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
[Music]
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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