THE WEIGHT OF HIS PRESENCE

When I learnt that I would be speaking to day, I thought of speaking to you about raising praise to be raised. Isa 54:1 say sing oh barren woman, you who never bore a child, burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor, because more are the children of the desolate woman, than of her who has a husband.

BUT

On Wednesday we had a wonderful time in the presence of the Lord during the lunch hour meetings in the minor hall. After the meeting we were talking with Pastor Ochieng and he told me “you know this is what the young people are missing today” but it’s not just the young people but all people, white, yellow or black, men and women. People are hungry and thirsty but they are meeting their hunger and quenching their thirst on other things, things that cannot fulfill. And as Mrs. Weru said a few Sundays ago, people lives are full but not fulfilled.

As I read the 1 Samuel, I couldn’t help but shed tears. The word of God was rare those days; there were not many visions. Eli had been the priest of God at Shiloh. He was growing old. His sons had taken over as priests at Shiloh but they were evil in the sight of God. To this sanctuary a family visited every year. Elkanah and his two wives Hannah and Peninah. Driven by the fire of barrenness that burned in her womb Hannah began to call on the Lord. After years of arguing with her co-wife she realized that nothing would change unless she shifted her focus. She sought God and God shifted the weight of his presence in her favor. Eli confirmed it. The Bible says that she left the tent of meeting and was sad no more

Later she prayed,

Do not keep on talking so proudly

Or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the Lord is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed. (1Sam2: 3)

Application: Sometimes some doors are shut because God has a greater purpose in mind that we cannot see at the present. He wants to bring forth a prophet and all we ask from him is just a child. A Samuel is coming but will only be delivered as an answer to prayer. Why is that so, so that you wont treat him as a common child.

When Hannah prayed she encountered Gods presence that totally transformed her life, attitudes, mind, heart. Peninah’s antics to get to her nerves could not work anymore. She was confused. Hannah had been with Jesus/God. Hannah had been in the presence of God. Yes her perspective changed and she began to sing the Lord’s song. She conceived and bore a son, called his name Samuel, Saying, “I asked him from the Lord” and she gave him over for the service of the Lord has she had pledged in prayer to God.

Samuel grew up in the presence of God (1Sam 2:21).

Application: How many of our children are today growing in the presence of God?

The sons of Eli despised the presence of God and their fathers warning

·      They took people’s sacrifices by force

·       They slept with women in the Sanctuary.

I Samuel 2:22-25: Now Eli was very old, and he kept hearing all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who were serving at the entrance to the tent of meeting. And he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people. No, my sons; it is no good report that I hear the people of the LORD spreading abroad. If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the LORD to put them to death.

Application: are you living in rebellion against God and doing things you know are not right before God? Why should you die before your time? Quit your evil ways be reconciled to God

It was not just the sons of Eli but also the entire nation of Israel had turned their hearts away from God.

I Samuel 4:2-3: The Philistines drew up in line against Israel, and when the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the field of battle. And when the troops came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD here from Shiloh, that it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.”

When they were defeated in battle instead of seeking God earnestly they in-fact accused God of causing their defeat and presumptuously decided to bring the Ark of the Covenant in the battlefield.

They did not know that God had lifted the weight of his presence. Even when they took the Ark of the Covenant, which was the visible representation of Gods presence in Israel, nothing happened.

I Samuel 4:5-22 As soon as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded. And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, “What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” And when they learned that the ark of the LORD had come to the camp, the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before.

Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness. Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight.”

So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled, every man to his home. And there was a very great slaughter, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head. When he arrived, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told the news, all the city cried out. When Eli heard the sound of the outcry, he said, “What is this uproar?” Then the man hurried and came and told Eli.

Now Eli was ninety-eight years old and his eyes were set so that he could not see. And the man said to Eli, “I am he who has come from the battle; I fled from the battle today.” And he said, “How did it go, my son?” He who brought the news answered and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has also been a great defeat among the people. Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.” As soon as he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.

Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant, about to give birth. And when she heard the news that the ark of God was captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed and gave birth, for her pains came upon her. And about the time of her death the women attending her said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer or pay attention. And she named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel!” because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband. And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”

Ichabod

The wife Phinehas captured the moment when before she died called her son I-chabod.

Chabod-is the Hebrew word-translated glory. It means weight, burden, possessions, impressive appearance, weightiness, heaviness, splendor, magnificence, distinction, respect, mark of honor, abundance, glory and riches.

I-chabod means no weight, impressive appearance, weightiness, heaviness, splendor, magnificence, distinction, respect, mark of honor, abundance, glory and no riches

Note the glory did not depart when the philistines defeated Israel. It had departed long time ago before they even contemplated going to war.

When the fear of God ceased, when God was not being given glory due to His name. When His word/counsel ceased to carry weight in their lives. When He was not respected, not honored. That’s when the glory departed and it was just a matter of time before this manifested physically.

Application: Does God carry weight in your life? Are you leaving in total disregard of his presence and counsel? Are you compromising little by little and reasoning it out that God understands. I warn you today, you are courting an ichabod situation in your life.

Without Gods presence

1.    We may be full but not fulfilled

·      Busy building but building the wrong wall

·      Busy trying to enjoy life but end up being enjoyed by life

2.    We may have fun but will never be fired up

·      Fun is an artificial inducement to amuse from without, passion is a fire that burns from within defying and conquering the spirit of apathy or boredom

·      Fun or fire what’s your choice?

·      With Gods fire your choices and decisions generate heat that is able to conquers the cold spells of any shoulders shrug in disapproval

3.    We flee instead of fighting our enemies

·      Our faith dissolves into fear

·      We cannot hold ground against the enemy

4.    We feed on falsehood instead of the truth

·      We live in self deception

·      We lack wisdom and understanding even in very basic matters

5.    We walk with a false sense of security

·      We assume God is with us when he is not

6.    Without God’s presence we are featherweights who fall everywhere and for everything

·      Without his presence we are mere mortals, ordinary people, with no distinction, just part of the mob, just part of a crowd. We wake up in the morning, work, eat, sleep, grow old and wait to die. Life is meaningless, chasing the wind.

·      With Gods presence we are heavyweights. We determine which direction the weighing balance falls for our careers, friends, family and nation.

Conclusion

The plan of God since creation has always been to bring up people of distinction. Unique men and women who carry the aura of his presence wherever they go

What would you rather be, a featherweight or a heavyweight in his presence?

God is looking for a man, a woman, a boy or a girl.

I believe God wants to raise heavyweights in our midst. Young men and women like Samuel whose word He will never allow to fall to the ground.

 Do we have people in this place people whose hearts desire is the weight of his presence? People who are willing to refocus their lives and organize them around Gods presence and his purposes.

I Samuel 7:3-5 And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the LORD only. Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you.”

It is as we turn to the Lord that the weight of his presence will shift in our favor. We will triumph over all the forces of darkness that have held us captive.

I Samuel 7:10: As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the LORD thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were routed before Israel.

I anyone willing to turn towards the Lord in repentance...

STEP OUT: Lessons from The Book of Nehemiah

In 587 BC Judah was removed from the land of Israel and led to captivity in Babylon. Only few people remained in the Land. In 538 BC King Cyrus sent some of the people to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Nehemiah’s possible return is thought to be around 430 BC. He was the contemporary of Zerubbabel and Ezra. They share a common history. While Zerubbabel helped built the temple, Ezra brought back the Law of the Lord into Israel’s life but Nehemiah helped rebuilt the wall and make Jerusalem a secure place.

