GOD MAY HAVE PLANNED THE CHANGES OF FORTUNE IN YOUR IN LIFE FOR HIS PURPOSE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY DECEMBER 26, 2023.

SUBJECT: GOD MAY HAVE PLANNED THE CHANGES OF FORTUNE IN YOUR IN LIFE FOR HIS PURPOSE!

Memory verse: "But as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” (Genesis 50 vs 20.)

READ: Genesis 37 vs 27 - 28; 45 vs 5 - 8:

37:27: Come Let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh.” And his brothers listened.

37:28: The Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.

45:5: But now , do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.

45:6: For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting.

45:7: And God sent me before You to, preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

45:8: So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his House, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

INTIMATION:

God works in all things for His people. In every situation in the lives of God’s people He is present. He works in all things for their good (Romans 8 vs 28). The changes in fortunes we might experience can be God’s plan to bring one to a glorious end. Perhaps no other account in all of Scriptures illustrates the strange changes in fortunes (vicissitudes of life) in one’s life more vividly than the biography of Joseph (The Dreamer), and God’s sovereignty. 

God’s creations are tools in His hands to achieve His plans. His knowledge and wisdom are beyond human comprehension, and past searching out. Joseph was born into privilege. He was the eleventh, and the favorite son of Jacob, one of the patriarchs of Israelite history. Though Joseph was loved by his father, he was hated by his brothers because of his favored status. Joseph stoked his brothers' hatred by telling them of dreams he had, where his brothers bowed down to him.

One day the brothers could contain their rage no longer. They seized Joseph and threw him into a pit. Their first thought was to kill him, but they changed their minds when they saw a caravan heading for Egypt. Instead of murdering him, his brothers sold him as a slave mm to members of the caravan—the Ishmaelites. They returned home and told their father that he had been killed by a wild beast. 

People may mean evil against you, but in God’s plan, such situations are for good. No matter what you are going through in life, remember God is in control. When others intend evil against you, know that they can only be God’s tools. As Joseph said to his brothers in our memory verse, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” 

In Egypt, Joseph became the trusted servant of Potiphar, an official in the king's court. Unfortunately, Potiphar's trust was shattered by one false accusation against Joseph by his master’s wife. Without so much as a court hearing, Joseph was thrown into prison. He was doomed, or so he thought. But a perplexing turn of events raised him to unexpected heights.

In prison, Joseph met the king's cup bearer and the king's baker. Both men were troubled by strange and mysterious dreams. When they told Joseph their dreams, he interpreted the strange visions for them. Days later his words came to pass in precisely the way he had announced. What kind of special powers did Joseph possess? How could he interpret these dreams? Joseph merely attributed his ability to the God of Israel, a God not worshiped in Egypt. 

Two years later, Pharaoh had a dream. His advisors could not even begin to interpret it. Joseph was summoned from the prison to decipher the strange, troubling images. After a moment of silence, Joseph declared that the visions meant that Egypt would be blessed with seven years of abundance, followed by seven years of famine. 

In grateful response, Pharaoh appointed Joseph second-in-command in Egypt (a Prime Minister in a foreign land). Again, Joseph downplayed his own abilities and spoke instead of the power of the Awesome God. And just as he predicted, the seven years of abundance came, as did the seven years of famine. Joseph's unique supernatural gift of God propels him to power.

Joseph's appointment to second-in-command, remains an astonishing moment in ancient history. How do we explain his rise from an impoverished foreigner to an imperial leader? Joseph said to his brothers, "God turned into good what you meant for evil. He brought me to to high position I have today so I could save the lives of many people" (Genesis 50 vs 20). And that is the best explanation of all—the wonderful act of an awesome God. 

The experience in Joseph’s life taught him, and teaches us, that God brings good from evil for those who trust in Him. He overrules people’s evil intentions to bring about His intended results. In Joseph’s case, He brought good from the brothers’ evil deed, Potiphar’s wife’s false accusation, the butler’s neglect, and seven years of famine. Trust God enough and wait patiently for Him to bring good out of bad situations you face.

Although Joseph’s brothers didn’t kill him outright, they wouldn’t expect him to survive for long as a slave. They were quite willing to let cruel slave traders do their dirty work for them. Joseph faced a 30-day journey through the desert, probably chained and on foot. He will be treated like baggage, and once in Egypt would be sold as a piece of merchandise. His brothers had wanted to get rid of him, but God used even their evil actions to fulfill His ultimate plan. He had sent Joseph ahead to preserve their lives, save Egypt, and prepare the way for the beginning of the nation of Israel. God is sovereign. His plans are not dictated by human actions! Hallelujah!

