THE THIN LINE BETWEEN GRACE AND FAITH!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY MARCH 09, 2021.

SUBJECT:  THE THIN LINE BETWEEN GRACE AND FAITH!

Memory verse:  "Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” (John 11 vs 40.) 

READ:  Mark 9 verse 23 - 29:

9:23: Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.

9:24: Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord I believe, help my unbelief!”

9:25: When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of Him and enter Him no more!”

9:26: Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.”

9:27:But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

9:28: And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?

9:29: So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” 

INTIMATION:

There is a very thin line between grace and faith that is often missed by us. Because these two work together, the line between them is difficult for many to discern. And if we do miss it, our lives become confused. Many trust their faith to meet their needs. When their needs are not met, then they tried to have more faith because they are unable to discern the very fine line between faith and grace. They are not seeing beyond their faith to seek the grace of God (the power of God) to meet their needs.

Most people seemed to base all achievements on their faith, when, in reality, every victory or achievement is based on God's faithfulness bestowed on us by His grace—the power of God. If we frustrate the grace of God, we are going to feel frustrated. This explains why, by the grace of God, we receive our petition even when our faith is near zero.

In our memory verse, Jesus told Mary that it was only her faith (her believe) that would make her see the glory of a God (the power of God) raise the brother Lazarus from the dead. And this was the reason why Jesus said in Matthew 17 vs 21, "...if you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there," and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you." It is not the tiny faith (as tiny as the tiniest seed on earth) that will move the mountain, but the mighty power of God (the grace of God) which came through your tiny faith to bring about the answer to the petition.

For instance, Jesus had faith (great faith I supposed) all the time He was suffering. He had faith while in the Garden of Gethsemane. He had faith before the high priest and Pilate. He had faith when He was being ridiculed, abused and mistreated. He had faith on the way to Golgotha. He had faith while hanging on the cross. He even had faith while His body lay in the tomb; He had absolute faith that God would not leave Him there but would raise Him up, as He had promised. 

At the point of completing His task, when God separated from Jesus, His faith was shaken hence His question, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" That is "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27 vs 46). That was an indication of His shaken faith. Consequently, Jesus called the Father 'My God,” instead of 'My Father' He had all through called Him before then. For all of Jesus’ faith, nothing happened until the power of God came forth to bring about the resurrection. His faith only kept Him stable until the Father's appointed time for His deliverance. We can have all the faith in the world, but it will avail us nothing until it is 'plugged into' the source of power, which is the grace of God. 

In order to get our needs met, in order to receive anything from the Lord, we must have both faith and grace. It is by grace through faith that we are saved. And it is by grace through faith that all our prayers are answered and all of our needs are met. Keep your eyes on God to deliver you, not your faith. In Second Timothy 2 vs 13, the Bible says, "If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself." The Bible is teaching us here to get our eyes off our ability to believe (as the ultimate), but rather on God's willingness to meet our needs even though we do not have perfect faith. 

In the passage we read today, the man asked Jesus for healing of his son. Jesus told him that all things are possible to those who believe. The man replied, "Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief" or "Help my weakness of faith!" The man knew his faith was lacking, but he was honest about it, and Jesus healed his son. God's grace (power) came on the scene and gave the man what he did not deserve considering his faith—his believe. Jesus made it clear to His disciples that it’s not the faith or believe, but the power or grace of God, which can only be activated to deliver to us by prayer, or by prayer and fasting, in some cases. 

Prayer: Abba Father, You are ever faithful, even in my unfaithfulness, and Your steadfastness never seizes. Endue me with spirit of complete obedience and trust in You, casting all my cares upon You, knowing that there is nothing difficult nor beyond your power, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

VICTORY IS IN OUR CONFESSION OF FAITH!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY MARCH 08, 2021.

SUBJECT: VICTORY IS IN OUR CONFESSION OF FAITH!

Memory verse: "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death." (Revelation 12 vs 11.)

