THE WISDOM YOU NEED!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 23, 2019.

SUBJECT : THE WISDOM YOU NEED!

Memory verse: 

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask from God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

"

 

(James 1 vs 5.)

READ: Psalm 119 vs 97 - 104

:

119:97: Oh, how I love Your law! it is my meditation all the day.
119:98: You through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; for they are ever with me.
11:9:99: I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation.
119:100: I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Your precepts.
119:101: I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your word.
119:102: I have not departed from Your judgments, for You Yourself have taught me.
129:103: How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

119:104: Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.

INTIMATION:

Wisdom is simply defined as the ability to discern right from wrong. It is the ability to apply knowledge or experience or understanding or common sense and insight. Wisdom is the ability to see life from God’s perspective and then to know the best course of action to take. Most people would agree that wisdom is a valuable asset, but how can we acquire it? Proverbs 9 vs 10 teaches that the fear (respect and honor) of the Lord  is the beginning of wisdom. 

The wisdom that we need is not only gotten by acquiring knowledge, that is, it’s not just sensual. But we need both knowledge—an understanding heart (the ability to discern what is best in every circumstances), and the strength of character to act upon that knowledge. Therefore, wisdom is the ability to make good decisions based on proper discernment and judgement, and applying such decisions to the peculiar circumstances confronting you. Knowledge refers to the practical know-how necessary for handling everyday matters. Wisdom therefore, is applied knowledge. 

However, this required wisdom comes from God, and the first step to such wisdom is the “fear of God,” to honor and respect God, to live in awe of His power. Therefore, we need the ability to see life from God’s point of view, and to know the best course of action to take. This ability can only be given to us by God, and He gives it liberally and without reproach when you ask. Faith in God should be the foundation for your understanding of the world, your attitudes, and your actions. You can’t be wiser than the Creator and Owner of the world itself. We should ask God to give us the wisdom to know what to do and the courage to follow through on it. Wisdom is both the ability to discern what is best and the strength of character to act upon the knowledge. 

The wisdom that we need has three distinct characteristics: (1) It is practical: The wisdom from God relates to life even during the most trying times. It is the ability to make good decisions based on proper discernment and judgement, and applying such decisions to the peculiar circumstances confronting you. It is applied to all facets and circumstances of life, even in suffering and trials. For instance, an intelligent person may have profound ideas, but a wise person puts profound ideas into action. Intelligence will allow someone to describe several reasons why the car broke down, the wise person chooses the most likely reason and proceeds to take actions. 

(2) It is divine. God’s wisdom goes beyond common sense. Common sense will let us sorrow in the midst of troubles or trials, but divine wisdom leads us to choose joy in the middle of trials, and giving thanks to God in negative circumstances. This wisdom begins with respect for God, leads to living by God’s direction, understanding that God is Supreme and controls all things, including the negative circumstances confronting us, and results in the ability to tell right from wrong. Such wisdom leads us to do good to those who hate, or don’t wish you well. This wisdom is the tool by which trials are overcome. 

(3) It is Christlike. Asking for wisdom is ultimately asking to be like Christ. The Bible identifies Christ as the “wisdom of God.” Knowing Christ personally is the greatest wisdom anybody can have. Christians don’t have to grope around in the dark, hoping to stumble upon answers. We can ask for God’s wisdom to guide our choices. We seek the wisdom of being lead by the Hoy Spirit in every area of our lives. We should never trust on our intellect or speaking ability, but on the knowledge of God. 

Wisdom is both God-given gift and the fruit of an energetic search—the pathway to wisdom is strenuous. Wisdom’s starting point is God and His revealed Word—the source of knowledge and understanding. Therefore, we must trust and honor God, and also, realize that the Bible reveals God’s wisdom to us. This gift of God is given only to those who earnestly seek it. With God is true wisdom—Divine wisdom, and we cannot create it by our own efforts. And because God’s wisdom is hidden from the rebellious and foolish, it takes effort to find it and use it.

True wisdom can be measured by a person’s character. Just as you can identify a tree by the type of fruit it produces, you can evaluate our wisdom by the way you act. Foolishness leads to disorder, but wisdom leads to peace and goodness. Are you tempted to escalate the conflict, pass on the gossip, or fan the fire of discord? Careful, winsome speech and wise, loving words are the seeds of peace. God loves peacemakers (Matthew 5 vs 9.)

