Look to Jesus for Your Joy

 

“They do all their deeds to be seen by others. . . . They love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.” (Matthew 23:5–7)

The itch of self-regard craves the scratch of self-approval. If we are getting our pleasure from feeling self-sufficient, we will not be satisfied without others seeing and applauding our self-sufficiency.

Hence Jesus’s description of the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23:5, “They do all their deeds to be seen by others.”

This is ironic. Wouldn’t you think that self-sufficiency should free the proud person from the need to be made much of by others? That’s what “sufficient” means. But evidently there is an emptiness in this so-called self-sufficiency.

The self was never designed to satisfy itself or rely upon itself. It never can be self-sufficient. We are not God. We are in the image of God. And what makes us “like” God is not our self-sufficiency. We are shadows and echoes. So, there will always be an emptiness in the soul that struggles to be satisfied with the resources of self.

This empty craving for the praise of others signals the failure of pride and the absence of faith in God’s ongoing grace. Jesus saw the terrible effect of this itch for human glory. He named it in John 5:44, “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?” The answer is, you can’t. Itching for glory from other people makes faith impossible. Why?

Because faith looks away from self to God. Faith is being satisfied with all that God is for you in Jesus. And if you are bent on getting the satisfaction of your itch from the scratch of others’ praise, you will turn away from Jesus. That is not what he is like. He lives for the glory of his Father. And calls us to do the same.

But if you would turn from self as the source of satisfaction (repentance), and come to Jesus for the enjoyment of all that God is for us in him (faith), then the itch of emptiness would be replaced by a fullness — what Jesus calls “a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14).

God Rejoices to Do You Good

 

“I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. . . . I will rejoice in doing them good.” (Jeremiah 32:40–41)

This is one of those promises of God that I come back to again and again when I get discouraged. Can you think of any fact more encouraging than that God rejoices to do you good? Not just does you good. Not just is committed to doing you good — glorious as that is. But that he rejoices to do you good. “I will rejoice in doing them good.”

He doesn’t begrudgingly fulfill the promise in Romans 8:28 to work everything together for our good. It is his joy to do you good. And not just sometimes. Always! “I will not turn away from doing good to them.” There are no lapses in his commitment or in his joy in doing good to his children — to those who trust him.

That should make us so glad!

But sometimes it is hard to be glad. Our situation is so hard to bear that we just can’t muster any joy. When that happens to me, I try to imitate Abraham: “In hope he believed against hope” (Romans 4:18). In other words, you look your hopeless situation in the face and say, “You are not as strong as God! He can do the impossible. And I know he loves to do it for those who trust him. So, hopelessness, you will not have the last say. I trust God!”

God has always been faithful to guard that little spark of faith for me and eventually (not always right away) fan it into a flame of happiness and full confidence. And Jeremiah 32:41 is a great part of that joy.

Oh, how glad I am that what makes the heart of almighty God happy includes doing good for you and me! “I will rejoice in doing them good.”

TRUST IN GOD RATHER THAN MONEY!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY MARCH 04, 2023.

SUBJECT : TRUST IN GOD RATHER THAN MONEY!

Memory verse: “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy” (First Timothy 6 vs 17).

READ: First Timothy 6 vs 6 - 10:

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. 

6:8: And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.

6:9: But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.

6:10: For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 

INTIMATION:

Looking at the world around us, we can see that money has tremendous power. It obviously enables us to do things we can't otherwise do, and it gives us a certain level of respect and great confidence. For instance, when a rich man walks into a room, his financial status gives him authority that a poor person in the same room doesn't have. 

Then Scripture buttressed this point in Ecclesiastes 10 vs 19; 7 vs 12 where it says, "Money answers all things." And ".....Money is a defense." The danger is that unless you are careful, you will begin to trust more in the power of money than you do in the power of God. This calls to mind the slang 'Money speaks' for those you trust in the power of money. 

Government leaders, businesses, families, even churches get trapped into thinking "money answers all things," that is money is the answer to every problem. We throw money at our problems. But just as the thrill of wine is only temporal, the soothing effect of the last purchase soon wears off and we have to buy more. 

