God Is Not Angry With You

ISAIAH 54:9-10 ESV
9 "This is like the days of Noah to me: as I swore that the
waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so I have
sworn that I will not be angry with you, and will not rebuke
you.
10 For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but
my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of
peace shall not be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion
on you.

Isaiah 53 foretells the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. The
following chapter, Isaiah 54, speaks to those who are redeemed
by that sacrifice of Jesus and so are under the New Covenant.

It is a lie of the devil that God is angry with you! Because of
what Jesus accomplished you have a covenant of peace with God.

The message of Jesus Christ and the New Covenant is clear: God
loves you!

Yes, God knows about all your mistakes. You have sinned and
fallen short of perfection. You are not alone! The Bible says
we have all fallen short (Romans 3:23). We all need God's
forgiveness and help.

But it is important for you to realize God loves you like a
good parent loves their child, even when the child does wrong.

God is there right now, listening and waiting for you to call
on Him for His help. God has already forgiven you. Now you just
need to reach out to God and receive His forgiveness so you can
be free from the burden of guilt and shame that has kept you
from fellowship with God.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:19 ESV
19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself,
not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to
us the message of reconciliation.

EPHESIANS 1:7 ESV
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness
of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

No matter what your past has been -- no matter how terrible you
have been -- no matter what you have done -- God still loves
you and desires for you to turn to Him. This is the reason
Jesus died on the cross, to show you the greatness of God's
love for you, and to make a way for you to be forgiven and not
separated from God any longer.

SAY THIS: God is not angry with me.

Help, Mate!

GENESIS 2:18 LB
18 And the Lord God said, "It isn't good for man to be alone; I
will make a companion for him, a helper suited to his needs."

An important part of God's purpose for marriage is to have
someone to help you in life.

(God did not intend for this to be one-sided. A husband also
should help his wife. Otherwise, a husband would not love his
wife as Christ loves the church. See Ephesians 5:25.)

We all need help and encouragement. Sadly, for most people,
that is often not at all what they receive from their spouse.

Your spouse, whether you know it or not, desperately wants and
needs your help, your encouragement, and your support.

Are all spouses perfect and deserving of encouragement and
support? None are! No one is perfect. We all make mistakes. But
especially in those times, it is important that we have someone
to encourage us and help us to believe we can go on and do
better. God meant for you to be that someone to help your
spouse.

Don't fall into the trap of waiting until your spouse starts
being nice to you. God's law works in this area, too: whatever
you give, you will receive. So the best way to get your spouse
to treat you better is to treat them better.

God does not expect you to love and help your spouse solely
with your own love, but to allow God to pour His love through
you. God loves your spouse -- enough to die for them -- and
desires to express that love through you.

If your spouse would not describe you as their encourager,
friend, and a great help to them -- you are missing God's plan.
You need to be your mate's biggest booster.

Yes, this can be hard. Yes, you have no doubt suffered because
of them. Yes, they have hurt you and you probably don't feel
like being a blessing to them after what they have done to you.
But none of this changes the Word of God and His plan.

Whenever you find direction in God's Word that seems difficult
or impossible, your approach should always be to ask God to
help you. "Lord, I see in your Word that you want me to do
this, but I need your help. Help me to love them. Cause your
love for them to flow through me."

SAY THIS: With God's help, I will encourage and help those
around me, especially and always, my spouse.

Harvest Is Coming

GALATIANS 6:9 NLT
9 So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the
right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give
up.

When a farmer has planted seed in the ground, it does not
produce a harvest the next day. There is a period of waiting. A
time to stand in faith, knowing that the seed will grow and
produce as it was created to do.

It takes faith for a farmer to bury expensive seed in the
ground. But the farmer knows how God's system works. (Even if
the farmer does not believe in God, it is still God's system he
is using.) You plant the seed, you wait, and then comes a
harvest that multiplies what you planted.

2 CORINTHIANS 9:10-11 NLT
10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then
bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase
your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity
in you.
11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can
always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who
need them, they will thank God.

Harvest is coming in your life! All the seeds of love you have
sown into the lives of others, and into the Kingdom of God,
have been growing and the time for a harvest of blessing is
coming.

Harvest is also coming to the Body of Christ on the earth.
Multitudes of people will turn to Jesus Christ as their Lord
and Savior. We must be ready to welcome them and have the
resources ready to assist them and disciple them.

So believe for a harvest of blessing and prosperity in your
life. Then you will be ready to be a blessing to others.

