Monday, May 31, 2010

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.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

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.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

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.

Friday, May 28, 2010

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.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

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 so many flowers? They're not necessary.
Although they 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 all the different 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!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

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.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

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!

Monday, May 24, 2010

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.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

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.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

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.

Friday, May 21, 2010

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!

Thursday, May 20, 2010

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.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

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.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Have A Word Harvest

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

When God first gave anyone instructions for success, the first
thing He said was to always keep His Word on their lips.

Jesus taught that God's Word was a seed (Luke 8:11). Seed
produces a harvest — if used properly.

The harvest that God's Word produces in your life is freedom
(John 8:31-32). Here are three steps to seeing a harvest of
freedom in your life:

1. Plant the seed of the Word by reading it, saying it, and
hearing it.
2. Water the seed by reading, speaking, and hearing the Word
some more.
3. Gather the harvest by speaking the Word (when you believe it
and know it inwardly).

Most people try to skip the first two steps. No wonder they
have not had better results! You cannot reap the harvest
without planting the seed and watering it.

Feed your faith, in every area you desire to be strong in, by
speaking God's Word that covers those subjects.

Remember — if you want to harvest a continuous crop of freedom
— you must plant the seed of God's Word continuously.

SAY THIS: I will read, speak, and listen to God's Word.

Monday, May 17, 2010

The Joy Of The Lord Is Your Strength

NEHEMIAH 8:10 NLT
10 . . . Don't be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is
your strength!"

I do not claim it is the only meaning, but one thing the Lord
showed me from this verse is that our level of joy is like a
thermometer revealing our spiritual strength. If our joy is low
-- our spiritual strength is low. That is because the Lord is
our strength, and in His presence there is fullness of joy.

PSALM 16:11 NKJ
11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is
fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

So, if our joy is low, it means we have not been spending time
in God's presence, receiving His strength and help. It means we
have got our focus off God and onto something else.

(Although God is always with us, as we worship Him and praise
Him and thank Him, God manifests His presence.)

Being gloomy is not a sign of being spiritual. God did not
intend for His people to be downcast. Let the world be sad, we
have something to rejoice about! Jesus! Heaven!

If you look at your circumstances you may not feel like
rejoicing. But if you look at Jesus as He truly is -- you will
not be able to keep from rejoicing in Him. Jesus is wonderful!

PHILIPPIANS 4:4 NLT
4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again -- rejoice!

SAY THIS: I will rejoice in the Lord!

Sunday, May 16, 2010

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.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

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.

Friday, May 14, 2010

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.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

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.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

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.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

God's Covenant of Words

ISAIAH 59:21 NKJ
21 "As for Me," says the Lord, "this is My covenant with them:
My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in
your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the
mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your
descendants' descendants," says the Lord, "from this time and
forevermore."

According to Isaiah 59:21, part of our covenant with God
includes continually having His words in our mouth and in the
mouth of our descendants. Not only are we to speak God's Word,
but we are to train our descendants to do the same.

God must know something about the importance of the words we
speak, that we have not yet understood.

Although a growing number of believers are beginning to realize
the importance of the words we speak, the vast majority of
Christians have never heard any teaching on this subject. Yet,
if you search the Bible, you will see that God puts a major
emphasis on what we say.

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

Look at the Bible for yourself. Decide for yourself. You will
surely decide that the Bible teaches that believers should
speak words in agreement with what God says.

What you say IS important.

SAY THIS: I will speak words in agreement with what God has
said, and I will teach my descendants to do likewise.

Monday, May 10, 2010

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.

Sunday, May 09, 2010

Children, Obey Your Parents

God's Word, the Bible, teaches children to respect, honor, and
obey their parents.

COLOSSIANS 3:20 NKJ
20 Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well
pleasing to the Lord.

EPHESIANS 6:1-3 NKJ
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
2 "Honor your father and mother," which is the first
commandment with promise:
3 "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the
earth."

Only when we are children are we to OBEY our parents. But we
should always HONOR our parents as long as we live. To honor
primarily means to show respect and treat with special
consideration.

1 TIMOTHY 3:4 NKJ
4 . . . having his children in submission with all reverence

Children should submit to their parents and show them respect.

Even if your parents do not serve God, you still must respect
and obey them. However, God does not expect you to obey them
when they tell you to sin by doing wrong things. (see Acts
5:29)

From the Old Testament we learn how serious it is for children
not to submit to their parents. The punishment was very severe.
In those days children who refused to submit to their parents
were killed!

We are not living under the Old Testament law, but it was
written to teach us. It shows us what God thinks of rebellious
children.

DEUTERONOMY 21:18-21 NKJ
18 "If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not
obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and
who, when they have chastened him, will not heed them,
19 "then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and
bring him out to the elders of his city, to the gate of his
city.
20 "And they shall say to the elders of his city, `This son of
ours is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he
is a glutton and a drunkard.'
21 "Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death with
stones; so you shall put away the evil person from among you,
and all Israel shall hear and fear.

SAY THIS: It is God's will for children to obey their parents.

Saturday, May 08, 2010

Eli's Children

1 SAMUEL 2:12 NLT
12 Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for
the LORD

Eli was a priest of Israel who did not train his sons to obey.
Eli's failure to properly train his children affected not only
his own family very negatively, but also caused disaster for
the nation of Israel. (see 1 Samuel 4:10-11)

If children are not trained to respect the word of their
parents, they won't properly respect anyone -- including God --
without first experiencing the painful consequences of their
actions.

How important God considers training children to obey can be
seen from the story of Eli and his sons.

