ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR OUR GOOD
Peace Aiono shared a message highlight the truth that no matter the obstacles and difficulties that come our way, God is still working – and as His Word says, He is working all things for the Good of those who love Him. (Romans 8: 28)
Sharing her message from the story of Joseph – from the book of Genesis, she said, “Joseph was the son of Jacob, also known as Israel, he was the grandson of Isaac and the great-grandson of Abraham. We read in Genesis that Joseph was the favorite child of Jacob, he was the second to the youngest of 12 and Jacob loved him as he was the son of His old age.”
“Out of his love for his son, Jacob made him a tunic – or ‘coat of many colors’- here it’s not so much about the colors, but about the quality and the distinctiveness of the gift that was given only to Joseph. To put things in perspective, Joseph was the kid with the iPad as a present for Christmas – while the rest of the 11 children got an old Nokia button phone. Obviously, there was a problem right there.”
“As he grew, Joseph had a dream – and being so excited, he shared his dream with his brothers. However, to add to the hatred that his brothers had for him already, the contents of his dream infuriated them.
Genesis 37 :5 – [Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more.]
“This issue between the brothers and Joseph resulted in the brothers deciding to kill him. When Joseph visited them after being sent by his father, the ripped off his robe and dipped it into goats’ blood. They cooked up a story that he was devoured by a beast – and they sold him to Ishmaelite traders for 20 shekels. Those traders later sold him to Potiphar an officer of Pharaoh in Egypt.
Genesis 37 :19 [Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other. “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.]
“Joseph went from being a beloved son to a slave in Egypt; think of the disappointment and betrayal that Joseph may have gone through during this time. However, during all this, the Scripture says (Genesis 39:2) that the Lord was with Joseph and that he was a successful man. It also says that his master – saw that the Lord was with Him and made all he did to prosper.”
Genesis 39: 2-4 [The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.]
“I truly believe that the Presence of God in Joseph’s life was so evident to his master Potiphar’s physical eye. Through his actions – the scripture says his master saw that the Lord was with him. It was so evident in his life that God was present with Him. And it was through his actions, his commitment, faithfulness and hard work as a slave, that he became successful – his faith in God accompanied his works.”
James 2:26 – [26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.]
“Despite the things that had been done to Joseph, he continued to live life ungrudgingly in his situation, and we see that it did not dictate how he performed at his role as an overseer in Potiphar’s household. From that situation In Joseph’s life –we can learn from it. Many of us are using past mistakes and hurt from others to justify the way that we perform in this current season.”
“We can continue to use the victim mentality to justify our slackness and justify our going back and forth with God or our relationship with God in this current season.”
“Just when Joseph’s life was going well, he was healed from a season of betrayal and disappointment toward his own siblings. Mrs. Potiphar thought it was the best idea to seduce the young man. However, in Genesis 39: 9 – we really see the heart and character of Joseph.”
Genesis 39: 6 -9 [Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!”
But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”]
“This scripture really touched my heart. It really portrayed his closeness and his relationship with God. Joseph’s loyalty and his fear of the Lord led him to flee from temptation. Joseph fled the scene, leaving his garment behind, but Mrs. Potiphar created a false accusation or rape which got Joseph imprisoned.”
“Going back to that scenario, it’s a place where most youth are struggling right now – sexual immorality. The sinful nature. Joseph was young at the time, and he had authority and was well respected, and even at this point in his journey – he never neglected his relationship with God. He was always faithful. He was always loyal. His fear and reverence of God grew.”
Genesis 39: 20 -23 – [But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So, the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.]
“Now in Prison, Joseph was serving, and God gave him favor in the eyes of the Prison warden. Even in a dungeon, in what seemed like a pit – God’s hand was on Joseph and He was teaching him.”
“God is saying that I am everywhere, even if you are in a palace or a mansion, I am with you. Even if you are in the pit or a dungeon, I am with you. He is stating and making that mark that he is not a regional territory God. He is omnipresent.”
