PRETENDING IS WICKEDNESS

Matthew 15:1-20

Wickedness is defined as evil by nature and in practice; highly offensive or obnoxious. Wickedness is an ungodly sin. It is what provoked the hand of God to destroy man from the face of earth during the time of Noah. Genesis 6:5, “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Just as it was then, so it is still today. Today, wickedness knows no bounds. It reigns outside the church and it reigns inside the church. Within a group of believers, in the house of God or outside the house of God, if there is a request for who should be considered as wicked, so many would refuse. As a self-proclaimed Christian or born-again believer, have you ever considered or seen yourself as one who dwells in wickedness? There is none who wants to be identified as wicked yet many are actually living a life that testifies to wickedness. Let us see how Jeremiah pinpointed who and what qualifies one as wicked (especially within the church).  Jeremiah complained why the way of the wicked prospers. In Jeremiah 12:2, “He brought before God by saying to God, ‘You have planted them, yes they have taken root; they grow, yes they bear fruit. You are near in their mouth but far from their mind.’” In his question, there is a clear indication that the wicked are those who speak the Word of God but do not carry it in their mind. They are mouthful of the Word of God but mindful of their own self. Does this sound like you? It is important to be able to observe oneself in the mirror and doing this can enable the necessary correction. To operate wickedness can be extensively deceiving because one can grow and prosper but yet nothing is written over their forehead that identifies them as wicked.  This makes it more deceiving among believers of today who are having misconceptions of what prosperity is. Clearly, the wicked are those who could be highly conversant in speaking the Word of God although the Word of God is absent or far from their mind. Jesus referred to them as hypocrites when he was debating the Scribes and the Pharisees. Matthew 15:7-9, “Hypocrites!  Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me, and in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” Do you consider yourself as a hypocrite? Wickedness and hypocrisy are birds of the same feather; they both inhabit the spirit of pretending.

Prayer for today: Have mercy O Lord and let every iota of pretending not have a trace in me all the days of my life.

LONG JOURNEY           

Deuteronomy 1

In every man’s journey to the promise land, the favor of God is inhabited to see every sojourner through. There are giants designed by the enemy to hinder and to deny. Also in the journey, the route can be discouraging because it is through the wilderness. Giants will not show up in the physical because their place is in the mind and they often pass through the mouth. The giant of delay, denial and destruction is in every man and if any would let him, he will not let that man arrive at their expected end. The name of that giant is the spirit of complaint. In the company of complaint, is the spirit of discouragement. Deuteronomy 1:27-28,  “And you complained in your tents, and said, ‘Because the LORD hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. 28 Where can we go up? Our brethren have discouraged our hearts, saying, “The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and fortified up to heaven; moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.”’ It is clear that when complaint sets in you, discouragement will also settle inside you. God has promised and He can not fail. As much as it is important to understand that there are giants on the way to Canaan, then passing through the wilderness should be with diligence so as to gain possession. The passage through the wilderness is a necessary experience. One, however, does not have to live there. For the children of Israel, an eleven day journey became a forty year agony. The wilderness became a habitation when it was only meant to be for a learning experience. The experience is to be added to you and become your make-up in living in the promise land and also in carrying out God’s divine schedule in life. The wilderness experiences are not to break you if you do not break yourself down and make the wilderness your habitation. God is a faithful God. He will go before you and He will fight for you just like He has done in the past. God is a God of promise and the promise that you have received is an assured one because He has never fail. Also, the Word of God that is leading cannot fail; will not fail. In your case, God is up to something good in your life; do not weigh yourself down to nothing. Arise and take on your journey to the promise land and He will carry you through.

Prayer for today: In the journey of life, Father, deliver me from every evil work and let me be preserved that I may see your glory.

