oppression and possession by Pastor Don Moore

Notes from Pastor Don's Friday Bible study - May 31, 2013

John 13:1-4 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him. Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself.

We looked at the evil that was put into Judas Iscariot's heart in a parallel passage

Luke 22:1-3 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people. Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.

We believe some things in error. We think that, if we are born again, we can't be oppressed or possessed by the devil. Sometimes in the midst of interpersonal conflicts we go off on people, argue, and get offended. We then attribute it to personality. 

For the most part, Bible people are easy to get along with. But even ones that are easy to get along with can get on our last nerve.

Satan can use moments of weakness to put the demonic into a person.

The demoniac of the Gadarenes is an example. Judas Iscariot opened himself up to this.

Even Peter, whom we love, Jesus identified as having a devil - Remember when Jesus was expressing his divine calling and assignment and He talked about how he was going to go to the Cross, Peter chastised Jesus and told him not to do this? Jesus told Peter, "Get the behind me, satan."

When we think we are speaking in righteousness, we may not be; we may be saying what the devil wants us to say.

In church, when someone disagrees or offends us, we attribute it to they're working with the devil.

Some battles of the flesh are just battles of the flesh and have nothing to do with demons.

It becomes demonic when the end of the matter is not resolved, when it is unreasonable behavior, when there is spiritual blindness. 

We bring the devil into our interpersonal relationships far too much. 

Galatians 5 talks about things of the Spirit and things of the flesh.

Galatians 5:19-26 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Unkindness might be just a bad behavior, but if it becomes oppressive or aggressive it may be a demon taking it up to a new level.

Too many people attribute the spirit to things fleshly, when there is nothing of the spirit in an action. We take an action and ascribe a spiritual purpose to it.

Someone asked: Can satan gain entry into a person without their willful assistance?

Luke 10:1 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.

Pastor Don pointed out that Judas was one of these seventy that went out two by two.  God (Jesus) brilliantly sent out the seventy to be publicity agents. Evangelizing an area before Jesus came, so that the hearts of the people in these places were prepared to receive Jesus.

Luke 10:2-3 Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.

Matthew 10:1-4 And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

In all passages of Scripture they mention Judas betrayed Jesus, but in this passage it is important to realize that Judas is included in the twelve - the same twelve that were sent out to do the miracles that Jesus did. He hadn't betrayed Jesus yet.

In Luke 10:2 (see above) Judas is one of those sent out.

Luke 10:17 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”

When it mentions that even the demons were subject to them - this includes Judas - the demons were subject to Judas. 

Someone asked how could Judas be so deceived by satan.

All of us are subject to the situation of Judas when we are under demonic influence. We can feel Justified of God. We can love God, go to church, do good works, and then in some season of our life we open the door where darkness takes control - often in the area of our emotions, for a season. For some this lasts a second, a moment, a week, a month, a year, a lifetime. We get led into behavior where the demonic influences.

Judas was weak in the area of greed - he sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, which in today's economy would have been a huge sum. He also was politically extremely to the left, wanting revolution and the overthrowing of the Roman government. He expected Jesus to bring the revolution, to create a war against the empire. He was a political zealot.

Judas had greed for money, position, and power.  Judas realized that Jesus was not going to start a violent revolution or murder Romans. So Judas figured he might as well make money off the Romans since Jesus wasn't going to get what he wanted done.

For all we know, he figured that if the Romans came after Jesus that maybe Jesus would have reacted against that and started the revolution Judas wanted. He wanted Jesus to say that He was the Son of God, and wanted Him to show His power.

So Judas figured You're not going to show the power the way I want you to, I'll get a revolution.

Now there are times when people act in ways that we think are demonic, but they are not.

One day Agabus came up to Paul, bound Paul's hands with his belt and then prophesied to Paul that this was what the Romans were going to do to Paul. God showed Agabus what would happen. Pastor Don said that some in the church would have been aghast that Agabus did this to PAUL - the one who wrote most of the New Testament, the leader of the church.

The hardest thing to learn in the Church is how to be under someone's authority. And the problem is increased because there are many in the clergy that haven't examined their position. They are expressing opinions, not Biblical truths. Pastor Don has promised that what he teaches is of the Bible. If we have a question about a teaching, we can respectfully ask him to show us where it is written in the Word.

Sometimes people, in a given circumstance or situation, confront the demonic and go through it, getting past the attack. The devil knows our weakness. Some people come away from such a confrontation with a revelation of how to get past it.  For example, with Peter, Jesus took him aside and told him to "Feed my sheep." 

Some people spend a lifetime in a struggle with the demonic and they are not free from the attacks until they are in their Resurrection bodies.

Some struggle and have victories and setbacks.

Someone asked what made the difference between Peter and Judas.

Pastor Don replied that, when Peter sinned, he felt genuine remorse. He did not reject Jesus. He did not flee from the congregation. He went toward Jesus. He repented. He stayed with the disciples.

Judas decided not to struggle with the demonic. He fled from the disciples and the Lord. He did not repent. He chose to kill himself. 

In the New Testament Judas was the one identified to be the person to betray Jesus. This action was known before the beginning of time.

He blasphemed the Lord. He knew who Jesus was, he was fully functional in the things of the Spirit, and he betrayed and rejected Jesus.

Pastor Don said that what Judas did was something we would not be able to do. Most Christians do not qualify in ALL the things that constitute the blaspheme of the Holy Spirit - the criterion is listed in Hebrews chapter 6.

Jesus preached and hundreds of people followed him. When Judas' position was vacated, the disciples chose someone to fulfill his role. The criterion was that they were with Jesus from the beginning and witnessed his death, burial, and resurrection. The selection was between Matthias (who won) and Barsabbas.

