GOD’S PURPOSE IS IN THE VICISSITUDES OF LIFE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY JANUARY 24, 2021.

SUBJECT: GOD’S PURPOSE IS IN THE VICISSITUDES OF LIFE! 

Memory verse: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called to His purpose." (Romans 8 vs 28.)

READ: Genesis 45 vs 5; 7 - 8; 50 vs 20:
45:5: But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.

45:7: And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and save your lives by a great deliverance. 

45:8: So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and Lord of all his house, and ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

50:20: But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

INTIMATION:
God customizes some of our problems so that we can fulfill the purpose for which we are created. They are stepping stones, and ordained platform en route to our divine destiny. The vicissitudes of life we encounter are part of His plans for our journey in life to achieve His purpose. The cross you carry was tailor-made by the carpenter's Son. Therefore, when you encounter them, as a child of God, do not be dismayed, for He is still with you. If you are obedient, even to the end, you will eat the fruit of the land, and you will obtain the crown of life—eternal life with Him.

Perhaps no other account in all of Scriptures illustrates the strange vicissitudes of life more vividly than the biography of Joseph (The Dreamer). Joseph was was the eleventh, and the favorite son of Jacob, one of the patriarchs of Israelite history. Though Joseph was loved by his father, he was hated by his brothers because of his favored status. In Egypt he became 

a favorite servant in Potiphar's house, a favorite prisoner to the warden and other prisoners, a favorite interpreter of dreams, and a favorite lieutenant to King Pharaoh. And after many years, he became the favorite even to his ten brothers who were envious of him.

Joseph stoked his brothers' hatred by telling them of dreams he had—dreams in which his brothers bowed down to him. One day the brothers could contain their rage no longer. They seized Joseph and threw him into a pit. Their first thought was to kill him, but they changed their minds when they saw a caravan heading for Egypt. Instead of murdering him, his brothers sold him as a slave to members of the caravan. They returned home and told their father that Joseph had been killed by a wild beast.

In Egypt, Joseph became the trusted servant of Potiphar, an official in the king's court. Unfortunately, The trust was shattered by one false accusation against Joseph by his master’s wife. Without so much as a court hearing, Joseph was thrown into prison. 

In prison, Joseph met the king's cup bearer and the king's baker. Both men were troubled by strange and mysterious dreams. When they told Joseph their dreams, he interpreted the strange visions for them. Days later his words came to pass in precisely the way he had announced. Joseph merely attributed his ability to the God. 

Two years later, Pharaoh had a dream. His advisors could not even begin to interpret it. Joseph was summoned from the prison to decipher the strange, troubling images. After a moment of silence, Joseph declared the visions meant that Egypt would be blessed with seven years of abundance, followed by seven years of famine. 

In grateful response, Pharaoh appointed Joseph second-in-command in Egypt (a Prime Minister in a foreign land). Joseph's appointment remains an astonishing moment in ancient history. How do we explain his rise from an impoverished foreigner to an imperial leader? However, God was with him in his journey of life, and empowered him to overcome all temptations.

God predetermined the fame of Joseph, and even showed him in a vision of the night what He has planned and purposed for him. God packaged all the encounters in the life of Joseph to achieve His purpose. 

He was pre-ordained by God to be the savior of his people, and God was with him in all his travails. So many problems were lined up en route to his destined purpose; he was betrayed and deserted by his brothers; he was exposed to sexual temptation; suffered false accusation, and punished for doing the right thing; he endured a long imprisonment and was forgotten by those he helped. 

Joseph didn't plan to be in the bottom of a pit after he recounted his God-given dream to his loved ones, but he was. He did not foresee his brothers selling him into slavery, but they did. God had destined him for great things, but people and problems got in the way, apparently fashioned to get him his destiny. 

Joseph was faithful in the problems. He maintained his character and integrity while enduring the problem; he was patient all through, and didn’t complain while facing ridicule, rejection, envy, 

jealousy, false

 accusations, and imprisonment. 

Through it all, God showed favor to him. 

Are you a child of God? Do you place your absolute trust in Him, and is obedient and serving Him? Is God first in your life? 

Are you engulfed in the vicissitudes of life? 

Have you gone through your spiritual checklist to make sure that you are not the cause of the problem?

 

Do you find it difficult to find the purpose of the predicament you are in? 

If your answers are 'yes,' then, rest assured of your great visitation from Him. What you are passing through are all en-route to your glorious destiny. 

