My Pastor, Rob Covell, preached a message that I believe is crucial to where many of us are. He said, "There are things you can do to set you up for a breakthrough lifestyle. The Christian lifestyle is just that, a LIFESTYLE! It is choosing every single day to honor God and advance the Kingdom. It is very easy to become stagnant, overwhelmed by life and completely burned out; which is not God's plan for us. That is why I believe this is a crucial strategy to sustainable Christianity. I have been saved for over 30 years and it still feels like it was yesterday. Every day, week, month, year and decade has been a constant discipline in crucifying my flesh and choosing to do what is right. I have not always hit the mark, so I thank God for the opportunity to repent and receive God's forgiveness when I do fall below the standard of righteousness.
PRINCIPLE # 1 - Doing What is Right and being Faithful - 2 Chronicles 32:1
King Hezekiah did what was right in God's eyes. He was abundant in His giving to the temple, he lived a life of generosity, obedience and diligence in the word.
PRINCIPLE # 2 - You Need Wise Counsel and a Battle Strategy - 2 Chronicles - 32:1-6
Warfare always follows obedience; the enemy comes to push back and release fear. Therefore, it is important to seek counsel for a strategy to wage war. After seeking counsel, Hezekiah blocked the river, built walls, and multiplied their arsenal of weapons. It's time to shore up the walls of your life. You cannot advance in Kingdom endeavors and think the enemy is going to passively sit back and let you move forward.
PRINCIPLE # 3 - Strengthen Yourself in the Lord - 2 Chronicles 32:3-6
He reminded them to be strong and courageous and remember that the Lord will always fight their battles. It does not matter how fortified the enemy's regime is the Lord of Host is the Captain of the army. When surrounded by the Syrians Elisha told his servant, "Don't be afraid, those who are with us are more than those who are with them."
PRINCIPLE # 4 - The Enemy Will Always Use Fear to Stop You - 2 Chronicles 32:9-15
Fear and intimidation are two of the enemy's choice weapons. He will tell you lies about God, yourself, your family, your spouse, your friends and anyone else that he wants to break your strategic alliance with. You can never come in agreement with the lies of the enemy and you can't let what you see in the natural guide your faith. Paul told the Corinthians, "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18, NIV).
PRINCIPLE # 5 - Trust in the Faithfulness of God - 2 Chronicles 32:16-19
The enemy will always make you doubt the Faithfulness of God. The children of always were wanting to see the God of their fathers. They struggled to believe that God would do for them what He did for those that went before them. The faithfulness, power, and commitment of the Great God of Heaven remains the same throughout the generations. Malachi 3:6, He said, "For I am the Lord, I change not..."
PRINCIPLE # 6 - The Power of Intercession is a Necessity - 2 Chronicles 32:20-21
Intercession moves the heart of God and releases angelic assistance. 2 Chronicles 32:21 says, "And the Lord sent an angel, who annihilated all the fighting men and the commanders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king." There were about 185,000 soldiers in the Assyrian army, and all were annihilated by the mighty hand of God. He is always fighting for us!
PRINCIPLE # 7 - Response to God's Goodness is Always Required - 2 Chronicles 32:22-23
Deliverance is always the fruit of unwavering faith. In response to God's assistance they responded in offerings. It said Many brought gifts to Jerusalem. There is no amount of money on Earth that can move God because He owns everything. Giving is and has always been an act of worship and our response to the faithfulness of God. When God does something good, "sow a seed." Money is power in this culture and puts weight behind your confession and breakthrough.
I hope this blessed you as much as it blessed me!
Pastor Rob Covell
The Refuge International House of Prayer
https://refugehop.com/
Photo Courtesy of Unsplash
Jose Cortes