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EMBRACE THE ASSIGNMENT

Posted on June 2, 2023 by growintheword

Synopsis of Sermon 4/30/23

Delivered by Bishop Walker III

James 1:1-4 NKJV
1 James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings. 2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

I. INTRODUCTION

The enemy is always after your assignment. He wants to distract you from your assignment.
The enemy is strategic. He will come at you from every angle.
Whatever is coming at you, God will show you how to counter it.
There is revelation in your life. When I see the word, God is revealing something to me.
The revelation and knowledge we gain, helps us to know what God wants us to do.
The enemy can attach himself to you or your situation, but he can’t bother your revelation.
At this time, in the scripture, leaders was trying to discourage the people of God. By doing this, they felt they could discredit the Jesus movement.
James inserts this revelation at the start of the address, by acknowledging that he knows that the people are under attack. He tells them to reach down and reach for the revelation God has given them.
James wanted them to know that God was going to turn it all around (all that they had gone through) to bless them.

II. RESPONSE OF PRAISE IN A PARADOX

How do I praise God, when it looks like I shouldn’t be? No matter what comes at us, we must still give god glory!
The Trials of Life Are Inevitable
John 16:33 NKJV says 33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you [a]will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
2 Timothy 3:12 NKJV says 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
Matthew 10:22 NKJV says 22 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.
So stop acting like the devil is just picking on you! All of us will suffer some type of persecution. Scripture confirms it!
Some of us want to know why us?
- 5 reasons we get attacked.
  - Because of Your purpose
  - Because of your potential. – The enemy is attacking your not yet, not your right now. The enemy has a glimpse of what God is going to do through you.
  - Because of your presence. – The mere fact you showed up, is a witness of God. Your presence threatens the enemy.
    - Story: If you will remember, they wanted to kill Lazarus to discredit his miracle of being raised from the dead. Just like Lazarus, you are evidence of the goodness of God.
  - Because of your power. – The enemy knows what will happen if you release your God given power! With it, you can cast out demons! You can speak to stuff, and it will move! The power of life and death is in your tongue!
  - Because of your praise. – God’s been so good, we just can’t keep it to ourselves!
Your Reply Is a Reflection of Your Relationship
You Relationship with God matters. We can tell the depth of your relationship by how you respond when you are under attack. At some point you need to mature and not stress over situations that come your way.
Joy transcends happiness. Happiness is based on an event. Joy causes us to respond like a thermostat. By that we mean, no matter what happens, we are true to where we are supposed to be. We don’t allow situations, atmospheres, or environments to change where we are supposed to be. We instead change the these atmospheres.

III. REVELATION OF HOW PATIENCE IS PRODUCED

You Can’t Trust a Faith That Hasn’t Been Tested
God never lets us go through things without producing something. The trial of your faith produces patience.
Many of us want destiny, but we don’t want to be developed. You can’t trust faith that hasn’t been tested.
Test Build Your Endurance
Test causes me to depend on God. God let all the stuff that you were depending on, go away during Covid. This was so you would remember where your help comes from.
If you don’t work out, you will tap out. Many people quit because they have no endurance.
How is endurance built:
Through resistance. – Stop tripping if they are resisting you!
Repetition builds endurance. – You have to increase your reps. You keep going through different things to build your endurance.
It’s your recipes. – You’re going to have to eat stuff the helps your regimen. Feed your spirit with things that are good for you.
Rest – Rest builds endurance. You have to give your body time to restore. You have to learn to sit in your tub and rest.
Resilience – this is your ability to bounce back. Some of you don’t’ bounce back quick as you used to. God has too much in your future for you to tap out now!
1. There is a place in our lives where we all wanted to resign. God won’t let you walk away from your assignment.
This is all about what God is preparing you for. People think leaders don’t need to be poured back into, like we do.

IV. REJOICE THAT THERE WAS PROFIT IN YOUR PAIN

When we go through trails, we wonder why it was necessary. God wouldn’t allow it unless it was meant to bless you.
You Will Be Better, Not Bitter
Let patience have its perfect work. Perfect in this case means mature. You will be equipped for another level.
Many miscarry the amazing things that God wants to do in their lives. If my people who are called by name would humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
You Will Come Out Lacking Nothing
What you are going through, does not compare to what God will leave you with, in your life. In every area there is a season where God is going to restore.
3 seasons:
Season of Release – Get all the anger and resigns out! Get it out once and for all! This creates capacity or room for God to pour back into you.
Season to rejoice – This is praising him for the blessing you’re about to receive.
Season of restoration – Everything you lost, won’t be able to compare to what God is about to restore.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged assignment, Bishop Waker, Direction, Encouragement, Faith, grow in the word, Joseph Walker, Mt Zion, mt zion anywere, sermon | 2 Comments

ON TIME GOD

Posted on May 19, 2023 by growintheword

Synopis of May 14, 2023 Sermon

Delivered by Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III

Text:

1 Kings 17:7-16 NKJV
7 And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
8 Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.” 11 And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.”
12 So she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.”
13 And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.’ ”
15 So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah.

