Saturday, April 30, 2011

God's Demonstration

ROMANS 5:8 NKJ
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we
were still sinners, Christ died for us.

There is no reason to say, "If God loves me, let Him prove it!"
He already has.

God gave a demonstration proving He loves you at Calvary --
where Jesus died a cruel death on a cross. He died, in your
place, suffering punishment you deserved, to set you free.

By dying for you, God proved He loved you supremely. How could
He love you more?

Jesus showed that He loves you more than He loves Himself.

JOHN 15:13 NKJ
13 "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's
life for his friends.

Jesus gave His life for you. What more could He do?

1 JOHN 3:16a NKJ
16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us.

Many people have a distorted view of God. The true picture of
God's nature is that He loves all the people of the world so
much, He was willing to suffer for their freedom.

SAY THIS: God loves me -- and He proved it!

Friday, April 29, 2011

Jesus Is The Friend Of Sinners

MATTHEW 11:19 NKJ
19 "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say,
`Look, a gluttonous man and a winebibber, a friend of tax
collectors and sinners!'. . . .

Jesus had trouble with the religious leaders of His day,
because He was a friend of sinners. Jesus is the same today. He
never changes. Jesus is your friend.

LUKE 19:7 NKJ
7 But when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, "He has gone
to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."

Religious people couldn't understand how Jesus could love a
sinner -- they certainly did not. But Jesus did, and He still
does.

Notice what Jesus said to the woman caught in the act of
adultery.

JOHN 8:11 NKJ
11 She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither do
I condemn you; go and sin no more."

Jesus does not condemn you for your sin. He understands. He
came to earth and lived in a human body just as you do.

Jesus knows the pressure you face. He knows the pain. And Jesus
cares. He cares enough to help you be free of the sin; because
He knows that sin will destroy you.

Sin may give a temporary pleasure, but in the end sin always
destroys. Jesus loves you so much, and does not want you to be
destroyed.

So Jesus is against sin because He loves you.

SAY THIS: Jesus is my friend.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

You Can Do What You Cannot Do

Let's look at two people from the Bible who did the impossible.
But they did it anyway, because of God's involvement.

HEBREWS 11:11 NKJ
11 By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive
seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because
she judged Him faithful who had promised.

Sarah had a child when she was 91 years old. (Genesis 17:17-21)
Physically, it was impossible. She had long since lost the
ability to bear children.

But she did what she could not do.

Sarah achieved this impossibility because of God's promise, and
because she believed God would keep His promise.

JUDGES 15:14-15 NKJ
14 When he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting against
him. Then the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him; and
the ropes that were on his arms became like flax that is burned
with fire, and his bonds broke loose from his hands.
15 He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, reached out his hand
and took it, and killed a thousand men with it.

Samson killed 1000 of the Lord's enemies with a bone.

He did what he could not do.

No human being is capable of single-handedly killing 1000
people at one time, with no weapon but a bone. No matter how
strong or skilled any man may be, he could easily be overcome
by such superior numbers.

But with God's anointing and help -- the situation is
different.

With God helping you: you have God's ability to do God's will.
You can do whatever God's Word says you should do.

Your sufficiency is of God.

Whatever God wants you to do -- He will help you. God does not
play favorites. Just as He helped Samson and Sarah to do what
they could not do -- He will help you to do His will -- even if
"it is impossible."

Without the anointing and help of the Lord, you cannot. But
with God -- all things are possible.

SAY THIS: I can do whatever God wants me to do. Nothing is
impossible.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Do Not Be Afraid

JOSHUA 1:9 NKJ
9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do
not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with
you wherever you go."

Over and over the Bible tells us to not be afraid.

When you stop and think about it -- it's ridiculous to be
afraid when God is with you -- and for you.

As humans, we tend to forget. Maybe that's why God said so many
times to "Fear not!"

Here are just a couple examples.

LUKE 12:7 NIV
7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't
be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

ISAIAH 41:13 NIV
13 For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right
hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

SAY THIS: I will not be afraid because I trust in God, who is
with me.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

To Become Like Jesus

ROMANS 8:29 NLT
29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to
become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn,
with many brothers and sisters.

Don't despair over your current condition -- you have an
amazing destiny!

God's plan is to make you like Jesus Christ. Don't laugh!
Remember that nothing is impossible with God.

You WILL be like Jesus!

Always remember that this tops God's agenda for you. You may be
concentrating on some temporal project or need in your life.
But God's focus is always on transforming you into the likeness
of Jesus Christ.

