HUMILITY ENGENDERS GOD’S GRACE AND EXALTATION!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 09, 2023.

SUBJECT: HUMILITY ENGENDERS GOD’S GRACE AND EXALTATION!

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

READ: James 4 vs 6 - 8 & 10:

4:6: But He gives more grace. Therefore He says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

4:7: Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

4:8: Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

4:10: Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

INTIMATION:

Humidity engenders God’s grace and exaltation. God’s grace is extended toward those who have humbly submitted to Him (Romans 5 vs 20). Those who are arrogant and proud will not submit their lives to the will of God. They resist submission, and thus, God resists giving His grace to them in order that they might be saved. Since God will resist those who are proud, it is imperative that men submit themselves to the will of God. When one does submit to God’s will, he will be lifted up. 

Being humble involves having a true perspective of oneself. It does not mean you should put yourself down. Truly humble people compare themselves only with Christ, realizing their sinfulness, and understand their limitations. On the other hand, they also recognize their gifts and strength and are willing to use them as Christ directs. Humility is not self-degradation; it is realistic self-assessment and commitment to serve. It means proper respect for God.

Obedience to God begins with humility. When we look at creation, we often feel small by comparison. To respect God’s majesty, we must compare ourselves to His greatness. This is a healthy way to get back to reality. 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.

Since God will not save the proud or arrogant, the apostle James plea is that the first step in repentance must be to submit to the will of God. Only through the spirit of submission is God able to mold the demeanor of the obedient for eternal dwelling. When one submits to God’s will, he or she will be lifted up. However, we must first recognize the sovereignty of God over all things before we will humbly submit to His will. 

The proud person will seek to rule his own life. They take little account of their weaknesses and do not anticipate stumbling blocks. They think they are above the frailties of common people. In this state of mind they are easily tripped up. In thinking that he or she has his or her life in control, the proud person usually tries to bear all his or her burdens without asking for the help of others. He tries to walk alone. Ironically, proud people seldom realize that pride is their problem, although everyone around them is well aware of it. 

The humble person, however, who has cast his or her burdens on the shoulders of God, will find peace and security in the care of God. It is our responsibility to take the initiative to deal with our pride. We cannot exalt ourselves before God on the basis of our works. Man’s pride detours him from submitting to the Will of God. 

Let us not loose sight of the end result of all our humility and self-sacrifice—a joyous banquet with our Lord! God never asks us to suffer for the sake of suffering. He never asks us to give up something good unless he plans to replace it with something even better. Jesus is not calling us to join Him in a labor camp but in a feast—the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19 vs 6 - 9), when God and His beloved church will be joined forever.

Prayer: Abba Father, endue  me with the spirit of humility that I will humble myself before You at all times and to do Your Will in all things, knowing that I have no power of my own to accomplish much without You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

TRUE FAITH THAT PLEASES GOD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 08, 2023.

SUBJECT: TRUE FAITH THAT PLEASES GOD!

Memory verse: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11 vs 1.) 

READ: Hebrews 11 vs 1 - 6:

11:1: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

11:2: For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.

11:3: By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

11:4: By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts, and through it he being dead still speaks.

11:5: By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death; “and was not found, because God had taken him”, for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

11:6: But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

11:7: By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

INTIMATION:

True faith combines assurance and anticipation. It is the confidence based on past experience that God’s new and fresh surprises will surely be ours. The beginning point of faith is believing in God’s promises. He will do what He says. When we believe that God will fulfill His promises even though we don’t see those promises materializing yet, we demonstrate true faith—believing that ‘He who promised is faithful and will do it’ (Hebrews 10 vs 23).

True faith is pleasing to God, and such faith moves the one who possesses it into action and confidence in the promises of God. It is a faith that does not give up hope in what God has promised as a reward for the believer. It is not a simple confession with one’s mouth that he believes in God. It is a life commitment to the work of God who is working to bring about the final end and purpose of all things. Believing that God exists is only the beginning, even the demons believe that much (James 2 vs 19 - 20). God will not settle for mere acknowledgement of His existence. He wants your faith that leads to a personal, dynamic relationship. 

