Friday, November 30, 2007

You Are Delivered From The Devil

COLOSSIANS 1:13 NKJ
13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed
us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,

Many people are afraid of the devil. As believers we have no
need to be afraid of the devil, although we should be aware and
on guard against his schemes.

The only true power the devil holds over a believer now is the
power of deception. If you do not know the truth the devil will
take advantage of you. The only way to know the truth is to
read, understand, and act on the Scriptures.

To illustrate, imagine entering the hospital room of a patient
paralyzed from their neck down. All they can do is talk. They
pose no threat to you, unless they convince you to take the gun
from beside the bed and shoot yourself with it.

(How could they do that? One way would be to convince you that
the gun was not real or not loaded, so it wouldn't harm you.)

You may think this is ridiculous, but it happens constantly
with people who do not realize that the words they speak are
powerful, and that the ideas they speak originate with the
devil. Every day the devil convinces millions of people to take
a spiritual "weapon" -- their words -- and use it against
themselves.

The devil operates against you through fear and ignorance.
God's Word gives you the information that will set you free
from both fear and ignorance.

HEBREWS 2:14-15 NASB
14 Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself
likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might
render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the
devil;
15 and might deliver those who through fear of death were
subject to slavery all their lives.

MARK 16:17 NKJ
17 "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name
they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;

For believers to cast out demons, it means they must have
authority over the devil and his forces. However, unused
authority conveys no benefit.

SAY THIS: Jesus is my lord, and the devil has no power over me.
I have been delivered from the devil's authority. I am free, so
leave me alone, devil!

Thursday, November 29, 2007

You Are Forgiven

2 CORINTHIANS 5:19 AMPLIFIED
19 It was God (personally present) in Christ, reconciling and
restoring the world to favor with Himself, not counting up and
holding against [men] their trespasses [but cancelling them];
and committing to us the message of reconciliation -- of the
restoration to favor.

Most people mistakenly think they have to beg God to forgive
them. Instead, God has already forgiven. It was His idea --
done on His own initiative.

(Whether you accept God's forgiveness and benefit from it is
another question.)

1 JOHN 2:12 NKJ
12 I write to you, little children, because your sins are
forgiven you for His name's sake.

No matter what you have done -- God has already forgiven you!

God is not mad at you. Instead He loves you and desires to have
a close relationship with you. Yes, God is against sin, because
sin is harmful to humans. But He has already made provision for
you to be forgiven and set free from sin.

Jesus Christ paid the price for all your sins -- and God is no
longer holding any sin against you! You have been forgiven.
When you accept that, you can begin to receive the benefit of
Jesus' sacrifice.

EPHESIANS 1:7 NKJ
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness
of sins, according to the riches of His grace

COLOSSIANS 2:13 NKJ
13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the
uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with
Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,

Through Jesus we have redemption from the devil and forgiveness
for our sins.

Wouldn't it be great if you could tell someone who has messed
up their life that God is not mad at them and not against them?
That He desires to be their friend and help them?

SAY THIS: Thank You Father God for forgiving me and loving me.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

You Are Healed

1 PETER 2:24 NKJ
24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that
we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness -- by
whose stripes you were healed.

"Time" is difficult to understand. Scientists tell us that time
is "relative," just something that seems real to us.

The Bible indicates God is "outside of time." God created time
so He is not confined to it. Can we easily comprehend this? No.

When a human makes a statement that is not true at this present
moment in time, we call it a lie -- not the truth.

But when God says something that does not seem to be true at
this moment -- we cannot accuse Him of telling a lie -- because
God is not limited to our time frame. (Also, we do not know
everything.)

Having said all that, the Bible clearly says that you ARE
healed.

ISAIAH 53:4-5 NRSV
4 Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases;
yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and
afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our
iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and
by his bruises we are healed.

So, you have a choice. You can look at it from your perspective
and say, "That is not true. I am not healed."

Or, you can view the situation from God's perspective, and
because of your faith in Him, agree with what He said.

