DISCOVERING WHY YOU WERE CREATED BY GOD!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 11, 2021.

SUBJECT: DISCOVERING WHY YOU WERE CREATED BY GOD! 

Memory verse: "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were through him and for Him.” (Colossians 1 vs 16.)

READ: Genesis 1 vs 27 - 28:

1:27: So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

1:28: Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over  every living thing that moves on the earth.

INTIMATION:

Absolutely everything above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank of angels, everything got started in God, and finds its purpose in Him. God has His reasons for creating the world. He has a purpose for creating all that are in the world, and determines the purpose to be served by all He created. All these are tailored to the form and nature of our Creator—our God is a God of purpose. 

To live purposefully in this life, we need to understand why we are created, and brought into this world by the Creator. I am not an accident, as well as you. We are here for a purpose. God brought you and I into the world for specific purposes. Discovering that purpose makes life what living, and you make the best of life here on earth.

All things in life serve their respective purposes. Manufacturers manufacture their products to serve their intended purposes, developers develop for intended purposes, all productions are for different purposes. And everything manufactured, produced, or developed have their respective guidelines, manuals, and instructions for their use. 

God mandated His creation (created in His own image and after His likeness) to have dominion over all other things He created. This is the primary, and general purpose to be served by all of us. God has ultimate rule over the earth, and He exercises His authority with loving care. God delegated some of His authority to the human race, and expects us to take responsibility for the environment and the other creatures that share our planet. 

To achieve the general purpose God created us all to serve, we are to individually serve our specific purposes predetermined by Him, and it is the individual contributions, and collective responsibilities of all of us that culminates into achieving the general purpose for which we are created. The purpose of each and everyone of us toward achieving this goal is determined by God Himself. In Jeremiah 10 vs 23 the Bible says; ".....The way of man is not in himself, it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps." 

The quest for the purpose of life for everyone of us has puzzled many for thousands of years. This is because we typically begin at the wrong starting point—ourselves. We usually ask self-centered questions like; "What do I want to be?" "What should I do with my life?" "What are my goals, my ambitions, my dreams for my future?" But focusing on ourselves will never reveal our life's purpose. Our Owner, our Creator, created us for a purpose, that is, His purpose. Therefore, if you want to know why you were placed on this earth, you must begin with God. 

All we are, our purpose in life are in God's hand. Contrary to what many popular books, movies, and seminars tell you, you won't discover your life's meaning looking within yourself. You didn't create yourself, and as such there is no way you can tell yourself what you were created for! If you are handed over an invention you have never seen before, you wouldn't know its purpose, and the invention itself wouldn't be able to tell you either. Only the creator or the creator's manual could reveal its purpose.

We cannot arrive at our purpose by starting with a focus on ourselves. We must begin with God, our Creator. We exist only because God wills that we exist. We were made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life will never make sense. It is only in God that we discover our origin, our identity, our meaning, our purpose, our significance, and our destiny. Every other path leads to a dead end.

The easiest way to discover your purpose is to ask God - your Maker, or refer to the Owner's Manual—the Bible. The discovery is by revelations inherent in the Word of God. He has not left us in the dark to wonder and guess. He has clearly revealed His purposes for our lives in the Bible. It tells us why we are alive, how life works, how the owner of life governs it, what to do, what to avoid, and what to expect now, and in the future. And it is only in Him, and His Manual you can find these answers.

Many books have been written that suggests ways to discover the purpose of your life. All of them are classified as "self-help" books because they all approached the subject from a self-centered viewpoint, and predictable steps to finding your life's purpose. Of course, the recommendations of some of these books often lead to great success. You can usually succeed in reaching a goal if you apply yourself to it. But “being successful,” and “fulfilling your life's purpose,” are not, at all, the same issue! You could reach all your personal goals, and achieve your set objectives, becoming a star, or a raving success by the world's standard, and still miss the purpose for which God created you. You need more than self-help advice. 

