BE MINDFUL OF THE WORDS YOU SPEAK!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 13, 2021.

SUBJECT: BE MINDFUL OF THE WORDS YOU SPEAK!

Memory verse: "But I say to you that every idle word men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgement."(Matthew 12 vs 36.)

READ: Ephesians 4 vs 29; 5 vs 4; Colossians 3 vs 8:

Ephesians 4:29: Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impact grace to the hearers.

5:4: neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving thanks. 

Colossians 3:8: But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.

INTIMATION:

Words are powerful. Because they can lead to great sin, we should use them with great care. What you say and what you don’t say are both important. We should be very careful to choose our words, knowing that we are accountable to God for every idle word we speak. All believers should remain true to their confession of faith. 

There are three classes of words. The first is neutral, colorless, empty, soulless words. These constitute the general conversation of most people. They are just empty words of the monotone, there is no power, no soul, no color, and no life in such words, just sounds thrown out in the air. For instance when you ask somebody 'how are you,' and the person replies, 'well I am there.' You feel the emptiness, hopelessness, soulless, life-lacking nature in the words spoken by the person. 

The second class of words comprises constructive words, strength-building words, healing words, and inspirational words. These are thrilling, mighty, and dominant words, and they are pregnant with hope, love, and victory. For instance, when you are asked the same question, 'how are you,' no matter the situation you may be in, you boldly answer; I am doing real good, "For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed to Him against this day" (Second Timothy 1 vs 12); "He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that I ask or think, according to the power that works in me" (Ephesians 3 vs 20); "He supplies all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4 vs 19); "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4 vs 13); and "God is for me, and nobody can be against me" (Romans 8 vs 31).

The third class is composed of destructive, hate-filled words full of scandal, jealousy, and deadly virus, they come from a heart full bitterness, and are sent out to wound, blight, and curse. When asked the same question as above, the reply might be 'Can't you see how this wicked world has kept me'; 'I never knew I will see today'; 'life is hopeless.' Improper language should have no place in the Christian’s conversation because it does not reflect God’s gracious presence in us. Also, obscene stories and coarse jokes are common that we begin to take them for granted. How can we praise God and remind others of His goodness when we are speaking coarsely? 

Be careful, what you say is what you get. Choose to speak constructive words, say what God said boldly, with faith, and obtain His promises attached, because He is faithful who had promised (Hebrews 11 vs 11). 

Prayer: Abba Father, give me the grace to always speak constructively, confessing Your Word in faith, that I may obtain the promises according to Your Word, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

The Master Servant

 .. . . so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:7)

To me, the Bible’s most astonishing image of Christ’s second coming is in Luke 12:35–37, which pictures the return of a master from a marriage feast like this:

“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.”

To be sure, we are called servants — and that no doubt means we are to do exactly as we are told. But the wonder of this picture is that the “master” insists on serving. We may have expected this during Jesus’s ministry on earth, since he said, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). But Luke 12:35–37 is a picture of the second coming, when the Son of Man comes in the blinding glory of his Father “with his mighty angels in flaming fire” as 2 Thessalonians 1:7–8 says. Why would Jesus be portrayed as a table waiter at the second coming?

Because the very heart of his glory is the fullness of grace that overflows in kindness to needy people. This is why Ephesians 2:7 says he aims “in the coming ages [to] show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

What is the greatness of our God? What is his uniqueness in the world? Isaiah answers: “From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides thee, who works for those who wait for him” (Isaiah 64:4 RSV). There is no other god like this. He never relinquishes the role of inexhaustible benefactor of his ever-dependent, happy people.

YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH FOR GOD’S USE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY OCTOBER 12, 2021.

SUBJECT: YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH FOR GOD’S USE!

Memory verse: "Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, “Go view the land, especially Jericho.” So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there.” (Joshua 2 vs 1.)

READ: Acts 23 vs 16 - 22:

23:16: So when Paul's sister's son heard of their ambush, he went and entered the barracks and told Paul.

23:17: Then Paul called one of the centurions to him and said, “Take this young man to the commander, for he has something to tell him.”

23:18: So he took him and brought him to the commander and said, “Paul the prisoner called me to him and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to say to you.

23:19: Then the commander took him by the hand, went aside, and asked privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?”

23:20: And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask that you bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to enquirer more fully about him.

23:21: But do not yield to them: for more than forty of them lie in wait for him, men who have bound themselves by an oath that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him: and now they are ready, waiting for a promise from you.

23:22: So the commander let the young man depart, and commanded him, “Tell no one that you have revealed these things to me.”

INTIMATION:

God has no favorites; none preferred, liked or loved above others. We are all created in His own image and after His likeness. We are equally loved by Him; “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3 vs 16). God’s work in history is not limited by human failures or sins, and He works through ordinary people. He can use anyone, of any age, and any background, who is willing to yield to Him. Just as God used all kinds of people to bring His Son into the world, He uses all kinds today to accomplish His will. And God wants to use you. Nobody is excluded from God’s love, but we appropriate it to ourselves by believing in His Son—Jesus Christ—He sent to us. 