Which choice is best? As you decide your answer, remember to
include eternity in your evaluation. Pleasing God by accepting
His Word can bring benefits to you after this life.

Here is one way of understanding all this. God made provision
for everyone to be healed. That provision must be received by
faith -- by believing and acting on what God has said in His
Word. Humans have a choice: believe God's Word and resist
anything that would try to steal their health, or, let their
feelings and circumstances control them.

If you disagree with all this, let's not argue or fight. That
will not help anyone. But remember, the Bible will still say
what it says.

MATTHEW 8:16-17 NKJ
16 When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were
demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and
healed all who were sick,
17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the
prophet, saying: "He Himself took our infirmities and bore our
sicknesses."

God made provision for your healing, but the devil tries to
steal it away from you.

Here is the bottom line: we do not understand everything. God
does. Since God loves us, it seems best to trust in Him instead
of trusting in our own limited understanding. So, I choose to
believe and say what God says, whether I understand it or not.

SAY THIS: The Bible says I am healed. I choose to agree with
what God has said in the Bible.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Hold Fast Your Confession

Your confession is what you say. The Bible tells you to hang on
tight to saying God's Word.

HEBREWS 10:23 NKJ
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without
wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

God has no reason to tell us to hold fast, or hang on tight, to
our confession, unless someone, or something, will be trying to
get us to turn loose of it — and say something else.

HEBREWS 3:1 NKJ
1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling,
consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ
Jesus,

HEBREWS 4:14 NKJ
14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed
through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our
confession.

Jesus is the High Priest of our confession — what we say. He
represents us before God with the words we speak.

The Bible says:

You are righteous in Christ. Romans 3:22

You are forgiven. Colossians 2:13

You are healed. 1 Peter 2:24

You are delivered from the devil. Colossians 1:13

You can do all things through Christ. Philippians 4:13

You are strong in the Lord. Ephesians 6:10

The Greater One is in you. 1 John 4:4

The Lord is guiding you. John 16:13

God is working in you. Philippians 2:13

The Lord is your helper. Hebrews 13:6

Jesus became poor to make you rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9

You may wonder why you should say what God says in the Bible
about you. First, God is looking for faith, and second, it is
the Word planted in your life that will make you free. Speaking
God's Word is a way of planting it in you.

Yes, it can take faith to say what the Bible says about you.
Especially when you don't feel like it and the circumstances
don't agree, either. But we have to choose: will we rely on our
feelings, or God's Word? Do we trust the circumstances more
than God's Word?

But you may say, "What the Word says is just not true in my
life." You are the establishing witness. God has said something
about you. Now when you come into agreement with Him, it will
become manifest in your life.

MARK 11:23 NKJ
23 "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain,
`Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in
his heart, but believes that those things he says will come to
pass, he will have whatever he says.

Jesus told us that we will have whatever we say — if we believe
it. It will come to pass. So you see why the devil tries to get
us to quit saying God's Word, which will set us free.

SAY THIS: I will say what God says about me — regardless of my
feelings or circumstances.

Monday, November 26, 2007

Speak God's Word

EPHESIANS 6:17 NKJ
17 And 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 not the Bible laying on
a shelf, but God's Word being spoken by a believer.

You must take it. Your spiritual weapon is speaking the Word of
God. You must take the Word and speak it — just like Jesus did
(Matthew 4:4).

Our battle is not against humans, but evil spiritual forces,
which requires us to use spiritual weapons to prevail and
prosper. That weapon is speaking the Word of God.

Jesus defeated the devil for you. However, you must enforce
that defeat by speaking and standing in agreement with God.
Only then will you see Jesus' victory manifest in your life.

Of course, before you can speak the Word, you have to know the
Word. It must be fed in before you can expect it to come out in
a time of need. And you never know when you will be attacked
with something designed to steal, kill, and destroy you.

Keep on saying what God's Word says -- no matter what.

HEBREWS 10:23 NKJ
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without
wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

Hang on tight to speaking the Word, because the devil doesn't
want you to stick with the Word. Count on being tempted to NOT
say what God says. The devil does not want you to use your
spiritual weapon of speaking the Word.

