God Isn’t Gloomy

 God Isn’t Gloomy

The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations. (Psalm 33:10–11)

“Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases” (Psalm 115:3). The implication of this text is that God has the right and power to do whatever makes him happy. That is what it means to say that God is sovereign.

Think about it for a moment: If God is sovereign and can do anything he pleases, then none of his purposes can be frustrated. “The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations” (Psalm 33:10–11).

And if none of his purposes can be frustrated, then he must be the happiest of all beings.

This infinite, divine happiness is the fountain from which the Christian (Hedonist) drinks and longs to drink more deeply.

Can you imagine what it would be like if the God who ruled the world were not happy? What if God were given to grumbling and pouting and depression, like some Jack-and-the-beanstalk giant in the sky? What if God were frustrated and despondent and gloomy and dismal and discontented and dejected?

Could we join David and say, “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water” (Psalm 63:1)? I don’t think so.

We would all relate to God like little children who have a frustrated, gloomy, dismal, discontented father. They can’t enjoy him. They can only try not to bother him, or maybe try to work for him to earn some little favor. 

But that is not the way God is. He is never out of sorts with frustration or discouragement. And, as Psalm 147:11 says, he “takes pleasure . . . in those who hope in his steadfast love.” So the aim of the Christian Hedonist is not to avoid this God, not to run from him, or tiptoe through the living room lest his gloominess become anger. No, our aim is to hope in his steadfast love. To run to him. To be happy in God, to delight in God, to cherish and enjoy his fellowship and favor.

FIX YOUR SEARCH ON GOD ONLY!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 02,

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 standards, 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, in You all things lie. Help me discover the purpose of Your creating and 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!

Prayer against Evil Dream

 Today, we're praying against evil dream that abort our blessings and destiny. I pray that any evil dream programmed to terminate your destiny and testimony to be destroy in Jesus Name 🙏🙏🙏

Prayer Points

1.  - Father I thank You for Your plans and purpose for my life and destiny in Jesus name.

2.  - Lord, I thank You for the grace and the ability You have given to me to dream and receive visions of the night.

3.  - I pull down every stronghold created in my mind for evil dreams in Jesus name. I cover my mind with the blood of Jesus Christ.

4.  - I free my mind from evil thoughts, imagination and words sent to attack my mind in preparation for evil dreams in Jesus name.

5.  - In the name of Jesus Christ, I forbid and render powerless, any evil spirit sent to work against my mind and prepare it for evil dream.

6.  - I cover my mind with the blood of Jesus Christ. I forbid every negative and demonic influence over my mind. I declare that I have the mind of Christ in Jesus name.

7.  - I overcome family and ancestral powers and evil by the blood of Jesus Christ.

8.  - By the power of the Holy Spirit, I break every covenant and agreement of evil.

9.  - I release the fire of God to burn every ancestral or generational material or connection to evil dreams in my life in Jesus name.

10.  - All generational, ancestral and family strongholds, covenants and evil influences of my maternal and paternal lineage which are frustrating my star, destiny and purpose in life through evil dreams, I command now, let the fire of the Holy Spirit torment and destroy you now out of my life in Jesus name.

11.  - As I lie down to sleep, let the light of the Almighty God overshadow me and destroy every darkness around me in Jesus name.

12.  - I sanctify every material I lie down to sleep upon with the blood of Jesus Christ.

13.  - I sanctify everywhere and every place I lie down to sleep with the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ.

14.  - Two cannot walk together unless they agree, therefore I disconnect myself from wicked spiritual personalities of evil dreams and covenants in Jesus name.

15.  - I restrict and forbid evil movements of wicked spirits that manipulate and influence my dreams negatively. Jesus Christ says “in my Name, you shall cast out the devil.” In the most potent and powerful name of Jesus Christ, I cast out every demonic and evil spirit sent on assignment to frustrate my life through evil dreams and evil actions.

16.  - Lord, as I lie down everyday to sleep, I shut the gates and doors of my sleep and dreams against the devil in Jesus name.

17.  - I reject and rebuke every spirit of fear sent to me during my sleep in Jesus name.

18.  - I receive the grace and ability to sleep and wake up in Jesus name. I rebuke every spirit of sleeplessness in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.

19.  - Father, Your Word says that when I lie down, I shall not be afraid and my sleep shall be sweet. Therefore, I pray that everyday of my life, my sleep shall be sweet and blessed in Jesus name.

