PUT GOD FIRST IN YOUR LIFE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30,2022.

SUBJECT : PUT GOD FIRST IN YOUR LIFE!

Memory verse: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6 vs 33.)

READ: Psalms 37 vs 4 - 5; 145:19; Isaiah 58 vs 14:

Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.

37:5: Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to,pass.

145:19: He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him, He will also hear their cry and save them.

Isaiah 58:14: Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord; and I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, and feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the Lord has spoken.

INTIMATION:

Jesus is telling us not to be preoccupied in getting, worrying about our daily essentials and needs that are already known to Him. All we need do first is come to the knowledge of Him—His reality, His initiatives, His provisions, and His faithfulness. When we do, we will realize that He will supply all that we need, and every human concerns of ours will be met. 

Now, let us look at Jesus’ admonition, “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For all these things the Gentiles seek. For your Heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6 vs 31 - 33.)

It’s by God’s grace that we exist. We never entered into any agreements to be created by Him. It’s all His doing, and for His purposes. Therefore, if He has done all by Himself, and for His purposes, it’s obvious that to live and do rightly—living according to His preordained purposes—You must know Him and His ways thoroughly. It’s your quest and thirst to know Him and His ways that commits Him into revealing Himself to you. 

He created you and has put in place everything you require to live for Him, and according to His purposes. You can only know and have access to His limitless provisions when you delight in Him—strive to know Him and His ways better. Remember He said do this first—seek to know Him and His purposes for you first, and all other things you need, including your desires, will be added to you without struggle. All you have to do is seek Him first, and other things flows your way as additions!

The Scripture tells us to delight in the Lord and commit everything we have and do to Him. To delight in Him means to experience great pleasure and joy in His presence. This happens only when we know Him well. Thus, to delight in the Lord, we must know Him better. The knowledge of God’s great love for us, that love that drove Him to give His only begotten Son as a propitiation for our sins, will indeed make us delight in Him.

To commit ourselves to the Lord means entrusting everything—our lives, families, jobs, possessions—to His control and guidance. It means to trust in Him, believing that He can care for us better than we can care for ourselves, while we willingly wait patiently for Him to work out what is best for us. Whatever He does is permanent, and His blessings makes rich and adds no sorrow with it.

The Lord gave this insight to Joshua, saying, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in It day and night, that you may observe do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1 vs 8 - 9.)

Before all else, strive after God’s way of doing and being right. Steep your life in God-reality through the wisdom and revelation of the knowledge of Him, never worrying about missing out. Then you find that all your everyday human concerns will be met.

God Himself taught Joshua the principle and strategy of ensuring a prosperous living, gaining good success, and having the pleasure of God’s companionship at all times. God said that to ensure the aforestated, Joshua must put Him first:  (1) Constantly read and study the Book of the Law—God’s Word, (2) ensuring your obedience to God’s law—doing according to all that is written in it, (3) always being strong and courageous; not being afraid nor dismayed.

Therefore, to be successful, follow God’s words to Joshua. Delight yourself in the Lord, put Him first in all you do—let Him take the driving seat in your life. Resolve to set aside time each day to read and think about God’s Word, reminding yourself of it day and night, and God will be your constant companion, ensuring your success in carrying out His purposes. You may not succeed by the world’s standards, but you will be a success in God’s eyes—and His opinion is most important. 

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You, that the eyes of my understanding being enlightened that will I know the hope of a Your calling, and the riches of the glory of Your inheritance in those that believe, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

The Triumphant Shame of the Cross

 

Christ did not] offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (Hebrews 9:25–26)

It is not to be taken for granted that there should be a welcome for sinners in heaven.

God is holy and pure and perfectly just and righteous. Yet the whole story of the Bible is how such a great and holy God can and does welcome dirty, unholy people like you and me into his favor. How can this be?

Hebrews 9:25 says that Christ’s sacrifice for sin was not like the sacrifices of the Jewish high priests. They came into the holy place yearly with animal sacrifices to atone for the sins of the people. But these verses say Christ did not enter heaven to “offer himself repeatedly . . . for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world” (Hebrews 9:26).

If Christ followed the pattern of the priests, then he would have to die yearly. And since the sins to be covered include the sins of Adam and Eve, he would have had to begin his yearly dying at the foundation of the world. But the writer treats this as unthinkable.

Why is this unthinkable? Because it would make the death of the Son of God look weak and ineffective. If it has to be repeated year after year for centuries, where would be the triumph? Where would we see the infinite value of the sacrifice of the Son of God? It would vanish in the shamefulness of a yearly suffering and death.

There was shame in the cross, but it was triumphant shame. “[Jesus despised] the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

This is the gospel of the glory of Christ, the image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4). I pray that no matter how dirty or unholy with sin you are, you will see the light of this glory and believe.

HASTEN AFTER THE GOOD EYE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 29, 2022.

