By Odon Bulamba (summary only -04 May, 2007)
In order to be prosperous in our gifts, we have to be humble. But why do we sometimes think that we are better than others? What's the reason for that? What have we given to God in order to consider ourselves higher than others? Is it really my right to think that I'm higher than everybody else?
When God created people, he created them according to his knowledge and His will. You can find some people who are extremely clever and other people are stupid. You can see some people are really beautiful and others are ugly and you can find people who are really sharp in every activity and others are slow. People who have that grace to have what other’s don’t, they are very often the first ones to blame others. E.g. “I don't know why Benedict doesn't find a job, jobs are everywhere. She is lazy, she needs to work, she needs to do such and such and such”. Because you have a job and you are in a good position, you think everybody else should find it easy. But maybe God opened the door for you, and allowed you to find something that others cannot find. You don't have to compare yourself to other people, you don't have to say because I have this and others cannot reach that level, it means they are useless.
Sometimes people, who intellectual, they will push their children to study hard to learn in order to become something and they believe if you don't work hard you will just be useless. But there are people who have been working hard since they were young until the age of 60s and 70s, and they have nothing and other people who didn't really work hard in comparison are really blessed.
There are people who have to study hard for hours every day in order to remember and be prepared for tests at school and some even resort to taking drugs to help them to memorize while there are other people, who God created, whenever they read something they will keep it for the rest of their lives. I knew a friend who could read a novel, and he could tell you line after line. Imagine a novel he could tell you from the first line to the last one. And you could follow the novel as though he is reading it but he’s only read it once. And when he finished his studies he never had less than 95%. While other people struggle just to get 50%. But no one employed him. He couldn’t find a job, which means that God is the one who decides who will be blessed, who will find employment, etc.
Usually when we have something that other’s don’t have, we criticize the person instead of helping them or praying for them. For example, if someone doesn’t know the Bible as well as me, I will judge them and talk behind their back, instead of praying for them and praising God for the knowledge that He has blessed me with.
When we are blessed and we criticize those that are not, God is unhappy and against it and will start to turn down the light and power of the Holy Spirit in you. The Holy Spirit will start to leave you and once He is gone, He will not act in you anymore. You will feel that you don't have that joy anymore. You will feel that you don’t have His presence and whenever it's time to pray, you will groan because every three-minute prayer will feel like three hours long and you will think it's too boring to go to meetings because you won’t understand the message. And when it’s time for you to give a message it will be even more boring because you will say it like a speech, just reading it, without the power of the Spirit.
When we want to use our gifts we have to understand that it is God who gave them to us and we must be humble to accept that without the Holy Spirit the gift will not work. Therefore, we must pray before doing anything and ask the Holy Spirit to lead us to use the gift. For example if I have the gift of preaching I must tell God that He is the one who gave me that gift and ask Him to use the power of the Holy Spirit to speak to His people. We must trust in God and have faith.
Romans 12:4, you can see now that they start to talk about gifts, and if you continue to read, whoever has the gift of prophecy, then prophesy. If you have the gift of teaching, you have to teach, use your gifts. It's not something that you have to keep in your drawers, it’s not something that you have to just keep inside of you. You must practice it and the more you practice, the more you will shape it. If you don't know how to practice your gift, this is the time, this is your time to tell God, "I don't know what to do. I don't know how it works, help me".
SUMMARY
- Don't judge other's who are not as blessed or gifted as you but praise God and pray for them
- Ask God to help you to use your gift
- Put your gift into practise and shape it
For the full message please email: littlebethlehem@windowslive.com
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Humility and Gifts (part I)
By Odon Bulamba (summary only - 04 May 2007)
Romans 12: 3&4
So the small verse is telling us to not think of ourselves as being superior or higher than others and in order to serve God, the first thing we have to do is to humble ourselves. Whoever will try to humble themselves, God will raise him up. If you don't want to humble yourself, if you think it is a humiliation you have to be 100% sure that God will never use you. You can have gifts and all the ministries but God will never use you and you won't have the opportunity to use them if you don't know how to humble yourself.
Sometimes to humble ourselves is hard because it makes our physical body to feel like this isn’t where we are supposed to be. We feel like we are supposed to be somewhere above, and we ask ourselves, why does God try to push us down?
Sometimes someone can do something wrong against you. Let me say Immanuelle will fight against Zoe for an example, and maybe Immanuelle was right and Zoe did something wrong against Immanuelle, and after fighting Catherine will tell her daughter Immanuelle go and say sorry and Immanuel will say no. She is the one who started she is the one who fought against me, but Catherine will push Immanuelle and tell her you must do it. She'll be forced to go, but in her heart she will feel it is not fair the way she is pushed.
When you serve God, this is how it mostly works. If you really, really want to discover what humility means you will find God is pushing you exactly like in this example and you will think it’s not fair because sometimes you are right but God wants you to push you to be lower.
Once, Jesus told his people whenever someone smacks you on the left side, you have to also give the right one. And that example is really tough to talk about, that is easy to think about but it is not too easy to practice. That is harder. Imagine someone becoming so angry that they slap you. Will you easily say, “thank you” and ask for the second one? Usually we prefer to become angry back and even multiply the anger so it’s bigger than the person attacking you. Once we reach that level, it’s very difficult to forgive and you will find it humiliating what they did to you. I think that it won't be too easy. This is where you must not revenge and you must thank God for what happened. And that's the hardest thing.
One day there was a pastor praying for people, one after another and when he reached a certain man, that man punched him in the face and then said, “pray for me now”. The pastor had a choice to call the police, to run away or to pray. He humbled himself and prayed for the man and the man gave his life to Christ.
Humility is the hardest thing to do and if you are not ready to be humble you will never be able to serve God. If you are not yet humble, then the first step is to ask God to teach you how to be humble. If you are not humble, God will be far from you because God likes all the glory and He doesn’t like it if we take all the glory instead of him and because God is a God of order. God is not a God that we must make deals with or make compromises with, He gives orders and we must answer yes.
3/4 of Christians don't have humility and that's why the Church is in a very deep sleep. That is the main reason for the church today not to feel the power of the Holy Spirit and that is why the church today doesn't experience miracles.
You can ask yourself today, am I really humble, and the answer will come straight, “yes you are”, or “no you are not”.
For the full message please email: littlebethlehem@windowslive.com
Romans 12: 3&4
So the small verse is telling us to not think of ourselves as being superior or higher than others and in order to serve God, the first thing we have to do is to humble ourselves. Whoever will try to humble themselves, God will raise him up. If you don't want to humble yourself, if you think it is a humiliation you have to be 100% sure that God will never use you. You can have gifts and all the ministries but God will never use you and you won't have the opportunity to use them if you don't know how to humble yourself.
Sometimes to humble ourselves is hard because it makes our physical body to feel like this isn’t where we are supposed to be. We feel like we are supposed to be somewhere above, and we ask ourselves, why does God try to push us down?
Sometimes someone can do something wrong against you. Let me say Immanuelle will fight against Zoe for an example, and maybe Immanuelle was right and Zoe did something wrong against Immanuelle, and after fighting Catherine will tell her daughter Immanuelle go and say sorry and Immanuel will say no. She is the one who started she is the one who fought against me, but Catherine will push Immanuelle and tell her you must do it. She'll be forced to go, but in her heart she will feel it is not fair the way she is pushed.
When you serve God, this is how it mostly works. If you really, really want to discover what humility means you will find God is pushing you exactly like in this example and you will think it’s not fair because sometimes you are right but God wants you to push you to be lower.
Once, Jesus told his people whenever someone smacks you on the left side, you have to also give the right one. And that example is really tough to talk about, that is easy to think about but it is not too easy to practice. That is harder. Imagine someone becoming so angry that they slap you. Will you easily say, “thank you” and ask for the second one? Usually we prefer to become angry back and even multiply the anger so it’s bigger than the person attacking you. Once we reach that level, it’s very difficult to forgive and you will find it humiliating what they did to you. I think that it won't be too easy. This is where you must not revenge and you must thank God for what happened. And that's the hardest thing.
One day there was a pastor praying for people, one after another and when he reached a certain man, that man punched him in the face and then said, “pray for me now”. The pastor had a choice to call the police, to run away or to pray. He humbled himself and prayed for the man and the man gave his life to Christ.
Humility is the hardest thing to do and if you are not ready to be humble you will never be able to serve God. If you are not yet humble, then the first step is to ask God to teach you how to be humble. If you are not humble, God will be far from you because God likes all the glory and He doesn’t like it if we take all the glory instead of him and because God is a God of order. God is not a God that we must make deals with or make compromises with, He gives orders and we must answer yes.
3/4 of Christians don't have humility and that's why the Church is in a very deep sleep. That is the main reason for the church today not to feel the power of the Holy Spirit and that is why the church today doesn't experience miracles.
You can ask yourself today, am I really humble, and the answer will come straight, “yes you are”, or “no you are not”.
For the full message please email: littlebethlehem@windowslive.com
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
How To Pray (part II)
By Odon Bulamba (summary only)
Prayer has different stages.
First we lift up God’s name and speak of His Holiness, say that He is a powerful God, pray for what He has done for you, say to God, “You are so great because you’ve done this and that”. He is a God who loves praises and will reach out to us when He hears this. Remember when Paul was in jail, remember Peter when he was arrested, only praises helped them be delivered. Our God is a God of praising prayers.
Secondly thank Him for everything He has done for you. He provides for you, good health, food etc. Also don’t forget that when a Christian prays he pray’s for the good and bad things for God says to praise Him in all circumstances. If you are sick say thank you to God, if you have good health say thank you God because it’s His will for our lives. So praise God for everything He did for you and all He is.
Jesus always had His disciples with Him but they did not know who He was. The disciples didn’t know how to pray but Jesus said in Matthew 6:9 pray then in this way. We all know this prayer.
"Our Father who art in heaven." The first thing Jesus gave us was to lift up God’s name and sanctify His name because our God loves glory, so we have to praise Him before anything else. If you are a sinner or are in a sinful state and feel something inside of you is not right but you make the step to praise Him do so, for He is merciful and He will listen to you. The second step will be for you to ask Him to forgive you.
“His kingdom come” means that when two or three are gathered together God is with you. How do we know if God is here? If you want to know that God is here you have to sanctify yourself and forgive each other.
Mark 11:25 “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive your transgressions.”
If you’ve done something against someone don’t ask God to forgive you. God will say, “you haven’t done anything wrong to Me but to Michelle, so go and see her then come back to Me”. This is how God works.
If Michael did something against me, I won’t wait for him to ask for forgiveness, but according to the Bible I have to forgive him before he comes to me. If I wait for him to come to me you can be sure your sins won’t be forgiven and all your prayers will be wasted. Prayer from a sinner is like prayer from a rubbish bin. Jesus says that if someone strikes you on one cheek give him the other also, you have to be flexible to forgive and accept the situation the way it is.
In the same prayer Jesus said, “Your will be done on heaven as it is on earth”. It’s not my will or your will be done but God’s will. So what is God’s will? God’s will is the word of God. If you want God’s will to be done in your life you have to see it in God’s word. Think that God is in front of you when you read the Bible. For example Nathaniel goes to his mum and says, “Mum, I have to go to camp now it is 6pm, you promised me mum so you have to do it”. Can the mother go back on her promises? I think not, if so she has to explain herself. It’s the same with our God, when we pray we have to tell God, “God it is written, Your word says this and that now look at us because we are in a situation and we need your help”. That’s exactly what God wants us to do and this is how God can answer our prayers. If you do not use the word of God the devil can twist our prayers.
Daniel spent 21 days in prayer and fasting. Because his prayers where not framed on God’s word his prayers were not answered, but when he remembered that God had answered his prayers before, his prayers were answered.
This is how we pray, according to John 17:17, sanctify them by the truth, Your word is truth. God’s way is the truth, He never lies. Remind God of His word.
You always have to ask for the Holy Spirit to give you strength, this is the same Spirit who can open our spiritual eyes so that some can be prophets and see what tomorrow will bring and the same Spirit that helps us to perform miracles. We have to ask the Holy Spirit to work in us.
In the same prayer God keeps talking to us, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” What does this mean? In the spiritual world we have strength, we can change things in the physical world because we have this authority.
Matthew 18:18 “Truly I say to you, whatever you shall bound on earth you shall bound in heaven, and whatever you shall lose on earth shall be lose in heaven.”
What power have we got? The devil does not have this power for we have more strength than the devil, however we don’t want to acknowledge the authority God has given to us. Do you know why? It is because we don’t know God’s word, it’s a lack of knowledge and this is how we perish. When we lack knowledge we lack faith and the devil plays with us. When he looks into us he can see a spiritual emptiness and attacks us. So you have to read God’s word, meditate on it and put it into practice.
Before to pray or read the Word of God we need to cast out evil spirits. It’s very important to take authority over the spirit of distraction, if the spirit comes say in the name of Jesus get out! And every spirit will flee. It's also important to remove the spirit of tiredness, sickness, doubt and any other spirits that might attack you during your time with God.
Jesus says, “ Give us our daily bread”. What does daily bread mean? Do you pray for your daily bread or not? Of course we eat and drink but our spirit needs to be fed. Jesus said that, “He is the bread of life.”
We have to ask God for our daily bread so that we can keep breathing spiritually. When we prepare bread we mix it with yeast, what is yeast? Yeast is mixed with flour to help it rise. Sometimes the word of God is mixed with hypocrisy. Some Christians are puffed up, they say that they know God’s word and eat daily bread, but if you look in depth you will see there is yeast in it.
SUMMARY
First praise God
Secondly, ask for forgiveness (to the person you have offended as well as God
Thirdly, ask for the Holy Spirit
Fourthly, cast out demons
Fifthly, pray using the Word of God
For the full message please email: littlebethlehem@windowslive.com
Prayer has different stages.
First we lift up God’s name and speak of His Holiness, say that He is a powerful God, pray for what He has done for you, say to God, “You are so great because you’ve done this and that”. He is a God who loves praises and will reach out to us when He hears this. Remember when Paul was in jail, remember Peter when he was arrested, only praises helped them be delivered. Our God is a God of praising prayers.
Secondly thank Him for everything He has done for you. He provides for you, good health, food etc. Also don’t forget that when a Christian prays he pray’s for the good and bad things for God says to praise Him in all circumstances. If you are sick say thank you to God, if you have good health say thank you God because it’s His will for our lives. So praise God for everything He did for you and all He is.
Jesus always had His disciples with Him but they did not know who He was. The disciples didn’t know how to pray but Jesus said in Matthew 6:9 pray then in this way. We all know this prayer.
"Our Father who art in heaven." The first thing Jesus gave us was to lift up God’s name and sanctify His name because our God loves glory, so we have to praise Him before anything else. If you are a sinner or are in a sinful state and feel something inside of you is not right but you make the step to praise Him do so, for He is merciful and He will listen to you. The second step will be for you to ask Him to forgive you.
“His kingdom come” means that when two or three are gathered together God is with you. How do we know if God is here? If you want to know that God is here you have to sanctify yourself and forgive each other.
Mark 11:25 “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive your transgressions.”
If you’ve done something against someone don’t ask God to forgive you. God will say, “you haven’t done anything wrong to Me but to Michelle, so go and see her then come back to Me”. This is how God works.
If Michael did something against me, I won’t wait for him to ask for forgiveness, but according to the Bible I have to forgive him before he comes to me. If I wait for him to come to me you can be sure your sins won’t be forgiven and all your prayers will be wasted. Prayer from a sinner is like prayer from a rubbish bin. Jesus says that if someone strikes you on one cheek give him the other also, you have to be flexible to forgive and accept the situation the way it is.
In the same prayer Jesus said, “Your will be done on heaven as it is on earth”. It’s not my will or your will be done but God’s will. So what is God’s will? God’s will is the word of God. If you want God’s will to be done in your life you have to see it in God’s word. Think that God is in front of you when you read the Bible. For example Nathaniel goes to his mum and says, “Mum, I have to go to camp now it is 6pm, you promised me mum so you have to do it”. Can the mother go back on her promises? I think not, if so she has to explain herself. It’s the same with our God, when we pray we have to tell God, “God it is written, Your word says this and that now look at us because we are in a situation and we need your help”. That’s exactly what God wants us to do and this is how God can answer our prayers. If you do not use the word of God the devil can twist our prayers.
