THE WORTH OF BELIEVERS TO GOD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY JANUARY 3, 2021.

SUBJECT: THE WORTH OF BELIEVERS TO GOD! 

Memory verse: "They shall be Mine, says the Lord of Hosts, On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him."

 (Malachi  3 vs 17.)

READ: First Peter 2 vs 9 - 10:

2:9: 

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

2:10: Who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

INTIMATION:

The love of the Father marked us out for the position of sons and daughters way back before the morning stars sang their first anthem, and we are made unto the praise of His glory. He planned that we should be holy without blemish before Him. He marked us out for the position of sons and daughters through Jesus Christ unto Himself; and we are the marked ones. We have been chosen by God as His very own, and His jewels, a special treasure to Him above all people, and we are to Him a kingdom of priests, as Christ has made us kings and priests to our God that we shall reign on the earth. 

He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ (Ephesians 1 vs 3). We are blessed. We are rich in Him. We have His fullness. We are sufficient in His sufficiency. All that He is, we have. We are what He says we are. And the Father has told us that we are in the Beloved. The Father sees us as His own righteousness in Christ Jesus. "And you are complete in Him," and this completeness is over and above all that we can ask or think or desire. We have been called to represent Him to others. We are united with Christ as members of His body, and we join in His priestly work of reconciling God and people. God has given us eternal life in Christ. Our eternal life with Christ is certain because we are united in His powerful victory. God’s incomparable great power is available to help us. 

Now, look at the conclusion of the whole matter as the apostle Paul says: “....We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor power, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8 vs 37 - 39.)

These verses contain one of the most comforting promises in all Scriptures. Believers have always had to face hardships in many forms: hardship, persecution, illness, imprisonment, and even death. These sometimes cause them to fear that they have been abandoned by Christ. But Paul exclaims that it is impossible to be separated from Christ. His death for us is proof of His unconquerable love. Nothing can separate us from Christ’s presence. God tells us how great His love is so that we will feel totally secure in Him. If we believe these overwhelming assurances, we will not be afraid.

Now you know your worth to God in Christ. You see your vast responsibility. You can pray for you now know how. Take your place in Christ. Dare to act your part. Dare to let God use you. Dare to let love reign in your life. Dare to be in your daily life what He says you are. Dare to do what He says you can do. Dare to confess that you are what He says you are. All is yours. Use them. As you act on the Word, the Word reacts in You; it builds up in you, and so you grow in Christ. We are partakers of His Nature, of His very substance and Being.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are awesome, merciful, and compassionate. In all the world there’s none like You. Your love for me is unparalleled and unfathomable. You have blessed me with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places, and made me partaker of Your divine nature. Forever You are my God and Father. I am persuaded that nothing will ever take away my love for You, in the mighty Name of Jesus’ I have prayed, Amen. 

PRAISE THE LORD!

A NEW WAY OF LIVING!

 A New Way of Living! 

“Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.” Ephesians 4:28 (KJV)

The Kingdom of heaven is truth and does not compromise on purity or holiness without which no one can see the LORD (Matthew 5:8). When the child of God claims he or she is born again, there must be an outward manifestation of the inner working of Christ Jesus. This is what the opening Scripture seeks to clarify. The gospel of Christ is living and powerful, and our life must show that we are truly born again (Romans 1:16). Thus, if you were a thief, don’t steal anymore but rather work with your hands on a good job. Engage yourself in activities that will give you income so that you can be a good giver to the needy and also to the things of God. Whatever sin or wrong you were committing before you became a child of God, live it behind you and ask for the grace to live a righteous life, and Jesus Christ will be right there to help you. Remember that the Holy Spirit is in you to give you all the support you need, so fellowship with Him through the Word of God, and He will guide and lead you. In the New Year of 2021, be determined to live a lifestyle that portrays Christ Jesus so that someone can look at your life and be converted. Hallelujah! Say to yourself, “It is possible for me to live a holy life.” Hallelujah! God bless you!

Prayer Point: Dear heavenly Father, thank You for making Your Word available to me today. Please guide and lead me to engage in a business that will make me profitable in Your Kingdom and be a blessing to the needy in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Were you blessed by today's message? Kindly go to the comment section and share your comments, and testimonies. Let's also know your challenges so that we can pray for you. 

FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY JANUARY 02, 2021.

SUBJECT: FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH!

Memory verse: "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." (First Timothy 6 vs 12.)

READ: Second Timothy 4 vs 6 -8:

4:6: For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.