Speak the Word of God:
1. To yourself first.
2. To God in thanks and praise.
3. To the devil.
4. To circumstances.

SAY THIS: I will say what God says. I will keep God's Word in
my mouth.

Sunday, November 25, 2007

God's Word Is Alive

HEBREWS 4:12 NIV
12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any
double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and
spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes
of the heart.

The Bible is different than any other book you may read -- it
contains life. You don't have to understand it, any more than
you have to understand nuclear radiation to experience its
effects. You just need to expose yourself to it.

What is the Word of God active in doing? Bringing forth after
its kind. Producing life in you. Producing a harvest of peace,
joy, righteousness, and freedom in your life.

If you are not enjoying peace, joy, righteousness, and freedom,
then your answer is the Word of God.

The Bible, especially the message of Jesus Christ in the New
Testament, will set you free and make you whole, if you
continue in it.

However, just because you have fed on God's Word in one area,
does not mean you will be free in every area of life.

For example, you could plant hundreds of tomato seeds in a
garden and never harvest one carrot. Why? You never planted any
carrot seed!

God's Word works the same way as a seed. The Word must be
planted inside you to bear fruit in your life.

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

Just because you plant the seed from God's Word about spiritual
rebirth does not mean you can expect a harvest of financial
prosperity.

Scriptures about prosperity must be planted in you, and
watered, before you can expect a harvest of prosperity.

Even if you plant much seed from God's Word concerning health
and healing, you will not automatically have a harvest of a
successful marriage and family life.

Each seed of God's Word has to be planted to produce fruit in
your life in that area.

MATTHEW 4:4 NKJ
4 But He answered and said, "It is written, `Man shall not live
by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth
of God.' "

SAY THIS: God's Word is alive and working to produce good in my
life.

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Every Good Gift Is From Above

JAMES 1:17 WEY
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.

Whatever good that you enjoy in life is because of God. Because
of His love for you, He created it.

Do you enjoy eating good food? Who designed that food? Who
planned it all out so you could have it and enjoy it?

Do you enjoy beautiful scenes in nature -- sunsets, flowers,
butterflies, wild animals, mountains? God created them all for
your pleasure.

Do you enjoy a mother's love? God created mothers and put
within them the capacity to love their children.

Do you enjoy the love of a spouse? God created them and put
within them the capacity to love you.

I could go on.

When you think this through, you realize that God actually
loves you and helps you through other people. He put the love
within them - - so He is the ultimate source of the love you
receive from others.

Everything good about life is attributable to God. Everything
that we enjoy -- He created it, or the raw materials and the
ability for humans to produce it.

As you think of all this, I hope you are struck with two
thoughts: I would like to be closer to this kind of God, and I
should be more thankful to God for more things than I have
been.

SAY THIS: Thank you God my Father for all the good you have
created, designed, and provided for me.

Friday, November 23, 2007

The Love Of Christ Is Beyond Comprehension

EPHESIANS 3:18-19 NLT
18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God's
people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his
love really is.
19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great
you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled
with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

How can words describe, or humans fully understand, something
that is as deep as God Himself? God's love is greater than
words have the ability to communicate. It is impossible to put
into language.

How can you explain the unexplainable? How can you know
something that is beyond the ability of human knowledge to
comprehend? You would have to be God Himself to fully
understand why He loves you the way He does. Don't expect to
ever understand it. But you can accept it. You can believe it.
You can experience it and enjoy it.

God's love for you was demonstrated in redemption. God took
your place and suffered what you deserved, so you could be
forgiven and go free. God proved that He loved you more than He
loves Himself. He did not spare Himself to help you.

God's love for you is also evident in creation. Not just in
abundant provision, but also in all the beauty He created for
your enjoyment. What a wonderful display of the loving and
giving nature of God. Not only did He make everything we need,
but He made it in abundance -- and with great variety.

Every good thing in life was created by God for you because of
His great love for you.

