Hezekiah Walker – wrote a song God Favored Me

He said,

This is my testimony everybody, how God favored me in spite
Of my enemies, and if God did it for me he’ll do the same thing for you.

Don’t worry about your haters your haters can’t do nothing with you.

Listen to these words
Love is patient, caring.

Love is Kind.

Love is felt most when It’s genuine, but I’ve had my share of love abused, manipulated And it’s strength misused, and I can’t help but give you glory

When I think about my story, and I know you favored me

Because my enemies did try but couldn’t triumph over me
Yes they did try but couldn’t triumph over me.

I’m still here, I’m still alive, I’m still blessed, on my way to
My destiny, because the favor of God is on my life. Let me
Tell you about love.

***This is Hezekiah Walker’s song that speaks to the heart but my life and testimony speaks truth and realness.

I was born into a sharecroppers family. I was born to a single mother. I was raised by grandparents.

We had many difficult days of cotton fields, no running water, outdoor bathrooms, and cold nights. We walked to school on cold days and worked in the fields on hot days.

We went without. I saw my friends placed in jail while others died too soon.

Yet God favored Me!

Exodus 3:21-22 (KJV)
²¹  And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty:
²²  But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.

Favor is also a spiritual law and just as you can expect the law of gravity to work and the law of lift to work when you need it; when you are in a difficult situation is when you need the law of the favor of God to work for you and bring you out and it will work for you when you expect it.

Favor [N]

Finding favor means gaining approval, acceptance, or special benefits or blessings.

There is also a close association among favor, grace, and mercy, which are sometimes used to translate the same Hebrew and Greek words.  

Psalm 84:11 (KJV)
¹¹  For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

Genesis 6:8
⁸  But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

Exodus 33:12-13 (KJV)
¹²  And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.
¹³  Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.

Luke 2:52 (KJV)
⁵²  And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. (For Jesus this was at the age of 12)

1 Samuel 2:26 (KJV)
²⁶  And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men.

God grants his favor at an early age for a purpose. The purpose is that we will grow up with a Favor-Mind-set.

Favor just doesn’t happen.

THERE ARE WAYS TO EXPERIENCE GOD FAVOR.

(Faith Change) 2 Peter 1:2 (KJV)
²  Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

(Attitude Change) Philippians 2:5 (KJV)
⁵   Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

(Thought Change) 1 Peter 5:5b (KJV)
for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

When you live with a favor-mind-set you begin to understand.

1. When certain things happen its God.
2. You begin to expect God to get involved.
3. You begin to see the hand of God in the details.

If you want to experience more of the favor of God, then embrace these (2) truths:

Truth #1: God’s Favor is God’s grace.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” –Ephesians 2:8, NKJV

God’s favor, aka God’s grace, is the reason you are saved. You are saved by His favor.

Every part of your life is impacted by the grace and favor of God.

It means you are delivered, protected, preserved, healed and made whole by God’s Grace and favor.

Truth #2: God’s favor surrounds you continually.

 “For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.” –Psalm 5:12, NKJV

As a born-again child of God, you have been made righteous by Jesus and that righteousness came with the favor of God, which surrounds you constantly!

I know that many people seek riches and success not truly understanding that if you have God favor you have success and riches.

Proverbs 3:4 (KJV)
⁴  So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

THE QUESTION IS HOW DOES ONE GET FAVOR FROM GOD AND MAN?

Proverbs 8:35 (KJV)
³⁵  For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD.

Esther 2:15 (KJV)
¹⁵  Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her.

Genesis 39:4 (KJV)
⁴  And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.

Daniel 1:9 (KJV)
⁹  Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.

1.         When you Praising are God you move into His favor.

 Acts 2:47 which says:

“Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”

2.         When you accept a difficult assignment you move in His favor.

Luke 1:30 (KJV)
³⁰  And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

4.         His Favor will flow through you to connect with others.

Genesis 39:21 says:

“But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.”

5.         Never leave home without it.

Years ago, American Express had an ad campaign which suggested we “Never leave home without their credit card.”

Deuteronomy 28:2 (KJV)
²  And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.

6.         Favor is recognizable by others on you.

Genesis 30:27 says:

“And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake.”

7.         It is the Lord that grants favor.

Exodus 12:36 (NLT2)
³⁶  The LORD caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the Israelites, and they gave the Israelites whatever they asked for. So they stripped the Egyptians of their wealth!

The Lord Favored Me!

Genesis 18:3 (KJV)
³  And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:

Ruth 2:13 (KJV)
¹³  Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.

GOD TOLD MOSES TO TELL THE PEOPLE THEY WOULD HAVE FAVOR IN THEIR DEPARTURE.

