rahabcalling

Thursday, September 09, 2021

main theme adapted from Dr. Charles Stanley

The Christian doctrine of the Trinity is the unity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as the three persons in one Godhead.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

 Omnipotence means all-powerful. Monotheistic theologians regard God as having supreme power. This means God can do what he wants. It means he is not subject to physical limitations like man is. Being omnipotent, God has power over wind, water, gravity, physics, etc. God’s power is infinite, or limitless.

Omniscience means all-knowing. God is all all-knowing in the sense that he is aware of the past, present, and future. Nothing takes him by surprise. His knowledge is total. He knows all that there is to know and all that can be known.

Omnipresence means all-present. This term means that God is capable of being everywhere at the same time. His divine presence encompasses the whole of the universe. There is no location where he does not inhabit. He is everywhere at once.

This is the background to this message. It begs several questions.

1. Where is God in your life? Do you feel him?
2. Do you feel him sometimes close and sometimes distant?
3. How do you feel when you are close and when distant?
4. Do you feel God only when things are going your way?

But in reality if we look at creation; the stars; moon; sun; animals; plants; water bodies; the seasons; the different landscapes and how absolutely nature is perfect and balanced, need we question the presence of God?

Everything seems to be arranged with a precision beyond our imagination and comprehension.  There is God for sure and he is in control on earth and in heaven.

Those who trust him have an awareness of him which the others do not have. He sent his Son to enable the faithful to have their sins remitted and written and the book of life. If we aware of his presence we repent because we know he Omniscient (he knows our sins); Omnipresent (he witnessed our sin); he is Omnipotent (he has the power to punish or remit our sins).

Sin is the only the only thing standing between us and God and failing our ability to recognize it is the only thing standing between us and God and failing our ability to recognize his presence. When Adam and E When Adam and Eve sinned they chose to hide from God, they did not want to be in his presence and sin had succeeded in blocking their interest in his awareness.

Can you compare this with the beauty; peace and tranquility they had hitherto enjoyed in the awareness of God? Can we present day Christians run away from forgiveness of our sins; kindness; love; joy; kindness; patience and the eternal life? Reject a helper who is lives constantly in our lives (Indwells in us)?

He is here whether you are aware of him or not in every aspect of our lives. In other words, your awareness does not determine his location.

He does not change because all locations are in his presence.

Why don’t we want to live a life without a loving father who wants the best for me?

In Psalms 23 is one of the best descriptions of his presence.   

¹ The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
²     He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
³     he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
⁴ Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord  forever.

God works in the lives of his servants and provides for their needs on the basis of his love and kindness towards us.

There are several examples in the bible when the Lord deliberately assured his servants to be aware of his presence and he used the words “I will be with you” – as listed below:

Top of Form

Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Jesus)

Isaiah 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. (Escape from Egypt and Daniel)

Matthew 28:20 Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.(The disciples)”

Genesis 28:15  Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (Jacob)

Deuteronomy 31:6  Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” (Joshua)

Deuteronomy 31:8 It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” (Joshua)

John 14:27  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (To his disciples)

John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, (The disciples)

John 14:26-27 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (The disciples)

Exodus 33:14  And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Moses)

Zephaniah 3:17  The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Hebrews 13:1-3, 5-6 Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” …

John 8:12  Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Isaiah 41:13  For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

Isaiah 40:29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.

Revelation 21:1-5 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” …

Judges 6:15-16 And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” And the Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.” (Gideon)

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Matthew 6:7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.

Psalm 63:8 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

Psalm 41:12 But you have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever.

Haggai 1:13 Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke to the people with the Lord’s message, “I am with you, declares the Lord.”

Isaiah 40:29-31 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 54:17 No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall confute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.”

Psalm 91:11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Matthew 1:23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

Psalm 16:8 I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Matthew 14:30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”

Deuteronomy 20:1 “When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

Luke 10:19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.

Psalm 139:1-24 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. …

Psalm 37:24 Though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.