The two disciples on the Road to Emmaus were chosen because they also had full knowledge of Jesus and His teachings.

In the upper room were 120 (both men and women - so that the sons and daughters would prophesy). 

Jesus ministered to hundreds of people who followed Him and knew His teachings. Of those there was then the circle of the twelve, and the inner circle disciples - Peter, James, and John.

Hebrews 6 gives full criterion for the Blaspheme of the Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 6:1-2 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 

Notice, these are ELEMENTARY principles of Christ.  Many churches have not practiced some of these things and that is how the church today has gotten into error. They do not act on these unchangeable, solid principles.

Repent from dead works - salvation is NOT by works. We are given the free gift of salvation by the work Jesus did on the Cross - not by any good works that we do on our own. We can't earn our salvation. We do good works in response to the fantastic gift of salvation that Jesus gave us. Our works won't make Jesus love us more, won't influence God to decide on salvation for us. Jesus already took care of our salvation at great price.

When we think that what we do can help us gain salvation it then our salvation seems to be dependent on us - when in reality, salvation depends on Jesus Christ.

Someone asked how can we discern what is a true good work verses one that is a flesh based good work.

James 2:18  But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

True good works arise from salvation. It is possible to do good works for an evil purpose. If my faith is in God, we won't be doing good works to earn Heaven. Good works can mask our real purpose and desire. For example, King Herod, built the temple to impress the Israelites, but he killed the prophet (John the Baptist) when the prophet told Herod what Herod did not want to hear.

The new world religion will try to form a salvation based on works. 

We are to preach the Gospel, our faith is in Him, and we are to obey ALL HIS COMMANDS, not just the ones we agree with. 

Pastor Don gave us a few measures to use to decide the motive of our good works.  Are we under authority? Is it directed by the man or woman of God that we are placed under? Is it in line with God's Kingdom plan?

The next question to ask ourselves about our works is - do I love God and am I trusting in Him for my salvation?

Remember the criminal on the cross - who just said, "Lord, remember me."  He did not justify his actions. He did not ask for perks, he just wanted Jesus.

No matter how things turn out, I'm trusting Jesus.

Someone else suggested, are we willing to do our acts in secret, with no recognition?

Back to Hebrews, Chapter six. 

It says that the elementary principles include baptisms (there are more than one), laying on of hands (many churches never do that), resurrection of the dead (wow - that is elementary!!!), and eternal judgment.

Today there is a dangerous teaching in the church that all will be saved. The new world religion does not want eternal judgment, they are preaching that all will be saved and salvation depends on works. 

We went back to what constitutes the blaspheme of the Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 6:3-6  And this we will do if God permits. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.

1) enlightened (they know stuff)
2) tasted the heavenly gift (Jesus)
3) have become partakers of the Holy Spirit (signs, wonders, works of the Holy Spirit, function in the gifts, followed leadership of the Holy Spirit)
4) tasted the good word of God (the Bible)
5) and the powers of the age to come (end times prophesy)

if they fulfill ALL these things, and fall away from God - turn their back to Jesus, it is impossible for them to be renewed to repentance - because Jesus died ONCE for our sins. If we accepted His death for our sins and we reject it, then we can't say - oh, I changed my mind.

Pastor Don pointed out that a person who is suffering, hurting, for example has lost a loved one or faced some major issues in their life, and they say, "I hate God, or reject God," is not guilty of blaspheme of the Holy Spirit. God looks on the hearts of people and knows when we are speaking from pain. This blaspheme would only apply to someone who was advanced in their faith - such as Judas who cast out demons, walked with Jesus, knew His teachings, knew who He was and then rejected him.

There are many churches today who are coming across as user friendly, but people are not coming to churches looking for user friendly, they're looking for the Lord.

 John 13:2 And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him,

The devil put it in Judas' heart - God knows our hearts.

The most important thing is that your love of the Lord is greater than your works and your theology. Love the Lord and trust in Him. That nullifies our shortcomings. 

John 13:6-7 Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.”

It is okay not to get it all clear from the start, just obey God, and He will straighten us out on those things we do not understand.  We may not understand everything Jesus is doing, but we'll trust Him. 

Even people we don't like are put in our life because we have something that they need. Ask, God, what do You want? Do you want to do the work of God or your work? Get in the service of God and do what needs to be done. If we don't want to do it in the flesh, do it as unto the Lord.

I hope these notes bless you.

Heather

The Overcomer's Anointing by Pastor Danquah

Hope you enjoy my notes from this powerful, anointed teaching last night by Pastor Danquah. During this meeting the Holy Spirit moved powerfully and some of the words spoken from the pulpit were prophesies for individuals in the congregation. Even though not all topics of how the enemy attacks us are covered in this teaching, know that it was targeted to the needs of those in the congregation. The anointing is powerful to help us overcome ALL attacks of the enemy, those mentioned here and any other attack. By the end of the meeting the Holy Spirit ministered to many in the congregation. 

THE OVERCOMER'S ANOINTING

Isaiah 10:27 It shall come to pass in that day that his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil. 

To overcome you need a spiritual anointing. Notice that the burden is taken away on a specific day. The yoke is destroyed from our shoulder. To free us the burden must be removed. It crumbles and comes down because of the anointing oil. On that day the yoke will be destroyed. Yokes are obstacles, hindrances to what you want to do in life. When you are sick you can't do anything. When sickness goes away you have strength to overcome.

No mater what the burden, it bows down in the Name of Jesus.

1 John 5:4  For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 

WHATEVER - we all will have to overcome some obstacles. We have the promise of God that no matter the circumstances or situation, we will overcome - faith gives us the victory.