Biblical faith is based on evidence. The apostle John, in his gospel, recorded the evidence of the miraculous works of Jesus in order that we believe (John 20 vs 30 - 31). God has never expected us to believe without evidence. Consequently, in the 1st Century, He confirmed His messengers and message by miraculous manifestations. Belief without evidence is only superstition. The faith of the Christian, however, is not superstition. Our faith today is based on the record of the testimonies of the patriarchs of old who gave their testimony to the work and faithfulness of God—those who actually experienced the confirming work of God. 

Christians have hope in those things that they have not experienced because God has given miraculous evidence to the truth of the message they believe. They grow in faith in the promises of God as they study the testimony of those who personally experienced the confirming miracles that are recorded in the Bible. Though they are dead, the account of their active faith still teaches us lessons of obedient faith that is pleasing to God.

The faith of Christians is not in the meritorious performance of religious ceremonies. It is in the performance of Jesus on the cross who offered an atoning sacrifice for our sins once and for all time. If one’s faith does not move him or her into depending on the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, it is a faith that does not please God. Faith must act in faithful obedience to the will of God. Without this obedient faith, one has deceived himself into believing that a simple belief in the existence of God is sufficient for salvation.

If one claims to have faith in God, and yet does not manifest such in the behavior of his or her life, then such faith is of no profit toward salvation. Faith without benevolent actions is self-deception on the part of the one who seeks to please God on his own conditions. One’s faith must be manifested by the benevolent actions toward others. The love of God cannot be seen without obedience to the commandments of God. The faith in God can be seen with benevolent actions toward one’s fellow man. 

Prayer: Abba Father, You are the same yesterday, today, and remains the same forever. You have manifested Your greatness in Your wondrous works from the beginning and has continued till this day, and will forever do the same. My absolute trust is in You and Your unchanging nature. Endue me with the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, that I may speak as I believed, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

THE CURSE OF POVERTY!

 

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 07, 2023.

SUBJECT : THE CURSE OF POVERTY!

Memory verse: "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree") (Galatians 3 vs 13.)

READ: Deuteronomy 28 vs 15 - 20:

28:15: But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:

28:16: Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country.

28:17: Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.

28:18: Cursed shall be the fruit of your body and the produce of your land, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.

28:19: Cursed shall shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out.

28:20: The LORD will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all that you set your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, because of the wickedness of your doings in which you have forsaken Me.

INTIMATION:

God created us and His Will is for us to live in obedience to His rules, and in abundance. However, disobedience will result into reversal of His blessings to us. Poverty is a curse resulting from disobedience to the law of God. It is Satan's handiwork. God's Will is for us to prosper and be in abundance. In the beginning, God placed everything that man could use and enjoy in the Garden of Eden. God saw to it that Adam lacked no good thing. Additionally, He created Adam in his own image and after His likeness (as we are also created), leaving nothing to be desired. Adam was the master of the kingdom given to him. God only placed Himself above Adam as his Master.

God's Will of abundance for us was supreme until that fatal day Adam and Eve, our first parents, committed high treason against God by doubting His integrity, and believing God's permanent enemy—Satan. When Satan deceived Eve into partaking of the fruit from the tree prohibited by God (tree of the knowledge of good and evil) and gave some to Adam, they died, not physically but spiritually. 

Spiritual death—the nature of Satan—overtook their once righteous spirit, and they became one with Satan. Every phase of their lives came under the curse of their new god—Satan. They were driven out of the Garden; abundance was no longer theirs to enjoy. Adam had to toil and sweat in order to survive. His beautiful life was overrun by thorns and thistles both in the physical and in the spiritual world.

God's heart yearns for His people to be free, and in His infinite wisdom and mercy, sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, for our sake as a propitiation, to pay the supreme price to redeem us from the curse of the law. He took our deserved punishment for our sins upon Himself and paid the wages we owed, the wages of sin which is death. He died a shameful death on the cross to redeem us from the curse of the law. The Scripture notes, "Surely He has borne our griefs, And carried our sorrows, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace upon Him, And by His stripes we are heeled" (Isaiah 53 vs 4 - 5). 

The Scripture reveals that Jesus bore the curse of poverty at the same time He bore the curse of sickness. You can believe for divine prosperity just as you believe for divine health. Both blessings already belong to you. You should refuse lack just as quickly as you refuse sickness because they both are the curse of the law and Christ has already redeemed you from that curse. 

