Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 17, 2026.

SUBJECT : OPEN UP YOURSELF TO GOD!

Memory verse: "For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." (Isaiah 57 vs 15.)

READ: Romans 7 vs 14 - 20:

7:14: For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.

7:15: For that what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will do, that do I not practice; but what I hate, that do I.

7:16: If, then, I do what I will not do, I agree with the law that it is good.

7:17: But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

7:18: For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me; but how to perform what which is good I do not find.

7:19: For the good that I will do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.

7:20: Now if I do what I will not do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

INTIMATION: 

The starting point of ministry is being moldable. The more you open up yourself to God, the more He comes in to mold and use you. The more you let down your guard, take off your mask, and share your struggles, the more God will be able to use you in serving others. It is notable that opening yourself can be risky. It can be scary to lower your defenses and open up your life to others. When you reveal your failures, feelings, frustrations, and fears, you risk rejection. But the benefits are worth the risk. Opening up yourself is emotionally liberating; it relieves stress, defuses your fears, and is the first step to freedom.

We have already seen that God "gives grace to the humble," but many do not understand humility. Humility is not putting yourself down or denying your strengths; rather, it is being honest about your weaknesses. The more honest you are, the more of God's grace you get. Being moldable or meek, that is, opening up yourself, is an endearing quality; we are naturally drawn to humble people. 

Pretentiousness repels, but authenticity attracts, and meekness is the pathway to intimacy. Your life becomes a testimonial when people see God using you in spite of your weaknesses, and they are encouraged, and they will then think that God can use them too. This is why God wants to use your weaknesses, not just your strengths. Our strengths create competition, but our weaknesses create community.

At some point in our lives we must decide whether we want to impress people or influence people. You can impress people from a distance, but you must get close to influence them, and when you do that, they will be able to see your flaws. That's okay. The most essential quality for leadership is not perfection, but credibility. People must be able to trust you, or they won't follow you. How do you build credibility? Not by pretending to be perfect, but by being honest, and open.

Our Scriptural model, the apostle Paul, openly and honestly shared his impressions at various times. In his failures he said, "For the good that I will to do, I do not; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice." (Romans 7 vs 19.) Concerning the openness of his heart, and his feelings, he said to believers in Corinth, "O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open." (Second Corinthians 6 vs 11.) On his frustrations, he said, "For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life." (Second Corinthians 1 vs 8.) On his fears, he said, "I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling." (First Corinthians 2 vs 3.)

In the passage we read today, the cry of the apostle Paul is more than the cry of a desperate man, it describes the experience of all Christians struggling against sin or trying to please God by keeping rules and laws without the Spirit’s help. He opened up himself, emphasized his weakness, and sought help. We must never underestimate the power of sin and attempt to fight it in our own strength. Satan is a crafty tempter, and we have an amazing ability to make excuses. Instead of trying to overcome sin with our own human willpower, we must take hold of God’s provision for victory over sin—the Holy Spirit, who lives within us and gives us power. And when we fall, He lovingly reaches out to help us up.

The inward struggle with sin was as real for the apostle Paul as it is for us today. From him we learn what to do about it. Whenever he felt overwhelmed by the spiritual battle, he would return to the beginning of his spiritual life, remembering how he had been freed from sin by Jesus Christ. When we feel confused and overwhelmed by sin’s appeal, let us claim the freedom Christ gave us. His power can lift us to victory. 

Self-determination (struggling in one’s own strength) doesn’t succeed. The apostle Paul found himself sinning in ways that weren’t even attractive to him. Becoming a Christian does not stamp out all sin and temptation from a person’s life (Romans 7 vs 22 - 25). Being born again takes a moment of faith, but becoming like Christ is a lifelong process. Therefore, open up yourself to the Lord, and let Him help you in struggles. 

Prayer: Abba Father, all to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give. I will ever love and trust Him, and in His presence I wish to daily live, and bow humbly at His feet. Give me the grace not to put any form of trust in myself, but to follow You to the end, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Worship in a Lightning Storm

 Worship in a Lightning Storm

“For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day.” (Luke 17:24)

I was flying at night from Chicago to Minneapolis, almost alone on the plane. The pilot announced that there was a thunderstorm over Lake Michigan and into Wisconsin. He would skirt it to the west to avoid turbulence.

As I sat there staring out into the total blackness on the east side of the plane, suddenly the whole sky was brilliant with light, and a cavern of white clouds fell away four miles beneath the plane and then vanished.

