Don’t Worry

August 18, 2018

  By Pastor Mike

Matthew 6:25-34

25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Some people worry about the future. Some about finances. Some worry about politics. Some worry about the weather. Some people worry about a lot; mostly about something we have absolutely no control over.

JESUS teaches us that you either have fear or you have faith, you can’t have both. It’s one or the other. Either you have your faith in JESUS and then don’t worry or your faith is in yourself and you do worry.

Worrying will make things worse. Cause health problems. Marriage problems. Affect your family. That’s why JESUS says don’t do it. Don’t worry about your life – but learn to trust GOD. Control what you can, give to GOD what you can’t.

The choice we each have to make is what are we going to put first? If we put ourselves first, our needs and desires first, we end up running around like everybody else, never having enough, worried about how we’re going to pay the bills, how we’re going to eat, how we’re going to make the mortgage and we never have enough time, talent or treasure left over to ever really give anything to GOD. But if we seek first HIS kingdom and HIS righteousness, if GOD’s first in our lives, HE says HE’ll take care of the rest.

Lots of people are very worried about money. Sometimes people think it’s hard to put GOD first in your finances. Especially when you have needs. Your bills. So to say, OK since I don’t have enough already, I’m going to give to GOD FIRST, doesn’t really seem to make sense. But it makes a whole lot more sense than we think. The LORD challenges us to try to out give HIM. When you give of your first fruits you’ll see the Blessings just come and come.

1 Kings 17:12-1612 And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.

13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.

14 For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.

15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.

16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah.

JESUS always provides for us, HE’s just waiting to see if we’ll put HIM first.

Worry is totally unnecessary and unproductive. So is fear and anxiety. Stress and worry and fear causes sickness. Physical and emotional and spiritual. Worrying won’t change anything. Think for a minute about the things we worry about. Politics; worrying can’t change the outcome of an election. Finances; worrying can’t put a single dollar in your pocket. Relationships; worrying can’t change another person? Only prayer will.

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Make Prayer Your Lifestyle

  By Pastor Mike

Ephesians 6:18-19 “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; [19] And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,”

There is no replacement for prayer. Not church attendance, singing, working around here, you can never replace anything with your prayer. There are things that JESUS wants to give us that can’t be sung up, praised up, worked up, or preached up. They’re things that will only be prayed up! Something happens when we give ourselves to praying for the lost, for revival, for each other, for ourselves.

If you look at church history, you’ll find prayer to be the main thing in the powerful events that took place during their days.
Their churches stayed deep in prayer.
Their homes were blessed in prayer.
Their preaching was preceded by prayer.
Their altars were blanketed by prayer.
Their witnessing was prepared by prayer.
Everything they did was marked by prayer.

Prayer is a place of surrender and there are a lot of problems in our lives that would be resolved if we give it up to prayer.

A saint, a preacher, a church can’t continue without prayer.

There are times that we seek out human answers to try to fix difficult matters in our lives. Put the cares of life in the hands of the LORD. HE does care about us. Do you believe that? Are you giving HIM yourself?

You can give everything you’re going through every situation to JESUS. All you have to do is tell HIM from your heart that you don’t want junk in your life and then once you give it to HIM, don’t even think about it. Let it go.

Prayer will help you to understand that you can’t fix everything and that you are not the one the world revolves around. It’s about HIM. I don’t have to know all the answers; I just need to know who does have all the answers.

If we’re not praying and seeking the will of GOD and the direction HE wants us to take then anything can happen and don’t blame GOD when it don’t work out the way you want it to. Ask people you know that are in tune with JESUS to help you pray about the situation. You want the answers to come from JESUS.

We should include JESUS in every decision we make that will affect our lives.
Prayer is not a monologue. It is a dialogue. JESUS can talk to you if you’ll listen to Him. You can’t come to the altar and dump everything on HIM and then get up and leave. We need to stay at the altar and let HIM talk to us!

If prayer changed you. Prayer can change everything! GOD is bigger than anything you are facing right now!

You have to understand that the devil is like one of the biggest bullies you have ever faced but when you get JESUS after him, Look out!

Remember, we already won.

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The Joy of the Lord

August 11, 2018

THE-JOY-OF-THE-LORD-IS-MY-STRENGTH

By Pastor Jeff,

The Joy of the Lord is my strength is a verse that has been quoted I don’t know how many times in cards, songs, in paintings, pictures and so on.
But do you know where it comes from in the bible? Psalms for sure, right? maybe Proverbs after all the smartest man that ever was outside of Christ would know of Gods joy!

