PRESENCE OF GOD

Pr. James Victor Lubwama

Psalms 16:11 (NIV)

“You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence”

We usually ask questions like, Pastor I have prayed, fasted, tithed, ministered, given to the poor and done every other thing a believer would do but there is no blessing in my life, is God discriminative?

Even when you go to a theological school and learn everything about the bible, its interpretation, history and other Aramaic meanings, there is only one thing that changes people’s lives, and that is the working power of the Almighty God. What causes God’s principles to work? What causes prayers to be answered? What brings transformation? What causes the anointing to flow? It’s that one thing - the presence of God.

What brings Transformation?
People have read and studied the bible more extensively; they pray a lot and fast more frequently but there is no breakthrough or blessing. So I inquired from the Lord what the problem is; do people pray badly or they don’t pray enough? And He answered me that; what makes the difference is My presence. One time Moses told God in Exodus 33:15 (NIV) that; 

“If your presence does not go with us, don’t send us up from here.” 

Moses knew that if the presence of the Lord didn’t go with them, they wouldn’t take possession of the Promised Land. God’s presence is so profound and powerful and Moses knew that it’s the only thing that can make a difference. He goes ahead to say in Exodus 33:16 (GW) that; 

“How will anyone ever know you’re pleased with your people and me unless you go with us? Then we will be different from all other people on the face of the earth.” 

It's only God's presence that can make a difference! If anyone is in the presence of God, he or she can prophesy even though he or she is not a prophet. 1 Samuel 10:10-11(NLT) says; 

“When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, they saw a group of prophets coming toward them. Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he too, began to prophesy. 11 When those who knew Saul heard about it, they exclaimed, “What? Is even Saul a prophet? How did the son of Kish become a prophet?” 
The presence of God transformed Saul into a prophet; whenever you dwell in the presence of God, things change - there is life in the presence of God

God’s presence is not only about singing songs; the Christian principles we do – fellowship, offering, fasting praying among others, other people have done many times and at greater heights than us but with no results, and they even think diabolically about us, but in the end, we know that what brings about the difference is the presence of God. God’s presence brings joy, peace, causes your faith to grow, leads to a purposeful life and makes people wise. 

The Psalmist says in 16:11 (NIV) that; 

“You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”

The Garden, Tabernacle and Cross

From the beginning, God desired to dwell among His people, and after creating man and placing him in the garden of Eden, he visited him everyday; and the day Adam sinned, He had gone there to converse with him – for God desired to be with human beings and when that plan failed after the fall of man, he invited Moses, gave him a plan and instructed him to construct a tabernacle - it was the house of God’s presence. God instructs Moses in Exodus 25:8-9 (NLT) that; 

“Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them.”

He didn’t stop there because that was just a shadow, so He went ahead to do something real in the New Testament by sacrificing His only son. After shedding his blood, he decided to cleanse his temple – your body. The blood washed away your sins and thereafter He descended to dwell in you; so ever since you became born-again, God decided to dwell in your heart in the form of the Holy Spirit - all in pursue of dwelling among His people. Though He gave us the Holy Spirit, he is not contented. He again said, let me go and prepare a place for them where I am. I will come back and fetch them. The church is in transit, we are here for a moment but a time will come for us to go where the Father is - heaven. God desires for His children to be with him and to dwell with him, He has enough space for all the seven billion people on earth if they believe and accept him as their Lord and Saviour.

What drives away God’s presence?

1 Samuel 2:29-30 (GW) says; 
“Why do you show no respect for my sacrifices and grain offerings that I have commanded people to make in my dwelling place? Why do you honour your sons more than me by making yourselves fat on the best of all sacrifices offered by my people Israel? 30 “Therefore, the LORD God of Israel declares: I certainly thought that your family and your father’s family would always live in my presence. “But now the LORD declares: I promise that I will honour those who honour me, and those who despise me will be considered insignificant.”

