Month: January 2008

  • Revelation 16 & 17 by Pastor Don

    I was able to transcribe a Sunday Service for close captioned TV for Pastor Don, and so am including the transcript as is for you. Things in brackets []are what people say from the congregation. I will leave it as is, but do a bit of putting Bible verses in Italics and make a few paragraphs for readability, but will leave the words as is.

    The Revelation of Jesus Christ. In the 16th Chapter, “Then I heard a Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth.” So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image.” Well, praise God that’s not us. Amen! I said, praise God, that’s not us. Amen! [Amen!] Alright, let’s be clear about that.

    Verse 3, “Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man, and every living creature in the sea died.” Verse 4 “Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters saying:…” Remember that the heavens are divided like military. Different angels have different assignments over different groups of things, peoples, and spirits. “…You are righteous, O Lord, the One who is and who was and who is to be, because You have judged these things. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets. And You have given them blood to drink for it is their just due.”"

    Now I talked about having misplaced compassion for people and things that are not of God. You must understand that by this time not only has the Church been removed, and the 144,000 Jewish evangelists have done their thing, and are now up in Heaven, God is going to protect those saints, except for those that will fall under the time period of the great tribulation and will be actually overrun, overrun by antichrist. But, the Lord is going to bring full judgment on those that hate Him. You’ve got to get that really clear in your head, we all identify with mankind, but you have to begin to make some separations. There’s some separations, there’s some horrible people walking around the earth that do very horrible things that we need not have compassion for them, for the wrath of God is going to be poured out upon them. And God knows. He knows who they are, where they live, He knows their address and their email address as well. [Laugh] So, he’s got it worked out.

    And so in verse 6 it says, “”For they have shed the blood of the saints and prophets,” and they are receiving their just due. They’ve had every opportunity, He has sent trumpets, trumpets and vials and he has sent prophets and evangelists and teachers. He’s tried every way He can to reach these people, to get them to the first position of salvation and repentance.The first position of salvation is repentance. Okay? Alright? It alarms me that many people in the Body of Christ don’t know that they are saved. They don’t know that they are saved. They are wondering, they are walking and wondering, will I make it? Will I be qualified for the rapture? Will I be qualified for Heaven? You only need to know that you are saved. And the only way you know that is have you reached the first position? Have you repented of your evil works? That’s all. Are you aware that you aren’t all that? [Laughter] Well, that’s the first position. If you know you are not all that, and you are even questioning Heaven, it means that you have a desire to make Heaven, and your questioning it, it means that you’re in. I don’t know if I can make that any clearer. If you have a sense of ohhhh, I don’t know if I’m going to make it, that means that you have a desire to make it, which means that you are sorry for what you may have done. That may have disqualified, which means that you are the most highly qualified. [Amen] You know, a person who isn’t going to make it doesn’t care that he’s a liar. Doesn’t care that he’s a fornicator. Doesn’t care that he is evil. Doesn’t care that he has no faith and doesn’t believe. Doesn’t care that he blasphemes God, doesn’t care that he speaks evil against saints. They don’t CARE! So,if you care, you IN! It’s the surest way to know you’re in, because you what? You do care. You are concerned about it. Alright? So kind of be sure of it, alright. Cause when I come to visit you in the hospital I don’t want you looking up at me wondering, questioning, if you died, if you’re going to make it. The one thing you ought to be sure of is that you know you are in. I said, you should be sure that you know you’re in. Who are you believing on for your salvation? [Jesus] Jesus, not Colonel Sanders [laugh] huh. Jesus Christ. If you’re believing and hoping and wishing on Jesus Christ, to get you in, guess what [handclap] you’re in. [amen] You’re in. If you are trusting on you to get you in, by your works and you did nice things, and aren’t you just wonderful, how you fed the poor on Wednesday back in 1973, forget it. [laugh] That’s yesterday’s papers, and it doesn’t count. But if today you woke up and you said, “Praise the Lord, ahh, I’m breathing, thank you Jesus,” then, guess what, you’re trusting on Him. You’re relying on Him, you’re in.

    Now, look at verse 7 “And I heard another from the altar saying, “Even so, Lord God Almighty; true and righteous are Your judgments.” Well, why does he say, “even so”? Because nobody, not even God, even though these people deserve it, wants to look upon it. He’s not happy about it. He’s not happy that destruction is going to be, scorched out on man. He’s not happy about it. For He would that all men would be saved. But it’s up to them if they want to be saved or not.

    Verse 8 “Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire.” What He’s going to do is He’s going to increase the number of sunspots. Already the scientists are telling us that that’s what global warming is really about. That the sun has been putting out different heat, different sunspots, different explosions, and that’s really what global warming really is all about. Well, here it is saying that He’s going to make it even hotter. “And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.” Lord have mercy! Meaning, after all of this is going down, the whole planet is in a revolt against man and they still wouldn’t repent. They’re still going to have a scientific answer for it, that gives them credit. Do you realize that they…I’m just going to say this for some of you, there’s a hidden lie in global warming, that glorifies man….[yeah, right] Lord have mercy. Some of you all are thinking, its getting clearer. It’s where man can take the credit for everything that’s going down on the earth. [comments from people] I mean you get that picture in your mind how you begin to see how huge the earth is and ah, we want to take the, you know. Come on. You know, last night, was it last night? I’m watching TV and a volcano is going off in Mexico, and it’s spewing ash a mile up in the air. You mean to tell me that somebody drove an SUV in Mexico City and made that happen? [laugh] Gosh, we need to get real here. You know…I’m sorry, I’m just too basic. I’m just too basic. Lets, moving right along here. Let’s see if we can do, so even though the earth is going through all of this, they still did not repent and give Him glory.

