Wednesday, June 28, 2017

WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE THE VICTORY!

As I was preparing the discussion questions from Faith Study Course, I was again very ministered by what I read. It was in line with what I had been meditating on recently. I remembered looking at those self-help books at a book store and I thought to myself. The key to all these steps of success eventually boils down to a changing of mindset. The human mind is the most stubborn and most resistant to change. Circumstances and things around us may change faster than our minds can change.

Nowadays I accept that there are so many things I don't know about the universe and the spiritual realm. I am often humbled by what I don't know. Yet at the same time I am contented by what the Lord shows me or what He does want me to know. If it deems important for Him to let me know then I will want to know. I thank God that I know so much more about His word than I used to. In the past I knew His ways but now I can begin to say that I know His heart even when things don't necessarily go according to what I expect to see or contrary to what His word says.

I also begin to understand the temporal nature of things and situations. Even though things had been like this for many years didn't mean that it would not change. Things would not remain like this forever. For me this perspective from God helped me a lot when I was going through trials or tough times. It gave me hope for a better future, that things would eventually get better and better. That after the testing comes the rewards, the promotion.

Last night I was listening to Pastor's sermon and he said before the enemy attacks your health or your finances, he will always try to steal the word from your life. That's why most people find themselves quarrelling or moody for no reason after church service. The devil is trying to steal the word they just heard. So that is not the time to give up on the word but to dig in your heels and stand firm on it. Sometimes it may mean life and death.

Even Kenneth Hagin said if you have read these lessons on faith and they have taken hold of your hearts, the enemy is going to try to contest you. But the Lord wants you to be prepared for Satan's wiles. You can be fully prepared for any situation or circumstance that can arise. Keep pressing on to attain the highest kind of faith which is to believe that the word of God is the truth. It is actually what it declares it to be. The word of God is living and active but it will only come alive to you and work in your life as you accept it and act upon it. You have to align yourself with His word.

When you really begin to study the word and accept it as it is, you will wonder why in the world you believed some things the way you did. This is the process of God changing our minds. There are dark areas in our mind or strongholds which we probably didn't even know about. It was when the light of His word shone on those areas that we realised we were held bondage in that particular area. It is astounding that some of the things people believe in really aren't in His word at all. We often accept what others say about the word instead of seeing it for ourselves.

Other times we believe in what we experienced to be the truth rather than God's word. Like if we have been burnt before by an issue then we would see that challenge as bigger than His word. Yet many times seeing is not believing. How many times have you been deceived by things you saw? And how many times have you been deceived by things you didn't see? Spiritual things are more real than natural things that our eyes can see. Just because you went through some heartache which was very real to you doesn't mean it is the word of God. Or the will of God.

Kenneth Hagin urged us to pay attention to what the Word has to say about redemption or forgiveness of sins because a lot of folks are defeated here. They don't take a stand against the enemy, against what comes against them because they think it ought to be that way. That they deserve the test or trial that has come upon them. Like they still felt they got to pay for something wrong they did in the past though the bible said clearly that our sins are paid by Jesus at the cross. A lot of people are permitting tests and trials to take place in their lives because they are not standing in their place of authority against Satan.

They are being robbed of deliverance and victory because they think it ought to be that way. Of course tests and trials in life come to all of us but on the other hand that doesn't mean we have to allow Satan to run over us either! If we are in Christ, God has promised us the victory in every circumstance. Even Pastor Prince said that not all trials are necessary in our lives. Jesus also taught us to pray that our Father deliver us from evil or testing in His daily prayer.

Beloved, understand that God's heart is not to allow us to go through endless testing and trials. As with all seasons, the season of wilderness is only temporary and it too shall pass. After going through the fire and water, God is bringing us to a broad place. A place of fulfilment and abundance. He will repay us and restore us the joy and peace the trials had taken away from our lives. He will work all things out for our good. Bring beauty out of ashes. And even though some testing might be necessary for our character development, God has tampered it with much mercy. He will not allow us to go through what we cannot bear but always provides a way out for us.

I strongly believe that most trials and tough times in believers' lives are actually not necessary. If they could follow the still small voice of the Holy Spirit, they could be spared of many heartaches and pains. But well, some of us need to come to the end of ourselves before we can receive His help. No wonder apostle John prayed this at the end of his life. Beloved I wish for you above all things that you prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers. God's heart is to see His children prosper, not suffer.

Kenneth Hagin said that instead of accepting the fact that they had been delivered from the penalty of sin, some believers let the devil dominate them and keep them sick and defeated. But God doesn't hold your sin against you once you have asked for forgiveness. The work of Christ on the cross washes away our lifetime of sins. We are made righteous because of Jesus' blood. The price for our redemption has been paid, so the devil has no right to dominate us. He can only have an inroad in our lives as far as we allow him to.

The best part about being in Christ is that no matter how many times you missed it, God will always give you more chances. You can try until you get it. God will make sure that you eventually get it. Hence ultimately victory belongs to us, no matter what it seems like at the moment. The enemy is always a defeated foe. Don't let him get you into condemnation and fear again. Say I am the righteousness of God in Christ. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ.

Christ in us is really the hope of glory. Because of the finished work on the cross we will always win. No matter how far we have strayed or how impossible things seemed in the natural, there is always hope if we turn back to the cross. The finished work is a definite thing that had happened so we can have the assurance that when we go back to the finished work, God can make all things right in our lives again. It might take a long while, there might be a process to endure, a fight of faith to stand firm on the promise, but the end outcome is assured. Eventually the promise will manifest. We are forever blessed because of the cross.






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