What Binds the Hands of Love?

 

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. (Colossians 1:3–5)

The problem with the church today is not that there are too many people who are passionately in love with heaven. The problem is not that professing Christians are retreating from the world, spending half their days reading Scripture and the other half singing about their pleasures in God all the while indifferent to the needs of the world. That’s not happening! The people of God are not so full of love to God that they spend half their days in his word.

The problem is that professing Christians are spending ten minutes reading Scripture and then half their day making money and the other half loving and repairing what they spend it on.

It’s not heavenly-mindedness that hinders love for the lost and hurting of this world. It is worldly-mindedness that hinders love, even when it is disguised by a religious routine on the weekend.

Where is the person whose heart is so passionately in love with the promised glory of heaven that he feels like an exile and a sojourner on the earth? Where is the person who has so tasted the beauty of the age to come that the diamonds of the world look like marbles from the dollar store, and the entertainment of the world feels empty, and the moral causes of the world are too small because they have no view to eternity? Where is this person?

To be sure, he is not in bondage to the Internet or eating or sleeping or drinking or partying or fishing or sailing or putzing around. He is a free man in a foreign land. And his one question is this: How can I maximize my enjoyment of God for all eternity while I am an exile on this earth? And his answer is always the same: by doing the labors of love. By expanding my joy in God, no matter the cost, if by any means possible I might include others in it.

Only one thing satisfies the heart whose treasure is in heaven: doing the works of heaven. And heaven is a world of love!

It is not the cords of heaven that bind the hands of love and make them ineffective. It is the love of money and leisure and comfort and praise — these are the cords of selfishness that bind the hands of love. And the power to sever these cords is Christian hope. “We heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven” (Colossians 1:4–5).

I say it again with all the conviction that lies within me: it is not heavenly-mindedness that hinders love on this earth. It is worldly-mindedness. And therefore the great fountain of love is the powerful, freeing confidence of Christian hope.

CLASSES OF SPOKEN WORD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY MARCH 31, 2023.

SUBJECT: CLASSES OF SPOKEN WORD!

Memory verse:  "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6 vs 63.)

READ: Psalm 19 vs 14; Matthew 12 vs 36 - 37:

Psalm 19:14: Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.

Matthew 12:36: But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgement.

12:37: For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

INTIMATION:

Be careful with the words you speak. What you say reveals what is in your mind, hence Jesus warned that we must give account of our words at the judgement day. Words are seeds (Luke 8 vs 11), when planted it germinates and bears fruits according to their likeness. Therefore, plant good seeds (speak good words), and at the time of harvest, you will receive good fruits. 

There are three classes of words. The first is neutral, colorless, empty, soulless words. These constitute the general conversation of most people. They are just empty words of the monotone; there is no power, no soul, no color, and no life in such words, just sounds thrown out in the air. For instance, when you ask somebody 'how are you,' and the person replies, 'well I am there.' You feel the emptiness, hopelessness, soulless, life-lacking nature in the words spoken by the person.

The second class of words comprises construction words, strength-building words, healing words, and inspirational words. These are thrilling, mighty, and dominant words, and they are pregnant with hope, love, and victory. Such words are the Words of God. 

For instance, when you are asked the same question, 'how are you,' no matter the situation the fellow may be in, the person boldly answers; I am doing real good, "For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed to Him against this day" (Second Timothy 1 vs 12); or "God is faithful, He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that I ask or think, according to the power that works in me" (Ephesians 3 vs 20);  or, "I am good, for God supplies all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4 vs 19); or "I am fine, and I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  (Philippians 4 vs 13.)

The third class is composed of destructive, hate-filled words full of scandal, jealousy, and deadly virus, they come from a heart full of bitterness, and are sent out to wound, blight, and curse. When asked the same question as above, the reply might be 'Can't you see how this wicked world has kept me'; or 'I never knew I will see today'; or 'life is hopeless.'

Confession always precedes possession. Be careful, what you say is what you get. Dare to say exactly what God says in His Word, and mean what you say, as God means all He says and says what He means. Agree with God by speaking His Word in all circumstances. Declare God’s Words boldly, with faith, and obtain His promises attached, because He is faithful who had promised (Hebrews 11 vs 11).

In our memory verse, Jesus said that the Word of God is life and Spirit. In confirmation, David declared in Psalm 119 vs 50 that he had comfort in his affliction because "God's Word has given him life." Therefore, when you speak truly the Word of God, and mean it, you speak faith-filled words, and you speak life into your circumstance, because those true Words of God are "life to them that find them" (Proverbs 4 vs 22).

In the passage we read today in Psalm 19, David asks that God approve his words and reflections as though they were offerings brought to the altar. Now, knowing that for every word you speak, you are accountable to it because it will be examined by God, resolve to speak love-filled and life-filled words. Start each day asking the Holy Spirit to fill your heart with love for God and others.

