Good News Church Yukon, Ok

The Bible teaches that "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine." In this age where there are so many things that can crush the spirit, it is important to maintain a spiritually merry heart. God is a God of encouragement to the believer and does not wish that we be despondent or pressed down. It is for this reason that God wishes us to proclaim the ultimate joy to people, the good news of salvation in Jesus. Joy comes about through preaching of the gospel, and is fundamental in a spiritually healthy life.

There have been many times when the Lord made clear to me the things that would happen in the year ahead. While he does not always act on a timescale the human mind can comprehend, I can often look back after a year and realize what God did for me. It is important to remember that this progress from God is often incremental, and we must keep faith while we await its full delivery. Thus, as we go into the new year, I would like to talk to you about the importance of faith going into a new year, to remain assured that God will deliver on his promises.

Wednesday night I felt called by God to do a message on words. I dug on my computer that night and managed to find a sermon outline I had made in 2006. I had so many positive comments in response to this message, and I felt it would be good to review this message as a complete church family today. The simple fact is that changing your words you speak over your life is often all you need to massively change your world. The things in your life you are unsatisfied with could be the result of the words you are speaking. Understanding what the Bible has to say about words is crucial for the Christian's life.

I would like to share out of the book of Proverbs 18:21. It says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." Whether you realize it or not, you got saved because of the power of words. The tongue produces not only words, but also makes an impact and brings about what we speak. Some people may want to exclude some details and say only life is in the power of the tongue, but the Bible is clear that where the tongue can bring about life it can also cause destruction.

The shepherds are a central element of the Christmas story. They came from the fields hoping to see Christ through earnest desire of seeking God, and were rewarded for their effort. But in addition to coming and seeing, they went out and told others about what they said seen, proclaiming Christ. The believer should desire to be like a shepherd in these two regards: we should seek Christ, and speak Christ to others.

It is important to not let the familiar Christmas story become dull to one and fail to hear the great insights contained. Tonight, I'd like to talk over some points of interest and obtain biblical truths from the iconic moments known by billions around the world. In this story we observe a variety of attributes of God displayed, his providence in organizing the events, and his bringing of the shepherds to be among the first to take in the Christ child. A truly amazing story that would change the world forever.

In the Christmas story, one of the most memorable and iconic group of individuals are the wise men. Despite not living among the people of God or following the law, they were led out of their own scholarly studies of the stars toward the Christ. From the moment Jesus came to this earth, it was obvious that he came to Jews and Gentiles alike. A tremendous attribute these three displayed was their generosity toward a baby they did not even know. Their generosity was blessed by God and is an example to live by.

I want to speak about an attitude adjustment. I think all of us know what that term means: it refers to the need to adjust one's outlook or response toward various life events. Just as one can go to a chiropractor and have their back adjusted, it is possible to receive an attitude adjustment from the right source. We are in the holiday season, and much of what you can receive out of these times is determined by a good attitude.

I would like to go through the Christmas story with you. It is important to renew in our minds the original account and remember the tremendous meaning in God sending his son to the world. The biblical account of the birth of Christ is full of tremendous stories of God's orchestration of events to fulfill prophecy and protect Christ from the hands of the enemy, such as Herod. From the very moment Jesus entered this world, it was clear that God was and would remain involved in the earthly life of his only begotten son.

The Bible teaches that the nation of Israel has and will play a pivotal role in many of the most significant events that God will bring about. As God's people, there has been no shortage of enemies which have arisen against Israel over the years. It is my belief that a Christian should stand with Israel, God's people, following the biblical principle that those who bless Israel will be blessed, and those who curse Israel will be cursed. The biblical promises to Abraham that the land of Israel shall be his and his descendants forever remain true today as they did when God uttered them.

Recent events have brought into the public consciousness the discussion of who has the right to the land of Israel. The answer, in fact, can be found in the Bible, in God's original promises to Abraham. God stated that Abraham's descendants would inherit the land, and we see through the kingdom of Israel that followed that God fulfilled those promises. It is my belief that the modern day nation of Israel is yet another step in the fulfillment of this promise. We can find in the Old Testament numerous passages detailing who has the right to the Holy Lands.

