Friday, January 31, 2014

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.

Thursday, January 30, 2014

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.

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

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.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

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.

Monday, January 27, 2014

We Are The Jury

1 CORINTHIANS 6:3 NKJ
3 Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more,
things that pertain to this life?

This is a curious verse. It just says, "we shall judge angels"
without giving any explanation. It does not say why we will
judge angels, or which angels we will judge. (Nor do I find
those answers elsewhere in the Bible.)

So this message includes some speculation on my part. I share
it because it makes sense and helps to answer some difficult
questions, such as why so much evil has been allowed on earth.
But, of course, I could be wrong.

The word translated as angels in the New Testament means a
messenger, or someone who is sent by another. This word is used
186 times in the KJV and is translated "angel" 179 times and
"messenger" 7 times.

There are good "angels" and bad "angels." Here are two verses
that show clearly that the Bible speaks of bad angels. (I think
these are the angels that rebelled against God with Lucifer.)

REVELATION 12:7 NKJ
7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought
with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought,

2 CORINTHIANS 12:7 NKJ
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance
of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a
messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above
measure.

While I suppose it could be possible that we would judge the
good angels, and give out awards for all they did on our
behalf, that does not really make sense to me. It seems more
reasonable to guess that the devil and the rebellious angels
would be allowed a "jury trial" and that we are the jury.

By imagining this scenario, it makes several things more
understandable to me. One is why God allowed the devil access
to Adam and Eve to tempt them. If mankind is the jury, then
Lucifer (who we know as the devil now) would have to be allowed
to present his case and have equal access to the jury.

Another is why God has allowed so much pain and misery to go on
for so long in this world. If we are the jury, then God would
be unjust to "tamper with the jury." In the interest of
fairness and justice for the evil angels on trial, God cannot
just jump in and change things. We as mankind have been given
freedom to make choices and to follow whoever we choose.

Eventually, the folly of following anyone except the Lord Jesus
Christ will become plain to mankind and the rebelling angels
will be judged. Then God will wipe away all tears and remove
all the pain that was ever caused and make all things right.
Because God will do that in the future, and everything will
turn out right, then God will never be able to be accused of
wrong-doing.

So, I predict in advance what the jury -- that is, humanity --
will decide.

1. God is NOT guilty!
2. The devil and his angels ARE guilty.

SAY THIS: The Bible says I will judge angels.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

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.

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Talk Back To the devil

MATTHEW 4:10 ESV
10 Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written,"
'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you
serve.'"

When Jesus was tempted by the devil, He talked back to the
devil by quoting the written Word of God. You should do the
same thing.

Let's read the whole story.

MATTHEW 4:2-11 ESV
2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
3 And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of
God, command these stones to become loaves of bread."
4 But he answered, "It is written," 'Man shall not live by
bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of
God.'"
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the
pinnacle of the temple
6 and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself
down, for it is written," 'He will command his angels
concerning you,' and "'On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.'"
7 Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put
the Lord your God to the test.'"
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed
him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
9 And he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will
fall down and worship me."
10 Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written,"
'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you
serve.'"
11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were
ministering to him.

We can learn many things from this account of Jesus being
tempted by the devil.

First we see that the devil attacked Jesus when he was weak and
hungry. He was attacked at His weakest point.

The devil's main initial tactic was to instill doubt. "If!"
After doubt failed to tempt Jesus, the devil offered a
seemingly easier way for Jesus to achieve His purpose, than by
doing the will of God.

The only response Jesus ever had to any of the devil's
temptations was quoting the written Word of God. That was His
only defense.

The devil also tried to use God's Word, but twisted the
meaning.

The devil did not give up immediately the first time Jesus
talked back to him. The devil kept on hitting Jesus with
thoughts of temptation repeatedly.

The temptations were real and appealing. The devil seemed to
offer an easier way than trusting and obeying God, but of
course the devil is a liar.

As Jesus persisted with speaking God's written Word, the devil
finally gave up.

How do you know when the devil is talking to your mind? The
source of any thought that causes you to doubt God's Word or
God's goodness is the devil. Any thought that tries to get you
to act contrary to God's Word, is from the devil.

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

We submit to God by submitting to what He says in His written
Word, the Bible. When we resist any thought contrary to God's
written Word, we are resisting the devil. When we do that, the
devil will flee. Maybe not immediately, but if we persist in
being submitted to God's Word, the devil can do nothing to us.

So do as Jesus did. When the devil hits you with doubt, quote
the Word of God to him.