    Then verse 10, “Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.” … My Goodness. Well, moving right along. Everybody ok? “Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates…” Where’s the Euphrates? In Babylon. Where’s Babylon? In Iraq, Iran. It’s all out there and here it comes. “…and it’s waters dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. … “…the way of the kings from the east might be prepared.” Well, what’s it talking about? Remember an army of 200 million men a few chapters ago that we were talking about, that army is going to begin to march from the Far East and is going to march to the West. But when they get to the River Euphrates, it’s going to be dried up which prepares the way because they are invited guests to the Battle of Armageddon, and if the River Euphrates is still running, that will hold up their crossing. So God is going to dry it up, so this army of 200 million can walk across the River Euphrates so that they can get to the battle of Armageddon in time to be destroyed. [Whew] Alright, moving right along. Verse 13 “And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” This one verse here teaches you something very, very, very powerful if you would get this concept. The concept is that in spite of what you were taught when you were growing up, the reality of the situation is, God will use good to His advantage, but He will also turn evil to His advantage as well. God will use evil people to accomplish His goals in the earth. He will permit certain things to happen in order to bring about His ultimate plan and resolve. That’s a little tough for Christians because we just, you know, we just have been taught some stupid things, that are not Biblical. The reality of the situation is God is going to permit these demon spirits to deceive the people that hate Him, and have already blasphemed against Him, have already been through all of this and still refuse to repent. And He is going to permit these deceiving spirits to convince these people to come to this great battle, where they think that they’re going to be god. They’re going to destroy God. Now you say, why would the demons, why would satan cooperate with that? Well because, what is his modus operandi? satan does what? [conversation] What does he do? He loves to kill, steal and destroy. He is a liar from the beginning, so he knows how to use lies in order to accomplish his end, which is kill, steal and destroy. So even though he has an idea of what’s going on, he is going to be a part of this program. Ok? So, what the devil does is he convinces us with a lie, we come into cooperation with it and we’re going to our destruction. That’s the history, the history of mankind after the Garden. All right? So in verse 16 he says, “And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.” This physical place is Meggido and it’s a huge valley, the Valley of Decision. All right. Then, verse 17, “”Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, “It is…” What? [Done] “It is done.” So once again, perfect numbers the number of six is the number of man, and that’s where we see man performing and coming into this place of destruction, and then what do we see? And the seventh angel, pours out his bowl, and it’s a bowl of completion. Seven being the number of completion. We are in the 6,000th year going into the 7,000th year. God is going to complete everything in this transitional period. How long is this transition? Nobody knows, but we do know the Key event. And when this Gospel is preached to the whole earth, then the end, what? [shall come]. The End shall come. And you are so blessed because God has given us wisdom and has placed with us the people that we need to know.

    We have, for example, through the shortwave system, Brother Michael comes to us every year to tell us the progress that he is making. Well, what is he trying to do? He is bringing the gospel via shortwave to the outer regions of Mongolia and the Arab Nations. He stands in your presence every year, and he tells us how far he has reached with the Gospel. And how many new dialects they have covered, and he’s so close, he’s so close. Ok, so pay attention to some of the stuff that’s out there on the desk, on the table, pick up Michael’s stuff, read it, he has testimonies there of people that are getting the gospel in places that you will never visit. You know, right now the big push is for Falusia getting it into the language into Falusian they are translating it over in Afghanistan, and all of these other places. So, stay busy, stay on your prayer, pray, pray, pray. And then verse 18, “And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings, and there was a great earthquake…” This is the big one, you guy’s ready? “…such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth.”… There’s going to be a world wide earthquake. You will not be able to blame this one on global warming. This bad boy is going to shake the planet. And what is happening now. We’re almost numb to it, but think back 10, 15 years ago, you’d hear of an earthquake every now and then. It is a monthly, almost weekly occurrence, that an earthquake is going down somewhere. And they’re beginning to increase, volcano eruptions, and so forth. Now, go to verse 19, “Now the great city was divided…” What’s the great city [Jerusalem] Jerusalem, …”into three parts and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon….great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God…” Look at, again. “..because of the plague of hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.” I looked it up, a talent is worth about $25,000 dollars and a talent weighs 113 pounds. [whoa!] I mean, that’s going to out do some of the Hollywood movies, I saw a movie the other day and there were hailstones and chunks of ice falling, oh, and I said, that’s kiddies play to what’s about to go down in reality here. Amen, moving right along. You ready? Chapter 17 “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters.” Now many waters here is usually a, not only a geographic answer, but many waters usually refers to peoples. Many peoples. Different types of people groups. “with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with god and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. And on her forehead, a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement. But the angel said to me, “Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. The beast that you saw was…” that is past tense, “and is not…” which is a point where nonexistence, “and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition.” Go to hell. “And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, those names who are…” What? “…not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.” Ooooohhhh, look at this now. We’ve got a problem here, don’t we? We’ve got this woman, but she’s riding on a beast, who was, is not, and yet is. In other words, the beast is the greater power, carrying the woman who is the lesser power. Can you see that? And here’s what he says, “Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.” Seven heads, seven mountains on which the woman sits. “There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other one has not yet come. And when he comes he must continue a short time.” So this is talking about an antichrist figure of a political nature. “The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth…” Remember the eighth is new beginnings. “…and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.” He’s eventually going to hell too. Remember in Chapter 13 we looked at these people, we talked about the beast being a figure, a warlike world leader, figure, and we have this woman that is a religious, mysterious, Babylon figure, a harlot in a sense, and I’m going to break that down. And then it says, “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, …but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast.”

    Remember, I told you that the, the world has already been divided into 10 regions. When we say “regions” we’re talking about horns of power. It’s already been divided in them. That is going to happen but it’s going to only happen for a short time. Unfortunately our government is moving in agreement with it and North America is already being united with South America, whether we like it or not. Through NAFTA and other agreements. So he says, “These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to…” Who?” “the beast. These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them for He is…” Come on… “He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called chosen and faithful. ” [hallelujah] Amen. Let’s go to the end of the chapter, and then we will come back. “The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, and eat her flesh and burn her with fire.” My goodness. Whew, the woman is in for a world of trouble, isn’t she? “For God has put in into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.”

