THE DANGER OF SENSE KNOWLEDGE FAITH!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY JANUARY 11, 2021.

SUBJECT : THE DANGER OF SENSE KNOWLEDGE FAITH!

Memory verse: "Therefore they said to Him, 'What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will you do?" (John 6 vs 30.)

READ: John 20 vs 24 - 29: 

20:24: Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 

20:25: The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them,  “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

20:26: And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!”

20:27: Then He said To Thomas, “Reach your fingers here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. do not be unbelieving, but believing.”

20:28: And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”

20:29: Jesus said to him, 'Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet they believed."

INTIMATION:

One of the greatest dangers that we face as believers is sense knowledge faith. Until we see or feel we are not convinced. That is no faith. They only walk by sight, and not by faith (Second Corinthians 5 vs 7). God our Creator knows how humans are ruled by their senses, and in His great grace came down into the realm of the senses in the person of Christ to associate with us. Christ was offered as a sacrifice in the full glare of the people, therefore, they saw Him die on the cross, buried, and on the third day rose from the dead, and appeared among the disciples; let them see Him, hear Him, and feel Him, to satisfy their sense knowledge. 

God allowed the early believers to see signs and wonders because they were babes, just newborn in the Christendom. They new nothing of the finished work of Christ. None of them believed or knew about His substitutionary work until the revelation was given to the apostle Paul. God works through the inspired written testimonies of those who actually experienced the life and resurrection of Jesus. He has set forth these testimonies in written form in order to produce faith (John 6 vs 30 - 31). It is this record of His miraculous manifestations in history (the Bible) that must be consulted in order to grow in faith (Romans 10 vs 17). 

So many people in the world today will hardly believe anything until they see the proof of that thing. Even in the Christendom many are in this category. These are the believers ruled by their sense knowledge. Until they see signs and wonders and miracles, they will not believe. Such people hardly have divine encounters because of their unbelief. The Scripture says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11 vs 1). God demands that we accept His Word as it is, the very Word of God; and that we act upon it, independent of any feelings or any evidence that the eyes can see or the ears hear or hands can touch or mouth can taste or nose can smell. 

Christians are not empirically directed. Guidance by the sense will never take one beyond the limits of the material world. Only through faith can one escape the confines of this world in order to be directed in life by that which is beyond this world. We have many today that cannot believe beyond what their senses register, and are denied the blessedness of believing without seeing. Thomas was a sense knowledge believer. He had to see in order to believe. His senses had to be satisfied. But remember the word of Jesus to Thomas; “Do not be unbelieving, but believing," and “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Remember, "All things are possible to him who believes." ( Mark 9 vs 23.)

Prayer: Abba Father, Your Word is forever settled in heaven. My complete faith in You and Your Word, and my complete trust is in all Your has declared, and no lies from the pit of hell can take this away from me, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

IT IS GOOD TO BE RIGHTEOUS!

 It Is Good to Be Righteous! 

“For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.” Psalms 5:12 (KJV)

To be righteous according to God’s standard is imitating God. It simply means loving what God loves, doing what God does, and hating what God hates. God loves His Son, Jesus Christ, and He loves human beings. God loves doing good, and God hates sin of all kinds (1 John 2:16). The Holy Scriptures say how God anointed Jesus Christ of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, and He went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil (Acts 10:38). As a child of God if you claim you are anointed by God and you are not doing good, then your anointing is questionable. The children of God who are doing good position themselves for blessings, and God showers them with favor round-about like a shield. Whatever they do is blessed and favored. Hallelujah! Dear beloved, do you want to be blessed and favored? If your answer is yes, then it's time to live a righteous life. Love people and be kind and gracious to them. Remember that some might hurt you along the way, but that shouldn’t stop you from being nice to people. You need to always ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen you and lead you in the quest for doing good. He will comfort you in difficult times so that you don’t compromise and find yourself living in sin. Even if you sin, repent and ask for His forgiveness and He will forgive you and give you the grace to continue in well-doing. Remember that righteous living is filled with countless blessings and favor. Hallelujah! You are an overcomer!

Prayer Point: My heavenly Father, I’m thankful for Your having made me righteous through Jesus Christ. I’m determined to live a righteous life. Please lead me to love people and be kind to them even in difficult times 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. 

DO YOU KNOW YOUR SEASON AND TIME?

 Do You Know Your Season and Time? 

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” Ecclesiastes 3:1 (KJV)

Knowing your season and time is the beginning of preparing yourself to fulfill them. God is the creator of time and season: back in Genesis chapter 1:4-5,14-19, God created day and night, the sun and the moon, to determine time and season. Mankind has been programmed to work with time and season: time to be born, time to grow to adulthood, time to work, time to retire from work, time to marry, etc. Every purpose or plan is time-bound or programmed according to time (Galatians 4:4–5). What God expects from His children is to know the time and the season of their lives so that they don’t miss any of them. If you miss your time and season it will take quite a while to get them back. It takes prayer, fellowship with the Spirit, careful study of the Bible, the exercise of faith, love, and diligence to discern the time and season of our lives. That is the more reason why we should desist from wasting time and use our time judiciously. If you use time judiciously and wisely, you will always find enough time to make your purposes or plans effective. Hallelujah! Dear beloved, are you a time waster or time saver? It is said that procrastinating is the thief of time, so let us plan our time each day and work within time. Some Christians have missed their time for marriage or entering into a particular job that is age bound because they were not discerning enough. Let us be like the children of Issachar to discern our time and season and fulfill them to the glory of God (1 Chronicles 12:32). Hallelujah! Be an overcomer!

