GOD IS ACCESSIBLE TO THE BELIEVER!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY DECEMBER 13, 2021.

SUBJECT: GOD IS ACCESSIBLE TO THE BELIEVER!

Memory verse: “In whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.” (Ephesians 3 vs 12.) 

READ: Ephesians 2 vs 14 - 18:

2:14: For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 

2:15: having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 

2:16: and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 

2:17: And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 

2:18: For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father."

INTIMATION:

We were separated from God by our sins which was the consequence of the sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve, at the garden of Eden, and further worsened by our own evil tendencies. God, in His loving kindness, sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, as a propitiation for our sins. His death on the cross was accepted by God as the “Supreme Sacrifice” for our sins. Consequently, He abolished the separation through the gift of salvation by His death on the cross. We who were far off have been brought near in Christ Jesus by the blood of Christ.

Jesus was born of a woman—He was human. He was born as a Jew—He was subject to God’s law and fulfilled it perfectly. Thus, Jesus was the perfect sacrifice because, although He was fully human, He never sinned; He ‘was without spots nor wrinkles.’ He, therefore, became a perfect Lamb for sacrifice for our sins. His death bought freedom for us who were enslaved to sin so that we could be adopted into God’s family.

Christ has destroyed the barrier that formally existed between God and us by that “Supreme Sacrifice” on the cross. Because the wages of sin had been paid for us, our separation from God has been abolished, and we are reconciled to God through Christ. This is true reconciliation. Because of Christ’s death, we are all one; our enmity against each other has been put to death; we can all have access to the Father by the Holy Spirit; we are no longer strangers or foreigners to God; and we are all being built into a holy temple with Christ as our Chief Cornerstone. 

When you read Leviticus 16 vs 1 - 25, in the Bible, you will understand the strict instructions God gave to the high priest regarding the necessary preparations for appearing before the Lord in the Holiest of all in the tabernacle. Aaron had to spend hours preparing himself to meet God. Now, the way to God has been opened to us by Christ. We can approach God anytime. What a privilege! We are offered easier access to God than the high priests of Old Testament times! Still, we must never forget that God is holy nor let this privilege cause us to approach God carelessly. Easy access to God does not eliminate our need to prepare our hearts as we draw near in prayer.

It is an awesome privilege to be able to approach God with freedom and confidence. Most of us would be apprehensive in the presence of a powerful ruler such as the president of your country. But thanks to Christ, by faith we can enter directly into God’s presence through prayer. We know we will be welcomed with open arms because we are God’s children through our union with Christ. Don’t be afraid of God. Talk with Him about everything. He is waiting to hear from you. 

God’s loving concern does not begin on the day we are born and conclude on the day we die. It reaches back to those days before we were born and reaches ahead along the unending path of eternity. Our only sure help comes from a God whose concern for us reaches beyond our eternal existence. God is in His creation and close to every one of us. But He is not trapped in His creation—He is transcendent. God is the Creator, not the creation. This means that God is sovereign and in control, while at the same time He is close and personal. Let the Creator of the universe rule your life. 

Prayer is our approach to God, and we are to come “boldly.” Some Christians approach God meekly with heads hung low, afraid to ask Him to meet their needs. Others pray flippantly, giving little thought to what they say. Come with reverence, because He is your King. But also come with bold assurance because He is your Friend and Counselor .

The Bible makes it clear that your own body is God’s temple. Your spirit needs, and wants closeness with God. You want to know the living God personally, not as an idea or concept, not as a distant monarch. You can draw near to God through worship—prayer, praise, Bible study, and meditation. You need not live a monk, but you probably need more prayer in your life. The habit of worship should be imbibed by us, not as a convenience to be wedged between sports and recreations. Instead, make worship your top priority. The Scripture says, “Pray without ceasing” (First Thessalonians 5 vs 17). Bible meditation may include verse memory, songs, and quiet personal reading. The Bible is the Word of God for you. Use it every day and you will draw nearer and nearer to God.

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for the privilege of easy access given to us in Christ Jesus. O God, I do not take for granted this privilege. I pray for the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit to be with me always, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

OUT NUMBERED BY BISHOP TD JAKES

 

Replacing the Shadows

 Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man. (Hebrews 8:1–2)

The point of the book of Hebrews is that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, has not just come to fit into the earthly system of priestly ministry as the best and final human priest, but he has come to fulfill and put an end to that system, and to orient all our attention on himself, ministering for us first on Calvary as our final Sacrifice and then in heaven as our final Priest.

The Old Testament tabernacle and priests and sacrifices were shadows. Now the reality has come, and the shadows pass away.

