Monday, April 30, 2012

All The Promises Of God

2 CORINTHIANS 1:20 NCV
20 The yes to all of God's promises is in Christ, and through
Christ we say yes to the glory of God.

Although the entire Bible is a message to us today, not all of
it is written directly to us.

The New Testament epistles are written directly to us who are
in the church, the Body of Christ, which includes all
believers.

We do need to rightly divide the Bible, but since all the
promises of God are yes in Christ -- they find their
fulfillment in Him -- we can take any promise of blessing in
the entire Bible and appropriate it by faith.

God has blessed us with every blessing in Christ!

EPHESIANS 1:3 NKJ
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly
places in Christ,

Every promise in the Bible is not directed to us specifically.
But, by faith in Jesus Christ, we can appropriate every
blessing God has to offer.

When we do receive the promised blessings of God's Word, it
brings glory to God.

All this is not automatic. You have to actively receive. But
the main "activity" involved with receiving blessing from God
is believing. To truly believe you need evidence. That's why
you need to read and study the Bible.

SAY THIS: Every Bible promise of blessing is mine in Christ.

Sunday, April 29, 2012

What If Things Don't Seem To Be Working?

GALATIANS 6:9 ESV
9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we
will reap, if we do not give up.

What should you do when it seems like God has forgotten you and
you are about to perish?

Act on God's Word! Speak to the mountain! Rejoice in the Lord!
Stand in faith! Continue to thank God! Expect God's help! Don't
ever give in or give up!

Realize God is not the problem. God is perfect. He never fails
and never makes a mistake. God is helping you as much as you
are allowing Him.

You probably do need to change some things. After all, none of
us are perfectly mature yet. We are all learning and growing.

But don't make the mistake of putting yourself down and
accepting the devil's idea that you are so hopeless that
nothing can work out for you.

God will gently guide you in making whatever changes you need
to make. God is there to help you, not to condemn you.

If it does not seem like things are working out, then your
faith is being tested. But God is not testing your faith, it is
the devil. The purpose of this testing is to get you to turn
loose of your faith -- to change what you believe.

So just keep on doing what you know is right. Don't change your
beliefs about God. He is still good. Keep trusting Him. Keep
believing that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek
Him -- that it pays to walk with God (Hebrews 11:6).

We should not be surprised at a fiery trial of faith. The Bible
warned us these things would come.

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.

Jesus said there would be tribulation. He told us we would be
persecuted.

We are also warned that we must "hold fast" to our confession.
We must continue to stand in faith, regardless of what hits us.

HEBREWS 4:14 ESV
14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed
through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast
our confession.

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

If we always perfectly understood everything that was
happening, there would be no temptation to doubt.

We are still growing and learning so we don't yet understand
everything. But just because we don't understand what is
happening is no reason to doubt God, His Word, and His
goodness.

SAY THIS: Even in the dark, I will still trust God, for He is
good and never fails.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Surrounded By Favor

PSALM 5:12 NIV
12 For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround
them with your favor as with a shield.

God's favor can change your life.

Someone who is favored is called a favor-ite.

(The New Testament teaches that being righteous (in right
standing with God), is a gift we receive when we receive Jesus
-- not something we attain by our works.)

So, the promise of Scripture is that God surrounds you with
favor. What does that mean?

Favor is the blessing of God making people like you and treat
you well.

Is it automatic? We have access to God's grace only through
faith (Romans 5:2). So, you will never experience the fullness
of God's favor without believing for it.

Faith is released through words. So every day thank the Lord
for giving you favor with people, for surrounding you with
favor!

Don't say, "People don't like me." or "Everybody seems to be
against me." or "I never get a break."

Instead say, "Thank you Lord for giving me favor with people."

Then watch God begin to move on your behalf!

SAY THIS: Thank you Lord for surrounding me with favor.

Friday, April 27, 2012

Does Love Always Give?

Love gives! Without giving there is no proof of love.

However, love does not always give what is being requested. For
love seeks the best for the other person. If what is being
requested is not the best, then love will not grant that
request.

LUKE 6:30 NASB
30 "Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away
what is yours, do not demand it back.

This verse tells us to give to everyone who asks something of
us, but it does not say that we have to give them exactly what
they request. We are only instructed to give them something.
This is not a cop-out, but a necessary understanding of truth.

Otherwise, our actions could be compelled by the demands of
people instead of being directed by our Lord Jesus. Luke 6:30
shows the attitude we should have, of always being a giver, but
it should not be made into a law that could bind us and open us
up to exploitation by the devil.

