Tuesday, July 31, 2007

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.

Monday, July 30, 2007

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, July 29, 2007

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, July 28, 2007

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, July 27, 2007

Is Money Your God?

Whatever controls you, or determines your decisions, is your
god.

What is god in your life? Do you have a price? Can you be
bought?

Will enough money get you to do something you know is wrong?
Then you are serving money -- you will do what it tells you.

No one can serve two masters, according to Jesus.

MATTHEW 6:24 NKJ
24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the
one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and
despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

You must choose who your god will be. If you choose Jesus
Christ -- you cannot make every decision based on the financial
bottom line, and still claim He is your Lord.

If you claim to be a Christian but do not worship God by giving
from your income to Him -- it is clear that money is your god.

If you say you do not give to God so that you can feed your
children -- maybe your children are your god.

If your reason for not worshiping God with your money is so you
can pay your house or car note -- you obviously have put them
ahead of God.

Most Christians think it's awful that someone would commit
adultery, or fornication, if someone paid them. But, a
Christian who moves simply to get a higher-paying job, without
regard to God's guidance, is guilty of the same sin: serving
money.

Will you only do God's will if it benefits you? Are you like a
prostitute -- only willing to perform if you get paid enough?

Are you a hired lover -- or a genuine lover of God?

SAY THIS: I will serve God. I refuse to serve money. Instead,
money will serve me.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

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, July 25, 2007

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.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

The Message Of Reconciliation

2 CORINTHIANS 5:19 NIV
19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not
counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us
the message of reconciliation.

The Good News is about reconciliation between God and man.
Jesus Christ accomplished it.

Mankind was estranged from God. We had gone our own way, were
lost, and couldn't find our way back to fellowship with God.
Fortunately, God loved us and did something to help us.

Two extremely important ideas are presented in the above verse.

First, God is not holding people's sins against them! As far as
God is concerned, Christ's sacrifice paid the penalty for all
sin -- and God considers the world reconciled back to Him.

Second, this wonderful good news of what God has done has been
committed to us. Human beings must tell it. If we don't -- it
won't be told.

People can live and die and never know the glorious truth that
God is not holding any sins against them -- if no one tells
them. They need to know they are forgiven, loved by God, and
welcome to come back into fellowship with Him through Christ.

Think about this: God is interested in reconciliation. Not in
shutting you, or others, out. He is inviting humanity in,
saying all is forgiven.

SAY THIS: Thank You Father God for reconciling me and not
holding my sins against me. Please help me to share this
message with the right people in the right way.

Monday, July 23, 2007

Faith Is Released Through Words

MATTHEW 17:20 NKJ
20 So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for
assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed,
you will say to this mountain, `Move from here to there,' and
it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

If you have faith -- you will do something -- according to
Jesus. You will speak!

Faith and authority are exercised through words. You must open
your mouth and speak in line with what God says.

All we receive from God must be received by faith. (See Romans
5:2 & Galatians 3:14.) So, you will only receive God's blessing
in line with the words you speak.

What you say is what you believe. Or, we could say, you believe
what you say.

If you want to know what someone truly believes, just listen to
what they say -- especially when they're under pressure. Then
the truth will come out.

MATTHEW 12:34-35 NKJ
34 "Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good
things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
35 "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings
forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure
brings forth evil things.

Your mouth speaks forth what is in your heart. So to bring
forth good things in your life, you need to speak good words.
To speak good words, they must first be put into your heart in
abundance. You know what that means. Get into the Bible and get
it into you.

SAY THIS: With faith, nothing is impossible. My faith is put
into action by the words I speak. The words I speak are
determined by what I put into my inner being.

Sunday, July 22, 2007

God Has A Plan

JEREMIAH 29:11 NIV
11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD,
"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you
hope and a future.

Genesis 37 tells the story of Joseph being sold into slavery by
his brothers. At that time, I'm sure it didn't look to Joseph
like God had a plan -- at least not one that was good for him.

