MYSTERIES OF OUR STRENGTH (II)

Pr. Geoffrey Kibombo

1 Corinthians 4:1 (NKJV)

“Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God"

Many times the differences we see in those around us or those who have excelled in what they do is because of certain secrets; for instance if you are doing something that differentiates you from everyone else, then your uniqueness is attributed to a certain secret. A secret is defined as something studiously concealed and kept from general knowledge. For example the success of Fortune 500 companies like Toyota, shell, Apple, KFC etc is attributed to different marketing and innovation secrets. Likewise God has entrusted believers with his mysteries or secrets so that can we purposefully standout. 

Having a revelation of mysteries such as forgiveness, praise, love, worshiping, prayer, offering and fellowshipping, may cause some to question why you frequent church; but what they do not know is that those are some of the virtues that make you different from them – even believers are not equal spiritually, its the revelation and doing of these mysteries that distinguishes us from the ordinary.

God’s desire was to bring salvation, but in a way not known to the world. The plan was in existence before but God decided that it would manifest at a particular time. What makes those in salvation standstill this day is that they possess mysteries of which they have a revelation. The bible says in 1 Corinthians 2:7-8 (NLT) that; “…the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began.”

In Mysteries of our strength – part1, we looked at five mysteries of our strength like; knowledge, word of God, right place, spiritual father and, prayer and below are some other mysteries.

6- Worship and Praise

If people knew the secret behind worship, then the burdens they face in life would not have power over them. In order for you to authentically worship God, you've got to take your eyes off the problem and the surrounding - interrupt preoccupation with self and attend to the presence of God. 
Praise is the joyful focus on God's splendid works; its closely intertwined with thanksgiving as we offer appreciation to God for his mighty works. The Psalmist sings in Psalm 89:5 (NLT) that; "All heaven will praise your great wonders, LORD; myriad of angels will praise you for your faithfulness."

Worship is not about your worthiness or about what is wrong with you; but instead, focus on what is right with your God. It’s easy to approach the throne in worship and praise when you are focusing on the character of God – He is good, kind and worthy of all our praise and honour and glory - worship is about Him and only Him.

When you worship, you allow His greatness to encounter and transform the situation. 2 Corinthians 10:4 (NKJV) says; “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God………” Praise and worship are some of the greatest of mysteries of our strength. Praise defeats our enemies. Psalms 8:2 (NIV) says; “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.” 

We always overcome when we realise our powerlessness and surrender to God. Whenever we praise and worship God, we are declaring who He is and acknowledging his great works: We are telling him that he is mighty and there is no one like him, and whenever we magnify God, we are rendering our problems powerless, thus we are no longer considering the problem, but only the greatness of our God. The cultivation of a praise and worshipful heart is a secret to the victory of a believer

7- Salvation

Many do not know this, but salvation is a mystery! Every perfection and fulfillment was put into salvation and that is why David cried out to God not to take away the joy of his salvation in Psalm 51:11-12 (NKJV) “Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation……...”

When you believe and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour – become Born Again, you become a new creature. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (GNT) “Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come.” And this new covenant means that you have surrendered all the facets of your life unto Jesus, it’s no longer you in control but Christ. You might have failed in life but when you become Born Again, God restores you. It is according to God’s plan that in Salvation everything falls in place - once your name is registered in the book of life, you begin a new chapter of life – of an abundant victorious life. All good things you desire are available to you as long as you walk according to God’s ways and word! Salvation is a revelation and the devil will prevent you from getting to know the revelation behind following Christ because he knows that Salvation is the source of freedom, joy, blessings and abundant life, but the revelation of the mysteries of God has only been granted to those who believe in Christ. Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 13:11 (AMP) that; “………to you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.”

Your relationship with God is very significant in overcoming the devil and living a purposeful life. Entering into God’s family gives us access to myriad blessings; in Salvation, life is transformed and we become fruitful, purposeful, blessed, victorious, faithful and protected. Salvation is one of the key mysteries to a purposeful victorious life because it comes with authority, power and blessings. 
Revelation 12:10 (AMP) says; “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom (dominion, reign) of our God, and the authority of His Christ have come…..”

8- Joy

Nehemiah 8:10 (NLT)

“…….Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”

When we become born again, we receive joy – it is one of the hallmarks of God’s kingdom. Joy is more than being happy; unlike happiness that is strongly connected to our feelings, joy is not fleeting, it is permanent and is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit; so joy can be defined as; the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in every situation. You’ll find nothing in that definition about happiness, because, as we all know, happiness is momentary and temporary.

Delight in the things that God has given you however small they seem; this is the mystery of our strength in salvation - the ability to be delightful in all situations; much as you are not where you want to be right now, you should delight in the place where you are now because life is a journey and that is not your final destination. Paul understood the joy of being content in Philippians 4:11-12 (NLT) when he declared that; “Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.”

