THE NEW HEAVENS AND NEW EARTH!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY MARCH 29, 2023.

SUBJECT: THE NEW HEAVENS AND NEW EARTH!

Memory verse: "Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea." (Revelation 21 vs 1.) 

READ: Isaiah 65 vs 17; 66 vs 22; Second Peter 3 vs 10 & 13:

Isaiah 65:17: For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

66:22: For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, says the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.

Second Peter 3:10: But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

3:13: Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelt righteousness.

INTIMATION:

Heaven is where God lives. It is a dwelling place of God, His Son Jesus where He first came from, and dwelling place of angels (Matthew 6 vs 9; 18 vs 10; Hebrews 8 vs 1; 10 vs 12). Life in heaven operates according to God’s principles and values, and it is eternal and unshakable. However, God will purify the heavens and earth with fire, to make anew. The new heaven and earth is the future realm of dwelling wherein the resurrected redeemed will eternally exist with a spiritual body in the presence of God. 

We don’t know how the new earth will look or where it will be, but God and His followers—those whose names are written in the Book of Life—will be united to live there forever. It is not a place of flesh and blood (First Corinthians 15 vs 50), like the present earth, where we all face limitations: Some have physical, mental, or emotional disabilities. Some are blind, deaf, lame, but we will all be given new bodies when Christ returns and that these bodies will be without disabilities, never to die or become sick. In addition, those with disabilities and other limitations now are encouraged that those disabilities and limitations are only temporary. 

God’s purpose for people is not destruction but recreation. God will purify the heavens and earth with fire, then He will create them anew. We can joyously look forward to the restoration of God’s good world. The purified or new heavens and earth is a place of rest, joy, glory, righteousness, no sorrow, no death, and a place of eternal life. (Romans 8 vs 18; Colossians 3 vs 4; Matthew 25 vs 21). The purpose of purified heaven and earth is for the reward to the obedient, an inheritance for God’s children, a place of immortality for the mortal, a crown of victory for the faithful. 

Our loyalty should be to our citizenship in the new heavens and earth, not to our citizenship here on earth, because the earth will be destroyed. Jesus remarked that heaven and earth shall pass away, therefore, our utmost desire is to be partakers in the new heavens and earth, where God will live with the faithful forever. Those who will inherit heaven are; the pure in heart, the persecuted Christians, the undefiled, the moral upright believers. (Matthew 5 vs 4 - 12. Revelation 21 vs 27; Galatians 5 vs 19 - 21; Revelation 22 vs 15).

Realizing that the earth is going to be burned up, we should put our confidence in what is lasting and eternal and not be bound in earth and it’s treasures or pursuits. While it is true that money, fame, and belongings can’t be taken with us from this life to dwell with God, we can produce fruit that survives even death by utilizing them to do God’s will; taking care of the poor and needy amongst us, investing in kingdom endeavors, and excelling in every good works. God will remember our love, kindness, and faithfulness, and those who accept Christ through our witness, and they will join us in the new earth. 

Be sure that your values are in line with God’s values, and decide today to produce fruit that lasts forever. Our loyalty should be to God’s truth, His way of life, and His dedicated people. Do you spend much of your time piling up possessions, or striving to develop Christlike character? Will you be part of the new heavens and earth? The choice is yours, and the time is now, for the end is fast approaching! 

Prayer: Abba Father, one thing I desire, that will I seek after; is that I may dwell in Your kingdom, and live with You forever. Give me the grace to earnestly pursue this desire, and that the zeal of Your house will eat me up, that I may run to obtain the in perishable crown of eternity with You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD! 

When Everyone Deserts You

 

At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (2 Timothy 4:16–18)

This morning I was lingering over these magnificent and heartbreaking words. Paul is in custody in Rome. So far as we know, he was never released. His last letter comes to an end like this.

Consider and be astounded!

He is deserted: “no one came to stand by me.” He is an old man. A loyal servant. In a foreign city, far from home. Surrounded by enemies. In danger of death. Why? Answer: So he could write this precious sentence for our discouraged, or fearful, or lonely souls: “But the Lord stood by me!”

Oh, how I love those words! When you are deserted by close friends, do you cry out against God? Are the people in your life, then, really your god? Or do you take courage in this magnificent truth: “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20) — no matter who deserts you? Do you strengthen your heart with this inexorable oath: “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5)?

Then let us say, “The Lord stood by me!”