God intervenes on a CERTAIN day - and He helps us overcome our problems. There are certain seasons - seed time and harvest, cold and heat. 

We may be in our situation for some time, but there will come a year, month, day hour, second when God will deliver us because of the anointing. The anointing is necessary to overcome our obstacles.

Revelation 2:7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.

There is a future where our obstacles will be overcome. God gives us a reward when we overcome. We will have the victory, the promise, and the blessing. 
God will breakthrough our door of hindrance. The door is open.

Revelation 3:8 “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name." 

The overcomer's anointing makes us stronger. With no anointing on you, you can't do anything.

The anointing makes us who we are.

The anointing makes me who I am.

We want to embrace the anointing and be an overcomer. God sets us free by releasing the anointing and yokes crumble. He has wired us to conquer every circumstance.

Romans 8:37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

We are created to be more than conquerors.

Jesus is our pattern in how to be a conqueror. Jesus faced challenges. He was spit upon, beaten, mocked, and crucified. He needed the overcomer's anointing for his work.

Luke 4:18-19 The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.

We are all anointed to perform these things that Jesus did.

Jesus was baptized by John and he came out of the water full of the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit Jesus would not have been able to do what He did. If the Spirit was not on Jesus, the obstacles would have stopped Him from doing His work.

Obstacles are demonic powers to prevent you from doing God's will. When the Lord anoints you, places His fire on you, the demons see and flee. Every enemy of yours bows down to God's anointing.

Jesus received the cross anointing to overcome. Before He went to the cross, He spent time in Gethsemane praying to God.

Luke 22:41-43 And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done." Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.

In the flesh Jesus did not want to go to the cross. But Jesus prayed to God and God gave Him the strength to go through with this plan for our salvation. God sent an angel from Heaven to strengthen Jesus and release an anointing on Him to help Jesus fulfill His assignment. 

Even God's Son - 100% God/100% human prayed to the Father. This cup is difficult. The strength of God came on Him.

We get a desire to do something - and the flesh, weakness, and the devil attacks our plans. The Spirit of the Lord emboldens us so that we can do what God wants us to do.

Zechariah 4:6b This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit," says the Lord of hosts.

We conquer not by might or power, but by God's Spirit.

Pastor Danquah told us that there were spiritual entities, beings, that we do not see. Some are wicked spirits, and there is a fight in the heavenlies twenty-four hours a day. God doesn't let us see this battle. We must remember:

2 Corinthians 10:4-6  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, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

Principalities and powers are destroyed because the anointing is your weapon. What Jesus did with the anointing, we can do. God anoints ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

Pastor Danquah looked at a few people in the Bible who did extraordinary things under the anointing of God. If these Biblical ordinary people can do these things, so can we.

THE LION ANOINTING

Judges 14:5-6 So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah. Now to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him. And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.

Young lions are the strongest lions. When the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson, he was not ordinary, he became a supernatural power.

The Holy Ghost is super.  We are natural. When the Spirit of the Lord comes upon us - we become Supernatural.

God gave Samson the power to rend the lion. 

We all face spiritual lions and bears - we can rend these enemies because the power of God goes before us. 

We can be going through our life, bothering no one, and an enemy wants to detain you.

When he Children of Israel were wandering through the wilderness, the Amorites were not pleased and wanted to stop the Children of Israel. Balak appealed to Balaam to speak a curse against the Children of Israel. God prevented the curse and all Balaam could do was speak blessings over the Children of Israel.

Expect that, when God anoints you, you will be a conqueror. The tools of the powers of darkness (sickness, frustration, obstacles, powers of darkness, etc) will not be able to conquer you because of the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit anointing is NOT A FEELING. It is a PERSON. When the Holy Spirit comes upon you it is so you can get the work done for the Lord. God's anointing helps you do God's will and helps us to wage war with the deceiver.

DESTROY YOUR ENEMIES ANOINTING

Judges 14:19 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of their men, took their apparel, and gave the changes of clothing to those who had explained the riddle. So his anger was aroused, and he went back up to his father’s house.

It is not common that one man can defeat thirty people attacking him. With thirty attackers some could approach Samson from behind and from all sides. When the anointing came on Samson, he fought and defeated them all.

DAVID

King David fought the most battles and never ahd a defeat because God was with him. Every path he took people tried to make him a victim. King Saul was determined to destroy David's life, deprive him of his bed and his family. David was forced to live in the wilderness. 

DON'T BE AFRAID - the enemies will not overcome you.

Psalm 91:1-6 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.” Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

Pastor Danquah said, if the enemy wants to destroy me, he must first conquer the Holy Ghost. I am in Jesus.  

The enemy won't destroy our lives if we're under the anointing and the power of the Blood. We're safe under the Spirit of the Lord. Sickness and disease is healed through the anointing. The anointing is liberty to us and we are more than conquerors.

If you open yourself to the Holy Spirit, He will sit by you and do spiritual surgery, removing the negative from you.

1 Samuel 16:12-13 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!" Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.

GIANT KILLING 

After the Spirit of the Lord came upon David, the Philistines attacked Israel. Their champion was Goliath, a giant ten feet tall (or as Pastor Danquah says, he's 5 feet 7 inches, so the giant was twice the size of Pastor Danquah). This Giant spoke blasphemes against God. None of the Israelites were brave enough to fight Goliath.

If you depend on your own strength, you can't fight giants.

The anointing came on David and David got angry at Goliath. It was a HOLY ANGER just like the anger Jesus had in the Temple against the money changers. 

David said, 

1 Samuel 17:26 Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?

David's brothers accused him of pride. 

