A Dangerous Motive!

 A Dangerous Motive

“Who has given a gift to [God] that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. (Romans 11:35–36)

When it comes to obedience, gratitude is a dangerous motive. It tends to get expressed in debtor’s terms. For example, “Look how much God has done for you. Shouldn’t you, out of gratitude, do much for him?” Or, “You owe God everything that you are and have. What have you done for him in return?”

I have at least three problems with this kind of motivation.

First, it is impossible to pay God back for all the grace he has given us. We can’t even begin to pay him back, because Romans 11:35–36 says, “‘Who has given a gift to [God] that he might be repaid?’ [Answer: Nobody!] For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever.” We can’t pay him back because he already owns all we have to give him — including all our efforts.

Secondly, even if we succeeded in paying him back for all his grace to us, we would only succeed in turning grace into a business transaction. If we can pay him back, it was not grace. If someone tries to show you a special favor of love by having you over for dinner, and you end the evening by saying that you will pay them back by having them over next week, you nullify their grace and turn it into a trade. God does not like to have his grace nullified. He likes to have it glorified (Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14).

Thirdly, focusing on gratitude as a motive for obedience tends to overlook the crucial importance of having faith in God’s future grace. Gratitude looks back to grace received in the past and feels thankful. Faith looks forward to grace promised in the future — whether five minutes from now or five centuries from now — and feels hopeful. “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for” (Hebrews 11:1).

This faith in future grace is the motive for obedience that preserves the gracious quality of human obedience. Obedience does not consist in paying God back and thus turning grace into a trade. Obedience comes from trusting in God for more grace — future grace — and thus magnifying the infinite resources of God’s love and power. Faith looks to the promise, I will be “with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9), and ventures, in obedience, to take the land.

PUT ALL YOUR TRUST IN GOD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY MAY 4, 2021.

SUBJECT : PUT ALL YOUR TRUST IN GOD!

Memory verse: "Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain." (Palm 127 vs 1.)

READ: Psalm 121 vs 1 - 8: 

121:1: I will lift up my eyes to the hills--From whence comes my help? 

121:2: My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. 

121:3: He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber, 

121:4: Behold, He who keeps Israel neither slumber nor sleep. 

121:5: The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade at your right hand. 

121:6: The sun shall not strike you by day nor the moon by night. 

121:7: The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. 

121:8: The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in. From this time forth, and even forevermore.

INTIMATION:

When we establish a relationship with Christ, as our personal Lord and Savior, we need not fear because (1) God is with us, (2) God has established a relationship with us, (3) God gives us assurance of His strength, help, and victory over sin and death. God is our shelter, a refuge when we are afraid. Our faith in God as Protector would carry us through all the dangers and fears of life. Therefore, put all your trust in God, trading all your fears for faith in Him, no matter how intense your fears. To do this we must "dwell" or "abide" with Him. By entrusting ourselves to his protection and pledging our daily devotion to Him, we will be kept safe.

God is All-powerful; we should never trust a lesser power than God Himself. But not only is He All-powerful, He also watches over us. Nothing diverts or deters Him. We are safe and we never out grow our need for God's untiring watch over our lives. He is our help in our daily lives. He is our protection day and night and for all times. We are safe in Him. We never outgrow our need for God's untiring watch over our lives. We should never trust a lesser power than God Himself.

God watches over us, and is so personal with us that He knows our individual names. In all the individual encounters with God in the Scripture, God called every one of them by their names. This is an indication of His care over us. He knows us individually to our minutest details. Consider the leader of your country, he does not know you by name, let alone think about you. But the King of all creation, the Ruler of the universe, is thinking about you right now. Allow this truth to buoy up your self esteem. If God always has us in His thoughts, it is expected we should keep Him in our thoughts more faithfully. 

It seems impossible to consider the end of the world without becoming consumed by fear, but the Bible is clear; God is our refuge even in the face of total destruction. He is not merely a temporary retreat, He is our eternal refuge and can provide strength in any circumstances. When we feel seriously let down by life, we should remember that we still have one hope and our only hope—God.