Joseph surely thought what many of us have, "Why did you let
this happen to me, God?"

No doubt things looked clearer to Joseph later on when he was
ruling Egypt and was able to save his entire family from
starvation. (Genesis 45-50)

Often life may seem confusing and out-of-control. But don't
despair. God has a plan for you which He is working out. If you
could only see the end He has in mind for you -- you would
begin to rejoice and thank God right now. (Hint, hint.)

SAY THIS: God has a plan for me, and I will trust Him to work
everything out in my life.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

In Everything Give Thanks

1 THESSALONIANS 5:18 NKJ
18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in
Christ Jesus for you.

Are you giving thanks to God today? You should. If you want to
be happy, you must. For, without being thankful, you will never
be happy.

Just because things are not going the way you would like is no
excuse. The Bible clearly says that God's will for you is to be
thankful -- always.

The Bible does NOT teach that we're to thank God for evil,
because God is not responsible for evil. No, God is not guilty
of any wrongdoing.

What the Bible does teach, is that we should always be thankful
-- even when evil happens. Being thankful is part of an
attitude of faith, and faith will overcome evil.

Although the Bible does say we should give thanks to God FOR
all things, that only means the things for which God is
responsible. For example, if a guest at your home said, "Thank
you for everything," you wouldn't think they were thanking you
for what someone else did.

God doesn't do bad things to people. He's not the one who comes
to steal, kill, and destroy. That's the devil, and people
motivated by selfishness and demonic influence. So you have the
devil "to thank" for the bad things in life.

Yet, during the bad things in life, we are to continue thanking
God, no matter how we feel. This helps us keep our eyes on God
and keep things in perspective.

No matter how dark and hopeless the situation may look -- give
thanks. This is God's will for you.

Thank God for the opportunity to see His deliverance. Thank Him
for His mercy and grace. Thank Him for His faithfulness. Thank
Him for defeating the devil and setting you free in Christ.
Thank Him that Jesus is Lord. Thank Him that your name is
written in Heaven. Thank Him for loving you and taking good
care of you. Thank Him!

SAY THIS: In everything I will give thanks to God for what He
is doing. All God does is for my good.

Friday, July 20, 2007

Don't Worry

1 PETER 5:7 NLT
7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about
what happens to you.

Probably the biggest temptation most believers face is the
temptation to worry.

What is worry? Worry is thinking that leaves God out. Worry is
the opposite of faith. Instead of expecting God's help -- you
expect the worst.

1 PETER 5:7 CEV
7 God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to him.

The Bible has much to say about not worrying. Worry is not
appropriate for a child of God.

MATTHEW 6:32 CEV
32 Only people who don't know God are always worrying about
such things. Your Father in heaven knows that you need all of
these.

PHILIPPIANS 4:6 ICB
6 Do not worry about anything. But pray and ask God for
everything you need. And when you pray, always give thanks.

SAY THIS: I will not worry. I will trust in God. He will take
care of me and everything that concerns me.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Instructions For Success

JOSHUA 1:8 NIV
8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth;
meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do
everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and
successful.

If you desire to succeed, here are the instructions.

You may follow other plans that promise success, but you have
no guarantee they will work long-term. People may give you
advice that works for awhile -- but can you be sure it will not
fail you someday?

With God you have an eternal guarantee: His Word will never
fail. Heaven and earth will disappear before even the smallest
detail of God's Word will fail.

Look at God's success instructions again. Study them in detail.
Surely if anything is worth your time, this promise of God is.

First, speak in line with God's Word. Isn't it interesting that
the first instruction from God for success has to do with what
you say? Some people proclaim that what you say doesn't matter,
but God puts it at the top of the list.

Second, meditate on what God said. This is the opposite of
worry. This is more than just reading the Bible. (Although if
you never read it, how could you meditate on it?) This is
thinking about what God says and how it affects everything.