A second later, a mammoth white tunnel of light exploded from north to south across the horizon, and again vanished into blackness. Soon the lightning was almost constant, and volcanoes of light burst up out of cloud ravines and from behind distant white mountains of clouds.

I sat there shaking my head almost in unbelief. O Lord, if these are but the sparks from the sharpening of your sword, what will be the day of your appearing! And I remembered the words of Christ: “As the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day” (Luke 17:24).

Even now as I recollect that sight, the word glory is full of feeling for me. I thank God that again and again he has awakened my heart to desire him, to see him, and to sit down to the feast of Christian Hedonism and worship the King of Glory. The banquet hall is very large. Come.

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 16, 2026. 

SUBJECT: MAN'S GREAT WORTH BEFORE GOD!

Memory verse: "What is man, that You should exalt him, that You should set Your heart on him," (Job 7 vs 17.) 

READ: Psalm 8 vs 3 - 6:

8:3: When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, 

8:4: What is man, that You are mindful of him? and the son of man, that You visit him?

8:5: For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and have crowned him with glory and honor.

8:6: You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet.

INTIMATION:

When we look at creation, we often feel small by comparison. The existence of the universe minimizes the significance of man. Though existing on a small planet of the universe, man is considered and cared for by God. When we look at the vast expanse of creation, we wonder how God could be concerned for people who constantly disappoint Him. Yet God created us only a little lower than Himself and the angels! 

The next time you question your worth as a person, remember that God considers you highly valuable. We have great worth because we beer the the stanp of the Creator, Who created us in His own image and after His likeness. God's character goes into the creation of every person. When you feel worthless or even begin to hate yourself, remember that God's Spirit is ready and willing to work within you. Because God has already declared how valuable we are to Him, we can be set free from feelings of worthlessness, and should have as much respect for ourselves as our Maker has for us. 

Of all beings that God created through Jesus (Colossians 1 vs 16), man was least in comparison to angels. And yet, God exalted man above angels to the point of sending His only begotten Son into the world for the salvation of man (John 3 vs 16). God gave human beings tremendous authority; to be in charge of the whole earth. But with great authority comes great responsibility. How then do you treat God's creation? Use your resources wisely because God holds you accountable as His steward. 

In the passage we read today, God has chosen man and crowned him with glory and honor. In this context the words honor, glory and crowned have special significance. Here, in my opinion, honor and favor have the same meaning. We might say that God has crowned man with glory and favor, giving him dominion over the works of His hand, and placing all things under his feet. I describe the word glory in this instance as the excellencies of God. Of course, to be crowned symbolizes triumph or reward, usually in the form of an emblem encircling the head. 

What the psalmist is telling us in this passage is that you and I have been singled out by God Who has placed upon our heads His crown of favor and excellence. Just because we don't see a crown on our head does not mean there is none there. We don't see with our physical eyes the robes of righteousness in which we are dressed, but that doesn't mean that they don't exist in the spiritual realm. As the Apostle Paul tells us, the natural man cannot perceive the things of God because they are spiritually discerned. (First Corinthians 2 vs 14.)

So we have been crowned with God's favor and excellence. The main reason we are not tapping into these blessings of the Lord which have been placed upon us is because we don't believe we deserve them or because we have not been taught they are ours. Our faith is not activated in this area. So we muddle through life, taking whatever the devil decides to throw at us without ever claiming what is spiritually ours. 

God has placed under our feet all things and He has given us dominion over all His creation. Therefore, we are not supposed to allow the devil and his demons to intimidate, dominate and oppress us. We will walk in our God-given glory and honor only to the extent we determine to do so.

If we will walk in the blessing of glory and honor with which the Lord our God has crowned us, not only will our faces shine forth with glory and honor like that of Moses when he came down from the mountain, but we ourselves will enjoy respect, esteem, a good reputation and fame, all of which are a result of God's favor.

Prayer: Abba Father, I praise You O Lord, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. I am clothed with favor, honor, and great is Your faithfulness to me. Forever You are my only God, and to You be all the glory, majesty, and adoration, in Jesus’ mighty Name I have prayed, Amen. 

PRAISE THE LORD!

The Soul’s Final Feast

 The Soul’s Final Feast

One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. (Psalm 27:4)

God is not unresponsive to the contrite longing of the soul. He comes and lifts the load of sin and fills our heart with gladness and gratitude. “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!” (Psalm 30:11–12).

But our joy does not just rise from the backward glance in gratitude. It also rises from the forward glance in hope: “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God” (Psalm 42:5–6).

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope” (Psalm 130:5).

