How Satan Serves God

 How Satan Serves God

Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. (James 5:11) 

Behind all disease and disability is the ultimate will of God. Not that Satan is not involved — he is probably always involved in one way or another with destructive purposes (Acts 10:38). But his power is not decisive. He cannot act without God’s permission.

That is one of the points of Job’s sickness. The text makes it plain that when disease came upon Job, “Satan . . . struck Job with loathsome sores” (Job 2:7). His wife urged him to curse God. But Job said, “Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” (Job 2:10). And again the inspired author of the book (just as he did in 1:22) commends Job by saying, “In all this Job did not sin with his lips.”

In other words: This is a right view of God’s sovereignty over Satan. Satan is real and may have a hand in our calamities, but not the final hand, and not the decisive hand. 

James makes clear that God had a good purpose in all Job’s afflictions: “You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful” (James 5:11).

So, even though Satan was involved, the ultimate purpose was God’s, and it was “compassionate and merciful.”

This is the same lesson we learn from 2 Corinthians 12:7, where Paul says that his thorn in the flesh was a “messenger of Satan” and yet was given for the purpose of his own holiness — to keep him from becoming conceited. “Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited!”

Now, humility is not Satan’s purpose in this affliction. Therefore, the purpose is God’s. Which means that here Satan is being used by God to accomplish his good purposes in Paul’s life. In fact, for God’s elect children, Satan cannot destroy us, and God turns all his attacks finally against him and for us.

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 11, 2026.

SUBJECT: OUR CONFESSION IS OUR SOLID FRONT!

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

READ: Hebrews 4 vs 14 -16; 10 vs 21 - 23:

4:14: Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, Let us hold fast our confession.

4:15: For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weakness, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

4:16: Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

10:22: Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

10:23: Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

INTIMATION:

Most Christians have never realized the vital place that their testimony or confession holds in their daily lives. The steadfastness of our faith in Christ is anchored on our persistent, intelligent confession of what we are in Him, which consists the solid front we put before the Adversary. The continual confession of the solidity of our faith in Christ is the bane of Satan, and his cohorts. 

For even Satan knows that God is ever faithful to His promises. In Revelation 12 vs 11, the Scripture says, "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony...." Christ has already finished the work for us in redemption. Ours is to believe in our hearts the finished work and confess with our mouth our rich heritage in Him, and the confession is our solid front against the adversary.

We believers should anchor our absolute faith in Christ just as the apostle Paul advised the believers in Philippi, and daily confessing and testifying of the steadfastness of our faith in Him. The apostle Paul told the believers in Philippi that their conduct would be worthy of the gospel of Christ, ensuring that they, at all times, are expressly demonstrating in their conduct, their trust and confidence in Christ. (Philippians 1 vs 27.) 

Also, knowing the efficacy the believers’ confession of their steadfastness of faith in Christ, the apostle Paul rejoiced with the believers in Colosse, saying, "For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and steadfastness of your faith in Christ.” (Colossians 2 vs 5.) He was thrilled by the faith of the believers in Colosse, their absolute trust and confidence in Christ.

Now, the 'new man,’ (the beliver) with the recreated spirit, knows that every Word of God is pure, purified, proven, and is a shield to all who trust in Him. In realization of this fact, it is very vital that we hold fast to our confessions of faith in Him and His Word. Many believers repudiate their prayer by the confession of doubt or admission of doubt into their consciousness. Therefore, when we have prayed, we should never go back on our prayers with counter confession, but rather we should be steadfast in our faith, confessing the same faith we started with in prayers. 

Our complete trust, and hope should be in the Word of God without any iota of doubt. The heart must be rooted and grounded in the Word so that what He says is final with us. And we would continually be confessing the words as it’s written: "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.) Satan knows that God never goes back on His promises, and whenever believers put Him in remembrance of His Word, when it they bring it before Him with strong reasons, He is under obligation to perform His Word—His Word is His Will.

You have prayed and spoken His Word, continual confession, and holding fast to those confessions of faith is the solid front put before Satan that he can never overwhelm. Knowing this fact, you stand firmly by your confession in prayer, not letting the enemy steal it away from you. It is obvious he will come with his lies, and we know he is the father of lies (John 8 vs 44.), but resist him and he will flee from you (James 4 vs 7).

Prayer: Abba Father, my absolute trust and confidence is in You, and Your Word. Give me the grace to continually confess my steadfast faith in You and Your Word in all circumstances, in Jesus’ Name I prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

We Are His House

 We Are His House

Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses — as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. (Hebrews 3:3–6) 

The people who boast and hope in Jesus Christ are the house of God. Which means that Jesus this very day — not just back in Moses’s day or in his own days on earth — but this very day is our Maker, our Owner, our Ruler, and our Provider. 

Jesus is called the “builder” of this house. Moses was not the builder. He was part of the house. So it says, “Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses — as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself.” So Moses, as great as he was in leading the house, and giving God’s word to the house, was still just a part of the house. But Jesus built the house. 

So if we boast in Jesus and hope in Jesus, we are the house, and Jesus is our Builder, and Owner and Ruler and Provider. He does not let his house be destroyed or fall into ruin.

Then the writer changes the imagery — from builder and house, to son and servant. “Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant . . . but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son.” So Christ did become part of the house — part of the household — he built. But even so, his honor is far above Moses. Moses was a servant. Christ is the Son. The heir. 

And we are part of this household. Hebrews 3:6: “And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.” By all means, let us respect and give Moses his due. But the point of the whole book of Hebrews is: Christ is greater. Greater in every way. He is the builder of the house of God’s people. And he is the Son in the house of God’s people. Let us respect Moses. But let us worship Jesus — our Maker, our brother.