20.  - Lord, I thank You for his precious gift of dreams of my life and destiny. I bless Your most Holy Name.

The All-Satisfying Object

 The All-Satisfying Object

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)

The quest for pleasure is not even optional, but commanded (in the Psalms): “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).

The psalmists sought to do just this: “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (Psalm 42:1–2). “My soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water” (Psalm 63:1).

The motif of thirsting has its satisfying counterpart when the psalmist says that men “drink their fill of the abundance of Your house; and You give them to drink of the river of Your delights” (Psalm 36:8 NASB).

I found that the goodness of God, the very foundation of worship, is not a thing you pay your respects to out of some kind of disinterested reverence. No, it is something to be enjoyed: “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!” (Psalm 34:8). Taste. Taste! And see.

“How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103).

As C.S. Lewis says, God in the Psalms is the “all-satisfying Object.” His people adore him unashamedly for the “exceeding joy” they find in him (Psalm 43:4). He is the source of complete and unending pleasure: “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

WHEN GOD SEEMS FAR AWAY FROM YOU!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY OCTOBER 01, 2024.

SUBJECT: WHEN GOD SEEMS FAR AWAY FROM YOU! 

Memory verse: "Why do You stand afar off, O LORD? Why do You hide in times of trouble? (Psalm 10 vs 1.)

READ: Psalm 13 vs 1 - 6:

13:1: How long, O Lord? Will You forget me? for ever? How long will You hide Your face from me?

13:2: How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long will my enemy be exalted over me?

13:3: Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: Enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death.

13:4: Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed against him”; lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.

13:5: But I have trusted in Your mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.

13:6: I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me.

INTIMATION:

It is natural for the believer to feel that God has distanced Himself from him when he is in trouble. The fact is that God has not distanced Himself from the believer. Rather the believer has moved away from Him. The fact is that God is transcendent, but He also allows life and nature to continue their natural courses. God knows the end from the beginning, perfect in timing, and works all things together for good, achieving His predetermined purposes even in the midst of the troubles. The believer must remember that God does not move away from him in time of trouble. 

For instance, Job wondered why God would allow great calamity to come upon him if He were a God who is transcendent in the affairs of man (Job 13 vs 24). He never knew God’s purpose of allowing Satan to bring the calamities his way, but at the end Job was better off than he was from the beginning of his troubles. 

In our memory verse, the psalm writer said, “Why do you hide in times of trouble?” To him God seemed far away. But even though the writer had honest doubts, he did not stop praying or conclude that God no longer cared. He was not complaining but simply asking God to hurry to his aid. It is during those times when we feel most alone or oppressed that we need to keep praying, telling God about our troubles.

Sometimes all we need to do is talk over a problem with a friend to help put it in perspective. God is such a friend. Just like David expressed his feelings to God and found strength. By the end of his prayer, he was able to confess hope and trust in God. Through prayer we can express our feelings and talk our problems out with God. He helps us regain the right perspective, and this gives us peace. 

In times of distress, some of us frequently claim that God is slow to act on their behalf. Yes we often feel this same impatience. Our duty, however, is to continue to trust God no matter how long we have to wait for God’s help or justice to be realized. When you feel impatient, always remember to put your faith in God’s unfailing love. 

In the passage we read today, David was faithful to God and trusted wholeheartedly in Him, but he felt the pressure of his problems as much as anyone. Instead of giving up or giving in, however, David held on to his faith. In times of despair, it is much harder to hold on than to give up. But if you give up on God, you give in to a life of despair. 

Let your feelings not be controlled by the events around you, but rather by faith in God’s ability to give you strength. When nothing makes sense, and when troubles seem more than you can bear, remember that God gives strength. Take your eyes off your difficulties and look up to God who controls all circumstances. 

Prophet Habakkuk says in Habakkuk 3 vs 17 - 19: “Although the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be in the vines; though the labour of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like bear's feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills.”

God will give His followers strength and confidence in difficult times. They will run surefooted as deer across rough and dangerous terrain. At the proper time, God will bring about His justice and completely rid the world of evil. In the meantime God’s people need to live in the strength of His Spirit, confident in His ultimate victory over evil. God is our refuge even in the midst of total destruction. He is not merely a temporary retreat, He is our eternal refuge and can provide strength in any circumstances. 

