YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 15, 2024.

SUBJECT : YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW! 

Memory verse: "And, behold, I am come quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according as his work." (Revelation 22 vs 12.) 

READ: Galatians 6 vs 7 - 10; Ephesians 6 vs 8; Colossians 3 vs 25:

Galatians 6:7: Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

6:8: For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

6:9: And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

6:10: Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those where of the household of faith.

Ephesians 6:8: Knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.

Colossians 3:25: But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.

INTIMATION:

It is a principle of life that one reaps what he sows. One must not deceive himself into thinking that he can escape the consequences of his behavior. To think one can, is to mock God, for God says that we reap what we sow, not only in this life, but also in that which is to come (Romans 2 vs 6). It would certainly be a surprise if you planted corn in your farm and pumpkins came up. It's a natural law to harvest what we plant. It's true in other areas, too. If you gossip, and guile found in your tongue, know it now, you will definitely reap what you sow, and God's final judgement will find you out. 

Every action has result. If you plant to please your own desires, you'll harvest a crop of sorrow and evil. If you plant to please God, you'll harvest joy and everlasting life. Our God is certainly not a partial God, His reward is with Him, to give to everyone according to his works. There is God's judgment awaiting everybody. Although, His judgement is already working in our lives, there is a future, final judgement when Christ returns (Matthew 25 vs 31 - 46), and everyone's life will be reviewed and evaluated. Jesus will look at how we handled gifts, opportunities, relationships, and responsibilities in order to determine our rewards.

The Word of God in Luke 6 vs 37 - 38 says:

"Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you." How is your relationship with other people? What do you give to others? What  do you give to God? Are you resentful? speaking guile? gossiping about others? Do you give love and care to others? Are you judgmental? Are you always returning to others as they did to you, especially in wrong doing? 

Remember whatever you do will be returned to you in full measure. If we are critical rather than compassionate, we will also receive criticism. If we treat others generously, graciously, and compassionately, however, these qualities will come back to us in full measure. If you forgive it demonstrates that you have received God’s forgiveness. We will be dealt with in final judgement by God in the same manner by which we treat our fellow man. Therefore, when we measure mercy to others, God will in turn measure mercy to us. 

Christians must be zealous to do good works, for this is one reason why they have been brought forth in Christ (Ephesians 2 vs 10). They must not become lazy or discouraged in doing that which brings glory to the Father. Christians do good, not for the purpose of putting God in debt of reward one with heaven (Romans 4 vs 4). They do good because they are saved, not in order to become saved. They do good because they are in Christ, not in order to come to Christ. 

Prayer: Abba Father, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You at all times. And let me do to others as I will want them to do to me, and be zealous to do good works, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

God Will Supply All Your Needs

 God Will Supply All Your Needs

My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)

In Philippians 4:6, Paul says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” And then in Philippians 4:19 (just 13 verses later), he gives the liberating promise of future grace: “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

If we live by faith in this promise of future grace, it will be very hard for anxiety to survive. God’s “riches in glory” are inexhaustible. He really means for us not to worry about our future.

We should follow this pattern that Paul lays out for us. We should battle the unbelief of anxiety with the promises of future grace.

When I am anxious about some risky new venture or meeting, I regularly battle unbelief with one of my most often-used promises, Isaiah 41:10. 

The day I left America for three years in Germany my father called me long distance and gave me this promise on the telephone. For three years I must have quoted it to myself five hundred times to get me through periods of tremendous stress. “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

I have fought anxiety with this promise so many times that when the motor of my mind is in neutral, the hum of the gears is the sound of Isaiah 41:10.

GOD GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2024.

SUBJECT : GOD GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE! 

Memory verse: "Surely He scorns the scornful, but gives grace to the humble." (Proverbs 3 vs 34.) 

READ: First Peter 5 vs 5 - 7:

5:5: Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud. But gives grace to the humble."

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,

5:7: casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

INTIMATION:

God gives grace (unmerited favor, blessing) to the humble, to those who adhere to, trust in, and rely on Him and not on their own ability, schemes, and devises, or even on their own great wisdom, knowledge, and faith. God’s grace is for those who humbly submit themselves to the Lord, who humble themselves under the mighty hand and control of God. And when you that He will exalt you at His own time. 

