Best Passage Ever

 

God put [Jesus] forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:25–26)

Romans 3:25–26 may be the most important verses in the Bible.

God is wholly just! And he justifies the ungodly! Really? A just judge acquitting the guilty!

Not either/or! Both! He acquits the guilty, but is not guilty in doing so. This is the greatest news in the world!

“[God] made [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). He takes our sin. We take his righteousness.

“By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh” (Romans 8:3). Whose flesh? Christ’s. Whose sin condemned in that flesh? Ours. For us then? No condemnation!

“[Christ] bore our sins in his body on the tree.” (1 Peter 2:24)

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

“If we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” (Romans 6:5)

If the most terrifying news in the world is that we have fallen under the condemnation of our Creator and that he is bound by his own righteous character to preserve the worth of his glory by pouring out his wrath on our sin . . .

. . . Then the best news in all the world (the gospel!) is that God has decreed and enacted a way of salvation that also upholds the worth of his glory, the honor of his Son, and the eternal salvation of his elect. Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.

REASONING WITH THE LORD IN PRAYER!

 

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY OCTOBER 09, 2022.

SUBJECT : REASONING WITH THE LORD IN PRAYER!

Memory verse: "“Put Me in remembrance; let us contend together. State your case, that you may be acquitted.” (Isaiah 43 vs 26).

READ: Isaiah 38 vs 1 - 6:

38:1: In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Set thine house in order: for you shall die, and not live.’

38:2: Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the LORD,

38:3: and said, “Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before you in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what is good in Your sight. And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

38:4: And the word of the LORD came to Isaiah, saying,

38:5: “Go, and say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely, I will add to your days fifteen years.

38:6: I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city.”’

INTIMATION:

Our God is just, compassionate, loving, and merciful. He acts according to His nature, and encourages His people to take advantage of His nature in their relationship with Him. Being consistent with His love and merciful nature, He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, as a propitiation for the sin of whole world. Christ came for sinners, and He expects us to come to Him for mercy. We can only go to God in prayer, acknowledging our need and admitting that we don't have all the answers, and God will come to our help. He desires to show mercy and His mercy endures forever.

God is willing to reason with us when we humble ourselves in prayer, and come before Him to plead our case. He is ever ready to listen, and willing to see reasons to be consistent with His nature of love, merciful, compassionate, and just. No matter how long you have been away from God, He is ready to hear from you and restore you to a right relationship with Him. 

God intends that we remind Him of reasons why He should be consistent with His nature to us, hence He employ us to come and reason with Him; ”Present your case,” says the Lord. “Bring forth your strong reasons,” says the King of Jacob.” (Isaiah 41 vs 21.) God requires us to present our case to Him with strong reasons why He should come through to us in any circumstances of life we face. He intends that we remind Him of such things that will cause Him to attend to our pleas. 

In the passage we read today, when prophet Isaiah went to Hezekiah, who was extremely ill, and told him of his impending death, Hezekiah immediately turned to God. He wept bitterly in his sick bed, and reminded God of his service to Him; “Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before you in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what is good in Your sight.” (Isaiah 38 vs 3.) God responded to his prayer, allowing Hezekiah to live another fifteen (15) years, and further delivered the city from the hands of the king of Assyria, and promised to defend the city. 

When the children of Israel sinned against God in the wilderness by making for themselves a molded gold calf as their god, He was ready to destroy the whole nation because of their sin. But Moses pleaded for mercy, and God spared them: “And God said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people! Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation.” ( Exodus 32 vs 9 - 10.)

“Then Moses pleaded with the Lord his God, and said: “Lord, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, ‘He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this harm to Your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.” (Exodus 32 vs 12 - 13.)

When God first wanted to destroy the people, He was acting consistently with His nature of being just. But when Moses interceded for the people,  reasoned with God and presented  his strong reason, God changed His mind and spared the people, in line with His consistent merciful nature. This is one of the countless examples in the Bible of God’s mercy. Although we deserve His punishment, He is willing to forgive and restore us to Himself. 

Every situation can be salvaged if you are willing to turn to God. In Judges 16 vs 28 - 30,  we would observe that in spite of Samson's past, God still answered his prayer and destroyed the Philistines' heathen temple and worshipers. He killed more people at his death than he did in life because of the mercy of God when he turned to Him in prayer.

If you have a desperate need in your life, bring it to the Lord in fervent prayer, presenting your strong reasons; reminding Him of His promises, and your good works or services toward His kingdom. He may change the course of your life. My prayer is that you will have strong reasons to present to God in times of your need for Him to come through to you, in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer: Abba Father, have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your loving kindness; according to the multitude of your tender mercies. Remember my offerings and sacrifices toward Your kingdom. Hear my cry O Lord, and come to my rescue, for in You I live and move and have my being, in Jesus name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

God’s Wise Mercy

 

We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:23–24)

Over against the terrifying news that we have fallen under the condemnation of our Creator and that he is bound by his own righteous character to preserve the worth of his glory by pouring out eternal wrath on our sin, there is the wonderful news of the gospel.

