LIFE IS A TRUST!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY APRIL 26, 2023.

SUBJECT: LIFE IS A TRUST! 

Memory verse: "The earth is the Lord's and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein." (Psalm 24 vs 1.)

READ: John 3 vs 27; James 1 vs 17; First Corinthians 4 vs 7:

John 3:27: A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.

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

First Corinthians 4:7: For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

INTIMATION:

Our time on earth and our energy, intelligence, opportunities, relationships, and resources are gifts from God that He has entrusted to our care and management. We are stewards of whatever God gives us. This concept of stewardship begins with the recognition that God is the Owner of everything and everyone on earth.

We never really own anything during our brief stay on earth. It is for this reason we come into the world bringing nothing with us at birth, and takes nothing away with us at death. God loans the earth to us while we're here. The Owner is God, and has only given us right to use when we come in. And He will give the same right to another when you depart in death. You just get to enjoy it for a while. Because the earth is the Lord's, all of us are stewards, or caretakers. We should be committed to proper management of this world and its resources.

In the beginning, God created the world—the heaven and the earth—and all therein. He created man last, and empowered man to have dominion over all other creations of His. When God created Adam and Eve, He entrusted the care of His creation to them and appointed them trustees of His property. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." (Genesis 1 vs 28.) The first assignment God handed over to humans was to manage and take care of His property while here on earth. This role has never been rescinded. This stewardship Is the major part of our purpose on earth. Everything is in our care, every gifts are all from God, and should be treated as a trust that God has placed in our hands. 

Unfortunately, the common culture amongst us is to careless of what we don't own. But that is not God's idea. Christians should live by a higher standard; the attitude should be, ‘Because God owns it, I must take the best care of it to the best of my ability.’ The apostle Paul stated this in First Corinthians 4 vs 2, "Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful." The faithful servant does the master's bidding, he does what the master tells him to do. We must do what God (our Master) tells us to do in His Manual—the Bible, and thoughtfully engaging our Helper—the Holy Spirit. Each day God presents us with needs and opportunities that challenge us to do what we know is right.

Jesus often referred to life as a trust and told many stories to illustrate that responsibility toward God. In the story of the loaned money (the talents), in Matthew 25 vs 14 - 29, a businessman entrusted his wealth to the care of his servants while he was away. When he returned, he evaluated each servant's responsibility and rewarded them accordingly. Those who did well, in line with his expectations, he says, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy your Lord." (Matthew 25 vs 21.)

At the end of our lives on earth we will be evaluated and rewarded according to how well each and everyone of us handled what God entrusted to our care. That means everything we do, even simple daily chores, have eternal implications. If you treat everything as a trust, God promises three rewards in eternity. First, you will be given God's affirmation: He will say, "Good job! Well done!" Next, you will receive a promotion and be given greater responsibility in eternity: "I will make you ruler over many things." Then you will be honored with a celebration: "Enter into the joy your Lord." 

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of faithful stewardship of all things you have entrusted to my care here on earth, that I may be found worthy of Your crown of glory in eternity, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

You Were Made for God

 

“For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself.” (1 Samuel 12:22)

The name of God often refers to his reputation, his fame, his renown. This is the way we use the word “name” when we say someone is making a name for himself. Or we sometimes say, that’s a “name” brand. We mean a brand with a big reputation. This is what I think Samuel means in 1 Samuel 12:22 when he says that God made Israel a people “for himself” and that he would not cast Israel off “for his great name’s sake.”

This way of thinking about God’s zeal for his name is confirmed in many other passages.

For example, in Jeremiah 13:11 God describes Israel as a waistcloth, or belt, with which God chose to highlight his glory, even though there were times when Israel was temporarily unfit. “For as the loincloth clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, declares the Lord, that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory, but they would not listen.” Why was Israel chosen and made the garment of God? That it might be a “name, a praise, and a glory.”

The words “praise” and “glory” in this context tell us that “name” means “fame” or “renown” or “reputation.” God chose Israel so that the people would make a reputation for him. God says in Isaiah 43:21 that Israel is “the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise.”

And when the church came to see itself in the New Testament as the true Israel, Peter described God’s purpose for us like this: “You are a chosen race . . . that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

In other words, Israel and the church are chosen by God to make a name for him in the world. This is why we pray first and foremost, “Hallowed be your name” (Matthew 6:9). This is why we pray, “Lead us in paths of righteousness for your name’s sake” (see Psalm 23:3).

When we speak of being a God-centered people, remember, this is because we are joining God in his God-centeredness. And on this side of the cross, that means being a Christ-dependent, Christ-exalting people. “I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake” (1 John 2:12). “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17).

Paul’s Salvation Was for You

 

Formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. . . . I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. (1 Timothy 1:13–14, 16)

Paul’s conversion was for your sake. Did you hear that? Here it is again: “I received mercy for this reason, that Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.” That’s us — you and me.

