LFM – 16 October 2016
As the story goes…
- Every morning, a gazelle wakes up and knows it must outrun the fastest lion or be killed.
- Every morning a lion also must wake up and knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve.
- It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle – when the sun comes up, you’d better be running. ~ Anonymous
Unfortunately the human world seems to be following the ways of the animal kingdom
- Kuna wa-nyama, na wa-mate => unfortunate (as-it-is) prophecy of our leader.
- Kenya culture => kulwa ama ukulwe, jipange ama upangike – matatu / hustler culture
- Mafisi culture => Men want to get all they can from women without commitment
==> Women also getting into the game — Ma sponsors – rent, hair, credit, outings…
- ==> Lady student, bila shame => sleeps with men, cheats them she is pregnant, gets money for abortion, moves on to next victim!!
- Unfortunately, that is what we are born into => a life characterised by survival of the fittest. Watu wanakimbizana na maisha => The Rat race
- World & people cursed when sin entered through Adam => Genesis 3
- 2 Corinthians 4:4 => World given the devil to rule and reign => kill, steal & destroy
- Isaiah 24:5-6 (NLT) — Summarises it well
5 The earth suffers for the sins of its people, for they have twisted God’s instructions, violated his laws, and broken his everlasting covenant.
6 Therefore, a curse consumes the earth. Its people must pay the price for their sin. They are destroyed by fire, and only a few are left alive.
But God tells us in His great Mercy & Loving kindness
- Ezekiel 18:30-32 (NKJV)
30 “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord God. “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. 31 Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!”
The choice is ours! / Chaguo ni letu!
?? Whose are we? — Sisi ni wa nani?
What can help us answer that question?
- Whose doctrine we promote Is the doctrine that rules in our lives => Life or death
- Whose words we speak is what prevails in our lives => Agreeing with God or Satan
- Who we submit to & worship is who has authority/dominion over us & shall claim us
Life seems to present us with 2 options:
- Life / death (animals above), blessing / curse, flesh / spirit, the world / heaven
- We are given a free will to choose whose we shall be?
- Deuteronomy 30:19(NLT)
“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!
- Revelations 3:20(NLT)
“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.
- Revelation 3:15 (NLT) — no middle option
“I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!
As we saw last week in Matthew 12:30 => We are either For or Against Jesus
- There is a CHOICE of who, either => Team Jesus or Team Satan / Mafisi
- There is a TEST of ones heart => Trial (God) or Temptation (Satan) => Deuteronomy 8:2
- Who we submit to & worship is whose we are => dominion / claim
- Last week in Matthew 4 we saw that the angels came to administer to Jesus after the devils temptation. The devil came to try lay a claim on Jesus who in the previous chapter (Matthew 3) we are told God proclaimed that this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Resist the devil and he shall flee.
- Once we change our allegiance to Jesus, the enemy comes to try claim us by force
- The enemy will not let go easily of anyone within his domain => Spiritual warfare
A lecturer => in a matatu to Ksm & met an old student of his.
- The student was unruly, and high – possibly on drugs / alcohol, going to Kisumu to party for the weekend
- They get talking – student confesses he is into the occult, was given wealth, mentions the prominent people they are with – politicians, businessmen & religious leaders
- Tries to recruit him
- But seems to regret that kuna kugharamia => Sacrifice a family member .
There are two laws (systems) that seem to govern humans: => Romans 8 explains it well
- The law of sin & death
- The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus
- 1-2(NKJV)
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,[a] 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.
- 12-14 (NLT)
12 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters,[e] you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 13 For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature,[f] you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children[g] of God.
- The power of the Spirit helps us overcome our sinful nature (changing network / SIM card)
- A dead body attracts vultures — a sinful nature attracts death
- The kingdom of God — righteousness, peace & joy in the Holy Ghost
An example of an Application:
- Common mistakes we Christians also make
- Hosea 4:6 => My people perish for lack of knowledge
- The law of sin & death VS the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus
–> Cursing the hand the blesses us ( Workplace / Boss / Country / Church / Leaders ….)
