GOD’S LOVING DISCIPLINE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2023.  

SUBJECT: GOD’S LOVING DISCIPLINE! 

Memory verse: "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent." (Revelation 3 vs 19.)

READ: Hebrews 12 vs 3 - 11:

12:3: For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.

12:4: You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

12:5: And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as sons, “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;

12:6: For whom the Lord loves he chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.

12:7: If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?

12:8: But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 

12:9: Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?" 

12:10: For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best for them, but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness.

12:11: Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it

INTIMATION: 

God deals with His children as a parent deals with his or her child. Discipline is for correction, education, and growth. Discipline is for the purpose of molding our characters in order that we will be prepared for eternal dwelling. While in persecution, therefore, one must remember that the love of God is being manifested in one’s life because God is using trying times in order to mold one for eternal dwelling. God wants no spoiled children in heaven, and those discipline is necessary in order to train our minds to be able to dwell with Jesus who suffered the same tribulations. 

Discipline proves you are a member of the family of God. Anyone who rejects the discipline of God is considered illegitimate by God Himself. Jesus was the Son of God, but did nothing He was not instructed to do by His Father in heaven. Yet Jesus suffered in God's boot camp (Hebrews 5 vs 8). God wants to make us mature and complete, not to keep us from pain. Therefore, we should respond to discipline (chastening) gratefully, as the appropriate response we owe a loving Father.

God’s purpose in discipline is not to punish but to bring people back to Him. Instead of complaining about our struggles, we should see them as opportunities for our spiritual growth. For instance, if you are lukewarm in your devotion to God, He may discipline you to help you out of your uncaring attitude, and He uses only loving discipline. You can avoid God’s discipline by drawing near to Him again through confession, service, worship, and studying the Word. Just as the spark of love can be rekindled in marriage, so the Holy Spirit can re-ignite our zeal for the Lord when we allow Him to work in our heart.

It is a blessing to be disciplined by God when we do wrong. At times God must discipline us to help us. This is similar to a loving parent disciplining his child. The discipline is not very enjoyable to the child, but it is essential to teach him or her right from wrong. Also, it’s never pleasant to be corrected and disciplined by God, but His discipline is a sign of His deep love for us. When God corrects you, see it as proof of His love, and ask Him what He is trying to teach you. Realize that God is urging you to follow His path instead of stubbornly going your own way. 

Discipline sounds negative to many people because some disciplinarians are not loving. God, however, is the source of all love. He doesn’t punish us because He enjoys inflicting pain but because He is deeply concerned about our development. He knows that in order to become morally strong and good, we must learn the difference between right and wrong. Correction is a vital part of discipline, and discipline means “to teach and to train.” 

It’s difficult to know when God has been disciplining us until we look back on the situation later. However, not every calamity that happens to us comes directly from God, of course. But if we rebel against God and refuse to repent when He has identified some sin in our lives, God may use guilt, crises, or bad experiences to bring us back to Him. Sometimes, however, difficult times come when we have no flagrant sin just like Job. Our response then should be patience, integrity, and trust that God like Job also. 

In trying or difficult situations don’t try to second-guess what God is doing. Rather, in an act of spiritual discipline, raise your hands in the darkest night of your life and praise God in heaven for the victory that you can only see through the eyes of faith. Then and only then will you see the miracles of God's provision. A man on his knees can see more and farther into the future than a man on a mountaintop. Trials force us to pray with an intensity that causes God to incline his ear toward our cry.

Prayer: Abba Father, I desire Your loving discipline to put me on the right path, and mold me to Your child worthy of eternity with You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!   

YOUR ATTITUDE DETERMINES YOUR ALTITUDE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 23, 2023.

SUBJECT: YOUR ATTITUDE DETERMINES YOUR ALTITUDE! 

Memory verse: ""Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, without walls." (Proverbs 25 vs 28.)

READ: Proverbs 8 vs 32 - 36: 

8:32: Now therefore, listen to me, my children, for blessed are those who keep my ways. 

8:33: Hear instruction and be wise, and do not disdain it. 

8:34: Blessed is the man who listens to Me, watching daily at My gates, waiting at the post of My doors. 

8:35: For whoever finds Me finds life, and obtains favor from the LORD; 

8:36: But he who sins against Me wrongs his own soul; All those who hate Me love death.

INTIMATION: 

How long you stay in your problem depends on your reaction to the problem. "Your attitude determines your altitude." How quick you can come out of the problem depends on your attitude in the problem. You get trapped in the problem if your choices within the problem are not right choices. Our attitudes color our whole personality. We cannot always choose what happens to us, but we can choose our attitude toward each situation. The secret to a happy heart is filling our minds with thoughts that are true, pure, and lovely; thoughts that dwell on the good things in life (Philippians 4 vs 8). This should be our secret as we face the struggles of daily living. 

