A Fresh Awareness of God

Message shared at the Faith Ministries 40^th Anniversary 28 August 2016

A Fresh Awareness of God

Isaiah 6:3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.  (Read 6:1-9)

No doubt this 40th anniversary is a watershed moment for Faith Ministries. God is a God of seasons and times. Jesus is the reason for divine seasons. New seasons need a mark or moment that closes the previous and embrace a new.

What the Fathers share to the next generation is of crucial importance because the end is concealed in the foundation and revealed at the end.   If it is not in the foundation, in some seed or basic form, it will not appear in the end. We enjoy salvation because Jesus was slain before the foundation of the world.  Foundations are not of consequence of only in a church book. God builds on foundation laid in people's hearts. Foundations are not of consequence if only in the hearts of an outgoing generation. They need to be transferred into the hearts of the next generation. The church is as strong as the foundation laid in the people of  its generation. Each generation has the responsibility to prepare for the next’

The passage read in Isaiah 6 is an example of how God causes a stirring or divine discontent in  his people in order to produce a hunger in them to seek him for a remedy and readiness for his work. He does so by revealing himself to them. Such revelation increases awareness of who he is and his presence. It comes with a fresh awareness and commitment to his word, sharing of the gospel, worship and thanksgiving. The experience of Isaiah brings out five results of such an increased awareness.

 >>A comfort   'I saw the Lord'

Awareness of God - his goodness and power - is the deepest source of Comfort. Often the presence of a person even when the person is unable to redeem a loss brings much comfort. How much more should awareness of God to whom nothing is impossible. God is the  all comforter. The Holy Spirit is the comforter. Prophecy comes to comfort, encourage and exhort. Elsewhere in Isaiah he said ‘Comfort yee comfort yee my people (Isaiah 40)'.

Isaiah  found comfort in seeing God on the throne. The throne was not deserted and there was no panic. The same today God is in control. He is able to turn a situation around in an instant.  While many saw gloom and doom, the angels marveled about God's holiness but also about his glory on earth. Of all places could it be said that earth was filled with God’s glory. Isaiah could have found sufficient reasons to disagree. Yet the angels saw glory on earth. When you see God's glory in your gloomy situation you will find the solution for the situation. God’s glory has come in creation and Christ. Christ the hope of glory (Col. 1:27).  The glory is in you and with you despite  your circumstances.  Be they protests, structural evil, violence, human trafficking, and other increase of evil. Join the Angels in worshiping God for his holiness in order to see his glory in gloomy situations and find comfort.

>> Conviction.  'Woe Unto me'

Awareness of God causes divine Discontent. Divine discontent is a God prompted burden that relentlessly seeks relief in God. It causes a dissatisfaction with the status quo. It intersects human waywardness with God’s will. That is where conviction happens. The conviction that the best in God is yet to come.  When seeing from God’s perspective you catch a glimpse of God’s best in view of your current state. You become aware of God’s plumb line that exposes  what stands between you and God’s best.  There you realize you are work in progress. Measuring where you are and where God wants you to be. Divine discontent is God’s instrument to grow and spur his people to bring the best out of them. When teaching children to walk you hold them and let them walk on their own and you keep going further and further from them so that they can also walk further and further on their own.  Each time their fulfillment is derived from  shattering their previous record. Without personal confession of woes there is no contraction of blessing. .

>>A confession.  'for I am a man of unclean lips'

Awareness of God reveals a need for God. Unlike condemnation conviction draws one closer to God.  Isaiah agreed with God that he was work in progress. Conviction takes away complacency without bringing despondency. Confession is a mix of dissatisfaction and confidence in God’s grace and mercy. As a result he found forgiveness. Divine discontent comes from God and finds its remedy in God. It is not too late. Change is possible. The gap between your situation and God’s ideal is the door of hope in the mess.

>> A calling. 'who shall I send'

An awareness of God urges you to take action. It opens your eyes to see the need and your ears to hear his call. God worked in Isaiah in order to prepare him for the work outstanding in the harvest field.  God is on the throne and is at work in individuals first then communities. Jesus said ‘follow me and I will make you fathers of man (Mathew 4:19)’. He is looking for people who are available and obedient.

