SAVED FOR GOOD WORKS!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY MARCH 18, 2020.

SUBJECT: SAVED FOR GOOD WORKS! 

Memory verse: "Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. (Titus 2 vs 14.)

READ: Ephesians 2 vs 4 - 10: 

2:4: But God, who is rich in mercy, because for His great love with which He loved us,
2:5: even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, (by grace you have been saved;)
2:6: and raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 
2:7: that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
2:8: For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 
2:9: bot of works, lest anyone should boast.
2:10: For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

INTIMATION:

We are saved and became Christ followers through God’s unmerited grace, not as the result of any effort, ability, intelligent choice, or act of service on our part. However, out of gratitude for this free gift of salvation, we will seek to do good works; helping and serving others with kindness, love, and gentleness. While no action or work we do can help us obtain salvation, God’s intention is that our salvation will result in acts of service and good works. We have been created anew in Christ by obedience to the gospel. We have been so created, not by good works, but for good works. 

The Christ follower owes all that he or she is to God who gave us a reason for transforming our thinking and life (Romans 12 vs 1 - 2). Through the manifestation of God’s grace, Christ followers have been driven by faith to conform their lives to the will of God. They do good works in thanksgiving to the grace of God (Second Corinthians 4 vs 15).  The Christ follower is not saved by works of merit that he or she has devised according to his or her own desires. They are saved for the purpose that God might work through them. Therefore, they do good works in response to what God has done for them. 

It is our works that manifest our response to the grace of God. They are indication of our thankful response to God for His gift of grace. It is noteworthy that final judgement will be based on our deeds because they proclaim what sort of heart is within us. When we realize how far God had to send His Son in order to redeem us from condemnation, we respond with a life of thanksgiving. Our good works, therefore, are works of thanksgiving, not works of merit. We should continue to believe in God in order to maintain good works. Our maintaining of good works manifest our belief in God and appreciation for His grace.

While good works can’t save us or even increase God’s love for us, they are true indications of our faith and love for Christ. Discipleship for Christ followers is not optional, but a requirement. Every believer should be involved in good works. In carrying out good works, Christ followers will develop a solid spiritual foundation of a good character that is fit for eternal dwelling. Good works manifest the goodness of one’s heart. We therefore, judge ourselves by our works, for it is by our works that we manifest our hearts (Second Corinthians 5 vs 10). 

Christ followers are the light of the world, and their light should shine before everyone that when they observe or see their light, which is their good works, the will glorify our Father in heaven. If we live for Christ, we will glow like lights, showing others what Christ is like. Christ followers must behave with integrity among the unbelievers in whose presence they live. They must behave in a way that presents hope to others. In doing this, they influence others for good, and also bring glory to God. If your actions are above reproach, even hostile people will end up praising God. Gracious, godly, and winsome behavior on the part Christ followers could even win some of the unsaved souls to  the Lord. 

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for Your free gift of salvation to me. Give me the grace to represent Christ appropriately in good works, that they will see my good works and glorify You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

THE TRUE WORSHIP!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY MARCH 17, 2020.

SUBJECT: THE TRUE WORSHIP!

Memory verse: "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him." (John 4 vs 23.) 

READ: John 4 vs 24; Hebrews 12 vs 28; 

4:24: God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

Hebrews 12:28: Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

INTIMATION:

Worship is paying great honor to; to love and admire very greatly. You worship because you know the worth of what you worship. You worship God because you know who He is. When you catch the revelation of God and His worth, the appropriate response is to reverence Him in worship. The truth about God is revealed in His Word. According to our memory verse, Jesus is saying in this most profound statement is that one must know the word of God in order to worship the God of the word. Ignorance of God’s word leads to one worshipping a god who is the creation of one’s mind, and such is the spirit of idolatry. 

It is in consonance with the true worship that Jesus gave us the greatest commandment of God, “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...” (Mark 12 vs 30.)

Worship must be based on the truth of Scripture, not our opinions or feeling about God. To "worship in truth" means to worship God as He is truly revealed in the Bible. Your worship is acceptable to God when it’s in truth and in spirit. In truth because of the self-revelation of God to you in His Word, and in spirit because involves the totality of you—coming from the inside of you. 

