob gave many words of exhortation from the Lord to the church at this time. The words are a call to grow up, go up, and to hear Him by sitting in His presence. We are revived, awakened, and now it is time to take the fire to the nations and to the people around us. His text was Rom. 16:17-20. It is time to wake up and know the spirit of the people we are listening to- in the pulpit, on television, or on radio. Whatever is said must be from the Word. We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit so we can be witnesses and representatives of Jesus Christ. Eph. 1:15-21 says that we need spiritual wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him… The enemy wants to deceive you, but you will get greater illumination by praying the Word and praying in the Holy Spirit. Ps. 119:129-131 tells us that His Word gives light. It separates what is emotion, flesh, and/or Spirit. Eph. 5:13 His light makes things visible and clear. We need to be wise in this world of deception.
The Biggest Block to Breakthrough
Bill Grein taught about the biggest block in breakthrough, a religion and a religious spirit. The religious people of His day, the Pharisees and Sadducees, could not receive from Jesus. They harassed the blind man whom Jesus healed by making mud with his spit and putting it on his eyes, because he did it on the Sabbath. Religion is trying to do it your own way. It is talking about what Jesus used to do. Religious people go to the past. They throw out any present day activity by Jesus and truth. In John 10:10 a thief is anyone Satan uses to come instead of Jesus.
God’s Manifested Power in Action
Janny testifies to God’s intervention, power, love, and grace as she tells how they started their ministry. They connected with Kenneth Copeland and learned many life lessons from him. They preach what they practice. We fail when we do what we want or do it the way we want. She tells of how they learned to subdue the storms by speaking the Word. Janny tells a powerful encounter with a demoniac in Africa and how God used her to set him free. Be led by God’s Spirit.
Breakthrough
Janny Grein ministered mainly through songs. The theme was breakthrough. We need to seek God and His righteousness. God and our salvation are inside us. Learn how to work your salvation. Do not let Satan make you forget who you are. God upholds the Word of and with His power.
Thirsty or Have You Had Enough
Pastor Bob gave many words of exhortation from the Lord to the church at this time. The words are a call to grow up, go up, and to hear Him by sitting in His presence. We are revived, awakened, and now it is time to take the fire to the nations and to the people around us. His text was Rom. 16:17-20. It is time to wake up and know the spirit of the people we are listening to- in the pulpit, on television, or on radio. Whatever is said must be from the Word. We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit so we can be witnesses and representatives of Jesus Christ. Eph. 1:15-21 says that we need spiritual wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him… The enemy wants to deceive you, but you will get greater illumination by praying the Word and praying in the Holy Spirit. Ps. 119:129-131 tells us that His Word gives light. It separates what is emotion, flesh, and/or Spirit. Eph. 5:13 His light makes things visible and clear. We need to be wise in this world of deception. Allow the Word to be sharp in you, so you do what He wants you to do and don’t listen to what is not truth and from the Word.
Building the CWI Foundation
Jim Johnson introduces the CWI body to the plan for membership. Those who have been a part of the CWI body will be grandfathered in, and new believers will go through classes, probably held prior to the services. The function is T-E-A-M: transform people by the Word of God, equip members to fulfill the call on their lives, and mobilize them to do what they have been equipped to do. The classes will focus on the foundations, righteousness, the believers’ function in the body, tithing, authority, ministry of helps, missions, etc. Jim’s teaching was on Ps. 127:1 and Ps. 133:1-3 exhorting the body to build a firm foundation of CWI on Jesus Christ, learn to function under the authority of Pastor Dale, and to live and work in unity. Using many scriptures in Acts, Jim highlighted how the church growth exploded when the people were in one accord. Dr. David Kandole also exhorted the church using Phil 2:2 and Acts 4:32-34, pointing out that there was no lack because the multitude was of one heart and one soul.
Different Perspectives of Faith
Scripture text: Heb. 11:8-13, 16, 23-27, 32-12:2. Abraham received the temporal promise of the land, but he got a vision of Jesus and when he got the land, he felt like, “Is this it?” He eventually looked up and was looking for another city. There is an eternal (vertical) perspective and a temporal (horizontal) perspective to faith. Which one is primary and which one is secondary in your life? We are to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness. We can receive prosperity, not by seeking it, but through faithfulness, communion with God, giving Him our hearts. The great men of faith saw suffering as of greater worth than earthly gain. Some faith heroes did great things. Some suffered greatly, but did not accomplish anything. The currency of heaven is faith, not accomplishment. Strive to be like Christ. How do you see Jesus? This is a time of war to establish the will of God on earth.
