The Fear That Draws Us In

 “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” (Exodus 20:20)

There is a fear that is slavish and drives us away from God, and there is a fear that is sweet and draws us to God. Moses warned against the one and called for the other in the very same verse, Exodus 20:20: “Moses said to the people, ‘Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.’” 

The clearest illustration I have ever seen of this kind of good fear was the time one of my sons looked a German shepherd in the eye. We were visiting a family from our church. My son Karsten was about seven years old. They had a huge dog that stood eye to eye with a seven-year-old. 

He was friendly and Karsten had no problem making friends. But when we sent Karsten back to the car to get something we had forgotten, he started to run, and the dog galloped up behind him with a low growl. And of course, this frightened Karsten. But the owner said, “Karsten, why don’t you just walk? The dog doesn’t like it when people run away from him.” 

If Karsten hugged the dog, he was friendly and would even lick his face. But if he ran from the dog, the dog would growl and fill Karsten with fear. 

That’s a picture of what it means to fear the Lord. God means for his power and holiness to kindle fear in us, not to drive us from him, but to drive us to him. Fearing God means, first, fearing to abandon him as our great security and satisfaction. 

Or another way to say it is that we should fear unbelief. Fear not trusting God’s goodness. Isn’t that the point of Romans 11:20? “You stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear.” That is, what we should fear is not believing, not having faith. Fear running away from God. But if we walk with him and hug his neck, he will be our friend and protector forever.

THE FRUIT OF A CHRISTLIKE LIFE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY JUNE 26, 2024.

SUBJECT: THE FRUIT OF A CHRISTLIKE LIFE!

Memory verse: "You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thornbushes, or figs of thistles?" (Matthew 7 vs 16.)

READ: Matthew 7 vs 15 - 20:

7:15: Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

7:16: You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thornbrushes, or figs of thistles?

7:17: Even so, every good tree bears good fruit; but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

7:18: A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.

7:19: Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire.

7:20: Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

INTIMATION:

Fruit is edible growth of plants, it also signifies the result or product of an endeavor; the consequence of some effort or action. Our actions and their consequences reveal who we are. For instance, in God’s kingdom, our faith in Christ is demonstrated by actions that depict such faith. If we say we follow Christ we must strive to be like Him; doing things in accordance with His ways. And it is by our actions (fruit) that people, and even God, will know our sincerity in following Him. 

The “Christian life” is a “faith life.” Faith must be more than belief in certain facts; it must result in action, growth in Christian character, and the practice of moral discipline, or it will die away. Some of the faith actions are: soul winning, learning to know God better, developing perseverance, doing God’s Will, and loving others. These character traits are found in the nature of Christ, they do not come automatically, but require hard work. 

In Galatians 5 vs 22 - 23, and Second Peter 1 vs 5 - 8, the Scriptures list additional fruit qualities of Christian character: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness self-control. Against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5 vs 22 - 23.) “And also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; to virtue knowledge; to knowledge self-control; to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Second Peter 1 vs 5 - 8.) 

They are not optional; all of them must be a continual part of the Christian life. We don’t finish one and start the next, but we work on them all together. God empowers and enables us, but He also gives us the responsibility to learn and grow.

For the genuine followers of Christ, the fruit is the spontaneous work of the Holy Spirit in them. They are the by-product of Christ’s control—we can’t obtain them by trying to get them without His help. If we want the fruit to grow in us, we must join our life to His (John 15 vs 4 - 5.) We must know Him, love Him, remember Him, and imitate Him. As a result, we will fulfill the intended purpose of the law—to love God and our neighbor. 

God’s people can produce fruit that survives even death. God will remember our love, kindness, and faithfulness, and those who accept Christ through our witness will join us in the new earth. Be sure that your values are in line with God’s values, and decide today to produce fruit that lasts forever. The Scripture says, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors; and their works follow them.” (Revelation 14 vs 13.)

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with Your excellent Spirit that I may bear fruit after the nature of Christ,l that lasts to eternity, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

HARDEN NOT YOUR HEART AGAINST GOD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY JUNE 25, 2024.

SUBJECT: HARDEN NOT YOUR HEART AGAINST GOD!

Memory verse: "God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?" (Job 9 vs 4.)

READ: Psalm 95 vs 6 - 11:

95:6: Oh come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

95:7: For He is our God; and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today if you will hear His voice,

95:8: do not harden your heart, as in the rebellion, and as in the day of trial in the wilderness:

959: When your fathers tested Me, they tried Me, though they saw My work.

