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- [00:01]
Kenneth Copeland
Thank you to Kenneth Copeland Ministries for sowing the airtime for this broadcast.
- [00:11]
Nancy Dufresne
There's enough power in every sick room and in every hospital room to raise up that sick one that may be describing you. You may be in a sick room, you may be in a hospital room. And I want to remind you, power is present. That power is there to do a work, believe in what's present. Not trying to get something, but notice that he's already made it yours. It's present right where you're at. Say, I receive that power. I receive that power. I receive it right now. I receive it right now. From the top of my head. From the top of my head. The soles of my feet. The soles of my feet. We are so glad that you joined us today for Jesus the healer. We are having a wonderful time around the Word because the Word is our help.
- [01:01]
Audience
Amen.
- [01:02]
Nancy Dufresne
The Word's our answer. It never gets old. Receiving of your answer.
- [01:07]
Audience
Right?
- [01:08]
Nancy Dufresne
And so we invite you, get hold of your Bible and get some note. Get some note, paper and pen or pencil and write down what God says to you. Make note of that because I tell you what, be expecting answers.
- [01:22]
Audience
Amen.
- [01:22]
Nancy Dufresne
Bring your faith to the Word that you hear today. We've been taking as our golden text, second Peter, excuse me, second Timothy, chapter one and verse seven. And the reason is we're teaching on the mind, and this talks to us about the mind. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a power, love, and a sound mind. A sound mind is yours in Christ. And I want you to know that what the enemy launches against the sound mind is fear. And so we have to know how to stand our ground against it. We were talking in a previous episode that anytime you're going through a test, don't think, wow, something must be wrong with my faith. Most of the time it's because something is right with your faith. Anytime you're advancing, the enemy's got to try to stop your advancement. Why? Because your advancement in the knowledge of God, in the doing of the Word in is his stopping place. And so he doesn't want to be hindered in his operations against us. So he's trying to stop us in our progress, but we're not ignorant of his devices.
- [02:29]
Audience
Amen.
- [02:32]
Nancy Dufresne
Let's read again in 1st Peter 4:12. We were looking at this in the previous episode, but we want to look at it again today. Peter writing says, and this is the King James translation. Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing happened unto you. But rejoice. Listen. Tests and trials are part of victory. Why, Jesus already won the victory, but there's always going to be counterattacks against that victory. It is our privilege to keep the enemy off of our victory.
- [03:10]
Audience
Amen.
- [03:10]
Nancy Dufresne
And we're authorized to do that. The Amplified classic says, beloved, do not be amazed. Don't be bewildered at the fiery test, the fiery ordeal. Listen, just not a regular just thing. You hardly notice this thing's fiery. That's all right. The greater one's in you.
- [03:32]
Audience
Amen.
- [03:33]
Nancy Dufresne
The Word says about God, he's fire from the low ones up and fire from the low ones down. So fiery tests don't. They don't frighten us. We got a better burning fire.
- [03:44]
Audience
Amen.
- [03:46]
Nancy Dufresne
So he says, don't be amazed or bewildered at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test your quality. This test isn't from God. It's from the enemy. He's trying to see if what you say you believe. He's trying to see if what you say you do to test the quality of your faith.
- [04:03]
Audience
Amen.
- [04:04]
Nancy Dufresne
This fiery ordeal which is taking place to test the quality of your faith, as though something strange, unusual and alien to you and alien to your position was. Were befalling you notice it's coming after positions when you start taking your place and your certain occupying the position that belongs to you in Christ. That test is coming to stop you from occupying that position.
- [04:31]
Audience
Amen.
- [04:33]
Nancy Dufresne
And then it goes on in the Amplified translation says, but insofar as you are sharing Christ's sufferings, in other words, he had the same opposition. This is the same thing he went through. He said, rejoice. Why? Because you're sharing. You're making. You're on the same ground Jesus was on victory ground. You're making the same kind of spiritual progress Jesus was making. You're bringing blessing to the earth, and the devil's got to try to stop you in that. But now he tells you what to do in the face of opposition. Rejoice. Don't fear. Rejoice, don't get afraid.
- [05:10]
Audience
Amen.
