Who Are You Subject To?

Who Are You Subject To? Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.(Ephesians 5:24) How is the church subject to Christ? Voluntarily. So are wives subject to their husbands, voluntarily. Jesus does not force us to do anything. Nor do husbands who are following the ways of Jesus. Wives, if you don't think Jesus would ask you to do what your husband is asking you to do. You can say no, Jesus will back you, so will your Pastor.

Sub-Mission.

Sub-Mission. Submitting to one another in the fear of God. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Saviour of the body. (Ephesians 5:21-23) Lots of men want to quote the first half of verse 22. Wife submit to me. But God starts with mutual submission in verse 21. That includes husbands submitting to your wife. Sub-mission: getting under someone's mission and lifting them up. Supporting one another in their personal walk with God. Supporting one another in the things of life. Supporting one another in the family. Supporting one another in our ministry. But Ladies - only submit in the same way as you would submit to Jesus. You do not have to submit to anything from your husband that Jesus would not ask you to do. Husbands are the head like Christ is the head and He laid down His life.

In Families - What is submission all about?

In Families - What is submission all about? Gentlemen - did you know that the Bible DOES NOT SAY - "Wives submit to your husbands". It does say - "Submitting to one another in the fear of God. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord." (Ephesians 5:21-22) You cannot have the second verse without the first verse. Husbands should not expect their wives to submit to them if they never submit to their wives. Ladies - please note. If you know anyone who doesn't know this truth, pass it on.

Children are a blessing.

Children are a blessing. The Bible declares God to be our Heavenly Father. He is the perfect example of parenthood. He even declares children to be a heritage, a blessing, a gift. As His children, we are a blessing to Him. Psalm 127:3 says - Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Why does God reward parents? Because parents are obeying the Bible by being married. One male, one female; the only way to receive the reward.

Miracle Deliverance Song.

Miracle Deliverance Song. Who remembers this old song that Israel sang after the Exodus miracle. I will sing unto the Lord for He has triumphed gloriously; The horse and rider thrown into the sea. The Lord my God, My strength and song Is now become my victory. The Lord is God And I will praise Him, My Father's God, and I will exalt Him. (Exodus 15:1-2)

The Morning After Miracle.

The Morning After Miracle. When Moses stretched out his rod a second time over the Red Sea the waters returned to normal by morning. And there was not one of the Egyptian army left. Trust in the Lord and know that by morning things will change. It's a new day. It may seem bad at the moment but joy comes in the morning. (Exodus 14:27-28 and Psalm 30:5)

The Disappearing Enemy Miracle.

The Disappearing Enemy Miracle. Stand still and see God's salvation. Look at your enemies today and make note - you will not see them again forever. God's salvation involves us doing nothing, He will fight for you. Just stand still. When God sees what our enemies are plotting against us He just laughs. Do they really think they will get away with doing that to my kids. I think not. (Exodus 14:13-14) and (Psalm 2:2-4)

The Dry Ground Miracle.

The Dry Ground Miracle. At the Exodus the Israelites walked across the Red Sea on dry ground. Some say that God was not involved,they just crossed at a shallow point in the water. If so, the miracle was that the Egyptians drowned in the same shallow water. No, when God's word says the ground was dry, it was dry. No moisture at all. All because Moses was obedient. His rod did not part the sea, His obedience did. In the same way that we cannot heal anyone. We just lay our hands on the sick and God does the rest. (Exodus 14:1-29)

The Exodus Miracle.

The Exodus Miracle. Imagine the whole population of Cornwall, Devon and Dorset (a total of 2 million people) being prepared to move across the Severn estuary to Wales. In one night. That is what God did at The Exodus. Not only that, but to cross the Red Sea in one night with 2 million people besides animals and goods would need a width of about 800 metres. And they walked across on dry ground. We surely serve the God of the impossible. (Exodus 14:1-29)

Enter Into Your Church With Praise Today.

Enter Into Your Church With Praise Today. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. (Psalm 100:4) Into his courts with Towdah (Hebrew) – is an entrance praise – enter with towdah. It is an entering, beginning praise that opens up the door to everything else. It means the extension of the hand, adoration, to extend the hands fully, not half way. Then keep them up. It is also the praise of receiving! So it is twofold. Let your fellow believers see how much you love Him.

The Shout Of Praise.

