SPIRITUAL MATURITY—BECOMING LIKE CHRIST!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY AUGUST 23, 2020.

SUBJECT: SPIRITUAL MATURITY—BECOMING LIKE CHRIST!

Memory verse:  "Till we all come to the unity of the faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." (Ephesians 4 vs 13.)

READ:  Ephesians 4 vs 11 - 16:

4:11: And He Himself gave some apostles, some, prophets, some evangelists; and some pastors and teachers, 
4:12: for the equipping of the saints, for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; 
4:13: till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ;
4:14: that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,
4:15: but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—

4:16: from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

INTIMATION:

Spiritual maturity—becoming like Christ, is neither instant nor automatic; it is a gradual, progressive development that will take the rest of your life. You are a work in progress. Your spiritual transformation in developing the character of Jesus will take the rest of your life, and even then it won't be completed here on earth. It will only be finished when you get to heaven or when Jesus returns. At that point, whatever unfinished work on your character that is left will be wrapped up.

God is more interested in building your character than He is in anything else. God is more interested in what you are than in what you do. We are human beings, not human doings. God is much more concerned about your character than your career, because you will take your character into eternity, but not your career. There can be many different careers that could be in God's Will for your life, but His utmost care is that whatever you do, you do it in a Christlike manner. 

The apostle Paul in reference to doing all things in Christlike manner said, in the following Scripture passages: "Therefore, whether you eat and drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (First Corinthians 10 vs 31); "Let all you do be done with love." (First Corinthians 16 vs 14.); "And whatever you do in word and deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." (Colossians 3 vs 17.); "And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men." (Colossians 3 vs 23.)

Doing "all in the name of the Lord Jesus" means bringing honor to Christ in every aspects and activities of daily living. As a Christian, you represent Christ at all times; wherever you go, and whatever you do and say. Always ask yourself these pertinent questions, "What impression do people have of Christ when they see or talk with me?” "What changes would I make in my life in order to honor Christ?" Regard whatever you do or say as an act of worship or service to God. This would help you treat your job, actions, and words as the cost of discipleship.

In describing the mature Christian, the apostle Paul says that one of the marks is “speaking the truth in love.” This sounds so simple, but it seems so hard for us to do. Some of us are fairly good at speaking the truth, but we forget to be loving. Some of us are good at being loving, but we don’t have it in us to level with others if the truth is painful. The instruction here is to do both: Speak the truth, but do it in a loving manner. Think of the trouble we would spare ourselves if we followed this practice, especially in the church! When you have a problem with another believer, don’t go to someone else with it. Go directly to that person, and speak the truth in love.

So many people are in love with themselves, and put self before anything else, including God. They have abandoned living for God's great purposes and settled for personal fulfillment and emotional stability. Jesus did not die on the cross that we could live comfortable, well-adjusted lives. His purpose is far deeper. He wants to make us like Himself before taking us to heaven. This is our greatest privilege, our immediate responsibility, and our ultimate destiny.

Prayer: Abba Father,  endue with the spirit of love, humility, and obedience, that I may do all things in ChristlIke manner, and pleasing You at all times, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

JESUS BELIEVES IN YOU

 JESUS BELIEVES IN YOU

"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. John 15:16" 

Devotion : If you are a Christian and you are looking down on yourself, remember the words of Jesus Christ in our opening Scripture and encourage yourself. Jesus said, "You did not choose me but I have chosen you"; these words of Jesus Christ demonstrate that He believes in every Christian He has called. He has also ordained every Christian to bear fruit for Him. He knows you can do it, therefore, believe in Jesus Christ and be confident in yourself that you can do what Jesus has ordained you for. You can win souls for Him, and you can make the souls remain in Him through your prayers and words of exhortation, and constant visitation. When your souls remain in Christ, all the things you pray for will be granted by our Lord Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! This should encourage someone to start winning souls for Christ right now! Dear beloved, are you a soul winner? Do you believe in yourself? Share your comments here!

HOW GOD MOLDS YOU!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY AUGUST 22, 2020.

SUBJECT:  HOW GOD MOLDS YOU!

Memory verse:  "Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered." (Hebrews 5 vs 8.) 

READ:  Joshua 1 vs 8; 10 vs 24 - 25:

Joshua 1:8: This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Hebrews 5:8: 

10:24: And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,

10:25: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some; but exhorting one another, and so much the more, as you see the Day approaching.

INTIMATION:

The Word of God, the people around you, and the circumstances you encounter in life are all used by God to mold you. The three are indispensable for character development. They function as follows: (1) God's Word provide the truth we need to grow. (2) God's people provide the support we need to grow. (3) Circumstances provide the environment we need to practice Christlikeness. If you study God's Word, and meditate on it, connect regularly with other believers, and learn to trust God in any circumstances, you are guaranteed to become more like Jesus Christ.

Many people wrongly assume all that is needed for spiritual growth is Bible study and prayers. But some issues in life will never be changed by Bible study or prayers alone. God uses people. He usually prefers to work through people rather than perform miracles, so that we will depend on each other for fellowship. He wants us to grow together. Spiritual maturity is not a solitary, individual pursuit. You cannot grow to Christlikeness in isolation. You must be around other people and interact with them. 

