Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY JULY 08, 2026.

SUBJECT: CARNAL MIND VERSUS SPIRIT MIND!

Memory verse: “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” (Romans 8 vs 6.)

READ: Romans 8 vs 5:

8:5: For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, things of the Spirit.

8:6: For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

8:7: Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.

8:8: So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

INTIMATION:

I prefer looking at our memory verse from the Amplified Version of the Bible. It says, "Now the mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit] is death [death that comprises all the miseries arising from sin! both here and hereafter]. But the mind of the [Holy] Spirit is life and [soul] peace [both now and forever]. (Romans 8 vs 6.)

According to this verse, this is not one mind, but two minds. There is the mind of the flesh, and there is the mind of the Spirit. That does not mean you and I have two brains; it simply means that we receive information from our natural mind (which operates without the Holy Spirit), and we get information from our spirit mind (through which the Holy Spirit communicates directly to us). According to the Scripture, we are not to be led by our carnal mind, but by the Holy Spirit Who indwells us. (Romans 8 vs 14; Galatians 5 vs 18.) The Holy Spirit is the only One who knows the mind of God, and is the revealer of the truth (John 16 vs 13). 

Before Christ came, we all were students of the carnal mind—the mind of the flesh, and were dominated by our sinful nature. But Jesus came and offered us a way out, and once you say yes to Him, He enters, and lives in you through His indwelling Holy Spirit, and makes His mind available for your inquest. The Holy Spirit begins His work by directing you according to the ways of God. But it takes your willingness and sensitivity to receive from Him.

In First Corinthians 2 vs 16, the Bible says, "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ." This Scripture tells us that because the Holy Spirit lives in the believers, they have the mind of Christ. The problem is that although the believers have the mind of Christ and know the Word of God, they don't listen to their spirit which is being enlightened by the Holy Spirit. Instead, they listen to their natural mind which relies strictly on sense and reason without the Holy Spirit.

In every situation of life, our head will be trying to give us information. It will be yelling at us so loudly that if we don't turn our attention to our spirit we will never hear what the Lord is saying to us in that situation. That is why we must learn to live out of our spirit and not of our head.

We all have two huge vats of information within us. One is carnal information that comes off the top of our head—sensual knowledge which is always at the fore. The other is spiritual information which wells up out of our heart—rooted in our inner being. The carnal information is likened to a muddy, and polluted water, while the spiritual information is likened to clean drinking water. It is up to you to decide which source you are going to drink from.

Some people try to drink from both sources. That's what the Bible calls being ‘double-minded’ (James 1 vs 8.) Do you know what it means to be double-minded? It means that your mind is trying to tell you one thing, and your spirit is trying to tell you just the opposite. Instead of saying, "I'm not going to believe that coming from my head because it's a lie," you get in a cross-fire, going back and forth between the two thoughts.

You see, evil spirits constantly bombard us with negative thoughts. If we receive them and dwell on them, they become ours because the Bible says, “For as he think in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23 vs 7). If we accept the lies of the devil as reality, then they will become reality to us because of our "faith," our “belief” in them. That is why in moments of worry, stress and turmoil we have to simply take the time to turn to our inner man, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, and say, "Lord, what do You have to say about this?" If we listen in faith, He will speak to us and reveal to us the truth of that situation.

If we are ever going to live the happy, victorious and successful Christian life the Lord wills for us, we are going to have to decide which fountain of information we are going to drink from. We are going to have to learn to live out of our spirit, and not out of our head.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are so good that You never left us helpless, but gave us the Holy Spirit that abides with us forever. Give me the grace to always be attentive and sensitive to receive and follow His leading at all times, that I may live as You willed for me; a victorious and triumphant life, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Saving Faith Loves Forgiveness

 Saving Faith Loves Forgiveness

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)

Saving faith is not merely believing that you are forgiven. Saving faith looks at the horror of sin, and then looks at the holiness of God, and apprehends spiritually that God’s forgiveness is unspeakably glorious, beautiful. We don’t just receive it; we admire it. We are satisfied with our new friendship with such a great, forgiving God.

Faith in God’s forgiveness does not merely mean a persuasion that I am off the hook. It means savoring the truth that a forgiving God is the most precious reality in the universe. Saving faith cherishes being forgiven by God, and from there rises to cherishing the God who forgives — and all that he is for us in Jesus. This experience has a tremendous effect on our becoming forgiving people. 

The great act of purchasing our forgiveness is past — the cross of Christ. By this backward look, we learn of the grace in which we will ever stand (Romans 5:2). We learn that we are now, and always will be, loved and accepted. We learn that the living God is a forgiving God. 

But the great act of experiencing our forgiveness goes on forever into the future. Our joyful fellowship with the great God who forgives lasts forever. Therefore, freedom for forgiveness, flowing from this all-satisfying fellowship with the forgiving God, lasts as long as we do. 

I have learned that it is possible to go on holding a grudge if your faith simply means you have looked back to the cross and concluded that you are off the hook. That’s why I have been forced to go deeper into what true faith is — not just a relief that I’m off the hook, but also a profound satisfaction with all that God is for me in Jesus. This faith looks back not merely to discover that we are off the hook, but also to see and savor the kind of God who offers us a future of endless reconciled tomorrows in fellowship with him. Satisfied fellowship with such a forgiving God is crucial for our being forgiving people.

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY JULY 07, 2026.

SUBJECT : HOW TO SEEK GOD AND FIND HIM!

Memory verse: "But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him, if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul." (Deuteronomy 4 vs 29.)

READ: Jeremiah 29 vs 11 - 14:

29:11: For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

29:12: Then will you call upon Me, and you will go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.

29:13: And you will seek Me, and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

29:14: I will be found by you, says the LORD: and I will bring you back from your captivity. I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD;p, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.

