OUR HEARTS CONTROL OUR BODIES - MAY

 OUR HEARTS CONTROL OUR BODIES - MAY 21

Mark 7:15, "There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man."

MATTHEW 15:1-20; MARK 7:1-23

All of the Old Testament dietary laws were shadows (or pictures) of spiritual truths which would become realities in the New Covenant. These Pharisees (as well as many Christians today) missed all of the spiritual significance of these laws and saw only the physical act.

The real spiritual meaning that these Old Testament dietary laws symbolized was that we were supposed to be holy (separated) unto God in everything - even what we eat. Under the Old Testament law, it was forbidden to eat or to touch certain animals, not because there was anything wrong with the animals, but to illustrate the point of being separated unto God and to serve as a constant reminder of this separation. Under the New Testament, we see that no animal is, or ever was, unclean of itself. The Old Testament designation of certain animals as unclean was purely symbolic, and this is why Jesus could make this statement.

Jesus' statements here refer to more than just the clean and unclean beasts of the Old Testament. He said nothing which enters into a man through his mouth can defile him. This statement cannot be interpreted, however, as condoning any type of abuse we would like to give our body such as gluttony, drug abuse, etc. Rather, Jesus is simply explaining that the condition of the heart of man should be given preeminence over the physical body. The heart of man controls the body of man, not the other way around. Sin doesn't make our heart corrupt, but a corrupt heart makes us sin. God looks on our hearts, and our cleanliness or defilement in His sight is dependent solely on whether or not we have been made clean in our spirits by the blood of the Lamb. The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness

CHRISTIANS’ MISSION ON EARTH!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY MAY 21, 2024.

SUBJECT : CHRISTIANS’ MISSION ON EARTH! 

Memory verse: "Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation." (Second Corinthians 5 vs 18.)

READ: Matthew 28 vs 19 - 20; Mark 16 vs 15:

Matthew 28:19: Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 

28:20: teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Mark 16:15: Go into the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

INTIMATION:

You were made and called for a mission. The earth is an extension of God's kingdom. From creation God has been at work in the world. He created the angels and other heavenly beings to join Him in His work in heaven, and for special missions on earth. He created us to join Him in His work on earth. The aspect of the work He has employed you to join Him to do is called your mission. God wants you to have both a ministry in the Body of Christ and a mission in the world. Your ministry is your service to believers, and your mission is your service to the rest of the world.

The english word 'mission' comes from the Latin word for 'sending.' Being a Christian includes being sent into the world as a representative of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "As the Father has sent Me, I also send you. (John 20 vs 21.) Your life mission is both shared and specific. One part of it is a responsibility you share with every other Christian, and the other part is an assignment that is unique to you. The mission that Christ called us to is called “The Great Commission,” which was given to all followers of Christ, not just pastors and missionaries alone. This mission given to us by Jesus is mandatory, and to ignore it is disobedience.

Jesus clearly understood His life mission on earth. At age twelve He said, "I must be about My Father's business." (Luke 2 vs 49), and twenty-one years later, dying on the cross, He said, "It is finished." John 19 vs 30.) Like the bookends these two statements frame a well-lived, and purposeful life. Jesus completed the mission the Father gave Him. The mission Jesus had while on earth is now our mission because we are the Body of Christ. What He did in His physical body we are to continue as His spiritual body—the church. 

Our mission, therefore, is introducing people to God! Christ changed us from enemies into His friends and gave us the task of making others His friends also. Because we have been reconciled to God, we have the privilege of encouraging others to do the same. God wants to redeem human beings from Satan and reconcile them to Himself so we can fulfill the five purposes He created us for: to love Him, to be part of His family, to become like Him, to serve Him, and to tell others about Him. 

Once we are His, God uses us to reach others. He saves us and then sends us out. The Bible says, "We are ambassadors of Christ.”  (Second Corinthians 5 vs 20.) We are the messengers of God's love and purposes to the world, and imploring others on behalf of Christ, to be reconciled to God. 

All believers are the ambassadors of Christ. We are messengers and agents of Christ mandated to continue the work He started. Jesus did two things with us; He called us to Himself, and commissioned us to go for Him. This mission given to us by Christ is so significant that He repeated it five times; in five different ways, and in five different books of the Bible. The emphasis connotes how important and demanding of us it is to Christ. 

You may have been unaware that God holds you responsible for the unbelievers who live around you. The Bible, in Ezekiel 3 vs 18, says, "When I say to a wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand." We are responsible to tell others about God's judgement and His message of salvation, although we are not held responsible for how they respond. But if we refuse to tell others what we know, God will judge us. Therefore, remember God's words to Ezekiel when you are tempted to remain silent among those who don't believe.

The pertinent questions you should ask, and the answers to them are; (1) When do you go? Now! (2) Where do you go? To the world beginning with where you are now. (3) Why do you go? Because it is mandatory to tell others about Christ, sharing your own experience and knowledge of Him, and (4) How do you do the work? Witnessing for Christ, preaching the gospel of repentance and remission of sins, ensuring that those who believed are baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to do everything Jesus said we should do.

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for the privilege of calling me to the mission of reconciling others to You. Give me the grace to be committed to this mission with great zeal, preaching the Good News to all, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

TRADITION NEUTRALIZES - MAY 20

 TRADITION NEUTRALIZES - MAY 20

Mark 7:13, "Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye."

MARK 7:1-13

Deuteronomy 4:2 clearly states "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it . . . ." This same thought is repeated in the New Testament in Revelation 22:18-19 with very stiff penalties. Religious man is very swift to observe the part about not diminishing any of God's commandments, but there seems to be an unwritten law that adding to them is okay. Every denomination has its own set of "do's and don'ts" which aren't found in scripture, and like those of the hypocritical Pharisees, their unwritten laws usually have to do with outward appearance.

We need to remember that adding to God's commandments is just as bad as taking away from them. We need to speak when the Bible speaks, and be silent when the Bible is silent.

The commandments of God and the traditions of men are not the same thing and must always be clearly distinguished. Any attempt to place them on the same level will always result in making the Word of God of none effect. You have to either "lay aside" the commandment of God to keep the traditions of men or you have to "lay aside" the traditions of men to keep the commandments of God (Ex. 20:3). Church liturgy is tradition, as well as many of the "do's and don'ts" taught by churches today. We can neutralize the positive power of God's Word toward us, and nothing will do that quicker than elevating man's traditions above God's Word. God's Word is still true (Rom. 3:3-4) and will not return to Him void (Isa. 55:11).

The Word will not profit anyone who doesn't believe it, but God's Word itself doesn't lose any power. If some do not believe God's Word, does that make God's Word of no effect? The answer to this question is a resounding "no!" God's Word still has its power to save, and it will profit you when you mix it with faith.

HELPING THE NEEDY!

 

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY MAY 20, 2024.

SUBJECT : HELPING THE NEEDY! 

Memory verse: "He who gives to the poor will not lack, but He who hides his eyes will have many curses.” (Proverbs 28 vs 27.)

READ: Isaiah 58 vs 7 - 12: 

58:7: Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to house the poor who are cast out; when you see the naked, that you cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh?

58:8: Then your light break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.

58:9: Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shalt cry, and He will say, “Here I am.” “If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,

58:10: If you extend your soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then your light shall dawn in darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday.

58:11: The LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

58:12: Those from among you shall build the old waste places; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; and you shalt be called the repairer of the breach, The restorer of streets to Dwell In.

INTIMATION:

God wants us to identify with the needy, not ignore them. The Scripture makes it clear that those who open their eyes to human need shall be blessed. The Scripture says, “There is one who scatters, yet increases more; and there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty. The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself.” (Proverbs 11 vs 24 - 25). These two verses present a paradox: We become richer by being generous. The world says to hold on to as much as possible, but these verses say God blesses those who give freely their possessions, time, and energy. Remember, “He who gives to the poor will not lack.”

