Friday, July 31, 2009

Father's Faithfulness

PSALM 27:10 NKJ
10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will
take care of me.

Normally, one's parents are among the ones who can be counted
on to help and love and support -- no matter what.

I recall reading that the mother of a convicted mass murderer
said he was still her son, and that she still loved him. That
is natural.

Yet, sometimes parents do forsake their children. But God's
love for you is more dependable than the love of a parent for
their offspring.

ISAIAH 49:15 NKJ
15 "Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have
compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet
I will not forget you.

Concerning earthly love, none is greater than that of a mother
for her baby. Yet even that can sometimes fail, in extreme
circumstances. But God's love for you is deeper, stronger, and
more sure.

HEBREWS 13:5 NIV
5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content
with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave
you; never will I forsake you."

People will fail you. You may even fail yourself. But God can
be trusted. He will never fail you. He will never give up on
you and never turn His back on you. He promised!

Does this mean God will always protect you from everything
unpleasant? No. Not any more than a good earthly parent can
keep their child from every unpleasant experience.

We must grow up. We must learn to walk in faith and love, and
to overcome.

But God will be there to help you. And to make sure that
everything does work out for your good in the long run.

Trust in the Father God. He is more dependable than friends or
family, and He loves you more than anyone else ever will.

SAY THIS: God will never turn His back on me. He is always
available to help me.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Love Your Enemies

MATTHEW 5:44 NKJ
44 "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse
you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who
spitefully use you and persecute you,

"Love your enemies? What kind of advice is that? How can you
have enemies, if you act in love toward them?"

Good point.

Why would anyone want to have enemies? Do you?

God's instructions, if acted upon, will make friends out of
enemies. Think how much better the world would be then.

God can, and does, love His enemies. He proved it. No matter
what they did to Jesus, He never quit walking in love.

But it may be impossible for a normal human to love their
enemies -- without God's help. Fortunately, God's help is
available!

No matter how hard it seems, you can love those who have hurt
you. If it was not possible, God would not command us to do it.
Of course, to be successful at it, we need to call on the Lord
and receive His help.

"But why should I love my enemies?" You should know it is the
best thing for you to do, just because God said it. It benefits
you as well as the one who wronged you.

You have two basic choices when someone does you wrong. Do
wrong back to them. Or, return good for evil.

If you fight back, then they will have a valid excuse to
continue mistreating you. Is that what you want? If not, then
the intelligent choice is to stop the vicious cycle by
returning good for evil. Love your enemies until they become
your friends.

SAY THIS: I can, and will, love everyone with God's help.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

God With Us

MATTHEW 1:21-23 NIV
21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the
name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said
through the prophet:
23 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us."

Part of the wonderful good news of the New Testament is that
God is not just a far-off God, but He is right with us.

With us -- in many ways.

With us as we face life -- right here to help us. Not far away,
and out of touch with what we are facing. Not difficult to
reach -- but only a prayer away.

With us in understanding what it is like to live on earth and
face the problems and difficulties we all face.

With us in knowing what it is like to experience pain and loss.

With us in knowing what it feels like to be rejected and
despised and misunderstood.

With us in knowing what it is like to be hungry and have
nothing to eat.

With us in knowing how difficult it can be to struggle against
sin.

With us in knowing what it is like to be attacked by the devil.

HEBREWS 4:15 NIV
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize
with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in
every way, just as we are -- yet was without sin.

God came to earth. He became a man. (No, I don't understand
that, I just accept it.) Jesus experienced what we experience,
yet He always walked in victory.

If you let Jesus, He will guide you into victory, also.

SAY THIS: God is with me! He understands, and is here to help
me.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Get Out Of Your Cave

1 KINGS 19:9 NIV
9 There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word
of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

Elijah was hiding in a cave, fearful, discouraged, and
confused.

Why?

Elijah knew God and had seen God do mighty things, even in
answer to his own prayers. Yet he was human, just like the rest
of us.

JAMES 5:17 NIV
17 Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it
would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a
half years.

Elijah had only one real problem, and it was not the
adversaries he faced. It was that he got his focus off of God
and onto himself.

