OPPOSITION TO THE GOSPEL - APRIL 29

 OPPOSITION TO THE GOSPEL - APRIL 29

Matthew 10:34, "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword."

MATTHEW 10:34-42

This statement seems like a contradiction to some prophecies concerning Jesus and some of Jesus' own statements concerning peace, as well as what was written of Him in the New Testament Epistles. However, the peace that Jesus purchased was peace between God and man. We have peace with God (Rom. 5:1). We are exhorted to take this peace and extend it to all men, but it is also made very clear that not all men will receive it.

Peace can only come when we relate to God on the basis of faith in what He did for us, instead of what we do for Him. A person who is thinking that he must perform up to some standard to be accepted by God will have no peace. That puts the burden of salvation on our shoulders, and we can't bear that load. We were incapable of living holy enough to please God before we were saved, and we are incapable of living holy enough to please God now that we are saved (Heb. 11:6). We were saved by faith, and we have to continue to walk with God by faith (Col. 2:6). Not understanding this has made many Christians, who love God, unable to enjoy the peace that was provided for them through faith in Jesus.

The Gospel will always produce opposition from those who don't receive it. This "sword of division," even among family members, is not God's will, nor is it God that causes it. But, it will inevitably come, and Jesus was simply preparing His disciples for that time. As much as we would like everyone to receive the good news, we must not think it is strange when even our loved ones don't receive it. Jesus was rejected by His own, and we will be also. We must remain faithful to continue preaching the Gospel, for there are others who will receive. Keep sharing the "Good News!"

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RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY APRIL 29, 2024.

SUBJECT: RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH!

Memory verse: “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (Second Corinthians 5 vs 21.)

READ: Romans 10 vs 1- 5:

10:1: Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.

10:2: For I bear them record that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

10:3: For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God.

10:4: For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one who believes.

10:5: For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.

INTIMATION:

Righteousness is the character or quality of being right or just; it was formerly spelt ‘rightwiseness’ which clearly expresses the meaning. It is used to denote an attribute of God. The righteousness of God means essentially the same as His faithfulness, or truthfulness, that which is consistent with His own nature and promises. 

Righteousness is also found in the sayings of the Lord Jesus; (a) of whatever is right or just in itself, whatever conforms to the revealed will of God, (b) whatever has been appointed by God to be acknowledged and obeyed by man, (c) the sum total of the requirements of God, (d) religious duties; distinguished as almsgiving, man’s duty to his neighbor, his duty to God, his duty of self-control, prayer, and fasting.

The apostle Paul, in most of his writing, gives the meaning of righteousness—right action—as that gracious gift of God to men whereby all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ are brought into right relationship with God. The righteousness is unattainable by obedience to any law, or by any merit of man’s own, or any other condition than that of faith in Christ. The man who trusts in Christ becomes ‘ the righteousness of God in Him,’ (Second Corinthians 5 vs 21), that is, man becomes in Christ all that God requires him to be, all that he could never be in himself. 

For instance, because Abraham accepted the Word of God, making it his own by the sequel showing, submitting himself to its control, therefore God accepted him as one who fulfilled the whole of His requirements; “For what does the Scripture say? “ Abraham believed God, and it was accounted for him as righteousness.” (Romans 4 vs 3.)  Righteousness is not said to be imputed to the believer save in the sense that faith is reckoned (imputed) for righteousness. The faith thus exercised brings the soul into vital union with God in Christ, and inevitably produces righteousness of life, that is, conformity to the will of God.

It is noteworthy that in order to be saved by the law, a person would have to live a perfect life, not sinning once, and that is impossible. Then why did God give the law since He knew people couldn’t keep it? According to the apostle Paul, one reason the law was given was to show people how guilty they are (Galatians 3 vs 19). The law was a shadow of Christ, that is, the sacrificial system educated the people so that when the true sacrifice came, they would be able to understand His work (Hebrews 10 vs 1 - 4). The system of ceremonial laws was to last until the coming of Christ. The law points to our need for a Savior.

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 to do is to respond and accept His gift of salvation. We can only hold out our empty hands and receive salvation as a gift.

