UNBELIEF IS AN ENEMY TO OVERCOMING MOUNTAINS!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY JANUARY 26, 2020.

SUBJECT : UNBELIEF AS AN ENEMY TO OVERCOMING MOUNTAINS!

Memory verse: “So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, If you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done.." (Matthew 21 vs 21.)

READ: Matthew 17 vs 19 - 21:

17:19: Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could not we cast it out?”
17:20: So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly I say to you, If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move From here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
17:21: However, this kind does not out except by prayer and fasting.

INTIMATION:

Unbelief is the state of not believing, being skeptical, or lack of faith. Mountain represents difficult obstacles we face in life. Unbelief is an enemy to overcoming mountains (difficult obstacles) of what seems to be impossible. In Matthew 13 vs 58 we notice that Jesus did not operate in the power of God in His hometown because of the unbelief of the people: “And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” (Matthew 13 vs 58.) Unbelief blinds people to the truth and robs them of hope. Believe, ask God for a mighty work in your life, and expect Him to act. Look with the eyes of faith.

Also, the disciples of Jesus could not cast out the demon in the boy, although they have been given the authority by Jesus to cast out demons, but they had not yet learned how to appropriate the power of God. The disciples seem to be somewhat embarrassed over their inability to take care of the demon possessed boy. It was unbelief on their part, not on the part of the one who was healed. However, the qualification for being able to command the power of the supernatural demanded that they believe. Their faith was filled with doubts and fears. 

It is important to drive unbelief from your life. And one of the ways this is accomplished is through prayer and fasting. Prayer and fasting help us clear obstacles to our faith and faith-filled actions. Fasting, coupled with prayer, is one of the most powerful weapons to receiving a breakthrough and overcoming unbelief. Jesus preceded His ministry with fasting and returned in the power of the Holy Spirit into Galilee. Jesus didn’t struggle with unbelief, and He operated in faith throughout His ministry.

Many have wondered about Jesus’ statement that if we have faith and don’t doubt, we can move mountains. Jesus, of course, was not suggesting that His followers use prayer as “magic” and perform capricious “mountain moving” acts. Instead, He was making a strong point about the disciples’ (and our) lack of faith. Jesus’ frustration is with the unbelieving and unresponsive generation. His disciples were merely a reflection of that attitude in this instance. Jesus’ purpose was not to criticize the disciples but to encourage them to greater faith. 

Jesus said to the disciples that their faith was too small. It is the power of God, plus our faith that moves mountains. The mustard seed was the smallest particle imaginable. Jesus said that even faith as small or undeveloped as a mustard seed would have been enough or sufficient. Perhaps the disciples had tried to cast out the demon with their own ability rather than God’s power to act. There is great potential in even a little faith when we trust in God’s power to act.

If we feel week or powerless as Christians, we should examine our faith, making sure we are trusting God’s power, not our own ability to produce results. If you are facing a problem that seems as big and immovable as a mountain, turn your eyes from the mountain and look to Christ for more faith. Only then will you be able to overcome the obstacles that may stand in your way. Like a tiny seed, a small amount of genuine faith in God will take root and grow. Although, the growth or change will be gradual and imperceptible, soon the faith will have produced major results that will uproot and destroy competing loyalties. We don’t need more faith, a tiny seed of faith is enough if it is alive and growing.

Faith is the complete trust and loyalty to God that results in a willingness to do His will. Faith is not be the source of power, God is. Faith is not something we use to put on show for others. It is complete and humble obedience to God’s will, readiness to do whatever He calls us to do. When one prays in faith, it is that God answers prayer. Though He may not answer in the manner we deem correct, or at the time we feel we need an answer, He still answers our prayers. The amount of faith isn’t as important as the right kind of faith—faith in our all-powerful God. Christians, therefore, must always pray with a positive attitude that God is working in answer to their sincere prayers of faith.

God will answer your prayers but not as a result of your positive mental attitude. Other conditions must be met: (1) You must be a believer; (2) you must not hold grudge against another person; (3) you must not pray with selfish motives; (4) your request must be for the good of God’s kingdom. To pray effectively, you need faith in God, not faith in the object of your request. If you focus only on your request, you will be left with nothing if your request is refused.

