Tuesday 19 June 2012
Thursday 7 June 2012
Christian Leadership pt.5- Spiritual Ethics
Spiritual ethics are very important in the church. Learn to give honour to the one who invited you or who handed over to you.
Do not talk behind the back of people. As a visiting speaker, don’t start taking phone numbers of church members and then call them as if you can pastor them better than their own pastor. As a church member, there is the temptation to think that a visiting Pastor is far better than your Pastor because he just ministers occasionally in your church. The bible says “a prophet has no honour in his house”.
Finance: Matthew23:23 “Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgement, mercy and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone”.
Jesus Christ sanctions the fact that we should pay tithe. It was practiced in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.
Malachi 3:8-10 God required the people of Israel to give to his store house.
What was the store house used for?
The reason why God wants you to tithe is for there to be meat in the storehouse for the priest and the poor. Numbers 18:21-24-The Levites had no inheritance.
Deut 14:27-29 For the Priest, the stranger, the fatherless, the widow which are within thy gates shall come and eat and be satisfied that the Lord thy God may bless the work of thy hand which thou doest.
1Cor 4:2,7b. “Moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful. And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?
Our motivation is as it’s stated in 2Cor.9:7-8 Everyone has to be a cheerful giver not out of compulsion, it shouldn’t be as if it’s a tax, but it should be from the heart.
Don’t be greedy giver where you have a lot but give very little but give freely and willingly
So let’s see how the New Testament Church did give:
Acts 4:32-35, 1 Cor. 9:7-10,14
1. None among them lacked, and as many as were possessors sold what they had and brought it to be redistributed among them.
2. This means they took care of the Priests and the needy among them. Every one was ministered to according as he had need.
3. No one gave out of compulsion. They all gave willingly, freely and cheerfully. No one withheld what he or she had. No one was a greedy giver. Every one helped minister to the need of the whole congregation.
You will realise that the New Testament church was not restricted to just 10% but they gave their all and their best. Jesus gave us an example of giving. He gave himself for us. He gave his all. He left his throne and came down to sacrifice his life for us.
2 Cor. 8:8-9, 13-15
Even though he was rich, he became poor for us and so does he expect us to do the same to others.
The rewards of giving:
Matt19:29-30, Mark 10:29-30 “And every one that has forsaken houses or brethren or Sisters, or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my sake, shall receive an hundred fold now in this life and the life after”.
Luke 6:38 “Give and it shall be given unto you, pressed down shaken together, running over shall men give unto you. For with the same measure that ye mete withal shall, it shall be measured to you again”.
Prov3:9-10”…So shall thy barns be filled with plenty and thy presses shall burst out with new wine”.
Ps 126:5-6 “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him”.
Philp 4: 15-19 “…But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus”.
Do not talk behind the back of people. As a visiting speaker, don’t start taking phone numbers of church members and then call them as if you can pastor them better than their own pastor. As a church member, there is the temptation to think that a visiting Pastor is far better than your Pastor because he just ministers occasionally in your church. The bible says “a prophet has no honour in his house”.
Finance: Matthew23:23 “Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgement, mercy and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone”.
Jesus Christ sanctions the fact that we should pay tithe. It was practiced in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.
Malachi 3:8-10 God required the people of Israel to give to his store house.
What was the store house used for?
The reason why God wants you to tithe is for there to be meat in the storehouse for the priest and the poor. Numbers 18:21-24-The Levites had no inheritance.
Deut 14:27-29 For the Priest, the stranger, the fatherless, the widow which are within thy gates shall come and eat and be satisfied that the Lord thy God may bless the work of thy hand which thou doest.
1Cor 4:2,7b. “Moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful. And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?
Our motivation is as it’s stated in 2Cor.9:7-8 Everyone has to be a cheerful giver not out of compulsion, it shouldn’t be as if it’s a tax, but it should be from the heart.
