THE MESSIAH'S KINGDOM Friday, August 19, 2016 | By K. Essibrey-Annan (kayannan@gmail.com/024 642 5541)
“...In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people...but it will itself endure forever..(Dan 2:31-45)
God revealed to Nebuchadnezzar in a dream of the rise and fall of four empires which Babylon, his kingdom was the greatest. God allowed him to have dominion, power, might and glory, by placing all mankind, animal and birds under his rulership, yet his kingdom did not endure, since it was man's initiative (Dan 2:38-39).
While these kingdoms were rising and falling, "God of heaven set up the Messiah's kingdom that would never be destroyed, nor would it be left to another people". The Church is the Messiah's kingdom and has come to stay forever because it is God's initiative. Eventually, it will crush all earthly kingdoms and bring them to an end (Dan 2:44 NIV)
Since the Holy Spirit was given, the Messiah's kingdom has been growing from glory to glory (Acts 2:4). The message of the cross, because it is of God, has set free those who were under the bondage of Satan: "the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth (Dan 2:35b, 44). As saved, you have been set free.
The lessons we are that, any venture that does not bore out of the will of God will fail irrespective of how it is started, whether small or great. God can also allow the rise of any venture for the reason of servicing His purpose, like the rise and fall of Nebuchadnezzar. God used this kingdom to prepare Daniel and his friends to service His purpose.
Jesus had said that He would build His church, and the gates of Hades would not prevail against it (Matt16:18). Once the Church has been established, no machinations of the devil would prevail against her. The Church is growing from glory to glory because 1 John 5:4 says "whatever is born of God overcomes the world...." 1 John 5:4. God will always raise a standard against him(Isa 59:19) and you are covered.
The Church has been persecuted from Jerusalem (Acts 4:17-18; 5:17-18). The Church of Pentecost incident at Half-Assini, for example, the insurgency of Boko Haram and Islamic States to mention a few. With 120 core members, the Church is all over the world, with membership of over 2 billion out of the 7 billion population of the world and still counting . This is a proof that any initiative of God will endure forever. Let's follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in whatever we do and that venture it will endure and stand the test of the time, being it marriage, ministry, business, academic pursuit, etc.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I thank you for the Messiah's Kingdom. I pray to avail myself for the help of the Holy Spirit to play my part in the growth and health of this divine Kingdom-in Jesus' name I have prayed. Amen.
Further Studies
"Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power" (Acts 19:18-20)
MHB 812
1 Year Bible Reading Plan: Ps 112-115 & 1Cor 1
BENEFITS OF GRACE Wednesday, August 17, 2016 | By K. Essibrey-Annan (kayannan@gmail.com/024 642 5541)
"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God" (Rom 5:1-2).
Grace is explained as the unmerited favor of God. The unmerited favor is operational in three dimensions, the past, the present and the future. The past unmerited favor made us to come in contact with the Gospel, had the desire to listen and be convicted. Then had faith to believe, be saved and justified.
Before then, we were enemies of God and what awaited us was the wrath of God and subsequent damnation, but the redemptive work of Christ brought salvation. So Paul says "therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom 5:1).The present unmerited favor is that, we have peace with God and as a result, can share fellowship with Him without condemnation (1John 1:3). That is why the Spirit lives in us (1Cor 6:19).
It is because of the present unmerited favor, that we have gained access before God, hence Paul says that, through Jesus we have gained access into this grace in which we now stand (Rom 5:2A). This means, the present unmerited favor or grace is positional, like membership of parliament. It is only the elected members who operate there and also enjoy the privileges. Likewise, it is only the elect or saved who have access to the presence of God and enjoy spiritual blessing ( Eph 2:6). These are the benefits of grace.
The blessings are legal, so we have to access it by faith. First, we have to know the components in order to access them. To heal the sick, cast out demons, speak in new tongues, and destroy the works of Satan, we need to know the legal backing first (Mark 16:17; Luke 10:19). Also to enable us to enjoy divine health, live as the righteous and holy, Holy Spirit domiciled and led, we have to know the basis first (1Peter 2:24, 1Cor 1:30; Rom 8:14). These also are benefits of grace.
The future unmerited favor is what we will become; so it has to do with hope- hence Paul says, thus "and we boast in the hope of the glory of God" (Rom 5:1-2B). Romans 8:17B says "if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." This means our mortal and perishable bodies will be changed into immortal and imperishable bodies when Christ comes back and we shall see death no more (1Cor 15:49-57; Rev 21:1-4). This is our ultimate hope and benefit of grace.
