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GOOD NEWS Letters & SERIES Teachings>
GET OUT OF GOD'S WAY! By: Pastor Abraham Bascon
November 1, 2009
GET OUT OF GOD'S WAY! THE BATTLE IS THE LORD'S!
By: Pastor Abraham Bascon
A life without Christ,is a life of disadvantage! In JOHN10:10-Jesus says: "The thief does not come except to steal,to kill, and to destroy.I HAVE COME that they may have LIFE, that they MAY HAVE LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY!" The 'MORE' ABUNDANT LIFE, is an ADVANTAGEOUS LIFE! A life where YOU have the ADVANTAGE!
This ADVANTAGEOUS LIFE has ALWAYS been in God's Plan for His sons and daughters!
In the O.T. Book of DEUT.28, v.13-14 the Word of God says:
"And the LORD will make you the HEAD and NOT the tail; YOU SHALL
be ABOVE only, and NOT beneath, IF YOU HEED the commandments of
the LORD your God, which I command YOU TODAY, and are careful to
OBSERVE them. You SHALL NOT turn aside from any of the words
which I COMMAND YOU THIS day, to the right or the left, to go
after other gods to serve them."
No matter what type of problem or problems you are experiencing today: financial, emotional, physical, spiritual or any other types of problems...no matter what "size" they are; BIG ones or small ones,GOD is always GREATER!
We can look at 2CHRON.20,where we read of King Jehoshaphat, who was the son of King Asa, the king of Judah. Jehoshaphat did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD.
He removed the altars of the strange gods, the high places, he broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images.
King Asa commanded the nation of Judah to SEEK the LORD God of their fathers,and to OBSERVE the law and the commandment. His son, King Jehoshaphat, also did what was good in God's eyes. Jehoshaphat took down all the altars of the false gods. He got hold of the people, and tried to turn them back to God. A very god-fearing man, Jehoshaphat wadnted the judges of the land to judge the people fairly. As committed as Jehoshaphat was, he was still not able to do the job one-hundred percent. There was still a few people who were worshipping strange gods.
Yet, Jehoshophat was god-fearing and attended to God's Word. He had favor with God.
In 2CHRON.20:1,we see that King Jehoshaphat encountered a huge problem.The word came to Jehoshaphat that the people of Moab, Ammon and others with them besides the Ammonites were coming to battle against Jehoshaphat! These three nations together, were coming to go against Jehoshaphat in battle!
He was going to be destroyed by a three-league nation!
And v.3 tells us that,upon hearing this news,Jehoshaphat FEARED.
He was alarmed when he heard this; and, he set himself to SEEK the LORD. He proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
He gathered all of Judah together to ask help from the LORD;and from all the cities of Judah, they came to SEEK the LORD!Jehoshaphat may have had about a million military in his army. However, he was still very disturbed. So much so, that he didn't know what to do!
His first reaction to this terrible news was FEAR! He became faint-hearted. His knees were shakin'! That's what usually happens when we get a bad report! Sort of like, when the doctor gives you a check-up, and then comes to you and says:
"Well, you've got a very serious problem. You're gonna' die in a month!" You respond: What? I felt so strong and healthy! How can I face this?" Well,Jehoshaphat was about to be consumed! What was he going to do?? He feared,and set himself to seek the LORD. He proclaimed a fast throughout all of Judah. Everyone, including the children were to observe the fast.
As we read on in verse 5-6, we see that Jehoshaphat began to pray out to God and to declare God's Soverignty over ALL! In verses 8-9, Jehoshaphat says:"If disaster comes upon us---sword,(meaning: war), judgment, pestilence, or famine--etc...we will stand before this temple, and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and YOU WILL hear and save." (King Solomon had prayed to God, that God would honor this place, and put His name on that place, so that when praying, the people would position themselves toward the temple. They would humble themselves and pray. And, this is what they did.) V.11- says:
"Here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of YOUR possession which You have given US to inherit!"
v.12-"Our God, will You not judge them?In his prayer to God,
Jehoshaphat REMINDS God that the place that they were presently occupying was the temple that was built by Solomon. He REMINDED God that God honored Solomon's prayer and that God's Word to Solomon was now being put to the test! Jehoshaphat REMINDED God of His Promises. He is facing one of the most difficult situations, a league of three nations coming to destroy him! Prior to this, Jehoshaphat was always able to conquer those who came against him.
