I Prefer You

1 Samuel 1:4-6
  - Elkanah loves Hannah not based in whether she's fruitful or not
   *God gives us what we deserved but He gives us what He desires

 1.Hannah waited on the Lord
   -Hannah didn't give herself excuse in her situation to sin against God
      -we always find excuses for what we do cos of our situation
 *  We may not be responsible to what happen but we are responsible to how we respond to our situation
   -sometimes we do what we need to do again and again but still things don't happen
     Isiah 40:31

2. Hannah went to the house of the Lord
   -Hannah didn't complain or fight against Petanah
   *Nv allow your troubles to keep you away from the Lord and from the house of God

3. Hannah was thankful when she had nothing
   -turn your bitterness into Thanksgiving
Psalm 34:1
John 10:10
   -we survived but we lost our thankfulness
Habakkuk 3:17-19
1 Samuel 1:19
   -God remembered Hannah


4. Hannah was thankful when she had something
1 Samuel 2:21
   -whatever we are thankful for, God is going to multiply


Isiah 54:1-4
*Sing! Sing our way to our breakthrough!

Isiah 46:9-10
Why baby Jesus came from eternity
 1.  -God wants to tell us that;our ending will always be better than the begining!
 Matt 1:23
   -God wants to let us know tt He was with us

Luke 1:28-31

*God can bless you for who you are and not what you pretend to be

Responsibly picture

2.
   -why  did Jesus came as a baby and not an adult?only when he was with us then He can identify with us then he can save us to the utmost
   John
Pic

With Jesus, don't give up..

What does not picture

Thanksgiving

Habakkuk 3:17-18
   *Unless we get what we think we should get, we don't have to be thankful..but in Habakkuk, we should rejoice
   -dont choose to see using our limited sight.. but choose to trust in God!

1thrdsalonians 5:16-18

4things we can give thanks to God for
1.

2.
Psalms 136:1
3. Thank God for our church
Colossians 3:15-17
Acts 4:42-47
   -10 things we need to be involved in in the church and thank God for
      Continued steadfastly in
      1. Apostle's doctrines
      2. Fellowship
            -having things in common.. the same hope, same believe
      3. In breaking of bread
            -eat together
      4. Prayers
      5. Many wonders and signs
      6. Offerings
            Giving good for soul picture
      7. Church services
      8. Home cell groups
            -that is where we get to learn to accept ppl of diff style
      9. Praise and worship
      10. Evangelism
  Ephedians 5:18

4. Thank God for everything
   Ephesians 5:19-20

Book of Numbers 20 guard your heart!

Numbers 20:2-5
   -after 40years of wandering, the Israelites still contend and complain to Moses and Aaron
   -in the previous generation, they are asking for water.. but for the new generation, they are asking for a reason.. why they come out of Egypt
      -we always forget why we started doing the work, our purpose

Numbers 20:7-12

3 impt lessons
1. Guard your heart

Pslam 106:32-33
   -ill : to be bad /evil or to be injurious
Proverbs 4:23-24
1 Samuel 16:7
Proverbs 22:24-25
   -associate : to graze or feed
   -dont lower our value or character to those who are bitter
Pslam 1:1-2
Pslam 119:11

2. Be willing to change
Exodus 17:6
   -the first time, Moses strike the rock and now, speak to the rock
*If we are unwilling to change, we cannot grow!
Luke 5:38-39
   -the past of over!!
   -usually we don't change cos of fear of failure
      -fear often stops us from changing

3. Honour the Lord
   -the Lord commanded Moses to speak to the rocks.. Moses failed to trust in God's word..he chose to trust in his past experience
Numbers :20
Matt 6:9
Exodus 3:13-14
   -God revealed Himself as "I AM WHO I AM"
      -He is in Himself.. there's none before and no life without Him

1 Corinthians 10:4

Bring back the wine

   -Jesus went to a wedding as a guest.. and they have ran out of wine and His mother asked Him and do something abt it
John 2:4
   -even though to Jesus our situation does not matter as much as it matters to us... But cos we matter to God, He will do it for us!
   -"My hour has not yet come"... There is a time for Jesus to show His power
      -Jesus accelerate His timetable not cos of pressure... But Jesus operated under devine love
   *This won't happen all the time but He may do it

Ecclesiastes 9:7
   -wine represents Joy

-







   -when we have uninvited guests, we have to stop them at the door before they take away our Joy
   Example of uninvited guests
      1. unhealthy relationship
         -loving everybody doesn't mean allowing all to enter into our life
      2. negative emotions
         -anger creates an illusion that we are taking control of the situation
          -sadness overtakes joy!
      3. Judgemental attitudes

How to being back the wine
1. Mary turned to Jesus
   2 kinds of joy
      1. Worldly joy
         -entertainment, achievement, possession, position
            -if it can be taken away, joy will also be taken away
         -it will not last..