Prayer: Abba Father, You are Omniscient, Omnipresent, and Omnipotent. There is nothing difficult nor impossible with You, and You control all circumstances. I will cast all my cares on You because You cares for me. In all circumstances You are my only God. Whatever You can’t do for me let it remain undone, whatever You can’t give me may I never have it. Daily I empty myself before You for whatever You have for me, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

The Most Liberating Discovery

 The Most Liberating Discovery

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. (Philippians 3:1)

No one had ever taught me that God is glorified by our joy in him — that joy in God is the very thing that makes our praise an honor to God, and not hypocrisy.

But Jonathan Edwards said it so clearly and powerfully:

God glorifies himself towards the creatures also [in] two ways: (1) by appearing to . . . their understanding; (2) in communicating himself to their hearts, and in their rejoicing and delighting in, and enjoying the manifestations which he makes of himself. . . . God is glorified not only by his glory’s being seen, but by its being rejoiced in. . . . 

[W]hen those that see it delight in it: God is more glorified than if they only see it. . . . He that testifies his idea of God’s glory [doesn’t] glorify God so much as he that testifies also his approbation of it and his delight in it.

This was a stunning discovery for me. I must pursue joy in God if I am to glorify him as the surpassingly valuable Reality in the universe. Joy is not a mere option alongside worship. It is an essential component of worship. Indeed the very essence of worship — being glad in the glories of God.

We have a name for those who speak their praises of God when they have no pleasure in what they praise. We call them hypocrites. Jesus said, “You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me’” (Matthew 15:7–8). This fact — that authentic praise means consummate pleasure and that the highest end of man is to drink deeply of this pleasure for God’s glory — was perhaps the most liberating discovery I have ever made.

BE SELFLESS TO BE CHRISTLIKE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 30, 2024.

SUBJECT : BE SELFLESS TO BE CHRISTLIKE! 

Memory verse: "Bear one another's burdens, and fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6 vs 2.)

READ: Philippians 2 vs 3 - 5; First Corinthians 10 vs 24:

Philippians 2:3: Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

2:4: Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

2:5: Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.

First Corinthians 10:24: Let no one seek his own, but each one the other's well-being. 

INTIMATION:

Being selfless is laying aside one’s right; putting others first. Selflessness is having no regard to self, being altruistic—living and acting for the interest of others. Many people, even Christians, live only to make a good impression on others or to please themselves. However, selfish ambition or conceit (overbearing, having a high opinion of oneself) brings discord. Selflessness is inconveniencing yourself for the happiness, and benefit of others.

Jesus Christ, our Messiah, is a classic example of a selfless life. He was humble, willing to give up His rights in order to obey God and serve people. Consequently, the apostle Paul advises us thus: "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." Like Jesus, we should have a servant's attitude, serving out of love for God and others. 

Everyone chooses his or her attitude. You can approach life expecting to be served, or you can look for opportunities to serve others. Jesus Christ's ministry on earth was anchored on selflessness, and was the basis for our salvation. He died for us; paid a ransom for us because we could not do it ourselves. His death released us from our slavery to, and bondage of sin. Jesus remarked in Mark 10 vs 45; "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." 

Living as Christ did—being selfless—brings about spiritual unity. We must love one another and be one in spirit and purpose. When we co-operate in working together, caring for the problems of others as if they were our problems, we demonstrate Christ's example of putting others first, and consequently, fulfill the law of Christ. The law of Christ is to love one another (John 13 vs 34 - 35). 

Selfishness is seen among Christians and abound in our churches (the Body of Christ). Christians—members of the Body of Christ—compete amongst themselves with the motive to undo the other; backbiting, gossiping, witch-hunting, working against the interest of others etc., such evil behaviors are the products of selfishness. Selfish ambition and conceit lead one to seek his or her own ends. One is not considerate of the desires of others. Those who have confidence in themselves will have no problem in building up others. 

Always think of yourself the way Jesus thought of Himself. Though He is God, and equal with God in status, but didn't think so much of Himself as to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men to save mankind. He was completely obedient even to His detriment to the point of a shameful death on the cross.

How many of us can practice such lifestyle. Christians, even men of God, struggle in traffic jam, in fuel cue, in difficult circumstances to take the first turn etc. Though it is difficult to lead such a lifestyle but we need to start from somewhere and let the Holy Spirt help us accomplish the rest.

Prayer: Abba Father, my trust is in You. Help me to lay aside my right in order to serve others selflessly and treat others with respect and common courtesy, for I know that such selflessness endears me to You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!