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 10, 2026.

SUBJECT: THE CHRISTIAN GROWTH PROCESS!

Memory verse: "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1 vs 6.)

READ: Mark 4 vs 26 - 29: 

4:26: And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground,

4:27: and should sleep by night and rise up by day, and the seed should spout and grow, he himself does not know how.

4:28: For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.

4:29: But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.

INTIMATION:

Christian growth and maturity is a lifelong process. This process began when we accepted Christ, and continues until He returns. The God who began a good work in us continues it throughout our lifetime and will finish it when we meet Christ face to face. Although we have a new nature, we don’t automatically think all good thoughts and have all pure attitudes when we become new people in Christ. But if we keep listening to God, we will be changing all the times. As you look over the year before, you will observe some changes for the better in your thoughts and attitudes. Change may be slow, but your life will change significantly if you trust God to change you.

God’s work for us began when Christ died on the cross in our place. His work in us began when we first believed. Now, the Holy Spirit lives in us, enabling us to be more like Christ every day. God has not left us alone in our struggles to do His Will. He reaches down to us and asks for our response. He wants to come alongside us and be within us to help. God gives us the desire and the power to do what pleases Him (Philippians 2 vs 13). The secret to a changed life is to submit to God’s control and let Him work in us. 

Life in Christ here on earth is never complete. Heaven promises completeness; until then, growth is the normal pattern. Growth often endures seasons of drought and drabness. The key to growth includes daily devotion to Christ through Bible study and prayers. Perhaps you need to intensify your study and find helps that provide more substance. Perhaps you need to grow by engaging in new areas of service that express your faith. Seek God for how He would have you keep growing in your faith. Think about what you are doing that might be spiritually ineffective or obsolete. 

We often expect quick changes in our lives and quick victories over sin. However, our journey with God is a lifelong process, and the changes and victories may take time. It is easy to grow impatient with God and feel like giving up hope because things are moving too slowly. You may sometimes feel as though you aren’t making progress in your spiritual life. 

It’s noteworthy that when God starts a project, He completes it! God will help you grow in grace until He has completed His work in your life. Although when we are close to a situation, it is difficult to see progress. But when we look back, we can see that God never stopped working.

Christians have entered into a covenant with God through Jesus Christ and should be responsive to what God expects in a growing relationship with Him. God’s followers should learn and understand His Word, accept and absorb them, and put them into practice. Many spiritual functions parallel physical functions. As our bodies hunger and thirst, so do our souls. The living Word, Jesus Christ, and the written Word, the Bible, can satisfy our hungry and thirsty souls. 

Have you made spiritual progress lately? Recording your thoughts about God and lessons you have learned over a period of time can be a valuable aid to spiritual growth. A record of your spiritual pilgrimage will let you check up on your progress and avoid repeating past mistakes. 

No one is competent to carry out the responsibilities of God’s calling in his or her own strength. Without the Holy Spirit’s enablement, our natural talent can carry us only a bit far. We need the character and special strength that only God gives.

When you are discouraged, remember that God won’t give up on you. He promises to finish the work He has begun. When we feel incomplete, unfinished, or distressed by our shortcomings, remember God’s promise and provision. Don’t let your present condition rob you of the joy of knowing Christ or keep you from growing closer to Him. 

All who believe in the Lord Jesus will be considered blameless when Christ returns. Today’s struggles, difficulties, and failures don’t tell the whole story. Keep the big picture in mind. If you have faith in Christ, even if it is weak, you are saved.

Prayer: Abba Father, let Your abundant grace and fellowship of the Holy Spirit abide with me all through my spiritual growth process, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Wipe Your Fears Away

 Wipe Your Fears Away

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. (Psalm 56:3)

One possible response to the truth that our anxiety is rooted in unbelief goes like this: “I have to deal with feelings of anxiety almost every day; and so I feel like my faith in God’s grace must be totally inadequate. So I wonder if I can have any assurance of being saved at all.”

My response to this concern is: Suppose you are in a car race and your enemy, who doesn’t want you to finish the race, throws mud on your windshield. The fact that you temporarily lose sight of your goal and start to swerve does not mean that you are going to quit the race.

And it certainly doesn’t mean that you are on the wrong racetrack. Otherwise, your competitor — your adversary — wouldn’t bother you at all. What it means is that you should turn on your windshield wipers.

When anxiety strikes and blurs our vision of God’s glory and the greatness of the future that he plans for us, this does not mean that we are faithless, or that we will not make it to heaven. It means our faith is being attacked.

At first blow, our belief in God’s promises may sputter and swerve. But whether we stay on track and make it to the finish line depends on whether, by grace, we set in motion a process of resistance — whether we fight back against the unbelief of anxiety. Will we turn on the windshield wipers?

Psalm 56:3 says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”

Notice: it does not say, “I never struggle with fear.” Fear strikes, and the battle begins. So the Bible does not assume that true believers will have no anxieties. Instead, the Bible tells us how to fight when they strike. It tells us how to turn on the windshield wipers.

Marveling at the End of History

 Marveling at the End of History

[God will] grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, 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. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed. (2 Thessalonians 1:7–10) 

When Jesus returns to this earth, which he has promised to do, those who have not believed the gospel, Paul says, “will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.” This is a terrible prospect that should terrify all unbelievers who hear this truth.

And oh, how it should sober us who do believe and fill us with seriousness about what is at stake in this world. Oh, how it should cause compassion to rise in our hearts for those who do not believe, or do not even know, the gospel.

