What You need is already in your house

Speaker: M.Noorhoff

9  "Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food."

10  So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, "Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?"

11  As she was going to get it, he called, "And bring me, please, a piece of bread."

12  "As surely as the LORD your God lives," she replied, "I don't have any bread--only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it--and die."

13  Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son.

14  For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.'"

15  She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family.

16  For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah.

In our last talk, I posed the problem of unanswered prayer to you all. Now when many people hear about unanswered prayer they often think it is not that the prayer was unanswered it was simply that God said no. That may be true in some cases but I am certain that when God shuts one door he always opens another. Let us take a simple example. When Abraham was asked to take Issac up the mountain and sacrifice him. We all know what happened. Abraham obeyed God and lead his son up the mountain built an alter and tied poor Issac to it. He took his knife raised it in the air and was fully committed to lowering it into his own son when Suddenly the voice of God cried out and said No, Stop, Don’t do it. Immediately a ram was provided as a substitute sacrifice. Now this episode and example of great faith also illustrates perfectly the idea that when God says No, he will provide a substitute. We will come back to this episode again later and look at some of the other lessons it has for us..

But does the bible not promise that whatever we ask in Jesus name that it will be given to us. Whenever two gather in prayer and agree in prayer that that which they prayered for will be given on to them. How many times have you prayed in Jesus name and received nothing. How many times have you been in agreement with others and still not been given that which you asked for. I hope that you have considered some of the ideas in last times sermon for in it was one of the secrets of successful faith.

That essentially is what we have been discussing over the last few talk is the secrets to successful faith. What exactly do I mean by successful faith. I put it in three terms for now the way I see it is that successful faith in the assured faith the contented faith of Paul, the faith that can stay calm even in the storm, next it is a faith that triggers God promises to act in your life. God promises us many things in the bible but many of us have given up on those promises but a promise by God is a promise that you can receive.

This is the faith that flows up and out like living water from deep within us. It is the deeper faith that is in constant connection and communication with God.  Is this not the faith that we seek to have? Is this not the faith that will make our joy complete? Is this not the faith that shines from the mountaintop. It is the faith that draws people to you and to Christ like insects are drawn to the light It is the faith that saves. It is the faith that heals. It is the faith of prosperity. It is the faith of contentment.. 

Do you seek to be successful in faith more that success in the world. Job success, Relationship success, monetary success, As the hymn say Seek you first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be given unto you.

Hallelujah!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We have discussed a couple secrets to obtaining this kind of faith already

1)      Have an obsessive desire for God and His Kingdom, that desire also includes His word. It also includes prayer time or communication with God. Your desire for good is only overshadowed by his desire for you.

2)      The power of agreement is essential. First that we are able to have the will of God transferred to our own soul through the holy Spirit but also that Spirit, Soul, Mind and body are all in alignment and agreement. When these are all truly is agreement then we are in agreement with Him and he will answer are wishes and when we speak to the rock they will move they will pour forth living water. When this agreement is then joined in kind with the agreement of another believer then we have full agreement. If three or more gather in this way than it is written that the presence of God will also be there. If that happens then hold on tight because your in for a wild Holy Ghost revival ride.

3)      We will continue to look into the secrets of successful faith. Now please remember I am not speaker of someone who considers themselves successful I am just passing on to you what the word and the Lord are relaying to me through me. I too am seeking to be successful in my faith. My hope is that we run this race together and I will be overjoyed if any of you beats me to the finish line. The race will continue for me but if these ideas help any of you to the goal I will be glad the Lord could use me. And give him Praise

This week my computer broke down and I frantically searched for the software to fix it. I searched for 3 days and ended up throwing out about 4 bags of rubbish. I knew I had the software in fact I knew I had more than one version of the software but I could not find it anywhere. Finally it turned up and it had basically been right in front of my eyes I just didn’t recognize it because the image in my head was different from what it actually looked like. Actually I had even put it into my computer once thinking that it might be the correct one but it didn’t work so I assumed that it wasn’t. The problem was not the software but that I didn’t know how to activate it. I had to set up for a cd boot-up(boot-up is when you first turn on your computer and it loads the software) So I got it working after three days of searching it was really quite easy. I’m sure that I am not the only one that has done this kind of things several times.

