BEWARE OF COVETOUSNESS!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 24, 2022.

SUBJECT : BEWARE OF COVETOUSNESS!

Memory verse: "And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." (Luke 12 vs 15.)

READ: First Timothy 6 vs 6 - 7:

6:6: Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 

6:7: For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

INTIMATION:

Prosperity isn't all about you. God entrusts us with resources so that we can be a blessing to other people, so it isn't selfish to desire prosperity. When you see God as your source and treat the possessions He gives you as a resource to be stewarded, then it is very godly to want to prosper so that you can give and help establish God's covenant on earth.

In our memory verse, Jesus says that the good life has nothing to do with being wealthy, therefore, be on guard against greed, covetousness, and desiring that which you don’t have. It’s a societal norm that the more we have and acquire, the fulfilled, comfortable, and happier we should be. But this is contrary to the teachings of the Scripture. 

In the passage we read today, the apostle Paul says that being content with what we have is godly and is great gain. He reminds us that we came into this world empty and so shall we leave the world in our passing (see also Job 1 vs 21; and Ecclesiastes 5 vs 15). This is key to our spiritual growth and godly personal fulfillment. A fulfilled life honors God and center its desires on Him (Matthew 6 vs 33), remembering that the only thing we take away from here in our passing is our relationship with Him. We should be content with what God is doing in our lives.

Reflect on the obvious truth of coming into the world with nothing and the certainty of living with nothing. What then, is the need for covetousness, and the strive for riches that is pervading our world. The craze for personal aggrandizement in our world breeds all these greed, discontentment etc. Ask yourself, "Am I content in any circumstances I face?" Learn the truth in the saying, "The contented is never poor, but the discontented is never rich." 

Some Christians have the wrong attitude about prosperity. When you talk about God's desire for us to prosper through stewardship, immediately their greed and selfishness kick in. They start thinking, I'm scripturally justified to get as much stuff as I can, and possess them as my own. However, it's all wrong. God truly wants you to prosper, but with the right motive of proper stewardship of what He blesses you with, and this is super important.

On the other hand, we have people teaching prosperity from a selfish standpoint. Some preachers present prosperity like it's all about getting more. It's selfish, and the driving motive for that kind of prosperity is covetousness. The right and godly motive for prosperity is “blessed to be a blessing.” That is God’s concept of prosperity—knowing that all you have is entrusted to you by Him, and requires proper stewardship (proper management to achieve His purposes).

Having the right motivations for financial stewardship doesn't come naturally. Our society is so focused on self-fulfillment and self-gratification that living for God is a totally foreign concept. It doesn't make sense to the natural mind. Greed, selfishness, personal freedom and self-interest are the order of the day in our society, and freedom is nearly a God to some people. These attitudes completely negate the teachings of Jesus Christ.

It is for this reason that apostle Paul admonishes believers in First Timothy 6 vs 3 - 5, saying, "If any teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings, of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself." 

The apostle Paul’s words are a reminder that personal freedom isn't everything. Life isn't supposed to be all about taking care of oneself and seeking one’s own gain. Most people are living very self-centered lives. Everything is all about "me." The truth is, when you're all wrapped up in yourself, you make a very small package. There is this saying, "The pride and prestige of a king is size of his follower-ship." Likewise, in Christendom, Churches are ranked by the size of their fellower-ship. If then you are so self-centered, you are all alone, and imagine the size you make.

The secret of godliness with contentment is drawing on Christ's power for strength. Learn to rely on God's promises and Christ's power to help you to be content. If you are always in want of more, ask God to remove that desire and teach you contentment in every circumstance. You can learn contentment by striving to live with less rather desiring more, give away out of your abundance rather than accumulating more, relish what you have rather than resent what you’re missing. Become satisfied knowing that our sufficiency is in God’s sufficiency—He is able to meet all our needs. 