READ: First Timothy 6 vs 12 - 14:

6:12: Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

6:13: I urge you in the sight of God who gives life in all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate,

6:14: That you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing,

INTIMATION:

In confessing the good confession of faith lies the victory of the believer. Your confession becomes your possession. It is obvious that the lack of faithful confessions by believers is a major problem for many. The good fight of faith lies in the sincere confession the believer makes. The victory of the believer is rooted in his faints confession. The apostle Paul, in the passage we read today, counsels believers thus; "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." (vs 12.)

The good fight of faith is a battle that has been won a long time ago, in which you do nothing but acknowledge the defeat of your enemy and your own victory in Christ. The fight of faith is not a struggle on your part. It is a recognition and a confession of the victory Christ won over the adversary on our behalf in that great substitutionary battle that took place before He arose from the dead.

The apostle Paul was comparing Timothy's own confession of faith with that of Jesus before Pilate. Looking at the Master Jesus, we can see that the secret of His victory lay in His continual confession. For instance, He held fast to His confession, even at the point of death: “Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a King then?” Jesus answered, You say rightly that I am a King. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” (John 18 vs 36 - 37.)

Now as conquerors, our memory verse reminds us that we are overcomers, and our victory is hinged on the blood of the Lamb, and the words of our testimony.  The critical blow to Satan came when the Lamb, Jesus Christ, shed His blood for our sins. The victory is won by sacrifice—Christ's death in our place to pay the penalty for our sins. The believers victory is established once he holds on to the good confession of faith in Christ Jesus and His works in redemption for us. We are in the realm of victory in Christ Jesus, as we have moved out of the realm of weakness, and you can say, "I am more than a conqueror, for I am complete in Him who is the head of all principality and powers (Colossians 2 vs 10.) 

As a believer, you were identified as haven been crucified with Christ. You were buried with Him. You were raised with Him. You conquered the enemy with Him. Now with faith planted solidly upon this foundation, you face your enemy without fear. You dare to say "I am the righteousness of God in Christ." Just as Jesus dared to say, "I am the vine, and you are the branches"; "I am the light of the world"; you say, "I am what He says I am." More than even that you can say, "I can do what He says I can do." 

We are reminded of who we are in First John 4 vs 4, "You are of God, my little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world." That settles it. You are of God, child of God, created in Christ Jesus. You are now a master because the Master is in you. You are becoming God-inside conscious. You are learning to let Him have His place in you.lYou are united with Him. He is the Vine and you are a branch. You grew out of Him. You were created in Him. Don't forget your perfect union with Him. 

Our oneness with Christ is the source of our ultimate strength. We are recreated in Him, and have a perfect union with Him: "For if we have been untied together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin." (Romans 6 vs 5 - 6.)

As a believer and conqueror, you should be conscious of your legal right to what Jesus Christ  wrought for you in redemption which is wrapped up in His wonderful Name (John 14 vs 13 - 14). The use of His Name is making a demand. That is demanding the forces of darkness to be broken over the lives of men. You are acting in the place of the Master now. The use of Name unsheathes the sword of the spirit, the living Word, and in your lips that Living Word becomes a dominating force as it was in the lips of the Master.

Prayer: Abba Father, greater is Christ that is in me than the ruler of this world. I am one with Christ, and I can do all things through You that strengthens me. Give me the grace for constant confession of faith in You and the power in Your Word to overcome my adversaries, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

ARE YOU ALWAYS CONFIDENT?

 Are You Always Confident? 

“Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)” 2 Corinthians 5:6-7 (KJV)

Apostle Paul is a good example for us to emulate. Despite the challenges he faced in the course of doing the Master’s business, he was not discouraged. He suffered shipwreck and was beaten three times with a rod, stoned to unconsciousness, imprisoned, etc. But he was unshakable for the Lord (2 Corinthians 11:23–33). He was always confident in the Lord Jesus because he had often seen demonstrations of the power of the Holy Spirit. He urged believers to be always confident in Christ. Dear beloved, make your faith work so that your confidence in the Lord will not fade away. Draw inspiration from the Patriarchs, the Apostles, and our Lord Jesus Christ. Faith works with patience, so while you believe and trust the Word of God for what you have prayed for, patiently wait for the results. God will never disappoint you because you are His child and He wants the best for you (2 Timothy 2:13). Beloved, we can always be confident when we continually exercise our faith and begin to enjoy the fruits or rewards therein. Never say that nothing is working; keep practicing the Word in faith and it will work for you. Praise the Lord! You are an overcomer!

