OUR SUFFICIENCY IN GOD’S GRACE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 9, 2020.

SUBJECT: OUR SUFFICIENCY IN GOD’S GRACE!

Memory verse: “And the child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him.” (Luke 2 vs 40.)

READ: Second Corinthians 3 vs 5; 9 vs 8:

3:5: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as being from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God.

9:8: And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

INTIMATION:

It is hard for us to enjoy life if we don't have assurance about today, peace about yesterday and confidence about tomorrow. Why is it so? It is because as long as we live we will always have to face situations for which we don't have all the answers. If we don't have something going on in our lives that we can't handle, we wouldn't need God, therefore, we wouldn't need faith, we wouldn't have to trust God. The Lord will see to it that we are always dependent upon Him. And He does that by allowing us get into situations that are over our head, and makes His grace available to us. Although we may get worried, God never gets worried because He already knows exactly what He's going to do.  

For instance, when Jesus fed the multitude of five thousand men, excluding women and children, He said to Philip His disciple; “Where shall we buy bread that these may eat?” The Scripture says, “But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.” (John 6 vs 5 - 6.) But although the Lord already has a plan for us to follow, a path for us to walk in, and a work for us to do, He won't give us all the answers today that we will need tomorrow. With each new day comes the grace that we need to live that day and meet the challenges of it. 

No matter what happens, God is still in control. He has a plan to handle everything that we will encounter in this life. And His grace is sufficient to meet all our needs. When the Israelites were brought out of the land of Egypt to the promised land, because it was God’s plan, His grace was sufficient for them to meet all their needs, even in the wilderness, until they arrived at the promised land.

No one can be adequate without God’s help through His grace. No one is competent to carry out the responsibilities of God’s calling in his or her own strength. Without the Holy Spirit of grace enabling us, our natural talent can carry us only so far. As Christ’s witnesses, we need the character and special strength that only God gives through His grace. We turn to God to seek pathways for effectiveness. We must rely on God for our effectiveness rather than simply on our own energy, effort, or talent. Our weakness not only helps develop Christian character, it also deepens our worship, because in admitting our weakness, we affirm God's strength. 

It was God's plan to send His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins. When the time came for Jesus to do what He came for, He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed (Matthew 26 vs 37 - 38). Jesus prayed to God the Father three times, asking for the same thing, saying the same words; “O My Father, If this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done” (Matthew 26 vs 42). Thereafter, God took over, the Father’s strength was made perfect in the Son’s weakness, and He became strengthened to face the planned death for mankind. God made available His Spirit of grace to carry Him through.

You may have heard the story about the young man who was in prison and about to be burned at the stake the next day for his faith in Christ. In the same cell there was an older man, more experienced believer who knew more about the way of the Lord. As it began to get dark, the younger man struck a match to light a candle and, as he did so, he burned his finger. Letting out a cry of anguish and pain, he said to his companion, "How can I stand to be burned at the stake tomorrow if I can't stand to be burned on the finger tonight?" The older man calmly replied, "Son, God didn't ask you to burn your finger, so there is no grace for that. But He is asking you to die for your faith, so when the time comes the grace will be there."

Prayer: Abba Father, in You I live, and move, and have my being. I can do all things through Your grace made available to me. Help me, O Lord, that nothing can inhibit Your grace in my life, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

PRAY FOR YOUR ENEMIES

 PRAY FOR YOUR ENEMIES

"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; Matthew 5:44" 

Devotion : Jesus Christ asked His disciples to love their enemies. Have you asked yourself what enemies Jesus Christ is asking His disciples to love? Of course, Jesus is not asking His disciples to love the devil and his children. There are people who seem to oppose us or hate us but when we love them, they will have a change of heart and receive the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Furthermore, we have been blessed to be a blessing so we cannot curse; we need to show the world that we are of a different spirit. Lastly, pray for those who have been deceived into despitefully using and persecuting us; when we pray for them, the evil power behind their actions is dealt with and they are converted unto the LORD. Christians have a duty to pray for discernment to know the enemies they are to love, bless, and pray for so they can avoid unnecessary challenges. Dearly beloved, what did you learn from this article? Share your comments here!

