Blessed is the man that endureth temptation

"Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. James 1:12"

Devotion : Jesus Christ is the greatest leader in heaven and on Earth. He has many rewards for Christians, even for enduring temptation. This might come as a surprise to some Christians, but it is true; the opening scripture clearly states it, and the Word of God cannot lie. Christians who are going through temptation should be encouraged by this scripture to bear it to the end so that they can receive the crown of life. Besides receiving the crown of life, Christians who undergo temptation to the end prove their love for Christ. Dear beloved, do you love Christ Jesus? The proof of your love will be tested through temptation, and you must endure it to the end to receive the crown of life. Share your comments here!

BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY JUNE 17, 2020.

SUBJECT : BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING!

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: Philippians 4 vs 4 -

 7:

4:4: Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say rejoice!

4:5: Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

4:6: 

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

4:7: And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

INTIMATION:

Being anxious is being uneasy with fear or desire regarding something; worrying, or craving, or yearning for something. Anxiety is the offshoot of care or desire for earthly things. Imagine being anxious for nothing! It seems like an impossibility, right? We all have responsibilities, and worries; on the job, in our homes, in our business, at school, our relationships with others, and even with God. However, the "Omni" nature of God occasioned the counsel of Jesus Christ to us, viz; "Therefore, I say to you, do not worry about your life." This is because everything, including your life, is planned and purposed by the Owner, who determines circumstances, and commands or allows events as is pleasing to Him (Lamentation 3 vs 37). 

 

Now, have you realized that you contributed nothing, absolutely nothing, in the creation of this world. God created the world, and all that is in it, including you. He owns everything, including you, planned everything, and manages everything according to His plans and purposes for creating them. He is the "Beginning and the End." I am always humbled by God's description of Himself, "..For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet known, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will do My pleasure,' (Isaiah 46 vs 9 - 10.)

If then you don't have any control over your life, why worry about things. Christians should put their trust in God, for it is He who is working all things together according to His purposes. Christians must not worry, for to worry is to doubt God’s ability to take care of all things and work all things together for the good of the Christian. Worriers are consumed by fear and find it difficult to trust God. They let their plans interfere with their relationship with God. Don't let worries about tomorrow affect your relationship with God today.

Sincerely, our attitude in all things, according to the Scripture, is to carry your worries, stresses, and daily struggles to God, and trust Him with them, rather than carrying them by yourself. Sometimes we think that struggles caused by our own sin and foolishness are not God's concern. But when we turn to God in repentance, He will bear the weight even of those struggles. Letting God have your anxieties calls for action, that is actually surrendering all to Him. Ensure you don't submit to circumstances, but to the Lord who controls circumstances.

In the passage we read today, the apostle Paul was advising the believers in Philippi from the prison. It is quite strange that a man in prison will be telling a church to rejoice. This is because he knows that no matter what happens, God is in control of all things. Turn your worries into prayers. Whenever you start to worry, you stop to pray, and if you start to pray, you stop to worry. Always give God the first place in your life. 

People, objects, goals, and other desires all compete for priority. Any of these can quickly bump God out of your life, out of first place if you don't actively choose to give Him first place in every area of your life. Because of the effects of worry, Jesus tells us not to worry about those needs that God  promises to supply. Worry may damage your health, cause the object of your worry to consume your thoughts, disrupt your productivity, negatively affect the way you treat others, reduce your ability to trust in God. Worry immobilizes, but genuine concern moves you to action.

Prayer: Abba Father, all things are Yours, and You have promised to meet all my needs according to Your riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Therefore, engrace me to put away all cares and worries in my life and cast them upon You. I hold tight to Your promise to be with me always, and meet all my needs, in Jesus' Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

STAND WITH JESUS OR AGAINST JESUS?

"He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. Luke 11:23"

Devotion : Jesus Christ of Nazareth made that profound statement in Luke 11:23. It is clear that no one can be on the fence in this world; you are either for Jesus or against Him. Either you are winning souls for Him or you are turning souls away from Him; there is no middle ground. Those who are in the world or those who are not born again are against Jesus Christ; no one can dispute it. However, those who are born again must ask themselves whether they are for or against Jesus. This is the truth from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ's point of view. Dear beloved, it is time for you to ask yourself this personal question: "Am I for Christ or against Him?" Share your comments here!

