God Opens the Heart

 God Opens the Heart

One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. (Acts 16:14)

Everywhere Paul preached some believed and some did not. How are we to understand why some of those who are dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1, 5) believed and some did not?

The answer why some did not believe is that they “thrust it aside” (Acts 13:46) because the message of the gospel was “folly to [them], and [they were] not able to understand” (1 Corinthians 2:14). The mind of the flesh “is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot” (Romans 8:7).

Everyone who hears and rejects the gospel “hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed” (John 3:20). They remain “darkened in their understanding . . . because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart” (Ephesians 4:18). It is a guilty ignorance. The truth is available. But “by their unrighteousness [they] suppress the truth” (Romans 1:18).

But why then do some believe, since all are in this condition of rebellious hardness of heart, dead in their trespasses? The book of Acts gives the answer in at least three different ways. One is that they are appointed to believe. When Paul preached in Antioch of Pisidia, the Gentiles rejoiced and “as many as were appointed to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48).

Another way of answering why some believe is that God granted repentance. When the saints in Jerusalem heard that Gentiles, and not just Jews, were responding to the gospel, they said, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life” (Acts 11:18).

But the clearest answer in Acts to the question why a person believes the gospel is that God opens the heart. Lydia is the best example. Why did she believe? Acts 16:14 says, “The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.”

If you are a believer in Jesus, all of these happened to you: You were appointed to believe; you were granted to repent; and the Lord opened your heart. The rest of your life you should be overflowing with amazed thankfulness at the miracle that you are a believer.

THE CHRISTIAN RACE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY FEBRUARY 24, 2025.

SUBJECT : THE CHRISTIAN RACE!

Memory verse: Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." (Hebrews 12 vs 1.)

READ: First Corinthians 9 vs 24 - 27; Philippians 3 vs 12 - 14:

First Corinthians 9:24: Do you not know that those who run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.

9:25: And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown; but we for an imperishable crown.

9:26: Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainly. Thus I fight: not as one who  beats the air.

9:27: But I discipline my body, and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

Philippians 3:12: Not that I had already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.

3:13: Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended: but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.

3:14: I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

INTIMATION:

Christian life is a race; we are running toward our heavenly reward with our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ. It takes hard work, self-denial, and grueling preparation. Winning the race requires purpose and discipline. The essential discipline of prayer, Bible study, and worship equip us to run with vigor and stamina.  Therefore, train yourself diligently in these aforementioned exercises—your spiritual progress depends upon them. God has set before the Christian the mark of a final rest—eternity with Him—for which all of us were created. The goal is the new heavens and earth wherein dwells righteousness. When one’s hope for heaven is strong, then he or she will submit his or her life to the narrow way of Christian living.

To run the race that God had set before us, we must also strip off the excess weight that slows us down. How can we do that? (1) Choose friends who are also committed to the race. Wrong friends will have values and activities that may deter you from the course. Much of your own weight may result from the crowd you run with, therefore, make wise choices. (2) Drop certain activities for you, at this time, that may be weight. Try dropping them for a while, then check the results in your life. (3) Get help for addictions that disable you. If you have a secret “weight” such as pornography, gambling, or alcohol, admit your need and get help today. 

The Christian life involves hard work. It requires us to give up whatever endangers our relationship with God, to run with endurance, and to struggle against sin with the power of the Holy Spirit. All sin hinders one’s faithfulness in running the Christian race. The apostle Paul said, “And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.” (Second Timothy 2 vs 5.) To live effectively, we must keep our eyes on Jesus. We will stumble if we look away from Him to stare at ourselves or at the circumstances surrounding us. We should be running for Christ, not ourselves, and we must always keep Him in sight.

The goal of every Christian is to know Christ, and we should not let anything take our eyes off the goal. With the single-mindedness of an athlete in training, we must lay aside everything harmful and forsake anything that may distract us from being effective Christians. If one takes his mind off Jesus, he or she will be diverted to other things, and thus, discontinue his or her participation in the race. It is essential, therefore, that every Christian focus his or her attention on Jesus who has gone before us, and is waiting for us in the heavenly realm.