Here’s an Advent illustration for kids — and those of us who used to be kids and remember what it was like. Suppose you and your mom get separated in the grocery store, and you start to get scared and panic and don’t know which way to go, and you run to the end of an aisle, and just before you start to cry, you see a shadow on the floor at the end of the aisle that looks just like your mom. It makes you really hopeful. But which is better? The hopefulness of seeing the shadow, or having your mom step around the corner and it’s really her?

That’s the way it is when Jesus comes to be our High Priest. That’s what Christmas is. Christmas is the replacement of shadows with the real thing: Mom stepping around the corner of the aisle, and all the relief and joy that gives to a little child.

CONFESSING OUR SIN RESTORES FELLOWSHIP!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY DECEMBER 12, 2021.

SUBJECT: CONFESSING OUR SIN RESTORES FELLOWSHIP!

Memory verse: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (First John 1 vs 9.)

READ: Psalm 32 vs 1 - 5:

32:1: Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

32:2: Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

32:3: When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long.

32:4: For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer.

32:5: I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.

INTIMATION:

To confess our sin is to agree with God, acknowledging that He is right to declare what we have done as sinful and that we are wrong to desire or to do it. It means affirming our intention of forsaking that sin in order to follow Him more faithfully. God wants to forgive sinners. Forgiveness has always been part of His loving nature, and He dramatically showed it to the world through the offering of His only Son, Jesus Christ, for our sins. The instant you confess your sin, He is faithful, just, and righteous to forgive, and restore fellowship with you. 

Confession is supposed to free us to enjoy fellowship with Christ. It should ease our consciences and lighten our cares. But some Christians do not understand how it works. They feel so guilty that they confess the same sin over and over; then they wonder if they might have forgotten something. These Christians do not understand that God wants to forgive us. He allowed His beloved Son to die so He could offer us pardon. God forgives disobedience, puts sin out of sight, and cleans our record of guilt. Now you are to forgive yourself and forget your sins and go on in love with Him. For you to continually remind yourself of your past errors and sins is to deny the efficacy of His forgiveness and the value of His Word.

When we come to Christ, He forgives all the sins we have committed or will ever commit provided we confess our sins and ask for His forgiveness. We don’t need to confess the sins of the past all over again, and we don’t need to fear that God will reject us if we don’t keep our state perfectly clean. Of course we should continue to confess the sins we commit thereafter, not because failure to do so will make us lose our salvation since our relationship with Christ is secure. Instead, we should confess so that we can enjoy maximum fellowship and joy with Him. Joy cannot be made full without fellowship. 

In admitting our sins and receiving Christ’s cleansing, we are (1) agreeing with God that our sin truly is sin and that we are willing to turn from it, (2) ensuring that we don’t conceal our sins from Him and consequently from ourselves, and (3) recognizing our tendency to sin and relying on His power to overcome it.  For the aforementioned reasons we need to continually confess our sins.

There is no need walking in broken fellowship a minute after you have committed sin. The devil is the author of that sin. Then to walk in broken fellowship, grieving over your blunder, is only adding joy and glory to the devil. The instant you have done wrong and your fellowship is impaired, ask for the Father's forgiveness and go on in fellowship with Him. 

In First John 2 vs 1, the Scripture says, 

"My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." Jesus Christ is the righteous Advocate. He can go into the Father's presence when we are under condemnation and shrink from meeting Him. He is always righteous, and can always plead our case. The instant we ask the Father's forgiveness, Jesus takes up our case before the Father and our fellowship is restored.

However, true confession also involves a commitment not to continue in sin. We wouldn’t be genuinely confessing our sins to God if we planned to commit them again and just wanted temporary forgiveness. We should also pray for strength to defeat temptation the next time we face it. For the sin(s) that easily beset you, seek the power of the Holy Spirit to help you overcome it; humbly go to God in prayer for His help through the Holy Spirit indwelling you.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are our sacrificial Savior, our faithful Companion, and ever Merciful Father. In Your loving nature, You gave us Your only begotten Son to die for our sins, and He paid the price of sin we owed. Forever I remain deeply grateful to You for the free gift of salvation. Engrace me with the spirit of delightsome obedience to You in all areas of my life, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD! 

AVOID PRESSURES TO SATISFY PLEASURES!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY DECEMBER 11, 2021.

SUBJECT: AVOID PRESSURES TO SATISFY PLEASURES!

Memory verse: "Now the sons of Reuben the first born of Israel—he was indeed the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, so the genealogy is not listed according to the birthright.” (First Chronicles 5 bs 1.)

READ: Genesis 25 vs 29 - 34:

25:29: Now Jacob cooked a stew: and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary.

25:30: And Esau said to Jacob, “please feed me with that same red stew; for I am weary.”Therefore his name was called Edom.

25:31: But Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright as of this day.”

25:32: And Esau said, “Look, I am about to die, so what is this birthright to me?”

25:33: Then Jacob said, “Swear to me as of this day.” So he sware to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob.