The Shout Of Praise. Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise Thee. (Psalm 63:3) My lips shall shabach (Hebrew) Thee. To address in a loud tone, it is a loud adoration, a shout proclaiming in a loud voice, unashamed – a shout to the glory, power and triumph and testimony of our God!Shout unto God with a voice of triumph. Shabach is associated with victory – its associated with the Hebrew praise word “Ruah” which means to split the ears. That’s that Jericho kind of shout! Sometimes we are in a situation, facing some things, and that little “Praise the Lord” is not enough. There has to be something that rises up from the depths of your belly, where the Holy Ghost is and let it loose. Shout so that the enemy can hear with maximum volume the name of who he fears the most – Jesus! Sometimes there is a shout that’s needed in your house, for your children, for you finances that goes past the natural, and starts to enter the spiritual side and any devil in proximity will hear you. I’m still praising, I’m not going down, I’m not quitting, He is still good!, He is still worthy, He is still my God and your God and He cannot be stopped!

Bragging On Your God.

Bragging On Your God. In God we boast all the day long, and praise Thy name for ever. Selah. (Psalm 44:8) Praise here is Halal (Hebrew) - we halal Thy name forever, Selah. Our whole day should consist of boasting about Him. Halal means to make a show – to rave about, to be clamorously foolish about our adoration towards Him! To be noisily insistent. Praise is not silent, praise is not shy. I love Him, glorify Him, and I’m not afraid to show it to my family, to my friends, to my church, to my work colleagues. Deflect any praise of yourself onto Him. Don’t be ashamed that He helped you - boast of Him, all the day long!

Formed To Praise.

Formed To Praise. This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise. (Isaiah 43:21) We have been formed for God’s purposes and pleasure, to show forth his praises. He’s declaring to his children, that He is the reason why we have been formed. He is saying, “You have been made for me!” We belong to him and we have been formed for his purpose, and that purpose is to show forth praise. Formed = yatsah (Hebrew) = to mould, shape, to form. He is moulding us and forming us for His purpose. This word has connotations of a potter moulding clay, as he is squeezing the pottery into shape. We are being squeezed by the hand of God into the shape He wants us to be. To shew forth = literally means to inscribe, to put an inscription upon. God is moulding us to put his mark on us. To inscribe his purpose on us. This moulding occurs as we walk with God in our daily life. The believer’s life is all about transformation. We should desire to transformed into His image.

Bring God Into Your Presence.

Bring God Into Your Presence.

But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. (Psalm 22:3)

Did you know that we can get God to sit down, take up residence and manifest his power in our presence! Because in our praise is the manifestation of God's power, in our praise is the manifestation of God’s presence.

Sometimes when we are trying to work out the issue, the problem.

Put down the pen, the paper, the calculator…and take a praise break…

"Lord I invite you in, come and take a seat in this mess.

I need your power, I need your ability.

You are good, you are worthy!!"

You praise because you understand what it brings onto the scene. Then we understand that our praise is one of the greatest expressions of our faith towards God!

Understanding Who You Praise.

Understanding Who You Praise.

For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding. (Psalm 47:7)

We praise with understanding, we praise with knowledge, we praise with wisdom!

Let’s grow today in our understanding of who we worship, how we worship and why we worship and praise our god!

If I understand who He is then my praise changes!

If I understand what He has done for me, then my praise changes!

Sing For Joy.

Sing For Joy.

Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away. (Isaiah 51:11)

Come with singing and everlasting joy will be on your head.

Doing that will cause you to obtain more gladness and joy.

Any sorrow and mourning trying to upset you will flee away.

Joy dispels negatives like light dispels dark.

Don't try to pray sadness away, sing it away.

So when you come to church today, remember to sing out and receive your joy.

Leap For Joy.

Leap For Joy.

Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.(Luke 6:22-23)

Nobody said that the Christian life would be without problems.

People are going to be upset because you believe in Jesus.

Jesus says that we should consider ourselves blessed when that happens.

How do you receive the joy from Jesus?

Jump up and down - yes physically - and the joy will be yours.

Try it next time instead of getting upset.

The Fruit of Joy.

The Fruit of Joy.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Joy is part of what you automatically receive as a Christian.

You just have to LET it show, if you are joyful, please remember to tell your face.

Here is something to bring you joy, just rejoice because you are a believer and you love Jesus.

Whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory. (1 Peter 1:8)

But you can describe how joyful you are because you love Him, you don't yet love Him like you could.