95:10: For forty years I was grieved with that generation, and said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts, and they do not know My ways,’

95:11: So I swore in My wrath, they shall not enter My rest.

INTIMATION:

The hardening of heart is a dulled spiritual perception. It’s refusing the Word of God—unwilling to keep HIs commands. Even Christians can be hard-hearted to Jesus’ words. We can be informed about what His Word says, and we can be amazed at how He has worked in other people’s lives, but we can refuse to believe He will come to our aid in our time of trouble. Such a reaction is not unbelief, but willful, hard-hearted rejection of Christ’s ability to help. 

Our hearts turn away from the living God when we stubbornly refuse to believe Him. If we persist in our unbelief, God will eventually leave us alone in our sin. To prevent having an unbelieving heart, stay in fellowship with other believers, talk daily about your usual mutual faith, be aware of the deceitfulness of sin (it attracts but also destroys), and encourage each other with love and concern. But our God is so merciful, He can give us new hearts, new desires, and new spirits (Ezekiel 36 vs 22 - 27). 

Spiritual hardening begins with self-sufficiency, security in one’s self, and self-satisfaction. The real danger is that at some point, repeated resistance to God will yield an actual inability to respond, which the Bible describes as a hardened heart. Insensitivity indicates advanced hardening.

A hardened heart is as useless as a hardened bread. Nothing can restore it or make it useful. The writer of Psalm 95 warns against hardening our hearts as Israel did in the wilderness by continuing to resist God’s Will (Exodus 17 vs 7; Numbers 13; 14; 20) The people were so convinced that God couldn’t deliver them that they simply lost their faith in Him. People with hardened hearts are so stubbornly set in their ways that they cannot turn to God. 

The hardening of heart does not happen suddenly or all at once; it is the result of a series of choices to disregard God’s Will; constant stubbornness to God’s Will. The danger here is that those who resist God long enough, will be tossed aside by Him like hardened bread; useless and worthless.

God may harden further the hardened heart to confirm their own choices. That doesn’t mean that God is intentionally preventing them from believing in Him, rather it’s allowing them their own choice, and wallow in their permissible will. After a lifetime of resisting God, such people had become so set in their ways that they wouldn’t even try to understand Jesus’ message. For such people, it is virtually impossible to come to God—their hearts have been permanently hardened. 

The prophet Jeremiah tells such people to break up the hardness of their hearts as a plow breaks up unplowed ground—soil that has not been tilled for a season. When the heart becomes hardened to God’s Will, the entrance of God’s Word becomes very difficult. Unless the heart is broken and cleaned up, the good seed of God’s Word can’t take root. We must remove our heart-hardening sin if we expect God’s Word to take root and grow in our lives. Old habits and hidden sins had to be uprooted and rejected.

Hardened heart keeps us from God’s ultimate blessings; “entering His rest.” The hardened heart is an ungrateful heart, not worshipping or submitting to God, always trying God’s patience because of stubborn doubt. It’s very sinful and rebellious to God to harden our hearts. Instead we should reject the glamour of sin and anything else that would lead us away from God.

Here are some warning signs of a hardened heart: (1) Willful disobedience (see Exodus 4 vs 21), (2) Having wealth and prosperity that leads to taking God’s blessings for granted, and cause us to feel as if they were owed to us (see Deuteronomy 8 vs 6 - 14), (3) Rebelling and being discontented due to suffering or discomfort that creates an attitude that blames God (see Psalm 95 vs 8), (4) Rejecting a deserved rebuke (Proverbs 29 vs 1), (5) Refusing to listen which leads to a loss of spiritual hearing. (Zechariah 7 vs 11 - 13). (6) Failing to respond—listening to God with no intention of obeying produces an inability to obey (Matthew 13 vs 11 - 15).

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of obedience and absolute trust in You, for I know that Your thought for me is of good and not of evil, always thinking of the best for me which I may not know. By You all things consist, and may I never lean on my own understanding, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

I Can Be Content in Every Circumstance

 I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:11–13) 

God’s provision of day-by-day future grace enables Paul to be filled or to be hungry, to prosper or suffer, to have abundance or go wanting. 

“I can do all things” really means “all things,” not just easy things. “All things” means, “Through Christ I can hunger and suffer and be in want.” This puts the stunning promise of Philippians 4:19 in its proper light: “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

What does “every need of yours” mean in view of Philippians 4:11–12? It means “all that you need for God-glorifying contentment.” Which may include times of hunger and need. Paul’s love for the Philippians flowed from his contentment in God, and his contentment flowed from his faith in the future grace of God’s infallible provision to be all he needed in times of plenty and want.

