Friday, August 31, 2007

Pay Your Teachers

GALATIANS 6:6-7 NLT
6 Those who are taught the word of God should help their
teachers by paying them.
7 Don't be misled. Remember that you can't ignore God and get
away with it. You will always reap what you sow!

A law of human behavior is that you will get more of what you
reward, or support. If those who teach the Bible are not
supported, less people will teach the Bible. This is not the
will of God!

If we expect to keep learning, we must support teachers.
Otherwise, without support, there will be no teachers. Then who
will be left to teach us? Basketball players? Movie stars?

1 CORINTHIANS 9:11-14 NLT
11 We have planted good spiritual seed among you. Is it too
much to ask, in return, for mere food and clothing?
12 If you support others who preach to you, shouldn't we have
an even greater right to be supported? Yet we have never used
this right. We would rather put up with anything than put an
obstacle in the way of the Good News about Christ.
13 Don't you know that those who work in the Temple get their
meals from the food brought to the Temple as offerings? And
those who serve at the altar get a share of the sacrificial
offerings.
14 In the same way, the Lord gave orders that those who preach
the Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it.

God's plan is for us to support those who teach His Word. This
will insure an ample supply of people ready to continue
teaching you, and others, the things of God. How valuable is
that to you?

(God is not pleased when we do not value His Word highly. It is
disrespectful to God, and not very smart.)

SAY THIS: I will honor God and His Word by supporting those who
preach and teach the Bible.

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Make Room For Jesus

LUKE 2:7 KJV
7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in
swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was
no room for them in the inn.

You probably think it was terrible that there was "no room in
the inn" and the baby Jesus had to be born in a stable and lay
in a manger.

If the people then truly understood who Jesus was, no doubt
they would have gladly opened their homes and provided much
better for Him. But do we not often make the same mistake?

The situation for Jesus today must be even more sad. Most of us
still do not make room for Jesus in our lives.

For some the reason is busyness, just being so caught up in
making a living and trying to take care of things that they
feel they just don't have time. (The truth is that with Jesus'
help, life will be better and easier.)

For others, it is fear: fear of what Jesus might think, or say,
or do, if He were invited, or even allowed access, into their
lives. (This fear is baseless because Jesus does not wreck
things but improves them. They need to know Jesus truly loves
them and desires the best for them, which He does.)

For some the reason is just lack of knowledge: they don't know
about Jesus and His love. (For these people, you are the
answer. You can share the wonderful story of God's love for
mankind.)

REVELATION 3:20 Living
20 "Look! I have been standing at the door, and I am constantly
knocking. If anyone hears me calling him and opens the door, I
will come in and fellowship with him and he with me.

Jesus is persistent and still reaches out in love, expecting
that someday people will see Him as He truly is, overcome their
busyness and fear and ignorance, and enthusiastically invite
Him into the center of their lives.

Jesus does not enjoy being ignored, or being put in an inferior
place. Surely Jesus would like for us to accept and appreciate
Him for what He truly is: the Central One, Creator and
Sustainer of all, who knows more and can do more than we can
even imagine.

You may acknowledge Jesus and claim He is your Lord and Savior,
but do you neglect Him, or give Him a central place?

Do you talk to Him about everything? Do you thank Him for
everything good? You should.

Jesus does not want you to feel guilty about neglecting Him. He
loves you and just wants you to return His love. Jesus desires
a central place in your life so He can bless you more.

Don't ignore Jesus.

SAY THIS: I will always make room for Jesus in my life.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

God's Word In Your Mouth

EPHESIANS 6:17 NIV
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God.

The sword, or weapon, of the spirit is speaking the Word of
God. Left sitting in a book on your shelf, it does you no good.

A weapon must be used against an adversary to be of any
benefit. Our adversary is the devil and a weapon he uses is
doubt. We must speak God's Word to actively resist doubt
defeating us.

JAMES 1:22 NIV
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.
Do what it says.

We need to personalize the Bible, and act on it. The first, and
main, way to accomplish this is to speak in agreement with what
the Bible says.

For a short basic confession to get you started, look at
http://www.believers.org/helps/basiccon.htm

SAY THIS: I take the sword of the spirit and put it in my mouth
by speaking in agreement with the Word of God.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Light and Easy

MATTHEW 11:30 KJV
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Christians often struggle in their walk with the Lord, but it
should not be so. Have you ever thought, "It's so hard to be a
Christian!"?

I have.

At one time I believed it was so difficult being a Christian
that I had no motivation to tell others about the Lord. Living
for Jesus just seemed too hard for normal people.

How wrong and deceived I was!

Never forget that the message about Jesus Christ is the gospel
-- which means good news!

If you are having a hard struggle, it's not because of what the
Lord is requiring of you. The problem lies with yourself -- in
pride and unbelief, which the Lord will help you overcome.

Walking with the Lord is meant to be a joy, not a burden. Yes,
there are trials and difficulties. But the Lord always helps us
and delivers us. (Even if it results in martyrdom, we will be
delivered!) Therefore, we can always trust in the Lord and
rejoice in Him. When we do that, every day can be a joyful day.

