KEEP YOUR HOPE ALIVE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY AUGUST 29, 2020.

SUBJECT: KEEP YOUR HOPE ALIVE!

Memory verse: "While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (Second Corinthians 4 vs 18.)

READ: Hebrews 4 vs 3 - 10: 

4:3: For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: “So I swore in My wrath,‘ They shall not enter My rest,’ although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 
4:4: For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; 
4:5: and again in this place: “They shall not enter My rest..”
4:6: Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience,

4:7: again, He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after so long a time; as it is said: “Today if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.”
4:8: For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.
4:9: There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.

4:10: For he who has entered His rest has also ceased from his works, as God did from His.

INTIMATION:

Hope is the foundation upon which we continue our response to the grace of God. We all have faced problems in our relationships or in our work that have caused us to think about giving up. Also, we have all done things for which we are ashamed, and we live in the tension of what we have been and what we want to be. It’s easy to lose heart and quit. Because of our hope is in Christ, however, we can let go of past quit and look forward to what God will help us become. Don’t dwell on your past if you a child of God. Instead, grow in the knowledge of God by concentrating on your relationship with Him now. Realize that you are forgiven, and then move on to a life of faith and obedience. Look forward to a fuller and more meaningful life because of your hope in Christ.

Our troubles should not diminish our faith or disillusion us, nor should fatigue, pain, or criticism force you off the job. We should not forsake your eternal reward because of the intensity of today’s pain. We should realize that there is a purpose in our suffering. Problems and human limitations have several benefits: (1) They remind us of Christ’s suffering for us; (2) they keep us from pride; (3) they cause us to look beyond this brief life; (4) they give us opportunities to prove our faith to others; and (5) they give God the opportunity to demonstrate His power. See your troubles as opportunities! Your very weakness allows the resurrection power of Christ to strengthen you moment by moment as you concentrate on the inner strength that comes from the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 3 vs 16). 

Our day-to-day experiences and hardships are sometimes overwhelming; unless we can see that God’s purpose is to bring about continual growth in us, we may despair. Though Christians see the world as it is—physically decaying and spiritually infected with sin, but they do not need to be pessimistic, because they have hope for future glory. The hope they need is well expressed in Jeremiah 29 vs 11 - 12; “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of Peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.” To retain hope while we suffer shows we understand God’s merciful ways of relating to His people.

Some people have little hope of escaping their degrading way of life. With no hope, they languish in their state of predicament. But the blind beggar, in Luke 18 vs 35, took hope in the Messiah. He shamelessly cried out for Jesus’ attention, and Jesus said that his faith allowed him to see. No matter how desperate your situation may seem, if you call out to Jesus in faith, He will help you. God’s grace has delivered us from sin and death, and consequently, will deliver us unto the new heavens and earth that are to come. For this reason, Christians should obediently walk by faith in order not to give up their eternal possession that they have as heirs of God. 

The ultimate hope of a Christian when experiencing terrible illness, persecution, or pain is the realization that this life is not all there is—there is life after death! Death is only a prelude to eternal life with God. Knowing that we will live forever with God in a place without sin and suffering can help us live above the pain that we face in this life. The ultimate hope of the believer is in the return of Jesus (Titus 2 vs 13). Our perspective on life remains incomplete without this hope. This hope gives the Christians the inner strength to persevere through the struggles of this life, and remain faithful and strong through the trials and persecutions of this world. 

Hope keeps the Christian from becoming lazy or feeling bored. Like an athlete, train hard and run well, remembering the reward that lies ahead (Philippians 3 vs 14). No matter what happens, God is in control. Evil will not last forever. And a wonderful reward awaits all those who believe in Jesus as Savior and Lord. All Christians should show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that they do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises (Hebrews 6 vs 11 - 12).

Prayer: Abba Father, my trust is in You. For I know I am victorious in Christ, and look forward to live with Him forever when all suffering will end and all sorrow will flee away.