I hope you will hear this very personally. God had you in view when he chose Paul and saved him by sovereign grace just the way he did.

If you believe on Jesus for eternal life — or if you may yet believe on him for eternal life — Paul’s conversion is for your sake. The point of his conversion happening the way it did is to make Christ’s incredible patience vivid for you.

Remember that Paul’s pre-conversion life was a long, long trial to Jesus. “Why are you persecuting me?” Jesus asked on the Damascus road (Acts 9:4). “Your life of unbelief and rebellion is a persecution of me!” And yet Paul tells us in Galatians 1:15 that he had been set apart by God for his apostleship since before he was born. That’s amazing. It means that all his life up to the point of his conversion was one long abuse of God, and one long rejection and mockery of Jesus — who had chosen him to be an apostle before he was born.

That is why Paul says his conversion is a brilliant demonstration of Jesus’s patience. And that is what he offers us today.

It was for our sake that Jesus saved Paul when and how he did. To “display his perfect patience” to us (1 Timothy 1:16). Lest we lose heart. Lest we think he could not really save us. Lest we think he is prone to anger. Lest we think we have gone too far away. Lest we think our dearest one cannot be converted — suddenly, unexpectedly, by the sovereign, overflowing grace of Jesus.

THE POWER OF SPEECH!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY APRIL 25, 2023.

SUBJECT : THE POWER OF SPEECH!

Memory verse: "You are snared by the words of your mouth; You are taken by the words of your mouth" (Proverbs 6 vs 2).

READ: Psalm 141 vs 3; Proverbs 18 vs 21; James 3 vs 2:

Psalm 141: Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips. Proverbs 18:21: Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

James 3:2: For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body.

INTIMATION:

The thoughts and intents of our hearts are voiced out in words with the aid of the tongue, the flexible muscular organ in the bottom of the mouth used for tasting, swallowing and human speech. Those words we speak can work wonders, but they can also work blunders! The Bible states that word is a seed (Luke 8 vs 11), and if spoken from a poisoned mind, it is a disaster. An idle word spoken aloud may fall into the soil of someone's heart and poison his entire life. And a good word spoken heals a broken heart. When one realizes that words are the coin of the kingdom and words can be either a cursing influence or a blessing, he or she will learn to value the power of speech. 

Those who realize the power of speech will often use it to their own advantage. Therefore, those who know the power of speech must assume responsibility for what they say. Learn to control your tongue. Avoid careless speech because it is a vicious habit. Multitude of people fail in life because they speak failure. What you say locates you. You cannot rise above your own words. If you speak defeat, failure, anxiety, sickness, and unbelief, you will live on that level. Neither you nor anyone else, no matter how clever, will ever live above the standard of their words. This spiritual principle is unalterable. If your words are foolish, trifling, unpractical, or disorganized, your life invariably will be the same way. 

With your words, you constantly paint a picture of your inner self. Jesus said, "Out of the abundance of the. Heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12 vs 34). If you think back on your life, you will probably agree that most of your troubles have been tongue troubles. No one can live without sometimes losing control of his or her tongue. The tongue is the hardest member of the body to control and the last thing that is to be brought under control in one’s life. Realizing the power of speech, one should be careful of the words that he or she utters.

In our memory verse, the Bible says, "Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles." Numerous troubles are caused by an unruly tongue! Words spoken in the heat of the moment—words of anger, words of harshness, words of retaliation, words of bitterness, words of unkindness—these words produce trouble for us. In the passage we read today, David knowing the power of speech, prayed God to set a guard over his mouth, to keep watch over the doors of his lips, knowing that in it lies the power of life and death. It's really important that we let God help us overcome our unruly speech habits, for our words can work blunders and get us into trouble. 

The apostle James said this of the mouth, "With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, of a grapevine bear fig? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.” (James 3 vs 9 - 12.) 

At times our words are right and pleasing to God, but at other times they are violent and destructive. Refuse to have a bad speech habit. We are made in God's image, but the tongue gives us a picture of our basic sinful nature. God works to change us from inside out. When the Holy Spirit purifies a heart, He gives self-control so that the person will speak words that please God. We should endeavor to always speak the good things God has promised us, and avoid speaking sickness, defeat, bondage, lack, and failure. Also, repudiate a dual speech habit. For, instance, you say at one moment, "With His stripes I am healed" (Isaiah 53 vs 5) and at the next moment, "But the pain is still there." A negative speech often produces negative result. 

Go to higher level of living in the kingdom of God. Believe that you are who God says you are. Think that way. Talk that way. Act that way. Train yourself to live on the level of what is written about you in God's Word. Do not permit your thoughts, your words, or your actions to contradict what God says about you.

Prayer: Abba Father, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight. O Lord, engrace me that my words to be filled with love from a humble heart at all times, in Jesus' Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

The Liberating Power of Forgiveness

WALKING AFTER THE SPIRIT!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY APRIL 24, 2023.