The blessing of Abraham is ours, as well as the promises of the Spirit. God adopted us and gave us right to become His children upon our acceptance of our redemption by our "Sacrificial Savior," Jesus Christ. We are reinstated to our original position with Him. His wish is that we shall prosper in all things and be in health, just as our soul prospers (Third John 2). Prosperity is God's Will for us.

Most of the times, we look at finances and prosperity in a different way from other things, such as divine health. The Word principles for divine health, healing, deliverance etc., is the same with divine prosperity and abundance. If a symptom of sickness came on my body, I would not stand it. I would take authority over it immediately and not allow it to remain. By doing this, I walk in divine health. I am convinced that healing and divine health belong to me in the New Covenant. 

Divine prosperity works exactly the same way, but we have not been using the Word to believe for divine prosperity as we had for divine health. We usually live in the laws of prosperity (paying tithes, give offering, make kingdom investments etc.), but we don't take authority in the Word. If you have obeyed the laws, then take authority in the Word.

We have been acting on prosperity differently from other provisions of the Word. In this way, we would allow symptoms of lack to come on us and stay there. We are willing to tolerate it, and sometimes claim it’s God's Will. But the word is very clear on the Will of God (Jeremiah 29 vs 11 & Third John vs 2), and our identity and inheritance in Christ Jesus. For instance, confess continually the Word in Second Corinthians 9 vs 8 and personalize it; "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” 

The Word says that God is able to get it to you. Don't look to natural sources. Don't look at your job, your present position, your natural capabilities, and present financial position, but look unto God. Keep your eye single on the Word. You have to realize and know that He can and will work in your behalf. God is real! He is able to get things done!

Prayer: Abba Father, thank you for all you did for us in redemption. We have been redeemed from the curse of the law by the grace of our Messiah, Jesus Christ, though He was rich, yet for our sake He became poor, that I through His poverty might become rich. I refuse the lies of the devil, and embrace the truth of my abundant life in Christ, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD! 

REJOICE ALWAYS!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 06, 2023.

SUBJECT: REJOICE ALWAYS!

Memory verse: "Rejoice in the Lord always: Again I will say, rejoice." (Philippians 4 vs 4.)

READ: Isaiah 12 vs 3; First Thessalonians 5 vs 15:

Isaiah 12:3: Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

First Thessalonians 5:16: Rejoice always.

INTIMATION:

The nature or demeanor of the Christian life-style is one of rejoicing always. One result of the rejoicing life is gentleness or forbearance toward others. Every Christian should have a reputation for being a patient and longsuffering person toward the faults and weaknesses of others (Colossians 3 vs 12 - 15). If one is not forbearing, then his joy will be stolen away by his own impatience with others.  In areas of opinion, Christians should bear with one another’s differences.

Pessimistic and fatalistic attitudes should not be characteristic of the Christians. They should always rejoice because of their hope in the unchanging God whose promise cannot be changed because they come from the One who cannot lie (Numbers 23 vs 19). The Christian can have peace of mind because the promised rest that is yet to come is based on the unchangeable promise of God. 

Joy is a common theme in Christ’s teachings—He wants us to be joyful always. Joy is the quiet, confident assurance of God's love, and work in our lives. God is that there for us in all situations! Joy is lasting because it is based on God’s presence within us. The key to immeasurable joy is living in intimate relationship with Christ, the source of all joy. When we do, we will experience God’s special care and protection and see the victory God brings even when defeat seems certain. 

The fullness of our joy comes from a consistent and intimate relationship with Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. We abide in Christ by: (1) believing that He is God’s Son, (2) receiving Him as Savior and Lord, (3) doing what God says, (4) continuing to believe the gospel, and (5) relating in love to the community of believers—Christ’s Body. 

When our lives are intertwined with His, He will help us walk through adversity without sinking into debilitating lows and manage prosperity without moving into deceptive highs. The joy of living with Jesus Christ daily will keep us levelheaded, no matter how high or low our circumstances. True joy transcends the rolling waves of circumstances. As we contemplate His daily presence, we will find contentment. 

For instance, the apostle Paul wrote our memory verse to the believers in Philippi while he was in prison. It is quite strange that a man in prison will be telling a church to rejoice. But his attitude teaches an important lesson, our inner attitude do not have to reflect our outward circumstances. Paul was full of joy because he knows that no matter what happens to him, Jesus Christ was with him. 