Prayer: Abba Father, I completely put my trust in You. Your thoughts for me are for good, not evil. I pray You upturn all evil intentions of people in my life for good, after the order of Joseph in the Scripture. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

LOVE AND SERVE GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY DECEMBER 25, 2023.

SUBJECT: LOVE AND SERVE GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART!

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: Deuteronomy 11 vs 13 - 15:

11:13: And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the LORD your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul,

11:14: then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil.

11:15: And I will send grass in your fields for your livestock, that you may eat and be filled.

INTIMATION:

God demands our love and service (total devotion) to Him, and in sincerity of heart, not with eye-service, but doing the Will of God from your heart. Doing the Will of God is obeying His commandments passionately, that is from your heart! 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 that way. This is exactly what God requires of us. 

The second characteristic of serving God from your heart is effectiveness. Whenever you do what God wired you to love 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, 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 hearts 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, 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—can point you to the ministry God intends for you to have. 

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

PRAISE THE LORD!

WALKING AFTER THE SPIRIT!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY DECEMBER 24, 2023.

SUBJECT: WALKING AFTER THE SPIRIT!

Memory verse: "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8 vs 1.)

READ: Romans 8 vs 4 - 8:

8:4: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

8:5: For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

8:6: For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

8:7: Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

8:8: So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

INTIMATION:

When you are in close spiritual and salvational relationship with Christ, you come into a saved covenant relationship with God wherein you are not in a state of condemnation. In this state one is free from the bondage of sin. In Christ one is not directing his life according to the desires of the flesh, but according to the directions of the Spirit. He is not walking according to the pride of meritorious conduct, but according to his submission to the word of God.

We must not understand our walk after the Spirit to mean that one is directed by inner nudges of what one would interpret to be a supposed direct intervention by the Spirit. In Christ we are no more guided by our subjective emotions that focus on the emotional performances of the individual, but guided by the knowledge of God’s will enumerated in God’s Word. When one is guided by the Spirit, he or she is directed by the Spirit-inspired word that comes from God. Walking after the Spirit involves the desire to hear, the readiness to obey God’s Word, and the sensitivity to discern between your feelings and His promptings. 

We all have evil desires, and we can’t ignore them. In order for us to follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance, we must deal with them decisively. These desires include obvious sins, such as sexual immorality and demonic activities. They also include less obvious sins, such as hostility, jealousy, and selfish ambition. Those who ignore such sins or refuse to deal with them reveal that they have not received the gift of the Spirit that leads to a transformed life. 

Not being guided by the Spirit is being carnally minded, which means to have such mind that focuses on one’s own desires. But those who behave according to the Spirit-inspired directions of God are not living according to their desires to live after their own wills. In a religious context, being carnally minded is focusing on one’s own ability to perform law in order to save one’s self. The carnally minded person is walking in sin, though he may not recognize the fact he is in sin. But the Spiritually minded person focuses by faith on the cross and God’s grace. He has life and peace because he is trusting in the grace of God and not in his abilities in reference to law keeping.

Though we seek to do that which is good, the nature of our being as free-moral individuals in a world of choice does not give us the ability to live flawlessly. Though the conscience of the Christian is made sensitive by the law of God as revealed through the Holy Spirit, the Spirit does not directly control the behavior of the Christian in reference to law in order to guard him from sin. It is wrong for anyone to claim that the Holy Spirit subjects free-moral Christian in order to guard him or her from sinning. 

The person who lives after the Spirit has crucified the old man of sin. He has put to death the desires to allow the lusts of the flesh to direct his life. But the person who lives according to the lusts of flesh in order to follow his own will is headed for eternal condemnation. Though we often willingly corporate with our sinful nature, it is not us but the sin in us that is evil. And it is this power of sin at work in our life that is defeated when we embrace Christ.

Live each day controlled and guided by the Holy Spirit. Then the words of Christ will be in your mind, the love of Christ will be behind your actions, and the power of Christ will help you control your selfish desires. Through faith in Christ we stand righteous before God. We need no longer live under sin’s power. God does not take us out of the world or make us robots—we will still feel like sinning and sometimes we will sin. The difference is that before we were saved we were slaves to our sinful nature, but now we can choose to live for Christ. 

Prayer: Abba Father, my utmost heart desire is to walk after the Spirit. Give me the grace to obey the leading of the Holy Spirit in every area of my life, in Jesus’ Name I prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

THE HOLY SPIRIT'S CONVICTION IS FOR OUR GOOD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY DECEMBER 23, 2023.

