OPEN UP YOURSELF!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY OCTOBER 02, 2023.

SUBJECT : OPEN UP YOURSELF!

Memory verse: "For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." (Isaiah 57 vs 15.)

READ: Romans 7 vs 14 - 20:

7:14: For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.

7:15: For that what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will do, that do I not practice; but what I hate, that do I.

7:16: If, then, I do what I will not do, I agree with the law that it is good.

7:17: But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

7:18: For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me; but how to perform what which is good I do not find.

7:19: For the good that I will do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.

7:20: Now if I do what I will not do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

INTIMATION: 

The starting point of ministry is being moldable. The more you open up yourself to God, the more He comes in to mold and use you. The more you let down your guard, take off your mask, and share your struggles, the more God will be able to use you in serving others. It is notable that opening yourself can be risky. It can be scary to lower your defenses and open up your life to others. When you reveal your failures, feelings, frustrations, and fears, you risk rejection. But the benefits are worth the risk. Opening up yourself is emotionally liberating; it relieves stress, defuses your fears, and is the first step to freedom.

We have already seen that God "gives grace to the humble," but many do not understand humility. 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. You will also receive from others. Being moldable or meek, that is opening up yourself, is an endearing quality; we are naturally drawn to humble people. 

Pretentiousness repels, but authenticity attracts, and meekness is the pathway to intimacy. Your life becomes a testimonial when people see God using you in spite of your weaknesses, and they are encouraged, and they will then think that God can use them too. This is why God wants to use your weaknesses, not just your strengths. Our strengths create competition, but our weaknesses create community.

At some point in your life you must decide whether you want to impress people or influence people. You can impress people from a distance, but you must get close to influence them, and when you do that, they will be able to see your flaws. That's okay. The most essential quality for leadership is not perfection, but credibility. People must be able to trust you, or they won't follow you. How do you build credibility? Not by pretending to be perfect, but by being honest, and open.

Our Scriptural model, the apostle Paul, openly and honestly shared his impressions at various times. In his failures he said, "For the good that I will to do, I do not; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice." (Romans 7 vs 19.) Concerning the openness of his heart, and his feelings, he said to believers in Corinth, "O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open." (Second Corinthians 6 vs 11.) On his frustrations, he said, "For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life." (Second Corinthians 1 vs 8.) On his fears, he said, "I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling." (First Corinthians 2 vs 3.)

In the passage we read today, the cry of the apostle Paul is more than the cry of a desperate man, it describes the experience of all Christians struggling against sin or trying to please God by keeping rules and laws without the Spirit’s help. He opened up himself, emphasized his weakness, and sought help. We must never underestimate the power of sin and attempt to fight it in our own strength. Satan is a crafty tempter, and we have an amazing ability to make excuses. Instead of trying to overcome sin with our own human willpower, we must take hold of God’s provision for victory over sin—the Holy Spirit, who lives within us and gives us power. And when we fall, He lovingly reaches out to help us up.

The inward struggle with sin was as real for the apostle Paul as it is for us. From him we learn what to do about it. Whenever he felt overwhelmed by the spiritual battle, he would return to the beginning of his spiritual life, remembering how he had been freed from sin by Jesus Christ. When we feel confused and overwhelmed by sin’s appeal, let us claim the freedom Christ gave us. His power can lift us to victory. 

Self-determination (struggling in one’s own strength) doesn’t succeed (Romans 7 vs 15). The apostle Paul found himself sinning in ways that weren’t even attractive to him. Becoming a Christian does not stamp out all sin and temptation from a person’s life (Romans 7 vs 22 - 25). Being born again takes a moment of faith, but becoming like Christ is a lifelong process. 

Prayer: Abba Father, all to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give. I will ever love and trust Him, and in His presence I will daily live, and humbly at His feet I bow. Give me the grace not to put any form of trust in myself, but to follow You to the end, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

The All-Satisfying Object

 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)

The quest for pleasure is not even optional, but commanded (in the Psalms): “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).

