TAKE AWAY THAT STUMBLING-BLOCK

THE MESSAGE NOW
Vol. 4, No. 16 – Monday, 29th April, 2019
(John 11:38-44, Hebrews 12:1-2)
TAKE AWAY THAT STUMBLING-BLOCK

It is a statement of sound spiritual fact that God will not do for man that which man can do for or by himself. Why? God has given to man a brain and with that brain, man can construe and construct common sense.
For instance, God is yet in the full business of supporting His children in finding His perfect will in Marriage. However, God, having got that lady for the man, will not be the one who will place that lady on the matrimonial bed on the wedding night. In the kind mercies of God, man gets salary-paying-job to support himself. Will God also be the one to take the salary earned by that man to the market in order to purchase needed food items.

The truth is this: in man’s relationship with God, especially from the moment of transition from ‘milk’ to ‘meat’ (that is maturity stage), there are three tests every man must pass if man will ever enjoy that relationship with His Maker. These are the three tests of competence, capacity and character. God for instance paves the path for character change through salvation. But it is for man to work out his salvation after it has been well paved out first. This exegesis is clearly elucidated in the first text of this edition. The question is how?

Christ Jesus is the ‘all in all’. Christ has the power to do all things. But why does He yet need man to take away the stone from Lazarus’ grave? Understand the following facts in this regard:
Before the birth of every new (expected and unexpected) testimonies, the stone of offence must first be taken out of the way. There is no greater enemy of man other than sin. Sin is a stone of offence accusing man before God.

The mystery of sin is this: that which man considers small sin has the same sting and negative effect as those sins considered as big and mighty. Indeed, more traumatically, all sins have equal proportion of hatred, disgust and dastard effect before God and in the life of the committer of the sin.
Sin in any life determines how far the effect of prayer will turn out. Understand further dearly beloved the sin of gossip and lying has the same dastard consequences as the sin of fornication and adultery.
Once a sin is committed every other sin is deemed to be committed (Jam.2:10). So, it means it is a chain of causation for there exists a spiritual causal link from one sin to another.

There is no greater blocker of blessings and breakthroughs than sin. If the stone was not taken away, Lazarus may have awaken from death but would remain in the grave. This means that Lazarus could not have enjoyed his victory over death.
The effect is that Lazarus would remain in the grave and die again with time because of the terrible heat inside the grave. Ask yourself how many blessings have been released by God to you but which was not delivered and are left hanging?

Do you know that sin determines the time of breakthroughs? By implication do you known that sin can postpone the time of breakthroughs? Sin is a spiritual fragrance.
Just as the smell of nice perfumes and the likes command attention and attract, so does sin. Sin draws its associates like delay, yokes, obstacles, irritation, not and never loved, etc to the committer of the sin.

Understand that this edition of The Message Now is meant for as many who have embraced the saving grace of the Lord and who desire to better their lives through Christ Jesus. It is not such edition meant for a witch or sinners who are unwilling to repent.
No, not for such persons who are interested in continuing to drink the cup of lust, immorality, lying, etc and not the cup of righteousness. Get this dearly beloved, except a seed enters into the soil, die first and then comes back to life through the aid of water, soil nutrient, sunlight, etc, such seed cannot germinate and subsequently grow.

The point is this: unless sin dies in us (that is the death of the works of the flesh) how can the Spirit of God in us ever revive to life? (Gal.5:16-22). And if the Spirit of God in us remains perpetually suppressed by the works of the flesh, how can the Spirit of God in us do those things we desire? (See 2 Cor.13:5).
There are little assignments God has given to man like evangelism. Fail to do it and fail to have your needs met. Does that sound hard a conclusion? Remember the last words of Matthew chapter 28 ‘…And lo, I am with you even to the end of the world’. Hmmm!