We can't expect becoming like Jesus to always be painless or
without difficulty. After all, most of us have quite a few
rough edges. But, if we understand what is going on in life,
and we keep our eyes on God's goal, it will be easier.

2 CORINTHIANS 4:17-18 NLT
17 For our present troubles are quite small and won't last very
long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that
will last forever!
18 So we don't look at the troubles we can see right now;
rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the
troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will
last forever.

SAY THIS: I look forward to God finishing His work in me --
making me like Jesus.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Overcomers Impress God

REVELATION 21:7 NKJ
7 "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his
God and he shall be My son.

You face problems. Sometimes you struggle and wonder why God
doesn't "just do something."

God is giving you an opportunity to impress Him!

God is your audience -- rooting for you. He is thrilled when
you overcome. Just like an earthly parent is thrilled when
their child excels.

God still LOVES you even if you fail. You just miss the
opportunity to thrill Him by not overcoming. (But what could be
a more worthy goal than to thrill God?)

"OK, I would like to impress God. How do I 'overcome'?"

1 JOHN 5:4-5 NKJ
4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is
the victory that has overcome the world -- our faith.
5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that
Jesus is the Son of God?

Overcoming is clearly something achieved by believing -- not by
other means.

Further light on this comes in Revelation 12:11.

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

Because of the redemption obtained by the sacrificial death of
our Lord, and our agreement with it, expressed through words of
faith, we overcome. In short: expressing our faith in Jesus and
what He did.

Another key is mentioned: commitment -- even to death. We must
be resolute and determined, no matter what the cost, to fully
and finally overcome.

Eight times in Revelation great promises are made to those who
overcome. (Rev. 2:7, 2:11, 2:17, 2:26, 3:5, 3:12, 3:21, 21:7.)

Our Lord's intention in giving these promises was certainly not
to make us feel guilty, or inadequate, but to spur us on to
victory.

God is cheering you on to victory! He believes you can overcome
(with His help)!

SAY THIS: God made me an overcomer, so I will overcome!

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Jesus Is The Resurrection

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.

What did Jesus mean by saying He is the resurrection?

Resurrection is not just an event, but a person: the Lord Jesus
Christ. He is our resurrection. Those who are united with Jesus
Christ through their belief in Him experience His resurrection
life, even now.

1 JOHN 5:12 NKJ
12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of
God does not have life.

It also means that because of our union with Christ Jesus,
death cannot hold us captive. Even though we may pass through
death, it cannot hold us.

Because Jesus lives in us, death cannot hold us any more than
death was able to hold Jesus.

In Jesus Christ we have the guarantee of resurrection and
eternal life.

SAY THIS: Jesus Christ is alive! Because He lives in me, I
shall continue to live, also. Death is defeated!

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Press On

PHILIPPIANS 3:13-14 WEYMOUTH
13 ...one thing I do -- forgetting everything which is past and
stretching forward to what lies in front of me,
14 with my eyes fixed on the goal I push on to secure the prize
of God's heavenward call in Christ Jesus.

Believers face many difficulties. Trials. Adversaries. Doubts.
At times we're all tempted to quit. The struggle seems too
much, and we wonder if it's worth it to continue, to hold on to
our faith when there seems to be no hope left.

But there is a goal -- supremely worthwhile: life with our
wonderful Lord. Not just existence, but intimate fellowship.

Fix your eyes on the goal -- God Himself -- and press on!

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

Please read the following verses slowly and thoughtfully.

1 PETER 5:7-10 NCV
7 Give all your worries to him, because he cares about you.
8 Control yourselves and be careful! The devil, your enemy,
goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to eat.
9 Refuse to give in to him, by standing strong in your faith.
You know that your Christian family all over the world is
having the same kinds of suffering.
10 And after you suffer for a short time, God, who gives all
grace, will make everything right. He will make you strong and
support you and keep you from falling. He called you to share
in his glory in Christ, a glory that will continue forever.

Space does not permit much comment on these verses, but notice
that suffering is caused by your enemy, the devil, and its
purpose is to attack your faith.

Also notice that God only allows you to suffer a short time.

"But," you say, "it's already been a long time."

Not really. It seems like a long time when you are going
through trials, but afterward seems like a short time. Even a
few years is nothing when you look back on it. Ask God to help
you see things from Heaven's perspective.

"But why does God allow me to suffer at all?"

