DO NOT LET GUILT FEELINGS KEEP YOU FROM PRAYING.

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY JANUARY 20, 2025.

SUBJECT : DO NOT LET GUILT FEELINGS KEEP YOU FROM PRAYING.

Memory verse: "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool" (Isaiah 1 vs 18).

READ Isaiah 1 vs 18 - 20:

18: "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

19: If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;

20: But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword", for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

 

INTIMATION:

Never let guilt feelings of sin keep you from praying (seeking the face of God), which is your only means of restoration, because only God forgives sin. Do you feel that you could never come close to God because you have done something terrible? God can and will forgive you of any sin, except the sin against the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12 vs 31 - 32).

What then is the sin against the Holy Spirit? The unforgivable sin is the deliberate refusal to acknowledge God, and His power in Christ, expressed through the Holy Spirit. It indicates a deliberate and irreversible hardness of heart. It reveals a heart attitude of unbelief and unrepentance, that attributes to Satan the work that the Holy Spirit accomplishes. 

Such people have turned their backs on God and rejected all faith, and are unwilling to ask for forgiveness. Even when they receive the prompting of the Holy Spirit, convicting them of sin, they reject it. And the deliberate rejection of the work of the Holy Spirit is blasphemy, because it is rejecting God Himself. Such person removes himself or herself from the only force that can lead him or her to repentance and restoration to God.

No matter how long you have been away from God, He is ready to hear from you and restore you to a right relationship with Him. Every situation can be salvaged if you are willing to turn to God. In Judges 16 vs 28 - 30,  we would observe that in spite of Samson's past, God still answered his prayer and destroyed the philistines' heathen temple and worshipers. He killed more people at his death than he did in life because of the mercy of God when he turned to Him in prayer.

One of the effects of sin in our lives is keeping us away from praying, but it is noteworthy that perfect moral behavior is not a condition for prayer. Though the stain of sin seems permanent, but only God can remove such stain of sin from our lives. We don't have to go through life permanently soiled. God's Word assures that if we are willing and obedient in turning to Him, Christ will forgive and remove our most indelible stains of sin.

Christ came for sinners like you and I (Matthew 9 vs 12 - 13), and He expects us, the sinners, to come to Him for mercy. We can only go to God in prayer, acknowledging our need and admitting that we don't have all the answers, and God will come to our help. He desires to show mercy and His mercy endures forever.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are the only God, there is no other, abundant in mercy and love. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your loving kindness; according to the multitude of your tender mercies. Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleans me from my sin, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

The Battle to Remind

 The Battle to Remind

“This I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end.” (Lamentations 3:21–22)

One of the great enemies of hope is forgetting God’s promises. Reminding is a great ministry. Peter and Paul both said that they wrote letters for this reason (2 Peter 1:13; Romans 15:15).

The main Helper in reminding us what we need to know is the Holy Spirit (John 14:26). But that doesn’t mean you should be passive. You are responsible only for your own ministry of reminding. And the first one in need of reminding by you is you.

The mind has this great power: It can talk to itself by way of reminder. The mind can “call to mind,” as the text says: “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases” (Lamentations 3:21–22). 

If we don’t “call to mind” what God has said about himself and about us, we languish. Oh, how I know this from painful experience! Don’t wallow in the mire of godless messages in your own head. Messages like: “I can’t . . .” “She won’t . . .” “They never . . .” “It has never worked . . .”

The point is not that these are true or false. Your mind will always find a way to make them true, unless you “call to mind” something greater. God is the God of the impossible. Reasoning your way out of an impossible situation is not as effective as reminding yourself that God does impossible things.

Without reminding ourselves of the greatness and grace and power and wisdom of God, we sink into brutish pessimism. “I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you” (Psalm 73:22).

The great turn from despair to hope in Psalm 77 comes with these words: “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds” (Psalm 77:11–12).

This is the great battle of my life. I assume yours too. The battle to remind! Myself. Then others.

How to Serve a Bad Boss

 How to Serve a Bad Boss

Rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. (Ephesians 6:7–8)

Consider these five things from Ephesians 6:7–8 in connection to your job.