“God is Spirit” means He is not a physical being you can see, and is not limited to one place. He is present everywhere, and can be worshiped anywhere, at any time. It is not where we worship that counts, but how we worship. Your worship must be genuine, and acceptable. Genuine worship is spirited. You must engage your real you, and your real you is in your spirit. Made in God's image you are a spirit that resides in a body, and God designed your spirit to communicate with Him. Genuine worship is your spirit responding to God's Spirit—Holy Spirit—Who in turn responds with help. The Holy Spirit prays for us (Romans 8 vs 26), teaches us the words of Christ (John 14 vs 26), and tells us we are loved (Romans 5 vs 5).

The Bible, in First Corinthians 2 vs 11 says, "For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God." The things of a man are known to the spirit of man, and only the spirit of man can genuinely worship God acceptably. It is not just a matter of saying the right words; you must mean what you say, engaging your inner self in all you do. Heartless worship is not worship at all! It is an insult to God. He wants all of you. He is not interested in halfhearted commitment, partial obedience, and the leftovers of your time. He desires your full devotion, and complete commitment.

Acceptable worship should be a lifestyle. It ought not to be a part of your life; it should be your life. Worship is not just communion, It is your whole life given for service to God, and His pleasure. God is worshipped continually, and in any place. God should be praised at all times; at work, at home, in battle, in jail, and even in bed! Every activity can be transformed into an act of worship when you do it for the praise, glory, and pleasure of God. The Bible, in First Corinthians 10 vs 31, says "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 

But how is it possible to do everything to the glory of God? It’s by allowing God's love so permeate our motives that all we do will be to His glory. By doing everything as if you were doing it for Jesus and by carrying on a continual conversation with Him while we do it. You can keep as a guiding principle, asking, "Is this action glorifying God?" Or "How can I honor God through this action?" When we worship, God looks past our words to see the attitude of our hearts. The Bible says, "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (First Samuel 16 vs 7.) Therefore, your heartfelt worship is what God accepts and responds to.

Prayer: Abba Father, I praise You with my whole heart, and all that is within me bless Your Holy Name. O Lord, let Your Word dwell in me richly in all wisdom, that I may  

worship You acceptably with grace in my heart, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

THANKSGIVING IN WORSHIP!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY MARCH 16, 2020.

SUBJECT: THANKSGIVING IN WORSHIP! 

Memory verse: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;" (Philippians 4 vs 6.) 

READ: Psalm 69 vs 30; 100 vs 4; Colossians 2 vs 6 - 7; 4 vs 2:

Psalm 69:30: I will praise the name of the LORD with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving.

100:4: Enter into His gate with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His Name.

Colossians 2:6: As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 

2:7: rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

4:2: Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.

INTIMATION:

The Christian works in thanksgiving for what God has done through His grace, acknowledging God’s goodness, which expresses your faith and confidence in Him. There is no powerful living apart from a life of thanksgiving which, of course, is the will of God for us.The Christian is zealous in the Lord because of his or her salvation that has come from the Lord through the offering of His Son Jesus Christ as a propitiation for our sins. Prayer and petitions (supplication) are to be made in a spirit of thanking God for all that He has done in our lives. When one truly understands the grace of God, He or she will respond in thanksgiving for all that God has done through Jesus. 

God desires an attitude of thanksgiving, not just an act of it. Thanksgiving is an application for more. Being thankful for all the things He has done and is doing in your life is a pathway to receiving your petitions from Him. Therefore, when you have petitioned God for something, immediately begin to thank Him in trust and confidence that the thing you have asked for is on the way coming. The apostle Paul counseled all believers to give thanks in everything; for this is the Will of God in Christ Jesus for them (First Thessalonians 5 vs 18.)

The apostle Paul lived a life of thanksgiving and preached the same to all believers. In some of the passages we read today, his counsel on thanksgiving, as an integral part of worship, is clearly expressed. In our memory verse (Philippians 4 vs 6), Paul counsels all believers to be thankful for what we ask in prayer, and to continuously be thankful and grateful for what He has already done in the past, what He is doing now, and what He is going to do in the future, including answer to your petition. 

