Sunday, August 31, 2008

God Is An Artist

EPHESIANS 2:10 WEY
10 For we are God's own handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for
good works which He has pre-destined us to practise.

Look around. See for yourself. God is an artist extraordinaire!

When we gaze at a beautiful sunset, or look at the infinitely
varied forms of life we find surrounding us, and realize that
God designed it all, it is easy to be impressed. God is an
artist. The most brilliant, creative artist ever to exist.

But when we look at our own lives and consider what God is
doing there, we tend to forget that God is an artist. He is
making something beautiful out of you and your life. You may
not see the beauty now -- you may not even see any design or
evidence that God is working -- but you will recognize it
someday.

God's intention for you is to be much more beautiful and
glorious than a sunset or a school of multi-colored fish. And
you will be! God will not fail.

"Wait a minute, preacher. I can see plenty of people that God
has failed on. They are anything but "beautiful and glorious"
-- inwardly or outwardly."

Yes... today. But God is not finished. Many great works of art
take a long time. Don't judge too soon!

SAY THIS: God is an artist and He is working on me. Go ahead,
God. Let's see what you can do.

Saturday, August 30, 2008

You Can Do All Things Through Christ

PHILIPPIANS 4:13 NKJ
13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

God often makes statements in the Bible that go against what we
feel like, or what it looks like to us at the time.

God is trying to move us to a higher plane of faith where we
depend on Him and not on what we feel like.

Others try to evade the issue by saying that a verse only
applies to someone else -- like the Apostle Paul -- not to
them.

Well, if you don't believe, you won't receive help. But help is
available. And that help and strength is just as available to
you as it was to the Apostle Paul, because the Lord does not
play favorites.

Paul didn't say, "I can do all things because I am an apostle."
No, it is "through Christ" that he was enabled to do what he
needed to do. And you, as a believer, are in Christ just as
much as the Apostle Paul was.

You choose. Either step out in faith in God and say you can do
it with His help, and watch God raise you up to that level. Or,
cower back in fear, and say you cannot do it.

SAY THIS: I CAN do all things through Christ who strengthens
me.

Friday, August 29, 2008

God's Word Is Vital

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.'"

When Jesus faced the devil's temptations as recorded in Matthew
chapter four, His first response was to quote Deuteronomy 8:3.

God wants you to learn the same lesson that Jesus knew: Nothing
is more important than God's Word. Without the Word, your life
will be less than God intends. The Word of God is vital!

DEUTERONOMY 8:2-3 NKJ
2 "And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all
the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and
test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would
keep His commandments or not.
3 "So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with
manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He
might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but
man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the
Lord.

This lesson was what God intended for Israel to learn in the
wilderness, but sadly, most of them missed it.

When Joshua was taking command of the Israelites after Moses'
death, God wanted to make sure Joshua understood the lesson.
So, He gave him directions for success — which are: speak God's
Word, think God's Word, and do God's Word. Those instructions
have never changed. They are as valid for you today as they
were for Joshua.

JOSHUA 1:8 NKJ
8 "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but
you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to
do according to all that is written in it. For then you will
make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

SAY THIS: God's Word is necessary for me to enjoy life as God
intended it to be.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Overcome Evil With Good

ROMANS 12:21 NIV
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

There seems to be no lack of evil. That gives us an opportunity
to overcome.

We will be tempted to respond in kind -- to strike back at
those who hurt us. But that is a bad choice. All it leads to is
more pain and misery for more people -- including ourselves.

The answer is divine love.

With God's love inside us, and God helping us, we can return
good for evil done to us. That breaks the vicious downward
cycle and also breaks the power of evil to affect us.

Don't tell me this won't work in your case. I have personally
heard the victorious testimony of a believer who was tortured
by his communist captors yet walked in love and overcame the
evil situation. It will work!

Love is stronger than hate. Good is more powerful than evil.
You can walk in victory no matter what anyone does to you.

ROMANS 5:5 NIV
5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out
his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given
us.

HEBREWS 13:6 NIV
6 So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not
be afraid. What can man do to me?"

SAY THIS: With God's love, I will overcome evil with good.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Jesus Will Give You Rest

Matthew 11:28-30 NIV
28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will
give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and
humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Are you struggling? Do you feel like you are barely keeping
your head above water?

If you feel like you are struggling and striving just to make
it -- you need to turn to Jesus. He will give you rest.

If you say that you have turned to Jesus and you think His yoke
is hard and His burden is heavy -- you are deceived.

