NEVER BE SELF-CENTRED BUT GOD-CENTRED!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 8, 2019.

SUBJECT: NEVER BE SELF-CENTRED BUT GOD-CENTRED!

Memory verse: "But He turned, and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offence to Me: for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."(Matthew 16 vs 23.)

READ: Matthew 16 vs 21 - 27:

16:21: From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
16:22: Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!
16:23: But He turned, and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offence to Me: for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

16:24: Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
16:25: For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
16:26: For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

16:27: For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He will reward each according to his works.

INTIMATION:

Being “self-centered” is thinking mainly of oneself, caring only about oneself and own needs, being egocentric. A self-centered person leaves God out of the center of his or her life as Satan desires. But being “God-centered” is making God the center of your life. All you desire is to do God’s will; always evaluating things from God’s perspective than from human or self perspective. Many people try to use God for their own self-actualization, but that is a reversal of nature and is doomed to failure. We are all made by God and for Him and His use, not vice versa. Life is all about letting God use His creation for the purpose He created it; it Is all about letting God use you for His purposes, not your using Him for your own purpose.

The obsession of self-centeredness is a dead end. The Bible in Romans 8 vs 6 states, "For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." Those who are self-centered live for themselves, and not for God, and consequently lose the spiritual dimension to their lives. Keep your commitment to Christ at full strength. Then you’ll be ready when He returns.

We must be committed to living for Christ that we should “hate” our lives by comparison. This does not mean that we long to die or that we are careless or destructive with the life God has given, but that we are willing to die if doing so will glorify Christ. We must disown the tyrannical rule of our own self-centeredness. By laying aside our striving for advantage, security, and pleasure, we can serve God lovingly and freely. Releasing control of our lives and transferring control to Christ bring eternal life and genuine joy.

In the passage we read today, Jesus said to Peter, ‘It is satanic to think of self rather than God’; ““Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offence to Me: for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” He further said to His disciples, ‘Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. They should follow Him and He will show them their life's purpose. Jesus advised them that self-help is no help at all, but self-sacrifice is the way, God's way to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for? Achieving your life's purpose ordained by your Creator is more valuable than gaining the whole world—your selfish desires.

God made you for a reason, and your life has profound meaning! We discover that meaning and purpose only when we make God the reference point of our lives. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what He does for us. We are equivalent to an invention in God’s hands. The easiest way to discover the purpose of an invention is to ask the creator of it directly, or refer to the owner's manual. The same is true for discovering your life's purpose; Ask God—your Maker, or refer to the Owner's Manual —the Bible. The discovery is by revelations inherent in the Word of God. 

God has not left us in the dark to wonder and guess. He has clearly revealed His purposes for our lives in the Bible. It tells us why we are alive, how life works, how the owner of life governs it, what to do, what to avoid, and what to expect now, and in the future. And it is only in Him, and His Manual you can find these answers. If that is the case, it makes no sense to center your life on yourself, but rather on the Owner of that life, and the determinant of how best to lead that life of yours.

In First Corinthians 2 vs 7. The Bible says, "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory." The wisdom of God is mysterious and goes deep into the interior of His purposes which is only determined by Him, and revealed to us, if we quest for it. You don't find it lying around on the surface. God, in His wisdom, determined the way to bring out His best in us, long before we ever arrived on the scene. It is beyond the wisdom of men, or of this world. "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God" (First Corinthians 3 vs 19).

God is not just the starting point of your life; He is the source of it. To discover your purpose in life you must turn to God's Word, not the world's wisdom—never lean on your own understanding. You must build your life on eternal truths, not self-driven ambitions. God, in His infinite wisdom, purposefully created you, and you are to serve His purpose to live a purposeful life.

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of raw obedience to You, that You will take the first place in my in all things, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen. 

PRAISE THE LORD!

USE YOUR GOD GIVEN ABILITIES FOR HIS PURPOSE!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 7, 2019.

SUBJECT: USE YOUR GOD GIVEN ABILITIES FOR HIS PURPOSE

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Memory verse: ""He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works." (Psalm 33 vs 15.)

