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Quite often, these days, you hear brethren talk of either this or that, \u201cchallenges\u201d.\u00a0 It has become a modern parlance for problems, difficulties, etc. of life about which solutions have been sought to no avail.\u00a0 Surely these problems are real and have been borne by many from year to year, forcing some to resort to seeking for answers from one \u201cmiracle center\u201d or the other when they feel that their supposedly \u201cmore spiritual\u201d brethren and local congregation have failed.\u00a0 In discussing this topic we shall retain the word \u201cchallenge\u201d, identify some of these challenges and see whether solution is still obtainable with Him about whom it is said, \u201cwith God nothing shall be impossible\u201d, Luke 1:37.\u00a0 Herein lies the thrust of this stud \u2013 has God truly heard of my \u201cchallenges\u201d and if yes what has He said about it\/them?\u00a0 Therefore, this study is designed more for the individual Christian than the congregation, to bring us back to the benefit of assessing God (our Father) on the basis of our purchased Sonship and with a view to learning how to deal with circumstances that are, perhaps, becoming obvious reproaches in our lives and service to God.<\/p>\n
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It is the ability to identify a challenge and finding a lasting solution to it in such a way as befits a child of God.\u00a0 It is \u201cto loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free and that ye break every yoke\u201d, Isaiah 58:6 on your individual lives and on those around us.\u00a0 It is like the Lord saying, after chiding His disciples for faithlessness and failure to deliver a lunatic child, \u201cbring him hither to me.\u00a0 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour\u201d, Matthew 17:14-21.\u00a0 Thus it is a divine intervention that brings relief to the individual and to the people around him for the sole purpose of glorifying and exalting the name of the Lord.\u00a0 It therefore involves a pathway that has the approval of God.<\/p>\n
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For David, it was a life threatening challenge, \u201cfor the people spake of stoning him\u201d, 1 Samuel 30:6.\u00a0 Eventually he resorted to consulting God on what to do, \u201cAnd David said to Abiathar the priest . . .I pray thee bring me hither the ephod. . . . And David enquired at the Lard, saying, shall I pursue after this troop . . ., 1 Samuel 30:7-8.<\/p>\n
For Paul it was a sustained humiliation, \u201cAnd lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of satan, TO BUFFET ME . . . for this thing I BESOUGHT\u00a0 the Lord TRICE, that it might depart from me. . ., 2 Corinthians 12:7-9.<\/p>\n
For the child of God that wants a divine intervention on his\/her challenges, it may be well to note the following:<\/p>\n
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Our trust should neither be in medical science or in physicians; this was the error of King Asa, 2 Chronicles 16:12.\u00a0 The believer is not to deny the reality of any health challenges.\u00a0 The physician may make his own diagnosis but healing comes from God.\u00a0 The believer\u2019s faith should be in the report of the Lord as written in the Scriptures concerning healing and divine health.\u00a0 Therefore, the believer who has health challenges is to ACTIVATE his personal faith in the accomplished work of Christ at the cross of Calvary, Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 8:17, \u201c. . . That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet saying, Himself TOOK our infirmities, and BARE our sicknesses\u201d.<\/p>\n
Sometimes desired blessings such as a life partner, child bearing, employment, admission to and institution of learning, etc., may appear not to be forthcoming or seem delayed.\u00a0 In such situations, it is better not to blame or suspect anyone.\u00a0 Rather go to God in prayers, believing that in His own appointed time, He will bring to pass the desires of your heart. The counsel of the Lord Jesus concerning undue anxiety and worry about the issues of life is pertinent here, Matthew 6:25-33<\/p>\n
This is also a challenge in life.\u00a0 In response to this, many have engaged in all sorts of sharp practices, unwholesome alliances and terrible business ventures.\u00a0 They way out is this:<\/p>\n
We are in the last days and Scriptures must\/needs to be fulfilled.\u00a0 It is the responsibility of the believer to guard against false doctrines.\u00a0 It does not matter whether these false doctrines are being peddled by popular Bible teachers, pastors, and head so missions.\u00a0 We are warned in Scriptures to beware of any false teacher, false doctrine and false prophets in the last days.\u00a0 We should be like the Berean Christians who searched the Scriptures daily even after hearing Paul\u2019s preaching, Acts 17:10-11.<\/p>\n
There is no doubt that globally we are faced with security challenges like terrorism, kidnapping, armed robbery, etc.\u00a0 The believer must put his trust in the Lord, Psalm 91, and on a daily basis the following will be helpful:<\/p>\n
There is no immunization against the challenges of life: they surely must come.\u00a0 But handling them successfully is within the ambits of our divine provision fully paid for by the Lord Jesus Christ.\u00a0 And perhaps the greatest challenge of this study is the encouragement of the individual Christian to develop a consistent fellowship with the Spirit of God.\u00a0 No matter the challenge, we should always trust in the Lord, who has promised us victory at all times.<\/p>\n
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Numbers 23:19 \u2013 \u201cGod is not a man, that he should lie, neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it?\u00a0 Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Overcoming Challenges Central thought: \u00a0Challenges are allowed by God for our overall spiritual development. Text: 1 Samuel 30:1-8; 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 Quite often, these days, you hear brethren talk of either this or that, \u201cchallenges\u201d.\u00a0 It has become a modern parlance for problems, difficulties, etc. of life about which solutions have […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-496","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sundayschool"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/496","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=496"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/496\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":500,"href":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/496\/revisions\/500"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}