To humble yourself under the mighty hand of God that in due time He may exalt you, means to ask the Lord for what you need and then wait on Him to provide it as He sees fit, knowing that His timing is always perfect. It means to be still and know that He is God, and that He knows what is best for you in every situation of life. It means to stop trying to make things happen yourself and allow the Lord to show you what you need to do to co-operate with His plan and purpose for you.

The person who really understands the grace of God will not worry. Why? Because worry is a work of the flesh. It is trying to figure out what to do to save oneself rather than trusting in God for deliverance. The individual who is living in constant worry is not receiving the fullness of God's grace, because just as perfect love casts out fear (First John 4 vs 18), so God's grace expels all traces of worry and anxiety. Walk in the grace of the Lord and you will not fulfill the work of the flesh.

We often worry about our position and status, hoping to get proper recognition for what we do. Remember that God's recognition counts more than human praise. Humbly obey God regardless of present circumstances, and in His good time, He will lift you up. Carrying your worries, stresses, and daily struggles by yourself shows that you have not trusted God fully with your life, and this is pride. It takes humility, however, to recognize that God cares, and to admit your need and lay them at the feet of our Messiah.

Sometimes we think 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 passivity. We display lack of knowledge of God when we think of everything we did wrong and figure that it automatically disqualifies us for any of God's blessings. And it is under this weight of lack of knowledge that we are destroyed (Hosea 4 vs 6).

If God could bless only perfect people, then He could never bless anyone, because we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3 vs 23.) Consequently, none of us supposedly deserves any good thing from the Lord. But that fact did not keep us from receiving His glorious salvation; why should it keep us from receiving His manifold blessings? If He didn't spare or withhold [even] His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all other things? (Romans 8 vs 32).

The apostle Peter says we should cast the whole of your care (all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns) on God Almighty, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. Don't submit to circumstances, but to the Lord who controls circumstances.

Prayer: Abba Father, in You I live, and move, and have my being. I will forever humble myself before You, knowing that by my strength I can do nothing. Only You strengthens me to do all things! Endue me with the grace to humbly submit myself to Your care and control at all times, in Jesus’ great Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD! 

7 Reasons Not to Worry, Part 3

 7 Reasons Not to Worry, Part 3

“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:31–34)

We have seen in the last two days that Matthew 6:25–34 contains at least seven promises designed by Jesus to help us fight the good fight against unbelief and be free from anxiety. Today we look at the final three promises.

Promise #5: “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.” (Matthew 6:31–32)

Do not think that God is ignorant of your needs. He knows all of them. And he is “your heavenly Father.” He does not look on, indifferently, from a distance. He cares. He will act to supply your need when the time is best.

Promise #6: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)

If you will give yourself to his cause in the world, rather than fretting about your private material needs, he will make sure that you have all you need to do his will and give him glory. This is how I understand “All these things will be added to you.” All the food and drink and clothing — and everything else — that you need to do his will and glorify him. Which might mean his purpose is for you to die for him, but he will supply everything you need to do it for his glory.

This is similar to the promise of Romans 8:32, “Will [God] not also with [Christ] graciously give us all things?” Which is followed by, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors” (Romans 8:35–37). Famine and nakedness may come. But we will have everything we need to be more than a conqueror. 

Promise #7: “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:34)

God will see to it that you are not tested in any given day more than you can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). He will work for you, so that “as [your] days, so shall [your] strength be” (Deuteronomy 33:25, KJV).

Every day has its appointed trouble. But never more than you can bear by his grace. Every day will have mercies that are new every morning — mercies sufficient for that day’s trouble (Lamentations 3:22–23). He will not expect any good deed from you for which he does not supply all the grace you need (2 Corinthians 9:8).

GOD CONVICTS, AND NEVER CONDEMNS!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 13, 2024.

SUBJECT : GOD CONVICTS, AND NEVER CONDEMNS! 

Memory verse: "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement." (John 16 vs 8.) 

READ: John 3 vs 17 - 19:

3:17: For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.

3:18: He who believes in Him is not condemned: but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

3:19: And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 

INTIMATION:

In the passage we read today, Jesus said He didn't come into this world to send sinners to their death (to condemn the world), but to deliver them from sin so that they could be saved, and live the abundant life. This could only happen when He convicts us of our sins. The Holy Spirit would convict the world of sin through the truth that He would reveal to the believers. The truth that would be revealed would be the standard by which sin, righteousness, and judgement would be determined. The truth would be the words of Jesus by which He would judge the world. 