SAY THIS: I believe harvest is coming.

A Member Of The Body

1 CORINTHIANS 12:12 NKJ
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the
members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is
Christ.

Each individual believer IS also part of the Body of Christ,
which is composed of all believers.

(This is the work of God. Not something we "join.")

Think how insane it would be for you to allow your hand to
attack some other member of your body. It's just as crazy for
us, as members of the Body of Christ, to attack other members.

ROMANS 12:4-5 NKJ
4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members
do not have the same function,
5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually
members of one another.

Other members have different callings -- different functions.
But your job is not to oppose them -- even though you may not
understand them, or why they do what they do. Just leave that
to the Head of the Body -- and do what He tells YOU to do.

You are not the Head of the Body of Christ -- Jesus is. He is
responsible for, and capable of, coordinating all we do so our
actions will accomplish His plan. Members of a body have
different functions, but all are necessary for the body to
function properly.

When you don't obey Jesus, the Head of the Body, you are a drag
on the rest of the members.

Think what a difficult time you would have accomplishing
anything if each member of your body did whatever it felt like
-- instead of obeying orders from your brain.

SAY THIS: I am a member of the Body of Christ.

You Are Now A Giver

EPHESIANS 5:1 NLT
1 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are
his dear children.

You are now a giver. God your Father is a giver and you should
act like your Father.

Giving is an act of love, and an act of faith. As a child of
God you are no longer a taker, but a giver, because God's love
has been put into your heart (Romans 5:5).

The devil's kingdom is a kingdom of selfishness so it operates
by taking. God's kingdom is a kingdom of love so it operates by
giving.

Real followers of Jesus are known for their great love (which
is expressed by giving) to others (John 13:35).

The Bible not only tells us to give, but also promises us
blessing when we do give.

LUKE 6:38 NLT
38 Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in
full -- pressed down, shaken together to make room for more,
running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give
will determine the amount you get back."

Money is not the only thing you can give. Mercy, compassion,
encouragement -- anything that will bless someone is a valuable
gift.

Your best gift is sharing the message of God's love and
deliverance with others -- a gift more valuable than money.

2 CORINTHIANS 9:6,8 NLT
6 Remember this -- a farmer who plants only a few seeds will
get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a
generous crop.
8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will
always have everything you need and plenty left over to share
with others.

The Bible teaches that giving is planting seed, which brings a
larger harvest of provision back into your life. As you give,
God will see that it is given to you, so you will have
"everything you need and plenty left over to share with
others."

So whatever needs you have, plant good seeds for your future by
giving today!

Rich people can give freely, without worrying how their own
needs will be met, because they have abundance. When you
realize you are rich in Christ (2 Corinthians 8:9), and Heaven
backs you, then you will also be able to enjoy giving freely.

So, with the backing of God's Word, you can use what you have
been given to help those around you.

SAY THIS: As a child of God, I have His love in my heart, and
that makes me a giver.

Is Money Your God?

Whatever controls you, or determines your decisions, is your
god.

What is god in your life? Do you have a price? Can you be
bought?

Will enough money get you to do something you know is wrong?
Then you are serving money -- you will do what it tells you.

No one can serve two masters, according to Jesus.

MATTHEW 6:24 NKJ
24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the
one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and
despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

You must choose who your god will be. If you choose Jesus
Christ -- you cannot make every decision based on the financial
bottom line, and still claim He is your Lord.

If you claim to be a Christian but do not worship God by giving
from your income to Him -- it is clear that money is your god.

If you say you do not give to God so that you can feed your
children -- maybe your children are your god.

If your reason for not worshiping God with your money is so you
can pay your house or car note -- you obviously have put them
ahead of God.

Most Christians think it's awful that someone would commit
adultery, or fornication, if someone paid them. But, a
Christian who moves simply to get a higher-paying job, without
regard to God's guidance, is guilty of the same sin: serving
money.

Will you only do God's will if it benefits you? Are you like a
prostitute -- only willing to perform if you get paid enough?

Are you a hired lover -- or a genuine lover of God? This is a
very serious question we all need to consider. The good news is
that God still loves us -- no matter how undeserving we are of
His love. But understanding God's love should cause us to
desire change. God does not deserve to be treated the way most
of us have been treating Him.

SAY THIS: I will serve God. I refuse to serve money. Instead,
money will serve me.

