Wednesday, November 29, 2006

When You Sin

Sin is deadly. Sin opens the door to the devil.

But none of us are immune to falling into sin. What should we
do then?

1 JOHN 1:9 NIV
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will
forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

If you sin, immediately confess it to God. Don't make excuses.
You need not beg God to forgive you, because He is a forgiver
and has already paid the price so all sin can be forgiven. You
confess it to get rid of the sin and its effects on you.

1 JOHN 2:1 NIV
1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not
sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the
Father in our defense--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

Jesus is on your side. He died to save (deliver) sinners. Do
not let sin separate you from the Lord and His love. Run to Him
and be cleansed. Stay close to Him and receive His help to
enable you to not sin.

Every step taken out of love gives an opportunity for the devil
in your life. But God does not turn against you. He died for
sinners. He purposely made provision so you can be cleansed
from sin. 1 John 1:9 was written to Christians: so when you do
miss it, confess it -- and by faith -- immediately receive your
cleansing and freedom from all un-righteousness. That shuts the
door on the devil.

SAY THIS: God has made provision for me to be cleansed from
sin.

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

The Blood Speaks

HEBREWS 12:24 NKJ
24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood
of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

The Blood testifies that Jesus set us free from all the curse
and made us able to partake of the inheritance of the saints.
The Blood testifies that Jesus bought our redemption from the
devil and set us free.

EPHESIANS 1:7 NIV
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness
of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace

God worked when the blood of Abel cried unto Him -- how much
more mightily He will work when it is the blood of His own Son
that cries.

By speaking words of faith, we agree with what the Blood says
concerning our total and absolute redemption and freedom from
the curse.

ROMANS 5:9 NIV
9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more
shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!

HEBREWS 9:12 KJV
12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own
blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained
eternal redemption for us.

SAY THIS: Jesus' Blood declares that I am free and forgiven.

Monday, November 27, 2006

God's Word Is Settled

PSALM 119:89 NKJ
89 Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.

Heaven is not running around trying to figure out the will of
God. His Word is settled in Heaven.

God surely had enough time before the Bible was written down to
make any changes in His plans. Now that He has given His Word,
He will keep it and see that it comes to pass.

MARK 13:31 NKJ
31 "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no
means pass away."

ISAIAH 40:8 NKJ
8 "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God
stands forever."

1 PETER 1:23 NKJ
23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but
incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides
forever,

JOHN 17:17 NKJ
17 "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

The issue is settled in Heaven. Now you should settle it: God's
Word is true. God said what He meant and meant what He said.

SAY THIS: God tells the truth, so I will not doubt what He has
said.

Sunday, November 26, 2006

You Are Not A Failure

EPHESIANS 2:10 NIV
10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do
good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

You may have failed, but you are not a failure.

It is not the essence of what and who you are. Failure is just
something that happened to you.

God created you, and He made you able to do good. Maybe you
have not yet discovered what you were created for, but God has
a plan for you. When you fit into God's plan you will find that
God truly made you "a work of His art."

A donkey could compare itself to a race horse and think it was
a failure. But a donkey was created for other things than
running fast.

Find out what you were created to be and do. Then rejoice as
you do it.

SAY THIS: I am God's unique work of art -- still in progress.

Saturday, November 25, 2006

Pray Through Daily

Many have criticized the old phrase "praying through," by
rightfully telling us that now there is no need to struggle in
prayer, since Jesus has already won the battle for us.

The devil is defeated, and any child of God has the right to
use the Name of Jesus and immediately be through the devil's
resistance and be heard by our Father God.

However, in life we must deal with things of the flesh and this
world, which can pry our focus off God.

Spiritually, we can grow dull. It can seem like we are in a
fog. Things are not clear. We do not have a note of victory and
triumph. We can, and must, press through these impediments.

Pray through -- until praying is not hard. Pray until you enjoy
it, because you have broken through the things of your flesh
and this world that would hold you back from enjoying daily
fellowship with your Father God.

