GOD’S GLORY: BREAKING SATANIC BARRIERS
We live in an age and time that believe in multicultural gods. There appears reincarnation of other fetish gods and religions. This culture neither believes in the scriptures as the word of God nor on the supremacy of the God of the bible. They do not believe in Jesus Christ as the son of God and the Savoir of the world. Their master- Satan does not care which of the gods we worship as long as He’s not the God of the Bible or Jesus Christ – the King of glory. Satan has been loosing grounds as many people come to know Christ very personally. He becomes offensive but very subtly. That’s why we have wars, terrors, rape, murders and even devastating natural calamities revolting against man’s deeds, wrong doings and iniquities. How do we understand Satan’s subtle devices and fight against them as well as break these barriers to live as God intends become the focus of the address.
GROUNDS FOR CONCERN: Writing on ‘Breaking free’ Beth Moore marshaled out some grounds for concern as follows:
[i] A Christian is held bondage by anything that hinders him/her from living the abundant life that God intends which is also the effective Spirit-filled life. The worst victim is a prison unaware, most vulnerable to her captors and the easiest prey of the enemy. [ii] Most time Christians make the mistake of ignoring Satan in their walk with God as if he does not exist. They hold the opinion that as long as they do not fight Satan, he does not fight them. Again, because they are born again, they‘re free from satanic attacks and going to be fine. But in all truisms the reverse is the case. [iii] Some Christians when oppressed build shelters for themselves. They hide in shelters – go into isolations; hide behind jobs/works, hide behind busy activities at Church and do not make deliberately time to be in tune with God – in prayers, fasting, fellowships and bible studies. They are good in treating symptoms rather than causes [root/source] –hiding under pretense. [iv] Sometimes God allows us go through distress; conflicts or things that are bad enough to cause serious concern, so as to force us seek Him earnestly. It could be that we’ve opened our doors [doors of our minds or being careless] wide to the devil. [v] To be liberated in Christ we’ve got some sacrifices to make. God recognizes such deliberate sacrifices to honor Him and give glory to his name.According to Isaiah Chapter 43:3-10, God had graciously extended to his children five [5] benefits:
-to know God and believe in Him [Is. 64:4; 1Cor.2:9]
-to glorify God [Is.54:17; John17:9-10].
-to find satisfaction in God [Is. 58:11; Ps.27:1; John8:32].
-to experience God’s peace [Is.43:2-3, 26:3, 54:10; Jesus- Prince of Peace [Is9:6; 2Thess3:16]
-to enjoy God’s presence. Is 33:2; Lam.3:19-25; Ps.90:14].
Isaiah also highlighted five [5] obstacles that could block our access to these benefits that God want us to enjoy:
– Unbelief: which hinders knowing God
– Pride: This prevents us from glorifying God.
– Idolatry: This keeps us from being satisfied with God Almighty; we look for help and fulfillment somewhere else.
– Prayerlessness: which blocks our experience of God’s presence?
– Legalism: This stops our enjoyment of God’s presence.
We must learn to guard ourselves against all that lures us to enslavement and captivity of the enemy by trying to remain in God’s presence and abiding in Him. The purpose of Christ coming and ministry is revealed in Isaiah 61 and Luke 4:14-21 respectively. The Spirit of God is upon Christ [empowerment], for where the Spirit of the Lord is there’s liberty [2 Cor.3:17]:
-To preach message /good news unto the meek.
-bind the broken hearted [no matter what broke their hearts].
– proclaim freedom for the captives [no matter what kind of yoke that binds them].
– Release from darkness or prison [set captives free from sin and bondage].
– Comfort the mourn – [no matter the reason of the grief and mourn].
– Bestow on us a crown of beauty instead of ashes.
– Bestow on us a garment of praise instead of Spirit of despair.
– Proclaim acceptable year of the Lord.
Apostle Peter said that Christ first priority is setting captives free from eternal destruction [2 Peter3:9], but saved people can still be in bondage [Gal.5:1]. The flow of anointing can be blocked and that robs us the glory that God had released to us [Mark6:5-6].
Yet Prophet Isaiah declared that every creature is for God’s glory [Is. 43:7].The whole purpose of man is to glorify God and serve Him [Due.10:14]. God’s glory is almost indefinable and exceeds anything we can comprehend. God’s glory. God’s glory always has impact [Is.6:3, Num.20:6, 2Chr 5:14, Ps19:1, 29:9; Mark 9:14-29, 10:46-52].
God’s glory represents who God is and what He has done.
The Hebrew word for glory Kavodh means weight, honor and esteem. It also means to be renowned ….to show one great or mighty. God’s glory is the way God makes Himself known or show Himself mighty. God wants to reveal Himself to humans. God’s glory becomes how He show who He’s. God’s glory is filling the earth through us. We must open up to God’s anointing that breaks yokes and removes burdens [John1:14, 2:11]. Christ is the very glory of God [Heb1:3]. Christ also supplies /provides for our needs [2 Pt1:3]. In Greek the word for glory is doxa – means his unchanging essence, the true apprehension of God or thing. It means giving God glory and ascribing to Him His full recognition. God’s glory is the way He makes Himself recognizable.