>>A Commissioning. 'Go and tell the people’

When Isaiah said ‘here I am send me’. God had commissioned him to reach out to the nation of Israel. An awareness of God makes you say yes to the call to the nations. It makes you accept the responsibility to take action to be a change agent in your time. When Isaiah asked God how long it would be, God said for as long as there were inhabitants.

We also have a commission from our Lord Jesus. 'Go yee therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father the son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have taught you and behold I will be with you always. For as far and as long as there are a still people. We have a mission to accomplish in the next season. The task is still unfinished.

Exhortation

As Isaiah may you see God on the throne. May you see his completed work and glory on earth in spite of all that is going wrong. May you see his work in progress in you and his outstanding work in  your community and your generation. And may you say yes to his call and be obedient to his commission.

  Message by Dr. Kurai Chitima.

-          Faith Ministries – Johannesburg Faith Life Center.

-          First Floor Dhando House,

-          66 Eloff Street Extension,

-          Village Deep,

-           Johannesburg,

-          South Africa 

Taking Responsibility II: Test of Responsibility

Message 7 July 2016 Taking Responsibility II:  Test of Responsibility

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (Genesis 1:28)

In the last message we saw that the first and highest responsibility is to obey God. To live for his glory and walk in his wisdom.

This message is about four things responsible people don't do. The four are tests for responsibility. Responsibility is easy to claim but hard to take. When things are not going well, people who take responsibility rise from obscurity.  Otherwise when things are going well it's hard to tell those accepting responsibility. Everyone will claim credit even when they did nothing.

1) Responsible people don't avoid responsibility

Any responsibility avoided will appear later as a ghost. Responsibility is avoided in several ways.

>> Refusing to accept blame

Aaron refused blame for building the golden calf idol (Exodus 32:21-24). Responsible people accept blame when things don't go well. When you always blame everyone else and everything else except yourself you are failing to take responsibility. This attempt to avoid responsibility is noticeable not only at personal level where for example media and  peer pressure take blame but also at corporate levels. For example, it’s not uncommon for post-independence Africa to find scapegoat for poor governance and economic performance in colonialism, the white man, sanctions and harsh environments. You will not fully do something about a situation unless you full accept blame for its unfavorable outcome. Instead of being a specialist on your past and its pain say how do I reach out to my future and its fortune despite obstacles.

>> Giving excuses

Responsible people explore ways to get things done to solve challenges. Esther almost found an excuse for not going before the king to plead for the deliverance of the Jews from being destroyed by Haman (Esther 4:8-11). But Modecai helped her realize that it her opportunity to take responsibility. She then put her life on the line and trusted in God (Esther 4:16) resulting in the nation being spared from destruction. The responsible say how can I do it, instead of it cannot be done. They say how can I afford it, instead of I cannot afford. Instead of there is a problem or I hate this, they ask how shall I provide a solution. Instead of give me, they say what can I give. Responsibility says nobody owes me anything and what I receive I don't take for granted. Appreciation is perfected when you know people did not owe you and did not have to do you anything good.

>> Failing to arrive at a decision

Indecision is common when effecting radical  change, when risk is high, when it involves tough conversations and when it disturbs current comfort and familiarity. Yet gears to the next league are however often shifted by some hard decision. Reluctance to make such a decision when necessary is unwillingness to take responsibility. Signs of this are procrastination, ducking and diving, endless research and analysis and resorting to merely watching instead of taking action.

>> Harboring bitterness and grudges

Bitterness and unforgiveness transfer the responsibility you need to move forward to your offender. When you can't move forward until he/she explains, pays or apologizes you transfer authority to him/her. You have to take the responsibility back from the offender you need it. Instead of who hurt me, ask how did I allow hurt to reach my heart. How did the hurt missile go past my spiritual defences? How did I allow it to hurt me? How did that happen? No weapon fashioned against you should prosper (Isaiah 54:17). You can't stop offence from being inflicted on you but maybe you can stop it from reaching your heart and grounding you (Psalm 119:165).

>> Passing judgement and criticising unfairly.

Being responsible involves attending first to the log in your own eye.  To qualify for communion Paul taught the need to examine oneself, not exceling in examining others (1 Corinthians 11:28). The same will apply when you stand before God. 

Instead of only highlighting how wrong they are you examine yourself by asking, could there be something wrong on my side. Also find out what is below their iceberg by asking why would they do this? When you find out what they have been through you will discover they are an opportunity for you to reach out and help instead of condemn. Ask God why am I aware of the need or weakness of others  (Esther 4:14, Titus 1:5).

