DO YOUR GOOD DEEDS QUIETLY!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 02, 2023.

SUBJECT : DO YOUR GOOD DEEDS QUIETLY!

Memory verse: "But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.” (Matthew 23 vs 5.)

READ: Matthew 6 vs 1 - 4:

6:1: Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

6:2: Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.

6:3: But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

6:4: that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

INTIMATION:

God is interested in the motives of our actions. God is not pleased by a good act with a wrong motive. He wants all our doings to be God-centered, not self-centered; done not to make us look good but to make God look good. To be sure our motives are not selfish, we should do our good deeds quietly or in secret, with no thought of acclaim or reward. 

Jesus says we should check our motives in three areas: generosity, prayer, and fasting. When we pray, when we fast, and when we give, the Bible says that we must be pure in our motives. If we do what we do for the sake of being seen by others, then being seen by others is our only reward. If, however, we do what we do in obedience to God, then God will reward us. 

When Jesus says, ‘not to let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,’ He is teaching that our motives for giving to God and others must be pure. It is easy to give with mixed motives, such as, giving or doing something for someone because it will benefit you in return. So many believers hide under the cloak of the Scripture such as: “A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men” (Proverbs 18 vs 16), to give for personal gains, expecting some favor in return. But believers should avoid all scheming and give for the pleasure of giving and as a response to God’s love. 

God only rewards such gifts that are devotionally motivated, not those that are with attachments of returns, favor, or recognition. The Bible is explicit on this when it said, “He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord; and He will pay back what he has given.” (Proverbs 19 vs 17.) Jesus said, “And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the thankful and evil.” (Luke 6 vs 34 - 35.)

If one does good in order to receive the recognition of men, then he or she has received his or her reward. Christians should let their light shine (Matthew 5 vs 16), but not for the purpose of drawing attention to themselves. In drawing attention to your act of giving, the drawn attention would be all the reward you would receive. Christians should give in a manner by which they do not intentionally seek the praise of men. Christians should not give or do good for public displays or acclaim. Their giving should be as private as possible in order that one’s motives for giving be kept pure. 

Many people do good acts for appearance and recognition by the crowd, not really out of devotion. God is personal, and relates with us on personal grounds, not on public opinion about us. It is obvious that when we do something well, we want to tell others and be recognized. But recognition is dangerous—it can lead to inflated pride. How much better it is to seek the praise of God rather than the praise of people. Then, when we receive praise, we will be free to give God the credit. Doing something only for our recognition is not a loving sacrifice. With your next good deed, ask, “Would I still do this if no one would ever know I did it?” 

In the passage we read today, Jesus again exposed the hypocritical attitudes of the religious leaders. They don’t care about being holy—just looking holy in order to receive people’s admiration and praise. Jesus used the word “Hypocrites,” to describe such people who do good acts for appearances only, not out of compassion or other good motives. Their actions may be good, but their motives are hollow. These empty acts are their only reward, but God will reward those who are sincere in their faith.

Today, like the Pharisees, many people say they follow Jesus, but they don’t live by His standards of love. We must make sure that our actions match our beliefs. And that is when our motives are pure and God-centered.

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of selflessness, and godly motives in all my doings, and that You will be first in all my life, taking the driver’s seat and absolutely controlling my thoughts, and actions, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

YOUR ACTION MANIFESTS YOUR FAITH IN GOD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 01, 2023.

SUBJECT : YOUR ACTION MANIFESTS YOUR FAITH IN GOD!

Memory verse: "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." (James 2 vs 26.)

READ: James 2 vs 14 - 20:

2:14: What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 

2:15: If a brother or sister is naked, and destitute of daily food,

2:16: and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?

2:17: Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

2:18: But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

2:19: You believe that there is one God. You did well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 

2:20: But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

INTIMATION:

One’s action manifests his or her faith in God. If one claims to have faith in God, and yet does not manifest such in the behavior of his or her life, then his or her faith is of no profit toward salvation. True love of God cannot be seen without obedience to the commandments of God (First John 5 vs 3). If you say you have faith in God, you act in accordance with His Word, therefore, you will be a doer of the Word of God. Christ said, “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 15 vs 12). 

