Begin with a bang! Possess the land - 2013!
Leviticus 20:24 But I have said to you, "You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey." I am the LORD your God, who has separated you from the peoples.”
Friend, you cannot fight the enemy with a complacent spirit! A passive attitude will not conquer and possess! Are you listening to me? You cannot fight the enemy with negative words like: I cannot face this problem, I am ruined, I cannot recover again, the doctors report says that I cannot be healed, I have no future, I am too old, my marriage is destroyed; instead claim the promises of God and chase the enemy away. Glory to Jesus! The promise word from the Lord for you this year is “You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey!” Hallelujah!
Movie actor Salman Khan released his super-duper hindi film Debangg 2 on December 21, which happened to be month end and also Friday - a working day – normally new films are released during beginning of the month and weekends keeping collections and holidays in mind; however, Salman dared to go against all film-rules and norms and launched his movie which was a blockbuster hit. The collections had crossed Rs.100 crores in 6 days! Imagine! You may wonder, ‘hey Bala, you write with such precise details!’ I write this with tears brimming my eyes as well, the churches remain empty on Sundays, while the theatres are bursting with crowd on a working day to watch Salman Khan!
If an entertainer and a movie artiste like Salman could be so daring and challenging, why not we? Tell me. Pastors! I am with you! Youth Leaders! I am with you! Do not worry about the scanty crowd in the church, do not worry when your Bible study classes have empty chairs, do not worry when your youth backslide, do not worry when your church show no signs of improvement, do not worry if your painstakingly arranged prayer meetings flop – DO NOT WORRY …..keep moving forward, we would have blockbuster hits one day! Cheer up! The day would come when our people would take leave from work to attend church on Fridays! Say Amen. Did not Jesus say, “I will draw all men unto me?” Let us pray for such revivals! Moms/dads! Do not worry when you watch your kids show no signs of repentance or improvement despite your hard prayer and fasting – God is working in their hearts invisibly, they would shine one day for God, stay patient and steadfast in your prayers. Young people! Listen! Do not get discouraged with failures and delays; stay focused on God, continue to walk with God, allow the light of God’s word to fix the fractures and fissures it illuminates in the process. You cannot have pumpkin sized sins and expect God to bless you! Are you there? Should I mention the adulterous relationships, the clandestine Facebook friendships, drinking, smoking, cheating, stealing, lying, foul language, spiritual lethargy, pride, anger and unrighteousness? I have talked a lot about all this in the past, check it out!
A mother of two young girls has been in touch with me through email and has also been a passionate reader of my devotions who testified recently that her elder daughter with a little kid, who has been estranged from her husband, humiliated and persecuted for the last couple of years, had recently united with her husband and their marriage has been restored. That is the spirit! Fight the enemy of divorce on your knees, fast and pray against the devils that attack your family and marriage, rather than fighting at the court. This dear mother got encouraged through my devotions and prayed persistently for her daughter and also got victory. Let this boost your morale to fight the enemy today.
Be it problems at work spot, career, future, marriage, kids, health, finances, whatever, fight the enemy that comes against your ministry, church, family and children through hard prayer and conquer the evil forces. There are many out there blaming God for their failures and miseries; stop complaining against God, stop playing with the devil and start walking with God. Victory is yours!
Tell me how to possess my blessings and conquer failure? Given below are the answers:
A. OBEY THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD DILIGENTLY: Sorry, there is no other short route:
Deuteronomy 4:1"Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live, and go in and possess the land..”
It is not enough we wear a big cross round our neck, hear or read His commandments, but blessings are promised for those who do them. Are you there? Deuteronomy 4:5"Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess.”
Listen to me friends! You may be highly qualified, you may have thousand medals and certificates, you may be sitting in the best country with a plum job, hear me tell this, all this accrues to nothing without the knowledge of God and His Word. Read: “Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, 'Surely this great nation (you) is a wise and understanding people.'” (Deuteronomy 4:6)
When you lack Biblical knowledge then you are bound to make many mistakes, so beware! Proverbs 2:6”For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding..”
B. DISOBEDIENCE BRING FAILURES:
Moses did not get to see the promised land because he disobeyed God by not speaking to the mountain, instead Moses hit the mountain. What do we learn from this? We got to obey God in small and big matters, in order to be blessed!
C. FLEE FROM IDOL WORSHIP:
Deuteronomy 4:23”Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the LORD your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which the LORD your God has forbidden you.”
D. THRUST YOUR ENEMIES and DO WHAT IS RIGHT AND GOOD IN ORDER TO POSSESS THE LAND:
Deuteronomy 6:18-19”And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, that it may be well with you, and that you may go in and possess the good land of which the LORD swore to your fathers, to cast out all your enemies from before you, as the LORD has spoken.”
Friend, you got to first remove the debris and mess, before you begin to possess the land. Are you with me? Don’t you clean your home before you occupy? Same way, throw away the trash and debris in order to usher in the blessings of God!
Remove:
Unwanted contacts from Facebook/mobile
Unwanted hurt emails or mails from strangers and illicit relationships
Remove pirated software from computer/laptop and purchase them and use
Remove ugly clothes from your wardrobe that makes you look cheap and unclean
Remove anger, vengeance and unforgiveness
The above are the enemies that hinder your progress! Throw them away! Look, the people of God had to face 7 nations great and mightier than them: seven nations greater and mightier - Deuteronomy 7:1 - yet, the Lord tells them: “when the LORD your God delivers them over to you, you shall conquer them and utterly destroy them.” Glory to Jesus! Go and possess your blessings!
Have a blessed and magnificent New Year – 2013!