But to sustain us in all our afflictions here Paul gives us two amazing words of encouragement and hope. “[God will] grant relief to you who are afflicted.” If we experience a terrible intensification of affliction near the end of history, God’s word is: Hold fast: relief is on the way. Your afflictions will not have the last word. And your seemingly powerful adversaries will regret the day they touched the Lord’s people.

But then comes the best word of encouragement and hope. Not only will we get relief when the Lord comes, but we will get the greatest experience that we were created for in the first place: We will see his glory, and marvel at it in such a way that he will be glorified in us for all the world to see. 

Verse 10: “He comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed.” We were made to marvel. Nothing and no one is more marvelous than the crucified, risen, returning King of glory, Jesus Christ. He will attain the destiny of his glory, and we will attain the destiny of our joy as we begin the perfect, sinless, never-ending marveling at the greatest marvel.

We Honor What We Enjoy

 We Honor What We Enjoy

“If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth.” (Isaiah 58:13–14)

It is possible to pursue God without glorifying God. If we want our quest to honor God, we must pursue him for the joy of fellowship with him.

Consider the Sabbath as an illustration of this. The Lord rebukes his people for seeking their own pleasure on his holy day. “Turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day.” But what does he mean? Does he mean that we should not seek our joy on the Lord’s Day? No, because the next thing he says is, “Call the Sabbath a delight.” And in verse 14, “You shall take delight in the Lord.” So what he is criticizing is that they are delighting in their own business on the Sabbath rather than delighting in the beauty of their God and the rest and holiness that this day stands for. 

He’s not rebuking their hedonism. He’s rebuking the weakness of it. As C. S. Lewis said, “We are far too easily pleased.” They have settled for secular interests and thus honor them above the Lord.

Notice that calling the Sabbath “a delight” is parallel to calling the holy day of the Lord “honorable.” “If you . . . call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable . . .” This simply means you honor what you delight in. Or you glorify what you enjoy. 

The enjoyment of God and the glorification of God are one. His eternal purpose and our eternal pleasure unite in one experience of worship. This is what the Lord’s Day is for. Indeed, this is what all of life is for.

Is God’s Love Conditional?

 Is God’s Love Conditional?

[God] gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. (James 4:6–8) 

James teaches us that there is a precious experience of “more grace” and God “drawing near” to us. Surely this is a wonderful experience — more grace and a special nearness of God. But I ask: is this experience of the love of God unconditional? No. It is not. It is conditional on our humbling ourselves and our drawing near to God. God “gives [more] grace to the humble. . . . Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”

There are precious experiences of the love of God that require that we fight pride, seek humility, and cherish the nearness of God. Those are the conditions. Of course, the conditions themselves are the work of God in us. But they are no less conditions we fulfill.

If this is true, I fear that the unqualified, biblically careless reassurances today that God’s love is all unconditional may stop people from doing the very things the Bible says they need to do in order to enjoy all the peace that they so desperately crave. In trying to give peace through “unconditionality” we may be cutting people off from the very remedy the Bible prescribes.

To be sure, let us proclaim, loud and clear, that the divine love of election, and the divine love of Christ’s death, and the divine love of our regeneration — our new birth — are all absolutely unconditional. 

And let us declare untiringly the good news that our justification is based on the worth of Christ’s obedience and sacrifice, not ours (Romans 5:19, “as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous”).

But let us also declare the biblical truth that the fullest and sweetest experiences of the grace of God and the nearness of God will be enjoyed by those who daily humble themselves and draw near to God.

Love One Another Gladly

 Love One Another Gladly

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)

No one has ever felt unloved because he was told that the attainment of his joy would make another person happy. I have never been accused of selfishness when justifying a kindness on the basis that it delights me. On the contrary, loving acts are genuine to the degree that they are not done begrudgingly.

And the good alternative to begrudgingly is not neutrally or dutifully, but gladly. The authentic heart of love loves kindness (Micah 6:8); it doesn’t just do kindness. Christian Hedonism forces this truth into consideration.

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. (1 John 5:2–4)

Read these sentences in reverse order and notice the logic. First, being born of God gives a power that conquers the world. This is given as the ground or basis (notice the word “For”) for the statement that the commandments of God are not burdensome.

So, being born of God gives a power that conquers our worldly aversion to the will of God. Now his commandments are not “burdensome,” but are the desire and delight of our heart. This is the love of God: not just that we do his commandments, but also that they are not burdensome.

Then in verse 2 the evidence of the genuineness of our love for the children of God is said to be the love of God. What does this teach us about our love for the children of God?

Since love for God is doing his will gladly rather than with a sense of burden, and since love for God is the measure of the genuineness of our love for the children of God, therefore our love for the children of God must also be done gladly rather than begrudgingly.

Christian Hedonism stands squarely in the service of love, for it presses us on to glad obedience, not just begrudging obedience.

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 05, 2026.

SUBJECT : OUR MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION.

Memory verse: "Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation." (Second Corinthians 5 vs 18).

READ: Romans 5 vs 6 - 11:

5:6: For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

5:7: For scarcely for a righteous man will one; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.

5:8: But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

5:9: Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

5:10: For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

5:11: And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

INTIMATION:

The Amplified Version rendering of our memory verse is, "But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself [received us into harmony with Himself] and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation [that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him]. 

The Bible gave the explanation of our memory verse (vs 18) in verse 19 thus, "It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself, not counting up and holding against [men] their trespasses [but canceling them], and committing to us the message of reconciliation (of the restoration to favor)." (Amplified Version.)