“If you’re in that pit or in that dungeon and you’re in that season that you feel like you are in a valley that you cannot come out from – remember that God is with you!”
“It’s really mind-blowing what God does – in the dungeon Joseph interpreted dreams for the cup-bearer and the baker who were imprisoned with him in Genesis 40 . As a side note -Joseph served these men, he was imprisoned together with them. He noticed one day that they were sad (this was the morning after they had their dreams). This passage really speaks about Joseph’s characteristics. Even in a dungeon, Joseph noticed people. In the dungeon, he took time to notice and acknowledge others.”
Genesis 40: 6- 8 [When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. So, he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?” “We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”]
Even in the pit Joseph was building relationships, he knew these men. So, for us Sons and Daughters, even in the pit – you can build and invest into relationships. His situation didn’t shut him down from reaching out to those who needed help.”
For this complete message – watch the LIVE replay here –https://www.facebook.com/supernaturalfellowship/videos/2662968630626077/
29/04/20
REBUILDING THE ALTARS
Mama Aida Savea shared a message on the truth that the righteousness or sinfulness of a people can affect the condition or status of their nation.
Speaking from Proverbs 14: 34 – she explained, “The condition of status of a nation is dependent on the moral condition of its people. As a example, the condition of our nation Samoa – is not dependent on our Government. It is not dependent on our natural resources, our educational or health system. But is solely dependent on our right standing with God – righteousness.”
Proverbs 14:34 AMP – Righteousness [moral and spiritual integrity and virtuous character] exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.
“The status of nations nowadays are ‘determined’ by military might or prosperity or even cultural influence, sports prowess and even how well their entertainment industry is. All these things are not stable and depend on the advancement of technology, and finances which fluctuate.”
“But the truth stands that righteousness and sin affect the condition and status for the nation.”
“Before the Law was given in the Old Testament, righteousness was credited to those who believed the spoken Word of God, such as Noah and Abraham. They heard the voice of God and they obeyed. But when then Law was given to Moses, righteousness was based on keeping the commands and statues that were given from God.”
[Today you have [openly] declared the Lord to be your God, and that you will walk [that is, live each and every day] in His ways and keep His statutes, His commandments, and His judgments (precepts), and listen to His voice. 18 Today the Lord has declared that you are His people, His treasured possession, just as He promised you, and that you are to keep all His commandments; 19 and that He will set you high above all the nations which He has made, for praise, fame, and honor: and that you shall be a holy people [set apart and consecrated] to the Lord your God, just as He has spoken.”]
Deuteronomy 26:17-19 (AMP)
This Scripture is a good summary of the role Law played in elevating God’s people and nation. We see that the elevation of a nation – is not from something we have achieved or done or can do in our own strength and might- but it’s all done by God.”
“In New testament after the death and resurrection of Jesus- now righteousness is based on believing that that Jesus died to redeem us from sin and was resurrected to life from the grave.
“Righteousness is not based on what we do. We can’t get it by going to church every Sunday. Righteousness is not based on how much we give, or how well we know the Bible. It’s not based on how well we keep the doctrines of our denomination. But is based solely on what Christ Jesus did for us on the cross!”
[For no person will be justified [freed of guilt and declared righteous] in His sight by [trying to do] the works of the Law. For through the Law we become conscious of sin [and the recognition of sin directs us toward repentance but provides no remedy for sin].
Romans 3:20-24 (AMP)
“Does our nation need to rise up to another level- to be exalted during this time? The solution is in the Word of God! It says that only righteousness can elevate a nation! But sin heaps disgrace on a land.”
“Sin is missing the mark. And God’s mark is Jesus Christ. If we want our nation of Samoa to be elevated. I believe that we as a nation and a people of Samoa need to seek the Lord and repent, to turn away from sin and change our minds – for the righteousness of God to manifest in the Samoa.”
[For we all have become like one who is [ceremonially] unclean [like a leper], And all our deeds of righteousness are like filthy rags; We all wither and decay like a leaf, And our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing], like the wind, takes us away [carrying us far from God’s favor, toward destruction].
