How to survive perilous times

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:1; Hebrews 10

Notes: God has given us a word to let us know how to survive perilous time. We need God on our side and we need the support of one another. In order to walk through this life, we have to maintain our faith in God. If you lose your faith in God, you lose your confidence. Every child of God must stand up to accomplish what God is calling them to do. The men of God moved by faith (see Hebrews 11, Hall of Faith).

Faith plays an important role in critical times. We may have a lot going on in our lives, but it should not affect our faith. What will affect your faith are the things that are constant that wear away your strength. A watery drip will eventually erode whatever it lands on.

The letter to Hebrews give us some specific things to do as we see the Day of the Lord approaching. One thing you must do is draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith. You need a clear conscience and a clear mind. The Psalmist said they that are from thee shall perish. That’s why you want to get close to God.

We must testify about what God has done, and if I get close enough to the Lord I can tell you what the Lord is doing. God is a healer, a deliverer, a waymaker, a burden-bearer. Draw near to God and He will draw nearer to you. In critical times we have to get close to Him. Turn loose the things that are holding you back. Don’t sit under the drip.

Bishop Saunders: Even now you must praise Him!

Scripture: Matthew 24, John 11
Bishop Willard Saunders, pastor of Creator for So Much More Worship Center in Baltimore, preached a message “Even now,” in celebration of Bishop and First Lady’s 25th Pastoral Anniversary. Here is an excerpt of notes from the message.

Notes: Pay attention to firsts. This is a year of firsts. First time for an earthquake to happen on Friday and a hurricane on Saturday. We’ve never seen things like this before. Disrespect for the presidency et cetera. People have no respect for each other or leadership. When you see these things happening you should know this is not the end, but the beginning of the end.

Part of my assignment today is to be the congregation’s cod liver oil (or an awful pot of beans), providing instruction that might not taste good, but is good for you. The church has not prepared people for the fact that suffering does come and the first time people suffer they want to leave the church because they feel it’s not what they signed up for – what’s called “violated expectations.” Things are going to get worse, before they get better because God is trying to have mercy on us. He is trying to take our focus off what we possess and focus on who possesses us.

In John 11, the writer is giving us context on Lazarus and his family and you see the sisters’ expectations of their relationship with Jesus. The story is really about Martha, because that’s where the conversation was. 

Langham: Get ready, hang on, Jesus is coming!

Scripture: Matthew 24
Evangelist Lorraine Langham preached the message “Jesus is still coming” during Day 3 of the DC, DE, MD District Council Young People’s Convention.

Notes: We are living in perilous times. We are living in a dangerous age. Things are going on both in the church and out. Sickness and disease has overtaken the saints as much as it has the world. Though Jesus has not come back it doesn’t mean that He isn’t coming.

If the Lord had come last week or last night there are some of us that would not have made the Rapture. The devil has deceived the body of Christ to make us think we have time and we can do whatever we want to do.

This same Jesus that healed the body, preached the word shall come in like manner. We should be ready for when He comes back. Jesus mapped it out in Matthew 24, but just like Noah, the people ignored the warning and kept on living in sin and unrighteousness. But Jesus is getting ready to crack the sky. It’s going to rain! And He is coming for a Holy people, a church without spot or wrinkle.

Langham: ‘Get me out of this and this out of me’

Scripture: Romans 7: 15-24
Evangelist Lorraine Langham preached the message “Get me out of this and get this out of me” during Day 2 of the DC, DE, MD District Council Young People’s Convention.

Notes: Apostle Paul writes that even though he was annointed and filled with the Holy Ghost, the devil would still not leave him alone. He wrote about the law of the flesh. When you want to walk holy, your flesh keeps messing with you and you have a struggle in your flesh. It’s a war and a struggle.

Paul found himself warring after the things of the flesh. When you think you have reached your goal in Jesus and your pinnacle, your flesh will rise up in you and make you do and say  things that will lead you to trouble with God. Paul finds himself in a state of wretchedness.

Jesus is coming for a church without spot or wrinkle and we want to be ready when He comes, despite what the flesh feels like. Things of the flesh just feel good. But things that feel good are not necessarily good for you. God knew that we could never keep ourselves. That’s why He sent a Helper, a Comforter and put Him on the inside of us. 

Bishop Gates: Stop holding up your Father’s hand

Scripture: Genesis 48
Bishop Lambert Gates, assistant presiding bishop of the Pentecostal Churches of the Apostolic Faith and senior pastor of Mt. Zion Apostolic Church in Indianapolis, preached the message “Don’t hold up your Father’s hand” during Day 1 of the DC, DE, MD District Council Young People’s Convention.

Notes: Moses was anointed and appointed of God to capture the message of Genesis through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. Everything starts and emanates through God and His presence. He is, was and is to come. He spans time and the space outside of time. He can never be late, he’s always on time. He has every aspect of our lives covered. Whatever dilemma we find ourselves we can rest in the fact that he is everywhere at the same time. In the beginning the earth was void, without form. Aren’t you glad you serve a God that can work with dark stuff and put it back all together again?

We should be able to relate to the beginning of Genesis and how we used to be. Life does not begin until the Lord gets a hold of you. You were void and full of darkness until the Holy Ghost moved. He made us all over again and has the ability to take something messed up and recreate it without any preexisting material. He just said let it be. Aren’t you glad the word of God still works? We are saved because God says we are saved. We didn’t come from apes but the hand of God; we are his handiwork from the dust of His hand.