Because people make wrong choices. Conflict causes suffering.
But God believes in you! Why should He yank you out of the
arena? God believes that with His grace and help, you will
overcome and experience victory.

The end result is what really counts. God will make everything
turn out alright. (Read verse 10 again.)

Maybe you feel like your faith is barely hanging by a thread.
Just hang on. With God holding the thread -- and He is -- your
faith will survive. You will make it! God will help you.

SAY THIS: I will press on with God. I will not quit or give up
on my faith.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Father's Faithfulness

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Love Your Enemies

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

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

Good point.

Why would anyone want to have enemies? Do you?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

God With Us

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

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

With us -- in many ways.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Why?

REVELATION 19:7-8 NKJ
7 "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the
marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself
ready."
8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean
and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the
saints.

These verses hold an answer to the question often asked by
humans facing difficulties and troubles: "Why?"

Since Jesus has already defeated the devil and gained for us
all the blessings the Bible tells us about, why is the devil
allowed to continue to attack us and steal those blessings?

Does any bridegroom desire to marry a bride he cannot
communicate with? Certainly not!

Surely, no highly educated person would prefer marrying a
spouse who cannot even read or write. No one would prefer
marrying someone unable to speak their language.

Jesus is no different in this regard. His desire is also to
have companionship with those who understand Him.

So you are being prepared to be a fit companion for the Lord
Jesus Christ for eternity. This means you need to have
opportunity to overcome and to walk in love in the midst of
difficulty. Otherwise, you would never be able to truly
appreciate all Jesus has done.

Does this mean Jesus will throw out those who do not perfectly
overcome in this life? Absolutely not! Jesus promised that
anyone who came to Him would never be rejected or cast out
(John 6:37). But the closest fellowship will only be enjoyed
with those who overcome as He overcame.

Revelation 19:8 says the fine linen adorning the Lamb's
companion is righteous acts. What makes her so beautiful to
Jesus is not that she is clothed in His righteousness, which
was a gift, but in her own righteousness.

No, we are not saved by our righteous acts, but when we allow
Jesus to live and love through us, our acts of loving sacrifice
are very beautiful to the Lord.

Verse 7 says His wife has made herself ready. She was not born
ready. She was born righteous, but not ready. She had to grow
up and learn to walk as Jesus walked in order to become ready
to be His most intimate companion. She received right standing
with God as a free gift. But the righteous acts she is wearing
are her own.

This is why the devil has not been incarcerated yet. God
believes every one of His children can overcome, so we are
being allowed the opportunity to do so.

The wife of the Lamb is meant to have the opportunity to
overcome evil with good -- just as Jesus did -- so she can
fellowship with Him on a level of understanding that would not
be possible otherwise.

Our wonderful Lord Jesus is worthy of companions who understand
(at least somewhat) the difficulties He suffered, because of
His love for us.

So let us ask Him to continue His work in us, making us what He
desires us to be -- similar to Him.

Then we will be ready for that wonderful, privileged position
of intimate fellowship with Jesus.

SAY THIS: It is a great privilege to know Jesus Christ, and to
become like Him.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Words Steer Your Life

JAMES 3:2-5 NIV
2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in
what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body
in check.
3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey
us, we can turn the whole animal.
4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and
are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small
rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.
5 Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes
great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a
small spark.

Your tongue steers your life. Words spoken by your tongue
determine the direction of your life, just like the rudder of a
ship determines the direction a ship will go. Words may not
cause you to arrive at the destination immediately, but they
head you in that direction, and eventually, if you continue in
that direction, you will arrive there.

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 be done,
he will have whatever he says.

Jesus said you will have what you say, if you believe it. But
He never said you will immediately have what you say. He is
telling us that the words we say set the course of our life.

What you say determines what you get in life. It did for the
people of Israel. And the Bible says the things which happened
to them are lessons for us (1 Corinthians 10:11).

ROMANS 10:10 NASB
10 for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness,
and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

Salvation (meaning deliverance) results from what our heart
believes and our mouth says.

The more strongly you believe and express your words, the more
power is behind them propelling you to that destination more
quickly.

But even words you don't fully believe, but only express in
jest, may still steer your life in that direction. Because the
devil is like a crooked lawyer watching your words, looking for
any legal loophole giving him the right to bring stealing,
killing, and destruction into your life.

Words spoken by your tongue express your beliefs and release
authority in your life. This works for everyone, whether they
realize it or not. The words you speak steer the course of your
life.