One of the things that drives away the presence of God is walking contrary to God’s ways. There was a time when God’s presence departed from the children of Israel. Eli’s children sinned (1 Samuel 2:12-36) but Eli as the chief priest continued performing his duties without rebuking or rectifying his sons. There are things we have done as ministers, they are useful and seem to work for us but in reality they are no longer impactful; Many times we substitute righteousness for ministry; we serve a lot, always busy but when our souls are decaying yet God is more interested in your soul than your service. We think that because we are always ministering it’s by default that God’s presence is still in us which is in error. When David realized that he had sinned, he cried out to the Lord in Psalms 51:11 (NLT) and said; 

“Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.”

The devil hates God’s presence; when someone becomes born-again, the first thing he or she gets is God’s presence – Holy Spirit. How do you feel it? You feel at peace, it comes not because you have no debt or sickness or problems; it’s not attached to any condition but comes because of the Holy Spirit is in you; even your mind queries it but its God breathed - the peace comes because the Prince of Peace is available. However, that peace and presence of God departs the moment you sin, it ceases at that moment. All the spiritual things you used to do become a burden - you used to pray but it becomes a struggle; you used to give knowing that you are sowing but that discernment is no more; you used to fellowship and minister but that passion is watered down and, in that state all things you do are computed – you do as your minds thinks not as you are convicted, all that happens because the Holy Spirit that used to convict and instruct you departed.

The devil came with one purpose in the Garden of Eden. What? To drive man away from the presence of God. He was jealous because he had been cast away from God’s presence, so he purposed to throw discord among men. The devil is always scheming for something to drive away God’s presence from your life. God’s presence has left most people and the things we do are mind driven not convicted by the Spirit of God.

What stops things from working? It’s the presence of God, because when He departs, you begin to struggle - the Almighty unlimited God who used to be in control is gone and all that is left is regulated limited you. When you are in God’s presence, you must watch and guard yourself so that the devil doesn’t manipulate you. Not being in the presence of God is correlated to being outside the watch of the Pastor because when the devil attacks, he does so happily knowing no one will chase him because the pastor who has a rod and staff is nowhere. The rod guides the sheep – you, and the staff hits and chases the wolves and lions that attack sheep.

So in plotting his attack in the Garden of Eden, the devil knew that two are better than one (in case of trouble, one warns or protects the other) so he never tried to attack Adam and Eve when they were together; however he attacked Eve when she was alone. Pride engulfed her and she made a decision without Adam’s knowledge. The woman represents the church - bridal congregation and the man represents the five-fold ministries. So be informed that the devil is going to try to cast you away from God’s presence and you are going to overcome him by seeking counsel from your spiritual father. Before doing anything, know whether it’s in the will of God or not and by doing so you shall be skipping all the plots of the enemy, because had Eve consulted Adam before eating of the forbidden fruit, what happened wouldn’t have happened

When Adam and Eve were still in the Garden of Eden – God’s presence, there was no sickness, suffering, death or poverty; all the suffering started after the departure of God’s presence. The devil wants you to lose things God has given you, he wants you to depart from the abundant purposeful life that is why his priority mission is to steal, kill and destroy.

Another sin the devil uses to take away God’s presence is fornication and adultery. All other sin is done outside the body except for those two and, our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit where God dwells. 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 (NKJV) teaches; 

“Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

There is nothing that has chased God’s presence like adultery and fornication. When a born-again person fornicates, it brings chases away God’s presence. As a believer, keep walking in the narrow road which leads you to eternal life but the wide road leads to destruction. Flee from situations that cause you to sin so that God’s presence remains in you. Don’t compromise lest you will be compromised. James 4:7 (MSG) teaches; 

“So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the devil and watch him scamper.”

One thing I liked about David is his humbled broken heart. After realizing that he had sinned, he confessed, repented and pleaded with God not to take away His presence from him, and that is why Psalms 51 is titled – a prayer for forgiveness or a prayer of repentance.