Jesus showed love to us; He is compassionate, loving, forgiving, healed the sick, fed the hungry, and finally demonstrated an unprecedented show of love by dying in our place for our sins. He gave His life of inestimable value for our lives (our lives of sin) that are completely worthless. He was completely selfless. Jesus had faith in His Heavenly Father, and did all He commanded Him to do. If one claims to have faith in God, and yet does not manifest such benevolent actions in his or her behavior toward others, then that one’s faith is self-deception, and barren.

Unless you are a doer of the Word, your words may be lovely, and beautiful, but they are mere empty words without corresponding actions, and they are never crystallized or made real. Unless you are a doer of the Word, you are not a believer of the Word. You only have mental assent without action, and it is mere empty profession of religion of words. 

Jesus would call the aforementioned persons builders on a sand foundation, just as a sand house made by idle hands on the seashore are destroyed by the next incoming tide. Such religion of Word without corresponding action is very dangerous, and results in self-delusion.

Faith works through love (Galatians 5 vs 6). If you have faith in God, you will love as He loves, and show your love in deeds as He did. Though we are saved by faith, not by deeds, but our deeds in love are indicators of our faith. Because faith expresses itself through love, you can check your love for others as a way to monitor your faith. 

Deeds of loving service are not a substitute for, but rather a verification of, our faith in Christ. The works referred to in this context do not refer specifically to keeping the commandments of law. Reference here is good deeds toward one’s fellow human. Such deeds are the manifestation of one’s faith. Therefore, one’s faith must be manifested by his benevolent actions toward others. Faith without benevolent actions is self-deception on the part of the one who seeks to please God on his or her conditions.

The apostle John gave an instance of true love in his epistle in First John 3 vs 16 - 17: "By this we know love, because He laid His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love God abide in him?” The greatest act of love is giving oneself for others. How then can we “lay down our lives for others”? By serving others with no thought of receiving anything in return. Sometimes it is easier to say we’ll die for others than to truly live for them—this involves putting others’ desires first. 

The supposed Christian who has convinced himself that he can live the Christian life without being benevolent toward destitute brethren, is vainly living in the uselessness of his own selfish religiosity. His religion is impure and defiled. Real love is an action, not a feeling. It produces selfless, sacrificial giving. 

At the point of death, the spirit of man leaves the body. Death is defined as a separation of body and spirit. Dead faith is defined by a separation of faith and works. The absence of works, therefore, is an indication of a dead faith. One cannot claim to have an active faith if he does not respond to God’s will in his life. 

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of faith working through love, that I may be an ambassador for Christ, doing the required good works, fulfilling the law of Christ by bearing other’s burdens, In Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

HUMBLE YOURSELF BEFORE GOD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY AUGUST 31, 2023.

SUBJECT: HUMBLE YOURSELF BEFORE GOD!

Memory verse: "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.” (First Peter 5 vs 6.) 

READ: Luke 14 vs 7 - 11: 

14:7: So He told a parable to those which were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying unto them,

14:8: When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the beat place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him;

14:9: and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place for this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place.

14:10: But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.

14:11: For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

INTIMATION:

Being humble is being lowly in mind, submissive, meek, modest, or simple. Humility means proper respect for God, not self-depreciation. Being humble involves having a true perspective about yourself; seeing yourself as you really are from God's perspective, and acting accordingly. The key to an honest and accurate evaluation of oneself is knowing the basis of our self-worth. 

The humble compares theirselves with Christ, realizing their sinfulness, and understand their limitations. Apart from Him, we aren't capable of very much by eternal standards. In Him we are valuable and capable of worthy service. On the other hand, they also recognize their gifts and strengths and are willing to use them as Christ directs. 

Evaluating yourself by the worldly standards of success and achievement can cause you to think too much about your worth in the eyes of others and thus miss your true value in God's eyes. Before God we are all sinners, saved only by God's grace, but we are saved and therefore have great worth in God's kingdom. In humility, we are to lay aside selfishness and treat others with respect and common courtesy. Considering others' interests as more important than our own links us with Christ, who is a true example of humility.

Obedience to God begins with humility. We must believe that His way is better than our own. We may not always understand His ways of working, but by humbly obeying, we will receive His blessings. We must remember that (1) God’s ways are best; (2) God wants our obedience more than anything else; (3) God can use anything to accomplish His purposes. 

In our relationship with God, there are two great truths that illustrate what we need for healthy living. The first is that God is Supreme and there is no other. The second is that we are only human beings created by God for His purposes. If you want God to use you, know who God is and know who you are. 

