Seeking the face of God and not the hand of God shows our spiritual and mental maturity.
As a child we always seek the hands of our Parents (Daddy give me and Mummy give me), but as we grow older and become mature, we start learning the ways of our Parents and start to get concerned about pleasing them. Not necessarily to receive anything from them, but to eventually fill their shoes and continue from where they've stopped when they retire. If you've not got to a point in your life where you haven't started asking your Parents 'what you can do for them' as opposed to 'what you can get from them' then you're still a child/immature regardless of your age!
This is the same with God. If as a Christian you still find yourself asking, asking from God always: God forgive for my sin (then going back to the same thing again), God give me a car, God give me money, God give me.. give me..give me..! Yes, He will give you. Yes, He will forgive your sins just as you have asked of him BUT it shows that you're still immature. Just as the prodigal son was, but I pray to God to bring us all to an understanding that He has got so much better for us to achieve than we are doing right now! No wonder Jesus said in Matthew 6: 32-33 “For the pagans run after all these things and your heavenly Father knows that you need them! But seek ye FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness….”
Now, for example: if you had three children and you own a business empire and it's time to retire. Wisely, you will search your three children and start to transfer the title deed to the one that has matured the most out of the three of them. This may not be the eldest if he/she still acted childishly squandering money or always getting into trouble. In some cases it may be the youngest that gets to run the empire and even in some other cases we have seen business moguls hand over their wealth and business in TRUST to a third party outside their immediate family to run it UNTIL their children get to a certain age and start to show signs of maturity worthy enough to manage the wealth/business.
So my brothers and sisters, we can't continue to live in SIN because of the grace of confession and forgiveness that we enjoy from God through Christ Jesus. As the Apostle Paul said, Romans 6:1-2 "What shall we say, then? Should we continue to live in sin so that God's grace will increase?" the answer is an emphatic "NO"! as verse 2 says "Certainly not! We have died to sin - how then can we go on living in it?"
God had a perfect plan for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, but SIN took away the relationship that Adam and Eve enjoyed with God everyday that would have made God's plan for man manifest. Just as a child gets scared when his/her Parents get back home knowing they have not done their homework or have done something not pleasing to the Parents. They naturally go into hiding until their Parents searches them out, to admonish them and as well mannered children they say "Sorry Mummy/Daddy I'll not do that again" and the Parent hugs them as a sign of acceptance/Love and shows them the right thing to do.
Imagine if that child continually did the same wrong thing everyday and at it's always "Sorry Mummy/Daddy I'll not do that again" and goes back to do it again, then he/she comes back with a sober face again to say "Sorry Mummy/Daddy I'll not do that again" over and over, it will get to a point when the Parents will begin to loose confidence in that child. They may necessarily not stop loving that child, but they will stop taking him/her seriously. Meaning the child may be deprived of some benefits they ought to naturally enjoy through a sweet relationship with their parents, but if the child was locked up in jail somewhere or in a terrible situation faced with death and words got out to his/her Parents through any means, they could send help to that child. But if the child comes back to him/herself and realizes that where they are is not where they ought to be (repent, like the prodigal son) and picks up a phone to call his/her Parents, they could give him/her another chance by extending their Parental Love to that child and if that child stays truthful to the rules of the relationship they will be restored to their birthright and the sweet relationship continues by the Parents bringing the child to speed with all he/she had lost while he/she was away. But what do you think will happen if that child slipped back to his/her old ways? Imagine the rage that those Parents will be filled with...they can cast that child even further away from themselves or it may even come to a point where they say "You're disowned"!!!
We see today some kids who are living a wayward lifestyle as junkies or as prostitutes or as thieves but when they tell us whose child they are we will be surprised and may want to ordinarily dispute them, but, Yes it is true! The only thing is that they've lost their birthright like the prodigal son did and they've not been able to forgive themselves like Judas so they've activated the Self destruct button! This may just be the picture of some of our lives today, we’re God's children but we're still living in poverty, battling with sickness, living an unfulfilled life, contemplating suicide, fearful of situation we are faced with and tomorrow’s uncertainties ALL BECAUSE WE'RE STILL STRUGGLING WITH SIN!!!
