December 2020 week 2
Friday
Focusing On God
Matthew 5:12 (AMP) Be glad and exceedingly joyful, for your reward in heaven is great [absolutely inexhaustible];…..
We don’t do good, or live peacefully in life because we want good things to happen to us NO! Life in its nature is so corrupt that good deeds sometimes can go unnoticed. Our reward is in heaven.
We don’t obey our parents parents because of the good things they have done to us or because of how grateful we are to them on how they raised us, No! We obey them because this is what God command us to do regardless of whatever negative thoughts we might hold against them.
We don’t act right when we are in the face of public to gain good reputation from people, No! We act right privately and publicly because this is who we are. We are Christians, we belong to God and we function according to God’s word. Nothing matters to us but only the word of God. Psalm 119:105 “Thy Word is a Lamp Unto My Feet and Light Unto My Path”. Praise God.
Thursday
Mark 8:36-37
Amplified Bible
36 For what does it benefit a man to gain the whole world [with all its pleasures], and forfeit his soul? 37 For what will a man give in exchange for his soul and eternal life [in God’s kingdom]?
The human body is physical, and it functions in a physical world. The longings, cravings and desires of the body dominates more on our bodies than our spiritual desires. This is because our minds are more conscious of the things that we can see and touch than things we can not see or touch like our spirit.
This plays a role in getting people’s consciousness trapped in worldly things, like wealth, pride, unnecessarily fashionable expense, pleasures of the body from drugs and sexual activities etc.
Without knowing it, people chase after worldly things trying to gain possessions and to be seen as more valuable people than others, and in the effort of doing so, people loose focus of their spiritual identity-who they are in Christ.
Mark 8:36-37 is reminding us that “For what does it benefit a man to gain the whole world [with all its pleasures], and forfeit his soul?” [Jesus said,] “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you — they are full of the Spirit and life.”
— John 6:63 NIV . Nothing should matter to us as christians than the Kingdom of God, this is where we belong and that is who we are. Glory to God!
Wednesday
Luke 6:27-35
“But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.
29 To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.
30 Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.
31 And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.
32 But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.
35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.
Tuesday
IT’S A WALK OF FAITH
For we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
Romans 9:8 says, “…They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God….” The children of the flesh are ruled by their senses. Instead of walking by faith, they’re controlled only by that which they can physically see, hear, touch, taste, or smell. But Christianity is a walk of faith; it’s life beyond the senses.
Spiritual realities can’t be perceived with human senses. This is the reason the natural man doesn’t understand the things of the Spirit; they’re foolishness to him (1 Corinthians 2:14). Romans 9:8 lets us know that the children of the flesh—those who are senseruled—are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. The children of the promise are the children of the Word.
Paul’s climactic submission in 2 Corinthians 5:7 AMPC is quite profound: He said, “For we walk by faith [we regulate our lives and conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, with trust and holy fervour; thus we walk] not by sight or appearance” Don’t live by sight or appearance; like those who say, “Seeing is believing,” no! That’s contrary to faith. Recall what Jesus said to Martha in John 11:40. He said, “…if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God.” You believe to see; that’s faith.
Hebrews 11:1 (AMPC) says, “NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].” You can’t please God until you’ve learnt to apprehend and call real, things that your physical senses can’t perceive, but are revealed in God’s Word. That’s Christianity; it’s a walk of faith.
Monday
YIELD TO HIM AND FOLLOW HIS WORD
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come (John 16:13).
Being born again, the Spirit of God lives in you, and He guides you by the Word, in the way that you should go.
His Word is your sure guide in life. It’s the reason we encourage conscious study and meditation on the Word. Getting yourself acquainted with the Word is the way to know the counsel of God and walk in His will. He counsels you from within, in line with the Word.
No other personality in this life can lead you in the right path as the Holy Spirit would. His delight is to guide you to make accurate and excellent decisions, go to the right places at the right time, and do the right things at the right time, for God’s glory. Recognise His ministry and person in your life. Talk with Him often. Listen to Him as well, for He’s always talking to your spirit. He cares about everything you do; He takes interest in the minutest detail of your life. It’s His pleasure to successfully guide you through all your endeavours from day to day.
Many have made grievous mistakes in their lives for not listening to Him and following His guidance. His counsel and guidance are always in sync with the Word. Your life will be the expression of God’s glory, beauty, wisdom and grace as you yield to Him and follow His Word. Through the Word, He guides and leads
you from glory to glory.