At the Pentecost the Holy Spirit inherited out lives at that moment to enable us live a godly life in an ungodly world.

Paul relied upon his presence in his life all through his mission as an apostle to the very end and he left a satisfied man as he awaits the rewards of eternal life (2 Timothy 4:7-8).

However, even as believers sometimes we can live our lives and fail to recognize his presence.

Jesus did not travel more than 80 miles outside Palestine for his ministry work. The only travel abroad we have on record is his flight to Egypt to escape a plot by Herod to murder him (Matthew 2:13).  However, the apostles made travels outside Palestine. Paul in particular, traveled all over present day Europe and the Middle East. For most of his time Jesus addressed small gatherings in homes and other places except on a few incidents mentioned at the wedding in Cana; the day he fed thousands and at Pentecost. His apostles addressed larger gatherings and reached many places through written messages as was the case with Paul. Today the message is spread all over the world in various forms to millions of people. This is what he meant in his parting messages to the disciples as recorded in John 14:12 “ “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” We are enabled because of his presence.

Evidence of the awareness of God in our lives.

1. He is continually in our thoughts (conscious or subconscious), like a holy silence.
2. We are continually seeking his guidance – prayer; character; attitude; thanksgiving; worship; counseling; dedication etc
3. We deal with him as our constant companion. He is always ready to reveal himself to us and it gives us a sense of security
4. We have peace of mind amidst storms
5. Once you have God in your life everything around you changes because of our awareness of him
6. The awareness of his presence creates a hunger in our hearts for the love of God
7. Joy in our hearts – peace of mind
8. We are always conscious of the good deeds he blesses us with and more inclined to pray about our misfortunes
9. We always feel continuous dependence on him (OMG; Jesus: and other exclamations are a sign of our acknowledgement of his presence
10. Prayer is a priority in our way of life
11. We continue to have hope even when everything appears hopeless
12. Our worship is more real and rewarding. We are always conscious of the good deeds he blesses us with
13. I walk in obedience to God as a way of life. What do you gain by being disobedient to God? I do not have to sin. Avoid the mantra “I am a sinner, rather say am a saint saved by the grace of God.
14. The more aware of his presence the less I’ll succumb to temptation.
15. You grow stronger in faith with a more intimate relationship with God

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ² “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), ³ “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” ⁴ Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:1-4

The Journey to our destiny (destination) –

The lesson in the parable of the sower – Matthew 13:18-23

1. Seed fell along the path – we hear but don’t understand the message and it is snatched by the evil one (distraction) we bear no fruit.
2. Seed fell on rocky ground  – receive the message gladly but we quickly give up when we face trouble and persecution
3. Seed fell in thorny bushes – hear message but easily chocked by worries and worldly pleasures
4. On good soil – message is received and nurtured to grow. Psalms 1:4 “they are like trees that grow besides a stream, that bear fruit at the right time, and whose leaves do not dry up. They succeed in everything they do.”

WHY DO WE SUCEED OR FAIL?

Our spiritual heart is composed of four things:

1. The mind – the way we think
2. Our emotions – the way we feel
3. Our ambitions – what we purpose to do
4. Our conscious and  subconscious – what the Holy Spirit uses to make us hear the voice of God 

We are chosen and adopted by the one true God.

Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

Galatians 1:15  ^“But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace”

You cannot fathom what God has is mind for you. We should be ready to go to places the likes of which we can never imagine. Even if you do not know that you are blessed, the enemy does and he will keep throwing distractions in your path to keep you away from your blessings.

So we must step up to the challenge and be what God has called us to be.

The enemy is always scheming against you, using distractions of life’s problems to keep you away from your Godly assignment.

Whenever we get problems or shocks in life, we are quick to blame and pass judgment on others. We forget the enemy is within us. His tactics is to dangle something in front of us a distraction. He fond of taking us on during the times when we are:

H – Hungry or in need

A – Angry or excessively emotional

L – Lonely

T – Tired and weary

Our character stands out to guide us in times like this. Joseph faced all these tests (Pit; prison; purity; faith; hate; revenge etc) but and came out triumphant.

