Man by nature is a product of influence have you ever heard the saying before some people believe that wrong company cannot influence them they claim that they know themselves and are strong enough to stay connected without being corrupted or influenced by anyone do you think this is true the Bible gives us an outline of God's Supreme counsel over this issue one that we must give attention First Corinthians chapter 15 verse 33 says do not be misled Bad Company corrupts good character you are greatly in the wrong if you believe that you can do with everyone
in your life not everyone in your life should be there the story of Abraham and his nephew lot is a great example for us to learn at some point Abraham had come to realize that if they both continue Together there would be a crisis between them and being a man who knew how that can reflect his relationship with God himself and those around him he sought for a separation from lot it is not as if they became enemies but they just weren't walking in that close Fellowship anymore why because relationship is influenced dear saint please
do not miss it here this is something many Believers fail at Our relationships are meant to be a blessing to us and make us better people however if and when you surround yourself with the wrong people even your good nature and morals are bound to be affected directly or indirectly not only that but the people in your life can also have an impact on your faith development and state of mind remember that the Bible is the highest Authority for the believer and it will do you good to give attention to it Hence it is a
valid point to say that your life good or bad will be the product of those you keep around your life do the people you call your friends speak anything good to you or about you do you meet with them and feel worse about yourself than good in the bid to have fun and Adventure is your safety put at risk does your relationship lead you into more trouble and make you lose your integrity and Trust Would you call such relationship a healthy one one that helps you draw closer to God more and more would you consider
yourself blessed with such an association beloved one of the worst things you can do for yourself is to surround yourself with anyone who that does not push you into God into your best into truth and into safety I've seen people who can't talk about Jesus with their friends because they always shut them up What is the whole essence of beautiful relationships in our Lives why is God so Keen about your Association is friendship only about having someone fill the spot in your life is there something more to it other than keeping you from loneliness Proverbs
chapter 17 verse 17 says a friend loves at all times and a brother is born for a time of adversity this is not only talking about bosom friends but generally those you are Connected with acquaintances Partners colleagues bosses and even family too time comes when God would have you walk away from some people because of the plans that he has for you if or when you fail to walk away from them you will place yourself in unhealthy situations orchestrated by the devil through them for instance do you know that some Temptations are in your life
right now because you are in a certain place not by your own will but because someone Placed you there this can be a physical location or even a psychological one God never desires those he loves to be full of negativity negativity is a tool of the devil and most times he will use humans to inject That Into You thereby bringing you into the shackles of depression and similar bondage it is not the will of the enemy for you to be okay to achieve God's best for you To have all God wants you to have and
to be who God wants you to be in fact for everything God wants to accomplish in your life Satan also has his own agenda a corrupted version for you for example God Wants You healed and Satan wants you sick God Wants You Well and in peace but Satan wants you to depressed and frustrated God wants you provided for but Satan wants you in lack and worry and sorrow I believe that you are aware of the Alarming rate of suicides and violence occurring all over the world today especially among young people with their lives still ahead
of them some even among Christians too these among other things is the agenda of the Devil manifesting Himself and by careful observation more often than not individual crises arise not from the individuals themselves but many times from the people around them sometimes you might not even be aware of This but you are where you are today because of your people in your life if God would open your eyes to see into the spirit you would truly know that not everyone who is with you is truly with and for you dear Saints there are the types
of people you must walk away from you must avoid them in your life number one those who steadily speak negative things into your life don't see anything good In you and never appreciate your uniqueness in a world surrounded with depression fear and low self-esteem many troubles have come into the lives of many promising individuals simply because they are looking for validation and encouragement and how did they come to this point where they think they have to do this or that in order to prove that they are competent and good enough someone has fed their hearts
with that Notion they've never been accepted or appreciated they've never been loved all the time they've only known themselves to try to give love give help meet someone else's expectations of them they have never truly known what it means to be in a love-filled atmosphere a space to both give and receive love and affection a place to give and receive praise I don't know if this resonates with you or with where you are right now but Please be reminded you are a child of the light and there is no negativity in the light anything short
of this darkness and you must not have fellowship with Darkness second Corinthians chapter 6 verse 14 says do not be yoked together with unbelievers for what do righteousness and wickedness have in common or what Fellowship can light have with Darkness light and darkness have nothing in common so you must be very conscious About setting a guard over your heart dear saint the Bible tells us that we should give no place to the devil allowing people however to speak evil or inject evil motives in your heart is one of the ways we can give place to
