PROBLEMS ARE PURPOSEFUL!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY JUNE 26, 2020.

SUBJECT: PROBLEMS ARE PURPOSEFUL!

Memory verse: "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials," (James 1 vs 2.)

READ: Genesis 45 vs 4 - 8; 50 vs 20:

45:4: And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.

45:5: But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.

45:6: For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting.

45:7: And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and save your lives by a great deliverance. 

45:8: So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

50:20: But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

INTIMATION:

A problem is a matter or challenge difficult to settle or solve; a source of perplexity; an adversity. Problem is a constant variable in life's equation. They have no boundaries, it can confront anybody. Problems are God's training ground. They sometimes are part of God's plan for believers, therefore, don't allow them to separate you from God's divine destiny for your life. Don't run away from your problems, face them squarely, accept God's promise of help, correct your attitudes, and act as you should. Problems come in different magnitudes, some minor, and some big, and they don't make any appointments before coming. They usually show up when you least expect them, and may stay in your life much longer than you want them to.

Problems can be testing our faith in God. Therefore, it is necessary for God's children to discover the principle for transforming the problems of their lives into the provisions of God. We all detest problems, but they are the reason for every improvement we make. They quicken our wits, and force us to think outside the box, and above all draw us closer to God. A problem is an opportunity to step into a new dimension of accomplishment, usually routed in observance of supernatural principles of God.

God customizes some of our problems so that we can fulfill the purpose for which we are created. They are stepping stones, and ordained platform en-route our divine destiny. God knows you and your potentials. The psalmist says in Psalm 139 vs 16, "Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the day's fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them." The cross you carry was tailor-made by the carpenter's Son.

A case-study of Joseph the son of Jacob, makes the concept very clear. He was a favorite son to his father, and envied by his brothers, a favorite servant in Potiphar's house, a favorite prisoner to the warden and other prisoners, a favorite interpreter of dreams, and a favorite lieutenant to King Pharaoh. And after many years, he became the favorite even to his ten brothers who were envious of him. He was pre-ordained by God to be the savior of his people, and He was with him in all his travails. So many problems were lined up en-route his destined purpose; he was betrayed and deserted by his brothers; he was exposed to sexual temptation; suffered false accusation, and punished for doing the right thing; he endured a long imprisonment and was forgotten by those he helped. 

Joseph didn't plan to be in the bottom of a pit after he recounted his God-given dream to his loved ones, but he was. He did not foresee his brothers selling him into slavery, but they did. God had destined him for great things, but people and problems got in the way, apparently fashioned to get him his promise and provision. Joseph was faithful in the problems. He maintained his character and integrity while enduring the problem. He was patient throughout the duration of the problem. He did not complain while facing ridicule, rejection, envy, and jealousy. He held to his dream in the midst of lies, false accusations, and prison. Through it all, God showed favor to Joseph until the provision came.

Joseph had the vision, and interpreted the purpose of his problem. He said, “God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.... But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” (Genesis 45 vs 47 - 48 & 50 vs 20.)

Even though Joseph spent years in the problem, he never stopped listening to the voice of God. He remained faithful to God, and God remained faithful to him, leading him to the divine purpose for which he was created. Are you in the middle of a severe problem? Have you gone through your spiritual checklist to make sure that you are not the cause of the problem? Do you find it difficult to find the purpose of the predicament you are in? Look for the promise in God's Word. Hold to that promise. It is given to you by your Father in heaven, who is faithful to fulfill it. All of the provisions God offers in the pantry of heaven are available to the child of God who faithfully stands on His promises.

When God is at work, suffering, setbacks, and hardship may still occur. We are encouraged to face the problems or difficulties with happiness when they do come. Problems have a way of developing patience and character by teaching us to trust God to do what is best for us. Always look for ways to honor God in you present situation of problems, remembering that God will not abandon you. Also carefully watch out for His predetermined plan for you. His promise and provision awaits those who tarry to the end. Remember this always, "Blessed is the man that endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those  who love Him" (James 1 vs 12).

Prayer: Abba Father, my trust is in You, even though my fruit trees fail to produce, though my labor be in vain and my fields shall yield no food; though my flock be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength, my personal bravery and my invincible army; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me to walk upon my high places in troubles, suffering, or responsibility, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD! 