Trust In God

2 CHRONICLES 16:7-9 NLT
7 At that time Hanani the seer came to King Asa and told him,
"Because you have put your trust in the king of Aram instead of
in the LORD your God, you missed your chance to destroy the
army of the king of Aram.
8 Don't you remember what happened to the Ethiopians and
Libyans and their vast army, with all of their chariots and
horsemen? At that time you relied on the LORD, and he handed
them all over to you.
9 The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to
strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. What
a fool you have been! From now on, you will be at war."

When you look to other sources for help -- instead of turning
to God when you face trouble, it displeases God.

How would you feel if your spouse completely ignored you and
went to someone else when they had a problem, instead of
turning to you for advice or help?

Looking to others instead of God for help can also open the
door for trouble in your life. That is why God wants you to
look to Him, instead of other sources, because unlike others,
He will never harm you or mislead you.

God is not only able to help you, but He is very willing to
help you with everything, for He loves you! Therefore you can
trust God to always be willing to help you.

So why would you want to look to an inferior source for help?

Fortunately, God is forgiving, so even if you have looked to
others for help instead of God, just turn to God whole-
heartedly and He will surely help you.

God can, and often does, provide help, encouragement, and
advice through other Christians. But we should never look to
them first as our source of help.

Always look to God first and keep your focus on Him.

SAY THIS: I will trust in Almighty God, who loves me, and
always look to Him as my source of help.

Don't Judge By Appearance

JOHN 7:24 NKJ
24 "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with
righteous judgment."

Making a snap judgment based on appearance often works -- but
not always. And the exceptions can really cost you.

The world teaches us to judge people by their appearance. But
God doesn't judge people by how they look -- and neither should
we.

1 SAMUEL 16:7 NLT
7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Don't judge by his appearance
or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn't make
decisions the way you do! People judge by outward appearance,
but the LORD looks at a person's thoughts and intentions."

One main reason we're not qualified to judge others is because
we don't know their thoughts and intentions. Only God does.

As they say, "You can't always judge a book by its cover."

LUKE 16:15 CEV
15 But Jesus told them: You are always making yourselves look
good, but God sees what is in your heart. The things that most
people think are important are worthless as far as God is
concerned.

It is important that we treat all people with respect -- since
they are created and loved by God -- no matter how they look.

SAY THIS: Lord, help me to not judge people by their
appearance.

On Earth As It Is In Heaven

MATTHEW 6:10 KJV
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in
heaven.

People often wonder what God's will is in many situations. "How
should we pray? Is it God's will for this person to be helped,
or not?"

In Matthew 6:10 Jesus told us how to pray in line with God's
will -- what is done in heaven is also God's will for earth.

This verse reveals the will of God and answers how we are to
pray. So anything opposing this cannot ever be God's will.

What should we learn from this verse?

First, the will of God is not automatically done, otherwise
there would be no need to instruct us to pray for God's will to
be done on earth.

Second, if God's will is not automatically being done, it means
the will of our enemy (the devil) may be done unless God's
people do what we are supposed to do.

Third, the will of God is always good for all people, for it is
certainly good for everyone who is in heaven. (See also James
1:17, Psalm 145:9, Matthew 5:44-45)

Many have made the mistake of thinking everything that happens
must be God's will. No! We must pray that God's will be done on
earth. It is not automatic. Every theft, rape, and murder is
not God's will!

When it is not like heaven on earth, it is because the reign of
God's kingdom is not being fully manifest in that situation.
The reign, or kingdom of God, is where King Jesus has dominion.

As we allow Jesus complete dominion in our lives, we can expect
the blessing and provision of God to begin manifesting on earth
as it does in heaven.

SAY THIS: As it is in heaven, so it is God's will for it to be
on earth.

God Is Not A Liar

NUMBERS 23:19 ICB
19 God is not a man. He will not lie. God is not a human being.
He does not change his mind. What he says he will do, he does.
What he promises, he keeps.

Too many of us judge God by ourselves, or those we normally
deal with. Unfortunately, honesty is scarce today. We are
accustomed to people lying to us.

But God is different. He does not lie. Not ever.

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

SAY THIS: My God is not a liar. He will do what He said He
would do.

How To Change

ROMANS 12:2a NLT
2 Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let
God transform you into a new person by changing the way you
think.

Many people would like to see change in their life. But how?

To change the way you act, you must first change the way you
think. Because you act like the person you think you are.

But to change your thinking, you will need to focus on
different information.

Our beliefs are the cause of our actions. So to permanently
change behavior, beliefs must be changed.

A belief is a thought you have decided to accept as
truth. You choose your beliefs. Then your beliefs determine
your actions. You always act on what you believe.

