The Root of Ingratitude

 The Root of Ingratitude

Although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. (Romans 1:21)

When gratitude springs up in the human heart toward God, he is magnified as the wealthy source of our blessing. He is acknowledged as giver and benefactor and therefore as glorious.

But when gratitude does not spring up in our hearts at God’s great goodness to us, it probably means that we don’t want to pay him a compliment; we don’t want to magnify him as our benefactor.

And there is a very good reason that human beings by nature do not want to magnify God with thanksgiving or glorify him as their benefactor. The reason is that it detracts from our own glory, and all people by nature love their own glory more than the glory of God.

At the root of all ingratitude is the love of one’s own greatness. For genuine gratitude admits that we are beneficiaries of an unearned bequest. We are cripples leaning on the cross-shaped crutch of Jesus Christ. We are paralytics living minute by minute in the iron lung of God’s mercy. We are children asleep in heaven’s stroller.

The natural person, apart from saving grace, hates to think of himself in these images: unworthy beneficiary, cripple, paralytic, child. They rob him of his glory by giving it all to God. 

Therefore, while a man loves his own glory, and prizes his self-sufficiency, and hates to think of himself as sin-sick and helpless, he will never feel genuine gratitude to the true God and so will never magnify God as he ought, but only himself.

Jesus said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17). 

Jesus did not come to minister to those who insist they are well. He demands something great: that we admit we are not great. This is bad news to the arrogant, but words of honey to those who have given up their charade of self-sufficiency and are seeking God.

BE JOYFUL ALWAYS!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2024.

SUBJECT: BE JOYFUL ALWAYS!

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

READ: Philippians 4 vs 4; First Peter 1 vs 6 - 9:

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

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

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

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

First Peter 1:9: receiving the end of your faith-the salvation of your souls. 

INTIMATION:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PRAISE THE LORD!

How to Magnify God

 How to Magnify God

I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. (Psalm 69:30)

There are two kinds of magnifying: microscope magnifying and telescope magnifying. The one makes a small thing look bigger than it is. The other makes a big thing begin to look as big as it really is.

When David says, “I will magnify God with thanksgiving,” he does not mean, “I will make a small God look bigger than he is.” He means, “I will make a big God begin to look as big as he really is.”

We are not called to be microscopes. We are called to be telescopes. Christians are not called to be con-men who magnify their product out of all proportion to reality, when they know the competitor’s product is far superior. There is nothing and nobody superior to God. And so the calling of those who love God is to make his greatness begin to look as great as it really is. 

That’s why we exist, why we were saved, as Peter says in 1 Peter 2:9, “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

The whole duty of the Christian can be summed up in this: feel, think, and act in a way that will make God look as great as he really is. Be a telescope for the world of the infinite starry wealth of the glory of God.

This is what it means for a Christian to magnify God. But you can’t magnify what you haven’t seen or what you quickly forget.

Therefore, our first task is to see and to remember the greatness and goodness of God. So we pray to God, “Open the eyes of my heart!” (Ephesians 1:18), and we preach to our souls, “Soul, forget not all his benefits!” (Psalm 103:2).

Prayer for Success in Examination

 Today, we're praying for success in examination to all students and as many preparing professional exams. May God grant you tremendous success in Jesus Name 🙏🙏🙏

3 John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

PRAYER POINTS

1.  - I receive the power of focus and concentration towards my exams.

2.  - Bad news fired against my exams, backfire, in the name of Jesus.

3  - Every arrow of sickness assigned to frustrate my exams, go back to the sender, in Jesus name.

4   - I shall not collapse and die on the day or ending of my exams, in the name of Jesus.

5.  - Let the strength of the Lord make me strong during my exams, in Jesus name.

 6.- The powers that disgrace people at the prime of their career will not disgrace me, in Jesus name.

7.  - I reject every spirit of carryover and slow learning, in the name of Jesus.

8.  - Let every difficult course becomes easy and simple for me, in the name of Jesus.

