Dealing with depression, Bible Study 2/5/14

Posted on February 6, 2014 by growintheword

Dealing with depression

Synopsis of Bible Study 02/05/14

Delivered by Bishop Walker III

 

Depression is something we don’t talk about much in church, but this is something we need to deal will. The Center of Disease Control states that 1 out of 10 people take medication for depression. What is it that we can do as people of faith to address mental illness particularly in the church?

I. Churches need to stop hiding mental illness

When you find yourself disillusioned, know that this could be a mental illness issue. Lots of times we gloss over this in the church and say phrases like, “We are too blessed to be stressed.” We simply put people on the prayer list and forget about it and as a result, this problem never goes away. Know that the church should be the safest place for this issue.

Lots of us are uncomfortable discussing depression and some are even afraid of mental illness issues, but know that we have to confront this issue.

II. Why discuss this now?

If you think about it, Jan and Feb can be some of the most depressing months of the year. Some reasons is because these months are the months that contain gloomy days and gray skies. Another reason is there is nothing to get exited about on January. Christmas has past and now you have to deal with the credit card bills and right around the corner is Valentine’s Day which reminds you that you don’t have anyone.

  1. Dealing with this, doesn’t mean you have flawed faith. Even in Elijah’s time, people dealt with depression. 1 Kings 19:4 (NKJV) says 4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”- Elijah prayed that he might die. Ex– C. S. Lewis, known to his friends and family as “Jack”, was a novelist, poet, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian, and Christian apologist. C. S. Lewis, became outgoing after his conversion experience and he really had to work hard to get through his depression. Through his working through his depression,  an author Armand M. Nicholi wrote a book called” The Question of God” (link goes to book sample) where he places arguments of C.S. Lewis and another author by the name of Sigmund Freud about the questions of God . Nicholi remarked that “God could not give us happiness outside himself.” In other words, he was saying you can’t be happy without God. Nicholi also said “depart from pleasures.”  He submitted human beings weren’t supposed to be happy. CS Lewis concluded that “True happiness was things that money couldn’t buy.” If you set yourself on the pleasures of life, you can set yourself up for depression.
  2. B.      The bible gives a great array of people that suffered depression. David, Elijah, Job, and many others battled with depression. There are people reading this that have suffered from depression too. Remember 1 kings 18 when the woman gave Elijah her last meal, but never ran out? She had been depressed and had planned to eat her last meal and die. Elijah was hated so much by Jezebel who plotted every day to kill him and it finally got under Elijah’s skin. He felt like his life’s work was hopeless and that all his work had been done in vain. No one but God knew that he was depressed. God finally talked to Elijah and let him know that he knew what Elijah had been feeling, so he affirmed him. Ex- Bishop being transparent:  In 2005 on Jan 17th, Bishop watched his first wife die! He remembered running to the window screaming and not knowing what he was going to do. After the funeral and after he came back from vacation, Bishop filled his schedule with everything he possible could. Whenever he was not booked, he would come home and sit in dark and he found himself setting the table for two people for 8 mths. The point is, Bishop had become depressed and didn’t even know it. Here he was a Leader dealing with depression. You must know that depression hits the pulpit and stretches to the back door of the church. No one is exempt. Bishop was anointed and he had faith, but still he experienced depression.
  3. A.      There is a reason. (NKJV) Proverbs 13:2 says 2 A man shall eat well by the fruit of his mouth, But the soul of the unfaithful feeds on violence. (NKJV) Proverbs 18:14 says 14 The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, But who can bear a broken spirit? – Job going through job 7:6-11 (NKJV) Job 7: 6-11  say 6 “My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, And are spent without hope.7 Oh, remember that my life is a breath! My eye will never again see good. 8 The eye of him who sees me will see me no more; While your eyes are upon me, I shall no longer be.9 As the cloud disappears and vanishes away, So he who goes down to the grave does not come up.10 He shall never return to his house, Nor shall his place know him anymore.11 “Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. – When we become depressed, we lose hope. When you lose hope, you see no end to your problem. Hope is a bi-product of faith, because faith is the substance of things hoped for. The word of God is placed in my life, to produce faith. When the devil attacks my faith, he is s trying to get my hope.
  4. B.      Wavering in my faith is ok, but the question becomes when? We wonder in our faith is God going to heal us. Will we survive? The hard part is the level that comes after faith. This is called hope. We wonder here does God even care. If God doesn’t care, no one cares, so what is the reason for hope even existing? Once you lose hope this is point where the razor ends up on your wrist or the bottle is in your hand.

