DRAW INSPIRATION. FROM HIS WORD!

 Draw Inspiration from His Word! 

“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” 1 Peter 5:10 (KJV)

The opening scripture reveals a very important truth that we need to recognize as children of God. Our Father is a God of grace who has called us to eternal glory. The calling of God to eternal glory is not all rosy and cozy; there is an aspect of suffering for His name’s sake. Beloved, Jesus Christ was very open with His disciples when He said a servant is not greater than his Lord. Therefore, whatever suffering and persecution were meted to Him, they would likewise go through (Matthew 10:24-25). However, He added that they should not fear but rather be cheerful because He has overcome the world. Hallelujah! The opening scripture gives great assurance to believers in Christ Jesus—that after suffering there is a time of perfection where the Lord will establish, strengthen, and settle us. Praise the Lord! Are you not happy to read this? Of course, you are! This should energize you to fight a good fight of faith without giving up along the way (2 Timothy 4:7). When you give up, you will live to see your fellow brethren being rewarded for their steadfastness, and you will regret throwing in the towel. Draw inspiration from the Word of God and keep pressing on till you are settled with your reward. Hallelujah! You are an overcomer!

Prayer Point: My dear heavenly Father, I’m so grateful for Your inspiring me with Your Word today. I vow never to give up. I receive grace from Your Spirit and keep pressing on in faith till I’m perfected, established, strengthened, and settled 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.

LEADING THE LIFE OF GRACE!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 09, 2021.

SUBJECT:  LEADING THE LIFE OF GRACE!

Memory verse:  "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1 vs 6.) 

READ:  Matthew 11 vs 28 - 30:

11:28: Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

11:29: Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

11:30: For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

INTIMATION:

God began a good work in us by His grace. God’s work began when Christ died on the cross in our place. His work in us began when we first believed, and continues throughout our lifetime and will finish when we meet Christ face to face on His return. Now the Holy Spirit lives in us, enabling us to be more like Christ everyday. 

When God starts a project, He completes it! He will help you grow in grace until He has completed His work in your life. When you are discouraged, remember that God won’t give up on you. He promises to finish the work He has started. In your shortcomings always remember God’s promise and provision. Don’t let your present condition rob you of the joy of knowing Christ or keep you from growing closer to Him.

Do you sometimes feel as though you aren’t making progress in your spiritual life? 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. 

Now, let us consider what the apostle Paul told the believers in Galatia, "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? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 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” (Galatians 3 vs 2 - 5.)

The apostle Paul asked the Galatian believers, "Did you receive the Spirit of the Lord through your own works and efforts, or by hearing the gospel message and saying, 'I believe that?'" "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 concluded by 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?"

They 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 Him. God has begun His good work in us. and He is going to finish it. He is working within us right now, developing, perfecting and bringing to completion the good work which He initiated. Since He is the only One Who can do that, you and I can relax. The pressure is off us, because the work is the Lord's, not ours. While we relax, we must do our part, and our part is to believe in Him, and love Him. And if we love Him, we will obey His commands (John 14 vs 31). 

Jesus frees us from our heavy burdens of sin, oppression of the devil, persecution, and weariness in the search for God. He promises us rest, and the rest He promises is love, healing, and peace with God. He brings us into a relationship with God that changes our meaningless, worrisome toil into spiritual productivity and purpose. Jesus has said His yoke is easy. The yoke emphasizes the challenges, work, and difficulties of partnering with Christ in life. Though responsibilities weigh us down, even our effort of staying true to God, but Jesus’ partnership remains the best and easy way out, compared to the crushing alternatives of our personal struggles.

Prayer: Abba Father, Your faithfulness never seizes, even in our unfaithfulness. You have promised to be with us till the end of ages. Engrace me with the spirit of complete trust and obedience to You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

WHO IS GOD TO YOU?

 Who Is God to You? 

