NO SCHEME OF MAN CAN STOP GOD’S WILL!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY DECEMBER 28, 2021.

SUBJECT: NO SCHEME OF MAN CAN STOP GOD’S WILL!

Memory verse: "Now a certain man drew a bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded."  (Second Chronicles 18 vs 33.)

READ: Second Chronicles 18 vs 12 - 17:

18:12: And the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah spake to him, saying, “Now listen, the words of the prophets with one accord encourage the king. Therefore please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak encouragement.

18:13: And Micaiah said, “As the LORD lives, whatever my God sails, that I will speak.

18:14: Then he come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth gilead, or shall I refrain?” And he said, “Go and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand!”

18:15: So the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?”

18:16: Then he said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the LORD said, “These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace.’”

18:17: And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”

INTIMATION:

No plan of man can thwart God’s plan and purpose in your life as a child of God. Though man can scheme to stop the will of God in your life, but rest assured that only the will of God will prevail at last. God works His will in all situations, with any persons, by any means, on any account, at anytime, and through any media. Therefore, child of God rest assured that God’s purpose in your life is as sure as day and night.

In the passage we read today, Ahab was Israel’s king who surrounded himself with prophets who gave him good news. Since these prophets were on the payroll of the government of Ahab, then we could expect them to make pronouncements that were favorable to the king because their livelihood is dependent on their pay. It is expected that the hirelings usually never speak against the wishes of those who sign their paychecks. 

For this reason, Jehoshaphat was skeptical of the pronouncements of the hired preachers of Ahab. He wanted a second opinion. He did not consider Ahab’s paid prophets to be prophets of God, for he asked for a true prophet of God. Micaiah, a true man of God is expected to speak that which true, regardless of his source of support. And since Ahab was living in wickedness, the prophet of God in this case could speak only that which was contrary to the wicked wishes of Ahab.

Four hundred paid preachers had preached a united message. The messenger that was sent to Micaiah wanted to intimidate him into conforming to the opinion of the four hundred prophets. Though Micaiah initially asked the king to go up against Ramoth gilead, but the truth was that the united army of Israel would be defeated in the battle and Ahab would be killed. Micaiah prophesied death for Ahab. Consequently, Ahab schemed to disguise himself to fool the enemy. 

Apparently the disguise worked, but that didn’t change the prophesy. A random Syrian arrow found a crack in his armor and killed him. God fulfills His will despite the defenses people try to erect. God can use anything, even an error, to bring His will to pass. This is good news for God’s followers because we can trust Him to work out His plans and keep His promises no matter how desperate our circumstances are.

Just like Balak, who wanted Balaam to curse the children of Israel (Numbers 23), and took him to several places to try to entice him to curse the Israelites. He thought a change of scenery might help change Balaam’s mind. But changing locations or schemes won’t change God’s will. Even Satan, with his accusations against the children of God, is unable to persuade God to go against His character. 

God is completely and eternally good. God may allow some unfavorable circumstances in our lives, but He usually uses any situations or schemes of man to achieve His will in our lives. Evil and injustice seem to have upper hand in the world. Christians often feel angry and discouraged as they see what goes on. Even when God allows Satan to go along with his plan, He knows eventual outcome will work for our good.

God’s will for us is supreme and prevails over man’s schemes. And when we communicate with God, we don’t demand what we want, rather we discuss with Him what He wants for us. If we align our prayers to His will, He will listen, and we can be certain that if He listens, He will give us a definite answer—an answer of peace. 

Prayers: Abba Father, Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty. For all that is in the heaven and in the earth is Yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and You are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come from You and You reign over all; and in Your hand is power and might; and in Your hand it is to make great, and to give strength to all. I will forever put all my trust in You, in Jesus' Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

What Is Your Aim?

 Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. . . . And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:17)

When you get up in the morning and you face the day, what do you say to yourself about your hopes for the day? When you look from the beginning of the day to the end of the day, what do you want to happen because you have lived?

