EXCESS BAGGAGE

Text for the day: Ephesians 4:20-24

²⁰But ye have not so learned Christ;

²¹ If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

²² That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

²³ And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

²⁴ And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Good day Saints of the Living God,

As you reflect on how God has been good to you over this pass year. Let us not forget that before the day of probation ends, we all must go through a humbling experience so that sin will have no part of us. To you who are reading this message, this may not be the thing you want to hear, but it is the truth. In other words, if there were two words that should awaken you, and me to our feet, that is, “Excess Baggage.”

If you were traveling by an airplane as a passenger, everyone is told ahead of their fight that their luggage must be a certain weight. If your luggage exceeds the limits for weight, size, or number of pieces allowed by a particular carrier, you will be asked to wait. Excess baggage requires payment of additional freight may cause your luggage to be sent separately as cargo and not as accompanied baggage.

In this life, God has assigned a principle or standard by which we may be fitted, judged or decided to enter heaven. Infact, He has assured us victory and success, but only to those who follow the direction through Jesus Christ will He permit to enter the heavenly flight. But they must learn through the lessons of faith, righteousness, and through the lesson of humbling through trails, the joy of living with a Holy God in His kingdom.

Sadly to say to those who feel that they know it all, and have it all, they must be left behind forever spiritually, and end up in the lake of fire finally.

Today I would share with you Satan’s five point plan to destroy the Saints of the Living God. These are Satan’s plans to cause excess baggage weight in God’s children if he can.

Firstly, God has a great work to do in a short time. This work will be done in and through you His people, but only if you will Him too. The big question is, will you allow Him to do it? If not you, who? If not now, when? 

Just think for a moment, why is it that we have forgotten what time it is? Has not God shown us through His word the signs of the time that shall come upon the earth just before probation closes, and His second coming? Yes! In ever age God has given a probationary time before He punishes the inhabitants of that time with destruction.

The Probationary time that God has allotted to all living on this earth is rapidly closing. The big problem is, "we think we have all the time in the world to get it right. The enemy of our soul knows we don't, and that is why he is pushing mankind into these up and down relationships with God. He is hoping that one day, we would be caught out when we are down spiritually, and probation closes. Through this evil plan, Satan tells his evil angels that we would forever be lost.

Secondly, the reason why they, the would be saints are not working with God, and treating the Saints of God like dirt is because they are not walking in the light of God, but in darkness and they know it not. 

Thirdly, these would be saints don't serve God, nor His people with a loving spirit, but they serve themselves. Like the antediluvians, God bestowed upon them many and rich gifts; but they used His bounties to glorify themselves, and turned them into a curse by fixing their affections upon the gifts instead of the Giver. They employed the gold and silver, the precious stones and the choice wood, in the construction of habitations for themselves, and endeavored to excel one another in beautifying their dwellings with the most skillful workmanship. They sought only to gratify the desires of their own proud hearts, and reveled in scenes of pleasure and wickedness. Not desiring to retain God in their knowledge, they soon came to deny His existence. They adored nature in place of the God of nature. They glorified human genius, worshiped the works of their own hands, and taught their children to bow down to graven images. These would be saints have a want things our way spirit, or a controlling spirit. They love to fight against those who are blessed and highly favored by God in heaven. They say, "if anyone is not following us, or doing things to our likeness, we will cut them off."

 “It is a law of the human mind that by beholding we become changed. Man will rise no higher than his conceptions of truth, purity, and holiness. If the mind is never exalted above the level of humanity, if it is not uplifted by faith to contemplate infinite wisdom and love, the man will be constantly sinking lower and lower.” “God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.... The earth also was corrupt before God; and the earth was filled with violence.” God had given men His commandments as a rule of life, but His law was transgressed, and every conceivable sin was the result. The wickedness of men was open and daring, justice was trampled in the dust, and the cries of the oppressed reached unto heaven,” until He destroyed them with a flood. Genesis chapter 6 and 7. 

Fourthly, "These would be saints of God who are working for Satan, don't have anything nice to say about the true Saints of God. When they speak of them, or when their name comes up in a conversation, they speak down on them. They even go as far as to send out spies to see what they are doing to rack up things against them, and keep a handle on them. This they say will help lead them to get rid of Gods Saints by any means possible." Even if it means to kill them, their families, or anything and everybody that is associated with the them. This outward showing of these would be saints, would be to finally kill the spirit of unity within the church of the LIVING GOD, and even in the community! But the Lord God will have none of this! The day will come when He shall laugh at these wicked once, for He knows their day is coming. Psalms 37:13

Fifthly, these would be saints of God, find joy in openly belittling the integrity and character of God’s true saints. But the word of the Lord condemns this behavior, because it is the work of Satan, who is the father of lies. It is said, “If you would be a saint in heaven, you must first be a saint on earth. The traits of character you cherish in life will not be changed by death or by the resurrection. You will come up from the grave with the same disposition you manifested in your home and in society. Jesus does not change the character at His coming. The work of transformation must be done now. Our daily lives are determining our destiny.”

Today it is time for all, who have committed their lives to Jesus to ask for a fresh start. In other words, we all need a new beginning. We are on the last leg of the run before probation closes forever. It's time to focus more on where God is directing you. Don't get sidetracked anymore by those who are not working with God. Remember, when God allows you to see the faults in others, just pray for them. Because if it had not been for the goodness of God in calling you, where would you be?

We are living in a time when prevailing corruption covers the earth. Like in the days of Methuselah, Noah, and many others who labored to keep alive the knowledge of the true God and to stay the tide of moral evil, God is calling you. But you must put off your excess baggage. God loves you very much. Always remember that this battle is not yours, it's the Lord's. Fight the good fight of faith! 

This year God shall break every chain, and not do it the conventional way in which we have seen it done in the pass. He say, "Lo, I am doing a new thing, now it springeth up, Do ye not know it? Yea, I put in a wilderness a way, In a desolate place — floods." Isaiah 43:19 

May your day be Blessed

Maranatha, Jesus is coming

Please listen to the four part message by the late C.D Brooks (The Handwriting on the Wall)

Part 1 to 4 (Note when it stops, go to the next video in the series.)  

 

Song of the Day:

 

Thank you for your prayers for this ministry, and may the blessings of the Lord rest on you, and your family always.

Blessings, Blessing, Blessings 

Garden Ministry Devotionals are written by Chaplain Kevin Santucci

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