To me, God seems amazed at Elijah's hiding. I picture Him
thinking, "Doesn't Elijah know that I am greater than all his
adversaries? Doesn't Elijah know that I will help him?"

I would paraphrase the verse above as, "What in the world are
you doing here, Elijah? Have you forgotten who your God is?
Have you forgotten who you are, a servant of Almighty God?"

Elijah was human -- just like us -- and we face the same
difficulties in life. But just like Elijah, our real problem is
not the problems we face -- but our focus.

We can focus on our inability and lack, or we can focus on
God's ability and abundant provision.

Are you hiding in a "cave" today, afraid to venture forth and
face life? Are you afraid of failure and rejection? Are you
discouraged because things haven't worked out like you thought
they would?

What are you doing?! Get out of your "cave!"

God is on your side. The Greater One is in you. The Lord is
your helper. He has promised to never leave you or forsake you.
You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.

SAY THIS: I will focus on God, Who loves me, and Who is greater
than anything I will ever face.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Look At The Flowers

LUKE 12:27 LB
27 "Look at the lilies! They don't toil and spin, and yet
Solomon in all his glory was not robed as well as they are.

Many people would have you believe that God only supplies what
we need -- nothing more.

But they haven't considered the flowers!

If you want to know God better, obey Jesus and look at the
flowers. They were God's idea.

Why did God make flowers? They're not necessary. Although they
may have some purposes, one kind of flower in one single color
could have been made to meet all the needs.

The fact is: flowers are not needed. They are "extra,"
something far, far beyond merely what was needed.

We could live without flowers, but life is so much more
beautiful with them.

Dear friend, God is not intent on you barely scraping by. He
told you to ask and receive -- that your joy may be full (see
John 16:24). God desires your joy to be full.

But don't make the mistake that so many do. Abundance of
"things" will never satisfy you apart from God. But what a joy
it is when you have close fellowship with the Creator, and can
thank Him for all the wonderful things He has provided for you
because of His great love. In that context, things are a great
blessing, because they are a constant reminder of the goodness
and love of God.

Others tell us that "God only helps those who help themselves"
and make us think that "if it is to be, it is up to me."

No. While it is true that we must cooperate with God, mostly by
trusting Him and resisting our enemy by standing in faith on
God's Word, it is not true that we have only ourselves to
depend on.

That was part of Jesus' point: God "prospers" flowers better
than Solomon could achieve -- and he was the richest man who
ever lived! God can, and will, take care of you, too. Just let
Him.

Whenever I see flowers, or whenever I think of the abundance
God has provided, it reminds me of His love, and I say, "Thank
You Lord, for flowers."

SAY THIS: Thank You Lord, for flowers!

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Heaven Is Our Home

PHILIPPIANS 3:20 LB
20 But our homeland is in heaven, where our Savior, the Lord
Jesus Christ, is; and we are looking forward to his return from
there.

Heaven is a real place. In fact, Heaven is ultimate reality.
There are real people there, involved in real activities. But
most importantly, our wonderful Lord Jesus Christ and our
Father God are there.

Sometimes people talk of someone who has departed this life as
"having gone to their reward."

Heaven is not a reward.

There will be rewards given out by God, but going to Heaven is
not a reward. Heaven is a return to normal.

That's right. Heaven is the way life was supposed to be. Heaven
is normal. What we have been experiencing on this sin-infested
planet is sub-normal.

But part of the Good News is that Jesus will not leave this
place, or us, sub-normal forever. One day, maybe soon, Jesus
will return from Heaven and change things on Earth back to what
God intended when He created this place.

Everything on Earth, as originally created, was a reflection of
the home planet, Heaven. All the beauty and everything good
that we enjoy on Earth is but a dim reflection of what Heaven
offers.

What makes Heaven our home? Home is where your family is. Home
is where you are comfortable. Home is where you have a place to
live. Home is where you belong. For the believer in Jesus
Christ, Heaven fits all those descriptions.

SAY THIS: Heaven is my home.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Tell satan Where To Go

MATTHEW 4:10 NLT
10 "Get out of here, Satan," Jesus told him. "For the
Scriptures say, 'You must worship the Lord your God; serve only
him.' "

Jesus spoke directly to the devil -- and so must you.

