Faith

By the Power of the Holy Spirit

 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name”

John 14:26 (ESV) John 15:26 (ESV)

“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth”

John 16:7 (ESV)
“...it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send Him to you.”

Acts 1:4-5 (NIV)
“...Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 2:19 (ESV)
“I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath”

1 Cor 2:4-5 (NIV)
“My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.”

Isaiah 32:14-18 (ESV)
“For the palace is forsaken,

the populous city deserted...until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field,
and the fruitful field is deemed a forest.

Then justice will dwell in the wilderness,
and righteousness abide in the fruitful field. And the effect of righteousness will be peace,

and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. My people will abide in a peaceful habitation,

in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.”

September 3, 2023 // Pastor Jason King

Isaiah 44:3 (ESV)
“For I will pour water on the thirsty land,

and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring,

and my blessing on your descendants.”

John 6:63 (NKJV)
“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing”

Isaiah 63:10 (ESV)
“They rebelled
and grieved his Holy Spirit;
therefore he turned to be their enemy, and himself fought against them.”

1 Cor. 6:19 (NIV)
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?”

Zechariah 4:6 (ESV)
“...Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”

Unconformity

Leviticus 11:45 (NIV)

“I am the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.”

1 Peter 1:14-16 (NIV)
“do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

Leviticus 18:3-4 (ESV)
“You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes. You shall follow my rules and keep my statutes and walk in them. I am the Lord your God.”

Ezekiel 11:12 (NIV)
“for you have not followed my decrees or kept my laws but have conformed to the standards of the nations around you.”

Matthew 6:8 (ESV)
“Do not be like them…”

Romans 12:2 (NIV)
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Challenge

- Pluralism 

John 14:6 (NIV)
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

1 Corinthians 8:6 (ESV)

“for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist." 

Your Response to the Kingship of Christ

Luke 6:46 (ESV)

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?”

Matthew 13:23 (ESV)

“As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

John 12:24 (ESV)

 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”

Luke 9:23-24 (ESV)
“...If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”

Galatians 5:16-17 (NIV)
“...walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.” 

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV)
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

Galatians 2:20 (NIV)

 “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Christ is King

Matthew 28:18-20a (ESV)

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

Genesis 1:26a (ESV)

“Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion…”

Genesis 5:1-2a (NIV)
“…he made them in the likeness of God. He created them male and female and blessed them.”

Genesis 2:17b (NKJV)

“for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Genesis 3:1-6 (ESV)
“He said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say, You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?’ And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.”

Genesis 3:15 (NIV)

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers;
he [her offspring] will crush your head, and you [Satan] will strike his heel.”

Matthew 4:1-11 (NIV)

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.’

Jesus answered, ‘It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down. For it is written:

‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’

 
Jesus answered him, ‘It is also written: Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ‘All this I will give you,’ he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’

Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.”

 Have you ever wondered why Jesus didn’t say You idiot! You can’t offer to me what doesn’t belong to you?

John 12:31-32 (ESV)
“Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 

Matthew 28:18-20a (ESV)

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

Colossians 2:15 (NKJV)
“Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”

Revelation 1:5 (ESV)

“Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.”

Ephesians 1:19-23 (ESV)
“what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”

Habakkuk 2:14 (ESV)

“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”

Walking in Spiritual Authority

Mark 1:27 (ESV)

“They were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.”

Luke 9:1 (ESV)

“He called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases.”

Spiritual Authority

Where do you get it?

Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)

“Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

John 12:49 (ESV)

“For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has Himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak.”

John 14:10 (ESV)

“Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does His works.”

John 16:13-15 (ESV)

 “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for He will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore, I said that He will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

“So, if Jesus and the Holy Spirit functioned under God’s Authority then naturally you and I as followers of Jesus and temples of the Holy spirit should also.”

How do you get it?

Matthew 21:18-22 (ESV)

“In the morning, as He was returning to the city, He became hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, He went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And He said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once. When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

How do you lose it?

Matthew 8:5-10 (ESV)
“When He had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to Him, appealing to Him, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” And He said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who followed Him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.”

James 4:7 (CSB) 

“Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

How do you use it?

2 Corinthians 13:10 (ESV)
"For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.”

Spiritual Warfare - Watch Your Mouth

Ecclesiastes 10:12 (ESV)

“The words of a wise man's mouth win him favor,

but the lips of a fool consume him.”

