CONTEXT

Thank God, 2011 is gone and the New Year is upon us!

Some will say, “thank goodness last year is over; hope this New Year will be better.”

Others will say “I had such a fantastic life in 2011; hope 2012 will be the best.”

Whatever the case, the fact is that we all carry on from where we left off as we transit from 2011 to 2012. We don’t suddenly lose the debts we had in 2011 just because we have moved into 2012 for example.

The reality is that we all wake up on 1 January 2012 in the same place we went to bed in the previous night.

What actually changes is not something we can feel, touch, taste or see with our naked eyes. Rather, it is a change in our spirit, mind-frame and outlook on life – that’s what God is looking for.

So yes, I can wake up owing the same amount of money I owed in the previous year. But if I change my mind about my debts, for the better that is, perhaps I can pay them off quicker, smarter and with less stress this year. Above all, FAITH is the KEY.

Bottom-line; regardless of what we may view as setbacks, low points or disappointments of 2011, truth be told, God remained gracious to us throughout the year, in many respects, as individuals and as a corporate body of believers.

Indeed, we have been witnesses as well as direct beneficiaries and even more so, REASONS for Heavenly favour these past twelve months.

As a Church, the crème-de-la-cream, that most outstanding blessed gift we received from God in 2011 is of course, without a doubt, our 4-acres of beautiful and undiluted land in Midrand, just north of Johannesburg.

Who would ever forget that celebratory, historic and divinely instituted ground breaking ceremony God gave us that Saturday, on 26 November 2011?

Surely, we can all say, of God: “thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations – Psalms 90: 1

It is against this background, among other things, as well as the sure-mindedness of God and everything Heavenly that our Prayer and Fasting programme for 2012 is divinely inspired.

2012 is indeed our Watershed Year (This Time For Real), underpinned by Three Pillars:

•  The Efficacy of the Blood of the Lamb! - Revelation 12:11
• The Enrichment of the Holy Spirit! - John 14:26 & John 15:26
• The Knitted Fellowship of All Saints! – Ephesians 4: 15-16

NB: Three is a number of strength!

What is meant by Watershed Year?

•  The point of no return.
• A critical turning point after which things will never ever be the same or return to former states again.
• A moment in time wherein everything changes; a point in time when nothing afterwards will ever be the same as before
• The figurative meaning comes from the literal meaning of a point, or division in a river, or stream where the river is split into two distinct paths that will not intersect again.
• An occurrence wherein things change. Watersheds are (geographically speaking) defined by their boundaries, where the land turns or slants and the water in the watershed runs a certain way (into the rivers and water-bodies of that watershed). So, to say that you have reached a watershed is to say that you have reached a place where the landscape turns in a new or different way.

THEREFORE, in this respect, 2012 is for us, as TKT, our Watershed Year in that nothing and no one will ever be the same again!

It is momentous year, in which everything changes, for the better that is.

Nothing and no one will ever remain the same, never again!

Everything about us will change under the power of God!

Our personal and corporate lives will improve!

Our church ethos will improve!

Our worship will CHANGE!

WE will all CHANGE!

For REAL!

 PRAYER & FASTING PROGRAMME/ RUNNING ORDER 2012 

DAY ONE: Thursday, 5 January 2011

Thanks giving – it’s all about God and us

• Appreciate God’s presence in 2011 (Church property) and His sure sustenance in 2012 (full construction phase of building project on Church property).
• A mind that is grateful for God’s rich presence in our lives and for His continued watch.
• Consider personal practical examples, always talk about them and be thankful.

Isaiah 12:4 -In that day you will say: “Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted.”

Colossians 3:17 – And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 – … give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

DAY TWO: Friday, 6 January 2011

Reflection, consecration, repentance and forgiveness

• As we begin a New Year (2012), it is important to consider and think about The Year That Was (2011) in light of God’s presence in our individual and corporate lives.
• We must never forget our experiences, especially the lessons learnt, for these, as our testimonies, will carry us from one station of life to the next.
• As we approach God’s throne-room, let us seek to be forgiven and forgive others too.

To consecrate is to dedicate, to make holy, or to become righteous. The law of consecration is a divine principle whereby men and women voluntarily dedicate their time, talents, and material wealth to the establishment and building of God’s kingdom.

Joshua told the people: “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you.” – Joshua 3:5

The word “consecrate” means “to set apart”. Athletes will set themselves apart to prepare for competition; businesses will set themselves apart to learn how to master the marketplace.

Why would it be so unusual for Christians to set themselves apart for God? We are asking the Lord to do amazing things among us in 2012. So, we must therefore prepare ourselves to be witnesses, recipients and custodians of the earnest of our expectations.

Romans 12:1-2  - I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

DAY THREE: Saturday, 7 January 2011

Holy Ghost inspiration/ increased knowledge & wisdom

• Knowing more of God and our positions in Him.
• Knowing each other better – becoming interested in the lives of fellow believers.
• Better Revelation: ignorance is tantamount to death.

John 14:26: “These things I have spoken to you, while abiding with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.”

Luke 12:12: “for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

Rom. 8:26: “And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”

1 Cor. 2:10: “For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.

God’s Will, Purpose and Direction in our lives

• We cannot make sense of life on our own.
• We have no sense of direction on our own.
• God knows where our lives are headed; how we’ll get there and what tools we’ll need.

God Leads, Guides and Counsels Us Through:

• His Holy Word – by reading & meditating on the Bible, God’s word
• Regular communication with God by praying (Talking) and listening to God every day
• Our Visions, Convictions, Dreams, Aspirations and Passions
• Opportunities we have, i.e. Opportunities God brings our way
• Doing His will (From His word), walking in His way, humbly living our lives for Him

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.”

Psalm 118:8 “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not upon your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your path.”

Psalm 121:3 “He will not allow your foot to be moved, He that keeps you will not slumber.”

Psalm 145:18 “The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

DAY FIVE: Monday, 9 January 2011

Purposeful individuals & functional families.

• Strong individuals make strong families.
• Strong families make strong churches.
• Personal & corporate breakthroughs – a must.

While it’s true that some people seem to find their life purpose easier than others, it’s also true that God really does have a plan for every single person, even if it takes a while to see what it is.

Jeremiah 29:11  – For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Acts 26:16  – But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you.

Ephesians 1:11  - In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.

Colossians 3: 12 - Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. …  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. … Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

DAY SIX: Tuesday, 10 January 2011

A sound & effective Ministry (TKT)

• Capable, fearless, God-led leadership.
• Fully functional church departments/ ministries.
• An open Ministry; one that Receives, Retains and Reproduces.

One of the greatest challenges our church – and many other churches for that matter – is finding

and keeping great people. If we are ever going to have a thriving ministry, then we urgently need to have a group of people who are clear about their mission (individual & corporate), feel valued and valuable, and know how to serve others with dignity.

Principles to bear in mind: 1. Coordination, 2. Cooperation and 3. Calmness.

Jesus not only promised to build His Church; He also assured His disciples that His Church would not perish. See Model Ministry: Mark 1: 12 – 20

Proverbs 24:3, “By wisdom a house is built; and by understanding it is established.”

Proverbs 15:22, “Without consultation, plans are frustrated, but with many counsellors, they succeed.”

DAY SEVEN: Wednesday, 11 January 2011

Community Relevance – Fully Functional Family (FFF)

• Growing Ministry.
• An all inclusive Church that is relevant to all (transcending age, race, gender, sex, nationality, culture, background and social status).
• An effective Ministry that delivers on its mandate beyond its own generation.

We urgently need God’s help and individual member commitments to build a Church that:

•  Functions like a BODY
• Loves like a FAMILY
• Praises like a TEMPLE
• Submits like a KINGDOM
• Is as pure as a virgin BRIDE

 Ephesians 4:15–16

… speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the …

DAY EIGHT: Thursday, 12 January 2011

Building a Strong, Global Corporate Body of Christ

• Local community Church with pan-African and global appeal, reach and influence.
• The Kingdom cause is far greater than local church needs – playing our full part.
• The Church in the wilderness – many are still to come to the fold.

 There are at least three ways that we can take building up the body of Christ

•  ·         Individually
• ·         Congregationally
• ·         Globally

NB: the ultimate goal is to help spread the gospel internationally, ministering to the needs of others in distant places and countries.
Ephesians 4: 1 – 16

1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  …. 7 But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it is said, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” … 11 And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; …

DAY NINE: Friday, 13 January 2011

National Causes

• Great nations.
• Courageous God fearing & principled leadership.
• Restoration of humanity (Ubuntu).

1 Timothy 2: 1-2 Therefore, I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may live a quiet and peaceable life in godliness and reverence.

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Daniel 9: 5-21 We have sinned and committed iniquity…. Now while I was speaking, praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God, yes while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening sacrifice.

DAY TEN: Saturday, 14 January 2011

Global agenda

• Resumption of annual international fellowship meeting.
• Grow critical fellowship networks to ensure success.
• Challenge the Church to reach new levels of international interest & impact/ influence.

 In pursuing our global agenda we must also commit to the following:

•  Pray regularly for global partners, missionaries and nations.
• Educate local saints about global issues especially of Christian concern.
• Receive the gifts of a global church – inviting & receiving visiting ministers.
• Give to the work of global missions – form alliances with partners of like faith & mind.
• Send ministers & missionaries to share the Good News of Jesus globally.
• Grow in sharing the story of God’s mission with others.
• Actively share the Good News of Jesus through all appropriate channels.

Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

AND LOOK OUT FOR SUNDAY: 15 January 2011

 Break the Fast with thanksgiving

• Praise & Thanksgiving.
• Divine Guidance into 2012.
• Expectations, vision/ mission and roadmap for 2012 and beyond.

“NEW BEGINNINGS” – SEED TIME, HARVEST & THE POWER OF THE RAINBOW

Key Statements:

•  “New Beginnings” means something that has never been there is now not only there, but starting to “happen”.

• That means, God is making a fresh start with His people.

• That means this is The Year Without Limits and it is marvellous after we have GONE BEYOND!

• In this Year of New Beginnings, it is going to be important how we position ourselves to maximise every benefit in God!

• There is Power in the Rainbow as covenanted by and with God.

Root scriptures:

Jeremiah 29:10 – 14 This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfil my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. (11) For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (12) Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. (13) You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (14) I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

Isaiah 43: 19 – Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.

God is calling up time!

Subtext:

When God’s redeeming work in your life is complete, you will love God with all your heart and you will love your neighbour as yourself. You will reflect God’s glory along with a vast community of redeemed people drawn from every nation in whom His image has been fully restored.

God receives us in our sin, but he never leaves us in our sins. He is relentless in calling us to follow His ways and in correcting us when we depart from them.

After the time of David, there followed a line of kings, some good, but mostly bad. God’s people worshipped other gods, and walked in their ways. God sent prophets who spoke His Word, calling the people to repentance and obedience. Their message was largely ignored, and so God, whose Word never fails, moved to discipline and correct His people.

The land God had given to His people was over-run by their enemies, and God’s people became exiles in Babylon, where they lived under the discipline of God, and wept their way through 70 years of sorrow.

God never abandons His promise, and even in this severe trial, He was advancing His ultimate purpose for His people. God’s plans for His people are always good. He may hurt us but he will never harm us. His wounds are the wounds of a friend, who will not let you go.

Christ came into the world to save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). That means more than forgiveness. Salvation is deliverance from sin and all its effects. It means washing sin’s guilt, breaking sin’s power, healing sin’s pain, removing sin’s regret, and finally expelling sin’s presence.

Hope is sustained for the Christian by looking ahead to your joy that will be full when Christ’s saving work is complete. On that day, your sins will not only be covered, they will be gone. Your sorrow over your own sins, and your pain over the sins of others will be erased as God wipes all tears from your eyes.

Sin will be no more — no longer in you, and nowhere to be seen around you. So take heart and be encouraged in your struggle with sin and sorrow today. It will not always be so. In this life, we are sinners even at our best, but we are sinners in whom God is at work by His Spirit restoring the reflection of His image. When you see Christ, you will be like Him. Having this hope, walk in purity today (1 John 3:2, 3).

Fed up of old things? Create new things!  Yes you can!

God is saying: “Stop staring into your past; Start looking unto Me! He says I’m not concerned about where you are coming from because I was with you there anyway. I’m not even bothered about where you are today because I have allowed you to be there anyway. BUT this moment I am interested in where you are going because I know the plans I have for you!”

Could it be that God is so fed up and tired of your monotonous life that He wants to give you a whole new look?

My brother if you grow tired of seeing your wife wearing the same hairstyle all the time you need to know that complaining about it won’t change a thing until you give your wife a big bag full of money and physically take her to the best hair saloon in town, and to the best pedicure and manicure people! They know how to give her the best face-lift! You can complain all day and all night and you will still have the same drippy face looking at you 24/7 if you don’t do something about it! If you don’t like what you see and if you don’t like who you are then you have to take urgent steps at every opportunity to change the picture!

God is saying the same thing to The King’s Tabernacle right now and to every member of this congregation! The question is: are there sons and daughters of Issachar here in this place, who know what the people of God ought to do now? Are there brothers and sisters who are hearing what the spirit of God is saying to the Church as we prepare to embrace the new 2010!

God must have gotten tired of staring at the same “void” and “formless earth”.

God has always been in the business of making “NEW BEGINNINGS”!

If you are used to living a certain kind of life style and eating certain food stuffs and staying in certain neighbourhoods God is saying you better get ready because I am about to shake your foundations and blow you out of all your comfort zones!

Better get ready to lose some of those old things and the first thing you are going to have to lose is your bad envious spirit!

If God needs to remove your stony heart and replace it with a heart of flesh then He is already doing so even now as I speak!

Hold on, you haven’t seen anything yet!

Because:

• When you are in Christ you become a new creature!
• Jesus’ birth was a new thing – never had there been such a birth before!
• When Jesus rose from the grave it was a new thing – never had there been such a resurrection!
• The first time it rained, “raining” was a whole new concept because the scripture says it had never rained before, but water used to sip through the ground to water the earth and all its plants!

Nobody can tell you that you cannot have a first! Nobody can stop your New Beginnings!

No one is ever too fallen down to be unable to rise up again!

No one is too much of a sinner to be unable to be saved and to serve God!

You think you did so much wrong, stole too much, messed up with women or men too much or lied and deceived people too much?

Then Please allow me to give you a list of heroes of faith who were bad boys and girls:

• Eve was a con woman
• Jacob was a trickster
• Abel was too soft
• Zachariah was a non-believer
• Esther and Moses were one time impostors
• You say your English is bad – Moses was a stammerer and a murderer on the run
• You say you are too young – David was too young to face Goliath
• You say you have the wrong background
• Paul was a murderer
• Peter denied Jesus
• Judas was a thief and a sell-out yet he was Jesus’ personal financial advisor
• Joseph was a con artist  and a jailbird
• David was an adulterer and a murderer
• Jeremiah wrote the book of Lamentations from prison

All these and many more were given NEW BEGINNINGS and if God could give them fresh start then surely Marjorie and Simeon and Zinhle and Mavuso will also have their NEW BEGINNINGS today!

