Go on to the Meal

 Go on to the Meal

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! (Psalm 34:8)

To you who say you have never tasted the glory of God, I say, you have tasted many of its appetizers. 

Have you ever looked up at the sky? Have you ever been hugged? Have you ever sat in front of a warm fire? Have you ever walked in the woods, sat by a lake, lain in a summer hammock? Have you ever drunk your favorite drink on a hot day or eaten anything good? 

Every desire is either a devout or a distorted enticement to the glory of heaven.

You say you haven’t tasted God’s glory. I say, you have tasted the appetizers. Go on to the meal. Go on to God himself.

You have seen the shadows; look at the substance. You have walked in the warm rays of the day; turn and look at the sun itself — yes, through the protective and sharpening lens of the gospel. You have heard echoes of God’s glory everywhere; tune your heart to the original music.

The best place to get your heart tuned is at the cross of Jesus Christ. “We have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). 

If you want the most concentrated display of the glory of God, look at Jesus in the Gospels, and look especially at the cross. This will focus your eyes and tune your heart and waken your taste buds so that you will see and hear and taste the glory of the true God everywhere.

That is what you were made for. I plead with you: don’t throw your life away on shadows. God made you to see and savor his glory. Pursue that with all your heart and above all else. You have tasted the appetizers. Now go on to the full banquet.

A People for His Name

 A People for His Name

“Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name.” (Acts 15:14)

It is scarcely possible to overemphasize the centrality of the name of God, that is, the fame of God, in motivating the mission of the church. 

When Peter had his world turned upside down by the vision of unclean animals in Acts 10, and by the lesson from God that he should evangelize Gentiles as well as Jews, he came back to Jerusalem and told the apostles that it was all owing to God’s zeal for his name. We know this because James summed up Peter’s speech like this: “Brothers, listen to me. Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name” (Acts 15:13–14).

It’s not surprising that Peter would say that God’s purpose was to gather a people for his name; because the Lord Jesus had stung Peter some years earlier with an unforgettable lesson. 

You recall that, after a rich young man turned away from Jesus and refused to follow him, Peter said to Jesus, “See, we have left everything and followed you [unlike this rich fellow]. What then will we have?” (Matthew 19:27). Jesus responded with a mild rebuke, which in effect said that there is no ultimate sacrifice when you live for the name of the Son of Man. He said, “Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life” (Matthew 19:29).

The truth is plain: God is pursuing with omnipotent delight a worldwide purpose of gathering a people for his name from every tribe and language and nation (Revelation 5:9; 7:9). He has an inexhaustible enthusiasm for the fame of his name among the nations.

Therefore, when we bring our affections in line with his, and, for the sake of his name, renounce the quest for our own worldly fame and comforts, and join his global purpose, God’s omnipotent commitment to his name flies like a banner before us, and we cannot lose, even if we must walk through many tribulations (Acts 14:22; Romans 8:35–39).

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY MAY 06, 2026.

SUBJECT : ESCHEW SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS! 

Memory verse: "Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth, a stranger, and not your own lips." (Proverbs 27 vs 2.)

READ: Luke 18 vs 10 - 14:

18:10: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee, and the other a tax collector.

18:11: The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You, that I am not as other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.

18:12: I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

18:13: And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.’

18:14: I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

INTIMATION:

Self-righteousness is being overly confident that one acts properly (especially in comparison with others). It’s being overly virtuous. Self-righteousness is dangerous. It leads to pride, causes a person to despise others, and prevents him or her from learning anything from God. One should not glory in order to emphasize his own abilities to perform. He should glory in the basis that he or she is in the Lord and thus, it is the Lord working through him or her. When we boast in order to bring glory to Jesus, then we know that our lives are about Jesus, not ourselves. Jesus said, “If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing.” (John 8 vs 54.) One should live a godly life that manifests praise to God, and not give praise to himself. 

The Scripture says, “But He who boasts, let him boast in the Lord. For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he ‘whom the Lord commends.” (Second Corinthians 10 vs 17 - 18). God cannot be placed in debt to either save or glorify on the basis for human performance. Those who glorify themselves before God on the basis of their performance are establishing their own standards, and thus, they are arrogantly asking God to accept their standards as payment for their salvation. 