MATTHEW 26:41 NASB
41 "Keep watching and praying, that you may not enter into
temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

SAY THIS: I will "pray through" every day.

Friday, November 24, 2006

Repentance

ACTS 17:30 NKJ
30 "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now
commands all men everywhere to repent,

To repent means to change. Repentance is a change of thinking
which results in a change of life.

Repentance involves a change of mind -- waking up to reality,
seeing things as they really are, and recognizing the error of
your ways -- resulting in a change of action.

Repentance includes forsaking old patterns, habits, priorities,
and all things that have controlled you (gods). Repentance
means accepting Jesus as Lord!

To repent is to forsake all other gods -- and embrace Jesus
Christ as your Lord and God.

The word translated "repent" in English New Testaments is the
Greek word metanoeo. It means to change one's mind, or to
convert. Not merely to forsake sin, but to change one's mind
regarding it. Metanoeo means to reform, to have a genuine
change of heart and life from worse to better.

The noun form of the Greek word we translate as "repentance" is
metanoya. It is a change of mind that involves both a turning
from sin and a turning to God.

The parable of the prodigal son is an outstanding illustration
of repentance. (Luke 15:10-21)

2 CORINTHIANS 7:10 NKJ
10 For godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation, not to be
regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.

Many mistake sorrow for repentance. As this verse shows, godly
sorrow leads to repentance, but they are not the same thing.

There is another Greek word, metamelomai, which means to have
remorse or regret. It is pain of mind, rather than change of
mind.

Metanoya implies that one has later arrived at a different view
of something, metamelomai that one has a different feeling
about it. In remorse (metamelomai) a man sees the bitter end of
sin, in repentance (metanoya) he breaks free from it.

So, repentance has to do mostly with your thinking and
therefore your actions -- not your feelings.

Repentance is associated with renewing the mind (Romans 12:2).
When you know the truth -- truth makes you free as you act on
it (John 8:32).

SAY THIS: God, please help me to repent in every area of life
and walk in agreement with you.

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Happy Thanksgiving!

PSALM 107:1 NKJ
1 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy
endures forever.

While we all have much to be thankful for, it is easy to lose
the right perspective.

God's Word helps us keep the right perspective. We deserve
God's wrath and punishment. But instead we are offered His
grace, mercy, and love. Not only that, but He has blessed us
with every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus and has given us
richly all things to enjoy (Ephesians 1:3,1 Timothy 6:17).

You do have much to be thankful for.

Things could probably be better in your life. But certainly
they could be a lot worse.

No doubt you have heard the line, "I complained about having no
shoes, until I saw a man with no feet...."

Remember this secret: you will never be happy without being
thankful. Also, practicing thankfulness will make you happy.

So, the key to being happy is to be thankful.

SAY THIS: I will be happy when I give thanks.

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Put God First

MATTHEW 22:37-38 NKJ
37 Jesus said to him, "`You shall love the Lord your God with
all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'
38 "This is the first and great commandment.

The most important command is to love God with all your being.
As with all His commands, God does not give this for His
benefit, but for your benefit. It will bless you, and improve
your life and well-being to put God first.

Loving people, while important, is only secondary according to
Jesus. In practice -- because God loves people -- loving Him
will result in you loving people also.

When you get your priority backward -- putting people and their
needs first -- you miss God's plan, and will be relatively
ineffective in helping people -- compared to what you could
have been if you put God first.

MATTHEW 6:33 CEV
33 But more than anything else, put God's work first and do
what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.

Determine to follow Jesus and obey Him. Don't allow anything
other than Jesus Christ to be your highest priority.

SAY THIS: My highest priority is God. I will put God first in
my life.

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Sprinkle The Blood

1 PETER 1:2 NKJ
2 . . . in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and
sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace
be multiplied.

By faith we can sprinkle the Blood of Jesus on people who come
to us for help. The Blood is a token of Christ's total
redemption, signaling the devil that he must flee. By faith in
that precious Blood all can be delivered.

Blood in the human body brings healing to sick tissue. The
Blood of Jesus brings healing to His body as well.

