SEEING WITH THE EYES OF FAITH!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY JANUARY 26, 2023.

SUBJECT : SEEING WITH THE EYES OF FAITH!

Memory verse: "And Moses said to the people, “Do 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 again no more forever.” (Exodus 14 vs 13.)

READ: Second Chronicles 32 vs 7 - 8:

32:7: Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him:

32:8: With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

INTIMATION:

Faith is a firm persuasion; a strong conviction based upon hearing. It combines assurance and anticipation. Faith in God starts with the believe in Him rooted in the conviction of His character—He is who He says He is, and it ends with the believe in the assurance of God’s promises—He will do what He says He will do. 

When you see with the eyes of faith, you primarily is convinced of the promises of God to come through for you in any circumstances. God is our Guardian, Shield, and Defender from everything that could try to harm us. The Bible states, "The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I trust; my shield and my horn of salvation, my stronghold" (Psalm 18 vs 2). When circumstances go against us, it is tempting to think that God also is against us. When facing problems, trials, suffering and even death, we may feel like giving up in despair. But His thoughts for us is of good, and not of evil (Jeremiah 29 vs 11). For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” (Romans 10 vs 11.)

However, when we feel seriously let down by life, we should remember that we still have one hope and our only hope. God is all the hope we need because He promises to be a shield to protect us. God is for us and we should focus our thoughts on Him, knowing that He will restore our confidence in Him, and in the future He has planned for us. If circumstances turn against you don't blame God but rather seek Him. 

God promises great blessings to His people, but many of these blessings require our active participation. He will deliver us from fear, save us out of our troubles, guard and deliver us, show us goodness, supply our needs, listen when we talk to Him, and redeem us, but we must do our part. We can appropriate these blessings to ourselves when we seek Him, cry out to Him, trust Him, fear Him, refrain from lying, turn from evil, do good and seek peace, humble ourselves and serve Him.  

In our memory verse, Moses saw with the eyes of faith when the Israelites were pursued by Pharaoh and his army. He was convinced of God’s protection for His people, even when he didn’t know how it will happen, but believed that He will rescue them. Eventually, what he believed happened; the Egyptians they saw that day, they never saw again forever. God fought for them; made a dry ground on the bed of the sea, formed two great water walls, and allowed the children of Israel to pass through the dry ground, and subsequently drowned Pharaoh and his army in the sea (see Exodus 14).

Moses encouraged the Israelites to watch the wonderful way God would rescue them. Moses had a positive attitude! When it looked as if they were trapped, Moses called upon God to intervene. We may not be chased by an army, but we may still feel trapped. Instead of giving in to despair, we should adopt Moses’ attitude to “stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord.”

Also, in the passage we read today, King Hezekiah could see with eyes of faith when Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, threatened Jerusalem, boasted against the Lord, laid siege against the city. Hezekiah wasn’t intimidated; the number of his opponents meant nothing as long as he was on the Lord’s side. Victory is “not by might not by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4 vs 6). Hezekiah could confidently encourage his men because he had no doubt about where he stood with God. Eventually, God showed up for him; an angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty five thousand of their soldiers in one night (Second Kings 19 vs 35). 

God said to Abram, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” (Genesis 15 vs 1.) He promised to protect Abram and be his exceedingly great reward. When you fear what lies ahead, remember that God will stay with you through difficult times and that He has promised you great blessings.

Are you on the Lord’s side? Are you seeing with the eyes of faith? You may never face an enemy army, but the battles you face every day can be won with God’s strength. With faith in God nothing can be impossible with you. No matter the circumstances, anchor your genuine faith in God, and He will definitely show up for you at His appointed time. Kindly, hold fast to your confession of faith, without wavering, for God who promised is faithful, and will do it. 

Jesus said to His disciples, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, That 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. 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 22 - 24.)

Prayer: Abba Father, I know that because I put my trust in you I will never be put to shame. In You, O Lord, I live, and move, and have my being. You are on my side; I will not fear: what can man do to me? My faith is rooted in You forever, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

THE MIRACLE OF THE GRACE OF GOD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 25, 2023.

