🕯 Theme: Don't Give It The Place Of God - Part 1    📖 Texts:   Isaiah 42: 8 & 9     Exodus 20:15     Deuteronomy 4:24     Exodus 34: 14    2 Corinthians 4: 18      Romans 8: 28    Introduction:    - The Purpose Of This Theme/ Message Is For The Following.      # How To Diffuse Defying Attacks, Battles, Challenges, Difficulties, Hardships, Painful Experiences, Sufferings Etc.        Defy = Openly Resist Or Refuse To Obey        = Appear To Be Challenging Someone To Do Or Prove Something     - 1 Samuel 17: 10 - Goliath Defy The Armies Of Israel         ^ Sometimes You Have Prayed All The Prayers You Know Best To Pray/ You Have Done All The Fastings You Are Requested To Fast/ You Have Followed All The Instructions You Are To Follow/         You Have Done All The Sacrifices You Are Required To Do/ You Have Rendered All The Services That You Should Render/ You Have Exercised All The Faith.         You Should Exercise/ You Have Done All The Giving And Sowing That You Should Do Etc. Yet No Result, No Solution, No Change In Situation Etc It Can Be Very Frustrating And Discouraging.         - That Is When The Situation Takes The Place Of God In Our Lives.       - What Does It Mean To Give It The Place Of God     # When The Situation Takes All Your Attention         # When You Fix All Your Attention, Focus, Passion, Energy On The Situation In Your Daily Life - You Cannot Sleep, Eat, Be Yourself, Even Socialise, Go To Church.      # When The Situation Is Just Eating You Up - Even Reducing Your Weight.        - How Much Space Are You Giving In Your Mind ( Thoughts ) , In Your Mouth ( Words ) ,  In Your  Mood ( Emotions  )To.    * The Battles You Are Fighting     * The Challenges You Are Facing        * The Difficulties You Are Facing    * The Hardships Confronting You    * The Painful Experiences You Are Going Through         * The Sufferings You Are Facing     * Troubles We Are Going Through         I . Three Sources Of All The Challenges, Difficulties, Hardships, Painful Experiences, Sufferings, Troubles We Go Through In Life.    1. Natural Causes -     2. Human Causes - Jeremiah 17: 4        3. Satanic Causes - Job 1 : 9 - 12,     Job 2: 3,1 Peter 5 : 8 - 9, Ephesians 6: 12        - But God Is Greater Than And Controls All These Sources - John 10: 29        - These Three Causes Stand As Channels For    A. God's Glory To Be Manifested.    # God Is Waiting To Be Giving Charge To Show Up        B. Satan To Be Worshiped.     # Satan Is Actually Hiding In These Things To Receive Worship - Through Our Complaints, Grumbling, Murmuring, Expression Of Anger, Anxiety,  Fear, Doubt,  Unbelief Etc        # We Worship Satan Or Give Satan The Place Of God When All The Above Take The Greater Space In Us Daily         * And What Take The Place Of God Is What Becomes - Is What Rules Or Reigns.        - You Determine The Outcome That You Expect - Mark 9 : 23, Matthew 9: 29, 2 Corinthians 4: 13        Ii . Two Descriptions God Has Given To Himself In The Believers Situation As We See In The Text.        1. He Is A Jealous God - Exodus 20: 5, Exodus 34: 14    - Simply Means His Children Should Not Give Their Attention, Affections, Focus And Passion To Anything Be It A Person, An Object, A Situation, A Challenge, A Problem Etc.        2. He Will Never Share His Glory With Another - Isaiah 42:8.      - Nothing Should Be Celebrated By His Children Than Him - Nothing We Go Through Should Take His Place In Our Minds, Mouths And Moods         Iii . There Is Something Going On Behind The Scenes.     - Habakkuk 3 : 17 - 19 - Habakkuk Knew Something Was Going On Behind The Scenes More Than What He Was Seeing         - 2 Corinthians 4: 18 - Whatever We Are Seeing And Feeling Is Temporary, The Glory That Will Soon Manifest