God is present, and at work in Christ reconciling the whole world to Himself, canceling out their trespasses, not counting them no more against them. For the believers in Christ, God has reconciled us to Himself by the mediation of Jesus Christ. All three members of the Trinity are involved in salvation. The Father loved us so much that He sent His Son to bridge the gap between us (John 3 vs 16). The Father and the Son send the Holy Spirit to fill our life with love and to enable us to live by His power (Acts 1 vs 8). 

In like manner, God has appointed those who believed and accepted Christ and what He wrought for us in redemption, as His representatives (ambassadors of Christ), and has commissioned us to do the same thing He is doing-reconciling the world to Himself. He has given us, through Christ, the ministry of reconciliation; not the ministry of condemnation which we have heard before this time, but a ministry of reconciliation. He has also, given us the word (message) of reconciliation, to preach to the world as Christ's personal representatives in the world.

What then do we preach? And what are we to preach? In most of the preaching, we have reckoned to men their trespasses. We have kept them "trespass-minded." We have kept them conscious of their weaknesses and failings, constantly preaching sin, and judgement to them. That is not wrong in itself, but God has not given us such ministry. He has instead given us the ministry of reconciliation; to preach Eternal life in Christ.

It is proper to remind us of where we are coming from, but it is much more proper to recount to us what God has wrought for us in Christ Jesus, and where we, as believers in Christ and His work in redemption, are heading to. For believers in Christ, the remission of sin is a reality, God has blotted out our past records, and made them nonexistent. Where we are coming from has seized to exist in God's memory, haven given us His righteousness in Christ (vs 21). It was for this reason He commissioned us as Christ's ambassadors with the message of reconciliation. We have that word, and we have the message, It is therefore, ours to give to the world. 

As Christ's representatives, a new commandment has given to us in John 13 vs 34 - 35: "A new commandment I give to 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."

That is the pivot on which the life of the "New Creation" man revolves. God, by His Nature, is love, and He showcased His love nature when He gave to the world His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, as a propitiation for our sins (John 3 vs 16). He came and paid the debt we ought to have paid for our sins. and legally set us free from the debt. When we were set free, He blotted out the records of our past, and made them nonexistent. He recreated us to be now in conformity to His love nature that was lacking before now, hence His pouring out His love out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5 vs 5). 

It is after the impartation of His 'Love Nature' in the new creation, that He gave us the new commandment. Out of love for one another, we are to joyfully and freely let others know about Jesus, and the immeasurable worth of what He wrought for us in redemption, that they may come to partake of it.

As ambassadors of Christ, reconciled to God, we have the privilege of encouraging others to be reconciled to God in accordance with the ministry given to us. As ambassadors of reconciliation, we have very important responsibility - the message of entreating the world to be reconciled to God. We dare not take this responsibility lightly. The question then is, how well are you fulfilling your commission as Christ's ambassador?

Prayer: Abba Father, let the zeal of 'Your Commission' burn in me that I may be an ambassador of Christ worthy of my calling, and that I may obtain the crown of rejoicing, and righteousness, which the Lord will give to me at the day of His coming, in Jesus' most wonderful Name I have prayed, Amen. 

PRAISE THE LORD!

Do You Neglect Your Salvation?

 Do You Neglect Your Salvation?

How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? (Hebrews 2:3)

Is there a sense of greatness in your mind about your salvation? Or do you neglect it?

Do you respond to the greatness of your salvation? Or do you treat it the way you treat your last will and testament, or the title to your car, or the deed on your house? You signed it once and it is in a file drawer somewhere, but it is not a really great thing in your mind. You rarely think about it. It has no daily effect on you. Basically, you neglect it.

But when you neglect your great salvation, what are you really neglecting? Here’s what he is saying when he says, “Don’t neglect your great salvation!”

Don’t neglect being loved by God. 

Don’t neglect being forgiven and accepted and protected and strengthened and guided by almighty God. 

Don’t neglect the sacrifice of Christ’s life on the cross. 

Don’t neglect the free gift of righteousness imputed by faith. 

Don’t neglect the removal of God’s wrath and the reconciled smile of God. 

Don’t neglect the indwelling Holy Spirit and the fellowship and friendship of the living Christ. 

Don’t neglect the radiance of God’s glory in the face of Jesus. 

Don’t neglect the free access to the throne of grace. 

Don’t neglect the inexhaustible treasure of God’s promises. 

This is indeed a great salvation. Neglecting it is very evil. Don’t neglect so great a salvation. Because if you do, will there be an escape from judgment? That’s what the writer asks: “How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?”

So, being a Christian is a very serious business — not a sour business, but a serious business. We should be blood-earnest about being happy in our great salvation. 

We will not be deflected by this world into the fleeting and suicidal pleasures of sin. We will not neglect our eternal joy in God — which is what the goal of this salvation is. We will gouge out our eyes rather than be lured away from such a great salvation.

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY NOVEMBER 02, 2026.

SUBJECT: UNDERSTANDING WHY CHRIST CAME!

Memory verse: "Jesus says to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through Me." (John 14 vs 6.) 

READ: John 1 vs 4; 3 vs 8, 16; 10 vs 10; 14 vs 27; 16 vs 33; Luke 2 vs 10; Acts 10 vs 38:

John 1:4: In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

3:8: The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.

3:16: For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

10:10: The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

14:27: Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

16:33: These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Luke 2:10: Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which will be to all people.

Acts 10:38: How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power: who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil; for God was with Him.