    Alright, let’s break it down a little bit. You guys ready? Now, let’s be honest, some of this we cannot see in it’s fullness, because why? We’re not close enough to it. The Church is still on the earth, so the gates of hell, the power of this woman, and the power of this beast are limited, so we don’t see them in their fullness, so a lot of conjecture has gone forth, but here’s what I want to make clear to you. Most of you that sit here, realize that Rome was built on seven hills. That the great Roman Empire, lived and survived on those seven hills and was replaced with a different empire, religious empire. Now the Catholic church is worldwide and dominates over many peoples over the earth, but what this passage is telling us is the root of power in this woman spans wider and greater. So what I want to say to you is, those of us, you know, those of us that, that are wise enough to get this, you have to realize that, that this great Babylon, mystery Babylon has existed much longer than the Catholic church. Does everybody follow that? Huh? Alright. Mystery Babylon is the deceiving spirit of false religion…Mystery Babylon is the root of deception that causes people to run out and join secret societies, like the masons and think that you can be a Christian and still be a member of the secret society. Well, you know, you can’t. And then you have all of the other religions, that what, point the finger against God. And all of these religions, that feel enlightened, because satan is what, he is an angel of enlightenment. Read the scriptures, its, it’s clearly, the distinction is this. That an angel of light would just bring light, but he is enlightenment, he causes people to think they have a new and better revelation. They have a clearer, greater understanding, of something and everyone else is stupid. You know, and so, you end up with groups like the Jehovah Witnesses. We have the only truth and therefore everybody else is going to hell in a handbasket. Well, if that is the case, we’re in serious trouble, because it says, He’s going to save a multitude, so great that no man could count. And there aren’t that many Jehovah Witnesses as yet. Or the Mormons, and a number of these other groups that just limit who’s going to get to Heaven. You know, getting to Heaven is the basis of of the heart. You’re not going to get to Heaven because you have correct theology. What??? Only if your correct theology leads your heart to a correct relationship…Well Glory, I’m preaching good whether you all are getting this or not. [whew] And so, when our hearts get right, God will, you know, He’ll straighten out theology. He will straighten out wrong thinking. But what the devil does is, he implants in us and around us, these existing societies, churches and ideas, to color the water so grey that no one can decide. So they’ll worship a dali lama, they’ll worship all these other things, ah, and get this, listen, the Bible is true. In Acts chapter 10, verse 38 the Apostle Paul says, “…how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.” But he says this amazing revelation before he says that, He says, I now realize, that God is no respecter of persons. That He is not partial. There is no partiality with God. And that in the whole world of other nations, where ever men fear God, where ever men fear God, fear God, and have a heart of respect and honor. That word “fear” there is a holy reverence. That fear God, and do what’s right, are acceptable to God. That means that there’s going to be, there’s going to be somebody from every faith that’s getting in…When they get to Heaven the Lord’s going to say, “You belonged to the wrong church, the wrong theology, wrong thinking, but you feared Me, and you tried your best to do what was right. You’re in.” Lord have mercy! Aren’t you glad that God is kinder than all of us? [laughter] And I’m saying, if people don’t have our pedigree, we’re going to reject them, but God is saying, you have to have only His heart.

    And so, by that, what is Mystery Babylon? Mystery Babylon is false religion that has always been in the earth, through whatever means the devil can use, to deceive. If he can get you to worship an ant, a frog, or a rat, he’ll do that. If he can get you to worship the dead ancestors, he’ll do that. If he can get you to worship, the saints, and pray and think that somehow, Peter, Mary, James and John, that they have the, the ability to save you, he’ll get you to do that. If Mystery Babylon can deceive you, to think that you can partake in satanic ritual but call it something else, you’re had. You’ve been had. And that’s what Mystery Babylon is really about. Alright, the seven hills are telling us this, that in the last days, this associationship of the Old Roman Empire is going to be rebuilt in it’s power and it’s might. But with it comes the sin of the Roman Empire, which was idol worship, and false gods. Alright? What shape will Catholicism look like during the period of tribulation? I don’t know. I don’t know. But right now, between Sun Myung Moon, and all of these other religious leaders, they’re trying to create a new world religion. They’re trying to bring everyone together under the same umbrella. And right now, even muslims are in eating at that table. And many Christians.

    The tape ended. Praying that you get a sense of being there.

    Heather

  • The Holy Spirit by Pastor Don

    I asked Pastor Don about the Holy Spirit and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. I was wondering what happens for someone who is saved, but does not accept the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with signs and wonders – where is the Holy Spirit then? We had been looking at the various baptisms, and I was wondering about those Christians who are saved, thinking that only one baptism was necessary.

    Pastor Don likened the Holy Spirit Baptism to having a tool box with tools. You can have the tool box, but unless you open the box, take out the tools and use them, it does not do you much good.

    The Holy Spirit can use us without our cooperation and knowledge if need be, but He does not like to force us against our will. We have all the tools in the box, but we can choose to use them or not. We can carry the tool box with us but not open it.

    Pastor Don also told us that there is a bad trend among Spirit filled Christians – that they tend to look down on the other Christians who are not Spirit filled. It is a spirit of religious pride and is not good for the Body of Christ. A Spirit filled believer looks down on a person who is Born Again and does not believe that the gifts are for us today. That is not leading to harmony in the Body of Christ. The Born Again person who does not operate in the Spirit filled gifts still has the gifts to use, whether or not he uses them. They are saved and have the gifts. The Spirit filled believer has a particular experience with God called the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with evidence of tongues.

    Pastor Don told someone who questioned him about tongues that tongues aminates from our yieldness, God will not compel us to speak in tongues, it is evidence of the Presence of God, but we have to be willing to open our mouth and speak in tongues. If we refuse to do that, God will not force us to do so – that is what makes the difference between the Gift of the Spirit called tongues and demonic possession – the believer having the gift has the freedom to manifest the gift or not – he is not forced or compelled to do so.

    The presence of God makes it possible to speak in tongues, but the person can opt out. They can experience the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and make the choice not to speak in tongues. But tongues is evidence of the Power of God and the Holy Spirit.

    It is also not proper to teach that speaking in tongues is because a believer is super enthusiastic and emotional and that tongues are not part of God. We praise God with our mind and understanding, and we praise God with words that we cannot understand.

    Pastor Don explained that he received the gift of tongues when he was a guest speaker in a Methodist Church, and he covered his mouth, not wanting the tongues to come out, for he had been trained by the Baptists that tongues were not of God. But ultimately he prayed that God would show him the truth in the Word of God about tongues. If it was of God, he wanted the gift of tongues, if it wasn’t of God he prayed that God would remove it.

    Pastor Don said that speaking in tongues or not is a condition of YIELDNESS. Pastor Don shared how he laid hands on his wife so that she could receive the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit came in, but nothing seemed to change outwardly. Cynthia said that it seemed to be no big thing to her. Then Pastor Don laid hands on someone else in his house Bible study and she began speaking in tongues. Cynthia wanted that too, and prayed to God to receive tongues and one day she too spoke in tongues.

    We can accept salvation, being Born again by faith, and we also need to accept the infilling of the Holy Spirit by faith.  People will experience the presence of the Holy Spirit differently depending on their yieldness and their experiences.

    THE HOLY SPIRIT MOVES ACCORDING TO HOW WE PERMIT HIM TO MOVE.

