The Word came first. Don’t focus on what is not seen. Our spiritual eyes need to be open. Desperation, find the word of God concerning this situation, speak the Word of God and release your faith. Faith begins where the Will of God is. Key to miracles, do whatever He says.

Mark 16:9-16
Luke 10:17-19
John 20:24-31
John 21:25
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Luke 18:1-8
1 John 5:14-15
1 John 5:3-5
Acts 14:9-10

Expect Miracles: The Rock, Part 2

Doug and Kirsten Ruhl testified of their thankfulness for blessings of the church while they have been going through ministry school. Pastor Syd shared of the multiple miracles from his birthday blessing. Isaiah 51 tells us to look expectantly to the Rock from which you were cut. Jesus Christ is the Rock. Jesus and we are the living stones (1 Peter 2:4-7). Honor comes to those who believe in Jesus, and they will never be put to shame. This is the year of miracles, and it starts in the house of the Lord with honoring Him. (Jesus as the stone: Isaiah 28:16; Romans 9:33) Pastor Syd presented an analogy of his trying to split resistant logs with the persistence sometimes needed for miracles to happen suddenly. Do not question why your faith did not work, but study the times it did work. His Word will accomplish what it was sent to do. Luke 6:46 tells us to come, hear, and act. King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream showed that a rock struck the statue’s feet. The rock became a mountain. The Lord will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed. Jesus told His disciples to tell the people that His kingdom is at hand. Luke 6:48 relates about the man who dug deep into the rock with effort to build an unshakable house. Pastor Syd told of digging a trench in shifting soil. Concerning the trench, the Lord did a miracle of his behalf. God delights in us. David declared God as his rock, fortress, and stronghold in Psalm 18. This was after his sins. He cried to the Lord for help. It was prophetic of Jesus. Look for the spirit working in people, rather than the person. The Lord lives. Blessed be my rock. We are anointed, and He is faithful to His anointed. He is my rock and salvation (Psalm 62). Make declarations of who God is and pray and sing in the middle of persecution.

Trust in the Lord, and do what is good (Psalm 37:3-7). Dwell in the land and live securely. Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires. Commit your ways to Him. What are you looking at? What brings you joy? Have faith in God (Mark 11:12-14, 20-26). Jesus lived by faith and laid aside His divine nature. He was tempted. He took on our sin nature, and was baptized by the Holy Spirit. Unforgiveness causes the Father to not hear us. Forgive others, then release them and pray for them. Romans says the goodness of the Lord brings people to repentance. Jesus spoke directly to the problem and spoke the desire result. He cursed the tree. He taught His disciples that nature listens to you. Have the faith of God. Speak to the mountain, and your faith will work for you. A rich Assyrian leper named Naaman was told to dip in the Jordan River by an Israeli prophet. Naaman tried to buy favor with his good works and money, but it was not until he humbled himself and acted in faith that he received his healing. STOP DISQUALFIYING YOURSELF! You have to speak God’s Word to the mountain. Do not say what you have. Your words will wait to ambush you. The tongue is like a bridle or a rudder. Put them to work for you. They turn the situation around slowly. Speak specifically the end result (Isaiah 53:4, 5; Psalm 103:3, 4; Isaiah 26:3). Believe. Have endurance and receive. Faith comes by hearing.

Listen to this miracle-packed sermon on “Expect Miracles”.  A young lady testified of the change in her life as a result of Pastor Syd’s and Paul Burkholder’s victorious ministry to her boss who had a 2% chance of living because of cancer. We are seated in the heavens with authority (Ephesians 1:20-2:7). Jesus said for His disciples to believe in His works because they were of His Father and that we would do greater works than He did (John 14:8-14). The many good works that Jesus did were the miracles (John 10:31-38). He said that signs, miracles, would accompany those who believe: casting out demons, speaking in new tongues, not being harmed by snakes (demons) or drink, and laying hands on the sick and their recovery Mark 16:15-20). Elijah proclaimed that there would be no rain for years at his command. He had to obey and be at a certain place in order for God to miraculously feed and water him (1 Kings 17:1-18:41). He was miraculously taken care of by ravens while staying beside a brook and then by a widow and her son. He performed a miracle of raising her son from the dead. He performed another huge miracle of bringing down fire on a water drenched altar, and the subsequent downpour of rain. James 5:13-18 tells the individual to pray and call for the elders to pray and anoint with oil. In Acts 4:23, after Peter and John were threatened, they prayed for boldness to go to the nations. We are told to do miraculous works that affect individuals, groups, and nations (Psalm 2:1-12). Take a hold of nation-changing prayer. Pray for Ukraine and Russia and the nations. There must be a move, an awakening, of God. Pray for our nation.

Pastor Syd relates the miracles of his climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, and his cousin’s miraculous overcoming COVID and a ruptured disc on the trip.

