DON'T ALLOW FEAR IN YOUR LIFE!

 Don’t Allow Fear in Your Life! 

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.” Psalms 46:1-3 (KJV)

The born again Christian should not allow fear in his or her life. The only fear we are to entertain is the godly fear of God (Proverbs 1:7). Fear causes anxiety, timidity, weakness, disease, sickness, laziness, and reluctance, and it can even kill. The opening Scripture says we should not fear even if the earth is removed, the mountains are relocated into the sea, the waters become upset and troubled, and though the mountains shake and quake. Why must we not fear in the midst of these terrible natural disasters? The reason is that God is our refuge and strength; He is a very present help in trouble. Hallelujah! How wonderful to hear that God is the creator of these natural elements and therefore has solutions to their boisterousness (Genesis 1:1). He knows how to protect us from the opposing elements of life so that we can live a life of peace and prosperity. Praise the Lord! Dear beloved, are you still entertaining fear in your life? Remember that God has not given you the spirit of fear but has given you the spirit of power, love, and sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). After knowing the negative impact of fear on life, it is time to take steps to subdue it. Anytime you feel fear, rebuke it and cast it out in the name of Jesus Christ, and it will vanish. Let fear know that you are in charge. Just as Jesus Christ spoke to the raging storm, command every storm in your life to be calm and it will obey you (Mark 4:39). Hallelujah Glory to God!

Prayer Point: My dear Father, thank You for educating me about fear. I rebuke every fear and storm in my life in the name of Jesus. I take charge and dominate every event in my life and bring it to subjection to the name of Jesus Christ. Amen!

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LIVING A HOLY LIFE BY GRACE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 13, 2021.

SUBJECT: LIVING A HOLY LIFE BY GRACE! 

Memory verse: "But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct," (First Peter I vs 15.) 

READ: Leviticus 11 vs 44 - 45; First Peter 1 vs 13 - 16:

Leviticus 11:44: For I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. 

11::45: For I am the LORD who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

First Peter 1:13: Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

1:14: As obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;

1:15: But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,

1:16: because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

INTIMATION:

What is holiness? Holiness means being devoted or dedicated to God, set aside for His special use, and set apart from sin and its influence. It is a separation that should result in "conduct befitting those so separated." One must bind up all unholy thought and behavior in order to run the Christian race. Christians must discipline their lives and lay aside sin. They must exercise self-restraint, giving great thought to what he will do carefully and sensibly. Holiness is the characteristics or nature of God especially the third person of the "Trinity."  God wants His people to be holy (set apart, different, unique), just as He is holy. God knows we have only two options: to be separate and holy, or to compromise with the world’s wickedness, even as we rub shoulders with unbelievers every day. 

Grace has been defined as undeserved (unmerited) favor. That is one aspect of grace, probably the one that we are most accustomed to hearing about, and it is wonderful. But we have also seen that grace is much more than that. Grace is power—the power of the Holy Spirit—in our lives that helps us overcome our own evil tendencies. It is the power of God available to meet our needs without cost to us. There is nothing more powerful than grace, and it is received by believing rather than through human effort.

It is no easy task to be holy in an unholy world, but God doesn’t ask us to accomplish this on our own. He has provided help. Through the death of His Son, He will “present us holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight” (Colossians 1 vs 22). With Christ we can live in the world without having to be of the world. In accordance with part of the Scripture we read today in First Peter, we are to be motivated by what Christ had wrought for us in redemption, and with His imminent return, we should be mentally alert, disciplined, and focused our hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 

The apostle Paul counsels us in Romans 12 vs 2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but he transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect Will of God.” The good, acceptable and perfect Will of God is that we shall be holy. He wants us to be holy in everything we do. All parts of our lives and character should be in the process of becoming conformed, both inwardly and outwardly, to God’s standard. 

After people commit their lives to Christ, they sometimes still feel a pull back to their old ways. We’re to be set apart and different by the renewing of our mind, not blending in with the crowd, yet not being different just for the sake of being different. It is God’s qualities in our lives that make us different. Our focus and priorities must be His. This is in direct contrast to our old ways. We cannot become holy on our own, but God gives us His Holy Spirit (our Helper) to help us obey and to give us power to overcome sin. 

But while God wants us to be holy, He realizes our weakness and inability. He knows that without help we can never be what He desires for us to be or do what He wants us to do. That is why He has sent His Spirit (the Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby, Empowerer, and Encourager) to help us to fulfill His design and purpose for us. Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us, and the Holy Spirit has been sent to prepare us for that place. That is not a Scripture, but it is scriptural; that is a truth based on the Word of God. Rely on God’s power to free you from sin’s grip. 

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You ever merciful and faithful God for the gift of Holy Spirit, my Helper. I hand over daily my thoughts, words, and actions to my Helper, that I may, by His leading, live according to Your precept, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

DO YOU HAVE AN ANSWER FOR HIS QUESTION?

 Do You Have an Answer for His Question? 

