Walking With The Greats - The Life of Josiah

This week's service can be watched at

http://www.kbmlive.tv/

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"...follow the example of those who are going to inherit
God’s promises because of their faith and endurance."
Hebrew 6:12

Today's Scripture Text: 2 Chronicles 33:1 to 34:33

Have you ever felt like you were swimming upstream - like you were going against the flow?  Today we are looking at the life of Josiah, a man of God who definitely had to go against the flow!

Josiah's grandfather Manasseh built altars to pagan gods right within Solomon's temple!  He even sacrificed one of his own children in the temple, to the god of fire.  He shed innocent blood from one end of Jerusalem to the other.  Manasseh ruled for 52 years.  Then, his son Amon (Josiah's father) followed in his father's footsteps.  Because of this, he ruled only 2 years and was executed by his servants.

2 Kings 21  At 8 years old Josiah became king in his father's place.  But he didn't walk in his father Amon's footsteps.  2 Chronicles 34:1

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Life Lesson #1 - Your Upbringing Doesn’t Have to be Your Downfall

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Every home environment has its dysfunction.  But you can choose to stop the flow of sin and decide to make a change.  Josiah chose to live a life of faithfulness to God. 2 Chronicles. 34:2  He could have used his past as an excuse to live a life like his father or grandfather, but he made a choice to be faithful, just like King David.

Faithfulness is characterized by stability, dependability and devotion:

• Stability - not jumping around
• Dependability - do what you say you will do (better than talent, results in promotion)
• Devotion - dedicated and loyal

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Life Lesson #2 - God Always Rewards Faithfulness

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Josiah experienced great peace and prosperity because of his faithfulness.  Their is a process to faithfulness.  You need to be faithful to:

1. PURSUE GOD – 2 Chronicles 34:3

SEEK means 'to ask or inquire of'.  God will give you all you need to know.  Instead of asking others, ask God.

Here's how you know if what you think you heard from God was actually God: If it doesn't line up with the Word of God, it wasn't God.

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Life Lesson #3 - To Know What to Do, You Have to Pursue God

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2. PURIFY YOUR LIFE – 2 Chronicles 34:3

PURIFY means 'to purge, to remove everything impure'.  In other words, get the junk out!

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Life Lesson #4 - Purifying Our Life is a Process

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There were 4 years from the time Josiah pursued God until He began purifying the temple and his kingdom.  There is a process... but God is patient in that process!  We can worship and serve the Lord much better when we get rid of the clutter!

3. PRIORITIZE YOUR LIFE – 2 Chronicles 34:8

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Life Lesson #5 - To Have Complete Peace & Prosperity we Need to Make Church a Priority!

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Corporate worship needs to be the foundation to all you do!  When you make church a priority, God fights on your behalf. Hebrews 10:25, Luke 4:16.

4. PURPOSE TO OBEY GOD'S WORD – 2 Chronicles 34:14

The Word was lost in the temple for 75 years.  Many people go to church every week, but if the word is lost in the church, you won't know what to obey!  Discover God's Word and pledge to obey it.  Josiah pledged to obey the Lord with all the terms of the covenant.  The people renewed their covenant with God and removed all the idols in the temple.  You are the temple of the Holy Spirit 1 Corinthians 6:19.  In much the same manner, the clutter and idols must be removed from your life.

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Life Lesson #6 - When You Purpose to Obey You Won’t Turn Away

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You don't have to repeat the things your forefathers did wrong.  Chose to obey the Lord and be faithful to His covenant.

"A beautiful palace does not make a great King."

The word 'faithfulness' keeps reappearing as we look at "Walking With The Greats".  This is because faithfulness to God is a trait that makes you great!

CHALLENGE: God is asking, "Will you be faithful? Faithful to my house, faithful to my word, faithful to my commandments, faithful to to pursuing me, even when that faithfulness means sacrifice or increased devotion? Are you willing to hear the word of the Lord and increase your level of faithfulness? Will you choose to be the one? Take some time to go before the Lord right now and let Him know you will make faithfulness a priority.

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Walking With The Greats - The Life of Solomon

This week's service can be watched at

http://www.kbmlive.tv/

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"...follow the example of those who are going to inherit
God’s promises because of their faith and endurance."
Hebrew 6:12

Today's Scripture Text: 1st Kings 3:1-15

If you KNOW the right thing, you’re INTELLIGENT; If you DO the right thing, you’re WISE!  Wisdom is the ability to make the right choices.  Wisdom is the application of knowledge.

