PRAYER OBSTACLES!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY JUNE 6, 2020.

SUBJECT : PRAYER OBSTACLES! 

Memory verse: "And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." (Matthew 21 vs 22.)

READ: Luke 6 vs 46 - 49: 

6:46: “But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say? 

6:47: Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: 

4:48: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against the house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. 

6:49: But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin on the house was great.

INTIMATION: 

Prayer we already know is fellowshipping with the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ. There are known obstacles to our prayers. Some of these obstacles are our very dear 'friends.' We have associated with them for many years, and it will be hard for us to give them up. One of them is a desire to read about the Bible and about prayer rather than to study the Word, meditate on it, and fit ourselves for the highest known and holiest of all vocations. In my considered opinion, it is more than a vocation, it is a privilege, and the rarest of all privileges that have been given to us in grace.

The most outstanding obstacle is a lack of knowledge of whom we are in Christ, and what He is in us, what He did for us, and of our standing and legal rights before the Throne of grace. All these are embedded in the Scriptures. And the lack of this knowledge is the bane of the believer; "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge...." (Hosea 4 vs 6). It is in studying and meditation that God’s inheritance to you in Christ is revealed.  And until you do, you will never have a prayer life beyond the baby experience.

Another obstacle is ignorance of what "believing" is. The word "Believe" is a verb. It is an action word—it means to act upon what you believe;—the Word. Then believing the Word is simply acting on it. We act upon it as we act upon the word of your government on taxes. Act on it the way you expect your children to act on your word of right morals to them. There is no believing without acting, and believing means having possession. I possess what the Word has promised. 

For instance, here is a statement of fact: "Surely He has born my sicknesses and carried my pains and I have come to esteem Him as the one stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted." You just don't give a mental assent to it, rather you act on the Word; you say it out to yourself and others, as if you are the only person Jesus is talking to. You claim it as your word, and eat it as if you are eating your favorite meal. Declare it all the time. If you fail to speak and act on the Word, you are self-deceived.  The Believer is a "doer”  of the Word and not a hearer only.

Another obstacle is praying for faith. It is a delusion to pray for faith or more faith. You can never get it. I have never heard of anyone getting more faith or having their faith increased by praying for it. Why is it so? Because the prayer for faith is a prayer based on unbelief. If unbelief were not your master, you wouldn't need faith. Praying for faith is because you are in doubt of the Father, His integrity, and His Word, hence you are praying for faith to believe Him. It is an absolute proof that you will not get it.

For instance, if a child should say to the mother, "Mum, I want you to increase my faith in you. I have been trying all morning to believe what you said of my birthday being this Saturday is true." It is noteworthy that the mother gave birth to the child and knows the day she gave birth, but the child is trying to believe the mother on the date of birth. That child is insulting the integrity of the mother. 

So when you pray for faith you are insulting the author of the Word. You don't intend to, but you are doing that. This is the same as acting on the Word and still not believing on the efficacy of the Word. For instance, when you are divinely healed, you will not confess it because you still want to wait a while to confirm it is done.

Another obstacle to prayer is our dependence on other people's faith. We become unconsciously spiritual hitchhikers. To everyone God has given a measure of faith (Romans 12 vs 3); that faith came when you received the Father's nature. That nature is a faith nature. As soon as it came into you and you became His child, you began to develop that faith. Just as you develop your mental strength by certain mental exercises, and develop your physical strength by certain physical exercises, now you are developing your faith by feeding on the Word (John 15 vs 7).

Our Father did give us a measure of faith because He knows that without it, it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11 vs 6). If you have no faith you cannot please Him, even with someone’s faith posturing for you. Many times we have gone to the altar, and to the prayer room to pray for more faith, but to no avail. Your faith is built up when you begin to live in the Word, act on the Word, and take advantage of your inheritance in Christ.

Prayer: Abba Father, my complete trust is in You. You are loving, unfailing and ever faithful. There is none like You in heaven and on earth. In You I live, and move, and have all my being. Engrace me to live for You all the days of my life, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

RECOGNIZE GOD AS YOUR SOURCE!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY JUNE 5, 2020.

SUBJECT: RECOGNIZE GOD AS YOUR SOURCE! 

Memory verse: "That I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’." (Genesis 14 vs 23.)

READ: Genesis 13 vs 8 - 11: 

13:8: So Abram said to Lot, "Please let there be no strife, between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. 