ACTS 3:6 NASB
6 But Peter said, "I do not possess silver and gold, but what I
do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the
Nazarene -- walk!"

Love always gives, but it does not always give what is
requested. Love always gives something.

Love gives of itself. Love may give time, prayer, attention,
forgiveness, or advice.

If a child sitting at a table loaded with nutritious food
refuses to eat what has been prepared, but instead requests
candy to eat, is it truly love to grant the child's request?

On the other hand, a child asking to please pass the vegetables
is a very different kind of request. One to which a loving
parent would always respond.

To spoil a child by letting them have, and do, everything they
think they want is not love, but the opposite of love.

Just because someone asks for something does not mean you must
give it to them. If it is not good for them, it should not be
given to them.

Can it be love to withhold something needed from someone? Yes,
if other ways of getting their attention have failed, and they
are on a course headed for harm.

If withholding a request has the potential of awakening them,
so they can avert and avoid the danger ahead of them, then
withholding can be an act of love.

If the only way love has of getting the attention of someone
going the wrong way is to withhold help that would only send
them further down the wrong road, then love will withhold help
that seems to be needed.

This is not to suggest that we should only give to perfect
people, for there are none. Only that we can always give, but
are not required by Scripture to give everything that anyone
may happen to request of us.

SAY THIS: I am a giver who is directed by God in my giving.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Do You Believe In Love?

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,

Most people believe in force: guns and armies.

Most people believe in money: "financial power."

Many people believe in education, that "If we just educate
people enough we can change the world."

Hardly anyone seems to believe in the power of love to change
things. No one seems to think it would do any good to "turn the
other cheek."

Jesus didn't tell us to "turn the other cheek" just so we could
get beat up more. Jesus believes in the power of love. Jesus
believes that evil can be overcome with good.

ROMANS 12:20-21 NKJ
20 Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is
thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals
of fire on his head."
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

God still believes in the power of love. He believes that if
you love enough, and for long enough, people will finally come
to their senses and respond to that love.

JOHN 13:34-35 NIV
34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved
you, so you must love one another.
35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you
love one another."

Jesus said the mark of His believers would be their love. Where
did we go wrong?

SAY THIS: Lord, help me to believe in love, and to act in love.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Jesus Became Poor . . .

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.

Most people know that Jesus became poor. They just don't know
why.

Some people may tell you this verse refers only to being made
"spiritually rich." Don't fall for that. Look at the context
and you will see it is discussing money.

"Then why aren't Christians rich?"

The main reason is because of a lack of teaching on this
subject. Everything we receive from God must be received by
faith. If we don't believe it, we won't receive it.

(Jesus died so that everyone could be saved. However, until
people hear the message and believe it, they continue lost in
their sins. Yet the price has already been paid by Jesus for
their freedom.)

Instead of teaching that prosperity is a blessing available to
believers, most churches have taught the opposite -- that it
was the will of God for us to be poor.

What we need is to hear preaching and teaching about it being
God's will for us to prosper. We need to continue in the Word
on that subject, to be set free in that area of life.

I am NOT saying being prosperous makes you a better person, or
that it is a sign of great faith. I AM saying that poverty and
lack is part of the curse -- which Jesus redeemed us from.

God's prosperity is a growing thing that will not destroy you,
unlike winning the lottery, or other get-rich-quick schemes.
Time and continued obedience to God are required.

But the fact remains, according to Scripture, Jesus became poor
to set you free from poverty -- to make you rich.

SAY THIS: Jesus became poor to make me rich.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

We Receive From God By Faith

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

Have you ever wondered why God blessed someone -- when it was
obvious they did not deserve it?

Do you wonder why you are not more blessed -- even though you
are doing your best to be a good Christian?

The answer is faith.

We do not receive from God based on what we deserve, but on
what we believe.

GALATIANS 3:9 ICB
9 Abraham believed this, and because he believed, he was
blessed. It is the same today. All who believe today are
blessed just as Abraham was blessed.

Our receiving from God is not based on our works, but on God's
grace. We have access to God's grace by our faith -- not
through our merit.

ROMANS 5:2 NKJ
2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in
which we stand . . . .

Many try to earn something from God when He has already given
us all things through Christ. Now by faith we must appropriate
what God has provided.

Don't despair if your faith is not too strong. The cure for
weak faith is to feed on the Word of God, the Bible.