It’s obvious then that covetousness is exactly the opposite of faith. It’s the loss of contentment in Christ so that we start to crave other things to satisfy the longings of our hearts which only the presence of God himself can satisfy. And there’s no mistaking that the battle against covetousness is a battle against unbelief in God’s promise to be all we need in every circumstance. 

This is so clear in Hebrews 13:5. Watch how the author argues for our freedom from the love of money — freedom from covetousness — the freedom of contentment in God: “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” Faith in this promise — “I will never leave you” — breaks the power of all God-dishonoring desire — all covetousness.

Whenever we sense the slightest rise of covetousness in our hearts, we must turn on it and fight it with all our might using the weapons of this faith.

BUILD UP YOURSELF IN THE WORD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY JUNE 24, 2024.

SUBJECT: BUILD UP YOURSELF IN THE WORD! 

Memory verse: "So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified." (Acts 20 vs 32.)

READ: Second Timothy 3 vs 16 - 17:

3:16: All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

3:17: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly equipped for every good work.

INTIMATION:

The Word of God is the means by which God instructs those who seek to be His children. One cannot be a disciple of Jesus unless he is guided in life by the inspired Word of God. God’s Word is profitable for motivating repentance in one’s life and direction of his behavior. Obedience to the Word of God will deter one from the wrong direction of life. Study of, and meditation on, the Word of God will mold one’s mind for correct thinking and behavior. 

Our conquest is ensured in our building up ourselves in the Word of God by doing all that is required of us in the Word. Today’s memory verse was the apostle Paul’s recommendation to the believers when he was leaving the church at Ephesus. He may never see them again and he commended them to the Father. He turned them over into the hands of love, and he said, ‘I not only do this, but I commend you to the word of His grace.’ The apostle Paul's epistles are the words of His grace, and so the whole New Testament makes up the Book of the Word of the Father's grace.

If the apostle Paul is to be here with us now, he would say, "I want you to study it. I want you to prove yourself capable of doing the Word." There is ability in the Word as you study it to put you over and make you a conqueror. To merely know the Word has no real value in it unless it becomes a part of your life in practicing it. 

As you begin to live the Word, then it becomes a part of your very being—enters into your blood, into your very system. Consequently, the strength and ability of God becomes a part of you, and you would be overwhelmed by “the exceeding greatness of His power toward you who believe, according to working of His mighty power.” 

The apostle Paul entrusted the Ephesian elders to the guidance of the revealed Word of God. It would spiritually build them up if they allowed God to work in their lives through the Word. If they remained faithful to the Word of God, they would receive the result of their faith which was the salvation of their souls in heaven. God’s people must be entirely dependent on the Word of God for direction. Neither subjective emotional experiences nor traditions should be allowed to be the foundation upon which disciples of Christ base their faith. 

Since the Word of God will be our only standard by which we will be judged, then it is imperative that we direct our lives according to what is written. One must come to the Scriptures with the attitude that within them lies wisdom and answers to all problems of life. With such an attitude toward the Scriptures, one will benefit from his or her study of God’s Word. The fact that the Scriptures are sufficient to guide one to eternal dwelling, implies that one must trust in God’s speaking to him through the revealed Word of God.

Prayer: Abba Father, build me up in Your Word, and give me the wisdom and knowledge of the riches of my inheritance in Jesus Christ that is revealed in Your Word, and the exceeding greatness of Your mighty working power toward those who put their trust in You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

LAY UP FOR YOURSELF TREASURES IN HEAVEN!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY JUNE 23, 2024.

SUBJECT : LAY UP FOR YOURSELF TREASURES IN HEAVEN!

Memory verse: “So When Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come, follow Me.” (Luke 18 vs 22.)

READ: Matthew 6 vs 19 - 21: 

6:19: Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;

6:20: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

6:21: For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

INTIMATION:

A “treasure” is anything considered to be valuable. Such things are, by natural instinct, adequately cared for, and stored in safe places in order not to lose them. What are your treasures? And where are you laying them up for safety? Jesus made it clear that having your treasures wrongly laid up, leads to our hearts being in the wrong place. But when they are properly laid in safety, you are sure of not losing the stored value in them. Laying up your treasures on earth and earthly things is considered unsuitable because such earthly treasures are temporal; they can perish, stolen, become obsolete, and eventually be destroyed when the earth passes away (Mark 13 vs 31; Second Peter 3 vs 10.) 