To neglect Christian meetings is to give up the encouragement and help of other Christians. We gather together to share our faith and strengthen one another in the Lord. As we get closer to the day when Christ will return, we will face many spiritual struggles, and even times of persecution. Anti-Christian forces will grow in strength. Difficulties should never be excuses for missing fellowship meetings and church services. Rather, as difficulties arise, we should make an even greater effort to be faithful in attendance.

You also need to be a part of a church and community. Why? Because true spiritual maturity is all about learning to love like Jesus, and you can't practice being like Jesus without being in relationship with other people, especially believers. Remember, it's all about love—loving God and loving others—which reminds us of the greatest commandment Jesus gave us, ‘Love for God and love for your neighbor’ (Mark 12 vs 30 - 31).

New believers in Christ need to be in groups, where they can learn God’s Word, pray, and mature in the faith. If you have just begun a relationship with Christ, seek out other believers for fellowship, prayer, and teaching. This is the way to grow. To prevent having an unbelieving heart, stay in fellowship with other believers, talk daily about your mutual faith, be aware of the deceitfulness of sin (it attracts and destroys), and encourage each other with love and concern.

The vicissitudes of life can be God’s plans to achieve His ordained purposes in your life or on earth. Perhaps no other account in all of Scriptures illustrates the strange vicissitudes of life more vividly than the biography of Joseph (The Dreamer), The experience in Joseph’s life taught him, and teaches us, that God brings good from evil for those who trust in Him. He overrules people’s evil intentions to bring about His intended results. In Joseph’s case, He brought good from the brothers’ evil deed, Potiphar’s wife’s false accusation, the butler’s neglect, and seven years of famine. 

Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. In Egypt, Joseph became the trusted servant of Potiphar, an official in the king's court. Unfortunately, Potiphar's trust was shattered by one false accusation against him by his master’s wife. Without so much as a court hearing, Joseph was thrown into prison. He was doomed, or so he thought. But a perplexing turn of events raised him to unexpected heights. In grateful response, Pharaoh appointed Joseph second-in-command in Egypt (a Prime Minister in a foreign land). Joseph's appointment to second-in-command, remains an astonishing moment in ancient history. How do we explain his rise from an impoverished foreigner to an imperial leader? 

Prayer: Abba Father, in You all things consist. My utmost heart desire is to be a vessel of honor in Your hands. Use me and make what You pleases, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

OUR VICTORY IS BY THE GRACE THROUGH FAITH!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY AUGUST 21, 2020.

SUBJECT:  OUR VICTORY IS BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH!

Memory verse:  "I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain." (Galatians 2 vs 21.) 

READ:  Ephesians 2 verse 4 - 9:

2:4: But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

2:5: even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

2:6: and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

2:7: that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

2:8: For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God,

2:9: not of works, lest anyone should boast.

INTIMATION:

Faith in God is a firm conviction about Him, that produces a full acknowledgement of God’s revelation or truth, occasions a personal surrender to Him, and a conduct inspired by such surrender. God extended grace to man regardless of the sin of man (Romans 5 vs 8). In this way, therefore, grace is a gift (See John 1 vs 12 - 13). It is a gift because it was neither given as a payment of debt by God to those who demanded such through their faith (because there was no faith in Christ in any of us when He offered Himself on the cross), nor for a meritorious keeping of law, and good works (Romans 11 vs 6). 

The condition upon which the grace of God is made effective for the salvation of man is that one must receive or accept the free gift. For this reason, the effect of God’s grace in reference to the salvation of man must be conditioned on the response of man. The condition is obedient faith, and thus, we are saved by grace through obedience of faith. Therefore, obedient faith is our response to the grace of God.

We become Christians through God’s unmerited grace, not as a result of any effort, ability, intelligent choice, or act of service on our part. Therefore, we must learn to lean totally upon the Lord, freely acknowledging that it is not by faith but by grace through faith that we receive any of the good things that He wants us to have. We must remember that the most important thing in receiving God's blessings is not our great faith but His great faithfulness. It’s noteworthy that we often keep our faith on the line, and keep believing that what we need we are going to get by faith. We need to look beyond our faith to God's grace and say, "Father, I need You to come through my faith by Your grace to bring me what I need." 

If we place too much emphasis on our faith—on our belief and our faithfulness, then we frustrate God's grace which is based not on our works but upon His unmerited favor toward us. In our memory verse, the apostle Paul warned against our becoming legalistic about this attitude: "I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain." (Galatians 2 vs 21.) Although faith is important, because it is our faith and trust in God that carries us through the hard times, as we wait patiently for the grace of God to work out our deliverance. Faith is really not the actual power that delivers; it sustains us until God's power—in the form of grace—arrives on the scene to set us free. 

When we say that we are believing God for something to happen, we also need to be praying to the Lord, saying, "Father, my trust is in You, my faith is anchored on Your unalloyed faithfulness. I need Your grace, Your power to come and deliver me." Our victories come "by grace through faith." Since God created us free-moral individuals, and placed us in an environment that demands choice, He allows us the choice of having faith in what Christ wrought for us in redemption to obtain our salvation or reject it and be condemned. Our choice of faith in Him allows a His grace to come through for our deliverance.