      2. Jesus' Joy
John q15:11
            -the world have not given, the world can't take it away
John 15;5 , Galatians 5:22
               -this is the Joy that cause the rich to be jealous
2. Mary have faith in Jesus
   -Mary instructed the servants to do want Jesus ask them to do
      -she believe that Jesus will and can do it for her!
       -after Mary believed, she walked away from the situation
3. The servants obeyed Jesus
   John 2:5-9
      -sometimes God ask us to do this that we don't understand why
      -obedience requires full submission... Partial obedience is not enough!
* Get involved!

John 2:9-10, 11
-Jesus's first miracle done was to bring back the wine, joy!
John 16:22

Galatians 5 25
Romans 8 14
Luke 10:3
   -we may still be facing situation, but trust in the Holy Spirit
John 14:16-18
   -Jesus was always there for the ppl and He is going away but the Holy Spirit is here

The SEAL
Ephesians 1:13-14
   -seal: to impress, to confirm
1.Speaks of security of security
Matt 27:65-66
-when we have the Holy Spirit, we are sealed .. we are protected by the most high God
Psalms 9:1-2
Romans 8:38-39
2. Speaks of ownership
   -God has sealed every believer... We belongs to Him and no other power can take us away.. we are secured and owned by God
   John 10:27
-God hears the prayers of those who belongs to Him
Pslam 34:15

THE PLEDGE
   -represents a down payment, an obligation, a sample to come
      Example: buying a house.. place a down payment the down payment represents on obligation in buying to house and the down payment is a sample of the house tt is to come

Numbers 13:23
2 Corinthians 1:21
   -God's promises, He is committed to do it!
2 Corinthians 1:20
John 11 40
* keep believing!
New glorious body
Picture
1 John 3:2
2 Corinthians 4:7-10
Eohesians 1;14

THE WITNESS
   -the Holy Spirit wants to witness in our heart that Jesus is alive
Romans 8:15

Purpose of witness: to provide trustworthy in order to establish certainty, to give confidence, assurance and security

   -witness in present tense... Today!!
      -Holy Spirit is still witness in our heart

When we break into the new, Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit

Maturity

*the journey ahead is not going to easier... We need to be stronger!

Maturity : balance is the key to life

Ephesians 4:11-16
   -if we are being childish in our faith, we will be easily tossed by waves of crisis


Ephesians 4;10-13
   -mature adults : fully developed with and without, fully alive like Christ

Like 9:3
   -carrying the cross of Jesus is a daily thing
      -carrying the sustainability is to be balance
Carrying the cross picture
   -embrace the spiritual and the earthly

Ephesians 4;1
   -our calling and lifestyle are to be fit each other... Balance


**To avoid being disillusioned, learn to expect a miracle; but also embrace the mystery of God
   -When we are in a crisis, expect a miracle to happen! But our faith should also allow mystery of God to work in our life

How to deal with disappointment?
   -ability to accept the mystery of God



Colossians 2;2
   -Jesus is a mystery.. He is unpredictable
      -Jesus way is higher than our ways, His thoughts are higher than our thoughts
Psalm 37 4-5
   -every promise of God is not in our hands but it's within our reach
   -though we have a plan and gave it to God, we have to trust in Him not in our plan!

Why does do work in our plan and leave us hanging...
   -What if the reason why God doesn't meet your expectations is because he wants to exceed them!