BOAST IN YOUR WEAKNESS!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY JUNE 16, 2020.

SUBJECT : BOAST IN YOUR WEAKNESS!

Memory verse: "Of such an one will I boast: yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities." (Second Corinthians 12 vs 5.)

READ:  Second Corinthians 12 vs 8 - 10:

12:8: Concerning  this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
12:9: And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, most gladly therefore will I rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

12:10: Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong.

INTIMATION:  

To boast in your weakness is to be happy, to rejoice in them, knowing that the Creator allowed it for His purpose; to show His strength, and power in such weaknesses. It is not for you to despair in your weakness or infirmities because they can never be any form of limitations to God, but rather an opportunity to demonstrate His power through grace. For emphasis, the apostle Paul said in our memory verse, ‘I am going to boast only about how weak I am and how great God is to use such weakness for His glory.’ Instead of posing as self-confident and invincible, see yourself as a trophy of grace. Your weaknesses ought to be a limitation, but by His grace you overcome.

The apostle Paul had an infirmity—“thorn in the flesh”—that was a chronic and debilitating problem, which at times kept him from working. This thorn was a hindrance  to his ministry, and he prayed for its removal; but God refused, but rather promised to demonstrate His power in him. He was a very self-sufficient person, so this thorn must have been difficult for him. Three times he prayed for healing and did not receive it. He received, however, things greater because he received greater grace from God; a stronger character, humility, and ability to empathize with others. In addition, it benefited those around him as they saw God at work in his life. 

God, according to His sovereign plan, doesn’t heal some believers of their physical ailments. We don’t know why some are spared and others aren’t. But God chooses according to His divine purposes. The apostle Paul was a living proof at the time that holy living and courageous faith do not ensure instant physical healing. When we pray fo healing, we must trust our bodies to God’s care. We must recognize that nothing separates us from the love of God (Romans 8 vs 35 - 39) and that our spiritual condition is always more important than our physical condition. 

The fact that God’s power is displayed in our weaknesses should give us courage and hope. As we recognize our limitations, we will depend more on God for our effectiveness rather than on our own energy, effort, or talent. Our limitations help develop our worship, because in admitting them, we affirm God’s strength. God told Paul, “My grace (My favor and lovingkindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness.” (Amplified Version.)

The fact that God's power is displayed in weak people should give us courage. When Satan points out your weaknesses, agree with him and fill your heart with praise for Jesus, who "understands every weakness of ours," and for the Holy Spirit, who "helps our weaknesses."(Romans 8 vs 26.) As a believer, God will not leave you to your own resources to cope with problems. Instead we turn to God to seek pathways for our effectiveness, rather than rely on our own energy, effort, or talent. Even when you don't know the right words to pray, the Holy Spirit prays with and for you, and God answers.

Sometimes, however, God turns a strength into a weakness in order to use us even more. Jacob was a manipulator who spent his life scheming and then running from the consequences. One night he wrestled with God and said, "I'm not letting you go until you bless me." God said, "All right," but then he grabbed Jacob's thigh and dislocated his hip. What is the significance of that? God touched Jacob's strength (the thigh muscle is the strongest in the body) and turned it into a weakness. From that day forward, Jacob walked with a limp so he could never run away again. It forced him to lean on God whether he liked it or not. 

Physical infirmities remind us that we live in a physical world, but are looking forward to a realm of dwelling wherein there will be no pain (Revelation 21 vs 4). If there were no pain in this world, then we would not desire a heavenly realm of dwelling that is free of pain. When we are strong in abilities or resources, we are tempted to do God’s work on our own, and that can lead to pride. When we are weak, allowing God to fill us with His power, then we are stronger than we could ever be on our own. God does not intend for us to be weak, passive, or ineffective—life provides enough hindrances and setbacks without us creating them. When those obstacles come, we must depend on God. 