Many Christians think they should pray about the devil and ask
God to deliver them from his attacks. But the Bible is clear --
God has given the authority to believers to resist the devil.

You must control the devil, or he will control you!

Unless you exercise the authority delegated to you by Jesus
Christ, the devil will wreak havoc in your life, and everywhere
he is allowed to.

LUKE 10:19 NKJ
19 "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and
scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing
shall by any means hurt you.

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

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

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

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

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

We must first submit to God, because we are not greater in
power than the devil. But submitted to God in Christ Jesus, the
devil must back off when we resist him and his works.

SAY THIS: In the Name of Jesus, I command you devil to leave
me, my family, and my property alone! Be gone!

Friday, July 24, 2009

You Can Be 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."

Everyone wants to be free, but many have given up hope that it
is possible.

But Jesus gave a promise, valid for you today. You can be free!

Many suffer from physical problems. Jesus' promise includes
you!

Some are bound by debt. The promise of Jesus applies to you,
also!

Others are bound by fear. You can be free!

Many are bound by destructive habits they are unable to quit.
Sin enslaves people, but you can be free from its power!

JOHN 8:34 NRSV
34 Jesus answered them, "Very truly, I tell you, everyone who
commits sin is a slave to sin.

Jesus will set you free from the power of sin. He will not take
away your freedom to sin, but He will change you inwardly, so
you don't want to sin.

Real freedom is more than being able to do what you want to do.
Real freedom is not having to do what you do not want to do.

JOHN 8:36 NRSV
36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

Free indeed!

The answers are in the Word of God: the New Testament.

SAY THIS: I will continue in Jesus' Word, and as He promised, I
will know the truth and it will make me free.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Freely Give Us All Things?

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

Most people approach prayer as an exercise in convincing God to
help. They think they must twist God's arm, or promise to do
something, in order to get God to give them anything.

The New Testament paints a different picture. God not only is a
willing giver, but has already given! He is not holding back on
us!

When He gave us Jesus, along with Him He gave us everything we
could ever need.

"Why then," you may ask, "do I not have what I need?"

Friend, there is a great difference between something being
given and something being received.

Many people have been unaware recipients of great good, but
until they became aware of it and took the necessary steps to
properly receive their bounty, it did them no good.

You can be entitled to some inheritance, or other windfall,
without knowing it. You can even know it, but without following
the proper procedure, not possess and enjoy it.

So it is with the things of God. Proper procedure must be
followed. There are instructions on how to receive. But the
instructions are clear and easy to follow. You will find them
in the New Testament.

1 TIMOTHY 6:17 NKJ
17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be
haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living
God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.

God gives us richly all things to enjoy!

Don't judge God's generosity by what you have, or have not,
received. Find out the instructions from the Bible, and receive
all that God has provided for you.

SAY THIS: God freely gave me all things in Christ. Now I will
learn to be a receiver of God's blessings.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

God Is Not A Killer

John 10:10 NASB
10 "The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I
came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.

Ted Turner, the founder of the CNN TV network, tells how he
turned against Christianity because of bitterness against God
in his younger days. After the death of a family member, the
preacher told him that "God took them," and he became bitter
over it.

Ted Turner is not alone. Millions of people are mad at God
because they believe He has done something wrong -- which He
has not!

God is not going around killing people, or stealing from them,
or destroying their lives. That is the work of the devil.

God is not guilty!

The greatest deception in history has been the devil convincing
people that the things he does are done by God. The devil wants
us to believe that God acts like the devil.

But it is a lie!

Of course, to pull this deception off, the devil had to get
preachers to spread his lies. No one would believe it if the
devil personally preached it.

But just because someone who is called a preacher, a reverend,
a pastor, a priest, a bishop, a prophet, or any other title,
says something is true -- does not make it true. To find out
the truth we need to go to the Bible and study it for
ourselves.

Depending on so-called "experts" can lead you astray. Read and
study the Bible for yourself.

JAMES 1:17 NLT
17 Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above, who
created all heaven's lights. Unlike them, he never changes or
casts shifting shadows.

