THE GREATEST NEED OF MAN!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY APRIL 18, 2022. 

SUBJECT : THE GREATEST NEED OF MAN.

Memory verse: "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6 vs 33.) 

READ: Mark 8 vs 34 - 38:

8:34: When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take his cross, and follow Me.

8:35: For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.

8:36: For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 

8:37: Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

8:38: For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."

INTIMATION:

Human beings have always seen their greatest need as financial. Governments and their leaders, businesses, families, even churches get trapped into thinking in the same manner, and that money is the answer to every problem. Though, the Bible states that "Money answers everything" (Ecclesiastes 10 vs 19), it is not the greatest need of man. The greatest need of man is God's kingdom, and His righteousness, and all other of your needs, including financial, will be added to man (Matthew 6 vs 33).

God should be first in all things. In the passage we read today, Jesus said, a man's soul is worth more than the entire world. The exchange of your soul for the world's possessions is a huge loss. Invariably, the soul is worth more than the whole world. And to ensure the safety of your soul, you must come to the point where you are willing to give up everything to follow God. The profit to be gained from doing God's Will is more than just spiritual; it is total, and in all aspects of life, and to eternity. 

Our willingness to lose our lives for the sake of the gospel, is not because our lives are useless, but because nothing—not even life itself—can compare to what we gain with Christ. Jesus wants us to choose to follow Him rather than to lead a life of sin and self-satisfaction. He wants us to stop trying to control our own destiny and to let him direct us. This makes good sense because, as our Creator, our Maker, Christ knows better than we do of what real life is about. He asks for submission, not self-hatred; He asks us only to lose our self-centered determination to be in charge, instead of yielding to Him.

To "seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness" means to put God first in your life, to fill your thoughts with His desires, to take His character for your pattern, and to serve and obey Him in everything. Obviously, in our lives, people, objects, goals, and other desires all compete for priority attention. Any of these can quickly become most important to you if you don't actively choose to give God first place in every area of your life. Therefore, never allow your natural human desires and feelings overshadow God's purpose in your life.

Jesus said, however, that worldliness, which is centered on possessions, position, or power, is ultimately worthless. Whatever you have on earth is only temporary, and will one day be burned away: "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up." (Second Peter 3 vs 10.)

Realizing that the earth is going to be burned up, we should put our confidence in what is lasting and eternal, and not be bound to earth and its treasures or pursuits. We should strive to develop Christlike character, rather than spend more of our time piling up possessions. Whatever you have on earth is only temporary; it cannot be exchanged for your soul. Your greatest need is not possessions culminating in pleasurable living, your greatest need is your relationship with your Creator, and it is the only thing that follows you and qualifies you for abundant life here on earth, and to have eternal life as well with Him.

We are left here with a choice; reject Jesus now and be rejected by Him at His second coming, or accept Him now and be accepted by Him then. Rejecting Christ may help you escape shame for the time being, but it will guarantee an eternity of shame later.

Prayer: Abba Father, life in You engenders abundance living, and culminates in eternal life with You. Help me in my utmost heart desire for an intimate relationship with You, that You will be first in life, in Jesus' Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

OUR NEED TO PRAY ALWAYS!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY APRIL 17, 2022.

SUBJECT : OUR NEED TO PRAY ALWAYS!

Memory verse: "Men ought always to pray and not faint." (Luke 18 vs 1.) 

READ: Matthew 26 vs 41; Luke 21 vs 36:

Matthew 26:41: Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Luke 21:36: Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.

INTIMATION:

Prayer is to make supplication or petition to God. It is the voice of faith to the Father, and the call of Love of the Father to come and fellowship with Him. Prayer is our need crying out for help. Prayer therefore, is born out of the sense of need, and the assurance that the need will be met.

The Father's heart is hungry for the companionship of His children. His heart hunger is the reason for man and his redemption. God wants a constant fellowship with His children. It was His plan from the beginning hence He visited Adam everyday in the Garden. He loves us and that love impels Him to call us to prayer. It is the desire of the Father that His children approach Him in prayer.