9.  - Powers that want me to eat and suck my biro during exams, die by fire, in the name of Jesus.

10.  - Every garment of academic failure, catch fire, in the name of Jesus.

11.  - I break every curse of forgetfulness during exams, in the name of Jesus.

12.  - Lord plant academic success in my life, in the name of Jesus.

13.  - I receive the spirit of distinction over my exams, in the name of Jesus.

14 .  - O Lord, cover my errors and expose my good points to my teachers, lecturers etc, in Jesus name.  - I shall not forget what to write in exams and remember them after the exams, in the name of Jesus.

15.  - O Lord, cover my errors and expose my good points to my teachers, lecturers etc, in Jesus name.

16.  - Holy Spirit give me the direction on what to read and study for this examination, in Jesus name.

17.  - Holy Spirit, give me the power to answer all questions with your divine revelation, in Jesus name.

18.  - Father, baptize me with your wisdom and guidance of focusing relevant pages for my exams, in Jesus name.

HOLD FAST TO YOUR CONFESSION OF HOPE IN GOD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 27, 2024.

SUBJECT : HOLD FAST TO YOUR CONFESSION OF HOPE IN GOD!

Memory verse: "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10 vs 23.)

READ: Psalm 139 vs 1 - 4; 7; 23 - 24:

139:1: O LORD, You have searched me and known me.

139:2: You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.

139:3: You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.

139:4: For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.

139:7: Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 

139:23: Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties;

139:24: And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. 

INTIMATION:

We have seen that believers are friends to Jesus. It is noteworthy that the word friendship initiates a variety of mental pictures. But despite the diversity of opinion regarding what real friendship is all about, certain common denominators are vital to its growth and continued viability. In our friendship (relationship) with God, the same is true. And one of the steps needed for this friendship to flourish is living a lifestyle of confession.

Confession, in this context, is not simply a recitation and acknowledgement of all your faults, crimes, inadequacies and insufficiencies. It is not merely the displaying of dirty habits for everyone else to examine and critique. Confession is much more than all these. It is more a statement of your religious belief with reference to God Almighty and His Son Jesus Christ.

In the passage we read today, David knew the importance of confession. He saw it as the opportunity to examine himself, express his perception of who was really in charge and to initiate a marvelous change of perspective in his life. 

In our memory verse, the Scripture encourages us to hold fast to our confession of hope and trust in God without wavering, knowing that God who gave us His promises is very faithful and will, at all times, live up to His promises. God said: "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55 vs 11.) "....For I am ready to perform My word." (Jeremiah 1 vs 12.)

Always acknowledge and confess from an obedient heart, the supremacy of God and His nature; His All-knowing, Omnipresence, Omniscience, All-powerful, Loving Kindness, Ever Merciful, etc. It is noteworthy that God already knows you inside out, up to the number of hairs on your head (Matthew 10 vs 30). 

Amidst all our faults, inadequacies, insufficiencies, and even our unbelief, He still accepts and loves us. His love for us He openly demonstrated on the cross at Calvary, and we are witnesses to that till date: "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5 vs 8). Also, confess everything about yourself to Him who already knows you. Ask God to reveal to you the necessary changes required in your life and ask Him to help you change.

God sent Jesus Christ to die for us, not because we were good enough, but just because He loves us. Jesus knows the extent of the love He bestows on us, and He witnessed it when He said, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." (John 15 vs 13.) The confession of faith and believe in Him and what He wrought for us in redemption, ensures a closer relationship with Him. 

Prayer: Abba Father, You are my God. Before You there was no God, with You there is no other God, and there will be no other God after You. Everything about me is already known to You. Examine me thoroughly, and reveal to me the necessary changes required in my life, and help me to lead a life pleasing to You, such that I will enjoy a closer relationship with You, in Jesus' Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Jesus Prays for Us

 Jesus Prays for Us

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)

It says that Christ is able to save to the uttermost — forever — since he always lives to make intercession for us. In other words, he would not be able to save us forever if he did not go on interceding for us forever.

