Saturday, December 31, 2011

Spiritual Growth

2 PETER 3:18 NKJ
18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

We can gain understanding of spiritual growth by comparing it
to natural growth. There are many similarities.

We do not start out as full-grown adults. It takes time,
nurture, and experience to learn and develop.

In the natural realm, physical food is required. In the
spiritual realm the food required for strength and growth is
the Word of God.

MATTHEW 4:4 NKJ
4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live
by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth
of God.'"

Spiritual growth is part of the Christian life. God's Word is
our spiritual food. Not only do we need to read it, but also to
speak it and meditate on it.

EPHESIANS 4:15 NKJ
15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things
into Him who is the head -- Christ --

A new-born Christian has the same authority over the devil and
all his forces as any of the Apostles. They also have the same
righteousness -- which is a gift from God. In the natural a
new-born baby has all the same muscles as a professional
athlete, but they cannot accomplish the same things because
they are not as developed. Yet they have the same potential,
which over time can be developed.

1 PETER 2:2 NKJ
2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you
may grow thereby,

So keep feeding your spirit on the Word of God and act on what
you learn. Just like a natural child, you will fall down a few
times while learning how to walk. But you must get up and try
again. God will watch over you and protect you as any good
parent should, so you don't have to be afraid.

SAY THIS: God's plan is for me to grow spiritually.

Friday, December 30, 2011

God Will Save Your Family

ACTS 16:31 NKJ
31 So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you
will be saved, you and your household."

We have a right to believe for the salvation of all our family
members. God's desire is for everyone to know Him and enjoy
life with Him.

2 PETER 3:9 NKJ
9 The Lord is . . . not willing that any should perish but that
all should come to repentance.

God never forces anyone to accept Him and love Him. But when we
pray for people, God releases His forces and strongly
influences them with His truth. When people are confronted with
the reality of God, they will accept Him. Spiritual blindness
is the only reason anyone rejects Jesus Christ.

Praying for those we love, gives God a valid invitation to work
in their lives, so they can know the truth.

We should also use the authority of Jesus' Name to break the
devil's blindness over our loved ones.

2 CORINTHIANS 4:3-4 NKJ
3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who
are perishing,
4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not
believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ,
who is the image of God, should shine on them.

There is a spiritual reason why people have not accepted the
Lord Jesus Christ. We must deal with the root of the problem,
not just the outward circumstances. We can command the devil to
release them and stop blinding them to the truth.

When we pray for others it may not seem like anything is
happening outwardly, but behind the scenes we can be certain
that God is working. We should continue in faith and resist any
thoughts of doubt.

More information on this subject can be found at:
www.believers.org/believe/bel143.htm

SAY THIS: I believe God will save my family.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

God Is A Perfect Parent

MATTHEW 7:11 NIV
11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good
gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in
heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

God is primarily a parent -- and a good one, too -- the best.
Better than any earthly parent by far.

I used to think of God primarily as a judge, someone watching
to see if I did anything wrong so He could punish me.

But that is not what the New Testament reveals to us.

Jesus taught us to pray: "Our Father. . ."

That is the primary way we should relate to God, as our Father.

Only once in the KJV New Testament do we find the phrase "God
the judge," while the phrase "God the Father" is found thirteen
times. Eleven times we find the phrase "God our Father," but
not once do we find "God our judge."

A good father will combine being a friend and also being a
trainer. He will be tough when necessary, for the good of the
child.

That's the way it is with God. Yes, there are some things He
has told us not to do -- but they are all for our good, because
He knows there will be bad consequences if we do them.

We can be confident God is always playing the part of being a
good parent to us. He is always trying to help us, nurture us,
and encourage us. God is for us -- not against us.

And, even when we do wrong and get in trouble -- God is there
to help us -- not to condemn us. He is our perfect parent.

We must realize that everything God does is for our benefit --
not His. God is raising a family. He is training us and
encouraging us to grow up. Our destiny is to be like Jesus
Christ.

Children are not afraid of good parents, because they are there
to nurture and help. However, a good parent will punish wrong-
doing -- not because they want to hurt their child -- but
because they want to train them so they can mature and do well
in life.

The primary desire of every good parent is to see their child
grow up, to become a mature, responsible, capable adult.

This is also the desire of God for His children. His desire is
that we grow up to become mature like Christ.

This requires a certain amount of freedom and responsibility. A
parent cannot forever shelter children and expect them to
mature properly. God wants us to learn to love, just like
Christ did.

SAY THIS: God is a wonderful parent -- the best ever.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Doing Good

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.

In this summary of the earthly life of Jesus Christ, the first
thing mentioned is that He "went about doing good."

What does the Bible mean when it speaks of "doing good?"

Doing good must involve some type of giving: either of time or
resources. How else can anyone do good?

Look at some of the verses that instruct us to "do good."

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,

LUKE 6:27,33,35 NKJ
27 "But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to
those who hate you,
33 "And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit
is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
35 "But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for
nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will
be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and
evil.

GALATIANS 6:10 NKJ
10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all,
especially to those who are of the household of faith.

HEBREWS 13:16 NKJ
16 But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such
sacrifices God is well pleased.

SAY THIS: Like my Lord Jesus, I will go about doing good.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Love Yourself

GALATIANS 5:14 NIV
14 The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your
neighbor as yourself."