SUBJECT : HASTEN AFTER THE GOOD EYE!

Memory verse: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding." (Proverbs 3 vs 5.)

READ: Proverbs 3 vs 5 - 6; Matthew 6 vs 22 - 23:

Proverbs 3:5: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.

3:6: In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

Matthew 6:22: The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 

6:23: But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

INTIMATION:

Your eyes are the windows into your body and the aperture in your life. Your eye is “good” when it is focused on God and His Word (Joshua 1 vs 8; Psalm 1 vs 2). The more we know of the whole scope of God's Word, the more resources we will have to guide us in our daily decisions. When you have a “good” eye—one that is fixed on God, you develop the desired spiritual vision; the capacity to see clearly what God wants us to do and to see the world from His point of view. 

But this spiritual insight can be easily clouded. This happens when your attention is shifted from being completely on God. For instance, self-serving desires, interests, and goals block that vision because it has shifted from focusing on God to bifocal vision of God and self. The quickest way to destroy a person's vision is to give him or her two. And the beclouded spiritual vision can best be restored by serving God with all your heart. 

You can't accomplish your goals when your attention and resources are divided. It is a spiritual bait that if you really want to prosper in God’s standard, then you need to forget everything else and press toward this one goal of putting the kingdom first. 

You can learn how to follow God by meditating on His Word. Meditating means spending time reading and thinking about what you have read. It means asking yourself how you should change so that you're living as God wants. 

The Lord is saying that He wants you to be single in your focus on Him. At first, you might think it is impossible to be totally committed to, and focused upon God in everything you do. Yes, it’s so if we have to rely on human strength. But we don't live the Christian life in our own strength. The Apostle Paul wrote in Second Corinthians 10 vs 4 - 5, "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down of strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ."

God has given us weapons so strong that they can bring every thought into obedience to Christ. You can work, raise a family, do all of the things you need in life, and still keep your attention one hundred percent upon God. But you can't be focused on God when you think you're the one who is responsible for producing the blessing in your life! For instance, If you think that supporting your family and earning money is strictly up to you, then you are going to have a divided heart, and divided heart is going to allow darkness to enter your life and hinder you in your relationship with God.

God knows what is best for us. He is a better judge of what we want than we are! We must trust Him completely in every choice we make. We should not omit careful thinking or belittle our God-given ability to reason; but we should not trust our own ideas to the exclusion of God’s leading. We must not be wise in our own eyes. We should always be willing to listen to and be corrected by God’s Word and wise counselors. Bring your decisions to God in prayer; use the Bible as your guide and then follow God’s leading.

King Solomon thirsted for God’s leading—spiritual vision—and earnestly asked for it from God and he was endowed with it, and he received even more than he asked from God (First Kings 4 vs 9 - 13). Consequently, he became the wisest king in Israel’s history, and the wisest man the world has ever known outside of Jesus Christ. This culminated in his writing most of the Books of wisdom (Proverbs and Ecclesiastes) in the Scriptures. He said that to receive God’s guidance, we must acknowledge God in all our ways and in all we do.

About a thousand years later, Jesus emphasized this same truth; seeking first, and above all, God’s kingdom (Matthew 6 vs 33). Look at your values and priorities. What is important to you? Where is God on that list? What is His advice? Make Him a vital part of everything you do; then He will guide you because you will be working to accomplish His purposes.

Jesus warned against divided attention when He said in Luke 16 vs 13, "No servant 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." Have your focus on the kingdom, and adjoining righteousness of God, and all other things shall be added to you.

Prayer: Abba Father, by strength shall no man prevail. Outside of You we can do nothing. Endue me with the spirit of total obedience and commitment to You in all my ways, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

The Only Conscience-Cleanser

 

How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. (Hebrews 9:14)

Here we are in the modern age — the age of the Internet, smartphones, space travel, and heart transplants — and our problem is fundamentally the same as always: Our consciences condemn us and make us feel unacceptable to God. We are alienated from God. And our consciences bear witness.

We can cut ourselves, or throw our children in the sacred river, or give a million dollars to charity, or serve in a soup kitchen, or a hundred forms of penance or self-injury, and the result will be the same: The stain remains and death terrifies.

We know that our conscience is defiled — not with external things like touching a corpse, a dirty diaper, or a piece of pork. Jesus said it is what comes out of a man that defiles, not what goes in (Mark 7:15–23). We are defiled by attitudes like pride and self-pity and bitterness and lust and envy and jealousy and covetousness and apathy and fear.

The only answer in this modern age, as in every other age, is the blood of Christ. When your conscience rises up and condemns you, where will you turn? Hebrews 9:14 gives you the answer: “How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”

The answer is: Turn to the blood of Christ. Turn to the only cleansing agent in the universe that can give you relief in life, and peace in death.