After the captivity of Israel, the temple, wall, had come under disrepair and under prophets like Zechariah, Haggai and others the temple was rebuilt.

Nehemiah who was the Kings cupbearer after hearing of the condition of the wall around Jerusalem sought to do something about it. After finishing it the wall despite great opposition they had a dedication, 8:1, “And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel.” 5-8, “And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:
And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground. Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place. So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.” The reaction of the people must of took Ezra and Nehemiah off guard a bit, 9-10, “And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law. Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Interesting wording isn’t it, “The Joy of the Lord” the bible tells us that what happens when one sinner repents? Luke 15:7, “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”
John 15:10-11, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” His Joy!

Joy is a powerful feeling, to those here who have experienced the birth of a child, there is much Joy.
Have you ever been around someone when they have repented of their sins, got Baptized in Jesus name and then became filled with the Holy Ghost? The excitement is indescribable!

But Joy is something pretty hard to have when you are in a trial, witnessing suffering in those around or in you. 1 Peter 1:7-9, “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.”

Even in struggles if you can someone just begin, somehow force yourself to start to praise God the Joy of the Lord will strengthen you.

The Joy of the Lord is your strength…
It is Joy unspeakable and full of glory…

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Jesus is The Real Thing!

July 12, 2018

Jesus-Christ-the-Real-Thing

By Pastor Jeff,

In 1968 Coca Cola came up with a campaign called “It’s the real thing”. Out of it in 1971 came the jingle, I like to buy the world a Coke and keep it company.” The camera pulls up to an aerial view, revealing 200 singers aligned on a green hillside like an open fan, a youth chorus of the world.
“It’s the real thing—Coke is,” they sing in unison, “what the world wants today.”
It was a very successful ad campaign, but then fast forward to April 23, 1985, when Coca-Cola Company announced a change to its nearly century-old secret formula. The new Coke would have a smoother, sweeter taste — similar to Diet Coke, but sweetened with corn syrup. Market researchers and pollsters were sure it’d be a hit. Coca-Cola was number one at the time, but Pepsi was gaining ground and cutting into Coke’s precious market share. It was a bomb, by July 11 Coca-Cola held a press conference to officially announce the return of the old Coke – and to admit it had made a mistake.

Fast forward to today and what is probably the most common phrase we hear concerning our News? Fake News! It’s hard for us even to believe something even when it is the “Real Thing” isn’t it? I mentioned it before that some that study Christianity claim there is over 35,000 different denominations of Christianity that come from this one book!

35,000 different ways to get to Jesus?
Matthew 7:13, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Clearly there is only ONE WAY!

How can that be and how would you even try to find the real one?
1 Timothy 4:1-3, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.”
2 Timothy 4:3-5, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.”

I grew up on the original Mountain Dew, but like so many soda manufacturers they switched from sugar to corn syrup and I couldn’t stand it, they came out with Throwback in 2011 to my great joy. But if you ask those that grew up with the Mountain Dew made with corn syrup, they don’t like the Throwback, why? Because they are crazy, no (maybe), their taste buds are used to the modern version without sugar. The problem is that many  have grown up with not the real thing and sometimes when the Real thing is shown to us we reject it because it doesn’t taste like what we are used to.

There is Only way to Jesus Christ the Real Thing! John 14:4-6, “And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

So how do you find this Jesus? Matthew 7:7-11, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” Proverbs 8:17, “I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.” Jeremiah 29:13, “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

Don’t be satisfied with imitation Christianity, seek Jesus Christ the REAL Thing!

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We Have to Know

July 6, 2018

   By Pastor Mike

The Book of 1 John was a letter written to a lot of churches where John had apostolic responsibility. John needed to encourage the believers to know deep down what they once believed and not to walk away from the Truth. I encourage to read the whole book.

1 John

2:3-4 “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

3:5 “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.”

3:24 “Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.”

5:19 “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.”

5:20 “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.”

We, as believers, have to get a strong handle on the Truth so we can stand firm on the things of GOD and the WORD of GOD. Anything coming from GOD will be given to us because HE said so and we have to believe it and know it’s true. If you don’t know, it can bring doubt, and doubt will lead to fear and fear can bring unbelief and there goes our faith.

We gotta know in our hearts that it’s HIS WILL that the:

sick and hurting be healed – people be delivered – demons will be cast out – people to love one another and

people to be saved and stay saved

If we want to hear from GOD – we gotta say:   “THY KINGDOM COME, my kingdom go.”