Most people understand it's right to love our neighbor -- but
many do not realize it's also God's will for us to love
ourselves.

We need to understand this correctly. We should not think of
ourselves more highly than we ought (Romans 12:3). But we must
remember God placed a high value on us when He gave Jesus to
redeem us.

So we should not hate ourselves, or see ourselves as hopeless
failures. We should not put ourselves down or speak critically
of ourselves.

Without the Lord, we can be wretched creatures. But when we
come to Jesus, He changes us and puts us in the family of God.
Ephesians 2:10 says we are God's workmanship (literally God's
work of art). For us to be critical of God's work of art is not
respectful of God.

When we realize we are valuable and precious -- not because of
what we do, but because God made us, then we can love our
neighbor as we should -- not because of what they do, but
because God also loves them.

First Corinthians 13 tells us what love acts like. It is
patient, kind, and accepting.

How should we love our self? We should be kind and respectful,
just as we should be with others. We should forgive and forget
the past rather than beating ourselves over the head with our
failures and mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. Why let them be
an anchor holding us back from making progress?

We understand we are to forgive others, but many refuse to
forgive themselves.

Don't refuse to forgive yourself for the failures and sins of
the past. God forgives you. Should your standards be higher
than His? Since God forgives you, you should forgive yourself.

The command to love our self is not meant to make us selfish,
but to take care of God's creation. We are not to love
ourselves more than we love our neighbor.

God loves our neighbor just as much as He does us. That does
not mean we have the exact same responsibility toward our
neighbor as we do concerning our own life, but we should care
about them, in the same way as we do ourselves.

Loving yourself means taking care of yourself. And it means
accepting yourself as you are -- because God made you. (No, God
didn't make you to be in the shape you are in now, but He made
YOU. And as long as you keep condemning yourself you will stay
in bad shape.)

God loves you right now. Because you are good enough for God to
love, then you are good enough for you to love. Your standards
should not be higher than God's.

SAY THIS: God loves me, so I should love myself.

Monday, December 26, 2011

God So Loved You

JOHN 3:16 ESV
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that
whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal
life.

God so loved me, (insert your name here), that He gave...

What did God give me?
He gave me His only Son. (John 3:16)

What did God give me?
He gave me the gift of righteousness. (Romans 5:17)

What did God give me?
He gave me eternal life through Jesus my Lord. (Romans 6:23)

What did God give me?
With Jesus He freely gave me all things. (Romans 8:32)

What did God give me?
He gave me victory over sin and death through my Lord Jesus
Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57)

What did God give me?
He gave me all things that pertain to life and godliness. (2
Peter 1:3)

So I trust in the living God who gives. He gives me richly all
things to enjoy. (1 Timothy 6:17)

SAY THIS: God truly loves me, right now.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Remember Me

LUKE 22:19 NLT
19 He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he
broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, "This
is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me."

Not only were these some of the last words of our Lord Jesus on
earth, but they are the heart cry of every human: remember me.
We all have a desire to be of value, to be significant, to be
judged as someone important -- at least to someone.

Remember me!

Jesus -- in addition to everything else He is -- is also human.

As Jesus faced the enormity of the task ahead of Him, He told
His little band of followers: Remember me! Don't let my life
and my sacrifices be in vain. Don't forget about me!

Do you remember? Or, have you forgotten?

Is Jesus at the forefront of your thoughts each day? Or, do you
forget about Him -- most of the time.

Do you walk and talk with Jesus? Or, does your life give no
testimony to your belief in Him?

Do you live as if Jesus did not redeem you? Are your days lived
just as if Jesus never existed? Do you neglect to remember
Jesus except on Sunday, or Christmas?

Probably all of us have fallen short in this area. But the Lord
is gracious and it is never too late to change.

SAY THIS: I will never forget Jesus.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

The Father Is Raising A Family

HEBREWS 2:10a NLT
10 God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to
bring many children into glory.

If you want to understand life, and the Bible, then you need to
understand God's plan and purpose.

We're here because God wants a family.

This is what life is all about. The best description and
summary of what is going on is that God is raising a family. It
is happening in a realm where there is free choice and
temptation to do wrong, but God has provided everything
necessary for our complete victory and maturity.

If you keep this perspective clearly in view, it will give you
the right framework for your thinking about God. Every thing
God does has this purpose in mind.

2 CORINTHIANS 6:18 NLT
18 And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and
daughters, says the LORD Almighty."

We are in preparation for eternity, and this life on earth is
just first grade in our learning experience.

MATTHEW 5:45 NLT
45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your
Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil
and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust
alike.

Jesus revealed that we should primarily relate to God as a
Father. Not as our judge, not as our boss, but as a loving
Father who is training us to be like Jesus, so we can enjoy
fellowship with Him for eternity.

(We cannot become like Jesus by our own effort. Only by
receiving Jesus and allowing Him to live through us is it
possible to become like Him.)

ROMANS 8:28-29 NLT
28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for
the good of those who love God and are called according to his
purpose for them.
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
among many brothers and sisters.

1 JOHN 3:2 NLT
2 Dear friends, we are already God's children, but he has not
yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we
do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he
really is.