When someone pursues a God-given goal, many people accuse them of pride.

David vowed to kill Goliath. He did not get distracted by Goliath's size - did not worry that Goliath was too big.  Goliath was so big, David couldn't miss him.

Your enemy is too big to miss when you pull down your enemy by the anointing.

Saul tries to make David wear Saul's armor, but the armor doesn't fit. David had to fight with the weapons God endowed him with, not with another's weapons.

Our strength is not in the flesh, it is in God. David reminded himself how God used him to kill lions and bears. He told himself that if God could help him kill lions and bears, a giant is no problem.

1 Samuel 17:37 Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” 

The anointing is personal - it is especially for you. The Holy Spirit communicates and fellowships with us and gives us confidence.

Remember the three Hebrew children who boldly went into the furnace that was heated seven times hotter than before. They boldly declared that even if God did not deliver them, they would not bow down to the idol. 

People who know God and the Holy Spirit are strong and overcomers.

Goliath laughed at David and his sling shot. 

1 Samuel 17:42-44 And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking. So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”

What to do in times of trouble by Pastor Danquah

Pastor Danquah is visiting our church. He will be teaching tonight as well. 

Here are my notes from last night's teaching:

Luke 8:22-25 Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples, and He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake." And they launched out, but as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was calm. But He said to them, "Where is your faith?" And they were afraid, and marveled, said to one another, "Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!" 

Trouble is indispensable in life. God has not promised us a trouble-free life. The only time our lives will be trouble-free is in Heaven.  Jesus went through troubles. Even tongue-speakers like Paul have troubles. Our finances, health, and circumstances can cause trouble for us.

We can sail through troubles with the help of God. Jesus dealt with His problems without sinning. He showed us that it is possible for us to also deal with our troubles without sinning.

Psalm 23:4-6 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.  

With God's help, we won't be stuck in the middle of the fire. We will go through. Jesus told the disciples they would go to the other side. As they were in the boat, an uninvited enemy showed up - a storm. Their lives were in jeopardy. Peter was a fisherman. He knew it was a dangerous, demonic storm. In another translation - it says Don't you care that we are about to die?  The disciples called on Jesus, just as we call on Jesus when we are in times of trouble.

CAUSES OF TROUBLE

1. HUMAN ERROR - When we make mistakes in our lives, sometimes those mistakes stay with us and affect our lives. We can be saved and God forgives us, but there are consequences that we still deal with because of the mistakes we made in our past.  We sometimes think we can sin in secret, but God sees us. We need to keep this in mind when we make decisions for our life - fear (awe) of God can protect us from doing things that have negative consequences.

2. CHALLENGES OF LIFE - These are inevitable. The Creator of the Universe was in the middle of the boat with the disciples, and still there was a storm. The disciples were with Jesus, doing right, and they still faced a storm. The good news is that, in the midst of the challenges of life, we have a Savior who will be with us always. Challenges can be financial, emotional, health-related. It is not easy to go through these challenges, We can pray, cast out demons, and still go through troubles. But we do not go through them alone, God will be with us.

3. SATANIC ATTACK - like Job. God knew that Job was strong, not only because of external circumstances, but he had inner strength. God permitted satan to attack Job, Job's family and possessions. 

Job 13:15a Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. 

God wants, when everything seems challenging, to see us remain faithful in the midst of our troubles.

4. THE PLAN OF GOD - sometimes trouble leads to promotion. God permits troubles to test us so He can promote us. The devil will use a human to attack us, for the devil does not want us to be promoted and he hopes the attacks will pull us off of track. But, if we pass the test, God promotes us. Impure gold goes through a fire and comes out pure gold. 

PRINCIPLES TO ADHERE TO IN TROUBLED TIMES

1. CHOOSE NOT TO FEAR - Troubles cause us to fear. Jesus says John 14:1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me."

God is with us always. When we obey the will of God, there is no need to fear.  There are 366 passages in the Bible that instruct us not to fear (even one for leap year  )  

2. GOD'S COMMITMENT TO YOU. God will stand by us in our situation.

1 Corinthian 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

We will not be the first or the last person to deal with a troubled situation. God will help us go through it. He will deliver us. God stands by us.  He is faithful. God knows that we are capable of handling what has been thrust at us. God trusted Job and Job remained faithful (see above). Job said he would trust God, even if God chose to slay him. God will give us a way of escape so that we can bear it. God always makes a way. It may seem like we are losing, but then God opens up a way of escape.  Pastor Danquah described it like a wrestling match where one wrestler seems to be losing and then in the last bout gets a burst of strength and decks his opponent. 

Don't give up. Press on. God has the anointing to help us. 

Psalm 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

He doesn't deliver us from SOME, He delivers us from ALL. The Holy Spirit helps in times of trouble.

3. CHOOSE NOT TO TRUST THE FLESH - There is nothing good in the flesh. We trust in our flesh too much. The Bible tells us to FLEE fornication. It tells us to resist the devil, but does not say resist fornication.  It says FLEE fornication. Christians often trust the flesh. They have a problem and they seek out another person for advice before they go to God or the Holy Spirit for help. The Holy Spirit will tell us to do one thing and we choose to do the thing our flesh wants to do.

Spend time in prayer. If you have no words to say, only cry out, go to God. Ask God what must I do. The devil will try to put guilt on us, but God will help make a way from our circumstance. Even when we mess up, God still has a plan for our lives.

Jeremiah 17:5, 7 "Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord.".......  “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord." 

Have confidence in God. Don't call someone whose life is a mess. Talk to God and ask God who you should call to help you in the situation. Get a person who has successfully navigated the situation you are facing. 

