Luke 24;49
Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
Matthew 3:11
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Acts 1:4-8
4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me;
5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
During WWII there were bombs made called incendiary bombs. They had one purpose and that was to SET THINGS ON FIRE.
This gospel we preach is a FIRELIGHTER. On this Pentecost Sunday, the Holy Spirit is here to either kindle the fire in your heart or put a fire there.
On the Day of Pentecost the power was evident by tongues of fire.
Unless the fire falls, what do we have?
Unignited saints. Empty words and no passion.
Yet if we can get those coals from His fire to touch our lips, the body of Christ would be like a censer full of burning coals, igniting the prayers of pure worship.
O’ this baptism of fire.
Baptism is associated with DYING.
Rom. 6:3
Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
Church, I need the baptism of fire. I want it.
Elijah said “The God who answers by fire, HE IS GOD.”
You can’t hide this type of fire. A hot, fire shut up in my bones type of fire.
It’s a fire of power for witness.
It’s a fire of power for service.
The Bible is our fire guide. His plan on Pentecost is for us to burn like He burns.
Churches should be furnaces and not freezers.
Listen, Fire follows a path:
1. FIRE flows through Honor
2. FIRE flows through Purity
3. FIRE flows through Prayer
4. FIRE flows through Praise/Worship
5. FIRE flows through Practice
6. FIRE flows through Passion
7. FIRE flows through Unity
8. FIRE flows through Thankfulness
9. FIRE flows through Grace
10. FIRE flows through Humility
11. FIRE flows through Joy
12. FIRE flows through Giving
Pentecost – fifty
50 days after Passover
The disciples were gathered in Jerusalem before He ascended to His Father. They were told “Stay here UNTIL you are endued with power from on high, to become witnesses for Him.”
When the Holy Spirit was poured out He filled them and the house.
120 men/women
Luke 3:16
John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Acts 2:3
Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.
Isa. 33:14
The sinners in Zion are afraid;
Fearfulness has seized the hypocrites:
“Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire?
Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?”
Church, you are on a collision course with your adversary, but you were built for the battle and created for that conflict.
Your armor prophesies WARFARE and your enemy is about to encounter a God with whom he cannot contend, nor can he fence in or flee from God’s presence.
So the God who has been fighting with you is about to fight for you.
Charles Spurgeon said, “Apart from the Spirit of God we can do nothing.
We are ships without the wind or chariots without steeds to pull them, like branches without sap, we are withered.”
Joel prophesied Joel 2:28
“And it shall come to pass afterward
That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your old men shall dream dreams,
Your young men shall see visions.
Peter said angels would desire to understand this mystery.
Zechariah said it would fall like rain.
Amos said prepare for it.
Hosea said we would have to break up the fallow ground to get it.
Malachi said he would come SUDDENLY to His temple.
Pentecost promises us POWER. Now the God in Christ becomes the Christ in us and as Jesus put a face on the Father so now we put a face on Jesus to this dying world.
Yours for revival,
Pastor Francis Armstrong
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Our Passover Lamb
Hebrews 4:9
9 There
remains therefore a rest for the people of God.
What if there was an appointed time for your
healing?
What if there was an appointed time for your
deliverance?
What if there was an appointed time for your
restoration?
What if there was an appointed time for your
salvation?
Well there is. Its called PASSOVER!
IT’S CALLED THE blood! It’s
called the CROSS.
Jesus, our Passover lamb, took care of everything
on that cruel, rugged cross.
Our roots, our Hebrew roots, give us stability
and fruit and strength.
That’s our Hebrew roots.
There were three crosses that day. The cross in the middle bore the one
who died for our sins. Two
criminals were crucified also that day.
One asked for forgiveness and Jesus promised him
a home in paradise. The other
mocked his choice and now is in a Christ-less eternity.
So here is the question. Do you know the one who DIED FOR SIN?
There is only ONE who has ever lived who lived a
perfect life, who qualifies to die for the sin of another. HIS name is JESUS. Do you know Him?
Think about this:
He died willingly – He could not be made to die.
He died sacrificially – He chose to die for our
benefit.
