LIFE IS A CHOICE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY MARCH 18, 2021.

SUBJECT: LIFE IS A CHOICE! 

Memory verse: "I call heaven and earth as witness today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live." (Deuteronomy 30 vs 19.)

READ: Deuteronomy 30 vs 19 - 20:

30:19: I call heaven and earth as witness today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;

30:20: that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.

INTIMATION:

In life we are faced with choices. God has ordained our paths in life to enable us accomplish His predetermined purposes for our life in accordance with His Will for us. God doesn't force His Will on anyone. He lets us decide whether to follow Him or reject Him, obey Him or disobey Him. This decision, however, is a life-or-death matter. God wants us to realize this, for He would like us all to choose life. Daily, in each new situation, we must affirm and reinforce this commitment. 

The Will of God is packaged in His “instructional manual”—the Bible. Within the pages of the Bible we find a purpose for everything under the sun, even the tests we face in life. In our memory verse today, God spoke to His children, and presented them with a multiple choice test: the choice between life and death. He tested them with problems while they were in the wilderness. God tests us to ascertain we hear Him, obey His commandments, and walk in accordance with His Will for us, that we will be blessed beyond measure.

God knows the future, and His plans for us are good and full of hope. As long as God who knows the future, provides our agenda and goes with us as we fulfill His mission, we can have boundless hope. This does not mean that we will be spared pain, suffering, or hardship, but that God will see us through to a glorious conclusion. It is easy to obey when everything is falling in place, and going grand for us. But what about obeying God when you are on a crossroad, or in the middle of the most severe problem of your life?

We all have unique personalities, and we all have our own individual purposes. Our paths of life, in accordance with God’s Will for us, are unique, and our tests are different and predetermined by Him for His purposes. We may not like the way we are tested, but God chooses the test, and He is the One who issues the final grade. No one likes problems. Consequently, no one likes to be tested, and no one likes to take the same test over and over again. The only way we can avoid taking a test the second time is to pass it the first time around.

It is only in ensuring that you play appropriately your own part in the relationship with God that you may pass the test the first time. And to be able to do that, you should regularly go through your spiritual checklist to ensure you are not the architect of your problem by not walking in line with His purpose for you. How then do you that?

The “Instructional Manual”—the Bible guides us through life and it's obstacles. When you are then in the midst of a problem, it is vital to go through your spiritual checklist within the Bible, to make sure you are not the source of the problem. If you are not the source of the problem by ensuring you have done or is doing your part, then be patient, God will definitely do His part, He is not a man that He should lie nor the son of man that He will repent, He does what He says, and makes good what He has spoken (Numbers 23 vs 19). Though it might tarry, but be patient, it must surely come to pass! (Habakkuk 2 vs 3).

Prayer: Abba Father, Your ways are excellent, and Your thoughts past finding out. Your counsel stands forever. Your Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Show me the path of life that I may walk in it, and be in Your presence, enjoying the fullness of joy, and accompanying pleasures at Your right hand forever, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

LIFE WITHOUT END!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY MARCH 17, 2021.

SUBJECT: LIFE WITHOUT END! 

Memory verse: "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end." (Ecclesiastes 3 vs 11.)

READ: Psalm 133 vs 3:

133:3 It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing—Life for evermore.

INTIMATION:

You are created to live forever. Life on earth is not all there is. It is just the beginning of life, it is the preparation for the next. Death marks the beginning of life on the other side—in eternity. You will spend far more time on the other side of death than you will here. Earth is only a tryout for your life in eternity. It is a practice workout before the actual game. Death is not the end of you. It isn't your termination because you can't be terminated. Death is only a transition into eternity, and there are eternal consequences to everything you do on earth, leading to the part of the eternal divide you will forever live.

Even though we know that everyone will eventually die, death always seems unnatural and unfair, even at a hundred and twenty years. The reason we feel we should live forever is that God wired our brains with that desire! (Ecclesiastes 3 vs 11.) One day your heart will stop pumping, and that marks the end of your body and your time on earth, but it will not be the end of you. Your earthly body is just a temporary residence for your real self—your spirit. At most, you will live a hundred and twenty years on earth (Genesis 6 vs 3), but you will live forever in eternity. Your time on earth is but a small parenthesis to your life in eternity as you are made to last forever. 