If it was not for favor where would I be?

1. Homeless
2. In Prison
3. In the Grave
4. Damaged beyond Repair

People said I didn’t have the Education to make it – But Favor

People said I didn’t have the Physical appearance to make it – But Favor

People said I didn’t have the right family backing – But favor

People said my family was dysfunctional – But Favor

GOD FAVORED ME!

The Clark Sisters had a song…

He brought me through hard trials
He brought me through tribulations
Never let a day go by and not realize
Had not been for the Lord who was on my side
Back was against the wall
He looked out for me
He heard my cry and rescued me
Never let a day go by and not realize we are blessed

Don’t take it for granted that we are here today
Just know that we’re blessed and highly favored …

Exodus 3:5-10;18-19 (KJV)
⁵  And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
⁶  Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
⁷  And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
⁸  And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
⁹  Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.
¹⁰  Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.
Exodus 3:18-19 (KJV)
¹⁸  And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.
¹⁹  And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.

Exodus 3:20 (KJV)
²⁰  And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go.

John 10:10 (KJV)
I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

It is Satan’s job to hold us down so that we will not have a full life.

The one thing Satan wants is for God’s people to live in bondage. When we live in bondage for a long period of time we become hopeless, dreamless, and visionless.

Bondage will suck the life out of you. Whether it is:

1. Financially
2. Relationally
3. Sickness
4. Fear
5. Crisis’s

Satan doesn’t want you to know that if you are to overcome anything in this world there are 2 things that are a must:

1. Getting Motivated
2. Staying Motivated

Just being a good starter is not the same as being a good finisher.

Ecclesiastes 9:11 (KJV)
¹¹  I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

The challenge is not to get stuck in any giving situation regardless how real or hurtful it might be.

Dreamers don’t focus on what is

Dreamers focus on what could be

Romans 4:17 (KJV)
¹⁷  (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

When people lose their freedom it will place you in a life rute.

1. Give up
2. Lose energy
3. Lose excitement for life

God has given us freedom.

John 8:36 (KJV)
³⁶  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Listen beloved. Matthew 28:19 (KJV)
¹⁹  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Mission is Go ye

Freedom is come up with your own methods.

The mission has been defined, but the method you need to design.

Faith is not in the where we go, but faith is in the how we are goin to get there.

430 years Israel had been in Egypt.

430 years earlier Israel had a vision of having their own land and occupying it.

From the time God called Abraham to leave Ur that had been wandering. Now they were God’s people but they were in bondage.

The situation seems without hope!

They were crying unto the Lord for help!

They had lost the ability to dream or have visions.

God sent Moses to tell Pharaoh to let them go 3 days into the wilderness to worship.

To go and re-kindle the passion, to re-gain the vision, to dream again, and get a hope.

Pharaoh said no!

If the people Re-kindled the dream they could pass it on to their children and their children children.

Pharaoh replied no!

See this was before Jeremiah had prophesied.

Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV)
¹¹  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

God told Moses Pharaoh would in time let the people Go!

There was a reason Satan or Pharaoh didn’t want to let the people go. If they went they would gain hope, vision, and a dream.

What Satan don’t want you to Know

1. God is always with you. Hebrews 13:5 (KJV)
   ⁵  Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
2. God loves you. Romans 8:15-16 (KJV)
   ¹⁵  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
   ¹⁶  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
3. God uses trials to produce. Philippians 2:15 (KJV)
   ¹⁵  That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
4. God’s power is available Philippians 4:13 (KJV)
   ¹³  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
5. God uses trials to produce. James 1:2-4 (KJV)
   ²  My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
   ³  Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
   ⁴  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
6. God will supply your needs. Philippians 4:19 (KJV)
   ¹⁹  But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
7. God will exceed your highest expectation. Ephesians 3:20 (KJV)
   ²⁰  Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
8. God’s grace is sufficient. 2 Corinthians 12:9 (KJV)
   ⁹  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
9. All things work for your good. Romans 8:28 (KJV)
   ²⁸  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

No Satan don’t want to let you Go!

Satan is using that situation to choke the seed of Increase out of you.

Satan wants you to be:

1. Disappointed
2. Discouraged
3. Angry
4. Feeling empty
5. Feeling alone
6. Feeling like a failure

God has a better Place for you!

I hear God telling Satan to Let you go but I hear Satan saying No!

Psalm 30:5 (KJV)
⁵  For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

Exodus 2:12-15 (KJV)
¹²  And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
¹³  And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?
¹⁴  And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.
¹⁵  Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.

Decision making is sometimes a hard difficult process.

One decision can change the course of your life and that of your family for every.

There are choices that we are force to make and there are choices that we choose to make by a given situation.