Daniel spent 21 days in prayer and fasting. Because his prayers where not framed on God’s word his prayers were not answered, but when he remembered that God had answered his prayers before, his prayers were answered.
This is how we pray, according to John 17:17, sanctify them by the truth, Your word is truth. God’s way is the truth, He never lies. Remind God of His word.
You always have to ask for the Holy Spirit to give you strength, this is the same Spirit who can open our spiritual eyes so that some can be prophets and see what tomorrow will bring and the same Spirit that helps us to perform miracles. We have to ask the Holy Spirit to work in us.
In the same prayer God keeps talking to us, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” What does this mean? In the spiritual world we have strength, we can change things in the physical world because we have this authority.
Matthew 18:18 “Truly I say to you, whatever you shall bound on earth you shall bound in heaven, and whatever you shall lose on earth shall be lose in heaven.”
What power have we got? The devil does not have this power for we have more strength than the devil, however we don’t want to acknowledge the authority God has given to us. Do you know why? It is because we don’t know God’s word, it’s a lack of knowledge and this is how we perish. When we lack knowledge we lack faith and the devil plays with us. When he looks into us he can see a spiritual emptiness and attacks us. So you have to read God’s word, meditate on it and put it into practice.
Before to pray or read the Word of God we need to cast out evil spirits. It’s very important to take authority over the spirit of distraction, if the spirit comes say in the name of Jesus get out! And every spirit will flee. It's also important to remove the spirit of tiredness, sickness, doubt and any other spirits that might attack you during your time with God.
Jesus says, “ Give us our daily bread”. What does daily bread mean? Do you pray for your daily bread or not? Of course we eat and drink but our spirit needs to be fed. Jesus said that, “He is the bread of life.”
We have to ask God for our daily bread so that we can keep breathing spiritually. When we prepare bread we mix it with yeast, what is yeast? Yeast is mixed with flour to help it rise. Sometimes the word of God is mixed with hypocrisy. Some Christians are puffed up, they say that they know God’s word and eat daily bread, but if you look in depth you will see there is yeast in it.
SUMMARY
First praise God
Secondly, ask for forgiveness (to the person you have offended as well as God
Thirdly, ask for the Holy Spirit
Fourthly, cast out demons
Fifthly, pray using the Word of God
For the full message please email: littlebethlehem@windowslive.com
Monday, April 27, 2009
How to Pray (part I)
By Odon Bulamba (summary only)
Because we are God’s children He needs to hear our voice, but since we make out as if we are mute this is painful for God’s heart. God wants us to come back to Him even if it is to disturb Him. If we don’t talk with God it is like a mum who worries when her child runs out onto the road. If a child doesn’t talk for three or four hours she will become concerned. The mother will ask the child, “What’s wrong son, are you sick, have you got a headache, has someone abused you, what’s wrong with you?” The same thing applies with God towards us. Do you talk with your God?
If you take the opportunity to talk with your God this is really good. God Himself said that He is our father and we are His children. On earth we have physical parents, and it is the same when you receive Jesus Christ into your life, you need parents for that life as well.
1 Timothy 2:1, “ I urge than first of all requests, prayers and intercession and thanks giving be made for everyone.”
God said that in everything we must pray, intercede and give thanks. As children of God we have to intercede for others. Have you got a problem? Do you worry? The only solution is Jesus Christ. As Jesus said in 1 Peter 5:7, "cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you".
So how do we know we are children of God? If you really want your prayers answered and you want to perform miracles, there is one condition. 1 John 5:14-15 This is the confidence which we have before Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us, and if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.
The first condition is that we have to pray according to His will. What is God’s will? What does God want from us? The will of God is in the Bible, you have to know the scriptures very well. You have to know what God wants and what God doesn’t want.
Example: some people pray against the will of God, it is written in the Bible that in the last days there will be war and troubled times, the Bible says it and it’s true. Today Christians pray that war won’t happen even though they know that this is a prophesy and has to be fulfilled, so how can you tell God to stop what is written? When some Christians read the Bible they make contradictions. God said that there will be wars but today we have Christians that pray against God’s will. So is God a liar? For this very reason God won’t answer your prayers because you ask Him to do something that is not His will.
Another example: I was born a boy and then I ask God I want to be a women. His will for me was to be the way I was born, so I cannot ask God to change me. In most churches you’ll find that Christians are confused, especially young people: “because I am young I have to smoke, because I am young, now is the time while there is pleasure and opportunities.” But you forget that God created you and your body is the temple of God.
After doing all these worldly activities, people will kneel down and want to intercede for others. But this person is out of God’s will. He gives us conditions so that our prayers can be answered. You have to walk according to His will. You can pray for months and no answer and then you’ll start condemning God saying, “why haven’t you answered me? You’ve answered this prayer and this prayer, but why not my prayer?” It is your fault. His ear is not far from us and His Hand is not to short to save. Our God is a God of love.
Another example: let’s say Nathanael is screaming, “papa help,” what will Michael do? Will he rush to the problem or just walk? It is the same thing with God. When we pray God hurries to help us. If God doesn’t help you, then assess yourself. Examine yourself and ask yourself, “why hasn’t God doesn’t answered me?”
Romans 8:14-15, because those who are lead by the Spirit of God are Sons of God, for you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the spirit of sonship and by Him we cry Abba! Father!
With the spirit we need to shout Abba Father! so He can come. How many times do you scream to God when you have a problem? How many times, when you suffer, go and scream to God? Maybe you will go to your boss, but God says, “woe to man who trusts in man”. Believe in God and not in man, if you have a problem in your life you have to go to God straight away, don’t go to your dad or mum because one day they will leave you or die and after that who will you go to? You must know that you have to go to God first.
Remember Moses in Exodus 17. He was in a difficult situation; he had the whole of Israel to bear. Moses climbed up the mountain with Aaron. Moses started interceding and raising his hands. Today many Christians are ashamed to raise their hands and ask God for help. They have their hands in their pockets and watch others pray because they think that they are intellectual.
Read in Romans 8, it is written, “Shout Abba! Father!” Why don’t you scream and shout and raise your hands to ask for help. When you don't scream and shout and raise your hands, you are showing a sign to God that you are not humble. Moses knew that God wanted him to raise his hands so Moses did. Remember Moses was on top of a mountain and the people saw him raise his hands. How many times have you had to raise your hands in front of everybody and not fear the people around you?
When Moses was on the mountain Joshua was fighting a physical war. When Moses' hands dropped the fighting stopped. So who was fighting? It was Moses. When we pray we have more strength spiritually than we do physically, we can transform what the world thinks is impossible, just raise your hands and cry out to your Father. “Father! I want this and that in the name of Jesus Christ”.
When we intercede for others we have to have faith in Jesus Christ, this is the basis for prayer. How many times a week do you listen to God’s Word so your faith can be healthy? If you are thin your faith is not healthy because you don’t listen to God’s word and this is the source of faith ("faith comes from hearing the Word of God", Romans 10:17).
We cannot pray without being prepared. When we fight we fight against the world and darkness. If you start praying without being prepared the devil has the strength to defeat us. If I do something against Peter I must go to him and make peace with him. It’s impossible for God to hear a sinner’s prayer. We have to give ourselves to God with full humiliation.
If you are not ready to pray for a sick person then tell them give me one or two days so I can talk with God to know what to do, because God has His plans and we cannot change that. We have to ask God first. If He says no then it is no, don’t be ashamed in front of that person to say that God doesn’t allow me to pray for your sickness. The church today has regressed spiritually because people only see money. If I pray for a minister to be healed he will give me money. If I have this gift and God says I don’t want to heal this person, you’ll find that this will be hard for you because a minister can raise you up or put you down. The minister will say your God is a liar but because you want money you’ll say, wait a little longer and my God will heal you. Can you see how we would rather lose eternal life just for material things?
SUMMARY
When we don't talk to God, He get's worried
We must talk to God about everything
We must pray according to God's will (Word of God)
We must be living according to God's will
We need to shout to God and raise our hands in humility
We need faith which comes from hearing the Word of God
We need to be prepared physically and spiritually (need to know God's will and if we are pure)
For the full message please email: littlebethlehem@windowslive.com
Because we are God’s children He needs to hear our voice, but since we make out as if we are mute this is painful for God’s heart. God wants us to come back to Him even if it is to disturb Him. If we don’t talk with God it is like a mum who worries when her child runs out onto the road. If a child doesn’t talk for three or four hours she will become concerned. The mother will ask the child, “What’s wrong son, are you sick, have you got a headache, has someone abused you, what’s wrong with you?” The same thing applies with God towards us. Do you talk with your God?
If you take the opportunity to talk with your God this is really good. God Himself said that He is our father and we are His children. On earth we have physical parents, and it is the same when you receive Jesus Christ into your life, you need parents for that life as well.
1 Timothy 2:1, “ I urge than first of all requests, prayers and intercession and thanks giving be made for everyone.”
God said that in everything we must pray, intercede and give thanks. As children of God we have to intercede for others. Have you got a problem? Do you worry? The only solution is Jesus Christ. As Jesus said in 1 Peter 5:7, "cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you".
So how do we know we are children of God? If you really want your prayers answered and you want to perform miracles, there is one condition. 1 John 5:14-15 This is the confidence which we have before Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us, and if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.
The first condition is that we have to pray according to His will. What is God’s will? What does God want from us? The will of God is in the Bible, you have to know the scriptures very well. You have to know what God wants and what God doesn’t want.
Example: some people pray against the will of God, it is written in the Bible that in the last days there will be war and troubled times, the Bible says it and it’s true. Today Christians pray that war won’t happen even though they know that this is a prophesy and has to be fulfilled, so how can you tell God to stop what is written? When some Christians read the Bible they make contradictions. God said that there will be wars but today we have Christians that pray against God’s will. So is God a liar? For this very reason God won’t answer your prayers because you ask Him to do something that is not His will.
Another example: I was born a boy and then I ask God I want to be a women. His will for me was to be the way I was born, so I cannot ask God to change me. In most churches you’ll find that Christians are confused, especially young people: “because I am young I have to smoke, because I am young, now is the time while there is pleasure and opportunities.” But you forget that God created you and your body is the temple of God.
After doing all these worldly activities, people will kneel down and want to intercede for others. But this person is out of God’s will. He gives us conditions so that our prayers can be answered. You have to walk according to His will. You can pray for months and no answer and then you’ll start condemning God saying, “why haven’t you answered me? You’ve answered this prayer and this prayer, but why not my prayer?” It is your fault. His ear is not far from us and His Hand is not to short to save. Our God is a God of love.
Another example: let’s say Nathanael is screaming, “papa help,” what will Michael do? Will he rush to the problem or just walk? It is the same thing with God. When we pray God hurries to help us. If God doesn’t help you, then assess yourself. Examine yourself and ask yourself, “why hasn’t God doesn’t answered me?”
Romans 8:14-15, because those who are lead by the Spirit of God are Sons of God, for you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the spirit of sonship and by Him we cry Abba! Father!
With the spirit we need to shout Abba Father! so He can come. How many times do you scream to God when you have a problem? How many times, when you suffer, go and scream to God? Maybe you will go to your boss, but God says, “woe to man who trusts in man”. Believe in God and not in man, if you have a problem in your life you have to go to God straight away, don’t go to your dad or mum because one day they will leave you or die and after that who will you go to? You must know that you have to go to God first.
Remember Moses in Exodus 17. He was in a difficult situation; he had the whole of Israel to bear. Moses climbed up the mountain with Aaron. Moses started interceding and raising his hands. Today many Christians are ashamed to raise their hands and ask God for help. They have their hands in their pockets and watch others pray because they think that they are intellectual.
Read in Romans 8, it is written, “Shout Abba! Father!” Why don’t you scream and shout and raise your hands to ask for help. When you don't scream and shout and raise your hands, you are showing a sign to God that you are not humble. Moses knew that God wanted him to raise his hands so Moses did. Remember Moses was on top of a mountain and the people saw him raise his hands. How many times have you had to raise your hands in front of everybody and not fear the people around you?
When Moses was on the mountain Joshua was fighting a physical war. When Moses' hands dropped the fighting stopped. So who was fighting? It was Moses. When we pray we have more strength spiritually than we do physically, we can transform what the world thinks is impossible, just raise your hands and cry out to your Father. “Father! I want this and that in the name of Jesus Christ”.
When we intercede for others we have to have faith in Jesus Christ, this is the basis for prayer. How many times a week do you listen to God’s Word so your faith can be healthy? If you are thin your faith is not healthy because you don’t listen to God’s word and this is the source of faith ("faith comes from hearing the Word of God", Romans 10:17).
We cannot pray without being prepared. When we fight we fight against the world and darkness. If you start praying without being prepared the devil has the strength to defeat us. If I do something against Peter I must go to him and make peace with him. It’s impossible for God to hear a sinner’s prayer. We have to give ourselves to God with full humiliation.
If you are not ready to pray for a sick person then tell them give me one or two days so I can talk with God to know what to do, because God has His plans and we cannot change that. We have to ask God first. If He says no then it is no, don’t be ashamed in front of that person to say that God doesn’t allow me to pray for your sickness. The church today has regressed spiritually because people only see money. If I pray for a minister to be healed he will give me money. If I have this gift and God says I don’t want to heal this person, you’ll find that this will be hard for you because a minister can raise you up or put you down. The minister will say your God is a liar but because you want money you’ll say, wait a little longer and my God will heal you. Can you see how we would rather lose eternal life just for material things?
SUMMARY
When we don't talk to God, He get's worried
We must talk to God about everything
We must pray according to God's will (Word of God)
We must be living according to God's will
We need to shout to God and raise our hands in humility
We need faith which comes from hearing the Word of God
We need to be prepared physically and spiritually (need to know God's will and if we are pure)
For the full message please email: littlebethlehem@windowslive.com
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Intercessory Prayer: Abraham, Sarah & Hagar
By Odon Bulamba (summary only - 25th Nov, 05)
Gen 16 & 21
God had promised to Abraham that he would have many descendents but at 90 years old Abraham started to wonder if God had lied because himself and his wife were too old now and God had told him so many years ago. So he wondered if God really sticks to His promises.
Sometimes God takes a long time to fulfill His promises and He doesn’t do that to torture us but because He wants His right time to be there. None of God’s promises are a lie, He accomplishes everything that He promises but what we need is greater than patience because without it we can’t handle our situation and think we need an immediate solution.
God is unable to be pushed but when you keep insisting that you need it straight away, it will end in a bad way. God has a plan for you and me but that plan has to be fulfilled only when we are following God’s steps but if you are going beyond God, God will leave you somewhere. For example Sarah and Abraham were supposed to kneel down and pray to God and wait for His time but they decided to use Sarah’s servant to get a son and at first they had joy but later they were not happy with the result. When you find your own solution, you’ll see the result and you will appreciate it but later your solution will bring you problems.
Sarah and Abraham named that child Ishmael which means ‘God hears’ but Sarah forgot that God could hear all her complaints and hatred for that child. Most of the things that God hears from us put us into trouble. We have to pray carefully and our actions must be controlled and pure. Whatever we confess God hears, we have to wait for the consequences but whenever we take our own solution, there will be a problem at the end.
Sarah wasn’t happy because Ishmael was not her child and when we are praying and God gives answers to other people and not us, we are against that and become jealous. When God blesses others and not me, I don’t thank God but ask, ‘why not me?’ It’s up to God to decide to whom and when He will respond and we who don’t get an answer straight away don’t have to find our own solution and give up on God.
Sarah wanted Ishmael to leave their house because she didn’t want a relationship between Ishmael and his father and how many times do we forget there is a relationship between God and our bothers and sisters? I don’t have to think, ‘o Shari doesn’t deserve that’. We have to remember that Jesus told the disciples to leave the children where they were because they are like the Kingdom of God. But children are annoying and we have to remember that people who are annoying are the same people who are loved by God.
Hagar faced a serious problem in the desert with no water and her son was dying but she didn’t blame Abraham. If Odon told you to take your son on vacation and something happened to your son you would blame Odon because we don’t accept the situation as it is and try to put reasons and problems onto other’s shoulders. Hagar was far away from others and God came to her and in the same way, those of us who are isolated from others are the ones that God will come to. Hagar was pushed away by Sarah and how many times do we push the souls of others to run away from us and even from God because we are jealous. The first way we push others to run away is lack of humility.