If you say, “I don’t even think like that. I just get up and do what I’ve got to do,” then you are cutting yourself off from a basic means of grace and a source of guidance and strength and fruitfulness and joy. It is crystal clear in the Bible, including these texts, that God means for us to aim consciously at something significant in our days.

God’s revealed will for you is that when you get up in the morning, you don’t drift aimlessly through the day letting mere circumstances alone dictate what you do, but that you aim at something — that you focus on a certain kind of purpose. I’m talking about children here, and teenagers, and adults — single, married, widowed, moms, and every trade and every profession.

Aimlessness is akin to lifelessness. Dead leaves in the back yard may move around more than anything else — more than the dog, more than the children. The wind blows this way, they go this way. The wind blows that way, they go that way. They tumble, they bounce, they skip, they press against a fence, but they have no aim whatsoever. They are full of motion and empty of life.

God did not create humans in his image to be aimless, like lifeless leaves blown around in the backyard of life. He created us to be purposeful — to have a focus and an aim for all our days. What is yours today? What is yours for the new year? A good place to start is 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

WORRY NOT!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY DECEMBER 27, 2021.

SUBJECT: WORRY NOT!

Memory verse: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God" (Philippians 4 vs 6).

READ: Matthew 6 vs 25 - 33:

6:25: Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

6:26: Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

6:27: Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

6:28: So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;

6:29: And yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

6:30: Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

6:31: Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' Or 'What shall we drink?' Or 'What shall we wear?'

6:32: For all these things the Gentiles seek. For your Heavenly Father knows that you needs all these things.

6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

INTIMATION:

Worry or anxiety is being uneasy with fear, crave or desire regarding something, In our memory verse, the Scripture tells us not to be anxious about anything. Imagine not being anxious for anything. It seems like an impossibility because we all have worries; on the job, in our homes, in our business, at school, etc. The reason we worry or burn with anxiety is because we have not trusted God and His promises enough. 

God has given us His promises in all things; in "all" not "some." God is a God of Promise, and we, His children, are children of promise, and heirs of the promises of God. The Bible, in Hebrews 6 vs 17 - 18, indicated clearly that God's promises are unchanging and trustworthy because God is unchanging and trustworthy:

"Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us." 

These two immutable things are God's Nature and His promise, and God swore an oath by them! God embodies all truth, therefore, cannot lie. Because God is truth you can be secured in His promises, “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us” (Second Corinthians 1 vs 20). 

Therefore, turn all your worries into prayers, locating in the Scriptures the promise of God relevant to your situation, and put Him into remembrance (Isaiah 43 vs 26), for He watches over His Word to perform it (Jeremiah 1 vs 12). Whenever you start to worry, you stop to pray, and if you start to pray, you stop to worry.

In the passage we read today, Jesus tells us to stop worrying about those needs that God promises to supply. Worry has its negative effects on us; it may damage your health, cause the object of your worry to consume your thoughts, disrupt your productivity, negatively affect the way you treat others, reduce your ability to trust in God. Worry immobilizes, but genuine concern moves you to action.

Worry is distinct from planning. Planning for tomorrow is time well spent, worrying about tomorrow is time wasted. Sometimes it is difficult to tell the difference. Careful planning is thinking ahead about goals, steps, and schedules, and trusting in God's guidance. When done well, planning can help alleviate worry. Worriers, in contrast, are consumed by fear and find it difficult to trust God. They let their plans interfere with their relationship with God. Don't let worries about tomorrow affect your relationship with God today.

Carrying your worries, stresses, and daily struggles by yourself shows that you have not trusted God fully with your life. It takes humility, however, to recognize that God cares. Many a time we run away from God because of our sin, thinking that struggles caused by our own sin and foolishness are not God's concern. But when we turn to God in repentance, He will bear the weight even of those struggles. Letting God have your anxieties calls for action, not passively. Don't submit to circumstances, but to the Lord who controls circumstances.

The Scripture, in verse 33 of our passage today, asks us to first seek His kingdom and His righteousness. That is; to turn to God first for help, to fill your thoughts with His desires, to take His character for your pattern, and to serve and obey Him in everything. After you have done this, all other things the world is dying for will be added unto you. 