We may say God is too gracious to disown us! but guess what; the bible says "On the last day some people will call Master, Master and Jesus will turn to them and say "Go away from me, I know you not you evil doer"
God's design for us is to have dominion here on the earth before we're joined with Him in heaven. But somehow we're still allowing ourselves to be drawn to the 'Forbidden Fruit' of SIN. It robs us of the confidence we should have to walk into our Father's presence and fellowship with him. It makes us feel condemned and less worthy of the blessings of our Father just as the Prodigal Son was when he was returning home Luke 15:19 “I am no longer worthy to be called your son, treat me as one of your servants…”
Because we always find ourselves asking God for forgiveness all the time our mind set of "Prince/Princess hood" has been changed to that of a "Slave" even in our father's house. The Bible says in Psalm 24:1 "the earth is the Lord's and its' fullness thereof" therefore, if the earth belongs to "God" aren't we meant to be the Princes and Princesses of the earth? Issuing decrees and seeing them come to pass, giving instructions and the universe complies! Thus, whatever we bind on earth is bound in heaven, and whatever we set loose on earth is loose in heaven! If we lay our hands on the sick they MUST recover, casting out demons MUST be a natural occurrence because at the appearance of light, darkness disappears!
We have to stop short changing ourselves of our 'rightful inheritance': there's so much we've got to achieve here on earth and time is fast running by. Heaven forbid we die in the current mess we're in and we did nothing meaningful to enhance the kingdom of our Father. Preaching the gospel: -0%; Healing the sick: -0.0000%; Helping the needy: 0.0001%; Tithe: 0%; Offerings: 0.01%; Fornication: 200%; Adultery: 100%; Stealing: 500%; Murder: 5%; Idol worship: 3%.
This is the outline of some of our lives presently; we see today Men and Women who ordinarily will call themselves Christians go to Native Doctors to swear oaths with their political party members in order to attain a Political Office. We see them involved in mass murder, inciting violence just for the sake of advancing their Political ambitions! We get so caught up going further and further deep in SIN and this is as a result of our first thinking "God is gracious, He'll understand why we did it and forgive us".
This ought not to be so; we can still command all these affluence in live just by following the 'rules of engagement' that God has given us as His children! It is our natural birthright to be successful, and not only that, but also to command authority everywhere we go! You can't be disadvantaged by constantly fellowshipping with God and doing those things that are pleasing to Him as your Father! King David said, in Psalm 37: 25 "I am old now; I have lived a long time, but I have NEVER seen good people abandoned by the Lord or their children begging for food” - The bible went on to say in the earlier verses: 18, 19 of the same chapter says “The Lord takes care of those who obey Him, and the land will be theirs forever. They will not suffer when times are bad; they will have enough in time of famine”. Isaiah 1:19 “If only you will obey me, you will eat the good things the land produces”. We’re destined to be on top in all that we do because the Lord says in Deuteronomy 28: 6 “The Lord will bless everything you do” so we don’t have to be involved in any dirty dealing to be successful, we don’t need to belong to any caucus to progress in politics. Just look onto God and do what is pleasing in His sight and he will make you the head and not the tail all the days of your life in all that you do!
We must understand that we’re the salt of the earth and we can’t afford our needs to corrupt our calling as His children. Matthew 5:13 “You are like salt for the whole human race. But if salt loses its saltiness, there is no way to make it salty again. It has become worthless, so it is thrown out and people trample on it”.