He died lovingly – He forgave us.
He died triumphantly – His resurrection brought
us life.
He took our penalty for
sin upon Himself.
Now! Have you DIED TO SIN?
Is he your Lord and Savior?
Have you repented and turned away?
Consider that through faith in Jesus, His
righteousness became your righteousness.
Consider that you received the Holy Spirit as
proof of your own future resurrection.
You are granted access to God as His child. And now you are free from the
consequences and condemnation of sin.
O’ somebody praise Him.
If you died today, would you be one who DIED IN
SIN? You will die some day, what
if it was today? Which cross would
you be hanging on?
Think about this:
We all have an appointment with death.
There is only one way to experience VICTORY over
death.
If you WAIT until a later time it’s like playing
Russian roulette with your soul.
Whatever is keeping you from trusting Jesus now
is one of the very things He died to set you free from.
Will you confess Him as Lord? Will you value what He did for you?
Yours for Revival,
Pastor Francis Armstrong
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Breaking The Spirit Of Affliction
Zephaniah 3:19
Behold, at that time I will deal with all who afflict you; I will save the lame and gather those who were driven out; I will appoint them for praise and fame In every land where they were put to shame.
I have a word for somebody! Actually, four words.
SING
SHOUT
BE GLAD
REJOICE
Why? And what for?
The CROSS!
The cruel, bloody cross is the place your enemy was defeated.
Not just defeated but CRUSHED!
Not just defeated but CAST OUT!
Zephaniah 3:15
The Lord has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall see disaster no more.
What should have judged you was taken away.
Your enemy was CAST OUT!
The King of kings is in your midst and there will be NO more DISASTER.
O’ Church, what the enemy thought was your demise was really his.
So on that cross was an exchange.
Our sinfulness for His righteousness.
Our shame for His glory.
Our curse for His blessing.
Our brokenness for His healing.
Our poverty for His abundance.
Our rejection for His acceptance.
Our death for His life.
You shall see disaster no more. This thing is about to end. This pain is about to leave.
This is THAT DAY! DO NOT fear!
Now let me stop here and jump ahead, then come back.
God said, “I will deal with all who afflict you.”
So what is AFFLICTION?
Affliction is a condition of suffering, pain, distress and calamity imposed by illness.
Affliction is anything causing pain or suffering.
Affliction is a spirit.
It’s tribulation etc.
“SING, SHOUT, BE GLAD, REJOICE!”
The Bible is full of people who were afflicted.
Hannah called her barrenness an affliction and she cried out to God and He heard her.
In Psalms 25:16 David cried out for mercy because he was afflicted.
Jonah 2:2 (KJV)
And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
Then there was Job and Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 15:11
The Lord said:
“Surely it will be well with your remnant;
Surely I will cause the enemy to intercede with you
In the time of adversity and in the time of affliction.
Jeremiah 16:19
O Lord, my strength and my fortress,
My refuge in the day of affliction,
The Gentiles shall come to You
From the ends of the earth and say,
“Surely our fathers have inherited lies,
Worthlessness and unprofitable things.”
Afflictions have power.
It has cords in which it ties people down.
Job 36:8
And if they are bound in fetters,
Held in the cords of affliction,
When you’re in a battle and refuse to step up to confront it, affliction will hold you down.
In 2 Chronicles 28 and Isaiah 30 it talks about the bread and water of affliction.
It means human beings used by the devil to afflict you like firing you for no reason.
Hates you for no reason. It’s affliction.
Affliction binds.
Job was bound by affliction.
“BUT Jesus.”
Affliction tries to bring you low like it did Job.
Lamentations 1:3
Judah has gone into captivity,
Under affliction and hard servitude;
She dwells among the nations,
She finds no rest;
All her persecutors overtake her in dire straits.
The enemy wants to take your praise.
If you stay in affliction you will never get out.
You have to protect your PRAISE.
Lamentations 1:4
The roads to Zion mourn
Because no one comes to the set feasts.
All her gates are desolate;
Her priests sigh,
Her virgins are afflicted,
And she is in bitterness.