When we give, God supplies us with more so that we can give more. In addition, giving helps us gain a right perspective on our possessions. We realize they were never really ours to begin with, but were given to us by God to be used to help others. What then do we gain by giving: Freedom from enslavement to our possessions, the joy of helping others, and God’s approval. The apostle Paul promises that God will supply all our needs (Philippians 4 vs 19); He usually does this through other people. What can you do today to help God supply someone’s need? 

In the passage we read today, God demands our personal involvement in caring for others’ needs. Anyone who does not help God’s people is God’s enemy. If you have withheld your help from someone in a time of need, this is sin. The Scripture says, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin“ (James 4 vs 17). Sin includes not only what we do, but also what we refuse to do. Don’t ignore or refuse to help those in need. When a Christian brother or sister suffers, we all suffer (First Corinthians 12 vs 26). We should help needy believers, not exploit them. Make it a practice to help those in need around you. 

God promises that those who care for the needy will be restored and the power of a new life shall break forth from them speedily, their rightness or right relationship with God shall go before them and conducting them to peace and prosperity, and the glory of the Lord shall be their rear guard. God will hear and answer them when they call on Him, and when they cry to Him, He will say, “Here I am.” Their light shall rise in darkness, and their obscurity and gloom become like the noonday. They are assured of God’s guidance continually, and His satisfying their needs in drought, and they shall be like a watered garden and like a spring of water that will never fail. Any ruins around them, no matter how old, will be rebuild, and they raise up foundation for new buildings. 

It is everyone’s responsibility to care for those less fortunate, and helping the poor is also an active part of religious life. God counts on believers to provide for the needy, and we should use what God has given us to aid those less fortunate. Look beyond your regular giving and think of ways to help the needy. This will help you show your regard for God as Creator of all people, share God’s goodness with others, and draw them to Him. It is a practical and essential way to make faith work in everyday life.

Many times we do nothing, not because we lack compassion, but because we are overwhelmed by the size of the problem and don’t know where to begin. God doesn’t expect you to eliminate poverty, nor does he expect you to neglect you family while providing for others. He does, however, expect that when you see an individual in need, you will reach out with whatever help you can offer, including hospitality. Some people are prejudiced against needy people or they cause them inconvenience. Instead of being annoyed, be aware of the opportunities that surround you, and make an effort to look for ways to minister to others. If your convictions don’t allow to help certain people, your convictions may not be in tune with God’s Word. It easy to ignore the poor or forget about those who have less than we do. But God desires generosity. 

Prayer: Abba Father, give me the grace to extend helping hands to the needy according to the resources You have entrusted in my care, and that I may bear others burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

TAKING OFF THE MASKS - MAY 19

 TAKING OFF THE MASKS - MAY 19

Mark 7:6, "He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me."

MARK 7:6-9

This is the biblical definition of a hypocrite, "someone whose words and heart (actions) don't agree." A hypocrite may act the part of a Christian or he may talk like Christ, but he won't do both. When both confession and action from the heart are consistent with God's Word, there is salvation (Rom. 10:9-10).

The word "hypocrite" comes from the Greek word "hupokrites," meaning "the playing of a part on the stage; an actor." It was a custom for Greek and Roman actors to use large masks, when acting, to disguise their true identity. Hence, hypocrisy became "the feigning of beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not hold or possess; insecurity" (American Heritage Dictionary).

The dictionary defines "dissimulate" as "to disguise under a feigned appearance." The Greek word means "without hypocrisy, unfeigned." It has become customary in our society to conceal our real feelings behind a hypocritical mask. Although we should be tactful and not purposely say things to offend people, there is a time and a place for speaking the truth, even if it isn't popular.

In Leviticus 19:17, the Lord said, "Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him." This verse is saying that if we fail to rebuke our brother when we see sin approaching, then we hate him. Many people have concealed their true feelings about evil under the pretense of, "I just love them too much to hurt their feelings." The truth is, they just love themselves too much to run the risk of being rejected. That's hypocrisy. Motives - not actions - are usually what makes a person a hypocrite. Let God's love be your motivation today and everyday.

