GOD WELCOMES THE GUILTY!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 31, 2024.

SUBJECT : GOD WELCOMES THE GUILTY!

Memory verse: "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 be as wool" (Isaiah 1 vs 18).

READ: Isaiah 1 vs 18 - 20:

18: "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 be as wool.

19: If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;

20: But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword", for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

INTIMATION:

God welcome the guilty and will forgive you of any sins if you repent and seek His forgiveness. Never let guilt feelings of sin keep you from praying (seeking the face of God), which is your only means of restoration, because only God forgives sin. Do you feel that you could never come close to God because you have done something terrible? What God is mindful of is a sincere, humble, and contrite heart; a broken spirit that will manifest through repentance. 

No matter how long you have been away from God, He is ready to hear from you and restore you to a right relationship with Him. Every situation can be salvaged if you are willing to turn to God. In Judges 16 vs 28 - 30, we would observe that in spite of Samson's past, God still answered his prayer and destroyed the philistines' heathen temple and worshipers. He killed more people at his death than he did in life because of the mercy of God when he turned to Him in prayer.

One of the effects of sin in our lives is keeping us away from praying, but it is noteworthy that perfect moral behavior is not a condition for prayer. Though the stain of sin seems permanent, but only God can remove such stains of sin from our lives. We don't have to go through life permanently soiled. God's Word assures that if we are willing and obedient in turning to Him, Christ will forgive and remove our most indelible stains of sin.

Christ said, “...For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Matthew 9 vs 13). Christ came for sinners like you and I, and He expects us, the sinners, to come to Him for mercy. We can only go to God in prayer, acknowledging our needs and admitting that we don't have all the answers, and God will come to our help. He desires to show mercy and His mercy endures forever.

The only unforgivable sin is the sin against the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12 vs 31 - 32). What then is the sin against the Holy Spirit? The unforgivable sin is the deliberate refusal to acknowledge God, and His power in Christ, expressed through the Holy Spirit. It indicates a deliberate and irreversible hardness of heart. It reveals a heart attitude of unbelief and unrepentant, which attributes to Satan the work that the Holy Spirit accomplishes which is blasphemy. 

Such people have turned their backs on God and rejected all faith, and are unwilling to ask for forgiveness. Even when they receive the prompting of the Holy Spirit, convicting them of sin, they reject it. And the deliberate rejection of the work of the Holy Spirit is blasphemy, because it is rejecting God Himself. Such person removes himself or herself from the only force that can lead him or her to repentance and restoration to God.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are the only God, there is no other. Before You there is no God, with You there is no other God, and there will be no other God after You. O Lord, in accordance with Your loving kindness, and tender mercies that endures forever, blot out my transgressions, and forgive me my iniquities, in Jesus name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Prevailing Grace

 “I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners.” (Isaiah 57:18)

Learn your doctrine from biblical texts. It stands up better that way, and feeds the soul. 

For example, learn the doctrine of irresistible grace from texts. In this way, you will see that it does not mean grace cannot be resisted; it means that when God chooses, he can and will overcome that resistance.

In Isaiah 57:17–19, for instance, God chastises his rebellious people by striking them and hiding his face: “Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was angry, I struck him; I hid my face and was angry” (verse 17).

But they did not respond with repentance. Rather, they kept backsliding. They resisted: “But he went on backsliding in the way of his own heart” (verse 17).

So grace can be resisted. In fact, Stephen said to the Jewish leaders, “You always resist the Holy Spirit” (Acts 7:51).

What then does God do? Is he powerless to bring those who resist to repentance and wholeness? No. He is not powerless. The next verse says, “I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners” (Isaiah 57:18).

So, in the face of recalcitrant, grace-resisting backsliding, God says, “I will heal him.” He will “restore.” The word for “restore” is to “make whole or complete.” It is related to the word shalom, “peace.” That wholeness and peace is mentioned in the next verse which explains how God turns around a grace-resisting backslider.

