BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY JUNE 22, 2024.

SUBJECT: BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS!

Memory verse: "You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thornbushes, or figs of thistles?" (Matthew 7 vs 16.)

READ: Matthew 7 vs 15 - 20:

7:15: Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

7:16: You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thornbrushes, or figs of thistles?

7:17: Even so, every good tree bears good fruit; but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

7:18: A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.

7:19: Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire.

7:20: Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

INTIMATION: 

There are those who claim to be followers of Christ, but in actual facts they are wolves in sheep’s clothing, deceiving believers with their seemingly godly actions. The Scripture calls them ‘False prophets.’ They are very common today, and prophesy only what the people want to hear, claiming it is God’s message even when it is obvious that the people and the nation are wallowing in sin, and not following God’s ways. 

Their words usually sound religious but they are motivated by money, fame, or power. You can tell who they are because in their teaching they minimize Christ and glorify themselves. We should not be fooled by smooth talk and glowing word. Their miracles are short-lived, their teachings hardly point out people’s sins. They allow and even encourage all kinds of immorality, especially sexual sin. We must be careful to avoid them today. 

Their works can come through books, tape series, or TV messages, and must be evaluated in the light of God’s Word. Beware of special meanings or interpretations that belittle Christ or His work. God admonishes us in the Scripture, thus, “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; They speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the Lord. They continually say to those who despise Me, ‘The Lord has said, “You shall have peace”’; and to everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart, they say, ‘No evil shall come upon you.’” (Jeremiah 23 vs 16 - 17.)

Christians who study God’s Word, asking the Holy Spirit l to reveal the truth, will not be fooled, even though superficial Christians may easily be taken in. The Bible gives us example of believers who carefully checked God’s Word in Acts 17 vs 11; “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily, to find out whether these things were so.” 

True nobility in the sight of God is that one allow God to speak to him through His inspired Word. Those who do not allow God to speak to them through the Bible will be mislead either by their emotions, traditions, or the teachings of the false prophets or teachers. 

The Bible says, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone into the world.” (First John 4 vs 1.) There are many ways to test teachers to see if their message is truly from God. One way is to see if their words match what God says in the Bible. Other tests include their commitment to the body of believers, their lifestyles, and the fruit of their ministries. But the most important test of all is what they believe about Christ and the Word of God. 

Our world is filled with voices claiming to speak for God. We should evaluate their words by examining their lives. Just as trees are consistent in the kind of fruit they produce, good teachers or prophets consistently exhibit good behavior and high moral character as they seek to live out the truth of Scriptures. This does not mean that they are perfect, but rather striving to lead a godly lifestyle. 

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the excellent spirit of humility, and obedience to Your Word, that I may please You and have fellowship with You at all times. Give me the grace to prove all things in accordance with the Scriptures, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

How We Must Fight for Holiness

 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14)

There is a practical holiness without which we will not see the Lord. Many live as if this were not so.

There are professing Christians who live such unholy lives that they will hear Jesus’s dreadful words, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matthew 7:23). Paul says to professing believers, “If you live according to the flesh you will die” (Romans 8:13).

So, there is a holiness without which no one will see the Lord. And learning to fight for holiness by faith in future grace is supremely important. 

There is another way to pursue holiness that backfires and leads to death. Paul warns us against serving God any other way than by faith in his enabling grace. God is not “served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything” (Acts 17:25). Any effort to serve God that does not, in that very act, depend on him as the reward of our hearts and the power of our service, will dishonor him as a needy pagan god.

Peter describes the alternative to such self-reliant service of God, “Whoever serves, [let him do so] as one who serves by the strength that God supplies — in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 4:11). And Paul says, “I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me” (Romans 15:18; see also 1 Corinthians 15:10). 

Moment by moment, grace arrives to enable us to do “every good work” that God appoints for us. “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8). 

The fight for good works is a fight to believe the promises of future grace.

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BE NOT ANXIOUS RATHER PRAY!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY JUNE 21. 2024.

SUBJECT : BE NOT ANXIOUS RATHER PRAY!

