Hard times has already commenced
you cannot pray against prophecy
but you can take position
Isaiah 60:2
For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
Addiction to serving God is our security in hard times
Malachi 3:16-18
16. Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.
17. And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.
Malachi 4:1,2
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
When you become a chilled of God, you’re entitled to inheritance but when you serve, you’re entitled to rewards
Inheritance is different from rewards
you pray for promises but for serve for covenant
what distinguish us is our passion for serving God
Malachi 4:1-2
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
you don’t pray you way out of hard time you learn your way out
2 Chr. 15:3
Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.
Daniel
Daniel 6:20-22
20. And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?
21. Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.
22. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
Daniel was exempted because of his commitment to service
We can’t change God’s ability but we can activate his ability in our Favor as we serve him
Dan3:28
Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
Servant are always delivered
Dan 3:17
If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
IF you’re serving God you will know
If you are serving God he will bear you witness
Does God know you as one serving him?
Dan6:20
And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?
Hezekiah Ish38:3
Serving God bring addition to your Life
serving God brings addition
Job 1:10
Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
There’s a provision of an edge around those who serve him
Addiction to serving God is our security in this hard times
Those who serve God don’t pray against sickness
Ex 23:25-28
25 And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.
26 There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.
27 I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.
28 And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee.
Those who serve God don’t beg God
It is not enough to serve God but to serve him acceptably
Heb 12:28
Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
Grace come via knowledge
Acceptable service is what guarantee our exemption inheritance time
HOW DO YOU SERVE ACCEPTABLY
– You must serve him lovingly
Deut. 10:12
And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul
Loving God to serve him will keep you on all your life, without love it will make you weary
Love for God gives you relationship with God
What gives value to your walk with God is your love for him
Rom 8:35
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Song of Solomon 8:6,7
– We must serve him willingly
Willingness will make you ever eager and ready,
Is1:19
If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
Is 1:19 2cor8:12 1cor9:17
-We must serve him Faithfully Matt24:45
Lk 19:13
And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
– we must serve him cheerfully
Mal 3:14
Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?
Serving God mournfully baptize you in mourning
cheerfulness is what give our place to exemption in hard times
Your cheerfulness is your expression of your intention to serve God
Without cheerfulness you cannot escape these hard times
Deut 28:48
Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.
– Serve Him continually
Dan6:20
And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?
Gal 6:9 1Cor. 15:58
– Serve Him righteously
Isaiah 52:11
Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD.
Platforms for stewardship
-The altar of prayer and fasting
Colossian 4:12
Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
Lk2:37
Interceding for souls and ministers of GOD
– Soul winning and establishments, you can’t be saving souls and be destroyed.
As you rescue people from destruction Jesus rescues you
God does not forget your labour of love , He will surely rewad you when others are languishing
Mark16:15-20
15. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18. They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
19. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
20. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
Jn4:35-36
-Tithing
– Care for the needy