Surrender, Obey, Love

By Dr. Sandrine Nkouga

I was sexually molested at the age of fourteen--now what?

So many people go through life wearing their molestation or life's deception as a badge of dishonor in their life, even though they were the victim. They think their life stopped the day they lost their virginity, innocence, or pride. It does not have to be that way. Out of nowhere, I was hit with a life-changing event that will set my life on a roller coaster of emotions, challenges, and bad decisions. During it all, God's glory and love was displayed daily.

I personally invite you to join me on this ride where I learned to heal, learn, defeat the devil, and hold on the divine blessings. This book is not a story of tragedy but of hope, guidance, and life lessons. It is about learning how the Creator of the universe could use our ashes to build a beautiful and fulfilling life--not just for me, but also for you, my readers.

You will cry and laugh, giggle, shout, and pray and praise the Lord Almighty while discovering the immense blessings that are readily available for all believers in Jesus Christ. The huddle, challenge, or bad news does not have to be end of your story; it could be the beginning of your miraculous testimony.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 12, 2022
• ISBN: 9798886160550

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Surrender, Obey, Love

Dr. Sandrine Nkouga

ISBN 979-8-88616-054-3 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88616-055-0 (digital)

Copyright © 2022 by Dr. Sandrine Nkouga

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Case against the Devil

Disobedient and Non-Surrendered Life

Carrying Our Cross

Obedient and Surrendered Life

How Can We Live an Obedient and Surrender Life?

The Word of God

Our Time

Our Mind

Our Words

Our Actions

Our Resources

Our Relationships and Struggles

Unlocking Spiritual Blessings through Obedience and Surrendered Life

The Gift of a Deep Relationship with the Trinity

The Gift of Conviction in Christ

The Gift of Eternal Life

The Gift of Real Love

The Fruits and Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Unlocking the Power of Wisdom

The Gift of Supernatural Healing

The Gift of Power over the Devil

The Gift of Generational Blessings

Conclusion

About the Author

The Diary of a Reckless Christian Series

Introduction

On the way to my vacation to France to attend to my brother's world championship of body building, I reflect on my life. My thirty-eight-year-old self is lingering on her past and current life experiences and can only thank the Lord Almighty for his goodness and mercy. From a molested girl to a strong woman, I could only give glory to the Creator of Universe for his love for me. Life has not been easy, but it had been a roller-coaster ride with its bumps, valleys, and mountaintops. I had learned the lessons and shared my story with people surrounding me. Writing this book have been an honor and pleasure. I am happy to expose hidden truths, past hurts, and great successes that made me the woman I am today. I hope this book inspires you, my beloved readers, to also trust in the Lord with all your heart, mind, and soul, and to enjoy life one day at the time. Not just go through your life; live it, and appreciate every stumble, smile, and frown. It is in the valleys that we learn the most, not at the mountain's top.

There are thousands of blessings loaded in the Bible and readily available for all of us. As we live a dull, busy, and unenlightened life, the devil is happy to see us miss our destiny and even intervene to stop our blessings. Why are we so worried about tomorrow when our Father in heaven tells us He will provide for all our needs? Why are we so consumed by our sins and shortcomings when Jesus tells us we are the righteousness of Christ? Why is it so hard to decide when the Holy Spirit, the Mighty Counselor and Helper, lives within us to provide us guidance? Why do we feel rejected even though it is written in the Bible that God will never leave us nor forsake us?

The first human beings, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God, and because of their action, sin entered the world. Disobedience is cited as the first sin of rebellion against the authority of the Creator. Adam and Eve had everything to be happy, and the devil made them focus on the one thing they could not possess: the forbidden fruit. Their blessings were seized because of unbelief and disobedience. They were faced with the complex reality of their sin. This phenomenon did not stop there, and it is still prominent nowadays. People live a life of disobedience by forgetting the rewards that come with a life in Christ. It is hard to live in the world and ignore the consequences of sin around us; it is sorrowful. Even though countless promises are mentioned in the Bible, we tend not to feel blessed or miss seeing those blessings because we are distracted by our current circumstances and blindfolded by the devil. Our eyes are more focused on the things we do not have more than what we have. We were created for a life of abundance and happiness, but carnal nature prevents us from seeing and experience the goodness of the Lord.

