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. Move and get closer to God. When you draw near to Him He will dry up the drip and even if He doesn’t the mercies of God can shield you.

Just a closer walk with thee… Keep our hope and faith always in our memory and our grasp. We must realize that what we believe is important. Your faith will be tested. When Paul spoke to the Ephesians, above all keep the shield of faith with which we shall be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked. You need faith to walk with God, believe in Him and stand with Him.

There will be a time when we have to determine what we believe and hang onto it. Consider one another as children of God. We must pray and pay attention to one another. Listen to your brothers and sisters’ cry. They are wanting something. Pay attention, because we need each other. None of us live unto ourselves and no one is going to die to himself. In Romans 14:7, that we may be able to comfort those who are in trouble. We have brothers and sisters in trouble and they need you. We can’t make it by ourselves. We need each other. The strong need to bear the infirmities of the weak.

After all isn’t the church the best support group?

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. When Lazarus dies, Martha beseeches the Lord for the life of her brother based on His word. “You said you love me. If you love me, then you will respond…” Sometimes, we have these preconceived notions that God is letting us down and has forsaken us. But sometimes the only way for us to make it through to go through Gethsemane (the trial).

God may not respond always respond to you the way you would like Him to. But His Delay is deliverance and it is deliberate. Sometimes there comes a moment when it just seems like God is not responding. When Martha said if you had been here Lord Lazarus would not have died, she was right. And sometimes we do wonder why God isn’t there to prevent us from going through. But look at Job. The Lord gives and takes away and it was He told Satan to consider His servant Job.

There is a conversation going on behind the scenes, but the Lord has equipped you with everything you need. The reason we get messed up like Martha is because we expect things that we don’t deserve. Even if you are going through the worst time in your life God can still bless you with peace, joy, patience…

You may not understand and the situation looks like it will never end, but is not over till it’s over. When you are in that place the enemy will try to make you lose hope. But this message is about hope and believing that God understands what you are going through.

Even when you are going through praise Him. Let His praise be continually in your mouth. Let us be patient, looking unto Jesus, who is the author and finisher of our faith. And if He is the author, finisher of our course than He is already aware of every obstacle and is finishing it with us.

What happens is we tend to get off track and start looking at the obstacle and not to Jesus’ example. Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us (Hebrews 12:1).

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. He is ready to snatch us up out of here and everything that is wrong He will make right. When we see Jesus all our troubles will be over. No more bills, no more mortgage, no more taxes!

The devil has come into our minds and emotions, but we ought to be looking for our Lord and savior’s return. One shall be ready and the other shall be taken. You have to live holy and walk right. You have to watch, pray and look at the signs, and know when the devil is trying to take you out and pull you into a snare. Tell the enemy that you aren’t going to let anything prevent you from going.

How is He coming?
Jesus is coming down with a shout! Listen for the trumpet sound. It shall sound so loud that the dead in Christ shall rise. Then we shall be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

We have been sick and tired and broke for too long! Tell those that are going through, “Hang in there; Jesus is still coming.” Those of us on oxygen, insulin, antibiotics, blood pressure pills, with heart disease, AIDS, corns, whatever your affliction – we shall be changed. He is coming. Are you ready? When Jesus cracks the sky. I’m going to see Jesus. Just hang tight He is coming for His church.

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. If you want to be Rapture-ready you can’t live like however you want to live. Make dead, mortify the deeds of the flesh. Kill the nasty attitude, disposition, lying tongue. He is coming for holy folk. You can’t do everything that the world wants to do.

God doesn’t care how good you sing, the wages of sin are still death. It’s time for the church to get it together. Let God come out in you. There is a way of escape — the Holy Ghost inside of you.

Thank God the Holy Ghost is a keeper. He will keep you if you want to be kept. The only thing you can do is kill the flesh. Don’t let it live. Step on it. Stomp on it. Tell your flesh to back up and get ready to meet the Rapture. It ain’t worth it, he ain’t worth it, she ain’t worth it.

You should be able to say: “I know I have done wrong, but clean me up, Lord and create in me a clean heart. Wash me that I may be white  as snow. Renew in me a right spirit. Restore my joy. I’m coming out!”