Prayer: Abba Father, though the labor of my hands may fail, nor the fields will not yield its food, though life turns sour, and I hardly can eat, though I crush under human hardship, I will put my trust, and rejoice in you. You are first in, and the Lord of, my life. For I know you will never leave me nor forsake me. My destiny in You is glorious, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

DO YOU HAVE A SCHEDULED TIME FOR PRAYER?

 Do You Have a Scheduled Time for Prayer? 

“Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.” Psalms 55:17 (KJV)

Designing a scheduled time to pray is an appointment with God and He looks forward to it to bless you. Christianity is the light of the world, and God is gradually culturing the world through it. The patriarchs have laid a good foundation for us to follow. King David is one of the patriarchs that we need to learn from: he had a scheduled time to meet God in prayer. He met with the LORD in the evening, morning, and at noon. Hallelujah! As a believer in Christ Jesus, you can adopt the Psalmist schedule of prayer as your foundation upon which you build your prayer life. If you schedule a time to meet God in prayer, ask the Holy Spirit to alert or remind you at the said time and He will definitely do so (John 14:26). Beloved, you might be surprised from the beginning that somehow, on the dot of such a time, you are awakened even from sleep to pray at the appointed time. This should inform you that our God is a “Great Timekeeper” in heaven and on earth. Amen. Dear beloved, do you have a scheduled time to pray? The Psalmist has shown you where to start. When you make time to fellowship with God in prayer, He directs you and things become easier. Remember that when the disciples met and prayed, they were emboldened to preach the gospel without fear (Acts 4:31). Hallelujah! Be prayerful!

Prayer Point: My faithful Father, I adore You for being a prayer-answering God. Please guide and lead me to design a scheduled time for my daily prayers. Let me never forget to meet You at such a time to fellowship with 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. 

UNDERSTANDING THE GRACE OF GOD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY JANUARY 23, 2021.

SUBJECT : UNDERSTANDING THE GRACE OF GOD!

Memory verse: "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (First Corinthians 15 vs 57.)

READ: Romans 7 vs 15 - 25:

15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

INTIMATION:

Revelation and understanding of the grace of God starts with the understanding of the Word of God—the Law of God (For better understanding always replace the “Word of . God” with the “Law of God”. The Word of God could be frustrating when we try to work the Word rather than the Word work in us. The most frustrating aspect of the Word of God is that it keeps convicting most believers. Incidentally this is what the Word should do to us. But how do we take and handle the conviction?

As the “Word” would convict us of our wrong doings, we turn completely to our Lord for the grace to change. The devil would take that thing (conviction) that was intended for our good and would begin to beat us over the head with it as condemnation. We would look in the Word and see our need to change, but we didn't know anything about the grace of God to bring about that change in us. We don't know how to allow the Spirit of the Lord come into our lives and cause the things to happen that needed to happen as we believed Him and exercised our faith. We thought we have to do it all by our own power.

The problem here is that most believers don't understand the difference between conviction and condemnation. When the “Word” convicts you in one thing or the other (which it ought to do), turn to God completely to accomplish the change you desire through His grace. Do not get frustrated when the devil will come to minister condemnation (which it ought to) because the devil's mission is "to steal, and to kill, and to destroy" (John 10 vs 10). We cannot suffer condemnation because Jesus Christ has already justified us as believers;  "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit" (Romans 8 vs 1).

When you try to change yourself, trying to make yourself be everything the “Word” (The Law) said you are supposed to be, you get frustrated because you cannot do it by your will power, but only by the grace of God. You have to submit yourself to the Lord and wait patiently on Him to accomplish all He planned for you. Trying to do something about something you can't do anything about is frustrating. It takes the grace of God to change to what the “Word” wants you to be. It is not automatic but gradual, being changed from glory to glory (Second Corinthians 3 vs 18). You conquer your enemies little by little (Deuteronomy 7 vs 22). When convicted by the Word, allow God (trust and surrender yourself to Him) to walk His perfect Will in your life.

In the passage we read today, the apostle Paul says that though we seek to do that which is good, the nature of our being as free-moral individuals in a world of choice does not have the ability to live flawlessly. Though the conscience of the Christian is made sensitive by the “law of God” as revealed through the Holy Spirit, the Spirit does not directly control the behavior of the Christian in reference to the law in order to guard him or her from sin. Therefore, because we know we sin, we are driven to the grace of God. Our arrogance is crushed by realizing that without God’s grace we have no hope of deliverance from the life of sin. In of our inabilities to perform behaviorally in order to stand just before God, we are driven to thank God for the revelation of His grace through Jesus Christ (Titus 2 vs 11).  