SAY THIS: I accept the love of Christ: God loves me. Lord, help
me to embrace the reality of your love, which is greater than
words can tell.

Thursday, November 22, 2007

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 21, 2007

Be Thankful

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

It seems the more people have the less thankful they become.
Today complaints are abundant, but thank you's are few.

COLOSSIANS 3:15 NKJ
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also
you were called in one body; and be thankful.

Being thankful is not a choice for a Christian. If it was
impossible, God would not have told us to do it.

So, why are people not thankful?

Gratitude is a mark of maturity. Ingratitude is a mark of
immaturity. Babies are never thankful.

Neither are proud people thankful. Why? Because their mindset
is that they deserve not just everything they have, but even
better. "Why be thankful for something less than what you
deserve?" describes their thinking.

A funny thing you will notice if you consider it: unthankful
people are never happy. In fact, the more thankful a person is,
the happier they are.

(This is an example of how acting on God's Word is for our
benefit. God didn't invent commands just to be bossy.)

You will not be bothered with depression if you act on the
Word of God and "be thankful." The cure for unhappiness is
being thankful. Try it.

But how can you overcome the bad habit of ingratitude? Only by
changing your core beliefs. As long as you believe you are
getting a raw deal, or less than you deserve, you will never
become a thankful person.

But if you realize that you deserved punishment and eternal
separation from God -- yet in His mercy God instead gave you
what He deserved, and EVERYTHING you have -- including every
breath you breathe -- is a gift -- then you will become a
thankful person.

SAY THIS: I give thanks to the Lord for He is good, and His
mercy endures forever. I will be thankful for all God does for
me.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

A Perfect Friend

PROVERBS 18:24 RSV
24 There are friends who pretend to be friends, but there is a
friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Would you like to have a perfect friend?

A friend who loved you no matter what you did.

A friend who would always be there when you needed them.

A friend who knew you intimately yet still loved you.

A friend who always encouraged you and never put you down.

A friend who was smart but not conceited.

A friend who had no personal problems to distract them.

A friend who was powerful and famous, yet down-to-earth and
approachable.

A friend who is righteous yet merciful to others.

A friend who never makes a mistake.

A friend who enjoyed having a good time and sharing a laugh
with you.

A friend who had the knowledge and ability to help you with
everything.

A friend who is not too good to wash your feet or clean your
toilet, yet talented enough to be the best at everything.

A friend who puts your interests ahead of their own.

A friend who loves you more than you love yourself.

A friend who would be willing to die for you.

There is only one. His name is Jesus, and He wants to be your
friend.

SAY THIS: Jesus is my friend.

Monday, November 19, 2007

Keep Your Heart With All Diligence

PROVERBS 4:23 NKJ
23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the
issues of life.

You have probably heard the saying concerning computers, "Input
equals output." Or, the more popular term, "Garbage in,
garbage out."

That does not apply to just computers, but also to human
beings. If what we feed in is bad, we cannot expect the results
to be good.

Today we are constantly bombarded with messages on every side.
Everyone wants to influence us to do something -- usually to
buy their product or service.

Distraction is a major problem we face. Because of the
information overload we must deal with, it is easy to be
distracted from what is most important: God's Word.

It is not so much that the information we are feeding into our
hearts and minds is necessarily bad, just that it can easily
crowd out what is most important from our lives.

PROVERBS 4:20-22 NKJ
20 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my
sayings.
21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the
midst of your heart;
22 For they are life to those who find them, And health to all
their flesh.

God's Word is not just another message, but something that has
life in it. Just because your senses are not aware of the life
emanating from God's Word is no proof. Nuclear radiation is
also unseen and unfelt -- but, as we know, can quickly kill
you. God's Word is the opposite -- it radiates life.

HEBREWS 4:12 BBE
12 For the word of God is living and full of power, and is
sharper than any two-edged sword, cutting through and making a
division even of the soul and the spirit, the bones and the
muscles, and quick to see the thoughts and purposes of the
heart.