SUBJECT : THE MIRACLE OF THE GRACE OF GOD!

Memory verse: “....But You are God, ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in kindness, and did not forsake them.” (Nehemiah 9 vs 17.)

READ: Nehemiah 9 vs 26 - 31:

9:26: Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against you, and cast Your law behind their backs, and killed Your prophets who testified against them to turn them to Yourself, and they wrought great provocations.

9:27: Therefore You delivered them into the hand of their enemies, who oppressed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried to You, You heard from heaven; and according to Your abundant mercies You gave them deliverers who saved them from the hand of their enemies.

9:28: But after they had rest, they again did evil before You. Therefore You left them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned and cried out to You, You heard them from heaven; and many times You delivered them according to Your mercies.

9:29: And testified against them, that You might bring them back to Your law. Yet they acted proudly, and did not heed to Your commandments, but sinned against Your judgments, ‘which if a man do, he shall live in them,’ And they shrugged their shoulders, and stiffened their neck, and would not hear.

9:30: Yet for many years You had patience with them, and testified against them by Your Spirit in Your prophets. Yet they would not listen; therefore You gave  them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.

9:31: Nevertheless in Your great mercies You did not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for You are God, gracious and merciful.

 

INTIMATION:

The “miracle of the grace of God” is the marvelous and profound nature of God’s unmerited favour and mercy to humanity. God is ever-Merciful, ever-Faithful, Loving, and outstandingly Kind. This nature of God is inherent in His attitude of clemency. God extends grace far beyond the usual time by waiting or enduring without complaint or reprisal. The Scripture says, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." (First Peter 3 vs 9.)

The Scripture, in emphasizing God’s nature, says, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty" (Exodus 43 vs 6 - 7) “By no means clearing the guilty” simply means that God will not ordinarily write off or forgive any sin, you remain guilty until you have repented and come to Him for forgiveness, and He will forgive you. In His kindness God holds back His judgement, giving people time to repent. It is easy to mistake God's patience for approval of wrong way we are living. 

God pardons completely and gives up punishment for all sins and never bring up the offenses again. He withholds punishment deserved by us and gives us His kindness in excess. God's mercy is everlasting and total. The Scripture says, "Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindness, for they are from of old. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies" (Psalms 25 vs 6 & 10.)

In the passage we read today, after exiled Israelites returned and rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem led by Nehemiah, the Israelites assembled with fasting to confess their sins. They gave a long summary of Israel’s history summarizing God’s work in their lives. Israel was devastated by times of intense rebellion and sin. Yet often the people repented and returned to God, He delivered them. The miracle of the grace of God, allowed them to come severally for forgiveness and God forgave them. 

Seeing how God continued to be with His people shows that His patience is amazing! In spite of our repeated failing, pride, and stubbornness, He is always ready to forgive, and His Spirit is always ready to instruct. God puts no limit on the number of times we can come to Him to obtain mercy, but we must come in order to obtain it; recognizing our need and asking Him to help. This miracle of grace should inspire us to say, “O Lord, You are God, ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in kindness, ever Loving Father”! 

Always take advantage of the “miracle of the grace of God”; if there is a recurring problem or difficulty in your life, continue to ask God for help, and be willing and ready to make changes in your attitude and behavior that will correct that situation. God is ever willing to receive us as we come—our Loving Father!

Realizing the extent of God’s forgiveness helps us forgive those who fail us, even ‘seventy times seven’ if necessary; “Then the apostle Peter came to Him and said, “Lord how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I did not say up to seven times, but seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18 vs 21 - 22)

The Jewish religious teachers then taught that people should forgive those who offend them but only three times. The apostle Peter trying to be especially generous, asked Jesus if seven (the “perfect” number) was enough times to forgive someone. But Jesus answered, “Seventy times seven,” meaning that we shouldn’t even keep track of how many times we forgive someone. We should always forgive those who are truly repentant, no matter how many times they ask.“ This miracle of grace is God’s nature, and is yardstick for us. 