Now and Before

In God’s presence many outstanding things happen; Apostles sang and prison gates opened (Acts 16:25) Joseph was sold into slavery, imprisoned but turned out victorious and purposeful. Why? Because in both cases God’s presence was with them

When I was growing up in the late 80’s, the church and its set up was not modern as it is now. The structures were made of papyrus and the musical instruments were basically local drums, but the church was on fire. There were many prophesies, great revelations, revival and the testimonies were boundless. But what has taken away God’s presence and saving hand? Is God the same yesterday, today and forever? Yes. Where did that power go? Is it no more? God’s mighty power still exists because He changes not, however, His power and gifts operate only in His presence; miracles and breakthrough can only happen where His presence dwells, because where the presence of God is, the anointing overflows.

God doesn’t want to depart from us but it always starts with us. Why do people who have been influential wind up weak after sometime? Why is it that the things we did initially used to descend God but when done now there is no impact? One of the causes is disobedience.

Why are cults on the rise? There is no longer power in some born-again churches; and why has the power ceased? Because the presence of God is not there! So what keeps the believers in church? Promises, good music, nice buildings and a sense of belonging

Let’s look at our gospel musicians today. They compose songs and within a range of one or two years they have faded yet the hymns composed in the 18^th and 19^th century are still relevant? The latter wrote the songs in God’s presence and the songs came with anointing; that is why they have relevantly lasted. For them it wasn’t about putting out another album to make money but they composed songs to glorify and magnify the Lord. Our grandparents and parents sang songs like Amazing Grace (1779), It is well with my soul (1876), O Holy Night (1847), How Great Thou Art (1885), and even up to now we still sing such songs of worship and I know that our great grandchildren will sing them.

Godly principles do not work minus his presence; His word doesn’t work minus his presence. After Jesus commissioned the eleven disciples in Mark 16, He didn’t leave them but He went out with them confirming the word - He went out with them not physically but spiritually. Mark 16:20 (TLB) affirms; 

“And the disciples went everywhere preaching, and the Lord was with them and confirmed what they said by miracles that followed their messages.”

You need the presence of God in your life

POWER OF A SACRIFICE

Pr. James Victor Lubwama

Luke 18:18-23

“Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: “Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “Only God is truly good. 20 But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.’ 21 The man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.” 22 When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 23 But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich.”

A sacrifice is an offering you give up, usually for the sake of a better cause OR surrendering a possession as an offering to God. It’s a painful offering. Sacrifice means giving to the Lord whatever he requires of our time, earthly possessions and our energies to further His work. Our willingness to sacrifice is an indication of our devotion to God. People have always been tried and tested to see if they will put the things of God first in their lives. For instance Abraham was instructed to sacrifice his only son Isaac. Genesis 22:1-2 (NLT) narrates;

Sometime later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called. “Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.” 2 “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”

A sacrifice releases power - if you want anything to be done under the sun, you need power which is not from within you. The bible says in Deuteronomy 8:18(NKJV) that;  “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth…...…" God doesn't give you money or wealth physically, but He gives you the power to make wealth, and for that power to come upon you there must be a sacrifice.

It is written in John 3:12 that the earthly things should teach us heavenly things; some of our forefathers practiced sorcery and, worshipped and believed in ancestral spirits and in practice every time they wanted bring evil onto someone, a sacrifice of a cow, hen or goat was always required to appease the evil spirits to cause harm to occur as commanded. Likewise a sacrifice is required of us Christians in order for God to work for us and use us. Romans 12:1 (NIV) says: “I Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship”

When God saw that man had sinned, He knew that only a sacrifice would redeem humanity and thus gave His own son to die for our sins. John 3:16 says; “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

The sacrifice required for your breakthrough is not tied to a specific thing, but the Holy Spirit convicts you on what you should do at a particular time in a specific situation. A Sacrifice can be; actions you take, friends you forsake for Christ, the time you put aside to attend church services against all odds or deciding to join a ministry in church to serve God. 

