Peg led group in worship…
Pastor Ray…
That’s a word that I had for this morning. Just from John 20 when Jesus entered into the room after He was raised from the dead, the first thing He said to the disciples was “peace be with you.” In Numbers 6:26, it says the Lord lift up His approving countenance upon you and give you peace (the tranquility of heart and life continually) forever. That’s the word for us today: peace that passes all understanding.
I want to reread this quote from Charles Spurgeon from 1859, July 17. It was from a message he gave called, “The Story of God’s Mighty Acts.” He said when people hear about what God used to do, one of the things they say is “That was a very long time ago.” I thought it was God that did it. Has God changed? Is He not an immutable God? The same yesterday, today, and forever? Does not that furnish an argument to prove that what God has done at one time, He can do at another?” Then he says, “Nay, I think I may push it a little further and say, “What He has done once is a prophecy of what He intends to do again and again and again.” It’s a prophecy! Whatever God has done is to be looked up as a precedent as to what He will do again.
I read that this morning and that’s what stuck out to me. Here in Psalm 20:1. Very early Sunday morning before sunrise, Mary Magdalene made her way to the tomb and when she arrived, she discovered that the stone had been moved to the entrance of the tomb. So she didn’t go in. She went running as fast as she could go to tell Peter and all the other disciples that they’ve taken the Lord’s body from the tomb and we don’t know where it is. That was her first take on it. He’s gone and we don’t know who took His body. Down further, we know what took place. In verse 19, “that evening…” So we’re talking about just a few days after what happened on the cross. A few days later, He was raised from the dead. But that evening, the disciples were gathered together. You think there was a little stirring in that meeting after what they had just seen? They were gathered together because they were afraid of reprisals from the Jewish leaders, so they locked the doors to the place where they met. Let’s lock this thing down for protection.
But suddenly… don’t you love “suddenlies”? Jesus appeared among them and said, “Peace to you.” Then He showed them the wounds of His hands and His side. And they were overjoyed to see the Lord with their own eyes. Jesus repeated His greeting: Peace to you.
He wasn’t just saying, “Hey, hi, howya doin’” And it was more than shalom. It was greater than that. Peace to you. He told them, just as the Father has sent Me, now I’m sending you. Then taking a deep breath, He blew on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” I send you to preach the forgiveness of sins and people’s sins will be forgiven. But if you don’t proclaim the forgiveness of their sins, they will remain guilty. Verse 24, one of the 12 wasn’t present. We know who that was when Jesus appeared to them. It was Thomas. His nickname was the “twin.” We’ve heard other things about him, doubting Thomas. So the disciples informed him, “We’ve seen the Lord with our own eyes.” Still unconvinced, Thomas replied, “There is no way I’m going to believe this unless I personally see the wounds of the nails in His hands, touch them with my finger and put my hand into the wound of the side where He was pierced. Then eight days later, they gathered together and guess who was there? Thomas. They were all gathered in the house together and even though all the doors were locked again, Jesus suddenly stood before them saying, “Peace to you.” This is the third time He said that to them. Just like the way we read that this morning from Charles Spurgeon, that peace be to you, it was a prophecy. He’s basically saying I did it then. First of all on the cross, I said, “It is finished.” Then a few days later, He said, Peace to you. Both those declarations are connected. It’s finished so peace to you.
I just feel like there’s more to it than what we’ve ever thought before. Still unconvinced, Thomas replied, “There’s no way I’m going to believe it.” But then eight days later, Jesus appeared again and said, “Peace to you.” Down further, it says, “Then looking into Thomas’ eyes, He said “Put your finger here in the wounds of My hands. Here put your hand in My wounded side and see for yourself, Thomas.” Don’t give into your doubts any longer. Just believe. Then the word spilled out of his heart, “You are my Lord and You are my God.” In other words, Thomas believed. Jesus responded, “Thomas, now that you have seen Me, you believe. But there are those who have never seen me with their eyes, but have believed in Me with their hearts and they will be blessed even more.” That’s us! That’s us. From our hearts.
I saw Him encouraging us this morning to absolutely fully and completely believe that what He did before, He will do again. And when He said “It is finished,” it was all completed and done. Finished! Never ever can we ever stop believing. Only believe. Then what? We receive. We believe and we receive. I love the connection between those two things. Finished, so believe. So that’s for us today knowing that it was spoken over the disciples, over them then. He made it clear the peace that passes all understanding or tranquility, He covered them and He covered their direction that they had been given to go on out all over and speaking words of life and health and salvation. It’s the same today! It’s still working. It’s still changing. He’s still the same. His Word is still true. Amen!
