How High Are The Heavens Above The Earth?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Forgive Others As God Has Forgiven You

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You Are God's Garden

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God's Word Is Like A Seed

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

A seed is powerful.

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

A seed begins its growth in secret (underground).

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

A seed takes time to produce.

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

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

A seed is persistent.

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

A seed is not affected by other seeds.

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

A seed will stop growing without nourishment.

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

More seeds planted produce a larger harvest.

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

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

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

Who Is Right?

Whose teaching should I listen to? It seems Christians differ
on many things, although all claim to believe the same Bible.

(On the main teaching that Jesus is mankind's savior and we
need to follow Him, all Christian groups agree. But on many
subjects, there is not agreement.)

How can I know who to believe? Who is right?

Fortunately, God gave us His Word, the Bible, so we could know
the truth, and it gives some guidelines to help with this
question.

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

So an important question is whether freedom is being produced
in the lives of the people who are following a teaching. If
not, it cannot be the accurate message of Jesus, which will
make people free. This does not mean everyone will instantly be
free, but over time, the fruit of the teaching should be
freedom.

In Matthew 7, Jesus taught that we can judge by whether "good
fruit" is being produced.

MATTHEW 7:16-17,20 NKJ
16 "You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes
from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
17 "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree
bears bad fruit.
20 "Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

Galatians tells us what kind of fruit is produced by followers
of Jesus who live a spiritual life.

GALATIANS 5:22-23 NKJ
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Hebrews 13:7-8 also gives us some important guidelines of who
we should follow.

HEBREWS 13:7 NKJ
7 Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of
God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of
their conduct.

What has their teaching produced? Is it love, joy, peace,
gentleness, etc.? Does it result in setting people free from
bondage? Are broken people being healed and made whole? These
are questions we should ask when we "consider the outcome of
their conduct."

But don't expect followers of Truth to be loved and accepted by
everyone, although they should show love to others, even those
opposing them. Anyone truly following Jesus is usually
criticized, especially by religious people.

LUKE 6:26-27 NKJ
26 Woe to you when all men speak well of you, For so did their
fathers to the false prophets.
27 "But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to
those who hate you,

MATTHEW 10:25 NKJ
25 "It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher,
and a servant like his master. If they have called the master
of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of
his household!

Is love, mercy, and compassion (like Jesus had) a mark of their
ministry? Or do they more closely resemble the Pharisees who
loved to focus on keeping a list of rules, instead of helping
people.

HEBREWS 13:8 NKJ
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Another key consideration is whether people think Jesus has
lost His power or compassion to help people today. Do they
believe Jesus still does the same miracles today as He did in
Bible days?

Avoid the teaching of any group that tells you the day of
miracles has passed and that God no longer does the same things
He did in Bible days. They are simply wrong. Jesus Christ is
the same today as He was yesterday!

People can be wrong, even good, well-meaning people who may
seem to know the Bible. Plenty of people have studied the Bible
their entire life and still don't really understand it. The
Pharisees of Jesus' day were the Bible experts, yet God walked
among them and they called Him the devil!

1 CORINTHIANS 12:12,27 NLT
12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up
only one body. So it is with the body of Christ.
27 Now all of you together are Christ's body, and each one of
you is a separate and necessary part of it.

God does not make everyone the same, or direct us all to do the
same thing in the same way. So don't reject or criticize others
just because they are different. God loves all His children, no
matter how ignorant, mis-informed, or immature they may be.
Because God loves them, we should also treat them all with love
and respect.

JOHN 13:35 NKJ
35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you
have love for one another."

Most importantly, Jesus told how we could know who were His
true disciples: they would be known by love. So, if the ones
you follow are known more for fighting than for sacrificial
love and giving, you need to pray about making a change.

SAY THIS: Jesus Christ is the One who is right, and He is Lord
of the Kingdom of Love!

To See God, Look At Jesus

Do you want to know God? Get acquainted with Jesus through the
pages of the Bible.

JOHN 12:44-45 NKJ
44 . . .Jesus. . .said, "He who believes in Me, believes not in
Me but in Him who sent Me.
45 "And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.

JOHN 14:7-10 NKJ
7 "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also;
and from now on you know Him and have seen Him."
8 Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is
sufficient for us."
9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you
have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the
Father; so how can you say, `Show us the Father'?
10 "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father
in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own
authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.