    Some want little or no evidence, others are willing to yield to the gifts.

    Cynthia expressed it this way, “God gives the gift to you and you have to open the package.”

    We receive the Holy Spirit by faith and we choose to yield. The Key ISN’T speaking in tongues. Tongues is the evidence of the Baptism, but you receive the Holy Spirit whether or not you speak in tongues.

    Pastor Don said that if he says Born Again people have money, it is a safe assumption – some will have more, some less. And then he asks them to show their money, some may have a quarter, some $20, some $200.  The amount of money you have on you isn’t the evidence of how much faith you have, it is just what you have on you at that particular time – you may have a credit card, or you may have a huge bank account but left your wallet at home. You may have no money on you at the time he asks you to show money, but that is not evidence that you do not have money. It is the same with the Holy Spirit -some have much to show one day and another day when they Holy Spirit is not active, may have little evidence of the Spirit.

    In the Body of Christ, those with the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, choose to yield to God. Those who yield will show evidence of the manifestation of the Holy Spirit.

    1. God filling
    2. Some receive, and manifest
    3. Some think they are too cool and reserved for that.

    The Number One reason why people do not manifest the Holy Spirit is PRIDE. They want God to give them the power when they want, how they want, and in the way they want, or they don’t want to yield.

    Pastor Don also pointed out that just because you had the experience of the infilling of the Holy Spirit with evidence does NOT mean that you are always filled with the Holy Spirit. When we are not yielded to God, when we are so concerned about our earthly concerns we are not walking around with the infilling of the Holy Spirit we are not Spirit filled. So there are many times we are walking around with the same amount of activity of the Holy Spirit as a non-spirit filled believer.

    The goal is to BE BEING FILLED all the time, not drunk as with wine, but filled with the Holy Spirit. It is an active, ongoing process of being filled continually.

    Ephesians 5:18-21 AMPLIFIED And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit. 19Speak out to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, offering praise with voices [and instruments] and making melody with all your heart to the Lord, 20At all times and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father. 21Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

    Ephesians 5:18-21 NKJV And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.

    We are blessed to have a person in our Friday Bible study who reads Greek fluently and she translated this passage for us. She told us that the word for “dissipation” or “debauchery” is the exact same word that was used for the prodigal son, and implies lack of self control.

    Asotia in the Greek means to be filled, be completed in or by.

    This is infilling of the Spirit is something that happens continually, it is not our permanent state but a temporary filling. When we are Born Again we are Born Again always, the devil can’t take that from us.

    In Greek the Word filled, means continually drinking, be being filled.

    In Verse 19 and 20 contain the steps we have to take to achieve the filling, being in the presence of the Holy Spirit and then He fills you up. The step is Worship. The Apostle Peter tells us that when you know the Lord, when he fills you with power, we are not to gossip and backbite. Why are there negative behaviors like that in a Spirit filled church? The Spirit filled believer ends up sounding and acting like a fleshly person. And if there is backbiting, gossip and evil acting, are either the Spirit filled believer or the Born Again believer any better than unsaved people? Divorce rates among believers are high, and at times higher than unbelievers. We are not filled with the Spirit all the time – if we were we would not be able to lie, backbite, gossip or act evil when we have the Power of the Holy Spirit within us. That is why we have to not be obnoxious with pride.

    All we are doing is yielding to the power of God, it has nothing to do with our being any more special or spiritual. Some receive the Holy Spirit once and that is enough for them. Some sin and do not want to come back to Christ. God may save their lives in an emergency or they will sit on the fringes of church until the next emergency. A Spirit filled believer can sin in the flesh, and when they are ready to sin they stop going to church, stop praising God, etc. The fleshly, carnal decisions are made when we are not filled with the Holy Ghost.

    If we are filled with the Holy Spirit, and have that experience but don’t translate that into a habit of life it does us little good. The Holy Spirit may not impact you when you are not filled with the Holy Spirit (and then again He may choose to impact you for that situation). We can get upset in the flesh, and then spend time worshipping God and get filled with the Holy Spirit which helps us to get over our fleshly situation. You can will to have the Holy Spirit infill you.

    Tongues are speaking in words that bypass the intellect. It is not something that one should pride oneself on, for that would not edify the church. The Spirit filled believer in their personal life may not look any different from a Born Again believer, Born Again believers just don’t believe in the gifts and deal with their problems in many of the same ways as a fleshly person would.

    The problem comes when CANNOT becomes WILL NOT. God can load us with Spiritual gifts but the person needs yieldness, worshipping in the presence of God, a contact by the supernatural to unleash these gifts.

    The purposes of being filled with the Holy Spirit.

    1. FELLOWSHIP. We desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit so we can worship in the Spirit and have fellowship with God, not just talk to Daddy, but fellowship in the way it was back in the Garden where you can walk with Him in the sunset, and be one with Him.

    2. WORSHIP, we are to worship in Spirit and in Truth, and being in the Spirit takes us to a deeper level, not just the floor level. Pastor Don tells people at church to not look at what other people are doing in church, but to close our eyes, quit judging, and get into the presence of the Lord.

    3. TO SERVE, God wants to do something, and we minister to God first, through Praise, and worship, and tell God how wonderful He is.

    4. GET INSTRUCTIONS, not carnally, but to hear what God tells us in the Spirit. In the flesh we don’t know what to do, but the Spirit instructions are different from the Carnal. God got the prophets to tell Paul and Barnabas to be sent out – that instruction came from the Holy Spirit.

    When there is an action to carry out, there is a natural action and a spiritual action. We are not always acting in the Sprit,.

    1. Don’t be deceived, drugs and alcohol minister to the flesh, medications, if people are depressed they reach for a drug to medicate their feeling. Most alcoholics want to kill the pain. This is Key knowledge because if we are filled with the Holy Spirit, the devil will come up with his counter offers, and find a way to take away from the Spirit. When we are in that situation we have to call a prayer partner, find someone to share a song with, or a scripture, so that we can get back to the Spirit.

    Pastor Don told us that sometimes a Born Again believer doesn’t realize that they really are speaking in tongues. He gave an example, saying that some people start out singing a hymn or spiritual song, they know the first verse, and some of the words of another verse – in the spaces where they don’t know the real words they start saying, “dum, de, da, da, dum” in tune to the song. It is nonsense syllables but still worship.