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” Psalms 84:11 (KJV)

Knowing who God is makes a big difference in life. The difference becomes even bigger when we use this knowledge to enhance our relationship with Him. Beloved, The Holy Scriptures reveal to us the nature of God. The opening scripture tells us the nature of God. To the psalmist, God is a sun, shield, and a giver of grace and glory. He is a sun to give us light and direction; hence, if we need light and direction in any area of our life, the best person to go to is God. Secondly, He is a shield to protect us from evil or anything that seeks to destroy us and our relationship with Him. Finally, He gives us grace and glory; grace to accomplish the task that He has assigned to us and glory to beautify our lives. As a Father, He is only concerned with giving us good things (James 1:17). Beloved, this is the kind of nature He wants us to live by—to also be a sun, a shield, and a giver to our fellow brethren. Hallelujah! Dear beloved, living the nature of God shouldn’t be difficult for us because we have the Holy Spirit in us to guide and lead us (John 16:13). If we can cooperate with Him, and fellowship with Him through the Word of God, He will live the nature of God through us for many people to see it and glorify God. Hallelujah! Glory to the Highest!

Prayer Point: Abba Father, thank You for revealing Your nature to me through Your Word. As I cooperate with Your Spirit and fellowship with You, live Your nature through me so that many lives on earth can be blessed in Jesus’ name. Amen!

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

HOW TO RECEIVE AND APPLY THE GRACE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY FEBRUARY 08, 2021.

SUBJECT:  HOW TO RECEIVE AND APPLY THE GRACE!

Memory verse:  "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7 vs 7.) 

READ:  Luke 11 vs 1 - 4:

11:1: Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

11:2: So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come , Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

11:3: Give us day by day our daily bread.

11:4: And forgive us 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.”

INTIMATION:

In examining how grace or power of God can be received, and be applied to meet specific situations in life, the first thing is to look at our communion with Him in prayers. In the passage we read today, Jesus thought His disciples how to pray. 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, as indicated in our memory verse. We are to do the asking and God brings His grace—His power to do the work. 

We need to pray to do the asking. Remember, "we have not because we ask not." (James 4 vs 2). Our job is to do the asking in faith, and in trust. That opens the channel for God to do our bidding. It is God who does the work, not us. How does He do it? According to the power (grace of God) that works in us. 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, "Father, I can't help myself. I am coming 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."

The Lord constantly requires us to turn to Him. 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. And anything done outside the grace of God will have no real lasting effect. Jesus said, "...For without Me, you can do nothing." (John 15 vs 5).

 

However, our effort has a place in the Christian life. It does have a part to play. What then is our effort? Consider what Jesus said to the people seeking Him: “Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”  (John 6 vs 28 - 29.)

The people desired to know what is required of them to do to habitually carry out what God requires. Jesus told them that the work that God asks of them is to believe in the One whom He has sent, and in doing so they work the works of God. You can now see that the only work (singular) we do is to believe in Him, and that by that singular work of believing in Him, we have done the works (plural) of God. Therefore, the works are done by God while the only thing we do is 'believe'. 

We apply the grace by speaking out our faith and believe. You can't believe and keep quiet, but you must say it out. Jesus said in Mark 11 vs 22 - 24, "...Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea! and does not doubt in his heart but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you prayer, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." 

Why must we have that believe and assurance? It is because the believe is "...unto Him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us." (Ephesians 3 vs 20.)

Prayer: Abba Father, my trust and believe is in You. I am confident that You, who began the good work in me will complete and perfect it by Your grace that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all my expectations, in Jesus’ Name I prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

YOU CAN WIN YOUR RACE!

 You Can Win Your Race! 

