LFM – 2016 March 27: Moving out of our comfort zones to reach out to Christ Jesus – Woman with issue of blood.

 

LFM – 27 March 2016

 

Pastor Jared last week

 

• Job 14:1–> “Man who isborn of woman Is of few days and full of trouble.
• Maisha in mapambano –> We start life by crying
• Deal with the issues of life through guidance from the source & author of life

• –> The Lord God Almighty

 

• A problem without God is the worst problem to be in
• Psalm 23:4

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;

For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

• –> Even in problems, the joy and peace of the Lord is with me

 

• The poor were preached to the Gospel – they did not need a miracle –> Mathew 11
  • The poor (spiritually /physically) need to be equipped with the Word of God.
  • Kunyoroshwa / kurekebiswa with the Word of God – our mind sets etc
  • Ephesians 5:26
  • that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
  • The Word of God –> Cleanses and washes us from physical & spiritual poverty
  • The Word of God –> Prepares us for spiritual and physical prosperity
  • Done through transformation and renewal of our minds –> Romans 12:2(NLT)
  • Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
  • Otherwise the blessings may ruin us — lottery winners — kustuliwa na mali – vanity
  • –> The challenge
  • Taking me out of the village easier than taking the village out of me!
  • Taking us out of Egypt (world) easier than taking Egypt (world’s ways) out of us
  • The Word is the Sword of the Spirit

 

 

• Moving from Comfort Zones –> needs trust & faith in God and sacrifice on our part.
• God may make some situations uncomfortable to move us to the next level of blessings
  • Preparing for the prophecy –> positioning myself to receive the blessing
  • God was preparing the people of Israel for the promised land –> Exodus
    • Wilderness experience that we talked about – Jesus, Saul, John the Baptist
  • God was preparing the promised land for the people of Israel.
    • Genesis 15:16 (NLT)

After four generations your descendants will return here to this land, for the sins of the Amorites do not yet warrant their destruction.

 

• Some trials from God are to help me get out of my comfort zone and push me into His blessings appointed for my life
• –> my testimony, teaching God’s Word!
• –> Story of the baby Giraffe being lliterally kicked by the mother
• –> Story of the baby eagle being taught to fly by being thrown out of the nest
• At Lord’s Favor –> We need to get out of our comfort zones to move into the next level of God’s blessings for the ministry and for our lives
• Maybe the coming changes of having to move is just that – our wilderness?
• If a car is prophesied into your life, by faith start learning to drive
• If God prophesies that utapanda ndege uende ngambo, by faith tafuta passport
• James 2:26 –> Faith without works is dead – Working towards the prophecy

 

 

 

Kuna Kugharamia to grow in the things of God i.e. price to pay to reach the next level

• Though salvation may be free –> Ephesians 2:8
• For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God
• We have to pay a price (sacrifice) to attain Spiritual Maturity –> Mathew 11:12
• And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.
• There is a work of faith to be done – Work that proves we have faith –> James 2:26
• For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
• Kugharamia / Sacrifice to get into God’s presence and claim our blessings
  • We are — Out of Egypt –> Wilderness –> Promised Land (God’s Presence)
  • We are out of a pit but there is a hill (mlima) towards the throne of God
    • Shimo haibaki bure à We shall encounter problems on our way to the promised land
    • ? Are we staying put / going back or moving forward?

 

• The woman with the issue of blood was a daughter of Abraham that illustrates the effort needed to get into God’s presence and claim / take our blessings that has bought by the Precious Blood of Jesus.

 

Luke 8:43-48 (NKJV)

 

43 Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, 

44 came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.

45 And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?” When all denied it, Peter and those with him[f] said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’”[g]

46 But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.” 

47 Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.

48 And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer;[h] your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

 

 

• The woman had tried everything she knew how over 12 years to in order to be healed and nothing worked. –> She was in a pit
• The woman as a last resort risked her own life in order to touch the border of Jesus garment – a Rabbi –> Aligharamia to get into the presence of God
  • Leviticus 15: 19 & 31

19 ‘If a woman has a discharge, and the discharge from her body is blood, she shall be set apart seven days; and whoever touches her shall be unclean until evening.

31 ‘Thus you shall separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness when they defile My tabernacle that is among them.

• Rejection: She had to be separate / ostracised from family and society because of uncleanliness
  • The woman therefore had to be separate from her husband and children for those 12 years that she was unclean
  • She was not even allowed into public, lest she defiles people around her
  • She touched / defiled a Rabbi and the punishment could even be death
• She had to push her way through the crowd and reached out by faith to touch Jesus garment – A WORK / EFFORT THAT DEMONSTRATES FAITH
• She was risking everything in claiming promises in the Word of God by Faith
  • She probably knew the promise of God as Jehovah Rapha in Exodus 15:26
  • For I am the Lord who heals you
  • – Bitter waters of Marah made sweet by a piece of wood
  • Why the border of Jesus garment in Vs 44 –> Malachi 4:2
  • But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings;

 

• When we reach out by Faith in God’s presence, God’s Power is released
  • Our reaching out to God in faith releases the power of God into our lives
  • –> The crowd was pressing on Jesus, but of no consequence like the woman

• Some situations do not require us to ask God –> but believing in the promise by faith

• Reaching out by faith the claim the promises of God –> Isaiah 55:11
• So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
  It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please,
  And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

• She came trembling as she knew the consequences of defiling the crowd and a Rabbi
• But she was called to testify to Jesus and the crowd for the healing to be complete
  • Power of testimony –> SHE HAD TO TESTIFY
  • Revelations 12:11 (NKJV)

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

 

• Her testimony seems to make her healing complete / make legitimate her healing!

• The testimony brings honour and glory to God – Jehovah Rapha
• Just like the story of the 10 lepers that Jesus healed and only one returned
• Luke 17:18-19
• 18 Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.[c]”
• –> Our testimony of God’s goodness in our lives gives Him Glory
• –> The author and finisher of our faith completes the healing à physical & spiritual
  • She is told to go in peace, given in addition to the physical healing

 

LESSONS

1. She was in a pit –> Problems of life that only God can solve
2. Aligharamia to get into the presence of God –>  Sacrifice/ Risk
3. A WORK / EFFORT THAT DEMONSTRATES FAITH – Reaching out by FAITH
4. SHE HAD TO TESTIFY – Power of Testimony to Glorify God & complete healing

 

• We cannot therefore just be at the gate after entering the kingdom of God through the Blood of Jesus.
• We need to sacrifice to move closer to God –> Claim our blessings by reaching out in faith –> Testifying as to give Glory to God
• TESTIMONY –> Proof that God is moving in our lives?
• We are claiming – mali ya baba yetu – as legitimate sons of God in Christ Jesus
• Psalm 16:11
• You will show me the path of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore