SEEK GOD’S GRACE THROUGH YOUR FAITH!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY DECEMBER 30, 2021.

SUBJECT: SEEK GOD’S GRACE THROUGH YOUR FAITH!

Memory verse: “Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17 vs 20.)

READ: Mark 9 vs 17 vs 18; 23 - 27:

9:17: Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.

9:18: And whenever it seizes Him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.”

9:23: Jesus said to Him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

9:24: Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

INTIMATION:

There is a very fine line between “grace” and “faith” that is often missed by us. Because these two work together, the line between them is difficult for many to discern. And if we do miss it, our lives become confused. Many trust their faith to meet their needs. When their needs are not met, then they tried to have more faith because they are unable to discern the very fine line between faith and grace. They are not seeing beyond their faith to seek the grace of God (the power of God) to meet their needs.

Most people seemed to base all achievements on their faith, when, in reality, every victory or achievement is based on God's faithfulness bestowed on us by His grace—the power of God. If we frustrate the grace of God, we are going to feel frustrated. This explains why, by the grace of God, we receive our petition even when our faith is near zero.

In our memory verse, Jesus told His disciples who were worried that they couldn’t heel the epileptic child, ‘if you have faith as small as the mustard seed (tiniest known seed on earth), you can move the mountain.’ The disciples were surprised because they had done such things in the past (see Mark 6 vs 13). The disciples were followers of Christ and believed in Him. Jesus, at some point, sent them out in pairs as His coworkers. The Scripture says, “And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits” (Mark 6 vs 7). 

Now note this, Jesus sent them out two by two as His coworkers, and gave them power over unclean spirits; “And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them” (Mark 6 vs 13). Though, they believed and followed Jesus, but it wasn’t their faith or believe that enabled them to accomplish those exploits of healing the sick and casting out demons. It was the power of God—the power over unclean spirits given to them by Jesus when they departed—that enabled them to accomplish all that they did. 

When they came back, they were very happy with their accomplishments, and obviously should have built up greater faith. With their increased faith, they expected to accomplish much more exploits, such that heeling the epileptic child wouldn’t have been a problem to them. But surprisingly they couldn’t. This was because in the company, and presence of Jesus, the power of God (the grace of God) for such accomplishments was no more with them, but with the Master Himself, their greater faith not withstanding.

Jesus was teaching them that it is the power of God (the grace of God) bestowed upon them that enabled them to do exploits, and no matter the size of their faith, they should seek the power of God (the grace of God) to come through for them in any situation they face in life. And in some cases, they will not only pray for grace, but will also back it up with fasting to able to bring the power of God to bear on life’s circumstances they face: “However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting (Matthew 17 vs 21). This same kingdom’s principle remains, and is unchanging, and is applicable to us believers even in this time.

In order to get our needs met, in order to receive anything from the Lord, we must have both faith and grace. It is by grace through faith that we are saved. And it is by grace through faith that all our prayers are answered, and all of our needs are met. Keep your eyes on God to deliver you, not on your faith.

In Second Timothy 2 vs 13, the Bible says, "If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself." The Bible is teaching us here to get our eyes off our ability to believe (as the ultimate), but rather on God's willingness to meet our needs even though we do not have perfect faith, or no faith at all. 

Remember the father of the epileptic child had virtually little faith, which was even eroded when His disciples failed him. Jesus knew his state of mind and said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” The man immediately tried to build up his faith and replied, "Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief" or "Help my weakness of faith!" The man knew his faith was lacking, but he was honest about it, and Jesus healed his son. (See Mark 9 vs 17 - 24.) God's grace (power) came on the scene and gave the man what he did not deserve due to his unbelief.

Prayer: Abba Father, let Your grace rest upon me at all times, that I may be able to face all my life’s challenges and meet all my needs, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

VICTORY IS IN THE GOOD CONFESSION OF FAITH!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 29, 2021.

SUBJECT: VICTORY IS IN THE GOOD CONFESSION OF FAITH!

Memory verse: "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to death." (Revelation 12 vs 11.)

READ: First Timothy 6 vs 12 - 14:

6:12: Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

6:13: I urge you in the sight of God who gives life in all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate,

6:14: that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing,

INTIMATION:

In confessing the good confession of faith lies the victory of the believer. Your confession is your possession. It is obvious that the lack of faithful confessions by believers is a major problem for many. The good fight of faith lies in the confession the believer makes. This is the battle of believers as directed by the apostle Paul in the passage we read; "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." (vs 12.)

The good fight of faith is a battle that has been won a long time ago, in which you do nothing but acknowledge the defeat of your enemy and your own victory in Christ. The fight of faith is not a struggle on your part. It is a recognition and a confession on your part of victory that you and Christ won over the adversary in that great substitutionary battle that took place before He arose from the dead.

The apostle Paul was comparing Timothy's own confession of faith with that of Jesus before Pilate. Looking at the Master, Jesus, we can see that the secret of His victory lay in His continual confession. For instance, He held fast to His confession, even at the point of death:

“Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a King then?” Jesus answered, You say rightly that I am a King. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” (John 18 vs 36 - 37.)

Now as conquerors, our memory verse reminds us that we are overcomers, and our victory is hinged on the blood of the Lamb, and the words of our testimony.  The critical blow to Satan came when the Lamb, Jesus Christ, shed His blood for our sins. The victory is won by sacrifice—Christ's death in our place to pay the penalty for our sins. The believers victory is established once he holds on to the good confession of faith in Christ Jesus and His works in redemption for us.