SANCTIFICATION OF A BELIEVER!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 8, 2020.

SUBJECT : SANCTIFICATION OF A BELIEVER!

Memory verse: "Sanctify them Your truth; Your word is truth.” (John 17 vs 17.) 

READ: Hebrews 4 vs 12:

4:12: 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.

INTIMATION:

To sanctify literally means “to separate,” to purify, to cleanse or set apart for sacred use; to declare or make holy. Becoming more and more like Jesus Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament days, the priests symbolically separate themselves from sin and evil. This was done by washing themselves  and their clothing in a special ceremony (Numbers 8 vs 5 - 8). But we are not required to carry out such ceremonies today; we can purify ourselves by reading God’s Word, thoughtfully applying it to our lives, and preparing our hearts to participate in worship through anticipation, self-examination, and meditation. Just as we ‘set apart’ time to worship, we also ‘set apart’ to be in God’s presence. 

It is God’s will for you to be holy, but how can you go about doing that? The Bible teaches that holiness is not a state of being that you must manufacture on your own with hard work and good deeds and constant fear of failure. Instead, being made holy (sanctified) occurs in the process of living the Christian life. If you have accepted Christ’s sacrifice on your behalf, then you are considered holy and complete in God’s eyes. Yet you must continue to learn and grow during your time on earth. The Holy Spirit works in you, conforming you to the image of Christ (Romans 8 vs 29).Jesus said, “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” (John 15 vs 3.) 

Followers of Christ becomes sanctified through believing and obeying the Word of God He or she has already accepted forgiveness through Christ’s sacrificial death (Hebrews 7 vs 26 - 27). But daily application of God’s Word has a purifying effect on our minds and hearts. Scripture points out sin, motivates us to confess, renews our relationship with Christ, and guides us back to the right path. 

After people commit their lives to Christ, they sometimes still feel a pull back to their old ways. The Scripture tells us to be like our Heavenly Father—holy in everything we do. We are to be set apart and different, not blending in with the crowd, yet not being different just for the sake of being different. God’s qualities in our lives make us different. Our focus and priorities must be His. All this is in direct contrast to our old ways. The sons of God, therefore, should behave themselves after the nature of God. They must lead godly lives because they have been sanctified by the blood of Jesus, and thus made holy. Since they have been made spiritually holy by the cleansing blood of Jesus, they are obligated to live lives that are separated from the ways of the world.

The Word of God is not simply a collection of words from God, a vehicle of communicating ideas: it is living, life-changing, and dynamic, as it works in us. With the incisiveness of a surgeon’s knife, God’s Word reveals who we are and what we are not. It penetrates the core of our morals and spiritual life. It discerns what is within us, both good and evil. The demands of God’s Word require decisions. We must not only listen to the Word; we must also let it shape our lives.

God’s Word is living because God is lives. It is a two edged sword that is able to cut both ways in correcting one’s behavior. No realm of human life escapes its penetrating power of judgements. The effectiveness of its power is illustrated every day by the transformed lives of formally hardened sinners who have yielded to God’s promise of an eternal rest to come. Transformed lives that are revealed in the gentle and humble servants of God are a continual testimony to the awesome power of God’s word upon a meek and subjective hearts. 

When one trusts in the promise of God, then God’s Word is able to transform his or her life. Therefore, there can be no change in life unless one focuses his or her attention on the promise that God will justly reward those who remain faithful. It is imperative that Christians maintain a strong faith in reference to what God has promised. If they do, then their lives will conform to that which they believe. They would mold their lives around God’s Word of promise in order to make their calling and election sure.