    We get into the Spirit to edify ourselves, and when we pray in tongues or sing in tongues we build up or Spirits. Not always do we do this in public, but it builds up the Body of Christ. When in church there is an order to be followed with tongues – tongues must come with interpretation, and that interpretation is prophesy and for the building up of the Body of Christ.

    Pastor Don mentioned Paul and Silas in prison, singing songs, worshipping God and praying in the Sprit. Paul said 1 Corinthians 14:18-19 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all;  yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

    Paul says that he speaks in tongues more than all of the others, but in Church, he would rather edify those who do not. The Holy Spirit comes when you are born again, He convicts you of sin, and the Holy Spirit points to Jesus Christ.

    The sinner’s prayer that many are instructed to pray is not Biblical, it is an institution made by man, and has become a tradition. Confession is Biblical, and the disciples were to confess to one another.

    Pastor Don then uses Cynthia, his wife for an illustration for us. He took a napkin and put it on her forehead and told us that when we become Born Again we are sealed by the Holy Spirit which he said was the napkin- it is a mark that is clearly visible to the devil, and when he sees that mark he knows that a person is Born Again, and someone now that the devil wants to try and pull off course. While the person is still a sinner, the devil didn’t need to bother with them for they were in his camp, but now that the person is Born Again and has that mark (napkin – I wish  you could have seen Mrs. Moore’s face, she is rather shy and does not like to be in the limelight), satan now starts bothering us. She, as Born Again, is filled with the Spirit, but maybe chooses not to do the tongue stuff. Pastor Don then took his sweater and put it around her shoulders and said that when the Holy Spirit comes upon you you have tools to work with. Pastor Don proceeded to show Mrs. Moore various little objects that he said represented various gifts of the Holy Spirit, Healing (the ability to heal other people or heal yourself with the power of the Holy Spirit), Prophesy (singing in the Spirit and a divinely inspired sermon comes out, a message in three seconds are three minutes that can impact 3,000 people, if you are sick you can preach to yourself and build yourself up to fight the devil, or give a prophesy and interpret it – pray in tongues and interpret what you say), Supernatural dreams and visions, dreams from heaven. If she accepts the gifts of the Holy Spirit, she can read the Bible and there will be supernatural revelations in the Word for her, or she can have the gift of helps, so that what she does in the Spirit helps people to be blessed. She can have supernatural provision, prosperity in any area she touches (not just financial), and God can give her God ideas for her situations. And spiritual armor to protecting her from the fiery darts of satan.

    All of these tools are available to her in the tool box, but it is up to her if she wants to accept these gifts or not, and if she accepts them, then she has to make the choice to take them out of the tool box and use them. You can have all the gifts, but one thing that Pastor Don told us is that if you don’t use them, practice with them, when you need them in a pinch they won’t be developed to the point of you being able to fully wield them. That does not mean that the Holy Spirit won’t intervene, but we will not be operating in the full power available to us.

    Pastor Don then took a few items out of the pile of things that Mrs. Moore had in her hands and said that you can choose to use one or two of the gifts and let the others lie dormant.

    Pastor Don says that He prays in the Holy Spirit before he begins to preach. The Holy Spirit can loosen the gifts, and when Pastor Don wants to edify He wants to come in agreement with what the Holy Spirit wants to do.

    No one can get Born Again without the Holy Spirit, we can get filled with the Spirit, and have opportunities for giftings, but some do not want this. If we never experience the infilling of the Spirit, we will have to face the pressures and problems of life without the help of the Holy Spirit, and some believers will be so burdened by the problems that they fall by the wayside.

    Pastor Don wants all that God wants Him to have, and he also told us that we have to let the Holy Spirit use us for service, and when we do, the Holy Spirit empowers us. The Holy Spirit builds us up. He then went on to remind us that tongues and other evidences of the Holy Spirit may seem like foolishness to men, but God uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise.

    We have the SPIRIT IN, but that does not mean that we operate in the gifts and callings, and we can have the SPIRIT UPON. You have to be yielded and worship to get to the point of the Spirit upon. Remember Elisha when he says, “Get me a Minstrel” to help him get into the Spirit. You can tell when the Spirit comes upon, and Pastor Don watches for the Spirit upon.

    You want to see what anointing is on a person, and when the Spirit says calm down, obey Him. Sometimes in situations we panic, but that is not Christ in you when you panic. When  you are dealing in your circumstances know that God loves you all the time, and keep a hold of the truth, the Good about God. We will not always be happy in our circumstances, there will be trials and tribulations, but know that God is there, and God is good.

    Even for the person with the happiest life, not everything is all right all of the time. People can forsake you, there can be sickness and enemies. Even in the midst of that know you are good to go with God and that you can make a difference by being filled with the Spirit, and His Word, to get His Presence. Even in our Spirit filled lives, we do not always have the Spirit active in us. And if the Born Again believer refuses to function in the gifts of the Spirit because he believes that they are of the past, both the Spirit filled believer and the Born Again believer are missing out.

    Signs and wonders help to grow a church. We have seen this in India where undeniable signs and wonders have pulled people to God. Once God used Pastor Don to heal a 14 year old deaf girl at a meeting in India and God brought many to Christ through that healing. God healed her, and it allowed her to feel God’s presence and know that God is not something distant, and it increased her faith for God. Pastor Don told us it was funny because, through the interpreter he asked the girl if she could hear and she shook her head “no”. Pastor Don was sure God had healed her and asked her again. It turns out that in India the head gesture for “yes” is what we use for no. So she was shaking her head yes.

    If you are in the Spirit great things can happen. If you have trouble with your kids, get into the Spirit. A Born Again believer can get there, it doesn’t take speaking in tongues, we can say hymns and praise God.  God is merciful to Born Again believers with no understanding of the Spirit. Pastor Don said that sometimes a person is hurting so much that they fall on their face and cry out to God. Romans 8:26-27  Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

    When you stand before the firing squad of life you want as many gifts of the Spirit as possible. Pastor Don told us that we ought to read Fox’s Book of Martyrs to see that there are people who were Born Again and not Spirit filled that died for Christ.

    Jesus had an Advocate (The Holy Spirit) to help Him on earth, He told people, “I and my Father are one and without Him I am nothing.” In the flesh Jesus had a skin suit, and needed the help of the Holy Spirit. Jesus never made a move without getting into the Spirit.