The purpose of this book is to bring to light the schemes of the devil and to reveal the spiritual blessings associated with a surrendered and obedient life. It will target the subtle and yet distorted ways the devil has used for generations to stop humans in their walk with the Lord Almighty. The Lord has created all creatures (humans and angels), including the devil, to serve Him. Because of jealousy and a disobedient spirit, the enemy of humankind had worked tirelessly to stop divine blessings and recruit more people in his demonic kingdom.

As humans, we all have faced his schemes in one way or another—no one is immune. We would be at his mercy unless we chose Jesus Christ, get acquainted with the Word of God, and fight back with the tools given to us. By disguising himself and misleading people to believe he does not exist, Satan diligently sabotages human life and the purpose for whom we were all created—serve the only Almighty God. Humans need to be empowered to use the tools they have been given since creation to fight back and stand firm against the devil. This book will enlighten Christians worldwide to understand the devil's strategies to be empowered to avoid and destroy them.

The blessings mentioned in the Bible are for all who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Unfortunately, many Christians are not familiar with the truth of our faith. Not knowing what we are entitled to receive as children of God prevents us from seeking it, experiencing it, and sharing it with others. It is a privilege to be a child of the Mighty God, and as His followers and sheep, we are to live the life He intended for us. Walking and living as a Christian has its own challenges but more rewards. Knowing the veracity of Christian life is crucial to living a faith-filled life. This book will reveal all we need to know to live an enlightened and productive Christian life with twists and turns, ups and downs, concrete and practical examples.

Part 1

The Case against the Devil

My personal story of dealing with the devil's lies

Sorry to start with a somber note. At the age of fourteen, I was sexually molested by my father's friend. I decide to call him Pierre, for privacy's sake. The morning of that day, we played cards in the living room when my mother told us we should take a family picture at Pierre's studio photo shop. The studio was within walking distance of our home. Most of us were excited by the news; we wore our beautiful attires and shoes and headed to the photo shop. My mother gave me her purse to hold, and up, we all went.

For some reason that day, I felt heavy and was not as excited as my siblings, who jokingly compared their shoes and attires. My fourteen-year-old self just wanted to play cards with siblings and lay on the couch for the remainder of the day. My father, an army veteran and now police officer, was at work. We arrived at the studio, and Pierre was not at the front desk. I suspected that he was in the back of the studio and was developing his clients' pictures in the back of the darkroom. I was very familiar with the studio; I went directly to say hi and let him know we were there for pictures. He put the light on, looked at me, smiled, and rubbed my cheeks—right away, I was upset. I kept my composure and went back to the main area to look at the pictures. He took several pictures that day.

Not smiling, my siblings and mother looked at me and asked what was wrong—my answer was, Everything is fine. We departed from the studio, got home, and I suddenly remembered that I had forgotten my mother's purse at the photoshoot place. Afraid that my mother would be upset, I ran back to the studio—alone. That was when the unthinkable event happened—molestation. My innocence was stolen that day, and this set my life on fire. The unfortunate situation was the beginning of the psychological turmoil in my life.

According to the Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network, every sixty-eight seconds, an American is sexually assaulted. And every nine minutes, that victim is a child. Those statistics are alarming and disheartening. Abuse is a life-changing event that leaves the victim feeling powerless, confused, hurt, and vulnerable.

After the unfortunate event, actions were taken by my family to bring Pierre to justice. For many years, I punished and accused myself of what happened that day. I thought I might have caused it to myself because I should have known that Pierre was a bad person when he caressed my cheeks. Some of the questions I asked myself for so many years were the following: Why did you go there alone in the first place? Am I a bad person too? Would I be able to get married one day? Is my future mate would accept me after he knows what happened in my past? Am I broken forever? Why me? Why did God allow it to happen? Is it the devil or Pierre who hurt me?