“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?” Jeremiah 32:27 (KJV)

The Most High God has a wonderful voice. This voice is so powerful that it can break the cedar of Lebanon and make the deer give birth (Psalm 29:4–9). He has been speaking to His children every day through the Holy Scriptures. Remember that any voice that is not in line with the Holy Scriptures is not the voice of God. His Spirit in us is the voice He uses to speak to us by a still small voice (1 Kings 19:12). His Word came to the prophet Jeremiah, and in the midst of His Word to Jeremiah, He asked a question. Dear beloved, if you were asked the question in the opening scripture, what would have been your answer? Perhaps you are going through many challenges or afflictions, and you keep asking God questions about them; sometimes thinking that God has abandoned you. Beloved, let not your answer to God’s question create the impression that God is not aware of your challenges or that He has abandoned you. Indeed, there is nothing too hard for God to do because with Him all things are possible. Let your answer be, “Oh my God, I trust You can do all things. If You created heaven and earth and everything therein, then my challenges or afflictions are too small for You to handle.” If this is your answer, then you have activated faith and God will come through for you. Never stop believing God for who He is and what He can do, and He will reward your faith (Hebrews 11:6). Hallelujah! Glory to the Highest!

Prayer Point: My gracious Father, You are a great and awesome God. I believe Your Word, and trust that You can do all things. I will never question Your ability to help me but keep praising You for Your goodness in my life, even in times of difficulty, and I believe You will see me through to embrace my miracle 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. 

THE GIVING HABIT!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY JANUARY 12, 2021.

SUBJECT: THE GIVING HABIT!

Memory verse: "The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself." (Proverbs 11 vs 25.)

READ: Second Corinthians 9 vs 6 - 11:

9:6: But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

9:7: So let each one give as He purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

9:8: And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

9:9: As it is written: “He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.”

9:10: Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruit of your righteousness.

9:11: while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.

INTIMATION:

The giving habit is a grace in response to God’s saving grace in our lives. Giving is, therefore, after the manner by which God extended grace toward us. It is the testing of our love, not only for God, but also for others. The giving habit remains a great grace anyone an receive from God. It produces inward joy and spiritual growth. God Himself practices this great habit;: “For God so loved the world He gave....” (John 3 vs 16). He gave the greatest gift that can ever be given, out of His love for you and I. You are familiar with the generosity of our Master, Jesus Christ, rich as He is, He gave it all away for us; in one stroke He became poor and we became rich. (Second Corinthians 8 vs 9.)

Believers know the import of that great gift to us all, and the glory the devotion brought to Christ: “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him given Him a name which above every name” (Philippians 2 vs 9). In the same vein, your giving habit is counted for you as righteousness that endures forever (Second Corinthians 9 vs 9). Consequently, God is more than extravagant with you, and can pour on you His grace in astonishing ways that you have all sufficiency in everything, and is ready for anything and everything. This increases the fruit of your righteousness, and God ensures that you are enriched in everything for all generosity, and your beneficiaries will be praying, and giving thanks to God for you. 

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. A giving habit is more important than the amount given. The person who can give only a small gift, according to his or her ability, shouldn’t be embarrassed. God is concerned about how a person gives from his or her resources (See Mark 12 vs 41 - 44). Your having difficulty in letting go of your possessions reflects ungratefulness to God.

What then do we gain by giving?: Freedom from enslavement to our possessions, the joy of helping others, increase in your fruit of righteousness, sufficiency in all things, enduring God’s supply of your needs, prayers and thanksgiving to God for you, and God’s approval. Also, giving helps us gain a right perspective on our possessions. We realize they were never really ours to begin with, but were given to us by God for His use and to help others. People may hesitate to give generously because they worry about having enough money left over to meet their own needs. Contrary to the world’s expectation, we become richer by being generous. God blesses those who give freely of their possessions, time, and energy. 

 

When we invest what God has given to us in His work, He will provide us with even more to give in His service. A stingy Christian should be an extinct specie. Generosity proves that a person’s heart has been cleansed of self-interest and filled with the servant-spirit of Jesus Himself. That is why acts of generosity result in God being praised. It’s God who provides the seed of righteousness in our hearts from which our giving abound to others. We thus give because He first gave to us. The result of the righteousness of God in our hearts is that it produces the fruit of righteousness in the lives of others. In other words, the result of the justification of the Christian by the grace of God is that Christians freely give to help others (Hebrews 10 vs 12). 

Most believers would not want growth in faith, knowledge, or love to stop at a certain level. Yet many decide a fixed percentage of their money to give and stay there for life. True discipleship includes growing in the mature use of all resources, so giving should expand as well. God can give you the desire and enable you to increase your capacity to give. Don’t miss this opportunity for growth. 

Prayer: Abba Father, You remain the greatest Giver ever. You have given me the same spirit that was in Christ, that I may give my service to You and others in love. Engrace me to fully manifest the giving habit, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

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.