TRUSTING GOD WITH YOUR MONEY!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY AUGUST 06, 2024.

SUBJECT : TRUSTING GOD WITH YOUR MONEY!

Memory verse: "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much." (Luke 16 vs 10.)

READ: Luke 16 vs 11 - 13:

16:11: Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 

16:12: And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own? 

16:13: No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. 

INTIMATION:

Jesus said that trusting God in the area of your money (mammon) is the least area of trust. He called money "that which is least" (Luke 16 vs 10). What an incredible statement! It is completely contrary to the way most believers think. Our integrity often meets its match in money matters. If you can’t trust God in that which is least, how can you trust Him in that which higher. 

The lovers of money cannot be faithful to God in what they acquired. Consequently, they cannot be good stewards of God’s heritage. Therefore, one’s correct use of material things will determine one’s right to eternal life. A man’s faithfulness is measured by what he does with what he has. It’s noteworthy that one cannot take his possessions with him into the dwelling of the new heavens and earth, but he can take the results of his giving. Riches are wrong when they lead one into sin. 

You can't do greater things without doing the lesser things first. If you can't lift five pounds weight, then you certainly shouldn't go out and try to lift a hundred pounds weight. You have to start with what is least and work your way up. If you can't walk ten paces, then you can't climb a mountain. Jesus' teaching clearly shows that trusting God with your money is the list use of your faith. If you can't do that which is least, how then can you trust Him for the greater things. 

Money has the power to take God's place in your life, hence Jesus called it “unrighteous mammon.” Most people cling to their money and possessions for fear of losing them and not getting another. Clinging to your money out of fear that God won't provide for you, and then trying to say you are believing God for other things, like healing or restoration, is like saying, "I can't jump three feet, but I will compete in long jump in Olympics. It doesn't work that way. If you aren't trusting God in your money (that which is least), then you are deceiving yourself thinking you can trust Him with your eternal salvation or anything else. That is profound!

Though everything has been provided for us in the Scriptures, but you can't have them because probably you won't trust God for big things until you can trust Him for little things as mammon first. Trusting God with your money is much more important than it has been given credit. Many people are trying to bypass this issue and move on to bigger things, but it won't work. Just like other areas of life, you have to start at the beginning and work your way up. 

Remember, Jesus said that you can't serve two masters (Luke 16 vs 13.) You can't trust yourself when it comes to money and then trust God with everything else. It isn't effective to compartmentalize your faith so that you are trying to trust God in one area, but not in others. If you are going to trust God, then trust Him all the way. The same God who promised eternal life when you confess Jesus as your Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10 vs 9), also said to give and it would be given back to you. (Luke 6 vs 38.)

Heaven's riches are far more valuable than earthly wealth. But if you are not trustworthy with your money that is equated to that which is the least, you will be unfit to handle the vast riches of God's kingdom that starts with the gift of salvation. If your integrity slips off you in small matters as money, it will eventually fail you in crucial decisions either. God calls us to be honest even in small details we could easily rationalize away. Such small details God has equated with money. 

If you aren't seeing greater things come to pass in your life, the reason may very well be that you aren't trusting God with "that which is least." Believing for your family to be restored, for healing to manifest in your body, are all infinitely greater than believing for finances. If you haven't started trusting God with your finances yet, how can you go beyond that and trust Him to heal your body? How can you trust God to give you eternal life, but not trust Him to provide for your physical needs? Not trusting God with your money, in my considered opinion, is a demonstration of your love of money. The apostle Paul’s warning on the love of money, in First Timothy 6 vs 10, is as clear as the day, “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” Be wise!

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of complete trust in, and obedience to You in all things, even in that which is least—money—that I will be fit for Your heavenly riches, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Watch and Pray

 Topic: Watch and Pray

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. – Matthew 26:41

Have you ever been frustrated with the weaknesses of your flesh? Have you ever resolved never more to yield to a particular sin, yet when the temptation came, you fell right back into it?

It’s happened to all of us—even the disciple Peter. He swore he would never deny Jesus…but he did it anyway, time and time and time again.

There is, however, something we can do to keep from falling prey to temptations like that. We can “watch and pray.” That’s what Jesus told Peter and the other disciples to do in the Garden of Gethsemane. He knew they were about to be tempted, and He knew that the weakness of their flesh would overcome them if they didn’t strengthen their spirits through prayer.

