10/06/10

Both Satan and God want to kill you

Lamentations 3: 60 - Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me.


Just 2 days back I was called by some to meet a Man of God in whom and through whom God did and is doing wonderfully. As I got introduced to him I unexpectedly landed attending his session. He was preaching about the Cross. His main message was that the main problem with there being very, very few true Christians was with the persons who bought them to Christ. Most people show lollipops when they tell others of Christ and after a few years when they face reality they lose Christ and turn back to the life of unbelief.

He was pointing out that most people are Christians because they want healings, money, good job, good family etc. But when they face reality and see the true thing on which Christianity is all about they run away or like a snail retract in their shell for a very long, long time and that one thing is The CROSS.

People came in thousands to Jesus but when Jesus told them the truth of His preaching they all ran away with a very few remaining with Him at the end.

One hard truth which he bluntly put was 'both Satan and God want to kill you'. Satan deceives you and makes you sin so that he can destroy your spirit; that you do not enter Heaven to live eternally (a gift which he lost). He also said God on the other hand also wants to kill you (this did surprised everyone there) he was actually pointing out to the carnal nature in us. God too want to kill the carnal / sin nature in us so that by His image coming back in us we enter Heaven and have eternal life. God wants you to live eternally and for that He needs to kill you and for this He puts problems (people and situations) into your life.

This Evangelist gave an example from the book of Samuel. Elkanah had two wives; obviously he did not marry both together and by the situation we know that his first wife Hannah and his second wife was Peninnah. Hannah was without child and was all okay in life until Peninnah came and had children. Peninnah changed the situation for Hannah. She was troubled by Peninnah so much that Hannah went crying to the Lord and begged for a child. This did not happened for one day but for a long period of time. Hannah's prayer did get answered and so came a great Man of God - Samuel into this world. Samuel anointed many great Kings and people of God. Had Peninnah not been there we would not have had Samuel.

God puts people and creates ugly situations into our life to slowly do the job of killing us, so that we can live eternally in Jesus Christ.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord God, You showed us the perfect example You want to make us into, your Son Jesus Christ. For this You know and we too know that we need to die to ourselves so that You live in us and we live eternally. Lord we pray that as You do work in us by your grace we are strengthened in You, your Hand be over us, holding us so that we do not break or fall to the evil one...

This prayer we make in Jesus Christ, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]
1 Samuel 1:1-10, 17-20
1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite:
2 And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
3 And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there.
4 And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions: 5 But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb.
6 And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.
7 And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.
8 Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?
9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.
10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.

17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.
18 And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.
19 And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her.
20 Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD.

Galatians 2:20
20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)