The Root of Ingratitude

 

Although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. (Romans 1:21)

When gratitude springs up in the human heart toward God, he is magnified as the wealthy source of our blessing. He is acknowledged as giver and benefactor and therefore as glorious.

But when gratitude does not spring up in our hearts at God’s great goodness to us, it probably means that we don’t want to pay him a compliment; we don’t want to magnify him as our benefactor.

And there is a very good reason that human beings by nature do not want to magnify God with thanksgiving or glorify him as their benefactor. The reason is that it detracts from our own glory, and all people by nature love their own glory more than the glory of God.

At the root of all ingratitude is the love of one’s own greatness. For genuine gratitude admits that we are beneficiaries of an unearned bequest. We are cripples leaning on the cross-shaped crutch of Jesus Christ. We are paralytics living minute by minute in the iron lung of God’s mercy. We are children asleep in heaven’s stroller.

The natural person, apart from saving grace, hates to think of himself in these images: unworthy beneficiary, cripple, paralytic, child. They rob him of his glory by giving it all to God.

Therefore, while a man loves his own glory, and prizes his self-sufficiency, and hates to think of himself as sin-sick and helpless, he will never feel genuine gratitude to the true God and so will never magnify God as he ought, but only himself.

Jesus said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17).

Jesus did not come to minister to those who insist they are well. He demands something great: that we admit we are not great. This is bad news to the arrogant, but words of honey to those who have given up their charade of self-sufficiency and are seeking God.

GOD NEVER TEMPTS, BUT DELIVERER US!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2022.

SUBJECT : GOD NEVER TEMPTS, BUT DELIVERER US!

Memory verse: "Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone." (James 1 vs 13.)

READ: James 1 vs 12 - 15:

1:12: Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord promised to those who love Him.

1:13: Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.

1:14: But each one is tempted when He is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 1:15: Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

INTIMATION:

God is our leader, He doesn't lead us into temptations, but sometimes allows us to be tested by them. God tests people, but He does not tempt them by trying to seduce them into sin. As His children, we should pray to be delivered from the trying temptations of Satan ("the evil one") and his deceitful advances toward us.

People who live for God often wonder why they still have temptations. It is the work of the "evil one" to steer them from the faith. God allows Satan to tempt people, so that He may use the temptation to refine their faith and to help them grow in their dependence on Christ. We can resist the temptation to sin by turning to God for strength and choosing to obey His Word.

God's tests are not to trip us and watch us fall, but to deepen our capacity to obey Him, and help us develop His character. Just as fire refines ore to extract precious metals, God refines us through difficult circumstances. When we are tested we can complain, or we can try to see how God is stretching us to develop our character. It takes intense heat to purify gold and silver. Similarly, it often takes the heat of trials for the Christian to be purified. Through trials, God shows us what is in us and clears out anything that gets in the way of complete trust in Him.

The apostle Peter, in First Peter 1 vs 7, says, "That the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ." As gold is heated, impurities float to the top and can be skimmed off. Steel is tempered or strengthened by heating it in fire. Likewise, our trials, struggles, and persecutions refine and strengthen out faith, making us useful to God. Therefore, when tough times come your way, realize that God wants to use them to refine your faith and purify your heart.

 All Christians struggle with temptation. Sometimes it is so subtle that we don't even realize what is happening to us. God helps us to recognize temptation and gives us the strength to overcome it when we ask, and helps us choose God's way instead. God has promised that He won't allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear: "No temptation has overtaken you except such that is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." (First Corinthians 10 vs 13.)

In our world filled with moral decadence, depravity, and sin-inducing pressures; wrong desires and temptation happen to everyone. Nobody should think him or her is alone in this situation, knowing that many others are in it, and many also have resisted temptation through God's leading. God knows our weaknesses and strength, and any temptation can be resisted because God will help you resist it. 

God helps resist temptation by helping you recognize those people and situations that give you trouble, and those things that tempt you. The immediate solution is to run from anything you know is wrong, and choose to do only what is right. This you can achieve when you pray to God for help. Also acquaint yourself with friends who love God and can offer help when you are tempted.

Running from a tempting situation is your first step on the way to victory. Second Timothy 2 vs 22 advises thus, "Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." Running away is sometimes considered cowardly, but wise people realize that removing themselves physically from temptation often can be the most courageous action to take. It is advisable to remove yourself physically from any situation that stimulates your desire to sin. In so doing, you can handle any recurring temptation that is difficult for you to resist.

Some people think that Christianity is a passive religion that advocates waiting for God to act. But the use of active and forceful verbs: flee, pursue, run, shows we must have an active faith, obeying God with courage and doing what we know is right.

Jesus prayed to the Father in John 17 vs 15, saying, "I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one." This request made by Jesus our Messiah, to God, our Father in heaven, shows that only Him can keep us from Satan, the evil one. He does that through His leading us by His Word, and the revelations He gives in fellowship with Him. God doesn't come down to physically hold you by the hand to lead you. Therefore, acquaint yourself with Him through His Word, and ceaselessly fellowship with Him in prayers.