1) A call to radically Lord-centered living.

This is astonishing compared to the way we usually live. Paul says that all our work should be done as work for Christ, not for any human supervisor. With good will render service “as to the Lord and not to man.”

This means that we will think of the Lord in what we are doing at work. We will ask, Why would the Lord like this done? How would the Lord like this done? When would the Lord like this done? Will the Lord help me to do this? What effect will this have for the Lord’s honor? In other words, being a Christian means radically Lord-centered living and working. 

2) A call to be a good person.

Lord-centered living means being a good person and doing good things. Paul says, “With a good will [render service] . . . whatever good anyone does.” Jesus said that when we let our light shine, men will see our “good works” and give glory to our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).

3) Power to do a good job for inconsiderate earthly employers.

Paul’s aim is to empower Christians, with Lord-centered motives, to go on doing good for supervisors who are not considerate. How do you keep on doing good in a job when your boss ignores you or even criticizes you? Paul’s answer is: stop thinking about your boss as your main supervisor, and start working for the Lord. Do this in the very duties given to you by your earthly supervisor.

4) Encouragement that nothing good is done in vain.

Perhaps the most amazing sentence of all is this: “Whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord.” This is amazing. Everything! “Whatever good anyone does.” Every little thing you do that is good is seen and valued and rewarded by the Lord.

And he will pay you back for it. Not in the sense that you have earned anything — as if you could put him in your debt. He owns you, and everything in the universe. He owes us nothing. But he freely, graciously chooses to reward us for all the good things done in faith.

5) Encouragement that insignificant status on earth is no hindrance to great reward in heaven.

The Lord will reward every good thing you do — “whether he is a bondservant or is free.” Your supervisor may think you are a nobody — a mere bondservant, so to speak. Or he may not even know you exist. That doesn’t matter. The Lord knows you exist. And in the end no faithful service will be in vain.

FORGIVE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY JANUARY 19, 2025.

SUBJECT : FORGIVE!

Memory verse: "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you" (Ephesians 4 vs 32).

READ: Matthew 6 vs 12, 14 - 15; 18 vs 21 - 22: 

6:12: And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

6:14: For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

6:15: But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. 

18:21: Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”

18:22: Jesus said unto him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

INTIMATION:

To forgive is to show mercy or compassion, or give a pardon or give up. Forgiveness is a full pardon for an offensive act that has been committed against you. It is a fresh start. It is another chance. It is the canceling of a debt. It is a new beginning. There is no new beginning in your life without an ending to an offense, and there is no ending to your problem without a new beginning through forgiveness. Forgiveness is an elixir, it is a supernatural power that breaks the chains of bitterness, bringing joy that is unspeakable and full of glory!

Forgiveness is not weakness, but a great strength. It takes great strength to forgive. It's the first step toward true happiness, hope, and healing. It heals you from the band of resentment and the hand-cuffs of hatred, and sets you free from spiritual and emotional problem you are in.

The way out of the problem can be found in the simple mandate given to us by our LORD Jesus Christ: "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." (Matthew 6 vs 12.) Jesus our Messiah, established this model of prayer called the "LORD's prayer," and within it are several supernatural principles, and among them is the life-changing application of forgiveness.  The statement "Forgive us as we forgive those....." holds the golden key for many people who want to take a shortcut out of their problems. It is a huge step out of the problem and into the provision of God.

It's noteworthy that forgiveness is not for the benefit of the person who hurt you, who betrayed you, who lied about you, or who rejected you when you needed them most. Forgiveness is for your benefit! Please remember clearly, God cannot forgive you if you will not forgive another. Jesus said, "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6 vs 14 - 15).

Forgiveness is not an option for the believer, rather it is a way of life. A writer, Charles R. Swindoll, in his book, "Improving Your Serve!" described forgiveness perfectly this way, "Forgiveness is not an elective in the curriculum of servanthood. It is a required course, and the examinations are always tough to pass." Even though the exam is tough, the Word of God gives us the necessary study notes to pass the test. If God is perfect, and He forgave you, why can't you, with all your faults and failures, forgive others? 