    Today though I would like us to think of this in terms of our gifts and blessing. We all have gifts from God each and every one of us. Some have found their skills, Some have found some of their gifts. The too are quite different because a gift goes beyond a skill in that it is specifically used for the glory of the Lord first. Some of us think we have gifts but we aren’t sure. Some of us believe people have gifts but that it is something others have and not themselves. Some people do not know how to activate their gifts just as I did not know how to activate the software.

Romans 12:6

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.

7  If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;

8  if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

9  Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

10  Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

11  Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

12  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

13  Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

You can almost immediately see the connection between the passage in 1 Kings and in Romans. You can see the connection between hospitality and receiving the blessings of the Lord. You can see that the gifts are accorded to the grace given us. And the grace given us, this of course goes beyond the mere saving grace this is a step up, cause this is the blessings grace that we are taking about. This is the Holy spirit Grace The Pentecost grace that we are moving into. Now maybe you are fine with the saving grace. Or what is called the lepers’ grace. When the blood placed on them so that they may enter the city gates. That through faith you are saved and you will be raised from the sleep on the Lords return. Now this in itself is amazing Grace. This grace itself is would back anyone shout hallelujah but God is offering you more. Salvation is just one of the promises that he made and if you believe and love the Lord you got that but it is just the basic course in the feast of blessings. The promises of God go so far beyond that. You may be satisfied with the basic course but I know that he has prepared a feast of unimaginable wonder for us, but we can’t see beyond the basic. I’ve asked you before are you hungry? Do you want the feast he has prepared or are you satisfied with hi no maru bento?     

This is what Psalm 23 talks about

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

6        Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

This is what Luke 13:29 talks about

 People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.

Understanding that God’s grace goes beyond salvation, goes beyond the forgiveness of sins. He has prepared so much more for you but you do not honour him by accepting his blessings.

Imagine if you visited a friends house and they prepared a special meal just for you but you turned it down would you not be dishonoring your friend who out of love for you did all this for you. Is it not the same with your father in heaven. When you do not accept the promises and blessing He offers you dishonor him. 

If you wish to accept the promises he offers then lets find out how to obtain them and how to be successful in faith

First of all you need to know that God has already put in your hand the seed of your future.

Over and over again the bible reminds us that our blessing is not far away in fact each of us has everything they need to grow. There is no need to go to another there is no need to compare yourself to another. So many of us will look at someone we respect and we will try to copy them. In other words we compare ourselves with another and find ourselves lacking and we  borrow from the other. We try to borrow their blessing. But what God has planned for us He has already put in us and when we copy other we cover up and diminish those blessing the Lord has made for us. Imagine a singer that constantly tried to copy others He or she will never be as good as the one they copy but if they were to sing with their own talent they may surpass the others.

What you need you already have the problem is that you can not find it .

It 1 Kings 17 we see that the woman with the oil and flower was so afraid of using the last of the flour and oil. She was in such a state of misery and depression that she was at the point of giving up. Elijah tells her to make him some bread. But she was afraid. For it was the last of her supplies. How could Elijah ask such a thing. But I tell you it was easy for him because he had just been feed by ravens. He knew as an absolute fact that God was with him and would protect him. Did she rush out and ask for more flower from a neighbour. No everything she needed was in the house but it was just a matter of unlocking the blessing.  

So what was the key

Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son.

How could Elijah ask this of a widow and her child but Elijah knew he could because he was alignment and in agreement with God. He knew that God is a God who provides

1 timothy 6:17

put your hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

Elijah knew that blessings from God are Given according to grace. Gifts given are given according to the treasures you have stored up in heaven. Gifts from God are Gifts of Love and the Love of God is a giving love. When we receive gifts in Love it is because we are willing to give out of our love for God. When you tithe it should be a tithe of love and when you work it should be work of love. You will find that the more you work in love, the more you are restored.. You have to give to get.

This is what we can read in Romans 12

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.

In other word. You must use you gift according to your faith. And the stronger your faith is the stronger your love will be and therefore you will

13  Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

In Matthew 25

34  "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.

35  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,

36  I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

37  "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?

38  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?

39  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40  "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

41  "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

42  For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,

43  I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

44  "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

45  "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

Give it a try and start acting in Love and hospitality. Start using the things you have. Start giving them out not out of the though you need to but because you want to. Start giving your time not because you think you need to but because your love tells you to. If you do thiese this you will gai the key to future blessings and anointing and your flour and oil will never go empty.