Your duty as a 'believer' is to boldly declare the Word, and it is God's duty to confirm, and perform them (Isaiah 44 vs 26).  God 'hastens His word to perform it' (Jeremiah 1 vs 12). It is words of bold authority that overcomes Satan's power; "And they overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony" (Revelation 12 vs 11).

Prayer: Abba Father, Your Word is a light to my feet, and a lamp to my path. In Your Word there is life, and that life is my light. Let the light of Your Word, O Lord, fill my life and path, that I may walk through life an overcomer, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

If He Calls, He Keeps

 

[The Lord] will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:8–9)

What are you depending on to ensure that your faith will last until Jesus comes?

The question is not, Do you believe in eternal security? The question is, How are we kept secure?

Does the perseverance of our faith rest decisively on the reliability of our own resolve? Or does it rest decisively on the work of God to “keep us trusting”?

It is a great and wonderful truth of Scripture that God is faithful and will keep forever those whom he has called. Our confidence that we are eternally secure is a confidence that God will do whatever is necessary to “keep us trusting!”

The certainty of eternity is no greater than the certainty God will keep us trusting now. But that certainty is very great for all whom God has called.

At least three passages put the call of God and the keeping of God together in this way.

“[The Lord] will sustain you (keep you) to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:8–9).

“May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:23–24).

“Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you” (Jude 1–2). (See the same reality in Romans 8:30, Philippians 1:6, 1 Peter 1:5, and Jude 24.)

The “faithfulness” of God guarantees that he will keep safe forever all whom he has called.

GOD IS EVER CARING!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY MARCH 30, 2023.

SUBJECT: GOD IS EVER CARING!

Memory verse: "Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." (First Peter 5 vs 7.) 

READ: Psalm 103 vs 8-14 & 17:

103:8: The Lord is merciful and gracious. slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. 

103:9: He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. 

103:10: He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. 

103:11: For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; 

103:12: As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. 

103:13: As a father pities his children, do the Lord pities those who fear Him. 

103:14: For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. 

103:17: But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him. And His righteousness to children's children. 

INTIMATION:

God has deep interest in all that concerns you and I. We are fragile, but God's care is eternal. Too often we focus on God as Judge and Lawgiver, ignoring His compassion and concern for us. When God examines our lives He remembers the frailty of our our human condition. His mercy takes everything into account. God will deal with us compassionately. God is so caring that when He forgives us our sin, He separates it from us and doesn't even remember it anymore. As east and west can never meet, so is the symbolic portrait of God's forgiveness of our sins and their separation from us. We need not wallow in the past, for God forgives and forgets.

In Matthew 6 vs 31 - 33, the Scripture states, "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' Or 'What shall drink?' For after 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." To "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness" means we should put God first in all things in our lives; we should turn to God first for help, to fill your thoughts with His desires, to take His character for your pattern, and to serve and obey Him in everything. Though other things, and desires all compete for priority in our lives, and any of these can quickly bump God out of first place if you don't actively choose to give Him first place in every area of our life.

Carrying your worries, stresses, and daily struggles by yourself shows that you have not trusted God fully with your life. It takes humility, however, to recognize that God cares, and to admit your needs, and let God take care of you. Sometimes we think that struggles caused by our own sin and foolishness are not God's concern. But when we turn to God in repentance, He will bear the weight of those struggles, including our sins. Our loving Father will never leave us as He promises. But the enemy of our souls wants us to doubt God, and to question His ability. And undoubtedly, this is the trick the father of lies—Satan—has used from the beginning of human history.

In the Garden of Eden our first parents were set up to live happily ever after, having been placed in a paradise-like setting by a Loving, Caring, and Personal God. They had been given everything they could ever want, but with only one small restriction: "Don't eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." We easily will say today, 'What a simple innocuous request and easy to obey.' But when they were enticed by the “tempter,” they fell into his trap of questioning the love and goodness of the One from whom they had only experienced good. What a monstrous lie! But they bought the lie hook, line and sinker! And mankind has been wretched ever since, but for God's intervention through His Son, Jesus Christ!

We do the same today. We willingly swallow the lie that we cannot trust our Heavenly Father. We allow our earthly hurts from parents or others to distrust our view and our understanding of God. Our many feelings, emotions, fears, and human experience effectively block a clean perception of God, consequently stifling all truth about Him. Pray that God will help you not allow negative human relationship and experience interfere with having a close relationship with your Loving, and Caring Father, and hindering your enjoying the never ending and limitless benefits of His care.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are so caring and loving that You gave Your only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for my sins. What a supreme sacrifice You made for me! Forever You remain my God. Endue me with the spirit of love, compassion, trust, and complete obedience to You, Who has given all for me, that I may strive to give You my all, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

As Sure as God’s Love for His Son

 

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32)

God strips every pain of its destructive power. You must believe this or you will not thrive, or perhaps even survive, as a Christian, in the pressures and temptations of modern life.