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the right spirit of faith, to believe according what is written, that I may speak accordingly, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

GOD DEMANDS A LIFE OF PRAYER FROM US!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY JANUARY 25, 2020.

SUBJECT: GOD DEMANDS A LIFE OF PRAYER FROM US! 

Memory verse: "Pray without ceasing,” (First Thessalonians 5 vs 18).

READ: Luke 18 vs 1 - 8:

18:1: Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,

18:2: saying, “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear Godnor regard man.

18:3: Now There was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’

18:4: And he would not for a while; but afterword he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man,

18:5: yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’”

18:6: Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said.

18:7: And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 

18:8: I tell you that He will avenge them speedily, Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

INTIMATION:

Prayer is to make supplication or petition to God. Prayer is a call to the Father to visit with Him. It is the call of love to the Father to come and fellowship with Him. Prayer is our need crying out for help. It is the voice of faith to the Father. Prayer therefore, is born out of the sense of need, and the assurance that the need will be met. It’s facing God with man's needs, with His promise to meet those needs. He  taught us to pray, He is one with us in this prayer life, and hence it’s part of His program for us.

Most Christians have realized the fact that the Father's heart is hungry for the companionship of His children. His heart hunger is the reason for man and his redemption. God wants a constant fellowship with His children. It was His plan from the beginning hence He visited Adam everyday in the Garden. He loves us and that love impels Him to call us to prayer.

It is God's Will that His children will come to His Throne Room, to stand in His presence  without reproof or condemnation. It is for this reason that Jesus Christ, while teaching His disciples how to pray, said, "When you pray" (Matthew 6 vs 5), and not "if you pray." It is God's intention that His children will visit their Father, the children coming joyously into the presence of their Loving Father, and are welcome.

To persist in prayer and not give up or “praying without ceasing,” does not mean endless repetition or painfully long prayer sessions. Always praying means keeping our requests constantly before God as we live for Him day by day, believing He will answer. When we live by faith, we are not to give up. God may delay answering, but His delays have good reasons. As we persist in prayer we grow in character, faith, and hope. 

In prayer we are brought near enough to breathe in the Father’s very presence, coming boldly into the Throne Room and are standing in His presence. It is going into the presence of the Father and Jesus who seats at the right hand of the Father, engaging the ‘Father and the Son’ in an executive meeting, laying our needs before them and making our requisitions for ability, for grace, to meet our needs. Whatever the needs may be, we are making a demand upon Them.

When we pray always, we are in constant communication with the Father and it enriches us spiritually. We touch the Father through our prayers, and there cannot be any touching of the Master without the Master knowing it. When our need touches Him, it makes a demand upon his ability to meet that need.  For instance, one day when the crowd was pressing around the Master, Jesus said, "Who touched Me?" And they said, "Master, the multitudes throng and press You,  and You say, "Who touched Me?" But Jesus said, "Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me." (Luke 8 vs 45 - 47.) 

Touching the Master is making a demand from Him. The woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, touched Him, making a demand upon His ability to meet her need, and the Master knew it, and she got her need met—she was healed of the disease (See Luke 8 vs 40 - 48). 

Prayer: Abba Father, You are my Loving and Caring Father, always available to hear my cry, and attend to my needs. I will ever put my complete trust in You, for I know that with You nothing is impossible, and there is nothing too hard for You. May I never take my focus off You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

CHRISTIAN LIFE IS A RACE!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY JANUARY 24, 2020.

SUBJECT : CHRISTIAN LIFE IS A RACE!

Memory verse: Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." (Hebrews 12 vs 1.)

READ: First Corinthians 9 vs 24 - 27; Philippians 3 vs 12 - 14:

First Corinthians 9:24: Do you not know that those who run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.
9:25: And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown; but we for an imperishable crown.
9:26: Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainly. Thus I fight: not as one who  beats the air.
9:27: But I discipline my body, and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

Philippians 3:12: Not that I had already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
3:13: Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended: but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.
3:14: I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

INTIMATION:

Christian life is a race; we are running toward our heavenly reward with our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ. It takes hard work, self-denial, and grueling preparation. Winning the race requires purpose and discipline. The essential discipline of prayer, Bible study, and worship equip us to run with vigor and stamina. Therefore, train yourself diligently in these exercises—your spiritual progress depends upon them. God has set before the Christian the mark of a final rest—eternity with Him—for which all of us were created. The goal is the new heavens and earth wherein dwells righteousness. When one’s hope for heaven is strong, then he or she will submit his or her life to the narrow way of Christian living.