You need to cast your care on the Lord and learn of Him. So
many people are striving and struggling to get God to love them
when He already loves them and accepts them.

Living a successful Christian life is not done by our own
strength or willpower. It is the result of depending on the
Lord. Only He can do it.

Quit trusting in your plans and abilities and efforts, and
trust in Jesus instead. Turn things over to Him. Let Him be
Lord in your life.

SAY THIS: I will learn of Jesus and trust in Him. Jesus my Lord
gives me rest.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

The Lord Is Guiding You

John 16:13 NKJ
13 "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will
guide you....

This article is directed to believers in Jesus Christ to remind
you there are many scriptures indicating that God IS guiding
you.

Too often we feel like we are just on our own, drifting
aimlessly, with no help or guidance from God. Just because you
are not aware of God's guidance does not mean He is not guiding
you. This is part of God's genius: to be able to do things
unnoticed.

When we don't understand God's method of operation, we easily
fall prey to the temptation to doubt God is guiding us, or even
hearing our prayers. This often leads to begging God for help,
which is not faith, and will not produce good results.

We must believe what God says in His Word concerning this
subject of guidance, if we desire to please God.

It is always wise to talk with God before making any decision.
But just because you don't hear God's audible voice answering
you, does not mean that God is not directing you. His primary
means of guiding you are His written Word and the witness of
the spirit inside you.

God will never guide anyone to act contrary to the teaching of
the Bible. That is one reason it is so important to read and
study the Bible.

All of the following are scriptures you can apply to yourself.
(Only the pronouns have been changed to make them personal.)
Saying these will strengthen your faith.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not lack. He leads me beside
the still waters. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for
His name's sake. (Psalm 23:1-3)

God will instruct me and teach me in the way I should go. He
will guide me with His eye. (Psalm 32:8)

God will bring me by a way I did not know; God will lead me in
paths I have not known. He will make darkness light before me,
and crooked places straight. God will do these things for me,
and not forsake me. (Isaiah 42:16)

Thus says the Lord, my Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am
the Lord your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by
the way you should go." (Isaiah 48:17)

The Lord will guide me continually. (Isaiah 58:11)

I follow Jesus so I shall not walk in darkness, but I have the
light of life. (John 8:12)

The Spirit of truth has come and He is guiding me into all
truth. He will tell me things to come. (John 16:13)

I am led by the Spirit of God for I am a son of God. (Romans
8:14)

Now thanks be to God who always leads me in triumph in Christ.
(2 Corinthians 2:14)

It is God Who works in me both to will and to do for His good
pleasure. (Philippians 2:13)

The Lord Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake
you." So I may boldly say: "The Lord is my helper; I will not
fear." (Hebrews 13:5-6)

SAY THIS: Thank You Lord for guiding me.

Monday, August 25, 2008

Jesus Became Poor To Make You Rich

2 CORINTHIANS 8:9 LB
9 You know how full of love and kindness our Lord Jesus was:
though he was so very rich, yet to help you he became so very
poor, so that by being poor he could make you rich.

Many Christians consider being poor the will of God. Scripture
actually gives a quite opposite picture.

Although there are many warnings in Scripture against the love
of money and its misuse, the fact remains that financial
prosperity is considered a blessing from God in the Bible.

PSALM 35:27 NKJ
27 Let them shout for joy and be glad, Who favor my righteous
cause; And let them say continually, "Let the Lord be
magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant."

(Certainly there are dangers in being prosperous. With more
money you can make more choices, and buy more trouble. However,
money itself is not evil. The person using money determines
whether it will be a force for good or a force for evil.)

You do not have to convince God to prosper you. No arm-twisting
will be necessary, as He has already made the provision.
Through the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ,
prosperity already belongs to you.

I can almost hear the objections: "If I am rich, where is it?
Why do I have all these debts and bills?"

The answer is simple actually. The devil has stolen it away
from us because of our ignorance.

You can reclaim it by faith, but you will have to feed on the
Word for your faith to continue strong and effective. So, to
receive the blessings available to us through Christ, we have
to draw near to God.

Some maturity is required to receive God's provision and to
keep the devil from stealing it. This insures that immature
believers will not have more money than they can handle and
thus have their lives ruined by it.

Nevertheless, according to the Bible you are rich. You may not
have ready access to it, but in Christ wealth is yours -- just
as surely as a young heir is rich even though his money is held
by trustees and he cannot have it until he matures.