4. CHOOSE NOT TO MAGNIFY YOUR SITUATION OVER GOD'S ABILITY - We tend to focus on the problem and how big the problem is instead of magnifying how big God is. God is bigger than our problems.

When we face a problem we start speaking about the problem saying things like I curse the day I was born, wish I were dead, this is too much for me to deal with. Don't magnify our problems - magnify God's ability to eradicate whatever the problem is. No matter how big our problem is, God is bigger. The maker of the universe is larger than any problem we face.

Isaiah 59:19 So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun; when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. 

God will lift up a standard and give us peace in the midst of the storm. When our lives are flooding like the boat, and we fear what we are facing will destroy us, God will come in Glory and save us for we are God's covenant child.

1 John 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 

God is greater than any of our problems. He can help us overcome our problems because He is greater.  Jesus is with us.

Pastor Danquah described the three Hebrew boys in Daniel who refused to bow to the image of the King - Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They said that even if God would slay them in the fire, they still would not bow and worship the statue of the king.  The king was enraged and had a fire built to seven times ordinary strength. The soldiers who threw the boys into the fire, died instantly. The king watched the fire and saw four people walking around in the fire. Pastor Danquah said they were walking like royalty (and he demonstrated how African royalty would walk). The king realized that the fourth one was like the Son of God.  The king ordered the boys removed and there was no smell of smoke or fire on them - the only thing burned off was the ropes used to tie up the boys.

Jesus is with us in the middle of the fire. The power of God will remove all those things that try to bind us.

The devil will make our circumstances look huge, but God is ALL POWERFUL.

5. CONFESS YOUR PROMISED VICTORY, NOT YOUR PROBLEM - 

Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

We overcome our problems by the word of our testimony.  There are two steps - 1) God does something for you 2) You testify about it.

God heals you, you testify. 

We also have the testimony of the Scriptures - what the Bible says about our problem. We need to speak what the Bible says over our problems. No matter the circumstances, our feelings, our confession should be what the Word of God says.

Psalm 118:17 I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. 

Speak God's Word to your circumstance. Imagine your victory. Speak victory, not defeat. Speak into your future that your yesterday will die.

Isaiah 54:17 "No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me," says the Lord. 

6. GET HELP FROM THOSE WHO HAVE MASTERED THE STORM BEFORE - don't reinvent the wheel. Seek counsel from winners, don't seek advice from losers.

Hebrews 6:11-12 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Follow the ones who are victorious, don't be slothful.

7. CHOOSE TO EMPHASIZE FAITH TO MASTER YOUR SITUATION - faith, not doubt. The anointing will rise up to help you step out of your comfort zone. Peter stepped out of the boat. He told Jesus to tell him to come, and when Jesus said, "Come," Peter stepped out of the boat. Pastor Danquah said that probably Thomas said, "You're a fisherman, you can't walk on water. Come to your senses. Don't step out of that boat."  Peter closed his ears and listened to God. He took a bold step on the Word of God and walked on the water. 

Peter was the son of two sinners, but he exercised his faith and did what Jesus did. God is waiting for us to exercise our faith. 

Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 

It doesn't take huge faith to move mountains - just small faith. 

Matthew 17:20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 

Small faith, when activated, becomes huge. Release your faith and God will bring us out of trouble.

1 John 5:4-5 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—ourfaith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Notice it doesn't say WHOsoever, but WHATsoever. Faith overcomes the world.

8. RID YOURSELF OF ALL HINDRANCES OF FAITH -

Mark 11:22-24 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

We want mountain-moving faith. One of the biggest hindrances to faith is lack of forgiveness. We must forgive and remove bitterness from our hearts. 

Mark 11:25-26 And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.

If we harbor resentment, God will not listen.

Pastor Danquah also said that certain people who hinder us must get out of our life.

9. TRUST GOD. THE LOVE OF JESUS WILL SEE YOU THROUGH THE SITUATION.

Pastor Danquah sang, "Love lifted me. Love lifted me. When nothing else could help, love lifted me."

When we are in the pit of sin and our life is a mess, His love lifts us up. The love of Jesus can help overcome wickedness.

Isaiah 43:1-2 But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.

His love lifts us. Feel His love surrounding you and His blessing on you.

10. TRUST GOD TO BRING YOU OUT OF YOUR TROUBLES AS YOU PRAY FOR SOMEONE - So often we pray for ourselves and our situation. We need to pray for others. God delivered Job when Job prayed for his friends who tried to discourage him. God turned Job's life around when he prayed for others. Pray for one another

11. PUT ON PATIENCE, DON'T GIVE UP

Hebrews 10:36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:

We need patience. It is only a matter of time when God will show up - He will show up at the perfect moment. 

12. PRAISE YOUR WAY THROUGH THE STORM -King Jehosephat was instructed to send the praise team before his army into a battle. 

God's thoughts are higher than ours. Praise God all the time, not just when things are going well.  Praise God in the midst of our trials.

When praise goes up, God sends angels with the blessing. Let His Name be praised in the dance. 

Many believers used to go to clubs and dance before they were saved. Now that they're saved, they don't dance in praise to God. We must dance, sing, and praise God in our circumstances. David danced unto the Lord. He did not care about appearances - that a king was dancing wildly before God. He was just praising God. 

Nehemiah 8:10 Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” 

The joy of the Lord is our strength.

Tonight Pastor Danquah will continue his teaching. I'm looking forward to what he will share.

Have a blessed day.

Heather

Healing by Pastor Don Moore

Back again after a long hiatus. Decided to write notes from current Bible studies first, then go back and play catch-up. My husband and I felt this was a dynamite study - taught Friday, March 13, 2013

John 5:1-4 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.  For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.

