The Best Form of Slavery

 He who was called in the Lord as a slave is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a slave of Christ. (1 Corinthians 7:22, my translation)

I would have expected Paul to switch the places of “Lord,” which means Master, and “Christ,” which means Messiah. 

He correlates our liberation with Jesus being our Master (“a freedman of the Lord”). And he correlates our new slavery with Jesus being our Messiah (“a slave of Christ”). It seems strange because the Messiah came to liberate his people from their captors; and masters take control of their slaves’ lives. 

Why does he say it this way? Why correlate slavery (rather than liberation) with Messiah, and liberation (rather than slavery) with Master? 

Suggestion: The switch has two effects on our new liberty and two effects on our new slavery.

On the one hand, in calling us “the liberated of the Lord,” he secures and limits our new liberty:

His lordship is over all other lords; so our liberation is uncontested — absolutely secure.

But, free from all other lords, we are not free from him. Our freedom is mercifully limited. Jesus is our Master.

On the other hand, in calling us the “slaves of Christ,” he loosens and sweetens our slavery:

The Messiah lays claim on his own in order to bring them from the confines of captivity into the open spaces of peace. “Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end” (Isaiah 9:7). 

And he makes them his own to give them the sweetest joy. “With honey from the rock I would satisfy you” (Psalm 81:16). And that Rock is Christ, the Messiah.

So, Christian, be glad in this: “He who was called in the Lord as a slave is a freedman of the Lord” — the Master. “Likewise he who was free when called is a slave of Christ” — the loosening, sweetening Messiah.”

PRAYING IN THE NAME OF JESUS!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 11, 2024.

SUBJECT: PRAYING IN THE NAME OF JESUS! 

Memory verse: "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (John 14 vs 13.)

READ: John 14 vs 12 - 14; 15 vs 16; 16 vs 23:

14:12: Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes In Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to My Father.

14:13: And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

14:14: If you will ask any thing in My name, I will do it.

15:16: You did not chosen Me, but I chose you, and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatsever you ask the Father in My name, He may give you.

16:23: And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever ye will ask the Father in My name, He will give you.

INTIMATION:

Praying in the name of Jesus is handing over our prayers to Him, He takes over! This is awesome! All you have asked in prayer is then in His care. It is no longer your burden as long as you do not repudiate it by a wrong confession. He is our standby. When Jesus says we can ask anything in His name, our asking must be in according to God’s character and will. 

Jesus is the will of the Father revealed to mankind. And because He is the will of God, whatever we ask in His name in consonance with God’s will we be granted us. God will not grant requests contrary to His nature or His will, and we cannot use His name as a magic formula to fulfill our selfish desires. If we are sincerely following God and seeking to do His will, then our requests will be in line with what He wants, and He will grant them. 

Jesus and His name is One. The right to pray in His name means that we represent Him, and are acting in His stead. When you pray in the name of Jesus, it is as though Jesus Himself is praying. Therefore, the believer praying is partnering with Jesus, and agreeing with Him. The agreement of you two make things come into being, or come to pass in line with His promise of the agreement of two: “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.” (Matthew 18 vs 19.)

One may say, "Jesus is not here physically." But let us look at the conversation between the Pharisees and Jesus when they accused Him of being a witness of Himself; “Jesus answered and said to them, Even If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I came from and where I am going....It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true....I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me.” (John 8 vs 14, 17 & 18.) The Father, who is not present in the physical, bears witness with Him. Jesus, though not present in the physical, but is in you through the Holy Spirit and bears witness with you when you pray in His name.

Now look at this, Jesus is the Word, He has been there from the beginning, He has been with God, all things were made through Him and for Him. Jesus and the Father is One. Jesus said, "I am in the Father and the Father is in Me." (John 14 vs 11.) Jesus is the express image of the person of God (Hebrews 1 vs 3), "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily" (Colossians 2 vs 9). When you have held up Himself (the Word) to Him in prayer, "He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself" (Second Timothy 2 vs 13). 

When you pray in His name, you are taking Jesus place. You are acting as Jesus would have acted. You are doing the Father's own Will just as Jesus did it in His earth walk. You and Jesus are one. You act for Him. Your will and His Will are harnessed. They make a very beautiful and wonderful unit. 

The Scripture says in First John 4 vs 4, "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." Satan is in the world and the ruler of it. Jesus said, "I have come into the world." We are in the world, and Jesus is in us through His Spirit—the Holy Spirit, and He is greater than Satan, the ruler of the world. And "as He is so we are in this world" (First John 4 vs 17). It is for this reason that "You are of God." It goes to say that we are greater than the ruler of the world. That is the reason we are overcomers, and are of God because He lives in us. 

