TODAY’S DEVOTION (SUNDAY 9TH JULY 2023)**
“In righteousness, you shall be established; you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you.” Isaiah 54:14 NKJV
WELCOME TO THE 190th DAY OF OUR YEAR OF SIGNS AND WONDERS.
We give God the glory for the first day of the week. One more time, the LORD has enabled us to start another week in His presence. Today is the July edition of our Monthly International broadcast on Citizen Tv and Morning Cloud Television Global.
The Morning Cloud Television covers the whole of Eastern, Western, Central, and Southern Africa. It also covers the online space through an app, called AVO Tv, where you can view the station 24/7 wherever you are on earth. I hope you are ready for the move of God.
Starting a week in God’s presence remains the best way to start a week. It has a way of putting God ahead of us to (in Bible terms) break the gates of brass for us, cut the bars of iron asunder, and make the crooked places straight. It is part of the law of First that every mature Christian respects. God used our apostolic fathers to make it so, hence moving days of corporate assembly from Saturday in Judaism, to Sunday!
Except you came to destroy someone, being in the presence of God, no matter how long, has no disadvantages. It only has reactions from the flesh, the devils, or lost sinners around your life. Today we will be looking at one major thing that being in the presence of God long enough does to help us fulfill our divine destinies; one thing it adds to our lives.
To start with, understand that mankind was created to live in the presence of GOD, the way fishes were created to live in water. The presence of God is where we are clothed with the peace our lives need; I mean perfect peace. It is in God’s presence that we pick our miracles because His presence brings things from Heaven to earth. The Bible says;
“You will show me the path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy, at your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.” Psalms 16:11 AMP
You cannot have scriptures like this in your Bible, and deliberately forsake the assembling of the brethren in a Church where the true presence of God lives.
Sadly, preachers and some church people, have called being in Church fellowships with no presence of God, but the gimmicks of men, money making, beautiful singing, great entertainment, and man-made preaching, as being in the presence of God.
THEY HAVE MADE PEOPLE EMBRACE CHURCH SERVICES THAT HAVE NO GOD AS THE PRESENCE OF GOD.
Consequently, many are tired of going to Church today. It is part of the devil’s ploy to make people live their lives outside the true presence of God. Hence either giving them empty church services to attend in the name of being in the presence of God, or no church to attend at all.
Whenever the devil wants to kill a man or woman, he will make them hate the true presence of God and accept what looks like it. People who are cut off from the true presence of God, are actually cut off from everything God offers – Healing, deliverance, sustenance, protection, provision, preservation, vision, true anointing of the Holy Ghost, etc.
Now, one of the most important blessings we get from being in the active presence of God long enough is the righteousness from God that it fills our lives with. The Bible will put it this way, “the righteousness of God it clothes us with.”
Meaning, we may call ourselves the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, but until we develop the habit of spending quality time in God’s active presence, the confession will never translate into reality. Our unchanged moral natures will defeat our confessions.
Our devotional text today is very profound and relevant to our age. It promised us protection against oppression, fear, and terror. Doubtlessly, we are in the days of oppression, fearful things, and global terrorism.
God knew these days will come. Things do not take Him unawares because He was before the beginning began and knows the end from the beginning. That is why people who are familiar with Bible prophecy are not lost on where our world is heading to. They know exactly where we are and where we are headed to as mankind.
Our devotional text made it clear that the secret of protection from oppression, fear, and terror is righteousness. We have shared these truths repeatedly on many platforms, because of how important and relevant they are. The Bible says in righteousness we shall be established, and we shall be far from oppression, fear, and terror.
THAT IS WHY WE NEED THE PRESENCE OF GOD TO CLOTH US WITH THE RIGHTEOUSNESS THAT WILL ESTABLISH AND KEEP US FAR FROM OPPRESSION, FEAR, OR TERROR.
The world is dealing with a new threat to world peace – terrorism, and the Church ought to offer the solution, but sadly, many are too far from God and too corrupt to offer it. God said in His word that the ULTIMATE cure for global terror will be righteousness. That was long before our age and time. Sadly, the world is spending a fortune to deal with the scourge its own way.
Our security agencies are trying their human best with many of them paying the ultimate sacrifice in the process. That is what usually happens each time man turns back at God’s solution to things, and tries to create his own solution.