Prayer: Abba Father, give me the grace to live according to Your word, O most merciful Father, and endue me with the power to overcome temptations. For I know that by my strength I cannot prevail over the tempter. Only You can strengthen me to overcome the wiles of the devil. My eyes are completely fixed on You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

THE ATTITUDE OF CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 27, 2022.

SUBJECT : THE ATTITUDE OF CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS!

Memory verse: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (First John 1 vs 9.)

READ: Mark 11 vs 25 - 26:

11:25: And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 

11:26: But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.

INTIMATION:

As imperfect being we are, we are always sinning; knowingly or unknowingly. Therefore, we need to continually be confessing our sins so as to receive forgiveness of our sins from the Lord, occasioning continued fellowship with the Lord. As enumerated in our memory verse, God is so faithful that if we confess our sins, we are assured of His forgiveness and cleansing from all unrighteousness, and our fellowship with Him is restored.

David confessed his sin and prayed, "Cleans me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins (Psalm 19 vs 12 - 13.) Presumptuous sins are the sins we commit unknowingly, or when we take certain things for granted; when we believe that something is true without proof. Most times we end up apologizing for the wrong done unwittingly.

Most believers are plagued by guilt; they may have committed a sin unknowingly, done something good with selfish intentions, failed to put their whole heart into a task, or neglected what they should have done. With an attitude of confession, we will always present ourselves to God as sinners that needs forgiveness. God fully and completely forgives us—even for those sins we do unknowingly.

When our sins are forgiven, we can stand boldly in His presence and make our petition. Therefore, it is to our own advantage that we ask for forgiveness of sins, so that our Heavenly Father can hear our prayers.

The psalmist said in Psalm 66 vs 18, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear." When we refuse to repent or when we harbor and cherish certain sins, we place a wall between us and God. We may not be able to remember every sin we have ever committed, but our attitude should be one of confession and obedience. 

When Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, He made forgiveness the cornerstone of their relationship with God. God has forgiven our sins; we must now forgive those who have wronged us. This is for our own interest because it is upon doing so that God may hear our prayers. 

In the passage we read today, Jesus warned us that whenever we stand to prayer, we must come to Him with a clean heart; loving and iniquity free. Therefore, we should check ourselves to ensure that we don’t have anything against anyone, forgiving and setting everyone who have wronged us free in our heart. In so doing, we would have set a platform for our own forgiveness by God. Jesus gave the  startling warning about forgiveness because when we don't forgive others, we are denying our common ground as sinners in need of God's forgiveness. 

God's forgiveness of sin is not the direct result of our forgiving others, but rather it is based on our realizing what forgiveness means. It is noteworthy that Christ said; "that your Father in heaven 'may' forgive you, not 'must' forgive you. It is easy to ask God for forgiveness, but difficult to grant it to others. Whenever we ask God to forgive us our sins, we should ask ourselves, "Have I forgiven the people who have wronged me?"

The apostle Paul admonished us on forgiveness in Ephesians 4 vs 32, saying, "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." He re-emphasized this In Colossians 3 vs 12 - 13, "Therefore, as elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another, even as Christ forgave you, so you must do." 

The key to forgiveness is remembering how much God has forgiven you. For most people it is difficult for them to forgive someone who has wronged them a little when God has forgiven them so much. Realizing God's infinite love and forgiveness can help you love and forgive others. God forgives us solely because of His great mercy. As we come to understand His mercy, however, we will want to be like Him. Having received forgiveness, we will pass it to others. Those who are unwilling to forgive has not become one with Christ, who was willing to forgive even those who crucified Him (Luke 23 vs 34). 

To remain unforgiving shows we have not understood that we ourselves deeply need to be forgiven. Because God has forgiven us our sins, we should not withhold forgiveness from others. Realizing how completely Christ has forgiven us should produce a free and generous attitude of forgiveness toward others. When we don't forgive others, we are setting ourselves outside and above Christ's law of love—"Love your neighbor as yourself."

Prayer: Abba Father, Your love has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit indwelling us, enabling us to live by His power. May I serve You in complete obedience, trust, true love for You and my neighbor, that I may be at peace with everyone, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

How to Magnify God

 

I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. (Psalm 69:30)

There are two kinds of magnifying: microscope magnifying and telescope magnifying. The one makes a small thing look bigger than it is. The other makes a big thing begin to look as big as it really is.

When David says, “I will magnify God with thanksgiving,” he does not mean, “I will make a small God look bigger than he is.” He means, “I will make a big God begin to look as big as he really is.”