Whoever stepped in first.

John 5:5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.

Thirty-eight years!!! That's a long time.

John 5:6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that conditiona long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”

Jesus asked the man - Do you want to be made well?  We think, well of course he wanted to be made well. Jesus knew he was there a long time through a Word of Knowledge, it wasn't that Jesus saw him each day of those thirty-eight years. Jesus was just in town for the feast. This question is pertinent for today, because there are people who are still sick in our culture and church. Not all who are sick really desire to get well.

John 5:7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.

Notice, the man did not answer the question.  He's sort of saying, "Are you joking?  Here I am coming to the pool thirty-eight years." Pastor Don said that the man's paralysis was limited - he could get to the pool, but not into the water.

We looked at verse six in the Amplified Bible   When Jesus noticed him lying there [helpless], knowing that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, Do you want to become well? [Are you really in earnest about getting well?]

Jesus was asking the man and us, "How motivated are you?"  We have to want to believe divine healing is available yesterday, today, and tomorrow. We are bound by the parameters of our desire and our motivation.  Everyone who is sick doesn't want to be made well.

Pastor Don told us about how, during one service, the Holy Spirit let him know that the anointing for healing for one of the ladies attending. She had been in a car accident. Pastor went to lay hands on her and pray for her healing.  He said to her, "I believe the Lord told me that if I lay hands on you, you will be healed."  The woman said, "Don't touch me, Don."  He asked, "Why?" She said, "If you touch me, I'll get healed and I want to sue that SOB that hit me. Don't lay hands on me."

Pastor was stunned and he told the woman, "The healing anointing is here for you now, I can't guarantee that after the lawsuit that it will be available."

She insisted she wanted to get that man.

Pastor Don said that the criterion for healing is not so much God's criteria, but our own. This woman rejected the possibility of healing. Often, we are the problem.

Then Pastor Don said, that there were many people at the Pool of Bethesda, and Jesus only went to this one man. How come the others waiting at the pool didn't look at Jesus and ask, "What's your criteria for healing? Are you willing?"  The leper went up to Jesus and asked him if He was willing, and Jesus said He was willing to heal. 

So, we need to be aware that it is our criteria that is preventing the flow of what God wants to do. We limit what God wants to do because of our stuff.  Sometimes we are not obedient. We don't drop our criteria to accept God's.

Verse 7 is a coping out about the problem. The problem for this man wasn't faith or belief (he believed if he would get into the pool, he would be healed) it was obedience. He was at the pool for so many years that he was obviously believing something.

Pastor reminded us that when we visited Israel we looked at the pool - one side was a high wall, and you had to climb a series of steps to reach the pool and there was just a narrow walking area maybe three to four feet wide. People would lay on these steps waiting for the waters to stir. Because of the nature of this man's disability, he was able to get to the steps but unable to be the first in the water. An able bodied person would have been able to reach the waters.

It was mentioned that Jesus had healing in His wings. Pastor Don took us to Malachi 4:1-3 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,” says the Lord of hosts, “that will leave them neither root nor branch. But to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves. You shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that I do this,” says the Lord of hosts. “Remember the Law of Moses, My servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.

Pastor Don illustrated this by using a prayer shawl - showing how, when wearing one, the person praying could pull it completely over their heads and have their faces hidden from view (prayer closet). And how, if one wears a prayer shawl, grabs the ends and lifts their arms it looks like wings of a bird. And the tassels (talit) were the hem of this garment that the woman with the issue of blood reached out to touch. 

The Jews believed that such a garment would build up a healing power because of the prayers prayed while wearing it.   Jesus is the Sun of Righteousness. He would have worn a prayer shawl because no Orthodox Jew would be caught without his prayer shawl. 

The Day of the Lord did not come at the appearance of the Messiah, they took this prophesy out of its setting. 

Healing came through Jesus' prayer shawl because they believed and had faith for it. God accepts those who hear the truth and obey. Those who are faint of heart can be changed when their ignorance is replaced by the truth that God holds us to. God won't bless our ignorance.

Pastor Don shared that when he first began to believe God and lay hands on people he felt the presence of God for healing as a tingling on his arms. When the tingling appeared, he knew that the healing anointing was available. As Pastor grew in his faith, the tingling stopped. He realized that he had to believe, by faith, that the anointing for healing was there. And he realized that, if he relied on an outward sign like the tingling of his arms, that the enemy could imitate that and fool Pastor into believing it was God. 

We need to step out in faith, believing that once we take that first step, God will meet us. God frees us to operate more effectively.  

We were reminded that there was nothing in the appearance of Jesus that would stand out in a crowd, his appearance was ordinary, so when people approached Him, it was not because of anything physical.

A question was asked about sin and sickness, how the Jews believed that all sickness was caused by sin. Pastor pointed out that this is not always the case using the following Scripture.

John 9:1-2 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.  And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

The Jews assumed that there was a direct connection between sin and sickness, sin and poverty, sin and misfortune. They didn't do like we do today and say that everybody is a good person so anything bad happening is an act of God. God does not bring sickness, disease, and death, that is the enemy who does this. 

We were reminded that in Deuteronomy 28 there is a long passage of blessings and curses that would fall on the Israelites depending on whether they obeyed God or disobeyed God.

Our discussion then went to the role of husbands as the spiritual head of the family.

Pastor said that it is not surprising that the Holy Spirit is linked to the feminine - wife - teacher and comforter.

More women attend church than men. The woman needs to fake it until her husband steps into his role as spiritual head of the family. Even if women know the answer to spiritual questions, it is important to take the questions to their husband so that the husband steps up to the plate and answers them. As we defer to our husbands, then the husbands fulfill the role that God placed them in. 