Don’t be greedy giver where you have a lot but give very little but give freely and willingly
So let’s see how the New Testament Church did give:
Acts 4:32-35, 1 Cor. 9:7-10,14
1. None among them lacked, and as many as were possessors sold what they had and brought it to be redistributed among them.
2. This means they took care of the Priests and the needy among them. Every one was ministered to according as he had need.
3. No one gave out of compulsion. They all gave willingly, freely and cheerfully. No one withheld what he or she had. No one was a greedy giver. Every one helped minister to the need of the whole congregation.
You will realise that the New Testament church was not restricted to just 10% but they gave their all and their best. Jesus gave us an example of giving. He gave himself for us. He gave his all. He left his throne and came down to sacrifice his life for us.
2 Cor. 8:8-9, 13-15
Even though he was rich, he became poor for us and so does he expect us to do the same to others.
The rewards of giving:
Matt19:29-30, Mark 10:29-30 “And every one that has forsaken houses or brethren or Sisters, or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my sake, shall receive an hundred fold now in this life and the life after”.
Luke 6:38 “Give and it shall be given unto you, pressed down shaken together, running over shall men give unto you. For with the same measure that ye mete withal shall, it shall be measured to you again”.
Prov3:9-10”…So shall thy barns be filled with plenty and thy presses shall burst out with new wine”.
Ps 126:5-6 “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him”.
Philp 4: 15-19 “…But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus”.
Let’s Reflect – (Divorce)
1 Corinthians 7:10-11 "And unto the married I command, yet
not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: 11 But and if she depart, let her
remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the
husband put away his wife."
Luke 16:18 "Whosoever putteth away his
wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her
1 that is put away from her husband committeth
adultery."
If this is the case then could we lose our eternal life through
divorce and remarriage?
Check this quotation: Galatians 5:19-21
"1 Now the works of the
flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication,
uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath,
strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like:
of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do
such things shall not inherit the kingdom of
God."
1 Peter 4:17-18 "1 For the time
is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and 2 if
it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that
obey not the gospel of God?
18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and
the sinner appear?"
We are in serious times. A
time for serious and sober reflection; A time to turn and make the right
decisions; A time to do God’s will; A time to do what the Bible says without
putting our own twist to it to suit our desires. The time to make God the ultimate in
everything we do is now.
Stay Blessed.
Helen
Kotey
Tuesday 20 March 2012
ENTREPRENEURSHIP 2
First, have a financial plan. The first year and a half involves a lot of sacrifice where every penny earned will have to be reinvested in the business, the owner may not be able to take a salary. Plan to draw less on salary so that more money can be reinvested.
Plan ahead on how you are going to fund the business. You can take loans if the turnaround time of your business is very short so that you can pay back the loan quickly
Plan to keep costs as low as possible. You must know your cash flow, know what you have in cash and plan for contingencies. Cut your initial budget to the barest minimum- second hand computers, printers etc. work with volunteers at the beginning. You can even hire them as and when you need them. Strip your expenditure to as low as possible.
Secondly have a marketing plan. You may have the best product or service or you may be good at what you do in the world but that does not guarantee that people will patronise your product. It will depend on how good you are at marketing and sales.
McDonald’s don’t make the best burgers but they sell most in the world because they know how to market it. It takes money to make money but word of mouth is the best and cheapest form of advert. Work hard to beat the expectation of first few customers, do some networking, take advantage of free press etc.
Above all have a marketing strategy to target your advert at your intended recipients so that you can focus on the job/business.
"Marketing is really not about telling [people] how great your products are. Good marketing is based on a deep understanding of the problem your customer has and doesn't want, or the result they want and don't have. When you focus your marketing message on the customer's problem and desired result, they notice and come over and ask for more."
Importance of relationships in business: Play to your strengths: Bring your strengths to bear in the business. Where you are weak, let those who are strong in that area help you. No one is good at everything, if you partner with someone, you build synergies with your strengths. You partner with someone who compliments you. Working alone can paralyze many would-be entrepreneurs, so consider getting a partner or two to share the workload and the risk.