He does it by “‘creating the fruit of the lips. Peace, peace (shalom, shalom), to the far and to the near,’ says the Lord, ‘and I will heal him’” (Isaiah 57:19). God creates what is not there — peace, wholeness. This is how we are saved. And this is how we are brought back from backsliding — again and again. 

The grace of God triumphs over our resistance by creating praise where it did not exist. He brings shalom, shalom to the near and the far. Wholeness, wholeness to the near and the far. He does it by “restoring,” that is, replacing the disease of resistance with the soundness of submission.

The point of irresistible grace is not that we can’t resist. We can, and we do. The point is that when God chooses, he overcomes our resistance and restores a submissive spirit. He creates. He says, “Let there be light!” He heals. He leads. He restores. He comforts.

Therefore, we never boast that we have returned from backsliding. We fall on our faces before the Lord and with trembling joy thank him for his irresistible grace that conquered all our resistance.

THE BANE OF COMPROMISED FAITH!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY JANUARY 30, 2024.

SUBJECT : THE BANE OF COMPROMISED FAITH!

Memory verse: “But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality." (Revelation 2 vs 14.)

READ: Second Peter 2 vs 15 - 16:

2:15: They have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

2:16: but he was rebuked for his iniquity; a dumb donkey speaking with man's voice restrained the madness of the prophet.

INTIMATION:

Compromised faith gives up part of something it believes in. Consequently, obedience to rules of engagement is incomplete. A right relationship with God is based on our faith—the heartfelt inner confidence that God is who He says He is and does what He says He will do. This truth occasions sincere and complete obedience to His laws. 

Unfortunately, the cares of this world—possessions, pleasures, power etc—have continued to be a bane of many having a right relationship with God, and compromising their faith in Him. Lack of faith in God leads to many problems. This invariably, happens when we take over from God, trying to make His promise come through with efforts that are not in line with His specific directions. 

The passage we read today, is about Balaam, one of those noteworthy Old Testament characters who, though not one of God’s chosen people, was willing to acknowledge that the Lord was indeed a powerful God. But he did not believe in the Lord as the only true God. His faith in God was compromised. His story exposes the deception of maintaining an outward facade of spirituality over a corrupt inward life. 

Balaam was a man ready to obey God’s command as long as he could profit from doing so. The mixture of motives of obedience and profit eventually led to Balaam’s death. Although he realized the awesome power of Israel’s God, his heart was occupied with the wealth he could gain in Moab. Balaam entered his prophetic role seriously, but his heart was mixed. He had some knowledge of God, but not enough to forsake his magic and turn wholeheartedly to God. 

Although the earlier stories recorded in Numbers 22 vs 1 - 24 and Numbers 25 portrayed Balaam as obedient to God, but eventually his evil motives and desire for money won out (Numbers 25 vs 1 - 3; 31 vs 16). He couldn’t resist the tempting pull of money and idolatry. Haven compromised his faith, he used religion for personal advancement, a sin that God does not take lightly. And he caused the children of Israel great harm. 

The consequences of Balaam’s compromised faith to the Israelites was recorded In Numbers 31 vs 16, the Scripture says, “Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the incident of Poer, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord.” And in the Book of Jude, the Scripture says, “Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.” (Jude 11.) 

Jude gives three examples of men of compromised faith who did whatever they wanted: Cain, who murdered his brother out of vengeful jealousy (Genesis 4 vs 1 - 16); Balaam, who prophesied out of greed, not out of obedience to God’s command (Numbers 22 - 24); Korah, who rebelled against God’s divinely appointed leaders, wanting the power for himself (Numbers 16 vs 1 - 35). These stories illustrate attitudes that are typical of those who compromise their faith in God—pride, selflessness, jealousy, greed, lust for power, and disregard of God’s will. Their outward appearance and actions—pious, church attendance, prayer, good deeds—do not reflect their inner conviction and commitment to God. 

