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- [00:01]
Nancy Dufresne
Thank you to Kenneth Copeland Ministries for sowing the airtime for this broadcast.
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Kenneth Copeland
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 not. Try 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 to have you with us today for Jesus the healer. Thank you for joining us. And I tell you what, the. The Word won't disappoint you. God. God's word never disappoints. And so we thank you for joining us. Listen, get your Bible and get a notepad and a pen or something because we want you to take notes as you go. And I believe that God speaks to you through these episodes and you don't want to miss those things or let go of those things. We've been teaching on the mind, and I'm so thankful that God's had us going that direction because every single flow of our life is connected to what think. Every single arena is affected by how we think. And so thank God, God is reminding us of the all conquering word that deals with the thought life. Amen. We've been using as our golden text 2 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 7 where Paul was writing to Timothy and he said, for God has not given us the spirit of fear, but a power, love and a sound mind. Look at this. He has given us a sound mind. It belongs to us. It's not about God praying or you praying to God. God, give me a sound mind. He's already made it yours as part of your inheritance in Christ. But we have to know how to handle that sound mind. We have to give that sound mind the right food and that's the food of the Word. We have to know. We have to know what is the right thing to keep us in soundness. What is the wrong thing that would draw us out of soundness? And so thank God for the Word. The more we feed on the Word, the more our soundness becomes obvious. Amen. The amplified translation says this about the sound mind. It says it's a calm mind, it's a well balanced mind. It's a disciplined mind. It's a self controlled mind that lets us know we have a part to play in this. It's up to us to discipline it. God's not going to discipline our thought life, we discipline it and he's given us the means whereby we can discipline it. And it's the thoughts of His Word. Amen. It's called the renewing of the mind. We were talking about in the previous episode how important it is that we learn to answer things that oppose right thinking, that oppose soundness of mind. You have to answer it, you have to talk to it. Don't just wait for things to leave you alone, talk to them. I was thinking about this. There was a woman that I knew of years ago and she had a bout with kidney stones and she had to have medical attention to help her get her through that. And she had a son that was a Christian and, and he came over and he prayed for her at different times. And he told her, he said, mom, if this ever tries to happen again, answer it. He said, talk to it. Tell it you won't allow it into your body. So he was able to help her, you know, the first time to deal with it. But she was talking about that, I don't know, maybe six months or so later she was at home and all of a sudden that same old pain that she was aware of with that kidney stones, it struck her and she went to the floor, you know, and she was on the floor and she remembered what her son had told her. And as she laid there now, see, she didn't herself know much about healing. She had never been a student of healing scripture, so to speak, but she was born again and her authority belonged to her. And she said, I was laying there in the floor and I remembered that this is something I can talk to and not something I have to go through the process of, but something I can talk to. And said. And she did. And she said instantly, that thing left and she never had another bout. Why is that? She answered it. See, you have to answer things that try to trouble your mind, things that try to trouble your health, things that try to trouble your finances, thoughts that try to trouble your marriage, tries to trouble your business, your children. It's all open to your answer, it's all waiting for your answer, every single thing. And so when this woman answered, there was an immediate change because when the right answer is given, the wrong thing has to leave. The wrong thing can only come in with wrong thinking. But when you answer right, wrong things can't come in. And many times people are waiting for God to do something about what they're facing. And they're authorized to answer. And that's where they're missing it. They're laying down the answer in the face of opposition instead of putting that answer in their mouth. And really, someone else can only answer for you for a short time. As you grow, as you grow up spiritually, God expects you to grow up spiritually. He expects you not to rely on just your pastor answering it, or another Christian answering for you, or a spouse answering for you, or a loved one answering for you. When you're a baby Christian, God will allow their answers for you. But there comes a time that as you grow up, he expects us all to put the answer in our own mouth. And you say, well, I don't understand why he does that. Well, it's the same thing within a home. When a child is born, we do everything for that child. We dress it, we feed it, we carry it, we put it to bed, we wake it, we do everything for that child. But wouldn't it be odd if that child was 21 and we're still dressing it and we're still carrying it and that child doesn't have any responsibilities in the household? Something's wrong. Well, even so, spiritually, God's