Families establish homes and watchmen guard cities, but both these activities are futile unless God is in them. A family without God can never experience the spiritual bond God brings to relationships. A city without God will crumble from evil and corruption on the inside. Don't make the mistake of leaving God out of your life. If you do, all your accomplishments will be futile. Make God your highest priority, and let Him do the building.

When we turn to Christ, and establish a relationship with God, we should rest assured of His guidance, protection, and defense from everything that can try to harm us. When circumstances go against us, it is tempting to think that God also is against us. When facing problems, trials, suffering and death, we may feel like giving up in despair. But that is a lie from the pit of hell. If circumstances turn against you don't blame God but rather seek Him. God is all the hope we need because He promises to be a shield to protect us. God is for us and we should focus our thoughts on Him, knowing that He will restore our confidence in Him and the future He has planned for us.

God promises great blessings to His people, but many of these blessings require our active participation. He will deliver us from fear, save us out of our troubles, guard and deliver us, show us goodness, supply our needs, listen when we talk to Him, and redeem us, but we must do our part. We can appropriate His blessings when we seek Him, cry out to Him, trust Him, fear Him, refrain from lying, turn from evil, do good and seek peace, are humble ourselves and serve Him.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are my everything. In You I live, and move, and have my being. You are my refuge and my fortress, and in You I completely trust. You my Helper, and forever will be, and watching over me day and night. All glory, honor, thanksgiving, and adoration are Yours now and forever, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

How to Ask Forgiveness!

 

How to Ask Forgiveness

How to Ask Forgiveness

He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. (1 John 1:9)

I recall hearing one of my professors in seminary say that one of the best tests of a person’s theology was the effect it has on our prayers. 

This struck me as true because of what was happening in my own life. Noël and I had just been married and we were making it our practice to pray together each evening. I noticed that during the biblical courses which were shaping my theology most profoundly, my prayers were changing dramatically. 

Probably the most significant change in those days was that I was learning to make my case before God on the ground of his glory. Beginning with “Hallowed be Thy name” and ending with “In Jesus’s name” meant that the glory of God’s name was the goal and the ground of everything I prayed. 

And what a strength came into my life when I learned that praying for forgiveness should be based not only on an appeal to God’s mercy, but also on an appeal to his justice in crediting the worth of his Son’s obedience. God is faithful and just and will forgive your sins (1 John 1:9).

In the New Testament, the basis of all forgiveness of sins is revealed more clearly than it was in the Old Testament, but the basis, namely, God’s commitment to his name, does not change. 

Paul teaches that the death of Christ demonstrated God’s righteousness in passing over sins, and vindicated God’s justice in justifying the ungodly who bank on Jesus and not themselves (Romans 3:25–26). 

In other words, Christ died once for all to clear the name of God in what looks like a gross miscarriage of justice — the acquittal of guilty sinners simply for Jesus’s sake. But Jesus died in such a way that forgiveness “for Jesus’s sake” is the same as forgiveness “for the sake of God’s name.” There is no miscarriage of justice. God’s name, his righteousness, his justice is vindicated in the very act of providing such a God-honoring sacrifice. 

As Jesus said as he faced that last hour, “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name” (John 12:27–28). That is exactly what he did — so that he might be both just and the justifier of those who trust in Jesus (Romans 3:26).

He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. (1 John 1:9)

I recall hearing one of my professors in seminary say that one of the best tests of a person’s theology was the effect it has on our prayers. 

This struck me as true because of what was happening in my own life. Noël and I had just been married and we were making it our practice to pray together each evening. I noticed that during the biblical courses which were shaping my theology most profoundly, my prayers were changing dramatically. 

Probably the most significant change in those days was that I was learning to make my case before God on the ground of his glory. Beginning with “Hallowed be Thy name” and ending with “In Jesus’s name” meant that the glory of God’s name was the goal and the ground of everything I prayed. 