God uses the Holy Spirit indwelling all believers to achieve the three important tasks: (1) convicting the world of its sin and calling it to remembrance. Those who do not accept the atoning sacrifice of Jesus for their sins will remain in a state of condemnation because of sin, (2) revealing the standard of God's righteousness to anyone who believes. Because Christ would no longer be physically present on earth, through the preaching of the believers, the world would be convicted of not doing that which is right in the eyes of God, and (3) demonstrating Christ's judgement over Satan. Through the believers, the Holy Spirit would reveal that all men must give account of their behavior before God. 

Now, in the story of the woman caught in adultery in John 8 vs 1 - 11, Jesus demonstrated to the crowd His mission in this world; He didn't come into this world to send sinners to their death, but to deliver them from sin. The woman caught in adultery was given the opportunity to rest in the safety of Christ's name. By law she was guilty of breaking a commandment from God, and the Pharisees wanted to stone her. Jesus showed the crowd that they were all guilty of breaking the law in some way. He invited the woman's accusers to proceed with the stoning, but only if they themselves were guiltless of breaking the law. 

The Scripture says: "Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Had no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." (John 8 vs 9 - 11.)

Jesus didn't condemn the woman accused of adultery, and He also did not ignore nor condone her sin. He told her to 'go and sin no more.' Jesus stands ready to forgive any sin in our lives, but we must do our part; confession and repentance of our sins, indicating a change of heart. With God's help, we can accept Christ's forgiveness and stop our wrongdoing. Jesus proved that condemnation only leads to death, but conviction delivers us to a new life free from sin. The accusers were convicted of their own sins in their consciences until one by one, from the oldest to the last, they learned not to judge the woman caught breaking the law.

The Holy Spirit works to enlighten our awareness of what we are doing that leads to death, and what we need to do to enjoy the abundant life. Condemnation is the work of the devil, 'the accuser of our brethren,' whose main aim is "to steal, and to kill, and to destroy." But thanks be to God for He sent His Son into the world that the world through Him might be saved, and have life, and abundant life indeed! (See John 10 vs 10.)

The Holy Spirit speaks to our conscience—our inner man—to convict us of sin and convince us of righteousness. His conviction is intended to convince us to repent, which means to turn and go in the right direction rather than the wrong one in which we are currently going. The devil's condemnation fills people with hopelessness and futility. The devil, through condemnation, wants to steal, or kill, or destroy anything good in your life, and most especially your relationship and trust in the Lord. His aim is to severe your relationship with God, to win you over to his side.

It's important for believers to discern the difference between conviction and condemnation. Many Christians still have the two mixed up. They think they are being condemned when they are being convicted. The more time we spend in the presence of God, the more aware we become of His love for us, and the more sensitive we become of our own actions that do not reflect God's heart. 

Prayer: Abba Father, show me my sin. Convict me of what I am doing wrong that breaks Your law. Convict me when I deviate from Your precepts. Keep my inner man tender to hear Your voice. Give me power to walk in Your precepts, and be free from sin, in Jesus' Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

7 Reasons Not to Worry, Part 2

 7 Reasons Not to Worry, Part 2

“And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:27–30)

Matthew 6:25–34 contains at least seven promises designed by Jesus to help us fight the fight for faith and be free from anxiety. Yesterday we saw Promises 1 and 2; today we look at 3 and 4.

Promise #3: “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” (Matthew 6:27)

This is a promise of sorts — the simple promise of reality that you can discover from experience: Being anxious will simply not do you any good. That’s a promise. This is not the main argument, but sometimes we just have to get tough with ourselves and say, “Soul, this fretting is absolutely useless. It promises nothing. You are not only messing up your own day, but a lot of other people’s as well. Renounce it. Leave it with God. And get on with your work.”

Anxiety accomplishes nothing worthwhile. That’s a promise. Believe it. Act on it.

Promise #4: “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:28–30)

Compared to the flowers of the field you are a much higher priority for God, because you will live forever, and can thus bring him eternal praise as his loved children.

Nevertheless, God has such an overflow of creative energy and care, he lavishes it on flowers that last only a matter of days. So, he will certainly take that same energy and creative skill and use it to care for his children who will live forever. The question is: Will we believe this promise, and put away anxiety?