Prayer
I thank you, Heavenly Father, for your grace. I have been saved by grace and also blessed by grace. I pray, Holy Spirit, help me to avail myself for grace to take God by His word and act accordingly. In Jesus' name I have prayed. Amen.
Further Studies
All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus (Eph 2:3-6)
1 Year Bible Reading Plan: Ps 107-108 & Rom 15:21-33
DO NOT SET ASIDE GRACE Tuesday, August 16, 2016 | By K. Essibrey-Annan (kayannan@gmail.com/024 642 5541)
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (Gal 2:20-21).
Paul is saying that having been saved, the life that he lives in the body, he live by faith in the Son of God. Therefore, he does not set aside the grace of God, because righteousness cannot be gained through the law, else Christ died for nothing (Gal 2:20-21). This means righteousness is basically by grace but not what one can do. We have to trust God by His Word but not what we think or what others teach.
Many Christian Believers, would say they are saved by grace and live by grace. When someone inquires of their well being, they will respond, thus "by God's grace I am well". With all the claims, their responses to the word of God, does not look like people saved by grace. They will say, for example, "we are all sinners". Meanwhile, 1 Corinthians 1:30 says, "It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption (See also 2Cor 5:21 and Rom 1:17).
If you are saved, yet you see yourself as a sinner, are you saying that the grace of God is not sufficient to save you from sin? Another example is Colossians 1:13, thus "he has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love" (NKJV), yet some Believers still go for deliverance after salvation. You do not need any deliverance again, since you already delivered by God. What you need is renewal of mind and application of the word (Rom 12:2; James 1:22-24).
Paul says "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes..." If you still see yourself as a sinner, and still need another deliverance, you are in effect, setting aside the grace of God and establishing your own righteousness through human effort. Again, Ephesians 2:8-9 says "for it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast".
Prayer
I thank you, Heavenly Father, for your grace. I have been saved by grace and also delivered from the powers of darkness and transferred into the Kingdom of Christ. I pray Holy Spirit, help me to avail myself for more grace to take God by His word and act accordingly. In Jesus' name I have prayed. Amen.
Further Studies
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith" (Rom 1:16-17)
1 Year Bible Reading Plan: Ps 105-106 & Rom 15:1-20
FORGIVE OTHERS Monday, August 15, 2016 | By K. Essibrey-Annan (kayannan@gmail.com/024 642 5541)
“....So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses" (Matthew 18:21-35).
The implication of our text is that, if we do not forgive others from our hearts, God will also not forgive us our sins. In the parable of the unmerciful servant, we are admonished to forgive seventy times seven. This in effect, means we should forgive as many times as someone asks for forgiveness having offended us severally.
In His illustration, Jesus concluded that the unmerciful servant's previous pardon was revoked and thereafter imprisoned; since he would not forgive a fellow servant. Have we ever sinned? Did we ask God for forgiveness? If yes, then we should forgive those who offends us and ask for forgiveness. If we do not do that, it would negate the pardon we have received.
We have to forgive from our hearts. The heart is the seat of our personality where decisions are made and there, we can really forgive. Secondly as saved, our sins were wiped away by God as a result of our trust in the redemptive work of Christ (Heb 8:10-12). Thirdly, we have received the Spirit of God, therefore we could have mercy and forgive others as God does (1Cor 2:12-13).
Naturally it is not easy to forgive; for example, someone who has bore false witness against you, betrayed or maligned you, or paid you back evil for good, etc. But as saved having the Spirit in us, we can forgive if we depend on the Spirit by checking what the Bible tells us and follow it.
Has someone wronged you and that you are finding it difficult to forgive? The command is "to love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you (Mat 5:44). Love means feel good about the enemy; bless means say good things about the enemy, etc and above all pray for the enemy. If you follow the word of Christ, with time, the hard feelings will give way to good feelings. Thereafter, the forgiveness will naturally follow.
Then we may be children of your Father in heaven (Mat 5:43-45). This means the children of God by nature shall do His will. We can naturally do the will of God if we do what the Bible says as children of God.
Prayer
I thank you, Heavenly Father, for instructing and also helping me to forgive. I pray to avail myself for your grace to do my part, knowing very well that if I depend on you, Spirit divine, my victory is assured; 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 11:25-26)