Prayer Point: My gracious Father, I’m so grateful for coming into contact with Your Word. Please give me the spirit of discernment to know my time and season and to fulfill every one of them. Let me be time conscious and use time judiciously 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. 

CARNAL MIND VERSUS SPIRITUAL MIND!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY JANUARY 10, 2021.

SUBJECT: CARNAL MIND VERSUS SPIRITUAL MIND!

Memory verse: "For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." (Romans 8 vs 6.) 

READ:  Read Romans 8 vs 12 - 14; Galatians 5 vs 16 - 18:

Romans 8:12: Therefore, brethren, we are debtors - not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.

8:13: For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

8:14: For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

Galatians 5:16: I say then. Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

5:17: For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

5:18: But If You are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

INTIMATION:

The apostle Paul notes in our memory verse that there are two minds—the mind of the flesh, and the mind of the Spirit. That does not mean you and I have two brains, it simply means that we receive information from our natural mind (which operates without the Holy Spirit), and we get information from our spirit (through which the Holy Spirit communicates directly to us). The mind of the flesh, which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit, is death, that is death that comprises all the miseries arising from sin, both here and hereafter. But the mind of the Holy Spirit is life and peace, both now and forever.

In the passages we read today, the believers are not to be led by the carnal mind, but by the Holy Spirit Who indwells the (Romans 8 vs 14; Galatians 5 vs 18). The Holy Spirit is the only One who knows the mind of God, and is the revealer of the truth (John 16 vs 13). If your desire is to have the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5 vs 22 - 23), then you know that the Holy Spirit is leading you. In First Corinthians 2 vs 16, the Bible says, 

"For who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.” This Scripture tells us that because the Holy Spirit lives in us, you and I have the mind of Christ. The problem is that, although we have the mind of Christ and know the Word of God, we don't listen to our spirit which is being enlightened by the Holy Spirit. Instead, we listen to our natural mind, which relies strictly on sense and reason without the Holy Spirit.

In every situation of life, our head will be trying to give us information. It will be yelling at us so loudly that if we don't turn our attention to our spirit, we will never hear what the Lord is saying to us in that situation. That is why we must learn to live out of our spirit and not of our head. It’s noteworthy that evil spirits constantly bombard us with negative thoughts. If we receive them and dwell on them, they become ours because the Bible says that as we think in our heart, so are we (Proverbs 23 vs 7). If we accept the lies of the devil as reality, then they will become reality to us because of our belief in them. Use the Bible to discover God’s guidelines, and then follow them. 

That is why in moments of worry, stress and turmoil we have to simply take the time to turn to our inner man, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, and say, "Lord, what do You have to say about this?" If we listen in faith, He will speak to us and reveal to us the truth of that situation. You and I have two huge vats of information within us. One is carnal information that comes off the top of our head. The other is spiritual information which wells up out of our heart. One is muddy. polluted water, and the other is clean drinking water. It is up to us to decide which source we are going to drink from.

Some people try to drink from both sources. That's what the Bible calls being double-minded. (James 1 vs 8.) Do you know what it means to be double-minded? It means that your mind is trying to tell you one thing, and your spirit is trying to tell you just the opposite. Instead of saying, "I'm not going to believe that which comes from my head—the mind of the flesh—because it's a lie," you get in a cross-fire, going back and forth between the two thoughts. If we are destined to live the happy, victorious and successful Christian life the Lord wills for us, if we are going to have to decide which fountain of information we are going to drink from, we are going to have to learn to live out of our spirit and not out of our head—our fleshy mind.

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit. He is my Senior Partner, and daily I hand over my thoughts, words, and actions to Him for His leading. Endue me with the spirit of discernment, to know the prompting of the Holy Spirit, that I will follow His leading, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

LET YOUR LIFE COMMUNICATE YOUR FAITH!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY JANUARY 09, 2021.

SUBJECT: LET YOUR LIFE COMMUNICATE YOUR FAITH!

Memory verse: "Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel," (Philippians 1 vs 27.)

READ: Philippians 1 vs 12 - 14:

1:12: But I want you to know brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel,

1:13: so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ;

1:14: and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

INTIMATION:

Let the conduct of your life communicate your faith as a Christian, showing others the strength of your commitment to serving God, and living for Him. God has chosen us to be Christ’s representatives on earth. Therefore, we should live our lives worthy of the calling we have received—the awesome privilege of being called Christ’s very own. People are watching your life. Can they see Christ in you? How well are you doing as His representative?

The communication of your life should reflect your faith, and growth stage in life. For instance, If you are a parent, and a Christian, part of your mission is to raise your children to know Christ, to help them understand His purposes for their lives, and to send them out on their mission in the world. You may take a cue from Joshua who said, "As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24 vs 15.) 