INTIMATION:

God promises us that we will find Him when we search for Him with all our hearts and souls. God is knowable and wants to be known, but we have to want to know Him. In seeking the Lord to find Him, our acts of service and worship must be accompanied by sincere devotion of the heart. As Hebrews 11 vs 6 says, “He who comes to the Lord must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” God will reward those who pursue a relationship with Him. God promises great blessings to His people, but most of these blessings require our active participation in seeking Him. 

Now, many will ask, “How do I seek God with all my heart and all my soul?” Moses gave an elaborate answer regarding this to the children of Israel. He said, “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the LORD, and His statutes, which I command you this day for your good?” (Deuteronomy 10 vs 12 - 13.)

In the above verses, Moses gives a summary of what God expects us to do. They are simple in form and easy to remember. Here are the essentials: (1) Fear the Lord (reverence Him; give Him profound respect and esteem mingled with fear and affection, as for a holy being). We must fear God’s awesome being. (2) Walk in His ways; We must obediently walk according to His Will, following the road He sets out for us. (3) Love Him; We must respond to His being with love. (4) Serve Him; our lives must be one of service to His glory with everything you have in you (with all your heart and soul). (5) Keep His Commands; We must know and obey His commandments and regulations He has given us. Compliance with all that God requires results in our well-being on earth among ourselves.

The Bible interchangeably uses fear of the LORD, for seeking the LORD. The fear of the LORD in the Scriptures denote reverential fear of God, not to dread Him, or being scared of Him. It is to show Him deep respect, reverence, and honor, demonstrated by a humble attitude and genuine worship. Reverencing God should be a controlling motive of our lives in spiritual and moral matters. It is not mere fear of His power and righteous retribution, but a wholesome dread of displeasing Him. A fear which banishes the terror that shrinks from His presence, and which influences the disposition and attitude of one whose circumstances are guided by trust in God, through the Spirit of God indwelling us. 

Most often we complicate faith in God with man-made rules, regulations, and requirements; we strictly obey the man-made laws, but give partial obedience to God’s commands, apparently because man is seen, but God is unseen.

Our relationship, and fellowship with God starts with prayer. It is our lifeline to God, hence we should pray regularly to ensure that our line of seeking God is open at all times. The apostle Paul echoed it thus, "Pray without ceasing." (First Thessalonians 5 vs 17.) Seeking God infollowi regularly ensures the availability of His guidance and strength that is needed at all times. It also aids us to appropriate His promised blessings to ourselves. Regular and constant praying habit ensures a disciplined life of prayer. 

David was one of the people in the Bible who sought the Lord and found Him. His reverence to God was exemplary; three times a day he would pray to God, he constantly inquired from God before engaging on any battle, and consequently, never lost even one, he was never perfect in his moral and spiritual life, but never failed to turn to God in genuine repentance whenever he sinned. These acts made God adjudged him a friend to Himself and a man after His heart. God is not strict with us about our leading a perfect life because He knows no one is perfect, but demands our reverencing Him. Are you frustrated and burned out from trying hard to please God? Concentrate on His real requirements and find peace. Respect, follow, love, serve, and obey God, and you will seek Him and find Him.. 

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with a humble spirit of rightly seeking You at all times; respect, follow, love, serve, and obey You in all things, that I may find You, and appropriate to myself Your promised blessings, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

When Another Christian Hurts You

 When Another Christian Hurts You

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. (1 Peter 2:24) 

What is the basis of our not holding grudges against Christian brothers and sisters who repent? 

Our moral indignation because of a terrible offense done against us does not evaporate just because the offender is a Christian. In fact, we may feel even more betrayed. And a simple, “I’m sorry” will often seem utterly disproportionate to the painfulness and ugliness of the offense. 

But in this case we are dealing with fellow Christians and the promise of God’s wrath against our offender does not apply, because there is “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). “God has not destined [Christians] for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9). It looks like they are going to get away with it!

Where shall we turn to assure ourselves that justice will be done — that Christianity is not a mockery of the seriousness of sin? 

The answer is that we look to the cross of Christ. All the wrongs that have been done against us by genuine believers were avenged in the death of Jesus. This is implied in the simple but staggering fact that all the sins of all God’s people were laid on Jesus. “The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6; 1 Peter 2:24).

The suffering of Christ was the real punishment and recompense of God on every hurt you have ever received from a fellow Christian. Therefore, Christianity does not make light of sin. It does not add insult to our injury. 

On the contrary, it takes the sins against us so seriously that, to make them right, God gave his own Son to suffer more than we could ever make anyone suffer for what they have done to us. If we go on holding a grudge against a fellow believer, we are saying in effect that the cross of Christ was not a sufficient recompense for the sins of God’s people. This is an insult to Christ and his cross you do not want to give.

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY JULY 06, 2026.

SUBJECT : WALKING IN LOVE!

Memory verse: "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal." (First Corinthians 13 vs 1.)

READ: First John 3 vs 21 - 23:

3:20: For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

3:21: Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.

3:22: And whatever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

3:23: And this is His commandment, that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He gave us commandment.

3:24: And he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us. 

INTIMATION:

Love is more important than all the spiritual gifts exercised in the church—the body of Christ. Great faith, acts of dedication or sacrifice, and miracle working power have little effect without love. Love makes our actions and gifts useful. Although people have different gifts, Love is available to everyone.

In the passage we read today, the Scriptures, when explained, says, "Beloved, if those who have trained their consciences by the Word of God feel guilty when they do not do that which is right, then they are condemned by God who knows our conscience. The Christian who is guided by the Word of God must be aware of the fact that if he does not walk according to his Bible-trained conscience, his guilty conscience indicates that he is not right with God. 