Why am I stressing this point? It's simple. Most people think
highly of Jesus of Nazareth. After all, there is not anything
to fault with Him. But when it comes to God, most people blame
Him for a lot of bad stuff.

The truth is: looking at Jesus gives you a perfectly clear
picture of what the invisible God is like. Any other picture is
a lie and a distortion.

SAY THIS: God is like Jesus, and I find no fault in Him.

Jesus Perfectly Pleased The Father

God not only approved of everything Jesus did -- He was very
pleased with everything Jesus did.

JOHN 8:29 NKJ
29 "And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me
alone, for I always do those things that please Him."

Why is it important for us to look at this?

Many people are unclear what God's will is in many areas. There
is much confusion over what many call "acts of God" which bring
destruction. But if we understand that Jesus always did God's
will perfectly, and that God was thrilled with everything Jesus
did, then we can examine what Jesus did and see what God's will
is.

Did Jesus ever make anyone sick -- even to teach them
something? Did Jesus ever tell anyone it was not the will of
God for them to be healed? Did Jesus ever tell anyone that God
would not love them and help them? Did Jesus ever destroy
anyone's property or steal it from them? Did Jesus ever kill
anyone's family member?

No. Never. Jesus did what was pleasing to God. Those things are
still not pleasing to God, and He should not be blamed for
them.

Is God pleased when people are helped? Is God pleased when
people are healed and delivered from bondage? Is God pleased
when people's needs are met? Is God pleased when people have
their sins forgiven? Is God pleased when people know that God
loves them?

Yes. Those are the things Jesus did, and He perfectly pleased
God.

SAY THIS: God is pleased when people are helped like Jesus
helped them.

God Is Rich In Mercy

EPHESIANS 2:4 NKJ
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with
which He loved us,

The devil promotes the lie that God is mad at people and
anxious to condemn them, but the Bible says that God is rich in
mercy.

Mercy means not getting what we deserve.

Rich means an abundant supply -- more than enough.

The Bible says 41 times of the Lord that "his mercy endures
forever." Psalm 136 makes this statement in every verse.

PSALM 136:1 NKJ
1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy
endures forever.

We may look at people and think they don't deserve another
chance. They may have blown it again and again and they may
seem hopeless to us. But God looks at people differently. He
looks at them through eyes of Love and sees their potential and
so shows mercy.

Yes, God is against sin. But it's because He loves us, and
knows how harmful sin is.

SAY THIS: God is more merciful than I have realized. God has
plenty of mercy.

Jesus Revealed God To Us

2 CORINTHIANS 4:4 ICB
4 The devil who rules this world has blinded the minds of those
who do not believe. They cannot see the light of the Good News
-- the Good News about the glory of Christ, who is exactly like
God.

What is God like?

Before Jesus of Nazareth came on the scene, the human concept
of God was a bit fuzzy. (It still is for those who have not
understood this truth.)

But Jesus perfectly revealed to us what God is like. He was
(and is) Heaven's perfect representative.

COLOSSIANS 1:15 ICB
15 No one has seen God, but Jesus is exactly like him. Christ
ranks higher than all the things that have been made.

COLOSSIANS 1:15 WEYMOUTH
15 Christ is the visible representation of the invisible God,
the Firstborn and Lord of all creation.

HEBREWS 1:3 WEYMOUTH
3 He brightly reflects God's glory and is the exact
representation of His being, and upholds the universe by His
all-powerful word. After securing man's purification from sin
He took His seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

The scriptures above should have made it clear that God is like
Jesus. Now let's look at a verse summarizing the life of Jesus
on earth.

ACTS 10:38 NKJ
38 "how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and
with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were
oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

Notice that Jesus went about DOING GOOD -- not doing bad. Not
hurting people, but helping people. That is what God is like.

SAY THIS: God is good and likes to help people.

You Are A Citizen of Heaven

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How God's Word Will Make You Free

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God's Word Will Make You Free

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How Much Does God Love You?

Only God can answer this question. Fortunately, we have a
book available where we can find out what God thinks: the
Bible.

(What a wonderful thought that is! We can read and know what
GOD thinks! Don't let yourself be robbed of this great
privilege by being too busy.)