Jesus said, “Take heed yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.” (Luke 17 vs 3 - 4.) The implication of Jesus’ teaching here shows that it doesn’t matter how many times someone offends you, if the person comes repeatedly, as many times as you are offended, and asks for forgiveness, you must forgive. That is being godly; showcasing the nature of God—His profound nature of abounding in mercy.

To rebuke does not mean to point out every sin we see; it means to bring sin to a person’s attention with the purpose of restoring him or her to God and to fellow humans. When you feel you must rebuke another Christian for sin, check your attitude before you speak. Do you love that person? Are you willing to forgive? Unless rebuke is tied to forgiveness, it will not help the sinning person.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are gracious and merciful, ready to pardon, slow to anger, abounding in kindness, and ever Loving! I desire the impartation of Your wonderful and marvelous nature in my life. Endue me with the spirit to live like You, always abounding in Your miracle of grace, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Delayed Deliverances

 

Immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. (Acts 16:26)

In this age, God rescues his people from some harm. Not all harm. That’s comforting to know, because otherwise we might conclude from our harm that he has forgotten us or rejected us.

So be encouraged by the simple reminder that in Acts 16:19–24, Paul and Silas were not delivered, but in verses 25–26, they were.

First, no deliverance:

“They seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace.” (verse 19)“The magistrates tore the garments off them.” (verse 22)They “inflicted many blows upon them.” (verse 23)The jailer “fastened their feet in the stocks.” (verse 24)

But then, deliverance:

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God . . . and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. (verses 25–26)

God could have stepped in sooner. He didn’t. He has his reasons. He loves Paul and Silas.

Question for you: If you plot your life along this continuum of Paul’s initial suffering and later deliverance, where are you? Are you in the stripped-and-beaten stage, or the unshackled, door-flung-open stage?

Both are God’s stages of care for you. He has not left you or forsaken you (Hebrews 13:5).

If you are in the fettered stage, don’t despair. Sing. Freedom is on the way. It is only a matter of time. Even if it comes through death. “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).

Served in Serving Others

 

Jesus said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened?” (Mark 8:17)

After Jesus had fed both the 5,000 and the 4,000 with only a few loaves and fish, the disciples got in a boat without enough bread for themselves.

When they began to discuss their plight, Jesus said, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand?” (Mark 8:17). What didn’t they understand?

They did not understand the meaning of the leftovers, namely, that Jesus will take care of them when they take care of others. Jesus says,

“When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?” (Mark 8:19–21)

Understand what? The leftovers.

The leftovers were for the servers. In fact, the first time there were twelve servers and twelve basketfuls left over (Mark 6:43) — one whole basket for each server. The second time there were seven basketfuls left over — seven, the number of abundant completeness.

What didn’t they understand? That Jesus would take care of them. You can’t out-give Jesus. When you spend your life for others, your needs will be met. “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

THE FAITH DRIVEN PRAYER!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY JANUARY 24, 2023.

SUBJECT : THE FAITH DRIVEN PRAYER!

Memory verse: "So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly I say to you, If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move From here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17 vs 20.)

READ: Mark 11 vs 22 - 26: 

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 said 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.

11:25: And when you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.

11:26: But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

INTIMATION:

As believers we need to pray believing that we will receive our petitions in prayer (Mark 11 vs 24). If you are facing a problem that seems as big and immovable as a mountain, turn your eyes from the mountain and look beyond your ability to the power of God. It is the power of God plus your faith that moves mountains. The faith driven prayer is bold and prayed from a sure foundation of faith. The person praying the prayer is assured of God’s will for the situation or issue at hand. He or she is confident and hopeful, knowing that it is God’s will to answer the prayer. The faith driven prayer has power, trust, and healing for the body and soul.

The New Testament church was in the midst of this kind of prayer when they were praying for Peter. Right in the middle of their prayer they heard a knock on the door, and there was Peter. Many other examples of this prayer can be seen throughout the ministries of Jesus, the apostles, and in our lives today. The apostles prayed knowing what the will of God was for the situations they faced. God answers your prayers when you are: (1) A believer; (2) you hold no grudge against another person; (3) you pray without a selfish motives; and (4) your request is for the good of the kingdom. When we pray we can express our desires, but we should want God’s will above ours.

