Isaiah 8:18 “Behold, I and the children whom Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts; which dwelleth in mount Zion”

Now we want to contextualizing this scripture and replace Israel with Dar es salaam and Mount Zion with Capstone.

Isaiah8:18 “Behold, I and the children whom Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Dar es salaam from the Lord of hosts; which dwelleth in Capstone”

We are not changing scriptures we are contextualizing the scripture. Remember the story of the Samaritan woman and her encounter with Jesus? When Jesus told her; time has come and is here now, people won’t worship in this mountain anymore but those who worship the Lord they shall worship in spirit and truth. The worship is not geographical anymore. In the new testament our faith our belief is that God is everywhere including here. So when you say the Lord who dwell in Capstone it does not deny other churches from having God in their churches.  They also have God there and we are here so we talk about here.

I believe so much that in the year 2017 God has called us to experience signs and wonders like never before. Signs are indicators; they indicate that there is something. There is a presence of something that is causing you to see what you see. There are indicators that there is a presence, even if you don’t see it with your eyes but those indicators are signs. There will be indication in this place there will be indication in your life that you have God, those who laughed at you and said where is your God? This time they will not ask you a question because they will see it with their own eyes and they will know that you truly worship a living God, only if you follow the instructions I will be teaching you. Wonders, they are those things that cause people to be amazed. They don’t understand how it happened but it did, they don’t understand how it came about but it happened. Remember that song that we sing always “I don’t know how but you did it” those are wonders, you don’t know how it happened, they will not know. You know sometimes you expect God to answer your prayers mechanically by following procedures that people follow in this world. When you are trusting God for a miracle you don’t really have to explain how it will happen. A miracle is that which goes beyond the scientific laws. It happens and you can’t just explain. That’s something that the church today has abandoned, we are not miracle believers we are too scientifically oriented, we want to explain everything scientifically if God has to something you have to calculate and find out and know exactly if He has to do something for me this is how He is going to do it. If you can explain it that’s not a miracle. But we are children who are called for signs and wonders. Part of the package of salvation is for you to enjoy signs and wonders. It’s your redemption right to experience signs and wonders. “These signs shall follow them that believe...” when you believe you are entitled to enjoy miracles, signs and wonders. One day I tried to calculate to you when I asked a number of you what’s your vision, and some of you said very big things, big things. One said… “in three years to come I want to have a value of 1.6 billion...”, in three years! I am not saying it is impossible, but it will cost a miracle and miracles are possible. They are not just possible they are our redemption right; it’s your right to experience miracles. The reason why people don’t experience them is because they don’t expect them.

But I am here to encourage you to prompt your feelings, your heart, your mind so that you are miracle oriented. If you want to enjoy Christianity expect miracles. This faith is a miracle faith. The reason why many children of God cannot compete in the world,( it looks like the children of the world are doing better than we) it’s because they forget their entitlement of miracles and they go and compete in the world following the rules of this world no no no! You can’t win if you are trying to compete following the rules of this world. They know how to play their games. If you compete with a hyena don’t compete with hyena by eating bones, bring may be hot porridge you can win that match. But if you tell a hyena lets compete by eating bones you know you will lose that match. Before you begin it has already swallowed several of them. So this world got their own rules we have ours, and in our realm we talk of miracles. I feel so strongly in the year 2017 we are going to experience signs and wonders why? Number one because I am very thirst of miracles. I’ve heard miracles; I’ve seen miracles, I have seen things happening here and there, I’ve read them in history but why not today? Why not today? God is the same isn’t it? Jesus is the same yesterday today and then forever. So what He did yesterday He can do today. God has no partiality what he does in South Africa, what He does in Nigeria, what He does in America; He can do it in Dar es salaam. Provided there is someone who has faith. My intention is to provoke you so that you build a strong desire. Without strong desire you can’t do anything significant, that inner drive that pushes you can cause you to perform wonders.