not raising a family that's incapable. He's raising us to be capable and victorious with His Word. That's why when we're baby Christians, he will allow someone else to help. And we can always have the encouragement of someone else. But, you know, even the prayer of agreement is the prayer of agreement, meaning two are agreeing. It's not the praying of one, it's the praying of two that agree. Even when someone else is praying the prayer of agreement for you or with you, you're not dismissed from agreeing. You still have to bring your faith that agrees because it calls for two. You're really borrowing someone's faith in the prayer of agreement. But you're never dismissed from your own. When you're a baby Christian, sometimes God will allow someone else to answer in your behalf. But as you grow, God is not raising a family of people that are incapable. And he's not going to train us to lean on someone else. He trains us to lean on His Word. Amen. And so we need to learn to answer things for ourself. You have to know this. Everything that is yours in Christ, every blessing that belongs to you in Christ, the devil is always trying to steal it from you. Always. He's trying to Rob from you everything God's ever blessed you with. I don't care if you've been saved a short time or 50 years. It doesn't matter. He's always trying to rob us. What stops him? Us answering him, not us feeling like we're God's people. We are God's people. But whether we feel like it or not, that opposition calls for an answer. I don't know. In school, if you ever had an oral exam. Did any of y' all ever have an oral exam? I think they did that more so when you got, like, in high school and college, you would have an oral examination. When the professor questioned you at that oral exam, you couldn't just say, I know the answer. You couldn't just say, I know the answer. He doesn't care that your mind knows the answer. He doesn't care that that might be so much a part of you that it's in your heart. He doesn't care. You better say it if you want to pass this test and you can't. And he asks the question again, and you go, I know that answer. I know that. I know it. I know it. I know it. F you flunk, you fail. Why? It's not what you know, it's what you answer. Now, we'll answer based on what we know. But it's not enough to know some things. And too many times we've got our mouth quiet in the face of opposition. There we go. But a sound mind not only knows the answer, it gives the answer. Amen. Praise the Lord. Everything God's blessed you with, the devil's trying to steal it from you. So when opposition shows up, when lack shows up, when symptoms show up, answer it. Answer it. Have your answer ready. Amen. Have your answer ready. It's called a counterattack. The enemy will launch a counterattack. Anytime you've received something from God, the devil tries to come back. I forgot. Even I think it was in World War II that I had heard a report. A military man who was part of a. He was part of a military group that had taken some ground of land. And he said, we took it nine times. Times. What was it? They took it and lost it. Do what? To a counterattack. And he said we had to take it again and take it again. Why? Because they kept losing it. And he said, but the last time we took it, we took it and held it. Okay? Yes, it's the same thing. I don't care how many times you've let go of your victory. Take it again. Take it again. I don't care how many times sin have stayed and come back and stayed and come back and you ran off. Take it again and then do what the Word tells us. Hold fast to that which you have now. I'm telling you how to hold fast. You answer it. That's how you hold fast. You answer it. You refuse to be swayed off the Word by answering, talking to it. Well, I just get tired of standing my ground. Then do you want to lose it? Amen. Don't get into that mental arena of I'm tired. If you're full of the Word and full of the Spirit, it will energize and fortify and strengthen you. You have divine strength. You're not doing this with willpower. With your own human effort. You have divine help. I tell you, the power of the Word will infuse God's strength and might in you. Amen. So? So don't even buy into I'm tired of it. That's wrong thinking. That's a thought that we all have to reject and resist and answer. Say, I'm never tired of winning. Never tired, never tired of it. Amen. I love the account of a businessman, that he was in fact a billionaire. And he, at some point, I don't know, all the ins and outs of his company and his business, but he ended up losing nearly everything. And he. Afterwards, after maybe two years or so, he got it all back. Why? Because although he lost his commodities, he didn't lose his knowledge. That's right. Yes. Yes. And so even though he lost financially, it looked like everything was gone. And it was gone because of his knowledge. He could get it all back. And he did get it all back. And he got back that and more. That's what I want you to know. I don't care how many times you've let go of things that belong to you. You still have the knowledge of the Word and the knowledge that still is yours. Lay hold of it. Amen. Amen. How do you lay hold of it? With your words. With your words. It's not. And the thing is, is that it's still yours all along. It's the enemy trying to take it from you. He's trying to take from you what is yours. See that? Businessman lost commodity. But he couldn't lose knowledge. And so in maintaining that knowledge, he. He got back into his possession and started enjoying again what he had knowledge of. And so know this. Just because there's a counterattack doesn't mean the word's