READ: Psalm 33 vs 11, 13 - 15; Ephesians 1 vs 11:

Psalm 33:11: The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations.

33:13: The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men.

33:14: From The Place of His dwelling He looks on all inhabitants of the earth; 

33:15: He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works.

Ephesians 1:11: In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.

INTIMATION:

God is sovereign; He is in charge. He created all things including you and I for His purpose and plan. To serve His purpose, He gave us the talents and abilities to assist us serve. It is not for us, but for Him. After creating us, God was pleased, because He saw all He created as very good. He fashioned your intellect, gave you talents and abilities, and is very mindful how you utilize them. God especially enjoys watching us use the talents and abilities He has given us. He intentionally gave us different gifts for His purpose and enjoyment. He has made some athletic, some analytical, some extremely strong, some weak, and so on. You may be gifted at mechanics or mathematics or music, or a million other skills. All these abilities can bring a smile to God's face, and glory to Him when properly employed for His purpose.

God has designed and wired us in accordance with His will ordained from inception. God said to Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in your mother’s womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nation” (Jeremiah 1 vs 5). God has a purpose for each all His creations, especially for Christians, but some people are appointed by God foe specific kinds of work. We are called to do particular jobs for God, and He has given us talents and abilities accordingly. If God gives you a specific task, accept it cheerfully and do it with diligence. If God has not given you a specific call or assignment, then seek to fulfill the mission common to all believers—to love, obey, and serve God—until His guidance becomes more clear.

You don't bring glory or pleasure to Him by hiding your abilities or by trying to be someone else. You only bring Him enjoyment by being you. Anytime you reject any part of yourself, you are rejecting God's wisdom and sovereignty in creating you. The Scripture in Isaiah 45 vs 9 says, "Woe to him who strives with His Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth! Shall the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ Or, shall your handiwork say, ‘He has no hands.’?” 

The Creator has control over the created object. The created object, therefore, has no right to demand anything from its Creator—its very existence depends on Him. God has given you some abilities, and to others some abilities different from yours. Utilizing the abilities to please God is an act of worship. You can sing, write poems, repair machine, sell a product, write a computer program, do farming, teach, raise a family, preach the gospel, and so on, for the glory of God. Keeping this perspective removes any temptation to have pride in personal achievement. Any act of priding yourself in those abilities or talents dishonors God, and therefore sinful.

God looks at the attitude of your heart. Is pleasing Him your deepest desire? The Scripture in Psalm 14 vs 2 says, "The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God." The apostle Paul says to please God should be our utmost goal (Second Corinthians 5 vs 9). When you live in light of eternity, your focus changes from "How much pleasure am I getting out of life?" to "How much pleasure is God getting out of my life?

Will you make pleasing God your life's goal? There is nothing that God won't do for the person totally absorbed with this goal. God, by His grace, has freely given to us the gift of salvation and eternal life, but the free gift not withstanding, each of us will be judged by Christ. The judgement will reward us for how we have lived—how we have used God’s endowment for His purposes and plans. 

Prayer: Abba Father, engrace me to serve You diligently with the endowment You haven given me to Your glory, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

PRAISE AND THANK GOD CONTINUALLY!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 6, 2019.

SUBJECT: PRAISE AND THANK GOD CONTINUALLY

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Memory verse: "So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture, will give You thanks forever; We will show forth Your praise to all generations." (Psalm 79 vs 13.)

READ: Psalm 69 vs 30 - 31; 92 vs 1 - 6:

69:30: I will praise the name of God with song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving. 69:31: This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bull, which have horns and hooves.

92:1: It is good to give thanks to the LORD, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High. 
92:2: To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night,
92:3: On an instrument of ten strings, on the lute, and on the harp, with harmonious sound.
92:4: For You, LORD, have made me glad through Your work:p; I will triumph in the works of Your hands.
92:5: O LORD, how great are Your works! Your thoughts are very deep.
92:6: A senseless man does not know, nor does a fool understand this.