ROMANS 10:17 NKJ
17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of
God.

If you feed your heart and mind the Word of God, your faith
will grow strong. You feed it in by reading it, hearing it,
speaking it, and meditating on it.

SAY THIS: I will feed on God's Word and my faith will grow.
Then I will receive all God has for me.

Monday, April 23, 2012

Repent And Believe The Good News

MARK 1:15 NKJ
15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God
is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."

According to Mark's Gospel, these are the first recorded words
of Jesus Christ after beginning His earthly ministry.

It's important to understand that the word translated "Gospel"
means "good news." Many translations render it that way.

Religious thinking has turned this wonderful announcement of
Jesus into a harsh reprimand used to put people down. This
wrong interpretation is something like "you no-good bunch of
dirty rotten sinners, unless you become perfect I will reject
you."

Nothing could be further from the truth. Truth Himself was
standing before the people joyfully sharing good news of God's
love. He offered truth their lives could be built on, so
regardless of life's storms, they could always enjoy victory
and blessing.

Jesus was not saying "repent" as a rebuke, but as an
encouragement. He was not mad or condemning, but full of joy
and bursting with good news to share.

In modern language what Jesus said was, "Change your thinking
and believe the good news!"

He was telling the people: "Your thinking is not correct. It
does not line up with ultimate reality. It does not work to
your advantage. Your way of thinking and your approach to life
is off the mark, but I see reality clearly and I understand how
everything works. So change your thinking to line up with mine,
so you can enjoy life as I meant for you to do."

Jesus, by one English word -- repent -- is saying that your way
does not work, but My way will work to provide you life in all
its fullness, life as God intended. So, believe the good news I
am telling you, and change your thinking so you can enjoy life.

MARK 1:14 NIV
14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee,
proclaiming the good news of God.

The good news Jesus was proclaiming could not have been about
His death and resurrection -- which is certainly good news for
us -- for He had not yet died. Good news does not have to be
limited to one thing, or one time.

The good news Jesus was proclaiming was God's kingdom -- the
rule of God. This is good news because satan is a horrible
master, but God is good and kind. So enjoying the rule of God
and living in His kingdom is a wonderful blessing. Jesus came
proclaiming that was now available for all people. It is
available to you simply by receiving Jesus as your Lord.

The main good news Jesus was proclaiming was that God is good!
God is a wonderful, loving Heavenly Father who loves us beyond
our human comprehension, and you can now choose to live under
His beneficent Kingdom.

The message of Jesus was "Change your thinking about God, and
believe the good news I have to share with you from God and
about God."

We must choose to believe the good news Jesus proclaimed before
it will benefit us.

SAY THIS: I believe the Good News about God being good!

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Why Are There Delays?

JAMES 1:2-4 NIV
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials
of many kinds,
3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops
perseverance.
4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature
and complete, not lacking anything.

Why are prayers not all answered instantly? Why don't we always
experience the blessings promised in the Bible immediately?

If all results were instant, we could never walk in faith.
Without faith, we could never please God. (Hebrews 11:6)

If you always reaped the harvest of your deeds immediately, the
incentive to do right and refrain from wrongdoing would only be
selfish. No faith, or love for God, would be required.

During delays we have opportunity to demonstrate whether we
really love God, and trust Him, or not.

A delay is a test. Without testing, there could be no reward.
God does not test us so that we can fail, but so that we can
overcome. He believes we will make it with His help.

We desire an instant manifestation of victory. God's desire is
for us to press into Him and His Word and walk in faith until
we see victory.

To overcome there must be opposition and struggle. God cannot
always shield us from problems without taking away from us the
privilege of overcoming.

Victory is sweet. What makes it sweet is that it is not easy.

If we really trust God, time is not a problem. Leave that with
God. His timing is perfect and He is dependable! We know He
promised, and can never fail -- and that is enough.

SAY THIS: I will persevere in faith, and the Bible says I will
end up not lacking anything.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Be Slow To Speak

JAMES 1:19 NIV
19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be
quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,

How many times have you said something and later regretted it?

Too often we practice: Speak now and think later.

What would happen if you silently consulted with God before
speaking? If you thought about, and prayed about, everything
you said -- before you said it -- your life would be different.

1 PETER 3:10 LB
10 If you want a happy, good life, keep control of your tongue,
and guard your lips from telling lies.

Words are powerful and should be used to accomplish a purpose.
Don't just talk for no reason.