That’s true for you and me too. That’s why in Jude 20-21, God tells us much the same thing that Jesus told the disciples that night. He says, “But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith…praying in the Holy Spirit; guard and keep yourselves in the love of God…” (The Amplified Bible).

God knows even better than we do that our flesh has been trained to flow with the world’s stream. He knows that even though our born-again spirits are reaching for God, our untrained flesh will always have a tendency to fall into sin.

So, He’s given us the ability to pray in other tongues, to strengthen our spirits and build ourselves up until our spirits take ascendancy over our flesh. As we pray in the spirit, Romans 8:26 tells us, the “[Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf…” (The Amplified Bible).

Is it any wonder the Apostle Paul said, “I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all” (1 Corinthians 14:18)! It is one of the most powerful tools God has given us.

So don’t neglect to use it. Follow the instruction in Ephesians 6:18 and pray “always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance.”

Don’t make the mistake that Peter made. When temptation comes to your door, don’t let it catch you sleeping. Be prepared. Make sure your spirit is strong enough to rise above it.

Scripture Reading: Matthew 26:30-44

This message was written by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, the leader of the Kenneth Copeland Ministries (www.KCM.org) that specializes in teaching principles of bible faith – prayer, healing, salvation and other biblical topics.

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DO NOT TOLERATE SIN IN YOUR LIFE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY AUGUST 05, 2024.

SUBJECT : DO NOT TOLERATE SIN IN YOUR LIFE!

Memory verse: "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched-“ (Mark 9 vs 43.)

READ: Matthew 5 vs 29 - 30:

5:29: If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

5:30: And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off, and cast it from you: for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 

INTIMATION:

We are to be completely intolerant of sin and remove it from our lives. God cannot condone or excuse even the smallest sin, therefore, we cannot excuse ourselves for sinning only a little bit. We should be tolerant of people who hold differing views, but we should not condone beliefs or practices that lead people away from God’s standard of living.

We sometimes tolerate sin in our lives that, left unchecked, could eventually destroy us. It is better to experience the pain of removal (getting rid of a bad habit or something we treasure, for instance) than to allow the sin to bring judgement and condemnation. Examine your life for anything that causes you to sin, and take every necessary actions to remove it.

Not tolerating sin in our lives is not easy in a world full of immoral conducts. We also are living in times of widespread sin and sexual immorality. It is popular to be open-minded toward many types of sin, calling them personal choices or alternative lifestyles. But when the body of believers begin to tolerate sin amongst them, it lowers the standards and compromises the believers’ witnessing for Christ. Remember that God’s approval is infinitely more important than the world’s. Use God’s Word, not what people around you are willing to accept, to set the standards for what is right or wrong. 

One of the realities of sin is that its effects spread. When we do something wrong, often we try to relieve our guilt by involving someone else. Like toxic waste spilled in a river, sin swiftly spreads. Sin in our lives is similar to pollution in streams. Even small amounts are deadly. A small sin has the tendency of growing out of control. 

When we discover sin in our lives, we must deal with it completely. When God points out sin, move quickly to remove it from your life. We often choose to tolerate sin rather than drive it from our lives. We may know what to do but just don’t follow through. This results in a gradual deterioration of our relationship with God. In our battles, we may grow tired and want rest, but we need to know that God loves us and has given us a purpose for life. Victory comes from living according to His purpose and from being willing to fully obey Him. 

In our anchor Scripture., the starling language is not meant to promote self-mutilation, but instead stresses the importance of cutting sin out of your life. Painful self-discipline is required of God’s true followers. Giving up a relationship, job, or habit that is against God’s Will may seem just as painful as cutting off a hand, but Christ is worth any possible loss or discomfort. Nothing should stand in the way of faith. We must be ruthless in removing sin from our lives now in order to avoid suffering for eternity. Make your choices from an eternal perspective.

As we grow spiritually, our sensitivity to sin increases. As God makes us aware of sin, we must be intolerant toward it and be willing to change. All believers should strive to be more tolerant of people but less tolerant of the sin in themselves and others. Are you insensitive, unconcerned, disappointed, or comfortable? What is your reaction to sin in your life? 

It is not the sins we don’t know about but the sin we excuse that cause us the greatest trouble. We must never let any sin go unchallenged. In your life, is an unchallenged sin spreading like a deadly cancer? Don’t excuse it. Confess the sin to God and ask Him for strength to resist the temptation. 

