Don’t Dethrone Yourself

“And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” 1 Samuel 15:22

The worst enemy that you can have is yourself. If the devil cannot get you to work against yourself, the probability that he can get you is slim. If God be for you, no man or devil can be against you, but if you position yourself away from God, child of God, you become a prey to the devil. That was exactly what happened to Saul.

God said to Saul wipe off all Amalekites and Saul, rather than obey God, did what he liked. So God said to him; Saul, I am disappointed in you, you did not do what I said. I wanted you (Saul) to reign in life, I wanted you to reign as a king, but you have cancelled my plan for you. Then God said something that is very profound, that you can apply to your life. He said; Saul, “because you have rejected my words” I am also rejecting him from being king. What this means is that when you disobey the word of God, you have dethroned yourself.

Can you imagine Saul, a man God had given the promise, falling just because of the Amalekites. Think about it. Why will Saul trade his future just for the little he saw in Amalek. But before you condemn him, check yourself. How many times have you mortgaged your future for a piece of bread? Esau did the same. He sold his birthright for a plate of food and of course he lost the blessing.

I challenge you today; the pleasure of sin is only for a moment. Don’t fall for the devil’s carrot. He never means well for you. Every offer of the devil has a hidden agenda. Stand on the Lord’s side. It is only the blessing of the Lord that makes rich and adds no sorrow. Hold fast to the word of God. Don’t abort your miracle. I pray for you that the grace to stand will be mighty upon you. You will not fall to the trap of the devil in Jesus’ name.

Further Reading: 1Samuel 15:1-23.

THE BLAME GAME (2)

'The woman you put here...gave me some...and I ate it.' Genesis 3:12

Blaming came naturally to Adam and Eve, the father and mother of the human race. After all, who could fault them? God did! Their blame was a result of how sin had changed them. Their relationship to themselves, each other, their environment, and even God, was radically changed by their irresponsibility. And since God can do nothing with people who won't take responsibility for their decisions, He dismissed them from Paradise. What a price to pay! Here are two good reasons for giving up the blame game: 1) It makes you a victim. When you make someone else responsible for your circumstances, you put the power to change things in their hands. That means nothing will change unless they decide to change it. You make them master of your fate. Only by accepting personal responsibility can you retain the power to change your circumstances. 2) It makes you miserable. You say, 'But they hurt me.' Yes, and by harbouring resentment you are hurting yourself over and over. The Bible says, '...Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent. A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time...' (Hebrews 12:14-15 TM). Before you know it, your entire outlook gets distorted. 'Watch out for the Esau syndrome: trading away God's lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term appetite...Esau later regretted that...and wanted God's blessing-but by then it was too late, tears or no tears' (Hebrews 12:16-17 TM). Forgive, take back your life, and get out of the blame game!

THE BLAME GAME (1)

'...I am innocent...It is your responsibility!' Matthew 27:24

More and more, we are becoming a blame-oriented culture. Today our misfortunes are deemed to be somebody else's fault. 'I'm this way because of them. They did it to me.' And it didn't begin with us. It goes all the way back to Adam in the Garden of Eden when he told God, 'The woman...You gave...me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate' (Genesis 3:12 NKJV). It's in our DNA! We say the breakdown in our marriage was our partner's fault, or we drink too much because somebody drives us to it, or we're unwell because of the fast-food industry. Let's sue them! Shifting responsibility may alleviate momentary guilt, but it's a deadly game with no winners. In sentencing Christ to die, Pilate said, 'I am innocent of this man's blood...It is your responsibility!' He thought by dumping the blame onto the Jews he would avoid upsetting either his wife or his critics, and prove himself innocent. But the buck stopped at his desk! Understand this: God holds you responsible for your decisions and actions 'He will judge everyone according to what they have done'(Romans 2:6 NIV). And your failure to make the right decision, or take the right action, also earns you His guilty verdict. Paul writes, 'You cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant' (Galatians 6:7 NLT). Others may be guilty of offending you, and that's their harvest to reap. But your harvest depends on your reactions. Accepting responsibility before God is how you alleviate your guilt, discouragement and stress. Bible in a Year: Mt 5:7;  Mt 18:21-35;  Ps 103:8-18;  Lam 3:22-24;

DEAL WITH THE ROOSTER

'There is...no condemnation...' Romans 8:1

Booker T. Washington tells a wonderful story about his mother. Every morning of his young life, he, along with all the plantation slaves, was awakened by the crow of a rooster. Long before daybreak the unwelcome noise would fill the shanties, reminding Washington and his fellow workers to crawl out of bed and leave for the cotton fields. That rooster's crow came to symbolise a life of long days and backbreaking labour. But then came the Emancipation Proclamation. Abraham Lincoln pronounced freedom for all slaves. The first morning after, young Booker was awakened by the rooster again. Only this time his mother was chasing it around the barnyard with an axe. That day the Washington family fried and ate their alarm clock for lunch. Their first act of freedom was to silence the reminder of their slavery. Are any roosters stealing your sleep? You might need to sharpen the blade. The great news of the gospel is, yes, His grace is real, and so is your freedom! 'There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.' Forget your sins for God's sake, because when you keep bringing them up you bother Him! Does that sound too strong for you? Then read what God says about your sins: 'I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins' (Isaiah 43:25 NKJV). God has buried your sins in the 'depths of the sea' (Micah 7:19 NIV) and posted a sign beside it which reads, 'No fishing in these waters'.

