Jesus Knows His Sheep

 

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them.” (John 10:27)

Jesus knows those who are his. What is this knowledge?

John 10:3 is a close parallel to John 10:27. It says, “The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”

So, when Jesus says, “I know them,” this means at least that he knows them by name; that is, he knows them individually and intimately. They are not anonymous, lost in the flock.

John 10:14–15 provides another insight: “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.”

There is a real similarity between the way Jesus knows his Father in heaven and the way he knows his sheep. Jesus sees himself in the Father, and he sees himself in his disciples.

To some degree Jesus recognizes his own character in his disciples. He sees his own brand mark on the sheep. This endears them to him.

He is like a husband waiting for his wife at the airport, watching as each person disembarks from the plane. When she appears, he knows her, he recognizes her features, he sees in her eyes a happy reflection of his own love. He delights in her. She is the only one he embraces.

The apostle Paul puts it like this: “God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are his’” (2 Timothy 2:19).

It is hard to overemphasize what a tremendous privilege it is to be known personally, intimately, lovingly by the Son of God. It is a precious gift to all his sheep, and it contains within it profound, personal fellowship and affection and the promise of eternal life.

PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY MAY 22, 2023.

SUBJECT : PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT! 

Memory verse: "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit." (Jude 20.) 

READ: Romans 8 vs 26 -27; Ephesians 6 vs 18:

Romans 8:26: Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 

8:27: Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the Will of God.

Ephesians 6:18: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being and watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

INTIMATION:

Praying in the Holy Spirit means praying in the power and strength of the Holy Spirit. And it is a God ordained program for your spiritual build-up. God knows our weaknesses, and imperfections. For this reason He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to do that which is impossible with us. And for the same reason Christ promised us the Holy Spirit, who will dwell with and in us when He goes back to the Father to ensure we remain connected to Him; "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever. I will not live you orphans; I will come to you." (John 14 vs 16 & 18.)

As a believer, you are not left to your own resources to cope with problems. Even when you don't know the right words to pray, the Holy Spirit prays with and for you, and God answers. With God helping you pray, you don't need to be afraid to come before Him. Ask the Holy Spirit to intercede for you "according to the Will of God."

The forces against us are spiritual, so we have to confront them from the spirit realm, as the flesh hasn't enough force to handle them; "...The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Mark 14 vs 38). The Holy Spirit helps us transcend the physical realm into the heavenly. Until you are able to engage the help of the Holy Spirit in prayer, you may never experience true breakthrough in your Christian life.

The apostle Paul says in Ephesians 6 vs 12, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Since these forces of opposition operate from the spirit realm, which most times are beyond our human comprehension, God has also given us a weapon that grants us access to the throne room of heaven, which they also do not understand; "For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men, but to God: for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries." (First Corinthians 14 vs 2.)

When you pray in the Spirit, no one, including the devil, knows what you are saying as you are speaking to God alone in mysteries. The Spirit takes you into heaven's frequency, enabling you to pray with precision the express Will of God; interceding on your behalf, He picks up what is in your heart, presents it to God, and in turn delivers the answer from God to you.

There is a limit to which your physical strength can take you in prayer. Though we recognize our limitations, we will not congratulate ourselves and rest at that. Instead, we will turn to God to seek pathways for effectiveness. Jesus said in Second Corinthians 12 vs 9; "....For My strength is made perfect in weakness." We receive the strength to overcome our weaknesses through our 'Helper'—the Holy Spirit. 

Praying in the spirit is a spirit-to-Spirit communication, and thus is our surest way of connecting heaven for earthly interventions. If the enemy is coming against you like a flood, you can't expect to resist him as a stream. But when you switch over to the spirit, the Holy Spirit helps you to raise a standard against the enemy (Isaiah 59 vs 19). What happens when you switch over to the Spirit is that you are releasing the rivers of living water that flows in you as a Spirit-filled believer. The Spirit of God knows the things of God, and when the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses, our victory is guaranteed. 

