Monday, December 31, 2012

Enjoy Life

PSALM 118:24 GWN
24 This is the day the LORD has made. Let's rejoice and be glad
today!

God does not want us to be sad and depressed. God intends for
us to enjoy life.

Of course, this life is not the end. Eternity with God is most
important. And there is nothing wrong with sacrificing
something in this life for the purpose of obtaining something
better in the next phase of our life with God in Heaven. But
that should not stop us from enjoying this life.

You may be in prison. But you can still rejoice in God's
goodness. You can study and learn. You may even be able to see
more clearly mankind's need for a Savior, and so appreciate
God's plan of salvation even more.

Learn to rejoice in and enjoy what many would call the small
things in life. Smell the flowers. Enjoy the colors God
created. Marvel at the complexity of God's creation and His
great ability.

1 TIMOTHY 6:17 NKJ
17 . . . God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.

Enjoy the diversity of people God created. He made us all
different, yet all the same in many ways, such as our desire
for love and acceptance.

You may be in a wheelchair. But you can still appreciate all
the beauty that God created. You can pray for others. No matter
where you are, or what your circumstances may be, you can still
enjoy the presence of the Lord and fellowship with Him.

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

So live in the awareness of God's presence and His great love
for you. Be thankful for every blessing, and enjoy life.

SAY THIS: God's will is for me to enjoy life with Him,
regardless of my circumstances.

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Jesus Is The Resurrection

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

What did Jesus mean by saying He is the resurrection?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Keep Your Body Under Control

1 CORINTHIANS 9:27 ESV
27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest
after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

Our body is our earth vehicle. Without it, we can't operate on
earth. If our body is not kept under control, and kept in good
shape, it can become unfit for use, rendering us disqualified
from continuing on in the race set before us (Hebrews 12:1).

The Williams translation of the above verse says "may not
myself become unfit to run."

What could disqualify you from finishing your race here on
earth in complete victory? Your body becoming unfit to function
fully could certainly keep you from finishing your course.

We have a responsibility to take care of what God has given us
-- including our body. So there is no reason to mistreat our
body, or treat it as evil. We just need to make sure that we
control our body, instead of allowing our body to control us.

We cannot expect God to keep our body under control; that is
our job. We can ask the Lord to help us, but we must do it
(Romans 12:1).

It is important to notice in the Scripture above that "I" is
not the same as "my body." These bodies are what we live in on
earth. You could call them earth-suits. You need to understand
that you are not the same as your body. Your body will die, but
you will continue to live after leaving your body.

The verse above also makes it clear that if we fail to control
our bodies we will experience undesirable consequences. So if
we desire to walk in victory, we must control our bodies.

Fasting (going without food) is one way we can keep our bodies
trained to realize they are not our master.

Forcing yourself to exercise is another way of maintaining
control over your body, so that it will be in shape to continue
to serve you for a long life.

1 CORINTHIANS 6:12 GWN
12 Someone may say, "I'm allowed to do anything," but not
everything is helpful. I'm allowed to do anything, but I won't
allow anything to gain control over my life.

Of course, as with any message from God, this is not meant to
condemn you, but to inform you of what is best, and what is
possible with God's help. If you need help in this area, ask
the Lord to help you, then determine, with His help, to walk in
victory!

SAY THIS: With God's help I can, and I will, keep my body under
control.

Friday, December 28, 2012

Words Steer Your Life

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Change Your Name

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

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

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

Jacob's name was changed to Israel.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

God Sees Ahead

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Our God is mighty -- and wonderful!

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

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

God Is Not Your Problem

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

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

God is your answer, not your problem.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God gave mankind dominion on earth.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Monday, December 24, 2012

Faith Is A Choice

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Enjoy Your Salvation

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

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

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

Enjoying God means being delighted with Him.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Jesus Died For You

ROMANS 8:34 NRS
34 Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who
was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed
intercedes for us.

The devil would love for us all to doubt that God loves us. But
when you look at the sacrifice of Jesus at Calvary, it is
undeniable.

God loves you!

And He proved it!

ROMANS 5:8 NRS
8 But God proves his love for us in that while we still were
sinners Christ died for us.

ROMANS 8:32 NRS
32 He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all
of us, will he not with him also give us everything else?

Sometimes it's easy to be tempted to think God does not care.

But if God was just interested in judging and condemning you,
why would He go through the suffering of Calvary?

Being crucified is one of the worst forms of torture and death
ever devised. Jesus willingly suffered all that for you, so you
could go free, and avoid the suffering you deserved.

Someone who was willing to do that for you, would never hurt you.

