GIVING UNDUE RECOGNITION TO SATAN!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY APRIL 23, 2021.

SUBJECT: GIVING UNDUE RECOGNITION TO SATAN!

Memory verse: "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.” (Second Corinthians 2 vs 14.)

READ: Colossians 2 vs 13 - 15:

2:13: And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,

2:14: having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

2:15: Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

INTIMATION:

Everything that Jesus did is accredited to us. The entire substitutionary work of Christ was for us. He didn't conquer Satan for Himself. He didn't put sin away for Himself. He didn't suffer the judgement that would have fallen upon the sinners for Himself. But He suffered it on our behalf, and we have entered into His victory, it is accredited to us. So Satan now is a defeated enemy. The enemy of our souls—the Adversary, the ruler of this world, who always leads us to sin, that is, to rebel against God, and constantly accusing us before God for our sins, was flatly defeated when God sent His Son, Jesus, to legally pay the penalty of sin on our behalf. 

Satan was defeated before Jesus arose from the dead. We are seen as crucified with Christ (Romans 6 vs 6; Galatians 2 vs 20), died with Christ (Romans 6 vs 8), buried with Christ (Romans 6 vs 4), suffered with Christ (Romans 8 vs 17; First Peter 1 vs 4; 4 vs 13), justified with Christ (Romans 5 vs 1), made alive with Christ (Romans 6 vs 8), conquered the Adversary with Christ, and then were raised together with Him (Ephesians 2 vs 5 - 6; Colossians 2 vs 13), and now we are seated together with Him (Ephesians 2 vs 6). That shows us our utter oneness and union with Christ.

In the passage we read today, the Scripture says that Jesus wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. That is, one the legal demands of the Old Testament Law. The law opposed us by its demands for payment for our sin (Ezekiel 18 vs 4; Romans 6 vs 23). And Jesus Christ has taken it out of the way, haven legally paid the penalty, and nailed the requirements to the cross.  

The war against Satan was fought and won for us by Christ on the cross. Christ disarmed Satan and his demons on the cross, and stripped the defeated enemy of his armor on the battlefield. He triumphed over them and made a public spectacle of them on the cross for all to see, Therefore, there is no denial of the fact, and hence God declared us not guilty, and we need no longer live under sin’s power—the devil’s power. He delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love (Colossians 1 vs 13).

We are recreated in Christ when we accepted the substitutionary work of Christ for us. We war not with flesh and blood, not with humans, but with demons who know that we are, in Jesus' Name, their masters. Every demon knows that you, the recreated one, is his master. We enjoy our new lives in Christ because we have joined Him in His death and resurrection. Our evil desires, our bondage to sin, and our love of sin died with Him. Now, joining Him in His resurrection life, we may have unbroken fellowship with God, and we can be clean and new. 

Satan and his cohorts rule us by subterfuge, by bluff, by deception. For instance, they put diseases upon us and hold us in bondage through our ignorance of what we are in Christ and what belongs to us. Once they know you know your rights in Christ, you are free from their attacks. Let us know, claim, and exercise our rights in Christ.

However, God does not take us out of the world or make us robots, we will still feel like sinning, and sometimes will sin. The difference is that before we were saved, we were slaves to our sinful nature, but now we are free to live for Christ.

Jesus Christ was glorified when He finished the work and declared so (John 19 vs 30), Now He sits at the right hand of the Father—the hand of authority, in the heavenly places, and with all the authorities handed over to Him (Matthew 28 vs 18). He is the head of the body—the church (Colossians 1 vs 18), and He sits in heaven with His bod far above principalities and powers. And the head cannot be without the body. The Father has qualified us, as the body, to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for the wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption You gave us in Jesus Christ. Give me the grace to always exercise my rights in Christ thereby putting the Adversary far away from me, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Five Reasons to Be Fearless

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32)

The reason God wants us not to be afraid concerning money or other things of the world is because that fearlessness — that freedom from anxiety — will magnify five great things about him.

