Everyday in the Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY AUGUST 26, 2025.

SUBJECT : THE ESSENCE OF IMMERSION BAPTISM!

Memory verse: "Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in the newness of life.” (Romans 6 vs 4.) 

READ: Romans 6 vs 3 - 9:

6:3: Or do you not know that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death?

6:4: Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death: , that just as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

6:5: For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,

6:6: knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.

6:7: For he who has died is freed from sin.

6:8: Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him:

6:9: Knowing that Christ having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.

INTIMATION:

The action of baptism is by immersion. The word “baptism” is from the Greek baptizo, meaning “to dip,” “to immerse,” “to plunge,” or “to overwhelm.” Baptism by immersion is the repentant believer’s identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of our Messiah, Jesus Christ, who went to the cross as a sacrificial lamb to die the death we ought to die to pay the wages we owed for our sins. His death on the cross was for us. He came as a propitiation for our sins. Any action short of total immersion cannot be identified with the context being discussed here. As Jesus was buried in the tomb, so the repentant believer, who has identified with the deed of Christ for mankind, must be buried in water. 

The gospel is the death of Jesus for our sins. It is His burial in order that He be raised never to die again. In response to this grace of God that was manifested on the cross, where we are set free by the sacrificial death of Christ for our sins, repentant believers are immersed in water after crucifying the old man of sin. They are resurrected with Christ in order to walk in a new life. 

Immersion is usual form of baptism; that is, new Christians were completely “buried” in water. They understood baptism to symbolize the death and burial of the old way of life. Coming up out of the water symbolized resurrection to new life with Christ. If we think of our old, sinful life as dead and buried, we can consciously choose to treat the desires and temptations of the old nature as if they were dead. Then we can continue to enjoy our wonderful new life with Jesus. 

The preposition here indicates that a union is established between the one being baptized and Jesus. As Jesus went to the tomb in a garden outside Jerusalem, obedient believers throughout the world can go to the tomb with Him. If one is not willing to go to the tomb with Jesus, then certainly that person cannot come into a covenant relationship with Christ. Unless one goes to the cross and tomb with Jesus, he cannot experience a resurrection with Jesus. Going to the tomb with Jesus is by accepting what He wrought for us in redemption. 

One establishes and signs a covenant to trust in God for salvation by His grace when his faith moves him to respond to God’s grace. This response is immersion into the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Baptism is not a work of law in order to earn God’s grace. It is a response to grace by the believer, who at the time of immersion contacts the blood of Jesus that came as a result of the grace of God. 

The condition for obtaining the newness of life, therefore, is that one go to the cross and tomb with Jesus in order to be raised with Jesus. It is only after resurrection from the waters of immersion that one comes into a new life with Christ. Without immersion, therefore, one cannot establish through works of law or meritorious deeds that which results from submission to the grace of God. 

Though baptism is an obedient response to the grace of God, salvation takes place in the spiritual realm wherein God washes one clean of sin by the sacrificial blood of Jesus. There is no magic in the waters of baptism. There is no meritorious atonement by one’s performance of the action of immersion. However, it is at the point of baptism that God pronounces one cleaned of sin, and thus, is brought into a covenant relationship with God. Immersion into Christ is essential to one’s salvation. 

When the repentant believer comes forth from the waters of baptism, the focus of his thinking is changed. His mind is turned to focus on those things that are above and beyond the world. His ambition is not to live in order to use and consume the things of the world upon his own lust, but to use the world to sustain life that is focused beyond the world. He not only thinks on things above the world, but he seeks them. 

Since the world view of the repentant believer has changed, so has the focus of his attention. When he died with Christ, his will was replaced by the Will of Jesus. Since Christ lives in the Christian, then the Christian’s mind is not on things of this world. It is on those things that pertain to the work of Jesus among men. 

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for Your grace that manifested on the cross when Jesus paid the debt I owed, and Your gift of salvation. E

Give me the grace to walk in the newness of life in Christ, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Shadows and Streams

 Shadows and Streams

May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works, who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke! I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord. (Psalm 104:31–34)

God rejoices in the works of creation because they point us beyond themselves to God himself.

God means for us to be stunned and awed by his work of creation. But not for its own sake. He means for us to look at his creation and say: If the mere work of his fingers (just his fingers! Psalm 8:3) is so full of wisdom and power and grandeur and majesty and beauty, what must this God be like in himself!

These are but the backside of his glory, as it were, darkly seen through a glass. What will it be to see the glory of the Creator himself! Not just his works! A billion galaxies will not satisfy the human soul. God and God alone is the soul’s end. 