In one of the passages we read today, the apostle Paul said, “But I discipline my body, and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” (First Corinthians 9 vs 27.) The Christian must not allow the lust of the flesh to detour him from the race. He must exercise self-discipline in order to train his or her character to be fit for eternal dwelling. The disciple who preaches to others without bringing his or her own lusts under control, will lose his or her reward. Therefore, one’s good works in preaching are not enough to save one from an unholy life. You must exercise discipline and self-control in order to be qualified. However, you put yourself under excessive pressure if you want to lead this life by yourself without involving and relying on the help of the Holy Spirit—our Helper.

Also, the sin of doubts concerning God’s faithfulness to keep His promises, hinders Christians from zealously doing what God requires of an active faith. One must persevere in the race of faith. One’s race must be consistent and enduring. If one is not actively engaged in the race, then He or she is in a state of falling away. Indifference and stalemate are only stages of digression. If one continues in indifference as a stagnant Christian, he will digress to an inactive faith that would lead to creating an inactive religiosity after his or her own laziness. It is this type of religion that leads one to destruction. 

The apostle Paul remarked, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my race, I have kept the faith: Finally there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, will give me at that Day, and not to me only, but also to all who loved His appearing.” (Second Timothy 4 vs 7 - 8.) He was certain concerning his reward and eagerly awaited it. This should be the target of all believers, and we should strive to fight and finish the race as he did, and obviously our rewards await us.

Prayer: Abba Father, my complete trust is in You. Give me the grace to constantly focus on Jesus in my Christian race that I may be worthy of Your calling, and receive the crown of life—eternal life with You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

The Hour of Unusual Threat

 The Hour of Unusual Threat

If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. (1 Peter 4:14)

Many Christians in the world today do not know the life-threatening danger that comes with believing in Christ. We have gotten used to being free from such persecution. It seems like the way things must be. 

So, our first reaction to the threat that things might be otherwise is often anger. But that anger may be a sign that we have lost our sense of being sojourners and exiles (“Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles . . .” 1 Peter 2:11). 

Perhaps we have settled too much into this world. We don’t feel as homesick for Christ as Paul did: “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20).

Many of us need the reminder, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12). It isn’t strange.

Have you ever wondered how you will do in the hour of final trial? The gunman has you in his sights and asks, “Are you a Christian?” Here is a strong word to give you hope that you may do better than you think.

Peter says, “If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you” (1 Peter 4:14). This encouragement from Peter says that in the hour of unusual threat (whether insult or death) there will be “a Spirit of glory and of God resting on us.” Doesn’t that mean that God gives special help in the hour of crisis to those who suffer because they are Christians?

I don’t mean he is absent from our other sufferings. I just mean that Peter went out of his way to say that those who suffer “for the name of Christ” will experience a special “resting” on them of “the Spirit of glory and of God.”

Pray that this would be your experience when the trial comes. There will be resources of endurance in that moment that we do not have any other time. Take heart.

JESUS THE VACUUM FILLER!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 23, 2025.

SUBJECT: JESUS THE VACUUM FILLER!

Memory verse: "And you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. (Colossians 2 vs 10.)

READ: John 6 vs 16 - 21:

6:16: Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea,

6:17: got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them.

6:18: Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing.

6:19: So when they had rowed about three to four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing near to the boat; and they were afraid.

6:20: But He said to them, “It is I; be not afraid.”

6:21: Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.

INTIMATION:

Life without its Owner creates a vacuum. This vacuum needs to be appropriately filled. If you look around, you will notice that few people seem content within themselves. But when you get closer, they will tell you of a vacuum in their lives that needs to be filled. Many people are searching for something that will give their lives a boost. A strange and often hard-to-identify inner vacuum gives most people an uneasy sense of incompleteness. Christ fills that vacuum! As Jesus’ person is fully divine, so we, united by faith to Jesus, find personal fulfillment in Him: “You are complete in Him.”

