GOD DESIRES OUR CONSISTENT OBEDIENCE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 19, 2024.

SUBJECT : GOD DESIRES OUR CONSISTENT OBEDIENCE!

Memory verse: "And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved." (Mark 13 vs 13.)

READ: Philippians 2 vs 5 - 11: 

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

2:6: who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,

2:7: but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

2:8: And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death of the cross.

2:9: Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given him the name which is above every name,

2:10: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and those on earth, and those under the earth,

2:11: and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

INTIMATION:

God demands our obedience to His commandments. We do this by obeying God with (1) Our heart— by loving Him more than any relationship, activity, achievement, or possession; (2) Our will—by committing ourselves completely to Him; (3) Our mind—by seeking to know Him and His Word, so His principles and values form the foundation of all we think and do; (4) Our body—by recognizing that our strengths, talents, and sexuality are given to us by God to be used for pleasure and fulfillment according to His rules, not ours; (5) Our finances—by deciding that all of the resources we have ultimately come from God, and that we are to be managers of them and not owners; (6) Our future—by deciding to make service to God and man the main purpose of our life’s work.

We should strive to be consistent in our obedience. Heroic spiritual lives are built by stacking days of obedience one on top of the other. Like a brick, each obedient act is small in itself, but in time the acts will pile up, and a huge wall of strong character will be built—a great defense against temptation. God requires lifelong obedience. Spurts of obedience are not enough, and we can’t please God by spurts of religiosity. Real spirituality takes a lifetime of consistent obedience. Only "he who endures to the end" will be rewarded. 

Consider Jesus Christ who actually became a human to identify with our sins; He voluntarily laid aside His divine rights and privileges out of love for, and obedience to His Father. Christ died on the cross for our sins, and God glorified Him because of His obedience; consistent obedience to the end. God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things o a n earth, and things under the earth.

Therefore, if we say we follow Christ as believers, we must also say we want to live as He lived, and strive to live as He lived. He is our role model, and we are expected to be Christlike. To believe in Jesus "to the end" will take perseverance because our faith will be challenged and opposed. Severe trials will sift true Christians from fair-weather believers. 

Enduring to the end does not earn salvation for us but marks us as already saved, and an evidence that we are really committed to Jesus. The assurance of our salvation will keep us strong in times of persecution. Persistence or consistency is the by product of a truly devoted life.

Obedience to God begins with humility. We humble ourselves by renouncing other masters, identify ourselves with Jesus, discover His will and live according to it, and consciously turn away from conflicting interests, even if these interests have been important to us in the past. 

We must believe that His way is better than our own. We may not always understand His ways of working, but by humbly obeying, we will receive His blessings. We must remember that (1) God’s ways are best; (2) God wants our obedience more than anything else; (3) God can use anything to accomplish His purposes. 

Be remembered for your consistent faith, being consistent in your faith every day; that way you will build a lifetime of obedience. Otherwise you may become more famous for your downfall than for your success. 

Prayer: Abba Father, my utmost heart desire is to have the mind of Christ and live humbly as He lived; consistent in my obedience to the end. Strengthen me in my strive, and help me in my daily life to live like Christ, and live for You, in Jesus' Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

We All Need Help

 We All Need Help

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

Every one of us needs help. We are not God. We have needs. We have weaknesses. We have confusion. We have limitations of all kinds. We need help.

But every one of us has something else: We have sins. And therefore at the bottom of our hearts we know that we do not deserve the help we need. And so we feel trapped. 

I need help to live my life, and to handle death, and to cope with eternity — help with my family, my spouse, my children, my loneliness, my job, my health, my finances. I need help. But I don’t deserve the help I need.

So, what can I do? I can try to deny it all and be a superman or a superwoman, who doesn’t need any help. Or I can try to drown it all and throw my life into a pool of sensual pleasures. Or I can simply give way to the paralysis of despair.

But God declares over this hopeless situation: Jesus Christ became a High Priest to shatter that despair with hope, and to humble that superman or superwoman, and to rescue that drowning wretch.

Yes, we all need help. Yes, none of us deserves the help we need. But no to despair and pride and lechery. Look at what God says. Because we have a Great High Priest, the throne of God is a throne of grace. And the help we get at that throne of grace is mercy and grace to help in time of need. Grace to help! Not deserved help — gracious help. That’s why the High Priest, Jesus Christ, shed his own blood.

You are not trapped. Say no to that lie. We need help. We don’t deserve it. But we can have it. You can have it right now and forever. If you will receive and trust in your High Priest, Jesus the Son of God, and draw near to God through him.

The Piercing Power of the Word

 The Piercing Power of the Word

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

The word of God is our only hope. The good news of God’s promises and the warnings of his judgment are sharp enough and living enough and active enough to penetrate to the bottom of my heart and show me that the lies of sin are indeed lies.