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for what You wrought for us in redemption through our Messiah Jesus Christ. Thank You for given us a blank cheque to ack in His name that our request will granted to us, in Jesus’ Name I have given thanks. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Saving Faith Isn’t Easily Satisfied

 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. (Hebrews 11:15–16)

Faith sees the promised future that God offers and “desires” it. “As it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one.” Dwell on this for a moment. 

There are many people who water down what saving faith is by making it a mere decision with no change of what one desires and seeks. But the point of this text in the great faith chapter in the Bible — Hebrews 11 — is that living and dying by faith means having new desires and seeking new satisfactions.

Verse 14 says that the saints of old (who are being commended for their faith here in Hebrews 11) were seeking a different kind of country than this world offered. And verse 16 says they were desiring something better than what a present earthly existence could offer. “They desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one.”

They had been so gripped by God that nothing short of being with God would satisfy.

So, this is true saving faith: seeing the promises of God from afar, and experiencing a change of values so that you desire and seek after and trust in the promises of God above what the world has to offer.

IT IS ALL BY GOD'S GRACE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 10, 2024.

SUBJECT : IT IS ALL BY GOD'S GRACE! 

Memory verse: "But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” (First Corinthians 5 vs 10.)

READ:  Second Corinthians 12 vs 9 - 10:

12:9: And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

12:10: Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, than I am strong.

INTIMATION:

God's grace is bestowed on us in accordance with His plans and purposes. Whatever He does is according to His sovereign plans, and in line with His divine purposes. The limitations, and also abundance in our lives is purposed by Him in line with His divine plans and purposes. Therefore, God’s grace (the power of God) is made available to all believers, at the point of our needs to face the challenges in our lives.

In the passage we read today, the apostle Paul explained this fact with the limitation he suffered due to a certain infirmity he had, "thorn in the flesh." Though he did not say what it was, but it's suspected to be a disease of the eye according to his word in Galatians 4 vs 13 - 15: "You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first. And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me."

The chronic and debilitating problem, at times kept him from working. It was a hindrance to his ministry, and he prayed for its removal; but God refused indicating to him that it is not by his strength or abilities that he had accomplished all he did, but by His grace available to him; “And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." The apostle Paul had something far greater than his infirmity because he received grace from God to function. 

As long as we live we will always have to face situations for which we don't have all the answers. If we don't have something going on in our lives that we can't handle, we wouldn't need God, therefore, we wouldn't need faith, we wouldn't have to trust in God. The Lord will see to it that we are always dependent upon Him. And He does that by leading us into situations that are over our head. That is why although we may get worried, God never gets worried because He already knows exactly what He's going to do. 

God has got a plan, a path and a work all ready for us. Although the Lord already has a plan for us to follow, a path for us to walk in and a work for us to do, He won't give us all the answers today that we will need tomorrow. With each new day comes the grace that we need to live that day and meet the challenges of it.

You may have heard the story about the young man who was in prison and about to be burned at the stake the next day for his faith in Christ. In the same cell there was an older man, more experienced believer who knew more about the way of the Lord. As it began to get dark, the younger man struck a match to light a candle and, as he did so, he burned his finger. Letting out a cry of anguish and pain, he said to his companion, "How can I stand to be burned at the stake tomorrow if I can't stand to be burned on the finger tonight?" The older man calmly replied, "Son, God didn't ask you to burn your finger, so there is no grace for that. But He is asking you to die for your faith, so when the time comes the grace will be there."

No matter what happens, God is still in control. He has a plan to handle everything that we will encounter in this life. And His grace is sufficient to meet all our needs. We must turn to God to seek pathways for effectiveness, rather than relying on our own energy, effort, or talent. In our weakness God demonstrates His power, therefore, our weaknesses not only help us develop Christian character, it also deepens our worship, because in admitting our weaknesses, we affirm God's strength.

Now, it is noteworthy that it was God's plan to send His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins, and God’s grace was available to Him to accomplish the task, and hence the Bible recorded in Luke 2 vs 40, "And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.” God's plan carries His grace.

Prayer: Abba Father, Your grace is sufficient to navigate me through the path of life already planned and purposed by You even before I was formed in my mother's womb. Thank You my faithful companion for all You have done, is doing, and will do in my life, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Better Than Money, Sex, and Power

 Do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. (Hebrews 10:35)

We need to ponder the superiority of God as our great reward over all that the world has to offer. If we don’t, we will love the world like everyone else and live like everyone else. 

So, take the things that drive the world, and ponder how much better and more abiding God is. Take money or sex or power and think about them in relation to death. Death will take away every one of them. If that is what you live for, you won’t get much, and what you get, you lose. 

But God’s treasure is vastly superior, and it lasts. It goes beyond death. It’s better than money because God owns all the money and he is our Father. We are his heirs. “All [things] are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s” (1 Corinthians 3:22–23).