Jonathan Edwards expressed it like this:

The enjoyment of God is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied. To go to heaven, fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. . . . [These] are but shadows; but God is the substance. These are but scattered beams; but God is the sun. These are but streams; but God is the ocean.

This is why Psalm 104 comes to a close in verses 31–34 with a focus on God himself. “I will sing praise to my God while I have being. . . . For I rejoice in the Lord.” In the end it will not be the seas or the mountains or the canyons or the water spiders or the clouds or the great galaxies that fill our hearts to breaking with wonder and fill our mouths with eternal praise. It will be God himself.

Every day in the Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY AUGUST 25, 2025.

SUBJECT: GIVE GOD THE CREDIT AND GLORY DUE TO HIM!

Memory verse: “Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner.” (Like 17 vs 18.) 

READ: Genesis 41 vs 15 - 25:

41:15: And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it.”

41:16: So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.”

INTIMATION:

Glory primarily signifies an opinion, and hence, the honor resulting from a good opinion. It is used of God’s nature in self-manifestation, that is, what He essentially is and does, as exhibited in whatever way He reveals Himself in these respects, and primarily in the Person of Christ, in whom essentially His glory has ever shone forth and ever will do.

When His grace and His power manifest, it constitute His glory. And we should always give due acknowledgment of the exhibition of His attributes and ways. How easily we take credit for what God does through us! This rubs God of the honor that He alone deserves. Instead, we should, in any achievements in our lives, give credit to God thereby pointing people to God so that we give Him the glory. 

In our anchor Scripture, Jesus asked the question here to stimulate all to think concerning their obligation of returning credit to God for all that He would do in our lives, and through us, especially in showing mercy to men. The gratitude of the one leper in contrast to the ingratitude of the nine, illustrates how often men forget God’s blessings in both material and spiritual realms. 

In the passage we read today, Joseph made sure that he gave the credit to God. We should be careful to do the same. To take the honor for ourselves is a form of stealing God’s honor. Don’t be silent when you know you should be giving glory and credit to God. When the interpretation of dreams came up, Joseph focused everyone’s attention on God. Rather than using the situation to make himself look good, he turned it into a powerful witness for the Lord. One secret of effective witnessing is to recognize opportunities to relate God to the other person’s experience. When the opportunity arises, we must have the courage to speak as Joseph did. 

Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had a dream and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him. Then he gave the command to call the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to tell him his own dream and its interpretation. However, none of them was able to tell the king his dream, nor its interpretation. But Daniel did. In Daniel 2 vs 27 - 30, before Daniel told the king anything else, he gave credit to God, explaining that he did not know the dream through his own wisdom but only because God revealed it.

In Daniel 2 vs 47 - 48, the Scripture says. “The king answered Daniel and said, “Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret. Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts; and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon.” 

Nebuchadnezzar honored Daniel and Daniel’s God. If Daniel had taken the credit himself, the king would have honored only Daniel. Because Daniel gave God the credit, the king honored both of them. Part of our mission in this world is to show unbelievers what God is like. We can do that by acts of love and compassion, and if we give God credit for our actions, they will want to know more about Him. Give credit and glory to God for what He is doing in, and through you.

God appreciates giving Him credit and glory due to Him hence Christ’s question concerning the lepers that were cleansed. And the benefits include. (1) perfection of the blessings, (2) preservation of the blessings, and (3) qualification for more blessings; Joseph was made a prime minister in a foreign land, Daniel was made a great man, and received many great gifts, and was made the ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon, and the leper that returned was made whole.

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with a heart of gratitude for Your acts and works in my life, and to testify of Your works in my life at all times. Give me the grace never to take credits and glory due to You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

When God’s Love Is Sweetest

 When God’s Love Is Sweetest

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word. (Ephesians 5:25–26)

If you only hope for unconditional love from God, your hope is great, but too small.

Unconditional love from God is not the sweetest experience of his love. The sweetest experience is when his love says, “I have made you so much like my Son that I delight to see you and be with you. You are a pleasure to me, because you are so radiant with my glory.”

This sweetest experience is conditional on our transformation into the kind of people whose emotions and choices and actions please God.

Unconditional love is the source and foundation of the human transformation that makes the sweetness of conditional love possible. If God did not love us unconditionally, he would not penetrate our unattractive lives, bring us to faith, unite us to Christ, give us his Spirit, and make us progressively like Jesus.

But when he unconditionally chooses us, and sends Christ to die for us, and regenerates us, he puts in motion an unstoppable process of transformation that makes us glorious. He gives us a splendor to match his favorite kind: his own.