Now that you know this truth, act on it. Ask the Lord to help
you always speak the right words to steer your life to victory.

SAY THIS: My tongue steers my life in the direction I will go.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Heaven Is Our Home

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

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

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

Heaven is not a reward.

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

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

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

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

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

SAY THIS: Heaven is my home.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Tell satan Where To Go

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Friday, April 15, 2011

Change Your Name

REVELATION 2:17 NIV
17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden
manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name
written on it, known only to him who receives it.

Jesus changed Simon's name to Peter, which means a rock.

God changed Abram's name to Abraham, which means father of a
multitude.

Jacob's name was changed to Israel.

God's messenger called Gideon a "mighty man of valor" when he
saw himself as a fearful loser.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 NIV
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the
old has gone, the new has come!

As a Christian believer, you are a new creation in Christ, and
you are no longer a loser.

So quit calling yourself a loser -- or any negative name. Now
that you are in Christ, those negative names do not fit. Accept
the new name God gave you: "Winner." (This is what overcomer
means!)

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

Is it that easy? It involves more than just calling yourself a
new name, but if you fail to change the way you talk about
yourself, and the way you think about yourself, you will
continue in the same old patterns of defeat.

You must begin to see yourself as God sees you, to see yourself
as you can become.

Consider calling yourself some of the following names which
reflect what the New Testament reveals about your new identity
in Christ.

Forgiven
Forgiver
Child Of God
Bold
Confident
Patient
Kind
Strong
Righteous
Rich
Healthy
Blessed
Joyful

SAY THIS: I am a new person in Christ, and God has given me
some new names.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Freely Give Us All Things?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God gives us richly all things to enjoy!

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

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

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

God Is Not A Killer

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

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

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

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

God is not guilty!

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

But it is a lie!

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

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

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

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

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

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Talk To Things

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

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

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

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

Here is one seldom acted upon: talk to things.

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

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

Jesus talked to things. You should too.

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

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

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

Monday, April 11, 2011

God Sees Ahead

GENESIS 22:14 YLT
14 and Abraham calleth the name of that place `Jehovah-Jireh,'
because it is said this day in the mount, `Jehovah doth
provide.'

One of God's names is Jehovah Jireh which is a compound name
meaning the Lord sees ahead and provides.

"Jehovah-Jireh" means, "The Lord will see to it," that is, "The
Lord will provide."

My car recently quit running when I was in another city. As I
prayed and looked to God, He helped me to work things out.

While I didn't actually complain to God about having car
trouble - - the thoughts were certainly there. (Thoughts like
the repair money could have been put to a better use.)

I believe God spoke to my heart that He could have kept my car
running perfectly. Or, He could have supernaturally healed it.
But if He would have, then I would not have experienced Him as
the One who sees ahead and provides, which He did.

It was not the first time God had provided for me, of course.
But it is still always thrilling to know that God cares for
you, and that He makes plans for your provision, even before
you know you will need it.

Our God is mighty -- and wonderful!

SAY THIS: God always sees ahead and provides for me.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

The Lord Is Your Helper

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

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

It can happen.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saturday, April 09, 2011

God Is Not Your Problem

JAMES 1:17 ESV
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming
down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation
or shadow due to change.

We all face many problems in life, but God is not behind our
problems.

God is your answer, not your problem.

Insurance contracts may call natural catastrophes "acts of
God," but they are wrong. They are not acts of the Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, but acts of the god of this world, the
devil.

2 CORINTHIANS 4:4 NLT
4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of
those who don't believe. They are unable to see the glorious
light of the Good News. They don't understand this message
about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

Jesus made a clear distinction between the work of God and the
work of the thief in John 10:10.

JOHN 10:10 ESV
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came
that they may have life and have it abundantly.

When terrible things happen, it is not unusual to find people
saying "God, why did you do this to me?" This assumes God
is responsible for every thing that happens. But the Bible
gives us a different message.

1 JOHN 5:19 NLT
19 We know that we are children of God and that the world
around us is under the control of the evil one.

The devil is behind the evil in the world. And people have
allowed the devil to do his dirty work. So, ultimately, we
humans are to blame. We cannot blame God. He has given us
authority to stop evil, but we have failed to exercise our
authority as we should have.

God gave mankind dominion on earth.

GENESIS 1:26 ESV
26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our
likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea
and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and
over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on
the earth."