God told Abram to make a new beginning. Like Abram, God moves us to bless us. When you look back you can see it was God that put you where you are and were. Thank God for making us move when we don’t want to move and positioning us. Get ready for a move and a brand new beginning. Sometimes our roots are stuck so deep that we can’t go.

‘Despite the pressure, I will hold onto my praise’

Scripture: Exodus 1:1-20
Bishop Kenneth Green of Straightway Apostolic Temple visited with us to celebrate Bishop and First Lady’s 25th Pastoral Anniversary and preached a message on praise in times of pressure. Here is an excerpt of notes from his message.

Notes: We praise God for who He is and what He has already done. We praise Him with our emotion. The fact that you are still here is enough to give God praise. Everybody is pressured and the devil wants you to be quiet on God. He thought if He put enough pressure on you, you would not praise God. But even if you did, God is still good.

You don’t have to wait till you get to church you can praise Him right now. He’s good and His mercy endures for a long time. Get out your seat, wave your hand, because it coulda, shoulda, woulda been the other way. We could be celebrating someone’s homegoing, but look at God. He’s so good you shouldn’t be able to wait to praise Him.

No one knows like you know just how good God is in the morning, noon and night. He puts bread on the table. He gave you a sane mind. Stand up and tell the devil that you can’t overpraise!

What we believe about baptism

Scripture: Matthew 3-4

Notes: The Bible says you must be born of water and the Spirit. Jesus came straight out of the water which means He was fully immersed. We want to follow the example that Jesus set. You have to be forgiven of your sins. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

After Jesus emerged from the water the Spirit descended upon Him like a dove and the Lord spoke. When the Holy Spirit comes in He comes in speaking. Shortly after that Jesus was driven into the wilderness, where He was tempted by the devil for 40 days and then the angels came and ministered unto Him. Then He set out to do the work that He was called to do — spread the Good News. The kingdom of God is near and the first thing He urged the people to repent.

Repent means to have Godly sorrow and change, turn away from sin. God can’t dwell in an unclean temple. We must repent from our sins. When God tells us to do something we should act upon it. First, we have to believe that He is. We have to come to Him believing that He is.

The Gospel is the good news, the death, burial, resurrection of Christ. Jesus came preaching about the kingdom and so did John the Baptist, who came preaching the same message in the wilderness of Judea — the voice of one crying. John was a messenger and like John, God has already ordained what we are going to be. We just have to remain steadfast in our living for Him. Sometimes we don’t understand where God is putting us, but He has given to each of us a ministry to witness. The Bible says we are ambassadors.

When Jesus came He came teaching the Kingdom and that’s what we as the people and children of God should be focusing on. It was the message at the beginning of His ministry. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 4:17). In turn, we need to know where we fit in the Kingdom, so that we as the people of God so we can continue the message that has been set by Jesus.

‘Thank God I’m not what I’m used to be’

Bishop Earnest L. Pendleton preaches on the grace of God.

Scripture: Titus 3: 1-6

Notes: Thank God for the grace of God. Sometimes we don’t appreciate God until we look back on what we used to be. He has done great things for us. Many times when we think about the goodness of Jesus and think about what he has done for us.  We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Thank God He didn’t cut you off while you were there, but gave you an opportunity to make a change in your life. We are reminded that He has been so good to us. He gives us an opportunity to get it together.

God’s mercy gave you a second chance. This day should be a day of rejoicing for the opportunity He has given us to serve Him and show our appreciation. You should give God a praise for where you are now, because of the mercies of God you aren’t where you used to be. Aren’t you glad that while you were doing your thing God spared you and was merciful to you.

Ready for a miracle? Where’s your faith?

Scripture: 2 Kings 6: 24-27, Psalm 84:6

Notes: God promises that through our trials and tribulations He will be there with us. When you go through the valley it is a place where God wants to honor himself and destroy your enemies and whatever it is that is attacking you. Note David and Goliath. The only thing that can paralyze you is fear. David was full of faith and faith moved him to move into the valley and God brought a giant down. The God we serve is a God of the mountains and the valleys too.

A famine had besieged Samaria. The city gates were shut. No one could go in and no one could go out. In 1 Kings 20, Benhadad was defeated and he came back believing that God was a god of the mountain only, so he decided to wage war in the valley. God has chosen to destroy your enemies in the valley that you are going through. Sometimes we have to stop being polite and shout some Holy Ghost shouting to bring down Jericho walls. Give God full control of your situation. Don’t get gentle with God. How long will we allow Satan to take over what we have?

It’s time to declare that Jesus is Lord. We have to make a move, rather than to stay in the same place. David made a move and spoke by faith to that giant. “You are coming down today.” It’s time to declare by faith that giants in your life are coming down. 

Every child of God ought to have a goal

Scripture: Philippians 3:7-14

Notes: Every child of God has a goal and we should work towards eternity with Jesus, but we need to bear in mind that there is an opposition and we will need to fight to attain our goal. Every time you turn around it seems like something is going on and it can bring you discouragement. Even David said his feet almost slipped looking at the prosperity of others. Some folks running fast, slow and not at all and it’s up to us to decide where we fit. Are you running at half speed?

Pressing toward the mark… Apostle Paul decided to put those things behind to move forward. He set an example and admonished us to get past the things that are hindering us and to press toward the mark. This life takes a press, a fight, and when we get to a point where it looks like we’re not going to get there we need to keep fighting.