Prayer: Abba Father, sin is an abomination before You, O Most Holy God. Endue me with the spirit of delightsome obedience to Your Word, and empower me to live for You all the days of my life. Help me to resist any temptations that come my way, that I may find strength to lead a holy life pleasing to You at all times, in Jesus' Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Guard Against Greed

 Topic: Guard Against Greed

You cannot serve two masters: God and money. — Matthew 6:24 (TLB)

Tell me what you think about money, and I will tell you what you think about God, for these two are closely related. A man’s heart is closer to his wallet than anything else. It is a staggering fact that for the past few years people have spent ten times as much for luxuries and non-essentials as they have for all charitable and religious purposes. This is a commentary on our shallow and superficial religious faith.

While the Bible warns us against greed and selfishness, it does encourage frugality and thrift. Even Jesus said to His disciples after He fed the multitude, “Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.” Although our Lord had the power to create, He Himself lived frugally and without luxury. John Wesley had a threefold philosophy about money. He said, “Make all you can; keep all you can; and give all you can.” Most of us get all we can, spend all we can; borrow all we can; and give meagerly to God.

Prayer for the day:

Lord, give me a generous heart so that others may know Your love and compassion.

Written by Billy Graham, Founder of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA). BGEA exists to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ by every effective means and to equip the church and others to do the same.

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BELIEVERS HAVE THE SAME SPIRIT AS CHRIST!

 

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY AUGUST 04, 2024.

SUBJECT: BELIEVERS HAVE THE SAME SPIRIT AS CHRIST!

Memory verse: “But if the Spirit of Him that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead shall also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” (Romans 8 vs 11.)

READ: John 14 vs 15 - 18:

14:15: If you love Me, keep my commandments.

14:16: And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you for ever;

14:17: the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him, nor knows Him: but you know Him; for He dwells with you, and will be in you.

14:18: I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

14:19: A little while longer and the world will see Me no more; but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.

14:20: At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.

INTIMATION:

The “new creation” (the believer) has that same spirit that was at work in Jesus; the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. And that same Spirit is at work in the believers that will enable them to do what Christ did; working in the power of that Spirit—Holy Spirit. Jesus used the illustration of moving the mountain to show that God can do the impossible with the believers. The qualification for being able to command the power of the supernatural demands that you believe. You require a non-doubting faith that will enable you to do great things for God. 

This “new creation” is with God's nature, and God is indwelling him, he has been given a legal right, and the power of attorney to the use of the Name of Jesus; the name that is above every other name in heaven, on earth, and beneath the earth, and to receive help from the Holy Spirit. This believer; this new creation in Christ, is a child of Deity. He stands before the world as a very branch of the vine. He is taking the place of Jesus in the world. He is really an incarnation. The Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead, came the day of Pentecost, to make His home in the body of the believers. He not only has God's nature, but has God actually living in him.

Have you been worried about whether or not you really are a Christian? A Christian is anyone who has the Spirit of God living in him or her. If you have sincerely trusted Christ for your salvation and acknowledged Him as Lord and personal Savior, then the Holy Spirit lives within you and you are a Christian. You are assured that you have the Holy Spirit because Jesus promised that He would send Him. The Christian has a new life through the Holy Spirit, and his heart is continually renewed by the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God’s promise or guarantee of eternal life for those who believe in Him. 

The Spirit is within the believers now, and by faith they are certain to live with Christ forever. The Holy Spirit is a powerful person on the side of the believer, working for and with the believer; He is the very presence of God within all believers, helping them live as God wants and building Christ’s church on earth. By faith the believers can appropriate the Spirit’s power each day. He helps them to act as Christ directs (Romans 8 vs 5; Galatians 5 vs 22 - 23), and find help in dealing with their daily problems and also in praying (Romans 8 vs 26 - 27). 

Jesus, during His time on earth, was going to leave the disciples at some point, but He would still remain with them. How could this be? The Helper—the Spirit of God Himself—would come after Jesus was gone to care for and guide the disciples. The regenerating power of the Spirit came on the disciples just before Jesus’ ascension (John 20 vs 22), and the Spirit was poured out on all the believers at Pentecost (Acts 2), shortly after Jesus ascended to heaven. 

