Sunday Morning Worship | Pastor Whitley

you may be seated we greet you in the precious name of Jesus it's such an honor and a privilege to be back in the house of the Lord with each and every one of you let me add my voice to Pastor Whitley Bishop McCool who've gone before me to say welcome to this service to all of our guests I say a special welcome to my cousin sister Yolanda Johnson because I love you dearly and uh I sure am enjoying getting to entertain your grandbabies while you're in Maryland uh we I just have to rub it in a little bit much of her family are here now and we're so blessed and honored to have them and and uh sister Yolanda all I can say is you and Brother Don he did a good job and we're we're blessed to have much of your family with us at First Apostolic church and all want to say thank you for all the kind birthday wishes and cards that we've received time would not permit me to individually mention all the wonderful things but suffice I've read every card that I received I've done my best to respond to every text if I didn't it was an oversight but I received so many wonderful birthday wishes thank you for your liberal offering thank you so much for always caring about the McCool family on special days and I had the the privilege this past Friday of journeying with our high school students to Atlanta Georgia for a field trip they went to the Coca-Cola Museum and then to the aquarium and just had a wonderful day of Fellowship uh sister Sandy brother Derek Pastor Anthony uh sister Christy uh and oh thank you especially brother William and brother vanilla for uh fairing that's down there and our buses what a wonderful job we had our day we had and what a wonderful job they did uh journeying down there just getting to be a part of uh the uh the activities of apostolic Christian School and the things that Apostolic Kitty Academy does and when it got back I had a stack of birthday cards from the fifth grade I'm talking about they have ever more done some work and I would love to read every one of the some of the greatest artwork you'll ever see uh and just some of the most wonderful messages but time would not permit me to read every one of them but I had to pick out a couple just to give you a little part of it to to let you know how intelligent and how awesome our fifth grade students as well as all of our students are this one says to Pastor McCool from [name redacted] and it said this happy birthday you deserve the best one thank you for helping me grow in Christ from a sprout to a tree isn't that awesome [Applause] [Music] still another one this is from [name redacted] it says Dear Pastor McCool and she circled the c-o-o-l aw Pastor cool I like that you're the best pastor and I mean it so thank you for always sticking with God and we love you and then I I found one that did not have a name on it I guess this individual was more interested in the artwork but it says happy birthday Pastor McCool you are the best pastor in the world and I mean it [Music] and there's a drawing of an automobile that says you get a Lambo [Music] so now all you folks that aren't hip that's short for Lamborghini so I'll be checking my parking lot and seeing what what shows up thanks everyone for your kind words and kind thoughts and it truly is the greatest opportunity to be with a great family like First Apostolic church I want to get to the word of the Lord this morning what a wonderful presence of the Lord we've already experienced thank you for all who've led us and praise and worship and facilitated this service to this point but I want to get to a few verses found in the book of second Corinthians the second chapter second Corinthians the second chapter we're going to begin reading at verse Number Eight Second Corinthians 2 beginning at verse number eight wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him [Music] for to this end also did I write that I might know the proof of you whether ye be obedient in all things to whom ye forgive anything I forgive also for if I forgave anything to whom I forgave it for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ and please notice verse 11. lest Satan should get an advantage of us for we are not ignorant of his devices we are not ignorant of his devices everyone in the house say I'm not ignorant boy isn't that a good Proclamation some folks like me I have to do that by faith [Music] I want to for a few moments speak to you on this subject dealing with dangerous devices dealing with dangerous devices let's pray savior I love you I'm grateful for this wonderful spirit that we're already experiencing Lord I Thank you for every individual who chose to be in your house today now father I know you have made us able to receive now God your word is forever seld and let us receive it in our hearts and let us act on what your word would tell us to do for all of us we're grateful and thankful in Jesus name we pray amen dealing with dangerous devices I read to you from the FBI news April of 2022 this year some families of Aging United States were veterans are finding unexpected and highly dangerous souvenirs among their loved ones belongings ticking time bombs service members either brought the devices home from their combat service or purchased to them later most of the devices found today come from World War One which the United States entered 105 years ago in the month of April of this year World War II Korea Vietnam or the Gulf War known as military ordinance these devices can remain intact for decades but explode without notice they're highly dangerous and only a trained bomb technician should handle them and that's exactly what the FBI's bomb technicians do FBI bomb squads have disabled explosive materials from as early as the Civil War