FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM

 

November, 23

“Fellowship with him.”

1 John 1:6 

When we were united by faith to Christ, we were brought into such complete fellowship with him, that we were made one with him, and his interests and ours became mutual and identical. We have fellowship with Christ in his love. What he loves we love. He loves the saints—so do we. He loves sinners—so do we. He loves the poor perishing race of man, and pants to see earth’s deserts transformed into the garden of the Lord—so do we. We have fellowship with him in his desires. He desires the glory of God—we also labour for the same. He desires that the saints may be with him where he is—we desire to be with him there too. He desires to drive out sin—behold we fight under his banner. He desires that his Father’s name may be loved and adored by all his creatures—we pray daily, “Let thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, even as it is in heaven.” We have fellowship with Christ in his sufferings. We are not nailed to the cross, nor do we die a cruel death, but when he is reproached, we are reproached; and a very sweet thing it is to be blamed for his sake, to be despised for following the Master, to have the world against us. The disciple should not be above his Lord. In our measure we commune with him in his labours, ministering to men by the word of truth and by deeds of love. Our meat and our drink, like his, is to do the will of him who hath sent us and to finish his work. We have also fellowship with Christ in his joys. We are happy in his happiness, we rejoice in his exaltation. Have you ever tasted that joy, believer? There is no purer or more thrilling delight to be known this side heaven than that of having Christ’s joy fulfilled in us, that our joy may be full. His glory awaits us to complete our fellowship, for his Church shall sit with him upon his throne, as his well-beloved bride and queen. 

THE POWER OF RESURRECTION

 “The power of his resurrection.”

Philippians 3:10 

The doctrine of a risen Saviour is exceedingly precious. The resurrection is the corner-stone of the entire building of Christianity. It is the key-stone of the arch of our salvation. It would take a volume to set forth all the streams of living water which flow from this one sacred source, the resurrection of our dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; but to know that he has risen, and to have fellowship with him as such—communing with the risen Saviour by possessing a risen life—seeing him leave the tomb by leaving the tomb of worldliness ourselves, this is even still more precious. The doctrine is the basis of the experience, but as the flower is more lovely than the root, so is the experience of fellowship with the risen Saviour more lovely than the doctrine itself. I would have you believe that Christ rose from the dead so as to sing of it, and derive all the consolation which it is possible for you to extract from this well-ascertained and well-witnessed fact; but I beseech you, rest not contented even there. Though you cannot, like the disciples, see him visibly, yet I bid you aspire to see Christ Jesus by the eye of faith; and though, like Mary Magdalene, you may not “touch” him, yet may you be privileged to converse with him, and to know that he is risen, you yourselves being risen in him to newness of life. To know a crucified Saviour as having crucified all my sins, is a high degree of knowledge; but to know a risen Saviour as having justified me, and to realize that he has bestowed upon me new life, having given me to be a new creature through his own newness of life, this is a noble style of experience: short of it, none ought to rest satisfied. May you both “know him, and the power of his resurrection.” Why should souls who are quickened with Jesus, wear the grave-clothes of worldliness and unbelief? Rise, for the Lord is risen.

THE FEAR OF THE LORD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 22, 2020.

SUBJECT : THE FEAR OF THE LORD! 

Memory verse: "And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding." (Job 28 vs 28.)

READ: Psalm 25 vs 12 - 15; 34 vs 11 - 14:

25:12: What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.
25:13: His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth.
25:14: The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.
25:15: Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.

34:11: Come you children, listen to me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

34:12: Who is the man who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good?

34:13: Keep your tongue from evil, and your soul lips from speaking deceit.

34:14: Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.

INTIMATION:

“The fear of the Lord” means to have respect and reverence for God and to be in awe of His majesty and power. It is not a mere fear of His power and righteous retribution, but a wholesome dread of displeasing Him. The fear of the Lord is reverential of Him as a controlling motive of the life in matters that are spiritual and moral. Reverence mingled fear and love constitute the piety of man toward God. It is a fear which banishes the terror that shrinks from His presence, and which influences the disposition and attitude of one whose circumstances are guided by trust in God, through the indwelling Spirit of God. 

The Bible often connects the fear of the Lord (love and reverence for Him) with obedience. “Fear God, and keep His commandments” (Ecclesiastes 12 vs 13). “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word” (John 14 vs 23). A person who fears the Lord doesn’t lie, turns from evil, does good, and promotes peace. Reverence is much more than sitting quietly in church. It includes obeying God in the way we speak and the way we treat others. Fear of the Lord is the foundation upon which learning takes place. This fear leads to listening to God and obeying His commandments. It is obedience to His will. 