“My grace is sufficient.” This one statement concerning the grace of God manifests God’s sufficiency to deal with all aspects of man. God is able to deliver us from this physical world. God is able to deliver us from the power of sin and death. Therefore, whether in the midst of physical suffering or mourning over our sin, we must trust that God is able to deliver us. Such trust in God’s grace will carry us through times of hardship. 

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You most gracious Lord for Your strength that is made perfect in my weakness. Forever my trust is in You, and I am persuaded that nothing can take away Your love for me. Give me the grace never to shift my attention from You all the days of my life, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

OPEN UP YOURSELF!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY JUNE 15, 2020.

SUBJECT : OPEN UP YOURSELF!

Memory verse: "For thus says the High and Lofty One who  inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." (Isaiah 57 vs 15.)

READ:  Romans 7 vs 14 - 20:

7:14: For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.
7:15: For that what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will do, that do I not practice; but what I hate, that do I.
7:16: If, then, I do what I will not do, I agree with the law that it is good.
7:17: But now p, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
7:18: For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me; but how to perform what which is good I do not find.
7:19: For the good that I will do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.

7:20: Now if I do what I will not do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

INTIMATION: 

The starting point of ministry is being moldable. The more you open up yourself to God, the more He comes in to mold and use you. The more you let down your guard, take off your mask, and share your struggles, the more God will be able to use you in serving others. It is notable that opening yourself can be risky. It can be scary to lower your defenses and open up your life to others. When you reveal your failures, feelings, frustrations, and fears, you risk rejection. But the benefits are worth the risk. Opening up yourself is emotionally liberating; it relieves stress, defuses your fears, and is the first step to freedom.

We have already seen that God "gives grace to the humble," but many do not understand humility. Humility is not putting yourself down or denying your strengths; rather, it is being honest about your weaknesses. The more honest you are, the more of God's grace you get. You will also receive from others. Being moldable or meek, that is opening up yourself, is an endearing quality; we are naturally drawn to humble people. Pretentiousness repels, but authenticity attracts, and meekness is the pathway to intimacy. Your life becomes a testimonial when people see God using you in spite of your weaknesses, and they are encouraged, and they will then think that God can use them too. This is why God wants to use your weaknesses, not just your strengths. Our strengths create competition, but our weaknesses create community.

At some point in your life you must decide whether you want to impress people or influence people. You can impress people from a distance, but you must get close to influence them, and when you do that, they will be able to see your flaws. That's okay. The most essential quality for leadership is not perfection, but credibility. People must be able to trust you, or they won't follow you. How do you build credibility? Not by pretending to be perfect, but by being honest, and open.

Our Scriptural model, the apostle Paul, openly and honestly shared his impressions at various times. In his failures he said, "For the good that I will to do, I do not; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice." (Romans 7 vs19.) Concerning the openness of his heart, and his feelings, he said to believers in Corinth, "O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open." (Second Corinthians 6 vs 11.) On his frustrations, he said, "For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life." (Second Corinthians 1 vs 8.) On his fears, he said, "I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling." (First Corinthians 2 vs 3.)

In the passage we read today, the cry of the apostle Paul is more than the cry of a desperate man, it describes the experience of all Christians struggling against sin or trying to please God by keeping rules and laws without the Spirit’s help. He opened up himself, emphasized his weakness, and sought help. We must never underestimate the power of sin and attempt to fight it in our own strength. Satan is a crafty tempter, and we have an amazing ability to make excuses. Instead of trying to overcome sin with our own human willpower, we must take hold of God’s provision for victory over sin: the Holy Spirit, who lives within us and gives us power. And when we fall, He lovingly reaches out to help us up.

The inward struggle with sin was as real for the apostle Paul as it is for us. From him we learn what to do about it. Whenever he felt overwhelmed by the spiritual battle, he would return to the beginning of his spiritual life, remembering how he had been freed from sin by Jesus Christ. When we feel confused and overwhelmed by sin’s appeal, let us claim the freedom Christ gave us. His power can lift us to victory. Self-determination (struggling in one’s own strength) doesn’t succeed (Romans 7 vs 15). The apostle Paul found himself sinning in ways that weren’t even attractive to him. Becoming a Christian does not stamp out all sin and temptation from a person’s life (Romans 7 vs 22 - 25). Being born again takes a moment of faith, but becoming like Christ is a lifelong process. 