III. What does the bible says about depression?

It is at this point, that you are in a hopeless place. This is when you are most vulnerable.(NKJV) Ephesians 6:11 says 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,t against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. – This is why the God says put on the whole armor of God. Your faith is no longer cognitive at this point. It becomes a spiritual battle. When we fight in the sprit realm, we fight above our mind. The devil is looking for access. If we don’t guard our feet, they will lead us to places we don’t need to be. If we don’t guard our loins, then we connect to people we shouldn’t connect to and start producing dysfunction. If we don’t guard our hearts, we start believing in all the wrong things and if we don’t guard our head, we will not believe who we are any more. The devil is always looking for places to get in. (NKJV) 1 Peter 5:6 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because e your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. – Know that every day, you are being stalked by demonic forces, looking for an opening. Every day you are being stalked.

IV. Where is the first place you should go when you feel depressed?

 (NKJV) Matthew 11:28 says 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. – This was Bishop’s problem when he experienced depression. He had spent the last 10rs yrs growing the church which was approximately 17,000 members at that time. He was in the word preaching for others and he stopped studying for himself. One night, he was in room by himself. God began to call him and assured him that he missed him. The problem was, Bishop needed to reconnect to God. God says to Bishop he will give him something he hadn’t had in years. This something was rest. Bishop had been sleeping, but he had not been resting. God says come unto me all who are heavy laden and he will give you rest.

 (NKJV) Philippians 4:7 says 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.- If you think about it, most things that got you depressed in the past, entered through your heart or your mind. We must guard our hearts and our minds.

V. Where else should you turn when you are discouraged

 (NKJV) Ecclesiastes 4:10 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up.11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone?12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken., (NKJV) Proverbs 27:10 0 Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend, Nor go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity; Better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.- God put people into your life for a reason. God says don’t abandon these people, because he put them there for a reason. Don’t put yourself in isolation. The roaring lion goes about seeing whom he may devour. Ex – In the Wild Kingdom, Buffalo work together. Buffalos move together and hang out together. If they catch a lion by themselves, they will kill the lion. They take all their rage caused by other lions, out on that one lion that is caught alone. The buffalo target the weakest in the herd and they get them confused, so that they can separate them from the herd. Much like this, the devil knows that we are a force when we are together (with other church members), but he knows if he can cause enough confusion, he can isolate you to ultimately devour you.

 

VI. What else does the bible say you do to help depression  

You got to learn to laugh – (NKJV) Proverbs 17:22 says 22 A merry heart does good, like medicine,f But a broken spirit dries the bones.– You can’t sit around and frown more than you laugh.  People ask often how Bishop Walker integrates his sermons. His answer is, he injects humor. People don’t laugh enough now days. This scripture says if you don’t laugh, you will dry up. If you are happy and have frown marks, then you frown too much. Ex- Bishop was preaching at a church. He came out to sit in pulpit, before having to deliver his message. The Pastor of this church is friend of Bishop and he has a Pastor Emeritus that sits in the pulpit every Sunday. The problem is, he has gotten so old and he has lost all of his pulpit etiquette now. For example, he talks loud while in pulpit now. It is often loud enough for the congregation to hear what he is saying. Right before Bishop gets up to preach, the Mime Ministry comes out and the Pastor Emeritus asks the Pastor, “What them clowns doing in here? Ain’t no clowns in the bible?” Bishop lost it! The point is, it’s ok to laugh. If you don’t laugh, the enemy attacks your spirit.

