The All-sufficiency Of Christ

 

The All-sufficiency Of Christ

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God – the one who is, and who was, and who is still to come – the All-Powerful! — Rev 1:8 NET

It is hardly needful to explain that these are the first and last letters in the Greek alphabet. They represent all the intervening letters which they enclose as in a golden clasp. This majestic announcement refers to the Eternal God. His Nature underlies the whole created Universe, all races of being, the entire work of redemption, the destiny of His children, and the ultimate victory of righteousness and peace. “Of Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things, to Whom be glory for ever and ever.” Let us, for a moment, join with the ceaseless chant of Heaven, saying: “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which is and which was and which is to come.” We must never rush into His presence without due preparation and reverence of heart.

Jesus Christ is the Complement of our Need. From the alphabet of His Being we may obtain all the letters and words which will make good our own deficiencies. It is a question whether some of us would ever have learnt the fullness of Jesus, if we had not been brought face to face with the infinite needs of our own nature and condition. You may engage your guide in an Alpine village, but you only realise all the qualities that lie hidden within him when you have crossed the glaciers, bridged the yawning chasms, and escaped the descending avalanche through his knowledge and care. So as we walk with Jesus we find in Him the complement of our need.

Loneliness is an opportunity for Jesus to make Himself known as the Living One (Rev 1:17). When, like the beloved Apostle on the Lord’s Day in his lonely isle, you seem to hear songs and prayers on which you can only join in spirit, turn to the Lord Himself, and reckon on Him to bear you company. That loneliness constitutes a claim on Him! Call upon His Name out of the lowest dungeon. He will not hide His ear at thy breathing or thy cry. He will draw near in the day when thou callest upon Him, and will say, Fear not! He will plead the causes of thy soul; He will redeem thy life. The site of Polycarp’s death is still visible above the Smyrna coast-line and harbour; but Jesus stood there with him, enabling him to be faithful unto death, and encircling his brow with the Crown of Life. Be thou faithful unto death; the First and the Last is with thee! “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me!”

Prayer

Be Thou, O Lord, the Alpha and the Omega of every year, month, day, hour, and act of my life. Let all things be begun, continued and ended in Thee Amen.

THERE IS GREAT POWER IN THE WORD OF GOD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY JULY 29,, 2024.

SUBJECT : THERE IS GREAT POWER IN THE WORD OF GOD!

Memory verse: "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4 vs 12.)

READ: Isaiah 55 vs 8 - 11:

55:8: "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. 

55:9: For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.

55:10: "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

55:11: So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

INTIMATION:

The Word of God and God is One (John 1 vs 1). The Word is the revealed Will of God (Hebrews 10 vs 7). The written Word (Logos) is the message from the Lord, delivered with His authority and made effective by His power. The spoken Word (Rhema) is putting God into work with His power available to perform it. God is ever ready to perform His Word spoken in faith. The Bible states, “Then the LORD said to me, You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.” (Jeremiah 1 vs 12.)

The significance of Rhema (spoken Word), as distinct from Logos (written Word) is exemplified in the injunction in the Scripture, to take "the sword of the Spirit, which the Word of God (Ephesians 6 vs 17). Here the reference is not to the whole Bible as such, but to the individual Scripture which the Spirit brings to our remembrance for use in time of need, a prerequisite being the regular stuffing of the mind with Scriptures.

The word of God is living, life-changing, and dynamic as it works in us. It reveals who we are and what we are not. It penetrates the core of our moral and spiritual life. It discerns what is within us, both good and evil. The demands of God's Word require decisions. We must not only listen to the Word, we must also let it shape our lives.

In Acts 20 vs 32, the Bible says, "And now I commend you to God, and to the Word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you the inheritance among all them that are sanctified." We are commended to God and the Word of His grace. This Word builds the Christ nature and the love nature of the Father into the individual. In other words, God is building Himself into us, making Himself a part of us as the Word dominates, rules and satisfies our spirit nature. Just as the Nature of God; immortal and all powerful, so is His Word; powerful and abides forever. God created all things by His Word, therefore, the creative ability and power is in the Word. 