We are in the realm of victory in Christ Jesus, as we have moved out of the realm of weakness, and you can say, "I am more than a conqueror, for I am complete in Him who is the head of all principality and powers (Colossians 2 vs 10.) 

As a believer, you were identified in that. You were crucified with Him. You were buried with Him. You were raised with Him. We conquered the enemy with Him. Now with faith planted solidly upon this foundation, you face your enemy without fear. You dare to say "I am the righteousness of God in Christ." Just as Jesus dared to say, "I am the vine, and you are the branches"; "I am the light of the world"; you say, "I am what He says I am." More than even that you can say, "I can do what He says I can do." 

We are reminded of who we are in First John 4 vs 4, "You are of God, my little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world." That settles it. You are of God, child of God, created in Christ Jesus. You are now a master because the Master is in you. You are becoming God-inside conscious. You are learning to let Him have His place in you.

You see, you are united with Him. He is the Vine and you are a branch. You grew out of Him. You were created in Him. Don't forget your perfect union with Him. Our oneness with Christ is the source of our ultimate strength. We are recreated in Him, and have a perfect union with Him:

"For if we have been untied together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin." (Romans 6 vs 5 - 6.)

As a believer and conqueror, you should be conscious of your legal right to what Jesus Christ wrought for you in redemption which is wrapped up in His wonderful Name (John 14 vs 13 - 14). The use of His Name is making a demand. That is demanding the forces of darkness to be broken over the lives of men. You are acting in the place of the Master now. The use of Name unsheathes the sword of the spirit, the living Word, and in your lips that Living Word becomes a dominating force as it was in the lips of the Master.

Prayer: Abba Father, greater is Christ that is in me than the ruler of this world. I am one with Christ, and I can do all things through Him that strengthens me. Give me the grace and empowerment of good confession of faith to overcome my adversaries, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

A Horrible Destiny

 . . . Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. (1 Thessalonians 1:10)

Do you remember the time you were lost as a child, or slipping over a precipice, or about to drown? Then suddenly you were rescued. You held on for “dear life.” You trembled for what you almost lost. You were happy. Oh, so happy, and thankful. And you trembled with joy.

That’s the way I feel at the end of the year about my rescue from God’s wrath. All day Christmas we had a fire in the fireplace. Sometimes the coals were so hot that when I stoked it my hand hurt. I pulled back and shuddered at the horrendous thought of the wrath of God against sin in hell. Oh, how unspeakably horrible that will be!

Christmas afternoon I visited a woman who had been burned over 87 percent of her body. She has been in the hospital since August. My heart broke for her. How wonderful it was to hold out hope to her from God’s word for a new body in the age to come! But I came away not only thinking about her pain in this life, but also about the everlasting pain I have been saved from through Jesus.

Test my experience with me. Is this trembling joy a fitting way to end the year? Paul was glad that “Jesus . . . delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:10). He warned that “for those who . . . do not obey the truth . . . there will be wrath and fury” (Romans 2:8). And “because of [sexual immorality, impurity, and covetousness] the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 5:6).

Here at the end of the year, I am finishing my trek through the Bible and reading the last book, Revelation. It is a glorious prophecy of the triumph of God, and the everlasting joy of all who “take the water of life without price” (Revelation 22:17). No more tears, no more pain, no more depression, no more sorrow, no more death, no more sin (Revelation 21:4).

But oh, the horror of not repenting and not holding fast to the testimony of Jesus! The description of the wrath of God by the “apostle of love” (John) is terrifying. Those who spurn God’s love will “drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night” (Revelation 14:10–11).

“And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15). Jesus will “tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty” (Revelation 19:15). And blood will flow “from the winepress, as high as a horse’s bridle, for 184 miles” (Revelation 14:20). Whatever that vision signifies, it is meant to communicate something unspeakably terrible.

I tremble with joy that I am saved! But oh, the holy wrath of God is a horrible destiny. Flee this, brothers and sisters. Flee this with all your might. And let us save as many as we can! No wonder there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous (Luke 15:7)!

Glory Is the Goal

 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:2)

Seeing the glory of God is our ultimate hope. “We rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:2). God will “present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy” (Jude 24).

He will “make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory” (Romans 9:23). He “calls you into his own kingdom and glory” (1 Thessalonians 2:12). “Our blessed hope [is] the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).

Jesus, in all his person and work, is the incarnation and ultimate revelation of the glory of God. “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” (Hebrews 1:3). “Father, I desire that they . . . may be with me where I am, to see my glory” Jesus prays in John 17:24.

“So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed” (1 Peter 5:1). “The creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Romans 8:21).

“We impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory” (1 Corinthians 2:7). “This light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17). “Those whom he justified he also glorified” (Romans 8:30).

Seeing and sharing in God’s glory is our ultimate hope through the gospel of Christ.

Such a hope, that is really known and treasured, has a huge and decisive effect on our present values and choices and actions.

Get to know the glory of God. Study the glory of God and the glory of Christ. Study the glory of the world that reveals the glory of God, and the glory of the gospel that reveals the glory of Christ.

Treasure the glory of God in all things and above all things.

Study your soul. Know the glory you are seduced by, and know why you treasure glories that are not God’s glory.

Study your own soul to know how to make the glories of the world collapse like the pagan idol Dagon in 1 Samuel 5:4. Let all glories that distract you from the glory of God shatter in pitiful pieces on the floor of the world’s temples. Treasure the glory of God above all this world.

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!