Seeking the face of God will make you a “Blessing” to the world. You’re not blessed until you become a blessing on to others. You’re not called to be on the give me, give me end (that is the prayer of children) God ‘make me’ is the prayer of the matured in Christ. America’s transformation began when a leader told the people NOT to think of what America will give to them, instead, they should think of what they will give to America. This knowledge took America from obscurity to the number 1 country in the world. Billionaires exploded out of America within 10 years! The same can happen to you today, if you realize today who you are and whose you are and allow “Righteousness” take over you, you will enjoy peace in your heart and be assured of greatness. Isaiah 32:17 “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever”.
Now, righteousness is not looking pale or condemning everyone else of their sin! Righteousness is “being in a right standing with God” (in the physical and in the spiritual) doing those things that are pleasing to Him (just as we described in the Parent and Child issue above) because this brings about the “Confidence” that we need to ask God for anything and be rest assured that He will do it. 1 John 5:14-15 “And this is the confidence we have in him that, if we ask anything according to His will, he hears us. And if we know He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him”
Just like an earthly Parent will freely give their obedient children everything they request, and even naturally give them an inheritance of their wealth/possession when they’re dead, so does God freely give us ALL we ask of Him when we come in a “right standing” with Him. Matthew 5:6 “Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires; God will satisfy them fully!” That means we will be blessed in ALL areas of our life and lack no good thing whatsoever. This sort of blessing to be a ‘blessing to others’ becomes generational, as our children will inherit this lifestyle from us and they will remain blessed from our children to our children’s, children’s, children. Halleluyah!
Proverbs 13:22 “Good people will have wealth to leave to their grandchildren, but the wealth of sinners will go to the righteous”
Remember the parable of the rich man and Lazarus the beggar who sat at his gate in Luke 16: 19-31. The man possessed great wealth but ended up in hell, so, having riches on earth is no way an indication that God is with you or that God loves you. Being in a right standing with Him does and every other goodness of life will follow. Psalm 23:6
Seeking the face of God and not his hands releases a generational blessing, please let's tap into it. Psalm 112: 2 “The good man’s children will be powerful in the land; his descendants will be blessed. His family will be wealthy and rich, and he will be prosperous forever”.
As a child we always seek the hands of our Parents (Daddy give me and Mummy give me), but as we grow older and become mature, we start learning the ways of our Parents and start to get concerned about pleasing them. Not necessarily to receive anything from them, but to eventually fill their shoes and continue from where they've stopped when they retire. If you've not got to a point in your life where you haven't started asking your Parents 'what you can do for them' as opposed to 'what you can get from them' then you're still a child/immature regardless of your age!
This is the same with God. If as a Christian you still find yourself asking, asking from God always: God forgive for my sin (then going back to the same thing again), God give me a car, God give me money, God give me.. give me..give me..! Yes, He will give you. Yes, He will forgive your sins just as you have asked of him BUT it shows that you're still immature. Just as the prodigal son was, but I pray to God to bring us all to an understanding that He has got so much better for us to achieve than we are doing right now! No wonder Jesus said in Matthew 6: 32-33 “For the pagans run after all these things and your heavenly Father knows that you need them! But seek ye FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness….”
Now, for example: if you had three children and you own a business empire and it's time to retire. Wisely, you will search your three children and start to transfer the title deed to the one that has matured the most out of the three of them. This may not be the eldest if he/she still acted childishly squandering money or always getting into trouble. In some cases it may be the youngest that gets to run the empire and even in some other cases we have seen business moguls hand over their wealth and business in TRUST to a third party outside their immediate family to run it UNTIL their children get to a certain age and start to show signs of maturity worthy enough to manage the wealth/business.
So my brothers and sisters, we can't continue to live in SIN because of the grace of confession and forgiveness that we enjoy from God through Christ Jesus. As the Apostle Paul said, Romans 6:1-2 "What shall we say, then? Should we continue to live in sin so that God's grace will increase?" the answer is an emphatic "NO"! as verse 2 says "Certainly not! We have died to sin - how then can we go on living in it?"