When are we to think about God and His Word? When it is day, or
when it is night. Any other time, you can safely shut God out
of your thoughts.

Look at what God promises will be yours if you follow these
instructions: prosperity and success. What everyone wants, but
few are willing to do what it takes to achieve.

Of course you can ignore these instructions. But why would you?

SAY THIS: I will speak God's Word, meditate on it, and act on
it. Then God promises I will be prosperous and successful.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Your Words Are Important

MATTHEW 12:36-37 NIV
36 But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day
of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.
37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words
you will be condemned."

Few people realize the importance of the words they speak.

There is almost no way to overemphasize the importance of what
we say. Yet most people give it almost no thought -- usually
speaking without even thinking.

Jesus came from Heaven and revealed to us that words are
important. Very important. The Bible has much to say on this
subject. We ignore it at our own peril.

You may not be familiar with what the Bible says about the
importance of words, but if you knew only the verse above,
Matthew 12:36-37, that should be enough to convince you. Your
judgment will be determined by the words you have spoken.

Certainly, this is not a negative message. When we understand
the importance and power of words, we can use them for good.
The Bible says death and life are in the power of the tongue
(Proverbs 18:21). Just as fire can cause great destruction,
tamed and controlled it can be a great blessing to us. So it is
with words. Life is in the power of the tongue. That means life
is controlled by words.

I repeat: life is controlled by words. Words release authority.
Words determine the course of events. Words matter.

What should you do about this?

First, you need to study what the Bible says about words. Jesus
said if you continue in His Word you would know the truth and
the truth would make you free (John 8:31-32).

Also, you need to ask the Lord to teach you and help you to
speak correctly -- because we must have God's help to tame our
tongue.

SAY THIS: Lord, please teach me and help me to speak the right
words.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

You Are Not An Orphan

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

You are not facing life all alone -- no matter how you feel.

Jesus is with you. He promised to never forsake you.

Our enemy loves to make us think we have no help, that God does
not care, and we have no hope. But the devil is a liar.

"But why does God allow things to look so bleak? Why doesn't He
help me sooner?"

God desires faith and trust from us. Without testing times we
would have no opportunity to show our faith. Without obstacles
we would have nothing to overcome.

We must always remember that God is raising a family, preparing
us for eternity with Him. It can be a great error to judge
everything by "the bottom line" today.

We must trust our Father God, because only He really knows what
the "true bottom line" is. And we can trust Him, because He is
good and trustworthy.

SAY THIS: Thank you Father God that I am not facing life all
alone -- as an orphan. You are my Father and are taking good
care of me. I trust You -- for time and eternity.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Does God Test Us?

Yes. But it's always an open-Book test. With the help of God's
instruction Book -- the Bible -- you can always pass the test.

1 THESSALONIANS 2:4 NKJ
4 . . . even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who
tests our hearts.

God doesn't test you to hurt you, but so you can experience
victory. He walks in faith and believes you will win every
test. He is like a proud parent who tells their child to "Go
out there and show them what you can do," expecting them to
win.

In all schooling there is testing to determine whether the
material taught has been mastered.

Testing is necessary and even beneficial for the one being
tested. You may think you're ready to graduate -- but testing
confronts you with reality.

Testing lets you know how you're doing. If you're not doing so
well, turn to God, asking for His help. Spend more time in
God's Word and in prayer.

Remember that God's tests are different than the temptations of
the devil. God's test is whether you will act on His Word.

God never tempts you to do wrong! He never uses evil to test
you (James 1:13). God just allows you to overcome evil by
acting on His Word -- which is more than enough to put you
over.

PSALM 105:19 NKJ
19 Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the
Lord tested him.

You should always stand in faith, resisting the devil. God's
Word always works -- but not always instantly. From when you
take your stand on God's Word to when the answer manifests,
constitutes the test.

Remember, God is for you -- He's on your side. He sent His
Word, His Holy Spirit, His angels, and His ministers to help
you.