The plain truth is that while life on earth offers many chances, eternity offers only two: heaven or hell. Your relationship to God on earth will determine your relationship to Him in eternity. If you learn to love and trust God's Son, Jesus, accept His finished work on the cross for you, and confess Him as your Lord and Savior, you are given the legal right to be the child of God, heir of God, joint heir with His Son, and will spend the rest of eternity with Him. On the other hand, if you reject Him, reject His love, forgiveness, and salvation, thereby committing the only unforgivable sin, you will spend eternity away from God—in hell. 

There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, 'Your Will be done,' and those to whom God says, 'All right then, have it your way.' Tragically, many people will have to endure eternity without God because they chose to live without Him here on earth. When you fully comprehend that there is more to life than just here and now, and you realize that life is just preparation for eternity, you will start living in light of eternity, and that will color how you handle every relationship, task, and circumstance. Suddenly many activities, goals, and even problems that seemed so important will appear trivial, petty, and unworthy of your attention. 

The closer you live to God, the smaller everything else appears. Eternity focused life changes your value system. You use your time and money wisely. You place higher premium on relationships and character instead of fame or wealth or achievements or even fun. Your priorities are reordered. Keeping up with trends, fashions, and popular values just doesn't matter as much anymore. 

The Scripture in Philippians 3 vs 7 says:-

"But what things were gain to me, I have counted loss for Christ." The apostle Paul said he thought his past achievements were very important, but now considers them worthless when compared with what Christ has done for us. If our time here on earth is all there is to life, we would live as if there is no tomorrow. You could exploit life as much as you could, forget being good and ethical, and wouldn't have to worry about any consequences of your actions. You could indulge yourself in total self-centeredness because your actions would have no long-term repercussions. Unfortunately, life is beyond our days on this earth. Lead your life with eternity with God as your driving force.

Prayer: Abba Father, one thing I have desired of You, that I will seek after, that I may dwell in Your house forever, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

BĒ ROOED IN LOVE!

 Be rooted in Love! 

“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,” Ephesians 3:17 (KJV)

Apostle Paul came to a point in his walk with Christ Jesus that the only thing that kept him going was his love for Christ. Despite going through many challenges and opposition, he did not waver because of his love for Christ (2 Corinthians 11:23–33). He exhorts us to be conscious of the dwelling of Christ Jesus in our hearts by faith. Beloved, if we are conscious of this truth, we will not allow anything into our hearts that will destroy our relationship with Him. The second thing is to get ourselves rooted in love. It means we must make the conscious effort to ground ourselves in love through exhibiting love to one another (1 John 4:7). There should not come a time that we become tired of showing love to the brethren, because we are grounded in love. Though this love will be tested severally, God wants to see us pass the test so that He can continually reward us and use us. Praise the Lord! Be love conscious!

Prayer Point: My loving and righteous Father, thank You for blessing me through Your Word today. Please let me be always conscious of the indwelling presence of Christ Jesus in my heart. Never let me be discouraged when people turn down the love I have for them. I pray that showing love to people will become my lifestyle till the coming of my Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!

MAN’S GREATEST TRUST AND TEST FROM GOD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY MARCH 16, 2021.

SUBJECT: MAN’S GREATEST TRUST AND TEST FROM GOD! 

Memory verse: "Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?" (Luke 16 vs 11.)

READ: Luke 16 vs 9 - 13:

16:9: And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home.

16:10: He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.

16:11: Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

16:12: And If you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?

16:13: “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

INTIMATION:

Every resource available to us are gifts from God that He has entrusted to our care and management. These include our time, energy, intelligence, opportunities, relationships, possessions, money, and all other gifting from God. We are stewards of whatever God gives us. The greatest test and trust God put before us is money, hence one quarter of the teachings of Christ during His earth walk was on money. Most people fail to realize that money is both a test and a trust from God, and the greatest. God uses money to teach us to trust Him. God watches how we use money, and also how trustworthy we are with the money available to us. 