In the time of Nehemiah the nation of Judah needed a strong leadership to help them rise from the ruins of their captivity and once again assume their position as the kingdom where Jehovah God reigns. The Persian Empire helped midwife Judah’s return, rebuilding and restoration to nationhood. Nehemiah as a cupbearer to the King was stationed at Susa. When he steps out of the palace his leadership gift stands out. When Nehemiah receives updates from Jerusalem his heart is strongly stirred by the plight of the people and the city of Jerusalem. Jerusalem, the pride of Israel had now become a symbol of their shame and reproach as the people of God (the walls were broken down and their gates burned with fire). Yet in spite their condition the people who lived in Jerusalem were in a condition of passivity. They had gladly accepted the culture of the people around them and probably surrendered to their present circumstances. They intermarried and made political alliances with other nations. There was no striking difference between Israel and the other people.  Nehemiah not only steps out to build the wall but also to build the people and help them regain their identity as the people of God. He travels to Israel and rallies the people to rebuild the wall and becomes their governor.

Reading this book should arouse in us the courage, determination and motivation to confront great needs in our own lives, family, church and society. Nehemiah not only secured a permit to rebuild the wall, he helped gather resources, identified workers gifts, assigned position, confronted criticism and opposition and galvanized the people to focus on the work and complete it. 

RAISE PRAISE AND BE RAISED

1. Praise exalts God. It invites His presence and moves God to act on our behalf. When King Jehoshaphat (2Chr 20:21-22) and the entire Israelite nation faced a great army and they knew the odds were against them, they mobilized a great choir and in songs and praise marched towards the enemy. God came down in a mighty way and struck down the enemies of God and His people. Paul and Silas after a grueling ordeal in the hands of their persecutors raised praise. The enemy had completely immobilized them but forgot one of the very vital weapons in Christian warfare, their mouth. Imprisoned, their hands and feet chained (Acts 16) they began to raise praise unto God and suddenly there was an earthquake and the prison gates opened to grant them freedom. It’s impossible to hold in prison a praising soul. They have the secret of releasing every weight in their soul through praise to God and slip out of the snares of the enemy. A praising soul is an anointed soul.

2.     Praise silences the enemy and gives us strength to face the challenges of life. Psalm 8 says that God perfects praise coming out of the mouth of infants and nursing babes. Meaning you don’t need to be so experienced to praise God. If God can perfect praise out of the mouth of a nursing infants and a babe what about an adult.  Verse 2b of Psalm 8 says that God does perfect strength or praise (NIV) because of the enemy. To silence the foe and the avenger.  Your mouth is a critical weapon to defeat any enemy that rises against you. Don’t keep silent even if it appears like you are totally besieged. Raise praise and you will be delivered.

3.     Praise changes the environment around us and makes the conditions favorable for increase and harvest (psalm 67). Despising praise or Lack of it leads to barrenness (2 Sam 6:20)

4.     When people praise, their hearts are liberated from negative emotions and begin to demonstrate gratitude and generosity. That is why people who understand how the psychology of man works, when they want something from someone, they first praise the person. Men can be deceptive in their praise to you but God looks at the heart and He cannot resist a heart that is full of praise for Him.

5.     Our praise to God is an indicator of faith, hope and victory. The best way to know which team is losing in a soccer march is not to look at the scoreboard but to just listen to the fans. The losing team will be the one making the least noise.

6.     As believers we are called to praise God. We are made to praise God (1Pet 2:9).

MASTER OF BREAK THROUGH

  In most disputes over property or resources, the person who is not the rightful owner is always more aggressive. They use threats of violence, death and every propaganda machinery at their disposal to manipulate their targeted victims with the intention of moving them to submission. Their major goal is to dominate and illegally use the resources allocated to these persons for their own selfish ends. In the same way the devils desire is to keep you and me under his oppressive yoke and to manipulate you with fear by launching never ending attacks on your family, finances, health, relationships, businesses and work. Any step you make towards possessing what is rightfully yours is met with stiff opposition, even violence but thanks to God that as believers we do not fight our own battles. God does it on our behalf.

Looking at the background of 1 Chro 14:8ff, the philistines had killed Saul and His son Jonathan and the army of Israel had scattered. They fled from their cities and the philistines came and occupied them

1 Chron. 10:7 Says “when all the men of Israel …saw that they had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook their cities and fled; then the Philistines came and dwelt in them.”