13:9: Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left." 

13:10: And lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar.

13:11: Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other. 

INTIMATION:

Abraham was not wealthy because he was a shrewd business man or because God rewarded his great integrity. Abraham was prosperous because God promised to bless him and make his name great. The blessing was independent of Abraham's performance or what he deserved. It is purely the favor of God that made him rich. In the same way, your efforts are not the source of prosperity in your life. 

The blessing of God made Abraham so rich that he and his nephew, Lot, couldn't dwell together because their flocks and herds were too big. They had so many animals that one location couldn't feed them all, so their servants began fighting with each other over the grazing land, and they were forced to separate. 

Abraham took Lot up to a hilltop so they could look out over the whole land. One part of the land was a well-watered plain plush with grass; the other part was dry. Keep in mind that the survival of the herds depended on there being plenty of natural grass to graze on. Fields of grass were the only source of food they had. So it isn't surprising that Lot chose the well-watered land for himself.

The story reveals how confident Abraham was in God as his source. Anyone who was relying on natural circumstances and his own efforts for prosperity would never give up a well-watered plain for his animals. Looking at the natural facts, the decision whether to choose a grassy plain or the desert was a no-brainer. But Abraham knew God was his source, no matter what things looked like to the naked eye. Abraham was saying, "It doesn't matter where I go, the Lord is going to bless me."

Right after Abraham allowed Lot to take the better land, God appeared to him and promised even more prosperity than Abraham had already experienced, "And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: "Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are - northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you." (Genesis 13 vs 14 - 17.)

In the natural, it is impossible for a man who grazes his flocks and herds in the desert to prosper as much as a man whose cattle graze in lush pastures, but nothing is impossible for God. (Luke 1 vs 37.) The blessing of God made Abraham rich, and he prospered much more than Lot did.

Not long after Lot and Abraham separated, foreign kings raided the city of Sodom, where Lot lived, and took everyone captive. When Abraham heard that his nephew had been seized, he armed his servants that were trained for war and pursued the foreign kings. His private army consisted of 318 men, which gives you an idea of how rich he was and how many servants he had at that time in history. He was so rich that he had a private army. Abraham's men defeated the foreign kings and brought back all of the spoil and people who had been taken captive.

The king of Sodom was grateful, so he offered to let Abraham keep the spoil: "The king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the good to yourself" (Genesis 14 vs 21). The king recognized that if it hadn't been Abraham, his entire kingdom would have been lost. We don't know how much spoil the king was offering Abraham, but it isn't unreasonable to think it would have been the equivalent of millions of dollars today. 

Abraham had recovered all the goods, food, valuables of five cities, so the spoil certainly worth a lot of money. But Abraham didn't accept the king's offer because he didn't want anyone to have a reason to claim they had made him rich. He knew he was rich because of the blessing of God. His confidence in God as the source of his wealth was so strong that he gave away millions of dollars worth of spoil, which he had rightfully earned by conquest. (Genesis 14 vs 22 - 24.)

We need to see God as our source and develop the attitude that the resources we have are a gift from God. Yes, you may have worked so hard at your job, but God is the source! God gave you life, health, and abilities, and God is the One who opens doors of opportunity. 

Until you recognize God as your source, nothing else the Bible say about finances is going to work. As long as you hold unto your money with a clenched fist and hoarding possessions, God's method of prosperity won't work in your life. You have to see yourself as a steward managing the financial blessings that God has given you.

Seeing God as your source doesn't mean you sit at home and do nothing. You are supposed to work, but you need to recognize that even though you work, it is God who gives the increase. (First Corinthians 3 vs 7.)

A farmer has to prepare the soil and plant seeds in order to get a crop, but God created the natural laws that govern sowing and reaping, God sends the rain and sun that makes the plant to grow, God gave the land to farm on, and God is the source of the farmer's health. Likewise, it is the blessing of God that makes it possible for you to prosper, and the foundation of prosperity is seeing yourself as a steward.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are the reason I live, and in You I move and have my being.  All I have is Yours. Yours I am, and Yours I want to be. Engrace me to manage Your resources appropriately, to earn my acceptance as a worthy servant by You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

WASTE NOT YOUR SHORT LIFE!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY JUNE 4, 2020.

SUBJECT: WASTE NOT YOUR SHORT LIFE!

