Impact Church London

Sermon Series “Light Of The World” Sermon #3 “Light Collides With Darkness”

John 1:5 “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish (Overcome) it.”

Matthew 2:1-12 “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.’  (A Collision Of Kingdoms)

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.  So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’    Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared.

And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”

When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.  And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him.

And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

“Herod had an evil nature, relentless in punishment and unsurpassing in action against the objects of his hatred.” 

Josephus — 1st century Historian

“It is safer to be Herod’s pig than Herod’s son.”   Emperor Augustus

“I am come to rest my safety on my integrity…I am not ashamed to declare my loyalty to Antony. But if you would disregard the individual concerned, and examine how I requite my benefactors, and how staunch a friend I prove, then you may know me by the test of my past actions. I hope that the subject of inquiry will be not whose friend, but how loyal a friend, I have been” (Ant. 15.193; War 1.390).

“The light shines in the darkness.”

There was a cosmic confrontation taking place.  Kingdoms were colliding.

Very few recognised the moment.   Herod thought he could resist.

Lessons From Wise Men:

1.  Be Aware  “Have seen His star.”

Two types of consciousness.

2. Be Intentional   “… come to worship Him.” vs. 2

Colossians 3:2 “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”

3. Be Passionate      “at its rising and have come” (AMP)

4. Be Determined   “…they went their way…” vs. 9  

Herod didn’t spook them.   

Acts 20:24 “But none of these things move me; …so that I may finish my race with joy,…”   

5. Be Joyful    “…rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.”

Engaging Jesus is a joy filled trip.

6. Be A Worshipper 

“…fell down and worshiped Him. Then opening their treasure bags,…” (11) 

God wants worshippers who worship. 

John 4:23 “…for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.”

7. Be Transformed      “They departed for their own country another way.” vs. 12

John 1:12  “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God.”

“The light shines in the darkness.”

Herod died a horrible death.

The infant born in a stable 5 miles south of Herods palace is filling the earth with His Light and Life!

“If Jesus were born one thousand times in Bethlehem and not in me, then I would still be lost.”

          CORRIE TEN BOOM

Sermon Series “Light Of The World” Sermon #1 “The Light Shines”

John 12:46 “I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.”

Acts 26:17-18 “I now send you,  to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.”

Miners trapped in mine in Chile People hostages … darkness affected their eyes … sunglasses

Donkeys coal mines blind.

Bright Light Therapy: S A D and Beyond

“…subjecting patients with winter SAD to bright white light, thereby lengthening their photoperiod (daily exposure to light), reduced their depressive symptoms.”  (National Library Of Medicine)

Christmas can be a dark time. Thing get amplified, exaggerated.

Brothers girlfriend gave him a 15’ Boa Constrictor … no a Poodle

Picture of me with Mark Brazee … Mom showed family this picture on Christmas 2000 … Not end well!

Austrian psychologist Carl Jung   “Those psychiatrists who are not superficial have come to the conclusion that the vast neurotic misery of the world could be termed a neurosis of emptiness.  DARKNESS Men cut themselves off from the root of their being, from God, and then life turns empty, inane, meaningless, without purpose.”

John 1:1-5 “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. 

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish (overcome) it.”

John written between 90-100 AD

He had experienced DARK times.   

Israel and Jerusalem destroyed.

Incredible LOSS — Peter and Paul executed.

YET!! he wrote “God is LOVE” 

YET!!  “Light Shines In The Darkness”

John 19:26-27 “When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!”  Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.”

John had Mary, Jesus Mother, at his table everyday,

On Jesus birthday he could ask Mary what was it like.

Yet his gospel was not a historical narrative but theological declaration.

John 1:5 “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish (Overcome) it.”

John 8:12 “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

This is the event that preceded this I AM statement!

John 8:2-12 (NIV) “At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group …

 … and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write (Katagraphein against/write)

on the ground with his finger.  …

When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 

Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

“No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus (LOVE) declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 8:11 TPT “Looking around, she replied, ‘I see no one, Lord.’ Jesus said, ‘Then I certainly don’t condemn you either. Go, and from now on, be free from a life of sin.’”

Micah 7:8 “Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; When I fall, I will arise; When I sit in darkness, The Lord will be a light to me.”

John 1:5 “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish (Overcome) it.”

Series: “WIJD” — Sermon #10 “Jesus Is Imparting Himself To Others”

Pictures Of Seating Assignments.