But if our heart condemn us not, we have boldness toward God, and whatever we ask, we receive of Him because we are walking in love—doing the things that are pleasing in His sight. It makes no difference how many promises you plead, if you are not walking in love, your prayer life will be a failure.

First John 3 vs 23 is worthy of our meditating on because there lies the greatest commandment, ‘And this is His commandment, that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ (John 6 vs 29), and love one another, as He gave us commandment.’ If you walk in love, you can walk into the Father's presence just as Jesus did, and know that your prayers will be heard and answered. Jesus usually says to the Father "I know You hears Me." This is because He is always walking in love hence the Bible noted in Acts 10 vs 38 that "He went about doing good," showing love and compassion on people.

If you walk in love, there will be no problem of faith to confront you as there was no problem of faith with Jesus during His earth walk; you are walking in love; you are doing the word; you are letting Jesus live His life in you. The Father can see Jesus in you, feeling Jesus in your petitions for others. God knows all things including the intents of our heart. If you are not walking in love, He knows you are not obeying His commandment, and is not pleasing Him with what you do.

Jesus Christ gave us the greatest commandment in Mark 12 vs 29 - 31; love your God and love your neighbor. In verse 31 He said, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these." In John 13 vs 34 - 35, Jesus emphasized the importance of the new commandment, “A new commandment I give you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” In the two verses of forty words, Jesus repeated ‘love one another’ three times, for emphasis sake.

Now, in Matthew 7 vs 24 - 25 Jesus said, "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock." And the apostle James says in his epistle. "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." (James 1 vs 22.) Walking in love is the sure way of walking into the Father’s heart, and a solid foundation your life in Christ.

This lover here is a doer of love. He lives in the love realm. It is not the old Phileo love, but the new kind of love that Jesus brought, "Agape" and so we love in deed and in reality. Hereby shall we know that we are of the truth and persuaded in our hearts to stand in confidence before Him in prayer because we have done His Will. Your heart is your spirit. Your heart knows whether you are practicing love toward other people. If they need clothes and you are able to give them, and they cannot get them, then it is up to you to meet that need if you are able. You are to treat them as Jesus has treated you. He died for you, and loves you, therefore, love then and live for them.

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

Now we can understand Hebrews 4 vs 16, "Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." This love life permits us to walk into the very presence of the Father. You may go into the ‘Throne Room’ and stand in His presence and make your petitions known in the name of Jesus, and as sure as you do, the petition is heard.

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of love for You and for others, that I may walk in love pleasing You in all my ways because I do Your will—obey Your commandments, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

How Christ Conquered Bitterness

 How Christ Conquered Bitterness

When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. (1 Peter 2:23)

No one was more grievously sinned against than Jesus. Every ounce of animosity against him was completely undeserved. 

No one has ever lived who was more worthy of honor than Jesus; and no one has been dishonored more. 

If anyone had a right to get angry and be bitter and vengeful, it was Jesus. How did he control himself when scoundrels, whose very existence he sustained, spit in his face? First Peter 2:23 gives the answer: “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.”

What this verse means is that Jesus had faith in the future grace of God’s righteous judgment. He did not need to avenge himself for all the indignities he suffered, because he entrusted his cause to God. He left vengeance in God’s hands and prayed for his enemies: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). 

Peter gives us this glimpse into Jesus’s faith so that we would learn how to live this way ourselves. He said, “You have been called [to endure harsh treatment patiently] . . . because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21).

If Christ conquered bitterness and vengeance by faith in what God, the good Judge, had promised to do, how much more should we, since we have far less right to murmur for being mistreated than he did?

Give God Your Revenge

 Give God Your Revenge

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19)

Why is this such a crucial promise in overcoming our bent toward bitterness and revenge? The reason is that this promise answers one of the most powerful impulses behind anger — an impulse that is not entirely wrong. 

In many cases, real wrongs have been done to us. Therefore, it is not entirely wrong to feel that justice should be done. What’s wrong is to feel that we must make it happen and that we may feel bitter until it does. This would be a deadly mistake.

During my seminary days, Noël and I were in a small group for couples that began to relate at a fairly deep personal level. One evening we were discussing forgiveness and anger. One of the young wives said that she could not and would not forgive her mother for something she had done to her as a young girl. 

We talked about some of the biblical commands and warnings concerning an unforgiving spirit. 

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)

If you do not forgive others . . . neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:15) 

But she would not budge. So I warned her that her very soul was in danger if she kept on with such an attitude of unforgiving bitterness. But she was adamant that she would not forgive her mother.

The grace of God’s judgment is promised to us here in Romans 12 as a means of helping us overcome such a deadly spirit of revenge and bitterness. 

Paul’s argument is that we can be sure that all wrongs will be dealt with by God and that we can leave the matter in his hands because vengeance belongs to the Lord. To motivate us to lay down our vengeful desires he gives us a promise: “I will repay, says the Lord.” 

The promise that frees us from an unforgiving, bitter, vengeful spirit is the promise that God will settle our accounts. He will do it more justly and mercifully and more thoroughly than we ever could. He punishes all sin. Nobody gets away with anything. He punishes it either in Christ on the cross for those who repent and trust him, or in hell for those who don’t. Therefore, we can back off and leave room for God to do his perfect work.

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY JULY 04, 2026.

SUBJECT: CONTEND FOR THE FAITH!

Memory verse: "Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you, exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints." (Jude vs 3.)

READ: First Timothy 6 vs 12 - 14:

6:12: Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

6:13: I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate,

6:14: That you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing.

INTIMATION:

Christianity is not a passive religion that advocates waiting for God to act. We must contend earnestly for the faith we profess; we must have an active faith, training hard, sacrificing, and doing what we know is right. The Bible is the “Mandate” book for all believers, and it requires our careful, persistent, thorough study, and meditation on the word of God, and ensure we do all that is contained therein. 