Several heroes in the Bible were common people: Jacob was known as a deceiver but God used him to “father” the Israelite nation (Genesis 27 - 28). Joseph was a slave in Egypt, but God used him to save his family, and the birth of Israelite nation (Genesis 39). Moses was a shepherd in exile and a murderer, but God used him to lead Israel out of bondage, to the Promised Land (Exodus 3). Gideon was a farmer, but God used him to deliver Israel from the Midianites (Judges 6 vs 11 - 14).Jephthah was the Son of a harlot, but God used him to deliver Israel from the Ammonites (Judges 11). 

David was a shepherd boy and last-born of the family, but God used him exceedingly to defeat the enemies of the Israelites, and he became Israel’s greatest king. Esther was a slave girl, but God used her to save her people from massacre (Esther). Mary was a peasant girl, but God made her the mother of Jesus (Luke 1 vs 27 - 28). Matthew was a tax collector, but God used him as one of the apostles and Gospel writer (Matthew 9 vs 9). Paul a persecutor of Christians, but God converted him to be the most influential of the apostles (First Corinthians 15 vs 9 - 10).

Our memory verse relates to the use of prostitute by God to accomplish His plan. Rahab was a prostitute in the city of Jericho. As a prostitute, she lived on the edge of society, one stop short of rejection. Her house, built right into the city wall, provided both lodging and favors to travelers. God used her and gave her the courage to hide the spies and lie to the authorities. God works through people—like Rahab—whom we are inclined to reject. God remembers her because of her faith, not her profession.  If at times you feel like a failure, remember that Rahab rose above her situation through her trust in God. You can do the same.

In the passage we read today, God used a child to accomplish His plan to save the apostle Paul’s life. It is easy to overlook children, assuming that they aren’t old enough to do much for the Lord. But this young man played an important part in protecting Paul’s life. Even Jesus made it clear that children are important (Matthew 18 vs 2 - 6).

The encounter of Jesus with the woman of Samaria in John 4 vs 7 - 42 clearly emphasizes God’s character of not being particular about your background, and loves us equally. The woman (1) was a Samaritan, a member of the hated mixed race, (2) was known to be living in sin, and (3) was in a public place. No responsible Jewish man would talk to a woman under such circumstances. But Jesus did, her social status, past sin, and her race notwithstanding. The same woman was used to convert a whole city—the city of Samaria. Jesus selected “ordinary” men with a mixture of backgrounds and personalities to be His disciples. He can use you!

Prayer: Abba Father, I surrender totally to You ready for whatever You have me do. I empty myself before You that You feel me in with Your grace, that I will be all You destined me to be, I will do all empower me to do, and I will have all You willed for me to have, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD! 

Beware of Serving God

 “The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.” (Acts 17:24–25)

We do not glorify God by providing his needs, but by praying that he would provide ours — and trusting him to answer, and living in the joy of that all-providing care as we lay down our lives in love for other people.

Here we are at the heart of the good news of Christian Hedonism. God’s insistence that we ask him to give us help so that he gets glory. “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me” (Psalm 50:15). This forces on us the startling fact that we must beware of thinking he needs us. We must beware of serving God, and we must take special care to let him serve us, lest we rob him of his glory. “God is not served by human hands, as though he needed anything” (Acts 17:25).

This sounds very strange. Most of us think serving God is a totally positive thing. We have not considered that serving God may be an insult to him. But meditation on the very meaning of prayer makes this plain.

In the novel, Robinson Crusoe, the hero, took Psalm 50:12–15 as his favorite text to hope in as he’s stranded on the island: God says, “If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine. . . . Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”

Which means: there is a way to serve God that would belittle him as needy of our service. Oh, how careful we must be not to preempt the mighty grace of God in Christ. Jesus said, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). He aims to be the servant. He aims to get the glory as the Giver.

BE A TRUE WORSHIPER OF GOD!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY OCTOBER 11, 2021.

SUBJECT: BE A TRUE WORSHIPER OF GOD!

Memory verse: "God is a Spirit: and those that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." (John 4 vs 24.)

READ: John 4 vs 23 - 24:

4:23: But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father is seeking such to worship him.

4:24: God is a Spirit: and those that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”

INTIMATION: 

True worshipers are those that worship God in spirit and in truth. And God seeks such worshipers. “God is Spirit” means He is not a physical being limited to one place. He is present everywhere, and He can be worshiped anywhere, at anytime. It is not where we worship that counts, but how we worship. 

In worshiping God in spirit, Jesus is speaking of worship that comes from within the individual as opposed to the ritualistic or ceremonial worship. As the time of this encounter with the Samaritans woman, both the Jews and Samaritans had digressed into a worship that was ceremonial and located. But this would change. Jesus came to reinstitute true worship that did not depend on the location of the worshiper, or the ceremonies through which one went in order to inspire worship. The worship He was bringing would be according to the word of God and from the heart of man.