PROVERBS 17:28 NIV
28 Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and
discerning if he holds his tongue.

Remember, you can always learn more by listening than you can
by talking.

Be slow to speak!

SAY THIS: God, please help me to control my tongue.

Friday, April 20, 2012

The Holy Spirit Will Teach You

JOHN 14:26 NASB
26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send
in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your
remembrance all that I said to you.

What a wonderful, patient teacher the Holy Spirit is!

This teacher has no limits. He never has to call on anyone else
for an answer. He knows everything.

Whatever you are doing, He can help you -- and teach you how to
do it better. Just ask.

Jesus said it, "He will teach you all things."

I love the story of George Washington Carver, who asked God to
teach him about the peanut -- then changed our world with the
knowledge he gained of the peanut.

Do not hesitate to ask God to teach you about even the smallest
things. He understands every detail and is never too busy for
you.

From child raising to atomic science -- He is the most
knowledgable and capable teacher.

And the Holy Spirit is always available! No need to wait for
office hours to call on this professor. Call on Him anytime.

SAY THIS: The Holy Spirit is teaching me.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Heaven Is Real

2 CORINTHIANS 5:1 NLT
1 For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken
down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we
will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God
himself and not by human hands.

If we expect the world to ever believe our message of Good
News, we should not live like this life is all there is.

As Christian believers we should live and die like we believe
the Bible, which clearly reveals this life is not the end.

As a believer in Jesus Christ, when we leave this body we
immediately enter into the realm of ultimate reality with the
Lord.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:8 NLT
8 Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from
these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the
Lord.

The spiritual realm is actually more real than the physical
realm.

If you care to investigate, you will find there are multitudes
of people who have visited Heaven and returned. Often it is
because of a near-death experience.

Unanimously, their report is that Heaven is too wonderful for
words. They try, but have trouble, expressing the glories and
the joys of Heaven. No one, after experiencing Heaven,
expressed a preference to continue living on earth.

1 PETER 1:4 NLT
4 and we have a priceless inheritance -- an inheritance that is
kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of
change and decay.

Heaven is better -- in every way -- than earth. While we should
be faithful to fulfill our job here on earth and live out our
lives doing the will of God, being His representatives, when it
is time to depart we should not act like unbelievers.

As believers in Jesus Christ we have been delivered from the
fear of death. Death has no sting left for us. Death cannot
hurt us. We should not fear death.

SAY THIS: Heaven is real and I look forward to living there.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Sin Hurts

ROMANS 6:23 ICB
23 When someone sins, he earns what sin pays--death. But God
gives us a free gift--life forever in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Sin is a teacher whose lessons are hard and painful.

You can't keep your hand in fire without being burned. And you
can't sin without hurting people.

Sin harms humans. That's why God classifies it as sin. All sin
hurts someone. The reason God is against sin is because He is
for people.

Because sin has consequences, it eventually will convince you
of the error of sinning -- if you live long enough. But why
ruin your life finding out what you can know now just by
reading the Bible?

God is not a killjoy. His purpose is not to keep the human race
from enjoying life.

All that God has written in the Bible is for our benefit. God
already knows everything. He gave us the Bible so we could know
the truth.

The truth is: sin is bad. Sin hurts.

SAY THIS: Sin is deadly and I want nothing to do with it.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Rejoice In The Lord Always

PHILIPPIANS 4:4 NIV
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

No matter how bad things are around you, you can always rejoice
in the Lord.

God is good -- even when circumstances are bad.

You can look beyond the temporary problems of life and focus on
the Eternal God and His goodness. You can rejoice that God
loves you and that you have a home in Heaven.

If you only rejoice when you feel like it -- and circumstances
warrant it -- you may never rejoice much. But you will miss a
lot of joy. For when you rejoice in the Lord and focus on Him,
joy begins to flow out of your inner being and strengthens you.

This is God's answer for depression. Focus on God. Rejoice in
Him, and receive the spiritual strength you need to carry on in
victory.

HABAKKUK 3:18 NIV
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my
Savior.

"Yet I WILL." Whenever you decide to, you can rejoice. In spite
of feelings and circumstances, you can choose to rejoice.

Rejoicing is subject to your will -- not your circumstances.

When can you rejoice? When should you rejoice?

1 THESSALONIANS 5:16 NASB
16 Rejoice always;

SAY THIS: I will rejoice -- in the Lord!

Monday, April 16, 2012

Beware Of Pride

PROVERBS 16:18 NIV
18 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a
fall.