In comparison to the righteousness of the good God, there is no righteous person. No man can stand righteous before God on the merit of his own works of law or good deeds. Therefore, we cannot establish our own standards of performance, and then, measure ourselves righteous or good before God on the basis of our standards. One can boast only insofar as the grace of God has worked in his or her life to move him or her to respond to the Will of God.

In the passage we read today, the Pharisee boasted concerning his obedience to his self-imposed religious codes and traditions. He checked off his list of righteous deeds that he did and evil deeds that he did not do. He thus trusted in himself, feeling self-confident that his performance of law should satisfy God, and therefore, put God in debt to save him. The Pharisee did not go to the temple to pray to God but to announce to all within earshot how good he was. 

The tax collector went recognizing his sin and begging for mercy. I guess he stood far from the Pharisee because he was judged unrighteous by the Pharisee. However, he stood close to God because he approached God on the basis of his spiritual inadequacies. Because he recognized his spiritual poverty, he trusted in God’s grace for his salvation. He was justified by his faith in God’s grace, not by his perfect law-keeping or performance of good deeds. Those who have self-righteously exalted themselves will be brought down. 

Self-righteous people pride themselves in their self-acclaimed quality of being right or just. Pride is inordinate self-esteem or conceit. It’s the inner voice that whispers, “My way is best.” Whenever you find yourself looking down on other people, you are being pulled by pride. Pride indicates that a person is self-centered, and thus he will fall over himself as he deals with people. Only when you eliminate pride can God help you become all He meant you to be. God cuts off the pride from His grace. Pride cripples us in our quest for a proper relationship with God. Only God must be exalted is the first step toward developing that relationship with Him. 

The Scripture says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5 vs 3.) Happy are those who are not proud, conceited or arrogant, especially concerning their spiritual relationship with God. One must empty himself of self-reliance and learn to humble himself before God. Those with such an attitude of mind will submit to the kingdom reign of God, therefore, theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The tax collector’s prayer should be our prayer because we all need God’s mercy every day. Don’t let pride in your achievements cut you off from God. 

Prayer: Abba Father, take away any spirit of pride and self-righteousness in me. Everyday of my life I will humble myself before You as a sinner that needs your mercy. Let Your humble spirit dwell in me richly, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Grace for the New Year

 Grace for the New Year

By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. (1 Corinthians 15:10)

Grace is not only God’s disposition to do good for us when we don’t deserve it. It is an actual power from God that acts and makes good things happen in us and for us.

God’s grace was God’s acting in Paul to make Paul work hard: “By the grace of God . . . I worked harder than any of them.” So when Paul says, “Work out your own salvation,” he adds, “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12–13). Grace is power from God to do good things in us and for us.

This grace is past and it is future. It is ever-cascading over the infinitesimal waterfall of the present, from the inexhaustible river of grace coming to us from the future, into the ever-increasing reservoir of grace in the past.

In the next five minutes, you will receive sustaining grace flowing to you from the future, and you will accumulate another five minutes’ worth of grace in the reservoir of the past. The proper response to the grace you experienced in the past is thankfulness, and the proper response to grace promised to you in the future is faith. We are thankful for the past grace of the last year, and we are confident in the future grace for the new year.

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY MAY 05, 2026.

SUBJECT : HUMAN’S GREATEST ASSET!

Memory verse: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go: I will guide you with My eye.” (Psalm 32 vs 8.) 

READ: Psalm 25 vs 9 - 15: 

25:9: The Humble He guides in justice: and the humble He teaches His way.

2:10: All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth to such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.

25:11: For Your name's sake, O LORD, pardon my iniquity; for it is great.

25:12: Who is the man that fears the LORD? him shall He teach in the way He chooses.

25:13: He himself shall dwell in prosperity, and his descendants shall inherit the earth.

25:14: The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him; and He will show them His covenant.

25:15: My eyes are ever toward the LORD; for He shall pluck my feet out of the net.