God is training his family and preparing us to be fit
companions to Deity for eternity. God is raising a family that
He will enjoy being with, and not just have to tolerate.

In the light of eternity our spiritual growth is most
important. How can we recognize spiritual growth? By the fruit
of the spirit, which is the same as becoming more like Jesus
Christ.

EPHESIANS 4:15 NLT
15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every
way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the
church.

GALATIANS 5:22-23 NLT
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our
lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness,
23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these
things!

Becoming more like Jesus and learning the ways of God is God's
plan for you in this life.

SAY THIS: I am glad to be part of the eternal family my Father
God is raising and training.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Love Your Neighbor As Yourself

MARK 12:31 NKJ
31 "And the second, like it, is this: `You shall love your
neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater
than these."

Eight times the Bible tells us to love our neighbor as we love
our self.

Clearly, God considers this important. But what does it mean?

It means we should not just look out for our own interests, but
also for those around us.

PHILIPPIANS 2:4 NKJ
4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but
also for the interests of others.

Who is our neighbor?

Anyone -- and everyone -- who is near-by. If they are near us
they are, at that moment, our neighbor. And according to God's
Word, we have an obligation to love them.

What does this word "love" mean in the original Greek language
of the New Testament.

It is "agapao," the word used of the kind of love God has for
us. It gives and asks for nothing in return. It gives without
waiting for the other person to love first. It is not a selfish
love, but cares about the welfare and happiness of the person
being loved.

To truly love your neighbor as yourself, you need to be a born
again child of God. Love is of God, and to show this kind of
love you need to be born of God (1 John 4:7). Without His love
continually flowing out of your heart, it will not be possible.

SAY THIS: With God's help, I will love my neighbor as I love
myself.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Thank God For You!

2 THESSALONIANS 1:3 NLT
3 Dear brothers and sisters, we can't help but thank God for
you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one
another is growing.

God made you for a purpose. God has a plan. You are not an
accident.

You may not have discovered where you fit and what your purpose
is yet, but God has not forgotten you. He is still at work.

Most of us will not affect the whole world, or even our entire
city. That does not mean you are not important.

The Bible uses the picture of a human body to illustrate the
Body of Christ. Not every part is ever seen, but every part is
important.

1 CORINTHIANS 12:22 NLT
22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least
important are actually the most necessary.

Even if no one knows the part you are doing, God does. You are
important to God -- important enough to die for.

God has a plan for you, and it lasts far beyond this life that
we can now see.

SAY THIS: Thank God for me!

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Talk To God About Everything

HEBREWS 4:13-16 NLT
13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is
naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we
are accountable.
14 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered
heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we
believe.
15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he
faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.
16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.
There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help
us when we need it most.

You should talk to God just as you would to a very well-
respected friend. Don't worry about using any special form of
words. Just talk openly, honestly, and sincerely from your
heart. (This is what "prayer" is supposed to be.)

God knows what you are thinking anyway. You can't fool God or
hide anything from Him. God knows you better than you know
yourself. And the wonderful thing is that God still loves you!

Nothing that concerns you is unimportant to God. Remember, He
even keeps count of how many hairs you have!

God is not too busy to hear about every detail of your life. I
have no idea how God can listen to all of us, but He can. He is
not bound by time like we are. However He does it, we don't
have to be concerned but can just trust Him.

JEREMIAH 33:3 NKJ
33 'Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and
mighty things, which you do not know.'

What a privilege to have the input and counsel of God who knows
everything. Don't fail to take advantage of this tremendous
opportunity.

We are called into fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ! That
means we should share everything with Him.

1 CORINTHIANS 1:9 NKJ
9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship
of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

God invites us to fellowship with Him. That would include just
discussing things. Just visiting. Just "hanging out" together.
This is what God desires. So don't disappoint Him!

Don't talk at God, talk directly to God. Prayer should not be a
spiritual exercise you have to get through. It's a conversation
with Someone who loves you, and is very smart.

"But what can I say to God?"

"Thank You!" would be a good start. What would you say to any
friend who was with you? You wouldn't have any trouble figuring
out what to talk about with them would you?

"But," you say, "God doesn't talk back."

Yes, that is a difference you have to get used to. True, God
does not usually speak back to us in the normal human fashion.
The main way He "speaks" to us is through inward impressions or
ideas, all of which will line up with His written Word, the
Bible. We have to learn His way of communicating.

SAY THIS: God wants me to talk with Him about everything, so I
will.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Be Thankful For What You Don't Have

1 THESSALONIANS 5:18 NLT
18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for
you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Some people have trouble being thankful unless they have a
perfect life with everything they think they should have.

But with the right perspective, you can be thankful when you
have nothing. You can be thankful at least that you are not
being overwhelmed by bad things.

There are many people on a deathbed with cancer or other
diseases, who would gladly give all their financial assets to
be free from their disease. You probably would too, if you were
in that situation.

So, if you are not afflicted with a deadly disease right now,
then you can, and should be thankful, no matter what else is
happening in your life.

"But preacher, I do have a deadly disease and the doctors say
there is no hope. How can I be thankful?"

The fact that you are reading this demonstrates several things.
First, you can read -- and still have vision. That is more than
many people have. You can be thankful for that.

