Month: February 2020

SCRIPTURE TEXT: “And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in His all ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul..” – Deuteronomy. 10:12
MASSAGE

God demands our spiritual service as our worship to Him as we see in the following scriptures:

Psalm 2: 11 – Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.

Eph. 6:7 – Serve wholeheartedly as if you were serving the Lord and not men.

Heb. 12:28 – Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.

From these Bible passages it is obvious that the major service God demands of us is our fear of Him; our obedience to Him; our love for Him and our joy in doing His will.  The Lord is so good that when He commands us to do anything, He Himself also empowers us to do it.  See how Jesus Himself doing His Father’s will, came to serve men as we read in Matt. 20:28: just as the son of man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.

We see in John 13:4-5 how He washed the feet of the disciples during the last supper.
In Phil. 2:7 that reminds us that Jesus made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

How do we then serve God the way He wants us to do?
Luke 9:23 says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

First of all, we must deny ourselves and submit totally to the Lordship of Jesus in our lives who alone is the way to God.

We must be obedient to God by being sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.  Until we have made Jesus our own personal Saviour the Holy Spirit remains outside our hearts.

We do what is the will of God.

Having said all this some may be wondering whether service to God merely is the love of Him.  As James says faith without works is dead.  Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  If anyone says to him Go, I wish you well, keep warm and well fed but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? – James 2:15-16.

We are therefore, enjoined to do good to each other.  We are to help the poor and needy; feed the hungry; clothe those who have none, look after the sick, visit prisoners, be hospitable to strangers; and look after those who do God’s work to mention but a few.  As Jesus Himself says in Matt. 25:35-36: For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me I was in prison and you came to visit me.

Good works glorify God:  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Therefore, even as we wait to serve God, we must remember the balance.   It is not enough to do good deeds – and we will not secure our salvation merely by doing good.  (Salvation is by faith alone –
Eph. 2:5b & 8-9).  Neither is it good to have faith and have no good works, for the great command of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is that when we have the good news, we must be up and going.  We must go and make disciples of all nations as we read in Matt. 28 18:19: All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations.

PRAYER THOUGHT: “Dear Lord, grant me Your grace and strength to be able to serve you wholeheartedly. Amen”

STAY BLESSED

SCRIPTURE TEXT: “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His Name.” – Psalm 100:4 (NIV)

MESSAGE

Appreciation and Thanks are cultivated traits. They are ingrained in us by the Spirit of God. You cannot excuse its absence by saying that you don’t have it. If you don’t, grow it. A lack of it is offensive to God and to man. If the Lord has brought you to this new year, praise Him. If He’s given you life to greet people ‘Happy new year’ ‘Compliments of the season’ and all the other things we say to others who meet at the beginning of the new year, then praise Him. Because God inhabits the praise of His people. David exclaimed “Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” (Psalm 107:31). Throughout his life, he gave God praise. He said “I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude” (Psalm 109:30).  As to timing, he said “every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.” (Psalm 145:2)

Sometimes it’s hard to find a reason to praise. Don’t wait till you find one, get to it and praise the Lord.  Anyway!  David said “let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD. (Psalm 150:6). For as long as we are alive, because “It is not the dead who praise the LORD, those who go down to the place of silence” (Psalm 115:17), we should “Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praise to His name, for that is pleasant” – (Psalm 135:3).

Discard fear and worries. The annual rent might be due, the insurance companies’ bills for the year’s premium staring at you from the stack of papers on your table. It’s time again to pay the children’s school fees and you might need to have the doctor check that disturbing pain in your body that’s getting worse.  However, now is the time to let go and let God. Even when tried, Peter reminds that “the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ”. (1 Peter 1:7).  So even then, thank the Lord and praise Him!