 So I want to talk about a Strong Desire. It’s what will push you to receive your miracles, it’s what will cause you to experience signs and wonders when you build that strong desire. Many people don’t see things because there is no strong desire. You tell them come to receive the Holy Ghost, and someone will count how many people have already gone infront? Let them be ten then I will go and hide there, and then you will come to receive the Holy Ghost looking around who is watching me? You can’t. Some will say for me I will receive secretly because I have been in this church for a long time, if people ever see me going there to go and receive the Holy Ghost they will say where was he? And then you decide to hide. When you lose a desire for anything you can’t receive it. When you don’t have a desire to succeed in life you don’t succeed.

So what do you get from strong desire?

John 7:37 “ In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.” KJV

Thirsty is a strong desire, it is spiritual principle from the old testament to the new testament. If you can work out your thirsty, your desire, your strong desire on anything you can do wonders. We start from there; why should you build a strong desire? Why should you be thirsty for anything?

1. Strong desire will produce endurance

Mark 4:16-17 “ These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground; who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.”NKJV (are offended) KJV.

Immediately they fail. Endurance is the ability to outlast hardship. Endurance is the ability to outlast resistance. Endurance is the ability to go through difficult situations, adverse situations long enough until you outlast them. If you say you endure but then you give up before the problem gives up you have not endured, the problem has to give up before you give up. The ability to outlast challenges that is endurance. Endurance has to do with time. “…and have no root in themselves, and so endured (they endured) but for a time…”if you say you have endurance but then you give up before you receive what you wanted then I doubt with your desire for that thing. People who have strong desires they have the ability to go longer distances until the problem surrenders and they get what they wanted.

 If you want signs and wonders, your desire for signs and wonders will cause you to outlast every challenge in your life, every challenge. Challenges will come, whoever tells you that you are so much anointed you will not be challenged you will not encounter problems they are lying to you, there is no faith that will not be challenged, never! So you want to see the results of your desire, you want to see signs and wonders in the year 2017, signs and wonders in your finances, signs and wonders in your relationship, signs and wonders in your career, things that happen in a span of one year that could’ve taken ten years but they happen in one year, that is a sign and a wonder. It will leave everyone mouth open, how did it happen? They’ve given you time, you can only leave two years, that disease will kill you, before one year is finished your healed! That is a miracle, but until you desire it so much then you will be able to endure everything that is coming against you.

You know you’ve received a word for the year 2017, but listen according to the bible every word you receive from God it will also be persecuted. Persecutions will come “…persecution came because of the Word…”for the Word’s sake! Persecution will come because you’ve determined that I want to succeed, I want to breakthrough in the year 2017. Persecution will come, I am not prophesying negative it’s a principle it’s there. Jesus encountered them, the apostles encountered them who do you think you are? They will come. There is no cheap success, everything you want to succeed in life, every desire you have shall be challenged, but if the desire is so strong it will give you endurance. When you think of what you want, you take the beatings. Today I was reading the bible and the apostle Paul says“tunapigwa ngumi kwa ajili ya Neno”it’s like it had skipped my attention all these years I’ve been reading the bible. Apostle Paul was receiving beatings and then they endured. So you may be beaten here and there but if you have a strong desire that desire will propel you to endure every hardship. It may take relatively sometime but whatever time it takes you will outlast it, people who win they are those who outlast challenges, they have an enduring spirit, enduring spirit and desire will give you that. When you have a strong desire it will give you enduring spirit.

Jacob wanted to marry Rachel and he worked for seven years first and He was swindled by Laban the crocked. But he wanted so much to get married to Rachel he endured another seven years just for Rachel. Do you know a year? Twelve months three hundred and sixty five days times seven. Because he wanted Rachel so much he endured. Seven more years! That’s what strong desire can do, it gives you endurance. When you people giving up so quickly you question their desire did they really want this thing? Did they really want it?