I. INTRODUCTION

God is making moves even when we are often oblivious to it. We must understand that everything that happens in our lives is not random. God has a way of putting the right people, into the right position, at the right time.
While we are trying to figure it out, God has already worked it out.
You know that it isn’t’ over until God says so. Like the woman in the text, you might find yourself at the end of the rope, but God shows up and reminds you that He has you.

God says hold on and don’t give up because God’s got you!
This story reminds us of how two realities, going on simultaneously, in two separate places, eventually align, to give us revelation.
In today’s story, we see that the brook has dried up. Looking at her resources, the Widow thinks it will be over after her and her son eats this last meal. One might say that she has succumbed to the issue of the Drought.
While this story is playing out, God has a prophet called Elijah that He is working on. God tells Elijah that the brook, which has been his source of water, will begin to dry up. For a while, the brook provided water for him and a Raven brought him bread and meat to eat.
In another place, we have a Widow that is not covered, and she has a son. At the same time the Widow is gathering sticks for her last meal, God instructs Elijah to move into her direction. This encounter will change both Elijah’s and the Widows’ lives forever.

Now we have to ask ourselves, what can we learn here?

II. RECOGNIZE SEASONS OF DROUGHT CAN BE CHALLENGING

It’s ok to acknowledge that this can be scary. You only have what you have during a Drought and when it is all gone, it is gone. Many of us have had droughts in our lives. Some were financial droughts, some were job droughts, and some were family droughts. During these droughts, it looks like at any time, things may come tumbling down.

A. It’s tough not knowing when it will end.

We could deal with it better if we knew when our Drought would be over. It is about the fear of the unknown that makes it so hard. Some people refer to this feeling as “Intolerance of Uncertainties”
You have to trust God and hold on! We know that trouble doesn’t last always, but we still wonder when the end of our drought is going to come.

B. Your contemplations can determine your conclusion.

The stuff in your head determines how your situation will come out.
Your enemy will try and convince you to give up. Stop preparing to die and prepare to live. Turn to your neighbor and say, “you got more life to live”. You have a relationship with a God who controls the wind and the rain. Surely if He can control the wind and rain, He ought to be able to handle our situation.

III. RECEIVE STRATEGIC AND DIVINE CONNECTIONS

We will discover that God will bring the right people at the right time, to help us achieve what we need.
The prophet has come through a season whereby he has been fed by the Raven, but now he’s about to have a Widow woman help him. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.
You have to discern the relationships that come into your life. Stop being mean or historic. Don’t miss out on who God sent you, by judging them according to things that happened in the past.

A. Your situation is under divine observation.

God never has a lapse of memory. He knows about all of your struggles. He also has a plan to do something about it.

B. God is sending people in your direction with what you need.

Some of us try too hard to make relationships work.
How do we know God is sending people in our life:
They will be assigned to your vision. – They will be talking about the same vision that God gave you.
They will add value. – They come to multiply or add and not subtract.
They will assist you in getting the Victory. – They will be there to help you win!

IV. READILY SUBMIT TO A DIVINE COMMAND

When God speaks, you will have to do what God says to do. He will not give suggestions. It will be a Divine Command.

A. Faith puts Him first

The Widow was down to her last meal. She thinks that after this meal, that will be it, because there is no more food left.
When you are in Self Preservation mode, you are just thinking about yourself. While the Widow was in this Self Preservation Mode, the Prophet asked her to make him a cake first.
You need to always put God first. When you don’t put Him first, you put a hole in your purse or your pocket. For example, when you don’t tithe, you make money, but it never seems to be enough. In other words, you always come up short.
When you put God first, stuff finds you. When you put God second, you will always be looking for stuff.

B. Your faith has to be greater than the facts

Remember Haggar, when the Lord said “fear not”? God has a way of blessing you in hidden ways. Sometimes, God will bless you, but it will bet temporally hidden from view.
If God sent the Prophet to the widow, then God must have plans to sustain the Widow. At the moment God gave this command, the blessing is hidden.
While you are going through, know that it is already done. God is just waiting for the right moment to present it to you.

V. REJOICE THAT YOU SURVIVED THE DROUGHT CONTINUALLY

Obedience is better than sacrifice. When God has plan, you won’t just survive, you will also thrive.
You can’t worry about others and what they are doing. Just know that you will survive. If the devil could take you out, he would have already done so.

A. If you do what He said, He will do what He promised.

When the widow made the cake, the contents never ran out. Every time she went back, something was there. As long as you are doing what God told you to do, stuff will be there. You will never be without.

B. You won’t just survive you will thrive

God wants you to get to a place where you’re not just surving. You didn’t survive just to be average. You survived to go over the wall. This is your thriving season!

5 reasons why you should praise God

He kept me sane when I came up short. If it wasn’t for my relationship with God, I would have lost my mind!
For the struggle and what I saw. – I wouldn’t know that God was a way maker if it wasn’t for struggle. I wouldn’t get up early to get to church, if it wasn’t for the struggle! I wouldn’t even pray like I do, if it wasn’t for the struggle.
The blessing was not seasonal, it was sustainable. – When God blesses you, it will be continual.
He is a God of surplus and supply. – Just because it runs out around me, doesn’t mean it will run out to me. There will be a continuous supply for me.
He showed up and he showed out. – Older folk use to say, “He may not come when you want him, but he’s always on time”.