Pray for hearing … hands on ears … how is your hearing?   Its next Wednesday.  Misunderstanding.

Yucatan:— We don’t understand you.   Named a whole region based on misunderstanding.

We often misunderstand how leadership works in God’s Kingdom.

John Quincy Adams 

“If your actions inspire others to dream more to learn more to do more and become more then you are a leader.”

Jim Wallace (Australian Special Forces)

The real power of effective leadership is maximizing other people’s potential.

Albert Schweitzer 

Every person I know who has been truly happy has learned how to serve others.

Mark 10:32-45. “They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. He took the twelve aside again …

and began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death;

then they will hand him over to the gentiles;  they will mock him and spit upon him and flog him and kill him, and after three days he will rise again.”

“James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, ‘Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.’ And he said to them, ‘What is it you want me to do for you?’

And they said to him, ‘Appoint us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.’  But Jesus said to them, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?’

They replied, ‘We are able.’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized you will be baptized,  but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to appoint, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.

When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. So Jesus called them and said to them, ‘You know that among the gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them.

But it is not so among you; instead, whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant,  and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.  For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many.’

We are called to REIGN in life.  But our model of leadership is amplified service. Self giving love.

Slave (doulos) :—  one that is in a permanent relation of servitude to another, his will altogether swallowed up in the will of the other.

Martin Luther King Jr “But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That’s a new definition of greatness.  And this morning, the thing that I like about it: by giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.”

John 13:3-5  “Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God.   … Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.”

J Karl Thomas (Leadership)

“I do.  — I do and you watch.  —  We do together.  —  You do I watch.   —  You do.” 

1. I will serve others joyfully.   2. You watch me serve others joyfully. 3. Join me and we will serve others joyfully.

4. You serve others joyfully I’ll watch.   5. You go and serve others joyfully.

First warning sign of drifting towards selfishness.  Your language changes from:  “I Get To.”  To   “I Got To.”

Jesus Is Calling Out His Successors.

Jesus Is Launching His Leadership Team For His Church. 

Jesus Is Securing The Success Of His Eternal Mission.

Jesus Is Imparting Himself To Others.

Selection: He Prayerfully Chose 

Luke 6:12-13 “…and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles:”

Association:  Devoted His Time 

Mark 3:14 “Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach.”

Consecration: Left The Nets

Mark 1:17-18 “Then Jesus said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.’ They immediately left their nets and followed Him.”

Demonstration: His Example 

 Luke 11:1 “Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”

Impartation: He Gave Himself 

Luke 9:1 “Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.”

Delegation: He Released Them 

Luke 9:16 “Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, … and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.” 

Luke 9:2 “He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.”

Accountability: He Coaches

Mark 6:30 “Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.” 

Reproduction: His Expectation 

Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,…” 

Vs. 45 “For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many.”

1 John 4:19 (NLT). “We love each other because he loved us first.”   Have you let Him love you?

Series: “WIJD” — Sermon #9 “Jesus Is Healing And Setting People Free”

We can’t talk about W.I.J.D. without talking about demons.

Matthew 8:16-17 “And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses.”

Mark 1:39   “And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.”

We have a mandate:

Mark 16:17-19   “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; … they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Luke 13:10 “Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.  And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, …

“Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.”  And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd,…

“There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.”

The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?  

So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?”  And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.”

“Ought” (dei):– a necessity of law and command, of duty, equity necessity established by the counsel and decree of God.

Jesus was legally bound to release this woman form her affliction. There was a heavenly obligation to fulfill.

“Being” (on):– being. Present participle … it is active … at work right now.

NOT —“I want to be a believer.” BUT — “I am being a believer.”

Psalm 103:2-3 “Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases,”

Isaiah 53:4-5 “Surely He has borne our griefs (SICKNESSES) And carried our sorrows (PAIN); …  But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”

1 Peter 2:24  “… who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.”

Mark 2:9. “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk?’”

Caroline Leaf “Who Switched Off My Brain” — page 4, 37  “Research has shown that around 87% of illness can be attributed to our thought life, and approximately 13% to diet, genetics and environment …your emotions are cellular signals that translate information into physical reality.”      

Proverbs 17:22 (AMP) “A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” 

Let’s Cover These Four Things:

3.   Jesus has set us free.  4. Our most effective weapon

C.S. Lewis — Screwtape Letters

“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about devils. One is too disbelieve in there existence. The other is to believe and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.”