The Holy Spirit will never leave the believers; the world at large cannot receive Him; He lives with them and in them; He teaches them (John 14 vs 26); He reminds them of Jesus’ words (John 14 vs 26; 15 vs 26); He convinces the world of sin, shows them God’s righteousness, and announces God’s judgement on evil (John 16 vs 8); He guides them into truth and gives them insight into the future events (John 16 vs 13); and He brings glory to Christ (John 16 vs 14). 

Prayer: Abba, Father, thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit to all who are recreated in Christ Jesus. Give me the grace not to quench the Spirit, but always follow His leading in all things, and at all times, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD! 

BELIEVERS ASSOCIATION WITH UNBELIEVERS!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY AUGUST 03, 2024.

SUBJECT : BELIEVERS  ASSOCIATION WITH UNBELIEVERS!

Memory verse: "And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down; for today I must stay at your house." (Luke 19 vs 5.)

READ: Luke 5 vs 27 - 32: 

5:27: After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow me.”

5:28: So he left all rose up, and followed Him.

5:29: Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them.

5:30: And their scribes and Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, “Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

5:31: Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who  are sick.

5:32: I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

INTIMATION:

Unbelievers are those skeptical of matters of religious truth; not believing in God, and in the substitutionary work of His Son Jesus Christ for mankind. Consequently, they are not Christ’s followers.

Jesus taught His followers to associate with unbelievers or sinners in order to lead them to Him. Befriending or associating with  unbelievers is investable if we are to lead them to Christ. However, followers of Christ must be wary of those who are viciously evil, immoral, or opposed to all that Christianity stands for. Such people are more likely to influence them for evil than they are to influence them for good. It is obvious that Christ’s followers should not disassociate themselves from unbelievers, otherwise they could not carry out Christ’s command to tell them about salvation (see Matthew 28 vs 18 - 20).

But Christians are to distance themselves from hypocrites; the person with pretense of piety—false or godless persons. Such persons pretend or claim to be Christians, yet indulge in sins explicitly forbidden in Scripture by rationalizing his or her actions. By rationalizing sin, a person harms others for whom Christ died and dims the image of God in himself or herself.

Christians or believers usually wrongly interpret the apostle Paul’s teaching regarding association with unbelievers in Second Corinthians 6 vs 14 - 15. He said, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with unbeliever?” 

The apostle Paul urges believers not to be “unequally yoked,” that is, not to be burdened or bear burden together with unbelievers. That is burdens of partnerships in business or any associations of like manner, because this might weaken their Christian commitment, integrity, or standards. Because believers don’t share the same faith with unbelievers, common grounds are usually difficult in such partnership due to different believe systems. It would be a mismatch. 

Earlier, Apostle Paul had explained that this did not mean isolating oneself from unbelievers (See First Corinthians 5 vs 9 - 10). When believers in leadership positions become allied with unbelievers, values can be compromised and spiritual awareness dulled. Hence the Bible often warns against teaming up with unbelievers.

For married couples, the apostle Paul even urges Christians to stay with their unbelieving spouses if such marriages were consummated before any of the spouse becomes a believer (First Corinthians 7 vs 12 - 13). He wanted believers to be active in their witness for Christ to unbelievers, but they should not lock themselves into personal or business relationships that could cause them to compromise their faith. Believers should do everything in their power to avoid situations that could force them to divide their loyalties. 

These verses also have strong application to marriage. The apostle Paul did not want single believers to enter into marriage with unbelievers. Such marriages cannot have unity in the most important issue in life—commitment and obedience to God. Because marriage involves two people becoming one, faith may become an issue, and one spouse may have to compromise beliefs for the sake of unity. Many people discount this problem only to regret it later. Don’t allow emotion or passion to blind you with someone who will not be your spiritual partner. For those who have discovered God’s light, there can be no fellowship or compromise with darkness (First Corinthians 10 vs 20 - 21.) 

Just as when a man and a woman fall in love, so also new believers rejoice at their newfound forgiveness. Associations with unbelievers when the new believers are not yet firmly rooted in Christ may cause them to lose sight of the seriousness of sin, and then they begin to lose the thrill of their forgiveness. In the first steps of your Christian life, you may have had enthusiasm without knowledge. Do you now have knowledge without enthusiasm? Both are necessary if we are to keep love for God intense and untarnished.

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with divine wisdom, that I may walk circumspect in dealings with unbelievers that my faith will not be compromised, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!