It is time to lean on the help of the Spirit, to kindle an unquenchable fire on your prayer altar. Call on Him to help you. "Spirit of God, Helper of the Church, help me! Put a new fire in my prayer altar. Help me to maintain a winning prayer life." Until you realize your helplessness without the Holy Spirit, you may die in struggles. But when you lean on the Spirit, you keep on leaping through life.

There are times when you pray and you know your prayer is not going beyond the ceiling. It is as if heaven is locked up and you can't get through. Switch over to the Spirit. Let Him clear the way and create a thoroughfare to heaven for you, so you can enjoy sweet communion with your Heavenly Father. The Holy Spirit not only boosts our access in communication, but also helps us overcome every prayer weakness in order to sustain the fire of God on our prayer altars.

Prayer: Abba Father, empower me in my prayer altar with the help of my Senior Partner—the Holy Spirit, who intercedes for me and praying aright according to Your will, that I may receive my petitions, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

God Works for You

 

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. (Psalm 121:1–3)

Do you need help? I do. Where do you look for help?

When the psalmist lifted up his eyes to the hills and asked, “From where does my help come?” he answered, “My help comes from the Lord” — not from the hills, but from the God who made the hills. “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”

So, he reminded himself of two great truths: One is that God is a mighty Creator over all the problems of life; the other is that God never sleeps. “He who keeps you will not slumber.”

God is a tireless worker. He never wearies. Think of God as a worker in your life. Yes, it is amazing. We are prone to think of ourselves as workers in God’s life. But the Bible wants us first to be amazed that God is a worker in our lives: “From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who works for those who wait for him” (Isaiah 64:4).

God is working for us around the clock. He does not take days off and he does not sleep. In fact he is so eager to work for us that he goes around looking for more work to do for people who will trust him: “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him” (2 Chronicles 16:9).

God loves to show his tireless power and wisdom and goodness by working for people who trust him. The sending of his Son, Jesus, was the main way the Father showed this: “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve” (Mark 10:45). Jesus works for his followers. He serves them. The gospel is not a “help wanted” sign. It is a “help available” sign.

This is what we must believe — really believe — in order to “rejoice always” (1 Thessalonians 5:16) and “[give] thanks always and for everything” (Ephesians 5:20) and have “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7), and “not be anxious about anything” (Philippians 4:6), and hate our lives “in this world” (John 12:25), and “love [our] neighbor as [ourselves]” (Matthew 22:39).

What a truth! What a reality! God is up all night and all day to work for those who wait for him.

HOW TO WALK HUMBLY WITH GOD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY MAY 21, 2023.

SUBJECT : HOW TO WALK HUMBLY WITH GOD!

Memory verse: "He has shown you, so man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6 vs 8.)

READ: Deuteronomy 10 vs 12 - 13:

10:12: And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,

10:13: And to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command you today for your good?

INTIMATION:

Walking with God is walking by faith in Him. We can only walk with God when we please Him, and, "Without faith it is impossible to please Him" (Hebrews 11 vs 6). Therefore, our faith walk with God is what pleases Him. 

How then do we obtain this essential 'faith?' The Scripture says, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10 vs 17). It is only by hearing the Word of God that we increase in the knowledge of His Will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding: "For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God," (Colossians 1 vs 9 - 10.)

Often we ask, "What does God expect of me?" In our memory verse, the Scripture gives a summary of how to walk with God that is simple in form and easy to remember. Here are the essentials: (1) Fear God - have reference for Him. We must fear God’s awesome being.(2) Walk in His ways. We must obediently walk according to His will. (3) Love Him. We must respond to His being with love. (4) Serve Him with your heart and soul. Our lives must be one of service for His glory. (5) We must keep and obey His commands. 

Compliance with all that God requires results in our well-being on earth among ourselves. When we understand that all the galaxies of the heavens to the minute particles of existence on earth originated from God and that He is over all, then our response to Him is obedience to His will. 

We often complicate faith with man-made rules, regulations, and requirements, which are known as "religious rituals." But such religious rituals are not a substitute for faith, they only compliment our faith. Are you frustrated and burned out from trying hard to please God? Concentrate on His real requirements and find peace: Respect, follow, love, serve, and obey Him.

