SUNDAY SERMON - In this world everyone is led by something. Either you are led by the flesh, the devil, other people, or by God’s Spirit. We define the flesh here to mean all things that impact on the five senses: touch, taste, feeling, sight and smell.

Some will follow whatever tastes sweet even when the road they are traveling ends in a deep hole. Yet others will follow whatever feels and smells good even if it ends in the lions den.

I am also aware of people who will not move on their own until someone comes to tell them which direction to take. Nature has a great supply of such types of people, who are ‘freelance consultants’ on anything under the sun.

They are always eager to give unsolicited advice on new businesses, latest fashions, how to live with your spouse, how to discipline your children, with whom to associate and whom to avoid.

They know that people are hungry for solutions to their many problems so, they realize that they have a captive market. Those who are led by the devil or Satan are even more purposeful. We are told in the book of John 10: 10 that the thief (devil) comes only "to steal and kill and destroy.”

So if you allow yourself to be led by the devil, then you can only end up stealing, killing or destroying something or someone. It is not a wonder that some people do things which you can only attribute to the devil.

Today I have a message for people who have chosen to be led by these other things other than the Spirit of God: You will neither find satisfaction in what you are doing, nor get any solution to your problems. Your problems will still be staring at you in the face after the initial euphoria is gone.

You will find yourself in a hole which you will never wriggle yourself out of. We read in Romans 8: 14 – 15 "…because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave to fear, but you received the Spirit of son ship, and by him we cry, Abba, Father”

When you are led by the Spirit of God, you will find your way through a maze of difficult situations. God will order your steps so that you only follow the direction he has set for you.

Consider the story of Moses the Israelite, who liberated a whole people from bondage in Egypt, and you will discover that in the entire history of the world, there has never been an event like that one of Moses when a people were uprooted from their oppressors, and led out through the desert to the Promised Land.

Moses was led by the Spirit of God. When they reached the Red Sea, it was like the end of the road for the children of Israel. Many of them could not see beyond the Red Sea.

They knew it was going to be a disastrous end for all of them. But Moses was not deterred. He was not led by the flesh or by other people.

He was led by the Spirit of God. He told the children of Israel that the Egyptians, whom they were seeing, would not be seen again very soon.

God commanded him to strike the water with his rod and the Red Sea parted and the children of Israel walked on dry land across to the other side. The Egyptians were all drowned thereafter.

That was a man who was led by the Spirit of God. When others were seeing darkness all over, he saw a way. When others thought that the end had come, he saw a glorious beginning.

God will order your steps such that you only walk on the paths He has designated for you, if you choose to be led by His Spirit.

To-day my friends, I urge you to choose to be led by the Spirit of God. When difficulties,  storms and winds of misfortune arise in your home, village or country; when hunger, poverty, loneliness, hatred, rejection, death and disaster arise in your life; when people always mistake you and abuse you.

In addition, when failure seems not to leave your life; when unemployment stalks your way and you feel useless; when your marriage is on the rocks and your children have rebelled against you; when you are bombarded by a sense of inadequacy and you feel like hiding away from people; when you have no friends and everyone you try to befriend turns cold against you; when you feel your life is at the end of the road and you can only see darkness; I want to urge you to call upon God and choose to be led by His Spirit and your eyes will open to see the great way He has opened for you.

You are not done and you are not alone. He will walk with you and order your steps.

E-mail: redplan20002001@yahoo.com