THE BATTLEGROUND (The change process 3)

Hebrews 5:7-8 NKJV

“who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered”. 

 “Then He also said to the multitudes, "Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, 'A shower is coming'; and so it is. And when you see the south wind blow, you say, 'There will be hot weather', and there is. Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time”? Luke 12:54-56.

“Of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command” 1 Chron. 12:32. Taking a look at the boldened scriptures, we are presented with three questions;

Hebrews 5 says Jesus learnt OBEDIENCE by the things He suffered. Is it possible that we are learning to be complacent about God or passionate towards God? Nothing and no one can be imposed on you, whatever you learn is what you’ve decided to learn. Every day offers us two options- to learn or not to learn. The first question is, what are we learning? What are we learning from the things we are going through in this season? Are we learning to be more humble before God or rebel against God; are we learning to love more or hate? 

The second question is, hope we are not hypocrites able to discern the face of the sky and not discern the times? We are hypocrites when we want to continue to live as usual and do things in the way we are used to doing them. The wise ones go back and think about this type of question. It is no longer business as usual, so do not continue to behave and live as if it’s business as usual.

The third question is: Do we have an understanding of the times? Are we doing what we are supposed to be doing? Do we understand the times? What are we doing? What time is it? If you are wise, you will take heed to these questions, and make the needed adjustments. You will not make an effort to change if you do not see the need to change. We must have answers to these questions if we are going to be true participants in God’s program. 

“…if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land”. 2 Chron. 7:14. If there’s going to be change in the land, God’s people will have to change. Heaven is waiting to take orders from its representatives on the earth. It is what we permit on earth that will be permitted in heaven. We have to turn from our ways to God’s ways.

In order for this change to come through, there has to be a change on our inside that will spill over to the outside. This change affects everything about us; our body language, posture, and mindset. Our mind is where the real battlefield is. The disposition or state of the mind is a controlling factor when it comes to making changes. The benefit of salvation you will enjoy is tied to the extent to which your mind is renewed.

The key cry now is A CHANGE OF ATTITUDE. The attitude to life, authority, rebuke, correction and teachings are areas where we need to make changes. A change of attitude is the way to break off from the old order, to break off generational curses and limitations and enforce generational blessings. Also, you must see all of these changes in the light of the big picture-we need to make choices in the light of who we are in Christ. What it means to be a Christian is to be sure that our lives are completely subject to Christ, that the choices we make are in the light of the big picture- that is, about the purpose of God, visions of God, the heavenly vision, the coming of Jesus, the kingdom of God.

Attitude to Life

From the life of Adam, we learnt that;

1) We should never run from God but run to God. We should make God our stronghold. Run to God and stay with Him. There are many reasons people run from God, such as guilt, when one is living in sin and compromise etc but run to Him no matter what. To run to God is to stick to the principles of scriptures and the demands of the covenant

2) Take responsibility for your life, nation, day etc, stop looking for whom to blame.

3) You must die to self; say no to selfishness, say yes to Christ centred living. The gospel cannot advance through a people who are not dead to self. Those who will take the gospel to the ends of the earth are those who are Christ centred, not self-centred- Men and women who have died to self. Matthew 24:12-14 said because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. Iniquity means lawlessness, illegality, violation of laws, violating scriptural laws- it is only those whose love will not wax cold that will preach the gospel to the ends of the earth. 

2 Tim.3:1-4 says “…men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God”. The gospel will not advance when men love pleasure more than God. If self is not curtailed, it will ruin you. Adam fell because of self. The hindrance to the advancement of the gospel is not satan but self.

Attitude to Authority

Judges 17:6, records a time in Israel when there was no King and everyone did what they liked, this brought chaos in the land.  Right now, this seems to be the present state in our nation. Everyone wants to do what they like. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end is the way of death”. Prov.14:12. You must be in the right way, otherwise, you will fail. We need to have the right attitude to authority. Authority is responsibility. It is not about giving commands and then doing what you like. God does not take the glory for any result that goes contrary to scriptures.

“Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets…” Matthew 7:12-14. Whatever you are demanding from others, (especially those in authority,) the President, your Pastor, spouse, children, etc be sure that you are doing the same at your own level. If you expect others to be accountable, you have to be living a life of accountability. 