SAY THIS: I can pass God's tests by acting on His Word.

Sunday, July 15, 2007

God Loves Sinners

JOHN 3:16 KJV
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but
have everlasting life.

Many people quote John 3:16 -- but how many believe it?

God never changes. If He loved the people of the world in the
past -- He still loves them today. Yet many people think God is
mad at sinners -- and hates them.

ROMANS 5:8 NIV
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we
were still sinners, Christ died for us.

God is NOT mad at sinners. He loves them enough to die for them
-- even today! We should not be mad at sinners either. They are
deceived and enslaved by sin. They need delivered, and no one
can do it except Jesus.

Of course, God doesn't want people to remain sinners. He loves
them too much for that. Sin destroys. It brings death. But the
gift of God is life -- and that gift is found in a Person: the
Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the best friend a sinner will ever have. They need to
know that. Someone has to tell them the truth. They think Jesus
hates them because they're a sinner and not perfect. (The devil
already fed them that lie.)

Let's tell them the truth!

2 CORINTHIANS 5:19 NIV
19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not
counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us
the message of reconciliation.

God is not holding people's sins against them. People need to
know that. When they do -- they will love Jesus.

SAY THIS: Jesus loves sinners -- so I love them, too. I love
them enough to tell them Jesus will help them.

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Words Control Your Life

PROVERBS 18:20-21 NKJ
20 A man's stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his
mouth, and from the produce of his lips he shall be filled.
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who
love it will eat its fruit.

Proverbs 18:20 says what your lips produce will fill your life.
Your lips produce -- words.

Words determine the course and the outcome of your life. You
now have, and will continue to have, the fruit your tongue
produces.

To change your life you need to change your words.

JAMES 3:2,8 NIV
2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in
what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body
in check.
8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full
of deadly poison.

To change the words you speak you need God's help.

As Jesus said, out of the abundance of your heart your mouth
will speak. So, you need a new heart and you need it filled
with God's Word. Only in that way can your tongue be brought
under complete control.

SAY THIS: Lord, because your Word teaches that words control my
life, please help me to control my words.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Cast Your Cares

1 PETER 5:7 Amplified
7 Casting the whole of your care -- all your anxieties, all
your worries, all your concerns, once and for all -- on Him;
for He cares for you affectionately, and cares about you
watchfully.

God is not just mildly interested in you. He cares for you just
as a good mother cares for her infant child -- affectionately
and watchfully.

Would it be reasonable for a well-loved infant to worry?
Neither is it reasonable for you to worry when God loves you
and has promised to take care of you.

To worry you must believe one of two lies: God can't take care
of you, or God won't take care of you.

PHILIPPIANS 4:6 NRSV
6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known
to God.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will
guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Worry is not appropriate for a child of God.

SAY THIS: I throw all my cares on God because He cares for me.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Don't Judge By Appearance

JOHN 7:24 NKJ
24 "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with
righteous judgment."

Making a snap judgment based on appearance often works -- but
not always. And the exceptions can really cost you.

The world teaches us to judge people by their appearance. But
God doesn't judge people by how they look -- and neither should
we.

1 SAMUEL 16:7 NLT
7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Don't judge by his appearance
or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn't make
decisions the way you do! People judge by outward appearance,
but the LORD looks at a person's thoughts and intentions."

One main reason we're not qualified to judge others is because
we don't know their thoughts and intentions. Only God does.

As they say, "You can't always judge a book by its cover."

LUKE 16:15 CEV
15 But Jesus told them: You are always making yourselves look
good, but God sees what is in your heart. The things that most
people think are important are worthless as far as God is
concerned.

It is important that we treat all people with respect -- since
they are created and loved by God -- no matter how they look.

SAY THIS: Lord, help me to not judge people by their
appearance.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

The Holy Spirit Will Help You

JOHN 14:16 NKJ
16 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another
Helper, that He may abide with you forever,

If you allow Him to, the Holy Spirit will guide you in every
area of life; from the words you should speak, to the spouse
you should marry, to the investments you should make.

