The Power to Profess Christ

 

With great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. (Acts 4:33)

If our ministry is to witness to Christ tomorrow in some unsympathetic situation, the key will not be our brilliance; the key will be abundant future grace.

Of all people, the apostles seemed to need least help to give a compelling witness to the risen Christ. They had been with him for three years. They had seen him die. They had seen him alive after the crucifixion. In their witnessing arsenal they had “many proofs” (Acts 1:3). You might think that, of all people, their ministry of witnessing, in those early days, would sustain itself on the strength of the past glories that were still so fresh.

But that is not what the book of Acts tells us. The power to witness with faithfulness and effectiveness did not come mainly from memories of grace; it came from the new arrivals of “great grace.” “Great grace was upon them all.” That’s the way it was for the apostles, and that’s the way it will be for us in our ministry of witnessing.

Whatever added signs and wonders God may show to amplify our witness to Christ, they will come the same way they came for Stephen. “And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people” (Acts 6:8). Grace was arriving from God for all that Stephen needed — eventually all that he would need to die.

There is an extraordinary future grace and power that we may bank on in the crisis of special ministry need. It is a fresh act of power by which God “bore witness to the word of his grace” (Acts 14:3; see also Hebrews 2:4). The ever-arriving grace of power bears witness to the ever-given grace of truth.

SATAN’S PLAN AGAINST US—HIS 5Ds!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY JULY 17, 2021.

SUBJECT: SATAN’S PLAN AGAINST US—HIS 5Ds! 

Memory verse: "For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3 vs 5.)

READ: Genesis 3 vs 1 - 6:

3:1: Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

3:2: And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden;

3:3: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, “You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.”

3:4: Then the serpent said to the woman, You shall not surely die.

3:5: For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

3:6: So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave her husband with her; and he ate.

INTIMATION:

Satan is our enemy. He will do anything he can to get us to follow his evil deadly path so as to break our relationship with God. He tempts us to give in to his kind of life and give up on God’s kind of life. Satan tempted Eve and succeeded in getting her to sin. Ever since then he is busy getting people to sin.

Satan’s plan against us is in five different ways, and I called them the 5Ds, namely; (1) Doubt—makes one question God’s Word and His goodness, (2) Discouragement— makes one look at one’s problems rather than at God, (3) Diversion—makes the wrong things seem attractive so that one will want them more than the right things, (4) Defeat—makes one feel like a failure so that one don’t even try, and (5) Delay—makes one put off doing something so that it never gets done. 

Adam and Eve fell to the devil’s temptation by his employing the doubt ploy. He tempted Eve by getting her to doubt God’s goodness. He implied that God was strict, stingy, and selfish for not wanting Eve to share His knowledge of good and evil. Satan made Eve forget all that God had given her, and instead, focus on what God has forbidden. We fall into trouble, too, when we dwell on what God forbids rather than on the countless blessings and promises God has given us. He convinced her to doubt God’s integrity, love, and care for them. She became convinced that they were shortchanged, and her way was better than God’s. 

Again Satan diverted their attention from the numerous good and wonderful provisions of God for them, to just that single restriction—the forbidden fruit. Consequently, they were discouraged to obeying God. Rather than concentrate on God, they centered their attention on what God forbade them to do. They became defeated, self-conscious, and hid themselves. Again they delayed or put off the obedience to God’s instruction, and tired to excuse and defend themselves. 

 

Satan’s 5Ds appeal to our lust of the flesh, lust of the eye, and pride of life (First John 2 vs 16.) The same tricks he used on Eve; she saw that “the tree was good for food (lust of the flesh), the fruit was “pleasant to the eye” (lust of the eye), and the fruit “desires to make one wise” (pride of life). To defeat Satan must crucify the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eye, and the pride of life. And this we can do by building a relationship with God. To build a relationship with God we must reverse these steps: (1) We must become convinced that God’s way is better than ours,(2) we must stop trying to hide from God, and (3) drop our excuses and self-defenses; 

The battle with Satan is a difficult, ongoing struggle. This will be a lifelong battle that will not be over until we are face-to-face with Christ. Victory over sin and temptation comes through faith in Jesus Christ, not through our own efforts. If we obey Jesus and align ourselves closely with God’s purposes, Satan can have no power over us. We cannot master sin in our own strength. Instead, we must turn to God to receive faith for ourselves and to turn other believers to receive encouragement and strength. The Holy Spirit, our Helper, will help us master sin.

