THE CRY OF THE SPIRIT DEVOTIONALS – BY RICHARD E. S. TAKIM

TODAY’S DEVOTION (SATURDAY 4TH JUNE 2022)

“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

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 4:14-16 NKJV

WELCOME TO THE 155TH DAY OF OUR YEAR OF AMAZING GRACE

It is the fourth day of the month already and we are grateful to the LORD who has not given us over to the teeth of our enemies. He has kept us and has not allowed His love for us to fail even when we do not deserve it.

This morning it is important that we give Him the praise for His amazing grace that has stood firm in our lives. Today is the 4th day of our next journey of faith with the Cry of the Spirit on matters of fear. Indeed, except for the fear of the LORD, the spirit of fear is not one of God’s gifts.

God gives those who walk with Him the ability to tremble at His word but will never give them the ability to tremble at the words of their enemies. Meaning if we find ourselves trembling at the words of our enemies, we should know it’s not from God. His word says;

“A righteous man who falters before the wicked Is like a murky spring and a polluted well.” Proverbs 25:26 NKJV

God will not want any of His own faltering before the wicked or trembling at their words. To falter means to yield in cowardice, to compromise integrity, or fall down before someone due to weakness of mind.

The classic edition of the amplified version put the same verse this way;

“Like a muddied fountain and a polluted spring is a righteous man who yields, falls down, and compromises his integrity before the wicked.” Proverbs 26:25 AMPC

You can now understand while men like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stood before Nebuchadnezzar and said;

… “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.

But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” Daniel 3:16-18 NKJV

YOU CANNOT SPEAK LIKE THIS IF YOU DO NOT HAVE SOMETHING FROM ABOVE WORKING IN YOU.

They knew proverbs 25:26 and stood on it when the King wanted them to bow before the image he had built. Their resolve was stronger than the king’s threat. He was the king of kings then, so long as the kings of the earth were concerned. Yet, three subjects resisted him.

The righteous ones refused to falter before the wicked one. That is a pattern there for us all. That is an end time pattern for the end time Church.

Child of GOD, there will be a church full of people who will not falter before the wicked before the return of our king. The LORD is going to purify us like silver and gold are purified and bring us to that faith position.

Yes, He will grant us uncommon grace for uncommon courage before the Godless authorities of our age and time.

Yes, We are going to face stiffer opposition in our age and time, especially carriers of the present truth and those who want to completely align with Christ as a pattern for their lives. There will be opposition in the home front against them; from parents, spouses, and even children. Jesus said all that.

It will require uncommon courage for those being attacked to keep to their faith because of the strength of family ties.

There will also be opposition from uncles, aunties, brothers and sisters. The family will become a valley for the slaughter of the faith of many these end times, again because of the power of family ties.

It is very difficult to overcome family ties when it comes to keeping the faith. There are people who have abandoned the faith to sustain their family ties because misguided preachers said to them “honor your father and your mother” when they were being led astray.

I have met young men and women whose parents would not let serve God. Do not be mistaken! Parents, siblings, spouses, aunties, uncles and very close family members who even financed your education will be used these end times to take you away from having Christ at the center of your life.

A MAN’S ENEMIES, WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING HEAVEN THIS END TIMES, WILL INCLUDE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD

Personally, I have faced attacks from parents who thought I was misleading their Children for being in our ministry and departing from sexual sins, alcohol, wild parties and all that ruin a youth.

I have a young woman at the present who the parents just want to drag to hell. So, the home front and extended family of many will become a valley of slaughter of some sort this end times.

No matter the threat we will face, and no matter from who or where it may come from, God’s expectations for our lives remains one. We should not falter before the wicked like the three Hebrew boys did not do in their time. We will become like murky waters if we do and destroy our own destinies.

The young men had the secret ingredient that do not let the righteous falter before the wicked. That ingredient was the grace of God, even when they were not in the dispensation of grace. When it comes to obeying God and doing His blessed will, no blood relative who is against it should have their way.

They may have their say, there is nothing wrong with that. Listen to them and do not be rude. But let none have their way. Let the LORD who died on the cross to save you have His way in your life.

When people become antagonistic towards divine plans and programs they are seen as wicked in God’s sight.

God does not want any of His own to show weakness before the wicked. We are to show weakness before Him alone so He can help us. But when we stand before the wicked, we are to be strong in the LORD and in the power of His might. Putting on His whole or complete armor!

The Bible spoke about the generation that mocks at fear typified in the horse. We will be coming into that in the days ahead of us. The three Hebrew Boys were part of that generation.

Mocking at fear is not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the living God. In simple terms, by the grace of GOD. It is the grace we obtain mercy to find on our prayer knees or in our study rooms that determine what we do when we are afraid.

THERE IS NOTHING SINFUL OR WRONG WITH BEING AFRAID. WHAT IS WRONG IS FEAR LAYING HOLD OF YOU.

David fought great wars and faced uncommon enemies in the battle front. There were times he was afraid. But in such moments, he will pray unto God and say;

“Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up; Fighting all day he oppresses me. My enemies would hound me all day, for there are many who fight against me, O Most High” (Psalm 56:1-2 NKJV).

Then he will conclude “ Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.” (Psalm 56:3 NKJV).

David stood because he was a man of prayer and word intake. It is the grace you obtain mercy to find especially in time of deep prayers and word intake that helps you to conquer fear in the day of war. That is what the life of the sanctified David teaches.

Our devotional text said;

“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

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 4:14-16 NKJV

The text admonished us to come boldly into the presence of God; the throne room presence where mercy and truth meet together, to obtain the mercy to always find grace in time of need. Especially, the grace for uncommon courage!

Meaning if you do not have a deep tap root into the ground of truth, you will not be able to find that grace when the enemy threatens you. God’s amazing grace is flows through the taproot of our human spirits planted deep into the soil of GOD’s present truth, to unleash His amazing acts in our lives.

If our spiritual roots are deep and deeper into the ground of His truth, we will be able to draw sufficient grace to carry us through whenever we need it.

I want to close this discourse today with the classic Edition of the amplified version of the same scripture. It is my prayer that as you meditate in it, God will help you to find grace to help in time of need. Amen

AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR THE DAY!

“Inasmuch then as we have a great High Priest Who has [already] ascended and passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession [of faith in Him].

For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning.

Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it]. Hebrews 4:14-16 AMPC