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity of God. It
is difficult for humans to understand how there can be only one
God, as the Scriptures teach, yet He can reveal Himself as
three persons. So do not let it be an obstacle for you, or be
drawn into fighting about it.

The Holy Spirit is a person, not just a force. He should be
treated with the utmost respect and gratitude.

I have personally found the Holy Spirit to be a wonderful,
wonderful Helper -- in so many ways. Even in simple, practical
things, like reminding me of things, or helping me to find
misplaced items. The Holy Spirit is truly interested in
everything that affects you, and desires to help you -- if you
will allow Him to.

No doubt, the Holy Spirit has been helping you, too. You just
may not have recognized it. You may have called it "a hunch" or
"it just came to me" or "I just had an idea." Start giving
thanks to the real source of your help -- the Holy Spirit of
God.

The Bible mentions several ways the Holy Spirit helps: teaching
you all things, bringing the Word to your remembrance, telling
you of things to come, revealing to you the things of God,
comforting you, encouraging you, empowering you to be a
witness, and bringing life and healing to you.

You are not facing life all alone -- as an orphan would. The
Holy Spirit is with you continually -- living with you. When
you need help He is never far away, but always right with you,
waiting for you to call on Him for His help.

SAY THIS: Holy Spirit, I appreciate your help. Thank you for
guiding me in life and helping me in every way.

Monday, July 09, 2007

God Is Not A Liar

NUMBERS 23:19 ICB
19 God is not a man. He will not lie. God is not a human being.
He does not change his mind. What he says he will do, he does.
What he promises, he keeps.

Too many of us judge God by ourselves, or those we normally
deal with. Unfortunately, honesty is scarce today. We are
accustomed to people lying to us.

But God is different. He does not lie. Not ever.

TITUS 1:2 NKJ
2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised
before time began,

SAY THIS: My God is not a liar. He will do what He said He
would do.

Sunday, July 08, 2007

God Loves You More Than You Love Yourself

ROMANS 5:8 NKJ
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we
were still sinners, Christ died for us.

God has proven His love for you. So don't doubt it.

What proves that God loves you more than you love yourself? He
died in your place -- suffering the punishment for sin that you
deserved, so you could go free. God was more willing to suffer
Himself than to see you suffer.

Of course, the devil constantly tries to get you to doubt that
God loves you. That's why you must rely on what the Bible says
-- not what your feelings or circumstances may tell you.

You may think you don't love yourself -- maybe you think you
hate yourself. Even if you don't think too highly of what you
have done, you still love yourself in the sense that you desire
the best for yourself. You don't desire pain or loss.

So it is with God -- He desires good for you -- even more than
you do. And He demonstrated at Calvary that He would put your
interest before His own.

1 JOHN 4:16 NKJ
16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us.
God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God
in him.

There are at least two reasons why God loves you so much.
First, it is His nature to love. The Bible says that God is
love. Love is the word that best describes God's nature.

Second, you are His creation. God loves you just as good
earthly parents love their offspring. People may not seem very
special to others, but to their mother and father they are
always special. This should help you understand how God could
really like you -- even though you may not like yourself very
much.

Also, God sees you as you can be and will become -- not just as
you are now. God has faith in you and in His ability to make
you someone special.

SAY THIS: I choose to believe what the Bible says: God loves
me.

Saturday, July 07, 2007

You Are Part Of Christ's Body On Earth

1 CORINTHIANS 12 NLT
12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up
only one body. So it is with the body of Christ.
17 Suppose the whole body were an eye--then how would you hear?
Or if your whole body were just one big ear, how could you
smell anything?
18 But God made our bodies with many parts, and he has put each
part just where he wants it.
21 The eye can never say to the hand, "I don't need you." The
head can't say to the feet, "I don't need you."
22 In fact, some of the parts that seem weakest and least
important are really the most necessary.
27 Now all of you together are Christ's body, and each one of
you is a separate and necessary part of it.