2 Chronicles 2:7 Send me now therefore a man cunning to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and that can skill to grave with the cunning men that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did provide.
Learn from your mistakes: One of the things young entrepreneurs should learn is to learn from their mistakes. As you go along, don’t let your mistakes bring you down but rather use it as a learning curve.
Start: Start whatever God is laying on your heart no matter how small it is.
Job 8:7 “Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.” Do not despise small beginnings. It is said that taking advantage of small opportunities will get you there faster than waiting for one big opportunity.
The grace of God will always be there with you so don’t be worried about how you start.
Ecclesiastes 7:8 “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.”
Many great businesses started small. Many started when the owners went through die financial situations and crises. Many started out of necessity. Many started as ideas without any capital. Start no matter what. You may think that you are going through a difficult time but God at times allows you to go through that so that He would glorify Himself. Joseph told his brothers that “ye meant it for evil but God meant it for good. Things are not going to get any better so start. The best time to start is now.
May whatever you are experiencing now turn out for your good.
Plan ahead on how you are going to fund the business. You can take loans if the turnaround time of your business is very short so that you can pay back the loan quickly
Plan to keep costs as low as possible. You must know your cash flow, know what you have in cash and plan for contingencies. Cut your initial budget to the barest minimum- second hand computers, printers etc. work with volunteers at the beginning. You can even hire them as and when you need them. Strip your expenditure to as low as possible.
Secondly have a marketing plan. You may have the best product or service or you may be good at what you do in the world but that does not guarantee that people will patronise your product. It will depend on how good you are at marketing and sales.
McDonald’s don’t make the best burgers but they sell most in the world because they know how to market it. It takes money to make money but word of mouth is the best and cheapest form of advert. Work hard to beat the expectation of first few customers, do some networking, take advantage of free press etc.
Above all have a marketing strategy to target your advert at your intended recipients so that you can focus on the job/business.
"Marketing is really not about telling [people] how great your products are. Good marketing is based on a deep understanding of the problem your customer has and doesn't want, or the result they want and don't have. When you focus your marketing message on the customer's problem and desired result, they notice and come over and ask for more."
Importance of relationships in business: Play to your strengths: Bring your strengths to bear in the business. Where you are weak, let those who are strong in that area help you. No one is good at everything, if you partner with someone, you build synergies with your strengths. You partner with someone who compliments you. Working alone can paralyze many would-be entrepreneurs, so consider getting a partner or two to share the workload and the risk.
2 Chronicles 2:7 Send me now therefore a man cunning to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and that can skill to grave with the cunning men that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did provide.
Learn from your mistakes: One of the things young entrepreneurs should learn is to learn from their mistakes. As you go along, don’t let your mistakes bring you down but rather use it as a learning curve.
Start: Start whatever God is laying on your heart no matter how small it is.
Job 8:7 “Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.” Do not despise small beginnings. It is said that taking advantage of small opportunities will get you there faster than waiting for one big opportunity.
The grace of God will always be there with you so don’t be worried about how you start.
Ecclesiastes 7:8 “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.”
Many great businesses started small. Many started when the owners went through die financial situations and crises. Many started out of necessity. Many started as ideas without any capital. Start no matter what. You may think that you are going through a difficult time but God at times allows you to go through that so that He would glorify Himself. Joseph told his brothers that “ye meant it for evil but God meant it for good. Things are not going to get any better so start. The best time to start is now.
May whatever you are experiencing now turn out for your good.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Every business starts with a gift or identification of a need. You either have a gift or identify a need which results in producing a product or a service.
The Bible says Proverbs 5:15 “Drink waters out of thine own cistern and running waters out of thine own well”.