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for Your grace made available to us through Jesus Christ. May the availability of Your grace be alive in my thoughts, that I surrender myself entirely to You and the leading of the Holy Spirit in all things, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

GOD DOES NOT SLUMBER NOR SLEEP!

 God Does Not Slumber nor Sleep! 

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.  My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” Psalms 121:1-4 (KJV)

Knowing that God neither slumbers nor sleeps gives us assurance of His assistance. It is very heartwarming and exciting to read the opening Scripture because it tells us who God is. He never slumbers nor sleeps. He is alert 24/7 and not for Himself. Beloved, He is alert 24/7 to protect His children; to listen to the prayers of His children and to put the enemies where they belong. He is everywhere and ever ready to respond to His children. Therefore, don’t be anxious or afraid anymore (Isaiah 41:10). Just call on Him and He is ever-present to give you the help that you need. Call on Him in faith by His Word and the solution you need will be provided for you (Mark 11:22–23). Hallelujah! Dear beloved, are you going through any difficulty? Have you called on God in faith by His Word? If you have, then be steadfast in your faith and wait patiently, and the solution or help you need will be provided. Remember that God uses people to meet our needs. Hence, be nice and kind to people and it will be easier for you to receive any help you need. The kindness of David to Jonathan enabled him to help David in times of trouble (1 Samuel 20:42). Thus, your kindness and tenderheartedness toward people will make room for people to bless you. Praise the Lord! God bless you!

Prayer Point: My dear heavenly Father, indeed You are the Most High God because You neither slumber nor sleep. This gives me the joy and assurance that any time I’m in need, You will be available to help. Please guide and lead me to be tenderhearted and kind to people so that they can easily avail themselves for You to use. And assist me in times of need 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 GRACE OF GOD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY JANUARY 22, 2021.

SUBJECT : THE GRACE OF GOD!

Memory verse: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2 vs 8.)

READ: Ephesians 1 vs 7 - 8:

1:7:In Him we have redemption through a His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 

1:8: which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence.

INTIMATION:

The dictionary definition of grace is; beauty, kindness, good-will, mercy, reprieve, and pardon. God's grace will then be His beauty; kindness; good-will; mercy; reprieve; and pardon for sinful humanity. These attributes of God are freely, and undeservedly given to sinful humanity. Grace therefore, is the free, and unmerited power of God available to sinful humanity to meet our needs without any costs to us. it is received by believing rather than through any human efforts. 

God showered His kindness on us—this is also called God’s “grace.” This is His voluntary and loving favor given to those He saves. We can’t earn salvation, nor do we deserve it. No religious, intellectual, or moral effort can gain it, because it comes only from God’s mercy and love. Without God’s grace, no person can be saved. To receive it, we must acknowledge that we cannot save ourselves, that only God can save us, and that our only way to receive this loving favor is through faith in Christ. 

The simple and uncomplicated nature of God's grace, and being a free gift, make many people to miss it. There is nothing more powerful than grace. In fact, everything in the Bible; salvation, the infilling of the Holy Spirit, fellowship with God and victory in our daily lives is based upon the grace of God. Without grace, we are nothing, we have nothing, and can do nothing. If it were not for the grace of God, we would all be miserable and hopeless. We are completely helpless without the grace of God. ”For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2 vs 10.)

The psalmist in Psalm 139 vs 13 - 16 clearly states; "For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mothers's womb. .. for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works,.....My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed . And in Your book they all were written, the day's fashioned for me. When as yet there were none of them." From these verses, we know that God chose us and laid out our life work for us before we were born, before the world was even created. That is why we must not trust our own abilities, and initiatives because apart from Him, we can do nothing. We should start each day by saying the simple prayer below: 

Prayer: Abba Father, here I am, Lord, ready for whatever You have for me to do. I empty myself, as much as I know how, to allow Your grace to flow in my life, to cause me to be able to do whatever it is that You desire for me. I cast myself totally upon You. I can be only what You allow me to be, I can have only what You will for me to have, I can do only what You empower me to do, and each victory is to Your glory, not mine, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

EXPECT A GOOD END!

 Expect a Good End! 