First, not being afraid shows that we treasure God as our Shepherd. “Fear not, little flock.” We are his flock and he is our Shepherd. And if he is our Shepherd, then Psalm 23:1 applies: “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want” — that is, I shall not lack anything I truly need.

Second, not being afraid shows that we treasure God as our Father. “It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” We are not only his little flock; we are also his children, and he is our Father. He really cares and really knows what you need and will work for you to be sure that you have what you need.

Third, not being anxious shows that we treasure God as King. “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” He can give us the “kingdom” because he is the King. This adds a tremendous element of power to the one who provides for us. “Shepherd” connotes protection and provision. “Father” connotes love and tenderness and authority and provision and guidance. “King” connotes power and sovereignty and wealth.

Fourth, not being afraid shows how free and generous God is. Notice, he gives the kingdom. “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” He doesn’t sell the kingdom or rent the kingdom or lease the kingdom. He is infinitely wealthy and does not need our payments. So, God is generous and free with his bounty. And this is what we magnify about him when we are not afraid, but trust him with our needs.

Finally, not being afraid — not being anxious — shows that we trust that God really wants to do this. “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” It delights him. He is not begrudging. It makes him glad to give us the kingdom. Not all of us had fathers like this, who were made happy by giving instead of getting. But that sorrow is not the main thing any more, because now you can have such a Father, and Shepherd, and King.

So, the point of this verse is that we should treasure God as our Shepherd and Father and King who is generous and happy to give us the kingdom of God — to give us heaven, to give us eternal life and joy, and everything we need to get there. 

If we treasure God in this way, we will be fearless and God will be worshiped.

OUR VICTORY IS IN THE WRITTEN WORD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY APRIL 22, 2021.

SUBJECT: OUR VICTORY IS IN THE WRITTEN WORD! 

Memory verse: "This Book of the Law shall depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." (Joshua 1 vs 8.)

READ: Matthew 4 vs 3 - 11:

4:3: Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

4:4: But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

4:5: Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple,

4:6: and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you, and ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”

4:7: Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’” 

4:8: Again the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.

4:9: And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

4:10: Then Jesus said to Him, ‘Away with you, Satan! For it is written, “You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”

4:11: Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

INTIMATION:

The guarantee for our all-in victorious life is observing to do all that is written in the Bible (The Book of the Law). It, not only makes you prosperous, but also, guarantees your good success and victory on every side. We have God ordained guiders written in the Word of God. Locating the guiders (what is written), and utilizing them is the only compass you require to successfully navigate through the world’s challenges and circumstances. Not locating the guiders nor recognizing them, is the cause of your stay in the problem. 

The Bible has been with us for nearly two thousand years, and the early books of the Old Testament have existed almost twice that long. Its enduring life attests to its contents of living words of the Creator. Its amazing stories, astonishing miracles, and intriguing facts, and above all, great spiritual treasures are put together by God inspired minds for our guide to our preordained heritage in Christ.

Even today, modern scholar or scientist is hard-pressed to provide a logical, natural explanation for the events described in the Bible. We must rely on the Bible’s authors’ (men inspired by the Holy Spirit) interpretations to shed light on otherwise inconceivable happenings. Their confident understanding of these events points us beyond ourselves to consider the One who created all things.

Satan, God's greatest enemy, and the accuser of brethren, knows those things that are written, and is a master at turning those guiders of life around, and away from you, as you struggle with your problem. The enemy wants to prevent you from reaching your promised land and God's glorious provision for you. That is why your Bible may have been used by you to decorate your table or build up your bookshelf. For some, the best location of the Bible is under their pillow. To open and read the Bible is a tug of war.

The Bible in Hebrews 4 vs 15 noted that Jesus was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin, because He knew what is written in the Book, and ensured He strictly observed them. Ephesians 6 vs 17 says that God’s Word is a sword to use in spiritual combat. Knowing the Bible verses is an important step in helping you resist the devil’s attack, but we must also obey the Bible. Note that Satan had memorized the Scripture, but he failed to obey it. Not obeying the Scripture makes you the devil’s child.