Abortion will not create a wonderful future for me. Neither will cheating, or dressing provocatively, or throwing away my sexual purity, or keeping quiet about dishonesty at work, or divorce, or vengeance. And what rescues me from this deception is the word of God. 

The word of God’s promise is like throwing open a great window of bright morning sunlight on the roaches of sin masquerading as satisfying pleasures in our hearts. God has given you his good news, his promises, his word to protect you from the deep deceptions of sin that try to harden your heart and lure it away from God and lead it to destruction. 

Be of good cheer in your battle to believe. Because the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, it will penetrate deeper than any deception of sin has ever gone and reveal what is truly valuable and what is truly worth trusting and loving.

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD! MONDAY NOVEMBER 18, 2024. SUBJECT: GOD YEARNS FOR AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH US! Memory verse: "But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgement, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight, says the LORD." (Jeremiah 9 vs 24.) READ: Jeremiah 9 vs 23 - 24; John 15 vs 13: Jeremiah 9:23: Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; 9:24: But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgement, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight, says the LORD. John 15:13: Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. INTIMATION: The realization of the various aspects of our relationship with God makes us get committed to Him. He is our Maker, Lord and Master, Judge, Faithful Companion, Redeemer, Father, Savior, and much more. But the most shocking truth is this: Almighty God yearns to be our friend and to have an intimate relationship with us! From creation, God’s plan is to be in constant fellowship with man. In the garden of Eden we saw God's ideal relationship with man: Adam and Eve enjoyed daily visitation of the Lord, due to His quest for an intimate relationship with them. There were no rituals, ceremonies, or religion, just a simple loving relationship between God and the people He created. While unhindered by sin, Adam and Eve delighted in God, and He delighted in them. God is known in His creation, and He is close to every one of us. But He is not trapped in His creation. He is supernatural. God is the Creator, not the creation. This means that God is sovereign and in control, while at the same time He is close and personal. Knowing and loving God is our greatest privilege, and being known and loved by Him is God's greatest pleasure. We were made to live in God's continual presence, but after the Fall, that ideal relationship was lost due to sin. Only a few people in Old Testament times had the privilege of friendship with God. Moses and Abraham were called "friends of God" (Exodus 33 vs 11 & 17; James 2 vs 23), David was called "a man after [God's] own heart" (Acts 13 vs 22), and Job, Enoch, and Noah had intimate friendship with God (Job 29 vs 4; Genesis 5 vs 22; 6 vs 8). But the fear of God, not friendship, was more common in the Old Testament. Then Jesus changed the situation. When He paid for our sins on the cross, the veil in the temple that symbolized our separation from God was split from top to bottom, indicating that direct access to God was once again available. Unlike the Old Testament priests who had to spend hours preparing to meet God, we can now approach God anytime. Friendship and intimacy with God is possible only because of the grace of God and the sacrifice of Jesus. The Bible, in Second Corinthians 5 vs 18 says, "Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation." God actually is reconciling us to the Trinity; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. He invites us to enjoy friendship and fellowship with all three persons of the Trinity. The Bible, in First John 1 vs 3, says, "That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ." The apostle Paul, in Second Corinthians 13 vs 14, concludes his letter to the saints in Corinth by reminding them of the communion and fellowship with the Trinity; "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen." Your opinion of God makes it difficult for many to understand why He would want us to be close friends, but the Bible, in Exodus 34 vs 14 says, "(for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God)." God is jealous of sharing your fellowship with any other, indicating how you are valued and wanted by Him. He deeply desires that we know Him intimately. If any wants to boast, they should boast that they know and understand Him. These are the things that please the Lord. God puts a higher priority on knowing Him personally and leading a life that reflects His justice and righteousness, over and above every other things we do. What do you want people to admire most about you? Mine is my relationship with my Maker. Prayer: Abba Father, what a friend I have in Jesus Christ! I cannot find a friend so faithful; All my sins and griefs You bear, and has given me the great privilege to carry everything to You in prayer. How needless it is for me to bear any pains, or forfeit my peace in You by not committing everything in prayer to You. I have found my solace in You, Amen. PRAISE THE LORD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY NOVEMBER 18, 2024.

SUBJECT: GOD YEARNS FOR AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH US! 

Memory verse: "But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgement, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight, says the LORD." (Jeremiah 9 vs 24.)

READ: Jeremiah 9 vs 23 - 24; John 15 vs 13:

Jeremiah 9:23: Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches;

9:24: But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgement, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight, says the LORD.