SUBJECT: WALKING AFTER THE SPIRIT!

Memory verse: "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8 vs 1.)

READ: Romans 8 vs 4 - 8:

8:4: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

8:5: For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

8:6: For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

8:7: Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

8:8: So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

INTIMATION:

When you are in close spiritual and salvational relationship with Christ, you come into a saved covenant relationship with God wherein you are not in a state of condemnation. In this state one is free from the bondage of sin. In Christ one is not directing his life according to the desires of the flesh, but according to the directions of the Spirit. He is not walking according to the pride of meritorious conduct, but according to his submission to the word of God.

We must not understand our walk after the Spirit to mean that one is directed by inner nudges of what one would interpret to be a supposed direct intervention by the Spirit. In Christ we are no more guided by our subjective emotions that focus on the emotional performances of the individual, but guided by the knowledge of God’s will enumerated in God’s Word. When one is guided by the Spirit, he or she is directed by the Spirit-inspired word that comes from God. Walking after the Spirit involves the desire to hear, the readiness to obey God’s Word, and the sensitivity to discern between your feelings and His promptings. 

We all have evil desires, and we can’t ignore them. In order for us to follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance, we must deal with them decisively. These desires include obvious sins, such as sexual immorality and demonic activities. They also include less obvious sins, such as hostility, jealousy, and selfish ambition. Those who ignore such sins or refuse to deal with them reveal that they have not received the gift of the Spirit that leads to a transformed life. 

Not being guided by the Spirit is being carnally minded, which is to have the mind of focusing on one’s own desires. But those who behave according to the Spirit-inspired directions of God are not living according to their desires to live after their own wills. In a religious context, being carnally minded is focusing on one’s own ability to perform law in order to save one’s self. The carnally minded person is walking in sin, though he may not recognize the fact he is in sin. But the spiritually minded person focuses by faith on the cross and God’s grace. He has life and peace because he is trusting in the grace of God and not in his abilities in reference to law keeping.

Though we seek to do that which is good, the nature of our being as free-moral individuals in a world of choice does not give us the ability to live flawlessly. Though the conscience of the Christian is made sensitive by the law of God as revealed through the Holy Spirit, the Spirit does not directly control the behavior of the Christian in reference to law in order to guard him from sin. It is wrong for anyone to claim that the Holy Spirit subjects free-moral Christian in order to guard him or her from sinning. 

The person who lives after the Spirit has crucified the old man of sin. He has put to death the desires to allow the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, or the pride of life to direct his or her life. But the person who lives according to the lusts of flesh in order to follow his own will is headed for eternal condemnation. Though we often willingly corporate with our sinful nature, it is not us but the sin in us that is evil. And it is this power of sin at work in our life that is defeated when we embrace Christ.

Live each day controlled and guided by the Holy Spirit. Then the words of Christ will be in your mind, the love of Christ will be behind your actions, and the power of Christ will help you control your selfish desires. Through faith in Christ we stand righteous before God. We need no longer live under sin’s power. God does not take us out of the world or make us robots—we will still feel like sinning and sometimes we will sin. The difference is that before we were saved we were slaves to our sinful nature, but now we can choose to live for Christ. 

Prayer: Abba Father, my utmost heart desire is to walk after the Spirit. Give me the grace to follow You diligently, and obey the leading of Your Word and the Holy Spirit in every area of my life, in Jesus’ Name I prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Seek Your City’s Good

 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. . . . But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” (Jeremiah 29:4–5, 7)

If that was true for God’s exiles in Babylon, it would seem to be even more true for Christian exiles in this very “Babylon-like” world. What, then, shall we do?

We should do the ordinary things that need to be done: build houses; live in them; plant gardens. This does not contaminate you if you do it all for the real King and not just for eye service as men-pleasers.

Seek the welfare of the place where God has sent you. Think of yourself as sent there by God for his glory. Because you are.

Pray to the Lord on behalf of your city. Ask for great and good things to happen for the city. Ask that they happen by God’s power and for his glory. Never lose sight of the ultimate good that the city needs a thousand times more than it needs material prosperity. Christians care about all suffering — especially eternal suffering. That’s the greatest danger every city faces.

But neither God nor his people are indifferent to the health and safety and prosperity and freedom of the city. We all want these things, and Jesus said, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). In fact, the Lord says in Jeremiah that loving your city is a way of loving yourself: “In its welfare you will find your welfare.”

This does not mean we give up our exile orientation. Peter says that Christians are “sojourners and exiles” (1 Peter 2:11) and Paul says “our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). In fact, we will do most good for this world by keeping a steadfast freedom from its beguiling attractions. We will serve our city best by getting our values from “the city that is to come” (Hebrews 13:14). We will do our city most good by calling as many of its citizens as we can to be citizens of “the Jerusalem above” (Galatians 4:26).

So, let’s live — let’s do so much good (1 Peter 2:12) — that the natives will want to meet our King.