Recognition of the existence and authority of God in our lives is the foundation upon which all learning should take place. The fear of the Lord is a key theme in the wisdom literature of the Bible (Job through Songs of Solomon). It is the starting point to finding real wisdom (Proverbs 1 vs 7 - 9). The only way to become truly wise is to fear (revere) God. Too often people want to skip this step, thinking they can become wise by life experience and academic knowledge alone. But if we do not acknowledge God as the source of wisdom, then our foundation for making wise decisions is shaky and we are prone to mistakes and foolish choices.  

To fear the Lord is to recognize God’s attributes: He is Holy, Almighty, Righteous, Pure, All-knowing, All-powerful, and All-wise. When we regard God correctly, we gain a clearer picture of ourselves: sinful, weak, frail, and needy. When we recognize who God is and who we are, we will fall at His feet in humble respect. Only then will He show us how to choose His way. If one will reverence God and submit to His will, then God will teach him His way. The obedient will then live in peace of mind, his posterity through his children will continue throughout generations, and he will thus benefit from his covenant relationship with God, enjoying the benefit of a spiritual connection with Him, and will be a friend of God.

With fear of the Lord is prolonged days, and your children will have a place of refuge. It gives confidence, it is a foundation of life, and helps turn one away from the snares of death. God offers intimate and lasting friendship to those who revere Him, who hold Him in highest honor. What relationship could ever compare with having the Lord of all creation for a friend? Your everlasting friendship with God will grow as you respect and honor Him. 

Prayer: Abba Father, endue with the excellent spirit of fear of the Lord, and raw obedience to Your will, that I may be found worthy of Your friendship, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

OUR MISSION ON EARTH!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 21, 2020.

SUBJECT : OUR MISSION ON EARTH! 

Memory verse: "Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation." (Second Corinthians 5 vs 18.)

READ: Matthew 28 vs 19 - 20; Mark 16 vs 15:

Matthew 28:19: Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 

28:20: teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Mark 16:15: Go into the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

INTIMATION:

You are made and called for a mission. The earth is an extension of God's kingdom. From creation God has been at work in the world. He created the angels and other heavenly beings to join Him in His work in heaven, and for special missions on earth. He created us to join Him in His work on earth. The aspect of the work He has employed you to join Him is called your mission. God wants you to have both a ministry in the Body of Christ and a mission in the world. Your ministry is your service to believers, and your mission is your service to the rest of the world.

The english word 'mission' comes from the Latin word for 'sending.' Being a Christian includes being sent into the world as a representative of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "As the Father has sent Me, I also send you. (John 20 vs 21.) Your life mission is both shared and specific. One part of it a responsibility you share with every other Christian, and the other part is an assignment that is unique to you. The mission that Christ called us to is called “The Great Commission,” which was given to all followers of Christ, not just pastors and missionaries alone. This mission given to us by Jesus is mandatory, and to ignore it is disobedience.

Jesus clearly understood His life mission on earth. At age twelve He said, "I must be about My Father's business." (Luke 2 vs 49), and twenty-one years later, dying on the cross, He said, "It is finished." John 19 vs 30.) Like the bookends these two statements frame a well-lived, and purposeful life. Jesus completed the mission the Father gave Him. The mission Jesus had while on earth is now our mission because we are the Body of Christ. What He did in His physical body we are to continue as His spiritual body—the church. 

Our mission, therefore, is introducing people to God! Christ changed us from enemies into His friends and gave us the task of making others His friends also. Because we have been reconciled to God, we have the privilege of encouraging others to do the same. God wants to redeem human beings from Satan and reconcile them to Himself so we can fulfill the five purposes He created us for: to love Him, to be part of His family, to become like Him, to serve Him, and to tell others about Him. 

Once we are His, God uses us to reach others. He saves us and then sends us out. The Bible says, "We are ambassadors of Christ." (Second Corinthians 5 vs 20.) We are the messengers of God's love and purposes to the world, and imploring others on behalf of Christ, to be reconciled to God. All believers are the ambassadors of Christ. We are messengers and agents of Christ mandated to continue the work He started. Jesus did two things with us; He called us to Himself, and commissioned us to go for Him. This mission given to us by Christ is so significant that He repeated it five times; in five different ways, and in five different books of the Bible. The emphasis connotes how important and demanding of us it is to Christ. 

You may have been unaware that God holds you responsible for the unbelievers who live around you. The Bible, in Ezekiel 3 vs 18, says, "When I say to a wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand." We are responsible to tell others about God's judgement and His message of salvation, although we are not held responsible for how they respond. But if we refuse to tell others what we know, God will judge us. Therefore, remember God's words to Ezekiel when you are tempted to remain silent among those who don't believe.

The pertinent questions you should ask, and the answers to them are; (1) When do you go? Now! (2) Where do you go? To the world beginning with where you are now. (3) Why do you go? Because it is mandatory to tell others about Christ, sharing your own experience and knowledge of Him, and (4) How do you do the work? Witnessing for Christ, preaching the gospel of repentance and remission of sins, ensuring that those who believed are baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to do everything Jesus said we should do.