Prayer: Abba Father, engrace me with Divine wisdom that I may see life from Your perspective, and to know the best course of action to take at all circumstances, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

BOLDLY DECLARE THE WORD WITH FAITH!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY OCTOBER 22, 2019.

SUBJECT : BOLDLY DECLARE THE WORD WITH FAITH!

Memory verse: 

"

And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, 'I believed and therefore I spoke,' we also believe and therefore speak."

 

(Second Corinthians 4 vs 13.)

READ: Acts 19 vs 8 - 12

:

19:8: And he went into the synagogue, and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God. 

19:9: But when some were hardened, and not believe, but spoke evil of Way before the multitude, he departed from them, and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. 

19:10: And this continued for two years; so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. 

19:11: Now 

God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, 

19:12: s

o that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them, and the evil spirits went out of them.

INTIMATION:

God has given us several promises in the Scriptures. 

In our prayers, we should approach God with confidence and assurance in Him and His Word—His promises. Bold declaration of the Word of God with faith is agreeing with Him, and only in so doing will God work with you. Prophet Amos asked the very important question, "Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?" (Amos 3 vs 3.) You agree with God by saying what He says in His Word. The bold declaration of God’s Word in faith signifies the depth of your trust and confidence in Him and His promises. And God will definitely come through to You in performance of His Word.

For instance, the Scripture says, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want” 

 (Psalm 23 vs 1). “And my God shall 

supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4 vs 19). "And by His stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53 vs 5). "He sent His Word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions" (Psalm 107 vs 20). "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind" (Second Timothy 1 vs 7). Therefore, when you speak lack, sickness, fear, defeat, and inability, you are disagreeing with God’s Word because it contrary to His Word, and the power in God’s Word will not manifest for you.

As 'Believers' we should boldly be speaking the Word of our Father, and the power in the Word will manifest in your lips as though is the Father speaking it. It is not you or in your power, but God who hastens to perform His Word (Jeremiah 1 vs 12). As a child of God, and a believer in Christ's work of redemption, He promises to “give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist" (Luke 21 vs 15). Failure to boldly declare the Word of God is a faith failure as His child.

To walk closely with God is to walk in bold assurance of His Word—His promises. It should be in the heart of all Christians to walk closely with God. The Bible records the testimony of Enoch: "he walked with God" (Genesis 5 vs 24). Enoch wasn't the only person who could walk with God, you and I also can walk with Him. Hebrews 11 vs 5 says that Enoch "pleased God" by agreeing in faith with God. We can walk just as closely with God as Enoch did if we choose to agree with Him in faith.

How do we agree with God? We agree by saying what God says while disagreeing with the wicked, lying devil. Know it that when your word is not in agreement with God's Word, you weary Him with your word (Malachi 2 vs 17). And your confession is harsh against God (Malachi 3 vs 13.) Our relationship with the Lord should be in humility, obedience, and trust. It should not be of weariness and harshness in words. 

In our memory verse, the apostle Paul reveals that the release of power of God is consequent upon bold declaration of the Word in faith. And such assurance of faith engenders God’s confirmation with signs and wonders by the hand of the believer. Also, in 

the passage we read today, we have seen that even with the accompanying signs and wonders, not all would be convinced about Christ. God gave these men power to do great wonders as confirmation of the message of grace, but people were still divided. The important thing is to sow the seeds of the Word on the best ground you can find in the best way you can, and leave the convincing to the Holy Spirit—the Teacher, and Revealer of the truth (John 16 vs 13.) 

Prayer: Abba Father, You have magnified Your Word above all Your Name, and hasten Your Word to perform it. In bold and assurance of faith I will declare Your Word, and believe You will confirm Your Word with signs following, in Jesus' Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

TRUST IN THE UNCHANGING GOD!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY OCTOBER 21, 2019.

SUBJECT : TRUST IN THE UNCHANGING GOD!

Memory verse: "For I am the LORD, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed. O sons of Jacob. (Malachi 3 vs 6.) 

READ: Hebrews 1 vs 10 - 12:

1:10: And, “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands:
1:11: They will perish, but You remain; and they all will grow old like a garment;

12 like a cloak You will fold them up, and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not fail.

INTIMATION:

God is changeless; He is unalterable, inviolable, and persistent. In other words, you can always count on Him because He is worthy of our trust and He never changes. In accordance with His persistent nature, our Heavenly Father does not have good days or bad days. He never gets out of bed on the wrong side (maybe because He never goes to bed nor sleeps! (Psalm 121 vs 4)). Therefore, though we are in a changing and dynamic world, we can trust our unchanging Lord. 