LEVITICUS 17:11 NKJ
11 `For the life of the flesh is in the blood . . .

Blood delivers everything necessary for the members of a human
body and carries away waste material. Jesus' Blood also brings
life and nourishment to the members of His body, and rids us of
everything that is of the curse.

When the Israelites in Egypt had blood on their door, no evil
dared enter their dwelling. Likewise, we are kept safe through
the protection of the divine Blood of Jesus.

Jesus' Blood overcomes the devil and all he has done. Believe
it in your heart and say it with your mouth -- until you see
complete victory.

2 CORINTHIANS 10:4 NKJ
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in
God for pulling down strongholds,

By faith, sprinkle the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ anywhere
there is evidence of satanic effort to stop the complete will
of God in your life.

Let us use all our weapons: the Name of Jesus, the Word of God,
and the Blood of the Lamb.

SAY THIS: By faith I apply the Blood of Jesus to my life and
property.

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Help, Mate!

GENESIS 2:18 LB
18 And the Lord God said, "It isn't good for man to be alone; I
will make a companion for him, a helper suited to his needs."

An important part of God's purpose for marriage is to have
someone to help you in life.

(God did not intend for this to be one-sided. A husband also
should help his wife. Otherwise, a husband would not love his
wife as Christ loves the church. See Ephesians 5:25.)

We all need help and encouragement. Sadly, for most people,
that is often not at all what they receive from their spouse.

Your spouse, whether you know it or not, desperately wants and
needs your help, your encouragement, and your support.

Are all spouses perfect and deserving of encouragement and
support? None are! No one is perfect. We all make mistakes. But
especially in those times, it is important that we have someone
to encourage us and help us to believe that we can go on and do
better. God meant for you to be that someone to help your
spouse.

Don't fall into the trap of waiting until your spouse starts
being nice to you. God's law works in this area, too: whatever
you give, you will receive. So the best way to get your spouse
to treat you better is to treat them better.

God does not expect you to love and help your spouse solely
with your own love, but to allow God to pour His love through
you. God loves your spouse -- enough to die for them -- and
desires to express that love through you.

If your spouse would not describe you as their encourager,
friend, and a great help to them -- you are missing God's plan.
You need to be your mate's biggest booster.

Yes, this can be hard. Yes, you have no doubt suffered because
of them. Yes, they have hurt you and you probably don't feel
like being a blessing to them after what they have done to you.
But none of this changes the Word of God and His plan.

Whenever you find direction in God's Word that seems difficult
or impossible, your approach should always be to ask God to
help you. "Lord, I see in your Word that you want me to do
this, but I need your help. Help me to love them. Love them
through me."

SAY THIS: With God's help, I will encourage and help those
around me, especially and always, my spouse.

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Delay Is Not Denial

LUKE 18:1 NKJ
1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to
pray and not lose heart,

Many people give up too easily in prayer. When they don't see
the answer almost immediately, they quit.

God is not pleased with this approach.

You may say, "God knows my need. Why doesn't He just give it to
me, instead of playing games?"

Whether you agree with God's ways, or not: God is still in
charge and makes the rules -- not you. So, it does you no good
to argue or complain. Better to just line up with God instead
of fighting against His plan. Besides, in reality God's ways
are perfect, it is just that we are often too immature and
ignorant to understand all God is doing.

Scripture has many examples of people pressing in and receiving
answers to prayer. We should never be quitters when it comes to
prayer.

It is God's will to answer your prayers. He is the One who told
you to pray. God actually delights in answering your prayers.

(Never forget that God loves you more than you can imagine. God
loves you more than He loves Himself, and proved it by dying in
your place, so you could go free.)

"Then why are there so many delays?"

There is an enemy, the devil, who hates you and is against you
receiving your answer from God.

Second, some prayers involve other people, and God does not
force people to do His will, but works with them patiently so
they can see and do the right thing willingly. This takes time.

Third, there are things that God is working in you while you
are persevering in prayer. God's plan is for you to grow up
spiritually. God wants to enlarge your faith and encourage you
to develop a closer relationship with Him. If every answer
always came immediately, would you really press in and spend
time drawing closer to God and studying His Word?