No matter how bad your situation or circumstance in life may
be, there is someone somewhere who has it worse than you do.

Some people desperately wish they had a large house or a fancy
car like their neighbor, not realizing the huge payments their
neighbor is making. You can be thankful you don't have to make
the big monthly payment.

If you are living in peace, you should be thankful that war is
not raging on your doorstep.

Why not take a moment right now and make a list of all the bad
things you are thankful that you don't have.

SAY THIS: Thank You Lord for all the bad things I don't have.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Claim Prosperity!

1 CORINTHIANS 3:21b LB
21 For God has already given you everything you need.

(We don't claim prosperity, or anything, from God. We are not
making any demand on God.)

God has already made provision for us in every area of life. He
created enough abundance for all mankind. Yet many Christians
struggle with financial problems. But the problem is not that
God is withholding from us.

Throughout the New Testament, we are told God has already given
us everything we need, for example see: 2 Peter 1:3, Romans
8:17, Romans 8:32, Galatians 4:7, Ephesians 1:3.

The problem is that we've been allowing the devil to steal what
belongs to us. We must quit allowing this to happen. We must
stand in faith and claim what is ours. After all, Jesus paid a
great price for us to have it!

Jesus came to redeem us from the control of the devil and set
us free from the curse. Jesus paid the price for us to have
abundant blessing in every area of life.

2 CORINTHIANS 8:9 ESV
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though
he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by
his poverty might become rich.

But the devil is a thief. So we must claim prosperity from the
devil who has stolen from us -- and continues to steal from us
if we let him.

ISAIAH 53:5 ESV
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for
our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us
peace, and with his stripes we are healed.

Jesus' suffering brought us peace. (But unless you understand
Hebrew it is unlikely you would realize all this means.)

Peace -- shalom -- means wholeness, nothing missing, nothing
broken, nothing wrong. It definitely includes the idea of
prosperity -- every need met and having more than enough.

Jesus suffered so you could have this shalom -- peace and
prosperity. Part of the curse that Jesus redeemed you from is
poverty.

And what a curse poverty is! It causes misery, disease, ruined
lives, and destroyed families.

The devil has tried to convince Christians that poverty is a
blessing because it will make you humble and more godly. While
it is true that many rich people are arrogant and ungodly, that
does not automatically mean being poor makes you godly. On the
contrary, God is the richest being in the universe, and riches
have not corrupted Him.

The devil is a thief. He has stolen money that belongs to you.
You need to say, "That's mine! Jesus paid for me to have
abundant provision. Turn loose of it devil!"

That is what I mean by claiming prosperity.

After you receive legal notice that something is yours, you can
claim it whenever you desire. God's Word is our legal notice of
what belongs to us as a gift because of the wonderful grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ. It's time we quit letting the devil
steal what belongs to us.

SAY THIS: I claim prosperity. It's mine because Jesus bought it
for me.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

I Will Be A Father To You

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Do Business For God

LUKE 19:13,15 ESV
13 Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and
said to them, 'Engage in business until I come.'
15 When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered
these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to
him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business.

Your working life is supposed to be for more than just meeting
your needs. Your work is an avenue God can use to bless people
in many ways. You should use all that you have been given: your
influence, your contacts, your profits, to bless people and
turn them toward God.

Many people won't listen to a pastor or TV preacher, but they
will listen to someone they know and contact in daily life.

You don't have to be a pastor or a priest to walk with God and
be used by Him. Think of Abraham, David, Moses, and Daniel. Not
one of them was a preacher or a priest. Instead, they were all
involved in agriculture or government, what we consider as
secular jobs. Yet they are among the most famous and revered of
Bible characters.

Also we should keep in mind that Jesus of Nazareth spent most
of His years on earth as a carpenter -- a businessman -- not a
preacher.

COLOSSIANS 3:23 NLT
23 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were
working for the Lord rather than for people.

You can see God move just as much in the work place as at a
church meeting. God is interested in blessing people right
where they are.

Where you work and spend your time is your "world." God does
not expect or ask most people to win some other country for
Him. God expects you to be a witness right where you are. Be a
witness of God's blessing and goodness and love. You don't have
to force your beliefs on people, but let your associates and
customers and suppliers and co-workers see God's blessing in
your life, and as you have opportunity let them know it is
because of God's grace and goodness -- which is also available
for them.

SAY THIS: I will bloom where I am planted and faithfully use
what God has given me for His glory and the growth of His
kingdom.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Thank You!

1 THESSALONIANS 5:18 NLT
18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for
you who belong to Christ Jesus.

When you don't know what to say or do -- say "Thank You!"

Sometimes we feel like we don't know what to do. We wonder what
God's perfect will is.

Certainly the will of God is not for us to start worrying and
being fearful about missing His will. Instead we should stay in
faith, knowing that God is working and guiding us even when we
are not aware of it.

God is not responsible for the bad things that come our way in
life -- the devil and people are to blame.

But when we start complaining and criticizing, we step out of
faith, joy, and peace. These spiritual forces (the "fruit" of
the spirit) are for our protection.

So we can, and should, always thank God at all times. We should
develop the habit of having an attitude of gratitude.

Our God is amazing! He can turn bad things around and take the
sting out of them.