Talking about terror, apart from global terrorism threatening mankind, there are also internal terrors called fear of the unknown hunting the souls of many. But when a man is established in righteousness, he will be far from this kind of terror also, according to the scriptures. He will come out of any oppression and fear. The Bible indeed said, the righteous are as bold as a lion. Meaning, righteousness has a way of eliminating fear.
Sadly, righteousness has indeed become very scarce today hence there is increased oppression, fear, and terror. Actually, the devil wants righteousness eliminated so that everyone will be eliminated. But mercy has been saying no! God’s goal has been to eliminate evil, sin, and all forms of wickedness by establishing righteousness.
The devil knows if he eliminates righteousness, we all will become vulnerable to his attacks and schemes. That is why he even goes as far as making everyone who departs from evil a prey, the purpose is to frustrate the inert desire to be righteous in their heart. Sadly, he seems to be succeeding in the lives of some.
There is a great falling away from the standards of righteousness that our fathers of faith were established on. The very standards that made them carry a glory that turned the world upside down wherever they went with the Word. The standards that made people like Peter discuss with death, and men like Stephen pulled Jesus to His feet to receive them with honor in glory!
AT THIS POINT, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE REFRESH OUR MEMORIES ON WHAT RIGHTEOUSNESS IS.
Righteousness is right standing with God! However, righteousness is not just an act, righteousness is a person. The Bible says Jesus is our righteousness. But as earlier stated our generation seems to misunderstand this Biblical revelation.
Some Christians live in sin and when you admonish them to desist, they will tell you Christ is their righteousness, that whatever they now do, no longer matters.
THAT IS A DANGEROUS POSITION TO TAKE.
It’s a sign that they have been overwhelmed by the enemy, because when the Bible says, “Christ is our righteousness,” it means He is our judgment seat, our redemption sacrifice, our lawgiver, and the giver of our righteousness. It also means we cannot be declared righteous by God until He *(The righteous One)*lives inside us.
This is how it works! No one on his own is righteous or can be. But when Christ lives in you, He will permeate your life with His righteousness, transforming your moral nature, and when people relate with you, they will touch or experience the righteousness of GOD (Christ) in you.
In simple terms, if the Righteous One comes into your heart, and you cultivate unbroken fellowship with Him and His word, He will fill every detail of your moral life with His righteousness, putting all carnal desires in you to death and eliminating sinful living. He said in his word;
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears and listens to and heeds My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will eat with him, and he [will eat] with Me.” Revelation 3:20 AMPC
Until what the LORD said in this scripture has taken place in your life, you will never experience the fullness of Jesus and all He has to offer to you. Also, Christ will never become your righteousness with evidence in your moral nature.
Like earlier stated, righteousness is a person. Until we are established in Him, we cannot be far from oppression, fear, or terror. When He comes into our hearts by a tangible faith, and we cultivate fellowship with Him, people will feel His presence around us wherever we go. When that happens, we can be far from terror, and away from oppression. They will not come near us.
You see, Christ in you remains the hope of glory, not even money in your pocket, or people around your life!
Sadly, the Church takes money in your pocket as Christ in you. That is why we have become rich, needing nothing. But by Christ’s assessment, we are poor wretched, and blind in the Spirit. This has to change if global terror and everything coming upon the human race will be erased.
I believe you have found one more truth to act on for your divine destiny in Christ to be fulfilled.
MAKE THIS SCRIPTURE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR THE DAY
“And to the angel (messenger) of the assembly (church) in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the trusty and faithful and true Witness, the Origin and Beginning and Author of God’s creation:
I know your [record of] works and what you are doing; you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot!
So, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth!For you say, I am rich; I have prospered and grown wealthy, and I am in need of nothing; and you do not realize and understand that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
Therefore I counsel you to purchase from Me gold refined and tested by fire, that you may be [truly] wealthy, and white clothes to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nudity from being seen, and salve to put on your eyes, that you may see.
Those whom I [dearly and tenderly] love, I tell their faults and convict and convince and reprove and chasten [I discipline and instruct them]. So be enthusiastic and in earnest and burning with zeal and repent [changing your mind and attitude].
Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears and listens to and heeds My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will eat with him, and he [will eat] with Me.
He who overcomes (is victorious), I will grant him to sit beside Me on My throne, as I Myself overcame (was victorious) and sat down beside My Father on His throne.
He who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the [Holy] Spirit says to the assemblies (churches).” Revelation 3:14-22 AMPC