Texts: John 10:10, 11; Matthew 4:23, 24; Matthew 9:35, 36. Satan is a thief, who steals things of value that belong to you. The devil not only kills, but he destroys. He is evil! Do not blame God for what he does. Being robbed is like being violated, and that is what Satan does. Jesus came to give us life, more abundant life, like a water spring that you cannot shut off. Jesus is the good shepherd. A shepherd has to kill bears, lions, and wolves. He gives his life for his sheep (verses 11, 15, 17, and 18). Ministry is work, but it is really poured-out love. To shepherd means to feed. Jesus restored Peter by telling him to feed His lambs and His sheep, which is the role of a pastor, even though Peter was an apostle. Matthew 4:23, 24 tell us that Jesus’ work here was teaching, preaching, and healing. Teaching affects a man’s will through his intellect, whereas preaching affects a man’s will through his emotions. Healing is part of being a pastor. Matthew 9:35, 36 also say that Jesus taught, preached, and healed the sick. The Word must be a priority in your life. One of the reasons we cannot see the big picture, in other words, the multitudes, is because we do not have enough compassion. Compassion is the answer. Jesus saw that the multitudes were like sheep scattered without a shepherd. The problem is that there are too few laborers. Jesus laid His hands on everyone and healed them (Luke 4:40-44). Apostle Dale told of laying hands on many more than eight hundred people in Armenia because the Lord told him to do so. God wants to do miracles through our hands. The general work of the Gospel is teaching, preaching, and healing. Secondly, the needs of the people call for a greater depth of love. Thirdly, we are to have respect for individual, God-given assignments. Faith works by love. God never said you need a church, but you do need a shepherd (Number 27:16-20). The pastoral ministry puts us in a position to have life and that more abundantly. When Jesus was raised from the dead, what was on His mind was what Peter was to do. It is not about you anymore after you make Jesus the Lord of your life. Offering message: 3 John 2 tells us that our soul must prosper for us to be in health. Seek God’s kingdom first (Matthew 6:33). Allow the Lord to prosper you. Hear, believe, and receive what God says. You must be born-again, be filled with the Holy Spirit, and be baptized. We have a choice. We are to choose life and follow and speak His Word (Joshua 1:8).
The Shepherd – part 1 – Jan 3
The Shepherd – part 2 – Jan 4 AM
Stop the devil and get back what he has stolen (John10:10, 11). People need to discover the enemy, and it is not God! The only reason Satan comes is to kill, steal, and destroy. Jesus only came to bring life. Jesus gave His life for His sheep. The hireling does not have love for the sheep. Love links us and sticks even if the shepherd does not have ability. When Jesus was on earth, His work was teaching, preaching, and healing (Matthew4:23, 24; 9:35, 36). That is the general work of the Gospel. Although Jesus ministered healing, the people came to hear. The devil is the wolf who tries to scatter the sheep. People need a pastor, a shepherd (Numbers 27:16, 17). Do you have a pastor in your life? The anointing comes through the pastor. Get angry about what the enemy does. A lot of your life is also about what you hate. Hate sin and the devil. The pastor is to get in-between the wolf and the people. You need a pastor who prays. Pray for protection for the little ones. If you want abundance, realize Jesus brings you abundant life, so go to Him. You must get under teaching, preaching, and healing.
The Shepherd – part 3 – Jan 4 PM
Texts: Matthew 4:23, 24; 9:35, 36; Numbers 27:15-18. Jesus’ work here was teaching, preaching, and healing. You need a pastor. A shepherd is a pastor, and he feeds his sheep. What does it mean to have a pastor/shepherd over you? The body of Christ needs pastors, and God wants to send them forth. Jesus was moved with compassion when He saw that the “sheep” were scattered and did not have shepherd. According to John 10:10 and 11, you cannot have the abundant life and prosper, if you do not have a pastor in your life. We need pastors who love the sheep and will give their lives for the “sheep”. People need to know that their pastors care. That means that they may tell you the truth, even if it causes you to want to run away. God’s objective for us is abundant life. A pastor prepares you for the present time and for what is coming up. Pastors, if you want more prayer, pray more. If you want more giving, give more. Moses was told that Joshua had the Spirit in him, and that he was to lay his hand on him (Joshua), giving him some of his authority so that all the congregation of Israel would be obedient. Listen to your pastor, especially when he is hearing from God for you. Do not use the Word of God to manipulate. Obey you pastor. Pastoring is not about administration, a big building, a great worship team, etc. It is about teaching, preaching, and healing. (There was a time of ministry and laying on of hands.)
A Heart After God – Jan 10
Pre-sermon message: In Ezekiel 36:25 God said that He would give us a heart of flesh and would give His Spirit in us. He has done that since Jesus came. Your harvest field is where you are placed. Go! If you are not fishing, you are not following Jesus. Am I a follower or a fan of Jesus? We do not want to be a church that has lost its saltiness, thinking we do not need Jesus and not having a heart for the lost. Be a person who cares. Listen and pray for the lost. Show Jesus’ love to them and disciple them. Sermon message: Psalm 110:1-3 says we are to make His enemies His footstool by putting the enemy under our feet by using His authority. We are to rule and reign in the authority of His name. We are also to be willing volunteers. Isaiah 1:18-19 informs us that we are to be both willing and obedient in order to eat the good of the land. Obedience means listening with the intent of understanding and doing. All of God’s blessings belong to us, but it is up to us to do what is needed to receive them. Pastor Syd tells of a Hell’s Angel who became gloriously converted but didn’t understand how to convince his friend of Jesus’ goodness. Forcing his friend into praying the sinner’s prayer did not change his heart, because he was not willing and his heart was not right. To receive salvation requires both a willing heart belief and a confession of faith. Be sowers of compliments, compassion, and life. What is the perfect heart? Is it not a heart which goes after God whole-heartedly? God through Samuel said that He looks at the heart, not the outward appearance (1 Samuel 16:7). His eyes go to and fro looking for those whose hearts are perfect, whole-heartedly, completely willing, completely given to Him. He shows Himself strong to those whose hearts are perfect toward Him. In 2 Chronicles 15:16 and 16:9-12 it is recorded that King Asa was wholehearted for the Lord his whole life yet he made mistakes. God judges our hearts. We can make mistakes and still have a whole heart toward Him. Likewise, you can do the right things but have a wrong heart. In 2 Chronicles 25:2 Amaziah did what was right but not with a perfect heart. Be full of mercy. Mercy comes before judgment. Do not judge the other person’s heart. Pastor Syd was feeling condemned about never being brave against something, and the Lord reminded him of a time he chased a wolf who was eyeing their chickens for his dinner. Let God comfort you when you have been too hard on yourself. Samuel told Saul that he was foolish and that God wanted a man after His own heart (1 Samuel 13:13-). Check in your heart: Am I willing?” Psalm 37:3, 4 says to delight ourselves in the Lord and He will give us the desires of our hearts. David was humble and grateful. David asked God to restore the joy of His salvation and uphold a willing heart in him (Psalm 51:12). We do not want hardened hearts (Psalm 16:5-11). Have a heart after God.
Offering sermon by Karen Burrows: 3 John 2; Deuteronomy 8:18-19; Malachi 3:9, 10; 1 Corinthians 16:1, 2; 2 Corinthians 9:7; Galatians 6:7-9. It is the Lord your God who gives you the power to get wealth. Do not forget to thank and follow Him when you prosper. Bring your tithes into the storehouse and be obedient to Him and His Word. Remember, what you sow, you shall reap. Give as God purposes in your heart, cheerfully. Do not complain, but give back (speak) His Words.
A Heart After God – Jan 11
Pre-sermon message: In Ezekiel 36:25 God said that He would give us a heart of flesh and would give His Spirit in us. He has done that since Jesus came. Your harvest field is where you are placed. Go! If you are not fishing, you are not following Jesus. Am I a follower or a fan of Jesus? We do not want to be a church that has lost its saltiness, thinking we do not need Jesus and not having a heart for the lost. Be a person who cares. Listen and pray for the lost. Show Jesus’ love to them and disciple them. Sermon message: Psalm 110:1-3 says we are to make His enemies His footstool by putting the enemy under our feet by using His authority. We are to rule and reign in the authority of His name. We are also to be willing volunteers. Isaiah 1:18-19 informs us that we are to be both willing and obedient in order to eat the good of the land. Obedience means listening with the intent of understanding and doing. All of God’s blessings belong to us, but it is up to us to do what is needed to receive them. Pastor Syd tells of a Hell’s Angel who became gloriously converted but didn’t understand how to convince his friend of Jesus’ goodness. Forcing his friend into praying the sinner’s prayer did not change his heart, because he was not willing and his heart was not right. To receive salvation requires both a willing heart belief and a confession of faith. Be sowers of compliments, compassion, and life. What is the perfect heart? Is it not a heart which goes after God whole-heartedly? God through Samuel said that He looks at the heart, not the outward appearance (1 Samuel 16:7). His eyes go to and fro looking for those whose hearts are perfect, whole-heartedly, completely willing, completely given to Him. He shows Himself strong to those whose hearts are perfect toward Him. In 2 Chronicles 15:16 and 16:9-12 it is recorded that King Asa was wholehearted for the Lord his whole life yet he made mistakes. God judges our hearts. We can make mistakes and still have a whole heart toward Him. Likewise, you can do the right things but have a wrong heart. In 2 Chronicles 25:2 Amaziah did what was right but not with a perfect heart. Be full of mercy. Mercy comes before judgment. Do not judge the other person’s heart. Pastor Syd was feeling condemned about never being brave against something, and the Lord reminded him of a time he chased a wolf who was eyeing their chickens for his dinner. Let God comfort you when you have been too hard on yourself. Samuel told Saul that he was foolish and that God wanted a man after His own heart (1 Samuel 13:13-). Check in your heart: Am I willing?” Psalm 37:3, 4 says to delight ourselves in the Lord and He will give us the desires of our hearts. David was humble and grateful. David asked God to restore the joy of His salvation and uphold a willing heart in him (Psalm 51:12). We do not want hardened hearts (Psalm 16:5-11). Have a heart after God.
A Heart After God – Jan 17
Offering message: 3 John 2; Deuteronomy 8:18; Job 36:11; Psalm 35:27; Psalm 118:24, 25; 1 Chronicles 4:10. God gives us the power to gain wealth, and He has pleasure in our prosperity. God’s prosperity adds no pain with it. Sermon message: How can we have a heart after God? He wants us to get in line with Him. Isaiah 1:18 and 19 say that we will eat the good of the land if we are willing and obedient. He is your Source, and He wants you to be blessed. Our being willing and obedient ties in with seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness. A heart after God is a willing heart. Money reveals the heart. Each one of us must examine his or her own heart. Covetousness blocks blessings. Where your money is, there your heart will be. Matthew 19:16 tells of a rich ruler to whom Jesus told to sell all his belongings and give to the poor and follow Him. He went away sorrowful. Jesus said, “How hard it is for who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God.” Mark 10:23-31 says that those who leave houses and family for His sake will receive 100 times more now. You can desire to do things for Him but not really be willing. In this country we are self-sufficient and do not depend on God. In Luke 19:1 Zacchaeus gave half his goods and restored four-fold whatever he took. Jesus did not have to ask him to do that because Zacchaeus had a willing heart. God looks at your heart. If you are willing, it is the same as doing it. Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac showed God his heart. We must be both willing and obedient. A lot of times money is not the problem, but it is a lack of faith and willingness. Get willing, and then you will get the vision and the faith. God is not against our having riches, but we are not to trust in them (1 Timothy 6:17-19). In fact, He became poor that through His poverty we might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). He richly provides us with all things to enjoy. We can have full enjoyment by doing good, being generous, being willing to share, or in other words, seeking first the kingdom of God. We read of the Corinthians giving an offering willingly (2 Corinthians 8, 9). Ask God for finances to give where you want to give. It is okay to exhort to give. He who sows bountifully, reaps bountifully. Each person should give as he purposes in his heart. Are you willing in your heart? We should give because we love God. Be moved by compassion, not because of need. God is able to make all grace abound to you, that you may have sufficiency and abundance. Give yourself willingly to Jesus.
A Heart After God – Jan 18
Psalm 110:1-3; Isaiah 1:18, 19. God is our Source. Money reveals your heart. Where are you putting your money? The source is not your money. How are we to eat the good of the land and have a heart after Him? The answer is by seeking first His kingdom and by willing and obedient. A perfect heart is wholehearted. Matthew 19:16-22 and Luke 19:1-10 contrast two different people with two different kinds of hearts, one not willing and the other one willing. Are we trusting God for our finances? If we put ourselves last, He will put us first. It is covetousness to think, “I can’t believe they spent that much on that.” If we surrender and submit ourselves to God, we will not need to hear from the Lord to give something. Do you have a willing heart? In 1 Timothy 6:17-19 God was talking to the rich. That’s us! See yourself as rich, because He has made you rich (2 Corinthians 8). He gives us richly all things to enjoy. To fully enjoy all things, do good, be rich in good works, be willing to share, and be ready to give. See that the work of God gets accomplished. It is God’s will that you have the good of the land. Be willing and do His will.