Remember how you were joyful on the eve of the New Year? Remain joyful. The bills might come, our health might fail, we might end up losing our job, but we have this glorious hope that it is not for nothing. And even if your ladder falls this year and throws you off the rung, you can land securely on the Rock of Ages, if you choose to place your ladder on Him now. Let this arm you and choose praise, even in the face of scary events of crashed economies and natural disasters, of personal failures, anxieties and fears. Choose thanks. Yesterday is gone, don’t allow today to weigh you down and you can look forward to tomorrow, firmly planted on the Rock of Ages. I choose to enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. To be thankful unto Him and to bless His name, not just for my trying past or my challenging present, but for my glorious tomorrow as well. Knowing that He “is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy – to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen (Jude 1:24,25)

TO PONDER: In the words of Charles Spurgeon, “Praise is the rehearsal of our eternal song’.  Why should you go through the rest of your life whining and complaining about things? Why not be different? Let the Lord give you a different set of eyes through which to see life’s situations for what they really are – temporary events that will surely pass away. Be thankful and choose praise.”

STAY BLESSED

SCRIPTURE TEXT: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” – Philippians 4:13

There’s still so much to learn from the above one-lined but power-packed text. For the same Apostle Paul who made the insightful statement “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” also said “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify” (1 Corinthians 10:23).

It follows therefore that even if we can do all things, we shouldn’t do all things because according to the learned Apostle from his ‘been-there, done-that’ experience, not all things are helpful, and not all things edify.  Hence, my focus on “all things” should be on doing only all things that are helpful and edifying.

Combing through the Bible, which in itself is an exhaustive source of biographies, legal counsel, nuggets from sociology, philosophy, medicine, finance and other esoteric branches of knowledge, one fact is consistent. The only thing that is helpful, and edifies, right from the foundation of the world, and will last even beyond the termination of this world, is doing God’s will.  Doing God’s will, is fearing Him and keeping His commandments. All other things derive from it. That’s why the wisest man Solomon, after trying everything under the sun, concluded for posterity: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all – Ecclesiastes 12:13.

I like the fact that there is only one thing that is helpful and edifies. And that if I focus on it, I’ll be able to do all other things that I’d love to do without stress, though with the discipline of hard work. Isn’t that wonderful? I’ve tried this several times and found it to be true. But still it doesn’t come naturally to me, as much as I desire to really forget about my talents and skills and knowledge and rely on Christ’s strength alone. So even with this simple solution freely offered, I find myself needing His strength to be able to do what I know really counts and is helpful for me and cannot do by myself. Isn’t our situation just pathetic?

But here’s sweet hope!  God told Apostle Paul: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” – 2 Corinthians 12:9.  I’d like to believe that the same assurance applies equally to my weak situation. It’s comforting to know that my inability to do anything that counts can translate to being able to do all things, if I allow Christ to strengthen me. The best part is that He’s ready to do so.

TO PONDER: Charles Spurgeon made a commitment: ‘I have now concentrated all my prayers into one, and that one prayer is this, that I may die to self, and live wholly to Him.’ What have you decided to do? Continue to trust in yourself to do all things or to die to that self and live wholly to Christ? Remember, without Him, you can do nothing.

STAY BLESSED

 

SCRIPTURE TEXT: I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy …… – Leviticus 11:44 (NIV)

MESSAGE

Be Holy, because I am Holy, were the words that God gave the children of Israel when He by His own wisdom called them and set them apart for himself (Lev. 11: 45).  In 1 Peter 1:16, Peter reminds believers that they are to move away from the lives they lived before and live holy lives because of the nature of the one who has called them.

God is holy, and what is true of God must be true of those who are God’s people.  Holiness carries the thought of being totally devoted to God. We are to be set apart and different, not blending in with the crowd.  We are not to be different just for the sake of being different.  Remember what Jesus said about the Pharisees and their brands of holiness’………. they do not practice what they preach…. Everything they do is done for men to see.  They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honour…. And the most important seats in synagogues…-Matt. 23:1-6. What should make us different are God’s qualities in our lives – His qualities of love, mercy, goodness, justice, fairness peace, kindness etc (see Galatians 5: 22-23). Our focus and priorities must be His, in direct contrast with what we used to be when we had not committed our lives to Him.

We cannot become holy on our own; God has therefore given us His Holy Spirit to help us to obey Him and to give us power to overcome sin. This is what is meant by sanctification; it expresses the process of becoming holy daily because of God’s work in us. Being holy is not an option for Christian because without holiness no one can see the Lord. – Heb. 12:14.