God had a perfect plan for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, but SIN took away the relationship that Adam and Eve enjoyed with God everyday that would have made God's plan for man manifest. Just as a child gets scared when his/her Parents get back home knowing they have not done their homework or have done something not pleasing to the Parents. They naturally go into hiding until their Parents searches them out, to admonish them and as well mannered children they say "Sorry Mummy/Daddy I'll not do that again" and the Parent hugs them as a sign of acceptance/Love and shows them the right thing to do.
Imagine if that child continually did the same wrong thing everyday and at it's always "Sorry Mummy/Daddy I'll not do that again" and goes back to do it again, then he/she comes back with a sober face again to say "Sorry Mummy/Daddy I'll not do that again" over and over, it will get to a point when the Parents will begin to loose confidence in that child. They may necessarily not stop loving that child, but they will stop taking him/her seriously. Meaning the child may be deprived of some benefits they ought to naturally enjoy through a sweet relationship with their parents, but if the child was locked up in jail somewhere or in a terrible situation faced with death and words got out to his/her Parents through any means, they could send help to that child. But if the child comes back to him/herself and realizes that where they are is not where they ought to be (repent, like the prodigal son) and picks up a phone to call his/her Parents, they could give him/her another chance by extending their Parental Love to that child and if that child stays truthful to the rules of the relationship they will be restored to their birthright and the sweet relationship continues by the Parents bringing the child to speed with all he/she had lost while he/she was away. But what do you think will happen if that child slipped back to his/her old ways? Imagine the rage that those Parents will be filled with...they can cast that child even further away from themselves or it may even come to a point where they say "You're disowned"!!!
We see today some kids who are living a wayward lifestyle as junkies or as prostitutes or as thieves but when they tell us whose child they are we will be surprised and may want to ordinarily dispute them, but, Yes it is true! The only thing is that they've lost their birthright like the prodigal son did and they've not been able to forgive themselves like Judas so they've activated the Self destruct button! This may just be the picture of some of our lives today, we’re God's children but we're still living in poverty, battling with sickness, living an unfulfilled life, contemplating suicide, fearful of situation we are faced with and tomorrow’s uncertainties ALL BECAUSE WE'RE STILL STRUGGLING WITH SIN!!!
We may say God is too gracious to disown us! but guess what; the bible says "On the last day some people will call Master, Master and Jesus will turn to them and say "Go away from me, I know you not you evil doer"
God's design for us is to have dominion here on the earth before we're joined with Him in heaven. But somehow we're still allowing ourselves to be drawn to the 'Forbidden Fruit' of SIN. It robs us of the confidence we should have to walk into our Father's presence and fellowship with him. It makes us feel condemned and less worthy of the blessings of our Father just as the Prodigal Son was when he was returning home Luke 15:19 “I am no longer worthy to be called your son, treat me as one of your servants…”
Because we always find ourselves asking God for forgiveness all the time our mind set of "Prince/Princess hood" has been changed to that of a "Slave" even in our father's house. The Bible says in Psalm 24:1 "the earth is the Lord's and its' fullness thereof" therefore, if the earth belongs to "God" aren't we meant to be the Princes and Princesses of the earth? Issuing decrees and seeing them come to pass, giving instructions and the universe complies! Thus, whatever we bind on earth is bound in heaven, and whatever we set loose on earth is loose in heaven! If we lay our hands on the sick they MUST recover, casting out demons MUST be a natural occurrence because at the appearance of light, darkness disappears!
We have to stop short changing ourselves of our 'rightful inheritance': there's so much we've got to achieve here on earth and time is fast running by. Heaven forbid we die in the current mess we're in and we did nothing meaningful to enhance the kingdom of our Father. Preaching the gospel: -0%; Healing the sick: -0.0000%; Helping the needy: 0.0001%; Tithe: 0%; Offerings: 0.01%; Fornication: 200%; Adultery: 100%; Stealing: 500%; Murder: 5%; Idol worship: 3%.