We see this in Ephesians 5:25–27. “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her [unconditional love], that he might sanctify her . . . and present the church to himself in splendor” — the condition in which he delights.

It is unspeakably wonderful that God would unconditionally set his favor on us while we are still unbelieving sinners. The ultimate reason this is wonderful is that this unconditional love brings us into the everlasting enjoyment of his glorious presence.

But the apex of that enjoyment is that we not only see his glory, but also reflect it. “The name of our Lord Jesus [will] be glorified in you, and you in him” (2 Thessalonians 1:12).

Everyday in the Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY AUGUST 24, 2025.

SUBJECT : GOD CAN PREVENT YOU FROM SINNING AGAINST HIM!

Memory verse: "But God had come to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said to him, “Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good or bad.” (Genesis 31 vs 24.)

READ: Genesis 20 vs 2 - 7:

20:2: Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar, sent and took Sarah.

20:3: But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, “Indeed, you are a dead man because of the woman you have taken, for she is a man's wife.”

20:4: But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, “LORD, will You slay a righteous nation also?”

20:5: Did he not say to me, “She is my sister?” And she, even she herself said, “He is my brother.” in the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.”

20:6: And God said to him in a dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her.

20:7: Now therefore, restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”

INTIMATION:

God, in His infinite mercy and love for us, can prevent us from sinning. He does this in so many ways unknown to us. Have you ever tried to imagine how many times God has done same for you, holding you back from sin in ways you can’t even detect? It is obvious we have no way of knowing—we just know that He can. God works just as often in ways we can’t see as in ways we can. 

In our anchor Scripture, God appeared to Laban in a dream and warned him concerning Jacob, thereby preventing him from doing anything contrary to His plan and purpose in Jacob’s life. If Laban’s intentions were to harm Jacob, surely this would have been a nightmare. In order to strike fear in the heart of Laban, God warned him not to speak harshly to Jacob, the heir of Abraham and the one through whose seedline the promises would be fulfilled. 

In the passage we read today, Abimelech had unknowingly taken a married woman to be his wife and was about to commit adultery. But God somehow prevented him from touching Sarah and held him back from sinning. What great mercy on God’s part! Through some providential manner God kept Abimelech from touching Sarah, or else he would have reaped the judgement of God. 

In First Samuel 25, Nabal, Abigail’s husband, and very rich, rudely refused David’s request to feed his 600 men, not withstanding the fact that David and his men had been protecting Nabal’s workforce, and part of Nabal’s prosperity due to David’s vigilance. David was greatly outraged by his action and planned to take vengeance on Nabal’s property, and to kill all the males in his household. 

However, the wife Abigail, sensible and capable, by her swift action and skillful negotiation, kept David from taking vengeance upon Nabal. Both Abigail and David saw the hand of God in all that transpired between them. Abigail said to David, “Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, since the Lord has held you back from coming to bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now then, let your enemies and those who seek harm to my lord be as Nabal.” (Genesis 25 vs 26,) 

David said to Abigail, “For indeed, as the Lord God of Israel lives who has kept me back from hurting you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, surely by morning light no males would have been left to Nabal!” (First Samuel 25 vs 34.) David sensed that Abigail was sent to him by God, for he expressed gratitude to her for her wise advice. The tender heart of David was here revealed because he accepted the advice of a woman who pled for the case of her foolish husband. 

David was in no mood to listen when he set out for Nabal’s property. Nevertheless, he stopped to hear what Abigail had to say. If he had ignored her, he would have been guilty of taking vengeance into his own hands. Abigail did not want him to regret any rash actions on his part that would lead to killing innocent people. In this case, the rest of the clan of Nabal would have been innocent victims of the unrighteous Nabal.

God works in all things for His children. What you may consider as a “coincidence” or that “It just happened,” I call or term “God-incidence.” “For all things work together for good to them that love Him.” (Romans 8 vs 28). Therefore, all glory must be returned to Him at all times.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are so merciful and Your mercy endures forever. Lord, even in our unfaithfulness You remain faithful. Your compassion never fails us. Endue me with the spirit of complete obedience to, and trust in You in all things, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

The Message of Creation

 The Message of Creation

Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. (Romans 1:22–23)

It would be a great folly and a great tragedy if a man loved his wedding ring more than he loved his bride. But that is what this passage says has happened.

Human beings have fallen in love with the echo of God’s excellence in creation, and lost the ability to hear the incomparable, original shout of love and power and glory.

The message of creation is this: 

There is a great God of glory and power and generosity behind all this awesome universe; you belong to him because he made you. He is patient with you in sustaining your rebellious life. Turn and bank your hope on him and delight yourself in him, not merely his handiwork.

