Notes From: Sunday 5th May, 2013
Speaker: Pastor Austen Ukachi
Key Passages: 2 John 1:8, 1 Timothy 1:18, 2 Timothy 1:14, Psalm 68:28
Strengthen Oh Lord What you have done for us in this convention
Message summary:
We have heard of the many testimonies of what a great convention the last convention was. It has been described as the best convention so far! However, after the convention comes a big challenge. How do we translate all the gains accrued during the convention, how do we ensure that the blessings become a part of our lives and that things work out the way it was proclaimed over our lives. 2 John 1:8 says ‘Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward’. There is a warning here and the warning simply is look to yourself, or you may be the greatest hindrance to receiving the fullness of the blessings of God. Our attitude, our actions, our way of life could affect the translation of the pronouncements and we may end up losing what we have strived and worked for.
Life has shown that it is possible to continuously labor and in the end lose everything. Our attitude sometimes negates the very things we worked for. The children of Israel, after laboring for months decided to ignore God when he said go into the Promised Land and inherit the Promised Land. They rather decided to send spies instead and 10 of the 12 spies came back with bad report which they decided to go for. In Numbers 14:28 God said to the children of Israel ‘just as they have spoken will I do to them’. 1 Corinthians 10: 4-11 the promises were there for the Children of Israel, the opportunities were there. If only the Children of Israel were consistent and had faith, they would have gotten these promises at the time God promised. Complaining and ingratitude are destroyers of our blessings. Sometimes the blessings may not come at the time we expect it, sometimes the miracles of God are not very obvious, he does his things the way he wants. Unless a man has the right attitude, s/he cannot reap the blessings of God.
We equally have to look to ourselves because we have an enemy– A devouring Lion who is seeking whom he may devour 1 Peter 5:8. Be very careful to pray very well- often times it is after a convention or a major event that the zeal of brethren drops. It is after a shower like we experienced that the zeal declines, gradually, people lose the tenacity and the faith that they had in the word. Remember the song “Christian seek not yet repose’! The Lord said pray more.
God’s prophesies are not automatic; they are an invitation for a person to contend in the place of prayer for these prophesies to come to pass. 1 Timothy 1:18 When there are prophesies over your life, it is not a time to relax and say what would be would be but rather it is an invitation to pray, to fight to intercede. How many members of the church went back after the convention to fast or even pray about the prophesies that were pronounced over their lives. You might have written it down or even told other people about it but you need to pray to unlock the blessings of God!
Prophesies are conditional Deuteronomy 28:1-2 gives a condition of obedience. When God speaks to us, it is time to Pray and Obey! Walking in divine blessings is not automatic but rather is conditional and is dependent on our obedience and tenacity in prayer. The enemy is a foe; the enemy does not want you to harness the blessings that God has promised. In Ezekiel 34:26 God promised showers of blessings but we have to contend for what God has given to us. 2 Timothy 1:14 says ‘That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us’ After the convention, the testimonies that were received showed that everyone received something from the Lord! But God says that the good things which was committed to you, you have a duty to keep by the power of the Holy Spirit. What this means is that you can only keep what the lord has given to you through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Do not be casual about the blessings God has promised you! It is advised that after the service, we cultivate the habit of listening to the message preached over again or reading through the notes taken of the messages preached. It is important to take note of the word, pray over it, meditate through it, and internalize it! It is not enough to say that we would remember the things we hear in Church write it down and make every effort to make sure that you do not lose the things which you have worked for.
Realize that you have an enemy who is working to see that you do not keep the blessings, finally let Psalm 68:28 ‘Strengthen, O God, what You have done for us’ be your prayer every day!
That good thing which was committed to you,
keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in you!
