40 DAYS AT JESUS' FEET DAY 25 "ENGAGING VIOLENT FAITH THAT TURNS DISADVANTAGE INTO ADVANTAGE"

TODAY IS DAY 25 JESUS HEALS A DEMON POSSESSED GIRL

Readings Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30 

It’s a story of an encounter of a gentile mother with Jesus Christ. That Syrophoenician woman approached Jesus crying out to him to heal her daughter, who was possessed by a demon.

Initially, Jesus ignored her. Far from being discouraged, she kept crying after him until the disciples suggested that Jesus would do something about it since she was making a scene.

Instead of granting her request, Jesus replied that he was only sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Once more, the woman overcame the obstacle and persisted by throwing herself at Jesus' feet crying out, “Lord, help me!”.

Finally Jesus acknowledged her and said to her : “It is not meet to take the children’s food and give it to the dogs”.

Jesus’ use of the word ‘dogs’ sounds harsh, but the term he used was the Greek diminutive kynaria, which meant little dogs, household pets, not outside scavengers. As well, he said that the children of Israel were to be fed first, and this meant that she might expect that her turn would come, if she waited.

Instead of taking offense at Jesus' declaration, the woman turned the rebuff to her advantage. “True, Lord, yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs”.

Impressed, and pleased at her great faith and persistence, Jesus granted her wish – ‘Because of what you have said, go on your way. The evil spirit has gone out of your daughter! . And she went home. And she found that the child was lying in bed. The evil spirit had gone.

Though she was disadvantaged because of her background, by faith, she did 5 major things to turn her disadvantage into advantage and therefore unlock her desired miracle from the Lord Jesus. WHAT ARE THOSE 5 THINGS ?

• BETWEEN TAKING OFFENCE AND TAKING RESPONSIBILITY OF HER ACTION, SHE CHOSE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY OVER HER ACTIONS

• BETWEEN KEEPING HER FOCUS ON "SELF" AND KEEPING HER FOCUS ON CHRIST, SHE CHOSE TO FOCUS ON CHRIST

• BEFORE ENGAGING THE BATTLE OVER THE DEVIL TORMENTING HER DAUGHTER, SHE HAD ALREADY OVERCOME HIM BY HER FAITH

• SHE NEVER STRUGGLED TO ACCEPT AND ADMIT THAT SHE WAS A GENTILE NOT A JEW.

• BETWEEN UNDERSTANDING CHRIST AND BEING UNDERSTOOD BY CHRIST, SHE CHOSE TO UNDERSTAND CHRIST.

POINT 1 YOU HAVE ALWAYS THE CHOICE BETWEEN TAKING OFFENCE AND TAKING RESPONSIBILITY OF YOUR ACTIONS

Instead of taking offence at the attitude of Jesus toward her, she chose to take responsibility of her action because she wanted desperately her daughter to be healed. It is so clear that f she would have taken offence at Jesus, the devil tormenting her daughter would have remained for ever.

QUESTION/ What is it about you? Do you take personal responsibility or do you allow outward circumstances to get you out of track?

LET US PRAY FOR AN OFFENCE FREE LIFESTYLE

It is written in Matthew 11:6 "Blessed is [he], whosoever shall not be offended in me."

Father, I decide to take responsibility instead of taking offence. I chose to be blessed and responsible instead of taking offence and being cursed. I therefore pray that by your grace you help me to stand my groung on this choice IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST !

LET US PRAY TO TAKE AWAY THE STUMBLING BLOCK OF OFFENCE

It is written in John 11:39 Jesus said, "Take ye away the stone ..." 

Father, I admit before your throne that I took offence at (mention him/her). Since I have understood today that that offence is a stumbling block to my miracle and breakthrough, I decide today to let go. I decide to forgive. I decide to forget. Let therefore any stumbling block of offence be turned into a stepping stone of deliverance IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST ! 

POINT 2 YOU HAVE ALWAYS THE CHOICE BETWEEN KEEPING YOUR FOCUS ON "SELF" AND KEEPING YOUR FOCUS ON CHRIST

Having hurt feelings and being easily offended is almost a result of being too preoccupied with self (no one liked  my ideas, she was curt with me, they hardly talked to me, he didn't even thanked me, no one ever asked for my opinion, nobody paid any attention to me . . .)

This woman came to Jesus Christ for her daughter not for herself. She was preoccupied not with "self" but with her daughter's healing.

QUESTION / Where is your focus?

LET US PRAY AGAINST SELFISHNESS AND SELF CENTERDNESS

It is written in Galatians 2:20 "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."

Father, forgive me for being too preoccupied with "me", "my"and "self". Forgive me and deliver me from selfishness and self centeredness which are used by the enemy to make me fall into the pit of offences. Let my flesh be crucified so that it will not be I but Christ who lives in me.

POINT 3 UNHEALED WOUNDS, UNSOLVED PROBLEMS, LOST BATTLES MAKE PEOPLE VULNERABLE AND PRONE TO EASILY TAKE OFFENCE

Question ? Are you blaming others for offending you, when in reality you wouldn't be upset if you had already dealt with certain hot-button issue in your life ?

LET US ASK GOD TO HELP US OVER THESE WOUNDS, EMOTIONAL SCARS AND INSECURITIES

It is written in Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, ... he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted,..."

Father, heal all my wounds, emotional scars and insecurities so that they're no longer driving a wedge between me and others.

POINT 4 FAILING TO ACCEPT YOUR UNIQUENESS IS A TRAP THAT CAUSES MANY TO BE EASILY OFFENDED

This woman never denied that she was not a Jew. She has never denied the fact that she had no right in the covenant betweem God and the Jews. She accepted her identity and never felt offended for it knowing that it was an undeniable fact.

QUESTION / Do you accept yourself the way you are? Do you like your uniqueness? Do you believe that others have the right to be different than you?

PRAY THE LORD AND CELEBRATE YOUR UNIQUENESS

It is written in 1 Corinthians 15:10 "By the grace of God I am what I am ..."

Father, I thank you and I praise you for who I am. I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

PRAY THE LORD FOR WISDOM FROM ABOVE 

It is written in James 1:5 "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."

Father, fill me with wisdom from above that will cause me to be mature enough to know how to handle different opinions, different perspective of things without taking offence.

POINT 5 CHOOSE TO UNDERSTAND NOT TO BE UNDERSTOOD

At the end of the test, the woman said to Jesus "You're right Lord...". Which means that she did not consider that Jesus intended to hurt her but rather to bless her beyond measure.

1. She understood that Jesus was Lord (she mentioned Jesus as Lord twice : in Matthew 15:25 and in Matthew 15:27)
2. She understoof that because Jesus was called Lord, he always deserves nothing else than "Yes, You're right"

LET US PRAY

It is written in Proverbs 3:13 "Happy [is] the man [that] findeth wisdom, and the man [that] getteth understanding.

Father, there's happiness in getting understanding not in being understood. I therefore pray for the grace from above to be a man / woman who craves to understand more than to be understood.

IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST ! ! !

JESUS IS LORD ! ! !

Pastor T.D. KASUKU K.K.

The Word Of Life Church International

Nairobi/Kenya