When we don’t wait for God’s answer we have conflict because we are not patient or because we are proud or lazy or we don’t care or we are selfish and sometimes because we hate each other.
If God is a pure God, why did He allow Hagar to get pregnant to her master? If God is righteous, why did He bless all the generations of Ishmael? Whenever God gives to us a gift but we don’t treat it properly, God will pass that gift on to someone else. For example if Ange has the gift of prayer but she tells Michelle to pray. God will look at her and say, ‘because you are not using that gift I will give it to someone else. (Numbers 11) God gave some of Moses’ power to the 70 elders and whenever you are not serious or committed to God’s work, you’ll stay behind. When we are there just to motivate others but we are not participating, we will lose (Mathew 25:14-30).
An intercessor is someone who will accept God’s promises no matter when God will accomplish it and it’s not up to us to push God to do it quickly. Hagar (a servant) became the wife of Abraham and when you are a good servant of God but you don’t work with patience God can easily take what you have and give it to someone who is nothing and when that happens don’t complain to God. That is a big mistake today, when things go wrong we blame God while we are responsible for it.
Habukuk 3:10,18,19, mountains and seas are monsters in front of us (e.g. earthquakes and tidal waves) but in front of God they are afraid. Sarah lost her joy because she had forgotten that God was her friend, do you remember that God is your friend? When you are weak do you remember God? How do you find strength? At the gym, from your mother, your father, your husband? We have to remember that God is our strength and if He’s our strength then we can never be let down, we can’t lose any battle or lose to temptation or to satan and we’ll never feel ashamed or disappointed. But if your strength is money, when money flies you’ll cry and if your strength is your mental ability, when you can’t read anymore you’ll cry. Anything can happen but if we know that God is our strength, whatever happens we’ll overcome it.
Sometimes God tells us what to do but on the way because of lack of trust or hope we need a sign to make sure we are going in the right direction. Be careful though because sometimes we think something is a sign when it’s there as a deception so we have to ask God. God can send someone to you to talk on behalf of God or you can hear His voice directly or feel His presence or have a clear idea but it’s good to kneel down before you do anything and ask God if it’s really from Him so you can’t be mislead and signs are there.
SUMMARY
- God always fulfills His promises - Wait for God to answer
- Don’t try to find your own solution - It will end badly
- Remember God hears everything
- Praise God when He blesses others - Don’t be jealous
- Lack of Humility - Pushes people to run from you and God
- Use what God gives to you - Or He will give it to someone else
- Find your strength in God
- Ask God for signs - When you don’t know where to go
For the full message please email: littlebethlehem@windowslive.com
Gen 16 & 21
God had promised to Abraham that he would have many descendents but at 90 years old Abraham started to wonder if God had lied because himself and his wife were too old now and God had told him so many years ago. So he wondered if God really sticks to His promises.
Sometimes God takes a long time to fulfill His promises and He doesn’t do that to torture us but because He wants His right time to be there. None of God’s promises are a lie, He accomplishes everything that He promises but what we need is greater than patience because without it we can’t handle our situation and think we need an immediate solution.
God is unable to be pushed but when you keep insisting that you need it straight away, it will end in a bad way. God has a plan for you and me but that plan has to be fulfilled only when we are following God’s steps but if you are going beyond God, God will leave you somewhere. For example Sarah and Abraham were supposed to kneel down and pray to God and wait for His time but they decided to use Sarah’s servant to get a son and at first they had joy but later they were not happy with the result. When you find your own solution, you’ll see the result and you will appreciate it but later your solution will bring you problems.
Sarah and Abraham named that child Ishmael which means ‘God hears’ but Sarah forgot that God could hear all her complaints and hatred for that child. Most of the things that God hears from us put us into trouble. We have to pray carefully and our actions must be controlled and pure. Whatever we confess God hears, we have to wait for the consequences but whenever we take our own solution, there will be a problem at the end.
Sarah wasn’t happy because Ishmael was not her child and when we are praying and God gives answers to other people and not us, we are against that and become jealous. When God blesses others and not me, I don’t thank God but ask, ‘why not me?’ It’s up to God to decide to whom and when He will respond and we who don’t get an answer straight away don’t have to find our own solution and give up on God.
Sarah wanted Ishmael to leave their house because she didn’t want a relationship between Ishmael and his father and how many times do we forget there is a relationship between God and our bothers and sisters? I don’t have to think, ‘o Shari doesn’t deserve that’. We have to remember that Jesus told the disciples to leave the children where they were because they are like the Kingdom of God. But children are annoying and we have to remember that people who are annoying are the same people who are loved by God.
Hagar faced a serious problem in the desert with no water and her son was dying but she didn’t blame Abraham. If Odon told you to take your son on vacation and something happened to your son you would blame Odon because we don’t accept the situation as it is and try to put reasons and problems onto other’s shoulders. Hagar was far away from others and God came to her and in the same way, those of us who are isolated from others are the ones that God will come to. Hagar was pushed away by Sarah and how many times do we push the souls of others to run away from us and even from God because we are jealous. The first way we push others to run away is lack of humility.
When we don’t wait for God’s answer we have conflict because we are not patient or because we are proud or lazy or we don’t care or we are selfish and sometimes because we hate each other.
If God is a pure God, why did He allow Hagar to get pregnant to her master? If God is righteous, why did He bless all the generations of Ishmael? Whenever God gives to us a gift but we don’t treat it properly, God will pass that gift on to someone else. For example if Ange has the gift of prayer but she tells Michelle to pray. God will look at her and say, ‘because you are not using that gift I will give it to someone else. (Numbers 11) God gave some of Moses’ power to the 70 elders and whenever you are not serious or committed to God’s work, you’ll stay behind. When we are there just to motivate others but we are not participating, we will lose (Mathew 25:14-30).
An intercessor is someone who will accept God’s promises no matter when God will accomplish it and it’s not up to us to push God to do it quickly. Hagar (a servant) became the wife of Abraham and when you are a good servant of God but you don’t work with patience God can easily take what you have and give it to someone who is nothing and when that happens don’t complain to God. That is a big mistake today, when things go wrong we blame God while we are responsible for it.
Habukuk 3:10,18,19, mountains and seas are monsters in front of us (e.g. earthquakes and tidal waves) but in front of God they are afraid. Sarah lost her joy because she had forgotten that God was her friend, do you remember that God is your friend? When you are weak do you remember God? How do you find strength? At the gym, from your mother, your father, your husband? We have to remember that God is our strength and if He’s our strength then we can never be let down, we can’t lose any battle or lose to temptation or to satan and we’ll never feel ashamed or disappointed. But if your strength is money, when money flies you’ll cry and if your strength is your mental ability, when you can’t read anymore you’ll cry. Anything can happen but if we know that God is our strength, whatever happens we’ll overcome it.
Sometimes God tells us what to do but on the way because of lack of trust or hope we need a sign to make sure we are going in the right direction. Be careful though because sometimes we think something is a sign when it’s there as a deception so we have to ask God. God can send someone to you to talk on behalf of God or you can hear His voice directly or feel His presence or have a clear idea but it’s good to kneel down before you do anything and ask God if it’s really from Him so you can’t be mislead and signs are there.
SUMMARY
- God always fulfills His promises - Wait for God to answer
- Don’t try to find your own solution - It will end badly
- Remember God hears everything
- Praise God when He blesses others - Don’t be jealous
- Lack of Humility - Pushes people to run from you and God
- Use what God gives to you - Or He will give it to someone else
- Find your strength in God
- Ask God for signs - When you don’t know where to go
For the full message please email: littlebethlehem@windowslive.com
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Intercessory Prayer
By Odon Bulamba (summary only -21 Oct, 05)
When someone is seriously sick and unconscious you will take him straight away to the hospital and talk on behalf of that person to the doctor. If not there will be consequences. When we are praying for people, we are praying on their behalf because they are unconscious of their sin. E.g. an alcoholic will not think drinking is bad. A sinner is like a sick person because they are unable to drink (they don’t believe in the Word of God = water) and they don’t eat (don’t like the taste of the Word of God = bread) and have a high temperature (sin). People who are saved don’t have this problem so we have to pray for them to find solutions to the other problems they have in their lives.
We as Christians have to consider the value of being a member of God’s family and remember it’s a privilege and a gift. We don’t have to resist God but we have to do what He tells us or He will be ashamed of us, as parents are when their children don’t obey them. Everyday we live and get new strength while we have brothers and sisters outside God’s family and we know God is a good father and waiting to adopt them so why don’t we call them to our family of God. We have to intercede for others so they can join God’s family; they need God’s intervention and touch.
Lamentation 2:18, the best formula for intercession is to cry and accept it’s a serious situation. Tell God you need intervention and explain everything to God, ask for support and if He doesn’t the people will perish. If you (1) pray for someone and the situation doesn’t change you have to (2) fast and if no solution you have to (3) fast again and then (4) cry out to God.
When I want to intercede for non-christians I have to first think of him/her who is a sinner and therefore is dead (spiritually). At funerals we will talk only about positive points and when we are interceding to God we have to bring up the importance of that person’s life. ‘You love him, You created Him but He’s dying’.
Isaiah 59:16, sometimes God sits down and looks at us to see if someone will intercede for the cause of others. We have hundreds of Christians but only a few will pray for others and we don’t because we are lazy, selfish and impatient but God is waiting for us to intervene, which means our intervention is very important. God wants us to intercede for His people and when you do that God will be proud of you.
Christians today pray for the same situation although God has already answered and closed that case. Our prayers are monotone. Every morning we pray the same prayer and every time we intercede it’s for the same people and God says, ‘why can’t you think about something else, there are hundreds of problems around us why can’t you pray for them?’ Jesus used to pray for someone and then move on to the next person but we just want to pray everyday for the same people.
II Chronicles 16:9a, God’s eyes are looking on the earth to support those who love Him and to love God is to first love your neighbor and if you love your neighbor (someone next to you) you will pray for them. If you don’t love your neighbor it will be impossible to love God and if you don’t love God it will be impossible for God to support you. The fruit of love is in I Corinthians 13:4 (patience, kindness, etc) so try to show love to those around you.
Exodus 32:7-14, because Moses loved the people he interceded for them and God changed His mind to kill them. How much do we intervene when we know that one day all sinners will be punished? What do we tell God about His people? God wants us to come to Him and ask for His mercy on them and that will make Him feel like He is God. If you see problems of others, it’s because God is trying to show you everything clearly and is now waiting for you to give to Him a feedback and can only do that through intercession.
Genesis 18:23, there is a day coming where everything will end so we can tell God will you also punish my family members? My nation? If you can find 6 or 5 or 3, can you please save them? We have to talk to God, to intervene. God will listen and will change His plan. How many times do you plead for the lives of others when you know a situation is getting worse? God visits you every second, have you decided to walk with Him and have a conversation with Him (as Abraham did). If you don’t pray your whole nation will be lost.
Isaiah 64:7,8, the Lord is our Father; how do we spend our time with our Father?
While our brothers and sisters are suffering and need prayer, we forget about them and just carry on with our own burden. Sometimes we don’t even have time to look at what is going on around us. People who don’t intercede for others don’t stand in a right position in front of God.
Intercession is a matter of preparing ourselves; we need determination, patience, concentration and purification. If we are not pure we can’t pray and if not ready we can’t pray so we must be ready. If not, it will end in a bad way and we will not get a good answer from God.
SUMMARY
- Intercession is talking to God on behalf of someone else
- First we pray and if no solution then fast and then fast again and then cry to God
- Tell God the importance of that person
- Don’t pray the same thing every day
- If you want God to support you, you have to first love Him and to love God you have to
first love your neighbor and if you love your neighbor you will pray for him/her
(our prayers need His support)
- When we see other people’s problems it’s because God wants us to pray for them
- Before to pray we must be ready (pure, determined, patient) and to concentrate
- The reason we don’t pray is because of laziness, selfishness and impatience
- When we intercede, God will be proud of us
For the full message please email: littlebethlehem@windowslive.com
When someone is seriously sick and unconscious you will take him straight away to the hospital and talk on behalf of that person to the doctor. If not there will be consequences. When we are praying for people, we are praying on their behalf because they are unconscious of their sin. E.g. an alcoholic will not think drinking is bad. A sinner is like a sick person because they are unable to drink (they don’t believe in the Word of God = water) and they don’t eat (don’t like the taste of the Word of God = bread) and have a high temperature (sin). People who are saved don’t have this problem so we have to pray for them to find solutions to the other problems they have in their lives.
We as Christians have to consider the value of being a member of God’s family and remember it’s a privilege and a gift. We don’t have to resist God but we have to do what He tells us or He will be ashamed of us, as parents are when their children don’t obey them. Everyday we live and get new strength while we have brothers and sisters outside God’s family and we know God is a good father and waiting to adopt them so why don’t we call them to our family of God. We have to intercede for others so they can join God’s family; they need God’s intervention and touch.
Lamentation 2:18, the best formula for intercession is to cry and accept it’s a serious situation. Tell God you need intervention and explain everything to God, ask for support and if He doesn’t the people will perish. If you (1) pray for someone and the situation doesn’t change you have to (2) fast and if no solution you have to (3) fast again and then (4) cry out to God.
When I want to intercede for non-christians I have to first think of him/her who is a sinner and therefore is dead (spiritually). At funerals we will talk only about positive points and when we are interceding to God we have to bring up the importance of that person’s life. ‘You love him, You created Him but He’s dying’.
Isaiah 59:16, sometimes God sits down and looks at us to see if someone will intercede for the cause of others. We have hundreds of Christians but only a few will pray for others and we don’t because we are lazy, selfish and impatient but God is waiting for us to intervene, which means our intervention is very important. God wants us to intercede for His people and when you do that God will be proud of you.
Christians today pray for the same situation although God has already answered and closed that case. Our prayers are monotone. Every morning we pray the same prayer and every time we intercede it’s for the same people and God says, ‘why can’t you think about something else, there are hundreds of problems around us why can’t you pray for them?’ Jesus used to pray for someone and then move on to the next person but we just want to pray everyday for the same people.
II Chronicles 16:9a, God’s eyes are looking on the earth to support those who love Him and to love God is to first love your neighbor and if you love your neighbor (someone next to you) you will pray for them. If you don’t love your neighbor it will be impossible to love God and if you don’t love God it will be impossible for God to support you. The fruit of love is in I Corinthians 13:4 (patience, kindness, etc) so try to show love to those around you.
Exodus 32:7-14, because Moses loved the people he interceded for them and God changed His mind to kill them. How much do we intervene when we know that one day all sinners will be punished? What do we tell God about His people? God wants us to come to Him and ask for His mercy on them and that will make Him feel like He is God. If you see problems of others, it’s because God is trying to show you everything clearly and is now waiting for you to give to Him a feedback and can only do that through intercession.
Genesis 18:23, there is a day coming where everything will end so we can tell God will you also punish my family members? My nation? If you can find 6 or 5 or 3, can you please save them? We have to talk to God, to intervene. God will listen and will change His plan. How many times do you plead for the lives of others when you know a situation is getting worse? God visits you every second, have you decided to walk with Him and have a conversation with Him (as Abraham did). If you don’t pray your whole nation will be lost.
Isaiah 64:7,8, the Lord is our Father; how do we spend our time with our Father?
While our brothers and sisters are suffering and need prayer, we forget about them and just carry on with our own burden. Sometimes we don’t even have time to look at what is going on around us. People who don’t intercede for others don’t stand in a right position in front of God.
Intercession is a matter of preparing ourselves; we need determination, patience, concentration and purification. If we are not pure we can’t pray and if not ready we can’t pray so we must be ready. If not, it will end in a bad way and we will not get a good answer from God.
SUMMARY
- Intercession is talking to God on behalf of someone else
- First we pray and if no solution then fast and then fast again and then cry to God
- Tell God the importance of that person
- Don’t pray the same thing every day
- If you want God to support you, you have to first love Him and to love God you have to
first love your neighbor and if you love your neighbor you will pray for him/her
(our prayers need His support)
- When we see other people’s problems it’s because God wants us to pray for them
- Before to pray we must be ready (pure, determined, patient) and to concentrate
- The reason we don’t pray is because of laziness, selfishness and impatience
- When we intercede, God will be proud of us
For the full message please email: littlebethlehem@windowslive.com
Friday, April 24, 2009
Preparing for Intercessory Prayer
By Odon Bulamba (summary only - 14 Oct, 05)
Everyday we cross difficult situations and at the end of the day we start now to think, ‘o why did that person do this’ and you can think how much people are against you or how much they love you. Sometimes God puts aside sleep and you stay awake without sleep, the only solution is to pray and you find it’s hard. For all of that you have to glorify God. Our lives depend on God and without God we are nothing. If God didn’t exist, we could not exist either. If we know each other it’s because we believe in Jesus.
