Dirty Rags No More!

Dirty Rags No More

We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. (Isaiah 64:6)

It is true that any shortcoming of God’s law offends his perfect holiness and makes us liable to judgment, since God cannot look with favor on any sin (Habakkuk 1:13; James 2:10–11). 

But what brought a person to ruin in the Old Testament (and it is the same for us today) was not the failure to have the righteousness of sinless perfection. What brought them to ruin was the failure to trust in the merciful promises of God, especially the hope that he would one day provide a Redeemer who would be a perfect righteousness for his people (“The Lord is our righteousness,” Jeremiah 23:6; 33:16). The Old Testament saints knew that this is how they were saved, and that this faith was the key to obedience, and that obedience was the evidence of this faith. 

It is terribly confusing when people say that the only righteousness that has any value is the imputed righteousness of Christ. To be sure, justification is not grounded on any of our righteousness — even Spirit-given righteousness by faith — but only on the righteousness of Christ imputed to us. But sometimes people are careless and speak disparagingly of all human righteousness, as if there were no such righteousness worked in us that pleased God. This is not helpful.

They often cite Isaiah 64:6, which says our righteousness is as filthy rags, or “a polluted garment.” 

But in the context, Isaiah 64:6 does not mean that all righteousness performed by God’s people is unacceptable to God. Isaiah is referring to people whose righteousness is in fact hypocritical. It is no longer righteousness. But in the verse just before this, Isaiah says that God approvingly meets “him who joyfully works righteousness” (Isaiah 64:5).

It’s true — gloriously true — that none of God’s people, before or after the cross, would be accepted by an immaculately holy God if the perfect righteousness of Christ were not imputed to us (Romans 5:19; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21). That is true! But that does not mean God does not produce in those very “justified” people an experiential righteousness that is not a “polluted garment” — even though it is not yet perfected. 

In fact, he does produce such a righteousness, and this righteousness is precious to God and is, in fact, required — not as the ground of our justification (which is the righteousness of Christ only), but as an evidence of our being truly justified children of God. This is what Paul prays for, and we should pray for. He prays in Philippians 1:10–11 “that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

GIVING WITH THE RIGHT ATTITUDE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY MAY 01, 2021.

SUBJECT : GIVING WITH THE RIGHT ATTITUDE!

Memory verse: "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you" (Luke 6 vs 38).

READ: Psalm 50 vs 7 - 15:

50 vs 7: Hear, O My people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you; I am God, your God! 

8: I will not rebuke you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, which are continually before Me. 

9: I will not take a bull from your house, nor goats out of your folds. 

10: For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. 

11: I know all the birds of the mountains, and the wild beast of the field are Mine. 

12: "If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness. 

13: Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? 

14: Offer to God thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High.

15: Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.

INTIMATION:

The attitude with which you give, occasions the manner of your receiving. God demands the right attitude of devotion to Him in our services. The right attitude in giving ensures receiving rightly from God. When you give with a wrong attitude, or in a wrong manner, you receive nothing from God. For instance, the religious rituals of going to church, taking Communion, paying tithes, giving to charity, or to the church, are all empty if our motives of doing them are selfish. God doesn't want these sacrifices and offerings without an attitude of devotion to Him. 

Many believers participate in such religious activities enumerated above out of habit or conformity rather than out of heartfelt love and obedience to God. Some give to be recognized; be seen as a financial pillar in the church or ministry, or for self-actualization, not our of love, and obedient obligation to the LORD.

In our memory verse, we have seen that our receiving is tied to our giving. Note, most importantly, that the Scripture says, "the measure we use," not "the measure we give." Many people confuse the two statements. If we give in love, we receive in lovely manner, but if give in hate, or grudgingly, we receive in like manner. If we are critical rather than compassionate, we will also receive criticism. If we treat others generously, graciously, and compassionately, these qualities will come back to us in full measure. We are to love others, not judge them.

In the passage we read, God was saying to His chosen people that His disagreement with them wasn't about a lack of sacrifices on their part; they had been offering sacrifices continually. Israel was faithful in legally performing the sacrifices of the law. That was not God’s complaint against them. His complaint against them was the heart attitude they had in making offerings. They were not offering the sacrifices with a heart of obedient devotion and thanksgiving that give Him glory. They were going through the motions of making the offerings, but they weren't giving their hearts to God.

They thought they were making the sacrifices because God somehow needed their bulls and goats. In this Scripture, God was making it clear that He didn't need anything from them; everything already belongs to the Lord. God said, "If I were hungry, I wouldn't tell you! The world is Mine, and everything in it." He doesn't need to ask anyone for food. The truth is that the Israelites needed those sacrifices; they needed to give back to God and show their trust and dependence upon Him. It wasn't for God, it is for them. The same is applicable to us today.

