GIVE THANKS DO NOT GET ENTICED BY EVIL

Enticement and temptation means the same. One of the weapons of the enemy’s most deadly weapon is “enticement.” To be enticed is to be lured away from the point of focus. Temptation is not sin but falling for temptation will cause man to rise in sin. King David did not accidentally fell for the sin of sexual immorality which he committed with Bathsheba (Uriah’s wife). It was through seeing (which is the anchor of enticement) that King David entrapped himself into sin. The Bible recorded David’s avenue to sin, “Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold.” (2 Samuel 11:2) Besides the truth that David was at the right place at the wrong time, David’s fell for sin when he became enticed as a result of seeing the woman bathing. David could not resist the temptation but went on to inquire for what does not belong to him. Seeing and getting enticed is a deadly avenue to be avoided and not fall in to sin. David, a man after God’s own heart fell through enticement. Are you paying attention to avoiding wrong place at the right time and paying attention to what does not belong to you?
Eve supposed to focus on not eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil as commanded by God. When the serpent showed up on her ground, she was cunningly enticed and lost her focus. The moment she lost her focus, she saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. (Genesis 3:6) Like David, Eve’s attention was directed to seeing and getting enticed. Seeing and enticement cannot be separated but man can operate by not getting lost for everything that is see-able for sin to reign. Eve was enticed; she lost focus of God’s command. The enemy is the master of deception and he has been around long before man. He attempted Jesus but failed because Jesus, the word was full of word that was more than enough to deny devil. Be assured that if he could attempt Jesus, we are no exception for him to attempt. Thank God for the word of deliverance.
If one’s focus is not properly fixed on God (Word of God), the enemy’s enticement will tie one down for destruction. It does not matter how strong you are standing in the Lord, the enemy will knock on your door with the purpose of knocking you down. The enemy knocked on King David’s door but he was too careless to give devil’s enticement all the room to occupy. He knocked on Adam and Eve’s door and all Eve saw was good in evil and the enemy achieved his goal. He knocked on Jesus’s door but Jesus was too full or word and denies devil a space to occupy Him.
Samson, as strong as he was, was enticed, and was brought down from where God placed him. It is written, “And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, ‘Entice him, and find out where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and everyone of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.’” (Judges 16:5) Samson was a miracle child born with special instructions from heaven. As regard to Samson, the Bible documents in Judges 13:5, “For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.” The man, Samson, ended up blind, because he could not be obedient according to the word of God. Enticement produced a hole in his strength. The hole in Samson’s strength caused his power to become deflated from what God had pumped into him before he was born. God will answer our prayer today, in Jesus’ name. Pray and ask for God’s hand of deliverance in every area of life where you have become a victim of enticement.
Which of your need is leading you to becoming a victim of devil’s enticement? Did the word not promised that, my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus? (Philippians 4:19) Do you believe? Then take to Paul’s admonition as stated in Philippians 4:6-7, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”  Abstain from seeing the wicked world; take to the word of God. Today, open your mouth wide and begin to give Him thanks for all He has done; that entire He is doing and all that He will do. Give thanks and do not get enticed.  

FAITH CAPSULE:
Enemy’s enticement will tie one down for destruction.
Which of your need is leading you to becoming a victim of devil’s enticement?

                                        GOD’S WAY FOR YOU                      
 
Whenever the fear of God is no longer in you, failure will belong to you. It is not possible to fail when serving God becomes of you. To fear God will keep man in His way. The way of God is the will of God for a man’s life. Any man that goes in the way of God always get to God’s designed destination. What is it that could be compared with getting to where God designed for our life? In the way of God, there is no short cut. No one can cut short the course of His designed way or else one will be cut off short in the journey of life. Exodus 13:17, “Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by the way of the Philistines although that was near; for God said, ‘Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.’” If the children of Israel had gone through the short cut, they would not have only returned but they probably would have become scattered beyond the chances of coming back together. All the complaint and cry for what they missed and what they would have had was enough evidence that they certainly would have gone back to the way that seemed right to them. Are you taking to the way that seems right to you in your journey of life? It is not how long you have been taking it but rather how long will it take for the wrong way to bring you down?
Proverbs 14:12 states, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” What a warning! Whenever one takes to the way that seems right, getting through to God’s designed destination becomes absolutely impossible. The way that seems right goes through complications, frustration, intimidations and ends up in termination. It is written, “He made Known His way unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel.” (Psalm 103:7) Despite Him making known His ways unto Moses, Moses could not step on the Promised Land because he took to his own way of obeying God’s command. One’s title or status in the business of God is not what counts before God but what is of upmost importance is how one stands in His word. Moses failed to hallow Him; he failed to respect Him or honor Him greatly. Numbers 20:12, Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, “because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me, in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” Moses had the map in his hand, but he could not navigate as required. He failed where it matters and he could not enter into the Promise Land. If Moses could fail in that course, who are you to think you are through?
Thank God for the Blood that was shed on the Calvary. Which way are you taking? John 14:6, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” Are you following Jesus in all of your way? Thank God for the Blood and that we do not have to carry the rod in our hand just like Moses did. The Word is what we all need to carry in us. The Word will help satisfy every frustration or any kind of stress that can lead one from hallowing God at every junction that matters. Following the Lord not only counts, but also how we follow Him is all that counts before God. In the days of Jesus, there were crowds (multitude) that followed, but many were only spectators. Following in His way is about seeing and believing in Him. John 6:40, “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” Have you been seeing Him as the only way to your God’s designed destination?
 
