Endure the hardships

Posted on October 28, 2016 by growintheword

thought

21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. John 16:21 (NIV)– This encourages us to embrace the hard road on the way to “what we are trying to achieve”, because the scripture reminds us that the joy of achieving that goal, that milestone, and even that promise, will soon make us “forget the hardships” that we endured along the way.

Work hard, achieve the promise, forget the hardships, and experience the joy!

Happy Friday family and God bless!

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Thought for today

Posted on October 26, 2016 by growintheword

thoughtAll Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV

So in other words, if you do not know any scripture, then you have chosen to go into battle “unarmed”. You have chosen to make yourself vulnerable to the attacks of your enemies, whether they be “spiritual or carnal”.

In addition, you have made a conscious decision to go through life without a road map for this scripture says that scripture is useful for “teaching and correcting” as well. How wise is it to go on a journey without a map or a GPS?

Finally, without direction, you can’t tell what’s “wrong or right”. Some people can tell you something in such a way it seems like it is right, when in actuality, it is wrong. How can you rebuke something, when you don’t know what’s wrong or right? How can you even tell if you are on the right path or not if you don’t know what God’s direction is for his faithful believers?

Today, make a conscious decision to “take in more scripture” so that you might be armed for battle, have direction for your journey, and be able to distinguish between what is right and what is wrong.

Have a blessed day FB family!

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Purpose: Why Am I Here? , Bible Study 10/05/16

Posted on October 6, 2016 by growintheword

whyamihere

Synopsis of Bible Study 9/28/16

This is a question of purpose. Colossians 1:16-18 (MSG) says 15-18 We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God’s original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body. – Everything that was created has a genesis. It began with a creator.

Getting into purpose takes faith. Each of us was created for a purpose. There comes a point where you have to live without continuing to go into things without an aim. You got to be willing to understand why God gives you dreams and passions. The purpose of life is not to be happy, instead it is to be useful.

Psalm 138:8 (NKJV) says 8 The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands. – If you are alive, there is purpose for you to fulfil. It is up to us to find out what that purpose is.

What is purpose?

  1. The original purpose of a thing can only be defined by the maker of that thing. Purpose then is in the mind of the maker.
  2. You were created for and with a purpose. You were not created to occupy space, you have a purpose.
  3. Discovering purpose. Proverbs 20:5 (MSG) says 5 Knowing what is right is like deep water in the heart; a wise person draws from the well within.- We have to take time to search.
    1. Take time to search for purpose.- Set aside time to discover your passion. You are going to have to go on an inward journey to find out what you are going to do. Parker Palmer wrote, “On the inward downward spiritual journey of purpose, the only way out is in and through. – Sometimes going inward is painful. We must be willing to search within ourselves and find our inner most passion, that hasn’t been discovered. yet
    2. It is going to take faith. Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV) 6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

How can we find purpose going inside through our inner pain?