GOD'S AWESOMENESS TO US

"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. Corinthians 2:9"

Devotion : The Apostle Paul had worked with God for several years and had come to appreciate that God reserves certain things to His own prerogative. An example is that God tells you He will reward you but does not tell you the exact time when He will give you the reward. When you lose heart and do not press on with your walk with Him, you lose the reward. Apostle Paul was encouraging the church in Corinth not to give up on God for He has prepared something special for them which no eye, ear, or heart of man can apprehend. Apostle Paul quoted from Isaiah 64:4, and since the Word of God cannot be broken, that scripture is still relevant today. Dear beloved, do you feel like giving up on God? Be encouraged with this scripture, and keep pressing on. Praise the Lord! Share your thoughts here!

BE YE STEADFAST AND UNMOVABLE ALWAYS ABOUNDING IN. THE WORK OF THE LORD

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. Corinthians 15:58"

Devotion : The Apostle Paul, by the inspiration of God, has given the believer another key to live a victorious Christian life. The key is to always abound in the work of the Lord. He admits that as a Christian, the race is not always rosy, hence we must be steadfast and unmovable. The enemy would always attack the children of God who are doing the work of our Lord Jesus Christ. His motive is to make you think your labor for the Lord is in vain so that you give up the Lord's work. The only key to nullify his attack is to be devoted and immovable and to enjoy the work of the Lord, knowing that surely your reward will come. Dear beloved, do you feel like giving up on the work of the Lord Jesus Christ? Don't give up but apply the key in the article, and you will definitely share your testimony. Share your thoughts here!

CALLED AND COMMANDED TO SERVE!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY JUNE 25, 2020.

SUBJECT: CALLED AND COMMANDED TO SERVE!

Memory verse: "He saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose." (Second Timothy 1 vs 9.)

READ: Matthew 20 vs 28 - 34:

20:28: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
20:29: Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. 

20:30: And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!" 

20:31: Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!" 

20:32: So Jesus stood and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?" 

20:33: They said to Him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened." 

20:34: So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.

INTIMATION:

For Christians service is not optional, something to be attached to our schedules if we can spare the time. It is the heart of the Christian life. We have earlier seen the true example of what we are called to do in Jesus Christ. In Matthew 20 vs 28 Jesus said, "Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." Jesus came "to serve" and "to give," and those two verbs should define your life on earth, too as a Christian. Serving and giving sum up God's major purpose for your life. 

And after telling the disciples of the "command to serve," Jesus demonstrated that act of selfless service in the event following in the passage we read today. Although Jesus was concerned about the coming events in Jerusalem, He had all His attention fixed on Jerusalem, but He stopped to care for the blind men demonstrating what He had just told the disciples about service, by stopping to care for them. Service is a commandment that He has to obey, and consequently He did. Even when the major reason He came was to come up in that His trip to Jerusalem.

Jesus taught that greatness comes from serving—giving yourself to serve God and others. Service keeps us aware of others' needs, and it stops us from focusing only on ourselves. He described leadership from a new perspective; instead of using people, we are to serve them. Jesus mission was to serve others and to give His life away as a ransom for others. In God's standards, service leads to true greatness. Jesus said in Matthew 20 vs 26 - 27, "...But whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave." 

In First Corinthians 7 vs 17, the Scripture says, "But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him work..." Many think that being "called" by God is something only missionaries, pastors, nuns, and other "full-time" church workers experience, but the Bible says every Christian is called to service. Your call to salvation included your call to service. They are the same. Regardless of your job or career, you are called to full-time Christian service. A "non-serving Christian" is a contradiction in terms.

All believers are called into priesthood in Christ, not as it was in the Old Testament times, when people did not approach God directly, a priest acted as intermediary between God and sinful human beings. With Christ's victory at the cross, and in Hades, the pattern changed. Now we can come directly into God's presence without fear, and are given the responsibility of bringing others to Him also. Anytime you use your God-given abilities to help others, you are fulfilling your calling.

People often base their self-concept on their accomplishments. But our relationship with Christ is far more important than our jobs, successes, wealth, or knowledge. We have been chosen by God as His very own, and we have been called to represent Him to others. Your value comes from being one of God's children, not from what you can achieve. You have worth because of what God does, not because of what you do. How much of the time are you being useful in the service of God? Your service is desperately needed in the Body of Christ. Each and everyone of us has a role to play, and every role is important. There is no small service to God; it all matters.

Every ministry matters because we are dependent on each other to function. Consider what happens when one part of your body fails to function! You get sick. The rest of your body suffers. Imagine if your liver decided to start living for itself: "I'm tired! I don't want to serve the body anymore! I want a year off just to be fed. Your body would die. Today thousands of churches are dying because of Christians who are unwilling to serve. They sit on the sidelines as spectators, and the Body suffers.

