WORD OF THE WEEK from Pastor Martin

31 Oct 2010, Preserved

Praise the Lord brethren.

My message this week is from the book of Psalms 34: 19-20, " Many are the afflictions of the righteous,But the LORD delivers him out of them all. He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken."

The Psalmist is just quoting the faithfulness of the Lord. He knew that in this world, the righteous are bound to go through all manner of afflictions, but the God would deliver them from them ALL!

The word BUT and the word ALL are very important to learn in this passage. This is because most of us think God is able to redeem us from some afflictions but not others which is not true. God also does require us to have faith which is not a guarantee for lack of afflictions.  Many can testify praying for no-afflictions which might sound Spiritual but afflictions do happen as long as we are under the sun. The most important thing is to know that there is a 'BUT' after every affliction. God is able to deliver the righteous.

He makes sure that your affliction wont succeed in breaking any one of your bones. When Jesus was on the cross, they came to break His bones to make sure He died faster 'BUT' He had already given His life to His Father in Heaven. There were no bones to break! God preserved all His bones.

I really don't know what you might be going through today, but, whatever it is, God has the ability to sustain you through and after it. God will make sure that your trials wont leave those ugly marks that deforms His' image in you. Bones are everything a body needs for stability. Your Spiritual stability wont be deformed by your challenges and experiences in Jesus' name!

After you are through, many including you will wonder how you survived and whether you really went through it all. GOdf knows how to preserve. You will be preserved!

27th Sept 10', OTHER SIDE

Praise the Lord brethren.Greetings from Nairobi, Kenya

My message this week is from the book of Mathew 8:28," When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes,^[c] there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way. ²⁹ And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”

Jesus was coming from Capernaum and he told the disciples to sail to the other side. They encountered a heavy storm until they thought they would die. Jesus was sleeping on the boat and when they woke Him up, he rebuked the wind and calmed the storm. On the other side there were two demon-possessed men waiting for them whom Jesus helped deliver of their condition.

Many time we hear from the Lord, but all of a sudden there are storms on our way. Like the disciples, we think Jesus doesn't really care for us. The storm blinds us from His love and care. All i can tell you is that there is a purpose why you were heading that way. After your storm there is somebody in need. Jesus, being God had seen the plight of the two men. He knew they would encounter a storm on the way but that wouldn't hinder the divine purpose ahead.

I don't know what manner of challenge you might be going through but all i can tell you is that your help is needed on the other side of your storm. You might look needy now but be strong, there are people waiting for your victory. They need you,they need your help. Be encouraged and focused in your storm, God is with you, and will see you through to the other side of need. He will never send you where you are not needed. You are not going through for nothing, what you are learning, is an answer to someone in need. The need on the other side can only be handled by you.

Whatever it is, think of the other side!

10th Sept 10', Demotion for promotion

Praise the Lord brethren.

My Word this week comes form the book of 1 Samuel 9:3 ,Now the donkeys belonging to Saul's father Ki-sh were lost, and Ki-sh said to his son Saul, "Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys."
  This was Ki-sh, Benjamite, a man of good standing sending his son Saul to look for lost donkeys. The bible says that Saul was well built and good to look at. Something is odd with this picture, Ki-sh could have sent several servants to look for his lost donkeys but he choose to send his best son. In other words, to Ki-sh, in this instance Saul was just like any other servant! Whether it was intentional or not, this was a job well fitted for servants. I believe he had other sons and servant being a man of good standing but they were left enjoying the comfort at home while these two looked for donkeys for three days. 

  If you read the following verses, you will understand that God had already spoken to prophet Samuel to anoint Saul to be the next king of Israel. Nobody knew that Saul would return home a king! Not a servant! He became the first king of Israel in the next three days!

Many are the times in life when you feel demoted or brought to a level that you don't belong. This may happen in your financial, social or spiritual situation. You get to a point which is "donkeys' business"- toiling and struggling. I have a word for you, not all demotions are demotions! Earthbound demotion does not mean heavenly demotion. May be God is getting you to a point of listening to instructions that He may uplift you to levels that you or anybody near you have never been. The level that God has for you can't be handled with a mediocre spirit, some ignorance has to go, some attitude has to leave, your focus must be sharper, your features must now start working towards the divine purpose and greater welfare.

Saul was well built, his structure was fit for the next king of Israel. Nobody in Israel had the qualification that Saul had. God will use your demotion to promote you! You are the only one qualified for your next vacant promotion-position. For Saul, what seemed like a demotion was actually a path to promotion. You might be demoted heading for a promotion!

18th August 10' , Still covered!

