THE JOY OF THE LORD IS YOUR STRENGTH!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 14, 2020.

SUBJECT: THE JOY OF THE LORD IS YOUR STRENGTH! 

Memory verse: "Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy to our LORD. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

"

 (Nehemiah 8 vs 10

.)

READ: Psalm 37 vs 4 - 5; Isaiah 12 vs 3; Philippians 4 vs 4:

Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. 

37:5: Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.

Isaiah 12:3: Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

Philippians 4:4: 4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

INTIMATION:

Joy is the quiet, confident assurance of God's love, and works in our lives; that in all circumstances He will be there for us! Joy is lasting because it is based on God’s presence within us. And as we contemplate His daily presence, we will find contentment. As we understand the future He has for us, we will experience joy. Don’t base your life on circumstances, but on God who controls all circumstances.

The demeanor of a Christian lifestyle is one of rejoicing. Joy is a common theme in Christ’s teaching—He wants us to be joyful always. People who are filled with the joy of the Lord understand the grace of God. The joy is based on the fact that they realized that they were forgiven through what Christ wrought for us in redemption. True joy, therefore, is based on mourning over our past sins, understanding God’s forgiving grace, and obedience to the word of God. It is not based on the social environment in which one lives. It is only in being joyous that “you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” 

The key to immeasurable joy is living in intimate relationship with Christ, the source of all joy. When we do, we will experience God’s special care and protection and see the victory God brings even when defeat seems certain. The fullness of our joy comes from a consistent and intimate relationship with Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit—the rivers of living water (John 7 vs 37 - 39). Ultimate joy comes from Christ dwelling within us, and a consistent relationship with Him, that is, abiding in Him, and Him in you; being a branch of the vine that you may bear fruit. 

When our lives are intertwined with His, He will help us walk through adversity without sinking into debilitating lows, and manage prosperity without moving into deceptive highs. The joy of living with Jesus Christ daily will keep us levelheaded, no matter how high or low our circumstances. True joy transcends the rolling waves of circumstances. We are not unduly elated when things go well, and when hardships come, we do not sink into depression. 

Our inner attitudes do not have to reflect our outward circumstances. Christians should be full of joy because they know that no matter what happens, Jesus Christ is with them. Though, it’s easy to get discouraged about unpleasant circumstances or to take unimportant events too seriously, it’s joyful to look at life from the right perspective—God’s perspective. 

Salvation is a gift from God that ensures our overwhelming and unparalleled inheritance in Jesus Christ. You can only access this by your delighting (being joyful) in the Lord. When you delight in the Lord, you will commit your ways to Him, completely trusting in Him, and surely He will give you the desires of your heart, and ensures they are accomplished. To delight in someone means to experience great pleasure and joy in his or her presence. This happens only when we know that person well. Thus, to delight in the LORD, we must know Him better. Knowledge of God’s great love for us will indeed makes us delight in Him, committing ourselves to Him; entrusting everything—our lives, families, jobs, possessions—to His control and guidance. 

Prayer: Abba Father, You are my everything. My joy is complete in You. My total confidence is in Your assured presence and fellowship with me always, I am persuaded that Your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life as I dwell in Your presence forever, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

TOUCHING ON SERVANT OF GOD

 TOUCHING ON SERVANT  GOD

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Hebrews 12:14" 

Devotion : Men have a horizontal relationship with one another and a vertical relationship with God. Christians have been encouraged to be at peace with their fellow men. Furthermore, Christians are to live in holiness with God, without which they cannot see God. To see God is to have an intimate relationship with Him, in such a way that you know Him and experience Him every day. Peace and holiness are the vital ingredients we need to practice in order to enhance our relationship with our fellow men and God. Take some time to meditate on peace and holiness so that you can have testimonies to share with someone. Praise the LORD! Share your thoughts here!

GOD IS MINDFUL OF OUR MOTIVE IN FELLOWSHIP!

 

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY OCTOBER 13, 2020.

SUBJECT: GOD IS MINDFUL OF OUR MOTIVE IN FELLOWSHIP!

Memory verse: “Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw  the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.” (John 6 vs 26.)

READ: John 6 vs 22 - 26:

6:22: The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone;
6:23: (Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:)
6:24: When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.
6:25: And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?

6:26: Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

INTIMATION:

Our motives of fellowship with the Lord matters a lot in our getting plugged into the power source—receiving the grace of God (the unmerited favor; the power of the Holy Spirit) that enables us meet our needs. Our motive in fellowship must be right to enable us receive His grace. The right motive is to worship Him for who He is, our love for Him, and our desire to be in His presence. If you engage in spiritual exercises, that is, you spend time reading the Bible, praying, meditating, making positive confession etc, in an effort to get something from the Lord, instead of worshipping Him for who He is, your love for Him, then your fellowship with Him becomes work, we want to get by our works rather than by the grace of God.  