God created you for a purpose, and determines how that purpose will be served and achieved by you. All these He determined when you are yet unformed. Knowing that in Him all knowledge of you is hidden, why then do you seek your purpose in life outside of Him. Go to Him, and you will discover the purpose of your creation.

Prayer: Abba Father, in You I live, and move, and have my being. Help me discover my purpose on earth which is imbedded in the knowledge of You and Your Will. Give me the grace to seek You first, and open the eyes of my understanding that I may know what is the purpose of Your creating me, and help me to serve this purpose, in Jesus’ Name I prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

 

Wipe Your Fears Away

 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. (Psalm 56:3)

One possible response to the truth that our anxiety is rooted in unbelief goes like this: “I have to deal with feelings of anxiety almost every day; and so I feel like my faith in God’s grace must be totally inadequate. So I wonder if I can have any assurance of being saved at all.”

My response to this concern is: Suppose you are in a car race and your enemy, who doesn’t want you to finish the race, throws mud on your windshield. The fact that you temporarily lose sight of your goal and start to swerve does not mean that you are going to quit the race.

And it certainly doesn’t mean that you are on the wrong racetrack. Otherwise, your competitor — your adversary — wouldn’t bother you at all. What it means is that you should turn on your windshield wipers.

When anxiety strikes and blurs our vision of God’s glory and the greatness of the future that he plans for us, this does not mean that we are faithless, or that we will not make it to heaven. It means our faith is being attacked.

At first blow, our belief in God’s promises may sputter and swerve. But whether we stay on track and make it to the finish line depends on whether, by grace, we set in motion a process of resistance — whether we fight back against the unbelief of anxiety. Will we turn on the windshield wipers?

Psalm 56:3 says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”

Notice: it does not say, “I never struggle with fear.” Fear strikes, and the battle begins. So the Bible does not assume that true believers will have no anxieties. Instead, the Bible tells us how to fight when they strike. It tells us how to turn on the windshield wipers.

NEVER COMPROMISE YOUR FAITH!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 10, 2021.

SUBJECT : NEVER COMPROMISE YOUR FAITH!

Memory verse: "For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David." (First Kings 11 vs 4.)

READ: Daniel 1 vs 8 - 9; 11 - 15: 

1:8: But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

1:9: Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs.

1:11: So  Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

1:12: Please test your your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat, and water to drink.

1:13: Then let our appearance be examined before you, and the appearance of the young men who eat of the portion of the king's delicacies; and as you see fit, so deal with your servants.

1:14: So he consented with them in this matter, and tested them ten days.

1:15: And at the end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king's delicacies.

INTIMATION:

Compromise can be defined as a blending of the qualities of two different things or a concession of principles. Compromise is an important element in getting along with others, but we should never compromise the truth of God’s Word and our faith in Him. If we feel we have to change our Christian beliefs to match those of our companions, we are on a dangerous ground. Cooperate with people as much as you can, but avoid any alliance, partnership, or participation that could lead to immoral practices. Sometimes people urge believers to compromise and give only partial obedience to God’s commands. But commitment and obedience to God cannot be negotiated. When it comes to obeying God, half measures won’t do.

We also are living in times of widespread sin and sexual immorality. It is popular to be open-minded toward many types of sin, calling them personal choices or alternative lifestyles. But when believers begin to tolerate sin in their lives, it is lowering the standards and compromising their faith and effective witnessing for Christ. Remember that God’s approval is infinitely more important than the world’s. Use God’s Word, not what people around you are willing to accept, to set the standards for what is right or wrong. When we want to take part in an activity that we know is wrong, we may make excuses to justify our behavior, saying that it isn’t as bad as it seems or that it won’t hurt your faith. 