This is the outline of some of our lives presently; we see today Men and Women who ordinarily will call themselves Christians go to Native Doctors to swear oaths with their political party members in order to attain a Political Office. We see them involved in mass murder, inciting violence just for the sake of advancing their Political ambitions! We get so caught up going further and further deep in SIN and this is as a result of our first thinking "God is gracious, He'll understand why we did it and forgive us".
This ought not to be so; we can still command all these affluence in live just by following the 'rules of engagement' that God has given us as His children! It is our natural birthright to be successful, and not only that, but also to command authority everywhere we go! You can't be disadvantaged by constantly fellowshipping with God and doing those things that are pleasing to Him as your Father! King David said, in Psalm 37: 25 "I am old now; I have lived a long time, but I have NEVER seen good people abandoned by the Lord or their children begging for food” - The bible went on to say in the earlier verses: 18, 19 of the same chapter says “The Lord takes care of those who obey Him, and the land will be theirs forever. They will not suffer when times are bad; they will have enough in time of famine”. Isaiah 1:19 “If only you will obey me, you will eat the good things the land produces”. We’re destined to be on top in all that we do because the Lord says in Deuteronomy 28: 6 “The Lord will bless everything you do” so we don’t have to be involved in any dirty dealing to be successful, we don’t need to belong to any caucus to progress in politics. Just look onto God and do what is pleasing in His sight and he will make you the head and not the tail all the days of your life in all that you do!
We must understand that we’re the salt of the earth and we can’t afford our needs to corrupt our calling as His children. Matthew 5:13 “You are like salt for the whole human race. But if salt loses its saltiness, there is no way to make it salty again. It has become worthless, so it is thrown out and people trample on it”.
Seeking the face of God will make you a “Blessing” to the world. You’re not blessed until you become a blessing on to others. You’re not called to be on the give me, give me end (that is the prayer of children) God ‘make me’ is the prayer of the matured in Christ. America’s transformation began when a leader told the people NOT to think of what America will give to them, instead, they should think of what they will give to America. This knowledge took America from obscurity to the number 1 country in the world. Billionaires exploded out of America within 10 years! The same can happen to you today, if you realize today who you are and whose you are and allow “Righteousness” take over you, you will enjoy peace in your heart and be assured of greatness. Isaiah 32:17 “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever”.
Now, righteousness is not looking pale or condemning everyone else of their sin! Righteousness is “being in a right standing with God” (in the physical and in the spiritual) doing those things that are pleasing to Him (just as we described in the Parent and Child issue above) because this brings about the “Confidence” that we need to ask God for anything and be rest assured that He will do it. 1 John 5:14-15 “And this is the confidence we have in him that, if we ask anything according to His will, he hears us. And if we know He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him”
Just like an earthly Parent will freely give their obedient children everything they request, and even naturally give them an inheritance of their wealth/possession when they’re dead, so does God freely give us ALL we ask of Him when we come in a “right standing” with Him. Matthew 5:6 “Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires; God will satisfy them fully!” That means we will be blessed in ALL areas of our life and lack no good thing whatsoever. This sort of blessing to be a ‘blessing to others’ becomes generational, as our children will inherit this lifestyle from us and they will remain blessed from our children to our children’s, children’s, children. Halleluyah!
Proverbs 13:22 “Good people will have wealth to leave to their grandchildren, but the wealth of sinners will go to the righteous”
Remember the parable of the rich man and Lazarus the beggar who sat at his gate in Luke 16: 19-31. The man possessed great wealth but ended up in hell, so, having riches on earth is no way an indication that God is with you or that God loves you. Being in a right standing with Him does and every other goodness of life will follow. Psalm 23:6
Seeking the face of God and not his hands releases a generational blessing, please let's tap into it. Psalm 112: 2 “The good man’s children will be powerful in the land; his descendants will be blessed. His family will be wealthy and rich, and he will be prosperous forever”.
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