Moving from Suffering to Glory - Romans 8:18

TOPIC: Moving from Suffering to Glory (Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries Sunday, 12 August 2018)

FIRE SCRIPTURE: Job 42:12-13

MEMORY VERSE: “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” – Romans 8:18.

The MESSAGE:

When God finished His creation, He concluded in Genesis 1:31 that it was very good. He had created everything glorious and wonderful, and they remained so until Adam surrendered his authority and privileges to the devil. From that point on, the experience of man changed from comfort to pain, glory to shame, pleasure to hardship and dominion to demotion. Today, the creation is subject to groaning, vanity, bondage, decay, unfruitfulness and oppression. All these unfavourable situations definitely have expiry dates, and these shall be relief for the children of God.

Paul compared the groaning to a woman in travail who is experiencing pain, but the pain will end when the child is delivered and she will enter into the joy of carrying her baby. One day, creation will be delivered and the groaning creation will become a glorious creation.

 The believer should not focus on today’s sufferings but rather look forward to tomorrow’s glory. For the believer, today’s groaning bondage will be exchanged for tomorrow’s glorious liberty just as the woman moves from pain to glory. Even though we suffer certain things now, we should ensure we renew our inward man every day. We should bear in mind that the present affliction is for a brief moment but the glory, which will appear thereafter, is eternal. It is certain that the present suffering cannot be compared with the eternal peace, rest and joy that Jesus has promised us. 

Our focus should be on the eternal home; therefore, we must apply strong determination in enduring the present affliction, which is purely temporal in order to enter into the glory, which is eternal. Job in his days suffered affliction and despite its intensity and harshness, it lasted only for a brief moment. 

Even though he was tortured, despised and rejected by friends and family members, he still held firmly to God. He did not forsake God but rather expressed the faith that would see God when he passes on from this world. God, the story changer, came to his rescue and delivered him from the oppression of the devil and restored to him in multiples all that satan had stolen from him. However, ensure you have no ladder (secret sin) in your life that empowers the public enemy -satan -to gain access to your life, thereby strengthening or expanding problems. Be faithful to the end.

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE:
YOUR PRESENT AFFLICTION IS BUT FOR A BRIEF MOMENT, BUT THE GLORY WHICH WILL APPEAR THEREAFTER IS ETERNAL.

PROPHETIC WORD:
Your groaning today will be exchanged for tomorrow’s glory.

PRAYER POINTS:

MORNING
1. Affliction shall not write the last chapter of my life, in the name of Jesus.
2. O God my Father, increase my faith and empower me to endure the present affliction until You deliver me, in the name of Jesus.
3. Tormentors assigned against my life, lose your hold by fire, in the name of Jesus.

EVENING
4. Angels of deliverance, come to my aid and deliver me, in the name of Jesus.
5. I shall laugh last over those despising me, in the name of Jesus.
6. I decree my total deliverance by fire, in the name of Jesus.
7. I move from suffering to glory by the power in the blood of Jesus, in the name of Jesus.

MOUNTAIN TOP LIFE is a daily devotional by Dr. D.K Olukoya (General Overseer, Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries, Worldwide)