TODAY’S DEVOTION (SATURDAY 18th NOVEMBER 2023)
“Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].
For by [faith—trust and holy fervor born of faith] the men of old had divine testimony borne to them and obtained a good report.” Hebrews 11:1-2 AMPC
WELCOME TO THE 322ND DAY OF OUR YEAR OF SIGNS AND WONDERS.
It’s a beautiful Saturday and we thank the LORD for His marvelous kindness towards us.
This is the end of another week in our year of Signs and wonders. Being alive alone is a sign and a wonder to our enemies, especially those who have fasted and prayed for our extinction.
One major thing the LORD will always watch over in our lives is our faith. That He has done very well this year, as well as other years. He has fed us with truths that keeps faith alive.
To Him belong the glory!
Personally, I am still having the hang over of yesterday’s devotional on the need to cross check the Jesus we are all following, because there is so much going on that is not Biblical.
I know the present crop of believers do not like such word, in fact those who are fond of commenting over my post refrained from doing that yesterday. I believe it was either because they were struck with surprise by the LORD, or the enemy just hardened their hearts.
Satan will be the last person to have you cross check the Jesus you are following. He wants you to follow the wrong lane until you fulfill your days.
I do not know about you, but I have come to realize that, if you allow the Holy Spirit to manifest in your heart as the Spirit of truth, you will discover that the Jesus we have in so many lives today is not the Jesus of the Bible.
I consider yesterday’s devotional a generational prophetic word. The devotional that came before that one also stood out for me. There were so many lines that stood out; one of them says;
“visionary living is all about walking in the Spirit and seeing Him who is invisible, leading you through and through, until you get to the finishing line of your life on earth.”
Yesterday’s own made it clear that He who is invisible, the one we must set our eyes on, is Jesus Christ; the Jesus of the Bible. It was a call to walk in the Spirit of Christ – the Holy Spirit.
Yes, when it comes to visionary living, you must learn to walk in the Holy Spirit of Christ.
IF YOU CANNOT WALK IN THE SPIRIT, FORGET ABOUT VISIONARY LIVING SO LONG AS THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS CONCERNED.
You may be living visionary but GOD will not be involved. Do not forget, we said earlier that visionary living is not a monopoly of God’s kingdom. Even those born of the spirit of this world, lead visionary lives, and are even successful at it.
Sadly, that is the kind of visionary living you find even among us believers.
The visionary living born of the spirit of this world, pursue things that are exalted among men. The Bible says whatever is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of GOD. Yet, that is what drives the visionary living of most Christians today.
I can’t forget a headline news I read, reporting about a nudity show that a lady won a large sum of money in Nigeria (10 million naira). The lady shared with the press how she will spend her money. Top on her list was a decision to pay her tithes.
I was shocked that she was even a Christian. I wondered what her pastor preaches. But that is what being born of the spirit of this world does to a believer.
God will never accept proceeds from such ventures according to scriptures. But a church born of the spirit of this world will.
Cursed is any visionary living that GOD is not involved in. It will give you what is exalted among men. It will make you succeed by earth’s definition. But throw you into hell when you fulfill your days on earth and die without repentance.
Talking about repentance, if losing a great success that you achieved by following the spirit of this world is the cost of your repentance, it will be very difficult to repent.
THAT IS WHY BEING VISIONARY OUTSIDE THE SPIRIT OF GOD IS DANGEROUS.
If you walk in the Spirit of God, you will be able to see Christ who is invisible, leading you through and through; yes, even through difficulties, and the different seasons of life, until you fulfill His assignment for your life on earth.
No matter what alternatives you might have, I submit to you that the best life to live in an evil infested world, is a life in the Spirit – the Holy Spirit of Christ. A life in the Spirit, will make Christ your Shepherd indeed.
When He becomes your shepherd, He will lead you through adversity and prosperity, through strife and peace, through hard times and good times, through disappointments and appointments with destiny blessings.
Yes, He will be leading you through and through, until you get to the finishing line of your life on earth. Sadly, that is the leading that is missing in the lives of many. That is why not many are living Heavenly visionary lives.
This authentic leading of the LORD is missing because, not many of us are walking in the Spirit. Most are religious and spiritual but not SPIRITUAL. The two are not the same. You can be spiritual and not Holy Spirit spiritual.
So many are spiritual but not Holy Spirit spiritual. That is why they will tell you God is leading them to do things that the Bible forbids and the Spirit of truth rejects. Your spirituality will be a piece of insanity, if you are spiritual and not SPIRITUAL.
Being SPIRITUAL is from the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, but being spiritual is from the realm of the flesh or the spirit of this world mixed with religiosity.
It could also be from a realm of the flesh that was touched by the presence of the LORD but not changed.
The Bible spoke about a people who had the word that proceeded from God’s presence, but the word never profited them because it was not mixed with faith. Faith is a product of being SPIRITUAL not spiritual.
You cannot mix the word with faith being spiritual. You must be SPIRITUAL for that to happen.
IT IS WHEN THE WORD IS MIXED WITH FAITH, THAT IT BRINGS US TO THE REALM OF BEING TOUCHED AND CHANGED BY THE PRESENCE OF GOD.
Yes, it is when we mixed the word of the LORD with faith, that our SPIRITUALITY bears fruit in our lives and bring us to the realm where we can walk in the Holy Spirit of Christ.
To mix the word with faith is to respond to the word, based on what it opened your heart to see or sense, in the realm of the Holy Spirit. I said Holy Spirit, not just any spirit. The realm of the Holy Spirit is the realm of TRUTH, because He is the Spirit of truth.
Understand that when GOD speak or teach, we see, sense, and touch things in the Spirit with our spiritual senses.
Mixing the word with faith is responding to what you saw, sensed, or touched with your spiritual senses when GOD spoke to you, or taught you either directly or through a human vessel.
When we respond to it, it becomes possible to do away with the flesh, and walk in the Spirit. That brings us to the next law of visionary living – the Laws of Faith.
Our devotional text says,
“Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].
For by [faith— trust and holy fervor born of faith] the men of old had divine testimony borne to them and obtained a good report.” Hebrews 11:1-2 AMPC
From this scripture, it is clear that faith is first AN ASSURANCE, then A PROOF, and then A CONVICTION. It is not something someone talk you into acting. You do not act it and succeed. It is something that begins with an assurance created by what your spiritual senses have picked from the realm of the Spirit.
The assurance functions as the confirmation or the title deeds of the things; things your spiritual senses have picked, but none have been revealed to your natural senses yet, though they are realities that are ready to be born into your life, or through your life on earth.
That is the assurance that plants a conviction of those things in our hearts, leading to actions that serves as proofs. I hope you understand me!
You cannot lead a visionary life without this kind of faith.
Visionary living involves the active use of our spiritual senses; the eyes, the ears, the feelings, the voice and assurances of faith, to follow the leading and dealings of Jesus Christ, from one season of life to another, until our days on earth are fulfilled.
That is how the law of faith helps us to lead visionary lives. We will see more about that when we return tomorrow.
LET THIS SCRIPTURE BE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR US TODAY!
“And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:
That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,
Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.” Hebrews 6:12-15 KJV