What the Resurrection Means for Us

 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)

What does it mean to “believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead”? Satan believes that God raised Jesus from the dead. He saw it happen. To answer this question, we need to ponder what the resurrection means for God’s people.

The meaning of the resurrection is that God is for us. He aims to close ranks with us. He aims to overcome all our sense of abandonment and alienation.

The resurrection of Jesus is God’s declaration to Israel and to the world that we cannot work our way to glory, but that he intends to do the impossible to get us there.

The resurrection is the promise of God that all who trust Jesus will be the beneficiaries of God’s power to lead us in paths of righteousness and through the valley of death.

Therefore, believing in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead is much more than accepting a fact. It means being confident that God is for you, that he has closed ranks with you, that he is transforming your life, and that he will save you for eternal joy.

Believing in the resurrection means trusting in all the promises of life and hope and righteousness for which it stands.

It means being so confident of God’s power and love that no fear of worldly loss or greed for worldly gain will lure us to disobey his will.

That’s the difference between Satan and the saints. Oh, might God circumcise our hearts to love him (Deuteronomy 30:6) and to rest in the resurrection of his Son.

Hope to Obey Hard Commands

 “Whoever desires to love life and see good days . . . let him turn away from evil and do good.” (1 Peter 3:10–11)

There is only one basic reason why we disobey the commands of Jesus: it’s because we don’t have heartfelt confidence that obeying will bring more blessing than disobeying. We do not hope fully in God’s promise.

What did he promise? Peter passes on the teachings of Jesus like this:

Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days . . . let him turn away from evil and do good.” (1 Peter 3:9–11)

Peter, following Jesus, is not ashamed to motivate obedience to hard commands — like not returning evil for evil — with the promise of greater joy. “Bless those who revile you . . . that you may obtain a blessing!” Do you want to enjoy everlasting life? Turn away from evil! Joy for all eternity awaits you! Is that not reward enough to avoid the pleasures of vengeance now?

You will always be better off to obey than to disobey Jesus, even if that obedience costs you your life. Jesus said,

Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time . . . with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. (Mark 10:29–30)

The only way to have the power to follow Christ in the costly way of love is to be filled with hope, with strong confidence that, if we lose our life doing his will, we will find it again and be richly rewarded forever.

OPEN UP YOURSELF!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 18, 2021.

SUBJECT : OPEN UP YOURSELF!

Memory verse: "For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." (Isaiah 57 vs 15.)

READ: Romans 7 vs 14 - 20:

7:14: For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.

7:15: For that what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will do, that do I not practice; but what I hate, that do I.

7:16: If, then, I do what I will not do, I agree with the law that it is good.

7:17: But now p, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

7:18: For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me; but how to perform what which is good I do not find.

7:19: For the good that I will do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.

7:20: Now if I do what I will not do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

INTIMATION: 

The starting point of ministry is being moldable. The more you open up yourself to God, the more He comes in to mold and use you. The more you let down your guard, take off your mask, and share your struggles, the more God will be able to use you in serving others. It is notable that opening yourself can be risky. It can be scary to lower your defenses and open up your life to others. When you reveal your failures, feelings, frustrations, and fears, you risk rejection. But the benefits are worth the risk. Opening up yourself is emotionally liberating; it relieves stress, defuses your fears, and is the first step to freedom.

We have already seen that God "gives grace to the humble," but many do not understand humility. Humility is not putting yourself down or denying your strengths; rather, it is being honest about your weaknesses. The more honest you are, the more of God's grace you get. You will also receive from others. Being moldable or meek, that is opening up yourself, is an endearing quality; we are naturally drawn to humble people. Pretentiousness repels, but authenticity attracts, and meekness is the pathway to intimacy. Your life becomes a testimonial when people see God using you in spite of your weaknesses, and they are encouraged, and they will then think that God can use them too. This is why God wants to use your weaknesses, not just your strengths. Our strengths create competition, but our weaknesses create community.

At some point in your life you must decide whether you want to impress people or influence people. You can impress people from a distance, but you must get close to influence them, and when you do that, they will be able to see your flaws. That's okay. The most essential quality for leadership is not perfection, but credibility. People must be able to trust you, or they won't follow you. How do you build credibility? Not by pretending to be perfect, but by being honest, and open.

Our Scriptural model, the apostle Paul, openly and honestly shared his impressions at various times. In his failures he said, "For the good that I will to do, I do not; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice." (Romans 7 vs19.) Concerning the openness of his heart, and his feelings, he said to believers in Corinth, "O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open." (Second Corinthians 6 vs 11.) On his frustrations, he said, "For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life." (Second Corinthians 1 vs 8.) On his fears, he said, "I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling." (First Corinthians 2 vs 3.)

In the passage we read today, the cry of the apostle Paul is more than the cry of a desperate man, it describes the experience of all Christians struggling against sin or trying to please God by keeping rules and laws without the Spirit’s help. He opened up himself, emphasized his weakness, and sought help. We must never underestimate the power of sin and attempt to fight it in our own strength. Satan is a crafty tempter, and we have an amazing ability to make excuses. Instead of trying to overcome sin with our own human willpower, we must take hold of God’s provision for victory over sin: the Holy Spirit, who lives within us and gives us power. And when we fall, He lovingly reaches out to help us up.

