The Devil Is Not After You - Devotional

Bible passages for sermon: 2Kings 7: 1-8, Luke 17: 11-18
2Kings 7 - ¹ Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the LORD: ‘Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.’” ² So an officer on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, “Look, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” And he said, “In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it.”

The Syrians Flee

³ Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, “Why are we sitting here until we die? ⁴ If we say, ‘We will enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore, come, let us surrender to the army of the Syrians. If they keep us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall only die.” ⁵ And they rose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians; and when they had come to the outskirts of the Syrian camp, to their surprise no one was there. ⁶ For the Lord had caused the army of the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and the noise of horses—the noise of a great army; so they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us!” ⁷ Therefore they arose and fled at twilight, and left the camp intact—their tents, their horses, and their donkeys—and they fled for their lives. ⁸ And when these lepers came to the outskirts of the camp, they went into one tent and ate and drank, and carried from it silver and gold and clothing, and went and hid them; then they came back and entered another tent, and carried some from there also, and went and hid it.

The devil always looks for ways to hamper your relationship with God. The devil didn't like the fellowship Adam had with God and he did all he could to ensure the relationship was broken. After Adam fell, mankind resorted to the shedding of animal blood to reconnect man to God temporarily. Hebrews 9: 21.

From the passage above, the leaprous men had totally lost all their faith due to the famine in the land. Everyday they sit at the entrance of the gate and go through the motions, the devil probably keeps reminding them that they will eventually die and pretty soon too. The devil made them lose their faith and strong will. But suddenly, they realized that their sitting there at the gate entrance was not doing them any good. They finally tapped back into their faith, they reconnected with God once again. They made a conscious effort to go into the land of the syrians throwing all caution to the wind and hoping they might get some respite from the famine. And we read that God made a way for the men when they went into syria, God made the syrian army disperse leaving behind lots of food and loot. Their faith and reconnection to God caused God himself to bring the things their hearts desired to them.

We can see from the scriptures that our faith is what God desires and it makes much things availeth much. Romans 1: 17 talks about living by faith in connecting with God.
Hebrews 11: 6 - There is no pleasing God without faith.
Ephesians 2: 8 - We are not saved only by Grace, but by Faith also.
Romans 10: 9 - We confess by faith to accept the Lord Jesus Christ.

In conclusion: Grace is made available by Christ but you need to activate your faith to receive all you are trusting for. The devil understands how powerful your faith is, and the principles behind having faith. The devil is not after you afterall, he is after your Faith!

It Was Always In His Plan - Devotional.

Scripture Passages - Numbers 27: 1-11, Luke 1: 30-38.
Numbers 27- ¹ Then came the daughters of Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, from the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph; and these were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. ² And they stood before Moses, before Eleazar the priest, and before the leaders and all the congregation, by the doorway of the tabernacle of meeting, saying: ³ “Our father died in the wilderness; but he was not in the company of those who gathered together against the LORD, in company with Korah, but he died in his own sin; and he had no sons. ⁴ Why should the name of our father be removed from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among our father’s brothers.” ⁵ So Moses brought their case before the LORD. ⁶ And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: ⁷ “The daughters of Zelophehad speak what is right; you shall surely give them a possession of inheritance among their father’s brothers, and cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them. ⁸ And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter. ⁹ If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. ¹⁰ If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. ¹¹ And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to the relative closest to him in his family, and he shall possess it.’” And it shall be to the children of Israel a statute of judgment, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

Sometimes you feel you have been bypassed and forgotten by God. Events happen in your life that isn't in your favor, and you think "why me?". King David well before he was made king, but God had revealed to him he will be king, was almost killed 17 times by out of favor king saul. He must have been thinking 'how come i'm going through all this', but God was with him all along. Most times when God puts you in a position where it seems there is no breakthrough, it's God wanting you to trust in him alone to see you out of it.

From the main text, Zelophehad died leaving 5 daughters behind and no son. They had not yet entered into the promised land. Reading previous chapters we see that God made a promise through Moses that those that enter into the promised land will have land, treasures and inheritance shared among each family.
The girls had faith that what has been said regarding the land will come to pass, they believed. Their modesty in asking without murmuring was very evident. As we read there was no precedence for the thing they were asking for as inheritance was never given to women.
They took their case to the elders and people in authority and they cascaded it upwards as everyone of the elders rejected their case. They eventually requested Moses take their case to God as a last resort.