Hence, God said to Joshua: “This Book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shalt 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.)

To contend for the faith we profess, we must strive to do all the instructions and commandments written in the Bible as true followers of Christ. The truth of the Bible must not be compromised because it gives us the real facts about Jesus and salvation. When it is compromised, twisted or manipulated, we can become confused over right and wrong and lose sight of the only path that leads to eternal life; the ultimate strive for our faith. We run the race to obtain the crown of glory; eternal life with Him.

Knowing the truth helps us contend effectively for the faith. To know the truth we should take God’s instruction to Joshua quoted above. By studying the Bible, and meditating on it, we receive revelations in the knowledge of God through the Holy Spirit. Without study, we cannot know what to defend regarding our faith. You must understand the basic doctrines of the faith we are contending for so that we can recognize false doctrines and prevent wrong teaching from undermining our faith and hurting others.

While knowledge is important, it cannot substitute personal relationship with Christ. To earnestly contend for the faith, our personal relationship with Christ is very essential. Through that relationship, God has given us the Holy Spirit as a teacher. Unattached to God, we may know everything, but understand nothing. Attached to Christ, we are given spiritual understanding as well as experiences with Christ that underscore our faith. For Christ said clearly, “...For without Me you can do nothing” (John 15 vs 5).

The apostle Paul, in First Corinthians 9 vs 24 - 28, gives an illustration of striving or contending for the faith. He says, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”

In his illustration, winning a race requires purpose and discipline, and the Christian life is like a race; it takes hard work, self-denial, and exhausting preparation. As Christians, we are running toward our heavenly reward. The essential disciplines of prayer, Bible study, fasting, meditating on the Word, praise, and thanksgiving equip us to run with vigor and stamina.

 A Christian eager to contend or strive for the faith, do not merely observe from the grandstand like spectators; or like an unserious athlete who just turn out to jog a couple of laps each morning. Serious Christians should be diligent in contending for the faith, knowing that their spiritual progress depends upon it.

Thie Christian's striving requires self-discipline. It demands an honest look at your strengths and weaknesses, with emphasis on the later. Consequently, being strong-willed; building the will to say no when a powerful appetite inside you screams yes. For example, when you have self-discipline, you can (1) say no to friends or situations that will lead you away from Christ, (2) say no to casual sex, saving intimacy for marriage, and (3) say no to laziness in favor of “I have the ability,” “I can do it” or “I will do it.” Self-discipline is a long, steady course in learning attitudes that do not come naturally, and then channeling your natural appetites toward God’s purposes. 

Even today, some Christians minimize the sinfulness of sin, believing that how they live has little to do with their faith. But what a person truly believe will show up in how he or she acts. Those who truly have faith will show it by their deep respect for God and their sincere desire to live according to the principles in His Word.

In our fellowship with other believers, we also can contend for the faith by remaining unified on the essentials—the belief that unifies us. While Christians can certainly disagree on many non-essentials (music in worship, methods of worship, methods of outreach), we must always defend the truth of the basics of our faith as found in God’s Word. And then avoiding distractions of enemies of our faith, whose main aim is to sow seeds of discord among believers.

Prayer: Abba Father, give me the grace to contend for the faith; doing all that is required of me to demonstrate my faith in You, and building up myself in my most holy faith in You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

When Will I Be Satisfied?

 When Will I Be Satisfied?

“I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” (John 17:26)

Imagine being able to enjoy what is most enjoyable with unbounded and increasing energy and passion forever. 

This is not now our experience. Three things stand in the way of our complete satisfaction in this world. 

Nothing in this world has a personal worth great enough to meet the deepest longings of our hearts. 

We lack the strength to savor the best treasures to their maximum worth. 

Our enjoyment of things here comes to an end. Nothing lasts.

But if the aim of Jesus in John 17:26 comes true, all this will change. He prays to his Father about us, “I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” God does not love the Son the way he loves sinners. He loves the Son because the Son is infinitely worthy of love. That is, he loves the Son because the Son is infinitely lovely. Which means that this love is totally pleasure. Jesus prays that this pleasure that God has in his Son will be the same pleasure we have in the Son.

If God’s pleasure in the Son becomes our pleasure, then the object of our pleasure, Jesus, will be inexhaustible in personal worth. He will never become boring or disappointing or frustrating. No greater treasure can be conceived than the Son of God. 

But add to this what Jesus prays for; namely, that our ability — our energy, our passion — to savor this inexhaustible treasure will not be limited by human weaknesses. We will enjoy the Son of God with the very enjoyment of his omnipotent Father. 

God’s delight in his Son will be in us and it will be ours. And this will never end, because neither the Father nor the Son ever ends. Their love for each other will be our love for them, and therefore our loving them will never die.

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY JULY 03, 2026.

SUBJECT : GET YOUR PRIORITIES RIGHT!

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: First Kings 17 vs 10 - 16:

17:10: So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, Indeed a widow was there gathering of sticks. And he called to her, and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.”

17:11: And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.”

17:12: So she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks, that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.”

17:13: And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me, and afterward make some for yourself and for your son.

17:14: For thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.’”

17:15: So she went and did according to the word of Elijah: and she, and he, and her household, ate for many days.

17:16: The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD, which He spoke by Elijah.

INTIMATION:

Priority is the state of being first in time, place, or rank; having a preference; something that ought to be considered or dealt with in the earliest stage of proceedings. And to “get one’s priorities right” is to give things appropriate attention in appropriate order.

Getting our priorities right is the first step and solid foundation for a life of exploits and fulfillment of purpose in our journey of life. In our memory verse, Jesus spoke about priorities. He said that when we put God first, everything we really need will be given to us as well. This means that when we put God first, the wisdom He gives will enable us to have richly rewarding lives. When we have a purpose for living and learn to be content with what we have, we have greater wealth than we could ever imagine. 