Don't despair in prayer. Keep on praying in faith as long as
you are praying according to God's Word. A delay, even a very
long one, does not mean that God is saying no to your request.

SAY THIS: I will not give up in prayer.

Friday, November 17, 2006

If You Don't Know What To Believe

JOHN 17:17 NKJ
17 ". . . Your word is truth.

According to Jesus, the Word of God is truth. Yet many people
proclaim quite different messages -- all using the Bible as
their text. How can you know who to believe?

Jesus also told us that continuing to abide in the Word of God
would produce freedom -- not bondage.

JOHN 8:31-32 NKJ
31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you
abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
32 "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you
free."

So, look at the fruit produced by the message proclaimed. Is it
freedom? If not, then it must not be the ACCURATE message of
Jesus Christ.

The true message of Jesus Christ will set people free -- not
put them in bondage. It truly is good news, and makes people
happy when they correctly understand it.

JOHN 10:10 NKJ
10 "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and
to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they
may have it more abundantly.

If it produces death, stealing, or destruction, it is not God's
plan for you. Jesus came so you could have life in all the
fullness God intended.

What you need to do now is simple:

1) Stop listening to lies.

Anything that makes you think God does not love you, or that
you are hopeless or helpless -- is a lie. God is not against
you or mad at you. All your troubles have been caused by the
devil, and your ignorance, not by God.

2) Listen to the truth.

God's truth is good news. It will build you up -- and give you
an inheritance. It will give you good things, not take anything
good away from you.

ACTS 20:32 NKJ
32 "So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of
His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an
inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

Primarily, you need to read the New Testament for yourself.
Don't just listen to what others tell you that God says. And
before you read, ask the Lord to teach you and reveal Himself
to you.

Secondarily, listen to teachers and preachers who feed you the
Word of God which builds your faith and makes you love and
appreciate God more. Otherwise, quit listening to them.

Remember, the accurate message of Jesus makes you free. (Not
free to sin without consequences, but free from the bondage and
the effects of sin and its curse.)

SAY THIS: I will stop listening to and believing lies, and I
will listen to and believe the truth. God loves me and will
help me.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Prayer Strengthens You

ISAIAH 40:31 NKJ
31 But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength...

Too many people think of prayer only as asking God for what
they want. But prayer is much more than that. Prayer is
communication and communion with Almighty God. Somehow, in the
act of prayer we receive a transfusion of God's strength.

LUKE 22:46 NKJ
46 ..."pray, lest you enter into temptation."

Being strong enables you to not enter into temptation. Time
spent in prayer strengthens you spiritually. (Temptation
strikes us all. But we decide whether to yield to the
temptation, or not.)

JUDE 1:20 NKJ
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy
faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,

According to Jude, praying builds you up, or edifies you.
Prayer is a spiritual exercise; the more you do it the stronger
you get spiritually.

Some may protest that they don't know how to pray. Just begin
to talk to God. And listen for His response, not through a
voice, but through His Word, or thoughts in line with His Word.
God is not so particular about how His children visit with Him.
Just do it!

SAY THIS: I choose to spend time with God each day in prayer
and receive God's strength and help.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Fight The Good Fight Of Faith

1 TIMOTHY 6:12 NKJ
12 Fight the good fight of faith . . . .

Christians are supposed to fight -- just not with each other.

Our struggle is about our faith. The devil wants our faith in
God to wither and die. God wants our faith to grow stronger.

The battlefield is your mind. The devil tries to keep his
evidence foremost in your thoughts: negative circumstances and
what your senses tell you. God's evidence is contained in His
unchanging Word: the Bible.

We must choose to feed the truths of the Bible into our
thinking to keep our faith strong.

The devil still tells mankind his old lie, "Has God said?"
which we could modernize as, "Did God really mean that?"

Yes, God meant what He said and said what He meant.

"Then why doesn't it seem that way when I look around at my
circumstances?"