Prayer: Abba Father, give me the grace to be steadfast in You, in complete obedience and trust in You, so that Satan’s ploys will be completely unconvincing to me, in Jesus’ Name I prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD! 

CONTROL YOUR EMOTIONS!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY JULY 16, 2021.

SUBJECT: CONTROL YOUR EMOTIONS!

Memory verse: “So it was, as soon as he came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing. So Moses anger became hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.” (Exodus 32 vs 19.) 

READ: Numbers 14 vs I - 4:

14:1: So all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.

14:2: And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and against Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt!! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! 

14:3: Why has the LORD brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt? 

14:4: And they said one to another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.

INTIMATION:

Emotion is a moving of the feelings, an agitation of the mind. It is any of the various phenomena of the mind, such as anger, joy, fear, depression, murmur or sorrow, associated also with physical symptoms. 

Uncontrolled emotions can lead you to sin, especially when expressed negatively. Emotions such as anger, worry, and losing your temper are very destructive. They reveal a lack of faith that God loves us and is in control. We should not worry, instead, we should trust in God, giving ourselves to Him for His use and safekeeping. When you dwell on your problems, you will become anxious and angry. But if you concentrate on God and His goodness, you will find peace.

Jesus taught us on the emotions of anger and worry (Matthew 5 vs 21 - 24; 6 vs 25 - 33), admonishing us to control them. He likened anger to killing which is a terrible sin. Anger can be against someone or something, when against someone, it is a seething, brooding bitterness against the person, and incidentally violates God’s command to love. It is a dangerous emotion that always threatens to leap out of control, leading to violence, emotional hurt, increased mental stress, and spiritual damage. Anger keeps us from developing a spirit pleasing to God. 

Jesus also admonished us against worrying apparently because of its ill effects on us. Worry may (1) damage your health, (2) disrupt your productivity, (3) negatively affect the way you treat others, (4) reduce your ability to trust in God, and (5) its inability to solve our problems. Jesus ironically asked, “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” (Matthew 6 vs 27.) Worrying about the future hampers your efforts for today, and worrying is more harmful than helpful.

Although, there is a place for righteous anger. For instance, in Exodus 32, when Moses, on descending from the mountain, where he had gone to receive God’s commandment on the tablets of Testimony, he saw the children of Israel worshiping and dancing around the gold calf they have made for themselves. He was overwhelmed by the actual sight of the blatant idolatry and revelry. Very angry he threw away the tablets at the foot of the mountain and broke them. Anger at sin is a sign of spiritual vitality, therefore, do not squelch this kind of anger. However, when you are justifiably angry at sin, still be careful not to do anything that you will regret later.

Again, Moses anger against the nagging, slandering, and rebelling children of Israel, made him to disobey God. Instead of speaking to the rock to bring out water, he struck the rock twice. Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” Numbers 20 vs 11 - 12.) By striking the rock, Moses disobeyed God’s direct command in the presence of His people. And because of this great responsibility to the people as the leader and role model, he could not be let off lightly. Consequently, after all his travails from Egypt and in the wilderness, he did not enter the Promised Land. 

Now, let us look at Job emotional reaction when Satan incited God against him, and Satan was allowed to attack him. He lost all his possessions and children: “Then Job arose, tore his rob, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshipped. And said: “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.” (Job 1 vs 20 - 22.)

Job did not hide his overwhelming grief. He had not lost his faith in God. Instead, his emotions showed that he was human and that he loved his family. God created our emotions, and it is not sinful or inappropriate to express them as Job did. If you have experienced a deep loss, a disappointment, or a heartbreak, admit your feelings to yourself and others, and grieve. 