Prayer Point: My faithful Father, thank You for stirring up confidence in me through Your Word. Surely, I will remain resolute in using Your Word because it is powerful and works anytime it is applied. Let miracles continually follow Your Word to continually boost Your confidence in me 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.

SHINE FOR JESUS CHRIST!

 Shine for Jesus Christ! 

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 (KJV)

The life of Christ is not something that should be covered up or lived in secrecy. When Jesus walked this earth, He lived a godly life for everyone to see who He was (Acts 10:38). He left a good legacy for us to follow in His steps. As a child of God, don’t be shy to live the life of Christ in your family, in the company of friends, at your workplace, or wherever you may be. Shine wherever you are with your good works of love, kindness, charity, and peace. Beloved, when people see your good works, they will glorify your Father in heaven. Some will begin to draw closer to you and this will be an opportunity to win them for Jesus Christ, just as people of different nations drew closer to Peter and about three thousand souls were won for Jesus Christ (Acts 2:5–41). Remember that challenges may come your way, but you don’t have to allow them to cover your light. Rise above the challenges and continue to shine for Jesus. Dear beloved, are you shining for the Lord Jesus? Shining for Christ begins by appreciating your new birth, getting excited about it, and wanting everyone to know the change that Jesus Christ has brought into your life, just like the Samaritan woman who met Jesus Christ at the well and was saved (John 4:7–42). Beloved, your testimonies will change lives, so share them to draw many to Christ. Hallelujah! You are an overcomer!

Prayer: My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, thank You for saving me and inspiring me to witness for You. I put away shyness, fear, and anything that wants to stop me from sharing the gospel and doing good works. Please continually inspire me, strengthen me, and lead me to the right people and places to share Your glorious gospel and shine for You. 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.

HOLY SPIRIT: OUR HELPER!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY MARCH 07, 2021.

SUBJECT:  HOLY SPIRIT: OUR HELPER!

Memory verse:  "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—“ (John 14 vs 16.) 

READ:  John 14 vs 26:

14:26: But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you." (Amplified Version)

INTIMATION:

Prior to the revelation to me of the ministry of the Holy Spirit as our Helper, I had never thought of the Holy Spirit as my personal Helper. I really needed a lot of help in my life, but I was not asking for it ignorantly. I thought I can do certain things for myself and by my strength, knowledge, intelligence, and determination. I would not humble myself to ask for help from God, especially in simple, everyday occurrences. I thought believers could only call upon God for His help when they got into situation that was far over our head. I thought our heavenly Father was only interested in getting involved in our lives when we faced huge, desperate problems that would fit into His divine category as the Mighty God. Consequently, I only asked for His help in such situations.

I cannot quantify what it did to my life and my personal relationship with the Lord when I began to discover and understand that God is interested in and concerned about every little, minute detail of my life. I can't describe what a shock it was for me to learn that He wanted to help me with everything in my life, and that every time I got frustrated, it was because I was not asking for His help. Success eluded me most often because I wanted to do things for myself and take the glory, instead of asking from the Lord for help, to whom belongs all the glory, honor and adoration.

We all know that at times there will be Intercessors praying for us and asking the Lord to intervene on our situation because we aren't able or don't know enough to ask for ourselves. But there comes a time when we have to take responsibility for our own life. You may ask why doesn't God just help us when He sees we need it? Because God created us as free moral beings and allowed us to make choices. What we don’t ask from Him, He will not do for or to us. The Holy Spirit is a gentleman; He will not interfere in our personal business without an invitation. He does not knock down our door; instead, He waits to be asked to come in and take charge.