Repentance – Jan 24
David was restored to God when he repented. There always is a consequence for every sin. Christ paid the price for our sin, and if we sin, we should be reminded of that price. What did Jesus begin, end, and preach throughout His ministry? It was repentance- repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. In Luke 24 His last words were repentance and remission of sins should be preached in all nations in His name. God’s perspective of us when we repent and ask for forgiveness is that of joy. He loves when we repent. When your children disobey, do not bless them until they repent. God made provision for sin under the Old Covenant through the priesthood and through atonement (to cover) by animal sacrifice. The sins of the people were only covered, but not removed. All sin needs to be judged. Jesus Christ paid for our redemption, so that now when people repent, there is remission (removal) of sins from their hearts. Then there is reconciliation with God. In other words, it’s redemption, repentance, remission, and reconciliation with God. You are restored to a personal relationship with God. He told us to preach repentance of sins. In Matthew 9:13 He said that He came to call the sinners to repentance. Only one-third to one-half of the pastors believes that the Bible is inspired by God and that it is infallible. People need to hear the truth to even know they need to repent. First John 1:9 tells us to confess our sin. In Luke 15:7, the parable of the lost sheep, God rejoices over one sinner who repents. This should bring us more joy than anything, because this is God’s heart. There has to be repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 says that God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Do we have a sense of urgency to see people repent? We have access to what Jesus did for us. God wants to reconcile the world to Himself (2 Corinthians 5:17-20). We have the ministry of reconciliation. Ministry (work, service, calling) is done by us through the word of reconciliation, but first it must be strong in us. Ed Cole in his teaching told of an eight-year old who received a ten-year old’s heart. The younger girl had a dream of the image of the man who killed the older girl that was retained in the heart of the dead child, which was used to arrest the man. We are not to be ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power to salvation (Romans 1:16). What are you doing with that word of reconciliation? The best thing we can do is fulfill what God has for us to do. The Gospel is good news! Take the Gospel and talk about it with love, so others can hear about God’s goodness. How do you lead people to repentance? Lead people to repentance by exposing them to the goodness of God (Romans 2:4). People need to see the God’s goodness by seeing the goodness of our relationship with God. Romans 10:13-15 says that the Word needs to be preached and shared. Come back to God’s presence. It is the truth that will change peoples’ lives. Sin is ugly and will not go away without repentance. It is easy to submit to love. (Shane shared an experience of this at his job.) Is being right worth compromising the integrity of Christ? (Shane shared how his son asked what sin is and as a result, he received Jesus Christ into his heart.) Small kindnesses open doors to the Gospel. Are you ready to share it? Are you like the ten spies or the two spies? Too often we get our eyes on what we are going through and not on what we are going to. You will have challenges, but God has made a way through it. God promises victory. How would others report on your life? People have the right desires but are looking at the wrong places and ways to get them. God can use you where you are. (Shane told God’s revelation to Shane of his anger at Him after his wife had two miscarriages. At the same time his wife was being ministered to at the Landmark. Three months later she was pregnant. God showed him that it is not by might, not by power, but by His Spirit.) We have experiences that hurt, but He shows us the way to victory. People must repent and see the value of a relationship with God and a life overcome by the goodness of God. If you have a lack of appreciation of what God has done for you, go to God and tell Him your heart. He wants to bring restoration and joy to you.
Offering message by Karen Burrows: Malachi 3:10-12 tells us that if we bring in all the tithes into the storehouse, we can prove God that He will 1) open the windows of heaven, 2) pour you out a blessing, and 3) rebuke the devourer for your sake. Both 2 Timothy 3:16 and 2 Corinthians 9 build on that. When you give, give to the Father, because every good gift comes from Him.
Repentance – Jan 25
What did Jesus begin, end, and preach throughout His ministry? It was repentance- repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. Christ knew that something new was about to be released through Him. God made provision for sin under the Old Covenant through patiently waiting to give judgment and through atonement (to cover) by animal sacrifice. The sins of the people were only covered, but not removed. All sin needs to be judged. Are today’s churches dealing with sin? You determine whether you will go to heaven. Jesus knew that remission (to release the sinner from his sins), not just covering, was coming through Him. Christ purchased us with His redemption. He is now in us. Now we have a reconciled (fixed) relationship, and we can call on the sacrificed Jesus Christ. When people repent, they can be reconciled to God. It is impossible to walk in God’s blessings without repentance and reconciliation. God wants us to repent of sins. Matthew9:13 says that Jesus came to call sinners to repentance. God wants all men and women to be saved. In Luke 15:7, the parable of the lost sheep, God rejoices over one sinner who repents. This should bring us more joy than anything, because this is God’s heart. God’s plan has been to reconcile the world to Himself. We are reconciled through God only (2 Corinthians 5:17-20). We all have the ministry of reconciliation. Each of us must do what we are called to do. We are all part of the same body. Do what you are called to do. The ministry of reconciliation is for us wherever we are, and we do it with the Word of God. The Gospel is good news, worthy to be declared. Romans 1:16 tells us that the Gospel is the power of God. The Word in me is powerful. How do we lead others to repent? We do it by showing the goodness of the Lord (Romans 2:4). People must understand that relationship with God is good. They must see His goodness in us. We are God’s magnets to pull them to God. We draw near to Him first. (Shane shared an experience of this at his job.) Is what I am doing showing God’s love and who God is? We always have to be ready for the hope that is in us. What have I done with the ministry of reconciliation? Lead people to repentance by exposing them to the goodness of God. Guard your heart with all diligence.
Prepare Your Heart – Jan 31
Offering message: Acts 20:35 says it is more blessed to give than to receive. Giving 1) obeys God’s laws, 2) submits to God’s lordship, 3) exhibits God’s heart, 4) illustrates His salvation, 5) recognizes God as your source, 6) widens God’s smile, 7) advances His kingdom, 8) in faith releases God’s power, and 9) is an act of worship. Sermon message: The CWI Prophetic Conference could be called a Revelation or Power or Speaking or Holy Spirit conference. God wants us to prepare our hearts to be stirred up and to receive from Him, so we can go out to others. When Israel was returning to Jerusalem, the Babylonian king sent the captives back with provisions. Those who went back were those people whose hearts God had stirred (Ezra 1:5). We should be stirred up and willing. In Ezra 7:9b, 10 Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Lord, to do His will, and to teach His ordinances. The gracious heart of God will be on you. Prepare your heart with only His agenda. Do not stifle Him. God’s truth, wisdom, and understanding will come into you and flow out of you when you get into His presence (Psalm 73:13-16). His power in us is to flow out of us to others. We need singleness of purpose to expand the kingdom. We need boldness. Psalm 126:1-6. We need to see the lost and to be “salty” people. Let the compassion of God fill you as you pray and want His agenda. Use the sword of the Spirit (the Word of God) praying (Ephesians 6:17-18). Pray at all times. Pray in the Spirit. Stay alert. Pray for all the saints in the Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 is the core Scripture for this conference. Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in everything. Do not despise prophecy. Test prophecies. Hold onto what is good in the prophecy. Treat the Lord’s Word as precious. Stay away from every form of evil, because it dilutes the power of God in your life. The gifts of the Spirit are for each as He wills. (The rest of the service was spent in prayer.)
Prepare Your Heart – Feb 1
When Israel was returning to Jerusalem, the Babylonian king sent the captives back with provisions. Those who went back were those people whose hearts God had stirred (Ezra 1:5). In Ezra 7:9b, 10 Ezra had prepared his heart to study the Word, to obey it, and to teach it. You should not ignore a stirred heart. Take the sword of the Spirit (the Word of God) with praying out the Word, praying at all times in the Spirit (tongues) with a posture of prayer (Ephesians 6:17-18). Yield to the Holy Spirit and push away the clutter. We need boldness. Allow the Holy Spirit to empower you. Stay alert with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. The power for this area to be changed is found in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22. Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in everything. Do not despise prophecy. Test prophecies. Hold onto what is good in the prophecy. Treat the Lord’s Word as precious. Stay away from every form of evil, because it dilutes the power of God in your life. Esteem and hold onto what God has said. Ask, “Father, how can You use me?” (We spent time in prayer.)
Prophecy Conference: First Evening – Silence – Feb 2
(Song: Lord, roll me out to get the lumps out of me.) Everything that is done by the Spirit should honor the Lord. The greatest thing is to be alone with God. God made us in His image. Carry a pencil and paper to write down what He speaks. God has a voice. When someone refuses to get alone with God, they are saying that they do not want to invest in themselves. Silence does not mean God is not speaking. The problem is that He is trying to get us to listen. God’s nature is to reveal Himself. Brother Ron shares many revelations that God has given him about silence. Silence is the invitation to hear the voice of God. It is not silence people fear; it is hearing God that they fear. Silence is the teacher calling people to serve. Hitler was a preacher, but he preached the wrong message. He studied mannerisms and how to influence people, but it was demonic. Silence does not shout from the stage, but whispers from the side. Silence invites participation. Silence is the dessert. God had to keep Jesus’ death and resurrection a secret. Why did God send a flood? Satan was trying to produce a different DNA of mixing angels and humans, which would have prevented Jesus from coming through man. Stay in the Word, and let it wash you, and it will change you by the level of consecration. Silence brings about discovery. Silence’s twin brother is solitude. Silence is when your heartbeat matches God’s. Silence is a canvas where God paints His thoughts. Silence helps the mind focus and the heart soar. Silence brings worlds together. Silence asks for permission to speak. God wants to know if you can be nudged. God never walks in the shadow of Satan. Satan only counterfeits what is real. David had five stones, because he planned to kill Goliath and his four brothers. If we are silent in these last days, we enable man to speak. A sign gives information and points you to something. Do not walk by what you see, but by the Spirit. Spend time with the Spirit, not quenching or grieving Him. There is a sword coming, trying to quiet the preaching of the Gospel. America is sick and weak. We need to wake up and do something about it! We are only alive if we stay connected to God. There are no coincidences in God’s kingdom. If you are walking with God, you will look different. Brother Ron shared different connections confirming God’s voice to him.
Prophetic Conference – Translation, Transformation, and Transfiguration – Feb 3
(Prophet Bob gave a word.) My God loves me so much that He will not let me stay where I am. Are you where God wants you? Man wants comfort, but God wants obedience. Comfort is the siren-call of destruction. Are we ignitable? A revival spirit comes when man talks about heaven. Consider the eternal things of God. Humble men want God to be seen, not themselves. God is searching man’s heart. Teach me Your ways. Show me Your paths. You may be in the will of God and be totally out of comfort and be in danger. Darkness can increase either by evil or by the increase of light. Satan’s darkness will be seen as darker because of the glory of God. The more glory of God is present, the darker and obvious the darkness is. If you cannot see darkness, you need an increase of light in your life. Ninety percent of Brother Ron’s prayer life is spent in tongues. There are two sins of America and the church: 1) pride, and 2) the church has lost its awe of God. Only when a man knows that he does not know anything does he know anything. God knows everything. Show us Your perspective of earth. Pray the Ephesians 1:17-23 prayer in the first person. Sing and make melody in your heart. You allow the world to serve you and glorify God. Keep a pad and pen with you, writing down His thoughts. The lips of knowledge are a precious jewel (Proverbs 20:15). These three words will change your lives: translation, transformation, and transfiguration. 1) Translation: We have been delivered from the power of darkness and translated (conveyed) into the God’s kingdom (Colossians 1:13). “Translation” means moved from one place to another. We are dead! We need to stop being afraid of man and of dying. Ask God: “Is there anything in my life that does not please You?” 2) Transformation: We are to be living sacrifices (Romans 12:1, 2). Living sacrifices do not stink! Under the Old Testament the sacrifices had to be dead. Man’s sacrifice is a stench in God’s nostrils. Transformation means getting your mind renewed, changed from glory to glory. The Spirit of God is deposited in us for a return. “Father, do not let Your investment in me fail.” 3) Transfigured: Means to undergo a change. Mark 9:2 says that “after six days” Jesus took three of His disciples on a high mountain. Be a fool for God so He can set you free. It is like chewing a cud. (Brother Ron shared more connections.) The order of the church is: translation, transformation, and transfiguration. During the last days man will run to and fro because of knowledge. It will be because of a lack of imagination. Jesus laid down His glory. After 6,000 years, the church will undergo a transfiguration. John saw it on the Island of Patmos.