Believers who become materialistic are saying by their actions that God can’t take care of them—or at least that He won’t take care of them the way they want. Always see God’s love expressed in what He has provided, and always remember the futility of earthly desires—that money and possessions will pass away some day (First John 2 vs 17).

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of contentment in all things, and with the strength and courage to rightly serve You and others with the possessions entrusted to me by You. Fill me with the desire for an intimate relationship with You, and not being obsessed with the things of this world, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

POWERFUL PRAYER BY APOSTLE JOSHUA SELMAN

WEALTH AND RICHES ARE BY-PRODUCT OF GOD’S FAVOR!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2022.

SUBJECT : WEALTH AND RICHES ARE BY-PRODUCT OF GOD’S FAVOR!

Memory verse: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." (James 1 vs 17.)

READ: Deuteronomy 8 vs 17 - 18:

8:17: Then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.

8:18: And You shall remember the Lord Your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

INTIMATION:

God gives us wealth and riches, but these aren't our real asset. It's like the old children's fable about the goose that lays the golden eggs. The golden eggs are not as valuable as the goose that produces them! The goose lays a golden egg every day, and when you have the goose you get all of the golden eggs that come with it. In the same way, wealth and riches aren't your true assets. The real treasure is the blessing and the favor of God that produces them.

God is the source of our prosperity, but notice that the Scriptures doesn't say God gives us wealth. God doesn't send us cheques in the mail; He gives us the power to get wealth. He releases an anointing on whatever you do, and causes it to prosper, and the blessing of God is so powerful that it cannot be reversed (James 1 vs 17). Balaam is the infamous prophet who was hired by a foreign King to curse the children of Israel, but he said, "Behold, I have received commandment to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it" (Numbers 23 vs 20). 

Wealth and riches are just the by-products of God's favor. The Lord told Abraham, "I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing" (Genesis 12 vs 2). It was the spoken favor of God on Abraham's life that caused him to prosper. It was God's favor that allowed him to grow rich from grazing his cattle and sheep in a desert. Most people judge their worth by their savings and assets, but those things are just a physical manifestation of the real assets—God's favor. This is one reason why Scripture reminds us that the power to get wealth comes from God, not our efforts. (Deuteronomy 8 vs 17 - 18.)

God supplies most people with the personal and financial abilities to respond to the needs of others. If we all realized how God has blessed us, and if we all used our resources to do God’s will, hunger and poverty would be wiped out from the surface of the earth. Wealth and riches are blessings only if we use then in the way God intends. 

A lot of people today are focused on gathering golden eggs, and they are completely overlooking the parent force that creates them. The person who owns the goose is going to end up with a lot of more gold than someone who is running around looking for eggs. Likewise, once you realize that God is the source of prosperity, you understand how pointless it is to chase after riches. 

Once the favor of God is in your life, it cannot be stopped! The only thing that can derail the blessing of God is your own unbelief and negativity. As long as you keep believing, the blessings of God will keep coming. Understanding the true value of God's favor in your life will cause you to have a steward’s attitude toward possessions. You can look at all of the things you possess and say, "It's just stuff." You will know that money is merely a tool that helps you accomplish what God has called you to do; it isn't true prosperity. It’s God who gives us everything we have, and it’s God who asks us to manage it for Him.

Riches and wealth can be stolen and property can be taken away, but no one can rob you of God's favor. Study the rich master in the parable of the unjust steward recorded in Luke 16 vs 1 - 8. The rich man knew where his real treasure was, and that is why he didn't get mad with the unjust steward because he wasn't counting his paper money and assets as his true net worth. Once you get that same mindset, you can become so secure in your relationship with God, and so certain of His favor in your life, that you actually find something to commend a thief about like the master of the steward.

The focus of your life should be your relationship with God, which is what causes wealth and riches to accumulate. Money isn't that significant. On the other hand, God's favor in your life is priceless.