All because of affliction and lack of praise.
“HE’S NOT GETTING MY PRAISE!”
God’s promise “I will deal with all who afflict YOU!”
That’s what the cross did.
Yours for revival,
Pastor Francis Armstrong
Behold, at that time I will deal with all who afflict you; I will save the lame and gather those who were driven out; I will appoint them for praise and fame In every land where they were put to shame.
I have a word for somebody! Actually, four words.
SING
SHOUT
BE GLAD
REJOICE
Why? And what for?
The CROSS!
The cruel, bloody cross is the place your enemy was defeated.
Not just defeated but CRUSHED!
Not just defeated but CAST OUT!
Zephaniah 3:15
The Lord has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall see disaster no more.
What should have judged you was taken away.
Your enemy was CAST OUT!
The King of kings is in your midst and there will be NO more DISASTER.
O’ Church, what the enemy thought was your demise was really his.
So on that cross was an exchange.
Our sinfulness for His righteousness.
Our shame for His glory.
Our curse for His blessing.
Our brokenness for His healing.
Our poverty for His abundance.
Our rejection for His acceptance.
Our death for His life.
You shall see disaster no more. This thing is about to end. This pain is about to leave.
This is THAT DAY! DO NOT fear!
Now let me stop here and jump ahead, then come back.
God said, “I will deal with all who afflict you.”
So what is AFFLICTION?
Affliction is a condition of suffering, pain, distress and calamity imposed by illness.
Affliction is anything causing pain or suffering.
Affliction is a spirit.
It’s tribulation etc.
“SING, SHOUT, BE GLAD, REJOICE!”
The Bible is full of people who were afflicted.
Hannah called her barrenness an affliction and she cried out to God and He heard her.
In Psalms 25:16 David cried out for mercy because he was afflicted.
Jonah 2:2 (KJV)
And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
Then there was Job and Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 15:11
The Lord said:
“Surely it will be well with your remnant;
Surely I will cause the enemy to intercede with you
In the time of adversity and in the time of affliction.
Jeremiah 16:19
O Lord, my strength and my fortress,
My refuge in the day of affliction,
The Gentiles shall come to You
From the ends of the earth and say,
“Surely our fathers have inherited lies,
Worthlessness and unprofitable things.”
Afflictions have power.
It has cords in which it ties people down.
Job 36:8
And if they are bound in fetters,
Held in the cords of affliction,
When you’re in a battle and refuse to step up to confront it, affliction will hold you down.
In 2 Chronicles 28 and Isaiah 30 it talks about the bread and water of affliction.
It means human beings used by the devil to afflict you like firing you for no reason.
Hates you for no reason. It’s affliction.
Affliction binds.
Job was bound by affliction.
“BUT Jesus.”
Affliction tries to bring you low like it did Job.
Lamentations 1:3
Judah has gone into captivity,
Under affliction and hard servitude;
She dwells among the nations,
She finds no rest;
All her persecutors overtake her in dire straits.
The enemy wants to take your praise.
If you stay in affliction you will never get out.
You have to protect your PRAISE.
Lamentations 1:4
The roads to Zion mourn
Because no one comes to the set feasts.
All her gates are desolate;
Her priests sigh,
Her virgins are afflicted,
And she is in bitterness.
All because of affliction and lack of praise.
“HE’S NOT GETTING MY PRAISE!”
God’s promise “I will deal with all who afflict YOU!”
That’s what the cross did.
Yours for revival,
Pastor Francis Armstrong
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
2015 – The Year Of The Kingdom – The Year to Halal
Psalm 34:1-3
1 I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together.
Halal is connected to the word HALLELUJAH which is connected to HEI (HEY).
Charles Spurgeon said:
“I think the common use of the word “Hallelujah” or “Praise The Lord” is simply profane.
Surely this is NOT a word to be dragged in the mire – it should be pronounced with solemn awe and sacred joy.”
Hallelujah means “Praise Yah” or “Praise The Lord”.
So in saying Hallelujah you are saying the Lord’s name.