SAY THIS: Jesus Christ became poor to make me rich. I am rich
in Christ Jesus.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

The Blessing Of The Lord Will Make You Rich

PROVERBS 10:22 NKJ
22 The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no
sorrow with it.

All Christians generally agree, that in Old Testament times,
God prospered His people when they were obedient. But sadly,
because the devil's lies have infiltrated some of the Church's
teaching, many do not believe it's still God's will to prosper
His people today.

But the Lord does not change. He still desires His people to
enjoy abundance. Any problem lies with us -- not with God.

MALACHI 3:6 NKJ
6 "For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not
consumed, O sons of Jacob.

For us to receive and walk in God's blessing, we must walk in
faith. This is the main problem why Christians today are not
blessed. They simply do not believe prosperity is God's will
for them. If you don't believe something is God's will, you
cannot have faith to receive it.

The cure for lack of faith is feeding on God's Word, which
builds you up. As long as you base your beliefs on the
circumstances around you, instead of what you see in God's
revealed will -- the Bible -- you will not have all that God
has provided for you.

We must quit believing the lies of the devil -- no matter who
says them. Whatever is contrary to God's Word in the Bible is a
lie.

I am not criticizing other ministers or churches. Even Peter
fell into the trap of repeating the devil's lies. We all must
guard against believing the devil, and stick to what God has
said.

MATTHEW 16:23 NKJ
23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You
are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of
God, but the things of men."

If you study the Bible you will see that God is clearly for the
prosperity of His people, in both the Old and New Testaments.

2 CORINTHIANS 8:9 NKJ
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though
He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you
through His poverty might become rich.

In the Bible we are warned against trusting in riches instead
of God. There are verses that tell us we should not love money
or serve money. But these verses should not be taken out of the
context of the whole of Scripture and twisted in their meaning
to steal what Jesus has provided for us -- abundant provision
in every area of life.

SAY THIS: The blessing of the Lord is making me rich.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

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!

Friday, August 22, 2008

Abraham's Blessings Are Yours

GALATIANS 3:13-14 KJV
13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being
made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one
that hangeth on a tree:
14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles
through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the
Spirit through faith.

Galatians tells us Christ redeemed us, so that the blessing of
Abraham might come upon us.

What were the blessings Abraham enjoyed?

GENESIS 24:1 NIV
1 Abraham was now old and well advanced in years, and the LORD
had blessed him in every way.

GENESIS 13:2 KJV
2 And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.

Abraham's blessing also extended to his descendants as they
walked with God.

GENESIS 25:11 KJV
11 And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God
blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahairoi.

GENESIS 26:12-13 NIV
12 Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a
hundredfold, because the LORD blessed him.
13 The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until
he became very wealthy.

According to Romans, Abraham was promised the world for his
descendants, and we who have faith in Christ Jesus are those
descendants.

ROMANS 4:13 KJV
13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world,
was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but
through the righteousness of faith.

It should not be hard to believe that Jesus Christ is heir of
this entire world. And remember that Romans 8:17 says we are
joint heirs with Christ.

GALATIANS 3:9 KJV
9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful
Abraham.

Abraham's blessings do not come on everyone -- only people of
faith. Abraham was blessed because of his faith in God's Word.
We must receive these blessings by faith, also. So, if we
refuse to believe they are for us, we will not have them.

SAY THIS: In Christ Jesus, all the blessings Abraham enjoyed
are mine.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

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.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

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.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

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.

Monday, August 18, 2008

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.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

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.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

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.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Pray For Those In Authority

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.

Believers have a responsibility to pray for their leaders.

If you live in a country where you have the privilege of voting
on your leaders, then you need to take that responsibility
seriously, be informed and vote as the Lord directs you.

Don't allow yourself to be swayed by the emotional tactics used
in political campaigns, or vote based on your selfish
interests. Vote as you believe the Lord would have you to vote.
Vote for godly leadership.

But don't stop at voting. Pray for public officials, especially
those in high office whose decisions affect many people's
lives.

PROVERBS 29:2 LB
2 With good men in authority, the people rejoice; but with the
wicked in power, they groan.

SAY THIS: Father, I pray for godly leaders in our country, and
for your blessing on them.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

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.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Focus On God

2 CORINTHIANS 4:18 NIV
18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is
unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is
eternal.