Pride is deadly. But instead of warning us the world encourages
pride in every way.

What is pride?

Pride is faith in yourself, instead of faith in God.

The root of pride is selfishness: putting yourself first.
Thinking you are the most important. Thinking you know the
most. Thinking you deserve better than someone else.

Pride will cause you to go your own way instead of God's way.
Pride makes you think you do not need God's advice or help.

Pride is the root of all sin. It causes you to turn away from
God instead of turning to Him. All disobedience has pride as
its root. All rebellion has pride behind it. All mistreatment
of other people is caused by pride: putting yourself and your
feelings above the other person and their feelings.

The world system promotes people who are proud, and often gives
them great riches. Jesus said pride is evil and defiles a
person. (Mark 7:21-23)

While the world may promote the proud for a short time, their
fame and success will not last.

JAMES 4:6 NKJ
6 . . . "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

Pride is the most serious, and the most subtle, sin. It often
goes unrecognized.

Beware!

SAY THIS: Lord, help me to beware of pride.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Faith Never Quits

True faith in God never gives up or quits, for it knows that
God always has the final word.

Faith in God never quits because God never fails. So we don't
have to give up even when circumstances look impossible.

2 CORINTHIANS 1:8-10 ESV
8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the
affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly
burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.
9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death.
But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who
raises the dead.
10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will
deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us
again.

He is the God who raises the dead! Even when it looks like all
hope is gone -- God can bring resurrection!

Even when all reason tells us to give up, we can keep on
trusting God and believing He is working to bring about good.
For God always keeps His Word and brings it to fulfillment.

HEBREWS 10:23 KJV
23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without
wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

God's Word is always the final reality. So we need to keep
speaking in agreement with God's Word for it is ultimate Truth!
Circumstances can change. Doctors can be wrong. Lawyers can
change their mind. But God never changes! If you keep trusting
God He will not let you down.

GALATIANS 6:9 ESV
9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we
will reap, if we do not give up.

When you truly believe something belongs to you, you will not
easily give it up! So when you see in the Bible that God has
already given you something, you should put up a never-ending
fight to keep the devil from stealing it from you.

All that steals, kills, and destroys is from our enemy. Acts
10:38 says all those healed by Jesus were oppressed by the
devil.

The Bible instructs us to resist the devil and all his works.
That means we should never give in to him. Never!

EPHESIANS 4:27 KJV
27 Neither give place to the devil.

JAMES 4:7 ESV
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he
will flee from you.

The devil must back off when we resist him!

1 PETER 5:8-9 ESV
8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls
around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds
of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood
throughout the world.

Notice that the devil has to seek someone to devour. The devil
cannot devour everyone, only those who will not resist him in
faith.

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.

Nothing will hurt you!

What you are going through may be so scary you can hardly
breathe. Stepping on serpents and scorpions would certainly be
scary! But don't give up no matter what seems to be happening!
You have authority in Christ Jesus over all the power of the
enemy. Use it!

Just like the children of Israel who were thrown to the lions
and thrown into the fire, you will not be hurt, if you keep on
believing!

To never give up on your faith even in the face of horrible
circumstances is not easy, to say the least. But it is
possible! God is your Helper! You can overcome and receive the
blessings promised those who overcome.

SAY THIS: God never quits, so I will never quit believing God's
Word.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

God's Family Plan

JOSHUA 24:15b NKJ
15 But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

God's plan is a family plan. His will is for you to believe for
the salvation of all your relatives.

JOSHUA 2:13 NKJ
13 "and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters,
and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death."

JOSHUA 6:23,25 NKJ
23 And the young men who had been spies went in and brought out
Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she
had. So they brought out all her relatives and left them
outside the camp of Israel.
25 And Joshua spared Rahab the harlot, her father's household,
and all that she had . . . .

Rahab was a harlot who did not even belong to God's people. But
she asked for all her family to be saved, and they were. We
should stand in faith just as Rahab did and ask for the lives
of all our family members.

God allows all people to choose whether to receive Jesus. But
when you pray for and stand in faith for your loved ones, God
will do everything necessary to bring your family members to a
point where it will be easy for them to choose to receive
Jesus.

God is able to make His case and get the job done!

ACTS 16:31 NLT
31 They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be
saved, along with everyone in your household."

1 TIMOTHY 2:3-4 NKJ
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our
Savior,
4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge
of the truth.