God is our Source of existence. In His Word there is a deposit
of life from Him that we require to live and operate optimally.
That means that without a constant feeding on the Word of God,
you are living below what God intended for you.

SAY THIS: I will keep my heart with all diligence. I will feed
in the Word of God which gives life.

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Give Attention To My Words

PROVERBS 4:20-22 NKJ
20 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my
sayings.
21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the
midst of your heart;
22 For they are life to those who find them, And health to all
their flesh.

Giving attention to God's Word is not as easy as it once was.
Today we have a multitude of distractions. Busyness seems to be
a disease shared by everyone. We all have more than we can do.

Yet . . .

God doesn't change. His Word doesn't change. It still says the
same thing it did a thousand years ago -- and it will still say
the same thing a thousand years from now.

"Give attention to my words...."

We are confronted with a choice. What is most important? To
what shall we give our limited time? God, or....?

God makes promises no one else does -- or can. He created, so
He knows how things work.

Life. Life in its fullness. Life as God intended it to be. And
health. Isn't that what everyone would like? That is the
written guarantee offered by God to the human race -- for
paying attention to what He has said.

SAY THIS: I choose to pay attention to God's Word. I choose
life and health. I choose God.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

The Greater One Is In You

1 JOHN 4:4 NASB
4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them;
because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the
world.

There are two vital points in this verse, which is addressed to
believers. (If you have not welcomed Jesus Christ and the Holy
Spirit into your life -- none of this applies to you.)

FIRST, God is IN you -- not far off somewhere.

Yes, God is in Heaven -- but that is not the only place He is.
By the Holy Spirit, God now has His dwelling place in you! You
don't have to "try to reach God." He is right there! What you
need to do is to cultivate an awareness of His presence. This,
along with communication, is the way to develop a closer
relationship with God.

Knowing that God lives in you, and that He loves you, should
banish all fear from your life. Fear of failure should have no
place. Fear of what other people think should not bother you.
Fear of problems that may come up should be of no concern. You
have God living in you!

2 CORINTHIANS 6:16 LB
16 And what union can there be between God's temple and idols?
For you are God's temple, the home of the living God, and God
has said of you, "I will live in them and walk among them, and
I will be their God and they shall be my people."

SECOND, God, Who is within you, is greater. Greater than any
problem. Greater than any difficulty. Greater than the devil.
Greater than anything you will ever face.

1 JOHN 4:4 ICB
4 My dear children, you belong to God. So you have defeated
them because God's Spirit, who is in you, is greater than the
devil, who is in the world.

This is the Word of God. We must embrace it and live in the
light of it. We must meditate on it and speak it. We must
resist any contrary thought the enemy might try to place in our
thinking.

SAY THIS: God, Who is in me, is greater than anything I will
ever face. The Greater One is in me.

Friday, November 16, 2007

Overcome That Problem You Face

I JOHN 5:4 NIV
4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the
victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

Yes, we do face difficulties in life, but they only give us an
opportunity to trust the Lord and overcome. Without problems we
would have nothing to overcome, and thus not be able to receive
all the blessings promised to those who do overcome.

There are seven promises given to overcomers in the second and
third chapters of Revelation. Here is the last one:

REVELATION 3:21 NIV
21 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me
on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on
his throne.

As you face the problems of life, keep your eyes on your
destination, just as Jesus did. Walk close to God and depend on
Him. He will not fail you.

I JOHN 4:4 NIV
4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them,
because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in
the world.

SAY THIS: I am an overcomer in Christ Jesus. The Lord is my
Helper. The One Who is in me is greater than any problem.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Jesus Is Lord!

PHILIPPIANS 2:9-11 NKJ
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the
name which is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in
heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

No matter what it may seem like at times, Jesus Christ is Lord.
He is ruler, boss, king: the One ultimately in charge.

He just hasn't exercised His prerogative and taken charge of
everything yet.

Jesus is not currently micro-managing everything on earth. He
is not responsible for every mistake, accident, and bad thing
happening in the world.

God has allowed mankind to "try things our way" so we may see
the folly of going our own way in rebellion to God.