INTIMATION:

Jesus came to reveal and represent the Father, and as well show us the way to the Father. He is the visible, tangible image of the invisible God. He is the complete revelation of what God is like. To know Jesus is to know God (Colossians 1 vs 15 - 16; Hebrews 1 vs 1 - 4). He is our path to the Father. As the truth, He is the reality of all God’s promises. As the life, He joins His divine life to ours, both now and eternally. 

Jesus Christ is the Creator of life (John 1 vs 3), and His life brings light to humankind. In His light, we see ourselves as we really are (sinners in need of a Savior). When we follow Jesus, the true Light, we can avoid walking blindly and falling into sin. He lights the path ahead of us so we can see how to live. He removes the darkness of sin from our lives. When Christ guides you in His light, you will never need to stumble in darkness. 

Jesus came to bring salvation to mankind, and restore man to the glory he lost in the Garden of Eden, as well as restore divinity to man. God's Will of abundance for us was supreme until that fatal day Adam and Eve, our first parents, committed high treason against God by doubting His integrity, and believing God's permanent enemy—Satan. 

Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. All evils are the works of the devil. But Jesus came to destroy all his works. Jesus, reading from the book of Isaiah, said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed: To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4 vs 18 - 19.) Jesus was proclaiming Himself as the One who would bring this good news to pass. 

Jesus came to restore the supernatural back to man. In Mark 16 vs 17 - 18, the Scripture says, “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” There are times when God intervenes miraculously to protect His followers. Occasionally He gives them special powers. This does not mean, however, that we should test God by putting ourselves in dangerous situations or try to tempt the laws of nature. 

Jesus came to bring unspeakable joy to the world. The demeanor of a Christian lifestyle is that of joy for what Christ has wrought for us in redemption, and the hope of living in eternity with God. Ultimate joy comes from Christ dwelling within us. Christ is near, and at His second coming we will fully realize this ultimate joy. He who lives within us will fulfill His final purposes for us. In First Peter 1 vs 8, the Scripture says, “Whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.” 

Jesus came to bring peace that passes all understanding to humanity. The result of one’s prayerful communication with God that is based on faith is an inner tranquility that cannot be expressed in words. The end result of Holy Spirit’s work in our lives is deep and lasting peace. Unlike worldly peace, which is usually defined as the absence of conflict, this peace is confident assurance in any circumstance; with Christ’s peace, we have no need to fear the present or the future. 

Sin, fear, uncertainty, doubt, and numerous other forces are at war within us. The peace of God moves into our hearts and live to restrain these hostile forces and offer comfort in place of conflict. Peace comes from knowing that God is in control. Our citizenship in Christ’s kingdom is sure, our destiny is set, and we can have victory over sin. 

He came to give us life at its best. The life Christ gives now is abundantly rich and full. It is eternal, yet it begins immediately. Life in Christ is lived on a higher plane because of His overflowing forgiveness, love, and guidance. Jesus affirms that one is not only saved if he enters through Him as the door, but such a person will also comprehend and enjoy the fullness for which life on earth was meant to be. 

It is only in Christ that one understands, and thus receives those blessings that enrich and enhance living. “His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who has called us to glory and virtue.” (Second Peter 1 vs 3.) 

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You For the gift of Your Son, Jesus, to mankind. I earnestly desire that You give me the grace to manifest in my life all the benefits of knowing Christ and the reason of His coming to the world, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Rejoicing in Pain

 Rejoicing in Pain

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.” (Matthew 5:11–12)

Christian Hedonism says that there are different ways to rejoice in suffering as a Christian. All of them are to be pursued as an expression of the all-sufficient, all-satisfying grace of God.

One way of rejoicing in suffering comes from fixing our minds firmly on the greatness of the reward that will come to us in the resurrection. The effect of this kind of focus is to make our present pain seem small in comparison to what is coming: “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18; cf. 2 Corinthians 4:16–18). In making the suffering tolerable, rejoicing over our reward will also make love possible.

“Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great” (Luke 6:35). Be generous with the poor “and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just” (Luke 14:14). Confidence in this promised reward cuts the cord of worldliness and frees us for the costs of love.

Another way of rejoicing in suffering comes from the effects of suffering on our assurance of hope. Joy in affliction is rooted not only in the hope of resurrection and reward, but also in the way suffering itself works to deepens that hope.

For example, Paul says, “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” (Romans 5:3–4).

In other words, Paul’s joy is not merely rooted in his great reward, but in the effect of suffering which solidifies the hope of that reward. Affliction produces endurance, and endurance produces a sense that our faith is real and genuine, and that strengthens our hope that we will indeed gain Christ.

So whether we focus on the riches of the reward or the refining effects of suffering, God’s purpose is that our joy in suffering be sustained.

Christ’s Sufferings in Us

 Christ’s Sufferings in Us

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. (Colossians 1:24)

Christ has prepared a love offering for the world by suffering and dying for sinners. It is a perfect sacrifice. It pays in full for all the sins of all his people. Nothing can be added to make a better gift. It is lacking in nothing — except one thing, a personal presentation by Christ himself to the nations of the world. 

God’s answer to this lack is to call the people of Christ (people like Paul) to make a personal presentation of the afflictions of Christ to the world. In doing this, we “[fill] up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.” We finish what they were designed for, namely, a personal presentation to the people who do not know about their infinite worth. 

But the most amazing thing about Colossians 1:24 is how Paul fills up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.

He says that it is his own sufferings that fill up Christ’s afflictions. This means, then, that Paul exhibits the sufferings of Christ by suffering himself for those he is trying to win to Christ. In his sufferings they are to see Christ’s sufferings. 

Here is the astounding upshot: God intends for the afflictions of Christ to be presented to the world through the afflictions of his people. 