Our society is adorned with the likes of Balaam; people who have compromised their faith: pastors, prophets, apostles, teachers, and laity. The cares of this world have a great pull on such persons, that they pick and choose what, and what not to believe or obey in God’s laws. Many believers live through the same process. Who and what we are will somehow come to the surface, destroying any masks we may have used in order to cover up our real selves. Outwardly we appear pious, but inwardly harboring sinful desires. Efforts spent in keeping up appearances would be much better spent on finding the answer to sin in our lives. We can avoid Balaam’s mistake by facing ourselves and realizing that God is willing to accept us, forgive us, and literally make us over from within.

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of un-compromised faith in You, that I will have an unfettered right relationship with You, trusting and obeying You in all things, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Caused to Return

 Cause us to return, O Lord, that we may return! (Lamentations 5:21, my translation)

There is no hope for God’s people unless God causes them to return from their sliding and leaping into sin and unbelief.

The book of Lamentations is the bleakest book in the Bible. God himself had decimated the apple of his eye: Jersualem. 

The Lord gave full vent to his wrath; he poured out his hot anger, and he kindled a fire in Zion that consumed its foundations. (Lamentations 4:11)He has killed all who were delightful in our eyes. (Lamentations 2:4)The Lord has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions. (Lamentations 1:5) 

So how does the book end?

It ends with the only hope there is: 

Cause us to return, O Lord, that we may return! (Lamentations 5:21)

That is my only hope — and your only hope! 

Jesus said to Peter, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:31–32).

Not if you return. But when you return. I have prayed for you! You will return. And when you do, it will be my sovereign grace that brought you back from the precipice of apostasy.

Christian, this is true for you. This is your only hope of perseverance in faith. Glory in it.

Christ Jesus is the one who . . . is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. (Romans 8:34)

He will cause us to return. Therefore, “to him who is able to keep you from stumbling . . . be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever” (Jude 1:24–25). Amen!

WHAT DO YOU OCCUPY YOUR MIND WITH?

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY JANUARY 29, 2024.

SUBJECT : WHAT DO YOU OCCUPY YOUR MIND WITH?

Memory verse: "Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things." (Philippians 4 vs 8.)

READ: Romans 12 bs 2:

12:2: And not be conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

INTIMATION:

The mind is the seat of reflection, consciousness, comprising the faculties of perception, understanding, feeling, judging and determining. The activities of the mind, therefore, is usually expressed outwardly, and determines our attitudes. Our attitudes color our whole personality. Essentially, what we feed our minds with is absolutely very important, just as important as what we feed our bodies with to be good and healthy. The secret to a happy heart is filling our minds with thoughts that are true, lovely, and pure; thoughts that dwell on the good things of life. And the secret of a spiritually healthy life—the Christlike life—is to be spiritually minded; filling our minds with things that heavenly and eternal.

What we put into our mind determines what comes out in our words and actions. The apostle Paul tells us to program our minds with thoughts that are true, noble, right, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy. Always examine what you are putting into your mind through television, Internet, books, conversations, movies, and magazines. The kind of books we read, the people we talk with, the music we listen to, and the films we watch are all part of our mental diet. Be discerning because what you feed your mind influences your total health and spiritual well-being. Be careful to replace harmful inputs with wholesome materials. Above all, read God's Word and pray. Ask God to help you focus your mind on what is good and pure. It takes practice to effect perfection, and know it can be done. 

Do you have problems with impure thoughts and daydreams? The Bible gives an antidote to this problem—renewal of your mind: “And do not be conformed to this world,  but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12 vs 2.) God has good, pleasing, and perfect plans for His children. He wants us to be transformed people with renewed minds, living to honor and obey Him. 

We live in a corrupt world with behavior and customs that are usually selfish and often corrupting. The worldly behavior should be off-limits for ever child of God. Our refusal to conform to this world’s values, however, must be even deeper than just behavior and customs; it must be firmly planted in our mind: It is possible to avoid most worldly customs and still be proud, covetous, selfish, stubborn, and arrogant. Only when the Holy Spirit renews, re-educates, and redirects our minds that we are truly transformed. Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. The transformed mind helps us face the struggles of daily living being completely focused on God. It is noteworthy that we cannot always choose what happens to us, but we can choose our attitude toward each situation. 