When we stay in faith, always being thankful, the sting is
removed from the evil that comes against us. Then, instead of
destroying us, it can become a stepping-stone to take us to a
higher place of blessing.

So while God is not actually responsible for any of the bad
things that happen, we should be thankful always -- no matter
what happens.

An attitude of constant gratitude provides a shield of faith
protecting you and allowing God to freely act in your life,
bringing blessing and deliverance.

So when something bad happens in your life, don't complain.
Don't criticize God, or people. Don't beat yourself over the
head. Just begin (and continue) to say things like:

Thank You Lord that you are with me to guide me and help me,
that You love me, that You are working in my life, that You
protect me and preserve me and deliver me from evil, and that
no weapon formed against me shall prosper or prevail!

The most appropriate words you can ever speak are "Thank You!"

SAY THIS: Thank You, Lord Jesus!

Thursday, December 15, 2011

When You Stand Praying Forgive

MARK 11:25 NKJ
25 "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything
against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may
also forgive you your trespasses.

Forgiveness is a choice -- not a feeling. Your feelings may not
change while you are praying, but you can choose to forgive at
any time. It does not take long to make a choice.

How long does it take to forgive? How long can you stand and
pray?

Jesus never said anything about the person deserving
forgiveness. Nor did He say to forgive only after they asked
for forgiveness.

Anytime you talk to God, Jesus said to forgive if you had
anything against anyone. That would include people who hurt you
without even realizing they hurt you. Even people who were
still trying to hurt you. "Anyone" in this verse includes
everyone, no matter what their attitude may be.

Why should you forgive them? Not because they deserve it. But
because of the harm it will cause you if you don't forgive. The
reason you are to forgive others is to maintain your status
with God.

Jesus indicates there is something about us refusing to forgive
others that hinders our relationship with God and the free flow
of blessings God desires for us to receive.

I understand that forgiving someone who horribly wronged you is
not easy, especially if they are not even sorry for what they
did. But Jesus makes it clear that you have no real option. You
MUST forgive if you want God's forgiveness. I need not tell you
how vital that is.

If Jesus appeared to you right now and asked you face-to-face
to forgive someone who hurt you -- would you do it for Him? We
should respect Jesus' Word just as much as we would respond to
Jesus appearing to us face-to-face.

SAY THIS: I forgive and release everyone who has ever hurt me.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Selfishness: The Opposite Of Divine Love

PHILIPPIANS 2:3-4 NKJ
3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but
in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than
himself.
4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but
also for the interests of others.

Selfishness, not hate, is the opposite of divine love.

All the problems in the world today are the result of
selfishness. The problems in our governments and with our
economies are all the result of selfishness. The problems in
our families are the result of selfishness.

JAMES 3:16 TEV
16 Where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is also
disorder and every kind of evil.

The answer is for each of us to desire the best for others,
even to the point of sacrificing our own benefit to see others
blessed. This describes divine love.

That's how Jesus lived. His aim was to benefit others, not to
please Himself. Jesus suffered so we would not have to suffer.

This love is a commandment for all Christian believers. But
this commandment is given for our good, not to discourage us or
condemn us. With the command we are also given the nature and
ability to perform the command.

JOHN 13:34 NKJ
34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another;
as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

All who receive Jesus Christ can walk in the same divine love
Jesus did, because they have God's life in them. This is why
all people MUST be born again, so they can be set free from
sin's bondage by being cured of selfishness.

ROMANS 5:5 NKJ
5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has
been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given
to us.

(Christians can choose to act selfishly, but when they do, they
are acting against their own nature.)

SAY THIS: I choose to obey God and walk in divine love, which
is the opposite of selfishness.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Love Like Jesus

JOHN 13:15 NKJ
15 "For I have given you an example, that you should do as I
have done to you.

JOHN 13:34 NKJ
34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another;
as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

JOHN 14:12 NKJ
12 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the
works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these
he will do, because I go to My Father.

JOHN 15:12 NKJ
12 "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have
loved you.

EPHESIANS 4:31-5:2 NKJ
31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking
be put away from you, with all malice.
32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one
another, just as God in Christ forgave you.
1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.
2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given
Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-
smelling aroma.

EPHESIANS 5:25 NKJ
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the
church and gave Himself for her,

COLOSSIANS 3:12-14 NKJ
12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on
tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;
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.
14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of
perfection.

MATTHEW 5:43-48 NKJ
43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your
neighbor and hate your enemy.'
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,
45 "that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes
His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the
just and on the unjust.
46 "For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?
Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
47 "And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more
than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?
48 "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in
heaven is perfect.

1 JOHN 2:6 NKJ
6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just
as He walked.

SAY THIS: I choose to let Jesus love people through me.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Was God A Bad Guy?

JAMES 1:17 NKJ
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and
comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no
variation or shadow of turning.

Some people have the idea that God was a mean bully -- a bad
guy -- during the Old Testament, but has changed in the New
Testament period to being a nice guy.

But Scripture reveals clearly that God never changes. What God
was in the past, He is now, and He will be in the future.

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

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

"Then why are there verses in the Old Testament that seem to
ascribe evil to God?"

This question is not easily or quickly answered. There are many
reasons, and we can only touch on some briefly in this article.
Here are a few key points.

The Bible is progressive revelation. We know more about God and
His ways now than we did in the past.