Spiritual maturity culminates in selfless service. Maturity is for ministry! We grow up in order to give out. It is not enough to keep learning more and more. We must act on what we know and practice what we claim to believe. Impression without expression causes depression. Study without service leads to spiritual stagnation. The old comparison between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea is still true. Galilee is a lake full of life because it takes in water but also gives it out. In contrast, nothing lives in the Dead Sea because, with no outflow, the lake has stagnated. 

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of servanthood that I may serve diligently, delightfully, and obediently, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

THE INEVITABLE JUDGEMENT!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY JUNE 24, 2020.

SUBJECT: THE INEVITABLE JUDGEMENT!

Memory verse: "So then each of us shall give account of himself to God." (Romans 14 vs 12.)

READ: Second Corinthians 5 vs 10; Romans 2 vs 5 - 10:

"For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."

Romans 2:5: But in accordance with your hardness and your impertinent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God, 

2:6: who will render to each one according to his deeds": 

2:7: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 

2:8: but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness - indignation and wrath, 

2:9: tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;

2:10: but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good...For there is no partiality with God." 

INTIMATION:

At the end of your life on earth you will stand before God, and He is going to evaluate you on how well you served here on earth with your life. While eternal life is a free gift given on the basis of God's grace, each of us will still be judged by Christ. This judgement will reward us for how we have lived. God's gracious gift of salvation does not free us from the requirement for faithful obedience. We are not saved by good deeds, but when we commit our life fully to God, we want to please Him and do His will. As such, our good deeds are a grateful response to what God has done, not a prerequisite to earning His favor.

The purpose of Jesus’ first mission on earth was not to judge people, but to show them the way to find salvation and eternal life. When He comes again, one of His main purposes will be to judge people for how they lived on earth. Christ’s words which we would not accept and obey will condemn us. On the day of judgement, those who accepted Jesus and lived His way will be raised to eternal life, and those who rejected Jesus and lived any way they pleased will face eternal punishment. 

Jesus Christ has been given the authority to judge all the earth. Although His judgement is already working in our lives, there is a future, final judgement when Christ returns, and everyone’s life will be reviewed and evaluated. This will not be confined to unbelievers; Christians too, will face judgement. Their eternal destiny is secure, but Jesus will look at how they handled gifts, opportunities, and responsibilities in order to determine their heavenly rewards. At the time of judgement. God will deliver the righteous and condemn the wicked. 

At judgement, the “books” will be opened. The “Book of Life” will also be opened, and it contains the names of those who have put their trust in Christ to save them. The “books” contain the recorded deeds of everyone, good or evil. Everyone’s life will be reviewed and evaluated. No one is saved by deeds, but deeds are seen as clear evidence of a person’s actual relationship with God. His gracious gift of salvation does not free us from the requirement of faithful obedience and service. Each of us must serve Christ in the best way we know and live each day knowing the “books” will one day be opened. 

Think about the implication of giving account of our stewardship. One day God will compare how much time and energy we spent on ourselves compared with what we invested in serving others and His interest. The evaluation comes with attendant reward. The Bible tells us in Revelation 22 vs 12, "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to His work." 

At the point of judgement, all excuses for self-centeredness will sound hollow: "I was too busy" or "I had my own goals" or "I was preoccupied with working, attending to my needs, or had a tight schedule, and could hardly find time." To all excuses God will respond, "Sorry, wrong answer. I created, saved, and called you, and commanded you to live a life of service. What part did you play or did you not understand?"

Although God does not usually punish us immediately for sin, His eventual judgement is certain. We don't know exactly when it will happen, but we know that no one will escape that final encounter with the Creator. God will pour out His anger and wrath on those who lived for themselves. But for Christians, though they will be saved, it will mean a loss of eternal rewards.

Prayer: Abba Father, give me the grace to live a life of service; serving others and the interest of Your kingdom, that I may lead a life worthy of Your eternal reward, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD! 

STOP MAKING EXCUSES!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY JUNE 23, 2020.

SUBJECT: STOP MAKING EXCUSES!

Memory verse: "For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that." (First Corinthians 7 vs 7.)

