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Archive for June, 2012

What were you born for?

Posted in Preaching messages, tagged , , , on June 30, 2012| Leave a Comment »

SELECT YOUR DREAM
My testimony – upon entering uni I had no direction.
What is the purpose of your life?  For what great dream were you born?
The story of world war II – the night Winston Churchill was elected to lead the nation.  “I believe I was born for this hour”
READ PS 139 AMP BIBLE
God knows you only so well. All your days were recorded before you were born.
And yet if the bible teaches anything – it teaches personal responsibility.

  • By your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned 
  • Choose you this day whom you shall serve
  • Ezekiel 18:20    The soul that sins, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. 

Gods plans for you are always for good…
For I know the thoughts  and  plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts  and  plans and  peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. (Jeremiah 29:11 AMP)

What you do with your life is regulated by your belief more than your ability.
How many people are stopped by the belief, “I could never do that” whereas some go on to do great things by believing “I can do that”

THE STORY OF WILMA RUDOLPH

Wilma Rudolph was born prematurely at 4.5 lbs., the 20th of 22 siblings; her father Ed was a railway porter and her mother Blanche a maid.[6] Rudolph contracted infantile paralysis (caused by the polio virus) at age four. She recovered, but wore a brace on her left leg and foot (which had become twisted as a result) until she was nine. She was required to wear an orthopaedic shoe for support of her foot for another two years. Her family travelled regularly from segregated Clarksville, Tennessee, to Fisk University’s black medical college hospital in Nashville, Tennessee for treatments for her twisted leg. In addition, by the time she was twelve years old she had also survived bouts of scarlet fever, whooping cough, chickenpox, and measles. [6]

In 1952, 12-year-old Rudolph finally achieved her dream of shedding her handicap and becoming like other children. Her older sister was on a basketball team, and Wilma vowed to follow in her footsteps. While in high school, Rudolph was on the basketball team when she was spotted by Tennessee State track and field coach Ed Temple. Being discovered by Temple was a major break for a young athlete. The day he saw the tenth grader for the first time, he knew he had found a natural athlete. Rudolph had already gained some track experience on Burt High School’s track team two years before, mostly as a way to keep busy between basketball seasons.[7]While attending Burt High School, Rudolph became a basketball star setting state records for scoring and leading her team to the state championship. She also joined Temple’s summer program at Tennessee State and trained regularly and raced with his Tigerbelles for two years.[6] By the time she was 16, she earned a berth on the U.S. Olympic track and field team and came home from the 1956 Melbourne Games with an Olympic bronze medal in the 4 x 100 m relay to show her high school classmates.[6]At the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome she won three Olympic titles: the 100 m, 200 m and the 4 x 100 m relay. As the temperature climbed toward 110 degrees, 80,000 spectators jammed the Stadio Olimpico. Rudolph ran the 100-meter dash in an impressive 11 seconds flat. However the time was not credited as a world record, because it was wind-aided. She also won the 200-meter dash in 23.2 seconds, a new Olympic record. After these wins, she was being hailed throughout the world as “the fastest woman in history”. Finally, on September 11, 1960, she combined with Tennessee State teammates Martha Hudson, Lucinda Williams and Barbara Jones to win the 400-meter relay in 44.5 seconds, setting a world record.[6] from Wikipedia

What made Wilma an overcomer was the belief that her mother had placed in her heart as a tiny child – “Wilma all things are possible if you only believe.”
Wilma’s secret was that she discovered what she was born for and knowing that, she believed that she could overcome any obstacle.

You were not born for failure.

You were not born for survival only.

You were not born for ordinary…..

You may not be famous, that’s not the point, there is some purpose you were born for that no one else on earth can do. What is it?
God is no respecter of persons.
You born for a purpose. There was a God ordained blue print laid down in heaven for your life.
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,and before you were born I consecrated you;I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” But the Lord said to me,”Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’;for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,and whatever I command you, you shall speak.Do not be afraid of them,for I am with you to deliver you,declares the Lord.” Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me,”Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down,to destroy and to overthrow,to build and to plant.” (Jeremiah 1:5-10 ESV)
There was only one Wilma Rudolph, there was only one Winston Churchill, there was only one Jeremiah, and there is only one you!

Your first step is to discover what you were born for. So many settle for the mistaken belief that you were a mistake, or that you were born for nothing more than existing, no more than just living and being part of a family or community. But the truth is that God has a purpose for your life.
It will be a kingdom purpose.

Your life is a precious resource over which you are a steward. What will you do with it? How will you invest it?

When I heard the vision of COC many years ago God lit up a fire inside my heart. What lights your fire?
The way to find your destiny.

So teach us to number our days, that we may get us a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12 AMP)

Consider how great his plans for you are.

Are you moved by the plight of those around you ( testimony of Tony Kirwan)

Here am I Lord send me – prayer of surrender

What fire burns within you?

What gifts and abilities have been given you?

Just start somewhere, start serving, god will lead you to your destiny. Yes there will be things to overcome, that’s how you grow.