Scripture recognizes that money is necessary for survival, but it warns against the love of money. Money is dangerous because it deceives us into thinking that wealth is the easiest way to get all we want. The love of money is sinful because we trust money rather than God to solve our problems. Those who pursue its empty promises will one day discover that they have nothing because they are spiritually bankrupt.

The Lord is aware of this temptation and that is why He said so many things about money. Jesus taught more on money than all other of His teachings put together during His ministry walk on earth. In one of of His teachings Jesus said: "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6 vs 19 - 21.)

Please note that laying up treasures in heaven is not limited to tithing and offering but is accomplished by all acts of obedience to God. For instance you can't be paying tithes and offerings, and will not honor your parents and believe you are laying up treasures in heaven. Far from that. Our intention in all of that is to seek the fulfillment of God's purposes in all we do, not merely what we do with our money.

The last verse in the passage above is very interesting. It says that your heart is where your treasure is; which means you can tell where a person's heart is by where their money (treasure) goes. This Scripture illustrates the point Jesus was making with the rich young ruler when He told the man to sell all of his goods. (Mark 10 vs 21.)  Jesus was saying, "If you really love and trust Me more than your money, then put your treasure in heaven." The man wouldn't do it because his treasure and his heart were on earthly riches. 

Jesus never asked him to sell and bring the money to Him. He has no need for it. Jesus loved him (Mark 10 vs 21) and wanted to show him the right path of life for him to walk in (Psalm 16 vs 11). Of course, we know that the Lord would have blessed that man back with even more than he gave away (Proverbs 19 vs 17), so God wasn't trying to take from him. Jesus was just trying to get the man to put his total trust and dependence on God.

Do not let the love of money drive the real thing out of you—the love and trust in God! Live a life of contentment and godliness which is greatly gainful. The Scripture admonishes us, “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13 vs 5.)

God has given us a promise “never to leave nor forsake us.” So, why don’t you put your absolute trust in Him whom nothing is impossible with nor difficult for? Those things money can’t get you are only possible with Him, and never difficult for Him! The apostle Paul admonishes in our memory verse, “not to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.” 

Prayer: Abba Father, You have given us all that pertains to life and godliness. Endue me with the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You, that I may know the hope of Your calling, and the riches of the glory of Your inheritance in us that believes, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

GOD DEMANDS OUR HEART RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY MARCH 03, 2023.

SUBJECT : GOD DEMANDS OUR HEART RELATIONSHIP WITH  HIM!

Memory verse: "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God." (Psalm 42 vs  1.)

READ: Exodus 33 vs 8 - 11:

33:8: So it was, whenever Moses went out to the tabernacle, that all the people rose, and each man stood at his tent door and watched Moses until he had gone into the tabernacle. 

33:9: And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses.

33:10: All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshiped, each one in his tent door.

33:11: So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend...

INTIMATION:

A wise person once said, "When God measures you, He puts the tape around your heart, not your head." So how is your heart doing for God? Our memory verse indicates the heart relationship of David, the man God testified thus, "a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will." ( Acts 13 vs 22.) How is your heart relationship with God? In the passage we read today, Moses had such heart relationship with God, that he enjoyed the presence of God most times. God spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. 

Throughout our lives, we look for those rare individuals with whom we feel relaxed and comfortable and can share our heart and our secrets and know they will not betray us, who will always be there for us, and in whom we can have confidence. These are individuals we can respect and who in turn admire us and want us to be successful.

God wants to be in the aforesaid type of relationship with us, and He is even better than any earthly companion. For God is a perfect companion: the One who knows the road we are traveling on and all of the problems that lie ahead; the One who can give us dependable advice; the One who wants to share our lives with Him and will not put us down when we stumble; the One who will never desert us if we fail or do not live up to His standards. He accepts us just as we are, wants to be with us forever, is able to help us be all that we can be, and can enable us either to avoid or overcome every obstacle or problem in our lives.