A sacrifice releases power!

PAYING THE PRICE  

Pr. James Victor Lubwama

1 Corinthians 6:20 (NLT) 

“For God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body”

In our Christian life, we often hear people talk about paying a price, but many keep wondering what it means. There is a price tagged to everything that you will ever receive from God - there is a requirement for the things that you want to achieve or acquire. The Bible says in Revelation 5:12 (NASB) that; “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.” 

He was slain so that he can receive, that was the price God paid for our redemption – sacrificing his one and only son.

Practicing the principles of Christianity like tithing, offering, fellowshipping, praising, worshiping, fasting, praying and reading the Bible is not what is meant by paying a price but rather a requirement of every Christian; these pillars of Christianity help us in building our relationship with God.

Among the born-again, there are people who pray and receive, others are prayed for and when they do not receive, they attribute it to their poorly aligned Christian life, and thus rectify their walk in order to receive from God but after all that, they may still pray and receive nothing which may be quite puzzling. Why? God is saying there is none who can get anything from heaven even though they have been prayed for as long as they have not paid the price. The price for our redemption was quite high, and if God Himself bought us, this means that nothing comes freely from heaven - we need to pay the price (1 Corinthians 6:20)

Obedience & Spirit

There are certain things we have not received because we have not paid the price for them. Paying a price is an act of obedience. For you to obey means that there is some who is giving you instructions and then you execute accordingly; the instructor commands or demands full obedience from the one who receives the instructions. Obedience doesn’t happen at your own convenience but at the convenience of the one who is instructing you. Jesus told his disciples in Luke 9:23 (TLB) that; “Anyone who wants to follow me must put aside his own desires and conveniences and carry his cross with him every day and keep close to me!" 

The instruction is to deny self, and be able to keep God close. The instructor is not the pastor but the Holy Spirit; however, for quick and easy understanding of instructions, the Holy Spirit can communicate to you through the servant of God regarding a particular thing to be done, but at times the Holy Spirit directly communicates to your heart (that’s if you are filled with the Holy Spirit) about what he wants you to do. That communication is a command not to be debated by your mind, and when you obey the instructions of the Holy Spirit, then you will have paid the price.

The instructions of the Holy Spirit may appear hard, sometimes contrary to our situations and at times they may appear as foolishness but if you are willing, he gives you the grace (divine enablement of God) to execute them. 1 Corinthians 2:14 (TLB) says, “But the man who isn’t a Christian can’t understand and can’t accept these thoughts from God, which the Holy Spirit teaches us. They sound foolish to him because only those who have the Holy Spirit within them can understand what the Holy Spirit means.”

Obeying the instruction of the Holy Spirit is the price that is required of you to obtain the things you desire; for obedience unlocks blessings - when you humble yourself and obey, you will be able to eat the good of the land. When you are obedient enough to work on God’s issues, He will also work on yours. Isaiah 1:19 (ESV) reminds us; “If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land."

You need to always be in fellowship with the Holy Spirit because is He is the one who instructs you on what to do when, where and how. That is why Paul emphasizes in 2 Corinthians 13:14 (NIV) that; “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."  

You need to always be filled with the Holy Spirit to be able to hear from God.

Price Payer Benefits 

Hebrews 11:17-18 (TLB) 

“While God was testing him, Abraham still trusted in God and his promises, and so he offered up his son Isaac and was ready to slay him on the altar of sacrifice; 18 yes, to slay even Isaac, through whom God had promised to give Abraham a whole nation of descendants!

God gave Abraham a child at an old age but later asked for him as a sacrifice. Isaac was Abraham’s only child but when he obeyed God’s command, he paid the price for his entire generation. It was a sign of salvation that we were to receive in Jesus when God gave up His only begotten son to die for our sins. 

