Be Wise Unto Salvation
SOURCE: TRUTH FOR LIFE | Monday, January 18, 2016
The Bible-Teaching Ministry of Alistair BEGG

Luke 24:27

The two disciples on the road to Emmaus had a most profitable journey. Their companion and teacher was the best of tutors, the interpreter one of a thousand, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. The Lord Jesus condescended to become a preacher of the Gospel, and He was not ashamed to exercise His calling before an audience of two persons. Neither does He now refuse to become the teacher of even one. Let us court the company of so excellent an Instructor, for till He is made unto us wisdom we shall never be wise unto salvation.

This unrivaled tutor used as His class-book the best of books. Although able to reveal fresh truth, He preferred to expound the old. He knew by His omniscience what was the most instructive way of teaching, and by turning at once to Moses and the prophets, He showed us that the surest road to wisdom is not speculation, reasoning, or reading human books, but meditation upon the Word of God. The readiest way to be spiritually rich in heavenly knowledge is to dig in this mine of diamonds, to gather pearls from this heavenly sea. When Jesus Himself sought to enrich others, He mined in the quarry of Holy Scripture.

The favored pair were led to consider the best of subjects, for Jesus spoke of Jesus and expounded the things concerning Himself. Here the diamond cut the diamond, and what could be more admirable? The Master of the House unlocked His own doors, conducted the guests to His table, and placed His own choice foods upon it. He who hid the treasure in the field Himself guided the searchers to it. Our Lord would naturally discourse upon the sweetest of topics, and He could find none sweeter than His own person and work. With an eye to these we should always search the Word. O for grace to study the Bible with Jesus as both our teacher and our lesson!

Family Bible reading plan - Nehemiah 8, Acts 18

LIFE ON EARTH

When a newspaper reporter interviewed a farmer who grew award-winning corn each year he entered his corn in the state fair, it was revealed that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbours.

Perplexed, the reporter asked, “How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbours when they are entering their corn in competition with yours each year?”

The farmer smiled knowingly and explained, “The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbours grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbours grow good corn.”

So it is with our lives. Those who want to live meaningfully and well must help enrich the lives of others. For the value of a life, is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all. Call it power of collectivity. Call it a principle of success. Call it a law of life.

The fact remains, “None of us truly wins, until we all win.” In life, when you help the people around you to be good, you surely become the best. Always bear in mind that "Real happiness is helping others"

God Gives You Undeserved Preferential Treatment
By Joseph Prince | Friday, January 15, 2016

When you fly first class in an airplane, the cabin crew gives you first-class treatment. They ask you, “Is everything okay with you, sir?” They ask you what magazines you want to read. They give you a blanket if you are cold. They give you the best kinds of food. They give you preferential treatment compared to those traveling in economy class.

The grace of God is defined as “undeserved, unearned and unmerited favor”. And one of the definitions for favor is “preferential treatment”! Today, God wants you to know that you have His favor on you. He wants you to know that He gives you preferential treatment which you do not deserve. And He wants you to depend on and take full advantage of it in your life.

God also wants you to know that His favor in your life can be increased. You can experience more of His favor from day to day. How? The Bible tells us in 2 Peter 1:2 that God’s grace (or favor) is multiplied to us “in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord”. The more you behold Jesus and His love for you, the more you believe and confess that God’s favor is on you, the more you will see His favor work for you.

So if you are a doctor, you will find patients favoring you and you will have more patients than you can handle. If you are a businessman, you will find people just wanting to do business with you because they like you and feel good about you. Then, you will have more business than you can handle and you will need to plan for expansion!

When the favor of God shines on your church, you will find its premises too small for the people who queue up week after week to attend the services! So when people wonder and ask, “What is happening here?” you can tell them, “It is the favor of God multiplied all over us!” And it is all undeserved, unearned and unmerited!

Thought For The Day
The more you behold Jesus and His love for you, the more you will see His favor work for you.

Bright Hope in Dark Days
By Charles H. Spurgeon
Source: crossroad.to

“Thou art my hope in the day of evil." Jeremiah 17:17

The path of the Christian is not always bright with sunshine. He has his seasons of darkness and of storm. True, it is written in God's Word, "Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace," and it is a great truth, that religion is calculated to give a man happiness below as well as bliss above.

But experience tells us that if the course of the just be "As the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day," yet sometimes that light is eclipsed. At certain periods, clouds cover the believer's sun, and he walks in darkness and sees no light.

There are many who have rejoiced in the presence of God for a season. They have basked in the sunshine in the earlier stages of their Christian career. They have walked along the "green pastures" by the side of the "still waters." But suddenly they find the glorious sky is clouded.

Instead of the Land of Goshen they have to tread the sandy desert. In the place of sweet waters, they find troubled streams, bitter to their taste. And they say, "Surely, if I were a child of God, this would not happen."

Oh! say not so, thou who are walking in darkness. The best of God's saints must drink the wormwood. The dearest of His children must bear the cross. No Christian has enjoyed perpetual prosperity. No believer can always keep his harp from the willows.

Perhaps the Lord allotted you at first a smooth and unclouded path, because you were weak and timid. He tempered the wind to the shorn lamb. But now that you are stronger in the spiritual life, you must enter upon the riper and rougher experience of God's full-grown children.

We need winds and tempests to exercise our faith, to tear off the rotten bough of self-dependence, and to root us more firmly in Christ. The day of evil reveals to us the value of our glorious hope.

"...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, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross..." Hebrews 12:1-2

Enlist God's Aid Through Prayer
Source: TRUTHFORLIFE | Thursday, January 14, 2016
The Bible-Teaching Ministry of Alistair BEGG

Matthew 14:30

Sinking times are praying times with the Lord's servants. Peter neglected prayer at starting upon his venturous journey, but when he began to sink, his danger made him a suppliant, and his cry, though late, was not too late.

In our hours of bodily pain and mental anguish, we find ourselves as naturally driven to prayer as the wreck is driven upon the shore by the waves. The fox runs to its hole for protection; the bird flies to the wood for shelter; and even so the tried believer hastens to the mercy-seat for safety. Heaven's great harbor of refuge is All-prayer; thousands of weather-beaten vessels have found a haven there, and the moment a storm comes on, it is wise for us to make for it with full sail.