Heart relationship can best be explained through a human illustration. Some children grow up in families where their father is a strong disciplinarian. They obey because they do not want to suffer the wrath of their father. Although they may even respect their father and his accomplishments, but they don’t want to do with him on a personal basis. It is not unusual for such children to dread the return of their father in the evening. As adults they spend as little time with him as possible. There is a physical relationship with obedience, but not the close heart relationship. Fear and mistrust are barriers to their ever being close.

On the other hand, some have fathers who have definite standards and rules to obey, but the relationship is one of love and respect. They are excited when Dad walks through the door at night. They love the weekends because Dad can be with them and they do fun things together. Such children obey because they love and trust their father, not because they fear him or the consequences of their disobedience. 

In our relationship with God we can respond and obey either out of love or out of fear.

When we realize God's desire to be our Faithful Companion in our relationship, we find Him less an authority figure and more a desirable companion Who is no less in charge in our lives. We now realize He is on our side, how much He wants the best for us and how absolutely dependable He is. The inborn unhealthy fear of God that stems from our sin nature, and is often stirred up by the enemy of our souls, is weakening as we are getting a clearer picture of who He really is.

Unfortunately many people never really seek Him with all their hearts. They are content to learn as a child would. That is, learning and following rules in order to avoid big problems, but not as willing to spend any great period of time with the Lord in the free time they have. There is little delight in the relationship, only obedience out of necessity. They have salvation from penalty of sin, but they will enter heaven "through the flames" (First Corinthians 3 vs 15). They have yet to cross that line of spiritual familial relationship into a deep or spiritual heart relationship.

First Corinthians 3 vs 15 states "If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire." This means that good work will be rewarded; unfaithful or inferior work will be discounted. Though unfaithful workers will be saved, but like people escaping from a burning building, all their possessions (accomplishments) will be  lost. Those are the people Jesus Christ described as the least in the kingdom of God. 

Prayer: Abba Father, I desire You as my companion. Build in my heart Your steadfast Spirit, so as to follow and obey You in every aspect of my life. My utmost heart desire is an intimate relationship with You. But by my strength I can do nothing. Help me to accomplish this, in Jesus' Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

God Works Through Good Resolves

 

To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power. (2 Thessalonians 1:11)

Seeking the power of God to fulfill our good resolves does not mean that we don’t really resolve, or that we don’t really use willpower.

The engagement of God’s power never takes the place of the engagement of our will! The power of God in sanctification never makes us passive! The power of God engages itself beneath or behind and within our will, not in place of our will.

The evidence of God’s power in our lives is not the absence of our willing, but the strength of our willing, the joy of our willing.

Anyone who says, “Well, I believe in the sovereignty of God and so I will just sit back and do nothing” does not really believe in the sovereignty of God. For why would someone who believes in God’s sovereignty so blatantly disobey him?

When you sit back to do nothing, you are not doing nothing. You are actively engaging your will in a decision to sit back. And if that is the way you handle sin or temptation in your life, it is blatant disobedience, because we are commanded to wage a good warfare (1 Timothy 1:18) and resist the devil (James 4:7) and strive for holiness (Hebrews 12:14) and put to death the sinful acts of the body (Romans 8:13).

Second Thessalonians 1:11 says that it is by the power of God that we will fulfill our good resolves and our works of faith. But this does not nullify the meaning of the word “resolve” and the word “work.” Part of the whole process of walking worthy of God’s call is the active engagement of our will in resolving to do righteousness.

If you have lingering sin in your life, or if you keep neglecting some good deed just because you have been waiting around to be saved without a fight, you are compounding your disobedience. God will never appear with power in your will in any other way than through your exercise of that will; that is, through your good resolves — your good intentions and plans and purposes.

So, people who believe in the sovereignty of God must not fear to engage their wills in the struggle for holiness. “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able” (Luke 13:24). Only strive in the faith that in and through your striving God is at work to will and to do his good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).

Arm Yourself with Promises

 

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8)

When Paul says to put to death the deeds of the body “by the Spirit” (Romans 8:13), I take him to mean that we should use the one weapon in the Spirit’s armor that is used to kill; namely, the sword, “which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17).