Genesis 22:1-16 (TLB)

“Later on, God tested Abraham’s faith and obedience. “Abraham!” God called. “Yes, Lord?” he replied. 2 “Take with you your only son—yes, Isaac whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah and sacrifice him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I’ll point out to you!”………………… 9 When they arrived at the place where God had told Abraham to go, he built an altar and placed the wood in order, ready for the fire, and then tied Isaac and laid him on the altar over the wood. 10 And Abraham took the knife and lifted it up to plunge it into his son, to slay him. 11 At that moment the Angel of God shouted to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Yes, Lord!” he answered. 12 “Lay down the knife; don’t hurt the lad in any way,” the Angel said, “for I know that God is first in your life—you have not withheld even your beloved son from me.” ….………….. 15 Then the Angel of God called again to Abraham from heaven. 16 “I, the Lord, have sworn by myself that because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your beloved son from me, 17 I will bless you with incredible blessings and multiply your descendants into countless thousands and millions, like the stars above you in the sky, and like the sands along the seashore. They will conquer their enemies, 18 and your offspring will be a blessing to all the nations of the earth—all because you have obeyed me.”

As God’s children, we are all the same but what distinguishes us is the price we pay. There is no one, be it a minister or the men that God has used who never paid a price. In the kingdom of God nothing comes with out a price attached and that is why those in Salvation who have not yet understood the purpose of the price are still as they were in the beginning.

God is able to give you whatever you desire as long as you can pay the price: It does not matter who you are or where you are from. For instance, if you went into a car bond to buy the most expensive car, it will be given to you as long as you are able to pay for it. As long as you pay the price God instructs of you, He will give you what you desire. God respects righteous believers but being righteous alone will not pay the price for you thus the need to combine both. Look at Lazarus who died righteous but poor. The bible says in Luke 16:19-25 (TLB) that; 

 “There was a certain rich man,” Jesus said, “who was splendidly clothed and lived each day in mirth and luxury.  20 One day Lazarus, a diseased beggar, was laid at his door.  21 As he lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.  22 Finally the beggar died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham in the place of the righteous dead. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and his soul went into hell. There, in torment, he saw Lazarus in the far distance with Abraham. 24 “‘Father Abraham,’ he shouted, ‘have some pity! Send Lazarus over here if only to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in these flames.’ 25 “But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted and you are in anguish.”

Lazarus was righteous but poor because he did not pay the price. For he did not desire to eat with the rich, which means he did not go an extra mile - If you desire to sit with kings and influencial people, you have to work hard not lightly. If you are righteous but do not pay the price, you will die poor like Lazarus and you will be despised by the world. Be reminded that righteous – right standing with God is an attribute of the born-again, therefore you need to be righteous, but also be a price payer as convicted by the Holy Spirit - it is not necessarily money, but anything the Holy Spirit commands you to do. When you obey and do as instructed, you reap anointing, wealth, blessings among other things.

The price you pay is not the leftovers from what you have. It has to be a full not partial sacrifice, and that is what pleases Jesus. What causes the difference is that which you give tearfully, extravagantly and cheerfully.

1. Psalm 126:5-6 (AMP) that; “They who sow in tears shall reap with joyful singing. 6 He who goes back and forth weeping, carrying his bag of seed [for planting], Will indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.”
2. Luke 21:1-4 (MSG) “Just then he looked up and saw the rich people dropping offerings in the collection plate. 2 Then he saw a poor widow put in two pennies. 3 He said, “The plain truth is that this widow has given by far the largest offering today. 4 All these others made offerings that they’ll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn’t afford—she gave her all!”
3. 2 Corinthians 9:7 (AMP) says; “Let each one give [thoughtfully and with purpose] just as he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver [and delights in the one whose heart is in his gift].”

Listen to bidding of the Holy Spirit, He will instruct you on what to offer by way of conviction in your heart and when you hear that small still voice instructing you do a particular thing, don’t try to involve your mind by reasoning because that will lead to rebellion hence disobedience!