PSALM 103:13 NIV
13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has
compassion on those who fear him;

One way we can begin to get an inkling of God's love for us is
to know what it is like to have our own children. Psalm 103:13
tells us that the same deep feelings a parent has for their
child, are also present in God toward us. The word in this
verse means much more than "compassion." It is a very deep
feeling -- hard to express in words. This is what God feels for
you!

(You may wonder why. I may wonder why God would feel that way
about you or me. All I can say is: parents can think their own
children are really special, even though others may think they
are quite normal!)

Another way we can judge how much God loves us is by what He
was willing to go through to redeem us and have us in His
family. A lot!

We are familiar with John 3:16, but often being familiar with
something keeps us from grasping it as fully and clearly as we
should. Think about it: God so loved the dirty, rotten,
rebellious world of people -- even those who hated Him -- that
He decided to suffer the punishment that justice demanded so
they could go free.

God loves you -- no matter who you are -- no matter what you
have done. He loves you more than you can imagine or
understand.

God loves you more than He loves Himself. That is proven by the
fact that He put your interest and your feelings ahead of His
own, choosing to suffer so you could go free.

How can anyone not love and worship such a Being as our
wonderful God?

SAY THIS: God loves me. God loves me. God loves me.

God Is Not Guilty

JOB 40:8 LB
8 Are you going to discredit my justice and condemn me so that
you can say you are right?

Many are quick to blame God for all the bad things in their
life and in the world. "After all, God is ultimately
responsible, isn't He?"

Is a parent responsible for the choices their grown children
make? Certainly, they had influence in raising their children.
But ultimately, each human makes their own choices and we are
each responsible for our own actions. We cannot blame our
parents -- our spouse -- or anyone else. If we choose to do
wrong, it is our choice.

People are guilty. The devil is guilty. Not God.

"But what about storms, earthquakes, and such?"

Jesus rebuked the storm in Luke 8:24. Are we to believe that
Jesus was rebuking something that God was responsible for?

Although it is not clear now to most people, one day it will be
clear to all: God is not guilty of anything. The devil and
people shoulder the blame for all the heartache, misery, and
pain on earth.

JEREMIAH 9:24 NIV
24 but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands
and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,"
declares the LORD.

SAY THIS: I repent of ever blaming God for any wrongdoing. God
is not guilty.

Words Bring Success

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.

God's Word never changes. What God promised would work for
Joshua will work for you, also. The problem with most of us is
that we are just too busy to put God's Word first like we
should. But we are not too busy to work trying to get ahead.
Explain that.

God never lies. Follow His instructions given above and you
WILL have prosperity and good success. Maybe not in 10 minutes.
Maybe not even for 10 years. But you will. God promises it.

Notice that Joshua 1:8 does not just say to think about God's
Word. No -- the Word must continually be in your mouth! Words!

1 PETER 3:10 NKJ
10 For "He who would love life and see good days, let him
refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking guile;

Speaking and thinking in line with God's Word will cause you to
prosper and succeed. If you would like to see good days, the
Bible admonishes you to watch your words!

Never confess defeat. Confessing Jesus as Lord of every
situation brings glory to God.

SAY THIS: I will keep God's Word in my thoughts and in my
mouth. Then I will have good success in life.

The Difference Between Jesus and The Devil

John 10:10 NIV
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have
come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

There is a stark contrast between the Lord Jesus Christ and the
devil.

Jesus is for you. He loves you and desires the best for you. He
loves you even more than He loves Himself. He proved it by
dying in your place. His desire is for you to have life in its
fullness -- life as God planned it to be -- both now and for
all eternity.

The devil is the opposite of Jesus. The devil is against you
and is always trying to steal from you, kill you, and destroy
everything that is good. The devil is selfish and does not care
about you or anyone else but himself.

Can you trust the devil? Yes . . . to be the devil. You can
depend on him lying and trying to always deceive you. The
purpose of this deception is always to draw you away from God
and His Word because that is your only source of help and
deliverance from the devil's strategies -- which are stealing,
killing, and destroying.

Can you trust Jesus? The answer should be obvious. Anyone who
cares for you enough to die in your place, suffering for you,
so you won't have to suffer, is trustworthy. Jesus promised to
never forsake you. He will never quit loving you and trying to
help you.