God really means for the body of Christ, the church, to experience some of the suffering he experienced so that when we proclaim the cross as the way to life, people will see the marks of the cross in us and feel the love of the cross from us.

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY OCTOBER 31, 2026.

SUBJECT : ARE WE CURSED FOR NOT TITHING?

Memory verse: "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree." (Galatians 3 vs 13.)

READ: Malachi 3 vs 8 - 11:

3:8: ""Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings. 

3:9: You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me. Even this whole nation. 

3:10: Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this," Says the Lord of Hosts, "If I will not open the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it." 

3:11: And I will rebuke the devourer for your sake, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field." says the Lord of hosts.

INTIMATION:

Let's us review the Scripture we read today which is the classic passage used to teach on tithing. The prophet Malachi is among the postexilic prophets to Judah (the southern kingdom), and wrote the Book after the return of the children of Israel from exile, and abandoned those godly principles and practices they were used to before they were exiled. 

During Malachi's days the people ignored God's command to give a tithe of their income to the Temple. The Levites (who were the priests) lived off these gifts, and when the people stopped giving, they were forced to work to earn a living, thereby abandoning their God-given responsibilities to care for the Temple and the service of worship under the laws God gave them through Moses.

Nearly everyone who teaches on tithes cites this passage. Usually it is used like a club to beat people into submission. But there is a huge difference between the punishment that came for disobeying the law under the Old Testament, and the grace that we live under the New Testament. 

The motivation for tithing today is out of appreciation for what God has done in our lives. It should come as a response of love from the heart, out of a desire to bring God into your finances, and bless people. We don't tithe in an attempt to keep the law. In fact, it would be a bad idea to even try.

Now, look at Galatians 3 vs 10, "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them." The apostle Paul quoted Deuteronomy 27 vs 26 to prove that, contrary to what the Judaizers claimed, the law cannot justify and save; it can only condemn. 

You are cursed if you don't keep all of the laws. You can't just keep some of it, or do the best you can and God will make up the difference. No, if you don't keep every letter of the laws, then you are cursed! And because everyone has broken the commandments, everyone stands condemned. The law can do nothing to reverse the condemnation. This is why Jesus came, because we are absolutely incapable of keeping the law. It's impossible.

The Scriptures, in Romans 3 vs 20 - 24, say, "Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."

The people who are trying to say to you that you are cursed if you don't tithe are missing this point. You either trust the grace of God, or you reject Jesus' sacrifice and put your trust in your own performance and forfeit God's grace. You have to be 100 percent perfect—never making a single mistake in thought, word, or deed in your entire life, or you have to humble yourself and receive the gift of God's grace. Trying to satisfy the law by paying a tithe isn't going to help.

The apostle Paul continued his teaching in Galatians 3 vs 11 - 14, saying, "But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith." Yet the law is not of faith, but "the man who does them shall live by them." Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."

Yes, we are redeemed from the curse of the law! This passage couldn't be any clearer. It's true that the verse in Malachi 3 says "you are cursed with a curse" if you don't tithe. But this is exactly what we have been redeemed from. The whole attitude that God is going to punish you for not paying a tithe is completely unscriptural. 

Some preachers will say, "If you didn't pay tithe, God would take it from you in doctor's bills, or He will make your car break down, or something else like that. In my considered opinion, God doesn't relate with us that way under the New Covenant. Christ freed us from the curse of the law. God is not coming against you. He is not going to take money from you if you don't tithe, but you have denied yourself of the opportunity of godly prosperity. Trying to pay off God like He's some kind of mobster is the wrong motivation. You're not going to benefit from that kind of giving.

It's also worth mentioning that the passage in Malachi 3 vs 8 - 11 says the curse comes from robbing God in tithes and offerings. The ministers who use this verse to teach about tithing from a law perspective conveniently overlook that you also have to give offerings to keep the law. There are so many offerings, that all together outnumber tithe. So if you are trying to live by the law, you are cursed unless you are giving all the offerings.

Prayer: Abba Father, nothing I do can be enough to thank You for all You have done for me. All that is within me bless Your holy name. Endue me with the spirit of perfect obedience to You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

The Seminary of Suffering

 The Seminary of Suffering

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

This is God’s universal purpose for all Christian suffering: more contentment in God and less reliance on self and the world. I have never heard anyone say, “The really deep lessons of life have come through times of ease and comfort.”

But I have heard strong saints say, “Every significant advance I have ever made in grasping the depths of God’s love and growing deep with him has come through suffering.”

The pearl of greatest price is the glory of Christ.

Thus, Paul stresses that in our sufferings the glory of Christ’s all-sufficient grace is magnified. If we rely on him in our calamity, and he sustains our “rejoicing in hope,” then he is shown to be the all-satisfying God of grace and strength that he is.

If we hold fast to him, “when all around our soul gives way,” then we show that he is more to be desired than all we have lost.

Christ said to the suffering apostle, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul responded to this: “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9–10).

So suffering clearly is designed by God not only as a way to wean Christians off of self and onto grace, but also as a way to spotlight that grace and make it shine. That is precisely what faith does: it magnifies Christ’s future grace. 

The deep things of life in God are discovered and magnified in suffering.

The Danger of Drifting

 The Danger of Drifting

Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. (Hebrews 2:1)

We all know people that this has happened to. There is no urgency. No vigilance. No focused listening or considering or fixing of their eyes on Jesus. And the result has not been a standing still, but a drifting away.