Prayer: Abba Father, You bless us to be a blessing. Give me the power and favor to get wealth, and endue me with the right spirit to serve You, and others with the wealth and riches You put in my care, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

When God Swears by God

 

Since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” (Hebrews 6:13–14)

There is one Person whose worth and honor and dignity and preciousness and greatness and beauty and reputation is more than all other values combined — ten thousand times more — namely, God himself. So, when God takes an oath, he swears by himself.

If he could have gone higher, he would have gone higher. Why? To give you strong encouragement in your hope. What God is saying in swearing by himself is that it is as impossible that he will break his word of promise to bless us as it is that he will ever despise himself.

God is the greatest value in the universe. There is nothing more valuable or wonderful than God. So, God swears by God. And in doing that he says, “I mean for you to have as much confidence in me as it is possible to have.” For if more were possible, Hebrews 6:13 says, he would have given us that. “Since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself.”

Now this is our God, the God who is reaching as high as he can reach to inspire your unshakable hope in him. So, flee to God for refuge. Turn from all the superficial, self-defeating hopes of the world, and put your hope in God. There is nothing and no one like God as a refuge and a rock of hope.

The Key to Spiritual Maturity

 

Solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:14)

Now, this is amazing. Don’t miss it. It could save you years of wasted living.

What this verse is saying is that if you want to become mature and understand and appreciate the more solid teachings of the word, then the rich, nutritional, precious milk of God’s gospel promises must transform your moral senses — your spiritual mind — so that you can discern between good and evil.

Or, let me put it another way. Getting ready to feast on all God’s word is not first an intellectual challenge; it is first a moral challenge. If you want to eat the solid food of the word, you must exercise your spiritual senses so as to develop a mind that discerns between good and evil. This is a moral challenge, not just intellectual.

The startling truth is that, if you stumble over understanding Melchizedek in Genesis and Hebrews, it may be because you watch questionable TV programs. If you stumble over the doctrine of election, it may be because you still use some shady business practices. If you stumble over the God-centered work of Christ on the cross, it may be because you love money and spend too much and give too little.

The pathway to maturity and to solid biblical food is not first becoming an intelligent person, but becoming an obedient person. What you do with alcohol and sex and money and leisure and food and computers, and the way you treat other people, has more to do with your capacity for solid food than where you go to school or what books you read.

This is so important because in our highly technological society we are prone to think that education — especially intellectual education — is the key to maturity. There are many Ph.D.’s who choke in their spiritual immaturity on the things of God. And there are many less-educated saints who are deeply mature and can feed with pleasure and profit on the deepest things of God’s word.

HUMILITY ENGENDERS EXALTATION IN GOD’S HAND!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 22, 2022.

SUBJECT : HUMILITY ENGENDERS EXALTATION IN GOD’S HAND! 

Memory verse: “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.” (First Peter 5 vs 6.)

READ: Luke 14 vs 7 - 11:

14:7: So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them; 

14:8: When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him;

14:9: And he who invited you and him come and say to you, 'Give place for this man,' and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place.

14:10: But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, 'Friend, go up higher.' Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.

14:11: For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

INTIMATION:

Humility signifies lowliness of mind. It is always used in good sense in the Scripture to denote low-lying; not to think too highly of oneself; to bring low in meekness or gentleness. It is being modest, unpretentious, and having a low opinion of oneself or one's claims. In humility there is greatness, exaltation, and elevation.

Humility is a character trait dominant in all real servants of the LORD. Though, it is a very elusive character trait, yet the Bible regards it as a highly important quality, recognized and cherished by both God and man. God Himself is humble, and He hears and leaves in the midst of a meek and humble people (Zephaniah 3 vs 12). 

Humbling yourself before the Lord is giving Him the leadership position in your life; it’s putting Him first in everything in your life. And when God takes the driving seat in your life, perfection is guaranteed because God is perfect and never makes mistake. He will never mislead you, but rather lead you to the place of greatness, elevation, and exaltation. 