Sometimes we come to church and we don’t really know why we are here, we don’t feel God’s presence. God told the people of Israel to leave Egypt and go to Canaan and He chose Moses to give directions. Some didn’t want to leave believing it might be better in Egypt than Canaan and others had given up on God because He took 400 years to hear their cry. The Israelites are among the most intelligent people so they are clever and could think of many challenges for Moses to answer. When they started the journey they started to complain, first about the red sea, then about the manna, and then about the bitter water. Moses complained to God and God was quiet because He was measuring the actions of Moses when facing problems.
The purpose of God was to show the Israelites that they must walk together. If you know how to walk together, to respect each other, to collaborate and follow God’s instructions you can get problems but you will reach Canaan (a land of promises). But if you get problems and blame others and complain you’ll never cross the red sea.
Every time God says look, that is the time you’ll say, ‘I’m blind’ and every time God says listen, that is the time you’ll say, ‘I’m deaf’. This is human nature, the old nature and it is now alive in our lives and we even make it grow and be like a Goliath in front of God’s face.
To intercede it’s a matter of committing yourself to God and then to other people. Moses was afraid to set his people free because he was afraid to go back to Pharoah and we also fear. For example if we decide today to fast for four days, how will you feel? Reasons will follow the fear that we have to push God out of our lives.
When we say we will intercede for people, we make a step to come closer to God and God now comes when we are a bit isolated. E.g. ‘Benedicte come here and pray for my people, they need freedom’. If you are not a good servant you will think that it’s just your mind and carry on vacuuming. If you are a good servant you will stop and think, ‘is it my thoughts or God?’ and God will answer you, ‘it’s Me, are you ready to go?’ If yes you need to get prepared because you will cross difficult situations where you are going. When we want to pray for others we must be prepared because intercession is not a matter of praying for others and then going back but intercession is a matter of deciding, I will not give up this prayer until the day I see the result. ‘God I’m praying for Sally and I will pray until the day I see Sally receive such and such.’
Another man in the Bible had a servant who was sick (not his brother or son, just his servant) and he decided to find Jesus so he accepted to walk the distance and then fight through the crowd to meet with Jesus. He knew beforehand to get ready because it’s a battle. We are going to pray for people and we really need to get ready.
The first miracle Jesus did was to turn water into wine. In order for this miracle to take place the servants had to be humble to ask Jesus and also to accept all His commands (get containers, place water in them). We are preparing ourselves to pray and the way to get ready is to follow God’s instructions.
The first thing we have to do before to intercede for others is to look at ourselves in the mirror and ask, am I ready because we want to pray for x to find change in his life and so I have to first ask myself what did I change in my life. I’m struggling so x can change while myself is not better. Before to intercede for others we have to know first who we are and we have to try to rearrange ourselves. Before to intercede for others have you interceded for yourself? Get out what is hidden in your life and remove it.
When we are going to do our intercession and we are not in a good position with God or other people we will put ourselves in a position where satan will say, ‘here I am, I must eliminate you’. We must get ready spiritually so if I have a problem with someone I must fix it. God likes us not because we are special but because He loves us, but He needs us to be educated (in Him) and obedient (to Him).
For the full message please email: littlebethlehem@windowslive.com
Everyday we cross difficult situations and at the end of the day we start now to think, ‘o why did that person do this’ and you can think how much people are against you or how much they love you. Sometimes God puts aside sleep and you stay awake without sleep, the only solution is to pray and you find it’s hard. For all of that you have to glorify God. Our lives depend on God and without God we are nothing. If God didn’t exist, we could not exist either. If we know each other it’s because we believe in Jesus.
Sometimes we come to church and we don’t really know why we are here, we don’t feel God’s presence. God told the people of Israel to leave Egypt and go to Canaan and He chose Moses to give directions. Some didn’t want to leave believing it might be better in Egypt than Canaan and others had given up on God because He took 400 years to hear their cry. The Israelites are among the most intelligent people so they are clever and could think of many challenges for Moses to answer. When they started the journey they started to complain, first about the red sea, then about the manna, and then about the bitter water. Moses complained to God and God was quiet because He was measuring the actions of Moses when facing problems.
The purpose of God was to show the Israelites that they must walk together. If you know how to walk together, to respect each other, to collaborate and follow God’s instructions you can get problems but you will reach Canaan (a land of promises). But if you get problems and blame others and complain you’ll never cross the red sea.
Every time God says look, that is the time you’ll say, ‘I’m blind’ and every time God says listen, that is the time you’ll say, ‘I’m deaf’. This is human nature, the old nature and it is now alive in our lives and we even make it grow and be like a Goliath in front of God’s face.
To intercede it’s a matter of committing yourself to God and then to other people. Moses was afraid to set his people free because he was afraid to go back to Pharoah and we also fear. For example if we decide today to fast for four days, how will you feel? Reasons will follow the fear that we have to push God out of our lives.
When we say we will intercede for people, we make a step to come closer to God and God now comes when we are a bit isolated. E.g. ‘Benedicte come here and pray for my people, they need freedom’. If you are not a good servant you will think that it’s just your mind and carry on vacuuming. If you are a good servant you will stop and think, ‘is it my thoughts or God?’ and God will answer you, ‘it’s Me, are you ready to go?’ If yes you need to get prepared because you will cross difficult situations where you are going. When we want to pray for others we must be prepared because intercession is not a matter of praying for others and then going back but intercession is a matter of deciding, I will not give up this prayer until the day I see the result. ‘God I’m praying for Sally and I will pray until the day I see Sally receive such and such.’
Another man in the Bible had a servant who was sick (not his brother or son, just his servant) and he decided to find Jesus so he accepted to walk the distance and then fight through the crowd to meet with Jesus. He knew beforehand to get ready because it’s a battle. We are going to pray for people and we really need to get ready.
The first miracle Jesus did was to turn water into wine. In order for this miracle to take place the servants had to be humble to ask Jesus and also to accept all His commands (get containers, place water in them). We are preparing ourselves to pray and the way to get ready is to follow God’s instructions.
The first thing we have to do before to intercede for others is to look at ourselves in the mirror and ask, am I ready because we want to pray for x to find change in his life and so I have to first ask myself what did I change in my life. I’m struggling so x can change while myself is not better. Before to intercede for others we have to know first who we are and we have to try to rearrange ourselves. Before to intercede for others have you interceded for yourself? Get out what is hidden in your life and remove it.
When we are going to do our intercession and we are not in a good position with God or other people we will put ourselves in a position where satan will say, ‘here I am, I must eliminate you’. We must get ready spiritually so if I have a problem with someone I must fix it. God likes us not because we are special but because He loves us, but He needs us to be educated (in Him) and obedient (to Him).
For the full message please email: littlebethlehem@windowslive.com
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Prayer and Power Go Together
By Odon Bulamba ( summary only - 3oth Sept 05)
Power without prayer is not power and prayer without power is not prayer. If you have power but you don’t recognize the authority of God or communicate with God, you don’t really have power. Solomon had power over a big kingdom but he needed specific time to spend with God to guide him and help him. Most people when they get authority (even if it’s just over a house) start now to say, this is mine and I have the right to do what I want. Whatever you are doing whether it be preaching or cooking, it must be escorted by prayer. If you want to be the best servant of God, talk to God all the time, tell God about your projects for the day.
When we have power we sometimes tell God we want to do this right now but God can say no, just wait and I’ll do it for you. You’ll receive those answers only if you have time to tell God and believe you have the power. Most of the decisions that we make are wrong because we are not praying.
Most of the time remember that God has power over you, even if you are someone who controls a whole company, remember on top of you is God and you have to consider God in everything, you have to pray every minute.
Sometimes when we cross hard situations we feel better if we see others suffering as well and if not we become jealous and think, ‘why not others, why only me?’ And sometimes when we pray we can tell God, ‘why can’t you do that to Catherine and not only me’ because it’s painful and we compare things. We try to show we are above others. When we cross hard situations we have to know how to go back to God and tell Him about the situation. When some people are in a danger they will shout for neighbors to help them but don’t remember God. When Jonah was inside fish’s stomach he started to pray (Jonah 2:1-9), “I can’t control my life anymore, I’m weak I need strength and victory from You God.” Don’t resist God like Jonah did for so long because maybe God treated Jonah in a good way but maybe He won’t treat you in the same way (e.g. Lot’s wife was turned to salt for disobeying God). Whenever God tells you don’t do that, you have to know that after that something is coming and if you don’t take it seriously consequences will be there.
Jonah went to Ninevah and souls were saved but he only did it because he didn’t want to go back inside the fish. How many times has God sent you to do something you don’t want to do? E.g. don’t be angry. Mark 11:25, if you don’t forgive you will never be forgiven. God knows the secret of your heart although you look nice in front of others. (God knew what was in Jonah’s heart).
Jonah complained when God took away his shade and how many times do we complain when God tries to teach us through difficulties? God can then remove the shade and we will really complain. Instead of complaining we should pray. Most Christians have the power of complaining and that makes prayers useless. We can remember the negative things in people for the last five years and complain but not remember all their good things. If you want to be good in praying then change all your complaints into prayer subjects. When you see Zoe in a mistake instead of complaining tell God, ‘what do you think about it?’ and God will help Zoe. Sometimes it’s slow but there will be a change.
When you want to pray the first thing you have to ask yourself is who am I? Many servants of God think they are alive and have power but that power is dead because they put aside the Word of God in their daily decisions. When you try to add something to the power that you think that you have, you’ll make your prayers sick and they won’t have a good smell or taste for God.
When God tells you a secret do you keep it? This is another sickness of the world today. E.g. Isabella tells you she doesn’t sleep because she eats too much and after talking to her you ring Colleen straight away and then Ange and if you won’t find anyone to talk to about Isabella you’ll become sick. When Isabella hears she will be deceived. Solomon asked for wisdom and this deception of above is just a lack of wisdom. To pray you need wisdom and to remember the Word of God and what God says in such situations.
As Christians we don’t have to say we live carefully and watch what we are doing but to say God is watching us and is our prevention.
Tell God what you are and who you are, frankly. If you think that your prayer occupies the first position (you are better than others) then your prayer will become useless. If you want to pray for something you have to look at yourself first. Think first, am I a sinner, am I ready to talk to God? Fix all your problems with others first then ask yourself, will God listen now? Is God close to me? Why/why not? Is God my friend? Friends can be hypocrites and show you that they are your friend to your face but inside there is zero and behind your back they talk negatively about you. Then they go in front of God and tell Him, ‘I love You’, but God will say you are cheating me. Before you can love God you have to love people who are next to you
You can only be an intercessor when the Spirit is leading you (an intercessor is not a title you wear like a shirt). When you are leading yourself you will make mistakes, that’s why today we see all types of mistakes in the church. .
We want to hear from people how powerful we are but forget where the source of that power comes from and that it can only come through prayer.
SUMMARY
1. Need power of God to pray and need to be lead by the Holy Spirit
2. Need to communicate with God before making decisions (talk to God every minute)
3. Remember God has power over you
4. When you cross a hard situation talk to God first
5. Obey God
6. Turn your complaints into prayer subjects
7. Tell God who you are
8. Ask your self, am I ready to pray? Is God close to me? Have I sinned?
9. Keep secrets
For the full message please email: littlebethlehem@windowslive.com
Power without prayer is not power and prayer without power is not prayer. If you have power but you don’t recognize the authority of God or communicate with God, you don’t really have power. Solomon had power over a big kingdom but he needed specific time to spend with God to guide him and help him. Most people when they get authority (even if it’s just over a house) start now to say, this is mine and I have the right to do what I want. Whatever you are doing whether it be preaching or cooking, it must be escorted by prayer. If you want to be the best servant of God, talk to God all the time, tell God about your projects for the day.
When we have power we sometimes tell God we want to do this right now but God can say no, just wait and I’ll do it for you. You’ll receive those answers only if you have time to tell God and believe you have the power. Most of the decisions that we make are wrong because we are not praying.
Most of the time remember that God has power over you, even if you are someone who controls a whole company, remember on top of you is God and you have to consider God in everything, you have to pray every minute.
Sometimes when we cross hard situations we feel better if we see others suffering as well and if not we become jealous and think, ‘why not others, why only me?’ And sometimes when we pray we can tell God, ‘why can’t you do that to Catherine and not only me’ because it’s painful and we compare things. We try to show we are above others. When we cross hard situations we have to know how to go back to God and tell Him about the situation. When some people are in a danger they will shout for neighbors to help them but don’t remember God. When Jonah was inside fish’s stomach he started to pray (Jonah 2:1-9), “I can’t control my life anymore, I’m weak I need strength and victory from You God.” Don’t resist God like Jonah did for so long because maybe God treated Jonah in a good way but maybe He won’t treat you in the same way (e.g. Lot’s wife was turned to salt for disobeying God). Whenever God tells you don’t do that, you have to know that after that something is coming and if you don’t take it seriously consequences will be there.
Jonah went to Ninevah and souls were saved but he only did it because he didn’t want to go back inside the fish. How many times has God sent you to do something you don’t want to do? E.g. don’t be angry. Mark 11:25, if you don’t forgive you will never be forgiven. God knows the secret of your heart although you look nice in front of others. (God knew what was in Jonah’s heart).
Jonah complained when God took away his shade and how many times do we complain when God tries to teach us through difficulties? God can then remove the shade and we will really complain. Instead of complaining we should pray. Most Christians have the power of complaining and that makes prayers useless. We can remember the negative things in people for the last five years and complain but not remember all their good things. If you want to be good in praying then change all your complaints into prayer subjects. When you see Zoe in a mistake instead of complaining tell God, ‘what do you think about it?’ and God will help Zoe. Sometimes it’s slow but there will be a change.
When you want to pray the first thing you have to ask yourself is who am I? Many servants of God think they are alive and have power but that power is dead because they put aside the Word of God in their daily decisions. When you try to add something to the power that you think that you have, you’ll make your prayers sick and they won’t have a good smell or taste for God.
When God tells you a secret do you keep it? This is another sickness of the world today. E.g. Isabella tells you she doesn’t sleep because she eats too much and after talking to her you ring Colleen straight away and then Ange and if you won’t find anyone to talk to about Isabella you’ll become sick. When Isabella hears she will be deceived. Solomon asked for wisdom and this deception of above is just a lack of wisdom. To pray you need wisdom and to remember the Word of God and what God says in such situations.
As Christians we don’t have to say we live carefully and watch what we are doing but to say God is watching us and is our prevention.
Tell God what you are and who you are, frankly. If you think that your prayer occupies the first position (you are better than others) then your prayer will become useless. If you want to pray for something you have to look at yourself first. Think first, am I a sinner, am I ready to talk to God? Fix all your problems with others first then ask yourself, will God listen now? Is God close to me? Why/why not? Is God my friend? Friends can be hypocrites and show you that they are your friend to your face but inside there is zero and behind your back they talk negatively about you. Then they go in front of God and tell Him, ‘I love You’, but God will say you are cheating me. Before you can love God you have to love people who are next to you
You can only be an intercessor when the Spirit is leading you (an intercessor is not a title you wear like a shirt). When you are leading yourself you will make mistakes, that’s why today we see all types of mistakes in the church. .
We want to hear from people how powerful we are but forget where the source of that power comes from and that it can only come through prayer.
SUMMARY
1. Need power of God to pray and need to be lead by the Holy Spirit
2. Need to communicate with God before making decisions (talk to God every minute)
3. Remember God has power over you
4. When you cross a hard situation talk to God first
5. Obey God
6. Turn your complaints into prayer subjects
7. Tell God who you are
8. Ask your self, am I ready to pray? Is God close to me? Have I sinned?
9. Keep secrets
For the full message please email: littlebethlehem@windowslive.com
Prayer: Hezekiah
By Odon Bulamba (summary only - 23rd Sept, 05)
(II Kings 20:1-6)
Hezekiah liked to be king and he thought if I die today who will replace me. He told God, “God I promised to do things for your glory but I haven’t fulfilled them yet”.