Jesus understands our weakness. (NKJV) Hebrews 4:15 says 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. (NKJV) Isaiah 53:3 says 3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. – Jesus experienced the same things that we do, so he identifies with us.

VII. What do I do with my past mistakes, what does God promise to do?

Everything that happens, you blame on something you did in the past. Know that you have been forgiven. God doesn’t punish you for things you have done in the past. You are free from the penalty of sin. (NKJV) Luke 11: 9 – 10 9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.– Go to God! Stop running to the people whose life is in worse shape than yours.

It is ok to get a spiritual counselor- Pastors are not trained in counseling. They will hear you out, tell you what the bible says about your situation, and if still not resolved, they will refer you to a spirit counselor. Get a Christian Counselor!! It is ok!

VIII. What does God want your mindset to be?

In the bible days, there was martyrdom. Nero took great pride in killing Christians. Some were crucified upside, rolled down hills, burned at stakes, and fed to the lions. Can you imagine what these folk left thought after seeing what happened to fellow people in the ministry? (NKJV) James 1:2 says 2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 for you know that gthe testing of your faith hproduces steadfastness. 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. – You are going through this in order to become whole. (NKJV) Philippians 4:11 says 11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christh who strengthens me. – In other words, I’ve learned how to drive with gas the light on. I’ve learned how to keep wearing the same pair of jeans and just changing shirts. When you are content, you are not guilty of the sins of comparison.Psalms 37:7 says, 7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. – You have to stay in God s word and be content. Comparison will drive you into depression.

In conclusion, we leave you with a  scripture that sustained him through his depression- (NKJV) 1 Peter 5:10 says 10 But mayf the God of all grace, who called us g to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.– Perfect in this scripture means mature. May it establish you after you have gone through it. 5 yrs ago, what you have gone through would have broken you, but you are stronger now! You have to come to a point that you are settled in your spirit. You have to say, “I don’t know how or when, but I know who is going to make it happen.” This is when you have come to a place where you have choose to confront depression! It is when you know who is in control that you will overcome our depression!

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Living a life of purpose III, Bible Study 01/22/14

Posted on January 23, 2014 by growintheword

 

Living a life of purpose III

Synopsis of Bible Study 01/22/14

Delivered by Bishop Walker III

(NKJV) Ephesians 2:10 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

God put everything in you that you need to fulfill your purpose. Having said this, know that you weren’t born lazy, you just became lazy. You weren’t born trifling, you just became trifling. You have to live then a life that is pleasing to God

Spiritual gifts are God given capacity to Christians to carry out the functions of Christ. When you understand what your spiritual gifts are, this will help you carry out Gods goals, makes you aware of your location or position, helps your decision making, and more. 

You have to find your gift

In order to do this, you have to make an assessment of your life. (NKJV) 1 Corinthians 12:5 says 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. – We have to understand that the body is full of many different gifts and we must also understand that our gifts were given to us by God.  If we be honest, sometimes we ask God why he didn’t give us a gift like the one somebody else has. We have to know that God knows exactly what to give you, because he knows you and he knows your capacity. God knows what we can handle.

Your gift must be developed once it is identified – (NKJV) Romans 12:4-8 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. – One of the things that are fascinating about Paul’s writings is Paul uses anthropomorphic imagery. In other words, Paul uses human anatomy to explain things. Paul says each part of the body effects the others, so each part has to do what it was designed to do. Ex- Ever woke up from a sleep and everything woke up but your foot? It is not that your body can’t move, but because your foot won’t wake up, you aren’t able to move at the pace that you were originally designed to move. Just like this, when you sleep on your gifts, you hinder the whole body. You can’t operate in the way that God intended for you to move. No part of the body is insignificant. There is no part of your own body that you feel is so insignificant enough that you would want it amputated. The same then goes for the Body of Christ.