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for the privilege of calling me to the mission of reconciling others to You. Give me the grace to be committed to this mission with great zeal, preaching the Good News to all, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

JESUS CAME FOR THE SINNERS!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 20, 2020.

SUBJECT : JESUS CAME FOR THE SINNERS!

Memory verse: "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Luke 5 vs 32.)

READ: Isaiah 1 vs 18 - 20:

18: "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

19: If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;

20: But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword", for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

 

INTIMATION:

The Greek word for sin is harmartia, which means “miss the mark.” Sin, therefore, is one missing the mark of perfection in order to be considered righteous before God. Those who are involved in sin are known as sinners. Sin has been preached to us so long and we have been told so often that we are unworthy and unfit, and this has kept us with a sense of inferiority which has been destructive to a faith life. This has made many to keep a distance from our holy and perfect God, and their guilt feelings of sin keep them from praying (seeking the face of God), which is their only means of restoration, because only God forgives sin. 

Sometimes you may feel that you have done something terrible, and could never come close to God. Consequently, the effect of sin keeps you away from praying. However, it is noteworthy that perfect moral behavior is not a condition for prayer. Though the stain of sin seems permanent, but only God can remove such stain of sin from our lives. We don't have to go through life permanently soiled. God's Word assures that if we are willing and obedient in turning to Him, Christ will forgive and remove our most indelible stains of sin.

No matter how long you have been away from God, He is ready to hear from you and restore you to a right relationship with Him. Every situation can be salvaged if you are willing to turn to God. In Judges 16 vs 28 - 30,  we would observe that in spite of Samson's past, God still answered his prayer and destroyed the philistines' heathen temple and worshipers. He killed more people at his death than he did in his life because of the mercy of God when he turned to Him in prayer.

Christ came for sinners like you and I, and He expects us, the sinners, to come to Him for mercy. We can only go to God in prayer, acknowledging our need and admitting that we don't have all the answers, and God will come to our help. He desires to show mercy and His mercy endures forever. God is in finitely merciful. All of us are compassed with infirmity, and only God can succor us. Hence we are to pray boldly for mercy. When we go to God in prayer, repent of our sin, and seek His forgiveness, He is faithful to forgive us, but you must come to Him in prayer. He then withholds punishment deserved by us and gives His kindness in excess. God's mercy is everlasting and total. 

God can forgive all sins, except the sin against the Holy Spirit. The unforgivable sin against the Holy Spirit is the deliberate refusal to acknowledge God, and His power in Christ, expressed through the Holy Spirit. It indicates a deliberate and irreversible hardness of heart. It reveals a heart attitude of unbelief and unrepentance, that attributes to Satan the work that the Holy Spirit accomplishes. Such people have turned their backs on God and rejected all faith, and are unwilling to ask for forgiveness. Even when they receive the prompting of the Holy Spirit, convicting them of sin, they reject it. 

The deliberate rejection of the work of the Holy Spirit is blasphemy, because it is rejecting God Himself. Blasphemy is a malicious and injurious speech against the work of God. It is such because the accusers are assigning the work of God to Satan. It cannot be forgiven simply because those who are making the accusations will not accept the message by obedience to the gospel. Such persons remove themselves from the only force that can lead them to repentance and restoration to God.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are the only God, there is no other. Before You there is no God, with You there is no other God, and there will be no other God after You. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your loving kindness; according to the multitude of your tender mercies. Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleans me from my sin, in Jesus name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

LET GOD BE ALL IN YOUR LIFE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 19, 2020.

SUBJECT: LET GOD BE ALL IN YOUR LIFE! 

Memory verse: "Take my yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11 vs 29.)

READ: John 5 vs 19, 30; 6 vs 38; 7 vs 16; 8 vs 28, 50; 14 vs 24, 

5:19: Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most Assuredly, I say to you, The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.

5:30: I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the Will of the Father who sent Me.

6:38: For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the Will of Him who sent Me.  

7:16: Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but who sent Me.

8:28: Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.

8:50: And I do not seek My own glory, there is One who seeks and judges.

14:24: “He who does not love Me does not keep My words and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.

INTIMATION:

The Gospel of John has the inner life of our Lord laid open to us. Jesus speaks frequently of His relation to the Father, of the motives by which He is guided, of His consciousness of the power and spirit in which He acts. The words He spoke clearly showed wherein His humility consisted. In His humility, He simply consented to let God be all, and He surrendered Himself to God's working alone. 

The passages we read today reveal the words in which Jesus speaks of His relation to the Father, and shows how unceasingly He uses the words 'not,' and 'nothing,' of Himself. "Not I," is the very spirit of what Christ says of His relation to the Father. These words open to us the deepest roots of Christ's life and work. They tell us how it was that the Almighty God was able to work His mighty redemption work through Him. They show Christ's state of heart which makes Him the Son of the Father. They teach us the essential nature, and life of that redemption which Christ accomplished and now communicates. And It is this: “He was nothing, that God might be all.”