And what a strength came into my life when I learned that praying for forgiveness should be based not only on an appeal to God’s mercy, but also on an appeal to his justice in crediting the worth of his Son’s obedience. God is faithful and just and will forgive your sins (1 John 1:9).

In the New Testament, the basis of all forgiveness of sins is revealed more clearly than it was in the Old Testament, but the basis, namely, God’s commitment to his name, does not change. 

Paul teaches that the death of Christ demonstrated God’s righteousness in passing over sins, and vindicated God’s justice in justifying the ungodly who bank on Jesus and not themselves (Romans 3:25–26). 

In other words, Christ died once for all to clear the name of God in what looks like a gross miscarriage of justice — the acquittal of guilty sinners simply for Jesus’s sake. But Jesus died in such a way that forgiveness “for Jesus’s sake” is the same as forgiveness “for the sake of God’s name.” There is no miscarriage of justice. God’s name, his righteousness, his justice is vindicated in the very act of providing such a God-honoring sacrifice. 

As Jesus said as he faced that last hour, “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name” (John 12:27–28). That is exactly what he did — so that he might be both just and the justifier of those who trust in Jesus (Romans 3:26).

GOD WANTS OBEDIENCE WITHOUT HESITATION!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY MAY 3, 2021.

SUBJECT : GOD WANTS OBEDIENCE WITHOUT HESITATION!

Memory verse: "By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten" (Hebrews 11 vs 17).

READ: GENESIS 22 vs 1 - 12:

22:1: Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."

22:2: Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."

22:3: So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.

22:4: Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off.

22:5: And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you."

22:6: So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together.

22:7: But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am my son." Then he said, "Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?"

22:8: And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering." So the two of them went together.

22:9: Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order, and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 

22:10: And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

22:11: But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" So he said, "Here I am."

22:12: And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."

INTIMATION:

In the passage we read, Abraham demonstrated one of the greatest acts of obedience recorded in history. The child, Isaac, was born after waiting for a hundred years, when his own body was already dead. He was commanded by God to offer the child for a burnt offering, even when he had no hope for another child, more so when God's promise to him was just for a child, and the child had been given to him. He undertook a three days journey of 50 miles to Mount Moriah to perform the sacrifice of his promised son, his only son, in obedience to God's command. His obedience was prompt and complete, and without hesitation.

Obeying God is often a struggle when it means giving up something we truly want; a relationship, habit, asset, emotion, and so on, or doing something against our wish or belief. We should not always expect our obedience to God to be easy or to come naturally. You can imagine how difficult it ought to be for Abraham, performing a human sacrifice of his only son of old age, in a burnt offering, a ritual practiced by pagan nations, and condemned by God as a terrible sin (Leviticus 20 vs 1 - 5). But in all these, Abraham's obedience without hesitation.

Although, God did not want Isaac to die, He was only testing Abraham; wanted Abraham to sacrifice Isaac in his heart so it would be clear that Abraham loved God more than he loved his promised and long awaited son. The purpose of testing is to strengthen our character and deepen our commitment to God and His perfect timing. Through this difficult experience, Abraham strengthened his commitment to obey God, and also, learned about God's ability to provide.

Even when obedience bring problems and hardship, it should without hesitation. For instance, when God sent Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh, and they took their message to Pharaoh just as God directed. The unhappy result was harder work and more oppression for the Hebrews. (Exodus 5 vs 1 - 9). Whatever you suffer because of obedience to God does not mean falling out of God's favor. The task or command might seem impossible, and the chances for success appear slim, but the bottom line is to obey. Anyone can obey God when the task is easy and everyone is behind it. Only those with persistent faith can obey when the task seems impossible. 

We should obey God even when we don't understand why. It is wise to precisely follow God's specific instructions. We may not fully understand the reasons behind God's instructions, but we do know that His wisdom is complete and His judgement infallible. We should obey God in all things. Selective obedience is really disobedience. Sometimes people compromise and give only partial obedience to God's commands. But commitment and obedience to God cannot be negotiated. God cannot be obeyed in half measures, or with hesitation (Genesis 19 vs 26 on Lot's wife).