the devil first Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 22 says stay away from every kind of evil number two you must also walk away from people who Construct evil in their hearts and invite you to join them God has shown us from his words the things he hates although he loves us he also warns us to stay away from them and from people who persuade us to do them Proverbs chapter 1 verse 10 says my son if sinful men entice you do not give in to them walk away from them God does not want you among them
dear saint there was a high school kid named Matt every time he Went to school he would meet up with some friends who'd compel him to compromise his morals and his faith Matt however never tried to avoid them he did not listen even when his parents warned him to stay away from them citing the consequences of hanging out with such company soon their influence over Matt became stronger and more visible to everyone he was no longer the beautiful kid everyone had known him to be Matt left High School knee-deep in drugs even when his parents
tried to help him he would yell at them with so much contempt and with words lacking piety Matt would go on his way until he was arrested and jailed for a long time over numerous charges no one could help this time and he had to face the consequences alone some of his friends died and some had even turned a new Leaf others were nowhere to be found and he was alone Matt remembered that everything he was warned against was actually playing out in front of him not only so he knew the signs were there he
just didn't take them into account now he was paying for it Matt would later repent turn to the right path again and be released on parole but he would have wasted a great part of his life he would have to start many things over again thank God for healing forgiveness and restoration however it is better for you To avoid some troubles than to simply be restored from them your greatest Deliverance is not that you entered and came out the viewer escaped and as a whole like Matt I would like you to know that you can
ask God to show you the signs in the individuals you need to walk away from in order for you to be the person he has ordained for you to be these signs could be immorality crime malice unforgiveness negative habits and To other vices doesn't matter what they say or how successful they are at it you must not be a part of that Association your life is precious to God don't waste your life in an association that will destroy your destiny First Corinthians chapter 6 verses 19 through 20 says do you not know that your bodies
are temples of the Holy Spirit who is in you whom you have received from God you are Not your own you are bought at a price therefore honor God with your bodies it then becomes our responsibility to follow God's leading and walk away from them we must walk away from them without looking back because they are very toxic to our lives and our relationship with God others on this list of people you must walk away from are those who get mad when you forgive or help other people those who mock you when you talk about
The faith or anything pertaining to the kingdom of God those who claim to be Believers but twist the word of God to suit their ungodly lifestyles those who threaten you or avoid you when you stand up for the faith anyone who encourages you to break God's word or stay away from fellowship with other believers they will make you walk against the will of God for your life they can make you Stop praying regularly they can cause you to stumble in your faith walk these associations can even make you arrogant disloyal and rebellious many people have
let the faith because of some persons in their lives Joseph almost died because he did not understand the hearts of his brothers were against him and he was sharing his deepest secrets and Visions with them don't underestimate the power of influence anyone in your life can have Over you so as someone with a life of purpose called to declare the wonderful works of God as one who wants to be a blessing to others you must be aware of the kind of people you allow into your life no one is time to stay and when it
is time to walk away if you keep your eyes on God and you let him Point them out for you you will find out that he is always keeping you from falling into the wrong hands When God opens your eyes to see them you must not hesitate in walking away from them as you grow in intimacy with God you must seek instead to surround yourself with God's people those who genuinely love and serve God these ones will happily join you and encourage you in prayer in the study of the word they will encourage you to
walk in love and kindness these ones will never encourage you to Engage in unrighteousness but will spur you up towards righteousness in order to create a roaring fire one piece of firewood cannot generate enough heat to cook a meal on its own it needs other firewood as itself similarly for you to burn for God you need to reconnect with those who are True Believers don't be deceived by the outward show of good anyone can claim to be genuine however God sees and knows the hearts of every person therefore Yield more to the Lord ask him
to reveal each one to you he will do so and once you see the signs walk away you must remember that since our Warfare is not against flesh and blood but principalities and power we don't just shut people out completely instead we are always on guard while we pray for the light of God to touch them I pray that the Lord will open your eyes to know those whom you must avoid and help you to connect with those he sends Your way amen [Music] if someone stood before you and said you're where you are today
because of your mind and you'll never go beyond your mind how would you feel would you believe it would you be offended would you feel judged I'm gonna be very honest with you on This subject today dear friend so you want to see change in your life how badly do you want it would you listen to me if I told you the truth about how you can make it happen if you can listen to these words and make use of them you will see the change that you so seek Romans 12 2 says do not
conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind then you will be able to Test and approve what God's will is his good pleasing and perfect will your mindset is everything nothing in your life will change until your mind changes everybody wants change everybody loves it but if we tell ourselves the truth many of us forego the blessings of positive changes in our lives because of our mindset and the limitations it places on us for instance someone thinks maybe if I Leave this town my life will change for
the better maybe when I get a better job if only I can have a million dollars if I could change my friend Circle but they're focusing on the wrong things although all these things are great and play a role in growth and advancement they're not the root of change what is the route then the answer is mindset what is mindset by your mindset we're Referring to your perception and by perception I mean the way you see and interpret things in or around your life can I ask you something what's your perception of yourself how do
you see yourself how do you see others how do you see life how do you see God our individual perceptions have the strongest influence over our behaviors our motivations our thoughts and actions In all these things in turn affect life's outcome for us try all you can relocate to a better City change your circle of friends win the lottery for a million dollars if you like if your mind isn't transformed from what it is right now you're not going to see any positive change in your life in time you may even get worse instead what
does Romans 12 2 say again be transformed by the renewing of your mind meaning your life will take the form of What's most dominant in your mind therefore to have a transformed life you must first have a transformed mind to have a winning life you must first have a Victorious mindset my friend this is why most people come circling back to where they started even though they'd relocated changed friends changed careers and did different things the issue is not what you do but where it comes from that is who you are Luke 6 45 says
a good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart for the mouth speaks what the heart is full of look at this illustration for a moment a cup of chilled soda doesn't become a cup of clean water because I moved it from the fridge to the living room if I want to use that same cup to enjoy a different drink then first I need to Empty it of its former content and then fill it up
with what I want to enjoy do you understand me now that's how mindset works that's how important your mindset is why do you think God chose to take the children of Israel from Egypt to Israel through a longer route because he wanted to stress them because that was the only way no my friend Exodus 13 17 says when Pharaoh let the People go God did not lead them on the road through Philistine country though that was shorter for God said if they face War they might change their minds and return to Egypt the first Deliverance
had been physical but the second was crucial for sustaining the first it was a mental Deliverance or else they would change their minds and go back into slavery into defeat into shame into bondage God wanted to take them through a longer route to change the mindset because if he didn't change their mindset it'd be more like taking a street beggar and placing them on a throne with no idea or training on how to be a king he would ruin the kingdom in consecutive stages in their Journey from Egypt to the promised land we saw them
struggling to adopt the right mindsets we saw how they struggled with what God Said they had and what they were already conditioned to believe they had at the face of the slightest discomfort their first response was to return to Egypt why because that's what they've been conditioned to call home even though they knew it wasn't they were willing to keep suffering in Egypt a familiar territory than to face a war in a land where they'd have full abundance and freedom dear friend it's all a function of Mindset a timid man would still be a timid
man even if you gift him a throne a kingdom to rule his status will not change his life only a change of mindset will a person who's addicted to debts will still go back into one even if you give him a million dollars a person who doesn't believe they can achieve anything will not make a move even if he's surrounded by a million Opportunities a man is only as powerful or as weak as what he perceives in his mind therefore God's word tells us what we should do with our minds get it fixed change the
programming change the language remove the chains that limit you change your focus you don't belong to your mind but instead it belongs to you do something about it Don't only wish for change create the change and begin to see life through its lenses where in your mind Colossians 3 2. set your minds on things above not on Earthly things don't you know that even though God has said he plans to give you a future and a hope he will be limited in your life when your mind sets in the way because you won't be able
to believe him for anything Don't you know that even though there's a hope of glory in your future in Christ a negative defeated timid weak mindset will limit the kind of Glory you'll experience in your life some people are like flickering lights when they should be bright shining stars why their mindset as long as you set your mind on Small Things big things will never happen in your life as long as you keep living under the Cloud of inadequacies and unworthiness you'll never rise to take advantage of the available possibilities in Christ Paul could say
in Philippians 4 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength because of a mindset not because he had everything he wanted in his possession literally but because he had a winning mindset and thus a winning attitude for instance in the previous verses he said Philippians 4 11 to 12. I'm not saying this because I'm in need for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty I have learned the secret of being content in
any and every situation whether well fed or hungry whether living in plenty or in want when Paul said I know how he isn't just talking about experience but about perception it was like saying I've broken the code Whether in lack or in abundance I will not be defined by any I can stand when I need to I can win when I need to whether I have or don't have I know who I am I have mastered this thing and never again will I Define Who I Am by what I've been through or by what I
