THE HINDRANCE OF UNBELIEF!

 

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY JANUARY 21, 2023.

SUBJECT: THE HINDRANCE OF UNBELIEF!

Memory verse: "Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” (Matthew 13 vs 58.)

READ: Hebrews 4 vs 2 - 3: 

4:2: For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.

4:3: For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: “So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest,’ although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 

INTIMATION:

The most common hindrance to receiving God’s blessings is unbelief. The unbelievers are guilty of not believing that God will do what He says He will do; they hardly confess in faith what God says, and that He will do what He has promised He will do. When you continue to confess positively, your spirit will be influenced by that confession. 

Unbelief is the root cause of why God's Word bless some people and not bless others. In the passage we read today, the Scripture says that, when people hear God's Word but do not believe it, then the word preached will profit them nothing. This is because it’s not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. Unbelief blinds people to the truth and robs them of hope. 

Christ has done everything that needs to be done about our sins, and obtained a clean bill of health for us. Our own work is to believe in Him and His finished work in redemption for us. Jesus said that the work of God we have to do is to believe in Him whom God sent (John 6 vs 29). And those who have believed enter into God’s rest. 

So many Christians turn back from their promised rest in Christ because of the difficulties of the present moments which overshadow the reality of God’s promise, and their doubts that God will fulfill His promises. Consequently, they try doing things on their efforts. When we trust on our efforts instead of Christ’s power, we are in danger of turning back. Our own efforts are never adequate; only Christ can see us through.

Many Christians know a great deal about Christ, but they do not know Him personally—they don’t combine their knowledge with faith. The Good News about Christ they hear benefits them nothing in their lives because it’s not mixed with faith. Believe in Him and then act on what you believe. Trust in Christ and do what He says.

It’s in believing that the glory of God is made manifest to us. Our faith triggers the grace—power of God to help us in our times of need. Jesus said to Martha at the tomb of Lazarus; “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” (John 6 vs 40.) God’s glory is the backing of His Word. Not believing God and His Words is regarded as disobedience (Hebrews 4 vs 6). 

Jesus said that “all things are possible to him who believes,” because “for He is faithful that promised” (Hebrews 10 vs 23). With faith in Him, we can have everything we need to serve Him. It’s the attitude of trust and confidence that the Bible calls “belief” or “faith,” and it is not something we can obtain without help. Faith is a gift from God (Ephesians 2 vs 8 -9). Jesus said, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and 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.” (Mark 11 vs 23 - 24.)

“Faith” or “belief” is the first sure step to receiving from God. Not believing in God leads to disobedience. And disobedience is regarded as rebellion and stubbornness against God, tantamount to witchcraft, and it is regarded as the most serious of all sins because as long as a person rebels, he or she closes the door of forgiveness and restoration with God. (First Samuel 15 vs 23.)

Prayer: Abba Father, my trust is in You. Take away any form of unbelief in me that I may have all things possible to me, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

HAVE YOUR OWN FAITH!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY JANUARY 20, 2023.

SUBJECT : HAVE YOUR OWN FAITH!

Memory verse: "So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God." (Mark 11 vs 22.)

READ: Mark 11 vs 23 - 24: 

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.

11:24: Therefore I say to you whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them and you will have them.

INTIMATION: 

Faith is a profession for living. It is a spiritual profession that requires spiritual skill development for maximum delivery or effectiveness. Faith empowers you to make the most of life. Accessing life at its best is according to your own faith (Matthew 9 vs 29). One should never trust the great issues of his or her life to another's faith. You should have your own faith in God and His Word; faith that can meet any crisis that may come. Everyone should build his or her own faith life. The woman with the flow of blood had her own faith, and she said, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” (Matthew 9 vs 21.) Note that she didn’t ask even Jesus to pray for her or touch her, but she simply reached out in faith to Jesus, and her faith delivered expressly her healing to her. 

Unfortunately. majority of people float on carelessly until they come to a dangerous position; when they are sick, or some loved one is sick, some financial or heart problem confronts them that may affect their entire future, then they frantically hunt for someone who can cry and sob and quote Scriptures in what they call ‘their prayer,' and it is to no avail. It is vitally important to you that you have your own faith in God and His Word to fall back on in those difficult or troubled times. Obviously, your case is vital to you. It may not be vital to this other party to whose faith you look up to. He may have troubles that are unresolved, inward struggles that have never been settled. His faith may be at a low sub when you appeal to him or her for aid.

Here are some facts that will help you to begin to build your own faith life. The Word of God is yours. It is as though there was no other person in the world but you, and any revelations has been given especially to you; you can say, "It is mine. No one has a better right to it than I have. Every promise is mine. Every statement of fact is mine." When Jesus said, ".If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you" (John 15 vs 7), you now can say, "He is talking to me. He is my Father; I am His child. This is His message to me to help me in my earth walk." This message was given to me by the Master from the Father for He said, "The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works." (John 14 vs 10).

Consequently it is the Father who said, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” (John 15 vs 7 - 8.)  The fruit is prayer fruit. It is one of the branches that will bear the fruit, and I am that branch." When your heart can speak like this, then you know that as you approach the Throne of grace there is a willing ear listening to you, that whatever you ask (because the Word is living in you) you will receive.