His nature is revealed to us in Second Timothy 2 vs 13, "If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself." This is absolutely incredible! Even when you are faithless and filled with doubt, God is persistent as your Father. Despite the fact that everything else around you may be changing, and your world appears to be falling apart, there is always one thing you can count on—God never changes how He acts toward you no matter what you do. Problems and heartaches can overwhelm us and cause us to feel that God has rejected us. But God our Creator is eternally with us and will keep all His promises, even though we may feel alone. The world will perish, but God will remain. 

Jesus Christ is faithful. He will stay by our side even when we have endured so much that we seem to have no faith left. We may be faithless at times, but Jesus is faithful to His promise to be with us always, "even to end of the age" (Matthew 28 vs 20). Though some refuse Christ and His help, which breaks their communication with the Father, but He will never turn His back on us even though we may turn our back on Him. And because of His grace, He loves us persistently on our good days and bad days. Christ’s character will never change. He persistently shows His love to us. He is always fair, just, and merciful to us who are so undeserving. He will always help you when you need it and offer forgiveness when you fail.

Christ is our only security in a changing world. Whatever may happen in this world, Christ remains forever changeless. If we trust Him, we are absolutely secure, because we stand on the firmest foundation in the universe—Jesus Christ. A famous hymn captures this truth: “On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.” 

Earthly fathers can be so unpredictable and inconsistent, as can any human being. The result of this inconsistency is insecurity. But our Heavenly Father is persistent, consistent, and perfect. God loves us unconditionally and persistently because we are His children. In Psalms 18 vs 30, the psalmist says, "As for God, His way is perfect; The Word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust Him." 

 

Some people think that believing in God is a crutch for weak people who cannot make it on their own. God indeed is a shield to protect us when we are too weak to face certain trials by ourselves, but He does not want us to remain weak. He strengthens, protects, and guides us in order to send us back into the world to fight for Him. Then He continues to work with us because the strongest person on earth is definitely weaker than God and needs His help. David was not a coward; he was a mighty warrior who, even with all his armies and weapons, knew that only God could ultimately protect and save him. 

When we spend more time on ourselves than on serving Christ, we treat ourselves (His creation) as being more important than our Creator. When we regard our finances, rather than our faith in Christ, as a basis for security, we give higher status to an earthly resource than we do to God. Rather than trusting in changeable and temporary resources, trust in God, who is eternal. 

Prayer: Abba Father, You are my Shield, my high Tower, and my Refuge, my Savior, in You I put my whole trust. You are on my side, I will not fear: what can man do to me. Engrace me to serve You all the days of my life, in Jesus' Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

RIGHT CONDUCT IN OBEDIENCE TO GOD!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY OCTOBER 20, 2019.

SUBJECT: RIGHT CONDUCT IN OBEDIENCE TO GOD!

Memory verse: "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.” (Mark 12 vs 30.)

READ: Genesis 12 vs 2; Romans 12 vs 1; First Corinthians 2 vs 9; Colossians 3 vs 12; ; 

Genesis 12:2: And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and tyou shalt be a blessing:

Romans 12:1: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

First Corinthians 2:9: “But as it is written: “Eyes has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of Man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

Colossians 3:12: Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

INTIMATION:

God is mindful of our conduct in our obedience to Him, and He reckons it for our reward; “And, behold, I an coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work.” (Revelation 22 vs 12.) When your conduct is right before God, He speaks out for you, even before our Adversary—the devil. God said of Job to the devil, “Have you considered My Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil” (Job 1 vs 8). Job was faithful to God in all he did, serving Him with his whole heart. He was a model of trust and obedience to God, and God reckoned with him.

We obey God with (1) Our heart: by loving Him more than any relationship, activity, achievement, or possession; by placing God first in everything in our life. The human heart is the chief organ of the physical body. It occupies the most important place in the human system. By an easy transition the word came to stand for man’s entire mental and moral activity, both the rational and the emotional. In other words, the heart is used figuratively for the hidden springs of the personal life. Therefore, yielding your heart to God is yielding the central and core of your being to Him, which God desires. The Bible describes human activity as in the ‘heart.’ For instance, every thought has its seat in the heart. (Matthew 15 vs 19 - 20.)

