This is “First Things.” In this message, Pastor Franklin discusses seven important things we need to do first in order to keep our lives aligned with God’s Word.

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friends and partners of Kingdom

connection the devil has stolen some

things from you he stolen relationships

he stolen money he stolen health if you

put my word first my blessings will

overtake you in this new year you’re

gonna get your joy back you’re gonna get

your dream back you’re gonna get your

marriage back you’re gonna get your

finances back you’re gonna get your

purpose back if you will say not me

first but the kingdom first that is the

life that is in alignment for God’s

blessing and favor to come upon you I’m

talking for just a few moments on first

things I found in the Bible seven times

God said do this first and it will it

will align you for blessings that are

unprecedented that you have never

experienced before seven times he said

before you do something else do this

first do this first do this first do

this first and he says if you do these

seven things first if you put my word

first my blessings will overtake you in

this new year and I want to give you

this teaching because I feel like it’s

from the Lord you know I was thinking

about it you can drive your car up on a

sidewalk and I’ve done it many times and

and and you can knock the front wheels

out of alignment and you know you’re

driving down the road and you hit 60 or

70 or 80 and and and and you feel

something wobbly something is wrong and

it hinders your journey it hinders you

from going where you’re supposed to go

because things what’s wrong things are

out of a learn that your wheels are out

of alignment sometimes because I travel

a lot on airplanes my back will just

really ache and I’ll have to go to a

chiropractor and say well you will you

pop me I call them the popper will you

pop me and

get my back back in alignment is so

amazing sometimes I get headaches and

stuff and if I’ll just go get get that

alignment right is something about

getting that alignment right that that

that really makes the journey easier and

so in Matthew 6:33 he says seek first

the kingdom of God that is the alignment

of priorities that’s the first thing the

alignment of priorities in other words

you have to dethrone whatever stands

between you and Jesus listen to this

first Thessalonians 5 and verse 12 says

that he will preserve you notice the

order spirit soul and body so many times

our order is our body first our order is

the flesh first then the soul which is

our emotions our attitude or you know

our happiness and then the spirit but

notice God’s priority he says seek first

the kingdom and he says I’ll preserve

you spirit soul and body it’s spirit

first and if you let him bless you and

you get the priority of the kingdom

first spirit first then soul then body

then finances everything else will be

blessed if you get this priority and

this alignment a priority on spiritual

things Matthew chapter 5 and verse 23 he

says when you’re gonna give a gift when

you’re gonna give a charitable gift when

you’re gonna do something for the

ministry listen to this he says take

your gift to the altar and if you

remember that you have an offense leave

the gift on the altar go thy way listen

to this and first be reconciled with

your brother he’s saying if you’re in a

position of unforgiveness a position of

bitterness and strife and you’re

offended it does you no good to give an

offering and I’m here somebody right now

saying well praise God that’s I’m not

gonna give it the end of Lord told me

not to give until I get it right so I’m

just gonna that’s not what he said

he said bring the offering I got you

bring the offering and put it on the

altar and in other words he’s saying

it’s a layaway blessing and and I’m

gonna hold the blessing up I’ll hold it

for you and when you go and make things

right I’ll release the blessing on the

offering you brought and he didn’t say

take it with you and get it right and

bring it back he said leave it on the

altar I don’t trust you I don’t trust

you but this way you got something

invested do you see that this way

there’s an incentive because you’ve got

the offering on the altar and it’s a

layaway plan for the blessings of God

and go first and make that right with

that brother of that sister this is the

alignment of relationships and folks it

matters it matters you have to get along

with people it matters you know the

priority of relationships alignment in

relationships we’re into extreme

individualism it’s all about me and

Jesus we’ve got our own thing going and

we’ve got people that Maytag repairman

can fix things and the iPhone man can

fix things and the car repairman can fix

things but we need somebody to fix the

relationships that we are in and he says

you don’t need to just ignore this year

if you want the blessings of God get in

alignment for the blessing and first be

reconciled and even if they don’t want

to be reconciled with you you’ve done

your part when you reach out and try to

reconcile and then God says I can bless

that life number number four Matthew

chapter 12 and verse 29 talks about

another alignment he says that how can

you take someone’s goods and get and

