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

Acts 9:1-19

Saul (Apostle Paul) was with full permission from the high priest to kill and destroy any of the disciples of the Lord that came his way in Damascus, when he encountered a shinning light from heaven. Acts 9:3, ÒAs he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, ÒSaul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?Ó SaulÕs journey to go and kill and destroy turned out to be the journey to go and start saving and delivering souls to the Lord. In that journey, nothing could stop or redirect Saul from getting to Damascus until he was near Damascus when the light shone on him. God can also be a God of last minute and is a God that is never late. God always has perfect timing. Indirectly or directly, consciously or unconsciously you have been persecuting Jesus. So many times you have received a call, a testimony or witnessing of the need for salvation, but you could not hear just like Saul before the light shone and pointed him out. In order for Saul to hear and accept the calling of the Lord there was a need for him to see the Lord. At every time God is seen with attention from the ones that sees His moves, there is always a call that follows. Saul saw the LordÕs presence first before a call from the Lord followed through. Moses is another example of the ones that saw the Lord first before he received His calling. ÒAnd the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. 3 Then Moses said, ÒI will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.Ó(Exodus 3:2-3) Moses saw a burning bush with fire, while Saul saw a light shone from heaven. What have you been seeing? Before the call sounds in your direction you have to see or else the attention to receive His calling will not be there. He must have been showing up in His own way so that you will hear from Him when He calls you. When Moses saw the fire burning, he decided to turn aside, ÒSo when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, ÒMoses, Moses!Ó And he said, ÒHere I am,Ó (Exodus 3:4) Has He been showing up to you in order to give you a call like He did unto Saul and Moses? God is still in the business of calling those that will see first. When His calling comes to you He will back you up.

IMPENETRABLE HEDGE< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Job 1:6-20

ÒThen the LORD said to Satan, ÒFrom where do you come?Ó So Satan answered the LORD and said, ÒFrom going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.Ó 8 Then the LORD said to Satan, have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?ÓÓ The testimony points to the fact that in the gathering of the children of God there is always the representative of Satan. The Bible calls him the accuser of brethren. His main business is to come and witness against any believer that is not standing right. Evidently, the ones that are not standing right are not concerns for him. However, the ones that are standing right and walking in the line of the word of God are the ones that he is after to destroy. God testified on behalf of Job as a blameless and upright man. Job was blameless and upright because of the fear of God in his life. By being able to fear God, he was a man that shunned evil. The fear of God was the garment in the life of Job. When Satan comes to accuse you, will you be found standing for God? Job 1:9, ÒSo Satan answered the LORD and said, ÒDoes Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have you not made a hedge around him around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.Ó The wisdom that is rooted in the fear of God has turned everything in the life of Job into a blessing and Satan must have tried to destroy JobÕs entire blessing before actually showing up in the gathering of the children of God. The fear of the God that elevated Job also built an impenetrable hedge around all the blessings in the life of Job. How are you living your life under heaven? Do you realize that all the blessings of God in your life need to be protected by a hedge that is impenetrable to any force of the wicked? Satan is real and he is all out to steal, kill and destroy. You do have a need to constantly protect all that the Lord has blessed you with by living a life that is embedded in the fear of God. Job proved that Satan was wrong and that the Lord was right in His testimony. How will you protect the hedge around your blessings? Fear God and evil will not overcome you. God will give you a heart to fear Him in JesusÕ name.

CONSEQUENCE2 Samuel 15:7-37

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ÒSo David went up by the Ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went up; and he had his head covered and went barefoot. And all the people who were with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went up.Ó David had been chased out of throne and out the city. DavidÕs son, Absalom took over the throne while David was alive. All that David was facing were the consequences of despising God and the death of Uriah in attempt to cover the sin of adultery.  David must have been aware of what he was going through. David accepted all without forcing or fighting, but left in shame and shambles. He left with his entourage with their heads covered, and in addition to that King David left barefoot. It could not have been worse than that for a man who was described as a man after GodÕs own heart. Sin can be appealing because of its deception, but without any doubt it will clearly and openly peal off every form of blessing. Also, the consequences of sin can be exceedingly painful and emotional draining. Indeed the word of God is true to the fact that obedience is better than sacrifice. In the midst of all, DavidÕs heart remained focused on God, as he would not stop worshiping God either on the mountain or in the valley. ÒNow it happened when David had come to the top of the mountain, where he worshiped God-there was Hushai the Archite coming to meet him with his robe torn and dust on his head.Ó (2 Samuel 15:32) The point being made here is that David would not abstain from worshiping God despite his agonizing situation. David set himself up for the situation and he was able to deal with it, without any recorded complain or neglecting his God. There was no one to be blame but David himself for giving a ÒGreat occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme.Ó (2 Samuel 12:14) Will you take some time out and examine if there is any ground where sin can be connected for your sudden fall. God is a good God, and He will never withdraw His hand of blessing if there is nowhere you have taken a step of withdrawing from Him. Nothing happens by accident except if that accident brings some happening that can be unacceptable. As much as God is a merciful and forgiving God, it is important that we constantly recognize that there are consequences for every sin. God is not to be blamed or to be responsible for any fall into sinning ground. Be responsible. Being responsible is the price for a great exploit. By His grace not by our power or determination we shall get to the Promised Land in Jesus name.