Abraham was humble and believed God, and gave Him the driving seat in his life. He ensured that he did all that God told him to do without hesitation and all instructions given to him by God were strictly obeyed because of his believe and trust in Him, and it was imputed to him for righteousness: and he was called the friend of God (See James 2 vs 23). God blessed Abraham and made him very great that he became rich in all things (Genesis 24 vs 1). And through Abraham the whole world was blessed.

Jesus was an epitome of humility. He introduced Himself as “gentle and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11 vs 29). He was humble so much so that He was willing to give up His rights—His deity—in order to obey God and serve people. His obedience in humility was to death, even a shameful death on the cross, as a propitiation for the sins of the whole world. What an awesome sacrifice! Each time I remember it feel some chills run through my spine. And consequently “God also highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and those on earth, and those under the earth” (Philippians 2 vs 10),

The apostle Paul, in talking about himself, gave an understanding of humility, he says, "For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly....." (Romans 12 vs 3.) Each believer should not think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly—humble himself or herself before the Almighty God, and He will exalt Him or her in due time. 

The Scripture says, “By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.” (Proverbs 22 vs 4.) God hears the humble, and does not forget their cry (Psalm 9 vs 12). He dwells in the high and holy place with one who has a contrite and humble spirit, and revives the spirit of the humble (Isaiah 57 vs 15). He gives grace to the humble (James 4 vs 6), and grace(free and unmerited favour of God for sinful humanity) is all we need, and is God's greatest gift. God exalts the humble in due time and His timing is the best since the end is known to Him from the beginning, and He wants the very best for us.

Are you striving for greatness? Do you desire for exaltation in the hands of God? Do you want to be elevated in the eyes of men and God? Then humble yourself. In the passage we read today, Jesus advised people not to rush for the best places at a feast. People today are just so eager to raise their social status for whatever it is worth. Whom do you try to impress? Rather than aiming for prestige, look for a place where you can serve. If God wants you to serve on a wider scale, He will invite you to take a higher place. Service is more important in God’s kingdom than status. We pray for the infilling of the Holy Spirit that we may see that the world's seductive attractions are only cheap substitutes for what God has to offer.

Some people try to give the appearance of humility in order to manipulate others. Others think that humility means putting themselves down. Truly humble people compare themselves only with Christ, realize their sinfulness, and understand their limitations. On the other hand, they also recognize their gifts and strengths and are willing to use them as Christ directs. Humility is not self-degradation; it is realistic self-assessment and commitment to serve.

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of humility and obedience, exemplified in Christ Jesus our Messiah, that I may obtain Your grace in humility and be exalted in due time, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

The Gravity of Gratitude

 

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful . . . (2 Timothy 3:1–2)

Notice how ingratitude goes with pride, abuse, and insubordination.

In another place Paul says, “Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking . . . but instead let there be thanksgiving” (Ephesians 5:4). So, it seems that gratitude, thankfulness, is the opposite of ugliness and violence.

The reason this is so is that the feeling of gratitude is a humble feeling, not a proud one. It is other-exalting, not self-exalting. And it is glad-hearted, not angry or bitter. Bitter thankfulness is a contradiction in terms.

The key to unlocking a heart of thankfulness and overcoming bitterness and ugliness and disrespect and violence is a strong belief in God, the Creator and Sustainer and Provider and Hope-giver. If we do not believe we are deeply indebted to God for all we have and hope to have, then the very spring of gratitude has gone dry.

So, I conclude that the rise of violence and sacrilege and ugliness and insubordination in the last times is a God-issue. The basic issue is a failure to feel gratitude at the upper levels of our dependence.

When the high spring of gratitude to God fails at the top of the mountain, soon all the pools of thankfulness begin to dry up further down the mountain. And when gratitude goes, the sovereignty of the self condones more and more corruption for its pleasure.

Pray for a great awakening of humble gratitude.