But this won't last forever. God has a plan with a limited
amount of time allotted for this part of history.

Although God has set certain boundaries, basically human beings
are now in control on earth. We are free to choose. Because we
are free to choose, we bear the responsibility for the
consequences of our chosen actions.

All that is bad in the world today is the result of choices
people made. God is not to blame. His only blame is that He
allowed us the freedom to choose.

One day Jesus will exercise His authority and put a stop to all
evil. Not only that, but He will eliminate the curse and all
its effects. He will make all things new, whole, and sound
again.

One day everyone will see and acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus
Christ. You have that privilege today.

SAY THIS: Jesus Christ is Lord and I am glad!

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Control Your Words

1 PETER 4:11 NIV
11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very
words of God. . . .

When you speak what the Bible says, you are speaking the very
words of God. Anything contrary to what the Bible says, should
never be spoken by a Christian.

EPHESIANS 4:29 NIV
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but
only what is helpful for building others up according to their
needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

JAMES 4:11 NKJ
11 Do not speak evil of one another . . . .

TITUS 3:2 NKJ
2 to speak evil of no one . . . .

You are responsible for what you say. If you cannot say
something good, the Bible is clear: keep quiet.

SAY THIS: Lord please help me to keep quiet unless I have
something to say that would be acceptable to you.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Don't Give Me What I Deserve

Do you really want what you deserve? Maybe you should first
find out what you really deserve.

PSALM 103:8-10 NIV
8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger,
abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger
forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us
according to our iniquities.

Thank God that I don't get what I deserve! People clamoring to
get what they deserve are really in the dark.

God is the judge and He declares that we have all fallen short
-- none of us deserves good. But the wonderful news is that God
loves us so much that He is not giving us what we deserve. But
it doesn't stop there. It gets better. Believers are actually
going to receive what Jesus deserves!

Jesus took what we deserved -- punishment. And now, because of
His great love, offers us what He deserves -- freely as a gift
of love.

How can you not respond to Someone like that!

SAY THIS: Thank You, Lord for not giving me what I deserve, but
being merciful and gracious and giving me what you deserve
instead.

Monday, November 12, 2007

How High Are The Heavens Above The Earth?

PSALM 103:11 NIV
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is
his love for those who fear him;

If you understood how much God loves you -- your life would be
different.

Fear and worry would have no power over you any longer. Fear
has no torment for someone basking in the sunlight of Almighty
God's love.

This passage in Psalm 103 attempts to picture the size or
extent of God's love. It is not portrayed as simply big as the
highest mountain. No, no -- far more. As high as the sky is
above the earth. That is the picture God wants you to see when
you think of how great His love is for YOU.

How do I know this? Just from what the Bible says. And from
what God did in and through Jesus Christ to redeem you. He paid
a mighty price for you -- because His love for you is so great.

But, you may ask, "Why is my life going so poorly if God really
does love me so much?" That is a valid question, but not the
same one as whether God loves you. The quick answer is that God
has made provision for us -- but most of us are not taking
advantage of the help He offers.

Put another way, we are not acting on God's instructions --
whether out of ignorance or for some other reason. When you
don't follow a proven recipe you cannot expect a good outcome.

God has no desire to condemn us for our failure, but instead
desires to invite us into His fellowship and His way of doing
things. It is through His Word that this will happen in our
lives. So, read the Bible to see how much God loves you, but
also remember that it is because of His great love for you that
He gave you the instructions found in the Bible. They are for
your benefit -- not God's benefit.

SAY THIS: God's love for me is greater than I can see or
understand. His love caused Him to give me the Bible, so I
could know the truth and be set free.

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Forgive Others As God Has Forgiven You

COLOSSIANS 3:13 NKJ
13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if
anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave
you, so you also must do.

Forgiving others for deep hurts seems to be one of the hardest
things a human being can do. In fact -- very few are successful
in forgiving.

Yet, in the Bible God commands us to forgive. Is God overly
demanding, or...?