SAY THIS: Whatever is good comes from my God, Who never changes
into being bad.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Talk To Things

MARK 11:23 NKJ
23 "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain,
`Be removed ....

Too many people think of the Bible only as a Holy book to be
revered. So they put it up on a shelf and make sure no one
mistreats it.

But the Bible is a message from God. It gives us instruction
for our benefit -- practical advice.

It's time to take the Bible down off the pedestal, read it, and
act on its instructions.

Here is one seldom acted upon: talk to things.

The devil wants you to think it would be crazy to talk to
things. But it's not.

Jesus did it. He talked to sickness. He talked to the storm and
told it to be still. He talked to dead bodies and commanded
them to get up. He talked to trees. And He talked to the devil
and told him to get behind him.

Jesus talked to things. You should too.

You should talk to fear and worry. You should talk to
confusion. You should talk to lack. You should talk to
sickness. You should talk to the devil. Tell them to leave.
Tell them to "be removed."

LUKE 17:6 NKJ
6 So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you
can say to this mulberry tree, `Be pulled up by the roots and
be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.

SAY THIS: Jesus said I can talk to things. So I speak to
everything that is of the devil and command it to get out of my
life now!

Monday, July 20, 2009

One Thing Is Necessary

LUKE 10:42 WEYMOUTH
42 and yet only one thing is really necessary. Mary has chosen
the good portion and she shall not be deprived of it."

This is the word of Jesus. Someone who knows more than we do --
and loves us more than we love ourselves. So, we need to listen
and take heed. (After all, we should realize that Jesus did not
say things for His own benefit, but to help us.)

It is easy to get busy in life and let ourselves be distracted
from what we know is important. That was the case with Martha,
the sister of Mary, in the scripture quoted from above. Martha
knew she needed to hear what Jesus had to say -- but she also
knew that she was responsible for preparing something to eat.
What could she do?

We all face such problems -- which are actually choices.

WE choose what our priorities are. WE decide what we will spend
our time and energy on. And we should choose wisely.

(Here's a tip: if it won't be important one hundred years from
now, it's not that important now, either.)

In this situation, Jesus brought a calming -- not a condemning
-- word to Martha. (Jesus is still not interested in condemning
people, but in helping them.) In effect, Jesus said to not
worry, but to put hearing what God has to say first, and then
somehow things will work out with God's help.

Jesus is saying the same message to you, today.

The most important and productive way we can spend time is in
getting God's wisdom, guidance, and help. Hearing and heeding
His Word will pay rich dividends in this time, as well as for
eternity.

Never forget that God can do more for you in one minute, than
you could accomplish in a lifetime by yourself.

Don't make the wrong choices.

SAY THIS: I will listen to God's Word. Then, with God's help, I
will make it.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

The Lord Is Your Helper

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

Can you imagine how things could improve if God Himself was
helping you?

It can happen.

But, to receive God's help you must cooperate with Him.

God is ready, willing, and able to help you. He desires to help
you. But the choice is yours.

When you act contrary to God's principles, you stop God from
helping you as much as He desires.

To cooperate with God, you must trust Him and walk in faith.
You must agree with God and speak in agreement with His Word.
And you must walk in love. To do that, constant meditation on
God's Word will be required.

You will also need to humble yourself and ask the Lord to help
you in everything you do. God does not force His help on you
without you requesting His help.

Does this sound too hard? It's not. Just ask the Lord to help
you and He will!

ISAIAH 41:10 NIV
10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I
am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold
you with my righteous right hand.

ROMANS 8:31 NIV
31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for
us, who can be against us?

SAY THIS: God is for me. God is my Helper! I will not worry or
be afraid.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Salvation Is A Completely Free Gift

EPHESIANS 2:8-9 NLT
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't
take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done,
so none of us can boast about it.

If salvation is based on our performance -- on what we do --
then it is not by grace. Our salvation is based on what Jesus
Christ did. Our part is simply to receive the gift!

ROMANS 4:1-4 NLT
1 Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish
nation. What did he discover about being made right with God?
2 If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would
have had something to boast about. But that was not God's way.
3 For the Scriptures tell us, "Abraham believed God, and God
counted him as righteous because of his faith."
4 When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something
they have earned.