Jesus, our Messiah and perfect example, lived a life of thanksgiving during His earthly ministry. He knows the power of thanksgiving when communing with the Father, and gave thanks to the Father always. For example; He gave thanks to God when He broke the seven loaves and fishes and fed the four thousand (Matthew 15 vs 36). He gave thanks to God when He took the five loaves and two fishes and fed five thousand (John 6 vs 11). He also thanked God for hearing Him at the tomb of the dead Lazarus (John 11 vs 41). And He gave thanks to God when He gave the bread and wine to His disciples at the Last Super.(Mark 14 vs 22 - 23).

Thanksgiving magnifies the Name of the LORD (Psalm 69 vs 30), and opens the gate of the court of the LORD (Psalm 100 vs 4). It also, multiplies what we have received (Second Corinthians 9 vs 12). For instance, when Jesus lifted up the bread and fishes and gave thanks it multiplied that thousands were fed by the meal of a child. Also, the power of thanksgiving in prayer helps us abound in Christ, drawing our life-giving strength from Christ (Colossians 2 vs 7).  The more we draw our strength from Him, the less we are fooled by those who falsely claim to have life’s answers. If Christ is our strength we will be free from human regulations.

This kind of lifestyle of thanksgiving is an evidence of a grateful heart. If a person is grateful for what he already has, it is an indication that the individual is mature enough to receive other blessings. But if a person is always complaining about what he has now, why should the Lord bother to give him anything else to crab and gripe about When we realize how far God had to send His Son in order to redeem us from condemnation, we respond with a life of thanksgiving. Our good works, therefore, are works of thanksgiving, not works of merit. Christians are motivated because of what they already have in Christ. 

Prayer: Abba Father, there is none like You. Your steadfastness never seizes, and Your mercies never come to an end. Your compassion  never fails. I will forever remain thankful to You for all Your great and wondrous works in my life. What You cannot do for me let it remain undone, and what You cannot give me may I never have it, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

BREAKFAST BY THE SEASIDE
Life's Punchlines... (Volume 3).
❤🇳🇬🇳🇬 Year 2020🇳🇬🇳🇬❤.

Preacher: Priest Godsknight O.J

Topic: Question The Punisher 👨🏼‍⚖.

Text: Num 22v28" Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey and she said to Balaam, "what have I done to you that you have struck me these three times?"

My major Charge from Jesus this year, is to set the captives free 🕺🏻💃(Is 61v1). You don't have any business being a slave to anyone, no matter your background (Prov 29v2).

Until you speak 🗣 the language your enemies understand, you're just mumbling (Prov 6v4-5 ). Question your punishers till they submit to God's WILL for your life in Jesus Name.

I Prophesy, you & your family👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 shall see your punishers being gracious in defeat, their rods of affliction will become useless to your destinies in Jesus Name (Num 23v23).

Just as Balaam didn't do God's WILL here, & wasn't allowed to strike the donkey 🦓 further, all those who're not doing God's WILL shall loose their authority over you.

The soldiers that demanded for weapons before facing a terrorist sect called "Boko Haram", are still in prison 🤦🏻‍♂, while repentant Boko Haram are to enjoy foreign trips🙆‍♂. Can we say those soldiers haven't repented too? 🤷🏾‍♂ (Prov 29v10 ).

Protecting the interest of our soldiers and their families should be Paramount before considering terrorists' welfare, regardless of their offences (Prov 11v1).

Life is a two-way street, now is the time for arrows 🏹 of affliction to backfire at punishers (Ps 20v8 ).

Let's Pray:

1) Father, I collect my pending marriage certificate from the punishers, I'm getting married this year🤵🏽👰🏽(Is 34v16).

2) Abba Father, I walk over the graves the punishers dug for me in Jesus Name (Esther 7v1-10, 10v1-3.)

3) Father, I step out of any form of slavery today with benefits (Exod 12v31-36), & I pursue, takeover & recover all I've lost to punishers in Jesus Name ( Ps 126v1-6).

God bless you🤝.
Instagram: @PriestGodsknight.

THE DESTRUCTIVE POWER OF PRIDE!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY MARCH 15, 2020.

SUBJECT : THE DESTRUCTIVE POWER OF PRIDE!

Memory verse: "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." 

(Proverbs 16 vs 18.)

READ: Psalm 101 vs 5;  Proverbs 11 vs 2; 13 vs 10; 16 vs 5; 29 vs 23: 

Psalm 101:5: Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, Him I will destroy, the one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, him I will not endure.