This means our salvation is as secure as Christ’s priesthood is indestructible. This is why we needed a priest so much greater than any human priest. Christ’s deity and his resurrection from the dead secure his indestructible priesthood for us.

This means we should not talk about our salvation in static terms the way we often do — as if I did something once in an act of decision, and Christ did something once when he died and rose again, and that’s all there is to it. That’s not all there is to it. 

This very day I am being saved by the eternal intercession of Jesus in heaven. Jesus is praying for us and that is essential to our salvation.

We are saved eternally by the eternal prayers (Romans 8:34) and advocacy (1 John 2:1) of Jesus in heaven as our High Priest. He prays for us and his prayers are answered because he prays perfectly on the basis of his perfect sacrifice.

DAILY EXPERIENCING GOD’S LEADING!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 26, 2024.

SUBJECT : DAILY EXPERIENCING GOD’S LEADING!

Memory verse: "Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed." (Mark 1 vs 35.)

READ: Psalm 5 vs 1 - 3:

5:1: Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.

5:2: Give heed to the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for to You will I pray.

5:3: My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning I will direct my prayer to You, and will look up. 

INTIMATION:

The secret of daily experiencing God’s leading is to pray to Him earnestly every morning. Prayer is one of the greatest opportunities given to man by God. It is one of the greatest privileges and ministries available to all believers. Indeed everyone who seeks to take his or her place in the Kingdom of God should seek or learn how to pray effectively. Praying is speaking reverently to God in order to express thanks or make a request. It is earnestly entreating God in sincerity of your intention.

God not only welcomes us in prayer, He is waiting for us to pray. In the morning, our minds are more free from problems, and then we can commit the whole day to God. Regular communication helps in friendship and is certainly necessary for a strong relationship with God. We need to communicate with Him daily. Throughout Jesus’ ministry He often went to places where He could be alone in order to concentrate on prayer to the Father.

Our anchor Scripture says He rose up early and in the morning went to a solitary place to pray.

The first thing believers should do before communicating with anyone is communicating with their Maker first. There is this peace and stillness that comes with communicating your fears to God. It’s how we rebuke the devil. The devil is always on the look out for every believer, he comes to them with a snare. Believers must always be at alert in prayer, you must be relentless in prayer always, in the morning, noon and at night. 

Every believer should embrace the act of starting and committing a new day to God’s hands in the morning, asking Him to guide us and shield us from the evils that come with a new day. Also, It is how we command our day: When you invite God to your morning via morning prayers, it sends signals to the realm of the Spirit, you call forth the good you want to see in your morning via prayers. Each day comes with its blessings and opportunities, and that is why Scripture says he daily loads us with benefit. It is very significant to commit the day into God’s hands and to also tune into the prompting and leading of the Spirit.

Jesus Christ never taught His disciples how to preach but rather taught them how to pray. Note that Jesus Christ told the disciples "WHEN YOU PRAY" and not "IF YOU PRAY" therefore, the onus is on us to pray. We, the godly; those who are faithful and devoted to God, should know that God is waiting for us to approach Him in prayer and should be confident that God listens to our prayers and answers when we call upon Him. 

Sometimes we think that God will not hear us because we have fallen short of His high standards for holy living, but if we are aware of the sacrifice of His only Son for our sins, we know He hears us.

Perhaps you need to redesign your schedule to find time for earnest prayer, especially in the morning. It is vitally important to: (1) seek the Lord before your busy schedule takes over your thoughts; (2) withdraw from noise and demands so you can focus on God; (3) take Jesus’ attitude of regular communion with the Father; (4) reflect on the priorities Jesus had for His life; (5) determine to pray on a more regular basis, not just in times of crisis. 

If prayer was important for Jesus, then it must be important for His followers. Pray, make it a point of duty to get up early in the morning to do it! Do you have a regular time to pray and read God’s Word?

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for the privilege of communion with You in prayer. Give me the enablement to always start my day in communion with You in prayer; handing everything over to Your care and direction, in Jesus' Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!