We bring the power of God to bear in any circumstance or challenge of life when we bring the Word to bear in that circumstance or situation. Consequently, we become over-comers by the Word, as it is written, "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony..." (Revelation 12 vs 11). When the Word is built up in you, the exploiting power of God is readily available to you, and you are an overcomer in any life's circumstances you face. This is because whatever you ask of the Lord is done for you: "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you." (John 15 vs 7.)

The Bible, in Colossians 3 vs 16, says, "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom......" We can only dwell in Christ and Him in us through His Word. It is in the Word dwelling richly in us that we are enabled to do all things through Him that strengthens us (Philippians 4 vs 13). Jesus Christ says, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." (John 15 vs 5.)

This counsel of the apostle Paul to believers in Colosse is one of the most striking sentences in his epistle. It means giving the Word—the message of Christ—plenty of room in your life. It is not only committing the Word to memory, which is valuable, but letting that Word become an integral part of your being, that is letting the Word live in and rule you that you may lead a life of exceeding exploits. The Word dwelling in you is equivalent to Christ personally being in you. The glory of God becomes your inheritance when Christ dwells in you. (Colossians 1 vs 28.)

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of continual meditation in Your Word, and Your Word dwell richly in me, that I may lead a life of exploits via Your Word, in Jesus' Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Abiding In Christ

 Abiding In Christ

“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me – and I in him – bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing. — John 15:5 NET

Our savour’s perennial joy was due to His unceasing endeavour to minister help and blessing to others. He saved others; He could not save Himself. He said: “I am the true Vine,” i.e., the vine was made by Him in creation to represent a certain phase or characteristic of Himself. It is the reflection in the waters of materialism of eternal principles deep-seated in His own divine nature. The study of the vine is, therefore, specially precious in its teaching.

Behind the vine, as we know it, there is an immense pressure of energy. In the spring-tide, it seems as though the love of God were pressing for expression in the corn that supports life, in the oil that makes the face to shine, and in the grape that cheers. The vine cannot bear fruit, of itself; it is only the channel along which the energy of God flows in its endeavour to gladden the heart and life of man. So Jesus is the channel through which the life and love of God reach us, that we may pass them on in loving ministry, and in so doing we are creating and storing up for ourselves infinite joy.

Let each of us learn to abide in Christ with the heart open to Him on the one hand, and open to men, women and children on the other. Then let us trust Christ to pour His love and grace into our hearts, that the pressure within may lead us to perform acts of tender sympathy and helpfulness of which we would not otherwise have been capable. Let us resolve to let no day pass without doing something at cost to ourselves, to make the burden lighter and the path easier for someone else. Our willingness for Christ to do these things through us will always meet a response from Him; and His Spirit being in us will show us exactly what to say or do. It may be only a smile, a touch of the hand, or a word! Thus life will be filled with joy, and this will be perpetuated surely in that other life, when we shall awake and be satisfied. As we mingle with the throngs of happy spirits who have come out of great tribulation—the martyrs, prophets, apostles, and saints of every age—the greatest wonder of all will be that we are there. “Lord, when saw we Thee an hungred, and fed Thee? or athirst, and gave Thee drink? And He will say, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the least of these.., ye did it unto Me.”

Prayer

May I never forget, O Lord, that the best and happiest life must be lived in communion with the needs, sorrows, and trials of others. Give me closer sympathy with Thyself, who didst not please Thyself, but whose blessed life was perpetually laid down for others. Amen.

OUR EFFORTS VERSUS REST IN GOD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY JULY 28, 2024.

SUBJECT: OUR EFFORTS VERSUS REST IN GOD! 

Memory verse: "And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God." (Romans 6 vs 13.)

READ: Romans 12 vs 1 - 2:

12:1: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

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

INTIMATION:

To lead a life pleasing to God requires our own efforts on one part, and relying on the Holy Spirit leading on the other part. The apostle Paul, in the passage we read, states that we are required to dedicate everything about us; our possessions, time, energy, efforts, and our members and faculties (our heads, hands, and tongues, our minds, emotions, and attitudes) all of them to God as a living sacrifice, holy, devoted, and consecrated (sanctified) and pleasing to God, which is our reasonable, rational, intelligent service and spiritual worship.