Whoever we pray for, we know it is God's will to save them.

SAY THIS: Thank you Lord for saving all my family!

Friday, April 13, 2012

You Have A Purpose

2 TIMOTHY 1:9 NKJ
9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not
according to our works, but according to His own purpose and
grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,

You have a purpose in life, a job to do, a mission to fulfill.

You are here for a reason.

What is it?

Ask God. He knows.

EPHESIANS 1:11 NIV
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined
according to the plan of him who works out everything in
conformity with the purpose of his will,

Of course, I can only answer that question in general terms.

If you are a parent, raising your child is important. Helping a
friend is important. You never know how your actions may affect
the world -- even through helping just one person.

Don't just wait around for some "big purpose" -- for with God
all the details are important -- even the "small" ones.

If you don't know your purpose, just do whatever you can to
help the people around you. Through that, and walking with God,
you will accomplish your purpose.

SAY THIS: I was born for a purpose. God has a plan for me.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Keep Your Eyes On The Prize

PHILIPPIANS 3:14 KJV
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of
God in Christ Jesus.

What will really matter at the end of your life on earth?

Will what you are giving attention to now still be important
then?

Or, will you be filled with regret for what you did -- or
didn't do?

Distractions abound. TV, phone calls, web sites, books, movies.

It might be a good idea to stop and evaluate how you are
investing your time.

1 CORINTHIANS 9:24 NIV
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only
one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

Run to win. Win what?

The true prize is to know God intimately and be His friend.

2 CORINTHIANS 4:18 NIV
18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is
unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is
eternal.

One day, possibly soon, you will stand before God. Why not
order your life now based on that "final reckoning?"

A wise person would not invest everything in something
temporary. A wise person invests in something that will last.

Invest your life wisely!

SAY THIS: Lord, help me to keep my eyes on what is important
and lasting.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

You Don't Face Life All Alone

JOHN 14:18 BARCLAY
18 I will not leave you to face life all alone. I am coming to
you.

Being alone -- with no help -- is a horrible feeling. One the
devil would love for you to believe is your lot.

You are NOT alone! Jesus promised!

When you feel alone, desolate, and helpless -- remember the
promises of Jesus.

HEBREWS 13:5 NIV
5 . . . God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I
forsake you."

Your feelings are not the true test of reality. God cannot lie.
He is with you now, whether you feel like it, or whether it
looks like it, or not.

Since God is always with you, it would be rude to always ignore
Him. So call on Him and discuss things with Him. Let God be
your friend. That's His plan.

SAY THIS: I am not facing life all alone. God is with me.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Hope Until The End

HEBREWS 6:11 NKJ
11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence
to the full assurance of hope until the end,

This verse tells us we should never give up hope, which is a
positive expectation.

No matter how many failures you experience, nor how much time
has passed -- don't quit expecting a positive outcome in the
end.

What is the end? It is when you see your desire manifest -- or
when you see what should be your ultimate desire manifest,
being face-to-face with Jesus Christ.

Till then, keep on having an expectation of a positive outcome.

Look at a couple of other translations of Hebrews 6:11-12

HEBREWS 6:11-12 NJB
11 Our desire is that every one of you should go on showing the
same enthusiasm till the ultimate fulfilment of your hope,
12 never growing careless, but taking as your model those who
by their faith and perseverance are heirs of the promises.

HEBREWS 6:11-12 CJB
11 However, we want each one of you to keep showing the same
diligence right up to the end, when your hope will be realized;
12 so that you will not become sluggish, but will be imitators
of those who by their trust and patience are receiving what has
been promised.

Too many people give up and accept defeat too soon. They are
like a sports team that, just because it is not winning after
the first half of the game, decides to go home and not even
play the rest of the game.

It is always too soon to quit when you know you are going the
right direction. How can you know you are going the right
direction? By following the instructions and guidance of God's
Word, the Bible, and being led by His Spirit. When you are
doing God's will, keep on, no matter what.

SAY THIS: I will continue to have a positive expectation
because God is good and He is faithful.

Monday, April 09, 2012

You Are God's Work Of Art

EPHESIANS 2:10 NLT
10 For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in
Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for
us long ago.

Outwardly, you may not appear to be much of a masterpiece. You
may look like a piece of junk. But inwardly, and in reality,
you are God's work of art -- and God does not make any junk.

All that is outward and seen is only temporary -- like the
cocoon the butterfly inhabits for only a short time. So, while
you should take care of your present body, don't be overly
concerned about it. Most importantly, don't think of yourself
as just the body you are now living in.

