Character – Existence With Positive Conviction

 TOPIC: Character – Existence With Positive Conviction 

SCRIPTURE: And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men. Acts 24:16.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: People who lack character like Esau gain things that are temporal and lose things that are permanent.

Seeds Of Destiny For Today 2023 MESSAGE:

It has been established that character is one essential ingredient of life and destiny. Your destiny is at the mercy of your character. To live right is to go up in life.

Now, what is character?

Character is existence with positive conviction, not for consensus.

People of positive character have positive conviction; they don’t live by consensus. Character is living for positive purpose, and not for pleasure.

Character is purposeful existence, and not pleasurable living. It is existence that is purpose-driven, and not pleasure-driven.

There are people whose lives are driven by pleasure. So, they can do anything as far as it makes them happy. Character is living not just for the immediate, but for the ultimate. There are those who live with only today in mind. But people of character live with tomorrow in mind.

Also Read: Open Heaven 13 August 2024 – Ask In His Name

People of character don’t go for temporary gain and end in permanent loss. People who lack character like Esau gain things that are temporal, and lose things that are permanent.

A man of character will sacrifice today’s gain for tomorrow’s profit, he knows what it means to delay gratification.

Character means living thoughtfully instead of thoughtlessly. People of character are thoughtful while people without character are thoughtless. To live with character is to live thoughtfully; you weigh your options and embark on the most profitable course of action.

Beloved, are you a person of quality and positive character?

My counsel is, do not live for temporal gains like Esau? Make up your mind to avoid anything that will affect your character and destiny negatively.

Remember this: People who lack character like Esau gain things that are temporal, and lose things that are permanent.

ASSIGNMENTS:

Make up your mind to be a person of quality and positive character.

Avoid the temptation of living without integrity.

PRAYER: Lord, I ask that You make me a person of quality conviction. I receive the grace to live right Lord, in Jesus’ Name.

CHASE AFTER ‘A LIFE WELL LIVED.’

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY AUGUST 13, 2024.

SUBJECT : CHASE AFTER ‘A LIFE WELL LIVED.’

Memory verse: "But David, after he had served his own generation by the Will of God, fell asleep..." (Acts 13 vs 36.)

READ: Acts 13 vs 20 - 23:

13:20: "After that He gave them judges for about four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.

13:21: And afterward they asked for a king; so God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.

13:22: And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.' 

13:23: From this man's seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Savior - Jesus -.

INTIMATION:

God created all things to serve His purposes. You and I are created for some purposes. Those who lived purposefully for God were remarkably acknowledged by Him, and that is, "A life well lived." In our memory verse, the Bible strikingly said about David, "But David, after he had served his own generation by the Will of God, fell asleep..." David, in his generation served remarkably in the Will of God. He had, "A life well lived."

In the passage we read today, It is then not surprising that God testified of David, called him a man after His own heart. The Scripture said, "And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My Will."

There is no greater compliment than the statement, ‘He had served his own generation by the Will of God‘. Imagine such epitaph chiseled on your tombstone: That you served God's purpose in your generation. My prayer is that people will say that about me when I die. It is also my prayer that people will say it about you, too. The phrase is the ultimate definition of "A life well lived."

A life well lived is all about purpose-driven life, doing God's Will in the world that earns you eternal glory—to live with Him forever. God created you, at this time in history, for a purpose. Neither past nor future generations can serve God's purpose in this generation, but only we, in this generation, can. Like Esther God created you "for such a time as this." (Esther 4 vs 14.)

God is looking for people whose heart is loyal to Him, to serve His purpose. The Bible, in Second Chronicles 16 vs 9, says, "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him...." Will you be a person God can use for His purposes? Will you serve God's purpose in your generation? Will God say of you, "He will live his life well, serving My purpose in his generation."

Any Christian chasing after, "A life well lived," would have the counsel of the apostle Paul recorded in First Corinthians 9 vs 24 - 27;

"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified."

Paul said that he ran straight to the goal with purpose in every step. His only reason for living was to fulfill the purposes God had for him. He said, "For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Philippians 1 vs 21.) He was not afraid of either dying or living. Either way, he would fulfill God's purposes. If he lived, it is for good to others whom he labors to teach the ways of Christ. And if he died, he would join Christ to live in eternity with Him. Either way he wins.