God doesn't need your giving today any more than He needed those Old Testament sacrifices. The point of your giving is for you to learn to recognize God as the source of all you have (John 3 vs 27). It is one thing to say you believe God is your source, but it is another thing to prove it. The way you prove to yourself, not God, that you believe God is your source, is to give a portion of what you have back to Him. Hence the reason for tithing. People who don't really see God as their source are going to balk at giving part of what they have away. But giving back some of what God has already given you is an act of devotion to Him, recognizing as your source.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are my everything. All I have You have given me. I am nothing without You. You greatly love me and gave Your only Son for me, to die the death I ought to have died for my sins. Endue with with the spirit of love and full devotion to You, that I will receive in good measure from You, in Jesus' Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Fifteen Tactics for Joy

 Fifteen Tactics for Joy

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:11)

In this life of sin and pain, joy is embattled. Just like faith. And Paul says to Timothy, “Fight the good fight of the faith” (1 Timothy 6:12). So it is with joy. We must work for it and fight for it. Paul said to the Corinthians, “We work with you for your joy” (2 Corinthians 1:24).

How then shall we fight for joy? Here are 15 pointers.

Realize that authentic joy in God is a gift.Realize that joy must be fought for relentlessly. And don’t be put off by the paradox of these first two pointers!Resolve to attack all known sin in your life, by the power of the Holy Spirit.Learn the secret of gutsy guilt — how to fight like a justified sinner.Realize that the battle is primarily a fight to see — to see God for who he is.Meditate on the word of God day and night.Pray earnestly and continually for open heart-eyes and an inclination for God.Learn to preach to yourself rather than listen to yourself.Spend time with God-saturated people who help you see God and fight the fight.Be patient in the night of God’s seeming absence.Get the rest, exercise, and proper diet that your body was designed by God to have.Make a proper use of God’s revelation in nature — take a walk in the woods.Read great books about God and biographies of great saints.Do the hard and loving thing for the sake of others (your verbal witness and deeds of mercy).Get a global vision for the cause of Christ, and pour yourself out for the unreached. 

Every one of those has Bible verses to support it. If you want to see them, they are in the book When I Don’t Desire God: How to Fight for Joy.

GOD IS OUR TEACHER!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY APRIL 30, 2021

SUBJECT : GOD IS OUR TEACHER!

Memory verse: "This says the LORD, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go." (Isaiah 48 vs 17.)

READ: Psalm 25 vs 4 - 5 & 8 - 10:

25:4: Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths.

25:5: Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.

25:8: Good and upright is the LORD; Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.

25:9: The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way.

25:10: All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth. To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.

 

INTIMATION:

God instructs us on how to live. He sent His only Son to be a Model of His teaching, and it was one of the main aspects of Christ’s ministry. Teaching us shows God's concern for understanding. The other aspects of Christ's ministry were preaching, and healing. Preaching shows His concern for commitment. His miracles of healing authenticated His teaching and preaching, proving that He truly was from God. The Bible says of Jesus: "Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people" (Matthew 9 vs 35).

Like a loving parent, God teaches and directs us. The Bible, in Psalm 48 vs 14, says:- "For this is God, Our God forever and ever. He will be our guide Even unto death." We need both God's guidance, and His guide ; a map that gives us landmarks and directions (The Bible). The Holy Spirit of God indwelling us is the constant companion and guardian. He has an intimate knowledge of the way and makes sure we interpret the map correctly. As loving parents, God teaches and guides us. We should listen to Him because peace and righteousness come to us as we obey His Word. Refusing to pay attention to God's commands invites punishment and threatens that peace and righteousness.

We receive God's primary guidance system in His Word-/the Bible. By reading it and constantly learning from it, we will gain the wisdom to perceive God's direction for our lives. When we are willing to seek God, learn from His Word, and obey His commands, then we will receive His specific guidance. As you make your way through life, use both  the map and your Guide.

Unfortunately, we are bombarded today with relentless appeals to go in various directions, neglecting our specific Guide and Guardian. Television advertisements alone place hundreds of options before us, in addition to appeals made by cults, false religions, political parties, and dozens of other groups. Numerous organizations, including Christian organizations, seek to motivate us to support various causes of their choice respectively. 

Added to that, are the decisions we must make concerning our job, our family, our money, our society. All these decisions pull us in several directions, and we become desperate for someone to show us the right way. If you find yourself pulled in several directions, remember that God teaches the humble and right way.

Prayer: Abba Father, I love You Lord. Yours I am, and Yours I want to be. Show me the path of life, and endue me with the teachable and humble spirit that I may follow You till the end of age and earn Your approval, and consequently receive Your crown of glory in eternity, in Jesus' Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

The Day Is At Hand!

 

The Day Is At Hand

The night is far gone; the day is at hand. (Romans 13:12)

This is a word of hope to suffering Christians. It’s a word of hope to Christians who hate their own sin and long to be done with sinning. It’s a word of hope to Christians who long for the last enemy Death to be overcome and thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14).

How is it a word of hope for all these?

“The night” stands for this age of darkness and all its sin and misery and death. And what does Paul say about it? “The night is far gone.” The age of sin and misery and death is almost spent. The day of righteousness and peace and total joy is dawning.