The biggest obstacle to faith is disobedience and not obeying the law. 

How come Christians go to church, are good people and they believe that they are redeemed from sin, but they don't believe that Jesus also died for healing.

Galatians 3:13-14  Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

We are redeemed from the curse of the law, not because we did anything to cause this, but because we believed it.

Two thousand years later, we believe Jesus died for our sins, but we don't believe that He died for our healing. It should be as easy for us to believe that Jesus died for our healing as it is for us believing for salvation.

Pastor Don said that one day he drove to a local filling station, did not have money. He asked the clerk if he could leave his driver's license so he could go to get money from the bank and then return to pay for the gas.  When he got to the bank he reached his hand into the back pocket and pulled out a twenty dollar bill. He didn't know he had that. Even though he had enough money to get enough gas, that money didn't do him any good because he didn't realize he had that money.

It is the same with healing - we cannot make use of the power of healing that Jesus died to provide for us unless we realize that we have that power within us because of what Jesus did on the cross.

Where is our faith? We sometimes think that we are not qualified to heal or be healed. God just says that all we need to do is come in faith believing. Do we dare believe in God? Remember Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. We believe, sight unseen. 

We don't always act like we believe that there is a Heaven to be gained. We fight so hard to hold onto life. 

When our prayers for healing don't work the way we want them to, we doubt God. We aren't always honest with ourselves. Often we say we are believing for a healing when we are really wishing and hoping, but don't have the faith for healing. We need to get honest with the Holy Ghost.  We can go to God and honesty say like the man with the sick son - Lord I believe, help my unbelief. 

John 5:8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.”

The presence of God can change any circumstance.

John 5:9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.

Notice, the man made no more excuses. He said to his self, "Self get up and walk." He had faith in God, the person of God who talked to him. 

The Church says they have faith, but they don't live by faith. We have to get brutally honest with ourselves. Often, we can't get past the lack of seeing.

If you tell a seven-year-old Santa is coming, the child races downstairs in the morning expecting. If you tell the same thing to an adult, they will not believe because they have lived longer and have seen things that hinder their faith.

We have to purpose that nothing on earth or in earth will hold us in sickness. Only the devil and you can hold you in sickness. The devil wants us to feel unworthy and unacceptable to God, because then the devil can hold us in bondage.

There is no place in Scripture that Jesus has us fill out forms or ask us questions about why we should or shouldn't be healed. 

Why did Jesus go find this guy? Jesus followed the promptings of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit told Jesus that if he didn't get to this guy the devil and other people would hold him in bondage.

This man had the presence of Jesus. We believe for healing by faith. John 17:20-21 I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.

Jesus prayed for us, who believe because of the Word, not because Jesus was physically present for us.

Jesus climbed over all the people lying by the pool looking for one who really had faith for healing. When Jesus told the man to rise up and pick up his bed, the man immediately did this. He didn't question Jesus or say, I don't think I can do this, I'm a cripple. He immediately obeyed.

Don't sign up for less than the best - the devil is glad to give you disease and hurt your faith. Trust Jesus and know that not only did He die for our salvation but also for our healing.

Third Day by Pastor Don Moore

I apologize for not updating my blog for a few weeks. My plan is to make regular posts from now on.

Taught 11/18/11

Last enemy is death and the resurrection of life

1 Corinthians 15:1-2 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

Notice the "if" makes this conditional.  Salvation is based on what you believe - believing makes the difference. Christ conquered death. All men have to face death and their fear of death. On what is your faith rooted and grounded?  There is a spiritual mandate to overcome death. In dying we are raised up from death. But if we don't believe Jesus was raised from the dead our faith is useless.  So many Christians are afraid of death. We need to believe in the resurrection of the dead and our personal resurrection.

1 Corinthians 3-4 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures...

Any time the Scriptures mention the third day there is a reference to the rapture.

Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days.

There are 300 prophesies about the resurrection of the dead.

The first mention of the third day is with the Creation.

Genesis 1:9 Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. 

In Scripture, waters refers to both people and water - and the gathered together in one place - 

When the rapture occurs the antichrist will be revealed (dry land) dry implies no water, and Scripture also refers to the Water of the Word. 

There is always a reference with third day/month/week.  The Bible doesn't use the term rapture - it refers to a quickening, catching away, resurrection. 

1 Corinthians 15:4  and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 

Rose again on the third day.

1 Corinthians 15:5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 

This is an important verse - nonbelievers ask how do you know he rose from the dead. They imply that the disciples might be agreeing to lie about this. But the disciples died terrible, torturous deaths instead of denying that Jesus rose from the dead.  Cephas is another name for Peter.  So Jesus was seen by the twelve, but the following verse adds more details to this.

1 Corinthians 15:6  After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 

Soul sleep is not what this is referring to, but fallen asleep refers to death. There were over five hundred who saw Jesus at once, and many of them are still alive when this letter was written.  Any one of them could have denounced the truth of seeing Jesus.

John 11:3-4  Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”  When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

Jesus is not saying Lazarus is sick so that God can get the glory. But God can take what the enemy means for harm and turn it to good. When good comes of a sad situation, God gets the glory. The devil is the one who brings sickness, disease, and death. When you get healed, God gets the glory. The devil would rather you feel the situation is hopeless instead of seeking God's help.

John 11:6-11 So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.  Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”  The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.  But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”  These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”

Jesus stayed two days before making the journey. He wanted the Jewish mourners to be sure that Lazarus was dead. When Jesus says that Lazarus is sleeping, it is really that he is dead.