SAY THIS: When the devil tries to bring doubt to my mind, I
will answer with the written Word of God, just like Jesus did.

Friday, January 24, 2014

Who Is Right?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thursday, January 23, 2014

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.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

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.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

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.

Monday, January 20, 2014

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.

Sunday, January 19, 2014

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.

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Does God Choose When We Die?

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

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

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

But the Bible gives us a different picture.

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

EPHESIANS 6:2-3 NKJ
2 "Honor your father and mother," which is the first
commandment with promise:
3 "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the
earth."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Friday, January 17, 2014

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.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

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.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

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.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

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.

Monday, January 13, 2014

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.

Sunday, January 12, 2014

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.

Saturday, January 11, 2014

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.

Friday, January 10, 2014

No Christian Bats 1000

JAMES 3:1 LB
1 Dear brothers, don't be too eager to tell others their
faults, for we all make many mistakes; and when we teachers of
religion, who should know better, do wrong, our punishment will
be greater than it would be for others. If anyone can control
his tongue, it proves that he has perfect control over himself
in every other way.

Baseball has a system to keep track of how successful each
player is at hitting the ball. If they always make a hit
without ever missing it, we would say they are batting 1000.
But no baseball player has ever done that. And no Christian has
ever been perfect without making a mistake, either.

Both the apostles Paul and Peter missed it. Your favorite
preacher has made mistakes also, whether they admit it, or not.

None of us is perfect. If we were, we would not need a Savior.

Why do we miss it? Because we have an adversary constantly
trying to deceive us and trip us up. Because we do not start
out as mature Christians, but must grow up, just as natural
human babies do.

1 CORINTHIANS 13:9 NKJ
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part.

So, you should do these three things.

1. Continue to feed your faith on God's Word.

2. Be merciful to others when they miss it.

3. Do not despair when you miss it. Do not beat yourself over
the head. Receive God's forgiveness, forgive yourself, and go
on.

1 JOHN 1:9 NKJ
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us
our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

PHILIPPIANS 3:13 LB
13 No, dear brothers, I am still not all I should be, but I am
bringing all my energies to bear on this one thing: Forgetting
the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,

SAY THIS: God loves me, even while I am still learning and
growing.

Thursday, January 09, 2014

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.

Wednesday, January 08, 2014

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.

Tuesday, January 07, 2014

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.

Monday, January 06, 2014

Guard What You Say About Leaders

ACTS 23:5 NLT
5 "I'm sorry, brothers. I didn't realize he was the high
priest," Paul replied, "for the Scriptures say, 'You must not
speak evil of any of your rulers.'"

A major, yet often unrecognized, problem is members of the Body
of Christ using their words to curse leaders. (It is not
necessary to use profanity to curse. Any time anyone speaks
badly of someone the Bible calls it a curse. Jesus cursed the
fig tree by simply saying no one would ever eat fruit from it.)

Don't fall into the devil's trap. Christians have been
delegated authority on Earth by Jesus Christ. When we speak bad
things about people we are abusing that authority which was
given to us to bless, and not to curse.

ROMANS 12:14 NLT
14 Bless those who persecute you. Don't curse them; pray that
God will bless them.

The world tries to get us to focus on the shortcomings,
weaknesses, and failures of our leaders. Admittedly, all
leaders are human. Not one of them can be expected to be
perfect. This is why it's important for us to pray for them,
and not to joke about them, or say anything bad about them.

1 TIMOTHY 2:1-2 NLT
1 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to
help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.
2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that
we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and
dignity.

Think about this: you cannot pray in faith for a leader and
also talk badly about them. Such negative speaking would negate
your prayer.

The leaders when the New Testament was written were certainly
not perfect. Yet the New Testament never encourages any
disrespect to those in positions of authority.

ROMANS 13:1 ESV
1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For
there is no authority except from God, and those that exist
have been instituted by God.

The spirit of the age is to mock, belittle, and criticize
everyone, but especially those in authority. We must guard
against this trap of our enemy.

We can discuss issues without condemning people. We can
disagree with policies, but that does not mean we should speak
badly of a leader as a person. Should we curse someone Jesus
died for?

Our job is not to condemn people but to offer them a way of
deliverance through the love of Jesus.

You don't have to lie and say anything good about a leader. You
don't have to vote for them. You can just keep quiet.

SAY THIS: I will not speak badly of others, especially those
who are leaders.