INTIMATION:

Praise is an act of worship, commending or given honor to; when you express yourself in such manner, it is praise. Thanksgiving is acknowledging a goodness. We can count the few things that make us feel better than receiving heartfelt praise and appreciation from someone else. God loves it, too. He is pleased when we express our adoration and gratitude to Him. We praise God for who He is, and thank Him for what he has done. We acknowledge God when we shout our praises, appreciate His status as our Creator, accept His authority in every detail of life, enthusiastically agree with the guidance He gives us, and express our thanks for His unfailing love.

Praise and thanksgiving are forms of sacrifice to God. The Bible in Hebrews 13 vs 15 says, "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name." These sacrifices are ever pleasing to God. Our lips should confess God’s name in praise. It is a sacrifice that can be offered anywhere and anytime. A “sacrifice of our lips” today would include thanking Christ for His sacrifice on the cross and telling others about it. Offer Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise. Acts of kindness and sharing are particularly pleasing to God, even when they go unnoticed by others. 

The psalmist, in Psalm 30 vs 12, says, "To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God. I will give thanks to You forever." "I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth." (Psalm 34 vs 1.) In the Bible, praise and thanksgiving to God is emphasized over 350 times, to indicate their usefulness in our relationship with our Maker.

Amazing things happens when we offer praise and thanksgiving to God. When we give God enjoyment, our own hearts are filled with joy! The Lord inhabits the praises of His children (Psalm 22 vs 3). God comes in His might to answer to our prayers when we worship Him in praise and thanksgiving. For instance, the apostle Paul and Silas suffered persecution, and were imprisoned in Philippi. The Bible recorded in Acts 16 vs 25 - 26: "But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed." The praises of Paul and Silas brought God to the scene in His might and power. The earth quaked at His presence, and the foundation of the prison was greatly shaken. The prison doors were opened. Can anything resist the Almighty? Certainly not.

Thanks should be on our lips every day. We can never say thank you enough to our parents, friends, leaders, and especially to God. When thanksgiving becomes an integral part of your life, you will find that your attitude toward life will change. You will become more positive, gracious, loving, and humble. Have you worshipped God in all other forms and nothing seem to happen? Praise Him, and He will personally come in His might and power to attend to your prayers. No matter our circumstances, we should praise God. 

Those you praise God always are assured of enjoying His presence at all times, and consequently the fullness of joy! We enjoy what God has done for us, and when we express that enjoyment to God, it brings Him joy and also increases our joy. Yet, in your typical day, how many times do you hear God’s name used profanely? Christians should turn the frequency of the use of His name toward praise! Praise God early in the day before the rush, then again in the hurried middle, and at the end as business winds down. It is pleasing to Him.

Prayer: Abba Father, engrace me to continually offer the sacrifice of my lips to You, and thank You for Your ever unchanging faithfulness in my life, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

OBEY GOD WHOLEHEARTEDLY!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 5, 2019.

SUBJECT: OBEY GOD WHOLEHEARTEDLY

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Memory verse: "But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.”

 (Romans 6 vs 17.)

READ: Joshua 22 vs 5:

22:5: But take careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.

INTIMATION:

To obey is to comply, to listen to, being submissive to authority. Obeying God is adhering strictly to His commands and instructions. Your act of obedience should be from a willing heart, done wholeheartedly without grudges or complain. To obey from the heart means to give yourself fully to God, to love Him “with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind” (Matthew 22 vs 37). It is doing whatever God asks without reservation or hesitation, and  with joy, enthusiasm, and gladness. You do it without delay. Delayed obedience is really disobedience. Instant obedience will teach you more about God than a lifetime of Bible discussions. You are eager to know what God requires of you to do, and do it gladly and joyfully. The Bible says in Psalm 100 vs 2, "Serve the Lord with gladness.." 

Often we try to offer God partial obedience, that is “halfhearted” obedience. We want to pick and choose the commands we obey. We make a list of the commands we like and obey them while ignoring the ones we think are unreasonable, difficult, expensive, unpopular, or not beneficial to us in our own understanding. For instance you will attend church but you will not want to pay tithe or give offering. You pray to God for forgiveness, but will not forgive the person who offended you. You will hate people but wants God's love in your life. Note that partial obedience is complete disobedience. However, God wants to give you the power to obey Him with all your heart. 