The word cistern, according to the Collins English dictionary means a water tank or an underground reservoir. This means tap into your own resources, tap into your God given reservoir of gifts, tap into your underground, unseen talent, tap into your skills and tap into your talent. It is a resource that God has given you so make the best out of them. Use what God has given you.
Use your skills to identify opportunities, cease them and make the most of the opportunities. Be influenced to take action. Don’t just identify them and sit down.
Proverbs 18:16 A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men. Identification of a need helps you spot an opportunity that you can take advantage of.
But having the gift alone or spotting an opportunity is not good enough.
You set objectives: Objectives are goals that you want to achieve. These are the reasons why you are putting your talent to use.
Proverbs 31:16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
They are the set SMART targets.
S - specific, significant, stretching: i.e. well defined, clear to anyone that has a basic understanding of the project
M - measurable, meaningful, motivational: Know if the goal is attainable and how far away completion is, Know when it has been achieved.
A - agreed upon, attainable, achievable, acceptable, action-oriented: Aim for results
R - realistic, relevant, reasonable, rewarding, results-oriented: Within the availability of resources, knowledge and time
T - time-based, timely, tangible, trackable: enough time to achieve the goal, Not too much time, which can affect project performance.
A goal may be what you want to achieve in two, three or five years time
Get organized: Plan effectively. Planning is necessary to achieve those goals you have set for yourself. If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. Have a plan of action. Have a plan that is clear, concise, compelling and consistent. Have a plan in place how you intend to achieve those targets set above.
Proverbs 21:5(NLT) Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.
Prov. 24:3-4 “An enterprise is built by wise planning, it becomes strong through common sense and profits wonderfully by keeping abreast of facts.” (Living Bible)
Write your plans down. Hab.2:2-3. Only 3% of people write their purpose, plans and goals down. 10% keep them in their head. The remaining 87% just drift through life. They have “the whatever will be will be syndrome”. Research shows that the 3% achieve 50 to hundred times what they write down.
The Bible says Proverbs 5:15 “Drink waters out of thine own cistern and running waters out of thine own well”.
The word cistern, according to the Collins English dictionary means a water tank or an underground reservoir. This means tap into your own resources, tap into your God given reservoir of gifts, tap into your underground, unseen talent, tap into your skills and tap into your talent. It is a resource that God has given you so make the best out of them. Use what God has given you.
Use your skills to identify opportunities, cease them and make the most of the opportunities. Be influenced to take action. Don’t just identify them and sit down.
Proverbs 18:16 A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men. Identification of a need helps you spot an opportunity that you can take advantage of.
But having the gift alone or spotting an opportunity is not good enough.
You set objectives: Objectives are goals that you want to achieve. These are the reasons why you are putting your talent to use.
Proverbs 31:16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
They are the set SMART targets.
S - specific, significant, stretching: i.e. well defined, clear to anyone that has a basic understanding of the project
M - measurable, meaningful, motivational: Know if the goal is attainable and how far away completion is, Know when it has been achieved.
A - agreed upon, attainable, achievable, acceptable, action-oriented: Aim for results
R - realistic, relevant, reasonable, rewarding, results-oriented: Within the availability of resources, knowledge and time
T - time-based, timely, tangible, trackable: enough time to achieve the goal, Not too much time, which can affect project performance.
A goal may be what you want to achieve in two, three or five years time
Get organized: Plan effectively. Planning is necessary to achieve those goals you have set for yourself. If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. Have a plan of action. Have a plan that is clear, concise, compelling and consistent. Have a plan in place how you intend to achieve those targets set above.
Proverbs 21:5(NLT) Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.
Prov. 24:3-4 “An enterprise is built by wise planning, it becomes strong through common sense and profits wonderfully by keeping abreast of facts.” (Living Bible)
Write your plans down. Hab.2:2-3. Only 3% of people write their purpose, plans and goals down. 10% keep them in their head. The remaining 87% just drift through life. They have “the whatever will be will be syndrome”. Research shows that the 3% achieve 50 to hundred times what they write down.