Many people are convinced they are too bad for God to help, or
they have problems that are too big for God to handle. They
seem to have more faith in their inability than they do in
God's ability. They seem to have more faith in the problem than
they do in God. This happens when we focus on the problem,
instead of looking to God who is the solution. As long as we
focus on the problem and let it consume our attention, we will
have faith in it to defeat us.

1 JOHN 4:4 NIV
4 . . . the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in
the world.

We have a choice in what we focus our attention on.

The Old Testament contains an account illustrating how we must
look to Jesus and His finished work on the cross, instead of
looking at our problems.

NUMBERS 21:4-9 NLT
4 Then the people of Israel set out from Mount Hor, taking the
road to the Red Sea to go around the land of Edom. But the
people grew impatient with the long journey,
5 and they began to speak against God and Moses. "Why have you
brought us out of Egypt to die here in the wilderness?" they
complained. "There is nothing to eat here and nothing to drink.
And we hate this horrible manna!"
6 So the LORD sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many
were bitten and died.
7 Then the people came to Moses and cried out, "We have sinned
by speaking against the LORD and against you. Pray that the
LORD will take away the snakes." So Moses prayed for the
people.
8 Then the LORD told him, "Make a replica of a poisonous snake
and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they
simply look at it!"
9 So Moses made a snake out of bronze and attached it to a
pole. Then anyone who was bitten by a snake could look at the
bronze snake and be healed!

When deadly snakes are everywhere, biting people on every side,
it would be extremely difficult to look up and focus your
attention on a pole instead of looking down at the ground where
the snakes were. But that is exactly what God instructed the
people of Israel to do, and all who did were healed and lived.

Some might wonder why a snake was put on the pole, which was a
type of Jesus being hung on the cross. It was because Jesus
took our sins on Himself when He hung on the cross. The Bible
says that He who knew no sin was made to be sin for us. And on
the cross, that old serpent the devil, was defeated and
de-fanged!

So, no matter how urgent the problem biting at your heels may
seem, God's answer for you is to look up and focus on God's
provision. Have faith in God!

God is bigger than any problem you face and can deliver you
from any situation, no matter how bad it is.

JOHN 10:29 NIV
29 My Father . . . is greater than all . . .

Instead of thinking of how bad you are, focus on how good God
is. His goodness is more than enough to overcome your badness.
Instead of looking at what you lack, look at all God has. And
remember He is your Father and loves you.

The devil tries to get us to focus on ourselves and our
shortcomings, instead of focusing on Jesus and His ability to
carry us through to victory.

Whenever the focus is pointing to us, instead of to God, you
can be assured the devil has some involvement in those
thoughts.

As long as you are focusing on yourself, you are not focusing
on God. You have to make the choice.

SAY THIS: I will focus my attention on God instead of on myself
and my problems.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

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.

Monday, August 11, 2008

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.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

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.

Saturday, August 09, 2008

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.

Friday, August 08, 2008

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!

Thursday, August 07, 2008

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.

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

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.

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

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.

Monday, August 04, 2008

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.

Sunday, August 03, 2008

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.

Saturday, August 02, 2008

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.

Friday, August 01, 2008

God's Word Acts Like A Seed

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

A seed is much smaller than what it produces.

The problem you face may seem huge. In comparison, a scripture
may seem very small. But when planted, that Word will grow in
you and overcome the problem.

A seed always produces after its kind.

Whatever you need, or desire, find scriptures relating to that.
Then plant those scriptures inside you in abundance. Those
seeds will grow up and produce a harvest of what you need or
desire.

A seed is alive: it contains life.

Your physical senses are incapable of judging whether a seed is
alive or not. You cannot see, feel, hear, smell, or taste the
life in a seed. There is only one way to prove a seed is alive
-- plant it.

A seed does nothing until planted.

Seeds do not grow sitting in a sack on your shelf. They must be
planted in the proper place.

If you desire the Word of God to produce in your life, you must
decide to plant the Word in your heart and mind.

The best way to plant the seed of God's Word in your life is by
speaking the Word. Hearing others speak the Word is good -- but
will not produce as bountiful a harvest as speaking the Word
yourself.

Speaking God's Word with your mouth is essential. As we speak
God's Word we are planting the seed in our heart for the
harvest of results we desire.

ROMANS 10:10 NKJ
10 For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with
the mouth confession is made to salvation.

Whatever you need to be saved or delivered from, confession
(what you say) is essential.

SAY THIS: God's Word is a seed that will produce blessing in my
life, so I will plant it in my heart and mind by hearing it,
reading it, and speaking it.