TESTIMONY< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

I Samuel 17:40-54, 21:1-9

When David killed Goliath, it was the hand of God moving through David. The sling shot that knocked Goliath down knocked him out of the world. It was the sword of Goliath that David used to send Goliath into eternal damnation. I Samuel 17: 50-51, ÒSo David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. 51 Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.Ó Evidently, the sword in DavidÕs hand was a mighty sword. When David was running away from the wrath of Saul, he ran to Ahimelech the Priest. David needed to go further in his running for his life and he had no weapon to accompany him. The priest, Ahimelech offered David a weapon, I Samuel 21:9, ÒSo the priest said, ÒThe sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Valley of Elah, there it is, wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it. For there is no other except that one here.Ó And David said, ÒThere is none like it; give it to me.Ó David accepted the sword. Indeed, it was the sword that took away the life Goliath; a sword that was meant to take away the life of David. Whatever the enemy has in plan to use in taking away your life God will deliver it into your hand to take the enemy away. It becomes a weapon of testimony. Just like David testified, ÒThere is none like itÓ; ask God to deliver into your hand a weapon of testimony that will give glory to His name.

WALK THE WALK< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

I John1:1-7

John was one of the three closest disciples to Jesus. If there is anywhere or from anyone to hear the message of our Lord Jesus Christ better, it is from John. John wrote in I John 1:5-6, ÒThis is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.Ó John declared that God is light that is God is pure, holy, true and no evil can be seen in Him. Above all other things, God wants our fellowship and fellowship with Him has to be in light and in truth. Among the types of fellowshipping with God is when believers gather together to seek the face of God in praise or in prayer. Fellowshipping with God is a daily walk of a believer with God. To walk daily with God requires a walk in the light; a walk that only the unstoppable light of God can penetrate and expose. John communicated the message he received to believers that anything short of walking outside of the light is walking outside of God. What kind of walk are you walking? If you are full of lies, deception, manipulation, and all kinds of ungodly life styles, you are walking outside of the light and in darkness. It does not matter how your brethren sees or perceives your walk; it only matters how plain, clear direct and truthful you are walking before God. God is light and He alone cannot be deceived. If in your walk, you have been taken a covering under darkness while claiming the Lord, it will only take a matter of time before the light of God exposes you in your walk. Walk the walk. Fellowship with Him and when you are truly in fellowship with Him, you are actually fellowshipping with others. God is light and cannot be deceived.   

WRONG DIRECTION< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Luke 24:13-32

Frustration is the direct cause of distraction, discouragement and disappointment.  Also, the habitation of distraction, discouragement and disappointment will lead you into the wrong direction. After the breaking news of Christ resurrection, there were two traveling away from < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Jerusalem to Emmaus while others were going towards Jerusalem to be a part of the breakthrough news of resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The two were consumed by Ò3DsÓ (distraction, discouragement, and disappointment) because of JesusÕ death. What is it that has come upon you in this journey of life? What is taking the driverÕs seat in your life? Luke 24:15-16, ÒSo it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.Ó They could see in the physical, but they had lost sight of their Savior. They knew Jesus well, but they did not know Him well enough to identify with Him at the point of visitation. The two must have been at the point of frustration thinking their hope was gone. Are your experiencing frustrations in any area of life? Remind yourself that Jesus is not dead; He is a living God. When ever frustration sets in, the 3Ds will take you for a ride in the wrong direction. When there is no sight, there will be a failure to see help whenever help is in place. The two did regain sight at the point of JesusÕ departure. Luke 24:31, ÒThen their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.Ó Your story does not have to be like the two in this passage if you will begin to put frustration in is proper place. You then will begin to experience concentration, encouragement and effective results in your entire journey.

JUDAS< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Luke 22:1-6

Jesus declared in John 10:10, ÒThe thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.Ó The thief that Jesus was talking about was active then and is still active today. He is actively active more than ever before. A thief will not announce its time or the way he will strike. When a thief comes, he will have a need for an entrance. In order for thief to gain an entrance, an opening will have to be in place or he will create the opening if you allow him. That thief is the Satan himself. When the thief visited the disciples of Jesus looking for whom to use in selling Jesus, it was in Judas that he was able to found an opening to gain entrance Luke 22:3, ÒThen Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.Ó Satan was able to enter Judas because there was an opening for him to enter. Judas, a disciple of Jesus, left himself opened for Satan. Are you having any opening that Satan could enter into? It does not matter who you are or how long you have been following Christ, when he spots an opening, he will enter and camp inside you until you loose your number among those that are called. The effect of SatanÕs gaining entrance into Judas is stated in Luke 22:4, ÒSo he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them.Ó SatanÕs entrance caused Judas to go out of the Way into his own way. Your own way is the way of death. Proverb 14:12, ÒThere is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.Ó Judas took to his own way and he conferred with the agents of Satan how he was going to betray the one and only Master of all masters. Are you seriously paying attention to your self so that there will be no any conscious or unconscious opening that will give a place for the thief? Ask for GodÕs presence to fill every opening in your life.

KEEPING DISTANCE< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Luke 22:54-63

Keeping your distance away from the Living Word of God will keep you away from standing and cause you to fall and deny Him. Peter saw and heard it all in his walk with the Lord Jesus Christ yet, he entered into a big stumble. Despite the fact that Jesus warned Peter ahead of time that he was going to deny Him, Peter could not avoid denying Jesus. Peter denied Jesus not once but three times. It is challenging for us that are claiming Jesus as our Lord and Savior to think of a man that had spent time with Jesus, a man that had seen miracles and not just read of miracles and a man that had touched Jesus to fall into the kind of falling that Peter fell. This race is only of grace. Only the grace of God can see us through in the race of life. If a man like Peter could at a crucial time deny Jesus, what will happen to believers of today when challenges show up? PeterÕs denial had a gradual process and it was not sudden. Luke 22:54, ÒHaving arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priestÕs house. But Peter followed at a distance.Ó PeterÕs denial started at the point when he started to follow Jesus and the trouble maker that arrested Him at a distance. At every time or in every situation you chose to follow the Living Word of God at a distance, during challenges you are bound to fall a big fall. Today, do not let your situation or your challenges dictate how or when you will spend time in the Living Word of God. If you will turn to the pages of the Scripture, then you will eliminate distance and be able to maintain standing in the Living Word of God. The Word of God is True and Amen.