GOD CONVICTS, AND NEVER CONDEMNS!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY OCTOBER 27, 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 our lives, and most especially our relationship and trust in the Lord. His aim is to severe our relationship with God, to win us 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!

Medicine for the Missionary

 Medicine for the Missionary

“All things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:27)

Sovereign grace is the spring of life for the Christian Hedonist. For what the Christian Hedonist loves best is the experience of the sovereign grace of God filling him, and overflowing for the good of others.

Christian Hedonist missionaries love the experience of “not I, but the grace of God that is with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10). They bask in the truth that the fruit of their missionary labor is entirely of God (1 Corinthians 3:7; Romans 11:36).

They feel only gladness when the Master says, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). They leap like lambs over the truth that God has taken the impossible weight of new creation off their shoulders and put it on his own. Without begrudging, they say, “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God” (2 Corinthians 3:5).

When they come home on furlough, nothing gives them more joy than to say to churches, “I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience” (Romans 15:18).

“All things are possible with God!” — in front the words give hope, and behind they give humility. They are the antidote to despair and the antidote to pride — the perfect missionary medicine.

PRAYER, AND OUR NEED FOR PRAYER ALWAYS!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY OCTOBER 26, 2024.

SUBJECT : PRAYER, AND OUR NEED FOR PRAYER ALWAYS!

Memory verse: "Men ought always to pray and not faint." (Luke 18 vs 1.) 

READ: Matthew 26 vs 41; Luke 21 vs 36; Ephesians 6 vs 18; Colossians 4 vs 2:

Matthew 26:41: Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Luke 21:36: Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.

Ephesians 6:18: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. Being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

Colossians 4:2: Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. 

INTIMATION:

What is prayer? It is an evolving means of interacting with God, most frequently through a spontaneous, individual, unorganized form of petitioning and/or thanking. It is an object of worship, a spiritual communion with God or an object of worship, as in supplication, thanksgiving, adoration, or confession. Ultimately, the main purpose of prayer is worship. When we pray to the Lord, recognizing Him for who He is and what He has done, it is an act of worship. Prayer also can be a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God.

The Father's heart is hungry for the companionship of His children. His heart hunger is the reason for man and his redemption. God wants a constant fellowship with His children. It was His plan from the beginning hence He visited Adam everyday in the Garden. He loves us and that love impels Him to call us to prayer. Therefore, prayer is the voice of faith to the Father, and the call of love of the Father to come and fellowship with Him. It’s the desire of the Father that His children approach Him in prayer. 

It is God's intention that His children will always be with their Father, an the children coming joyously into the presence of their Loving Parent are welcome. He  taught us to pray, He is one with us in this prayer life. Prayer is part of God's program for us. It is the natural response of those who recognize their need for the help of God in their lives. 

Prayer is an important part of the Christian life, and one’s prayer life should be developed. Not only does prayer affect our lives and the lives of others, but it is also a way to communicate with the Lord and grow in our relationship with Him. At the heart of prayer is an act of worship to the Lord. God’s Word places an emphasis on the power and purpose of prayer, and, therefore, it should not be neglected.

Prayer is calling constantly for the leading of the LORD, and such leading helps us avoid temptation, and deliverance from evil (Matthew 6 vs 13). It helps us overcome the weakness of the flesh, and empowers us to escape all the things that will come to pass, making us worthy to stand before Christ.  Christians should maintain a lifestyle that lends itself to prayer. It is through prayer that not only the inward man is strengthened, but also the work of God is called upon by the disciple to function in his life. 

Christians should be of an attitude at all times that is conducive to offering prayer to God. They are not only to pray continually, they must be fervent in prayer with thanksgiving. Emphasis here is not on a continued action of prayer, but on a continued attitude of prayer. In other words, the Christian should be in a state of mind that he can at all times take part in the action of praying to the Father. And since all that the Christian has is the result of God’s blessing, then it is reasonable to conclude that Christians should give thanks to God for all they are and have. 

Prayer is the vital contact with the Father, and we are near enough to breathe in His very presence. Prayer means that we have come boldly into the Throne room and are standing in the presence of the Father and Jesus in an executive meeting, worshipping them, laying our needs before them, and making our requisitions for ability, and grace to meet whatever our needs may be.

Therefore, to remain in the presence of God, and be lead by Him always calls for persistence in prayer. To persist in prayer and not give up, or praying without ceasing, does not mean endless repetition or painfully long prayer sessions. Always praying means keeping our requests constantly before God as we live for Him day by day, believing He will answer. When we live by faith, we are not to give up. As we persist in prayer we grow in character, faith, and hope. 

Prayer: Abba Father, give ear to my words, and to the voice of my cry, consider my meditation my King and my God. To You will I pray, my voice You shall hear in the morning, and at all times I will direct it to You, and will look up to You, from where my help comes, O LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. Give me the grace to continually commune with You in prayer, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD.