Friday 7 October 2011
Overcome Your Limitation
For us, almost every month, God gives us a testimony, but I believe God is ready to move to a higher level. He is ready show us more of him like never before and for that to happen, we need to overcome our limitations. God wants our blessings to come and overtake us. He wants to take us to a position of overflow.
We need to be able to break any barrier that has been set against us.
In some families, the enemy has put a barrier of poverty. All kinds of limitations have been put in people’s lives and you need to break up any limitation.
Ezra4:1-4
“…Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah and troubled them in building”
This implies, they were being discouraged, frustrated, and they were being demoralised. When you are demoralised, you become week and feeble physically, psychologically, you can’t move forward. You are limited, when your mind is limited, the body can’t do anything, your mind itself becomes the barrier. When God wants you to take a step of faith, your mind will tell you its not possible and then you also accept it.
It is said that elephants have a very big memory so they can remember things easily. So what people in a circus do is that when the elephant is in its youthful stage, a thick rope is used to tie it up. At that stage, because it is young it will do all that it can to break away but it can’t. After some time, the young elephant gives up and just stays within the limit the rope gives it. When it grows up even though it is strong enough to break the rope, its mind becomes the limitation because it always remembers that it could not break the rope and therefore gives up without trying.
Some of us, from the beginning of the year, the enemy has put so much limitations in our way so much that we have given up. We have been so much frustrated that we have given up trying. We have given up on the promises of God.
We have given up on the fact that our God is still in the business of doing miracles. You have given up on the fact that this is the year of the Lord’s visitation. The year where we hear the sound of abundance of rain.
Don’t give up, don’t let up, you feel like stopping but don’t.
It is time for you to overcome your limitation.
The same thing happened in Nehemia4:1-4
Sambalat and Tobias threatened the Jews frustrated them and made mockery of them so in order to overcome this in verse 13, the Bible says
“…I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears and their bows”
Vs.13-17
1.That is the people began to build the wall but this time, they were constantly ready to defend against the attacks of the enemy. They had their swords and their spears ready each time.
You have to press forward despite the challenges the enemy is putting in your way. You have to go and possess your possessions. But in doing so you must arm yourself with the sword of the spirit which is the word of God.
When the enemy comes to frustrate you and make mockery of you, begins to call you a failure, just be ready to tell him that the Lord has declared you the head and not the tail.
When he tells you that your enemies are coming to overcome you tell him it is written “stand still and see the salvation of my Lord for the Egyptians you see today you shall see them no more”. “Even though you will walk through the valleys of the shadows of death, you will fear no evil for the Lord is with you”.
When he brings debt to you tell him it is written in
Psalm 37:25 “I have been young and now I am old but I have never seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging for bread” so poverty shall never be your portion.
When the enemy comes against you like a flood the spirit of God will raise a standard against it. Therefore no weapon fashioned against you shall prosper and every tongue that rises against you, you shall condemn.
You tell the devil that in Revelations3:8 God says that God has opened a door for you and no one can shut it.
When he attacks you with sickness, tell him by his stripes you are healed.
Numbers 14:28 says As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:
So just keep confessing the word, it becomes like a sword against the enemy.
2. The second thing you have to do is to getting direction from God and walking in obedience. (Jos.6:1-) The walls of Jericho were brought down by praise and by faith. But if the people of Israel had used their common sense and said this command of God is weird so we will not obey, they wouldn’t have overcome Jericho. It was not the shout that broke the walls of Jericho, but the obedience set forth the power of God to work for them. Obedience is important for victory. Obedience is better than sacrifice.
Genesis 26:12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him.
Isaac had no land and had to obey God’s command by borrowing somebody’s land and sowed that year. The bible says that in the same year he received a hundredfold. May be he had a just few grains left to live on but he obeyed God and sowed. Others had reaped nothing yet he still obeyed God.