Give me the grace of unshakable hope in the heirship You promised to Your children,  in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

THE RIGHT DIRECTION

 THE RIGHT DIRECTION

"In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:6" 

Devotion : In this world everybody is going somewhere but not everyone knows where they are going; everybody is going somewhere but not everyone will reach their destination; everybody is going somewhere but not everyone is on the right path. These are the reasons why the opening Scripture said we should not see anything too small to talk to God about. He wants to know everything so that He can direct us. He alone knows the right way because there is a way that seems right unto man but the end thereof is the way of death (Proverbs 14:12). Let Him know what you have purpose to do so that He can lead you on the path of success and peace. Praise the Lord! Dear beloved, what did you learn from this gospel? Share your comments here!

GROW UP!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY AUGUST 28, 2020.

SUBJECT: GROW UP!

Memory verse:  "For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.” (Hebrews 5 vs 12.) 

READ: Hebrews 5 vs 12 -14:

5:12: For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 

5:13: For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 

5:14: But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

INTIMATION:

Growth in Christianity is growing in the wisdom and knowledge of the high-priestly role of Christ in the life of all believers. The growth is difficult unless you moved out of your comfort zones, and get really committed to Christ. Your commitment and thirst, commits God to arouse your intellect, and discerning spirit to know Him personally; your eyes of understanding being enlightened, that is, being focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what He is calling you to do. 

In real life, we try to know someone better by reading biographical information or historical data about him. That will help you know a lot about that person, bu it won’t enable you to actually know him or her. To know someone better, you need to spend time with that person; there is no shortcut. The same holds true with God. Reading the Bible, great works of theology, and devotional material is wonderful, but there is no substitute for knowing God personally by spending quality time with a Him. 

Do you really know God, or do you just know about Him? The difference is in spending quality time with Him, and in that hinges your growth as a Christian. Consequently, you grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life He has for His followers, and the utter extravagance of His work in us who trust Him; His endless energy, and boundless strength.

Christians who are yet to experience growth are Babes in Christ. Instead of growing in the wisdom and knowledge of their inheritance in Christ, such Christians are still needing someone to teach them the very rudiments of the truths of God; the elementary principles of Christ.  The apostle Paul said such believers are still in the infant stage, needing milk for feeding. He says that, “for everyone who partakes only in milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.” (Hebrews 5 vs 13.)

Considering how long they have been Christians, some believers ought to be teachers, leaders, helpers of men, praying with the sick. Instead of still needing prayer contractors who would do the praying for them. Stunted growth in a Christian’s life is as a result of the bad habit of not listening appropriately, and practicing the Word of God, and they become believers who are unskilled in the word of righteousness—inexperienced in God’s ways. 

For some, instead of growing, they are pulled back to the world by the devil—backslides. The peril of not growing up in Christ, but rather backsliding is enormous. Once you have seen the light, gotten a taste of heaven and been part of the work of the Holy Spirit, once you have personally experienced the sheer goodness of God’s Word and the powers breaking in on us, turning your back on it—washing your hands of the whole thing—is costly. Why? Because when you turn your back on Christ, you become a toy in the hands of the devil. 

To return to Christ you must begin afresh. You can’t start over again as if nothing happened. That’s impossible. Your action of turning your back on Christ is repudiating Him in the public. By deliberately turning away from Christ, you become  an unbeliever, cutting yourself off from God’s forgiveness. And, in the event of your returning to Him, the apostle Paul likened it to your re-crucifying Jesus: “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. (Hebrews 6 vs 4 - 6.)

The apostle Paul likened such persons to a parched ground that soaks up rain and then produces an abundance of grains for its gardener, and get God’s approval. But if it produces weeds and thistles, it’s more likely to get cussed out. Such fields are not harvested, but rather, they are cleared of the weeds and thistles and are burned. It is time to grow to adulthood and claim your real place in Christ. Start today and the Holy Spirit will guide you to all truth.

Prayer: Abba Father, grant me your glorious inner strength through the Holy Spirit, that Christ may dwell in my heart through faith, and I will experience the extravagant dimensions of Christ love, in Jesus’ Name I prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

MY GOOD

 

MY GOOD

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28" 

Devotion : The focus of God is that all things work together for the good of His children. Among the children of God are those who love Him; this is seen in their obedience and submission to God. All the children of God are called according to His purpose but there are those who are carrying out His purpose and there are those who are not. Those who are carrying out the purpose of God are those who love Him. Those who love God will have all things working together for their good. All things include the trees, sun, sea, ground, birds, temptation, suffering, riches, health, career, angels, etc. Therefore, if you are a Christian and you know you love God, whatever you are going through don't complain because they are working together for your good. Hallelujah! Share your thoughts here!

