LFM – 2016 Feb 28: My Damascus Road lessons

LFM – 28 Feb. 2016

 

Reminder

• I should inform people when I am about to pray
• Should encourage people to reflect and pray on the teaching they hear

 

Pastor Oria – Shamba la Mungu ni kubwa

• We should all endeavour to do our part diligently in the kingdom of God
• Ephesians 4:11 (NKJV)
• 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ

 

Pastor David

• In tune with Jesus –>  See Jesus in us –> We reflect Jesus in our habits/tabia.
• 1 Corinthians 11:1 (NKJV) –> Paul says Imitate me, just as I also imitate
• Character – Children reflect parents, students reflect teacher — Spirit of Jesus

 

John 11 passage of Mary & Martha

• The same question was asked by Martha and Mary –> different response from Jesus
• “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
• Background found in
• John 11:2
• ² It wasthat Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.
• Luke 10 when Jesus visits Martha & Mary

39 Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. 40 But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing…. 41 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

• A relationship with Jesus is also important . The deeper, the better
• Martha –> busyness of life Mary –> relationship with Jesus
• John 15:7
• ⁷ If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will^[ ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
• Some call on the Lord and don’t get satisfactory answers
• Other get a speedy response with miracles and manifestations of God’s glory
• Matthew 6:33
• ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

 

Question of last week:

• How do we go to the Lord in Prayer?
• Like Martha, quoting what we know about Jesus –> THEORY
• Like Mary , with a broken and contrite heart that the Lord does not despise – Psalm 51
• Stones and bondages in our lives have to be dealt with

 

SEED = WORD OF GOD = JESUS = LIFE MANUAL = GOD’s LOVE LETTER

• We need to be tuned to the frequency of God – sio Mteja!
• Needs to be nurtured –> A humble and teachable spirit
• Needs the call of God & Spirit of God to be activated, just as a seed needs water to be activated

• Pauls road to Damascus in Acts 9 – scales fell from his eyes and he was filled with the Holy Spirit

• When we mature in Jesus / Word of God , we should be bearing fruits and gifts of the Spirit. John 15:8

• 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

• When my child does something good, I am a proud parent.
• Concluded –> complete revelation of Jesus

• John 14:6 (NKJV)
•  “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

 

 

TODAY – ACTS 9:1-7, 17-22  (NKJV)

Saul’s road to Damascus

 

9 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

 3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

 5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”

 Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”

 6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”

 Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

 7 And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. 8 Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

 

17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.

 19 So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.

 

Saul Preaches Christ

20 Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.

 21 Then all who heard were amazed, and said, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?”

 22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.

 

 

• WHO CHOSE WHO?
• Saul choosing the Lord by using his own ways and wisdom — Law of sin and death
• Jesus choosing Saul — He asks Jesus – What must I do? (Vs6)
• God has to call us and transform us , otherwise like Saul

Deuteronomy 29:4

4 Yet the Lord has not given you a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear, to this very day.

• New In a company –> ORIENTATION …..Kingdom of God orientation?
• Even though with a PHD in the word of God, Jesus demonstrates to Saul in Vs 8 that He is actually blind to the ways and the Word of God
• — Vs 3 a light shone from heaven –> Person in darkness
• What usually causes this blindness –> A stubborn & rebellious spirit
• Ezekiel 12:2 (NKJV)
• “Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, which has eyes to see but does not see, and ears to hear but does not hear; for they are a rebellious house.
  • A rebellious person does things opposite  (Ujuaji) – Saul was breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord (Vs1) Vs — LOVE
• Need for a broken and contrite heart –> A humble and teachable Spirit

 

• This encounter with Jesus starts Sauls transformation and he withdraws from the world and goes to a place where the Lord can transform him – A house called Straight vs 11
• He spends time seeking the Lord through prayer and fasting —  vs 9, 11 & 19

• We need to go to a place where we seek God with prayer (relationship) and fasting ( leave the ways of the world / flesh )and allow God to transform us.
• God responds with visions vs 12 –> confirmations
• Jesus Himself prayed and fasted before starting His ministry
• Paul explains this in Galatians 1: 15-17
• 15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, 16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.

• After transformation ( finishing orientation),  we are ready to do the Work of God  – (army)
  • a seed planted properly through orientation and activated by the Holy Spirit

• we regain our sight –  born again / understanding of the things of God – seeing in the Spirit
• and filled with the Holy Spirit – our new life / calling  is activated by the Holy Spirit

• Our transformation should be evident to others

• He preached Jesus and
• all who heard were amazed

 

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Damascus Moments

• Times in our lives when God rebukes us and sets us back on the right path
• Or, when God reveals His true self to us – and his presence and Glory transforms us
• … when the scales of our eyes are removed and we are filled with the Holy Spirit
• The time when we realize that
  • Jesus chose us and not us choosing Jesus
  • Being chosen means we now do things according to His will, purpose and plan — The person who chooses has authority
• When we accept the call –> BORN AGAIN – died to the old ways of the world and the flesh and born into the things of the Spirit of God.
  • Understanding Romans 8: 1-2

8 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

 

 

Letter of the law –> Law of Sin and death — all in the name of God

• 2 Corinthians 3:6 —  for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
• Paul a Pharesee / PHD in the Word of God but not inspired by the Spirit of God lead to persecutions and death of many
• The Legio Maria  – Pastor Oria
• Al Shabab / ISIS – still watoto wa Abraham through Hagar — Ishmael

• Pray for the Spirit of God, especially when we do things in the name of God

• Means operating under the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus
• EFFECTIVE MINISTRY –> being called and commissioned by God
• Otherwise the ways of the world and the flesh lead to sin & death

 

In life we have to experience Damascus moments, otherwise we are not trying hard enough

• Where God straightens you
• Showing His love for you as a father who disciplines their child
• God calls us –> Transforms us –> Uses us mightily
• We need to be transformed in order to do God’s Work

• Not just called and do things our way — listening and understanding
• The Kingdom army – instructions – Army training
• Maasai & Lions example….

 

Damascus moments EXAMPLES

• In Genesis 32 when Jacob wrestles with God –> Jacob looses to God in order to win in life, and His name / identity is changed to Israel – Governed by God

• Jacob ( Ujanja) moment —  maisha ni kijupanga –> Yesu afuate
• Israel  (Mungu) moment — maisha ni ya Yesu kunipanga –> mimi nimfuate

• The rich man – leave everything and follow me
• The disciples e,g, Mathew – leave what you are making money from (corruption) and follow me
• Job – curse God and die

 

We can see Pauls transformation in his writings in

• 2 Corinthians 3:5-6 (NLT)

4 We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. 5 It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. 6 He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.

 

My Road to Damascus moment — I am tying the hands of Jesus

• Need of the humble and teachable spirit
• Blind and cannot see

 

 

 

1. Hear the call of God – God choosing us
2. Accept the call of God – What must I do
3. Separate ourselves and seek further instructions – PRAYER & FASTING
   • Seeking the relationship to understand the call of God
4. Be Guided by the Spirit of God