The Great Missionary Hope

 The Great Missionary Hope

Even when we were dead in our trespasses, [God] made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:5)

The great missionary hope is that when the gospel is preached in the power of the Holy Spirit, God himself does what man cannot do: he creates the faith that saves. The call of God does what the call of man can’t. It raises the dead. It creates spiritual life. It is like the call of Jesus to Lazarus in the tomb, “Come out!” And the dead man obeyed and came out. The call created the obedience by creating life (John 11:43). That is how anyone is saved.

We can waken someone from sleep with our call, but God’s call can summon into being things that are not (Romans 4:17). God’s call is irresistible in the sense that it can overcome all resistance. It is infallibly effective according to God’s purpose — so much so that Paul can say, “Those whom [God] called he also justified” (Romans 8:30), even though we are only justified by our faith.

In other words, God’s call is so effectual that it infallibly creates the faith through which a person is justified. All the called are justified according to Romans 8:30. But none is justified without faith (Romans 5:1). So the call of God cannot fail in its intended effect. It irresistibly brings into being the faith that justifies.

This is what man cannot do. It is impossible. Only God can take out the heart of stone (Ezekiel 36:26). Only God can draw people to the Son (John 6:44, 65). Only God can open the spiritually dead heart so that it gives heed to the gospel (Acts 16:14). Only the Good Shepherd knows his sheep, and calls them by name with such compelling power that they all follow — and never perish (John 10:3–4, 14). 

The sovereign grace of God, doing the humanly impossible, through the gospel of Jesus Christ, is the great missionary hope.

THE CHOICE OF LIFE OR DEATH!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY OCTOBER 25, 2024.

SUBJECT: THE CHOICE OF LIFE OR DEATH! 

Memory verse: "I call heaven and earth as witness today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live."  (Deuteronomy 30 vs 19.)

READ: Deuteronomy 30 vs 15 - 20:

30:15: See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil,

30:16: in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgements, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. 

30:17: But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them,

30:18: I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess.

30:19: I call heaven and earth as witness today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;

30:20: that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.

INTIMATION:

God is the source and Creator of life, for there is no life apart from God, here and hereafter. The life in us is the gift from Him. And because Jesus is eternally existent with God, the Creator, He too, is “the life” through whom we may live eternally. Jesus said, “…I am the way, the truth, and the life…” (John 14 vs 6.) 

In the passage we read today, Moses, in his farewell address to the Israelites, challenged

them to choose life, to obey God, and, therefore, to continue to experience His blessings. God doesn’t force His Will on anyone. He lets us decide whether to follow Him or reject Him. This decision, however, is a life and death matter. 

God set life and death before His people, Israel, at the borders of the Promise Land. As all people do, the children of Israel had a choice: they could obey God or disobey Him. One choice would lead to life, and the other choice would lead to death.

God, however, created us as free-moral individuals. And the final exhortation to us in Scripture is to make a free-moral decision to choose that which will bring life and good. When one stays close to God, he or she will have life. No eternal life exists outside the presence of God. Therefore, one must choose to come into and continually stay in the presence of God in order to maintain eternal life. Since God is eternal, then Scripture concludes that only those who choose to cleave to Him will enjoy eternal existence in His presence. It is imperative, therefore, that one discover how to come into an eternal relationship with God.

Although the terms of the Old Covenant, according to the passage we read today, were specifically for Israel in the Promised Land and are not applied to all humanity today, the choice is still very much the same. God still sets life and death before us. The Scripture in Romans 6 vs 23 tells us that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Those who accept Christ by faith will experience eternal life and blessing, while those who reject Him will experience eternal death and destruction (John 3 vs 18). There is a clear choice with eternal consequences.

In life we are faced with choices. God has ordained our paths in life, that we may accomplish our predetermined purposes in life in accordance with His Will for us. God doesn't force His Will on anyone. He lets us decide whether to follow Him or reject Him, obey Him or disobey Him. This decision, however, is a life-or-death matter. God wants us to realize this, for He would like us all to choose life. Daily, in each new situation, we must affirm and reinforce this commitment. 

Now remember this, for the ancient Hebrews, life, by definition, was that precisely which proceeded from loving and obeying God.  Therefore, if we choose to serve God, we are choosing life.  Death was defined as the rejection of God. Therefore, if we choose not to serve or obey the Lord, we choose death.  

But we need to understand that our choices affect not only eternity, they affect today as well. If I want to live today, it means that I choose to serve the Lord today.  If I choose not to serve the Lord today, it means that for today I have not chosen life; I have chosen something else, and what follows from that choice will not be the life that comes from God but something else, that is, isolation from Him- which is the same as death. 

Remember, what we choose will be given to us, so let’s be sure to choose to serve the Lord and not some other god, let’s be sure to choose life, so that we will live today and throughout all eternity with the Lord.