You might say, “2,000 years seems like a long dawn.” From one standpoint it is. And we cry, How long, O Lord, how long will you let it go on? But the biblical way to think goes beyond this lament of “How long!” It looks at world history differently.

The key difference is that the “day” — the new age of the Messiah — has really dawned in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the end of this fallen age. That is, the end of this fallen age has, as it were, broken in to this world. Jesus defeated sin and pain and death and Satan when he died and rose again. The decisive battle of the ages is over. The kingdom has come. Eternal life has come.

And when dawn happens — as it did in the coming of Jesus — no one should doubt the coming of day. Not even if the dawn draws out 2,000 years. As Peter says in 2 Peter 3:8, “Do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” The dawn has come. The day has arrived. Nothing can stop the rising of the sun to full day.

EFFECTIVE STEWARDSHIP OF GOD'S GIFTS!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY APRIL 29, 2021.

SUBJECT : EFFECTIVE STEWARDSHIP OF GOD'S GIFTS!

Memory verse: "As each one has received a gift, minister to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." (First Peter 4 vs 10).

READ: First Corinthians 12 vs 4 - 7:

12:4: There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

12:5: There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.

12:6: And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God which works all in all.

12:7: But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all.

INTIMATION:

Stewardship is effectively managing another's resources, or resources committed into your care as yours. "Moreover it is required of a steward that one be found faithful" (First Corinthians 4 vs 2). The earth, the world, and the fullness thereof is the LORD'S (Psalm 24 vs 1; 89 vs 11). Therefore, we must realize that all gifts and abilities come from God. He has given us all those resources, gifts, and abilities for the achievements of His purposes and set objectives. Consequently, we should dedicate our all to God's service wholeheartedly, and not holding back anything, realizing that nothing is for our personal success. 

Though we are differently gifted in nature, power, and effectiveness, according to God's wisdom and graciousness, our role is to be faithful and seek ways to serve God and others with what He has given us. And that is being faithful, and effective stewards. Our abilities should be faithfully used in serving others; none are for our own exclusive enjoyment. Some people, well aware of their abilities, believe that they have the right to use their abilities as they please. Others feel that they have no special talents at all. However, everyone has some gifts; find yours and use them 

God is completely involved in the giving, using, and empowering of gifts. Specific gifts, places of service, and activities vary, but they all have their best effects when they build up the body of Christ—the church. God creates a unique place in the body for every believer. Gifts and ministries may overlap, but each believer has a specialized God-designed role. Part of the exciting adventure of following Christ involves discovering one’s service contribution and then making it available to God. Make serving God and His people your motive as you utilize your gifts.

Obviously, it is by the grace of God you are what you are. Therefore, be a good steward of what is entrusted to your care and management. Every one of us needs to realize that our possessions are entrusted to our care and management by God, and then ask ourselves what God wants us to do with it. The key to using our resources wisely is to see how much we can use for God's purpose, and that is real stewardship, not how much we can accumulate for ourselves. Real stewardship is reflected in the way you use your resources in order to reflect kingdom values more appropriately. 

Knowing that your possessions are really God's, makes you approach life with a totally different attitude; knowing that your attitude toward them is more important than what you do with them. When you identify your own gifts, ask how you can use them to build up God’s family. At the same time, realize that your gifts can’t do the work of the church all alone. Be thankful for people whose gifts are completely different from yours. Let your strengths balance their weaknesses, and be grateful that their abilities make up for your deficiencies. Together you can build Christ’s body—the church.

Prayer: Abba Father, my absolute trust is in You. I cast all my cares upon You because You cares for me. Endue me with the spirit of real stewardship, that I will manage the resources entrusted in my care appropriately, and in accordance with Your Will, in Jesus' Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

The Great Exchange

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed. (Romans 1:16–17)

We need righteousness to be acceptable to God. But we don’t have it. What we have is sin. 

So, God has what we need and don’t deserve — righteousness; and we have what God hates and rejects — sin. What is God’s answer to this situation? 

His answer is Jesus Christ, the Son of God who died in our place and bore our condemnation. “By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he [God] condemned sin in the flesh” (Romans 8:3). Whose flesh bore the condemnation? His. Whose sins were being condemned? Ours. This is the great exchange. Here it is again in 2 Corinthians 5:21: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

God lays our sins on Christ and punishes them in him. And in Christ’s obedient death, God fulfills and vindicates his righteousness and imputes (credits) it to us. Our sin on Christ; his righteousness on us.

We can hardly stress too much that Christ is God’s answer to our greatest problem. It is all owing to Christ. 

You can’t love Christ too much. You can’t think about him too much, or thank him too much, or depend upon him too much. All our forgiveness, all our justification, all our righteousness is in Christ.

This is the gospel — the good news that our sins are laid on Christ and his righteousness is laid on us, and that this great exchange becomes ours not by works but by faith alone. “By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9).

Here is the good news that lifts burdens and gives joy and makes strong.