  1. Finding purpose does not equal perfection. God may have factored your imperfections within your purpose. God has no perfect people to pick from, so perfection is not required for purpose. Knowing this, you need to know that finding your purpose will be a journey.
    1. Peter is example of a person that didn’t have a perfect path. He was living as fisherman. Jesus comes and taps into what has been lying dormant inside of Peter the whole time. Peter didn’t even know about it. Matthew 4:18 (NKJV) says 18 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. – Matthew is giving an eye witness of what he saw. He saw Andrew and Peter, but we know (from the other gospels) that they were not the only ones fishing that day. Jesus saw and knew what he needed to draw out of them for their purpose.
    2. Matthew 4:19 (NKJV) says 19 Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” – They were fisherman, but Jesus said he would make them fishers of men. Jesus doesn’t look at Peter and Andrew and say,” I am going to make you hunters”. Jesus says instead that he was going to affirm what he had already put inside them. The passion he put in them wasn’t for what they were doing, but instead for what they were about to do. Ex – To really understand this, we have to consider this: Fisherman have to be patient. By fishing, they were already getting ready for their future without knowing it, because they would have to be patient with people. When you fish, you catch them, and then you clean them. Fishing for mankind is the same. First you catch them and then you try to help the get clean. You catch them then clean them.
  2. You thought your vocation was your purpose. You purposes is greater than your vocation. Peter had been called, but he doesn’t have a clue what this is that he is about to do. Peter denied Jesus 3 times and he cut off a soldier’s ear, among other things he did that revealed his imperfections, but when Jesus was crucified, it was Peter that preached the gospel at Pentecost where over 3000 souls were saved. It was Peter that Jesus left in charge with the disciples.
  3. The initial call to purpose will call you to go through a variety of seasons before you really get there (Your purpose).
    1. Ever great dream begins with a dreamer. In order to live out your dream, there are so strategies you must follow.
  4. Look inside yourself – Don’t depend on the thoughts of others concerning you. Look at the gifts inside you to help you decide what your purpose is. For example: A person may tell you that you look like a preacher and then you decide to become one. This is not the way to go. It is up to you to look at the gifts inside you and determine your purpose for yourself.
  5. Understand your skill level, your gifts, and your talents – God gave you certain skills. God gave you His spirit and His DNA. Everyone is wired for creating things. We call this creativity, skill sets. For clarity, if you don’t like children, it is pretty safe to say that your purpose is not working in school or working in a nursery. Purpose is in the mind of the maker (God). Ex- Bishop shares that when he was in the 3rd grade, he wouldn’t it down in school. He was always getting into trouble for being out of his seat. One day a teacher suggested that maybe he should be placed in Special Ed. They decided first to test him and to their surprise, he not only passed the test, they found out that he was gifted. His parents as a result, put things in his hand to do such as music. This gave him energy and talent. Later in high school he learned that he could write. He found out that he had a gift for writing. So now he had discovered that he could write, read and comprehend real fast, play music, and he lots of energy with the ability to balance everything. If this wasn’t enough, he learned that he could speak really well. Public Speaking instructors loved his natural ability to add dynamics to his speaking. He jokingly says that he could speak so well, he could talk his way out of a fight. As a result, he never got in a fight growing up. This was developing his skills for dealing with conflict resolution. Later he got called to preach. Now with all of these skills developed, who knew that God needed a preacher that was going to have to do 3 services on Wed, 4 services on Sunday, and be able to Pastor a 36,000 + member church that would have need of someone that could deal with conflict resolutions. Your gifts align with your assignment and your purpose. If you don’t recognize purpose, you will waste your gifts on doing something you wasn’t assigned or designed to do.
  • Everything around your purpose has need of a skill set inside of you – Ex – One day a father slips $2000 inside his son’s coat so if he had need of anything, he would have the means to get it. One day the son decides he would go out and party. As time went on, he needed another fix, so he sold his jacket in order to fund the fix. When he comes home, his father asks him where his jacket was. The son said, “That jacket was old and it fell of me on to the ground, so I just told my friend he could have that old thing”. What he didn’t know is that his father had placed everything he needed inside that jacket and he just gave it away. Don’t look for stuff out in the world. Everything you need, your Father has placed inside of you.
    1. What‘s your skill, what’s your talent? If you are not good at math, then you won’t be a wealth manger. Your skill will always align with your purpose.
  1. Identify the type of impact you want to be in the world – There is a problem in the earth and you were born to solve it. The cure to cancer is already inside somebody right now, they just haven’t discovered their purpose yet. The person that found the cure to polio was put here to find that cure. Even the glasses that we wear were a result of somebody finding and living in their purpose.
  2. Strive to leave a legacy – As you search for a purpose, you got to leave a legacy. You got to be significant. You need to leave a legacy behind. Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Inc., is an example of a person who lived in their purpose and left a legacy. One responsibility of living in your purpose is to leave a legacy. What will you leave on record? Don’t be a one hit wonder!
  3. Connect with the individual or organization aligned with our purpose – Proverbs 27:17 (NKJV) says 17 As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. – If you’re the smartest person in the room all the time, then you are dull. You need to interact with people that are smarter than you sometimes. Iron sharpens iron.
    1. Ecclesiastes 4:9 (NKJV) says 9 Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. – You need people walking with you that help you affirm your purpose. You do not need to associate with people that will move you away from your purpose. Ex – Bishop Walker shares that when he first decided to be a Pastor, he had applied with a church in Smyrna TN. He felt like he would get this job real easy. He had preached there a couple of times, so he felt pretty confident. To his surprise, he was turned down, but look at what God has done since then. God aligns you with things that affirm your purpose. God will align you with a place that can use what your purpose has to offer.
  • You got to depend on God’s plan. Job 42:2 (NKJV) 2 “I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.
    1. Jeremiah 1:5 (MSG) says 5 “Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you.
      Before you saw the light of day,     I had holy plans for you: A prophet to the nations—
      that’s what I had in mind for you.” – Jeremiah was young when God told him to be prophet to the nations. He was upset that they would not listen to him.
    2. Psalm 139:14-16 (MSG) 13-16 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.

