Walk Away and The Way of Obedience

 

1. WALK AWAY

The decisions we make today create our tomorrow. We are the architects of our own fate condition because we are free moral agents; we can choose to walk away from wrong opportunities. You can either yield yourself to God or the devil. All of us who have fallen made a decision. All of us who have not fallen faced similar temptations but made a different decision.

Matthew 6:25-33 - “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

God knows our needs and will provide for them, although He may not provide all we want because human wants are unlimited. We do not know how to satisfy the needs of our life but He does. Therefore, when we approach God, we should humble ourselves in our requests, realising that He is God and I am not, He is a Father and I am but a child, He is the Shepherd and I a straying a sheep. What we want may not be what God wants for us at that particular time or what we need. We should therefore not interpret God’s silence as rejection; even when He seems silent, He is still saying something.

Therefore, when you are next faced with a decision or a temptation, ask yourself what the consequences of that decision or falling to that temptation will be.

Don’t be tempted to choose temporary pleasure over permanent gain.

PRAYER: In the moment of decision, ask God to give you the inner grace to choose as Christ would have chosen, in Jesus’ name.

 2. THE WAY OF OBEDIENCE

Obeying God at first seems hard until we come to see that all He asks is for our good and makes life full and free. Why is it hard at first? It is hard at first because it involves making a u-turn. I mean a turning point against our usual way, against the popular will of our friends, relations and peer groups who want you back in their fold. If you must resist them, you must be ready to face persecution and attack from them. But relax – He will not leave you without victory. The way of obedience is the way of blessings; the way of obedience is the way of a bright future.

For you to reach that future, the question you need to ask yourself is – do you have a vision? If you don’t have a vision, others would become your role model - you would be looking to others for direction instead of looking to the Holy Spirit who is our Guide.

Because of that, you would strive to receive the approval of people and be ready to compromise your faith and disobey God’s instructions to please the crowd. However, if you have a vision, you would not look to others for direction; you would wait on God. Your vision has to do with where you are going. If you don’t have a vision, you can never be focused in a direction and therefore, never fully obey God’s instructions. When you know where you are going, whatever happens to you midway cannot change your focus or push you into disobedience to God’s Word.

PRAYER: Ask God to give you an obedient heart, in Jesus’ name!

By Prophet TB Joshua

Jerry Bridges :Faith and The Power of God Part 2

Please endeavour to read the prelude to this text which is available through  Jerry Bridges :Faith and The Power of God Part 1.

Having finished reading the first part of this text by Jerry Bridges, this is the second and final part of it.

The importance of faith is further emphasized in Jesus’ answer to the disciples’ question: “Why could we not cast it out?” (Matt. 17:19). He said it was because of their little faith. We are not told in what way their faith was deficient. We do know that Jesus had previously given them authority over demons to cast them out (Matt. 10:1–8), so why was their faith so weak at this time? Perhaps it was because the demon did not respond immediately to their command, and so they began to doubt the power of Jesus. Or perhaps they presumed that because they had been successful before, they would be at that time. So we see that faith not only involves a firm reliance on Jesus’ power and ability, but also a complete renunciation of any confidence in our own.

Last month we looked briefly at the subject of God’s providence. In Matthew 17 we see an example of it in action, in connection with a mundane event — the paying of the temple tax. Jesus, as the Son of God, was under no obligation to pay the tax. Yet in order to give no offense, He sent Peter to catch a fish in whose mouth was the required shekel. This brief account raises some questions: How did the shekel get into the mouth of the fish? How did Peter just “happen” to catch that fish and not another one nearby? It is possible that Jesus performed a miracle and created the coin out of nothing in the mouth of the fish.

It is more likely, however, that it was a work of providence. Someone “accidentally” dropped a shekel into the sea. A particular fish grabbed it, and it stuck in its mouth. The fish swam to the exact spot where Peter cast his net and the fish was caught. None of these events was miraculous; yet all of them were necessary to accomplish Jesus’ purpose, and Jesus was in control of each one of them. God’s power is as much at work in His providence as in His miracles. So as we struggle with our own faith, or lack of it, in the difficult situations of life, let us believe that God is able, whether through miracles or providence, to care for us.

Do you believe in Christ?
Do your friends believe in Him?
How well do you know Him?

Please spread the message of the gospel.

TB JOSHUA :RISE ABOVE YOUR SITUATION

His Church in Lagos Nigeria

SHARE this post and SPREAD this message if you REFUSE to allow your family background to dictate your DREAMS in life! When you are connected to your destiny, NOTHING and NO-ONE can stop you – don’t give up!

Read this amazing short but encouraging story of Prophet TB Joshua of the Synagogue Church of All Nations on how he rose above his situation to become what God originally planned for him.

TB Joshua: “I found myself in a family background that irritated me. My natural circumstance of birth was poverty. I come from a very humble background. Poverty loomed large in the family. The little education I had was through self effort. I know many people with a similar circumstance of birth who did otherwise. They allowed their circumstance to influence their will. Their dreams crashed on the rocks of disappointment, failure and setback.”

“Today, many people blame their situation on family background. Some would say, “I am poor because everyone in my family is poor.” If you make excuses for being poor, your poverty cannot be excused. Remember, you are responsible for what you give your attention to; so it is unnecessary to blame your situation on anyone. Today, it is common for people to blame their failure on their family background, whereas they attribute their success to their personal effort. If you attribute your success to your personal effort, you should also accept the blame for your failure. When we make excuses for our wrongdoing, such misdeeds would not be excused.

“I recognised early enough that victory obtained through Christ was a time past victory. I mean, it is victory assured. Rather than despair and blame my situation on family background, I began to be proud of my situation in order to feel Christ’s victory over me. I became content with my situation, knowing that my situation is redeemable through Christ and that the redemption was a time-past one. I mean, redemption assured. Then I began to take God at His Word in order to have His way.

“Nobody is too good or too bad to qualify for His grace. Remember, it was possible for me to sit somewhere and begin to make excuses for my situation. I never did. Whatever I am today is a product of that conviction that victory through Christ is victory indeed. The rest is history!”

TB Joshua


If someone could rise from grass to grace, from this dire situation, then everyone can.
That includes you, yes you!!! Rise up from whatever the devil is using to tell you that you can't make it.
Rise over your situation and be the one telling this kind of story someday.
Your situation shouldn't define what you become, but your faith should decide what your situation becomes.

God has given you all that you need to rise to the top, it is left for you to claim it. Just have faith and believe in His word.