SUBJECT : THE HOLY SPIRIT'S CONVICTION IS FOR OUR GOOD! 

Memory verse: "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement." (John 16 vs 8.) 

READ: John 16 vs 7 - 11:

16:7: Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.

16:8: And when He has come, He convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement.

16:9: Of sin, because they do not believe in Me;

16:10: Of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;

16:11: Of judgement, because the ruler of this world is judged.

INTIMATION:

What is conviction? It's to prove guilty; to pronounce guilty; a person found guilty of crime or sin. It's usually convincing or persuading by evidence to satisfy as to truth or error. Conviction is a veritable tool employed by the Holy Spirit for our betterment. Conviction is meant to convince us of sin, lift us out of it, and to help us move higher in God's will and plan for our lives. He convinces us to repent, which means to turn and go in the right direction rather than the wrong one in which we are currently going. How wonderful it is to have close fellowship with the Holy Spirit, to have Him in our lives to let us know when we are going the wrong way.

When we are convicted by the Holy Spirit, it is God speaking to us because He wants to help us in some areas. He is not condemning us, but He's trying to let us know that He wants us to live a better and healthy life. The Holy Spirit works to enlighten our awareness of what we are doing wrong that leads to death, and what we need to do to enjoy the abundant life. When He speaks to our conscience about changes that are needed, we should pray right then, asking God to deliver us and bring about those changes through our faith in Jesus.

When Holy Spirit reveals to you an issue that needs to be dealt with in your life, you can trust that the anointing is also present to break the yoke of bondage over you. If you put off confronting the behavior until you want to deal with it, you may have to face change without the anointing, which is very difficult. When God convicts, He also anoints, so it is the best time to yield to His help in changing. We often want to do things in our own timing, and we struggle and struggle because we're not asking for God's help. 

Holy Spirit reveals the result of sin and the result of righteousness so that people can see life and death set before them and call on God to help them choose life. People who has chosen the life of sin have wretched, and miserable lives, which make them look ugly and older than their age. The rough, rugged lifestyle they have chosen has taken a toll on them. 

The power of God can make us look better and keep us feeling younger, because we are not living the hard life of sin. This power of God is at work in the world today demonstrating the results of sin and the results of righteousness. The line between the two is becoming vividly distinct. It is no longer difficult to tell who belongs to God and who doesn't. The world that we live in is full of gross darkness (Isaiah 9 vs 2). But God gave Jesus "for a light to the nations" (Isaiah 42 vs 6). His light is visible in the faces of true believers.

It is healthy and normal to feel guilty when we are initially convicted of sin; but to keep the guilt feeling after we have repented of the sin is not healthy, nor is it God's will. Conviction from the Lord never fills us with condemning shame. Shame fills us with a painful sense of disgrace and humiliating regret, often for something that we couldn't help. 

When God works in people's lives, He condemns the sin, but He never condemns the sinner, rather He gives mercy to the sinner, so we never need to be afraid to let God show us and what we are doing wrong. The Holy Spirit lives in us, and can't get much closer to us than that. He doesn't come just to take up space, or because He has nowhere else to stay or go. The Holy Spirit lives in us because He has a job to do, which is to help (empower, encourage, advocate, strengthen, counsel, teach, comfort, intercede, and standby) and lead us to God's plan for our lives.

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit. I surrender to His leading. I pray that nothing will break my fellowship with Him, and that I will do nothing to quench His help in my life, in Jesus' Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

That You May Believe

 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:30–31)

I feel so strongly that among those of us who have grown up in church and who can recite the great doctrines of our faith in our sleep, and yet who can yawn through the Apostles’ Creed — that among us something must be done to help us once more feel the awe, the fear, the astonishment, the wonder of the Son of God, begotten by the Father from all eternity, reflecting all the glory of God, being the very image of his person, through whom all things were created, upholding the universe by the word of his power.

You can read every fairy tale that was ever written, every mystery thriller, every ghost story, and you will never find anything so shocking, so strange, so weird and spellbinding as the story of the incarnation of the Son of God.

How dead we are! How callous and unfeeling to your glory and your story, O God! How often have I had to repent and say, “God, I am sorry that the stories men have made up stir my emotions, my awe and wonder and admiration and joy, more than your own true story.”

Perhaps the galactic movie thrillers of our day can do at least this good for us: they can humble us and bring us to repentance, by showing us that we really are capable of some of the wonder and awe and amazement that we so seldom feel when we contemplate the eternal God and the cosmic glory of Christ and a real living contact between them and us in Jesus of Nazareth.