    We want every opportunity to bless others and the Body of Christ. Why live with only part of the tools available to us? Is it possible for us to be perpetually filled with the Spirit? In our natural state, we have to be yielded all the time, and most of us never do that. But we want Him to use us as much as possible, so seek the infilling of the Holy Spirit with worship, praise, tongues, and let Him do His good work through us.

    Praying this answer helped you as it did me,

    Heather

  • PASTOR DON MOORE 2008 BIBLE STUDIES

    Click on a title and it will bring you to the article.

    The Baptism of the Holy Spirit
    Baptism of the Holy Spirit Cont.
    The Baptism of the Holy Spirit cont.
    Laying on of Hands and discernment
    The Holy Spirit
    Revelation 16 & 17
    The Holy Spirit (cont)
    How do we know and follow God?
    How do we know and follow God? Part 2
    The Resurrection of the Dead
    The Resurrection of the Dead Part 2
    Are you wearing a bib or an apron?
    Who’s in control?
    Who’s in control? Part 2
    Who’s in control? Part 3
    Revelation 6
    The Resurrection of the Dead 1 Corinthians 15
    Blaspheme of the Holy Spirit
    It’s an inside job.
    Have faith in God.
    How to spread the Gospel and communicate the heart of God.
    What kind of water are you?
    Time to get happy.
    The Resurrection of the Dead
    The Resurrection of the Dead Part 2
    Living Water
    Peace
    Peace – Psalm 4 – Part 2
    The Resurrection of the Dead
    The Resurrection of the Dead Part 2
    Prelude to Passover
    Discerning of Spirits and Discerning of Self
    Discerning of Spirits and Discerning of Self Part 2
    Resurrection of the Dead & More of Discerning Spirits
    A Few Additions to Discerning of Spirits
    The Resurrection of the Dead, more on Heb. 6:1-3
    The Resurrection of the Dead, more on Heb. 6:1-3 Part 2
    Eternal Judgment
    Eternal Judgment Part 2
    More on Eternal Judgment
    Receive Ye the Holy Spirit
    The Promise of Passover: Do this in Remembrance of Me
    Eternal Judgment Cont.
    A Mother’s Heart – Say Amen Video
    Six Things a Believer Has to Do in the Face of Economic Disaster
    Blaspheme of the Holy Spirit
    Background Info before looking at the Blaspheme of the Holy Spirit
    Blaspheme of the Holy Spirit (cont.)
    Eternal Judgment
    What is our work (Heb.6) and a question about faith
    Oaths and Covenants
    Judgment – Matthew 7:1-14
    A Mother’s Heart
    Pentecost
    Lay it down – video & closed captioning
    Hebrews 7
    Hebrews 7 part 2
    Hebrews 7 continued
    Know the Season
    How to Maximize Productivity
    When Faith Comes, I Know Has Arrived
    Who Needs God?
    When Faith Comes, I Know Has Arrived Part 2
    Hebrews 8
    Hebrews 9
    Perils of Hidden Sin and the Ministry
    Binding and Loosing
    Hebrews 9 Cont.
    Knowing God’s Will
    Be Strengthened In the Lord

    Men of Issachar
    It’s all about Him – sermon and video
    Be Strenghtened in the Lord Part 2
    Hebrews 10
    Revelation 6
    Hebrews 10:19-23
    Prayer Part 1
    Prayer & Tongues Part 2
    Prayer & Tongues Part 3
    Hebrews 10:19
    Hebrews 10:19-21
    Feasts: Tabernacles
    Faith that Works Part 1 – sermon & video
    Faith that Works Part 2 – Sermon & video
    Faith that Works Part 3 – Sermon & video
    Faith that Works Part 4 – Sermon & video
    Faith that Works Part 5 – Sermon & video
    Faith that Works Part 6 – Sermon & video
    Hebrews 10:26-39

    2 Corinthians 5
    2 Corinthians 5 Part 2
    Hebrews 11
    Hebrews 11 Part 2
    On the Way to Christmas
    Answering various questions of Bible Study group
    Hebrews 11:4
    2 Corinthians 10

  • Fulfilling your Destiny by Pastor Darrell Copes

    I wish you could have been here for Pastor Copes’ teaching. He is dynamic, funny, and exciting to listen to, but he delivered a powerful and impacting message through humor.

    If you ever want to hear a teaching presented by the speaker, feel free to go to Living Word Chapel or In His Name Ministry’s site through the links on the left of my page and order one. For many of the messages there is an audio, and for the Sunday services you can even get video. I do my best to share my notes, but nothing compares with hearing the speaker directly.

    Pastor Copes brought us to Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

    We have a destiny, and even if we do not find it, that does not mean that we don’t have a destiny.

    Pastor Copes said that we have to train up a child in the way he should go, and bring the child to the Lord. Let your children see you serve God and see you fulfill your destiny, for your children will imitate what they see. Don’t say to your children, “Do what I say, don’t do what I do.”

    God is the One speaking in this passage of Jeremiah, not a loan officer, not santa not a doctor, not a surgeon, not a friend – we need to listen to what God is telling us. God knows the thoughts HE is thinking, He knows the plans HE has for us. He has a destiny for us and a road for us to walk on, and it will bring us peace – not evil.

    Psalm 23 tells us that He will lead us beside the still waters, to peaceful and calm places, not to troubled ones. God is the Shepherd and He will not lead us to destruction, but to our destiny, to the place of peace – it can be a peace in the middle of the storm, in the middle of our trials we will find peace. God has thoughts of peace towards us in the midst of our hardest crisis.

    God speaks to our storms, “Peace, be still.” We have a hope and a future, a destiny. God has a plan for us that He planned before we were ever in our mother’s womb. We came to this earth with a road map of God’s plans. God’s plan is one of peace and to prosper us. Prosperity is not just money. Prosperity is also in health, soundness of mind, wholeness, peace, joy. All the dollars in the world can’t buy these things. No possessions will help us to have peace in our home.

    Hebrews 11, the hall of faith, shows us that there is a great cloud of witnesses cheering us on, Moses, Abraham, and all the other heros of faith. Hebrews 12:1 (remember that the Bible was not given to us in chapter and verse format and Hebrews 12:1 continues Hebrews 11′s message) Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

    They are cheering us on in our race that God has set before us. We want to finish our course. Paul sure finished his course in the midst of many trials and tribulations. He was let down in a basket to escape enemies, left for dead after being stoned, shipwrecked twice, beaten often within an inch of his life, put in jail, and He counted it all as nothing. He finished the course, ran the race to its fullness. He had a destiny to fulfill. He was an apostle to the Gentiles.