It’s better than sex. Jesus never had sexual relations, and he was the most full and complete human that ever will exist. Sex is a shadow — an image — of a greater reality, of a relationship and a pleasure that will make the most exquisite sex seem like a yawn.

The reward of God is better than power. There is no greater human power than to be a child of the almighty God. “Do you not know that we are to judge angels?” (1 Corinthians 6:3). “The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne” (Revelation 3:21).

And so it goes on and on. Everything the world has to offer, God is better and more abiding.

There is no comparison. God wins — every time. The question is: Will we have him? Will we wake up from the trance of this stupefying world and see and believe and rejoice in and love what is truly real, and infinitely valuable, and everlasting?

ABSTAIN FROM SEXUAL IMMORALITY!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 09, 2024.

SUBJECT: ABSTAIN FROM SEXUAL IMMORALITY! 

Memory verse: "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality.” (First Thessalonians 4 vs 3.)

READ: First Corinthians 6 vs 15 - 20:

6:15: Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot? Certainly not!

6:16:  Or do you not know that he who is joined to an harlot is one body with her? For “the two” He says, “ shall become one flesh.”

6:17: But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

6:18: Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.

6:19: Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

6:20: For you were bought at a price: therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

INTIMATION:

Sexual immorality is a temptation that is always before us. Sexual immorality of any kind is extremely dangerous; It destroys family life, it eats away at one’s ability to love, it degrades human beings and turns them into objects, it can lead to disease, it can result in unwanted children, it is against God’s laws. In our fallen world, sex outside marriage is treated as a normal, even desirable part of life, while marriage is often shown as confining and joyless. People that are suspected to be pure are even being looked down on by others with the notion that they don’t belong. 

But God does not forbid sexual sin just to be difficult. He knows its power to destroy us physically and spiritually. No one should underestimate the power of sexual immorality. It has devastated countless lives and destroyed families, churches, communities, and even nations. God wants to protect us from damaging ourselves and others, and so He offers to fill us—our loneliness, our desires—with Himself.

When we become Christians the Holy Spirit comes to live in us. Therefore, we no longer own our bodies; we have been “bought at a price.” Christ’s death freed us from sin but also obligates us to His service. If you live in a building owned by someone else, you try not to violate the building’s rules. Because your body belongs to God, you must not violate His standards for living.

Sexual temptations are difficult to withstand because they appeal to the normal and natural desires that God has given us. Marriage provides God’s way to satisfy these natural sexual desires and to strengthen the partners against temptation. Married couples have the responsibility to care for each other, therefore, husbands and wives should not withhold themselves sexually from one another but should fulfill each other’s needs and desires. 

God created sex to be a beautiful and essential ingredient of marriage, but sexual sin—sex outside the marriage relationship—always hurts someone. It hurts God because it shows that we prefer following our own desires instead of the leading of the Holy Spirit. It hurts others because it violates the commitment so necessary to a relationship. It often brings disease to our bodies. And it deeply affects our personality, which responds to anguish when we harm ourselves physically and spiritually. The partners lose their ability to fulfill commitments, to feel sexual desire, to trust, and to be entirely open with another person.

However, issues arise when there are inherent problems between spouses or with either of the spouse. There are issues of health, weakness as a result of age, faded or fading love for the other, or lack of love, unwholesome attitudes that result in dwindling or lack of intimacy in marriage, and so on. Such things pushes the dissatisfied spouse into temptation of sexual immorality, and at that point is difficult to resist.

Temptation happens to everyone, so don’t feel you have been singled out; others have resisted temptation, and so can you; any temptation can be resisted because God will show you a way out. God will aid you in resisting temptations by helping you  (1) recognize those people and situations that give you trouble. (2) run from anything you know is wrong, (3) choose to do only what is right, (4) pray for God’s help, and (5) seek friends who love God and can offer help when you are tempted. Running from a tempting situation is your first step on the way to victory. 

To avoid temptation and your desire for love and sexual pleasure: (1) You must decide what kind of a person you will love before passion takes over. Determine whether a person’s character and faith in God are as desirable as his or her physical appearance. (2) Because most of the time you spend with your spouse will not involve sexual intimacy, your companion’s personality, temperament, and commitment to solve problems must be as gratifying as his or her kisses. (3) Be patient. Time and observation often reveal what is beneath the pleasant appearance and attentive touch. This is the undeniable reasons for courtship before marriage. When you rush into marriage it becomes difficult to resist temptations when your desires in your partner are unattainable. 

It is God’s will for you to be holy. But how can you go about doing that? The Bible teaches that holiness is not a state of being that you must manufacture on your own with hard work and good deeds and constant fear of failure. Instead, being made holy (sanctified) occurs in the process of living the Christian life. If you have accepted Christ’s sacrifice on your behalf, then you are considered holy and complete in God’s eyes. Yet you must continue to learn and grow during your time on earth. The Holy Spirit works in you, conforming you to the image of Christ (Romans 8 vs 29). 