(2) Our will; by committing ourselves completely to Him. The “will” is the decision-making capacity, indicating a power of choice. God is mindful of our will—our decisions relating to our obedience to follow Him and obey His commands. Joshua was an exemplary king who showed his subjects his will to follow after God with his family: “And if it seem evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom ye you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24 vs 15.) It’s easy to slip into a quiet rebellion—going about life in your own way. But the time comes when you have to choose who or what will control you. The choice is yours. Will it be God, your own limited personality, or another imperfect substitute? 

(3) Our mind. The mind is the faculty that encompasses the reflective thinking of the brain and the emotional thinking of the heart. The mind denotes, speaking generally, the seat of reflective consciousness, comprising the faculties of perception and understanding, and those of feeling, judging and determining. It is the faculty of knowing, understanding, or moral reflection. God desires our seeking to know Him and His Word. His principles and values form the foundation of all we think and do. Th apostle Paul desires that we conform our minds to God’s and His Word; “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12 vs 2)

 (4) Our Body: The body is one’s essence. It’s, as a whole, the instrument of life. It’s is used to denote the physical nature, as distinct from the spiritual nature, and soul. God desires we serve Him with our body, recognizing that our strengths, talents, and sexuality are given to us by Him to be used for pleasure and fulfillment according to His rules, not ours: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12 vs 1.) God wants us to offer ourselves as living sacrifice—daily laying aside our own desires to follow Him, putting all our energy and resources at His disposal and trusting Him to guide us. God wants the best for us. He wants us to be transformed people with renewed minds, living to honor and obey Him. 

(5) Our finances: All of the resources we have ultimately come from God, and we are only managers of them, and not owners. The Scripture says, “...A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.” (John 3 vs 27.) The power to get wealth comes from God (Deuteronomy 8 vs 18). And He blesses us to be a blessing to others (Genesis 12 vs 2). 

(6) Our future: By deciding to make service to God and man the main purpose of our life's work. God knows the future. Any believer can trust His or her future to God because God already knows what is going to happen. Today people are still fascinated by horoscopes, fortune-telling, witchcraft, and bizarre cults. Often their interest comes from a desire to know and control the future. In the Bible God tells us all we need to know about what is going to happen. With the trustworthy guidance of the Holy Spirit through the Bible and the church, we don’t need to turn to occult sources for faulty information.

The Scripture says, “But as it is written: “Eyes has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of Man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (First Corinthians 2 vs 9.) We cannot imagine all that God has in store for us, both in this life and in eternity. He will create a new heaven and a new earth (Isaiah 65 vs 17; Revelation 21 vs 1.), and We will live with Him forever. Until then, His Holy Spirit comforts and guides us. Knowing the wonderful and eternal future that awaits us gives us hope and courage to press on in this life, to endure hardship, and to avoid giving in to temptation. The world is not all there is. The best is yet to come. 

Prayer: Abba Father, give me the grace to rightly conduct in my obedience to You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD! 

GOD’S PATIENCE AND MERCY!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY OCTOBER 19, 2019.

SUBJECT : GOD’S PATIENCE AND MERCY!

Memory verse: "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." (Second Peter 3 vs 9.)

READ: Psalm 103 vs 8 - 14:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

INTIMATION:

Our Heavenly Father extends grace far beyond the usual time by waiting or enduring without complaint or reprisal. The Bible in Exodus 34 vs 6 - 7 says, "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....."

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. Self evaluation is difficult, and it is even more difficult to expose our conduct to God and let Him tell us where we need to change. In our thought, we just don't put God in our timetable. God is not slow; He is just not in our timetable. Because of the open invitation; without any time frame attached or given to us to come to Him, we tend to put Him out of our timetable. Like God the Father, God the Son, Jesus, is waiting so that more sinners will repent and turn to Him. We must not sit and wait for Christ to return, but we should realize that time is short and we have important work to do. 

But as Christians we must pray constantly that God will point out our sins, so that He can heal them. Unfortunately, we are more likely to be amazed at God's patience with others than humbled by His patience with us. God is ever merciful. He is good and His mercies endures forever. Though this Nature of God is repeated severally in the Bible, but the psalmist in Psalm 136 repeated it throughout the psalm. Repeating this phrase, "For His mercy endures forever," shows the truth in it, and makes the important lesson sink in. 