Heavenly treasures are not in physical or material substances. They are values stored up in good deeds, and are the only thing you take along with you to eternity. God is not interested in your possessions, money, and wealth. He is only interested in what you use them to do while it lasted here on earth. He is interested on how you used your wealth to build up your relationship with Him and your neighbors. 

It is noteworthy that all the “Ten Commandments” of God are relationship based, none is materialistic. Therefore, having riches carries great responsibility. If you have been blessed with wealth, then thank the Lord. Don’t be proud and don’t build your trust your material wealth. Use your wealth to do good. Be rich in good works; generous, and ready to share. Consequently, building for yourself lasting treasures which follows you to in heaven due to the value God attaches to your good deeds. 

No matter how much money you have, your life should demonstrate that God controls the wealth that He has placed under your care. When your treasures are heavenly bound, definitely your heart will be heavenly bound also. What we treasure most controls us and our thought, whether we admit it or not. If possessions or money becomes too important to you, then loosen your grip to re-establish what controls you or get rid of them. It is for this reason that Jesus admonishes us to make decisions that allow us to live contentedly with whatever we have, and learns to choose eternal values over earthly temporary treasures.

In our memory verse, Jesus said to the rich young man; “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” This man’s wealth made his life comfortable and gave him prestige and power. By telling him to sell everything he owned, Jesus was touching the very basis of his security, trust, and identity, which are earthly temporal treasures, instead of his building his trust in God. The man did not understand that he would be more secure if he followed Jesus than he was with all his wealth. 

When Jesus told this young man that he would “be perfect” if he gave everything he had to the poor, Jesus wasn’t speaking in the temporal, human sense. He was explaining how to be justified and made whole or complete in God’s sight. He was explaining to the young man God’s value system—using your possessions to build up your relationship with Him and others which God place great value on. Jesus does not ask believers to sell all they have. He did not ask most of His followers to sell everything, but rather use their possessions to serve God and others.  

Although this may be His Will for some who are controlled by their possessions, He does ask us all, however, to get rid of anything that has become more important to us in life than God. If your possessions take first place in your life, it would be better for you to get rid of them. We must remove all barriers to serving and trusting in Him fully. 

Don’t spend your time chasing fleeting earthly treasures. Instead store up for yourself treasures in heaven, for such treasures will never be lost nor destroyed by anything. The key to using money wisely is to see how much we can use it for God’s kingdom purposes. 

Does love for God touch your wallet? Does your money free you to help others? If so, you are storing up lasting treasures in heaven. If your financial goals and possessions hinder you from giving generously, loving others, or serving God with them, sell what you must to bring your life in line with His purposes. Laying up treasures in heaven is accomplished by all acts of obedience and service to God. 

If Jesus would ask, ‘Could you give your house, or your car, or your level of income, or your position in the society, or your position on the ladder of promotion for His course,’ what would be your response? Definitely your response will show your attitude toward earthly treasures—whether it is your servant or your master, and would reveal who you serve—whether God or mammon. Where do you channel your time, money, and energy to mostly? What do you think about most? The sincere answers to these questions will reveal your real self! if your answer is tending toward earthly things, think of how you should change the way you use your resources in order to reflect kingdom values more accurately?

Prayer: Abba Father, all things are Yours. You have only entrusted to our care things that are Yours. Give me the grace to manage all that You have put in my care adequately for Your kingdom sake as is pleasing to You, that I may lay up lasting treasures for myself in heaven, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Faith Honors Him Whom It Trusts

 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith giving glory to God. (Romans 4:20)

Oh, how I long for God to be glorified in our pursuit of holiness and love. But God is not glorified unless our pursuit is empowered by faith in his promises. 

And the God who revealed himself most fully in Jesus Christ, who was crucified for our sins and raised for our justification (Romans 4:25), is most glorified when we embrace his promises with joyful firmness because they are bought by the blood of his Son. 

God is honored when we are humbled for our feebleness and failure, and when he is trusted for future grace. That’s the point of Romans 4:20 where Paul describes Abraham’s faith, “No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith giving glory to God.”

He grew strong in his faith, thus giving glory to God. Faith in God’s promises glorifies him as supremely wise and strong and good and trustworthy. So, unless we learn how to live by faith in the promises of God’s future grace, we may perform remarkable religious rigors, but not for God’s glory. 

He is glorified when the power to be holy comes through humble faith in future grace. 

Martin Luther said, “[Faith] honors him whom it trusts with the most reverent and highest regard, since it considers him truthful and trustworthy.” The trusted Giver gets the glory. 

My great desire is that we learn how to live for God’s honor. And that means living by faith in future grace, which, in turn, means battling unbelief in all the ways it rears its head.