God is smart. That is why He commands us to forgive. (Also
because He loves us and desires the best for us.) God knows how
terribly destructive it is for us to harbor unforgiveness. Not
forgiving someone can literally kill you.

Unforgiveness is a poison that eats away at your spiritual,
mental, and physical health and life.

Knowing that, God strictly tells us to forgive. But how can we?
We are just human, and we don't feel like forgiving when
someone has wronged us severely.

(You may think it is impossible to forgive someone who hurt
you. With God it is possible. He never asks us to do something
we cannot do.)

The answer is in receiving God's help, enabling you to forgive.
First, you must be "born again" spiritually by receiving Jesus
Christ as Lord. That means you receive new life in your inner
being, giving you a new nature -- a nature of love instead of
selfishness.

Next, when you are wronged, you need to ask the Lord to help
you forgive the person who hurt you. Having done that, you must
make a firm decision to quit holding anything against that
person.

Forgiveness is not a feeling but a decision to quit holding
something against someone. When you forgive you must release
them and forget it.

You must forgive by faith, after asking God to help you.
Feelings always follow faith -- not the other way around.

How can we humans forgive others just as God has forgiven us?
Having God's help is necessary. Only His love in our hearts can
enable us.

You must forgive others -- no matter what they have done. To
not forgive hurts you. You must forgive.

SAY THIS: With God's help, I will forgive others as God has
forgiven me.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

You Are God's Garden

1 CORINTHIANS 3:9 LB
9 We are only God's coworkers. You are God's garden, not ours;
you are God's building, not ours.

We discovered that God's Word is a seed (Luke 8:11). Now we see
that the Bible says that we, as believers, are God's garden --
the place where seed is planted.

The question for you to consider is: who determines the
harvest? God, or you?

(The harvest I speak of is the fruit, or result, of the Word of
God. The harvest of blessing that God's Word produces in your
life.)

I suggest that the harvest is mainly controlled by the one who
determines what seed is planted. Would you agree?

If wheat seed is planted, it is unreasonable to expect a
harvest of corn. If only a few seeds are planted, it is
unreasonable to expect a large harvest. Wouldn't you agree?

Yes, you are God's field, but He allows you a lot of freedom to
choose what will be produced in your life. And the main way you
choose is by choosing what seed will be planted in your heart
and mind.

You can choose something other than God's Word. You can also
choose different areas of God's Word. Planting different
scriptures will produce different results in your life.

If all you ever plant are scriptures on the new birth, you
cannot expect to have a huge harvest of healing or financial
blessing in your life. The choice is yours.

SAY THIS: I am God's garden. Lord, help me plant the seed of
your Word in me in abundance.

Friday, November 09, 2007

God's Word Is Like A Seed

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

A seed is powerful.

As a seed begins to grow, it will push up dirt, rocks, etc.
Whatever the obstacles are, God's Word planted in your heart
will push them out of the way.

A seed begins its growth in secret (underground).

The only way to tell if a seed is growing is to dig it up, or
wait for a plant to appear. If you dig up a seed, you may kill
it.

A seed takes time to produce.

No one expects a seed to produce a harvest the same day that
seed is planted.

Sometimes the Word of God seems to spring up and bear fruit
immediately. Yet, if we knew the details, we would understand
that the fruit of the Word grew in that person's life over
time.

A seed is persistent.

A seed never gives up, but works day and night. Even when you
are sleeping, the seed you have planted is working to grow and
express itself in a fruitful harvest.

A seed is not affected by other seeds.

Whatever happens to other seeds does not make any difference to
a specific seed. Each seed sticks to its own task. One wheat
seed planted in a corn field will still produce wheat. Seed
does not become discouraged, or quit, even if other seeds die.

A seed will stop growing without nourishment.

Planting a seed is not enough to assure a harvest. Seed must be
protected and taken care of until harvest time. A seed which is
dug up, or not watered, will not produce.

More seeds planted produce a larger harvest.

2 CORINTHIANS 9:6 NKJ
6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap
sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap
bountifully.