The inward struggle with sin was as real for the apostle Paul as it is for us. From him we learn what to do about it. Whenever he felt overwhelmed by the spiritual battle, he would return to the beginning of his spiritual life, remembering how he had been freed from sin by Jesus Christ. When we feel confused and overwhelmed by sin’s appeal, let us claim the freedom Christ gave us. His power can lift us to victory. Self-determination (struggling in one’s own strength) doesn’t succeed (Romans 7 vs 15). The apostle Paul found himself sinning in ways that weren’t even attractive to him. Becoming a Christian does not stamp out all sin and temptation from a person’s life (Romans 7 vs 22 - 25). Being born again takes a moment of faith, but becoming like Christ is a lifelong process. 

Prayer: Abba Father, all to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give. I will ever love and trust Him, and in His presence I will daily live, and humbly at His feet I bow. Give me the grace me not to put any form of trust in myself, but to follow You to the end, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

What It Means to Bless the Lord

 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! (Psalm 103:1)

The psalm begins and ends with the psalmist preaching to his soul to bless the Lord — “Bless the Lord, O my soul” — and preaching to the angels and the hosts of heaven and the works of God’s hands that they should do the same.

Bless the Lord, O you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his word,
obeying the voice of his word!
Bless the Lord, all his hosts,
his ministers, who do his will!
Bless the Lord, all his works,
in all places of his dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
(Psalm 103:20–22)

The psalm is overwhelmingly focused on blessing the Lord. What does it mean to bless the Lord?

It means to speak well of his greatness and goodness — and really mean it from the depths of your soul.

What David is doing in the first and last verses of this psalm, when he says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul,” is saying that authentic speaking about God’s goodness and greatness must come from the soul.

Blessing God with the mouth without the soul would be hypocrisy. Jesus said, “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” (Matthew 15:8). David knows that danger, and he is preaching to himself. He is telling his soul not to let this happen.

“Come, soul, look at the greatness and goodness of God. Join my mouth, and let us bless the Lord with our whole being. Soul, we are not going to be a hypocrite!”

THE WINNING PRAYER!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY AUGUST 17, 2021.

SUBJECT : THE WINNING PRAYER!

Memory verse: "This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shalt 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: Isaiah 1 vs 18; 41 vs 21; & 43 by 2:

1:18: “Come now, and let us reason together,” says the LORD, “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

41:21: “Present your case,” says the LORD. “Bring forth your strong reasons,” says the King of Jacob

43:26: Put Me in remembrance; let us contend together; state your case, that you may be acquitted.

INTIMATION:

The winning prayer is the prayer anchored on reasoning with the Lord in His Word. Therefore, a winning prayer is richly prepared in God’s Word, presenting His Word back to Him that He may hasten to perform it (Jeremiah 1 vs 12). As the Scripture says, “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good.” (Numbers 23 vs 19.) The Word of God is forever settled in heaven (Psalm 119 vs 89.) Therefore, a Christian wins in prayer if he or she prepares very well in God’s Word before prayer. 

The apostle Paul told the believers in Colosse in Colossians 3 vs 16, "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom..." You must have a word-stuffed heart, to maintain a hotline communication with God. Emotional displays in prayer does not move God. No amount of tears from your cry will move God if your communication is void of adequate Word preparation. God is only moved when you ask according to His Will. So, all you need is the right Words and your communication with Him will be through. 

One thing is needful for every other thing to fall in place—the right Word of God. If you check through Scriptures, you will find out that everything is hooked to, and rooted in the Word. Faith, effectual prayer, and success etc, are all rooted in it. Being outstanding in Christianity is a function of your Word content, and not the amount of religious exercises you engage in. I have seen many heavy prayer warriors who are weary, but I am yet to see a Word warrior who is not a conqueror. When you are wordless in God’s Word, your prayers can't be genuine. You will either be under pressure, or just be playing games. 

It is God's Word that connects you to the Throne for response. No matter how long you have been cheated by the devil, when you cry to God and say, "Lord, can't You see how I am being cheated? Can't You see how long I have been a Christian?" All He will say is, "My son, my daughter, talk sense! What do you want Me to do for you?" He wants you to bring your strong reasons from His Word and put Him in remembrance of them. So until you remind Him of His Word that commits Him to perform His Word, your prayers will continue to remain unanswered. 

The Bible in John 1 vs 1 & 14 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth." Jesus is the Word of God. Therefore, locating the Word for any situation, is locating Jesus for that situation.

Now, the Bible says in Matthew 21 vs 42 & 44, "Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: 'The stone which the builders rejected, has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes?” And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder." The stone referred to here is Jesus—the Word. If any opposition falls on it, that opposition will be broken; and when it falls upon any opposition, it grinds it to powder. Anytime you locate Scriptures that address any issue of concern in your life, and use them, you are spiritually hauling stones against the opposition, breaking them first and then grinding them to powder. And it is obvious the Scriptures cannot be broken (John 10 vs 35).