Jesus is the Creator and Sustainer of all things: “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life and the life was the light of men.” (John 1 vs 3 - 4.) With Him you are something valuable and unique; apart from Him you are nothing, and can do nothing (John 15 vs 5). Christ alone holds the answer to the true meaning of life because He is life. He is the unique source of knowledge and power for the Christian life. No Christian needs anything in addition to what Christ has provided to be saved, and to live; ‘as His divine power has given us all that pertains to life and godliness’ (Second Peter 1 vs 3). 

In our life’s experience and circumstances, some days may not feel like it, but in Jesus, the vacuum is gone; the full power and presence of God takes up residence in your mind and heart. In Christ you are a new person, equipped for life and satisfied in God. In union with Christ through His empowering Spirit, we are complete. We have all the fullness of God available to us. But we must appropriate that fullness through faith and through prayer as we daily live for Him. You can ask the Holy Spirit to fill every aspect of your life to the fullest. And then take some risks, God will guide you. Give more generously, God will supply. Love more freely, God will energize you. Say “can do” more often, God will amaze you.

Jesus said, “I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” (Revelation 22 vs 13.) Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, and it signifies the eternity of God. Without Him you have nothing that is eternal, nothing that can change your life, nothing that can save you from sin. When you place your life in Christ’s hands, He restores you now and resurrects you later to an eternal, peaceful relationship with Him. Is the Lord your reason for living? “the Alpha and the Omega” of your life? Honor the One who is the beginning and the end of all existence, wisdom, and power.

In the passage we read today, the apostle John recorded the very significant and unique attribute of Jesus! When you willingly accept the entrance of Jesus into your life, you will immediately arrive at your ultimate life’s destination. Just as His disciples willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going (John 6 vs 21). When you catch this revelation, you will willingly receive Him into your life, trust, and rest in Him, assured of your ultimate arrival to your life’s destination.

Prayer: Abba Father, all to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely and willingly give my life. I will ever love and trust Him, and in His presence I will daily live, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD! 

Enjoying His Fullness

 Enjoying His Fullness

From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. (John 1:16)

Just before the service last Sunday, the little band of praying saints was hard at work fighting for the faith of our people, and for the churches of the Twin Cities, and for the nations, as they prayed. At one point one man prayed the words of John 1:14, 16:

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. . . . For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

It was one of those epiphany moments for me. God granted in that moment that the word “fullness” — from his fullness — carry a fullness that was extraordinary in its effect on me. I felt some measure of what the word really carries — the fullness of Christ.

I felt some of the wonder that, yes, I had indeed received grace upon grace from this fullness. And I was at that moment receiving grace upon grace. I felt right then that nothing would have been sweeter than to simply sit at his feet — or read my Bible — all afternoon and feel his fullness overflow.

Why did this fullness have such an impact on me — and why is it still to this moment affecting me unusually? In part because . . .

. . . the one from whose fullness I am being drenched with grace is the Word that was with God and was God (John 1:1–2), so that his fullness is the fullness of God — a divine fullness, an infinite fullness;

. . . this Word became flesh, and so was one of us, and was pursuing us with his fullness — it is an accessible fullness;

. . . when this Word appeared in human form, his glory was seen — his is a glorious fullness;

. . . this Word was “the only Son from the Father” (John 1:14) so that the divine fullness was being mediated to me not just from God, but through God — God did not send an angel but his only Son to deliver his fullness;

. . . the fullness of the Son is a fullness of grace — I will not drown in this fullness but be blessed in every way by this fullness;

. . . this fullness is not only a fullness of grace but of truth — I am not being graced with truth-ignoring flattery; this grace is rooted in rock-solid reality.

Is it any wonder, then, that I would feel astonished and full of joy at the fullness of Christ!

ALL THINGS ARE TIMED IN OUR JOURNEY OF LIFE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 22, 2025.

SUBJECT: ALL THINGS ARE TIMED IN OUR JOURNEY OF LIFE! 