All Isaiah told Hezekiah was to prepare his house. God was talking about his place in the kingdom of God. “Do you know your situation in my Kingdom? Are you sure of where your house is? Is it in the Kingdom of God or in the kingdom of satan?”
Although he was sick he got the courage to pray and ask God, ‘why do You want to take me?’ When you are crossing a hard situation what do you do? Do you contact your family and friends or find help from a specialist or do you first look for God’s face? It’s not bad to meet with others but find at least two seconds to pray. If we have the grace now open your mouth and speak now and make your house ready. Most people when they are about to die can’t open their mouths anymore because satan struggles a lot to stop your mouth or your brain so you can’t repent. People who are wise in the Kingdom of God, when they know things are getting hard will prepare their house. ‘God where am I going? What will happen for my eternal life?’ Repent and get ready.
Hezekiah was already ready so He came in front of God and told Him, ‘remember how I walked with you, remember the things I used to do for your glory?’ He was 100% sure of himself and before to pray we must be 100% sure. Tell God your positive points and be proud of who you are but if you are doubting then make sure all you do pleases God so at the end of the day you can tell God, ‘did you see how much I did for you today? Did you see how I did this and this and this?’ God doesn’t remember our sin if we repent but He remembers our good points. Tell God everyday, ‘help me to do something that you will remember. We have to be ready at any stage to pray (as Hezekiah was already ready) so we must keep ourselves pure at every second. This is a matter of personal decision, if I say today I will not steal then I must keep that decision and not steal. And when you feel temptation tell God, ‘because today I promised you I would not get angry, I can feel this coming so please make this go away so I’ll stay sinless’. When we are praying we have to make sure we are pure in body and heart and if we have problems with others we have to fix them.
Hezekiah cried. When we cry while we are praying it’s a sign of telling God we are not able to find a solution to what’s in front of us or it may be because of joy. When we are praying for a hard situation we have to ask ourselves why are we praying. Present the situation to God, ‘I’m praying because tomorrow Michelle will die, it’s hard for me, it’s hard for her, it’s hard for all of us, make something happen, help us’. Our prayers can change everything if we have a good purpose but if our reason is not a good one then God will leave us like that. Many people today pray in a wrong way, we have to ask ourselves before to pray what will be gained by that prayer request. For example you have a problem against someone so you tell God to give them a car accident and when it happens you are really happy. We have to know how to control our words and to know how to control what we will tell God.
Hezekiah preferred to live but he left it up to God’s will. Sometimes God allows situations to be the way they are, we don’t have to complain or operate a miracle to make it change, we just have to accept it.
Sometimes God listens to our prayers but doesn’t reply immediately. God sent Isaiah back to Hezekiah to tell him that God had listened to his prayer, to give to him hope. God can change his plan when we are telling Him of things we have done. God can change impossible things. Isaiah told Hezekiah that he will be healed in three days. Why three days and not right now? Because it was a matter of faith. When you are crossing a hard situation and God tells you to wait, will you believe that or will you doubt. Hezekiah was doubting because Isaiah had told him he would die and then he comes back with another story. We have to struggle against doubt because when God changes His mind we have to be ready to accept and not doubt.
Three quarters of Christians live like Thomas, ‘I believe God can do that but I’m not sure’. Thomas could see signs but still wasn’t sure, he still had to touch. Sometimes we are like Thomas, ‘yes I believe God but I need proof’. And God says, ‘My proof is My Word, My servants, My Voice’. Sometimes we hurt God with our way of doubting.
The biggest weapon against prayer is to doubt. Put aside doubt. Once faith is dead you won’t receive what you want. Jesus used to say, ‘do you have faith? Be healed’. Faith comes by listening to the Word of God. Fear removes the power of faith, fear brings doubt but the Bible says 365 times to not fear so tell God to fulfill that, ‘I don’t want to fear’ and that will make your faith to be encouraged. Sometimes because of fear, when we are praying in front of others we adjust our words and are afraid to say in the power of Jesus’ name; when that happens control yourself and ask yourself, am I in front of God?
Hezekiah needed a sign and Isaiah discovered that he was doubting so he prayed to God to make the sun go backwards. We need faith that is alive and if you want to pray alone you have to first start as a group and practice it and see how God works and then whenever you are somewhere that you must pray, you will have the courage to do it. Praying in a group will give you strength to pray.
For the full message please email: littlebethlehem@windowslive.com
(II Kings 20:1-6)
Hezekiah liked to be king and he thought if I die today who will replace me. He told God, “God I promised to do things for your glory but I haven’t fulfilled them yet”.
All Isaiah told Hezekiah was to prepare his house. God was talking about his place in the kingdom of God. “Do you know your situation in my Kingdom? Are you sure of where your house is? Is it in the Kingdom of God or in the kingdom of satan?”
Although he was sick he got the courage to pray and ask God, ‘why do You want to take me?’ When you are crossing a hard situation what do you do? Do you contact your family and friends or find help from a specialist or do you first look for God’s face? It’s not bad to meet with others but find at least two seconds to pray. If we have the grace now open your mouth and speak now and make your house ready. Most people when they are about to die can’t open their mouths anymore because satan struggles a lot to stop your mouth or your brain so you can’t repent. People who are wise in the Kingdom of God, when they know things are getting hard will prepare their house. ‘God where am I going? What will happen for my eternal life?’ Repent and get ready.
Hezekiah was already ready so He came in front of God and told Him, ‘remember how I walked with you, remember the things I used to do for your glory?’ He was 100% sure of himself and before to pray we must be 100% sure. Tell God your positive points and be proud of who you are but if you are doubting then make sure all you do pleases God so at the end of the day you can tell God, ‘did you see how much I did for you today? Did you see how I did this and this and this?’ God doesn’t remember our sin if we repent but He remembers our good points. Tell God everyday, ‘help me to do something that you will remember. We have to be ready at any stage to pray (as Hezekiah was already ready) so we must keep ourselves pure at every second. This is a matter of personal decision, if I say today I will not steal then I must keep that decision and not steal. And when you feel temptation tell God, ‘because today I promised you I would not get angry, I can feel this coming so please make this go away so I’ll stay sinless’. When we are praying we have to make sure we are pure in body and heart and if we have problems with others we have to fix them.
Hezekiah cried. When we cry while we are praying it’s a sign of telling God we are not able to find a solution to what’s in front of us or it may be because of joy. When we are praying for a hard situation we have to ask ourselves why are we praying. Present the situation to God, ‘I’m praying because tomorrow Michelle will die, it’s hard for me, it’s hard for her, it’s hard for all of us, make something happen, help us’. Our prayers can change everything if we have a good purpose but if our reason is not a good one then God will leave us like that. Many people today pray in a wrong way, we have to ask ourselves before to pray what will be gained by that prayer request. For example you have a problem against someone so you tell God to give them a car accident and when it happens you are really happy. We have to know how to control our words and to know how to control what we will tell God.
Hezekiah preferred to live but he left it up to God’s will. Sometimes God allows situations to be the way they are, we don’t have to complain or operate a miracle to make it change, we just have to accept it.
Sometimes God listens to our prayers but doesn’t reply immediately. God sent Isaiah back to Hezekiah to tell him that God had listened to his prayer, to give to him hope. God can change his plan when we are telling Him of things we have done. God can change impossible things. Isaiah told Hezekiah that he will be healed in three days. Why three days and not right now? Because it was a matter of faith. When you are crossing a hard situation and God tells you to wait, will you believe that or will you doubt. Hezekiah was doubting because Isaiah had told him he would die and then he comes back with another story. We have to struggle against doubt because when God changes His mind we have to be ready to accept and not doubt.
Three quarters of Christians live like Thomas, ‘I believe God can do that but I’m not sure’. Thomas could see signs but still wasn’t sure, he still had to touch. Sometimes we are like Thomas, ‘yes I believe God but I need proof’. And God says, ‘My proof is My Word, My servants, My Voice’. Sometimes we hurt God with our way of doubting.
The biggest weapon against prayer is to doubt. Put aside doubt. Once faith is dead you won’t receive what you want. Jesus used to say, ‘do you have faith? Be healed’. Faith comes by listening to the Word of God. Fear removes the power of faith, fear brings doubt but the Bible says 365 times to not fear so tell God to fulfill that, ‘I don’t want to fear’ and that will make your faith to be encouraged. Sometimes because of fear, when we are praying in front of others we adjust our words and are afraid to say in the power of Jesus’ name; when that happens control yourself and ask yourself, am I in front of God?
Hezekiah needed a sign and Isaiah discovered that he was doubting so he prayed to God to make the sun go backwards. We need faith that is alive and if you want to pray alone you have to first start as a group and practice it and see how God works and then whenever you are somewhere that you must pray, you will have the courage to do it. Praying in a group will give you strength to pray.
For the full message please email: littlebethlehem@windowslive.com
Prayer: Communicate with God
By Odon Bulamba (summary only - 16th Sept, 05)
(I Kings 18:30-37)
To pray is to communicate with God. It doesn’t require a lot of energy but just requires concentration and to focus on God. You have to prepare yourself and know exactly what you are going to do. People who want to pray with power have to plan their days, write down and make an appointment with God.
Elijah was a human being like you and me (James 5:17) but his prayer made him different to us. The more you pray, the more God comes close to us. The power of prayer requires the prayer of power.
(vs 30) the first thing he said was, ‘come to me’ and when we want to pray with power we have to think of the people around us. “God people are here and if I’m not successful in my prayer, shame will be on You, but if you want Your name to be glorified show your power today”. Who are next to us? We have to call them in our prayer. Tell God, approach them so whatever I’m praying for, they’ll listen to it. Faith grows if the person is ready and by listening to the Word of God and because we pray with the Word of God, when people listen to our prayer their faith can grow. We have to attract attention of others so they can be with us when we are praying.
Elijah prepared the Alter of the Lord that was broken. Whenever you are preparing yourself for a miracle you must know how to fix the Alter. The role of the Alter is to offer sacrifices to God, so you must check how good your relationship is with God because God will use you as an alter to offer prayers to Him. The alter represents the cross of Jesus so we must be pure and justified and ready to give to God what He requires to Him. God had specific animals for the Alter, not pig etc, and no defect and we need to know what pleases God. Fix your problems with others first and then God will accept your prayer.
Isaiah 59, God is not far away so why don’t we repent?
Psalm 66:18, if I keep sin in my heart God will not listen to my prayer. Repentance is the first stage to go through and if you don’t remove what’s inside properly, even if you pray for 20 years, you’ll never be heard.
Elijah took 12 stones which represents unity. We have to be in unity with ourselves first, unity of mind, heart and body. Ask your mind, ‘mind, are you ready to pray?’ ask your heart, ‘are you ready to pray?’ and your body, ‘body, are you ready to pray?’ If you feel you want to pray but your body doesn’t accept, you have to push it, if not satan will see your weakness and attack you every time you want to pray.
Now it was time for Elijah to prepare a sacrifice. We have to prepare our prayer. After repentance we need to find time with God, tell God, ‘I need to pray with power, I don’t need another power to stop me from praying.’
You need to find a place to pray, Elijah went to Mt Carmel, (vs 33-35).
Elijah took water and without water he couldn’t have got fire. Water represents the Word of God and without the Word you can’t get baptized with the Holy Spirit (fire). You need the Word of God to pray because God gave some secrets in His Word to use so we know exactly what to tell God.
After preparing everything it was now time to talk with God. If you are not ready or not convinced you are ready, don’t pray (not talking about laziness but unforgiveness). If you don’t prepare yourself properly, even if you make a good prayer, God will not answer.
(vs 36) when He went close He started with, “Lord of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”. God made covenants with those people and He promised them something. Elijah said their names to remind himself of God’s promises and it’s good when we pray to also remind God of His promises.
(vs 37,38) Elijah humbled himself and recognized he was just a servant for God but today we want to be greater. His prayer was simple and only 63 words but we want to pray for hours to show people how good we are at praying and this is a mistake. It’s just a matter or focus and concentration.
Mark 12:40, we can be punished for making long prayers. If you pray for two hours and your prayer doesn’t really have good fruit then you sin. Don’t pray with words to please people around you and not to please God. When you pray for someone’s spiritual problems do it in secret, don’t expose them in front of others.
I Timothy 2:1-8; Proverbs 28:9,13; II Chronicles 7:14, lack of humility will make God not receive your prayers. We are required to pray without anger. When you go against the Word of God (law) your prayer is useless.
One day the Bible will be gone and there will be another book of law to replace it to break marriages, push children to act as adults, etc. Once the book is finished all the laws and all the religions will bless it and it will be a common law for the whole world.
SUMMARY
1. Prayer requires concentration and focus
2. We have to be prepared to pray
- Be pure and justified (sinless)
- know exactly what you will pray, when and where
- be ready to give to God exactly what He wants
- check your relationship with God (is it good?)
- fix your problems with others
- repentance (remove what’s in your heart properly)
- mind and body and heart in unity
3. We have to attract the attention of others so they will pray with us
4. Push ourselves to pray when attacked by satan
5. Need the Word of God and the Holy Spirit
6. Remind God of His promises
7. Be humble before God and remember you are His servant (not He is your servant)
8. Don’t pray to impress others
9. Pray for people’s weaknesses in secret
For the full message please email: littlebethlehem@windowslive.com
(I Kings 18:30-37)
To pray is to communicate with God. It doesn’t require a lot of energy but just requires concentration and to focus on God. You have to prepare yourself and know exactly what you are going to do. People who want to pray with power have to plan their days, write down and make an appointment with God.
Elijah was a human being like you and me (James 5:17) but his prayer made him different to us. The more you pray, the more God comes close to us. The power of prayer requires the prayer of power.
(vs 30) the first thing he said was, ‘come to me’ and when we want to pray with power we have to think of the people around us. “God people are here and if I’m not successful in my prayer, shame will be on You, but if you want Your name to be glorified show your power today”. Who are next to us? We have to call them in our prayer. Tell God, approach them so whatever I’m praying for, they’ll listen to it. Faith grows if the person is ready and by listening to the Word of God and because we pray with the Word of God, when people listen to our prayer their faith can grow. We have to attract attention of others so they can be with us when we are praying.
Elijah prepared the Alter of the Lord that was broken. Whenever you are preparing yourself for a miracle you must know how to fix the Alter. The role of the Alter is to offer sacrifices to God, so you must check how good your relationship is with God because God will use you as an alter to offer prayers to Him. The alter represents the cross of Jesus so we must be pure and justified and ready to give to God what He requires to Him. God had specific animals for the Alter, not pig etc, and no defect and we need to know what pleases God. Fix your problems with others first and then God will accept your prayer.
Isaiah 59, God is not far away so why don’t we repent?
Psalm 66:18, if I keep sin in my heart God will not listen to my prayer. Repentance is the first stage to go through and if you don’t remove what’s inside properly, even if you pray for 20 years, you’ll never be heard.
Elijah took 12 stones which represents unity. We have to be in unity with ourselves first, unity of mind, heart and body. Ask your mind, ‘mind, are you ready to pray?’ ask your heart, ‘are you ready to pray?’ and your body, ‘body, are you ready to pray?’ If you feel you want to pray but your body doesn’t accept, you have to push it, if not satan will see your weakness and attack you every time you want to pray.
Now it was time for Elijah to prepare a sacrifice. We have to prepare our prayer. After repentance we need to find time with God, tell God, ‘I need to pray with power, I don’t need another power to stop me from praying.’
You need to find a place to pray, Elijah went to Mt Carmel, (vs 33-35).
Elijah took water and without water he couldn’t have got fire. Water represents the Word of God and without the Word you can’t get baptized with the Holy Spirit (fire). You need the Word of God to pray because God gave some secrets in His Word to use so we know exactly what to tell God.
After preparing everything it was now time to talk with God. If you are not ready or not convinced you are ready, don’t pray (not talking about laziness but unforgiveness). If you don’t prepare yourself properly, even if you make a good prayer, God will not answer.
(vs 36) when He went close He started with, “Lord of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”. God made covenants with those people and He promised them something. Elijah said their names to remind himself of God’s promises and it’s good when we pray to also remind God of His promises.
