GOD HAS AN ANSWER FOR EVERY QUESTION

Pr. Geoffrey Kibombo

Salvation is a journey. In our walk with Christ as wait patiently for his salvation, we meet a lot of obstacles and challenges along the way which form a basis for the various questions we get in our lives, and it seems as though God doesn't hear us or he intentionally delays to answer.

However, God knows our every concern and has a response to every question. He is always present at every conversation and listens carefully to the unexpressed questions. At the right time he will answer us, for he knows them. He has not forgotten, nor does he not hear, but he comes when the time is right for the glory of his name.

Malachi 3:13-18 (NLT)

 13 “You have said terrible things about me,” says the Lord. “But you say, What do you mean? What have we said against you?” 14 “You have said, ‘What’s the use of serving God? What have we gained by obeying his commands or by trying to show the Lord of Heaven’s Armies that we are sorry for our sins? 15 From now on we will call the arrogant blessed. For those who do evil get rich, and those who dare God to punish them suffer no harm.’ 16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and always thought about the honor of his name. 17 “They will be my people,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “On the day when I act in judgment, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient child.  18 Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”

OUR POSITION 

Pr. Geoffrey Kibombo

Romans 8:19 (NKJV) - ”For the earnest expectation of the creation waits for the manifestation of the sons of God.”

Most Christians have not discovered who they are in God according to the word of God, they do not realise who they are in Christ. Our ignorance of not knowing who we are in Christ blinds the ability to stand in our rightful places. Failure to realise what we are in Christ causes a lot of damage to the people around us and those who look up to us. Many people may not have suffered the corruption, evil practices and all kinds of wickedness if Christians were to take up their rightful places or acquired the rightful qualifications to take up places of authority.

We need to discover who we are in Christ and take actions to become what the bible speaks of us. Jesus was able to discover what was written about him in the scriptures. Luke 4:17-18 says; “And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written. 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised"

In 2 Chronicles 20:17, Josephat received these instructions. "You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you…………....” In a dire situation or during tough times God may instruct you to pray and stand still or praise depending on His will. For you to see God, you have to stand in the rightful place.

The bible says that upon this rock - Revelation, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. We need to seek for the revelation in the word of God and take up all the promises that were written about us.

Exodus 23:29-30 - “I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land”. Until Christians attain the necessary qualifications and skills, they won’t take up influential-responsible positions. We are meant to work in places where there is bribery, corruption, segregation bad treatment and all sort of bad practices so that we bring fundamental change and ensure availability of genuine services to the masses.

Creatures around us suffer because we haven’t realized the revelation and are ignorant of our positions. We are a source of dependence to other people. The well-being of one born-again Christian benefits a lot of people around him. We are that mustard seed that after God has elevated and blessed you, you benefit and impact a lot of people. Mathew 13:31 (NKJV) – “…………The Kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: 32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becomes a tree so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.”

Our children will continue to suffer until we realize what the scriptures says about them (Isaiah 54:13 (NIV) – “All your children will be taught of the lord and great will be their peace.”) and know that God is in control of their destiny.

The creatures groan with us to receive a revelation of our blessing so that they can inherit their promises. After receiving the revelation the creatures around us will stop groaning.

LOVE - GREATEST GIFT and COMMANDMENT

Pr. James Victor Lubwama

Mathew 5:43-48 (NKJV)
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

Without love you can achieve nothing and can do nothing. Love conquers all. Love your enemies, for if you love those who love you, what difference would you have made? Everything that God says about Him, humanity and His laws all rely on love - Christian faith and belief are held by love. Loving one another is so vital that it fulfills all God's laws as Paul says in Romans 13:8-10 (ESV):

“Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law”.

When you love people, you remain in God because God is love. Whoever abides in love abides in God and God abides in him (1 John 4:16). When you love not, you go out of fellowship and God's will. The bible further teaches in 1 John 4:8 (NLT) that; "Anyone who does not love, does not know God, for God is love". 
Look out for the positive attributes in people, ignore the negatives and that's how you will be able to have long lasting relationships. 1 Corinthians 13:3-8 (NKJV) says;
“And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. 4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails.” 

When you realize how much God loves you; with extravagant and unconditional love, then His extraordinary love will change your entire focus on life. If we don’t receive God’s love, we will have a hard time loving other people, especially people who are unlovely and difficult. You can’t love well until you have God’s love flowing through you, and once it flows through you, then you can ably and unconditionally love others without struggle or bias. 
Love is the way faith expresses itself and where love is felt, it gives rise to hope (1 Cor 13:13). 
Where love is absent faith is dead and we are dead too. The bible says in 1 John 3:14 (NIV);
“We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.” 
The works of love are the evidence of living faith. Galatians 5:6 (NLT) says; 
“For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.”