Prophetic Conference – Knowledge, Understanding, and Wisdom – Feb 4
There are three keys for navigating with victory: knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. Daniel 2:1,19. God gives wisdom to the wise, and He gives knowledge to those who have understanding. You are important to the Body of Christ. Prophet Bob shared how his finger “exploded” when he jammed it on frozen logs. That finger hurt and took his attention. We hurt as a body when a member hurts. God is bringing unity to the church. Open up your heart. Proverbs 9:10 says the knowledge of God is understanding. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. You have to press in. The church has the commission of going to all parts of the world. We are to exhort, edify, and comfort. God wants to increase the insight in us. We are to have boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus(Hebrews 10:19-25). When we take care of others, He takes care of us. We are to be provokers of love and good works, laying down our lives by prayer, getting wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. The way of the Spirit is life. Think of ways to motivate one another to love and good works. We should bring influence into this area. When revival hits, every devil manifests. We are about to slip into some new things. You have to move. Call out for knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. It is harvest time! Your assignment: Get creative in your thinking and ask yourself, “What is the gift in that person?” (Perry Miller was spoken over and then anointed for prophetic ministry.)
Prophetic Conference – Feb 5
We are to attend to His words for they are life and health (Proverbs 4:20-24). Sin stops us from moving forward with God. Anything that we do not operate in faith is sin. There is a place where we can be that we soar above what is happening. We have the mind of Christ. We trust in the Lord with all our hearts and lean not to our own understanding. We acknowledge Him in all our ways, and He shall direct our paths. God loves you and have directed your course, but you must be quiet so you can be led by Him. (Prophet Bob and Ron Cohn ministered to Laura and Peter Andrews and Jon Fike.) The prayer of agreement is powerful. You should have a spiritual covenant partner, if you do not have a marriage covenant partner. The Word and the Spirit together work unity.
Prophetic Conference – Feb 6
A word was given about the need to surrender to God. Pastor Syd shared about how they raised on his childhood farm. By changing the atmosphere with more oxygen for the ostrich eggs the mortality rate extremely improved. A prepared heart, praising God and without unforgiveness, changes the atmosphere. A prepared heart brings life and allows us to go from glory to glory. Communion was served: 1 Corinthians 11:23-32 (examine yourself, be in unity, and forsake all to follow Jesus). Pastor Syd told of a hurt that he had because someone said he did not have a good-enough singing voice. That hurt stifled the Spirit. Dennis See prophesied over Pastor Syd: laser-focus fro God; out of old into new. To the congregation: launch out to the deep and unfamiliar in worship; get off the edge and get thirsty for the real; do not keep doing things the same way, but move with the Spirit. Brother Cohn “interpreted” the Spirit’s moving with the congregation.
Prophetic Conference – The Gifts of the Spirit – Feb 7
Sermon texts: 1 Corinthians 12:28-13:2; 1 Corinthians 14. All members of Christ’s body are unique and express different things. We need to respect and receive from them and their differences. Apostles lay the foundation, and then prophets come, then teachers, and after that, in the perspective of time, miracles. Apostle Dale shared about Ron Cohn and how the visions that God showed him brought about a woman’s healing in Dale’s church. A special speaker, Ron Bruce, came to Pastor Dale’s church in Titusville. By inspiration of the Holy Spirit Ron had a “tongues check” (to see who spoke in tongues), and as strange as it was, a “dragged to church husband” got saved as a result. The Holy Spirit moves through His body in different ways, and just like parents love all their children even though each one is different from the other, we need to love one another in the body of Christ. Follow after charity, desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. Prophecy has the greatest capacity for blessing the church, because it contributes to body life. It is important to be in family. Paul says to let all things be done. Do not be afraid to let go of your “form”. Let go of the flesh. You have to desire spiritual gifts. You can have as much of God as you want. The best gift is the one you need at the time. Desire calls for a gift. Why did Jesus use a miracle to get a place prepared for the Last Supper? It is written, “With great desire, I have desired to eat this meal with you.” Daniel was called, “Oh man of great desire.” Be passionate. Even better than desire is love. Love first, and then desire. There will always be things missing in your life if you do not have the prophetic. Prophecy edifies, exhorts, and comforts. Concerning women prophesying: Paul was responding to a letter previously written. The comment about not allowing women to speak in a meeting (1 Corinthians 14:34-35) was not Paul’s view, but the view of the people who had written to him. Paul’s response was in verses 36-40. He was saying, “Let all things be done”, including women prophesying, but let it be done decently and in order. Acts 2:17-18 states that daughters and maidservants will have the Spirit poured out on them. (There was ministry to Apostle Dale and the congregation concerning the USA, the Landisville Campgrounds, and Apostle Dale’s commission. There was a time of prayer after the declaration of 2 Chronicles 7:14.) (At the beginning of the service Jay Stoltzfus shared visions that the Lord gave him this week: angels with a large container of oil, fire- some people are not ready for it, and light- the glory of God.)
A Heart After God – Feb 8
Text: Joshua 5:13-6:1. Even though the Israelites knew they were going to the Promised Land, they still had to fight to take it. Even those who believed Joshua and Caleb’s report had to go through the wilderness. The victory at Jericho was the beginning of taking back what the Lord had for them. It took obedience and faith with a willing heart. Jeremiah 33 is about God’s covenant to David, stating that David would never fail to have a man sitting on the throne, and that is Jesus. We have been grafted into the house of Israel. Joel 2:28-3:21 is about God’s promising the Holy Spirit and His pronouncement of judgment. Amos 9:11-15 is God’s declaration of restoration. This is the time when the harvesters overtake the sowers. Brother Ron Cohn: encouraged us to go up to a new level. He shared about the two swords mentioned in the Bible. There is the sword of the enemy, of death, of darkness, and of conflict without solution. The other sword is the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. This Sword of the Spirit will bring life or death, death if you lack experience and discipline and use it as religion. The degree of your effectiveness in this world and success as a child of God will depend on how disciplined and trained and skillful you are in using the Word of God. It is a sword. You need to know how to use the Sword so that it severs, separates, brings healing, and ministers. God placed cherubim at the east gate of the Garden of Eden and a flaming sword to guard the way to the tree of life (Genesis 3:23-24). The flaming sword is a type of the Spirit and the Word of God. The typologies of the Spirit in the Bible are oil, water, wind, and fire. Typology means sketches, outlines, hints. The Gospel books are transition books. The New Testament from Acts to Revelation has only some typologies. The flaming sword turned eight ways. We are to seek first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33). Do not seek experiences. You will have experiences because you serve God. Seek the Word, the Sword of the Spirit.
Marriage That Reflects Christ – Feb 15
There are so many wrong beliefs about marriage, many from our society. Many people are not as interested in truth as much as they are in knowing that what they believe is true. For example, when Pastor Syd became filled with the Spirit, everything that he believed before needed to be looked at to determine if it was correct. Does it line up with what the Word says. We need to love truth. Lord, show us truth, and we will get rid of the pre-conceived ideas. Allow the Spirit to take the Word and bring it to life in your marriage. A humble person acknowledges that my perspective maybe isn’t right (2 Chronicles 7:12-14). Seeking the Lord starts at home. What happens in the home impacts the church and then the nation. The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. The singular cause for the decline of this nation comes out of the home. We need to turn from our wicked ways. The home should reflect Christ and the church. The marriage unit has always been the last wall to fall before judgment takes place in a nation. The marriage unit is critical for the church to be what it is called to be and for our nation to survive and be effective. The second important point is that every question and concern about marriage can be answered in Christ’s relationship with the Church. How should I respond to my wife in this situation? The answer is, “How would Christ respond to the Church?” The marriage unit reflects Christ and the Church. Some Scriptures are misquoted or taken out of context. For example, people sometimes take Galatians 3:28 out of the context of the rights to things of the kingdom in verses 19 – 4:7. It can be taken and misapplied and opens the door for the enemy to do more harm. The idea of marriage being 50/50 is not Scriptural. Our marriages should reflect Christ and the Church. Homosexual relations are wrong (1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:10). Satan does not care if he gets a woman in the ditch on one side or the other: “under a man’s thumb” as seen in some repressive religions or as seen in the Women’s Lib movement, which is bondage packaged as freedom and is geared at breaking down the leadership of the man. God wants women free. Ephesians 5:22-33. Keep thinking and reflecting Christ and the Church. Anything that is not truth is bondage, because the truth sets us free. Sin is pleasurable for a season, but then comes the bondage. Determine to structure your marriage as the Word says it should be. If we need to change something, we will.
Marriage That Reflects Christ – March 1
Our thinking and beliefs sometimes can filter what we hear in a way that changes truth. It is extremely important that we hear correctly and use the Word correctly. Heed how you hear. We need to compare Scripture with Scripture. If we just read Galatians 3:28 out of context and without comparing it with other Scriptures, we can distort what God is saying. Lord, show us truth. In 1 Peter 3:7 husbands and wives are said to be co-heirs. There is rank in the home, but there is also equal value to each of the married pair. In James 3 we find there are four kinds of wisdom: godly, earthly, sensual, and demonic. Romans 1:18-32 gives a description that easily could be for the time we are in. It tells about people with darkened hearts, trading truth for lies, being ungodly and unrighteous, being wise in their own eyes, worshiping and serving the created things rather than the Creator, not glorifying God, being unthankful, not using their bodies the way God intended them to be used, being disobedient, etc. Hollywood wants to make homosexuality seem natural and normal. A darkened mind will believe sinful ways are truth. We will look at marriage from the standpoint of Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:24-32, 22-24, and 33).
Marriage – March 8
Genesis 3:11-24 tells of God’s cursing the serpent, the woman in childbirth, and the land that man would take care of, after Adam and Eve sinned. Genesis 1:28-31 is about God’s creating man in His image. The unsaved still live under the curse of the law. With faith, all curses can be broken. Man’s original role was to work and keep watch over the land. He was to nurture, plant, work, and care for (Genesis 2:4-15). God told the man not to eat of the tree of good and evil. Eve had not been formed or created at that time. The right to name the animals took authority. There was no helper for man, so God took one of Adam’s ribs and made woman. Women’s role before the fall was to be a helper and an aide. Both Adam and Eve had equal authority before the fall. God formed the male and fashioned the female. Man was to watch over the garden, and it was up to him to take authority. Eve stepped out of her “aide” role. Adam did not protect her, but chose to follow her rather than to follow God, which was idolatry (Genesis 3:1-9). God called to the man, because he was to be the responsible one. The role of the husband is to be the head of the home. He is to protect his wife. The role of the wife is to be his helper. Adam did not try to stop Eve. He followed her rather than God, which was idolatry. Husbands, how will you answer: “Why didn’t I do what I was supposed to do?” Wives, how will you answer: “Why didn’t I operate in the role God created me for?” The wives should only read Ephesians 5:22-24. Husbands should only read Ephesians 5:25-33. The husband’s role is to love his wife, take leadership, and ask himself: “What would love (Christ) do?” Wives, Christ compares you to the Church. You should ask: “How should I (the Church) respond to Christ (my husband)?”
Marriage – March 15
In our marriages we can get caught up in the moment, but we need to ask ourselves, “How important is this?”, especially in the light of eternity. The role of the husband is to be the love enforcer, and the wife is to be his helper. (Ephesians 5:22-28) There are four things to remember and to do that will answer every question about marriage. Pastor Syd was able to teach about two of these. #1) How we should relate to one another is love, as Christ loved the church (1 Corinthians 12:31-13:2). Love is more important than faith. #2) There is one law under the New Covenant, and that is, as believers, to love one another (Matthew 22:35-39; Romans 13:8-10; 1 John 3:23-24; John 13:34). Believe in the name of Jesus Christ and love one another just as He has loved you, even more than you love yourself. Jesus laid down His life. The sign that you are a believer is how you honor and prefer others. Love your enemies. Home should not be a place to flesh out. If you do not want to be “fleshy”, renew your mind as soon as you get up in the morning. Love is a choice. You choose to love, even when you feel hate. We were Christ’s enemy, but He chose to love us. Choose to love. The feelings will come. Love is not a feeling. Sex is not love. Love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:3-8). You can choose to walk in love. Do not act like you feel, but base yourself on the Word.
Worship Makes You Whole” (“One Out of Ten Worships God – March 22
In Luke 17:12-19 we read of ten lepers who cried out to Jesus. They yelled, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” Jesus told them to go and show themselves to the priest, and as they went, they were cleansed. “Cleansed” here means cauterized; their wounds were cauterized, burned to close the wounds up. It was stopping the disease. One of them, when he saw that he was healed, glorified God and worshiped and thanked Jesus, and he was a Samaritan. If He told them to go to the priest, why would He not expect them to keep on going? The others were healed. The one who was healed realized Who was responsible for his healing. Jesus did not say they others were not healed. They were, and they still did not glorify God. Are we glorifying God when He blesses and heals us? He was made whole (sozo), which means wholeness, health, soundness, salvation. The praise secret is to glorify the Lord. Be the one out of the ten. The first key of worship is to turn back and remember and write down what God has done for you. Turn back to Jesus. The second secret is to use a LOUD voice, use your mouth to praise the Lord ALOUD! Glorifying God is not listening to worship music or watching other people worship Him. Use your own mouth and praise Him. The man who was healed used a loud voice at Jesus’ feet. You cannot doubt and shout at the same time. Apostle Dale told of rescuing Gene Olon after he was beaten up in Romania and twenty-five percent of his brain was dead. The atmosphere when he was with him was so heavy, but the breakthrough came when he praised the Lord. In Luke 18:38-43 a blind man cried out to Jesus, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Did you notice both the lepers and the blind man greeted Him similarly and pleaded for mercy, not for healing? Apostle Dale told of a time he needed money to pay for the motel room when he was in sales and how God came through for him. Apostle Dale worship the Lord and praised Him aloud. Worship is not music. It comes out of your heart. Glorify God. Sickness never glorifies God. Worship is an act of your heart.
