Dont Kill Your Brother, Kill ENVY!!

It was a bit strange for me to preach on the message ENVY in the month of August especially when the Lord has said this is the month Revival. I could not really understand why God wanted me to talk on ENVY but has I woke up on this particular morning and couldnt go back to bed...I began to see reasons why before a revival can take place.....we need to kill ENVY...

"The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and ENVY; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God - Galatians 5:19-21

Envying is desiring something that is another person's own for yourself. It is different from Jealousy when you feel it belongs to you and dont want it for another person. If you were to choose between the two...I'ld rather go for Jealousy.....there is virtue in Jealousy...

Envy always wants to put people down. Rememeber what Joseph's brothers did to him?

Indulge me whilst I take you through some manifestations of Envy.
1. Comparing
2. Excuses - Many of us are unable to celebrate people happily. Always acknowledge the grace of God on someone's life.
3. Criticism
4. Competing - When you get to this stage, you start to move out of your assignment
5. Condemnation - Judging!

We should be able to celebrate people's success. Weed out the flesh and water your spirit between your own seed and harvest time.

Reasons for celebrating people's success
1. Your brother's success is an indication of what is coming to you
2. God has sent them to pave the way for us so that we can learn from their mistakes...They are spearheads.
Joseph was sent ahead to prepare the way for his brothers....he was the one that was sold to slavery and sent to prison.
3. Provocation - Example is the case of Hannah and Peninnah...It provoked Hannah to get her blessing
4. God does it to show you what is feasible and that with HIM nothing is impossible.

Whatever you criticise, you will not actualise...and if one way or the other, you actualise it....the same measure you have judged, you will be judge as well.
Dont Kill your brother, kill ENVY!!

Get Ready For A New Season

When God created the world in Gen 1:14, "Let there be light in the firmament of heavens...and let them be signs and for seasons, He created times and seasons for days and for years." He also declared in Gen 8:22 that "seed time and harvest time, winter time and summer time will never cease..."

God created times and seasons to create punctuation and interjections in life i.e. seasons are a sign and reminder to us that God's creation or creatures need rest or rejuvenation. No creature or creation of God should go on forever. God has designed a program in every plant, animal, human and even earth itself times to rest, revive and rejuvenate in preparation for the next season.

In Deutronomy, God commanded the Israelites to allow the land rest on the seventh year, after six years of continous productivity. No creature of God was ever designed to work forever.
Hence the theme of the month of August is "Revival". To REVIVE means to "make alive again", "to bring back to life what was dead..." i.e. "to revive that which causes death..."

It is time to rest to ensure we are revived for the new work God has prepared for us to do in the new season.