DEALING WITH SIN THAT SO EASILY ENSNARES YOU!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2020.

SUBJECT: DEALING WITH SIN THAT SO EASILY ENSNARES YOU!

Memory verse: ”Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” (Hebrews 12 vs 1). 

READ: Hebrews 12 vs 1 - 4:

12:1: Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

12:2: looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

12:3: For consider Him who endured such hostility of sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
12:4: You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

INTIMATION:

The Christian life involves hard work. It requires us to give up whatever endangers our relationship with God, to run with endurance, and to struggle against sin with the power of the Holy Spirit. True Christian life is a battle against the filthiness of the flesh and the spirit; ensuring we are cleansed—turning away from sin, and turning toward God. The things that are in this world; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and pride of life, easily ensnares believers. To live effectively, we must lay aside every weight and sin which easily ensnares us, keeping our eyes on Jesus. In the wilderness, Satan also tempted Jesus away from a His destiny through the same lusts and pride. He tempts all people today through the same means in order to draw people away from God. 

Following the carnal desires of the flesh, to live after our selfish ambitions, and satisfy the desires of our flesh, is one of the sins that easily ensnares us. We must always choose between the will of God and our own will. We must discipline our bodies and bring it into subjection to the will of God. In the world there are temptations that are produced wherein one is drawn away from the love of God to satisfy the desires of the flesh in an ungodly manner. Resist such temptations with all your stamina, and seek the Holy Spirit help. 

The starting point of dealing with sins that easily ensnare us is self-discipline. It requires an honest look at your strength and weaknesses, with emphasis on the later. It means building the will to say no when a powerful appetite inside you screams yes. For example, when you have self-discipline, you can (1) say no to friends or situations that will lead you away from Christ, (2) say no to casual sex, saving intimacy for marriage, and the like, and (3) say no to laziness in favor of ‘can do’ and ‘will do.” Self-discipline is a long, steady course in learning attitudes that do not come naturally, and channeling natural appetites toward God’s purposes. Recognize your weak points and guard against breaking at them. It takes determination and prayers for Holy Spirit guidance or leading to redirect weakness into strength. 

Christians should not relish their sinful past—remembering or memorizing their sinful past lifestyle—which can have great urge to go back to the old ways. 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. Because of our hope in Christ, we can let go of the past guilt and look forward to what God will help us become. Don’t dwell on your past. Where possible, relinquish any relationships that can take you back the old paths, including anything that can call the old days back to memory. Make a strong commitment to break away from that past, including refusing contacts such as phone calls from such partners in crime. 

To run the race that God has set before us, we must also strip off the excess weight that slows us down. How can we do that? (1) Choose friends who are also committed to the race. Wrong friends will have values and activities that may deter you from the course. Much of your own weight may result from the crowd you run with. Make wiser choices. (2) Drop certain activities that culminates into weight for you. Try dropping them for a while; then check the results in your life. (3) Get help for addictions that disable you. If you have a secret “weight” such as pornography, gambling, social media chats and friendships, alcohol, etc. admit your need and get help today.  

Sometimes trying to live a perfect Christian life can be so difficult that it leaves us drained and discouraged. We may feel so far from perfect that we think we can never please God with our life. God knows our imperfections hence His sending His Sin as a propitiation for us. However, He expects to mature or be complete in our Christian race, not flawless in every detail. Those who are mature should press on in the Holy Spirit’s power, knowing that Christ will reveal and fill in any discrepancies between what we are and what we should be. Christ’s provision is no excuse for lagging devotion, but it provides relief and assurance for those who feel driven.

All sin hinders one’s faithfulness in running the Christian race. One must be actively consistent and enduring in the race. If one is not actively engaged in the race, then he or she is in a state of falling away. The Christian must look forward to the glory that is yet to be revealed (Romans 8 vs 18). His hope of heaven should be strong enough to motivate him to remain in the race regardless of the sufferings of the present world. One’s physical life is surely of little value in comparison to the eternal life that one will receive in the presence of God.