We don’t get a chance to hide or pretend when the bottom falls out of our lives. When we get bad news or a health scare, lose a loved one or our finances collapse; in such moments, all our comforting words are worthless, and what matters is what we do in those circumstances. The Bible says in James that during disconcerting times our faith is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So what should you do in such moments? James 1:2-4 (MSG) answers us;

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”

9- Perception

Perception is a key attribute every Christian because it determines what you see (vision) and how far you can go in life irrespective of your purpose. That is why the devil always attacks the eyes of your understanding so that he can cut off your sight. Judges 16:21 (TLB) narrates “So the Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes and took him to Gaza, where he was bound with bronze chains and made to grind grain in the prison.”

Perception is a very fundamental integral part of our life and we should be cautious so that were not blinded. The bible warns about the unbelievers in 2 Corinthians 4:4 (NKJV) that “whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” When the devil blinds, you do not see things as they are supposed to be - you lose your spiritual sight and thus no revelation

When you trust God with your life, he will open your eyes to see the solution to your problem, and that’s why those fully trust the Lord and don’t grumble when the storm roars are over-comers. That’s what happened in 2 Kings 6. Every time they would attack Israel, God would tell Elisha, a prophet of God in Israel, what the king of Aram’s war plans were and when Aram’s king learned that Elisha was the one who was giving away his plans, he sent an army to get him. 2 Kings 6:15-17 (NLT) narrates; 
“When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha. 16 “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” 17 Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire."

We serve a God who opens our eyes shows us the solutions to our problems and challenges – that is why that even in the middle of the dessert, we see a opportunities and solutions to our problems because the one we believe in is Almighty
Irrespective of how negative or troubling the situation is, our perspective is not blinded but hopeful and oriented to the God Almighty

10- Purpose

Judges 16:4-5 (AMP)

“The angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah’s wife and said, “Even though you have been unable to have children, you will soon become pregnant and give birth to a son. 4 So be careful; you must not drink wine or any other alcoholic drink nor eat any forbidden food. 5 You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and his hair must never be cut. For he will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. He will begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines.”

Samson is seen as the image of the church and from his example we see that everyone was born with a purpose. Samson was born to destroy the philistines and when he was born; his parents were given instructions for his upbringing.

For each of us who has a body, soul and spirit, this means that God created us to accomplish something, and whenever God purposes you, he equips you as well. The time God has given you to live on this earth is equivalent to the responsibility he has given you, and when the time comes for him to take you out of this life, your responsibility also comes to an end because life on earth is about service. That is why whenever satan attacks you, he targets to destroy your purpose like the way he did with Samson.  

Salvation is not by our own strength but its from God and its that divine induced strength that enables us to overcome the different barriers and challenges in life. In the Salvation journey there are certain things you must know and, knowing them and doing them makes you a different person. Your secret is what gives you an advantage over others and if you drop it, then you cease to have an advantage over others.

God bless you!

MYSTERIES OF OUR STRENGTH (I)

Pr. Geoffrey Kibombo

Judges 16:4-5 (NKJV)

“Afterward it happened that he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. 5 And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, “Entice him, and find out where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him………...”

There is a reason and purpose as to why we are on earth; the physical body signifies responsibility - serving God. God expects everyone with flesh and blood to do something in God's kingdom because we shall give accountability in the afterlife. We came into this world to do something for God - further His Kingdom, but there is a mystery behind our ability to serve Him fully and relentlessly.  

The bible says in Psalm 115:16 (ESV) that;
 “The heavens are the LORD’s heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man.” 
Things concerning the earth are in our hands, for God gave us authority over earth and we are supposed to just call upon him to lead and intervene, but if we don't, He wont; therefore, we should to know that our ability to reign on earth is in God and if the devil steals this secret from us, we can’t fulfill our mission.

Samson got strength from God to fight against Philistines, but there was a mystery behind the enormous power that made him triumph over. As he conquered, the devil plotted to tear him down by getting to know the mystery of his strength. The philistine leaders looked for the woman he loved and requested her to entice him so that he reveals the mystery of his strength, and thereafter afflict him. Delilah started persuading Samson continuously until he revealed the mystery of his strength.

Behind us, there is power that causes to overcome, but always the devil attacks to weaken us by targeting the mystery or source of our strength. After Samson had overcome the Philistines and led Israel for twenty years, the devil did something that I want us to guard against. There are things that cause each one of us to soar . Let’s have an insight into the mysteries of our strength.

Knowledge 

Isaiah 5:13 (NKJV) 
“Therefore my people have gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge” 

The dictionary defines knowledge as; acquaintance with facts, truths or principles, as from study or investigation; general erudition, or the fact or condition of being aware of something. Knowledge is power. If you want to defeat someone in certain things, just conceal knowledge from your opponent. One of the things that make God sorrowful is our ignorance about Him and His ways. Isaiah 1:3 (NLT) says;
“Even an ox knows its owner, and a donkey recognizes its master’s care—but Israel doesn’t know its master”

There are certain things God expects us to know. The bible says in Deuteronomy 29:29 that; “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” 
Ignorance gives the devil a foothold in our life to attack us. If we acquire the necessary knowledge, we shall be able to overcome lots of things. When you go deeper into knowing God, you start being a disciple of Jesus. Jesus said in John 8:31 that; “If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed.” 