- [05:11]
Nancy Dufresne
Then we want to read again to you what Paul wrote in Philippians, chapter one, in verse 28. And I'm going to read this out of the Amplified Classic. I love this because I love the boldness of the words, the no nonsense of the words, the conviction of these words. He wrote and says, do not for a moment be frightened or intimidated in anything by your opponents. Listen, a moment of fear is too long. A moment of fear is too much. A moment of doubt is unacceptable. He says, don't even for a moment.
- [05:51]
Audience
Amen.
- [05:52]
Nancy Dufresne
Now, you know where Peter was when he wrote this. Where was he? He's in jail. He's in a dark place. And he says, don't be intimidated. Don't be frightened. Not for a moment. I tell you what, he was ruling in that place, wasn't he? He's a man in prison telling us how to live outside of prison. Do not for a moment be frightened or intimidated in anything by your opponents. Now, he's not talking about people. He's talking about spiritual opponents and your adversaries for such constancy. What's that mean? We're going to be consistent. Consistent inconsistency can cost us something. But as we're constant in the face of opposition, we don't prolong our victory.
- [06:47]
Audience
Amen.
- [06:47]
Nancy Dufresne
Some people prolong the evidence of their victory because they're not consistent. So be consistent. Do not for a moment be frightened or intimidated in anything by your opponents or your adversaries for such constancy. Look at this. And fearlessness. Fearless. Fearless. No fear. No trace of fear. No ounce of fear. Not over my body, not over my mind, my children, my health, my finances. No trace of fear. For such fearlessness will be a clear sign, proof and seal to them who, the adversary, the opposition. It's a sign to them of their impending destruction. What? Your assignment just failed. That's what that means. Because I refuse to be afraid. Your assignment just failed. But a sure token and evidence of your deliverance and salvation. And that from God. It was so funny. Now, I'm not giving you advice or counsel in this way, but I saw something on social media sometime back, and a man was out hiking, and a bear came out of the forest, the woods, and just came up at him. And that man, I mean, he didn't even pause. He didn't even take. He didn't. Not even for a moment. He turned around and he started running at that bear, arms up, screaming. I mean, that man went all crazy on that bear. And that bear turned around and took off running. I go, now, that's a good time right there. I mean, there was no hesitation in that man. He didn't fall down and say, no, wait a minute. And I'm not giving you bear advice. Please, I am not. Do not accept this as counsel of how to face a bear. I'm just saying that man wasn't even for a moment. I mean, he didn't even pause, which lets you know he was used to being in that setting that Wasn't his first rodeo. He had been. You could tell that was a comfortable setting for him to be out among wild things. And I mean, he just turned around in a moment. He just knew exactly what to do. And he went after that bear, turned around and made him question, you know, that bear just, oh, I thought this was going to be easier than that. And I tell you, that's exactly what to do. I mean, when the enemy comes, I mean, he shows himself large, you show him something. Show him your fearlessness. Show him that you are unfrightened, unintimidated.
- [09:23]
Audience
Amen.
- [09:24]
Nancy Dufresne
You got to practice that.
- [09:26]
Audience
Amen.
- [09:27]
Nancy Dufresne
Practice it. Why do we know that the enemy opposes us? Well, in First Corinthians, chapter 16, I want you to see something that Paul wrote. First Corinthians, chapter 16, verse 9. He said, For a great door and effectual is opened unto me. Ah, what's that mean? Advancement, promotion, increase revelation, more light. And he says, it's opened unto me. Who opened it? God opened it. And notice this. And there are many adversaries. Well, where are the adversaries? Well, he's talking about a door. There's a great door. There's an effectual door. Where are the adversaries? They're at the door. What's that mean? Anytime there's more that God has for you, you're going to have to get past those adversaries to go into that room of more. That's all right. That's all right. Listen, what God is offering you is worth opposing. That's how great it is.
- [10:29]
Audience
Amen.
- [10:31]
Nancy Dufresne
And they're at the door, so don't be wondering. I just don't know why this is happening. Well, I know why it's happening. God has more for you, and the enemy is trying to back you out from going in the forward direction. And really, that strategy works so much of the time. You know, whenever we hire someone on our staff, I always give them heads up. Not because I think they won't make it, but just to let them know how the enemy works. I said, when you become part of this staff, there's going to be opposition to you just because of who you joined with. To be forewarned is to be forearmed. You shouldn't be taken out. You shouldn't be surprised. You shouldn't be addled by it. You shouldn't be taken off balance by it. Just be ready with your answer of the word. Be ready. No, God put me here. I'm not leaving. You know, whatever you got to say to get past It. And that's what Paul is doing. He's warning us. Anytime there's going to be advancement, increase in the right direction, in the right direction, there's going to be opposition. Settle it. No big deal. Don't be impressed by that. That means you're in the direction worth opposing.