There are certain things God permits but doesn't back. 2Kings 1:14. Gods mind on this issue can be seen when Jesus' disciples came back to Jesus, asking him to rain down fire on the people who refused Jesus come to their city. Jesus' response was to reject their request stating that our God is now a God that saves souls (God of the new testament).

When Moses asked God regarding these 5 sisters issues, God spake to Moses commanding their possessions be given to them. And because of these 5 sisters, God commanded the rules be re-written.
3 answers that God will give when you ask:-

Yes - To bring glory unto his name. 2Corinthians 1:20
No - Not his will or plan for your life. Psalms 106: 14-15
Wait - Time has not come or you're not mature enough to handle the things. Galatians 4:1, Habakkuk 2:3
God has tied certain blessings to our Faith, you just need to ASK.

In conclusion:- God had the desire and placed it into the heart of the 5 sisters, that he may rewrite the rules for you and others. You need to have a relationship with the Father that he will give you his desire.

I Didn't Wait For Nothing.

Bible passages for the sermon Mark 11: 1-11, 2 Timothy 2: 20-21
Mark 11- ¹ Now when they drew near Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples; ² and He said to them, “Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it. ³ And if anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it,’ and immediately he will send it here.” ⁴ So they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door outside on the street, and they loosed it. ⁵ But some of those who stood there said to them, “What are you doing, loosing the colt?” ⁶ And they spoke to them just as Jesus had commanded. So they let them go. ⁷ Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it. ⁸ And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹ Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:
      “ Hosanna!
      ‘ Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’
       ¹⁰ Blessed is the kingdom of our father David
      That comes in the name of the Lord!
      Hosanna in the highest!”
 ¹¹ And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.

This life is a cycle. There is a process that defines your purpose. The trainings you get determines what you will be used for. We are vessels, carriers of Gods word and works.
2 Tim 2 - ²⁰ But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. ²¹ Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

According to the text in Mark 11, the colt that Jesus asked the disciples to get had been tied at one spot for a long time. The colt was at a place where it couldn't go anywhere apart from round in circles. Other colts came and went by and this colt was always at the same spot. A colts normal lifespan is about 25yrs and this particular colt has not been used for anything or for what it's purpose is. This can be likened to our lives, our gifts sometimes need to be tamed in preparation for it's maturation, so as to fulfil it's full purpose.

Proverbs 22 - ²⁹ Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men.
For Jesus who is the King of Kings to enter into Jerusalem, he had a enter in a unique way. He ordered the disciples to go and get the colt which everyone else had looked down upon as useless. Jesus stated the colts exact position, it's location, and it's exact coordinates.

Even though it seemed that the colt was good for nothing and tied down for years, when it's purpose was at hand, the cycle it had been known to was broken. It was used to transfer the King of all Kings into Jerusalem. Whichever way you look at it, the colt was in the picture with Jesus. The colt was not tied there for nothing.


In conclusion, for God to place his glory upon you, you need to go through the process to achieve your purpose. Delays is not denial.

I Am Rewriting My History.

Bible Passage for Sermon Mark 4: 26-29, 1Corinthians 13:11
Mark 4
²⁶ And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, ²⁷ and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. ²⁸ For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. ²⁹ But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
Everything in life follows a growing process. They grow in stages just like the seed, which first sprouts out the blade, then the head, then the full grain in the head. When you see this happening then you immediately know that growth is taking place and what follows is the ripening and then the harvest (when it has fully come to maturity).

1Corinthians 13

¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

Deuteronomy 2 - ³ ‘You have skirted this mountain long enough; turn northward.
You have aged enough, so it's time to now mature. Pursue your destiny, break the band of tradition, loose the strangle hold of routine. You should not yield to every desire but find the right balance, do what the Lord has put into your heart. Stagnation causes atrophy. God wants you to move forward, to progress, to advance in the things he has laid in your heart to do.