When the devil takes away knowledge and understanding from you, he will have grabbed you of the mystery of your strength. And after stealing it, he goes ahead to bind and then afflict you. Many people don’t want to go deeper into knowing God and his ways. Hosea 4:6 says; 
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests” 

One of the mysteries that will enable us accomplish our mission on planet earth is knowledge. For you to serve God, you have to desire knowledge. They don’t pray for knowledge but it’s sought from those who are already informed and reading books. 

When you are informed you become confident, empowered, and rest assured that irrespective of any challenge or setback, God has a better plan for you. The devil cannot take advantage of those who are already informed about his tricks. 2 Corinthians 2:11 says; 
“lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

Many people oppose divine church principles because they are uninformed; They don’t believe that God can heal their diseases, or a Pastor can know what is in their life and foretell what will happen to them and, they don’t submit to leaders nor are they pastored. 
With knowledge comes understanding (comprehension of information), and application of understood knowledge produces wisdom. You cannot apply what you don't understand and you cant understand what you don't know. Some people have lots of problems because they are ignorant. If you go deeper into knowledge, you shall have prevented a myriad problems and poor decision making.    

Word of GOD

Psalm 119:98 (AMP) 
“Your commandments make wiser than my enemies, for Your Words are always with me.”  

One of the core mysteries that make us strong is the word of God and if the devil steals that, you are in big trouble. No wonder the devil has made us too busy to have time to read the word of God; a lot of time is spent watching TV and scrolling through online movie streaming apps, and chatting on social media, and no significant time is spared to read and be taught the word. Most people only read the bible in church during service but not at home or during their devotion time. People prefer being prayed for than being taught how to pray. Some people can’t even dedicate time to go for bible study or fellowship, which explains the little numbers in bible study services. We don’t desire to enhance what we minimally know because the devil has stolen the mystery of yearning to know God more. God himself has exalted his word above his name

The devil doesn’t look for everything from you but the source of your strength. Judges 16:5 says; “And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, “Entice him, and find out where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him…”  
Whenever you invest God’s word in your life, it makes you wiser than other people  as seen in Psalm 119:98 above. 

Right Place

2 Chronicles 7:16
“For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that my name be there forever; and my eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually“ 

You cannot be blessed from every place. Not every place is open heaven for you but every place is open heaven to those God has sent there. God never appeared to Jesus until he went to river Jordan. When the devil steals the mystery of your strength he will make you frustrated and tired by rotating you around, thus you end up wrongfully blaming God’s servants for yet its your vagabond spiritual lifestyle. You cannot meet God in every place or be blessed form any place but in the right place.

Prophetic wise, we are in a season of New Chapters and new beginnings but you cannot partake of this Rhema word except when you are under this covenant. 
When you grasp this, you get to know that you can go to all other places but your open heaven is in a specific place because our God is the God of right places. 

Spiritual Father

Hebrews 13:17 (AMP) 
“Obey your [spiritual] leaders and submit to them [recognizing their authority over you], for they are keeping watch over your souls and continually guarding your spiritual welfare as those who will give an account [of their stewardship of you]. Let them do this with joy and not with grief and groans, for this would be of no benefit to you.”  

Another mystery of our strength is being pastored - having a spiritual father. Just like earthly fathers, you cannot have more than one spiritual father. Very few people know what it means to have a spiritual father. When you are pastored, you have a covering upon you i.e. problems and afflictions don’t hit you directly because you are under a someone's spiritual protection. But when you are not pastored, problems attack you directly. Most people are spiritual vagabonds. They never have a spiritual father and spiritual home thus no covering because they drift from church to church. 

There is always one Spiritual parent who holds your blessing so endeavour to have a healthy relationship with him or her.  Remember that the person who can be mentioned in prayer is one who has a good and personal relationship with their pastor. Philemon 1:4 (NIV) says; “I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers." 

Prayer

Jeremiah 33:3 (EXB) says;

“Pray [call] to me, and I will answer you. I will tell you important secrets [greater and hidden things] you have never heard before." 

Prayer is an appeal or request of the things you need unto God; It is a mode of communication by which we speak to God, that is to say, dialogue between man and God. In salvation, if a person cannot pray to God, he or she is spiritually weak and cannot receive anything. 
Anyone who doesn't pray is food for the devil. A prayerless Christian is limited in achievement in any of his or her ventures; his or her education is stifled, business is a strain, there is no breakthrough and everything just drags with a lot of struggles. A family that doesn't pray together disintegrates but a family that prays together stays together.

Most people when faced with problems run to friends or relatives; but many times when you run to fellow men, the probability of being disappointed is quite high. Why? The person you are running to for rescue may not be available or not be in position to help you, and that is why we believers always run to the Lord in prayer.

One of the mysteries of our strength and victory is the church is that we face throne-ward first to God in prayer and encounter or strategise later. God will then be your shield and go ahead of you, because when problems or terror see God, they will scatter. The reason we seek God in prayer is because our redemption comes from neither east nor west but from the creator of heaven and earth. Prayer is very vital in every Christian’s life; it’s the gun we use to destroy the works of the enemy. 

What will make us unique, successful and strong? Reading the bible, praying acquiring knowledge from informed people and, having a spiritual father and local church