The unforgiven spirit is a weapon of control over people, used by the devil to manipulate them. Unforgiveness is a form of bondage that thrives on hate and resentment. It is the sin of witchcraft! It makes you share your bitterness with all who will listen to you, thereby taking your sin to another level—the level of spreading your virus of hatred into the lifeblood of friends and family, killing relationships, separating chief friends, and removing all possibilities of reconciliation. 

Your toxic tongue will extend your stay in the problem indefinitely and will ultimately earn you ruin, no matter the amount of prayers you offer or religious rituals; night vigils, church attendance, offerings, sacrifices, and so on, you engage yourself in. God personally guarantees that you will live in torment until you forgive (see Matthew 18 vs 35.)

Jesus told the story of the unforgiving slave in Matthew 18 vs 23 - 34. The king called in his servant who owed him ten thousand talents (equivalent of ten million dollars today) and ordered him to pay his debt immediately. The servant said, "I don't have ten million dollars (ten thousand talents). The amount of the debt indicated that it was near impossible to be paid by the servant. The king ordered him sold, along with his wife and children and all he possessed. The servant fell on his feet, begged for mercy, and pledged to pay back everything he owed. The king showed him mercy and forgave the servant of his debt and released him a free man. 

After receiving this immeasurable amount of forgiveness from the king, the servant immediately went to the city gates and found a fellow servant who owed him hundred denarii (equivalent of twenty dollars) and demanded immediate payment. When his friend couldn't pay, he had him thrown into debtor's prison. The fellow servants who witnessed this merciless act sent a message to the king, the king called the unforgiving servant before him and said, "You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?" And the king, moved with anger, handed him over to the tormentors until he has repaid all that he owed him.

Now think about it, the servants are both in prison. A minor act of forgiveness would have set both men free forever, but no forgiveness was extended, and both men spent their lives in torment. Forgiveness can transform lives, but lack of it will wound and forever destroy. Medical research proves that resentment and bitterness cause heart troubles, ulcers, high blood pressure, strokes, heart attacks, and even cancer. These are tormentors! Release the people you have inprisoned emotionally, and held hostage because of a past offense that you refused to forgive. Remember forgiveness burns the bridge that you must one day cross yourself.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are forever merciful! Endue me with the spirit of love, mercy and forgiveness, that I may love, show mercy, and forgiving another to earn Your approval for same, in Jesus’ mighty Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

The Remedy for Pride

 The Remedy for Pride

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit” — yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. (James 4:13–16)

James is talking about pride and arrogance and how they show up in subtle ways. “You boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.”

When you take three categories of temptation to self-reliance — wisdom, power, and riches — they form a powerful inducement toward the ultimate form of pride; namely, atheism. The safest way for us to stay supreme in our own estimation is to deny anything above us. 

This is why the proud preoccupy themselves with looking down on others. C.S. Lewis said, “A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you” (Mere Christianity).

But to preserve pride, it may be simpler to just proclaim that there is nothing above to look at. “In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 10:4). Ultimately, the proud must persuade themselves that there is no God.

One reason for this is that God’s reality is overwhelmingly intrusive in all the details of life. Pride cannot tolerate the intimate involvement of God in running the universe, let alone the detailed, ordinary affairs of life.

Pride does not like the sovereignty of God. Therefore, pride does not like the existence of God, because God is sovereign. It might express this by saying, “There is no God.” Or it might express it by saying, “I am driving to Atlanta for Christmas.”

James says, “Don’t be so sure.” Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live, and we will get to Atlanta for Christmas.”

James’s point is that God rules over whether you get to Atlanta, and whether you live to the end of this devotional. This is extremely offensive to the self-sufficiency of pride — not even to have control over whether you get to the end of the devotional without having a stroke!

James says that not believing in the sovereign rights of God to manage the details of your future is arrogance.