Psalm 68:4
Sing to God, sing praises to His name;
Extol Him who rides on the clouds,
By His name YAH,
And rejoice before Him.
Luke 2:13-14
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
Peace to men of good will or peace among men with whom He is well pleased.
Genesis 29:35
And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she stopped bearing.
This is where we get the word Praise (Judah).
1 Chronicles 16:4
And he appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, to commemorate, to thank, and to praise the Lord God of Israel:
So He wanted the most exuberant, bold, wild, praise right next to His presence.
So the closer we get to Him, the more we feel Him, the wilder the praise should get.
“Praise is the RENT which God requires for the use of His mercies.” Charles Spurgeon.
2 Samuel 22:4
I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.
O’ that garment of praise, it creates an almost miraculous change in people’s lives.
If we would but praise Him, we would worry less. Why do we focus on stuff, worry, sickness?
We focus on our lack, our pain, the husband's small wages.
Why not focus on the mercies of the Lord?
That’s the garment of praise.
Yours for revival,
Pastor Francis Armstrong
1 I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together.
Halal is connected to the word HALLELUJAH which is connected to HEI (HEY).
Charles Spurgeon said:
“I think the common use of the word “Hallelujah” or “Praise The Lord” is simply profane.
Surely this is NOT a word to be dragged in the mire – it should be pronounced with solemn awe and sacred joy.”
Hallelujah means “Praise Yah” or “Praise The Lord”.
So in saying Hallelujah you are saying the Lord’s name.
Psalm 68:4
Sing to God, sing praises to His name;
Extol Him who rides on the clouds,
By His name YAH,
And rejoice before Him.
Luke 2:13-14
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
Peace to men of good will or peace among men with whom He is well pleased.
Genesis 29:35
And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she stopped bearing.
This is where we get the word Praise (Judah).
1 Chronicles 16:4
And he appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, to commemorate, to thank, and to praise the Lord God of Israel:
So He wanted the most exuberant, bold, wild, praise right next to His presence.
So the closer we get to Him, the more we feel Him, the wilder the praise should get.
“Praise is the RENT which God requires for the use of His mercies.” Charles Spurgeon.
2 Samuel 22:4
I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.
O’ that garment of praise, it creates an almost miraculous change in people’s lives.
If we would but praise Him, we would worry less. Why do we focus on stuff, worry, sickness?
We focus on our lack, our pain, the husband's small wages.
Why not focus on the mercies of the Lord?
That’s the garment of praise.
Yours for revival,
Pastor Francis Armstrong
Thursday, January 15, 2015
2015 – Rediscovering The Kingdom
Matthew 13:44-45
44 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,
If something is lost it must be searched for to be found.
You are going to rediscover the Kingdom of God in 2015.
5775 – Ayin Hei (Hey)
The year to see again. God will restore spiritual blind eyes this year. What you could not see last year, you will this year.
Let me give you some of the meaning of Ayin Hey.
It means double portion.
It means GRACE.
It means, “to behold through a window.”
Hey is connected with the word BREATH.
Its picture, in Hebrew, is a man with his arms raised and praising God.
Hallelujah is a HEY word.
2 Samuel 22:4
I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.
Praised is the word Halal.
So praising the Lord through the breath of our mouths and through the position of our hands will be KEY weapons in overcoming the enemy this year.
Hey also means “BREATH” or “WIND”, Whirlwind.
Acts 2:2
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
John 3:8
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
2014 was the year of the open door.
The open door of the Kingdom.
The Kingdom of God is something that doesn’t just happen; it must be entered INTO by being converted.
Matthew 18:3-5
3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
4 Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.
Vs. 3 – BECOME IS GINOMAI.
As it was last year, Ayin means to “see” or perceive. You can be optimistic or pessimistic.
Many in the church feel ineffective, insignificant, disappointed. Once full of hope; now despair.
Like Abram of old, we have come to the end of ourselves.
Abram had a promise but it tarried beyond his human potential to make it happen.
But remember Hey” means 5 and it was on Abram’s fifth encounter with God that everything changed.
Genesis 17:4-7
4 “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.
5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.
6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.
7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.