the Army Corps of engineer found cannonballs from that era at the bottom of the Mississippi River when they were dredging in January the FBI Eastern Missouri bomb task force did a controlled detonation of these PR of the Civil War era cannonballs in January of this year a total of three cannonballs were found when the Army Corps of engineer dredged the Mississippi River quote usually what happens is when a veteran passes away a fam family members are cleaning out their items usually in a basement a garage or an attic they'll come across something that is known or suspect as military ordinance said special agent Patrick Carolyn a bomb technician with the FBI's St Louis field office they call their local police and we work with the police departments bomb squad the FBI's St Louis field office typically typically gets one call per week for suspected military ordinance the number has accelerated in recent years with large numbers of elderly veterans now dying the office was so concerned about the safer safety risk that they launched a public campaign in January they asked for the public to call in if they recognized any of these devices on their own the bomb squad received 17 calls that week and more came in subsequently in weeks that followed in addition to dealing with these unintentional dangers hazardous hazardous device units also known as the bomb squad have become a necessary part of most police forces in the majority of metropolitan cities in the United States and around the world bad people with bad intentions try to use all types of devices and destruction to intimidate and terrorize the general population for some Twisted Personal Agenda they create all types of dangerous devices to accomplish their schemes well according to our text Satan is trying to get an advantage of us by using his devices these devices that Satan uses are much more dangerous because they are devices that destroy the soul Jesus said in Matthew 10 28 and fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and Body in Hell Satan's devices are soul Killers Satan's devices are far more lethal than a dirty bomb or an incendiary device but I've got good news for you today we are not ignorant I said we are not ignorant we know something about his devices but ever so often it's good for us to re-educate ourselves and revisit just some of the things that the enemy will try to do to destroy your soul he has devices that he uses on the Saints and on Sinners alike because his ultimate aim is to destroy your soul so with that in mind let me re-identify some things it's been said in the natural world if you see something say something I say in the spirit world if you see something pray something call on the name of Jesus when you see the enemy using his devices we need to destroy some things and not let them destroy us if you will Ephesians 6 11 and 12 says put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against The Wiles of the devil now if you look up that word Wiles it's defined as a trick or a stratagem intended to ensnare deceive lure or entice The Wiles of the devil his tricks his strategies if you will for we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities against Powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness in high places one of his main devices or I would title it maybe two is darkness and deception the enemy wants to take the darkness of this world and bring deception to your life and deceive you against what God has good for you don't be ignorant when people start repenting when marriages start being restored when families start being reunited when the laws start coming into the church when prayer is made in the church the enemy gets upset and he starts trying to bring darkness and deception so he can destroy what's going on don't be ignorant don't let him blow up something in your life never mistake we are living in a dark dark world a dark world of deception yes I get my mind blown sometime because they're absolutely principalities and powers of Darkness that are trying to invade our lives every day when we legalize the physical mutilation of confused children we're living in a dark dark world of deception when we advocate for same-sex marriage and the killing of innocent unborn children we're living in a dark dark society and the enemy's deception is telling people they're losing their rights when all the time they're wanting the right to murder I realize this is not politically correct but I'm not slowing down you better hear what the preacher's saying we're living in darkness and deception bad's good Good's bad let me tell you don't be deceived by the principalities and powers and the weakness wickedness that's trying to mess up some Minds today first Peter 4 1 said for as much then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh arm yourselves oh Cena there's some folks oh man I can't wait to get the gun shop today you better read it all we're not out here as Vigilantes trying to destroy the flesh it says arm yourselves likewise with the same mind you got to get your mind right you got to think like Jesus you got to have Jesus care Jesus was loving he wasn't going out shooting and bombing things Jesus loved folks but he stood against wrong and he stood against evil we've got to have the same mind as Christ has or arm yourself likewise with the same mind for he that hath suffered In the Flesh has ceased from sinning he and he that no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lust of men but to the will of God I'm not ignorant today I'm aware of his devices verse 3 identifies for the time past of our life may suffice us to have brought the will of the Gentiles when we walked in lasciviousness in lust excessive wine reveling banqueting and abominable idolatries