Memory verse: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God" (Philippians 4 vs 6).

READ: Matthew 6 vs 25 - 33:

6:25: Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

6:26: Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

6:27: Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

6:28: So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;

6:29: And yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

6:30: Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

6:31: Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' Or 'What shall we drink?' Or 'What shall we wear?'

6:32: For all these things the Gentiles seek. For your Heavenly Father knows that you needs all these things.

6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

INTIMATION:

Anxiety is being uneasy with fear, worry, crave or desire regarding something, In our memory verse, the Scripture tells us not fret or worry about anything. Instead pray concerning anything that makes you fret. Imagine not worrying or being anxious for anything! It seems like an impossibility; we all have worries on the job, in our homes, in our business, at school, etc. Worry or anxiety in itself can change nothing. Take the required action of committing all things in prayers to the Owner of the whole world. The reason we worry or burn with anxiety is because we have not trusted God and His promises enough. 

Don’t fret or worry, instead of worrying, commit everything in the hands of God in prayer. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. There is nothing impossible with, nor difficult for God. Therefore, steep your life in God’s reality, put Him first in your life; let Him fill your thoughts with His desires, take His character for your pattern, and serve and obey Him in everything.

In turning your worries into prayers, locate in the Scriptures the promise of God relevant to your situation, and put Him into remembrance of His promises (Isaiah 43 vs 26), He hastens to perform His Word (Jeremiah 1 vs 12.) Then rest assured you will receive your petition because you have prayed according to His will. The Scripture says, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask any thing according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked Him.” (First John 5 vs 14 - 15.)

In the passage we read today, Jesus tells us to stop worrying about those needs that God promises to supply. God knows you have those needs (Matthew 6 vs 32), and He is well able to supply your needs. Worry has its negative effects on us; it may damage your health, cause the object of your worry to consume your thoughts, disrupt your productivity, negatively affect the way you treat others, reduce your ability to trust in God. Worry immobilizes, but genuine concern moves you to action.

Worry is distinct from planning. Planning for tomorrow is time well spent, worrying about tomorrow is time wasted. Sometimes it is difficult to tell the difference. Careful planning is thinking ahead about goals, steps, and schedules, and trusting in God's guidance. When done well, planning can help alleviate worry. Worriers, by contrast, are consumed by fear and find it difficult to trust God. They let their plans interfere with their relationship with God. Don't let worries about tomorrow affect your relationship with God today.

Carrying your worries, stresses, and daily struggles by yourself shows that you have not trusted God fully with your life. It takes humility, however, to recognize that God cares. Many a time we run away from God because of our sin, thinking that struggles caused by our own sin and foolishness are not God's concern. But when we turn to God in repentance, He will bear the weight even of those struggles. Letting God have your anxieties calls for action, not passively. Don't submit to circumstances, but to the Lord who control circumstances.

Prayers: Abba Father, my trust is in You for I know You will never leave me nor forsake me. Daily You load me with Your benefits. My soul blesses, and rejoices in You. I put my cares upon You, knowing You care for me. Give me the grace not to be anxious for anything, but rather surrender everything in prayers to Your hands, in Jesus' Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

The Satisfaction That Defeats Sin

 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35)

What we need to see here is that the essence of faith is being satisfied with all that God is for us in Christ.

Defining faith this way emphasizes two things. One is the God-centeredness of faith. It is not merely the promises of God that satisfy us. It is all that God himself is for us in Jesus. Faith embraces God in Christ as our treasure — not just God’s promised gifts.

Faith banks its hope not just on the real estate of the age to come, but on the fact that God will be there (Revelation 21:3). “I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.’” 

And even now what faith embraces most earnestly is not just the reality of sins forgiven (as precious as that is), but the presence of the living Christ in our hearts and the fullness of God himself. In Ephesians 3:17–19 Paul prays “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith . . . that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

The other thing emphasized in defining faith as being satisfied with all that God is for us in Jesus is the term “satisfaction.” Faith is the quenching of the soul’s thirst at the fountain of God. In John 6:35 we see that “believing” means “coming” to Jesus to eat and drink the “bread of life” and the “living water” (John 4:10, 14), which are nothing other than Jesus himself. 