 The other day one of our members testified, an adult with family and children who go to primary school! He wanted so much to be a teacher in his life but he had to go through secondary school first and when he joined the teachers told him that you have to wear school uniform like everybody else when they called for mifagio(brooms) he also had to bring mifagio and he made it today he is taking his degree. He beat up that challenge, why? because he had a strong desire to become a teacher one day and he is not educated. He said every time they visit in a place and people start introducing themselves, they say their education and “mine is standard seven, I couldn’t understand that” That strong desire drove him to endure wearing uniform, someone who is in his late thirties, mingling with children, teenagers in secondary school, wearing uniform like them for four years every morning telling your wife “I am going to school”. Four years he finished he went to high school he finished and now he is a university taking his degree.

Strong desire will help you to endure. The reason why people don’t receive their miracles is because they give up just before, just before God has released something they give up! Problems outlast them you are supposed to outlast your challenge. If it is meant to last six months by six months and two weeks you are still standing. You tell the challenge nobody is going anywhere until I receive my miracle, nobody is giving up until I receive my miracle, nobody is sinning here until I receive my miracle. Determine to outlast your challenges, they are painful my friend don’t think if you are filled by the Holy Ghost challenges will be easy, because you blow tongues (not even speaking in tongues, you blow tongues) and you think that is going to make challenges feel softer, no it will only give you strength to outlast them. But you will feel the pinch of it, you will feel the pinch, you will still feel it. Jesus felt it. Have you ever wondered Jesus not apostle, Jesus! “If possible Lord let this cup be taken away from me.” Have you ever wondered that kind of prayer? You have never thought about it. Jesus, we are not talking about apostle Peter my friend, Jesus. The pinch was so hard that He had to pray “Lord if possible let this cup be taken away from me, but (when He remembered what He wanted, the Church) He said but Your will be done”I am standing here, nobody is going anywhere, and He won the battle. Shout hallelujah! And you think you are just going to become a billionaire just like that, stilling tithe. Let me tell you the truth, if you want to go up you will be tested. There are moments God is going to challenge you in your own prayers, you and God and He is going to challenge you to take everything you have and go and give it. How about that? Nobody wants that. Endure until you outlast your problems.

What else strong desire will propel you to do?

2. Strong desire will produce discipline.

A strong desire will produce discipline; it will cause you to be disciplined. Because of what you want you are willing to be disciplined. What is a discipline? Is simply a controlled behavior, the ability to control all unprofitable desires in your life. The ability to put yourself under control. The bible tells us in the book of 1Corrinthians 9:24-27

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.

And every man who competes for the prize is temperate (disciplined) in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown; but we for imperishable an incorruptible. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.

But I discipline my body, and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” 

Instead I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, why? Because he so much wants to win the race, he so much wants to win boxing so you discipline yourself. When I talk about boxing at least I have an idea because I did it. I remember those days where you literally frog jump up a hill seven times, you feel the pain in the muscles, it’s a hustle but you do it with joy sweating. But you discipline yourself, every day you have to wake up in the morning you exercise, I would do it in the afternoon and in the evening three times a day. Why? Because my dream was one day I must carry Tanzanian flag into the Olympics beating up someone. That was my dream, that desire drove me to do crazy things. Exercising three times a day heavy exercises plus carrying concretes in building sites, that one I don’t count it as an exercise. Why? Because there was this strong desire, I would imagine myself wearing that Tanzanian flag after I have beaten someone, that thing would drive me crazy. I would do things because I desired so much, I desired so much. Strong desire will cause you to discipline yourself.