SAY THIS: Because of His great love for me, Jesus suffered and
died for me. So I can trust Him.

Friday, December 21, 2012

God Cannot Lie

TITUS 1:2 NKJ
2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised
before time began,

It's not just that God has decided He will not lie -- He CANNOT
lie.

God only speaks truth!

JOHN 17:17 NKJ
17 "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

Whatever God says comes to pass. God cannot lie, because
anything He says will come into being -- even if it did not
exist before He said it.

GENESIS 1:3 NKJ
3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.

So God's Word is ultimate reality! More real, and lasting, than
anything we can presently see.

God cannot lie because it is contrary to His nature. God's
nature is one of selfless love for others. His nature is not to
deceive. It is natural for God to be truthful and never to
deceive.

NUMBERS 23:19 NLT
19 God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he
does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act?
Has he ever promised and not carried it through?

HEBREWS 6:18 NLT
18 So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two
things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to
lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have
great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.

This is what makes the foundation of our relationship with God
so solid -- God has given us His Word -- which cannot fail. If
we are ever presented with evidence contrary to what God says,
we can know we are being presented with a lie. For it is
impossible for God to lie.

God cannot lie because it is not His nature, and because
whatever He speaks will happen.

SAY THIS: My God never lies. He is truth.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Do You Believe The Love?

1 JOHN 4:16 ESV
16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has
for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God,
and God abides in him.

It is one thing to mentally assent that God loves you. It is
another thing entirely to know and believe it.

Do you truly believe that God loves you?

If not, you should meditate on God's Word until it becomes
clear to you. You should think about the great price God paid
to redeem you.

This is foundational. You need to believe the love that God has
for you.

God delights in you! God rejoices over you! He truly loves you!
And you need to believe it! Because people act on what they
believe.

What you truly believe is what you are acting on. For example,
if I tell you the building is on fire, you may say a thousand
times that you believe me, but I know you don't believe me
unless and until I see you leave the building.

Regardless of what people say, or what games we may play with
ourselves, the truth is that we act on our beliefs.

The reason people sin is because they believe that by doing so
they will be benefited. Once a person sees the truth that sin
is harmful instead of helpful, they can repent (which means a
change of thinking which results in a change of behavior).

Why do people not believe that God loves them? Two reasons.
First, because they know they are not perfect. Second, because
their life experience has not been better.

Can God love imperfect people? YES! Does He? YES! According to
Scripture, all people are imperfect. Yet God loves us enough to
die for us!

Can we accept our experience as valid evidence that God does
not love us? NO! We can believe that our mother still loves us
even when we have had a bad day. Why can't we believe God loves
us even when we have had a bad day?

EPHESIANS 3:18-19 NLT
18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God's
people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his
love is.
19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too
great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with
all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

SAY THIS: I choose to believe what the Bible says: God loves
me!

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Do You Know God?

JEREMIAH 9:24 ESV
24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands
and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love,
justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I
delight, declares the LORD."

There is one problem in the world: people don't know God. Many
think they know God, but have been deceived.

This primary problem is the cause of every other problem. All
sin is the result of people not knowing God. For if people knew
God, they would love Him, respect Him, want to be like Him, and
desire to please Him.

1 JOHN 4:8 NLT
8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is
love.

People who don't know God's character and nature think He is
unreasonable or a hard master. The truth is God is the most
loving, giving, unselfish being in existence. Everything He
does is for our benefit.

EXODUS 34:5-6 NLT
5 Then the LORD came down in a cloud and stood there with him;
and he called out his own name, Yahweh.
6 The LORD passed in front of Moses, calling out, "Yahweh! The
LORD! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and
filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.

The religious leaders of Jesus' day thought they knew God, but
when He talked to them they called Him a devil.

JOHN 8:19 NLT
19 "Where is your father?" they asked. Jesus answered, "Since
you don't know who I am, you don't know who my Father is. If
you knew me, you would also know my Father."

If you want to know what God is truly like, just look at Jesus.
Examine the way Jesus acted in the four Gospels and you will
understand how God acts.

JOHN 12:45 NLT
45 For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me.

If you think God is different than Jesus of Nazareth, you are
deceived. Jesus perfectly revealed the Father God to us. All
the revelation we had of God before was incomplete.

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.

Through many years I have experienced the wonderful privilege
of knowing God. I am here to tell you that God is good! He is
faithful! The better you get to know Him the better you will
like Him.

PSALM 34:8 NLT
8 Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those
who take refuge in him!

Taste and see for yourself! Walk with God and you will not
regret it!

SAY THIS: Lord, I want to know You better!

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

God Is Rich In Mercy

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

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

Mercy means not getting what we deserve.

