Malachi 3:18
Once again my people will see the difference between what happens to the righteous and to the wicked, to the person who serves me and the one who does not.”

LET THE WORD OF GOD BE YOUR GUIDE

BIBLE PASSAGE: 1 PETER 1
23. For you have been born again [that is, reborn from above – spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose] not of seed which is perishable but [from that which is] imperishable and immortal, that is, through the living and everlasting Word of God.
24. For,
“ALL FLESH IS LIKE GRASS,
AND ALL ITS GLORY LIKE THE FLOWER OF GRASS.
THE GRASS WITHERS
AND THE FLOWER FALLS OFF,
25. BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER.”

The constitution of any country is an embodiment of the fundamental regulations and principles according to which that country, state, and its people are supposed to abide. Every country has a constitution, and each country’s constitution is unique in its own way but generally they share the same objective, which is to make sure that there is stability, peace and prosperity in the nation. As born again Believers and disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are citizens of God’s Kingdom, and our Constitution is the Bible. The Bible is God’s instruction to us on how He wants us to live.

The Bible tells us in Genesis 1:1 that, in the beginning God [Elohim] created [by forming from nothing] the heavens and the earth 🌍, and further down in Genesis 1:26 it says, Then God said, “Let Us [Father, Son, Holy Spirit] make man in Our image, according to Our likeness [not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness]; and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, and over the entire earth 🌍.” 27. So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28. And God blessed them [granting them certain authority] and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subjugate it [putting it under your power]; and rule over [dominate] the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and every living thing that moves upon the earth.”

So, what does it really mean to be created in the image of God? If we think 🤔 about the reality of this from a physical point of view, does this mean that God and I have the same physical features? No, God is a Spirit and spirits are not made of flesh 🥩 and bones 🦴, according to Jesus in the Book of Luke 24:39. Being made in the image of God has a deeper meaning, and it suggests to us that God was in essence the pattern for the personhood of man. The image of God is Personhood, and personhood can only function in the context of relationships. The human is a living being capable of embodying God’s communicable attributes. In his rational life, he is like God in the sense that he can reason, has intellect, will, and emotion.

The Bible tells us that not only are we created in the image of God, but He has also commanded us to be fruitful. It means that every human being has intrinsic value. Every individual is valuable on their own, in their own right, for their own sake, without competing with or comparing themselves to another. Your intrinsic worth is not given to you by the State, it is not given to you by United Nations 🇺🇳, it is not given to you by any political entity or quantity, it is given to you by God Himself. It is an inalienable right given to you by God, which cannot be taken from you by anyone or anything.

We know that God is intentional and purposeful in everything that He does, therefore, we must seek to understand the reason for the intrinsic worth which He has so graciously bestowed us with.

As human beings living in this world 🌎, we have so many things to contend with and there are so many questions that require answers. Right from when we are young and little, we start asking questions, “what does this mean?” “What does that mean?” “Why does this mean that?” “Why does this person have that sickness?” “Why did that person die prematurely?” These questions haunt us and even our little ones sometimes ask their parents difficult questions for which they may not readily have answers. Everyone of us has question[s] and we struggle with many of these questions in the course of life as we try to bring coherence to everything that we believe. In all of this, the Bible teaches us that we must trust God and have Faith in Him.

The great evangelist, Billy Graham, wrote about a season where he wrestled with the truth of God’s Word. He had been traveling around the United States 🇺🇸 and the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 doing large youth rallies for an organization called Youth for Christ. One of the other regular speakers, Chuck Templeton, was on some of those trips with him and they became good friends. Chuck had begun seminary and had started to wrestle with the authority of God’s Word. He had come to believe that there were errors in the Bible that couldn’t be resolved and that the Bible was obsolete in parts. Chuck, even as a pastor, began to believe that the Bible could not be taken literally, and he confronted his friend Billy Graham with his questions.
Sometime later, the two men met at a camp meeting in Southern California where they had both traveled separately to speak. Chuck confronted him at the hotel where they both stayed and even openly taunted him with his questions about the authenticity of the Bible. Billy Graham wrestled with Chuck’s questions and eventually told the host of the camp meeting what he was going through, and that he felt to weary to fulfill his speaking engagement. The host gave Billy some incredible insights about the authority of God’s Word – good answers to the questions that Chuck had raised.
That evening, Billy Graham made his way down a mountain trail and laid his Bible on a tree stump. He cried out to God in prayer. “God I don’t understand everything about Your Word, and I don’t have answers to the questions that Chuck has raised, but I put my trust in Your Word, by Faith.” Tears 😭 poured down his cheeks and he sensed the presence of God overwhelm him in a way he hadn’t felt for months. The next morning, he fulfilled his obligation to preach at that camp meeting. He preached with a new authority, and hundreds of people made decisions to surrender to Jesus Christ at the service. As long as we live in this world 🌎, we will always have questions but even when we do not immediately have the answers to our questions, our faith must always be rooted in the integrity of The Almighty God, Who cannot lie, The Omniscient God, The Omnipotent God, The Omnipresent God with Whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

So, we have intrinsic worth because of the value that God has placed on us, but then we have to ask the question, “what is the purpose of the value He has placed on us?”
The Psalmist said in Psalm 8
3. When I consider Your Heavens, the works of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have established,
4. What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of [earthborn] man that You care for him?
5. Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and You have crowned him with glory and honor.
6. You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet.