THE CLEANSING BLOOD OF JESUS!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 12, 2024.

SUBJECT : THE CLEANSING BLOOD OF JESUS!

Memory verse: "But if we in the light as He is in the light, we  have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." (First John 1 vs 7.)

READ: Hebrews 9 vs 22 - 26:

9:22: And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood; and without shedding of blood there is no remission.

9:23: Therefore, it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

9:24: For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;

9:25: not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another—

9:26: He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 

INTIMATION:

Real cleansing from sin came with Jesus, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1 vs 29). Sin, by its very nature, brings death—that is a fact as certain as the law of gravity. Jesus did not die for His own sins; He had none. Instead, by a transaction that we may never fully understand, He died for the sins of the world. When we commit our life to Christ and thus identify ourselves with Him, His death becomes ours. He has paid the penalty for our sins, and His blood has purified us. Just as Christ rose from the grave, we rise to a new life of fellowship with Him (Romans 6 vs 4). 

The blood of Jesus Christ is the world’s greatest purifier because it removes the stain of sin. The Scripture, in Revelation 7 vs 14, says that the saints “washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” It is difficult to imagine how blood could make any cloth white, but the blood of Jesus Christ did. White symbolizes sinless perfection or holiness, which can be given to people only by the death of the sinless Lamb of God on our behalf.

In the Old Testament times, God agreed to forgive people’s sins if they would bring animals for the priests to sacrifice. When this sacrificial system was inaugurated, the covenant between God and His people was sealed with the blood of animals (Exodus 24 vs 8). But animal blood did not in itself remove sin (only God can forgive sin), and animal sacrifices had to be repeated day after day and year after year. 

Jesus instituted a “new covenant” (agreement) between God and His people. Under the new covenant, Jesus would die in the place of sinners. Unlike the blood of animals, His blood (because He is God) would remove the sins of all who put their faith in Him. Jesus’ sacrifice would never have to be repeated; it would be good for all eternity (Hebrews 9 vs 23 - 28). 

Animal sacrifices could not take away sins; they provided only a temporary way to deal with sin until Jesus came to deal with sin permanently. Because the Old Testament believers were following God’s command to offer sacrifices, He graciously forgave them when, by faith, they made their sacrifices. But that practice looked forward to Christ’s perfect sacrifice. 

It is not possible that the blood of animals should take away sin because sin is between those who have been created after the image of God, and God Himself. Sin is between God and man, and thus, only the One who was both God and man could mediate on behalf of both parties. Through grace, therefore, God was incarnate on behalf of man in order that an incarnate blood offering be made for the atonement of man’s sin (Titus 2 vs 11).

Sinful deeds are more than just wrong actions; ironically, these also include our attempts to reach God by being good enough! Our culture glorifies self-effort and personal achievement. It defines a successful person as one who obtains certain goals: financial security, health and fitness, and the respect of others. But the Bible gives us a different picture of successful living: accept Jesus’ sacrifice for your sin, abandon the futility of sinful deeds, and let the blood of Jesus purify your conscience (see Hebrews 10 vs 19 - 22). 

Many hesitate to witness about their faith in Christ because they don’t feel the change in their lives has been spectacular enough. But you qualify as a witness for Jesus because of what He has done for you, not because of what you have done for Him. Christ demonstrated His great love by setting us free from our sins through His death on the cross (“washed us from our sins in His own blood”), guaranteeing us a place in His kingdom, and making us priests to administer God’s love to others. The fact that the All-powerful God has offered eternal life to you is nothing short of spectacular. 

Christ has already finished the work for us in redemption. Ours is to believe in our hearts the finished work and confess with our mouth our rich heritage in Him. When you acknowledge Him as your Lord, then God becomes automatically your very Father. All the resources of heaven are at your disposal. You become a partaker of His Nature, and of His ability. God's ability becomes your ability. God's Strength becomes your strength, and Jesus is the surety of that New Covenant for us. (Hebrews 7 vs. 22.)

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for what You wrought for me in redemption through Christ. You are the LORD over my life. I am in Christ, and Christ in You, therefore, Satan has no portion in me. My sonship with You have given me victory as an overcomer of the world through my faith in You, for in You I live, move, and have my being, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!