It is God's Will that His children will come to His 'Throne Room,' to stand in His presence  without reproof or condemnation. It is for this reason that Jesus Christ, while teaching His disciples how to pray, said, "When you pray" (Matthew 6 vs 5), and not "if you pray." It is God's intention that His children will always be with their Father, and the children coming joyously into the presence of their Loving Parent are welcome. He  taught us to pray, He is one with us in this prayer life. Prayer is part of God's program for us.

Prayer is calling constantly for the leading of the LORD, and such leading helps us avoid temptation, and deliverance from evil (Matthew 6 vs 13). It helps us overcome the weakness of the flesh, and empowers us to escape all the things that will come to pass, making us worthy to stand before Christ.  Prayer is the natural response of those who realize their need for the help of God in their lives.

Prayer is the vital contact with the Father, and we are near enough to breathe in His very presence. Prayer means that we have come boldly into the ‘Throne Room’ and are standing in the presence of the Father and Jesus in an executive meeting, laying our needs before them and making our requisitions for ability, and grace to meet whatever our needs may be.

Therefore, to remain in the presence of God, and be led by Him always calls for persistence in prayer. To persist in prayer and not give up, or praying without ceasing, does not mean endless repetition or painfully long prayer sessions. Emphasis here is not on a continued action of prayer, but on a continued attitude of prayer. In other words the Christian should be in a state of mind that he or she can at all times take part in the action of praying to the Father. This is an attitude at all times that is conducive to offering prayer to God.

Always praying means keeping our requests constantly before God as we live for Him day by day, believing He will answer. When we live by faith, we are not to give up. As we persist in prayer we grow in character, faith, and hope. Christians should maintain a lifestyle that lends itself to prayer. It is through prayer that not only the inward man is strengthened but also the work of God is called upon by the disciple to function in his or her life.

When we pray, we are in constant communication with the Father and it enriches us spiritually. We touch the Father through our prayers, and there cannot be any touching of the Master without the Master knowing it. When our need touches Him, it makes a demand upon His ability and grace to meet that need (see Luke 8 vs 40 - 48). It is the nature of spiritual life to maintain communication with God. Christians should not allow themselves to be trapped in circumstances of mental attitudes that would hinder their communication with God.

Prayer: Abba Father, give ear to my words, and to the voice of my cry consider my meditation, my King and my God. To You will I pray, my voice You shall hear in the morning, and at all times I will direct it to You, and will look up to You, from where my help comes, O LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. Endue me with the spirit of continual supplication to You in all circumstances, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Embracing Jesus

 

This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith. (1 John 5:3–4)

Notice: Loving God is not just keeping his commandments. It is having a kind of heart for God that means that commandment-keeping is not burdensome. That’s what John says. But then he puts that truth in terms of new birth and faith, rather than love. He says, without a break, “For” — that is, here’s why God’s commandments are not burdensome: “Everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. So, the new birth is what overcomes the worldly obstacles to keeping God’s commandments without burdensomeness.

And finally he adds, “And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith.” So, the new birth overcomes the worldly obstacles to burden-free commandment-keeping, because the new birth gives rise to faith. So, the miracle of new birth creates faith, which embraces all that God is for us in Christ as supremely satisfying, which makes obedience to God more desirable than the temptations of the world. And that is what it means to love God.

The eighteenth-century pastor and theologian Jonathan Edwards wrestled with this text and concluded, “Saving faith implies . . . love. . . . Our love to God enables us to overcome the difficulties that attend keeping God’s commands — which shows that love is the main thing in saving faith, the life and power of it, by which it produces great effects.”

I think Edwards is right and that numerous texts in the Bible support what he says.

Another way to say it is that faith in Christ is not just assenting to what God is for us, but also embracing all that he is for us in Christ. “True faith embraces Christ in whatever ways the Scriptures hold him out to poor sinners” — that’s another quote from Edwards. This “embracing” is one kind of love to Christ — that kind that treasures him above all things.