John 15:13: Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 

INTIMATION:

The realization of the various aspects of our relationship with God makes us get committed to Him. He is our Maker, Lord and Master, Judge, Faithful Companion, Redeemer, Father, Savior, and much more. But the most shocking truth is this: Almighty God yearns to be our friend and to have an intimate relationship with us!

From creation, God’s plan is to be in constant fellowship with man. In the garden of Eden we saw God's ideal relationship with man: Adam and Eve enjoyed daily visitation of the Lord, due to His quest for an intimate relationship with them. There were no rituals, ceremonies, or religion, just a simple loving relationship between God and the people He created. While unhindered by sin, Adam and Eve delighted in God, and He delighted in them.

God is known in His creation, and He is close to every one of us. But He is not trapped in His creation. He is supernatural. God is the Creator, not the creation. This means that God is sovereign and in control, while at the same time He is close and personal. Knowing and loving God is our greatest privilege, and being known and loved by Him is God's greatest pleasure. 

We were made to live in God's continual presence, but after the Fall, that ideal relationship was lost due to sin. Only a few people in Old Testament times had the privilege of friendship with God. Moses and Abraham were called "friends of God" (Exodus 33 vs 11 & 17; James 2 vs 23), David was called "a man after [God's] own heart" (Acts 13 vs 22), and Job, Enoch, and Noah had intimate friendship with God (Job 29 vs 4; Genesis 5 vs 22; 6 vs 8). But the fear of God, not friendship, was more common in the Old Testament.

Then Jesus changed the situation. When He paid for our sins on the cross, the veil in the temple that symbolized our separation from God was split from top to bottom, indicating that direct access to God was once again available. Unlike the Old Testament priests who had to spend hours preparing to meet God, we can now approach God anytime.

Friendship and intimacy with God is possible only because of the grace of God and the sacrifice of Jesus. The Bible, in Second Corinthians 5 vs 18 says, "Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation." 

God actually is reconciling us to the Trinity; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. He invites us to enjoy friendship and fellowship with all three persons of the Trinity. The Bible, in First John 1 vs 3, says, "That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ." 

The apostle Paul, in Second Corinthians 13 vs 14, concludes his letter to the saints in Corinth by reminding them of the communion and fellowship with the Trinity; "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen."

Your opinion of God makes it difficult for many to understand why He would want us to be close friends, but the Bible, in Exodus 34 vs 14 says, "(for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God)." God is jealous of sharing your fellowship with any other, indicating how you are valued and wanted by Him. He deeply desires that we know Him intimately.

If any wants to boast, they should boast that they know and understand Him. These are the things that please the Lord. God puts a higher priority on knowing Him personally and leading a life that reflects His justice and righteousness, over and above every other things we do. What do you want people to admire most about you? Mine is my relationship with my Maker.

Prayer: Abba Father, what a friend I have in Jesus Christ! I cannot find a friend so faithful; All my sins and griefs You bear, and has given me the great privilege to carry everything to You in prayer. How needless it is for me to bear any pains, or forfeit my peace in You by not committing everything in prayer to You. I have found my solace in You, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD! 

Change Is Possible

 Change Is Possible

Put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:24)

Christianity means change is possible. Deep, fundamental change. It is possible to become tenderhearted when once you were callous and insensitive. It is possible to stop being dominated by bitterness and anger. It is possible to become a loving person, no matter what your background has been.

The Bible assumes that God is the decisive factor in making us what we should be. With wonderful bluntness, the Bible says, “Put away . . . all malice” and be “tenderhearted” (Ephesians 4:31–32). It does not say, “If you can . . . ” Or, “If your parents were tenderhearted . . . ” Or, “If you have not been terribly abused . . . ” It says, “Be . . . tenderhearted.”

This is wonderfully freeing. It frees us from the terrible fatalism that says change is impossible for me. It frees me from mechanistic views that make my background my destiny.

And God’s commands always come with freeing, life-changing truth to believe. For example,

God adopted us as his children. We have a new Father and a new family. This breaks the fatalistic forces of our “family-of-origin.” “Call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven” (Matthew 23:9).

God loves us as his children. We are “loved children” (Ephesians 5:1). The command to imitate the love of God does not hang in the air, it comes with power: “Be imitators of God, as loved children.” “Love!” is the command and being loved by God is the power.

God has forgiven us in Christ. Be tenderhearted and forgiving just as God in Christ forgave you (Ephesians 4:32). What God did in Christ is powerful. It makes change possible. The command to be tenderhearted has more to do with what God did for you than what your mother or your father did to you. This kind of command means you can change.

Christ loved you and gave himself up for you. “Walk in love, as Christ loved [you]” (Ephesians 5:2). The command comes with life-changing truth. “Christ loved you.” At the moment when there is a chance to love, and some voice says, “You are not a loving person,” you can say, “Christ’s love for me makes me a new kind of person. His command to love is just as surely possible for me as his promise of love is true for me.”