You are a child of Almighty God, creator and ruler of the
universe. Someone God is "raising" to be His companion for
eternity. You are NOT insignificant.

Admittedly, you are a work in progress. God still has more work
to do with you -- but He is the artist, and He will finish His
work. (Hint: as you submit to God, the easier it is for Him to
change you into the wonderful image He has in mind.)

Someday, everyone will clearly see what God has done in you:
making you a wonderful, unique individual worthy of Himself.

SAY THIS: Regardless of how I look or feel, I AM God's work of
art -- His masterpiece.

Sunday, April 08, 2012

God's Word Will Make You Free

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

Many people are afraid that God's Word will put them in bondage
-- because of the rules they think they will have to follow.
But Jesus said God's Word would make you free.

Abide means to live, to continue, or to spend time somewhere.

If you continue to spend time in Jesus' Word -- you will know
the truth.

When you know the truth, you will act on that knowledge -- and
acting on the truth will make you free!

The Bible, especially the message of Jesus Christ in the New
Testament, will set you free if you continue in it.

We are not guaranteed instant results, although sometimes they
do happen. Freedom is certain, however, if you stick with God's
Word. Jesus gave His guarantee!

If you are not enjoying freedom in any area of your life -- you
have not continued in God's Word enough in that area. Feed it
in: speak it, sing it, read it, write it, think it, dream it!

SAY THIS: God's Word will make me free. Thank You, Lord!

Saturday, April 07, 2012

Don't Grow Weary

GALATIANS 6:9 NIV
9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time
we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

God has a harvest of blessing in mind for you. Don't let the
devil steal it away from you by discouraging you into giving
up. Trust in God. He is able to put you over.

Time has a way of wearing us down -- of eroding our hopes and
dreams. We must look to God for strength and courage and refuse
discouragement. We must, with God's help, overcome -- instead
of being overcome by life and circumstances.

Life is not easy. There are obstacles and unexpected turns in
the road. But always God is with us, for us, and in us as
believers in Jesus Christ. When we grow weary in doing good, it
is always because we are losing sight of God and eternity.

As you walk in faith and refuse to give up -- you bring glory
and pleasure to God. Imagine how it thrills God when someone,
like you, continues to trust in Him and thank Him -- even when
it does not look like it is working out very good. Read the
Bible. You are not the first to be tested, or have to wait for
the promise to be manifested. But God is always faithful. He
will never fail you.

Our faith cannot be in ourselves or our ability -- because that
can fail. Only God cannot fail, so we must keep our faith in
Him and His ability to sustain us and help us.

Remember that as a believer, the Greater One is in you -- and
He is greater than any problem or difficulty. He will help you.
God has the answer for your situation. Look to Him and you will
not be disappointed.

SAY THIS: I will not be discouraged. I will not quit. I will
trust in Almighty God, my Father, Who loves me and helps me.

Friday, April 06, 2012

Laugh At Sickness

NEHEMIAH 8:10b NKJ
10 Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

Letting joy flow allows spiritual strength to flow in your
life.

Laughing is a way to allow the joy already in your spirit to
flow. (Your spirit is the part of you that is a born again new
creation in union with Christ.)

Medical science has documented the beneficial effects of
laughter on our health. Experts tell us that every time we
laugh our immune system is boosted.

PROVERBS 17:22 NKJ
22 A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit
dries the bones.

The devil wants you to become discouraged and disheartened, to
feel like a hopeless, helpless victim.

But sickness, at its worst, is only temporary. It will not last
forever. Jesus defeated sickness and redeemed you from it at
the cost of His own precious blood.

REVELATION 21:4 NKJ
4 "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there
shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be
no more pain, for the former things have passed away."

The price for your healing has been paid by the sacrifice of
Jesus Christ.

1 PETER 2:24 NKJ
24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that
we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness -- by
whose stripes you were healed.

Healing belongs to you, but does not come automatically. It
must be possessed. (See www.healing-book.com for more evidence.)

Real joy is not just a feeling but a life force coming from the
Spirit of God (Galatians 5:22). In the midst of trials the joy
of the Lord will protect you from being defeated and destroyed.
It will strengthen you and lift you up above the troubles.

Sickness tries to make you fear and worry. Laughing is a way to
resist that. Joy can be released through laughter.

Laughing is an expression of joy, victory, and contentment.
Laughter is a language of faith. Faith laughs!