So, when the body is about to be led into a sinful action by some fear or craving, we are to take the sword of the Spirit and kill that fear and that craving. In my experience, that means mainly severing the root of sin’s promise by the power of a superior promise.

For example, when I begin to crave some illicit sexual pleasure, the sword-swing that has often severed the root of this promised pleasure is, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). I recall the pleasures I have tasted of seeing God more clearly from an undefiled conscience; and I recall the brevity and superficiality and oppressive aftertaste of sin’s pleasures, and with that, God has killed the conquering power of sin.

Having promises at hand that suit the temptation of the hour is one key to successful warfare against sin.

But there are times when we don’t have a perfectly suited word from God in our minds. And there is no time to look through the Bible for a tailor-made promise. So, we all need to have a small arsenal of general promises ready to use whenever fear or craving threaten to lead us astray.

Here are four of my most oft-used promises in fighting against sin:

Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Philippians 4:19, “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

And the promise implicit in Philippians 3:8, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”

And, of course, Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

Be constantly adding to your arsenal of promises. But never lose sight of the chosen few that God has blessed in your life. Do both. Be ever-ready with the old. And every morning look for a new one to take with you through the day.

DESIRING TO BE RICH!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY MARCH 02, 2023.

SUBJECT : DESIRING TO BE RICH!

Memory verse: "But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drawn men in destruction and perdition." (First Timothy 6 vs 9.) 

READ: First Timothy 6 vs 6 - 10:

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.

6:8: And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.

6:9: But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drawn men in destruction and perdition.

6:10: For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 

INTIMATION:

Having riches is being wealthy, having abundant resources. Desiring riches is having lust, passion or strong wish for it. The person who is seeking to be rich will lose the contentment with the basic necessities of life. In their worldly desires, they will lose sight of that which brings spiritual fulfillment. Such ungodly desire makes many to do all that is possible to obtain riches. In so doing, they fall into various temptations, and snares, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which consequently, draw them into destruction and perdition. 

The snare into which they fall is the fact that they lead themselves into believing that if they surround themselves with possessions and involves themselves in activities, they will be happy. Eventually their test for financial influence will bankrupt them spiritually. However, one should never allow the possessions of this world to possess him or her. We have heard about people involving themselves in all kinds of evil to get rich. Eventually, when the reality of the temporary nature of their sojourn on earth as well as their riches dawn on them, remembering that one day they will die leaving all the riches behind, they are sorrowful.

The apostle James clearly describes their situation: “But the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; it’s flowers falls, and it’s beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.” (James 1 vs 10 - 11.) Prophet Jeremiah further describes them thus: “As a partridge that broods but does not hatch, so is he who gets riches, but not by right; it will leave him in the midst of his days, and at his end he will be a fool.” (Jeremiah 17 vs 11.)

Riches mean nothing to God. Our true wealth is in our development of our spiritual life—our relationship with our Creator and others. And that is the only thing we take with us as we depart this earth. Riches are not evil. What is evil is the materialistic heart that is obsessed with obtaining it. Some of us, in our desire to satisfy our test for wealth, have marginalized our relationships with friends, families, and others. The sorrows that they produced through their striving to be rich manifested the error of the greedy motives of their hearts. 

When one focuses his or her life on behaving after the directions of the word of God, one becomes content with life in that his or her purpose of life is not to consume the things of this world upon his or her own lust. In contrast to those who focus on gaining that which is of this world, the godly person will focus on spiritual things that will result in eternal life. In order to acquire the mentality of focusing on spiritual things, one must come to the realization that our passing through this world is too brief to focus on the things of this world. God ordained that the things of this world are to sustain us on our brief stay here in preparation for that which is to come. 

Prayer: Abba Father, in You I put my absolute trust. Give me the grace to lead a life of steadfast pursuit of Your kingdom and righteousness, trusting You to add to me all other things that I need and also are pleasing to You, in Jesus Name I prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

The