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV)

As a child of God, always have an expectation in your walk with the LORD. The expectation should be nothing short of a good end because God has promised in His Word that His thoughts toward you are those of peace and not evil. He is a good God and always thinks about the good welfare of His children (Psalms 100:5). The question you need to ask yourself is, “Do I have good thoughts about God and my fellow brethren?” If you are able to answer this question honestly and correctly, then you are on the same page with God; and you will have a good end (Amos 3:3). You should have a good thought about God and your fellow human beings because they are the image of God. If all of us as children of God would have good thoughts about God and our fellow brethren, there will be peace among us and this peace will extend to those in the world; they will see the relevance of committing their lives into the Lord’s hands. Hallelujah! Dear beloved, what is your expectation in the Lord? Do you know how it will end? As long as your expectation is founded in the Word of God, you are guaranteed that it will have a wonderful end to bring glory to the name of the Lord. Hallelujah! Always be expectant!

Prayer Point: Dear Father, thank You for enriching my spirit with Your Word. I have made up my mind to always think well of You and my fellow human beings because Your thoughts and plans for me are peaceful, to bring me to a wonderful end. I bless 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. 

PRAY WITHOUT CEASING!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY JANUARY 21, 2021.

SUBJECT : PRAY WITHOUT CEASING!

Memory verse: "Pray without ceasing.” (First Thessalonians 5 vs 17.)

READ: Luke 18 vs 1:

18:1: Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray, and not to lose heart,
18:2: saying, “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man.
18:3: Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for Me from my adversary.’
18:4: And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 
18:5: yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.”
18:6: Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said.
18:7: And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry day and night to Him, though He bear long with them?
18:8: I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he really find faith on the earth?”

INTIMATION:

Prayer brings us before God in communing with Him. Humbly being at all times in the presence of God is the secret to continual triumph of the believer, hence the reason to pray at all times. Though we cannot spend all our times on our knees, but it is possible to have a prayerful attitude at all times. Emphasis here is not on a continued action of prayer, but on a continued attitude of prayer. This attitude is built upon acknowledging our dependence on God, realizing His presence within us, and determining to obey Him fully. Then, we will find it natural to pray frequent, spontaneous, short prayers. In other words, the Christian should be in s state of mind that he can at all times take part in the action of praying to the Father. 

It is the desire of the Father that His children approach Him in prayer. Prayer is the natural response of those who recognize their need for the help of God in their lives. 

To persist in prayer does not mean endless repetition or painfully long prayer sessions. Jesus’s lesson in the passage we read today is that if an unrighteous and unconcerned judge would act upon the persistent requests of a pleading woman, then certainly the persistent pleas of the righteous to a concerned God would attract His response to the pleas of the righteous. Consistent prayer means keeping our requests continually before God as we live for Him day by day, believing He will answer. 

Faith is essential to prayer. Faith is the recognition of the faithfulness of God, and engenders our committing ourselves and our matters to Him. Sometimes you think that God will not hear you because you have fallen short of His high standards for holy living, but if you have faith, and have trusted Him for salvation, you should know that God has forgiven us and He will listen to us. When we live by faith, we are not to give up. God may delay answering, but His delays always have good reasons. Faith shouldn't die if the answers come slowly, for delay is not denial, and that may be God's way of working His Will. As we persist in prayer, we grow in character, faith, and hope.

God not only welcomes us in prayer, He is waiting for us to pray. We, the godly—those who are faithful and devoted to God—should know that God is waiting for us to approach Him in prayer and should be confident that God listens to our prayers and answers at His own time (which is usually the best timing for us). Some other times you grow tired of praying because it seems God is not answering you, but a Christian's persistence in prayer is an expression of faith that God answers prayer. Always be confident, and know that God is present, always listening, and always answers in the best ways known to Him. 

A praying attitude is not a substitute to regular times of prayer, but should be an outgrowth of those times. Too often we pray glibly and superficially. Serious prayer, by contrast, requires concentration. It puts us in touch with God’s will and can really change us. Without serious prayer, we reduce God to a quick-service pharmacist with painkillers for your every ailment. However, the Holy Spirit, being the sole interpreter of the needs of the human heart, makes His intercession therein. Inasmuch as prayer is impossible to man apart from His help (Romans 8 vs 26), believers are exhorted to pray at all seasons in the Spirit (Ephesians 6 vs 18; Jude 20). 

Prayer: Abba Father, give me the grace for persistent prayer, as a demonstration of my absolute faith, and dependence on You in all things, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!