Living the Christian life is not supposed to be just a matter
of our willpower, but a matter of trust -- faith in our Lord
Jesus Christ. He is the One who carries the load. We are not
qualified and capable of saving ourselves by our own effort.
That's why we need a savior.

Too many people are trying to save themselves, instead of
trusting in Jesus to save them and make them into what He wants
them to be.

PHILIPPIANS 2:13 NKJ
13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for
His good pleasure.

We do need to change -- to do better and be better. But our
focus needs to be on Jesus and not on ourselves. We need to ask
Him and expect Him to work in us and change us. The Christian
life is meant to be a constant fellowship with Jesus and
looking to Him in faith. Otherwise, in our own ability, it is
impossible.

Remember, Jesus is not out to condemn us, but to help us. He
loves us, and proved it by dying in our place.

SAY THIS: Living for Jesus is easy because the Lord is my
Helper.

Monday, August 27, 2007

Eternal Life

ROMANS 6:23 NKJ
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Eternal life, or everlasting life, is more than living forever.
Eternal life is the life of God, the Eternal One.

The Greek word "aionios" is usually translated as eternal or
everlasting in the New Testament. (From this word we get our
English word "eon.")

"Zoe" is one of several Greek words that are translated life.
According to Vine's Dictionary, zoe means "life as a principle,
life in the absolute sense, life as God has it. . . . Eternal
life is the present actual possession of the believer because
of his relationship with Christ. . . ."

A note in the Translator's New Testament says, "In the New
Testament eternal life is that kind of life which is given to
all true believers in Christ. The word `eternal' draws
attention to the quality of that life, not to its duration in a
temporal sense. Thus eternal life can be experienced by
believers even while subject to the temporal conditions of
earthly life. Translators should be careful to avoid
expressions which mean no more than a timeless continuation of
life after death."

More than three times as many scriptures refer to eternal life
as a present possession, than as a future possession.

JOHN 5:24 NKJ
24 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and
believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not
come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

There is only one way to get eternal life. When a person is
born again by receiving Jesus Christ, eternal life is imparted
to that person's spirit -- making them new inwardly.

1 JOHN 3:14-15 NKJ
14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we
love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in
death.
15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that
no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

From this passage, we see that eternal life is a present-tense
possession which changes the nature of a person: turning them
into someone who cares for others. Eternal life enables people
to overcome selfishness.

Just as something with fish life in it could do what a fish
does, so someone with God's life in them can do what God does
-- which is walk in love.

SAY THIS: God has given me a new kind of life through Jesus
Christ -- His life.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Destroyed For Lack Of Knowledge

Hosea 4:6 KJV
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge . . . .

Are people's lives destroyed because God does not love them? Do
people come to ruin and live in misery because God is callous
and uncaring?

NO!

People are destroyed for lack of knowledge -- even God's
people. What kind of knowledge? Knowledge that is available in
the Bible: how to walk in faith, how to overcome, how to get
prayers answered, how to resist the devil, etc.

God is not to blame for our troubles. God has already made
provision for us. But we must avail ourselves of what God has
provided.

How can we benefit from God's great provision if we don't even
know about it? So, we should seek the knowledge of God on our
own, and receive teaching from others, also.

There is not one among us who does not have much to learn. No
one yet is walking in the absolute fullness of what God has
provided.

This must be one of the saddest verses in the Bible. To think
that God's people are destroyed simply because of a lack of
knowledge. As God's children, they are our brothers and
sisters. It is our relatives being destroyed, and we should do
what we can to stop it.

Let us resolve to quit giving place to the devil by our lack of
knowledge of God's Word. Then we can share with others what we
have learned, and they can walk in freedom and victory, too.

SAY THIS: I will study God's Word so I can know the truth and
not let the devil destroy me for lack of knowledge.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Jesus Is The Only Way

JOHN 14:6 NKJ
6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No
one comes to the Father except through Me.

The word translated "way" means road. Jesus is the road to God.

The Bible is clear. Jesus did not lie. There is no salvation or
entree into Heaven without receiving Jesus Christ.

ACTS 4:12 NIV
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other
name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

The Bible clearly teaches there is only one name by which
people can be saved. That name is not Buddha, Confucius, or
Mohammed, but the Lord Jesus Christ.

There is no other way to God than through Jesus Christ.

SAY THIS: Jesus is the way for me to God.

Friday, August 24, 2007

God Is Just

PSALM 89:14 NIV
14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
love and faithfulness go before you.

Every decent human being deeply detests injustice. When we see
it in life, or even in a movie, it agitates us. Nothing makes
our blood boil more than injustice.

We instinctively know injustice is wrong because God put that
within us when He made us in His image. You can be sure that
God's reign will never involve injustice of any kind.

PSALM 11:7 ICB
7 The Lord does what is right, and he loves justice. So honest
people will see his face.

While we may not understand all that God might do in judging
the human race, surely we can be confident with Abraham who
said in Genesis 18:25, "Will not the Judge of all the earth do
right?".