The Whole Armor of God Ephesians 6:10-18

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; ¹⁷ and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸ praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints

1. Stand firm
2. Belt of truth –John 8:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free
3. Righteousness
4. Gospel of peace – Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
   for they will be called children of God
5. Shield of Faith – word of God
6. Helmet of Salvation
7. Sword of the spirit – Spiritual war fare
8. Prayer – Mark 1:35; Matthew 26:36; Luke 18:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
9. Prayer keeps the kingdom of Satan in check
10. Prayer is the very thing that unlocks the resources of heaven so that they can be unleashed on earth
11. My house shall be called the house of God – Matthew 21:13
12. If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. ¹⁵ Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. 2 Chronicles 7:14-15.
13. Righteousness – when you are in alignment with God your book is open and you have a clean slate. When you’re not aligned, your behavior is out of tune with the truth and you have an open invitation to the enemy. 
14. When you are more concerned about impressing people than doing what is right
15. When you seek validation of people as opposed to seeking Gods validation
16. When we do things for the applause of people instead of the applause of heaven
17. Don’t sacrifice holiness on the altar of impressiveness
18. Ill not be politically correct but I’ll chose to be holy
19. God’s choices have never been what we know as celebs. David / Rahab / the slave girl who saved Naaman / Mary Magdalene /   Rachel / Rebecca / Paul / Joseph / Daniel / Samuel / Abraham / Noah

Remember that we have to give an account of our lives to God. We must walk with integrity, you need the Holy Spirit to do what he does – empower us.

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the:
spirit
The last weapon is prayer, and takes in all sorts of prayer, mental and vocal, public and private; and every branch of it, as deprecation of evils, petitions for good things, and thanksgiving for mercies: and which should be used always: this stands opposed to such who pray not at all, or who have prayed, but have left it off; or who pray only in distress, and it suggests, that a man should pray as often as he has an opportunity; and particularly, that he should make use of it in times of darkness, desertion, and temptation: and this, when performed aright, is performed “in the Spirit”; with the heart, soul, and spirit engaged in it; it is put up with a true heart, and a right spirit, and without hypocrisy; in a spiritual way, and with fervency, and under the influence, and by the assistance of the Spirit of God.

And watching thereunto;
either to the word, as a direction for prayer, or to prayer itself; for opportunities to pray for the assistance of the Spirit in prayer, for an answer of it, and to return thanks for blessings when bestowed; and against all dependence on it, and against Satan’s temptations, and our own corruptions with respect to it:

with all perseverance;
in it, notwithstanding what Satan and an unbelieving heart may suggest to the contrary:

and supplication for all saints;
of every nation, age, sex, and condition, in all places, and of every denomination. So Christ taught his disciples to pray, saying, our Father, suggesting, that they were not only to pray for themselves, but for all the children of God.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear… 1 John 4:18, NIV

TODAY’S WORD: Scripture tells us that God is love. He is perfect, and His love is perfect. There is nothing you can do to make God love you more, and nothing you can do to make Him love you less. His love toward you is steadfast; it’s unchanging. His arms are always stretched out toward you, and He is always ready for you to come to Him. 

Oftentimes, when people make a mistake or feel that they have disappointed God, they think He might be mad at them, but the Scripture tells us just the opposite. God’s not mad at you; He’s madly in love with you! It doesn’t matter what you’ve done or where you’ve come from, God’s arms are open to you. He’s longing to show you His goodness and grace. It’s His kindness that leads us to repent and change our ways. 

Today, if there is anything in your life that is keeping you from receiving His amazing love, set those things aside. Let His love restore you and make you new. Come to Him with an open heart and receive His amazing love and enjoy the blessings He has in store for you!

Esther4:14 “Yet who knows – maybe it was for a time like this that you were made queen”

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