have or don't have that my friend is the language of a great mindset nothing in your life will Change if you don't change your mindset you have to educate yourself on the kind of conditioning you want to have the kind of person you want to be whether relocation will make a difference will depend on this fact whether a change of circle a change of career path and so on will make a difference is dependent on this what kind of education should you begin with start with what God has said about you In his word the
word of God precedes you and anything that has or will ever happen to you can draw the image of the person God wants you to perceive yourself as within the pages of his word in it you'll see how God wants you to see life and how he wants you to see other people the word of God is the first and best tool for changing your perception God also has placed Limitless possibilities in your heart for example where do you think your imaginations come from they are God's gift to you those things you see in your
wildest dreams are the things you can Aspire for yes many of them are crazy and seem impossible but there's a saying that goes aim for the moon so that if perhaps you miss you will fall Among the Stars when you seek great outcomes for yourself you unlock potentials you never Knew were there you give yourself a chance to have a shot and there's no limit to what you can be you may or may not fully realize those dreams but you will have lived a full life knowing you allowed yourself to dream and pursue your dreams
a limited mindset is what keeps you from trying again after your last failure a negative mindset is what tells you you're not cut out for the stuff like this even though you have what it takes To achieve it it's a negative mindset that tells you you cannot amount to anything that you've missed your chance that you've wasted your life already God is a God that restores God is a God that gives second chances to those who come to him God is a God that strengthens the weak he is a God who gives sight to the
blind there's nothing you need in order to reach your fullest potential that he Will not give you so lift your head up and tell the devil Satan I change my mind I'm not going to live a defeated and limited life anymore Christ has redeemed me and seated me in Heavenly places by the price of his precious blood I'm not cut out for this level but for more therefore I will think more I will seek more I will do more the greater one lives in me therefore I'm more than a conqueror if I fall I'll rise
again if I fail I'll try again I won't give up I won't give in and I won't give out my life will no longer be defined by what I have or don't have at the moment but by who God says I am I will perceive life like royalty a bright shining light showing forth God's goodness everywhere I go in the name of Jesus and by the grace of God I break out of defeat out of laxity and Self-pity out of guilt and out of Shame God's got me and from this day forward I go higher
and higher my life is changing for the better because I begin to aim higher all things are possible for me [Music] what does it mean to be strong in the Lord how can one be strong in the midst of challenges how will God strengthen one Can God strengthen us to overcome to be strong in the Lord has nothing to do with physical power or energy it has nothing to do with Macho Man's strength but reliability in the arm of God almighty reliable in his complete and total trust showing God that you can't do anything on
your own without him will make him know your weakness strength has nothing to do with the particular way you feel far from it strength is inward energy That you have and practices Faith to that level that God is there to fight your battles he would carry you through the furnace of fire in this life it takes a strong heart in God to know and believe that God will make you internally and outwardly strong to strengthen you to overcome all challenges he will strengthen you to overcome any situation good or bad so long as you put
your trust in God Rather than yourself therefore to be strong in the Lord simply put is to have a Resolute unwavering unmovable faith in God believing in God and His mightiness have you ever been so exhausted that you begin to wonder if God is present yes I have been in such situations I remember when my mom passed on to Glory I exercise my faith I prayed that she would wake up soon as She heard my voice days passed and the reality dawned on me as soon as I had a revelation she is with our Lord
Jesus Christ where there is no pain may God strengthen me what is that pain you are passing through right now what is the situation that you feel is not possible I'm here to tell you to let go of self-control Take it to God and he will strengthen you to overcome how can you be strong in the midst of challenges anytime you feel really weak check it you are working on your strength strength comes with working on the reliability of God his words are energizers they have a way of penetrating the body and soul it gives
you energy for the next fight you can be strong if you call on him and Let him know how helpless you are let us quickly look at the scripture second Corinthians chapter 12 8-10 three different times I begged the Lord to take it away each time he said my grace is all you need my power works best in weakness so now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ can work through me that's why I take pleasure in my Weaknesses and in the insults hardships persecutions and troubles that I
suffer for Christ for when I am weak then I am strong looking at the above scriptures makes it clear that you need Grace that's what you need as a child of God 's power works best in your weakness no matter what you are passing through either good or bad call on God with whose strength are you walking the power of Christ can walk through me Don't lean on your strength as we have no strength on our own submit everything all your energy and weaknesses to God he will undoubtedly help you overcome challenges are enormous and
endless but if you are strong in God give it to him he will strengthen you to overcome all have you ever thought that the troubles and issues of life don't end as long as you are alive as you finish one another one is pulling out That is why you need God let go of your energy self-intelligence smartness and security connections and the beauty of oneself link up or connect to God he will strengthen you he will make you strong in all your circumstances in prayers and supplications he will do you surrender your life to him
