The life of man on earth 19.0 (tested and tried)

Everyone goes through a test.

A test is a trying period in any man’s life. 

Also, a test is an examination of your stance.

You don’t need to be a believer or an unbeliever to determine whether you will be tested or not tested. 

Job is an example of what I am discussing. 

I am talking about what it is like living in this world. 

Although I believe Jesus is Omniscience, He had a life experience too. So, He knows. 

Heb 4:15-16 NET 15 For we do not have a high priest incapable of sympathizing with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace whenever we need help.

So, when you go through a challenging time, be strong! 

Respond positively, and in the end, you will win.

One great lesson I learned from Job is that he prayed during challenging moments.

Abraham prayed when he faced a dilemma.

David cried out to God even after committing a sin.

Jesus prayed during the most challenging situation of His ministry.

So, I would pray even when I think I am unworthy, or I am a sinner, or when I feel that God may not hear me. Then, I will pray again.

Remember, “Tough times never last; tough people do!”

Under the Oppressor — back to vomit

The Oppressor does not give up on its victims. Its satisfaction is in the suffering of its victims. Does it care? No!

Slave masters do not like to lose their slaves. 

History told us that after the Emancipation Act, some slave masters still kept their act of slavery and did not let go of the slaves. The devil does the same thing. 

After your deliverance, the devil keeps trying day and night to get you compromised and lose hope so that you go back to your vomit.

The Bible refers to those who give up and return to the old lifestyle as fools.

Pro 26:11 NET Like a dog that returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.

Don’t be a fool!

Jesus gave a perfect illustration of this. The evil one does not easily give up on its prey.

Luk 11:24-27 NET 24 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a person, it passes through waterless places looking for rest but not finding any. Then it says, ‘I will return to the home I left.’ 25 When it returns, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 26 Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there, so the last state of that person is worse than the first.” 27 As he said these things, a woman in the crowd spoke out to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts at which you nursed!”

You must rescue yourself like a gazelle. 

Pro 6:5 NET Deliver yourself like a gazelle from a snare, and like a bird from the trap of the fowler.

Fight hard to rescue your “gates” from the clutches of darkness. The devil wants to get in but do not give him the opportunity.

1Jn 2:15-16 NET 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, 16 because all that is in the world (the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance produced by material possessions) is not from the Father, but is from the world.

Pray for us, oh Lord Jesus!

 

Note: the use of certain words reflects the potency of the meaning.

Under the Oppressor — Inertia

I have talked about how easy it is for anyone to give up on anything, but there’s another dimension to this.

There is another part of us that is unable to do anything and unable to make moves to experience freedom. 

It is unrelated to the human willingness to remain in perpetual bondage but a subconscious plus a  master-class act of the enemy that makes anyone unresponsive. 

It is similar to the bizarre experience you have in dreams when you are unable to do anything, especially when you are “pressed” to the bed against your will. I believe some understand what I am trying to convey. 

Judges 16:18-21 NET 18 When Delilah saw that he had told her his secret, she sent for the rulers of the Philistines, saying, “Come up here again, for he has told me his secret.” So the rulers of the Philistines went up to visit her, bringing the silver in their hands. 19 She made him go to sleep on her lap and then called a man in to shave off the seven braids of his hair. She made him vulnerable and his strength left him. 20 She said, “The Philistines are here, Samson!” He woke up and thought, “I will do as I did before and shake myself free.” But he did not realize that the LORD had left him. 21 The Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes. They brought him down to Gaza and bound him in bronze chains. He became a grinder in the prison.

The enemy weakens you and makes you unresponsive to the slightest impulse. 

I will give one more example. 

Jesus encouraged Peter to pray so that he could escape the temptation. I believe Peter wanted to pray. He probably made attempts. 

He made bold claims that he would 

Luk 22:31-34 NET 31 “Simon, Simon, pay attention! Satan has demanded to have you all, to sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. When you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” 33 But Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death!” 34 Jesus replied, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know me.”

He tried. He was too weak.  If he had prayed, the story could have been different.

This was the inertia state of man. It consists of the inability to do anything even though you want to, and it represents the weakest state of any man.

It is the most vulnerable condition that anyone cannot escape. 

Jesus saw his willingness, and He prayed for Peter.

So, Jesus, having been through all our problems prays for us all the time.

 Heb 4:15-16 NET 15 For we do not have a high priest incapable of sympathizing with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace whenever we need help.

I feel like if Jesus does not pray for us, we will still be saved but not victorious here on earth. 

Heb 7:25 NET So he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Yes, Jesus is still very busy in heaven working on our behalf. 

Rom 8:34 NET Who is the one who will condemn? Christ is the one who died (and more than that, he was raised), who is at the right hand of God, and who also is interceding for us.

Hallelujah!

Re: A grateful heart

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ponder more on the good things that happened this year than the bad things, and be thankful to God for His goodness. 

A positive vibe is for a good living!

Let your heart be full of thanksgiving to a great God and those who have helped you get to where you are.

It is good to praise the Lord. It is good to gaze upon His majesty, to proclaim His love in the morning, and His faithfulness at night.
Oh, it is good to worship and praise the Lord.