7 states of purpose

  1. Predestined – Before your mother and father got together, got knew your purpose.
  2. Passion – When you are born, you are born with a passion. As you mature, your purpose gets more focused.
  3. Preparation – Wherever you find passion, there has to be preparation. Your passion can’t be zeal without knowledge. Your passion ought to make you prepare. Your preparation sets you up for
  4. Position – Once you are prepared, positions open up. Even heaven is a position for prepared people. You never have to worry about position if you are
  5. Provision – God funds purpose. There are many of you that look at careers. You are chasing money, but when you are in your purpose, money will chase you. Your job won’t take care of you. Your job is just seed to sow. In purpose you will always have more than they pay you.
  6. Producing – Your blessing doesn’t ascend and descend. You simply reset. Look at Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry. Tyler Perry went from plays, to movies, to building his own studio. Your job doesn’t define your purpose. In purpose, you keep recreating yourself.
  7. Perspective – We are humble, because we know we don’t deserve it. Everything I have and everything I am, I owe to God. Always be willing to share with somebody the strategies and tools that God has given you, in order to help somebody else. If God can’t get a blessing through you, he will stop sending blessings to you!whyamihere
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How To Study Pray and Win Part III, Bible Study 9/21/16

Posted on October 4, 2016 by growintheword

studypraywin

Part III

“How to win”

Synopsis of Bible Study 09/21/16

Delivered by Bishop Walker III

 

When we talk about winning, our minds usually go back to something like competing in a game. In this lesson, we will be coming from the perspective of winning spiritual warfare.

In Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV) it says 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,[a] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.– We here this scripture a lot and we often associate it with some mystical spirit of warfare in the spiritual realm. Think about this: There were spirits from the beginning of time were under Satan. These spirits need willing vessels to go into so that they can leave collateral damage. The idea behind this is, if they can infect a willing vessel (especially one that is doing God’s work), then they can affect many.

Know that there is no collateral damage in low places. If you are already low and running with Satan, then there is no reason for Satan and his demons to enter you. Satan as a serpent tempted Eve (who was in a high place) which resulted in damage to mankind. Satan is looking to use you and me to cause collateral damage, because he is too cowardly to cause the pain and destruction himself. Therefore, he sends spirits to deal with people in high places.

You have to be trained in warfare

There are moments in battles that you will have to strengthen your weaknesses and your strengths. There will also come a time where you have to sharpen your sills. Know that you are not training for your current battle. You are instead preparing for the battle up the road.

This is no play thing. This is real warfare! Usually our warfare starts whenever elevation takes place. When you are elevated or promoted, this is when the attacks start. Matthew 4:1 (NKJV) says 4 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  – Notice that the word “Spirit” is capitalized here. This means God. So God allowed Jesus to go through warfare, because He was preparing him in his human condition, for battling demons up the road.

The question then becomes; why are we subjects? It is because the devil knows what our up the road is going to be like. He knows what God has desired for our destination.

 


 

  1. Understanding spiritual warfare

 

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (NKJV) says  4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, – The weapons of our warfare are not carnal.  Carnal refers to the things that you and I have a hard time dealing with, such as generational curses for example. When you get truth (the word of God), your imaginations cast down arguments to go against that truth that you have received. One example of this would be the doctor telling you that you are sick, and you start preparing for your funeral. Satan knows that if he can make you argue against the truth, you will be unstable.

 

  1. We must put every thought under arrest. We have to own our thoughts and not let our thoughts own us.
  2. We have to learn to use our weaponry. Spiritual warfare manifests like this: Some you see and some you don’t. Some is obvious and some is not.
  3. If you had a genuine conversation with someone that has been attacked by the devil, and you would learn their life story, you will find that the devil found an access point during their pain. When we avoid dealing with our pain, then we cause the devil to have an access point within us.
  4. Don’t underestimate the threat of the enemy – The enemy hates God. His beef isn’t really with you, it is with God. Since you got on Gods side, he now has beef with you. The best way for him to get at God, is to get at what God loves and that is
  5. The enemy is defeated and he knows it, but he wants to disconnect you from God. This ain’t no game! There is a real devil! We don’t negotiate, we don’t meet with the devil, and we don’t just anyone lay hands on us, because we know spirits can transfer. Ex- If somebody has the flu at your church and you knew it, you would probably change your pews if they sat down next to you. If you got sense enough to know the flu is contagious, then you got to know that you can also attract demonic spirits.
  6. The devil tries to use fear to get you. 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV) says 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. – God didn’t give us fear, instead he gave us This means authority. This authority means we must not be scared of spirits. Love can beat out fear! Example: A mom can be terrified of a snake, but let her baby be cornered by a snake, and you will see that mom try and kill that snake!
    1. Sound mind – Every battle you face in your life, begins in the battle ground of your mind. Lot’s of people don’t realize that the stuff that travels in your mind can come back and effect you later. It can affect your perspective, your self-esteem, and even your perception.
    2. You got power over the enemy, but you must still watch yourself! Don’t get caught slipping! Stay on your guard, stay vigilant, and stay 1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV) says 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because[a] your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. – In researching lions, we find out the female lions do the hunting. When they hunt, they get into the brush that looks like them, because their primary weapon is camouflage. They go low and study a herd looking for someone weak or someone that isn’t focused. This is an access point. They will wait hours, stalking. They want it so bad, they are willing to wait on it.