then you can connect to God Almighty via prayers He will answer your prayers your requests and supplications will be attended to if God does not answer some it because you don't need it My Flesh and my heart May Fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever Psalm 83 verse 26. we fall and fail but God is my strength only God can heal our broken and shattered lives physically we may be going through a lot But God makes us pass through pains untouched unhurt internally we may be suffering from severe mental
and emotional torment but with God on our side he will heal us and set us free so do not fear for I Am With You do not be disheartened for I am your God I will strengthen you and help you I will uphold you with my righteous right hand the Lord is my strength and my song He has given me victory this is my God and I will praise him my father's God and I will exalt him let us look at some scriptures Joshua 1 7-8 it says only be strong and courageous that thou mayest
do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded thee turn not away from it to the right or to the left that thou mayest Prosper wherever thou goest this book of the law shall not depart From my mouth but Thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein for then Thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then Thou shalt have good success it is important to hold on to the one that holds the key to the universe God hold on to him to
strengthen you I look around the world but see nothing that can see you through to overcome all the tribulations of life but God Do you want to overcome temptation hold on to God he can help you through different obstacles if you try to help yourself but if you call on God through prayers and worship he will strengthen you only God can do what no man can do he owns the universe he controls not just the physical but also the spiritual as such he who holds the key to your life will keep you steady God strengthens
us through his words as you study the word of God he speaks to us and gives us directions through the words look at the scripture we read it gives hope trust and encouragement it is very clear that we must know some Basics about the strength of God we must know God do you know him follow his instructions you must know his words not just know them but Appreciate them in every situation in life let his will be done your lifestyle must not contradict the purpose will and way of life in your life love your neighbors
as you love yourself you love God but do not love the people you see daily definitely there is no God in you [Music] remember what love is love doesn't Harbor hatred love forgives love cares about others Follow your path and God Almighty will surely strengthen you to overcome your work will reveal what you will get do good and don't really rely on your knowledge and understanding to overcome the evil on this Earth we all need God there is no time limit to when God can strengthen us if you call upon him now he will attend
to you he will come to you now God doesn't want us to be afraid of anything in life since he has already defeated evil and death living by trust in the Resurrection Life and the strength that exists in every believer through Christ is what it means to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might we're going to employ the same force that resurrected Christ from the grave to fight this spiritual battle life isn't always sunny it comes with Its fair share of ups and downs but in difficult times all we ask
for is strength to persevere patience and the fortitude to confront the challenges when we're feeling overwhelmed Faith gives us the strength to keep going we can rely on God's kindness only if we have confidence in him disappointment and worry have always been and will always be part of life on Earth But the Bible is meant to provide us with strength and direction there is always a chance to refocus on God's promises no matter what we are facing job loss marital difficulties the death of a loved one or even a global outbreak every day God wants
to inspire us to discover joy and tranquility for hundreds of years God's word has been translated and preserved so that it Can speak straight to your heart right now you were created to Discover Hope in Jesus Christ and God's love just know that whatever you're going through you're not alone we all go through periods in our lives that are disappointing and difficult in the midst of adversity God's word has a powerful way of inspiring its readers to be strong and courageous We may achieve this by relying on God who allows us to be fruitful and
sacrifice for others love Shields us from harm and strengthens us connecting with God might be energizing if you are feeling down and despairing Mark and Matthew declare that everything is possible with God in all we do he gives us strength when our confidence in God is shaken it's crucial to remember how our love for God is strengthens us and rewards us God values all our efforts and our faith is the foundation of his love we can see this in the Book of Proverbs chapter 3 5-6 which says trust in the Lord with all your heart
and do not lean on your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths what is important is that God can save you from the bottom most to the uttermost no matter what your condition Is or what situations you're experiencing God is always on schedule and never late never underestimate the power of faith for Faith makes the impossible possible every problem has a reason for being there he develops our character by putting us in difficult situations in reality he relies on circumstances rather than our reading of the Bible to
mold us into Jesus likeness God will assist you in overcoming your difficulties foreign have you ever had a strange feeling after a conversation with someone like you said more than you were supposed to how does it feel do you know that sometimes this is the spirit of God within your heart sending you a message that you should watch what you say especially when you are with some people The Bible tells us that there is a great effect in our words the power to make and the power to break the power to comfort and the power
