DIVINE HEALTH

 DIVINE HEALTH

"Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. Peter 2:24" 

Devotion : Jesus had to die for sins He did not commit before we could receive righteousness. In essence, when you are born again your sins are cleansed for the righteousness of Christ. You become the righteousness of God, hence you can declare yourself righteous. The death of Christ Jesus also produced divine health for the believer. The stripes of Christ provide divine healing; even though this took place in the past, when you claim it by faith then divine health becomes a present reality for you. Dearly beloved, are you enjoying divine health? Share your thoughts here!

FORSAKE YOUR PRIDE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY OCTOBER 3, 2020.

SUBJECT : FORSAKE YOUR PRIDE!

Memory verse: "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

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(Proverbs 16 vs 18.)

READ: Isaiah 2 vs 11 - 17:

2:11: The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.
2:12: For the day of the LORD of hosts shall come upon everything proud and lofty, upon everything lifted up; and it shall be brought low;
2:13: Upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan;
2:14: Upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up;
2:15: Upon every high tower, and upon every fortified wall;
2:16: Upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all the beautiful sloops.
2:17: The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low; the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.

INTIMATION:

Pride is inordinate self-esteem or conceit. It’s 

the inner voice that whispers, “My way is best.” It is resisting God’s leadership and believing that you are able to live without His help. Whenever you find yourself wanting to do it your way and looking down on other people, you are being pulled by pride. 

Pride indicates that a person is self-centered, and thus he will fall over himself as he deals with people. 

Only when you eliminate pride can God help you become all He meant you to be.  God cuts off the pride from His grace. 

The Scripture says, “Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord, though they join forces, none will go unpunished.” (Proverbs 16 vs 5.) 

God Himself is an epitome of humility. The Creator of all things, seen and unseen, does not pride Himself in His creation. Even when He came into the world to save sinful humanity, He came as a humble servant in the person of Jesus Christ, and He 

did not come to the proud of this world. He came to the lowly and common people (Luke 1 vs 51). God will turn away from the proud because the proud will not submit to His will. Therefore, t

he arrogant people present themselves for rejection, while the humble are exalted. 

Though God is exalted above the heavens, at the same time the omnipresent God dwells in the hearts of the humble and contrite,(Isaiah 57 vs 15). 

The proud attitude heads the list of seven things God hates. And t

he harmful results of pride are constantly contrasted with humility and it’s benefits. 

Pride leads to disgrace (Proverbs 11 vs 2), produces quarrels (Proverbs 13 vs 10), leads to punishment (Proverbs 16 vs 5), leads to destruction (Proverbs 16 vs 18; 18 vs 12), ends in downfall (Proverbs 18 vs 12), brings one low (Proverbs 29 vs 23). 

Pride is harmful when it causes us to (1) look down on others, (2) be selfish with our resources; (3) force our solutions on others’ problems; (4) think God is blessing us because of our own merits; (5) be content with our plans rather seeking God’s plan. 

Pride cripples us in our quest for a proper relationship with God. Only God must be exalted is the first step toward developing that relationship with Him. Nothing can compare with or rival the place God must have in our hearts and minds. To place our hope elsewhere is nothing but false pride. Place your confidence in God alone.

Those who are arrogant will not submit their lives to the will of God. They resist submission, and thus, God resists giving His grace to them in order that they might be saved.

The Scripture says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5 vs 3.) Happy are those who are not proud, conceited or arrogant, especially concerning their spiritual relationship with God. One must empty himself of self-reliance and learn to humble himself before God. Those with such an attitude of mind will submit to the kingdom reign of God, therefore, theirs is the kingdom,of heaven. 

The Scripture in Second Chronicles 32 vs 25 says, “But Hezekiah did not repay according to the favor shown to him, for his heart was lifted up; therefore wrath was looming over him and over Judah and Jerusalem.”  We are not told the the specifics of Hezekiah’s pride. Much has been done for him by God, but it seems he failed to give thanks to God for all His blessings. Instead Hezekiah became somewhat self-confident, and thus God sought to humble him. Therefore, humble yourself before God that He may exalt you. Be proud and be humiliated and destroyed. 