Prayer: Abba Father, all to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give. I will ever love and trust Him, and in His presence I will daily live, and humbly at His feet I bow. Engrace me not to put ant form of trust in myself, but to follow to the end, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

BE CONTENT WITH YOUR WEAKNESS!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY JUNE 14, 2020.

SUBJECT : BE CONTENT WITH YOUR WEAKNESS!

Memory verse: "But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty." (First Corinthians 1 vs 27.)

READ:  Second Corinthians 12 vs 9 - 10:

12:9: But He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 

12:10: Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong."

INTIMATION:

Humans are imperfect. Each of us has a bundle of flaws and imperfections; physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. You may also have uncontrollable circumstances that weaken you, such as financial or relational limitations. We are God's creatures, and He has allowed these imperfections in our life for His predetermined purposes. Your weaknesses are not an accident. God deliberately allowed them in your life for the purpose of demonstrating His power through you.

A weakness is not a sin or a vice or a character defect that you can change, such as overreacting or impatience. A weakness is any limitation that you inherited or have no power to change. It may be a physical limitation; a handicap, a chronic illness, or disability. It may be emotional limitation; a trauma scar, a hurtful memory, a personality quirk, or a hereditary disposition. Or it may be a talent or intellectual limitation. We are not all super bright or talented.

The most important issue is that God loves you, even in your weakness or limitations. It is for our weaknesses that God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, to the world, as a propitiation for our sins, since we can't handle sin ourselves. Come to think of it, if we are perfect, are we going to need God? The answer is no! God allows those weaknesses in us to always remind us of our need for Him. And He gives us the power to accomplish the seemingly impossible task, our limitations not withstanding. Knowing that the power is His, not ours, should keep us from pride and motivate us to keep daily contact with God, our power source. 

Sometimes we deny our weaknesses, defend them, excuse them, hide them, and resent them, instead of owning them up. And that prevents God from using them the way He desires. God has a different perspective on your weaknesses. He has His reasons for creating you the way He did, and that knowledge is known to Him alone. Be totally truthful, and allow Him to use you as He purposed. Although God's method and means are beyond our comprehension, He Himself is not arbitrary, He governs the universe and our lives in perfect wisdom, justice, and love. We think that God only wants to use our strengths, but He also wants to use our weaknesses for His glory.

God is always drawn to people who are weak and admit it. Jesus regarded this recognition of our need as being "poor in spirit." (Matthew 5 vs 3.) It's the number one attitude He blesses. If God considers perfection in using people, obviously nothing could be done, because none of us will be eligible since we are all imperfect. When you think of the limitation in your life, you may be tempted to conclude, "God could never use me." But God is never limited by our limitations. Rather He brings His great power to bear in our situations, haven considered us as ordinary containers—earthen vessels (frail and fallible human beings) (Second Corinthians 4 vs 7). 

Normally, we recognize our limitations, and will not congratulate ourselves and rest at that. We will want to be freed from our weaknesses, not be content with them! However, contentment is an expression of faith in the goodness of God. Therefore, in our limitations, we will turn to God to seek pathways for effectiveness, rather than relying on our own energy, effort, or talent. Our weaknesses not only helps us develop Christian character; it also deepens our worship, because in admitting our weakness, we affirm God's strength. When we are strong in abilities or resources, we are tempted to do God's work on our own, and that can lead to pride. 

God often attaches a major weakness to a major strength to keep our egos in check. A limitation can act as governor to keep us from going too fast and running ahead of God. In recognition of this fact, the apostle Paul said in Second Corinthians 12 vs 7, "...a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure." It's God design to always prove His strength in our affairs, so that we will always come back to him in difficult times. 

When Gideon recruited an army of 32,000 to fight the Midianites, God whittled it down to just 300, making the odds 450 to 1 as they went out to fight 135,000 enemy troops. It appeared to be a recipe for disaster, but God did it so Israel would know it was God's power, not their own strength, that saved them. 

