Creating a Culture of Blessing 4

We are finishing a series “Creating a Culture of Blessing

For the past two hundred years Mokuaikaua has created a culture of blessing here in Kailua Kona, blessing our community and people around the world.

Our people are the best people in Hawaii, Godly men, women, and children who desire to see the kingdom of God here on earth, as we faithfully live Godly lives sharing the gospel and making disciples.

A culture

is our way of life, lifestyle our values?

as we live our lives for God, we inspire and move others to do the same.

We are thankful for the wonderful people who were here before us and I’m very thankful for all of you who now carry the same vision.

Thanksgiving is in the heart of a culture of Blessing.

In a few days we will be celebrating Thanksgiving, as a nation.

In 1620, 102 Pilgrims came to America to build a new world where they would be free to worship God. Soon fifty-six of them died due to starvation, diseases, and the cold winter. However, they did not give up. In 1621, 46 Pilgrims and 91 Indians met to give thanks to our God for a bountiful harvest and for the preservation of their lives.

Thanksgiving was a choice for the Pilgrims, and is a choice for us today.

They had every reason to be depressed and discouraged, 50% of their church died, 50% of their friends were gone, but they chose to give thanks.

President Lincoln in 1863 during the Civil War declared the 4th Thursday in the month of November, to be Thanksgiving Day, for the whole nation.

Are you seeing the goodness, the kindness of the Lord around you?

Give thanks

Thanksgiving is to give God the Glory!

Jesus Cleanses Ten Lepers

Luk 17:11 While Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem, He was passing [along the border] between Samaria and Galilee.

Luk 17:12 As He entered a village, He was met by ten lepers who stood at a distance;

Luk 17:13 and they raised their voices and called out, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"

Luk 17:14 When He saw them, He said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were [miraculously] healed and made clean.

Luk 17:15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, glorifying and praising and honoring God with a loud voice;

Luk 17:16 and he lay face downward at Jesus' feet, thanking Him [over and over]. He was a Samaritan.

Luk 17:17 Then Jesus asked, "Were not ten [of you] cleansed? Where are the [other] nine?

Luk 17:18 Was there no one found to return and to give thanks and praise to God, except this foreigner?"

Luk 17:19 Jesus said to him, "Get up and go [on your way]. Your faith [your personal trust in Me and your confidence in God's power] has restored you to health."

10 men were going nowhere, they were diagnosed with leprosy, a bacterial disease incurable at the time, leprosy was contagious, leaving some major deformities and without the proper care death, gangrene would kill you faster than the disease, the people with leprosy were considered unclean to the society, physically and spiritually, they had to be removed from their homes and family, and be placed in a colony with others with leprosy, before anyone came near them they had to call from a distance unclean, unclean.

I remember hearing Beth Moore sharing about her desire to one day to visit and minister in a leprosy colony, one time she was in a country staying somewhat near a leprosy colony so she walked by several times hoping to get inn but every time she got to the door the smell was so intense, the smell of rotten flesh that she couldn’t get pass that.

Leprosy is a horrible disease

The 10 men heard of Jesus, before that encounter, many in the region were talking about Jesus, maybe they saw Jesus from a distance before, but that day they cried out to Him and asked for him to have pity on them, and Jesus did.

Three lessons I would like for us to learn from these 10 leprous who cross paths with Jesus.

1 Remember where we came from,

sometimes we quickly forget where we came from, how need we were, and just because we feel good and free we look down at others who are struggling, like they are less than us, behaving like somehow we got set free on our own, remember your Heavenly Father loves them too.

When we first came to Jesus we needed to embrace truth, Like I’m a sinner, or I have a disease, or I have a need, just like the ones with Leprosy, they cried Have mercy on us Lord, whatever your difficult is bring it to Jesus, it may seem impossible to men beyond remedy, but nothing is impossible for Jesus.

10 men had lost everything, family, life reputation, they were rejected from society, they where just waiting to die.

They had nothing to lose, we have nothing to lose, just bring your request to Jesus, a simple prayer, Jesus have mercy on me.

Luk 17:13 and they raised their voices and called out, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"

I have witness Jesus having mercy on my life and in the lives of many people around me, have you?

Call upon His name

Rom 10:13 For "WHOEVER CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD [in prayer] WILL BE SAVED."

2 Be humble and believe

Luk 17:14 When He saw them, He said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were [miraculously] healed and made clean.

They listen and believed, they obeyed

How do I know that, when Jesus spoke nothing had happen yet, but as they begin to walk to show themselves to the priest, they noticed they were healed.

Luk 17:15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, glorifying and praising and honoring God with a loud voice;

As they were walking one of them notice that he was healed and he turn back to thank God.

When we hear from God make sure you obey Him, and the miracle will happen.

Our preservation project here is a great story to assure you of this lesson.

As soon as we heard God assuring us, that we were the generation to preserve our sanctuary, we began to move in faith towards the renovation.

We began with the little we had, we prayed, we began to take the first steps the rest God added to it.

I remember when Sacred places called offering a $250 thousand grant, they asked us to attend a seminar in Texas, at the end one of the presenters asked me, so what do you think, I was overwhelmed, with all the things that had to happen, I told him I feel like I’m being tugged into a 40 foot wave, very scary and I was not sure I could make it, but I was willing to follow my Heavenly Father.

God provided the people and almost all the finances, now I’m just enjoying the ride, making sure I’m on top of the wave.

Heb 3:15 while it is said, "TODAY [while there is still opportunity] IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEART, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME [in the rebellion in the desert at Meribah]."

3 Worship Jesus, all glory belongs to Him.

As we see God’s goodness, give Him Praise and thanks!

Luk 17:16 and he lay face downward at Jesus' feet, thanking Him [over and over]. He was a Samaritan.

Luk 17:17 Then Jesus asked, "Were not ten [of you] cleansed? Where are the [other] nine?

Luk 17:18 Was there no one found to return and to give thanks and praise to God, except this foreigner?"

Luk 17:19 Jesus said to him, "Get up and go [on your way]. Your faith [your personal trust in Me and your confidence in God's power] has restored you to health."

We need to remember that every good gift, coming into our lives is from our Heavenly Father, there are no coincidences.

We need to pay attention and acknowledge His goodness.

Look into what is good, not into what is missing, our Heavenly Father will give us what we need but open the door by thanking Him.

When we acknowledge the gift and give thanks to the giver our hearts are filled with joy, and the healing goes into a deeper level in our spirit.

The other nine were healed but this man had an encounter with God, he was saved.

There are so many people I have met that experienced miracles, our Heavenly Father touches people all around us, He is a good and loving Father, but only a few recognize it, they fall short of entering the kingdom of God.

Happy Thanks Giving!

Thanksgiving is to give the glory to God.

1 Remember where you came from

2 Be Humble

3 Worship Jesus.

Give Thanks!

making Jesus the Lord of our lives

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Joh 3:16

To receive Him we need to accept Him as God’s son, repent from our sins and a life of selfishness, asking Him to be your Lord and savior, not that you deserve it, but is a gift from God.

If this is your desire today, please repeat this prayer after me?

Heavenly Father I’m sinner, I’m sorry for my sins, I’m willing to turn away from my sins.

I receive Christ as my savior,

I confess him as Lord

from this moment on I want to follow and serve him,

in the fellowship of his church,

In Jesus name. Amen!