Oppression

1. The importance of knowing who we are in Christ.

There are so many things in life that we don’t accomplish, we don’t received because of
the failure to see ourselves how God sees us. We live way-way below the will of the Lord
in our life. We accept things the way it is, we tolerate everything and unknowingly by
doing that, that we allow the devil to oppress us.

2. What is oppression?
 the state of being subject to unjust treatment, prolonged cruel or control.
 mental pressure or distress.

All the days of the oppressed are wretched,

     but the cheerful heart has a continual feast Prov 15:15

What are the unjust treatments or cruelty of the enemies? If we are living in poverty, if
we are so stressed out trying to make ends meet, if you are constantly sick, if you don’t
have peace, if you are not happy in life, if you are fearful of tomorrow, if everything
seems hopeless. Those are the oppression of the enemy just to name a few. Sometimes we
don’t see it as an attack of the enemy and mostly we just dismissed it as “natural lang.“,
nangyayari naman sa lahat. By doing that we are tolerating the enemy to continously do it
to us.

I am not condeming anybody if you are experiencing any of this. The Lord said there is
now no condemnation in Christ Jesus. And I want to say it in love.

I just see this oppression like a yoke upon our necks. We are being subjected to the
enemies cruelty and unjust treatments. And we should hate it, we should not tolerate it in
our lives.

Why does the enemy attack with oppression?

The enemy attacks with oppression to limit us. He knows that it’s hard to act in our
authority when we’re under oppression.

The devil wants to oppress us, he wants us to be confined, because he knows that once we
know who we are then he has no power at all in our life. And whatever we bind on earth
shall be bound in heaven. Malilimitahan sya sa lahat ng pwedeng nyang gawin. Sa isang
tao lang na ma enlighten, liliit ang mundo ng kaaway, how about a group of people fully
enlightened and know who they are in the Lord? They will change the world! Sabi sa

Daniel 11:32 but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great
exploits.
Imagine a fully armed soldier. He has all the weapons that he needs, and he has the
capacity to cause serious damage to the enemy camp. But instead of fighting, he’s sitting
on the ground with all his weapons laying on the ground beside him. Because of despair
he’s sitting there, only concerned about himself. In that position he is no threat at all to
the enemy. In the same way when we are attacked with oppression, it limits us in the
battle against the evil spiritual world.

How to handle attacks of oppression?

1. Know that the Lord has already set us free from the oppression

Luke 4:18-19
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
     because he has anointed me
     to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
     and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19      to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”[a]

Lord Jesus has come and has break the chain of the enemy, he has removed our yoke of
our slavery

For in that day,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “I will break the yoke from their
necks and snap their chains. Jeremiah 30:8

Yung oppression is like a yoke in the old times. Show picture.

Jesus Christ came to set us free from the oppression of the enemy. God does not intend
for us to suffer, he already made a way for us to reject the oppression of the enemy.

When you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior the Holy Spirit, the very power of
the Lord chose to live inside you. We are not anymore helpless and hopeless.

The poor here doesn’t just refer to those people na walang makain. But these are the poor
in spirit. If we don’t know the gospel, how much the Lord love us, how he saved us, his
grace, mercy and peace, His pardon, his righteousness, sa paningin ng Lord we are poor,
prisoners, blind and oppressed. That is why he provided a way out for us to escape our
predicament. He came so we can be empowered. He came to made us alive in him, to
make us see the truth and live free from the oppression of the enemy.

If you are ignorant of the gospel wala kang kaalam-alam kung sino ka. You don’t know
that you have access to the throne of God, you don’t know that whatever you bind on
earth is also bound in heaven, you don’t know that you are the righteousness of God. You
won’t understand how much God loves you and has given everything to you. We will
think of ourselves low katulad ng gusto ng kaaway. Na wala na tayong pwedeng
marating, na we are not capable of making an impact in this world.

2. Know that you have everything in the Lord.

Hindi tayo kinereate ng Lord as powerless and hopeless people. We have hope in Christ
because He was resurrected on the third day. Kung nanatili syang patay wala tayong pag-
asa but we all believe that He rose from the dead and will be coming back. We are not
powerless the Lord has given us His Holy Spirit and we have everything through Christ.

Adam and Eve in the garden has been fooled by the enemy and sad to stay it is to us until
now. Dapat by this time matalino na tayo di ba, hindi na tayo papaisa sa kaaway na na-
lure nya si Eve na kumain ng prutas sa garden. Pero until now nagpapaisa pa din tayo sa
kaaway by entertaining the thought that we don’t have enough.

Gen 3: 1-6

The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the LORD God had made. One day
he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees
in the garden?”