If you really love someone, then you show it by how you act towards that person. Love is more than attraction. It’s also more than sentimentality, like so many of today’s songs suggest. If love were just an emotion, then God couldn’t command it. But love is something you do. It can produce emotion - love is an action.  
The Bible says in 1 John 3:18 (NLT); 
“Dear Children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions”

In order to love others and to become great people lovers, we first need to understand and feel how much God loves us. We don’t want to just talk about love, read about love, or discuss love; we need to experience the love of God. 1 John 4:19 (NIV) reminds us that;  “We love because he first loved us.”

We were created in God’s image to do two things on earth: Learn to love God and other people - our neighbours.  Jesus teaches on the greatest commandment in Matthew 22:36-40 (ESV);
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Life is all about love!!

IT’S THE ANOINTING THAT BREAKS THE YOKE

By Pr. J.V. Lubwama

Isaiah 10:27

“It shall come to pass in that day, that his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil.”

We are burdened by different things in life like; sickness, poverty, debts and barrenness that hold us back in our day to day operation thus hindering progress in our lives. The yokes are the things that hold us in one place and don’t allow us to advance in life or change position or progress. However, a day comes and the time is now when the yoke will be broken from our necks. A burden can be taken away but if someone is still under a yoke, burdens keep being attracted to the person and they progress from one problem to another.

If you want to move freely from one level to another, country to country, position to position, and burdens be removed, you need to be freed of the yoke. After the yoke is broken then all becomes well with you. It's the anointing that breaks the yoke. Seek the one who has the anointing - Christ Jesus. 

How do I break free from the yoke?

1. Accept Jesus Christ and get anointed by accepting Salvation. Israel had failed to acknowledge Jesus as the Christ 

2. Connect to and be filled by the Holy Spirit

3. Tap and plug into the anointing upon the men of God. When an anointed person comes into your life, it changes. 

An anointed man of God has power upon his life to speak and transform lives and situations and, when you draw closer to him, the anointing flows and breaks your yoke. The anointing can be transmitted through association with the anointed men of God. When you plug into the anointing, your life doesn't remain the same.

 You can connect to the anointing by:

- Supporting anointed men of God and the vision upon them

- Giving an anointed person a glass of water. You will never lack your reward. 

- Loving the man of God (Pastor) and establishing a personal relationship with him; 

- Sitting and submitting under the anointing. Follow instructions, accept to be led and guided by the man of God.

- Building the house of God where people have encountered Jesus and been delivered.

- Pouring your expensive oil at the feet of Jesus.

It is the anointing that will enable you to glide through your life challenges. The anointing can differ depending on a place because of the covenant and the calling upon the servant of God.

Seek the anointing!!!

WE DON'T GIVE TO MAKE GOD RICH!!

Pr. James Victor Lubwama

Philippians 4:16-19 (ESV)

“Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. 18 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. 19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” 

We don't give to make God rich but for the benefit of what abounds on our accounts. Giving to God benefits us not Him. Philippians 4:17 (AMP) says; “Not that I seek or am eager for [your] gift, but I do seek and am eager for the fruit which increases to your credit [the harvest of blessing that is accumulating to your account]”. God doesn't depend on us or our giving, but giving to Him is an opportunity to serve Him with what he has blessed us with. We are what we are because of God not by our own strength. God makes you rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion  

Psalm 50:8-14 (NKJV) says; “I will not rebuke you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, which are continually before Me. 9 I will not take a bull from your house, nor goats out of your folds. 10 For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know all the birds of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are Mine. 12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is Mine, and all its fullness. 13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? 14 Offer to God thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High.”

Jesus did everything for our sake. He put down his life for us so that we can have a good life
2 Corinthians 8:9 (NKJV) “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.”

NOT MUCH PRAYER BUT THE WORD OF GOD

Pr. James Victor Lubwama

Psalm 138:2 (NKJV)

“I will worship toward Your holy temple,

And praise Your name

For Your lovingkindness and Your truth;

For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.”

Your problems are not overcome by too much prayer, but by the word of God - only the word which proceeds from the mouth of God has the power to cause victory.