The philistines stripped Saul, took his armor and cut off his head and  “…the Philistines proclaimed the news in the temple of their gods and among the people. They took his armor in the temple of their gods and fastened his head in the temple of dagon their god. (1CHron 10:9-10)

You See

1. The purpose of the enemy is to keep you under the yoke of oppression and take up all that which belongs to you

SO

When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David (I Chron. 14:8).

They came out from the five cities of the Philistines. From Ekron none was missing, from Gaza and Ashdod, from Gath and Ashkelon they marched furiously. All the rulers of the five cities of the Philistines were united. They had one mission; to completely destroy David’s kingdom before it even took root. They came strongly and courageously to plunder Israel. They were determined to deny David his rightful inheritance. Yes he had been anointed King over Israel but it was not to be given to him on a silver platter.

 Up until now (for 7 years) David was only King over Judah with his capital at Hebron. The other 11 tribes were still under the rule of Ishbosheth Saul’s son.

 After the death of Ishbosheth David was anointed King over the whole of Israel. This I believe scared the Philistines to the core. They knew it was just a matter of time before David decided to come out against them and take all that they had stolen from Israel. So they decided to do a preemptive attack. They thought they would succeed as they had against Saul. But they were so mistaken. The Kingdom was now under new management both physically and spiritually. David was King yes but Jehovah the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was now reigning supreme among His people. While the Philistines thought they were actually attacking David, they were in essence raging against God and David was His representative.

But

2. The Legacy of God’s people, has always been one of miraculous deliverance and protection.

God had spoken prophetically in years past;

Psalms 89:19-23: … “I have given help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people. I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him, with whom my hand shall be established; also my arm shall strengthen him. The enemy shall not outwit him, nor the son of wickedness afflict him. I will beat down his foes before his face, and plaque those who hate him.

The legacy of Israel was one of miraculous deliverance and protection. They were Gods prophets to the nations. So long as they submitted to God, no army however great could take them on. God rebuked nations on their behalf.

God said concerning Isreal,

I Chronicles 16:19: When you were few in number, and of little account, and sojourners in it, wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people, he allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account, saying, “Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!”

What David and Israel enjoyed is the portion of every believer in the church today.

God has set his face against your enemies. Just as he did for Israel He is the one who rebukes people on your behalf.

He is the one who commands them not to mistreat you, not to hurt you, or to take you for granted saying;  “Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!”

When he talks about my Anointed ones or my prophets here, it doesn’t mean a special breed of people, MOGs and WOGs, he doesn’t talk about apostles, pastors, teachers, evangelists. With all due respect he does not talk about Right Reverends, Bishops and Arch Bishops.  No, In David’s time it meant the ordinary Israelite and today it means the regular believer.

 He is talking about you. You are the anointed of the Lord. You are the prophet of God. God has anointed you to rule in the midst of your enemies.  You have a kingdom mandate, an assigned territory, your portion, your inheritance.  

So brothers and sisters;

3.  Through Christ You have been positioned for a breakthrough.

Ephesians 2:4-6: But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

While to mortal men death is deemed final its not so before God, God is able to kill death itself by inflicting life into it (Rom 4:18).

When we were dead spiritually God raised us up. He did not only raise us up, he also seated us together with Christ in the heavenly places.

In other words when you and I were killed by sin and deposed from our inheritance God came through Jesus Christ and inflicted the death in us with life, he made us alive and raised us up and restored us back to the throne-room where we seat alongside Jesus Christ.

Therefore God does rebuke the enemy, touch not my anointed, touch, not my crown prince!!! You are God’s anointed. You are God’s crown prince.

You are positioned in the heavenlies to rule, Stop pulling yourself down.

The enemy’s goal is to stop you from identifying who you are, the crown prince of God and knowing what your allotted territory is.  

But today even if all hell breaks loose we have a commission from God.

Today we remind him that his time is over. The inheritance is ours by divine decree. Our influence shall continue to increase whether he likes it or not.