Proverbs 11:2: When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom.

13:10: By pride comes nothing but strife, but with the well-advised is wisdom.

16:5: Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; though they join forces, none will go unpunished.

29:23: A man's pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor.

INTIMATION:

Pride is inordinate self-esteem or conceit; disdainful treatment of others. Pride, in the Scripture, also denotes being boastful, haughty, vainglory, presumptuous, and puffed up. Many people are lofty in their thoughts. Even many Christians always believe that to surrender to Jesus Christ is all that is required, and all other things will by itself fall into places. A humble and contrite spirit, which are the major requirements for believers, are grossly lacking in them. That is the consequence of pride.

Pride is the inner voice that whispers, "My way is best." It is resisting God's leadership, negating His concepts, and believing that you are able to live without His help. Whenever you find yourself doing this, or wanting to do it your way and looking down on other people, you are being pulled by pride. Only when you eliminate pride can God help you become all He meant you to be. Proud people take little account of their weaknesses and do not anticipate stumbling blocks. They think they are above the frailties of common people, but they are always caught in that web. In this state of mind they are easily tripped up. Ironically, proud people seldom realize that pride is their problem. 

Pride leads to disgrace, punishment, destruction; it produces quarrels, ends up in downfall, and brings one low. The proud attitude heads the list of seven things God hates: "These six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren." (Proverbs 6 vs 16 - 19.)

Pride and lies go hand in hand. The proud will always seek to defend their actions, requiring to put up a defense. Such defense are fraughted with lies in other to drive home their points. We may be tempted to believe that some lies are relatively harmless, even useful at times, but God does not overlook lies, flattery, deception, or boasting. Each of these sins originate from a bad attitude that is eventually expressed in our speech. 

When people are driven by pride into wrong doing, they try their best to rationalize their actions, using such words as; "He spoke to me harshly and I gave it back to him," "I was provoked to anger, and I reacted the way I did." It is often their desire to return evil for evil, tear people down verbally or get back at them, if they feel hurt. But this is ungodly, God encourages us to pay back wrongs by praying for the offenders, to seek peace and pursue it. If we love life and desire to see good days, we should eschew evil and do good.

For the proud, "I am wrong" or "I am sorry" are difficult phrases to utter because they require humility. Pride is an ingredient in every quarrel. It stirs up conflict and divides people. Examine your life truthfully, and you will acknowledge that pride has been leading to quarrels. Guard against pride. If you find yourself constantly arguing, always trying to rationalize your actions and behaviors, examine your life for pride, Be willing to admit your mistakes, and be open to godly advice of others, and ask for help when you need it.

Avoid pride when God prospers you, and makes you powerful. If God has given you wealth, influence, popularity, and power, be thankful, but be careful. God hates pride. While it is normal to feel elation when we accomplish something, it is wrong to be disdainful of God or to look down on others. Give God credit of what you have, and use your gifts in ways that pleases Him. Remember, no matter what your position in society, God expects you to honor, worship, and obey Him. It is true that "pride goes before destruction."  

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with a humble spirit, that I may constantly examine my ways, thoughts, and actions to eliminate any form of pride. Give me the grace to admit my faults, my wrongs, and to boldly say "I am sorry," in Jesus' Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

THE CONFESSION OF SIN OF A CHRISTIAN!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY MARCH 14, 2020.

SUBJECT: CONFESSION OF SIN OF A CHRISTIAN!

Memory verse: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (First John 1 vs 9.)

READ: First John 1 vs 5 - 10:

1:5: This is the message which we have heard from Him and declared to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 

1:6: If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 

1:7: But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

1:8: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1:9: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1:10: If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

INTIMATION:

When we were without Christ, we were dead in sin and condemned before God. But when we believed in, accepted the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins on the cross of Calvary, and confessed Him as our Lord and Savior we became Christians. We thereby establish relationship and fellowship the Lord. Yet, even after we become Christians, we still sometimes sin and still need to confess. Though we have a relationship with the Lord as His adopted children, but our sins deny us of the privilege of continued fellowship with Him. 

