Job 3: 25
For the thing which I greatly fear comes upon me, and that of which I am afraid befalls me.
The story of Job was a mystery yet worth learning. Many believers have gone through various trials in the past. Others are currently facing their own trials. Many have found themselves in seemingly insurmountable situations. Trials make the life of a believer better. It makes us stronger in The Lord. Anytime we overcome our trials we mature in our walk with The Lord.
Job 1:1 THERE WAS a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who [reverently] feared God and abstained from and shunned evil [because it was wrong].
Job, the bible describes him as a man who was blameless, upright, feared God and abstained from evil. He was a man who was highly esteemed by The Lord. He pleased The Lord in all his ways but the truth is that Job had inner struggles just like any other man. Inwardly, Job had his own insecurities. In spite of all the godly attributes he had, he was living in insecurity. Personally I believe Job had an inner feeling that one day he was going to lose all that he had. Job might have seen or heard of a rich man who had lost all his wealth under strange circumstances. Probably he might have been living with this at the back of his mind. I believe he was wondering what he will do if he lost his wealth.
Job1:3 He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very great body of servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the East.
Job was extremely rich so he had a reason to be concerned about unforeseen circumstances in his life.
Job 1:13-19.
13And there was a day when [Job's] sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house [on his birthday],
14And there came a messenger to Job and said, The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them,
15And the Sabeans swooped down upon them and took away [the animals]. Indeed, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.
16While he was yet speaking, there came also another and said, The fire of God (lightning) has fallen from the heavens and has burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.
17While he was yet speaking, there came also another and said, The Chaldeans divided into three bands and made a raid upon the camels and have taken them away, yes, and have slain the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.
18While he was yet speaking, there came also another and said, Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house,
19And behold, there came a great [whirlwind] from the desert, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you.
Job lost all he had in just a short time. All that he acquired was consumed by the devil. He lost his children as well. For a man who served God wholeheartedly his situation was unbelievable. He lost all that he had. He had painful boils in addition to his loss. The woman who was supposed to give him comfort blasphemed against The Lord and abandoned him in his helpless state. Come to think of it, Job's situation was unbearable. He spent the rest of his days lamenting until God visited him. In Job's predicaments he never spoke against God.
Like Job, many Christians including myself have our own fears. Our fears differ though. For many years I lived in fear of losing the people I loved most. I lived in fear of being rejected. I constantly lived in this until The Lord started dealing with me. I always felt miserable any time my loved ones left me. I never wanted to let go easily. It was a weakness but I thank Jesus for healing me. Now I've grown out of weak emotions. The Lord is still dealing with other insecurities in my life. Praise The Lord. I know other believers have their own fears.
Some have the fear of losing their wealth just like Job. Most mothers have built their lives around their children so anytime their children become adults and leave home they become miserable. For some too they've had their trust betrayed by friends, siblings, husbands,wives,fiancees,parents so they are living in fear of being hurt again. Its natural to experience all these as humans .
As believers we live to overcome just like our Lord Jesus. There will be seasons that God will allow us to go through all these trials. When it happens we ask so many questions. God allows us to face our fears for a reason. A true soldier doesn't run away from a battle no matter how strong or crafty the opposing military is. God trains us to be true soldiers. He allows us to go through trials in order to make us better. In my sober moments I thank Him for allowing me to face certain things in life. Sometimes we go to the extent of doubting His love for us. The truth is that in our darkest moments He is with us. His eyes are constantly fixed upon us.
Psalm 34: 19. Many evils confront the [consistently] righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
John 16: 33.
I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]
Being a christian doesn't exempt you from facing such situations. We will definitely face them but The Lord has promised to see us through. How do we deal with such situations? Do we move around spreading our story hoping that others will sympathize with us? Do we complain? The truth is in such situations those who claim they love you will rather turn their backs on you. Others too will be pretenders.
Job 42: 7- 9
7After the Lord had spoken the previous words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me the thing that is right, as My servant Job has.
8Now therefore take seven bullocks and seven rams and go to My servant Job and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept [his prayer] that I deal not with you after your folly, in that you have not spoken of Me the thing that is right, as My servant Job has.
9So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the Lord commanded them; and the Lord accepted [Job's prayer].
Job's friends accused him to be the cause of his problem. In situations of this nature we are likely to hear demoralizing statements. God allows all this to happen to us so that we will not put our confidence in any man but Him alone. Its up to us to make a choice to fully surrender to The Lord and allow Him to have His way in our lives. We can trust God and surrender our fears to Him. It may not be easy initially but He is able to give us the grace to submit. As we submit to Him the insecurities begin to recede and His peace fills our hearts.
Isaiah 26: 3.
You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.
1Peter 5: 7.
Casting the [a]whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, [b]once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you [c]watchfully.
The Lord wants us to learn to submit to Him. May The Lord fill us with the Holy Spirit. May He teach us to give all our fears to Him. May every fear in our hearts be consumed by the fire of The Holy Spirit. Fear must leave for faith to flourish.