You know there are two types of discipline. There is discipline that people discipline you (enforced discipline) and there is discipline that Paul is saying “I discipline myself.” If you can’t come to a level where you discipline yourself, you have to be disciplined by the church elders, you have to be disciplined by the Pastor you are nowhere. But there is a discipline where because of the strong desire you have you decide; I am going to discipline myself, I will wake up every morning, I will pray I will read the word, I will be a giver no matter what happens, I will not be sinning. You discipline yourself. I refuse to sin because it will cause me to lose my inheritance. You discipline yourself. You decide to control your behavior because there is something valuable that you desire so much. When you see people don’t control themselves, they don’t discipline themselves they live anyhow. They are Christians but they live as if they are not Christians, these people don’t have vision if they have their desire for what  they want is too little too low, the gage of their desire is very low, out of battery. And therefore it doesn’t encourage them to discipline themselves. When there is something you love in your life even when the Pastor is not watching you when you want to do something wrong, you count the cost “this thing is going to cost me my dream I am not going to touch it, I refuse in Jesus name.” You control yourself. You don’t need to be controlled by anybody. You discipline yourself; the Apostle Paul said “I bring under strict control”. You know that am going to fast 21days because there is something I want from God and then the body says let’s drink juice at 10o’clock in the morning, you say body have you forgotten I am on mission? Nobody is drinking juice here only water, we will eat in the evening shut up in Jesus Name! You’re under strict control. People who win they choose to control themselves strictly, people want to live loose life, they want God to bless them so much but their lives are loose. They do anything, they watch pornography and then in the morning they are on devotion. Then at 10oclock in the office when they are supposed to work they are busy browsing through the internet if they can see something. You are deceiving yourself, people who have strong desire they discipline themselves they don’t wait for anybody to discipline them, they do it with choice, willingly I am going to control myself actually strictly. I didn’t pick it anywhere it is in the bible you read it yourself. I bring it under strict control. Christianity is not just living anyhow, “…by the grace, we under grace dispensation…” no no no grace doesn’t mean you living anyhow. Do you have anything you pursue in your life? Is there any vision you have? Do you really desire to get it? Then you must discipline yourself, strong desire produces strict self discipline. Until you are able to control yourself strictly, willingly you are not registered for success. People who go high they control themselves strictly, even financially. Do you know why people loose money in business? Lack of financial discipline, you have your budget and what you planned to do, but then something crosses your mind and you have this thick money in your pocket and you decide to buy whatever comes before your eyes ignoring your budget, by the time you get home an opportunity come that there is a plot on sale at a very cheap price and you have already spent the money for what was not important. You see someone taking that expensive plot just like that. Strong desire produces discipline. If you want to be successful, if you want to see signs and wonders in this year choose to control yourself. Live a controlled life. Don’t wait for the body to allow you that body will never allow you to do anything good for God. It will always want to over eat, it will always want to sleep, it will always want to over rest. You know there are people who work for four hours and they want to rest for ten hours. Choose to control yourself and do it strictly. Normal things will always bring you normal results, always remember that you cannot do anything ordinary and expect an extraordinary result, it will never happen. I challenge young people all the time when they say I want to be this, I want to be that, I want be a pilot, I want to be an engineer, I want to have a factory. But then most of the time watching cartoons. The desire is good but the behavior is not controlled, you cannot get what you want. Unless you come to a point where you say yes it is good to do this, it makes me feel good but because I want that I refuse to do this I want to do this. You make a choice, but if you want your body to allow you, the body will not allow you. The body will preach to you “don’t fast you will die you have ulcers.” I fasted six months when I was diabetic, six months. There was time I would test my sugar and it will go down to 2 where people would have collapse but I was there. And the devil would say “you are going to die and you are far from home what are you going to do?” I said devil you will die yourself, nobody is dying here, I am completing my fast. I refused, now I am free from diabetes. Hallelujah! Just make a decision; people are failing too much because they cannot discipline themselves accordingly. According to your desire, according to what you want. Everyone who wants to win a race must discipline themselves, train. Training is part of discipline where you discipline your body to get used to certain things that are profitable.

3. Strong desire will produce a daring spirit

A daring spirit is simply courage to try what others consider impossible. A courage to try what others think this thing is impossible but you are there trying to do it. Because you have this strong desire in you. Matthew 9:20-22

And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.”But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.

This lady suffered for twelve years, she has been hearing about this Jesus Rabbi! Who is moving around from village to village preaching, healing sick people. That day Jesus happened to be passing through that village and she purposed in her heart and said today is my day. It was a daring spirit because in Israel any woman who is bleeding was not permitted to appear publically, they would stone her to death immediately if they discover her. But it was too late because by the time they discover her she was healed. So that judgment couldn’t apply to her anymore. But it was a daring spirit for any Jewish woman to appear publically when she is bleeding, it was a daring spirit. She was risking her life. But she wanted so much that she was willing to take a risk.