We are not called to be microscopes. We are called to be telescopes. Christians are not called to be con-men who magnify their product out of all proportion to reality, when they know the competitor’s product is far superior. There is nothing and nobody superior to God. And so the calling of those who love God is to make his greatness begin to look as great as it really is.

That’s why we exist, why we were saved, as Peter says in 1 Peter 2:9, “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

The whole duty of the Christian can be summed up in this: feel, think, and act in a way that will make God look as great as he really is. Be a telescope for the world of the infinite starry wealth of the glory of God.

This is what it means for a Christian to magnify God. But you can’t magnify what you haven’t seen or what you quickly forget.

Therefore, our first task is to see and to remember the greatness and goodness of God. So we pray to God, “Open the eyes of my heart!” (Ephesians 1:18), and we preach to our souls, “Soul, forget not all his benefits!” (Psalm 103:2).

Jesus Prays for Us

 

He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25)

It says that Christ is able to save to the uttermost — forever — since he always lives to make intercession for us. In other words, he would not be able to save us forever if he did not go on interceding for us forever.

This means our salvation is as secure as Christ’s priesthood is indestructible. This is why we needed a priest so much greater than any human priest. Christ’s deity and his resurrection from the dead secure his indestructible priesthood for us.

This means we should not talk about our salvation in static terms the way we often do — as if I did something once in an act of decision, and Christ did something once when he died and rose again, and that’s all there is to it. That’s not all there is to it.

This very day I am being saved by the eternal intercession of Jesus in heaven. Jesus is praying for us and that is essential to our salvation.

We are saved eternally by the eternal prayers (Romans 8:34) and advocacy (1 John 2:1) of Jesus in heaven as our High Priest. He prays for us and his prayers are answered because he prays perfectly on the basis of his perfect sacrifice.

PRAYER VERSUS THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 26, 2022.

SUBJECT : PRAYER VERSUS THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL!

Memory verse: "However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17 vs 20 - 21). 

READ: Matthew 13 vs 24 - 28:

13:24: Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of God is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 

13:25: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went away. 

13:26: But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then tares also appeared. 

13:27: So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares? 

13:28: He said to them, 'An enemy has done this. ‘The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and gather them up?’

INTIMATION:

In the passage we read today, Jesus teaches about the activities of the devil in the lives of believers. In explaining the parable in Matthew 13 vs 39, He said that the enemy who sowed the tares is the devil. The devil is forever busy luring the children of God to his side by oppressing them in order to win them over with his greatest weapon of fear. It takes the resistance of the believer in prayer to ensure victory over him. 

Are you faced with challenges? Are certain forces resisting every move you make? Do things seem not to be working for you in spite of all your input? I'm glad to announce to you that the power in prayer is available to you as a child of God, to fight all the oppositions en route your victory and triumph in life. 

Our memory verse is part of the answer Jesus gave to His disciples when they could not cast out an evil spirit even though they had been empowered to do so (See Matthew 10 vs 1). Satan was blocking their access to results in ministry. The principal weapon engaged by the believer in victory over Satan is prayer. On it all other weapons revolve.

The potent weapons available to the believer is; faith, hope, prayer, fasting, the Word of God, the name of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Note that all these weapons are enforced in prayer. Don't sit there crying and waiting for someone to pity you; rise up and take advantage of this potent powers and free yourself from the hold of the enemy. He is called "the wicked," because he has no feelings of sympathy for anybody. He is out for you, so you must arise and invoke the powers of heaven to flush him out.

As I said in the past, many people think that Christianity is a passive religion that advocates waiting for God to act. But you must have an active faith, invoking through prayer the powers engaged in victory. Things don't just happen, they are made to happen. The Scripture in First Corinthians 16 vs 9 says, "For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries."

Being a Christian does not exempt you from warfare; it only gives you an edge over the opposition. Going through rivers of difficulty will either cause you to be drawn or force you to grow stronger. If you go in your own strength, you are more likely to drown, if you invite the Lord to go with you He will protect you. Isaiah 43 vs 1 - 2 illustrates graphically how the Lord protects you: "But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name;  You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned. Nor shall the flame scorch you."

Your redemption notwithstanding, God says, "When you pass through waters....when you walk through the fire..." not, "If you pass through the waters....if you walk through the fire..." Warfare therefore, is inevitable, but victory is guaranteed. God says, "Fear not, I am your redeemer, I am committed to deliver you and give you the victory." 

The obstacles are real; the victories are also real. Victory is our heritage. As long as you are still breathing, the battle is not over. Rise up and stop tolerating failure and mishaps! Stop putting up with pains, lack and want. If you won't arise, your enemy will prevail. One strategy of the enemy is to make you feel you can't handle the issue. That is a lie. God is committed to your victory, if only you will fight. 