The sports race illustration used by the apostle Paul above, explains the required purpose and discipline for believers. As Christians, the required life takes hard work, self-denial, and grueling preparation. We are running toward our heavenly reward. The essential disciplines of prayer, Bible study and meditation, and worship, equip us to run with vigor and stamina. Don't merely observe from the grandstand; don't just turn out to jog a couple of laps each morning. Train diligently as your spiritual progress depends upon it.

One day history will come to a close, but eternity will go on forever. When fulfilling your purposes seems tough, don't give in to discouragement. Remember your reward, which will last forever. The Bible says, "For our light afflictions, which is for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." (Second Corinthians 4 vs 17.) Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." 

Imagine what it is going to be like one day, when we have achieved, with all of us standing before the Throne of God presenting our lives in deep gratitude and praise to Christ. Together we will say, "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for You have created all things, and for your pleasure they are, and were created." We would praise Him for His plan, and haven achieved, according to His plans and purposes for us, would live with Him forever!

Prayer: Abba Father, eternity with You is my utmost desire. Help me in my quest for a life pleasing to You, according to Your plan and purpose, and that I may come boldly to the Throne of grace, and obtain mercy, in Jesus' Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

A Supernatural Cycle of Blessings

 Topic: A Supernatural Cycle of Blessing

Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. – Ecclesiastes 11:1

One of the most exciting things I ever discovered about God’s law of sowing and reaping was the fact that financial harvests are not seasonal. If you plant year round, you can be receiving year round.

Don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying your harvest will come instantly. It usually won’t. You may have to wait for it for several months. What I’m saying is, if you’ll keep planting consistently, you’ll receive just as consistently. If you’ll continually cast your bread on the water, eventually it will come in on every wave!

Of course, some people never get to enjoy that kind of constant blessing. That’s because, instead of giving, they keep waiting to receive. They stand on the beach saying, “I wonder where my prosperity is? As soon as it comes in, I’ll start giving.”

God’s economy doesn’t work that way. He said, “Give and it will be given to you again. The way you measure it, it shall be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38). You have to make the first move. You have to send a ship out before your ship can come in.

Think about that next time you’re tempted to complain about the things life brings your way. Remember that whatever you’ve been casting out there is always what you find on down the road. If you’ve been giving doubt, unbelief and fear, that’s what has been coming to you. If you’ve been giving nothing, then nothing is what you get.

You’re holding the seeds of your own future in your hand right now. Step out in faith and use them to put the supernatural cycle of blessing in motion. Start now planting one good seed after another. Eventually you’ll enjoy a good harvest every single day!

Scripture Reading: Luke 6:31-38

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.

 Until you are born again, God ever abiding presence will never be with you. You must be born again to enjoy continuous victory. Please say the displayed prayer below in faith:

Lord Jesus, come into my life. I accept You as my Lord and Personal Saviour. I believe in my heart You died and rose from the dead to save me. Thank You Lord for saving me, in Jesus name Amen.

FREE INDEED IN CHRIST!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY AUGUST 12, 2024.

SUBJECT: FREE INDEED IN CHRIST!

Memory verse: "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36.)

READ: John 8 vs 31 - 33:

8:31: Then said Jesus to those Jews who believed on Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed;

8:32: And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

8:33: They answered Him, “We be Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You shall be made free’?”

INTIMATION:

People often think they will be free if they can get away from God. Just as a fish is not free when it leaves the water and a tree is not free when it leaves the soil, we are not free when we leave the Lord. Jesus Himself is the truth that sets us free. He is the source of truth, the perfect standard of what is right. He frees us from continued slavery to sin, from self-deception, and from deception by Satan. He shows us clearly the way to everlasting life with God. Thus Jesus does not give us freedom to do what we want, but freedom to follow God. As we seek to serve God, Jesus perfect truth frees us to be all that God meant us to be.

Sometimes we have the illusion that freedom is doing anything we want. But God says that true freedom comes from obedience and knowing what not to do. The restrictions He gives us are for our good, helping us avoid evil. Much as we have the freedom to walk in front of a speeding car, but we don’t need to be hit to realize it would be foolish to do so. Don’t listen to Satan’s temptations. You don’t have to do evil to gain more experience and learn more about life.