As long as you think something is advantageous for you, you
will keep doing it. When you realize something is not
advantageous for you, you will stop it.

You may argue with this, thinking that you sometimes do things
you know are not good for you. But you only do them if you
think you are gaining some benefit from doing them. Usually it
is choosing to receive a near-term benefit in exchange for
longer-term harm.

Why do people do what they do? Because of what they believe.
All people always do what they believe is their best choice at
the time in order to get what they think they want. Always!

People normally do not act contrary to their beliefs, except
under great pressure. But even when forced to do something
against your will, you will only do it if it seems to be the
best thing you can do under those circumstances.

When your beliefs change, your talking and your actions will
also change. Trying to change your actions without first
changing your beliefs will fail because your beliefs govern
your actions.

For example, believing that God loves you instead of being mad
at you will change the way you act. If you believe God loves
you, you will turn to God when you need help. But if you
believe God is mad at you, you will be hesitant to seek God's
help.

Our beliefs may be based on incomplete and inaccurate
information -- in fact they usually are. But our beliefs always
determine our actions.

Humans are like a guided missile, programmed to change course
when new information is presented and accepted.

So the first step for positive change in your life is to get
information that will change the way you think. Read the
letters to the Church in the New Testament and find out what
Jesus Christ has done for you. Find out who you are in Christ.
Find out how God sees you.

SAY THIS: To change my behavior, I must first change my
beliefs.

Does God Supply Only What We Need?

What is a need? Who is qualified to determine what is a need?

Is it something essential? What is essential? Essential to
what? To survival? To health? (Physical health only, or mental
and emotional health, as well?)

Are essentials universal? Or do they vary from person to
person, or from country to country, or from age to age?

Is having more than just my essential, survival needs met proof
of my greed or selfishness?

If God will only meet our needs, why do some Christians have
more than they need? How did they get it? Did the devil give it
to them?

If God only meets the needs of Christians, who will ever have
any extra to give to others?

What is need and what is greed; what is too much and what is
just right? Are you qualified to judge? For yourself? For me?
For someone in a different country? For all people?

Is it wrong for a Christian to accept a job paying more than a
survival wage? Should they only work part-time to stay below
abundance?

Does God play favorites? Did the Apostle Paul say, in
Philippians 4:18, that he had more than he needed? Did God ever
give anyone else an abundance?

Does creation testify to a God of abundance? Why are there so
many shapes and colors of fish? Why do we need flowers?

Can you give scripture clearly saying God will supply only what
we need to barely get by? Are there not many scriptures that
tell us He supplies abundance? Have you ever read the entire
Bible?

What is a need? Are you qualified to judge?

SAY THIS: Has my view of God's provision been correct?

How Many Times Should I Ask God For Something?

The answer to this question is that you should ask until you
get the answer.

When you believe you have the answer, it would be silly to ask
again.

But how should you determine when you get the answer? What
evidence will you require to believe you have the answer?

What will God have to do before you will believe He has granted
your request? Will God need to send an angel to tell you your
request is granted? Will you have to wait until all the
circumstances change and everyone sees the answer show up in
your life?

Or, will you simply accept God's Word as sufficient evidence to
believe God has granted your request?

Jesus said in Mark 11:24 that we are to believe we receive the
answer when we pray. The key to receiving from God is not long
praying, but faith. What we believe is what makes the
difference.

God gave us the Bible to change what we believe, so we could
know His will, pray in agreement with His will, and therefore
have confidence that our requests are granted.

MATTHEW 6:7 NKJ
7 "And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the
heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their
many words.

In Matthew 6:7 Jesus warned against using "vain repetition" in
prayer, but this probably means more than just making the same
request more than once. It cannot always be wrong to repeat a
prayer, because Jesus prayed the same words three times in
Matthew 26:44. It depends on what kind of prayer it is.

It is appropriate to repeat some prayers, like those found in
Ephesians asking for believers to be filled with the knowledge
of God's will with all understanding. That is not a prayer you
can just pray once and believe you receive the full answer
immediately.

But when we ask God for some material thing, we should not need
to ask more than once. We should believe God granted our
request when we prayed. So it is not appropriate to ask God
again, but only to thank Him.

What is vain repetition? Something that is useless and makes no
difference.

MATTHEW 6:7 ERV
7 "And when you pray, don't be like the people who don't know
God. They say the same things again and again. They think that
if they say it enough, their god will hear them.