Don’t be a fatalist. Be a Christian. Change is possible. God is alive. Christ is risen. The promises are true.

WE ARE OF GREAT VALUE TO GOD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 17, 2024.

SUBJECT : WE ARE OF GREAT VALUE TO GOD!

Memory verse: "Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him?" (Psalm 144 vs 3.)

READ: Psalm 8 vs 3 - 8:

8:3: When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, 

8:4: What is man that You are mindful of him? and the son of man that You visit him?

8:5: For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honour.

8:6: You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,

8:7: All sheep and oxen—even the beasts of the field,

8:8: The birds of the air, and the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas.

INTIMATION:

Humans are of great value to God. By comparison, the existence of the universe minimizes the significance of man. There is no comparison between the two. Though existing in a small planet of the universe, man is considered and cared for by God. The existence of man on earth alone exemplifies God’s consideration for man. 

Man’s very existence is the evidence of the fact that he is the most important of all that God created. Of all beings that God created through Jesus (Colossians 1 vs 16), man was least in comparison to angels. And yet, God exalted man above angels to the point of sending His only begotten Son into the world for the salvation of man (John 3 vs 16).

When we look at the vast expanse of creation, we wonder how God could be concerned for people who constantly disappoint Him. Yet God created us only a little lower than Himself and the angels! We have great worth because we bear the stamp of the Creator. In Genesis 1 vs 26 - 27, the Bible says, “Then God said, “Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

God obviously did not create us exactly like Himself because God has no physical body. Instead, we are reflections of God’s glory. Some feel that our reasoning, creativity, speech or self-determination is the image of God. More likely, it is our entire self that reflects the image of God. We will never be totally like God because He is our Supreme Creator. 

Reference is, therefore, to the spiritual image of God that dwells within every person through the God-created spirit of man. Being in the image of God refers to the spiritual inclinations of man that make him a spiritual being who seeks to worship a higher power than himself. Consequently, we do have the ability to reflect His character in our love, patience, forgiveness, kindness, and faithfulness.

Knowing that we are made in God’s image and thus share many of His characteristics provides a solid basis for self-worth. Human worth is not based on possessions, achievements, physical attractiveness, or public acclaim. Instead, it is based on being made in God’s image. Because we bear God’s image, we can feel positive about ourselves. Criticizing or downgrading ourselves is criticizing what God has made and the abilities He has given us. Knowing that you are a person of worth helps you love God, know Him personally, and make a valuable contribution to those around you.

Because of the worth God placed on man, He gave human beings tremendous authority—to be in charge of the whole earth. But with great authority comes great responsibility. If we own a pet, we have the legal authority to do with it as we wish, but we also have the responsibility to feed and care for it. To “have dominion over” something is to have absolute authority and control over it. God has ultimate dominion over the earth, and He exercises His authority with loving care. 

When God delegated some of His authority to the human race, He expected us to take responsibility for the environment and the other creatures that share our planet. We must not be careless and wasteful as we fulfill this charge. God was careful how He made the earth. We must not be careless about how we take care of it.

For the love and value God placed on us, He did the unthinkable for sinful humanity; giving for us His only Son, Jesus Christ, as a propitiation for our sins, who died a shameful death on the cross to pay the wages we owed: the wages of our sins which is death. For all the creation of God, He loves humans and gave up the life of His only Son for us. Because God has already declared how valuable we are to Him, we can be set free from feelings of worthlessness. The next time you question your worth as a person, remember that God considers you highly valuable. 

Prayer: Abba Father, there is nothing I can do to thank You enough for Your love, care, and value You bestowed on me. Endue me with the spirit of gratitude and obedience to You, and give me the grace to live for, and pleasing You all the days of my life, in Jesus Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

When I Am Anxious

 When I Am Anxious

. . . casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)

There is a promise suited to every sin you are tempted to commit and every form of unbelief that takes you off guard and makes you anxious. For example:

When I am anxious about being sick, I battle unbelief with the promise, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all” (Psalm 34:19). And I take the promise with trembling, “knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3–5).

When I am anxious about getting old, I battle unbelief with the promise: “Even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save” (Isaiah 46:4).

When I am anxious about dying, I battle unbelief with the promise that “none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living” (Romans 14:7–9).

When I am anxious that I may make shipwreck of faith and fall away from God, I battle unbelief with the promises, “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6); and, “He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25). 

So, let us make war, not with other people, but with our own unbelief. It is the root of anxiety, which, in turn, is the root of so many other sins. 

So, let us fix our eyes on the precious and very great promises of God. Take up the Bible, ask the Holy Spirit for help, lay the promises up in your heart, and fight the good fight — to live by faith in future grace.