JOHN 1:17 NKJ
17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth
came through Jesus Christ.

In the NT (New Testament) God is dealing with people
differently than in the OT (Old Testament). We have a new
covenant. Until the death and resurrection of Jesus the most
important goal for God was to preserve the Jewish people and
get Jesus here to be our Substitute. Some things had to be done
to protect the people of God so that could happen. Compare it
to a surgeon who amputates an arm or a leg so that the person's
life may be spared. It is not an act of hatred, but of love. No
one would condemn the surgeon as being guilty of anything bad.

Now under the new covenant, God is able to fully display His
grace. Jesus has already arose victorious. The battle for man
has been won, and Jesus is Lord!

Another problem is our Bible translations. None are perfect.
Some verses are wrongly translated in a causative sense instead
of the correct sense of allowing something to happen. The truth
is that God did not cause bad things to happen. The people and
the devil were responsible. But sometimes our translations make
it sound like God was at fault, when He was only allowing it.

Also, the devil and demons are almost NEVER mentioned in the
OT. Yet when Jesus began His ministry we see them everywhere.
Did they just show up then? No! Demons were present in OT times
also. It is just that God did not yet reveal all that was going
on. Maybe the reason God did not reveal more was to prevent
people from worshiping the devil. So God just kept quiet. (The
one exception to this is the book of Job, which makes it clear
that all the calamity was the result of the devil's actions,
not God's actions.)

Another key point is that Jesus Christ perfectly revealed God
to us. Look at His life. Jesus never harmed anyone.

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.

JOHN 1:18 NLT
18 No one has ever seen God. But the one and only Son is
himself God and is near to the Father's heart. He has revealed
God to us.

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

JOHN 12:45 NKJ
45 "And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.

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.

SAY THIS: God never has been a bad guy.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Jesus Is Our Advocate

1 JOHN 2:1 NKJ
1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you
may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

The Greek word translated as Advocate in this verse is
parakletos. It means someone called to one's aid; someone who
pleads another's cause before a judge; a counsel for defense, a
legal assistant, an advocate, and a helper.

Many people have never fully grasped that Jesus Christ is on
our side. Just like a defense lawyer, He pleads our case.

We should not sin, because sin is harmful -- to us and to
others. But even if we do sin, Jesus Christ is still on our
side. He is not accusing us, but defending us on the basis of
His sacrifice at Calvary.

The devil is the one who accuses us, who brings up all our sins
and shortcomings, and tells us we don't deserve anything good.

REVELATION 12:10 NKJ
10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation,
and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His
Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused
them before our God day and night, has been cast down.

Jesus is not the one who is trying to find us guilty. He
remains our Savior!

ROMANS 8:33-34 NLT
33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one
-- for God himself has given us right standing with himself.
34 Who then will condemn us? No one -- for Christ Jesus died
for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the
place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us.

Jesus not only paid the penalty for all our sins by shedding
His own blood, but now He is our advocate pleading our case so
that we might enjoy all the blessings He purchased for us --
regardless of our failures.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:21 NKJ
21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we
might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Jesus took our place, suffering what we deserve, so that we
might receive, as a free gift, what Jesus deserves. This is
Good News!

SAY THIS: Jesus Christ is my defense attorney!

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Love Evidence

JOHN 13:34-35 NKJ
34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another;
as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you
have love for one another."

True followers of Jesus are different. They are marked by
divine love. They do something which is impossible for "mere
men," they walk in divine love.

1 CORINTHIANS 3:3 NKJ
3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife,
and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like
mere men?

This verse shows that believers can be carnal, or ruled by
their senses and natural mind, but all believers are capable of
showing divine love.

The truth is that we need to be born again so we can have God's
love in us. Then we will be able to love others as Jesus loves
us. The people of the world are not capable of this.

ROMANS 5:5 NKJ
5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has
been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given
to us.

Even though we have the love of God in our hearts, we still
have to choose to allow it to control our actions and reactions
toward people. In this, as in every area, we must look to the
Lord for His help.

The love we are to show others is the kind of love God has
toward us. It is a giving love, and a forgiving love.

This love desires the best for others, but goes beyond just
desiring it, for it is willing to do what is necessary to make
good happen for others.

This divine love is evident when you would rather allow
yourself to be hurt than to allow someone else to be hurt.

When people see this love manifest through our lives, it should
cause them to say, "That's not normal!"

That's what Jesus was talking about in John 13:35, that those
who are His disciples would stand out from the crowd because of
the divine love being demonstrated through their lives.

SAY THIS: God put His love in me to be expressed!

Friday, December 09, 2011

Salvation Is A Completely Free Gift

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thursday, December 08, 2011

Accept People As They Are

ROMANS 15:7 NIV
7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in
order to bring praise to God.

We have only two choices, accept people, or reject them. When
you realize this, it may change the way you treat people.

When we criticize or condemn people, we communicate rejection.
When we try to change people, it communicates that they are not
good enough for us, that we don't like them.

"But what if they are not perfect? What if they don't believe
everything I believe?"

Were you born believing all you do now? Or did you go through a
process of learning over time? Should we throw out people
because they still have something to learn?

What happens when you don't accept people as they are? It feeds
the lie that they are no good and have no value.