Prayer: Abba Father, my whole pride is in You, who made earth and all therein, and outstretched the heavens. In You I live, and move and have my being. Outside of You I am completely nothing. Engrace me with the spirit of humility, that I may humble myself before You at all times, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

PEACE AND TRIBULATIONS

 PEACE AND TRIBULATIONS

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. John 16:33" 

Devotion : Jesus Christ touched on many subjects before talking about peace and tribulation. Some of the subjects He touched on are His departure to heaven, the coming of the Holy Spirit, and the persecutions awaiting His disciples. He then went on to say that everything He had said was to give the disciples peace in Him. The Word of God provides peace; He also told them the plain truth of what awaited them so that when they went through it, they would be comforted. The children of God will go through tribulation because sin has overturned creation to oppose anything that is godly. This is the severity of Adam and Eve's sin. You will face even greater tribulation when you talk worldly talk, but when you talk faith you will enjoy peace. Dearly beloved, how do you relate this article to your life? Share your comments here!

GOD DESIRES YOUR WHOLE HEART!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY OCTOBER 2, 2020.

SUBJECT : GOD DESIRES YOUR WHOLE HEART!

Memory verse: "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God."

 (Psalm 42 vs  1.)

READ: Deuteronomy 6 vs 5; 10 vs 12:

6:5: 

5 And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.

10:12: And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

INTIMATION:

Throughout our lives, we look for those rare individuals with whom we feel relaxed and comfortable and can share our heart and our secrets and know they will not betray us, who will always be there for us, and in whom we can have confidence; individuals we can respect and who in turn admire us and want us to be successful. God wants to be in that type of whole heart relationship with us, but He is even better than any earthly companion. For God is a perfect companion: the One who knows the road we are traveling on and all of the problems that lay ahead; the One who can give us dependable advice; the One who wants to share our life with us and will not put us down when we stumble; the One who will never desert us if we fail or do not live up to His standards. 

A wise person once said, "When God measures you, He puts the tape around your heart, not your head." So how is your heart doing? Our memory verse indicates the heart relationship of David, the man God testified thus, "a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will." ( Acts 13 vs 22.) This kind of heart relationship should be the desire of every child of God. 

Whole heart relationship can best be explained through a human illustration. Some children grow up in families where their father is a strong disciplinarian. They obey because they do not want to suffer the wrath of their father. Although they may even respect the father and his accomplishments, they want nothing to do with him on a personal basis. It is not unusual for such children to dread the return of their father in the evening. As adults they spend as little time with him as possible. There is a physical relationship with obedience, but not the close heart relationship. Fear and mistrust are barriers to their ever being close.

God desires our submission inside, in our hearts. Submitting your whole heart to God is putting Him first in all areas of your life. 

Unfortunately many people never really seek Him with all their hearts. They are content to learn as a child would. That is, learning and following rules in order to avoid big problems, but not as willing to spend any great period of time with the Lord in the free time they have. There is little delight in the relationship, only obedience out of necessity. They have salvation from penalty of sin, but they will enter heaven "through the flames" (First Corinthians 3 vs 15). They have yet to cross that line of spiritual familial relationship into spiritual heart relationship.

On the other hand, some have fathers who have definite standards and rules to obey, but the relationship is one of love and respect. They are excited when Dad walks through the door at night. They love the weekends because Dad can be with them and they do fun things together. Such children obey because they love and trust their father, not because they fear him or the consequences of disobedience. 

Prayer: Abba Father, I desire You take me over completely; my whole heart yielding to Your desires in every area of my life. Build in my heart Your steadfast Spirit, so as to follow and obey You in every aspect of my life. My utmost heart desire is an intimate relationship with You. Help me, O Lord, to accomplish this, in Jesus' Name I have prayed, Amen.

The heart, for an easy transition, stands for man’s entire mental and moral activity, both for the rational and the emotional elements. In other wards, the heart is used figuratively for the hidden springs of the personal life. The Scripture regards the heart as the sphere of Divine influence. Consequently, 

God desires the submission of our whole heart to Him, as He desire to live in the hearts of those who love Him. The God of the universe takes up residence in His people, to be our “Faithful Companion,” in control of our physical, mental, and moral activities, both for rational, emotional, and spiritual elements of our personal lives.

PRAISE THE LORD!

 

LONG LIFE

 LONG LIFE

"With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation. Psalm 91:16" 

Devotion : God is in the business of giving long life to His children. When man fell from grace in the Garden of Eden, he began to die. People used to live for nine hundred and sixty-nine years, but this number started to decline. When man began to commit numerous sins, the years of man on earth were cut to one hundred and twenty years, Genesis 6:3. This is long life in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, the just shall live by faith, Romans 1:17; this means that the children of God are given the opportunity to live as long as they can to do the work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Dearly beloved, how long do you want to live? Live by faith! Share your thoughts here!