Salvation cannot be a free gift and also be something we must
earn. Either we earn it, or it is a gift. It cannot be a
mixture of the two.

If you claim to give me a gift, but you ask me for any payment
-- no matter how small -- then it is not a gift but something I
am buying for a reduced price. Buying something on sale does
not make it a gift. If there is any payment involved, by
definition, it is not a gift.

ROMANS 11:6 NASB
6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works,
otherwise grace is no longer grace.

Today, just as in Bible times, there are those who teach that
being right with God can only be achieved by keeping their list
of rules. But this is not the true teaching of the New
Covenant.

ACTS 15:5,10-11 NLT
5 But then some of the believers who belonged to the sect of
the Pharisees stood up and insisted, "The Gentile converts must
be circumcised and required to follow the law of Moses."
10 So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile
believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were
able to bear?
11 We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the
undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus."

ROMANS 4:14,16 NLT
14 If God's promise is only for those who obey the law, then
faith is not necessary and the promise is pointless.
16 So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free
gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we
live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like
Abraham's. For Abraham is the father of all who believe.

TITUS 3:5 NLT
5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done,
but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a
new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.

Those who present a plan of salvation based on your performance
are not rightly dividing the Word. Yes, many Scriptures give
instruction on what we are to do. But they are instructions for
how to live, not how to be saved and enter the family of God.

Will there be rewards and consequences for our actions? Yes!
Scripture makes that clear. But our entrance into God's family
and our home in Heaven is not based on our performance, but on
our faith in what Jesus performed.

SAY THIS: I don't have to work to earn the free gift of God's
salvation.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Salvation Is A Free Gift

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

Salvation is a word we use for being set free from the effects
and the penalty of sin. It includes being delivered from the
dominion of the devil. It was purchased for us by Jesus Christ
through giving His own life at Calvary, as our substitute.

Salvation is not something you earn, but a free gift from God
totally by His grace.

Humans have invented many religions with all kinds of rules,
trying to make themselves acceptable to God. But being right
with God is not something we can achieve by our own efforts.
God loved us so much that He accomplished it for us, and
provides it as a free gift available to all who receive Jesus.

The Bible tells us we will be rewarded for the good we do. But
it is not by doing good deeds, performing certain rituals, or
by keeping a list of rules, that we are saved from sin and its
effects. Salvation and having a home in Heaven are not rewards
-- they are gifts.

ROMANS 3:21-24 NLT
21 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him
without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in
the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago.
22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus
Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter
who we are.
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious
standard.
24 Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are
righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us
from the penalty for our sins.

You cannot earn salvation and being right with God. You can
only receive it as a gift of love from God. It comes in the
form of a Divine Person, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Outside of union with Jesus Christ, there is no salvation.

ACTS 4:12 NLT
12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other
name under heaven by which we must be saved."

SAY THIS: I receive Jesus Christ as my free gift, making me
right with God. Thank You Lord!

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Walk In Love

EPHESIANS 4:31-32 ICB
31 Do not be bitter or angry or mad. Never shout angrily or say
things to hurt others. Never do anything evil.
32 Be kind and loving to each other. Forgive each other just as
God forgave you in Christ.

As a human who has been hurt, you may find it impossible to
forgive and walk in love. But as a child of God, with God
helping you, you can do it.

God freely forgave you. Now, with His love placed in your
heart, you are to act like Him and forgive others.

EPHESIANS 5:1-2 NIV
1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children
2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave
himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Putting others first is the essence of walking in love.
Selfishness is the opposite of walking in divine love.

COLOSSIANS 3:12-13 NIV
12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved,
clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility,
gentleness and patience.
13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may
have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

If you are having trouble with this, just ask the Lord to work
in you and change you. Tell Him you need help.

SAY THIS: I can walk in love because the Lord is my Helper.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Look At The Stars

PSALM 147:4-5 NIV
4 He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by
name.
5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has
no limit.

Sometimes I wonder how God can be mindful of me when there are
so many other people for Him to be concerned about. How can He
keep up? Then I am reminded of the scriptures that tell us that
God has named all the stars. We don't even know how many stars
there are -- scientists say billions and billions -- but God
can call them all by name!