 (NKJV) 2 Timothy 1:6 says 6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. – We are here today to tell you to stir up the gift! God has given you something to do. Don’t be guilty of hindering the body by no using your gift!

How do we narrow down what our gift is?

  1. Ask what idea, things, places, or people you are most inspired by?
  2. Ask what are you most complimented on in the Body of Christ?
  3. Ask what do you often give to others?
  4. Ask what do others look to you for?

Exploring areas of passion for purpose

No matter if you are the most reserved person in church, you have passion. (NKJV) Luke 12:34 says 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. – Another word for heart is passion. If we could snatch your phone and look at your phone log or examine your credit card statement, we could find out what your passions are. Often, a person invests into what they are passionate about.

Passion can be misguided. Every day you wake up, there is a competition in the spirit realm for your passion. Every day you wake up, the spirit realm is petitioning for your passion. In fact, there are lots of drug dealers on the street that could be CEOs of corporations right now. They are passionate people, but darkness has their passion. The devil wants your passion. You got to learn to put your passions towards the things of God. Remember Samson had passion that was misguided and he ended up with a haircut from hell!

When passion in line with purpose, it indicates that your first passion has become God. People whose first passion is not with God are confused at why you are not passionate about them. This is because you are only passionate for people whose first passion is with God too. If you ever let a person become your first passion, then you become one who is easily let down. God never lets us down!

When you discover your passion, you have to ask these questions:

  1. What is it that I love doing (in the spirit) that keeps me up all night long?
  2. What brings me the most joy?
  3. What do I do, when I lose track of time? Note: Video games don’t count!
  4. What is it that I would do even if I am not paid for it?

You can’t burry what God has given to you. There is great treasure in you!

 (NKJV) 2 Corinthians 4:7 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.-  Treasure buried becomes dormant and does not expand. We then must allow treasure to be cultivated by the spirit of God inside of us. We are nothing but a collection of dirt. God says he will put this treasure or gift inside of us and allow this imperfect person to perform that gift (his gift) and that it still comes out perfect. We often miss benefiting from some gifts, because we get caught up in a person’s vessels. Sometimes, we are amazed that God will choose us to do great things through us as flawed as we are. The gifting and the anointing that flows through you confirms that God puts treasure in trash!

How do we nurture this treasure?

  1. Never think of speak negatively about yourself in a way that puts you in disagreement with God.
  2. Meditate on your God given strength and learn to encourage yourself.
  3. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else. Know that you are unique. Be who God made you to be. Stop committing people plagiarism. Coby Bryant wasn’t trying to be the next Michael Jordon, he was trying to just be Coby. Understand who God made you to be. God made you to be original. Why are you trying to be someone else? Don’t minimize yourself based on someone else’ gift.
  4. Don’t focus on your limitations.
  5. Find what you like to do, do it well, and strive for excellence.
  6. Have the courage to be different. Don’t be a people pleaser.
  7. Learn to handle criticism. Don’t be so thin skinned. Remember when Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended on him and voice came from heave saying “This is my beloved son of whom I am well pleased” The voice of God said he was pleased with Jesus, yet his haters still hated on him! If they hated Jesus after that, what makes you think that people won’t hate on you?
  8. Determine your own worth instead of letting others do it for you. Walk into the room like you supposed be there. Act like you got it, even if you don’t. Walk in confidence!
  9. Keep your shortcomings in perspective. Know that you are still a work in process. – You think God is going to punish you for things you done three years ago? God is not like that. God is a forgiving God.
    1. Focus on your great source of confidence – which is God. (NKJV) Matthew 25:24-30 (read) 24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’

26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.