- [11:44]
Audience
Amen.
- [11:45]
Nancy Dufresne
So don't think it's strange, it just is the path of increase.
- [11:51]
Audience
Amen.
- [11:52]
Nancy Dufresne
Because we know the good thing. What's it say in Luke chapter 10 and verse 19? Luke chapter 10, verse 19. Jesus told us something. He said, behold, I give you power or I give you authority to tread on. The word tread on means step over. That means step over it and keep going. Don't sit there and don't stop at the place of opposition and just linger there and just try to get rid of opposition. Step over it and keep going. Behold, I authorize you to step, step over the serpents and the scorpions and over all the power of the enemy. And nothing shall by any means hurt you. When shall it not hurt you? When you're stepping over them. Why? Because they're laying at the door of your increase. They're laying at the door of more. And God says, don't stop at the adversaries that are trying to block your entrance into the door. Step over them and keep getting going further into that advancement. Get in the room of promotion that God's bringing you into.
- [12:52]
Audience
Amen.
- [12:53]
Nancy Dufresne
Step over him. Quit being impressed that something is opposing you. Now let's go back to 2 Timothy chapter 1. This is where we've been starting as our golden text. But I want us to go back to it because we see something here. Evidently in the Life of Timothy, Second Timothy, Chapter 1 and Verse 6, Paul again writes, and he says, wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. And I believe it's the amplified classic says, which is that inner fire. You stir up the gift of God. Which is that inner fire. What is it? What God's put in you.
- [13:41]
Audience
Amen.
- [13:42]
Nancy Dufresne
He said, stir up the gift of God. Notice this. Everything God puts in you has to be stirred. Faith has to be stirred. Joy has to be stirred. Peace has to be stirred. Patience. You have to stir all these things up. If you don't stir them up, you'll end up living in your flesh. But all these nine fruits of the Spirit, the anointing that's on the inside of you, stir it up. The anointing to deliver you is in you. But you can leave it inactive, you can leave it dormant if you don't stir it up. What stirs it up? Well, feeding, confessing, the Word stirs it up. Praising God stirs it up. Rejoicing stirs it up. That's why Peter said, in the face of adversaries, rejoice. Why, it's going to stir up the gift of God. And part of the one flow of that gift is that anointing that abides in every believer. It abides in there. You don't have to wait for God to send something down. The Word tells us that the Spirit of God abides in you. And there's an anointing that abides. And it is up to us to stir it up. God's not going to stir it for us. It's our job to stir it. Why, that's our vessel. It's our job to stir our vessel. It's not God's job to stir our vessel. It's our job to stir our vessel. And so Paul is telling Timothy, stir up. What do we know about Timothy? He wasn't stirring what he needed. And he said, I remind you, stir up the gift of God. Now, see, he's a companion. He's a preaching companion to Paul. He's a traveling companion to Paul. And even this leading apostle of God, Paul, could not do for Timothy what only Timothy could do for himself. And that was stir him up. It's not up to your pastor to stir you, not up to Brother Copeland to stir us. It's not up to your mama or your daddy to stir you. It's up to us. We're authorized to stir up the gift of God which is in you. It's in you. I don't care how long something's been dormant. It's still in there. I don't care how long you've let it lie inactive. It's still in there. It's in you. You stir it up. How do you stir it up? Words stir it up. Words stir it up. Praise stirs it up. Rejoicing stirs it up. But you have to remember what's in you. See, Paul used this word. I put you in remembrance. When something isn't being stirred by us, we've forgotten. Now remember. Remember. It matters what you remember.
- [16:23]
Audience
Amen.
- [16:24]
Nancy Dufresne
He said, stir up the gift of God which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. Verse 7. He says, For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but a power and of love and of a sound mind. He was telling him, don't Let fear keep you from stirring up what's in you. Now, see, he was facing opposition. Fear had shown up in the life of Timothy. And what did it do? It kept him from wanting to stir pot. Stir up what's in you, stir it up, because what's in you, God's already given you the spirit of power. You have power to get past that fear. You have the authority, you have the anointing that abides in you to get past that fear. Now you stir it up. Don't let your gift go without flowing just because you don't want more opposition. So many people back off so that they can avoid opposition. You've got so much more in you to overcome any opposition that ever comes against you.