Question: What was threatened in 2 Timothy 4:18? Answer: that Paul might not attain the Lord’s heavenly kingdom! But over against the threat Paul cries, “The Lord will . . . bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom.”

Question: How was Paul’s attaining the heavenly kingdom threatened? Answer: “evil deeds.” “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom.”

Question: How could an evil deed threaten Paul’s attaining the heavenly kingdom? Answer: by tempting him to forsake his allegiance to Christ through disobedience.

Question: Was this temptation the “lion’s mouth” from which he was rescued? Answer: Yes. “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith” (1 Peter 5:8–9).

Question: So who gets the glory that Paul did not yield to this satanic temptation, but endured to the end in faith and obedience? Answer: “To him [the Lord] belong glory and dominion forever and ever” (1 Peter 5:10). “To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen” (2 Timothy 4:18).

Question: Why? Wasn’t it Paul who stood firm? Answer: “The Lord stood by me and strengthened me!”

FORGIVENESS IS KEY IN OUR LIFE’S JOURNEY!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY MARCH 28, 2023.

SUBJECT: FORGIVENESS IS KEY IN OUR LIFE’S JOURNEY!

Memory verse: “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.” 

(Mark 11 vs 25.)

READ: Matthew 5 vs 23 - 24:

23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there rememberers that your brother has something against you;

24 Leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

INTIMATION:

Forgiveness is to pardon or acquit for sin. It is the release from the mind and heart of the offended feelings of resentment toward the offender, which feelings, if continued, will hinder the spiritual and emotional growth of the offended. Also, to bestow a favor unconditionally is used of the act of forgiveness, whether Divine (Ephesians 4 vs 32; Colossians 2 vs 13; 3 vs 13), or human, (Luke 7 vs 42 - 43; Second Corinthians 2 vs 7; 12 vs 13). 

Human forgiveness is to be strictly analogous to Divine forgiveness (Matthew 6 vs 12). If certain conditions are fulfilled, there is no limitation to Christ’s law of forgiveness (Matthew 18 vs 21 - 22). And the conditions are repentance and confession (Matthew 18 vs 15 - 17; Luke 17 vs 3). God will judge without mercy the one who has shown no mercy. Those who are subjects of the kingdom reign of Jesus should be of a forgiving nature. God does not answer the prayer that comes from an unforgiving heart. Therefore, forgiveness is a condition for answered prayer. 

One should always view forgiveness in relation to how much God has forgiven us. The extent to which God has forgiven us should make our forgiveness of others limitless. 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 offend us and ask for forgiveness.

Forgiving others is tough work—so much so that many people would rather do something totally distasteful than offer forgiveness to someone who has wronged them. For a person to pray while bearing a grudge, is like a tree sprouting leaves and bearing no fruit (Mark 11 vs 13). True faith changes the heart. Real prayer dismantles pride and vengeance, filling the holes with love. Real faith speaks peace. For our churches to have prayer power, there must be harmony and forgiveness evident in the body of believers. Let go of hurts, abandon grudges, and forgive others.

Jesus gives a startling warning about forgiveness. If we refuse to forgive others, God will also refuse to forgive us. Why? Because when we don’t forgive others, we are denying our common ground as sinners in need of God’s forgiveness. However, God’s forgiveness of sin is not the direct result of our forgiving others, but it is based on our realizing what forgiveness means. It is easy to ask God for forgiveness but difficult to grant it to others. Whenever we ask God to forgive us, we should ask, “Have I forgiven the people who have wronged me?” 

In the parable of the unmerciful servant (Matthew 18 vs 23 - 35), Ten thousand talents would be about sixty million denarii. One denarii was about one day’s wage. So much money is indicated that it would be impossible for a mortal man to work every day of his life in order to repay such debt. The spiritual implication of the parable is clear; we owe God more than we can pay in reference to our eternal salvation in heaven. We will receive more in heaven than we can possibly earn through works on earth. Salvation is truly by grace. 

The unforgiving servant showed no appreciation for his own forgiveness. Instead of manifesting mercy in his heart because of the mercy that was extended to him, he only thought of himself in reference to his fellow man. Because God has forgiven all our sins, we should not withhold forgiveness from others. As we realize how completely Christ has forgiven us, it should produce an attitude of forgiveness toward others. When we don’t forgive others, we are setting ourselves above Christ’s law of love.