Here is the secret of the power of faith to break the enslaving force of sinful attractions. If the heart is satisfied with all that God is for us in Jesus, the power of sin to lure us away from the wisdom of Christ is broken.

Grace Is Pardon — and Power!

 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 simply leniency when we have sinned. Grace is the enabling gift and power of God not to sin. Grace is power, not just pardon. 

This is plain, for example, in 1 Corinthians 15:10. Paul describes grace as the enabling power of his work. It is not simply the pardon of his sins; it is the power to press on in obedience. “I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.”

Therefore, the effort we make to obey God is not an effort done in our own strength, but “by the strength that God supplies — in order that in everything God may be glorified” (1 Peter 4:11). It is the obedience of faith. Faith in God’s ever-arriving gracious power to enable us to do what we should.

Paul confirms this in 2 Thessalonians 1:11–12 by calling each of our acts of goodness a “work of faith,” and by saying that the glory this brings to Jesus is “according to the grace of our God” because it happens “by his power.” Listen for all those phrases:

To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The obedience that gives God pleasure is produced by the power of God’s grace through faith. The same dynamic is at work at every stage of the Christian life. The power of God’s grace that saves through faith (Ephesians 2:8) is the same power of God’s grace that sanctifies through faith.

GODLINESS IS PROFITABLE IN ALL THINGS!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY JUNE 20, 2024.

SUBJECT : GODLINESS IS PROFITABLE IN ALL THINGS!

Memory verse: "For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” (First Timothy 4 vs 8.)

READ: Mark 10 vs 29 - 30:

10:29: So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My sake, and the gospel's,

10:30: who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.

INTIMATION:

Godliness is to be devoutful; it is that piety which is characterized by a Godward attitude. It is doing that which is well-pleasing to God. The power to lead a godly life comes from God. God allows us to be partakers of the divine nature (Second Peter 1 vs 3) in order to keep us from sin and help us live for Him. When we are born again, God by His Spirit empowers us with His own goodness. 

In godliness there is great reward. The apostle Paul, in his letter to Timothy—his true son in faith—noted that godliness is profitable for all things both here, and in eternity. The benefits of loving God is here now, and in the future. However, you can’t follow God if you don’t love Him. Jesus said, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” (John 14 vs 23.) Imagine where you have God the Father and the Son make their home with you! Life definitely will be at its best.

Jesus told the disciples that no follower of Him will ever lose anything at the end. For whatever loss you may suffer in following Him, you will undoubtedly recover several times over at the end. Knowing all these, what will ever stop anybody from following Him. Godliness is key to spiritual growth and personal fulfillment. We should honor God and center our desires on Him, and we should be content with what God is doing in our lives.

Godliness cannot be possible in the life of a believer without the help of Christ. We can’t please God on our own; we must depend on Christ, and His divine nature. As a man, Jesus lived a perfect life, and so He is a perfect example of how to live. As God, Jesus gives us the power to do what is right. It is possible to live godly life—through following Christ. 

The power to lead a godly life comes from God. Because we don’t have the resources to be truly godly. God allows us to be partakers of His divine nature in order to keep us from sin and help us live for Him. When we are born again, God by His Spirit empowers us with His own goodness. 

God has supplied us with everything in this life that is necessary for living according to His directions and for developing a nature that prepares us for eternal dwelling. One of these things certainly includes the word of God. It is through the word of God that we learn how to conduct our lives according to the Will of God. The word of God is certainly the guide that we must follow in order to be certain concerning the conduct of our lives in godly behavior and living. 

Though bodily exercise is not wrong, however, focusing on the admiration of the flesh as opposed to concentration on the spiritual development of the inner man is profitable only a little because our physical health is susceptible to disease and injury, Therefore, we should concentrate more on exercising the soul unto godly health than on physical body. Godly health profits is not only in this life, but also in the life to come. Those who focus continually on the flesh, have turned their thinking inward to themselves, and not on that which will dwell throughout eternity. 