To “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” means to put God first in your life, to fill your thoughts with His desires, to take His character for your pattern, and to serve and obey Him in everything. The pressures of everyday living; people, objects, goals, and other desires all compete for priority. Any of these can quickly become most important to you if you don’t actively choose to give God first place in every area of your life.

In the passage we read today, the widow of Zarephath put her priorities right by putting God and His kingdom first, even before her life and that of her son. When she met Elijah, she thought she was preparing her last meal. She recognized him as a prophet of God, and put everything about him first because he was a servant of God. She trusted God and His servant Elijah and gave all she had to eat to him first. 

That simple act of faith produced a miracle. Not only was she fed, the prophet and her son were also fed for many days. Also, that act of faith and obedience, and getting her priorities right further brought about the miracle of raising the dead; Elijah revived the widow’s dead son. (First Kings 17 vs 17 - 22.)

King Solomon also, got his priorities right; he put the need of his people first and asked for wisdom rather than riches. He realized that wisdom would be the most valuable asset he could have as a king. Later he wrote; "wisdom is more precious than rubies, and all the things you may desire cannot compare with her” (Proverbs 3 vs 15). In his profound request, he said to God, “Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours?” (Second Chronicles 1 vs 10).

Then God said to Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches, or wealth, or honor, or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people, over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like.” (Second Chronicles 1 vs 11 - 12). His priorities he got right did not only got him wisdom but brought along riches, honor, and wealth such that never been seen and will ever be seen with any king!

Again, the people of Judah at one time got their priorities wrong and paid dearly for it. God said to them, “You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says the LORD of hosts. “Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to your own house.” (Haggai 1 vs 9). God called for drought on the land and mountains and all the labor of their hands were ruined. 

Judah’s problem was confused priorities. They left what should be first in their lives, neglecting God by not caring for His house, and God was angry with them. Like Judah, our priorities involving occupation, family, and God’s work are often confused. Jobs, homes, vacations, and leisure activities may rank higher on our list of importance than God hence our poor attitude towards His work and His kingdom. 

Are you getting your priorities right? What is first in your life? Can God say to you, “My child come into My rest, you have done well.” My prayer is that none of us should miss getting our priorities right, in Jesus’ name.

Many people claim to know God. We will not know for certain in this life, but a glance at their lifestyles will quickly tell us if they are getting their priorities right; what they value and whether they have ordered their lives around kingdom priorities. Our conduct speaks volume about what we believe (See First John 2 vs 4 - 6) What do people know about God and about your faith by watching your life?

Jesus gave us the summary of living our lives with our priorities right. He said that if we truly love God and our neighbor, we will naturally keep the commandments (Matthew 22 vs 37 - 40). This is looking at God’s law positively and putting it first in our lives. Rather than worrying about all we should not do, we should concentrate on all we can do to show our love for God and others. 

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of wisdom and understanding that I will get my priorities right, putting You and Your kingdom first in my life, and consequently, lead a life of exploits in Christ, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen. 

PRAISE THE LORD!

Good News: God Is Happy

 Good News: God Is Happy

. . . the gospel of the glory of the blessed God . . . (1 Timothy 1:11)

This is a beautiful phrase in 1 Timothy, buried beneath the too-familiar surface of Bible buzzwords. But after you dig it up, it sounds like this: “the good news of the glory of the happy God.” The word “blessed” is not the one that means “praised,” but the one that means “happy.”

A great part of God’s glory is his happiness. 

It was inconceivable to the apostle Paul that God could be denied infinite joy and still be all-glorious. To be infinitely glorious was to be infinitely happy. He used the phrase, “the glory of the happy God,” because it is a glorious thing for God to be happy the way he is. 

God’s glory consists much in the fact that he is happy beyond our wildest imagination. As the great eighteenth-century preacher, Jonathan Edwards, said, “Part of God’s fullness which he communicates is his happiness. This happiness consists in enjoying and rejoicing in himself; so does also the creature’s happiness.” 

And this is a key part of the gospel, Paul says: “the gospel of the glory of the happy God.” It is good news that God is gloriously happy. No one would want to spend eternity with a gloomy, unhappy God. 

If God is unhappy, then the goal of the gospel — to be with God forever — is not a happy goal, and that means it would be no gospel at all. But, in fact, Jesus invites us to spend eternity with a happy God when he says, “Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:23). 

Jesus said in John 15:11, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” Jesus spoke, and lived, and died that his joy — God’s joy — might be in us and our joy might be full. Therefore, the gospel is “the gospel of the glory of the happy God.”

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY JULY 01, 2026.

SUBJECT: THE HOLY SPIRIT—OUR HELPER!

Memory verse: “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of Me.” (John 15 vs 26.) 

READ: John 16 vs 12 - 15:

16:12: I have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

16:13: However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak of His own authority, but whatever He hears, He will speak: and He will tell you things to come.

16:14: He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine, and declare it to you.

16:15: All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of mine and declare it to you.

INTIMATION:

The Holy Spirit is a distinct Personality in the Godhead, the Third Person in the Godhead—God the Father, God the Son Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit. The Three Personalities are united as One, and they work together. When you become a Christian, you gain all the privileges and responsibilities of a child in God’s family. One of these outstanding privileges is being led by the Spirit (See Galatians 4 vs 4 - 6). We may not always feel as though we belong to God, but the Holy Spirit is our witness. His inward presence reminds us of who we are and encourages us with God’s love (Romans 5 vs 5). He is a very gentle Person, and allows us to take our choices in all things. However, a leading of the Spirit if demanddd by one engenders perfection in walking in consonance with God’s commandments, and one are assured of exploits in your life’s endeavors.