Consequently, Christians must continually and humbly keep on acknowledging their sin (Psalm 32 vs 5). This is the nature of walking in the light. In other words, one who is walking in the light is continually confessing his or her sin. Reference here is to a demeanor of life. It is natural for the one who walks in the light to recognize and confess his or her sin to God. This is the condition upon which one receives the continual cleansing of sin by the blood of Jesus. Sin refers to transgression of God’s law, and thus confession of sin is to God, not to man. Confession of sin is the nature of those who walk in the light. It is the evidence that they are in the light. 

God’s attributes of being faithful and just is inherent in His promise of forgiveness because He is righteous and just. God is proclaimed righteous because He has offered the sacrificial atonement for sin through the blood of Jesus (Roman 3 vs 25). He is faithful because He did not create man a free-moral being without a plan of atonement for man’s problem of sin (Ephesians 2 vs 8 - 12). He is thus just because He has offered atonement for all humans through the cross, for no one could atone for his or her sins by either law-keeping or good works. God both forgives and cleanses. Forgiveness refers to forgetting (Hebrews 10 vs 17). Cleansing refers to sanctifying one’s soul in order that he or she be able to approach God. 

Therefore, the confession of sin by a Christian is not offered to gain God’s acceptance, but to remove the barrier to fellowship that our sin has put between the Christian and Him. Broken fellowship does not break the relationship, but it mars it and robs of its richest blessings and benefits—fellowship with the Lord. We need not fear revealing our sins to God, He knows them already. He will not push us away, no matter what we have done. Instead, He will draw us to Himself. He has given an ‘Helper’ in the person of Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit has given us the way to restore broken fellowship in the epistle of John. This short epistle was written to tell us how to maintain our fellowship and how to restore it when it is broken.

God is light, and as long as you are in fellowship with Him, you are in light. But the instant your fellowship is broken, you go into the dark. As long as we walk in the light; as long as we are in fellowship with Him, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses all the blunders and mistakes that we make. But if we sin, we are out of fellowship with Him and we are walking in darkness, deceiving ourselves. The moment we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and cleans us from all unrighteousness. The broken fellowship is restored.

Prayer: Abba Father, my utmost heart desire is to continually be in full fellowship with You. Though the human factors my cause the fellowship to be impaired from time to time, I pray that You endue me with the spirit of constant and immediate confession of any sin I may commit so as to ever restore my fellowship with You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

BREAKFAST BY THE SEASIDE
Life's Punchlines... (Volume 3).
❤🇳🇬🇳🇬 Year 2020🇳🇬🇳🇬❤.

Preacher: Priest Godsknight O.J

Topic: Offering Time.

Text: 2 Tim 4v6" For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand."

There are four essential rites that every human should perform on Earth, namely: Child Christening, Birthday celebration, Wedding ceremony & Funeral rites.

Each of these will come, as part of life. However, people always desire that those who passed into eternity should be sent back. When it's their offering time, let's respect it (Gen 5v24 ).

Offering in this Sense, connotes laying everything into His hands because He designed our entrance into this world & exit, not like Jesus need lives as sacrifice to remain God 🤷🏾‍♂(Jn 3v16).

Apostle Paul said, "To live is Christ, to die is gain". Don Moen sang, "I Offer My Life". No one can decide to wake up today, it's Jesus that woke you up (Prov 27v1).

Death is inevitable, life is irreplaceable. All we can crave for His God's standard of death (1 Cor 15v50-58), to compliment the life He already offered at Calvary (Eph 2v5-6 ).

Years ago, I went to drop my Music Studio 🎼keys with an apprentice, so he could open. As we were talking, he staggered & made a loud noise like a cow & collapsed. An arrow had hit him.

His family tried to resuscitate him to no avail, he passed 🙆‍♂(Ps 23v4). Seeing the scenario, I jumped their fence in, laid hand on him & called on Jesus. He came back to life, & had much to share😂(Rev 12v11).

It wasn't his offering time yet, the devil 😈 only wanted to snatch it by force. Hence, to implicate me 💪🏿(Jn 10v10).

I pray for you, you'll live longer than your enemies thought, you shall live to the fullness of time in Jesus Name (Ps 91v16).

When armed forces👨🏾‍✈ pay last respect to fallen colleagues, you'll appreciate exit time (1Kings 2v10). May we grow old before Souls' offering time in Jesus Name (Eccl 9v4 ).

God bless you🤝.
Instagram: @PriestGodsknight.