Convention 2014…Day 2
Speaker: Pastor Timothy Azowenunebi
INTRODUCTION
The Bible reveals that God wants us to know His face, His heart and His hand. There is a vital link between the face of God, the heart of God and the hand of God. The face of God speaks of the glory of God, His divine effulgence, radiance or splendour. In 2 Corinthians 4:6, Paul speaks of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. In 2 Corinthians 3:7-13, we read of the glory of the Lord in the face of Moses. The glory of God cannot be adequately captured in words. In Exodus 33: 18-21, God linked His glory to His face. The heart of God speaks of the will, plan, intention or purposes of God, while the hand of God refers to the power of God. That which we see in the face of God (His glory) and that which is conceived in the heart of God (His will) are brought into reality or manifestation by the hand of God. In other words, the hand of God makes tangible the glory of God and executes the heart of God. (Ephesians 1:11; Isaiah 14:24, Isaiah 14: 26-27; Isaiah 26:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; 1 Corinthians 12:6) Knowing the hand of God therefore is very important to the people of God. And the Hand of God is the Holy Spirit.
When God determines upon a purpose, he stretches forth his Hand. The Hand of God performs the Counsel of God.
MEANING OF KNOWING
In the Oxford Dictionary, the word know has two meanings: 1) ‘To be informed’. 2) ‘To have personal experience of’ or ‘to have practical experience’.
God does not want us just to be informed of His hand. He wants us to have a personal experience of His hand. We are not here just to gather more information on the hand but to practically and personally experience the hand of God. If it is to be informed, many of us already have a lorry load of information about the hand of God. What is lacking is a practical experience of that hand. And that is why God arranged this conference so that we will have a practical experience of His mighty hand.
THE PROMISE OF KNOWING HIS HAND
In Jeremiah 16:19-21, God gave us a promise of knowing his hand:
“Lord, my strength and my fortress,
my refuge in time of distress,
to you the nations will come
from the ends of the earth and say,
“Our ancestors possessed nothing but false gods,
worthless idols that did them no good.
20 Do people make their own gods?
Yes, but they are not gods!”
21 “Therefore I will teach them—
this time I will teach them
my power and might.
Then they will know
that my name is the Lord“
Similarly Malachi 1:11 says;
“For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down,
My name shall be great among the Gentiles;
In every place incense shall be offered to My name,
And a pure offering;
For My name shall be great among the nations,”
Says the Lord of hosts.”
Let us bear in mind that God does not make empty promises. In Jeremiah 16:19-21(NIV) He promises that he will cause us to know His hand;
“O Lord, my strength and my fortress,
My refuge in the day of affliction,
The Gentiles shall come to You
From the ends of the earth and say,
“Surely our fathers have inherited lies,
Worthlessness and unprofitable things.”
20 Will a man make gods for himself,
Which are not gods? Therefore behold, I will this once cause them to know,
I will cause them to know
My hand and My might;
And they shall know that My name is the Lord.”
He will certainly fulfil His promise. Numbers 23:19 says
“God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
Has He said, and will He not do?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”.
God specifically told Jeremiah: I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled. (Jeremiah 1:11-12 NIV). And that is why Paul boldly declared to the Philippians: ‘Being confident of this very thing that he who began a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ’ (Philippians 1:6).
Faith is agreement with the word of God. God does not lie, so faith does not lie. Prayer takes a stand in faith. The word spoken by God concerning your life will be performed in Jesus name.
7 THINGS THE HAND OF GOD WILL DO FOR YOU
- Total Deliverance – Luke 1: 67 – 75;
“His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David
70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
71 salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us—
72 to show mercy to our ancestors
and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
and to enable us to serve him without fear
75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days”
- Spiritual refreshing and transformation of your life and ministry – Isaiah 41: 18-20; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 1 Samuel 10: 5
- Possessing your inheritance or blessings in Christ – Psalm 44:1-3
- Abundance of divine provision – Numbers 11: 21- 23
- Peace and rest for your soul – Isaiah 26:12; Matthew 11:28; Isaiah 63:14
- Salvation of souls / church growth – Acts 11: 19 – 21
- Usher you into the realm healings, signs and wonders – Acts 4: 29-30; Mark 16:15.
- National transformation and revival – Isaiah 14: 24-27.
KEYS TO KNOWING THE HAND
- Desire – Isaiah 44: 1-4
- Faith – James.1: 5-7
- Prayer / spiritual warfare – Ezekiel 36: 37; Philippians 4:6
- Right motive – James 4: 2-3
- Follow the law of sowing and reaping – Galatians 6:7; 2 Corinthians 9:6
CONCLUSION
May we strongly desire, believe, earnestly pray and open up our hearts for the manifestation of the hand of God in our lives. It would bring untold blessings into our lives and bring glory to God.