that's the way we used to live but when we get our mind right when we get the mind of Christ and notice it says wherein they think it not strange that you run not with them to the same excess of right speaking evil of you let me hear you sometimes when you change your lifestyle when you change your thinking the folks that you used to run with say what's wrong with you what you mean you're going to church what what do you mean you're going to take Thanksgiving and you're going to go to a youth convention yeah what do you mean you you're not going to come party with us what's your problem so they'll speak evil of you arm yourselves with like-mindedness of Christ think like Christ stop running with the old crowd avoid spiritual ignorance Jesus told us how to deal with Darkness he simply said this in Matthew 5 14. ye are the light of the world ye are the light of the world a city that set on a hill that cannot be hid let me tell you the darker it gets the brighter the Apostolic Church ought to shine the darker it gets outside it should be there's something different I can see light right there when the darkness starts closing in when all those horrible things around us this needs to be the bright shining place that's the example of what Christ is like that's what we must be don't let darkness and deception be the devices that destroy you well I've got that part but let me give you a couple more devices that you need to be aware of be aware of Discord and disruption Proverbs 6 12 says a naughty person a wicked man walketh with a fraud mouth he winketh with his eyes he's speaketh with his feet he teacheth with his fingers frawwardness is in his heart he divides a Mischief continually he soweth Discord a lot of words there that we need to be redefining in our life what's Discord Discord is disagreement between people a lack of agreement or Harmony decision conflict talk about an incendiary device the enemy will blow up the church any way he can if he can get jealousy envy and strife in the church not among the world in the church if he can find folks keeping their eyes on each other rather than keeping their eye on Jesus if he can find us out of harmony with each other if he can find conflict and dissension suddenly he's planted a device in the church it said fraudeness is in his heart what does fraudeness mean to be fraud word means willingly disobedient in other words I didn't disobey by accident I did it on purpose obstinately obstinately self-willed It's All About Me refusing to concur conform or submit contrary and the last definition is ornery boy I get worried when folks get ornery in the church self-willed disobedient and let me tell you this the most fraud were children fraud moms and dads and I know that's great Enlightenment to some but if you are disobedient if you are obstinate and self-willed if you refer you refuse to obey any of the rules well I just don't agree with this and I just don't agree with that don't expect your kids to be anything else but watch you're an example of them being [Applause] oh I just don't see it that way you know I believe I can go to heaven and I don't have to let me tell you there are some things that we do I said it last week but in case you didn't hear it there are some things we do unto the Lord that that particular thing may or may not be a heaven or hell issue there are disciplines that we practice that we do it unto the Lord and for ourselves and someone else may or may not do those things as a discipline into the Lord but my attitude towards some things can make my Disobedience the sin not the ACT it's my attitude it's my spirit [Applause] now I I realize that this deep water for some folks man I just want a set of rules I'm going to follow these no don't work that way now I can take you to the Natural some of y'all gonna think this really bothers me because I bring it up in the Pulpit a lot but I there are some folks that are special people at least in their View that's the people when the interstate Narrows down to one lane and they've got those orange barrels they're the folks that are allowed to pass everybody else and go to the front and squeeze in special people y'all know people I'm talking about you know no one else is supposed to do that but they're allowed to pass and get in front of everybody else because they're special and God help us because most of us we want to pull out and block both lanes so they can't be special anymore can I get a witness in the house am I preaching where we live there are special people that none of the rules really apply to them they are always the exception now they they they're just they're special people that's called being obstinately self-willed you refuse to concur conform or submit your contrary your ornery let me tell you we as Saints have to be careful or we can unwittingly become the Pawns of Satan to be a Discord sower and constantly cause disruption in the church and just come to church let's have church together keep your eyes off everybody else man if somebody else gets to sing the song you want to sing don't worry about you'll get to sing sometime sing out there in the Pew sing in the shower you know don't worry about what somebody else is doing God's got a plan for you your time don't sit around in the Molly grubs saying nobody ever gave me a chance to do this just just come to church and let's have church together how about it nobody's trying to get to the front of the line we're gonna have to wait sometimes [Applause] man I better move quickly and let me name just a few more devices that the enemy will try to plant discouragement he'll demoralize you divisions and yes delusion Ephesians 4 22 said that you put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts and be renewed in the