Jack Hayford.  “You can’t cast out the flesh and you can’t disciple a demon.”

We need both: Discipleship and Deliverance.

Matthew 12:22  “Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.”

Daimonizomai:– to have or be vexed by a demon. Does not denote ownership.

Can light dwell with darkness?

2 Corinthians 6:14  “And what communion has light with darkness?”

2 Corinthians 5:17 “…new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

Ephesians 5:8 “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.”

Ephesians 4:27  “…nor give place to the devil.”

topos:–  place, any portion or space marked off, opportunity, power, occasion for acting.

Buick commercial …  “Did you lock the car?” Locks car with app.

“Did you close the windows?

Pigeons have filled the apartment.

Pigeons don’t own the apartment but they have moved in and will influence things until removed.

3 Pronged Attack Of Enemy

Deception – lies vain imaginations.     Temptation – follows deception.   Accusation – rubs it in your face.

Ephesians 6:11 “…take your stand against the devil’s schemes”

“Methodeia”:— to journey  behind, to study, craft.

Good News!!! If you are experiencing any form of bondage … Jesus sets you completely free!!!

John 8:32  “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

It is not a power struggle. —  It is primarily a truth struggle.

1 John 4:18  “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment.”

1 Corinthians 13:8  “Love never fails.” 

Freedom Is The Father’s Business

1. Start Ministering Healing. 2. Keep On Ministering Healing.  3. Don’t Stop Ministering Healing

Series: “WIJD” — Sermon #8 “Jesus Is Restoring Relationships”

John Doerr  (Venture Capitalist)  “Teams. He said I bet on teams. Some people would say people, I say teams. It’s not just people, but how these people work together in relationships. … are these the people that you want to face those problems with?”

Daniel Goleman — (Workplace Psych) “Emotional Intelligence is twice as important as the other two (Skill and IQ) and it is the ability to relate well to a whole variety of people. Without emotional intelligence, … still not be effective in the workplace environment.”

Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.”

Matthew 6:9   “Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.”

Ephesians 3:1 “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,…”

Many people think that Christianity is a belief system, but it’s really a belong system.

John 15:12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

John 13:35   “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Jesus On Relationships:

John 13:14 “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” 

Greatness is selflessly serving.

Matthew 5:21-22. Anger “…anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder.”

Matthew 5:29  LUST “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you;…”

Matthew 5:38-42 Annoying People  “…Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also …  go also the second mile. “

Matthew 5:44  “I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you,…”

Matthew 7:1-5  “Judging “First remove the plank from your own eye…”

Matthew 7:12 (Message)  “Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God’s Law and Prophets and this is what you get.”

Galatians 3:24 “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”

Purpose of the law is to point you to Jesus and cry MERCY!!!

1. Know Who You Are

John 8:14 “Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going;”

You are unique.  There is no one like you.    Be yourself!

“The church preaches too much about who we aren’t. Knowing who you now are and Who lives in you is the key to Christian living.”     Ryan Rufus

2. Practice Vulnerability

John 1:14  “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…”

Knowing who you are, where you come from and where you are going frees you to be present and authentic.

C. S. Lewis (The Four Loves)

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; …

… avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”

3. Avoid Labelling People

People don’t appreciate Judgement or Assumptions.

We tell ourselves average of 50 stories a day.   We forget they are stories.

4. Excel At Packaging

Colossians 3:14 “Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.”

Don’t be a brown paper bag.  Add some bling to the presentation.

Luke 22:61-62 “And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.’  So Peter went out and wept bitterly.”

Angel with special message.

Mark 16:7 “But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”

John 21:15 “So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.’ He said to him, ‘Feed My lambs.’”

1 Corinthians 5:18-19 “And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.  For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.”

Series: “WIJD” — Sermon #7 “Jesus Lives Under An Open Heaven”

John 21:25  “And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.”

Matthew 4:24-25 “News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon possessed or epileptic or paralyzed— he healed them all. Large crowds followed him wherever he went—people from Galilee, the Ten Towns, Jerusalem, from all over Judea, and from east of the Jordan River.

John 1:47-51  “Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!’ Nathanael said to Him, ‘How do You know me?’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Because I said  to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.’ And He said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’”

Nathanael being a student of the word knew exactly what Jesus was referring to:

John 1:45 “Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote —Jesus of Nazareth,  the son of Joseph.’”