25:34: And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentiles; then he ate and drank, rose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

INTIMATION:

Pleasure is agreeable emotions or desire, gratification of the senses or of the mind, or inclination which pleases or delights. It is something that gives one joy or delight. It is proper to evaluate our pleasurable desires to ensure they are agreeable with God’s will, and will not put us into trouble or cause our violating some godly commands. Sometimes they mount pressures on us that we seek to satisfy such pleasures immediately. 

Ironically, our pleasures—if they do not have God’s blessing—may destroy us. 

In the passage we read today, Esau was pressured by the pleasure of food.  Esau traded the lasting benefits of his birthright for the immediate pleasure of food. He acted on impulse, satisfying his immediate desires without pausing to consider the long-range consequences of what he would do. We can fall into the same trap. When we see something we want, our first impulse is to get it. At first we feel intensely satisfied and sometimes even powerful because we have obtained what we set out to get. 

But immediate pleasure often loses sight of the future. We can avoid making Esau’s mistake by comparing the short-term satisfaction with the long-range consequences before we act. Esau exaggerated his hunger, “I am about to die,” he said. This thought made his choice much easier because if he was starving, what good was an inheritance anyway? The pressure of the moment distorted his perspective and made his decision seem urgent. 

A birthright was a special honor given to the firstborn son. It included a double of the family inheritance along with the honor of one day becoming the family’s leader. The oldest son could seek his birthright or give it away if he chose, but in so doing, he would lose both material goods and his leadership position. By trading his birthright, Esau showed complete disregard for spiritual blessings that would have come his way if he had kept it.

The fact that Esau did not appreciate the significance of the birthright that was due the firstborn is manifested in the fact that he counted the birthright of less value than a dish of stew (porridge). He traded a nation with God’s blessings for a bowl of stew.

Our anchor Scripture is the record of Reuben’s sin of incest (Genesis 35 vs 22) due to his drive to satisfy the immediate pleasure of sexual desire. As the oldest son, Reuben was the rightful heir to both a double portion of his father’s estate and the leadership of Abraham’s descendants, who had grown into a large tribe. But his sin stripped away his rights and privileges and destroyed his family. (Genesis 49 vs 3 - 4.) The real consequences of his sin are ruined life, and irreplaceable losses.

We often experience similar pressures. For example, when we feel sexual pressure, a marriage vow may seem unimportant. We might feel such great pressure in one area that nothing else seems to matter and we lose our perspective. Getting through that short pressure-filled moment is often the most difficult part of overcoming temptation. In First Samuel 13, the Bible recorded the pleasurable desire of Amnon to lie with the sister Tamar, which led to deceitful plots by him. When actualized the result was hatred for her, hatred for Amnon by his brother, Absalom, and eventual murder of Amnon by his brother Absalom. 

Before you give in to temptation of satisfying immediate pleasurable desires, consider the disastrous consequences that may result in your life and lives of others. Our past also affects our present and our future. By sunrise tomorrow, our actions of today will have become part of the past. Yet they will already have begun to shape the future. What actions can you choose or avoid that will positively shape your future?

Prayer: Abba Father, give me the grace to put boundaries on my desires, to concentrate on those desires that will keep me on the right path of obedience to You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen. 

PRAISE  THE LORD!

Why Jesus Came

 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. (Hebrews 2:14–15)

This, I think, is my favorite Advent text because I don’t know any other that expresses so clearly the connection between the beginning and the end of Jesus’s earthly life — between the incarnation and crucifixion. These two verses make clear why Jesus came; namely, to die. They would be great to use with an unbelieving friend or family member to walk them step-by-step through your Christian view of Christmas. It might go something like this, a phrase at a time:

“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood . . . ”

The term “children” is taken from the previous verse and refers to the spiritual offspring of Christ, the Messiah (see Isaiah 8:18; 53:10). These are also the “children of God” (John 1:12). In other words, in sending Christ, God has the salvation of his “children” especially in view.

It is true that “God so loved the world, that he gave [Jesus]” (John 3:16). But it is also true that God was especially gathering “the children of God who are scattered abroad” (John 11:52). God’s design was to offer Christ to the world, and to effect the salvation of his “children” (see 1 Timothy 4:10). You may experience adoption by receiving Christ (John 1:12).

“ . . . he himself likewise partook of the same things [flesh and blood] . . . ”

This means that Christ existed before the incarnation. He was spirit. He was the eternal Word. He was with God and was God (John 1:1; Colossians 2:9). But he took on flesh and blood, and clothed his deity with humanity. He became fully man and remained fully God. It is a great mystery in many ways. But it is at the heart of our faith — and what the Bible teaches.

“ . . . that through death . . . ”

The reason he became man was to die. As God pure and simple, he could not die for sinners. But as man he could. His aim was to die. Therefore he had to be born human. He was born to die. Good Friday is the purpose of Christmas. This is what most people today need to hear about the meaning of Christmas.

