That You May Believe

 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:30–31)

I feel so strongly that among those of us who have grown up in church and who can recite the great doctrines of our faith in our sleep, and yet who can yawn through the Apostles’ Creed — that among us something must be done to help us once more feel the awe, the fear, the astonishment, the wonder of the Son of God, begotten by the Father from all eternity, reflecting all the glory of God, being the very image of his person, through whom all things were created, upholding the universe by the word of his power.

You can read every fairy tale that was ever written, every mystery thriller, every ghost story, and you will never find anything so shocking, so strange, so weird and spellbinding as the story of the incarnation of the Son of God.

How dead we are! How callous and unfeeling to your glory and your story, O God! How often have I had to repent and say, “God, I am sorry that the stories men have made up stir my emotions, my awe and wonder and admiration and joy, more than your own true story.”

Perhaps the galactic movie thrillers of our day can do at least this good for us: they can humble us and bring us to repentance, by showing us that we really are capable of some of the wonder and awe and amazement that we so seldom feel when we contemplate the eternal God and the cosmic glory of Christ and a real living contact between them and us in Jesus of Nazareth.

When Jesus said, “For this purpose I have come into the world” (John 18:37), he said something as crazy and weird and strange and eerie as any statement in science fiction that you have ever read.

Oh, how I pray for a breaking forth of the Spirit of God upon me and upon you; for the Holy Spirit to break into my experience in a frightening way, to wake me up to the unimaginable reality of God.

One of these days lightning is going to fill the sky from the rising of the sun to its setting, and there is going to appear in the clouds the Son of Man with his mighty angels in flaming fire. And we will see him clearly. And whether from terror or sheer excitement, we will tremble and we will wonder how we ever lived so long with such a domesticated, harmless Christ.

These things are written — the whole Bible is written — that we might believe — that we might be stunned and awakened to the wonder — that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came into the world.

THE HEART THAT GOD HEARS!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2021. 

SUBJECT : THE HEART THAT GOD HEARS!

Memory verse: "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the LORD will not hear me." (Psalm 66 vs 18.)

READ: Mark 11 vs 22 - 26:

11:22: Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. 

11:23: For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

11:24: Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

11:25: "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 

11:26: But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."

 

INTIMATION:

When we fail to confess our sins, and repent of them, or when we harbor and cherish certain sins, we place a wall between us and God. We may not be able to remember every sin we have committed, but our attitude should be one of confession and obedience. Our confession of sin must be continual because we continue to do wrong. 

A heart filled with the spirit of heaviness receives nothing from God. Let go, lighten your heart, free your heart to create space to receive from God. A heart crowded, and burdened with iniquity—wickedness, unforgiveness, injustice, evil, hatred etc, is so filthy, and crowded with negativities that it cannot receive anything good, especially from the Lord. Such heart attitude quench the Spirit, thereby dampening the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Forgiving others is tough work; so much so that many people would rather do something totally distasteful in vengeance than offer forgiveness to someone who has wronged them. For a person to pray with a heavy heart, bearing grudges, is, however,  like a tree sprouting leaves and bearing no fruit, fruitful in appearance only, but is spiritually barren.

The heart bearing grudges, can never at the same time harbor blessings. Don't deceive yourself; God cannot be mocked; for whatever you so in your heart, that you shall also reap (Galatians 6 vs 7). Therefore, make your choice. You cannot be on the two sides of the divide at the same one time. 

Effective prayer involves; an attitude of faith—complete dependence on God. Faith filled prayer changes the heart, dismantles pride and vengeance, filling the holes; the spaces occupied by grudges, hatred, injustice, wickedness etc, with love, and speaks peace, forgiveness, and harmony. 

Our prayers must have a bias for God's kingdom, and must not be with selfish motives. Our prayers are often motivated by our own interests and desires. When we pray, we can express our desires, but we should want His Will above ours. For instance, Jesus, our role Model, prayed thus; "Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will" (Mark 14 vs 36). Jesus prayed with God's interests in mind.  Check yourself to see if your prayers focus on your interests or God's.