Also, God is not obeyed in carelessness.  Careful Obedience to God is showing respect for Him. Aaron's sons were careless about following the laws, and in response God destroyed them with a blast of fire ( Leviticus 10 vs 1 - 2). It is easy for us to grow careless about obeying God, to live our way instead of God's, but if one way were just as good as another, God would not have commanded us to live His way. God always has good reasons for His commands, and we always place ourselves in danger when we consciously or carelessly disobey Him.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are the only God, and there is no other. Your thoughts for us is of good, and not of evil. I believe and put my absolute trust in You, and it is my wish to obey Your commands always without hesitation. Strengthen me in my commitment to You as I have no power of my own to obey You in all things without hesitation, in Jesus Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

God Demonstrates His Love!

God Demonstrates His Love!

God shows [demonstrates] his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

Notice that “demonstrates” is present tense and “died” is past tense. “God demonstrates his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

The present tense implies that this demonstrating is an ongoing act that keeps happening today. And will keep happening tomorrow.

The past tense “died” implies that the death of Christ happened once for all and will not be repeated. “Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).

Why did Paul use the present tense (“God demonstrates”)? I would have expected Paul to say, “God demonstrated (past tense) his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Was not the death of Christ, when it happened, the demonstration of God’s love? And did not that demonstration happen in the past?

I think the clue is given a few verses earlier. Paul has just said that “suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame” (Romans 5:3–5). 

In other words, the goal of everything God takes us through is hope. He wants us to feel unwaveringly hopeful through all tribulations.

But how can we? 

Paul answers in the next line: “Because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:5). God’s love has been poured into our hearts. The tense of this verb means that God’s love was poured out in our hearts in the past (at our conversion) and is still present and active.

God did demonstrate his love for us in giving his own Son to die once for all in the past for our sins (Romans 5:8). But he also knows that this past love must be experienced as a present reality (today and tomorrow) if we are to have patience and character and hope. 

Therefore, he not only demonstrated it on Calvary; he goes on demonstrating it now by the Spirit in our hearts. He does this by opening the eyes of our hearts to taste and see the glory of the cross and the guarantee it gives that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38–39).

THE EVER CHANGING MAN VERSUS THE UNCHANGING GOD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY MAY 02, 2021.

SUBJECT : THE EVER CHANGING MAN VERSUS THE UNCHANGING GOD!

Memory verse: "For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob." (Malachi 3 vs 6.)

READ: Hebrews 13 vs 8:

13:8: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

INTIMATION:

We have seen God personally acknowledge His unchanging Nature in our memory verse above. God cannot be your Father today, and tomorrow He is no more. No! Everything about Him is permanent. What He is yesterday He is today, and forever remain the same. In a changing world we can only trust our unchanging Lord!

About four thousand years ago our loving Father guided the children of Israel out of Egypt. They came to the Red Sea, He parted the waters, and the people of Israel rejoiced with God's faithfulness to them. Three days later, they were faced with a challenge; they found no water until they got to Marah. Unfortunately, the water in Marah was bitter, and they couldn't drink it. But the children of Israel were found complaining and questioning, "What shall we drink?" They, in a short while, forgot the mightiness of God, which He had displayed to them just a few miles back. (Exodus 14 & 15 vs 22-24). Nonetheless, that didn't change God.

Two thousand years later, a band of twelve hand-chosen disciples saw the power of God displayed through the Lord Jesus, as He performed the incredible miracle of feeding the five thousand people with five loaves and two fish. A similar situation faced them another time, which was an opportunity that came their way to exercise their faith, in feeding four thousand others, but they too questioned the permanence of Jesus' ability. (Matthew 14 vs 15-21 & 15 vs 32-38).