God is definitely in a different category than anyone else I
know. He is mighty. Compared to us, He has no limit to His
understanding or His ability.

ISAIAH 40:26 NIV
26 Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all
these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls
them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty
strength, not one of them is missing.

PSALM 8:3-4 NIV
3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the
moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that
you care for him?

When we do consider the heavens, it can make us feel small and
insignificant. But, according to God's Word -- we are not.

When I became a parent, I gained some insight into God's love
for people. When you have a child, you don't love that child
because it is great or powerful, or can do great things for
you. You love your child simply because it is your child --
your creation -- a part of you.

Why does God love you -- and the rest of humanity? The best
answer we can give is because He created us. He put something
of Himself into us. We are His children.

God doesn't love us because of our great achievements -- but
simply because we are His.

SAY THIS: If God can remember the names of all the billions of
stars, He can remember my name and address, and take care of
me.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

God Can Be Trusted

HEBREWS 10:23 NKJ
23 . . . He who promised is faithful.

The devil is trying to get you to doubt God and His Word. The
devil wants you to give up on God, to not trust Him, to not
expect Him to do what He said in His Word.

Do not give up! God can be trusted.

Someone who loves you enough to die in your place can be
trusted. Someone who created all that you see, and all that you
don't see, can be trusted to handle whatever you face.

TITUS 1:2 NASB
2 in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie,
promised long ages ago,

God is not a liar. Whatever He says comes to pass!

1 THESSALONIANS 5:24 NIV
24 The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

God is trustworthy. Don't be moved by the circumstances. God
will not fail you.

SAY THIS: God is worthy of my trust. I trust Him with my past,
present, and future.

Monday, July 13, 2009

What Is God Like?

NAHUM 1:7 NIV
7 The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for
those who trust in him,

Much could be said about God. But the first thing we need to
realize is that God is good. He is not a bad guy. He is not
against you. He is not your problem, but rather He is the
answer to your problems.

Although the world doesn't know what God is like, they
desperately need to know Him. Even sadder is the fact that most
Christians do not really know what God is like, either.

If you want to know what God is like -- look at Jesus Christ.
He perfectly revealed God to us.

JOHN 1:18 TEV
18 No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is the same as
God and is at the Father's side, he has made him known.

COLOSSIANS 2:9 PHILLIPS
9 Yet it is in him that God gives a full and complete
expression of himself in bodily form.

Would you be content to just read what someone else says
marriage is like? Why be content to just listen to what others
say God is like? You need to taste and see for yourself.

Have your own relationship with God!

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

SAY THIS: The Lord is good and I desire to know Him better.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

God So Loved The World

JOHN 3:16 WEYMOUTH
16 For so greatly did God love the world that He gave His only
Son, that every one who trusts in Him may not perish but may
have the Life of Ages.

Do you ever get fed up with the world? Do you just get tired of
all the lies and the selfishness?

Do you ever deal with people that you think maybe the world
would be better off if they just went to hell right away?

Well, God never thinks that way. God loves the world -- enough
to die for it. He has never changed His mind.

JOHN 3:16-17 LB
16 For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son
so that anyone who believes in him shall not perish but have
eternal life.
17 God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but
to save it.

Remember this the next time you are having difficulty with
someone. You are dealing with someone God loves!

No matter how you classify yourself -- God loves you. If you
are a sinner or a saint, God loves you. And the good news is
that God's love and power will change you into what you should
be.

JOHN 3:16 BBE
16 For God had such love for the world that he gave his only
Son, so that whoever has faith in him may not come to
destruction but have eternal life.

Don't ever forget it: God loves people.

SAY THIS: God loves the whole world of people -- including me
and everyone I know.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

We Are Brothers And Sisters

JOHN 17:23 NLT
23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such
perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and
that you love them as much as you love me.

Jesus indicates there is something about the unity of believers
that will cause the world to believe. This does not mean we
will ever agree on every doctrine, or that we must all join the
same church denomination.

No! God is a God of diversity who makes every snowflake and
every person unique. God does not expect us all to think and be
alike. But God does expect us to obey His law of love.