God is love and has inspired His saints who wrote the “Instructional book” called the Bible. Jesus came to unveil love, and the revelation of love is given to us in the Word. Jesus now has spoken a love message to you. He says, "If you abide in Me." If you are a New Creation, you certainly do abide in Him. His words abide in you just as that lover's words would abide in your heart. You go over that lover's words again and again. He has asked you to become His companion for life.

When you make His Word yours and speaking them with sincere believe or faith, I bet you, nothing will be impossible with you. You can say to that mountain be removed and cast into the sea, and that mountain will obey you (Mark 11 vs 23 -  24). This is because you are speaking the words of your Father that He has spoken to you which are sure words because He assured us that His word cannot return to Him void, but will achieve that for which it is sent and will prosper in it. (Isaiah 55 vs 11). And that the Word is forever settled in heaven (Psalm 119 vs 89).

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You, most Faithful Lord, for the privilege of sonship You granted me, and the revelational knowledge on Your Word to me. My absolute faith, trust and confidence are in You. May I never falter in unbelief in Your words, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD! 

Faithful to the faith

 We need to be faithful to the faith found in the Word of God. Many people are taking the Bible and shredding it, mimicking it, and dissecting it. And these people call themselves theologians!

The word “theos” means God and the word “logos” means word. So a theologian is someone who is supposed to know the Word of God. I don’t know why they call them “theologians.” Because they don’t believe the logos, they must not know the Theos. They are like Grape Nuts – neither grapes nor nuts.

The truth is that these theologians set themselves up for judgment from the Word of God. We are not to judge the Word of God; the Word of God is to judge us. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

If ever a generation needed to be faithful to the faith, it is this current generation. We are just one generation away from paganism. If we don’t pass God’s Word along to the next generation, they won’t have it. Friend, we are stewards of the faith of God. First Corinthians 4:2 says, “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”

Faithful with our finances

 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much” (Luke 16:10).

What would you do if you had a million dollars? You might say you would give some to help others. Would you?

Let me tell you a good test of what you would do if you had a million dollars. It is what you are doing with that one hundred dollars you have right now. That’s the best test. If you are not faithful in the least of what you have, you will not be faithful when you have much.

And if God cannot trust you with money, He certainly will not trust you with spiritual power. Many of us do not have spiritual blessings because we simply haven’t been faithful with our finances. And because we’ve not been faithful with our finances, God doesn’t bless us spiritually.

Proverbs 28:20 says, “A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.”

BENEFITS OF CONSISTENT DEVOTION TO GOD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY JANUARY 19, 2023.

SUBJECT : BENEFITS OF CONSISTENT DEVOTION TO GOD!

Memory verse: "Those who trust in the LIRD are like Mount Zion which cannot be moved, but abides forever." (Psalm 125 vs 1.)

READ: Psalm 91 vs 9 - 12; 14 - 16:

91:9: Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place.

91:10: No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;

91:11: For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.

91:12: in their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.

91:14: Because He has set His love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.

91:15: He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. 

91:16: With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.

INTIMATION:

The person who trusts in God and obeys His Will is untouchable until God takes him or her. If we dwell and abide with Him, by entrusting ourselves to His protection and pledging our daily devotion to Him, we will be kept safe. To put your trust in God is to have immeasurable peace.

No other scenario in the Scriptures, perhaps, most buttresses this point than the story of Daniel. Daniel was one of three governors set over his kingdom by King Darius. Daniel distinguished himself above other governors and satraps that the king gave thought to set him over the whole realm of his kingdom. Daniel had an excellent spirit in him, and consequently made enemies at work, and they sought to find a charge against him. He was, at that time, over 80 years old.

Daniel was a determined man, consistent in his devotion to God. He wouldn't bow to just any wish, even if it came from the emperor himself. Daniel kept praying to the God of Israel, the God he believed in. He stood for his convictions and would not redirect his prayers to a person he knew was a mortal.

In Babylon, the kings word was law. In the Medo-Persian empire, however, when a law was made, even the king couldn't change it. King Darius was an effective government administrator, but he had a fatal flaw—pride. By appealing to his vanity, the men talked Darius into signing a law effectively making him a God for 30 days, and that whoever petitions any god or man except king Darius, shall be cast into the lions' den. For praying to God, Daniel was guilty, and was to be food for hungry beasts in the king's special execution pits.

So Daniel was sentenced to the lion pit, and the sentence was carried out. But the lions did not disturb him. Although he sat right beside them, they didn't touch him. Daniel himself, walked out of the pit the next morning, alive and well. Why would lions suddenly go on a hunger strike? Lions eat only when hungry, not for recreation. And the whole point of having a bunch of lions caged up was to keep them hungry. The ancients would typically starve lions so they could watch the ferocious lions tear up the ones convicted. 

In accordance with Persian custom, this cruel punishment was transferred to those who had conspired against the king by provoking him into an unjust action (See also Esther 7 vs 9 - 10). The king’s great anger resulted in the execution of the evil officials and their families. The fact that these lions were starving is proven by how they savagely tore apart Daniel's false accusers. These were hungry lions. Evil deeds often backfire on those who plan cruelty.