Therefore, there is no contradiction between 1 John 5:3, on the one hand, which says that our love for God enables us to keep his commandments, and verse 4, on the other hand, which says that our faith overcomes the obstacles of the world that keep us from obeying God’s commandments. Love for God and Christ is implicit in faith.

John then defines the faith that obeys as “the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (1 John 5:5). This faith is “embracing” the present Jesus as the glorious divine person that he is: the Son of God. It is not simply assenting to the truth that Jesus is the Son of God, because the demons assent to that. “They cried out, ‘What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?’” (Matthew 8:29). Believing that Jesus is the Son of God means “embracing” the significance of that truth — the value of the reality. It means being satisfied with Christ as the Son of God and all God is for us in him.

“Son of God” means that Jesus is the greatest person in the universe alongside his Father. Therefore, all he taught is true, and all he promised will stand firm, and all his soul-satisfying greatness will never change.

Believing that he is the Son of God, therefore, includes banking on all this, and being satisfied with it.

Mercy for Today

 

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22–23)

God’s mercies are new every morning because each day only has enough mercy in it for that day. God appoints every day’s troubles. And God appoints every day’s mercies. In the life of his children, they are perfectly appointed. Jesus said, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:34). Every day has its own trouble. Every day has its own mercies. Each is new every morning.

But we often tend to despair when we think that we may have to bear tomorrow’s load on today’s resources. God wants us to know: We won’t. Today’s mercies are for today’s troubles. Tomorrow’s mercies are for tomorrow’s troubles.

Sometimes we wonder if we will have the mercy to stand in terrible testing. Yes, we will. Peter says, “If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you” (1 Peter 4:14). When the reviling comes, the Spirit of glory comes. It happened for Stephen as he was being stoned. It will happen for you. When the Spirit and the glory are needed, they will come.

The manna in the wilderness was given one day at a time. There was no storing up. That is the way we must depend on God’s mercy. You do not receive today the strength to bear tomorrow’s burdens. You are given mercies today for today’s troubles.

Tomorrow the mercies will be new. “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9).

THE CURSE OF POVERTY!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY APRIL 16, 2022.

SUBJECT : THE CURSE OF POVERTY!

Memory verse: "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree") (Galatians 3 vs 13.)

READ: Deuteronomy 28 vs 15 - 20:

28:15: But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:

28:16: Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country.

28:17: Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.

28:18: Cursed shall be the fruit of your body and the produce of your land, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.

28:19: Cursed shall shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out.

28:20: The LORD will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all that you set your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, because of the wickedness of your doings in which you have forsaken Me.

INTIMATION:

Poverty is a curse. It is a curse of the law. It is Satan's handiwork. God's Will is for us to prosper and be in abundance. In the beginning God placed everything that man could need, use and enjoy in the Garden of Eden. God saw to it that Adam lacked no good thing. Additionally, He created Adam in his own image and after His likeness (as we are also created), leaving nothing to be desired. Adam was the master of the kingdom given to him. God only placed Himself above Adam as his master.

God's Will of abundance for Adam was supreme until that fatal day he committed high treason against God by doubting His integrity, and believing God's permanent enemy. 

When Adam partook of the deadly tree, he died, not physically but spiritually. Spiritual death (the nature of Satan) overtook his once righteous spirit, and he became one with Satan. 

Every phase of Adam's life came under the curse associated with his new god, Satan. He was driven from the Garden; abundance was no longer his to enjoy. He had to toil and sweat in order to survive. His beautiful life was overrun by thorns and thistles both in the physical and in the spiritual world.

God's heart yearns for His people to be free, and in His infinite wisdom and mercy, sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, for our sake as a propitiation, to pay the supreme price of death for the curse of the law. This price was paid for us: "Surely He has borne our griefs, And carried our sorrows, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace upon Him, And by His stripes we are heeled" (Isaiah 53 vs 4 - 5). 