There is so much pain, so many setbacks and discouragements, so many controversies and pressures. I do not know where I would turn, if I did not believe that almighty God is taking every setback and every discouragement and every controversy and every pressure and every pain, and stripping it of its destructive power, and making it work for the enlargement of my joy in God.

Listen to Paul’s astonishing words in 1 Corinthians 3:21–23, “All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future — all are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.” The world is ours. Life is ours. Death is ours. Which I take to mean: God reigns so supremely on behalf of his elect that everything which faces us in a lifetime of obedience and ministry will be subdued by the mighty hand of God and made the servant of our holiness and our everlasting joy in God.

If God is for us, and if God is God, then it is true that nothing can succeed against us. He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all will infallibly and freely with him give us all things — all things — the world, life, death, and God himself.

Romans 8:32 is a precious friend. The promise of God’s future grace is simply overwhelming. But all-important is the foundation: I have called it the logic of heaven. Here is a place to stand against all obstacles. God did not spare his own Son! Therefore! Therefore! The logic of heaven! Therefore, how much more will he not spare any effort to give us all that Christ died to purchase — all things, all good, and all bad working for our good!

It is as sure as the certainty that he loved his Son!

THE NEW HEAVENS AND NEW EARTH!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY MARCH 29, 2023.

SUBJECT: THE NEW HEAVENS AND NEW EARTH!

Memory verse: "Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea." (Revelation 21 vs 1.) 

READ: Isaiah 65 vs 17; 66 vs 22; Second Peter 3 vs 10 & 13:

Isaiah 65:17: For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

66:22: For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, says the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.

Second Peter 3:10: But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

3:13: Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelt righteousness.

INTIMATION:

Heaven is where God lives. It is a dwelling place of God, His Son Jesus where He first came from, and dwelling place of angels (Matthew 6 vs 9; 18 vs 10; Hebrews 8 vs 1; 10 vs 12). Life in heaven operates according to God’s principles and values, and it is eternal and unshakable. However, God will purify the heavens and earth with fire, to make anew. The new heaven and earth is the future realm of dwelling wherein the resurrected redeemed will eternally exist with a spiritual body in the presence of God. 

We don’t know how the new earth will look or where it will be, but God and His followers—those whose names are written in the Book of Life—will be united to live there forever. It is not a place of flesh and blood (First Corinthians 15 vs 50), like the present earth, where we all face limitations: Some have physical, mental, or emotional disabilities. Some are blind, deaf, lame, but we will all be given new bodies when Christ returns and that these bodies will be without disabilities, never to die or become sick. In addition, those with disabilities and other limitations now are encouraged that those disabilities and limitations are only temporary. 

God’s purpose for people is not destruction but recreation. God will purify the heavens and earth with fire, then He will create them anew. We can joyously look forward to the restoration of God’s good world. The purified or new heavens and earth is a place of rest, joy, glory, righteousness, no sorrow, no death, and a place of eternal life. (Romans 8 vs 18; Colossians 3 vs 4; Matthew 25 vs 21). The purpose of purified heaven and earth is for the reward to the obedient, an inheritance for God’s children, a place of immortality for the mortal, a crown of victory for the faithful. 

Our loyalty should be to our citizenship in the new heavens and earth, not to our citizenship here on earth, because the earth will be destroyed. Jesus remarked that heaven and earth shall pass away, therefore, our utmost desire is to be partakers in the new heavens and earth, where God will live with the faithful forever. Those who will inherit heaven are; the pure in heart, the persecuted Christians, the undefiled, the moral upright believers. (Matthew 5 vs 4 - 12. Revelation 21 vs 27; Galatians 5 vs 19 - 21; Revelation 22 vs 15).

Realizing that the earth is going to be burned up, we should put our confidence in what is lasting and eternal and not be bound in earth and it’s treasures or pursuits. While it is true that money, fame, and belongings can’t be taken with us from this life to dwell with God, we can produce fruit that survives even death by utilizing them to do God’s will; taking care of the poor and needy amongst us, investing in kingdom endeavors, and excelling in every good works. God will remember our love, kindness, and faithfulness, and those who accept Christ through our witness, and they will join us in the new earth. 

Be sure that your values are in line with God’s values, and decide today to produce fruit that lasts forever. Our loyalty should be to God’s truth, His way of life, and His dedicated people. Do you spend much of your time piling up possessions, or striving to develop Christlike character? Will you be part of the new heavens and earth? The choice is yours, and the time is now, for the end is fast approaching! 

Prayer: Abba Father, one thing I desire, that will I seek after; is that I may dwell in Your kingdom, and live with You forever. Give me the grace to earnestly pursue this desire, and that the zeal of Your house will eat me up, that I may run to obtain the in perishable crown of eternity with You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD! 