Let us ask ourselves the question, can the one who has the Lord in his company lack any good thing? What a verse of the Scripture with massive and endless blessings! But do you also remember that this verse of Scripture is preponderant on an instruction and by implication the verse is conditional in nature?
The equation is equally applicable to God Himself, He requires His creatures to do those things which He cannot do for Himself. Two things the Lord cannot do for Himself.

First, the Lord cannot worship Himself. Man has to do that. The failure of man to do that is sin(Compare Ps.92:1-2 with Jam.4:17). The failure to worship or praise God attracts curses and blockage to expected blessings (see Mal.2:2-3). The obedience to praise God causes the unusual blessings to manifest (see Ps.50:22-23).

The second thing the Lord cannot do for Himself is evangelizing Himself. This is why the Lord said, “go ye into all the earth and make disciples of all nations’…. And with evangelism comes the great power of God to do the incredible.
The truth is: evangelism makes God known; evangelism announces God to the People. Therefore, he who evangelizes will made know to men by God and God will also ensure that that Evangelist is not announced but celebrated also. Mr brother, Mrs sister, are you ready to take up the challenge of taking away the stone today?

Fact (3) is this: the stone being asked to be taken away by the Lord is the one thing- obstacle responsible for all obstructions to your rising. That thing requires prayer and fasting or special prayers, anointing of an anointed minister or the invoking of the power of the Spirit for yoke-breaking.
The task of removing the stone will require some sort of spiritual strength of one whose anointing and works command great weight before God. For stones placed over tombs of dead persons are very heavy in nature. Therefore, only heavy-weight individuals can take up such tasks.

My sister, my brother, have you purposed in your heart to fight your battle alone? Well, I pray that the Lord will help you. But have you checked up whether you have enough spiritual power to single-handedly confront that battle?
I hope your decision to do it all by yourself was not informed by pride, frustration or depression? Was your decision based on genuine faith? If not, take note of this, that battle is likely to develop into a storm and it will carry you away. This is perhaps because you are still a spiritual light weight.

Alternatively, the length of your delay might be unusually long and many other blessings may be lost in the process. Therefore, see Deuteronomy chapter 30:19.
Mary and Martha made sure that they got their Master to the place where their brother lay. To what extent do you engage that pastor or prophet you trust is a genuine child of God to battle on your case before God?
Are you of one mind and one faith with that pastor or prophet? Otherwise, if that pastor or prophet is praying so hard for you and your mind is not right with him, you will end up wasting your time and that pastor/prophet’s anointing.

IN THE END, FEAR GOD AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS FOR THIS IS THE WHOLE DUTY OF MAN. LIVE IN RIGHTEOUSNESS, DO GOD’S WORK AND HE WILL PERFORM HIS WILL IN YOUR LIFE.

Question and Answer Section:
Question: What are the three tests a man must excel-in in his walk with God?
Answer: The three tests of competence, capacity and character.

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ALTAR CALL:
Backslidden – living in sin – needing fresh recommitment (say):
Christ Jesus, You are the Anointed One of the Most High. I come to you today as I am. In your mercy, help me out of my situation. Heal my soul, my spirit, my body, my life and my destiny. I acknowledge you as the only true lover of my soul. Please, deliver me on every side and save me through and through. I promise from the depth of my soul to be yours from henceforth, in Jesus name. Help me now O God. Be my Lord, my Saviour and my all in all from this day. Thank you Lord (read Ps.54 in closing and pray more).

HYMN: Nearer My God To thee.
PRAY NOW:

1. Repent of any known sin.
2. Thank the Lord for bringing you onto the end of the month of April.
3. O stones of wickedness preventing my glory from shining, be rolled away.
4. Negative fragrances around me, depart.
5. Satanic informants, stop or the Lord collide against you.
6. Persons, powers, forces and spirits canceling my prayers or reversing my prayers, let the thunder of God shatter you and your offspring.
7. I shall not fail. I shall not be delayed any more, and Psalm 5:12 shall become a reality in my life.
   Shalom