Short prayers are long enough. There were but three words in the petition that Peter gasped out, but they were sufficient for his purpose. Not length but strength is desirable. A sense of need is a mighty teacher of brevity. If our prayers had less of the tail feathers of pride and more wing, they would be all the better. Verbiage is to devotion as chaff to the wheat. Precious things lie in small compass, and all that is real prayer in many a long address might have been uttered in a petition as short as that of Peter.

Our extremities are the Lord's opportunities. Immediately a keen sense of danger forces an anxious cry from us, the ear of Jesus hears, and with Him ear and heart go together, and the hand does not long linger. At the last moment we appeal to our Master, but His swift hand makes up for our delays by instant and effectual action. Are we nearly engulfed by the boisterous waters of affliction? Let us then lift up our souls unto our Savior, and we may rest assured that He will not suffer us to perish. When we can do nothing, Jesus can do everything; let us enlist His powerful aid upon our side, and all will be well.

Family Bible reading plan - Nehemiah 4, Acts 14

Faith to Do It
By Joyce Meyer - January 08, 2016

For by the grace (unmerited favor of God) given to me I warn everyone among you not to estimate and think of himself more highly than he ought [not to have an exaggerated opinion of his own importance], but to rate his ability with sober judgment, each according to the degree of faith apportioned by God to him. — Romans 12:3

When God told Abraham to leave his home and relatives, Abraham first had to go out before God would show him the destination (see Genesis 12:1). As was true of Abraham, God has given each of us "a measure of faith." For whatever we need to do, we have the faith to do it; but for faith to work, we have to release our faith, and the way we release it is to go in obedience. We have to go with our dreams despite all the "what ifs" and the doubts from the enemy. When we make our step, God shows up.

I cried a swimming pool of tears to get to where I am, and no one was cheering for me, but I am happy and I love my life today. I remember when I woke up in the morning and wished it was time to go to bed, but not anymore.

Don’t live another week where you never follow your dreams and heart.

Remember: God's rewards are overwhelming.

Lord, You have given me a measure of faith, and I want to live according to it. Help me to follow my heart today and not be hesitant with doubts. Amen.

The Eternal Goal
By Frederick Brook

My Goal is God Himself . . . At any cost, dear Lord, by any road.

"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled." - 2 Corinthians 10:4-6

"At any cost, by any road" means nothing self-chosen in the way God brings us to the goal.

There is no possibility of questioning God when He speaks, if He speaks to His own nature in me. Prompt obedience is the only result. When Jesus says, "Come," I simply come; when He says, "Let go," I let go; when He says, "Trust God in this matter," I trust. This work of obedience is the evidence that the nature of God is in me....

It is through the discipline of obedience that I get to the place where Abraham was and I see who God is. God will never be real to me until I come face to face with Him in Jesus Christ. Then I will know and can boldly proclaim,

"...in all the world, my God, there is none but Thee, there is none but Thee."

The promises of God are of no value to us until, through obedience, we come to understand the nature of God. We may read some things in the Bible every day for a year and they may mean nothing to us. Then, because we have been obedient to God in some small detail, we suddenly see what God means and His nature is instantly opened up to us.

"All the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen." The "yea" must be born of obedience; when by the obedience of our lives we say "Amen" to a promise, then that promise is ours." - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, November 17

My goal is God Himself, not joy nor peace;
Nor even blessing, but Himself, my God.
'Tis His to lead me there, not mine but His...
At any cost, dear Lord, by any road.

Jesus is the Way
(crossroad)

"I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." John 14:6

Jesus is the Way - the only way - through the pain, fears, losses and challenges of our times! What's more, He is the only Way to a victorious life with God today and forever.

Yet, millions of seekers are choosing spiritual paths that lead to bondage, disillusionment and despair. Most seek blindly, for they can neither read nor follow God's signposts. They don't see the chasms that separate His Way from Satan's way, nor will they seek help from the only One who can bridge that gap.

At life's most significant crossroads, they pick their pathway for its temporary attractions and exciting promises, giving little thought to the ultimate destination. "Why follow that narrow, old road when fast, new super-highways beckon?" taunt the voices of popular culture. "Why be so divisive when we can all be one? Every path leads to the same ultimate end."

No, they don't. But deception usually becomes the rule as the masses march along the time-worn tracks of history. Once again, we re-live the Old Testament age when "everyone did what was right in his own eyes." (Judges 21:25) Few heed God's warnings, though His Word seem tailor-made for our times:

?“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Matthew 7:13-14)

God's Way differs radically from man's way. No wonder it makes little sense to man's human nature and today's pleasure-seeking crowds. For God's way up is down. His way to victory comes through humility. His way to joy leads through pain. His path to life leads through death.

But in the midst of it all, He is there with us!

Peace, purity, perseverance, a closer walk with Jesus.... The fruit of this dying process are far greater than any suffering He calls me to endure. Yet how often I would have chosen to walk around -- rather than through -- those valleys of "death" that lead to greater life.

I know that "all things work for good!" Yet I still turn my eyes from my all-sufficient Lord and focus on the sharp rocks along the way. My all-too-alive human nature protests, "I didn't see these hard places on the roadmap. Why this struggle?"

Patiently, He answers,

“My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways... For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways...." (Isaiah 55:8-9)

"Trust in [Me] with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding." (Proverb 3:5)

"Be strong in the Lord" and "press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 6:10-12; Philippians 3:14)

"Forgive me Lord," cries my repentant heart. "I was foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You. Nevertheless, I am continually with You. You hold me by my right hand. You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory." (Psalm 73:22-24) For,

"Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever." (Psalm 73:25-26)

So we walk on together, my Shepherd and I. Again, the path grows steep and rocky. Well aware of my weary frame and dragging feet, My Lord gently calls me to Himself and shows me the way to triumph over each obstacle:

"Come... Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

His gentle voice reminds me that His best way for me means sharing His path of suffering:

“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it." (Luke 9:23-24)

?What must I "lose" to gain His best?