2) Responsible people don't neglect responsibility

Responsibility is most visible in personal and private life. The question to ask is do you do what is right and necessary in all situations? David had the power to do what he wanted and he chose not to go to battle, chose to instead go to the roof top to watch a woman bathing, the catastrophe of his choices is history (2 Samuel 11). What you do when no one is watching is very telling about how responsible you are. Under supervision and promise of reward or threat everyone may appear responsible. Also what you do with something that does not belong to you or is shared with others is telling. Often what belongs elsewhere is neglected and abused or left unmaintained. What you do in face of a need when you don't have to do anything, when there is no direct self-benefit and when off the watchful radar of people or leaders is the test. That is when you really have a choice to just show who you are. For example, how you carry out volunteer work and whether you act with the welfare of the next generation or your neighbors’ in mind.

3) Responsible people don't abandon responsibility

You can tell who is responsible when the ship faces harsh waters and when the bus hits rough terrain. When head winds are strong and delay is long, when the pace begins to steal the peace and when answers are not forthcoming or a request is denied. The responsible people are seen by rising to the surface when things get tough. They keep going towards the goal. They know that the next generation depends on it and  somewhere someone is depending on their not quitting. The report of the spies was contagious (Numbers 13).  Divine help is not sent where you are but to your station. God visited Adam but had to call out ‘where are you?’ Storms and temptations come to move you from the station of faith and the secret place of prayer and love.

When the men of the day and the army generals abandoned responsibility of fighting the Canaanites, Deborah arose (Judges 5:7). And Barak the army general said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go (Judges 4:8).. Yes you also can help your situation (Philippians 4:13, Luke 1:37).   Jabez also helped his situation. So did Hanna. So did Bathsheba. So did the woman with an issue of blood. So did blind Bathemeus. Joseph became prime minister in a foreign land. And many others.

4) Responsible people don't deny responsibility

What do you do when you know no one saw you do something wrong but they are looking for who did it? Responsible people do not deny responsibility. Saul disobeyed God by not killing all of and what was among the Amelikites. He covered up that he spared the animals so as to sacrifice to God. He did not admit his wrong. Often something is found broken in a place where a few people have access and no one owns up. That shows failure to take responsibility. I was told the story of a man with a cell phone on a bus. The wife phoned and to show off their love he put the phone on loud. To his shock the wife asked why he had eaten the baby's porridge.  The phone dropped before he blamed the cat. The wife continued describing how it was not the first time. May the phone drop each time you want to deny responsibility. David owned up with God (Psalm 51) and picked up himself to serve his generation.

What this means for Responsible People

The future is in your hands. You can do something. Refuse to  watch your life go to waste. Refuse to allow your situation go down the drain.  What’s going on does not need to continue. What happened in the past need not recur. You can bring a full stop by taking responsibility. Unfavorable situations continue until they are stopped. You can be the first in your clan. In your family line someone was first to bath with soap, first to wear a suit, first to wear shoes, first to own a bicycle. first to drink Fanta, first to use indoor toilet, first to get a degree, first not to divorce, etc. Dare to cross the line and shatter the ceiling. Make new things happen. Moses was the one to cross the Red Sea on dry land. Everyone fell before angels but Jacob was the first to fall on and wrestle an angel. There are shakers and takers be a shaker. There are movers and mourners be a mover. There are makers and watchers be a maker.

Under God, you are your own liberator. The solution lies in something you must do. The solution is in some capacity God has already deposited in you.  If no one is willing to take responsibility for good things they will not just happen. Slavery and abuses stopped and will stop when people take responsibility. Invention and discoveries are achieved when people take responsibility. Stand up. Say something. Do something. Knock doors, Seek, search, arise and pray.

-          Message by Dr. Kurai Chitima.

-          Faith Ministries – Johannesburg Faith Life Center.

-          First Floor Dhando House,

-          66 Eloff Street Extension,

-          Village Deep,

-           Johannesburg,

-          South Africa 

Taking Responsibility I: First Responsibility

Message 31 July 2016 Taking Responsibility I: First Responsibility

For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: (Acts 13:36)

This message is the first of several on taking responsibility. It focuses on the first and highest responsibility for humanity - to obey God.