The Scriptures reveals that Jesus bore the curse of poverty at the same time He bore the curse of sickness. You can believe for divine prosperity just as you believe for divine health. Both blessings already belong to you. You should refuse lack just as quickly as you refuse sickness because they both are the curse of the law and Christ has already redeemed you from that curse. The blessing of Abraham is ours, as well as the promises of the Spirit.

God adopted us and gave us right to become His children upon our acceptance of our redemption by our"Sacrificial Savior," Jesus Christ. We are reinstated to our original position with Him. His wish is that we shall prosper in all things and be in health, just as our soul prospers (Third John 2). Prosperity is God's Will for us.

Most of the times, we look at prosperity and abundance in a different way from other things, such as divine health. The ‘Word’ principles for divine health, healing, deliverance etc., is the same with divine prosperity and abundance. If a symptom of sickness came on my body, I would not stand it. I would take authority over it immediately and not allow it to remain. By doing this, I walk in divine health. I am convinced that healing and divine health belong to me in the New Covenant.

Divine prosperity works exactly the same way, but we have not been using the Word to believe for divine prosperity as we had for divine health. We usually live in the laws of prosperity (paying tithes, give offering, make kingdom investments etc.), but we don't take authority in the Word. If you have obeyed the laws, then take authority in the Word.

We have been acting on prosperity differently from other provisions of the Word. In this way, we would allow symptoms of lack to come on us and stay there. We are willing to tolerate it, and sometimes claim is God's Will. But the word is very clear on the Will of God (Jeremiah 29 vs 11 & Third John vs 2), and our identity and inheritance in Christ Jesus. 

Satan will always come to us with the thoughts of doubt and say; "There is no way you can have your needs met." "There is no way you can come out of your debts because you are poor, your salary cannot carry you through." "There is no way you can do all you ought to do, build a house, by a car, marry etc., There is just no way." Your answer to him should be "No Satan, my God is able! Christ has redeemed me from the curse of the law, and the blessing of Abraham are mine in Christ Jesus." You will hang you faith completely in the Scriptures.

For instance, confess continually the Word in Second Corinthians 9 vs 8 and personalize it; "And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to me in abundance, so that I may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need, be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donations]” (Amplified Version.)

The Word says that God is able to get it to you. Don't look to natural sources. Don't look at your job, your present position, your natural capabilities, and present financial position, but look unto God. Keep your eye single on the Word. You have to realize and know that He can and will work in your behalf. God is real! He is able to get things done!

Prayer: Abba Father, thank you for all you have done for me in redemption. Through the grace of our Messiah, Jesus Christ, though He was rich, yet for my sake He became poor, that I through His poverty might become rich. I refuse the lies of the devil, and embrace the truth of my abundant life in Christ Jesus. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD! 

Don’t Be Like the Mule

 

Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you. (Psalm 32:9)

Picture God’s people as a farmyard of all sorts of animals. God cares for his animals, he shows them where they need to go, and supplies a barn for their protection.

But there is one beast on this animal farm that gives God an awful time, namely, the mule. He’s stupid and he’s stubborn and you can’t tell which comes first — stubbornness or stupidity.

Now the way God likes to get his animals into the barn for their food and shelter is by teaching them that they all have a personal name and then calling them by name. “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go” (Psalm 32:8).

But the mule will not respond to that sort of direction. He is without understanding. So God gets in his pick-up truck and goes out in the field, puts the bit and bridle in the mule’s mouth, hitches it to the truck, and drags him stiff-legged and snorting all the way into the barn.

That is not the way God wants his animals to come to him for blessing and protection.

One of these days it is going to be too late for that mule. He’s going to get clobbered with hail and struck by lightning, and when he comes running, the barn door is going to be shut.

Therefore, don’t be like the mule. “Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle.”

Instead, let everyone who is godly come to God in prayer at a time when he may be found (Psalm 32:6).

The way not to be a mule is to humble ourselves, to come to God in prayer, to confess our sins, and to accept, as needy little farmyard chicks, the direction of God into the barn of his protection and provision.

CONQUERING FEAR!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY APRIL 15, 2022.

SUBJECT : CONQUERING FEAR!