spirit of your mind you don't talk the way you used to you don't talk about the things you used to in sin you don't let those things stay in your mind you're changing your way of thinking and that you put on the new man whichever God has created in righteousness and true holiness [Applause] I find it that the word says what it says and means what it means notice it says true Holiness that lets me know that there's false holiness true Holiness starts on the inside and works its way to the outside let me say that again true Holiness starts on the inside but it'll work its way to the outside it's not the inverse preacher are you preaching against looking holy no I'm preaching against looking holy and not being holy on the inside there's an attitude and a condition we can never become pharisilical and self-righteous about the way we look about the way we behave but it needs to be a condition of the heart that says I'm the way I am I do what I do I dress the way I dress I act the way I act I go the places I go I conduct myself the way I do because I've got the mind of Christ he cleaned my heart up he made me fresh he made me new I'm not following a bunch of rules and regulations but my heart's been changed my mind's been cleaned up oh Hallelujah wherefore putting away lying speak every man truth with his neighbor for we are members one of another be ye angry and sin not be ye angry and sin not when the special people pass you you may get angry but don't try to wreck them be yeah be angry and send sin let not the Sun go down upon your Wrath and you know what verse 27 says neither give place to the devil we ought to make the devil homeless don't let the devil live in your place don't let him be in your heart don't let him be on your radio don't let him be on your playlist on your phone don't let her place he'll plant devices he'll be divisive Satan wants to mess with your mind bring up your old conversations he'll try to make you angry and blow you up Timothy said it this way II Timothy 2 22 flee all so youthful us but follow righteousness Faith charity peace with them that call on the Lord out of pure heart but foolish and unlearned questions avoid knowing that they do gender strives I cannot read this passage of scripture without thinking of our brother Les Daniel brother Les Daniel was one of the greatest Defenders of the apostolic faith or maybe I should call him an apologist of the apostolic faith with good common sensical things we had some kind of event going on and Bishop was down working in the cafeteria brother Daniel was setting up a backdrop for uh uh photographs to be taken and then there was some kind of outside folks I don't know if they were there to to serve food or whatever one one of them right in the middle of all this work going on said preachers speaking to Bishop I want to ask you a question okay he said did Adam and Eve have a belly button boy isn't that a brilliant question man what a theod theological discussion Bishop was trying to be nice and trying to be diplomatic brother the last spoke up said brother McCool telling you don't know whether they had a belly button but tell him ask him if he knows what the keys to the kingdom are ask him if he's been if he's repented of his sin been baptized in Jesus name filled with the Holy Ghost let me tell you don't spend your time with foolish unlearned questions avoid those kind of discussions you need to be telling folks about the love of Jesus about the salvation plan the servant of the Lord must not strive we're not going around looking for an argument we're looking to solve The World's problems the world's problems are solved when everybody gets to know Jesus and get them down in their heart that'll fix the rest of the mess the servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all men apt to teach patient patient there I am that watching those special people again 25 instructing those that oppose themselves if God for adventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by him at his will notice it said in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves we sometimes teach and preach to folks who indulge in self-destructive behavior and lifestyles we're not meeting together just to put together a bunch of rules and say do this and don't do that but there are many folks the enemy has so deceived them has taken them in such darkness that they are living self-destructive Lifestyles they're destroying their health they're destroying their relationships they're destroying their ability to earn a living they're destroying everything and it's self-inflicted he said we can in gentleness instruct folks who oppose themselves this is why we have be free classes thank you brother and sister George and all that were involved in those classes these are for folks who the enemy wants had bound with addictions and habits and God has given them Revelation and we're giving them teaching we're giving them support because they once lived a lifestyle that opposed their own good life Satan wants to discourage he wants to demoralize and then verse 26 6 said that they may recover themselves did you know what I still believe in recovery I said I still believe in recovery the enemy enemy may be telling somebody today you can't recover from the devastation you've gone through your marriage may be in trouble let me tell you God can recover your marriage today if you'll get the mind of Christ your health may seem destroyed by filthy habits that you live let me tell you God wants to recover you today he wants to relieve your addiction and bring you back into the foe don't let the enemy deceive you with the deception that you can't recover and that you cannot be restored God is a god of restoration [Applause] well let me proceed and