We should walk in love and respect one another. Really we
should do that toward all people -- how much more those in
God's own family, our brothers and sisters in Christ.

We will never agree on every detail of everything simply
because we are all learning and growing. None of us knows
everything yet. We are like the Apostle Paul and only know in
part.

JOHN 17:21 NKJ
21 "that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I
in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may
believe that You sent Me.

Our unity must be based on being in Christ and our submission
to Him as our Lord, not in all of us thinking and acting the
same. Humans, being unique, will always approach things in
their own individual way. Our unity can never be on the basis
of conformity. Brothers and sisters are not all alike. We have
different giftings, different callings, and different
perspectives.

Maybe you are certain that your doctrine is right and everyone
else is missing it. You may be right! Regardless, your brothers
and sisters have not been kicked out of God's family just
because they have not learned all that you know. So quit trying
to act like the parent and straighten out your siblings. God
will do that.

What we must agree on is that anyone who acknowledges Jesus
Christ as their Lord is our brother or sister in Christ. No
matter how goofy they may act, or how ignorant they may seem,
they belong in our family and we have a responsibility to
protect them and help them. Our Father God did not give us the
responsibility of correcting them or judging them -- He can
handle that task very well by Himself.

A good older brother who has a younger sibling who is mentally
or physically challenged will not join in with hecklers to
torment, but protects his sibling from such attacks. Surely,
when we realize that all who acknowledge Jesus are children of
God, we can do the same for them.

We must quit criticizing and condemning others who belong to
the Lord Jesus Christ. It does not matter what they believe or
don't believe on any other doctrine. If they acknowledge Jesus
Christ is Lord, they are in our family -- we are on the same
team. We should fight the devil and not our own family.

I am not advocating compromise -- but maturity. We should not
act like spoiled two-year-old brats. We are children of the
King!

REVELATION 12:10 NLT
10 Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, "It
has come at last -- salvation and power and the Kingdom of our
God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our
brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth -- the one
who accuses them before our God day and night.

Sadly, many Christians have helped the devil accuse our
brothers and sisters in Christ. But we must not do the devil's
dirty work!

It is to be expected that other Christians will fail and do
wrong -- not one of us is fully mature and perfect in Christ
yet. When one of our family falls down, we should help pick
them up instead of kicking them while they are down.

SAY THIS: I will love my brothers and sisters and let my Father
correct them if they need it.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Fellowship With God

1 CORINTHIANS 1:9 NIV
9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus
Christ our Lord, is faithful.

You need to stop and think about this. God wants to have
fellowship with you.

We are not talking about some lower level person. Not just a
leader of a country. Not just a billionaire.

God!

Stop and think about God, all His knowledge, all His wealth,
all His power -- the ruler of the Universe, and all that He
could choose to do.

Why would God desire your company?

Honestly, I don't know. All I can say is that He does,
according to the Bible.

But what an opportunity! What a privilege! To fellowship with
GOD!

What does fellowship mean? The word used in 1 Corinthians 1:9
is the Greek word "koinonia" (koy-nohn-ee'-ah). Some meanings
are fellowship, association, communion, participation,
intimacy, partnership, and a having in common.

That is what God wants with you. Koinonia.

The same word is used in the following verse. Notice how the
Living Bible translates it.

2 CORINTHIANS 13:14 LB
14 May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. May
God's love and the Holy Spirit's friendship be yours. Paul

SAY THIS: I will respond to God's call and fellowship with Him.

Thursday, July 09, 2009

Words Are Spiritual Weapons

REVELATION 12:11 NKJ
11 "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the
word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to
the death.

Words are more important than most people realize. All
authority is exercised through words.

When it comes to overcoming the enemy of our souls, and all his
tactics, we must speak words of faith in line with the Bible.

What Jesus did for you is enough. He 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.

EPHESIANS 6:17 NKJ
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the
Spirit, which is the word of God;

A sword is a weapon. God's Word is not a weapon when laying on
your coffee table. It only becomes a spiritual weapon when you
speak it in faith.

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.

SAY THIS: I overcome by what Jesus did, and my words that
enforce that victory over the devil.

