How to Respond When You Falter

 How to Respond When You Falter

For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. (Romans 7:19)

Christians do not live only in defeat. But neither do we live only in perfect victory over sin. And in those times when we fail to triumph over sin, Romans 7:13–25 shows us the normal way a healthy Christian should respond. 

We should say:

I love the law of God. (verse 22)

I hate what I just did. (verse 15)

Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? (verse 24)

Thanks be to God! The victory will come through Jesus Christ my Lord. (verse 25)

In other words, no Christian wants to live in defeat. No Christian settles for living in defeat. But if we are defeated for a time, we shouldn’t lie about it. 

No hypocrisy. No posing. No boasted perfectionism. No churchy, pasted smiles or chipper superficiality. 

And even more, God save us from blindness to our own failures and the consequent quickness to judge others. 

God, help us to feel worse about our own shortfalls than the failure of others. 

God, give us the honesty and candor and humility of the apostle Paul in this text! “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24–25).

YOU CAN BE PERFECT!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY APRIL 03, 2025.

SUBJECT : YOU CAN BE PERFECT!

Memory verse: "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5 vs 48.)

READ: First John 3 vs 2 - 3: 

3:2: Beloved, now we are the children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.

3:3: And Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

INTIMATION:

Being perfect signifies wholeness and completeness; the highest level of maturity or morality. In the Scriptures, the word perfect means “mature or complete,” not “flawless.” The Apostle Paul wanted to see each believer mature spiritually. Like Paul, we must work wholeheartedly like an athlete, but we should not strive in our own strength alone. We have the power of God’s Spirit working in us. We can learn and grow daily, motivated by love and not fear or pride, knowing that God gives the energy to become mature. We can be perfect if our behavior is appropriate for our maturity level, yet with much room to grow. 

The Christian life is a process of becoming more and more like Christ (see Romans 8 vs 29). This process will not be complete until we see Christ face-to-face (First Corinthians 13 vs 12; Philippians 3 vs 21), but knowing that it is our ultimate destiny should motivate us to purify ourselves. To purify means to keep morally straight, free from the corruption of sin. God also purifies us, but there is the action we must take to remain morally fit (see First Timothy 5 vs 22; James 4 vs 8; First Peter 1 vs 22).

Our tendency to sin must never deter us from striving to be more like Christ. Christ calls all of His disciples to excel, to rise above mediocrity, and to mature in every area, becoming like Him. Those who strive to become perfect will one day be perfect, even as Christ is perfect. All phrases in perfection is grounded in our faith in Christ and what He has done, not what we can do for Him. We cannot perfect ourselves, only God can work in and through us. “He who has begun a good work in You will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1 vs 6.)

How can we be perfect? (1) In character: In this life we cannot be flawless, but we aspire to be as much like Christ as possible. (2) In holiness: Like the Pharisees, we are to separate ourselves from the world’s sinful values. But unlike the Pharisees we are to be devoted to God’s desires rather than our own and carry His love and mercy into the world. (3) In maturity: We can’t achieve Christlike character and holy living all at once, but we must grow toward maturity and wholeness. Just as we expect different behavior from a baby, a child, a teenager, and an adult, so God expects different behavior from us, depending on our stages of spiritual development. (4) In Love: We can seek to love others as completely as God loves us. 

Jesus is portrayed as haven lived a perfect life according to God’s plan. As a child, He was obedient to His parents and amazed the religious leaders in the temple. As an adult, He served God and others through preaching and healing, and finally as a condemned man, He suffered without complaint to save the whole world.

There are three stages of perfection for a child of God: (1) Perfect Relationship; We are perfect because of our eternal union with the infinitely perfect Christ. When we become His children, we are declared “not guilty” and thus righteous because of what Christ, God’s beloved Son, has done for us. The perfection is absolute and unchangeable, and it is this perfect relationship that guarantees that we will one day be “completely perfect” 

(2) Perfect Progress: We can grow and mature spiritually as we continue to trust Christ, learn more about Him, draw closer to Him, and obey Him. Our progress is changeable (in contrast to our relationships, above) because it depends on our daily spiritual work in Christ. At times in life we mature more than at other times because we are growing toward perfection if we “press on.” Our good deeds do not perfect us; rather, as God perfects us, we do good deeds for Him (See Philippians 3 vs 1 - 15.)

(3) Completely Perfect: When Christ returns to take us into His eternal kingdom, we will be glorified and made completely perfect (See Philippians 3 vs 20 - 21).

Prayer: Abba Father, my trust is in You for I know that without You I can do nothing, and by my strength I cannot prevail. I am persuaded that You who has started the good work in me will perfect it, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Prophetic Prayer for Month of April

 

ETERNITY IN HEAVEN OR HELL?

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY APRIL 02, 2025.

SUBJECT: ETERNITY IN HEAVEN OR HELL?

