THE YEAR OF DIVINE APPROVAL

⁷ “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: ⁸ “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. ⁹ Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.

Prov 16:7

⁷ When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies be at peace with him.

I.                   DIVINE APPROVAL IS BEYOND FAVOR

1.      Favor is when God likes you (loves you)

John 11:4

⁵ Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. ⁶ So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.

2.      Favor is when God Testifies of You

Matthew 11:2-11

² And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples ³ and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?... “⁷ As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ⁸ But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. ⁹ But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰ For this is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.’¹¹ “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

(Great Favor but He was still in prison!)

3.      Favor is what Noah had for a season

Gen 6:7-8

⁷ And the Lord said, “I will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. Yes, and I will destroy every living thing—all the people, the large animals, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and even the birds of the sky. I am sorry I ever made them.” ⁸ But Noah found favor with the Lord.

He had Resources

He Had Anointing (Preached)

But no Manifestation of Divine Approval…

II.                DIVINE APPROVAL IS MANIFEST FAVOR

1.      Dead things will come back to life

Luke 11:40-44

⁴⁰ Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” ⁴¹ Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. ⁴² And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” ⁴³ Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” ⁴⁴ And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”

DECREES

                        Job 2:28

²⁸ Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: And the light shall shine upon thy ways.

                       

1 Kings 17:1

And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.

Gen 27:33

³³ Then Isaac trembled exceedingly, and said, “Who? Where is the one who hunted game and brought it to me? I ate all of it before you came, and I have blessed him—and indeed he shall be blessed.”                     

2.      You will Rise while your enemies fall

⁷ A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. ⁸ Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked. ⁹ Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, ¹⁰ No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; ¹¹ For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. ¹²      In their hands, they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone. ¹³ You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. ¹⁴ “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high because he has known My name. ¹⁵        He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. ¹⁶   With long life, I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”

3.      Supernatural things will be birthed in your life

Luke 1:26-28

²⁶ Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

            Luke 1:35-38

³⁵ And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. ³⁶ Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. ³⁷ For with God, nothing will be impossible.” ³⁸ Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

4.      You will be anointed to produce

Nehemiah 6:15-16

¹⁵ So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days. ¹⁶ And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God.

a.       Angry

b.       Mocking

Nehemiah 4:2-3

c.       Conspiracy to come and fight (Warfare) – Nehemiah 4:16-23

d.       Temptation to Compromise - Nehemiah 6:2-3

e.       Lies - Nehemiah 6:5-9

                        f. Attack from inner circle - Nehemiah 6:10-13

5.      Promotion to Positions of Great Influence

Esther 4:13-16

¹³ And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. ¹⁴ For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

6.      Supernatural Supply

Genesis 20:14-18

¹⁴ Then Abimelech took sheep, oxen, and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham; and he restored Sarah his wife to him. ¹⁵ And Abimelech said, “See, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.” ¹⁶ Then to Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; indeed this vindicates you before all who are with you and before everybody.” Thus she was rebuked. ¹⁷ So Abraham prayed to God; and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants. Then they bore children; ¹⁸ for the Lord had closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

7.      Great Grace

Acts 4:33

³³ And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. ³⁴ Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, ³⁵ and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need. 

THE REST OF THE STORY

Christmas 2016

Christmas is a wonderful time of the year when we celebrate the birth of Christ. We rehearse the scenes and wonder of God sending the Christ child to earth to save us from our sin. But the birth of Christ is only the first chapter in a two-chapter book. The return of Christ is the second chapter. Christmas is complete with the second coming. Let’s talk about it…

I.                    WHAT WILL HAPPEN DURING CHRIST’S RETURN

A.      Jesus is coming back in His New Resurrected Body

⁹ Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. ¹⁰ And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, ¹¹ who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” Acts 1:9-11

B.      He Comes Back the Same Way He Left –on a cloud. Acts 1:11

C.      His coming will be different than His first coming. 

1.     First coming just one little star; second coming lightning from the east to the west

²⁷ For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. - Matthew 24:27

2.     First coming little helpless baby; second coming as a full grown man

3.      In the glory of his Father. 

²⁷ For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father. Matthew  16:27

           

4.      In flaming fire. 

When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, ⁸ in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ - 2 Thess. 1:7-8

5.      With a shout and the voice of the Archangel. 

¹⁶ For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel - 1 Thessalonians. 4:16

6.      Accompanied by Angels.  Matthew 16:27; Thess. 1:7

7.      With his saints. 

¹³ so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints. 1 Thessalonian. 3:13

8.      Suddenly. 

³²“But of that day and hour no one knows…³⁶ lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. ³⁷ And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!” Mark 13:36

9.      As a thief in the night.  1 Thessalonians. 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10; Rev. 16:15

II.                  THE FACTS OF CHRIST’S RETURN

1.      The Meeting – 1 Thessalonians. 4:17 A Huge meeting up in the air.  Trumpets blowing and arch Angels shouting etc.