This is a truth no one can ever learn from nature. The truth of the gospel has to be told to neighbors and preached in churches and carried by missionaries.

The good news is that God himself has decreed a way to satisfy the demands of his justice without condemning the whole human race.

Hell is one way to settle accounts with sinners and uphold his justice. But there is another way. God provided another way. This is the gospel.

The wisdom of God has ordained a way for the love of God to deliver us from the wrath of God without compromising the justice of God. There it is. The gospel. Let me say it again slowly: The wisdom of God has ordained a way for the love of God to deliver us from the wrath of God without compromising the justice of God.

And what is this wisdom? The death of the Son of God for sinners! “We preach Christ crucified . . . the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:23–24).

The death of Christ is the wisdom of God by which the love of God saves sinners from the wrath of God, all the while upholding and demonstrating the righteousness of God in Christ.

WHY YOUR PRAYER MAY NOT BE GRANTED.

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY OCTOBER 08, 2022.

SUBJECT: WHY YOUR PRAYER MAY NOT BE GRANTED.

Memory verse: "You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts" (James 4 vs 3).

READ: First John 3 vs 21 - 22; 5 vs 14 - 15

3:21; Beloved, if our hearts does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.

3:22: And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

5:14: Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His Will, He hears us.

5:15: And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

INTIMATION:

God does not answer all our prayers. When our prayers are not in tune with His purposes, He doesn’t grant such petitions. Sometimes, we ask for the wrong things or with wrong reasons. God is always ready to grant our needs in accordance with His purposes , and promises, but not in line with our wants. He created us for His own purposes and desires, and not for ours. He doesn’t work to make us happy, but rather to achieve His purposes. 

He knows our needs even before we ask them (Matthew 6 vs 8), and He is ready to provide those needs at His own appointed time, and in accordance with his plans and purposes for our lives.

Sometimes, we may pray to God for something and receive no answers, because our faith and confidence may have been dampened by our unclear conscience. Your conscience may have been smeared by unconfessed sin, thereby impacting negatively on your confidence in God. If your conscience is clear, you can come to God without fear, confident that your requests will be heard. 

But if you have doubts, expect to receive nothing from the Lord. The apostle James 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" (James 1 vs 6 - 7).

Most of us when we go to God in prayer, we place a demand of what we want, rather than discuss with Him what He wants for us. If we align our prayers to His Will, He will listen, and we are sure of receiving answer to our petition. God does not grant requests that violates the principles of His kingdom. For instance, He will not grant requests that would hurt us or others or that is not in harmony with His own nature or will. The stronger our belief, the more likely our prayers will be in line with God's will, and then God will be happy to grant them:

“And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, he hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.” (First John 5 vs 14 - 15.)

Take for instance, Jesus Christ taught us thus; "Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you" (Matthew 5 vs 44). When you pray to God to kill your enemies, God will not answer such prayer because it is outside the Will of God. Though your enemy may die for incurring the wrath of God for evil deeds committed, but not from an answer to your prayers. Just present your case to God, and allow Him to act according to His Word.

Though, “It is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you” (Second Thessalonians 1 vs 6), but the Scripture says, “Repay to no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath: for it is written, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay,” says the Lord.” (Romans 12 vs 17 - 19.)

Again, when you ask for knowledge beyond our ability to understand or accept, you will  not receive any answers from God. For instance, in Judges 13 vs 17 - 18, an Angel came to Manoah (the father of Samson) and his wife to announce the birth of their son Samson, Manoah wanted to know the name of the Angel of the Lord. The Angel responded "Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?". The Angel was saying that his name was a mystery and beyond understanding and too wonderful to imagine. Manoah asked the Angel for an answer he wouldn't have understood.

When you have not followed God's previous directions, answers to your prayers may be hindered. If you don't fulfill the responsibilities God has already given you previously, then don't be surprised when He does not give further guidance. For instance, Saul did not obey the voice of the Lord nor execute His fierce wrath upon Amalek. Consequently, when Saul prayed to God, he didn't receive any answers again. (Study First Samuel 15, and 28 vs16-18).

Also, God may be directing you to a greater purpose in your life. David wanted to build a temple for God which He refused because God was planning to do something even greater in David's life than allowing him the prestige of building the temple. (Study Second Samuel 7 vs 8 - 16). You would have prayed with good intentions, only to have God say no. This is because God has better or other plans for you, and by that way is directing you to a greater purpose in your life. Accepting God's no requires as great faith as carrying on His yes.

Receiving answers to your prayers, requires your always being obedient to God, doing His will, and asking according to His will. The Word of God is His will. How much of the Word do you know? We require to be studious, and constantly meditating on the Word to receive the right import of the Word. 

When you are filled with His Word, it’s easy for you to reason together with Him as He demands (Isaiah 1 vs 18), and give Him your strong reasons (Isaiah 41 vs 21) in line with His promises, and He will grant your petition. “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” (Numbers 23 vs 19.)

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of total obedience, and trust in you. My desire is to do Your Will at all times. Give me the grace to achieve Your purpose for which You created me. Let Your will, not my mine, be done, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

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).