Anything that holds me back, weighs me down or dulls my discernment. Any counterfeit that shifts my reliance from my wonderful Lord to hollow substitutes. Anything that weakens my confidence in His sufficiency. And anything that clouds my vision or distorts my understanding of the Way.

Jim Elliot, martyred missionary to the Auka Indians, said it well: "He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what cannot lose."

To finish my journey with Him in triumph, I willingly give Him my life and submit to the searching, cleansing light of the Holy Spirit. On my own, I would stumble and fall under the weight of sin and needless burdens. But my Shepherd has freed me through the cross, and He continues to wash away the dust and dirt from each daily journey. He has opened my eyes and filled me with His life, and I want no part in the lures that blind and the lusts that captivate. I would be a fool to trade my precious liberty for the world's captivity.

?"For many walk," warns Paul, "of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: ?whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things. ?For our citizenship is in heaven...." (Philippians 3:18-20)

When I am tempted to stray from His path, I trust that He will draw me back to Himself. For He has told me, "Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' whenever you turn to the right hand or... to the left." Isaiah 30:21

How can I respond to His kind assurance and priceless promises? I will echo the words of David, His beloved psalm writer,

“To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
O my God, I trust in You....
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day." Psalm 25:1-5

Will you join me on this narrow road? You won't be sorry. For "blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O Lord, in the light of Your countenance. In Your name they rejoice all day long" for "You are the glory of their strength." (Psalm 89:15-17)

"Therefore... 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, ?looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2)

"Precious Lord, take my hand. Lead me on, help me stand...." You alone can point me to the true eternal life of unending peace and joy. Whenever I begin to turn to the right or to the left, please point me back to your goal. Remind me to follow your bright beacons of truth - the special road signs that lead your people safely along your paths. Thank You, beloved Shepherd, my one and only Way.

References: Eternity
Proverbs 3:5-7; Psalms 25:1-5, 8-9, 12; 37:5, 23-24; 86:11; 110:7; 143:8;
Isaiah 30:21, 55:8-9; Jeremiah 21:8; Ezekiel 33:8-9, 17;
Matthew 7:13-15, 11:28-30; Luke 9:23-24; Hebrews 12:1-3.

Encouragement for Today
A New Year’s Prayer for You

May you have an abundantly blessed New Year!}

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." 1 John 5:14 (NIV)

Elohim, God our Creator, Master Architect of all that is, was and ever will be, by Your hand alone, we are fearfully and wonderfully made. You shaped us in secret, knitting us together … every moment, every detail planned out before we took a single breath.

You knew before time began each woman who would pray this prayer. You formed her. You drew her. You know her heart. Her every need. Her deepest desires … dreams … scars … questions … doubts.

And today, in the quietness of our hearts, we meet with You. Draw near. Fall afresh as we come, from across the globe, to the foot of the cross.

Father, You are Holy. You call us to be holy. You created us in Your image. Yet, so often our hearts wander. Our speech does not glorify You. Our actions do not honor You. Self prevails. In this New Year, clothe us with humility. Take away our desire to be right and our stubbornness to demand our own way. Submit our will to Yours. As we open the pages of Scripture, tender our hearts so that it will penetrate even to the marrow of our bones.

Father, in this world of tolerance and compromise, give us hearts that seek Your Truth above all else. Saturate us with Your Spirit of knowledge and revelation so that as we digest Your Truth, we not only understand it but are also equipped to live it. Guard our hearts from the lies of this world and keep our eyes fixed on You, for You alone are the Author and Finisher of our faith.

Father, we surrender our thoughts — especially our feelings and our emotions — to You, You who are Faithful and True. Where fear and anxiety loom, help us fully trust in You and Your goodness, no matter the circumstances. Your Word says that You don’t give a Spirit of fear but rather Your perfect love drives out fear. Lead us to walk in the freedom of that love. Your Word promises that when we pray, anxiety will flee and peace will prevail. We purpose in our hearts to pray more faithfully and consistently so we can walk confidently in Your peace.

Father, Your Word says You created us in Christ Jesus to do good works for Your Kingdom. You knit specific gifts and talents into us to do that work. And Your Word promises that when You begin a work in us, You will carry it on to completion until the day we step into eternity with You. Thank You, Father! We desire to walk in Your good and perfect plan, Lord. To serve Your people. To walk boldly in the call You have on our lives. So, as we seek to walk with You, help us to trust in You with all our hearts and lean not on our own understanding. Help us acknowledge You in all our ways so that in our obedience, we can clearly hear, "This is the way, My child, walk in it."

Father, we love You and thank You that our names are engraved in the palm of Your hand. You love us unconditionally and nothing can ever separate us from Your love. May we know more than ever before how wide and high and deep and long is Your love. And as we live out that love, may our lives be a living testimony of You. We ask this in the powerful and mighty name of Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who will do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we could ever ask or imagine. Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Philippians 4:6-7, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (NIV)

Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." (NIV)

Isaiah 49:16, "See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. Your walls are ever before me.

A Year of New Things
By Dianne Neal Matthews (CBN)

“See, I am doing a new thing!” Isaiah 43:19 (NIV)

Thanks to Christmas, we all end the year with new things—new toys for the kids, new clothes (not always the right color or size, but still new), new pounds on our bodies. We start the year off with new things, too—a new calendar on the wall, new bills to pay, and new resolutions for the days ahead.

Everybody likes new things, including God. He’s called the Ancient of Days, but He says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” God begins His book with the story of His creating a new world; He ends it with His plans to make a new heaven and new earth.

Our heavenly Father wants to do new things in the lives of His children. He desires to teach us new truths about Himself, provide new opportunities for ministering to others, take us to higher levels of worship and deeper levels of trust. But too often we’re like the Israelites when they were traveling in the wilderness.

God promised to provide for them by raining down bread from heaven six days a week. He instructed them to gather only enough manna for each day, except for the day before the Sabbath when they were allowed to store up two days’ worth. When some of the people disobeyed and tried to hoard extra manna, it became rotten and full of worms by the next morning.

I’m like that sometimes. God wants to do new, fresh things in my life and in my ministry for Him. But often I try to hold on to yesterday’s stale manna. I don’t want to let go of what is comfortable and familiar—some old way of thinking, a certain way of doing things, my usual area of service to Him. I may miss new and exciting things God has planned for me if I don’t fully trust His guidance, even when He seems to be leading me down unfamiliar paths.

