Sunday, October 14, 2012

Are you a permanent resident?

I bet we all know that permanent residents of countries that have such facility have almost, if not the same rights as citizens. But todays message is not about migrating to other countries, it is actually to tell you not to become a permanent resident, because it can be to your detriment.

Quite a number of Christians have become permanent residents in the "land of hope". We keep hoping things will get better, hoping to get a good job, hoping to get married, hoping to become an employer, hoping 'the mountain will be removed, hoping the Goliath of our lives will die, hoping the walls of Jericho will come crashing down someday. It's a good thing to be hopeful but is it not written in the Bible that "hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life"? Proverbs 13: 12. My Bible also tells me that He gave power to those who believe to become the sons of God John 1:12. As a son of your parents, when you were a child, you didn't just hope your parents would pay your school fees did you? Instead of just hoping, I believe, we got up in the mornings and got ready for school rest assured they already took care of the school fees. My question is, why do we find it difficult to put our faith to work when we ask our Heavenly Father for things? Why can't we simply exercise our authority as God's children?  
There are so many verses in the Bible that makes us know we have authority. Some of my favorites are: “Have faith in God, Jesus answered. Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, Go, throw yourself into the sea, and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them". Mark 11 22 - 23. "You have made them rulers over the works of your hands; You put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas". Psalm 8: 6 - 8.  "And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." Matthew 17:20. "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give." Matthew 10:8. "“Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground"Genesis 1: 28. Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. Luke 10: 19. Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me." Isaiah 45:11.

Why then do we choose to pray and wait endlessly for God to move when oftentimes, He has answered and He is only waiting for us to act? Jesus told us to heal the sick, He did not tell us to pray to Him to do that, because we already have the authority, all we need to do is command the power of God that is in us and we would see results. Let us not forget that Christ told us that we will do greater things than He did while on earth if we have faith in Him. John 14:12. But in order to do these greater things, you need to go from the level of merely desiring to excercising your God-given authority, speak to that situation and move by faith. The devil will do everything to keep you in the land of hope so you'll never enjoy the benefits of being a child of God, so step out of your beggar mentality, stop residing in the land of hope and start living as a heir of God, for you are a co-heir with Christ. Stop hoping God will bless you for He "daily loads us with benefits." Psalm 68:19

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

You must know yourself to exercise your faith,how many of our christian brothers and sisters,know what they are capable of spiritually.Most teachings this days is never about discovering your spiritual being 'cos'if you do,your teacher might end up being your student. The day you know yourself, that day you become a conqueror.Dr HooK

alldatmatas said...

Well said Dr HooK, the Bible says "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" John 8:32

Anonymous said...

Getting anything from God must be by faith. They that must be rewarded by faith must believe that He is able(Hebrew 11:6).when someone has hope without a substance,then the person is bound to be a resident in hope's villa,now what's substance?it's a verse in the word of God that relates to your challenge;for an instance,you want riches,meditate long enough on 2 corin 8:9,3John 2 and you'll get it. Though Hope is one of the 3(Faith & Love) ‎​‎​So it's also important. Olawuyi B.G

Anonymous said...

Though hope is important,it's one of the 3 that abides but the greatest is love. Hope therefore lacks substance,substance is simply a verse or a word in the word of God. Perhaps you've been living in hope's villa for long time,the way out has come .simply go into your bible,get a verse or word(substance)that relate to what your challenge is,for an instance for prosperity check 2 corin 8:9,3 John 2,meditate on it day and night then, In no distance time you'll find your way out of hope villa. faith works NOW. Olawuyi B.G

Anonymous said...

Though hope is important,it's one of the 3 that abides but the greatest is love. Hope therefore lacks substance,substance is simply a verse or a word in the word of God. Perhaps you've been living in hope's villa for long time,the way out has come .simply go into your bible,get a verse or word(substance)that relate to what your challenge is,for an instance for prosperity check 2 corin 8:9,3 John 2,meditate on it day and night then, In no distance time you'll find your way out of hope villa. faith works NOW. Olawuyi B.G

Anonymous said...

ve been looking everywhere for this! Thank goodness I found it on Bing. You have made my day! Thx again

besto said...

i refuse to be a permanent resident in the land of hope.