DIVINE ASSURANCE

Saturday, August 07, 2010

Verse for Today
Romans 8:31 - What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

It is amazing to know that the Lord has planned wonderful positions and privileges for us in His presence. These privileges have been preserved for us before the foundation of the world was laid. He has saved us, according to His eternal plan prepared millions of years before we were born, and has fulfilled it at different times for each of us. He has saved us from the punishment of sin, and so we do not have any more condemnation. He is now keeping us from the power of sin in this world, and will soon remove us from the presence of sin in this world. Our bodies will be transformed into His likeness and we will be taken to be with Him forever. No one can be against what the Lord has done for us, what He is now doing for us, and what He will do for us in the near future. Our enemies, Satan, world and flesh, know that they cannot do any thing against what God has planned for us. These enemies know very well that God is for us and He is on our side to protect and preserve us so as to accomplish His purpose for us now and forevermore, His greatest powerhouses, His Word, The Spirit and the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, dwell in us. No power on earth or Hades will ever break these powerhouses. So what the enemy tries to gain some temporary grounds from us by making us defeated in our some vital areas of our lives. Thus the enemy will try to frustrate us and make us grow cold in our relationship with the Lord. He will also use these gains to go to God to accuse us of these failures. But even then, just as in the case of Job, the Lord is for us and so the enemy will not be able to prevail over us.

Dear reader, are you facing failures of various kinds in your Christian life? Are you looking at your discouraging situations and getting a feeling of desperation? Have you been struggling to get victory in several areas of your life? Are you loosing your confidence in holding on to the promises of God and using the powerhouses of God in your life? Have you lost your first love that you had for Jesus at the time you got saved? Do you feel that you are losing the spiritual power in your life? These are all indications that you have become a prey to the vicious enticements of the enemy. First of all, you must believe that no enemy can defeat God's plan and purpose for you. Secondly you will have to believe that you have God's power within you to enjoy victory on a daily basis. Thirdly you must exercise this power and get victory. You ought to realize that you are engaged in a spiritual battle with the enemy and that you cannot win in your own strength or ability. You need to use the whole armor of God to engage in the battle and march forward from victory to victory. The Lord will not cause you to fall and become a failure. Your failures are because you are not using the resources the Lord has given you. If you want to use the armor of God, you have to get used to it. This is possible only if you handle it with the help of the Word and the Spirit. Let us prepare ourselves to face the enemy and claim victory in the name of the victorious Lord Jesus who has made us more than conquerors. At the same time, let us believe with our heart, soul and mind that no enemy can ever be against us because God is for us. When the enemy uses circumstances, situations, people or things against us, our Lord will encompass around us and protect us so that we can grow from victory to victory in the spiritual realm.

1 Corinthians 15:57 - Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thought for Today
Let us beware that our defeated enemy will try to score some points against us during our daily living, but we can defeat him squarely if we use the whole armor of God against him.

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BEHIND THE SCENE

Friday, August 06, 2010

Verse for Today
Romans 8:28 - And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

When we go through certain situations or experiences, they do not seem to be for our good. We pick up a lot of misery and pain in such situations. Sometimes, we have heavy loss of opportunities, material possessions and even dignity, and we feel the sense of loss which seems irrevocable. At other times, we go through mishaps in life which are painful and quite intimidating. We wonder why these things are happening to us and why God is allowing these in our lives. It might come in the form of job or financial loss, or even a promotion in the job. It sometimes takes the shape of a business failure. It comes as loss of friendship and fellowship, as we are abandoned by those who are close to us. We face hindrances of one sort or other in our Christian walk and wonder why. It might be that you miss a train, bus or flight connection and are held up on the way and miss an important meeting or appointment. But we do not need to be too much bothered about these and similar situations because our God knows why these are happening and He works behind the scene for us. He makes all these losses or difficulties work together for our good. Even though these losses are not good in themselves, God can work it together with other things to make some good come out of it ultimately. A classic example of this is what Joseph went through. He was separated from his father, put in a broken cistern, sold as a salve, amd suffered loss of job and dignity. His employer put him in a prison for undefined period. But God worked it all for good and lifted him up from the prison to become the second person in Egypt. He and his brothers understood the hand of God in it all, but it took them some time to realize it. God worked in situations of sickness, storms, waves, drought, famine, failure, defeat, captivity, delays of various kind and even imprisonment for good for His beloved children and made it all for good for them. The pages of the Bible and church history are crowded with millions of such experiences. The same God works to make good out of bad situations for His children who love Him, because He has a purpose and plan for them. None of these seemingly negative incidents and experiences will ever be able to stand on the way to thwart God's plan and purpose for us.