Who is the Holy Spirit? He is the Counselor and Comforter, God’s Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, the Spirit of Life, the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of Adoption, and the Spirit of Faith. What is His role in the believer’s life? He is the Advocate and Counselor to help you forever. He is our Companion. He guides us into all truth, tells us of things yet to come, and reminds us of things God has said. He glorifies Jesus. (John 14:16, 26; John 16:13-14) The Holy Spirit convicts unbelievers of sin and sanctifies Gentiles. What does the Holy Spirit do on you (being baptized in the Holy Spirit, being filled with the Holy Spirit)? He empowers you to minister to others. (John 20:1-11; Luke 24:36-49) The disciples were born again in John 20:22. They got the Holy Spirit on them in Acts 1:4-8. Over and over the Bible records that the Holy Spirit came on the disciples and believers (Acts 2:14-21, 28; Acts 4:29-30; Acts 6:8; Acts 8:4-13-16; Acts 9:17; Acts 10:34-44; Acts 19:1-60). Signs that follow the Holy Spirit’s coming on a person are that they prophesy, and they speak in tongues. There are two kinds of tongues: 1) tongues unto the Lord that is a prayer language between man and God, and 2) tongues which are messages to man, which need interpretation. The prayer language edifies the person (Jude 20) and bypasses the devil and ourselves. Praying in tongues can be followed by praying in English as He reveals mysteries and truth. (1 Corinthians 2:1-14; 14:1-14) You need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, being filled often. [A word in tongues and interpretation was given, encouraging the congregation to pray in the Spirit, especially in these last days.]

[Apostle Dale Armstrong shared about the Ukraine and the importance of our prayers for the people.]

Pastor Syd tells how the filling of the Holy Spirit is manifested. There is a need to release and yield to the Holy Spirit for the person to pray in tongues. He shared how and when to share a word or tongue in the church service. Jesus’ disciples could not cast out the demon in the boy with seizures (Mark 9:14-26, Luke 9:1-2, 37-42, 10:17, and Matthew 17:19-21). Addressing why the disciples’ ministering did not work, Jesus said that it was because of their unbelief or little faith. Faith is measurable. There is no, weak, shipwrecked, little, great, sincere, growing, increasing, strong, Spirit of faith, full of faith, perfect, mature, and overcoming faith. Pastor Syd shared of his experience of shipwrecked faith. Faith is spiritual and of the heart and gives life (John 6:63). Unbelief comes out by the Word of God, prayer, and fasting (Matthew 17:21). It is your exercising authority and power. Do all have faith? No (2 Thessalonians 3:1-2). Examine yourself. All have been given faith, but not all walk in faith. You cannot pray and fast a demon out, but you can get rid of unbelief that way. Praying and fasting do not give you authority and power. Jesus was tempted, but He overcame because He had a strong intimate relationship with the Father (Luke 4). We need that kind of relationship with God in order to be led by His Spirit. He was anointed by the Holy Spirit and power while doing what the LORD had told Him to do. Why could the disciples not cast out the demon? It was because of their unbelief, their being full of themselves, and their having fear. Spending time with God and moving in love drive out condemnation and fear. Draw near to Him.

In Judges 6, the Midianites had cleaned out the land of the Israelites yearly. Gideon was hiding while threshing when an Angel of the Lord declared him to be a mighty warrior, the Lord is with you, and to go in the strength you have. Faith without works is dead. God will be with you. Jesus is the revealed will of God on the earth. The Holy Spirit is not enough for a miracle. You must be a believer, and you need the power of God. God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and power. Jesus never took credit for His miracles; God was with Him. God is with us always. The power followed the telling of the Good News. Be bold. Let God show that He is with you to proclaim and to liberate. The miracles testify. Are you giving the Lord opportunities for miracles? The one who believes in Jesus will do greater works than He did. Jesus said that what was impossible with man was possible with God (Mark 10:27). God does not change (Malachi 3:6). What limits God? They provoked God, tempting Him (Psalm 78). They limited God. They did not remember the mighty deeds the Lord did for them. They had unbelief (Mark 6). The cure for unbelief is prayer and fasting and drawing near to the Father. Hebrews 11:6. Treat your relationship with the Lord as valuable. Remain in Him. Delight in Him (Psalm 37:4). Seek the Lord (Psalm 34:10). Other Scriptures: Psalm 22; 111:1-2; 109:30; 105; 145. Time was given for individuals to share their testimonies, followed by a time of ministry.

To expect is to believe with faith. When God gives you a Rhema word, you can expect it to be fulfilled. Mark 10:27 refers to things being impossible for someone trusting in wealth, but with God all things are possible. It is impossible for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus was looking intently at His disciples, because He was giving them something deep. You can limit God by not remembering His power (Psalm 78). Psalm 105:1-2 says that we are to proclaim His deeds among the people, and tell of His wondrous works.

[Individuals shared their testimonies.] In Mark 2:1-12 Jesus saw their faith. Your faith can make a difference for someone else. He forgave the paralytic’s sin before He healed him. Sin can short-circuit healing. Condemnation can get in between. Conviction pulls you to the Lord, but condemnation separates you from Him. What was the result of Jesus’ and the disciples’ miracles? They led people to glorify God or led them to salvation. Examples of this are: John 2:1-11; John 2:23; John 3:1-2; John 4:46-54; John 5:36-37; John 10:24-38; John 11:4-45; Acts 5:12-16; Acts 9:32-35, 36-43; Acts 13:1-12; Acts 28:1-10; John 14:1-14; and Matthew 5:14-16. Miracles are so people can see His good works and glorify God and be led to salvation.