21/08/2013 - WISE DECISION

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Then the king said to me, “What do you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.

Nehemiah 2:4

Man will receive nothing if Heavens do not give it to him. Thus, the best thing you should do when an opportunity presents itself is to pray. In any situation, pray. In so doing you will not frustrate the Lord’s plan for your life. Oftentimes those who make decisions on their own eventually stumble. Only those who are in the presence of the Lord know what to say; how far to proceed and, in some cases, when to retreat.

There is always a spiritual force behind everything that happens to us. When it comes to fulfilling the divine promises, the Lord is the One guiding us. However, when something causes suffering or constraint, it is most definitely the devil that is attacking us. Satan’s greatest desire is to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. However, the evil one cannot harm us unless we let him.

Another important point is not to desire or accept something that does not have the divine hand on it, because he who has a slack hand becomes poor (Proverbs 10:4). We should not try to take advantage of anything, much less in faith. Now, always check whether what you are being offered is of God or not. If it comes from the Lord, believe that nothing will prevent you from receiving it, even if hell summons its hosts to take away your blessing.

Do not make use of trickery or deception. Jesus said that whatever is born of the flesh is flesh (John 3:6), and profits nothing (John 6:63). You should want only that which comes from the Spirit, which is the result of the divine hand in action and in so doing success will be total. Also, do not act like a fool, aiming at all directions to see what you can get. The best course of action is to follow the directions that will be given to you and get where God has appointed.

Praying to the Most High is more than asking for something because when you pray you declare that you accept what the Lord gives you. So do not let yourself get carried away by haste or laziness. The good thing is to be in fellowship with the Lord all the time because if you do so, you will become His partner and will know what to do in order to please Him. Then, even the desires of your heart will be supplied. Bear this in mind: His place will always be ahead of you, and your duty is to follow Him.

The understanding that the Father gives you concerning His will does not come to you by chance, but as a revelation of what He wants to do through you. Those who believe in what God tells them and set their hands out to work will always be successful. So be the person God wants to use and in the end you will see that He was right.

In Christ with Love,

R. R. Soares

 

 

04/01/2012 - WISE DECISION

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They immediately left their nets and followed Him.

Matthew 4:20

Jesus walked by the sea – which is a place for recreation for some people and livelihood for others. Today God continues to walk very close to human activities making sure His purpose is fulfilled, helping those who are needy and calling others to accomplish something greater. Now, he who hears God\’s voice must answer it promptly.

Obviously there were people performing various tasks at that place, but Jesus chose the brothers Peter and Andrew for it so pleased the Most High. It was a decision made by the eternal Lord God Almighty which marked that day as the call of these men. Blessed are the people who understand the divine call and answer it. Unfortunately, many are so involved with the things of the world that they cannot hear the Lord’s voice. It is also very unfortunate for those who hear the call of the Almighty and do not accept it simply because they prefer to do what they deem to be the best for them.

The Word declares that Peter and Andrew were casting nets because they were fishermen. They were not amateurs, they were not on vacation and it was not a hobby, but they were earning their daily bread by fishing. God always calls individuals who are engaged in some activity and those who are intelligent say \”yes\” to the Lord. However, others lack vision and, therefore, they ignore the call from on High or leave that issue for later.

The Master invited those men to do something more noble, important and productive. The same happened to me and to all who have been called to the ministry. Upon God’s invitation we prove what is in our hearts. I have seen many people make the wise decision, but unfortunately I also witnessed some despise the biggest and best call that men can receive in their entire life.

Peter and Andrew did not think twice and immediately left their nets. That\’s what everyone should do. No matter the role that we play or how promising our career seems to be: if God’s voice calls us to a mission, we need to answer it as soon as possible. Those who first seek to solve their personal issues to answer the Lord later will never succeed. Those who are tardy to begin doing the work of the Most High have no idea what they will be missing out on.

The fishermen of Matthew 4 not only left their nets but they followed Jesus. A successful coup of the demon is to cause the ones who are commissioned by the Lord to do the work carelessly. Many also let their greed take control when they \”accept\” to do the Lord’s work provided they are leaders in the church. My brethren, the good thing is to always be a servant in everything.

Undoubtedly, Peter and Andrew never regretted the decision they made because those who say \”yes\” to the plans of the Creator will never lack anything. God will take care of every detail as long as the servant goes where He tells him to go and does only what He determines.

In Christ with love,

R. R. Soares 

 

 

16/11/2010 - WISE DECISION

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Why should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity at my heels surrounds me? (Psalm 49:5)

In our daily life, we make a lot of decisions – sometimes without even consulting the Word of God. When we do so, we oftentimes end up doing something wrong. However, once we are facing a problem, it is better not to confront it with only a 50% chance of coming out successfully, but rather with 100%. He whose decisions are based on what the Lord says will never regret the choices he has taken and, over time, he will see that his attitude was the right thing to do.

As we see in the above verse, the psalmist decided that he would not fear. And we should do the same, because when difficulties arise, we will remain steadfast and this attitude will prevent us from falling.

Bad days come, sooner or later. So if we stand in what the Lord tells us, this moment will not cause us any harm. On the other hand, if we are full of fear, we will certainly pay a high price. Well, the Most High has not endowed any of His children with a spirit of fear, but of power (Luke 10:19). So letting fear flood your heart is the same as declaring that you will no longer serve the Father

There are people who lie to us because they are weak and easily influenced by the enemy. Some envy us, others admire us. Actually, the traps come from all sides and with all the cunning of Satan, who is always walking around us (I Peter 5:8). When he realizes that someone is susceptible to a compliment – or is aroused by lust or any other temptation – he comes at the right time with an offer, and there goes the servant of God into the abyss.

Be prepared in order not to let yourself be carried away by the master of deception! The secret to this is to never be afraid. If you are afraid of falling someday, call upon the Almighty in prayer, confess to Him what you feel and ask Him to take away this weakness from inside of you, because sooner or later the enemy will approach you with an "irresistible proposal." Strive to stand before the Most High, because only those who stand firm can resist the temptations. However, those who sin and get involved by the allurements of this world will regret it tremendously, but perhaps it will be too late and they will have lost the prize of salvation.

You had better not forget the divine recommendations because in this way you glorify the Lord. So in addition to reading what the Bible says about adultery or other sins, make sure you do not give way to them. Present yourself approved, being truthful in all things and not making any deal with the devil, because it is better to have little in life than selling your soul to the enemy (Matthew 16:26). Believe that God will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able (I Corinthians 10:13) and fight, so you will be rewarded forever!

In Christ with love,

R. R. Soares