The trouble is, too many people hinder Jesus from helping them.
They believe and follow what the devil says, and turn away from
Jesus and the Word of God.

You need to invite and welcome Jesus Christ into your life --
in every area. He wants to help you, but will not force His
help on you. If you don't -- the devil may get into those areas
of your life and wreak havoc.

SAY THIS: God is a good God and the devil is a bad devil.

Rejoice In The Lord

PHILIPPIANS 4:4 NKJ
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

At least five times the Bible tells the people of God to
rejoice in the Lord.

We may not always be able to rejoice in other people, or in our
circumstances.

People can be frustrating. People can be immature. People can
be undependable. Need I go on?

But the Lord is different! God is dependable. God is faithful.
God is honest. God is good. God is patient. God is kind. God is
understanding. God is merciful and gracious.

MALACHI 3:6 NLT
6 "I am the LORD, and I do not change. That is why you
descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed.

When we focus on our circumstances, or on what people do, we
can lose our joy quickly.

But with a true understanding of what God is really like, we
cannot help but rejoice because of His goodness and greatness.

If you are not sure what God is really like, then look at Jesus
Christ in the pages of the Four Gospels in the New Testament.
Jesus Christ perfectly revealed to us what God is like.

SAY THIS: I will keep my focus on the goodness and greatness of
the Lord and rejoice in Him.

The Gift of Righteousness

ROMANS 5:17 NIV
17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned
through that one man, how much more will those who receive
God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of
righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

The New Testament reveals the good news that God offers
righteousness as a free gift to everyone who receives the Lord
Jesus Christ.

Righteousness means right-wise-ness, or being right. So
righteousness is right standing, or good standing with God.

Righteousness is a GIFT from God -- not something you can earn
or achieve. God simply declares that you are innocent, as far
as He is concerned, because you believe in Jesus.

You are righteous if Jesus is your Lord. In fact, Jesus is your
righteousness. So, you are really as righteous as God is --
because He IS your righteousness. As a believer in Jesus, you
will never be more righteous -- no matter what you do.

1 CORINTHIANS 1:30 NIV
30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has
become for us wisdom from God -- that is, our righteousness,
holiness and redemption.

SAY THIS: I receive the gift of right standing with God through
my Lord Jesus Christ. Thank You Father God for this wonderful
gift.

Don't Be Afraid To Die

JOHN 11:25 NKJ
25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He
who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.

The sting of death has been removed for the Christian believer
by Jesus our Lord.

1 CORINTHIANS 15:55 NLT
55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your
sting?"

I am not afraid to die. There is no reason for any follower of
Jesus to fear death.

REVELATION 12:11b NLT
11 And they did not love their lives so much that they were
afraid to die.

I'm in no rush to die, for it's best to live a full life on
earth and finish our race here. But after we finish on earth,
death for a Christian believer is a promotion.

There are many people who claim to have visited Heaven and came
back. I have never heard one indicate they wanted to leave and
return to earth. They all say it is wonderful there beyond
words.

What else could we expect from our wonderful Lord Jesus!

1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-14 NLT
13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what
will happen to the believers who have died so you will not
grieve like people who have no hope.
14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life
again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring
back with him the believers who have died.

When a Christian dies, they leave their body and go to be with
Jesus (Who loved us enough to die for us). Why should we be
afraid of that?

PHILIPPIANS 1:21-23 NKJ
21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my
labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.
23 For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to
depart and be with Christ, which is far better.

SAY THIS: I am not afraid to die and go to be with Jesus.

Hold Fast Your Confession

HEBREWS 3:1; 4:14 NKJ
1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling,
consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ
Jesus,
14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed
through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our
confession.

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

Your confession is what you say. You should persistently
continue speaking in faith, agreeing with what God has said,
regardless of circumstances. If it never seemed like it was not
working, there would be no need to hold fast, or hang on, to a
confession of faith.

Some people are surprised when they act on God's Word and it
does not immediately come to pass. But there is abundant
evidence in Scripture showing that is normal. God never
promised that everything would happen instantly. The time
period involved gives us opportunity to walk in faith and
please God.

Remember that authority is released through words. When we
speak in DIS-agreement with what God says, we are giving
authority in that area of our lives to our enemy. This is why
Scripture tells us to struggle (if necessary) to keep speaking
in agreement with God's Word.