to discourage you may not know this but when you are not careful with the words you speak you will end up putting yourself into certain situations you weren't supposed to have any business with in the first place and the thing about all this is not just about what you say but also about when You say it to whom you say it and how you say it dear Saint words are powerful as you can see in Proverbs 13 3. those who guard their lips preserve their lives but those who speak rashly will come to ruin God
gives great attention to the words we say not only so he wants you to also pay the same attention to how you talk especially when you are with other People there are some blessings that will never come into your life or might be delayed or not even last why because you talk too much dear saint that should change Jesus said in Matthew 12 36 but I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken this is not something to joke about you just can't
go about saying Everything that comes to your mind someone once said there is a reason God gave you two ears and one mouth so that you can listen twice as much as you speak what a true statement the Bible itself agrees with this statement in the Book of James 1 19. dear brothers and sisters take note of this everyone should be quick to listen slow to speak and slow to become angry when you look at this statement and here Many people talk about it they seem to only focus on the part where it says slow
to anger and they leave out the rest however we are not supposed to leave out any part they all go together in fact it would interest you to know that some conflicts have been stirred up because one person said something at the wrong time I have heard of people who were sent to Jail for crimes they did not commit why because they said something to someone who would later become a victim and they were the prime suspect simply because of a statement they made a man may be having a conflict with his neighbor and in
a fit of rage tells his neighbor I will deal with you in the presence of everyone if anything happens to that neighbor sooner this man would be the prime suspect why because of his words Do you throw words around like this when you are angry you shouldn't dear child of God it is true that you were wronged and it is true that you are allowed to say how you feel about someone or about something but what if what you said attracts more trouble to you than you bargained for how does the bible tell us to
deal with our anger issues in James where we read earlier it says to be slow to speak but Pay attention to what is being said and done and Paul writing to the church in Ephesians 4 29-32 added do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs that it may benefit those who listen and do not grieve the holy spirit of God with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption get rid of all bitterness rage and anger Brawling and slander
along with every form of malice kind and compassionate to one another forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you the way we speak the things we say and how we say them and all is one of the ways the world will be able to identify us as Disciples of Jesus Christ as new creatures when you were not born again the devil was Lord over your life he had control over your body he could Make you say hurtful things and loose statements without thinking twice he could use your tongue for this purpose whichever way
he wanted however now that you are saved your entire body including your mouth now belongs to God so whether you are in a good mood or not whether you feel like talking or not whether you like what's going on in front of you or not you have handed over the power of your mouth to God just the Way you won't give your body to sin deliberately anymore you should also not give your mouth deliberately to be a tool in the hand of the devil any longer Paul writing in Romans 6 13. do not offer any
part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from Death To Life and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness Remember that now that you are born again the Holy Spirit lives in you both as companion and as Shepherd meaning that you are to submit every part of your being to him this is the reason why you must be trustworthy do you know why sometimes people find it difficult to trust you have you ever thought to yourself that
if they trust you with a personal issue you will be able to keep it to yourself Some people cannot share their challenges with some individuals because they have realized that this person will always tell someone else about it somehow imagine sharing a personal issue with me maybe a fear a need an embarrassing situation Etc only for you to hear about it in public do you know that even if God had put the solution to that person's need in your hands you have just shut the door Against them unknowingly why because the person would not only
never confide in you anymore they would also not trust you enough to have anything personal to do with you including collecting anything from you this reminds me of a personal situation many years ago between my uncle and me you see at the time this man was rich and more comfortable than my family and I although we did not have much we were Contented however one of the main reasons I always avoid this man was the fact that whenever you are around him he would talk about how he had this contact how he got this amount
of money how he plans to buy this property how he plans to do this or that I did not know the purpose of these things because most of the issues he would bring up did not concern Us in any way it would feel like he wanted to always Rub it in our faces at least this is how I felt about it not only so if my uncle did anything for you even if it was a cup of water expect to hear it from the whole community that he feeds you in your family was he a
good man yes at least he was a hard-working husband and father who tried to make sure he took care of his family he would even go out of his way for anyone he could help These were good qualities but the issue was with his mouth he talks too much to cut the long story short not only did my family and I stay away from him he later lost everything he had including his wife and his son who left him the reason he talked too much lost a lot of friends and attracted too many enemies the