When Everyone Deserts You

 

At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (2 Timothy 4:16–18)

This morning I was lingering over these magnificent and heartbreaking words. Paul is in custody in Rome. So far as we know, he was never released. His last letter comes to an end like this.

Consider and be astounded!

He is deserted: “no one came to stand by me.” He is an old man. A loyal servant. In a foreign city, far from home. Surrounded by enemies. In danger of death. Why? Answer: So he could write this precious sentence for our discouraged, or fearful, or lonely souls: “But the Lord stood by me!”

Oh, how I love those words! When you are deserted by close friends, do you cry out against God? Are the people in your life, then, really your god? Or do you take courage in this magnificent truth: “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20) — no matter who deserts you? Do you strengthen your heart with this inexorable oath: “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5)?

Then let us say, “The Lord stood by me!”

Question: What was threatened in 2 Timothy 4:18? Answer: that Paul might not attain the Lord’s heavenly kingdom! But over against the threat Paul cries, “The Lord will . . . bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom.”

Question: How was Paul’s attaining the heavenly kingdom threatened? Answer: “evil deeds.” “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom.”

Question: How could an evil deed threaten Paul’s attaining the heavenly kingdom? Answer: by tempting him to forsake his allegiance to Christ through disobedience.

Question: Was this temptation the “lion’s mouth” from which he was rescued? Answer: Yes. “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith” (1 Peter 5:8–9).

Question: So who gets the glory that Paul did not yield to this satanic temptation, but endured to the end in faith and obedience? Answer: “To him [the Lord] belong glory and dominion forever and ever” (1 Peter 5:10). “To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen” (2 Timothy 4:18).

Question: Why? Wasn’t it Paul who stood firm? Answer: “The Lord stood by me and strengthened me!”

FORGIVENESS IS KEY IN OUR LIFE’S JOURNEY!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY MARCH 28, 2023.

SUBJECT: FORGIVENESS IS KEY IN OUR LIFE’S JOURNEY!

Memory verse: “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.” 

(Mark 11 vs 25.)

READ: Matthew 5 vs 23 - 24:

23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there rememberers that your brother has something against you;

24 Leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

INTIMATION:

Forgiveness is to pardon or acquit for sin. It is the release from the mind and heart of the offended feelings of resentment toward the offender, which feelings, if continued, will hinder the spiritual and emotional growth of the offended. Also, to bestow a favor unconditionally is used of the act of forgiveness, whether Divine (Ephesians 4 vs 32; Colossians 2 vs 13; 3 vs 13), or human, (Luke 7 vs 42 - 43; Second Corinthians 2 vs 7; 12 vs 13). 

Human forgiveness is to be strictly analogous to Divine forgiveness (Matthew 6 vs 12). If certain conditions are fulfilled, there is no limitation to Christ’s law of forgiveness (Matthew 18 vs 21 - 22). And the conditions are repentance and confession (Matthew 18 vs 15 - 17; Luke 17 vs 3). God will judge without mercy the one who has shown no mercy. Those who are subjects of the kingdom reign of Jesus should be of a forgiving nature. God does not answer the prayer that comes from an unforgiving heart. Therefore, forgiveness is a condition for answered prayer. 

One should always view forgiveness in relation to how much God has forgiven us. The extent to which God has forgiven us should make our forgiveness of others limitless. We shouldn’t even keep track of how many times we forgive someone. We should always forgive those who are truly repentant, no matter how many times they offend us and ask for forgiveness.

Forgiving others is tough work—so much so that many people would rather do something totally distasteful than offer forgiveness to someone who has wronged them. For a person to pray while bearing a grudge, is like a tree sprouting leaves and bearing no fruit (Mark 11 vs 13). True faith changes the heart. Real prayer dismantles pride and vengeance, filling the holes with love. Real faith speaks peace. For our churches to have prayer power, there must be harmony and forgiveness evident in the body of believers. Let go of hurts, abandon grudges, and forgive others.

Jesus gives a startling warning about forgiveness. If we refuse to forgive others, God will also refuse to forgive us. Why? Because when we don’t forgive others, we are denying our common ground as sinners in need of God’s forgiveness. However, God’s forgiveness of sin is not the direct result of our forgiving others, but it is based on our realizing what forgiveness means. It is easy to ask God for forgiveness but difficult to grant it to others. Whenever we ask God to forgive us, we should ask, “Have I forgiven the people who have wronged me?” 

In the parable of the unmerciful servant (Matthew 18 vs 23 - 35), Ten thousand talents would be about sixty million denarii. One denarii was about one day’s wage. So much money is indicated that it would be impossible for a mortal man to work every day of his life in order to repay such debt. The spiritual implication of the parable is clear; we owe God more than we can pay in reference to our eternal salvation in heaven. We will receive more in heaven than we can possibly earn through works on earth. Salvation is truly by grace. 