Memory verse: “Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow." (Psalm 144 vs 4.)

READ: Psalm 39 vs 4 - 6:

39:4: “LORD, make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days, that I may know how frail I am.

39:5: Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, and my age is as nothing before You; Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor.

39:6: Surely every man walks about like a shadow; surely they busy themselves in vain; he heaps up riches, and does not know who will gather them.

INTIMATION: 

Life is short, it is like a breath, and our days are like a passing shadow. The apostle James puts it this way, “Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4 vs 14). And because life is short, a good, proper, and adequate use of it should be everyone’s target. The clarity of the shortness of man’s life is enunciated in Job’s despondent prayer:

“Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He comes forth like a flower and fades away; he flees like a shadow and does not continue. Since his days are determined, the number of his months is with You; You have appointed his limits, so that he cannot pass. But man dies and is laid away; indeed he breathes his last and where is he? As water disappears from the sea, and a river becomes parched and dries up, So man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more, they will not awake nor roused from their sleep.” (Job 14 vs 1 - 2; 5; 10 - 12.)

What, then is the good, proper, and adequate use of your short life? It’s living for God—living by the word of God—the will of God for you. Consequently, you should live for God while  you have the time. Don’t waste your life by selecting an inferior purpose that has no lasting value. Only God can make your life worthwhile, purposeful, and meaningful. 

Life is short no matter how many years we live. Don’t be deceived into thinking that you have lots of remaining time to do what you please now, and later live for Christ, thereby oscillating between life in Christ and worldly pleasures. Because life is short, do what is truly important; Live for God today! Then, no matter when your life ends, you would have fulfilled God’s plan for you. You must not put it off for what you may consider a better day. Now is the time! Start with surrendering your life to Christ. 

Realizing that life is short, helps us use the little time we have more wisely and for eternal good. Take time to number your days by asking, “What do I want to see happen in my life before I die? What small step could I take toward that purpose today Ironically, people spend so much time securing their lives on earth but take little or no thought about where they will spend eternity. The Scripture is very clear on the fact that amassing riches and busily accomplishing worldly tasks that would have no value in eternity. Unfortunately, many people don’t understand that their only hope is in the Lord.

Many are blindfolded in the deceitfulness of worldly pleasures, and standards. Worldly standards use honor, power, wealth, or prestige to measure people. And the worldly thinking is that such people are really getting ahead in life. But on God’s scales, these people are a puff of air. Worldly standards and pleasures are insignificant in God’s standard of measurement. What, then, can tilt the scales when God weighs us? It’s trusting God and working for Him. Wealth, honor, power, or prestige add nothing in our value in God’s eyes, only the faithful work we do for Him has eternal value.

Many people spend all their energy seeking pleasure. Jesus said, however, that worldliness, which is centered on possessions, position, or power, is ultimately worthless; “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8 vs 36 - 37.)  Whatever you have on earth is only temporary. It cannot be exchanged for your soul. If you work hard at getting what you want, you might eventually have a pleasurable life, but in the end you will find it hollow and empty. Are you willing to make the pursuit of God more important than the selfish pursuits? Follow Jesus, and you will know what it means to live abundantly now and to have eternal life as well. 

Possessions, and pleasures are good only if gotten within the ambit of God’s law and will. It’s good to have them because they are good in themselves, but they can disappoint us if we leave God out of them. There is no point doing anything in your short life as though God does not exist because the future is in His hands. Nothing—not even life itself—can compare to what we gain with Christ. Jesus wants us to choose to follow Him rather than to lead a life of sin and self-satisfaction. He wants us to stop trying to control our own destiny and to let Him direct us. This makes good sense because, as the Creator, He knows better than the created on what real life is all about. Jesus asks us only to lose our self-centered determination to be in charge of our lives; He asks for our submission, not self-hatred. 

Prayer: Abba Father, give me the grace to live for You in all things in my short span of life on earth, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

RETURN GOOD FOR EVIL!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY JUNE 3, 2020.

SUBJECT : RETURN GOOD FOR EVIL! 

Memory verse: "See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.

" 

(First Thessalonians 5 vs 15.)

READ: Matthew 5 vs 38 - 44; First Peter 3 vs 8 - 9:

Matthew 5:38: "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'

5:39: But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 

5:40: If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.

5:41: And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.

5:42: Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.