To run the race that God had set before us, we must also strip off the excess weight that slows us down. How can we do that? (1) Choose friends who are also committed to the race. Wrong friends will have values and activities that may deter you from the course. Much of your own weight may result from the crowd you run with, therefore, make wise choices. (2) Drop certain activities. That is, for you, at this time, these may be weight. Try dropping them for a while, then check the results in your life. (3) Get help for addictions that disable you. If you have a secret “weight” such as pornography, gambling, or alcohol, admit your need and get help help today. 

The Christian life involves hard work. It requires us to give up whatever endangers our relationship with God, to run with endurance, and to struggle against sin with the power of the Holy Spirit. All sin hinders one’s faithfulness in running the Christian race. The apostle Paul said, “And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.” (Second Timothy 2 vs 5.) To live effectively, we must keep our eyes on Jesus. We will stumble if we look away from Him to stare at ourselves or at the circumstances surrounding us. We should be running for Christ, not ourselves, and we must always keep Him in sight.

The goal of every Christian is to know Christ, and we should not let anything take our eyes off the goal. With the single-mindedness of an athlete in training, we must lay aside everything harmful and forsake anything that may distract us from being effective Christians. If one takes his mind off Jesus, he will be diverted to other things, and thus, discontinue his or her participation in the race. It is essential, therefore, that every Christian focus his or her attention on Jesus who has gone before and is waiting for us in the heavenly realm.

In one of the passages we read today, the apostle Paul said, “But I discipline my body, and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” (First Corinthians 9 vs 27.) The Christian must not allow the lust of the flesh to detour him from the race. He must exercise self-discipline in order to train his or her character to be fit for eternal.dwelling. The disciple who preaches to others without bringing his or her own lusts under control, will lose his or her reward. Therefore, one’s good works in preaching are not enough to save one from an unholy life. You must exercise discipline and self-control in order to be qualified. However, you put yourself under excessive pressure if you want to lead this life by yourself without involving and relying on the help of the Holy Spirit—our Helper.

Also, the sin of doubts concerning God’s faithfulness to keep His promises, hinders Christians from zealously doing what God requires of an active faith. One must persevere in the race of faith. One’s run must be consistent and enduring. If one is not actively engaged in the race, then He or she is in a state of falling away. Indifference and stalemate are only stages of digression. If one continues in indifference as a stagnant Christian, he will digress to an inactive faith that would lead to creating an inactive religiosity after his or her own laziness. It is this type of religion that leads one to destruction. 

The apostle Paul remarked, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my race, I have kept the faith: Finally there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me at that Day, and not to me only, but also to all who loved His appearing.” (Second Timothy 4 vs 7 - 8.) He was certain concerning his reward and eagerly awaited it. This should the target of all believers, and we should strive to fight and finish the race as he did, and obviously our reward will await us.

Prayer: Abba Father, my complete trust is in You. Give me the grace to constantly focus on Jesus in my Christian race that I may be worthy of Your calling, and receive the crown of life—eternal life with You, in Jesus’ Name I prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

LIFE IS A TEMPORARY ASSIGNMENT!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY JANUARY 23, 2020.

SUBJECT : LIFE IS A TEMPORARY ASSIGNMENT!

Memory verse: For we were born yesterday, and know nothing, because our days on earth are a shadow." (Job 8 vs 9.)

READ: Hebrews 11 vs 13 - 16:

11:13: These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 

11:14: For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. 

11:15: And truly if they have had called to mind that country from which they have come out, they would have had opportunity to return. 

11:16: But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them."

INTIMATION:

Life on earth is the period between birth and death. And because it has a beginning and an end, it is temporary, and not permanent. The Bible is full of metaphors that teach about the brief, temporary, transient nature of life on earth. To make the best use of your life, you must never forget two truths: First, compared with eternity, life is extremely brief. Second, earth is only a temporary residence. You won't be here long, so don't get too attached. Ask God to help you see life on earth as He sees it. David prayed, "Lord, help me to realize how brief my time on earth will be. Help me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days, that I may know how frail I am." (Psalm 39 vs 4.)