Job had lost his possessions and family in this first of Satan’s tests, but he reacted rightly toward God by acknowledging God’s sovereign authority over everything God had given him. Job’s right reaction made him passed God’s test and proved that people can love God for who He is, not for what He gives.

In Job 7 vs 11, Job said, “Therefore I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.” He felt deep anguish and bitterness, and he spoke honestly to God about his feelings to let out his frustrations. If we express our feelings to God, we can deal with them without exploding in harsh words and actions, possibly hurting ourselves and others. We must never be afraid to reveal our true feelings to God. He understands and knows them. Be honest, and don’t try to hide anything from your Savior. He cares. 

The next time strong emotions threaten to overwhelm you, express them openly to God in prayer. This will help you gain an eternal perspective on the situation and give you greater ability to deal with it constructively.

Prayer: Abba Father, endue with the spirit of self-control, that in any circumstances, I will not react negatively out of emotions, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD! 

Energy for Today’s To-Dos

 

Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12–13)

God is the decisive worker here. Work out your own salvation . . . for it is God who works in you, the willing and the working. God wills and he works for his good pleasure. But believing this does not make Christians passive. It makes them hopeful and energetic and courageous.

Each day there is a work to be done in our special ministry. Paul commands us to work at doing it. But he tells us how to do it in the power that God supplies: believe him! Believe the promise that in this day God will be at work in you to will and work for his good pleasure.

It is God himself, graciously at work each moment, that brings the promise of future grace into our present experience. It is not the gratitude for past grace that Paul focuses on when explaining how we work out our salvation. I mention this simply because so many Christians, when asked what the motive is for obedience, will say gratitude. But that is not what Paul emphasizes when he talks about motive and power for our working. He focuses on faith in what God is yet to do, not just what he has done. Work out your salvation! Why? How? For there is fresh grace for every moment from God. He is at work in your willing and doing every time you will and do. Believe that for the challenges of the next hour and the next thousand years.

The power of future grace is the power of the living Christ — always there to work for us at every future moment that we enter. So when Paul describes the effect of the grace of God that was with him, he says, “I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience — by word and deed” (Romans 15:18).

Therefore, since he would not dare to speak of anything but what Christ accomplished through his ministry, and yet he did, in fact, speak of what grace accomplished through his ministry (1 Corinthians 15:10), this must mean that the power of grace is the power of Christ.

Which means that the power we need for the next five minutes and the next five decades of ministry is the future grace of the omnipotent Christ, who will always be there for us — ready to will and ready to work for his good pleasure.

We Work by Grace

 

By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. (1 Corinthians 15:10)

Paul realized that the first part of this verse might be misunderstood: “I worked harder than any of them.” So he goes on to say, “Though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.”

Paul does not trace his obedience back to his thankfulness for past grace. He traces it up to moment-by-moment, ever-arriving grace. He is banking on the promise of God’s future grace to arrive at every moment of need. In every instant of Paul’s intention and effort to obey Christ, grace was at work to produce that intention and that effort. Paul did not bring about his work merely out of gratitude for past grace, but in moment-by-moment reliance on the arrival of promised grace. Paul wants to emphasize that the ever-arriving grace of God is the decisive cause of his work.

Does it really say that? Doesn’t it just say that the grace of God worked with Paul? No, it says more. We have to come to terms with the words, “Though it was not I.” Paul wants to exalt the moment-by-moment grace of God in such a way that it is clear that he himself is not the decisive doer of this work.

Nevertheless, he is a doer of this work: “I worked harder than any of them.” He worked. But he said it was the grace of God “toward me.”

If we let all the parts of this verse stand, the end result is this: grace is the decisive doer in Paul’s work. Since Paul is also a doer of his work, the way grace becomes the decisive doer is by becoming the enabling power of Paul’s work.

I take this to mean that, as Paul faced each day’s ministry burden, he bowed his head and confessed that, unless future grace was given for that day’s work, he would not be able to do it.

Perhaps he recalled the words of Jesus, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). So he prayed for future grace for the day, and he trusted in the promise that it would come with power. “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

Then he acted with all his might.