29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ – Many of us are guilty of sitting on our gifts. How would you feel if your Pastor got up one Sunday morning and said he didn’t feel like preaching and then passed the mic to one of his associates? What if he did this for six weeks straight? You might understand at first, but eventually you would feel a certain way about this. It isn’t because you are hung up on the Pastor, it would be because you would feel that you have been deprived of his gift. After all, you probably joined that church, because of the gift that is flowing through that Pastor. Keeping this in mind, you must know that Pastors feel the same way about its members. When you just attend church and leave and never share your gift, then you are depriving the ministry of your gift. There is something that you are supposed to deposit in the house to bless the Body of Christ.

 

 (NKJV) Ephesians 4:16 says 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.- Every part of the body has a responsibility to do its share. This means if one person has a gift such as an arm and another had a gift such as a hand, then they have to learn to function together. Say another person has a gift such as a mouth. If the body was to go and eat, we are all depending on the mouth gift to work. If the mouth refuses to open and chew, we can’t eat. Aside from that, if we go to eat and the hand and the arm are at odds with each other, then we can’t eat still. We would depend on them to put the food into the mouth. If they are not getting along, it’s not just a spat, its one part of the body hindering the whole body. Same scenario as stumping your little toe. Everything has to be in sink. It is like the left leg and right leg being at odds with each other. If the left leg wants to leave and the right leg don’t won’t to move, then the body can’t move. When gifts don’t want to flow, you put a strain on the whole body. If you get upset at someone in your house and everyone is paying ¼ of the bills, then we are in trouble at rent time. If 3 have to pay for what was designed for 4 to pay, it puts a strain on the remaining 3. It’s not how many you can count, it’s how many you can count on!

Maximizing your gifts

 (NKJV) 1 Peter 4:10 10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God., (NKJV) 1 Corinthians 12:13-14 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink intoq one Spirit.14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.- God gives you have capacity to handle what he has called you to do.

How do we maximize our gifts?

  1. Got to be faithful in little. Small beginnings lead to bigger things. God wants to know he can trust you with little before giving you a lot.
  2. Be diligent in your gifts. (NKJV) Proverbs 22:29 29 Do you see a man who excels in his work?
    He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men. – You can’t go through seasons of vacillating.
  3. Overcome your failures. You got to pull yourself together and realize that you are a champions. Know that you going to mess up sometimes, but this doesn’t make you a failure.
  4. Avoid procrastination. (NKJV) Proverbs 13:4 4 The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing;
    But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich. – You have to overcome the spirit of procrastination. Do things when they are due. Ex- If you put of answering email, you will have a pile that you can’t answer in a very short time. Do it now!
  5. Seek encouraging surroundings. Surround yourself with people that are encouraging. (NKJV) Proverbs 23:7 7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, But his heart is not with you. – Some people make you want to start drinking, when you’re not a person that drinks. They just simply drain you. Get negativity out of your life!  Say this to yourself, “I am the average of the 5 people I spend the most time with.”
  6. The outcome of your gift must glorify God first. Everyone wants fame and popularity. This is why reality TV has gotten so popular.
  7. Know it is about the grace of God; it is the grace of God that allows us to do what we do. When you walk in purpose, there is a certain grace about it. Somebody will see you take on a crisis and say “Boy you’re a good one”. Ex- Every time you go to pick up your child from the daycare center and see all of the workers working with all those kids, you ought to think it is amazing that they can do this. Most people can’t handle their one kid and these people are handling 20, 30, or 40. This is why God puts into you what you need, in order for you to do what he has called you to do.

 

Ask God to give you the grace to do what you do…

 

 

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Living Life of purpose, Bible Study 1/15/14

Posted on January 16, 2014 by growintheword

Living life of purpose II

“Let nothing hold you back”

Synopsis of Bible Study 01/15/14

Delivered by Bishop Walker III

There is something that we got here on earth to do. That thing is called purpose. When we are in purpose, we are born, and then we are walking into something God has ordained for our lives.

Purpose is the path towards destiny

Destiny is destination, the end result, arriving at that place! For example, we all want to reach heaven, but we also want to have destiny here on earth too. We don’t just want pie in the sky, we also want ham where I am. We have to learn to walk it out and not allow hindrances to take us out along the way.