NO TO CONFORMITY
Romans 12

The sound and clear warning by Paul the Apostle, in Romans 12:2 states, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Conformity is defined as an action or behavior in correspondence with current customs, rules, or styles. The warning for believers is not to be conformed to this world. Unfortunately, in the church of today the warning is clearly falling onto deaf ears. Conformity to this world is thriving even among the believers of the Word. What is it about this world? The ruler of this world is the wicked one; the liar and the destroyer, the devil himself. He engineered the falling of man when he led Adam and Eve into disobedience that kicked them out of where God had placed them, the Garden of Eden. The mind is his field of operation and the result of mind operation is evident in the physical. Believers of the Word are called not to be conformed to this world and the refusal not to conform to this world is rooted in the mind. The mind is to be constantly renewed or the world will remove the mind from where the Lord wants it to be. The mind is the battleground where the enemy wants to take over before it transforms into the physical. The renewing of the mind is based on commitment and constantly meditating on the Word of God. The one who goes around looking for someone to devour is an active one and he operates on a constant and consistent basis in his mission. As a believer, having been able to avoid most of the worldly customs, the possibilities of allowing pride, self centeredness, stubbornness, rebellion and being arrogant should not be having its way in the life of a believer. The mind is a place that has to be kept with all diligence by staying away from the worldly customs. A mind that stays on the Word of God stays on God. Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You because he trusts in you.” The Word of God is the source of perfect peace and it is no secret to those who dwell in the Word to know the perfect peace that surpasses all understanding. Do you desire a perfect peace; the peace that surpasses all understanding? Be renewed in the Word of God as delivered by the Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:6, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Prayer for today: My God and my Father let the truth of your Word triumph in me all the days of my life.

RISE RIGHT
Jonah 1
 
Rising up to the calling of God is one thing but going in the wrong direction is another. When going in the right direction of His calling is in place, it becomes obedience. Rising up to His calling and not going the right direction is an act of rebellion. Many have received the calling and rose in the direction of their calling by responding to the purpose of the calling. Rebellion is refusal to submit to God’s authority and rule. Rebellion is the most common act among believers because to disobey one of His commands is to have disobeyed all. There is no minor disobedience or serious disobedience; disobedience is flat-out sin. Jonah, the reluctant missionary, received the Word of God but chose rather to move into his own world. Jonah 1:2-3, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” 3 “But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.” The Word of God clearly stated that he should arise and it is mentioned that he arose, but he did not follow the Lord’s direction. Job’s disobedience was a conscious and deliberate one. He heard God clearly and he clearly relegated the command as if the command did not exist. Many have been called but very few are responding. A believer who receives the call of salvation but yet turns away from the Word of God is no different from Jonah’s act of disobedience. The evidence of not walking in the command of God is sleeping in His command. Quite a number of times, Jesus talked about the issue of sleeping. He mentioned it in the Parable of the ten virgins. When the ten virgin went to sleep, both the ones who could afford to sleep and the ones who could not afford to sleep, fell asleep. During Jesus’ transfiguration on the mount, sleeping took the place by Peter, John and James and they almost missed out on all that was important. When Jesus went to the Mount of Olives with His disciples following, He gave a command: “…Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” (Luke 22:40) The disciples could not stay awake but fell asleep. The call of duty was neglected and sleeping had its way. They slept through until Jesus came over, “Then He said to them, “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation.”” (Luke 22:46) Rising up and not moving in direction of His command is as sleeping in the place of watching and waiting for Jesus. There is a reason for each and every one of His callings but to disobey any of His calling is an attempt of falling in line with Jonah’s disobedience.
Prayer for today: Deliver me O Lord from every spirit of disobedience.

FIERY FIRE
Daniel 3 

Daniel’s friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego received a promotion to be over the affairs of the province of Babylon. Before the promotion, they were minding their business. In the midst of all when promotion came, evil agenda visited them.  The time of promotion brought them to the position where they had to worship the gold image of King Nebuchadnezzar. Three friends of Daniel could not compromise their God and this was communicated to King Nebuchadnezzar. “There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.” (Daniel 3:12) The response of the king was that of rage and fury. The king went further and required the three friends of Daniel to worship the image but still they refused. As a result, the king declared, “…If you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?” (Daniel 3:15) The threat could not gain any ground with the three friends of Daniel because the three friends knew the God who they served so they boldly responded. “If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” (Daniel 3: 17-18) The three friends of Daniel did not help their case but added more gasoline to their fire. That day you received a promotion, enemy fire was kindled by your close or distanced one. Your promotion triggered an insurmountable confrontation in the camp of your enemy and a fire to destroy was kindle in an attempt to terminate what the Lord has done for you. The fire to terminate Daniel’s friends was a fiery one but it failed to terminate them.  Their termination instead turned out a better continuation. The king celebrated the God of the three friends and made a new decree. “… Any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.” (Daniel 3:29) You are not in a state of termination. By God’s grace, you are in for a better continuation. You shall overcome and He will give you a better promotion.

Prayer for today: The One and only Able God bring about a quick turnaround in my situation; convert every pain into a blessed and glorious gain for my life.