CONFIDENCE IN GOD

CONFIDENCE IN GOD


"For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not. Isaiah 30:15"

Devotion : Jesus Christ made it easy for mankind to be saved: the Israelites and other nations or Gentiles can now be saved by one Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ used His blood to atone for the sin of the world; therefore, in repentance and rest all who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Acts 2:21). After you are saved, be still or quiet and have confidence or trust in the Lord Jesus Christ in every situation; our trust in Him makes more grace available to us to overcome every opposing situation. Hallelujah! What God hates is murmuring and complaining; instead He wants us to be quiet and look up to Him in faith and He will do it. Praise the Lord! Dear beloved, have you stopped murmuring and complaining? Trust Jesus - He knows what He is doing; He shall surely come to your aid! Share your comments here!

INGREDIENTS OF COMPANIONSHIP!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY JULY 31, 2020.

SUBJECT:  INGREDIENTS OF COMPANIONSHIP!

Memory verse:  "Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of age.” Amen.” (Matthew 28 vs 20.) 

READ:  Amos 3 vs 3; Isaiah 41 vs 21; 43 vs 26; Matthew 11 vs 30:

Amos 3:3: Can two walk together unless they agreed?

Isaiah 41:21: “Present your case ,” says the LORD. “Bring forth your strong reasons,” says the King of Jacob.

43:26: Put Me in remembrance; Let us contend together; State your case, that you may be acquitted.

Matthew 11:30: Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

INTIMATION:

Four areas are major ingredients for a relationship that would be described as a companionship. These areas are: (1) Agreement (2) Experience (3) Conversation (4) Learning. These ingredients are required in our companionship even with God.

God defines the first one: "Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?"(Amos 3 vs 3) So agreement is the first requirement. You have to want to spend time together. With God we know this is the desire of His heart. He tells us in many different ways in the Word that He desires to be with us. God was in constant companionship with Adam and Eve in the garden until they committed the treason of doubting His integrity, and believing Satan, by doing what He commanded not to do from the beginning. Then they lost the wonderful and unparalleled privilege that brought sin and hardship into the world. But God, in His infinite mercy sent His only begotten Son—Jesus—as a propitiation for us, to pay the price we owed. 

Second, you would share experiences together because you are together by definition. One of the special privileges we have as believers is sharing our heart with God and in turn learning more about His heart toward us and others. We get to see His overwhelming goodness, infinite patience, unchanging love, and unending mercies as we read the Bible-His Love Letter and "Owner's Manual" to us. The Holy Spirit makes the Word come alive to our hearts and points things out from it that are specifically for us and our situation. 

The third ingredient is conversation. There should be conversation between you and God. Not just one way, but rather an exchange of ideas from both parties. Think of your own experience. When you have been with someone who monopolizes the conversation, or who does not let you talk but only wants you to listen, you feel uneasy, dominated, and useless in the conversation. You may feel you are only a listening board, and your opinion matters little since it is rarely sought.

Sometimes we are guilty of doing this to God: We rush into His presence with our "want" list and then, in essence, after presenting our requests and/or complaints, we close the time with "In Jesus' name, Amen." No time to hear His input, no time to seek His advice. Only a time to "dump" on Him. Though, Peter advised us in First Peter 5 vs 7 to give the Lord all our burdens and cares. Yes, we are to present our anxieties to Him, but then we are to wait for His response.

The fourth ingredient is learning. A relationship that culminates into companionship entails learning from the superior partner. As we spend time with God, our relationship allows us to learn about Him—our Superior Partner. We also learn about ourselves, and about others. We come to appreciate Him more as we get to know Him better. We become more relaxed in His presence as we now know Him better. We also understand ourselves better; our strengths, and weaknesses, how to overcome them, why we do things the way we do, how to change our negatives responses, and the like. We also learn much about others and how better to interact with them, showing forth all the fruit of the Spirit.

Someone may quickly ask, 'How do we hear from God or learn from Him?' A classical illustration is made with a product you bought from the store. The manufacturer is in Germany, but has included a manual in the package to enable you study and know more about the product and how to use and/or operate it. The same is true of our relationship with God. He has given us His 'Owner's Manual'—the "Bible," for our study. In it, God speaks and you hear from, and learn about Him. As the spiritual relationship develops, God can speak to you in a vision, an audible voice, or even through others in such relationship with Him.