Godliness must be expressed in our behavior, not just in appearance. A pious or godly look can be deceitful. The appearance of godliness includes; going to church, knowing Christian doctrine, using Christian cliches, and following a community’s Christian traditions. Such practices can make a person look good, but if the inner attitudes of belief, love, and worship are lacking, the outer appearance is meaningless. The apostle Paul warned us not to be deceived by people who only appear to be Christians at first, but their daily behavior will give them away. 

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of godliness, exercising myself in my inner man for spiritual growth, godly living, and give me the grace to follow You to the end, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

PLAY NOT TO THE GALLERY!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY JUNE 19, 2024.

SUBJECT : PLAY NOT TO THE GALLERY!

Memory verse: "But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.” (Matthew 23 vs 5.)

READ: Matthew 6 vs 1 - 6:

6:1: Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

6:2: Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.

6:3: But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

6:4: that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

6:5: And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Assuredly I say to you, they have their reward.

6:6: But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

INTIMATION:

Playing to the gallery is trying to impress the general public. God is personal, and relates with us on personal grounds, not on public opinion about us. God is interested in the motives of our actions; what is the cause or the purpose for our actions. The act might be right but the motive wrong, and when the motive is wrong, don’t expect any response from God. 

We see such incidents in fund raising activities in our churches or meetings. Many of the members, in want of public acclaim, will come out to announce their donations. The action of donating in support of church activities is good, but their motive of wanting public acclaim by members is wrong. Some people are very much interested in personal recognition and acknowledgement given to them. And that is pride which God detests greatly. 

Many people do good acts for appearance and recognition by the crowd, not really out of devotion. And the fallout of such in our churches are numerous incidents of unredeemed pledges and donations. Jesus used the word “Hypocrites,” to describe such people who do good acts for appearances only—not out of compassion or other good motives. Their actions may be good, but their motives are hollow. These empty acts are their only reward, but God will reward those who are sincere in their faith.

It is obvious that when we do something well, we want to tell others and be recognized. But recognition is tempting—it can lead to inflated pride. How much better it is to seek the praise of God rather than the praise of people. Then, when we receive praise, we will be free to give God the credit. What should you change about the way you live in order to receive God’s commendation? 

When we pray, when we fast, and when we give, the Bible says that we must be pure in our motives. If we do what we do for the sake of being seen by others, then being seen by others is our only reward. If, however, we do what we do in obedience to God, then God will reward us. If you have given tithes and offerings and have not been blessed, this may be the reason for it.

In the passage we read today, Jesus again exposed the hypocritical attitudes of the religious leaders. They knew the Scriptures but did not live by them. They don’t care about being holy—just looking holy in order to receive people’s admiration and praise. Today, like the Pharisees, many people say they follow Jesus, but they don’t live by His standards of love. We must make sure that our actions match our beliefs.

When Jesus says not to let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, He is teaching that our motives for giving to God and others must be pure. It is easy to give with mixed motives, such as, giving or doing something for someone because it will benefit you in return. So many believers hide under the cloak of the Scripture such as: “A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men” (Proverbs 18 vs 16), to give for personal gains, expecting some favor in return. But believers should avoid all scheming and give for the pleasure of giving and as a response to God’s love. 

God only rewards such gifts that are devotionally motivated, not those that are with attachments of returns or favor. The Bible is explicit on this when it said, “He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD; and He will pay back what he has  given.” (Proverbs 19 vs 17.) Jesus said, “And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the thankful and evil.” (Luke 6 vs 34 - 35.)

It’s easier to do what’s right when we gain recognition and praise. To be sure our motives are not selfish, we should do our good deeds quietly and/or in secret, with no thought of reward. Jesus says we should check our motives in three areas: generosity, prayer, and fasting. Those acts should not be self-centered but God-centered, done not to make us look good but to make God look good. The reward God promises is not material, and it is never given to those who seek it. Doing something only for ourselves is not a loving sacrifice. With your next good deed, ask, “Would I still do this if no one would ever know I did it?”

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of love and selflessness, that I will put You first and others next in my motives of doing good, and that love will permeate all I do, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!