Prophet Micah noted how Israel responded to God's request by trying to appease Him with sacrifices (Micah 6 vs 6 - 7), hoping he would then leave them alone. But sacrifices and other religious rituals aren't enough; God wants changed lives. He wants His people to be fair, just, merciful, and humble. 

God does not seek ceremonial worship from those who would seek His favor. Countless ceremonial sacrifices will not forgive sins, neither will the ceremonies produce a spiritual life. There is no offering that a man can give that will atone for any sin. 

What God requires comes from the heart. That which is good does not come from outward performances of law. In one’s relationship with his fellow man, he is required to be just and have mercy. Walking humbly with God involves being led by the will of God, not one’s own inventions of religiosity. Heartless obedience to ceremonial law is rejected by God. 

God wants us to become living sacrifices (Romans 12 vs 1 - 2), not just doing religious deeds, but living rightly: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not conform to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 12 vs 1 - 2.) 

People have tried all kinds of ways to please God, but God has made His wishes clear: He wants His people to do what is just, love, be merciful, and walk humbly with Him. In your efforts to please God, examine these areas on a regular basis. Are you fair in your dealings with people? Do you show mercy to those who wrong you? Are you learning humility? What have you sacrificed yourself to the Lord? It is impossible to follow God consistently without His transforming love in your hearts. (Hebrews 9 vs 14.)

Prayer: Abba Father, I love You with all my heart. Search my heart and know there is no deceit. I fall short of Your standards as the human I am. Circumcise my heart, and renew the right spirit within me. And let the Holy Spirit, my Senior Partner, take over my words, thoughts, and actions, that I may consistently walk according to Your precepts, in Jesus' Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

How to Hate Your Life

 

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” (John 12:24–25)

“Whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” What does that mean?

It means, at least, that you don’t take much thought for your life in this world. In other words, it just doesn’t matter much what happens to your life in this world.

If men speak well of you, it doesn’t matter much.
If they hate you, it doesn’t matter much.
If you have a lot of things, it doesn’t matter much.
If you have little, it doesn’t matter much.
If you are persecuted or lied about, it doesn’t matter much.
If you are famous or unheard of, it doesn’t matter much.
If you have died with Christ, these things just don’t matter much.

But Jesus’s words are even more radical. Jesus is calling us not just to endure experiences we don’t choose, but to make a choice to follow him. “If anyone serves me, he must follow me” (John 12:26). Where to? He is moving into Gethsemane and toward the cross.

Jesus is not just saying: If things go bad, don’t fret, since you have died with me anyway. He is saying: Choose to die with me. Choose to hate your life in this world the way I have chosen the cross.

This is what Jesus meant when he said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). He calls us to choose the cross. People only did one thing on a cross. They died on it. “Take up your cross,” means, “Like a grain of wheat, fall into the ground and die.” Choose it.

But why? For the sake of radical commitment to ministry: “I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). I think I hear Paul saying, “It doesn’t matter what happens to me — if I can just live to the glory of God’s grace.”

LIFE ON EARTH IS NOT ALL THERE IS!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY MAY 20, 2023.

SUBJECT: LIFE ON EARTH IS NOT ALL THERE IS! 

Memory verse: "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end." (Ecclesiastes 3 vs 11.)

READ: Ecclesiastes 12 vs 5; John 17 vs 3:

Ecclesiastes 12:5: Also they are afraid of height, and terrors in the way; when the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper is a burden, and desire fails. For man goes to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets.

John 17:3: And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

INTIMATION:

You are created to live forever. Life on earth is not all there is; it’s just the small fraction of your whole life. Life encounters on earth prepares you for the next life that is unending—eternal. Earth is only a tryout for your life in eternity. It is a practice workout before the actual game. Death therefore, marks the beginning of life on the other side—in eternity. It is not the end of you. It isn't your termination because you can't be terminated. Death is only a transition into eternity, and there are eternal consequences to everything you do on earth, leading to the part of the eternal divide you will forever live.