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the excellent spirit of complete obedience to You, that I may enjoy the privilege of a perfect companionship with You, in Jesus’ Name I prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

SPIRITUAL FRUIT

SPIRITUAL FRUIT

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Galatians 5:22"

Devotion : Elohim created living things to produce fruit to glorify Him and also be of benefit to other creations of His. The reason for Jesus Christ cursing the fig tree is because the fig tree did not glorify Him by producing fruits to meet His need. In like manner, when the Holy Spirit comes into the heart of the born again Christian, He expects him to bear the fruit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, to glorify Him and be of benefit to humanity. When people have tasted the fruit of the Holy Spirit borne by the child of God, they give glory and testimony to the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The child of God who bears this fruit is promoted and given grace to move from glory to glory. Hallelujah! Dear beloved, are you bearing the fruit of the Spirit? Share your testimonies here.

BE CONSISTENTLY DEVOTED TO GOD!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY JULY 30, 2018.

SUBJECT : BE CONSISTENTLY DEVOTED TO GOD!

Memory verse: "Those who trust in the LIRD are like Mount Zion which cannot be moved, but abides forever." (Psalm 125 vs 1.)

READ: Psalm 91 vs 9 - 12; 14 - 16:

91:9: Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place.

91:10: No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;

91:11: For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.

91:12: in their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.

91:14: Because He has set His love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.

91:15: He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. 

91:16: With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.

INTIMATION:

The person who trusts in God and obeys His Will is untouchable until God takes him or her. If we dwell and abide with Him, by entrusting ourselves to His protection and pledging our daily devotion to Him, we will be kept safe. To trust God is to have immeasurable peace.

No other scenario in the Scriptures, perhaps, most buttresses this point than the story of Daniel. Daniel was one of three governors set over his kingdom by King Darius. Daniel distinguished himself above other governors and satraps that the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm of his kingdom. Daniel had an excellent spirit in him, and consequently made enemies at work, and they sought to find a charge against him. He was, at that time, over 80 years old.

Daniel was a determined man, consistent in his devotion to God. He wouldn't bow to just any wish, even if it came from the emperor himself. Daniel kept praying to the God of Israel, the God he believed in. He stood for his convictions and would not redirect his prayers to a person he knew was a mortal as he.

In Babylon, the kings word was the law. In the Medo-Persian empire, however, when a law was made, even the king couldn't change it. King Darius was an effective government administrator, but he had a fatal flaw—pride. By appealing to his vanity, the men talked Darius into signing a law effectively making him a God for 30 days, and that whoever petitions any god or man except king Darius, shall be cast into the lions' den. For praying to God, Daniel was guilty, and was to be food for hungry beasts in the king's special execution pits.

So Daniel was sentenced to the lion pit, and the sentence was carried out. But the lions did not disturb him. Although he sat right beside them, they didn't touch him. Daniel himself, walked out of the pit the next morning, alive and well. Why would lions suddenly go on a hunger strike? Lions eat only when hungry, not for recreation. And the whole point of having a bunch of lions caged up was to keep them hungry. The ancients would typically starve lions so they could watch the ferocious lions tear up the ones convicted. 

In accordance with Persian custom, this cruel punishment was transferred to those who had conspired against the king by provoking him into an unjust action (See also Esther 7 vs 9 - 10). The king’s great anger resulted in the execution of the evil officials and their families. The fact that these lions were starving is proven by how they savagely tore apart Daniel's false accusers. These were hungry lions. Evil deeds often backfire on those who plan cruelty.

Then what kept these lions from devouring Daniel? Though, to many It remains a mystery how Daniel survived a night trapped in a pit filled with hungry lions. Nonetheless, the Almighty God, whom Daniel worship consistently, sedated the lions’ wild instincts for just that night. Daniel himself put it more directly: "My God sent his angel to shut the lions' mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in His sight" (Daniel 6 vs 22). 

Prayer: Abba Father, You are ever faithful, and Your companionship is sure for those who consistently obey, and put their trust in You. Endue me with the spirit of complete obedience , and devotion to You, that I may stand sure of Your protection and fellowship with You at all times, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

GOD'S GLORY

GOD'S GLORY

 "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Corinthians 10:31"

Devotion : The glory of God is the beauty, majesty, splendor, and brightness of God. Fueling the glory of God are the praise, worship, thanksgiving, and admiration given unto Him. He uses the praise, worship, thanksgiving, and admiration to sustain and beautify His creation. Our main focus in life is to glory God, hence, our thoughts and actions should be geared towards glorifying God. As believers in Christ Jesus, what we eat, drink, put on our body, or whatsoever we do, we should do to the praise of the name of Christ Jesus and our Father in heaven. When we do that we will earn the respect and accolade of our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ; and they will be closer to you and make their home with you (John 14:23). Dear beloved what did you learn from this gospel? Share your thoughts here!