GOD’S LOVE FOR US!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY AUGUST 27, 2020.

SUBJECT : GOD'S LOVE FOR US!

Memory verse: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." 

(John 3 vs 16.)

READ: Romans 5 vs 6 - 11:

5:6: For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

5:7: For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.

5:8: But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

5:9: Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

5:10: For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

5:11: And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

INTIMATION:

God is filled with compassion and wants us to realize we are loved and cared for. This is one of God's most outstanding and obvious characteristics. The message of the gospel comes to a focus in His passion for us as is stated, and demonstrated in our memory verse. Here God sets the pattern of true love or passion for others, setting the pattern for all true love relationships. 

When you love someone dearly, you are ready and willing to give freely to the point of self-sacrifice. For His love for us, God paid dearly with the life of His Son, the highest price He could pay, and unheard of in history. Jesus accepted wholeheartedly, His propitiation for our sins, accepted our punishment, paid the price for our sins on the cross (Ezekiel 18 vs 4 & Romans 6 vs 23). He, in exchange, offered us the new life that He had bought for us; exchanging His life of inestimable value with out lives that are completely worthless.

The apostle Paul, in the passage we read, expounded the love of God for us. He explained that when we were weak and helpless because we could do nothing on our own to save ourselves, Christ had to come to rescue us. He came at exactly the right time in history in accordance with God's plan and schedule. It is God that controls all history, and He controlled the timing, method, and events surrounding Jesus' death. God sent Jesus to die for us, not because we were good enough, but just because He loved us and is passionate about our well being.

The apostle Paul explained that the love that caused God to create the world for an extension of His kingdom, and caused Christ to die in our place, is the same love that sends the Holy Spirit to live n us and guide us daily. The power that raised Jesus from the dead is the same power that saved us and is available to us in our daily lives. 

God is a Passionate Father. In Psalms 103 vs 13 the psalmist reminds us: 

"As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him." Jesus demonstrated this the day the disciples found themselves on the Sea of Galilee, and a storm was brewing, which is typical of the Sea of Galilee even today. The boat containing these disciples started to take in water because of the turbulence. With the boat beginning to sink, these terrified disciples asked the ultimate question, "Lord, don't You care?" Of course He cares!

Many of us have at one time or the other felt like that, "Lord where are You when I really need You?" "God, I'm going under. Don't You care?" But a believer and a child of God will remember the promise found in First Peter 5 vs 7, "Casting all your care upon Him; for He cares for you." Does God care about your health? Yes! Does He care about your finances? Yes! What about that relationship that has never become what you hoped it would? Yes, He does care! He cares about the minutest details of your life that even the very hairs of your head is counted. (Matthew 10 vs 30). Though you may not know He cares, rest assured He does.

Be assured that, having begun a life with Christ, you have a reserve power and love to call on each day for help to meet every challenge or trial. Too often, in our spiritual life, although we may need to love God more, there is a much higher need to recognize just how much He loves us. When our relationship is such that we feel God's love and His passion for His children, we naturally begin to love Him more. You can pray for His power and love as you need it.

In Psalms 145 vs 18 the psalmist tells us, "The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth." What this means is that He is never too busy for you. When you pray, you will never get busy signal. He hears you and ready to meet your real need. Jesus had a very special term He used to describe the personal and passionate nature of God. He called Him, "Abba." The word Abba is an Aramaic word used to describe the most intimate, personal nature of a father. He is never too busy for you. He is never more concerned about a crisis in one individual than another. 