Our memory verse relates to King Solomon, Israelite’s King who so much compromised his faith in God and allowed pagan worship resulting from pressures from his numerous foreign wives. For all his wisdom, Solomon had some weak spots. He could not say no to compromise or lustful desires. Whether he married to strengthen political alliances or to gain personal pleasure, these foreign wives led him into idolatry. You may have strong faith, but you also have areas of weakness—and that is where temptation usually strikes. Strengthen and protect yourself where you are weak because a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Solomon handled great pressures in running the government, but could not handle the pressure from his wives who wanted him to worship their gods. If Solomon, the wisest man, could fall, you can also. 

In marriage and close relationships, it is difficult to resist pressure to compromise. Our love leads us to identify with the desires of those we care about. Faced with such pressure, Solomon at first resisted it, maintaining pure faith. Then he tolerated a more widespread practice of idolatry. Finally he became involved in idolatrous worship, rationalizing away the potential danger to himself and to his kingdom. Because we want to please and identify with our loved ones,

In the passage we read today, Daniel and his friends—Shadrach,  Meshach, and Abednego—were astute examples of godly people who refused to compromise their faith. The Babylonians were trying to change their thinking by giving them a Babylonian education, their loyalty by changing their names, their lifestyle by changing their diet. Without compromising, Daniel found a way to live by God’s standards in a culture that did not honor God. Wisely choosing to negotiate rather than to rebel, Daniel suggested an experimental 10-day diet of vegetables and water instead of the royal foods and wine the king offered. Without compromising, Daniel quickly thought of a practical, creative solution that saved his life and the lives of his companions.

The Scripture said of the four young men; “As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. Then the king interviewed them; and among them all was none found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, therefore they served before the king. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm.” (Daniel 1 vs 17 - 20.)

When we ignore God’s clear statements of right and wrong and make decisions based on the preferences of our audience, we fall into compromise and lawlessness. God promises to honor those who do right, not those who make everyone happy. When you have a difficult decision to make, don’t discount the effects of peer pressure. Realize beforehand that the right decision could have unpleasant consequences: social rejection, career derailment, and/or public ridicule. Resolve to stand for what is right no matter what other people pressure you to do. 

When we share our message across cultural and economic boundaries, we must be sure that the requirements for faith we set up are God’s, not people’s. In trying to find a common ground with those to whom we witness, we must be careful not to fall into the quicksand of compromise. When reaching out to others, we must be sure that our own footing is safe and secure. Be careful not to become so much like non-Christians that no one can tell who you are or what you believe. Influence them for Christ, don’t allow them to influence you for sin.

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of uncompromising faith in You and Your Word that nothing can take Your place in my life, and that I remain resolute in obedience to Your Word, and in the end I may be found worthy of Your crown of glory, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Marveling at the End of History

 [God will] grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed. (2 Thessalonians 1:7–10)

When Jesus returns to this earth, which he has promised to do, those who have not believed the gospel, Paul says, “will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.” This is a terrible prospect that should terrify all unbelievers who hear this truth.

And oh, how it should sober us who do believe and fill us with seriousness about what is at stake in this world. Oh, how it should cause compassion to rise in our hearts for those who do not believe, or do not even know, the gospel.

But to sustain us in all our afflictions here Paul gives us two amazing words of encouragement and hope. “[God will] grant relief to you who are afflicted.” If we experience a terrible intensification of affliction near the end of history, God’s word is: Hold fast: relief is on the way. Your afflictions will not have the last word. And your seemingly powerful adversaries will regret the day they touched the Lord’s people.

But then comes the best word of encouragement and hope. Not only will we get relief when the Lord comes, but we will get the greatest experience that we were created for in the first place: We will see his glory, and marvel at it in such a way that he will be glorified in us for all the world to see.

Verse 10: “He comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed.” We were made to marvel. Nothing and no one is more marvelous than the crucified, risen, returning King of glory, Jesus Christ. He will attain the destiny of his glory, and we will attain the destiny of our joy as we begin the perfect, sinless, never-ending marveling at the greatest marvel.

