MAKE YOUR CHOICE!

 MONDAY OCTOBER 5, 2020

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUBJECT: MAKE YOUR CHOICE! 

Memory verse: "I call heaven and earth as witness today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live." (Deuteronomy 30 vs 19.)

READ: Deuteronomy 30 vs 19 - 20:

30:19: I call heaven and earth as witness today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;

30:20: that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.

INTIMATION:

All that God requires of everyone of us to do to be saved takes no scholar to understand and apply. For this reason God holds each of us individually responsible for our own eternal destiny. In life we are faced with choices. God has ordained our paths in life, that we may accomplish our predetermined purposes in life in accordance with His Will for us. God doesn't force His Will on anyone. He lets us decide whether to follow Him or reject Him, obey Him or disobey Him. This decision, however, is a “life or death“ matter. With disobedience there is death and evil. God wants us to realize this, for He would like us all to choose life, and daily, in every situation, we must affirm and reinforce this commitment. 

The final exhortation is to make a free-moral decision to choose that which will bring life and good. The Will of God is enshrined in His “instructional manual” - the Bible. Within the pages of the Bible we find a purpose for everything under the sun, even the tests we face in life. In our memory verse today, God spoke to His children, and presented them with a multiple choice test: the choice between life and death. He tested them with problems while they were in the wilderness. Why were they tested? The answer is in the passage we read today. God tests us so see if we would hear Him and obey His commandments; walking in accordance with His Will for us, that He would bless us. 

God knows the future, and His plans for us are good and full of hope. As long as God who knows the future, provides our agenda and goes with us as we fulfill His mission, we can have boundless good success. This does not mean that we will be spared pain, suffering, or hardship, but that God will see us through to a glorious end. It is easy to obey when everything is falling in place, and grand for us. But what about obeying God when you are on a crossroad, or in the middle of the most severe problem of your life?

We all have unique personalities, and we all have our own individual purposes. Our paths of life, in accordance with God’s Will for us, are unique and our tests are different and predetermined by Him for His purposes. We may not like the way we are tested, but God chooses the test, and He is the One who issues the final grade. No one likes problems. Consequently, no one likes to be tested, and no one likes to take the same test over and over again. The only way we can avoid taking a test the second time is to pass it the first time around.

It is only in ensuring that you play appropriately your own part in the relationship with God that you may pass the test the first time. And to be able to do that, you should regularly go through your spiritual checklist to ensure you are not the architect of any problems you face by not living in accordance with His Will. How then do you that? The “Instructional Manual” - the Bible guides us through life and it's obstacles. When you are in the midst of a problem, it is vital to go through your spiritual checklist to ensure you are not the source of the problem by deviating from God’s instruction.q

If you are not the source of the problem by ensuring you have done or is doing your part, then be patient, God will definitely do His part, He is not a man that He should lie nor the son of man that He will repent, He does what He says, and makes good what He has spoken (Numbers 23 vs 19). Though it might tarry, but be patient, it must surely come to pass! (Habakkuk 2 vs 3).

Prayer: Abba Father, Your ways are excellent, and Your thoughts past finding out. Your counsel stands forever. Your Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Show me the path of life that I may walk in it, and be in Your presence, enjoying the fullness of joy, and accompanying pleasures, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

YOUR ADVERSARY THE DEVIL

 YOUR ADVERSARY THE DEVIL

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Peter 5:8" 

Devotion : An adversary is someone who always takes the opposing position, in other words, an opponent or an enemy. The devil is described as an opposition, opponent, and an enemy. He has nothing good in him and will never do good. He seeks people who are vulnerable to destroy them through hypocrisy and deception. The only way a believer in Christ Jesus can outwit him is to be sober and vigilant. Soberness and vigilance must go together to identify the operations of the devil and his cohorts of darkness. Christians must therefore shun sleepiness, dull-mindedness, drunkenness, ignorance, and prayerlessness to overcome the adversary. Dearly beloved, what did you learn from the article? Share your thoughts here!

THE FORCE OF FAITH!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY OCTOBER 4, 2020

SUBJECT : THE FORCE OF  FAITH!

Memory verse: "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he that comes to God, must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." (Hebrews 11 vs 6.)

READ: Hebrews 10 vs 19 - 23:

10:19: Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 10:20: by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,

10:21: and having a High Priest over the house of God,

10:22: let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

10:23: Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

INTIMATION:

Faith is a potent force without which prayer will be absolutely unproductive. The Bible calls faith "The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11 vs 1.) Building up your faith is a prerequisite for effectual communication with God. With faith you are holding in confidence the things you have asked in prayers, and perceiving as real facts what is not revealed to the senses. It is the ticket on which you take delivery of anything from heaven. 

Your confidence in God must first be in place before you ask Him for anything, because though His Word presented before Him grants you audience in the Throne Room, your faith in Him (in His Word) is what motivates Him to act on your behalf. Therefore, it is you, not God, who determines whether your prayer gets answered or not. Though ‘He is ready to perform His Word’ (Jeremiah 1 vs 12), He demands your faith that leads to a personal, dynamic relationship with Him.

You don't only approach God with His Word, you must come with an unwavering assurance that ‘He abides faithful and cannot deny Himself’ (Second Timothy 2 vs 13). Therefore, your approach to the Throne Room must be with unwavering faith. The Scripture in James 1 vs 6 - 7 says, "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord." Once faith and trust in God is established, you can rest assured of results when you pray. You will not only believe in the existence of God, but also believe in His loving care. That is relying on God with full  expectations that He will hear and answer when you pray.

Two blind men prayed to Jesus for the restoration of their sight. Even though Jesus heard them, He did not heal them until He was assured of their faith in Him: "When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, "Son of David, have mercy on us!" And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him, and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this? They said to Him. Yes, Lord. Then He touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith let it be to you." And their eyes were opened...." (Matthew 9 vs 27 - 30.)

Jesus didn't respond immediately to the blind men's pleas. He waited to see if they had faith. They followed Him all through to the house, pleading with Him to heal them, and that shows believe and commitment. Not everyone who says he wants help really believes God can help him or her. Jesus may have waited and questioned these men to emphasize and increase their faith. When you think that God is too slow in answering your prayers, consider that He might be testing you as He did the blind men.

Jesus, by His death and offering of His blood in atonement for our sins, has made it possible for us to approach God in the Throne Room directly. We must come not halfheartedly or with improper motives or pretense, but with pure, individual, and sincere worship in faith. We can know that we have “a true heart” if we evaluate our thoughts and motives according to His Word. Christians can approach God boldly, free from our “evil conscience” and in full assurance because of the work Jesus Christ did for us in redemption.

Under the new covenant of accepting the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, our hearts and consciences are cleansed completely, not partially or temporarily, from dead works to serve the living God (Hebrews 9 vs 14). Christ’s sacrifice transforms our lives and hearts and make us clean on the inside. Our clean conscience allow us to enter God’s presence with boldness. We have a personal access to God through Christ and can draw near to Him without an elaborate system, and growing in faith to deepen our relationship with God.

Prayer: Abba Father, my trust is in You who made heaven and earth. Forever You are my God and in You I live, and move, and have my being. I solidly anchor my absolute faith is in You. Give me the grace to remain so anchored, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

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.

" 

(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!