WHAT IT MEANS TO SURRENDER TO GOD!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY JULY 29, 2020.

SUBJECT: WHAT IT MEANS TO SURRENDER TO GOD! 

Memory verse: "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him." (Psalm 37 vs 7.)

READ: Mark 14 vs 32 - 36:

14:32: Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.
14:33: And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed.
14:34: Then He said to them, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful even to death. Stay here and watch.”

14:35: He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him.

14:36: And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me: nevertheless not what I will, but what You will.

INTIMATION:

To surrender means to yield. Therefore, surrendering to God means to yield completely to Him. Surrendering to God is not passive resignation, fatalism (all events have been predetermined), or an excuse to relax, or laziness. It is not accepting the status quo. It means the exact opposite: sacrificing your life or suffering in order to change what needs to be changed. 

God often calls surrendered people to do battle on his behalf. Surrendering is for soldiers of Christ, not for cowards. Likewise it does not mean giving up rational thinking. God would not waste the mind He gave you! God does not want robots to serve Him. Surrendering is not repressing your personality. Rather than its being diminished, surrendering enhances it. The more we let God take us over, the more truly ourselves we become, because He made us. He invented all the different people you and I intended to be. It is when I turn to Christ, when I gave up myself to His personality, that I first began to have a real personality of my own. 

Surrendering is best demonstrated in obedience. You say, "Yes, Lord" to whatever He asks of you. To say, "No, Lord" is to speak a contradiction. You can't call Jesus your Lord when you refuse to obey Him. Surrendered people obey God's word, even if it doesn't make sense. For instance Peter demonstrated the act of surrender when he obeyed the instruction of Jesus, after a whole night of toiling without success: "Master, we have toiled and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net." (Luke 5 vs 5.) 

Another aspect of a fully surrendered life is trust. Abraham followed God's leading without knowing where it would take him. Hannah waited for God's perfect timing without knowing when. Mary expected a miracle without knowing how. Joseph trusted God's purpose without knowing why circumstances happened the way they did. Each of these people were fully surrendered to God. You know you're surrendered to God when you rely on God to work things out instead of trying to manipulate others, force your agenda, and control the situation. You let go and let God work. You don't have to always be "in charge." 

instead of trying harder, you trust more. You also know you're surrendered when you don't react to criticism and rush to defend yourself. Surrendered hearts show up best in relationships. You don't edge others out, you don't demand your rights, and you aren't self-serving when you are surrendered. You don't fret because of him who prospers in his way, or because the wicked man with his schemes is succeeding while you are not.

The most difficult area to surrender for many people is their money. Many have thought, "I want to live for God but I also want to earn enough money to live comfortably and retire someday." Retirement is not the goal of a surrendered life, because it competes with God for the primary attention of our lives. Jesus said, "You cannot serve both God and money" (Matthew 6 vs 24), and "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6 vs 21). 

We live in a materialistic society where many people serve money. They spend all their lives chasing after money, collecting, and storing it, only to die and leave it behind. Their desire for money far outweighs their commitment to God and spiritual matters. Whatever you store up you will spend much of your time and energy thinking about. I advice that you do not fall into the materialistic trap, because "the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil" (First Timothy 6 vs 10). Can you honestly say that God, not money, is your master? One test is to ask which one consume more of your thoughts, time, and efforts.

The passage we read today gives us the supreme example of self-surrender in Jesus. The night before His crucifixion Jesus surrendered Himself to God's plan. He prayed, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will." (Mark 14 vs 36.) Jesus didn't pray, "God, if you are able to take away this pain, please do so." He had already affirmed that God can do anything! Instead he prayed, "God, if it is in your best interest to remove this suffering, please do so. But if it fulfills your purpose, that's what I want, too."

Genuine surrender says, "Father, if this problem, pain, sickness, or circumstance is needed to fulfill your purpose and glory in my life or in another's, please don't take it away. This level of maturity does not come easy. In Jesus' case, He agonized so much over God's plan that He sweat drops of blood. Surrender is hard work. In our case, it is intense warfare against our self-centered nature.

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the excellent spirit of total surrender of my whole life to You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

DWELL NOT IN THE PAST!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY JULY 28, 2020.