Proverbs 9:10 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom..."; James 1:5 "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him"

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LIFE LESSON 1 - Seek Wisdom - Receive Wealth - 1 Kings 3:12-13

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Matthew 6:33 - "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."  Because Solomon requested wisdom, God made him Healthy, Wealthy and Wise!

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LIFE LESSON 2 - Godly Wisdom Gains Great Respect - 1 Kings 3:16-28

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Your wisdom will be your witness!  People around you will see God through you.  God's favour comes through a life lived in Wisdom, so in every are of your life, ask for wisdom!  Incredibly, in all the wisdom God gave Solomon, he still had a vice... Women! Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines.

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LIFE LESSON 3 - Wrong Connection Will Lead You in the Wrong Direction - 1 Kings 11:1-3

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Solomon was led to worship other gods against 'the beginning of wisdom'.  He lost his 'fear of the Lord'.

Sin Will Get in the Way of Your Prophetic Promises

Solomon wrote more songs to God than David; He was a worshipper who had wisdom, but he allowed sin to remain and it was to his demise.  Disobedience, no matter how small, is a problem; it can foster addiction.  Addiction is predictable:

1. First you tolerate it;
2. Then you justify it;
3. Then you participate in it.

Solomon's compromise affected his future and eroded the peace of the people of his kingdom.  It affected his children and his kingdom was split into 2 nations!

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LIFE LESSON 4 - Two-timing on God Gets His Anger & Not His Favour - 1 Kings 11:1-12

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vs 4 - "As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been."

vs 9 - "The LORD became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel..."

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LIFE LESSON 5 - It’s Not Only How You Start But How You Finish That’s Important

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vs 11 - "So the LORD said to Solomon, "Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates."

Solomon lost the Kingdom and it affected the generations to follow.  Even if you start slow, stay faithful.  Your choice to faithfully serve God and fear Him with healthy respect flowing from your realization of what He's done for you and what life would be like without Him, is what will keep you experiencing the promises of God.

Paul finished the race and won the prize - 2 Timothy 4:7-8

Let Solomon's life be an example - don't compromise; don't allow for even a 1% margin of error; finish strong!  Let your best days be those ahead of you!  God hasn't brought you this far to drop you now!  He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it! Remember: All Gods promises prove true!

CHALLENGE: Regardless of where you started or where you find yourself today, it's not too late to get God's wisdom to help direct your life so that you can receive and walk in all the promises of God.  Do these 3 things daily:

1. seek wisdom
2. stay on course
3. finish strong

You are a light in the darkness.  Let your light shine with wisdom.  It will illuminate your path so that you can see where you are going to get to your destiny.

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Walking With The Greats - The Life of David

This week's service can be watched at

http://www.kbmlive.tv/

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"...follow the example of those who are going to inherit
God’s promises because of their faith and endurance."
Hebrew 6:12

Today's Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 13:3-16;16:4-13

Have you ever felt like you were all alone?  Have you ever felt like there was one challenge after another?  Have you ever felt like everything around you was going wrong in spite of God's prophetic promise for your life?  David, like Samuel was called prophetically but he continued to do what he was doing while God developed him, until the time God was ready to release him.

A GLIMPSE encourages us but WAITING prepares us.

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LIFE LESSON #1: Prophetic Glimpse Encourages us But Rarely Means We Are Ready.

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There's a difference between anointing and release.  Anointing is Empowerment with Purpose.  Release is Timing.

• Everyone is anointed: Empowered with Purpose. 
• God's process and timing for release is different for each person.

"David was a man after God's own heart."  AFTER means 'in pursuit or search of'.  HEART means 'will and purpose'.

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LIFE LESSON #2: Pursuing Requires Doing.

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There is a responsibility in the process.  Don't sit back and relax and expect everything you need to develop you for your call to fall into you lap.  Be diligent to pursue your call with all your might.  Guard yourself so that what was begun in the Spirit will not be finished in the flesh!  You don't want to end up in the wilderness to learn what could have been learned in the 'PREPARATION PROCESS'.

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LIFE LESSON #3: PERSEVERANCE is not giving up when everything is chasing you the opposite way.

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David made it to the palace as a servant.  He waited in the process and trusted in God.  Nobody can block God's will for your life but you!  God's promotion comes at the right time, but not always a convenient time.  Each of us is on an individual journey, different from those around us.  Be patient and persevere in the process to the promise.

Serve your way through; don't keep changing buses.

How do I do this?
Ecclesiastes 9:10 "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might..."  Where you are now, stay faithful no matter how long it takes.  Be faithful with the little things and then you will be trusted with the big things.

3 Practices in Becoming a Person After God’s Heart:

1. PASSION for God’s Word - Psalm 119:97-100 Think on God's Word all day long.  Believers should develop a burning passion for His Word.  It can be drawn upon for every situation in life.