He entirely laid aside His Will and His powers for the Father to work in Him of His own power, His own Will, and His own glory. Jesus, of His whole mission, with all His works, and His teaching, and of all this He said; "It is not I,” "I am nothing,” "I have given Myself to the Father to work,” "the Father is all." What a humble heart! It is in this life of entire self-denial—of absolute submission and dependence upon the Father's will—that Christ found perfect peace and joy, and calls us to do the same. And this should be first and the chief of the marks of the Christ within us, and that which Jesus must give us if we are to have any part with Him. 

He lost nothing by giving all to God. God honored His trust, and did all for Him, and then exalted Him to His own right hand in glory. And because Christ had thus humbled Himself, God was ever before Him, He found it possible to humble Himself before men too, and to be the Servant of all. His humility was simply the surrender of Himself to God, to allow Him to do in Him what He pleased, not minding whatever men around might say of Him, or do to Him. It is in this state of mind, in this spirit and disposition, that the redemption of Christ has its virtue and efficacy. And It is to bring us to this disposition that we are made partakers of Christ. 

It is to this self-denial that our Savior calls us, to acknowledgment that self has nothing good in it, except as an empty vessel which God must fill, and therefore, its claim to be or do anything may not for a moment be allowed. And this, above and before everything, is in which the conformity to Jesus consists—the being and doing nothing of ourselves, that God may be all. We must learn of Jesus, how He was meek and lowly of heart. He teaches us that true humility takes its rise, and finds its strength in the knowledge that it is God who works all in all, and that our place is to yield to Him in perfect resignation and dependence, in full consent to do nothing of ourselves. 

Until Christians understand the humility of Jesus as the very essence of His redemption, as the very blessedness of the life of the Son of God, as the only true relation to the Father, our thirst and aspiration to manifest heavenly bound humility will become a burden, and a far cry.

Prayer: Abba Father, in You all things consist. Endue me with the spirit of self-denial, heavenly bound humility, and total commitment to Your Will, that I may be a partaker of Christ’s nature, and You be all in all in my life, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

THE SECRET OF STABILITY!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

 WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 18, 2020.

SUBJECT : THE SECRET OF STABILITY!

Memory verse: 

"

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.

"

 (Hebrews 13 vs 8.) 

READ: Exodus 3 vs 13 - 15:

3:13: Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say unto them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?
3:14: And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
3:15: Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’

INTIMATION:

Being stable denotes being steady, firm, fixed, not shaky, lasting, dependable, faithful, not susceptible to change, and well-balanced in an emotional manner. Life is full of changes, challenges, and few things remain stable. We are constantly faced with challenges and changing circumstances in our journey of life, and our secret of our stability in the face of all these changes and challenges is to trust on the unchanging God. The secret of stability is to trust in God, because He never changes. He cannot be shaken by the changes in our world, and He endures forever. The fads and ideas of our world, and our world itself will not endure forever. For us, stability does not mean lack of change, but moving with God who controls all circumstances. 

God called Himself”I AM,” a name describing His eternal power and unchangeable character. In a world where values, morals, and laws change constantly, we can find stability and security in our unchanging God. The God who appeared to Moses is the same God who can live in us today. Because God’s nature is stable and trustworthy, we are free to follow and enjoy Him rather than spend our time trying to figure Him out. Christ has been and will be the same forever. In a changing world we can trust our unchanging Lord.

When God brought the Israelites out of Egypt into the wilderness, they were constantly moving through the wilderness. They were able to handle change only because God’s presence in the tabernacle was always with them. The portable tabernacle signified God and His people moving together. When God is with you, He goes before you, and will be with you, and will not leave you nor forsake you (Deuteronomy 31 vs 8). If we experience troubles or difficulties, we must not conclude, however, that we have somehow missed God's protection. God's protection has far greater purposes than helping us avoid pain, it is to make us better servants for Him. He also protects us by guiding us through painful, and difficult circumstances, not only by helping us escape them. 

The secret of our stability is to be securely anchored in God. The Lord God is the beginning and the end. God the Father is the eternal Lord and Ruler of the past, present, and future. Without Him you have nothing that is eternal, nothing that can change your life, nothing that can save you from sin. He is not a man that He can change. Men change in reference to their desires, and even obedience to God. God does not change His commandments in order to comply with the behavior of men. He does not change in reference to His promises. God could have justly cast off His people because they broke the conditions of the covenant. But because He does not change, He maintained the covenant in order to preserve His people. 

Prayer: Abba Father, my trust is in You. Without You I am nothing, I have nothing, and can do nothing. The secret of my stability in my anchor in You. Give me the grace to be steadfast in my trust in You in all things, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!