When walking in purpose, there are constellation prizes along the way, but don’t be fooled! Wait on the prize!  (NKJV) 2 Timothy 4:8 says 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.- At the end of our journey, we will receive a crown signifying that it is finished. In like manner, we have to make sure we finish our purpose. At end of our journey, we have to know that we have fulfilled what God wanted us to fulfill.

There are days that you lose your zeal. In other words, you get up and don’t feel like doing anything. There has to be something within you that makes you want to move and to work it. (NKJV) 2 Timothy 1:9 says  9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,. – God saved us for purpose and gave us the grace to walk it out.

It takes grace to walk out purpose. Only God can give you this. Know that God will never aim you toward what he didn’t give you grace to walk towards. (NKJV) 2 Peter 1:5 says 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,- When you get in purpose, you don’t just exist, you live.

With life comes precious promises. There are promises God makes to you along the path towards your destiny. Just reflect on what God has shown you. There are promises in your life that reminds you that God is going to do what he said he was going to do. Even scripture reminds us “… that thing he promise you, he will do until the end of time.” Scripture also promises that “… they that wait on the Lord will have their strength renewed if they don’t faint.” These are all promises. When you understand the promises of God, you don’t let things in life detour your form your destiny.

How does this manifest? Ex- Someone gives you $100 to go to Wal-Mart. You can’t cash it there and they tell you that you have to cash it or deposit the money into your account and then come back. See the check is only a promise from the someone that gave it to you. When the check is validated, then it becomes truth. Just like this, we have to take God’s promise and employ our faith to that promise. When we make a faith exchange, we are able to receive the promises of God. We don’t just talk about what God is going to do, we believe it!

What is keeping you from your purpose?

Is it fear, complacency? What is it? It takes a kingdom perspective. The kingdom of God is God’s way of doing things. If it is a kingdom agenda or idea, so we can’t personalize the attacks we are going through. We have to realize that what we are going through is much bigger than us. It is not all about us. Jesus says what has happened to us, has already happened to him. It is about something much larger than we are. It is about then Kingdom perspective.

 God give us benefits. (NKJV) Psalms 68:19 says19 Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation! Selah – God will give you the wherewithal to achieve what he wants you to achieve. We have to start giving God glory for these benefits!