 People who don’t have strong desire they don’t take any risk. They don’t want to dare to do something. If you want to experience signs and wonders you will dare to do the impossible, you will dare to fast 21days even if you’ve never done it, why? Because there is something you want from God. That this year will not by pass me I must see God. Strong desire will drive someone to dare to take actions that will cause people to be surprised. I don’t know what is your goal for this year, I don’t know what are your plans, I don’t know what is your vision? But if you really want them you will dare to take some risks. You will try to do things that people consider impossible. You know there are people who say I want to be rich and there is business opportunity and they keep thinking if I invest there and the money is lost if I get a loss what will happen? When you are you going to be rich if you are fearing to invest? And the money they are fearing to invest is 2million. You can’t dare invest 2million in a small business and you are dreaming of becoming a billionaire. You want to keep it. My money, my money, money! People who have strong desire they have a daring spirit. They take risk and you know it is so safe to take risk when you have faith. Actually people who do things by faith they don’t consider themselves taking risk. Have you ever thought about that? People who think they take risk it’s because they don’t have faith. Faith is an assurance of things you don’t see, thinks you hope for, they are not visible but you are very sure you don’t consider yourself taking a risk. It’s like you are doing something normal. Have you ever heard about people eating poisonous food and they die? How many of think before you eat that there could be poison in this food today, should I eat or should I not? How many think that before eating?  Even the prayer is very casual before you eat , before you finish prayer your hand is already on the plate. Why? You have done it so much that you are sure there won’t be any poison. You don’t even care. People who do things by faith they don’t consider themselves taking risk. It is we others who are watching from a distance who wonder, how can he do that? But for them if you ask them, they don’t mind.

I remember the first time I went to Bible College, I only took fifty shillings from my friend as a fair, I didn’t have school fees not a single cent. I just went to Bible College very comfortably. No school fees, I just felt God wants me to go there I went and that’s it, I was there. I had desire so much to train for the work of God that I was willing to go to Bible College. I was the first one. Before they opened college three days I was already there no school fees. But because they believed I have school fees I will pay the time comes they ordered my meals to be prepared I was eating, sleeping in a dormitory, I was given the blankets and everything for three days before the college opened. Now when the college opened people were paying school fees for me I was going in the without paying. One week I was eating, I was playing games, when it football time I was going at the football pitch. So after two weeks they calculated and discovered something is not right. They started going through the list and they discovered I am not listed, so they called me and said what do you think you are doing? You are here and you are not paying. I said not that I am not paying, I will pay. How can you just be here and eat? I said I am not just eating I will pay. How? They asked. Now I knew if I tell these people that I will pay by faith I am going to be chased away even if it’s a bible college. So I knew how to make knives these local knives, I said I will be making knives and I will pay and sure I started making knives to pay, but that money was too little. They said commit yourself and told them I will pay one month and I continued going to the classroom, comfortably no hustle not even thinking no stress, until the last day I, tomorrow I am supposed to go home and I know today that tomorrow I am supposed to go home if I have not paid. But I was free, I was eating, I was free, I was comfortable no risk I didn’t consider myself taking risk. When the day arrived someone came and said I want you to be doing this for me and I will be paying school fees for you until you finish college. And that was it. So I started doing that work it was a bit technical but I had a talent to do it and I did it. And he paid my school fees for three years in college no hustle relaxing, plus travelling a lot. Because when the college closes he would give me some money to go and supervise some staff and I would travel the whole of this country. When you want something so much you must have a daring spirit.

Can you lift up your right hand and say this prayer:

“Lord Jesus, I have my visions and I presented them to you, but I need the right spirit within me. I need the spirit of endurance, I need to be disciplined, I need to have a daring spirit. Give me faith and give me the word in Jesus Name, amen!”

God bless you!

Pastor Peter Makongoro.