I saw this, this morning. I was looking through some things. Thank you for joining with us in this chapel. I read a report yesterday that there is still over 300 people tuning in every morning, five days a week. Last month alone, there were over 9,000 views. That is staggering. But it’s so comforting to know we’re not alone, but we have you. I wish I knew all your names. But the connection we all have together… we’re going somewhere. We’re not just stagnant and not in fear. We’re not hunkered down but we’re standing on the Word, who we are and what we should do. So we’ve said it over and over, we must keep on pressing ahead and doing what the Word has told us to do. Not quit. Pastor Mac has always said, “If you don’t quit, you win.” Just don’t quit.
This goes along with that. This first page from Kenneth E. Hagin. He spoke this, a prophetic utterance, which as in Detroit in 1989. A word to the church. I want us to receive this again this morning. He said by the Holy Spirit, “There is yet to be manifest, there’s a glory that’s yet to be revealed. There’s a power that is yet to be in operation. Hallelujah!” So what do we say about that? Yes, Lord, we want it. We see what You’re saying. There is more.
Be encouraged today knowing that there is more tomorrow and the next day. As we as the body of Christ, all the different streams of ministry, but all those that believe Jesus Christ is Lord. Our Savior. Our healer. Our provider. We’re all in it together.
Then he was praying in other tongues and said, “We’ve seen a little speck of it here and a little speck of it there,” talking about the power of God in operation. Then he prayed in tongues for a little while longer and said, “Satisfied to stay where you are, satisfied to stay where you are, satisfied to stay where you are… now move on with Me, saith the Lord of hosts. There is a work that must be done. There is a ministry that must be accomplished before the coming of the Son of man. True, the time of the end is at hand. True, on the horizon of time. You see those things happening in the world, wars, rumors of wars, all the things we’ve seen just this year! 2020. True, on the horizon of time. You see those things happening in the world and pestilence, famines, earthquakes in diverse kinds of places, and men’s hearts failing them for fear. We take authority and hold the blood and push back against fear. Fear about the future. Fear about finances. Fear about health. Fear about how things will turn out. Any kind of fear… when it knocks on the door of our hearts, we say “No! No fear here in Jesus’ name. For we’re not standing in our own strength, we’re standing on the Word that we’ve bene given in the written Word and we’re standing on that word so there can be no fear here.” We rebuke fear that’s tried to come against the body of Christ and say again this morning, “Get out! Leave! Go! Stop in your maneuvers.” We know where fear comes from. And it is not from the Lord.
Our hearts are not failing because of fear! Things have changed, but things are changing but there is so much at stake in these days. We see it and sense it. There is a turn that has been made from where we were, there is a change and it’s changing in a greater degree. Today, tomorrow as we go from one step to another… from one degree of glory to another.
Peg welcomes His presence in song…
Pastor Ray…
I keep hearing this in my heart: “The numbers are adding up.” The numbers. I’m not putting any restrictions on that. But the numbers will add up because of what was done when Jesus said, “It is finished.” Then “peace to you,” for the numbers will add up. They did add up in the past and they will add up in the future. Numbers! Numbers! Thank You. It’s not just what we might think. It could be numbers for wholeness and health and healing. I pray over blood, natural blood, that the numbers would be just right. They will add up right. Be normal, in Jesus’ name. Restoration times… and days… by the blood of the Lamb… bank accounts are adding up… in some ways, there’s a multiplication there! … give and it shall be given unto you… extravagant believing… extravagant giving…
I want to pray over the President and our nation, things we need to cover. Heavenly Father, we come before You in the name of Jesus… we come on behalf of our United States of America. We pray for a shield of supernatural protection over this country. We pray for insight and uncovering all terrorist activity, whatever it might be… we rebuke the spirit of fear, once again, or terror or division, trying to divide up all the country. It has no place in the United States. Father, You said in Your Word, the heart of the king is in your hand and You turn it whichever way You desire… so we ask You to direct the heart and the mind of President Trump and Vice President Pence. We pray for the wisdom of God that they make the right decisions. We pray for their strength and health. We set ourselves in agreement with them that we receive these things… we all do… we pray that our President will be at the right place at the right time. We pray for their schedules. We get out in advance and we use the blood of the Lamb for that divine supernatural protection that we just read about in Psalm 91. He will make right decisions. No weapon formed against him that will prosper. Thank You! We thank You that our government is upon Jesus’ shoulder and we hold up in prayer all the men and women in positions of authority over us in any way. All the branches of government, the executive branch, the legislative branch, the judicial branches at every level be it local, state, or federal. We pray the spirit of the Lord rests upon them all. And a hedge of protection surrounds them. We believe for godly wisdom will enter into their hearts supernatural knowledge, discretion watches over them, understanding keeps them and delivers them from all evil. Lord, we believe you give them revelation of Your perfect will and all their decisions are divinely directed by You. Thank You for bringing change in our nation. Thank You for changing the voices of influence to speak in agreement with Your Word. Send laborers filled with the spirit of wisdom and might to surround our leaders with godly counsel and insight. We ask You to remove from positions of authority those who have stubbornly refused righteousness and replace them with men and women who will follow You and purposes for America.
Peg led group in worship…