2.      The Marriage – Rev 19:7 The Bible is the only Romance book that truly ends happily ever after.

3.      The Meal – The feast, Banquet, Supper – Jesus himself will be the waiter

4.      The Coming Kingdom – Jesus will set up His promised Kingdom

III.               CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COMING KINGDOM

1.        There will be tremendous peace.

⁶ “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them. ⁷ The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. ⁸ The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. ⁹       They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea. Isaiah. 11:6-9; 2:2-4

2.        Christ alone will govern.

⁶ For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Isaiah. 9:6

3.        There will be joy unspeakable.

³ You have multiplied the nation And increased its joy; They rejoice before You According to the joy of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. Isaiah. 9:3,4

4.        There will be childbearing.

²³They shall not labor in vain, Nor bring forth children for trouble; For they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the Lord, And their offspring with them. -  Isaiah. 65:23 (Jer. 23:3-6; 30:19-20)

                                   

5.        There will be labor.

²¹ They shall build houses and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. ²²           They shall not build and another inhabit; They shall not plant and another eat; For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, And My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. ²³They shall not labor in vain.  Isaiah 65:21-23

6.        The offspring of some mortal believers may be disobedient at times.

¹⁶ And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. ¹⁷ And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain. ¹⁸ If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. ¹⁹ This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles - Zechariah. 14:16-19

7.        Longevity will be greatly extended but there will be aging and death.

²⁰ “No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; For the child shall die one hundred years old… Isaiah. 65:20

8.        There will be Holiness.

²⁶ I will restore your judges as at the first, And your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city.” ²⁷ Zion shall be redeemed with justice, And her penitents with righteousness - Isaiah. 1:26-27

9.        There will be joy.

And in that day you will say…the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.’ ³ Therefore with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation. Isaiah 12:1-2

10.    There will be full knowledge.

Isaiah. 11:9

⁹ They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea.

11.    There will be no sickness.

Isaiah. 33:24.

²⁴And the inhabitant will not say, “I am sick”; The people who dwell in it will be forgiven their iniquity.

12.    There will be freedom from all forms of oppression that presently ravage mankind.

Zechariah. 9:11-12.

¹¹ “As for you also, Because of the blood of your covenant, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. ¹² Return to the stronghold, You prisoners of hope. Even today I declare That I will restore double to you.

IV.               HOW TO GET READY

1.      Get Saved (Trust Jesus)

2.      Continually Serve God – Hebrews 11

3.      Live Holy – Living in such a way that we won’t be embarrassed when we see Him.  Preparation for a wedding.

4.      Endurance – In 2001 268,000 people died because they were Christians.  We will be hated by all nations

Transcending Limitations

By Pastor Sedrick Fluker 

Ephesians 3:20

^“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us “

As we anticipate entering into the “next level” of God’s promises, we must contend with any limitations that threaten to hinder or slow down our progress towards reaching that next level. Limitations are things that restrict or confine us inside certain boundaries.  They can come through our family history, the enemy, or self-induced. In either case, we must transcend every limitation in this season to lay hold of the next level blessings promised to us.  To transcend means to excel, breakthrough, surpass, or go beyond. As we celebrate Jesus’ coming this time of year, we must not forget the fact that he transcended every limitation known to man, and through the power of the Holy Spirit we too can transcend the limitations we face in life.

What are the main limitations we must transcend in this season?

I. Our __people__________

Our People can limit us if they aren’t in agreement with or properly “aligned with” the path of divine destiny we are on as believers. Amos 3:3 (KJV) “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”  Proverbs 13:20 “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.”  This passage reveals a powerful truth in that we often become most like the people we hang out with. 

II. Our __perception______

Number 13:33 (KJV) “And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.” Perception is defined as a mental impression.  We must not allow our limited perceptions of situations cause us to miss our next level promise from the Lord.

III. Our __Past_______________

Philippians 3:13-14 (KJV) Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

IV. Our __Practices__________

Philippians 4:9 (ESV) What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me - practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

how do we transcend our limitations in this season?

A.   ___Look_____________  to Jesus.                                                                   Hebrews 12:2 (KJV) Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

B.    ___Listen______________ to Jesus.                                                                           John 2:5 (KJV) “His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.”  There is a distinct difference between hearing God and listening to Him. Hearing and obeying translates into listening. God will always exceed our limitations with “miracle overflow” when we respond by listening to Him.

C.   ___Live_____________  in Jesus.                                                                         John 15:4 (NIV) “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”

Where our limitations end, the Lord’s unlimited potential begins!     