4:7: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

4:8: Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge will give me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

INTIMATION:

Christianity is a religion that anchors on our faith in God the Father and Jesus Christ—His Son, and in what Jesus wrought for us in redemption—death on the cross for our sins and remission of the sins of those who believe in His substitutional work for us. It’s also faith in His resurrection from the dead for our hope in eternal life with Him. Our faith is exercised in our day to day lives as we commit to doing all the commandments of Jesus as the adequate response to what He did for us. Christianity is not a passive religion that advocates waiting for God to act while we watch. Your believe or faith must be active; training, working hard, sacrificing, and doing what is right. 

Christianity is a faithful calling by God into relationship with Him, and fellowship with His Son. He is calling you to come and walk with His Son, to live with Him, to carry on the Son's work in His absence. The obedience and discipline associated in this “calling” is hard work. But the beauty of the work is that you are not alone; an Helper—the Holy Spirit, has been freely given to us by God the Father and the Son to help us in the fight. To fight the good fight of faith is to allow faith do its work in you. It’s to contend perseveringly against opposition and temptations of your faith in God. 

The main elements of faith in its relation to the invisible God, as distinct from faith in man, are; (1) a firm conviction, producing a full acknowledgement of God’s revelation or truth; (2) a personal surrender to Him; (3) a conduct inspired by such surrender. In fighting a good fight of faith, all these elements are given prominence in the life of the believer.

As followers of Christ, our goal is to know Him, to be like Him, and to be all He has in mind for us. This goal should take all of our energies, and not let anything take our eyes off our goal. With the single-mindedness of an athlete in training, we must lay aside everything harmful and forsake anything that may distract us from being effective Christians. Therefore, we should give up whatever endangers our relationship with God, run with endurance, and engage the power of the Holy Spirit in our struggle against sin. 

As Christians, we are running toward our heavenly reward. The essential disciplines of prayer, Bible study, and worship equip us to run with vigor and stamina. To run effectively, we must keep our eye on Jesus. We will stumble if we look away from Him to stare at ourselves or at the circumstances surrounding us. The winning streak in our faith fight is self-discipline, and it requires an honest look at your strengths and weaknesses, with emphasis on the latter. It means building the will to say no when a powerful appetite inside you screams yes. For example, when you have self-discipline, you can (1) say no to friends or situations that will lead you away from Christ, and (2) say no to casual sex, saving intimacy for marriage. 

Self-discipline is a long, steady course in learning attitudes that do not come naturally, and requires our channeling natural appetites toward God’s purposes. We all have our weak points, and should pray for God’s help to redirect weaknesses into strength. We can lose our privilege of telling others about Christ in our self-disqualification by not living rightly. It is easy to tell others how to live then not to take our own advice. We must be careful to practice what we preach.

The Scripture, in Hebrews 12 vs 1 - 2, says, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” We have read in the Bible of many that fought the good fight of faith and prevailed, and even now we have so many great cloud of witnesses around us today. This simply tells us it is doable. To effectively run the race, we must not let anything deter us; life’s circumstances, worldly pressures, and pleasures. We must strip off the excess weight that slows us down. 

How can we do that? (1) Be God-focused, “looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” (2) Drop certain activities that are distractions to your heavenly race, choose friends who are also committed to the race. Wrong friends will have values and activities that may deter you from the course. Much of your own weight may result from the crowd you run with. Make wise choices. (3) Get help for addictions that disable you. For instance, if you have a secret weight such as photography, gambling, or alcohol, admit your need and get help today.

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with a warrior spirit to enable me fight the good fight of faith, drawing strength from the advocacy and intercession of the Holy Spirit, with my eyes focused on my final destination—eternity in heaven, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

THE BLESSEDNESS OF A GIVING ATTITUDE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY JANUARY 01, 2021.

SUBJECT : THE BLESSEDNESS OF A GIVING ATTITUDE!

Memory verse: "For If there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.” (Second Corinthians 8 vs 12.) 

READ: First Kings 17 vs 10 - 16:

17:10: So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.”

17:11: And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.”

17:12: So she said, “As the Lord Your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.”

17:13: And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. 

17:14: For thus says the Lord God of Israel; ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.

17:15: So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days.

17:16: The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah.

INTIMATION:

A giving attitude is more important than the amount given. The amount we give is not as important as why and how we give. God does not want us to give grudgingly. Instead, He wants us to give out of dedication to Christ, love for fellow believers, the joy of helping those in need, as well as the fact that it was simply the good and right thing to do. God is mindful of the willingness of the heart to give out of your resources. He knows our individual capacities because our blessings come from Him. Holding back much of your abundance reflects unrighteousness to God, and unbelief. However, the person who can give only a small out of his or her meager resources shouldn’t be embarrassed. God is concerned about the willingness to give from your resources.