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for Your grace that abound in my life. I have only prevailed by virtue of Your grace working in my life. Even in my unfaithfulness, You have remained faithful. Let me be sustained by Your grace in all things as I put my complete trust in You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

BEWARE OF FALSE DOCTRINE

 BEWARE OF FALSE DOCTRINE

"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Colossians 2:8" 

Devotion : One of the disciples asked Jesus Christ what will be the signs of the end time. Jesus told them the first sign is deception (Matthew 24:4). The devil and his cohorts of darkness have been completely disarmed by Jesus Christ; the weapon they have now is deception: how to deceive mankind to reject the gospel and the saving power of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. They keep developing strange doctrines to confuse the masses. Some of the doctrines are "Jesus Christ is not God, He is just like one of the Old Testament prophets, He did not really die on the cross, there is no hell, there is reincarnation, etc." These are all strange doctrines to mar the truth. Christians must therefore be on the alert to identify and reject these strange doctrines and philosophies. They should not even entertain the people who convey these false teachings. Dear beloved are you aware of these false teachers and false doctrines? Share your thoughts here!

IMITATE CHRIST JESUS

 IMITATE CHRIST JESUS

"And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. Matthew 9:35" 

Devotion : Jesus Christ has left a legacy for us to follow. If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ you must do what Jesus did. Jesus Christ traveled from cities to villages, teaching the Word of God, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing sickness and every disease among the people. Jesus Christ made sure that the people who came to His crusade never left in the same manner in which they came; they went home fulfilled. We are to continue where Jesus Christ left off. Our primary job as Christians is to move from cities to villages, teaching the Word of God, preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, and healing the sick. If we continue in the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, the world will be a better place. Jesus Christ made life better for others and we must do the same. Hallelujah! Dear beloved, are you making life better for others? Share your comments and testimonies here!

Everyday with Jesus on www.miheanyi.blogspot.com House of Joy a powerful place to be daily.

BENEFITS OF THANKSGIVING!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY AUGUST 20, 2020.

SUBJECT : BENEFITS OF THANKSGIVING!

Memory verse: "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (First Thessalonians 5 vs 18.) 

READ: Jeremiah 30 vs 19 - 20:

30:19: Then out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of those who make merry; I will multiply them, and they shall not diminish; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small. 

30:20: Their children also shall be as before, and their congregation shall be established before Me; and I will punish all who oppress them.

 

INTIMATION:

Giving thanks in everything is the Will of God in Christ for the believer. We don’t give thanks for everything that happens to us, but in everything. In all things God work’s for our good if we love Him and are called by Him (Romans 8 vs 28). Therefore, we thank God, not for our problems but for the strength He builds in us through the difficult experiences of our lives. For instance, evil does not come from God, so we should not thank Him for it. But when evil strikes, we can still be thankful for God’s presence, perfect love, and for the good that He will accomplish through the distress. Thanksgiving is for the believers’ good and benefit. In it we access God’s many blessings. 

Thanksgiving and praise give us direct access to God. Psalm 100 vs 4 gives these familiar words "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name." The gate leads into His courts, the courts lead into His presence. You get through the gates with thanksgiving, and through the courts with praise, then you are right there before Him. In the presence of God there is fullness of joy—joy unspeakable. (Psalm 16 vs 11). Joy and gladness are established in and around us as we announce with melodious voices. 

Thanksgiving preserves our blessings, and tour blessings abound through many thanksgiving to God (Second Corinthians 9 vs 12). This means acknowledging God for who He is and what He does; the Almighty Creator of the universe who alone is perfect and who reaches down to sinful mankind with perfect love, and has given us all things to enjoy (First Timothy 6 vs 17).

Thanksgiving judges God faithful, and by that reminds Him of what remains. We request from Him of our desires through thanksgiving, and receives strength for accomplishment of our desires. (Philippians 4 vs 6; Hebrews 11 vs 11). It also multiplies our blessings. In Matthew 15 vs 33 - 37, Jesus gave thanks and consequently fed four thousand people with seven loaves and a few little fish. Also in John 6 vs 1 - 11, Jesus gave thanks and fed five thousand people with five loaves and two fish. 

Thanksgiving moves God to punish and silence our enemies and oppressors, that our desires on them are not only heard by us, but also seen with our own eyes. Even the believers are multiplied and glorified, ensuring our increase, sustenance, and establishment. (Psalm 92 vs 11; Jeremiah 30 vs 20). 

Thanksgiving keeps the anointing of the Holy Spirit alive in our life, and working, ensuring that we are empowered to be rooted, built up in Him, and established in faith and abounding in it (Psalm 92 vs 10 - 11; Colossians 2 vs 7). Thanksgiving therefore, is our means of ensuring our multiplication, establishment, accomplishment, and reminding God of our outstanding petitions . It is our weapon of offense against our enemies. In it believers obtain good reports.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are ever faithful, abounding in mercy, and kindness. In all things I will acknowledge You. Engrace me with the heart of gratitude that I will give You thanks in everything according to Your Will, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!