SUBJECT: DWELL NOT IN THE PAST! 

Memory verse: "But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

 (Luke 9 vs 62

.)

READ: Philippians 3 vs 13 - 14:

3:12: Not that I have already attained, or am already perfect; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.

3:13: Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended: but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
3:14: I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

3:15: Therefore, let us, as many are mature, have this mind, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.

INTIMATION:

The past belongs to history, do not dwell in it. Looking back at the past only serves to limit your vision for the future. Even though the past is not entirely gone, your atonement and redemption from yesterday's mistakes and failures can be the bricks and mortar of today. You need to dream of things that never were and press toward the goal God has ordained for your life. The only reason you should look back is to remember the good God has done for you.

A wise person will not complain about the past. Though we may learn from the past, focusing on misfortunes of the past may lead us to make wrong decisions in the present. Your problems cannot be solved by reliving the failures of the past. King Solomon wisely said in Ecclesiastics 7 vs 10, "Do not say, 'Why were the former days better than these?' For you do not inquire wisely concerning this." Instead of living in the past, decide to live for today, and let it determine the future. 

Reliving the past is a time wasted which would have been well spent on pressing on to the future. Are you looking back at a past relationship, a lost promotion, a bitter experience? Is your mind so fixed on a person or a situation that it keeps you from going forward with your life? It's noteworthy that what was once hard to bear is often sweet to remember. However, with the single-mindedness of an athlete in training, we must lay aside everything harmful and forsake anything that may distract us from being effective Christians. The past belongs to history, and should not hold you back, but the knowledge gained is helpful to face the present and plan the future.

In the passage we read today, the apostle Paul had reason to forget the past—he had held the coats of those who had stoned Stephen, the first Christian martyr (Acts 7 vs 57 - 58, Paul is called Saul here). We have all done things for which we are ashamed, and we live in the tension of what we have been and what we want to be. Because our hope is in Christ, however, we can let go the past guilt and look forward to what God will help us become. Sometimes trying to live a perfect Christian life can be so difficult that it leaves us drained and discouraged. We may feel so far from perfect that we think we can never please God with our life. Quit looking back at "what might have been" and refusing to enter into God's gracious provision of "what can be." 

Don’t dwell on your past. Instead grow in the knowledge of God by concentrating on your relationship with Him now. Realize that you are forgiven, and then move on to a life of faith and obedience. Look forward to a fuller and more meaningful life because of your hope in Christ. You must leave Egypt before you can reach your promised land. Remember, God took the children of Israel 'out' so He can bring them 'in.' You must leave the past behind before you can arrive into your provision.

Dissatisfaction comes when our attention shifts from what we have to what we don’t have. You may remember what you had in the past but don’t have now and begin agonize over your present position. Like the children of Israel in Exodus 16 - 17, they could think of nothing but the delicious Egyptian food they had left behind. Somehow they forgot that the brutal whip of Egyptian slavery was the cost eating that food. They didn’t seem to notice what God was doing for them—setting them free, making them a nation, giving them a new land—because they were so wrapped up in what God wasn’t doing for them. 

We must not allow things of this world to detract us from our goal of eternal dwelling. It’s helpful to think about what occupies our attention most of the time. Are we grateful for what God has given us, or are we always thinking about what we would like to have or what we had in the past and are missing now? We should not allow our unfulfilled desires to cause us to forget God’s gifts of life, health, work, and good friends. 

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for all You have done, still doing, and will do for me. You are perfect in all Your ways, and knows better than I know myself. What You cannot give me, may I never have it, what You cannot do for me, may it remain undone, the life You cannot give to me, may I never live it, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen. 

PRAISE THE LORD!

OBEDIENT PROFITS

OBEDIENT PROFITS

"Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. Hebrews 13:17"

Devotion : It pays when disciples, members, citizens and subordinates obey their leaders. It is even vital in the church for members to obey and submit to the leaders placed over them. Jesus Christ, the bishop, has appointed shepherds, pastors or leaders to carry out His work on earth. They will give account to every soul entrusted under their care; therefore, in as much as they have a responsibility, the members also have a responsibility to support them. Their support is in their obedience and submission so that the shepherds can do their work with joy. When they work with joy, blessings flow to the members. On the other hand, when they don't get the support because of disobedience and insubordination, they are grieved; and instead of blessing flowing, grief, pain, bitterness, and curses are passed on to the members. Dear beloved, let us choose to submit to authority in the church and our state. Praise the Lord! Share your comments here!