It was here his name was changed to Abraham.
Abram alone was powerless to produce a son.
So God, when He renamed Abram, added Himself to Abraham to transform him.
So this year God’s GRACE will fall on you to empower you to rise above your human LIMITATIONS.
Yours for revival,
Pastor Francis Armstrong
44 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,
If something is lost it must be searched for to be found.
You are going to rediscover the Kingdom of God in 2015.
5775 – Ayin Hei (Hey)
The year to see again. God will restore spiritual blind eyes this year. What you could not see last year, you will this year.
Let me give you some of the meaning of Ayin Hey.
It means double portion.
It means GRACE.
It means, “to behold through a window.”
Hey is connected with the word BREATH.
Its picture, in Hebrew, is a man with his arms raised and praising God.
Hallelujah is a HEY word.
2 Samuel 22:4
I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.
Praised is the word Halal.
So praising the Lord through the breath of our mouths and through the position of our hands will be KEY weapons in overcoming the enemy this year.
Hey also means “BREATH” or “WIND”, Whirlwind.
Acts 2:2
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
John 3:8
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
2014 was the year of the open door.
The open door of the Kingdom.
The Kingdom of God is something that doesn’t just happen; it must be entered INTO by being converted.
Matthew 18:3-5
3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
4 Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.
Vs. 3 – BECOME IS GINOMAI.
As it was last year, Ayin means to “see” or perceive. You can be optimistic or pessimistic.
Many in the church feel ineffective, insignificant, disappointed. Once full of hope; now despair.
Like Abram of old, we have come to the end of ourselves.
Abram had a promise but it tarried beyond his human potential to make it happen.
But remember Hey” means 5 and it was on Abram’s fifth encounter with God that everything changed.
Genesis 17:4-7
4 “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.
5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.
6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.
7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.
It was here his name was changed to Abraham.
Abram alone was powerless to produce a son.
So God, when He renamed Abram, added Himself to Abraham to transform him.
So this year God’s GRACE will fall on you to empower you to rise above your human LIMITATIONS.
Yours for revival,
Pastor Francis Armstrong
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Everything Will Be Shaken
Hebrews 12:25-29
25 See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven,
26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.”
27 Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
29 For our God is a consuming fire.
Haggai 2:6-7
6 “For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land;
7 and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts.
The use of the word SHAKEN here in Hebrews means “things ready to FALL and PERISH”.
Hebrews says HIS VOICE SHOOK the earth and it shakes heaven.
This shaking is to remove everything that can be shaken so that which CANNOT BE SHAKEN REMAINS. Hebrews tells us that is the KINGDOM OF GOD.
So every time we try to build something that is NOT Kingdom, He will shake it.
God is shaking the kingdom of this earth.
He is shaking the economy.
He is shaking Government.
He is shaking businesses.
He is even shaking churches.
Earthquakes shake things.
Hurricanes shake things.
Wind shakes things.
Sound shakes things.
There are a lot of things that cause shaking.
But the shaking I’m talking about is from God.
Matthew 24:29-30
29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Just a few short days ago our security as a nation was shaken here in Ottawa.
It feels like we are walking on a frozen lake but we can hear the cracking and not sure we can get to shore. It seems like everything is SHAKING.
What is the state of our culture?
Since 1970 approximately 3.2 million babies have been aborted.
Pornography revenue today exceeds the revenue of several major T.V. networks combined.
It’s larger than Microsoft, Google, Amazon, EBay, Yahoo, Apple, Netflix combined.
We need a shaking.
Where is the Church?
Asleep, distracted or intoxicated by the world. Like the old song, we are “looking for love in all the wrong places”.
Clearly in Canada there is a disconnect between who we say we are and what we believe. WE NEED TO BE SHAKEN.
How can we be salt and light to the world we look the same as?
Luke 6:46
“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?
When kids are cutting themselves, including church kids, we need a shaking.
When marriages in church are failing, we need a shaking.
When fornication is happening with Christians, we need a shaking.
When we don’t witness, we need a shaking.
When we don’t pray, we need a shaking.