Nothing is impossible with God. - Luke 1: 37

And today is your acceptable time with the Lord, not tomorrow!

Now is the time! Run with your life to God!

While this knowledge is not a license for us to continue in sin – the Bible says: “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” – the truth of the matter is that God is not scarred or worried about your past because it is under the blood of Jesus!

Let me note that Solomon the wise said:

The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already of old time, which was before us. - Ecclesiastes 1:9-10

But let me also note that God the all-wise said:

Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, 1 will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? - Isaiah 43:18-19.

From the very beginning God has always been BEGINNING new things!

Don’t let the devil tell you that you are raising your hopes too high!

They have asked the same question before!

They said:

“Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation’  - 2 Peter 3:4.

You turn around and tell all your detractors: “It may never have happened before, but it will start with me! So better get ready to see a new thing, such as you have never seen before!”

From the beginning of all things, God has been busy creating new things. When the Bible says that He rested, it does not say that He stopped creating altogether! Resting and stopping or discontinuing are two different things. When you rest, it means you can still continue. It means you are tired and you want to recuperate and get back your energy so that you can continue what you had started – what you were doing before you rested. But when you stop or discontinue, you are saying it’s enough and there is no more need to keep doing what you have been doing! I thank God that He rested on the seventh day, and resumed his creation again! And that’s why He is still creating NEW things today! And that’s why He is able to create NEW BEGINNINGS for me today, even right NOW!

Genesis 1: 1 – 31
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. 6 Then God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so. 8 God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. 9 Then God said, “Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. 10 God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them”; and it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good. 13 There was evening and there was morning, a third day. 14 Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. 16 God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. 17 God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good. 19 There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.

20 Then God said, “Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens.” 21 God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day. 24 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind”; and it was so. 25 God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good. 26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; 30 and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so. 31 God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

You may have been going through a rough patch in your life! God is saying look out for the RAINBOW and start celebrating my Covenant (Genesis 9:8-17).

God told Noah and his sons that He would preserve life by not flooding the entire earth ever again (Genesis 9:11, 15). Moses writes:

“Now behold, I Myself do establish My covenant with you, and with your descendants after you; and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that comes out of the ark, even every beast of the earth. I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth. This is the sign of the covenant23 which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud, and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth. And God said to Noah, ‘This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.’”

This passage reveals three important aspects to God’s covenant. This “covenant” is unconditional (9:9), universal (9:9-10, 17), and eternal (9:12, 16).

Several clues bear this out:

1. The recurrence of “I,” “Myself,” and “My” demonstrates the unconditional nature of this covenant. God Himself will ensure that this covenant is carried out. It is not dependent upon man’s work or faithfulness. This is how God typically works. There is nothing man can do to earn His favour.

2. The replication of the phrase “every living creature” (9:10a, 10b; 12b) and its equivalents, “all flesh” (9:11b; 15b; 17b), and “every living creature of all flesh” (9:15a; 16b)—a total of eight times, affirms God’s passionate concern for, and certain commitment to, the preservation and care of all living species on the earth.²⁵ Since God appreciates both animal and human life, so should we.

3. God clearly states that this is an “eternal covenant” (9:16), “for all successive generations” (9:12). Since God is the eternal God who dwells outside of space and time, He can maintain His covenants as long as He sovereignly chooses. The Bible teaches that God fulfils His covenants and promises. If He failed to fulfil even one covenant or promise, He would cease to be God. Furthermore, if He failed, or fails sometime in the future, how could we know with any degree of confidence that the Gospel is trustworthy? Those that suggest the Scripture has errors often overlook this point. Yet, God’s Word must be free of inaccuracies or God is not God and the rest of His Word is suspect, at best.

God is about to pour out new beginnings into your life, is there someone making room and creating capacity to receive new beginnings in here today!

Stop holding onto past pleasures! You have no time to brood over past pains! Stop being sorry for yourself because you failed in some area last year! God knows that and he is not sorry about that! He says I have not only overlooked it but I have cast it out into the sea of forgetfulness that and I want to give you NEW BEGINNINGS!

The prodigal son hung around pigs long enough to start eating what they were eating and if he had stayed long enough with them he was soon going to start hogging like them!

God is saying to someone here you have been hanging around the wrong crowd for far too long and you are about to start looking like them! He says it was good enough that you walked with them and spent some past time with them but not anymore … your time with that sister, that brother, that job, that condition, that disease that situation and that environment is up!

God says … behold I do a new thing!

• Somebody is going to get a new life!

• Somebody is going to get a new spirit!

• Somebody is going to get a new desire for God!

• Somebody is going to get a new house!

• Somebody is getting a new car!

• Someone is getting married!

• Someone is getting a new job!

• Somebody is getting a promotion!

• Someone is getting new friends!

• Somebody is conceiving even right now!

• Some people are giving birth right now!

• And a whole new bright future is beckoning for yet another one!

That’s my God!

I dare you to take God at His word and see what He will do for you!

God says:

• You have been around this place for far too long!

• It’s getting hot in here! It’s getting uncomfortable in here!

• It’s getting unfriendly in here!

• This place is getting rather small and you don’t fit in here anymore!

• You have outgrown your place that’s why your neighbours don’t like you anymore – so, STOP fighting them and START moving on with GOD!

• Goodbye foul spirit!

• Goodbye envious spirit!

• Goodbye worldly spirit!

• Goodbye hateful spirit!

• Goodbye lustful spirit!

• Goodbye small house!

• Goodbye small car!

• Goodbye small business!

• Goodbye small friend!

• Goodbye small job!

• Goodbye small neighbourhood!

• See you never!

Someone ought to shout that’s for me! That’s for me!

Hallelujah!

Now let me talk a bit more about the RAINBOW Covenant …

When God makes a covenant with us, it normally involves these three elements. The difference is that God alone determines the terms of the agreement, and that God always comes through on His end of the deal.

If God is willing to make a covenant with us, and He is willing to bind Himself to that covenant no matter what, what does that say about the relationship God wants to have with us? It says that we can be hopeful about the future, because we worship a God that not only desires our companionship, but who is willing to take the steps necessary to obligate Himself to that relationship.

In Genesis 9:12-17, God also attaches significance to the rainbow as a “sign” of His covenant.²⁶ The Hebrew word for rainbow (qeset) is also the word for a battle bow. The point seems to be that the bow is now “put away,” hung in place by the clouds, suggesting that the “battle,” the storm, is over. Thus, the rainbow speaks of peace.²⁷ As a result, whenever clouds appear over the earth and a rainbow appears, God will “remember”²⁸ His covenant with man.²⁹ God said that the rainbow would cause Him to remember His unconditional covenant with man.³⁰ God is a faithful God!

AND BY THE WAY …There was nothing wrong with Moses when he realised he needed a fresh start so making a fresh start does not mean that your life is not working. Moses had everything he needed – a great life in the palace, and a great future on thing was on the horizon. However, something was missing – he wasn’t being true to himself, he lived someone else’s life!

Could it be that you have been living someone else’s life?

The prodigal son realised he was living someone else’s life and had to make a u-turn in his life – going back to daddy!

It’s not about trying harder! It’s about increasing your faith in God!

It’s not about what your friend can do for you, but what God will do for you!

In addition, it gets even better because it’s no longer, what God will do for you but what you can do for God!

Anyone can have a fresh start!

Time and chance happeneth to them all! And this is someone’s chance.

You may look so dead, buried in your own grave, dead and stinking like poor old Lazarus but Jesus says to Mary stop crying and start showing me some faith!

God is saying stop crying over what has already happened and come forth from your grave!

Oh, someone needs to hear God’s call-out order and start shaking off their dust and come out of their grave into the marvellous life of God!

It’s dangerous to give up on God because he never gives up on anybody!

Even in his death in the grave Lazarus responded to the call of life!

You are not even dead yet and you are not even in the grave yet and still you cannot hear God’s voice?

Somebody shout, “Speak Lord!”

Hallelujah!!!!!!

CONCLUSION:

Jeremiah 29:10-14

God promises, “I’m going to bring you home. You will no longer be in exile. I will give you the promised land. I will give you My rest.” We have been seeking “the rest of God”, ‘the true Sabbath, in His Kingdom (Hebrews 4). He says He will give it to us because of His good plans in His heart for us. He wants these good things to be given to us.

Therefore, He urges us to continue on, to build our families and to strengthen the ties between, not only within the family, but also with other families of His people. We are to overcome, grow, and produce fruit, so that we will have the heart that will seek Him in everything. In addition, if we can, to grow in numbers. He wants us to be increased and not diminished, if possible. He also advises us to be at peace with other men, to have the peace around us in which we can grow in righteousness and holiness and transform into His image.

When we do those things, and God’s time is right, He will bring us out of our exile. But not until then. He is the one, the Master Timekeeper, and when He says it is the right time, it will be the very best time for us to come out of exile. From wherever He has scattered us, He will bring us back and settle us, giving us true rest in His Kingdom.

EXTRA …

Thus says the Lord who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters. Remember not the former things; neither consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing, Even now it is springing to light. Do you not perceive it? A way will I make in the wilderness and rivers in the desert! Isaiah 43:16, 18-19.

Let us listen to words of the Old and New Testaments, which speak of the new, that God makes in life and history.

Behold the days come, saith the Lord, That I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel And with the house of Judah. Not like the covenant which I made with their fathers On the day that I took them by the hand 1?o bring them out of the land of Egypt; Which my covenant they brake, So that I had to reject them. But this shall be the covenant That I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them And write it in their hearts; And I will be their God And they shall be my people. … For I will forgive their guilt And I will remember their sin no more. Jeremiah 81:31-34.

(Thus says the Lord God:) I will give them a new heart, And I will put a new spirit within them. I will remove their heart of stone And will give them a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 11:19.

(Thus says the Lord God:) I ignore the troubles of the past. I shut mine eyes to them.
For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth. The past shall be forgotten And never come to mind. Men shall rejoice forever in what I now create. Isaiah 65:16, 17.

Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, all things have become new. I Corinthians 5:17

(In addition, Jesus .said to them:) No one puts a piece of new cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins; if it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed; but new wine is put into new wineskins, and so both are preserved. Matthew 9:16-17.

Finally, let us listen to the seer of the New Testament:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. In addition, I saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down . . . and I heard a great voice from the throne saying: Behold, the dwelling of God is with men . . . he will wipe away every tear from their eyes and death shall be no more, for the former things have passed away. . . . Behold, I make all things new. Revelation 21:1-5.

MEDITATION ….

Let us meditate on the old and the new, in ourselves and in our world. In these Biblical texts, the new contrasted with the old: the old is rejected and there is stated, in passionate words, expectation of the new. Even the Preacher, who denies the possibility of anything really new on earth, does not hide his longing for the new, and his disappointment in not being able to find it. Why do these writers feel and speak in this way? Why do they prefer the new to the old, and why do they believe that God is the God of the new? Why do they demand and expect the new birth, the new heart, the new man, the new covenant, the New Jerusalem, the new heaven and the new earth?

They do not announce the new because they believe what many people of the last decades have believed: that the later things are better than the former things simply because they are later; that new developments are more divine than old ones, because they are nearer to a final perfection; that God guarantees a perpetual progress, and that for this reason He is the God of the new. Against such illusions, the disappointed words of the Preacher are true for all history. In addition, certainly such illusions are not the content of the prophetic and apostolic preaching concerning the new. What is the content of their expectation? What do they mean when they warn us not to consider the things of old? What are those old things, and what are the new things, which they ask us to see and to accept?

“Old” sometimes means that which lasts though all times, that which is today as it was in the past and as it shall be in all the future. There is something that does not age, something that is always old and always new at the same time, because it is eternal. God is sometimes called the “ancient of days” or the “Redeemer of old”. The wisdom of old and the law of God, which are as old as the foundations of the earth, are praised just because they are old; nothing new is set against them as no new God is set against the God of old. “Old” as it is used here means “everlasting”, pointing to that which is not subject to the change of time.

However, in the texts we have read from the words of the unknown prophet of the exile, in the 43rd chapter of Isaiah, “old” means just the opposite. It means that which passes away and shall not be remembered any more — the destiny of everything created, of the stars as well as of the grass in the field, of men as well as of animals, of nations as well as of individuals, of the heavens as well as of the earth. They all become old and pass away. What does it mean to say that somebody or something becomes old? All life grows; it desires and strives to grow, and it lives as long as it grows. Men always have been fascinated by the law of growth.

They have called that which helps growth good, and they have called that which hinders it evil. However, let us look more deeply into the law of growth and into its tragic nature. Whether we observe the growth of a living cell, of a human soul, or of a historical period, we see that growth is gain and loss at the same time; it is both fulfilment and sacrifice. Whatever grows must sacrifice many possible developments for the one through which it chooses to grow. He who wants to grow as a scientist may have to sacrifice poetic or political possibilities which he would like to develop. He has to pay a price. He cannot grow equally in all directions. The cells, which adapt themselves to one function of the body, lose the power to adapt themselves to other functions. Periods of history, which are determined by one idea, suppress the truth of other possible ideas. Every decision excludes possibilities and makes our life narrower. Every decision makes us older and more mature.

Youth is openness. However, every decision closes doors. In addition, that cannot be avoided; it is an inescapable destiny. Life makes decisions in every moment; life closes doors in every moment. We proceed from the first minute of our lives to the last minute, because we are growing. The law of growth lends us greatness, and therefore tragedy. For the excluded possibilities belong to us; they have a right of their own. Therefore, they take their vengeance upon our lives, which have excluded them. They may die; and with them, great powers of life and large resources of creativity. For life, as it grows, becomes a restricted power, more rigid and inflexible, less able to adapt itself to new situations and new demands. Or, on the other hand, the excluded possibilities may not die. They may remain within us, repressed, hidden, and dangerous, prepared to break into the life process, not as a creative resource, but as a destructive disease.

Those are the two ways in which the aging life drives toward its own end: the way of self-limitation, and the way of self-destruction. Often the two ways merge, carrying death into all realms of life.

Let us consider one of these realms — our historical situation, the life of our period. Our period has become what it is though innumerable decisions and, therefore, innumerable exclusions. Some of the excluded possibilities have died away, depriving us of their creative power. Many of them have not died, and after having disappeared for a time, are now returning destructively. The former greatness of our period has produced its present tragedy and that of all who live within it. Even those who are young amongst us are old, in so far as they belong to an aged period. They are young in their personal vitality; they are old because of their participation in the tragedy of our time. It is an illusion to believe that youth as youth has saving power. When the ancient empires aged and died, their youth did not save them. And our younger generation will not save us, simply by virtue of the fact that it is young.