books of James and Proverbs say something profound about the tongue and The effect our words can have on us if we don't exercise caution James 3 5-6 says likewise the tongue is a small part of the body but it makes great boasts consider what a great Forest is set on fire by a small Spark the tongue also is a fire a world of evil among the parts of the body it corrupts the whole body sets the whole course of one's life on fire and is itself set on fire by hell Proverbs 29 20 also adds
do you see someone who speaks in haste there is more hope for a fool than for them don't forget that Joseph's perils were worsened not because his father Jacob preferred him over his brothers but also because he shared his dreams with his brothers you see although those dreams were from God Joseph had yet to learn that not everything was shareable I am also telling you the same thing today not everything is shareable and definitely not with everyone sometimes the thing you may consider great news in your life will be considered a threat and a front
in another person's life some things you might consider a win God's favor in your life may be construed as boasting and partiality in the eyes of another person it was not enough that their father Preferred Joseph Moore now God was establishing that Joseph would one day bow to him the Bible tells us that this only made them hate Joseph even more and wanted him dead it is easy to believe that Joseph's brothers were not good people at the time but he must also not miss the warning of God from their story it is true that
God will protect you it is true that he will direct the course Of your life and take you on a love adventure to Destiny it is true that he wants to bless his children he would break protocols for their sake however it is also true that when God is working in your life or when he isn't you must be careful with the words that come out of your mouth if you want to live long and well avoid troubles in your life as much as possible either at work at home in school everywhere Then the words
of Paul in Ephesians 4 29 is a perfect illustration to adhere to not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs that it may benefit those who listen so when you gain favor at work if you have to talk about it anywhere either during a ceremony or during a coffee break with friends don't make it seem like you are better than everyone else Who didn't get the favor rather direct all the glory to God thank God for those who had the opportunity
of working with and learning from as well as those you will be having the opportunity to work with now even if you get the award for the best student learn not to put yourself in the spotlight in the era of social media and Trends avoid showing off either with words or deed about your achievements Instead focus on how you can use your testimony to encourage others to come to Jesus and enjoy the grace you are enjoying like my uncle if you raise up enemies for yourself you give yourself more battles to fight than when you
have more friends ask the Lord today to give you the grace to repent from unwholesome speech ask him to control your mouth from today and use your words more to bless and Inspire than to hurt curse and discourage God bless you [Music] thank you have you seen most of the news recently do you notice the spiked increase in the evils in our world today the devil is hunting ferociously for more people it would bring destruction some individuals have accepted that their lives are doomed and go as far as Bringing pain and misery to the lives
of others the hearts of men are becoming cold as ice and hard as Steel [Music] evil and immorality have become the status quo of the society we dwell in today have you noticed all this even the church isn't spared in all this think about heightened increase in false doctrines being spread whose only aim Has been to lead the flock of God astray and sadly a lot of people are happy believing and following it as it's the hope of their lives the Bible reveals this to us in first Timothy 4 1 saying now the Holy Spirit
clearly says that in the later times some people will stop believing the faith they will follow spirits that lie in the teachings of demons the Bible here tells us that one of the Most prominent signs of the last days is that many people who claim to believe in the Lord Jesus would Chase lies that sound soothing and pleasing to their ears it says that they will abandon the faith the reason because they're selfish and their hearts have never been in the faith according to First John 2 19 they went out from us but they did
not really belong to us for if they had Belonged to us they would have remained with us but they're going showed us that none of them belonged to us these lies are doctrines that have been erroneously Twisted to suit ungodliness and empower the immoral lifestyle of the teachers and those who aren't rooted in the faith one such popular false message common in these last days which was also seen in the days of the Apostles was the doctrine of materialism The emphasis of the doctrine stresses that gain is godliness they believe that godliness is the way
to having material prosperity and that once a person serves God Faithfully they will be blessed materially they spin biblical texts emphasizing how being Godly can bring wealth to a person they miss the main aim and significance of Christ coming to die for all men and that reason is so that we might receive the life and righteousness of God Does it now mean that God can't bless a man certainly not God's always able to provide for his children in their times of need when they call on him the Bible shows the extent of his care for
us when he said God knows the number of hairs on our head and when it also said I have loved you with an everlasting love we can say that Christ died to make us rich this is very correct however Christ did not die simply for our material Prosperity but to enrich us spiritually and in God by giving us his Divine life eternal life this life is what delivers us from death and destruction and that peace is what frees us from guilt and condemnation dear saint of God do you see this the only way a man
can be righteous is through Christ Jesus in his sacrifice Christ gives all who believe in him righteousness which God approves The Bible also solidifies this by telling us in Romans 3 22 that the righteousness of God Is by faith through Christ Jesus to all those who believe beloved any man who claims to be righteous outside of the help of God is one we must walk away from they are self-righteous proud and conceited people the Bible tells us that such ones would reap the fruits of their pride and arrogance You must have seen this kind of