When we don’t share our faith, we need shaking.
Let me tell you what CAN’T be shaken.
His love for us CAN’T be shaken.
His healing power can’t be shaken.
His delivering power can’t be shaken.
His saving power can’t be shaken.
His blood can’t be shaken.
His Kingdom can’t be shaken.
His Grace can’t be shaken.
His Church can’t be shaken.
His power can’t be shaken.
So why is there a shaking going on?
Because He loves us and wants us to repent.
Let go of everything else and hold on to Jesus only.
Yours for revival,
Pastor Francis Armstrong
25 See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven,
26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.”
27 Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
29 For our God is a consuming fire.
Haggai 2:6-7
6 “For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land;
7 and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts.
The use of the word SHAKEN here in Hebrews means “things ready to FALL and PERISH”.
Hebrews says HIS VOICE SHOOK the earth and it shakes heaven.
This shaking is to remove everything that can be shaken so that which CANNOT BE SHAKEN REMAINS. Hebrews tells us that is the KINGDOM OF GOD.
So every time we try to build something that is NOT Kingdom, He will shake it.
God is shaking the kingdom of this earth.
He is shaking the economy.
He is shaking Government.
He is shaking businesses.
He is even shaking churches.
Earthquakes shake things.
Hurricanes shake things.
Wind shakes things.
Sound shakes things.
There are a lot of things that cause shaking.
But the shaking I’m talking about is from God.
Matthew 24:29-30
29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Just a few short days ago our security as a nation was shaken here in Ottawa.
It feels like we are walking on a frozen lake but we can hear the cracking and not sure we can get to shore. It seems like everything is SHAKING.
What is the state of our culture?
Since 1970 approximately 3.2 million babies have been aborted.
Pornography revenue today exceeds the revenue of several major T.V. networks combined.
It’s larger than Microsoft, Google, Amazon, EBay, Yahoo, Apple, Netflix combined.
We need a shaking.
Where is the Church?
Asleep, distracted or intoxicated by the world. Like the old song, we are “looking for love in all the wrong places”.
Clearly in Canada there is a disconnect between who we say we are and what we believe. WE NEED TO BE SHAKEN.
How can we be salt and light to the world we look the same as?
Luke 6:46
“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?
When kids are cutting themselves, including church kids, we need a shaking.
When marriages in church are failing, we need a shaking.
When fornication is happening with Christians, we need a shaking.
When we don’t witness, we need a shaking.
When we don’t pray, we need a shaking.
When we don’t share our faith, we need shaking.
Let me tell you what CAN’T be shaken.
His love for us CAN’T be shaken.
His healing power can’t be shaken.
His delivering power can’t be shaken.
His saving power can’t be shaken.
His blood can’t be shaken.
His Kingdom can’t be shaken.
His Grace can’t be shaken.
His Church can’t be shaken.
His power can’t be shaken.
So why is there a shaking going on?
Because He loves us and wants us to repent.
Let go of everything else and hold on to Jesus only.
Yours for revival,
Pastor Francis Armstrong
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Faith Wins The Battle
2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
1 John 4:18a
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment
Fear is a tormenting spirit. It stops you and paralyzes you.
You can’t see over it or around it. Fear can debilitate you.
Fear is the opposite of faith.
Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
To get rid of fear we must first know what causes it.
One cause of fear is focusing on the temporal. After the feeding of the 5,000, on the way to the other side of the sea, a storm arose.
Funny how our greatest storms come as we are trying to obey God. When Peter took his eyes off Jesus, FEAR hit him.
So fear will hit you if you focus on your surroundings.
Is what you are SEEING causing you to fear? Can you only see bills, debt, pain or sickness in your life? Get your eyes back on Jesus. He came to destroy the works of the devil.
#1 Greater is He that is IN YOU.
#2 If you believe the evil report, fear will rise.
Every day you and I are bombarded with evil reports. Bad news. Negative talk, murder, child abuse, deaths, etc.
Jesus said perilous times would come and men’s hearts would fail them for fear.
We must hear the report of the Lord.