THE MERCIES OF GOD

THE MERCIES OF GOD

"It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. Lamentations 3:22" 

Devotion : Mercy is a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion. Truly indeed it is the mercies of God that we are not consumed. God's mercies endure forever (Psalms 136:1). The mercies of God sent Jesus Christ, who knew no sin, to die for the sin of mankind. Because of the mercies of God the murderer, thief, prostitute, drunkard, liar, etc. can be saved by Jesus Christ. Dear beloved, wherever you are, whatever you have done, the mercies of God can extend to you, for His compassion fails not. Take advantage of God's mercies and be blessed. The mercies of God can pick you from poverty and place you among kings (2 Samuel 9:1-13). Jesus Christ was a man of compassion (Matthew 9:36). Hallelujah! Share your thoughts here!

ASPIRE TO BE PERFECT!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY JULY 27, 2020.

SUBJECT: ASPIRE TO BE PERFECT! 

Memory verse: "Therefore, you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."

 (Matthew 5 vs 48

.)

READ: Second Corinthians 3 vs 18; First John 3 vs 2 - 3:

Second Corinthians 3:18: But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

First John 3:2: Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 

3:3: And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

INTIMATION:

“Perfect” comes from the Greek word “Teleios” which signifies haven reached its end, finished, or complete. It’s used primarily for a person’s physical development, then with ethical imports—fully grown, mature. It also, conveys the idea of goodness without necessary reference to maturity, but rather completeness in deeds. For Christ, being perfect is bringing to an end, by completing or accomplishing, His earthly course in the accomplishment of His Father’s Will, the successive stages that culminated to His Death on the cross and resurrection thereto, that made Him perfect legally and officially, for all that He would be to His people on the ground of His sacrifice.

All parts of our lives and character should be in the process of becoming conformed, both inwardly and outwardly, to God's standards. We should be like our Heavenly Father—holy in everything we do. After people commit their lives to Christ, they sometimes still feel a pull back to their old ways, nonetheless, we should aspire to be perfect just as He is. Holiness means being totally devoted or dedicated to God, set aside for His special use and set apart from sin and its influence. We're to be set apart and different, not blending in with the crowd, yet not being different just for the sake of being different. 

We should not be surprised, ashamed, or shocked that have not attained perfection, and still need to grow. God is not finished with us. We can encourage this growth process by deliberately applying Scripture in all areas of our life, by accepting the discipline and guidance Christ provides, and by giving Him control of our desires and goals. Perfection or completeness will be attained at the second coming of Christ—“we shall be like Him For we shall see Him as He is.”

The Bible, in Hebrews 10 vs 14, says, “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” We have been made perfect, yet we are “being sanctified” (made holy). Through His death and resurrection, Jesus Christ, once for all, made His believers perfect (complete) in God’s sight—holy and without blemish as planned by God from the beginning for His people. Jesus Christ, through the indwelling Holy Spirit in the believers, is making us holy (progressively cleansed and set apart for His special use) in our daily pilgrimage here on earth. Daily we are being transformed into the image of God from one stage to another—“from glory to glory,” by the Holy Spirit.

God's quality in our lives make us different. Our focus and priorities must be His. All these are in direct contrast to our old ways, we cannot become holy on our own, but God gives us His Holy Spirit to help us obey and to give us power to overcome sin. How can we perfect? We can be perfect as follows:

1. In character. In this life we cannot be flawless, but we can aspire to be as much like Christ as possible.

2. In holiness. Like the Pharisees, we are to separate ourselves from the world's sinful values. But unlike the Pharisees we are to be devoted to God's desires rather our own and carry His love and mercy into the world.

3. In maturity. We can't achieve Christlike character and holy living all at once, but we must grow toward maturity and wholeness. Just as we expect different behavior from a baby, a child, a teenager, and an adult, so God expects different behavior from us, depending on our stage of spiritual development.

4. In love. We can seek to love others as completely as God loves us. We can be perfect if our behavior is appropriate for our maturity level—perfect yet with much room to grow. Our tendency to sin must never deter us from striving to be more like Christ.