Memory verse: "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end." (Ecclesiastes 3 vs 11.)

READ: Revelation 20 vs 12 - 15:

20:12: And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the Book of life. And the dead were judged out of their works, by the things which were written in the books.

20:13: The sea gave up the dead which were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.

20:14: Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

20:15: And anyone not found written in the Book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

INTIMATION:

You are created to live forever. Life on earth is not all there is. It is just the beginning of life, it is the preparation for the next. Death marks the beginning of life on the other side—in eternity. It isn't your termination because you can't be terminated. Death is only a transition into eternity, and there are eternal consequences to everything you do on earth, leading to the part of the eternal divide you will forever live. Earth is only a tryout for your life in eternity. It is a practice workout before the actual game. Your time on earth is but a small parenthesis in eternity. You are made to last forever. 

Even though we know that everyone will eventually die, death always seems unnatural and unfair, even at a hundred and twenty years. The reason we feel we should live forever is that God wired our brains with that desire! One day your heart will stop pumping, and that marks the end of your body and your time on earth, but it will not be the end of you. Your earthly body is just a temporary residence for your real self—your spirit.

The plain truth is that while life on earth offers many chances, eternity offers only two: heaven or hell. Your relationship to God on earth will determine your relationship to Him in eternity. If you learn to love and trust God's Son, Jesus, accept His finished work on the cross for you, and confess Him as your Lord and Savior, you are then given the legal right to be a child of God, heir of God, joint heir with His Son, and will spend the rest of eternity with Him. On the other hand, if you reject Him, reject His love, forgiveness, and salvation, thereby committing the only unforgiving sin, you will spend eternity apart from God—in hell. 

There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, 'Your Will be done,' and those to whom God says, 'All right then, have it your way.' Tragically, many people will have to endure eternity without God because they chose to live without Him here on earth. When you fully comprehend that there is more to life than just here and now, and realize that life on earth is just a preparation for eternity, you will start living in light of eternity, and that will color how you handle every relationship, task, and circumstance. Suddenly many activities, goals, and even problems that seemed so important will appear trivial, petty, and unworthy of your attention. 

The closer you live to God, the smaller everything else appears. Eternity focused life changes your value system. You use your time and money wisely. You place higher premium on relationships and character instead of fame or wealth or achievements or even fun. Your priorities are reordered. Keeping up with trends, fashions, and popular values just doesn't matter as much anymore. 

In Philippians 3 vs 7, the apostle Paul says, "But what things were gain to me, I have counted loss for Christ." He said he thought his past achievements were very important, but now considers them worthless when compared with what Christ has done for him. If our time here on earth is all there is to life, we would live as if there is no tomorrow; we could exploit life as much as we could, forget being good and ethical, and wouldn't have to worry about any consequences of our actions. We could indulge ourselves in total self-centeredness because our actions would have no long-term repercussions. 

Only a fool would go through life unprepared for what we all know will eventually happen. We need to think more about eternity. The big question is, “Where do you plan to spend your eternity, and how ready are you for the choice made?”

Prayer: Abba Father, in my life everyday draw me nearer to You. Brush off my rough edges, and refine me for a life with You in eternity, endue with the fruit of the Spirit and I shall live life on earth prepared for eternity with You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!I’m 

Better Than Everest

 Better Than Everest

We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

If you live inside this massive promise, your life is more solid and stable than Mount Everest.

Nothing can blow you over when you are inside the walls of Romans 8:28. Outside Romans 8:28, all is confusion and anxiety and fear and uncertainty. Outside this promise of God’s all-encompassing future grace, there are straw houses of drugs and pornography and dozens of futile diversions. There are slat walls and tin roofs of fragile investment strategies and fleeting insurance coverage and trivial retirement plans. There are cardboard fortifications of deadbolt locks and alarm systems and antiballistic missiles. Outside are a thousand substitutes for Romans 8:28. 

Once you walk through the door of love into the massive, unshakable structure of Romans 8:28, everything changes. There come into your life stability and depth and freedom. You simply can’t be blown over anymore. The confidence that a sovereign God governs for your good all the pain and all the pleasure that you will ever experience is an incomparable refuge and security and hope and power in your life.

When God’s people really live by the future grace of Romans 8:28 — from measles to the mortuary — they are the freest and strongest and most generous people in the world.

Their light shines and people give glory to their Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).

Two of Our Deepest Needs

 Two of Our Deepest Needs

To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:1)

We as a church are “in” a Father and “in” a Lord. What does that mean?

The word “Father” implies primarily care and sustaining and protection and provision and discipline. So, to be “in” the Father would mean mainly to be in the care and under the protection of God as our heavenly Father.

The other designation is Lord: We are in the Lord Jesus Christ. The word “Lord” implies primarily authority and leadership and ownership. So, to be “in” the Lord means mainly to be in the charge, under the authority, and in the possession of Jesus as our supreme Lord.