Who Are You Following – March 29
Hebrews 6:12 “that you do not become slothful, but follow those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” Apostle Dale told of being 23 years old and speaking to a group of influential Christians in Washington, D. C. The Lord told him to speak on Hebrews 6:12, and he told the group, “Stop following parked cars.” There was a handicapped woman at the meeting. She felt something happening in her body and when Dale told her to do something she could not do before, she bent over, and everyone was amazed. She had had a metal rod in her back. A homosexual man was delivered, and another man was filled with the Spirit. Be a follower, but ask yourself, “Who am I following?” Do not be slothful, lazy, living without motivation. The source of a lack of motivation is caused by not following or by whom you are or are not following. If you lack self-motivation, stick close to someone who has it. Not everyone is a leader. You can tell a lot about people by the books they read, whom they associate with, and whom they are following. If you are not evangelizing anyone, you are not following Jesus. Focus on Him. Be a follower of Jesus. Follow people who get results. Following means obedience and conformity. If you want a greater prayer life, get close to someone who prays with results. Be like Elisha with Elijah. Joshua was in the background with Moses. You inherit something when you are a descendant; you are following someone. You did not work for what you inherit, but you followed the person. God is not into the styles and fads of the church. Do not follow fads. Patience is the ability to stay constant under pressure. Fads change. Do not keep looking for the “new thing”. Find people who are full of faith and patience. Hebrews 11:6 says that without faith it is impossible to please God. If faith is not in what you are doing, it does not please God and others. You are healed to heal and blessed to be a blessing.
Resurrection’s Now Reality – April 5
Pastor Sydney read Ephesians 2. We are members of God’s household. He dwells in each one of us. Resurrection is a now reality. He is alive in me. Karen Burrows’ sermon message: Colossians 1:12-14 says that God takes us from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God. Jesus was the firstborn of many sons. I am of God. We are called to be a testimony of God (Colossians 1:25-28). He made known the mystery, which is Christ in me, the hope of glory. The Jehovah Witnesses do not believe that Jesus came into our my flesh. Galatians 2:20 also notes that Christ lives in me. He gave His life for me. We are to behold the new (2 Corinthians 5:17). Think upon the resurrection power that is in you. Walk in the Spirit of truth. Romans 6:11; Romans 8:37. Are you still thinking the old thoughts? Satan wants to know if you know he is defeated. You are a child of God. Renew your mind (Romans 12:1-2). God is pleased with you because of the righteousness of Christ in you. I present my body as a living sacrifice. My Father is God. Do not think like the world, but change the way you think. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Discern between good and wrong thoughts. You can come against temptation like Jesus did, by declaring what the Word says. To do that you need to know the Word (Joshua 1:8). Get into the Word everyday. The Body of Christ needs to rise up in the resurrection power. We are all valuable pieces of a puzzle. The love of God is in our hearts. He was long-suffering, and so can you be. You are seated in a place of authority. Ephesians 1 tells us that God has blessed us with spiritual blessings. You are adopted and accepted. Adopted children are taken in at a higher level of love. We are loved by the Father. We are in relationship with God. He lives in us. We are delivered from the power of the enemy. The devil has nothing over us (Ephesians 6:12). We have the authority and power. We pray the will of the Father. Successful prayer is saying to the Father what is in the Word. Speak the word that addresses your problem. Symptoms are a lie from hell. Present the truth to the Father and agree with the Word. Declare: I am coming out of this! Debt? Repent and speak the Word. Make the word a vital reality in your life. The more you sow, the more you become like the image of God. He has given us the right to be the children of God. He has redeemed us from the curse of the law. Believe and do it.
Are You Homesick – April 12
We are part of a heavenly kingdom. Being homesick means a longing for something that is familiar or is a part of you but is missing and nothing else can replace it. Is there anything in you that is replacing God’s kingdom in you? God does not want us to be lukewarm or distracted so that we lose our homesickness for heaven. We are vessels to be used for God and His kingdom here. We can have heaven here because we have Jesus in us. Are we homesick, or are we comfortable? Live a lifestyle that puts you out of your comfort zone. If you are homesick, it is harder to sin and to fall away from God. Matthew 6:19-24 tells us to lay up our treasure in heaven. Your eye is the lamp of the body. You can not serve God and deceit, money, and riches. Pursue God over success. Now is not the time to be comfortable. The times Christ was the most opposed were the times His ministry was the most powerful. The church is not the church it is supposed to be. Christians must be homesick. When the Northern and Southern kingdoms of Israel and Judah were taken over, there was a time of revival when Josiah brought out the books of the Law and tore down the idols of the false gods. There were some people from that time who wanted to serve God and to know His Word, such as Daniel. He and numerous other intelligent men who served God were taken by King Nebuchadnezzar to be trained. The purpose was to brainwash them with worldly knowledge, and lead them away from God. This would cause the other Jews to be led astray, too. This did not happen because one man, Daniel, did not go with the plan. He went with godliness, and the king’s heart was changed. If you give your life to Jesus, the light in you will not die. How do other people see you? Lukewarm; beating them over the head with the Bible? Show people you truly care about them. Let God’s love radiate in you. The Holy Spirit in you changes the atmosphere in a room. Do they know you as a citizen of God’s kingdom? Can they recognize you by your fruit? Why would people want to be in church if the church is like the world? We are to profess the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:9-11 says that a little leaven leavens the whole lump. If you are comfortable, you will not want to change and make a stand against the antichrist. Why are so many pastors preaching about marriage? God wants people to see unconditional love. True marriage is to see the true church. In Acts they sold everything to provide the needs in the community. What is mine is yours. They showed unconditional, godly love. How do we do that? By the Holy Spirit in us. He is our empowerment. Be obedient to the Holy Spirit, and give up comfort to be homesick. Remind yourself who you are in Christ everyday. God loves you.
Marriage Walking in Love – April 19
1 Corinthians 13. Husbands and wives, remember and do these four things: 1) The answer to every question in your marriage can be answered by Christ and the church. 2) New Covenant Christians have one law: the law of love (John 13:34-35). We are to love one another as Christ loved us. He loved us by giving His life. What is love? It is a choice, an act of your will. Choose to act in love. You can love someone, but still get feelings of hate or whatever. What is not love? It is not a feeling, but it produces feelings. It is not sex, but sex can be an expression of love. All the other gifts work by the better way, which is love (1 Corinthians 12:31). You can speak and pray in tongues, but without love, it is like a noise (1 Corinthians 13:1). You can have strong faith, but without love, it does not work. Love in the home should reflect Christ and the church. GOD IS LOVE. FAITH WORKS BY LOVE. If your faith is not working, check out your love-walk. Love suffers long, is kind, does not envy, and does not fail. It means I will endure with you, act properly toward you. 3) Giving. The greatest expression of love is giving. A person who loves forgoes their own comfort for that of the other person. Love is not conceited, does not behave improperly, does not seek its own, and rejoices in what is right. It is not about who is right, but what is right. Discern when to keep your mouth shut. Love never gives up, because God is love. Hope is expectation with pleasure. Love is the gateway to God. There is no defense against love, which means that Satan is powerless against love. Love is a commandment and a spiritual force. You give access for someone when you walk in love toward them.
Our Confidence in the Word – April 19
You are significant to this body of believers, and you are important to the plan of God. God planted you here, and you are to bloom and grow here. We have to agree with the way God does things. He thinks good things about you. John 10:10 says that God is good, and He only does good things. Satan is bad and only does bad things. Psalm 103:1-5 reminds us to not forget God’s benefits, such as forgiveness of our iniquities and healing of our diseases. Is the blood of Jesus enough to forgive you of all your sins? We should not be under condemnation. God convicts because He loves us, but Satan condemns. Satan wants to take away the Word of faith and God in you. He knows the blood of Jesus defeated him, but he does not want you to know it. Greater is He who is in you. You will have a fight with Satan, when you agree with God’s Word. The three most important things to do are 1) be born again, 2) be baptized in the Holy Spirit, and 3) (Romans 12:1, 2) and be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Think like the Father. Be a participator and give God glory every day. The kingdom is in you (Romans 14:17). Righteousness, joy, and peace are in you. Do not waste His blood. Do not fellowship with demons by complaining and murmuring. The Greater One lives in you. You are an atmosphere-changer. Take Jesus wherever you go. You touch people in your sphere of influence who need Jesus. You kids and others are watching you. You have what you need for victory. Karen shared her goals at the beginning of the year to hear God more clearly and to be more like Jesus. God convicted her of something that she needed to lay on the altar. God told her that He is most interested in her journey to reach her goal. Every day He encourages her (and us) in righteousness, joy, and peace. God told her He would teach her how to reach her goals, that it would be full of adjustments, and that she would learn by her mistakes. God is interested in our learning how to keep what we receive from Him, whether it is healing or something we knew He wanted us to do. Allow Him to teach you how to do what you need by His Word. Truth moves facts; facts are subject to change. The Word is forever settled in heaven. Your circumstances have to change according to the Word. He has delivered us from destruction (Psalm 103:4). He has crowned us with loving kindness and tender mercies. We represent Him. He satisfies our mouths with good things so that our youth is renewed like the eagles. Eat live food in the natural and let your words be speaking life. When we complain, we fuel the enemy. Instead, speak out loud the Word. Every time you confess weakness, disease, or failure you magnify the enemy above the Father, and you destroy your confidence in the Word. Do not have two confessions: one that is assenting to the Word and a different one that confesses pain, etc. That second confession nullifies the first. The fight of faith is to gain mastery over your confession. Satan does not know what you think, but he does hear what you say. Scriptures: 2 Corinthians4:13 (I believe, therefore I spoke.); Psalm 118:17 (I shall live and not die and declare the works of the Lord.); Romans 4:17 (Call those things that be not as though they were.); Psalm 91:12 (God is my refuge.); James 4:7 (Submit to God; resist (speak against) Satan, and he must flee.). Our tool of victory is our mouths. Talk more out loud My Word. God looks over His Word to perform it.
Marriage – You Are to Be Valued April 26
Our marriages should reflect Christ and the church. When Satan attacks marriages, he is trying to destroy Christ and the church. Even if you had a broken marriage, you can walk in victory. Look to God to fulfill what you need in your marriage. Ephesians 5:25-33 tells how marriage should look: a husband should wash the wife and family in the washing of water by the Word and love his own wife like he cares for his own body. Each one of us is valuable to God. God gave His Son for me. Psalm 49:7-8 and 1 Peter 1:18-19 tell us that nothing and no one can redeem us; only Christ and His blood could and did. We make a big mistake when we do not value what God values and honors. People are what are most important to God. We are to treat others, such as our spouses, as though they are extremely precious. Stay anchored in love. First Peter 3:3-4 says that our beauty comes from our inner being, the hidden person of the heart. What God values is a gentle and quiet spirit. Satan tries to devalue whatever God values. Be careful not to let Satan lure you into devaluing what God values, even in a joking way. It takes away the other person’s life. Satan tries to get you to devalue and even despise your spouse in your mind. Take control over your mind and see your spouse as God does. 1 Peter 3:7 says for the husband to give honor to the wife as being equal heirs of equal value. Do you value your spouse? We are not to judge (James 4:11 and Romans 2:1). The people in Jesus’ hometown did not value Jesus (Matthew 13:54-58) because they judged Him after the flesh. We need to judge according to the Spirit. Call out to the deep, good things in the other person.
Current Events and the Believers Involvement – May 5
Pastor Sydney shared his heart about what is happening in this country and what is our responsibility. The Constitution is the highest authority in our government. The role of judges is to uphold the law, not to make it. What is our role? We need to pray and vote for just judges. If someone is attacking you, turn the other cheek, but if there is an attack against your family or others, be prepared to protect them. Be armed. You have the Holy Spirit in you. Pray in the Spirit. Surrender is different from being overpowered. Jesus told His disciples to get swords in the Garden of Gethsemane. Raise your kids to respect authority and to love justice and truth. Justice is not the same as getting even or getting revenge. Justice has to do with what is right. Our families should raise a generation that loves truth. In one generation we can change a nation. Bring changes. Rise up and change this nation. People who blame others will not change, do not take responsibility, and are not in faith. Do not blame your spouse. Do not blame groups in society, political or otherwise. Bring righteousness back to this nation. Pray and walk it out. Faith activates works.