2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. 3 “It’s
only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat.
God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”

4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5  “God knows that your eyes will
be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”

6 The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked
delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her

You will see here how the woman was fooled by the enemy by telling them that the Lord
is witholding something good from them. They are perfect when the Lord made them,
walang kulang sa kanila. Ganun din tayo ngayon, when we have God we don’t lack
anything. But because of the things that is happening around us, the dificulties we are
experiencing specially in this time of pandemic we thought we don’t have enough. The
reason the Lord dont want them to eat the fruit is because the Lord want them to be
innocent of evil. Gusto nya ay puro kabutihan lang ang nalalaman natin.
Akala ni Adam and Eve meron pa silang kelangan na hindi pa pinorovide ng Lord sa
kanila. And even until now that is still how we see God.

The reason the Lord is withholding that fruit is so that they will not die in their spirit, they
will not know evil. He want us to be innocent of what is evil.

Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to
be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. Romans 6:19

It’s not true that the Lord is witholding something good from them.

For the LORD God  is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No
good  thing  will He withhold From those who walk uprightly.
Ps 84:11 NKJ

Pag hindi mo kasi alam na kumpleto ka na sa Panginoon, para kang isang bukas na pinto
sa kaaway, ang daming ways and means para maoppress ka nya.

2 Peter 1:3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly
life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself
by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.

Ephesians 1:3
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every
spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.

This verse says that He has given us everything we need for living a godly life. He has
blessed us with every spiritual blessings. It’s done, it’s finished we already have
everything to live a godly life.
To live in constant stress is not his will for us and definitely not a godly life. Madalas ang
nakakapag pa-stress sa atin ay yung kakulangan natin sa finances. To be in constant of
financial lack is not His will either. He said that he became poor so that we can become
rich not only rich in spirit but rich financially.

2 Corinthians 8:9, NIV: "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though
he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might
become rich."

Kahit masaid ka, when you have God he can still restore you. Kahit madapa ka, tatayo ka
ulit. Ang pangako ng Lord ay

Proverbs 24:16
The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.

Psalm 34:19 .
Many are the affliction of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them out of them all.
Testimony:
Nakakatuwa kasi 26 years old pa lang ako nagbubusiness na ako, but because I am newly
believer ang mga natutunan ko ay kung paano mag negosyo ang mundo. In short
nagkasabit-sabit ako, utang dito, utang duon, bumbay 5/6, lending, sabihin mo na kung
saan pa pwede umutang at halos lahat yun ay meron ako. Sobrang sakit sa ulo until I
learned the Lord principle of giving. God rescued me by sending help straight from
California. Back in California, hinahanda na pala ni Lord si Roger sa akin, ipon sya ng
ipon at yun nung maging mag asawa kami, ayun binayaran ni Lord lahat ng mga
pagkakautang ko through him. You will think that I’ve already learned my lesson at di ko
na ulit gagawin yun. But for some reason for the 2nd time around ay nangyari na na naman
and this time is worst than the first. Good thing this time I already and fully know all
these things that I am sharing with you today. And God as he promised again raised us up.
Today we are prosperous more than ever. I did not allow myself to worry, to wallow in
fear and be sad. Because I am fully aware of the tactic of the enemy, he will take
advantage of this circumstance. I know I already have everything in the Lord, hindi
nabawasan ang kayamanan ng Dios, all I need is to repent, humble myself in him and
stand in his promises. Even in lack we continue to give what we can give because that is
his principle. Many of us during this pandemic ang tendency ay bawasan ang offering but
that will be a wrong move. Ganitong mga situation the more you need to trust God.
Nobody can help you in this difficult time but the Lord. And one way of showing your
trust in the Lord is through your giving. There’s not even a night na ibinigay ko sa
kaaway para mag-isip at maoppressed. Our God is so gracious and faithful!

3. Know that you have been empowered.

In the bible there is a particular story where the Lord showed me how he has empowered
us. That is in the book of Esther.

Esther 3:1
 Some time later King Xerxes promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite over all
the other nobles, making him the most powerful official in the empire. 2 All the king’s
officials would bow down before Haman to show him respect whenever he passed by, for
so the king had commanded. But Mordecai refused to bow down or show him respect.

5 When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or show him respect, he was
filled with rage. 6 He had learned of Mordecai’s nationality, so he decided it was not
enough to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he looked for a way to destroy all the
Jews throughout the entire empire of Xerxes.

8 Then Haman approached King Xerxes and said, “There is a certain race of people
scattered through all the provinces of your empire who keep themselves separate from
everyone else. Their laws are different from those of any other people, and they refuse to
obey the laws of the king. So it is not in the king’s interest to let them live. 9 If it please
the king, issue a decree that they be destroyed, and I will give 10,000 large sacks[c] of
silver to the government administrators to be deposited in the royal treasury.”
10 The king agreed, confirming his decision by removing his signet ring from his finger
and giving it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.