Dear friend, are you at present going through painful and difficult experiences for which you have no explanations? Are you wondering why these are happening to you? Remember, God has a wonderful plan for you and He is working behind the scene to make all these seemingly unpleasant and confusing events work together for your good. At present, you may not have any clue as to how it will work together for your good, but as time goes on, you will realize why. So all you need to do is to trust in the Lord for His careful hands in working for you even through difficult circumstances. No matter what the bad situations are and how difficult it is to go through it, be confident in the Lord that He will work it all together for your good. This is a divine promise and it will definitely be fulfilled. Perhaps you need not know how it is going to work together, and you might never know how the hand of God works this out for you. It need not be for your material benefit, but will certainly work together for your spiritual growth and strength. When God finally makes His ways known to you, it will cause you to rejoice in Him and praise Him for His mercy to you. You will probably be able to praise Him for even those bad experiences that you had to go through, for if you had not gone through such situations, you would not have learned the big lessons that you are now learning in life. So let us praise God in advance for each of our situations, whether good or otherwise, because God is going to bring something good out of it to cause us to have spiritual benefit and to praise Him.

Genesis 50:20 - You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

Thought for Today
Through painful events and circumstances in and around us, God gives us the reassurance that He is still working in and for us to put it all together for our good and His glory.

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GROANING AND SIGH GO TO HEAVEN

Thursday, August 05, 2010

Verse for Today
Romans 8:26b: - the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

When we pray, our hearts get linked with the Throne of the Father through the Holy Spirit. The Spirit helps us to pray in the will of the Father, and through the Lord Jesus Christ, for His glory. The Spirit gives us discernment about each matter to be prayed for, whether it is in the will of God or not. We receive confirmation about our prayers in our hearts also through the Spirit. But there are occasions when we do not know what to pray for because we are unable to discern the will of God in a particular matter. There are also times when our hearts are full of burden and pain because of difficult situations and matters of great concern. In moments like this, we groan and find it difficult to utter words of prayer in the presence of the Lord. Some times, we sigh and breath heavily because of the burden and at the same time unable to articulate it before God. At such times, words do not come out of us and we even spend long moments of silence before the Lord. Some times we sing a line or two from a song which expresses our heavy hearts before the Lord, as we sob and express our exasperation through some body movements. When we go through such difficult times, the Spirit interprets the meanings of our emotions and takes it to the Father as our prayer. Such prayers are also answered by the Father. Such groaning of ours is valued before the Father. Our God knows our hearts and emotions deeply, and will take time to listen to these sighs and groaning, and will answer us.

Dear friend, have you had times when you were unable to pray audibly? You might have simply groaned and sighed before the Lord and made body movements pertaining to the heaviness of the burden which you desperately wanted to be lifted up. Perhaps you are doing it right now as you do not know what to pray for and how you would face the seemingly dark future of yours. Perhaps you feel utterly defeated and think that there is no hope for you and that you might want to give up. But please understand that every emotion of yours that you would have expressed before the Father is understood by Him. His Spirit who lives in you takes all of your emotions to the Father. The answer to your groaning will come at the right time from the Father for the glory of the Lord Jesus. The Spirit also intercedes for you like an effective and concerned advocate, asking the Father to do something for you so that your burdens will be removed. He will also give you the peace that passes understanding and allow you to rest in the Father's promises given in His Word. So, dear friend, please know that even your sighs and groaning are not a waste before your loving Father. He is hearing it all, and He is seeing your body movements of desperation. He is working behind the scene to give you a release at the right time and want you to enjoy His peace and confidence in times of deep desperation. He will put His mighty arms around you and hold you close to you. His touch of love and compassion will comfort you, no matter what your burdens are. As you wait for the Lord, please know that He will work out all things and all circumstances together for your good and for His glory. When He finally gives you a release from your burden, it will cause you to rejoice and praise His holy name.