We have made many decisions in order to become what we are. But every decision is tragic, because it is the decision against something, which cannot be suppressed with impunity.

At the beginning of our period, we decided for freedom. It was a right decision; it created something new and great in history. But in that, decision we excluded the security, social and spiritual, without which man cannot live and grow. And now, in the old age of our period, the quest to sacrifice freedom for security splits every nation and the whole world with really daemonic power.

We have decided for means to control nature and society. We have created them, and we have brought about something new and great in the history of all mankind. But we have excluded ends. We have never been ready to answer the question, “For what?” And now, when we approach old age, the means claim to be the ends; our tools have become our masters, and the most powerful of them have become a threat to our very existence. We have decided for reason against outgrown traditions and honoured superstitions.

That was a great and courageous decision, and it gave a new dignity to man. But we have, in that decision, excluded the soul, the ground and power of life. We have cut off our mind from our soul; we have suppressed and mistreated the soul within us, in other men, and in nature. And now, when we are old, the forces of the soul break destructively into our minds, driving us to mental disease and insanity, and effecting the disintegration of the souls of uncounted millions, especially in this country, but also all over the world.

From the very beginning of our period, we have decided for the nation, as the expression of our special way of life and of our unique contribution to history. The decision was great and creative, and for centuries, it was effective. But in that decision we excluded mankind and all symbols expressing the unity of all men. The former unity was broken, and no international group has been able to re-establish it.

Now, in the old age of our period, the most powerful nations themselves claim to represent mankind, and try to impose their ways of life upon all men, producing, therefore, wars of destruction, which will perhaps unite all mankind in the peace of the grave.

Our period has decided for a secular world. That was a great and much-needed decision. It threw a church from her throne, a church that had become a power of suppression and superstition. It gave consecration and holiness to our daily life and work. Yet it excluded those deep things for which religion stands: the feeling for the inexhaustible mystery of life, the grip of an ultimate meaning of existence, and the invincible power of an unconditional devotion. These things cannot be excluded. If we try to expel them in their divine images, they re-emerge in daemonic images. Now, in the old age of our secular world, we have seen the most horrible manifestation of these daemonic images; we have looked more deeply into the mystery of evil than most generations before us; we have seen the unconditional devotion of millions to a satanic image; we feel our period’s sickness unto death.

This is the situation of our world. Each of us should realize that he participates in it, and that the forces in his own soul which make him old, often in early years, are part of the forces, which make our period old.

Each of us strengthens these forces, and each of us is a victim of them at the same time. We are in the desert of which the prophet speaks, and none among us knows the way out. Certainly, there is no way out in what some idealists tell us: “Make decisions, but don’t exclude anything! Take the best in all possibilities. Combine them. Then will our period become young again!” No man and no nation will become young again in that way. The new does not appear from a collection of the elements of the old, which are still alive.

When the new comes the old must disappear. “Remember not the former things, neither consider the things of old”, says the prophet. “Behold, all things are become new”, says the apostle. Out of the death of the old, the new arises. The new is created not out of the old, not out of the best of the old, but out of the death of the old. It is not the old which creates the new. That which creates the new is that which is beyond old and beyond new, the Eternal.

“Behold, I am doing a new thing, even now it is springing to light. Do you not perceive it?” If the new were a part of the old, the prophet would not ask, “Do you perceive it?” for everybody would see it already. But it is hard to perceive. It is hidden in the profound mystery, which veils every creation, birth as well as rebirth. It springs to light — which is to say that it comes out of the darkness of that mystery.

Nothing is more surprising than the rise of the new within ourselves. We do not foresee or observe its growth. We do not try to produce it by the strength of our will, by the power of our emotion, or by the clarity of our intellect. On the contrary, we feel that by trying to produce it we prevent its coming. By trying, we would produce the old in the power of the old, but not the new in the power of the new.

The new being is born in us, just when we least believe in it. It appears in remote corners of our souls, which we have neglected for a long time. It opens up deep levels of our personality, which had been shut out by old decisions and old exclusions. It shows a way where there was no way before. It liberates us from the tragedy of having to decide and having to exclude, because it is given before any decision. Suddenly we notice it within us! The new which we sought and longed for comes to us in the moment in which we lose hope of ever finding it. That is the first thing we must say about the new: it appears when and where it chooses. We cannot force it, and we cannot calculate it. Readiness is the only condition for it; and readiness means that the former things have become old and that they are driving us into the destruction of our souls just when we are trying most to save what we think can be saved of the old.

It is the same in our historical situation. The birth of the new is just as surprising in history. It may appear in some dark corner of our world. It may appear in a social group where it was least expected. It may appear in the pursuit of activities which seem utterly insignificant. It may appear in the depth of a national catastrophe, if there be in such a situation people who are able to perceive the new of which the prophet speaks. It may appear at the height of a national triumph, if there be a few people who perceive the vanity of which the Preacher speaks.

The new in history always comes when people least believe in it. But, certainly, it comes only in the moment when the old becomes visible as old and tragic and dying, and when no way out is seen. We live in such a moment; such a moment is our situation. We realize this situation in its depth only if we do not continue to say, “We know where the new will come from. It will come from this institution or this movement, or this special class, or this nation, or this philosophy, or this church.” None of these, of course, is excluded from being the place where the new will appear. But none of these can guarantee its appearance. All of us who have looked at one of these things as the chosen place of the new have been disappointed.

The supposedly new always proves to be the continuation of the old, deepening its destructive conflicts. And so I repeat: the first thing about the new is that we cannot force it and cannot calculate it. All we can do is to be ready for it. We must realize as profoundly as possible that the former things have become old, that they destroy our period just when we try most courageously to preserve the best of it. And we must attempt this realization in our social as well as in our personal life. In no way but the most passionate striving for the new shall we become aware that the old is old and dying.

The prophets who looked for the new thing He is doing were most passionately and most actively involved in the historical situation of their nation. But they knew that neither they themselves nor any of the old things would bring the new.

“Remember not the former things, neither consider the things of old”, says the prophet. That is the second thing we must say about the new: it must break the power of the old, not only in reality, but also in our memory; and one is not possible without the other. Let me say a few words about this most sublime point in the prophetic text and in the experience of every religion. We cannot be born anew if the power of the old is not broken within us; and it is not broken so long as it puts the burden of guilt upon us.

Therefore, religion, prophetic as well as apostolic, pronounces, above all, forgiveness. Forgiveness means that the old is thrown into the past because the new has come. “Remember not” in the prophetic words does not mean to forget easily. If it meant that, forgiveness would not be necessary. Forgiveness means a throwing out of the old, as remembered and real at the same time, by the strength of the new which could never be the saving new if it did not carry with it the authority of forgiveness.

I believe that the situation is the same in our social and historical existence. A new which is not able to throw the old into the past, in remembrance as well as in reality, is not the really new. The really new is able to break the power of old conflicts between man and man, between group and group, in memory and reality. It is able to break the old curses, the results of former guilt, inherited by one generation from another, the guilt between nations, between races, between classes, on old and new continents, these curses by which the guilt of one group, in reality and memory, permanently produces guilt in another group.

What power of the new will be great and saving enough to break the curses, which have laid, waste half of our world? What new thing will have the saving power to break the curse brought by the German nation upon herself before our eyes? “Remember not the former things”, says the prophet. That is the second thing which must be said about the new.

“Behold, I am doing a new thing.” “I” points to the source of the really new, to that which is always old and always new, the Eternal. That is the third thing which must be said about the new: it bears the mark of its eternal origin in its face, as it did when Moses came from the mountain with the tablets of the law, opening a new period of history. The really new is that which has in itself eternal power and eternal light. New things arise m every moment, at every place. Nothing is today as it was yesterday.

But this kind of new is old almost as soon as it appears. It falls under the judgment of the Preacher: “There is no new thing under the sun.” Yet sometimes a new thing appears which does not age so easily, which makes life possible again, in both our personal and our historical existence, a saving new, which has the power to appear when we least expect it, and which has the power to throw into the past what is old and burdened with guilt and curse. Its saving power is the power of the Eternal within it.

It is new, really new, in the degree to which it is beyond old and new, in the degree to which it is eternal. And it remains new so long as the eternal power of the Eternal is manifest within it, so long as the light of the Eternal shines through it. For that power may become weaker; that light, may become darker; and that which was truly a new thing may become old itself. That is the tragedy of human greatness in which something eternal appears.

When the apostles say that Jesus is the Christ, they mean that in Him the new eon which cannot become old is present. Christianity lives through the faith that within it there is the new which is not just another new thing but rather the principle and representation of all the really new in man and history. But it can affirm this only because the Christ deprived Himself of everything which can become old, of all individual and social standing and greatness, experience and power. He surrendered all these in His death and showed in His self- surrender the only new thing which is eternally new: love. “Love never ends,” says His greatest apostle. Love is the power of the new in every man and in all history. It cannot age; it removes guilt and curse. It is working even today toward new creation. It is hidden in the darkness of our souls and of our history. But it is not completely hidden to those who are grasped by its reality. “Do you not perceive it?” asks the prophet. Do we not perceive it?

AND MORE …..

Isaiah 43: 1 – 21

1 But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob,  And He who formed you, O Israel,  “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;  I have called you by name; you are Mine! 2 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;  And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,  Nor will the flame burn you. 3 “For I am the LORD your God,  The Holy One of Israel, your Savoir;  I have given Egypt as your ransom,  Cush and Seba in your place. 4 “Since you are precious in My sight,  Since you are honoured and I love you,  I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange or your life. 5 “Do not fear, for I am with you;  I will bring your offspring from the east,  And gather you from the west. 6 “I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’  And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’  Bring My sons from afar  And My daughters from the ends of the earth, 7 Everyone who is called by My name,  And whom I have created for My glory,  Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.” 8 Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes,  And the deaf, even though they have ears. 9 All the nations have gathered together  So that the peoples may be assembled.  Who among them can declare this  And proclaim to us the former things?  Let them present their witnesses that they may be justified,  Or let them hear and say, “It is true.” 10 “You are My witnesses,” declares the LORD,  “And My servant whom I have chosen,  So that you may know and believe Me  And understand that I am He.  Before Me there was no God formed,  And there will be none after Me. 11 “I, even I, am the LORD,  And there is no savoir besides Me. 12 “It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed,  And there was no strange god among you;  So you are My witnesses,” declares the LORD,  “And I am God. 13 “Even from eternity I am He,  And there is none who can deliver out of My hand;  I act and who can reverse it?” 14 Thus says the LORD your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel,  “For your sake I have sent to Babylon,  And will bring them all down as fugitives,  Even the Chaldeans, into the ships in which they rejoice. 15 “I am the LORD, your Holy One,  The Creator of Israel, your King.”16 Thus says the LORD,  Who makes a way through the sea  And a path through the mighty waters,
17 Who brings forth the chariot and the horse,  The army and the mighty man  (They will lie down together and not rise again;  They have been quenched and extinguished like a wick):
18 “Do not call to mind the former things,  Or ponder things of the past. 19 “Behold, I will do something new,  Now it will spring forth;  Will you not be aware of it?  I will even make a roadway in the wilderness,  Rivers in the desert. 20 “The beasts of the field will glorify Me,  The jackals and the ostriches,  Because I have given waters in the wilderness  And rivers in the desert,  To give drink to My chosen people. 21 “The people whom I formed for Myself will declare My praise.

ENDS.

Friday, 30 October, Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November 2009.12.07

God gave us a great start to the convention with unusual showers of blessings in the natural (a hail-filled thunderstorm) and in the spiritual (a fruit-filled Holy Ghost power-packed Convention).

Just before the meeting started on Friday, 30 October 2009, strong heavy rains came pounding down around Johannesburg, flooding many areas in the process. We may not have seen manna falling from heaven in the Old Testament but that day we got a glimpse of what it must have been back then as we saw hail pounding the streets accompanied by fresh flush floods.

A number of saints who were coming to the Convention were caught up in the heavy storm, which seemed to have been God-sent to cool the temperatures in our favour.

I thought that it must have been God’s way of breaking Johannesburg’s dry season and ushering in the much-awaited rainy season, but that would be the natural man thinking. Spiritually, these were showers of blessings raining down on us!

To us, it was the lead-up to what was to become our greatest Convention ever for TKT in Johannesburg.

From the beginning, God took us on a prophetic journey like never before and by so doing, a whole new chapter was opened not only for TKT but also for the global fellowship in the main.

A friend of the Fellowship Bishop D A Lazarus came to give us a head start to the convention and with him came along two prophets of God from California, USA. Indeed, we had a “double whammy” of prophecies in this duo of husband and wife prophets – something clearly new to us and we gladly received all prophecy with open hearts. There is no limit to what God can do and there is no telling what vessels He is going to use to bless His children.

God says in His Word: “Behold I do a new thing.”

There is a great future and a tremendous time ahead for Apostle Rutivi, his wife Sister Mary Rutivi and their two sons Lavern and William. God is leading them into another dimension of global ministry such as has never been seen before. The Work of God in Kenya and indeed every work under the care and influence of Apostle Rutivi at home and abroad will never be the same again! God showed us great things that are at our doorstep and it was all revealed at TKT 2009. There now needs to be men and women with eyes and ears of great understanding and the diligence and commitment to go beyond the ordinary!

As for TKT, God showed us Four Great Assemblies, which are “being born” out of TKT and this confirmed the Vision God gave us earlier in the year. How fitting it was! Indeed our resolve was strengthened and our zeal was renewed, work has already begun and it will not be long before we launch these Great Assemblies in and around our cities and country!

There were also several individual prophecies “a-galore” which also prepared the Congregation for a new wave in the Spirit realm.

On Saturday morning, we had our Thematic Sermon and as Host Pastor, I preached on the Convention Theme: “Going Beyond,” based on Mark 4: 35 – 41. (See attached sermon in full). The crowning glory of the message was provided by Apostle Rutivi when he taught us about the 42 steps that Israel took on the journey between Egypt and Canaan.

Rev. George Ogola from Durban took us to another level of glory when he taught us about “Living according to Divine Principles,” based on Mathew 14: 23.

Rev. Ogola taught about how many of us are comfortable living in “ponds” and the fact that until we know that there is something called an ocean we will remain comfortable living in the pond. Comfort zones are real enemies of growth. Comfort zones have their time and season and they soon become self-limiting prisons. We all need to stop being “slaves to basics”.

Just because we might be thriving in Egypt, it does not mean that we have reached the “promised land”. Egypt is not Canaan! You may seem to be doing well in one station of your life but that is all it is – a station in your life! You still need to move on to your destination.

