Begotten into a Living Hope

READ: 1Pet.1:3-12
MORE LESSONS: Eph.2:11-14
Bible Reading in One Year: Exodus 25-27

Our texts explain some of the privileges of salvation which include: 1) Being born into a living hope. Prior to the time of your salvation, you were a stranger to Christ and hopeless in destiny (Eph.2:12). Though you had many aspirations, your hope was a dead hope, without a surety. But the day you said ‘yes’ to Jesus, your hope and aspiration received the life of God. (2) Begotten into an incorruptible inheritance that doesn’t fade, reserved in Heaven for you. You may not have possessions here on earth, perhaps you lost them to thieves, natural disaster, or seized from you by your persecutors. The possessions are nothing in comparism to the inheritance reserved in Heaven for you. (3) You are under preservation by God's power so that you can be ready through faith to be revealed on the last day. Whatever and however it is today, there is a set time for your release. 4) Although there may be reasons to be in heaviness through manifold temptation, such circumstance is only for awhile, That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: v7.

Beloved, your days here on earth are only a preparation for the heritage awaiting you in Heaven. Jesus is emphatic, Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: .... And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also: John 14:1-3. There are mansions undergoing construction in Heaven. When the job is done, the Master Himself will come for us. While it is enough for a master to send for his servant, Jesus Himself shall come from Heaven to take His saints to be with Him in Heaven (1Thess.4:16-17). The plan of God is for us to live forever with the Lord.

Today, make a choice for this glorious inheritance. Be content being a member of the royal priesthood, a peculiar people; no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God (Eph.2:19). Set your affection on those things above and not on things here because you died and your life is hid in Christ Jesus and in God (Col.3:1-3). Surely, our Master comes soonest. He is at the door. May He find you ready even if He comes in the night hour.

Prayer/Action
* Jesus, help me to be ready for Your coming.
* Open my eyes to the inheritance awaiting me and help me to be content here on earth.
* Jesus, I pledge to be occupied for You until You come.

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Who is Hurt?

READ: Exodus 9:22-35
MORE LESSONS: Gen.4:3-15
Bible Reading in One Year: Exodus 21-24

There is a saying that a man's deceptive practice reaches its peak the day he succeeds in deceiving himself. In our text, Pharaoh plays hide and seek with Jehovah. When he hardens his heart against releasing the Israelites and a plague strikes, he quickly soft-pedals and invites Moses for a talk. As soon as the plague ceases, he goes tough again. Who is hurt in the long run? It is sad that some people play with their life as Pharaoh did, thinking they are smart. They don’t pray or go to church, or do what is right and holy until they have a problem. Then they suddenly remember God, run to men of God for prayer and observe religious rites. But as soon a solution to their problem comes, their spiritual involvement stops. They will give a thousand and one excuses why they are not able to meet up with their spiritual commitment. When they have a problem, they put those excuses aside and seek for help from God. Such people seek to use God to meet their needs but never allow God to use them to meet His needs.

Pharaoh did not prosper in his hide and seek game with Moses. Although Pharaoh knew very well the powers of the gods, he chose to take on the God of Moses. At first, he was seemingly successful in playing on the intelligence of Moses' God to the admiration of his people. But Pharaoh lost everything at the end, including his firstborn. If he was straight in his dealings with Moses and God, he would have spared himself of the unwarranted losses.

I counsel you to love and serve the Lord with all your heart, might, soul and all your strength. Those who do so are always honoured by God. He will deliver them from their enemies, and in the days of famine He will keep them from destruction. Stop the deception now and seek after God with all your heart. Learn from Cain, who offered an unacceptable offering, became jealous of his brother, and even when God warned him about falling into sin, he didn’t listen. He bluffed God even after killing his brother. When God pronounced judgement on him, he protested that the judgment was too harsh. Why wait for your house to be on fire before calling for help when you have the opportunity to stop someone from putting the fire on your roof? Even if men come to your aid and put off the fire, you have lost your roof top at least. Be diligent in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord (Rom.12:11).

Prayer/Action
* Lord, I repent of any hide and seek game I have played in serving You.
* I separate myself from everything that hinders my love and service to God.
* Ask God to establish you in His presence.