–> Cursing our future => Speaking negatively to our children
–> Cursing ourselves => Speaking negatively about our spouse
The words we speak prevail in our lives (the words we sow is what we harvest) and is a reflection of what we think and who we are.
- Luke 6:45 (NLT)
A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.
- Proverbs 23:7a
For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.
- Proverbs 18:21 (NKJV)
Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its fruit.
Example => Cursing the hand that blesses
- I could be a very cynical person – know how to look at the bad / negative in everything
- E.g. Used to have a negative opinion of politicians & government — Kibaki / Uhuru
- ==> But I was also benefiting from the government – Wife was a civil servant
- ==> It occurred to me one time that God was blessing me & my family through this same government, whether I thought it good or bad.
- ==> My negative attitude actually reflected ungratefulness towards God.
- ==> The more I pray for blessings and favour over leaders and government, the more I benefit => Law of the Spirit of life
- => The more I curse the government & its leaders, the less I benefit => Law of Sin & Death
- =>Instead of cursing, I should be blessing so that I am showing gratitude to God – Not cutting the hand that feeds me.
- ?? At our places of work — do we curse or bless the hand that feeds us?
- ?? At our places of worship, do we curse or bless the hand that feeds us spiritually?
- ?? Is that why we are not seeing physical & spiritual blessings in our lives?
- => We have agreed with the enemy with the power of our tongue and diverted our own blessings by putting ourselves under the law of sin & death!!
- => We are cancelling our own prayers! What’s truly in our heart prevails
- -> Bless my family, when we go out – huyu mototo ni mjinga
- -> Mungu anaweza – nitafanya nini sasa
- -> Habari yako – mbaya
- -> Hii maisha ni magumu / pesa imepotea
- -> Sina, Siwezi, Magumu….
Monkey and the coconut — let go and be free
- Kitamaduni, to catch a monkey, the hunter takes a coconut, cuts a small hole in it just enough for a monkey’s hand to enter. He then puts some enticements into it as the monkey is watching. The monkey will be curious and go take it and put his hand in it. But when he takes hold of it, the fist cannot come out. The monkey cannot / does not let go.
- The enemy entices us with things of the world / flesh. Shows us how people are apparently happy with pleasures of sin & wealth. But once one puts their hand in pleasures of the world, they find it difficult to let go. It never really satisfies and one always wants more and more. In the end like Solomon => it is all vanity.
- We were born into a world corrupted / cursed by sin
- God saw our suffering and sent Jesus His Son to redeem us from the curse of sin
- The choice has therefore been set before us – Life / death, Blessing/ Curse
- The test shall come to reveal what is truly in our hearts
- Who we submit to & worship is who comes to claim us for eternity – Heaven / Hell
We pray for:
- A revelation of Jesus Christ the messiah in our lives – The Way, Truth & Life.
- The ability to hear & discern the voice of God & discern the heart of God
- Increase in knowledge of & relationship with God as we worship in Spirit & Truth
- The grace to overcome the trials & temptations
- The renewal of our minds from hustler / mafisi culture to Jesus Culture
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King or Beggar
- Life
- 24 hours a day
- choices
- Run your race
- Everyone has their issue
Survival for the fittest culture
- win-lose, instead of
- win-win
Whose testimony do I carry?
- The Lord’s
- The devil
A child’s natural inclination is towards…selfishness, things associated with sin…
- Speaks of a corrupted world
- Effort is therefore needed to go against the tide of the normal human nature
We reap what we sow? / We harvest form the kingdom we subscribe to? / We bear the fruit of the person we submit to?
- Sow / speak bitterness – harvest-> bitter fruit – anger, anxiety, envy…
- Sow / speak sweetness -harvest-> sweet fruit – love, joy, peace…
What we agree with, prevails
- God’s promises
- Satan’s lies
THE LIVING WORD 4 LIFE 