SAVED BY GRACE ALONE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY MARCH 20, 2022. 

SUBJECT : SAVED BY GRACE ALONE!

Memory verse: "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2 vs 10.)

READ: Ephesians 2 vs 1 - 10:

2:1: And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,

2:2: in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in sons of disobedience,

2:3: among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

2:4: But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

2:5: even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

2:6: and raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

2:7: that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His toward us in Christ Jesus.

2:8: For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

2:9: not of works, lest anyone should boast.

INTIMATION:

It is not possible for one to live without sin. All have sinned (Romans 3 vs 9, 10 & 23). The wages of sin is spiritual death (Romans 4 vs 18, 6 vs 23), for sin separates one from God (Isaiah 59 vs 1 - 2). One is not born a sinner (Ezekiel 18 vs 20). He free-morally chooses to sin against God when he reaches the age of accountability, that is, the age at which one can make a rational free-moral decision concerning right or wrong in reference to God’s law. Therefore, one becomes dead in trespasses and sins as a result of choices that conflict with God’s law.

Before the coming of Christ, man had lived in the state of rebellion by following after the desires of this world. Man lived as though the present world was all there was. They had no feeling of accountability before God in reference to their behavior. They allowed the desires of the flesh to be satisfied without feeling consciously guilty of the sin against God. Their conscience was not controlled by belief in God before whom they would have to give account for their behavior. Satan is the ruler of those who have given themselves over to follow after the lusts of the world. Those who make decisions, and live without considering the will of God, are often living and making decisions according to the will of Satan. 

The problem of being human is the fact that we cannot live in a manner that is sinless before God. Therefore, we cannot live in a manner that would merit the mercy of God. The justice of God stands on the fact that He has extended mercy to those who have sought Him by faith. God’s mercy has been extended toward man because of His great love for all men. Those who sin against God will reap the consequences of their sin if they do not respond to the love of God. Mercy is not given out of debt, but out of love and grace. Man can be saved from condemnation in sin only by the grace of God wherein God reaches forth with mercy to redeem those who cannot legally justify themselves through perfect keeping of law or meritorious deeds. 

The dictionary definition of grace is; beauty, kindness, good-will, mercy, reprieve, and pardon. God's grace will then be His beauty; kindness; good-will; mercy; reprieve; and pardon for sinful humanity. These attributes of God are freely, and undeservedly given to sinful humanity. Grace therefore, is the free, and unmerited power of God available to sinful humanity to meet our needs without any costs to us. it is received by believing rather than through any human efforts. 

The simple and uncomplicated nature of God's grace, and being a free gift, make many people to miss it. There is nothing more powerful than grace. In fact, everything in the Bible—salvation, the infilling of the Holy Spirit, fellowship with God, and victory in our daily lives—is based upon the grace of God. Without grace, we are nothing, we have nothing, and can do nothing. If it were not for the grace of God, we would all be miserable and hopeless. 

In our memory verse, the apostle Paul tells us that everything we are and do and have is by the grace of God. You and I are one hundred percent helpless without the grace of God. The writer of Hebrews tells us that our works were prepared for us by God and finished from the foundation of the world (Hebrews 4 vs 3).

We should start each day by saying, "Here I am, Lord, ready for whatever You have for me to do. I empty myself, as much as I know how, to allow Your grace to flow in my life, to cause me to be able to do whatever it is that You desire for me. I cast myself totally upon You. I can be only what You allow me to be, I can have only what You will for me to have, I can do only what You empower me to do, and each victory is to Your glory, not mine."

Prayer: Abba Father, I thank You, most precious Redeemer, for Your grace made available to me. There is nothing I can do to pay for what You did, and is doing for me. Give me the grace to lead a life inherent in good works, and total dedication to You, in Jesus' Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

A Six-Point Summary of the Gospel

 

Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God. (1 Peter 3:18)

Here’s a summary of the gospel to help you understand it and enjoy it and share it!

1) God created us for his glory.

“Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory” (Isaiah 43:6–7). God made all of us in his own image so that we would image forth, or reflect, his character and moral beauty.

2) Therefore every human should live for God’s glory.

“Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). The way to live for the glory of God is to love him (Matthew 22:37), trust him (Romans 4:20), be thankful to him (Psalm 50:23), obey him (Matthew 5:16), and treasure him above all things (Philippians 3:8; Matthew 10:37). When we do these things we image forth God’s glory.