One of the best ways to keep our faith fresh and new is to develop a habit of daily Bible study. God’s Word is timeless—old and new at the same time. Just as God’s “compassions are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23), a daily dose of His Word can give us new understanding, fresh insights, and renewed strength.

We can drink in the Psalms to help us “sing to the Lord a new song” (33:3 and others). We read in Ezekiel about God’s promise to give us “a new heart and a new spirit” (chapters 11, 18, 36). We rejoice along with Paul as he declares, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Studying the letters of Colossians and Ephesians reminds us that we have taken off our “old self with its practices” (Colossians 3:9) and are to “put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24).

If we need motivation to live like a new creation, God has provided two keys in His Word. It’s important to look backward to the New Covenant, the source of our salvation. We can meditate on Hebrews and thank God again that the sacrifice of Jesus made “a new and living way” for us to enter His presence (10:19-22). And we also keep looking forward to our future by reading Revelation. We can find comfort in thinking about the time when God will right all wrongs, heal all hurts, and give us a new name and a new home.

A good way for a child of God to celebrate the New Year is to let go of anything that has gone stale or rotten. Then we’ll be free to live each day expecting new, fresh things from the One Who promises, “I am making everything new!” (Revelation 21:5)

This Devotion is adapted from Drawing Closer to God: 365 Daily Meditations on Questions from Scripture with permission. (Baker Books) © 2010 Dianne Neal Matthews

Can God change your life?
God has made it possible for you to know Him and experience an amazing change in your own life. Discover how you can find peace with God.

Nothing I Have Created Is As Beautiful as You -(GOD)
A New Standard of Beauty
(GodSpeaks - Posted Dec. 14 2015)

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. Psalm 139:14 (NLT)

In the modern world beauty has taken on such great importance that if you can’t be “beautiful” naturally there are whole industries to make you beautiful, and at the end of the day you can always be digitally retouched. The worlds standards for beauty are not my standards.

I created you wonderfully, marvelously, and beautifully!

Let that sink in for a moment. I created this whole world—oceans, mountains, forests, and you. I knew what I was doing when I created you. I didn’t make a mistake. Your hair color, your freckles, your height, your size, are just the way they’re supposed to be.

Remember, “you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you. . .” Isaiah 43:4 (ESV)

In today’s world, media and celebrities have us striving to become people we were never created to be. Their focus is stuck on outward appearances. The beauty they sell lasts for a while and then is gone.

I see the beauty of your spirit. An unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit- the qualities of kindness, gentleness, patience or joy. It is easy to become discouraged by focusing on the features you don’t have, instead of the ones that really matter.

Develop a new standard of beauty for your life, my standard. Next time you look in the mirror remember that I don’t measure what’s on the outside, but what’s inside. I made you and I love you just the way you are.

3 for 3
1 – Work this week on memorizing Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT) “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!“ Ask God to help produce this fruit in your life.

2 – Read 1 Peter 3:3-4 .What have you placed more value on in your life; the external appearances of your body or the internal qualities of your heart?

3 – Listen to this dramatization of the story of creation. Pay special attention to the part about God creating man. (time-stamp 4:33) If you have children listen to this story with them

God Sees Glorious Things In You!
(josephprince.org)
Dec 27, 2015

Picture David when he was a shepherd boy. Many who knew him in his pre-Goliath days would very likely have seen just an ordinary youth—one who lived at home with his parents and siblings, enjoyed the outdoors and loved music. But where others saw a typical teenager, God saw a king in young David. He saw David’s name being uttered in honor forever for even the Lord Jesus is called the Son of David!

Picture Moses after he had settled down comfortably in the desert with a beautiful wife, lovely children and good in-laws. He might have seen himself happily retiring in the near future. But God had bigger plans for him. God had big dreams for him. God saw the Red Sea opening up before him and an entire Egyptian army being wiped out in his presence. God saw in Moses the deliverer of His people.

Now, step back a little less far in time with me. See a little boy standing alone during playtime. Nobody wants him on their team because he is scrawny and seen as a weakling. As he grows into his teens, he suffers from an inferiority complex. He stammers and stutters so much that all his classmates laugh at him.

But today, he is the senior pastor of New Creation Church. Several times each week, he stands in front of a crowd of more than 30,000 people to preach. And he receives invitations to speak in churches and pastors’ conferences worldwide. In those early years, there was no way I could have ever conceived in my mind what God saw in me and the dreams that He had for me.

Beloved, God does not see as man sees. God saw in fearful Gideon a mighty man of valor and called him so even when he was hiding from his enemies in fear. (Judges 6:12) God saw in young David a king and anointed him as one. (1 Samuel 16:10–13) God saw in meek Moses a deliverer and drew him out from obscurity. (Exodus 3)

Today, God looks beyond what man sees and says about you, and He has dreams for you that are bigger than you can imagine!

So my friend, because Jesus has come and restored the glory of God to you, be conscious of God’s constant good opinion of you. Know that there is a weightiness about you and arise, shine!

God looks beyond what man sees and says about you, and He has dreams for you that are bigger than you can imagine!

4 Reasons to Face the New Year without Fear
crosswalk.com

God's Word brings us a comforting promise, along with an insightful command as we face a new year: "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, I will not fear what man shall do unto me"
(Hebrews 13:5-6).

We can live this coming year without fear if we apply these four incredibly wonderful truths to our lives and root them deep into our hearts.

The Contentment of His Provision

Contentment is not getting what you want, but it is wanting what you already have. 1 Timothy 6:6-8 says, "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us therewith be content." If you know Jesus Christ, you have contentment. If you've got clothes on your back, something to eat, and Jesus Christ in your heart, you're rich!

Do you know why we have fear? Because we think our needs or the needs of someone we love are not going to be met. Or we fear that the things we think are meeting our needs are going to be taken away from us. The deepest need of your heart can only be met in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Companionship of His Presence

I don't know what I'm going to face next year. But there's one thing I know, He will never leave me. Are you a child of God? He will never leave you either. Isn't that wonderful!