Prayer: Abba Father, Your unparalleled love for us is beyond human reasoning. I greatly rejoice in Your gift of salvation, the gift that has imputed righteousness to me. My utmost heart’s desire is to respond to Your love by my obedience You, Your Word, and acceptable service to You and others, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

DEGREES OF DENIAL - APRIL 28

DEGREES OF DENIAL - APRIL 28

Matthew 10:33, "But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven."

MATTHEW 10:32-33

This word "deny" can mean a variety of things from as little as "to assert the contrary of" to "to disavow; disown." For example, we can see that it must have been the lesser type of denial which was committed by Peter because God certainly forgave Peter's sin and continued using him. In Hebrews 6:4-6, the Lord states that there is no repentance from total denial of the Lord (Heb. 10:29). Therefore, even though Peter denied (asserted he did not know) the Lord, he did not disown or disavow the Lord.

No believer desires to deny our Lord, but failing to provide for spiritual health is the first step in that direction. Remembering this will help motivate us to seek the Lord as we know we should. It takes more than desire; it takes preparation. We have all been taught how to rely on ourselves, but we have to learn anew how to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might (Eph. 6:10). Just as in the physical realm, muscles have to be exercised to become strong, so we have to exercise ourselves unto Godliness (1 Tim. 4:7).

Many people have been tormented by fear in thinking that they have denied the Lord because of some type of sin in their life. However, God looks on the heart (1 Sam. 16:7) and, regardless of how offensive our actions or words might be, if there is still a place in our hearts where we honor Him, He will not deny us (2 Tim. 2:12-13).

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CHRIST’S VICTORY IS FOR THE CHURCH!

 

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY APRIL 28, 2024.

SUBJECT : CHRIST’S VICTORY IS FOR THE CHURCH!

Memory verse: "I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body', which is the church. (Colossians 1 vs 24.)

READ: Colossians 2 vs 9 - 10; 14 - 15: 

2:9: For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;

2:10: and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

2:14: Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

2:15: Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

INTIMATION: 

After Jesus’ victory over Satan, accomplished in His death and resurrection, all authority has been given to Him in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28 vs 18). All that authority belongs to, and is for the benefit of His body—the church. If He conquered all the forces of darkness and left them paralyzed and broken before He arose from the dead, it is as though the church (and we are the church) had accomplished the mighty work. It is reckoned for us as our credit, because He accomplished all that in His body, of which the church consists.

The question is, ‘When will our hearts take it in, and our minds become fruitful with this mighty unveiling of what we are in Christ?’ God put all things under the feet of Jesus, and had appointed Him the universal and supreme Head of the church—His body, and that in His body lives the full measure of Him Who fills all in all. 

We are His body—the church, therefore, all these malignant, wicked influences are beneath our feet. We have been made masters of them all. He did not defeat them for Himself, but for us. He did not fight that battle for His glory, but for our good. Hence He gave us authority over them; “Behold, I give you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10 vs 19).

Adam had sold us out in his sin of high treason. Jesus redeemed us, defeated our enemy and put him beneath our feet. That knowledge should become as common to us, and as usable as the multiplication table. And when this is done believers will spend less or no time glorying the devil. Instead, they should use that time to glorify Jesus Christ for His triumph over Satan and his cohorts. I hardly give the devil any room to minister his usual lies to me because, by God's grace, I have embraced the truth of what I am in Christ.

We are the fullness of God; "Of His fullness have we all received" (John 1 vs 16). In Jesus Christ is the whole fullness of Godhead, that is, complete expression of the divine nature. And we are in Him, made full, and having come to fullness of life, we too are filled with the Godhead—Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the full spiritual stature. He is not only our fullness, but we are His fullness also. The word, "fullness" comes from a Greek word that is almost untranslatable: "pleroma," which means "completeness," "perfectness," or any other synonym that suggests fullness. 