The psalmists sought to do just this: “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (Psalm 42:1–2). “My soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water” (Psalm 63:1).

The motif of thirsting has its satisfying counterpart when the psalmist says that men “drink their fill of the abundance of Your house; and You give them to drink of the river of Your delights” (Psalm 36:8 NASB).

I found that the goodness of God, the very foundation of worship, is not a thing you pay your respects to out of some kind of disinterested reverence. No, it is something to be enjoyed: “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!” (Psalm 34:8). Taste. Taste! And see.

“How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103).

As C.S. Lewis says, God in the Psalms is the “all-satisfying Object.” His people adore him unashamedly for the “exceeding joy” they find in him (Psalm 43:4). He is the source of complete and unending pleasure: “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

YOU ARE CREATED AND SAVED TO SERVE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY OCTOBER 01, 2023.

SUBJECT: YOU ARE CREATED AND SAVED TO SERVE!

   

Memory verse: "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2 vs 10.)

READ: Ephesians 6 vs 5 - 7; Colossians 3 vs 23 - 24:

Ephesians 6:5: Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ, not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men."

Colossians 3:23: And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ."

INTIMATION:

God created us and put us on earth for specific purposes—to serve His interest. You are put on earth to make a contribution. You weren't created just to consume resources—to eat, breathe, and take up space. God designed you to make a difference with your life. Most people are concerned about how to get the best out of life, but that's not the reason God created you. You were created to add to life on earth, not just take from it. This is God's fourth purpose for your life, and it is called your "ministry," or “your service” or “good works.” Jesus Christ, our example of what we are called to do, said: "Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Matthew 20 vs 28.)

Our “good works” are act of service or worship to the Lord. Whenever you serve others in any way, you are serving God and fulfilling one of your purposes. For this reason, Christian employees should do their jobs as if Jesus Christ were their supervisor. No matter what you do, who you work for, and who works for you, the One you ultimately should want to please is your Father in heaven. In creation God has carefully shaped you for a purpose, "you are fearfully and wonderfully made. His works are marvelous." (Psalm 139 vs 14.) God knew you long before you were born or even conceived, and everything about you is already written in His book; the purpose you are created, the service to render, your number of days on earth etc. (Psalm 139 vs 15 - 16).

It takes your coming to Him and trusting in Him, for the revelation of all these in your life. And you come to Him by accepting what He did through His Son Jesus Christ for you in redemption; acknowledging Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. He saved you to accomplish His purpose for which He created you (Second Timothy 1 vs 9). In God's kingdom, you have a place, a purpose, a role, and a function to fulfill—His “holy calling.” This gives your life great significance and value. God has given you a unique combination of abilities and talents. Use them to serve and honor Him. 

Through salvation our past has been forgiven, our present is given meaning, and our future is secured. It is in the light of these incredible benefits that the apostle Paul entreats us in Romans 12 vs 1 thus, "present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." Therefore, daily laying aside your own desires to follow Him, putting all our energy and resources at His disposal and trusting Him to guide you. We serve Him out of joy, and deep gratitude for what He's done for us. We owe Him our lives. 

When you serve others, even in carrying out ordinary tasks, you are serving God. Because ultimately we serve God, every job has dignity. The apostle John said that our loving service to others shows that we are truly saved (First John 3 vs 14). If you have no love for others, no desire to serve others, and you are only concerned about your needs, it is doubtful whether Christ is really in your life. A saved heart is one that wants to serve.

Jesus said, in John 13 vs 34 - 35, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." To love others was not a new commandment (See Leviticus 19 vs 18). But to love others as Christ loved us is the new commandment. Love is more than simply warm feelings; it is an attitude that reveals itself in action. 

How then can we love others as Jesus loves us, and gave His life for us? We do this by helping when it's not convenient, by giving when it hurts, by devoting energy to others' welfare rather than our own, by absorbing hurts from others without complaining or fighting back. This kind of loving is hard to do. That is why people notice when you do it and know you are empowered by a supernatural source. You are a follower of Christ—His disciple when you love like Him.