That is the point here: there is no standing still. The life of this world is not a lake. It is a river. And it is flowing downward to destruction. If you do not listen earnestly to Jesus and consider him daily and fix your eyes on him hourly, then you will not stand still; you will go backward. You will float away from Christ.

Drifting is a deadly thing in the Christian life. And the remedy for it, according to Hebrews 2:1, is: Pay close attention to what you have heard. That is, consider what God is saying in his Son Jesus. Fix your eyes on what God is saying and doing in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. 

This is not a hard swimming stroke to learn. The only thing that keeps us from swimming against sinful culture is not the difficulty of the stroke, but our sinful desire to go with the flow. 

Let’s not complain that God has given us a hard job. Listen, consider, fix the eyes — this is not what you would call a hard job description. In fact, it is not a job description. It is a solemn invitation to be satisfied in Jesus so that we do not get lured downstream by deceitful desires.

If you are drifting today, one of the signs of hope that you are born again is that you feel pricked for this, and you feel a rising desire to turn your eyes on Jesus and consider him and listen to him in the days and months and years to come.

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY OCTOBER 29, 2026.

SUBJECT: SPIRITUAL ADULTERY!

Memory verse: "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." (First John 2 vs 15.) 

READ: James 4 vs 4 - 6:

4:4: Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

4:5: Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealousy”?

4:6: But He gives more grace. Therefore He says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

INTIMATION:

"Idolatry," is the worship of idols, or the blind worship if undeserving object. Such worship, outwardly or inwardly, constitute spiritual adultery, that is, breaking the commitment to worship the one true God resulting into the love something else. 

Turning from the worship of the true God to worshiping idols is idolatry. This can be either inward or outward. When one is not heartily committed to the worship of God, and is attracted to worldliness, it is spiritual adultery. Jesus described the people of His day as adulterous, even though they were religiously strict. This is because their hearts were far away from total commitment to the worship of the true God. Inwardly and outwardly they had idols they are committed to, and even worshipped other gods. 

As believers and members of the body of Christ—the church—we are the ‘wife’ (or bride) of Christ (Revelation 19 vs 7), and by faith, we can be clothed in His righteousness. Anything outside the total commitment to Him is spiritual adultery. The materialist is an adulterer in that he or she has wedded himself or herself to things of this world even when he or she is a member of the body of Christ. 

Such person has broken the covenant made with Christ in order to give himself or herself to the world. Friendship with the world is enmity with God: If one loves the world, the love of the Father is not in his heart (First John 2 vs 15). Those who love activities and possessions of this world at the expense of their love with God, do not love the Father, for they are obsessed with the things of this world. 

Some people think that worldliness is limited to external behavior—the people we associate with, the places we go, the activities we enjoy. Worldliness is also internal because it begins in the heart and is characterized by three attitudes: (1) lust of the flesh—preoccupation with gratifying physical desires; (2) lust of the eyes—covering and accumulating things, bowing to God of materialism; (3) pride of life—obsession with one’s status or importance. When the serpent tempted Eve, he tempted her in the above referenced areas. Also, when the devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness, these were his three areas of attack.

It is not right for one to live a spiritually adulterous life. God created us to seek Him, not the world. Therefore, the spirit that lusts after the things of this world in order to ignore God had degenerated to the point of allowing Satan to control his desires. 

It is obvious that one cannot love God with the love with which God seeks to be loved, and at the same time, engage himself or herself in the pleasures of this world. However, those who have been consumed with the things of the world have taken their minds off that which is to come. And that which is to come is the destruction of all that for which one had worked in this world (Second Peter 3 vs 10).

God has blessed some believers with money and other possessions. They are wealthy because God has given them power to get it, and they should not allow their wealth to take the first place in their lives, and delegating God to the background. Avoiding spiritual adultery does not mean that the rich must forsake their riches, for many rich people have the gift of making money for the benefit of supporting the work in the church. Though the rich are not obligated to give themselves into poverty, but they must not be obsessed by their wealth, and should be willing to share with others in need. 

Believers are not to attach themselves to the thinking of the world in a way that they are diverted from keeping their minds on those things that are above. They must not be directed in their lives by the evil values and morals that are maintained by those deceived by Satan. It is impossible for one to love God with the intensity of love by which God demands that we serve Him, and at the same time, compromise his values and morals by living after the world. 

God extends His grace toward those that have humbly submitted to Him. Those who are arrogant will not submit their lives to the Will of God. They resist submission, and thus, God resists giving His grace to them in order that they might be saved. God values self-control, a spirit of generosity, and commitment to humble service. 

It is possible to give the impression of avoiding worldly pleasures while still harboring worldly attitudes in one’s heart. It is also possible, like Jesus, to love sinners and spend time with them while maintaining a commitment to the values of God’s kingdom. Let nothing take the first place in your life outside of God.

Prayer: Abba Father, I have no other God but You. In You I live, move and have my being. Nothing will ever take the first place in my life other than You. O Lord, give me the grace to forever give my total commitment and obedience to You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Sin, Satan, Sickness, or Sabotage

 Sin, Satan, Sickness, or Sabotage

Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:8–9) 

Is the suffering that comes to the Christian because of persecution the same as the suffering that comes from cancer? Do the promises given to one apply to the other? My answer is yes. All of life, if it is lived earnestly by faith in the pursuit of God’s glory and the salvation of others, will meet with some kind of obstacle and suffering. The suffering that comes to the obedient Christian is part of the price of living where you are in obedience to the call of God.

In choosing to follow Christ in the way he directs, we choose all that this path includes under his sovereign providence. Thus, all suffering that comes in the path of obedience is suffering with Christ and for Christ — whether it is cancer at home or persecution far away.