Memory verse: "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind.” (Second Timothy 1 vs 7.)

READ:  Exodus 14 vs 10 - 14:

14:10: And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were very afraid: and the children of Israel cried out to the LORD.

14:11: Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt?

14:12: Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, “Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than we should die in the wilderness.

14:13: And Moses said to the people, “Fo not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see them again no more forever.

14:14: The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

INTIMATION:

Fear is the feeling of of great worry or anxiety or apprehension about something caused by knowledge of danger. We often build up events in our minds and then panic over what might go wrong. Fear is the greatest weapon of the devil. Fear neutralizes our effectiveness for God. Several places in the Bible God has told us not to be afraid . The reason is that God does not ask us to go where He has not provided the means to help. When you follow God’s leading, trust Him to supply courage, confidence, and resources at the right moment.

Fear is a dark shadow that envelops us and ultimately imprisons us within ourselves. Everyone has been a prisoner of fear at one time or another—fear of rejection, misunderstanding, uncertainty, sickness, or even death. But we can conquer fear by trusting in the Lord, who brings salvation. If we want to dispel the darkness of fear, let us remember that the Lord is our light and our salvation.

Throughout the Bible we find this phrase “Do not fear!” God wasn’t trying to scare the people. He was showing His mighty power so the people would know He was the true God and would therefore obey Him. If they would do this, He would make His power available to them. God wants us to follow Him out of love rather than fear. To overcome fear, we must think more about His love. First John 4 vs 18 says, “Perfect love casts out fear.” 

When new situations or surroundings frighten you, recognize that experiencing fear is normal. The pressure of the situation can cause us to freeze and do nothing. To be paralyzed by fear, however, is an indication that you question God’s ability to take care of you. Fear can immobilize us. Don’t let the fear of what might happen cause you to miss an opportunity. One remedy for fear is found here: don’t focus on the fear; instead, get started. Getting started is often the most difficult and frightening part of a task. 

When we allow fear to rule us, we make fear more powerful than God. God is greater than all your fears. Recognizing why you are afraid is the first step in committing your fear to God. When you experience fear, don’t try to deal with it yourself, rather let Jesus deal with it. In times of fear and uncertainty, it is calming to know that Christ is always with you (Matthew 28 vs 20.) To recognize Christ’s presence is the antidote for fear.

We often face spiritual and emotional storms and feel tossed about like a small boat on a big lake. In spite of terrifying circumstances, we should trust our lives to Christ for His safekeeping. When you fear what lies ahead, remember that God will stay with you through difficult times and that He has promised you great blessings. He will give us peace in any storm. The power of the Holy Spirit can help us overcome our fear of what some might say or do to us so that we can continue to do God’s work.

In any struggle, fear can keep us from taking a stand for God and from participating in God’s victories. Face your fear head-on. Find other believers along the way who are worth standing beside through thick and thin. If you are grounded in God, victory will come when you hold that ground.

Have you ever felt surrounded by the “enemy” or faced overwhelming adds? God is never intimidated by the size of the enemy or the complexity of a problem. With Him, there are always enough resources to resist the pressures and win the battle. The way to bringing peace to a troubled heart is to focus on God’s promises. Trust Him to do what He says. Faith is a mind-set that expects God to act. When we act on this expectation, we can overcome our fears. When we follow God regardless of the difficulties, we demonstrate courageous overcoming faith. 

Fear of opposition or ridicule can weaken our witness for Christ. Often we cling to peace and comfort, even at the cost of our walk with God. We should fear only God who controls eternal, not merely temporal, circumstances. God is with us as we face our new challenges. We may not conquer nations, but every day we face tough situations, difficult people, and temptations. God promises, however, that He will never abandon us or fail to help us. By asking God to direct us we can conquer many life’s challenges.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are my light, my salvation, and the strength of my life, in You I live, and move, and have my being. Endue with the spirit of boldness and courage, that I may stand tall in Christ, being an active and effective witness of Jesus Christ. Give me the grace to finish strong in my journey of life in You, in Jesus' Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!