Gospel Ramah Church Sermon of the Week

When God chooses to walk with someone the state they are in does not matter. For there is something about God that is different to man. God always looks at the positive side. Thanksgiving is a function of relationship and accrued value out of that relationship. Tenacity of the love of God: 1) God perfects what he begins (Phil 1:16; Psalm 138:8). Christian faith is always under construction. 2) His love is persistent, pursuing and tireless (Exo 3:4; Judges 6:11-24). God loves even when there is no reason to. 3) God selection is sovereign (1 Cor 1:2-29; Judges 6:15). Walking with God is not about who you are but who you are with. God is always looking for what is best. Brokenness and failure need not to be final

Gift-giving, whether for pacification or appreciation purposes, is an ancient practice as old as humanity itself. But what we have never been good at is to understand the motivations and outcomes of this practice.Motivation: 1) Performance - this kind is the cheapest and easiest way to honour your God. The action is normally in response to some action that directly benefits us. 2) Person -this kind is costly as it is based on relationship and principle of honour. The action is in response to the revelation of who God is. 3) Prophetic - prayerful individuals. This kind is often is response to some divine revelation. Mount Moriah had both a rich history and a rich future. Outcomes: 1) Affluence 2) Influence.

A thoughtful person will not only recognize the active involvement of Christ in the events of her life, but will also pause and ask about the best possible way to honour Him in some practical ways. Satan has always wanted to harm you. His plans are to Steal, Kill and Destroy. Christ did more than “your Mordecai”. “Christ has always played an incredibly major role, through his providence, in the drama of your life’s experience.” Christ has: Preserved, Protected, Provided, Prospered and Promoted you. Christ deserves more honour and recognition than “your Mordecai” therefore you must: 1) Bless Him at all times. 2) Praise, pray, and pay your dues. 3) Give thanks to Him. 4) Trust, acknowledge, fear, and honour Him.

Amnesia is the inability to recall information or events from the past. We tend to try and forget the bad things that we have experienced or heard about.

God on the other hand commanded Moses and the Israelite's to remember their season in Egypt. Why would God want us to remember the difficult times in our lives? God wants you to remember the day you came OUT of Egypt. Both God and the devil want you to remember your past, the devil wants you to remember the life when you were IN a situation to make you become stressed and depressed. But God wants you to remember the time HE brought you OUT. God wasn't telling the children of Israel to remember the time they suffered in Egypt but how He brought them out. You overcome the devil through: a). The blood of the Lamb. b) The Word of your testimony. The devil knows that he can't change the work of Calvary but he can attack the word of your testimony. The devil wants to steal your testimony so that you will not overcome in future similar challenges. There are certain scars you can't afford to hide as they are your signs of victory. How can you bless the Lord at all times? You need to make a choice to bless the Lord no matter what you go through. We are like God, life and death lies in our tongue, you create your world through the words you say. Always remember that when God has seen you through one dark season, He is able to do it again and again. - You need to change your perspective on the scars you are carrying. They are evidence to show what God has taken you through. In everything you do, you need to fight amnesia and remember what God has taken you out from.

As long as you live there is hope. Jesus is our only hope. The woman had a blood condition for 12 years and thus she had limitation. The woman's limitations: 1) Physically she was weak but she pushed to meet the miracle worker, Jesus. 2) Law of Moses - she was isolated from the community. She knew that Jesus who was far away was her miracle worker. She broke all the laws and barriers set all around her. 3) Crowd all around her. 4) Jesus did not have an agenda with her but the woman had an agenda with Him. The woman touched his garments, she wanted to connect with Jesus. She was not after a miracle but connecting her life with Jesus. The woman also had assets: 1) The vision of getting better. Your sickness is a tool for God to be glorified. If you did not die yesterday your shall live to see the mighty works of Jesus. 2) Jesus passed by her area. 3) She knew how to speak in herself. She repeatedly encouraged herself and spoke positively. Speak the appropriate language for your healing. As she touched the garment of Jesus, her life completely changed.

The enemy has not defeated you, for the weapons created by creation cannot defeat the creator. Defeat causes you to settle in Haran instead of Canan. People settle for second best because of: 1) Fear - when fear comes have the courage to fight. Courage is not the absence of fear but mastering fear. 2) Fatigue - physically and mentally. 3) Failed results - failing does not make you a failure, when you fail try again. 4) Faulty confidence - do not lower your expectations. Doubt your doubts and not God. When you settle where you are not suppose to settle your brain embraces abnormality as normal. To get to where God is taking you, you have to leave things that are holding you back and be obedient to Him.

God’s blessing on your assignment will not make the work easy to do. But you ought to arm yourself with faith and perseverance to complete your God-given assignment. 1) Be diligent to get back to the Book. The real purpose of the Church in the City is Cultural Reform of Our Communities. The Church of Christ is meant to come up with solutions to complex issues of life that society is faced with. a) Guidance and b) Grounding. 2) Be diligent to restructure and work according to the Template. The power of the Church in the City lies in her capacity to operate God’s way. 3) Be diligent to celebrate your Christian Heritage. The glory of the Church in the City is fully reflected when she embraces her difference. The Church is required to adapt her methods but not to adopt the current culture of our communities. #TaketheRisktoTryAgain

It is easy to allow a delay beyond your control to become a delay of your own choosing. As you trust God and persevere in doing what He has called you to do, He Himself will provide all that you need to succeed. Four facts about God's work. God's work requires: 1) Honouring God's Cause. Doing Gods work is first and foremost a Matter of Attitude rather than aptitude. 2) Believing God's Word. God's word provides the necessary Direction and Encouragement to do God's work. 3) Relying on God's Help. Prayer is the surest expression of our dependency on God. 4) Trusting in God's Providence. Your promotion and difficulty always go together but you need to trust in God. #TakeTheRiskToTryAgain

Nothing of eternal value that is attempted for God will go unchallenged and rarely the enemy will leave any tactic unexplored in order to disrupt the work. But God’s people in every age have faced these problems and with His help overcame them. Four common tactics that cause setbacks and standstills: 1) Deceit - retarded efforts and compromised faith. 2) Discouragement and Fear - de-motivation and inaction. 3) Disorder - misunderstanding, division and lack of productivity. 4) Discredit - character assassination. The enemy did not succeed. He just delayed the work, he did not defeat it. Hence you can take the risk to try again.

One of the paradoxes of life is; if you want to overcome life’s challenges Don't Focus On Them”. Because humans have Very Little Control over many things. a) Too much to handle. b) So many needs yet so little supply. c) Very desperate situations. d) Too late to do anything and e) There seems to be no way out. However, humans have A Saviour who has control over everything. Our Saviour is: Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient. Humans have the duty to Seek, Trust, and Worship him.