ATTRACTING GOD'S ATTENTION

 ATTRACTING GOD'S ATTENTION

"In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee. Chronicles 1:7" 

Devotion : King Solomon attracted God's attention when he offered a thousand burnt offerings upon the altar of God. God told Solomon to ask for whatever he pleased and Solomon asked for wisdom and knowledge to judge the people of God. God fulfilled Solomon's request and added riches, wealth, and honor. Solomon knew what to ask for because his father, King David, had educated him to make the right request from God, Proverbs 4:3-5. Dearly beloved, let us give God the best of what we have and we will attract His attention and blessings, hallelujah. Share your thoughts here!

THE REAL FACTS OF RECREATION IN CHRIST!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 10, 2020.

SUBJECT : THE REAL FACTS OF RECREATION IN CHRIST!

Memory verse: "But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” (First Corinthians 1 vs 30.) 

READ: Second Corinthians 5 vs 17 - 21:

5:17: Therefore if anyone be in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things are become new.
5:18: Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,
5:19: that is God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them; and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
5:20: Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God we’re pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.

5:21: For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

INTIMATION:

Christians are brand-new people in the inside. The Holy Spirit gives them new life, and they are not the same anymore. We are not reformed, rehabilitated, or reeducated—we are re-created (new creations), living in vital union with Christ (Colossians 2 vs 6 - 7). At conversion we do not merely turn over a new leaf; we begin a new life under a new Master—Jesus Christ. This is not a superficial change that will be quickly superseded by another novelty. This is an entirely new order of all creation under Christ’s authority. It requires a new way of looking at all people and all of creation.

After the recreation, God gave us a standing with Himself. Our union and identification with Christ result in our having God's wisdom and knowledge, possessing right standing with God, being holy, and having the penalty for our sin paid by Jesus. We haven't only become sons or daughters, but one with a standing with the Father that He gives you Himself. That is perfectly natural; if the Father has children, He will give them a standing with Himself so that they can approach Him with the uttermost freedom and liberty. It is for that reason He gave us His own righteousness in Christ Jesus. (Second Corinthians 5 vs 21.)

Righteousness means the ability to stand in the Father's presence without the sense of guilt or inferiority, to stand in the presence of Satan without any inferiority, to stand in the presence of anything Satan has done without any sense of inferiority. You stand in his presence as his master. You are taking Jesus' place in the world, and you are Satan's master because you do it.

Now we have righteousness, we have Eternal life, we have the consciousness of sonship, we have great mighty Spirit come and make His home in our bodies. All these are the ultimate of the new creation, because we are recreated so that our body might become the home of God. (First Corinthians 6 vs 19 - 20.) We have been reconciled to God by Himself by blotting out our sins and making us right with Him. Because we have been reconciled to God, we have the privilege of encouraging others to do the same, and thus we are those who have the ‘ministry of reconciliation.’

The secret of the manifestation of all those attributes is in proper fellowship or communion with Christ, otherwise it is hindered. Then what is proper fellowship or communion with Him? It is keeping His commandments. It is abiding in His love. John 15 vs 10 & 12 says, "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." Now notice the secret in the ninth verse, "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love." He has already loved us. All we need to do is abide in that love by keeping His commandment. His commandment is that we walk in love and live love by loving one another as He has loved us.

Prayer: Abba Father, I am overwhelmed by Your superb love for me which You demonstrated by giving us Your only begotten Son to die for my sins. Through our union with Christ I have gained Your righteousness, wisdom, sanctification, and redemption. Give me the grace to be in constant fellowship with You that I may not be hindered in accessing my privileges in Christ, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

TRANSFERABLE POWER

 TRANSFERABLE POWER

"And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all. Luke 6:19" 

Devotion : The power of the Holy Spirit is transferable; the Holy Spirit can move from one place to another. Jesus was full of the power of the Holy Spirit in such a way that every part of His body could heal the sick; even His clothes could heal the sick, Mark 6:56. The Holy Spirit worked in the life of His disciples with the same power, so Paul prayed over handkerchiefs and aprons and the sick were healed by these handkerchiefs and aprons; even demons fled upon coming into contact with these handkerchiefs and aprons. The Apostle Peter was so filled with the Holy Spirit that even his shadow healed the sick, Acts 5:15. The Holy Spirit is still using people mightily today; He could even use you if you allow Him so to do. Dearly beloved, have you ever demonstrated the power of the Holy Spirit in you? Share your experience here!

FREEDOM FROM POVERTY

 POOR

P-Passing 

O-Over

O-Opportunities

R-Repeatedly

Make use of opportunity that comes your way for progress.

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!