Authority Over Evil Spirits
In Mark 1:22 the people were astonished at Jesus’ doctrine or teaching because He taught them about and with authority, which He then demonstrated by commanding evil spirits to leave. You have the authority to command, if you are under God’s authority. The command of authority is not praying, laying on of hands, anointing, or the prayer of agreement. Listen as Pastor Dale relates his experience of casting out devils in a 12 year old boy. At the end, the now young man who was delivered of the demons stood up and told of his agreement with Satan that opened the door for the demonic to work in his life and his freedom through Jesus Christ. Fear is a spirit. Get rid of it! Command your body to function correctly. Speak to the object, to the problem. To not use your authority is negligence.
A Step At a Time
Glenn continues to tell the testimony of God’s goodness as he went from working for the Allentown State Hospital to Manheim where he had a studio in his basement and worked for Graybill’s Dairy. Then he started slide shows with music, and after displaying his artwork at the Manheim farm show, he had so many orders to do painting of farms that eventually he had to quit his dairy job. He kept increasing projectors for the slide shows and went over the country and into Canada with it. The Lord asked him if he wanted to live like that for the rest of his life? The change was to have the people come to the show instead. Thirty thousand people came to LBC during 10 weeks to see his slide shows with 15 projectors. Then he bought 3 acres for Living Waters. At the same time he was preaching and leading his church, doing portraits, wedding pictures, and slide shows. He shares the miracles God did financially in each step. He left the pastorate and after two men gave him confirmation, he bought the 55 acres that Sight and Sound are on. He tells of a miracle of finding an “ocean” of water for the entertainment center, getting inspiration for Noah at the farm show, and the financial miracle that followed the devastating fire of the first Sight and Sound building. His wife, Shirley, reminded him that it was their calling, not just a ministry or a business, so they rebuilt. The day after she said that, he drew the plans for the Millennium Theater. Everything in his life is a testimony of God taking him a step higher.
How to Get Beyond Broken Dreams
At the end of his life, King Saul said he played the fool. At the end of Apostle Paul’s life, he said he had finished the course and wanted to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and become like Him in death. How do you get beyond broken dreams? They lead to disappointment, the discouragement, then being distraught, then destruction, and depression, and then despair. Glenn tells how he loved nature, his parents encouraged his gift in art, and his father was a wonderful storyteller. He shares how God took him from being a dairy farmer, to a broken dream, to a new dream of marriage and serving in Allentown State Hospital on their dairy farm, to doing paintings in the afternoons when he was not working, to selling his paintings by the truckloads, to buying a camera and becoming a photographer. Do not despise the day of small beginnings.
Questions For the Leaders Panel
Listen to questions written by the audience and the answers given by the panel, hosted by Pastor Dale Armstrong. What 5 books have impacted your life the most? Why do we get lots of ideas, but the man with the idea cannot make it happen? PDAC (Plan, do, check, adjust). What tools have you used to stay focused on your way with God? How do we plan for the future? How do you know what to focus on? Can someone’s life vision be to help someone else’s vision? What are good tips to give to an emerging leader?
Roadmap To a Successful Destiny
The roadmap to a successful destiny is Mark 11:22-24. Have faith in God. Tell your mountain where to go. Have absolute confidence in victory. Your spoken words have power, and you will have what you say. Be specific in what you say. Ask in prayer. Believe and write down your goal, and take personal responsibility. Where have you quit? Dr. Seuss was rejected by 22 publishers.
Choose To or Have To
Dogs love steaks, but they will settle for bones. Where is the steak in your life? Choose to, rather than have to. Conformity is your enemy. Take authority over your life. Ed tells the story of a trip to a gold mine and the lessons he learned there. Be diligent. Find the gold dust in what you are doing. Be a support to those in the harvest field. Support someone to replace you. Create a solution. You have to let go to get the gold. Release it to God. Practice NOT condemning, complaining, or criticizing for seven days. Be a gate-keeper: the ear gate, eye gate, the spoken word gate, association gate, and the environment gate. Who do you associate with? Are you in a dead church? Pre-play your vision. Do you have a scarcity or abundance context of life? Convergence- focus on one thing and get rid of distractions. Congruence- Are you congruent with your destiny? Get rid of “pop-ups”. Be a laser and get rid of the grumpy, critical, condemning, and complaining. Be a believer first.