Rich means an abundant supply -- more than enough.

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

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

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

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

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

Monday, December 17, 2012

Rejoice In The Lord

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Don't Be Afraid To Die

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What else could we expect from our wonderful Lord Jesus!

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

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

2 CORINTHIANS 5:8 NKJ
8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from
the body and to be present with the Lord.

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

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

Saturday, December 15, 2012

What Is The Kingdom Of God?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Friday, December 14, 2012

Jesus Does Not Force Us Out Of Our Boat

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Jesus Is Our Righteousness

1 CORINTHIANS 1:30 GWN
30 You are partners with Christ Jesus because of God. Jesus has
become our wisdom sent from God, our righteousness, our
holiness, and our ransom from sin.

People now have two choices:

1. Quit trying to be right with God by their own efforts, and
accept the gift of righteousness by receiving Jesus Christ.

2. Or, try to be good enough for God to accept them based on
their own performance.

One choice is impossible. No one can succeed with the second
choice. Here are three verses that say "no one" can do it.

ROMANS 3:20 NLT
20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the
law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

GALATIANS 2:16 NLT
16 Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in
Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in
Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because
of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For
no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law."

GALATIANS 3:11 NLT
11 So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by
trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, "It is through
faith that a righteous person has life."

No one can be bad enough for God to reject them. And no one can
be good enough for God to accept them. So the only way to have
good standing with God is by accepting His gift -- Jesus
Christ.

JOHN 14:6 NLT
6 Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No
one can come to the Father except through me.

ROMANS 10:3 NLT
3 For they don't understand God's way of making people right
with himself. Refusing to accept God's way, they cling to their
own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law.

Yes, God desires for His people to do good, not bad. Jesus was
sent to save us FROM sin, not to leave us trapped in sin.

But we cannot save ourselves. We cannot make ourselves
acceptable to God by our own efforts. We can only come to Him
and accept His free gift, Jesus Christ. When we receive Jesus
we also receive right standing with God (righteousness).

ROMANS 5:17 NLT
17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over
many. But even greater is God's wonderful grace and his gift of
righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over
sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.

Remember: righteousness is a gift!

SAY THIS:I accept Jesus as my righteousness.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

You Choose!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

God Is Bigger Than Your Box

PSALM 78:41 KJV
41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy
One of Israel.

God is unlimited (but people can limit what God does for them).

True, God cannot deny Himself. That means He cannot act
contrary to who He is and what He has said. But beyond that God
has no limits that we know of.

The Bible tells us the people of Israel limited what God could
do for them. We should not make the same mistake.

1 CORINTHIANS 12:4-6 KJV
4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same
Lord.
6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same
God which worketh all in all.

God is very creative. From looking at His creation, you could
even guess that sameness might bore Him. Every fingerprint is
different. Every eyeball is different. Every ear is different.
No two leopards have the same spots.

Yet people think things like:

"God cannot work outside of our denomination."

"Every church has to be just like ours."

"God can only move in this one way."

"God will only do this, if . . ."

But God is bigger than you realize!

God may have a million different ways to do something. Just
look at what He created. There is not just one type of bug. No,
there are millions. We know of nearly a million types of
beetles alone.

So don't limit God in your thinking. He is God!

SAY THIS: I will not limit God. He is bigger than I can think.

Monday, December 10, 2012

Rejoice In Hope

ROMANS 5:2 NKJ
2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in
which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

We may not always have good circumstances around us that would
cause us to rejoice. But we can always rejoice in hope.

What is hope?

Hope is a positive expectation for the future. Things may not
be great now, but you can have a hope that the future will be
better. (Hope is always future, by definition, but can be in
the near future -- not just when we get to Heaven.)

According to Romans 8:24, hope involves what is not seen. The
only way humans have of dealing with things that are unseen is
by using our imagination.

Hope is not seen, or detectable by our physical senses. Hope is
a positive imagination, something we can only see inwardly.

As Christian believers we can rejoice in hope. We can rejoice
when circumstances are not perfect. We can rejoice ahead of
time.

ROMANS 12:12 NRS
12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in
prayer.

As we mature as Christians, we are not to be controlled
exclusively by our physical senses. Being controlled by the
physical senses is what the Bible refers to as being "carnally
minded."

Because we believe what God has said, we know that we have a
bright future. A glorious future with God! In this we can, and
should, rejoice now!

And as we rejoice in hope, our present situation will also be
affected for good.

SAY THIS: I will rejoice even before I physically see victory.

Sunday, December 09, 2012

How To Grow Spiritually

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

Spiritual growth is similar to physical growth. Time, food, and
activity are the requirements. God's Word provides our
spiritual food.