“ . . . he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil . . . ”

In dying, Christ de-fanged the devil. How? By covering all our sin. This means that Satan has no legitimate grounds to accuse us before God. “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies” (Romans 8:33) — on what grounds does he justify? Through the blood of Jesus (Romans 5:9).

Satan’s ultimate weapon against us is our own sin. If the death of Jesus takes it away, the chief weapon of the devil — the one mortal weapon that he has — is taken out of his hand. He cannot make a case for our death penalty, because the Judge has acquitted us by the death of his Son!

“ . . . and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”

So, we are free from the fear of death. God has justified us. Satan cannot overturn that decree. And God means for our ultimate safety to have an immediate effect on our lives. He means for the happy ending to take away the slavery and fear of the Now.

If we do not need to fear our last and greatest enemy, death, then we do not need to fear anything. We can be free. Free for joy. Free for others.

What a great Christmas present from God to us! And from us to the world!

THE SIN OF EVIL DESIRES!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY DECEMBER 10, 2021.

SUBJECT: THE SIN OF EVIL DESIRES!

Memory verse: "But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.” (First Timothy 6 vs 9.)

READ: Matthew 5 vs 27 - 30:

5:27: You have heard that it was said by those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’

5:28: But I say to you that whoever looks on a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

5:29: If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out, and cast it from you; for it is profitable for you that one of thy members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

5:30: And if thy right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

INTIMATION:

A desire is a craving or longing for something. Some desires are evil or sinful and is frequently translated as “lust.” Some desires are good. For instance, the apostle Paul had the good desire to be with Christ; “For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better” (Philippians 1 vs 23). Just as the Lord’s desire concerning the last Passover; “Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.” (Luke 22 vs 15.)

For evil desires, or inordinate affections, the apostle Paul says, such should not be tolerated by believers because, “Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passion and desires.” (Galatians 5 vs 24.) When we accept Christ as our Savior, we need to turn from our sinful ways and willingly nail our sinful nature to the cross. This doesn’t mean, however, that we will never see traces of its evil desires again. As Christians we still have the capacity to sin and sometimes sin, but we have been set free from sin’s power over us and no longer have to give in to it. We must daily commit our sinful tendencies to God’s control, daily crucify them, and moment by moment draw on the Spirit’s power to overcome them. 

“Lust” is a devilish desire. Jesus said “lust” is as good as the “deed” itself. For instance, the Old Testament law says that it is wrong for a person to have sex with someone other than his or her spouse (Exodus 20 vs 14). But Jesus said that the desire to have sex with someone other than your spouse is mental adultery and thus sin. Jesus was emphasizing here that if the act is wrong, then so is the intention. In the passage we read today, Jesus is condemning the deliberate and repeated filling of one’s mind with fantasies that would be evil if acted upon. Therefore, desires that will lead you to wrongdoing should not be accommodated. 

Some people may desire to be rich, which in itself, is not wrong or evil, but the desire to be rich at all costs will definitely build up ideas in their minds that will expose them to temptations, snares, and many foolish things that are harmful and destructive. For instance, somebody might desire to make wealth by all means, and will be harboring stealing, money rituals, or obtaining by false pretenses, and if such desires are acted upon, the person may be committing murder, and other heinous crimes that are evil in themselves. Sinful actions are more dangerous than sinful desires, hence desires should not be acted out. Nevertheless, sinful desires are just as damaging to obedience as the actions proper. Left unchecked, wrong desires will result in wrong actions and turn people away from God.

Jesus was speaking figuratively when He said you should get rid of your hand or your eye, He didn’t mean literally to gouge your eye, because even a blind person can lust. But if that were the only choice, it would be better to go into heaven with one eye or hand than to go to hell with the two. It takes the help of the Holy Spirit to resist any actions on our evil desires. The world is full of enticements. Daily we are confronted with subtle cultural pressures and overt propaganda. The only way to escape these destructive influences is to ask God to help crucify our interest in them.

Evil acts begin with evil desires. It isn’t enough to ask God to keep you away from temptation, make you stronger, or change your circumstances. You must ask Him to change you on the inside—at the level of your desires. The Scripture says, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it springs the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4 vs 23.) We should keep our hearts with all diligence, making sure we concentrate on those desires that will keep us on the right path. Make sure your affections push you in the right direction. 

Put boundaries on your desires: Don’t go after everything you see. And don’t get sidetracked on detours that lead to temptation: “Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things that are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things that pure, whatever things that lovely, whatever things that are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” (Philippians 4 vs 8.)

Prayer: Abba Father, give me the grace to put boundaries on my desires, to concentrate on those desires that will keep me on the right path of obedience to You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen. 

PRAISE  THE LORD!