Genesis 28:10-19  “Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And behold, the LORD stood above it. Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.” And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!’”

Jesus manifest open heaven.

Water into wine.    Feeding five thousand.    Calmed the storm.    Raised the dead.   He healed them all.

Apostles Manifest Open Heaven:

Acts 5:12, 15  “And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people  …  so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some  of them.” 

Nathaniel / Bartholomew 

“Batholomew preached with such success that the heathen God’s were rendered powerless … his voice was like a trumpet; angels waited upon him; he was always cheerful, and he new all languages.”

(William Barcley — The Master’s Men)

Cessationism is the view that the “miracle gifts” of tongues and healing have ceased—that the end of the apostolic age brought about a cessation of the miracles associated with that age. Most cessationists believe that, while God can and still does perform miracles today, the Holy Spirit no longer uses individuals to perform miraculous signs. 

The Westminster Confession Of The Faith —  Section 1 (Of The Holy Scriptures)   “… those former ways of God’s revealing His will unto His people being now ceased.”

 Year 367 — Canon of Scripture complete 

“But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.” 1 Corinthians 13:8-10.    False assumption — With His Word defined we don’t need other manifestations.

Continuationism is the belief that all the spiritual gifts, including healings, tongues, and miracles, are still in operation today, just as they were in the days of the early church. A continuationist believes that the spiritual gifts have “continued” unabated since the Day of Pentecost and that the demonstration of “signs, wonders, and miracles”, as witnessed in the apostolic era, should be a hallmark of today’s church as well.

Hebrews 1:14 “Are they not all ministering spirits (angels) sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?”      Angels served Jesus, the Apostles, the early church and YOU!!!

Matthew 26:53 “Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?”  (72,000)

3 Ways To Activate Open Heaven

1. Door Of Your Feet

Joshua 1:3  “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you,”

Romans 10:15   “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings  of good things!”    Shadow … you are contagious!!!

2. Door Of Your Hands

Acts 19:11 “Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul,”

Mark 16:18 “…they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

3. Door Of Your Mouth

Mark 11:23 “…does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.”

Acts 3:6  “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”

Kenneth Hagin  “When you believe and speak you open the door to the supernatural.”

Faith Confessions Create Reality

Psalm 103:20-21 “Bless the Lord, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word. Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, You ministers of His, who do His pleasure.”

Matthew 16:19 (AMP)   “I will give you the keys (authority) of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth will have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth will have [already] been loosed in heaven.”

Acts 2:18-19  “I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will show”

Isaiah 48:6-7  “…I show you specified new things from this time forth, even hidden things [kept in reserve] which you have not known. They are created now [called into being by  the prophetic word]”

How To Activate Your Open Heaven:

1. Start     2. Keep Going.   3. Don’t Stop

John 20:21 “So Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me,  I also send you.’”

Series: “WIJD” — Sermon #6 “Jesus Is Getting Baptized”

Acts 2:38 “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’”

Mark 1:8  “I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

“Baptize”:– to immerse, to submerge, to bathe, to overwhelm, to pickle, to produce a permanent change. 

Not just getting wet. 

An identification and a union with Christ that results in a genuine change. 

“Dam up the Detroit River, and baptize the entire city.”  Henry Ford

Luke 3:21-22 “When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. …

… And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, ‘You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.’”

Three Baptisms: 

1. Spirit baptizes the believer into Christ / Body   

2. Disciple baptizes a believer in water. 

3. Jesus baptizes believer in the Holy Spirit

Jesus Himself followed this process.

2. He was baptized in water. 

3. He was baptized in the Holy Ghost.

John 6:38, 40 “For I have come … not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

The first command to the church is not “GO” but “WAIT”.

Baptism is not a ritual to be performed but a dynamic that must be a present day and continuous reality.

Matthew 28:19-20  “…go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them…” 

1 Peter 3:21 (MSG)  “The waters of baptism do that for you, not by washing away dirt from your skin but by presenting you through Jesus’ resurrection before God with a clear conscience.”

Five Imperatives Of Water Baptism

1.  A Call To Follow Jesus

Matthew 3:15 “Permit it to be so now, it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” 

2. A Promise To Receive The Holy Spirit

Acts 2:38 “…and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

The way to the fullness of the Holy Spirit is opened up to the believer.