The devil wants us to think that we can buy the grace of God. God's grace is not for sale, even by its definition—unmerited favor—it is a gift. Grace cannot be bought by prayer, good works, Bible reading or offerings. It cannot be bought by memorizing or confessing Scriptures. It cannot even be bought by faith. The grace of God is receivable, not buyable. And it is only received in our fellowship with the Lord. Anytime we get to thinking that we deserve something because we are doing something for God, whatever it may be, even spending time with Him, we are following a method rather than the Spirit. Even though we might receive our petition, it is all by His grace.

Wrong motives in fellowship is the major reason for many unanswered prayers amongst Christians. We must be careful about our motives. And even when we operate by all right methods; and our motives are pure, let us not fall into the trap of thinking that we deserve anything good from the Lord by our works. It is all by His grace. But for God’s own initiative to sacrifice His Son for us, we don't deserve anything except to die and spend eternity in everlasting punishment because we have all sinned and come short of His glory. Consequently, all of our righteousness is like filthy rags before Him. (Isaiah 64 vs 6.)

In the passage we read today, Jesus criticized the people who followed Him only for the physical and temporal benefits and not for the satisfying of their spiritual hunger. Many people use religion to gain prestige, comfort, or even political votes. But those are self-centered motives. True believers follow Jesus simply because they know He has the truth and His way is the way to live. Following Christ is not enough, we must follow Him for the right reasons. To follow Christ for our own purposes would be asking Christ to follow us—to align with us to support and advance our cause, not His. We must examine our motives for following Him. Are you seeking His glory or yours? 

In the parable of the sower in Mark's Gospel, Jesus likens the Kingdom of God to a farmer who sows his seed in his field and then goes to sleep, and rises night and day and the seed springs forth and grows up, ....he knows not how (Mark 4 vs 27). You see, we don't understand what happens once the seed is placed in the ground. Yes we are to plant our seed: Prayer is a seed, Bible study is a seed, Preparation for spiritual exercise is a seed. Meditation is a seed. A good confession is a seed. An offering is a seed. Church attendance is a seed. Good work is a seed. Time spent with Lord is a seed, and so on. Sow the seed, and allow God to the the work. He does the work, not us, hence our not receiving God's favor by our works but by His grace through faith.

To fully understand and appreciate this fact, we need to look upon our righteousness as compared with the righteousness of Almighty God. If we will do that, instead of comparing our righteousness with the unrighteousness of others, then we will see ourselves as we really are. This enables thoroughly appreciate God’s unparalleled love for us and all He wrought in Christ Jesus for us. Therefore, we should not feel bad about ourselves, not looking at our own works or efforts, but rather rejoice in the Lord, and glory in Him (Isaiah 41 vs 16). We must get beyond ourselves and our works and efforts and keep our eyes focused on God and His grace toward us. 

Prayer: Abba Father, I worship You with my whole heart for who You are; the Holy Sovereign God, Creator of heaven and the earth, and all things seen and unseen. You own all things, for the heavens, the earth and its fullness are all Yours. By Your Word You made all things and by Your power You sustain them. What am I that You are mindful of me, Oh Most High, and showered Your unparalleled love upon my life? Forever my guess is fixed on You, and nothing will take away, in Jesus’ matchless Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

O My SOUL

 O MY SOUL

"Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Psalms 103:2" 

Devotion : The soul consists of the mind, will, and emotions; the seat of the soul is the mind. The Psalmist is sharing his secret with other believers: speaking to the inward man, the soul, to bless the LORD. Why should we speak to the soul to bless God? The soul will forget when we do not tell it to bless the Lord. The soul is weak and needs awakening by our speaking to it. Sometimes you hear certain Christians complaining frequently; this is a sign that their soul is too weak to remember all the benefits they have enjoyed with the LORD. If they can only speak to their soul like the Psalmist in our opening scripture, they will begin to see everything that the Lord Jesus has done for them. Dearly beloved, what have you learnt from this article? Share your thoughts here!

THE COMING HARVEST OF CHRIST!

 

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY OCTOBER 12, 2020.

SUBJECT : THE COMING HARVEST OF CHRIST!

Memory verse: "His winnowing 

fan is in His hand, and He will throughly clean His floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

" 

(Matthew 3 vs 12.)