In the end, the heart longs not for any of God’s good gifts, but for God himself. To see him and know him and be in his presence is the soul’s final feast. Beyond this there is no quest. Words fail. We call it pleasure, joy, delight. But these are weak pointers to the unspeakable experience:

“One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple” (Psalm 27:4).

“In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

“Delight yourself in the Lord” (Psalm 37:4).

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 15, 2026.

SUBJECT: STRIVE TO KNOW CHRIST!

Memory verse: "that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to his death," (Philippians 3 vs 10.)

READ: Philippians 3 vs 7 - 11:

3:7: But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.

3:8: Yet indeed, I also count all things loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ,

3:9: and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;

3:10: that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 

3:11: if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 

INTIMATION:

In our anchor Scripture today, the apostle Paul expressed that his major goal is to know Christ. Such should be the ultimate goal of all Christians. And there is more in knowing Christ than intellectual knowledge of who He is and what He did. Our intellectual knowledge of Him must move us into a relationship with Him where our lives are consumed with His Will. 

Relationally, as Christians we have become one with Christ, and His experience is ours. Our Christian life began when, in unity with Him, we died to our old life. Therefore, in our daily life, we must regularly crucify sinful desires that keep us from following Christ. This, too, is a kind of dying with Him. 

Knowing Christ is to know the power of God that was unleashed in order to raise Him from the dead. It is to fellowship in His sufferings as one lives the Christian life. The Scriptures, in Galatians 2 vs 20, the apostle Paul says, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." As Christians, we are in the position of the apostle Paul; God looks at us as if we had died with Christ because our sins died with Him on the cross, and we are no longer condemned (Colossians 2 vs 13 - 15).

How do we know Him better? (1) Study the life of Christ in the Gospels. See how Christ lived and responded to people. (2) Study all the New Testament references to Christ. (3) As you worship and pray, let the Holy Spirit remind you of Christ's words. (4) Take up Christ's mission to preach the gospel and learn from His sufferings.

To do all that is required to know Christ may mean that you must make major changes in your values, thinking, and lifestyle, in order to know Him better. You must make provisions for communion and fellowship with Him by giving up a crowded schedule in order to set aside quality time each day for prayer and Bible study. 

You should be determined to in this task of Knowing Christ, and avoid such things as friend's approval. And some of your plans, desires, or pleasures must be abandoned in order to conform with what you learn about Christ. Whatever it is you must change or give up, knowing Christ and becoming one with Him will be more than worth the sacrifice.

In emphasing the inherent need of knowing Christ, the apotle Paul, considered everything he had accomplished in his life as "loss" when compared with the greatness of knowing Christ. He gave up everything--family, friendship, and freedom--in order to know Christ and His resurrection power. As Christians recreated in Christ, we, too, have access to this knowledge and this power, but we may have to make sacrifices to enjoy it fully. We should value our relationship with Christ as more important than anything else. 

When we become one with Christ by trusting in Him, we experience the power that raised Him from the dead. That same mighty power will help us live morally renewed and regenerated lives. But before we can walk in newness of life, we must die to sin. Just as the Resurrection gives us Christ's power to live for Him, His crucifixion marks the death of our old sinful nature. We can't know the victory of the Resurrection without personally applying the Crucifixion. 

We cannot know Jesus until we have gone to the cross with Him. We cannot be like Him unless we die with Him, and are resurrected to walk in the newness of life. No greater statement could have been made concerning the necessity of one going to the cross of death (repentance) with Jesus and being resurrected with Him from water (baptism) in order to be resurrected to life when He comes again. 

By obedience to the gospel, the repentant believer conforms to the death of Jesus in order to be raised from the waters of baptism to walk in newness of life. One must conform to the death of Jesus on the cross. When we crucify ourselves with Christ, we die with Him. We are dead until we are raised with Him from the tomb of water. There will be no resurrection to life unless one has been crucified with Jesus on the cross of repentance, and raised with Him in a resurrection from the grave of water. 

There is nothing of this world that can be considered greater than the salvation that comes through Jesus. In comparison to the eternal salvation one receives in Christ, all power, possessions and pomp of this world are considered worthless. 

The glory that God will reveal to us is far beyond any possible acquisition by the works of man.

Prayer: Abba Father, my utmost heart desire is to know Christ, to experience the power of His resurrection, and walk in the newness of life in Him. Give me the ability for the excellent knowledge of Him, and the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of His sufferings, and be conformed to His death, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen. 

PRAISE THE LORD!