INTIMATION:

The greatest asset of any human being is divine guidance; the ability to be guided by or hear God and be led by Him. This is because you are guided by One who knows the road you are traveling on and all of the problems that lay ahead; the end is already known to Him from the beginning, therefore, He can give you dependable advice. He is able to help you be all that you can be, and can enable you either to avoid or overcome every obstacle or problem in your life. 

Events do not occur by luck or coincidence. We should have faith that God is directing our lives for His purpose. What you call ‘coincidence,’ somebody calls ‘God-incidence.’ Stop now and think about the events in your life leading up to where you are now. Obviously, as a child of God, He has led you to the point you are right now. He never promised us a trouble-free life, but rather He promised to be with us even in our troubles. As you grow older, you will look back and see God’s involvement more clearly than you do now. He will make all things work together for the good of those who love Him.

When you follow God’s guidance, you know you are where He wants you, whether you’re moving or staying in one place, and you are sure of achieving the purpose for which you are created because the Creator and determinant of the purpose is guiding you. As you go about your daily tasks, God is working in your life in ways you may not even notice. You are physically somewhere now. He has a purpose in placing you where you are right now. Begin to understand God’s purpose for your life by discovering what He wants you to do where you are now. We must not close the door on what God can do. 

How do you receive God’s guidance? The first step is that you must be spiritual, and desire to be guided. You must realize that God’s primary guidance system is in His Word, the Bible. Psalm 119 tells of the endless knowledge found in God’s Word. By reading the Bible and constantly learning from it, we will gain the wisdom to perceive God’s direction for our lives. When we are willing to seek God, learn from His Word, and obey His commands, then we will receive His specific guidance. We need both a map that gives us directions and a constant companion who had an intimate knowledge of the way and will make sure we interpret the map correctly. The Bible is such a map, and the Holy Spirit is our constant companion and guide. As you make your way through life, use both the map and your Guide.

God has not left us in the dark to wonder and guess. He has clearly revealed His purposes for our lives in the Bible. It tells us why we are alive, how life works, how the owner of life governs it, what to do, what to avoid, and what to expect now, and in the future. And it is only in Him, and His Manual-the Bible you can find these answers. If that is the case, it makes no sense to center your life on yourself, but rather on the Owner of that life, and the determinant of how best to lead that life of yours.

God describes some people as being like horses or mules that have to be controlled by bits and bridles (Psalm 32 vs 9). Rather than letting God guide them step by step, they stubbornly leave God with only one option—chastisement. If God wants to keep them useful for Him, He must use discipline and punishment. God longs to guide us with love and wisdom rather than punishment. He offers to teach us the best way to go. Accept the advice written in God’s Word and don’t let your stubbornness keep you from obeying Him.

Prayer: Abba Father, I desire my help to come from you who created the heaven and the earth; who has all knowledge, and knows the end from the beginning. My absolute trust is on You. Guide me, O Lord, that I may remain in the path You fashioned for me, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Seven Sources of Joy

 Seven Sources of Joy

In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy. (2 Corinthians 7:4)

What is extraordinary about Paul is how unbelievably durable his joy was when things weren’t going well.

Where did this come from? 

First of all it was taught by Jesus: “Blessed are you when people hate you. . . . Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven” (Luke 6:22–23). Troubles for Jesus compound your interest in heaven — which lasts a lot longer than earth.

Second, it comes from the Holy Spirit, not our own efforts or imagination or family upbringing. “The fruit of the Spirit is . . . joy” (Galatians 5:22). “You received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 1:6).

Third, it comes from belonging to the kingdom of God. “The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17).

Fourth, it comes through faith, that is, from believing God. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing” (Romans 15:13). “I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith” (Philippians 1:25).

Fifth, it comes from seeing and knowing Jesus as Lord. “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4).

Sixth, it comes from fellow believers who work hard to help us focus on these sources of joy, rather than deceitful circumstances. “We work with you for your joy” (2 Corinthians 1:24).

Seventh, it comes from the sanctifying effects of tribulations. “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” (Romans 5:3–4).

If we are not yet like Paul when he says, “I am overflowing with joy,” he calls us to be. “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). And for most of us this is a call to earnest prayer. Because a life of joy in the Holy Spirit is a supernatural life.