Humility comes with exaltation both with man and in the Mighty hand of God, who "gives grace to the humble" (First Peter 5 vs 5 - 6). As I said earlier, humility is not putting yourself down or denying your strengths; rather, it is being honest about your weaknesses. The more honest you are, the more of God's grace you get. 

We are naturally drawn to humble people. Pretentiousness repels, but authenticity attracts. True humility is not convincing yourself that you are worthless or nobody before God, but recognizing God's work in you. It is having God's perspective on who you are and acknowledging His grace in developing your abilities. 

Apostle Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthian church (First Corinthians 15 vs 9 - 10) stated thus, "For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." Paul was deeply humble. He knew that he has worked hard and accomplished, but only because God had poured kindness and grace upon him which he always acknowledged. 

Humility allows us to be content with God's leading in our lives. Such contentment gives us security so that we no longer have to prove ourselves to others. The psalmist in Psalm 131 vs 1 says:- "Lord, my heart is not haughty, Nor my eyes lofty. Neither do I concern myself with great matters, Nor with things too profound for me." Humility, trust, and contentment are the bedrock of the psalmist’s song. Let humility and trust affect your perspective and give you the strength and freedom to serve God and others.

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of humility that I will humble myself under Your mighty hands at all times, and that I may be exalted in due time, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

TO HAVE ALL THINGS POSSIBLE WITH YOU!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 30, 2023.

SUBJECT: TO HAVE ALL THINGS POSSIBLE WITH YOU!

Memory verse: "Jesus said to him, If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." (Mark 9 vs 23.)

READ: Mark 11 vs 22 - 25:

11:22: So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.

11:23: For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

11:24: Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you have then, and you will have them.

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

INTIMATION:

The believer who has faith in God, and continually “believes” Him without any iota of doubt, and also in right standing with Him will have all things possible with him. The qualification for being able to command the power of the supernatural demands that one believe. However, much prayer must be added (Mark 9 vs 29). Note Jesus’ remark in our memory verse; “...all things are possible to him who believes.” Notice that the word 'believes' is a present-continuous tense. The believing is continuous, You don't believe today, and tomorrow be filled with doubt. You can't believe now, and later begin to doubt. 

James called the aforesaid a wavering faith; "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man, suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways" (James 1 vs 6 - 8). Doubt is the opposite of faith. You have faith when you decide to take God for His Word. You doubt when you decide not to take God for His Word, or you fail to make a decision to take God's Word regarding any issues you are involved in. 

Our faith in God and His Word must not waver, and must remain firm, no matter how frightened or unsure we may feel about the outcome of any matter. It’s the nature of humans to see before believing, that is, walking by sight like, instead of by faith (Second Corinthians 5 vs 7). God's way is to believe and then see. Hence He "calls those things which do not exist as though they did" (Romans 4 vs 17). And "Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed" (John 20 vs 29). 

Look at the instructions of Jesus in the passages we read today: (1) "Have faith in God." Without faith we can't please Him, knowing that if you come to Him, you must believe He is what He said He is, and that those who seek Him diligently will be rewarded (Hebrews 11 vs 6). (2) You have to believe in your heart that what you declare will come to pass. It is only what you believe in your heart that you speak out in faith. (3) You must speak out your believe. It is only in confessing your faith—your believe, that you receive from Him. It is whatever you speak in faith to His hearing, He will do to you (See Numbers 14 vs 26).

Many people think that they need "great faith" in order to have their words work miracles. This is not what Jesus taught in Scripture. However, He said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you" (Matthew 17 vs 20). Therefore, put your faith into action by speaking it out, the amount of faith notwithstanding, then the grace of God—the power of God (not your faith) will swing into action. Nothing will be impossible with you because nothing is impossible for the One who actually does the miracle work (Matthew 19 vs 26; John 11 vs 40). 

Some people become discouraged when they speak and did not receive immediately. Though, the outcome may or may not be immediate but it is sure to come provided you have the right standing with God. Take a cue from the following, Jesus cursed the fig tree in Mark 11 vs 14, "Let no man eat fruit from you ever again." It was the following morning that the disciples saw that the fig tree that He cursed the previous day has dried up from the roots (See Mark 11 vs 20). In another scenario, when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, He called him to come forth, and he who had died came out immediately. (See John 11 vs 43 - 44).