The children of Israel were able to cross the red sea whilst the Israelites drowned because they obeyed the command of God. They did not argue or debate or disobey God. But they did just as He said they should do.
That is the next tool you need. Our walls of limitation can be pulled down through obeying the command of God on how to deal with the situation. It is not by might or by power but by the spirit of God.
2 Samuel 22:30 For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall.
We need to be able to break any barrier that has been set against us.
In some families, the enemy has put a barrier of poverty. All kinds of limitations have been put in people’s lives and you need to break up any limitation.
Ezra4:1-4
“…Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah and troubled them in building”
This implies, they were being discouraged, frustrated, and they were being demoralised. When you are demoralised, you become week and feeble physically, psychologically, you can’t move forward. You are limited, when your mind is limited, the body can’t do anything, your mind itself becomes the barrier. When God wants you to take a step of faith, your mind will tell you its not possible and then you also accept it.
It is said that elephants have a very big memory so they can remember things easily. So what people in a circus do is that when the elephant is in its youthful stage, a thick rope is used to tie it up. At that stage, because it is young it will do all that it can to break away but it can’t. After some time, the young elephant gives up and just stays within the limit the rope gives it. When it grows up even though it is strong enough to break the rope, its mind becomes the limitation because it always remembers that it could not break the rope and therefore gives up without trying.
Some of us, from the beginning of the year, the enemy has put so much limitations in our way so much that we have given up. We have been so much frustrated that we have given up trying. We have given up on the promises of God.
We have given up on the fact that our God is still in the business of doing miracles. You have given up on the fact that this is the year of the Lord’s visitation. The year where we hear the sound of abundance of rain.
Don’t give up, don’t let up, you feel like stopping but don’t.
It is time for you to overcome your limitation.
The same thing happened in Nehemia4:1-4
Sambalat and Tobias threatened the Jews frustrated them and made mockery of them so in order to overcome this in verse 13, the Bible says
“…I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears and their bows”
Vs.13-17
1.That is the people began to build the wall but this time, they were constantly ready to defend against the attacks of the enemy. They had their swords and their spears ready each time.
You have to press forward despite the challenges the enemy is putting in your way. You have to go and possess your possessions. But in doing so you must arm yourself with the sword of the spirit which is the word of God.
When the enemy comes to frustrate you and make mockery of you, begins to call you a failure, just be ready to tell him that the Lord has declared you the head and not the tail.
When he tells you that your enemies are coming to overcome you tell him it is written “stand still and see the salvation of my Lord for the Egyptians you see today you shall see them no more”. “Even though you will walk through the valleys of the shadows of death, you will fear no evil for the Lord is with you”.
When he brings debt to you tell him it is written in
Psalm 37:25 “I have been young and now I am old but I have never seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging for bread” so poverty shall never be your portion.
When the enemy comes against you like a flood the spirit of God will raise a standard against it. Therefore no weapon fashioned against you shall prosper and every tongue that rises against you, you shall condemn.
You tell the devil that in Revelations3:8 God says that God has opened a door for you and no one can shut it.
When he attacks you with sickness, tell him by his stripes you are healed.
Numbers 14:28 says As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:
So just keep confessing the word, it becomes like a sword against the enemy.
2. The second thing you have to do is to getting direction from God and walking in obedience. (Jos.6:1-) The walls of Jericho were brought down by praise and by faith. But if the people of Israel had used their common sense and said this command of God is weird so we will not obey, they wouldn’t have overcome Jericho. It was not the shout that broke the walls of Jericho, but the obedience set forth the power of God to work for them. Obedience is important for victory. Obedience is better than sacrifice.
Genesis 26:12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him.
Isaac had no land and had to obey God’s command by borrowing somebody’s land and sowed that year. The bible says that in the same year he received a hundredfold. May be he had a just few grains left to live on but he obeyed God and sowed. Others had reaped nothing yet he still obeyed God.