The life of Jesus Christ clearly illustrates the concept of Satan's plan of action. Satan tried to turn the guiders around when Jesus was in the wilderness through a series of temptations. Each time Satan tempted Him, Jesus responded, "It is written." Satan twisted the Scripture, trying to keep the Son of God from fulfilling His mission at the cross. If Satan twisted Scripture with Jesus Christ, he will most assuredly twist Scripture with you. The false doctrine taught in many churches today is nothing less than the prince of darkness turning the guiders (what is written) around as the pastors lead their congregation away from God's purpose and prevent them from entering into His provision for their lives.

How are you reacting to the works of the devil in turning around the guiders before you? Satan is the father of lies, and there is no truth in him. The apostle Peter remarks in First Peter 5 vs 8 - 9, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith...." 

The children of Israel were in their problem for forty years. Jesus was in the problem for forty days. What made the difference? The answer is this: Jesus walked straight through the wilderness by following strictly the guiders (what is written) in the Scripture. The children of Israel made a career of their wilderness experience by refusing to obey the Lord's direction. Even after they walked out of the land of their captivity, their hearts remained full of idolatrous habits and negative attitudes, formed by four hundred and thirty years of slavery. They were out of Egypt, but Egypt was still in them.

Jesus never failed to look at the guiders. He obeyed fully, without equivocation, the Words of His Father. Don't stay in your problem longer than you need to. Strictly be guided by those things written in the Word.

Prayer: Abba Father, You have made all things simple and available in Your Word. You and Your Word is one. Engrace me to lead my life in studying and observing to do all that is written in Your Word, that I may be victorious in all fronts, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

The Key to Radical Love

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11–12)

One of the questions I posed while preaching on loving our enemies from Matthew 5:44 was, How do you love the people who kidnap you and then kill you?

How can we do this? Where does the power to love like this come from? Just think how astonishing this is when it appears in the real world! Could anything show the truth and power and reality of Christ more than this? 

I believe Jesus gives us the key to this radical, self-sacrificing love, described in Matthew 5:44, earlier in the very same chapter. 

In Matthew 5:11–12, he is again talking about being persecuted, just like he was when he said in Matthew 5:44, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” What is remarkable about these verses is that Jesus says that you are able not only to endure the mistreatment of the enemy, but rejoice in it. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you. . . . Rejoice and be glad.”

This seems even more beyond our reach than praying for our enemies or doing good to them. If I could do this humanly impossible thing — namely, rejoice in being persecuted — then it would be possible to love my persecutors. If the miracle of joy in the midst of the horror of injustice and pain and loss could happen, then the miracle of love for the perpetrators could happen too.

Jesus gives the key to joy in these verses. He says, “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.” The key to joy is faith in God’s future grace — that is, being satisfied in all that God promises to be for you. He says, “Rejoice, for your reward is great in heaven.” Our joy in persecution is the joy of heaven streaming back into this moment of horror and setting us free to love. So, this joy is the freeing power to love our enemies when they persecute us. 

If that is true, then the command to love is implicitly also a command to set our minds on things that are above — all that God promises to be for us — not on things that are on the earth (Colossians 3:2).

The command to love our enemy is a command to find our hope and our deepest soul-satisfaction in God and his great reward — his future grace. The key to radical love is faith in future grace. We must be persuaded in the midst of our agony that the love of God is “better than life” (Psalm 63:3). Loving your enemy doesn’t earn you the reward of heaven. Treasuring the reward of heaven empowers you to love your enemy.

SOME PROBLEMS ARE PATHWAY TO GOD’S PROMISE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY APRIL 21, 2021.

SUBJECT: SOME PROBLEMS ARE PATHWAY TO GOD’S PROMISE! 

Memory verse: "Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in furnace of affliction." (Isaiah 48 vs 10.)

READ: Roman 5 vs 3 - 4; James 1 vs 2 - 4:

Romans 5:3: And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 

5:4: and perseverance, character, and character, hope.