There is a process

  1. 1.       Based on our experience with him, we ought to have hope. 5 (NKJV) Ephesians 2:5 says 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),- Through salvation, we are saved and have hope. If you look at what you used to do (and some of it was pretty bad), then the Lord saved you. This means God believed in you, when you didn’t believe in yourself! You were saved by this hope. When think about where you should be, then you should be full of hope.
    1. a.       Some say God was at his best at creation of the world. Some say God was at his best when he split the seas. Some say He was at his best with Daniel in the lion’s den. Some would say when Jairus’ daughter was raised from dead, but some can say God was at his best when he saved them!
    2. 2.       Trials are going to come – Once you get that word, it produces hope, and Satan wants that word. Jesus gives a parable of the seed sewer whose seed fell on hard ground, soft ground, thorny, and good ground. The point is, there will be those that will receive the word gladly, but the devil will try to put them through things to make you doubt Gods word. The devil will say things like, “You went to church, but you still broke!” or “You went to church and you’re still sick!”
    3. 3.       You got to hold on to your hope.  (NKJV) Acts 14:22 says 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”- You got to go through to get to. We wish we could say it will be a trial-less journey, but God wants to know if you will make him look good going through, before you represent him, when you get to.
    4. 4.       You got to continue in faith – This challenge is major decision time. Here is a scripture that keeps Bishop going when he gets weary and feels like he can’t go on.  (NKJV) Hebrews 10:35-36 says 35 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: – Don’t throw away your confidence! You got this! Don’t throw away this word! Why are you going to throw this word away, just because the devil made you think you are done? Hold to this word! This is your confidence!
    5. 5.       After receiving the will of God, I have to still go to work. – If you don’t do the will of God, you will never receive the will of God. Ex- There was a man in an airport. At the gate, they said they were going to reroute the passengers to Baltimore. This one dude went at it with the Gate Attendant over this reroute decision. While he was doing that, the line was getting longer and longer. The line kept moving while the guy continued to argue. Soon, most of the people in the line were seated on the plane. Finally, the plane took off. The people in the line got on the plane and took off while the guy was still arguing with the gate attendant. The point is, while the guy was arguing, the plane took off and he missed his destination. In like manner, if you sit there with God, complaining that it ain’t fair, you will never get to what God promised you. You can’t go through life bitter, because things didn’t work out like you planned. It doesn’t matter how long it takes, at least you’re moving in the direction of your destiny. (NKJV) Hebrews 12:12 says 12 Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees,– Strengthen your hands! You need start looking like what you are going to. We should be able to look at you and tell where you going. In the world people could look at you and tell you were getting ready to go out. Point is, what you look like, ought to indicate your destination. Ex- Royce and Bishop were in a cold city. They had been out all night at church. The church fed after service and this made them get back to the hotel late. It is real cold! The next morning they got on the plane to come back to Nashville. Even the plane was cold that day. Trying to get back to Nashville, they were sitting wait for the plane to depart and this dude gets on the plane with shorts and flip flops on. The majority of the plane is going to Nashville, so everyone is tripping. What Bishop and the other people didn’t know was this guy was, although they were going to Nashville where it was still cold, this guy was on his way to Ft Lauderdale. This guy wasn’t paying attention to those talking about him, because he refused to let people that were not going to his destination, effect where he was going. In like manner, don’t let your haters, frustrate you from your destination. Keep your destination on your mind.

You got to maintain your zeal.

There are moments you have those days. Sometimes you want to revert back to your Peter days and you want to cut somebody’s ear off! There comes a point where you have to say, who shall separate us from the love of God (NKJV) Romans 8:35 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?- The enemy is trying to separate you from that thing (purpose), so he can separate you from Christ. To give up on your purpose, is to give up on the one who saved you for that purpose.

Remember you are more than a conqueror. The fact we overcome, means that we have already overcome some things!

When you first start off, there are several attacks you will experience.

  1. 1.       1.The initial blow – When God says he is going to do it, he is going to do it! Ex- When a receiver is getting ready to run a route, he may receive an illegal hit. This hit is designed to detour the receiver from running his planned route. He has to shake the illegal hit off and run the route he was chosen to run! To fail to do so, can cause the his purpose to fail.
  2. 2.       When you truly understand with clarity, you see clearly that this is kingdom assignment, and that this is bigger than you, you will then become irritated with people in your life that is not going where you are going. You will begin to wonder why you are carrying around this dead weight.
  3. 3.       You coast- You have little attacks, but they are not major.
  4. 4.       Now you have the major attack- How will you know that you are close to where God wants you to be? This is when the enemy throws the kitchen sink at you! The devil wants to do everything he can to mess you up, because you have survived everything that he has thrown at you so far.
  5. 5.       See it through! –

See it Through

When you’re up against a trouble, Meet it squarely, face to face; Lift your chin and set your shoulders, Plant your feet and take a brace. When it’s vain to try to dodge it, Do the best that you can do; You may fail, but you may conquer, See it through! Black may be the clouds about you And your future may seem grim, But don’t let your nerve desert you; Keep yourself in fighting trim. If the worst is bound to happen, Spite of all that you can do, Running from it will not save you, See it through! Even hope may seem but futile, When with troubles you’re beset, But remember you are facing Just what other men have met. You may fail, but fall still fighting; Don’t give up, whate’er you do; Eyes front, head high to the finish. See it through!

Edgar Albert Guest

 

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Life and Favor – Featuring Minister Royce Mosley & Mt Zion Choir

Posted on January 13, 2014 by growintheword

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