After Egypt had served its purpose as a place of refuge for Jacob’s children, it soon became a place of servitude and bondage!

From Exodus 1: 13, we are reminded that we should not “overstay in Egypt” no matter how enticing it might become.

Rev. Ogola reminded us that as Children of God we need to watch out for two things that stop us from “growing” and “Going Beyond”: Childishness and The Snare of Comfort zones!

So, how do we start “Going Beyond”?

Well, at some point in our lives, we all need to start doing new things and in some cases, uncomfortable things; we need to change things and start doing things differently. If you cannot do different things then you need to start doing things differently!

An interesting pointer is that the blessings of God are always outside the comfort zones.

Rev. Samuel Mackayi from Chingola picked up the momentum, reminding us that “there is no generation that has a monopoly of God”, and he used Psalms 145: 3 and Psalms 78: 7.

We should much rather seek for “parental bench-marking”, which means that we must strive to go beyond where our parents reached and to do more than what our parents did for God.

God always wants to take us to places where we have never been to before. The question is, whether or not we are ready.

Rev. Simbarashe Madziwa from Harare dealt with the dire need for us to move from “Ordinary Level to Advanced Level” in the things of God and in our lives in general.

A mountain can be just another mountain to an ordinary person, but to a miner and to a person who knows what they are looking for it could be a mountain sitting on top of gold deposits!

A group of women could just be that, a group of women, to an ordinary person but when a man who is looking for a wife comes along that group ceases to be just another group of women and it becomes the source of one man finding his wife!

Apostle Rutivi gave us a wake up call based on John 19: 28; Mathew 3: 14; John 19: 17 and Leviticus 14: 7, when he reiterated the need for us to “finish what we start” – a touch of finishing anointing again!

He encouraged every child of God to accomplish every task we set ourselves and to achieve every goal before us with zest.

The Apostle’s cry was: “Don’t die before you accomplish your purposes and ambition”.

I hope to God that as we are now “Going Beyond”, we start to do the following:

• Offload the baggage from our past, drop the old and embrace the new
• Receive a real new birth
• Overcome all our challenges and troubles
• Become eternally victorious
• Receive answers to prayers
• Seek after, embrace, live in and exhibit wisdom
• Find what we are looking for
• Establish our new positions in God
• Reclaim what  we have lost
• Begin to possess our possessions in earnest

I hope to God that TKT 2009 left people upgraded in their thinking.

As for us here in Johannesburg, when we used to think and talk about “business as Usual”, we are now talking about “business unusual!”

We learn in Hebrews 11: 23 – 26 that when Moses became of age and understood who he was, he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter!

Therefore, since we now know better, we shall be doing better!

Indeed, the presence of God was with us, and we are looking forward to a tremendous year of harvest in 2010!

As we say in South Africa, walala, wasala!

That means, you snooze, you loose!

It’s time to Arise!

 Thematic Sermon delivered by:

 Rev. Maxwell Pirikisi

Senior Pastor: The King’s Tabernacle (TKT)

5 – 17^th Street, Orange Grove, JHB, RSA

Delivered:      Saturday, 31 October 2009 (Morning Service)

THEME:          “GOING BEYOND”

Root Scripture:  Mark 4: 35 – 41

DEFINITIONS:

To go – is to depart from one place to another; the act of moving in any manner; travelling, etc

Beyond – means exceed, surpass, outdo, rise above, overtake, pass, outrun, transcend, etc.

• to go Beyond is to help each of us birth a new life and a new world. 

• to go Beyond is to assist you to develop your unique gifts for your life and for humanity.

• to go beyond is to Create a World of New Possibilities.

 Now “Going Beyond” speaks of “Change” and change is born out of a number things:

1. an awareness/ realisation of present circumstances – God created everything and saw that it was all good, but he realised something was missing so he sought to complete the puzzle with humanity, man.

1. an acknowledgement of the insufficiency of the present – yet even after creating the man, God saw that it was not good for man to dwell alone, so he created the wo-man to compliment and complete man – then there was the “wo(w)man!; consider the prodigal son, he would have remained in the pigsty living “pig-style” for as long as pumpkins were delicious to him; Moses would have remained in the palace of Pharaoh as long as enjoyed the luxury there but he realised and accepted the fact that he was not Pharaoh’s son and he sought something else more “belonging”.

1. a bigger, broader and better perspective & belief that there are “more and better” things beyond the horizon – what we currently have.

1. a stronger drive for increase & improvement – discontent/ dissatisfaction with the status quo

To be able to “Go Beyond” one needs great quantities of the following:

1. Attitude: – the way a person views something or tends to behave towards something, often in an evaluative manner. An attitude that says yes I deserve more, I want more, I will get more and I’m going for it – No Thing or Being will Stop Me!   

1. Aptitude – inherent or acquired ability; derived from “apt”, which means suitable for circumstance or purpose – fit for purpose.

1. Altitude –  vertical height of an object, thing or being, above a chosen level.

1. Latitude –  scope for freedom of action, thought or deed.

Let us establish some fundamental principles of this theme, “GOING BEYOND”:

1. You cannot start nothing

1. Movement is a sign of life

1. Change is synonymous with Growth and vice versa

1. Growth speaks of increase, which is in many respects a positive

1. Going Beyond means leaving one place for another

1. Going Beyond means changing location, scenery and style

1. Going Beyond means venturing into uncharted territories

1. Going Beyond means going into new areas/ places and doing new things

1. Going Beyond does not mean doing old things in a new way, neither does it mean doing new things in an old way – it simply means DOING THINGS THAT YOU HAVE NEVER DONE BEFORE, GOING PLACES YOU HAVE NEVER GONE BEFORE!

Here are some enemies of “Going Beyond”:

1. Indecision & Procrastination – failure to decide your next move leads to defeat – the Englishman says procrastination is the thief of time. Many of us are good at “threatening” 

1. Fear – fear of the unknown is as bad as fear of the known – too scared to try new things – it’s funny how we rush onto try out new clothes, new hairstyles, new cars, new languages and new ways of speaking and even new gaits (walking styles) but we are afraid of TRYING OUT GOD IN FAITH – yet He says “Try me and see if I will not open up the windows of Heaven!” When was the last time you stopped TRYING THINGS and started TRYING GOD and even then, we need to move away from just TRYING OUT GOD to TRUSTING GOD!

1.  An unforgiving and unforgetful spirit – remember the song “unforgettable, that’s what you are ….!” Brother, you will never get Jane into your heart as long as Sophie’ is stuck on your mind! Wake up and smell the coffee, and accept the fact that Sophie dumped you, only then can you move on!

1. Failure to give up the old and embrace the new – you divorced the man but you’re still married to him in your mind! She left you but brother you dream about her day and night, and you call out her name all the time not only in your sleep but while you are wide awake! Heaven help you brother if you keep comparing your wife’s cooking with your mother’s because your beautiful wife will never be good enough!

STOP REMINISCING ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE’S GOOD OLD DAYS AND START HAVING YOUR OWN GOOD DAYS! STOP LIVING MOSES’ LIFE! STOP RESURRECTING ABRAHAM AND STOP DISTURBING RUTH AND NAOMI FROM THEIR SLEEP – START LIVING YOUR OWN DREAMS AND CREATING YOUR OWN FABULOUS LIFE!

The Manhattan brothers say “let’s just kiss and say good bye” but I say you don’t even have to kiss anything, JUST SAY GOODBYE!

SING:   …… goodbye world, I stay no longer with you;

                        Goodbye pleasures of sin, I stay no longer with you;

                        I’ve made up my mind, to go God’s way, the rest of my life;

                        I’ve made up my mind, to go God’s way, the rest of my life.

The truth of the matter is that we must give up one side in order to go to the other side, otherwise we will not be “Going Beyond” no matter how much we talk about it. If you are not willing to give up then you will never go up – NO GUTS NO GLORY, basketball players know all about that! It’s called sacrifice! No sacrifice, NO SINS forgiven! I am forgiven today because somebody paid a price! Jesus paid it all with His life!

SING:               Jesus paid it all; all to Him I bow;

Though my sins were crimson-red, He washed them (as) white as snow!

The Children of God had to leave Egypt in order to get to Canaan – not just physically but most importantly, mentally!

It is one thing to physically remove yourself from a situation and another to completely forget about!

Whatever you CANNOT FORGET ultimately becomes your MASTER – it enslaves you and it will eventually kill you!

Egypt enslaved the Children of God until a whole generation perished in the wilderness before reaching the promised land, except Joshua and Caleb!

Be careful of what you are failing to forget – it will cost you your salvation and deny you your next blessing!

What is it that you cannot forget? Who is it that you cannot forget?

-          the loss of a loved one?

-          the person who fired you?

-          the little accident you had the other day?

-          the disappointment you suffered?

-          the man or woman who dumped you?

-          the client who walked out on you?

-          the brother or sister who borrowed and never returned?

-          The man or woman you divorced but you still reminisce over him or her if you are not having nightmares about them – you even call out their name in your sleep and sometimes while you are wide awake.

Listen my fellow believers in Christ, the one you cannot forget has become your Master – you think about them so much and you talk about them wherever you are with whoever you meet and by default you have made them your God!

Hebrews 11 talks about living by faith and we are given a picture of Abraham living in tents as a stranger in the very land that God had promised to give to him.

The fact that Abraham lived in tents does not mean that we must now live in tents because we are looking for a City whose Maker and Builder is God! Tents made some of the finest houses in Abraham’s day. So while we are “Going Beyond” we are still going to “occupy till He comes! We are still going to build great houses and buy great cars and get great jobs and strive for great health and be in the greatest shapes of our lives! Nevertheless, we must always seek for “better than we already have”.   

Hebrews 11: 13- 16 – These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. BUT NOW, THEY DESIRE A BETTER COUNTRY, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

NB: The actual literal meaning of the word “church” is called out ones – we are called out from one place to another!

That means we are called out of every situation we find ourselves in, into God’s ever shining blessedness!

So, arise and shine my brother, my sister, for the light has come! GOD IS WITH YOU! Hallelujah!

Thematic Sermon delivered by: Rev. Maxwell Pirikisi Senior Pastor: The King’s Tabernacle (TKT) 5 – 17th Street, Orange Grove, JHB, RSA

Delivered: Saturday, 31 October 2009 (Morning Service)

THEME: “GOING BEYOND” Root Scripture: Mark 4: 35 – 41

DEFINITIONS:

To go – is to depart from one place to another; the act of moving in any manner; travelling, etc

Beyond – means exceed, surpass, outdo, rise above, overtake, pass, outrun, transcend, etc.

• to go Beyond is to help each of us birth a new life and a new world.

• to go Beyond is to assist you to develop your unique gifts for your life and for humanity.

• to go beyond is to Create a World of New Possibilities.

Now “Going Beyond” speaks of “Change” and change is born out of a number things:

1. an awareness/ realisation of present circumstances – God created everything and saw that it was all good, but he realised something was missing so he sought to complete the puzzle with humanity, man.

2. an acknowledgement of the insufficiency of the present – yet even after creating the man, God saw that it was not good for man to dwell alone, so he created the wo-man to compliment and complete man – then there was the “wo(w)man!; consider the prodigal son, he would have remained in the pigsty living “pig-style” for as long as pumpkins were delicious to him; Moses would have remained in the palace of Pharaoh as long as enjoyed the luxury there but he realised and accepted the fact that he was not Pharaoh’s son and he sought something else more “belonging”.

3. a bigger, broader and better perspective & belief that there are “more and better” things beyond the horizon – what we currently have.

4. a stronger drive for increase & improvement – discontent/ dissatisfaction with the status quo

To be able to “Go Beyond” one needs great quantities of the following:

1. Attitude: – the way a person views something or tends to behave towards something, often in an evaluative manner. An attitude that says yes I deserve more, I want more, I will get more and I’m going for it – No Thing or Being will Stop Me!

2. Aptitude – inherent or acquired ability; derived from “apt”, which means suitable for circumstance or purpose – fit for purpose.

3. Altitude – vertical height of an object, thing or being, above a chosen level.

4. Latitude – scope for freedom of action, thought or deed.

Let us establish some fundamental principles of this theme, “GOING BEYOND”:

1. You cannot start nothing

2. Movement is a sign of life

3. Change is synonymous with Growth and vice versa

4. Growth speaks of increase, which is in many respects a positive

5. Going Beyond means leaving one place for another

6. Going Beyond means changing location, scenery and style

7. Going Beyond means venturing into uncharted territories

8. Going Beyond means going into new areas/ places and doing new things

9. Going Beyond does not mean doing old things in a new way, neither does it mean doing new things in an old way – it simply means DOING THINGS THAT YOU HAVE NEVER DONE BEFORE, GOING PLACES YOU HAVE NEVER GONE BEFORE!

Here are some enemies of “Going Beyond”:

1. Indecision & Procrastination – failure to decide your next move leads to defeat – the Englishman says procrastination is the thief of time. Many of us are good at “threatening”

2. Fear – fear of the unknown is as bad as fear of the known – too scared to try new things – it’s funny how we rush onto try out new clothes, new hairstyles, new cars, new languages and new ways of speaking and even new gaits (walking styles) but we are afraid of TRYING OUT GOD IN FAITH – yet He says “Try me and see if I will not open up the windows of Heaven!” When was the last time you stopped TRYING THINGS and started TRYING GOD and even then, we need to move away from just TRYING OUT GOD to TRUSTING GOD!

3. An unforgiving and unforgetful spirit – remember the song “unforgettable, that’s what you are ….!” Brother, you will never get Jane into your heart as long as Sophie’ is stuck on your mind! Wake up and smell the coffee, and accept the fact that Sophie dumped you, only then can you move on!

4. Failure to give up the old and embrace the new – you divorced the man but you’re still married to him in your mind! She left you but brother you dream about her day and night, and you call out her name all the time not only in your sleep but while you are wide awake!

Heaven help you brother if you keep comparing your wife’s cooking with your mother’s because your beautiful wife will never be good enough! STOP REMINISCING ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE’S GOOD OLD DAYS AND START HAVING YOUR OWN GOOD DAYS! STOP LIVING MOSES’ LIFE! STOP RESURRECTING ABRAHAM AND STOP DISTURBING RUTH AND NAOMI FROM THEIR SLEEP – START LIVING YOUR OWN DREAMS AND CREATING YOUR OWN FABULOUS LIFE!

The Manhattan brothers say “let’s just kiss and say good bye” but I say you don’t even have to kiss anything, JUST SAY GOODBYE! SING: …… goodbye world, I stay no longer with you; Goodbye pleasures of sin, I stay no longer with you; I’ve made up my mind, to go God’s way, the rest of my life; I’ve made up my mind, to go God’s way, the rest of my life.

