Bible In One Year- Day3 (January 3, 2014)

We could see that the major enemies that prevent Christians from experiencing God in His promises are DISOBEDIENCE and UNBELIEF. They steal God’s rest from us.

Hebrews 4:1 “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.”

Satan has his weapons which he uses to make us come short of God’s rest through disobedience and unbelief; fear, discouragement, dissatisfaction, impatience, covetousness, rivalry, etc. The natural heart (carnal mind) has all these entrenched in it. These are what cause enmity with God and breaks relationship with Him;

Romans 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

1 Corinthians 3:3-4 “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?”

However, a renewed mind has these flushed out by the power of the Holy Spirit through the word. Without accomplishing this cleansing, there can’t be a genuine and holy relationship with God and consequently, no power as a Christian. An un-renewed mind can never be in the perfect will of God.

Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

God wants us to be in His will. But this could only be achieved by a renewed heart. He, therefore promised us a new heart and new spirit for a holy relationship with Himself;

Ezekiel 36:26-27 “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”

This passage reveals how God could re-brand a life to the amazement of men and women. Saul received oil on his head by Samuel, God gave him a new heart and the Spirit of God rested upon him; he became ANOTHER man, i.e. a RE-BRANDED person (1Samuel 10). As soon as this came to pass, he began to shine. This is the year of your fresh oil and distinctive shining. All started with the word of God he received by the mouth of a prophet (Heb1:1). There is power in the word of God; it changes from inside;

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

The more space the word of God takes in our hearts the less we sin (process of sanctification), i.e. the word wrapped up in human flesh;

John 1:14 “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

The WORD is Jesus. If the Word finds his place in your heart, a deep relationship will be developed with Jesus and your soul becomes coal of fire too hot for the enemy to handle. Jesus is God, let Him have the whole of your heart and your life becomes the life of God; emotion, will and mind become instruments of holy ministry. Prayer: Lord Jesus, reveal Yourself more to me, this year. Our next reading is Hebrew7-9. Keep the fire burning and alive.

Note: Please read Hebrew 10-13 for Day 5