Despite the help of my family and friends, I felt alone in my world of pain. For many years, I became withdrawn, depressed, and anxious all the time. I even left the church for many years and went back later for some reason. The only moment of hope and happiness was in church. Despite my unwillingness to serve God, I still felt drawn to church every Sunday. As my mother became ill and could not walk, my adolescent self would walk to church and enroll herself in Bible school and other church activities. The church became a second home away from home. The message of hope in the Bible made me feel worthy, appeased, and happier. A few years later, I became a teacher at Sunday school and one of the leaders of the kids' ministry.

The devil and his agenda

Who is the devil? Where does the devil comes from? Why is he very wicked?

How you are fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: I will ascend into Heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High. Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit." (Isaiah 14:12–15)

Firstly, we are not in the position to criticize God, but our Father loves when we ask Him questions and try to understand the history and events that preceded us. We might not understand His decisions, but we should take the resolution to abide and surrender to His will and decisions. The initial question that comes into human mind and cause some people to not believe in the legitimacy of God is the existence of misery in this world. Some of us came across some people who ask us the following: If God is so powerful, why does He not stop the devil and all the bad things that are happening in the world? Why would God, who says He loves us, could create someone so wicked as the devil to hurt us? There are famine, divisions, wars, and pain in the world; is God not powerful than the devil? So why does the devil seem to win in this world?

God's love and free will are the answers to those questions. With love, our Father created this world, and because He loves us, He gave all of us the free will to choose Him or not. He did not want to create robotic or automated people but fully capable creatures. God did not create the devil as he is right now. When God created the world and all that it contains, He looked at it and stated it was good, including the devil (1 Genesis 1:31).

In Ezekiel 28:12–17, God described who the devil was before he chose a malevolent pathway. Lucifer was his name, which means the star of the morning. Lucifer was on the holy mount of God and walked among fiery stones. He lived in the Garden of Eden and was anointed as a guardian of Cherub. Cherubins are higher ranked and powerful angels who are around God's throne. He was blameless in his ways from the day God created him until he decided to become proud and wicked. He was the model of perfection, full of wisdom and beauty. His perfect beauty and wisdom led to his own fall. His heart became so proud, and he became jealous of God's power and wisdom. Lucifer's heart was filled with violence and sins. He became defiant and did not want to worship God; instead, he wanted to be worshipped. He wanted to have everything God had and be everything God is. His perfection in beauty and wisdom become his pride, which led him to become ambitious and disobedient to God. God expelled him out of the heaven to the earth.

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. (Revelation 5:11)

It is crucial as believer to know the origin, plan, and actions of the devil. Refusing or failing to accept the existence of the devil's nature and schemes is accepting to be defeated without a fight. Satan knows us more than we think because he was part of God's creation, lived in heaven, and knew God. Some people might think that God made a mistake by creating the devil, but He did not. In love with all His creatures, God took his time to create Lucifer, but Lucifer chose not to love God back. The devil lost his higher ranking in the angelic world and his proximity to God. His heart was deceptive and proud. It was not God's fault if the devil made a poor choice. According to Revelation 12:4, Satan did not fall alone; he took one-third of the angels with him. Ten thousand times ten thousand of angels, which is one hundred million of angels, were led astray along with Lucifer to accomplish devilish actions. Those fallen angels constitute a network of wickedness that steal, kill, and destroy everything they encounter (John 10:10). That is why Ephesians 6:12 mentioned that we are not fighting against flesh and blood but against numerous evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, mighty forces in the dark, and evil spirits in heavenly places.

The good news is two-third of the angels are still on God's side, and they are fighting against the fallen angels. The devil and his minions are outnumbered by the kingdom of God, and that is why they recruited humans to do the evil work against the fellow brothers and sisters.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10)

The devil's plan was to destroy my life and the potential seeds of blessings that He saw in me. The enemy of humankind's plan is destroying people with potential and all of God's children so they will not fulfill the will of God, serve and worship the Lord, and spread the gospel all over the world.