In Isaiah 43:7, God’s glory reveals two eternal truths to those called by His name:
[a]God’s wants to make Him recognizable to us. [b]God want to make Him recognizable through us.Little wonder Apostle Paul said to the Corinthians, “whatever you do, do it to the glory of God [1Cor.10:3] God desires that He be recognizable in us, in all that we do. Living a life that glorifies God is as living a life that reveals God. For this reason Martin Luther was quoted as saying, ‘The first and foremost duty of a Christian is to make the invisible Church visible.’ Christ is the human being’s hope of glory [Col.1:2]. We glorify God to the degree that we externalize the internal existence of the living Christ. A life that glorifies God is not something we suddenly attain. As we spend time in the presence of God; His glory both transforms us and radiates from us [Exodus 34:33; 2 Cor3:18; John17:9-10]. Many people will make decisions to know God today better than they knew Him yesterday; they want to experience Him this year than they did last year. They want to know Him that one day like Abraham God would refer to them as his friend. To work out that purpose requires hours spent in reading and studying the word as well as meditating on it applies to each person. It involves obedience, service and sacrifice. It also must be deliberate.
God’s glory is the way He reveals Himself and shows His mightiness:
[i] No matter what you are going through, know that it’s God’s desire to set you free [2 Cor. 4:7-10]. [ii] God hears the cry of His children [Exodus 2:23-25, 3: 7-8] God knows our sufferings from the first pang. He never misses a single groan or cry of His children. [iii] At God’s right time, He moves on behalf of his children. [iv] He wants us never to forget the blood shed by the Lamb of God so we can be delivered. [v] God wants us to come out of our captivity with possession [Ex. 12:35-36; Gon.15:14] Let God bring us out of our slavery with gold, silver and costly stones; stronger than ever because Christ took our weakness and make us strong. God want to enlarge our boarders and teach us to possess lands we never knew existed; make the enemy pay for scheming against us so hatefully. Snatch the plunder. Therefore surrender to God your dreadful past; your most humiliating fears and defeats. God alone will make you twice the warrior you dreamt you’d be. [vi]Do not forget to invest the plunder in God’s kingdom – by offering it back to God. The God who used a few loaf of bread and fishes to feed the multitude; who turn water into wine at Cana; command blind to see and lame to walk…..That God can do beyond what we ask or think. You become a display of God’s glory and splendor each time you take the plunder of Egypt and offer it back to God for His magnificent glory.While I was a sinner, Christ died for me. He heard the groans of slavery, looked at my ugliness and sets the captive free [Due 33:29; 2 Cor.10:3-5].
Anne Graham Lotz writing on My heart’s cry opined, “A sinner is one who has fallen short of God’s glory; dressed in the tattered rags of frayed righteousness; with worn out shoes that will never get one to heaven; whose hope of acceptance into God’s family is dashed. A sinner is one standing outside looking in. But instead of letting me turn away with tears of hopelessness and helplessness, Jesus hung on the cross and flung open the door to the warmth of his relationship with the Father and invited me to come inside and share His glory.” At the cross, God glorify his son as the only savior of sinners that God recognizes and accepts [John17:1]. The heartbeat of Jesus was to finish His father’s plan and in so doing, bring glory to God. Through his death on the cross, Jesus would reveal the love of God in such a way that people throughout the ages would praise and love Him and lay down their lives before him.
Little surprised that 11 out of 12 Apostles of Christ and other disciples kept the legacy of martyrdom – laid their lives for Christ sake. 1. What sacrifice have you made? 2. What hardship have you endured? 3. What rejection have you experienced 4. What pains have you suffered? 5. What ambition have you denied? 6. What relationship have you forsaken? 7. What cross are you facing? 8. Has God turn up the heat in your life?
It could be an opportunity for God to glorify you as he uses the heat to conform you into the image of his son. It could also be an opportunity to glorify Him as the heat draws out the real flavor of your character and Jesus is revealed through your love, joy, peace patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. No matter what your cross is, would you thank God – not for the heat and stress but for the opportunity it afford you to bring glory to Him [1Pt.1:7].
You need to open the door of your heart so that the King of glory may come in [Ps.24].As we begin a new walk with the Master, remember walking consistently/ righteously does not mean walking perfectly. It means we may stumble but we will not fall, because God is gracious on us and daily is our strength [Isaiah 33:2-6]. God offers us the daily treasure of His strength [vs. 2; Ps 84:5]. God offers us daily treasure of his sure foundation [vs. 6]. God offers us the daily treasure of His wisdom and knowledge [vs. 6]. God offers us the daily fresh morning word [Is.50:4]. God offers us the daily treasure of victory [Is. 50:7-8]. So we wisely learn to walk with Christ instead of begging Him to walk with us. Our prayers would be: [Isaiah 33:2] Oh Lord, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress, Amen. Your word says those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing [Ps34:10]. Teach us to meditate on your word day and night and hid them in our heart, to observe them and have a good success, Amen.