The title of my message is very simple. Do we want a supernatural church, or a superficial church? Do we go after the gold, or after wood, hay, and stubble? There is a temptation for the Christian church to pursue all that is fleeting, the distractions of this world. Scripture teaches that we must not only avoid these superficialities, but yearn for the touch of the supernatural. Only God's spirit can bring about the presence of the supernatural. We must learn to hear God's voice to be led into this supernatural.

I want to talk to you about the importance of staying focused. There's a lot of things out there that can be distractions to us and pull us in a variety of directions. One time I was in prayer during a period of discouragement in my life. I felt I heard the Lord say to me, "Distracted people are discouraged people." I felt I was being reminded by God that whenever I take my eyes off of him, I am opening myself up to discouragement. 

I'd like to share with you the concept of the Christian life. It is not to stay stagnant after accepting Christ, but instead, the Bible describes the process of getting to know Christ closer and closer, with the Amplified version even saying we ought to become "more deeply and intimately acquainted with him." Your desire should be for a progressive growth in your relationship with Christ. It is not a simple saved-not saved question: God desires for us to grow to a rich understanding of him, with endless depth to be enjoyed in His Word.

I'd like to speak to you about the Holy Spirit and his role as a helper. We have all been in a situation where we needed someone to help us. There is nothing more disappointing than finding ourselves without a proper helper, and nothing more relieving than being assisted by one. The Holy Spirit was given to believers for the purpose of helping us. While Jesus ascended to heaven, and the Father still resides there, the Holy Spirit was sent to us in order that we might not be without help during the Church Age. We must take care to listen closely to the Spirit's voice and allow him to help us.

Let's go to Revelation 12 today. I'd like to talk to you about a message and the phrase it is titled after, "What in the World Is Going On?". Just as soon as things begin to calm down, another major event always seems to break out. Whether COVID-19, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, or the Ukrainian-Russian conflict, the past few years have been packed of historic moments in the world. The Scriptures offer an explanation for why things seem to as they are in the world. The events that are occurring are compared to by the Bible as birth pangs that are preceding the return of Christ himself. Therefore, we must stay faithful.

What would you say are some of the most major events that happened in the United States in this past year? I believe that one of the most significant, not only in the Christian world but in general, is the Asbury Revival. If you are not aware, there was a massive spontaneous revival that broke out at a private university in Kentucky known as Asbury University. The flame started there then spread to several other college campuses in a truly organic way, evidencing the Holy Spirit's involvement in this movement. I believe that this revival is a perfect example of the Holy Spirit's tendency toward acting "suddenly." He will not always wait for us to be ready and let him know we are ready for a move: He redraws plans as is best for the will of God.Link to purchase the Asbury Revival documentary shown: https://securegiving.cbn.com/asburyawakeningdvd

When I was in the Czech Republic recently, I woke up early one morning and was reading a prayer of Paul. On this particular day, I came across the prayer he prayed in Galatians 4. In this prayer, Paul compares his desire for Christ to be formed in the church of Galatia to be similar to the anguish felt by a mother in childbirth. Paul later goes on to list that fruits as evidence of this shaping into Christs' image that are commonly known as fruits of the Spirit today: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc. These fruits can work a tremendous transformation on a believer's life so as to alter them permanently in His image.

I wrestled with this message but felt the call of the Lord for me to speak today on the recent events unfolding in Israel and the attacks by Hamas. I would like to not just explain what is going on and how a Christian should respond, but also want to bring it home for you and tell you how these events impact you even here in the United States. I brought with me a map that will especially aid in explaining where the various major important locations of Israel are, from the ancient Jericho and Galilee to the modern West Bank and Gaza Strip. God's chosen people of the Old Testament remain so today, and they deserve God's other chosen people in the body of Christ to stand with them.

If you listened to the last message, you will know we looked at the subject of faith. Tonight I’d like to follow up on that by discussing the Christian’s active role in equipping themselves with the shield of faith. God has not told us to simply sit by and trust he will equip us: instead, there is an active component that the believer must be aware of and know how to exercise in order to ensure they are protecting themselves. The Bible teaches that God gives generously to those who have faith in him. There is nothing that God cannot do, except the Bible teaches in Hebrews 11:6 that it is impossible for God to be pleased unless we exercise faith.