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LIFE LESSON #4: Wisdom, Insight & Understanding Come from God’s Word.

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2. PRAYER - Psalm 116:1-2  "I love the LORD, because He has heard my voice and my supplications.  Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live."

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LIFE LESSON #5: No Matter What You’re Going Through, Keep Going to God.

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LIFE LESSON #6: People of Prayer Still Face Problems.

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There may still be problems in the process but as we are faithful to pray, we will progress to the promise.  KEEP ON PRAYING!

3. PRAISE – Psalm 34:1

David loved to praise God from the pasture to the palace and everywhere in the process.  2 Samuel 6:15-23 David's wife thought his expression of praise was inappropriate for a King.  David was not embarrassed to abandon himself before God and before others.

CHALLENGE: God's has great destiny on your life.  As you listen to His voice, He will reveal His call on your life to you.  Make sure that you stay faithful in the process to your prophetic promise and don't try to get ahead of God.  If you feel you have taken getting to God's promise into your own hands, simply pray to God and hand it all back to Him.  Allow Him to form you in the process and make you fully ready so that you can fulfill His promise in His power.

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Walking With The Greats - The Life of Samuel

This week's service can be watched at

http://www.kbmlive.tv/

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"...follow the example of those who are going to inherit
God’s promises because of their faith and endurance."
Hebrew 6:12

Today's Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 3:1-20

3 Important Lessons from Life of Samuel

1. Samuel Listened - 1 Samuel 3:8-9

God speaks to you in His timing.  David said in Psalm 63:1 "Early will I seek you...".  It is so important that we seek God before the distractions of the day begin.

There Is a Difference Between Hearing and Listening.  According to Webster's dictionary, 'hearing' is 'the act of perceiving sound'.  It can be conscious or subconscious.  Whereas 'listening' is 'to pay close attention, to give attention with the ear'.  Some people hear but they don't listen.  We need to listen because we desire to understand.  The call is to listen attentively to the voice of the Lord.  When God spoke, Samuel heard Him.  We need to not only to be hearers of the Word but doers also - James 1:22-25.

LIFE LESSON #1: Don’t get so caught up in your thing, that you’re no longer listening to God.

2. Samuel Served - 1 Samuel 3:1

Because your heart is pure in serving, God rewards your actions.  Samuel served the Lord by assisting Eli (his Priest, Pastor).  Samuel rose to great places in the kingdom because he served his man of God.  Samuel could have become bitter because he was left to serve in the temple, but he chose to serve with excellence and with the right attitude.  Serving is an action that flows out of humility.  If you have pride, you won't serve with the right motive.  You will look to be noticed for what you did.  The intent will be, 'What can I get from this?'  When you don't get what you expected, you get bitter.

LIFE LESSON #2: Faithful & dependable serving opens the doorway for more.

Eli promoted Samuel to priest of the nation because Samuel was dependable; he  could be counted on.  If you want attention, that becomes the goal and not giving glory to God.  If your heart is right, then in the right season God will bless you.  Faithfulness proves trustworthiness.  It brings confidence.  When you can be counted on to serve, God will open doors of favour in your life.  Serving opens the door for more. vs.15: 'Samuel got up and opened the doors of the tabernacle as usual'.  He didn't start his own church or do his own new thing.  He did what he normally does.  He served as usual knowing that when God is ready, He will promote.

3. Samuel Obeyed - 1 Samuel 3:17-18

Obedience needs to be your standard when it's easy and even when it's difficult.  Samuel's first assignment was to go to Eli and tell him his family was to be cut off from the priesthood.  Because Samuel lived a lifestyle of obedience, he could bring correction that would be received.  Most people who like to tell it like it is, don't like to hear it like it is.  If you don't love the person, don't say a thing.  Correction must be given in sincere love.  The test is this: It will hurt your heart to correct someone if you truly love them.  'I am determined to obey the Lord!'

Don’t give in to sin, God wants you to Win!!

1 Samuel 3:19-20 - Samuel chose to obey and everyone knew by his obedience that he was a prophet of the Lord!

LIFE LESSON #3: Persist in righteousness and you will be blessed! 

Blessed in your family, finances and health!  Be persistent even if it feels like no one else is being persistent.  Romans 14:17-18 teaches us that RIGHTEOUSNESS produces PEACE and Real JOY in the Holy Ghost!  It isn't always easy to obey but when you do you will live in joy and peace.  No righteousness, no peace - No peace, no joy.  In every area of your life where Christ is ruling, you will have peace because Jesus is the Prince of Peace!  Unrighteousness will rob you of that peace.