Another term for serving God that is misunderstood by most people is the word ‘ministry.’ When most people hear "ministry," they think of pastors, priests, and professional clergies, but God says every member of His family is a minister (Revelation 1 vs 6; 5 vs 10). In the Bible, the words ‘servant’ and ‘minister’ are synonymous. If you are a Christian, you are a minister, and when you're serving, you're ministering. When Peter's sick mother-in-law was healed by Jesus, she instantly "stood up and began to serve Jesus," using her new gift of health (see Mark 1 vs 30 - 31). This is what we're to do. We are healed to help others. We are blessed to be a blessing. We are saved to serve, not to sit around and wait for heaven. 

God told Abraham that He will bless him to be a blessing, "...I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing." (Genesis 12 vs 2.) Today, the blessings of Abraham has come to us through Jesus Christ, and we have received the promise of the Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3 vs 14.) Seek ways to express your gratitude to Him. 

Have you ever wondered why God doesn't just immediately take us to heaven the moment we accept His grace? Why does He leave us in a fallen world? He leaves us here to fulfill His purposes. Once you are saved, God intends to use you for His goals. God has a ministry for you in his Body—the church, and a mission for you in the world. Seek yours from Him and serve appropriately!

Prayer: Abba Father, my utmost heart desire is to serve You acceptably and in accordance with Your predetermined purposes for my life. I humbly ask that You reveal to me the hope of Your calling, and the riches of the glory of Your inheritance in the saints, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

The Most Liberating Discovery

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. (Philippians 3:1)

No one had ever taught me that God is glorified by our joy in him — that joy in God is the very thing that makes our praise an honor to God, and not hypocrisy.

But Jonathan Edwards said it so clearly and powerfully:

God glorifies himself towards the creatures also [in] two ways: (1) by appearing to . . . their understanding; (2) in communicating himself to their hearts, and in their rejoicing and delighting in, and enjoying the manifestations which he makes of himself. . . . God is glorified not only by his glory’s being seen, but by its being rejoiced in. . . . 

[W]hen those that see it delight in it: God is more glorified than if they only see it. . . . He that testifies his idea of God’s glory [doesn’t] glorify God so much as he that testifies also his approbation of it and his delight in it.

This was a stunning discovery for me. I must pursue joy in God if I am to glorify him as the surpassingly valuable Reality in the universe. Joy is not a mere option alongside worship. It is an essential component of worship. Indeed the very essence of worship — being glad in the glories of God.

We have a name for those who speak their praises of God when they have no pleasure in what they praise. We call them hypocrites. Jesus said, “You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me’” (Matthew 15:7–8). This fact — that authentic praise means consummate pleasure and that the highest end of man is to drink deeply of this pleasure for God’s glory — was perhaps the most liberating discovery I have ever made.

WHO IS A CHRISTIAN?

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 30, 2023.   

SUBJECT : WHO IS A CHRISTIAN?

Memory verse: "And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch." (Acts 11 vs 26.)

READ: Romans 10 vs 8 - 13:

10:8: But what does it say? “The word is near you, even in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach):

10:9: that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

10:10: For with the heart one believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

10:11: For the scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

10:12: For there is no distinction between the Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.

10:13: For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

INTIMATION:

A Christian is one who believe inwardly and outwardly that Jesus’ death has allowed God to offer him or her forgiveness and eternal life as a gift. A Christian is anyone who has the Spirit of God living in him or her. If you have sincerely trusted Christ for your salvation, and acknowledged Him as Lord, then the Holy Spirit lives within you and you are a Christian. You can be assured that you have the Holy Spirit because Jesus promised that He would send Him. You have accepted that gift through faith and are seeking to live a life of obedient gratitude for what God has done for you. 