The way to battle this arrogance is to yield to the sovereignty of God in all the details of life, and rest in his infallible promises to show himself mighty on our behalf (2 Chronicles 16:9), to pursue us with goodness and mercy every day (Psalm 23:6), to work for those who wait for him (Isaiah 64:4), and to equip us with all we need to live for his glory (Hebrews 13:21).

In other words, the remedy for pride is unwavering faith in God’s so

vereign future grace.

MAKE YOUR CHOICE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY JANUARY 18, 2025.

SUBJECT: MAKE YOUR CHOICE!

Memory verse: "And if it seem evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24 vs 15.)

READ: First King 18 vs 20 - 24:

18:20: So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on mount Carmel.

18:21: And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow Him: but if Baal, follow him. But the people answered him not a word.

18:22: Then said Elijah to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.

18:23: Therefore let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it: and I will prepare the other bull, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under it.

18:24: Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God who answers by fire, He is God. And all the people answered and said, “It is well spoken.”

INTIMATION:

God always leaves us with a choice. God doesn’t force His will on anyone. He lets us decide whether to follow Him or reject Him. This decision, however, is a blessing or curse; a life or death matter. God wants us to realize this, for He would like us to choose blessing rather than curse, life rather than death. We are daily confronted with this decision in the circumstances of life we face. And daily, in each new situation, we must affirm and reinforce this commitment.

At a time in the history of the Israelites, Moses placed this choice before them; “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His status, 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. I call heaven and earth as witnesses 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 15 - 16 & 19.) 

Moses challenged Israel to choose life; to obey God, and therefore to continue to experience His blessings. God has called us to keep His commands, while reminding us that His laws are not hidden from us or beyond our reach (Deuteronomy 30 vs 11 - 14). God has detailed His laws in the Bible for our information and study, therefore, no one would say, “I will obey God if I know what He wants.” 

Obeying God is reasonable, sensible, and beneficial. Some people have complained that obedience to God’s laws is too difficult for a mere human. But God, in His infinite mercy, love, and benevolence, has given us an Helper in the person of the Holy Spirit, to abide with us forever, and help us in our inadequacies, and infirmities. Therefore, if you have ever given such complains above, know that they are unacceptable excuses. The most difficult part of obeying God’s laws is simply deciding to start now. 

In our memory verse, Joshua also reminded the Israelites of their privilege of choice. The people had to decide whether they would obey the Lord, who had proven His trustworthiness in their lives, or obey the local gods in their new lands they inhabited, which were only man-made idols. Joshua took a stand with his household to serve God. In taking a definite stand for the Lord, he displayed his spiritual leadership, and encouraged others to follow him. He made a commitment to God, and was determined to set an example of living by that decision.

It is easy to slip into a quiet rebellion—going about life in your own way. Some of us are controlled by our own limited personality, or the world’s standard of success—possessions, status, wealth etc. Power, status, appearance, or material possessions can become our gods if we devote our lives to them. Any substitute to God’s control is completely imperfect and deceitful. 

Once you have chosen to be controlled by God’s Spirit, reaffirm your choice every day. The way we live shows others the strength of our commitment to serving God. It is important to take a stand for the Lord. If we just drift along with whatever is pleasant and easy, we will someday discover that we have been worshiping a false God—ourselves. May you never worship a false god, in the mighty name of Jesus. 

In the passage we read today, Elijah challenged the people to take a stand—make a choice to follow whoever is the true God. Although the prophets of Baal raved all afternoon, no one answered them. Their god was silent because it was not real. In times of need when they desperately call out to these gods, there will only be silence. They can offer no true answers, no guidance, and no wisdom.

People waver between the two choices of who to follow, or deliberately be looking the other way because of the sinful pleasures and other temporary benefits that come with turning a blind eye to obeying God’s laws. It’s easy to be deceived by the temporary benefits of wealth, popularity, status, and achievement, and to be blind to the long-range benefits of God’s kingdom. It only takes faith to look beyond the world’s value system to see the eternal values of God’s kingdom. Therefore, today make your choice.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are my all in all. Whatever You cannot do for me, let it remain undone. Whatever You cannot give me, let me never have it. I rather die than put my trust in anything but You. Endue me with the spirit of raw obedience to You in all things and at all times, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

THE LORD'S PASSION FOR US!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY JANUARY 17, 2025.