Christ calls all of His disciples to excel, to rise above mediocrity, and to mature in every area, becoming like Him. Those who try to be perfect will one day be perfect even as Christ is perfect. By gazing at the nature of God with unveiled minds, we can be more like Him. In the gospel, we see the truth about Christ, and it transforms us morally as we understand and apply it. Through learning about Christ’s life, we can understand how wonderful God is and what He is really like. As our knowledge deepens, the Holy Spirit helps us to change. Becoming Christlike is a progressive experience, the more we follow Christ, the more we will be like Him.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are the Holy Sovereign God. Endue me with Your Spirit to aspire to be like You—perfect, and without faults, and to be complete in Christ, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

BLAMELESS AND HARMLESS

BLAMELESS AND HARMLESS

"Do all things without murmurings and disputings: Philippians 2:14"

Devotion : The Christian can be blameless and harmless as the light of the world. The way to become blameless and harmless is to do away with murmurings and disputing. Murmuring and disputing are signs of lack of faith and trust in the God we serve. Complaining does not get anything done. Instead of murmuring, disputing, and complaining, we should worship and praise God, and make melodies in our heart; afterwards ask God for His way and go ahead to do what He has destined for us to do. We are the lights in our world so we have to show the world the way to go; the way to go is to shine goodness, hope and inspire confidence in people to trust our Lord Jesus Christ. Dear beloved, do you murmur, dispute, and complain? What would you do to overcome them? Share your comments here!

WE ARE PARTAKERS OF GOD’S DIVINE NATURE!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY JULY 26, 2020.

SUBJECT:  WE ARE PARTAKERS OF GOD’S DIVINE NATURE!

Memory verse:  "having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.” (First Peter 1 vs 23.)

READ:  Second Peter 1 verse 2 - 4:

1:2: Grace and Peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,

1:3: as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 

1:4: by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

INTIMATION:

Many Christians still have not understood fully the finished work of Christ for them; haven made available to us the power of God as “partakers of His divine nature.” The finished work is like undeveloped resources in the African Continent. The finished work still remains the only source of our ability to live for God, have a relationship with Him, obtain and harness all the promises of God to us, live a prosperous life, and have good success. God has supplied us with everything in this life that is necessary for living according to His directions and developing a nature that prepares us for eternal dwelling. 

All that are necessary to live a spiritual life—a life of spiritual service toward God in Holy living in this world—have also been provided and granted to us by God (Second Timothy 3 vs 16 - 17). God has provided all that is necessary for a Christian living, therefore, if one does not respond to God in way that God desires, he or she is without excuse. God has supplied us with everything in this life that is necessary for living according to His directions and for developing a nature that prepares us for eternal dwelling. One of these things certainly is the word of God. It is through the word of God that we learn how to conduct our lives according to the will of God. The word of God is certainly the guide that we must follow in order to be certain concerning the conduct of our lives in behavior and godly living. 

However, the “all things” is plural, and therefore, refers to more than one thing. We would assume that other things include (1) The work of God in our lives in order to work all things together for good. (2) The Christian fellowship among those who have responded to the grace of God that was revealed on the cross through Jesus. (3) The provision by God of an environment that would sustain our very being in preparation for heavenly dwelling. All these things are included in the knowledge of Jesus through whom God worked for our salvation. 

Through the word of God that we learn how to conduct our lives according to the will of God. The divine power in the knowledge of Jesus makes it possible for us to put on the divine nature. Through obedience to the gospel, obedient believers are clothed with Christ, and thus, they put on the divine nature. (Galatians 3 vs 26 - 27.) They are cleansed of sin and thus brought into the fellowship of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Putting on Christ is dressing oneself in the divine nature of godliness and sanctification of the Spirit. Those who have put on the divine nature in Christ have been delivered from the lust of the world because they are now slaves to Jesus. 

Not many Christians have realized that we have in us divine ability. You then ask, "How can this be utilized?" It is acting upon His Word, living the Word life, knowing that all His promises are real and for you to receive if you believe. Knowing that you have your inheritance in Him as is expressed in Colossians 1 vs 12, "Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light." We take Him, by grace, to lead us into all the fullness of our inheritance.

We will know that Philippians 2 vs 13 is real and at work in us, "For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." God is at work in us, thinking through our minds, operating through our recreated spirits. He has actually taken us over. Let Him Rule! While He is at work in us, we, as theatre of His marvelous works, should show the excellencies of Him. The power to lead a godly life comes from God. Because we don’t have the resources to be truly godly, God allows us to “be partakers of the divine nature” in order to keep us from sin and help us live for Him. When we are born again, God by His Spirit empowers us with His own goodness. 