person numerous times in these last days not to mention all there are those who have turned the grace of God into lasciviousness and reject the Lord our savior the Apostle Jude calls them Godless people these evil and ungodly people use the grace of God as an excuse to commit a moral Acts do you know that some go as far as Mocking the Prophecies of the Prophet saying that the world's not coming to an end and they scoff at the fact that the words of the Bible regarding the end of the world haven't been fulfilled Peter
warning us about them wrote in his letter in second Peter 3 3-4 tells us that above all you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come scoffing and following their own evil desires They will say where is this coming he's promised ever since our ancestors died everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation dearly Saint in the midst of all these we're encouraged not to be ignorant of the signs and to be on our guard against The Wiles of the devil in these last days there is only one explanation for
all these happenings and it is these are the signs of the last days we Were warned about in the Bible as I've tried to show you so far see how Paul puts it in detail to his young Minister Timothy second Timothy 3 1-6 but Mark this there will be terrible times in the last days people will be lovers of themselves lovers of money boastful proud abusive disobedient to their parents ungrateful Unholy Without Love unforgiving slanderous without self-control brutal Not lovers of the good treacherous rash conceded lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God having a
form of godliness but denying its power have nothing to do with such people they're the kind who wormed their way into homes and gain control over gullible women who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires the above verses clearly fortify the Message that you've been hearing so maybe you're wondering how do you identify some of the signs apart from the fact that nearly all the Prophecies of old are being fulfilled every day nations are rising up against Nations world economies and powers are crumbling diseases and death crime and
destruction are on the Rampage persecutions of saints are on the rise sin is becoming a norm like it was in the days of Noah There is no more fear nor reverence for God and for the things associated with them abominable things have become the norm things that God warned us about have become regulated Lifestyles today you will literally get canceled for speaking up against any of it freedom of speech or even of worship of Christ is being taken away the love and the hearts of men for God and for others have waxed cold In these
last days God warns us to be careful because the evil the devil stirring up in the hearts of men is nearing its climax hence for us to stay safe and preserved unto his coming there are things we must do to keep ourselves burning and steadfast in the Faith of Our Lord so that we aren't taken unaware when the Lord returns warnings that the saints of God must adhere to stay safe steadfast and Faithful in the last days we must study and consistently meditate on the word of God dear beloved one of God have you observed
that the last days come with a test of how much of God's word a child of God understands the reign of false doctrines and teachers would have no effect on a Believer who is Thoroughly rooted and grounded in the doctrines of Christ this one is Thoroughly furnished and is Able to stand his ground against wrong doctrines and false teachers I need you to know that the more of God's word you know and commit your heart to the more steadfast and committed you'll be to the Faith of Our Lord Jesus another thing we must do to
remain steadfast is to be given to prayers the Bible tells us the secret to building ourselves upon the foundation of our Most Holy Faith just like a Builder builds up a house by placing one block upon another Jude 20. but you dear friends by building yourselves up in your Most Holy Faith and praying in the Holy Spirit a Believer who's fond of praying regularly has his faith strongly built up by the help of the spirit of God Jesus on the night before his death told his disciples to pray so that he won't fall into temptation
Jesus was trying to teach them and us Too that those who are prayerful find it easier to resist temptation Brethren the level of attraction of sin in these last days can be overcome by a man who's given to prayer in Paul's epistle we see epipheris showing us how prayer can be used to make a whole church stand perfect in the will of God the conclusion of the matter is that without Cecil's prayers we may not be able to truly Prevail in these last days So God is speaking to your heart today be prayerful and be
very intentional about it because your survival in the last days will depend on it in these last days we were warned seriously by the word to flee all forms of unrighteousness and desist from associating with unrighteous people the Bible teaches that bad company corrupts good manners associating with ungodly and unrighteous people will never help us build our faith in God Rather it tears down and makes us struggle in living the kind of life that God is pleased with in these last days the Bible warns us not to be found among the workers of inequity or
sit within the camp of the ungodly but instead we should seek to be in the Gathering of the Believers for you not to get carried away by the deceptions and snares of these last days it's important that you make sure that those you keep around you are helping You to improve the state of your life especially with evident View don't be among those Saints who lost their footing and turned away from Christ because of the wrong company they kept and dearly beloved because of how evil and trying the last days are going to be God
speaks to us in his word not to faint or be discouraged but hold fast to the grace he provides us which is able to keep us from falling He forever stands by us and with us even till the end so we are assured that we'll never be alone since we have him I pray that in these last days God will grant you the grace to stay more faithful and stand in his perfect will until the end amen [Music]
