We are live in Cote D’Ivoire, worshipping with our brethren, enjoying the awesome presence and love of our Lord.
Speaker: Pastor Chuma Isidienu
You are important to God, and you were created for a purpose. Psalms 113: 4-9 says
The Lord is exalted over all the nations,
his glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God,
the One who sits enthroned on high,
who stoops down to look
on the heavens and the earth?He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes,
with the princes of his people.
He settles the childless woman in her home
as a happy mother of children.
Praise the Lord”
This scripture describes God as the one who is on high, but comes down, or comes low, leaves his throne, to address three cardinal issues that trouble mankind. The greatest challenges of the world today are Poverty, Need and Barrenness. Barrenness means un-fruitfulness in the endeavours of life. A person may try to be fruitful without success. When God created man and woman, he commanded them to ‘be fruitful’. Yet we have so much un-fruitfulness around us. We see so much poverty around us. There are so many needy around us.
When we discuss poverty, we mean limitation. Neediness is lack and want. Barrenness is un-fruitfulness. Almost all of us, perhaps even all of us, can be placed within one or more of these categories. You may have a health or medical need. You may be rich, yet not fruitful. We have an example in the bible, through the life of Naaman. Naaman was a great warrior, who had every desirable thing. Yet he was leprous (2 Kings 5). We see Pharoah Rameses in Egypt, who was lord over all things in Egypt, yet he could not interpret a dream (Genesis 41).
We may fall into one or more of these categories, but we are thankful, that God came down, and he sent his word. John 1:1-5 says
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”
When you put your trust in the word of God, your life will light up. It is the word that brought creation. I urge you tonight to trust God, because God is faithful. The word of God is true. God asks us to live by his word, to meditate upon it, that we might be fruitful and enjoy godly success.
Why did God bother to address the issues of mankind? Why would God leave his throne, come down to look for you? He did it for you. Why is God thinking about you. Psalms 119 17-18 says
“Be good to your servant while I live,
that I may obey your word.
Open my eyes that I may see
wonderful things in your law.”
God is always thinking about us. Why does he urge us to trust his faithfulness? He wants us to live a life of purpose!
Luke 1:79 says;
“To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace“. This is why it is important to evangelism and good news.
Jesus said, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8).”
I have not come to excite you, I am not preaching. I want us to talk heart to heart. Scriptures are the foundation by which you break out of limitation. We have established that God is interested in you, but we have not discussed that God’s purpose will bring us out of unfruitfulness.
We struggle because we have not called God into our circumstances. Occasionally, we may say ‘Hello God’. God wants us to know him, to establish relationship with him, which will bring us into a covenant of blessing. Matthew 14: 22-35 says;
“Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.
Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.
But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.” When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick”
God has completed a task by coming down to settle the issues of our lives. That does not mean that we will not experience waves. Jesus said in this world you will have trouble. In Matthew 14, we see the Apostles rowing against the wind. Maybe you are rowing against the wind. Know that God is thinking about you regardless. The Apostles were struggling with the waves and storms in the sea, after a major ‘crusade’, where 5,000 people where fed. Miracles happened in that crusade. Immediately after, the wind came to stop them. Maybe God has asked you to move. The wind may stand against you. However, Jesus knew the sufferings of his disciples, and came to them. Jesus sees your troubles, and his coming to you. Your life is one of purpose. Your life will bring blessings to men. Your life is an investment God has made. A trader looks for money to invest, so that he may bless his family, his friends, his people with the yield.
Sometimes God may come to us in ways which may cause fear in your hearts. We may imagine it is not God. But, God’s voice will always come saying ‘Do not be afraid’. He’s Alive Chapel Cote D’Ivoire, DO NOT BE AFRAID. God said,
“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” (Haggai 2: 6-8)
Jesus said to the Apostles, ‘Fear not, It is I’. You can say to yourself, Fear not my soul, It is the Lord. Jesus says come!! Come unto me all who are heavy laded. Hebrews 4: 9-11 says
“There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.”
If you enter into God’s rest, you will cease from your labours. Trust God today, and cease from your labours.
God blesses us, so we might be a blessing to others. The bible says that Peter stepped out of the boat, and walked on water. When the Lord says Come, you can walk on the waters of your problems. You can put your limitations under your feet. You can ride the waves and the storms. God is faithful. His words are true. 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?”
He is committed to his word. God said to Abraham “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord.” (Genesis 22:16)
God’s name is God’s power. God’s power is God’s word. God’s word is God’s spirit. His spirit brings his anointing, and the anointing breaks the yoke. Peter walked on water, walking towards Jesus. Suddenly, he began to observe the wind, and he began to sink. The wind was there before Jesus appeared. As soon as he removed his eyes from Jesus, he began to sink. Why do some things happen to us? Maybe we have removed our eyes from Jesus. The bible uses the world observe. Observe means ‘careful attention’. Peter was distracted, just as some of us are. The world is noisy. Cut off the noise of the world, and you will hear the word of God. When you hear his voice, you will look at him.
If you will trust God’s faithfulness, you will continue to mount on your wings. Don’t doubt God. You will finish the church building, the hall will be full. Solomon was willing to build the temple of God, and everything he needed was provided. People brought the resources he needed. Similarly, the children of Israel built a tabernacle in the wilderness. The bible tells us that for 40 years, they did not lack, they did not sow or reap. Refugees brought gold and silver to build the tabernacle of the Lord. Provision continued until Moses the man of God said it is enough (Exodus 35: 6-7). It will be so in He’s Alive Chapel Cote D’Ivoire.
All you need to do is trust in God’s faithfulness