I'll hasten toward the end musicians and praise teams start making your way up I've got some good news today the enemy is not the only one that has devices if the enemy is going to attack us we're not going to sit back and take it James 4 7 said submit yourselves there to go therefore to God resist the devil and he will flee from you we've got to have a resistance movement I said we've got to have a constant resistance movement I'm tired of Christians always be on the defensive we need to be attacking the enemy he needs to know if the apostolic shows up he's in trouble he needs to know that we have devices as well and we're after tearing his kingdom down it said draw nigh to God he will dry near to you cleanse your hands ye Sinners purify your hearts you double-minded be afflicted in mourn and we let your laughter be turned to mourning and your Joys to heaviness humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up what do they say boom when you humble yourself before the Lord Boom the devil said oh no they're starting to be obedient to the word they're getting their mind like Christ second Corinthians 10 3 said for though we walk in flesh we do not war after flesh the weapons of our Warfare are not carnal we don't use bombs and guns But Mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholdness you see here's some of the weapons we have we have the weapon of Deliverance I said we have the weapon of Deliverance I don't have to read it all I can paraphrase most of you know the story of the Demonic as he was referred to the Bible doesn't call him that but many of us have called him the Demonic of the Gatherings that dwelled in the tombs and they tried to bind him with chains he'd break the chains he'd rip his clothes off and cut himself he'd Chase folks scared folks to death couldn't do anything with him oh but when Jesus showed up you see we're needing Jesus to show up in some situations today when Jesus showed up it said the man saw him from afar off and what did he do he ran and worshiped him let me tell you when Jesus comes on the scene everybody ought to know how to worship I've seen folks that had issues but when Jesus showed up they started worshiping because Deliverance was in the room Deliverance had showed up let me tell you your deliverance is here today your deliverance is here today because Jesus already showed up stand with me and see here's what happened when he saw Jesus afar off he ran and worshiped him and cried with a loud voice and said what have I to do with thee Jesus thou son of the most high God I adjure Thee by God that thou torment me not when Jesus shows up Satan gets tormented I said just the very presence of Jesus brings torment to the enemy yeah and you know Jesus didn't spend a lot of time with any bells and whistles smoke and mirrors [Music] well the Bible says in verse 8 of Mark 5 for Jesus said in him clean spirit as a matter of fact come on half of us need to tell the devil to get out get out of my house get out of my marriage get out of my workplace get out of my out of my relationships get out of my finances you need to just tell him in Jesus name because when Jesus shows now notice Satan had one more ploy because Satan tries to intimidate with numbers apostolics what a minority are you're just a little blip on the screen oh Jesus said what's your name he said my name's Legion for we are many foreign don't let the enemy try to intimidate you with his numbers let me tell you when you've got Jesus on your side you are in the majority there's no minority here we are in the majority Jesus just said come out of the man thou unclean spirit [Music] you see we've got Deliverance [Music] scripture said in Psalms 32 7 Thou Art my Hiding Place Thou shalt preserve me from trouble Pastor Anthony I believe it was preached about The Hiding Place Thou shalt Compass me you will encircle me with songs of Deliverance that's why the praise team that's why the musicians prepare songs of encouragement and strength and they deliver they they remind us he's never lost a battle he's undefeated and I'm on his side most importantly he's on my side if he's undefeated that makes me undefeated I will not lose not only do we have deliverance we have Delight the psalmist said Delight thyself also in the Lord and He Shall give you the desires of your heart you see if you're wanting stuff that you're not getting maybe you're not wanting the right things [Music] if you'll be his Delight he'll fix your want to so you'll want the right things and he'll provide the right things for you psalmist said in Psalms 48 I Delight to do thy will o my God yea the law is within my heart and then I want to go one last place [Music] our first line and device that we must pull out we need to believe are you a Believer are you a person of faith today do you believe because let me show you what believing does James said it this way in James 2 19. thou believest that there is one God they'll believe us that there is one God thou believe is that there is one God not one-third of a trinity not three persons in the godhead if thou believest that there's one God thou do us well for the devil or plural devils also believe and tremble why do you tremble they're scared to death what a bunch of one God Apostolic Jesus name Holy Ghost Field folks get together the devil starts trembling oh no what kind of device is this they've got revelation of who he is let me tell you today it's just this simple if you've got any situation in your life I'm going to open this Altar for you to come believing that you're undefeated you can destroy any device that the enemy is placed in your way step out and get whatever you need from God today gather around this altar in Victory knowing that you're a winner in Jesus Hallelujah