3. A Call To Identify With Jesus Christ

Romans 6:3-7 “old man was crucified with Him,… he who has died has been freed from sin.”

Joshua 3:14-17 “…the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water …  the water above that point began backing up a great distance away at a town called Adam.”

4. A Circumcision To Be Performed

Colossians 2:11-15 “… spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature. For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized.”

Opens The Way To Promise!!!  GRACE

Genesis 17:5, 11. “No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; … You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you”

5.  A Freedom To Be Appropriated

1Cor10:1-2 / Ex 14:23-31

Free from bondage

Free from accusation

Free from oppression

Jesus caused an exodus and brought you into FREEDOM.

Exodus 14:28 “Then the waters returned and covered all the chariots and charioteers—the entire army of Pharaoh. Of all the Egyptians who had chased the Israelites into the sea, not a single one survived.”

Colossians 2:10, 12 “So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority …  For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized …  In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities.”

Paul Harvey 

said, “To my surprise, I found myself going forward. The preacher had said there was nothing magic in the water. Yet as I descended into the depths & rose again I knew something life changing had happened – a cleansing inside out. No longer did there seem to be two uncertain contradictory Paul Harvey’s, just one immensely happy one. I felt the fulfilling surge of the Holy Spirit in my life.” 

went on, “The change this simple act made in my life is so immense as to be indescribable. Since totally yielding to Him in baptism, my heart can’t stop singing. Also, perhaps because baptism is such a public act & because one’s dignity gets as drenched as one’s body, I discovered a new unself-consciousness in talking about my beliefs.”

Series: “WIJD” — Sermon #5 “Jesus Is Releasing The Power Of Thanksgiving”

Romans 1:21 (NLT) “Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.”

Being unthankful is the cornerstone, the launching point, for every corrupting influence.

Grumbling sustains offences.

Philippians 2:14 “Do all things without complaining and disputing”

1 Corinthians 10:10-11 “And don’t grumble as some of them did, and then were destroyed by the angel of death. These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.”     Make this a way of life.

Acts 16:23-26 “And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, … he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, … all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.”

Daniel 6:10  “But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.”

John 6:11 “Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted.”

John 11:41  “Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.’”

Cicero who lived in Rome between 106 – 43 BC said that, “gratitude is not only the greatest of the virtues but the parent of all others”. 

What you appreciate, appreciates!    What you don’t appreciate … depreciates!

Spouse – Job – Pastor – Kids

Psalm 100:4-5 “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.”

Psalm 69:30 “I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.”

Ephesians 5:19 “Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything.”

Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

Thanks (eucharistia):–gratitude; expressions of grateful language to God as an act of worship, thankfulness, giving of thanks, thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving (towdah):– to express visible thanks or adoration to God by extending the hands to God in reverence, coupled with offering a sacrifice of praise to God through audible confessions of thanks.

Sonja Lyubomirsky Professor of Psychology at the University of California Author of “The How of Happiness,” a book of strategies backed by scientific research that can be used to increase happiness.

“One characteristic of the happiest people is that they are comfortable expressing gratitude for all they have.”

               Sonja Lyubomirsky

Dr. Robert Emmons (Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier) “I soon discovered that gratitude is a deeper, more complex phenomenon that plays a critical role in human happiness. Gratitude is literally one of the few things that can measurably change peoples’ lives. …

… We have discovered that a person who experiences gratitude is able to cope more effectively with everyday stress, may show increased resilience in the face of trauma-induced stress, and may recover more quickly from illness and benefit from greater physical health”

Dr. Robert Emmons  “A practice of gratitude raises your ‘happiness set-point’ so you can remain at a higher level of happiness regardless of outside circumstances.”

Dan Baker — (What Happy People Know). “During active appreciation, the threatening messages from your amygdala [fear center of the brain] and the anxious instincts of your brainstem are cut off, suddenly and surely, from access to your brain’s neocortex, where they can fester,..

 … replicate themselves, and turn your stream of thoughts into a cold river of dread. It is a fact of neurology that the brain cannot be in a state of appreciation and a state of fear at the same time. The two states may alternate, but are mutually exclusive.”

Luke 5:12-15 “‘Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.’ Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.’ Immediately the leprosy left him. …’show yourself to the priest’”

Leviticus 13 Law Concerning Leprosy   “…then the priest shall isolate the one who has the sore seven days …  has indeed spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is leprosy. … All the days he has the sore he shall be unclean. He is unclean, and he shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.” 