Sunday, January 05, 2014

The Father Is Raising A Family

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

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

We're here because God wants a family.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ROMANS 8:28-29 NLT
28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for
the good of those who love God and are called according to his
purpose for them.
29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to
become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn
among many brothers and sisters.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saturday, January 04, 2014

Do Not Fear Death

LUKE 12:4 NKJ
4 "And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who
kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

Since Jesus defeated death and removed its sting, believers
should no longer be motivated by fear of death.

1 CORINTHIANS 15:55,57 NLT
55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your
sting? "
57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death
through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Death has been defeated by Jesus. Now the death of a Christian
believer is just a transition from this lower reality to a
higher, more perfect, and lasting reality. For anyone trusting
in Jesus, there is no reason to be afraid.

I believe that death is now like birth: just an entry into an
unknown but better place, a place of more freedom and
consciousness, where we will continue to learn and grow, as we
enjoy the goodness of God.

LUKE 20:38 NLT
38 So he is the God of the living, not the dead, for they are
all alive to him."

Death is not the end. And death is only sleep for your body,
not sleep for the real you which lives inside your body. After
you die your body will sleep in death till the great
Resurrection, but you will be alive with God all the time.

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.

PHILIPPIANS 1:21,23 NLT
21 For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even
better.
23 I'm torn between two desires: I long to go and be with
Christ, which would be far better for me.

Believers need to realize that passing through death means we
will be far better off. Why be afraid of that?

JOHN 14:1-3 NKJ
1 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe
also in Me.
2 "In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I
would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again
and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be
also.

When you leave this life, Jesus has a place prepared for you --
better than what you have experienced here. He told you to not
be afraid! You can trust Jesus.

HEBREWS 2:14-15 CJB
14 Therefore, since the children share a common physical nature
as human beings, he became like them and shared that same human
nature; so that by his death he might render ineffective the
one who had power over death (that is, the Adversary)
15 and thus set free those who had been in bondage all their
lives because of their fear of death.

Through the fear of death, the devil has been able to hold us
in slavery, by getting us to do whatever it took to avoid
dying. Believers are supposed to overcome this fear because of
the victory of Jesus. We should live our lives fearless --
knowing that God is watching out for us and will always be with
us and take care of us -- even in death.

So we should never let the enemy stop us from doing God's will
because of fear that we might die.

Every one of us needs to finish our race and fulfill God's plan
for us on earth before we die. But when it comes time to die,
we should not fear.

SAY THIS: I will not fear death. I will trust in Jesus my Lord.

Friday, January 03, 2014

The Bible Is Spiritual Food

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

If you want to grow as you should as a Christian -- feed on
God's Word just as a newborn baby desires to be fed. If you
know anything about babies, you know they require regular
feeding!

It's not just a quick reading of the Word that you need. You
must chew the Word to get the "milk" out of it. This just means
you need to meditate on God's Word to get all that you should
from it. You can't just gulp it down quickly and expect to
receive all its nutrition. It takes some time and effort to
think on the Word and digest it, so that it becomes a part of
us.

The food we take into our physical bodies does not nourish us
unless we properly digest and assimilate it into our cells.
Spiritual food is the same. The Word you read has to "become
flesh" in you. It has to become part of you. As it nourishes
you, it will change you by changing the way you see yourself
and the way you see others.

It is possible to study the Bible and not believe it, not
personalize it, and not internalize it. This type of mental
study does not feed your spirit.

Personalizing the Word and speaking it, helps us digest the
Word so it becomes part of us. This, along with thinking and
seeing in agreement with the Word, is Bible meditation.

You are who God says you are. You have what God says you have.
You can do what God says you can do. You need to say whatever
God has said about you. This is the primary way you will be fed
and grow spiritually.

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.'"

Matthew 4:4 shows us that God's Word somehow sustains life, as
does bread in the physical realm. But we need more than physical
food to enjoy life as God intended. God's Word is our spiritual
food which will enrich our life.

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

God's Word produces faith in our hearts and renews our minds.
It is vital for our spiritual growth. God's Word is our
spiritual food.

JEREMIAH 15:16 NKJ
16 Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to
me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your
name, O LORD God of hosts.

SAY THIS: I will eat the Word of God every day.

Thursday, January 02, 2014

God Does Not Defend Himself

A curious thing about God is that He never seems to defend
Himself! This is important for us to understand as we face the
daily spiritual battle.

Humans usually interpret silence on the part of someone being
accused as guilt. But this is wrong when God is accused.