Prayer: Abba Father, forever Your Word is settled in heaven. Give me the grace to study and meditate on Your Word daily that I may be continually be cleansed and sanctified by Your Word, in the mighty Name of Jesus I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

LIVING IN FAITH

 LIVING IN FAITH

"And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. Luke 8:54" 

Devotion : The ruler of the synagogue, Jairus, had a daughter who was very sick. He pleaded with Jesus Christ to come and heal his daughter. Whilst Jesus was on the way, the daughter was reported dead but Jesus told Jairus to believe that all things are possible to he who believes. When Jesus Christ and Jairus got home, all the people were wailing but Jesus comforted them, saying that the child was not dead but sleeping. The people stopped wailing and laughed at Jesus Christ's words of faith. Jesus turned all of them out of the house except Peter, James, John, and Jairus. He turned them out to maintain his faith in God, and called the little girl to life. As believers in Christ Jesus, try as much as possible to maintain your faith by moving only with those who have the same faith as you; get rid of all the people in your life who are bent on creating doubt in you, so that you can make progress. Dearly beloved, are you in company with people who have the same faith as you? Share your thoughts here!

THE SECRET OF CLOSENESS TO GOD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 7, 2020.

SUBJECT : THE SECRET OF CLOSENESS TO GOD!

Memory verse: "But to You I have cried our, O Lord, and in the morning my prayer comes before You.” (Psalm 88 Luke vs 13.) 

READ: Psalm 5 vs 1 - 3:

5:1: Give ear to My words, O LORD, consider my meditation.

5:2: Give heed to the voice of my cry, my King and my God, for to You I will pray.

5:3: My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; In the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up.

INTIMATION:

The secret of a close relationship with God is in constant communication with Him in prayers; praying regularly, especially praying to Him earnestly early each morning. In the morning, our minds are more free from problems, and then we can commit the whole day to God. Regular communication helps any friendship and is certainly necessary for a strong relationship with God. We need to communicate with Him daily.

There is no denying the fact that the lack of prayer is the bane of many individual members of the body of Christ. Prayer should be as natural as breathing and as enjoyable as eating. It should be as unconscious as our communication with each other. While being in constant communication with God, we must not lose the fact that we are communicating in fellowship with someone superior to us but has given us the privilege to come to Him. 

Jesus was a man of prayer. He was in constant communication with the Father, and greatly manifested God’s fullness. He taught us prayer, not as a slavish duty, but as a glorious privilege to constantly be in communication with the Father. God finds it easy to reach us as we constantly visit Him. Our visit to the Lord is fellowshipping with Him in prayers. By constant visit, we make ourselves available for His use. We will be in that prized inner-circle with Him, one of the trusted ones, with the attendant benefits of manifesting His fullness.

The believer is a ‘New Creation,’ created in Christ Jesus. He is brought into the family of God. He is an heir of God and a joint-heir with Jesus Christ. He is a child of God. The Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in his body. It is for this reason that Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father" (John 14 vs 12). 

Jesus, in His earth walk, as the Incarnate Son of God, beginning with His baptism, lived exactly as every child of God should live today. God wasn't any more His Father than He is ours. He was the Son of God. You are a son of God (John 1 vs 12). He was Deity. You are partakers of His Divine nature, that is Deity (Second Peter 1 vs 4). He had the Holy Spirit indwelling Him. You have the Holy Spirit indwelling you (Ephesians 1 vs 13).

Jesus didn't exercise His divine prerogatives during His three years' ministry any more than any child of God may exercise them. He didn't exercise divine power in excess of what every intelligent child of God possesses today. The difference is that Jesus was in constant communication with the Father, and knew what belonged to Him and used His rights. When you don’t know what belongs to you, denying yourself your rights becomes imperative.

Remember the song that says; “Pray is the key, prayer is the key, prayer is the master key; Jesus started with prayer and ended with prayer; prayer is the master key.”