Isaiah 64.6 AMP
“In the book of Judges, there were many times when the Israelite’s cried out for mercy from the God. Each time, it was because they had fallen into sin and their enemies had oppressed them and plundered their fields and destroyed their properties.”
“When they fell into sin and there was a lot of wickedness in the land and we see that there was a deterioration of that nation. Each time, God would hear from Heaven and He would send a deliverer to exalt the nation.”
“Even when we look at the Kings of Judah and Israel, whenever they had a righteous King, we see that the nation exalted, prosperous and was at peace. When they had a wicked King- they were defeated by their enemies, oppressed and threatened.”
“Two of the Kings who I want to highlight from 2 Chronicles – King Asa and King Jehoshaphat. During their rule over Judah, they demolished and removed altars and places of worship of false gods/, which was a key turning point for the nation. King Asa removed and dismantled the altars which is very significant. The atmosphere of a place is usually determined by the altars present. Altars are a place of worship, place where sacrifice is offered. Each altar will attract the spirits associated with this altar.’
“In every nation, there are Seven spheres of societal Influence- 1. Religion, 2. Family, 3. Education, 4. Government, 5. Media, 6. Arts & Entertainment, 7. Business. If we want to turn around the nation, we need to look at these spheres of influence in our nation.”
“Another person who initiated the turnaround of the nation was Gideon (Judges 6) who was instructed by God to demolish his father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it, before God would defeat the Midianites who had oppressed them. Before we can move on with what we need to do and the assignments and mantles God has given us – we need to dismantle the false altars and rebuild the altar to the LORD (Judges 6 :26)”
“We need to pray that the Lord will give us wisdom and discernment to address the altars in our work places and in our home. We need to demolish any false altars and repair and erect the altar of the LORD ! You and I are Kings and Priests in Christ – we use out authority to demolish and build up new altars to the Lord.”
“If there is jealousy, envy or strife in your workplace or home- it’s associated with the altars present -and you need to dismantle them. Have you ever wondered why when you go to church and the atmosphere is so light and open, you feel like you’re almost in Heaven; but once you go home, the atmosphere is different and there’s dissension, yelling, arguing, etc. ?”
“It’s because different altars exist. At church you are worshiping God – it’s an altar where Holy Spirit is present. But at home – depending on the altar present, it can be a different story. We really need to look at that. We need to make sure the altars are all the same in our home and office.”
What can we do?
1. Demolish the false altars and rebuild the altar to the LORD.
2. In whatever sphere of influence that you operate in start and continue praying for the people you work with.
3. Intercede – When God was about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham interceded – stood in the gap for his nephew Lot and those cities. God is looking for Intercessors who will stand in the gap for this nation. And evangelist who will rise up and take the Gospel out!
“In the name of Jesus – lets decree and declare that the intercessors and evangelists are arising FROM this nation and FOR this nation in Jesus name! Amen!”
22/04/20
WATCH AND PRAY
Mama Salote Meredith shared a message on the need for the Body of Christ to stand guard watching and praying during this season where an atmosphere of Fear and uncertainty has taken hold over many. However, God has not given us the Spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind!
Mama Salote explained the ways in which we address and come against this spirit of fear especially during this time.
She said, “We live in a time where there is a lot of turmoil, chaos and darkness over the Earth. There is an outbreak of diseases and sickness all over the world, and there are also economic and social chaos from the COVID-19.”
“We see nations and leaders come to their knees through this disease. This is why the Lord put it in my heart to watch and pray. It’s not just watching with your physical eyes, it’s also watching with your spiritual eyes.”
“As we see people full of fear, there is also panic and uncertainty because of job losses, businesses closed, and nation wide lockdowns around the world. Nothing is certain. We have got to look at what God is doing and listen to what God is saying.”
“God is saying Fear not! “
In Pslams 46 – it says though the Earth give way, thought the mountains fall into the sea…we will not fear!