SUBJECT: THE LORD'S PASSION FOR US!

Memory verse: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3 vs 16.)

READ: Romans 5 vs 6 - 11:

5:6: For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

5:7: For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.

5:8: But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

5:9: Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

5:10: For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

5:11: And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

INTIMATION:

God is filled with compassion and wants us to realize we are loved and cared for. This is one of God's most outstanding and obvious characteristics. The message of the Gospel comes to a focus in His passion for us as is stated, and demonstrated in our memory verse. Here God sets the pattern of true love or passion for others, setting the pattern for all true love relationships. 

When you love someone dearly, you are ready and willing to give freely to the point of self-sacrifice. For His passion, God paid dearly with the life of His Son, the highest price He could pay, and unheard of in history. Jesus accepted wholeheartedly, His propitiation for our sins, accepted our punishment, paid the price for our sins on the cross (Ezekiel 18 vs 4 & Romans 6 vs 23). He, in exchange, offered us the new life that He had bought for us. Exchange of something completely worthless (our sinful lives) with something of inestimable value (the life of Jesus Christ—the Son of God).

The apostle Paul, in the passage we read, expounded the passion of God for us. He explained that when we were weak and helpless because we could do nothing on our own to save ourselves, Christ had to come to rescue us. He came at exactly the right time in history in accordance with God's plan and schedule. It is God that controls all history, and He controlled the timing, method, and events surrounding Jesus' death. God sent Jesus to die for us, not because we were good enough, but just because He loved us and is passionate about our well being.

The apostle Paul explained that the love that caused God to create the world for an extension of His kingdom, and caused Christ to die in our place, is the same love that sends the Holy Spirit to live in us and guide us daily. The power that raised Jesus from the dead is the same power that saved us and is available to us in our daily lives. 

God is a Passionate Father. In Psalms 103 vs 13 the psalmist reminds us, "As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him." Jesus demonstrated this the day the disciples found themselves on the Sea of Galilee, and a storm was brewing, which is typical of the Sea of Galilee even today. The boat containing these disciples started to take in water because of the turbulence. When the boat started sinking, the disciples asked the ultimate question, "Lord, don't You care?" Of course He cares!

Many of us have at one time or the other felt like that, "Lord where are You when I really need You?" "God, I'm going under. Don't You care?" But a believer and a child of God will remember the promise found in First Peter 5 vs 7, "Casting all your care upon Him; for He cares for you." Does God care about your health? Yes! Does He care about your finances? Yes! What about that relationship that has never become what you hoped it would? Yes, He does care! He cares about the minutest details of your life that even the very hairs of your head are counted. (Matthew 10 vs 30). Though you may not know He cares, rest assured He does.

Be assured that, having begun a life with Christ, you have a reserve power and love to call on each day for help to meet every challenge or trial. Too often, in our spiritual life, although we may need to love God more, there is a much higher need to recognize just how much He loves us. When our relationship is such that we feel God's love and His passion for His children, we naturally begin to love Him more. You can pray for His power and love as you need it.

In Psalms 145 vs 18 the psalmist tells us, "The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth." What this means is that He is never too busy for you. When you pray, you will never get busy signal. He hears you and ready to meet your real need. Jesus had a very special term He used to describe the personal and passionate nature of God. He called Him, "Abba." The word Abba is an Aramaic word used to describe the most intimate, personal nature of a father. He is never too busy for you. He is never more concerned about a crisis in one individual than another. 

Prayer: Abba Father, thank you for Your passion for me. You have daily loaded me with Your benefits, always forgiving me my iniquities, healing me all my diseases, redeeming my life from destruction, satisfying my mouth with good things, so that my youth is renewed like the eagle's, and crowning me with loving kindness and tender mercies. May I not miss my path in You, in Jesus' Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!