One thing have I desired of the Lord and that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. Praise the Lord everybody! I thank God for His mercy, His grace and His favor! It is my pleasure to give you the Sunday Highlights for February 7, 2010. Yesterday was filled with mixed emotions as we walked into the Sanctuary. We were hit with the reality that our Illustrious beautiful Pastor was no longer in her seat but we rejoice at the pleasure of knowing that she is sitting in her mansion in Heaven, talking to Jesus, dancing and worshiping right along with the other angels. Our Pastor can sing a long that the angels can’t even sing.
We were also blessed by our newly consecrated Bishop, A. Ray Rouson, as he humbly took the podium dressed in his bishop attire. His instructions were to bless the Lord, and continue to treat him the same. Although he is honored by the office of Bishop, he is not changed by it. His humble heart is still the same.
The spirit of the Lord met us there and took us to another dimension in the spirit. Please bear with me as I give you just the highlights of the message. The message came from Elder Cedric Rouson and with power. The message entitled Take Your Place, the Scripture text was II Samuel 9:1-13, II Samuel 4:4. His Subject came from verse 3.
Elder Rouson began by telling us of a conversation he had with a friend about the initiation process for joining a sorority. The initiation of a sorority can be a gruesome and trying process. You must be found worthy to get into a sorority and to even sit among those who are in it. But regardless of how hard it may seem to get in, there are some who can sit and be pledged in a sorority by legacy. If someone in your family paved the way for you or was formally in that sorority, you would be looked at as a privileged person.
Spiritually, we who are the children of God have it easier than those who do not have the legacy. Romans 8:17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (NIV) We have a privilege. Jesus paved the way for us to be able to be where we are right now. We did not get there by our own merit. There is nothing we could do to make it on our own. We are the product of our own legacy. Some of us are not the first person in our families to know the Lord. Someone prayed for us. We not only have legacy through Jesus Christ, but also through our family who were Christians and had a relationship with Christ.
What is legacy? When there is legacy involved there is covenant or promise. In Gen 17:8 God told Abraham of the promise. Whether Abraham saw Canaan or not, he and his descendants will end up in Canaan because of the promise that was made, so if God has to pull out the 3rd generation of his children to fulfill this promise, it will come to pass. We are not the first to pray, the first to believe or the first to see visions, someone in your family may have been there and if God made them a promise it will happen because God is a god of Covenant.
In this particular text II Samuel 9:1-13 David was already king, he was already in the chair. His administration was established, he was anointed. Jonathan was Saul’s son, who in reality by law should have been the next in line for the thrown. But Jonathan loved God enough to turn down the chair and give it away. Even though the crown was his through ancestry, he gave it away because of the anointing. Jonathan was not disappointed, he knew his purpose and he knew his assignment. Saul could not understand why his son would give away his secrets and give away the thrown. Jonathan was not threatened by David. He loved David and he knew his place. There are some “Davids” out there who already know they have a call on their life, but they need someone to help them to the chair. To help them to get to the place God has appointed them to be in. We must realize that not everyone is against you. Not everyone wants to take your place. There are some that God has placed in your life to help you. Jonathan did not hate David, he loved David. And because of this David was filled with compassion for the descendents of Saul. David was faithful to the promise he made to Jonathan and to God. He made a promise in secret. You can tell a person by what they do in quiet. As you read the story you will see that David asked his servant was there anyone left of Saul’s family. There was Mephibosheth.
There are three things that will identify us with Mephilbosheth:
1. Condition- We are labeled by our condition. Mephilbosheth was lame and that was the first thing mentioned. It’s sad when you can’t out live your condition or your past. We talk about the splinter in our brother’s eye, when we have a telephone poll in our eye.
2. Transition-There is two parts to transition (a) Condition is a result of our transition. We were not always what we thought we were. When Mephilbosheth was born he was a perfectly healthy son. By law he was next in line to the thrown, but something happened. He trusted someone to carry him and he was dropped. Most of us went through something that caused us to be broken. We trusted someone to help us, to carry us and we got dropped. We trusted a friend with our life, with our secrets and we got dropped and disappointed. After he was dropped and wounded he was taken to Lodebar (the place of nothing) There was no activity no prosperity, no forward movement. Have you ever found yourself in a place where nothing seems to happen for you? You have plans but they never come to pass, you have dreams but they never get fulfilled, nothing seems to come together. This is Lodebar. (b)Coming out.-Coming out of Lodabar is just as hard as going in. Some of us are use to failing. It’s hard to come out of the state of the state of failure when you’ve been in it. Some of us need to be carried, not all of us are anointed to be pastors. Some of us need to be carried for a while until we are stronger. We must recondition our mind for the transition.
3. Position- You must position your self to be blessed. There is a place for you in spite of your condition. There are “Davids” in the house, and “Jonathans” but there is also a “Mephilbosheth” in the house, someone who is broken and lame someone who needs help. There is a place for you. There is a chair for you. The Lord wants to help you get from here to there, but there is a principle of position. Mephilbosheth did not know that David had made a covenant with God. We must get in place, God does not have to tell us every detail about our lives, all he wants us to do is show up and trust him. There is someone that God will allow to help you get into position.
Three ways that David brings him into position.
1. Restoration and Ownership – Every piece of land that belonged to Saul will be given to him. You are responsible for certain things. You have authority over spiritual things in your life. God will bring you into ownership of your own feelings and your faith. You will come to a place in God where you know exactly what he has called you to do. You will not be pushed around by your feelings and by how others feel about you. When you have ownership you won’t care what others around you think. You will know your purpose.
2. Restoration and Fellowship- He was able to eat at the kings table. His restoration is about fellowship. The things you thought you would never be able to experience again. The things that you lost as a result of being broken, God will put these things back. The opportunities that you thought you lost. He will bring back. David knew more about sitting at the Kings table than anyone. According to Psalm 23: 5. He prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies. And anoint my head with oil, my cup runs over. Tell yourself welcome to Dinner, because you have a place at the kings table.
3. Restored to Kingship-There was a place for Mephilbosheth. He was under the kings jurisdiction. Because of the relationship that you had with someone else, you are in kingship. You are privileged. The Lord is a covenant keeper and you can be the recipient of an agreement between God and someone else. Someone else could have spoken to God on your behalf. Take Your Place! It’s not just the privilege and rights, but it’s the assignment that God has called you to do. You can come out of Lodebar but you must get Lodebar out of you. Lodebar and Jerusalem does not mix. Forget those things that are behind and press toward the mark. Refuse to die in Lodebar!
Jesus waited 30 years for a ministry that lasted 3 ½ years. If he can wait then certainly you can come out and take your place and wait for God to restore you. Jesus came through 42 generations so we could take our place. Don’t make it all in vain. Don’t stay in depression in vain, don’t be defeated. Jesus died so that we can be free to take our place.
Take your place! Go forward and be blessed!
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© 2010, Elder Alvia Cabbler. All rights reserved. A part of Shekinah Glory Outreach Ministries International