Hebrews 3:15 (TLB) says; “……Today if you hear God’s voice speaking to you, do not harden your hearts against him”

WORD OF GOD IS NOT LIMITED BY SEASONS AND TIME

Pr. Geoffrey Kibombo

Isaiah 55:10-11 (MSG)

“Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth, doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, 11 So will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They’ll do the work I sent them to do, they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.”

At the end of every year God speaks in our lives about the things that will happen the next year. Some people's lives are transformed forever by those words and they testify to that, while some other people do not see the prophecies come to pass in their lives, families and environ. The question that is usually asked once we ascend into another year with another prophetic word is; ‘what happens to the word I received last year?’

At the beginning of the this year, we received a Rhema word from God through our Pastor that 2016 is going to be a year of wonders. We heard great testimonies of the wonders God did in people's live; however, there are fellow congregants who have not seen the hand of God in their lives in that specific line and this year again we received a prophetic message saying that 2017 is a year of perfection - God is going to perfect that which concerns us (Psalm 138:8) or as the Message version says; "Finish what you started in me, God......".

Does it mean that the word we received from the mouth of God in 2016 is not operative in 2017? No. The word of God spoken to the church previously is still operational till it performs what it was sent to do. God's word never goes back to Him empty. He spoke and He will also bring it to pass. Just like the bible says above in Isaiah 55:11 (MSG) that; 

“So will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They’ll do the work I sent them to do, they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.”

In fact Pr. James Victor Lubwama has clarified on many occasions especially about the 2015 prophetic message (New World / Harvest Time); he clarified that 2015 marked the beginning of an era where God is going to create a new world, and usher us into our harvest. God spoke and He will surely fulfill. The bible says in Ezekiel 24:14 (TLB) that; 

“I, the Lord, have spoken it; it shall come to pass and I will do it.”

Zechariah 5:1-4 (NLT) says;

"I looked up again and saw a scroll flying through the air. 2 “What do you see?” the angel asked. “I see a flying scroll,” I replied. “It appears to be about 30 feet long and 15 feet wide.” 3 Then he said to me, “This scroll contains the curse that is going out over the entire land. One side of the scroll says that those who steal will be banished from the land; the other side says that those who swear falsely will be banished from the land. 4 And this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: I am sending this curse into the house of every thief and into the house of everyone who swears falsely using my name. And my curse will remain in that house and completely destroy it—even its timbers and stones.”

Just like the curse moves around looking for the house to consume, so does the blessing. The prophetic word from God flies around looking for the person and house to deliver what the Lord promised.

As the curse flies around, so does the blessing; but instead of curses, God is going to deliver blessings - the angels are still at work preparing to fulfill every word God spoke in your life. God is not limited by seasons and time. He does everything He promised at the right time, and in the right place, so keep believing and confessing that which He spoke about you.

We are blessed to have a spiritual father with a prophetic calling because before God does any work - before he moves, before he transforms, he first informs His servants. Amos 3:7 (MSG) confirms that; 

“The fact is, God, the Master, does nothing without first telling his prophets the whole story.”  

Once He has revealed his plans, he monitors his words and plan till implementation stage. Isaiah 44:26 (NET) says; “Who fulfills the oracles of his prophetic servants and brings to pass the announcements of his messengers……”

Dont doubt God, buckle up your faith, for it shall come to pass as He spoke. God lives in eternity and His word does not expire- for He is not governed by day, month or year and whatever He promised, He will perform

THE PRICE OF OBEDIENCE

Pr. James Victor Lubwama

John 10:27 (AMP)

“The sheep that are My own hear My voice and listen to Me; I know them, and they follow Me.”

One of the questions we ask oursleves sometimes is; why do some Christians remain in a state similar to that of unbelievers to the extent that even those around them start to doubt the power of Salvation?