(vs 37,38) Elijah humbled himself and recognized he was just a servant for God but today we want to be greater. His prayer was simple and only 63 words but we want to pray for hours to show people how good we are at praying and this is a mistake. It’s just a matter or focus and concentration.
Mark 12:40, we can be punished for making long prayers. If you pray for two hours and your prayer doesn’t really have good fruit then you sin. Don’t pray with words to please people around you and not to please God. When you pray for someone’s spiritual problems do it in secret, don’t expose them in front of others.
I Timothy 2:1-8; Proverbs 28:9,13; II Chronicles 7:14, lack of humility will make God not receive your prayers. We are required to pray without anger. When you go against the Word of God (law) your prayer is useless.
One day the Bible will be gone and there will be another book of law to replace it to break marriages, push children to act as adults, etc. Once the book is finished all the laws and all the religions will bless it and it will be a common law for the whole world.
SUMMARY
1. Prayer requires concentration and focus
2. We have to be prepared to pray
- Be pure and justified (sinless)
- know exactly what you will pray, when and where
- be ready to give to God exactly what He wants
- check your relationship with God (is it good?)
- fix your problems with others
- repentance (remove what’s in your heart properly)
- mind and body and heart in unity
3. We have to attract the attention of others so they will pray with us
4. Push ourselves to pray when attacked by satan
5. Need the Word of God and the Holy Spirit
6. Remind God of His promises
7. Be humble before God and remember you are His servant (not He is your servant)
8. Don’t pray to impress others
9. Pray for people’s weaknesses in secret
For the full message please email: littlebethlehem@windowslive.com
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Prayer: Men of Power
by Odon Bulamba (summary only - 9th Sept, 05)
Behind prayer there must be a power. Whenever you say to God, ‘I need Your support’, God will respond and be glorified. God needs men of power. Who are men of power? All of us, if we accept to give God our time to pray. Praying is a matter of accepting to give God time, it’s not an obligation, it’s your responsibility to know how long and how many times per day or week. When we don’t pray with power our bodies will be tired so we have to ask for God to help.
Don’t pray so people can hear you, that will take away the power in prayer. To pray we have to speak with God with personal feeling. We have to kneel down before God to ask for help and accept our weaknesses, then God will work for you.
When we pray we must have an aim, ‘why am I praying?’
You must prepare your self (purification)
- admit I’m a sinner
- say sorry to anyone I have a problem with
- tell God, I’ve sorted out my problem, now please forgive me
- come close to God and tell God what you want to pray for
When you need a powerful prayer tell God, ‘I’m here and I want to feel Your touch so I won’t be distracted and I will pray in power. I need Your presence here so I can feel you close and not far away’.
The Holy Spirit is there to modify our prayers, tell God, ‘we need Your Holy Spirit to lead us’.
II Chronicles 20:1-14, he prayed seriously because of danger. We can easily pray seriously for ourselves but not for others. We are selfish in praying and not good at putting ourselves in other’s shoes. Jehosaphat said we have to share in the problem; how many times have we fasted together? If you want God to manifest power in your prayer you have to train yourself in prayer, you need to make prayer a part of your life. The more you pray the more God will come close to you.
(vs15) the battle is Gods
(vs 24, 25) how happy would you be? God is powerful and can do anything. ‘We need You God to confuse these problems, let them kill themselves and not me’.
After (1) purification, (2) put in your head and heart, ‘I don’t have any other option but God.’ Then (3) define what you want to pray for and tell God with precision.
The more we show God we are searching His face the more God will show Himself to us.
For the full message please email: littlebethlehem@windowslive.com
Behind prayer there must be a power. Whenever you say to God, ‘I need Your support’, God will respond and be glorified. God needs men of power. Who are men of power? All of us, if we accept to give God our time to pray. Praying is a matter of accepting to give God time, it’s not an obligation, it’s your responsibility to know how long and how many times per day or week. When we don’t pray with power our bodies will be tired so we have to ask for God to help.
Don’t pray so people can hear you, that will take away the power in prayer. To pray we have to speak with God with personal feeling. We have to kneel down before God to ask for help and accept our weaknesses, then God will work for you.
When we pray we must have an aim, ‘why am I praying?’
You must prepare your self (purification)
- admit I’m a sinner
- say sorry to anyone I have a problem with
- tell God, I’ve sorted out my problem, now please forgive me
- come close to God and tell God what you want to pray for
When you need a powerful prayer tell God, ‘I’m here and I want to feel Your touch so I won’t be distracted and I will pray in power. I need Your presence here so I can feel you close and not far away’.
The Holy Spirit is there to modify our prayers, tell God, ‘we need Your Holy Spirit to lead us’.
II Chronicles 20:1-14, he prayed seriously because of danger. We can easily pray seriously for ourselves but not for others. We are selfish in praying and not good at putting ourselves in other’s shoes. Jehosaphat said we have to share in the problem; how many times have we fasted together? If you want God to manifest power in your prayer you have to train yourself in prayer, you need to make prayer a part of your life. The more you pray the more God will come close to you.
(vs15) the battle is Gods
(vs 24, 25) how happy would you be? God is powerful and can do anything. ‘We need You God to confuse these problems, let them kill themselves and not me’.
After (1) purification, (2) put in your head and heart, ‘I don’t have any other option but God.’ Then (3) define what you want to pray for and tell God with precision.
The more we show God we are searching His face the more God will show Himself to us.
For the full message please email: littlebethlehem@windowslive.com
Monday, April 20, 2009
The Power of Prayer - cont'd
By Odon Bulamba (summary only - 2nd Sept, 05)
Many people who serve God can organize an evangelism crusade and when they pray you will see miracles e.g. healings. We are also able to change situations through prayer the only difference between them and us is that they have the gift of miracles. When they pray you are healed immediately whereas for us, when we pray you are healed slowly.
If you want a situation to change you must first have a purpose, e.g. I want people to know how powerful You are God.
The power of prayer is always fought by the spirit of doubt, e.g. Ang prays for something and later she thinks, will it really happen. A lack of faith decreases the power of prayer.
James 5:16-18, first we are called to repent and after repenting we become righteous and that will give us access to God. Repentance is very important especially for those who want to feel God’s presence in their lives.
Mathew 17:20, after repenting you become righteous and when you pray with even a little faith, nothing will be impossible.
II Corinthians 10:4-5, the weapon we use is powerful and can change situations without us seeing, it comes from God and is very powerful; this weapon is prayer. The first thing we destroy with our prayer is fortresses (strongholds). Fortresses are something hard to remove and impossible and can never be changed but through our prayer it can. The second thing prayer can do is to destroy arguments. Some people have that gift to argue, in every situation they must raise up arguments and no one can heal you from that. Only the power of prayer can do that (and if there is no power in the prayer then it will be impossible). The third thing is to make ‘every thought captive and make it obedient to God’. Bad thoughts are changed to thoughts that glorify God, e.g. I used to hate but now I love.
Ephesians 6:18, ask for God’s help, ask for the Holy Spirit to guide you and teach you how to pray. Sometimes we forget to pray with the Holy Spirit, e.g. when blessing the food. Once the Holy Spirit guides you, you will be victorious.
I John 5:14, 15, we have assurance that He is listening to us. If your prayer matches God’s will, it will be immediately responded to. God responds according to what is good for us and what is coming in the future. He knows if He responds to this right now, somewhere in the future there will be a problem. We have to be ready to accept God’s answer and if God doesn’t answer, don’t give up your faith or become angry.
If you want your prayer to be really powerful you have to be humble and accept God’s help. Tell God, ‘I’m here waiting, I have no where else I can go to get help, I’m sure you are listening to me.’God responds according to what is good for us and what is coming in the future. He knows if He responds to this right now, somewhere in the future there will be a problem. We have to be ready to accept God’s answer and if God doesn’t answer, don’t give up your faith or become angry.
If you want your prayer to be really powerful you have to be humble and accept God’s help. Tell God, ‘I’m here waiting, I have no where else I can go to get help, I’m sure you are listening to me.’
Mathew 6:7,8, you don’t have to use lots of words with perfect grammar like a speech. Many people use perfect grammar to impress others but these types of prayers do not glorify God but your self. We have to pray in a simple way. We also have to pray according to time, think of others. If you pray for a long time (e.g. grace) people will become impatient and love will not exist anymore and they will lose their joy.
Psalm 107:28-30, when things are heavy, call upon God and He’ll do something. Behind every form of danger we can see death and when we cross such situations we must call upon God to intervene. Because God loves (even adores) glory, He’ll intervene so we will testify of God’s greatness and He’ll be proud of Himself.
Philippians 4:6-7, we don’t need to worry. When we are praying we are allowed to ask for everything (except evil things) and we must be thankful to God for all that He has done.
Psalm 6:9,10, When you cross hard situations, put panic aside and turn to God and you’ll see how your enemy will be ashamed.
SUMMARY
1. You must have a purpose for praying
2. You must pray with faith
3. You must repent
4. You must ask for God’s help and for the Holy Spirit to lead you (be humble)
5. Be assured He is listening
6. Pray simply (not with lots of words or to impress others)
7. Pray according to the time
For the full message please email: littlebethlehem@windowslive.com
Many people who serve God can organize an evangelism crusade and when they pray you will see miracles e.g. healings. We are also able to change situations through prayer the only difference between them and us is that they have the gift of miracles. When they pray you are healed immediately whereas for us, when we pray you are healed slowly.
If you want a situation to change you must first have a purpose, e.g. I want people to know how powerful You are God.
The power of prayer is always fought by the spirit of doubt, e.g. Ang prays for something and later she thinks, will it really happen. A lack of faith decreases the power of prayer.
James 5:16-18, first we are called to repent and after repenting we become righteous and that will give us access to God. Repentance is very important especially for those who want to feel God’s presence in their lives.
Mathew 17:20, after repenting you become righteous and when you pray with even a little faith, nothing will be impossible.
II Corinthians 10:4-5, the weapon we use is powerful and can change situations without us seeing, it comes from God and is very powerful; this weapon is prayer. The first thing we destroy with our prayer is fortresses (strongholds). Fortresses are something hard to remove and impossible and can never be changed but through our prayer it can. The second thing prayer can do is to destroy arguments. Some people have that gift to argue, in every situation they must raise up arguments and no one can heal you from that. Only the power of prayer can do that (and if there is no power in the prayer then it will be impossible). The third thing is to make ‘every thought captive and make it obedient to God’. Bad thoughts are changed to thoughts that glorify God, e.g. I used to hate but now I love.
Ephesians 6:18, ask for God’s help, ask for the Holy Spirit to guide you and teach you how to pray. Sometimes we forget to pray with the Holy Spirit, e.g. when blessing the food. Once the Holy Spirit guides you, you will be victorious.
I John 5:14, 15, we have assurance that He is listening to us. If your prayer matches God’s will, it will be immediately responded to. God responds according to what is good for us and what is coming in the future. He knows if He responds to this right now, somewhere in the future there will be a problem. We have to be ready to accept God’s answer and if God doesn’t answer, don’t give up your faith or become angry.
If you want your prayer to be really powerful you have to be humble and accept God’s help. Tell God, ‘I’m here waiting, I have no where else I can go to get help, I’m sure you are listening to me.’God responds according to what is good for us and what is coming in the future. He knows if He responds to this right now, somewhere in the future there will be a problem. We have to be ready to accept God’s answer and if God doesn’t answer, don’t give up your faith or become angry.
If you want your prayer to be really powerful you have to be humble and accept God’s help. Tell God, ‘I’m here waiting, I have no where else I can go to get help, I’m sure you are listening to me.’
Mathew 6:7,8, you don’t have to use lots of words with perfect grammar like a speech. Many people use perfect grammar to impress others but these types of prayers do not glorify God but your self. We have to pray in a simple way. We also have to pray according to time, think of others. If you pray for a long time (e.g. grace) people will become impatient and love will not exist anymore and they will lose their joy.
Psalm 107:28-30, when things are heavy, call upon God and He’ll do something. Behind every form of danger we can see death and when we cross such situations we must call upon God to intervene. Because God loves (even adores) glory, He’ll intervene so we will testify of God’s greatness and He’ll be proud of Himself.
Philippians 4:6-7, we don’t need to worry. When we are praying we are allowed to ask for everything (except evil things) and we must be thankful to God for all that He has done.
Psalm 6:9,10, When you cross hard situations, put panic aside and turn to God and you’ll see how your enemy will be ashamed.
SUMMARY
1. You must have a purpose for praying
2. You must pray with faith
3. You must repent
4. You must ask for God’s help and for the Holy Spirit to lead you (be humble)
5. Be assured He is listening
6. Pray simply (not with lots of words or to impress others)
7. Pray according to the time
For the full message please email: littlebethlehem@windowslive.com
Sunday, April 19, 2009
The Power of Prayer
By Odon Bulamba (summary only - 19th May, 2005)
We already have enough knowledge to build a powerful prayer. To build a powerful prayer we must first understand what is prayer, what are we praying and who we are addressing our prayers to and what are our expectations.
We have two ways for God to answer, yes or no. When we are praying let your will be done, we have to accept whatever God will answer. We also have to understand what God’s time is. Sometimes we don’t know God’s answer and it makes us Christians disappointed. For God to give good signs to encourage us, we need to tell God that we need answers, ‘I give my life to you, I want to hear your voice’.
Read a verse and then tell God, ‘Tell me God what I can tell others about this verse.’ Without this we can’t explain the Word of God. Tell God, ‘I want to hear you speaking because prayer is a dialogue between you and me.’ We have to understand how God responds, sometimes it is with signs, sometimes by His Word, sometimes His voice, sometimes He can send someone to you or sometimes He won’t respond right away. We can tell God, ‘God I need to hear from you, if I pray without answers, I’m just wasting my time. To get encouraged I need assurance from you that my prayer has been heard by you.’
We must pray in faith and in truth which means we must be guided by the Holy Spirit. We need the Holy Spirit because Himself is powerful and without Him we won’t know which words to use. We have to ask ourselves is the Holy Spirit really acting in our lives or not? There is no formula to praying, just to be lead by the Holy Spirit. Because He is powerful, you will also be powerful but when you pray with the flesh, your prayer will be weak.
God asked Israel to walk around Jericho seven times which is equivalent to walking around Hamilton every day for seven days. After God looking at their perseverance and determination He decided to give them an answer, ‘Just blow the trumpet and you’ll see the power of prayer’. That powerful prayer was escorted by determination.
If someone asks you to pray and you are not ready in your heart don’t pray because if that person is possessed, those evil spirits will come on you and control you.
Prayer is powerful and it is the biggest thing that God has given to the church for all situations; communicating with God, casting our evil spirits etc.
SUMMARY
1. First understand what is prayer, who you are praying to, what you are praying
2. Then understand what God’s time is
3. Tell God you need to hear from Him
4. Pray in faith and truth, guided by the Holy Spirit
5. Pray with determination and perseverance
6. Accept God’s answer
For the full message please email: littlebethlehem@windowslive.com
We already have enough knowledge to build a powerful prayer. To build a powerful prayer we must first understand what is prayer, what are we praying and who we are addressing our prayers to and what are our expectations.
We have two ways for God to answer, yes or no. When we are praying let your will be done, we have to accept whatever God will answer. We also have to understand what God’s time is. Sometimes we don’t know God’s answer and it makes us Christians disappointed. For God to give good signs to encourage us, we need to tell God that we need answers, ‘I give my life to you, I want to hear your voice’.
Read a verse and then tell God, ‘Tell me God what I can tell others about this verse.’ Without this we can’t explain the Word of God. Tell God, ‘I want to hear you speaking because prayer is a dialogue between you and me.’ We have to understand how God responds, sometimes it is with signs, sometimes by His Word, sometimes His voice, sometimes He can send someone to you or sometimes He won’t respond right away. We can tell God, ‘God I need to hear from you, if I pray without answers, I’m just wasting my time. To get encouraged I need assurance from you that my prayer has been heard by you.’
We must pray in faith and in truth which means we must be guided by the Holy Spirit. We need the Holy Spirit because Himself is powerful and without Him we won’t know which words to use. We have to ask ourselves is the Holy Spirit really acting in our lives or not? There is no formula to praying, just to be lead by the Holy Spirit. Because He is powerful, you will also be powerful but when you pray with the flesh, your prayer will be weak.