The attitude of faith in God is not something we can obtain without help from Him. Faith is a gift from God. The Scripture, in Ephesians 2 vs 8 - 9, clearly says:- "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." No matter how much faith we have, we never reach the point of being self sufficient. Growing in faith is a constant process of daily renewing our trust in Jesus Christ. 

Therefore, God will answer your prayers, not as a result of your mental attitude, but because the following other conditions must be met;

1. You must a believer.

2. You must not hold a grudge against another person.

3. You must not pray with selfish motives.

4. Your request must be for the good of God's kingdom.

Prayer: Abba Father, my total trust, and confidence is in You. I come to You with a heart of love and peace. I forgive all that have offended me, believing You have forgiven me my trespasses. Therefore, attend to my cry, and deliver to me my needs according to Your Will, not mine, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

The Birth of the Ancient of Days

 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world — to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” (John 18:37)

This is a great Christmas text even though it comes from the very end of Jesus’s life on earth, not the beginning.

Notice: Jesus says not only that he was born, but that he “came into the world.” The uniqueness of his birth is that he did not originate at his birth. He existed before he was born in a manger. The personhood, the character, the personality of Jesus of Nazareth existed before the man Jesus of Nazareth was born.

The theological word to describe this mystery is not creation, but incarnation. The person, not the body, but the essential personhood of Jesus existed before he was born as man. His birth was not a coming into being of a new person, but a coming into the world of an infinitely old person.

Micah 5:2 puts it like this, 700 years before Jesus was born:

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.

The mystery of the birth of Jesus is not merely that he was born of a virgin. That miracle was intended by God to witness to an even greater one; namely, that the child born at Christmas was a person who existed “from of old, from ancient days.”

And, therefore, his birth was purposeful. Before he was born he thought about being born. Together with his Father there was a plan. And part of that great plan he spoke in the last hours of his life on earth: “For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world — to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice” (John 18:37).

He was the eternal Truth. He spoke only the truth. He acted out the greatest truth of love. And he is gathering into his eternal family all those who are born of the truth. This was the plan from ancient days.

BE SINCERE IN YOUR WORSHIP!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY DECEMBER 21, 2021.

SUBJECT : BE SINCERE IN YOUR WORSHIP!

Memory verse: "For our boasting is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you." (Second Corinthians 1 vs 12.)

READ: Matthew 15 vs 8 - 9:

15:8: “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.

15:9: And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

INTIMATION:

Sincerity is the quality of being open and truthful; not deceitful or hypocritical. It is the quality or state of being sincere; honesty of mind or intention; freedom from simulation, hypocrisy, disguise, or false pretense.  Sincerity is a quality possessed by God, as that which is to characterize the conduct of believers. If your worship is correct but not sincere, it will not be accepted and if it is sincere but not correct it will not be accepted 

Sincerity is the virtue of one who communicates and acts in accordance with the entirety of their feelings, beliefs, thoughts, and desires in a manner that is honest and genuine. When we claim to honor God while our hearts are far from Him, our worship means nothing. It is not enough to study about religion or even to study the Bible. It is not enough to act religious. Our actions and our attitudes must be sincere. You may know a lot about God but do not know God, therefore, you’re insincere in your worship to Him.

Sincerity in worship has to do with our spirit's relationship with God. We have to first establish a relationship with God by inviting Christ Jesus into our lives as Lord and Savior. Now we have a relationship established with God. Thus, as we worship, we do this through our regenerated spirit, given to us after accepting Christ as stated above. Our spirit worship the Lord as we sing worship song, appreciate Him in our heart, praying to Him, declaring His glory, and exalting His name in our life.