The way to life is narrow and difficult only a few find it.

To be a benefactor of the authority that is there per time, you must find out what’s in the mind of God concerning that authority figure. Romans 13:1. See Daniel 2:20, 4:17, “There is no king that will be enthroned if God does not approve”. Every time God raises a king or a leader, we ought to ask Him, “God, what are you saying”? We are not getting answers because we are not asking Him the right questions. Whatever we are seeing and experiencing in our land, the church is responsible for it, we are the culprits. Jesus subjected Himself to His parents’ authority. Luke 2:51. You cannot command authority if you are not under authority. Life cannot exist without authority.

You can never have a problem with men if you have no problem with God. You can’t be led effectively by a man if you are not under the authority of God’s word. The gospel didn’t just call us to BELIEVE, it calls us to OBEY also. A man that cannot tremble at the voice of the Spirit cannot tremble at the voice of a human. If you cannot listen to the right voice, the wrong voices will control you. Authority structure is set up to help and guide us. We have to come to terms with whatever God has ordained. 

If our boast will be on knowing anything, let it be in the scriptures. 

We must put the scriptures above everything else. Without all the dimensions of the scriptures in our lives, we cannot be thoroughly equipped. To be thoroughly furnished, we have to embrace all the dimensions mentioned; instruction, reproof, correction, doctrine etc. 2 Tim. 3:14-17.

Prayer

LORD let these words be mixed with faith in my heart. I am a believer, I am not a doubter.

What you believe and experience is a choice. 1 Cor. 4:1-11.

We are His disciples indeed if we continue in the word. (John 8:30-32) As disciples, we are students and students are instructed, corrected and reproved. We are called disciples indeed if we live by the principles of the word and not just by attending church only. It is only the truth that can set men free and the process of knowing the truth is by following the Lord totally. He is the way, the truth and the life.

The Battle Ground (The change process 2)

The change process begins on the inside and not on the outside. The prayer that will be effective is the prayer of the humble, who has sought the Lord. You must seek Him if you will be effective in prayers. 

“The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's; But the earth He has given to the children of men”. Psalm 115:116.

The state of any land/place is determined by God’s people. Wherever darkness is seen or is being perpetuated, it means that the light bearer there is not shining the light. As covenant children of God, we must stop using Babylonian laws and tricks. We need to shine the light; 

-By confessing the word

-Living by the word 

-Preaching the gospel 

-And praying. 

The change we are craving for will not come till there's a change in our ATTITUDE. This is very important because the real battle is in the mind. Without a change in our attitude there won’t be real change. As long as the attitude is wrong, we will keep perpetuating the same thing in the same order over and over again; ultimately, there will be no lasting change.

What we are experiencing in Nigeria is a product of failed leadership, leaders who are totally cut off from the people. We have leaders who are not in tune with the needs of the people.

In the same way, let's stop demanding what we do not provide for. Do not demand a discipline you have not taught or exemplified. 

When what you want and who you are, are far apart, it cannot produce what you desire. 

Attitude to life 

 It doesn’t matter what happens, we have to make God our priority. We must stick to the principles of God’s word, rather than use our emotions, sentiments, traditions and cultures.

- Make faith in God your stronghold. Run to Him at all times. When you have faith in God, you won’t need to steal

- Take responsibility for your life, home, day, domain etc. As long as you are blaming somebody for your circumstances and actions, there will never be a change. Rise up and take responsibility. And if at any time, you can’t find an example, be the example

Attitude to Authority

What we are facing right now in this nation is a leadership crisis. The way to deal with it is not by going to the top. The leaders started from somewhere- (They came from homes. Train up a child in the way he should go and when he’s old, he will not depart from it. Prov.22:6.)

We have to deal with it at the root. At your present level, begin to do whatever you are demanding of leadership. If we are all doing what we ought to be doing at our various levels, we would have better homes, society and nation. Always interpret events in the light of scriptures and not based on your culture/tradition.

God always gives us the kind of leaders we need per time that fits our way of life. “And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding”. Dan. 2:21. 

