8th June, 2014
Dare 2 Be Different International (SKN) Victory Centre Church Report by Brother Khrystus V. K. Wallace
Dear Global Following!
Godly Greetings!
Whenever we sing the song below at any of our services, our younger children at our service go wild and the energy catches on to ALL! They ensure they do all the actions and run up and down the place and they sometimes SCARE ME. I am at times tempted to stop and sing another song, but I am always reminded that during the week, many folks feel depressed at school, at work and at home and are always happy to PRAISE GOD AND FREELY EXPRESS THEMSELVES HOWEVER THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE before the rocks cry out as the scripture reminds.
CHORUS: I FEEL LIKE RUNNING
I feel like running, skipping,
Praise the Lord.
For what He has done for me,
He has set my spirit free.
I feel like running, skipping,
Praise the Lord.
For what He has done for me.
TODAY's WORD: BE A PALM TREE CHRISTIAN
Scripture: Psalm 92: 12 - 15
Introduction: The Palm Tree is a plant with a single trunk. It is one of the most useful plants in our world today. Some palms grow to heights of over one hundred feet. It is said that its cultivation dates back to some five thousand years.
The fruits that the palm trees bear usually hang in clusters just below the leaves. A sing inflorescence may have as many as ten thousand flowers.
As to its usefulness: The leaves can be woven into mats and the fibers can provide thread and rigging/ropes for boats. The sap, after fermentation, becomes liquor or vinegar.
We can see from the information given about this plant that it indeed contributes greatly to society and is a blessing to nature. This is only a fraction of its importance and usefulness. We are going to mention several characteristics of the Palm Tree which are well worth considering because we really need PALM TREE CHRISTIANS in our world TODAY!
POINT 1: NOTICE ITS UPRIGHT FEATURE
A. With the Palm Tree's upright feature, it is unlike many other trees
1. Whether it is growing on the flat or on a slope, it still grows uniformly upright. Palm Trees don't seem to enjoy growing in slanted or bent positions. They are more likely to break under severe pressure, than to adopt a foreign slant or curve. The very same should be said of Christian Youth.
2. There is a great need for Christian Youth who are UPRIGHT, Christian youths who will REFUSE to bend under pressure, even when the storms of life compel you to shake and tremble. Even when THE GOVERNMENT LOCKS YOU UP AND LOCKS YOU DOWN in an effort to try to SHUT YOU UP AND SHUT YOU DOWN LIKE THEY DID TO JESUS. Christian Youth, God wants us to STAND FIRM - STAND STRONG - STAND UPRIGHT in situations like those. I've been there - DONE THAT! I KNOW HOW THAT FEELS!
POINT 2: OBSERVE THE PALM TREE'S OVERCOMING POWER
A. It grows! It even flourishes amid the death / shortage and the drought of the desert. (Exodus 1:12)
1. Where most other trees would find survival impossible. It lifts its branches and lives in VICTORY.
2. Dear Lord, we long for more of this flourishing among Christian Youth. Despite the changing circumstances in the deserts of life - WE MUST ALWAYS BE OVER COMERS!
There is so much emphasis today on improving the environment, education, working conditions and recreational facilities. THIS IS ALL GOOD, but there is something even BETTER - that is a CHANGE IN PEOPLE. It is not eh environment that changes a man, but MAN makes the environment reflect himself.
3. A spirit filled person will live a HOLY LIFE in the midst of the most UNHOLY SURROUNDINGS.
POINT 3: THE PALM TREE GROWS INWARDLY
A. Unlike most other trees, instead of adding a new outer ring to the trunk every year, it grows inwardly from he center, shedding branches and leaves, which help tremendously to increase its height
B. And so, indeed, it should always be with TRUE CHRISTIAN LIFE - VITAL CHRISTIANITY!
We should aim to grow inwardly daily and CUT OFF THINGS AND PEOPLE THAT ARE KEEPING US BACK AND CAUSING US NOT TO GROW!
Cut off the girl friend, the boy friend, the bar friends, the gossipers, sometimes even sacrifice YOUR JOB and go find ANOTHER if these things and PEOPLE are HOLDING YOU BACK FROM GROWING INWARDLY IN CHRIST AND RISING TO HIGHER HEIGHTS OUTWARDLY!
When you cut off such people or things - YOU FEEL MUCH FREER AND AT PEACE! I speak from EXPERIENCE!
'
Dare 2 Be Different International (SKN) Victory Centre Church Report by Brother Khrystus V. K. Wallace
Dear Global Following!
Godly Greetings!
Whenever we sing the song below at any of our services, our younger children at our service go wild and the energy catches on to ALL! They ensure they do all the actions and run up and down the place and they sometimes SCARE ME. I am at times tempted to stop and sing another song, but I am always reminded that during the week, many folks feel depressed at school, at work and at home and are always happy to PRAISE GOD AND FREELY EXPRESS THEMSELVES HOWEVER THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE before the rocks cry out as the scripture reminds.
CHORUS: I FEEL LIKE RUNNING
I feel like running, skipping,
Praise the Lord.
For what He has done for me,
He has set my spirit free.
I feel like running, skipping,
Praise the Lord.
For what He has done for me.
TODAY's WORD: BE A PALM TREE CHRISTIAN
Scripture: Psalm 92: 12 - 15
Introduction: The Palm Tree is a plant with a single trunk. It is one of the most useful plants in our world today. Some palms grow to heights of over one hundred feet. It is said that its cultivation dates back to some five thousand years.
The fruits that the palm trees bear usually hang in clusters just below the leaves. A sing inflorescence may have as many as ten thousand flowers.
As to its usefulness: The leaves can be woven into mats and the fibers can provide thread and rigging/ropes for boats. The sap, after fermentation, becomes liquor or vinegar.
