KEYS TO OPEN HEAVEN ... KEY NUMBER 9 "TURN AWAY, OVERCOME AND CONFRONT OBSTACLES"

DATE : FRIDAY 10.11.2017
TOPIC : TURN AWAY, OVERCOME AND CONFRONT THE OBSTACLE
TEXT : MATTHEW 3:14

As Jesus was about to be baptized, John the Baptist opposed him and resisted him as we can read in Matthew 3:14

"But John tried to stop him and said, "I need to be baptized by you. Why are you coming to me?""

The Greek word for "to oppose" is diakoluo and means to hinder, to prevent, to stop, to retain, to oppose ...

Whenever God is about to open the sky, there will always be obstacles, resistances and oppositions that will emerge from everywhere to prevent this from happening.

In 1 Corinthians 16: 9, Paul says,

"For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and [there are] many adversaries."

WHAT TO DO WHEN FACING OBSTACLES?

There are 3 ways to deal with obstacles. There are obstacles to turn away from (ignore, do not pay too much attention ...). There are obstacles to overcome (rise above). There are obstacles to confront (face it).

When David wanted to confront Goliath, he encountered 3 obstacles that he faced in 3 those different ways.

1) TURN AWAY (ignore, do not pay too much attention ...)

His first obstacle was his older brother Eliab who wanted to discourage him by saying:

"Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle." (1 Samuel 17:28)

What did David do when he faced this obstacle? He did not try to confront him. Rather, he turned away from him. This is what we read in 1 Samuel 17:30

"And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner."

LESSONS

There are battles in life not worth fighting and not worth paying too much attention. There are people we must turn away from if we want to engage effectively on the path to our destiny. 

2) OVERCOME (rise above)

His second obstacle was King Saul, who underestimated him and despised him because, according to him, Goliath was more experienced than him. Saul said to David:

"And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth." (1 Samuel 17:33).

What did David do to face this obstacle? He did not allow the king to underestimate or despise him. This time, he did not turn away from him, but he rose above him by confessing the testimony of his secret experiences of victory with the Lord.

"34  And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:

35  And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.

36  Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.

37  David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee." (1 Samuel 17: 34-37).

LESSONS

Like David, do not let yourself to be pulled down by those who constantly remind you, "You can not." Do not allow anything and anyone to underestimate or despise you. Always keep your faith high and always listen to him who constantly tells you: "All things are possible to him who believes."

3) CONFRONT (face it)

His last obstacle was Goliath, who despised him by insulting him, cursing him, and threatening him. We read the following:

"42 And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.
43 And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
44 And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field." (1 Samuel 17: 42-44).

In front of this last obstacle, David did not try to turn away from him. He did not try overcome him. But he confronted him by pronouncing a prophetic judgment against him, killing him with his stone and cutting off his head with his sword.

= PRAYER = PRAYER = PRAYER =

TODAY IS THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE TO PASS A PROPHETIC JUDGMENT AGAINST ANY OBSTACLE STANDING AS AN OBSTACLE AGAINST YOUR HEAVEN OPEN.


PRAYER 1 | IF THE OBSTACLE CHALLENGING YOU IS THE MOUNTAIN, STAND BEFORE IT AND SPEAK TO IT..."YOU WILL BECOME A PLAIN"

Pray with Zechariah 4:7 "What a high mountain you are! In front of  ---------------------------- (put your name) you will become a plain. He will bring out the topmost stone with shouts of ‘Blessings, blessings on it!’"

PRAYER 2 | IF THE OBSTACLE CHALLENGING YOU IS THE DEVIL, TAKE AUTHORITY AGAINST HIM AND COMMAND HIM TO MOVE.

Pray with Zechariah 3:2 "The LORD said to Satan, "I, the LORD, silence you, Satan! I, the LORD, who has chosen ---------------------------- (put your name), silence you! Isn’t this man like a burning log snatched from a fire?"

Pray with Matthew 16:23  "But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men." 

Pray with Mark 1:25 "But Jesus cut him short and spoke sharply, "Hold your tongue and get out of him!"

 Pray with Mark 9:25 "When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, [Thou] dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.

Pray with Acts 16:18 "But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

SO SHALL IT BE!

JESUS IS LORD! 

Pastor T.D. KASUKU K.K.

The Word Of Life Church International

Nairobi/Kenya

© TD KASUKU Ministries International/WLCI