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You, most gracious Lord for Your strength is made perfect in my weakness. I will glory in You only, and my can strength I cannot prevail, but will do all things through Your strength available to me, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen. 

PRAISE THE LORD!

THE WINNING PRAYER!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY JUNE 13, 2020.

SUBJECT : THE WINNING PRAYER!

Memory verse: "This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shalt meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." (Joshua 1 vs 8.)

READ:  Isaiah 1 vs 18; 41 vs 21; & 43 by 2:

1:18: “Come now, and let us reason together,” says the LORD, “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

41:21: “Present your case,” says the LORD. “Bring forth your strong reasons,” says the King of Jacob

43:26: Put Me in remembrance; let us contend together; state your case, that you may be acquitted.

INTIMATION:

The winning prayer is the prayer anchored on reasoning with the Lord on His Word. Therefore, a winning prayer is richly prepared in God’s Word, presenting His Word back to Him that He may hasten to perform it (Jeremiah 1 vs 12). As the Scripture says, “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good.” (Numbers 23 vs 19.) The Word of God is forever settled in heaven (Psalm 119 vs 89.) Therefore, a Christian wins in prayer if he or she prepares very well in God’s Word before prayer. 

The apostle Paul told the believers in Colosse in Colossians 3 vs 16, "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom..." You must have a word-stuffed heart, to maintain a hotline communication with God. Emotional displays in prayer does not move God. No amount of tears from your cry will move God if your communication is void of adequate Word preparation. God is only moved when you ask according to His Will. So, all you need is the right Words and your communication with Him will be through. 

One thing is needful for every other thing to fall in place—the right Word of God. If you check through Scriptures, you will find out that everything is hooked to, and rooted in the Word. Faith, effectual prayer, and success etc, are all rooted in it. Being outstanding in Christianity is a function of your Word content, and not the amount of religious exercises you engage in. I have seen many heavy prayer warriors who are weary, but I am yet to see a Word warrior who is not a conqueror. When you are Wordless in God’s Word, your prayers can't be genuine. You will either be under pressure, or just be playing games. 

It is God's Word that connects you to the throne for response. No matter how long you have been cheated by the devil, when you cry to God and say, "Lord, can't You see how I am being cheated? Can't You see how long I have been a Christian?" All He will say is, "My son, my daughter talk sense! What do you want Me to do for you?" He wants you to bring your strong reasons from His Word and put Him in remembrance of them. So until you remind Him of His Word that commits Him to perform His Word, your prayers will continue to remain unanswered. 

The Bible in John 1 vs 1 & 14 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made 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." Jesus is the Word of God. Therefore, locating the Word for any situation, is locating Jesus for that situation.

Now, the Bible says in Matthew 21 vs 42 & 44, "Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: 'The stone which the builders rejected, has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes?” And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder." The stone referred to here is Jesus—the Word. If any opposition falls on it, that opposition will be broken; and when it falls upon any opposition, it grinds it to powder. Anytime you locate Scriptures that address any issue of concern in your life, and use them, you are spiritually hauling stones against the opposition, breaking them first and then grinding them to powder. And it is obvious the Scriptures cannot be broken (John 10 vs 35).

The Bible in Hebrews 4 vs 12 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 the heart.” Embedded in the Word is the power and might of God. It is living and dynamic as it works in us. Locating the Word is bringing God to the scene, and that marks the end of any oppositions in your life. 

The Lord said, “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from out My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55 vs 10 - 11.) 

Rather than spend time doing some religious exercises that won't profit you, spend it in the Word, to gather the appropriate stones that will bring down your Goliath. Go by the River of Life (the Bible), carefully choose and pick up those lively stones (Scriptures), put them in your bag (your heart) and then move against the opposition and you are sure to bring it down.

Prayer: Abba Father, You have given us all that pertains to life and godliness in Your Word. Give me the grace to ensure that Your Word will not depart from my mouth, but I will meditate in it day and night, and I will observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then I will make may way prosperous, and have good success, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!