Faith Capsule:
The way of God is the will of God for a man’s life.
One’s title or status in the business of God is not what counts before God.

                              SEEK GOD WITH HEART NOT BY ACT 

The word of God describes Samuel, “So Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the Lord.Then the Lord appeared again in Shiloh. For the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord.” (1 Samuel 3: 19-21) The point from the above quotation is that, Samuel was called and established by God. He was a man so high in the hands of God and none of his word failed. Without doubt, he was a prophet in his own class and none was like him because of the grace of God upon his life. By virtue of Samuel’s caliber in the hand of God, it cannot be imagined he would at any time look at the appearance or physical stature to identify any man for God’s calling. Samuel was sent by God to anoint David as king. At his arrival at David’s father’s house, David was out on the field while his brothers were on ground to receive and attend to Samuel. Samuel, having done the necessary, approached the sons of Jesse. The Bible recorded, “So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him!” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1Samuel 16:6-7) Samuel, as close as he was to God, looked at man’s appearance (physical). Clearly, God who called and established Samuel does not look at appearance. God is God who looks at the heart. Take it to heart this day and know it to yourself that the Lord our God, the One whom we serve only look at our heart. It does not matter; neither does it count how the people around you see you.
It is important to know that it is possible for man to be running all day long in the place of worship while the heart is far from God. It is also possible to be constantly appearing to brethren as saint while the heart is not set on God. As an acclaimed believer, looking at outward appearance is setting oneself for getting disappointed. It is important that we count on no man by appearance both from outside or inside of the church. The Bible mentioned that Jesus, Jesus did not commit Himself to man, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.” (John 2:24-25)Be like Jesus and count not or commit unto any man.
What is the state of your heart in seeking and serving God?
God is not interested in how you run around or how you appear to man on the ground of worship. Clearly, the word of God points it in the pages of Bible about how He is only interested in the state of our heart as we seek and serve Him.
Here are some Scriptural verses that buttress seeking God with all our heart and not by our look and appearance: 
Deuteronomy 4:29, “But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
1 Chronicles 28:9, ““As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.”
2 Chronicles 15:12, “Then they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul.”
Psalm 119:2, “Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Whoseek Him with the whole heart!”
Jeremiah 29:13, “And you will seekMe and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”
God is not difficult to be found but the heart of man is desperately wicked and that makes it difficult for man’s heart to seek God.
In your service unto God, are you running in act without the heart for God? It is important to know that the Lord is the God of knowledge; and by Him actions are weighed. (1 Samuel 2:3) Brethren can mistake you; pastors can misrepresent you but God is perfect to identify all. Also are you a pastor whose heart does not line up with God as it is supposed to? Thecongregation might be looking at your outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
Peace, joy, deliverance, victory, salvation, breakthrough are among the blessings that identifies with God. It shall be impossible to seek Him with all our heart and soul and not be identified with His identity. Seek God with all your heart and all your soul.
 
Faith Capsule:
God is God who looks at the heart.
Brethren can mistake you; pastors can misrepresent you but God is perfect to identify all.