Successfully praying to receive things is not a matter of
wearing God down with repeated requests until He finally gives
in and grants your request.

Jesus taught that what we receive through prayer is a matter of
what we believe. Mark 11:24 tells us that when we pray we are
to believe we receive our answer when we pray.

If we believe we receive the answer to our prayer, there is no
need to continue asking for that request. There is no need to
keep asking for something we already have.

We don't have to believe we are in possession of what we
requested, but simply that God has granted our request and the
answer is on its way to us.

How many times would you ask a friend to do something for you?
Unless you are forgetful or crazy, you would only ask them
until they said yes. Once they said they will do something for
you, if you trust them, you know they will do it. Continuing to
ask them to do something after they already agreed to do it
would be rude and disrespectful.

MATTHEW 21:22 NKJ
22 "And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will
receive."

The key factor is what you believe. If you don't believe God
heard and answered your prayer, then you need to pray again.
But you need to recognize that the fault is not with God, but
with you.

Jesus taught that to receive from God we must ask in faith. If
we are not prepared to believe we receive the answer when we
pray, then we are not ready to pray for that request.

We have no business praying for something we do not believe is
God's will. But if we pray in agreement with God's will, then
we should know we have the answer.

1 JOHN 5:14-15 NKJ
14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we
ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know
that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

"What then am I to pray about? What do I say tomorrow during my
prayer time?"

If you believe you received the answer "yes" from God today in
regard to your request, then tomorrow when you talk to God
about it, you should say "Thank You!" "Thank You that You are
working and the answer is coming. Thank You for answering my
prayer. Thank You that things are working out good."

"But," you say, "nothing has changed yet!"

If you think that, it shows you are basing your beliefs
entirely on the information coming from your circumstances. You
are not accepting God's Word as worthy evidence. You have not
believed that God granted your request and the answer is on its
way. With this approach, you cannot expect very good results in
prayer.

SAY THIS: There is no need to ask for something after it has
been granted to you.

Plead The Blood

Pleading the Blood of Jesus is not begging -- but a legal term.

REVELATION 12:10-11 NKJ
10 . . . the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before
our God day and night, has been cast down.
11 "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the
word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to
the death.

The devil is our accuser. The only successful plea is the Blood
of Jesus. Pleading our ignorance, our innocence, or our merits
will fail. Only relying on the Blood of our substitute
sacrifice, the Lamb of God, will win our case before God the
Judge.

When we pray, we should base our prayer on the Blood of Jesus
-- the price paid for our needs to be met -- instead of on our
need or our worthiness.

When we resist the devil, we cannot resist him based on who we
are or what we have done, but only on the price paid for our
complete redemption -- the precious Blood of Jesus.

Faith in Jesus' Blood, released in testimony against the devil,
will always cause him to flee. We must resist him, steadfast in
faith, for as long as it takes.

Our enemy can always be overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and
the word of our testimony. We have victory over every evil
because of Jesus' shed Blood.

PSALM 107:2 NKJ
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed
from the hand of the enemy,

We must SAY we are redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb. Here are
some example statements you could use in pleading the Blood.

In the Name of Jesus, I plead the Blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ against this problem.

I cover my home with the Blood of Jesus to protect all
occupants and possessions from all evil.

Especially in times of violence we need to cry out for the
protection of the Blood for all our household. Parents can put
the Blood on their "door" -- taking in all that pertains to
them -- and claim salvation and protection for their entire
family. The Blood is the one thing that will keep your family
safe in these perilous days.

When we awaken in the morning we should call for the Blood to
be upon us and all that belongs to us. Before we sleep we
should, in the same way, call for the protection of the Blood.

SAY THIS: I plead the Blood of Jesus over all my household and
all our possessions.

God Will Provide

GENESIS 22:14a NLT
14 Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means "the LORD
will provide").

One of God's names is Yahweh-Yireh (also spelled Jehovah Jireh)
which means, "the Lord will see to it," that is, "the Lord will
provide." The Lord sees ahead and provides. That is one of His
names! God cares for you, and plans for your provision, even
before you know you need it.

There will not be one day in your entire life that God has not
seen ahead and made provision for you. It may require some
searching for you to find it. It may even be difficult to
obtain. But God's provision is always there!

MATTHEW 6:26 CEB
26 Look at the birds in the sky. They don't sow seed or harvest
grain or gather crops into barns. Yet your heavenly Father
feeds them. Aren't you worth much more than they are?