God says there is a direct relationship between how you use your money and the quality of your spiritual life. How you manage your money ("worldly wealth") determines how much God can trust you with spiritual blessings ("true riches"). Let me ask you: ‘Is the way you manage your money preventing God from doing more in your life?’ ‘Can you be trusted with true riches?’ Our use of money is a good test of the lordship of Christ in our lives. It’s noteworthy; (1) Money belongs to God, not us; let us use our resources wisely. (2) Money can be used for good or evil; let us use ours for good. (3) Money has a lot of power; let us use it carefully and thoughtfully. We must use our money in a way that will foster faith and obedience to God. 

We are to make wise use of the financial opportunities we have. If we use our money to help those in need or to help others find Christ, our earthly investment will bring eternal benefit. When we obey God’s Will, the unselfish use of our possessions will follow.  How do you treasure your money and possessions? The key to using money wisely is to see how much we can use for God's purposes, not how much you can accumulate for yourself. Does your money free you to help others? Does God's love touch your wallet? If your answer is yes, then you are storing up lasting treasures in heaven. 

The greatest lesson in the passage we read today is in Luke 16 vs 9, Jesus said, “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home.” The shrewd and unjust steward was even commended by the master, because he had dealt shrewdly by making friends with possessions entrusted to him. 

Jesus noted that “The sons of this world (the unbelievers) are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light (believers or Christians)” (Luke 16 vs 8). How? The unbelievers are a lot more better than Christians at making friends with their possessions. Philanthropy (goodwill toward mankind, voluntary promotion of human welfare) is far much practiced by unbelievers than Christians in our society. But this is an error; Christians, as followers of Christ, should be better stewards of the resources God entrusted them with. They should be selfless rather than being selfish. 

God blesses you so as to be a blessing to others. God said to Abraham, "...I will bless you; and you shall be a blessing" (Genesis 12 vs 2). This is a very important truth. How then do you manage the blessings God entrusted to your care? Are you serving Him with them? Are you blessing others with your talent, money, possessions, etc., or are you greedy and selfish with them? 

Money has the power to take God's place in your life. It can become your master. We live in a materialistic society where people serve money. They spend all their lives collecting and storing it, only to die and leave it behind. Their desire for money and what it can buy far outweighs their commitment to God and spiritual matters. They become slaves to money. Jesus said, “Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Luke 12 vs 33 - 34). 

How can you tell if you are a slave to money? Ask yourself; ‘Do I think and worry about it frequently?’ ‘Do I give up doing what I should do or would like to do in order to make more money?’ ‘Do I spend a great deal of my time caring for my possessions?’ ‘Is it hard for me to give money away?’ ‘Am I in debt?’ It is also important to note that our integrity is often put in line in money matters. God calls us to be honest even in small details we could easily ignore. 

Heaven’s riches are far more valuable than earthly wealth. But if we are not trustworthy with our money here (no matter how much or little we have), we will be unfit to handle the vast riches of God’s kingdom. See that you maintain your integrity in all matters, whether big or small. Money is a hard and deceptive master. Wealth promises power and control, but often it cannot deliver. Great fortunes can be made, and lost overnight, and no amount can provide perfect health, happiness, or eternal life. How much better it is to let God be your Master. His servants have peace of mind and security, both now and forever.

Prayer: Abba Father, engrace me to manage Your resources entrusted with me properly, that I may earn Your approval, and enter into Your rest, in Jesus’ most precious Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

WHERE MUST YOU KEEP THE WORD?

 Where Must You Keep the Word? 

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” Psalms 119:11 (KJV)

The Holy Scriptures have told us where to keep the Word. The best place to keep the Word of God is in your heart. That is where God dwells and has the tendency to keep the Word for a lifetime (2 Corinthians 6:16). Beloved, when you keep the Word of God in your mind, you can easily forget it. Now the Word of God in your heart keeps your heart pure and protects you from sin. Sin is a door the enemy uses to gain entrance to your heart to pollute and destroy it. Since the Word of God is God, when you keep the Holy Scriptures in your heart, you carry God inside you, and He will ensure that the Word produces what it talks about in you (Philippians 2:13). The Word in your heart will produce good health, peace, joy, and prosperity in you. Keep as much of the Word in you as possible through meditation so that you can enrich your life with all goodness. When the Word of God dwells in you richly in all wisdom, you will be amazed at what God will do through you (Colossians 3:16). Hallelujah! God bless you!