In my first pastoral charge I was forced to leave but the second one I prayed about moving to a place where I believed I could do more ministries.

The decision I made to retire from my day job and go into full time ministry affected my family livelihood and well being.

That decision also affect me spiritually for I believed that God was calling me to full time ministry and the other factors weigh less than being obedient to God.

Well since we are that road let’s talk about the decision to retire wow. That was a big one. I had to seek God for timing and permission.

I had a deep feeling that my time for pastoral ministries was done. I had completed 47 years and three churches with hundreds of revivals.

I had witness 53 young ministers called to serve but a voice was saying it was time to step aside.

What was important about walking away?

1. I didn’t want to be stuck in a bad place.
2. I didn’t want to live with a bad attitude.
3. I did want to be responsible for a toxic situation.

How did I know it was time to make the decision?

1. When sometime causes you to compromise your faith.
2. When your integrity is at stake.
3. When you have lost the fire/passion.
4. When you hear the inner voice.
5. When it is confirmed by the voice of the Lord.

7 Steps to Effective Decision Making

Decision making is the process of making choices by identifying a decision, gathering information, and assessing alternatives resolutions.

Using a step-by-step decision-making process can help you make more deliberate, thoughtful, and defining alternatives for life that you will feel align with God and your best future.

There was a time you could take forever to resolve a life matter but the world today changes by the hour and not by the years.

We had the opportunity to listen to four young pastors on Saturday and they all agreed that these new times with new norms.

The challenges of the new norms will make separate leaders.

The greatest of these new times is we all are being forced to make Quicker decisions and Good decisions.

Now how do we accomplish just that? By developing a Process to making decisions.

Step one, Identify the Decision you need to make.

Step Two, Gather information only related to the decision.

Step Three,  Identify alternatives to the decision

Step Four, Weigh the facts and not your feeling.

Step Five, Choose among the alternatives.

Step Six, Take action.

Step Seven, Review and not be afraid to change

Are you ready for the new norms?

Are you prepared for the new norms?

Are you prepared to keep up with the new norms?

Are you prepared to change for the world has already changed?

Ok the text this morning is about a prince in Egypt named Moses. Moses was born a Hebrew but raised an Egyptian.

The voice in him told him he had to do something to make a difference in the lives of His birth people.

Moses held a high position in the court of Pharaoh.

But the inner voice was press him to do something.

The inner voice had spoken, but remember I said God needed to confirm what the inner voice was saying.

Moses acted out of the plan and timing of God by killing an Egyptian and burying him in the sand.

Moses was out of the will and plan of God.

Here is where God is leading me to today.

Moses is now faced with new norms and new decision with time being sensitive to his survival.

Ya’ll need to pray with me.

We don’t always have all the information needed to make that just right decision so we have to evaluate what we have.

Moses is not the only person in the scriptures who had to make a quick decision to Flee.

Genesis 16:6 (KJV)
⁶  But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.

Genesis 27:41-42 (KJV)
⁴¹  And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.
⁴²  And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee.

Hosea 12:12 (KJV)
¹²  And Jacob fled into the country of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep.

Genesis 31:24-26 (KJV)
²⁴  And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.
²⁵  Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead.
²⁶  And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword?

Genesis 39:12 (KJV)
¹²  And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.

Judges 11:3 (KJV)
³  Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.

2 Chronicles 10:2 (KJV)
²  And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of Solomon the king, heard it, that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt.

Acts 7:29 (KJV)
²⁹  Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons.

Matthew 2:13 (KJV)
¹³  And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

Matthew 24:16 (KJV)
¹⁶  Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

Each of these moves required a change in new norms.

Are you preparing to think new thoughts?

Are you preparing to choose new words?

Are you preparing to make new alternative?

Are you preparing to take new actions?

Are you preparing to have new habits?

Are you preparing to reach a new destiny?

Moses went to Midian and fitted in. Moses got married; Moses didn’t mourn the lost but embraced the new!

Genesis 12
¹Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee:
²And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
³And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed

It will take faith to surpass the fear in your life to “move beyond the familiar” in order to tackle the NEW.

1. NEW CHALLENGES
2. NEW PERSPECTIVES
3. NEW PEOPLE
4. NEW PAINS
5. NEW PRIORITIES
6. NEW PASSION
7. NEW POSSIBILITIES
8. NEW PLACES
9. NEW BOUNDARIES

In order to reach the new destination that God has assigned you. You might have to disengage from the old destination?

• Abram disengaged from Ur

• David had to disengage from the sheep to engage to the kingship.

• Daniel had to disengage from the high level of government to engage to stand for righteousness.

• Peter had to disengage from fishing for fish to engage for fishing for men.