Luke 17:11-19  “Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off.  And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.  And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God,  and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. … 

“…So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? (katharezo:— to cleanse) But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well. (sozo:— save, to keep safe, rescue, restore health).”

Psalm 136:1 “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!”

Series: “WIJD” — Sermon #4 “Jesus Is Imparting Spiritual Life”

“It is abnormal for a Christian not to have an appetite for the impossible. It has been written into our spiritual DNA to hunger for the impossibilities around us to bow at the name of Jesus.”   Bill Johnson

Matthew 14:22-35 “But Jesus immediately said to them: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’  ‘Lord, if it’s you,’ Peter replied, ‘tell me to come to you on the water.’ “Come,” he said. …

… Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’”

If you don’t really believe the conclusion the outcome will always be out of reach or a struggle.

Peter thought about his actions and there was no belief system to support this activity in his subconscious mind for his conscious mind to connect.

“More doesn’t come through suddenlies. It comes through stewardship.”  Bill Johnson

2 Corinthians 5:7 “For we walk by faith [we regulate our lives and conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, with trust and holy fervor; thus we walk] not by sight or appearance.”

Romans 8:5 “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.”

Walking in the Spirit isn’t trying to be a good person — It’s walking in the Spirit.

“If the believer does not discern his own spirit he invariably is ignorant of how to commune with God in the Spirit. He easily substitutes his own thought or emotions of the soul for the work of the Spirit. Thus he confines himself to the outer realm unable ever to reach the Spiritual realm.”   Watchman Nee

Luke 1:80 “And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts … ”

Luke 2:40 “And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.”

2 Corinthians 7:1 “THEREFORE, SINCE these [great] promises are ours, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates and defiles body and spirit, and bring [our] consecration to completeness in the [reverential] fear of God.”

Ephesians 3:16  “…according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;”

Proverbs 20:27 “The spirit of man [that factor in human personality which proceeds immediately from God] is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts.” 

There are two sources of strength for any believer. 1. Born Again Spirit    2. The Holy Spirit   

Great men and women do not fall because of the lack of anointing they fall because of an untrained spirit.

Daniel 6:3 “Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.”

Numbers 14:24 “…Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land…”

Luke 22:43 {AMP} “And there appeared to Him an angel from heaven, strengthening Him in spirit.”

John 3:6 “…and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

4 Basic Spiritual Conditions 

1. Broken Spirit

Proverbs 18:14 “The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, But who can bear a broken spirit?”

Proverbs 17:22  “A merry heart does good, like medicine,  But a broken spirit dries the bones.”

2. Haughty Spirit 

Proverbs 16:18  “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.” 

3. Undisciplined Spirit

Proverbs 25:28 “Whoever has no rule over his own spirit Is like a city broken down, without walls.”

Psalm 32:2 “Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit.” 

Psalm 78:8  “And may not be like their fathers A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not set its heart aright, And whose spirit was not faithful to God.” 

4. Trained Spirit 

1 Corinthians 14:32 “And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.”

Romans 8:14 “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” 

Ephesians 4:23-24  “…be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

The subconscious mind is a like a big memory bank that stores all of your previous life experiences, your beliefs, your memories, you skills, all situations you’ve been through and all images you’ve ever seen.    This informs all behaviour and actions.

Focus on your breathing.  Take several deep breaths.

That is your conscious mind taking over from your subconscious mind.

Your subconscious is said to be a million times stronger in your life than you conscious mind or will.

1 Peter 1:22   “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,…”

Soul “Psuche”:— the soul, the seat of the feelings, desires, affections, aversions (our heart, soul etc.)

James 1:21  “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.”

“Kakia” :— malignity, malice, ill-will, desire to injure, wickedness, depravity

5 Ways To Confront Toxic Clusters

1. Action

I can’t run … I can’t lift … I can’t do math … I can’t speak …

Philippians 4:13  “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

2. Mentoring

A trusted source. That person has unfiltered access to your subconscious mind.

For better, for worse. Good person!

Philppians 3:17 “Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.”

3. Belief System

This information will go directly to your subconscious mind, program it and turn to solid beliefs.

Romans 6:17 “…yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.” 