*We need to be in a state of full trust in God

Ephesians 3;8-13
Ephesians 3:14-19
   -learn to appreciate and embrace the mystery
   *Sometimes no explanation is sufficient for the suffering, just believe and trust God
Ephesians 3:20
   -things always happen with happy ending when we fully trust in Him

Picture
   -God will use problems to make us more and more like Jesus

John 21:18

I see golden rain raining down... And it came to me... "This is God's blessings"

Walking in the spirit

We cannot be afraid of uncertainty, but go according to the wind

Galatians 5 25

Ehp 5 18
   -when one is filled or drunk with alcohol, alcohol took control of the person..
   -filled with the Holy Spirit is being to influenced by the Holy Spirit to accomplish things that is beyond imagination
   -we are to be committed to be filled with the Holy Spirit

There's so many self help books but still we are unable to
Picture fullness of the spirit
Acts 17 6

Luke 4 1 2
   -Jesus is fully willing to be directed by the Holy Spirit
Luke 4 14
   -power comes when we are fully willing to be led by the Holy Spirit
Luke 4 18

Luke 1 35
   -Mary gave total surrender

Galatians 5 25 eph. 5 18
John 4:13

John 7:37
   -the fountain is within us
      - however sometimes we don't experience it... What is it that blocked ?

2 things that can block the Holy Spirit
1.
   -anything that we do or say that is not consistent with God's nature
      -grieve only happens in a love relationship.. the Holy Spirit loves us just as Jesus loves us
Romans 15:30
   *a father loves his son no matter what
      -when the son is bad, his father's love is mixed with anguish, sadness
   4things abt the Holy Spirit
      1. Spirit of Truth
         -dont tell lies any more
            -walk in truth.. what we do and say is the same (nothing to hide)
      2. Spirit of Faith
         -being worry, grieve, fear grieves the Holy Spirit
             -though it may come, don't abide in them!
      3. Spirit of grace
         -unforgiving, resentment, bitterness grieves the Holy Spirit
         -action of grace = giving and forgiving
     4. Spirit of Holiness
         -be decisive, be urgent
2. Quenching the Holy Spirit
   -critising, ashamed of the work of the Holy Spirit
   -dont pour water... Let the fire burn
   -keep adding fuel
   -dont stop praying

John 7:37

Krazo

At the age of 30, time for big responsibility

At young age, we are in our own mind... Our own way to serve God
But as we mature, we will ask how God wants us to do

Though successful in career in life, ppl tend to be weary
   -Only when we are in God's glory then we can enjoy God

Picture
*God's character: holiness, love, truth

2 Cor

If Jesus nv come,
1. None of us will know God n
o
us will know God
Hebrews 1:2

Jesus introduce us to God
Jesus called God Father.. nobody did this till Jesus came

2. How God's love is like
   Ephesians 3 16 19
   - God's love is so great.. so grasp, so wide, so long, so high and deep
      -God's love is unconditional.. no selfishness
Ephesians 3 19

*Power of God comes only by the love of God

To be holy...
1. Love
   -Jesus loves Judas even of He knows what Judas will betray Him
2. Joy
   -even if Jesus knows tt He is going to be captured, Jesus has joy with the Father
3. Peace
4. Long-suffering
5. Kindness
6. Goodness
7. Faithfulness
   -Jesus was faithful to the Father till the end
8. Gentleness
9. Self control
   -Jesus never lost control
   -ability to hold angry during stress

Picture

Jesus is not historical, He is seeking to pruify us..
If Jesus didn't come, we don't know who the Holy Spirit is

How Jesus lead the disciples is how the Holy Spirit will lead us

Matt 15 31
   -with man is impossible, but with God nothing is impossible

Picture
Matt 26 39
   -Faith is believing to the end
   -in faith, God have the final word
   -Jesus shows us what true faith is!

Romans 8 28-29
   -God is looking at eternal good!

Beautifully broken

The road ahead is not going to get easier.. we need to be stronger!

Picture kintsugi
*God wants to make us more beautiful in His eyes by fixing our broken pieces
   -using our broken pieces, by His grace, God wants to glue our broken pieces together

Picture kintsugi purpose

*Broken objects are not something yo be hidden but to be displayed with pride!
   -the gold lacquer highlights the imperfections

*Our scars don't define us, they redefine us!


