GRACE IN OUR FAITH WALK!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY JANUARY 08, 2021.

SUBJECT : GRACE IN OUR FAITH WALK

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Memory verse: 

"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

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(Galatians 2 vs 16.

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READ: Galatians 3 vs 2 - 7:

3:2: This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 

3:3: Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?

3:4: Have you suffered so many things in vain - if indeed it was in vain?

3:5: Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 

3:6: Just as Abraham "believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness."

3:7: Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.

INTIMATION:

The Holy Spirit (the Spirit of grace) gives Christians great power to live for God. People still feel insecure in their faith because faith alone seems too easy. Some Christians want more than this. They want to live in a state of perpetual excitement. They still try to get closer to God by following rules. While certain Christian disciplines may help us grow, they must not take the place of the Holy Spirit in us or become ends in themselves. 

In the passage we read today, the apostle Paul is asking the Galatian believers, "Did you receive the Lord through your own works and efforts or by hearing the Gospel message and saying, 'I believe that?'" He further ask them, "Are you really so foolish and senseless and silly as to begin your new life by the Spirit and then try to reach perfection by depending on your own weak human flesh?"

Then finally, he concludes in asking them, "Does God supply your every need and work miracles among you because you keep the law perfectly or because you put your entire faith and trust in the message you heard?" The believers in Galatia received the Lord by faith, but were trying to perfect themselves by depending on their own flesh, trying to change themselves and their lives by human effort rather than by trusting in God, and His grace to live a changed life.

Now, effort has a place in the Christian life. It does have a part to play. But even then, anything done outside the grace of God will have no real lasting effect. The law is not bad in itself. Even the Scripture says, "The law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good" (Romans 7 vs 12). The law can make us acceptable to God. Yes, the law still has an important role to play in the life of a Christian. The law (1) guards us from sin by giving us standards for behavior; (2) convicts us of sin, leaving us the opportunity to ask for God's forgiveness; and (3) drives us to trust the sufficiency of Christ, because we can never keep the “Ten Commandments” perfectly. The law cannot possibly save us. But after we become Christians, it can guide us to live as God requires.

Are you struggling with changes that need to be made in your personality? Do you ever get frustrated and confused, trying to believe and have faith and confess and do all the right things to bring about change in yourself and your life, yet it never seems to happen? You wanted to change everything you saw wrong about yourself and life, but for some reason you just couldn't do it. 

Most believers will blame the devil. They will spend better part of their time binding and casting the devil away, instead of turning to the Lord for help. The Lord requires us to constantly turn to Him for help. Why? Because when we do anything apart from Him, we take the credit and glory that rightfully belonged to Him. For this reason He will frustrate any of our own efforts to do things outside of Him. Jesus said, "......For without Me, you can do nothing." (John 15 vs 5).

We are saved by grace (unmerited favor) from God, and only the grace we receive that empowers us to meet specific situations in life. In Luke 11 vs 2 - 4, Jesus thought His disciples how to pray, "Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one."

Our Lord's Prayer clearly shows three things; (1) God our giver, (2) our leader, (3) our deliverer. Our duty then is to ask so that we can receive. (See Matthew 7 vs 7 - 8). We are to the asking, and God Himself does the work. Therefore, turn to God in prayer, because only God could bring about changes that you desire in your life. But our duty is to ask in faith. Get your face before the Lord on a regular basis and say:

Prayer: Abba Father, I can't help myself. I come to You like a little child. I am totally helpless. I lay this whole situation before You, asking for Your grace. I don't deserve Your help, Father, but You are my only hope. Please do for me what I can't do for myself, in Jesus' Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

DEATH IS THE BEGINNING OF LIFE IN ETERNITY!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY JANUARY 07, 2021.

SUBJECT: DEATH IS THE BEGINNING OF LIFE IN ETERNITY! 

Memory verse: "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end." (Ecclesiastes 3 vs 11.)

READ: Ecclesiastes 12 vs 5:

Also they are afraid of height, and terrors in the way; when the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper is a burden, and desire fails. For man goes to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets.

INTIMATION:

You are created to live forever. Life on earth is not all there is. It is just the beginning of life, it is the preparation for the next. Death marks the beginning of life on the other side- in eternity. You will spend far more time on the other side of death than you will here. Earth is only a tryout for your life in eternity. It is a practice workout before the actual game. Death is not the end of you. It isn't your termination because you can't be terminated. Death is only a transition into eternity, and there are eternal consequences to everything you do on earth, leading to the part of the eternal divide you will forever live. For many death is is a darkened door at the end of their lives, a passageway to an unknown and feared destiny. But for God’s people, death is a bright doorway to a new and better life. 