    We need to ask ourselves, what is necessary for me to finish my destiny that God placed within me? We have to find out what God has determined is our destiny, find out what God has for you, and FINISH IT.

    Jesus did not sit down until He finished His destiny, then He sat down on the right hand of God.

    If we don’t plan our route to follow God’s destiny, we will follow some destiny, if not God’s then we will end up following satan’s plan for us. Satan imitates God, and we can rest assured that if God has a plan for us to prosper us and give us peace, satan also has a plan for us. Satan’s plan will be a plan of evil and destruction, and we will find ourselves following that to our destruction.

    All we have to do today is to look at TV and see some of the plans of satan acted out. Gangs are replacing family, the family is being attacked, violence is on the rise, and many things that God considers abominations are now rampant. The quality of TV has deteriorated.

    God’s plan is well for our souls and He wants us to prosper. God wants us to fulfill our destiny but little things can distract us. We need tenacity, to not quit in the midst of the distractions. the devil is there trying to shipwreck our destiny. We cannot be passive, we must keep our focus on our destiny. Pastor Copes told us that today we have become lazy in our worship of God and in our spiritual practices. The old time churches and believers held fast to their destinies and it took a huge move of satan to rock a person’s life. Now satan has to only send in junior demons to bowl us over. It doesn’t take much to distract us, just a TV remote control, or something simple like that.

    Genesis 37:3-11 Jacob, also called Israel, had 12 sons, one of which was Joseph. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him. 5 Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. 6 So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: 7 There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. 9 Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.” 10 So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?” 11 And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

    Joseph was young and did not exercise understanding. Joseph should have kept his mouth shut about the dream. And Joseph’s situation was not helped by his father’s favoritism. God chose Joseph to give him Jeremiah 33:11 – a plan and a purpose. Joseph understood his dream and destiny, but he did not understand all of it. He saw the end result, but not the road that would lead to the result.

    God is taking us somewhere, but we don’t know all the stops along the road. We have to trust God, to tell ourselves, “He’s my God, and He’s got a place for me to go.”

    Joseph relayed his dream to his brothers.

    Pastor Copes told us that:

    1. We are not able to get understanding of everything God has shown us.
    2. Joseph declared that God was taking him someplace.

    At this point Joseph did not realize that his brothers planned to kill him, he just knew the end result according to his dram, the final outcome for his Jeremiah 33:11.

    Isaiah 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure,’

    We need to look up and see God’s greatness. God shows us the end results. We know that there is something on the inside. We don’t know where or how to get to the end result, we are not sure how God will take us to the end result.

    Joseph saw the palace and he trusted God.

    3. Pastor Copes told us that some of our biggest hurts and disappointments will come by people close to us. They weren’t there when God spoke to us, and they didn’t have the vision that God gave us.

    Joseph’s brothers ended up hurting him, and Pastor Copes told us that Joseph probably wondered about how he ended up in the pit, how he ended up being sold into slavery to Egypt, and how he ended up being a slave after such great promises of God. The situation of his life did not seem to agree with the dream that God sent Joseph.

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

    These are afflictions of the RIGHTEOUS (we are righteous because we believe on Him who God sent), the afflictions happen to the righteous – not just to sinners. We are on the road to our destiny and there will be afflictions on that road. But the LORD will deliver us out of them ALL, not out of some of them or a few of them. God will deliver us out of them ALL. When we get to our Jeremiah 33:11 we can look back and say, “Look what the Lord has done.” We need to walk to our destiny relying on the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the mind of God, the Word of God.

    When we walk toward our destiny we will get hit, the church is not godly. There are fleshly people here, and we will get hurt. We will look at our destiny and what we are experiencing and feel that this is not adding up, that when we put our foot on the path toward our destiny we are seeming to get more tests and trials. The devil is messing with us because he does not want us to fulfil our destiny, and does not want us doing anything that God has for us to do.

    If we deal in the natural our faith will not work. If we look at our circumstances in the natural we may ask, where’s God? When we look at things in the natural we open ourselves up to satan and give him a sledge hammer. We will think nobody loves us, nobody wants us going to church, or getting well.

    WE DO NOT WANT OUR AFFLICTIONS TO  BECOME DISTRACTIONS.

    To those who are seeking to find their destiny, we have to not let our afflictions distract us. Those who just go to church and don’t do anything, satan doesn’t have to bother as much as those who are boldly stepping out in their destiny.

    We have to keep our armor out, keep our shield of faith up and walk on to our Jeremiah 33:11. If we focus on circumstances we open ourselves up for the lie of the devil. The devil doesn’t have to come at us full force, he just needs to distract us and make us less effective, to have us down 1/2 of the time.

    If a person has weak faith, or weak armor satan will come in and affect our lives, our kids, our spouses, anything to distract us. We have to be careful of what words we speak for our words can work against us and against what God wants us to do.

    Satan wants to wear us down and stop us from fulfilling our destiny. The devil doesn’t want us to stand before our Savior and have Him say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” The devil doesn’t want us succeed. The devil wants our work 1/2 done, to stop us from finishing the race, and not fulfilling our destiny. He wants us to focus on our afflictions and distractions.

    But God delivers us so we can fulfill the destiny He has placed before us. We have to stiff arm the devil (tell the devil to speak to our palm). We have to want to do anything we can to reach our destiny, even if we missed five or six plays, we can still run the race set before us. If we push on through our problems and circumstances, fall forward and get the first down so you can play again.

    To those who want to fulfill the Lord’s plan remember, BUT THE LORD DELIVERS OUT OF ALL. Tell ourselves, I’m going through but I’m coming out to finish this.

    Joseph said, in slavery in Egypt, so be it unto me. Trouble came.

    If you really trust God and trouble comes, rejoice for you know you are on the right track. You have caught the enemy’s attention with your walk.

    Joseph was put in a pit, sold into slavery, put on the block, and yet he still had God’s favor on his life. So be it unto me – favor. Potiphar, the second or third in charge of Egypt, finds Joseph and picks him, even though Joseph was in the midst of other slaves. Potiphar did not pick Joseph by accident, Joseph was a slave but he had DESTINY. He may have been a slave on the outside but he was free on the inside. He was branded in God’s favor on the inside, and it did not matter if he looked like a slave on the outside. The favor of God would find its way out.