“standard of teaching” (AMP)    “Pattern of teaching” (NIV)    “Paul’s system of truth.” (Weymouth)

“So many of us cavalierly gloss over what he has done and zero in on what we’re to do, and that shift, though it might seem slight, makes all the difference in the world. Our obedience has its origin in God’s prior action, and 

…. forgetting that truth results in self-righteousness, pride, and despair. As you study Scripture, remember that the imperatives are always rooted in the indicatives. God calls you to become who you already are in Christ.”   E. M. Fitzpatrick

“God has not given us power to imitate Him. He has made us partakers of His nature so that we can actually be like Him. You don’t become a Christian by acting like one. We are not on a performance basis with God.”   Neil T Anderson

“Your mind trying is catching up with what your spirit already knows.” C. Leaf (Switching On Your Brain)

4. Meditation

The subconscious mind learns by repetition and not by logic. Adding strong belief to what you focus on and it will have more impact.  Mindset

5. Love

“Love literally wipes out fear.”  C. Leaf 

1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”

1 Thessalonians 5:23 “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Titus 2:11-12  “For the grace of God (His unmerited favor and blessing) has come forward (appeared) for the deliverance from sin and the eternal salvation for all mankind. It (GRACE) has trained us to reject and renounce all ungodliness (irreligion) and worldly (passionate) desires, to live discreet (temperate, self-controlled), upright, devout (spiritually whole) lives in this present world,…”

Series: “WIJD” — Sermon #3 “Jesus Is Walking On Water”

Matthew 14:22-35   “Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.  After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 

 … and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.  When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. ‘It’s a ghost,’ they said, and cried out in fear. …

But Jesus immediately said to them: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’  ‘Lord, if it’s you,’ Peter replied, ‘tell me to come to you on the water.’ “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’ And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.  Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’

When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret.  And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick,  and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.”

Peter did’t have the internal belief system to support that activity. 

If you don’t really believe the conclusion the outcome will always be out of reach or a struggle.

Peter thought about his actions and there was no belief system in his subconscious mind for his conscious mind to connect.

Mark 9:22-23 “‘Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.’ ‘What do you mean, ‘If I can’?’ Jesus asked. ‘Anything is possible if a person believes.’”

The miraculous life should typify every ordinary Christian life. We must discover that the trans-earthly Kingdom of God is a spiritual dimension that comes from that other realm and seeks to impact us in this earth-zone. When we fail to recognize this, we fail to apprehend the fullness of Kingdom power that Jesus provided for us and intended that we use.   Charles Carrin

“It is abnormal for a Christian not to have an appetite for the impossible. It has been written into our spiritual DNA to hunger for the impossibilities around us to bow at the name of Jesus.”   Bill Johnson

Romans 8:5 “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.”

Walking in the Spirit isn’t trying to be a good person — It’s walking in the Spirit.

It’s living every moment of your life out of and vitally aware of the supernatural, powerful, realm that God has granted you access to by new birth.

2 Corinthians 5:7 “For we walk by faith [we regulate our lives and conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, with trust and holy fervor; thus we walk] not by sight or appearance.”

Galatians 5:9  “A little leaven (a slight inclination to error, or a few false teachers) leavens the whole lump [it perverts the whole conception of faith or misleads the whole church].” 

Caroline Leaf

“All this thinking activity is real”. “Recent research has shown that there is an “optimism bias” wired into our brains. We seem to be “wired for love”, in other words, we are wired to expect good things for ourselves; we are wired for the positive.”

“And science is showing that meditating on the elements of Jesus’s teachings rewires healthy new circuits in the brain.”   “Because we are made in God’s image (Gen 1:26) and have the ‘mind of christ’ (1 Cor 2:16), our normal state is one of perfection.”

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,  casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,”

Any thought not taken captive can take you captive.

Thoughts not taken captive have you captive now. 

Captivity (Aichmalotizo) :— To lead away at spear point

Obedience (Hupakoe):— Listen and under, subject to, compliance

Any bondage is a house of thoughts.    Fear – Anger – Addiction – Lust

The circumstance, behaviour or substance is not your problem.  The way you think is the problem.

You decide what you think and what you think shapes your world.

Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Joshua 1:8  “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

John 6:63 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”

James 1:21 “So get rid of all the filth (kakia)  and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word (logus) God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls (psychē).”

Ephesians 5:18-19 “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,  speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,…”

Hebrews 4:3 (TPT) “For those of us who believe, faith activates the promise and we experience the realm of confident rest!”       It’s Done!!!