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us” Hebrews 12:1 (KJV)

Knowing that you are in a race as a child of God makes you focus on winning. To be able to win the race, we must follow the rules. The good news is that the patriarchs and apostles who have gone ahead of us serve as inspiration to encourage us to press on till we reach the finish line. Just as an athlete burns the unnecessary fat or weight of their body in order to be light enough to run, Christians should also identify the weight and the sin that entangles them and do away with them to make the race easier. The weight varies from person to person; for some their weight is oversleeping, overeating, being unable to pray as they want, laziness, etc. The sin may also vary from person to person depending on the area of weakness the enemy has identified in you and keeps using against you. Thus, some find themselves in sexual immorality, drunkenness, stealing, gossiping, etc. Beloved, ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to identify that particular weight and the sin that keeps pulling you back; depend on Him for strength to overcome (John 14:26). If He convicts or prompts you, respond quickly without any excuse. Also, let your gaze be on Jesus Christ because He is the author and finisher of your faith (Hebrews 12:2). We keep our gaze on Jesus Christ by meditating on His Word day and night and practice it. The more you practice the Word the more your spirit becomes conditioned to walk in righteousness. Thus, patience becomes part of you, to help you run till you cross the finish line. Hallelujah! Glory to God!

Prayer Point: My dear heavenly Father, Your Word is indeed a lamp to my feet and light to my path. Please lead me to identify the weight and the sin that easily entangles me; give me the strength to overcome them and run with patience till I cross the finish line 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 CHILDREN OF GOD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 07, 2021.

SUBJECT: THE CHILDREN OF GOD!

Memory verse:  "And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba Father!” (Galatians 4 vs 6.) 

READ: Romans 8 vs 14 - 17:

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

8:15: For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." 

8:16: The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we children of God, 

8:17: and if children, then heirs - heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

INTIMATION:

When you are in Christ, you are a new creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works. If then we are new creatures, Satan has nothing in a child of God. That new creation is all of God. The old thing that Satan owned and controlled is all passed away and the things that are in you now are all of God. Jesus said in John 14 vs 30, "....for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me." The same is true regarding the children of God, they are new creatures in Christ. 

When you know this fact, as you know the multiplication table, you will have something that will absolutely put to flight the forces of Satan. There isn't any reason why a child of God should live in constant fear of sin and doubt when he or she is the very son or daughter of God. Satan, and his cohorts rule over the children of God by subterfuge, by bluff, by deception, holding them in bondage through their ignorance of what they are in Christ and what belongs to them as heirs.

In the passage we read today, the old bondage of fear and want and diseases is gone. The child of God has another spirit now, a recreated spirit. God is no longer God to you: He is your Father, and as a Father, He is your Lover, Caretaker, and Faithful Companion. You aren't afraid of anything now. You are absolutely fearless, and now you have the leading of the Spirit of God, a solid front, before all your enemies. You lift up your banner; you shout His praises; you stand complete in Him over every circumstance and every attack of the enemy.

When you came into the family of God, you made a confession of Christ’s Lordship over your life. When you confess His Lordship, it is not only His dominion over you, but "Lord" means "the bread-provider," the caretaker, the protector from all your enemies. He becomes at once the Lord of your life. You actually become a partaker of the Divine Nature. (Second Peter 1 vs 4). And as you become a partaker of His Nature, you become a partaker of His ability. God's ability becomes your ability. God's Strength becomes your strength, and Jesus is the surety of that New Covenant for you. (Hebrews 7 vs. 22.) When you acknowledge Him as your Lord, then God becomes automatically your very Father. All the resources of heaven are at your disposal.

Now,  the Scripture in Second Corinthians 3 vs 4 - 5 says, "And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God." We have tried to conquer the adversary with our own strength. We have tried to overcome temptation with our own wills. That is unnecessary, for as a child of God, His Will has become yours; His sufficiency is yours; His ability is yours. Now we become efficient as a member of the body of Christ with His efficiency. God also, made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant. Consequently, you yield to the God inside of you. As you walk with Him, you become "God-inside minded" so that again and again during the day as you face life's problems you remember that the Greater One is in you.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are my faithful Companion, and my all in all. Satan is under my feet. You have given me the spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. Engrace me to fully exercise my rights as Your son, in Jesus’ Name I prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

REMISSION AND FORGIVENESS OF SIN IN THE NEW CREATION!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 06, 2021.