Christianity is both private and public, with heart-belief and mouth-confession. Since you now believe that Jesus Christ is God’s Son and that eternal life comes through Him (First John 5 vs 5), you will begin to act as Christ directs, and you will find help in your daily problems and in your prayer; you will be empowered to serve God and do His will; and you will become part of God’s plan to build up His church. Christians relationship with God and the power He provides result in obedience. Having received forgiveness and eternal life, we are now daily challenged to live that life with His help. 

Have you ever been asked, “How do I become a Christian?” The passage we read today gives you the beautiful answer. Salvation is as close as your own lips and heart. People think it must be a complicated process, but it is not. If we believe in our heart and say with our mouth that Christ is the risen Lord, we will be saved. Christ has provided our salvation through His incarnation (God in human form), death, and resurrection. God’s salvation is right in front of us. He will come to us wherever we are. All we need do is to respond and accept His gift of salvation. 

A Christian, through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, is no more dominated by his or her sinful nature, but rather is controlled by the Holy Spirit. All of us would have been dominated by our sinful nature if Jesus hadn’t offered us a way out. Once we have said yes to Jesus, we will want to continue following Him, because His ways bring life and peace. Christians are united with Christ in His death, our evil desires and bondage to sin died with Him. Now, united by faith with Him in His resurrection life, we have unbroken fellowship with God and freedom from sin’s hold on us. 

If you are a Christian, you should act like it. To be a Christian means more than just making good resolutions and having good intentions; it means taking the right actions. This is a straightforward step that is as simple as putting on your clothes. You must rid yourself of all evil practices and immoralities. Then you can commit yourself to what Christ teaches. If you have made such a commitment to Christ, are you remaining true to it? What old clothes do you need to strip off? How would those closest to you describe your Christianity? Do they think you live so that God will accept you, or they know that you live because God had accepted you in Christ?

The Christian real home is where Christ lives (John 14 vs 2 - 3). This truth provides a different perspective on our lives here on earth; to “set your mind on things above” which means to look at life from God’s perspective and to seek what He desires. This provides the antidote to materialism; we gain the proper perspective on material goods when we take God’s view of them. It also provides the antidote to sensuality. By seeking what Christ desires, we have the power to break our obsession with pleasure and leisure activities. 

Daily we must consciously choose to center our life on God. Use the Bible to discover God’s guidelines, and then follow them. In every perplexing situation, ask yourself, “What would Jesus want me to do?” When the Holy Spirit points out what is right, do it eagerly. Christ gives us power to live for Him now, and He gives us hope for the future—He will return. Once one has given himself to the lordship of Jesus, then it should be desire of such persons to follow after the directions of God’s word. 

Prayer: Abba Father, I believe in Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and the substitutionary work He did for me on the cross. I confess Him as my personal Lord and Savior, and empty myself before You that You fill me in with Your grace to live according to Your precepts, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Make War with Unbelief

 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:16–17) 

When I am anxious about getting old, I battle unbelief with the promise, “Even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save” (Isaiah 46:4).

When I am anxious about dying, I battle unbelief with the promise that “none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living” (Romans 14:7–9).

When I am anxious that I may make shipwreck of faith and fall away from God, I battle unbelief with the promises, “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6); and, “He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).

Join me in this battle! Let us make war, not with other people, but with our own unbelief. Unbelief in the promises of God is the root of anxiety, which, in turn, is the root of so many other sins. The sword of the Spirit is the word of God, Paul said in Ephesians 6:17. The shield by which we quench Satan’s fiery deceits is faith (verse 16) — faith in that very word of God. So take up the shield in your left hand and the sword in your right hand, and let us fight the good fight of faith.

Take up the Bible, ask the Holy Spirit for help, lay the promises up in your heart, and fight the good fight — to live by faith in future grace.

TRUST AND AWAIT GOD’S TIME!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2023.

SUBJECT : TRUST AND AWAIT GOD’S TIME!

Memory verse: "For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie: though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” (Habakkuk 2 vs 3.) 

READ: Daniel 8 vs 16 - 19:

8:16: And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, who called, and said, “Gabriel make this man understand the vision.”