"Mercy" is a translation of a Hebrew word that includes aspects of love, kindness, mercy, and faithfulness. We never have to worry that God will run out of love because it flows from a well that will never run dry. Mercy the translation of the Greek word "Eleos," which is the outward manifestation of pity; it assumes need on the part of him who receives it, and resources adequate to meet the need on the part of him who shows it. God is rich in mercy (Ephesians 2 vs 4), and out of His mercy has provided salvation for all men (Titus 3 vs 5), for Jews (Luke 1 vs 72), and Gentiles (Romans 15 vs 9). He is merciful to those who fear Him (Luke 1 vs 50), for they are compassed with iniquity, and He alone can succor them. 

Now that we have known of God's patience and merciful nature, we should not overstretch it or take it for granted. But we should be ready to meet Christ any time, even today, yet plan our course of service as though He may not return for many years. We should be ready at all times; leading our lives as if He is already here, knowing that if we miss it now, we may have missed it forever.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are merciful, patient, and just. May I not take Your mercy and patience for granted, but rather be ready to meet You anytime, in Jesus' Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

GIVING WITH THE RIGHT ATTITUDE!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY OCTOBER 18, 2019.

SUBJECT : GIVING WITH THE RIGHT ATTITUDE.

Memory verse: "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you" (Luke 6 vs 38).

READ: Psalm 50 vs 7 - 15:

50 vs 7: Hear, O My people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you; I am God, your God! 

8: I will not rebuke you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, which are continually before Me. 

9: I will not take a bull from your house, nor goats out of your folds. 

10: For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. 

11: I know all the birds of the mountains, and the wild beast of the field are Mine. 

12: "If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness. 

13: Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? 

14: Offer to God thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High.

15: Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.

INTIMATION:

The attitude with which you give, occasions the manner of your receiving. The right attitude in giving ensures receiving rightly from God. When you give with a wrong attitude, or in a wrong manner, you receive nothing from God. For instance, the religious rituals of going to church, taking communion, paying tithes, giving to charity, or to the church, are all empty if our motives of doing them are selfish. God doesn't want these sacrifices and offerings without an attitude of devotion to Him. 

Many believers' giving fall into the scenario hinted above. They participate in religious activities out of habit or conformity rather than out of heartfelt love and obedience to God. Some give to be recognized; be seen as a financial pillar in the church or ministry, or for self-actualization, not our of love, and obedient obligation to the LORD.

In our memory verse, we have seen that our receiving is tied to our giving. Note, most importantly, that the Scripture says, "the measure we use," not "the measure we give." Many people confuse the two. If we give in love, we receive in lovely manner, but if give in hate, or grudgingly, we receive in like manner. If we are critical rather than compassionate, we will also receive criticism. If we treat others generously, graciously, and compassionately, these qualities will come back to us in full measure. We are to love others, not judge them.

In the passage we read, God was saying to His chosen people that His disagreement with them wasn't about a lack of sacrifices on their part; they had been offering sacrifices continually. His complaint against them was the heart attitude they had in making offerings. They were missing the point! God didn't need the sacrifices. The Israelites were going through the motions of making the offerings, but they weren't giving their hearts to God.

They thought they were making the sacrifices because God somehow needed their bulls and goats. In this Scripture, God was making it clear that He didn't need anything from them; everything already belongs to the Lord. God said, "If I were hungry, I wouldn't tell you! The world is Mine, and everything in it." He doesn't need to ask anyone for food. The truth is that the Israelites needed those sacrifices. They needed to give back to God and show their trust and dependence upon Him. It wasn't for God—it's for them. The same is applicable to us today. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13 vs 8).

Do you know the reason for tithe? Why God asked us to give ten percent of our income to the church? It isn't because God needs our money! All the gold, silver, and riches in the world already belong to Him (Psalm 50 vs 12; Haggai 2 vs 8). He doesn't need our donations. God could have set up church finances differently. He could have made every minister of the Gospel independently wealthy like He made Abraham, Isaac, David, Solomon, and all the rest. The tithe exists for our benefit, not God's.

God doesn't need your giving today any more than He needed those Old Testament sacrifices. The point of your giving is for you to learn to recognize God as the source of all you have (John 3 vs 27). It's one thing to say you believe God is your source, but it's another thing to prove it. The way you prove to yourself, not God, that you believe God is your source, is to give a portion of what you have back to Him. People who don't really see God as their source are going to balk at giving part of what they have away. They are selfish, and usually are going to think, 'I need this thing!' But giving back some of what God has already given you is nothing when you see God as your source.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are my everything. All I have You have given me. I am nothing without You. Give me the grace to give in full devotion to You, that I will receive from you in good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

LOVE IS THE HIGHEST RULE!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY OCTOBER 17, 2019.