God has given us His promises and through those promises we have to recognize that God has a claim on our lives. –Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God – 2 Cor. 7:1. Our bodies are His temple and so we must continually form the habit of letting the light of God shine on it.  We have to transform our natural lives into the kind of spiritual lives that live in obedience to God, not out of compulsion or the fear of punishment but out of love for Him who loved us. Am I perfecting this type of holiness in the fear of God?  Is God getting His way with me, and are other people beginning to see God in my life more and more?  Be serious with God and leave the rest gaily alone.  Put God first literally.

Continually reiterate to yourself what the purpose of your life is. The destined end of man is not happiness, nor health, but holiness. The one thing that matters is whether a man will accept the God who will make him holy.  At all costs, a man must be rightly related to God.

Never tolerate through sympathy with yourself or with others anything that is not in keeping with a holy God.  Holiness means unsullied walking with the feet, unsullied talking with the tongue, and unsullied thinking with the mind – every detail of the life under the scrutiny of God. Holiness is not only what God gives me, but also  I manifest that which God has given me.

PRAYER THOUGHT: “Dear Lord, give me a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. Let me not be intimidated but rather let me boldly make a clean break with every form of ungodly compromise, resisting all temptation to indulge in evil, no matter how rampant and normal they may be. Amen”

STAY BLESSED

PS NOTE: Quotations from Oswald Chambers’ – My Utmost for His Highest

SCRIPTURE TEXT: “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! – Psalm 34:8

 

MESSAGE

We often hear the phrase, “God is good.” It is used in songs, sermons, and is sometimes used as a response when both good and bad things happen in our lives, for example: a person who avoids tragedy due to a car breakdown or a delayed flight. Other examples are good things that happen to people, like circumstances aligning perfectly for them to buy a house or replace their old car when previously things looked very bleak. In all these things, we often say, “God is good.”

Still, what does this mean? According to Merriam Webster dictionary, the definition of “God” is “the being in perfect power, wisdom, and goodness who is worshiped as creator and ruler of the universe,” however; isn’t He more than this? God is good in so many ways–the way He provides for us, guides us, and watches over us–but it goes even deeper than that. God’s goodness is who He is, and we are created in His image, so, therefore, we share His goodness.

God’s goodness shows up in our lives every single day. Although we often think of His goodness when something big happens, His goodness abounds all the time–in every hour, minute, and second of the day, in the smallest of things around us.

Every day that God wakes us up, is an example of His goodness. On the days when we are surrounded by the smallest and most significant of blessings, we know that God is pouring His favor on us. This can be anything from your coworker bringing you your favorite coffee to your boss calling you in their office to discuss a raise or promotion.

We have all heard about someone who went into surgery and practically died but came back to life. We have heard about somebody who missed a bus thus avoiding a tragic accident. These are the significant ways He protects us, but He works in the smaller things too: for example, the gossip that is going around that never reaches your ears or the coworker that is trying to sabotage you, but your boss, instead, sees the honest and hard work that you do. These are all ways He protects us on a daily basis.

We make a thousand decisions a day. Sometimes, we have to determine whether an opportunity is right for us and if we should follow a particular path. In these moments, God is guiding us. We need to stop, take a breath and pay attention to how we feel in our hearts. We need to be still and listen to that small voice we know so well whispering to our hearts about what choices are right for us. This is His way of guiding us and nudging us to our best selves, so that we may live in the gifts we have been given and the purpose He has for us.

Are you concerned that you will get too busy and miss the signs of God’s goodness in your life? We need to pay attention to all the little things in our day, both big and small, that are a blessing to us. A lot of times, it’s the little things that mean so much.

Prayer Thought: “Dear Lord, I thank you for allowing me to wake up every morning. Please help me to slow down in the midst of my busy life. Allow me to see your goodness in every day, no matter how big or small. Help me to acknowledge your blessings immediately when they are poured out upon me.” Amen.

STAY BLESSED

SUGGESTED READING: 1 CORINTHIANS 1:23-31

SCRIPTURE TEXT: “But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.”