So, Jehoshaphat called together all the inhabitants to stand before the LORD and to PRAY and FAST. He was PRAISING God that there was no one greater. His God was the LORD GOD omnipotent!(meaning: all-powerful) WE ought to learn just what is taking place here, and, the action that Jehoshaphat took.
Praise God for the Promises that He has made, and for who He is!
If we should fall, our God is quick to forgive!All we need to do
is to call out to Him: "I need Your deliverance! Yashana!" (In the Greek, meaning: save now!) "You promised that when I call, You will hear! When I repent, You will forgive! When I seek You with ALL my heart, You will be found! When I ask, it shall be given! And, if You can take care of the lilies of the valley,
how much more, will You take care of me?"
REMIND the devil that: "Our God is SOVERIGN OVER ALL!" Boast of the LORD! Celebrate who He is! That He is soverign over ALL!!
Jehoshaphat REMINDS God in his Praising, even if by sword (by war); if the enemy be greater than us, God, Your promise is; that You WILL save us! (2 CHRONICLES 7:14)
In v. 10, Jehoshaphat presents his problem to God. A mountain
of a problem! But let me REMIND you that God always has a REASON
for how and why He does things! Here, God was about to use the enemy to show HIS GREATNESS! Verse 11 says: "They were allowed to live; and, were spared. And now, here they are coming to throw God's people out of their inheritance that they have been given! Now, here they are to destroy God's land, God's temple, etc.. But, let me REMIND you: That the REASON that they were spared in the past, was because God was going to use these nations to Glorify Himself!! The people prayed out:
"Our eyes are upon You!" They acknowledged: "God is soverign over ALL!"
In the time of OUR troubles, WE too, should be praying: "Our eyes are upon YOU LORD! Praise God for His Promises! We should REMIND God of what He says in His Word! (Not that He really needs to be reminded; for, He surely already knows!)
Tell the LORD the truth: "O' LORD, I'm so vulnerable to this problem! It will surely overtake me! I CANNOT depend upon MY OWN power, MY OWN ability or MY OWN finances etc..(whatever the case may be), to come against this overwhelming obstacle!! I CAN'T do it! Tell God that YOU are powerless!
There is nothing wrong with telling God that! Apostle Paul admitted the truth when he cried out to the LORD to remove the thorn from his flesh!And, what was God's answer to Apostle Paul?
"My Grace is sufficient for thee, for when you are weak; then, am I strong!" King Jehoshaphat told God that they were weak, they did not have the power to come against this great multitude; nor, did they even know what to do! He told God that they could NOT do this battle! God's reply was: Good! Finally,
'I' can have the victory for you! In verse 15 God says:
"Listen, ALL you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: "DO NOT be AFRAID or DISMAYED because of this great multitude, for the battle IS NOT YOURS, but GOD'S!!"
It is the very same way for US today! God tells US: "DO NOT be AFRAID or DISMAYED, the battle is NOT yours, but GOD'S!!"
DO NOT be afraid or dismayed of this multitude of problems! These health issues, this spiritual problem, this physical problem, whatever problem or problems that you are experiencing in your life....DO NOT BE AFRAID or DISMAYED! The battle IS NOT yours; but, it is GOD'S!! Every believer, should be walking by FAITH and NOT by sight!
As I was musing upon this Word last night, the Lord was speaking
loud and clear to my spirit: "Stop doing what you are trying to do to resolve your problem!
You are in My way! You are making matters worse!"
Just like the saying: too many cooks spoil the broth!
We too, often times get in God's way!! We are really saying:
"Father, I can do it myself!" No way! Not as good as God can!! We need to do as the singers and praisers did in 2 CHRONICLES 20:18-32.
We should be PRAISING the LORD! GLORIFYING Him for who He is and for what He does for us in our lives! There is GREAT power in PRAISING GOD! God INHABITS the PRAISES of His People! PRAISING our God will PULL DOWN STRONGHOLDS in our lives!!
May the LORD be FOREVER GLORIFIED! Our God is incredibly INCREDIBLE!
He is awesomely AWESOME! NOTHING IS too DIFFICULT for HIM!
What He did for King Jehosaphat, King David, Apostle Paul and so many others that the scriptures
tell us about....He CAN DO for EVERY BELIEVER in CHRIST!
For: "Jesus Christ is the SAME, yesterday, today and forever!"
HEBREWS 13:8
PRAISE HIM!!
Lord bless you!
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