READ: Matthew 13 vs 24 - 30:

13:24: Another parable He put forth to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;

13:25: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
13:26: But when the grain has sprouted and produced a crop, then the takes also appeared.
13:27: So the servants of the owner came and said to him, “Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?
13:28: He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Don you want us then to go and gather them up?’
13:29: But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.
13:30: Let both grow together until the harvest: and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”

INTIMATION:

Christ’s harvest (judgement) of all people is coming. 

The purpose of His judgement is to bring about the purpose for the existence of the world, that is, to bring the obedient into eternal dwelling with Him at the end of time. There has been 

change in the Kingship of the kingdom reign of Deity from God the Father to God the Son Jesus Christ, who 

conquered Satan and ascended to the Throne where He is seated at the right hand of the Father with all authority handed over to Him, and He reigns as King and head over all things (Matthew 28 vs 18; Philippians 2 vs 8 - 11). He will exercise His authority by judging e

ach of us, and will reward us for 

how we have lived. 

All Christians must give account on the day of judgement of how they have lived. 

The purpose of Jesus’ first mission on earth was not to judge people, but to show them the way to find salvation and eternal life. When He comes again, one of His main purposes will be to judge people for how they lived on earth. Christ’s words that we would not accept and obey will condemn us. On the day of judgement, those who accepted Jesus and lived His way will be raised to eternal,life, and those who rejected Jesus and lived any way they pleased will face eternal punishment. Decide now which side you will be on, for the consequences of your decision last forever.

Judgement is not a popular theme today, but the Bible teaches that judgment is coming. Do you look forward to Christ’s return for His harvest, or do you see it as a threat? As sure as death itself, judgement awaits. At Christ’s judgement there will be no higher court of appeal should the verdict not be to your liking. If you hope for a favorable verdict in this court, put your hope entirely on Jesus. Pray today—now if you haven’t before—for the freedom and pardon Jesus has won for you. Then rejoice that God’s judgement of you will be based on the perfect life on His Son, Jesus. After that, tell others, for many will face an unfavorable judgment without Jesus.

We are to make ourselves ready by making sure that our faith is sincere. At the end of the world, angels will separate the evil from the good. 

Unrepentant people will be judged and discarded because they are worthless in doing God’s work; those who repent and believe will be saved and used by God. 

There are true and false believers in church today, but we should be cautious in our judgements because only Christ is qualified to make the final separation. If you start judging, you may damage some of the good plants. It's more important to judge your own response to God than to analyze others' responses. 

But the devil still has his followers. Jesus, in giving the meaning of this parable in the passage we read today, enumerated what awaits the followers of the devil; “but the tares are the sons of the wicked one—the devil. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of age. The Son of Man will send His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father." (Matthew 13 vs 38 - 43.)

The wailing indicates sorrow or remorse, and gnashing of teeth shows extreme anxiety or pain. Those who say they don't care what happens to them after they die don't realize what they are saying. They will be punished for living in selfishness and indifference to God. Those who will shine like the sun in God's kingdom stand in contrast to those who receive his judgement. The choice is yours!

The kingdom of God involves relationships, relationships between God and man (justification) and man and man (peace and joy). 

Those who bear no fruit for God’s kingdom cannot expect to be treated the same as those who are faithful. The person who diligently prepares for it by investing his or her time and talents to serve God will be rewarded. The person who has no heart for the work of the kingdom will be punished. 

God’s gracious gift of salvation does not free us from the requirement of faithful obedience. 

Christ will separate His obedient followers from pretenders and unbelievers. The real evidence of our belief is the way we act. 

What we do for others demonstrates what we really think about Jesus’ words to us. 

Prayer: Abba Father, my utmost heart desire is please You with the life I live. But without Christ I am nothing and can do nothing pleasing to You. Give me grace to live in total obedience and trust in You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD! 

WHATSOEVER GOD DOES

 WHATSOEVER GOD DOES

"I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him. Ecclesiastes 3:14" 

Ecclesiastes 3:14

MSG: I've also concluded that whatever God does, that's the way it's going to be, always. No addition, no subtraction. God's done it and that's it. That's so we'll quit asking questions and simply worship in holy fear.

NLT: And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God's purpose in this is that people should fear him.

NASB: I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him.

AMP: I know that whatever God does, it endures forever; nothing can be added to it nor anything taken from it. And God does it so that men will [reverently] fear Him [revere and worship Him, knowing that He is]. [Ps. 19:9; James 1:17.]

UKJV: I know that, whatsoever God does, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God does it, that men should fear before him.