Even though we know that everyone will eventually die, death always seems unnatural and unfair, even at a hundred and twenty years. The reason we feel we should live forever is that God wired our brains with that desire! (Ecclesiastes 3 vs 11.) One day your heart will stop pumping, and that marks the end of your body and your time on earth, but it will not be the end of you. Your earthly body is just a temporary residence for your real self—your spirit. At most, God desires you live a hundred and twenty years on earth (Genesis 6 vs 3), and transits to eternity. Your time on earth is but a small parenthesis to your life in eternity. You are made to last forever. 

The plain truth is that while life on earth offers many chances, eternity offers only two; heaven or hell. Your relationship with God on earth will determine your relationship with Him in eternity. If you learn to love and trust God's Son, Jesus, accept His finished work on the cross for you, and confess Him as your Lord and Savior, you are given the legal right to be the child of God, heir of God, joint heir with His Son, and will spend the rest of eternity with Him. On the other hand, if you reject Him, reject His love, forgiveness, and salvation, thereby committing the only unforgivable sin, you will spend eternity away from God—in hell. 

There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, 'Your Will be done,' and those to whom God says, 'All right then, have it your way.' Tragically, many people will have to endure eternity without God because they chose to live without Him here on earth. When you fully comprehend that there is more to life than just here and now, and you realize that life on earth is just preparation for eternity, you will start living in light of eternity, and that will color how you handle every relationship, tasks, and circumstances. Suddenly many activities, goals, and even problems that seemed so important will appear trivial, petty, and unworthy of your attention. 

The closer you live to God, the smaller everything else appears. Eternity focused life changes your value system. You use your time and money wisely. You place higher premium on relationships and character instead of fame or wealth or achievements or even fun. Your priorities are reordered. Keeping up with trends, fashions, and popular values just doesn't matter as much anymore. 

The Scripture in Philippians 3 vs 7 says, "But what things were gain to me, I have counted loss for Christ." The apostle Paul said he thought his past achievements were very important, but now he considers them worthless when compared with what Christ has done for him. If our time here on earth is all there is to life, we would live as if there is no tomorrow. You would exploit life as much as you could, forget being good and ethical, and wouldn't have to worry about any consequences of your actions. You could indulge yourself in total self-centeredness because your actions would have no long-term repercussions. Unfortunately, life is beyond our days on this earth. Lead your life with eternity in mind and with God as your driving force.

Prayer: Abba Father, one thing I have desired of You, that I will seek after, that I may dwell in Your house forever. You have put eternity in my heart, awaken, therefore, the spirit of eternal consciousness in me, that I will lead my life on earth with utmost desire to please You at all times, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

What Makes Jesus Rejoice

 In that same hour he [Jesus] rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.” (Luke 10:21)

This verse is one of only two places in the Gospels where Jesus is said to rejoice. The seventy disciples have just returned from their preaching tours and reported their success to Jesus. 

Notice that all three members of the Trinity are rejoicing here: Jesus is rejoicing, but it says he is rejoicing in the Holy Spirit. I take that to mean that the Holy Spirit is filling him and moving him to rejoice. Then at the end of the verse it describes the pleasure of God the Father. The NIV translates it, “Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do” — what you rejoiced to do!

Now, what is it that has the whole Trinity rejoicing together in this place? It is the free, electing love of God to hide things from the intellectual elite and to reveal them to babes. “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children.” 

And what is it that the Father hides from some and reveals to others? Luke 10:22 gives the answer, “No one knows who the Son is except the Father.” So, what God the Father must reveal is the true spiritual identity of the Son. 

When the seventy disciples return from their evangelistic mission and give their report to Jesus, he and the Holy Spirit rejoice that God the Father has chosen, according to his own good pleasure — his own rejoicing — to reveal the Son to babes and to hide him from the wise. 

The point of this is not that there are only certain classes of people who are chosen by God. The point is that God is free to choose the least likely candidates for his grace.

God contradicts what human merit might dictate. He hides from the self-sufficient wise and reveals to the most helpless and unaccomplished. 

When Jesus sees the Father freely enlightening and saving people whose only hope is free grace, he exults in the Holy Spirit and takes pleasure in his Father’s election.

So, when we see this — in fact, when we know that we are among the chosen children — we too join the rejoicing.