Prayer

Lead – child,

small group,

Create finance

Plant a church

Music, creative arts ministry

Disciple someone

Be a bringer

Be a soul winner

Cook a meal

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First things message – 24-06-12AM

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , on June 28, 2012| 2 Comments »

(John 12:1-8 AMP) SO SIX days before the Passover Feast, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, who had died and whom He had raised from the dead.  So they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those at the table with Him.  Mary took a pound of ointment of pure liquid nard [a rare perfume] that was very expensive, and she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. And the whole house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.  But Judas Iscariot, the one of His disciples who was about to betray Him, said,  Why was this perfume not sold for 300 denarii [a year’s wages for an ordinary workman] and that [money] given to the poor (the destitute)?  Now he did not say this because he cared for the poor but because he was a thief; and having the bag (the money box, the purse of the Twelve), he took for himself what was put into it [pilfering the collections].  But Jesus said, Let her alone. It was [intended] that she should keep it for the time of My preparation for burial. [She has kept it that she might have it for the time of My embalming.]  You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.

How much do you love God?

When you first stir in the morning, what thoughts fill your mind? When you think about what’s important to you, who or what dominates your life? When your heart is greatly moved, who or what was the influence? Who takes your breath away? God wants to be first in your life. (Mark 12:30 AMP) And you shall love the Lord your God out of  and  with your whole heart and out of  and  with all your soul (your life) and out of  and with all your mind (with your faculty of thought and your moral understanding) and out of  and  with all your strength.  This is the first and principal commandment.

This message is to encourage you and inspire you to put God first on your life.

First of all who is first in your life? We may all say God is but are you willing to be challenged on that? Why would I even want to put God first? 1. Fear – the beginning of wisdom. 2. Love – behold what He did for me.  {revelation}

Imagine…. My wedding day…. Till death do us part with my wife and another person!! She wouldnt feel as though she was first in my life. How does God feel when we have other lovers?

 For the honeymoon….. First week away at the golf retreat!

Matt 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

THE TRUTH CONVEYED HERE IS: PUT GOD FIRST AND EVERYTHING ELSE WILL BE BLESSED.

Our motivation is not reward but it is Him.

God says I want our first love. Rev 2:4-5 But I have this [one charge to make] against you: that you have left (abandoned) the love that you had at first [you have deserted Me, your first love].  Remember then from what heights you have fallen. Repent (change the inner man to meet God’s will) and do the works you did previously [when first you knew the Lord], or else I will visit you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you change your mind  and  repent.

PUTTING GOD FIRST What does it look like? What are the evidences that God is first in your life? Can I inspire you to fall head over heels in love with Jesus? Just look at what he’s done for you…….

1. FIRST IN YOUR DAY Ps 63:1 NKJV O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsts for thee, my flesh longs for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; Mark 1:35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. Ps 5:3 ESV O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.

TRUTH CONVEYED HERE IS IF YOU PUT GOD FIRST IN YOUR DAY – GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF THE REST OF YOUR DAY.

2. FIRST IN YOUR AFFECTIONS Matt 22:37   Jesus said unto him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. Luke 14:26 AMP If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his [own] father and mother [in the sense of indifference to or relative disregard for them in comparison with his attitude toward God] and [likewise] his wife and children and brothers and sisters–[yes] and even his own life also–he cannot be My disciple.

WHEN GOD IS FIRST IN OUR AFFECTIONS HE WILL GRANT YOU THE DESIRES OF YOUR HEART.

3.  FIRST IN YOUR WEEK (Hebrews 10:25 AMP) Not forsaking  or  neglecting to assemble together [as believers], as is the habit of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging, and encouraging) one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching.

(Psalm 27:4 AMP) One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek, inquire for,  and  [insistently] require: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life, to behold  and  gaze upon the beauty [the sweet attractiveness and the delightful loveliness] of the Lord and to meditate, consider,  and  inquire in His temple. 

THE TRUTH CONVEYED HERE IS THAT IF WE PUT GODS HOUSE FIRST THEN HE WILL TAKE CARE OF YOUR HOUSE

Haggai 1 put Gods house first…

4. FIRST IN OUR FINANCES (Proverbs 3:9, 10 AMP) Honor the Lord with your capital (wealth) and sufficiency (reserves)[from righteous labors] and with the firstfruits of all your income;   So shall your storage places be filled with plenty, and your vats shall be overflowing with new wine. Abraham – gave the first tenth to Melchisadek, immediately after he won the spoils not much later.

(Genesis 4:3, 4 AMP) And in the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground.  And Abel brought of the firstborn of his flock and of the fat portions. And the Lord had respect  and  regard for Abel and for his offering,

THE TRUTH CONVEYED HERE AND IN MATT 6:33 IS THAT WHEN YOU PUT GOD FIRST IN YOUR FINANCES HE WILL TAKE CARE OF THE REST.

5. FIRST IN YOUR LIFE (Philippians 3:7, 8 ESV) But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.

(2 Timothy 4:8 ESV) Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

THE THRUTH CONVEYED HERE IS THAT WHEN WE PUT GOD FIRST WITH OUR WHOLE LIFE THERE IS A FUTURE IN ETERNITY LAID UP FOR US THAT IS GLORIOUS.

CONCLUSION

GOD PUT YOU FIRST God gave his best, his only begotten son he sacrificed for you and me. He have us his best, he placed us first in his heart.

We love  Him,  because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19 AMP)

Because he placed you and your salvation first in sending his only son to the cross, god showed to you that he prizes highly this sonship he has conferred upon you.

Will you place God first in your life?

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