In truth: The worship would not be the invention of men who created their own worship of a god they had created after their own image. God does not accept worship that is invented after either the traditions of men or the uncontrolled outburst of emotionally hysterical people typical of the sabbatarians. The worship about which Jesus is speaking in this context is the worship that is truth directed. It is directed to the God who has revealed Himself through inspired words of revelation. When one comes to the knowledge of this God and His desires through His revealed will, the worship is directed according to the will of God. 

This worship is opposed to worship that is invented after the emotional desires of men or the ritualistic ceremonies of those who seek a manifestation of worship through performances. What Jesus is saying in the most profound statement is that one must know the word of God in order to worship the God of the word. Ignorance of God’s word leads to one worshiping a god who is the creation of one’s mind. Such is idolatry.

God is spirit: it is not that God is a spirit, He is spirit (Second Corinthians 3 vs 17). He cannot be seen by mortal eyes. Neither can He be conceived to be a physical being after the form of man. Those who would conceive God to be in the form of a man are seeking to make an idolatrous god with whom they can physically identify. Such is the spirit of idolatry. Since God is spirit, then those who worship Him cannot do so after material means. True worshipers approach God on a spiritual basis, realizing that He is everywhere, sees all things, and knows all things. 

Christians are those who worship God in the spirit (Philippians 3 vs 3). This is one of the greatest arguments against worshiping God through mechanical means, performance of ceremonies, or even the outburst of hysterically misguided emotions. Such things may appeal to the carnal desires of men and manifest a presence of worship, but such are useless in communicating the worship of one’s heart to the God who is above the physical environment of man. The more one focuses on performance of worship, the environment of worship, and ceremonies, the more the worshiper focuses on himself. His worship, therefore, becomes inward focused, and often entertainment that is masked as worship.

We must remember that true worship originates first with the heart and is directed according to how God has determined that our worship toward Him should be conducted. We must also remember that the heart is motivated by love. A loving heart worships God because God has stimulated such by His own love. And if you love Him, you should keep His commandments (John 14 vs 15). Anything you do, remind yourself that He is present with you and sees what you are doing. Therefore, your conduct should be truthful, sincere, lovely, and in keeping His commandments. And do all things in true worship to the Lord!

 

Always seek leading of our Helper—the Holy Spirit—in your genuine and true worship. How does the Holy Spirit help us worship? The Holy Spirit prays for us (Romans 8 vs 26), teaches us the words of Christ (John 14 vs 26), and tells us we are loved (Romans 5 vs 5).

Prayer: Abba Father, my utmost heart desire to lead a life of true worship to You. Give me the grace to accomplish this in my life; living for You, and engaging the leading of the Holy Spirit at all times, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

 

We Can Do Nothing

 “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

Suppose you are totally paralyzed and can do nothing for yourself but talk. And suppose a strong and reliable friend promised to live with you and do whatever you needed done. How could you glorify this friend if a stranger came to see you?

Would you glorify his generosity and strength by trying to get out of bed and carry him? No! You would say, “Friend, please come lift me up, and would you put a pillow behind me so I can look at my guest? And would you please put my glasses on for me?”

And so your visitor would learn from your requests that you are helpless and that your friend is strong and kind. You glorify your friend by needing him, and by asking him for help, and counting on him.

In John 15:5, Jesus says, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” So we really are paralyzed. Without Christ, we are capable of no Christ-exalting good. As Paul says in Romans 7:18, “Nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.”

But John 15:5 also says that God does intend for us to do much Christ-exalting good, namely bear fruit: “Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit.” So as our strong and reliable friend — “I have called you friends” (John 15:15) — he promises to do for us, and through us, what we can’t do for ourselves.

How then do we glorify him? Jesus gives the answer in John 15:7: “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” We pray! We ask God to do for us through Christ what we can’t do for ourselves — bear fruit.

John 15:8 gives the result: “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit.”

So how is God glorified by prayer? Prayer is the open admission that without Christ we can do nothing. And prayer is the turning away from ourselves to God in the confidence that he will provide the help we need.

Best Passage Ever

 God put [Jesus] forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:25–26)

Romans 3:25–26 may be the most important verses in the Bible.

God is wholly just! And he justifies the ungodly! Really? A just judge acquitting the guilty!

Not either/or! Both! He acquits the guilty, but is not guilty in doing so. This is the greatest news in the world!

“[God] made [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). He takes our sin. We take his righteousness.

“By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh” (Romans 8:3). Whose flesh? Christ’s. Whose sin condemned in that flesh? Ours. For us then? No condemnation!

“[Christ] bore our sins in his body on the tree.” (1 Peter 2:24)

“Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God.” (1 Peter 3:18)

“If we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” (Romans 6:5)

If the most terrifying news in the world is that we have fallen under the condemnation of our Creator and that he is bound by his own righteous character to preserve the worth of his glory by pouring out his wrath on our sin . . .

. . . Then the best news in all the world (the gospel!) is that God has decreed and enacted a way of salvation that also upholds the worth of his glory, the honor of his Son, and the eternal salvation of his elect. Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.