Our Good Is God’s Delight

 

“I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul.” (Jeremiah 32:40–41)

God’s pursuit of praise from us and our pursuit of pleasure in him are one and the same pursuit. God’s quest to be glorified and our quest to be satisfied reach their goal in this one experience: our delight in God, which overflows in praise.

For God, praise is the sweet echo of his own excellence in the hearts of his people.

For us, praise is the summit of satisfaction that comes from living in fellowship with God.

The stunning implication of this discovery is that all the omnipotent energy that drives the heart of God to pursue his own glory also drives him to satisfy the hearts of those who seek their joy in him.

The good news of the Bible is that God is not at all disinclined to satisfy the hearts of those who hope in him. Just the opposite: The very thing that can make us happiest is what God delights in with all his heart and with all his soul. These are amazing words: “I will rejoice in doing them good . . . with all my heart and all my soul” (Jeremiah 32:41).

With all his heart and with all his soul, God joins us in the pursuit of our everlasting joy because the consummation of that joy in him redounds to the glory of his own infinite worth.

THE FORCE OF FAITH IN PRAYER!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY OCTOBER 07, 2022.

SUBJECT : THE FORCE OF  FAITH IN PRAYER!

Memory verse: "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he that comes to God, must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." (Hebrews 11 vs 6.)

READ: Hebrews 10 vs 19 - 23:

10:19: Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 

10:20: by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,

10:21: and having a High Priest over the house of God,

10:22: let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

10:23: Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

INTIMATION:

Building up your faith is a prerequisite for effectual communication with God. Faith is a potent force without which prayer will be absolutely unproductive. The Bible defines faith as "The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11 vs 1.) You are holding in confidence the things you have asked in prayers, and perceiving as real facts what is not revealed to the senses. It is the ticket on which you take delivery of anything from heaven.

Your confidence in God must first be in place before you ask Him for anything, because though His Word presented before Him grants you audience in the Throne Room, your faith in Him and in His Word is what motivates Him to act on your behalf. Therefore, it is you, not God, who determines whether your prayer gets answered or not. Though ‘He is ready to perform His Word’ (Jeremiah 1 vs 12), He demands your faith that leads to a personal, dynamic relationship with Him.

You don't only approach God with His Word, you must come with an unwavering assurance that ‘He abides faithful and cannot deny Himself’ (Second Timothy 2 vs 13). Therefore, your approach to the Throne Room must be with unwavering faith. The apostle James, in James 1 vs 6 - 7 says, "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord."

Once faith and trust in God is established, you can rest assured of results when you pray. You will not only believe in the existence of God, but also believe in His loving care. That is relying on God with full  expectations that He will hear and answer when you pray.

In Matthew 9, two blind men prayed to Jesus for the restoration of their sight. Even though Jesus heard them, He did not heal them until He was assured of their faith in Him: "When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, "Son of David, have mercy on us!" And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him, and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this? They said to Him. Yes, Lord. Then He touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith let it  be to you." And their eyes were opened...." (Matthew 9 vs 27 - 30.)

Jesus didn't respond immediately to the blind men's pleas. He waited to see if they had faith. They followed Him all through to the house, pleading with Him to heal them, and that shows believe and commitment. Not everyone who says he wants help really believes God can help him. Jesus may have waited and questioned these men to emphasize and increase their faith. When you think that God is too slow in answering your prayers, consider that He might be testing you as He did the blind men.

Jesus, by His death and offering of His blood in atonement for our sins, has made it possible for us to approach God in the Throne Room directly. We must come not halfheartedly or with improper motives or pretense, but with pure, individual, and sincere worship in faith. We can know that we have “a true heart” If we evaluate our thoughts and motives according to His Word. Christians can approach God boldly, free from our “evil conscience” and in full assurance because of the work Jesus Christ did for us in redemption.

Under the new covenant of accepting the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, our hearts and consciences are cleansed completely, not partially or temporarily, from dead works to serve the living God (Hebrews 9 vs 14). Christ’s sacrifice transforms our lives and hearts and make us clean on the inside. Our clean conscience allow us to enter God’s presence with boldness. We have a personal access to God through Christ and can draw near to Him without an elaborate system, and growing in faith to deepen our relationship with God.