It is obvious that our lives must support and validate the message we communicate. Before most unbelievers will accept the Bible as credible they want to know that the Christians are credible. This is why the Bible, in our memory verse, says, "Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ...." Be sure that you live in a way that brings honor to the Christ and His Good News. It is not enough to hear or read the Word of God or even know it well. We must put it into practice. 

How easy it is to listen to a sermon and forget what the preacher said. How easy it is to read the Bible and not think about how to live differently. How easy it is to debate what a passage means and not live out that meaning. Exposure to God's Word is not enough, it must lead to obedience. It is your obedience to the Word that the unbelievers look out for before accepting your message of the Good News.

The apostle Paul was in prison in Rome when he wrote his epistles to the churches in various locations. For many people, being imprisoned would cause them to be bitter, discouraged, and give up, but Paul saw it as one more opportunity to spread the Good News of Christ. Even in prison, he was fearlessly speaking for Christ. He became an encouragement to many Christian then who were afraid of persecution.

For Christians today, we may not be in prison, but we still face many circumstances that can lead to discouragement—times of indecision, financial burdens, loss of our jobs, various forms of hardships, family conflicts, church conflict etc. How our acts in such situations will reflect what we believe, and communicate to others, especially the unbelievers. We should become an encouragement by the way we live. When we live faithfully for Him during difficult situations, we encourage others to do same.

We should live in such a way that we are a credit to the Message of Christ. The apostle Paul’s life has always communicated exceeding faith in Christ to many. His utmost desire is for Christ to be magnified in his body, whether by life or death. He summarized his faith by saying, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1 vs 21.) Whether he lived or died, he wanted Christ exalted in his conducts. 

To those who don’t believe in God, life on earth is all there is, and so it is natural for them to strive for this world’s values: money, popularity, power, pleasure, and prestige. For the apostle Paul, however, to live meant to develop eternal values and to tell others about Christ. His purpose in life was to speak out boldly for Christ and to become like Him. And this should be the core of believers’ conduct.

Prayer: Abba Father, let my words and actions be the exact expression of my faith in Christ, and the selling point to unbelievers. Give me the grace to live in accordance with this desire of exhibiting at all times absolute obedience and trust in You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

DOES THE LORD FORSAKE HIS CHILDREN?

 Does the LORD Forsake His Children? 

 “For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.” Isaiah 54:7 (KJV)

In the Old Testament or Covenant, it was possible for God to forsake His children for a brief period of time. He forsook them when they sinned against Him, after He had on countless occasions warned them to desist from sins (Daniel 1:1-2). He hates the sin of spiritual adultery—the sin of serving other gods in addition to Him. He is a Jealous God (Exodus 34:14). On the other hand, in the New Testament or Covenant it is not possible for the LORD to forsake His children (Hebrews 13:5). This is the dispensation of grace where He has decided not to leave or forsake His children, simply because His great mercies in the dispensation of grace are much more than the dispensation of the Law and the Prophets. This, however, does not give us the freedom or liberty to commit the sin of adultery in our worship but rather use our liberty to please and work zealously for Him. Hallelujah! Dear beloved, are you serving other gods in addition to Elohim? Anything that takes the first place of God in our lives is an idol; it could be a cell phone, money, pleasure, spouse, job, etc. Thus, we shouldn’t allow anything to take away our commitment, devotion, and attention from God. Beloved, let’s take advantage of God’s great mercies to please Him, enhance our intimate relationship with Him, and be blessed. Hallelujah! Be an overcomer!

Prayer Point: Dear heavenly Father, I’m delighted to hear that You cannot leave me nor forsake me. I take advantage of this privilege to always give You the first place in my life. Please help me please You and have a deeper intimacy with You and be a blessing to many lives in Jesus’ name. Amen!

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DO YOU WANT TO BE ESTABLISHED?

 Do You Want to Be Established? 

“Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.” Proverbs 16:3 (KJV)

As children of God, our works and our thoughts should coincide, meaning our thoughts should work hand in hand with our actions. For this to happen, we must commit our works or plans into the LORD’s hands in prayer, and He will give us the right thoughts or directions as to how to achieve our works or plans (Proverbs 3:5–6). This is the only way to ensure that your thoughts are in sync with your actions. Dear beloved, do you want to be established? If you don’t commit your works or plans into His hands in prayer, you will not achieve them because you would have put pride in your heart, thinking that God is not necessary to achieve them. This will lead to failure. Jesus Christ wants to be part of every decision we make so that He can take His rightful place in our lives as our Lord and Savior. That is why He gave us the Holy Spirit to abide with us forever (John 14:16). Therefore, let us involve the Holy Spirit in our thoughts, decisions, choices, and every action or work we do, and we shall succeed. Remember that success starts with having the right thoughts (Philippians 4:8). Thus, involve Him in everything you want to do, and He will lead you to always win. Hallelujah! Glory to God!

Prayer Point: My loving Father, thank You so much for making Your Word available to me. I meditate on it day and night. Please guide and lead me to make the right decisions, choose right, and take the right actions in order to be established and always win 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.