READ: Romans 12 vs 4 - 8:

12:4: For as we have many members in one body, but all members do not have the same function, 

12:5: so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 

12:6: Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 

12:7: or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 

12:8: he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

INTIMATION:

All God’s works are marvelous, and all His creations are wonderful and are useful to Him for His predetermined purposes. Nothing that He created is useless to Him. All natural positions are gifts from God. And none is morally better than the other, and all are valuable to accomplishing HIs purposes. It is important to us to accept our present situation, knowing that your present situation is a tool in God’s hands to achieve His purposes. Our limitations does not limit God, therefore, cannot be an excuse in your ministry or service.

If you're not involved in any service or ministry, what excuse have you been using? No excuse is admissible in ministry. All the people used by God in the Bible had their limitations which never excused them in ministry or service. Abraham was old, Jacob was insecure, Leah was unattractive, Joseph was abused, Moses stuttered, Gideon was poor, Samson was codependent, Rahab was immoral, David had an affair and all kinds of family problems, Elijah was suicidal, Jeremiah was depressed, Jonah was reluctant, Naomi was a widow, John the Baptist was eccentric to say the least, Peter was impulsive and hot-tempered, Martha worried a lot, the Samaritan woman had several failed marriages, Zacchaeus was unpopular, Thomas had doubts, Paul has poor health, and Timothy was timid. 

That is quite a variety of misfits, but God used each of them in His service. He will use you if you stop making excuses. We have our different callings to serve, and each service is significant. God created us for His specific purposes, and it's His desire that we identify our pathway and follow it to achieve His purpose of creating us. But He left us a choice—to choose His pathway or ours. Obviously, your choice is made when you give your life for something. What will it be; a career, a sport, a hobby, fame, wealth? Or God's pathway for you to serve Him, and others. No choice you make, outside God's pathway of service destined for you, will have lasting significance. 

When you identify your own gifts, ask how you can use them to build up God’s family. At the same time, realize that your gifts can’t do the work of the body of Christ all alone. Be thankful for people whose gifts are completely different from yours. Let your strengths balance their weaknesses, and be grateful that their abilities make up for your deficiencies. The apostle Paul uses the concept of human body to teach how Christians should live and work together. As the human body is, so is the Body of Christ. Each human part finds its significance on its vocation, but all function under the direction of the brain. So Christians are to work together under the command and authority of Jesus Christ, using our different gifts. 

Service is the pathway to real significance. It is through ministry that we discover the meaning of our lives. As we serve together in God's family, our lives take on eternal importance. In human body, the eyes cannot do the work of the legs, nor the tongue the work of the stomach. When any part tries to do the work of another, it fails, and loses its significance. The Bible, in First Corinthians 7 vs 7, 20, 24, says, "..But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that. Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called. Brethren, let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called." 

When you are in the state you were called, God remains with you, hence your significance, because It is only in Him your hope of glory lies; "..Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Colossians 1 vs 28.) When one is outside of his calling, you hear people complain, "Upon all I am doing nobody notices me," "I am putting in my best, but it seems like nothing is done," "nobody sees my contribution, but when the other person does the same thing, people will be full of praise for him."

God wants to use you to make a difference in His world. He wants to work through you. What matters is not the duration of your life, but the donation of it. Not how long you lived, but how right you lived. What you might look at as a disadvantage may turn out to be an advantage in your ministry. In acknowledging God's uniqueness and goodness, the psalmist in Psalm 139 vs 14 says, "I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well."

God is perfect, and His works also are perfect. He never makes mistake, and is forever the same. Find your God's ordained path and follow it, and you will find real significance.

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You most precious God for Your marvelous works in me, and how You fearfully and wonderfully made me for Your predetermined purposes. Engrace me to identify my ordained pathway that I may walk in it, and be relevance in service to You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

HEAVEN DECLARE GOD'S GLORY.

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Psalms 19:1" 

Devotion : Elohim created the heavens and the earth and everything therein to worship and praise Him. After the fall of man, some of the creation of God stopped praising Him. In the opening scripture, we are told that the heavens declare the glory of God and the sky or firmament displays His handiwork. Verse 2 says day unto day utter speech, and night unto night shows knowledge. How many human beings do what the heavens and the sky do day and night? Some people give their praise and worship to idols or themselves, but they that know Elohim, the true God, should worship and praise Him more than the heavens and the firmament are doing. Besides worship and praise, they also show forth knowledge - the knowledge that God exists. Therefore, those who doubt the existence of God have no excuse at all because even the sky tells them about the almighty God. Dear beloved, how many times do you worship or praise God in a day? Share your comments here.