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT

Praise the Lord ! Give thanks to the Lord , for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
Psalms 106:1 NLT

Give thanks to the Lord , for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.
Psalms 107:1‭-‬2 NLT

Give thanks to the Lord , for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
Psalms 118:1 NLT

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
Colossians 3:15 NLT

Under the Oppressor — lord over

The devil is the master of all liars. His biggest tool is lies. It is easy to deceive others with some big lies. 

So, why is lying so important?

It is because when others believe your lies, they listen to you, obey you and follow you.

That is, they become your “slaves” and you become their master. The whole intention is that you can “lord over” your subject if they can believe you. 

This is the whole scheme from the beginning. 

John 8:44 EasyEnglish You are the children of your father, the Devil. And you want to do the things that he wants. From the beginning, he was someone who killed people. He did not continue with what is true. There is nothing true in him. He says things that are not true. And then he is showing what he himself is like. He is the father of everything that is not true.

Those under addiction want out, but they have become “slaves” to it that it is difficult to lose the grip.

Paul explained this clearly. 

Rom 7:14-20 NET 14 For we know that the law is spiritual – but I am unspiritual, sold into slavery to sin. 15 For I don’t understand what I am doing. For I do not do what I want – instead, I do what I hate. 16 But if I do what I don’t want, I agree that the law is good. 17 But now it is no longer me doing it, but sin that lives in me. 18 For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For I want to do the good, but I cannot do it. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but I do the very evil I do not want! 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer me doing it but sin that lives in me.

But we have the victory in Jesus name!

1Co 15:57 NET But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

 Say this prayer: Satan, lose your grip over me in Jesus mighty name!

Chains are broken in the name of Jesus!

 

Deep thinking

It takes less than a second to think. So thinking is faster than speaking.

If thinking is faster than speaking, then it’s possible to think before speaking.

What’s the good in going to the next level if one is failure bound at the next level?

If the risk is failure guaranteed, then the risk is not worth taking.

If one is constantly chasing after money, Gold and Silver, there’s a high probability that one will be missing out on other areas of life.

From Wisdom Snippets

Under the Oppressor — Open your “other eye”

Liberation of the mind is the ultimate deliverance from the Oppressor.

Take a cue from the Israelites when in Egypt. They oppressed the Israelites. They truly wanted deliverance, but when the deliverer came, they were doubtful.

In fact, one betrayed Moses and shouted, “who made you lord over us”. They wanted deliverance but weren’t ready.

They constantly brutalized their physical bodies, and their minds were also in captivity.

If the mind is not free, the physical body can’t be free.

God had to remind them and reassure them again and again of His promises to get their mind to a liberated condition that would facilitate their ultimate freedom.

If your mind is not “free”, your life is likely clouded. If your mind is clogged, you won’t be able to see your future clearly. If your mind is blind, then you’re in the dark.

The ultimate freedom of man is the liberation of the mind.

You can “see” deeper things not through the eyes but through the mind.

Your other eye is your mind.

The life of man on earth 18.0 (this makes no sense)

Have you ever wondered how politicians make promises yet fail to deliver?

How about those who cheat others to become rich?

How about Influencers? They have many followers, yet, they may have fewer degrees (academic experience) than you. 

Have you ever wondered why your opinion does not matter even though you are knowledgeable?

People would listen to an Influencer with no idea than listen to you because you are not an influencer. 

An armed robber or a burglar would likely get more wealthy than you would though the source of their wealth might be unpopular or illegal. 

Generally, those who are influencers are often acceptable in society. 

If you are poor, you are likely despised and rejected even if you have ideas.

Job 21:7-9 NET 7 “Why do the wicked go on living, grow old, even increase in power? 8 Their children are firmly established in their presence, their offspring before their eyes. 9 Their houses are safe and without fear, and no rod of punishment from God is upon them.

The wicked prosper even though it uses illegal means.

Kidnappers and drug traffickers make more money through devious methods than the educated genius who went to Harvard. 

All these make no sense!

Even Jesus chose Peter, an uneducated fisherman, Matthew, a fraudulent tax collector, and Paul, who killed many people, to do His work. 

So, to gain knowledge and power, follow the One who has it all.

 

The life of man on earth 17.0 (the lasting hope)

Job 19:25-26 EasyEnglish 25 I know that my Redeemer lives. I know that, in the end, he will stand upon the earth. 26 One day I will die and people will bury me in the ground. But in this, my body, I will see God.

Paul said that hope that is seen is not hope. If we hope for what we do not have at the moment, then we wait for it patiently. 

It takes a lot of endurance and patience to stand temptations, peer pressure, and intimidation.

If you do not have it today, tomorrow is possible. Not everyone is willing to wait for tomorrow though.

All your desires may not come to reality. 

For all these reasons, you need the same confidence as Job.

I may not see all the promises of God, but I have God who has all the promises in His custody. 

My hope is that God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly beyond my imagination and my thoughts. 

Even if I fail, He won’t fail me.

Here lies the lasting hope in an unfailing God.

Your wits’ end is God’s starting point.

The life of man on earth 16.0 (neglect and abandonment)

Job experienced the sorriest condition ever recorded in the Bible. 

Abandonment and rejection are fatal for the emotional state of any person. They can lead to depression, dejection, and ultimately suicide. 

I am not here to recommend any solution. That is not my field. 

I am discussing the Life of a man using Job as a case study. 

Job suffered and endured, but he came out successfully. If he can, so can you!

Do not give up!

Do not resort to the condition. Instead, report your condition to God and trust Him to help you.