Your Life: from Biblical Perspective (Vol. 1)

By Ebenezer Opare

Every life is divided into different sections. One section of a person's life does not make him or her complete. It takes the different sections put together to make a person a whole being. This book, Your Life: Biblical Perspective, looks at different sections of human beingsyour money, your enemies, your prayers, etc.and attempts to explain them from the biblical standpoint so all of us can enjoy life to its fullness. With this book in your hand and the knowledge in your heart, your life will never be the same again.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris UK
• Release date: Mar 22, 2016
• ISBN: 9781514465035

Ebenezer Opare

Rev. Dr. Ebenezer Opare is the senior pastor of Champion Faith Community Chapel, a graduate of Central University College, Ghana. He has his master’s and doctorate degrees in biblical studies from the New Life Bible College and Seminary, Virginia, USA. He is the dean of Kingsway Theological Seminary, Ghana. He is a lifetime member of International Institute of Church Management, Florida, USA. He serves as a board member to many growing churches. He is a devoted husband and father of three children, namely Papa, Maame, and Nana. He and his lovely wife, Alice, live in Accra, Ghana.

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Copyright © 2015 by Ebenezer Opare.

ISBN: Softcover 978-1-5144-6504-2

eBook 978-1-5144-6503-5

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Rev. date: 03/04/2016

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Contents

SECTION ONE: YOUR ENEMIES

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1 YOU ARE STRONGER THAN THE STRONG MAN

CHAPTER 2 ENEMY ONE: PHARAOH

CHAPTER 3 ENEMY TWO: HEROD

CHAPTER 4 ENEMY THREE: BALAK

CHAPTER 5 ENEMY FOUR: SANBALLAT

CHAPTER 6 ENEMY FIVE: GOLIATH

CHAPTER 7 ENEMY SIX: AHITHOPHEL

CHAPTER 8 ENEMY SEVEN: SAUL

CHAPTER 9 ENEMY EIGHT: HAMAN

CHAPTER 10 ENEMY NINE: PHILISTINE

CHAPTER 11 ENEMY TEN: AMALEKITES

SECTION TWO: YOUR MONEY

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 12 WHAT IS PROSPERITY

CHAPTER 13 LAWS OF PROSPERITY

CHAPTER 14 SEED, SOIL AND SEASONS

SECTION THREE: YOUR MARRIAGE

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 15 GOD’S IDEA FOR MARRIAGE

CHAPTER 16 MARRIAGE IS LIKE A BUILDING

CHAPTER 17 FOUR PILLARS OF MARRIAGE

CHAPTER 18 MARRIAGE AS A GARDEN

CHAPTER 19 IT TAKES THREE PEOPLE TO MARRY

SECTION FOUR: YOUR NEGATIVE WORLD

CHAPTER 20 THE NEED FOR CHANGE

CHAPTER 21 CHANGE THROUGH THE CROSS

CHAPTER 22 THREE THINGS TO CHANGE

CHAPTER 23 THREE STEPS TO CHANGE

CHAPTER 24 CHANGE THROUGH FAITH

CHAPTER 25 USE WHAT YOU HAVE TO BRING CHANGE

SECTION FIVE: YOUR PRAYER

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 26 WHAT PRAYER IS NOT

CHAPTER 27 WHAT PRAYER IS

CHAPTER 28 IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER

CHAPTER 29 HOW TO RECEIVE ANSWERS TO PRAYER

CHAPTER 30 THE PRINCIPLE OF ASKING

CHAPTER 31 MAKING YOUR DESIRE A REALITY

SECTION ONE

Your Enemies

Introduction

1Peter 5:8-9, Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

Every Christian has an enemy. Knowing your enemy is very important because you cannot effectively defeat him if you don’t know him well. Satan is a strategist; one of his strategies is to make you ignorant of him and his devices. No doubt Paul said we are not ignorant of his devices. When you are ignorant of him, he keeps you in the dark, makes you to think and feel he does not exit; he makes you to think it is a figment and delusion of somebody’s unsound mind. Throughout centuries, people’s attitudes have ranged from outright disbelief of his existence, especially among unbelievers. He also tries to let you think that he is a friend by transforming himself into an angel of light.

Many have a wrong picture of Satan; they see him the way the artist paints him. A human form with leering face, characterized by a grin of low cunning, horns, hoofs, and forked tail, utterly obscene and provoking nothing but contempt, ridicule and disgust. I believe if Satan should come in this form, no one will follow him. His purpose is to deceive and destroy. John 10:10 the thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Join me as we unmask Satan, and the different enemies we have in this world; we shall also look at how to deal with enemies and defeat them.