When we are ignorant, or proud to ask the Helper, we are playing right into the hands of the devil. Satan dearly loves that kind of thing. The enemy is thrilled to find a Christian who is too stubborn and egotistical to ask the Lord to get involved and help the person. You may have heard the story of renowned late man of God, Kenneth E. Hargin, during one of the visitations of Jesus Christ he experienced during his lifetime. Jesus was with Him in a room when the devil came to him, attacked him and held him down and pressing down hard. He struggled with the devil until he was able to rebuke the devil in the name of Jesus, and the devil flee. When he got up, he asked Jesus why He couldn’t help him against the devil. Jesus simply asked him, “Did you request for my help?”

It doesn't make any difference how much faith we confess, and how much we have believed, if we don't ask we don't receive. Sometimes we have come to the place in our life where we realize that unless the Lord gets personally involved in our situation, nothing is going to happen. Some of us may have to hit rock bottom before giving up their pride and anger and stubbornness to ask the Lord to get involved in their life.

Prayer: Abba Father, it is obvious that by my strength I cannot prevail in life circumstances that confront me daily. But by Your strengthening me I can do all things. I surrender everything in my life to the leading of the Holy Spirit—my Helper, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

YOU ARE THE RIGNTEOUSNESS OF GOD!

 You Are the Righteousness of God! 

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 (KJV)

Being conscious of your righteousness in Christ and living it is the beginning of enjoying your inheritance in the Kingdom of God. Some Christians do not know who they are in Christ but after reading this gospel they will be informed to have the right perception about themselves. When some are asked whether they are righteous, they give this answer: “I am a sinner saved by grace.” They are not confident to say that they’re righteous. Remember that our LORD is our confidence, so we should rejoice in what He says we are (Proverbs 3:26). Beloved, the opening Scripture says Christ Jesus was made sin so that we might be made the righteousness of God. Thus, you and I are righteous in Christ, so we should be bold to call ourselves righteous without any fear or doubt. It is a gift from God and you received it when you became born again. Reigning in life is dependent on the grace and the gift of righteousness God has given to you (Romans 5:17). Therefore, never allow the enemy to accuse you for something you wrongly committed. Any sin you commit does not reduce your righteousness; ask God to forgive you and move on with your victorious Christian life (1 John 1:9). Hallelujah! God bless you!

Prayer Point: My righteous Father, thank You for the gift of righteousness. Now I can boldly declare that I’m righteous. I silence the voice of the accuser and reign in life to the glory of Your name 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 PERSON AND MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY MARCH 6, 2021.

SUBJECT: THE PERSON AND MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!

Memory verse: “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of Me.” (John 15 vs 26.) 

READ: John 16 vs 12 - 15:

16:12: I have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

16:13: However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak of His own authority, but whatever He hears, He will speak: and He will tell you things to come.

16:14: He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine, and declare it to you.

16:15: All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of mine and declare it to you.

INTIMATION:

The Holy Spirit is a person, hence His Personality is emphasized as  “He” is used of Him in the masculine. He is unseen just like God the Father, omnipresent, and omnipotent. When you become a Christian, you gain all the privileges and responsibilities of a child in God’s family. One of these outstanding privileges is being led by the Spirit (See Galatians 4 vs 5 - 6). We may not always feel as though we belong to God, but the Holy Spirit is our witness. His inward presence reminds us of who we are and encourages us with God’s love (Romans 5 vs 5). He is a very gentle Person, and allows us to take our choices in all things. A leading of the Spirit engenders perfection in walking in consonance with God’s commandments, and is assured of exploits in your life’s endeavors.