According to Psalm 19:1–2, day pours forth the “speech” of that message to all who will listen in the day, speaking with blindingly bright sun and blue sky and clouds and untold shapes and colors and beautiful designs of all things visible. Night pours forth the “knowledge” of the same message to all who will listen at night, speaking with great dark voids and summer moons and countless stars and strange sounds and cool breezes and northern lights.

Day and night are saying one thing: God is glorious! God is glorious! God is glorious! Turn away from the creation as your supreme satisfaction, and delight yourself in the Lord of glory.

Everyday in the Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY AUGUST 23, 2025.

SUBJECT: DO NOT REVENGE!

Memory verse: "Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.” (Romans 12 vs 17.)

READ: Matthew 5 vs 38 - 42:

5:38: “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’

5:39: But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

5:40: If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tonic, let him have your cloak also.

5:41: And whoever compels you to go a mile, go with him two.

5:42: Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants borrow from you do not turn away.

INTIMATION:

To revenge is to take an action in return for an injury or offense; to retaliate or get even for a perceived wrong. In our fallen world, it is often deemed acceptable by some to tear people down verbally or to get back at them if we feel hurt. The Lord Jesus Christ, in His teaching, admonished us not to revenge or get even with our offenders. In God’s kingdom, revenge is unacceptable behavior, as is insulting a person, no matter how indirectly it is done. No Christian should seek to get even with someone who has wronged him. 

It is not the place of any Christian to seek revenge. A true heart is not one of malice or hate. Hearts of malice and hate identify those individuals who are of the world. Wrong that is committed against another originates from Satan. Disciples of Jesus must resist the temptations of Satan. Retaliation against those whom Satan uses to promote his work is not a Christian principle. Rise above getting back at those who hurt you. Instead of reacting angrily to these people, pray for them. Jesus encourages us to pay back wrongs with a blessing, such as praying for the offenders. 

In this day of lawsuits and incessant demands for legal rights, Jesus teaching or command sounds almost impossible. When someone hurts you deeply, instead of giving him or her what he or she deserves, Jesus says do good to them and never revenge. Instead return good for evil. 

Why do we need to forgive our enemies or do good to those who hurt us? (1) Forgiveness may break a cycle of retaliation and lead to mutual reconciliation. (2) It may make the enemy feel ashamed and change his or her ways. (3) By contrast, repaying evil for evil hurts you just so much as it hurts your enemy. Even if your enemy never repents, forgiving him or her will free you of a heavy load of bitterness. 

The apostle Paul, in his letter to the believers in Rome, recounted and reemphasized Christ’s teaching, he says, “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head. Do not be overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12 vs 17 - 21.)

These verses summarize the core of Christian living. If we love someone the way Christ loves us, we will be willing to forgive. If we have experienced God’s grace, we will want to pass it on to others. And remember, grace is undeserved favor. By giving an enemy a drink, we’re not excusing his misdeeds. We’re recognizing him, forgiving him, and loving him in spite of his sins, just as Christ did for us.

Forgiveness involves both attitudes and actions. If you find it difficult to feel forgiving toward someone who hurts you, try responding with kind actions. If appropriate, tell this person that you would like to heal your relationship, lend a helping hand, send him or her a gift, smile at him or her. Many times you will discover that right actions lead to right feelings.

Again, in the course of our lives’ travails, we can never know God’s intentions for any happenings or circumstances we face in life. All things are known to Him, even the end is known to Him from the beginning. And only the council of God stands as He does His pleasure: “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.” (Isaiah 46 vs 10.) The circumstances of life we face can be God’s design to cause His plans and purposes in our lives to be accomplished. God has ordained our pathways from the beginning for a His predetermined purposes, and these include the circumstances and trials we face in life. 

The story of Joseph in the Bible is a clear example of God’s use of our travails in life for the fulfillment of His ultimate plan (Genesis 37, 39 - 50). Although Joseph’s brothers had wanted to get rid of him, God used even their evil actions for His purpose. He had sent Joseph ahead to preserve their lives, save Egypt, and prepare the way for the beginning of the nation of Israel. 

God is sovereign. His plans are not dictated by human actions. When others intend evil toward you, remember that they are only God’s tools. As Joseph said to his brothers, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” (Genesis 50 vs 20.) It is for this reason we should not avenge, for man’s cruelty can be God ordained pathway for your lifting.

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of love that I may love as Christ loves us and gave His life of inestimable value for our lives that are completely worthless as sinners. Give me the grace to overcome evil with good, and never revenge or get even with another, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!