Sin has a way of enslaving us, controlling us, dominating us, and dictating our actions. Jesus can free you from this slavery that keeps you from becoming the person God created you to be. If sin is restraining, mastering, or enslaving you, Jesus can break its power over your life. God sets His people free and crushes His enemies. Salvation is freedom from sin and death. Those who refuse to turn to God will be crushed by sin and death. They will be trapped by the sin they loved and destroyed by the death they feared. How mush better it will be for those who love God and fear the consequences of sin.

As a sinner, separated from God, you see His law from below, as a ladder to be climbed to get to God. Perhaps you have repeatedly tried climbing it, only to fall to the ground every time you have advanced one or two rungs. Or perhaps the sheer height of the ladder seems so overwhelming that you never even started up. In either case, what relief you should feel to see Jesus offering with open arms to lift you above the ladder of the law, to take you directly to God! Once Jesus lifts you into the presence of God, you are free to obey—out of love, not necessity, and through God’s power, not your own. You know that if you stumble, you will not fall back to the ground. Instead, you will be caught and held in Christ’s loving arms. 

When one comes to God through Jesus, he is free from the necessity of perfect law-keeping in order to be justified. He is truly free, therefore, because he trusts in God for justification, and not his own performance of law and good works. Only when one comes to God through Jesus is he truly free from the curse of law, sin and death. But there is more to this freedom than simply freedom from the necessity of perfect law-keeping. When one comes to Jesus he is free from the religious laws that he would bind on himself in order to be pleasing to God. Whether written laws of God or man-made traditional laws, the freedom is applicable to both. 

If we refuse to follow God, we will follow our own sinful desires and become enslaved by what our bodies want. If we submit our lives to Christ, He will free us from slavery to sin. Christ frees us to serve Him, a freedom that results in our ultimate good. 

Prayer: Abba Father, thank you for the free gift of Your only Son, Jesus Christ, who came to set us free from the slavery of sin and death, and whoever he sets free is free indeed. Endue me with the spirit of raw obedience to You that I may be a partaker of the huge inheritance You have given us in Christ, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

The Unmerited Favor of God

 Topic: The Unmerited Favor of God

For by grace are ye saved . . . — Ephesians 2:8

“Grace,” according to the dictionary, is the unmerited favor of God toward mankind. The word “grace” is used over 170 times in the New Testament alone. Grace is not bought. It is a free gift of almighty God to needy mankind. When I picture Jesus Christ dying on the cross, I see the free gift of God’s grace in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. I sing with the songwriter, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.” Your human mind, with its philosophy of an equal return for favors done, can hardly comprehend the full meaning of this grace of God. But when you catch, by the inspiration of God, its full meaning, you will leave the limits of human reasoning and revel in the spiritual riches of divine truth and privilege.

Yes, the grace of God is a reality. Thousands have tried, tested, and proved that it is more than a cold creed, a docile doctrine, or a tedious theory. The grace of God has been tested in the crucible of human experience, and has been found to be more than an equal for the problems and sins of humanity.

Prayer for the day:

Lord, this day help me to come to a more full and abundant awareness of Your bountiful grace. Stimulate me to serve You.

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.

Flatimes Notice Board: Until you are born again, God ever abiding presence will never be with you. You must be born again to enjoy continuous victory. Please say the displayed prayer below in faith:

Lord Jesus, come into my life. I accept You as my Lord and Personal Saviour. I believe in my heart You died and rose from the dead to save me. Thank You Lord for saving me, in Jesus’ name Amen.

BE JOYFUL ALWAYS!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY AUGUST 11, 2024.

SUBJECT: BE JOYFUL ALWAYS!

Memory verse: "Rejoice always.” (First Thessalonians 5 vs 26.)

READ: Philippians 4 vs 4; First Peter 1 vs 6 - 8:

Philippians 4:4: Rejoice in the Lord always!Again I will say, rejoice.

First Peter 1:6: In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,

First Peter 1:7: that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,

First Peter 1:8: whom having not seen, you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

INTIMATION:

The demeanor of Christian life-style is one of being joyful always. If a Christian has a cantankerous demeanor, he must repent. One result of the joyful life is gentleness or forbearance toward others. Every Christian should have a reputation for being a patient and longsuffering person toward the faults and weaknesses of others. If one is forbearing, then his or her joy will not be stolen away by his or her own impatience with others. 

Pessimistic and fatalistic attitudes should not be the characteristics of the followers of Jesus. The transformed mind must change from such negative attitudes of life, even in times of trials. They should endure trials knowing that all things are working together for good to them that love God.

