SEED AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD
Bishop Butler continues his teaching on God’s Kingdom which he started yesterday Day 6 (Morning Session 1).
The kingdom of heaven is God’s operating system on earth. It is how He manifests his kingdom in our lives. Taking his text from Matt. 11, he said that Satan and his horde are against God’s children to prevent them from attaining to God’s benefits. We must take the kingdom of God by force through faith. 1 Cor. 13:13.
Once again, he mentioned the currencies in the kingdom, which are as follows:
The Bishop taught that when we go to another country, we convert our currencies into the currency of the host country so we can spend our money. We need to do likewise to receive what is available for us in God’s kingdom.
From Mark 4.26, it was shown that seed is required to operate the kingdom, seedtime and harvest would always be. If you want a relationship to work you, you have to plant a seed in the situation in which you have a need. You cannot expect a harvest without planting a seed. God wants you to plant a seed to get the supernatural. Expecting a harvest without sowing a seed is covetousness, Butler said.
THE RHEMA IS THE SEED
Bishop Keith likened getting a ‘rhema’ from God to being with your spouse. If you want your spouse to be kind to you, listen and spend time with them. He gave an instance of a time he was watching American football and surprisingly his wife came to join him and began to discuss the moves some of the players made. He was surprised she took interest in the sport just because she knew he liked it, even though she had no interest in the sport. On the other hand, sometimes he (Keith) also followed her to the mall. Shopping, for her, was an experience not just a transaction. Now, he went through it to make her happy.
“Expecting a harvest without sowing a seed is covetousness.”
It is the same with God; we need to spend time with God to know what he wants. And he is clear about the fact that He is a jealous God. He wants to have us totally to Himself. There is no operation in the kingdom without a seed. You get the seed when you spend time with him. If you have not heard a word of God for your situation then you have not spent time enough with Jesus.
FAITH REQUIRES COURAGE & OBEDIENCE
In the Bible, a certain woman had an issue of blood. She had heard in the synagogue that when the messiah came there would be healing. She had now recognized Jesus as the Messiah and knew the touch would heal her. She came prepared and kept repeating it that once she touched she would be healed. Faith requires action.
Bishop Butler told a story about how he went to hunt for deer in the woods and planned on four (4) days. On the final morning of the fourth day, he still had no deer. It was time for him to leave and he felt he had wasted his time. He prayed and God told him that in 2 minutes a deer would walk out to his direction about 100 yards away from him. In exactly 2 minutes, the deer came out in the same direction just about 100 yards away. He was prepared and got the deer.
Jesus promised us the Holy Spirit and that he would guide us. It took Abraham 25 years to have Isaac. You are not waiting on God; God is waiting for you to get prepared for your breakthrough. The woman with the issue of blood had obstacles. She was probably physically frail; she was even resisted by Christ’s disciples. With faith, you need courage. God will ask you to do something you will need courage to do.
So many people touched Jesus but she took power out of him. You can be in church and not touch Jesus. Jesus asked who touched him, and she testified. You must be ready to testify of God’s work. Jesus told her she is made whole. Being whole meant being restored not just in health but also in wealth, social status and everything the issue took from her.
Anytime you decide to walk in faith you will have an opportunity and an obstacle. In Mark 4:35 the father instructed Jesus to move to the other side. It was God’s instruction but Jesus faced an opposition. He was at the back of the boat sinking and he was sleeping despite the storm. The disciples grabbed Jesus and made him to wake or they would die. Jesus responded by asking why they were afraid.
There is no place for fear and faith. In Mark 5, they got to the other side where they met a man demon- possessed. God sent Jesus to the other side just for one man, to deliver him. The man’s testimony left the whole region in awe of Jesus.
Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. To have your joy, always remember what God has done for you in the past. He is good and his mercy endures forever.
The entire message is available on the church’s website. Click DAY 7 MORNING SESSION 3 to purchase it at 100 NGN.