The unforgiving servant showed no appreciation for his own forgiveness. Instead of manifesting mercy in his heart because of the mercy that was extended to him, he only thought of himself in reference to his fellow man. Because God has forgiven all our sins, we should not withhold forgiveness from others. As we realize how completely Christ has forgiven us, it should produce an attitude of forgiveness toward others. When we don’t forgive others, we are setting ourselves above Christ’s law of love.

God’s mercy toward us should stimulate the same in our lives toward others. Those with unforgiving spirits cannot inherit the heavenly environment of a forgiving God because they are not of the nature of the Father. God will render judgment without mercy on those who do not show mercy. Therefore, we must store mercy for judgement by exercising mercy toward others in reference to their sins against us. One must keep in mind that the ability to forgive is a necessary quality that one must possess in order to be a candidate for heaven. It is the nature of God to forgive, His children must have the same nature.

The spirit of forgiveness guards one against becoming bitter. It guards the joy that must be characteristic of our hearts. An unforgiving attitude will destroy a Christian’s spirit. Therefore, one must forgive for his own benefit. If he does not forgive he will often become bitter. 

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me Your excellent spirit of mercy, love and compassion, that I may manifest all these toward others in my journey of life, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD! 

10 Results of the Resurrection

 

If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. (1 Corinthians 15:17)

Here are ten amazing things we owe to the resurrection of Jesus:

1) A Savior who can never die again. “We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again” (Romans 6:9).

2) Repentance. “The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel” (Acts 5:30–31).

3) New birth. “According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).

4) Forgiveness of sin. “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17).

5) The Holy Spirit. “This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing” (Acts 2:32–33).

6) No condemnation for the elect. “Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died — more than that, who was raised — who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us” (Romans 8:34).

7) Jesus’s personal fellowship and protection. “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

8) Proof of coming judgment. “[God] has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:31).

9) Salvation from the future wrath of God. “[We] wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:10; Romans 5:9).

10) Our own resurrection from the dead. “[We know] that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence” (2 Corinthians 4:14; Romans 6:4; 8:11; 1 Corinthians 6:14; 15:20).

SUCCESS IN THE EYES OF GOD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY MARCH 27, 2023.

SUBJECT: SUCCESS IN THE EYES OF GOD! 

Memory verse: "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." (Joshua 1 vs 8.)

READ: Genesis 39 vs 1 - 3:

39:1: Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there.

39:2: The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

39:3: And His master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did prosper in his hand. 

INTIMATION:

Success is defined as the attainment or accomplishment of something desired or attempted. In our contemporary society, it also connotes prosperity, and fame. Success in the eyes of God is attainment or accomplishment of the Will or desires of God in our lives anchored in complete obedience to, and trust in God. Success is obeying the rules of living as contained in God’s Book of the Law, which is tantamount to accomplishing the desires of God. It is not the accomplishment of our own desires, but rather you being controlled by God.

Joseph was a slave, but he was successful and prosperous in his master's house. Yes, he was successful because he obeyed the rules of living found in God’s Book of the Law, culminating in attainment do God’s desires in his life. Though it is considered a misnomer in our contemporary society (that views and acknowledges prosperity and success as the state of economic well-being of an individual) for a slave boy to be prosperous and successful in his master's house, but Joseph was successful in the eyes of God because of his complete obedience to the rules established by God in the Book of the Law—the Bible.

Now, let us look at how Christ viewed the prosperity and success in the Book of Revelation 3 vs 17 - 18 says: "Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' - and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked - I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see."

Christ was speaking to the Laodicean church in this passage as well as us. The Laodicean church was known for its great wealth. The city was proud of its cloth dyeing industries, and its precious eye salve that healed many eye problems. But Christ told them to buy their gold—real spiritual treasures from Him, instead of trusting in their wealth. He told them to purchase white garments—His righteousness from Him. Christ also told them to get medicine from Him to heal their eyes so they could see the truth, instead of trusting on their wealth which made them think they are wealthy.  Christ was showing the Laodiceans that true value was not in material possessions, but right relationship with God. Their possessions and achievements were valueless compared with the everlasting future of Christ's kingdom.

How is the rating of your prosperity and success before God? Are you complacent and rich? Do you feel self-satisfied, and have missed Christ's presence in you? The pleasures of this world—money, security, material possessions ands on—can be dangerous, because their temporary satisfaction makes us indifferent to God's offer of lasting satisfaction. You may get so busy enjoying worldly pleasures that you will not notice Christ knocking at the door of your heart and trying to enter, consequently you lose His presence in your life.

If you find yourself feeling indifferent to church, to God, to the Bible, or to the assembly of believers, you have begun to shut God out of your life. Leave the door of your heart constantly open to God, and you won't need to worry about hearing His knocks. 