Prayer: Abba Father, give me the grace to deal with the sin that easily ensnares me. Help me to run with stamina and vigor the Christian race that I may receive the crown of glory prepared for those who endured to the end, in Jesus’ great Name I have prayed.

PRAISE THE LORD!

SUFFICIENT GRACE

 SUFFICIENT GRACE

"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Corinthians 12:9" 

Devotion : The Apostle Paul prayed thrice that a thorn in his flesh be taken away. The reply from the Lord Jesus was that His grace was sufficient for Paul to endure the thorn in his flesh; He went further to say that this thorn was put there to check Paul so that he would not be exalted above measure. Dear believer in Christ Jesus, there is enough grace to deal with any kind of difficulty in your life. There is enough grace also to accomplish whatever assignment you have. Praise the LORD! Share your thoughts here!

ABOVE ALL THINGS

 ABOVE ALL THINGS

"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. John 1:2" 

Devotion : The wish of the Apostle John was that all his converts would prosper and be in good health even as their soul prospered. This is the wish of Christ Jesus for His children today. He wants us to be rich financially, rich in health, and rich in knowledge. In other words, Jesus does not want His children to be poor, sick, and ignorant of His Word. The wish to be financially sound, live in divine heath, and grow in the knowledge that the scripture is the wish of God above all other wishes. Christians should make a conscious effort to reject poverty, disease, and ignorance. Dearly beloved, where do poverty and sickness come from? Share your comments here!

LIFE IN CHRIST IS THE ULTIMATE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2020.

SUBJECT: LIFE IN CHRIST IS THE ULTIMATE!

Memory verse: ”I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14 vs 6). 

READ: Romans 8 vs 1 - 4:

8:1: There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
8:2: For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
8:3: For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,

8:4: that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

INTIMATION:

When we have Christ, we have everything we need for salvation and right living. He alone holds the answers to the true meaning of life because He is life. Christ is the unique source of knowledge and power for the Christian life. No Christian needs anything in addition to what Christ has provided to be saved: “And there is salvation in no other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4 vs 12). 

Jesus, as the way, is our path to the Father, and no one can be saved outside the atonement that has been provided by Jesus on the cross. As the truth, He is the reality of all God’s promises. He is the revelation of the grace and that proceeded from God for the salvation of all men. As the life, He joins His divine life to ours, both now and eternally. In order to have life throughout eternity one must come into a covenant relationship with Jesus (Ephesians 1 vs 3).

Jesus holds the keys to death and Hades. He alone can free us from eternal bondage to Satan. He alone has the power and authority to set us free from sin control. Believers don’t have to fear death or Hades because Christ holds the keys of both. All we must do is to turn from sin and turn to Him in faith. When we attempt to control our lives and disregard God, we set a course that leads directly to hell. But when we place our life in Christ’s hands, He restores us now and resurrects us later to an eternal, peaceful relationship with Him.

The Scripture says, “For in Him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.“ (Colossians 2 vs 9 - 10). In union with Christ and through His empowering Spirit, we are complete. We have all the fullness of God, expressed only in Christ, available to us. Those who are in Christ are spiritually complete for God’s eternal purpose to create beings with characters that are fit for eternal dwelling. They are complete because of the grace of God.  

But we must appropriate that fullness through faith and through prayer as we daily live in Him. A strange and often hard-to-identify inner vacuum gives most people an uneasy sense of incompleteness. Christ fills that vacuum! You can ask the Holy Spirit to fill every aspect of your life to the fullest. In our lives, some days may not feel like it, but in Jesus, the vacuum is gone; the full power and presence of God have taken up residence in your mind and heart. You are a new person, equipped for life and satisfied in God. Take some risks—God will guide you. Give more generously—God will supply. Love more freely—God will energize you. Say “can do” more often—God will amaze you. 

When we are united with Christ, life takes on both immediate and eternal dimensions. The life in Christ Jesus is the life that Jesus gives immediately to those who trust Him, as well as the life fully realized in eternity. The Scripture says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” (Second Corinthians 5 vs 17). So new life begins at conversion. Yet on the other hand, we groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body” (Romans 8 vs 23). The present experience we enjoy provides a foretaste of our complete redemption at Christ’s return. 