failing you. That's right. Doesn't mean the word isn't working. Jesus said when the evil spirit has gone out of a man, or just when an evil spirit leaves a man alone, says he goes and he can't find rest, he goes to a dry place, can't find rest, he comes back to that same house seeking entrance. So what's he telling you? There's a counter attack coming and you just need to be ready, armed with the word in your mouth. Amen. And it's not enough to know the answer, give the answer, and don't lay down your answer. So many times people lay down their faith in the face of opposition, and they go back to the natural way of responding. They get back in their emotions and they start crying or weeping. That's not your help. Amen. Pick that faith back up, get back in your faith. Amen. And answer things. Answer things. Answer things. Now, our usefulness to God will be determined by how well we know how to answer. As our knowledge of the Word grows, our usefulness to God grows. Now notice that our usefulness to God grows. I didn't say value. I said usefulness. We never lose value, not with God. Why? Because we were purchased with the precious blood, precious price. That's our value. But we never lose or diminish in value. But we can grow in usefulness. I want to be more and more useful when people don't know how to answer, then they won't be useful to God in a situation that calls for an answer. Amen. Amen. I want to learn how to answer. Become skillful. Right with the answer of God in your mouth. Because then God can use us in greater ways to help people who don't know how to answer. Listen, we've all been there when we didn't know how to answer and people helped us. God had someone to help us who knew answers and knew how to put them in their mouth. And not just waiting for a feeling of victory, but they had the answer of victory in their mouth. Amen. Now go with me, if you would, to Luke chapter four, because we want to look at. We want to look at this even in the life of Jesus. It may take us a couple of episodes to get through just this part. So if we don't get it all out today, you don't want to miss the next episode. Luke chapter 4 and verse. Verse 1 will start. Luke 4. 1 and it reads, and Jesus, look at this being full of the Holy Ghost. Now why does it say this? Jesus had just come from the River Jordan where he was baptized by John the Baptist. Remember, John the Baptist saw The Holy Spirit in the form of a dove coming down upon Jesus. Who what was that? Symbolic of the anointing of God coming on Jesus for his earthly ministry. And until he was anointed, he did not launch out into his ministry. This didn't happen till he was 30 years old. This means until he was 30, miracles weren't being worked because he hadn't been anointed yet. But when the anointing came on him at that baptism, the Holy Ghost came on him and anointed him. Verse 1. And this is where we see Jesus in. He just came from that location of being baptized. So Jesus being. Look at this. Full of the Holy Ghost, there is protection and fullness. Full of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Full of the Holy Ghost. Full of the Word fullness is your safe place. And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost. Notice Jesus even needed to be full. Jesus needed. Jesus needed to be full. We need to be full. Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan where he was baptized. Look at this. And was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. I like even just taking a few of these extra words out and even read it this way and still be correct. Cause it shows us something. And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost was led by the Spirit. And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost was led by the Spirit. When you're full, it's easier to know the leading of God. Fullness helps you to distinguish how you're being led. So Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost, returned from Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. So the Spirit led him into the wilderness. But the Spirit did not tempt him in the wilderness. See, this is the wilderness of temptation. We know that he faced being tempted for 40 days and 40 nights is what the word says. It specifies three of those temptations. But the Spirit led him there. But the Spirit didn't tempt him. The Spirit led him there. And in that place of temptation, he demonstrated his skill and he demonstrated mastery. And the whole time of 40 days and 40 nights, you know what it was answering the whole time. Answering, answering. Just answer, answer, answer. Let's read some of this. So verse two, it says, being 40 days tempted of the devil. So what? He's there for 40 days and the devil's there the whole time. Right? 40 days, being tempted of the devil. Now let me ask you this. This span of time, we could call that a season of temptation, couldn't we? Have you ever had that where it seems like blow after blow? Ye. Does that mean that your faith Isn't working? No, Jesus faith was working and he was in that season. Does it mean the word wasn't working? No, Jesus was the word. And he was in that season for 40 days and 40 nights. But listen, we also see, because he answered right in that season of temptation, he never went through another season like that again. That's it. Amen. So people say, why do I keep going, Going through the same things over and over and again. You have to show skill and mastery. Because when you don't, the devil will bring it back around. Bring it back around. But once you. Once you show yourself his master, because you are his master, once you demonstrate that mastery, he doesn't bring