What's another reason we may fear in the coming year? Because we're afraid we're going to have to face something we don't understand, and we're going to have to face it alone.

When God's Word promises that God will never forsake you, it literally means that He will never abandon you. He will not give up on you. We need to practice the presence of the Lord this coming year. When the devil comes and knocks at you heart's door, you can simply say, "Jesus, please go answer the door."

The Confidence of His Promise

We're going to zero in on a little phrase in our verses in Hebrews, "He hath said." A promise is no better than the one who makes it. Who says, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee"? It is the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God. This is the confidence of His promise.

In the coming year, when you say, "God, I just don't have the strength." The omnipotent God will answer, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." When you say, "God, I'm afraid of what is going to happen." The omnipresent God says, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." And when you say, "God, I don't know what to do." The omniscient God will respond, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." He himself hath said it.

The Comfort of His Protection

Hebrews 13:6 promises, "So that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." Now, put that with verse 5, which says, "He hath said."

Like I said earlier, I don't know what you're going to go through this coming year. But I know you can boldly say, "The Lord is my helper, so I will not fear what man shall do to me." When you find your contentment, companionship, and confidence in Jesus. Then, you'll find your comfort and courage in Jesus.

I Am Bigger Than The Storm
(GodSpeaks.com)

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Isaiah 43:1-2 (NIV)

The news is full of storms; hurricanes, floods, blizzards, terrorist attacks, protests. Storms strike instantly and indiscriminately. Natural disasters and human discontent both frighten and challenge. They strike like lightening and can be just as devastating. Direct your eyes towards me when you are in the storm. When you feel helpless I am there to help you. When you feel swept away by the tide hold on to my promises. And when the darkness comes look up to the light of my love..

Clean Feet, Clean Heart
Dr. Charles Stanley In Touch Daily Devotional
John 13:3-15

Israel can be a dusty place, and sandaled feet get filthy walking to and fro. In ancient times, a person entering a home removed his sandals and cleaned his feet. Or if the homeowners were wealthy, servants would do the washing. This distasteful but necessary task fell to the worker of lowest position in the household.

Imagine the disciples' surprise when the Son of God put Himself in the role of a lowly servant and knelt to wash their feet. The need for such a service was great, as they had been traveling for some time. But not one of them offered to do it.

Jesus did more than fill a need; He offered an object lesson. As He explained, "I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you" (John 13:15 nlt). Some churches have incorrectly interpreted this as a command to make foot washing an ordinance. But it's possible to clean someone else's skin without contemplating the significance of Christ's actions.

In fact, the act itself is not the main point; attitude is what counts. Jesus desires that we be willing to humble ourselves to serve others. He is looking for men and women who will ignore pride, position, and power in order to do whatever must be done, wherever it needs doing, and for whoever requires assistance.

Jesus performed His greatest and most humble acts of service within 24 hours of each other. He washed dirty feet using two hands that would be pierced by nails in less than a day. The message here is that every task God gives us is important to His kingdom.

Whoever Gets the Son, Gets Everything - By Woodrow Krol

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.

When the Viet Nam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.

About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands. He said, "Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art.

The young man held out his package. "I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this."

The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture.

"Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift."

The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.

The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection. On the platform sat the painting of the son.

The auctioneer pounded his gavel. "We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?"

There was silence. Then a voice in the back of the room shouted. "We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one." But the auctioneer persisted. "Will someone bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?"

Another voice shouted angrily. "We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!" But still the auctioneer continued. "The son! The son! Who'll take the son?"

Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. "I'll give $10 for the painting." Being a poor man, it was all he could afford. "We have $10, who will bid $20?"

"Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters."

"$10 is the bid, won't someone bid $20?"

The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.

The auctioneer pounded the gavel. "Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!" A man sitting on the second row shouted. "Now let's get on with the collection!"

The auctioneer laid down his gavel. "I'm sorry, the auction is over."

"What about the paintings?"

"I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets everything!"

God gave his son 2,000 years ago to die on a cruel cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is, "The son, the son, who'll take the son?" Because you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.

BE RECONCILED BEFORE OFFERING
K. Essibrey-Annan

Wednesday, Dec 23, 2015
..“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift..." (Mat 5:21-26)

Here Jesus was setting the records straight, that, it is not only murder cases that could send one to hell. However, offending a neighbor on moral issues like bitterness, contempt, demeaning or insulting by referring to him/her as a fool can also take us to hell.

Jesus explained that anger with the intention of doing evil is criminal and is dealt with in courts; while moral issues like insults are dealt with in the Sanhedrin or church council, but demeaning a fellow man by calling him accursed or fool is punishable by hell fire (Mat 5:22). He further explained that the forms of judgement mentioned can be avoided by reconciling with the offended (Matt 5:24-25).

If we are aware of any offense against anyone, let's go and reconcile with them before giving to God (Matt 5:23-24). We cannot be harboring bitterness, insulting or demeaning fellow humans and claim that our offerings are pleasing to God. All gifts given to God for the furtherance of the work of the Church, being free will offerings, tithes, first fruits and annual thanksgiving are all offerings, I believe.

Reconciling with the offended before giving an offering is a command, but not an option (Matt 5:24). Reconciliation involves repenting toward God, asking for forgiveness and finally restoring the broken relationship. We have to do this to avoid living in sin and also for the fact that we have been given the ministry of reconciliation (1John 3:9; 2 Cor 5:18-19). We have to relate well with all, as well as reconciling unbelievers with God.

Because of offenses, Christians will not talk to each other for days, yet every Sunday we are in the church giving offerings. Some are couples, siblings, co-workers, co-tenants or neighbors. In the church, they sit on the same pew. Let us in humility submit to God, then resist this devilish act (Jam 4:7)-even as we are about to remember the birth of the Messiah. If we do not, and die in that state, or the rapture happens, what will be the result?

Prayer
Heavenly Father, I thank you for the instruction and caution that I should reconcile with those I have offended, and not demean anyone. I pray to submit myself to the Holy Spirit's leading every moment of my life, so as not to live in sin; in Jesus' name I have prayed. Amen.

