Month: July 2020

Recap:
1. Building a relationship with God – We need to understand God wants us to worship him as his children. Problems arise in our lives when we forget who we are, our role and who God is. Always put yourself in a position to learn, just as Jesus was a learner (Hebrews 5:8). So that in turn you can be a teacher.
2. Unforgiving Heart – Reconcile with brethren. “Forgive our sins as we forgive those who trespass against us”. As we recite the Lords prayer, let us be sincere. How can we expect God to forgive us, if we are not in a position to forgive others.

Intro: Our continued goal and aim should be to build a relationship with God until we are so close and intimate that our relationship isn’t dependent on what God can do for us, but rather because He is God.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (Daniel 3) refused to bow down and forsake God regardless of the consequences. Regardless of whether God would save then or not, they refused to compromise their love for Him. Likewise, we need to develop spiritual muscles so that no matter what we encounter, it does not change our faith. God remains God in all manner of situations. “The Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need.” (Psalm 23). That scripture is about acknowledging God is greater than anything else. Though the devil have wealth which he can give you if you sell yourself, God’s wealth surpasses all. In the story of the prodigal son, the lost son was given because he came back. The elder son questioned this and the explanation to him was he did not need to be given a portion, for the wealth was his already. Apostle Paul whilst in prison wrote to uplift those outside. Though his body was imprisoned, his spirit was free. That is the level of maturity in Christ we need to aspire to attain. Another example is Job, even if negativity was upon him, his perception of God did not change.

Ephesians 1:3-4. God has already given us the blessing from the moment we are in union with Christ. When the scriptures take about blessings, we automatically think of worldly possessions, but the true blessing is becoming a child of God. Even in hardship you still have the blessing. Whatever God has proclaimed belongs to us if we remain in union with Him.

As a child of God you need to understand that God spoke and by the spoken word all things became. By the word, all who believe will heal the sick. By the word, God has proclaimed blessing beyond measure. There is power in the spoke word. The manner in which we pray, is a reflection of our level of maturity. The people of God perish because they lack knowledge.

Ephesians 4:1-4. God has called us to a certain standard. Most of the time we are living below par because we do not understand the power of the spoken word. Live according to your calling. If God gives you a task he knows you are equipped to deal with it. The power is there but you have to satisfy certain conditions to be able to use it. If you are still battling minor things then you have not yet reached the level you ought to be.

Romans 8:15. Realise you are not ordinary. We are children of the Most High God. Recognise who God is. He is your father and whatever he has proclaimed belongs to you. Refuse to be impacted by negative situations because God is in control. We are the heirs of the Kingdom.
Once we live in union with God, we gain the spirit of Adoption, of sonship. You are no longer in bondage of anything. As a son, you cannot be excluded in the things of God. You work on behalf of your Father. No one follows you up because you are concerned over your Fathers business.

In conclusion, when God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, it was a test to see to what lengths Abraham loved Him. And as a result Abraham is known as a friend of God. Abraham’s maturity and relationship with God was such that nothing would come between his love for his Father. Likewise, track your spiritual journey. What level are you at. Be encouraged to work hard to create a deeper intimacy with God.

Intro: There is a reason why God has kept you alive to this day. Acts 1:8-11. We have a final destination. A place where we are going. Our primary goal should be to refocus our minds to the second coming of Christ. Refocusing will help you to understand why we do what we do. All teaching therefore should be taken in the context of the coming of Christ.

Acts 28: 1-10. There are some keys points that you ought to keep in mind in these verses. Firstly, the bible says that the snake “fastened” itself to Paul’s hand, it is not written if it bit him or not. Secondly, the people of Malta had a preconception about Paul. Regardless of these key aspects, Paul did not waver from his mission. He was focused on what he was doing despite their perception of him and their presumptions. Regardless of the fact that they prematurely concluded judgement against his life and an inevitable death. Paul understood the concept of relationships, focus and purpose.

There are three main types of relationships a person has within their life and environment.
1. There are people who have a negative perspective on your life. They are prejudice towards you even without knowing you.
2. There are those that positively relate towards you and are there to strengthen and encourage you. These are the ones we naturally gravitate towards and hold dear in our hearts.
3. There are those that are seasonal and seem to be dominate in times of your success and stand to celebrate with you.

Understanding these group dynamics will make you better equipped to deal with situations. You need to understand why certain groups of people are in your life. For example, even though you may experience people with a negative perspective on your life, you need to understand that God put these people in your life to bring you an opportunity to improve yourself. Do not rule them out because through the difficult interaction with them, you have the chance to practise the word of God. The bible speaks of loving your enemies and praying for them. How then would you fulfil this, if every relationship you had was positive? To overcome something, you need to practise it, so view this group as that, a practise ground! Detremental to spiritual growth, most Christian’s do not see this in this light. They waste precious time and energy wishing these people to change and thus lose focus of Christ. In the scripture, people expected Paul to die. They stood watch and did not offer to help him even when they witnessed a venomous snake fastened to him. But Paul continued with his mission and proceeded to heal the sick. The name of God was glorified because Paul did not concentrate on the negativity. He held no grudge but rather demonstrated the power of God. You see the power of God can only be seen within a difficult situation. God does not put you in a situation to break you, but rather build you.

Take time to understand relationships in order to deal with them. Learn to categorise the people in your life, both positive and negative. Do not spend unnecessary time trying to change them. But use it as a chance for the Glory of God to be witnessed in mankind with “all the wisdom and understanding that His Spirit gives.”(Colossians 1:9).