We can accept people and celebrate their value without
approving of their sins. But when we refuse to accept people
until they are perfect, we communicate rejection.

When someone feels rejected, they tend to reject those who
reject them, and what they represent. So when Christians
communicate rejection to sinners, they assume God is rejecting
them, and tend to reject God because they think He rejects
them.

Whenever you reject someone, you have set yourself up as their
judge, something only God is truly qualified to do.

To walk with Jesus you will have to treat people as Jesus would
treat them. You may not like the way they look, talk, act,
think, or smell, but if they are a human being you must
acknowledge that Jesus Christ loves them enough to die for
them.

Jesus is our perfect example, and He is not rejecting people
(John 6:37). Instead, the Bible reveals that Jesus Christ is
our Advocate, (our defense lawyer), not the one who condemns (1
John 2:1, Romans 8:34).

People are hurting. Usually they know they need to change, to
be better, and to do better. What they have not discovered is a
way they can change. They have probably tried, but given up in
defeat.

Only God's unconditional love can give them the strength they
need to have hope. Most people realize that if they must earn
God's help there is no hope for them.

This is the main reason why so many people shun Christianity
and want to have nothing to do with God. They have accepted a
wrong image of God, thinking He is a stern Judge who is against
them, instead of realizing the truth that He is a loving Father
like the father in the story of the Prodigal Son that Jesus
told us about in Luke 15:11-32.

God accepts people as they are. So should we. Christ died for
the ungodly (Romans 5:6). God so loved the world that He gave.

People crave love. Unconditional love will draw people. It is
God's goodness that leads people to repent (Romans 2:4).

Every time we meet someone, we are faced with a choice: love
them -- or judge them, accept them as they are -- or attempt to
change them, make them feel respected -- or despised, make them
feel valuable and precious -- or make them feel worthless.

You might as well accept people as they are instead of trying
to change them. You can't change people anyway. Only God can
really change people. Our job is to love them and help them.

Also remember that God made people to be different. So don't
expect everyone will be exactly like you.

SAY THIS: I will accept people and love them with God's love.

Wednesday, December 07, 2011

We Are Brothers And Sisters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tuesday, December 06, 2011

Love Means Giving

John 3:16 KJV
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave . . .

You can give without loving, but you can't love without giving.

When you love you will give of your time, you will give of
yourself, and you will give of your resources. Those who truly
love, hold nothing back.

The measure of your giving reveals the measure of your love.

Love is something we can't see, but we can see the evidence of
love in the action it produces, which is giving.

If you love someone you will also give them forgiveness. Love
causes you to be merciful, understanding, and forgiving.

Where you give your time and resources also reveals what you
love. If we think we love someone, yet never give to them of
our time or resources, then we are just deceiving ourselves.

There are many people in each of our lives who need and deserve
our love. Jesus Christ is the most deserving of all!

SAY THIS: My giving reveals my love.

Monday, December 05, 2011

Righteousness, Peace, Joy

ROMANS 14:17 NKJ
17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but
righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Here is a description of the Kingdom of God: righteousness and
peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Righteousness means everything being right.

God has given us the gift of righteousness (Romans 5:17). That
means He has put us in right standing with Himself. He has said
that everything is right between us and Him. Sin no longer
separates us from God, because the precious blood of Jesus has
cleansed us and we are forgiven by God.

Because we have right standing with God (righteousness), we
have peace. There is no more struggle. God is not mad at us.
God is on our side.

Peace means more than the absence of conflict. Peace means
nothing broken and nothing missing. Peace includes the idea of
prosperity -- having everything needful in abundance with no
lack.

When you are right with God and have peace -- nothing missing
and nothing broken -- you will have joy.

You can look at this as a progression, righteousness produces
peace, and when you have righteousness and peace, joy will
result.

God's Kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. It is a kingdom of
love. It is a kingdom where everything is right. In it there is
no imperfection and no lack. It is a kingdom of peace. There is
never any conflict because there is no selfishness. It is a
kingdom of joy. Everyone rejoices because of the goodness of
God.

God's kingdom includes everywhere God reigns. In the world
there is trouble (John 16:33). But by faith in Jesus, it can be
overcome (1 John 5:5).

SAY THIS: Because of God's gift of righteousness, I have peace
and joy as a member of His Kingdom.

Sunday, December 04, 2011

Your Faith Will Be Tested

1 PETER 4:12 ESV
12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it
comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were
happening to you.

Don't be surprised when your faith is tested! And don't be
afraid! Jesus -- who promised to never forsake you -- is still
there to help you.

The test of faith is the devil trying to steal your faith. The
devil wants you to believe something other than God's Word.

MARK 4:15 ESV
15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is
sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away
the word that is sown in them.

The devil wants to steal God's Word out of your life, to stop
your faith. So you have to hang on to your faith! You have to
say "NO!" to the devil, and his thoughts!

Our enemy could never steal faith in God's Word away from us
unless at some point it seems like God's Word is wrong. This
will happen to you sometime! When it does, trust God and His
faithfulness more than you trust your present circumstances.

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

HEBREWS 4:14 NLT
14 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered
heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we
believe.

No matter what it seems like -- Jesus is faithful. He cannot
lie! Our problem is our limited perspective. We don't know the
future, but God does.

