Keys for 2017: Keep expectancy, keep tenacity!

WELCOME to the first Saturday of 2017. No matter how bad your situation is, as long as you are alive, as long as you are breathing, this is your year! No matter past year(s) hurts, disappointments, failures, tears and pain, this is your year. This is a good year — A year of restoration! I will be sharing with you more in the coming weeks on this topic. Today I will talk on some important keys for 2017 and how heaven will locate you.

“And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity for 18 years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.” (Luke 13:10). For 18 years, the woman suffered; for 18 years she was bound! But she never gave up. Year by year she entered with expectancy.

Number 1, I say to you enter this year 2017 with expectancy! Tarisira chimwe chinhu (look forward to something).

If you were no longer preaching, no longer praying, no longer seeing visions, no longer hearing God; expect something; expect it to be restored! If money was running from you, expect it to run to you this year.

How it will happen is another thing, but expectation is an ingredient for 2017 that you cannot afford to lose or miss. You need it for this year’s success — expect something!

Expectation though good is not enough on its own. Go to the next level — tenacity!

Enter the year with great tenac- ity. Tenacity is just pure persistence. Many things you missed in past years could have been due to giving up or discouragements.

Imagine that for 18 years the woman never moved. Pawabaya gejo ramba wakabaya chete. Ramba uchitaura, keep declaring!

If it’s a car, develop to the point of speaking it by name. It’s not good to change, change, No. You start a tuck shop today, tomorrow you are farming and sowing the seeds you were selling. Persistence is the key to people who walk by faith. It’s key to people who believe in God.

Abraham waited for 25 years. He waited until hope was gone! If you are a preacher, though you have never preached to people on a big platform, keep telling yourself “I’m a preacher”. O Hallelujah!

You see, I used to drive my pastor and my friends laughed at me much. They used to move around with evangelists who will be preaching, but I was tied up serving and driving. So, they were laughing at me saying your gift has died in that car, just driving the pastor. But God is a good God! When time came I travelled all over Africa, not just preaching, but also planting churches. Because of persistence my friends were surprised and began call me evangelist! Are you expecting something this year? We don’t want people who expect little things. God wants to do big things in 2017.

Don’t limit God. What you can’t do naturally; what your uncle can’t do for you; what your salary can’t do for you; that is what you must expect from God!

I expect to dig the foundation of a hospital! O Hallelujah, we walk by faith and not by sight!

For you to affirm what you are expecting, write it down. If you don’t write it you lose it! If you want you can stick one paper on the fridge, one on the display in the dining room, one on wardrobe and one even in the shower and you see it written ‘MERCEDES BENZ’ ‘Healing’ (whatever is on your heart).

If you have an office, you also stick another paper.

Kana uri kuda chinhu usapote uchigabhagabha (don’t keep changing when you are aiming something). Read James 1. Faith does not waver or shift goal posts. No. Keep expectancy, keep tenacity!

Imagine this lady on this very day if she had not gone to church on this Saturday. If she had said “ah, nothing is happening there at church; I’m still the same, let me sit at home”. You see, we are in a season and generation of instant things. Coffee, everything is just instant. But at times when we pray, things may not happen that way. You may almost give up before you hold it. At times some things take time as our faith matures. Years ago I was told by the city council official when I was applying for the stand of this church that I’m confused!

You see, when we used to meet years later we would both laugh. He had told me “you will never get that stand”. I told myself in my heart that I will get it. I was given a regret letter on December 15 and I told my wife to file the letter so that we would resume our pursuit of the stand after Christmas!

If you make a declaration, any declaration you make, something good will happen your way. If you were looking for something, trust God. We servants of God are just vessels, but God is the one who does things and gives us the desires of our hearts. Don’t care where it will happen, it will happen.

Don’t judge your faith by how instant something happens, but also by how persistent you were before it happened. Someone can come in here and immediately receive a healing miracle, yet someone who has been here and still believes in God has not yet been healed.

You see, when a baby cries for anything, a mother responds urgently. But when in Grade 7 and you cry for a banana, mom will tell you to be quiet before she threatens to beat you up. You can’t cry over a banana, go get bananas, she will say. O Hallelujah!

All authority has been given to us. When grown up, you need to learn to pray and hold on until something happens.

Right in the crowd, Jesus saw this woman. It’s a year for the eye of the Lord to come on your house. Take 2017 as an individual. Take it as a person. This year Jesus is going to see you! Gore rino Jesu anokuona! As a family, stand on the Word of God and say Jesu anotiona.

You don’t have to do much, all you need to do is stand on the word of God; do what the Word says!

The woman had just come to the Sabbath and Jesus saw her. If something was burdening you in 2016 this first Saturday of the year, Jesus must see you. When He sees you He must call you. Jesus must sees you despite the hurtful words you were told over the holiday.