Even though we know that everyone will eventually die, death always seems unnatural and unfair, even at a hundred and twenty years. The reason we feel we should live forever is that God wired our brains with that desire! (Ecclesiastes 3 vs 11.) One day your heart will stop pumping, and that marks the end of your body and your time on earth, but it will not be the end of you. Your earthly body is just a temporary residence for your real self—your spirit. At most, you are designed to live a hundred and twenty years on earth (Genesis 6 vs 3), but you will live forever in eternity. Your time on earth is but a small parenthesis to in eternal life. You are made to last forever. 

The plain truth is that while life on earth offers many chances, eternity offers only two: heaven or hell. Your relationship to God on earth will determine your relationship to Him in eternity. If you learn to love and trust God's Son, Jesus, accept His finished work on the cross for you, and confess Him as your Lord and Savior, you are given the legal right to be the child of God, heir of God, joint heir with His Son, and will spend the rest of eternity with Him. On the other hand, if you reject Him, reject His love, forgiveness, and salvation, thereby committing the only unforgivable sin, you will spend eternity away from God—in hell. 

There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, 'Your Will be done,' and those to whom God says, 'All right then, have it your way.' Tragically, many people will have to endure eternity without God because they chose to live without Him here on earth. When you fully comprehend that there is more to life than just here and now, and you realize that life is just preparation for eternity, you will start living in light of eternity, and that will color how you handle every relationship, task, and circumstance. Suddenly many activities, goals, and even problems that seemed so important will appear trivial, petty, and unworthy of your attention. 

The closer you live to God, the smaller everything else appears. Eternity focused life changes your value system. You use your time and money wisely. You place higher premium on relationships and character instead of fame or wealth or achievements or even fun. Your priorities are reordered. Keeping up with trends, fashions, and popular values just doesn't matter as much anymore. 

The Scripture in Philippians 3 vs 7 says, "But what things were gain to me, I have counted loss for Christ." The apostle Paul said he thought his past achievements were very important, but now considers them worthless when compared with what Christ has done for us. If our time here on earth is all there is to life, we would live as if there is no tomorrow. You could exploit life as much as you could, forget being good and ethical, and wouldn't have to worry about any consequences of your actions. You could indulge yourself in total self-centeredness because your actions would have no long-term repercussions. Unfortunately, life is beyond our days on this earth. Lead your life with eternity with God as your driving force.

Prayer: Abba Father, one thing I have desired of You, that I will seek after, that I may dwell in Your house forever. Show me the path of life that I will work, and gain eternity with you, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

DO YOU WANT TO SEE GREAT AND MIGHTY THINGS?

 Do You Want to See Great and Mighty Things? 

“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” Jeremiah 33:3 (KJV)

The child of God is an asset and a heritage of God. Hence, he or she should live in continual victory in this life. They should also live in the knowledge of God. Living in the knowledge of God means living in the Holy Scriptures (Hosea 4:6). The Bible is the library of God, containing the written and spoken Word of God. The written Word is not the same as the spoken Word of God; when you read the Bible and you see “And God said”, whatever God speaks with His mouth is the spoken Word; all other words are His written Word. In the Bible, there are other living things that spoke: Servants of God, kings, a donkey, false prophets, Satan, demons, etc. In the New Testament, there is a distinction between the words spoken by Jesus Christ and the words spoken by His disciples. The words of Jesus Christ are in red color and the other words spoken by different authors are in black color or any other color (Matthew 3:15). Let us have an educative mindset any time we take up our Bibles to read or study. Hallelujah! Dear beloved, do you want to see great and mighty things? Try calling on God, using His Word. Use His Word in faith and He will answer you (Mark 11:23). Abraham called on Him and He answered, Moses called on Him and He answered; likewise did Peter and Paul. Beloved, when you also call Him, He will also answer and show you deep things that will amaze you. Hallelujah! Keep calling on Him!

Prayer Point: Dear heavenly Father, thank You for enlightening me today. I call on You today. Please confirm Your Word and show me great and mighty things which I never knew about myself, family, business, etc. 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. 

WHAT HAS THE LORD SAID?

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 06, 2021.

SUBJECT: WHAT HAS THE LORD SAID?

Memory verse: "So David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue: for you shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.” (First Samuel 30 vs 8.)

READ: First Samuel 23 vs 1 - 5:

23:1: Then they told David, saying, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are robbing the threshing floors.”

23:2: Therefore David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go and smite these Philistines?” And the LORD said to David, “Go, and attack the Philistines, and save Keilah.”
23:3: But David's men said to him, “Look, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?”
23:4: Then David inquired of the LORD once again. And the LORD answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah. For I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.