We can see from the information given about this plant that it indeed contributes greatly to society and is a blessing to nature. This is only a fraction of its importance and usefulness. We are going to mention several characteristics of the Palm Tree which are well worth considering because we really need PALM TREE CHRISTIANS in our world TODAY!
POINT 1: NOTICE ITS UPRIGHT FEATURE
A. With the Palm Tree's upright feature, it is unlike many other trees
1. Whether it is growing on the flat or on a slope, it still grows uniformly upright. Palm Trees don't seem to enjoy growing in slanted or bent positions. They are more likely to break under severe pressure, than to adopt a foreign slant or curve. The very same should be said of Christian Youth.
2. There is a great need for Christian Youth who are UPRIGHT, Christian youths who will REFUSE to bend under pressure, even when the storms of life compel you to shake and tremble. Even when THE GOVERNMENT LOCKS YOU UP AND LOCKS YOU DOWN in an effort to try to SHUT YOU UP AND SHUT YOU DOWN LIKE THEY DID TO JESUS. Christian Youth, God wants us to STAND FIRM - STAND STRONG - STAND UPRIGHT in situations like those. I've been there - DONE THAT! I KNOW HOW THAT FEELS!
POINT 2: OBSERVE THE PALM TREE'S OVERCOMING POWER
A. It grows! It even flourishes amid the death / shortage and the drought of the desert. (Exodus 1:12)
1. Where most other trees would find survival impossible. It lifts its branches and lives in VICTORY.
2. Dear Lord, we long for more of this flourishing among Christian Youth. Despite the changing circumstances in the deserts of life - WE MUST ALWAYS BE OVER COMERS!
There is so much emphasis today on improving the environment, education, working conditions and recreational facilities. THIS IS ALL GOOD, but there is something even BETTER - that is a CHANGE IN PEOPLE. It is not eh environment that changes a man, but MAN makes the environment reflect himself.
3. A spirit filled person will live a HOLY LIFE in the midst of the most UNHOLY SURROUNDINGS.
POINT 3: THE PALM TREE GROWS INWARDLY
A. Unlike most other trees, instead of adding a new outer ring to the trunk every year, it grows inwardly from he center, shedding branches and leaves, which help tremendously to increase its height
B. And so, indeed, it should always be with TRUE CHRISTIAN LIFE - VITAL CHRISTIANITY!
We should aim to grow inwardly daily and CUT OFF THINGS AND PEOPLE THAT ARE KEEPING US BACK AND CAUSING US NOT TO GROW!
Cut off the girl friend, the boy friend, the bar friends, the gossipers, sometimes even sacrifice YOUR JOB and go find ANOTHER if these things and PEOPLE are HOLDING YOU BACK FROM GROWING INWARDLY IN CHRIST AND RISING TO HIGHER HEIGHTS OUTWARDLY!
When you cut off such people or things - YOU FEEL MUCH FREER AND AT PEACE! I speak from EXPERIENCE!
Vital Christianity is an inward renewal by the HOLY SPIRIT
1. An inward sanctification of the heart
2. An inward development of the character
3. Which then manifests itself in UPRIGHTNESS, BEAUTY and FRUITFULNESS
POINT 4: THE PALM TREE IS NOT AMENDABLE TO GRAFTING
A. Many other trees may be grafted, but not the palm tree. The way it begins to grow, it continues.
B. This is also true of the Christian Life
1. Having begun in the SPIRIT, we CANNOT now be made perfect by the FLESH. (Galatians 3:3)
2. We cannot GRAFT law into GRACE; FLESH into SPIRIT. MOSES into CHRIST; SALVATION BY WORKS into SALVATION BY FAITH
POINT 5: THE USEFULNESS OF THE PALM TREE
A. Strong and goodly (Leviticus 23:40)
B. Yields palm sugar and wine
C. Gives welcome shade, and points to where water is (Exodus 15:27)
D. A symbol of REJOICING AND VICTORY. (Revelation 7:9)
Psalms 92:12-15
1. The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree. "SO a good Christian; the greater weight he carries, the more he flourishes.
2. He shall grow like a CEDAR in Lebanon: Cedar-wood is not consumed by worms or time; nor the CHURCH by antiquity (olden times) nor PERSECUTION. The GATES OF HELL SHALL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST THE CHURCH OR ANY TRUE MEMBER OF IT.
3. Because of these palms and cedars - these righteous Christians - these PALM TREE CHRISTIANS ar PLANTED - SET BY FAITH, WATERED BY THE WORD AND SACRAMENTS, ROOTED BY CHARITY FOR GOD AND THE CHURCH, which is the house of the Lord; and therefore they shall flourish - be GREEN AND VIGOROUS in the courts of our GOD.
Nay, which is yet more, they shall be full of SAP and LADEN WITH FRUIT!
SUMMARY
Brothers and Sisters - Youth! Are you a PALM TREE BELIEVER? A PALM TREE CHRISTIAN? Are you UPRIGHT AND STRONG? Flourishing even in times of difficulty? Are you growing inwardly? Do you resist COMPROMISE to modern standards and styles that try to graft themselves into your life? Are you standing straight and tall and strong for the LORD? Reaching up to the SKY?
May God help us - ALL - to take our place as FAITHFUL CHRISTIANS - PALM TREE CHRISTIANS - FEARLESS CHRISTIANS - BOLD CHRISTIANS - TALK LOUD CHRISTIANS. Let us be constantly reminded in our hearts of a song which says.
RISE UP O MEN OF GOD,
HAVE DONE WITH LESSER THINGS.
GIVE HEART AND SOUL AND MIND AND STRENGTH
TO SERVE THE KING OF KINGS
No comments:
Post a Comment