Jesus said God provides food for the birds, implying that God
provides for every creature. Yet, if a bird sits still, instead
of gathering the food God has provided for them, they can
starve. God does not carry food to their nest and put it in
their mouths.

Birds don't sit in the spot where they found food yesterday and
wait for food to show up there today. They keep looking,
obviously confident that food is available somewhere.

If you accept lack, you may have it. But if you have as much
faith as a bird you will keep looking for your provision until
you find it, because you know that God has made provision for
you.

You may have to look in a different place than you found your
provision yesterday, and you may have to look longer than you
did yesterday, but if you keep looking you will find it.

SAY THIS: I can trust God to always provide what I need.

Imagine You Were God

Imagine you were God -- all alone -- nothing but you and space.
Wouldn't you want to have others around to keep you company?

So you decide to create some other beings. You want to have
some intelligent conversation and relationships, so you create
them with freedom of choice. Things are perfect. You have a
wonderful universe with no problems. Then some of your created
beings decide they don't want to do things your way. They rebel
and want to run the universe, instead of obeying you. Suddenly
there is no peace. What do you do?

Realizing you must preserve order and protect those who didn't
rebel against you, you decree judgment on the rebels. But they
accuse you of unfairness -- saying you're not qualified to
judge them -- that you don't know what it's like to live under
your rule.

This accusation cannot stand unanswered if you want to preserve
peace and order in the future. So you choose to allow a "jury
trial" to decide the rebels' fate. But who can be on the jury?
It can't be those involved. There's only one solution: create
some new beings -- human beings -- to be the jury.

1 CORINTHIANS 6:3a NIV
3 Do you not know that we will judge angels?

The rebels insist on equal access to the jury. You agree,
giving your word allowing the jury complete freedom to choose.
If these humans choose to follow the rebels, you will not
interfere. Only if the humans freely choose to follow you and
your way -- rejecting the rebels and their way -- will the
loyal humans then pass judgment on the rebels. You realize this
is risky but it's the only way to settle the issue so your
motives and judgment will not continue to be questioned.

So, you create a man and a woman, putting them in a perfect
environment. To be fair, you allow the rebels access. Then it
turns sour. The rebels score a knockout blow. Man rebels by
disobeying the simple command which you gave to allow them the
opportunity to rebel. It seems the rebels were proven right --
your way was not what an impartial jury would decide to do.

Is it over? Do you give up and let the rebels take over the
universe and destroy it with their selfishness, as you know
they will?

Or, do you do something bold and unexpected? What can you do?
After all, the jury has been completely taken over by the
rebels.

It's time to quit imagining and read the Bible -- with
a little more understanding of what God may have faced.

Whether everything written above is the way it happened, we
don't know. We do know that God made a bold move in becoming a
human and dying to prove His love and redeem us.

We also know how it all turns out in the end, by reading the
book of Revelation in the New Testament.

SAY THIS: I'm glad I'm not God! And I'm glad that Jesus is!

You Have Guaranteed Provision

1 TIMOTHY 5:8 NIV
8 Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and
especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is
worse than an unbeliever.

Now that you have received Jesus you are a child of God. God
will never be worse than an unbeliever -- He will always
provide for His own family. That includes you. Stop and think
about this fact!

LUKE 12:22,24,27-32 NLT
22 Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, "That is why I
tell you not to worry about everyday life -- whether you have
enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear.
24 Look at the ravens. They don't plant or harvest or store
food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more
valuable to him than any birds!
27 "Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don't work or
make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not
dressed as beautifully as they are.
28 And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here
today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care
for you. Why do you have so little faith?
29 "And don't be concerned about what to eat and what to drink.
Don't worry about such things.
30 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over
the world, but your Father already knows your needs.
31 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you
everything you need.
32 "So don't be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father
great happiness to give you the Kingdom.

In God's kingdom there is no lack. A kingdom is a king's
dominion, where a king rules. When you allow King Jesus to rule
in your life, you are part of His kingdom.

COLOSSIANS 1:13 NLT
13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and
transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,

When you receive Jesus Christ you become a citizen of His
kingdom, so He is responsible for your welfare.

MATTHEW 6:31-33 CEB
31 Therefore, don't worry and say, 'What are we going to eat?'
or 'What are we going to drink?' or 'What are we going to
wear?'
32 Gentiles long for all these things. Your heavenly Father
knows that you need them.
33 Instead, desire first and foremost God's kingdom and God's
righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as
well.

