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Sarah’s Corner

Volume 99 - 19, September 2019

www.thecarpenterschurch.org/sarahscorner

You Are A CITIZEN Pastor Nkechi Ene (Mrs.) In this article, we will be looking at what it means to be a citizen of heaven and how to take advantage of every blessing that God has made available for you as a child of God. 24 the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and said that he should be examined under scourging, so that he might know why they shouted so against him. 25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned?” 26 When the centurion heard that, he went and told the commander, saying, “Take care what you do, for this man is a Roman”. 27 Then the commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” He said, “Yes”. 28 The commander answered, “With a large sum I obtained this citizenship”. And Paul said, “But I was born a citizen”. 29 Then immediately those who were about to examine him withdrew from him; and the commander was also afraid after he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him. Acts 22:24-29

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a citizen is a person who is a member of a particular country and who has rights because of being born there or because of being given rights, or a person who lives in a particular town or city. A little boy went mountain-climbing with his father and as they climbed, the little boy began to fall off the mountain, and as he was falling, he held on to the branch of a tree. The father got off the mountain, but it was going to be difficult for the father to climb back up and carry him. Apart from that, the little boy was afraid that the branch could break at anytime and then he would fall off and something terrible would happen to him. So, he stayed there and kept shouting and screaming, “Help!”

and his voice echoed, “Help!” He shouted again, “Help!” and then he will hear “Help!” Then he asked, “Who are you?” The voice also asked, “Who are you?” Whatever he said was echoed back at him. So, the father realized that his son was hearing the echo of his own voice and the father instructed him to Say to that person, “You can make it, you have all it takes to climb down the mountain, so begin to come down”. He said to the voice, “You can make it, you have all it takes to come down from that mountain, so begin to come down now”, and all he said was echoed back at him. Believing it was someone talking back at him, the boy got enthused and confident and started climbing down; and he climbed down successfully. You have what it takes to say to yourself, “Rise up and be healed”. You have what it takes to come down from whatever kind of negative mountain you are on. Whatever it is, look at it and boldly declare, “You, mountain, I am going to come down successfully in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ”. What it takes to come down is in your mouth. You’ve got to believe that greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world (I John 4:4). You have to believe that God created you for a purpose and you will live to enjoy all the benefits of His promises to you. You can be healed and delivered right now by the power of God at work in you (Ephesians 3:20). You can be encouraged by others, but your miracle is tied to your participation of faith. The Scripture says, “But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach)” (Romans 10:8). 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ”, Philippians 3:20

If you are given the choice to be the citizen of any country in the world, where would you choose? I will choose Nigeria, but I’m talking about being a citizen of heaven. Some people believe they would flourish better in other nations, but there is somewhere

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Sarah’s Corner

Volume 99 - 19, September 2019

www.thecarpenterschurch.org/sarahscorner

beyond where you were born and that is the truth that should envelope you and take the totality of your being. You are a citizen of heaven.

9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 1 Peter 5:8-9

Realize You Are No Longer Condemned 1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1-4

Don’t allow the devil to point accusing fingers at you saying, “You are responsible for the troubles you are facing”. It’s all in the past, your mistakes are all in the past; there is no condemnation for you. You might be thinking, “You don’t know me, you really don’t know me. I committed ten abortions as an unbeliever”. God has given His verdict on that matter, He says, “No more condemnation”. As a child of God, you can now walk about without any sense or consciousness of inferiority because you are in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). E. W. Kenyon said, “Sin consciousness is the parent of every religion”. Every religion is conscious of sin, but Jesus is so different. Religion says, “Don’t do unto others what you don’t want them to do unto you”, that is coming from the negative, but Jesus says, “Do unto them what you would that they do unto you”. “Do unto them”, that’s the difference, and it’s a large difference. You are no longer condemned.

Recognize You Have Rights And Privileges 1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;  My God, in Him I will trust”. Psalm 91:1-2

Those are not just empty promises; they are part and parcel of your life. It’s part of the believer; the born again. These promises come in the salvation package. They are not mere words. It’s your privilege and right. You might say, if it’s my privilege and my right, why am I not enjoying them?” 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

The word “adversary” means the enemy. The enemy is an outlaw. In an athletic competition, you are expected to run according to the rules, but the enemy does not run according to the rules; he is an outlaw. He wants to destroy you, but thank God even when God planned your redemption, He went by the rules. He went step-by-step, to obtain redemption for you and everything was legal. God got your redemption legally, but the enemy is not like that. Recognize that he is an enemy full of troubles and woes. He is a liar full of lies, he can not speak the truth. The devil has nothing to offer but lies. It doesn’t matter how he presents it. When you take the Word of God seriously, you will be better for it. The devil is not your consultant. In the days of ignorance, you may have been with certain kinds of churches where demon possessed people are interrogated and they tell all kinds of lies. Thanks be to God, those days are over and in times of ignorance, God overlooked. It is embarrassing to hear Christians say they are going to places where certain things were buried against them in their villages. The devil won’t be waiting for them there; he is a spirit. God is a Spirit and He is everywhere at the same time; the devil is a spirit but restricted to one place at a time but he uses his arrays of demons. The devil cannot read your mind, so many times he is confused; he doesn’t know what you’re thinking. He can only send a thought to your mind and try to manipulate you. The only time he or his demons can tell what you’re thinking is when you say it out. That’s why you have to keep saying the right things, but keep quiet instead of saying the wrong things. The only thing you have to do with devils is to cast them out. Command them to leave your property, your children, your health and everything that concerns you, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Rely On Your Faith, It Is YourVictory 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:4

In spite of all the rampaging works of the devil, your faith is your victory. If you know there is something that will cause you to triumph always, I am sure you will do everything to build that thing. Build your faith, because your faith is your victory. The only way you build your faith is by studying, and meditating on the Word of God. The focus is not about the devil being an outlaw; the focus is that you have the victory in spite of his activities. Build your faith and use it. “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). It does not matter what the devil does, it is your faith that overcomes the world. Faith will always win, your faith will always have the victory, and make you to triumph. You are a citizen of heaven; live like it.