God asked Israel to walk around Jericho seven times which is equivalent to walking around Hamilton every day for seven days. After God looking at their perseverance and determination He decided to give them an answer, ‘Just blow the trumpet and you’ll see the power of prayer’. That powerful prayer was escorted by determination.
If someone asks you to pray and you are not ready in your heart don’t pray because if that person is possessed, those evil spirits will come on you and control you.
Prayer is powerful and it is the biggest thing that God has given to the church for all situations; communicating with God, casting our evil spirits etc.
SUMMARY
1. First understand what is prayer, who you are praying to, what you are praying
2. Then understand what God’s time is
3. Tell God you need to hear from Him
4. Pray in faith and truth, guided by the Holy Spirit
5. Pray with determination and perseverance
6. Accept God’s answer
For the full message please email: littlebethlehem@windowslive.com
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Prayer: Mat 6:9-13
By Odon Bulamba (summary only - 12th August, 05)
Mathew 6:9-13
“Father hallowed by Thy Name”
God says, ‘if you call me Father, that means you have brothers and sisters, who are they?’ You have to identify who is your family before to call me Father. And who is your Father?
What does hallowed mean? Why do you want my name to be hallowed? You can’t pray something that you don’t understand. If you don’t understand, ask God to help you. Hallowed means to make God’s name holy. How do we make it holy? By being holy yourself. So what does holy mean and why do we want the Holy Spirit? (In previous Bible studies we have learnt that if children are naughty people will assume it’s because of bad parenting and if children are good, people will know it’s because the parents are good. It’s the same with us as children of God, if our actions are holy people will know our Father must also be Holy and this will make His name to be called Holy.)
“Kingdom come”
Where? Where do we want the kingdom to come? God says, ‘I’m ready to bring my Kingdom into your life, are you ready to receive it and are you ready to accept me to lead you, are you ready to offer your body, soul and mind and let me be King of your life completely, 100%?’
“Your will be done”
God says, ‘My will is that every person that believes in Me must follow My instructions. Change your ways, you are not the same person as yesterday, accept me to correct you.’
"Give us our daily bread”
We must feed new Christians with our daily bread. We have to learn everyday from the Bible something to teach others with. This is the daily bread, it is eternal and it will never stop, it’s what you give to others so God’s Name will be Holy. What do you give to others or tell others so they can know God’s Name is Holy?
“Forgive our debts”
Have you forgiven your debtors? Have you solved all the problems you have with others? Count from Monday to Thursday and see how many sins you did. To be free in God you must repent your sins.
“Protect me from temptation”
Do you accept God’s protection? If you want to be far from temptation control your body and mind so God’s name can be called Holy. If you control your mind you can control your tongue, we must think before to speak. In doing anything ask yourself, is God here?
“Deliver us from satan”
The power over satan has been given to you and you are stronger than satan. When you resist, he’ll flee from you.
“Amen”
What does Amen mean? God says, ‘everything that you ask of Me, if you agree with Me, it will be done as we said.
There are two ways of praying: with God which is in Spirit and in Truth or to recite a text which is without Spirit and Truth. We have to ask ourselves, does what I tell God have a meaning for me?
Before to pray we must prepare ourselves, ask am I ready to pray or not? Even before to eat, when we say grace we must make sure we are pure to pray. We need to transform Hamilton and New Zealand and we need to pray for people so they can see change and see God. Before to pray you have to understand what you are doing and saying. Need to know the secret of prayer. The power of prayer works together with promises, if you made a promise with God you must fulfil it. If you are not ready to fulfil it then don’t make a contract with God because He doesn’t forget.
Ezekiel 33:18,19
You have to know how to forgive people. You can live a righteous life but at the last minute if you sin, God won’t be happy and some can be punished by God.
For the full message please email: littlebethlehem@windowslive.com
Mathew 6:9-13
“Father hallowed by Thy Name”
God says, ‘if you call me Father, that means you have brothers and sisters, who are they?’ You have to identify who is your family before to call me Father. And who is your Father?
What does hallowed mean? Why do you want my name to be hallowed? You can’t pray something that you don’t understand. If you don’t understand, ask God to help you. Hallowed means to make God’s name holy. How do we make it holy? By being holy yourself. So what does holy mean and why do we want the Holy Spirit? (In previous Bible studies we have learnt that if children are naughty people will assume it’s because of bad parenting and if children are good, people will know it’s because the parents are good. It’s the same with us as children of God, if our actions are holy people will know our Father must also be Holy and this will make His name to be called Holy.)
“Kingdom come”
Where? Where do we want the kingdom to come? God says, ‘I’m ready to bring my Kingdom into your life, are you ready to receive it and are you ready to accept me to lead you, are you ready to offer your body, soul and mind and let me be King of your life completely, 100%?’
“Your will be done”
God says, ‘My will is that every person that believes in Me must follow My instructions. Change your ways, you are not the same person as yesterday, accept me to correct you.’
"Give us our daily bread”
We must feed new Christians with our daily bread. We have to learn everyday from the Bible something to teach others with. This is the daily bread, it is eternal and it will never stop, it’s what you give to others so God’s Name will be Holy. What do you give to others or tell others so they can know God’s Name is Holy?
“Forgive our debts”
Have you forgiven your debtors? Have you solved all the problems you have with others? Count from Monday to Thursday and see how many sins you did. To be free in God you must repent your sins.
“Protect me from temptation”
Do you accept God’s protection? If you want to be far from temptation control your body and mind so God’s name can be called Holy. If you control your mind you can control your tongue, we must think before to speak. In doing anything ask yourself, is God here?
“Deliver us from satan”
The power over satan has been given to you and you are stronger than satan. When you resist, he’ll flee from you.
“Amen”
What does Amen mean? God says, ‘everything that you ask of Me, if you agree with Me, it will be done as we said.
There are two ways of praying: with God which is in Spirit and in Truth or to recite a text which is without Spirit and Truth. We have to ask ourselves, does what I tell God have a meaning for me?
Before to pray we must prepare ourselves, ask am I ready to pray or not? Even before to eat, when we say grace we must make sure we are pure to pray. We need to transform Hamilton and New Zealand and we need to pray for people so they can see change and see God. Before to pray you have to understand what you are doing and saying. Need to know the secret of prayer. The power of prayer works together with promises, if you made a promise with God you must fulfil it. If you are not ready to fulfil it then don’t make a contract with God because He doesn’t forget.
Ezekiel 33:18,19
You have to know how to forgive people. You can live a righteous life but at the last minute if you sin, God won’t be happy and some can be punished by God.
For the full message please email: littlebethlehem@windowslive.com
Friday, April 17, 2009
LOVE TRUSTS / LOVE BELIEVES ALL THINGS
1 Corhinthians 13:7
To Trust
Love is like stairs; you can go up them or down them. When you don’t trust you will start to go down them.
When you lack one point of love you will also lack other points of love, they all go together and when you succeed you will easily go up another flight of stairs.
Jesus is love, He said trust in me, whoever will trust in me or believe in me will never perish.
So we can see that to trust is something very significant in the Christian life.
The opposite of trust is doubt. If you doubt it means that your trust is being attacked.
Trust is something very precious and we must protect it. Our eyes or our ears can influence our trust, it can make your faith to be in trouble. Maybe you’ll hear something about Peter that will make you doubt.
There is only one secret that can help us to trust and that’s to pray, nothing else will work. If we lose trust then we will lose love and start to go down those stairs. We must pray and fight against doubt, it must be pulled out of our lives.
Out of all the aspects of love, Satan attacks trust the most, because lack of trust brings doubt which affects our faith, James 1:6-8.
If we don’t love it will impossible to trust someone.
To Believe
To believe is to believe yourself or to believe others.
What is in me I believe, it doesn’t mean that everything I do is correct. I can believe that I am a sinner. I can do something wrong against others. If you believe you are weak then you’ll become strong, but if you think you are the strongest then you’ll fall.
You have to believe that you are a Christian, believe in the word of God, trust Him by practicing that word and live as a new creation.
Although something might happen and you’ll be weak, you will believe and recognise the need for Gods Spirit.
To believe will lead you to become a decision maker, if it’s on the side of God then you’ll become a winner, as you will be able to balance things in your life.
When you believe you are able to make a decision, you’ll be called a believer. On the other hand if you can’t make a right decision you’ll be among those who are called but few chosen. And whoever is not a believer will be removed from the group of God, eg; the man who went to the wedding without the right garment was ordered out of the party, Matt 22
Trusting others· If you have no proof that someone lies then you must trust them.
· If you have proof that someone lies then just talk to them and forgive them.
· We must not think negatively about someone or something they’ve said, especially when it is based on our thoughts.
· It doesn’t mean that we are gullible; it means that we have faith in man.
· If we discover that someone is a liar, what does the Bible tell us about that, in v6, don’t have to rejoice in that lie, but will forgive according to God’s word, v5 we don’t have to become angry.
· Trust is the attribute, which is in the centre of all the attributes of love. It will be hard to overcome the things that love doesn’t like if trust is not in the centre.
· If you put trust and belief together you’ll have faith and when you have faith you have hope, and whatever you are waiting for will be together with patience.
· So let’s be ready to believe the best of every person, let’s believe their motives are good, that they intend no injury.
· Love rejoices in the happiness and virtue of others and will not believe the contrary except on irrefutable evidence.
· So let’s pray so that our trust will be protected and that we will believe and have eternal life.
Amen.
To Trust
Love is like stairs; you can go up them or down them. When you don’t trust you will start to go down them.
When you lack one point of love you will also lack other points of love, they all go together and when you succeed you will easily go up another flight of stairs.
Jesus is love, He said trust in me, whoever will trust in me or believe in me will never perish.
So we can see that to trust is something very significant in the Christian life.
The opposite of trust is doubt. If you doubt it means that your trust is being attacked.
Trust is something very precious and we must protect it. Our eyes or our ears can influence our trust, it can make your faith to be in trouble. Maybe you’ll hear something about Peter that will make you doubt.
There is only one secret that can help us to trust and that’s to pray, nothing else will work. If we lose trust then we will lose love and start to go down those stairs. We must pray and fight against doubt, it must be pulled out of our lives.
Out of all the aspects of love, Satan attacks trust the most, because lack of trust brings doubt which affects our faith, James 1:6-8.
If we don’t love it will impossible to trust someone.
To Believe
To believe is to believe yourself or to believe others.
What is in me I believe, it doesn’t mean that everything I do is correct. I can believe that I am a sinner. I can do something wrong against others. If you believe you are weak then you’ll become strong, but if you think you are the strongest then you’ll fall.
You have to believe that you are a Christian, believe in the word of God, trust Him by practicing that word and live as a new creation.
Although something might happen and you’ll be weak, you will believe and recognise the need for Gods Spirit.
To believe will lead you to become a decision maker, if it’s on the side of God then you’ll become a winner, as you will be able to balance things in your life.
When you believe you are able to make a decision, you’ll be called a believer. On the other hand if you can’t make a right decision you’ll be among those who are called but few chosen. And whoever is not a believer will be removed from the group of God, eg; the man who went to the wedding without the right garment was ordered out of the party, Matt 22
Trusting others· If you have no proof that someone lies then you must trust them.
· If you have proof that someone lies then just talk to them and forgive them.
· We must not think negatively about someone or something they’ve said, especially when it is based on our thoughts.
· It doesn’t mean that we are gullible; it means that we have faith in man.
· If we discover that someone is a liar, what does the Bible tell us about that, in v6, don’t have to rejoice in that lie, but will forgive according to God’s word, v5 we don’t have to become angry.
· Trust is the attribute, which is in the centre of all the attributes of love. It will be hard to overcome the things that love doesn’t like if trust is not in the centre.
· If you put trust and belief together you’ll have faith and when you have faith you have hope, and whatever you are waiting for will be together with patience.
· So let’s be ready to believe the best of every person, let’s believe their motives are good, that they intend no injury.
· Love rejoices in the happiness and virtue of others and will not believe the contrary except on irrefutable evidence.
· So let’s pray so that our trust will be protected and that we will believe and have eternal life.
Amen.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
LOVE HOPES
1 Corinthians 13:7
Before we start I’d like to remind us all what is written in James 1:22-25. Lets read that. Everyone who hears the word and puts this into practise is wise. Those of us who hear the word and then leave here and forget it, and don’t practise it, we are not wise. God considers us as fools. So lets all be listening to the word tonight and lets all do our best to remember it and lets all practise it so that God will see us as wise and He will bless us. So be blessed tonight.
What is the greatest spiritual gift?
Love. I Cor 13:1-3.
I thought of three ways that love hopes and if there are more maybe you can tell me.
1. To hope in the manner of trust
When you hear something bad about someone, or you observe somebody doing something or saying something, instead of judging them and thinking badly of them, you will hope that all is not what is seems. For example, if Sylvie is told that Michael was caught stealing. She will not believe it because love trusts. But after years of court cases and everything seems to be pointing to the fact that he did it, because Sylvie loves Michael, she will continue to hope that he didn’t.
2. To hope for the best for that personWhen you love someone you really want the best for that person. You want God to bless them and you are happy when He does. Because you love that person you hope that they will live a good life and everything will be wonderful for that person. Because of love you will pray for that person so that God will fulfil your hopes for them.
Love is not jealous as we have learnt, so you will not be jealous when you see someone you love getting something that you would like. Love does not envy so we can only be happy when we see someone get something that we would like. But sometimes we can’t say that we are happy. Sometimes we grumble to God and say, ‘why did you give Michelle a new car while mine is too old’. Sometimes we are even jealous when we see someone younger than us spiritually gaining more spiritual gifts than us. Sometimes we are jealous over someone growing faster spiritually than us. But love is not jealous, envious or proud. Love hopes for the best for that person so we should pray that they will grow spiritually.
3. To hope for that person’s repentance and salvation
It is really important to love someone to the point that you will not believe bad reports about that person. But sometimes you can’t escape the truth. For example, if Sylvie finds that Michael really did steal then because of love she will hope for his repentence.
Sometimes when we are with non-christians we can grumble against them because they do not know how to live the way we do. Maybe you work with someone annoying, or someone who is rude, or someone who is unkind but because of love, you will not think about these bad behaviours but only hope for their salvation and transformation.
I’ll leave you with one verse that should help us to practise love;
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34,35.
By Hayley Boud
Before we start I’d like to remind us all what is written in James 1:22-25. Lets read that. Everyone who hears the word and puts this into practise is wise. Those of us who hear the word and then leave here and forget it, and don’t practise it, we are not wise. God considers us as fools. So lets all be listening to the word tonight and lets all do our best to remember it and lets all practise it so that God will see us as wise and He will bless us. So be blessed tonight.
What is the greatest spiritual gift?
Love. I Cor 13:1-3.
I thought of three ways that love hopes and if there are more maybe you can tell me.
1. To hope in the manner of trust
When you hear something bad about someone, or you observe somebody doing something or saying something, instead of judging them and thinking badly of them, you will hope that all is not what is seems. For example, if Sylvie is told that Michael was caught stealing. She will not believe it because love trusts. But after years of court cases and everything seems to be pointing to the fact that he did it, because Sylvie loves Michael, she will continue to hope that he didn’t.
2. To hope for the best for that personWhen you love someone you really want the best for that person. You want God to bless them and you are happy when He does. Because you love that person you hope that they will live a good life and everything will be wonderful for that person. Because of love you will pray for that person so that God will fulfil your hopes for them.
Love is not jealous as we have learnt, so you will not be jealous when you see someone you love getting something that you would like. Love does not envy so we can only be happy when we see someone get something that we would like. But sometimes we can’t say that we are happy. Sometimes we grumble to God and say, ‘why did you give Michelle a new car while mine is too old’. Sometimes we are even jealous when we see someone younger than us spiritually gaining more spiritual gifts than us. Sometimes we are jealous over someone growing faster spiritually than us. But love is not jealous, envious or proud. Love hopes for the best for that person so we should pray that they will grow spiritually.
3. To hope for that person’s repentance and salvation
It is really important to love someone to the point that you will not believe bad reports about that person. But sometimes you can’t escape the truth. For example, if Sylvie finds that Michael really did steal then because of love she will hope for his repentence.