A full supply of nutritious spiritual food is the main
requirement for spiritual growth. But spiritual activity is
also required for you to grow strong, instead of just growing
fat.

JAMES 1:22 NLT
22 But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it
says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

Acting on God's Word is spiritual activity. Some examples are
speaking God's Word, praying, praising God, being thankful,
walking in love, and trusting God.

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

Speaking God's Word is vital for spiritual growth. You must
personalize and internalize what God said about you. Then you
will begin to think, see, and act in line with God's Word. This
process is Bible meditation.

1 TIMOTHY 4:15 NKJ
15 Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them,
that your progress may be evident to all.

How will you, and others, know when you are growing
spiritually?

The evidence of spiritual growth is spiritual fruit. So, to
know if you are growing spiritually, check your life for more
of the fruit listed in Galatians 5:22-23.

GALATIANS 5:22-23 ESV
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no
law.

Remember that growth is a process so don't become discouraged
if you don't have abundant spiritual fruit immediately. Just
keep feeding on God's Word and it will produce the fruit of
growth.

Another way of describing spiritual fruit (and thus spiritual
growth) is becoming more like Jesus in the way you act.

EPHESIANS 4:13 NLT
13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our
faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature in the
Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

When you grow spiritually, you will grow in faith and love.

2 THESSALONIANS 1:3 NKJ
3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is
fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of
every one of you all abounds toward each other,

SAY THIS: I love the pure milk of God's Word which feeds my
spirit and causes me to become more like Christ.

Saturday, December 08, 2012

We Walk By Faith

2 CORINTHIANS 5:7 NKJ
7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

God's plan for us as His children here on earth is that our
walk with Him be a walk of faith.

Faith has to do with things that are not seen, or perceived
with our physical senses.

HEBREWS 11:1 NKJ
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence
of things not seen.

God's Word is our evidence for our faith. We know God cannot
lie. Whatever God says -- if it is not already evident to our
physical senses -- will eventually come to pass. For whatever
God says comes to pass. According to the Bible, God only had to
speak and the universe was created.

You will never grow strong spiritually until you learn to put
what God says in His Word ahead of what your circumstances and
physical senses tell you.

God does not ask you to deny what your physical senses tell
you, but to believe His Word above all other evidence. God
simply wants you to believe that He tells the truth.

In this regard, the Bible tells us Abraham was an example of
faith.

ROMANS 4:19-21 NKJ
19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own
body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old),
and the deadness of Sarah's womb.
20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but
was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,
21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was
also able to perform.

God told Abraham he would be a father of many nations, yet
Abraham had no children and his wife was too old to have
children. Abraham still believed God's promise, and it came to
pass. Faith is no different for us today. God is speaking to
us through His Word, the Bible, and when we believe what God
said, impossible things become possible.

As we keep our focus on God and His Word, we can be fully
convinced, like Abraham, that God is able to do all He has
said. For faith comes by hearing the Word (Romans 10:17).

Unbelief is the opposite of faith and Scripture calls it evil
(Hebrews 3:12). The only cure for unbelief is correct teaching
of the truth from God's Word (Mark 6:6).

COLOSSIANS 2:6 NKJ
6 As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so
walk in Him,

We receive Jesus Christ by faith, and we must continue to walk
our whole Christian life here on earth by faith. That means we
can't base everything on our physical sense knowledge, instead
of what God has said.

SAY THIS: I will walk with God by faith here on earth.

Friday, December 07, 2012

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.

Thursday, December 06, 2012

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.

Wednesday, December 05, 2012

What Is Faith?

ROMANS 1:17 ESV
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith
for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by
faith."

Since the Bible reveals that we, who have been made righteous
by receiving Jesus Christ, are to live by faith, we need to
know what faith is.

Faith is what you believe. In the New Testament, faith is the
noun form and believe is the verb form of the same word.

Faith is not difficult to understand. If you believe something,
that is your faith. Faith and belief are the same thing.

A belief is something you have accepted as truth and consider
to be true, whether it is actually true or not.

Faith is not a feeling, attitude, outlook, or state. Faith is
primarily a choice, a decision of your will. Nothing can force
you to believe. What you believe is a decision you make.

Here is a definition: Faith is always a decision, based on some
evidence, resulting in some action.

So faith is when you are persuaded by the evidence you have
been presented, and you make the decision to accept it as truth
worthy of action.

If you were told the building you were in was on fire, you
could say all day "I believe the building is on fire." But when
you actually believe it, you will leave the building.