Ten spies turned a nation because of fear. Only two came back shouting, “WE GOT THIS!”
They saw the same giants but their report was one of faith. GOD’S WORD IS TRUE.
So fear wiped out an entire generation. So many Christians are overwhelmed with an evil report. “The doctors have given up hope.” People start telling you how you are going to die.
The creditors talk about the bleak outlook.
Fear trying to drown your faith. But the righteous are as bold as a lion.
Numbers 13:30
Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.”
Ok you may say, “But, I do have giants in my life. FAITH does NOT DENY the giants. When you are sick faith does not deny the pain or the condition.
Faith believes God to fix the condition.
When you’re faced with debt, faith does not deny the bills. Faith remedies the situation by bringing it to God’s Word and power.
The problem comes; fear comes when we pick up the problem and put down the Bible.
Romans 10:16-17
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?”
17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Who’s report will you believe? Accepting where you are at NOT only causes fear but strengthens the grip fear has on you.
The longer you accept your present condition of sickness, bondage or poverty/debt, the longer fear takes ROOT in your thinking.
And the longer that goes on the longer you accept it AS NORMAL.
400 years Israel had a SLAVE MENTALITY. Every time it got rough they wanted to go back to it. So because they could not see a way out, they died bound by fear and doubt.
In John 5, a lame man was paralyzed for 38 years.
Talk about disappointment, disillusionment, frustration and despair.
Easy to give up hope. But it does NOT have to be that way.
Jesus said to him, “DO YOU WANT TO GET WELL?”
Yours for revival,
Pastor Francis Armstrong
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
1 John 4:18a
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment
Fear is a tormenting spirit. It stops you and paralyzes you.
You can’t see over it or around it. Fear can debilitate you.
Fear is the opposite of faith.
Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
To get rid of fear we must first know what causes it.
One cause of fear is focusing on the temporal. After the feeding of the 5,000, on the way to the other side of the sea, a storm arose.
Funny how our greatest storms come as we are trying to obey God. When Peter took his eyes off Jesus, FEAR hit him.
So fear will hit you if you focus on your surroundings.
Is what you are SEEING causing you to fear? Can you only see bills, debt, pain or sickness in your life? Get your eyes back on Jesus. He came to destroy the works of the devil.
#1 Greater is He that is IN YOU.
#2 If you believe the evil report, fear will rise.
Every day you and I are bombarded with evil reports. Bad news. Negative talk, murder, child abuse, deaths, etc.
Jesus said perilous times would come and men’s hearts would fail them for fear.
We must hear the report of the Lord.
Ten spies turned a nation because of fear. Only two came back shouting, “WE GOT THIS!”
They saw the same giants but their report was one of faith. GOD’S WORD IS TRUE.
So fear wiped out an entire generation. So many Christians are overwhelmed with an evil report. “The doctors have given up hope.” People start telling you how you are going to die.
The creditors talk about the bleak outlook.
Fear trying to drown your faith. But the righteous are as bold as a lion.
Numbers 13:30
Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.”
Ok you may say, “But, I do have giants in my life. FAITH does NOT DENY the giants. When you are sick faith does not deny the pain or the condition.
Faith believes God to fix the condition.
When you’re faced with debt, faith does not deny the bills. Faith remedies the situation by bringing it to God’s Word and power.
The problem comes; fear comes when we pick up the problem and put down the Bible.
Romans 10:16-17
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?”
17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Who’s report will you believe? Accepting where you are at NOT only causes fear but strengthens the grip fear has on you.
The longer you accept your present condition of sickness, bondage or poverty/debt, the longer fear takes ROOT in your thinking.
And the longer that goes on the longer you accept it AS NORMAL.
400 years Israel had a SLAVE MENTALITY. Every time it got rough they wanted to go back to it. So because they could not see a way out, they died bound by fear and doubt.
In John 5, a lame man was paralyzed for 38 years.
Talk about disappointment, disillusionment, frustration and despair.
Easy to give up hope. But it does NOT have to be that way.
Jesus said to him, “DO YOU WANT TO GET WELL?”
Yours for revival,
Pastor Francis Armstrong
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