God’s mercy toward us should stimulate the same in our lives toward others. Those with unforgiving spirits cannot inherit the heavenly environment of a forgiving God because they are not of the nature of the Father. God will render judgment without mercy on those who do not show mercy. Therefore, we must store mercy for judgement by exercising mercy toward others in reference to their sins against us. One must keep in mind that the ability to forgive is a necessary quality that one must possess in order to be a candidate for heaven. It is the nature of God to forgive, His children must have the same nature.

The spirit of forgiveness guards one against becoming bitter. It guards the joy that must be characteristic of our hearts. An unforgiving attitude will destroy a Christian’s spirit. Therefore, one must forgive for his own benefit. If he does not forgive he will often become bitter. 

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me Your excellent spirit of mercy, love and compassion, that I may manifest all these toward others in my journey of life, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD! 

10 Results of the Resurrection

 

If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. (1 Corinthians 15:17)

Here are ten amazing things we owe to the resurrection of Jesus:

1) A Savior who can never die again. “We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again” (Romans 6:9).

2) Repentance. “The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel” (Acts 5:30–31).

3) New birth. “According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).

4) Forgiveness of sin. “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17).

5) The Holy Spirit. “This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing” (Acts 2:32–33).

6) No condemnation for the elect. “Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died — more than that, who was raised — who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us” (Romans 8:34).

7) Jesus’s personal fellowship and protection. “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

8) Proof of coming judgment. “[God] has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:31).

9) Salvation from the future wrath of God. “[We] wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:10; Romans 5:9).

10) Our own resurrection from the dead. “[We know] that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence” (2 Corinthians 4:14; Romans 6:4; 8:11; 1 Corinthians 6:14; 15:20).

SUCCESS IN THE EYES OF GOD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY MARCH 27, 2023.

SUBJECT: SUCCESS IN THE EYES OF GOD! 

Memory verse: "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." (Joshua 1 vs 8.)

READ: Genesis 39 vs 1 - 3:

39:1: Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there.

39:2: The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

39:3: And His master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did prosper in his hand. 

INTIMATION:

Success is defined as the attainment or accomplishment of something desired or attempted. In our contemporary society, it also connotes prosperity, and fame. Success in the eyes of God is attainment or accomplishment of the Will or desires of God in our lives anchored in complete obedience to, and trust in God. Success is obeying the rules of living as contained in God’s Book of the Law, which is tantamount to accomplishing the desires of God. It is not the accomplishment of our own desires, but rather you being controlled by God.

Joseph was a slave, but he was successful and prosperous in his master's house. Yes, he was successful because he obeyed the rules of living found in God’s Book of the Law, culminating in attainment do God’s desires in his life. Though it is considered a misnomer in our contemporary society (that views and acknowledges prosperity and success as the state of economic well-being of an individual) for a slave boy to be prosperous and successful in his master's house, but Joseph was successful in the eyes of God because of his complete obedience to the rules established by God in the Book of the Law—the Bible.

Now, let us look at how Christ viewed the prosperity and success in the Book of Revelation 3 vs 17 - 18 says: "Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' - and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked - I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see."

Christ was speaking to the Laodicean church in this passage as well as us. The Laodicean church was known for its great wealth. The city was proud of its cloth dyeing industries, and its precious eye salve that healed many eye problems. But Christ told them to buy their gold—real spiritual treasures from Him, instead of trusting in their wealth. He told them to purchase white garments—His righteousness from Him. Christ also told them to get medicine from Him to heal their eyes so they could see the truth, instead of trusting on their wealth which made them think they are wealthy.  Christ was showing the Laodiceans that true value was not in material possessions, but right relationship with God. Their possessions and achievements were valueless compared with the everlasting future of Christ's kingdom.

How is the rating of your prosperity and success before God? Are you complacent and rich? Do you feel self-satisfied, and have missed Christ's presence in you? The pleasures of this world—money, security, material possessions ands on—can be dangerous, because their temporary satisfaction makes us indifferent to God's offer of lasting satisfaction. You may get so busy enjoying worldly pleasures that you will not notice Christ knocking at the door of your heart and trying to enter, consequently you lose His presence in your life.

If you find yourself feeling indifferent to church, to God, to the Bible, or to the assembly of believers, you have begun to shut God out of your life. Leave the door of your heart constantly open to God, and you won't need to worry about hearing His knocks. 

Prayer: Abba Father, by You all things consist. Give me the grace to obey Your rules of living, and that my conduct in all I do be in accordance with Your Will, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

 

How to Delight in God’s Word

 

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! (Psalm 119:103)

Never reduce Christianity to a matter of demands and resolutions and willpower. It is a matter of what we love, what we delight in, what tastes good to us.