Instead of worrying about your provision, your focus should be
God's will. This passage mentions two things: being in God's
kingdom and having righteousness (which means right standing
with God).

Everyone who believes on Jesus is now in God's kingdom, and has
been given righteousness as a free gift (Romans 3:22, 5:17). So
you have God's promise that if you are in His kingdom and in
right standing with Him, you need not worry about provision,
for God will provide for you.

This promise of God is not based on what you deserve or what
you are able to do. If you belong to God, He will provide for
you. No matter where you are, or what you are facing, this is
God's promise of basic provision for you.

If necessary, God will multiply food or have ravens bring it to
you, like He did for Elijah (1 Kings 17:2-6).

But if you refuse to believe God will provide for you, your
doubt will open the door for the devil to steal God's provision
from you. Then, even though God was faithful to provide for
you, you may not receive it.

If there is any lack, it is because the devil has stolen your
provision through unbelief. God's will is always for you and
your family to have more than enough.

This basic provision is not the maximum blessing you can live
in, but even if your faith is weak, this is God's guarantee for
you. If you trust God and obey Him, He will provide for you
even more abundantly.

SAY THIS: God promised to provide for me!

What Are Alms?

"Alms" are not some kind of tree, but something you should know
about -- and do.

The Greek word translated alms in the New Testament originally
meant mercy or kindness, then came to represent the kind deeds
caused by mercy and kindness. So it came to mean charitable
giving to the poor -- or giving motivated by love.

Many times this word is translated as "charitable deed."

LUKE 12:33 NKJ
33 "Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money
bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does
not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.

Jesus often spoke of giving alms. But He made it clear that our
motives are important.

MATTHEW 6:2-4 NRSV
2 "So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before
you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets,
so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they
have received their reward.
3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what
your right hand is doing,
4 so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who
sees in secret will reward you.

The Bible tells of Cornelius, "a devout man and one who feared
God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the
people, and prayed to God always" (Acts 10:2), who had an angel
deliver this message:

ACTS 10:4 NKJ
4 . . . he said to him, "Your prayers and your alms have come
up for a memorial before God.

God was impressed with this Roman soldier's giving to meet the
needs of the poor. What he did got God's attention.

Alms are not offerings to worship God, or support His
ministers. Alms are charitable deeds -- gifts to the poor and
needy. Helping people who are in trouble.

Alms are important to God. They are an act of love. We are not
made right with God by giving, or any works we do, but only
through what Jesus did for us. But as children of God we should
help care for others who God also loves.

SAY THIS: Alms are gifts of love to help people in trouble.

You Are Rich Because Of What Jesus Did

2 CORINTHIANS 8:9 NLT
9 You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though
he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his
poverty he could make you rich.

God placed the first humans, Adam and Eve, in a garden paradise
where all their needs were abundantly supplied, with never a
thought of lack.

But through disobedience to God mankind fell, and a curse came
on the earth. After man sinned then the devil had access to
people and brought in stealing, killing, and destruction.

All poverty and lack in the earth today is the result of that
curse, and the devil is behind it.

Jesus came to redeem us and set us free from this curse. It
cost Jesus His life, shedding His blood to free us.

HEBREWS 2:14b NLT
14 For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying
could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of
death.

Jesus died not only so your sins would be forgiven, but also to
free you from the the devil and the curse sin produced.

Jesus' death legally frees you from all the curse. But you have
to stand up for what belongs to you. You have to assert the
rights Jesus paid for you to enjoy.

1 JOHN 3:8b NLT
8 But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.

Prosperity was purchased for all by the sacrifice of Jesus at
Calvary. The reason we don't have it is because we either don't
know it belongs to us, or we are allowing the devil to steal it
from us.

On the cross Jesus suffered true poverty and lack. It was not
because of anything He did wrong, but for our redemption. By
His sacrifice, provision was made for our finances. On the
cross Jesus took the curses we deserved, so that we might
receive as a gift the blessings Jesus deserved.

ISAIAH 53:5 AMPLIFIED
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for
our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain]
peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes
[that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.

Jesus paid the price necessary for you to obtain peace and
well-being. The word translated as peace is "shalom." It means
well-being in every way, not just inward peace, but what can be
seen by others, and definitely includes material prosperity.

Jesus died so that you could always have enough. His death
purchased prosperity for you. Jesus died that you might have
life, and have it in all its fullness (John 10:10).

GALATIANS 4:7 NLT
7 Now you are no longer a slave but God's own child. And since
you are his child, God has made you his heir.