The subject of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament is considered in line with His Divine attributes. These attributes include: 

(1) His distinct Personality in the Godhead—the Third Person in the Godhead; God the Father, God the Son—Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit (Ghost). The Three Personalities are united as One—the Godhead, and work together. The unity, and working together are in various ways demonstrated in the Bible. For instance, in creation the Spirit was hovering all over the surface of the deep (Genesis 1 vs 2) and was active in accomplishing all that God the Father called into being. In the baptism of Jesus Christ; God the Son was in the water, God the Holy Spirit descended upon Him as a dove, and God the Father spoke with a voice from heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3 vs 13 - 17.) The Holy Spirit was with the Lord Jesus in His Birth (Luke 1 vs 35), His life (Matthew 4 vs 1; Luke 1 vs 1, 14, & 18), His baptism (Matthew 3 vs 16; John 1 vs 32 - 33), His Death and Resurrection (Romans 4 vs 24; 8 vs 11). 

(2) The Holy Spirit is very active in His operations in the world. He is in the church, haven been sent at Pentecost by the Father and the Son—Jesus Christ (Acts 2). He is the Enabler of the personalities involved in the production of Holy Scripture. Jesus said the Holy Spirit would tell His disciples “things to come”; the nature of their mission, the opposition they would face, and the final outcome of their efforts. They did not fully understand these promises until the Holy Spirit came after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Then the Holy Spirit revealed truths to the disciples that they wrote down in the books that now form the “New Testament.”

(3) Most importantly is His operations in the individual believer. The Holy Spirit is the “Spirit of truth.” The truth into which the Holy Spirit guides us is the truth about Christ. The Spirit also helps us through patient practice to discern right from wrong. The Holy Spirit is the agent of change in people when they believe the gospel. When we tell others about Christ, we must depend on the Holy Spirit to open their eyes and convince them that they need salvation. God’s power—not our cleverness or persuasion—changes people. Without the work of the Holy Spirit, our words are meaningless. The Holy Spirit not only convicts people of sin but also assured them of the truth of the gospel. 

The Holy Spirit is a powerful person on the side of the believer, working for, and with him or her. He will never leave him, though the world at large cannot receive Him, but He lives with the believer, and in the believer. He teaches the believer; He reminds him or her of Jesus’ words (John 14 vs 26; 15 vs 26); He convinces us of sin, shows us God’s righteousness, and announces God’s judgement on evil (John 16 vs 8); He guides the believer into truth and gives him or her insight into future events (John 16 vs 13); He brings glory to Christ (John 16 vs 14). 

The Holy Spirit has been active among people from the beginning of time, but after Pentecost (Acts 2) He came to live in all believers. Many people are unaware of the Holy Spirit’s activities, but to those who hear Christ’s words and understand the Spirit’s power, the Spirit gives a whole new way to look at life. Jesus uses two names for the Holy Spirit—“Helper” and “Spirit of truth.” The Word “Helper” conveys the helping, encouraging, and strengthening work of the Spirit. “Spirit of truth” points to the teaching, illuminating, and reminding work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit ministers to both the head and the heart, and both dimensions are important. 

Jesus promised the disciples that the Holy Spirit would help them remember what He had been teaching them. This promise ensures the validity of the New Testament. The disciples were eyewitnesses of Jesus’ life and teachings, and the Holy Spirit helped them remember without taking away their individual perspectives. We can be confident that the Gospels are accurate records of what Jesus taught and did. The Holy Spirit can help us in the same way. As we study the Bible, we can trust Him to plant truth in our mind, convince us of God’s will, and remind us when we stray from it. 

In witnessing for Christ, the Holy Spirit would give us the appropriate words in our time of need. As His followers, our testimony might not make us look impressive, but it would still point out God’s work in the world through Jesus’ life. We need to pray for opportunities to witness for Christ, and then trust Him to help us with our words. This promise of Spirit’s help, however, does not compensate for lack of preparation. Scripture teaches that we are to make carefully prepared, thoughtful statements (Colossians 4 vs 6). We need to study God’s Word. Then God will bring His truths to mind when we most need them, helping us present them in the most effective way. 

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You so much for the gift of the Holy Spirit. I call Him my ‘Senior Partner’ because He is my Helper, Encourager, Empowerer, Advocate, Intercessor, Comforter, Counselor, Standby, and Strengthener. Endue me with spirit of grace, that I will never miss the leading of the Holy Spirit in my life, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!