Prayer: Abba Father, by You all things consist. And You created all things, including me for Your pleasure. Endue me with the spirit of delightsome obedience to You in all things, that I may please You and live according to Your predetermined purposes for me, and have life more abundantly, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

THE PLACE OF LOVE IN OUR CHRISTIAN LIFE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY OCTOBER OF 24, 2024.

SUBJECT: THE PLACE OF LOVE IN OUR CHRISTIAN LIFE! 

Memory verse: "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God, and knows God." (First John 4 vs 7.)

READ: Mark 12 vs 30 - 31 & 33:

12:30: And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength: this is the first commandment.

12:31: And the second like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

12:33: And to love Him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

INTIMATION:

A Christian life without love is purposeless. When you love God completely and care for others as you care for yourself, then you have fulfilled the intent of the Ten Commandments and the other Old Testament laws. According to Jesus, these two commandments summarize all God’s laws. Let them rule your thoughts, decisions, and actions. When you are uncertain about what to do ask yourself which course of action best demonstrates love for God and others. 

Jesus says that if we truly love God and our neighbor, we will naturally keep the commandments. The best tact to deal with this is rather than worrying about all we should not do, we should concentrate on all we can do to show love for God and others. After learning to love God, learning to love others is the second purpose of your life. 

Everyone believes that love is important, but love is usually thought of as a feeling. In reality love is a choice and an action, as First Corinthians 13 vs 4 - 7 shows. God is the source of our love. He loved us enough to sacrifice His Son for us. Jesus is our example of what it means to love; everything He did in life and death was supremely loving. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to love; he lives in our heart and makes us more and more like Jesus. God’s love always involves a choice and an action, and our love should be like His. 

We are often preoccupied with our own self, and act as if relationships are something to be squeezed into our schedule. We think always that we are doing others favor by loving them. But that is wrong, instead we are doing ourselves the favor of walking in the command of God to fulfill His law. It is another test of discipleship. If one maintains a behavioral character of actively loving his brother, then such is born of God. The more one applies the principles of God’s attributes, the more one understands the nature of God. 

We talk about finding time for our children or making out time for people in our lives. That gives the impression that relationships are just part of our lives along with many other tasks. But God says relationships are what life is all about. Four of the Ten Commandments deal with our relationship to God while the other six deal with our relationships with people. But all ten are about relationships! We might say it is in Old Testament laws, but Jesus summarized what matters most to God in two statements: ‘love God and love people.’

Relationships, not achievements or the acquisition of things, are what matters most in life. Now you know this, why will you allow relationships to get the short end of the stick? When our schedules become overloaded, and overcrowded, we start skimming relationally, cutting back on giving the time, energy, and attention that loving relationships require. What is most important to God is displaced by what's urgent to you. 

Busyness is the greatest enemy to relationships. We become preoccupied with making a living, doing our work, paying bills, and accomplishing goals as if these tasks are the point of life. They are not. The point of life is learning to love God and people. Life minus love equals zero.

Our society confuses Love and lust. Unlike lust, God’s kind of love is directed outward toward others, not inward toward ourselves. It is utterly unselfish. This kind of love goes against our natural inclinations. It is impossible to have this love unless God helps us set aside our own natural desires so that we can love and not expect anything in return. 

Prayer: Abba Father, You are love, and I know You. My utmost heart desire is to live a life hinged on Your greatest commandments; to love You and others. Endue me with the spirit of love, that I may be worthy to be called Your Son, in Jesus’ Name I prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Christ Is Like Sunlight

 Christ Is Like Sunlight

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature. (Hebrews 1:3)

Jesus relates to God the way radiance relates to glory, or the way the rays of sunlight relate to the sun. 

Keep in mind that every analogy between God and natural things is imperfect and will distort if you press it. Nevertheless, consider for example,

There is no time that the sun exists without the beams of radiance. They cannot be separated. The radiance is co-eternal with the glory. Christ is co-eternal with God the Father.

The radiance is the glory radiating out. It is not essentially different from the glory. Christ is God standing forth as separate but not essentially different from the Father.

Thus the radiance is eternally begotten, as it were, by the glory — not created or made. If you put a solar-activated calculator in the sunlight, numbers appear on the face of the calculator. These, you could say, are created or made by the sun, but they are not what the sun is. But the rays of the sun are an extension of the sun. So Christ is eternally begotten of the Father, but not made or created.

We see the sun by means of seeing the rays of the sun. So we see God the Father by seeing Jesus. The rays of the sun arrive here about eight minutes after they leave the sun, and the round ball of fire that we see in the sky is the image — the exact representation — of the sun; not because it is a painting of the sun, but because it is the sun streaming forth in its radiance.

So I commend this great Person to you that you might trust in him and love him and worship him. He is alive and sitting at the right hand of God with all power and authority and will one day come in great glory. He has that exalted place because he is himself God the Son, “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.”