Psalms 46:1-3 (God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging..)
“There is no safe place on this Earth than with Jesus. There is no security on Earth other than the one that is provided from Heaven.”
“Many Christians are living in fear, but if you look to the Word of God you will not fear. Men always ought to pray and not lose heart. You can smile in the times of storm because you know that God is doing a Greater thing.”
“In Psalm 91 it says that even the Angels are there to protect us! We have Heaven’s Armies at our call!”
Psalms 91:9-12
(If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.)
“Remember this is just the natural realm- but we belong to another Kingdom – Heaven! And we are subject to laws and security to this Kingdom!”
“The counselling and psychology that the world gives, does not really work. The spirit of fear- is not a natural thing. It is a spirit. For a spirit you’re going to need a spiritual weapon to get rid of that fear.”
“This is where we can say- in the name of Jesus we command that fear to leave!”
“How can we drive away fear?”
“If we look at the Old Testament, there are stories where God instructed the Israelites to put their worshippers at the front of the army. Their praise was their weapon.”
“In the story about King Jehoshaphat, the nation was faced with a dilemma when foreign armies gathered to wage war with Judah. But the King’s response changed the outcome which could have been a nationwide slaughter.”
2 Chronicles 20 v1- 4
(After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to wage war against Jehoshaphat. Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Dead Sea.
It is already in Hazezon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi). Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord , and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord ; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.)
“When King Jehoshaphat heard the the other nations were coming to attack the nation, he was alarmed, he feared!”
“But it says that – he set his heart to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout the land of Judah. In times like these, this is what we should do. Seek God’s face!”
“The people of Judah fasted and sought the Lord. God spoke and also gave them a battle plan.”
2 Chronicles 20:15-17
(He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army.
For the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’ )
“See through this story we see a moment when there was something threatening the livelihood of a nation, yet the King and people decided to seek the face of the Lord.”
“We can say the same thing to what is happening in the world today, the battle is not ours, its God’s. When we watch and pray, God downloads to us the war strategies we need. Sometimes you need a particular word for each battle, so be vigilant and faithful! Fear not and watch and pray!”
15/04/20
THE ULTIMATE HOPE
Sanita led us into a special time at the Lord’s table in commemoration of Passover.
Sharing on the significance of the Passover and Communion, she said, “Passover commemorated Israel’s departure from Egypt when the blood of a slaughtered lamb was painted over their homes, protecting their firstborn sons from death. As the spotless lamb of God, Jesus spilled His blood in order to save man from the penalty of death by sin.”
“At the last supper that Jesus shared with His disciples, Jesus asked them to eat His body and drink the cup of His blood in remembrance of Him. He wanted them to remember His sacrifice, His perfect forgiveness of sins and His friendship through the work of the Holy Spirit.”
“What I love about communion is that Jesus Himself said to do this in remembrance of Him. When we come to the table, we are here to remember His great love, we come and remember the work that He did at the Cross and we remember that we are waiting for His return, that there is HOPE!”
“Tonight, as we meditated on remembrance, I felt that God is reminding us that there is HOPE after Earth.! That the Lord Jesus who we serve, we will see Him again! We will see Him coming again for the Bride of Christ. We are waiting for the Second coming of Jesus Christ and that is the ULTIMATE HOPE for the Christian.”
“We take this moment not to remember the past and the work that God did for man, but also in excited anticipation for the Promise! That He is coming back again! And when that day comes, we will be reunited as the Bride of Christ back to our Lord Jesus.”
“Earth is not the final destination; Earth is just a temporary residence! “
“Thank you, Lord, that tonight we remember that we came on Earth with nothing, but everything that we have and everything that we are is because of you. Every possession, every talent, every gift, all our family members, everything that we possess on Earth is from you alone!”
“Tonight, Father we are so Grateful!”
Luke 22: 14-20 NIV –
[When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table.
15 And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.
16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.
17 After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you.
18 For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.]
08/04/20