Pierre's action brought so much emotional, physical, and psychological pain, but God used those ashes to make beauty despite that unfortunate event. He was used by the devil, or possibly he let his carnal desires inflict pain. The devil wanted Pierre to destroy me and generations to come. What the devil meant for evil, God used it for good (Genesis 50:20). Just as we do not have power over living a trouble-free life, we do have power over our reactions when troubles strike in our life. The question now is, what should we do when a crisis hits? Being and living as a victimized person will only bring more pain and will slow our growth process. Yes, we need some time to heal and process the hurt, but having a victimized mentality leads to be victimized twice, and possibly forever. When we dwell on past pain and become reminiscent, we slow our growth and enlightenment process. Jesus said to the paralytic man in John 5:8, Rise, take up your bed, and walk. With faith, he did it and was healed. This is called faith despite our circumstances. We always have a choice as the paralytic: sitting in the pain or standing in faith. Which one are we choosing today? There is always a choice to make, and not making a choice is still a choice.

The pain and sorrow could have trapped me forever in emotional and psychological turmoil. Nothing coming our way as Christians is meant to harm us, and whatever the devil uses, our Father will use it for good if we have complete and unwavering faith in Him. There is no pain or difficulty that our Living God can't heal or take care of if we trust in His mighty hands. Our walk of faith is essential, though, to reach our full potential and take hold of all the promised blessings mentioned in the Bible. Our Lord is on our side always, and no weapon formed against the child of God will prosper. Weapons will form, but it will not prosper because at the end, God and His children always win the battle. Believe in what God says about us, and access all the knowledge we can to fight against spiritual principles. The devil has a crafted agenda, and believers should also be prepared to defeat him.

The parable of the sower: the issue of the heart

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear. (Matthew 13:1–9)

Why is the heart so important?

Because of his jealous heart, Cain killed his brother Abel. The devil's envious heart led him to compare himself to His creator, perform rebellious actions, and be chased out of the Garden of Eden. The wary hearts of Joseph's brothers led them to throw him in the pit. The heart is not the organ but our intentions and deep-seated desires. It is a hidden place in our soul that only God can access and see. People around us might not have access to it but can read our actions. Our actions reveal our hearts and intentions. Jealousy, hate, and comparison all start in the heart before they are revealed to the world. To live and be like Christ, we should not just renew our mind but also search our heart to make sure what is growing in there is godly, worthy, and holy.

This is the meaning of the parable above as explained by Jesus Himself: the seed is the Word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts so that they may not believe and not be saved. Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root in their hearts. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing, they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way, they are choked by life's worries, riches, and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word and retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

To whom are we listening? God versus the devil

Now the serpent was craftier than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden'? (Genesis 3:1)

Sin came to the world through disobedience—eating the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. God spoke to Adam and Eve and gave a clear instruction not to eat the forbidden fruit. Tempted and lured by the devil, Adam and Eve's disobedience led them to be separated from the Creator. The consequences of their action were death.

God, in his compassion, decided to change His mind, and instead, He chased them out of the Garden of Eden. They were separated spiritually and physically from the Holy God, and their sorrow started after that day. The most revealing thing in that story is, Adam and Eve listened to the devil. They allowed the devil to engage with them. They must have been very familiar with him since he was already in the garden. They interacted with him, and since he was craftier and more knowledgeable than them, he lied profusely. They decided to listen to the devil and ultimately rejected the advice of the Lord, which was not to eat the forbidden fruit. The devil gave them a fake promise, which were, You will not certainly die, and You will become like God, knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:4). The father of lies continues the same tactics today, bait and lies. One of the most critical questions we must ask ourselves as followers of Christ is, who are we listening to? Social media? The news? The new trends? The Bible? Preachers? The bad news is the devilish serpent uses all those outlets to spray his message of hate and lies.

Why is the devil against the Word of God and after people's hearts?