    While Christians are on earth we need to be totally sold out to God. Satan likes us iffy – because when we become totally sold out to God, satan can’t do anything to us. Joseph had a dream, a destiny that satan tried to stop. If Joseph reached his dream (that God placed within him) satan knew that many people would be set free.

    We have to realize that its not all about us – GOD’S DESTINY FOR US IS MORE THAN JUST ABOUT US.  If satan can get us to react like everyone else, he stops our progress toward our destiny.

    Joseph was given complete charge of Potiphar’s house, yet outwardly he was still a slave, inwardly he was a man of destiny. Satan did not stop Joseph from carrying out his destiny, and Joseph still had his dream on the inside. Satan had to get Joseph to be fearful or to give up the dream. So satan set up Potiphar’s wife to falsely accuse Joseph. Satan kept throwing Potiphar’s wife at Joseph, over and over and over, and tried to wear Joseph down.

    Satan will keep throwing things at us too, to try and wear us down.  We have to just keep on doing God’s plan for our lives. The blow doesn’t have to be heavy. Potiphar’s wife kept after Joseph, and Joseph did not give into her. Satan wants us to be distracted, to fail. But the devil failed.

    If we open doors the devil can get at us. He tried to get Joseph to open that door, but he did not get distracted. We have to look at the big picture, to see what is behind what is coming at us. What is coming at you, your generation, and everyone connected with you. See the big picture.

    Joseph told Potiphar’s wife that his master had put him in charge of the household, and he was going to honor his master, and also that he would not sin against God. She pulled on Joseph’s clothes and Joseph ran, he ran for his destiny.

    We need to make sure our destiny means more to us than anything else – hold onto our destiny and don’t get distracted. Material things come and go, but our destiny and goals will lead to fulfillment. Pastor Copes told us that there are cures for cancer buried in graves, and answers to many of our problems buried in graves – where people got distracted from the goal and failed to fulfill their destiny. The devil wants us to cough up our destiny. Joseph escaped.

    Pastor Forte said that Joseph followed the principle of don’t mess with the honey or the money. The wife lied about Joseph, and about how she got his coat in her possession. All eyes were on Potiphar, so he ends up putting Joseph in jail.

    But, everything Joseph touches prospers. So the warden ends up putting Joseph in charge of the prison. People can never hold a person down that really wants to fulfill what God has planned. No matter where you put him, he rises up. Joseph was still a slave, but he could have been killed, he was lied about, and satan all but lost in this.

    Now Joseph is in prison, a prisoner and a slave – sure doesn’t look like the dream that he had. He runs the whole prison. Joseph did not deserve to be put in prison for he had not committed the crime he was accused of, but he says, “Yes God, so be it.” Sometimes when we are in tough situations we are NOT THERE BECAUSE OF LACK OF FAITH. Sometimes we have to just go through the tough situation, and know that the Lord will deliver us out of it. The righteous come out.

    Two prisoners have dreams and tell Joseph their dreams which Joseph correctly interprets, and the interpretation pans out – one is restored to his position, and the other is killed.

    Because Joseph is committed to God, before he got put in the pit, became Potiphar’s slave, before he got into prison, no matter what comes or goes, Joseph remained committed to God. The wine bearer promised Joseph when he got out that he would tell Pharaoh about Joseph, and the man lied, forgetting to mention Joseph. God made a promise to Joseph and God will not go back on His word. Joseph knows that he might be in prison, but God promised to elevate me. I know I am coming out, even though what is happening now doesn’t make sense to me. When you get down, when you go through a trial, you have to remind yourself of God’s promises to you, keep telling God.

    The Pharaoh has a dream that he can’t interpret, nor could his astrologers and magicians. But God was using that dream to set Joseph up. The Cup bearer remembers about Joseph, and Joseph is called up to interpret the dream.

    Joseph did not get through these trials without having made his mind up to trust God, before he started. Joy was already in him, destiny was already in him. He knew he was coming out, he just didn’t know when or how.

    Joseph interprets the dreams, telling Pharaoh about the 7 years of abundant harvest and the seven years of famine. The Pharaoh wants to know what to do, and Joseph gives him a plan about storing up wheat against the famine. The only logical candidate to fulfil that position is Joseph.

    It was the right time. We don’t know when, but God will speak at the right time for us, God will lead us to our destiny at the right time. The words will be put in our mouth by God.

    The Pharaoh tells Joseph, “Joseph you are the man.” Joseph knew that, God showed him this 15 years ago when he was back in his father’s home. Joseph held onto the truth that God showed him.

    Pastor Copes told us that we need to keep holding on for we don’t always know God’s time. Things may look desperate, they may look horrible, and we don’t now that there are only five more hours of this. Things still look desperate and horrible, and yet we are only four hours away from our breakthrough. Don’t cast away your confidence, you don’t know it, but you are only three hours away from your breakthrough. Then you are two hours closer, and it still looks empty and like it isn’t going to be fulfilled, but you are only one hour to go until you reach your destiny – 1/2 hour, 10 minutes, 1 minute and your whole life will change. Then ALL OF A SUDDEN your destiny arrives.

    DON’T GIVE UP. DON’T GIVE IN.

    Don’t let your mouth kill your destiny. You don’t know how close you are to your destiny. Your destiny can be only seconds away.

    God can use an inmate, a slave, someone who barely escaped with their life. Joseph chose to give Potiphar’s wife his robe, and honor God. The cost of his clothes ripped off was not worth losing his destiny. The King gave him new clothes, royalty, authority, money. He got it all. He got double, and God gave him rewards, houses, lands, a wife, children.

    By focusing on God’s destiny for your life, over immediate circumstances, know that God will pay you back. Joseph became the second in command, lower only to Pharaoh. He married Pharaoh’s daughter, and became royalty. In the natural you may not think it is worth it to go with God, and satan agrees. But God will pay you back for your obedience.

    Joseph had two sons, Ephriam (which means God caused me to forget all my sorrows in my Father’s house) and Manassah (God calls me to be fruitful in the land of my afflictions for the Lord delivers me out of them all). God paid Joseph back and used Joseph to preserve the line to Jesus. Joseph went through all the heartaches for Him, (not the hardheadedness – for hardheadedness is your own). God will cause us to be fruitful in the middle of our afflictions. He will not forget what you went through. We have to believe God.

    Pastor Copes prayed over people and prophesied over them for the rest of the service. The Holy Spirit appeared with great power.

    Praying your day is blessed.

    Heather

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