Repeatedly the Bible compares life on earth to temporarily living in a foreign country. We're just passing through. The Bible uses terms like alien, pilgrim, foreigner, stranger, visitor, and traveler to describe our brief stay on earth. David said, "I am a stranger in the earth..." (Psalm 119 vs 19.) As believers, we are "sojourners and pilgrims" (First James 2 vs 11) in this world, because our real home is with God. Our true loyalty should be to our citizenship in heaven, not to our citizenship here, "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." (Philippians 3 vs 20.)

Real believers understand that there is far more to life than just the few years we live on this planet. Believers identity is in eternity. At death you won't leave home; you'll go home. When you grasp this truth, you will stop worrying about "having it all" on earth. God is very blunt about the danger of living for the here and now and adopting the values, priorities, and lifestyles of the world around us. When we flirt with the temptations of this world, God calls it spiritual adultery.

God warned us not to get too attached to what's around us because it's temporary, "For the form of this world is passing away" (First Corinthians 7 vs 31). The cares of this world; financial security, self actualization, worldly happiness, marriage, and so on, are not the ultimate goal of life. As much as possible, we should live unhindered by the cares of this world, not getting involved in burdensome life activities that might keep you from doing God's work.

Have you ever imagined why human wants are insatiable? This is because this earth is not our ultimate home. In our home, there are no wants, therefore, there is no insatiableness. And the fact that earth is not our ultimate home explains why, as followers of Jesus, we experience difficulty, sorrow, and rejection in this world. It also explains why some of God's promises seem unfulfilled, some prayers seem unanswered, and some circumstances seem unfair. In order to keep us from becoming too attached to earth, God allows us to feel a significant amount of discontent and dissatisfaction in life with longings that can never be fulfilled on this earth which is not our final home; we were created for something much better. 

This truth about life should radically alter your values. Eternal values, not temporal ones, should become the deciding factors for your actions. It is a fatal mistake to assume that God's goal for your life is material prosperity or popular success, as the world defines it. The abundant life has nothing to do with material abundance. It takes faith to live on earth as a foreigner. In God's eyes, the greatest heroes of faith are not those who achieve prosperity, success, and power in this life, but those who treat this life as a temporary assignment and serve faithfully, expecting their promised reward in eternity. Your time on earth is not the complete story of your life. You must wait until heaven for the rest of the chapters. 

An old story is often repeated of a retiring missionary coming home to America on the same boat as the president of the United States. Cheering crowds, a military band, a red carpet, banners, and the media welcomed the president home, but the missionary slipped off the ship unnoticed. Feeling self-pity and resentment, he began complaining to God. Then God gently reminded him, "But my child, you're not home yet."

A fish will never be happy living on land, because it was made for water. An eagle could never feel satisfied if it wasn't allowed to fly. You will never feel completely satisfied on earth, because you were made for more. You will have happy moments here, but nothing compared with what God planned for you. You will not be in heaven two seconds before you cry out, "Why did I place so much importance on things that were so temporary? What was I thinking? Why did I waste so much time, energy, and concern on what wasn't going to last?"

Prayer: Abba Father, engrace me to live here on earth with the reality of the temporal nature of life, and be eternity conscious, living to please You at all times, in Jesus’ Name I prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

LIFE IS AN ENTRUSTMENT TO YOU BY GOD!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 22, 2020.

SUBJECT : LIFE IS AN ENTRUSTMENT TO YOU BY GOD!

Memory verse: "The earth is the Lord's and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein." (Psalm 24 vs 1.) 

READ: Matthew 25 vs 14 - 19:

25:14: For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered his goods to them.
25:15: And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.
25:16: Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
25:17: And likewise he who had received two, gained two more also.
25:18: But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.
25:19: After a long time the lord of those servants came, and settled account with them.

INTIMATION:

Life is a trust, and the second Biblical metaphor of life. Our time on earth and our energy, intelligence, opportunities, relationships, and resources are God’s entrustment to our care and management. We are stewards of whatever God gives us. This concept of stewardship begins with the recognition that God is the Owner of everything and everyone on earth. We never really own anything during our brief stay on earth. It is for this reason we come into the world bringing nothing with us at birth, and takes nothing away with us at death. God loans the earth to us while we're here. God only gives us right of use when we come in. And He will give the same right to another when you depart in death. 