- [17:36]
Audience
Amen.
- [17:37]
Nancy Dufresne
Can I tell you what, what's in you becomes addictive when it's flowing. When my husband went home to be with the Lord Unexpectedly in 2013, there were eight major projects that he had been working on. And he had been trying for five years to complet these projects. Two of them were constructions of buildings. So I'm talking about larger projects, not something that could be completed in a day. And for five years he had been working to bring those to completion within one year. God enabled us. Every single one of them were finished and plus half of the debt was gone. And I'm talking about several millions was gone. And what was it? I could. Listen, I could have just thrown in the towel and said, I'm just not taking all this on. I just. Because I really had no role in those projects. He was the one that was handling the business side and handling all that. I had no role. But I had to stir myself up and I had to take hold of that thing. And when I did, I tell you what, there was such divine help that came every single day and it became addictive. Ah. I mean, there was a. There's a momentum with your victory. There's a momentum of faith. I would get up and I'm telling you, I had to deal with lawyers, I had to deal with bankers, I had to deal with the city, I had to deal with business people. I had to deal with all kinds of lawsuit threats. I had to deal with all kinds of things, one heaped on top of another, financial responsibilities, one heaped on top of another. And I said, I do not have to carry this. I will not carry this because I have the help of the greater one. I am yoked up with him. I am yoked up with power. I am yoked up with the anointing and the anointing will destroy every single opposition of this. And I would remind myself, and I would tell God, I refused to go to bed thinking about any of this. I refuse to wake up thinking about any of this. I refuse. And I tell you what, I had to on purpose, pay strict attention to my thought life. Why? Because there was much opposition. There were many adversaries. Why? To see if we were going to lay down and quit going the direction that the Word had put us in and that obedience to the Word had put us in, and that the anointing and the call of God had put us in. And I refused to give up an inch. I said, in fact, we're going to gain ground in the face of this. We're gaining ground. And so I. I would get up in the morning, and it didn't happen every single morning at the same time, but I'd get up and I'd be getting dressed, and all of a sudden I'd feel that anointing drop on me tangibly. And I go, uh oh, something's fixing to try to show up. The anointing preceded the opposition every single time I paid attention. And you've heard me say, connect the dots. When that anointing would come, it wasn't just so I could say I felt the anointing. It came to do a work. The anointing is there to do a work, not just so you can feel it or sense it. It's there to do a work. And so I would tangibly sense that anointing drop on me, and I'd go, all right, we're ready now. Come on, let's go play. And every single time, within 15 to 20 minutes, there would come some kind of communication, some kind of threat, some kind of opposition. But it was already too late. The anointing had already showed up. And I dealt with that in the power of the anointing. I didn't deal with that in the power of my mind and the power of my own resolve. I dealt with it by faith. And I tell you what, every time that happened, I grew stronger. My faith grew stronger. You know what this harps back to? It's what Joshua and Caleb said when they went. They were sent out by Moses with 10 other spies to spy out the promised land that God said was theirs. Ten of those spies came back talking doubt and unbelief. Oh, there's giants in the land. Oh, we're grasshoppers in our side. Oh, we're grasshoppers in their side. They came back talking about them. Joshua and Caleb Came back talking about God, and they said, yeah, there's giants in the land. We saw what you saw. We're not oblivious. We saw what you saw. But I love what they said. But they, the giants, they're bread for us. Ah, we going to eat them. It's going to be nourishment. We're going to take our victory and we're going to grow in strength. They're bread for us. The hotter the bread, the better it tastes, baby. The meaner the opposition. It's hot. That's all right. It tastes better going down. I'm going to eat it. My faith. By faith, I eat this. And that's exactly what would happen. I could sense that anointing come on me. And in that anointing coming, I knew that there was opposition coming. But the anointing had already authorized me, empowered me. And I want you to know, whether you feel anointing or not, it's in you. Stir it up, draw on it. You win by the anointing. It's what the word says. Not by might, not by power, but what by the Spirit.
- [23:18]
Audience
Amen.