What is Planning?

“Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.” Alan Lakein

Planning gives you the certainty of what you should be doing. It helps you avoid the pitfalls of allowing yourself to get sidetracked by events and circumstances.

We have to know what we want (our goals), why we want them and take action to move towards them.

I.                   WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT PLANNING

1.     Right planning leads to increase

Prov. 21:5

⁵ The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.

2.     Planning is Wise

Prov. 6:6-8

⁶ Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, ⁷ Which, having no captain, Overseer or ruler, ⁸ Provides her supplies in the summer, And gathers her food in the harvest.

3.     Planning can save you from embarrassment

Luke 14:28-32

²⁸ For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—²⁹ lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, ³⁰ saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ ³¹ Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? ³² Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.

4.     God Plans

Isaiah 46:9-10

⁹ Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, ¹⁰ Declaring the end from the beginning…”

II.                PLANNING IS ESSENTIAL FOR A PREFFERED FUTURE

1.      Without plans and clear-cut goals our dreams are doomed.

Gen 8:22

²² “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.”

2.      Goals are powerful, but without a process to follow that can lead you to their completion, they are almost worthless.

Every year more than 70 percent of people make New Year’s resolutions Forbes magazine reported in 2013 that only eight percent of people who make New Year resolutions keep them.  In fact, 35 percent of people who make New Year’s resolutions break them by the end of January.

3.     Plans and Goals must be written

Habakkuk 2:2-3

² Then the Lord answered me and said: “Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. ³ For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, It will not tarry

In 1979, the graduates of a class of Harvard were asked, “Have you set clear, written goals for your future and made plans to accomplish them?” The results of this survey showed that only three percent of the graduates had written their goals down and created a plan. Of the remaining graduates, 13 percent had goals, but they were not in writing, the remaining 84 percent had no specific goals at all. Ten years later, in 1989, the researchers interviewed the members of that class once again. They found that the 13 percent who had set goals that were not in writing were earning, on average, twice as much as the 84 percent of students who had no goals at all. However, the three percent of graduates who had clear, written goals and a plan when they left Harvard were earning, on average, ten times as much as the other 97 percent of graduates all.

III.             STEP BY STEP PROCESS FOR PLANNING THE MOST PRODUCTIVE YEAR OF YOUR LIFE

1.     Review the Past

Do an overview of your life. Look back over your last 365 days and recall both the good and bad events. Capture all your memories of the events, and results you have achieved. Record everything you remember.

2.     Rate Your Life as it is Now

Look at your life as it is right now. Dig deep and find out how you are doing in the 8 key areas of your life (Finances, Social Life, Career, Professional Life, Possessions, Health, Passion, Purpose and Relationships, Mind & Personal Growth. Rate yourself in each area from 1 to 10. Be honest.

3.     Determine Things You want to Improve

Having examined your life and scored yourself for these eight key areas, you now need to determine the things you want to change or improve. Look over each of the key areas and ask yourself what one change will bring about the biggest improvement in my life for each of the eight areas. Write as many answers as come to your mind. Then choose the four that you feel are the most important.

IV.              ENVISION YOUR FUTURE

Now you will daydream and see how life has worked out, what you are doing, who you are with, picture everything you can about this life. See yourself waking up in the morning and see a perfect day play out. Look ahead somewhere between three in five years into your future. The key here is not what you decide but what you see

  

V.                 MORE CLARITY ON YOUR FUTURE

Go through your perfect vision see all the things you want to “be”, “do” and “have” and write them down. Check over your list of things you want to improve, to find anything else you may want to add to your “be”, “do” and “have” list.

VI.              DETERMINE YOUR BREAKTHROUGH GOAL

Look at your preferred life vision, your “be”, “do” and “have” list and the things you want to change and determine one big goal that, if you achieve it in the next 365 days, would result in the four improvements you want to make, and bring you closer to your preferred life vision.

VII.           BREAK DOWN YOUR BREAKTHROUGH GOAL

Break down your Breakthrough Goal into four specific goals, the achievement of which will bring about your Breakthrough Goal. Write these goals down.

VIII.        WRITE DOWN YOUR WHY

You now need to give yourself powerful reasons for why your goals are must-dos. Go through your four 365-day goals and think of all the reasons these goals are truly important to you. Write these reasons down.

IX.               DETERMINE HOW

Determine the actions you need to take to bring about your 365-day goals. Be specific, decide exactly what task need to be done to achieve these goals. Work out every action you need to take to attain each goal and then categorize them into four high valued activities.  Write these down.

X.                  LIST YOUR LONG-TERM PRIORITIES

You must never lose sight of your long-term future, always keep the long term goals before you.