3) Nevertheless, we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “Although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him . . . and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images” (Romans 1:21–23). None of us has loved or trusted or thanked or obeyed or treasured God as we ought.

4) Therefore we all deserve eternal punishment.

“The wages of sin is (eternal) death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Those who did not obey the Lord Jesus “will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might” (2 Thessalonians 1:9). “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matthew 25:46).

5) Yet, in his great mercy, God sent his only Son Jesus Christ into the world to provide for sinners the way of eternal life.

“God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13). “Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).

6) Therefore eternal life is a free gift to all who will trust in Christ as Lord and Savior and supreme Treasure of their lives.

“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). “By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9). “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8).

LIFE IN THE WORD ENGENDERS PROFITABLE LIVING!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY MARCH 19, 2022. 

SUBJECT : LIFE IN THE WORD ENGENDERS PROFITABLE LIVING.

Memory verse: "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119 vs 105).

READ: Psalm 119 vs 97 - 105; 129 - 130:

Psalm 119:97: Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.

119:98: You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; For they are ever with me.

119:99: I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation.

119:100: I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Your precepts. 

119:101: I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your word.

119:102: I have not departed from Your judgements, for You Yourself have taught me. 

119:103: How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 119:104: Through Your precepts I get understanding, therefore I hate every false way.

119:105: Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.

119:129: Your testimonies are wonderful, therefore my soul keeps them.

119:130: The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. 

INTIMATION:

Life in the Word makes for a profitable living. God's Word makes us wise - wiser than our enemies and wiser than any teachers who ignore it. True wisdom goes beyond amassing knowledge; it is applying knowledge in a life-changing way. Intelligent or experienced people are not necessarily wise. Wisdom comes from allowing God's teachings to guide you.

The practice starts with your believing in the Word. Believe is having trust in, or firm conviction about something. To believe in the Word is accepting its existence, recognizing its value or advantage, and to have faith in its ability. The Word is the same as God (John 1 vs 1), therefore, believe in the Word is believe in God. All God's attributes are also associated with His Word. Believing that God exists is only the beginning. You have to have faith in what you believe, and demonstrate that faith by practicing what you have believed. 

Even the demons also believe, but fail to practice that believe (James 2 vs 19). God will not settle for mere acknowledgement of His existence. He wants a personal, dynamic relationship with you that will transform your life by demonstrating your faith in His Word. God assures us that all who honestly seek Him—who act in faith on the knowledge of God (His Word),  putting into practice the Word they believe—will be rewarded by Him (Hebrews 11 vs 6).

The efficacy of the Word of God is described in the Bible in Hebrews 4 vs 12 thus:- "For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." The Word of God is not simply a collection of words from God, or a vehicle for communicating ideas. It is living, life-changing, and dynamic as it works in us. His Words are purposeful hence they accomplish what He please, and prosper in the things for which He sent them, and never returns to Him void (Isaiah 55 vs 11). 

In this life, we walk through a dark forest of evil. But the Bible can be our light to show us the way ahead so we won't stumble as we walk. It reveals the entangling roots of false values and philosophies. Studying the Bible, and practicing what it tells you, makes you able to see your way clear enough to stay on the right path.

God means what He says, and what He says goes. His powerful Word is superbly sharp, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense. It lays us open to listen and obey. Nothing, and no one is impervious to God's Word, and cannot get away from it, no matter what.

When we live our life in the Word—doing what God says we should do—we rest assured of a profitable living. This is because we can't go wrong since God can never go wrong. The Lordship of God is undoubted. He is unique in His knowledge and in His control of all things, including the future. His consistent purpose is to carry out what He has said, and planned. 

All that is written in Bible are God's word, and are for our benefit. Lord instructed Joshua, in Joshua 1 vs 8: "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." Live the Word life, and rest assured of good success in all areas of your life.

Prayer: Abba Father, the entrance of Your Word illuminates my path, and gives me Understanding. Therefore, help me to resist evil plotting of the enemy to take away Your Word from me, in Jesus' Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

GIVE YOUR WHOLE HEART TO GOD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY MARCH 18, 2022.

SUBJECT : GIVE YOUR WHOLE HEART TO GOD!

Memory verse: "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God." (Psalm 42 vs  1.)

READ: Psalms 219 vs 34 - 36:

119:34: Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart.

119:35: Make me walk in the path of Your commandments; for I delight in it.

119:36: Incline my heart to Your testimonies, and not to covetousness. 