Exodus 2:24 & 25 - God heard their groaning and he remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.

Thought for Today
God understands all languages and dialects including the groaning, sighs, body movements and the unutterable emotional expressions.

If you desire spiritual help, please e-mail: todayintheword@gmail.com

GOLD FEARS NO FIRE

Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Verse for Today
Romans 5:3 & 4: - Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Sufferings of various kinds are part of a life dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ. This was the experience on the pathway to the cross which Jesus undertook for us. He was a Man of Sorrows, acquainted with grief throughout His earthly life. There was no place for the Prince of Heaven to be born and finally He had to adjust with a manger. He enjoyed no comfort in life whatsoever. The foxes had holes and the birds of the air had nests, but He had no place to even lay His head. This was what He offered to His disciples. There was none to sympathize with Him while He stood before the High Priest, Herod and twice before Pilate. No one walked boldly with Him as He walked the Calvary Road with the heavy rugged cross. There was no one, not even Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, to intervene for Him when He was brutally ill-treated and cruelly dealt with. No one was with Him when the King of Kings was mocked with a scarlet robe, crown of thorns and staff and when they hailed to the king! He told the disciples that they would also be treated just as He was treated by the world which is controlled by His enemy. When Jesus spoke to the disciples about sufferings, He had a higher purpose in it for them, because it would develop in them great character demonstrated through perseverance. They will learn from their sufferings to be patient because suffering is God's vehicle to bring in them the Christ-like character and behavior. The Bible says that when sufferings come our way, we ought to rejoice and be exceedingly happy. Joy in the midst of sufferings is the true character of a Christian disciple. Paul and Silas practiced it by singing while suffering in the Philippian jail.

Dear reader, are you going through some dose of suffering today? Are these increasing day by day? Perhaps the Lord has been lately turning the thermostat higher and higher. But remember, gold does not fear the fire. The more it is in the fire, the purer it becomes. The heat you are going through today is to bring in more patience and Christ-like humility in you. It will also renew your hope that one of these days, you will be transformed into His likeness. Any process to bring out a new product is painful to the materials, and so is the case with you. In His grace, the Lord is allowing you to go through the process of pain and sufferings so that you will be more and more like Him. So there should never be any temptation for you to murmur or complain about your present situation. What you are going through is ordained of the Lord with the purpose of molding you to be like Him. It may be you are forsaken and rejected by dear ones or you suffer from financial or job loss, or perhaps you are going through physical pain and sickness. It is also possible that your words are misrepresented and misinterpreted and you are maligned with gossip. Perhaps all your dear ones keep away from you like the experience of King David when he lost his throne and kingdom. But even during these painful experiences, the Lord is with you and He is holding you close to Himself. He carries you on His shoulders and wipes your tears. When you see the the suffering Savior on the cross, it will strengthen you to trust in Him to keep going. The Lord is less concerned with the process, but more with the end product which is perseverance, character and hope in you with a spirit of rejoicing to make you sing Hallelujah.

Romans 8:18 - I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Thought for Today
Suffering is the furnace through which God produces the purest golden character in a child of God.