Prayer: Abba Father, by You all things consist. Give me the grace to obey Your rules of living, and that my conduct in all I do be in accordance with Your Will, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

 

How to Delight in God’s Word

 

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! (Psalm 119:103)

Never reduce Christianity to a matter of demands and resolutions and willpower. It is a matter of what we love, what we delight in, what tastes good to us.

When Jesus came into the world, humanity was split according to what they loved. “The light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light” (John 3:19). The righteous and the wicked are separated by what they delight in — the revelation of God in Jesus, or the way of the world.

So someone may ask: How can I come to delight in the word of God? My answer is twofold:

1) pray for new tastebuds on the tongue of your heart;
2) meditate on the staggering promises of God to his people.

The same psalmist who said, “How sweet are your words to my taste” (Psalm 119:103), said earlier, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law” (Psalm 119:18). He prayed this, because to have spiritual eyes to see glory, or to have holy tastebuds on the tongue of the heart, is a gift of God. No one naturally hungers for, and delights in, God and his wisdom.

But when you have prayed, indeed while you pray, meditate on the benefits God promises to his people and on the joy of having Almighty God as your helper now and forever. Psalm 1:3–4 says that the person who meditates on God’s word “is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.”

Who would not delight to read a book, the reading of which would change one from useless chaff to a mighty cedar of Lebanon, from a Texas dust bowl to a Hawaiian orchard? Nobody deep down wants to be chaff — rootless, weightless, useless. All of us want to draw strength from some deep river of reality and become fruitful, useful people.

That river of reality is the word of God, and all the great saints have been made great by it.

THE SOURCE OF GOD’S GRACE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY MARCH 26, 2023.

SUBJECT: THE SOURCE OF GOD’S GRACE!

Memory verse: "Through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5 vs 2.) 

READ: Ephesians 2 vs 8 - 9:

2:8: For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 

2:9: not of works, lest any man should boast.

INTIMATION:

We gain entry into the realm of God’s grace through Jesus in whom we must have faith. Grace is the unmerited favor of God toward man that was made possible by the sacrificial offering of Jesus on the cross. God demands our obedient response to Him by faith. Therefore, the application of grace in one’s life must be based on the condition of our obedient faith, and attracts the grace of God. And without faith it is impossible to please God. It is in exercising of our faith in our obedient fellowship with God that plugs us into the source of His power—His grace. 

If there is anything the devil tries to do, is to keep people out of fellowship with the Lord. Satan knows that once you are connected to the source of divine power, it is finished for him. Fellowship with the Lord is what ensures a victorious and peaceful Christian life. But without fellowship with Him, you will struggle the entire time you are here on this earth as a Christian, even though you will be saved because your name is in the Book of life. Though the free gift of our salvation is not based on our fellowship, rather on the blood of Jesus shed on the cross for our sins. But without fellowship in obedient faith one will not partake of the riches of the glory, and the exceeding greatness of His power. 

Do you know what happens when you are in fellowship with God—spending quality time with Him? You become a custodian of His grace—the power of God to help you meet your needs and solve your problems. As soldiers of the cross, you and I are not supposed to be afraid of our enemy—the devil. Instead, we are to ‘be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might—His grace,’ knowing that we are plugged into the ultimate power source, the power that can make and destroy. When the spirit of fear comes along, rather than shaking like a leaf, we are to be bold as a lion, and remind the devil that ‘God has not given us the spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind’ (Second Timothy 1 vs 7). 

The devil comes against those who are doing damage to his kingdom, those who are doing something for God as His ambassadors. How then do we withstand the devil? By girding on the full armor of God; taking the shield of faith, and by wielding the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, by which we can quench his fiery darts (Ephesians 6 vs 13 - 17). 

Being strong in the Lord, in my considered opinion, is being strong in fellowship with God. And it’s only after being strengthened in fellowship with obedient faith that you can properly access the whole armor of God. Therefore, you should come apart with the Lord (fellowship with the Lord) privately before you come apart publicly. Spend time with God so you can remain stable as you deal with the daily affairs of life.

Being in fellowship with the Lord does not mean that you will be in a room with God all the time. If you will give twenty or thirty minutes of sleep in the morning in order to get up early and seek His face, God will honor that sacrifice. It you are willing to turn off the television for thirty minutes in the evening and spend some time in fellowship with the Lord, you will be richly rewarded. 

However, God is a Loving Father, He will not require more of you than what you are able to give Him. He is not an ogre who is out to make you miserable. He just knows what you need in order to have that abundant, enjoyable, and victorious life. When you fellowship with the Lord, you learn to quickly follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit. 