INTIMATION:

The heart is the chief organ of physical life. The heart is used figuratively for the hidden springs of the personal life. It is the custodian of man’s entire mental and moral activity, both the rational and the emotional elements. The Bible describes human depravity as in the heart, because sin is a principle which has its seat in the centre of man’s inward life, and then defiles the whole circuit of his action. On the other hand, Scripture regards the heart as the sphere of Divine influence. The heart, as lying deep within, contains ‘the hidden man’—the real man. It represents the true character but conceals it. It denotes the seat of physical life, moral nature, and spiritual life.

God desires a heartily relationship with us, hence His demand on us to seek, serve, and love Him with all your heart. As I said, the heart contains ‘the hidden man.’ A wise person once said, "When God measures you, He puts the tape around your heart, not your head." How is your heart relationship with God? We work hard to keep our outward appearance attractive, but what is deep down in our heart (where others can’t see) is more important to God. What are you like inside? God desires the spiritual heart relationship with His children; where they will seek Him with all their heart. 

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

Spiritual heart relationship can best be explained through a human illustration. Some children grow up in families where their father is a strong disciplinarian. They obey because they do not want to suffer the wrath of their father. Although they may even respect the father and his accomplishments, they want nothing to do with him on a personal basis. It is not unusual for such children to dread the return of their father in the evening. As adults they spend as little time with him as possible. There is a physical relationship with obedience, but not the close heart relationship. Fear and mistrust are barriers to their ever being close.

On the other hand, some have fathers who have definite standards and rules to obey, but the relationship is one of love and respect. They are excited when Dad walks through the door at night. They love the weekends because Dad can be with them and they do fun things together. Such children obey because they love and trust their father, not because they fear him or the consequences of disobedience. 

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

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

Throughout our lives, we look for those rare individuals with whom we feel relaxed and comfortable and can share our heart and our secrets and know they will not betray us, who will always be there for us, and in whom we can have confidence; individuals we can respect and who in turn admire us and want us to be successful.

God wants to be in that type of role with us, but He is even better than any earthly companion. For God is a perfect companion: the One who knows the road we are traveling on and all of the problems that lay ahead; the One who can give us dependable advice; the One who wants to share our life with us and will not put us down when we stumble; the One who will never desert us if we fail or do not live up to His standards. He accepts us just as we are, wants to be with us forever, is able to help us be all that we can be, and can enable us either to avoid or overcome every obstacle or problem in our life.

So,let your heart relationship be like that of David as indicated in our memory verse; the man God testified thus, "a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will." ( Acts 13 vs 22.)  In the passage we read today, Moses had such heart relationship with God, that he enjoyed the presence of God most times. God spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. 

Prayer: Abba Father, my utmost heart desire is an intimate heartily relationship with You; to seek, serve, and love You with all my heart. Build in me Your steadfast spirit, and uphold me with Your right spirit. Endue me with the strength to accomplish this, in Jesus' Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Why We Must Hold Fast Our Hope

 

When God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. (Hebrews 6:17–18)

God is not inconsistent. He does not exert himself with promises, and oaths, and the blood of his Son, simply to anchor down one end of our security while leaving the other to dangle in the air.

The salvation Jesus obtained by his blood was everything it takes to save his people, not just part of it.

So, we are prone to ask, Why does the writer encourage us to hold fast to our hope (Hebrews 6:18)? If our holding fast was obtained and irrevocably secured by the blood of Jesus — which it was (that’s the difference between the new covenant and the old) — then why does God tell us to hold fast?

The answer is this:

What Christ bought for us when he died was not the freedom from having to hold fast, but the enabling power to hold fast.What he bought was not the nullification of our wills as though we didn’t have to hold fast, but the empowering of our wills so that we want to hold fast.What he bought was not the canceling of the commandment to hold fast, but the fulfillment of the commandment to hold fast.What he bought was not the end of exhortation, but the triumph of exhortation.

He died so that you would do exactly what Paul did in Philippians 3:12, “I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” It is not foolishness, it is the gospel, to tell a sinner to do what Christ alone can enable him to do; namely, hope in God.

So, I exhort you with all my heart: Reach out and take hold of that for which you have been taken hold of by Christ, and hold it fast with all your might — which he mightily works in you.

THE GIVING THAT RECEIVES REWARD.

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY MARCH 17, 2022.

SUBJECT : THE GIVING THAT RECEIVES REWARD.

Memory verse: "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you." (Luke 6 vs 38.)