Ephesians 6:10. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole amour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Chapter One

YOU ARE STRONGER THAN THE STRONG MAN

Luke 11:21-22 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.

Jesus in the verse above was describing the devil; the Pharisees had accused him of casting out devils with Baalzebub. In explaining, he said every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falls.

If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? Because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore shall they be your judges. But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. Then finally he made the above statement.

In this statement Jesus admitted that Satan is a strong man; if Satan is not strong he can’t make people mad, if he is not strong he can’t make people sin and commit evil that is so serious. If he is not strong, how couldn’t he destroy your business, your marriage, your child; if he is not strong how could he make people barren. It takes a person who is strong to do these things. Satan is indeed strong. To match him you need to be stronger than him.

Jesus also said he has a stronghold and he protects it. The stronghold is Satan palace; a place where he launches his entire armoury against people. A place he protects himself from the attack of Christians. Paul said we should pull down Satan’s strongholds.

Jesus said this strong man with his stronghold also has goods in his stronghold. Guess what; the goods are your goods he stole from you. Your peace, joy, life, finances, marriage, children; he stole all these things from you. Remember he is a thief.

To defeat this strong man and recover your goods, you need to understand that you are stronger than him. Jesus is the strongest; he defeated and disgraced the devil.

The bible says in Colossians 2:15, And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

The new international version says he disarmed principalities and powers; he also made a public spectacle (open disgrace) of them.

Jesus, the strongest personality has also made you stronger than Satan. You are stronger than the Devil. How?

First of all, because of WHO is in you.

1John 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

The one in us is greater than the devil. God is in us. He has made his abode in us, we are his temple and God the Holy Spirit lives in us. You need not be afraid of the devil because of who is in you.

Secondly is because of the weapons you use. Your weapons are stronger and powerful than Satan’s own.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds ;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

You must also understand that your weapons are the same weapons Jesus used against Satan, therefore they have been tried and tested, you can trust them. If Jesus was able to overcome Satan with those weapons then you too can overcome him with the same weapons. Jesus revealed to us one of the weapons in the dialogue with the Pharisees; he said ‘if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you’. So one of the weapons Jesus used was the finger of God. This is the power of the Holy Spirit. With the Holy Spirit, you will overcome the devil.

As a stronger man you need to attack Satan, overcome and take or recover what he has stolen from you. You can do it, yes you can.

Chapter Two

ENEMY ONE: PHARAOH

Pharaoh is a title for the Kings of Egypt or the King of upper and lower Egypt. His palace is known as the great house which is his authority. Pharaoh personified the rule of gods over Egypt. In fact, he was called a god. The Pharaoh in the book of Egypt was wicked against God’s children. If you are a child of God there is a ‘spirit of pharaoh’ that is against you. What is this ‘spirit of pharaoh’?

1.  Is an opportunist

He makes use of you to his own advantage; he does not have you at heart, your welfare is not is concern. There are people like that whose major plan is make use of you for their good; they don’t even care if you die in the process. They will suck all the good things that have been deposited in you; you need to deal with such people in the spirit, so that you can be free.

Exodus 1:8, Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.

2.  The ‘spirit of pharaoh’ is against your multiplication.

God wants you to multiply; from the beginning of creation He infused the blessing of multiplication into Adam and Eve. But the ‘spirit of pharaoh’ does not want your multiplication. Is a spirit that hates increase and growth.

Ex 1:10 Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.

It attacks business from growing; attacks churches, families and even individuals. Its purpose is to make sure that you don’t increase. But you must not allow this spirit to lord over your increase and breakthrough. You must move forward and multiply.

3.  The ‘spirit of pharaoh’ kills children;

It manoeuvres to kill babies before they are born, if it does not succeed, it tries to afflict them with diseases. It is the spirit behind miscarriages. It hovers in hospitals especially the children’s block.

Revelations 12:4 And his tail drew the third part of t he stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born

Is a spirit that sees the potentials of the baby to be born, as a result kills the baby before birth. You should not allow this spirit to exist in your family. Destroy it otherwise it will destroy your pregnancy and your children.

The bible says your children shall be mighty in the earth.

Exodus 1:15 And the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.

4.  The ‘spirit of pharaoh’ keeps a person in bondage:

Is a spirit that is against your freedom. It wants you to be in bonds, to be in a negative situation forever. Thus you must be a slave forever, remain in that problem and never come out of it. But child of God you have not been called into slavery; you must not be a slave to sin, to sickness, to poverty, to negative habit forever. It is time to come out, and now is the time. Jesus came to set us free, if the Son of God will set you free you shall be free indeed. Receive freedom in Jesus name.

Ex 3:19, And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.

Ex 5:2, "And Pharaoh said, who is the LORD that I should obey