 

The gazelle on the other hand has seen their cousins or brothers eaten up before, so they are careful. They eat and look, eat and look. The gazelle is vigilant, always looking. There is, however, always that one gazelle so overcome by its hunger (it’s flesh), it forgets momentarily about the danger.

 

The lion knows he can’t run too far. He knows he has to get close enough to attack. He waits on the one gazelle that is slipping, overcome by his flesh, losing sight of his danger. We have to be like the careful gazelle. It’s not that we are anxious, we are just careful. You have to be vigilant. Ex – When Bishop Walker first became a Bishop, had lunch with Full Gospel’s Founder, Bishop Paul Morton. At the lunch, he asked him If had one statement he could make to Bishop Walker, that would contribute to his success, what would it be? Bishop Morton told him simply, “Treat everything like a threat!” In other words, we have to always be on guard for demonic attacks!

 

  1. You got to understand the right tools you have to battle with

 

Ephesians 6:13-18 (NKJV) 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— This scripture reveals the tools we need to use in our spiritual warfare. They are:

 

  1. Belt of truth – This represents the soldier’s belt (vs 14.) If you don’t understand God’s word you can’t win this battle.
  2. Breastplate of righteousness – This is armor made by God. It is Jesus that makes us righteous, not ourselves. Romans 3:10-12 (NKJV) says 10 As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; 11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God.
    12 They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.”[a]
  3. Shoes of peace (vs 15). You got to take the gospel with you everywhere you go. God chose you, because He knew you would take him with you.
  4. Shield of faith. This is the Covering for your entire body (Vs 16). It represents your faith. The larger your faith, the larger your shield!
  5. Helmet of salvation – This protects your mentality or the attacks of your mind. You can’t under estimate the power of mental health. The devil attacks people’s mind. We must know that it is ok to talk to a clinical psychiatrist that is saved to help us get over our mental issues. As Christians, we often shun therapy, because we think something is wrong with us if we can’t handle it on our own. Know that God isn’t offended if you get the help that you need. He needs you healthy!
    1. Jesus used therapy in one instance in the bible. When the Father brings his son who was demon possessed to Jesus, the first thing Jesus asked is, “how long has he been like this?” If you will notice, he asked what he did and for how long he had been that way. Jesus had to get to the root of the problem. This is some of the same questioning that a therapist would use if you came to them with a problem.
  6. The sword of the spirit. This is your offensive weapon. It is the word of God. It means that you don’t react, you act. We speak the word over our lives and over our family’s life in order to cover them. When you know the word of God you will triumph over the enemy. Matthew 18:18 (NKJV) says 18 “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

 

  • Additional tools you can use to handle spiritual warfare

 

  1. Pray in the spirit. Jude 20 (NKJV) says 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, – Praying in the spirit is important. It is a level of focus and worship. This is something you can’t be taught. This comes with a deep relationship and communion with the Lord.
  2. Time for worship. Hebrews 10:25 (NKJV) says 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.- You’ve got to come to church. Some people have to work, but if you are not working, you need to come to church. This is how you deal with warfare. When you come to church, you can get encouragement from the saints, you can get a tailor made word from God, and you experience the presence of God through worship.
  3. Corporate prayer – This means that you understand the power of numbers. Matthew 18:19 (NKJV) says 19 “Again I say[a] to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. – When you read acts 12, you will discover that when the saints came together and prayed, Peter was released from prison. When you come together and pray, something happens. Jeremiah 1:10 (NKJV) says 10 See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant.” – You have to root some stuff out. You got to go to the source of stuff and root it out! Go to a private place at home and write down 3 -5 things that you feel are your greatest attacks and root them out of your life. If you do this, you will find that you will gain authority over them.
  4. Take authority over satanic attachments –Acts 16:16 (NKJV) says 16 Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. – Demons were inside of this girl though it seemed she had a spiritual gift. These particular demons had masked themselves as something of Lord. Peter was annoyed at this, because of his anointing. When you are anointed enough, demonic spirits will annoy you. He took authority over these demons and cast them out of the girl which angered her masters greatly.
  5. Learn to stand above the attacks of the enemy. Colossians 2:15 (NKJV) says 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. Ephesians 1:22 (NKJV) 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,

Conclusion:

The Devil is real. He looks for access, so that he can enter inside of you. Knowing this, we must stay vigilant. We must put on the whole armor of God. We can’t leave the house without our house being fully covered. God gave us not only the ability to run from the devil; he gave us also the ability to stand against him.  Things have happened in the world that makes us mad, but know that scripture reminds us that if we humble ourselves and pray, He will heal the land. This is a spiritual battle, and know that in the end, we will win!

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