The apostle James in James 2 vs 24 says, "You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only." What this means is that a man"s true faith in God always results to his good works, but the works do not justify him. Faith brings him salvation, active obedience demonstrates that his faith is genuine, and his knowledge and understanding of God.

Let us look at the instance of Abraham, he obeyed God wholeheartedly when God asked him to go and sacrifice his son: "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." (Genesis 22 vs 2.)

Abraham demonstrated one of the greatest acts of obedience in recorded history. He traveled fifty (50) miles to Mount Moriah. He took his son, whom he waited for a hundred years to get, for a burnt offering. He didn't contemplate the possibility of any replacement, since he was old, as well as the wife who was past the age of bearing, for it was impossible for them to have another child. God knew that fact hence His emphasis, "your only son, whom you love." It’s noteworthy that his obedience was prompt and complete. 

It is difficult to let go of what we deeply love. Yet when we wholeheartedly obey God, give Him what He asks, He returns to us far more than we could dream. The spiritual benefits of His blessings far outweigh our sacrifices. The Bible, in Genesis 22 vs 17 - 18, recorded how God blessed Abraham in return for his obedience;  "Blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gates of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."

God doesn't owe us any explanations for whatever He requires us to do. We just obey Him and lean not on your own understanding. Understanding can wait, but obedience can't. In fact you will never understand some commands until you obey them first. Obedience unlocks understanding. Remember He created you for His purpose, not your own purpose, and instructs you on what to do to achieve His purpose.

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of wholehearted obedience to You in all areas of my life, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD! 

TRUST GOD COMPLETELY!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY NOVEMBER 4, 2019.

SUBJECT: TRUST GOD COMPLETELY

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Memory verse: "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind s stayed on You, because he trusts in You."

 (Isaiah 26 vs 3.)

READ: Psalm 125 vs 1 - 2:

Psalm 125:1: Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever.

125:2: As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the Lord surrounds His people from this I Me forth and forever.

INTIMATION:

Trusting God completely means having faith that He knows what is best for your life, you expect him to keep His promises, help you with problems, and do the impossible when necessary. 

Trusting God completely pleases Him. 

When you put your absolute trust in the Lord, He will surround you as the mountains surround the city of Jerusalem. You will confidently say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress." Those who trust in the Lord completely have the same claim and experience expressed by the psalmist in Psalm 91; the perfect expression of the result of our absolute trust in God. Recite Psalm 91 daily in assurance of your trust in Him.

The reason we trust in the Lord is because He is an unchanging God. As the mountain remains unmoved so do the consistency of our God. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Malachi 3 vs 6; Hebrews 13 vs 8). And because "The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy," (Psalm 147 vs 11), He surrounds His people now and forever. You are continually in His presence. And "In His presence is fullness of joy, and at His right hand are pleasures forevermore." (Psalm 16 vs 11.)

Noah, we noted was one of the people that trusted God. Even when God asked him to do something that made no sense to him, he trusted God and obeyed. Noah knew nothing about flood, there has been no rain before that time, so he knew nothing about rain. He has never seen an ark or built a ship before, but obeyed the instructions God gave him and adhered strictly to the measurements and materials God told him to use. 

Obviously Noah was faced with three problems that could have caused him to doubt. First, he had never seen rain, because prior to the flood, God irrigated the earth from the ground up. (See Genesis 2 vs 5 - 6.) Second, Noah lived hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean. Even if he could learn to build a ship, how would he get it to water? Third, there was the problem of rounding up all the animals and then caring for them. But he didn't complain or make excuses. He trusted God completely, and that made God smile at him. It took Noah 120 years to build the ark. I imagined he faced many discouraging days. With no sign of rain year after year, he was ruthlessly criticized as a "crazy man who thinks God speaks to him." I imagined Noah's children were often embarrassed by the giant ship being built in their front yard. Yet Noah kept trusting God.