When Jesus said, “For this purpose I have come into the world” (John 18:37), he said something as crazy and weird and strange and eerie as any statement in science fiction that you have ever read.

Oh, how I pray for a breaking forth of the Spirit of God upon me and upon you; for the Holy Spirit to break into my experience in a frightening way, to wake me up to the unimaginable reality of God.

One of these days lightning is going to fill the sky from the rising of the sun to its setting, and there is going to appear in the clouds the Son of Man with his mighty angels in flaming fire. And we will see him clearly. And whether from terror or sheer excitement, we will tremble and we will wonder how we ever lived so long with such a domesticated, harmless Christ.

These things are written — the whole Bible is written — that we might believe — that we might be stunned and awakened to the wonder — that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came into the world.

THE SHEPHERD OFTHE RIGHTEOUS!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY DECEMBER 22, 2023.

SUBJECT : THE SHEPHERD OFTHE RIGHTEOUS!

Memory verse: "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27 vs 1.)

READ: Psalm 23 vs 1 - 6:

23:1: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 

23:2: He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 23:3: He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name sake. 

23:4: Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 

23:5: You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 

23:6: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

INTIMATION:

The Lord is the shepherd of the righteous. The Scripture in the 'New Testament' calls Jesus the good shepherd (John 10 vs 11); the great shepherd (Hebrews 13 vs 20); and the chief shepherd ( First Peter 5 vs 4). When one submits to the shepherding of God, he trusts that God will provide all that is necessary for survival. Because of the Lord’s care over us, we are satisfied with the spiritual food that comes from Him, and thus we take our rest in the shadow of His care. The righteous know their God, and He leads them according to His will to places of security. 

Jesus is the good Shepherd, who tends to us—His sheep—out of love, and is committed to us, even to the extent of laying His life for us. As the Lord is a good shepherd, so we are His sheep; not frightened and passive, but obedient followers, wise enough to follow one who will lead us in the right places and right ways. As calm waters naturally soothe one’s mind in times of trouble, so God takes us to places where the turmoil of life can be endured. By the calm waters our inner man is renewed and refreshed. 

The Lord leads us down paths that take us to that which is good for us. The two significant results of the death and resurrection of our Messiah, Jesus Christ, our great Shepherd, is found in His work in us to make us the kind of people that would please Him, and He equips us to do the kind of work that would please Him. Consequently, 'He restores our souls, and leads us in the paths of righteousness for His name sake: "Righteousness will go before Him, and shall make His footsteps our pathway." (Psalm 85 vs 13.) He does this in order that His name be glorified among the nations. He is holy, and therefore, desires that His people be holy. 

We can trust that God will always meet the needs of the righteous. Whatever they need on earth He will supply, even if it is the courage to face death. Whatever they need in heaven He will supply. The psalm we read today is probably the most quoted of all the psalms simply because in a few words it portrays the life of the righteous. Though the righteous must live in a world that is plagued with suffering and turmoil, they must put their faith in God as they struggle through life. The psalm is a sublime utterance of those who are focused on staying close to God.

God has complete ability to meet our needs. Just as the sheep is dependent on the shepherd to meet its needs, so are we to our Father in heaven. He is our Shepherd and we are His sheep (flock). The sheep are completely dependent on the shepherd for provision, guidance, and protection. We must remember, however, the difference between our wants and our needs. Most people want to feel good and avoid discomfort or pain. We may not get all that we want. By trusting in Christ, our attitudes and appetites can change from wanting everything to accepting His provision and power to live for Him.

When we allow God our shepherd to guide us, we have contentment. He knows the "green pastures" and "still waters" that will restore us. We will reach these places only by following Him obediently. Rebelling against the shepherd's leading is actually rebelling against our own best interests. God works in us to make us the kind of people that would please Him, and if you are obedient, you will eat the fruit of the land: "For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes" (Revelation 7 vs 17).

Even in death, He is with us. Death casts a frightening shadow over us because we are entirely helpless in its presence. We can struggle with other enemies; pain, suffering, disease, injury, but strength and courage cannot overcome death. It has the final word. Only God—the God of life—our shepherd, can walk us through death's dark valley and bring us safely to the other side, and ensures our eternal comfort amidst life's uncertainties. God offers protection even when enemies surround us, and believers will dwell with God. 

The perfect shepherd and host, promises to guide and protect us through life to bring us into His house forever. The psalmist says, "One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple. For in time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon the rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me..." (Psalm 27 vs 4 - 6.)

Prayer: Abba Father, in You I live, and move, and have my being. You are my strong tower, I run into You and am saved. Give me the grace to hear Your voice and follow You all the days of my life, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!