5:43: You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'

5:44: But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,

First Peter 3:8: Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;

3:9: not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.

INTIMATION:

It is often fashionable, and often our desire, in this our fallen world, to return evil for evil, tear people down verbally or get back at them, if we feel hurt. God encourages us to pay back wrongs by praying for the offenders, return good for evil, to seek peace and pursue it. In God's kingdom, revenge is an unacceptable behavior, and therefore, is ungodly. If we love life and desire to see good days, we should eschew evil and do good. "For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil." 

Rise above getting back at those who hurt you. Instead of reacting angrily to such people, or speak guile words, pray for them. When our speech is motivated by Satan, it is full of bitter envy, selfish ambition, earthly concerns and desires, unspiritual thoughts and ideas, confusion, and evil. But when our speech motivated by God and His wisdom, it is full of mercy, love for others, peace, consideration for others, submission, sincerity, impartiality, and righteousness.

In our memory verse, the apostle Peter warns us against returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling (abusing, maligning, belittling, defaming, or deriding). But, on the contrary, we should bless our offenders, knowing that God called us to this, and in so doing, we inherit blessing; "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." (Matthew 5 vs 44.) 

It is difficult or near impossible, in this fallen world to love your enemies, or bless those who curse you, or do good to those who hate you. When we are wronged or feel wronged, often our first reaction is to get even. Instead, Jesus said we should do good to those who wrong us! Our desire should not be to keep score but to love and forgive. However, this is not natural, but supernatural! 

If you love your enemies and treat them well, you will truly show that Jesus is Lord of your life, and this is only possible for those who give themselves fully to God, because only Him can deliver people from natural selfishness. Only Him gives us strength to love as He does. Instead of planning vengeance pray for those who hurt you. Our praying for our offenders rather than revenge helps us not to take laws into our hands and to overcome evil with good. Jesus, our Messiah, and 'role model,' prayed for His enemies, His accusers, His persecutors, who abused, maligned, belittled, defamed, and derided Him, even on the weight of excruciating pains as He hung of the cross; "....Father forgive them, for they know not what they do...." (Luke 23 vs 24.)

Too often we see peace as merely the absence of conflict, and we think of peacemaking as a passive role. But an effective peacemaker actively pursues peace by building good relationships, knowing that peace is a by-product of commitment. The peacemaker anticipates problems and deals with them before they occur. When conflicts arise, they are brought into the open and dealt with before they grow unmanageable. Making peace is hard work - you have to search for it and work to maintain it - but it results in God's blessing.

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with Your spirit of love, and help me to tame my tongue, that I may manifest the fruit of the Spirit at all times. Engrace me to live justly and peaceable life with all. Strengthen me to pay back evil with good, above all, to obey Your Great Commandment; "to love my neighbor as myself," in Jesus' Name I prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

CHRIST THE POWER OF GOD!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY JUNE 2, 2020.

SUBJECT: CHRIST THE POWER OF GOD!

Memory verse: "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (First Corinthians 1 vs 18.)

READ:  Romans 1 vs 16; First Corinthians 1 vs 23 - 24:

Romans 1:16: For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also the Greek.

First Corinthians 1:23: But we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greek, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

INTIMATION:

Christ is the mighty power of God, the only way to be saved. Knowing Him personally is the greatest wisdom anyone can have. The knowledge of Christ is revealed to us in the message or word of God. The Gospel gives us the message of Christ’s walk on the earth, introduction of His Father to us, and the demonstration of His power over all things while He walked the earth. While the epistles is the Father introducing the Son through the apostles to us.

God in the beginning called Jesus the Word; “In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1 vs 1 - 3 & 14).

Knowing “the Word” is knowing Christ, and knowing Christ is knowing God Himself, because ‘God the Son’ is the same as ‘God the Father.’ Jesus said, “Who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14 vs 9). Now, the power of God is embedded in His Word, therefore, Christ—the Word of God (Revelation 19 vs 13)—is the power of God. Therefore, knowing Christ is embracing the living power of God. All things were created by the Word of God—Jesus Christ—the power of God, and without Him was nothing created that was created. He came in the form of man that we might know Him, feel Him, and experience the power of God in Him.