Trusting is an act of worship. Just as parents are pleased when the children trust their love and wisdom, your faith makes God happy. And without faith it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11 vs 6.) Trusting God completely pleases Him, and consequently He ensures you are kept in perfect peace that surpasses all human understanding. 

We can never avoid strife around us in this world, but with God we can know perfect peace even in turmoil. When we are devoted to Him, our whole attitude is steady and stable. Supported by God's unchanging love and mighty power, we are not shaken by the surrounding chaos. Do you want peace? Keep your thoughts and your trust in God. 

The secret of stability is to trust in God, because He never changes. 

He cannot be shaken by the changes in our world, and He endures forever. The fads and ideas of our world, and our world itself will not.

Prayer: Abba Father, in You I put my whole trust. Whatever You can’t do for me, let it remain undone, whatever You can’t give me, may I never have it, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

LOVE GOD SUPREMELY!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 4, 2019.

SUBJECT: LOVE GOD SUPREMELY!

Memory verse: "He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved of My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.

"

 (John 14 vs 21.)

READ: John 14 vs 23 - 24:

14:23: Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
14:24: He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's which sent Me.

INTIMATION:

Love is the characteristic word of Christianity. It describes the attitude of God toward His Son (John 17 vs 26), the human race (John 3 vs 16), and to such as believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (John 14 vs 21). Love also, expresses the essential nature of God (First John 4 vs 8), it conveys His will to His children concerning their attitude one to another (John 13 vs 35), and toward all men (First Thessalonians 3 vs 12; Second Peter 1 vs 7). Christian love has God for its primary object, and expresses itself first of all in implicit obedience to His commandments. Therefore, self-will, that is, self-pleasing is the negation of love to God.

Jesus said that His followers show their love for Him by obeying Him. Keeping God's commandments is the true demonstration of your love for Him. When you love God, you keep His commandments, and Jesus reciprocates by manifesting Himself in you. An intimate relationship is what God desires from you. It's the most outstanding truth in the universe—that our Creator wants to fellowship with us. 

God is love, and He made us to love us, hence He created us in His own image and after His likeness. He longs for us to love Him back. In Hosea 6 vs 6, God says, "For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings."

God says, I don't want you rituals (sacrifice); I want your love. I don't want your offerings; I want you to know Me." God deeply loves us and desires our love in return. He longs for us to know Him and spend time with Him. This is why learning to love God and be loved by Him should be the greatest objective of your life. Nothing else comes close in importance. Jesus called this the greatest commandment (Matthew 22 vs 37 - 38).

Loving God supremely puts us in an enviable position of being in partnership with Him—the Father and the Son making their home with you. I can envisage the triumphant life of such a person; who lives with Him whom nothing is difficult or impossible with, and the Owner of the whole universe and everything in it! Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11 vs 28 - 30). 

Speaking figuratively, Jesus used a yoke, a heavy wooden harness that fits over the shoulders of an ox or oxen. It is attached to a piece of equipment the oxen are to pull. A person’s heavy burdens may be sin, oppression, persecution, unfavorable life’s circumstances, or even weariness in the search for God. Jesus frees people from all these burdens when you are in partnership with Him. The yoke is shared with Him, with weight falling on His bigger shoulders than yours. He has more pulling power, and is up front helping. Consequently, you are participating in life’s responsibilities with a great Partner, and now that frown can turn into smile, and that gripe into a song.

Jesus doesn’t offer a life of luxurious ease—the yoke is still an oxen’s tool for working hard. But you are assured of His winning power and support at all times in your life’s travails. The rest that Jesus promises is love, healing, and peace with God, not the end of all labor. A relationship with God changes meaningless, wearisome toil into spiritual productivity and purpose.

Love is more than lovely words; it is commitment and conduct. If you love Christ, then prove it by obeying what he says in His Word. Jesus never promised that obeying Him would be easy. But the hard work and self-discipline of serving Christ is no burden to those who love Him. And if the load starts to feel heavy, we can always trust Christ to help us bear it. 

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of love and obedience to you, I. Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!