But remember "For though we walk in the flesh! we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for the pulling down of strongholds,..." (Second Corinthians 10 vs 3 - 4.) The foremost of Christians’ weapon is prayer. In prayer all other weapons of are engaged.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are my Faithful Companion. I can do all things through You who strengthens me on the prayer altar. Let my supplications and petitions come to You as a sweet smelling savor that I may obtain the strength to prevail against the evil tidings of the wicked one, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Glorify God by Giving Thanks

 

It is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 4:15)

Gratitude to God is a joyful emotion. We have a sense of joyful indebtedness for his grace. So in a sense in the very emotion of gratitude, we are still the beneficiaries. But by its very nature, gratitude glorifies the giver. When we feel thankful, we acknowledge our need and God’s beneficence, God’s fullness, the riches of his glory.

Just like I humble myself and exalt the server in the restaurant when I say, “Thank you,” so I humble myself and exalt God when I feel gratitude to him. The difference, of course, is that I really am infinitely in debt to God for his grace, and everything he does for me is free and undeserved.

But the point is that gratitude glorifies the giver. It glorifies God. And this is Paul’s final goal in all his labors. Yes, his labors are for the sake of the church — the good of the church. But the church is not the highest goal. Listen again: “It is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.” All for your sake — for the glory of God!

The wonderful thing about the gospel is that the response it requires from us for God’s glory is also the response that is most natural and joyful; namely, thankfulness for grace. God’s all-supplying glory in giving and our humble gladness in receiving are not in competition. Joyful thankfulness glorifies God.

A life that gives glory to God for his grace and a life of deepest gladness are the same life. And what makes them one is thankfulness.

SEEKING GOD’S KINGDOM IS HIS WILL!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 25, 2022.

SUBJECT : SEEKING GOD’S KINGDOM IS HIS WILL!

Memory verse: "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6 vs 10.)

READ: Matthew 6 vs 31 - 33:

6:31: Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'

6:32: For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

INTIMATION:

God's kingdom has been long in existence in heaven. God created the world for a purpose, out of His love and goodness, and created man for the purpose of taking care of His new kingdom. His desire is that His spiritual reign is extended to the earth, as it is in heaven. A kingdom is a state having a king as its head. The king's word is a law to be obeyed. God already reigns as the king in heaven, and desires that His spiritual sovereignty is established here on earth.

Then, when we pray "Your will be done," we are asking in consonance with His will, that God's purpose of creation be accomplished in this world as well as next—in heaven.

Praying for His will to be done shows our reference of Him as the Creator, and the supremacy of God's will over all things. Therefore, kingdom-oriented prayer gives you special audience with God. The Bible says, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6 vs 33.) This is God's will, and because you have prayed according to His will, He hears you. 

The Bible says in 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." The emphasis here is on God’s will, not our will. When we communicate with God, we don’t demand what we want; rather we discuss with Him what He wants for us. If we align our prayers to His will, He will listen; and because we have not been selfish in our prayers; but rather desired His own interest—His will, He will definitely concern Himself with providing those our needs He is already aware of, thereby adding them to us.

To “seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness” means to put God first in your life, to fill your thoughts with a His desires, to take His character for your pattern, and to serve and obey Him in everything. When you do these things, all other of your needs will be added to you even without your asking. The assurance is given to us according to God’s word in Isaiah 65 vs 24, thus, “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.”

Many people are dying in their prayer rooms because they are self-oriented in their prayers. It is all about self in their prayers. They are the "needy-stars" of the kingdom. They always pray, "Lord, give me this; Lord, bless me; Lord bless my husband, bless my wife and Children," and their demands are numerous, not wanting any form of discomfort. They are least concerned about the welfare of anybody else or on any issue that does not touch them personally.

If you desire breakthroughs in your personal life, one of the fastest ways to achieving it is to have a strong affection for God and His kingdom. It is noteworthy that how much you take pleasure in the affairs of the kingdom determines the quality of response you enjoy from God. When you are interceding on kingdom matters, let it be from the depth of your heart, as if you are praying for your only child who is dying. Let it mean much to you than your personal matters. God will even answer your prayers in the aforementioned manner.

It has been observed that when a kingdom prayer point is raised in church, a lot of people just mumble through; not knowing what to say, and you can hardly hear what they are saying. But when it comes to personal supplication for their needs, the whole congregation is charged, and vibrating. Nevertheless, the prayer strategy that moves heaven to rain down favor on you, so much that you will not need to pray for most things before you get them, is kingdom advancement prayers.

Your Heavenly Father already knows your needs, and requests that you concern yourselves less with these needs of yours, but rather take pleasure in things that concerns Him; fill your thoughts with His desires, to take His character for your pattern, and to serve and obey Him in everything, and He will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37 vs 4.)

And when you do have pleasure in the things of God and His kingdom, His mood toward you is expressed by the psalmist thus, "You will arise and have mercy on Zion; For the time to favor her, Yes, the set time has come. For Your servants take pleasure in her stones, and show favor to her dust." (Psalm 102 vs 13 - 14.)