The truth of the matter is that we must give up one side in order to go to the other side, otherwise we will not be “Going Beyond” no matter how much we talk about it. If you are not willing to give up then you will never go up – NO GUTS NO GLORY, basketball players know all about that! It’s called sacrifice! No sacrifice, NO SINS forgiven! I am forgiven today because somebody paid a price!

Jesus paid it all with His life! SING: Jesus paid it all; all to Him I bow; Though my sins were crimson-red, He washed them (as) white as snow!

The Children of God had to leave Egypt in order to get to Canaan – not just physically but most importantly, mentally!

 It is one thing to physically remove yourself from a situation and another to completely forget about!

Whatever you CANNOT FORGET ultimately becomes your MASTER – it enslaves you and it will eventually kill you!

Egypt enslaved the Children of God until a whole generation perished in the wilderness before reaching the promised land, except Joshua and Caleb! Be careful of what you are failing to forget – it will cost you your salvation and deny you your next blessing!

What is it that you cannot forget? Who is it that you cannot forget?

- the loss of a loved one?

- the person who fired you?

- the little accident you had the other day?

- the disappointment you suffered?

- the man or woman who dumped you?

- the client who walked out on you?

- the brother or sister who borrowed and never returned?

- The man or woman you divorced but you still reminisce over him or her if you are not having nightmares about them – you even call out their name in your sleep and sometimes while you are wide awake.

Listen my fellow believers in Christ, the one you cannot forget has become your Master – you think about them so much and you talk about them wherever you are with whoever you meet and by default you have made them your God!

Hebrews 11 talks about living by faith and we are given a picture of Abraham living in tents as a stranger in the very land that God had promised to give to him.

The fact that Abraham lived in tents does not mean that we must now live in tents because we are looking for a City whose Maker and Builder is God! Tents made some of the finest houses in Abraham’s day.

So while we are “Going Beyond” we are still going to “occupy till He comes! We are still going to build great houses and buy great cars and get great jobs and strive for great health and be in the greatest shapes of our lives! Nevertheless, we must always seek for “better than we already have”.

Hebrews 11: 13- 16 – These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. BUT NOW, THEY DESIRE A BETTER COUNTRY, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

NB: The actual literal meaning of the word “church” is called out ones – we are called out from one place to another! That means we are called out of every situation we find ourselves in, into God’s ever shining blessedness!

So, arise and shine my brother, my sister, for the light has come!

GOD IS WITH YOU! Hallelujah!

TKT – MP – Going Beyond series

Sunday, 18 October 2009:

If Ducks Don’t Soar, Then Eagles Don’t Quack!

We are not walking to Go Beyond; we are not running

to get there; we are not cycling to get there; neither are

we “boat-riding” or even driving to get there! No! We are Flying and Soaring with Christ!

You’ve Flapped Your Wings Long Enough.

Stop Wasting Energy – Just Put Your Best Foot Forward.

“Get Ready” Gets You Nowhere,” Make Up Your Mind and Get Going.

You’ve Been On Your Marks; You’ve Been Getting Ready; Won’t You Start Moving.

Flap Your Wings! Leap for the Skies! Peak Your Height! And Start Soaring on Your Own Terms.

If You Don’t, God is About To Shake Your House Of Comfort.

God is About To Allow Some Terrorists to Come and Visit You.

Have you ever been kicked out of your nest? First, you may not understand the “kicking” but soon you will realise a new day is dawning!

Chickens May Fly but Eagles Soar! Chickens May Dream Of Soaring But They Never Soar! Not Everything that has Feathers Fly. And Not Everything that Flies Soars!

Ducks Never Soar! Quaking Never Gets You Anywhere! And By the Way, Not All Birds Can Soar – Eagles do!

There are certain heights, which other birds cannot exceed, and if they try to exceed their wings will get wet from the moisture in the air and when that happens they won’t be able to fly – they will fall from their heights to the ground with a thunderous thud! And if their wings don’t get wet, the birds will get dizzy because they are not designed to reach those heights and the consequences will be “disastrously” the same.

Stop living on borrowed time and start living on your own time. The owner wants it back! Stop going where you are not supposed to go and doing the things that you are not supposed to be doing.

You’re always tired, fatigued, angry and hopelessly confused and you wonder why. You are unashamedly without form or character and now you have made peace with your sorry state of poverty and lack, and you have accepted things just as they are because somehow you now believe that God meant it that way for you.

It was not so with the prodigal son! You can’t feed on pumpkins forever! You can’t live “pig-style” forever!

I’m trying to tell you that if you keep climbing mountains that you must never climb, going places you should never go to, doing stuff that you must never do and touching things you should never touch then you’re going to get “dizzy” and “sneeze” all the time!

Stop living a fake life and Get Real! You’re stuck in a marriage of convenience with Satan and a friendship or partnership of convenience with another person where you are sworn to destructive secrecy and no one tells a thing while Rome is burning!

I’m God-sent to tell you to come out of your shell with haste, make the quickest dash for the finish line and run for your life like you’ve never done before.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with doing a Joseph and running for cover!

By the way, when Joseph ran for dear life, it may be that this was actually not the first time that Potiphar’s wife tried to outsmart him. Perhaps she tried the softer approach of luring him, giving him time off and gifts, maybe an unjustified salary increase (watch out here I come to your places of work now), a bouquet of flowers on Secretaries’ Day, a red tie on Boss’ Day, a lift on a rainy day (ohhhh Heaven help me now!), a shoulder to cry on when you needed a friend and then dinner with the king! The rest is history!

Wake up and smell the coffee he’s not interested in you! And brother, she only wants your surname and sometimes she’s not even interested in that – she wants everything you have and nothing to do with you!

A domestic chicken is always bound to the home yard, scratching for a living, depended on handouts from its owner and always running for cover when the eagles comes. Just like the rabbits I keep at my house – if I don’t feed them they die.

But there are times my friends when they get hungry and thirsty to such an extent that they use their claws and little feet and teeth and everything they have to break through the fence/ cage because they can see the green grass and vegetables in the garden. If we don’t notice that they have escaped from the cage, they will finish the vegetables before dawn! And that is the power of hunger!

Now let me talk a little bit about “The Way of the Eagle”

Eagles are among the most amazing creatures that God created.

Solomon himself wrote in the book of Proverbs, “There be three things which be too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not: The way of an eagle in the air . . .” - Prov.30:18-19.

At close range, eagles look fierce and proud, and they gracefully soar high in the air as they look for food and survey their aerial domain and the landscape beneath them.

Eagles are wise – they are careful to avoid danger, and rarely attack humans, unless they come too close to their nests and pose a threat to their young.

Eagles have been noted as symbols of strength, bravery and courage – and proud independence.

Eagles may live for 50 years or more. They breed for the first time when they are about four years old, and they keep the same mates for life.

Nests of eagles are called eyries or aeries (both words are pronounced AIR eez).

Eagles usually build their nests in the tops of tall trees, near water, or high up on cliffs in the mountains.

Eagles use the same nest year after year, building, refurbishing, adding new material, year after year.

Both eagle parents guard the nest and take food to the young.

Eaglets begin to grow feathers when they are about four weeks old, and cannot tear up their own food until they are six to eight weeks old.

They finally leave the nest when they are about ten to twelve weeks old, but cannot fly very well at first. For several months, the parents feed them until they are able to fend for themselves as hunters and gatherers of food.

The Eyes of an Eagle

An eagle’s eyes are large and located on the sides of its head. However, it can see straight ahead and its vision is greater by far than that of humans.

Eagles and hawks are said to have the keenest sight of all, and can sight their prey while soaring high in the sky.

In the book of Job we read, “Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high? She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place. From thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off”  -Job 39:29.

The eagle is noted for its great vision, prowess and tenacity.

But what about you and I?

Are we like the eagle in being able to “behold afar off” in the distance?

Do we have spiritual “vision”?

Solomon wrote, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, HAPPY is he” - Prov.29:18.

The word “vision” here is chazown and means “a sight (mentally), i.e., a dream, revelation, oracle,” from the root word chazah, meaning, “to gaze at,” “mentally to perceive, contemplate, specifically, to have a vision of – behold, look, prophesy, see.”

The word generally refers to a “divine vision” or “oracle” from God – and therefore refers to “prophetic insight” and understanding the events happening around us, in the light of Bible prophecy, and therefore perceiving the future, and taking necessary precautions.

Many people lack spiritual insight and understanding. They lack “vision.” They also lack “perception” of the things and ways of God – the deeper truths, and the more profound understandings. They cannot “see afar off.’ They are cursed with spiritual astigmatism, or even short-sightedness.

Some are even spiritually “blind” and cannot see at all!

The Church at Laodicea and its membership falls into this terrible category - Rev.3:17, and so do the self-righteous “Pharisees” in history and among us today.

The Wings of an Eagle

Eagles have long, broad wings and tails which easily support their weight when flying, and can glide long distances by holding their wings out stiffly, catching the air currents and updrafts, enabling them to soar high into the sky, far higher than other birds.

The African eagle, swooping down at a speed of better than 175 kms an hour, brakes with such stunning skill – spreading wings and tail in an aerial skid-stop – that it comes to a dead halt in the space of 20 feet.

The eagle cushions its landing with its legs, which consist of three single rigid bones with joints that work in opposite directions. This is probably the most effective shock-absorbing mechanism in nature.

Eagles, like other birds, are amazing miniature natural “airplanes.” “On the down stroke each wing moves forward, the inner half held almost rigid, its fore edge slightly sloped like a plane wing, its upper surface arched by a curve of feathers. The outer half of the wing moves separately, activated by the bird’s ‘wrist,’ located about halfway along the wing’s length.

During wing beat, the primary feathers at the bird’s wing tips flare out almost at right angles to the wing and become propellers. The inner half of the wing, curved and tilted, is meanwhile the plane wing providing steady lift.

On landings and takeoffs, the bird avoids stall by means of special feathers at the front end of its ‘wrist.’ It raises these to make a ‘slot’ between them and its main wing, providing a perfect auxiliary airfoil”.

As Children of God, we are never compared to Chickens but to eagles. Isaiah says, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not be faint” - Isaiah 40:31.

What does it mean, to “mount up” with wings as eagles?

The Hebrew word for “mount” is alah and it means “to ascend,” “to be high,” “lifted up,” “arise up,” or “carry up,” and is used in a great variety of senses. An eagle “mounts up” as it soars high into the sky, far above the plains below. When a storm breaks, the violent winds that lashes the earth also carry the eagle aloft to unscaled heights, above the storm clouds.

How Does the Eagle Learn to Fly?

Airplane pilots must undergo intensive training both on the ground and in the air in order to learn how to fly an airplane. It is a very complicated business, but such training is altogether necessary in order to avoid expensive and violent “accidents.” Years are spent in acquiring the necessary skills and experience in order to be trusted to fly an airplane.

How do young eagles get their “flight training” and develop their “operational skills”?

In the word of God we read: “As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: so the LORD alone did lead him [Israel], and there was no strange god with him. He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields . . .” - Deut.32:11-13.

When the time comes for the young eagles to begin to leave the nest, and learn to fly, they are at first very fearful, and it’s okay.

The nest is so comfortable, safe, and secure. Who would ever want to leave it? Mummy and Daddy provide food and protection. But if you are going to grow up, get married and have a family of your own then you need to move on. You cannot stay at your parents’ place and have your family there.

If someone is keeping you then you must know that you cannot stay there forever. They are only giving you a start in life and soon you must move on and find your place so that you can also look after others.

The little eaglets cannot just stay there in the nest for the rest of their lives. The Mother eagle is going to destroy the nest if she needs to, if that will trigger the self-reliance instinct in the eaglet. They must fulfil their calling in life. They, too, must learn how to soar, and ride the winds, and mount the heavens!

To convince the little eagles that the time has come to leave the nest, the parent eagles “stir up the nest.” That is, they rough it up with their talons, and make it uncomfortable, so that sticks and sharp ends and pointy spurs stick out of the nest, so that it is no longer soft and secure, ruining their “comfort zone.”

The nest is made very inhospitable, as the eagles tear up the “bedding,” and break up the twigs until jagged ends of wood stick out all over like a pin cushion. Life for the young eaglets becomes miserable and a nightmare of unhappiness in the nest.

To make matters worse, then the mother eagle begins to “flutter her wings” at the youngsters, beating on them, harassing them, and driving them to the edge of the nest. Cowing before such an attack, the little eagles climb up on the edge of the nest. At this point, the mother eagle “spreads her wings” and, to escape her winged fury, the little eagle climbs onto her back, and hangs on for dear life. As if that were not enough, then the mother eagle launches out into space, and begins to fly, carrying the eaglet on her back.

All seems safe and serene, the little eagle never expected such a thrilling and exciting ride – but that is nothing to what is to come shortly. For suddenly, without any warning, the mother eagle DIVES, plummeting downward, depriving the little eagle of its “seat,” and the next thing it knows, it is in free fall, falling, and tumbling down, down, down, in the air, its wings struggling to catch hold of the air currents, but flopping crazily due to its inexperience.

For it must learn to flow, and there is nothing like “experience” to teach an eagle to fly! Instinct alone is not enough!

Just as it thinks all is hopeless and lost, the mother eagle swoops down below and catches it once again on its back, and soars back into the atmosphere. Much relieved, the young eagle hangs on for dear life. But just when it thinks everything is “OK” once again, the mother pulls another sneaky trick, and dumps him into the air, alone, again!

Once again, the little eagle struggles, this time its wings begin to work a little better, and instead of tumbling like a rock pulled by gravity to certain destruction below, it manages to slow its descent, and is able to stay aloft a little longer, as its wings begin to strengthen.

Again, if necessary, the mother eagle rescues it from death, and soars back into the heavens and repeats the process all over again. Finally, the eaglet learns how to catch the air currents and ride the winds, and begins to soar “like an eagle” it is and now experiences the thrill of total “freedom” and “liberty”! Now the eaglet is no longer confined to the parameters of the nest. Now the eaglet is free to soar in the sky, and to be a true “eagle.”

Unfortunately, some little eagles never do learn to fly, however. They stubbornly refuse to use their wings, and fly on their own. In sheer exasperation, the time finally comes when the mother realizes there is no hope for the eaglet. So she takes the eaglet one last time up on her back, and soars high into the air, and with a wild screech of disappointment and pain, she dives out from under the young eagle and flies away, leaving the little one to its fate – to either fly or die.

Eagles have two sets of eyelids. One is used for hunting while the other is used for flying directly into the sun. Eagles have the ability to see a distance of 12 kilometres. They are born meat eaters as well. It is obvious to see why God likens Himself and His children to the Eagle. For instance, Eagles can fly directly into the sun.

Every day, the eagle’s feathers are been beaten from the wind and the eagle needs to prepare and repair its feathers before it takes to flight again. This preparatory process is called preening. The preening gland is used in an hour process in which the feathers are run through the mouth of the Eagle while breathing out to steam clean the feathers. This process is done in order to reshape and strengthen the feathers.