For instance, during His earth walk, one day when the crowd was pressing around Him a sick woman believed that when she touches Him, she will contact the power of God to heal her. The woman pressed on in the midst of the crowd until she touched just the hem of His garment. Jesus noticed the touch and said, "Who touched Me?" And disciples 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). The woman had faith in Jesus’ power over all things. And faith is a mind-set that expects God to act. When we act on this expectation, we can overcome our fears. That same power is available to us this day. 

Another profound expression of His power, even over nature which He created, was record by apostle John: “Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus was not come to them. Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. So when they had rowed about three to four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.” (John 6 vs 16 - 21.)

When Jesus came to the disciples during a storm, walking on water (three and a half miles from shore), He told them not to be afraid. He calmed the storm by a single command by His Word, demonstrating His power over nature. We often face spiritual and emotional storms and feel tossed about like a small boat on a big lake. In spite of terrifying circumstances, if we trust our lives to Christ for His safekeeping, He will give us peace in any storm. Interestingly knowing Christ and receiving Him willingly into your life conveys you to your ultimate destination of our journey of life. Just as the disciples received Him willingly into the boat and immediately they were on land were they were going.

Knowing the Word is knowing the power of God. The use and application of the Word is bringing the power of God to bear in any situation. It is the Word spoken by God that brought all creations in place. God spoke the Word, and they all came to be. God made the Word to dwell amongst us. The Word is further documented in the Scriptures, for us who didn’t meet Jesus—the Word—during His earth walk. And because God never changes, so is His Word—the power of God: “Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13 vs 8).

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus Christ—the Word, and the exceeding greatness of Your power in Him, and the riches of the glory of His inheritance in us who believe, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD.

THERE IS NO PARTIALITY WITH GOD!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY  JUNE 1, 2020.

SUBJECT : THERE IS NO PARTIALITY WITH GOD

! 

Memory verse: 

"And, behold, I am come quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according as his work." (Revelation 22 vs 12.

)

 

READ: Galatians 6

 vs 7 - 10; Ephesians 6 vs 8; Colossians 3 vs 25:

Galatians 6:7: 

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

6:8: For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

6:9: And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

6:10: Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those where of the household of faith.

Ephesians 6:8: Knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.

Colossians 3:25: But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.

INTIMATION:

Our God is certainly not a partial God, His reward is with Him, to give to everyone according to his works. There is God's judgment awaiting everybody. Although, His judgement is already working in our lives, there is a future, final judgement when Christ returns (Matthew 25 vs 31 - 46), and everyone's life will be reviewed and evaluated. Jesus will look at how we handled gifts, opportunities, relationships, and responsibilities in order to determine our rewards.

It would certainly be a surprise if you planted corn in your farm and pumpkins came up. It's a natural law to harvest what we plant. It's true in other areas, too. If you gossip, and guile found in your tongue, know it now, you will definitely reap what you sow, and God's final judgement will find you out. Every action has result. If you plant to please your own desires, you'll harvest a crop of sorrow and evil. If you plant to please God, you'll harvest joy and everlasting life. 

Neglect is common among all, especially when we are not adequately supervised. And this is an area that the accuser of brethren has always hyped. How is your responsibility and integrity on your assignment or job? Do you neglect your jobs or responsibilities because of poor supervision? Christian employees should do their jobs as if Jesus Christ were their supervisor. Can you be trusted to do your best even when the boss is not around? Do you work hard with enthusiasm? Remember that no matter what you do or whom you work for, the one you ultimately should want to please is your Father in heaven.

In God's final judgement, He will separate His obedient believers from pretenders and unbelievers. The real evidence of our belief is the way we act. We are to treat all persons we encounter as if they were Jesus. Though it is not an easy task. But what we do shows what we really think about Christ's words to us. The Word of God in Luke 6 vs 37 - 38 says, "Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

How is your relationship with other people? What do you give to others? What  do you give to God? Are you resentful? speaking guile? gossiping about others? Do you give love and care to others? Are you judgmental? Do you easily flay? Are you always returning to others as they did to you, especially in wrong doing? These are not Christlike! If we are critical rather than compassionate, we will also receive criticism. If we treat others generously, graciously, and compassionately, however, these qualities will come back to us in full measure. We are to love others, not judge them. 

Those who are doing God's commandments are those who are seeking to purify themselves from a sinful way of life. They strive daily to remain faithful and ready for Christ's return. A daily personal review of the "Ten Commandments" of God against your performance, will always put you on the guard. Above all, let your guiding principle be the "Great Commandments" of God; Love for God, and your neighbor. In this, all the commandments of God are fulfilled. (Matthew 22 vs 36 - 40.)