Think on these truths about seeds. Allow the Holy Spirit to
help you apply them to the role of God's Word in your life.

SAY THIS: God's Word is the most important seed. I will
diligently plant it in my life, so God can be glorified in my
life.

Saturday, November 03, 2007

You Are A Citizen of Heaven

PHILIPPIANS 3:20 NRSV
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that
we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

As a believer in Jesus Christ, you have a new citizenship. Your
name is written in Heaven. Heaven is your homeland.

Because you are its citizen, Heaven is responsible for you. If
necessary, Heaven will send its soldiers (angels) to assist
you, and when necessary, to evacuate you.

Although we live on earth, we operate under the laws of our
homeland, Heaven, as well as the laws of earth.

As a citizen you have certain rights and obligations. To
understand them you need to read the Bible with the help of
illumination by the Holy Spirit. You need to ask the Lord to
teach you and give you understanding of these things.

COLOSSIANS 1:13 NRSV
13 He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred
us into the kingdom of his beloved Son,

As believers, we are no longer under the authority or control
of the devil. We have been transferred into a new kingdom.

One of our rights as citizens of Heaven is to resist the devil
and all his works. Anything that is of the devil, we do not
have to submit to.

SAY THIS: I am a citizen of Heaven. Jesus is my Lord and King!

Friday, November 02, 2007

How God's Word Will Make You Free

John 8:31-32 NRSV
31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you
continue in my word, you are truly my disciples;
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you
free."

Notice carefully what Jesus actually said. It is not those who
"start in the word" or "try the word for awhile" who will be
made free. You must continue in Jesus' message -- His Word. It
must be His accurate message -- not just someone's idea of it,
or tradition.

Some translations use the word "abide" instead of "continue."
Abide means to stay somewhere continually. Either way, the
meaning involves staying with it.

Note that Jesus said in verse 32, "and you will KNOW the truth
. . ." Just hearing the truth does not necessarily make you
free. You must KNOW that it is the truth. When you KNOW
something, you will act on it. If you are not acting on
something, you do not yet truly KNOW it. You act on what you
know.

Hearing the truth is not enough. Loving the truth is not
enough. Even speaking the truth is not enough. You must
continue until you know that you know that you know that you
know. Only then are you at the point where truth will make you
free. The reason is that only then will you be able to act with
faith and boldness on God's Word.

The devil is against you and is intent on keeping you in
bondage. Only when you KNOW where you stand will you act in
faith and overcome the strategies of the devil.

You may ask, "How can I KNOW the truth? I just have weak
faith."

Jesus gave the answer: continue in His Word. As you continue in
the Word of God you will become convinced -- you will know --
you will have faith. When you reach the point of knowing
something -- you will act on that knowledge. In this way the
truth will make you free.

This works in every area of life: your relationships, your
health, your finances -- everything. Continue in the Word of
God in any subject -- and you will eventually see the fruit of
freedom in that area of your life.

God gave you His Word for your benefit -- not for His benefit.
He already knows the truth, and always acts on it. You are the
one who needs help. Because God loves you, He gave you His
Word.

SAY THIS: I will continue in the message of Jesus Christ. As I
do I will know the truth. As I act on that truth it will make
me free.

Thursday, November 01, 2007

God's Word Will Make You Free

John 8:31-32 NRSV
31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you
continue in my word, you are truly my disciples;
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you
free."

Many people think God's Word will put them into bondage. (I
used to think that.) Like most of the world's ideas, this is
opposite to the truth.

A major reason people go their own way instead of turning to
Jesus Christ is because they think following Him and His Word
will restrict them and keep them from enjoying life. What a
deception!

The only way to know true freedom in this life is found through
the Word of God: the Bible.

Also notice that the "truth" Jesus refers to is found in His
Word. Just knowing any "truth" does not guarantee freedom.

If you desire freedom, you now know the guaranteed formula to
achieve it. Will you follow the directions?

SAY THIS: I will continue in the message of Jesus Christ. As I
do I will know the truth. As I act on that truth it will make
me free.