CONTENTMENT IS A GODLY VIRTUE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY MAY 19, 2024.

SUBJECT : CONTENTMENT IS A GODLY VIRTUE!

Memory verse: "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13  vs 5.)

READ: First Timothy 6 vs 6 - 11:

6:6: Now godliness with contentment is great gain.

6:7: For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

6:8: And having food and clothing with these we shall be content.

6:9: But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

INTIMATION:

Contentment is satisfaction, it primarily signifies to be sufficient, and happy with one's situation in life. Contentment is a godly virtue, and carries great gain. In the passage we read today, the apostle Paul lays a solid foundation for a godly living; being content in any circumstances you find yourself, and seeing life from God's perspective, and being grateful for all God has given you. The statement in our memory verse is the key to spiritual growth and personal fulfillment. God has said it, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." In realization of these facts, our contentment should be in God who made and owns all things.

The bane of humanity before the coming of the Savior was as a result of lack of contentment. Eve was approached by Satan in the Garden of Eden, where she and Adam lived. Satan questioned her contentment. How could she be happy when she was not allowed to eat from one of the fruit trees. Satan helped Eve shift her focus from all that God had done and given to the one thing He had withheld. And Eve was willing to accept Satan’s viewpoint without checking with God. 

Our attention is often drawn from the much that is ours to the little that isn’t. We get that “I’ve got to have it” feeling. Eve was typical of us all, and we consistently show we are her descendants by repeating her mistakes. Our desires, like Eve’s, can be quite easily manipulated. They are not the best basis for actions. We need to keep God in our decision-making processes always. His Word, the Bible, is our guidebook in decision-making.

The Tenth of the’Ten Commandments’ of God harps on covetousness, which is an offshoot of discontentment. To covet is to wish to have the possessions of others. It goes beyond simply admiring someone else’s possessions, or thinking, “I’d like to have one of those.” Coveting includes enviously resenting the fact that others have what you don’t. God knows, however, that possessions never make anyone happy for long. 

Since only God can supply all our needs, true contentment is found only in Him. When you begin to covet, try to determine if a simple selfish need is leading you to envy. For example, you may covet someone’s success, not because you want to take it away from him, but because you would like to feel as appreciated by others as he is. If this is the case, pray that God will help you deal with your resentment and meet your basic needs.

We deceive ourselves when we measure our happiness or contentment in life by the amount of wealth we possess. When we put riches at the top of our value system, we let power, pleasure, and financial security overshadow the eternal value of our relationship with God. We think we will be happy or content when we get riches, only to discover that they don’t really satisfy, and their pleasures fade away. The true measurement of happiness or contentment is found in God’s love and in doing His will. You will find true happiness if you put your relationship with God above earthly riches.

Are you able to be content (get along happily) in any circumstances you find yourself? In the epistle of the apostle Paul to the believers in Philippi (Philippians 4 vs 10 - 14), he stated his knowledge of how to be content whether he had plenty or whether he was in need. The secret was drawing on Christ’s power for strength. Do you have great needs, or are you discontented because you don’t have what you want? Learn to rely on God’s promises and Christ’s power to help you be content. If you always want more, ask God to remove that desire and teach you contentment in every circumstance. He will supply all your needs, but in a way that He knows is best for you.

However, we should separate our needs from our wants. God knows our needs even before we say it (Matthew 6 vs 32), and has promised to meet them (Philippians 4 vs 19). Your wants are mostly those things you require to feel good, and avoid discomfort or pain. But God never promised that life here on earth ‘is a bed of roses.’ Often, our wants are our desires to fill perceived empty places in our lives. But do we really need to fill the empty places? Are they really our needs? The answer lies in our perspective, our priorities, and source of power. We may not get all we want, but surely will get all we need. By trusting in Christ, our attitudes and appetites can change from wanting everything to accepting His provision and power to live for Him.