In Mark 8 vs 17 - 21, Jesus reckoned with the faithlessness, and non-understanding of His permanent Nature by His disciples: "....Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened? Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up? They said to Him "Twelve." Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up? And they said, "Seven." So He said to them, "How is it you do not understand?"

Jesus rebuked the disciples for their hard hearts. Today the hard hearts abound everywhere, even among believers. We see the same attitude in our day and age. How easily we throw up our hands in despair when faced with difficult situations. Like the disciples, we often forget that if God has cared for us in the past, He will do the same now. When facing a difficult situation, remember that God cares for you and trust Him to work faithfully again.

If you were to be honest, you might be able to remember a time when you responded in the same manner. You may have seen God's handiwork in your life, yet you later questioned if God could work in those ways ever again. Ask yourself these questions: Has God changed? Is He no longer the caring Father you need Him to be?

In Romans 3 vs 3 - 5, the apostle Paul in teaching the Roman church about God's permanence, even in judgement. He said, "Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar." God cannot deny Himself and He has said He can never change.

God is a Prepared Father. Nothing surprises our Heavenly Father because He is capable of handling every situation. We are told in Luke 1 vs 37: "For nothing is impossible with God." What great news. We may have limitations, but not our Father in heaven. 

Prayer: Abba Father, You are my permanent, perfect, and prepared Father. You have always been there for me, and have never changed. Give me the grace to completely trust in You, looking up unto You in every situation I face in life, knowing that in my unfaithfulness You have remained faithful and will never change, in Jesus' Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD! 

Prayer Point, Wishes, Messages!

 

Prayer Point, Wishes, Messages

A compilation of the best short happy new year 2021 messages, wishes and new year family prayer points can be seen below:

1. Heavenly Father, thank you for the New Year 2021. I bless and appreciate your name for making me see this New Year.
2. Dear Lord, thank you, for irrespective of the fact that I passed through too many struggles last year 2020, you saw me through.
3. Almighty Father, I appreciate you for your presence in my life every day in 2019. Thank you in advance because I know your Holy Spirit will continually dwell with me in this new year 2021.
4. Lord, let your Spirit lead and direct me each step I take this New Year 2021. Help me, Lord in my decisions and all I desire this year in the name of Jesus.
5. Father, I ask that you open doors of breakthroughs for me this 2021 and cause me to see open doors in all I do!
6. I ask for help, Lord, to be able to achieve all that I desire and wish for this 2021. Help me, father, to make my dreams reality this new year.
7. I pray, Dear God, that every door that was shut against me before, will in 2021, become open even as I receive divine help from every part of the world.
8. Lord, I ask that your wisdom will continually abide and dwell in me in a greater dimension in 2021.
9. Let my heart receive courage to face every situation that I may encounter this New Year in the name of Jesus.
10. Dear Lord, endue me with abilities, skills and wisdom, which come from above so that my life would bring honour to your name in 2021 and beyond.
11. In this New Year, Dear Lord, I commit my ways into your hands. Deliver me from every snare and entrapment of the evil one.
12. My most heavenly father, keep me healthy and strong so I can serve you the more this New Year 2021.
13. Almighty Father, I pray this New Year that fear of what tomorrow holds will not take captive of my mind.
14. Keep the “fire” for your work burning in my heart, much more that it was before, in the New Year 2021.
15. My unfailing God, I ask for strength not to go weary or wax cold especially when the journey becomes difficult.
16. Father, prosper the works of my hand this new year 2021. Let everything I lay my hands on receive immeasurable success. (bless the works of my hands)
17. May your favour go before and after me in 2021 in the name of Jesus.
18. I shall be celebrated and my name mentioned for good all through 2020 and many more years to come.
19. My life shall be a shining light, reflecting your glory in the New Year 2021!
20. Every dream and vision that you would place in my heart this New Year, make me to course with them.

Note that most of these new year messages above are religious in nature but they can be used by anyone, too!

In other words, they are Biblical new year messages fit for friends, family and lovers!