Why does the Bible tell us to "hold fast" -- or you might say
"hang on tight" or "hang on for dear life." Obviously,
something or someone is trying hard to get us to turn loose.
Who or what do you think that is?

SAY THIS: With God's help, I will keep speaking in agreement
with the Word of God, no matter what the circumstances may say.

What You Say Is What You Get

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

Jesus said that you will have whatever you say -- dependent on
believing and not doubting. Think of that. What you say
determines what you get in life. It did for the children of
Israel. And the Bible says the things which happened to them
are lessons for us.

NUMBERS 14:28 NKJ
28 "Say to them, `As I live,' says the Lord, `just as you have
spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you:

PROVERBS 6:2 NKJ
2 you are snared by the words of your own mouth; you are taken
by the words of your mouth.

Words can get you in trouble. And words can deliver you (see
Revelation 12:11 and Romans 10:10). Words control your destiny.

All of us face trouble in life and it can sometimes be tempting
to wonder why God does not help us sooner and in greater
measure. While there is much that we don't understand, we must,
on the basis of what Jesus said, realize we are responsible for
what happens because of the words we have spoken.

SAY THIS: Jesus said I will have whatever I say if I believe
it.

Life Can Be Tough

JOHN 16:33 ICB
33 "I told you these things so that you can have peace in me.
In this world you will have trouble. But be brave! I have
defeated the world!"

Jesus never promised us that everything would be perfect here
on earth. He recognized that we would encounter trouble. But
His instructions were to be of good cheer -- not to let it get
us down.

As we encounter difficulties in life, it will help us to
remember the big picture. First, God is our Father and has a
wonderful eternal plan for us. We are His children and He loves
us. Second, this time is but a training period for our future
life with God. We are supposed to be learning to trust God and
to obey Him.

So, every problem we ever face is an opportunity to walk in
faith and please God. Every problem is an opportunity to
overcome with God's help. How can we expect to receive the
blessings promised to the overcomer if we never have anything
to overcome?

What is the answer when we seem overwhelmed with trouble? Look
to Jesus. He has already won the victory. He has overcome and
defeated the world. In Him is victory.

You may ask how you can look to Jesus. It is mostly a matter of
focus -- what you choose to think on. What God says in His Word
will set you free and give you peace. What the circumstances
say is not the final word.

So, go to God's Word. Cling to the promises. Speak them. Sing
them. Shout them. Rejoice over them. And thank God for them.

Also, you need to develop a closer relationship with the Lord.
That is His desire and it should be yours. All relationships
are based on communication, so you must talk to the Lord to
deepen your relationship with Him. Develop the habit of talking
with Him about everything. You can speak freely to Him -- after
all He knows what you are thinking anyway.

SAY THIS: No matter what I face, the Lord is with me, and I can
overcome because Jesus already won the victory.

What Is The Kingdom Of God?

ROMANS 14:17 ESV
17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and
drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy
Spirit.

A kingdom is the domain of a king. It is wherever a king
governs, or is in control. A king can be in control without
being physically present. Wherever his ideas and rules are
governing is part of his domain, or kingdom.

This is the point of Romans 14:17. God's kingdom is not just a
location where you would live (eat and drink), but it is
everywhere we allow God and His spirit to govern us.

So the Kingdom of God includes everywhere the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ is acknowledged as King. It is where His
ideas govern and where His rules are obeyed.

1 JOHN 4:8 ESV
8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is
love.

God is love, so the Kingdom of God is the Kingdom of Love.
There can be no selfishness in the Kingdom of Love.

In the Kingdom of Love, everyone delights to help others. Not
by force, for it will be our joy to do everything we can to
benefit everyone else. (Therefore it will be Heaven!) Every
inhabitant will have the same nature as Jesus Christ, a nature
of selfless love for others.

LUKE 17:20-21 NLT
20 One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, "When will the Kingdom of
God come?" Jesus replied, "The Kingdom of God can't be detected
by visible signs.
21 You won't be able to say, 'Here it is!' or 'It's over
there!' For the Kingdom of God is already among you."

So the Kingdom of God is not restricted to a certain place or
time, like Spain or the USA -- or even Heaven. The Kingdom of
God is everywhere that God is accepted and acknowledged. The
Kingdom of God is everywhere the nature and ideas of God
govern.