- [23:18]
Nancy Dufresne
The Spirit brings that anointing.
- [23:21]
Audience
Amen.
- [23:22]
Nancy Dufresne
And so every single time that opposition would show up, it was no. I was at complete peace. Why? Because the anointing had already showed up, and it was going. And I just stayed in the flow of that anointing. I just remember I'd answer things with the Word. I didn't have to get in the. I didn't have to get in the mental arena and figure out my answer. I just answered with the Word. And within a year, every single one of those were handled, completed, brought to completion. Half of the debt was gone. Millions of dollars. And then, not only that, we had advanced in the plan of God. Instead of the tragedy of my husband's unexpected homegoing stopping us, we stepped over it and we kept going. That's what your future is to look like. Just step over it and keep going. And what I meant to say in saying all that was this. It was an addictive flow. Oh, man, that faith flow, that anointing flow, that victory flow. I mean, you get up every morning and say, I can't wait. I can't wait. Not that you're looking for the devil, but you're looking for your next victory, the next place to exercise your victory.
- [24:31]
Audience
Amen.
- [24:32]
Nancy Dufresne
You're not devil conscious. You're victory conscious, God conscious, anointing conscious. Because that's what's on the inside of you, and that's what puts you over. There's anointing on the word, spend it, don't leave it unstirred. Stir it up.
- [24:48]
Audience
Amen.
- [24:49]
Nancy Dufresne
Hallelujah. And when you, when there comes that opposition, part of that opposition is against your mind. It's against your mind. And primarily that's the primary place it is, is against your mind even, and you've heard me say it before, is that every attack, whether it's a financial attack, a physical attack, an attack on your marriage, on your business, on your home, on your children, every single one of those attacks will be accompanied with an attack on the mind. Every single one. Why? Because the devil's got to get you thinking wrong for the attack to work. So he tries to insert wrong thinking. But if he can't get you thinking wrong, no attack in any arena will work against your life. I don't care what arena.
- [25:33]
Audience
Amen.
- [25:35]
Nancy Dufresne
So Paul was reminding Timothy, Stir up that gift. Don't let the threat of fear back you down from going further. Don't let it make you regress and step back and draw back. You keep pressing, you keep going forward.
- [25:51]
Audience
Amen.
- [25:52]
Nancy Dufresne
Because he said, God's not given you the spirit of fear. God's not a participant in that. God's given you power. He's given you the authority, the anointing, to get past that. He's given you his love. His love will see to it. If his love handed you victory, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. It was love that even handed you victory and won victory for you.
- [26:18]
Audience
Amen.
- [26:19]
Nancy Dufresne
And then he's given you a sound mind. Don't let this fear mess up your thinking. Don't let this opposition mess up your thinking. And take your thinking off.
- [26:28]
Audience
Amen.
- [26:31]
Nancy Dufresne
Victory tastes so good. Those giants taste good going down.
- [26:38]
Audience
Amen.
- [26:39]
Nancy Dufresne
Hallelujah. You're authorized. Eat up that opposition. I love what somebody asked Dr. Lillian B. Yeomans, a medical doctor who became a woman preacher. And they said, is there any diet you. You would highly recommend? She said, yes, there is a diet of giants. She said, with every giant, just eat it up and have a thriving, robust faith. Amen. Hallelujah. Well, we've been teaching out of our book a sound discipline mind. We want you to get your copy. Go to defrainministries.org and let us know you want it and we'll get it right out to you. Until next time, remember, Jesus is the healer. God bless you.
- [27:18]
Kenneth Copeland
To watch or listen to today's message and other messages by Nancy dufresne, visit dufresneministries.org Please join us for our annual Ladies Conference at World Harvest church in Marietta, California, October 4th through the 6th. Everyone is welcome to attend. For more information, visit our website@DefrainMinistries.org.
- [27:48]
Nancy Dufresne
It.
- [27:48]
Unknown
Is possible to live untroubled and undisturbed, even in the presence of the enemy. Nancy Dufresne teaches how to close the door to worry, fear and doubt in this book about the peace of God. Order this book now@dufresneministries.org.
- [28:09]
Kenneth Copeland
We trust you've enjoyed this message. Visit us at defrainministries. Org to learn of our upcoming meetings, share your testimony, submit a prayer request, or visit our online store. Thank you to the friends and partners of defrain Ministries for making this production possible.