THE PRINCIPLES OF A GODLY LIFE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY NOVEMBER, 12, 2021.

SUBJECT : THE PRINCIPLES OF A GODLY LIFE!

Memory verse: "And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul." (Deuteronomy 10 vs 12.)

READ: Mark 12 vs 28 - 31:

12:28; Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?” 

12:29: Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.

12:30: And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. 

12:31: And the second, like it, is this: ‘ You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.

INTIMATION:

The principles by which one must live life is summed up in the statement Jesus here makes; “You will love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” And “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” With such love one establishes a correct relationship with God and man by obedience to His will. If one loves God, obedience to His word will be the natural part of his or her life. If we love God with all our heart, our affections and feelings must be directed toward what God would have us be in our lives. A wise person once said, "When God measures you, He puts the tape around your heart, not your head." So how is your heart doing? 

Love is the motivation by which law is put into action in our lives. In our relationship with God we keep His commandments because we love Him. (First John 4 vs 15.) If we love God with all our soul, our character must focus on God. If we love God with all our mind, all our intellectual capabilities must also be focused on knowing God and His will. If we love God with all our strength, all our physical and mental abilities must also be directed toward serving God. 

This the totality of the human personality. The emphasis, therefore, is that the totality of man must be given to God. One must not “visit” God occasionally in times of trouble and need. He must be the central focus of one’s existence. All of one’s life must be consumed with the presence of God. Jesus called this the first and greatest commandment because once one establishes God as the one who should reign in his or her heart, then everything else will follow (see Matthew 6 vs 33.) Life is not about life itself, but about worship of God and obedience to His will. 

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The establishment of this principle in one’s life determines our relationship with our fellow man. Love of our neighbor is the foundation upon which our behavior toward our fellow man is directed. Consequently, we should deal justly because we love our fellow man as ourselves. 

In our relationship with God we can respond and obey either out of love or out of fear.

When we realize God's desire to be our Faithful Companion in our relationship, we find Him less an authority figure and more a desirable companion Who is no less in charge in our lives. We now realize He is on our side, how much He wants the best for us, and how absolutely dependable He is. The inborn unhealthy fear of God that stems from our sin nature, and is often stirred up by the enemy of our souls is weakening as we are getting a clearer picture of who He really is.

Unfortunately many people never really seek Him with all their heart. They are content to learn as a child would. That is, learning and following rules in order to avoid big problems, but not as willing to spend any great period of time with the Lord in the free time they have. There is little delight in the relationship, only obedience out of necessity. They have salvation from penalty of sin, but they will enter heaven "through the flames" (First Corinthians 3 vs 15). They are yet to cross that line of spiritual familial relationship into spiritual heart relationship.

God’s laws are not burdensome. They can be reduced to two simple principles: Love God and love others. When you love God completely and care for others as you care for yourself, then you have fulfilled the intent of the Ten Commandments and other Old Testament laws. According to our Messiah, these two commandments summarize all God’s laws. Let them rule your thoughts, decisions, and actions. When you are uncertain about what to do, ask yourself which course of action best demonstrates love for God and love for others.

Prayer: Abba Father, My utmost heart desire is an intimate relationship with You. Endue me with the excellent spirit of love for You and others. Build in my heart Your steadfast spirit, so as to follow and obey You in every aspect of my life, in Jesus' Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

How Satan Serves God

 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. (James 5:11)

Behind all disease and disability is the ultimate will of God. Not that Satan is not involved — he is probably always involved in one way or another with destructive purposes (Acts 10:38). But his power is not decisive. He cannot act without God’s permission.

That is one of the points of Job’s sickness. The text makes it plain that when disease came upon Job, “Satan . . . struck Job with loathsome sores” (Job 2:7). His wife urged him to curse God. But Job said, “Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” (Job 2:10). And again the inspired author of the book (just as he did in 1:22) commends Job by saying, “In all this Job did not sin with his lips.”

In other words: This is a right view of God’s sovereignty over Satan. Satan is real and may have a hand in our calamities, but not the final hand, and not the decisive hand.

James makes clear that God had a good purpose in all Job’s afflictions: “You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful” (James 5:11).

So even though Satan was involved, the ultimate purpose was God’s, and it was “compassionate and merciful.”

This is the same lesson we learn from 2 Corinthians 12:7, where Paul says that his thorn in the flesh was a “messenger of Satan” and yet was given for the purpose of his own holiness — to keep him from becoming conceited. “Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited!”

Now, humility is not Satan’s purpose in this affliction. Therefore, the purpose is God’s. Which means that here Satan is being used by God to accomplish his good purposes in Paul’s life. In fact, for God’s elect children, Satan cannot destroy us, and God turns all his attacks finally against him and for us.

We Are His House

 Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses — as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. (Hebrews 3:3–6)

The people who boast and hope in Jesus Christ are the house of God. Which means that Jesus this very day — not just back in Moses’s day or in his own days on earth — but this very day is our Maker, our Owner, our Ruler, and our Provider.

Jesus is called the “builder” of this house. Moses was not the builder. He was part of the house. So it says, “Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses — as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself.” So Moses, as great as he was in leading the house, and giving God’s word to the house, was still just a part of the house. But Jesus built the house.

So if we boast in Jesus and hope in Jesus, we are the house, and Jesus is our Builder, and Owner and Ruler and Provider. He does not let his house be destroyed or fall into ruin.

Then the writer changes the imagery — from builder and house, to son and servant. “Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant . . . but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son.” So Christ did become part of the house — part of the household — he built. But even so, his honor is far above Moses. Moses was a servant. Christ is the Son. The heir.

And we are part of this household. Hebrews 3:6: “And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.” By all means, let us respect and give Moses his due. But the point of the whole book of Hebrews is: Christ is greater. Greater in every way. He is the builder of the house of God’s people. And he is the Son in the house of God’s people. Let us respect Moses. But let us worship Jesus — our Maker, our brother.

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.