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You, most gracious Lord, for the gift of Your only begotten Son to the world for propitiation for our sins. In Him we have redemption through His blood and the remission of our sins. I commit my entire life to Him as my personal Lord and Savior. Give me the grace to live for Him and in Him all the days of my life, in Jesus’ great Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD! 

GOD IS A WONDER

 GOD IS A WONDER

"O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. Psalms 104:24" 

Devotion : The Psalmist considered the diversity of God's works in creation and His works in his own personal life, and came to the conclusion that God is wonderful. His wisdom is unique and supernatural, such that no words on earth are enough to explain it. The earth is full of the riches of God; there is plenty for everyone. In God's economy, there is no scarcity; everything is in abundance. Dearly beloved, do not rely on the economy of the world or the economy of your country. Live in the economy of God, where there is enough for you. Hallelujah! Share your thoughts here!

BECOMING LIKE CHRIST!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 27, 2020.

SUBJECT: 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 3 vs 16 - 19:

3:16: that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,

3:17: that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

3:18: may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the width and length, and depth and height—

3:19: to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

INTIMATION:

God created us to grow. His ultimate goal is for us to mature and develop the characteristics of Jesus Christ. Becoming like Christ, is neither instant nor automatic; it is a gradual, progressive development that will take the rest of your life. It calls for an intentional commitment. You must want to grow, decide to grow, make an effort to grow, and persist in growing. Discipleship—the process of becoming like Christ—always begins with a decision, the decision to respond when Jesus calls you. Even your response is not automatic, it may take some time. Peter, James, and John were called on three different occasions by Jesus Christ before they eventually got committed (John 1 vs 35 - 42, at the Sea of Galilee; Mark 1 vs 16 - 18, and at the Lake of Gennesaret; Luke 5 vs 1 - 11).

Accepting the invitation is all you need to start. When you accept the invitation, you become a work in progress. Your spiritual transformation commences, and developing the character of Jesus would 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 would be wrapped up.

Sadly, millions of Christians grow older but never grow up. They are stuck in perpetual spiritual infancy, remaining in diapers and booties. The reason is that they never intended to grow. They never allow the world to pass through them while passing through the world. The Word of God they hear, the people they interact with, and the circumstances they encounter in life hardly influence them from shifting their position. 

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 or what you have. We are human beings, not human doings. God is much more concerned about your character than your career or any other thing, because you only take your character to eternity. 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: (First Corinthians 10 vs 31; Colossians 3 vs 17; Colossians 3 vs 23.) 

The Scripture in First Corinthians 16 vs 14 says, “Let all you do be done with love.” In becoming like Christ, our actions must be motivated by God’s love, and His love will so permeate our motives that all we do would be for His glory, that is, “doing all in the name of the Lord Jesus." And for it to be our guiding principle, we would always ask, "Is this action glorifying God?" or "How can I honor God through this action?" You do things to bring honor to Christ in every aspect and activity of your daily living. 

As a Christian, you represent Christ at all times—whatever you do, wherever you go, and whatever you say—demonstrates christlikeness in our lives. 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. 

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 just so 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, I love you. All I have is Yours, Yours I am, and Yours I want to be. Do with me as it’s pleasing to You. Endue me with the mind of Christ that I may live a fulfilling life in Christ, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

GOD'S ANSWERS TO PRAYER

 GOD'S ANSWER TO PRAYER

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: Matthew 7:7" 

Devotion : God's answers to all our prayers are illustrated in the opening scripture. His answers are always sure and they are always "yes". He says that what we ask, He will give to us; when we seek, He will lead us to find it; and when we knock He will open unto us. The duty of God is to answer our prayers. On the other hand, our duty is to ask, seek, and knock. The levels of our prayers are ask, seek, and knock. When you ask and you are not satisfied, you seek; when you ask and seek, and you are not satisfied, you knock and you will be satisfied. Dearly beloved, do you apply these levels of prayer in your prayer life? Share your thoughts here!