Prayer: Abba Father, my trust is in You who made heaven and earth. Forever You are my God and in You I live, and move, and have my being. Whatever You cannot give me, let me not have it. Whatever You cannot do for me, let it remain undone. My absolute faith is in You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

We Wait, He Works

 

From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who works for those who wait for him. (Isaiah 64:4)

Only a few things have gripped me with greater joy than the truth that God loves to show his God-ness by working for me, and that his working for me is always before and under and in any working I do for him.

At first it may sound arrogant of us, and belittling to God, to say that he works for us. But that’s only because of the connotation that I am an employer and God needs a job. That’s not the connotation when the Bible talks about God’s working for us. That’s not at all in Isaiah’s mind when he says, God “works for those who wait for him” (Isaiah 64:4).

The proper connotation of saying God works for me is that I am bankrupt and need a bailout. I am weak and need someone strong. I am endangered and need a protector. I am foolish and need someone wise. I am lost and need a Rescuer.

God works for me means I can’t do the work. I am utterly in need of help.

And this glorifies God not me. The Giver gets the glory. The Powerful One gets the praise.

Listen to the way the Bible talks about God working for you, and be freed from the burden of bearing your own load. Let him do that work.

“No eye has seen a God besides you, who works for those who wait for him” (Isaiah 64:4).

God is not “served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything” (Acts 17:25).

“The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

“The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him” (2 Chronicles 16:9).

“If I were hungry, I would not tell you. . . . Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me” (Psalm 50:12, 15).

“To your old age . . . I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save” (Isaiah 46:4).

“I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10).

“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1).

“Whoever serves, [let him serve] by the strength that God supplies — in order that in everything God may be glorified” (1 Peter 4:11).

“Work out your own salvation . . . for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work” (Philippians 2:12–13).

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:6).

THE NEED OF THANKSGIVING IN OUR PRAYERS!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY OCTOBER 06, 2022.

SUBJECT : THE NEED OF THANKSGIVING IN OUR PRAYERS!

Memory verse: "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (First Thessalonians 5 vs 18.)

READ: Psalm 103 vs 1 - 5:

103:1: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His Holy Name!

103:2: Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:  

103:3: Who forgives our iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, 

103:4: Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 

105:2: Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

INTIMATION:

In everything, including prayer, we should give thanks because it is the Will of God. We know that God is the Performer of every good thing we have seen in our lives and in others. He is the doer of all the invisible happenings in our lives in accordance with His goodness, love and mercy. God is responsible for all the benefits, especially intangible benefits, accruing to us in life, and giving Him thanks always help us avoid taking God's provisions for granted. 

Thanksgiving is an integral part of our relationship with, and praise to God. The Bible, in Revelation 7 vs 11 - 12 says, "All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen."

All we have; life, faith, salvation, possessions etc are gifts from God (John 3 vs 27; Ephesians 2 vs 8 - 9; James 1 vs 17). When someone gives you a gift, the appropriate response is 'Thank you.' Thanksgiving therefore, is also a proper response to God at all times, and in everything. The psalmist says, “It is good to gives thanks to the Lord, and sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night. (Psalm 92 vs 1 - 2.)

The bases of praise, and thanksgiving is declaring God's character and attributes. When we recognize and affirm His goodness we are holding up His perfect moral nature for all to see. With genuine praise, and thanksgiving, we ascribe to God all the glory due to Him. We cannot thank Him enough for His great and wondrous acts in our lives. 

In the passage we read today, David tried listing some of the benefits accruing to us daily from God; plenty for which to give Him thanks and praise. He forgives our sins, heals our diseases, redeems us from destruction, crowns us with lovingkindness and tender mercies, satisfies our desires, and gives righteousness and justice. We receive all of these without deserving any of them. No matter how difficult your life’s journey, you can always count your blessings—past, present, and future. And this praise benefits us because it takes our minds off our problems and needs, and focuses on God's power, mercy, majesty, and love. 