Praise the Lord brethren

My message this week is from the book of Daniel 1:7,"The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego."

This was a time when the best of Judah had been taken in the first wave of captivity into Babylon. This included Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. These were wise princes among the tribe of judah. Now the King of Babylon ordered a change of their names. The king was determined to intimidate their trust in the true God at all cost. What remains after you loose a name?

I will only concentrate on Daniel for now though it was the same case to all of them. The name Daniel meant, "God is (my) judge". His new name Belteshazzar means " Bel, protect his life." What you need to understand is that Bel was a Babylonian god. This means that now Daniel was supposedly under the mercy of "Bel" but actually this was not to be the case, Daniel with any other name still trusted in his God. He later rose to become the best president in all the Babylonian kingdom. Daniel with any other name , was still Daniel! Covered against any accusation on earth and in Heaven. God was his judge.

Does anybody need a lawyer, attorney or paralegal ? check out Jesus!

I don't know what names have been heaped on you my sister, my brother, but all i can tell you is that if you continue trusting in God, He still have you covered! When the devil is at work, he starts with smearing people's names but guess what, God still knows you by the name He gave you. If He created you a winner, then that what He knows you as. Many times this world will classify people according to what they want. The world will try to fashion you according to its desire. What the world looks for is conformity.  People have been molded by situations to fit in other peoples' agenda.  Your original identity is with God alone. Nobody can alter that. Remember,the enemy can't have you unless you give yourself to him.God still got you covered, no matter what name they have given you! Still covered!

11 August 10', All day

Praise the Lord brethren

My message this week is from the book of Psalms 121:3-4 He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

This was the Psalmist then but it is the reality to this day that God who is in heaven sees every circumstance in your life. The most amazing thing is that He doesn't sleep nor slumber. There is nothing that can surpass Him. In reality, we haven't seen a being that doesn't sleep or slumber in one time or the other. Some sleep at night others during the day. But God doesn't have a night nor does He wink His eyes.He is continually watching over you and your life!

   We might think that God is hard to find but i can assure you that were it not that He is watches over you and keeps you, you wont be here. When situations come, we sometime think they are new to God, we think He might have been unaware why things happened the way they did. All i can tell is that there is nothing new under the sun. To God whatever is happening today is history. There are no surprises to God. He does not only watch but makes sure that whatsoever He promised is fulfilled. He is here to see the accomplishment of the work He created in you!

To God night and day means the same, they obey Him. Whatever it is my sister, my brother i can assure you, God is watching! To Him, time is an all day thing- no nights. Your life is under His care all day long.

27th July 10', Just one

Praise the Lord brethren

My message this week comes from the book of Genesis 1:27, " So God created man in his own image,in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."

The first thing to note is that man was not manufactured but created. He wasn't just created but in the image and likeness of his God! After God made man, He didn'tget tired and got man into a  photocopy machine to fill the earth. He ordered a process through birth that would bring very diverse and unique beings into the earth. The best thing about this is that each person that would be born into this world would be in the image of God but not in the image of so and so. He made sure that each would be as unique and different and possible. There is only one God, unique, different, with sovereignty that can't be copied. He made you with the same uniqueness and attributes.

Dear brethren, God doesn't duplicate. Uniformity brings conformity. You are just one in this world and no one is like you. You may look somehow alike to someone but we are all so different in terms of capacity, ability, special advantages, adaptations, attitude, color, and everything else. The most sad and frustrating thing is when you try to be somebody that you are not. Keep your identity. God made just one YOU! Identity will never be uniform.

In my house i have a carpet that resembles a zebra skin. It looks as beautiful as a Zebra skin but its stripes design is just like any other that was manufactured at its time. I know that if it was a real Zebra's skin, then there would be no other stripe design like it. Each Zebra has different stripes because it was not manufactured like the carpet but was created by God. My brother, my sister, God knows you by name, has given you enough resources to make it in your situations in life because what you can do, no other person can. There is only one you. There is a divine purpose for you in this world. God never made a mistake. He didn't photocopy you, He expect you to realize that. Be what God has made you to be and do what God has given you the strength to do.

The Just one made just one you!

15th July 10', Covered with Glory!

Praise the Lord brethren.

My Message this week is from the book of Exodus 37:1-2," and Bezaleel made the Ark of shit-tim wood...and he overlaid it with pure gold within and without..."

This was the ark of covenant in construction. it was made of normal wood but overlaid with gold. The most amazing thing is how a cheap type of wood became one of the most precious object in human history. To this day there are excavators who are still looking for the "lost Ark of the covenant". It is a precious piece of work that helped shape human history.