People may hesitate to give generously to God because they worry about having enough money left over to meet their own needs. But God is able to meet our needs. The person who gives only a little will receive only a little in return. Don’t let a lack of faith keep you from giving cheerfully and generously. In the passage we read today, it was obvious that when the widow of Zarephath met Elijah, she thought she was preparing her last meal. But a simple act of faith from a willing heart, flowing from a giving attitude, produced a miracle— an overflow. She trusted Elijah and gave all she had to eat with her household to him. 

Also, consider the story of the giving of a poor widow In Mark 12 vs 41 - 44. Jesus’ remarks on the offering of a poor widow is quite revealing of God’s kingdom standard; “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had, her whole livelihood.” (Mark 12 vs 43 - 44,)

These widows, in faith, gave all they had to live on, from a willing heart, flowing from their giving attitude. They knew they were giving to the God that owns everything, and ‘is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that they ask or think.’ The widow of Zarephath, by her giving, provoked divine provisioning, such that she, the prophet and her household were fed all through the period of drought or famine. Even the widow’s son was raised up from death, after he fell seriously ill and died. The widow that gave the two mites got God’s approval because she gave extravagantly all that she had, while the rich amongst them were given big sums from their abundance. God saw her offering as the biggest. 

How you give reflects your devotion to Christ. You should give as a response to to Christ, not for anything you can get out of it. Your willingness to give enthusiastically is more important than the amount you give. When we consider giving a certain percentage of our income a great accomplishment, we resemble those who gave “out of their abundance.” Here Jesus was admiring generous and sacrificial giving. As believers, we should consider increasing our giving—whether of money, time, or talents—to a point beyond convenience or calculation. 

From the Scriptures, we see the benefits of giving to include: (1) It Provokes divine provision. (2) It provokes divine protection. (3) It provokes God’s approval, especially when you give sacrificially. (4) It ensures freedom from enslavement to our possessions. (5) It provides the joy of helping others. (6) It opens doors of more blessing by God, more than you can ask or think.

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of giving out of dedication to Christ, and give me the grace to willingly and generously give that I may obtain Your approval in my sacrifices and offerings, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

YOU ARE CALLED TO BLESS!

 You Are Called to Bless! 

“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” Ephesians 4:29 (KJV)

The child of God is called to bless the world. Any time God wants to bless His children, He does so through His Word. This same Word gave birth to the children of God; therefore, we are expected to only bless (1 Peter 1:23). Beloved, remember that you have been blessed in heavenly places so be conscious of this truth and always declare to yourself that you are blessed (Ephesians 1:3). Now that you are blessed, it must show in your communication that you are blessed. Therefore, watch the words that proceed out of your mouth carefully to make sure your hearers or audience are encouraged and built up in the Lord. Remember that any corrupt or foul words that you release do not hurt only your hearers or audience, but they come back to haunt you. No wonder the Word of God says we will reap what we sow. Thus, if we sow good words in the lives of people by always blessing them, they create an atmosphere of blessings for us and we will continually reap blessings wherever we find ourselves (Galatians 6:7–8). Beloved, if you don’t know how to bless people, search the Word of God and meditate on scriptures that pronounce blessings, or talk about blessings as in Psalm 20:1–5; your heart and mouth will be filled with words of blessings. Hallelujah! Keep blessing people!

Prayer Point: My holy and righteous Father, thank You for teaching me how to communicate well and be a blessing to my hearers or audience. Please lead me to find scriptures that pronounce blessings and I will meditate on them, filling my heart and mouth with words of blessings to keep blessing people in my sphere of contact, thereby walking in countless blessings myself in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Were you blessed by today's message? Kindly go to the comment section and share your comments, and testimonies. Let's also know your challenges so that we can pray for you. 

You are welcomed to the year 2021 the year of exploits for God's children. Daniel11:32!

FOLLOW HIS. ORDER AND COMFORT IS GUARANTEED

 Follow His Order and Comfort Is Guaranteed! 