PLEASING GOD IS OUR FIRST PURPOSE IN LIFE!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 09, 2021.

SUBJECT: PLEASING GOD IS OUR FIRST PURPOSE IN LIFE!

Memory verse: "Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more , just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God." (First Thessalonians 4 vs 1.)

READ: John 15 vs 5 - 10:

15:5: I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, Bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

15:6: If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

15:7: If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you shall ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

15:8: By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

15:9: As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you: abide in My love.

15:10: If You Keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

INTIMATION:

Pleasing God is the first purpose of our lives. Therefore, our most important task is to discover how to do that. There are clear examples in the Bible of those who pleased God. One of them was Enoch. The Scripture, in Hebrews 11 vs 5 says, "By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, "and was not found, because God had taken him" for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God."  

Another man was Noah. In his days the entire world had become morally bankrupt. Everyone lived for their own pleasure, not God's. God couldn't find anyone on earth interested in pleasing Him, so He was grieved and regretted making man. God became so disgusted with the human race that He considered wiping it out. But there was one man who God spared because he pleased Him, although he was far from perfect. In Genesis 6 vs 8, the Bible says, "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." Though the Bible recorded that "Noah was a just man, perfect in his generation. (Genesis 6 vs 9), but that does not mean he never sinned, rather it means that he walked with God, wholeheartedly loved and obeyed God.

Above all, the life and times of our Messiah, Jesus Christ, during His earth walk is a testimony of a life that pleased God. The Bible in Second Peter 1 vs 17 says, "For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Jesus is more than just a great leader, a good example, a good influence, or a great prophet. He is the Son of God. God testified of Him when He said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!" (Matthew 17 vs 5.) Jesus obeyed the Father to the letters. He never did anything outside of His Father. He said, "I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgement is righteous, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of the Father who has sent Me." (John 5 vs 30.) 

Believers have been given the right to become children of God. And do like our Messiah, Jesus Christ. What do we do to please God? God is pleased when we put Him first in our entire lives. To put God first we must do the following: (1) Love Him supremely. (2) Trust Him completely. (3) Obey Him wholeheartedly. (4) Praise and thank Him continually. (5) Use our abilities to benefit His course.

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of raw obedience to You at all times, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD! 

THE VICISSITUDES ARE PART OF GOD'S PLANS!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY NOVEMBER 08, 2021.

SUBJECT : THE VICISSITUDES ARE PART OF GOD'S PLANS!

Memory verse: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8 vs 28.)

READ: Genesis 50 vs 19 - 21:

50:19: Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God?

50:20: But Astor you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

50:21: Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones,” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

INTIMATION:

Our God is a perfect God, and His ways are also perfect. His wisdom, knowledge, and understanding are unsearchable. His ways are far away from our ways and his thoughts far away from our thoughts. God has good plans for us. He created us for a purpose known to Him alone, and has fashioned our ways to achieve His purposes for us. The ways to achieve His purposes are planned by Him and known to Him from the foundation of the earth. 

The vicissitudes we encounter are part of His plans for our journey in life to achieve His purposes. Therefore, when you encounter them, as a child of God, do not be dismayed, for He is still with you. If you are obedient, you will eat the fruit of the land, and if obedient to the end, you will obtain the crown of life—eternal life with Him.

Perhaps no other account in all of Scriptures illustrates the strange vicissitudes of life more vividly than the biography of Joseph (The Dreamer). Joseph was born into privilege. He was the eleventh -and the favorite- son of Jacob, one of the patriarchs of Israelite history. Though Joseph was loved by his father, he was hated by his brothers because of his favored status. 

Joseph stoked his brothers' hatred by telling them of dreams he had—dreams in which his brothers bowed down to him. One day the brothers could contain their rage no longer. They seized Joseph and threw him into a pit. Their first thought was to kill him, but they changed their minds when they saw a caravan heading for Egypt. Instead of murdering him, his brothers sold him as a slave to members of the caravan. They returned home and told their father that Joseph had been killed by a wild beast.