God is fair. God is just. God does what is right. God is
righteous. All these statements are equivalent.

People who would condemn God now are judging Him before the
time -- before all the evidence is in -- before God has
finished His great work with mankind. Then, and then only,
shall we see and understand the greatness of the mercy and the
justice of our wonderful God.

ISAIAH 9:7 NIV
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no
end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.

SAY THIS: God is fair and just, and He is the ultimate and only
judge that really matters.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

God Is Not Poor

PSALM 50:12 NASB
12 "If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is
Mine, and all it contains.

HAGGAI 2:8 NASB
8 `The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,' declares the LORD
of hosts.

You probably knew that God is rich. But have you thought about
what that means?

Since God is not poor, surely He would not desire His children
to suffer poverty.

Misunderstanding has developed because most Christians think
Jesus was poor and that His followers should also be poor. Not
necessarily true, but a strong tradition.

Why did God create all the wealth of this world? Surely not for
the devil and his crowd.

God does not withhold good from us but desires blessing for all
His children. If it were otherwise, God would not even be as
good as earthly parents.

Any court would condemn an earthly father, who, although rich,
withheld support from his children. Should we think our Father
God is any less loving and caring and giving than an earthly
father? NO! Jesus taught that our Heavenly Father is much more
gracious and generous than any earthly father.

MATTHEW 7:11 NASB
11 "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to
your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven
give what is good to those who ask Him!

Just because you have not yet received the fullness of God's
blessing does not mean God does not desire that you have it. We
must grow up and quit blaming God. Instead, we should seek Him
for understanding and help to receive all He has for us.

Yes, God warns against trusting in riches or being deceived by
them. Anything can be dangerous if not used properly. Fire can
maim and kill, yet properly controlled it is a great blessing.
So it is with money.

God is not against His children having wealth. He just does not
want us to trust in it and worship it.

PSALM 35:27 NASB
27 . . ."The LORD be magnified, who delights in the prosperity
of His servant."

Let's line our thinking up with the Bible and quit letting the
devil rob us of the blessings God intends for us.

SAY THIS: God is my wealthy Father Who loves me and delights to
bless me.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

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, August 21, 2007

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, August 20, 2007

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, August 19, 2007

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, August 18, 2007

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, August 17, 2007

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, August 16, 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.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

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, August 14, 2007

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.

Monday, August 13, 2007

Divorce

MALACHI 2:16 NIV
16 "I hate divorce," says the LORD God of Israel, "and I hate a
man's covering himself with violence as well as with his
garment," says the LORD Almighty. So guard yourself in your
spirit, and do not break faith.

God hates divorce because He loves people. Keep that in focus.
Divorce hurts people, so God is against it. But God is NOT
against the person who is divorced.

Many reading this have been divorced, and would agree that
divorce is no fun for anyone. It is devastating, ranking right
up with the death of a spouse or a child in causing stress.

Divorce does not usually solve problems, but creates more
problems. Whatever is causing conflict and trouble will almost
surely still be there after a divorce.

If you are thinking about getting a divorce -- don't.

(Of course, if your life is in danger, you should protect
yourself.)

With God's love and faith, anything can be faced and overcome.
God, who raises the dead, can also resurrect your marriage and
give you love for each other.

If you have been divorced, God is not mad at you. He still
loves you. (Remember, the reason God is against divorce is that
He loves you and wants to spare you the pain and suffering.)

Divorce is NOT the unforgivable sin. And remember, when God
forgives He forgets. While it is true that you may continue to
suffer effects of a divorce in this natural realm, as far as
God is concerned, it can be forgiven and forgotten.

SAY THIS: God hates divorce because He loves people, including
me.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

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 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, August 11, 2007

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, August 10, 2007

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, August 09, 2007

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, August 08, 2007

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, August 07, 2007

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, August 06, 2007

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, August 05, 2007

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.

Saturday, August 04, 2007

A Member Of The Body

1 CORINTHIANS 12:12 NKJ
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the
members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is
Christ.

Each individual believer IS also part of the Body of Christ,
which is composed of all believers.

(This is the work of God. Not something we "join.")

Think how insane it would be for you to allow your hand to
attack some other member of your body. It's just as crazy for
us, as members of the Body of Christ, to attack other members.

ROMANS 12:4-5 NKJ
4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members
do not have the same function,
5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually
members of one another.

Other members have different callings -- different functions.
But your job is not to oppose them -- even though you may not
understand them, or why they do what they do. Just leave that
to the Head of the Body -- and do what He tells YOU to do.

You are not the Head of the Body of Christ -- Jesus is. He is
responsible for, and capable of, coordinating all we do so our
actions will accomplish His plan. Members of a body have
different functions, but all are necessary for the body to
function properly.

When you don't obey Jesus, the Head of the Body, you are a drag
on the rest of the members.

Think what a difficult time you would have accomplishing
anything if each member of your body did whatever it felt like
-- instead of obeying orders from your brain.

SAY THIS: I am a member of the Body of Christ.

Thursday, August 02, 2007

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.

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

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.