Esther 8:11
The king’s decree gave the Jews in every city authority to unite to defend their lives. They
were allowed to kill, slaughter, and annihilate anyone of any nationality or province who
might attack them or their children and wives, and to take the property of their enemies. 

16 The Jews were filled with joy and gladness and were honored everywhere. 17 In every
province and city, wherever the king’s decree arrived, the Jews rejoiced and had a great
celebration and declared a public festival and holiday. And many of the people of the
land became Jews themselves, for they feared what the Jews might do to them.

This is how the Lord empowered us. Even though we cannot control the enemy to inflict
harm on us, we have the power to rebuke, to resist and to refuse it. We don’t have to
accept everything that the enemy may throw at us.

If the enemy wants you to be stressed

Panginoon sa James 4:7 Resist the devil
Sa Ecclesiastes 11:10 says Refuse to worry

Why? Because we can do so. We are not weak but powerful in the Lord if we will only
understand this nothing can ever

pwede na tayong tumanggi sa kaaway. Kaya makikita mo ang mga word ni Lord resist
the devil and he will flee from us. Sabi pa sa Ecclesiastes 11:10 So refuse to worry, and
keep your body healthy. 

Proclaim freedom to the prisoners. I want to tell you that you are free in the Lord, malaya
tayo sa Panginoon! Sometimes nafi-feel natin na para tayong nakakulong, meron tayong
mga gustong gawain for th Lord in our lives, meron tayong mga ambisyon pero di natin
magawa, dahil sa kakulangan natin financial or anything. Tinitingnan natin ang family
natin, ang magulang natin and we thought we can never be out of this line. Ganun sila,
ganun din ako. The Lord is telling us you are actually free. Finances can’t limit you to do
the things for the Lord. Finances is the least thing in the kingdom of the Lord.
You are free to do anything you want by the grace of God and within His will.

Why did I say that finances is the least thing?

Right now I owned 5 Helmet Stores one is in Manila and the 4 is in Cavite. I have been to
US tour around US, been in Colorado, to New York, California, Chicago, Washington
DC, Virginia, lived a good life there, stayed for 3 months. Been to Australia, tour aroud
Australia, Sydney Melbourne, Cains stayed there for almost a month. Been to France,
Switzerland, Austria, Prague... Stayed and tour around Europe for almost a month. Look
at me, ano ba ako? Ano bang pinanggalingan ko, para akong basahan nuon na patapon.
Nakipag live in sa taong may asawa, after 8 years iniwan ako. Anong future ang meron pa
ako, anong naghihintay sa akin? Nagnegosyo pero sagad sa utang. But the moment I
learned whom am I in the Lord. I stood up and claim what belongs to me. God gave me a
godly husband and gave me a new life in him. He let me enjoyed all these things. I’ve
said all of those things not to brag, but to boast that I know God.

God can restore you, God can resurrect you. If you are dead and hopeless, there is hope in
the Lord.

Because when we have Him then we have everything. Alam nyo kahit na masalat ka,
when you have God you will regain everything back. He can restore what you have lost.
Look at Abraham, paano sya pinayaman ng Panginoon, Dahil kasama nya si Lord, kahit
anong gawin nya nag pa-prosper sya. Isaac even prosper in famine! Tagutom na, at
nagpupntahan na ang mga tao from Canaan to Egypt. Which is yun ang tendency natin di
ba kapag nagkukulang na tayo ng resources, mangibang bansa, or mangibang bayan. But
because the Lord was with Isaac, sabi ni Lord sa kanya wag kang aalis ng Canaan kahit
na tagutom. So kahit na nagiisip na sya at nagbabalak na sya magpunta ng Egypt nanatili
sya sa bansa nya, nagtanim sya kahit na tagtuyot at tagutom at alam nyo ba umani sya ng
hundred times. You see hindi nakadepende sa situasyon natin ang pagpapala ng Lord. We
are the blessed people of the Lord

1) We are not aware of the oppression of the enemy

2)

Pastor Rick last week discussed to us about how the Lord sees us. But the problem is we
don’t see ourselves as God sees us.

Title: See yourself as God sees you.

1. Intro- The enemy is oppressing us and we are unaware
2. Set example of how I have become oppressed
3. Pandemic is also an oppression of the enemy
4. God came to set the captives free
A. Explain who are the poor, prisoners, blind, captives
5. How did the Lord freed us? On the cross and resurrected
6. Holy Spirit is in us. We are complete in our spirit
7. We are not hopeless, God can restore us.
A. Testimony of my finances
8. If you see yourself how God sees you, Your life will count even in difficult times.