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

We Receive From God By Faith

ROMANS 5:1-2 NKJ
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in
which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

All we receive from God is by His grace. We do not deserve it,
and we are not able to earn it. It is a gift offered by grace.

But we must access it by faith.

GALATIANS 3:14 NKJ
14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in
Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit
through faith.

We receive through faith. Whether we are receiving the Holy
Spirit or receiving healing. Whatever we receive from God must
be received by faith.

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

There are many promises in the Bible. If you want them to be
manifest in your life, you must possess them through faith and
patience.

MATTHEW 9:29 NKJ
29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith
let it be to you."

This is the statement of Jesus. It is valid for you today just
as it was then. You will receive from God according to your faith.

Do not let this discourage you. Rather it should encourage you.
Although your faith may not be strong now, you can strengthen
it by feeding on the Word of God. It is under your control.

God's Word is faith food. The more you read it, speak it, and
hear it, the stronger your faith will grow.

SAY THIS: I will feed on God's Word and build my faith so I can
receive all the blessings God has for me.

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

God Is Working In You

PHILIPPIANS 2:13 LB
13 For God is at work within you, helping you want to obey him,
and then helping you do what he wants.

Don't be discouraged. God is at work!

You may not be happy with yourself now, but God is not finished
working.

PHILIPPIANS 1:6 NASB
6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a
good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

God can complete what He starts. Give Him some time.

HEBREWS 13:20-21 RSV
20 Now may the God of peace...
21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will,
working in you that which is pleasing in his sight, through
Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

You will never be able to please God just on your own effort,
but through Jesus Christ and His work in you, you WILL become
what God wants you to be.

SAY THIS: God is working in me and He always does a good job.

Monday, July 06, 2009

God's Word Is Medicine

God's Word is medicine — for any weakness or sickness in body,
mind, finances, family, marriage, etc.

Whatever sickness or disease you suffer from, God's Word can
cure it. God's Word is effective for any condition. It works as
a preventative as well as a cure. There is no cost and no
danger of taking an overdose.

Like any medicine, God's Word must be taken to be effective. It
will not work sitting on the shelf. And it has to be taken
according to the directions.

But if you will follow God's directions as faithfully as you
would follow the directions of a human doctor, you will see
wonderful results.

Here are the directions:

PROVERBS 4:20-23 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.
23 Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the
issues of life.

In verse 22 the Hebrew word translated health is translated as
medicine in some translations.

PSALM 107:20 NKJ
20 He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from
their destructions.

God's Word will heal. It is full of God's power and carries the
authority of God who spoke it.

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

You have the guarantee of Jesus — His Word will produce
freedom.

But, you must abide, or continue in His Word. You must feed it
in until you know that you know that you know the truth. Then
you will act on that truth — and it will make you free.

God's medicine works by taking His Word into your being. You
do that by listening to the Word, reading the Word, and
speaking the Word.

You must fill your thoughts with the Word of God. The more of
God's medicine you take, the better off you will be.

SAY THIS: I will take God's medicine daily and it will bring
healing into my life.

Saturday, July 04, 2009

Declare Independence From The Devil

Just as it is sometimes necessary for people to declare their
freedom from the tyranny of earthly rulers, so we must declare
and enforce our spiritual freedom -- purchased for us by the
precious blood of our wonderful Lord Jesus Christ.

COLOSSIANS 1:13-14 NKJ
13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed
us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the
forgiveness of sins.

The devil is defeated. Jesus already won the battle. You have
been delivered from the power and authority of the prince of
darkness. Jesus has made you truly free.

JOHN 8:36 NKJ
36 "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free
indeed.

But to fully enjoy the freedom that is yours through the
sacrifice of Jesus Christ, you must proclaim your freedom. You
cannot keep silent, but must speak forth and declare that you
are free from the hand of the enemy!

PSALM 107:2 NKJ
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed
from the hand of the enemy,

SAY THIS: I am free from the devil's control. The devil has no
power over me. Jesus is my Lord.

Friday, July 03, 2009

God Is An Artist

EPHESIANS 2:10 WEYMOUTH
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.

Thursday, July 02, 2009

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.

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

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.