Because you are supposed to fight the good fight of faith and
actively receive the promised blessings. God will bring His
Word to pass in your life when you actively believe it. God's
program is set up to reward those who trust Him.

You should resist and even rebuke thoughts of doubt, knowing
they originate with the evil one. You can say, "Doubt, I resist
you. Leave me alone. God is faithful and His Word is true."

You have authority over what you think. The Bible tells you
what to think about in Philippians 4:8. But you must exercise
your authority through words spoken. Otherwise, authority
doesn't benefit you.

HEBREWS 11:1 NKJ
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence
of things not seen.

Faith involves things not seen, or not discerned by
your physical senses. If you can see it or feel it you don't
need to have faith for it. Faith is your evidence until it
manifests to your physical senses.

God does not lie. His written Word is your faith evidence until
the blessing is evident even to your physical senses. Resist
the devil by continuing to believe God's Word.

A good fight is a fight you can win.

SAY THIS: With God's help, I will fight the good fight of faith
and win.

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

God's Protection

God doesn't want us to live our lives in fear. Over and over
the Bible tells us to fear not.

Yet with all the terrible things happening in the world, how
can we not be afraid? How can we overcome the temptation to
fear?

We must know and remember that God loves us and has a good plan
for us: including a home in Heaven and going to be with Jesus
when we die.

Also, we must know and remember the promises of God given in
the Bible concerning protection from evil, accident, and harm
in this life. For example:

PSALM 91:9-11 NKJ
9 Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the
Most High, your dwelling place,
10 No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near
your dwelling;
11 For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in
all your ways.

This is not to say that victims of tragic events are sinners,
or are not loved by God. Only that if we walk with God and heed
His direction, God promises to protect us.

We know many good people have died unexpectedly and tragically.
Yet the promise of God stands true and should not be doubted.
There is a place of protection as you live close to God and
walk in faith.

SAY THIS: God gives His angels charge over me, to keep me safe
in all my ways.

Monday, November 13, 2006

Pray For Our Leaders

1 TIMOTHY 2:1-2 NASB
1 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers,
petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men,
2 for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may
lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

Praying for our leaders is not a useless ritual. God would not
tell us to do something in His Word, unless it would make a
difference.

Sometimes, when bad things happen, people ask why God allowed
them to happen. But we should be asking ourselves why we
allowed them to happen: by not obeying God and praying.

If believers are praying as we ought, we can expect many bad
things and difficult times to be avoided.

Since God told us to pray for our leaders, it is our
responsibility.

Of course, we shouldn't limit ourselves to praying only for our
leaders. We should pray for all people. But we must not forget
to pray for our leaders. And not just when we face difficult
times, either.

SAY THIS: Father, I pray that you would give our leaders
wisdom, understanding, and insight into all the situations that
we face, and the courage to do what is right.

Sunday, November 12, 2006

God Is A Good God

Luke 6:35-36 NKJ
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.
36 "Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is
merciful.

Unfortunately, not many people understand that God is truly
good -- but He is. The world has been deceived into accepting
an image of God that's mean and vindictive, harsh and strict.

But the Bible, especially the fuller revelation given in the
New Testament, paints a different picture of God. He is a
Father -- a good Father.

It would be good news if we had a God who was kind to the
average person. But God doesn't stop there. According to Jesus,
who knows, God is kind to unthankful and evil people, too!

That may not be what you often hear preached, but that's what
Jesus said. The Most High God is kind to evil people.

Jesus also said that not only is God kind to evil people, but
He is merciful. In fact, one passage even says that God
delights in mercy! (Micah 7:18)

Too often people think God is mad at them, so there is little
chance He would help them. The opposite is true. Jesus told us
that God so loved the world . . . .

And He hasn't changed His mind.

SAY THIS: My Father God is a good God. He loves the people of
this world, including me.

Friday, November 10, 2006

Jesus Is A Savior

MATTHEW 1:21 NIV
21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the
name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

The name "Jesus" actually means "the Lord saves" or "the Lord
is a Savior."