Please note carefully that all other things, apart from seeking God’s kingdom, are just additions, and not the main substance. The main thing that matters to God is your relationship with Him. What is really important to you? What do you really seek after? It is noteworthy that earthly concerns and desires, all compete for priority with seeking God. Any of these can quickly bump God out of your life; out of first place if you don't actively choose to give Him first place in every area of your life.

Prayers: Abba Father, I will forever trust in Your promises. Daily You have loaded me with benefits. All that is within me bless Your Holy Name! My soul blesses, and rejoices in You. Thank You Lord for I know You will never leave me nor forsake me. I put my cares upon You, knowing You care for me. Help me to put away any anxieties in my life, but rather turn any worries to prayer and supplication, giving thanks in all things, in Jesus' Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

OUR MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION.

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY DECEMBER 26,  2021..

SUBJECT: OUR MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION.

Memory verse: "Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation." (Second Corinthians 5 vs 18).

READ: Second Corinthians 5 vs 17 - 21:

5:17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, He is a new creation, Old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new.

5:18: Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,

5:19: that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

5:20: Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

5:21: For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

INTIMATION:

With regard to the relationship between God and man, reconciliation is primarily what God Himself accomplishes, exercising His grace towards sinful man on the ground of the death of Christ in propitiatory sacrifice under the judgement due to sin. Men in their sinful condition and alienation from God are invited to be reconciled to Him, that is to say, to change their attitude, and accept the provision God has made, whereby their sins can be remitted and they themselves be justified in His sight in Christ.

God is present, and at work in Christ reconciling the whole world to Himself, canceling out their trespasses, not counting them no more against them. For the believers in Christ, God has reconciled us to Himself by the mediation of Jesus Christ. All three members of the Trinity are involved in salvation. The Father loved us so much that He sent His Son to bridge the gap between us (John 3 vs 16). The Father and the Son send the Holy Spirit to fill our life with love and to enable us to live by His power (Acts 1 vs 8). 

In like manner, God has appointed those who believed and accepted Christ and what He wrought for us in redemption, as His representatives (ambassadors of Christ), and has commissioned us to do the same thing He is doing—reconciling the world to Himself; beseeching men to be reconciled to God on the ground of what God has wrought in Christ. He has also, given us the word (message) of reconciliation, to preach to the world as Christ's personal representatives in the world.

What then do we preach? And what are we to preach regarding reconciliation to God? In most of the preaching, we have reckoned unto men their trespasses. We have kept them "trespass-minded." We have kept them conscious of their weaknesses and failings, constantly preaching sin, and judgement to them. That is not wrong in itself, but God has not given us such ministry. He has instead given us the ministry of reconciliation; to preach “eternal life” in Christ.

It is proper to remind us of where we are coming from, but it is much more proper to recount to us what God has wrought for us in Christ Jesus, and where we, as believers in Christ and His work in redemption, are heading to. For believers in Christ, the remission of sin is a reality, God has blotted out our past records, and made them nonexistent. Where we are coming from has seized to exist in God's memory, haven given us His righteousness in Christ (vs 21). It was for this reason He commissioned us as Christ's ambassadors with the message of reconciliation. We have that word, and we have the message, It is therefore, ours to give to the world. 

As Christ's representatives, a new commandment has given to us in John 13 vs 34 - 35: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

That is the pivot on which the life of the "New Creation" man revolves. God, by His Nature, is love, and He showcased His love nature when He gave to the world His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, as a propitiation for our sins (John 3 vs 16). He came and paid the debt we owed, and ought to have paid for our sins. and He legally set us free from the debt.  When we were set free, He blotted out the records of our past, and made them nonexistent. He recreated us to be now in conformity to His love nature that was lacking before now, hence His pouring out His love out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is given to us (Romans 5 vs 5). 

It is after the impartation of His 'Love Nature' in the new creation, that He gave us the new commandment. Out of love for one another, we are to joyfully and freely let others know about Jesus, and the immeasurable worth of what He wrought for us in redemption, that they may come to partake of it.

