Tag: no trials troubles tribulations temptations and foes can separate me from the love of God

Friends Or Foes? How Can You Tell? Be Discerning And Cautious!

Ezra 4;1 When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel, 2 they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families and said, “Let us help you build because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.” 3 But Zerubbabel, Joshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered, “You have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us.”

Friends, your adversary, the devil, though he goes around looking for whom to devour, will not present himself as an enemy. The wicked will often come dressed up like a friend, someone reliable and dependable. They will come to you at a time you need a friend, maybe a helping hand, a shoulder to lean on, or just a listening ear. 

honest enemy

Like the scripture stated, the wicked will always hear and have information for, like a dog they sniff and always have their ears to the ground, eavesdropping on your case. They will suddenly show up, summoned by the insatiable desire to hinder and turn upside down, that which is meant to be upright. May the blood of Jesus prevail against such in your life.

Zerubbabel and the others were able to discern that these people are foes and not friends as they made themselves out to be and they were right. Friends, if you read further to chapter 6, you will know the extent to which they opposed the rebuilding of the temple.

Likewise are those that have presented themselves to you as friend, team member, working for the same course but are indeed actually sabotaging what you are working for. These are those standing against your peace and joy, promotion,  fruitfulness, lifting, breakthrough, and increase. Those stationary, going no where, blocking your way – may the hand that is not of mortal uproot them from your path in Jesus name.

stay real

See friends, Satan is a spirit and require bodies to carry out the task of hindering the plan of God for His creation. When you see someone, groups opposing a good course, just know they have been taken over by contrary forces, it is beyond them par se. You have to engage The Spiritual in order to effect a change in the physical.

Like the sermon this past Sunday. Saul was already in his palace, yet he left the comfort and honor of the palace to seek for David in the wilderness rough terrain. Don’t you dare underestimate the extent the wicked will go to in order to cause you pain! Satan is not playing, you also have to sit up, get up and deal!!!! You will make them turn their backs when you aim at them with drawn bow -Psalm 21:12. 

The time that you have wasted is enough, it is time to redeem the time now friends for the days are evil – Ephesians 5:16. Stop these time wasters in their track by engaging them by the power of the Holy Spirit and you shall overcome in Jesus mighty name. Amen

Arise and take up the battle cry!! The Spiritual controls the physical my friend, so engage putting on your armor. Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Engage boldly, standing against the onslaught of wickedness!!!

Shalom! Shalom! Shalom!

Trials of Faith! Examined Life!

soctratesThe unexamined life , here I believe refers to a life that has not been tested by adversary. I mean the kind of trials and tribulations that come to man like a tsunami. Trials that turns your life upside down, touching every area of your life and yet you are still faithful and loyal, joyful and rejoicing in hope, holding on and trusting God all the way! Every male will proclaim their manhood, but only when wrestling, fighting comes do we know who a man is – African proverb. The weakling will run when confronted with war, but the brave will stand the test.

When your imagination run wild and you become fearful of discomfort and you are incapacitated, what will happen when you actually confront the unspeakable betrayal of trust, loss of almost everything dear to your heart (Thank God for LIFE). When your core is shaken out of joint, what will you do? How will you react? Jeremiah 12: 15 “If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, Then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, In which you trusted, they wearied you, Then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan? 

It sure is easier to speak from the place of comfort, that’s right! Than a battlefield, in the midst of devastation, pain and uncertainty.

“”Faith, by its very nature, must be tried, and the real trial of faith is not that we find it difficult to trust God, but that Gods’s character has to be cleared in our own minds.”.“Trials of faith are difficult to bear: for they cause heaviness or depression of the mind.” Faith in it actual working out has to go through spells of isolation.Never confuse the trial of faith with the ordinary discipline of life. Much that we call the trial of faith is the inevitable result of being alive. Faith in the Bible is faith in God against everything that contradicts Him – “I will remain true to God’s character whatever He may do”. “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” – this is the most sublime utterance of faith”” From the Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye Volume 16, 2016.

Dearest ones going through any form of trials, please note this passage,read and meditate on it.  Hebrew 10: MSG 32-39 Remember those early days after you first saw the light? Those were the hard times! Kicked around in public, targets of every kind of abuse—some days it was you, other days your friends. If some friends went to prison, you stuck by them. If some enemies broke in and seized your goods, you let them go with a smile, knowing they couldn’t touch your real treasure. Nothing they did bothered you, nothing set you back. So don’t throw it all away now. You were sure of yourselves then. It’s still a sure thing! But you need to stick it out, staying with God’s plan so you’ll be there for the promised completion. It won’t be long now, he’s on the way;  he’ll show up most any minute.But anyone who is right with me thrives on loyal trust; if he cuts and runs, I won’t be very happy.But we’re not quitters who lose out. Oh, no! We’ll stay with it and survive, trusting all the way.

May the peace of God that surpasses all understanding flood your hearts and mind.  I pray that the Lord will strengthen you in your inner man, by His Holy Spirit, that Christ might dwell richly within you so you might know the hope for which you have been called in Jesus mighty name. Amen.

Shalom