The Holy Spirit is very active in His operations in the world. He is in the church, haven been sent at Pentecost by the Father and by Jesus Christ (Acts 2). He is the Enabler of the personalities involved in the production of Holy Scriptures. Jesus said the Holy Spirit would tell His disciples “things to come”; the nature of their mission, the opposition they would face, and the final outcome of their efforts. They did not fully understand these promises until the Holy Spirit came after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Then the Holy Spirit revealed the truths to the disciples which they wrote down in the books that now form the New Testament.

To the believer, the Holy Spirit is the “Spirit of truth.” The truth into which the Spirit guides us is the truth about Jesus Christ and His mission on earth. The Spirit also helps us through patient practice to discern right from wrong. The Holy Spirit is the agent of change in people when they believe the gospel. When we tell others about Christ, we must depend on the Holy Spirit to open their eyes and convince them that they need salvation. God’s power—not our cleverness or persuasion—changes people. Without the work of the Holy Spirit, our words are meaningless. The Holy Spirit not only convicts people of sin but also assures them of the truth of the gospel. 

The Holy Spirit is a powerful person on our side, working for, and with us. He will never leave us. Though the world at large cannot receive Him, but He lives with, and in the believers. He teaches us; reminds us of Jesus’ words (John 14 vs 26; 15 vs 26), convinces us of sin, shows us God’s righteousness, and announces God’s judgement on evil (John 16 vs 8); He guides us into truth and gives insight into future events (John 16 vs 13); He brings glory to Christ (John 16 vs 14). The Holy Spirit has been active among people from the beginning of time, but after Pentecost (Acts 2) He came to live in all believers. Many people are unaware of the Holy Spirit’s activities, but to those who hear Christ’s words and understand the Spirit’s power, the Spirit gives a whole new way to look at life.

Jesus uses two names for the Holy Spirit—“Helper” and “Spirit of truth.” The Word “Helper” conveys the helping, encouraging, and strengthening work of the Spirit. “Spirit of truth” points to the teaching, illuminating, and reminding work of the Holy Spirit. He ministers to both the head and the heart, and both dimensions are important. Jesus promised the disciples that the Spirit would help them remember what He had been teaching them. This promise ensures the validity of the New Testament. The disciples were eyewitnesses of Jesus’ life and teachings, and the Spirit helped them remember without taking away their individual perspectives. We can be confident that the Gospels are accurate records of what Jesus taught and did. And the Spirit helps all believers in the same manner. As we study the Bible, we can trust Him to plant truth in our minds, convince us of God’s Will, and remind us when we stray from it. 

In witnessing for Christ, the Holy Spirit would give us the appropriate words in our time of need. As His followers, our testimony might not make us look impressive, but it would still point out God’s work in the world through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. We need to pray for opportunities to witness for Christ, and then trust Him to help us with our words. This promise of Spirit’s help, however, does not compensate for lack of preparation. Scripture teaches that we are to make careful preparations, and thoughtful statements (Colossians 4 vs 6). We need to study God’s Word, then the Holy Spirit will bring the truths to mind when we most need them, and help us present them in the most effective way. 

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You very much for the gift of the Holy Spirit. I call Him my ‘Senior Partner’ because He is my Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Comforter, Counselor, Standby, Strengthener, Encourager, and Empowerer. O Lord, give me the grace never to miss, or quench the leading of the Holy Spirit in my life, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

How Well Do You Know God?

How Well Do You Know God?

“Behold, God is great, and we know him not; the number of his years is unsearchable.” (Job 36:26)

It is impossible to know God too well. 

He is the most important person who exists. And this is because he made all others, and any importance they have is owing to him. 

Any strength or intelligence or skill or beauty that other beings have comes from him. On every scale of excellence, he is infinitely greater than the best person you ever knew or ever heard of. 

Being infinite, he is inexhaustibly interesting. It is impossible, therefore, that God be boring. His continual demonstration of the most intelligent and interesting actions is volcanic. 

As the source of every good pleasure, he himself pleases fully and finally. If that’s not how we experience him, we are either dead, or blind, or sleepwalking. 

It is therefore astonishing how little effort in this world is put into knowing God. 

It’s as though the President of the United States came to live with you for a month, and you only said hello in passing every day or so. Or as if you were flown at the speed of light for a couple of hours around the sun and the solar system, and instead of looking out the window, you played a computer game. Or as if you were invited to watch the best actors, singers, athletes, inventors, and scholars perform their best, but you declined to go, so you could watch the TV season’s final soap.

Let us pray together that our infinitely great God would incline our hearts, and open our eyes to see him as fully as we can and seek to know him more.

God’s Pleasure to Do You Good

 God’s Pleasure to Do You Good

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32)

Jesus will not sit by and let us disbelieve without a fight. He takes up the weapon of the word and speaks it with power for all who struggle to believe.

His aim is to defeat the fear that God is not the kind of God who really wants to be good to us — that he is not really generous and helpful and kind and tender, but is basically irked with us — ill-disposed and angry. 

Sometimes, even if we believe in our heads that God is good to us, we may feel in our hearts that his goodness is somehow forced or constrained, perhaps like a judge who has been maneuvered by a clever attorney into a corner on some technicality of court proceeding, so he has to dismiss the charges against the prisoner whom he really would rather send to jail. 

But Jesus is at pains to help us not feel that way about God. He is striving in Luke 12:32 to describe for us the indescribable worth and excellency of God’s soul by showing the unbridled pleasure he takes in giving us the kingdom. 

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Every little word of this stunning sentence is intended to help take away the fear that Jesus knows we struggle with; namely, that God begrudges his benefits; that he is constrained and out of character when he does nice things; that at bottom he is angry and loves to vent his anger. 