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. Sometimes you have to move wherever God wants to take you. You have to be flexible; your ears have to be open so he can take you to the next place. Go everywhere he wants to take you. Everyday ought to be an adventure, a brand new experience, a new beginning. Be delivered from the same-o, same-o and shame on you if your life is stale and boring. It should be exciting with Jesus. What has God done that’s new in your life lately? He stays fresh.

Sometimes you have to do something new, turn folk a loose. If we would just let go and trust Him he could do something that will blow your mind. Abram went out on nothing but new faith. He didn’t know where he was going or where His destination was. When you have faith you don’t need a map. When you trust God he will order your steps. He will show you favor. Have you ever been in a place where all you had was your faith?

When things look hopeless, look for God to show up. Sometimes He sets you up so He can show up. Look at Jacob. There are a lot of plotters and schemers in the church today. You might have connivers sitting next to you, someone with a Jacob spirit. They can’t look at you when you ask them something and their eyes are shifty. What Jacob didn’t understand is that you don’t have to fight, deceive people or struggle with what God has for you. He preyed upon His brother’s weakness and took matters into his own hands. It’s a shame when a saint takes advantage of another saint. The strong should bear the infirmities of the weak. Part of being a part of God is helping someone else.

Another thing, we have to learn how to let God do it. Because Jacob messed things up he ended up being hated by his brother and having to leave his home and be separated from his family. He didn’t understand how God works. He went down into another country and got tricked by a true trickster and had to work hard for 14 years for the wife he wanted. But it took that long to get his mind right.

After 14 years he was ready to head home. One evening, he found himself wrestling with God all night long and refused to let go until he got a blessing. You should refuse to let go of God until he blesses you. Don’t leave until you get your breakthrough. Jacob held onto God and he got a new name, Israel, which means “I struggled with God until I prevailed.” This blessing was more than money and riches. Sometimes you have to seek God for more than just houses and cars. God didn’t just give him stuff but changed him on the inside.

And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head. And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations. Joseph put Manasseh under Jacob’s right hand because he wanted the blessing for his firstborn, but Jacob knew what he was doing…

In the same way, God has been trying to bless us and touch us but we’ve held the blessings up, with our attitude and complaints. If you let his hand go he would do some ridiculous stuff. He would save your children, pay off bills, give you peace, but some of us are standing in the way. If we would just move ourselves he could have his way. If God touches you walls could come down. Our problem is we want too much control. He wants to bless you. You have to be willing to lose control. He can’t move as long as long as you are in control. Get your mind, intellect and will out of it!

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!

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.

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. God’s mercies are from everlasting to everlasting. Have you ever stopped to wonder how you got where you are? Not by works of righteousness, but according to His mercy… And such were some you, but not only are you sanctified, but you are justified because of the blood of Jesus.

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Aren’t you glad that Jesus is what He says He is. When the enemy says it was over and that you were no God, here comes mercy. That’s why David said Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.

God told Ezekiel: A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh (36:26). It was prophesied in Ezekiel, but manifested in Jesus. It’s about living a holy and righteous life – how you walk. The Holy Ghost will make you walk right and in His way. We must be doers of the word: Ye shall keep my judgments and keep them. When the Holy Ghost comes He brings a radical change. God not only wants to change you, but rearrange you, starting with the renewing of your mind. David cried out to God to create in him a clean heart and not to cast His spirit away from Him.

The source of regeneration is the Holy Ghost. Regeneration takes away your old life and clothes you in righteousness. On the day of Pentecost, Peter was still preaching when the Holy Ghost fell. If you receive the word you can receive the Holy Ghost. He may come on the laying on of hands -the wind blows wherever it pleases. Jesus will demonstrate what He did on the day of Pentecost, speaking in tongues as the Spirit gives utterance.

God loved you even before you knew Him.

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. No matter what the situation God can turn your situation around within 24 hours. Joseph went from prison to prime minister within that time frame. God is a god of miracles. He is a way maker and a provider.

Nothing gets worse than mothers boiling their babies. The king called the prophet and the word of God was spoken. Faith must be declared. We have to speak what we believe. The angels hearken to the voice of His word. You cannot activate the movement of angels without speaking the word. Someone has to voice their faith so angels can hearken to His word and act on your behalf.