Ecclesiastes 10:12 (NLT)

"Wise words bring approval,

but fools are destroyed by their own words”

Proverbs 18:20-21 (NLT)

“Wise words satisfy like a good meal;

the right words [chosen words] bring satisfaction.

The tongue can bring death or life;

those who love to talk will reap the consequences.”

James 3:3-12 (NLT)

 “We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.

But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.

People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.”

Matthew 12:34b (NLT)
"For whatever is in your heart determines what you say.”

Matthew 12:34b (ESV)
“For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

Genesis 35:17-18 (NLT)

“After a very hard delivery, the midwife finally exclaimed, ‘Don’t be afraid—you have another son!’ Rachel was about to die, but with her last breath she named the baby Ben-oni (which means ‘son of my sorrow’). The baby’s father, however, called him Benjamin [which means ‘son of my right hand’ [or strength]).”

Psalm 19:14 (ESV)

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

be acceptable in your sight,

O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”

Proverbs 18:21 (ESV)

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue,

and those who love it will eat its fruits.”

Psalm 141:3 (ESV)

"Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;

 keep watch over the door of my lips!”

Ephesians 4:29 (ESV)
“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

July 23, 2023 // Pastor Mark Davies How to Wage Warfare in the Arena of the Heart

Four Ways to Wage Warfare in the Arena of the Heart

1. Recognize the value of your heart 

Proverbs 4:23–27 (ESV)

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.”

2.      Craft offensive strategies

Ephesians 6:10-11 (ESV)

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”

Job 31:1 (NIV)

“I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust at a young woman.” 

Question: If I were the Devil, how would I attack me? 

3.      Issue eviction notices
                 
Galatians 5:24 (ESV)

“And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

Colossians 3:5 (ESV)

“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

Psalm 119:11-12 (ESV)

“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O Lord ; teach me your statutes!”

Psalm 51:10 (ESV)

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

Psalm 119:10 (ESV)

“With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!”

4.     Rest 

1 John 3:19-20 (ESV)

“we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.”

2 Thessalonians 3:3 (ESV)

“But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.”

Psalm 37:4 (ESV)

“Delight yourself in the Lord , and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

2 Chronicles 16:9a (ESV)

“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.”

The Gate and Access Point of the Mind (thought life)

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (ESV)
“though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ”

The Gate and access of our mind (thought life)

John 8:44 (ESV)

“…When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

Thoughts that destroy. 

-        Pride

Proverbs 8:13 (NIV)

“I hate pride and arrogance”

-        Criticism, judgment and negativity

-        Fear

-        Unbelief

-        Strife and contention

-        Inferiority 

-        Condemnation 

Deuteronomy 27:26 (NIV)

“Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’”

Galatians 3:10 (NIV)

“’Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them”

Galatians 3:11-14 (ESV)

“Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” But the law is not of faith, rather ‘The one who does them shall live by them.’ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.”

1 John 1:9 (ESV)

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Not Today Satan

Ephesians 6:11 (ESV)
“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” 

Matthew 16:13-18 (ESV)
“Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter replied, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.’”

Revelation 3:20 

“Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man will open then I will come in and have fellowship with him.”

Gate is a Human Choice

Three influences on this Gate of Choice.

1.  God

2. Devil

3. You

- Prayer 

- Pray specifically against the influence of the enemy

- Preach the Gospel

- Stand for Biblical truth and righteousness

Micah 6:8 (NKJV)
“He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?”

Matthew 5:14-16 (ESV)
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Anchored 
1. Nothing Matters More Than Knowing Christ

Philippians 3:7-9a (ESV)
“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him...”

Knowing: GREEK: gnōsis - A first-hand experiential knowledge of Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:1-2 (ESV)
“And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”

Galatians 6:14 (ESV)
“But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

Three Beliefs

July 2, 2023 // Pastor Mark Davies

1. It’s All Grace
2. Philippians 3:9b-12 (ESV)
   “...not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
3. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.”
4. 1 Corinthians 15:9-10a (ESV)
   “For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain.”
5. Eternity Is Home
6. Philippians 3:13-16 (ESV)
   “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.”
7. Philippians 3:17-21 (ESV)
   “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”
8. Lord: GREEK: kyrios (Coo Ri Os) the owner, the decision-maker

1 Corinthians 15:48-58 (ESV)
“As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written. ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

Colossians 3:1-4 (ESV)
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (ESV)
“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

2 Corinthians 5:4-6a (ESV)
“For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always of good courage.”

Remaining Anchored in Eternity Pray - Read - Fellowship

Ephesians 3:14-21 (ESV)
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”