HAVE AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY JULY 15, 2021.

SUBJECT : HAVE AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE!

Memory verse: "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." (First Thessalonians 5 vs 18.)

READ: Luke 17 vs 12 - 19:

17:12: Then as He entered into a certain village, there met Him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off.

17:13: And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

17:14: So when He saw them, He said unto them, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.

17:15: And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God,

17:16: and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

17:17: So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?”

17:18: Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God, except this stranger?”

17:19: And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”

INTIMATION:

We have learned that every good thing that comes to us in this life comes by the grace of God. And until we recognize that truth, we will never be the kind of thankful, grateful people God desires us to be. God's attitude is that if His people really believe Him, then no matter what happens in life they will know that He is big enough to handle it and to make it work out for their good, if they continue to have faith in Him. God desires a thankful people, not a murmuring, grumbling, fault-finding, complaining people. Joy and peace are found in believing, not in murmuring, grumbling, fault-finding, or complaining.

It is God’s will that we should give Him thanks in everything. Since we have been graciously adopted as children of God, and born of the Will of God, we should rest assured of His presence in our lives at all times. Therefore, in everything that happens to us, we should be thankful for God's presence, and for the good that He will accomplish through the happening in our lives. The Scripture says, "All things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8 vs 28). 

God works in 'all things,' not just in isolated incidents, for our good. This does not mean that all that happens to us is good. Evil is prevalent in our fallen world, but God is able to turn every circumstance around for our long-range good. God does not demand that we thank Him, but He is pleased when we do so and uses our responsiveness to teach us more about Himself, revealing Himself more to us for our benefits. 

In the passage we read today, only one of the ten lepers had an attitude of gratitude and returned to give thanks to Jesus. And Jesus recognized this, and asked, “Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?” “Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God, except this stranger?” (Luke 17 vs 17 - 18.) Jesus then turned to the thankful man, noted his faith, and pronounced his wholeness or wellness—not just his being cured of leprosy. It is possible to receive God's great gifts with an ungrateful spirit. Nine out of the ten lepers did that. However, only grateful Christians grow in understanding of God's grace. 

The bases of gratitude or thankfulness is declaring God's character and attributes in the presence of others. When we recognize and affirm His goodness we are holding up His perfect moral nature for all to see. And this benefits us because it takes our minds off our problems and needs and focuses on God's power, mercy, majesty, and love, giving glory to God as our worship.

As human beings are subject to selfishness and ingratitude. We can pray and believe God for something, and even be very thankful and grateful for it when we receive it. But it doesn't take us very long and we are no longer thankful and grateful for them. We quickly and easily can fall prey to an ungrateful attitude. For instance, we can believe God for a life partner, and even be thankful and grateful when we are married. Then within a matter of months, we are grumbling, murmuring, and complaining that God gave us a partner that is always "nagging."

Or we are believing God for the fruit of the womb, and thankful and grateful when we got pregnant and delivered to a baby. In a few years we are griping and complaining and questioning God for giving us  "a stubborn child." Or still, we can believe God for a bigger house, and even be thankful and grateful when we first received one. Then within a short period, we can find ourselves griping and complaining because now we have to clean that "big old house!"

You and I have multitudinous opportunities to complain on a regular basis. But all complaining do open the door for the enemy. It doesn't solve problems; it just creates a breeding ground for greater problems. We should be grateful and thankful to God always. In the event of our desiring something more, we then go to the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of grace and supplication—which is the power of God coming into our life to help us solve every problem that we encounter, as well as helping us institute any changes we desire.

Let's learn to respond to the help we are already getting but don't deserve by developing an attitude of gratitude. This is not just an occasional word of thanks, but a continual lifestyle of thanksgiving. The person who has developed an "attitude of gratitude" is one who is thankful and grateful for every single thing that God is doing in his or her life day by day.

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of gratitude in all things, knowing that You work in all things for my good because I love You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

ESSENTIAL OF A CHRISTIAN WOMAN!

Happy birthday ma and many happy returns with grace and anointing in Jesus Name.