23:5: And David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and fought with the Philistines, struck them with a mighty blow, and took away their livestock. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

INTIMATION:

What has the Lord said in that matter? What has He said in your situation? What has He said in that your endeavor? Such aforesaid questions are the anchor of a wise decision, and action. Inquiring from the Lord puts us on a safe drive to God ordained destination. It makes us triumphant in all our life’s endeavors. This truth is known from ancient times. God is the source of all truth. Whoever seeks the truth from Him will receive it and will be preserved from error. This is His promise. Knowledge of this led the faithful of ancient times to enter into communion with God when seeking the truth and the right ways. 

They inquired of God by means of human expedients, and were answered by Him through the same channel. They were well aware that the good spirit world in the service of God is the agent of His will, and that to consult the spirit beings of God's Kingdom is equivalent to inquiring of God Himself. They were equally well aware that there is such a thing as an evil spirit world, and their daily experience had taught them the possibility of communicating with this also.  

David was a classic example of a man who was extensively used to the practice of inquiring from God, and the results are known to all Bible scholars. David sought the Lord’s guidance before he took action. He listened to God’s directions and then proceeded accordingly. This is the way to go by all believers in God. This privilege is given to us by God Himself. He said, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33 vs 3.) 

David’s trust and confidence in God’s guidance among other things is unparalleled in the Scripture. David fought his battles the way God instructed him. In each instance he (1) asked if he should fight or not, (2) followed instructions carefully, and (3) gave God the glory. He never, at any point, tried helping God like King Saul. For Christians, we can err in our “battles” by ignoring these steps of David, and instead: (1) Do what we want without considering God’s will, (2) do things our way and ignore advice in the Bible or from other wise people, and (3) take the glory ourselves or give it to someone else without acknowledging the help we received from God. All these responses are sinful.

Wisdom demands that rather than trying to find God’s will after your action, or having to ask God to undo the results of our hasty decisions, we should take time to discern God’s will beforehand. We can hear Him speak through the counsel of others, His Word, and the leading of His Spirit in our hearts, as well as through circumstances. For instance, David knew he would become king (First Samuel 16 vs 13; 23 vs 17; 24 vs 20), and although the time seemed right when Saul was dead, but David still asked God if he should move back to Judah, the home territory of his tribe (Second Samuel 2 vs 1). Before moving ahead with what seems obvious, he first brought the matter to God, who alone knows the best timing. This should be the pattern of all believers in Christ.

Only those who put their whole faith in Him and who look up to Him for help, will God allow to inquire of Him.  But all those who hold communion with the evil one—the devil, and who look for help from the spirits of the abyss, God will reject.  It is not the half-hearted, not those who today turn to God and tomorrow to the devil, not those who today pray and devote tomorrow to wickedness, God will answer.  This was the truth in olden times, and it is still the truth today.  

Prayer: Abba Father, the end is known to You from the beginning. Endue me with Your excellent spirit that I may seek You, and Your counsel at all time, before any moves of mine, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

ARE YOU NEGLECTING YOUR ROLE?

 Are You Neglecting Your Role? 

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” Ephesians 6:10 (KJV).

There was one particular day I entered my room and was met by thick darkness. I was thinking of what to do till it donned on me that I had a switch on the wall. Upon turning on the switch, the whole room lit with exuberance. There was power flowing through the circuit, but without turning on the switch the power could not be accessed for light energy. This is the picture Apostle Paul is painting in the opening scripture. Dear beloved, the Holy Spirit is the power you need to accomplish any task, but until you cooperate with Him and play your role as a child of God, you will never be successful in your calling or any task you want to accomplish (Acts 1:8). Thus, being strong in the Lord, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, is our responsibility. Beloved, you can only be strong in the Lord when you abide in His Word, and His Word abides in you through meditation on the Word day and night (John 15:4–7). Second, make time to pray for yourself and intercede for others as well; praying in tongues is very critical in building yourself in Him (1 Corinthians 14:4). Be conscious to also fast in order to build up your spiritual senses. Then, finally, learn to fellowship with other believers in like faith to draw inspiration from them, because iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17). Beloved, allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you in what we have discussed, and you will always be strong to continually triumph in every good endeavor. Hallelujah! Glory to God!

Prayer Point: My loving and gracious Father, thank You for Your timely Word today. I’m ready to put all that You have said in Your Word to practice, in order to be strong to triumph in every good endeavor. Please lead me to help other brethren to also be strong in You after I have gained the strength in You 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. 

NEGATIVE EMOTION HINDERS ANSWER TO PRAYER!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY JANUARY 5, 2020.