Prayer: Abba Father, You are my all. I thirst to be in Your presence at all times. Endue me with the spirit of faithful obedience to You in all things that I may have fellowship with You at all times, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

BE A WORD WARRIOR!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY MARCH 25, 2023.

SUBJECT: BE A WORD WARRIOR!

Memory verse: "Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified." (Isaiah 43 vs 26.) 

READ: First John 5 vs 14 - 15; Hebrews 4 vs 12:

First John 5:14: Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask any thing according to His will, He hears us:

5:15: And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

Hebrews 4:12: For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

INTIMATION:

You must have a word-stuffed heart to maintain a hotline communication with God. Emotional displays in prayer does not move God. No amount of tears from your cry will move God if your communication is void of adequate ‘Word’ preparation. God is only moved when you ask according to His Will. So, all you need is the right words, and right presentation, and your communication with Him will be through. 

When we communicate with God, we don’t demand what we want, rather we discuss with Him what He wants for us. It is all about His Will, not our will. If we align our prayers to His Will, He will listen, and we can be certain that if He listens, He will give us a definite answer. His Word is His Will. God said to Joshua, “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” (Joshua 1 vs 8.) And the apostle Paul told the believers in Colosse, "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom...." (Colossians 3 vs 16.)

One thing is needful for every other thing to fall in place, and is the the Word of God. If you check through Scriptures, you will find out that everything is hooked to and rooted in the Word. Faith, effectual prayer, success etc, are all rooted in it. Being outstanding in Christianity is a function of your Word content, and not the amount of religious exercises you engage in. I have seen many heavy prayer warriors who are weary, but I am yet to see a Word warrior who is not a conqueror. When you are wordless, your prayers can't be genuine. You will either be under pressure, or just be playing games. 

It is God's Word that connects you to the Throne for response. No matter how long you have been cheated by the devil, when you cry to God and say, "Lord, can't You see how I am being cheated? Can't You see how long I have been a Christian?" All He will say is, "My son, talk sense! What do you want Me to do for you?" He wants you to bring your strong reasons from His Word and put Him in remembrance of them (Isaiah 41 vs 21; 43 vs 26). So until you remind Him of His Word that commits Him to your deliverance (Jeremiah 1 vs 12), your prayers will continue to remain unanswered. 

The Bible in John 1 vs 1 & 14 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth." Jesus is the Word of God. Therefore, locating the Word for any situation, is locating Jesus for that situation.

Now, the Bible says in Matthew 21 vs 42 & 44, "Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: 'The stone which the builders rejected, has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes?' And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder." The stone referred to here is Jesus, and He is also the Word. If any opposition falls on it, that opposition will be broken; and when it falls upon any opposition, it grinds it to powder. That means any time you locate Scriptures that address any issue of concern in your life and use them, you are spiritually hauling stones against the opposition, breaking them first and then grinding them to powder.

The Bible says, "..The Scriptures cannot be broken.." (John 10 vs 35). So, the Word of God cannot be stopped; it is irresistible and always gets its way. The Word of God is not simply a collection of words from God. Embedded in the Word is the power and might of God. It is living and dynamic as it works in us. It penetrates the core of our moral and spiritual life. It discerns what is within us, both good and evil. Locating the Word is bringing God to the scene. 

We are certain of the stability and surety of God’s of Word (His promise). Because He has made the promise, it will happen. Christians must work by faith in the Word of God. When one trusts in the promise of God, then God’s Word is able to transform his or her life. Therefore, there can be no change in life unless one focuses his attention on the promise that God will justly reward those who remain faithful. It is imperative that Christians maintain a strong faith in reference to what God has promised. If they do, then their lives will conform to that which they believe. 

Rather than spend time doing some religious exercises that won't profit you, spend it in the Word, to gather the appropriate stones that will bring down your Goliath. Go by the River of Life (the Bible), carefully choose and pick up those lively stones (Scriptures), put them in your bag (your heart) and then move against the opposition and you are sure to bring it down.

Prayer: Abba Father, give me the grace to be studious of Your Word; the sword of the Spirit, that I may be a conqueror in all life’s circumstances, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Forever Satisfied

 

“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35)

This text points to the fact that believing in Jesus is a feeding and drinking from all that Jesus is. It goes so far as to say that our soul-thirst is satisfied with Jesus, so that we don’t thirst anymore.

He is the end of our quest for satisfaction. There is nothing beyond, and nothing better.

When we trust Jesus the way John intends for us to, the presence and promise of Jesus is so satisfying that we are not dominated by the alluring pleasures of sin (see Romans 6:14). This accounts for why such faith in Jesus nullifies the power of sin and enables obedience.

John 4:14 points in the same direction: “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” In accord with John 6:35, saving faith is spoken of here as a drinking of water that satisfies the deepest longings of the soul. And the satisfaction becomes productive, like a well overflowing.