Prayer: Abba Father, You have graciously imparted in us Your divine nature. Engrace me to live in Your fullness, manifesting Your divine abilities, utilizing fully the huge treasures of wisdom and knowledge revealed to us in Christ, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

BELIEVING LEADS TO POSSIBILITY

BELIEVING LEADS TO POSSIBILITY

"Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. Mark 9:23"

Devotion : Heaven has endorsed whatever the children of God will believe. No wonder our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ said all things are possible to those who believe. The personal question we need to ask ourselves is "Do I believe?" If I do then it is possible for me to receive whatever I have prayed for. Any time we pray and sense doubt and unbelief, we should rebuke it and openly declare, "I believe I have received what I have prayed for." The doubt or unbelief will vanish. Also we should try to dissociate from people, words, and anything that brings doubt and unbelief to us. Dear beloved, what are you believing God for? What are you trying to achieve? If you believe it is possible you will have it. Share your thoughts here!

RELATION OF LOVE TO ANSWERED PRAYER!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY JULY 25, 2020.

SUBJECT: RELATION OF LOVE TO ANSWERED PRAYER! 

Memory verse: ""A new commandment I gave to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another." (John 13 vs 34.)

READ: Matthew 7 vs 24 - 27:

7:24: Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 

7:25: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

7:26: "But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:

7:27: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and heat on the house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

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INTIMATION:

Jesus gave us the new commandment to govern our new creation life; that we should love one another as He loved us. Observing to do the new commandment is likened to building on the rock—a solid foundation. It means to be a hearing, responsible disciple, not a phony, superficial one. Practicing obedience becomes the solid foundation to weather the storms of life. The Sinai Law taught that one was to love his neighbor as himself (Leviticus 19 vs 18). One’s love of his neighbor, therefore, was based on his love of himself. However, Jesus emphasizes an intensity of love that is different; a love that has no conditions. It is a self-sacrificing love that extends beyond any conditions of one’s environment, and thus simply acts out of a selfless attitude.

You also remember that James speaking in his Book 1 vs 22 says, "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." This lover here is a doer of love. He lives in the love realm. It is not the old Phileo love, but the new kind of love that Jesus brought, "Agape" and so we love in deed and in reality. Hereby shall we know that we are of the truth and persuade our hearts when we stand before Him in prayer.

Let us now also join this to First John 5 vs 14 - 15, "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His Will, he hears us. And if we know that He hears us , whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." If we walk in love, we are walking according to His Will, and we never pray out of His Will. And because we are walking according to His Will, He hears us, and the assurances of receiving our petition is therefore, given.

The apostle John gave two conditions upon which prayer is answered. (1) We must ask according to the will of God, for God does not work contrary to His will in answer to prayer. (2) We must ask upon the condition that we are obedient to His will, for God work’s through the lives of those who are carrying out His work in the world. If we ask of God on these two conditions, we can have confidence, or boldness that God will answer our prayers. We can have confidence that God will work in our behalf in order to accomplish that which is in the best interest ps of His children (Romans 8 vs 28)). When we are confident that God hears our prayers, then we will see His answers.

Walking according to His Will leads us right into the heart of the Father. This love life permits us to walk into the very presence of the Father. You may go into the throne room and stand in His presence and make your petitions known in that name, and as sure as you do, the petition is heard. Unless we walk in love and have yielded to the lordship of love, God cannot manifest Himself through us. The ability of God is realized only in love's freedom to act. Selfishness imprisons love.

The two lives Jesus compares at the end of the Sermon on the Mount which is the passage we read today, have several points in common: the two men both build, they both hear Jesus’ teaching, and they both experience the same set of circumstances in life. The difference between them isn’t caused by ignorance but by one ignoring obedience to His Word. Externally, their lives may look similar, but the lasting, structural differences will be revealed by the storms of life. 

The immediate difference in your life when you follow Christ may not be obvious, but eventually they will turn out to affect even your eternal destiny. Most people do not deliberately seek to build on a false or inferior foundation; instead, they just don’t think about their life’s purpose. Many people are headed to destruction not out of stubbornness but out of thoughtlessness. They hardly stop and think where their lives are headed, and the consequences of ignoring the Word of God.

In the new creation, you have become doers of love; hitherto, you were doers of selfishness. We have consented to the dethroning of the control of the flesh. Prior to the new creation, our physical bodies have sat upon the throne of our lives. Now we are crowning our spirits, or to put it more clearly, we are recognizing the lordship of Jesus Christ and crowning Him as Lord of our whole being.

