PUT ON YOUR NEW NATURE AS A CHRISTIAN!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY OCTOBER 16, 2020.

SUBJECT : PUT ON YOUR NEW NATURE AS A CHRISTIAN!

Memory verse: "And that you put on the new man, which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

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(Ephesians 4 vs 24.)

READ: Colossians 3 vs 5 - 10:

3:5: Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
3:6: Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience:
3:7: In the which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.
3:8: But now you yourselves are to put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.
3:9: Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,
3:10: and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.

INTIMATION:

As a Christian, one is new because of the washing of sin by the blood of Jesus, because one has made a decision to maintain direction in one’s life that is guided by the knowledge of Christ. He or she is continually renewed by the knowledge of Christ in walking the Christian life. The renewing process is a continual growth in the knowledge of Jesus. Our growth is pointed in the direction of the image of Jesus, and thus, we are continually becoming more like Him. 

What does it mean to put on your new nature? It means that your conduct should match your faith. If you are a Christian, you should act like it. To be a Christian means more than just making good resolutions and having good intentions; it means taking the right actions. This is a straightforward step that is as simple as putting on your clothes. You must rid yourself of all evil practices and immorality. Then you can commit yourself to what Christ teaches. 

Through righteous thinking and holy living one puts on the new man. When one is immersed into Christ he becomes a new man, having been washed of all sins. However, though one is washed of sin, he still must bring his life into conformity with conduct that is directed by the word of God. As a new man one must maintain his commitment to follow after the example of Jesus’ life and teachings. 

Although we have a new nature, we don’t automatically think all good thoughts and express all right attitudes when we become new people in Christ. But if we keep listening to God, we will be changing all the time. As you look back over last year, do you not see a process of change for the better in your thoughts, attitudes, and actions? Although change may be slow, it comes as you trust God to change you. As Christians, we must remain true to our confession of faith, and should rid ourselves of the old life and put on the new nature given by Christ. If you have made such a commitment to Christ, are you remaining true to it?

Our old way of life before we believed in Christ is completely in the past. We should put it behind us like old clothes to be thrown away. When we decide to accept Christ’s gift of salvation, it is both a one time decision, as well as a daily conscious commitment. We are not to be driven by desire and impulse. We must put on the new nature, head in the new direction, and have the new way of thinking that the Holy Spirit gives. Those behavioral practices of life that they put off must be replaced with positive actions of righteousness. Now that we are walking in newness of life, our behavior must characterize the One after whom we called ourselves. 

People should be able to see a difference between Christians and non-Christians because of the way Christians live. We are to live full of light. As people who have light from the Lord, our actions should reflect our faith. We should live above reproach morally so that we will reflect God’s goodness to others. Jesus reflected this truth in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 vs 15 - 16). We should leave behind the old life of sin, since we are followers of Christ. We must rid ourselves of all evil practices and immorality, so that our conduct should not manifest the nature of those who have given themselves over to the lusts of the flesh. 

We should consider ourselves dead and unresponsive to sexual immorality, uncleanliness, lust, evil desires, and covetousness. The warning in this verse is not against sex, but against sexual perversion. Where is the line between the two? The Bible everywhere celebrates heterosexual, monogamous marriage as the proper situation for sexual fulfillment. Christian men and women should be open to true love—and to sexual intimacy—within the commitment to lifelong fidelity. That is God’s way. The rest is dangerous and futile. Stay away. Sexual sin and perversion will drain your energies and turn your heart away from God.

Jesus wants to clean your life and your church of sexual sin and verbal sin. There is no place in the kingdom.of God for hedonistic sexual experimentation or for gossip, rage, and backbiting. In their place, witness to the world like a lighthouse on a stormy night by displaying love, faith, and hope. Lying to one another disrupts unity by destroying trust. It tears down relationships and may lead to serious conflict. So don’t exaggerate statistics, pass on rumors and gossip, or say things to build up your own image. Be committed to telling the truth. In contrast to a life after the lusts of the flesh, believers must present their bodies as living sacrifices to God. 

Prayer: Abba Father, give me the grace to be guided by the Holy Spirit in my thoughts, words, and actions, that I may always walk in His guidance, and to do Your will at all times, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

BE READY ALWAYS

 BE READY ALWAYS

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Peter 3:15" 

Devotion : There is a hope that believers in Christ Jesus have committed to. That hope is that the promise of our Lord Jesus Christ's second coming is sure, even though He may tarry. For He who died, was buried, resurrected, and ascended to heaven, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, cannot tell lies about His second coming. We are exhorted by the Apostle Peter to be ready always to give an answer to every man who questions our hope. To be able to give a good answer, we must sanctify the Lord God in our hearts. In other words, we must set apart our hearts for the Lord Jesus Christ. He does not like a divided heart, or a heart that cannot distinguish between the holy thing and the unholy thing. Let us all sanctify our hearts daily so that we can be in a position to serve and give accurate answers to questions. Dearly beloved, what did you learn from the gospel above? Share your comments here!