James 1:2: My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,

1:3: knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

1:4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 

INTIMATION:

Everybody faces problems in life, therefore, expect them. They sometimes are part of God's plan for believers in preparation for the scriptural promises for His children. Therefore, don't allow them to separate you from God's divine destiny for your life. Don't run away from your problems, face them squarely, accept God's promise of help, correct your attitudes, and act as you should.

God begins leading us to our divine destiny by giving us a scriptural promise. The promise is followed by a problem or series of problems, meant to bring us to the level of spiritual maturity whereby we can receive His miracle provision. If we reject His provision by not accepting the problems and facing them, we will miss our divine destiny, and we will live our life without meaning or purpose.

 A classic biblical illustration that helps us understand the absolute truth of problems, promise, and provision is found in the example of fate of the children of Israel in the hands of God. God made a covenant with Abraham and promised him that he will be a father of many nations. God particularly promised Abraham, and emphasized His promise to his son, Isaac, and grandson, Jacob, that He would give their descendants a nation whose boundaries are forever specified in Scripture. This promised land, a land flowing with milk and honey, would be God's miracle provision.

Famine drove the household of Jacob to Egypt, where God had sent Joseph his son ahead as their savior. Joseph's problems in the hands of his brothers, and while he was in Potiphar's house were God's divine arrangements geared toward His promise, and their miracle provisions. A Pharaoh who knew not Joseph came, and the Israelites were so much oppressed in the hands of the Egyptian king. God sent Moses as their deliverer and brought them out of the land of Egypt in the first Passover, which led them to their exodus out of Pharaoh's bondage.

Then came the problems; at the Red Sea, with the idol crafted by Aaron at Mount Sinai, and at the tent of meeting where two hundred and fifty Israelites who rebelled against Moses were buried alive by God in an earthquake. The children of Israel were stuck in the wilderness (their problem) for forty years, when it could have taken them only forty days to arrive at their promise. 

It was while in problems that God exposed the inner weaknesses preventing His children from reaching their destiny. They murmured against God, forgetting in a hurry His mighty acts, His promises, and were full of unbelief. Eventually God allowed the children of Israel to reach the Promised Land—His provision and their divine destiny. 

In one of the passages we read today, the apostle James says, “When you face trials” and not, “If You face trials,” because he presumes that we will have trials and that it is possible to profit from them. The point is not that we should pretend to be happy when we face problems, but that we should have a positive outlook because of what the problems can produce in our life. That is why he said we should 'count it all joy.' His advice is that we should turn our hardships into times of learning, especially its lesson on patience which is also called perseverance and steadfastness.

In the passage we read in Romans, the apostle Paul tells us that we will experience difficulties that help us grow. We rejoice in suffering, not because we like pain or deny its tragedy, but because we know God is using life’s difficulties and Satan’s attacks to build our character. The problems we run into will develop our perseverance, which in turn will strengthen our character, deepen our trust in God, and give us greater confidence about the future.

You probably find your patience tested in some way every day. Thank God for those opportunities to grow. Instead of complaining about our struggles, we should see them as opportunities for growth. Thank God for promising to be with you in tough times. Ask Him to help you solve your problems or to give you the strength to endure them. Then be patient. God will not leave you alone with your problems, He will stay close and help you grow. If you tarry, He will deliver His promises, and your provisions will come. He is an unchanging God, and never fails. He wants to make us mature and complete, not to keep us from all pains. 

Prayer: Abba Father, I know that all things work together for good to them that love You, to them that You are the called according to Your purpose. And I love You with all my heart. The gift of Your only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for my sins shows Your unparalleled love and thoughts for me. Give me the grace to remain steadfast, not shaken by any circumstances I face, knowing that Your thoughts for me are for good; to give me a future, and bring me to the expected end, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Afraid to Stray

Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind! (Psalm 31:19)

Consider two important truths in Psalm 31:19.

1. The goodness of the Lord

There is a peculiar goodness of God. That is, there is not only God’s general goodness that he shows to all people, making his sun rise on the evil and the good (Matthew 5:45), but also a peculiar goodness, as the psalm says, for “those who fear” him.