In the beginning, God created the world—the heaven and the earth—,and all therein. He created man last, and empowered man to have dominion over all other creations of His. When God created Adam and Eve, He entrusted the care of His creation to them and appointed them trustees of His property. Then God blessed them, and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." (Genesis 1 vs 28.) 

The first assignment God handed over to humans was to manage and take care of His property while here on earth. This role has never been rescinded. This stewardship Is the major part of our purpose on earth. Everything in our care, every gifts, are all from God, and should be treated as a trust that God has placed in our hands. Him only gives us all we have (John 3 vs 27; James 1 vs 17). The Bible, in First Corinthians 4 vs 7 says, "For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” 

Unfortunately, the common culture amongst us is to be careless of what you don't own. But that is not God's idea. Christians should live by a higher standard of "Because God owns it, I must take the best care of it that I can." The apostle Paul stated this in First Corinthians 4 vs 2, "Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful." The faithful servant does the master's bidding, he does what the master tells him to do. We must do what God (our Master) tells us to do in the Bible, and through the Holy Spirit. Each day God presents us with needs and opportunities that challenges us to do what we know is right.

Jesus often referred to life as a trust and told many stories to illustrate this responsibility toward God. In the passage we read today about the story of the loaned money (the talents), a businessman entrusted his wealth to the care of his servants while he was away. When he returned, he evaluated each servant's responsibility and rewards them accordingly. Those who did well, in line with his expectations, he says, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy your Lord." (Matthew 25 vs 21.)

At the end of your life on earth you will be evaluated and rewarded according to how well you handled what God entrusted to you. That means everything you do, even simple daily chores, has eternal implications. If you treat everything as a trust, God promises three rewards in eternity. First, you will be given God's affirmation: He will say, "Good job! Well done!" Next, you will receive a promotion and be given greater responsibility in eternity: "I will make you ruler over many things." Then you will be honored with a celebration: "Enter into the joy your Lord." 

The greatest test and trust God put before us is money, hence one quarter of the teachings of Christ during His earth walk centered on money. Most people fail to realize that money is both a test and a trust from God, and the greatest. God uses finances to teach us to trust Him. God watches how we use money to test how trustworthy we are. The Bible says, "Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?" God says there is a direct relationship between how you use your money and the quality of your spiritual life. How you manage your money ("worldly wealth") determines how much God can trust you with spiritual blessings ("true riches"). 

God blesses you so as to be a blessing to others (Genesis 12 vs 2). This is a very important truth. How then do you manage the blessings God entrusted in your care? Are you serving Him with them? Are you blessing others with your talent, money, possessions, etc., or are you greedy and selfish with them? Jesus noted in Luke 16 vs 13, that no servant can serve two masters. You cannot serve God and mammon. It is only in serving God with your possessions by being a blessing that you have truly managed what He entrusted with you properly. 

How do you treasure your possessions? Jesus said, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Luke 12 vs 34). The key to using money wisely is to see how much we can use for God's purposes, not how much we can accumulate for ourselves. Does your money free you to help others? Does God's love touch your wallet? If so, you are storing up lasting  treasures in heaven. 

Prayer: Abba Father, You are my Loving Father. Engrace me to love as You love, and manage Your entrustment with utmost diligence in service to You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

HOW WILL YOU COME FORTH WHEN TESTED?

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY JANUARY 21, 2020.

SUBJECT : HOW WILL YOU COME FORTH WHEN TESTED?

Memory verse: "But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold." (Job 23 vs 10.) 

READ: Job 23 vs 1 - 10:

23:1: Then Job answered and said,
23:2: Even to day is my complaint bitter; my hand is listless because of my groaning.
23:3: Oh, that I knew where I might find Him, that I might come to His seat!
23:4: I would present my case before Him, and fill my mouth with arguments.
23:5: I would know the words which He would answer me, and understand what He would say unto me.
23:6: Would He contend with me in His great power? No! But He would take note of me.
23:7: There the upright could reason with Him, and I would be delivered forever from my Judge.
23:8: “Look, I go forward, but He is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive Him.
23:9: when He works on the left hand, I cannot behold Him, when He turns to the right hand, I cannot see Him.