Eagles have an oil secreted in a separate gland as well. This is used to coat the feathers and make them moisture resistant. The preening process of the Eagle is a great lesson in Holiness to the Eagle Christian.

In the same way that the Eagle starts his day with cleaning and preparing himself for what is ahead, the Eagle Christian must also prepare themselves spiritually, removing all sin, being ready to face the daily battles in which they too will encounter often causing their spiritual feathers to get ruffled. When this occurs, they definitely need the fresh Anointing of the Holy Spirit to renew them as well.

As we begin to “Go Beyond” and fly as eagles spiritually, we need not fear because God is always near! In Deut. 33:26 it says, “He (GOD) descends from the heavens in majestic splendour to help you.”

While we as Children of God are often referred to as eagles, the Bible only speaks of chickens once. Jesus said to the people of Jerusalem, as he thought about the future destruction that was soon to come upon them, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stoneth them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord”, - Matt.23:37- 39.

We have God’s assurance to “Go Beyond”.

For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. In their hands, they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone. - Psalm 91:11-12

He ordered his angels to guard you wherever you go. If you stumble, they will catch you; their job is to keep you from falling. - Psalm 91:11-12

Behold, the Lord GOD shall come with a strong hand, And His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him. – Isaiah 40:10

The word Eagle is mentioned some 32 times in the Bible. The number 32 in God’s arithmetic means Covenant. God desires to reproduce Himself in us while showing us His Covenant through the hidden life of the Eagle.

In Isaiah 40:31, it tells us that we can renew our strength and soar on wings like eagles. In Psalm 103:5, the Scripture tells us that our youth can be renewed like the eagle’s. In Psalm 91:4 He tells us that He protects us by covering us with His wings. In Ezekiel 17:3, it tells us how powerful these birds are. And in II Samuel 1:23, it tells us how swift a flyer an eagle can be.

Deuteronomy 32:10 – In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste… like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young… that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them on its pinions.

Isaiah 40:28-31: Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD,
The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

CLOSE

As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareath them on her wings: So the Lord alone did lead him. – Deuteronomy 32:11, 12.

This is your time to shine….to soar to new heights in God! Why? Because God has ordained for you to succeed. You may be held down by fear, past failures, rejection, or intimidation from other people…but I believe the Holy Spirit is about to intervene in your life and you are going to rise above every trial and tribulation facing you.  Just as the eagle soars high above the earth, so will you soar to a new spiritual dimension!

God made you in His image and has great plans for YOU.  You will never know a greater love than that of the Lord’s.  “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue yet in my love…Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John15:9, 13) Because He loves you so much, He has destined you for victory over:

Financial difficulties. Physical problems. Family turmoil and Any other assault of Satan!

YOU NAME THEM ALL RIGHT NOW! GO ON AND CALL ON YOUR GOD RIGHT THIS EARLY! DON’T WAIT!

You are about to see God manifest a miracle in your life! He knows your potential and He will mould you into the BEST that you can be for His purposes. When Moses wrote Deuteronomy 32, he and the children of Israel had left Egyptian bondage and were journeying through the wilderness.  In the excitement and victory leading up to this point, Moses began to reflect on the purpose of God’s dealing with them by likening Him to the noble, powerful eagle.  The activity of the eagle is a perfect representation of God’s spiritual guidance.

How does the Lord, in His wisdom, lead us from here on as we are “Going Beyond”?

1. He Stirs Us

The life that is not disturbed by God or allowed to be disturbed by God is dying.  When He comes in contact with you, He’s going to change you.  As the eagle stirs the eaglets from their sleep, so God stirs us from our complacent lethargy into reality. 

“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” - John 16:13.

Sometimes God contradicts our plans, hurls us from the place we love, and plunges us headlong into chaos so we will learn to have faith in Him and Him alone.

2. He Flutters Over Us

God gives us no explanation when He disturbs our nest – only the assurance of His presence. With the tender love of a mother eagle, He draws you close to say, “I know you don’t know what’s going on, but I do, and I’m here. I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

God the Father takes us and pushes us out to the edge of the nest. You may not always understand His purpose or reasoning. But know this…he has your best interest in mind.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” - Isaiah 55:8, 9.

3. He Spreads His Wings

He says, “Look what I can do. I have the strength in my wings to thunder upon the head of your adversary. You may be just an eaglet today, but I’m your Father and someday you will soar with me.” You may be uncoordinated and stumbling.

Maybe nothing is going right in your life. Know this, that God has called you somebody when you were nobody. You are exactly what he designed, and He is moulding you into who He called you to be.

“He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His trust shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh inn darkness; nor for the destruction that lays wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.” – Psalm 91:4-7.

4. He Carries Us

The Lord spreads His wings and carries us.

“When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.” - Isaiah 43:2.

The purpose of God is to produce His character in your life. Only through struggle can we gain strength. Only by falling can an eaglet learn to fly. God is going to make it uncomfortable, but when He does, He’ll draw near to you and display His strength to lead you on.

Take the leap of faith; He will let you fall as many times as it takes – but He won’t let you fail. As the eagle teaches her young, God teaches us to soar in His glory in the good times, while He gently carries us through our trials. Like an eagle fluttering over her young – teaching and nurturing them -the Lord is watching over you, His child, through every situation because He knows who you are going to become tomorrow.

“For I know the thoughts that in think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and nor of evil, to give you an expected end.” - Jeremiah 29:11.

Through the infilling power of the Holy Spirit, God is always moving you forward to mount up with wings as eagles. As you mount up with wings, then you will learn to fly and soar. But God will not leave you there! He will be there with you to make sure of the following:

You will not grow weary in the battle!

You will walk in faith not fear!

You will not faint at the sight of opposition!

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” - Isaiah 40:31.

Then, you will stand and see the salvation of the Lord in you. When you mount up with wings, you have an entirely different viewpoint!  Seemingly insurmountable problems appear small and insignificant as you soar above the mountains of your life. As the apex of God’s creation, you were made in His image.

Because of this, you can rise above every temptation and live your life reflective of Him. So often we forget -if He is for us, who can be against us? - Romans 8:31. God does not love you based on your performance, His love is based on a promise that He has given you a hope and a future in Him.

The Lord broods over you, stirs the nest, and bears you on His wings; because you are the exact expression of who He is. He sees Himself in you and wants to release your potential!

Learn to soar to new heights in your spiritual walk!

What do you do when God gets ready to Stir up your Nest?

Do you ever have the desire to fly?

Do you ever feel that you were created for higher things?

Do you want to soar to spiritual heights?

So, what is stopping you in your tracks?

Let me leave with this challenge: Go on and get “Going Beyond”. Go from Flying to Soaring. Yes you can do it! God wants for you to go beyond the regular. Go out then and do it, Yes you can make it because God is with in your project and God cannot allow you to fail lest He is also seen to have failed.

The ball is in your court!

Glory to God!

GOING BEYOND – with Rev. Maxwell Pirikisi, The King’s Tabernacle (TKT), Orange Grove, Johannesburg, RSA.

Dare to MOVE!

Dare to be CHANGED!

I AM NOT PERFECT, JUST YET! – remember the FOUR LEPERS!

Come and Go with God to the Other Side

God, grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the courage to change the one I can, and the Wisdom to know it’s me. God can use you to your full potential. Besides you are not the message, you are the messenger.
You and I are vessels in the Master’s Hand.

It is not necessarily the perfection of the Instrument that gets the job done well; it is the Mastery of the user that perfects the job and gets it done superbly!

Esther was an immature village girl who ended up a Queen in fulfilment of God’s plan.

Esther 4:14 . . . Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.”

But what kind of vessels does God use?
Noah was lonely
Abraham and Sarah were too old
Isaac was a daydreamer
Jacob was a liar
Leah was ugly
Joseph was abused
Moses had a stammering problem
Samson had a weakness with women
Rahab was a prostitute
Jeremiah, Gideon and Timothy were too young
David had an affair and was a murderer
Isaiah preached naked
Jonah ran away from God
Peter denied Christ
The Disciples fell asleep while praying
Zaccheus was too small
Paul was too religious
Lazarus was dead!

GOD changed all conditions in order to use all these people.

GOD is not going to take you somewhere if you are not willing to go.

JONAH’s problem was not about going to Nineveh – that was easy, but the trouble was that JONAH knew that God was merciful and would change His mind and save the Ninevites!

Little Knowledge can be very toxic and dangerous sometimes.

Noah thought that he had MASTERED God but he only knew a little bit about God AND THAT IS OFTEN THE PROBLEM WE HAVE!

We think we know how God heals because we know how He healed Jairus’ daughter, Bartemeus, Legion and others.

It is more important to believe than to know – it is not knowledge that saves but faith! This is why demons would rather be free than perpetuate the Kingdom of Satan but the trouble is that they do not believe even though they know Jesus is Lord.
Even though these people did these things, they were willing to allow God to change them and use them. Many people think they have to straighten out their lives first and then God will use them. This is not true. You come to God just as you are and He will take care of the rest.

 GOD CAN USE YOU, GET READY! – Exodus 1:8

Supporting Scripture: Jonah 1:1-4, 2:1-10, 3:4-9;4:8-11; 1 Samuel 17:34-50; Mark 12:41-44; Luke 5:1-11; John 5:33-34, 6:1-14, 19:17-18.

It’s written across every page of your Bible that God can use all that you have and all that you are. All He wants is you. He is calling to you right now, and His desire is for you to understand that full surrender means blessings greater than all the riches in the world. If He can use a basket, the stomach of a fish, a simple stone, a boat, or a tree, what might He do with your mind, your gifts, your time, and your treasures? What miracles might He accomplish for His glory through you? Are you willing to commit to the following statement? “All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give; I will ever love and trust Him, in His presence daily live.”

God uses simple things.

You would probably expect God to make use of mighty things and mighty people, but the truth is quite the opposite. For example, the story of Moses, which begins in Exodus 1:8, shows how God could use a simple wicker basket to change the course of a nation’s history. Moses was placed in the river in a small basket, where he could be found by Pharaoh’s daughter. God used a simple, hand-woven container to protect the child who would be the liberator of his nation.You may feel as flimsy as a wicker basket, but it’s what the basket holds that counts. God can place something of supreme value inside the vessel of your life.

God uses imperfect attitudes.

Jonah was a man who would go to great lengths to disobey God.The Lord assigned him a mission and Jonah ran away, but God used him anyway. Not only that, but as we read in Jonah 2, God used a great fish to rescue Jonah from drowning. In Jonah 3, God used a withering plant to teach Jonah a lesson. God will use plants and animals, and He will use servants like Jonah even when they are imperfect. Have you refused to give yourself to God and His purposes because you felt unworthy? He can use Jonah; He can even use a fish.Why not you? Surrender your life to God just the way you are.

God uses unequipped people.

In the book of 1 Samuel we read about David, the young shepherd boy who wanted to challenge Goliath. There were many Israelite warriors, and none of them wanted to face the giant. David would not even wear the armor of King Saul, because he depended only on the strength of the God who had helped him defeat a bear and a lion. David brought down the giant with a simple stone such as anyone could find in a creek.The smallest pebble can perform the most powerful deed in the hands of almighty God.

God uses surrendered lives.

David may have seemed too small to be a mighty warrior, but he understood the secret to victory in life: he was totally surrendered to God. He was available for whatever task God might have for him, and he was bold enough to step forward and ignore those who doubted God’s power and protection. Does God need great armies or weapons? Does He need anything at all? He does not, but He uses those who are willing to surrender themselves to His service. Have you come to that point of surrender? Are you willing to trust Him for whatever plan He might have, knowing that He loves you and that His plans are best?

God uses willing sacrifice.

In Mark’s Gospel we find the account of a poor widow who made a contribution of two small copper coins, the equivalent of a single cent. Jesus told His disciples that “this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury” (Mark 12:43).Why? Because it was all she had.What matters is not the size, but the spirit of our gift. God wants us to give all our effort, all our dedication, all our creativity, and everything we have toward His service.The dollar value is what the world notices, but God ignores all that; He sees the heart. God uses a willing and generous gift.Are you giving of yourself with a generous heart?

God uses simple obedience.

Jesus was teaching a great crowd in Luke 5:1-11. In their eagerness to hear, they nudged Him right to the edge of the water. Jesus asked Peter for the use of a fishing boat, and God used that boat for the teaching of the Word.Then He used it for a miraculous catch. Peter was an experienced fisherman, and he must have wondered what a carpenter from Nazareth would know about fishing. Peter obeyed, however, and enjoyed the greatest fishing trip he ever had. Our problem is generally not in knowing God’s will for our lives, but in our willingness to be obedient. How about you? Will you do what God is calling you to do?

God uses whatever may be in your hand.

In John 6, another crowd of people pressed Jesus and His disciples.There were five thousand men, as well as many women and children.Where would their meals come from? The disciples were worried, but a boy was found who had five barley loaves and two fish. Surely that wasn’t enough food to feed such an army! Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed the fish and bread to everyone there. Every man, woman, and child had a feast.This miracle was given in order to show that Jesus was the Son of God, and all that was needed was the simple lunch in a boy’s hand.What is in your hand? What should you offer to Christ?

God uses everything for our eternal good.

What other simple thing could God use? He used a tree for the benefit of the whole world.

John 19 gives us the account of the crucifixion of Jesus.Why a cross, made from a tree? Why not a sword, for example?

The cross made it possible for everyone to see how Jesus gave His life for us.

God prepared that very wood for the awesome sacrifice of His Son, so that the blood of Jesus would pay the price for our sin.

God used a common tree for His eternal purposes, and we know that He uses all things and all events for our good, as we love Him.

There is nothing in this world He cannot and will not use.

Let us look at one of the most quoted stories in the Bible …

Building a Successful & Effective Young Life

 The Power of Purpose

(A) 5 Steps to Help you Find Your Life’s Purpose…

As we begin on our journey to fulfil our desires, I believe we will need to fully understand what we love to do the most, in the form of service or work.  Determining this can be so powerful that it can identify our purpose in life.  We often see television interviews or read newspaper articles about people that are extremely successful in a certain area.  This extreme level of success manifested from passion and desire. 

To me, passion and desire are the driving force of achievement.  Without it, the chance that we will give up or procrastinate greatly increases to the point where our goals will seem unattainable.  When goals seem unattainable, most of us give up and therefore never realize them. This can snowball and cause a tremendous amount of stress unless we stop it. 

One man once said he wanted to become a dentist when we were in high school. After four years of college, he realized that he wasn’t doing what he wanted, but what he thought his family wanted him to do.