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY MAY 04, 2026.

SUBJECT : GIVE THANKS TO GOD ALWAYS! 

Memory verse: "In everything give thanks; for this is the Will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (First Thessalonians 5 vs 18.) 

READ: Read Psalm 92 vs 1 - 2; Ephesians 5 vs 20:

Psalm 9:1: It is good to give thanks to the LORD, and to sing praises to Your Name, O Most High

92:2: To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night,

Ephesians 5:20: Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

INTIMATION:

Thanksgiving is an act of giving thanks, especially publicly acknowledging the divine goodness and mercy of God in our lives. It is the celebration of God's faithfulness in our lives both as a group (like the church), or as an individual. Above all. thanksgiving is an integral part of our relationship with God, and it’s God’s Will for us. Being thankful is being grateful, being gladly relieved. The relieve can be for a burden, a task, emotional stress, weight etc. In all you are better off than before. 

Whatever you are: your talent, wisdom, skills etc, whatever assets you have: money, properties, etc, and whatever position you occupy in life, are all the acts and doing of the Lord. (See John 3 vs 27 and James 1vs17). The life you are living is not your own, God gave it to you. The only thing we return to God in acknowledgment of His goodness and wondrous acts is giving Him thanks. At any corner of your life, you should remember your source. 

Often times, in giving thanks, we focus on our blessings and express our gratitude to God for them. But thanksgiving should be on our lips every time. We should thank God for; (1) The invisible happenings in our lives, His goodness and mercy. ( See Ezra 3 vs 11.); (2) For every sign and wonder we have seen both in our lives, and others. (See Mark 16 vs 20.); (3) For all the benefits especially intangible benefits (See Psalm 103 vs 2 - 5); (4) For all the deliverances. (See John 10 vs 10; Obadiah 1 vs 17; Colossians 1 vs 13); and (5) For all His promises and provisions He made to us. (See Romans 4 vs 20 - 21). 

Again, as believers, since we have been graciously adopted as children of God, and born of the Will of God, we should rest assured of His presence in our lives at all times. Therefore, in everything that happens to us, we should be thankful for God's presence, and for the good that He will accomplish through the happening, bearing in mind that "All things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8 vs 28). 

Thanksgiving is also a proper response for our salvation. The Scriptures in Ephesians 2 vs 8 - 9 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." When someone gives you a gift, the appropriate response is 'thank you.' Our salvation and even our faith are gifts from God, and we should respond with gratitudScripture, and joy. We become Christians through God's grace (unmerited favour), not as a result of any efforts, abilities, intelligent choice, or acts of service on our part. 

As we praise and thank God for material, and spiritual blessings, we should also thank Him for answered prayers, remembering His answers to our quest for protection, strength, comfort, patience, love, or other special needs that He supplied. Also, consider it a huge privilege to have been chosen by God for whatever blessing He bestowed on you. He could have chosen another person to do or have what He has given you. For this reason, you should have a lifestyle of gratitude to God at all times.

Our offer of thanksgiving should not be in words only. Just as we naturally show appreciation for what others have done for us, both in words and material offering, we should do the same to our Father in heaven. Our thanksgiving in material offering is an application to God for more. God will ever reciprocate all your offerings to Him, and in greater dimension. 

Let's learn to respond to the help we are already getting from our ‘Helper,’ the Holy Spirit, which actually we don't deserve, by developing an attitude of giving thanks always. This is not just an occasional word of thanks, but a continual lifestyle of thanksgiving. The heart that responds to the grace of God is a heart that continually gives thanks to God with a dedicated life that is presented as a living sacrifice. The person who has developed an "attitude of giving thanks always" is one who is thankful and grateful for every single thing that God is doing in his or her life day by day. It is only through God's Spirit that anything of lasting value is accomplished. 

Prayer: Abba Father, my help comes from You, Who made heaven and the earth. I have received nothing you didn’t give to me. I am what I am by Your grace. I will forever be grateful for all You have done, and is doing, and is yet to do. I thank You for the privilege of my adoption as Your son, and for the gift of life. Endue with the spirit of gratitude to You at all times, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!