The Bible, in Zechariah 7 vs 5 - 7, tells about the Israelites. While in exile they had lost their sincere desire for loving relationship with God. Zechariah told them that they had been fasting without a proper attitude of repentance or worship. The fasts of both the fifth and seventh months were fasts instituted by the people, not God. The fasts were based on their own desires, for both represented fasts in reference to the loss of their city and their rulers. 

The fasts were not over the loss of their faithfulness to God. It had nothing to do with repentance. They fasted and mourned during their exile with no thought of God or their sins that had caused it in the first place. Instead of fasting in repentance to take heed of the call of the prophets to repent, they were fasting over something they had lost. Consequently, their worship was insincere and not acceptable to God.

When you go to church, pray or have fellowship with other believers, are you doing these things from habit or for what you can get out of them? God says that an attitude of worship without a sincere desire to know and love Him will lead to ruin. 

Sincerity and truth are extremely valuable because they are so rare. Many people are deceivers, liars, flatterers, they think they will get what they want by deception. With God this will lead to ruin. When we feel as though sincerity and truth have nearly gone out of existence, we have one hope—the Word of God. God’s Word is as pure and flawless as refined silver. So listen carefully when He speaks to you through His Word. And do the same when you worship Him.

Sincerity is a mix of seriousness and honesty. If you do things with sincerity, people will trust you, and God will be pleased with you. Along with patience and compassion, sincerity is one of those qualities we all probably wish we had more of—and wish other people had more of, too. People who show sincerity are being serious, kind, and truthful. 

Prayer: Abba Father, give me the grace to worship You in sincerity of heart at all times, knowing that it is pleasing to You, and in so doing You will answer me whenI call, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

BE SELFLESS AS CHRIST!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY DECEMBER 20, 2021.

SUBJECT : BE SELFLESS AS CHRIST! 

Memory verse: "Bear one another's burdens, and fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6 vs 2.)

READ: Philippians 2 vs 3 - 5; First Corinthians 10 vs 24:

Philippians 2:3: Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

2:4: Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

2:5: Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.

First Corinthians 10:24: Let no one seek his own, but each one the other's well-being. 

INTIMATION:

Being selfless is laying aside right; putting others first. Selflessness is having no regard to self, being altruistic—living and acting for the interest of others. It is inconveniencing yourself for the happiness, and benefit of others. Jesus Christ, our Messiah, is a classic example of a selfless life. He was humble, willing to give up His rights in order to obey God and serve people. Consequently, the apostle Paul advises us thus: "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." Like Jesus, we should have a servant's attitude, serving out of love for God and others. 

Everyone chooses his or her attitude. You can approach life expecting to be served, or you can look for opportunities to serve others. Jesus Christ's ministry on earth was anchored on selflessness, and was the basis for our salvation. He died for us; paid a ransom for us because we could not do it ourselves. His death released us from our slavery and bondage to sin. Jesus remarked in Mark 10 vs 45; "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." 

Living a selfless life as Christ did brings about spiritual unity. We must love one another and be one in spirit and purpose. When we co-operate in working together, caring for the problems of others as if they were our problems, we demonstrate Christ's example of putting others first, and consequently, fulfill the law of Christ. Always think of yourself the way Jesus thought of Himself. Though He is God, and equal with God in status, but didn't think so much of Himself that He had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

Many people, even Christians, live only to make a good impression on others or to please themselves. However, selfish ambition or conceit (overbearing, having a high opinion of oneself) brings discord. Unfortunately, selfishness abound in the Body of Christ. Christians—members of the Body of Christ—compete amongst themselves with the motive to undo the other; backbiting, gossiping, witch-hunting, working against the interest of others etc. such evil behaviors are the products of selfishness. Even the leaders who should lead by example even struggle in traffic jam, in fuel cue, in difficult circumstances to take the first turn etc. Though it is difficult to lead such a lifestyle but we need to start from somewhere and let the Holy Spirt help us accomplish the rest.