How to Pray Like a Mother – May 10
Ephesians 5:17-20 tells us to not be unwise. (The Greek language used a double negative for emphasis.) We are to understand what the will of God is. If you do the will of God, you will not have to focus on trying to be holy. We are to make melody in our hearts to the Lord at all times. How do we do that? We do it by being filled with the Holy Spirit. Prayer is a lifestyle. It is being with the Lord all the time, dialoguing with Him. We are to give thanks to Him. Prayer is like a rudder. Your tongue is a rudder, because you go where your words take you. In 1 Samuel 1 we see the result of a praying mother. Before Samuel was conceived, Hannah prayed and made a vow to the Lord. Although the priest thought she was drunk, she was praying in the Spirit (1:9-16). Why did Israel transition from prophet to king? Israel prayed for a king. Why? Because there was no one praying for what came after Samuel. Hannah prayed a selfless prayer, praying by the Spirit’s leading. Apostle Dale shared about his mother praying for his salvation and his praying with his grandmother for a Russian believer. Prayers are never lost. God collects them and pours them out. Prayer directs destiny and directs us into the will of God. Do not live in a house that prayer has not built. Apostle Dale related about meeting a Ukrainian four-star general, who did not look good in a report, but when Apostle Dale would pray, this general would keep coming up. He asked, “Lord, what about him?” We need to trust the Holy Spirit in prayer. God sends you divine appointments. Apostle Dale met a Muslim in Crimea and after about three hours of talking with him about Jesus, the other man said, “I believe god (God) sent you to me.” Look for God. When you have divine appointments, do not let them go. Keep in touch with them. Before Apostle Dale and Teri moved to Moscow, he met a Russian pastor from Moscow in Tulsa. God put them together. Dale asked the Lord to give him an idea for a gift for him when they were in Moscow, and He told him to get a book on Ronald Reagan. It was exactly what the Russian pastor wanted. Prayer will open doors. Galatians 4:19 says that Paul labored in birth pains until Christ was formed in the Galatian believers. Praying is giving birth to salvation and to people being established in the faith. The character of Christ is formed in prayer.
Marriage – May 17
(There was a time of prayer and a powerful testimony by John) The answer to every question in your marriage can be answered by the relationship of Christ and the Church. Satan attacks marriage because it should resemble Christ and the Church. If someone should be caught or snared in wrongdoing, those who are spiritual should restore him/her (Galatians 6:1-2). Those who are developed spiritually in love carry one another’s burdens. To restore means to repair, build up, and lift up out of the trap. Restore with a spirit of gentleness, humility, being quick to listen and not being full of pride. The greatest problem in marriages is selfishness. Watch out for yourselves, spy on yourself, take aim at, and keep an eye on yourself. A fleshly person examines others for faults. You can be tempted by pride. Flesh and the devil always want more. Temptations begin in your desires. Each person is tempted by his own evil desires (James). Is your flesh ruling you? Tempted means to be drawn away, enticed, lured, and baited. Satan tempts you based on your desires. He often gets blamed for what is really your own flesh. Remember, Satan is not omnipresent. He just gives the order for his fallen angels and demons to do his work. Just like Satan with Jesus in the wilderness, he overplays his hand. Satan wants you to go against the Word of God. Take authority over both Satan and your flesh.
The Fullness of God – May 24
The Word of God is a revelation of Jesus Christ, who is the Word. Jesus Christ is greater than the written Word. When we read the Word, we need to engage the author. The Book is not greater than the author. Your theology should match your experience, so you live out the Word in your life. Your barrenness only reveals the greatest battle, yet the greatest victory to be had in your life for the fulfillment of the promises of God. Where are you barren, hurting, sick, or in a broken relationship? That is the place where God wants you to live. We are to face it with the fullness of God. He wants to mend and to fill the barren place. Contend for the fullness of God in the area that you are in the most need of it. Ephesians 4:11-14 says that the purpose of the five-fold offices is so that the Body is built up and there is unity of faith in the Body. Build, encourage, and attain His fullness. In His presence there is fullness of joy and more (Psalm 16:11). We have God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit in us, the measure of His fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9; Galatians 4:6). How do we live in the fullness of God? We begin by understanding that the fullness of God lives in us. Embrace the mystery of experiencing His love that surpasses knowledge (Ephesians 3:19). His love is the centerpiece. When have you experienced God’s goodness? Moses experienced God’s goodness and was changed. Release hope. God will teach you all things that He has (John 16:15). What fills you will come out. Moses was full of the law. Jesus was full of grace. When you are full, it is easy for heaven to come to earth. Earth’s atmosphere is perpendicular to heaven. Where you feel you are disqualified, that is where He wants to come in with power inside of you. Stir up the gift of God which is in you (2 Timothy 1:6-7). Everyone has a gift. Use your gift. We need each other’s gift.
Marriage – Being One with Christ – May 31
(Communion was received during praise and worship time.) Mini-sermon: The disciples were kingdom-minded (Acts 1:8). They waited for the Holy Spirit and power, and they became witnesses. Being a witness means you share what you have seen and experienced of the Lord and what He has done for you. Allow God to move through you. Sermon: Text: Ephesians 5:22-33. Your marriage should reflect Christ and the church. God loves us because we are part of His own body. Like Christ, the husband provides, protects, and gives gentle care-taking. In Matthew 1:1, 16 the Bible records that Joseph was the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called the Christ. In Luke 1:26-35 the angel appeared to Mary and told her that her son would be called the Son of God. Then she went to Elizabeth, and she came back three months pregnant. Luke 3:23 records that Mary’s baby was thought to be Joseph’s child. Mary became one with Joseph and took on his lineage. When a couple marries, the wife takes on the husband’s lineage, and they become one. This is not about headship in the home. In the same way we take on Jesus’ identity. Your body is your spouse’s (1 Corinthians 7:1-6). The body is for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body (1 Corinthians 6:12-20). There is a covenant of oneness between spouses. Christ is the image of God over all creation. Colossians 1:15-23 tells about the image of being one. Christ is the head of the Body. He presents us as holy, blameless, and above reproach. A husband should lead.
Marriage Submission and Irreconcilable Differences – June 7
God can move and revival can come when our marriages reflect Christ and the Church. Satan wants us to think truth is bondage. God’s commands carry power and authority. Irreconcilable differences in a legal sense mean that there is no chance a marriage can be saved and the two partners can no longer agree. The point you disagree on opens the door to seeing more points of disagreement. Focus on what you agree on and find the common ground. The only solutions that will work are God’s solutions. Submission is not bondage, because God is not the author of bondage. We need deliverance from strife in our marriages, not from our marriages. Submission applies to the man as well as to the woman. James 4:6 tells us that He gives greater grace. He resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Pride is the nature of Satan. We should say, “I am pleased with …” rather than saying, “I’m proud of …”. Pride is being unteachable. Pride cares about looking good. Pride is 100% devil. James 4:7 instructs us to submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you. You only successfully resist the devil when you submit to God. There are demonic spirits working in the disobedient (Ephesians 2). The spirit of rebellion is deadly and opens the door to destruction. Humble yourself before the Lord, and He will lift you up. Submission literally means “under the mission”, to be under, to yield to, and taking your place under the person God told you to be under. We submit by making Jesus Christ our Lord and king. We all have the same rights to the kingdom of God, but we are not of the same rank. Submission is NOT: 1) agreement, 2) easy, 3) being forced or made to do something, nor 4) weakness. It takes great strength to submit. Meekness is not weakness. Jesus and God had two different wills, but He submitted to God’s will. God may ask you to lay down your life. Jesus suffered when He submitted. Submission is done in the heart. Submission was required in the Godhead (1 Corinthians 15:28). 1 Corinthians 11:3 tells us, “Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of the woman, and God is the head of Christ.” Some people mistakingly call love, submission. It is God’s anointing that gives leadership to the man. He is the one who is to lead. Hebrews 13:17 reminds us to obey those who are leading us and to submit to them. Today many pastors are not shepherds, but hirelings. The man is the head because he is ordained by God. Respect the place, even if you do not respect everything. Respect the place, but you may not everything he does. A mark of submission is humbleness. His grace will come to you. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
What You Are Afraid of is Afraid of You or Your Crisis Is Afraid of You
What is the purpose of crisis? In Exodus 14 and 15 God used the Israelites as a trap to get Pharaoh, because he wanted to destroy Egypt. God does not always tell us what He is going to do and how it will turn out. Sometimes we think, “God, what are You doing?” The promises of God look like they are not working when things look hopeless. The children of God went out of Egypt and captivity with great boldness, but it turned to great panic in a short time. We can get into great fear and the strategies of the enemy, but we need to realize that God has a plan. God told them, “The enemy you see today, you will never see again.” The breath of God blew and separated the waters of the Red Sea. What is stopping you from entering the promises of God? God has a plan to destroy the enemy and to bring glory to Himself. We may get something from God, but then something else tries to stop it; it sees God and then becomes afraid (Psalm 77:1-20). We do not know God’s plan and how He will remove what is stopping us. The earth and the sea are alive. In Psalm 114:3 the sea saw it and fled and the Jordan River turned back. Satan is afraid of you. Psalm 85:13 says that righteousness will go before Him, and shall make His footsteps our pathway. Do not worry. Here comes God. Why do crises come? To destroy the enemy and to glorify God. Trust Him. There is always victory. The three Hebrews did not lose the victory when King Nebuchadnezzar threw them into the fire. We lose the victory when “we are marching to the fire”, and say, “It didn’t work!” God is willing to deliver us. Can you trust God in a crisis to do a miracle? Change can cause a crisis. In Mark 4 the disciples had a crisis when it looked like the boat they were on was going to sink. When a crisis comes, focus on the crisis controller (God), and your boat will not sink. Moses and Paul almost despaired, but when they refocused on God, He “resurrected” them (2 Corinthians 1:8-9). Trust in God. Every miracle was first a crisis. God wants to work a miracle in you. Say, “This is just a crisis, a miracle in the making.” Sometimes we have a crisis because of wrong decisions. Even so, every crisis can be a set-up for a miracle. DO NOT LET CRISES TALK TO YOU! Do not listen to the repetitious recording, but listen to God’s Word. God is faithful (2 Timothy 2:13). Jesus’ life sacrifice was the greatest change, and so is your salvation, healing, and deliverance.
The Father’s Heart – June 21
(Marie shared her testimony.) Fathers, do not take the fight out of your strong-willed boys but direct them. We need men and boys with backbone. Have we forgotten what men are? Text: Revelation 12:7-11. Fight the right thing. God wants us to overcome – by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of our testimony, loving not ours lives unto death. Know what you are fighting for and against. The Ukrainians do not what they are fighting for, because they have not experienced it. They understand family, but they do not understand freedom. The fight needs to come back into the church. (Apostle Dale shared about a leader in the Armenian church who was killed in Syria a couple days ago.) What really matters? Revival will come when what is not important and is not of content goes. Catch the spirit to fight and go. Be tough. What is your concept of overcoming? Pray for all in authority. There is purpose in overcoming. Get rid of the apathy. A rebuke is spoken. The illegitimate child does not receive chastisement from the Lord, because He is not their Father. Overcoming is based on Jesus’ blood and by our using our mouths to say something. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so. When we praise God, we set the stage for God to do it again.
Don’t Go to Church, Be the Church – June 28
Your faith can cause someone who is in unbelief to receive from God. You are the church. Do not let others’ unbelief stop you, but be bold and step out. You do not need a word from the Lord to pray and lay hands on someone. Have compassion. There is a world that needs Jesus. To fight for freedom is to fight to serve. Christ came to set you free. If you are free, you will not allow Satan to get to you. We are to re-present true love. Everything Jesus did was done in love. Homosexuality is a deceptive spirit. It comes out of wanting attention, rejection, as well as from other things. Our mission is to bring heaven to people. Jesus came to manifest glory to God. You fulfill God and are messengers of deliverance, love, and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Live a life of love. To not rest is a sin. Jesus only did what God told Him to do. Be effective by having a relationship with the Father. He did the Father’s agenda. Do not be a slave to works, but spend time with the Father, loving Him above loving the work of the kingdom. Homosexuals do not know who they are but have a spirit of confusion. Matthew 5:11 tells us that living out the Beatitudes is persecution. If someone does not hate you, you are probably not representing Jesus. Satan tries to get you into self-pity. Loving Jesus strongly will bring persecution. Deliverance for the homosexual is a one-step process: JESUS! Matthew 5 leads to Matthew 6, which instructs us to pray, give, and fast in love. Treasure Jesus, and do not treasure the work of the kingdom, which is a works mentality and will not cause people to change. Walk in love and get yourself out of the way. Your needs are already met.