When we ask God for something, He does not necessarily respond immediately because He has a set time in which He works; even when He has confirmed that He has given you what you asked for, you still need to wait a while for it to come to pass. For instance a cheque only matures after you have banked it, that’s when you can receive money - the earthly things should teach you a lot about heavenly things. Jesus says in John 3:12 (NKJV) that; “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” 

Likewise two people saying a prayer at the same time does not mean they get a response at the same time because God’s plan towards us is unique. Therefore as you wait for what God promised, you need to stand on His word and with faith, patienly wait upon Him in faith - faith in God includes having faith in His timing.

Whenever you receive a word from God, the enemy will endeavor to attack you - He will use facts of life, people around you and your thoughts to cause chaos. Some people complain that God has not yet blessed them and, God is saying that indeed I have not yet done so since I have not yet given you a word. The word that causes God to act is that which proceeds from His mouth. The Rhema word should agree with the written word as the two cannot be separated. The bible says in 1 John 5:7 (NKJV) “For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit: and these three are one.” 

The word prophesied unto you by a servant of God or the Holy Spirit is the word that will not return void. God assures us in Isaiah 55:11 (NKJV) that; “So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; It shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." 

That word from God is a sign of His commitment because if He said it, he will also do it (Isaiah 46:11). When God gives you a prophesy or promises you something, do whatever you can to ensure that you fight the negative spirits that seek to hinder your promise; and if God asks you to give or offer, you should give cheerfully because God loves a cheerful giver and a tearful giver. It is the Holy Spirit that convicts us to give and whenever you feel the urge to give, know that God is pushing you to sow a seed which will bring fruits in your life. The bible teaches in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (MSG) that; “Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop. 7 I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving.”

God paid a high price for our redemption and the bible says in 1 Corinthians 6:20 (NLT) that; “For God bought you with a high price…..” He purchased us at a price just like the way we sacrifice to acquire valuable items - you cannot take something valuable without paying a price. We all need to sacrifice or pay a price for what we desire. If God had not bought us at a price, He would not have claimed us even though we are His.

Obedience is a Price!

When do you pay the price and who decides? It is God the creator Himself.  The bible says in Psalms 24:1 (NIV) “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;” 

God is in our hearts and He is able to sit there according to Luke 17:21 (AMP); “For behold, the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you].” 

Because He dwells in our heart, He speaks with a small still voice and sometimes He burdens our hearts. You have not received what you desire because you have not yet paid a price and you do not know the price to pay because you do not have a relationship with the one who sets the price - the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit is in you, He will be able to communicate with you. You have no relationship with the Holy Spirit because you have no fellowship with Him, and there is no fellowship because you are not yet in agreement with Him. The scripture says in John 10:27 (AMP) that; “The sheep that are My own hear My voice and listen to Me……”

From the scripture above, let’s look at the meaning of the key words – hear and listen.

1-  Hear – to perceive with the ear the sound made by (someone or something). Your spiritual ears must be fine-tuned – right standing to be able to hear from your creator. It’s only the sheep – God’s children that can hear from Him; those in fellowship with the Holy Spirit.

2-  Listen – to take notice of and act on what someone says; respond to advice or a request. When you hear, you have got to act as instructed not as you please – that’s obedience.

Disobedience hinders fellowship with the Holy Spirit; you may think you have not sinned because you have not committed murder, but also unforgiveness, and jealousy are equivalent to all other sins; what looks minor to you is sin in the eyes of God and keeps you from having fellowship with the Holy Spirit, and once that fellowship is lacking, you will never know the price, and that is why some believers will die without receiving what was prophesied unto them. The bible says in Hebrews 11:13 (AMP) that; “All these died in faith [guided and sustained by it], without receiving the [tangible fulfillment of God’s] promises, only having seen (anticipated) them and having welcomed them from a distance……..”