Prayer: Abba Father, thank you for Your love for me. You have daily loaded me with Your benefits, always forgiving me my iniquities, healing me all my diseases, redeeming my life from distractions, satisfying my mouth with good things, so that my youth is renewed like the eagle's, and crowning me with loving kindness and tender mercies. May I not miss my path in You, in Jesus' Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

DOUBLE HONOUR

 DOUBLE HONOUR

"Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. Timothy 5:17" 

Devotion : Leaders in Christ Jesus who come across the opening Scripture should be glad indeed. This should motivate them to do the work which the Lord has called them into with love and zeal, because in the end our Lord Jesus Christ will reward them exceedingly. There is a condition to the reward; it says those who rule well are worthy of double honor. Also those who labor in the Word of God and doctrine or teachings of Christ deserve double honor. Leaders in Christ Jesus must therefore aim at doing their work efficiently and effectively, and those who labor in the Word and doctrine must live what they teach. Dear beloved, are you a leader or do you aspire to be one? What must you do to deserve double honor? Share your comments here!

ENTER HIS REST!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 26, 2020.

SUBJECT: ENTER HIS REST!

Memory verse: "And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; for the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious.” (Isaiah 11 vs 10.)

READ: Hebrews 4 vs 3 - 10: 

4:3: For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: “So I swore in My wrath,‘ They shall not enter My rest,’ although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 
4:4: For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; 
4:5: and again in this place: “They shall not enter My rest..”
4:6: Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience,

4:7: again, He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after so long a time; as it is said: “Today if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.”
4:8: For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.
4:9: There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.

4:10: For he who has entered His rest has also ceased from his works, as God did from His.

INTIMATION:

For Christians, God’s rest is peace with Him now and eternal life on a new earth later. God desires that we enter into rest with Him. He offers us the opportunity to enter His ultimate place of rest—He invites us to come to Christ. To enter His rest, you must believe that God has this relationship in mind for you; you must stop trying to create it, you must trust in Christ for it, and you must determine to obey Him. However, those who are disobedient by refusing to maintain an obedient faith, will not enter into rest with God. Today is the best time to find peace with God. Tomorrow may be too late.

We do not need to wait for the next life to enjoy God’s rest and peace; we may have it daily now! Our daily rest in the Lord will not end with death but will become an eternal rest in the place that Christ is preparing for us (John 14 vs 1 - 4). Christ has done everything that needs to be done about our sins, and obtained a clean bill of health for us. Our own work is to believe in Him and His finished work for us in redemption. Jesus said that the work of God we are to do is to believe in Him whom God sent (John 6 vs 29). And those who have believed enter into God’s rest. 

Jesus sad, “Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest to your souls. For My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11 vs 28 - 30.) The rest Jesus promises is love, healing, and peace with God, not the end of all labor. A relationship with God changes meaningless, wearisome toil into spiritual productivity and purpose. 

The yoke of Jesus emphasizes the challenges, works, and difficulties of partnering with Christ in life. Responsibilities weigh us down, even the effort of staying true to God. But Jesus’ yoke remains easy compared to the crushing alternative of being a toy in Satan’s hands. Jesus doesn’t offer a life of luxurious ease—the yoke is still an oxen’s tool for working hard. But it is a shared yoke, with weight falling on bigger shoulders than yours. Someone with more pulling power is in front helping. Suddenly you participating in life’s responsibilities with a great Partner—and now that frown can turn into a smile, and that gripe into a song.

So many Christians turn back from their promised rest in Christ because of the difficulties of the present moments which overshadow the reality of God’s promise, just as the people in Moses’ day had turned back from the Promised Land because of the difficulties they faced at the time, and their doubts that God will fulfill His promises. Consequently, they try doing things on their efforts. When we trust on our efforts instead of Christ’s power, we are in danger of turning back. Our own efforts are never adequate; only Christ can see us through.

One finds peace in realizing that his or her sins are forgiven by the grace of God. One finds peace of mind he or she understands that God has loved us and delivered us from our sin through the cross of Christ. In Christ, one is not under the curse of law, that is, having to keep law perfectly in an effort to save oneself (Galatians 3 vs 11 - 14). In Christ one can cast all anxiety upon God who cares for our emotional and spiritual well-being. 

Since the creation of man, God has given man the hope of an existence beyond the creation. The hope that the world is not all there is was promised to man from the very beginning. If one does not have faith in the word of promise, then he or she will reap the same  consequences as those in Israel who did not believe (Psalm 95 vs 11). The final rest of heaven has been in God’s plan since before the creation of the world. 

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of obedience and absolute faith in You, and finished work of Christ for me on the cross, that I may be a partaker of the inheritance You have given me in Christ, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!