Prayer: Abba Father, by my strength I cannot prevail over temptations. But by Your strength I can do all things. Give me the grace to resist Satan’s temptations with sexual pleasures, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

GOD’S BLESSING MAKES ONE RICH!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 08, 2024.

SUBJECT: GOD’S BLESSING MAKES ONE RICH! 

Memory verse: "That I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’." (Genesis 14 vs 23.)

READ: Genesis 13 vs 8 - 11:

13:8: So Abram said to Lot, "Please let there be no strife, between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. 

13:9: Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left." 

13:10: And lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as you come to Zoar.

13:11: Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other." 

INTIMATION:

Abraham was not wealthy because he was a shrewd business man or because God rewarded his great integrity and performance. Abraham was prosperous because God blessed him and made his name great as promised (Genesis 12 vs 2). It is purely the favor of God that made him rich. Abraham was so rich that he  couldn’t dwell together with his nephew, Lot, because their flocks and herds were too big. They had so many animals that one location couldn't feed them all, so their servants began fighting with each other over the grazing land, and they were forced to separate. 

Abraham took Lot up to a hilltop so they could look out over the whole land. One part of the land was a well-watered plain flush with grass; the other part was dry. It is naturally obvious that the survival of the herds depended on there being plenty of natural grass to graze on. Fields of grass were the only source of food they had. So it isn't surprising that Lot chose the well-watered land for himself.

The story reveals how confident Abraham was in God as his source. Anyone who was relying on natural circumstances and his own efforts for prosperity would never give up a well-watered plain for his animals. Looking at the natural facts, the decision whether to choose a grassy plain or the desert was a no-brainer. But Abraham knew God was his source, what things looked like to the naked eye not withstanding. Abraham was saying, "It doesn't matter where I go, the Lord is going to bless me." Right after Abraham allowed Lot to take the better land, God appeared to him and promised even more prosperity than Abraham had already experienced:

"And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: "Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are - northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you." (Genesis 13 vs 14 - 17.)

In the natural, it is impossible for a man who grazes his flocks and herds in the desert to prosper as much as a man whose cattle graze in lush pastures, but nothing is impossible with God. (Luke 1 vs 37.) The blessing of God made Abraham rich, and he prospered much more than Lot did. The Scripture states that Abraham was blessed by the Lord in all things (Genesis 24 vs 1).

Not long after Lot and Abraham separated, foreign kings raided the city of Sodom, where Lot lived, and took everyone captive. When Abraham heard that his nephew had been seized, he armed his servants that were trained for war and pursued the foreign kings. His private army consisted of 318 men, which gives you an idea of how rich he was and how many servants he had at that time in history. He was so rich that he had a private army. Abraham's men defeated the foreign kings and brought back all of the spoils and people who had been taken captive.

The king of Sodom was grateful, so he offered to let Abraham keep the spoils: "The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, and take the good to yourself" (Genesis 14 vs 21). The king recognized that if it hadn't been Abraham, his entire kingdom would have been lost. We don't know how much spoil the king was offering Abraham, but it isn't unreasonable to think it would have been the equivalent of millions of dollars today. He had recovered all the goods, food, valuables of five cities, so the spoils certainly worth a lot of money. But he didn't accept the king's offer because he didn't want anyone to have a reason to claim they had made him rich. 

Abraham knew he was rich because of the blessing of God. His confidence in God as the source of his wealth was so strong that he gave away millions of dollars worth of spoils, which he had rightfully earned by conquest. (Genesis 14 vs 22 - 24.) We also, need to see God as our source and develop the attitude that the resources we have are gift from God, and that our efforts are not the source of the prosperity in our lives.  

Yes, you may have worked so hard at your job, but God is the source! God gave you life, health, and abilities, and God is the One who opens door of opportunity. Until you recognize God as your source, nothing else the Bible say about finances is going to work. As long as you hold to your money with a clenched fist and hoarding possessions, God's method of prosperity won't work in your life. You have to see yourself as a steward managing the financial blessings that God has given you.

Seeing God as your source doesn't mean you sit at home and do nothing. You are supposed to work, but you need to recognize that even though you work, it is God who gives the increase. (First Corinthians 3 vs 7.) A farmer has to prepare the soil and plant seeds in order to get the crops, but God created the natural laws that govern sowing and reaping, God sends the rain and sun that makes the plant to grow, God gave the land to farm on, and He is the source of the farmer's health. Likewise, it is the blessing of God that makes it possible for you to prosper, and the foundation of prosperity is seeing yourself as a steward.

Prayer: Abba Father, in You I live and move and have my being.  All I have is Yours. Yours I am, and Yours I want to be. Give me the grace for effective stewardship of Your resources bestowed on me, and to earn Your acceptance as a worthy servant to You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!