Sunday Feb 24. 2019
Teaching & Preaching notes…
Review…
Am I being led by the raven or the dove? Known by the fruit…
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The things of God manifest as the fruits of the Spirit – Love, joy, peace, patience….
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Raven led – like going round in circles – anxious, without peace, joy…
Kumbeba Yesu ni Effort – yoke & burden implied
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Carry Jesus with both hands
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Don’t have a plan B with God
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…all of Jesus or nothing
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Kumbeba Yesu is in fact Yeye kutubeba… (Carrying Jesus is in fact allowing Him to carry us …)as the Great I Am
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…He can be whatever we want Him to be in our lives, especially in our time of need
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…I AM Healer, Provider, Comforter, Protector…
Syrian General and Elisha – 2 Kings 5
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How often we ignore simple prophetic instructions
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… but if we are told to do difficult things… bring a certain amount of money, a goat, a candle, a white cloth, dance or run around… we comply without much resistance!
As I have heard it said…
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Naaman – was willing to go God’s way so long as God was willing to go his way
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Gehazi – was willing to go his own way and make it look like God’s way.
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Genesis 4:1-5 – Offerings of Cain & Abel
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God wants the best & the first of our blessings
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… to see if we can let go of what He has given us
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…ile ya kwanza na ile mzuri zaidi
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…so that we don’t make His blessings an idol / miungu in our lives
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With the right attitude
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As a test of recognition — Ni Mungu na amenibariki nacho – imetoka kwake
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…& a test of faith – kule imetoka, nyingi zingine ziko
Hebrews 11:6 (NLT)
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And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
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Do I give the first of the best of my blessings to God?
… or like a little child – sasa ni yangu! – I refuse to give back what has been given to me?
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Not only money…
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Time each day
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Marriage – in prayer & thanksgiving
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Children – in teaching & dedicating them to the Lord
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Ability / talent…for the glory of God
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Work / business – using it to support the work of God
By giving my best for God to bless and multiply – I receive much more and much better, indeed exceedingly, abundantly above all that I may think or imagine according to the power ( believing that Word of God as true in my heart) that works in me – Ephesians 3:20
…or not giving the best and God blesses and multiplies that which is not my best! So when it falls short of what I expect, I grumble and complain – Like Cain in Genesis 4.
The amount I give shall determine the amount I get – Luke 6:38
What I give ( good or bad) will determine what I get – multiplied goodness or badness ??
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It’s about putting God first in everything that we do each and every day…
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What we put in God’s hand’s, He prospers it
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The more we release from our hand, the more room we make for God to bless us with much more than we can carry…
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…Like the child who gave his 5 loaves & 2 fish
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Luke 6:38 (NLT)
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Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full–pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”
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– And God only asks for 10% of our earnings to represent the whole?? What an amazing deal!!
- God is in the addition & multiplication business – where He wants to add good things into our lives (Fruits & Gifts of His Spirit) and have it multiplied in us and through us so that others may indeed taste and see that the Lord is good – Psalm 34:8
- …after all, a tree cannot eat its own fruit – it is for others to enjoy with the expectation that the seed that remains will also be planted in their hearts and in turn produce fruit & seed for many others to also enjoy …
- …But I need to be attached to the True Vine, as it is the vine that determines the type of fruit that will be produced in me – John 15
- Therefore if I constantly have pride, anger, bitterness and so on, I should check the vine I am attached to – as those are fruits not of the True Vine but of another that is producing its fruit in me that seems to want to kill, steal or destroy the good things of God in me ( my joy, peace, patience, – love for my spouse, child or parent…).
- It is all about Fruitfulness & Multiplication for the Kingdom of God, for the Glory of God
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We concluded with….
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James 4:7-8 (NLT)
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7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.
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– Humility & submission to all that God is saying
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– Resist the devil / sin- don’t rebel/ disobey
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– Seek God & He shall find us
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– A heart of repentance – a clean heart & renewed steadfast spirit
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– …..Don’t be divided / lukewarm – leo niko kwa Mungu, kesho niko kwa dunia
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…..I need to be holding Jesus with both hands
Do I give some or all …of the first & best of my Sabbath / Sunday?