Marriage – Submission – July 5
Text: James 4:6-10. Submission is always your choice, because it cannot be forced on you. You choose to submit when you do not agree. The world thinks of submission in terms of bondage, but godly submission requires humility and opens the door for the person who is submitting to receive God’s grace. When we submit to God’s will, God tells us that He will lift us up. Satan did not submit to God, and he hates when we do, so he comes to steal the truth from us immediately. We are to submit to God and resist the devil. Satan wants to rob God’s grace (His power) from you by stealing your submission from you. Submission means under in rank, but not under in value. What is submission? 1) It is not agreement. 2) It is not easy. 3) It is not being forced. 4) It is not weakness. You have to be humble to submit. It is a safety net against deception. Who do we submit to? 1) To God. 2) To your own spirit. 3) Children to their parents. 4) Wives to their husbands. 5) Younger to the elder. 6) Employees to employers. 7) Citizens to civil leaders. (Pastor Syd cited Scriptures for each of these.) The time to not submit to authority is when the one over you directly goes against what the Word tells you. Philippians 2:8-15 says that Jesus humbled Himself by being obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. God exalted Jesus for His obedience and gave Him the name above all over names. When we submit to God, His grace can come to us.
God Made Man in His Image – July 12
[Brother Cohn ministered under the anointing to an individual.] Praise puts a beautiful garment on you. God hides things for us, and the way to find them is to dig into the Word night and day. Then He can make our way prosperous, and then we can have good success. Even unbelievers can get results if they apply Biblical principles. The last great frontier is walking in the life of God every day. You can see God on people. Genesis 1:26-28 shows us that God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit were in the creation of man. God turned to Jesus and the Holy Spirit when He said, “Let Us make man in our image.” We were made after God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit and their image. In the Hebrew language this Scripture means that when God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit all came together, Jesus and the Holy Spirit got their instructions from the Father. They yielded to the Father. Image means representation. In Ephesians 5:1 we are told to be followers or imitators of God as dear children. We should imitate Him in everything. Be a creator by the words of your mouth. Create a new world. We can frame our world by our words. God made man to look, sound, act, create, and speak like God.
Marriage and Submission to God – July 19
Text: James 4:6, 7, 10. When you submit in marriage and in other relationships, God’s grace is released. Satan hates submission, because that was the area in which he fell. God’s grace makes it possible for us to walk in His plan. Submission is not agreement. You submit to someone else’s will when you do not agree with it. If we don’t submit to the one God has put us under, we will not submit to God. Who should submit to whom? We should submit our flesh to our born again spirit (1 Corinthians 9:27); children to their parents; the wife to her own husband; the younger to the elder (1 Peter 5:5); employees to employers (Titus 2:9, 10); and citizens to their governing authority (Romans 13). The head of every man is Christ, the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God (1 Corinthians 11:3). It is not the husband’s job to make the wife submit. Your job is not to make the other spouse submit. The wife decides to submit. Ephesians 5:22-24 tells about the wife and 5:25-30 tells about the husband. Wives, submit to your own husband in everything. The husband’s role is to love his wife and to be constant. Her role is to submit to her husband, even if he is being ugly or mean. Your role is your role to the end of time. Colossians 3:18 tells the wife to submit to her own husband. Submission and obedience are not the same thing. Obey God. Peter submitted to the authorities, but he obeyed God when he was told to not preach in the name of Jesus. Marriage is a God-ordained relationship. Slaves are to submit to their masters, even if they are harsh (1 Peter 18-25). Submission brings grace. In the same way that slaves are to submit to their masters, so the wife is to submit to her own husband, even if he does not obey the word, so that those without the word, may be won by their wife’s conduct (1 Peter 3:1, 2). If your husband is abusive, and you can stay by faith, God’s grace will come to you. If you are not in faith, you may need to get out. A husband is to live with his wife with understanding, giving honor to his wife (1 Peter 3:7). Jesus became obedient to the point of death. Because He submitted, God gave Him grace (Philippians 2:8-15). Submit in your relationships. It allows God’s grace to work for you.
Why Marry – July 26
Sermon: Romans 12:1, 2 tells us to be transformed continuously. God created marriage and His manual for it, the Bible. Why should a couple get married? A piece of paper does not make or break a marriage, since it is just a legal document with the state. Marriage is a public commitment and covenant with God. It is a covenant of oneness. What is the purpose of marriage? It is for reproduction and to raise godly children (Malachi 2:13-15). The world sees and experiences broken homes, which distorts their view of marriage. Marriage is NOT to make you happy (1 Corinthians 7:39, 40). The Apostle Paul’s thoughts were that you would be happier if you remained single. Marriage is NOT to keep you from being lonely. If your spouse does not meet your needs according to your expectations, you separate from your spouse and eventually from God. When man was sinless, before The Fall, God told Adam that it was not good for man to be alone. Wrong expectations and demands bring disappointment. Any problem you had before you were married are amplified after you are married. Marriage cannot substitute what God is meant to fulfill. A husband and wife are two spirits but one flesh (Genesis 1:18-24). Offering message: God established the law of sowing and reaping in Genesis 1:29. His plan was to bring multiplication to the earth through Adam and Eve. God is “I Am”, the God of increase, and when we give to Him, we can apply the law of sowing and reaping to our finances.
Are You at Your There
(We declared the manifest presence, power, and goodness of our Lord and God over those people and jobs that impact our lives.) In 1 Kings 17:1-4 Elijah boldly said to the king of Israel that there would not be dew or rain except at his word. When we have the Word in us, we need to be powerful to speak it out as God’s Word. God promised to feed Elijah with ravens, because He had commanded the ravens, and to supply water for him by the Brook Cherith. If you are not willing to obey what God has already told you, he will not give you any more responsibility. Have you done what He has already told you to do? 1) Believe the Word of God. 2) Trust that God has your best interest in mind. 3) Provision is not necessarily where you are. It is where He has told you to be. Jay shared a testimony of the Lord’s preparing him to sell his business when it looked like the church (in Colorado) was so small and unable to support him. In order to walk on the water, you need to step out of your boat. To get a miracle, you have to be in a tight fix. Be obedient to the Lord. Every blessing carries a responsibility. Be at your “there”. If you are not, you will not be sustained. Face things. Obedience matters. When you hear something that does not line up with the Word, do not receive it. Let the boldness that is in you come out of you. Are you at your there? There is where your provision is.08.02.15 Sunday AM Jay Stoltzfus “Are You at Your ‘There’?”
(We declared the manifest presence, power, and goodness of our Lord and God over those people and jobs that impact our lives.) In 1 Kings 17:1-4 Elijah boldly said to the king of Israel that there would not be dew or rain except at his word. When we have the Word in us, we need to be powerful to speak it out as God’s Word. God promised to feed Elijah with ravens, because He had commanded the ravens, and to supply water for him by the Brook Cherith. If you are not willing to obey what God has already told you, he will not give you any more responsibility. Have you done what He has already told you to do? 1) Believe the Word of God. 2) Trust that God has your best interest in mind. 3) Provision is not necessarily where you are. It is where He has told you to be. Jay shared a testimony of the Lord’s preparing him to sell his business when it looked like the church (in Colorado) was so small and unable to support him. In order to walk on the water, you need to step out of your boat. To get a miracle, you have to be in a tight fix. Be obedient to the Lord. Every blessing carries a responsibility. Be at your “there”. If you are not, you will not be sustained. Face things. Obedience matters. When you hear something that does not line up with the Word, do not receive it. Let the boldness that is in you come out of you. Are you at your there? There is where your provision is.
Be Transformed by Meditating in the Word of God – Aug 9
Second Timothy 3:12-17 begins by stating that all who live godly lives in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. The world is getting darker with deception, but as the dark gets darker, the light gets brighter. Hard times can show you the true value of hope. People are realizing that society has failed. We need to go to the foundation of the Scriptures. Scripture is profitable. There is a profit factor in spending time in the Word: joy, victory, and blessings. It is profitable for doctrine (teaching which way to go), for reproof (when you get off the road), for correction (to get you back on the road), and for instruction in righteousness (to stay on the road). When you reach you destiny, you should be prepared for it (2 Timothy 3:17). The Bible is transformational. It will change who you are. Life may scar you, but there is something more transformational in your life than your experiences. The Word of God is personally transformational. Apostle Dale told of a man who broke his back, lost his job, had no insurance, and experienced his finance breaking up with him, but when the Word of God took root in him, he came into victory. Some people’s hearts have been scarred. They feel trapped and in fear. Even more powerful than negative experiences is the power of God’s Word and the New Birth. Apostle Dale also told of a former abused child who became a Hell’s Angel. He was gloriously saved, but he felt like something still needed to be fixed. His soul, his emotions and mind, needed to be renewed with the Word. Romans 12:1 and 2 tell about the renewing of the mind, which brings about a metamorphosis. People should not intimidate you. You are a child of the King. Joshua 1:5-8 tells us to be strong and of good courage. You will experience every promise that is coming to you. All the commandments are fulfilled in one word – love. Good success and prosperity come after meditating in the Word. Come face to face with God’s Word day and night. It will transform you. How you respond brings transformation. Be scarred the right way and do what is right. Meditate in the Word. Meditation comes before giving. Second Timothy3:17 says that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. First, become a man of God, and then you can experience success. Transformation is on a personal level before circumstances change. Meditate on the Word of God so it can transform you.
Youth Trip to Peru; In God’s Presence
The youth did a skit to demonstrate Jesus’ saving power, and then they shared their testimonies of how the mission trip to Peru changed them. Chester and Samantha Petersheim preached about engaging God by getting into His presence. Moses, Noah, Paul, Peter, Daniel, Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego all experienced the presence of God. When we engage God, He can give us dreams, directions, healing, deliverance, prophecy, love, freedom, peace, grace, strength, protection, and more. Know God. Encounter His presence and see what will happen.
The Hope of Glory
What does it mean to be family? It is caring for each other, loving, checking in with one another, showing hospitality. When someone is grieving, we mourn with them. We know that the person who has passed into heaven is gain, but those left here deal with grief for a time. God is the God of all comfort: Isaiah 61:1-3 and 2 Corinthians 1:3-6. Christ died for our sins. It is because of His resurrection that we know we will be resurrected (1 Corinthians 15). We will leave this earth and body of corruption and mortality, and it will come to pass, “Death is swallowed up in victory.” Death is an enemy. Jesus and our loved ones who are born-again are in our future (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). We can know that we will have the hope of eternity with Jesus and God if we confess and believe, making Jesus Christ the Lord of our lives (Romans 8:8-10). Make Jesus not just your Savior, but also your Lord.
Marriage – Unity and Power
Pre-sermon notes: When the Israelites became unthankful, snakes were biting people. God told Moses to make a brass (judgment) serpent on a pole, and if the people looked on it, they would be healed, similar to Jesus taking our sin by hanging on the cross. How much of the blood of Jesus did it take to forgive your sin? It took all of it. Jesus paid the debt. He gave His all to save and to keep us. May we have a greater understanding of the length Jesus Christ went to, to save us. A testimony is the result of overcoming a test. A great need is an opportunity for a great miracle. Do not confuse laziness with faith. Sermon: In 1 Corinthians 7 Paul tells us that the believer should stay with an unbelieving spouse so the other one is sanctified (set apart unto God). The believer becomes the open door for the Lord to keep knocking on the spouse’s heart door. The purpose of marriage is to have and raise godly children. It is NOT to make you happy, fulfilled, or contented. Marriage actually multiplies your problems, because you have to think about the other person, and you cannot be selfish. If you think marriage will make you happy, after a while you will become bitter and hate your spouse. The only sure cure for your life is your relationship with God. In Genesis 2, we are told that God created Eve to help Adam. (See Ecclesiastes 4:9.) Another main reason God created marriage was so that He could release power through the unity of the husband and wife. There is a lot more strength in two becoming one flesh in a marriage. One can put a thousand to flight, but two can put ten thousand to flight. Genesis 11 tells about negative unity when the people tried to build the Tower of Babel. God said that nothing they plan to do would be impossible. The authority and power of a husband and wife is why Satan tries so hard to break the unity of marriage. Psalm 133 compares unity with the anointing of God. (Also Matthew 18:18-20.) Out of unity comes authority and dominion.A purpose of marriage is for unity and power to multiply our effectiveness.
Marriage – Trouble in the Flesh
Pre-sermon notes: Words of edification, exhortation, and comfort, revelations, and a message in song were given by members of the church. The theme of the words was to walk in love, not to fear, and to be comforters of our land, because we have true love and the true Comforter. Offering message: Jesus gave boat-sinking increase to Peter. God’s goodness leads us to repentance. His goodness to you is showing His love to you. We are humbled by His goodness. Sermon message: Matthew 12:25-29 states that no city or house (family) which is divided against itself can stand or survive. God releases great power through a married couple’s unity, but there is an enemy of that unity. The devil cannot break your marriage. Only you can do that, but Satan will try to bring strife and division and present opportunities for you to be selfish. The devil must first bind up the strongman before he can plunder you. What is the strongman of your marriage? It is the unity of the two of you. In 1 Corinthians 7:28 we are told that married people will have trouble in the flesh. When you marry, you become one flesh, not one spirit. The flesh realm is where there is selfishness with the possible result of divorce. If you walk in love in your home, you can walk in love anywhere. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit (Proverbs 18:21). Most problems in a marriage stem from selfishness and from the words we speak to each other. The words we speak can release victory if we speak with: 1) love, 2) faith, and 3) truth (the Word of God). Love never fails means that love never ends, stops, or gives up. God brings us out to rich fulfillment (Psalm 66:12), and this can be true of your marriage.