Faith in God is a choice to believe what God says is true. It
is accepting God's Word as evidence worthy of acting upon.

Faith in God and His Word operates on the same principles as
faith in anything else. There are no special rules. It is all a
matter of what you believe.

SAY THIS: Faith is what I believe.

Tuesday, December 04, 2012

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.

Monday, December 03, 2012

Giving Money Is One Way To Show Honor

PROVERBS 3:9-10 NKJ
9 Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the
firstfruits of all your increase;
10 So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will
overflow with new wine.

Giving money is not the only way to show honor, but it is one
way.

The word translated honor means to value. Honoring someone is a
way of showing them, and others, that they are valuable to you.

Scripture connects giving of money with honor. Specifically
included are God, your parents, those who preach or teach the
Word of God, and widows.

MATTHEW 15:4-6 NLT
4 For instance, God says, `Honor your father and mother,' and
`Anyone who speaks evil of father or mother must be put to
death.'"
5 But you say, `You don't need to honor your parents by caring
for their needs if you give the money to God instead.'
6 And so, by your own tradition, you nullify the direct
commandment of God.

1 TIMOTHY 5:17-18 NKJ
17 Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double
honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine.
18 For the Scripture says, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it
treads out the grain," and, "The laborer is worthy of his
wages."

The double honor spoken of in verse 17 for those whose work is
bringing us insight from God's Word is clearly financial
support, as verse 18 explains. The NLT translation makes this
clear.

1 TIMOTHY 5:17-18 NLT
17 Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid
well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and
teaching.
18 For the Scripture says, "You must not muzzle an ox to keep
it from eating as it treads out the grain." And in another
place, "Those who work deserve their pay!"

1 TIMOTHY 5:3-4 NKJ
3 Honor widows who are really widows.
4 But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them
first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents;
for this is good and acceptable before God.

Again, to see that honor includes giving support, look at the
NLT translation.

1 TIMOTHY 5:3-4 NLT
3 Take care of any widow who has no one else to care for her.
4 But if she has children or grandchildren, their first
responsibility is to show godliness at home and repay their
parents by taking care of them. This is something that pleases
God.

ROMANS 13:7 NKJ
7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are
due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom
honor.

SAY THIS: I will give honor to whom honor is due.

Sunday, December 02, 2012

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.

Saturday, December 01, 2012

Repent Means Change Your Beliefs

MATTHEW 4:17 NKJ
17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent,
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

The word "repent" as used in the New Testament, means to have a
change of thinking, which results in a change of action.

Repent does not mean to ask forgiveness. You could ask for
forgiveness all day and never repent.

Repent does not mean to have regret, remorse, or sorrow. You
could be remorseful, full of sorrow, and regret greatly what
you have done, yet never repent.

Repent does not mean to "shape up" and "live right." Of course,
the right kind of repentance should cause your actions to
change so that you will be living right. But repent does not
mean "to live right."

It is even possible to quit a sin without repenting. People can
quit a sin (at least temporarily) for many reasons. For
example, the danger of being caught. That does not mean they
have changed their thinking regarding the sin.

Repentance has to do with your beliefs, not primarily your
actions. Do beliefs determine actions? Certainly. But we must
look at them separately if we are to understand truth.

You might say that repentance is "coming to your senses" or
"waking up to reality."

Repentance has more to do with unbelief than with sin. But we
have become so sin-conscious that most people think about
repentance only as it relates to stopping sin.

If a person is walking one direction, why do they turn around
and change direction? Because their belief changed.

They previously believed going that direction was the best
thing for them to do under the circumstances. Then somehow they
got new information and their belief changed to thinking going
another direction was best for them under the new circumstances.

What you believe is what you will be-living or be doing.

A belief according to the Bible teaching is not just a mental
idea, but what you have accepted as truth worthy of action.

Everything you now believe was once a choice you made. You
chose either to accept or reject the evidence presented to you
as being worthy of believing.

No human being is forced to believe anything. Every belief is a
choice we make.

You may think that "seeing is believing," but it is not true.
Many times people have seen things but still refused to believe
what they saw.

Repent does not mean "shape up and do right." It does involve
change. But the reason for the change is not guilt, but a
change in belief.

Humans always do what they do because they believe it is in
their best interest. What you have been doing in life is what
you believed was your best option -- under the circumstances
you faced.

When you get new information and see a better option for
yourself to take, it requires no struggle to choose the new
better option.

So what was Jesus really saying when we read, "Repent, for the
Kingdom of God is at hand."? Change your beliefs! God's rule is
here!

SAY THIS: God's Message in the New Testament gives me the
information I need to change my beliefs, so they agree with
reality.