SAY THIS: I will laugh at sickness.

Thursday, April 05, 2012

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.

Wednesday, April 04, 2012

You Cannot Serve Two Masters

LUKE 16:13 CJB
13 No servant can be slave to two masters, for he will either
hate the first and love the second, or scorn the second and be
loyal to the first. You can't be a slave to both God and
money."

This is a simple yet profound, eternal truth -- always true in
every situation. It is impossible to take orders from two
places at the same time, without giving preference to one.

Jesus did not say it was hard. He said it was impossible. True,
sometimes it can seem possible for a while. But invariably the
time comes when the orders from each side are going to
conflict, forcing a decision.

Who am I really serving? What dictates my actions? Who has
final authority? Will I do what gets me the most money? Or will
I do what God says?

From this verse we see that there will be times when God's
direction will not be the most financially rewarding choice.

Yet far too many who call themselves Christians never even
consider choices which would provide them with less money.

Money is supposed to be our servant, not our master. Instead of
money dictating our decisions, we should tell money what to do.
We should use money instead of letting it use us.

Money is just a tool to accomplish things on earth. Money
should never be your master.

But, unlike what many think, Jesus did not say that you cannot
serve God and have money.

None of this proves Christians should be poor, or that God is
against His people having every need met and even being
prosperous.

It simply means what it says. You can only have one Lord. So
you have to make a choice.

If you are making every decision in life based on your
finances, you need to realize you are not serving God, but
serving money.

You can't be a soldier in two armies at the same time. You may
pretend loyalty to more than one army, but you can only truly
be loyal to one at a time.

LUKE 14:33 ESV
33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that
he has cannot be my disciple.

A disciple of Jesus must renounce all other gods -- all that
tries to exert control over their life. Jesus must be Lord.

You cannot be a true disciple of Jesus and allow other things
to control you, dictating what you will do.

Many have misunderstood these things and thought Jesus taught
that His true followers have to be poor. But this is not true
at all.

The issue is not what you have, but what controls you -- whose
orders you obey.

There are people who have nothing, yet are controlled by money.
Every decision they make is decided on the basis of how it
affects their finances. There are also people with substantial
wealth who are completely submitted to God. If God told them,
they would give it all away today.

A soldier has to completely subordinate everything he is and
everything he has to serve in the army. So a soldier "gives up"
all he previously had and enjoyed as he enters active duty.
That does not mean the soldier is without a place to live or
food to eat. But his source of supply is not from his own
resources.

A soldier on active duty has renounced control of his life. In
return, he trusts he will be taken care of.

You must understand that you CANNOT be controlled by money and
by God at the same time.

If you do serve money, you will be trusting in money to provide
for you -- which you will surely regret, for money can fail.
But God never fails!

SAY THIS: No person can truly serve two masters.

Tuesday, April 03, 2012

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.

Monday, April 02, 2012

Do You Love God?

JOHN 21:17a NKJ
17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you
love Me?"

Have you ever asked someone if they loved you? Even if you
never asked, no doubt you have wondered.

When most people hear the question, "Do you love God?" they
feel guilty, thinking they need to do more for God. But they
are getting the cart before the horse.

1 JOHN 4:19 NKJ
19 We love Him because He first loved us.

For us to love someone we must first think they are lovable.
This is the main problem: most people do not realize God is
truly lovable. They have a distorted picture of God, thinking
He is a demanding tyrant who doesn't really care about them.

1 JOHN 4:16 NKJ
16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us.
God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God
in him.

When we know and believe the love God has for us, it is natural
for us to respond to His love by loving Him back.

When you truly know what God is like, you WILL love Him.
Because you love Him and trust Him, you will treasure His words
from the Bible and desire to act on His instructions, which
were given for your welfare.

JOHN 14:23 NKJ
23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will
keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to
him and make Our home with him.

Jesus did not say those who love Him will "always perfectly
obey My word," but will "keep My word." Those who love the Lord
may make mistakes and have failures, but they will not throw
away the precious Words of the One they love.

Our obedience to God's word is not the basis for Him loving us
or accepting us. But it is the key to us walking in victory and
blessing instead of failure.

If you do not love God you have been deceived. You have the
wrong picture of God. You have not discovered the real truth
about what He is like and what He has done.

(To know what God is like, look at Jesus of Nazareth by reading
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the New Testament.)

SAY THIS: I love You Father God!

Sunday, April 01, 2012

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!