When we pray a faith driven prayer, we are praying God’s will for how things are in heaven to be done in the earth realm. Here is where a clear revelation of the kingdom is very important. There is no sickness in heaven. There Is no lack in heaven. There are no unsaved in heaven. We must have faith to believe that God wants His will for our health, prosperity, and full salvation to be manifested not only when we go to heaven but even as we dwell on earth, and It’s for His glory. When people see that God’s people have His ear and He is answering their prayers, that is a testimony for Him. People are drawn to God when they can see through His witnesses that He is a God who hears, and if He hears, they know He will answer.

Every believer already has general faith or saving faith, which is also a gift. Ephesians 2 vs 8 says, “For by grace you are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” The faith that you are saved by is a gift of God, but it is not one of the nine gifts of the Spirit; “to another faith by the same Spirit” (First Corinthians 12 vs 9). The Amplified Bible states thus, “To another [wonder-working] faith by the same [Holy] Spirit.” Saving faith is given to you through hearing the Word, because the Bible says, “So then faith [saving faith] comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10 vs 17).

But the kind of faith being talked about here is “special faith.” It is something other than general faith or saving faith. It is a supernatural manifestation of the Holy Spirit whereby a believer is empowered with faith beyond simple saving faith. This is the kind of faith you need to be able to move the obstructions or obstacles in your way. Sickness, financial strife, abuse, pride, unemployment, bondages, and strongholds of all kinds will not be able to stay in your life when you pray with this kind of (wonder-working) faith. They must go! All you have to do is believe, and nothing will be impossible for you (Mark 9 vs 23). 

Special faith will cause you to speak to stubborn demons and say, “I command you, come out of him and enter him no more! (Mark 9 vs 25). Special faith is the miracle-working faith that Jesus has during His ministry on earth, and He said that we would walk in even greater power and perform greater things than He did. Special faith changes the heart, and seeks peace. Prayer with such faith is real, and dismantles pride and vengeance, filling the holes with love. To really pray, let go of hurts, abandon grudges, and forgive others.

Can your mountain hear you prophesying to it the Word of the Lord? I challenge you to begin to incorporate the faith driven prayer and begin to prophesy to your mountain. Say to it, “Mountain the Word of the Lord says that if I believe, nothing will be impossible with me. Mountain, I believe the Word of the Lord. And the Word of the Lord to you today is BE YOU REMOVED and cast into the sea! Even if you have never seen deliverance, healing, or breakthrough in your life or family before, know that today is a new day and your faith in the power of God will make the impossible possible for you.

Smith Wigglesworth said that you often find that if you will make a step of faith and use your own faith that you as an individual Christian has, when you have come to the end of that faith, very often this supernatural faith will take over. The reason it hasn’t happened with a lot of folks is that they don’t first use what they already have; the Word of the Lord, declaring it as they bring forth their strong reasons, declaring boldly with assurances, and  walking confidently in expectation of answers to their prayer.

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the gift of special faith working by the power of the Holy Spirit that I will boldly speak in Word of God in full assurances to mountains in my life and they will be removed, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

WHAT HAS THE LORD SAID?

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY JANUARY 23, 2023.

SUBJECT: WHAT HAS THE LORD SAID?

Memory verse: "So David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue: for you shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.” (First Samuel 30 vs 8.)

READ: First Samuel 23 vs 1 - 5:

23:1: Then they told David, saying, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are robbing the threshing floors.”

23:2: Therefore David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go and smite these Philistines?” And the LORD said to David, “Go, and attack the Philistines, and save Keilah.”

23:3: But David's men said to him, “Look, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?”

23:4: Then David inquired of the LORD once again. And the LORD answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah. For I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.