Scripture says we are a Body -- not just that we are "like a
body." You ARE connected to everyone who acknowledges Jesus
Christ as Lord -- whether you like them, or think they are
necessary, or not. Whatever happens to ANY member of the Body
does have an affect on EVERY member.

Remember this the next time you are tempted to speak ill of
another believer, or mistreat them. Even if they don't believe
exactly like you, or go to the same church -- they are still
connected to you in Christ. So be nice to your Body!

SAY THIS: I am a member of Christ's Body on earth. Today I will
let Jesus Christ manifest His love and wisdom through me.

Friday, July 06, 2007

We Shall Be Like Jesus

1 JOHN 3:2 NKJ
2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been
revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is
revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

God's plan is to change you. He will not quit until you are
like Jesus Christ.

ROMANS 8:29 NKJ
29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to
the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many
brethren.

God has already made the decision. You WILL be like Jesus! (It
may take awhile -- but God has plenty of time.)

Surely this doesn't mean an identical physical appearance, but
perfection. Perfection morally, spiritually -- and yes, even
physically and mentally.

So don't be discouraged with where you are now. God is still at
work and He is no quitter.

PHILIPPIANS 1:6 NKJ
6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a
good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus
Christ;

How is God doing this? Primarily through His Word. So, stay in
the Word. The more you expose yourself to the accurate Word of
God, the more you will be changed into the likeness of Jesus
Christ.

SAY THIS: God is at work to make me like Jesus!

Thursday, July 05, 2007

Prayer Guidelines

Prayer is communication with God. Talking with Almighty God is
the greatest privilege you have.

God desires a growing relationship with you. Communication is
essential for a relationship to develop. Involve God in every
part of your life: every decision and every action. In that
sense you should pray without ceasing -- always being in
communication with God.

However, we need special prayer times focused completely on the
Lord. He is worthy of our time and attention -- and we require
this time with Him to develop spiritually.

Remember the instruction given in Psalm 100:4, "Enter into His
gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise." If
you seem to run out of words to praise God, use some of the
Psalms, or praise and give thanks in tongues (1 Corinthians
14:16-18).

Many use the model prayer our Lord gave in Matthew 6:9-13 as a
guideline for their special daily prayer time. Some of the
principles taught are:

*You are praying to your Father.
*First worship and honor God.
*Pray that God's will be done before praying about your own or
others' needs.
*Ask for God's forgiveness and help.
*Finish by praising God.

During times of prayer many find it helpful as a memory aid to
have a prayer list of people and things to pray for. Also,
keeping a journal of your prayer requests and answers is
beneficial and will bless you tremendously as the years go by.

Always base your prayer on Scripture. Scripture is God's
answer. Receiving from God in prayer involves taking His answer
(His Word) to Him and receiving your request by faith.

Also, every believer can and should develop the habit of
praying much in tongues. This not only edifies you spiritually
(1 Corinthians 14:4, Jude 1:20), but allows you to pray with a
wisdom beyond your ability and knowledge (Romans 8:26-27).

SAY THIS: Prayer is a privilege.

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Possess The Land

NUMBERS 33:53 NKJ
53 'you shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land and dwell
in it, for I have given you the land to possess.

JOSHUA 1:3 NKJ
3 "Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I
have given you, as I said to Moses.

In Old Testament times the people of God received promises to
possess the physical land. They faced literal giants keeping
them from possessing what God said was theirs.

Today we face a similar challenge: overcome the obstacles and
possess the promised blessings given in the New Testament.

How can we possess and enjoy these promised blessings?

Faith!

HEBREWS 6:12 NKJ
12 that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who
through faith and patience inherit the promises.

What belongs to us? What has God said is ours to "possess"?

"All things!"