In our memory verse, the apostle Paul uses the term “instruments of unrighteousness,” and “instruments of righteousness.” The terms figuratively refer to a tool or a weapon. It is indicative that our skills, capacities, and bodies can serve as a tool or weapon for many purposes; good or bad. In sin, every part of our body is vulnerable, and can be used to commit sin. In Christ, every part can also be an instrument for service. It is the one to whom we offer ourselves for service that makes the difference. 

We are like lasers (beam of concentrated light having immense energy) that can burn destructive holes in steel places (used for destructive service) or do delicate cataract surgery (used for good service to save life). We are required to give yourself completely to God, asking Him to put us to good use for His glory. God wants us daily laying aside our own desires to follow Him, putting all our energy and resources at His disposal and trusting Him to guide us. We are to do this out of gratitude that our sins are forgiven.

God has good, pleasing, and perfect plans for His children. He wants us to be transformed people with renewed minds; transformed into a new person by changing the way we think, live to honor and obey Him. Because He wants only what is best for us, and because He gave His Son to make our new life possible, we should joyfully give ourselves (everything about us) as living sacrifice for His service. 

However, It is possible to avoid most worldly customs and still be proud, covetous, selfish, stubborn, and arrogant. Only when the Holy Spirit renews, re-educates, and redirects our minds are we truly transformed. Therefore, we should earnestly seek the leading of the Holy Spirit to help us conform to that which God Wills for us.

Christians are warned not to copy the behavior and customs of this world that are usually selfish and often corrupting. Wise Christians decide that much worldly behavior is off-limits for them. Our refusal to conform to this world’s values, however, must go even deeper than just behavior and customs; it must be firmly planted in our mind. God made it clear that obedience from the heart is much more important. We are to serve and worship God totally with our body, mind, and spirit. We are not just to be physically and emotionally dedicated to the Lord, we are to be rationally and intellectually dedicated to Him as well. 

Our part in working with God is when we give this reasonable service of dedicating everything about us to God; making the conscious choice to follow after holiness, giving Him our mind and will. God's part then, is to give us His grace and Spirit to help us offer this reasonable service. The grace of God doesn't just fall upon us, we must choose it, earnestly covet it, and His grace cannot be wasted.

There is a delicate balance to be maintained between rest and effort, just as there is between casting our care upon God and casting our responsibility upon Him. Casting your care on God is good for God desires you do so. However, it should be backed up by prayer and faith, which is our responsibility, not God's. If you and I want to stay in balance, then we are going to have to stay in close fellowship with the Spirit of Truth. 

True holiness is a combined effort between us and the Holy Spirit. It requires a clear understanding of His part and our part, and a delicate balance between the two. Many believers keep the care and cast the responsibility. This is wrong! Cast the care, and enter God's rest, but be ever ready to fulfill your responsibilities empowered by the Spirit of grace.

Prayer: Abba Father, give me the grace to avoid carnality, helping not to live according to the dictates of the flesh, but according to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Endue with the spirit of grace to live forever for You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

How to self-reflect?

 Self-reflection is a vital aspect of personal and spiritual growth in Christianity. It allows believers to examine their lives and align their actions with God's Word. Here’s how to engage in self-reflection from a Christian perspective:

1. Pray for Insight: Begin with prayer, inviting the Holy Spirit to guide your thoughts and reveal areas needing growth. James 1:5 encourages us: "If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you."

2. Read Scripture: Reflect on Biblical passages that speak to your current situation. Psalm 119:105 reminds us, "Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path." This helps you identify what God desires from you.

3. Journal Your Thoughts: Writing can clarify your feelings and experiences. As you journal, consider what God might be teaching you through various circumstances in your life.

4. Assess Your Strengths and Weaknesses: Romans 12:3 advises us to evaluate ourselves honestly: "Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves." This helps in understanding where God is calling you to grow.

5. Seek Accountability: Discuss your reflections with a trusted friend or mentor who can provide encouragement and support in your spiritual journey.

6. Take Action: Implement what you’ve learned through your reflection. Philippians 4:13 states, "For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." This verse reminds us that we can make changes with His help.

Self-reflection is a continuous process that brings us closer to God and helps us become more Christ-like in our daily lives.

FIX YOUR SEARCH ON GOD ONLY!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY JULY 26, 2024.

SUBJECT: FIX YOUR SEARCH ON GOD ONLY! 

Memory verse: "In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His Will.”(Ephesians 1 vs 11.)