When Jesus came into the world, humanity was split according to what they loved. “The light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light” (John 3:19). The righteous and the wicked are separated by what they delight in — the revelation of God in Jesus, or the way of the world.

So someone may ask: How can I come to delight in the word of God? My answer is twofold:

1) pray for new tastebuds on the tongue of your heart;
2) meditate on the staggering promises of God to his people.

The same psalmist who said, “How sweet are your words to my taste” (Psalm 119:103), said earlier, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law” (Psalm 119:18). He prayed this, because to have spiritual eyes to see glory, or to have holy tastebuds on the tongue of the heart, is a gift of God. No one naturally hungers for, and delights in, God and his wisdom.

But when you have prayed, indeed while you pray, meditate on the benefits God promises to his people and on the joy of having Almighty God as your helper now and forever. Psalm 1:3–4 says that the person who meditates on God’s word “is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.”

Who would not delight to read a book, the reading of which would change one from useless chaff to a mighty cedar of Lebanon, from a Texas dust bowl to a Hawaiian orchard? Nobody deep down wants to be chaff — rootless, weightless, useless. All of us want to draw strength from some deep river of reality and become fruitful, useful people.

That river of reality is the word of God, and all the great saints have been made great by it.

THE SOURCE OF GOD’S GRACE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY MARCH 26, 2023.

SUBJECT: THE SOURCE OF GOD’S GRACE!

Memory verse: "Through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5 vs 2.) 

READ: Ephesians 2 vs 8 - 9:

2:8: For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 

2:9: not of works, lest any man should boast.

INTIMATION:

We gain entry into the realm of God’s grace through Jesus in whom we must have faith. Grace is the unmerited favor of God toward man that was made possible by the sacrificial offering of Jesus on the cross. God demands our obedient response to Him by faith. Therefore, the application of grace in one’s life must be based on the condition of our obedient faith, and attracts the grace of God. And without faith it is impossible to please God. It is in exercising of our faith in our obedient fellowship with God that plugs us into the source of His power—His grace. 

If there is anything the devil tries to do, is to keep people out of fellowship with the Lord. Satan knows that once you are connected to the source of divine power, it is finished for him. Fellowship with the Lord is what ensures a victorious and peaceful Christian life. But without fellowship with Him, you will struggle the entire time you are here on this earth as a Christian, even though you will be saved because your name is in the Book of life. Though the free gift of our salvation is not based on our fellowship, rather on the blood of Jesus shed on the cross for our sins. But without fellowship in obedient faith one will not partake of the riches of the glory, and the exceeding greatness of His power. 

Do you know what happens when you are in fellowship with God—spending quality time with Him? You become a custodian of His grace—the power of God to help you meet your needs and solve your problems. As soldiers of the cross, you and I are not supposed to be afraid of our enemy—the devil. Instead, we are to ‘be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might—His grace,’ knowing that we are plugged into the ultimate power source, the power that can make and destroy. When the spirit of fear comes along, rather than shaking like a leaf, we are to be bold as a lion, and remind the devil that ‘God has not given us the spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind’ (Second Timothy 1 vs 7). 

The devil comes against those who are doing damage to his kingdom, those who are doing something for God as His ambassadors. How then do we withstand the devil? By girding on the full armor of God; taking the shield of faith, and by wielding the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, by which we can quench his fiery darts (Ephesians 6 vs 13 - 17). 

Being strong in the Lord, in my considered opinion, is being strong in fellowship with God. And it’s only after being strengthened in fellowship with obedient faith that you can properly access the whole armor of God. Therefore, you should come apart with the Lord (fellowship with the Lord) privately before you come apart publicly. Spend time with God so you can remain stable as you deal with the daily affairs of life.

Being in fellowship with the Lord does not mean that you will be in a room with God all the time. If you will give twenty or thirty minutes of sleep in the morning in order to get up early and seek His face, God will honor that sacrifice. It you are willing to turn off the television for thirty minutes in the evening and spend some time in fellowship with the Lord, you will be richly rewarded. 

However, God is a Loving Father, He will not require more of you than what you are able to give Him. He is not an ogre who is out to make you miserable. He just knows what you need in order to have that abundant, enjoyable, and victorious life. When you fellowship with the Lord, you learn to quickly follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit. 

Prayer: Abba Father, You are my all. I thirst to be in Your presence at all times. Endue me with the spirit of faithful obedience to You in all things that I may have fellowship with You at all times, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!