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Monday 21 October 2024

Life is a Decision

If you're going to allow Christ in your life, it's a decision

Life is a Decision.

If you're going to allow Christ in your life, it's a decision.

Behold I stand at the door and knock, if anyone open the door I will come in Rev 3.20

It's your decision to open the door.

 

Every stage of your development in God is a decision.

God won't force himself on you.

He's got more to give you than you could ever imagine.

You must decide to seek after God.

 

1 Praise and Worship is a Decision

eg.

1. King David understood this - He spoke to his soul,

The real him (spirit) spoke to that which was down

Ps103

1Bless the LORD, O my soul,

         And all that is within me, bless His holy name.

2Bless the LORD, O my soul,

         And forget none of His benefits;

3Who pardons all your iniquities,

         Who heals all your diseases;

4Who redeems your life from the pit,

         Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;

5Who satisfies your years with good things,

         So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

 

He reminded himself of all the reasons he had to praise God.

That his first duty to God was to praise with ALL that he had.

 

Ps 34

1I will bless the LORD at all times;

         His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2My soul will make its boast in the LORD;

         The humble will hear it and rejoice.

3O magnify the LORD with me,

         And let us exalt His name together.

4I sought the LORD, and He answered me,

         And delivered me from all my fears.

 

2. Mary understood the need to praise God

in her situation,  pregnant not married.

Lk 1.46/55     

46And Mary said:

         “My soul exalts the Lord,

47And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

48“For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave;

         For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.

49“For the Mighty One has done great things for me;

         And holy is His name.

50“AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION

         TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM.

51“He has done mighty deeds with His arm;

         He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.

52“He has brought down rulers from their thrones,

         And has exalted those who were humble.

53“HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS;

         And sent away the rich empty-handed.

54“He has given help to Israel His servant,

         In remembrance of His mercy,

55As He spoke to our fathers,

         To Abraham and his descendants forever.”


My soul does magnify the Lord

 

    

2 Receiving from God is a Decision

Ps 84.11  No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly

If He's not withholding and we don't have  - what's the problem?

Maybe we're not receiving.

 

Abraham had the promise of a son/heir  -  held on to it and received it

Heb 11.17       By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son,

Having got the promise keep faith and patience until you receive

Heb 10.36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

 

3 Exercising Your Faith is a Decision

Disciples in boat Jesus asleep storm

Mk 4.

35That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

39He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

40He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

41They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Note

v40 Jesus said, "why are you so fearful"

ie more fearful than you need to be

Jesus said, "How is it you have no faith"

I can’t see any faith because your fear has overtaken it. You are more fearful than you ought to be.

They had faith,  -  they believed Jesus Christ was the  Son of God

Jesus was saying,- why is it you did not believe I would save you?

They didn't use the faith they had.

Exercising your faith is a decision.

 

Faith is necessary to receive anything from God

Heb 11.6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Fear is not from God

2 Tim 1.7  For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

 

Mark 2

1 A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

8 Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? 10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, 11 “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

 

They brought in on a bed one paralysed.

Jesus seeing their faith.

How did He see it?

They did something - took action on their believing.

 

4 Doing Something for God is  a Decision

2 Tim 1

6For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

Stir up the gift that is in you by the laying on of my hands, the gift is in you, use it.

1 Tim 4

12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

Let no man despise your youth.

Don't let age or other circumstantial things get in your way of doing the will of God,  God is bigger than them.

 

Jer 1

4 The word of the Lord came to me, saying,

5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew a you,

before you were born I set you apart;

I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

6 “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”

7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.

9 Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”

 

Don't say I cannot speak

                Don't be afraid of their faces

                               I have put my words in your mouth.

 

Summary

If you've been waiting for God to do something supernaturally in your life - He's waiting for you.

Life is a decision  -  Yours

Decide to do it and Go For IT


You Need to Decide Today

1 You are going to praise the Lord

Even if:-

You don't feel like it,     

You don't understand it,

You don't want to

It's the essential 1st step in receiving from the Lord

 

You Need to Decide Today

2 You're going to receive

 

The blessing of the Lord makes rich and He adds no sorrow with it

Prov 10.22 You've resisted the blessing of the Lord because you thought it was Godly to go without. It's time to receive.

 

You Need to Decide Today

3 To use your faith

I'm going to use it whenever my circumstances look hard.

Abraham believed God he would have son/heir even though his body and Sarah's denied it.

 

You Need to Decide Today

4  To stir up the gift that is in you for God

Don't go home and say that was a good sermon (or lousy sermon).

God wants you to do something for Him, the labourers are few,  but rewards are great.

 

JUST DO IT

The days are short.




Connect with BFTF on other media. Facebook Group by Beautiful Feet Task Force Growing African Christian Leaders, https://www.facebook.com/groups/growingafricanchristianleaders Additional information about Beautiful Feet Task Force can be found here Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeautifulFeetTaskForce Africa Network BFTF: http://bftfafricanetwork.ning.com/


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