People, objects, goals, pleasures, and other desires all compete for priority. Any of these things can bump God out of first place in your life if you don't actively choose to give God in first place in every area of your life. This will eventually leave you with a life of struggles, and make you miss all the ‘additions’ promised by Him if you seek His kingdom first, and His righteousness. (Matthew 6 vs 33.) The things the world struggle to get comes to you on a platter.

Life is so sweet and simple if you can resist the desires of the flesh, and allow your spiritual knowledge take over your sense knowledge. Determine today to prioritize your desires, and put God first in everything in your life.

Prayer: Abba Father, let the desires of your kingdom eat me up, that I may put You first in everything in my life, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Hold Fast to Your Hope

 

So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. (Hebrews 6:17–18)

Why does the writer of Hebrews encourage us to hold fast to our hope? If the final enjoyment of our hope was obtained and irrevocably secured by the blood of Jesus, then why does God tell us to hold fast?

The answer is this:

What Christ bought for us when he died was not the freedom from having to hold fast, but the enabling power to hold fast.

What he bought was not the nullification of our wills as though we didn’t have to hold fast, but the empowering transformation of our wills so that we want to hold fast.

What he bought was not the canceling of the commandment to hold fast, but the fulfillment of the commandment to hold fast.

What he bought was not the end of exhortation, but the triumph of exhortation.

He died so that you would do exactly what Paul did in Philippians 3:12, “I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” It is not foolishness, it is the gospel, to tell a sinner to do what Christ alone can enable him to do; namely, hope in God.

So, I exhort you with all my heart: Reach out and take hold of that for which you have been taken hold of by Christ. Hold it fast with all your might — which is his might. His blood-bought gift of your obedience.

BEWARE OF COVETOUSNESS!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 24, 2022.

SUBJECT : BEWARE OF COVETOUSNESS!

Memory verse: "And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." (Luke 12 vs 15.)

READ: First Timothy 6 vs 6 - 7:

6:6: Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 

6:7: For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

INTIMATION:

Prosperity isn't all about you. God entrusts us with resources so that we can be a blessing to other people, so it isn't selfish to desire prosperity. When you see God as your source and treat the possessions He gives you as a resource to be stewarded, then it is very godly to want to prosper so that you can give and help establish God's covenant on earth.

In our memory verse, Jesus says that the good life has nothing to do with being wealthy, therefore, be on guard against greed, covetousness, and desiring that which you don’t have. It’s a societal norm that the more we have and acquire, the fulfilled, comfortable, and happier we should be. But this is contrary to the teachings of the Scripture. 

In the passage we read today, the apostle Paul says that being content with what we have is godly and is great gain. He reminds us that we came into this world empty and so shall we leave the world in our passing (see also Job 1 vs 21; and Ecclesiastes 5 vs 15). This is key to our spiritual growth and godly personal fulfillment. A fulfilled life honors God and center its desires on Him (Matthew 6 vs 33), remembering that the only thing we take away from here in our passing is our relationship with Him. We should be content with what God is doing in our lives.

Reflect on the obvious truth of coming into the world with nothing and the certainty of living with nothing. What then, is the need for covetousness, and the strive for riches that is pervading our world. The craze for personal aggrandizement in our world breeds all these greed, discontentment etc. Ask yourself, "Am I content in any circumstances I face?" Learn the truth in the saying, "The contented is never poor, but the discontented is never rich." 

Some Christians have the wrong attitude about prosperity. When you talk about God's desire for us to prosper through stewardship, immediately their greed and selfishness kick in. They start thinking, I'm scripturally justified to get as much stuff as I can, and possess them as my own. However, it's all wrong. God truly wants you to prosper, but with the right motive of proper stewardship of what He blesses you with, and this is super important.

On the other hand, we have people teaching prosperity from a selfish standpoint. Some preachers present prosperity like it's all about getting more. It's selfish, and the driving motive for that kind of prosperity is covetousness. The right and godly motive for prosperity is “blessed to be a blessing.” That is God’s concept of prosperity—knowing that all you have is entrusted to you by Him, and requires proper stewardship (proper management to achieve His purposes).

Having the right motivations for financial stewardship doesn't come naturally. Our society is so focused on self-fulfillment and self-gratification that living for God is a totally foreign concept. It doesn't make sense to the natural mind. Greed, selfishness, personal freedom and self-interest are the order of the day in our society, and freedom is nearly a God to some people. These attitudes completely negate the teachings of Jesus Christ.

It is for this reason that apostle Paul admonishes believers in First Timothy 6 vs 3 - 5, saying, "If any teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings, of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself." 