SUBJECT: REMISSION AND FORGIVENESS OF SIN IN THE NEW CREATION!

Memory verse:  "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (First John 1 vs 9.) 

READ: Hebrews 10 vs 16 - 18:

10:16: “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,”

10:17: Then He adds, “Their sins  and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

10:18: Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.

INTIMATION:

It is noteworthy that it was God's Nature that was not available to man in creation. Man was created in God's image and after His likeness, but God's Nature wasn't given then to man. The absence of God's nature in man enabled Satan to influence him, led him to sin, and became his ruler. God, in realization of this, recreated man and gave him His Nature, that now Satan has no dominion over him again. This is the fallout of Christ's finished work of redemption wrought by God Himself. 

In the passage we read today, God, in His infinite mercy, planned to take away (remit) our sins, that is, it is blotted out completely as if it never existed, and that He remembers them no more. He wrought this in Christ finished work as a propitiation for our sins. The work was finished, and accepted when He sat down at the Right Hand of the Father on high. We could see that the new creation is brought into being by the Life and Nature of God, and this new creation is awaiting every unsaved man. 

It is very important that we understand the difference between forgiveness and the remission of sins. A man receives remission of sins when he is Born Again (Spiritual rebirth). This is consequent upon your accepting the finished work for us on the cross, and  confessing Christ as your Lord and Savior. Subsequently, you may receive forgiveness of sins after you are Born Again as often as you sins, and confesses your sin to Christ, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

When we come to Christ by confessing Him as our Lord and Savior, God forgives all the sins we have committed or will ever commit, and we don't need to fear that God will reject us if we don't keep our state perfectly clean. Once we confess Christ, our relationship with God is secure. Our continuing in confessing our sins is not because failure to do so will make us lose our salvation, but for us to enjoy maximum fellowship and joy with Him.

True confession also involves a commitment not to continue in sin. We wouldn't be genuinely confessing our sins to God if we planned to commit them again and just wanted temporary forgiveness. We should also pray for strength to defeat temptation the next time we face it. The Holy Spirit will begin to give you the enablement to overcome the temptation. It may be a gradual process.

It is therefore, necessary we appreciate Ephesians 2 vs 8 - 9 that says, "For by grace we have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is a gift from God, and not of works lest any man should glory." The new creation does not come through our repentance or the surrendering of ourselves or the confession of our sins, but it comes by grace, pure and simple. All we do is to accept it. It is ours, a gift based upon legal grounds.

Then what is grace? It is the unmerited favor of God. It is God's love for us unveiled in our redemption. It is the hungry heart of God assuming man's sins; assuming the responsibility of man's creation, acting as though He were guilty of every sin that man committed. No works that man could do would have any value. Why? Because every man was spiritually dead and the good things that he would do to redeem himself would be the works of a spiritually dead man.

But God comes in the person of His Son, and that Son becomes sin on our behalf, assumes all that man had ever done and ever was, and meets the claims of justice on our behalf (‘The soul who sins shall die’ (Ezekiel 18 vs 4)), satisfies the need of fallen man. He defeated death by His resurrection and ascended to heaven where He sits down at the Right Hand of the Father (the hand of authority with all authorities handed over to Him), and sends the Holy Spirit Who convicts men through the Word, and recreates them.

It is this great event of God, now on legal grounds, that imparts man God’s Own Nature and make him a new creation. Only God can do this; imparting His Nature, and Eternal life on man. Natural man is without God. He is without hope, and is in the world, and is Satan-ruled. 

Prayer: Abba Father, I will ever be grateful for the finished work of Christ in redeeming me, and the privilege of sonship given to me by You. May my recreated spirit ever thirst for You, in all wisdom and prudence, in Jesus’ Name I prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!