So, Paul greets the Thessalonian church in such a way as to remind them that they are a family (in the care of a Father) and that they are servants (in the charge of a Lord). These two descriptions of God as Father and Lord, and thus of the church as family and servants, correspond to two of our deepest needs.

Every single one of us has a need for rescue and help, on the one hand, and the need for purpose and meaning, on the other. 

We need a heavenly Father to pity us and rescue us from sin and misery. We need his help every step of the way, because we are so weak and vulnerable. 

We also need a heavenly Lord to guide us in life and tell us what is wise and give us a great and meaningful charge to fulfill, and reason for existence, some usefulness for the way God made us. We don’t just want to be safe in the care of a Father — as precious and needed as that is. We want a glorious cause to live for. 

We want a merciful Father to be our Protector, and we want an omnipotent Lord to be our Champion and our Commander and our Leader in some great cause. So, when Paul says in verse 1, You are the church “in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,” we can take rest and help from the one — God is our Father! And we can take courage and meaning from the other — Jesus is our Lord!

WHO WILL THE LORD SAY YOU ARE?

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY APRIL 01, 2025.

SUBJECT: WHO WILL THE LORD SAY YOU ARE?

Memory verse: "Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” (Job 1 vs 8.) 

READ: Job 1 vs 6 - 12:

1:6: Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.

1:7: And the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come? So Satan answered the LORD, and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”

1:8: Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God, and shuns evil?”

1:9: So Satan answered the LORD, and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing?

1:10: Have you not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.

1:11: But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face.”

1:12: And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.  

INTIMATION:

Have you ever thought of such idea or bothered about who God will say you are? Interestingly, this should be the most important question in everybody’s life, and requires a sincere answer from every one of us. This is because of the day of “Judgement” when everyone will appear before Christ. The Bible says, ”For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what He has done, whether good or bad.” (Second Corinthians 5 vs 10.) And “As it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9 vs 27). 

Christ will judge each and everyone of us, both the living and the dead, and He will reward us for how we have lived. Although judgment is already working in our lives, there will be a future, final judgment when Christ returns (Matthew 25 vs 31 - 46), and everyone’s life will be reviewed and evaluated. For the believers, their eternal destiny is secure, but Jesus will look at how they handled gifts, opportunities, and responsibilities in order to determine their heavenly rewards. God’s gracious gift of salvation does not free us from the requirement of faithful obedience. Everybody, Christians and non-Christians,  must give account of how they lived before Christ.

The question is, “How will Christ see you?” Can He testify of your goodness, obedience, and faithfulness? In our memory verse, God testified about Job; He Inquired from Satan if he had seen His servant Job. God’s servants are faithful to Him in all they do. They serve Him with their whole lives. It was a great honor to Job; it placed him amongst His known servants as Moses and David. God was boastful about His servant Job, and reposed great confidence in him. 

Job was a model of trust and obedience to God, and because of God’s confidence in him, He permitted Satan to attack him in an especially harsh manner. God trusted Job not to cave in to Satan’s wicked ploys to make him doubt whom he believed. Can God say this of you? Can God repose such confidence in you as a believer? This calls for concern to each and every one of us.

Satan attacked Job with the false impression that Job was blameless and had integrity before God, because he had no reason to turn against God that had blessed him exceedingly. Ever since he had started following God, everything had gone well for Job. Satan wanted to prove that Job worshiped God, not out of love, but because God had given him so much. Although, it was an obvious falsehood about Job’s motives, Satan accurately analyzed why many people trust God. 

There are fair-weather believers, following God only when everything is going well or for what they can get. For such people adversity destroys their superficial faith. But adversity strengthens real faith by causing believers to dig their roots deeper into God in order to withstand the storms. How deep does your faith go? Put the roots of your faith down deep into God so that you can withstand any storms you may face.

Although God loves us, believing and obeying Him do not shelter us from life’s calamities. Setbacks, tragedies, and sorrows strike Christians and non-Christians alike. But in our tests and trials, God expects us to express our faith in Him to the world. How do you respond to your troubles? Do you ask God, “Why me?” or do you say, “Use me!”?

The conversation between God and Satan teaches us an important fact about God—He is fully aware of every attempt by Satan to bring suffering and difficultly upon the believers. While God may allow believers to suffer for a reason beyond our understanding, He is never caught by surprise by our troubles and is always compassionate.

We should be concerned about how we live, and lead our lives here on earth; that we should trust, obey, and be faithful in God in words and in deeds. We should also be mindful of what our fellow believers say or think of us, knowing that those who are faithful to the end will reign with Him as He judges the world. (See Revelation 2 vs 26 - 27).

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of raw obedience to You and Your Word in all things, and at all times, that I may be found worthy in the day of judgment, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!