In Egypt, Joseph became the trusted servant of Potiphar, an official in the king's court. Unfortunately, Potiphar's trust was shattered by one false accusation against Joseph by his wife. Without so much as a court hearing, Joseph was thrown into prison. He was doomed, or so he thought. But a perplexing turn of events raised him to unexpected heights, because Joseph was faithful to the end.

In prison, Joseph met the king's cup bearer and the king's baker. Both men were troubled by strange and mysterious dreams. When they told Joseph their dreams, he interpreted the strange visions for them. Days later his words came to pass in precisely the way he had announced. What kind of special powers did Joseph possess? How could he interpret these dreams? Joseph merely attributed his ability to the God of Israel, a God not worshiped in Egypt.

Two years later, Pharaoh had a dream. His advisors could not even begin to interpret it. Joseph was summoned from the prison to decipher the strange, troubling images. After a moment of silence, Joseph declared the visions meant that Egypt would be blessed with seven years of abundance, followed by seven years of famine. 

In grateful response, Pharaoh appointed Joseph second-in-command in Egypt (a Prime Minister in a foreign land). Again, Joseph downplayed his own abilities and spoke instead, of the power of the Awesome God. And just as he predicted, the seven years of abundance came, as did the seven years of famine.

Joseph's appointment to second-in-command, remains an astonishing moment in ancient history. How do we explain his rise from an impoverished foreigner to an imperial leader? However, God was with him in his journey of life, and empowered him to overcome all temptations, because he puts God first in all things.

God predetermined the fame of Joseph, and even showed him in a vision of the night what He has planned and purposed for him. God packaged all the encounters in the life of Joseph to achieve His purpose. And now, look at the words of Joseph to his brothers; "God turned into good what you meant for evil. He brought me to high position I have today so I could save the lives of many people" (Genesis 50 vs 20). 

Are you a child of God? Are you engulfed in the vicissitudes of life? Do you place your absolute trust in Him, and is obedient to, and serving Him? Is God first in your life? If your answers are 'yes,' then, rest assured of your great visitation from Him, and your testimony is on the way. What you are passing through are all en-route to your glorious destiny.

Prayer: Abba Father, though the labor of my hands may fail, nor the fields will not yield its food, though life turns sour, and I hardly can eat, though I crush under human hardship, I will put my trust in, and rejoice in You. For I know Your thoughts for me are good, and You will never leave me nor forsake me. You have given me a glorious destiny, and only You make it happen. Though it might tarry, but it must surely come to pass! Give me the strength to trust absolutely in You , and follow You to the end, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

We Honor What We Enjoy

 

“If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth.” (Isaiah 58:13–14)

It is possible to pursue God without glorifying God. If we want our quest to honor God, we must pursue him for the joy of fellowship with him.

Consider the Sabbath as an illustration of this. The Lord rebukes his people for seeking their own pleasure on his holy day. “Turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day.” But what does he mean? Does he mean that we should not seek our joy on the Lord’s Day? No, because the next thing he says is, “Call the Sabbath a delight.” And in verse 14, “You shall take delight in the Lord.” So what he is criticizing is that they are delighting in their own business on the Sabbath rather than delighting in the beauty of their God and the rest and holiness that this day stands for.

He’s not rebuking their hedonism. He’s rebuking the weakness of it. As C. S. Lewis said, “We are far too easily pleased.” They have settled for secular interests and thus honor them above the Lord.

Notice that calling the Sabbath “a delight” is parallel to calling the holy day of the Lord “honorable.” “If you . . . call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable . . .” This simply means you honor what you delight in. Or you glorify what you enjoy.

The enjoyment of God and the glorification of God are one. His eternal purpose and our eternal pleasure unite in one experience of worship. This is what the Lord’s Day is for. Indeed, this is what all of life is for.