When you see a need what do you do. Do you avoid it, find excuses to justify helplessness, finger point and mourn about it?  Don't just cry and wish it away. Pick up the piece of paper on the floor, clean up the water spilled on the table, and remove the object on the road everyone is driving around.  Warn fellow drivers of dangers or pot holes ahead not of police speed traps and checkpoints. When no one is willing to take responsibility necessary good things remain undone. Do something positive about the situation in life and society. That is what taking responsibility is about. You elevate and handover responsibility to your life to whoever you blame for what happened in your life

A dictionary definition of responsibility will include - the state of having an assignment to work on something or of having control, influence, decision power over someone or something. Responsibility is accepting to be held accountable for what happens to someone or something. It is accepting to be called to explain and be blamed for the wrongs or credited for the joys that happen. Responsibility brings culpability. Taking responsibility is taking a risk. You will be the one to be rewarded or penalized for what happens. Leadership is such a responsibility. Faith is such a responsibility. Initiative is such a responsibility.

Responsibility is positive use of choice, and what you have for betterment of self, family and society. It is a positive response to a cause, a problem or need. During David’s time, when the army was trembling before Goliath of Gath, David saw a cause (1 Samuel 17:19). ‘Is there no cause?’, he asked. When he saw a cause he saw an opportunity. That is how he served his generation. He had a limited time like everyone else. The life opportunity one has  is the open window to make a contribution. The gift of time you received places a responsibility you one day will be required to account for. What are the causes in our lives, communities our generation? Let us find answers to this question and rise up to take responsibility. You have a limited opportunity to do something before you see corruption.

To serve your generation by the will of God:

1)      Obey God's Word

David was multi gifted - a prophet, king, master negotiator, chief diplomat, shepherd, anointed musician, giant killer and military genius. David took the responsibility for the betterment of his generation and applied all his multifaceted strengths to serve his generation by obeying God or by the will of God. Jesus the son of David did the same ...his food was to obey God. He was an obedient servant of God in everything even when obedience took him to the cross and to suffering (Philippians 2:7,8; Hebrews 5:8; John 17:4). He was the last Adam who succeeded where the first failed - the first responsibility test. The first Adam named animals, tended the garden and received a wife he loved but failed to obey God. It cost him his life.

 God is looking for people who will obey His will.  People who follow his word find the power to serve their generation. It matters to God how you handle and respond to his word. His word is food. Hearing it is eating, meditating is assimilation and obeying is releasing its power to execute.   Word that is spoken or acted on releases its power that created all things (Genesis 1).  We live in a time of information overload. The big question is how much of what you know do you apply. Doing the word of God is proof you love God. Jesus said if you love me you will obey my commands.  God wants his people to show their love by applying his word so that they spare him from the pain of seeing them in failure and defeat which accompanies disobedience.

2)      Do all for Gods glory

When it is out of obedience it follows that all glory belongs to the Lord. Paul traced all the evil increasing among people to a failure to acknowledge God and to glorify and give him thanks (Romans 1:21). Adam was not assigned only to care for the garden but to rule responsibly. To discover, conquer, manage, utilize, sustain and improve what he had. He was to acquire knowledge of his potential and that of his environment.

3)      Ask for wisdom

The one thing needed to responsibly use the power of choice is wisdom. Wisdom is God's word integrated into the heart, and soul. The key question KEY Q in executing responsibility is, What is the wise thing to do? David's life was characterized by wisdom. No wonder Solomon  asked for wisdom to lead God's people. He learnt the secret from his father.

And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants. 

And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him. 

Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him

continually. 

Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by

-          (1 Samuel 18:5,14,15,30)

Wisdom sources

-          Wisdom comes from being full and transformed by the word of God. God's word, revelation and insight bring wisdom.

-          Spiritual maturity comes with growth in using the mind of Christ

-          Being led by the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of wisdom.

-          James also said if you need wisdom ask from God who gives liberally.

-          Humility to have advisers brings wisdom

-          Learning from past experience are further sources of wisdom.

-          Another source is reading widely.  Choices are as good as the information on which they are based.

-          Message by Dr. Kurai Chitima.

-          Faith Ministries – Johannesburg Faith Life Center.

-          First Floor Dhando House,

-          66 Eloff Street Extension,

-          Village Deep,

-           Johannesburg,

-          South Africa 

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