Devotion : Dearly beloved, we are serving a living God full of beauty and perfection. The opening scripture is the manifestation of the greatness of Elohim. Whatever God does, He intends it to last forever; however, the recipients of what God does have an important role to play. The recipients must move along with God's plan, else whatever He does might not last forever. For example, God created Adam and Eve to live forever but their disobedience curtailed God's plan. Dearly beloved, has God given you a precious gift? What do you think is the intention of God behind the gift? Share your comments here!

BE GOD-CENTERED!

 

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY OCTOBER 11, 2020.

SUBJECT: BE GOD-CENTERED!

Memory verse: "But He turned, and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offence to Me: for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."(Matthew 16 vs 23.)

READ: Matthew 16 vs 21 - 27:

16:21: From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
16:22: Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!
16:23: But He turned, and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offence to Me: for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

16:24: Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
16:25: For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
16:26: For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

16:27: For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He will reward each according to his works.

INTIMATION:

Being “God-centered” is making God the center of your life. All you desire is to do God’s will; always evaluating things from God’s perspective than from human or self perspective. This is the opposite of being “self-centered,” which is thinking mainly of oneself, caring only about oneself and own needs, being egocentric. A self-centered person leaves God out of the center of his or her life as Satan desires. Many people try to use God for their own self-actualization, but that is a reversal of nature, and is doomed to failure. We are all made by God, for Him and His use, not vice versa. Life is all about letting God use His creation for the purpose He created it; it Is all about letting God use you for His purposes, not your using Him for your own purpose.

The obsession of self-centeredness is a dead end. The Bible in Romans 8 vs 6 states, "For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." Those who are self-centered live for themselves, and not for God, and consequently lose the spiritual dimension to their lives. Keep your commitment to Christ at full strength. Then you’ll be ready when He returns.

We must be committed to living for Christ that we should “hate” our lives by comparison. This does not mean that we long to die or that we are careless or destructive with the life God has given, but that we are willing to die if doing so will glorify Christ. We must disown the tyrannical rule of our own self-centeredness. By laying aside our striving for advantage, security, and pleasure, we can serve God lovingly and freely. Releasing control of our lives and transferring control to Christ bring eternal life and genuine joy.

In the passage we read today, Jesus said to Peter, ‘It is satanic to think of self rather than God’: “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offence to Me: for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” He further said to His disciples, ‘Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. They should follow Him and He will show them their life's purpose. Jesus advised them that self-help is no help at all, but self-sacrifice is the way, God's way to finding yourself, your true self. 

Though ignorantly, Peter played the part of Satan to divert Jesus from the cross. Satan was using Peter’s love and concern for Jesus as an appeal to cause Jesus to stumble in His destiny. Today, too many friends and family use their appeal as Peter, to discourage men, and women from going Into the world to preach the gospel. One of the works of Satan is to use the good intentions of brethren in order to dissuade the destiny of those who seek to serve the Lord.

God made you for a reason, and your life has profound meaning! We discover that meaning and purpose only when we make God the reference point of our lives. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is, and by what He does for us. We are equivalent to an invention in God’s hands. The easiest way to discover the purpose of an invention is to ask the creator of it directly, or refer to the owner's manual. The same is true for discovering your life's purpose; Ask God—your Maker, or refer to the Owner's Manual —the Bible. The discovery is by revelations inherent in the Word of God. 

God has not left us in the dark to wonder and guess. He has clearly revealed His purposes for our lives in the Bible. It tells us why we are alive, how life works, how the owner of life governs it, what to do, what to avoid, and what to expect now, and in the future. And it is only in Him, and His Manual you can find these answers. If that is the case, it makes no sense to center your life on yourself, but rather on the Owner of that life, and the determinant of how best to lead that life of yours.

In First Corinthians 2 vs 7. The Bible says, "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory." The wisdom of God is mysterious and goes deep into the interior of His purposes which is only determined by Him, and revealed to us, if we quest for it. You don't find it lying around on the surface. God, in His wisdom, determined the way to bring out His best in us, long before we ever arrived on the scene. It is beyond the wisdom of men, or of this world. "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God" (First Corinthians 3 vs 19).

God is not just the starting point of your life; He is the source of it. To discover your purpose in life you must turn to God's Word, not the world's wisdom—never lean on your own understanding. You must build your life on eternal truths, not self-driven ambitions. God, in His infinite wisdom, purposefully created you, and you are to serve His purpose to live a purposeful life.

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of raw obedience to You, that You will take the first place in my life in all things, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen. 

PRAISE THE LORD!