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:21)

The Word of God is a weapon against the devil, and as any enemy, he attacks the weapon that could kill him. It is a treasure given to us by the Almighty. It is the source of a transformational good news and a wand that could change people's lives instantly. As every treasure, it is to be kept in a sacred place, which is our hearts. Therefore, as mentioned in the Bible verse above, where our treasure is, our hearts will be also. By valuing God's word and treating it as a treasure, our transformation and blessing in life follow. If the devil attacks our hearts and the legitimacy of the Word of God itself, he is preventing us to believe in God, be saved, and be fruitful. Our heart is the place where the word is supposed to grow and blossom, and by attacking our hearts and preventing it to take root, he is attacking our actions, beliefs, and life.

The Word of God is treasure that the devil is against because he knows what it could bring to people's life: joy, peace, forbearance, health, faith, hope, and all the goodness of God. By stealing and distracting us, the devil is preventing the Word of God to be heard, kept in our hearts, or spread all around the world. The devil's nightmare is to see the gospel being announced and people's hearts being touched and changed by it. If we keep the Word of God closer to our hearts, it blossoms and brings forth fruits to us and to people around us.

Even though we live in a world that was created by a Superior Being called God Almighty, Satan wants people to question God's presence and the legitimacy of the Word of God. There is no profound explanation of the world's beauty except through the work and mighty hands of Christ. The parable of the sower teaches us about the condition of our hearts. What type of heart do we have? Lazy, rocky, thorny, or fruitful? God categorizes humans into four groups according to our hearts, acceptance of the Word of Christ, and our willingness of act proactively with the Word of God.

The first category is Lazy Heart People, who hear the Word of God and ignore the devil's work in their lives; therefore, Satan comes and steals the Word they heard. These people question the presence of the devil and his ability to lead them astray. Possibly, they might be ignorant that there is a parallel spiritual realm that is working negatively in their life. The devil is a spirit, and he can't be seen with our naked eyes, but his effects in our lives are done by people who accepted him or ignore his power. Lazy Heart People are distracted and do not care about the Bible. This category of people might be Satan's favorites because they make it easy for him to lead them to hell. They do not care about Christ and His kingdom. They are numb and passive about their faith and beliefs. They might even believe in other principalities or gods who are not Jesus Christ. They might even believe in statues, air, winds, or anything.

The second category is Rocky Heart People. A rocky heart is a heart that is impermeable to the Word of God. Just as a rock is impermeable to water, a rocky heart is resistant to the Word. This category hears the Word of God and receives it with gladness. Nonetheless, their faith is not solid enough to stand the test and temptation of the devil. This group could also be called also baby believers. They have young faith, are newly accepted in the family of Christ, and are still very immature to withstand the schemes of the devil. They receive the Word of God with joy, but when they are tested by the devil, they fall in the trap. The Word did not take root in their hearts because of its hardness. Nothing grew because they were still immature and possibly unwilling to commit to the precepts of the Bible. Their carnal nature dominates their spiritual nature. Satan tests them with discouragement, distortion, deceit, doubt, and disguise to break them. They do not know the scripture enough to quote it back to the devil to defend themselves. They have the Holy Spirit, but the fruits and gifts are still only seeds in them. They are easily tempted and still vulnerable. They need time, perseverance, and guidance to build their courage and faith in Christ. This group is as weak as the Lazy Heart People and quickly falls away from the will of God.

The third category is the Thorny Heart People. This group is assimilated to distracted people. Their carnal nature is more potent than their spiritual nature. They love and are enticed by life's pleasures (money, fame, worries, fear, lust). They are easily manipulable and readily available to the devil's schemes. Just as the devil tempted Jesus with power and possession, he uses it on humans too. They listen to the Word of God but can't live up to the standards of Christ because the bait of earthly pleasures satisfies their carnal desires.

The fourth group is Fruitful Heart People. This group is the people of God who faithfully, valiantly, and genuinely love Christ with all their heart, mind, and soul. They are the ones who make God smile and be proud. They live for the Gospel of Christ and as Jesus Christ. They produce great fruits, and they constitute a threat to Satan's kingdom. These people have a great heart, who respectfully hears the Word of God, meticulously retain it in their heart, and heroically share it with everyone else. They are the heroes of faith and proclaim the faith without fear. They love Christ, and Jesus loves them back. They received the Holy Spirit, which produces good fruits and gifts in them; in return, they put those talents to use for