When Jesus redeemed mankind, He restored to us dominion through
His Name. We are responsible for what we allow to happen on
earth, because Jesus has given us His authority.

LUKE 10:19 ESV
19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and
scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing
shall hurt you.

MATTHEW 18:18 NLT
18 "I tell you the truth, whatever you forbid on earth will be
forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be
permitted in heaven.

Heaven will back us, but we have the responsibility to stand
against evil on earth, using our spiritual authority.

Anything that steals, kills, or destroys is not from God the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, but from our enemy, so it
should be resisted.

Jesus Christ perfectly represented God and He went around doing
good and healing people (Acts 10:38), not hurting people. Jesus
was a giver, not a taker. And He is still the same today.

SAY THIS: The problems I face are not God's fault.

Friday, April 08, 2011

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!

Thursday, April 07, 2011

Walk In Love

EPHESIANS 4:31-32 NCV
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, and forgive each other
just as God forgave you in Christ.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wednesday, April 06, 2011

Look At The Stars

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tuesday, April 05, 2011

God Can Be Trusted

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

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

Do not give up! God can be trusted.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Monday, April 04, 2011

What Is God Like?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have your own relationship with God!

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

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

Sunday, April 03, 2011

God So Loved The World

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Don't ever forget it: God loves people.

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

Saturday, April 02, 2011

Faith Is A Choice

LUKE 22:67 NASB
67 "If You are the Christ, tell us." But He said to them, "If I
tell you, you will not believe;

No one can force anyone to believe anything. Each one of us
chooses whether we will believe something, based on our
evaluation of the evidence presented to us.

Faith and belief may have different English meanings, but in
the New Testament they are different forms of the same Greek
word. Believe is the verb and faith is the noun for the same
word. (Like think and thought are in English.)

JOHN 20:25 NASB
25 The other disciples therefore were saying to him, "We have
seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I shall see in His
hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the
place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not
believe."

Note that Thomas said, "I WILL NOT believe."

Many think seeing miracles would cause people to have faith.
But the only ones who believe as a result of seeing miracles
are those who choose to accept the miracle as sufficient
evidence for them to believe. It is still a choice.

JOHN 12:37 NET
37 Although Jesus had performed so many miraculous signs before
them, they still refused to believe in him,

I used to think faith was difficult to pin down with certainty
-- something like a feeling or state of being. But now I
understand that once we make the decision to believe, we are in
faith, no matter how we may feel.

At its heart, faith is always a decision. No one can force you
to believe in anything. The choice is yours.

However, we cannot believe or have faith in anything without
evidence. We must have evidence that convinces us before we can
believe something.

The primary evidence God has given us so that we may have faith
in Him is His Word. God is not a liar; He can be trusted.
Whatever God says, always comes to pass.

So if someone says they don't have much faith, the solution is
for them to see the evidence from God's Word on that subject,
then choose to accept what God said as true. Then they will
have faith. At that point they may not feel anything, but they
have faith.

The primary action of faith toward God is speaking in agreement
with God's Word. Jesus said if you had faith you would say. So
we express what we believe by the words we speak. And then we
stand in that position of faith, regardless of feelings or
circumstances.

SAY THIS: Nothing can force me to believe. I must choose to
believe.

Friday, April 01, 2011

Enjoy Your Salvation

HABAKKUK 3:18 NLT
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God
of my salvation!

To rejoice means to re-joy, or repeatedly en-joy. We are to
repeatedly and continually enjoy God and what He has done for
us.

PSALM 35:9 GWN
9 My soul will find joy in the LORD and be joyful about his
salvation.

Enjoying God means being delighted with Him.

When we enjoy God, and what He has done, we also provide
enjoyment for God. For God enjoys you being happy about what He
has done for you.

DEUTERONOMY 26:11 ESV
11 And you shall rejoice in all the good that the LORD your God
has given to you and to your house, you, and the Levite, and
the sojourner who is among you.

Our response to God should not always be limited to just a
rational, subdued little response. When we clearly recognize
what our wonderful Lord has accomplished for us, at times it
should cause us to be overwhelmed with joy!

ISAIAH 61:10 NLT
10 I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For he has
dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a
robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom in his wedding
suit or a bride with her jewels.

Don't allow God's great love and redemption to become boring,
trivial, or unexciting. Stir yourself up occasionally. Allow
yourself to act like you would hearing the Good News for the
first time. Go ahead -- jump and shout!

SAY THIS: It pleases God for me to enjoy the salvation He has
given me.