Further Studies
“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”( Mark 11:24-26, NKJV )

1 Year Bible Reading Plan - Habak 1-3 & Rev 14

FREEDOM COMES BY THE TRUTH
K. Essibrey-Annan

Friday, Dec 21, 2015
"Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32, NKJV)

The knowledge of the divine truth is critical for us as Believers, since it is the means to make us free from the bondage of the corrupt system of this world. We are not talking about a truth, but the truth; referring to the absolute. What is the truth? The truth is Jesus, since He says "...I am the truth..."(John 14:6); the source of the truth and full of the truth (John 1:14-17).

The truth is acquired after one accepts Jesus Christ and the reception of the subsequent fundamental gifts: the gift of eternal life, the gift of righteousness and the gift of the Holy Spirit (Rom 6:23; 15-17; Acts 2:38). We acquire the truth and subsequently, set free by abiding in word of Jesus. This is done by hearing the word in oder to get faith and finally, putting the learnt word into practice.

The problem is that, many have known only the word of Jesus by head knowledge, and for that reason, have not been set free. This means the knowledge is not experiential yet. To benefit and enjoy the Christian Life, we need both the head and experiential knowledge of the word of Jesus. This is the means of setting ourselves free the practices of this sinful world.

The understanding of the three fundamental gifts is a key to being made free. Eternal gift is the birth by the Spirit of God and resulting in changed life (Joh 3:6; 2Cor 5:17). The gift of Righteousness is the nature of God, and it is expressed in doing things in God's way and therefore right in conduct. This divine nature has been made known by Jesus ( John 1:18; 14:9-11). The gift of the Holy Spirit is God in the Church and the individual Christian.

The inheritance of righteousness by the Christian believer, makes his or her body conducive as the temple of the Holy Spirit (1Cor 3:16;6:19). The believer at this state, is deemed to have been baptized into Christ and as such, baptized into His death. Therefore, our sinful nature was buried, hence, the believer also must walk in newness of life (Rom 6:3-4). This means we must not live in sin but live right (1John 2:8; 5:18).

The believer lives right because they reckon themselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus and do not let sin reign in their mortal bodies, that they should obey it in its lusts (Romans 6:11-12). In fact, the reason why Jesus came to the earth is to destroy the works of the devil, in order to set us free to lead righteous lives just like Himself (1John 3:7-8).

We can not claim to be Christians and live in sin or live any how, else we are not living up to the truth (1John 1:5-6). The mark of a believer is that he/she lives in the Word, knows the truth and subsequently set free to lead a life that pleases the Lord. Have you been set from?

Prayer
Heavenly Father, I thank you for the way of freedom. I pray to avail myself for your grace to do my part, knowing very well that abiding in the Word, is a mark of a disciple and the key of knowing the truth and being set free, in Jesus' name I have prayed. Amen.

Further Studies
"No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known (John 1:18).

"Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God" (1John 3:4-9)

1 Year Bible Reading Plan - Micah 6, 7 & Rev 12

Fix Your Eyes On God’s Unshakable Word
(josephprince)
Dec 21, 2015

People of the world feel helpless as the systems of the world go up and down. They turn on the television and they hear, “This war will plunge the world into a recession.” They open the newspapers and they read that “Unemployment is at an all-time high”.

Beloved, God does not want you to feel helpless because you are not of the world. (John 17:16) You are of God and therefore need not be subject to the world’s systems. Whatever the world’s situation is, fear not because “God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus”.

Notice that Philippians 4:19 says that “God shall supply all your need”. It does not say that God may supply some of your needs. It also says that God will do it “according to His riches”. It is not out of His riches. If a millionaire gives you a hundred dollars, it is out of his riches. But if he gives to you according to his riches, it means that he is lining up his millions for you!(Numbers 24:5–6)

Lastly, the verse says that God does it “according to His riches in glory”. It is not according to the riches of your company or how well the economy is doing. No, it is according to God’s riches in glory!

So how do you stop yourself from feeling helpless in uncertain times? The same way I stopped myself from getting seasick when I was on board a navy ship for the first time during my National Service stint. A senior naval officer had advised me, “Don’t look at the waves around you. Look at the horizon far away. Look at that stable, stationary line and you will feel better.” When I fixed my eyes on that unshakable, unwavering line, even though the ship bobbed up and down in the rough sea, I did not feel so seasick anymore.

My friend, don’t look at your circumstances or the bad things that are happening in the world because you will get “earth-sick”. Instead, look at the unshakable, eternal Word of God. Your heart will become stable and you will see your God supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus!

Fix your eyes on the unshakable Word of God. Your heart will become stable and you will see God supply all your needs!

Here Today
(GodSpeaks)

. . . you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. (James 4:14 NKJV)

Jesus has promised to give everlasting life to those who trust in Him as their Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9–10). When it comes to life here on earth, it is just a passing vapor. It can end in an instant, and God calls us to make the most of today because we don’t know if there will be a tomorrow. By the same token, we need to make the most of our relationships today because there’s no guarantee they will be here tomorrow.

This isn’t meant to be fatalistic but realistic. For we cannot escape the fact that each of our earthly relationships will eventually come to an end. When we look at Jesus’ relationship with His disciples, we see that He always had an eye on the fact that He was going to leave them. Christ didn’t squander any of His time with The Twelve because He understood that it was limited:

“Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you.” (John 13:33 NKJV)

A part of our fallen nature prefers procrastination to being proactive. We tend to put things off by telling ourselves that there’s always going to be plenty of time down the road. This type of thinking goes against the way God wants us to look at life (James 4:14). Often we make the tragic mistake of assuming we will always have plenty of time to enjoy our relationships with our family and friends. But distance or death may take us by surprise, and we will find ourselves regretting the time that was lost. May we make the most of the relationships we have today because there’s no guarantee they will be here tomorrow.

BEAR WITH ONE ANOTHER
K. Essibrey-Annan

Friday, Dec 18, 2015
"..When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins"... (Col 2:12-14)

When we were dead in our sins and in the uncircumcision of our flesh, and engaged in all form of sins, God made us alive with Christ. Out of love, He tolerated all our stubbornness and hard heartedness until we accepted the Gospel and got saved. Therefore, He forgave us of all our sins (Col 2:13; Rom 5:8 ).