So, when we say "Jesus" we are actually saying "Savior." The
two words are synonyms.

The angel told Joseph what to name the son born to his wife
Mary -- and the reason for that particular name. Jesus: because
He will save. We could say, "Savior -- because He will save."

Being a savior is integral to Jesus' nature. That's what He is.
Not just something that He does. He IS, by His very nature, a
Savior.

But we are so used to hearing the word "Savior" in relation to
Jesus that it has lost its meaning for us. It no longer affects
our thinking the way it should. So we need to hear another word
-- Deliverer.

The word savior means deliverer. To save something means to
deliver it. To deliver something means to set it free from what
held it down and kept it from being whole.

You don't have to convince Jesus to deliver you -- He IS a
deliverer! That's what He does. It's as natural for Him to set
you free and make you whole as it is for you to breathe.

All you have to do is allow Jesus jurisdiction in your life.
Invite Him in. He will bring deliverance.

Too many people have been deceived into thinking that allowing
Jesus into their life would put them in bondage and hold them
back. No! Jesus brings freedom. He delivers you from bondage.

SAY THIS: Jesus is my Deliverer! He delivers me from everything
that would hold me down and keep me from wholeness.

God Is A Healer

EXODUS 15:26 NRSV
26 ...for I am the LORD who heals you."

When God first revealed Himself to the people of Israel after
their deliverance from Egypt, He called Himself "the Lord Who
Heals."

He didn't just describe Himself as a healer -- He actually gave
Himself that name. One of God's names is "The One Who Heals" or
we could just say "Healer."

Certainly God heals physically. Yet we should not limit our
thinking on this. God heals, or makes whole and sound,
everything that He touches. (So, if we need healing, our plan
should be to get closer to God.)

The idea of making whole and sound is what we should focus on.

God, by His nature, makes things whole. He IS a healer. A
healer of bodies, of minds, of relationships, of nations --
whatever needs making whole and sound.

The important point is to realize that we need not convince God
to heal, because that is His very nature.

No wonder that when Jesus of Nazareth, who was God in the
flesh, came along that:

MATTHEW 4:23 NRSV
23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues
and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every
disease and every sickness among the people.

SAY THIS: I serve the God who heals. My God is a healer.

Every Good Gift Is From Above

JAMES 1:13,16,17 Weymouth
13 Let no one say when passing through trial, "My temptation is
from God;" for God is incapable of being tempted to do evil,
and He Himself tempts no one.
16 Do not be deceived, my dearly-loved brethren.
17 Every gift which is good, and every perfect boon, is from
above, and comes down from the Father, who is the source of all
Light. In Him there is no variation nor the slightest
suggestion of change.

God is not doing evil that good may come from it.

"Do not be deceived," the Bible tells us in verse 16 above.
Obviously then, brethren CAN be deceived -- and many ARE.

God is NOT the one behind the bad things happening. Storms,
earthquakes, and tornados are not acts of my God. Only good
comes down from my Father God -- and He does not change or vary
from day to day.

John 10:10 LB
10 The thief's purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. My
purpose is to give life in all its fullness.

John 10:10 is the dividing line in the Bible. The purpose of
the devil is made clear: to harm you. The purpose of the Lord
is also clear: life in all its fullness -- life as God intended.

Jesus is for you. The devil is against you. It's as simple as
that.

SAY THIS: The devil is against me, so I am against the devil.
God is for me, so I submit to God.

Thursday, November 09, 2006

Have A Happy Life

1 PETER 3:10-11 NLT
10 For the Scriptures say, "If you want a happy life and good
days, keep your tongue from speaking evil, and keep your lips
from telling lies.
11 Turn away from evil and do good. Work hard at living in
peace with others.

Why just tolerate life when you can have a happy life?

Obviously, you have some choice in the matter, according to
these verses. So, make the obvious choice, and ask God to help
you.

Notice that the first instructions given in these verses
concern the words you speak.

What you say is enormously important, according to the Bible.
Yet, most believers are unaware of the importance Scripture
places on the words they speak.