Our commission is to occupy until Jesus comes (Luke 19:13). We will not relent. We will not live as squatters in our own inheritance. Moses told Pharaoh; we will take everything, “ not even a hoof will be left behind”

(Exo. 10:24-26). We will not compromise. That is why our prayer is ever that:

Your Kingdom come (the extend of your rule, oh God, with its power, authority and privileges come)

 because

4.   Jesus is the Master of breakthrough.

 If you don’t know how to break through from your present circumstances talk to the master. He knows how to go about it. There is no situation that is too messy, difficult, complicated, hopeless that he cannot handle.

Have you been to the master lately? Do you really know what he says about your situation? About the enemies that surround you?

His report is good. It favors you. He will break through the enemy by your hand. You are His battle-axe.

As David said, my prayer today is that we all leave this sanctuary having broken through by Gods mighty hand through every form of limitation, barrier, physical or spiritual in order to possess our assigned inheritance.

Yes we break through by Gods mighty hand. There is no principality, nor power that shall be able to stand before us.

God told Joshua

Joshua 1:3-5: Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.

 God told Joshua:

·      Every place that the sole of your feet tread, I have given you

·      Your territory shall be from….(marked Boundaries)

·      No man shall be able to stand before you

·      I will never leave you nor forsake you

I believe these too are our promises.

Are you ready to breakthrough against the battalions that have been mobilized against you?

 Don’t be intimidated by the numbers that are marching against you. Greater is he that is in you than the one that is in the world….

David said in Psalms 118:7: The LORD is on my side as my helper;

I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

The Bibles says that David

I Chronicles 14:11-12: …went up to Baal-perazim, and David struck them down there. And David said, “God has broken through my enemies by my hand, like a bursting flood.” Therefore the name of that place is called Baal-perazim. And they left their gods there, and David gave command, and they were burned.

Halleluyah!!!!

 Directly translated from the Hebrew language we can say “and David went to the master of breakthroughs and David struck them down there and he said “God has broken through my enemies by my hand like a bursting flood

He broke through them with such a mighty force that they abandoned their gods there and David burned them.

I declare that today is our day of breakthrough

 now is the accepted time, today is the day of your salvation, of your deliverance.

Yes breakthrough with such a mighty force that the enemy will abandon all forms of witchcraft and sorcery against you. He will abandon every form of manipulation against you.

The Bible says, Jesus the master of breakthroughs was manifested to destroy the works of the devil.

Breakthrough, breakthrough, breakthrough my brother, my sister breakthrough in Jesus name.

On Tithing #2

The book of Hebrews was written to clarify the impact the new spiritual administration of Christ in the church: “I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people (Heb 8:10).” Hebrews 7 addresses the topic of tithing by pointing to the change of priesthood from the sons of Levi who were allowed to collect tithes, to one after the order of Melchizedek not Aaron, where Jesus is the High Priest. This change of administration, which is superior, necessitated the change of the Law (Heb 7:12). So that the church today continues to tithe according to the law of indestructible life or what Romans 8: 2 call the law of the spirit of life. So that according to Hebrews 7:8 “In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives.” We see great significance in today’s church requiring tithing under Christ’s priesthood who is alive and rules from within the heart of His disciples to implement the law written not on tablets of stone but on their hearts.

Paul argues that grace is not a guarantee to sin (Roman 6:1). Equally grace cannot be reason enough to abandon the obligation to support God’s work through tithing. According to Calvin, grace doesn’t annul tithing even in the new order but should in this regard provide the ability from within for believers to give without struggle, as it is the intention of the New Testament.[1] The fact that the Old Testament Law is written in our hearts shows that the major difference between the Old and New covenant gravitates around the issues of obedience. The New Testament believer has enhanced ability to obey since the law is written in his heart as opposed to the Old Testament counter part, who could consider the law foreign. The New Testament believer owns the law. The Old Testament one is opposed to it.

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[1] John Calvin, Institute of the Christian Religion,