spoil their house until you first enter

the strongman his house and you spoil

his goods

he said you first notice that first bind

the strongman and we know this is

alignment of authority this has to do

with the fact that the devil has stolen

from you

the devil has stolen some things from

you he’s stolen relationships he’s

stolen money he’s stolen health he’s

stolen things and you know to be passive

you can’t be passive sometimes the

Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and

the violent take it by force and he said

I want you to get this year in alignment

with authority and take authority over

the strongman Satan has your stuff in a

storage unit and he has your name on it

but he says I’ve stolen from them and

they’ll never get it back but the Bible

said if you want your stuff back first

take authority and bind the strongman

first bind the strongman and don’t

accept that it’s gone forever

you lose your keys and you will look for

them until you find them you lose your

wallet and you will look for it until

you find it but the devil wants you to

say I’ve lost it so long I’ll never get

it back but the Bible said when the

enemy comes against you you are to bind

the strongman I think today that you’re

gonna get it back you’re gonna get your

joy back you’re gonna get your dream

back you’re gonna get your marriage back

you’re gonna get your finances back

you’re gonna get your purpose back come

on and agree with me somebody reach over

and grab somebody by the hand and say in

the name of Jesus say it out loud shout

it out loud in the name of Jesus we bind

the strongman he has our stuff and the

Bible said if the thief be found

he must restore what he stole Sevenfold

Lord I received this year the Sevenfold

blessing now lift up a shout of praise

because you have alignment of authority

operating I want you to know that we’re

not defeated we have authority over

demons we have authority over Devils we

have authority over the spirit of lack

the spirit of fear the spirit of

depression

spirit of suicide the spirit of

discouragement God is saying buying

those strong men and I will restore unto

you the joy of your salvation everybody

take a praise break hallelujah feel

faith in this place today shout I’m

taking it back we’ll go back to the

program in just a moment but as we start

a brand new year I want to remind you

what Matthew chapter 6 States jesus said

seek first the kingdom of God and all of

these things will be added unto you over

and over the scripture says to seek him

first

and when you do he will align you for

blessing that you have never experienced

before

he’s saying make me your priority this

year and if you do he says my blessings

will find you and overtake you in a new

year one way we make him my priority

around here as we set aside time every

year to fast and to pray for the next 21

days we’re joining with believers around

the world saying God we want more of you

we want more of you and less of me you

know the reason that our our symbol here

for the fast of 2018 is a as a as a –

and then a plus sign is is speaking of

what John was communicating when he made

this statement I must decrease and he

Jesus must increase that’s the cry of

our heart this year that’s the theme of

this fast is I need to decrease my not

my will but thy will be done I need to

decrease in some areas I need less of me

less of my flesh less of my you know

responses and I need more of the spirit

right make your prayer to join us

through January the 28th as we fast and

pray you say I can’t do that fasting

stuff it really is a special time that

will change your life as you draw closer

to God and we want you to know that

we’re here to join our faith with yours

I’m gonna be your fasting coach during

this whole thing if you need faith

building tools even how-to tools we have

them we have a brand new book called

fasting 101 most asked questions and

also my best-selling books on fasting

New York Times bestseller that will

bless you if you’ve never read it it’s a

must read as well as free devotionals

blogs and bible study courses that you

can find online all of it free

we’ve got you covered is what I’m trying

to say to you and this month we have a

special resource available for your gift

to the ministry here’s my announcer to

tell you how you can help us preach the

gospel all over the world in a brand new

year

request jeff’s and Franklin’s audio

teaching first things as our thank you

for your first fruits offering to the

ministry this month in this message

Jenson Franklin will reveal God’s plan

for Supernatural blessings in your life

you’ll learn all that you need to see

the power of generosity revealed in your

life I want to open up the windows of

heaven and pour you out blessing that

you will not have room enough to receive

but in order for that to happen here’s a

first thing you’ve got to do you gotta

get that alignment of heart thou shalt

love the Lord thy God this is the first

commandment with all of your heart God

has promised provision and blessings for

those who put him first to learn more

about that firstfruits offering or to

request Jenson Franklin’s audio teaching

first things visit us Jensen franklin TV

today

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there’s another first thing found in