SUBJECT: LOVE IS THE HIGHEST RULE!

Memory verse: "And now abide faith, hope, Love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (First Corinthians 13 vs 13.)

READ: Mark 12 vs 28 vs 31:

12:28: Then 

one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?”

12:29: Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is, ‘Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
12:30: And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.

12:31: And the second, like it, is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.

INTIMATION:

Love is having great affection for, feeling a passionate attraction to. Biblically, It is described as the basic first cause and ultimate expression of God and man, is the Christian gospel, and church ethics; a fruit of the Spirit. Love describes God; “God is love” (First John 4 vs 8 & 16). Love as used of God, expresses the deep and constant love and interest of a perfect Being towards entirely unworthy objects, producing and fostering a reverential love in them towards the Giver, and a practical love towards those who are partakers of the same, and a desire to help others to seek the Giver.

Christian love has God for its primary object, and expresses itself first of all in implicit obedience to His commandments (see John 14 vs 15, 21, 23; 15 vs 10; First John 2 vs 5, 5 vs 3). Self-will, that is, self-pleasing, is the negation of love to God. Christian love, whether exercised toward the brethren, or toward men generally, is not an impulse from the feelings, it does not always run with the natural inclinations, nor does it spend itself only upon those for whom some affinity is discovered. Love seeks the welfare of all (Romans 15 vs 2), and works no ill to any (Romans 13 vs 8 - 10); love seeks opportunity to do ‘good to all men, especially toward them that are of the household of the faith,’ (Galatians 6 vs 10). 

The intent of God’s Law is to promote love to God and others. Consequently, the Christian faith involves many rules that are meant to be governed by love. That makes love the highest rule, but it also moves Christians toward personal sacrifice, discipline, and responsibility, which are scarce resources in today’s world. When confronted with rules of your own or others’ making, ask: (1) Does the rule serve God’s purpose? (2) Does the rule reveal God’s character? (3) Does the rule help people get into God’s family, or keep them out? (4) Does the rule have biblical roots that can be supported in the context of all Scripture? Good rules pass all four tests.

Everything concerning God is summed up in love. His laws can be reduced to two simple principles: Love God and love others. When you love God completely and care for others as you care for yourself, then you have fulfilled the intent of God’s Law.—the “Ten Commandments.” According to Jesus, these two commandments summarize all God’s laws. Let them rule your thoughts, decisions, and actions. When you are uncertain about what to do, ask yourself which course of action best demonstrates love for God and love for others.

Love can be known only from the actions it prompts. God’s love is seen in the gift of His Son: “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this 

is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (First John 4 vs 9 - 10). Obviously this is not the love of complacency, or affection, that is, it was not drawn out by any excellency in its object: “

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” 

(Romans 5 vs 8). It was an exercise of the divine will in deliberate choice, made without assignable cause save that which lies in the nature of God Himself.

Love explains: (1) why God creates—because He loves, He creates people to love; (2) why God cares—because He loves them, He cares for sinful people; (3) why we are free to choose—God wants a loving response from us; (4) why Christ died—His love for us caused Him to offer a solution to the problem of sin; and (5) why we receive eternal life—God’s love expresses itself to us forever.

Real love is an action, not a feeling. It produces selfless, sacrificial giving. The greatest act of love is giving oneself for others. The Scripture says, “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (First John 3 vs 16). How can we “lay down our lives?” By serving others with no thought of receiving anything in return. Sometimes it is easier to say we’ll die for others than to truly live for them—this involves putting others’ desires first. Jesus taught this same principle of love, He said, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (John 15 vs 13.) 

We are to love each other as Jesus loved us, and He loved us enough to give His life of inestimable value for ours that are completely worthless because of sin. We may not have to die for someone, but there are other ways to practice sacrificial love: listening, helping, encouraging, giving, caring. Evaluate your lifestyle, and measure your obedience to the highest rule! You can start right away: Think of someone in particular who needs this kind of love today. Give all the love you can, and then try to give a little more. Then make it a regular practice.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are love, and has poured out Your love in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Engrace, and empower me to love as You do, in Jesu’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!