It’s the same in John 7:37–38: “Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”’”

Through faith, Christ becomes in us an inexhaustible fountain of satisfying life that lasts forever and leads us to heaven, and on the way sets us free from the sinful illusions of other satisfactions. This he does by sending us his Spirit (John 7:38–39).

Ministry and the Fear of Man

 “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 1:8)

A great obstacle to serving the Lord, especially among the young, is the fear of rejection and opposition. 

All kinds of thoughts enter the mind about how some people might not like the way we act or speak. People might disagree or be offended. I might make a mistake and get criticized. 

The fear of man is a great hindrance to ministry.

So God says, Don’t fear, because I will be with you and I will deliver you. God’s presence and approval is more valuable than all the accolades of men. And God says that, in and through all your troubles, I will deliver you. You will triumph in the end. You will be more than a conqueror. 

And the same thing is promised to all of us in Christ Jesus today:

“[God] has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5–6)“If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) 

So God said to young Jeremiah, and God says to young people today whom he is calling to serve him — and to the rest of us — “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’” — or I’m too old, or I’m too anything (Jeremiah 1:7). Why?

Because your life is rooted in the unshakable, sovereign purposes of God. You have been chosen and consecrated and formed and appointed for a great purpose.Because God’s authority, not your own, is behind your serving and your speaking.And because God himself will be with you to deliver you in all your trials.

THE CHRISTIAN’S FIGHTING METHOD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY MARCH 24, 2023.

SUBJECT: THE CHRISTIAN’S FIGHTING METHOD!

Memory verse: "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” (John 17 vs 14.) 

READ: Second Corinthians 10 vs 3 - 6:

10:3: For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 

10:4: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down stronghold, 

10:5:casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 

10:6: and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

INTIMATION:

Christians live in the world in a physical body. Though as ‘new creations’ in Christ, they are not of this world, but they are in this world (John 17 vs 14). God does not take them out of the world nor make them robots, they are still in the world and will be subject to influences in the world, even those caused by Satan and his agents. Therefore, they will still engage in battle of life but are assured of victory even before the battle. However, they are fighting not against the physical things of this world (flesh and blood), but against “principalities” and “power” (the powerful evil forces of fallen angels headed by the devil). 

The Christian is in a war with the deceptive beliefs of witchcraft, false science, false religions, and man’s ignorance of the truth. Though they live in the flesh as humans, and are merely weak humans, but they don’t need to use human plans and methods to win their battles. Since Christians’ battle is against the spiritual host of wickedness in the heavenly places, the weapons of their warfare are spiritual. The weapons are not physical—arms and ammunition—but the power and might of God embedded in His Word. The power of the Christian is strong against the works of Satan because the power of their weaponry originates from God, not man. 

God’s mighty weapons are available to us as we fight against Satan’s strongholds. The Christian must choose whose methods to use—God’s or the world’s. The apostle Paul assures us that God’s mighty weapons—prayer, faith, hope, Love, God’s Word, the Holy Spirit—are most powerful and infinitely effective (Ephesians 6 vs 13 - 16). These weapons can break down the proud human arguments against God and the walls that Satan builds to keep people from finding God. When dealing with people’s proud arguments that keep them from a relationship with Christ, we may be tempted to use our own methods. But nothing can break down these barriers like God’s weapons. 

The scripture in Hebrews 4 vs 12 says, "For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

The Word of God is living, life-changing and dynamic as it works in us. It is living not in the book, not on the written page, but in the lips of the believer. Therefore, it is the spoken Word that commands the power of God. The Word of God, which is the sword of the Spirit, is the only offensive and defensive weapon in God’s armor. With it you can defend yourself and attack the enemy at the same time. 

Jesus acted upon the Word of God. He used the Father's Words to defeat the adversary. Jesus showed the efficacy of the Word in His conquest of the adversary, the devil, when he tempted Him. His reply to Satan in all his temptations is, “It is written”; the written Word of God in the Scriptures. (Matthew 4 vs 1 - 11.) And when He has subdued him, by the Word, he left Him. If you want the adversary to stop the operation of his adverse activities of stealing, killing, and destroying in your life, engage him with the Word.

Satan is very conversant with the Word, and can still deceive you with it. He tried this trick on Jesus in his temptation, but was conquered. He quoted from the Scripture, Psalm 91 vs 11 - 12, to lure Him. But Jesus countered his quotation by putting it into the correct context of the general teaching of Scripture (Deuteronomy 6 vs 16). In this, Jesus gives us an example that Scripture must always be understood in the whole text of the theme of the Scriptures. Jesus affirmed that Psalm 91 vs 11 - 12 would be fulfilled according to God’s plan of work in His life, and not according Satan’s maneuvers. 

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You most gracious Lord, for Your unfailing armor made available to the believer. Give me the grace to effectively and efficiently take up Your whole armor in my battle against the adversary, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!