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HOPE FOR A DECAYING WORLD

Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Verse for Today
Romans 5:2b - And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

We live in a world which is experiencing serious decay and deterioration in all spheres. We find various environmental and climatic changes which are becoming difficult for people to cope. The moral environment is corrupting very fast and we have become a world as in the days of Noah. In the midst of amazing technological development, the world is seeking medical help to sleep and buying entertainment for happiness. Most people are getting richer day by day, but seek more riches and run after wealth creation because we are not satisfied with what we have. The more positions we get, the more we are after. Our physical bodies are being corrupted by innumerable diseases for which there are very few remedies, and so live longer through hormone therapy and life support. Social and emotional issues are increasing at an alarming rate which leads people to taking their lives. There is decay and corruption in politics, sports, social work and religion. In noble services like health care, global companies are taking billions from our pockets by creating dependency on drugs for a life time. The more we try to improve, the more problems we encounter and the deterioration is on the increase every where. But there is one place which will never be corrupt and that is Heaven. The God of Heaven has promised to take us to be Home with Him where there will be no corruption and decay even through billions of eternities. This life is promised to those who accept God's way of salvation through Jesus Christ. But flesh and blood will not be granted entry into Heaven and so God has planned for us to be translated into the likeness of Jesus Christ our Savior. We have this blessed hope that one of these days we will all be transformed into incorruptible and glorified bodies with which we will fly away to our Eeternal home.

Dear friend, do you have a desire to escape this decaying world for the incorruptible? If Jesus appears in the clouds today, and when His saints, living and the dead, will be translated into His likeness in the glorified body, will you also be translated to go to the Eternal Home in Heaven together with them all? This is the blessed hope for those who are saved by grace. We can rejoice in this blessed hope even in the midst of the corruption and decay that we see all around us daily. Even though deterioration abounds around us, we can rejoice that our physical redemption is drawing near and we look forward for it day after day. So we do not need to be frustrated about the decay around us, but rejoice that we have a hope and that our hope does not lie in this corrupt world around us and what it offers. We are to live a holy life so that the decay around will not affect us, because we know by faith that we are already seated in the Heavenly places with Jesus Christ which is our present spiritual experience. This hope motivates us to watch, wait expectantly and look forward for the appearance of our Lord in the clouds accompanied by His archangel. What a blessed day that is going to be when we will not be subject to the decay of this world any more and we will join our Savior to be with Him forever and ever. Do you have this blessed hope today? Are you renewing this hope on a daily basis and preparing to meet the Lord?

Hebrews 6:19 - This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and which enters within the veil where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us.

Thought for Today
We live in this world with our ears open for the sound of the trumpet of the Lord and our eyes for the Glorified Lord Jesus.

MEET THE GREATEST PROMISE KEEPER

Monday, August 02, 2010

Verse for Today
Romans 4:21 - (Abraham) was fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised.

God is all powerful to do any thing He pleases. His promises stand with His power and underscores that whatever He has promised will be fulfilled. This is why all the promises of God are 'YES' in Him and that there is not even a shadow of doubt or confusion about His ability and willingness to do it. The fulfillment of His promises is a matter of His reputation as a God who keeps His promises and has the power to accomplish. He cannot change His nature and whatever He committed will come to reality. There is no need for man to doubt the promises of God. There are close to 30,000 promises in the Bible, all of which are given in the name of God and all of these are fulfilled according to His schedule and plan. He has promised that He will give His children certain blessings and His track record of keeping these promises is perfect. Not even a syllable of His promises has gone unfulfilled. On the basis of what He has done in this world and in the lives of His children, we can fully trust in all His promises which are absolute guarantees with His signature on it. So we can look forward to the fulfillment of all the promises which are yet to take place. When God said it, and I believe it, then there is no room for any doubt or confusion about its authenticity. We can rest on the never-changing promises and go forward in our sojourn, smiling at the future that the Lord is faithful in keeping His Word.