REMEMBER: How you walk through a storm is a witness to those around you!

CHALLENGE: So much of what we experience day to day is a result of not listening to the voice of the Lord.  It becomes very easy to get distracted when we have not spent time listening to the Lord as He desires to direct us daily.  In Mark 1:35 it says, "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed."  If Jesus needed to listen to the Lord without distraction, how much more should we establish a protocol for getting to a place where we can listen without distraction to the Lord to receive the direction He has for our life.  If we are going to serve the Lord, it should be in doing what He requested we do.  True obedience is a result of serving as instructed during a time of listening.  Take the time to establish a daily protocol of listening to the Lord - before the distractions start to come.  You will be overwhelmed by the blessing that comes as a result of your obedience to serving God as directed by His Spirit!

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Walking With The Greats - The Life of Hannah

This week's service can be watched at

http://www.kbmlive.tv/

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These things happened to them as examples for us.
1 Corinthians 10:11

Today's Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 1:1-20

1. Hannah has an Ongoing Problem

She can't have children.  To make matters worse, her husband has a second wife!  This wife was very fruitful and taunted Hannah regularly that she had no children.

LIFE LESSON #1 - Life is Full of Surprises But One Thing is For Sure, We All Face Problems.

Have a look at this video to see an example of what our response should be to the problems we face: Response To Problems

Your response is the KEY to your Victory!

2. Hannah Responds in Prayer

LIFE LESSON #2 - Prayer Should Be Our First Reaction, NOT Our Last Resort.

When we face problems, it is very easy to react in the natural and begin to rehearse the problem both internally and with those around you.  Follow Hannah's example and 'Go to the Throne NOT the Telephone'!

3 Keys to Hannah's Prayers:

1) Persistence - vs.7

It's not good enough to win some games if you loose the whole series!  You need to stay focussed, be persistent and consistent!

LIFE LESSON #3 - If You Make Excuses For Why You Have to Give Up, It Will Hinder Your Miracle.

You have been designed to win.  It is in you to break through.  You have been given everything you need to succeed in this life. 2 Peter 1:3

Don't give in, you will win!

2) Passion - vs.15

In Exodus 2:23, the Israelites passionately cried out to God and he heard and answered their prayers.   In Hebrews 5:7 we read that Jesus cried out to the Lord with passionate pleas and was heard because of His passionate reverence for God!  There are many examples in scripture of people of God whose passion got God's attention.  We need to be passionate in our petitions.

Merriam Webster's Dictionary defines 'passion' as an intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction; a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept; an object of desire or deep interest.

The proof of your passion is in your pursuit!

3) Promise of Faithfulness – vs.11

Hannah's prayer was unselfish.  It was a prayer that would cause others to see that God answers prayer.  Everyone who knows what you are going through will see God move and He will get ALL the glory!

LIFE LESSON #4 - You Need To Expect a Miracle.

In due time she received her miracle.  "In due time..."   She didn't give up!  Persevere, your miracle's almost here. vs.28.

Expectation is the breeding ground for miracles!

3. Hannah Received God’s Provision

LIFE LESSON #5 - Don’t Stop at One Miracle, Stay Faithful & Live a Life of Miracles.

When God is faithful to us, we must be faithful to him.  When God provides a job, we need to be faithful to tithe.  When God gives us our healing, we need to be faithful to serve.  When we are faithful, we won't just see one miracle; we will see miracle after miracle after miracle! 

THE REST OF THE STORY:

1 Samuel 2:21 After Hannah was faithful to her promise, she was
blessed with 3 more sons and 2 daughters for a total of 6 children! Hannah's faithfulness brought her fruitfulness!

DECLARATION:

• We declare an increased release of blessing!
• We declare problems are going to go and blessings are going to flow as we determine not to give up!
• We declare the strength of God over everyone who walks in faithfulness!
• We declare God is turning it around right now!

CHALLENGE: Many of us have been dealing with issues in our lives that have been plaguing us for quite some time.  Now is not the time to give up or give in.  The challenge is to remain faithful to God.  When you remain faithful, pray and expect a miracle, even when it seems as though the situation is not getting resolved, you allow God to be Lord over your circumstances.  In due season, like with Hannah (vs. 20), you will bear the fruit of faithfulness and that fruit will be greater than you could ask or even imagine.  And one of the greatest benefits of your faithfulness will be that your miracle will bring others to the God of Miracles!  Glory to God!

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Please log your comments on how this week's message has been a blessing to you!  Simply click on the comments link immediately below this week's blog. Any comments already submitted will appear and you can comment below them.
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