David never spoke against king Saul at any time at all because he understood that it was God who put him there. As long as a leader has not been removed, you have no right to speak against him in the bid to oust him. When it comes to leadership, it is not about the personality or the person holding the office; it is about the OFFICE and POSITION of AUTHORITY. You need to have respect and regard for whoever is there.

The kind of persons or people God brings into our lives indicates what God wants to do in our lives. You cannot command authority if you are not under authority. If we all come under the authority of God’s word, we would see the change we are all craving and demanding for. 

When a man comes under the authority of God, it becomes easier for him to come under constituted authority. We all seem to know what is right but no one is taking responsibility. Maturity is doing what is right by God's standard without been supervised or forced. Life cannot exist without authority. And authority exists at every level and everywhere. It exists in the God-head, it exists among satan and his cohorts, it exists among nations, homes, families, etc. 

We must cultivate the attitude/culture of becoming comfortable with authority, because the authorities that exist are appointed by God. (Rom. 13:1). All those who resent constituted authority are being rebellious. If you resent authority, it is a calculated attempt by satan to stop you from coming into a position of authority. You cannot claim to believe God's word and yet you do not obey Him. For as long as we do not subject ourselves to God’s word, the devil is not bothered-Luke 6:47-49.

As believers, we are meant to pray for those in authority and not speak against them. In serving God, we must not violate authority. That will be rebellion. 

Prayer

- Lord, help me

- Lord, I am willing to be changed

The Battle Ground (The Change Process)

“The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's; But the earth He has given to the children of men”. Psalm 115:16

The order
The heaven-God is in charge
The earth-Man is in charge

We need to understand this so we can exercise our authority as we ought and be able to maximize it thoroughly.

“And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven”. Matt. 16:19

Two locations were mentioned in this passage-Heaven and earth. In the order of the activities/actions that will take place, the earth comes first. That is, will be heaven responds to what the earth has allowed, that is what heaven will sanction. 

The authority you will command and wield is tied to the revelation of God that you have and it comes through deliberate interactions with God (Father, Son and Holy Ghost) Whatever is happening on the earth is what we allow. Whatever we do not allow cannot take place nor happen. It is whatever we permit on earth that will take place.

Even God could not go against this principle of His because when it comes to the earth, it has to be a man who will get the job done. That is why He said He sought for a man. When it came to saving man, God had to come in the flesh as a man to save man.

“…if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land”. Chron.7:12-14

God will only partner with those who are in Christ and it is on this premise God will intervene in the affairs of the earth, through His people who are called by his name and have humbled themselves.

The truth is, if corruption is not found in the church and in our homes, there won’t be corruption in the society. Thus, the state of the land is tied to and determined by God’s people. If you are following Christ, you will stick to the principles of God’s word.

Whenever there is crisis, our first point of call should be to turn to God in repentance and total surrender and not run from Him. Never run from God, run to Him. The change we are craving for can only come through God because God is the SOURCE of TOTAL CHANGE. Any true change we want to see in our time and day is tied to God. There’s no righteousness outside of Christ. Righteous works can only be sustained when God is the foundation. Right now, we are losing faith. If there must be a change, there must be a change of attitude. (That is the disposition or state of the mind, our body language). There must be a change of attitude to life.

The real problem is our attitude. A place is determined by the people there, which is a product of the state of the mind.

The corruption we see in the society is a product of wrong upbringing.

We must learn to take responsibility for the outcome of our lives because that is the right attitude to life. There’s no life outside of God. Making excuses and shifting the blame is another way of lying. In short, it is a higher level of lying. No wrong justifies your being wrong. Take responsibility for your life. What it means to be a mature Christian is that you are responsible and you are no longer regulated by your feelings. God is in need of Responsible Christians.

Change of attitude to authority
There must be a change of attitude to authority. The reason we don’t have good/successful leadership is because we are not good followers. You cannot be a successful leader if you are not a successful follower. We demand accountability when we are not accountable. When the government of God is not working among God’s people, how can it work in the world at large? When we run our homes, businesses the way we like, yet we complain about how the government runs the nation, how can either work?

 Change starts with us, with you and I. We need to upgrade and change our mode of operations. If we are demanding a change from the government/society, we must be the model of what we are asking for.

Prayer
- Lord, I surrender to you