Dear friend, are you aware of the vast number of promises that God has given to you in His Word which is eternally secured in Heaven? You need to know these promises so that you can claim it. It is like drawing from your infinite and never exhausting Heavenly bank account according to your need. In order to know these promises, you need to get into the Bible which is the Book of Promises and get yourself familiarized with it. Then you will be able to claim these promises which are like a large treasure house of resources a father has kept for his children. God wants us to claim these promises in the name of His beloved son, the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a divine guarantee that all that we ask the Father through the Son will be done for us according to the promises which are laid down. When we have such a vast ocean of promises in God's great reservoir, there is no need for any of His children to fret. They need not doubt whether these promises will be fulfilled because doubting the promises is equivalent to doubting God Himself. It is interesting to know that many of the promises are unconditional and some are conditional. With regard to the conditional promises, we have to do what we are expected to do to qualify to get these promises. These conditions are not rules, but responses that God expects from us to show that we believe in these promises. If the servants do not fetch water in stone jars, there was not going to be any vine. If Abraham does not get out and walk the way He is led by the Lord, he cannot reach Canaan. If Noah and family do not get into the arc, they will not be saved. If the boy doesn't hand over the loaf and fish to Jesus, they will not be multiplied and used to feed thousands. If we do not pray, how can He answer us? Let us obey the Lord and get ourselves qualified to enjoy the promises which He is going to fulfill in our lives daily.

2 Corinthians 1:20 - For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are 'yes'; therefore through Him is our 'Amen' to the glory of God through us.

Thought for Today
God expects us to respond to His promises by believing in Him without the shadow of a doubt.

THE SERVANT and HIS bond-servants

Sunday, August 01, 2010

Verse for Today
Romans 1:1 - Paul a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God

The world loves to give titles and positions of temporal importance to attract God's people to its fold. These worldly titles increase their self-esteem, dignity and status and ultimately make them feel good about themselves and their worldly achievements. But the titles the Lord wants to give to His people are totally unattractive according to the world's standards. The Lord has presented Himself as the Servant and asserted that He came to serve and not to be served unto, even though He was Master and Teacher. When He became a servant and demonstrated it by washing the feet of the disciples, He expected us to be servants of the Servant. Paul, a highly learned man and a recognized teacher of the Jewish religion was quite willing to become the servant of the Servant and wanted himself to be bonded to Jesus. He was totally given to Jesus to use him as it was pleasing to Him. He was humbled to have been called an apostle because as apostle is sent out by the Master wherever He wanted him to go. It involved continuous travel and difficulties attached to long journeys through the land and the sea, with the most serious mission to carry out. He was willing to be also set apart totally and absolutely for the ministry that he was called to do, with all its hardships. Paul was willing to be any thing for His Master, thus to exhibit his total indebtedness and obedience to Him. He didn't care about his personal well-being and willingly threw away his career prospects. He used all his faculties for the Master. He refused to allow the world to be his master, and boldly and bluntly refused any thing the world offered. He willingly became the bond-servant of Jesus Christ and proved it with his life.

Dear friend, are you willing and prepared to become a bond-servant of Jesus? Are you willing to be sent out by Him and for His use any time and any where? Do you feel that you are set apart for Him because you are His personal possession and that He had every right to use you according to His will and pleasure? He wants to use your love for Him as the driving force to obey Him. In your constraining role as a servant of the Lord Jesus, have you given Him the freedom to use you wherever and whenever He wanted? There are a lot of people who say that they are available, but do not avail of the opportunities He gives them daily. There are people who want positions even in Christian ministry and would rather be rulers than obedient servants. They want to go wherever they like rather than being sent out by the Lord according to His plan and programmes. There are those who set themselves apart to accomplish their selfish interests and desires in all walks of life in this world. They use their best in life to accomplish these temporal gains. When they are thus used by the world, there won't be much left in terms of time, treasure and talents to be of any use to the Lord. We need to be careful so that we will not waste our lives and opportunities for the world which offers mirages which we will never attain. The world's objective is to draw you back or neutralize you so that you will not be useful to your Master. Your love will be revealed in your obedience to your Lord. Your obedience will reveal where your heart is. Your heart will reveal your real commitment, whether it is only verbatim or real action on the basis of an attitude of indebtedness to the Lord for saving your soul. Friend, you need to prove through your actions and motives whether you are a servant and are willing to be set apart for special ministries and missions and are willing to go any where, any time and any how.

Matthew 11:29 - Take My yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Thought for Today
If you consider Jesus as your occasional master, He will not be your Master at all.