Glory To Jesus
Monday, 26 March 2012
DON'T BE CARRIED AWAY! STAY FOCUSED
Matthew 16:13-23 (AMP)
13Now when Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, Who do people say that the Son of Man is?
14And they answered, Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.
15He said to them, But who do you [yourselves] say that I am?
16Simon Peter replied, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17Then Jesus answered him, Blessed (happy, fortunate, and [a]to be envied) are you, Simon Bar-Jonah. For flesh and blood [men] have not revealed this to you, but My Father Who is in heaven.
18And I tell you, you are [b]Peter [Greek, Petros--a large piece of rock], and on this rock [Greek, petra--a [c]huge rock like Gibraltar] I will build My church, and the gates of Hades (the powers of the [d]infernal region) shall [e]not overpower it [or be strong to its detriment or hold out against it].
19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind (declare to be improper and unlawful) on earth [f]must be what is already bound in heaven; and whatever you loose (declare lawful) on earth [g]must be what is already loosed in heaven.
20Then He sternly and strictly charged and warned the disciples to tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.
21From that time forth Jesus began [clearly] to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders and the high priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised [h]from death.
22Then Peter took Him aside [i]to speak to Him privately and began to reprove and [j]charge Him sharply, saying, God forbid, Lord! This must never happen to You!
23But Jesus turned [k]away from Peter and said to him, Get behind Me, Satan! You are in My way [an offense and a hindrance and a snare to Me]; for you are [l]minding what partakes not of the nature and quality of God, but of men.
One can prophesy by the Spirit of God and go off track in the next few hours,days,weeks,months. One good prophecy from The Lord today, does not guarantee one the same accuracy tomorrow. If we do not always abide in The Lord, our flesh will speak. Our flesh is also good at prophecies. One can give a prophecy out of the flesh without even noticing it. One can prophecy by evil spirits without noticing it. When Jesus asked His disciples who He was, only Peter was able to know the true identity of The Lord. The Lord had hidden His identity from His people because of the stubbornness of their hearts. Jesus had performed enough miracles,taught with authority but only few perceived His true identity. Isaiah foretold this.
The people saw Him yet they could not perceive. They heard His words but they could not understand. For Peter to know that Jesus was the Christ was a revelation from above. Peter couldnt have known this on his own. It had to be revealed from heaven. Few moments after Peter's word of knowledge, he allowed the devil to speak through him. Personally I believe Peter got swollen headed. The same Peter who had received revelation of who Jesus was later allowed the devil to speak through him. Peter was not watchful. He had become complacent and had made provision for the flesh.
The devil always feeds on the flesh. He looks for flaws and feeds on our carnal nature. This is why the bible instructs us to walk in the spirit. If we habitually walk in the spirit the devil is left with little room to operate. You may have the gift of prophecy or possess any of the spiritual gifts but your gifts alone cannot always guarantee you accuracy in spiritual matters. One may be a renowned seer but can still visions out of the flesh. Why? Because he makes provision for the flesh. Spiritual gifts thrives on continuous abidance in the Lord. When one continuously abides in The Lord and His words abide in Him, his gifts are fully used for the glory of God.
Brethren we must be watchful at all times. We should be thankful for what The Lord has bestowed on us but we shouldn't be complacent. We should seek The Lord deeper and not just scratch the surface. It is time to grow. It is time to discern between the flesh and the spirit. It is time to seek The Lord from another realm. Dont be satisfied with your putrid prayers. Dont be satisfied with your ritualistic prayers. Dont offer ritualistic worship to The Lord. The Lord wants a worship in spirit and truth. Search God and He will be found. Dont be over excited because you gave one good prophecy today. Grow up. You need His grace not only for today but also tomorrow. Sharpen your discernment through prayer and the word. Many are prophesying out of the flesh. Many are not aware that they are being deceived. Many more will be deceived. Brethren check every prophecy if it lines up with God's word. Dont depend on a renowned prophet's word. I'm not saying dont believe in God's prophets. As humans we are prone to errors and as a matter of fact one cannot put his confidence in man. A renowned prophet can also speak a prophecy out of the flesh. If you put your confidence in any man you will be disappointed if they fall. Any one can prophecy lies without being conscious of it.
We should remember that Peter was with Jesus,taught by the Lord yet his flesh acted. People of God let us pray to God to sharpen our discernment. Lets test every prophecy with the word of God. Let us humble ourselves before the Lord . The Lord will move mightily in the coming days. I can assure you that deception will also be on the increase. Deception in our age will not appear monstrous as many perceive. It will not appear black as you think. Do you think the devil will reveal 100% lies to you? He will deposit bits of lies in you so you will not perceive. Brethren let us ask for God's direction. Let us learn to wait on the Lord. Let us ask for discernment. I pray that you do not get deceived. . I pray that you will continuosly abide in Jesus. We are finite beings but The Lord is infinite. The Lord still has more to reveal to us. We shouldn't be content with our spiritual state. The race is still on.