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

Acts 12

ÒThat which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. 2 Is there anything of which it may be said, ÒSee, this is newÓ? (Ecclesiastes 1:9-10) What the word is saying here is that, as it was in the Bible days so it is today and nothing is new under heaven. Persecution has been and it will always be. King Herod was persecuting the church during the days of the Apostles. He had his ways of carrying out his evil devices against the church. It is declared in the book of Acts 12:1-2, ÒNow about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. 2 Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword.Ó The hand of harassment is like a death sentence and once it is stretched out, it will keep its operation where it is not stopped. The hand of harassment was what lead to the killing of James, the brother of John. A stretched out hand of harassment is not to welcome anyone but to delay, deny and destroy anyone in its direction. Can you think of any situation representing a stretched out hand of harassment in your life or the assignment of God for you? Having worked against James, King Herod attempted to continue his evil devices by stretching out his hand against Peter. Acts 12:3, ÒAnd because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread.Ó Wherever a consistent experience of harassment in one area of life continues, it will gradually be extended into affecting other areas of life. As if the destructive effect was not enough, after killing James, the same hand of King Herod kept Peter in prison. ÒPeter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.Ó (Acts 12:5) A praying church is a living church. Also a praying believer is a living believer. Who can you count on to be praying on your behalf in the midst of evil devices? Do you have a church that you can count on? Or are you as an individual taking time to pray? The prayer that delivered Peter was a constant prayer and it was in agreement. Are you considering being free from every stretched out hand of harassment that have taken a stand against you or that is building against you? A constant prayer of agreement is the one that will work for your deliverance out of every stretched out hand of harassment There will always be a time of harassment, so make a time for self-embracement in the Lord.  

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

Exodus 3:11-22

When God calls you He will back you up if you do not back yourself down from His calling. Despite our inconsistency God remains consistent. God has not stopped in the business of calling His children that are available for the kingdom business. In the calling of God there is no way to run. When it is time for God to give you a call, it will be on a ground where there is no way to run or hide. He is God and He alone holds the whole world in His hand. God spoke every creation into being and none was or is outside of His hand. Has the Lord called you and you are reluctant? Has He called you and you doubt His calling? When God calls, you will know because you will hear from Him clearly. When the Lord called the Apostle Paul, Paul was on his way to persecute Christians in Damascus. When God called Samuel it was about SamuelÕs bedtime, but Eli helped redirect Samuel in answering GodÕs call. God alone made all and He knows all from beginning to the end. The calling of God in the life of Jeremiah was met with excuse that was not enough to prevail from answering the call. Jeremiah responded to GodÕs calling, ÒThen I said: Ah, LORD GOD! Behold I cannot speak, for I am a youth.Ó (Jeremiah 1:6) When His calling comes to you there wonÕt be an excuse not to answer and there wonÕt be regrets in answering unto God. God will back you up if He has called you. When the Lord called Moses, it was with a perfect assurance for victory. Exodus 3:12, ÒSo He said, I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.Ó What He said to them He is still saying it to all. In every calling of God there is a certainty that He will be with those that are called for assignment. God has not and will never leave His called ones stranded except they depart from His direction and instruction. When He called Joshua, it was with the same promise with a different calling, ÒNo man shall be able stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave your nor forsake you.Ó (Joshua 1:5) As the Lord was with Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Jeremiah and all the giants in His hand, so He will always be with those that are getting called and those that will be called. Have you heard from Him? If the Lord has called you it will be clear. It is certain that He will back you up. God will give us the grace not to miss in every area of GodÕs calling.