And it is “chosen” — that is, we willingly take the path of obedience where the suffering befalls us, and we do not murmur against God. We may pray — as Paul did — that the suffering be removed (2 Corinthians 12:8); but if God wills, we embrace it as part of the cost of discipleship in the path of obedience on the way to heaven.

All experiences of suffering in the path of Christian obedience, whether from persecution or sickness or accident, have this in common: They all threaten our faith in the goodness of God, and tempt us to leave the path of obedience.

Therefore, every triumph of faith, and all perseverance in obedience, are testimonies to the goodness of God and the preciousness of Christ — whether the enemy is sickness, Satan, sin, or sabotage. Therefore, all suffering, of every kind, that we endure in the path of our Christian calling is a suffering “with Christ” and “for Christ.”

With him in the sense that the suffering comes to us as we are walking with him by faith, and in the sense that it is endured in the strength he supplies through his sympathizing high-priestly ministry to us (Hebrews 4:15).

And for him in the sense that the suffering tests and proves our allegiance to his goodness and power, and in the sense that it reveals his worth as an all-sufficient compensation and prize.

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 28, 2026.

SUBJECT : THE MIRACLE OF THE GRACE OF GOD!

Memory verse: “....But You are God, ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in kindness, and did not forsake them.” (Nehemiah 9 vs 17.)

READ: Nehemiah 9 vs 26 - 31:

9:26: Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against You, and cast Your law behind their backs, and killed Your prophets who testified against them to turn them to Yourself, and they wrought great provocations.

9:27: Therefore You delivered them into the hand of their enemies, who oppressed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried to You, You heard from heaven; and according to Your abundant mercies You gave them deliverers who saved them from the hand of their enemies.

9:28: But after they had rest, they again did evil before You. Therefore You left them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned and cried out to You, You heard them from heaven; and many times You delivered them according to Your mercies.

9:29: And testified against them, that You might bring them back to Your law. Yet they acted proudly, and did not heed to Your commandments, but sinned against Your judgments, ‘which if a man do, he shall live in them,’ And they shrugged their shoulders, and stiffened their neck, and would not hear.

9:30: Yet for many years You had patience with them, and testified against them by Your Spirit in Your prophets. Yet they would not listen; therefore You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.

9:31: Nevertheless in Your great mercies You did not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for You are God, gracious and merciful.

INTIMATION:

The “miracle of the grace of God” is the marvelous and profound nature of God’s unmerited favour and mercy to humanity. God is ever-Merciful, ever-Faithful, Loving, and outstandingly Kind. This nature of God is inherent in His attitude of clemency. God extends grace far beyond the usual time by waiting or enduring without complaint or reprisal. The Scripture says, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." (First Peter 3 vs 9.)

The Scriptures, in emphasizing God’s nature, say, "...The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty...." (Exodus 34 vs 6 - 7). “By no means clearing the guilty” simply means that God will not ordinarily write off or forgive any sin, you remain guilty until you have repented and come to Him for forgiveness, and He will forgive you. In His kindness God holds back His judgement, giving people time to repent. It is easy to mistake God's patience for approval of wrong way we are living. 

God pardons completely and gives up punishment for all sins and never bring up the offenses again. He withholds punishment deserved by us and gives us His kindness in excess. God's mercy is everlasting and total. The Scriptures say, "Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindness, for they are from of old. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies" (Psalms 25 vs 6 & 10.)

In the passage we read today, after exiled Israelites returned and rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem led by Nehemiah, the Israelites assembled with fasting to confess their sins. They gave a long summary of Israel’s history summarizing God’s work in their lives. Israel was devastated by times of intense rebellion and sin. Yet often the people repented and returned to God, He delivered them. The miracle of the grace of God, allowed them to come severally for forgiveness and God forgave them. 

Seeing how God continued to be with His people shows that His patience is amazing! In spite of our repeated failing, pride, and stubbornness, He is always ready to forgive, and His Spirit is always ready to instruct. God puts no limit on the number of times we can come to Him to obtain mercy, but we must come in order to obtain it; recognizing our need and asking Him to help. This miracle of grace should inspire us to say, “O Lord, You are God, ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in kindness, ever Loving Father”! 

Always take advantage of the “miracle of the grace of God”; if there is a recurring problem or difficulty in your life, continue to ask God for help, and be willing and ready to make changes in your attitude and behavior that will correct that situation. God is ever willing to receive us as we come to our Loving Father!

Realizing the extent of God’s forgiveness helps us forgive those who fail us, even ‘seventy times seven’ if necessary; “Then the apostle Peter came to Him and said, “Lord how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I did not say up to seven times, but seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18 vs 21 - 22)

The Jewish religious teachers then taught that people should forgive those who offend them but only three times. The apostle Peter trying to be especially generous, asked Jesus if seven (the “perfect” number) was enough times to forgive someone. But Jesus answered, “Seventy times seven,” meaning that 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 ask.“ This miracle of grace is God’s nature, and is a yardstick for us. 

Jesus said, “Take heed yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.” (Luke 17 vs 3 - 4.) The implication of Jesus’ teaching here shows that it doesn’t matter how many times someone offends you, if the person comes repeatedly, as many times as you are offended, and asks for forgiveness, you must forgive. That is being godly; showcasing the nature of God—His profound nature of abounding in mercy and grace. 

Prayer: Abba Father, You are gracious and merciful, ready to pardon, slow to anger, abounding in kindness, and ever loving! I desire the impartation of Your wonderful and marvelous nature in my life. Endue me with the spirit to love like You, always abounding in Your miracle of grace, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!