The Only Enduring Happiness

 The Only Enduring Happiness

“You have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.” (John 16:22)

“No one will take your joy from you” because your joy comes from being with Jesus, and the resurrection of Jesus means that you will never die; you will never be cut off from him.

So two things have to be true if your joy is never to be taken from you. One is that the source of your joy lasts forever and the other is that you last forever. If either you or the source of your joy is mortal, your joy will be taken from you.

And oh, how many people have settled for just that! Eat, drink, and be merry they say, for tomorrow we die, and that’s that (Luke 12:19). Food doesn’t last forever, and I don’t last forever. So let’s make the most of it while we can. What a tragedy!

If you are tempted to think that way, please consider as seriously as you possibly can that if your joy comes from being with Jesus, “No one will take your joy from you” — not in this life, nor in the life to come.

Not life or death, or angels or principalities, or things present or things to come, or powers or height or depth, or anything else in all creation will be able to take our joy from us in Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 8:38–39). 

Joy in being with Jesus is an unbroken line from now to eternity. It will not be cut off — not by his death or ours.

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2026.

SUBJECT: BE WISE IN YOUR PURSUIT OF EARTHLY THINGS!

Memory verse: "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the world that are in it will be burned up." (Second Peter 3 vs 10.)

READ: Luke 12 vs 16 - 21:

12:16: Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.

12:17: And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 

12:18: So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.

12:19: And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”

12:20: But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you, then whose will those things be which you have provided?’

12:21: “So is he who lays up treasures for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

INTIMATION:

Every choice you make has eternal consequences, so you better choose wisely. In our memory verse, the apostle Peter warns us about the futility of earthly possessions. Then he continued in the next verse (v 20), asking the pertinent question to us all, “Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?"

Realizing that the earth will be burned up, we should put our confidence in what is lasting and eternal and not be bound to the earth and its treasures or pursuits. What are you obligated to? Do you spend more of your time piling up possessions, or striving to develop Christlike character? Now that we have been warned about the impending end, the choice is yours to make. Be morally clean and spiritually alert because you don’t know the hour of His coming!

Earthly possessions are not bad or evil in themselves, but the manner of our pursuit of them is where the problem lies. The Bible, in Ecclesiastes 7 vs 12 says, "For wisdom is a defense, as money is a defense: but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who have it."

How wisely then do you pursue these earthly things? Do you pursue them with the excellent knowledge which comes from wisdom; knowing that at the end they are all vanity? Even life is a vapor, stripped of the life-giving spirit breathed into us by God, our bodies return to dust. Stripped of God’s purpose, our work is in vain. Stripped of God’s love, our service is futile. Therefore, we must put God first over all we do and in all we do because without Him we have nothing. Knowing that life is futile without God motivates the wise person to seek Him first.

Wealth, possessions, and money are all good, and the blessing of God to mankind, but we are deceived by the notion that they provide answers to every problem, hence we throw them at our problems. Though these material things are good in themselves because God has given them to mankind for our enjoyment (First Timothy 6 vs 17), but being obligated to them is sinful. The apostle Paul, in First Timothy 6 vs 10, says, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through many sorrows."

These earthly possessions are dangerous because they deceive us into thinking that they make life easy, and help us get everything we want. Consequently, we put our trust in them rather than God who controls all circumstances. Those who pursue the empty promises of earthly possessions, rather than seeking God, will one day discover that they have nothing because they are spiritually bankrupt.

Your life is shaped mostly by what you are obligated to. They can develop you or mar you, but either way, they will define you. If you tell me what you are obligated to, I'll tell you what you will be in the years to come. We become whatever we are obligated to.

Usually many people miss God's purpose for their lives at the point of committing themselves, or being obligated to their choice in life. Many are also afraid of getting committed or obligated to anything, and prefer to just drift through life. Many others make half-hearted commitments to competing values, which leads to frustration and mediocrity. And many more make a full commitment to worldly goals, such as becoming wealthy or famous, and end up disappointed and bitter. Your total obligation should be to God who owns all things, and controls all circumstances.

Guard against wrongful pursuit of these material things so as not to be a servant to them. They are created by God to serve you, and not you serve them, while you are created to serve God. When you lose your mark, you will serve them instead of God, which is an error, and sinful. Jesus said in Matthew 6 vs 24, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."

Can you honestly say that God, not money, possessions, and wealth, is your master? One test is to ask which one occupies more of your thoughts, time, and efforts.

Prayer: Abba Father, all things are Yours, and by You all things consist. Endue me with Your excellent spirit to put You first in all things, at all times, and in all circumstances, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen. 

PRAISE THE LORD!