Some believers think that doing religious acts is the same as paying the price which is wrong - giving does not necessarily mean you are paying a price, however, when you feel convicted and give or offer painfully, you are paying a price. Looking at the example of the widow in Luke 21:3-4 (ESV), Jesus said; “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them.  3 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” 

Jesus recognized the widow’s offering because she had given painfully. However, the rich man did not give painfully and his giving was not sacrificial. The scripture says in Genesis 3:16 that; in pain will you bring forth children, and it also says in Psalms 126:6 (AMP) that; “He who goes back and forth weeping, carrying his bag of seed [for planting], will indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.” 

Obey and Respect the Anointing

The anointing you respect is the anointing that will transform and bless you; until you respect the anointing in the church, you will never get anything! Our spiritual fathers are custodians of the things of God here on earth and if they are pleased they can release a blessing. 

You will never eat good things until you have obeyed. God is seeking your obedience. In the book of Isaiah 1:20 (ESV) it is written; “If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.” 

Abraham paid the price when he hosted and fed the angels of God. Once the angels had eaten and were satisfied and pleased, they prophesied that Sarah would have a son. Those three men were a manifestation of the trinity (God the father, Son and Holy Spirit). The price Abraham paid ushered him into his promise of being a father of many nations (Genesis 17:4). God had made a covenant with Abraham that he will make him a father of many nations but he was old and without child, so in order for him to enter into his promises, he paid a price as seen in Genesis 18:1-10 (NLV) below;

“The Lord showed Himself to Abraham by the oak trees of Mamre, as he sat at the tent door in the heat of the day. 2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them. He put his face to the ground 3 and said, “My lord, if I have found favor in your eyes, please do not pass by your servant. 4 Let us have a little water brought to wash your feet. Rest yourselves under the tree. 5 And I will get a piece of bread so you may eat and get strength. After that you may go on your way, since you have come to your servant.” The men said, “Do as you have said.” 6 So Abraham ran into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Hurry and get three pails of fine flour, mix it well, and make bread.” 7 Then Abraham ran to the cattle and took out a young and good calf. He gave it to the servant to make it ready in a hurry. 8 He took milk and cheese and the meat which he had made ready, and set it in front of them. He stood by them under the tree while they ate. 9 Then they said to him, “Where is your wife Sarah?” And he said, “There in the tent.” 10 The Lord said, “I will be sure to return to you at this time next year. And your wife Sarah will have a son.” Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him.” 

Faith – God’s word activated

You need to learn to activate your faith because God likes people who are doers not hearers of the word. You will never cross over to your Canaan until you walk on water – act in faith, i.e. hear, obey and act the word. The bible says in Romans 10:17 (NKJV) that; “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” 

As we said earlier, before God works, He speaks first; and thus before you act, you have got to first hear from the mouth of God. Faith is God’s word activated. Faith comes into play when you hear and act; but you need to be cautious because faith is not a risk undertaking but it comes by hearing from God – you hear first and then act after. Do not take a risk unless you have heard the voice of God telling you to get out of the boat and walk on the water. Peter needing confirmation, asked Jesus, in Matthew 14:28 (ESV) “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 

Once you get onto the water keep your eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of your faith. But we read ahead in Matthew 14:30 (ESV) that; “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 

As soon as Peter took his eyes off Jesus, he began to sink. Do not take your eyes off the anointing and the word. Do not look at the contradictory circumstances, but unto God, because if He started it, He will surely accomplish it.

He who decides the price is seated in your heart and will guide you. For whatever you want, remember that you need to pay the price and it doesn’t imply that it has got to be financial. We were bought at a price - purchased with the blood of God’s only son. Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and comply with the instructions given – obey because in doing so you are paying the price. Do what you have never done for God and He will like wise do the same for you. Pay a price you have never paid before and God will pay you back. Pay the price by the obeying God and assuredly He will and answer all your prayers, meet your needs and grant your heart's desires.

Live a life of obedience!