23:5: And David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and fought with the Philistines, struck them with a mighty blow, and took away their livestock. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

INTIMATION:

What has the Lord said in that matter? What has He said in your situation? What has He said in that your endeavor? Such aforesaid questions are the anchor of a wise decision, and action. Inquiring from the Lord puts us on a safe drive to God ordained destination. It makes us triumphant in all our life’s endeavors. This truth is known from ancient times. God is the source of all truth. Whoever seeks the truth from Him will receive it and will be preserved from error. This is His promise. Knowledge of this led the faithful of ancient times to enter into communion with God when seeking the truth and the right ways. 

They inquired of God by means of human expedients, and were answered by Him through the same channel. They were well aware that the good spirit world in the service of God is the agent of His will, and that to consult the spirit beings of God's Kingdom is equivalent to inquiring of God Himself. They were equally well aware that there is such a thing as an evil spirit world, and their daily experience had taught them the possibility of communicating with this also. 

David was a classic example of a man who was extensively used to the practice of inquiring from God, and the results are known to all Bible scholars. David sought the Lord’s guidance before he took any actions. He listened to God’s directions and then proceeded accordingly. This is the way to go by all believers in God. This privilege is given to us by God Himself. He said, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33 vs 3.) 

David’s trust and confidence in God’s guidance among other things is unparalleled in the Scriptures. David fought his battles the way God instructed him. In each instance he (1) asked if he should fight or not, (2) followed instructions carefully, and (3) gave God the glory. He never, at any point, tried helping God like King Saul. For Christians, we can err in our “battles” by ignoring these steps of David, and instead: (1) Do what we want without considering God’s will, (2) do things our way and ignore advice in the Bible or from other wise people, and (3) take the glory ourselves or give it to someone else without acknowledging the help we received from God. All these responses are sinful.

Wisdom demands that rather than trying to find God’s will after your action, or having to ask God to undo the results of our hasty decisions, we should take time to discern God’s will beforehand. We can hear Him speak through the counsel of others, His Word, and the leading of His Spirit in our hearts, as well as through circumstances. For instance, David knew he would become king (First Samuel 16 vs 13; 23 vs 17; 24 vs 20), and although the time seemed right when Saul was dead, but David still asked God if he should move back to Judah, the home territory of his tribe (Second Samuel 2 vs 1). Before moving ahead with what seems obvious, he first brought the matter to God, who alone knows the best timing. This should be the pattern of all believers in Christ.

Only those who put their whole faith in Him and who look up to Him for help, will God allow to inquire of Him. But all those who hold communion with the evil one—the devil, and who look for help from the spirits of the abyss, God will reject. It is not the half-hearted, not those who today turn to God and tomorrow to the devil, not those who today pray and devote tomorrow to wickedness, God will answer. This was the truth in olden times, and it is still the truth today. 

Prayer: Abba Father, the end is known to You from the beginning. Endue me with Your excellent spirit that I may seek You, and Your counsel at all time, before any moves of mine, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Go Directly to God

 

In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.” (John 16:26–27)

Don’t make God’s Son more of a Mediator than he is.

Jesus says, “I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf.” In other words, I’m not going to insert myself between you and the Father, as though you can’t go to him directly. Why? “The Father himself loves you.”

This is astonishing. Jesus is warning us not to think of God Almighty as unwilling to receive us directly into his presence. By “directly” I mean what Jesus meant when he said, “I am not going to take your requests to God for you. You may take them directly. He loves you. He wants you to come. He is not angry at you.”

It is absolutely true that no sinful human being has any access to the Father except through Jesus’s blood (Hebrews 10:19–20). He intercedes for us now (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25). He is our advocate with the Father now (1 John 2:1). He is our High Priest before the throne of God now (Hebrews 4:15–16). He said, “No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

Yes. But Jesus is protecting us from taking his intercession too far. “I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you.” Jesus is there. He is providing an ever-present, ever-living witness to the removal of the Father’s wrath from us.

But he is not there to talk for us, or to keep us at a distance from the Father, or to suggest that the Father’s heart is guarded toward us or disinclined to us — hence the words, “For the Father himself loves you.”

So, come. Come boldly (Hebrews 4:16). Come expectantly. Come expecting a smile. Come trembling with joy, not dread.

Jesus is saying, “I have made a way to God. Now I am not going to get in the way.” Come.