Luke 12:32 is a sentence about the nature of God. It’s about the kind of heart God has. It’s a verse about what makes God glad — not merely about what God will do or what he has to do, but what he delights to do, what he loves to do and takes pleasure in doing. Every word counts. “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY JUNE 30, 2026.

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 assets. It is 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 Scriptures remind 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!

Heaven’s Relief in the Coming Wrath

 Heaven’s Relief in the Coming Wrath

God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted . . . when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. (2 Thessalonians 1:6–8)

There will come a time when the patience of God is over. When God has seen his people suffer for the allotted time, and the appointed number of martyrs is complete (Revelation 6:11), then a just and holy vengeance will come from heaven. 

Notice that God’s vengeance on those who have afflicted his people is experienced by us as “relief.” “God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted.” In other words, the judgment on “those who afflict” us is a form of grace toward us.

Perhaps the most remarkable picture of judgment as grace is the picture of Babylon’s destruction in Revelation 18. At her destruction, a great voice from heaven cries, “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!” (Revelation 18:20). Then a great multitude is heard saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants” (Revelation 19:1–2). 

When God’s patience has run its long-suffering course, and this age is over, and judgment comes on the enemies of God’s people, the saints will not disapprove of God’s justice.

This means that the final destruction of the unrepentant will not be experienced as a misery for God’s people. 

The unwillingness of others to repent will not hold the affections of the saints hostage. Hell will not be able to blackmail heaven into misery. God’s judgment will be approved, and the saints will experience the vindication of truth as a great grace.

Every day in the God's Word

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY JUNE 29, 2026.

SUBJECT : HOLD FAST TO YOUR CONFESSION OF HOPE IN GOD!

Memory verse: "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10 vs 23.)

: Psalm 139 vs 1 - 4; 7; 23 - 24:

139:1: O LORD, You have searched me and known me.

139:2: You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.

139:3: You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.

139:4: For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.

139:7: Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 

139:23: Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties;

139:24: And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. 

INTIMATION:

We have seen that believers are friends to Jesus. It is noteworthy that the word friendship initiates a variety of mental pictures. But despite the diversity of opinion regarding what real friendship is all about, certain common denominators are vital to its growth and continued viability. In our friendship (relationship) with God, the same is true. And one of the steps needed for this friendship to flourish is living a lifestyle of confession.

Confession, in this context, is not simply a recitation and acknowledgement of all your faults, crimes, inadequacies and insufficiencies. It is not merely the displaying of dirty habits for everyone else to examine and critique. Confession is much more than all these. It is more a statement of your religious belief with reference to God Almighty and His Son Jesus Christ.

In the passage we read today, David knew the importance of confession. He saw it as the opportunity to examine himself, express his perception of who was really in charge and to initiate a marvelous change of perspective in his life. 

In our memory verse, the Scripture encourages us to hold fast to our confession of hope and trust in God without wavering, knowing that God who gave us His promises is very faithful and will, at all times, live up to His promises. God said: "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55 vs 11.) "....For I am ready to perform My word." (Jeremiah 1 vs 12.)

Always acknowledge and confess from an obedient heart, the supremacy of God and His nature; His All-knowing, Omnipresence, Omniscience, All-powerful, Loving Kindness, Ever Merciful, etc. It is noteworthy that God already knows you inside out, up to the number of hairs on your head (Matthew 10 vs 30). 

Amidst all our faults, inadequacies, insufficiencies, and even our unbelief, He still accepts and loves us. His love for us He openly demonstrated on the cross at Calvary, and we are witnesses to that till date: "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5 vs 8). Also, confess everything about yourself to Him who already knows you. Ask God to reveal to you the necessary changes required in your life and ask Him to help you change.

God sent Jesus Christ to die for us, not because we were good enough, but just because He loves us. Jesus knows the extent of the love He bestows on us, and He witnessed it when He said, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." (John 15 vs 13.) The confession of faith and believe in Him and what He wrought for us in redemption, ensures a closer relationship with Him. 

Prayer: Abba Father, You are my God. Before You there was no God, with You there is no other God, and there will be no other God after You. Everything about me is already known to You. Examine me thoroughly, and reveal to me the necessary changes required in my life, and help me to lead a life pleasing to You, such that I will enjoy a closer relationship with You, in Jesus' Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

The Powerful Root of Practical Love

 The Powerful Root of Practical Love

We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. (1 John 3:14)

So, love is the evidence that we are born again — that we are Christians, that we are saved.

Sometimes the Bible makes our holiness and our love for people the condition of our final salvation. In other words, if we are not holy and not loving, we will not be saved at the judgment day (e.g., Hebrews 12:14; Galatians 5:21; 1 Corinthians 6:10). This doesn’t mean that acts of love are how we get right with God. No, the Bible is clear again and again as Ephesians 2:8–9 says, “By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not of works, so that no one may boast.” No, when the Bible says that we are saved by faith but that we must love people in order to finally be saved, it means that faith in God’s promises must be so real that the love it produces proves the reality of the faith. 

So, love for others is a condition of future grace in the sense that it confirms that the primary condition, faith, is genuine. We could call love for others a secondary condition, which confirms the authenticity of the primary and essential condition of faith which alone unites us to Christ, and receives his power.

Faith perceives the glory of God in the promises of future grace and embraces all that the promises reveal of what God is for us in Jesus. That spiritual sight of God’s glory, and our delight in it, is the self-authenticating evidence that God has called us to be a beneficiary of his grace. This evidence frees us to bank on God’s promise as our own. And this banking on the promise empowers us to love. Which in turn confirms that our faith is real. 

The world is desperate for a faith that combines two things: awestruck sight of unshakable divine Truth, and utterly practical, round-the-clock power to make a liberating difference in life. That’s what I want too. Which is why I am a Christian. 