If we want to hear HIM say “WELL DONE” (not medium rare). The only way to be well done is to stay on fire.

WE GOTTA KNOW: there’s Power in the NAME OF JESUS

Salvation     Strength     Healing     Deliverance      Peace      Comfort     Blessings     Love

Do you know you gotta repent of your sins

Do you know you gotta get baptized in JESUS name

Do you know you gotta get filled with the HOLY GHOST speaking in tongues

Today is the day of salvation.

WE MUST BE BORN OF THE WATER AND THE SPIRIT

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Father

June 24, 2018

  By Pastor Mike

(Illustration) A young boy came to Sunday School late. His teacher knew that he was usually very prompt and asked him if anything was wrong. The boy replied “no,” that he was going fishing but his dad told him that he needed to go to church. The teacher was very impressed and asked the boy if his dad had explained to him why it was more important to go to church than to go fishing, to which the boy replied, yes he did, “dad said he didn’t have enough bait for both of us.”

Today we celebrate Father’s day. I wanna give honor to the dad’s here today. If your Dad is still around, let him know how much you love him. Thank him for all he taught you. All that he’s done for you. Call him up.

Austin L. Sorensen once said, “A child is not likely to find a father in God unless he finds something of God in his father.” Seeing God in their father is a child’s best way to come to know God as their Father.

In 1960, 17% of children in the United States were raised apart from their biological fathers. By 1990, that number had risen to 36%. Today, about half of all the children in the U.S. are raised without a father in their home. How could we have become so irresponsible?

When I got a hold of JESUS and who HE is and that HE is my Heavenly DAD, My relationship with HIM is the best one ever. I want to keep making it stronger. I understand HE Loves me unconditionally and died for me. That’s Agape Love. Our Heavenly Father has Blessed us with so much. HE gave us HIS WORD and all of the promises inside. HE told us how to live. What to do and what not to do. HE teaches us to take responsibility for our actions.

We need to understand that every day is Father’s Day if you get that JESUS is HIS name.

There are many Great things my Heavenly Dad taught me like how to pray

MATT 6:9-13

9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Let’s follow in our Heavenly DADDY’s footsteps on the narrow path so that one day we can see HIM face to face – to spend eternity with HIM

Let me tell you some of the things my Heavenly DAD can do:

HE can make the blind see – the deaf hear – the lame walk – cast out demons –  Forgive sins – Heal every sickness and disease.

HE gives us a plan of salvation       HE delivers us

HE gives us peace – comfort – joy – knowledge – wisdom – LOVE – HIS WORD. HE gives us a way out of everything

I’m preaching JESUS CHRIST

JESUS owns everything, and look how much HE lets us keep and look at how much HE Blesses us – not just with stuff – with Breath – HIS Love – true joy – healing – comfort – strength – deliverance – wisdom – understanding – eternity with HIM.

You can have HIS Peace when you rest in our Heavenly Dad’s arms —– think about the times when you hold your child in your arms- whether it is now or back in the day- they didn’t have a care in the world at that time and they felt at peace………… they fell asleep because they are safe in their Daddy’s arms. We can experience that kind of peace in our DADDY’S arms when we cry out ABBA FATHER…

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Let’s Stay United

   By Pastor Mike

Psalm 133:1

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. 10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. 11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? 12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Talks about being together in unity to be there for one another – to stand strong together in battle against anything that comes against us as blood bought believers. Together we can do great and what some might call the “impossible” – but we will need each other to make it work. Prayer is a very effective way to help us keep our focus on JESUS and to help us love one another

If there is no LOVE there is no JESUS

Exodus 17:8-13

8 Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.

9 And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. 10 So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.

12 But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

As long as Moses held his arms up, Joshua & his men were winning the battle. When his arms came down, the Amalekites would start winning. As Moses became more tired, Aaron & Hur brought a stone Moses could sit on and with one man on either side of him, they held up his arms so that Joshua could win the battle. We need to be there for one another to life up one another in prayer and in encouragement.

Mark 2:3-4

3 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. 4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.

Those men worked their way through the crowd – climbed on top of the house – ripped open a part of the roof – lowered their friend down – and when JESUS saw this, HE forgave the man sick of the palsy – then HE said pick up your bed and go home

Mark 2:12 And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.

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My Thoughts about Revival

Revival, Biblical Lessons, Apostolic

Janesville Apostolic Ministries