When things are going well, we feel elated. When hardships come, we sink into depression. But true joy transcends the rolling waves of circumstance. Joy comes from a consistent relationship with Jesus Christ. When our lives are intertwined with His, He will help us walk through adversity without sinking into debilitating lows and manage prosperity without moving into deceptive highs. The joy of living with Jesus Christ daily will keep you levelheaded, no matter how high or low your circumstance.

Joy is a common theme in Christ’s teachings—He wants us to be joyful. The key to immeasurable joy is living in intimate relationship with Christ, the source of all joy. When we do, we will experience God’s special care and protection and see the victory God brings even when defeat seems certain. Ultimate joy comes from Christ dwelling within us. Christ is near, and at His second coming we will fully realize this ultimate joy. He who lives within us will fulfill His final purpose for us.

True joy is far deeper than happiness; we can feel joy in spite of our deepest troubles. Happiness is temporary because it is based on external circumstances, but joy is lasting because it is based in God’s presence within us. As we contemplate His daily presence, we will find contentment. As we understand the future He has for us, we will experience joy. Don’t base your life on circumstances, but on God who controls circumstances. To find hope and joy, the deepest form of happiness, follow Jesus no matter the cost. To be blessed by God means the experience of hope and joy, independent of outward circumstances. 

In our anchor Scripture the apostle Paul was encouraging the believers in Philippi to be joyful. It seems strange that a man in prison would be telling a church to rejoice. But apostle Paul’s attitude teaches us an important lesson: Our inner attitudes do not have to reflect our outward circumstances. The apostle Paul was full of joy because he knew that no matter what happened to him, Jesus was with him. 

Several times in his letter the apostle Paul urged the Philippians to be joyful, probably because they needed to hear this, being convinced that in Christ all things work together for the good of the believer. It’s easy to get discouraged about unpleasant circumstances or to take unimportant events seriously. If you haven’t been joyful lately, you may not be looking at life from the right perspective.

Prayer: Abba Father, Your thought for me is of good not of evil. I am persuaded that all things are working together for my good because of Your love for me, and my trust in You. Give me the grace to remain thankful and joyful in You, for all circumstances are under Your control, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Confess God’s Truth

 Topic: Confess God’s Truth

John 11:14 ‘Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.’

Jesus spoke of Lazarus being asleep instead of dead because that is really a much better description. Death, to their carnal minds, would be final; whereas the word ‘sleep’ would not. When the disciples misunderstood what He was saying, He clarified the situation by saying plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead.’

This looks like a contrary statement to what Jesus was going to do (raise Lazarus from the dead) and indeed it would have been if He had left it at that. But He went on to say in verse 15, ‘I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe.’ This was referring to Lazarus being raised from the dead and it turned Jesus’ statement of a negative fact into a positive confession of faith.

Many people have been confused over this very issue. Many times people will refuse to speak of or acknowledge any situation that is contrary to a promise that God has given them. It is certainly desirable to avoid talking about our problems and there is scriptural precedent for this (2 Ki. 4:20, 26). In this very instance, Jesus avoided using a word to describe Lazarus’ situation that would have instilled fear into His disciples’ hearts. But when dealing with people who didn’t understand, He didn’t deny the natural facts.

A true, positive confession doesn’t deny natural truth. It just refuses to stop at the natural realm and speaks forth the greater spiritual truth. This is what Jesus did and we should follow His example. Therefore, it is not wrong to acknowledge a physical problem such as sickness just as long as we acknowledge to an equal or greater degree the spiritual truth, ‘by whose stripes ye were healed’ (1 Pet. 2:24). Don’t deny that problems exist, just deny those problems the right to continue to exist in your life by confessing your faith in God.

Share the Word today.

This message was written by The Association of Related Ministries International (ARMI) is an extension of Andrew Wommack Ministries (AWM). ARMI is a unique partnership committed to providing resources to help like-minded ministers succeed in a spirit of excellence and to draw from the experience and expertise of both the AWM and Charis Bible College staff. (www.awmi.net).

Flatimes Notice Board: Until you are born again, God ever abiding presence will never be with you. You must be born again to enjoy continuous victory. Please say the displayed prayer below in faith:

Lord Jesus, come into my life. I accept You as my Lord and Personal Saviour. I believe in my heart You died and rose from the dead to save me. Thank You Lord for saving me, in Jesus name Amen.