2 PETER 1:3 NKJ
3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain
to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called
us by glory and virtue,

ROMANS 8:32 NKJ
32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for
us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all
things?

1 CORINTHIANS 3:21 NKJ
21 Therefore let no one glory in men. For all things are yours:

As New Testament believers our "giants" are demons and
unbelief. Every promise of blessing is ours to claim and
possess by faith.

SAY THIS: I will possess my "land" in Jesus' Name!

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Why Pray?

JOHN 15:5 NKJ
5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me,
and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do
nothing.

There are three reasons to pray: for God's benefit, for your
benefit, and for the benefit of others.

To Benefit God

Just as earthly parents enjoy talking with their child, our
Heavenly Father enjoys hearing from you.

Also, God desires certain things done on Earth, but He has
delegated authority to mankind. Through our requests, God can
justly intervene in earthly situations and bring His will to
pass. So, praying in line with God's Word benefits God.

To Benefit You

Prayer is communication with God. It includes listening,
discussion, and giving thanks -- not just asking for things.

Relationship requires communication. Your relationship with the
Lord will never grow without communication.

Time spent in prayer helps you stay tuned-in spiritually --
remaining sensitive to God. Prayer keeps you "connected" with
God. It helps keep your focus on God and how great He is.

Prayer is a way of humbling yourself and is the opposite of
doing things by yourself. Receiving direction from God is the
greatest help you can get. If you fail to seek God's help, you
are headed for trouble, because the devil sets traps to destroy
you.

Also, talking with God forces you to honestly face your
situation -- for you know you cannot fool God.

To Benefit Others

All around us, people are in great need. Through prayer we can
appropriate heavenly help on their behalf.

God can do more in one minute than you can do in a lifetime.

SAY THIS: I will pray because prayer is beneficial.

Monday, July 02, 2007

You Must Control The Devil

JAMES 4:7 NKJ
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee
from you.

Most believers expect God to control the devil, but God gave
you that responsibility.

EPHESIANS 4:27 NKJ
27 nor give place to the devil.

Would God tell you not to let the devil have any place, if you
had no say about it? If the devil does have a place in your
affairs, it's because you allow it.

The devil will take over -- if you let him.

Jesus won the victory. It legally belongs to you. But the devil
is a criminal, who doesn't obey the law unless forced to. You
must enforce Jesus' victory and Lordship in the situations of
life, or the devil will take control by default.

No human being, in themselves, is any match for the devil. So
you can't resist him in your own ability or name. You are not
more powerful than the devil, but you do have more authority as
a believer in Jesus Christ.

Just as a policeman in uniform has the backing of the entire
government and all its forces, so believers have the backing of
God and all His forces, when we stand against the devil in
Jesus' Name.

God gave you authority to resist the devil, and expects you to
use it. If you disobey God by not using it, things will not go
very well in your life.

Praying to God to stop the devil's operations is no different
than my son asking me to take out the trash, after I told him
to do it.

God told us to resist the devil and he would flee. We must
believe and act on God's Word.

SAY THIS: I will resist the devil and he will flee from me.

Sunday, July 01, 2007

God's Word Is A Seed

Most people expect God's Word to work like a stick of dynamite
-- but Jesus told us God's Word is like a seed.

LUKE 8:11 NKJ
11 "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

The Holy Spirit, through Peter, also said God's Word is a seed.

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,

God's Word is alive. Just like a seed -- the Bible is full of
unseen life.

JOHN 6:63 ICB
63 It is not the flesh that gives a person life. It is the
spirit that gives life. The words I told you are spirit, and so
they give life.

Jesus said His words are alive. They contain life, so they give
life. The words in your Bible may look lifeless and powerless.
Seeds do, also. But they are not without life or power.

In Mark 4:30-31, Jesus explained that the kingdom of God works
like a seed. So, if we are to understand God's kingdom and how
He operates, we need to understand seeds.

SAY THIS: God's Word is good seed. I will plant it in my life
and it will bring forth a good harvest.