The children of Israel were able to cross the red sea whilst the Israelites drowned because they obeyed the command of God. They did not argue or debate or disobey God. But they did just as He said they should do.
That is the next tool you need. Our walls of limitation can be pulled down through obeying the command of God on how to deal with the situation. It is not by might or by power but by the spirit of God.
2 Samuel 22:30 For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall.
Thursday 29 September 2011
The Glory must return
1 Samuel 4:1-11
The Israelites were losing the battle and thought that if they brought the Ark of the Lord to the battle field, they would be assured of victory just like in the days of old.
When it arrived, they made a great noise that even the Philistines were scared when they head that the Ark of the Lord had arrived at the camp of the Israelites.
With great confidence they went into battle but they lost heavily, the two sons of Eli the high priest were slain and the Ark of the Lord was taken.
What went wrong? They were counting on their previous experiences with God and assumed that God was with them.
Their shouts were empty shouts, without the power and presence of God. These were vain religious repetitions and noise.
1Samuel 4:19-21
This situation was summed up by the wife of Phinehas when she named her son Ichabod meaning the glory is departed from Israel.
Many Christians and churches may be operating from this angle today. There are many churches that look vibrant, shouting, singing and making a joyful noise yet God has written on the doorpost ‘Ichabod’. What they may be practising would be well rehearsed repetitions of religious activities.
They may be doing all that seems on the surface to be Godly, they may be running all the religious programs but the spirit of God may have departed from them a long time ago. Ichabod means the glory has departed. The glory of God may have departed from these ministries and they may not even know it. The fact that God was with them in times past does not mean God is still with them. The fact that God used them previously does not mean God is still using them. Most of them are just holding on to their previous relationship with God.
There are many Christians today who also do everything called Christian yet on the door to their hearts, God has written Ichabod- the glory has departed from this person. He may be speaking in tongues yet it may not be inspired by the Holy Spirit. He may be professing to be Christians, they may be still used to heal the sick and great miracles may be taking place but the presence of God may have left him/her.
This teaches us that past experiences with God including miracles and answers to prayer are never a proof that God is still with us. People around him may not realise it because he may still be doing all the religious activities yet when God looks down into his heart, God sees an empty shell. No freshness of the relationship with God. That relationship has become dormant.
It is important that people who are called by God to fulfil purpose in this life make sure that they are always close to Him and do not blindly rely on the past or even on miracles that are happening today because;
Romans 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
The fact that He was with you yesterday does not necessarily mean He is with you today. That’s why we need to maintain a constant relationship with Him. That’s why our personal relationship with God must always be on a high tempo.
God is always doing new things. He is always making new wines which need new wine skins. You cannot put new wine in old wine skin. The problem with us is that we want the new wine but we want to maintain our old wine skins which cannot contain it.
What causes us to come to this point is self-centredness. The God who delivered them from slavery and from the hands of the enemy has now become an idol in the figment of their imagination. He is just there to do as they wish and nothing more or less.
Proverbs 23:23 Buy the truth, and sell it not;
This means to acquire the truth by all rightful means and cleave to it, guard it and defend it even to the risk of your life.
Many have sold the truth, we have not held on to it even at the least challenge. We have forgotten so soon what our God did for us and is able to do in the face of the pending challenges
We have forgotten that we were made for Him alone and have to love Him supremely above all else. We are to lay aside our own plans, ambitions and purposes and seek to fulfill His will only. This will keep us coming to Him every day for fresh instructions on what He expects of us.
We have forgotten how to have compassion on the needy, do medical and disaster relief, help people in slums, take care of widows and the abandoned children, empower the poor, give water to those who don’t have i.e. wells, Bibles and literature to those who need them most, support missionaries, livestock for the needy etc.
How do we restore our relationship with the Lord?