1 SAMUEL 3:13 NKJ
13 "For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for
the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves
vile, and he did not restrain them.

1 SAMUEL 2:17,22-25 NLT
17 So the sin of these young men was very serious in the LORD's
sight, for they treated the LORD's offerings with contempt.
22 Now Eli was very old, but he was aware of what his sons were
doing to the people of Israel. He knew, for instance, that his
sons were seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance
of the Tabernacle.
23 Eli said to them, "I have been hearing reports from all the
people about the wicked things you are doing. Why do you keep
sinning?
24 You must stop, my sons! The reports I hear among the LORD's
people are not good.
25 If someone sins against another person, God can mediate for
the guilty party. But if someone sins against the LORD, who can
intercede?" But Eli's sons wouldn't listen to their father, for
the LORD was already planning to put them to death.

Eli may have told his sons they were doing wrong, but they
obviously had no respect for the word of their father and
ignored his warning. Because God held Eli accountable for this,
it must have been a result of his failure to train them to obey
when they were children.

Training is more than telling. Training is making sure someone
does something correctly until it becomes a habit.

1 SAMUEL 2:29-30 ESV
29 Why then do you scorn my sacrifices and my offerings that I
commanded, and honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves
on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?'
30 Therefore the LORD the God of Israel declares: 'I promised
that your house and the house of your father should go in and
out before me forever,' but now the LORD declares: 'Far be it
from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who
despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

Because Eli did not make his sons do right, God held him
accountable. God said Eli honored his sons more than he honored
God.

Many parents make the same mistake. They put their children --
their desires, their happiness -- above everything else in
life, including God. In that way they are actually worshiping
their children by putting them above God.

COLOSSIANS 3:20 NLT
20 Children, always obey your parents, for this pleases the
Lord.

Only when we are children are we to OBEY our parents. However,
Scripture instructs us to always HONOR our parents no matter
what our age may be. To honor primarily means to show respect
and treat with special consideration.

EPHESIANS 6:2-3 NLT
2 "Honor your father and mother." This is the first commandment
with a promise:
3 If you honor your father and mother, "things will go well for
you, and you will have a long life on the earth."

Training children to obey is not primarily for the benefit of
the parents, but for the benefit of the child. Not training
your children to obey is actually child abuse.

It may seem easier at the time for a parent to let their child
do whatever they want -- without restraining them or training
them to do right. But that harms the child because it trains
them to do wrong. As a result they are robbed of the peace and
blessing they should enjoy.

God places primary responsibility on fathers to make sure their
children are trained according to God's Word. Mothers are not
exempt from this responsibility, but God does hold fathers
ultimately responsible.

EPHESIANS 6:4 NLT
4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you
treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and
instruction that comes from the Lord.

(Note: if you fell short as a parent, don't despair. God is
merciful and gracious. So pray for your children and God will
work in their lives.)

SAY THIS: Lord, I pray that the parents in our land will train
their children according to the Word of God.

Friday, May 07, 2010

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.

Thursday, May 06, 2010

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.

Wednesday, May 05, 2010

I Will Be A Father To You

2 CORINTHIANS 6:18 NKJ
18 "I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and
daughters, Says the LORD Almighty."

You may not have been blessed with good earthly parents. But
you are blessed with a wonderful, perfect Heavenly Father!

Earthly fathers may fail us, but Scripture reveals that our
Father God is much better than any earthly parent. God is
perfect, and He never fails!

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

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.

You will face problems in life, but no matter what you face,
your Father God will be there to take care of you.

What did God mean when He promised to be a Father to you?

A father is someone stronger, more capable, and more
knowledgable than you are, and thus able to provide for you
when you are not able to do so for yourself.

A good father assumes responsibility for his children, to
provide for them, care for them, and train them so they can be
successful.

A school may decide to "expel" a child who is not responding as
they wish. But a good father will continue to care for their
child, no matter what.

A child does not have to be perfect to be loved and provided
for by a good parent. Nor do you have to be perfect for God to
love you. God loves you simply because you are His child, not
because you are perfect.

A good father will correct you, but His aim is to provide
encouragement, not discouragement. And a good father never
expects more from a child than the child is capable of doing.

Also a good father never does anything that would harm his
child. Every good and perfect gift comes from our Father God,
and anything harmful is from our enemy the devil.

If you are a Christian believer then Almighty God promises to
be a Father to you! What a comforting thought! This should
cause you to face life with confidence.

SAY THIS: God promised to assume responsibility for being a
Father to me!

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

The Greater One Is In You

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 message is simple and has two parts: God is greater than
anything, and because you're a believer in Jesus Christ, He
lives in you.

How can anyone argue with the fact that God is greater than any
problem? God, the Creator, is above ALL. Nothing is too
difficult for Him. Most people believe this.

The second part is more difficult to believe: God is in you.
Yet, that is the message of the Bible to believers.

JOHN 14:16-17 NKJ
16 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another
Helper, that He may abide with you forever--
17 "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because
it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He
dwells with you and will be in you.

1 CORINTHIANS 6:19 NKJ
19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy
Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not
your own?

2 CORINTHIANS 6:16 NKJ
16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you
are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will
dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And
they shall be My people."

Believe the Bible. The Greater One is in you. He is greater
than any problem. He is greater than any situation, any
difficulty, any obstacle, any enemy, any thing.

SAY THIS: The Greater One is in me. He is greater than anything
I now face or ever will face.

Monday, May 03, 2010

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.

Sunday, May 02, 2010

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.

Saturday, May 01, 2010

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.