The Bible in Hebrews 4 vs 12 says, "For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Embedded in the Word is the power and might of God. It is living and dynamic as it works in us. Locating the Word is bringing God to the scene, and that marks the end of any oppositions in your life. 

The Lord said, “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from out My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55 vs 10 - 11.) 

Rather than spend time doing some religious exercises that won't profit you, spend it in the Word, to gather the appropriate stones that will bring down your Goliath. Go by the River of Life (the Bible), carefully choose and pick up those lively stones (Scriptures), put them in your bag (your heart) and then move against the opposition and you are sure to bring it down.

Prayer: Abba Father, You have given us all that pertains to life and godliness in Your Word. Give me the grace to be richly endowed with the deep knowledge of Your Word, and that I will confess it at all times. to overcome all oppositions of the devil by the words of my testimony, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

SPIRITUAL GROWTH PATH!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY AUGUST 16, 2021.

SUBJECT: SPIRITUAL GROWTH PATH!

Memory verse: "But by the grace of God I am what I am. And His grace toward me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” (First Corinthians 15 vs 10.)

READ: Philippians 2 vs 12 - 13; Hebrews 13 vs 20 - 21:

Philippians 2:12: Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

2:13: For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.

Hebrews 13:20: Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 

13:21: make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever, Amen. 

INTIMATION:

Spiritual growth is a collaborative effort between you and the Holy Spirit. God's Spirit works with us, not just in us. The spiritual growth path is made up of two parts: the "work out" part and the "work in." The "work out" is your responsibility, and the "work in" is God's role. In one of the passages we read today, the Scripture says, “For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2 vs 13.) 

This verse written to believers is not about how to be saved, but how to grow. It does not say "work for" your salvation, because you can't add anything to what Jesus already did. It says “work out” your own salvation. The salvation has already been delivered to you through Christ’s substitutionary work on the cross. 

The “work out” is like thinking of exercising your body; you exercise your body to develop it, and not to get a body. It's the same with the farmers who work the land, they work not to get land, but to develop what they already have. God has given you a new life; now you are responsible to develop it "with fear and trembling." That means to take your spiritual growth seriously! When people are casual about their spiritual growth, it shows they don't understand the eternal implications. "Work out your own salvation" in the light of being careful to obey Christ wholeheartedly. We must be careful about what we believe and how we live, especially when we are on our own. We must focus our attention and devotion more on Christ so that we won't be sidetracked. 

God works in us as we have responded to His work for us. He worked for us through the cross. Our sense of gratitude to the work of God in reference to our salvation, therefore, should move us into action. In this way God is living in us (Galatians 2 vs 20; First Timothy 4 vs 15). When we are motivated into action by the redemptive work of God, then we work according to the purposes of God (Second Corinthians 3 vs 5). And when we work according to the purposes of God, it is God who works in us. Christians do not work in order to be saved. They work out their salvation because they are saved.

The calling of Paul into apostleship illustrates the work of God through His grace. Paul did not earn his call into apostleship. He was not a self-proclaimed apostle. In fact, his persecution of the church placed him as far away from God as one could possibly be. However, God knew that Paul was a sincere and honest personality, and thus, He provided for him the opportunity to respond to the miraculous appearance of Jesus. Paul could claim no meritorious accomplishment for either his calling or his salvation. All was by the grace of God. 

All that God did toward Paul because of His grace was not a wasted effort. It was not useless because Paul responded with thanksgiving (Second Corinthians 4 vs 15). When God’s grace was extended toward him, he worked more abundantly than when he lived under a legal system of religiosity. Paul really worked out his own salvation with fear and trembling, and labored more than all other apostles. He knew he could do all that because of God’s grace with him. When one is motivated by grace, he or she cannot do enough in thanksgiving for his or her salvation.

Prayer: Abba Father, I will forever remain grateful for your gift of salvation, and Your subsequent work in me both to will and to do for Your good pleasure. I commit myself entirely to Your care and leading, and Your empowerment to live in accordance with Your precepts, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Why You Give In to Sexual Sin

 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. . . . Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. (Psalm 51:8, 12)

Why isn’t David crying out for sexual restraint? Why isn’t he praying for men to hold him accountable? Why isn’t he praying for protected eyes and sex-free thoughts? In this psalm of confession and repentance after essentially raping Bathsheba, you would expect David to ask for something like that.

The reason is that he knows that sexual sin is a symptom, not the disease.

People give way to sexual sin because they don’t have fullness of joy and gladness in Christ. Their spirits are not steadfast and firm and established. They waver. They are enticed, and they give way because God does not have the supreme place in their feelings and thoughts that he should.

David knew this about himself. It’s true about us too. David is showing us, by the way he prays, what the real need is for those who sin sexually: God! Joy in God.

This is profound wisdom for us.