Psalm 32:8
8I [the Lord] will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.
Glory To Jesus
13Now when Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, Who do people say that the Son of Man is?
14And they answered, Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.
15He said to them, But who do you [yourselves] say that I am?
16Simon Peter replied, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17Then Jesus answered him, Blessed (happy, fortunate, and [a]to be envied) are you, Simon Bar-Jonah. For flesh and blood [men] have not revealed this to you, but My Father Who is in heaven.
18And I tell you, you are [b]Peter [Greek, Petros--a large piece of rock], and on this rock [Greek, petra--a [c]huge rock like Gibraltar] I will build My church, and the gates of Hades (the powers of the [d]infernal region) shall [e]not overpower it [or be strong to its detriment or hold out against it].
19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind (declare to be improper and unlawful) on earth [f]must be what is already bound in heaven; and whatever you loose (declare lawful) on earth [g]must be what is already loosed in heaven.
20Then He sternly and strictly charged and warned the disciples to tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.
21From that time forth Jesus began [clearly] to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders and the high priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised [h]from death.
22Then Peter took Him aside [i]to speak to Him privately and began to reprove and [j]charge Him sharply, saying, God forbid, Lord! This must never happen to You!
23But Jesus turned [k]away from Peter and said to him, Get behind Me, Satan! You are in My way [an offense and a hindrance and a snare to Me]; for you are [l]minding what partakes not of the nature and quality of God, but of men.
One can prophesy by the Spirit of God and go off track in the next few hours,days,weeks,months. One good prophecy from The Lord today, does not guarantee one the same accuracy tomorrow. If we do not always abide in The Lord, our flesh will speak. Our flesh is also good at prophecies. One can give a prophecy out of the flesh without even noticing it. One can prophecy by evil spirits without noticing it. When Jesus asked His disciples who He was, only Peter was able to know the true identity of The Lord. The Lord had hidden His identity from His people because of the stubbornness of their hearts. Jesus had performed enough miracles,taught with authority but only few perceived His true identity. Isaiah foretold this.
The people saw Him yet they could not perceive. They heard His words but they could not understand. For Peter to know that Jesus was the Christ was a revelation from above. Peter couldnt have known this on his own. It had to be revealed from heaven. Few moments after Peter's word of knowledge, he allowed the devil to speak through him. Personally I believe Peter got swollen headed. The same Peter who had received revelation of who Jesus was later allowed the devil to speak through him. Peter was not watchful. He had become complacent and had made provision for the flesh.
The devil always feeds on the flesh. He looks for flaws and feeds on our carnal nature. This is why the bible instructs us to walk in the spirit. If we habitually walk in the spirit the devil is left with little room to operate. You may have the gift of prophecy or possess any of the spiritual gifts but your gifts alone cannot always guarantee you accuracy in spiritual matters. One may be a renowned seer but can still visions out of the flesh. Why? Because he makes provision for the flesh. Spiritual gifts thrives on continuous abidance in the Lord. When one continuously abides in The Lord and His words abide in Him, his gifts are fully used for the glory of God.
Brethren we must be watchful at all times. We should be thankful for what The Lord has bestowed on us but we shouldn't be complacent. We should seek The Lord deeper and not just scratch the surface. It is time to grow. It is time to discern between the flesh and the spirit. It is time to seek The Lord from another realm. Dont be satisfied with your putrid prayers. Dont be satisfied with your ritualistic prayers. Dont offer ritualistic worship to The Lord. The Lord wants a worship in spirit and truth. Search God and He will be found. Dont be over excited because you gave one good prophecy today. Grow up. You need His grace not only for today but also tomorrow. Sharpen your discernment through prayer and the word. Many are prophesying out of the flesh. Many are not aware that they are being deceived. Many more will be deceived. Brethren check every prophecy if it lines up with God's word. Dont depend on a renowned prophet's word. I'm not saying dont believe in God's prophets. As humans we are prone to errors and as a matter of fact one cannot put his confidence in man. A renowned prophet can also speak a prophecy out of the flesh. If you put your confidence in any man you will be disappointed if they fall. Any one can prophecy lies without being conscious of it.
We should remember that Peter was with Jesus,taught by the Lord yet his flesh acted. People of God let us pray to God to sharpen our discernment. Lets test every prophecy with the word of God. Let us humble ourselves before the Lord . The Lord will move mightily in the coming days. I can assure you that deception will also be on the increase. Deception in our age will not appear monstrous as many perceive. It will not appear black as you think. Do you think the devil will reveal 100% lies to you? He will deposit bits of lies in you so you will not perceive. Brethren let us ask for God's direction. Let us learn to wait on the Lord. Let us ask for discernment. I pray that you do not get deceived. . I pray that you will continuosly abide in Jesus. We are finite beings but The Lord is infinite. The Lord still has more to reveal to us. We shouldn't be content with our spiritual state. The race is still on.
Psalm 32:8
8I [the Lord] will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.
Glory To Jesus
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