Finally, the other qualifying condition to have what you say is having the right motives in prayer. When you do not have the right motives, you receive nothing. It is only with the right motives in prayer that you can bring the power of spoken faith in the Word into action. 

To have right motives: (1) You must not hold a grudge against another person. This is the condition for answered prayer. God does not answer the prayer that comes from an unforgiving heart. God will judge without mercy the one who has shown no mercy. (Mark 11 vs 25); (2) you must not pray with selfish interest; (3) your request must be for the good of God's kingdom; (4) you must have faith in God and His Word, not faith in the object of your request. You must have total trust in God, if you do, then God can work exceedingly great things through you (Ephesians 3 vs 20). 

Prayer: Abba Father, my trust is in You who made heaven and the earth. I know it is only what I say in faith that You have promised I will have. Give me the grace to have the Word of faith is in my mouth and in my heart, and to continually speak out my faith, and believe, that I may have what I say, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

THE BLESSEDNESS OF A GIVING ATTITUDE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY AUGUST 29, 2023.

SUBJECT : THE BLESSEDNESS OF A GIVING ATTITUDE!

Memory verse: "For If there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.” (Second Corinthians 8 vs 12.) 

READ: First Kings 17 vs 10 - 16:

17:10: So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.”

17:11: And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.”

17:12: So she said, “As the Lord Your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.”

17:13: And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. 

17:14: For thus says the Lord God of Israel; ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.

17:15: So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days.

17:16: The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah.

INTIMATION:

God is mindful of the willingness of the heart to give out of your resources. He knows our individual capacities because our blessings come from Him. Holding back much of your abundance reflects unrighteousness to God, and unbelief. However, the person who can give only a small out of his or her meager resources shouldn’t be embarrassed. God is concerned about the willingness to give from your resources.

A giving attitude is more important than the amount given. The amount we give is not as important as why and how we give. God does not want us to give grudgingly. Instead, He wants us to give out of dedication to Christ, love for fellow believers, the joy of helping those in need, as well as the fact that it was simply the good and right thing to do.

People may hesitate to give generously to God because they worry about having enough money left over to meet their own needs. But God is able to meet our needs. The person who gives only a little will receive only a little in return. Don’t let a lack of faith keep you from giving cheerfully and generously. 

In the passage we read today, it was obvious that when the widow of Zarephath met Elijah, she thought she was preparing her last meal. But a simple act of faith from a willing heart, flowing from a giving attitude, produced a miracle— an overflow. She trusted Elijah and gave all she had to eat with her household to him. 

Also, consider the story of the giving of a poor widow In Mark 12 vs 41 - 44. Jesus’ remarks on the offering of a poor widow is quite revealing of God’s kingdom standard; “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had, her whole livelihood.” (Mark 12 vs 43 - 44,)

These widows, in faith, gave all they had to live on, from a willing heart, flowing from their giving attitude. They knew they were giving to the God that owns everything, and ‘is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that they ask or think.’ The widow of Zarephath, by her giving, provoked divine provisioning, such that she, the prophet, and her household were fed all through the period of drought or famine. 

This attitude resulted to the miracle of raising the dead. The widow’s son was raised up from death, after he fell seriously ill and died. It is interesting to note that the widow that gave the two mites got God’s approval because she gave extravagantly all that she had, while the rich amongst them were given big sums from their abundance. God saw her offering as the biggest. 

How you give reflects your devotion to Christ. You should give as a response to to Christ, not for anything you can get out of it. Your willingness to give enthusiastically is more important than the amount you give. When we consider giving a certain percentage of our income a great accomplishment, we resemble those who gave “out of their abundance.” Here Jesus was admiring generous and sacrificial giving. As believers, we should consider increasing our giving—whether of money, time, or talents—to a point beyond convenience or calculation. 

From the Scriptures, we see the benefits of giving to include: (1) It Provokes divine provision. (2) It provokes divine protection. (3) It provokes God’s approval, especially when you give sacrificially. (4) It ensures freedom from enslavement to our possessions. (5) It provides the joy of helping others. (6) It opens doors of more blessing by God, more than you can ask or think.

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of giving out of dedication to Christ, and give me the grace to willingly and generously give sacrificially that You will make all grace abound toward me, that I will always have all sufficiency in all things, and that I may abound to every good work, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!