- Or is it just to pass time, be seen by others , fulfill an obligation / check mark for religion
Like Abraham, am I willing to give up my Isaac to the Lord…?
- That which I dearly love and adore?
- What is my Isaac?
- Can I trust God enough with it?
- Can I pass the test of faith?
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People fear prophetic instructions
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We should always come to God to not only listen but also with the intention of obeying.
- Listening and obeying and not listening and choosing!
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God desires good things for me & not bad, to give me a future & hope – Jeremiah 29:11
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How do I seek God?
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To hear only good things – Amen & Hallelujah
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…but if hard or a rebuke – Ni Mungu kweli? – Start questioning God!?
How do I seek God through His servants?
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Only to hear good things – Amen & Hallelujah
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…but if not pleasing to my ear — Sasa si mtu wa Mungu tena??! – Is this really a man of God?
Example given
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Moses – told by the people to go talk to God and come tell them later
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…fearing what God may say
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…. people fear a place of naked truth
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Respecting / Honoring God is also respecting / honoring His servants
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Aaron & Miriam oppose Moses – Numbers 12
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Does the Lord only speak to you? Hata sisi tunaskianga Mungu!!
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…Using the flesh to try reason what is of the spirit !
- ….flesh and spirit are opposed and contrary to one another – Galatians 5:17
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Main Service…
Luke 8:16-18
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Lighting a lamp & putting it on a stand, not covering it
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All hidden & secret things shall be revealed
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Be careful how I listen
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…If I seek the truth, more truth will be given to me
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…If I only hear what I want to hear…(covering some truth I am uncomfortable with) …even that little truth in me shall be overwhelmed by the darkness (un truth) that I allow in my life!
Questions??
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Are people enjoying the fruits of my blessings (light of God in me) from the Lord?
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In Church or For God – am I utilizing my gifts for His glory?
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Do I enjoy operating in darkness or in light?
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…It’s by God’s mercy & grace that what I operate in in darkness has not been brought into light yet
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…may be common with pastors who continue to utilise God’s gift but some aspect of their lives are still in darkness.
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…….possibly being given time to repent??
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……or waiting ….reaching the fullness of their iniquity – Genesis 15:16
Light = Truth
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Repentance – to clean up house for God to operate
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Love truth & more will be given
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Love the Word and more will be given
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…All should come with an aspect of the fruit of the spirit – even if a rebuke
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…..Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self control – at least one aspect of these should manifest if it is something from the Lord.
10 lepers healed but one came back in thanksgiving – more was added unto him – Luke 17
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Saved by grace through faith & not by works – cleansed or freed from sin / leprosy
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…but after the miracle – tunapotea – we take off – not even coming back to testify
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and missing the other good things that God has for us when we walk with Jesus in salvation
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…our faith in God and the person He uses makes us well / whole
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— Again – it is about — Recognizing God in the situation & A Testing of our Faith
Tambua Mungu Kwanza in all things
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Listen & Obey to prophetic instructions
Weka taa / ukweli ya Mungu juu ya meza / hadharani
…Openly display & live out the Truth (Light / Word ) of God in our lives
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Uongozwe kutoka shida – be led out of bondage / captivity
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Ubarikiwe na ya Mungu – receive the fullness of blessings that God has for us
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The enemy will have nothing to hold on to …to bring you down
- – Such as when driving without say insurance, we may be scared of the traffic officer since we know that he has the right to enforce the law ( or lawlessness in case of a bribe??) on us.
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…..the prince of this world has no claim / hold / power over me – John 14:30
- …basically, don’t give or leave anything in my life that the enemy can hold on to, to bring me down.
Indeed,
….Create in me a clean heart Oh Lord, & renew a steadfast spirit within me…
…AMEN!
THE LIVING WORD 4 LIFE 