23:10: But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.

INTIMATION:

Life is a race (we all have our finishing lines and destinations), a trust (entrusted to you by the Owner for your use here on earth; our time, energy, intelligence, opportunities, relationships, and resources are gifts from God that He has entrusted to our care and management), a test (the Owner has given the guidelines regarding our sojourn here, and will test us in line with the required conducts as He has given; your character, faith, obedience, love, integrity, and loyalty will be evaluated), and a temporary assignment (it is transient; this place is not our home, we are just passing through). 

Against the backdrop enumerated above, when God evaluates you, how will you come forth? Can you answer with certainty, like Job did? God never promised a Christian life void of tests, trials, temptations, struggles, hardship, and so on. But He promised to be with us even in those storms of life. All of life’s circumstances we pass through are for His purpose, plan and grand design. When you understand that life is a test, you realize that nothing is insignificant or trivial in your life. Even the smallest incident has significance for your character development. Every day is an important day, and every second is a growth opportunity to deepen your character, to demonstrate love, or to depend on God.

All of life is a test. You are always being tested. God constantly watches your response to people, problems, success, conflict, illness, disappointment, event, weather, and every circumstance in life. God is interested in your simple attitudinal actions like how you smile to others, open a door for others, reacts to filths in your environment and so on. We don't know all the tests God will give you, but we can predict some of them, based on the Bible. We know obviously, from the Scripture, that we will be tested by delayed promises, major changes, impossible problems, unanswered prayers, undeserved criticism, senseless tragedies, and so on. 

Some tests seem overwhelming, while others you don't even notice, but all of them have eternal implications. The good news is that God wants you to pass the tests of life, so He never allows the tests you face to be greater than the grace He gives you to handle them (First Corinthians 10 vs 13). He works behind the scene for our good (Romans 8 vs 28). God tests our character to reveal our weaknesses, and to prepare us for more responsibilities. The very most important test is how you act when you can't feel God's presence in your life. Sometimes God intentionally draws back, and we don't sense His closeness. 

Every time you pass through test, God notices and makes plans to reward you in eternity (James 1 vs 12). The worst temptation you will ever face is being tempted to abandon Christ. That is the only sin that cannot be forgiven. If you have come into the household of God through Christ, rest assured no temptation can overwhelm you because Christ promises that He will be with you forever in accordance with the Father’s will (Matthew 28 vs 20; John 6 vs 37 - 40).

Job faced the testing of the Lord. He was amazed at his suffering, and said that his suffering would be more bearable if only he knew why it was happening. If there was sin for which he could repent, he would! Job wavered back and forth, first proclaiming loyalty to God and then complaining at being abandoned by Him. His friends’ words and his own suspicions undermined his confidence in God. His friends condemned him by identifying some secret sin that he may have committed. His overriding desire was for God to clear his name, prove his righteousness, and explain why he was chosen to receive all the calamities. At some point Job was saying that God appeared to be avoiding him. Thereafter, he expressed confidence in his integrity and God’s justice, and that God knew every detail about his situation and would come to his rescue.

We are always likely to have hidden sin in our lives, sin we don’t even know about because God’s standards are so high and our performance is so imperfect. If we are true believers, however, all our sins are forgiven because of what Christ did on the cross in our behalf (Romans 5 vs 1; 8 vs 1). The Bible also teaches that even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings (First John 3 vs 20). His forgiveness and cleansing are sufficient, they overrule our nagging doubts. The Holy Spirit in us is our proof that we are forgiven in God’s eyes even though we may feel guilty. If we, like Job, are truly seeking God, we can stand up to others’ accusations as well as our own nagging doubts. If God has forgiven and accepted us, we are forgiven indeed.

When afflictions come, it is natural to blame God and to think our suffering must be divine punishment. But we must not assume that God has rejected us. His purposes go deeper than our ability to grasp all that is really happening. While this sounds like a pat answer, it is the same answer God gave Job in chapters 38 - 42. We should not demand to know why certain calamities befall us. Often we cannot or are not meant to know. 