The children of Israel were in the wilderness for forty years when the actual journey could have taken them days. Experts have calculated that the Israelites could have walked across the wilderness in ninety days, but it took them forty years. Why? It is because of their attitude while in their problem in the wilderness. They were forgetful, doubtful, unfaithful, and ungrateful. Their negative attitudes only caused them to rebel even more and bring about even greater troubles. It eroded their faith in God and encouraged thoughts of giving up and turning back. 

How you conduct yourself in the problem will determine how long you stay in the problem. It took God one day to get the children of Israel out of Egypt; it took Him years to get Egypt out of them. Murmuring, complaining, rebelling against spiritual authority, refusing to forgive another, and disobedience to the known will of God can keep you in the problem for the rest of your life. Stop it!

Do you know that some people, even believers, have been trapped in the same problem for years due to their attitude. Often such attitude runs in a family line that they become trapped in the same problem of their father, and the daughters become trapped in the same problem of the mother. The Bible calls such problems generational curses. When the same bad habits control you and those you love from generation to generation, you are mired in the pits of an inherited problem that can only be resolved by the supernatural deliverance of the Holy Spirit. 

I really don't think that anybody would like to be trapped in a problem, not even you reading this message! With God no problem is intractable, because nothing is impossible with Him. Therefore, don't be ensnared in your problem, which is a fallout of your attitude. It's time to break off from that bondage and prepare yourself to receive your provision. Aristotle said, "I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; the hardest victory is the victory over self." 

God has guiders or signposts to guide you through the problems to your promised land. These signposts are to be honored and obeyed. Remove them, ignore them, or try to take short cuts, and you will die in your problem. God has given us a Road Map—His Word. Within the supernatural Guide—His Word—are many "guiders" or "signposts" leading out of the wilderness. Among them are faith, diligence, excellence, knowledge, patience, and integrity. Look at your checklist to find out where you are lagging.

The children of Israel were faced with two choices; wander aimlessly in the wilderness for years, or go directly to their provision. Their attitude determined their choices. We are faced with the same choices; in which direction are you going? Are you going to stay in your problem, or are you going to walk into your provision? It is time to walk away from the problem. What you walk away from determines what God brings you to. You must live Egypt before you can reach your promise land. Look at your attitudes and examine what you allow to enter your mind and what you choose to dwell on. You may need to make some changes. Go straight to God, and surrender all to Him. Listen to Him, and obey.

The path to open rebellion against God begins with dissatisfaction and skepticism, then moves to grumbling about both God and present circumstances. Next comes bitterness and resentment, followed finally by rebellion and open hostility. If you are often dissatisfied, skeptical, complaining, or bitter—beware! These attitudes lead to rebellion and separation from God. Any choice to side against God is a step in the direction of letting go of Him completely and making your own way through life which leads to a dark end. 

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of raw and complete obedience to You, and let Your Word be my guide in all I do. Give me the grace to satisfied all the times in Your leading, and to try any other way outside of You and Your guidance, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Hope for the Worst of Sinners

 “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.” (Exodus 33:19)

Moses needed hope that God really could have mercy on a stiff-necked people who had just committed idolatry and scorned the God who brought them out of Egypt.

To give Moses the hope and confidence he needed, God said, “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious.” In other words, “My choices do not depend on the degree of evil or good in man but solely upon my free, sovereign will. Therefore no one can say he is too evil to be shown grace.” That would imply God is not free, and election is not unconditional.

The doctrine of unconditional election is the great doctrine of hope for the worst of sinners. It means that when it comes to being a candidate for grace, your background has nothing to do with God’s choice. That’s good news.

If you have not been born again and brought to saving faith in Jesus Christ, do not sink into hopelessness thinking that the excessive rottenness or hardness of your past life is an insurmountable obstacle to God’s gracious work in your life. God loves to magnify the freedom of his grace by saving the worst of sinners.

Turn from your sin; call upon the Lord. Even in this daily devotion, that you are reading or hearing, he is being gracious to you, and giving you strong encouragement to come to him for mercy. 

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool” (Isaiah 1:18).

Let Goods and Kindred Go

 Recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. (Hebrews 10:32–35)

The Christians in Hebrews 10:32–35 have earned the right to teach us about costly love.

The situation appears to be this: In the early days of their conversion, some of them were imprisoned for their faith. The others were confronted with a difficult choice: Shall we go underground and stay “safe,” or shall we visit our brothers and sisters in prison and risk our lives and property? They chose the way of love and accepted the cost.

“For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property.”

But were they losers? No. They lost property and gained joy! They joyfully accepted the loss.