Prayer: Abba Father, Your love nature has been shed abroad in my heart by the Holy Spirit which is given to me in the new creation. O Lord, let me receive mercy and grace to walk in love, and be helpful in time of need, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

THE SPIRITUAL MINDED OR CARNALLY MINDED?

THE SPIRITUAL MIND OR CARNAL MIND?
"
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Romans 8:6"

Devotion : Life is about making choices, even refusing to make a choice is a choice in itself. Believers in Christ Jesus must make a choice to either be carnally minded or spiritually minded. To be carnally minded is to walk in the natural mindset: thinking of temporal things, talking by feeling, acting according to feeling, and living according to the human senses; these can only lead to suffering, doubt, unbelief, and finally death. To be spiritually minded is to walk in the supernatural mindset: thinking of eternal things, talking by faith, acting in line with the Holy Scriptures, and living by the Holy Spirit; these lead to peace, greater faith, believing, wealth, and life, praise the Lord! Dear beloved, what did you learn from this gospel? Share your comments here!

BE SELFLESS IN YOUR THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY JULY 24, 2020.

SUBJECT:  BE SELFLESS IN YOUR THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS!

Memory verse:  "Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” (Philippians 2 vs 4.) 

READ: Romans 15 vs 1 - 3; First Corinthians 20 vs 24:

Romans 15:1: We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
15:2: Let each one of us please his neighbour for his good, leading to edification.
15:3: For even Christ did not please Himself; but, as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.”

First Corinthians 10:24: Let no one Seek his own, but each one the others’s well-being.

INTIMATION:

We're by nature selfish. Activities around us also encourages us to think of self. We are interested in being the first or the best as the world look out for such people amongst us. Consequently, we are more interested in self than others. Considering others interests as more important than our own links us with Christ, who was an epitome of selflessness. Christ had every right to exalt His rights over those whom He had created, however, He lowered Himself to be the servant of man (Matthew 26 vs 28; Mark 10 vs 45). When we care for the problems of others as if they are our problems, we demonstrate Christ’s example of putting others first—being selfless.

The Scriptural recommendation for all actions of believers is not to do what we like best, but what is best for those around us. The opposite approach would be (1)being insensitive and doing what we want, no matter who is hurt by it; (2) being over-sensitive and doing nothing, for fear that someone may be displeased; (3) being a "yes person" by going along with everything, trying to gain approval from people rather than from God. In this age of "me first" and "looking out for number one," the Scriptural recommendation is that we make the good of others one of our primary goals, and in so doing we develop a serving attitude that pleases God.

The only way we can make the paradigm switch is by a moment-by-moment dependence on God. Fortunately God doesn't leave us to struggle on our own. He has given us His Spirit to be our helper. The Bible, in First Corinthians 2 vs 12, says, "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God." God has given us his Spirit, and as believers His Spirit indwelling us enables us not to think as the unbelievers of this world think.

The body of Christ is a community of people who have one another’s interest at heart in order to preserve themselves in a world of struggles. It is our responsibility as brothers in Christ to help one another. This is in fulfillment of the law of Christ which is to love one another (Galatians 6 vs 2). This law brings individuals together into a common bond and fellowship. And that is “faith working through love.” (Galatians 5 vs 6.) Christians come into a fellowship wherein they have responsibilities toward one another. They come into a fellowship of slaves who seek the best for others. They seek to edify one another in an environment of mutual love. 

Guard against any selfishness, prejudice, or jealousy that might lead to dissension. Showing genuine interest in others in a positive step forward in maintaining unity among believers. We have freedom in Christ, but we shouldn’t exercise our freedom at the cost of hurting a Christian brother or sister. Some actions may not be wrong, but they may not be in the best interest of others. We are not to consider only ourselves; we must also consider the needs and perspective of others. When people live for themselves with little concern for how their actions affect others, the resulting moral rot contaminates the entire society. Are you part of the problem or the solution?

Now, in your soul winning drive, start asking the Holy Spirit to help you to think of the spiritual need of unbelievers whenever you talk to them. With practice you can develop the habit of praying silent "breath prayers" for those you encounter. Say, "Father, help me to understand what is keeping this person from knowing you." Your goal is to figure out where others are in their spiritual journey and then do whatever will bring them a step closer to knowing Christ. You can learn how to do this by adopting the mind-set of the apostle Paul, who said in First Corinthians 10 vs 33, "Just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved."

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of selflessness and servanthood that I will put the interests of others first in all I do, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!