God has graciously adopted us as His children who are born of His Will, therefore, we should rest assured of His presence in our lives at all times. Consequently, in everything that happens to us, we should be thankful for God's presence, and for the good that He will accomplish through the happening, knowing that, "All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8 vs 28). 

It’s noteworthy that God works in 'all things,’ not just in isolated incidents, and for our good. This does not mean that all that happens to us is good. Evil is prevalent in our fallen world, but God is able to turn every circumstance around for our long-range good. 

The psalmist in Psalm 95 vs 2 says, "Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving....." Therefore, we should always acknowledge God's goodness, and His presence with thanksgiving. God is pleased when we give Him thanks. He uses our responsiveness to teach us more about Himself, revealing Himself more to us for our benefits.  

Your offer of thanksgiving will not be in words only. Just as we naturally show appreciation for what others have done to us both in words and material offering, we should do the same to our Father in heaven. Your material offering in thanksgiving is an application to God for more. God will ever reciprocate all your offerings to Him, and in greater dimension. 

Thanksgiving should be in all areas of life, and If you are truly thankful, your life will show it. As an integral part of our praise to God, it is what we do ourselves. This is the instruction of the Lord. (See Leviticus 7 vs 28 - 30). God told the people of Israel to bring their offering personally with their own hands. They were to take time and effort to express thanks to God. It’s quite obvious that you are the only person who will express adequately your thankfulness to God and to others who have blessed, or helped you.

Prayer: Abba Father, Your praise will be in my lips always, and I will thank You, O Lord, for Your presence and the good that You have accomplished and will will accomplish in any circumstances of life that I face. Endue me with the spirit of grace and supplication to You with thanksgiving at all times, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

The Happy God

 

Sound doctrine [is] in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed [that is, happy] God. (1 Timothy 1:10–11)

A great part of God’s glory is his happiness.

It was inconceivable to the apostle Paul that God could be denied infinite joy and still be all-glorious. To be infinitely glorious was to be infinitely happy. He used the phrase, “the glory of the happy God,” because it is a glorious thing for God to be as happy as he is — infinitely happy.

God’s glory consists much in the fact that he is happy beyond our wildest imagination.

This is the gospel: “the gospel of the glory of the happy God.” That’s a quote from the Bible! It is good news that God is gloriously happy.

No one would want to spend eternity with an unhappy God. If God is unhappy, then the goal of the gospel is not a happy goal, and that means it would be no gospel at all.

But, in fact, Jesus invites us to spend eternity with a happy God when he says, “Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:23). Jesus lived and died that his joy — God’s joy — might be in us and our joy might be full (John 15:11; 17:13). Therefore, the gospel is “the gospel of the glory of the happy God.”

The happiness of God is first and foremost a happiness in his Son. Thus when we share in the happiness of God, we share in the very pleasure that the Father has in the Son.

This is why Jesus made the Father known to us. At the end of his great prayer in John 17, he said to his Father, “I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them” (John 17:26). He made God known so that God’s pleasure in his Son might be in us and become our pleasure in him.

WHY MANY PEOPLE HAVE A PRAYER PROBLEM!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 05, 2022.

SUBJECT: WHY MANY PEOPLE HAVE A PRAYER PROBLEM!

Memory verse: "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." (Mark 11 vs 24.)

READ: Mark 11 vs 22 - 23; John 15 vs 7; 16 vs 23 - 24: 

Mark 11:22: So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.

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

John 15:7: If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

16:23: And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. 

16:24: Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

INTIMATION: 

Why do many people have a prayer problem? The problem of not being able to pray, not praying in the right words, not receiving answers to their prayers etc. They are always running around looking for who to pray for them.

The prayer problem is a problem of not having faith in God and His Word. What is faith then? Faith is believe in God and His Word. Faith bothers on the integrity of the Word, and of the ability of God to stand back of His promises or the statement of fact in His Word. It is also the believe in the loyalty or fidelity of God to His promise. People with the prayer problem have no trust and confidence in God. If you don’t have faith in God and His Word, how then can you commune with Him in prayer?