This glory and honor that our Creator has crowned upon us, it is that, that we have to think about. Our Heavenly Father knows a lot more about us than we know about ourselves, and He wants to reveal these things to us if we will only humble ourselves and yield to the Holy Spirit. The purpose of the intrinsic value that God has put in us, is so that we can reflect His splendor to the world 🌎. The Bible is our guide to help us stay focused and not lose sight of our purpose, which is to glorify Jesus.

This morning, I want to say to you that you can draw great confidence in the love of God, that you are not here by accident. You were not born into your family without a design. God knew you before you were formed in your mother’s womb and He has a particular vision for your life, which if you will truly receive and accept it, you will find that fulfillment. He has made you for a purpose and He will fulfill that purpose in you.

PRAYERS
1. Father, we thank You for Your Word which You have given to guide us. May it always be a Lamp unto our feet and a Light unto our paths, in the Name of Jesus.

2. Father, help me to be an example of someone who knows what your Word says, who knows what You want me to do, and please help me to stay faithful to Your Word for my entire life.

3. Father, when negative thoughts come to my mind and cause doubt to enter into my heart, please help me to submit and yield completely to Your Word, by faith in the Name of Jesus.

4. Father, I know that in this life there will be seasons of success, failure, betrayal, persecution, disappointment etc, but all through these seasons, please let my Anchor be firmly rooted in Your unchanging Word.

God bless you Brethren. Have a great weekend 🙏

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Don’t let your flesh desire to be with somebody so badly beloved that you stop desiring God’s plans for your life.

The Bible said, “Let God be true and every man a liar,” we have to pump our breaks, real it back in, and talk sense into ourselves when we get so desperate to be with somebody that we stop being somebody. The devil is a liar!

Listen, you are not created to die when somebody’s role in your life is over. Expired relationships are a part of life, and necessary to keep our life on track with God’s plan.

When a season is over, you’re not over — their role in your life is over. This is your book, people don’t write your chapters, you and God do.

Get out of your feelings, pull out your pen, be somebody and start writing your next chapter. Your story didn’t end when they ended, your story started a new chapter.

Carry On!

GIVING THANKS ALWAYS

BIBLE REFERENCE

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

SONG

Thanks Thanks We give you thanks,
For all you have done, we are so blessed our souls have found rest oh Lord we give you thanks (2ce)

PRAYER

Father we thank you for another opportunity in your presence. We thank you for miracle of sleeping and waking up, we thank you for your faithfulness and love for us always. We thank you oh Lord for Loading us daily with benefits. We thank you oh Lord for deliverances known and unknown. We give you praise honor and adoration because we are connected to you. As we go into your word this morning enlighten our understanding and let all glory be ascribed to you and you alone.
In Jesus name we pray
Amen

Giving thanks is more than an expression of gratitude. We can say “thank you” to someone and not really mean it. Gratitude is more than words communicated; it is ultimately a mindset, a mentality. It is a keen awareness of our dependence upon GOD

It’s a concept some of us struggle with and resist, thinking God is telling us to be thankful “for” the difficulties. This makes us miss what He is really leading us to do, which is to be thankful despite the problems, to not let disappointments, failures, losses, and hurts keep us from being thankful to Him.

During wonderful and exciting times and tumultuous times, God asks us to focus on Him and His faithfulness to us, rather than on our circumstances; to dwell on His promise to never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), and to trust Him to help us in every situation we face in life.

How do we begin to give thanks in everything?

Thankfulness in everything comes through practicing being thankful to God for His presence, for life, peace, faithfulness, comfort, and more when facing challenges, rather than letting the difficulties be the focus of our thoughts, words, and prayers.

Being thankful in everything leads us to see God’s faithfulness in preserving our lives and helping us gain an understanding of how so many things that we held on to in the past aren’t really all that important in life. (All the assets that we held very closely to our hearts are after all of little or no benefit) it is only our relationship with God that is beneficial

Apostle Paul wrote, “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NASB95) And in Ephesians we read, “always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;” (Ephesians 5:20, NASB95).

Sometimes the storms come and we may find it difficult to give thanks. It may appear absurd to be thankful to God for a tragic death or undeserved loss of income, or the randomness of disease, but In the book of Thessalonians, Apostle Paul encourages us to be thankful to God “in” everything. .

As Apostle Paul also wrote, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” (Colossians 3:17,

Most of all, being thankful changes our attitude and opens our eyes to see our world, our circumstances, and God’s love in new and beautiful ways. We must be thankful for the love of Jesus Christ and how His light in us leads us from the pits of despair to entering His courts with thanksgiving and praise.

PRAYER
We thank God for this day and pray that He gives us the grace to give Him thanks in all things

As we go about our business this morning may we see more of Him and less of us

May men see us and know that of a truth, we have been in God’s presence.

In Jesus’ precious name we pray, Amen