Having gone through this experience of grace, the Christian has to bear with all manner of persons; both unsaved and saved and even the matured. We have to bear with the unsaved because when we were in the world, we never understood the Gospel and therefore misbehaved. But others had patience with us until we were saved. We ought to do the same for others.

Bear with the newly saved, because they need time to grow to become mature. The Bible describes them as newborn infants (1Pet 2:2 ESV). Infants do no know their right from their left and therefore need to be fed, guarded and guided, directed and supervised. We have to bear with them in order to nurture them into maturity.

We have to bear with the matured because we have different backgrounds and uniqueness , so we look at things from different perspectives. Psychology has basically grouped us into two temperaments; introvert and extrovert. In between the two is supine. For these reasons the matured have to bear with each other.

The newly saved have to bear with the unsaved and the matured. Normally, the newly saved would invite their friends who are still unsaved to church, like the Samaritan woman did (John 4:28-29). Bear with them, for some are stubborn. Bear also with the matured especially, preachers or leaders. Sometimes pressure mounts on them-hence, their tolerance level can be very low, so bear with them.

If we do not bear with one another, we are making a mistake, thereby interrupting God's plan for us. For example, Paul and Barnabas never tolerated each other in the issue of John Mark. It was God's Holy Spirit, who put them together, but intolerance separated them (Acts 13:2-3; 15:36-39). Intolerance may lead to sin; hence we need to learn to bear with one another, Amen.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, I do accept that Sometimes I become intolerant of both believers and unbelievers. Forgive me. I avail myself for grace to bear with all manner of persons from today, in Jesus' name I have prayed. Amen.

Further Studies
"Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone (Rom 12: 16-18).

"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ" (Eph 5:21)

1 Year Bible Reading Plan - Jonah 1-4 & Rev 9

See Your Situation Through God’s Eyes
(josephprince)
Dec 18, 2015

When darkness covered the face of the earth, God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. (Genesis 1:3) When a certain man paralyzed for 38 years lay helpless at the pool of Bethesda, Jesus said, “Rise, take up your bed and walk,” and immediately, the man was healed, took up his bed and walked. (John 5:8–9)

You don’t say such words unless you see something others don’t. God does not see the way man sees. Man, however, must see the way God sees. We must see the vision of the Almighty.

The prophet Balaam saw the vision of the Almighty when the Spirit of God fell on him. As he looked down from a mountain at the camp of the Israelites, he found himself saying, “How lovely are your tents, O Jacob! Your dwellings, O Israel! Like valleys that stretch out, like gardens by the riverside, like aloes planted by the Lord, like cedars beside the waters.” (Numbers 24:5–6)

Balaam would not have said this unless he saw Israel not in the natural, but as God saw it. At that time, the Israelites were a discontented lot, always murmuring and complaining in the wilderness. But when God looked at them, He saw them like flourishing gardens planted by the rivers—fruitful and prosperous.

Beloved, God wants you to see yourself the way He sees you—“like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper”. So see yourself like a tree planted by the rivers of water, bringing forth fruit in your season. See yourself as one who will not wither, whose health will not fail. See whatever you do prospering!

See the vision of the Almighty. That vision is always a good vision. Whenever you see your situation through God’s eyes, you will find that your situation will change because when you see as He sees, you allow Him to work as the Almighty in your life!

"See your negative situations through God’s eyes and those situations will change."

Here Today
(GodSpeaks)

. . . you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. (James 4:14 NKJV)

Jesus has promised to give everlasting life to those who trust in Him as their Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9–10). When it comes to life here on earth, it is just a passing vapor. It can end in an instant, and God calls us to make the most of today because we don’t know if there will be a tomorrow. By the same token, we need to make the most of our relationships today because there’s no guarantee they will be here tomorrow.

This isn’t meant to be fatalistic but realistic. For we cannot escape the fact that each of our earthly relationships will eventually come to an end. When we look at Jesus’ relationship with His disciples, we see that He always had an eye on the fact that He was going to leave them. Christ didn’t squander any of His time with The Twelve because He understood that it was limited:

“Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you.” (John 13:33 NKJV)

A part of our fallen nature prefers procrastination to being proactive. We tend to put things off by telling ourselves that there’s always going to be plenty of time down the road. This type of thinking goes against the way God wants us to look at life (James 4:14). Often we make the tragic mistake of assuming we will always have plenty of time to enjoy our relationships with our family and friends. But distance or death may take us by surprise, and we will find ourselves regretting the time that was lost. May we make the most of the relationships we have today because there’s no guarantee they will be here tomorrow.

SEEK TO LIVE IN PEACE WITH ALL
K. Essibrey-Annan

Wednedsday, Dec 16, 2015
"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse...If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone...Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Rom 12:14-21 NIV)

The Holy Spirit instructs us through Apostle Paul thus "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" (Rom 12:18). This means we need to do whatever it takes to bring peace with those we come into contact with. They may be our spouses, co-workers, fellow believers, friends or neighbors. This is how to prove that we are the salt and light of the world (Matt 5:13-14).

There are two situations in which we can find yourself and yet, we have to create an atmosphere of peace: Within hostile conditions, and when we're persecuted. We are not to fight back, but genuinely bless our persecutors. Jesus had earlier on instructed us to love our enemies, by being good to them as well and pray for those who spitefully use us (Matt 5:44). This can be done when we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us (Gal 5:16-18).

It sounds strange, but that is the secret for winning over those who oppose or persecute us. It is naturally difficult to love and bless those who treat us badly, but when we obey the word of the Lord, it works. Any time, others have mistreated me in any way, I pray for them by asking the blessings of God upon them, with time, the hurtful feeling goes away, and is replaced by sympathy. It thereafter becomes natural to relate to them as if nothing had happened.

I have drawn many "deviants" back to myself by this simple act. To the matured ones, I would later point out their misbehavior to them. But with the immature, I would just let sleeping dogs lie as I am led to do by the Spirit. You might have been mistreated, abused, and despitefully used. Such mistreatment hurts, but we need to come out of the resultant emotional pain by doing what God expects of us - to unreservedly forgive.