In one sense, they denied themselves. It was real and costly. But in another sense, they did not. They chose the way of joy. Evidently, these Christians were motivated for prison ministry the same way the Macedonians (of 2 Corinthians 8:1–9) were motivated to relieve the poor. Their joy in God overflowed in love for others.

They looked at their own lives and said, “The steadfast love of the Lord is better than life” (see Psalm 63:3).

They looked at all their possessions and said, “We have a possession in heaven that is better and lasts longer than any of this” (see Hebrews 10:34).

Then they looked at each other and said — perhaps sang — something like Martin Luther’s great hymn:

Let goods and kindred go

This mortal life also

The body they may kill

God’s truth abideth still

His kingdom is forever

WORLDLINESS IS ENMITY WITH GOD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 22, 2023.

SUBJECT: WORLDLINESS IS ENMITY WITH GOD!

Memory verse: “Adulterers and Adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with world is enmity with God? Whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (James 4 vs 4.)

READ: First John 2 vs 15 - 17: 

2:15: Do not love the world or things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

2:16: For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.

2:17: And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

INTIMATION:

Worldliness is the love and care of the things of this world, that is, having friendship with the world. The materialist is an adulterer in that he has wedded himself as a member of the body of Christ to that which is of this world. He has broken the covenant he made with Christ in order to give himself to the world. It’s to be carnally minded—living according to the desires of the flesh, that is, setting our mind on things of the flesh. And it drives the love of God out of you, and puts you up as enemies of God. 

Worldliness is characterized by both internal and external behaviors. The internal worldliness which begins in the heart, are specifically expressed in three forms: (1) lust of the flesh—preoccupation with gratifying physical desires; (2) lust of the eyes—coveting and accumulating things, bowing to the god of materialism; and (3) pride of life—obsession with one’s status or importance. The external worldliness is predominantly displayed in class consciousness, and attraction to pleasures.

By contrast, God’s value system is quite different from the world’s system. God hates pride, but values humility, self-control, meekness, gentleness, and generosity. And because of His value system, that is quite distinct from the world’s value system, loving the things of the world, is putting oneself up as an enemy of God because they lure us into wrong doing. In the world there are temptations that are produced wherein one is drawn away from the love of God to satisfy the the desires of the flesh in an ungodly manner. Pleasure that keeps us from pleasing God is sinful. However, there is nothing wrong with wanting a pleasurable life. God gives us good gifts that He wants us to enjoy (First Timothy 6 vs 17). 

Those who love activities and possessions of this world do not love the Father, for they are obsessed with the things of this world. One cannot love God with the love with which God seeks to be loved, and at the same time, engage himself in the pleasures of this world. That does not mean that the rich must forsake their riches, for many rich brethren have the gift of making money for the benefit of the work of the body of Christ. Therefore, the rich are not obligated to give themselves into poverty. However, those who have been consumed with the things of the world have taken their minds off that which is to come. And that which is to come is the destruction of all that for which one has worked in this world. 

Christians are not to attach themselves to the thinking of the world in a way that they are diverted from keeping their minds on those things that are above (Colossians 3 vs 1 - 2). Those who would pattern their lives after the world, therefore, have forgotten that they have attached themselves to something that will not exist forever. If they have not patterned their thinking after that which is eternal, they will not be prepared to exist in eternity. It is for this reason that the worldly minded people will not inherit eternal life. Whenever there is a compromise in one’s relationship with the world and God, lukewarmness or apostasy in reference to the truth results. One’s relationship with the world must be defined and controlled by his love of God,

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world that are usually selfish and often corrupting. Wise Christians decide that worldly behavior is off-limits for them. Our refusal to conform to this world’s values, however, must go even deeper than just behavior and customs; it must be firmly planted in our mind. Allow the Holy Spirit of the living God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. The Spirit will renew, reeducate, and redirect your mind to be truly transformed. 

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the humble spirit of total obedience to Your precepts, and to put away the desires, cares and pleasures of this world that are contrary to my obeying and serving You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Ammunition Against Anxiety

 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6)

One of the things we are thankful for when we let our requests be known to God is his promises. These are the ammunition in the cannon that cuts down the unbelief that produces worry. So here’s how I fight.

When I am anxious about my ministry being useless and empty, I fight unbelief with the promise of Isaiah 55:11. “So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

When I am anxious about being too weak to do my work, I battle unbelief with the promise of Christ, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

When I am anxious about decisions I have to make about the future, I battle unbelief with the promise, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you” (Psalm 32:8).

When I am anxious about facing opponents, I battle unbelief with the promise, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).

When I am anxious about the welfare of those I love, I battle unbelief with the promise that if I, being evil, know how to give good things to my children, “how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11).