Someone would say, “Can a selfless lifestyle of service be possible.” Yes it can! Worthy of note was the Christlike selfless service of the late Mother Teresa; a unique personality who devoted her life to the service of God and others as a nun in the Roman Catholic faith. In 1950, Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic religious congregation that had over 4,500 nuns and was active in 133 countries in 2012. The congregation manages homes for people who are dying of HIV/AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis. It also runs soup kitchens, dispensaries, mobile clinics, children's and family counseling programs, as well as orphanages and schools. Members take vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience, and also profess a fourth vow—to give “wholehearted free service to the poorest of the poor.” 

Prayer: Abba Father, my trust is in You. Give me the grace to lead a selfless lifestyle of service to You and fellow humans. treating others with respect and common courtesy, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Christmas Solidarity

 The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8)

The assembly line of Satan turns out millions of sins every day. He packs them into huge cargo planes and flies them to heaven and spreads them out before God and laughs and laughs and laughs.

Some people work full-time on the assembly line. Others have quit their jobs there and only now and then return.

Every minute of work on the assembly line makes God the laughingstock of Satan. Sin is Satan’s business because he hates the light and beauty and purity and glory of God. Nothing pleases him more than when creatures distrust and disobey their Maker.

Therefore, Christmas is good news for man and good news for God.

“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). That’s good news for us.

“The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). That is also good news for God.

Christmas is good news for God because Jesus has come to lead a strike at Satan’s assembly plant. He has walked right into the plant, called for the Solidarity of the faithful, and begun a massive walkout.

Christmas is a call to go on strike at the assembly plant of sin. No negotiations with the management. No bargaining. Just single-minded, unswerving opposition to the product. We won’t be a part of making it anymore.

Christmas Solidarity aims to ground the cargo planes. It will not use force or violence, but with relentless devotion to Truth it will expose the life-destroying conditions of the devil’s industry.

Christmas Solidarity will not give up until a complete shutdown has been achieved.

When sin has been destroyed, God’s name will be wholly exonerated. No one will be laughing anymore.

If you want to give a gift to God this Christmas, walk off the assembly line of sin and don’t go back. Take up your place in the picket line of love. Join Christmas Solidarity until the majestic name of God is cleared, and he stands glorious amid the accolades of the righteous.

Christmas Is for Freedom

 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)

Jesus became man because what was needed was the death of a man who was more than man. The incarnation was God’s locking himself into death row.

Christ did not risk death. He chose death. He embraced it. That is precisely why he came: “not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

No wonder Satan tried to turn Jesus from the cross — in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1–11) and in the mouth of Peter (Matthew 16:21–23)! The cross was Satan’s destruction. How did Jesus destroy him?

Hebrews 2:14 says that Satan has “the power of death.” That means Satan has the ability to make death fearful. “The power of death” is the power that holds men in bondage through fear of death. It is the power to keep men in sin so that death comes as a dreadful thing.

But Jesus stripped Satan of this power. He disarmed him. He molded a breastplate of righteousness for us that makes us immune to the devil’s condemnation. How did he do this?

By his death, Jesus wiped away all our sins. And a person without sin cannot be condemned by Satan. Forgiven, we are finally indestructible. Satan’s plan was to destroy God’s rule by condemning God’s followers in God’s own courtroom. But now, in Christ, there is no condemnation. Satan’s treason is aborted. His cosmic treachery is foiled. “His rage we can endure, for, lo, his doom is sure.” The cross has run him through. And he will gasp his last before long.

Christmas is for freedom. Freedom from the fear of death.

Jesus took our nature in Bethlehem, to die our death in Jerusalem — all that we might be fearless in our city today. Yes, fearless. Because if the biggest threat to my joy is gone, then why should I fret over the little ones? How can you say (really!), “Well, I’m not afraid to die but I’m afraid to lose my job”? No. No. Think!

If death (I said, death! — no pulse, cold, gone!) if death is no longer a fear, we’re free, really free. Free to take any risk under the sun for Christ and for love. No more enslavement to anxiety.

If the Son has set you free, you shall be free, indeed!