Thursday, August 17th, 2021
That we may cling to His Word. From the beginning it has been a struggle. When Adam received the Word that God gave him, Satan did everything to turn him away from it. Even today, there is still a struggle between lies and truth.
The weight of darkness is so strong. "... so much so that, if it were possible, even the elect would be deceived. (Matthew 24:24) The lie is so close to the truth, that it takes divine intervention for you to escape it. Satan will do everything to seduce man in order to bring him to destruction. Evil even becomes man's desire. A man can have the desire to kill another man. Everything on earth has value only because man gives it value. Money has not more value than you. Do not put your heart into what the world offers. Jesus Christ is the truth. People have eyes to see but they do not see, they have ears but they do not hear. What is more valuable than man on earth?
Romans 11:1-5
Today we can call Him our God and our Lord because He has done something great for us. Always remember this, do not make it a habit. How can I not praise, sing to this God for the Grace He has given me! There is really something to praise Him for. We give living worship to the Living God. "So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, people of the household of God. (Ephesians 2:19) It is impossible for our God who knew someone beforehand, to come to him and lose him. When you know this God and He calls you, it is a glorious thing. When God called the disciples, He said "come and follow me", there was no resistance. When God told Abraham to leave his father and his country, he did not hesitate. When God chooses you, He knows what He is doing. "I made your name known to the men you gave me out of the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me; and they kept your word." (John 17:6) "For I have given them the words which thou hast given me; and they have received them, and have known indeed that I came forth from thee, and have believed that thou hast sent me." (John 17:8) We need to be reassured of the relationship we have with this God. God always wants to reassure you because He does not want you to hesitate. Through the preaching of the Word, God wants to find you.
Romans 8:28-29
When you are known beforehand, when you are predestined, you can never fail. What is the problem in this world that can cause you to say "I can't serve this God anymore!" Our praise, our gratitude is different. Never bring a foreign fire into the gatherings of God. "Yet this you have, that you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate." (Revelation 2:6) Nicolaism is the denial of the Holy Spirit. When you become formalistic, controlling everything in worship, then the Holy Spirit has no place to work. "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. (Romans 8:14) When you desire the Word, then you will see how God will transform you. The more you love the Word of God, the more you say, "Trim me Lord," then God will do His work in you. We must always have our minds on God, even at work, because no one knows the day or the hour. "The day of the Lord will come like a thief" (2 Peter 3:10).
Romans 11:2
In this corrupt world, Elijah was lonely. All the people were caught up in this corruption. In spite of the debauchery, God reserved a small group for Himself. Why didn't they bow their knees to Baal? God had something special: He had known them in advance.
When he started to have problems with Lot's servants and Abraham, they separated. Abraham asked Lot to make a choice: "Is not the whole land before you? Therefore separate yourself from me: if you go to the left, I will go to the right; if you go to the right, I will go to the left." (Genesis 13:9) This was the choice God made for Abraham. Lot saw the green land but there it was Satan's stronghold. When Lot walked with Abraham, something happened to him when he was in Sodom, in the midst of debauchery. When the three men came to Abraham, only one stayed with Abraham and the other two went to Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham never sought God, but God sought Abraham. Leave it to the people, God will always give you the share He has reserved for you.
Esther, as gentle and respectful, God raised her up because she kept her position with God. "Wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord" (Ephesians 5:22) When you stay in your position, you have the upper hand because God will always defend you.
Abraham interceded for Sodom. "Abraham said, 'Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak no more than this time. Perhaps there will be ten righteous people there. And the Lord said, I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten righteous. (Genesis 18:32) When the two angels who were sent by God arrived in Sodom, the people did not recognize them. But Lot took care of them. The men of the city had a desire for these two men, so Lot stepped in. Lot took them into his home to protect them. Lot was willing to give his virgin daughters in place of these two foreign men. Lot had recognized that these men were connected with the Word of God. When a man loves God, he is willing to sacrifice himself for God. What are you willing to do in defense of this Gospel?
How could Lot have known that these men were angels? The angels were sent for Lot. Lot's soul was tormented by what he saw. How do you react when you see evil? God is not wrong about you. God knows what He wants and what He does.
Lot gave what was dear to him, his daughters. When God saw Lot's heart, God intervened. The men outside were struck blind, just as God had provided for the lamb when He asked Abraham to give his son. When you love God, He takes care of you. When He sees that you are willing to sacrifice, then He steps in.
Yosebed, when they wanted to kill the children in Egypt, she took a stand. In every age, they tried to force the Christians. "And she caused all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one should be able to buy or sell, unless he had the mark, the name of the beast or the number of his name." (Revelation 13:16-17) The health pass shows you that the mark of the beast exists. The health pass is just a preparation for what is to come. We are entering a special phase, we are in a test. Satan is preparing people for what is to come.
God had to save Lot and his children. Satan is not going to take care of others but he is targeting you because you are following the scriptures. Wherever you go, they will try to push you out of your position. May we be of those who are persevering, we will be faithful to you until death!