John 11:12-15  Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.”  However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.”

The disciples misunderstood Jesus, and Jesus tells them plainly that Lazarus is dead. But, as Jesus told them, This sickness is not unto death. 

There is physical death, where the body dies and the spirit leaves the body. And then there is spiritual death. Spiritual death is eternally separated from God. God does not will that for man, but if man really wants to be separate from God, God will not force Himself on man. The only place man can go is the place God reserved for the sinning angels and those who blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, the lake of fire.  

Someone in our Bible study asked if they could inadvertently commit the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, and Pastor Don assured them that only those who operate fully in all the gifts, who have accepted Christ as their Savior, and are well-grounded in their faith, if with that full knowledge, they choose to turn their backs on the Savior, they have committed blasphemy.  New Christians, those who are hurting that might be angry with God for a season are not in this category. This is reserved for mature Christians. Because Jesus died once for our sins. 

2 Corinthians 11:13-14 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 

There are false apostles and deceitful workers who speak for the angel of enlightenment. Don't forget that satan was the angel of light until he fell. Now he tries to trick people into accepting his teachings as truth, even though the teachings go against the truth of Scripture.

2 Corinthians 11:15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. 

This verse will not happen until the Day of Judgement. We need to have discernment in these last days. There are many who claim that they are of God, but they are not teaching the truth and the fruit of their ministry doesn't match up with the truth of God. We let evil slide and don't call it for what it is. One example of false teaching is those churches that claim that Jesus doesn't heal any more and the miracles of the Apostles are not for today. How could a loving God let us spend times in these end days without equipping us to deal with the powers of darkness? Isaiah tells us that by His stripes we are healed. Jesus told us that we would do greater works than He did. 

James 5:13-15 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

If James tells us to lay hands on the sick, how can these churches claim that Jesus doesn't heal any more? 

2 Corinthians 11:4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!

Paul is saying that people may come preaching things Jesus didn't say. Don't tolerate wrong teachings or evil. Make sure you don't follow erroneous teachings.

2 Corinthians 11:28  besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. 

Paul is saying that he is worried about the churches. The Holy Spirit tells us not to worry because if you are worried you are not in faith.

2 Corinthians 11:29-30  Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation? If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity. 

boasting is a sin, if you are boasting for yourself and what you do. It is not sinful boasting if you are praising God for what He did.

2 Corinthians 11:31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.  

Paul was willing to boast that what he was able to accomplish he did through Christ Jesus.

In the Bible the original scrolls were not divided by chapter and verse. So chapter 12 is a continuation of what is discussed in Chapter 11.

2 Corinthians 12:1 It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord: 

Paul is not boasting - he is going to share a revelation he had from the Lord. When the writers of the Bible wrote about themselves they did not say "I or Me" so he is going to say I know a man...

2 Corinthians 12:2-4 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 

He was caught up into the third Heaven. He was caught up either in the body or in his spirit, and he heard words that were inexpressible. Because we see a vision does not mean that it is meant to be shared with others.

2 Corinthians 12:5-8 Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities.  For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me. And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.  Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.

This passage has been misinterpreted. Some say that Paul had eye problems or a sickness. That God would use sickness to teach Paul a lesson. Paul suffered, but not at the hands of God. It was a messenger of satan which came to buffet him, to keep him humble. Paul wrote 63% of the Gospels. He paid a high price with his body. We read of shipwrecks, imprisonment, stonings, and he still persisted in sharing his message despite all the obstacles that the enemy tried to put in his path. 

A lot of Christians use this passage to say that they are suffering sickness or setbacks for the glory of God. God is not glorified by our suffering, but He is glorified when we use His principles to overcome suffering. Most who say they are suffering for the Lord are not really doing that, the ones who suffer for the Lord are the ones doing God's will and if difficulties come, then it is suffering for the Lord. Not every sickness or disease is for the glory of God.

2 Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 

To understand this passage, we need to realize that grace is not the same as mercy. Mercy is unmerited favor, but grace comes with the idea of empowerment from God to do the work that God wants us to do. In the Greek, infirmities mean weaknesses, emotions, psychological problems, lack of ability. We can trust that God will help us to overcome these challenges. So when we are challenged, we rely on the grace of God (empowerment) to do what we cannot do on our own, and thus we give glory to God.

Pastor Don pointed out that there are many things that become traditions in our churches that are not biblical.  He told us that in the Baptist church, before communion they were to examine themselves to see if they were in sin before they took communion. This practice is based on the following verse.

2 Corinthians 13:5-6 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified.

But the passage does not say to see if you are in sin - it says to examine yourself to see if you are in faith. If you are not in faith it is displeasing to God, so we are to examine ourselves to see if we are in faith. We all sin and fall short of the glory of God. We can sin in thoughts and deed. But if we find sin, it is not hard to come back in alignment with God. All we need to do is remember 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. This verse is true past, present, and future. When we go to God and confess our sins, He forgives all our sins. We are not in sin when we confess, for our sins are covered by the Blood of the Lord. We need to be in faith and take communion in faith.

2 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. 

Are we in faith to believe that Jesus did this for us?

Jesus never said that we had to examine ourselves to see if we are in sin. This is what He said.

2 Corinthians 11:24-26 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”  For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

Jesus told us to eat the bread and drink the cup and use that to remember what He did for us until the day He comes.

Communion should be the happiest time for it is a way to help us remember what Jesus did and also the fact that He will come again.

Jesus is our bread of life. Even in the Old Testament God provided Manna in the wilderness to preserve life until the people reached the promised land. Now we are offered the bread of life to give us strength and courage until He comes again. 

Praying your day is blessed.

Heather