-Corinthians 1:30

Jesus Christ did a twofold work for us and in us, technically called justification and sanctification. God justifies us as Christ was crucified and risen outside us; God sanctifies as Christ is crucified and risen within us. God glorifies in virtue of both, as Christ is enthroned in the fullness of power.

We have justification as we are seen in Him. We have sanctification as He is seen in us. We have increasing glory and ultimate redemption as both of these divine works of grace combine in the sovereign purpose of God.

The forgiveness of sins is not the sole purpose of the atonement; it is but the means to a redemptive purpose – namely, holiness. Justification is the road to holiness, and to stop spiritual progress at one without the other is to annul both. Our Lord’s work of grace produces the greatest fact on earth, a saint – i.e., a holy man or woman.

Holiness, not love, is the greatest thing in the world; for holiness is the basis of love.

Prayer Thought: “May my life always reflect the beauty of holiness as I grow in grace.” Amen.

STAY BLESSED
SOURCE: Culled from DEVOTIONS FOR A DEEPER LIFE BY OSWALD CHAMBERS.

SUGGESTED READING: GALATIANS 2:16-21

SCRIPTURE TEXT: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me ”

-Galatians 2:20

Entire sanctification means that the perfections of Jesus Christ have been imparted to me – not gradually, but instantly, in a crisis moment. This moment occurs when I enter into the full realization, by faith, of Christ’s being made sanctification for me. Faith is the divine instrument given to us to make this wonderful spiritual blessing ours personally.

If you have been born again of the Spirit of God, the deep craving of your heart is to be holy. Just as you enter into regeneration by faith, so you enter into entire sanctification by faith.

The union of my soul with Christ in entire sanctification means that the unsearchable riches of our Lord Jesus Christ are made mine. We are invited to believe until the whole gospel of Christ is fully formed in us. The secret of a holy life is not imitating Jesus, but in letting the perfections of Jesus be manifested in our mortal flesh.

Prayer Thought: “Manifest your holy beauty, Lord Jesus, in and through me.” Amen.

STAY BLESSED
SOURCE: Culled from DEVOTIONS FOR A DEEPER LIFE BY OSWALD CHAMBERS

SUGGESTED READING: ACTS 15:6-11

SCRIPTURE TEXT: “And  put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith”

-Acts 15:9

Do you realize that you can one with Jesus, as He is one with God? Christ’s patience, holiness, purity, gentleness, prayerfulness, and faith can be so personally yours that you can say with the apostle Paul, “I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.”

God works this unspeakable mystery of entire sanctification in your life and mine. People try to seek the experience of entire sanctification in ways other than God’s way; but the wonderful Spirit of God will remove confusion and enable us to see that the only means to obtain the experience of entire sanctification by faith is the grace of God.

Launch out in simple faith and ask God to make the sanctification of the New Testament yours. The unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ can be yours.

Prayer Thought: “I praise you, dear Lord, for the truth of sanctification in your word.” Amen.

STAY BLESSED

SOURCE: Culled from DEVOTIONS FOR A DEEPER LIFE BY OSWALD CHAMBERS.

 

SUGGESTED READING: ACTS 9:10-22

SCRIPTURE TEXT: “And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost”
-Acts 9:17

The Holy Spirit’s work of grace is not finished in one’s soul until that soul has had a personal Pentecost.

Have you had your Pentecost yet? Christ’s work is not done, as He came to do it, until you are filled by God’s Spirit. When a Christian is filled with the Spirit, the Spirit comes to dwell within, and the indwelling Holy Spirit will make him “incandescent”  for the glory of God.

The gospel is not that God loves us with unmerited mercy and blots our sins. The miraculous work that Jesus Christ came to do is the making of saints stamped and sealed by Golgotha and Pentecost.

You cannot do God’s work unless the Holy Spirit infills you completely. Allow God to complete His work in you.

Prayer Thought: “Fill me, Spirit of God, with your powerful presence as I labor for You.” Amen.

STAY BLESSED
SOURCE: Culled from DEVOTIONS FOR A DEEPER LIFE BY OSWALD CHAMBERS.