Memory verse: "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven”. (Ecclesiastes 3 vs 1.)

READ: Ecclesiastes 3 vs 2 - 8:

3:2: A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted;

3:3: A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to break down, and a time to build up;

3:4: A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time dance;

3:5: A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

3:6: A time to gain, and a time to lose; A time to keep, and a time to throw away;

3:7: A time to tear, and a time to sew; A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

3:8: A time to love, and a time to hate; A time to war, and a time of peace.

INTIMATION:

God has a plan and purpose for all people, and for all things. He provides circles of life, each with its work for us to do. Times for the good, and times for the bad. All these are from God and are purposed by Him in His perfect plan and timing. Although we may face many problems that seem to contradict God's plan, these should not be barriers to believing Him, but rather opportunities to discover that without God, life's problems have no lasting solutions! 

Timing is of essence in the journey of life. All the experiences listed in those verses in the passage we read today are appropriate at certain times. These verses express a divine order of things into which one must plug his or her life into in order to enjoy the contentment that comes from knowing that God has all things under control. The secret to peace with God is to discover, accept, and appreciate God's perfect timing. The danger is to doubt or resent God's timing. This can lead to despair, rebellion, or moving ahead without His advice.

In life you never arrive; you are always on the road toward your destiny. The process of becoming the you God sees is hard work in the vineyard of God. It is the end result of hard work, many trials and tribulations, and, of course, triumph and victories. Though Omnipresent and Omniscient, God is mindful of every individual of His creation. We might be concerned that our understanding of the awesomeness of God might lead us to believe that He is indifferent to the details of His creation, and thus might overlook individuals. But God even knew each of us while we were still in our mother’s womb, before we were even taking form. 

God’s timing is inherent in our becoming the persons God ordained us to be. We are forever in the process of becoming the persons we will be. The word “becoming” implies the direction we are taking in our personal spiritual, physical, emotional, and intellectual growth and development. Life is a journey: it's not a destination. Every ending is a new beginning to your future, and every beginning is an ending to your past. Endeavor to continuously be taking the bold steps forward in your journey of “becoming,” and toward your glorious destiny. A step out of the way is costly and requires greater efforts to step back on the way.

It's obvious all these are unachievable without Christ. By our own abilities, we will always crash. The Bible notes it in First Samuel 2 vs 9, "For by strength no man shall prevail." It's only God that makes all things possible with us. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4 vs 13). It is the power we receive in union with Christ that sufficiently helps us to do God's Will and to face the challenges that arise from our commitment to doing it. 

Prayer: Abba Father, show me the path of life you fashioned out for me in my journey of life that I may work in it. In Your leading and timing I am assured of the lines fallen for me in pleasant places, and I am assured of arriving at the destination you ordained for me, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Our Servant, Jesus

 Our Servant, Jesus

“The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)

Not only was he the servant of his people while he lived on earth, but he will also be our servant when he comes again. “Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them” (Luke 12:37). Jesus gave that as a picture of what he will do at his return.

Not only that, he is our servant now. “‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5–6).

Does this belittle the risen Christ — to say that he was and is and will ever be the servant of his people? It would, if “servant” meant “one who takes orders,” or if we thought we were his masters. Yes, that would dishonor him. But it does not dishonor him to say that we are weak and need his help.

It does not dishonor him to say that he is the only one who can service us with what we need most.

It does not dishonor him to say that he is an inexhaustible spring of love, and that the more he helps us and the more we depend on his service, the more amazing his resources appear. Therefore, we can confidently say, “Jesus Christ is alive to serve!”

He is alive to save. He is alive to give. And he is thrilled to be this way. 

He is not burdened down with your cares. He thrives on burden-bearing, not burden-giving. He loves to work “for those who wait for him” (Isaiah 64:4). He “takes pleasure . . . in those who hope in his steadfast love” (Psalm 147:11). His eyes “run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him” (2 Chronicles 16:9).

Jesus Christ is exuberant with omnipotent service for the sake of all who trust him.