Times and Seasons
The Holy Spirit shows us things to come. Pray for the eyes of the Muslims to be opened and for workers to be sent to minister and witness of the Gospel to the refugees, wherever they go. Pray for your neighbors and our cities. Be a witness. Are you willing to be used by God? Text: Acts 1:3-8. The disciples were to wait for the immersion, the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They had gone from disappointment to joy when they saw Him after His death and burial. They expected Him to physically restore the kingdom of God to Israel. It is not for us to know the times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. There are many pieces of the puzzle of the times we are in, but the important thing is DO NOT GET INTO FEAR! GET INTO PREPARATION, and do not let the enemy in by being in fear. Ask God how you should get ready to be prepared. Jesus told the disciples that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit had come upon them. What was the reason for needing the power? It was (and is for us) so that they would be witnesses of Jesus Christ locally and around the world. What is your witness? It is what you have experienced of Jesus’ working in your life. When you witness, the power will go from you into the ones you are witnessing to. Make an agreement that you will operate in His power. Be bold. Boldness is a manifestation of His power. He can reveal Himself to others through you. The power will meet you as you step out.
Trust in the Lord – Sept 20
Texts: 2 Corinthians 5:7 and Proverbs 3:5, 6. We are to walk by faith, not by sight, and to trust in the Lord and not lean on our own understanding. [Apostle Dale had a word for Jon Fike.] There is the role of the heart and the role of our understanding, and sometimes they conflict. We do not ignore the understanding, but we must factor in God and what He says. Which do you go with – your heart or your understanding (mind)? You can always trust in the Lord with all your heart. Knowledge can lead to pride. Understanding needs to submit to faith. James 4:13, 14. You do not know what tomorrow holds, but you can live according to God’s will. Apostle Dale told of how he started the church here in Lancaster, and how if he had chosen what seemed to make more sense, it would hindered him in what he is doing now. Obey God. Following God’s will brings grace, favor, and freedom. God wants us to do something specifically for Him. He puts desires in us. Acknowledge Him in all your ways. Apostle Dale told of divine connections in the Ukraine. God has a plan for you. Understanding can either bless or hinder your faith. Romans 12:1, 2 tell us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds and not to be conformed to this world. We should be a people who listen, follow, and obey God more than following our understanding. God will use you wherever you go. See the simplicity of your lives and acknowledge God in all your ways.
Marriage: Getting and Staying Out of Strife – Sept 27
(There was a word given.) God made them male and female, so that they could become one flesh as husband and wife (Matthew 19:4-6). We are to reflect Christ and His Church in our marriage, which is why Satan hates it. We are not to separate a-God-joined marriage or other relationships. Pastor Syd gave the example of Abram and Lot. Any home or city divided against itself will not stand (Matthew 12:25), so Satan tries to bring division. We are to love our neighbor, which includes our spouse (Galatians 5:13, 14). If you devour one another, you will be consumed by one another. Where there is strife, there is every evil work. Unity in your marriage is your strong man. It is how you walk together, even if you disagree. If you walk in love with your family, you can walk in love with anyone. James 3 tells about the power of the tongue. Proverbs 18:21 states that life and death are in the power of the tongue. There are three keys to victory using your speech. 1) Love: never quits; 2) Faith: all things are possible to him who believes. Do not release death. Change the words of your mouth by saying what God says about the situation; 3) Release God’s truth. Speak it. Speak God’s truth in love and faith. The four things to be Spirit-led (the rules for speaking): 1) If I say … (Proverbs 10:19; James 1:19; Proverbs 13:3; 2) What you say (Ephesians 4:29); 3) When you say it (Proverbs 30:32, 33; Proverbs 25:11); 4) How you say it (Proverbs 15:1; 16:21). God brought us out of the fire and water to a place of rich fulfillment (Psalm 66:12). Peace is the manifest presence of God, and strife is the manifest presence of Satan. You do not have to speak how you feel when you are with your spouse in a time of disagreement. Pride tells and demands. Speak God’s truth into your marriage, so you give Him an open door to your spouse’s life. Declare the Word of the Lord. Truth is eternal, but facts can change.
Holiness- Wholly for God
Marriage is to reflect Christ and the Church. We are to be set apart for and to God. Proverbs 18:22 says that the man who finds a wife finds a good thing. Psalm 34:10 says that those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. If you are looking for a good wife, first seek the Lord. A video with John Bevere being interviewed with Sheila Walsh and Randy Robison about John’s book, Good or God? was shown. Have we replaced good for our relationship with God? Jesus is coming back for a holy church. The angels cry out, “Holy, holy, holy!” Holiness means that we are set apart to be completely His. Pursue holiness and chase after it. There are two aspects of holiness. One is positional, as seen in Ephesians one. He chose us to be holy and without blame before Him in love. The second aspect is behavioral. We either act like the world or behave like Jesus. We have been created for intimacy with God. We draw near to Him because we love Him, not because we want something from Him. James 4:5 tells us that the Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously. God is a jealous God. He is jealous for you. God wants our whole heart. To want or have the world in any part of you is adultery against God. A person can change when he or she is in the presence of God.
Go in the Name of Jesus
Text: John 4. As a result of the testimony of the “woman at the well” in Samaria, many believed, heard Jesus, and believed in Him. Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world. Jesus’ name is to be glorified, not our own. God can use us to change those around us. He has a plan and sees great things for each one of us. He saw a great plan for Abram and named him Abraham, the father of many nations, when he and his wife were childless. He is looking for one person who will say “yes” to Him. Who is willing to go? Who is willing to deny himself? Today the church is compromising the truth. Some preachers will not say “Jesus” in public, because they are ashamed of the name of Jesus Christ. Paul, and we, must suffer for His name’s sake. Acts 4:17 tells about a time when the early church disciples were forbidden to speak in the name of Jesus. Why? Salvation is in the name of Jesus. Healing is in the name of Jesus. We should not be ashamed of the name of Jesus, the Anointed One. Jesus is coming back to take His beloved ones who are reigning. Let’s be witnesses everywhere and use every opportunity (Acts 1:8). We are witnesses and light. Without us there is darkness. Being a witness is our primary calling. Jesus was compelled by the Holy Spirit to go through Samaria. It was a divine appointment. We must be willing to go, even if we do not want to go. If we obey, we will see His mighty hand. Pastor Demeke told of a successful man in Canada who was called to go back to a remote area of Ethiopia. There was no clean water, cars, or bikes, but there were demonic forces there. He joined a society to help the people, living with and like the people there. The whole community came to the Lord, and they prospered. If Jesus can find one person who is willing, he/she can change the world. The well where the unnamed woman was in John 4 was Jacob’s well that he gave to his son, Joseph. It was a gift. Jesus came to the gift (the well) as the gift. In John 4:10 He said that He was the gift of God. Jesus broke the unspoken rules: Jews did not associate with Samaritans. The unnamed woman had hurdles she had to deal with in order to enter Jesus’ fullness. Her manmade boxes were: 1) her race; 2) she did not like men; 3) religion and her belief; and 4) sin. Before we can worship God, we need to deal with our barriers. He told her that we are to worship in spirit and truth. We know that sin has no power when we encounter Jesus. How did Jesus get into her heart? He asked her to give Him a drink. Jesus was saying, “I need you. I am willing to drink from your cup. I want to commune with you. You are important to Me.” That opened her up to Him. He won her with His love. We should be willing to drink from the same cup as others. Salvation is the well of water into everlasting life, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit brings living rivers out of us. We should not be satisfied with what the world gives.
Marriage and Divorce: Legal Covenant – Oct 18
The Pharisees asked Jesus if it is lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason (Matthew 19:3-12). God’s plan is that a male and female leave their parents and be joined together. Jesus said that what God has joined together must not be separated. Moses said that a man may not remarry his wife, if she has married another in between. Moses allowed divorce because of the hardness of their hearts. When you divorce, you are in your own plan, not God’s. Jesus said the only exception for divorce is sexual immorality (Matthew 19:9). Paul wished that all men would be unmarried (1 Corinthians 7:6-16). Your marital status does not indicate your spiritual status. The Lord commands that a wife is not to leave her husband. If she does leave him, she is not to remarry or be reconciled to her husband. A husband is not to divorce his wife. Paul said that a believer should stay with an unbelieving wife, if she is willing to live with him, and not to divorce her (or vice versa wife for husband). The believing spouse is set apart by the believing spouse. You are still in oneness, and there is still an open door to the spouse. God has a covenant with the believer. Submit your life to the Lord. 1 Corinthians 7:27, 28 tell us to not seek to be loosed from a wife. Married people have trouble in the flesh. If you are looking for a loophole to get out of marriage, you are like a Pharisee. The sin of divorce is forgivable. Repent and live in the new covenant. While talking to the Samaritan woman, Jesus recognized the five marriages she had had (John 4:17-19). A wife is bound to her husband as long as her husband lives (1 Corinthians 7:39, 40). In Genesis 15 after Abram rescued people from Sodom and Gomorrah, God made a blood covenant with him that he would inherit the land and have many descendants. He and Sarai took things into their own hands and caused an Ishmael. God reestablished His covenant with Abram, changed his name to Abraham, told him he would be the father of many nations, and renamed him Abraham with a blood covenant. God renewed His covenant with Israel, whom He considered as His wife (Exodus 24:1-18). Throughout the Old Testament, such as in Jeremiah and Isaiah, God was angered by Israel’s adultery against Him. When Moses was on the Mt. Sinai for forty days, with smoke and fire coming from the mountain, he received the two stone tablets (Exodus 24-31). The words of the covenant were called The Ten Commandments (Exodus 34:28). The people had corrupted themselves, while Moses was up on the mountain (Exodus 32:7). Moses (a type of Christ), interceded for God’s people and reminded God of His covenant with the Israelites, and God relented (Exodus 32:7-14). Why did God change during this “melt-down marriage” problem with Israel? It was because of His covenant with them. We have been given the ministry of reconciliation. Husbands, walk in the ministry of reconciliation. We are reconciled to Him because of the New Covenant. Baby dedication and offering message is placed after the message.
Making Covenant with the Lord and Each Other
How should you find a spouse? Seek the Lord first, and then He will show you or lead you to His choice for a spouse. You make a covenant when you set yourself apart to God. Hebrews 11:6 tells us to draw near to God, seek Him, believe that He exists, and believe that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. He rewards our seeking Him and our drawing near to Him. Faith pleases Him. We get faith by hearing and hearing by the Word. Proverbs 18:22 says that he who finds a good wife finds a good thing, and he obtains favor from the Lord. Seek God and then the blessings come, but do not seek Him just for the blessings. Make God your number one priority. Seek the Lord, and you will not lack any good thing (Psalm 34:10). As you get closer to God, you are getting closer to your future spouse. Delight yourself in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4). If you abide in God, He will abide in you; you shall ask whatever you desire, and it shall be done for you (John 15:7). Matthew 6:33 commands us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then all these other things will be provided. God spoke a blessing over Israel and to us, that His plans for us are to give us a future and a hope, but we must seek Him with all our heart (Jeremiah 29:10-14). [There was a service of covenant and communion for singles and then for married couples.]
Good Steps or Intimacy
Josh Yoder read a word that the Lord gave him, and then he expounded on it. God wants intimacy with us. There should be a longing, a passion, a desire in us for Him. We might learn and perform good “dance steps”, but if we don’t have the passion with joy, it is just like good works. God’s heart is for His people to be as free as He is. Let ever increasing revelation come to each Scripture. A revelation makes you vulnerable to it. Read John 3:16, 17. Give yourself as Jesus gave Himself. Don’t jump off the altar when the fire gets hot. You can come out with victory. God will lead us through the valley of the shadow of death. We are to help and give water to those in the dry places and help those in the wilderness. When you plateau, you wither and are thrown in the fire (John 15). Judgment is grace. God judged Jesus so we can have grace. Judge yourself. Prune off the dead. Are you and do you stay fired up? Dry times are your fault, not God’s. If entertainment is filling you, it’s wrong. Relaxation is from the Lord. You can get dry if you’re putting other things in. It’s like giving salt to an already thirsty person. We are only fed by the Word of God. Do something to keep yourself awake. Get the Word into you. The Word must be in quality, along with love and works. James 2:17 says that faith without works is dead. A good dancer may have good steps, but an elite dancer does the steps with passion. In James 2:18-26 Abraham’s faith was backed up with good works. What you connect to, you act with and build on. 2 Corinthians 3:6 says that the letter of the law kills. You must have the Spirit and the Word. You need intimacy with God. Don’t allow questions to ruin your foundation. Seek God and the result will be the revealed Word. You attraction is based on your desires. What do you desire? Delight in the Lord. Bend yourself toward Him. Stretching is painful. Getting in the Word can be like stretching. Get closer to the Lord. How do we flex the Word when we are in tragedy? Moving in love in the dance is love. We know in part. We are beginning to know who we are in Christ. It comes through intimacy. The Holy Spirit guides us through the things of God. What are ears to hear? Our spiritual ears work only in an atmosphere of love.