As ambassadors of Christ, reconciled to God, we have the privilege of encouraging others to be reconciled to God in accordance with the ministry given to us. As ambassadors of reconciliation, we have very important responsibility, that is, the message of entreating the world to be reconciled to God. We dare not take this responsibility lightly. 

The question then is, 'How well are you fulfilling your commission as Christ's ambassador?’ This calls for self-assessment in accordance with His “Great Commission” in Mark 16 vs 15: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” May you never miss your mark in this assignment, in Jesus’ name!

Prayer: Abba Father, let the zeal of “Your Great Commission” eat me up that I will be an ambassador of Christ worthy of my calling, and that I may obtain the crown of rejoicing, and righteousness, which the Lord will give to me at the day of His coming, in Jesus Name I have prayed. Amen. 

PRAISE THE LORD!The 

How to Contemplate Calamity

 “The waves of death encompassed me, the torrents of destruction assailed me. . . . This God — his way is perfect.” (2 Samuel 22:5, 31)

After the loss of his ten children owing to a natural disaster (Job 1:19), Job said, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). At the end of the book, the inspired writer confirms Job’s understanding of what happened. He says Job’s brothers and sisters “comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him” (Job 42:11).

This has several crucial implications for us — lessons for us here at the dawn of a new year — as we think about calamities in the world and in our lives — like the massive disaster that occurred December 26, 2004, in the Indian Ocean — one of the deadliest natural disasters on record with 1.7 million people made homeless, half a million injured, and over 230,000 killed.

Lesson #1. Satan is not ultimate; God is.

Satan had a hand in Job’s misery, but not the decisive hand. God gave Satan permission to afflict Job (Job 1:12; 2:6). But Job and the writer of this book treat God as the decisive cause. When Satan afflicts Job with sores, Job says to his wife, “Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” (Job 2:10), and the writer calls these satanic sores “the evil that the Lord had brought upon him” (Job 42:11). So, Satan is real. Satan brings misery. But Satan is not ultimate or decisive. He is on a leash. He goes no farther than God decisively permits.

Lesson #2. Even if Satan caused that tsunami in the Indian Ocean the day after Christmas, 2004, he is not the decisive cause of over 200,000 deaths; God is.

God claims power over tsunamis in Job 38:8 and 11 when he asks Job rhetorically, “Who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb . . . and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed’?” Psalm 89:8–9 says, “O Lord . . . you rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them.” And Jesus himself has the same control today as he once did over the deadly threats of waves: “He . . . rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm” (Luke 8:24). In other words, even if Satan caused the earthquake, God could have stopped the waves. But he didn’t.

Lesson #3. Destructive calamities in this world mingle judgment and mercy.

God’s purposes are not simple. Job was a godly man and his miseries were not God’s punishment (Job 1:1, 8). Their design was purifying, not punishment (Job 42:6). James 5:11 says, “You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.”

But we do not know the spiritual condition of Job’s children who died. Job was certainly concerned about them (Job 1:5). God may have taken their life in judgment. We don’t know.

If that is true, then the same calamity proved in the end to be mercy for Job and judgment on his children. This double purpose is true of all calamities. They mingle judgment and mercy. They are both punishment and purification. Suffering, and even death, can be both judgment and mercy at the same time.

The clearest illustration of this is the death of Jesus. It was both judgment and mercy. It was judgment on Jesus because he bore our sins (not his own), and it was mercy toward us who trust him to bear our punishment (Galatians 3:13; 1 Peter 2:24) and be our righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Another example is the curse and miseries that have come on this earth because of the fall of Adam and Eve. Those who never believe in Christ experience it as judgment, but believers experience it as merciful, though painful — a preparation for glory. “The creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope” (Romans 8:20). This is God’s subjection. This is why there are tsunamis. But this subjection to futility is “in hope.”

Lesson #4. The heart that Christ gives to his people feels compassion for those who suffer, no matter what their faith is.

When the Bible says, “Weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15), it does not add, “unless God caused the weeping.” Job’s comforters would have done better to weep with Job than talk so much. That does not change when we discover that Job’s suffering was ultimately from God. No, it is right to weep with those who suffer. Pain is pain, no matter who causes it. We are all sinners. Empathy flows not from the causes of pain, but from the company of pain. And we are all in it together.