He could not find the desire to continue his studies even after four years of hard work.  He found more interest in philosophy and psychology courses and courses that involved human potential.  He decided not to continue his studies to become a dentist. Years had gone by in a “day job,” when he finally realized what he wanted to do. 

Today, he is a manager and is developing the level of success he desires as he says, “day by day,” by learning to apply simple principles to his life which contribute to his success.  He understood that he needed to follow his passion, and even more, he decided to break away from the fear and pressure he felt from his family to continue on his initial, “promise” to become a dentist. 

I think when we feel the fear, but persevere and do what we want anyway, we have truly followed something that we are passionate about and that can bring us joy and happiness. Are you having trouble finding your passion?  Well, here is a method I used to help identify it:

1.  What three things make you the happiest when you do them? (examples: read, research, write, paint, exercise, drive, finances)

2.  What three qualities do you possess that stand out to others? (examples: creativity, loving, funny, compassionate, helpful, caring)

3.  What three things could you work on for hours at a time and enjoy them? (examples: non-profit work, math, web design, manage, public speaking)

4.  What three things do you like learning about the most? (Note: You may notice that you learn more easily about things you enjoy)

5.  Look at your answers to these questions.  Can you see a bigger picture?  Ask yourself this final question while keeping all these answers in front of you: If I could create my life’s purpose from these answers in the form of a career, what level of success could I generate?  After you answer this question, think about the essence of these answers.  They are connected to your life’s purpose.

If you can match these to a form of valuable service to others, you will be able to monetize something that you love doing. Your work can then become your life’s purpose, and the level of success in many areas of your life can be enhanced.

(B) 5 Steps to help you set your Goals…

There are many different methods to use in setting up your goals.  One of which you probably heard about are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely) goals. I tend to have a problem with the interpretation of this method because I believe that what we can attain and what is realistic to one person, may not be to someone else. After all, the saying by Henry Ford goes, “If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t, you’re right.”  In other words, I believe the SMART method implies that we have limits.

I’m not going to tell you what’s attainable and realistic for you.  Obviously that’s up to you to decide.  I believe that things that we think may not be possible can be.  I’m not saying that we can fly or jump over buildings, what I am saying, is that we can stretch ourselves past the point of what we currently believe we can have or do.  If someone says, “One day I would love to travel overseas to Australia,” but another person says, “I’ll never have the money to travel overseas to Australia,” who do you think has the advantage?  It’s obvious. 

People who have come to this country with nothing more than an idea have been able to accumulate many thousands and even millions of Rand. So let’s get going on setting up our goals. I use the following outline and there are things on my goals list that I never thought I could do or get that I already accomplished. 

As a matter of fact, my wife always wanted to drive a Volvo, not just another car. Well, she started with a Fiat Uno, then three Hyundai Elantras (but these were all mine two of which I wrecked in accidents), then came the family van the Kia Carnival, and eventually she got her Volvo S60, a beautiful machine that was. She got tired of the Volvo and now wanted a Jaguar, well; you can guess what she drives today, a graceful Jaguar S-Type!  Pretty cool and gutsy I think. One more thing before you start – DREAM BIG!

1.  Create a master list of at least 10 goals in the following areas: Health, Career,  Financial, Family & Spiritual, Leisure, Things, Contribution and Educational (you can put as many as you desire if you like for each category)

2.  Order them in the following way: Goals to be achieved in the short term (1-26 weeks) Goals to be achieved in a more distant term (1 year – 3 years) Goals to be achieved later in life (4 – 10 years). Goals to be achieved much later in life (over 10 years).

3.  Notice the sequence or order of the goals.  You wouldn’t put train to run in the Boston Marathon as a 4-10 year goal and running it as a 1 year goal.  Some things will likely have to happen before others (this will be described in the next section when we create our plan for getting these goals).

4.  Write a descriptive paragraph of why you desire to have the top three goals in each area you wrote down.  Make sure that your emotions are positively stirred up by this.  Also, you should keep in mind what has kept you from getting your goals in the past.  Maybe it was a limiting belief, a fear, some association to pain that you may have linked up to it.  In any case, I believe that if you really desire your goals, you can find a way to manifest them.  In the next section “Planning for Success,” I will give you steps that I use to setting up my plans to attain my goals. 

5.  Practice “The Secret” or Law of Attraction.  I believe in the idea of the “Law of Attraction,” because I have received results time and time again from focusing on the positive side of what I want to manifest.  The core of the Law of Attraction and getting what we want can be summed up as follows:

-     Decide you want something specific that you strongly desire.

-          Ask for it in the best way you know and strongly believe that you can get it.

-          Try to vividly visualize the thing you want the best way possible with deep emotion.

-          Always be grateful for all the things you have in your life past, present and future.

-          Be thankful for it has been received; expect that you have it.

Remember to always ask for things in the positive.  For example “I don’t want to fight anymore” should come across as “I want a peaceful resolution to this problem”….get the picture? Whether this system works or not is up to you to decide or believe.  I for one have found that it does keep me extremely confident, motivated and in a general good mood.  I have eliminated a lot of negativity from my life and thus have become a lot happier.  That in itself to me has been worth it.

Are you ready to create the life that you want now? Just think about how you can change your life in a positive way. Create the life you have always dreamed of! It’s a choice that only you can make. You decide where to take your life. Goals are the way to shaping yourself and your surroundings. One piece of advice I would give you, is decide to make learning new things one of your goals. Become a lifetime learner of the things that can empower you and drive your success!

10 Steps to help you achieve success

In my world, which I have created, the fundamental keys to success are, but not limited to the following.

1.  Defining what success means to you.

2.  Discovering your life’s purpose and deciding what you want.

3.  Believing and having faith that you can do it.

4.  Writing out both your goals and plans to achieve them.

5.  Changing the plans until you get the desired results.

6.  Feel the fear, but persevere. 

7.  Decide to never give up.

8.  Become a lifetime learner.

9.  Be grateful for the abundance you already have.

10.  Be of service and contribute beyond yourself.

I practice these core fundamentals as often as I can and keep them in my sights.  They have made a huge difference in the quality of my life and as well to the lives of those who I have studied.  I believe that as we master these core fundamentals, we can create abundance in finances, relationships, health, career and happiness.

Start today by starting to do the research necessary to become the person and have the life you have always dreamed of! This is only the beginning of your journey, but you will never succeed unless you begin.

Time Management

Attending classes, studying, working a part-time job, participating in extracurricular activities, and finding time for friends, family and yourself can be a hard schedule for college students to balance.  The following time management tips will help you stay balanced and stress-free.

1. Set Goals.  Determine exactly what you want to accomplish.  This may be what you want to accomplish in a day, a week, a semester, or even longer.  What are your academic goals?  Maybe you want to have your Psychology paper finished by the end of the week so you can enjoy your weekend.  Maybe you have a goal of going to graduate school, but you must first perform well in all your undergrad classes.  What are your extra-curricular goals?  Do you want to join a sorority or fraternity this semester?  How much time are you willing to commit to your extra-curricular activities?  Do you have any personal goals?  Maybe you want to expand your social circle or start exercising.  By setting goals, you will be more inclined to follow through with them and accomplish your tasks.

2. Prioritize.  Once you know what needs to be accomplished, you must prioritize your tasks.  This means figuring out which tasks are most important and which ones can be put on hold.  Be sure to stay focused on the most important task before you move on to the next ones.  To help you better prioritize your tasks, you may want to number them in order of importance.  For instance, if you have a paper that is due in a week and a small group project that is due in a month, it makes more sense to put your paper at the top of your priority list followed by your group project. 

3. Organize.  Being organized will help you achieve your goals in a timely manner.  You need to organize your tasks so you will know what needs to be accomplished and when they need to be accomplished.  Create a weekly calendar that includes your schedule for classes, study time, social events, club meetings, exercise time, and any other time necessary to achieve your goals.  Also, be sure to include assignment due dates in this calendar so you don’t miss a deadline.  Abide by this calendar every week so you will develop a regular routine while learning how to manage your time.

4. Avoid Procrastination.  Procrastination is the main downfall of achieving time management skills.  If you plan on doing an activity, stick to your schedule; don’t put it off until tomorrow.  Doing so will only cause stress over trying to complete the task in time.  By setting predetermined goals and prioritizing them, you will be less inclined to procrastinate. 

5. Utilize Spare Minutes.  Do you ever find yourself aimlessly waiting on an activity to start or on someone to meet you?  If so, you need to start using those extra minutes wisely.  For instance, if you find yourself waiting on a class to start with nothing to do, consider starting on those reading assignments from your last class or begin thinking about a topic for your Philosophy paper.  By accomplishing small tasks while you’re waiting, you will find that you have extra time to complete those larger tasks when you actually start on them.

6. Know When You’re Most Productive.  Everyone has a time period during the day when they are most productive.  Maybe you get more tasks accomplished in the morning than the evening or vice versa.  Use the times when you have the most energy to accomplish the tasks that are more demanding, such as schoolwork.  Use the times when you have less energy to work on tasks that are less challenging, such as running errands.  You will notice that you’ll get more tasks accomplished throughout the day by implementing this strategy into your time management plan.

We all probably wish that there were more hours in a day, but since that is virtually impossible, we must make the best use of the hours that we do have.  By utilizing the above-mentioned steps, you will be on your way to achieving better time management

M Pirikisi/Tkt/jhb/sa/15/01/09

Perhaps our women may be asking this question in their great silent prayers:

How can we serve God best, when we are …

Just Women In The Church

The role of women in the Church is one of the controversies of our time. Many focus on Paul’s statement “Let women keep silence in the church” – 1 Corinthians 14:34 –  and wonder why men even allow women to sing hymns during services or perform special music. Others believe Paul was out of touch with reality or certainly with what our society has come to.

Some look at Paul’s writing that says that in baptism “there is neither male nor female” - Galatians 3:28 – and declare that we should have women preachers and anything else women would want to be or do.

Perhaps we could better understand this subject if we first study and come to understand the roles women have played in the Bible.

Creation of Woman

To begin with, we may ponder some common questions:

• Why and how did God create the woman?
• Is she inferior or superior to man?
• Do women have a place in religion, or are they simply to be mindless robots following a man around?
• Are women only to be headless chicken in the absence of men?
• Do women need men to be complete and men equally need women?
• Was it not man who was incomplete until the woman was created – to complete him?

No doubt you have a few questions of your own on this subject and no doubt some have posed such questions to you.

What can we surmise or deduce from the Scriptures on this issue?

Let’s go back to the beginning – to the Genesis of all things …

In Genesis 1:26-31, we find the creation of man: “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; let them have dominion … in the image of God created he him, male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and … said to them Be fruitful and multiply … replenish … subdue….And it was very good.”

Now notice that:

1. God created mankind (both men & women) in His own image and likeness.
2. God created mankind (both men & women) as male and female
3. God gave mankind (both men & women) dominion over all living things and power to increase and multiply.

What does this tell us about man and woman?

If you think about it, it tells us that they were equal in being and different in function (sex – they were not created all males and or/ all females).

There is nothing here that would indicate that the male could rule by himself, multiply by himself, or subdue by himself.

This passage plainly indicates a partnership. And it reveals that sexual differentiation is part of the order established at creation.

Just as God (Hebrew: Elohim) is uni-plural (“let us”), man is uni-plural (“them/ them”).

And the two (male and female), though they become one, can multiply, creating more mankind in their own image, as did God.

This important concept is further revealed in Genesis 2:18-24 in the “creation” of the marriage institution. Here we find the account of God’s taking a rib from the sleeping Adam and creating woman.

What does God’s taking a rib to create Eve suggest?

It seems to suggest sameness of creation (Adam and all other creatures were created from the dust of the ground but Eve was created out of creation and that made her much more refined than Adam – small wonder why women are much fairer than men today).

It suggests the role, the function of the woman: she wasn’t taken from his head to indicate rulership or headship over him: she wasn’t taken from his foot to indicate being trodden under his feet; but from his side to indicate that she was no less than him, and that he was to love her, protect her – and she was to support him. A “help” from him and for him. [It also suggests that without woman, man is missing something vital].

Biblical Headship

Does this suggest functional subordination? It’s neither subordination nor domination of a superior over an inferior. This account rather indicates:

1. the helper status of the woman
2. the order of creation
3. the naming of humanity (man/ woman) or in Hebrew ish/ isha.

In 1 Corinthians 11:3-12 Paul addresses the “headship” of man to woman. He clearly understands the created functionality of man/ woman:

“For man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman: but the woman for the man… Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man in the Lord. For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.” (verses 8-12).

And again, in Ephesians 5:21-28:

“Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church:.. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies.”‘

This was not a fabrication of Paul, but an application of what we have seen from creation.

Colossians 1:13-18 shows Christ’s headship “he is the head of the body, the church, .. and, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto [the Father]“.

In 1 Timothy 2:13, Paul again shows that man was formed first, and, though Eve was deceived, Adam was the first to sin. Note how Paul always appeals to order of creation and not to any other reason, such as a supposed “curse of Eve” as a result of the first sin.

In a body, does a rib rebel against or envy the head? The rib is in a supporting role to the body. This does not make the rib inferior to the head. Without the ribs, the body could not stand.

On the other hand, does the head despise or mistreat a rib? No, the head makes great efforts to ensure that the ribs are as comfortable as possible!

So, the first lesson we get from the Bible on this issue is that male/ female does not mean superior/ inferior.

We should clearly see that God created male and female as functions to complement each other to make a better one than either could be apart.

Representation

Now let’s consider some other aspects …

In the Old Testament, men represented their tribe, their nation. Men received the sign of the covenant in their flesh (circumcision). Women could not. But women shared with men in the blessings and responsibilities of the covenant and were vital to the fulfillment of its blessings which included long life, prosperity, children and land.

In particular, women were blessed in child-bearing, which men could not (1 Tim. 2:15). Women shared equally with men in the blessings of worship by resting on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:10), listening to the reading of the law (Deut. 31:9-13), and rejoicing before the Lord.

Role of Women

What roles, then, were women to play in the family and community?

Learning and Keeping the Law (Deuteronomy 31:12; 13:6-11; 17:2; 29:18; 2 Chronicles 15:12-13). Women [like men] were always to hear, learn and keep the law.

Praying: Women [like men] prayed. Read the examples of Hannah, Rebekah and Sarah in Genesis 25:22; 30:6, 22; 21:6-7.

And in 2 Kings 4:9-10, 20-23 we see the moving story of the Shunammite woman, her faith and actions that led to the resurrection of her son by Elisha.

For an example of how women independently inquired of God, read the account of Hannah in I Samuel 1:9-11. The result of her prayer was a prophet named Samuel.

Teachers: Proverbs 1:8 speaks of the instruction of a mother.

They were required to fulfil Numbers 30:9 and Numbers 6:2-21.

Public Worship: Women were expected to be present at Festivals as you can see from Deuteronomy 12:7; 16:11-14; 1 Sam. 1:1.