Prayer Point: Dear heavenly Father, I’m grateful for Your making Your Word available to me. I have decided to meditate on it day and night to enrich my heart with Your Word. Please help me schedule time to study and meditate on Your Word, so that You can do greater works in me and through 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.

DO YOU KNOW THE MIND OF THE WICKED?

 Do You Know the Mind of the Wicked? 

“For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.” Proverbs 4:16 (KJV)

Knowing the mind of the wicked puts you in a position to have dominance over them. The opening scripture has revealed to us the mind of the wicked against the children of God. As a believer in Christ Jesus, it is important to know your enemy so that you can guard yourself against his attacks (John 8:44). Beloved, since your enemy’s mindset is to make you fall, and he is capable of staying awake to accomplish his purpose, you as a believer in Christ should also be on the alert. Do not sleep too much; spend time to pray and fortify yourself. Sometimes you have to pray at midnight hours to get the right kind of results you need (Psalms 119:62). The enemy through his demons may not want you to pray; giving you all the excuses for avoiding prayer sections in the church and the prayer schedule you have designed for yourself. Be steadfast to pray even when you don’t feel like it, and you will be positioning yourself to defeat all the strategies of the wicked against your life (1 Timothy 2:8). Hallelujah! Pray without ceasing!

Prayer Point: Gracious Father, thank You for showing me the mindset of the wicked. Please help me schedule time to pray during the day and during the night. Let me prioritize prayer without making excuses, thereby keeping the enemy under my feet; so I am able to receive all the blessings You have in store for 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.

BE CANDID IN YOUR PRAYERS!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY MARCH 15, 2021.

SUBJECT: BE CANDID IN YOUR PRAYERS! 

Memory verse: "But Hannah answered and said, “No , my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD." (First Samuel 1 vs 15.)

READ: First Samuel 1 vs 10 - 11; 15 - 16:

1:10: And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the LORD and wept in anguish.

1:11: Then she made a vow and said, “O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, But will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.

1:15: But Hannah answered and said, “No , my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD. 

1:16: Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.

INTIMATION:

Knowing that God is an All-knowing God, go to Him in prayers with total sincerity of heart, and frankness in all intents and purposes. Don't keep anything back. Don't ask for what you really don't want, or promise to do something you can't or won't do. Remember He already knows your heart. 

In the passage we read today, the Scripture tells us the story of Hannah. She had no child for her husband who really loved her. She was greatly discouraged and bitter because the husband's other wife had children and ridiculed her. Her loving husband could not solve her problem. She then turned in prayer to the Provider of solutions to all problems. Eventually, Hannah discovered that an honest and fervent prayer opens the way for God to work. Hannah made a vow in return for having a mail child, to dedicate him to God for a lifetime service. God gave her a son named Samuel. She lived up to her promise, and God even blessed her with five more children excluding Samuel. 

Each of us may face times of barrenness when nothing seems to work in our life—our work, service, or even relationships. It is difficult to pray in faith when we feel so ineffective, but Hannah did. Hannah so desperately wanted a child that she was willing to strike a bargain with God. God took her up on her promise, and to her credit, she did her part, even though it was painful. We should always be careful what we promise in prayer because God may take you up on it. 

Although, we are not in a position to barter with God, He may still choose to answer a prayer that has an attached promise. When you pray, ask yourself, 'Will I follow through on any promises I make to God if He grants my request?' It is dishonest and dangerous to ignore a promise, especially to God. God keeps His promises, and He expects you to keep yours. The antidote to discouragement is telling God honestly of your problem; sincerely how you feel, and then leave your problems with Him.

God created you and knows you. All you are passing through, and the circumstances surrounding you in life are all known to Him, hence He is called “the All knowing God.” If you know this why present yourself in prayers in partial sincerity. God hate lies, and liars are of the devil—the father of it. Prayers without complete sincerity is a sin, and an abomination before God.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are the All knowing God, and Your desire is that we worship You in truth. Liars You hate and despise. I will lay myself bare before You at all times and commune with You in prayers in complete frankness, for You already know my thoughts before I say them, and is pleased with the truth. Give me the grace to be truthful in all my communion with You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!