Job’s suffering is a testimony of how God works with His saints. Suffering, therefore, draws faith out of God’s people. And faith must grow to the point of being able to count it with all joy when one is suffering (James 1 vs 2 - 4). Those who trust in God undergo tests or trials. They do not always understand why they suffer, but they must understand that God is there through their suffering, and will receive their rewards if they endure, and are approved by God (James 1 vs 12). Job concluded that whether or not he could find God, God knew where he was. Knowing that God knows our calamity reassures us that He is working all things for our case. Job, however, was confident that when God had tried him, he would come forth as pure or refined gold

Prayer: Abba Father, You are All-wise! You are perfect, and never go wrong! For I know the testing of my faith is for my profiting, and engrace me to excel in all life’s texts, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

SANCTIFICATION IS BY THE HOLY SPIRIT!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY JANUARY 20, 2020.

SUBJECT : SANCTIFICATION IS BY THE HOLY SPIRIT!

Memory verse: "Sanctify them by Your truth, Your word is truth." (John 17 vs 17.) 

READ: John 14 vs 23 - 26:

14:23: Jesus answered and said to him, "if anyone loves Me, he will keep word, 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 is not Mins but the Father's who sent Me.

14:25: These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.

14:26: But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

INTIMATION:

A follower of Christ becomes sanctified (separated from the ways of the world) through believing and applying the Word of God in our daily living. He or she has already accepted the sacrifice of Christ on the cross for forgiveness and remission of sin and has declared Him as his or her Lord and Savior. Daily application of God's Word has a purifying effect on our minds and hearts. Scripture points out sin, motivates us to confess and forsake sin, renews our relationship with Christ, and guides us back to the right path. Obedience to the truth of God will separate one from the world in the sense that one obeys God and not men. One’s continued obedience maintains the separation from the world.

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

There is life-changing power in the Word of God. The Holy Spirit is the embodiment of that power of God. The Holy Spirit convicts people of sin, and also assures them of the truth of the gospel. The Holy Spirit is the power of our new lives in Christ. He begins a lifelong process of change  making us more like Jesus. 

To sanctify literally means to "to separate," to set apart for sacred purposes, to purify. We can purify ourselves by reading God's Word, thoughtfully applying it to our lives, and preparing our hearts to participate in worship through anticipation, self-examination, and meditation. We cannot become sanctified on our own, but God gives us the Holy Spirit to help us obey and to give us power to overcome sin. We rely on God's power to free us from the grip of sin. Don't use the excuse that you can't help slipping into sin to continue in your sinful lifestyle, for God has made available His power, through the Holy Spirit, to overcome our evil desires.

A message about sanctification without a message about empowerment simply produces pressure. Because it causes people to go out and start trying to live a sanctified life without knowing how to do what they know they should be doing. If we don't know about the power of the Holy Spirit to help us do what He has revealed to us to do and not do, we would be overcome. We see the commands, such as the one in First Peter 1 vs 14 - 16, about not conforming to the former lusts that governed us before when we were in ignorance and didn't know the requirements of the Gospel, and about being holy even as God is holy, and we realize out inability to do all that without help. Hence the need to go back to our empowerer—the Holy Spirit. 

If you study the subject of holiness, for instance, you will learn that there is no such as a person becoming holy apart from a great involvement with the Holy Spirit in his life. Why? Because the Holy Spirit is the power of God given to us to do in us and through us and for us and to us what we could never do on our own.

Jesus said in John 15 vs 5, "....Without Me you can do nothing." We are not capable of anything in our own powers or strength, "....For by strength no man shall prevail" (First Samuel 2 vs 9). To make available His power to help mankind, God became a man in Jesus so that Jesus could die for our sins. Jesus rose from the dead to offer salvation to all people through spiritual renewal and rebirth. When Jesus ascended into heaven, His physical presence left the earth, but He promised to send the Holy Spirit so that His spiritual presence would still be among humankind. All believers have the power of the Holy Spirit available to them. It's only the power of God in the Holy Spirit given to us can the believers have the strength to do all things (Philippians 4 vs 13).

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for the gift of Jesus Christ our Messiah, and the Holy Spirit our Helper. Your faithfulness endures forever, and without the Holy Spirit empowerment I am capable of doing nothing. May I never take my focus away from You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen,

PRAISE THE LORD!