1 PETER 1:7 ESV
7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith -- more precious
than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire -- may be
found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation
of Jesus Christ.

Genuine faith is very precious to the Lord. When you overcome
tests you grow spiritually, which causes joy in Heaven, and
should encourage you to rejoice, too.

JAMES 1:2-4 ESV
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of
various kinds,
3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces
steadfastness.
4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be
perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

LUKE 22:32 ESV
32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And
when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."

SAY THIS: When my faith is tested, the Lord will help me pass
the test.

Saturday, December 03, 2011

Fear Not!

LUKE 8:50 KJV
50 But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not:
believe only, and she shall be made whole.

The KJV Bible tells us 63 times to "fear not," and 31 times to
"be not afraid" or "not be afraid." Obviously, God is trying to
tell us something!

If it makes no difference whether we fear, or not, then God
wasted a lot of time in Scripture telling us to not be afraid.

Fear is the absence of faith. It can be understood as faith in
the devil. Fear is the opposite of believing and trusting in
God. Fear stops faith from working. You could say that fear is
faith in reverse.

Fear is the cause of all worry, for worry is meditation on
fear.

Some may think some fear is healthy, but no true fear is good.
We don't have to fear something to have a healthy respect for
it, and thus to act wisely. Fear makes people do irrational
things. Reverence for God, sometimes called the "fear of God"
is healthy, but it has nothing to do with actually being afraid
of God.

2 KINGS 6:15-17 NKJ
15 And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went
out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and
chariots. And his servant said to him, "Alas, my master! What
shall we do?"
16 So he answered, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are
more than those who are with them."
17 And Elisha prayed, and said, "Lord, I pray, open his eyes
that he may see." Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young
man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses
and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

When we look at the world situation, it is easy to cry out like
the servant of Elisha. But when we are tempted to be afraid, it
is only because we are not seeing the reality of the whole
picture. God is for us, so no matter what comes against us, it
can never prevail over us.

We should ask God to open our eyes to the truth. Then keep our
focus on God's Word, not on the temptations, lies, and roarings
of the devil.

Fear is fed by what we look at and listen to. We can resist
fear by choosing to always focus on God and His promises.

DEUTERONOMY 31:6 NKJ
6 "Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of
them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you.
He will not leave you nor forsake you."

When you remember that the Almighty God is ALWAYS with you (and
in you!) why should you be afraid?

LUKE 12:7 NKJ
7 "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not
fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

One way to understand how valuable you are to God is to
consider the great price He paid to set you free -- the life of
Jesus Christ Himself!

Not even a good earthly parent would allow his child who
trusted in him to be harmed. God loves you more than any
earthly parent ever loved their child -- and God has the power
to fully protect you. So you can trust in Him.

But when we act in fear, we run from the protection of our
wonderful Father God and open the door to our enemy.

We should be free from fear because God is for us and watches
out for us. The worst that can happen to us (from a worldly
perspective) is to die, but even then we will go to be with
Jesus. With God on your side, there is really nothing to fear.

Yes, there will be struggles. There will be trials. But these
are just opportunities to overcome and gain eternal rewards. In
all we face in life, God has promised to be with us, and to
help us. So what is there to fear?

JOSHUA 1:9 NET
9 I repeat, be strong and brave! Don't be afraid and don't
panic, for I, the LORD your God, am with you in all you do."

SAY THIS: I will not fear! Jesus is Lord!

Friday, December 02, 2011

Ask!

MATTHEW 7:7-8 NIV
7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to
him who knocks, the door will be opened.

In Matthew 15:22-28 a woman came to Jesus making a request of
Him. Jesus' answer was basically that she was asking for
something that did not belong to her, because she did not have
a covenant with God.

Yet she asked -- and received! She didn't just beg. She
worshiped Jesus and appealed for mercy. She didn't claim she
deserved the answer -- but she did ask.

This is one of the secrets of life. Ask! It works with God and
it works in our relationships with people, too.

Ask questions. And ask for help.

Pride can prevent us from asking. Pride tells. Humility asks.

In marriage many people are unhappy. Yet they don't clearly
communicate to their spouse what it is they would like. Don't
nag! But respectfully and lovingly ask for what you desire.

Make your requests known. People can't read your mind. (God
knows our thoughts, but still tells us to ask Him for what we
need or desire.)

PHILIPPIANS 4:6 NKJ
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and
supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made
known to God;

Many people stumble through life disappointed that God has not
given them more. One reason may be because God is waiting for
them to have enough faith to ask Him for His help.

I don't mean we should act like a beggar. But be bold in asking
for what you need or desire.

We may hold back from asking because we think we don't deserve
good things. Probably true! But Jesus deserves good and He died
so we could receive what He deserves. Jesus took what we
deserved so we could have better.

MATTHEW 21:22 NIV
22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in
prayer."

JOHN 16:24 NIV
24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask
and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

JAMES 4:2 NLT
2 You want what you don't have, so you scheme and kill to get
it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can't get it,
so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you
don't have what you want because you don't ask God for it.

Jesus said to ask. Actually, it is a command. Ask!

SAY THIS: I will obey God's Word and ask.

Thursday, December 01, 2011

The Blessing Of The Lord Will Make You Rich

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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