The choice is yours, to either follow the Lord's prescription and be cured and set free or harbor the pains and live with emotional challenges such as anxieties that cause headaches and broken heart. We are asked not take revenge, but leave room for God’s wrath. We are even to feed our "enemies", give them drink when thirsty, and in effect, overcome evil with good (Rom 12:19-21).

Above all, we are to live in harmony with all manner of people, including those who hurt us - these are signs of humility. We must be willing to associate with all manner of people, irrespective of their status in society. If we do not, in the eyes of the Lord, we are being proud or boastful. Let us choose the Lord's prescription and free ourselves of self inflicted bondage.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, I thank you for the instruction that I should pray, love and bless those who persecute and despitefully use me. I pray to avail myself of your grace to start praying for such people. In Jesus' name I have prayed. Amen.

Further Studies
"But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matt 5:44-48)

1 Year Bible Reading Plan - Amos 7-9 & Rev 7

LOVE MUST BE SINCERE
K. Essibrey-Annan

Monday, Dec 14, 2015
"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves" (Rom 12:9-10, NIV ).

Sincere Love is the giving nature of God: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (Jn 3:16). This love is about the goodness and interest of the receiver and it is unconditional.

The Holy Spirit through Paul wants us to express this love (Rom 12:9) as against the misinterpretation the world has placed on "love." To the worldly, sex outside marriage: fornication and adultery are considered as "love" Making. However, that is not how God sees love; to God, love must be sincere and aim at the interest of the receiver.

God's kind of love cannot be imitated by anyone, not even Satan; it is only those who have been born of God that can have and express it. It is activated when the saved reflects constantly on what God has done for them. Let's always look at our past, reflect on the divine love of God and extend sincere love to others.

Sincere love holds on to what is good and hates what is evil, hence, it sees the good in others and wants to motivate and encourage more of that. We have to focus on the positive sides of our brothers/sisters/spouses to overcome evil, but not on their negative sides. This is sincere love and it helps all of us to change for the better.

Sincere love drives us to do for others first what we would like them to do for us. It therefore makes us to be devoted to one another. We always want to serve; it honors others above us- it makes us to seek the welfare of others first, being a spouse, a relative or a friend.

This love makes us to be patient and kind. It removes envy, boastfulness and pride from the way we relate to others. Though others can be unfair to us, we are not easily angered to pay back. Yes, others wrong us, but because we reflect on our savior's lifestyle, we keep no record of it. How do you react if wronged?

Sincere Love does not delight in evil acts but rejoices with the truth. It always trusts in others to act right, always hopes to see the progress of others, always perseveres the good in relationships. Because we have inherited sincere love, we can never fail others but always be reliable. Is that what you stand for?

Prayer
Heavenly Father, I thank you for Christ Jesus, who expressed sincere Love through his death on the cross. Holy Spirit, help me to always reflect on this unconditional love, so as to love others in the same manner. Thank God for an answered prayer. In Jesus' name I have prayed. Amen.

Further Studies
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away" (1Cor 13:4-8)

MHB 182 (Stanza 4)
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
that were an offering far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul,my life, my all.

1 Year Bible Reading Plan - Amos 1-3 & Rev. 5

Want Wisdom?
(GodSpeaks)

The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. (Psalm 19:7 NLT)

How often have you looked back on your life and said , “I wish I had said this,” or “If only I had done that”? If you’re a card- carrying member of the human race, it’s probably more times than you can count. But wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was a way to avoid such regrets? To actually say the “this” and avoid doing the “that”?

Wisdom has been defined as “the intuitive ability to say or do the right thing, in the right way, at the right time ”. You can probably see where this is headed. The only way to have no regrets is by having wisdom. It’s wisdom, God’s wisdom, which gives us a holy heads-up when we’re about to do something dumb. It’s God’s wisdom that directs us when a major decision concerning our future is on the line. And it’s God’s wisdom that enables us to come along and say something that has the power to heal instead of hurt.

We all agree: God’s wisdom is something we all need and want. But where do we find it? We find it by going to God’s Word. The book of Proverbs alone has more wisdom than Fort Knox has gold. Generation after generation, the Bible continues to deliver the “wisdom goods” to anyone who’s willing to open and read it. Simple people who turn to the Bible walk away with more wisdom than those whose walls are covered from floor to ceiling with PhD d’ s. Not only that, they also tend to live lives that aren’t overrun with regrets.

Man’s knowledge is a raindrop but God’s wisdom is a million oceans and it’s open and available to us in His Word. As Theodore Roosevelt said, “No man, educated or uneducated, can afford to be ignorant of the Bible.”

How would you define “wisdom” in your own words? Where do YOU think true wisdom can be found?

A Way Of Escape
(josephprince)
Dec 7, 2015

The table is set. The bread and wine are there, and Jesus says to you, “Come, My child, partake.” But you tell Him, “Lord, I am unworthy!” You are afraid to come to the Lord’s table perhaps because you have been taught that if you partake in your “unworthy” state, you will come under God’s fiery judgment.

My friend, Jesus has washed you whiter than snow and qualified you with His own blood, so you are as worthy as worthy can be! The most humble thing you can do now is to acknowledge His perfect sacrifice and accept His invitation with gladness.

In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul tells the church how to partake of the Lord’s Supper so that they will not drink judgment to themselves. The word “judgment” in verses 29 and 34 is krima in the original Greek text. It refers to a divine sentence. And in the context of this passage, the divine sentence refers to sickness.

But when was this divine sentence of sickness passed? It was passed when Adam sinned. (Genesis 3:19) When he sinned, death entered the world (Genesis 2:17), and man would grow old and weak, fall sick and die.

So it is not that God is passing sentences of sickness on people today. How can that be when Jesus said, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:17) God is not in the business of condemning but saving. And the Greek word for “saved”, sozo, also means to preserve, heal and make whole.

God does not want you to suffer the divine sentence of sickness that is already in the world, so He has given you a way of escape, paid for by the blood of His Son. He wants you to be healthy and whole, without the diseases of the world, and He has made this possible for you through the Holy Communion.

So don’t be robbed of this tremendous blessing any longer because of erroneous teachings that have put fear in your heart. Come boldly to the Lord’s table today and receive afresh His health, strength, wholeness and life!