Jesus never argued with anyone. God gave His Word. You either
believe it or you don't. God doesn't beg you to believe in Him,
or try to convince you against your will.

MARK 15:3-5 NKJ
3 And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He
answered nothing.
4 Then Pilate asked Him again, saying, "Do You answer nothing?
See how many things they testify against You!"
5 But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.

Although the Gospel of John says Jesus talked some with Pilate,
He did not in any way defend Himself.

Who do you think tells us that God is bad? Who puts those
thoughts in your mind?

REVELATION 12:10 NKJ
10 . . . for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them
before our God day and night, has been cast down.

The Bible reveals satan is the accuser. The devil accuses us
before God, and accuses God to us. We need to learn, like God,
to ignore what the devil says.

Ignoring what the devil says is a way to resist him. When he
brings thoughts of doubt to us, but we don't act on his lies or
speak them, we are resisting the devil. We cast down whatever
is against God's Word by not accepting it or speaking it.

It is probably safe to say that satan is either author or
supporter of all thoughts which accuse God of wrong. Because
satan is behind accusations against God, you can see why God
would not stoop to defend Himself against them.

God's loving actions throughout history, including dying on the
cross for us, speak in God's defense. He has no need of any
other defense for an honest, searching person open to truth. We
should not blame God for evil and bad things. God is not
guilty!

JOB 40:2,8 NLT
2 "Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? You are God's
critic, but do you have the answers?"
8 "Will you discredit my justice and condemn me just to prove
you are right?

Throughout the book of Job many negative things were said about
God, questioning His justice. But when God came on the scene He
did not respond to any of the accusations (Job 38-42). God did
not defend Himself nor explain Himself. All God said was
basically, "Who are you?" and "What do you know?"

Instead of responding to the negative accusations, God turned
the focus to whether humans are really qualified to judge God.

Job's response was to repent and admit he didn't know what he
had been talking about (Job 42:3,6).

If we are honest, we have to admit there is much we don't know,
and we are not now fully qualified to judge God. Just because
we don't understand everything that happens is no reason for us
to condemn God.

Imagine trying to explain something complicated to a one-year-
old child. No matter how smart we may think we are, compared to
God we are no doubt very much like a one-year-old child in our
understanding of many things.

Because God does not defend Himself, and we lack total
understanding, our faith is sometimes tested. Doubts arise in
our minds. But we should never doubt that God is good and just.
He deserves our faith. We may not understand, but that is not
proof that God is guilty.

Why should God defend Himself? He is the judge, and He knows He
is innocent! Also, God knows all the accusations against Him
originate with His enemy, the devil.

In the Bible, God has already revealed the truth about who is
responsible for all the bad things that happen. We need to go
to the Bible for our answers. God has already revealed truth to
us through His written Word, so why should He repeat Himself?

One day God may defend Himself and explain all that He has
done. But it will be at a time when we are able to fully
comprehend. It won't be because God has to defend Himself, but
rather because He enjoys sharing with His children.

SAY THIS: God has no need to defend Himself. He is perfect!

Wednesday, January 01, 2014

Children, Obey Your Parents

God's Word, the Bible, teaches children to respect, honor, and
obey their parents.

COLOSSIANS 3:20 NKJ
20 Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well
pleasing to the Lord.

EPHESIANS 6:1-3 NKJ
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
2 "Honor your father and mother," which is the first
commandment with promise:
3 "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the
earth."

Only when we are children are we to OBEY our parents. But we
should always HONOR our parents as long as we live. To honor
primarily means to show respect and treat with special
consideration.

1 TIMOTHY 3:4 NKJ
4 . . . having his children in submission with all reverence

Children should submit to their parents and show them respect.

Even if your parents do not serve God, you still must respect
and obey them. However, God does not expect you to obey them
when they tell you to sin by doing wrong things. (see Acts
5:29)

From the Old Testament we learn how serious it is for children
not to submit to their parents. The punishment was very severe.
In those days children who refused to submit to their parents
were killed!

We are not living under the Old Testament law, but it was
written to teach us. It shows us what God thinks of rebellious
children.

DEUTERONOMY 21:18-21 NKJ
18 "If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not
obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and
who, when they have chastened him, will not heed them,
19 "then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and
bring him out to the elders of his city, to the gate of his
city.
20 "And they shall say to the elders of his city, `This son of
ours is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he
is a glutton and a drunkard.'
21 "Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death with
stones; so you shall put away the evil person from among you,
and all Israel shall hear and fear.

SAY THIS: It is God's will for children to obey their parents.