8:17: So he came near where I stood, and when he came I was afraid and fell on my face; but he said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end.”

8:18: Now, as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me, and stood me upright.

8:19: And He said, “Look, I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation, for at the appointed time the end shall be.

INTIMATION:

God is our Creator, and is 'All-Knowing’—perfect in knowledge. The end of all things are known to Him from the beginning (Isaiah 46 vs 10.). Even when we are yet unformed in our mother’s womb, He knew us and everything about us. God created all things, and planned all things according to His purpose and timing; "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven"  

(Ecclesiastes 3 vs 1). And at the fullness of His time—at His appointed time—He will cause things to happen according to His predetermined purposes. 

For this reason, He is always on time. He planned the time, and does His bidding at the fullness of the planned time. From our perspective, God sometimes seems slow to intervene on our behalf. But what might appear slow to us is good timing from God’s perspective. It’s easy to become impatient while waiting for God to act, but we must never give up on Him. 

When God is silent and you are in deep anguish, be patient and know that “all things work together for good to those that love God, to those who are the called according to His “ (Romans 8 vs 28). All you need do is sit down and review your life; what God has done for you, and also review the great acts of God throughout biblical history. This will remind you that God is at work, not only in history, but also in your life today.

God will act when He is ready. We are His children, and we conceptualize timing as children. For instance, children have difficulty grasping the concept of time. “It’s not time yet” is not a reason they easily understand because they only comprehend the present. And as His children, and as limited human beings, we can’t understand God’s perspective about time. 

We want everything now, unaware that God’s timing is the best. When God is ready, He will do what needs to be done, not what we would like Him to do. We may be as impatient as children, but we must not doubt the wisdom of God’s timing. Wait for God to reveal His plan. Don’t take matters into your own hands.

God’s answer doesn’t always come the moment we want it. but God answers us when He knows the right time has come. God knows the best time to act. When you feel that God has forgotten you in your troubles, remember that God has a time schedule we can’t see. God may have seemed slow to you when in distress, and every day you longed to be delivered. But God is not slow, He just is not on our timetable. God is not limited by time. It’s easy to get discouraged when years pass and the world doesn’t get better. 

We sometimes wonder if God is able to see the future. But don’t assume that God has our limitations. God is completely unrestricted by time. Because He is eternal, we can depend on Him. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently for it, for surely it will take place, if God has assured about it. Of course, it isn’t easy to be patient but, “though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come.” (Habakkuk 2 vs 3.) 

We must trust God even when we don’t understand why events occur as they do. For instance, who will imagine the Savior of the world working in a small-town carpenter’s shop until He was 30 years old! It seems incredible that Jesus would have been content to remain in Nazareth all that time, but He patiently trusted His Father’s timing for His life and ministry. Like Jesus, we need to resist the temptation to jump ahead before receiving the Spirit’s direction. Don’t jump ahead—trust God’s timing.

Jesus, during His earth walk, demonstrated God’s timing in events. When His friend Lazarus died due to sickness, He took four days to get to this family He loved and often stayed with. He knew their pain but did not respond immediately. His delay had a specific purpose. He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” (John 11 vs 14.) 

God’s timing, especially His delays, may make us think He is not answering or is not answering the way we want. But He will meet all our needs according to His perfect schedule and purpose (Philippians 4 vs 19.) Patiently await His timing. 

As God’s children He is with us through every situation, in every trial; protecting, loving, guiding us (Psalm 46 vs 1; 59 vs 16), and has promised He would never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13 vs 5), and will be with us always, even up to the end of age (Matthew 28 vs 20). 

He knows and loves us completely. God is perfect (Matthew 5 vs 48), and consequently, everything about Him is perfect. He knows us better than we know ourselves, and He knows us perfectly. Trust His judgement and trust that He has your best interests in mind (Jeremiah 29 vs 11).

Prayer: Abba Father, You are my Faithful Companion, and Loving Father. I know You have the best plan and time for me. Let it be to me according to Your perfect timing, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!