Lesson #5. Finally, Christ calls us to show mercy to those who suffer, even if they do not deserve it.

That is the meaning of mercy — undeserved help. “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you” (Luke 6:27). This is how Christ treated us (Romans 5:10), dying for us when we were his enemies. By that power, and with that example, we do the same.

WE ARE STEWARDS OF GOD'S GIFTS!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY DECEMBER 25, 2021.

SUBJECT: WE ARE STEWARDS OF GOD'S GIFTS!

Memory verse: "For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed received it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?" (First Corinthians 4 vs 7).

READ: Deuteronomy 8 vs 17 - 18; First Peter 4 vs 10 - 11:

Deut. 8:17: Then you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.

8:18: And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your father's, as it is this day.

First Peter 4:10: As each one has received a gift, minister to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

4:11: If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

INTIMATION:

A steward is a manager of another's resources or affairs. The earth, the world, and the fullness thereof is the LORD'S (Psalm 24 vs 1; 89 vs 11). And whatever we have is put in our custody and care by the Lord—the Owner of all the earth. Therefore, we must realize that all possessions, gifts, and abilities come from the Lord; “A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.” (John 3 vs 27.) He has given us all those resources, gifts, and abilities for the achievements of His purpose and set objectives. 

God demands that we should be effective and efficient managers or stewards of all He has put in our care. The Scripture says, "Moreover it is required of a steward that one be found faithful" (First Corinthians 4 vs 2). God is a purposeful God, and has predetermined His plans and purposes for all He has committed to our care, and demands that we manage all things to achieve His purposes. Consequently, we should dedicate our all to God's service wholeheartedly, and not holding back anything, realizing that nothing is for our personal success. 

Though we are differently gifted in nature, power, and effectiveness, according to God's wisdom and graciousness, our role is to be faithful and to seek ways to serve God and others with what He has given us. And that is being faithful, and effective stewards.

The reason people are so stressed out about possessions, such as money, is that they think they are owners of them, and are in control of those possessions. People tend to think they are responsible for all of the factors that lead to acquisition of possessions, talents, and gifts; that their abilities have given them the prosperity and all they needed to survive. They are worried about losing any of their possessions; such things as losing their jobs, or a downturn in the economy because they see themselves as the source of their provision.

In reality, all we have are gifts from the Lord, and we are just stewards. Seeing yourself as the source of blessing in your life puts a lot of pressure on you in trying to control circumstances that are really beyond your control. One of the benefits of seeing yourself as a steward is peace of mind and a sense of security. When you know God is your source, you aren't worried about the natural circumstances. If God can prosper Abraham and feed his flocks and herds in a desert, then He can bless and prosper you in any economic situation. It doesn't matter what is going on around you. 

In our Bible reading today, First Peter 4 vs 10, the Scripture says, "As each one has received a gift, minister to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." Obviously, it is by the grace of God you are what you are. Therefore, be a good steward of what is entrusted to your care and management. 

Every one of us needs to realize that our possessions are entrusted to our care and management by God, and then ask ourselves what God wants us to do with it. Knowing that your possessions are really God's, makes you approach life with a totally different attitude; knowing that your attitude toward them is more important than what you do with them.

The primary purpose of God’s blessings in our lives is that we should bless others. God clearly stated this fact to Abraham when He said to Him, “And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shalt be a blessing.” (Genesis 12 vs 2.) Therefore, we should be selfless with all God has given us. 

Interestingly, the Bible, in Luke 16 vs 1 - 13, tells us the parable of Jesus about the shrewd steward. In verse 8, Jesus said, "The master commended the unjust steward because he has dealt shrewdly." This steward was unjust (cheating on the master)—a son of this world. But was commended by his master for his shrewdness—cleverness, sharpness, intelligence, astuteness, craftiness. Why? Because he utilized the resources available to him to make friends for himself, so that when he fails, they may receive him into their homes. 