READ: Second Corinthians 9 vs 6 - 11:

9:6: But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

9:7: So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

9:8: And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

9:9: As it is written: "He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever."

9:10: Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness,

9:11: while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.

INTIMATION:

God has a divine law of giving and receiving. If you want to receive reward for your giving, you need to understand this divine law. Therefore, understand that it is the measure with which you give that determines what you will receive from God. That is to say, "What you give determines what you receive."

In our memory verse, Jesus used the picture of measuring grain in a basket to ensure the full amount and import of His teaching. A forgiving spirit demonstrates that a person has received forgiveness. If you are critical rather than compassionate, you will also receive criticism. If you treat others generously, and compassionately, however, these qualities will come back to you in full measure. Jesus taught us to love others as ourselves, not judge them.

The measurement here  is relatively not in volume or quantity, but rather in value, or quality. In Mark 12 vs 42 - 43, a poor widow made an offering of two mites, and Jesus told His disciples that the poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury, because others have given of their abundance, but she out of her poverty gratuitously put in all that she had, her whole livelihood. Though her gift was the smallest, she gave more than the others put together in the eyes of the Lord.

The value of a gift is not determined by its quantity, but by the spirit in which it is given. A gift given grudgingly or for recognition loses its value. God desires that your gift be pleasing to Him, the volume or quantity not withstanding. Your gift is pleasing to God when it is given out of a heart of gratitude, and a spirit of generosity. When you give with God's desired motives, the dividend you receive thereto far more outweighs what you have given. The reward to you is in: good measure, press down, shaking together, and running over, will be put into your bosom. 

For instance, King Solomon gave a sacrifice of a thousand cows out of a heart of gratitude and a spirit of generosity, and it was pleasing to God. Rather than give him the wisdom to rule the Israelites he requested, God gave him his petition and added riches and honor. (First King 3 vs 4 - 14). You cannot out-give God. 

A giving attitude is more important than the amount given. A person who can give only a small gift with sincerity of heart shouldn't be embarrassed. God is concerned about how a person gives from his or her resources. God Himself is a cheerful giver. Consider all He has done for us. He is pleased when we who are created in His image give generously and joyfully. 

People may hesitate to give generously to God because they worry about having enough left over to meet their needs. Obviously, it is lack of faith in God, and also reflects ungratefulness to Him. The Bible tells us that withholding from God tends to poverty (Proverbs 11 vs 24). God wants to produce tremendous blessings for you, spiritually, physically, and financially. Real giving is an act of faith. Failure to give is unbelief, and it is giving place to the devil. Believe God's Word, give cheerfully and be blessed. 

God gives us resources to use and invest for Him. In the passage we read today, the apostle Paul uses the illustration of seed to explain that the resources God gives us are not to be hidden, foolishly devoured, or thrown away. Instead, they should be cultivated in order to produce more crops. When we invest what God has given us in His work, He will provide us with even more to give in His service. That is why "givers never lack."

Prayer: Abba Father, You have imparted Your nature of love on me in redemption. Engrace me with the spirit of gratuitous and generous giving, reflecting my faith and trust in You, in Jesus' Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Prayer’s Exclamation Point

 

All the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. (2 Corinthians 1:20)

Prayer is a response to promises, that is, to the assurances of God’s future grace.

Prayer is drawing on the account where God has deposited all his stores of future grace.

Prayer is not hoping in the dark that there might be a God of good intentions out there. Prayer banks on the promise of God, and goes to the bank every day and draws on stores of future grace needed for that day.

Don’t miss the connection between the two halves of this great verse. Notice the “that is why”: “All the promises of God are Yes in Christ. That is why (therefore) we pray Amen through him, to God’s glory.”

To make sure we see it, let’s turn the two halves around: When we pray, we say Amen to God through Christ, because God has said a decisive Amen to all his promises in Christ. Prayer is the confident plea for God to make good on his promises of future grace — for Christ’s sake. Prayer links our faith in future grace with the foundation of it all, Jesus Christ.

Which leads to the final point: “Amen” is a full and precious word in times of prayer. It doesn’t mean primarily, “Yes, I have now said this prayer.” It means primarily, “Yes, God has made all these promises.”

Amen means, “Yes, Lord, you can do it.” It means, “Yes, Lord, you are powerful. Yes, Lord, you are wise. Yes, Lord, you are merciful. Yes, Lord, all future grace comes from you and has been confirmed in Christ.”

“Amen” is an exclamation point of hope and warranted confidence after a prayer for help.