7 growth choices that you need to make as a Christian

1. Choose A Life Of Growth - Almost everyone have similar and equal chances and opportunities. The difference between successful and unsuccessful people is their desire to achieve much more and progress. It's never too late to make a change. You can't discover new territory until you are ready to loose sight of shore. Peter dared to do what the others wouldn't do by walking on water, and we all know he went on to become a great apostle
2. Choose To Start Growing Today - Someday is no day. Anytime means no time. Everyone who is someone started out in a day. Everything you do today, joins with yesterdays to become something tomorrow. Anything you can do for 1hr a day, for 5 days a week, in 5 yrs you'll be an expert at it.
3. Choose To Adopt The Posture Of A Learner - Don't be afraid to go through the learning process even when surrounded by experts. Learn something new every year. Isaiah 50 ⁴“ The Lord GOD has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned.
4. Choose A Few Areas Of Your Life And Focus On Changing Them - 1Corinthians 9- ²⁶ Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. Make a conscious effort to make changes in certain areas of your life and mature in them.
5. Choose The Price You're Willing To Pay For Growth - No price comes without pain. Nothing good comes cheap. Invest a little in yourself. Life is a trade-off. For everything you want to get you must be willing to invest something (time, moeny, focus). Everything in life requires an exchange. If you choose not to pay, you will fail.
6. Choose The Right Environment For Growth - Your environment affects your life. A goldfish can't grow bigger that the bowl it's in. Make room for growth. There is a saying that goes 'if the shoe fits, wear it', but i say 'if the shoe fits, don't wear it'. Make room for growth.
7. Choose To Relate With Growing People - Expose yourself to things that will help increase you. 1Corinthians 15-
   ³³ Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”. Proverbs 13- ²⁰ He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed. I say to you that your 3 closest friends will determine where you'll be in 5yrs time.

In conclusion, be adventurous and do some extreme things so that when God calls and speaks to you about what he wants you to do, you will not be phased as you are used to stepping outside the box. Then you will freely do his will for your life.

The Vision For Your Purpose.

There is a purpose for everything and it is up to you to find out what that real purpose is. Sometimes you need to ask for wisdom from God if you don't understand a purpose.


To understand the purpose of man, let's have a look at some scriptures.
Gen 1:26
²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
Rev 5: 9-10
⁹ And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. ¹⁰ You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”
 
The passage in Genesis makes you understand that the sole purpose for God making us in his image and likeness is so that we can rule over all things that was created. The passage in Revelation makes you understand that you owe everything to Jesus as he died for your redemption and has made you kings and priests to reign on earth. In essense both scriptures talk about you and i having "Dominion" over all things here on earth. Jesus himself has placed us back to dominion by his death and resurrection.
 
Victory is here on earth for us, and we can take issues concerning the earth and present it to God. We are priests and the job of a priest is to hear from God and present the message to the people. As priests, every forest is a blessing waiting for you to discover.
 
You can notice that it is not made mention that we are "princes", and that is because princes don't carry as much power and dominion as kings and priests.
Galatians 4:1
¹ Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all
Ecclesiastes 10: 5-7
⁵ There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As an error proceeding from the ruler: ⁶ Folly is set in great dignity, While the rich sit in a lowly place. ⁷ I have seen servants on horses, While princes walk on the ground like servants.
As long as you are a prince, you are still operating and perceived to be in the same position as a slave or a servant.
 
The mental ability to solve a problem must be greater than the ability to create it. You must trust solely on God who is the one that gives us the wisdom we need.
1Kings 20: 3-4
³ ‘Your silver and your gold are mine; your loveliest wives and children are mine.’” ⁴ And the king of Israel answered and said, “My lord, O king, just as you say, I and all that I have are yours.”
1Kings 20: 13
¹³ Suddenly a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel, saying, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand today, and you shall know that I am the LORD.’”
 
There is a huge difference between having an Ambition and having a Vision that you need to know about. A vision is a picture of a need for a desirable future not just for yourself but for a mass of other people. An ambition is a selfish need for yourself. Your vision must be big enough to ensure that it includes other people who will also be able to benefit from that which you birth. Jacobs vision saw him build a "city" of which his sons, poeple all around him, and the generations after them have enjoyed ever since.
 
In conclusion, you must have a vision, a picture of a better life not only for yourself but for others around yourself. You must set yourself values by which you abide by so that when confronted with various instances, you know which ones to pursue based on these values. Your vision defines your purpose.