READ: Matthew 16 vs 25 - 26:

16:25: For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 

16:26: For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?"

INTIMATION:

Many books have been written that suggests ways to discover the purpose of your life. All of them are classified as "self-help" books because they all approached the subject from a self-centered viewpoint, and predictable steps to finding your life's purpose. Some of the steps offered by these books are titled; ‘Consider your dreams.’ ‘Clarify your values.’ ‘Set some goals.’ ‘Figure out what you are good at.’ ‘Aim high.’ ‘Go for it!’ ‘Be disciplined.’ ‘Believe you can achieve your goals.’ ‘Involve others.’ ‘Never give up.’

Of course, these recommendations often lead to great success. You can usually succeed in reaching a goal if you apply yourself to it. But being successful, and fulfilling your life's purpose are not at all the same issue! You could reach all your personal goals, and achieve your set objectives, becoming a star, or a raving success by the world's standard, and still miss the purpose for which God created you. You need more than self-help advice. 

God is not just the starting point of your life; He is the source of it. To discover your purpose in life you must turn to God's Word, not the world's wisdom. You must build your life on eternal truths, not pop psychology, success motivation, or inspirational stories. God, in His infinite wisdom, purposefully created you, and you are to serve His purpose to live a purposeful life.

Today’s memory verse is quite clear and direct on how we find our purpose on earth. It is in Christ that we find out who we are (we obtain an inheritance), and what we are living for (the purpose of Him for us), and He did it all according to His Will. He works all things according to his overall plans and purposes in everything and for everyone.

God is working all things according to His plan. It is not that things in reference to the Christian’s salvation are happening by fate. All things are being unfolded according to the predetermined mystery of God that has now been revealed to all men through the cross and the church. 

God is unique in His knowledge and in His control of the future. His consistent purpose is to carry out what he has planned. The verse in Ephesians gives us three insights into our purposes: 1. We discover our identity and purpose through a relationship with Jesus Christ. 2. God was thinking of you long before you ever thought about Him. His purpose for your life predates your conception. He planned it before you existed, without your input! You may choose your career, your spouse, your hobbies, and many other parts of your life, but you don't get to choose your purpose. 3. The purpose of your life fits into a much larger, cosmic purpose that God has designed for eternity.

God told Jeremiah; "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations." (Jeremiah 1 vs 5.) God knew you, as He knew Jeremiah, long before you were born or even conceived. He thought about you and planned for you. God has a purpose for each and everyone of us. In the same way He ordained Jeremiah a prophet to the nations while he was still in the womb, we are all appointed for various kinds of work. Discover yours!

Fixation on self instead on your Maker is wrong. Such obsession with self in these matters is a dead end. The Bible in Romans 8 vs 6 states; "For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." In the passage we read today, Jesus gives the panacea for discovering your purpose. God relates with us in the spirit and the soul. The 'soul' is the individual's essential self, life, and being. Jesus said to His disciples, "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. They should follow Him and He will show them their life's purpose. 

Jesus advised them that self-help is no help at all, but self-sacrifice is the way, God's way to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for? Achieving your life's purpose ordained by your Creator is more valuable than gaining the whole world.

Prayer: Abba Father, byYou all things consist. Help me discover the purpose of Your creating and have ordained me to serve, for in serving the preordained purpose, I will lead a purposefully fulfilled life in You, in Jesus’ Name I prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Silencing my Heart

 In moments of unrest or turmoil, it's essential to turn to God for peace. Silencing our hearts often requires a deliberate act of faith and trust in the Lord. Jesus reminds us in John 14:27 (NLT), “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” This scripture highlights that true peace comes from Christ alone, not from our circumstances.

To silence your heart, consider spending time in prayer and meditation on God's Word. Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT) encourages us, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” 

Historically, the early Christians faced persecution and hardship, yet they found solace in their faith. Their perseverance amidst trials serves as an example for us today. Paul, who wrote Philippians while in prison around A.D. 62, emphasizes the importance of finding peace in Christ regardless of external circumstances.

Let us pray: "Heavenly Father, help me to silence my heart and to find peace in Your presence. Teach me to trust in You and to turn my worries into prayers. Thank You for the peace that surpasses all understanding. In Jesus' name, Amen."