Sometimes you have to have holy anger. You have to tell the devil that he can’t have your family, your home, your peace. No matter what the situation thought the vision delays it will surely come to pass. Keep on holding on. God told Moses that I am that I am and He is whatever we need Him to be. Just like the Hebrew boys knew that God would deliver them, we know to expect deliverance and if it doesn’t come we will still be willing to sacrifice our lives.

Sometimes we forget to pray and sometimes we forget we are Christians. But we are God’s property and He has got things under control. You have to believe God and put angels in charge where you live and God will protect you. Men have failed us many times and so we put it on God and so we think God is also like that, but God is not a man that He should lie. He cannot lie. When He speaks something it is. Whatever you are going through He is God of your situation. Only believe. Don’t let unbelief steal what God has for you in your life.

God changed Samaria’s situation and He can change yours.

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. However, walking with God is a beautiful and exciting life, even through struggle. People may wonder how you can have peace in the middle of strife, but we have Jesus and the word of God on our side. Because of that we don’t have to worry about anything. There is no goal that we can’t reach. The word of God is infallible. The people of God need to graduate to the place where we will accept God’s word for whatever He says. We need to act upon it.

Many people read the Bible, but they don’t understand it. The Bible is one thing that we can stand on. If we believe in Jesus and His word we can receive help in times of conflict. We’re all going through something and as we set our goal, conflicts will increase. But we have to set out to be overcomers. Many times we can’t accomplish what we need to accomplish is because we keep holding on to the past, but you can’t let it affect you. He didn’t say he forget everything he did, but he said he counted everything that he did as done.

Forgetting those things that are behind… Paul started off as a persecutor of Christians. That was his goal. And even when he was on his way down to Damascus he was determined. But how many know God can change your mind? The Lord was able to change and reconfigured Paul’s mind, but not his abilities. When Paul came into the church and under the auspices of the Holy Spirit he had to forget those things that were behind and all the things that he achieved in the world.

Let this mind be of you that was also in Christ Jesus… Once you get saved you become a vehicle through which God’s glory can be revealed. Paul had to forget his old ways and goals and pursue new tactics. He had a  desire for knowledge, but then that desire became to know more about God. His goal was to become whatever God wanted him to be. And we should all aspire to reach our goals and potential for the Lord. Here are seven ways to do it:

1) Respond to responsibilities. Every child of God has a responsibility. If you ever expect to reach your goal in life we must not shirk or avoid your duties. We must push ourselves. Launch out to the deep, like Peter said. You have to go the extra mile and stretch yourself out beyond measure. If first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Just because you fail doesn’t mean you have to quit. Failing doesn’t mean you’re a failure. Don’t let your pride or fear get in the way. Pride is the way of destruction and fear is torment. It will stop you from reaching your goal. The Apostle Paul just wanted to know God.

2) Forget your failures. Many never reach their goals because they are wallowing in the depths of self-pity. You can learn by your mistakes.

3) Master your mind. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things… Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. We must meditate on the law day and night, then He will make your way prosperous. Don’t pay attention to everything that comes to your mind. Be wary of being idle – not praying or meditating on the word of the Lord. Meditate on the Lord and reach your goal!

4) Learn to love. 1 Corinthians 1:2 – Without love we are nothing. One of the greatest hindrances to spiritual progress is bitterness. You can’t grow, you can’t love with bitterness in your heart. If you don’t control your mind the enemy will plant a lot of negative stuff in your mind. As you process it you will become angry and bitter. That is a dangerous state to be in and will hinder you from reaching your goals. Don’t let anyone separate you from the love of God. Only service that is motivated by love will succeed in reaching our goal. We have let love do it.

5) Conquer your criticism. The best of the best have been slandered at some point. It doesn’t make you wrong. Sometimes people criticize you to be constructive, sometimes destructive and you have to differentiate between the two. Sometimes people are trying to help you. If you can handle it, you can make it.

6) Develop determination. You have to be determined if you want to reach your goal. Don’t let anything stop you. Determination has always developed great men and women. Anything that is worth having is worth fighting for. You can be an overcomer. Saturate your hearts and minds with the word of God. Focus on the word and God will bring you through.

7) Study the scriptures. Read and study the word.

Image courtesy of cidtyer.wordpress.com