There is a great God of grace who magnifies his own infinite beauty and self-sufficiency by fulfilling promises to helpless people who trust him. And there is a power that comes from prizing this God that leaves no nook or cranny of life untouched. It empowers us to love in the most practical ways.

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY JUNE 28, 2026.

SUBJECT: WORDS WORK WONDERS AS WELL AS BLUNDERS!

Memory verse: "You are snared by the words of your mouth; You are taken by the words of your mouth" (Proverbs 6 vs 2).

READ:  Psalm 19 vs 14; 141 vs 3:

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

141:3: Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.

INTIMATION:

Words can work wonders, but they can also work blunders! Do you realize that multitude of people fail in life because they speak failure? They fear failure and allow their fear to overcome their faith. What you say locates you. You will not and cannot rise above your own words. If you speak defeat, failure, anxiety, sickness, and unbelief, you will live at that level. 

Neither you nor anyone else, no matter how clever, will ever live above the standard of their words (conversation/confession). This spiritual principle is unalterable. If your word (conversation/confession) is foolish, trifling, unpractical, or disorganized, your life invariably will be the same way. With your words, you constantly paint a picture of your inner self. Jesus said, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12 vs 34).

As believers, what we say is what we usually get. The confession of our mouth is our possession. The affirmations of the truth, as contained in the Word of God, should ring from our lips constantly. We are told to hold fast to the truth without wavering. The penalty of wavering in our confession is that we deny ourselves God's promises and the performance of them (James 1 vs 6 - 7).  Christianity is called the 'Great Confession.' All the things we are identified with in Christ—salvation, healing, deliverance—are dependent upon our confessing the Lordship of Jesus with our lips from a believing heart (Romans 10 vs 8 -10). 

If you think back on your life, you will probably agree that most of your troubles have been tongue troubles. The Bible says, "Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles" (Proverbs 21 vs 23). Numerous troubles are caused by an unruly tongue! Words spoken in the heat of the moment; words of anger, words of harshness, words of retaliation, words of bitterness, words of unkindness. These words produce trouble for us. 

Beloved let us make these our prayers now: "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer" (Psalm 19 vs 14). "Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips" (Psalm 141 vs 3). It's really important that we let God help us overcome our unruly speech habits, for our words can work blunders and get us into trouble. A negative confession can produce negative results. 

Confession is made with the mouth, not only for the good things God has promised us, but also for sickness, defeat, bondage, lack, and failure. Refuse to have a bad confession. Refuse to have a negative confession. Repudiate a dual confession, when you are saying at one moment, "With His stripes I am healed" (Isaiah 53 vs 5) and at the next moment, "But the pain is still there." 

Go to higher level of living in the kingdom of God. Believe that you are who God says you are. Think that way. Talk that way. Act that way. Train yourself to live on the level of what is written about you in God's Word. Do not permit your thoughts, your words, or your actions to contradict what God says about you. Although you may not master positive confession in a day or even a week, you will learn it as you continue to walk in it faithfully. Because God has said it, we should boldly say the same thing! 

Avoid careless speech because it is a vicious habit. When one realizes that his words are the coin of his kingdom and that his words can be either a cursing influence or a blessing, he will learn to value the gift of speech. The word is a seed (Luke 8 vs 11), and if spoken from a poisoned mind, it is a disaster. An idle word spoken aloud may fall into the soil of someone's heart and poison his entire life. Learn to control your tongue.

James wrote that the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! (James 3 vs 5). On the average, a person opens his or her mouth approximately 700 times a day to speak. Like David, we should wisely asked God to keep us from speaking evil—even when undergoing persecution. Jesus Himself was silent before His accusers (Matthew 26 vs 63). Knowing the power of the tongue, we would do well to ask God to guard what we say so that our words will bring honor to His name. 

Every word and thought of ours would be examined by God first, and we will give account of them in the day of judgement (Matthew 12 vs 36). Ask God to approve your words and reflections as though they were offerings brought to the altar. As you begin each day, determine that God’s love will guide what you say and how you think.

Prayer: Abba Father, let the light of Your word so shine in my heart that I may, at all times, speak Your love that is poured out in my heart by the Holy Spirit. Let my speech be salted with lovely and caring words that I may earn Your approval, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Enduring When Obeying Hurts

 Enduring When Obeying Hurts

Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross. (Hebrews 12:2)

What faith performs is sometimes unspeakably hard. 

In his book Miracle on the River Kwai, Ernest Gordon tells the true story of a group of POWs working on the Burma Railway during World War II. 

At the end of each day the tools were collected from the work party. On one occasion a Japanese guard shouted that a shovel was missing and demanded to know which man had taken it. He began to rant and rave, working himself up into a paranoid fury and ordered whoever was guilty to step forward. No one moved. “All die! All die!” he shrieked, cocking and aiming his rifle at the prisoners. At that moment one man stepped forward and the guard clubbed him to death with his rifle while he stood silently to attention. When they returned to the camp, the tools were counted again and no shovel was missing.

What can sustain the will to die for others, when you are innocent? Jesus was carried and sustained in his love for us by “the joy that was set before him.” He banked on a glorious future blessing and joy, and that carried and sustained him in love through his suffering. 

Woe to us if we think we should or can be motivated and strengthened for radical, costly obedience by some higher motive than the joy that is set before us. When Jesus called for costly obedience that would require sacrifice in this life, he said in Luke 14:14, “You will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” In other words, be strengthened now in all your losses for Christ’s sake, because of the joy set before you.

Peter said that, when Jesus suffered without retaliating, he was leaving us an example to follow — and that includes Jesus’s confidence in the joy set before him. He handed his cause over to God (1 Peter 2:21) and did not try to settle accounts with retaliation. He banked his hope on the resurrection and all the joys of reunion with his Father and the redemption of his people. So should we.