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THE GREAT ESCAPE :

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. – Proverbs 3:5-6

Once you start stepping out in faith and walking in the Spirit, the devil will see to it that you have ample opportunity to fall flat on your spiritual face. He'll try to get you into some jams where there appears to be no way out.

But take it from me as one who's been there, if you'll look to God and trust His wisdom instead of your own, He'll always show you a way of escape (1 Cor. 10:13). Not only that, but He'll do it in such a way that He'll get the glory and you'll have the last laugh on the devil.

I remember one particular Wednesday night in Wichita Falls, Texas, where I was faced with just such a situation. I was preaching on the reality of the righteousness of God, and the anointing was really strong. Just as my message reached its climactic moment, a woman in the audience suddenly burst forth in tongues. I told her to stop three times, but she only continued to grow louder. By the time she hushed, the anointing had gone and the message was forgotten. So I looked at that woman sternly and began to correct her for being out of order.

Then a man sitting next to her spoke up and said, "Brother, she is stone deaf. She can't hear a word you're saying."

At that point, I had no idea what to do. Not only had my sermon been shattered, but the whole congregation was mad at me for getting onto that poor deaf woman. (I found out later the man next to her used her to disrupt services and run preachers out of town. When the service reached a high point, he'd punch her and tell her it was her turn to prophesy.)

So I just stopped a moment and got quiet and waited for the Lord to tell me what to do. Sure enough, He told me. He said, "Call her up and lay hands on her and I'll open her ears."

Talk about a turnaround! When God healed that woman's ears, He turned that disaster into one of the most powerfully anointed meetings I'd ever had. Everybody was blessed!

Next time the devil tries to back you into a corner, get quiet. Ask God to show you the way of escape. He'll bring you out in victory every time.

 KNOW YOUR COMMANDER IN CHIEF

2 PETER 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

I once had a conversation with a medical doctor about spiritual warfare. She said to me, “When there is a condition in your body, you must know what the correct medical name for it is so that you can pray against it accurately.” Then, she told me somewhat smugly, “As someone who’s been in the army, you should know this: The most important military strategy is to know your enemy.”

I smiled at her and said, “Actually, I believe that the most important military strategy is not to know your enemy, but to know your commander in chief and his directives for you.”

My friend, do you know your commander in chief, Jesus Christ? The Bible tells us that unmerited favor and peace are multiplied in our lives through the knowledge of Jesus our Lord and God. So spend time at the feet of Jesus. See His grace and love toward you in His Word. This is how you experience more of His unmerited favor and shalom-peace. This is how you walk in total well-being and good success!

‘LORD, I CANNOT, BUT YOU CAN!’
PHILIPPIANS 2:13 - for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Have you ever tried to break a bad habit on your own? You probably found that when you tried to stop it by sheer willpower, you saw improvement for a while, and then bounced back to square one. Worse, you found yourself binging on the very thing that you were trying not to do. And your condition is worse than before you started your “I’m going to quit” program!

The changes were temporary because it was you doing it.

A church member who had been a chain-smoker used to believe that with willpower, he could quit smoking. He would tell himself, “If there is a will, there is a way!” But he discovered that with willpower, he could stop smoking for a week or two, and then he would succumb to the pull of nicotine again.

When he turned his life over to God and learnt about God’s grace, he told God, “I realize that I cannot stop smoking. I cannot, but You can break my habit, Lord.” And every time he lit up, he would say, “Lord, I am trying to stop smoking, but I cannot. I am trusting You.” He would even say, “I am still righteous because of Jesus’ blood.”

Well, in the very same year, all his cravings to smoke vanished! When asked how he succeeded, he would say, “It is entirely God and none of me! It is all by His grace.” This man lost all the desire to smoke. That is true transformation.

When you receive the grace of God to do for you what you cannot do, you will experience effortless and permanent change on the inside, which in turn changes your actions on the outside. The Bible tells us that God works in us to give us both the will and ability to perform what He desires. It is God who removes the old want to’s and gives us new ones. And He even gives us the power to carry them out!

Beloved, look to His grace to do what you cannot do. Say, “Lord, I cannot, but You can!” Then, what you experience will not merely be behavior modification, but true and lasting inward transformation!

 “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19).

Repentance is having a change of heart, a change of mind, and a change of direction away from sin. When we repent, the Lord will refresh our spirits and souls.

WHAT HAS GOD SAID ABOUT YOU?
'[He] will be proved right in what [He] says.' Romans 3:4 NLT

Paul writes, 'What's the advantage of being a Jew?...Yes, there are great benefits! First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God. True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful? Of course not!...[He] will be proved right in what [He] says.' (Romans 3:1-3 NLT) God has spoken specific things concerning you. Those things are His for your life. You must believe them, carry them within you and speak them over your life. Don't be held back by the notion that everybody has to accept what God has said about you. Your vision should be independent of outside support. That's a difficult concept to grasp, especially in a democracy, where others vote and the majority rules. God's Kingdom is a theocracy: only one voice and one vote counts - His! Refuse to put your vision on hold, waiting for everybody to come into agreement with you. Not only do they not have to support you, they don't even have to believe what God has told you! You can't afford to wait for them to get comfortable with your vision before you pursue it. When people misunderstand you or refuse to help you, you can still get there without them. God is a covenant-making, covenant-keeping God and what He has spoken over your life will surely come to pass. If you doubt that, read this: '...My Word...will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.' (Isaiah 55:11 NIV) That's all the validation you need!

PRAYER TO END THE DAY :

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

In the night, I remember Your name O Lord! The day is done and my works ran well under Your grace. This is a blessed day for I received Your enlightenment and new knowledge by reading Your holy words. May my heart is filled full with Your decrees and wisdom that I make a good disciple at this End-time period! Bless me O God, remember me with favor O Lord, for all I have done in Your name.

Gratefully, in Jesus' holy name, Amen. !!!!

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