that back around because he doesn't like getting whipped anymore than you do. Yeah. That's why Jesus never entered that season again, because he answered right. Why are we sometimes facing things over and over again? It's waiting for our right answer. So again, verse 2, Luke 4. Two, being 40 days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing. So basically he was fasting. And when they were ended those 40 days, he afterward hungered. Now let me ask you this. Let me back up to the first part of the second verse. Being 40 days tempted of the devil, do you think Jesus answered right the first day? Sure. Yes. He can't answer wrong the first day and come out Victor. Right. He answered right every time. Yet the temptations continue. Just because something's continuing doesn't mean you're failing. Better learn it, better know it. Because the devil will try to say, now see, if you had faith enough, you wouldn't be facing this. He's a liar. And don't let him counsel you in your faith life. He's got none of it. He doesn't have the faith of God. He has a faith, but not the faith of God. You say, what do you mean the devil has faith? Well, the Bible said that demons also believe and tremble, but they don't have the faith of God. They do believe some things. So don't let your enemy counsel you. You start listening to counsel from the enemy and you'll end up as depressed as him. You'll end up as fearful as. As him, as worried as he is, because he is a fearful being. And don't you forget that he wants you to share in his flow and it doesn't belong to you. Verse 2. Being 40 days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing. And when they were ended, he afterward hungered. Look at verse three. And the devil said, how did the devil tempt him. He said. He said something to us. The only thing the devil has left. Cause see, Jesus spoiled principalities and powers. The only thing he has left in our life is the power of suggestion. He says something, verse 3. And the devil said unto him, if thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. Now see, we could teach a lot of different directions on this. That's not my intent today. I'm wanting to show you the power and the place of answering. Yes. So the devil said unto him, if thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. So many times people think, if I was in faith and if I was in victory, I wouldn't be hearing what the devil said. Well, Jesus heard him. You think you're any better than Jesus? If Jesus heard, you're going to hear. You're going to hear the enemy. Quit being impressed. Don't be afraid. Don't be awed by who's speaking to you. Be completely unimpressed. Amen. The Devil said unto Jesus. The devil talked to him, if thou be the Son of God. Now notice, notice right words end with wrong words. The Son of God. Right words. If wrong word. So this is the devil's strategy. He feeds enough right word, but inserts some wrong so that if you'll accept the right, you also swallow the wrong. Jesus caught him. Because I want you to know, the devil plays games. He plays word games. Word games. Word games. Word games. You better recognize words. Word games. Amen. Well, I could go a lot of different ways on that, but verse three, the devil said to Jesus, if thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. Well let me say this. Why would Jesus want to take his instruction on how to use his authority from Satan? Why am I turning it to bread? Because you said so. Uh huh, Right. Yeah, but he's trying to see, he's trying to make Jesus mindful of his need. Your need. You're hungry, so do something based on your need. You don't do something based on your need. You do something based on the Word. Glory to God. We're not led by our needs. We're led by the Word. We're led by the Spirit of God. That's right. And so Jesus is. So he's Satan's trying to lead him. He's trying to lead him in how he's going to use his authority. And he said, the devil said, if thou be the Son of God, command that this stone be made bread. Look at verse four. And Jesus answered. And Jesus answered. And Jesus answered, the devil may start talking, but you be the last one to answer. You be the last one talking about I said, you be the last one talking. And Jesus answered and saying, it is written that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. He said, even if I took my authority and turned it into bread, that's not what sustains me. His Word sustains me. Don't you try to get he was trying to get him to rely on something that wasn't sustaining. Natural only sustains natural. But it's the Word of God that is our life. Amen. Well, these are some of the things we're doing teaching in the book. Answer it. We want you to get your copy. Go to defrainministries.org and let us know you want that and we'll get it out to you. And until next time, remember this Jesus is the healer. God bless you.
- [27:24]
Nancy Dufresne
To watch or listen to today's message and other messages by Nancy Dufresne, visit dufresneministries.org.
- [27:35]
Kenneth Copeland
Nancy Dufresne teaches how to close the door to worry, fear and doubt in this book about the people. Order this book now@dufresneministries.org.
- [27:49]
Nancy Dufresne
Please join us for our annual Holy Ghost Meetings in Marietta, California, January 6th through the 11th, 2023 with Nancy Dufresne. We are also excited to welcome Kenneth Copeland and Richard Roberts as our special guests. For more information, please visit our website@DefrainMinistries.org we trust you've enjoyed this message. Visit us@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 Dufresne Ministries for making this production possible.