SUBJECT: NEGATIVE EMOTION HINDERS ANSWER TO PRAYER!

Memory verse: "Then they will cry to the LORD, but He will not hear them; He will even hide His face from them at that time, because they have been evil in their deeds"(Micah 3 vs 4.)

READ: Isaiah 59 verses 1 - 2:

59:1: Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 

59:2: but your iniquities have separated you from your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.

INTIMATION:

As believers, we have heard that our confession is our possession—what we say is what we get. But there are times we can't get what we say. These are times when we bear loads of grudges, resentment, envy, hatred, anger, unforgiveness, and like emotions. The loads of such negative emotions are very heavy and costly to our relationship with God, because they are regarded as sin. The dictionary definition of sin is "a moral offense or shortcoming, especially from the point of view of religion." It is a rebellion against God's laws.  "Sin is a reproach to any people" (Proverbs 14 vs 34), as well as to God. 

Though we may have been dragged into such emotions by wrongdoing to us by another, but these negative emotions hurt us more than they hurt the one who has wronged us. This is because, if our faith is strong and our prayer is persistent, there is only one thing that can stand in the way of answered prayer, and it is sin which the aftermath of negative emotion. Jesus said in Mark 11 vs 25; "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses." Only in so doing that you receive what you ask in prayers. Heaviness of heart resulting from negative emotion is a hindrance to receiving answers on the altar of prayer.

In the passage we read today, the prophet Isaiah says that the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save, neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear when we call upon Him, but our iniquities have separated us from our God, and consequently, He hides His face from us, and refuses to listen to us nor hear our prayers. What a terrible condition for a Christian; being unable to talk to God! 

When we understand what our resentment does to us, we see how much better it is for us to allow our enemies to get away with their cruelty, rather than hold a grudge and cut ourselves off from God. The Bible tells us that vengeance is God's business, not ours: "Repay no evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath: for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine; I will repay,' says the Lord. Therefore “If your enemy is hungry feel Him; If He is thirsty, give him a drink; For in do doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12 vs 17 - 21.)

God takes vengeance on our enemies because He is just, and perfect in all His ways. Ours is to do good at all times, and have regard for good things in the sight of all men: The writer of Hebrews concord with the apostle Paul when he says; “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord, looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled” (Hebrews12 vs 14 - 15). 

However, an unforgiving spirit is so destructive that we are warned that when God does take vengeance on our enemies, we are not even to be happy that He did so: "Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; Lest the Lord see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him" (Proverbs 24 vs 17 - 18). 

Once you understand the destructiveness of "getting even," you will be able to ask God to keep you from resentment in all its forms. In Matthew 5 vs 39, Jesus commanded us thus; "But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also." Jesus is suggesting that our response to injustice should not be demanding our right, but to give it up freely! According to Him it is more important to give justice and mercy than to receive it.

Prayer: Abba Father, uproot any root of resentment, unforgiveness, and other negative emotions in my heart that separate me from You, and hinders answer to my prayer, that I may be found a worthy son, living at peace with all people and have regard for good things in the sight of all, in Jesus’ Name I prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

WHAT IS ETERNAL LIFE?

 What is Eternal Life? 

“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” John 17:3 (KJV)

Jesus Christ is the truth, and anyone who wants to know the truth should know Jesus Christ from the Holy Scriptures. He indeed made it clear what eternal life is: it is the knowledge of the true God. The question is, do you have the knowledge of the true God? There is only One God, He is called the Father, the Elohim, the Creator of heaven and earth (Genesis 1:1). There is no other way to know the true God without first knowing Jesus Christ of Nazareth because He is the knowledge of the Father (John 14:6). The Father is always looking for people who will appreciate the good work He has done in the person of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Therefore, anyone who does not have and worship Jesus Christ cannot have the eternal life of the Father. Dear reader, do you have Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? If you do, then you have eternal life. But if you don’t have Jesus Christ it is time to say these words, “Dear Jesus Christ, thank you for dying for my sins, I believe in you and accept you now as my Lord and Personal Savior. Come into my heart and make life meaningful to me, Amen.” If you sincerely said those words, believe that you are born again. You are welcome into the family of GOD. Buy a Holy Bible and ask God to lead you to a church that believes in the totality of the Holy Bible and the doctrines of Christ. Introduce yourself to the pastor of the church, and they will nurture you. Hallelujah! God bless you!

Prayer Point: My loving Father, thank You for making me Your child and a member of Your Kingdom. I pray for all souls under the sun who are not born again that You send someone to them to tell them about Jesus Christ and be saved. 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.