They took part in some sacrifices as in Leviticus 12:6; 15:29 and the example of Hannah in 1 Sam. 1:24-27. followed by her prayer in chapter 2:1-10.

The women contributed to the material for the erecting of the tabernacle as recorded in Exodus 35:22, 25-26.

Women served at the entrance of the tent of meeting 1 Samuel 2:22. (The sons of Eli misused the services of the women, but nonetheless, they were there, probably to sing). Women were singing and making praise in music as in Ezra 2:65; 1 Chronicles 25:5-6; 2 Chronicles 35:25 and Exodus 15:20.

Community Office

Huldah was a significant prophetess in Israel contemporary with Jeremiah (2 Kings 22:14).

Another prophetess was Noadiah in Nehemiah 6:14.

Deborah served as a judge as recorded in Judges 4:4-6 – albeit, perhaps to teach Israel some lessons in obedience etc. – but that would still show the woman’s powerful usefulness in the hand of God.

And there will be future prophetesses according to Joel 2:28-29, as well as prophets.

Women Priests?

But no priestesses. Though we have examined the many and various roles women played in ancient Israel, we never find that a woman served as a priest (or priestess).

Consider how God established and chose the priesthood. In ancient times, the patriarch was also the family priest: Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Job – men represented the family. Then, with the establishment of the nation of Israel, which was intended to be a “kingdom of priests” (Exodus 19:6), the Levites were chosen by God to serve Him at His Tabernacle. The male descendants of Aaron, a member of the tribe of Levi, were chosen to be the official priests.

In New Testament times, before God, Christians are “neither male nor female” (Galatians 3:28). Jesus “has made us kings and priests unto God” (Revelation 1:6). But the situation in the church is analogous to ancient Israel. Though Israel was a nation of priests, only certain individuals performed official priestly duties. In the New Testament, Christ’s twelve apostles were all men. Though women certainly held positions of responsibility in the early church (e.g., Phebe, Romans 16:1), there is no indication that they ever conducted formal church services. There has been much scholarly speculation as to exactly what were the circumstances that motivated Paul’s instructions to the women to keep silence.

But then again, life has changed. And women have risen to greater challenges. We actually don’t serve God the way our forefathers served God in the old testament. Jesus came to liberate all of us so that we can serve God better in our days and according to our generations.

My Time is Now!

Help, Can Someone Unblock my Drains!

- by Rev. Maxwell Pirikisi: Presiding Elder,

The King’s Tabernacle

5 – 17^th Street

Orange Grove

Johannesburg

RSA, 2000

Church Service Times:

Sundays: 9:00 am

Wednesdays: 6:00 pm

Greetings dearly beloved in the strong and able name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Allow me to share some thoughts with you as we journey from earth to Glory, under the Master’s care, especially now, as we get closer to our Annual Pan-African Convention (30 & 31 October, and 1 November 2009) under the banner, GOING BEYOND.

At one time Jesus told his brothers to “go ahead” because it was their time … but when His time came, He did not need anyone to tell Him that His time had come.

Do you really need someone to tell you that your time has come?

Does an expectant mother really need anyone to tell her that her time to deliver the baby has come? SHE KNOWS IT by herself that this is her time!

If you are about to give birth to your expectation, you will feel it, you will know it, you will go for the final push!

Sometimes you need to say to God “I trust you so much that I know you are going to deliver me and heal me” and with faith someone needs to begin to say “heal me, or kill me now” – trouble is, we are not too sure God will heal us and so if He doesn’t heal us He might just kill us!

But I say to you this day “stop trying to come to Jesus by night, you are not Nicodemus! Your name is not Nicodemus!”

Why are you keeping a distance between yourself and your Master!

Time up! Time up! Time up!

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us come boldly unto the throne of grace…”

4:1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

Get your faith thermometer up and let the light of your faith burn on!

4:3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4:4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. 4:5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. 4:6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: 4:7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Could you be limiting the Holy One of Israel today? Are you limiting God in some way today? Is there something you need to shake away from you this day so that you can run to your God as a super lightweight? What then are you waiting for?

4:8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

4:15 For we have not an high priest, which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

And today I am in Need! Today I am in Need! Today I am in Need!

Is there someone else in Need Today?

Again, I ask, what are you waiting for?

Jesus came for me! He died for me! He rose for me! Thank God!

Hebrews 10:19-25

What a grand opportunity we have to come closer to God!

Hebrews 10:19 – Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

What an astonishing thing, we are told in verse 19!

We—you and I—can enter the Most Holy Place!

For hundreds of years that was impossible!

The Most Holy Place was that place in the Temple at Jerusalem where God graciously agreed to be present—present to talk with his people, encourage them, and instruct them. The Most Holy Place was that place where our Creator, our maker could be consulted, talked to.

But for hundreds of years access to God’s presence was severely restricted.

Is someone blocking your way to God? Tell them to move out of the way!

Oh, praise the Lord I am on the high road to my God!

Move out of the way!

Oh my God I have a blocked drain and my life is about to be flooded!

Can someone find me my master plumber!

Shall I paint this disturbing picture for someone here right now and show you how far we were kept far away from direct contact with God, and why we should maximise every opportunity now to be get closer to God?

Can you picture what the old Temple looked like?

Thank God, the old Temple was destroyed and thank God, we have a new Temple today!

But how was it … that old Temple which divided people according to backgrounds?

A high rectangular building that was approached through a series of courtyards:

In the outermost courtyard, farthest away from the Temple building, Gentiles—non-Jewish people—were allowed…but they could come no closer.

Next was a smaller courtyard where Jewish women could go…but they could go no farther than there.

A larger courtyard was next and Jewish men could go there…but, again, they could go no farther.

Finally, there was the inner courtyard where only priests, the clergy of the day were allowed to be. In that inner courtyard was an altar where those priests would make sacrifices for the sins of the people.

The Temple itself consisted mainly of a large room, divided into two areas by a curtain.

The first area of this inner room was called the holy place.

Beyond the curtain was the Most Holy Place. In it was the ark of the covenant, the agreement made between God and the Israelites. On that basis of that covenant, God promised to be present there.

Oh, what misery! Oh, what wretchedness! Oh, what barriers!

Into this Most Holy Place, into the very presence of God, only one person, the highest-ranking priest, the chief priest, was allowed to go. And he was allowed to go into the presence of God only once during the entire year, on the Day of Atonement.

What a day that was!

Crowds of people would gather in the various courtyards, for on that day the chief priest as their representative would go into God’s presence. On that day, he would ask God to forgive and bless the people.

Now, the Chief Priest could not simply walk into the presence of God. He had to prepare himself. For the God he was to meet is a holy God, pure and good and nothing impure or unholy or dirty can ever come into his presence.

How ready are you to meet your Master today?

Can somebody tell me what does it take for me to prepare to meet my Master?

Ask a young man when he is going to meet the one who has stolen his heart and caused him to fall, in love! How does he prepare to meet his Lilly in the valley? A new haircut even when his hair is already beaten by recession! And if his stomach is suffering from inflation, he will even go pounding the road to lose some kilos! If he does not have a great suit and all his clothes look, tired he will go borrow from friends in high places so that he looks powerful just for his rose of Sharon!

Now, it is even greater preparation for the Master and King of Kings.

Ok, let me continue with my painting for a bit ….

And so, in the courtyard immediately outside of the Temple, the Chief Priest would wash himself in a ceremony that signified cleansing and purifying. At the altar outside of the Temple, he would make sacrifices for his sin and for the sins of the people. Only then could he go into the presence of the holy, righteous, good God. Only then would God allow him to come through the curtain into his presence.

I hope that helps us understand the astonishing thing verse 19 says. “We—you and I—are free to enter boldly into the very presence of God!”

For 9 chapters, the writer of this book has been explaining how it is that Jesus opened the way into the Most Holy Place; how Jesus through his life, death and resurrection, parted the curtain so that you and I can freely go into the very presence of God!

That makes his first “Let us” statement somewhat strange, doesn’t it? “Let us draw near to God…! …You mean… we might not draw near to Him?

We’ve got our hearts sprinkled, the writer says, our conscience cleansed of guilt. We’ve got our bodies washed with water…we’re clean inside and out…so let’s go! Let’s draw near to God! Let’s go into the presence of the Lord!

Why would he have to urge us to do that? Thanks to all that Jesus has done; we, individually and together as a church have the opportunity to go—ourselves—into the very presence of the almighty, loving, life-giving God!

We, with all of our questions, with all of our needs, with all of our doubts and fears! We have this astonishing opportunity, to enter into God’s presence and spend time with him!

Think about it. Isn’t it amazing?

There, we can to talk with Him, tell him what’s on our minds and what’s in our hearts.

There, we can ask God what’s on his mind!

There, we can listen as God tell us what He’s doing around us, and how we can join him in his ministry.

What a truly astonishing opportunity we have!

Why does the writer of this book have to urge us to take advantage of it? Why does he have to say, “Let us draw near…, let’s go in?” Is it because we’re satisfied with receiving God’s forgiveness and we simply don’t have the desire or don’t want to take the time to go into his presence and listen to whatever he might want to say to us?

Many of us have already been baptized; many of us have already professed our faith in Jesus Christ. We have been washed clean of our guilt and of our sins.

But that, dear friends, is only preparation, isn’t it?

Gracious, wonderful preparation, but still preparation to our going into God’s presence and getting to know him, and allowing him to tell us what’s on his mind. It’s like that chief priest, outside of the Temple, cleansing himself, making sacrifices for his sins… but then not going into the Temple to meet and to talk with God!

The door’s open! Jesus opened it. We’re free to go in and spend time with our Creator and our Redeemer! What would happen if we as a congregation would make a practice of regularly going together into the presence of God?

There is a second “Let us” statement. Since we are free to enter into the very presence of God, “let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”

In Hebrews 6:18 & 19, the writer of this book reminds us that God puts before us a hope that we can take hold of. God knows that a lot can happen in our lives, a lot can happen to people whom we love that disturbs us, confuses us, or makes us wonder if anybody is in control of things. A lot can happen that makes us wonder what the future will bring.

God knows how insecure we can so easily become, and so he puts before us a hope that we can grab on to. This hope, the writer says, is like an anchor for our souls to keep them safe and secure. And this anchor, he goes on to say, goes through the curtain, into the presence of God and is grounded… in Jesus!

When we go into the presence of God, whom do we see? Jesus! Alive! With all authority in heaven and earth in his hands. With the future of our civilization, with the future of the galaxies in his hands. And we know what he plans do with this world and with all of us in it, don’t we? He plans to banish all evil, all sorrow, all pain, all death and bring life back to this creation of his. Beautiful life, abundant life, life that will go on and on and on….

Let us draw near to God. There, our hope will be revived, our hope will be strengthened. It will be a strong anchor for our souls no matter what storms might rage around us.

Third: “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together but encouraging one another….”

Of course!! Having been in the presence of our gracious, loving compassionate God, having had our hopes revived and strengthened because we’ve spent time with our Lord, of course we would readily spur each other on toward love and good deeds! For those are the things on God’s mind and in God’s heart! Those are precisely the things he is all about!

Of course!! Having been in the presence of Jesus who holds the future in his hands, Jesus who is going to come back some day and bring with him a kingdom of life, of course we would encourage each other to remain strong in our commitment to Jesus and his work, strong in our commitments to each other.

We would, I trust, welcome that encouragement from one another.

Now, think about this. What would happen if we, as individuals but especially as a church, as a group of Jesus’ disciples, listened to the urging of this text?

What would happen if, as a congregation, we regularly went together into the presence of God and talked with God and listened to God?

We would be a people who would know what’s in God’s heart and what’s on God’s mind. We would know where he is working around us and how we could join him.

What would happen if, as a congregation, we regularly went into the presence of God?

We would be a congregation where hope, as a strong anchor for our souls, is shared with everyone. And when I lose hope, you would wrap this Jesus-filled hope around me and keep me secure. And I would do that to you, and we all would do that for each other!

What would happen if as a congregation we regularly went into the presence of God?

We would be a congregation where encouragement is asked for, given and received.

What would people say about a congregation that does these three things?

They would say,

“There is a group of my disciples who are living for me!”

Glory Hallelujah!

I read somewhere recently that as we approach God we must be both “for” God, and “against” our own sin.

So, in coming to God, let ask some questions …

What kind of people does God receive, how does he receive them, where does he receive them, why does he receive them and when does he receive them?

Who can come?

Every person who has placed their faith in Jesus Christ. Many people struggle with this concept. They think, “Oh, I’m not worthy to come before the throne of grace.” News flash: No one is worthy!

Not one of us is righteous enough to come before the throne OF GRACE! But don’t you see, that’s where the grace comes in! It is by God’s grace that we are made righteous, through Jesus Christ.

t is only by His grace that we are worthy.

In fact, we often use the acronym:
                        G = God’s
                        R = Riches
                        A = At
                        C = Christ’s
                        E = expense.

That’s what grace is. And it’s ours, if we have placed our faith and trust in Christ Jesus!

What must be done?

“Come”. This is an action word; it requires action on our part. We aren’t going to enter into God’s rest without doing something to ensure that we get there. Faith doesn’t just fall on us, we have to activate it.

When must one come to the Lord?

In time of need. Any time, any need. Whenever the cares and worries of this life start to burden your mind, come boldly before the throne of grace to enter into God’s rest. We have a choice: we can struggle daily with all of life’s problems and aggravations, or we can take God at His word, and enter into His rest. It’s pretty much a no-brainer, isn’t it?

Where must one go?

To the throne of grace. God’s grace. We have an advocate there who is always interceding in our behalf. I John 2:1 assures us of that. In fact, it assures us that He is there, interceding

How? Boldly. Not fearful and unsure of our welcome, but boldly, with the assurance that we are His precious, greatly beloved children. Hebrews 2:11 tells us: “For both He that sanctifies and they who are sanctified are all of one, and for this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.” Boldness is not arrogance, it is total trust. Boldness believes that God is who He says He is, and that He will do what He says He’ll do.

But, why?

To obtain mercy. God’s marvellous, matchless mercy! Mercy is forgiveness and forgetting of our sin; mercy is not getting what our sins actually deserve. Mercy is receiving God’s grace instead of His wrath. And along with mercy, He gives us grace. Grace is God giving us what we so desperately need, instead of what we deserve.

So, what is the process, in simple English?

Believe God, confess your sins, walk the path of righteousness!

When we do these things, no circumstance in life can get the best of us.

The problem ahead of us is never greater than the Power in us!

 No difficulty we will ever face is greater than God’s love, grace and mercy!

 Let us hold fast our profession. Let us come boldly unto the throne of grace.

 If we do our part, God is always faithful and just to do His part! We have His Word on it!

 Maranatha!