The Kingdom of God means the rule of God, where God's Word (His
ideas) are followed. Not acting on God's Word is stepping into
the kingdom of darkness.

SAY THIS: I am part of the Kingdom of God, Who is Love.

Jesus Does Not Force Us Out Of Our Boat

MATTHEW 14:25,28-32 NKJ
25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them,
walking on the sea.
28 And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You,
command me to come to You on the water."
29 So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the
boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid;
and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"
31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him,
and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"
32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

Most people like to "play it safe." They don't even want their
boat to rock, let alone consider getting out and "walking on
water."

God allows us to make choices. God's plan is that we would walk
with Him in His realm of miracles, but He allows us to grow and
develop until we are ready. He does not force us.

Notice that Peter was the one who chose to walk on water. And
Peter did walk on water, if only for a short time. As long as
Peter kept His focus on Jesus he stayed in faith, but when he
focused on the circumstances, he became afraid and sunk back
into the natural realm.

Jesus told us that all things are possible if we believe (Mark
9:23). Therefore, our limits are self-imposed, not imposed by
God. If we change our beliefs to line up with God's Word, we
can see amazing results.

Right before Jesus and Peter walked on the water, Jesus fed a
crowd of 5,000 men, plus women and children, starting with only
five loaves of bread and two fish. Most think only Jesus could
do such things, but Jesus told us in John 14:12 that those who
believe in Him would do the same works He did.

So if we believe what Jesus said in John 14:12, we must believe
we can multiply food as He did.

But Jesus was not the first, or only one, to supernaturally
multiply food on earth.

Not only did God supernaturally provide food (manna) for 40
years in the wilderness for all the children of Israel, but
food was also multiplied through the ministry of Elijah (1
Kings 17:9-16), and Elisha (2 Kings 4:1-7, 2 Kings 4:42-44).

JAMES 5:17 NKJ
17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours ....

It is easy to think we could never do things like Elijah, but
Scripture says Elijah was a man just like us. Obviously, we are
being encouraged to believe great things can happen through our
lives, too.

The key is to realize that the power is of God and not of us.
God has done great things through others, and He can do them
through you, also! But you are the one who must choose to
believe that God's Word is true. If you never "step out of your
boat" and act on God's Word, you will not see miracles happen.

God will not love you any less if you are afraid and choose to
stay in your little boat. But you were not created to be
imprisoned in a little boat. You were created to grow up to be
like Jesus and walk with Him.

It's great to "walk on water" with Jesus. So don't be afraid to
launch out into new areas of faith. Step out in faith on God's
Word. Even if you begin to "sink" Jesus will rescue you, so
don't be afraid.

SAY THIS: I must choose to leave my comfort zone and trust God
for greater things to happen.

Does God Choose When We Die?

HEBREWS 9:27 KJV
27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this
the judgment:

Many have misunderstood Hebrews 9:27. It does not say that God
has set a certain time for each person to die. It only says
that each person will die, and then be judged.

Some people believe there is a pre-determined date God has
chosen for them to die. They don't think they have anything to
do with when they will die, but that it is strictly determined
by "fate."

But the Bible gives us a different picture.

The Bible tells us things we can do that will shorten our
lives, or lengthen them. For example, honoring our parents.

EPHESIANS 6:2-3 NKJ
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."

According to the Bible, what we say with our tongue also
affects how long we live.

PROVERBS 18:21 NKJ
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who
love it will eat its fruit.

This says death is in the power, or the control, of our tongue.
So the words we speak have an effect on how long we will live.

DEUTERONOMY 30:19 NKJ
19 "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you,
that I have set before you life and death, blessing and
cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your
descendants may live;

God said we should choose between life and death. That is
certainly not the same as God saying, "I have already decided
when you will die and there is nothing you can do about it!"

PHILIPPIANS 1:21-23 NKJ
21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my
labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.
23 For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to
depart and be with Christ, which is far better.

Paul, who wrote Philippians, obviously believed he had some
choice as to whether to stay here or die. We have the same
choice.