HINDRANCES TO PRAYER - Part 2

'...You do not have, because you do not ask...' James 4:2

Here are two more hindrances to answered prayer:  1) Failure to pray. It's estimated that out of the 667 prayers for specific things mentioned in the Bible, there are 454 specific answers. That means the Bible is a book of prayers-and answers. Our problem is, we spend a lot of time talking about prayer and fail to get down to the business of praying. Charles Trumbull said, 'Prayer releases the energies of God.' The goal of prayer is not to overcome God's reluctance, but to believe Him and take hold of His willingness. His Word says: 'You do not have, because you do not ask.' C. E. Cowman wrote: 'No praying man or woman accomplishes so much with so little expenditure of time, as when he or she is praying.' Until you learn to pray in faith and wait on God for the answer, you'll get nowhere. 2) Failure to care. When the Israelites complained that God wasn't answering their prayers He told them, 'Stop oppressing those who work for you and treat them fairly...share your food with the hungry...Clothe those who are cold and don't hide from [those] who need your help. If you do these things...the Lord will answer' (Isaiah 58:6-9 TLB). Sin and unbelief are not the only things that hinder your prayers;: self-centered living will! A little girl prayed for several weeks asking God for a certain thing. Finally in frustration she said, 'By the way, Lord, I've mentioned this to You several times before.' If that's your situation, stop thinking about your own needs and focus on the needs of others. Bible in a Year: 1 Sam 16-17;  Lk 4:31-44;  Ps 102:1-11;  Prov 17:4-6;

HINDRANCES TO PRAYER - Part 1

'...So that nothing will hinder your prayers.' 1 Peter 3:7

Here are two hindrances to answered prayer:  1) Unconfessed sin. 'Your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear' (Isaiah 59:2 NIV). As a believer, God expects you to walk in obedience. 'What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God' (Micah 6:8 NIV). Notice, these are 'requirements.' If you don't meet them you're wasting your time praying, unless it's a prayer of repentance. You must seek God's forgiveness, and then He will hear your prayers.  2) Unresolved conflict. 'Husbands...be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect...so that nothing will hinder your prayers.' There's no point praying if you are always fighting with one another. 'Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness' (1 John 2:9 NIV). God will answer when you come out into the light, deal with the thing that drove you apart, and attempt to mend the relationship. Now, sometimes it isn't possible to make amends. 'If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone' (Romans 12:18 NIV). Sometimes the other person would rather keep the issue alive than accept your apology. When that happens, look into your heart. Do you really want restoration, or would you rather 'place blame and let things fester? If your attempts have been wholehearted and honest, God won't let a broken relationship stand in the way of your prayers. But if your attempts have been half-hearted and self-serving, try again-this time for real.

Don't Destroy Your Altar

“And Elijah said unto all the people, come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.” 1 Kings 18:30

The woman with the issue of blood was suffering hemorrhage for twelve years. She became weak and battered from that condition but what she heard revived her, revival is coming to you. You will not die until the purpose of God in your life has come to fulfillment. The prophecy of the enemy over your life will not come to pass. She was battered but when she heard, what she heard kept her alive. The same force that kept her alive will keep you alive. You will not become a disappointment. The hand of God will elevate you. The hand of God will strengthen you. The hand of God will bring deliverance to you. This year, you will overcome in every area of your life.

In 1 Kings 17:1, Elijah said unto Ahab, “...As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years but according to my word.” And so, because there was no rain, there was no abundance and prosperity. There was famine in the land. Everything was so tough and difficult that people were eating human flesh. But notice in chapter eighteen that the bible noted that they fell into that condition because of their sins. They got into that situation because of their broken altar but Elijah re-arranged the altar. He rearranged the altar of the Lord and brought back God when the altar was put in place.

The reason the enemy was holding sway was because the altar was destroyed and they were not hearing anymore. That is why you must ensure that your altar is intact. I am not talking about physical altar; I am talking about your relationship and connection with God. He is the one that speaks and stands fast by His word. You must ensure no matter what, that your altar is intact. This is very critical, do not allow anything destroy your altar. That is the place of exchange; that is the place of power; that is the place of connection; that is the place of abundance and blessing. When the altar is destroyed and you are not hearing again, you are on your own. I declare to you today that your altar will not be broken. No matter the situation, you will remain strongly connected to God, you will hear Him and his sayings will come to pass in your life in Jesus name. I bless you in the name of the Lord.

Further Reading: 1 Kings 18:17-40
Daily Bible Reading: Morning: Job 22-24; Evening Acts 11