BLESSING AND TEMPTATION

 BLESSING AND TEMPTATION

"Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. James 1:12" 

Devotion : Jesus Christ gave a format of prayer in which He says, "lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil", Luke 11:4. Christ Jesus was led into temptation (Matthew 4:1) but does not wish the same for us because the devil has nothing good in him and is crafty with temptation to make us fall from grace. However, sometimes God allows the devil to tempt us so that we can be blessed. These blessings are that endurance/patience is created in us, and subsequently we receive the crown of glory. Jesus Christ received His crown of glory when He overcame all the temptations of the devil, Matthew 4:1. Dearly beloved, have you ever been tempted? How did you overcome the temptation? Share your comments here!

BELIEVERS BATTLE WITH THE DEVIL!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY OCTOBER 1, 2020.

SUBJECT : BELIEVERS BATTLE WITH THE DEVIL!

Memory verse: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

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(First Peter 5 vs 8.)

READ: Ephesians 6 vs 10 - 18:

6:10: Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.
6:11: Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
6:12: For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
6:13: Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
6:14: Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 
6:15: and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
6:16: above all, taking the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
6:17: And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

6:18: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to the end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints;

INTIMATION:

Our adversary, the devil, is relentlessly on a mission of attack on the children of God. He walks about seeking who or what to kill, to steal, or to destroy among the children of God. The attack is imminent for the followers of Christ whom the devil perceives as lost by him. 

Ever since the Garden of Eden, Satan has been tempting people to sin. The battle with Satan is a difficult, ongoing struggle. If we obey Jesus and align ourselves closely with God’s purposes, Satan can have no power over us. 

Receiving Jesus Christ, that is, embracing the kingdom is eventually a huge loss to the devil, hence his destructive tendencies toward followers of Christ. In the vulnerable state of Christ’s followers, the devil comes to attack in various manners.

In the Christian life we battle against “principalities and powers” (the powerful evil forces of fallen angels headed by the devil, who is a vicious fighter. These are not “flesh and blood” but demons over whom the devil has control. They are not mere fantasies—they are very real. We face a powerful army whose goal is to defeat the body of Christ. To withstand the attacks, we must depend on God’s strength and use every piece of His armor. All believers and the whole body of Christ need to be armed. As you do battle against “the ruler of the darkness of this age,” fight in the strength of the body of Christ, whose power comes from the Holy Spirit.

Beneath the surface of the routine of daily life, a fierce struggle among invisible spiritual powers is being waged. Our main defense is prayer that God will protect us from the evil one and that He will strengthen us. The following guidelines can help you prepare for and survive satanic attacks: (1) Take the threat of spiritual attack seriously; (2) pray for strength and help from God; (3) study the Bible to recognize Satan’s style and tactics; (4) memorize Scripture so it will be a source of help no matter where you are; (5) associate with those who speak the truth; and (6) practice what you’re taught by sound spiritual leaders. 

Although we are assured of victory

 through faith in Jesus Christ, not through our own efforts. we must engage in the struggle until Christ returns, because Satan is constantly battling against all who are on the Lord’s side. We need supernatural power to defeat Satan, and God has provided this by giving us His Holy Spirit within us and His armor surrounding us; the truth in God’s Word, God’s given righteousness in Christ, the gospel of peace, the spirit of faith, our salvation in Christ, and engaging the Word of God in prayers. We should not relent but persevere to the end because our adversary never relents. If you feel discouraged, remember the promise of Christ to be with us up to the end of age (Matthew 28 vs 20).

We are living in the last days, and Satan’s work has become intense. Even though the devil is very powerful, as we can see by the condition of our world, he is always under God’s control. One of the reason God allows Satan to work evil and bring temptation is so that those who pretend to be Christ’s followers will be weeded out from Christ’s true believers. Knowing that the last great confrontation with Jesus is near, Satan is desperately trying to recruit as great an enemy force as possible for his final battle. 

When you take away your focus off the Lord and is vulnerable to the devil’s attack. Such times are when you focus on your feeling, weakness, or troubles; focusing on your circumstances, instead of focusing on Him who controls circumstances. 

We all have areas where temptation is strong and habits are hard to conquer. These weaknesses give the devil a foothold, so we must deal with our areas of vulnerability. 

Prayer: Abba Father, I submit totally to You. Let not the devil's machinations take away my focus on You. In all things You are my God, my Shield and Buckler. In You I live, and move, and have my being. Engrace me to walk in Your strength and guidance always, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen. 

PRAISE THE LORD!