And I fight to maintain my spiritual equilibrium with the reminder that everyone who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for Christ’s sake, shall “receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life” (Mark 10:29–30).

When I am anxious about being sick, I battle unbelief with the promise, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all” (Psalm 34:19).

And I take the promise with trembling: “Suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3–5).

THE LOVE COMMANDMENT!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2023.

SUBJECT: THE LOVE COMMANDMENT!

Memory verse: "So he answered and said, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and your neighbor as yourself.’” (Luke 10 vs 27.)

READ: Mark 12 vs 29 - 34:

12:29: Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is, ‘Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God, the Lord is one.

12:30: And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength: This is the first commandment.

12:31: And the second, like it, is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.

12:32: So the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher.You have spoken the truth: for there is one God, and there is no other but He.

12:33: And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

12:34: Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” But after that no one dared question Him.

INTIMATION:

God demands our love and service (total devotion) to Him, in sincerity of heart, not with eye-service, but doing the Will of God from your heart, with all your soul, might, and strength. Doing the Will of God is obeying His commandments passionately, that is, from your heart! This is called the “Great Commandment.”

The principle by which one must live life is summed up in love for God. If one loves God, obedience to His word will be the natural part of his life (John 14 vs 15; First John 5 vs 1 - 3). With such love one establishes a correct relationship with God by obedience to His Will. Love is the motivation by which law is put into action in our lives. In our relationship with God, we keep His commandments because we love Him. 

In relation to our behavior toward our neighbor, we deal justly because we love our fellow man as ourselves. Establishment of the principle in one’s life determines our relationship with our fellow man. Love of our neighbor is the foundation upon which our behavior toward our fellow man is directed. 

How do you know when you are serving God from your heart? The first telltale sign is enthusiasm; your excitement, and great interest in serving Him. When you are doing what you love to do, no one has to motivate you or challenge you, or check up on you. You do it for sheer enjoyment. You don't need rewards, or applause or payment, because you love serving in this way. This is exactly what God requires of us. Hallelujah!

The second characteristic of serving God from your heart is effectiveness. Whenever you do what God wired you to do, you get good at it. Passion drives perfection. If you don't care about a task, it is unlikely that you will excel at it. In contrast, the highest achievers in any field are those who do it because of passion, not duty or profit.

God’s interest in the man’s heart is because the heart is the center of the man. Your heart reveals the real you—what you truly are, not what others think you are, or what circumstances force you to be. Your heart determines why you say the things you say, why you feel the way you feel, and why you act the way you do. The Bible, in Proverbs 27 vs 19, says, "As in water face reflects face, so a man's heart reveals the man." 

The Bible uses the term heart to describe the bundle of desires, hopes, interests, ambitions, dreams, and affections you have. Your heart represents the source of all your inspirations—what motivates you, what you love to do, and what you care about most. Even today, we still use the word in this way when we say, "I love you with all my heart." It’s for this reason that God demands our heart (our passion) in loving and serving Him.

Our heart—our feelings of love and desire—dictates to a great extent how we live because we always find time to do what we enjoy, hence God’s interest in our hearts. In Proverbs 4 vs 23, the Scripture says, "Keep you heart with all diligence, for out of it springs the issues of life." It tells us to guard our heart above all else, making sure we concentrate on those desires that will keep us on the right path—the path of God. 

When your heart is centered on God, your affections push you in the right direction—the path of God, and consequently, you put boundaries on your desires, and will not do or go after everything you see.

Another word for heart is passion. There are certain subjects you feel passionate about and others you could care less about. Some experiences turn you on and capture your attention while others turn you off or bore you to tears. These reveal the nature of your heart. Your emotional heartbeat is the second key to understanding your shape for service. God gave each and everyone of us some inborn interests. Don't ignore your interests. Consider how they might be used for God's glory. 

Now, the question is, “What is your passion for God?” God wants you to serve Him passionately, not dutifully. Let the service come from your heart. The Bible repeatedly tells us to "serve the Lord with all your heart." People rarely excel at tasks they don't enjoy doing or feel passionate about. God wants you to use your natural interests to serve Him and others. The reason you love to do those things you love doing is because you derive great passion in doing them. Listening to inner prompting—signals from your heart—that can point to the ministry God intends for you to have. 

Our affections and feelings must be directed toward what God would have us be in our lives. Our character must focus on God. All the intellectual capabilities of the Christian disciples also be focused on knowing God and His Will. All the physical and mental abilities of man must also be directed toward serving God. This is the first and great commandment because once one establishes God as the one who should reign in his heart, then everything else will follow (Matthew 6 vs 33). 

Prayer: Abba Father, Your Will is that I serve You, and others with passion. Give me the grace to manifest fully in passionate service to You, O Lord, and to serve others likewise, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!