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The Enemy of your Household

READ: Exodus 10:3-7
MORE LESSONS: Isa.30:15-17
Bible Reading in One Year: Exodus 18-20

The background to this statement was that Pharaoh the king of Egypt did not want the Israelites to go to the wilderness to worship Jehovah. Pharaoh perceived that if Israel went, they would not come back, and that would be a big blow to the Egyptian economy since it was the Israelites that were their slave labour force. Pharaoh and his wise men had tried to play down what the God of Moses could do by repeating some of the miracles that Moses did to convince Pharaoh that God was not behind Israel’s request. What started like a mere display of miracles of rods turning to snakes and water to blood became full blown plagues of frogs, lice, flies, livestock disease, boils, hail and locusts in succession. The Egyptian magicians could no longer reproduce the same and admitted that there is a Being that is higher than the gods of Egypt at war against them. The servants of Pharaoh were fed up and they cried out to their master, And Pharaoh's servants said unto him, 'how long shall this man be a snare unto us? Let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed? v 7.

Now, between Pharaoh and the magicians on one hand, and Moses and God on the other, who was actually the snare of the nation of Egypt? Pharaoh would not let Moses and his people go because of pride and arrogance. He was greatly encouraged by the magicians at the beginning of the battle. They showed him that Moses' miracles were not impressive by repeating some of them, which hardened Pharaoh's heart. The magicians and Pharaoh were the snare of their own people. I wish they realised this truth and faced their problem squarely, but they were pointing accusing fingers.

It is unfortunate that some husbands, wives and children are the snare of their home. Yet they do not realise this, and they keep trading blame. If only you will stop cheating on your spouse, obey your parents, come out of that unequal yoke, apologise and ask for one another's forgiveness, tell the truth to your parents or spouse, it will be well with you and your home. Why are you holding back? Can't you see that your home is in a shambles? Can't you see that the enemy is boring a hole in your wall of defence because of your pride and refusal to apologise to your spouse? Please, let go the hurt, the anger and bitterness and forgive one another.

If Pharaoh had listened to the counsel of his servants, all Egypt would not have lost their firstborn. Pharaoh, his chariots and horsemen would not have drowned in the Red Sea. Stop the next plague the enemy is planning for your household. You can do that right now by apologising and making it up to your spouse or children or parents. Receive the grace to do this.

Prayer/Action
* Lord Jesus, forgive me for holding back from saying I am sorry.
* Please deliver me and my household from snares of life.
* Cast out that spirit at work in your household.

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Anger Antidote II

READ: Eph. 4:24-32
MORE LESSONS: Matt. 26:36-39; 27:46-50
Bible Reading in One Year: John1-13

Some people have inherited DNA traits that make it rather natural for them to get angry very quickly. Such people can trace a whole genealogy of the work of anger through the years past and are wondering how to disconnect from that blood line pattern. There is solution today for you. Ever wondered how Jesus went through the pain and passion of Calvary without getting upset for a single second but rather prayed for those who whipped and humiliated Him and asked the Father to forgive them? That is too good to be true. If it were you or I , God knows how many times we would have rained fire from heaven before we got to the cross. But you see, everything Jesus did was about creating models by which we could pattern our lives until we become just like him.

The first thing Jesus did that kept Him stable throughout that gruesome moment of extreme pain and anguish was that the moment before at the garden of gethsemane, Jesus prayed. He openly told God the weakness of his flesh. He expressed himself in sincerity. Matthew 26:41 The reason some of us cannot break out of funny habits is because we are not sincere with ourselves and God. The first person to talk to when next you get angry is not your grandmother, it is your Father in heaven. It doesn't matter how deep the weakness has eaten you, when you pray and believe, miracles will happen.

The other thing Jesus did to overcome all the tendencies of the flesh during that great passion of the cross was that He kept His focus on the glory with the Father that was ahead of Him. The only thing that mattered to Him was the Fathers love. The only time we saw Him cry out wit a loud voice was when the Father forsook him for a moment. When we drink deep into the Father’s love, it is easy to extend love to others even when they do not deserve it. Anger just seems to vanish when love switches on. It's power and rage is neutralized when the reality of God's unfathomable love pulses through our veins. It is easy to smile at a storm when the love of the Father matters most to you. Nobody can just press your buttons anyhow and trigger you to anger because you have felt true love. When it comes to anger find it, figure out the reason why, and let God fix it for you. God is healing our hearts by His love. Let us receive His free gift today and always.

Prayer/Action
* Thank God because the blood of Jesus can neutralize inherited issues and circumstances.
* Ask for grace to talk to the father in prayer about your pain and difficulty every time.
* Pray that more of the love of God will saturate your heart by the Holy Ghost so that anger and all emotional dysfunctions will be displaced.
* Confess that the enemy has no control over your mind and emotions anymore.

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