This goodness is abundant beyond measure. It is boundless. It lasts forever. It is all-encompassing. There is only goodness for those who fear him. Everything works together for their good (Romans 8:28). Even their pains are filled with profit according to Romans 5:3–5.

But those who do not fear him receive a temporary goodness. Romans 2:4–5 describes it like this: “Do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.” Kindness. Forbearance. Patience. Goodness. But it does not meet with the fear of the Lord, but hardness.

That’s the first truth: the goodness of the Lord.

2. The fear of the Lord

The fear of the Lord is the fear of straying from him. Therefore, it expresses itself in taking refuge in God. That’s why two conditions are mentioned in Psalm 31:19 — fearing the Lord and taking refuge in him. “Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have 1) stored up for those who fear you and 2) worked for those who take refuge in you!”

They seem to be opposites. Fear seems to drive away and taking refuge seems to draw in. But when we see that this fear is a fear of running away — a fear of straying from him — then they work together.

There is a real trembling in the heart of the saints. “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). But it is the trembling one feels in the arms of a Father who has just plucked his child from the undertow of the ocean. It is the trembling at the terrible prospect of thinking we don’t need a Father.

So, cherish the goodness of the Lord. Fear straying from him. Flee from every sin and take refuge in him. “Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you!”

A LOVELESS LIFE IS WORTHLESS!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY APRIL 20, 2021.

SUBJECT: A LOVELESS LIFE IS WORTHLESS! 

Memory verse: "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing." (First Corinthians 13 vs 3.)

READ: First Corinthians 13 vs 1 - 8:

13:1: Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

13:2: And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

13:3: And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

13:4: Love suffers long and is kin; love does not envy, love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;

13:5: does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;

13:6: does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;

13:7: bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

13:8: Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

INTIMATION:

Life without love is worthless, purposeless, and godless. We are often preoccupied with our own self, and act as if relationships are something to be squeezed into our schedule. We think always that we are doing others favor by loving them. But that is wrong, instead we are doing ourselves the favor of walking in the command of God to fulfill His law. 

We talk about finding time for our children or making time for people in our lives. That gives the impression that relationships are just part of our lives along with many other tasks. But God says relationships are what life is all about. Four of the Ten Commandments deal with our relationship to God while the other six deal with our relationships with people. But all ten are about relationships! We might say it is in Old Testament laws, but Jesus summarized what matters most to God in two statements: love God and love people: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 22 vs 37 - 40.)

Jesus says that if we truly love God and our neighbor, we will naturally keep all the “Ten Commandments.” The best tact to deal with this is rather than worrying about all we should not do, we should concentrate on all we can do to show love for God and others. After learning to love God, learning to love others is the second purpose of your life. Relationships, not achievements or the acquisition of things, are what matters most in life. Now you know this, why will you allow relationships to get the short end of the stick? When our schedules become overloaded, and overcrowded, we start skimming relationally, cutting back on giving the time, energy, and attention that loving relationships require. What is most important to God is displaced by what's urgent to you. 

Busyness is the greatest enemy to relationships. We become preoccupied with making a living, doing our work, paying bills, and accomplishing goals as if these tasks are the point of life. They are not. The point of life is learning to love God and people. Life minus love equals zero.

Our society confuses Love and lust. Unlike lust, God’s kind of love is directed outward toward others, not inward toward ourselves. It is utterly unselfish. This kind of love goes against our natural inclinations. It is impossible to have this love unless God helps us set aside our own natural desires so that we can love and not expect anything in return. 

God is love, and a source of our love. He loved us enough to sacrifice His Son for us. Jesus is our example of what it means to love; everything He did in life and death was supremely loving. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to love; He lives in our heart and make us more and more like Christ. God’s Love always involve a choice and an action, and our love should be like His.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are love, and I know You. My utmost heart desire is to live a life hinged on Your greatest commandments - to love You and others. Endue me with the spirit of love, that I may be worthy to be called Your Son, in Jesus’ Name I prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!