God in Christ Jesus gave us the triumph over Satan; "But thanks be to God, who always lead us in triumph in Christ." (Second Corinthians 2 vs 14.) That is the Hallelujah chorus of the new creation, and it never becomes real until we begin to confess it, begin to tell to the world what we are in Christ. This redemption wrought for us in Jesus Christ is eternal (Hebrews 9 vs 12). Not just a redemption for the hour in which it was done, but that Satan is as much defeated now as he was when Christ arose from the dead; that he is as much a subject today to the Name of Jesus as he was when Jesus conquered him.

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You most gracious Lord for Your triumph over Satan in Your death, burial, and resurrection for our hope, and for given us Your fullness in Him. You have given us all that pertains to life and godliness. May Your Name forever be praised, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

LOVE AND SERVE GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY APRIL 27, 2024.

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 this 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 heart above all else, making sure we concentrate on those desires that will keep us on the right path—the path of God. When your heart is centered on God, your affections push you in the right direction—the path of God—and consequently, you put boundaries on your desires, and will not do or go after everything you see. 

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

Now, 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, my utmost heart desire is to love and passionately serve You and the interest of Your kingdom with the talents, abilities, and possessions You put in my care. 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!

ABOUT PERSECUTION - APRIL 27

 ABOUT PERSECUTION - APRIL 27

Matthew 10:23, "But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come."

MATTHEW 10:16-26

Persecution is an inevitable part of the Christian life. Persecution is from Satan and is designed to uproot God's Word in our lives by taking our eyes off Jesus. We should not think it is strange to be persecuted. "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (2 Tim. 3:12). We can actually rejoice because we are being persecuted, for Jesus' sake, knowing that the Lord will be with us in the midst of the persecution and that there will be more than ample reward when we stand before Him (Heb. 11:26).

Persecution is an indication that the ones doing the persecuting are under conviction. They realize that they are not living what your words or actions are advocating and so, in defense of self, they attack the ones whom they perceive to be the source of their conviction. If this is understood, it makes persecution much easier to take. They aren't just mad at you; they are convicted. When the Gospel is presented in the power of the Holy Spirit, there will always be either a revival or a riot, but not indifference.

There are many forms of persecution. Having your life threatened because of your faith in Jesus is one way you can be persecuted, but it is not the most damaging. History shows that the Church has always flourished under persecution with increased numbers and zeal. During intense, life-threatening persecution, people's priorities get straightened out and the Lord assumes His rightful place. This always works for our good, regardless of what our outward circumstances might be. Remember it is not you that they are persecuting, but rather Christ in you.

GODLY SORROW LEADS TO REPENTANCE - APRIL 26

 GODLY SORROW LEADS TO REPENTANCE - APRIL 26

Mark 6:12, "And they went out, and preached that men should repent."

MARK 6:7-12

"Repent" comes from the Greek word, "metanoeo," and literally means to have another mind. Repentance is a necessary part of salvation. Repentance may include Godly sorrow, but sorrow does not always include repentance.

Repentance is simply a change of mind accompanied by corresponding actions. There is a Godly type of sorrow and an ungodly type of sorrow. Godly sorrow leads to repentance. Ungodly sorrow, or the sorrow of this world, just kills.

Our culture has rejected all "negative" emotions. But God gave us the capacity for these negative emotions, and there is a proper use of them. Ecclesiastes 7:3 says, "Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better." People should feel bad about sin. There should be sorrow over our failures. However, this sorrow should lead to repentance. Then, when forgiveness is received, our sorrow should be cast upon the Lord (Isa. 53:4).

The Lord's statements to His disciples, the night before His crucifixion, caused them sorrow (Mt. 26:21-22; Jn. 16:6). If they would have let that sorrow lead them to repentance, then they wouldn't have denied the Lord. Peter's sorrow after his denial of Jesus changed him and, certainly, he never regretted the tears he cried.

The sorrow experienced by those who do not turn to God produces only death. They grieve over their situation because they don't turn to God (that's repentance). Christians should only have sorrow until they repent. Once repentance has come, we need to appropriate the forgiveness and cleansing that are already ours through Christ. Godly sorrow that produces repentance leaves us with no regrets. The positive change that our sorrows led us to, changes our attitude towards the things that caused us sorrow. Let the negatives in your life become positives through Jesus.