Thursday 15 August 2013

We are Partners, not Rivals (Rev. David Pofi) 15-08-2013

COUPLE’S FELLOWSHIP ANNUAL RETREAT
15TH – 18TH AUGUST, 2013
MIANGO REST HOME
DAY ONE: THURSDAY, 15TH AUGUST, 2013
 
OPENING CHARGE
Topic: We are Partners, not Rivals
Speaker: Rev. David Pofi
 
An overview of the Opening Charges of the Christian Couples Fellowship Retreat from 2010:
2010 Opening Charge:
Things that only God can do:
1.    Unless the Lord builds your home, the builders build in vain. [Psalms 127:1]
2.    Unless the Lord watches over your home, you watch in vain
3.    Only the Lord can bless your children.
 
2011 Opening Charge:
Ø  If you are disconnected from the Lord, you will never be full.
Ø  When a man/woman is disconnected from God (the Father), they become prodigal and cannot connect with each other appropriately.
Ø  When a family is disconnected from God, they beg when they are not supposed to beg.    
 
2012 Opening Charge:
Ø  We were created by God for His pleasure, but sin separated us from Him.
Ø  God paid again for our sins in order to purchase us back to himself.
Ø  God bought (purchased) us for himself so that we might be set aside for His exclusive Holy use.
Ø  We have been sealed with the Holy Spirit.
Ø  You can only bear fruit according to your kind.
*Galatians 5:19 – 21 [works of the sinful nature]
Ø  When a man/woman is filled with God’s Holy Spirit, the fruits of the Holy Spirit will definitely manifest
 
2013 Opening Charge:
Ø  The Corinthian Church was a composition of everything. It had both good and bad traits.
*1 Corinthians 1:7 – The Church at Corinth did not lack any spiritual gift at all [see: 1 Corinthians12:7-11]
Ø  The Church was endowed and was very spiritual.
Ø  But the Church had other problems [see: 1 Corinthians 1:10 – 13 there was division in the Church; 1 Corinthians 5:1-8 there was incest and sexual immorality]
Ø  Carnality was the root of the division and immorality [1 Corinthians 3:1-4]
Ø  Note: The Church is made up of many families. There cannot be Church without families.
Ø  The reason why the Church at Corinth was the way it was, was because they were ‘mere men’ and they were worldly, carnal and spiritually immature (babies in the Lord)
Ø  Whenever you find division and quarrelling, there is only one reason for that: you are dealing with ‘spiritual babies
Ø  Spiritual babies are carnal, immature and cannot handle strong/solid food.
Ø  Babies cry for everything and make unrealistic demands; they give fault to other people; they hide things that don’t belong to them.
Ø  When spiritual babies are found in the family, there is bound to be fights, quarrelling and jealousy.
Ø  You must learn to see your partner as a partner, not as a rival whom you are competing against. You should walk, think and work together
Ø  Your relationship with the Lord will definitely reflect in the family. If you are growing in your relationship with the Lord, your relationship with your spouse will also grow
Ø  If you have a healthy relationship with the Lord, you will seek your partner’s happiness
Ø  You cannot be so spiritual and yet not live well at home – it is a contradiction
Ø  You must use God’s Word as a mirror to make all the necessary adjustments in your life

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