Then what kept these lions from devouring Daniel? Though, to many It remains a mystery how Daniel survived a night trapped in a pit filled with hungry lions. Nonetheless, the Almighty God, whom Daniel worship consistently, sedated the lions’ wild instincts for just that night. Daniel himself put it more directly: "My God sent his angel to shut the lions' mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in His sight" (Daniel 6 vs 22). 

Prayer: Abba Father, You are ever faithful, and Your companionship is sure for those who consistently obey, and put their trust in You. Endue me with the spirit of complete obedience , and devotion to You, that I may stand sure of Your protection, and fellowship with You at all times, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

WHY WE FAST AND PRAY!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 18, 2023.

SUBJECT : WHY WE FAST AND PRAY!

Memory verse: "However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” (Matthew 17 vs 21.)

READ: Luke 2 vs 37; Acts 14 vs 23:

Luke 2:37: And this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

Acts 14:23: So when they had appointed them elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they had believed.

INTIMATION:

A fast is a voluntary abstinence from food or drink or both for the purpose of calling on God to respond to one’s request. It is a period of time when no food was eaten and people approached God in humility, sorrow for sin, and urgent prayer. Fasting is noble and difficult. It gives us time to pray, teaches us self-discipline, reminds us that we can live with a lot less, and helps us appreciate God’s gift. Fasting is both an outward sign of humility and regret for sin, it is a sign of mourning for sin, and an inner discipline that clears the mind and keeps the spirit alert. 

Fasting indicates our seriousness with God. By separating ourselves from the daily routine of food preparation and eating, we could devote that extra time to considering our sin and praying to God for help. Hunger pangs would reinforce our penitence and remind us of our weaknesses and our dependence upon God. Fasting is always helpful as we seek God’s will in special situations. People often fast during the time of calamity in order to focus their attention on God and to demonstrate their change of heart and their true devotion. 

Fasting is an understood practice of the disciples of Jesus. Jesus said to His disciples, “When you fast,” it is not if the disciples would fast. Fasting is the natural response of those who respond with discipleship to the Lordship of Jesus. It is the response of those who depend on God’s work in their lives, for in fasting one is calling on God to respond to his pleas for help. Fasting is done in order to take one’s mind off the physical needs of the body in order to concentrate on the spiritual needs of the inner man. 

Fasting not only strengthens our self-discipline, it also helps us to focus our attention on the work of God in our lives. The purpose of fasting is to inwardly humble oneself before God in order to proclaim one’s dependence on the work of God in his or her life. In humbling ourselves before God, we manifest our dependence on God in order to plead for His work in our lives. 

Prayer is an expression of one’s most inner feelings of thanksgiving to God and request for His help. In the Bible prayer is often combine with fasting on the part of the one who prepares his or her mind in prayer. Praying is to speak reverently to God in order to praise God for who He is, express thanks, and/or make a request. It is earnestly entreating God in sincerity of your intention, always rendered "supplication." Prayer is one of the greatest opportunities given to man by God. It is one of the greatest privileges and ministries available to all Christians. Indeed, everyone who seeks to take his or her place in the Kingdom of God should seek or learn how to pray effectively. 

Fasting and praying are spiritual preparations necessary for seeking the face, and help of God in our journeys of life, especially in situations beyond our control. It also shows our dependence on God for protection and leading, indicative of our faith that God is in control, and our affirmation that by our strength we cannot prevail. When we take time to put God first in any endeavor, we are preparing well for whatever lies ahead. It’s also an indication that we are not taking God’s promises to us for granted. 

God’s blessings are appropriated through prayer, and fasting humbles one because going without food is a reminder of our complete dependence on God. It gives one more time to pray and meditate on God. Prayer and fasting increase the faith of the believers. Therefore, Christians who wants to grow in faith must give themselves to prayer and fasting. 

Prayer: Abba Father, engrace me with spirit of supplication, and total dependence, loyalty, and complete trust, in You. For I know the thought You think toward me, thought of good and not of evil, to bring me to the expected end. You created me for Your purpose here on earth, and let the purpose, expressed in Your Will for my life, be accomplished in Jesus Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

God holds on to us

 Sometimes I hear people share their testimonies, and in the midst they’ll make a comment like, “Brethren, pray for us that we’ll hold out faithful to the end.” I think I know what they mean, but I always smile a little bit because I have the following picture in my mind:

I see Noah and his entire family holding on to some slimy pegs sticking out the side of the ark. Rather than being on the inside of the ark, they’re holding on to the outside of the ark. And Noah says to Mrs. Noah, “Honey, pray for me that I’ll hold out faithful to the end.” Friend, he never would have made it.

But God said to Noah, “Come into the ark” (Genesis 6:18). Thank God that He did! And when Noah came in, God shut the door. The same God that shut the water out, shut Noah in. Now, Noah may have fallen down inside that ark, but he never fell out of it.

First Thessalonians 5:24 says, “Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.” It’s not that we hold on to Him, though we ought to. But something even better is that He holds on to us!