TURN YOUR MIND OVER TO CHRIST!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY OCTOBER 15, 2020.

SUBJECT : TURN YOUR MIND OVER TO CHRIST!

Memory verse: "And do not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God

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(Romans 12 vs 2.)

READ: Ephesians 4 vs 17 - 24:

4:17: This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,
4:18: having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 
4:19: who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
4:20: But you have not so learned Christ,
4:21: If indeed you have heard Him, and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:
4:22: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
4:23: and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
4:24: and that you put on the new man, which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

INTIMATION:

The mind is the faculty that encompasses the reflective thinking of the brain and the emotional thinking of the heart. It’s the seat of reflective consciousness, comprising the faculties of perception and understanding, and those of feeling, judging, and determining. Turning your mind over to Christ is allowing the Spirit of Christ—the Holy Spirit—to control the functions of the mind enumerated above, thereby ensuring that it will be in conformity with the will of God. Through the Holy Spirit believers have the mind of Christ; the mind that works in perfect harmony with the will of the Father. When our minds are so controlled we begin to know God’s thoughts, talk with Him, and expect His answers to our prayers. 

Christians are not to copy the behavior and customs of this world that are usually selfish and often corrupting. Wise Christians decide that much worldly behavior is off limits for them. Your refusal to conform to this world’s values, however, must go even deeper than just behavior and customs; it must be firmly planted in our mind: Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think when you turn your mind over to Him. And it’s only when the Holy Spirit renews, re-educates, and redirects our mind are we truly transformed. 

The mind committed to Christ is directed by purposes that are higher than the material world and the ambitions of the selfishly driven individual. The thinking of the Christian is to be on those things that will last beyond the existence of this world. Therefore, he is not to engage his thinking in those things that would divert his life from the eternal purposes of God. The believers must not center their thoughts and actions around those things that pertain to the desires of the world. The mind of the sacrificed individual is different from the mind of the one who is consumed by the things of this world.

God takes the initiative in all that concerns our relationship with Him. He initially made the move to save us by given His only Son as a propitiation for our sins. When we accept all He has done for us in redemption, and turn our lives over to Him, He, by His Holy Spirit, builds into us the desire to obey Him. The Bible notes in Philippians 2 vs 13, “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” God work’s in us as we have responded to His work for us. He worked for us through the cross. When we are motivated into action by the redemptive work of God, then we work according to His purposes. And when we work according to the purposes of God, it is God who works in us.

The Bible, in Isaiah 26 vs 3, says, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” We can never avoid strife in the world around us, but when we fix our thoughts on God, we can know perfect peace even in turmoil. As we focus our mind on God and His Word, we become steady and stable. Supported by God’s unchanging love and mighty power, we are not shaken by the surrounding chaos. 

Living the Christian life is a process, and every Christian is a continuing education program. The more we turn our mind to Christ, know more of Him and His work, the more we are being changed to be like Him. Because this process is lifelong, we must never stop learning and obeying. There is no justification for drifting along, but there is an incentive to find the rich treasures of growing in Him. It takes practice, ongoing review, patience, and concentration to keep in line with His will. When we decide to accept Christ’s gift of salvation, it is both a one time decision, as well as a daily conscious commitment. 

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit; my Helper, my Advocate, my Intercessor, my Comforter, my Counselor, my Strengthener, my Standby, my Encourager, and my Empowerer. I completely turn over my mind to You, that You take over my thoughts, words, and actions, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

BE JESUS CHRIST CONSCIOUS

 BE JESUS CHRIST CONSCIOUS

"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Colossians 3:23" 

Devotion : The Apostle Paul was an apostle who preached what he practiced and practiced what he preached. He came to the conclusion that the only way to please the LORD with our work is to do it from a true heart; in other words, to be Christ conscious and have Jesus as the focus of whatever we do. If you do this unto men, you are a pleaser of men and will not receive eternal rewards. However, if you do it wholeheartedly unto the LORD, you will receive lasting rewards. Dearly beloved, what is the motive behind your actions? Are they focused on the Lord Jesus? Share your comments here!

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.

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 (Nehemiah 8 vs 10

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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!