There is increased chaos and frustration in peoples’ lives even with the many intercession groups and prayer sessions. This is because there is no presence of God, and without it, God can’t speak. Some prayers are also not scripture-centred and we know that God doesn't respond to any prayer that is not in line with His word - only an effective and fervent prayer has the power to breakthrough.  It's the word from the mouth of God that levels mountains, heals all our diseases, gives us hope and transforms our lives. So any prayer or songs which are empty of the word of God are likened to noise because God exalts His word above his name.

God Performs His Word

Jeremiah 1:12 (NIV)

“The Lord said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled”

God has no interest in our vain repetitions, He is ready to perform what He spoke in His word because heaven and earth shall pass away but His word will not (Mathew 24:35). We move with bibles, we put them under our pillows but the word is not in our hearts (Psalm 119:11). The devil has blinded us, by taking the word and leaving us with the letter which has no life. The bible says in 2 Corinthians 3:6 (NKJV) that; 

“Who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” 

The devil wants us to pray and get tired and consider that prayer has no power because we have not been able to see the results of our prayer. It is true prayer is powerless without the word of God, but with the word of God at the core, prayer is effective, so return to God in prayer with his word not with grumbling and complaints.

Spirit and Life

John 6:63 (NLT)

“The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life”

The Holy Spirit is the author of the word. The 66 books of the bible were written by prophets as inspired by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:20-21 (NLT) says;

“Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding 21 or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God”

When you receive the Holy Spirit, you receive the word. The Holy Spirit speaks life through the word (John 6:63). When He speaks, He breathes life and opens new springs of life. You are a temple of the author of the word who is the Holy Spirit, therefore, heaven is in your heart. And when the Spirit speaks unto you, He will not be doing so independently because the spirit and the word agree. 1 John 5:7 (NKJV) says;

“For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one”.

When you speak the word, you speak the will of God; the Holy Spirit is the source of the power behind the word. It is not letters in the bible but the word from the throne of God that has power needed to solve our life problems. The bible says in John 15:7 (NKJV) that;

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you"

Father–Son Relationship

John 1:12-13 (NLT)

“But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God”

When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour and get born-again (born of water and Spirit), you become a new creature and also receive the gift of the Holy Spirit; and as a result, there is a complete transformation in all areas of your life - the old is no more and all things become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). So, prayer will not change anything until you become a child of God – for prayers to be heard and answered, you need to be a child of God. God’s blessings are for His children and for you to rightfully claim anything, there’s got to be a Father-son relationship 

The word of God should be the anchor of your life

CROSSING THE RED SEA

Pr. James Victor Lubwama 

Psalms 121:1-4(NLT)

“I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! 3 He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. 4 Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. 5 The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.”

Before God makes realities, He first paints shadows. The Old Testament was a shadow of the New Testament. It spoke of things to come. Before we get into realities, we always get snap picks or headlights of what will happen to us in the future through dreams, visions and Rhema words by word of prophesy. These are indications of what God is going to do, how he will take us through or what our future holds before we get there.

In the same way the red sea represents; the things that we consider impossible i.e. levels we can’t reach, dreadful situations, tough times, illness, hardships etc. However what is impossible before the pessimistic unbeliever man is possible before the believers. What people usually consider as problems are not problems if you analyse them, but what makes the difference is our perception and in whom we put our faith and trust.

Amidst all problems there is always away that cannot be seen by our physical eyes. There was a way for the Israelites in the red sea which they had not imagined when the water parted for them to cross. We can relate this to the doctrine of predestination. Romans 8:29 (ESV) says: “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers."

God knew us before we were born and planned away out for us in all matters of our lives. He knows the challenges we will face and has already worked out solutions before we even face those challenges. Jeremiah 1:5 (AMP) says: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew [and] approved of you [as My chosen instrument], and before you were born I separated and set you apart………..”

There is always a hidden path that we may not see until we get to that time when we need a solution. There is reason why we go through what we go through;

Deuteronomy 8:2-5(NLT) says: “2 Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands. 3 Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4 For all these forty years your clothes didn’t wear out, and your feet didn’t blister or swell. 5 Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good.” 

From the above scripture we learn that;

• God chastens those He loves so that they return to his ways.
• A desert is a place where people are tested and humbled.
• God trains us through the hard times and challenges. In the desert God cut off provision of the land and He provided for them so that they would know He is the sole provider and that it was not their hands that provided.
• In the desert God builds up a relationship with His people. He wants us to turn our eyes and dependence from people and recognise Him only as the almighty God. That's why He only comes to help when we have totally failed in our own strength and when we feel we cannot rely on anyone for help because he doesn't share His glory with man.

Our trust should be in the Lord only because He will neither leave nor forsake us. Deuteronomy 31:8(NLT) says; “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”