Matthew 22 and verse 36 he says master

which is the Great Commandment and jesus

said thou shalt love the Lord your God

with all of your heart mind and soul

this notice this is the first and Great

Commandment and love your neighbor as

you love yourself this is the alignment

of your heart and God is saying for this

year I really want to bless you

I really want you to be in alignment so

that I can bless you in the city and

bless you in the field I want to open up

my good treasures I want to open up the

windows of heaven and pour you out

blessing that you will not have a room

enough to receive but in order for that

to happen here’s the first thing you’ve

got to do you got to get that alignment

of heart thou shalt love the Lord thy

God this is the first commandment with

all of your heart you see what you get

excited about is what you activate what

you get passionate about is what you

activate and he says I want your heart I

want you this year to give me your heart

it’s the first great commandment and he

said love the Lord with all of your

heart mind soul love your neighbor and

love yourself now we we like that love

God and we agree with that I should love

my neighbor but we forget the biggest

part of that loving your neighbor is as

you love yourself in other words God is

saying I want you to get in alignment

with the fact that I I love you and

don’t you listen to the voice of the

enemy that tells you to hate yourself

because you’re ugly because you’re

inferior because you’re stupid

you’ll hear the voices on the inside

tell you you can’t do anything right

you’re good for nothing that is not in

alignment with what the king has to say

about you he said that is not my voice

listen to me it’s never

Giants that keep us out of the promised

land it’s never the Giants on the

outside it was the ten spies on the

inside

it was the voices of the ten on the

inside that kept them from victory not

the Giants on the outside the thing that

will stop you from your dream and your

promised land will never be if God told

you to take it and do it it’ll never be

the Giants and they you will face them

but they are not authorised to stop you

it’ll always be the voices on the inside

the ten voices said we’re not able the

spies said we’re not able to said we’re

well label but ten said we can’t do it

we’re not good enough we’re not big

enough we’re not strong enough we don’t

have enough money we can’t do it we

can’t do it and beware of the voices on

the inside and he said I want you to

love yourself on the inside get in

alignment with your heart with others

and love your self Matthew 23 he was

talking to a bunch of self-righteous

Pharisees who wore white clothing to

show how holy they were all the time if

they went if they went to a ballgame

they wore their little white white

little cloak costs and stuff so they

everybody know how holy if they went

anywhere they they went around who I’m

holy I’m holding and Jesus said in verse

Matthew 23 and verse 26 cleanse first

everybody say first cleanse first that

which is inside the cup that’s the

alignment of your inner world you can’t

take the man out of the slum you’ve got

to get the slum out of the man and that

alignment in your inner world is your

purity it’s your thought life and and

they they were so worried about looking

the part on the outside but inside they

were full of dead men’s bones you know

the world feeds on what you are on the

outside but God feeds on what you are on

the

and that’s why Jesus stood at the door

and he said behold I’m on the outside

and I knock I want to come in and sup

with you but you need to clean the cups

on the inside some people worry about

the outward only how I look and what

people will think about me but the

greater thing to be clean is is to be

clean on the inside in your thought life

in your purity in your attitude in your

spirit God help us to be that kind of

people he says if you want to be in the

alignment of my blessing don’t go around

thinking your holiness is in your

outside because you got to get it on the

inside and then it will change things on

the outside that the Holy Spirit

convicts you of and he will make you

modest and he will change some things

and he will convict you if you put on

something that you shouldn’t put on and

start to do something but you don’t base

your salvation on your outside it’s all

on being clean on the inside first let

me give you another one and I’m done

John chapter 20 and verse 19 on the

first day of the week the disciples were

assembled you get in alignment this year

listen to this preacher God told me to

tell you this he said tell the people to

get in alignment with the body of Christ

on the first day of the week that you

don’t just come to church hit skip or

miss but you get in alignment with the

body of Christ on the first day of the

week it’s the Sabbath make your priority

God’s house this year and watch the

blessings find you and overtake you

Jacob said I will call this place he saw

a vision of angels going up and down he

said I found the gate of heaven I will

call this place Bethel which means house

of God which means simply this that

there are things that God will do for

you in church that he will not do for

you by yourself

but there is nothing that can take the

place of the alignment with the body of

Christ which says one can put a thousand

but now

thousands here – can put 10,000 look at

somebody beside you and say I’m seven

times stronger because I’m sitting by

you this morning my prayers right now

are seven times stronger my prays right

now is seven times stronger my faith

right now is seven times stronger if one

can put a thousand – can put 10,000 I’m

telling you you’re in the right place

for a miracle today

somebody shout this is the house of God

this is the gate of heaven and angels

are here

in alignment with the body of Christ and

I want to give you one more and don’t

lose your shout now this one is in

Deuteronomy 26 and verse 2

thou shalt take of the first of the

earth and of the land that the Lord

gives you put it in a basket go to the

place which the Lord God will choose to

place his name there and give it to God

he said you shall take the first the

firstfruits

that’s the alignment of your money