Finishing Strong in Faith – Nov 8
We are to occupy for the Lord. It is about how you finish. We need to see and hear the Word, so that we get it and maintain it. When we have the knowledge of Jesus Christ, which is the Word of God, grace and peace are multiplied to us. The Bible is our instruction manual. If you want to know God, get to know His Word. His Word in us causes us to change and grow (2 Peter 1:2-4). We receive His divine power through His Word. We have been called to glory and virtue. We belong to the Lord and should live like His children, seeking first His kingdom. God’s #1 problem with us is that of our wills. His #2 problem with us is changing our minds. The truth will set you free, but you can decide to either be a spectator or a participator. Participators receive more. What do you think about all day? The first temptation was doubting the Word. We are to meditate on, act on, and speak the Word (Joshua 1:8). Satan puts lying symptoms on our bodies. They are lies because Jesus already bore all our sicknesses. Doubt is taking a second thought. I believe the truth, and I say the truth. It is written! Find a promise in the Word for your problem, because there is one truth will change your situation. The Word is an infallible truth and anchor. Believing the Word is faith. God wants you to have faith in Him. Remember, no situation is bigger than God. Hebrews 5:13, 14 say that we should exercise our (spiritual) senses to discern good and evil. Do not let the world live in you, but renew your mind with the Word (Romans 12:1, 2). Use your imagination for God, by seeing yourself doing the things that Jesus did. Hell is the absence of God. God will use whatever you have, even if it is just a smile. Think big. Give more, Get into the Word and fan the fire of the Word of God. Allow the Lord to speak to you about your faith life. Develop the muscle of faith and exercise faith every day, so you have faith-fitness. Finish strong. Will He find faith? Offering Message (Josh Yoder): Psalm 37:21-26 (AMP) I am righteous and deal kindly with other. I am able to give. Money is a tool to bring people to the Lord. Our inheritance is all those who we bring to salvation in Jesus Christ. Your giving affects the next generation. You can receive when you get excited about the Lord.
Earnestly Desire Spiritual Gifts
Jesus said that it was better for Him to go to heaven than to stay here on earth, so the Holy Spirit could come to us (John 16:5-7). Jesus said that we would do even greater things than He did, because He was going away (John14:12). First Corinthians 14:1 states that we are to pursue love and to earnestly desire spiritual gifts. Do you desire spiritual gifts? Do you strongly want them? Ask and you will receive. Make it your burning desire to have God’s spiritual gifts. God has established strength to silence the enemy and the avenger (Psalm 8:1-2). Take authority. Your tongue can establish or tear down strongholds. For example, both Goliath and David used their tongues to decree, but David spoke God’s Word. The Holy Spirit prompts us to declare and decree things. He waits for our words to be spoken. (Kevin Burrows ministered a word and song, and released the anointing to an individual. Larry Hostettter shared a word of testimony and encouragement.)
The children’s ministry
Serving Jesus – Nov 29
Jesus gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to us to train and equip the saints (the Body of Christ) to do the work of the ministry and to build the Body until we all come to the unity of faith (Ephesians 4:11-13). The Body of Christ could be compared to a picture of Christ in collage form made up of many individual pictures. Ministry is work. Each person takes his or her part. We are not saved by our works, but by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. In Matthew 25:31-46 the first thing Jesus does is to separate the sheep from the goats. This Scripture is about the sheep (the righteous, the believers). It does not apply to the Syrian refugees, except those who are Christians. We are made righteous only by Jesus. His righteousness has been given to us. God sees us as Jesus. Whatever we do for the Body of Christ, for our brothers and sisters in Christ, we do for Jesus, whether it is providing food, drink, clothing, shelter, health, or comfort, when we do it as to the Lord. We need to use wisdom in our priorities and responsibilities, not putting those we are responsible for in danger. We are the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27), and Jesus Christ is the Head (Ephesians 1:22, 23). Although we are not saved by works, we are judged and rewarded for them. We are to work for the good of all, especially our fellow believers (Galatians 6:10). What we did to the least of His Body, we did for Him. We are called to freedom and through love to serve one another. We are selfish if we want to be served, rather than serving.
Vision for Ethiopia
Pastor Demeke Getahun and Wagayhu Ketema shared the vision for Ethiopia. John 9:7, the name “Siloam” means “sent”. In 1993 the Lord told Pastor Demeke that he would remember the poor (Galatians 2:10). The vision that Pastor Demeke and Wagayhu have in their hearts is for establishing clinics in Muslim communities, address sanitation and hygiene needs, and teach about micro-financing, nutritional support, and development of their own resources. God has given Pastor Demeke a fifteen year vision (2016-2031). He was in a Muslim elementary school. He fled Ethiopia and went through a land where he is now going to go back to. Their approach will be to show the love of Jesus to the Muslim people. Their first clinic will be in the eastern part of Ethiopia, which is a 97.5% Muslim area. A member of their church has given them this land. They have started the non-profit process and have a couple board members, one of which is Pastor Syd. In March Pastor Demeke, Wagayhu, and the woman who donated the land will meet in Ethiopia with local church leaders. They will need a team to work with them, and they will study the local government. Pastor also wants to go back to a church that was established many years ago. Wagayhu is getting rehab training. A medical team is to come from here to Ethiopia. The children there need immunization treatments and instruction in nutrition. There is much TB, malaria, and polio. Also, the girls get married when they are eleven to thirteen years old and need help with pregnancy issues. Clean water supplies are a concern, too. Pastor Demeke and Wagayhu will go to show the love of Jesus Christ. Please pray and give.
Serving Jesus – Dec 13
Text: Matthew 25:31-46. Salvation is not by works but by grace through faith. That is what divides the “sheep” and the “goats”. However, God judges the sheep, those who have received Jesus, and rewards them according to their works. Those who do not believe are cursed.The sheep are the Body of Christ, the family of God. Jesus gave the five-fold ministry (Ephesians 4:11-13) to train the Body to do the work of the ministry. We are to do the work of the ministry. Romans 12:1 says that presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice is our reasonable service. We are alive and have to choose to be set apart. When we take our place, the whole Body can function. The Amplified Bible says that being a living sacrifice is “spiritual worship”. Ministry is service. It is like being a table waiter, waiting on someone. Service is spiritual worship. Ephesians 6:5-8 tells servants and slaves to be obedient as to Christ. When you sow spiritually to the Lord, you reap back. Galatians 6:10 says to do good to all, especially to those of the household of faith. We are to serve God with spiritual gifts, show honor to one another, and do His will (Romans 12:2-13). Jesus came to serve and for doing that God gave Him the highest position (Matthew 20:25-28). We should not be selfish (Galatians 5:13). We should grow and stop thinking about ourselves. To become great, you must first be a servant. Jesus served the greatest. A mark of maturity is when you stop thinking of yourself and serve others instead. Look out for the interests in others. He humbled Himself to the point of death. He is exalted to the right hand of God, and Jesus allows us to sit with Him. Our homework assignment is to read John 13:1-17.
What Am I Following After in Life
There is a common thread in the Christmas story. Mary (Luke 1:26-38), Joseph (Matthew 1:20-23), the shepherds (Luke 2:15), Simeon (Luke 2:25-29), Anna, and the wise men (Matthew 2:2-6) all received a word from the Lord, either through an angel or through a prophet’s word in Scripture. It is only the Word of the Lord that leads people to the Savior. We all need to be willing to follow after the Word of the Lord. What are we following after? Do we know what is word of the Lord? If we gain everything, but lose our soul, what does it profit us (Mark 8:36)? Think about what you are doing: How is it fulfilling the will of God for my life? Shane testified to his brother’s life and how his premature death on Christmas Eve 2011 was due to what he was following after. All that God has provided for, His promises, protection, and provision, are available for us when we are in His will. Where do we look for help when we are in pain? We will be subject to whatever we yield to and follow. Repent and move from whatever you are subject to. Take an inventory of what you eat, speak, read, etc. We must be willing to judge ourselves. In Matthew 16:21-24 Peter did not look at what Jesus was saying would happen to Him from the perspective of His following God’s will. God’s will for your life is your cross to bear. Jesus is our life source. Because Jesus has the words of life, where else shall we go? If we follow another road, we are subject to whatever is on that road. Examine your life. Is there anything in your life that keeps you from being sold out to Jesus? Follow the Word of God for your life, the unique word for you. A key of understanding everything about a great relationship with God is what it means to have a covenant relationship. Develop your covenant relationship.
Victory in Christ Jesus
Jesus Christ is our Lord, Savior, and Master. We can share about our encounters with God with those in godless societies. We found God and had an encounter with Him. God encountered the whole world at Christmas. Paul says that God will perform the good work that He started in us (Philippians 1:6). He loves so many individuals that it encompasses the whole world. If we are not careful, we let the world’s negativity get on us, but we are the victorious! 1 Corinthians 15:57 and 58 tell us that God GIVES us the victory through Jesus Christ. We do not have to fight through it. He wants to give us the victory. Romans says that we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ. The closer we get to the will of God, the easier it gets. If there is a struggle in your life, ask Him if you are doing His will, because that is where the victory is. He gives us to victory, and our part is to be steadfast and abounding in the work of the Lord. The Lord wants us to have a spirit of victory, a victorious consciousness. God wants to encounter and break into our lives. It is not doing penance. He gives us the victory. God comforts us when we go through things, so we comfort others with the victory that He gave us (2 Corinthians 1:3). He brought us through victoriously. We go through the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23). We do not camp out there. We have the victory. You are going to win. It is a matter of the truth of God’s Word. God always causes us to triumph in Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14). He manifests the savor (the taste and smell) of Himself in us. We are the Bible that people read. We represent Jesus and His victory. Apostle Dale told of going to a Ukrainian hospital with the President’s wife. This is where wounded soldiers are hospitalized. Two young men, both with missing legs on opposite sides, were in beds. Simultaneously both the President’s wife and Apostle Dale started crying. The wounded soldiers, so excited and honored to have the President’s wife visit them, cheered them up. We serve the Lord Jesus Christ! He is still the Captain of the host. The world has always been crazy, but the joy of the Lord is our strength. Now we have much to be thankful for (2 Corinthians 2:14), because God always causes us to triumph in Christ Jesus. Your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Apostle Dale told of a Bulgarian pastor who was chained in a dark prison cell with an evil man. He shared his food and the gospel with his cell mate and brought him to Christ. The authorities released them into the bright sunlight, causing them to be blinded, but the pastor kept sharing the gospel. God always causes us to triumph. You have to develop a victorious consciousness. It is easy to get into the barrage of negativity. The widow said she was preparing her and her son’s last meal before they died, but the prophet told her to feed him first, and she and her son did not die. The victory is in Christ Jesus. Christmas is a hard time for those who lost someone. Be sensitive to them and remember you are the victorious ones. Come through. Turn from sadness and loss. Decide to let the lost ones go, and get on with life and rejoice.
Standing
Ephesians 6:10-13. Our root nature is to win and conquer. We are victorious. Be strong in the Lord, and do not be afraid of weakness or trial. The wiles of the devil are the strategies behind the events. Follow God’s plan and destroy the devils. Satan hates you and your family. You do not wrestle with a helmet, shield, and sword. Paul is talking about standing. You will never have victory over Satan by wrestling. The battle is the Lord’s, and the victory is mine. Stand in what Jesus has provided so that you may be able to withstand in the evil day. This is an evil day for Ukraine. A couple years ago the Lord told Apostle Dale to run as fast as you can and preach as much as you can. Now he knows why: so he could stand in the evil day. Realize the season you are in, whether it is a time of resting or learning or whatever. Any time of preparation is not wasted time. You withstand. Recognize God is preparing you so you can withstand in the evil day. He will prepare you for loss or trial, so that you do not fall. Stand for the integrity of the Word and do not compromise. What are the principles before standing? Have we done all to stand? #1 Make sure there is no wall, no sin between you and God. Check if things are right with you and God and your brothers and sisters. If not, get your relationships right. Matthew 25 tells us to get our relationships right with our brothers and sisters before worshiping God. A broken relationship will allow the evil one to win. The devil cannot steal what you are willing to give. Strife is the biggest hindrance to your standing. Repent. Cut off strife and ask God to pardon you. Forgive the other person in the name of Jesus. #2 When there is a problem, give something away. For every need, there is a seed. You are a pipeline of God. God wants to flow through you, so give. Apostle Dale told of how he was blessed by taking a hitchhiker in the other direction when his gas tank was on empty. #3 Check on your monitors, your spiritual warning gauges. What are they? They are peace and joy. Let peace be your umpire. Ask “why?” when you lose your peace. Let peace rule and guide you. The joy of the Lord is your strength. Depression is a sin and is selfish. Concentrating on yourself is looking for happiness, not joy. You get joy in the presence of God. Joy keeps you going. You must express joy.
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Service Times
Lancaster, PA
Saturday – 6:00 PM