Sermons

September 11, 2011 – Are we salt? This is a serious question we should be asking ourselves. Jesus made a definitive statement that we are to be the salt of the earth. Does your life create a thirst for Christ to those around you? Does it provoke a desire to be healed? Can people point to your life and see the full expression of who God is? When we are half-hearted towards God, or in compromise, those around us will not be able to taste and see that the Lord is good. Today God is reaching out His hand to every Christian who is living in sin and He wants to bring you into the victory of the cross. This messages urges us that there is a window of opportunity open by God to be salt and light to a lost generation but we, you, must make the break. We are the plan of God for the world. We are the salt and healing for this generation. Don't miss this critical moment in time. Get right with God.

Judgment, calamities and perilous times aren't coming — they're already here. We are in the beginning of the end-times birth pangs that Scripture says will only increase in frequency and intensity. The Bible tells us that there will be suffering, pain and persecution in life. We're not to be surprised, scared or taken off guard when it comes. We serve a sovereign all-powerful God that takes what Satan intended for evil and uses it for good.

In January, at the start of the year, we are typically filled with joy and great expectation for what God is going to do that year, but as the months go by many of us find ourselves facing sorrow, loss and hardships. We are not promised a pain-free life. There will be trials and tribulations, but out of these struggles comes a new song because we know we have a Righteous Branch and Shepherd who is faithful, strong and loves us. Despite what comes, we can sing, "It is well with my soul!"

The Lord will allow times and seasons in our lives for us to consider our ways and begin to focus on what we are truly invested in. As this world is moving toward an economic collapse, the only true currency that will be left standing that will be of any true value, and offer hope and security to a nation, is the Word of God. In these last days there will be a people who have chosen to believe the promises of God, who have gone through the fire and come out on the other side with a supernatural trust in God. God is calling us not only to love the Word of God, but to live it. The promises of God are the only thing that will be of any value. It is the only thing that will shine in these last days. Get into the Word of God and let the Word shine through you in the darkness of the last days.

Are you facing a battle of inner discouragement? Are you taunted with thoughts that say your life isn't amounting to anything for the kingdom of God? Did you ever think that your life could be used to affect thousands? If you did you will face the battle of discouragement and fear. You have to fight through the half acre of mockery and the barrage of lies from the devil that tells you that you are nothing in the kingdom of God. You have to fight on the half acre of prayer and fight on the held acre of faith. Don't give up on the ground of prayer and the ground of faith. When you make the choice to get up and fight, people will follow you and the powers of hell will be broken over your life and the lives of others. Stand up and fight for the glory of God and the souls of men. You make the choice to fight, and God will empower you.

When the church comes together it should be for the building up of the body of Christ. Sometimes we make church about us and what we can get out of it. We should be peacemakers — no division in our hearts, no holding on to grudges or bitterness — that desire to use our spiritual gifts, services and activities to serve others. No one person has all the gifts, so we must work together to continue the mission and ministry of Jesus in the Earth.

There is a season in every Christian's life when God gives you a special touch from heaven to fight against all your enemies. Sometimes because of a lack of faith or a heart that is entwined with the world we end up making peace with our enemies. You may be in a season when all hell is coming against the victories that you have in Christ. If you make a choice to separate yourself unto God, great truths will be brought to you from heaven to crush every enemy that comes against you. When Jesus rose from the dead He led captivity captive so that nothing can stop the plan of God for your life. Don't let your enemies find safety in you. While faith is in your heart pursue your enemies with the knowledge that God has given you the power to overtake them. Let God arise and your enemies be scattered.

We live in a time when there is much confusion about the roles of men and women in the family and in the church. The church is defining gender roles based on social pressures and political correctness rather than on the Word of God. On one end of the spectrum is Hierarchal Chauvinism, which claims that men are superior to women and that all women should be submissive to all men. On the other end of the spectrum — and as a revolt against the former — we have Egalitarian Feminism, which says that men and women are completely equal, with no differences in roles. The Bible teaches Complementarianism. That is, that men and women are equal in being and standing with God, but have distinctly different roles. Our differences are from God, complement each other and are necessary for fulfilling God's will on Earth.

 If you find yourself growing closer to the Lord and moving into His promises but at the same time you are face to face with failures and difficulties you are in the valley of giants. When the enemy see your desire to move forward he will attack you on every side. The Lord reserves the right to bring about the victory in whatever way He chooses. Sometimes God will do the miraculous and instantaneously give us the breakthrough. There are other times when God will allow us to go through a process. In this valley we become vulnerable as we experience loneliness, darkness and uncertainty. In this season God invites us to be quiet and to be still in His presence and after a while we will hear God say, “Move forward and I will give you the breakthrough.”