The apostle Paul’s words are a reminder that personal freedom isn't everything. Life isn't supposed to be all about taking care of oneself and seeking one’s own gain. Most people are living very self-centered lives. Everything is all about "me." The truth is, when you're all wrapped up in yourself, you make a very small package. There is this saying, "The pride and prestige of a king is size of his follower-ship." Likewise, in Christendom, Churches are ranked by the size of their fellower-ship. If then you are so self-centered, you are all alone, and imagine the size you make.

The secret of godliness with contentment is drawing on Christ's power for strength. Learn to rely on God's promises and Christ's power to help you to be content. If you are always in want of more, ask God to remove that desire and teach you contentment in every circumstance. You can learn contentment by striving to live with less rather desiring more, give away out of your abundance rather than accumulating more, relish what you have rather than resent what you’re missing. Become satisfied knowing that our sufficiency is in God’s sufficiency—He is able to meet all our needs. 

Believers who become materialistic are saying by their actions that God can’t take care of them—or at least that He won’t take care of them the way they want. Always see God’s love expressed in what He has provided, and always remember the futility of earthly desires—that money and possessions will pass away some day (First John 2 vs 17).

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of contentment in all things, and with the strength and courage to rightly serve You and others with the possessions entrusted to me by You. Fill me with the desire for an intimate relationship with You, and not being obsessed with the things of this world, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

POWERFUL PRAYER BY APOSTLE JOSHUA SELMAN

WEALTH AND RICHES ARE BY-PRODUCT OF GOD’S FAVOR!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2022.

SUBJECT : WEALTH AND RICHES ARE BY-PRODUCT OF GOD’S FAVOR!

Memory verse: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." (James 1 vs 17.)

READ: Deuteronomy 8 vs 17 - 18:

8:17: Then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.

8:18: And You shall remember the Lord Your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

INTIMATION:

God gives us wealth and riches, but these aren't our real asset. It's like the old children's fable about the goose that lays the golden eggs. The golden eggs are not as valuable as the goose that produces them! The goose lays a golden egg every day, and when you have the goose you get all of the golden eggs that come with it. In the same way, wealth and riches aren't your true assets. The real treasure is the blessing and the favor of God that produces them.

God is the source of our prosperity, but notice that the Scriptures doesn't say God gives us wealth. God doesn't send us cheques in the mail; He gives us the power to get wealth. He releases an anointing on whatever you do, and causes it to prosper, and the blessing of God is so powerful that it cannot be reversed (James 1 vs 17). Balaam is the infamous prophet who was hired by a foreign King to curse the children of Israel, but he said, "Behold, I have received commandment to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it" (Numbers 23 vs 20). 

Wealth and riches are just the by-products of God's favor. The Lord told Abraham, "I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing" (Genesis 12 vs 2). It was the spoken favor of God on Abraham's life that caused him to prosper. It was God's favor that allowed him to grow rich from grazing his cattle and sheep in a desert. Most people judge their worth by their savings and assets, but those things are just a physical manifestation of the real assets—God's favor. This is one reason why Scripture reminds us that the power to get wealth comes from God, not our efforts. (Deuteronomy 8 vs 17 - 18.)

God supplies most people with the personal and financial abilities to respond to the needs of others. If we all realized how God has blessed us, and if we all used our resources to do God’s will, hunger and poverty would be wiped out from the surface of the earth. Wealth and riches are blessings only if we use then in the way God intends. 

A lot of people today are focused on gathering golden eggs, and they are completely overlooking the parent force that creates them. The person who owns the goose is going to end up with a lot of more gold than someone who is running around looking for eggs. Likewise, once you realize that God is the source of prosperity, you understand how pointless it is to chase after riches. 

Once the favor of God is in your life, it cannot be stopped! The only thing that can derail the blessing of God is your own unbelief and negativity. As long as you keep believing, the blessings of God will keep coming. Understanding the true value of God's favor in your life will cause you to have a steward’s attitude toward possessions. You can look at all of the things you possess and say, "It's just stuff." You will know that money is merely a tool that helps you accomplish what God has called you to do; it isn't true prosperity. It’s God who gives us everything we have, and it’s God who asks us to manage it for Him.

Riches and wealth can be stolen and property can be taken away, but no one can rob you of God's favor. Study the rich master in the parable of the unjust steward recorded in Luke 16 vs 1 - 8. The rich man knew where his real treasure was, and that is why he didn't get mad with the unjust steward because he wasn't counting his paper money and assets as his true net worth. Once you get that same mindset, you can become so secure in your relationship with God, and so certain of His favor in your life, that you actually find something to commend a thief about like the master of the steward.

The focus of your life should be your relationship with God, which is what causes wealth and riches to accumulate. Money isn't that significant. On the other hand, God's favor in your life is priceless.

Prayer: Abba Father, You bless us to be a blessing. Give me the power and favor to get wealth, and endue me with the right spirit to serve You, and others with the wealth and riches You put in my care, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!