Prayer: Abba Father, empower me with the grace to enable me renew my mind to be in union with the mind of Christ, and not in conformity with the world’s standards, that I may do Your will at all times, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen. 

PRAISE THE LORD!

Grace for the New Year

 By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. (1 Corinthians 15:10)

Grace is not only God’s disposition to do good for us when we don’t deserve it. It is an actual power from God that acts and makes good things happen in us and for us.

God’s grace was God’s acting in Paul to make Paul work hard: “By the grace of God . . . I worked harder than any of them.” So when Paul says, “Work out your own salvation,” he adds, “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12–13). Grace is power from God to do good things in us and for us.

This grace is past and it is future. It is ever-cascading over the infinitesimal waterfall of the present, from the inexhaustible river of grace coming to us from the future, into the ever-increasing reservoir of grace in the past.

In the next five minutes, you will receive sustaining grace flowing to you from the future, and you will accumulate another five minutes’ worth of grace in the reservoir of the past. The proper response to the grace you experienced in the past is thankfulness, and the proper response to grace promised to you in the future is faith. We are thankful for the past grace of the last year, and we are confident in the future grace for the new year.

GOD SAVES THROUGH FAITH ALONE!

 

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY JANUARY 28, 2024.

SUBJECT : GOD SAVES THROUGH FAITH ALONE!

Memory verse: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2 vs 8.)

READ: Ephesians 2 vs 4 - 10:

2:4: But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

2:5: even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved),

2:6: and raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

2:7: that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

2:8: For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

2:9: not of works, lest anyone should boast.

2:10: For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God 

prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

INTIMATION:

God saves us through faith alone. And faith is primarily a firm persuasion, a conviction based upon hearing. The Bible, in Hebrews 11 vs 1, defines faith thus, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The beginning point of faith is believing in God’s character: He is who He says. The end point 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.

Therefore, the main elements in faith as it relates to the invisible God, as distinct from faith in man, are (1) a firm conviction, producing a full acknowledgement of God’s revelation or truth; (2) a personal surrender to Him, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His Name” (John 1 vs 12); (3) a conduct inspired by such surrender; “For we walk by faith not by sight” (Second Corinthians 5 vs 7). All this stands in contrast to belief in its purely natural exercise, which consists of an opinion held in good faith without necessary reference to its proof.

Why does God save us by faith alone? (1) Faith eliminates the pride of human effort, because faith is not a deed that we do, but a gift from God. (2) Faith exalts what God has done, not what we do. (3) Faith admits that we can’t keep the law or measure up to God’s standards—we need help. (4) Faith is based on our relationship with God, not our performance for God. In all these man has no contributions, and therefore, is wholly dependent on God. 

Because our salvation and even our faith are gifts, we should respond with gratitude, praise, and joy. We become Christians through God’s unmerited grace, not as a result of any effort, ability, intelligent choice, or acts of service on our part. However, out of gratitude for this free gift, we will seek to help and serve others with kindness, love, and gentleness, and not merely to please ourselves. While no action or work we do can help us obtain salvation, God’s intention is that our salvation will result in acts of service. We are not saved merely for our own benefit but to serve Christ and build up the church. 

God did not save us because of, or rather, in spite of what He saw in us. In addition to thanking Him for what He has done for us, we should also show humble patience and tolerance for others who seem unworthy or undeserving of our love and compassion. They may be spiritually dull, rebellious, and even antagonistic toward God, as we were before embracing the truth, but God loved us anyway. We ought not to do less for fellow sinners. 

The penalty of sin and its power over us were miraculously destroyed by Christ on the cross. Through faith in Christ we stand acquitted, or not guilty, before God (Romans 3 vs 21 - 22). God does not take us out of the world or make us robots—we will still feel like sinning and sometimes will sin. The difference is that before we became Christians, we were dead in sin and were slaves to our sinful nature. But now we are alive with Christ: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God; who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2 vs 20). 

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for the gift of faith, and for what Christ wrought for us in redemption. Give me the grace to live for You the rest of my life, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!