The Kingdom of Joy.

The Kingdom of Joy.

For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17)

The Kingdom of God is .... JOY in the Holy Spirit.

One third of God's definition of His Kingdom is ....JOY.

A good scripture to remember for the Jehovah's Witnesses.

Ask them to define The Kingdom.

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

God fills you with joy, so that you can abound in hope, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

No joy = no abounding in hope.

Ask, Receive, Rejoice.

Ask, Receive, Rejoice.

And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. (John 16:23-24)

What do you need? Just ask Father and you will receive. 

Jesus knows that receiving from Him brings us joy, full joy.

This process is simple, ask, receive, rejoice.

If Satan cannot steal your joy, he cannot keep your goods.

If Satan cannot steal your joy, he cannot keep your goods. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10) There is a joy thief, give him no place. He had no place in the lives of these believers. For you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. (Hebrews 10:34) These people had stuff taken from them by their persecutors. But they were patient and joyful as it took place. Why? They know they have an eternal reward. Their reward is in heaven. But let it be on earth as it is in heaven. We can have our rewards now, in this life. Just keep your joy even when the devil is stealing from you. Jerry Savelle said: If Satan cannot steal your joy, he cannot keep your goods. He will have to return seven-fold all he stole from you - Proverbs 6:30-31.

Full Joy Remaining In You.

Full Joy Remaining In You. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. (John 15:10-11) We have His joy in us, and if we keep His commandments. His words cause His joy to REMAIN in us. To remain means it was there already and it is going to stay with us. And our joy will be full to overflowing. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. (1 John 1:4) Then John tells us that the words he has written will also give us full joy. Our joy is going to be a full measure.

Sharing Your Joy.

Sharing Your Joy.

Then he said to them, Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. (Nehemiah 8:10)

Go and enjoy your life and share your joy with others.

This is not your joy, it is His joy operating in you that gives you strength.

Strength in Hebrew = a place of safety, protection, refuge, a stronghold. 

Safe from the onslaughts of the enemy, safe in His presence.

Secret Prayer brings Public rewards.

Secret Prayer brings Public rewards.

But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. (Matthew 6:6 NKJV)

You will see results when you pray to your Father.

People will see the results that you prayed for.

Casting your Cares on Jesus

Casting your Cares on Jesus.

Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:5-7 NKJV)

Submit and be humble, because God resists people who are being proud.

Casting all your cares and worries on Jesus.

Casting = to throw hard with haste, to hurl it down.

Imagine writing your worries on a fresh egg and hurling it at the foot of the cross. You cannot take it back.

But why cast your cares on Jesus? 

Because that is His job, He cares for you.

He prays for you so you can pray. He cares so you don't have to.

Multiplied Peace for those who are Prayers.

Multiplied Peace for those who are Prayers.

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. (2 Peter 1:2 NKJV)

Jesus wants peace to be multiplied in us.

How do we get this kind of peace? 

Through our knowledge of Jesus.

Get to know more of the Bible so you get to know more about Jesus. The more you get to know Jesus, the more of His peace you have.Because you know His character.

Apart from being worried about the situation in the world.

You might be concerned about your own life.

You might be worried about your business or your family.

So you need more peace - that’s why Jesus multiplies it.

Receive His Peace.

Receive His Peace.

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27 NKJV)

Jesus is praying that we will accept His offer to us.

The Prince of Peace offers us His peace, do you accept it?

Let not you heart be troubled. It is your choice to let or not.

Let not you heart be afraid. It is your choice to let or not.

But you need His peace to be able to do this.

Instead of worrying, or being anxious, we can start to pray.

But what shall we pray?

Pray for more people, including us, to be more vocal about the Gospel and get more people saved.

Pray for less people to be drawn to the tool of the devil, Islam.

They cannot be radicalised if they are not Muslims already.

Pray for the world to be less of a fatherless generation so that fewer young people are drawn into homosexuality.

Watch and Pray ALWAYS

Watch and Pray ALWAYS.

Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man. (Luke 21:36 NKJV)

These demonic things will continue to happen.

Much of it is part of the end times that the Bible tells us about.

We cannot get rid of it all, because it is prophesied to happen.

But we can pray in the Spirit anyway.

Watch and pray always. 

Why will you escape the problems?

Because you will not enter into man's greatest temptation - Worry.

You will see the problems and pray instead of worrying about the situation.