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for adopting as Your son, and the privilege of constant fellowship with You in prayer. Engrace me with the desire to be in constant communication with You in prayer, and in my closeness with You manifest Your fullness, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

DIVINE NATURE

 DIVINE NATURE

"Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. Peter 1:4" 

Devotion : Yahweh has made many promises aimed at making us partakers of his divine nature. Some elements of Yahweh's divine nature are that He is eternal, holy, righteous, immortal, etc. God uses promises to make us more like Him. Some of the promises are that we will receive eternal life by believing in Jesus Christ, receive His righteousness, become sons of God, live in divine health, etc. As children of God, if we want to enjoy more of His divine nature, we need to make a conscious effort to overcome lust. There are three kinds of lust: lust of the flesh, lust of the eye, and pride of life, 1 John 2:16. Dearly beloved, have you overcome lust? Share your comments here!

THE POWER TO BE HOLY!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 2020.

SUBJECT: THE POWER TO BE HOLY!

Memory verse:  "For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.” (Leviticus 11 vs 45.) 

READ:  First Peter 1 vs 14 - 16:

1:14: As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
1:15: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

1:16: Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

INTIMATION:

Holiness means being totally devoted or dedicated to God, set aside for His special use and set apart from sin and its influence. All parts of our lives and character should be in the process of becoming conformed, both inwardly and outwardly, to God’s standards. We cannot become holy on our own, but God gives us His Holy Spirit to help us obey and to give us power to overcome sin. Don’t use the excuse that you can’t help slipping into sin. Rely on God’s power to free you from sin’s grip.  

I am convinced that most Christians are not looking for an excuse to sin, but for the power to live holy lives. They are very eager to receive the power to meet their needs and solve their problems, as well as live for God. They want to receive the power needed to overcome temptations. If they can be shown how to do that, then they will cooperate wholeheartedly. And without the knowledge of God's grace by believers, they will never be able to receive the power they need to rise above their sins and overcome their problems. God's grace is given to us to do more than give us the power to live, it is also given to us to lift us out of sin.

The sons of God must lead a life that is separate from the behavior that is typical of the world (See Hebrews 12 vs 14). Emphasis is on the obedience of the Christian to the will of God. Through faith one obediently responds in order to come into contact with the cleansing blood of Jesus. It’s the blood of Jesus that justifies one before God (Romans 3 vs 25). However, our response to the cross is necessary in order that we come into contact with the justifying grace of God through the blood of Jesus. 

The ultimate goal to be accomplished in us by grace is to empower us to live a holy life. But while we are not to worry about holiness, we are also not to have a light attitude toward sin. Believers are not to be anxious about holiness or the process of sanctification ('be anxious for nothing' (Philippians 4 vs 6)), but we are to be serious about it. We are to recognize that it is God's Will for us. We are to desire and thirst for it with all our hearts, and sincerely ask God for it in our fellowship with Him. We are to make every effort to cooperate with the Holy Spirit Who is working to bring it to pass in us day by day.

Yet again, grace is not an excuse to stay the way we are, claiming that we don't have to do anything about ourselves and our lives because we are not under the law but under grace. That is a mistake the early believers were making. The believers’ problem is not just a misunderstanding of sin and its power, it is a misunderstanding of grace. When the Holy Spirit shows us what to do to keep from sinning and walk in holiness, we immediately try to do it our own without His help. We struggle and strive and strain, eventually end up miserable and frustrated and confused because we don't understand why we keep failing.

It is obvious that God's grace will keep us from condemnation even though we sin. Yes, God's grace does keep our names written in the Lamb's Book of Life even though we aren't perfect. God's grace does save us, declare us righteous in His sight, assure us His blessings and a home in Heaven, carry us through this life and give us peace of mind and heart and many, many other wonderful things. But God's grace does more than all of that, it also teaches us to live as God intends for us to live—to be holy.

Prayer: Abba Father, Great is Your faithfulness. Your grace is sufficient for me: for Your strength is made perfect in my weakness. Most gracious Father, I pray that the power of Holy Spirit may enable me, in all intents and purposes, to live for You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!