Another side to the problem is the ability of the believer to stand in the Father's presence without the sense of guilt, condemnation or inferiority. Such ability is lacking in people with a prayer problem. The real question here is, "Have a believer right to stand in the Father's presence and make my petitions known to Him without a sense of guilt, inferiority or condemnation?" 

Here are few things that every believer should know: 1. The Scripture says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (Second Corinthians 5 vs 17.) We are recreated in Christ as entirely new creations with everything about us new. Old things have all passed away, and all things are new about the believer. His or her passed doesn’t exist again before God.

2. As a new creation, you have received into your spirit the life and nature of God. The old things have passed away. These old things are spiritual death, your union with Satan, and your old sins—the sins committed while he was spiritually dead, and in union with the Satan. The new creation is the product of God. It is created in Christ Jesus, it is born from above. It is born of the Holy Spirit, through the Word. And the new thing stands uncondemned and reconciled before the Father.

The moment that we become new creations, we become the righteousness of God in Christ (Second Corinthians 5 vs 21). This is because you have been justified and made righteous as if you have never sinned before. The righteousness of God means the ability to stand in the Father's presence without sense of guilt, condemnation or inferiority. We are from that moment sons and daughters of God.

It would be an abnormal thing if He should recreate us, impart to us His own nature, and leave us under the blighting curse of condemnation, unable to stand in His presence because of being overwhelmed with the sense of guilt and inferiority. But we know we have the ability to stand in God's presence free from all sense of unworthiness.

3. We know for a fact that we have a legal right in the Father's presence because we are legally born into His family, and He has legally adopted us and accepted us as His children. "The Holy Spirit Himself has born witness with our spirits that we are the children of God." (Romans 8 vs 16).

4. We know another fact, that we have a legal right to the use of Jesus' Name and whatsoever we ask of the Father in that name He'll grant us. (John 15 vs 16; 16 vs 23 & 24). This has cleared up every issue in regard to our ability to stand before Him in the throne room without condemnation.

It is now obvious that fellowshipping with God in prayers is based on legal grounds, based on statement of facts, and not based on promises. All things belong to the believer. It is only a problem of our taking our place, enjoying our rights: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Ephesians 1 vs 3).

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You so much for all the inheritance You have given me in Christ for believing in His finished work on the cross for me. You have blessed me with all every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Him. Give me the enabling grace to take my place and enjoy my rights in Christ, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAIAE THE LORD!

Justice Will Be Done

 

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19)

All of you have been wronged at one time or another. Most of you, probably, have been wronged seriously by someone who has never apologized or done anything sufficient to make it right.

And one of the deep hindrances to your letting go of that hurt and bitterness is the conviction — the justified conviction — that justice should be done, that the moral fabric of the universe will unravel if people can just get away with horrible wrongs and deceive everyone.

That is one of the hindrances to forgiveness and letting grudges go. It’s not the only one. We have our own sin to deal with. But it is a real one.

We feel that just to let it go would be to admit that justice simply won’t be done. And we can’t do it.

So we hold on to anger, and play the events or the words over and over again with the feelings: It shouldn’t have happened; it shouldn’t have happened; it was wrong; it was wrong. How can he (or she) be so happy when I am so miserable? It is so wrong. It is so wrong! We can’t let it go. And our bitterness starts to poison everything.

This word in Romans 12:19 is given to us by God to lift that burden from us.

“Never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God.” What does this mean for you?

Laying down the burden of anger, laying down the practice of nursing your hurt with feelings of being wronged — laying that down — does not mean there was no great wrong against you. There was.

But it also does not mean there is no justice. It does not mean you will not be vindicated. It does not mean they just got away with it. No they didn’t.

It means, when you lay down the burden of vengeance, God will pick it up.

This is not a subtle way of getting revenge. This is a way of giving vengeance to the One to whom it belongs. Vengeance is mine, says the Lord. You lay it down. I will pick it up. Justice will be done.

What a glorious relief. I do not have to carry this burden. It is like taking a deep breath, perhaps for the first time in decades, and feeling like now at last you may be free to love.