Prayer: Abba Father, without You I am nothing. In keeping Your commandments I demonstrate my love for You. Let your commandments be as sweet as honey in my mouth. Endue me with the spirit of love for You, and others, just as You loved me, these I prayed in Jesus' Name. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

SPIRIT MIND VERSUS FLESHY MIND!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY MAY 31, 2020.

SUBJECT:  SPIRIT MIND VERSUS FLESHY MIND!

Memory verse:  "For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” (Galatians 6 vs 8.) 

READ:  Romans 8 vs 5 - 8:

8:5: For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
8:6: For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
8:7: Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.

8:8: So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

INTIMATION:

According to the passage we read today, there are two minds, not one mind. There is the mind of the flesh, and there is the mind of the spirit. That does not mean you and I have two brains, it simply means that we receive information from our natural mind (which operates without the Holy Spirit), and we get information from our spirit (through which the Holy Spirit communicates directly to us).

The apostle Paul divides people into two categories: those who are dominated by their sinful nature, and those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit. Those who are controlled by their sinful nature are those who take instructions from their mind of flesh—being carnally minded. Their minds are focused on their own desires. In a religious context, they are the ones who focus on their ability to perform law in order to save themselves. The carnally minded person is walking in sin, though he or she may not recognize the fact that he or she is in sin. All of us would be in the first category if Jesus hadn’t offered us a way out. 

Those who take instructions from their spirit mind are those who are controlled by the Spirit of God—Holy Spirit. They are not led by their carnal minds, but by the Holy Spirit Who indwells them. (Romans 8 vs 14; Galatians 5 vs 18.) The Holy Spirit is the only One who knows the mind of God, and is the revealer of the truth. (John 16 vs 13). Daily they consciously choose to center their lives on God, using the Bible to discover God’s guidelines, and then follow them. In every perplexing situation, they ask themselves, “What would Jesus want me to do?” And when the Holy Spirit points out what is right, they do it eagerly. 

In First Corinthians 2 vs 16, the Bible says, "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.” This Scripture tells us that because the Holy Spirit lives in the believers, they have the mind of Christ. The problem is that although they have the mind of Christ and know the Word of God, they don't listen to their spirit which is being enlightened by the Holy Spirit. Instead, they listen to their natural mind, which relies strictly on sense and reason without the Holy Spirit.

In all situations of life, our head will be trying to give us information. It will be yelling at us so loudly that if we don't turn our attention to our spirit we will never hear what the Lord is saying to us in any situation. That is why we must learn to live out of our spirit and not of our head. You see, evil spirits constantly bombard us with negative thoughts. If we receive them and dwell on them, they become ours because the Bible says that as we think in our heart, so are we. (Proverbs 23 vs 7.) If we accept the lies of the devil as reality, then they will become reality to us because of our "faith," our belief in them.

That is why in moments of worry, stress and turmoil we have to simply take the time to turn to our inner man, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, and say, "Lord, what do You have to say about this?" If we listen in faith, He will speak to us and reveal to us the truth of that situation. You and I have two huge vats of information within us. One is carnal information that comes off the top of our head. The other is spiritual information which wells up out of our heart. One is muddy. polluted water, and the other is clean drinking water. It is up to us to decide which source we are going to drink from.

Some people try to drink from both sources. That's what the Bible calls being double-minded. (James 1 vs 8.) Do you know what it means to be double-minded? It means that your mind is trying to tell you one thing, and your spirit is trying to tell you just the opposite. Instead of saying, "I'm not going to believe that because it's a lie," you get in a cross-fire, going back and forth between the two thoughts.

If you and I are ever going to live the happy, victorious and successful Christian life the Lord wills for us, we are going to have to decide which fountain of information we are going to drink from. We are going to have to learn to live out of our spirit and not out of our head. The individual who persists on remaining “in the flesh,” is actually working against the plan of God to have all men trust in Him for direction. Such a person is focusing on himself or herself and not God’s grace. This is the man or woman who seeks to walk by sight and without the faith that is necessary to please God (Hebrews 11 vs 6).  

Prayer: Abba Father, give me the grace to always listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit indwelling me, and knows the things of God, that I may please You at all times, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!