Jesus recognized that this attitude—the attitude of being a blessing with our possessions, that is, being a blessing to others when the opportunity calls, especially when blessed by God, is lacking among the believers—the sons of light. The key to using our resources wisely is to see how much we can use them for God's purposes, that is, being good and effective stewards. Instead of accumulating as much as we can for ourselves. Good stewardship is reflected in the way you use your resources to reflect kingdom values appropriately. 

Though, we are responsible to care for our own needs and the needs of our families and dependent relatives so as not to be a burden on others, we should, however, be willing to give up anything if God asks us to do so. This kind of attitude allows nothing to come between us and God, and keeps us from using our God-given possessions selfishly. 

How much of a blessing have you been to others? How much of your possessions have you given out to others, especially the less privileged who may not be able to give back to you? How much have you been supportive with your possessions for the sake of the kingdom? The answers are with you, and reflect the efficiency and effectiveness of your stewardship.

Prayer: Abba Father, all things are Yours, and You have put things in my care and management for You. Endue me with the spirit of effective and efficient stewardship for all You put in my custody in accordance with Your Will, in Jesus' Name I have prayed.. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Three Christmas Presents

 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. . . . My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 3:7–8; 2:1–2)

Ponder this remarkable situation with me. If the Son of God came to help you stop sinning — to destroy the works of the devil — and if he also came to die so that, when you do sin, there is a propitiation, a removal of God’s wrath, then what does this imply for living your life?

Three things. And they are wonderful to have. I give them to you briefly as Christmas presents.

Gift #1. A Clear Purpose for Living

It implies that you have a clear purpose for living. Negatively, it is simply this: don’t sin — don’t do what dishonors God. “I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin” (1 John 2:1). “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).

If you ask, “Can you give us that positively, instead of negatively?” the answer is: Yes, it’s all summed up in 1 John 3:23. It’s a great summary of what John’s whole letter requires. Notice the singular “commandment” — “And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.” These two things are so closely connected for John he calls them one commandment: believe Jesus and love others. That is your purpose. That is the sum of the Christian life. Trusting Jesus, loving people the way Jesus and his apostles taught us to love. Trust Jesus, love people. There’s the first gift: a purpose to live.

Gift #2. Hope That Our Failures Will Be Forgiven

The second implication of the twofold truth that Christ came to destroy our sinning and to forgive our sins is this: We make progress in overcoming our sin when we have hope that our failures will be forgiven. If you don’t have hope that God will forgive your failures, when you start fighting sin, you give up.

Many of you are pondering some changes in the new year, because you have fallen into sinful patterns and want out. You want some new patterns of eating. New patterns for entertainment. New patterns of giving. New patterns of relating to your spouse. New patterns of family devotions. New patterns of sleep and exercise. New patterns of courage in witness. But you are struggling, wondering whether it’s any use. Well, here’s your second Christmas present: Christ not only came to destroy the works of the devil — our sinning — he also came to be an advocate for us because of experiences of failure in our fight.

So, I plead with you, let the fact that failure will not have the last word give you the hope to fight. But beware! If you turn the grace of God into license, and say, “Well, if I can fail, and it doesn’t matter, then why bother fighting sin?” — if you say that, and mean it, and go on acting on it, you are probably not born again and should tremble.

But that is not where most of you are. Most of you want to fight sinful patterns in your life. And what God is saying to you is this: Let Christ’s covering of your failure give hope to fight. “I write this to you that you might not sin, but if you sin you have an advocate, Jesus Christ.”

Gift #3. Christ Will Help Us

Finally, the third implication of the double truth that Christ came to destroy our sinning and to forgive our sins is this: Christ will really help us in our fight. He really will help you. He is on your side. He didn’t come to destroy sin because sin is fun. He came to destroy sin because sin is fatal. It is a deceptive work of the devil, and it will destroy us if we don’t fight it. He came to help us, not hurt us.

So here’s your third Christmas present: Christ will help overcome sin in you. First John 4:4 says, “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” Jesus is alive, Jesus is almighty, Jesus lives in us by faith. And Jesus is for us, not against us. He will help you in your fight with sin in the new year. Trust him.