   My main interest is how God can take something cheap and make it the most precious thing ever. Shit-tim wood? Nobody could have thought it would become a choice of God. God does not make something out of something, He makes something out of nothing! He took a piece of shit-tim wood, overlaid it with gold and it become the most precious.

God has a way of lifting things from nothing. He is the one who gave you that life, He made man from dust, He will still take you from your 'dust' and cover you with His glory.

You may be a shit-tim wood to this world but when you are God's choice, He will cover you with glory and you will be the most precious thing that happened in your world. You may wonder what God will do to change your situation, but He knows how to cover His people with His Glory!

God's choice is not about qualification, He qualifies what He chooses. You situation might seem beyond repair, you might be the most despised person in this world, the doctors might has given up on your case, you may even have released your hope to despair but God is able to turn it around. A piece of Shit-tim wood became part of the most Holy things of God- carried the glory of God! He knows how to cover with His Glory!

30th Jun 10' Availability not ability

Praise the Lord brethren.

My message this week is from the book of Isaiah 6:8, "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

That was the prophet Isaiah at the time God was putting a new Word in his spirit and mouth. Isaiah was a man like we are but God used him mightily to speak on His behalf. He became a mouthpiece of God which even through ages, his prophecies have become the most precise ever. But a new Word needed a new level of availability.

What i was quick to note is that he was still a prophet even before the above episode but God wanted an assured availability for an assured uplifting and preciseness. I have come to realize that God works with availability not ability. As long as you are available, God will enable you to accomplish His purpose.

We ought to be in the location of God when he needs us. God can use anything as long as it is available. Many people aren't.

   When God was searching the person to speak to His people, He gave Isaiah the opportunity to avail his heart and soul for the divine purpose. After Isaiah did, God used Him mightily.

   Other times, it is not even about calling but our availability in the position of faith and believe that God can. God works with specifics. He is omnipresent but we must discern what He needs us to know at a particular instance or situation. We must be there in faith, in believe, trust and expectation. Can you surely tell God, "I am here." Are you where God wants you. Are you in default in the location God expects you?

 Maybe the things that we are looking for are already there but we need to avail ourselves for God to entrust us with them.Some of us are so busy for what God is about to do in our lives. Be there. Your God has everything, are you available to receive? It is not about your ability, it is about your availability.

15th June 2010, One thing

Praise the Lord brethren.

My message this week is from the book of Luke 8:24 "And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm."

Many are the times that we seem to want everything done. We focus so much on the results and forget the source. We worry of what will happen and never take time to know why everything is going the way it is going. So many of the time we usually miss on the principles of God. When the disciples were crying, Jesus knew what to do. He only did one thing, rebuked the wind and the whole situation changed.

   God's intervention in your situation wont require many things to be done but only one thing from Him is all you need. One miracle will stabilize all your needs. Many thought that Jesus would struggle to contain the raging storm. He never dealt with it in the way they thought, he only touched the right key - the wind.

   Many of the issues that we face, the storms that we go through and oceans of calamities that we encounter has a source. God knows the source and thats where He addresses them from.

   The solution for the bitter waters of Mara after the Red sea just required a twig to make them sweet again. God will do one thing in your life and everything else will settle down.

In that matter,family, financial, social or health issue, ask of Him and He will press the right key. He know which one it is. He only need to do one thing in your situation.

26th May 2010, Your third day!

Praise the Lord brethren.

My message this week is from the book of Jonah 2:7, " When my soul fainted within me i remembered the lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple."   

This was Jonah talking from a belly of a fish that had swallowed him. It was on the third day of the episode, three days and nights in the belly of a fish. I also remember Moses asking Pharaoh that he may release the children of Israel to go for a three days journey and worship the Lord in the wilderness. On the third day Jesus rose from the dead. Not that Jonah hadn't prayed before but this time his prayer was met by the principle of the completeness of God, the third day of God.

  In God there is a third day! Might be you have been having days in your life, may be your circumstance can be termed as days,  but the third day will come! When people go through, they forget that God is still  on the throne. When the devil plans, he forgets that God has a third day for His people. The third day is a day of remembrance, a day of resurrection, a day where confusion comes to an end and the truth is clear. It is a day when the crying comes to an end. As i normally say, this world has an end, with its circumstances too, positive or negative.

    Child of God, it is not important where you are, or what you are going through but what is important is whether God is with you. What i can assure you is that you just need to take care of the way you go through it and God will take care of what you go through. He has a day called, the THIRD DAY!

    What is not important is whatever it takes for the process, the product of God is glorious. Make sure that you have God in your boat even through the midst of the storm. Where there is a circumstance, there is a third day. Don't faint, wait for it, your third day is there!