Isiah 64 8 picture
   -God can break us if we are not in the shape that God wants us to be

*don't give up, continue to believe that God is our porter!!
   -God cannot honor His promise if we do not honour His process

Isiah 45 9 picture

Picture

2 Corinthians Picture4 7

2 Cor 4 7-9 picture2
   -dont be demoralised... God knows what He is doing and He has not left our side

*Learn to magnify God's greatness but don't exaggerate His goodness

*God speaks to us truly and not attractiveness

When Simon Peter did something that God wants him to be, Jesus calls him Peter.. but when Simon Peter did something that is of his own self, Jesus calls him Simon
++Picture

Crisis picture
   -when are doing very well, we don't see a need to change
   -we will change only when we value brokenness

Picture Simon Peter
-not changed from a bad to a good person but embrace our weakness, past and still continue to live out our Godlly potential

*God doesn't need a perfect vessel

*Transfiguration : a complete change in form or appearance to a more beautiful or spiritual state
Matt 17 1 2 picture
2 Cor 4 7

*Mircles don't change us

John 20 15 17

1 Cor

1 Peter
   -dont be demoralised!!

The promise of the Father

Understand + experience +focus = fully embrace

   -allow God to come and renew our mind

   Experiencing  God's word is directly proportion to how deep the truth of God's word sinks into our hearts
   -we need to experience God's word

1cor 2:4 picture

Th promise of the Father is the baptism in the Holy Spirit

Acts 2:32 picture

   -it is a supernatural experience tt can be seen and heard

Acts 2:4 picture
   -tongues is full of passion, a language.. not animal language

   -language is for creative purposes

John 6;63 picture

Genesis 1:1-3 picture
*The natural (material) is subordinate tot he spiritual (immaterial)

Our words can change of the atmosphere!
   -through our words, we can enter from nature into the supernatural..

   -life is revival!

Praying in tongues
1.edifies your spirit man
   1 Corinthians 14:4
   -edifies = to restore, to repair, increase capacity, mind is recalibrated to it's original purpose
2. speaking directly to God in mysteries
   -pray and supernatural things happen

3.  praying in tongues produces an assurance that God is by our side
Romans 8:26
   -pray in the spirit and the Holy Spirit will lead us to the right path
   -when we pray in tongues, the Holy Spirit will always be near

Acts 26:32, 27:24
We do not wait for things that God wants to happen.. Hear from God, and action on it!

Pic

#1 pic

-prayer is the key

Ezekiel pic

-when God want to do something, He will look for a man who is willing to take on the burden

Intercession pic

-when we pray for a change, we usually tell God what is wrong

   -even if we don't pray tt way, we think tt way

   

-intercession: if you want to see change, we need to first learn to identify their struggle

   -stop accusing and start to understand the struggle.. only then we can pray for the person!

Jesus came to this world like us to understand us and doe for us, be our substitute

Hebrews 7:25

   -we can survive in this world cos Jesus is praying for us

Hebrews : 14-18

* Identify their struggle but don't ever make struggle our identity!

#2 pic

-when we are facing with a problem. What we need to change is perspective

   -our perspectives towards life is to be upwards

Pic perspective

   -change how we see things

   -God wanted to let Peter to know his way he see ppl (perspectives)

   -prejudice = pre-judgement

*Don't make political identity to be our identity

   -we ought to be able to accept differences

   -theres is power in unity

       -unity is found in diversity

       -uniformity produces compliance, unity produces commitment

#3 dig deeper ourselves

Mark 2-3:4

-dig deeper inside ourselves for revelation

Dig in the valley pic

-we need to dig!

Genesis

   -Issac chose to stay in the valley

   -learn to stay in the situation and dig deeper!

   -Issac didn't dug a new well, but went back to same well and dig deeper! Don't replace or rename them with monuments!

Genesis 26;19

Rehoboth: wide open spaces

   -theres where we can be fruitful

STAY

God is the author of new things
God promises good plans for His ppl

   -abide : to remain stable or fixed in a state to continue

If do not see a breakthrough yet, we need to take the time to abide and stay in God

3 AREAS TO STAY IN OUR LIFE
1. STAY IN FELLOWSHIP

fellowship: having something in common
 

-enter into fellowship with Jesus
-it is one thing to be called out and another to be called into another

 
   

2. STAY FAITHFUL

It takes faith and trust for Noah to complete the task in building the ark

Obedience must be lived out














3. STAY FRUITFUL

*Fruitfulness comes from faithfulness to God

*Staying is an active doing until you yield results

 stay till God do it again

The pneuma of the Holy Spirit

Only  by  the Holy Spirit that we can be borned again

God breathe into man that we may have life

God created man (Adam) and provided for him
   -when God gives us a mission, God will give us what is required

Spiritual dead : separate from God
Physical death sickness
Eternal death : eternal separation from the presence of God

   -we are to be the doer of the Word and not just the listener of the Word

-our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit
-do not grieve the Holy Spirit
   -dont do anything tt will cause the Holy Spirit to leave