Why not ask God right now to help you understand and apply this
instruction, so you can reap the benefits?

SAY THIS: Thank you, Lord for giving me a happy life and good
days. Thank you for helping me not to speak evil or tell lies.
Thank you for helping me to avoid evil, do good, and live in
peace.

Monday, November 06, 2006

The Lord Is Good

PSALM 145:8-9 NKJ
8 The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger
and great in mercy.
9 The Lord is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all
His works.

The greatest deception is making people think God is bad. God
is not guilty -- of anything bad!

The devil wants us to believe God is bad: that He is uncaring,
that He does bad things to us, and that He is holding out on us
-- keeping us from enjoying good. But it isn't true. God loves
you more than you can imagine.

The devil is a liar -- he works by deception. The devil tries
to make us believe God is like him, and he is like God, which
is, of course, not true.

Because of satan's efforts to distort the truth, many people's
idea of God is actually what the devil is like.

PSALM 34:8 NKJ
8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man
who trusts in Him!

We must, as Scripture admonishes, taste and see that the Lord
is good. Unless you have a relationship with God, you won't
know how good He is.

1 JOHN 4:8 NKJ
8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

God is a God of love. He puts the interests of others first. He
is not selfish. He desires the best for everyone.

SAY THIS: God is good to me. Thank You Lord for being good to
me. I refuse to believe the devil's lie that You are bad.

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Don't Wait For Tomorrow

PROVERBS 27:1 NIV
1 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day
may bring forth.

Do what you need to do today.

Don't wait to receive Jesus. Don't put off doing the will of
God. Don't wait to tell someone you love them.

JAMES 4:13-15 NIV
13 Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to
this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and
make money."
14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is
your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and
then vanishes.
15 Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we
will live and do this or that."

You don't know what tomorrow holds -- or even if you will be
here tomorrow.

Keep your focus on God. Trust in Him, and do His will today.

SAY THIS: I will do what God leads me to do today.

Saturday, November 04, 2006

God Is Your Father

2 CORINTHIANS 6:18 NKJ
18 "I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and
daughters, Says the Lord Almighty."

I am truly sorry if your earthly father was not a good father.
But there are good fathers -- and certainly God is one.

Have you really thought about what it means to have God as your
Father?

Think of His power, His wisdom, His wealth. Then remember that
God loves you more than anyone else has ever loved you -- even
more than you love yourself.

No earthly father ever loved his children more than God loves
you.

Are you living your life in the light of this knowledge? Or,
are you acting like an orphan and worrying like you have no one
to take care of you?

JOHN 14:18 NIV
18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

SAY THIS: God is MY Father. He loves me and takes good care of
me. I am not facing life all alone.

Friday, November 03, 2006

The Truth About Tithing

MALACHI 3:10 NKJ
10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be
food in My house, and try Me now in this," says the Lord of
hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and
pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room
enough to receive it.

Tithe means tenth, so tithing is the practice of giving ten per
cent to God.

Under the New Covenant, no scripture clearly commands Christian
believers to give a tithe of their income to God. (The passages
in the Gospels concerning tithing were spoken to Jews who were
still living under the Old Covenant. Matthew 23:23, Luke 11:42)

However, to conclude that tithing is not for us today would be
a mistake.

God still desires to be honored. God still desires to be
worshiped. God still desires to be put first in our lives, and
in our finances.

Why? So He has the right to bless us back in return. God
operates by the laws He has set into motion, and one of those
laws concerns giving and receiving, or it could be expressed as
sowing and reaping.

GALATIANS 6:7 NKJ
7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man
sows, that he will also reap.

Nowhere does it say in the Bible that the blessing of tithing
has ever been withdrawn. In fact, 2 Corinthians 1:20 tells us
that all the promises of God are yes in Christ Jesus. So, we
who are in Christ Jesus can appropriate any and every promise
God ever made.

So, if you desire to be blessed, if you desire to worship God,
if you love God and desire to show your appreciation and love
in a tangible way, then you still have the privilege of
worshiping God with your money. And the promise of God is that
you will be abundantly blessed.