If you are not joyful, you will never look at things in the right perspective. Ultimate joy comes from Christ indwelling within us through the Holy Spirit. He who lives within us will fulfill His final purposes for us. As we understand the future He has for us, we will experience joy. Don’t base your life on circumstances, but on God who controls circumstances.

To delight in someone means to experience great pleasure and joy in his or her presence. This happens only when we know that person well. Thus, to delight in the LORD, we must know Him better. Knowledge of God’s great love for us will indeed makes us delight in Him. And we will To commit ourselves to the LORD, entrusting everything—our lives, families, jobs, possessions—to His control and guidance. We are to trust in Him, believing that He can care for us better than we can ourselves. We should be willing to wait patiently for Him to work out what is best for us.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are my everything. My joy is complete in You. My total confidence is in Your assured presence and fellowship with me always, Surely, Your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life as I dwell in Your presence forever, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

BE SELFLESS IN YOUR THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 05  2023. 

SUBJECT: BE SELFLESS IN YOUR THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS!

Memory verse: "Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” (Philippians 2 vs 4.) 

READ: Romans 15 vs 1 - 3; First Corinthians 20 vs 24:

Romans 15:1: We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

15:2: Let each one of us please his neighbour for his good, leading to edification.

15:3: For even Christ did not please Himself; but, as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.”

First Corinthians 10:24: Let no one seek his own, but each one the others’s well-being.

INTIMATION:

We are by nature selfish. Activities around us also encourages us to think of self. We are interested in being the first or the best as the world looks out for such people amongst us. Consequently, we are more interested in self than others. Considering others interests as more important than our own links us with Christ, who was an epitome of selflessness. Christ had every right to exalt His rights over those whom He had created, however, He lowered Himself to be the servant of man. When we care for the problems of others as if they are our problems, we demonstrate Christ’s example of putting others first—being selfless.

The Scriptural recommendation for all actions of believers is not to do what we like best, but what is best for those around us. The opposite approach would be (1) being insensitive and doing what we want, no matter who is hurt by it; (2) being over-sensitive and doing nothing, for fear that someone may be displeased; (3) being a "yes person" by going along with everything, trying to gain approval from people rather than from God. In this age of "me first" and "looking out for number one," the Scriptural recommendation is that we make the good of others one of our primary goals, and in so doing we develop a serving attitude that pleases God.

The only way we can make the paradigm switch is by a moment-by-moment dependence on God. Fortunately God doesn't leave us to struggle on our own. He has given us His Spirit to be our helper. The Bible, in First Corinthians 2 vs 12, says, "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God." God has given us His Spirit, and as believers, His Spirit indwells us enabling us not to think as the unbelievers of this world think.

The body of Christ is a community of people who have one another’s interest at heart in order to preserve themselves in a world of struggles. It is our responsibility as brothers in Christ to help one another. This is in fulfillment of the law of Christ which is to love one another (Galatians 6 vs 2). This law brings individuals together into a common bond and fellowship. And that is “faith working through love.” (Galatians 5 vs 6.) Christians come into a fellowship wherein they have responsibilities toward one another. They come into a fellowship of slaves who seek the best for others. They seek to edify one another in an environment of mutual love. 

Believers should guard against any selfishness, prejudice, or jealousy that might lead to dissension. Showing genuine interest in others is a positive step forward in maintaining unity among believers. We have freedom in Christ, but we shouldn’t exercise our freedom at the cost of hurting a Christian brother or sister. 

Some actions may not be wrong, but they may not be in the best interest of others. We are not to consider only ourselves; we must also consider the needs and perspective of others. When people live for themselves with little concern for how their actions affect others, the resulting moral rot contaminates the entire society. Are you part of the problem or the solution?

Now, in your soul winning drive, start asking the Holy Spirit to help you to think of the spiritual need of unbelievers whenever you talk to them. With practice you can develop the habit of praying silent "breath prayers" for those you encounter. Say, "Father, help me to understand what is keeping this person from knowing you." Your goal is to figure out where others are in their spiritual journey and then do whatever will bring them a step closer to knowing Christ. You can learn how to do this by adopting the mind-set of the apostle Paul, who said in First Corinthians 10 vs 33, "Just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved."

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of selflessness and servanthood that I will put the interests of others first in all I do, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!