proverbs 3 and verse 9 honor the Lord

with your substance and the firstfruits

of all your increase listen to this what

a magnificent blessing and your barns

will be filled with plenty and your vats

will overflow the tithe is the first

it’s not the cost of admission to a

gospel show the tithe is not what you

send to your poor cousin in Birmingham

the tithe is not what you give to TV

preachers the tithe belongs in the

storehouse that you call your church

that feeds your soul that ministers to

you and your family bring it to the

place listen he said you don’t choose

where the tithe goes bring it to the

place I have chosen now you give

offerings to anybody you want but he

said your tithe belongs in the house the

alignment of priority relationships

Authority your heart the inner world the

body of Christ and alignment in our

finances how many of you this year would

love to see the tidal wave of God’s

blessings overtaking you and your family

and this church in a magnificent way let

me see your hand

everybody in this room I’m gonna ask you

to stand to your feet and I’m gonna ask

you to lift up your hands for the next

few moments and while I preached I

believe God has been speaking to people

there are people in this room who are

who are backslidden who are not right

with God

everybody right where you are say these

words Lord Jesus Lord Jesus I surrender

to you I give my heart to you I give my

life to you and I’m getting in alignment

with your wheel with your kingdom wash

me cleanse me forgive me and bless me

mightily this year I pray well as we

start the new year I just want to say

thank you so many have already responded

to let us know that they’re joining

their faith with ours as we fast and

pray it moves my heart every year to

know that people are seeking God all

over the world and I love the fact that

we’re doing it together people ask me

all the time what’s the secret to a

deeper relationship with God and I tell

you one of the secrets in my life

absolutely has been I believe that

fasting is one of those pillars in the

faith that needs to be rediscovered in

our generation when you say God I want

more of you and nothing else matters I’m

rearranging my schedule I’m rearranging

my priorities for these 21 days I’m

giving you my all it’s about having a

relationship with God he sent his son to

die for you not just to save you from

your sins but he wants to be your friend

you can know him in a real way I want to

pray for you today many of you watching

this program are ready for a change and

it took you going through what you’ve

been through to reach the point of

desired change it’s time addictions are

going to break it’s time for freedom

it’s time for hope and a dream and lie

back in you you’ve lost your way you’ve

lost your hope you’ve been through

setbacks and the enemies whispered just

give up but this is your day pray this

prayer Lord Jesus you are Lord you are

Savior I believe in you and I surrender

to you and I receive you as my savior my

lord

and the one who’s guiding me into this

new year I’m coming after you Jesus with

all of my heart I give you my life in

jesus name amen and amen I want to

encourage you to seek God and to see if

he would have you so a special

firstfruits offering to help the

ministry this year please pray about

this together were feeding and housing

thousands of people were setting

captives free and were seeing so much

more around the world

249 nations of the world are being

preached to every week through this

telecast and people are discovering a

personal relationship with Jesus Christ

I pray that the Lord will bless you in

this new year in extraordinary ways

thank you for joining us on kingdom

connection join us on this fast go on

our social media I’m having you know

just kind of popup prayer meetings on my

Twitter and Instagram if you don’t

follow our Facebook all of these things

they are vital to staying connected with

the fasting team that is here to support

you during this time so get get get that

on your phone or computer today god

bless you thank you for watching this

program we’ll see you next week requests

Jenson Franklin’s audio teaching first

things as our thank you for your first

fruits offering to the ministry this

month in this message Jenson Franklin

will reveal God’s plan for Supernatural

blessings in your life you’ll learn all

that you need to see

power of generosity revealed in your

life I want to open up the windows of

heaven and pour you out blessing that

you will not have a room enough to

receive but in order for that to happen

here’s a first thing you’ve got to do

you gotta get that alignment of heart

thou shalt love the Lord thy God this is

the first commandment with all of your

heart God has promised provision and

blessings for those who put him first to

learn more about that firstfruits

offering or to request Jenson Franklin’s

audio teaching first things visit us

Jenson franklin TV today

[Music]

as soon as I walk through the doors I

knew that this was home so throughout

the week it’s really great we work right

alongside our pastoral team and it feels

awesome to just know that I’m making a

difference with the youth while I’m

still in school the leaders help develop

you into the person God needs you to be

to lead others into worship

it’s always fun working with our leaders

we get to see the creative process and

learn from their input I’ve always had a

heart for kids it’s great to be their

friend and help them understand the love

of Christ because you never know what

they’re going through I love being part

of the process starts to finished seeing

all the pieces come together that make

service great not only am i learning but

I’m able to show kids love and be there

for them when I heard about the college

I knew is for me and I’m so glad I went

for it if you are someone who wants to

change the world and if you’re

passionate about the work of God then

this is absolutely the place for you

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we hope you’ve enjoyed this teaching by

Jenson Franklin and thank you for your

continued support of this ministry your

prayers and financial support make these

programs possible

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