                                                POUCH OF PRIDE
 
Those that cannot forgive have a pouch inside of them that is full of pride that generates lies, deception, anger, bitterness, and an unforgiving spirit. Anyone who is identified with any of the above does not necessarily carry any visible identification to point them out in their fellowship among believers. Most of the time, they have a vibrant life; they sing like every other believer; they could be very conversant with the word of God. Sometimes they go from fellowship to fellowship, yet nothing is visible enough that identifies them for who they are. People like this can be tagged as unbelieving-believers.
Unbelieving-believers grow just like believers grow. Jesus said in Matthew 13:30, “Let both grow together until the harvest and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, ‘First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” In deed and in truth, in today’s world, all are actually growing. In some cases, the tares have the tendency to grow and flourish better than the wheat. God is not asleep, neither is He being too busy, but there is time for every situation and all that transpire under heaven. It is written in Ecclesiastes 8:11, “Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” The Word of God is true and all will come to pass. The Word of God will catch up with every man in every way and every path of life under heaven. Jesus said, “Let them grow together until the harvest time.” He did not ask for their separation at this time, neither has he proposed for them to be stopped from growing. Man can be deceived but God cannot be deceived. Where are you in the hand of God? Is there a pouch of empty pride inside of you?
It is always worthy for a time of self-evaluation that could honestly and sincerely point every man onto genuine repentance. Are you one of the believers that carry a diary of woes? That is, are you one that is having a well-documented list of all those have faulted you, or that are faulting you for the past several years? With a deep and sincere self-evaluation, what kind of diary are you keeping? Your diary could be at the back of your mind or in a written form. There is a genuine excuse for every reason not to forgive and hold onto grudge, bitterness and other forms of evil, but before God, there is no excuse for not forgive others. He sent His most beloved to the cross for every sinner. Peter, quoting from Psalm 34:12-16, stated in 1 Peter 3:10-12, “…He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.” Just as humility is good, so pride is evil. What the word is saying here is, refrain and turn from evil by seeking and pursuing peace.
Claiming belief in Jesus is not true in anyone who harbors any form of wickedness like the ones that are mentioned above. 1 John 3:23states, “And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us.” Do you love one another, or do you love one that you choose to love or the one that you have been able to forgive? So many good things are being said about you, but you are holding on to so many things, like anger and bitterness of heart. It is not what people around you are seeing or saying that matters, but it is what God is seeing about you. Carrying a pouch full of empty pride that is generating lies, deception, anger, bitterness and an unforgiving spirit from one fellowship to another is like walking in darkness. It is also a conscious or unconscious lifestyle that claims to have been fellowshipping with God. Such claim is contrary to the way of God and it is not in line with the message of God as emphasized in 1 John 1:5-7, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” Will you consider a sincere and honest self-evaluation? Come out of self-deception give it all to God and He will bring you out of all that is wicked and evil.
God is waiting for all who are ready to renounce wickedness, confess and repent.
 
Faith capsule:
Just as humility is good, so pride is evil. 
Claiming belief in Jesus is not true in anyone who harbors any form of wickedness.

                                   DO NOT BE FAR BUT FOCUS ON GOD

 
Those that are far from God consciously or unconsciously have taken the way of death. One cannot be far from God and not far from death. To be far from God is not to trust in God.  
Among what transpires when one is far from God are:
When one is far from God, one’s flesh and heart will fail.
One’s feet will stumble and steps will not stand but slip off.
One that is far from God will be envious of the boastful (seeing and paying attention to the prosperity of the wicked)
Among the things that are glaring about the wicked are:
The strength of the wicked is firm.
The wicked are not in trouble as other men.
The wicked perverts the way of justice; walks with perverse mouth.
Perversity is in the heart of the wicked and the wicked does evil continually.
Pride is the portion of the wicked and violence serves as the pattern in their walk of life.
The wicked do not acknowledge God but lean on their own understanding.
Often the wicked have more than heart could wish; they increase in riches; they grow.
The wicked one is far from God.
Wickedness is a sin.
Are you one that envies sinners?
It is written, “Do not envy sinners, but be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day.” (Proverbs 23:17)
However, it is good to draw near to God. One that trusts in God hopes and rests in God.
Trusting and hoping in God prompts one to declare the works of God.
Knowing to declare the works of God causes man to be decorated with presence of God.
To declare the work of God is to be obedient to God and disobey the gods of this world. The three friends of Daniel (Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego) demonstrated what it means to declare the works of God and be decorated by God. The three friends of Daniel disobeyed King Nebuchadnezzar by not worshiping a gold image. Whoever does not fall down to worship gold image was to be casted into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. Attempts to get them worship did not work and the king questioned:Who is the god who will deliver the three friends from his hands?
The three friends of Daniel, in the face of untimely death declare the wonder-working God stating, “…O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 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. 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 3:16-18) It is impossible to declare the wonder-working God in the face of a challenging confrontation like that of the three friends and not have God decorate the declarer of His wonder-working name.
God decorated the three friends immediately in an uncommon way in the history of creation when He came down to deliver them in the fiery burning furnace. They were highly decorated and the king could not resist from announcing the awesomeness of God.
It happened while they are in the burning furnace that God Himself came down instead of sending an angel for their deliverance. When the king saw the God whom he did not know before, he was astonished and he stated, “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”(Daniel 3:25)
The three friends of Daniel, while in captivity, despite their challenging situation consciously took to the way of life by remaining close to the God of their fathers and they were not far from God. The wicked was not a challenge to them as they remained focused on their God. The three friends of Daniel trusted in God and their hope could not become rusted.
The Bible is written for our learning because God did not speak to waste His word. The same God of yesterday is the same today and forever. Draw nearer to God, ignore the wicked, focus and hold onto God in these days of rising challenges and you will ride above all.