1. We need to seriously repent from this sin which has separated us from the Lord and come back to Him. 2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
2. We have to humble ourselves in the presence of the Lord so that He will lift us up. James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
3. We have to seek the things that are above only and not on the things of this world. Colossians 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
4. Love not the world neither things of the world that seperates us from the Lord. 1 John 2:15-17 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
The Israelites were losing the battle and thought that if they brought the Ark of the Lord to the battle field, they would be assured of victory just like in the days of old.
When it arrived, they made a great noise that even the Philistines were scared when they head that the Ark of the Lord had arrived at the camp of the Israelites.
With great confidence they went into battle but they lost heavily, the two sons of Eli the high priest were slain and the Ark of the Lord was taken.
What went wrong? They were counting on their previous experiences with God and assumed that God was with them.
Their shouts were empty shouts, without the power and presence of God. These were vain religious repetitions and noise.
1Samuel 4:19-21
This situation was summed up by the wife of Phinehas when she named her son Ichabod meaning the glory is departed from Israel.
Many Christians and churches may be operating from this angle today. There are many churches that look vibrant, shouting, singing and making a joyful noise yet God has written on the doorpost ‘Ichabod’. What they may be practising would be well rehearsed repetitions of religious activities.
They may be doing all that seems on the surface to be Godly, they may be running all the religious programs but the spirit of God may have departed from them a long time ago. Ichabod means the glory has departed. The glory of God may have departed from these ministries and they may not even know it. The fact that God was with them in times past does not mean God is still with them. The fact that God used them previously does not mean God is still using them. Most of them are just holding on to their previous relationship with God.
There are many Christians today who also do everything called Christian yet on the door to their hearts, God has written Ichabod- the glory has departed from this person. He may be speaking in tongues yet it may not be inspired by the Holy Spirit. He may be professing to be Christians, they may be still used to heal the sick and great miracles may be taking place but the presence of God may have left him/her.
This teaches us that past experiences with God including miracles and answers to prayer are never a proof that God is still with us. People around him may not realise it because he may still be doing all the religious activities yet when God looks down into his heart, God sees an empty shell. No freshness of the relationship with God. That relationship has become dormant.
It is important that people who are called by God to fulfil purpose in this life make sure that they are always close to Him and do not blindly rely on the past or even on miracles that are happening today because;
Romans 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
The fact that He was with you yesterday does not necessarily mean He is with you today. That’s why we need to maintain a constant relationship with Him. That’s why our personal relationship with God must always be on a high tempo.
God is always doing new things. He is always making new wines which need new wine skins. You cannot put new wine in old wine skin. The problem with us is that we want the new wine but we want to maintain our old wine skins which cannot contain it.
What causes us to come to this point is self-centredness. The God who delivered them from slavery and from the hands of the enemy has now become an idol in the figment of their imagination. He is just there to do as they wish and nothing more or less.
Proverbs 23:23 Buy the truth, and sell it not;
This means to acquire the truth by all rightful means and cleave to it, guard it and defend it even to the risk of your life.
Many have sold the truth, we have not held on to it even at the least challenge. We have forgotten so soon what our God did for us and is able to do in the face of the pending challenges
We have forgotten that we were made for Him alone and have to love Him supremely above all else. We are to lay aside our own plans, ambitions and purposes and seek to fulfill His will only. This will keep us coming to Him every day for fresh instructions on what He expects of us.
We have forgotten how to have compassion on the needy, do medical and disaster relief, help people in slums, take care of widows and the abandoned children, empower the poor, give water to those who don’t have i.e. wells, Bibles and literature to those who need them most, support missionaries, livestock for the needy etc.
How do we restore our relationship with the Lord?
1. We need to seriously repent from this sin which has separated us from the Lord and come back to Him. 2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
2. We have to humble ourselves in the presence of the Lord so that He will lift us up. James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
3. We have to seek the things that are above only and not on the things of this world. Colossians 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
4. Love not the world neither things of the world that seperates us from the Lord. 1 John 2:15-17 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
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