Some people may object to using the term "tithing" because they
think that was only for the Old Testament. Whatever term is
used, you will find that all the believers who are the most
blessed financially are those who put God first in their
finances, and worship God with their money.

It is clear that God expected tithing to continue under the New
Covenant because of what the Holy Spirit said through Paul in
1 Corinthians 9:13-14. In the same manner that the ministers
were supported under the Old Covenant, God has commanded that
they be supported under the New Covenant. No one can dispute
that the tithes given in worship of God under the Old Covenant
were designated by God to be used in support of those
ministering.

Unfortunately, some ministers have preached tithing in a
legalistic manner trying to motivate people to give out of
fear. We should not be too hard on them however, because we
might have done worse if we were in their shoes. With a call of
God on their life, and a God-given desire to reach the world
with the Gospel message, it is no wonder that many ministers
have preached tithing in a legalistic manner, trying to raise
the funds to fulfill their calling.

While it is right that ministers be supported, to please God
they should receive their support by faith, and in a way that
does not put God's people into bondage, or motivate them by
fear. The way to do this is to emphasize the blessing of giving
to God.

As one famous minister said, we should give to God as a seed we
sow, instead of a debt we owe.

God receives no pleasure from a relationship where we are
forced to love Him and worship Him. So He has instituted the
New Covenant, which is based on love.

2 CORINTHIANS 3:6 NKJ
6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant,
not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but
the Spirit gives life.

Where should we give our tithes? Wherever the Lord directs. He
is the One we are worshiping. Of course, we can expect that the
Lord will lead us in line with His Word, which makes clear He
has designated that these resources be given into the hands of
those who minister in His name.

SAY THIS: I have the privilege of worshiping God with my money
and receiving His promised blessings.

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Jesus Will Not Reject You

JOHN 6:37 LB
37 But some will come to me--those the Father has given me--
and I will never, never reject them.

People may reject you. But Jesus won't.

Jesus died for sinners. He loves them and will help them -- if
only they will come to Him.

Jesus didn't come to condemn us, but to help us. Think of the
Bible account of the woman caught in adultery.

JOHN 8:11 NIV
11 "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you,"
Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

Religious people will reject you for any number of reasons. The
length of your hair, the food you eat, or the clothes you wear
are only examples of reasons they may reject you.

But Jesus is different. He will accept you just as you are.

Many people think they need to clean up their life and get
their act together before coming to Jesus. But they have it
backwards. They should come to Jesus now, and let Him "clean
them up."

If we could make ourselves perfect -- we wouldn't need a
Savior.

SAY THIS: Jesus is my Savior.

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

You Are Righteous In Christ

ROMANS 5:1 NLT
1 Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by
faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our
Lord has done for us.

God offers righteousness as a free gift to everyone who
receives the Lord Jesus Christ.

Righteousness means right-wise-ness, or being right. So
righteousness is right standing, or good standing with God. It
does not mean human "perfection."

Righteousness is a gift from God -- not something you can earn
or achieve. God simply declares that you are innocent, as far
as He is concerned, because you believe in Jesus, and that
makes you righteous.

1 CORINTHIANS 1:30 NKJ
30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom
from God -- and righteousness and sanctification and redemption

You ARE righteous if Jesus is your Lord. In fact, Jesus IS your
righteousness. As a believer in Jesus, you will never be more
righteous -- no matter what you do.

Romans 3:10 is a well known verse on this subject that is often
misunderstood. It is a quote from the Old Testament, and is
part of a passage that continues on to say that NOW we can be
righteous through faith in Jesus Christ.

ROMANS 3:10 NKJ
10 As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one;

ROMANS 3:21-22 NKJ
21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is
revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
22 even the righteousness of God which is through faith in
Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe. For there is no
difference;

Romans 10 gives instructions on how to become righteous.

ROMANS 10:9-10 NKJ
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and
believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead,
you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with
the mouth confession is made to salvation.

SAY THIS: Jesus is my righteousness. I am in right standing
with God through what my Lord Jesus did for me.