How can you learn to be content? Strive to live with less rather than desiring more; give away out of your abundance rather than accumulating more; relish what you have rather than resent what you're missing. See God's love expressed in what he has provided, and remember that money and possessions will pass away (First John 2 vs 17). We become content when we realize God's sufficiency for our needs. Christians who become materialistic are saying by their actions that God can't take care of them, or that He won't take care of them the way they want. The only antidote is to trust God to meet all our needs.

Prayer: Abba Father, my sufficiency is in You, and You are able to make all grace abound toward me, that I may have sufficiency in all things. Make me to be content in You, abounding in every good work, to live for You now, and live in eternity with You, in Jesus' Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

BENEFITS OF CONSISTENT DEVOTION TO GOD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY MAY 18, 2024. 

SUBJECT : BENEFITS OF CONSISTENT DEVOTION TO GOD!

Memory verse: "Those who trust in the LIRD are like Mount Zion which cannot be moved, but abides forever." (Psalm 125 vs 1.)

READ: Psalm 91 vs 9 - 12; 14 - 16:

91:9: Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place.

91:10: No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;

91:11: For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.

91:12: in their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.

91:14: Because He has set His love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.

91:15: He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. 

91:16: With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.

INTIMATION:

The person who trusts in God and obeys His commands is untouchable until God takes him or her. If we dwell and abide with Him, by entrusting ourselves to His protection and pledging our daily devotion to Him, we will be kept safe. To trust God is to have immeasurable peace.

No other scenario in the Scriptures, perhaps, most buttresses this point than the story of Daniel. Daniel was one of three governors set over his kingdom by King Darius. Daniel distinguished himself above other governors and satraps that the king gave thought to set him over the whole realm of his kingdom. Daniel had an excellent spirit in him, and consequently made enemies at work, and they sought to find a charge against him. He was, at that time, over 80 years old.

Daniel was a determined man, consistent in his devotion to God. He wouldn't bow to just any wish, even if it came from the emperor himself. Daniel kept praying to the God of Israel, the God he believed in. He stood for his convictions and would not redirect his prayers to a person he knew was a mortal.

In Babylon, the kings word was law. In the Medo-Persian empire, however, when a law was made, even the king couldn't change it. King Darius was an effective government administrator, but he had a fatal flaw—pride. By appealing to his vanity, the men talked Darius into signing a law effectively making him a God for 30 days, and that whoever petitions any god or man except king Darius, shall be cast into the lions' den. For praying to God, Daniel was guilty, and was to be food for hungry beasts in the king's special execution pits.

So Daniel was sentenced to the lions’ pit, and the sentence was carried out. But the lions did not disturb him. Although he sat right beside them, they didn't touch him. Daniel himself, walked out of the pit the next morning, alive and well. Why would lions suddenly go on a hunger strike? Lions eat only when hungry, not for recreation. And the whole point of having a bunch of lions caged up was to keep them hungry. The ancients would typically starve lions so they could watch the ferocious lions tear up the ones convicted. 

In accordance with Persian custom, this cruel punishment was transferred to those who had conspired against the king by provoking him into an unjust action (See also Esther 7 vs 9 - 10). The king’s great anger resulted in the execution of the evil officials and their families. The fact that these lions were starving is proven by how they savagely tore apart Daniel's false accusers. These were hungry lions. Evil deeds often backfire on those who plan cruelty.

Then what kept these lions from devouring Daniel? Though, to many It remains a mystery how Daniel survived a night trapped in a pit filled with hungry lions. Nonetheless, the Almighty God, whom Daniel worship consistently, sedated the lions’ wild instincts for just that night. Daniel himself put it more directly: "My God sent his angel to shut the lions' mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in His sight" (Daniel 6 vs 22). 

Prayer: Abba Father, You are ever faithful, and Your companionship is sure for those who consistently obey, and put their trust in You. Endue me with the spirit of complete obedience , and devotion to You, that I may stand sure of Your protection, and fellowship with You at all times, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!