Even if God may know when we will die, that does not mean He
chooses it or causes it. This may be difficult for us to
understand, because we are bound by time. But just because we
do not understand something, does not mean it can't be true.
God knows more than we do! God knows the future, but He still
allows us to make choices. Somehow, not being restricted to
time like we are, God knows what will happen in the future,
without robbing us of our freedom to make choices.

God did not create humanity to be His puppets, robots, or
slaves. We have a God-given right to make choices.

Nowhere in the Bible does it say that God has picked out a date
for each person to die. So for us to say that would be adding
to what the Bible has said.

SAY THIS: God has given me the right and the responsibility to
make the right choices.

You Choose!

DEUTERONOMY 30:19 NKJ
19 "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you,
that I have set before you life and death, blessing and
cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your
descendants may live;

Most people don't realize that God has given them the power to
choose whether they will be blessed.

We choose whether to go God's way and be blessed, or ignore God
and go our own way and reap the unfortunate consequences.

God has given humans an amazing freedom to make choices. God
does not force blessing on us -- we must choose blessing by
choosing God and His ways.

God did not create us to be puppets, robots, or slaves. God
desires a family He can fellowship with. There would be no joy
in being loved by a robot who had no choice, so God created us
with the freedom and the right to make choices.

With our right to make choices also came the responsibility to
make them. So we must make choices. God does not make our
choices for us.

How do we choose life and blessing? By what we choose to think.
Our thoughts guide our actions. That is why feeding or
meditating on the Word of God is so vital. The thoughts we
allow to dominate our consciousness will determine the focus
and direction of our life.

We choose whom we will serve. We choose who and what will
influence and thus govern our thoughts and actions.

JOSHUA 24:15 NKJ
15 "... choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve ....
But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

When you make a choice, you need to express it by your words.
You need to speak and let the universe know where you stand.

SAY THIS: I choose God. I choose blessing. I choose life. I
choose health. I choose prosperity. I choose Jesus Christ as my
Lord.

God Is A Father

EPHESIANS 3:15 AMPLIFIED

15 For Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named --
[that Father] from whom all fatherhood takes its title and
derives its name.

I have included these different translations, with the notes
from the margin, to show that the Bible says that all
fatherhood derives from God. In other words, God is the
original Father. Everything good that fathers are, was in God
first. All earthly fatherhood is but a replica of what was
first in God.

EPHESIANS 3:14-15 NIV
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father,
15 from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives
its name.

NIV NOTE: Or whom all fatherhood

EPHESIANS 3:14-15 NRSV
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,
15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its
name.

NRSV Note: Gk fatherhood

One mission of Jesus on earth was to show us what God was like,
to reveal Him to us. Jesus introduced the concept of God as
Father. The Jews did not know God as Father because the Old
Testament does not teach it. No other religion had looked to
God as a Father. Instead God was generally thought of as a
judge at best, and often as a despicable character who could
only be trusted to let you down; someone who would play tricks
on you just for his amusement, and delight in disappointing
you.

Concepts of God haven't really changed much, have they!

But Jesus revealed to humanity that God was not like they
thought -- He was a good Father. Not someone who would do them
wrong, but someone who would take care of them with their best
interest always at heart. Someone who would love them more than
they loved themselves.

How do you think of God?

SAY THIS: God, I am glad to know You are a Father. Please help
me to always remember that.

God Really Does Love You

1 JOHN 3:1 NIV
1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we
should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The
reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Yes, you have heard it before. No, you don't understand it yet.

Ephesians 3 mentions praying that believers would know the love
of Christ -- which is really beyond knowledge. In other words,
you need a divine revelation to understand God's love for you.

EPHESIANS 3:19 ICB
19 Christ's love is greater than any person can ever know. But
I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be
filled with the fullness of God.

Yes, you know that Jesus died for you, that God watches over
you, protects you and provides for you. But that does not
really give you insight into how God feels about you. He could
do all that just because He felt obligated to take care of you
because He created you.

No. That is not the whole story. God LOVES you.

"But why would God love me? I don't even love myself" you may
say. Well, pray for a divine revelation -- that is really the
only way to know.

However, for those of you who are parents, this may help give
you a little insight. Think about the love you have for your
children. Can you adequately communicate how you feel to them?
Well, our human love for our children is just a shadow of God's
love for you, as His child.

SAY THIS: Father God, please help me to understand how much you
love me.