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33 (KJV)

The Most High is a God of order. This can be seen from how He created heaven and earth and everything therein. After creating the earth, He spent six days creating and filling it up with all the things that He liked (Genesis 1:31). Everything was orderly arranged to make it beautiful. Dear beloved, if you are mindful of following the order He has set in His Word, you will have a comfortable life. There is an order in the opening scripture; seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all other things shall be added to you. God is the great King and a Spirit. Because He is a Spirit and cannot be seen with the physical eyes, He has made Himself available in the person of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Colossians 2:9). Thus, it is easy to seek His Kingdom and His righteousness, by believing in Jesus Christ and accepting Him as Lord and personal Savior. Beloved, seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness is not a one-day event, it is a lifelong journey of fellowship with God and our Lord Jesus Christ. If you have Jesus Christ in you and you follow Him and fellowship with Him through the Holy Scriptures – and the Holy Spirit He has deposited in you – He will provide for you. He is indeed the great Shepherd who takes good care of His sheep (John 10:11). When Peter gave heed to His Word, he made such a great catch of fish that his net was breaking (Luke 5:4–6). Beloved, keep your gaze on Jesus Christ even in the midst of the pressures of this world of materialism, power, fame, and pleasure, and He will never disappoint you. Hallelujah! Be an overcomer!

Prayer Point: My loving Father, I love Your Word so much more than my physical food. I will continually seek You and Your righteousness, and I believe You will add the other things such as a good job, business, family, marriage, etc. to my life in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Were you blessed by today's message? Kindly go to the comment section and share your comments, and testimonies. Let's also know your challenges so that we can pray for you. 

HOW DO YOU SEE YOURSELF?

 

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY DECEMBER 31, 2020.

SUBJECT: HOW DO YOU SEE YOURSELF?

Memory verse: "Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, For we are well able to overcome it.” (Numbers 13 vs 30.) 

READ: Numbers 13 vs 1 - 2, 25 - 28, 30 - 33:

13:1: And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

13:2: “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader among them.”

13:25: And they returned from spying out the land after forty days.

13:26: Now they departed and came back to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel in the wilderness congregation in the Wilderness of Paran at Kadesh; they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land.

13:27: Then they told him, and said: “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.

13:28: Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there.

13:30: Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, For we are well able to overcome it.”

13:31: But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.”

13:32: And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature.

13:33: There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

INTIMATION:

How do you see yourself, as a grasshopper or as a mighty warrior of God? Is yours an evil report or a good report? Are you in self-doubt, or self-pity of yourself? Do you know that you are fearfully and wonderfully made by your Creator? (Psalm 139 vs 14.) Do you realize that you are made in His image and after His likeness? (Genesis 1 vs 26.) God’s character goes into the creation of every person. When you feel worthless or even begin to hate yourself, remember that God’s Spirit is ready and willing to work within you. We should have as much respect for ourselves as our Maker has for us.

God can give the courage and confidence you need to be a winner. But you have to be in agreement with His plan for your life. You have to quit seeing yourself as just the opposite of what he says you are. You must learn to change your self-image. Not only must you learn to see yourself differently, but also to carry yourself differently. 

Don't let the devil fill your head with thoughts of unworthiness. Remember: thoughts are seeds. Your spirit can only produce for you what you sow and nurture within your own mind and heart. Every thought you allow to enter and take root in your innermost being will begin to grow and produce fruit after its kind. That is why you need to learn to replace negative thoughts and words with positive ones. You need to stop seeing yourself as an unworthy sinner and begin to see yourself as the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. (First Corinthians 1 vs 30; Second Corinthians 5 vs 21).

In the passage we read today, we observed that when the Children of Israel drew near to their destination—the Promised Land, the Lord instructed Moses to choose twelve men, one from each tribe, and send them on a scouting expedition into the land of Canaan. When they returned, all twelve of them agreed that the land was fruitful and productive, that it was a land flowing with milk and honey. But when it came to deciding a course of action, ten of the twelve gave "an evil report," while only two of them, Joshua and Caleb, gave a good report. The reason the ten gave an evil report is because they were afraid. The problem was that they were looking at the situation in the natural, through the eyes of the flesh, while Caleb and Joshua were looking at it in the spiritual, through the eyes of the Lord.

The land has already been given to them by the Lord for their possession (Numbers 33 vs 53). It is only left for them to go and take it, even if it means a battle, because they are aware the God has already given the land, and the battle is His. The ten said of the inhabitants of the land and of themselves: There we saw giants, and we were, in our own sight, like grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. 

When the Lord sets before you a new opportunity, do you fearfully moan, "I can't overcome the giants in the land," or do you boldly declare, "I'm going up right away, because I'm well able to take it?" Ten of the Israelites saw the giants, but two saw God! Keep your eyes on God. You plus God is enough in any situation. Never look at circumstances, but rather look up to the One that controls the circumstances!

Prayer: Abba Father, You skillfully wrought me in the lowest part of the earth. I am made in Your image and after Your likeness, and marvelous are Your works. Blot out of me any thoughts of evil report, and self-doubt, for I can do all things through You that strengthens me, in Jesus’ matchless Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!