Sometimes when we are with non-christians we can grumble against them because they do not know how to live the way we do. Maybe you work with someone annoying, or someone who is rude, or someone who is unkind but because of love, you will not think about these bad behaviours but only hope for their salvation and transformation.
I’ll leave you with one verse that should help us to practise love;
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34,35.
By Hayley Boud
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Love Bears All Things
Love Bears All Things
Love Covers All Things
Love Contains All Things
Love is patient, love is kind, and does not envy, does not brag, and is not arrogant, is not rude, is not selfish, is not easily provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness but rejoices with the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.I Corinthians 13:4-8a
What was the last thing we talked about concerning love? Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth.
How do we put this into practise? When we see someone we love in a sin we must help them and correct them because love is not happy when we see someone we love falling into the hands of satan.
So what comes after this? Love bears all things.
What do you understand by this?
NAS, NKJ, KJ, DBY, NRSV, “love bears all things”
New living translations, “love never gives up”
NIV, “love always protects”
BBE, “undergoing all things”
MJKV, “quietly covers all things”
French, “excuses all things”
WNT & MNT, “it knows how to be silent”
The Greek word for bears is STEGO which means to roof over, to cover with silence. We can understand the word to mean bearing, sustaining, covering, concealing and containing.
“Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another because love covers a multitude of sins.” I Peter 4:8 (the word covers is the same word used in I Cor 13)
Love contains or keeps everything in like a container keeps liquid and nothing leaks out. Love conceals everything that should be concealed and betrays no secret. A person under the influence of this love does not make the sins or mistakes or imperfections of others the topic of conversation. If you love someone you are able to cover them and retain the knowledge to yourself.
When you see errors and faults in others, because of love you do not notice and if you do, you will be willing to conceal them and bear with them patiently.
“If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things that we may cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ” I Corinthians 9:12
Many times we feel that need to tell others what someone has done to us. Sometimes it is very difficult to keep silent when someone has hurt us. I know that there was one time in my life when someone hurt me more than anyone could. I was really betrayed by someone who to my face told me they loved me and wanted to be my friend but behind my back that person was doing something that only an enemy could do and each time I would forgive her and she’d do it again. People really thought this person was righteous and I had the truth and I wanted to revenge myself so much. I knew if I told people what she did to me no one could be her friend after that. But for more than two years I have kept that a secret between myself and God and although there are times I’d love to tell someone, I know that I must keep quiet.
Because of love we must not make public someone else’s sin to avenge ourselves and because we do not want to hinder the gospel as written in I Cor 9:12.
Sometimes we don’t want to tell people because of revenge but simply because we need to talk to someone. When someone has done something against you, it is hard to keep that to yourself because you feel you need support. But love bears this and does not tell. You must hold fast like a water tight vessel, contain yourself in silence and keep yourself from giving into what selfishness would prompt under personal hardship.
Also there are times when we just want to complain to others. Sometimes it’s hard as a wife to serve your husband and so you complain to your friend how he is always messy. Or sometimes we joke about others. There is a lady at work who is very scary and many people make jokes behind her back and I used to laugh but one day I remembered the Word of God and I decided not to laugh and slowly people don’t tell me jokes about others anymore. Gossip is very enjoyable and sometimes we think that it is ok when we tell someone who doesn’t know that person. Eg. A lady at work dresses like this… and we think it’s ok because we don’t mention their name but we are still talking negatively about that person and God cannot be happy when we diss His creation.
Some times we want to say negative things about others so we can feel good about ourselves. If I tell Michelle how lazy Hayley is then I will be exalted. But for love, we must avoid this.
John Wesley, “love covereth all things” whatever evil the lover of mankind sees, hears, or knows of anyone, he mentions it to none, it never goes out of his lips.
Spurgeon, “[love] swallows down many pills which would be very bitter in the mouth if she were so foolish as to chew them.”
The greek word for all is PAS and means all, any, every, the whole lot, whatsoever, whosoever, thoroughly.
So love enables us to bear wrongs without returning evil for evil. It gives us the ability to keep what has been entrusted to us by someone to ourselves and ensures that when we see someone’s faults that we will not tell them to anyone except of course God in prayer.
But we also have to remember that love also does not rejoice in unrighteousness so when we see our brother or sister in sin or in a mistake we must help them to understand so we must talk to them, but only to them.
Know also that love is not self-control. Love is when you feel in your heart and ask your self, how would I feel if I was that person and people talked about me. Love is also having mercy for them and pity. Love grows up by looking only at the positive points and if you only look at the negative points then your love will be destroyed.
So next time you feel that you need to talk about someone, ask yourself if you really love that person because if you do, you will keep silent for the sake of the gospel.
By Hayley Boud
Love Covers All Things
Love Contains All Things
Love is patient, love is kind, and does not envy, does not brag, and is not arrogant, is not rude, is not selfish, is not easily provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness but rejoices with the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.I Corinthians 13:4-8a
What was the last thing we talked about concerning love? Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth.
How do we put this into practise? When we see someone we love in a sin we must help them and correct them because love is not happy when we see someone we love falling into the hands of satan.
So what comes after this? Love bears all things.
What do you understand by this?
NAS, NKJ, KJ, DBY, NRSV, “love bears all things”
New living translations, “love never gives up”
NIV, “love always protects”
BBE, “undergoing all things”
MJKV, “quietly covers all things”
French, “excuses all things”
WNT & MNT, “it knows how to be silent”
The Greek word for bears is STEGO which means to roof over, to cover with silence. We can understand the word to mean bearing, sustaining, covering, concealing and containing.
“Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another because love covers a multitude of sins.” I Peter 4:8 (the word covers is the same word used in I Cor 13)
Love contains or keeps everything in like a container keeps liquid and nothing leaks out. Love conceals everything that should be concealed and betrays no secret. A person under the influence of this love does not make the sins or mistakes or imperfections of others the topic of conversation. If you love someone you are able to cover them and retain the knowledge to yourself.
When you see errors and faults in others, because of love you do not notice and if you do, you will be willing to conceal them and bear with them patiently.
“If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things that we may cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ” I Corinthians 9:12
Many times we feel that need to tell others what someone has done to us. Sometimes it is very difficult to keep silent when someone has hurt us. I know that there was one time in my life when someone hurt me more than anyone could. I was really betrayed by someone who to my face told me they loved me and wanted to be my friend but behind my back that person was doing something that only an enemy could do and each time I would forgive her and she’d do it again. People really thought this person was righteous and I had the truth and I wanted to revenge myself so much. I knew if I told people what she did to me no one could be her friend after that. But for more than two years I have kept that a secret between myself and God and although there are times I’d love to tell someone, I know that I must keep quiet.
Because of love we must not make public someone else’s sin to avenge ourselves and because we do not want to hinder the gospel as written in I Cor 9:12.
Sometimes we don’t want to tell people because of revenge but simply because we need to talk to someone. When someone has done something against you, it is hard to keep that to yourself because you feel you need support. But love bears this and does not tell. You must hold fast like a water tight vessel, contain yourself in silence and keep yourself from giving into what selfishness would prompt under personal hardship.
Also there are times when we just want to complain to others. Sometimes it’s hard as a wife to serve your husband and so you complain to your friend how he is always messy. Or sometimes we joke about others. There is a lady at work who is very scary and many people make jokes behind her back and I used to laugh but one day I remembered the Word of God and I decided not to laugh and slowly people don’t tell me jokes about others anymore. Gossip is very enjoyable and sometimes we think that it is ok when we tell someone who doesn’t know that person. Eg. A lady at work dresses like this… and we think it’s ok because we don’t mention their name but we are still talking negatively about that person and God cannot be happy when we diss His creation.
Some times we want to say negative things about others so we can feel good about ourselves. If I tell Michelle how lazy Hayley is then I will be exalted. But for love, we must avoid this.
John Wesley, “love covereth all things” whatever evil the lover of mankind sees, hears, or knows of anyone, he mentions it to none, it never goes out of his lips.
Spurgeon, “[love] swallows down many pills which would be very bitter in the mouth if she were so foolish as to chew them.”
The greek word for all is PAS and means all, any, every, the whole lot, whatsoever, whosoever, thoroughly.
So love enables us to bear wrongs without returning evil for evil. It gives us the ability to keep what has been entrusted to us by someone to ourselves and ensures that when we see someone’s faults that we will not tell them to anyone except of course God in prayer.
But we also have to remember that love also does not rejoice in unrighteousness so when we see our brother or sister in sin or in a mistake we must help them to understand so we must talk to them, but only to them.
Know also that love is not self-control. Love is when you feel in your heart and ask your self, how would I feel if I was that person and people talked about me. Love is also having mercy for them and pity. Love grows up by looking only at the positive points and if you only look at the negative points then your love will be destroyed.
So next time you feel that you need to talk about someone, ask yourself if you really love that person because if you do, you will keep silent for the sake of the gospel.
By Hayley Boud
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness
But rejoices in the truth
1 Corinthians 13: 6
What does it mean to rejoice? The word in Greek is Chairõ. The word is described as if joy is a direct result of God’s grace. A joy that comes about because a kindness has been granted, a favour has been done without expectation of return, it is unmerited and unearned. God’s joy comes from the depth of your heart and can be seen physically by the way you behave.
God’s joy is the first point to help a Christian to solve his problems. If you have a problem and need a solution, try to find joy in the Lord first. Joy in the Lord will make your problem very small and when this problem is minimised you will have enough time to think about it and act accordingly.
Joy also helps in times of temptation. When you are tempted and you have the joy of the Lord you will always feel victorious and feel that God is with you. You will understand that this small problem will pass and you will be victorious.
This word Chairõ is also used to describe a lamb indicating the skipping and frisking of a lamb for joy. (Do you skip for joy because of all that God has done for you?)
What does unrighteousness mean? The Greek word Adikia is used here to describe what is not conformed to justice, that which is wrong. It is related to the Greek word adikos which means unjust. 1 John 5:17, “All unrighteousness is sin”
This word unrighteousness only exists because there is another word that is it’s opposite and this is the word truth. What is truth? Here the Greek word is Aletheia and it means the unveiled reality, the reality clearly lying before our eyes as opposed to mere appearance.
The Father is truth, John 1:14b, “and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
The Son is truth, John 14:6, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
The Holy Spirit is truth, 1 John 5:7, “And it is the Spirit who bears witness because the Spirit is the truth.”
The gospel is truth, Colossians 1:5, “ because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel.”
Therefore we can rejoice in God because He is the truth!! We rejoice in God because He is truthful to us, Mathew 22:16b, “Teacher we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth.” And we must also be truthful to Him, “Mark 5:33, “But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him, and told Him the whole truth.” We must remember that God knows and sees everything and this should cause us to tremble before Him and to fear Him. We must be honest before God, if we have sinned tell the truth. We must also worship in truth, “John 4:24, “God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
We must also be truthful to one another, Ephesians 4:25, “Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each of you with his neighbour for we are members of one another.” And especially we must tell the truth of God to everyone we see, II Timothy 2:15, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.”
So now we know what we must rejoice in. We must rejoice in the truth which is God Himself and His Word. We rejoice because of all that God has given to us, He has given to us life, hope, peace, and freedom, John 8:32, “and you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” And you will rejoice like a little lamb!!
And when you love someone you will rejoice when they are in truth, which is why the angels sing with joy when one person is saved.
But we must not rejoice in unrighteousness which is everything that is not the truth which is satan himself, John 8:44b, “He [satan] was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar and the father of lies.” We will only know the truth if we have read it. We must read and meditate on the Bible so that we will never be trapped by satan’s lies.
If we love someone we will never rejoice when they are in unrighteousness, or when they have been trapped by satan’s lies. What is an example of rejoicing in someone’s unrighteousness? E.g. when the gay priest this week was given the right to become a deacon, many people rejoiced and were happy. But if we really love this man we can never be happy because he is living a lie and he is not in truth and therefore we cannot rejoice. Many people rejoiced when they allowed a casino to be built in Hamilton or when prostitution was legalised but for those who knew the truth, this was not a celebration.
When you love someone you will only be happy when they are in truth, for example they become a Christian.
We must only have a joy of God and never a joy of satan. The joy of God will help us to overcome satan’s temptations but the joy of satan will result in the wrath of God, Romans 1:18,25, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, for they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator who is blessed forever Amen.”
So lets do our best to speak God’s truth to all men so that we can rejoice when they give their lives to this truth. Lets remember to be truthful to God especially concerning our sin. Lets worship God in truth. Lets be joyful in every situation remembering that God is truth and He has set us free and this joy will make us victorious over satan and his lies. Lets read the Bible and meditate on it so that we will know what is truth and what is not.
By Hayley Boud
1 Corinthians 13: 6
What does it mean to rejoice? The word in Greek is Chairõ. The word is described as if joy is a direct result of God’s grace. A joy that comes about because a kindness has been granted, a favour has been done without expectation of return, it is unmerited and unearned. God’s joy comes from the depth of your heart and can be seen physically by the way you behave.
God’s joy is the first point to help a Christian to solve his problems. If you have a problem and need a solution, try to find joy in the Lord first. Joy in the Lord will make your problem very small and when this problem is minimised you will have enough time to think about it and act accordingly.
Joy also helps in times of temptation. When you are tempted and you have the joy of the Lord you will always feel victorious and feel that God is with you. You will understand that this small problem will pass and you will be victorious.
This word Chairõ is also used to describe a lamb indicating the skipping and frisking of a lamb for joy. (Do you skip for joy because of all that God has done for you?)
What does unrighteousness mean? The Greek word Adikia is used here to describe what is not conformed to justice, that which is wrong. It is related to the Greek word adikos which means unjust. 1 John 5:17, “All unrighteousness is sin”
This word unrighteousness only exists because there is another word that is it’s opposite and this is the word truth. What is truth? Here the Greek word is Aletheia and it means the unveiled reality, the reality clearly lying before our eyes as opposed to mere appearance.
The Father is truth, John 1:14b, “and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
The Son is truth, John 14:6, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
The Holy Spirit is truth, 1 John 5:7, “And it is the Spirit who bears witness because the Spirit is the truth.”
The gospel is truth, Colossians 1:5, “ because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel.”
Therefore we can rejoice in God because He is the truth!! We rejoice in God because He is truthful to us, Mathew 22:16b, “Teacher we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth.” And we must also be truthful to Him, “Mark 5:33, “But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him, and told Him the whole truth.” We must remember that God knows and sees everything and this should cause us to tremble before Him and to fear Him. We must be honest before God, if we have sinned tell the truth. We must also worship in truth, “John 4:24, “God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
We must also be truthful to one another, Ephesians 4:25, “Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each of you with his neighbour for we are members of one another.” And especially we must tell the truth of God to everyone we see, II Timothy 2:15, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.”
So now we know what we must rejoice in. We must rejoice in the truth which is God Himself and His Word. We rejoice because of all that God has given to us, He has given to us life, hope, peace, and freedom, John 8:32, “and you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” And you will rejoice like a little lamb!!
And when you love someone you will rejoice when they are in truth, which is why the angels sing with joy when one person is saved.
But we must not rejoice in unrighteousness which is everything that is not the truth which is satan himself, John 8:44b, “He [satan] was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar and the father of lies.” We will only know the truth if we have read it. We must read and meditate on the Bible so that we will never be trapped by satan’s lies.
If we love someone we will never rejoice when they are in unrighteousness, or when they have been trapped by satan’s lies. What is an example of rejoicing in someone’s unrighteousness? E.g. when the gay priest this week was given the right to become a deacon, many people rejoiced and were happy. But if we really love this man we can never be happy because he is living a lie and he is not in truth and therefore we cannot rejoice. Many people rejoiced when they allowed a casino to be built in Hamilton or when prostitution was legalised but for those who knew the truth, this was not a celebration.
When you love someone you will only be happy when they are in truth, for example they become a Christian.
We must only have a joy of God and never a joy of satan. The joy of God will help us to overcome satan’s temptations but the joy of satan will result in the wrath of God, Romans 1:18,25, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, for they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator who is blessed forever Amen.”
So lets do our best to speak God’s truth to all men so that we can rejoice when they give their lives to this truth. Lets remember to be truthful to God especially concerning our sin. Lets worship God in truth. Lets be joyful in every situation remembering that God is truth and He has set us free and this joy will make us victorious over satan and his lies. Lets read the Bible and meditate on it so that we will know what is truth and what is not.
By Hayley Boud
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