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The Reality of God’s Promises!

January 16, 2014 cm-admin News 0

16 Jan 2014 by Natasha Kim CM-

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength; they will fly up on wings like eagles; they will run and not be tired; they will walk and not be weary. (Isaiah 40:31)

Life is a series of battles! We are always going to face challenges as God leads all of us into new seasons. Pastor Clarance Shashi recently preached at C3 Subang on the 5th of January, about the battles in life we have to face. “If God has allowed you to go through a challenge, it’s only because he’s already hidden your victory, your growth, your gain, your blessing, and your development in that battle,” he said. It is important that you remember that God is not the source of your battle, He does not cause you to go through these battles but allows you to go through it.

We have an enemy in this world that came to existence since the beginning of time, and that is the devil, who is constantly at work to derail and rob you of your fulfillment, joy and destiny. “We have an enemy that is always at work against us, but the good news is, that we have a God that is always at work for us! If you have not gone through battles, you will not know the power you have to overcome the enemy,” he shared. Therefore, the good news is that through every battle we go through, we will come out of it stronger, better, and more glorious than before!

We know that God works all things together for good for the ones who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1)

Speak Life into your circumstances, do not speak Defeat!

If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31) How would you know what it is to be conquerors in Christ if you have nothing to conquer? How would you know the reality of the scripture that says that God is a very present help in our time of need, if you do not face any needs? “The Bible is a book of battles, especially in the old testament. You will constantly see God’s people moving and facing battles that are constantly being deployed by evil,” he said. One of the most popular battle stories is David and Goliath. According to this story, no one was big enough to face the giant Goliath. Armies would scatter at the sight of him, as he mocked, ridiculed and scared them away but David looked at the circumstance and saw things differently. He saw how he could overcome it and receive victory!

Simultaneously, there are “giants” (e.g. financial, health, relational giants etc.) in our lives, the “big problems” that overwhelm people when we allow it to speak into our lives. “The more we listen to it, the bigger it becomes and hence the smaller we feel,” he said. When you hear the voice of people or that voice inside you telling you, that you aren’t good enough, that you deserve it, that you are weak, and that everybody’s going to laugh at you, it begins to put fear in you. “The only weapon that the enemy has against you is it’s voice,” shared Clarance. Don’t listen to it, don’t give it attention or allow it to take ground in your life! For example, at the very beginning of time, all the devil had to do is talk to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden to allow sin to first enter the world. According to the story, God came looking for Adam after he ate the forbidden fruit, but Adam hid because he was ashamed of himself, because he was naked and felt unworthy.

And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” ¹¹He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” (Genesis 3:10-11)

“In the face of the giant, they not only forgot who they are, they forgot who God is, they forgot that they are the people of destiny and that they have a mighty God with them,” shared Clarance. Nations and their people fall not because of their big circumstances but because in the face of their enemies, they forgot who they are. God has a plan and a purpose for all of us, from the time we came out from our mothers’ wombs. When you forget God and do not consider your destiny, there will be a fall in your life. “God did not bring you this far so that you can experience defeat, He brought you this far so that He can take you further till you experience the call to your life!”

I know the plans I have in mind for you, declares the Lord; they are plans for peace, not disaster, to give you a future filled with hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

“However, there are some battles that you need not fight. When Jesus went to the cross, He took your condemnation, your sin, your unworthiness, and took it upon Himself, He shed His blood and said ‘It is finished (John 19:30),’” said Clarance. That itself meant the end of blood-shed! Unfortunately, since the enemy is hard at work, and will still invite you to fight battles that you need not. You need to realize that Christ has already won the ultimate victory! “The many battles that we fight now are not battles to gain victory, they are battles to enforce victory. We do not fight for victory, we fight from victory! Your job is to enforce the victory that Jesus has already won for you,” he said. The power of Christ has set us free from sin that leads to death.