After you receive Jesus, you are no longer a broke beggar, but
a child of Almighty God (John 1:12).

Just like a well-loved child of a billionaire can say, "I am
rich!" even when they have no money in their pocket, you can
say the same thing and tell the truth.

Your heavenly Father is rich beyond compare, and He chose to
make you His heir, and give you everything!

When God gave us Jesus, He gave us everything because
everything belongs to Jesus (Romans 8:32, Hebrews 1:2).

You should not have to wait until you have money in your hand
to believe what God said. You can have confidence that He will
always provide for you abundantly. So you will always have a
full supply, and that is one definition of rich.

SAY THIS: Because of what Jesus did for me, I am truly rich in
every way.

Pay Your Teachers

GALATIANS 6:6-7 NLT
6 Those who are taught the word of God should help their
teachers by paying them.
7 Don't be misled. Remember that you can't ignore God and get
away with it. You will always reap what you sow!

A law of human behavior is that you will get more of what you
reward, or support. If those who teach the Bible are not
supported, less people will teach the Bible. This is not the
will of God!

If we expect to keep learning, we must support teachers.
Otherwise, without support, there will be no teachers. Then who
will be left to teach us? Basketball players? Movie stars?

1 CORINTHIANS 9:11-14 NLT
11 We have planted good spiritual seed among you. Is it too
much to ask, in return, for mere food and clothing?
12 If you support others who preach to you, shouldn't we have
an even greater right to be supported? Yet we have never used
this right. We would rather put up with anything than put an
obstacle in the way of the Good News about Christ.
13 Don't you know that those who work in the Temple get their
meals from the food brought to the Temple as offerings? And
those who serve at the altar get a share of the sacrificial
offerings.
14 In the same way, the Lord gave orders that those who preach
the Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it.

God's plan is for us to support those who teach His Word. This
will insure an ample supply of people ready to continue
teaching you, and others, the things of God. How valuable is
that to you?

(God is not pleased when we do not value His Word highly. It is
disrespectful to God, and not very smart.)

SAY THIS: I will honor God and His Word by supporting those who
preach and teach the Bible.

God's Word Is Like A Seed

LUKE 8:11 NKJ
11 "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

A seed is powerful.

As a seed begins to grow, it will push up dirt, rocks, etc.
Whatever the obstacles are, God's Word planted in your heart
will push them out of the way.

A seed begins its growth in secret (underground).

The only way to tell if a seed is growing is to dig it up, or
wait for a plant to appear. If you dig up a seed, you may kill
it.

A seed takes time to produce.

No one expects a seed to produce a harvest the same day that
seed is planted.

Sometimes the Word of God seems to spring up and bear fruit
immediately. Yet, if we knew the details, we would understand
that the fruit of the Word grew in that person's life over
time.

A seed is persistent.

A seed never gives up, but works day and night. Even when you
are sleeping, the seed you have planted is working to grow and
express itself in a fruitful harvest.

A seed is not affected by other seeds.

Whatever happens to other seeds does not make any difference to
a specific seed. Each seed sticks to its own task. One wheat
seed planted in a corn field will still produce wheat. Seed
does not become discouraged, or quit, even if other seeds die.

A seed will stop growing without nourishment.

Planting a seed is not enough to assure a harvest. Seed must be
protected and taken care of until harvest time. A seed which is
dug up, or not watered, will not produce.

More seeds planted produce a larger harvest.

2 CORINTHIANS 9:6 NKJ
6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap
sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap
bountifully.

Think on these truths about seeds. Allow the Holy Spirit to
help you apply them to the role of God's Word in your life.

SAY THIS: God's Word is the most important seed. I will
diligently plant it in my life, so God can be glorified in my
life.

Another Helper

Who among us could not use another helper?

JOHN 14:16-18 NKJ
16 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another
Helper, that He may abide with you forever,
17 "even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive,
because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him,
for He dwells with you and will be in you.
18 "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

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

JOHN 16:7 NKJ
7 "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage
that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not
come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.

JOHN 16:13 NKJ
13 "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will
guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own
authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will
tell you things to come.

ROMANS 8:26 NKJ
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do
not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit
Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot
be uttered.

SAY THIS: Thank you Lord for sending your Holy Spirit to be my
Helper.

God Can Speed Things Up

LUKE 8:11 NLT
11 "This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God's word.

MARK 4:26 NLT
26 Jesus also said, "The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who
scatters seed on the ground.

To help us understand how God's Word and His kingdom operate,
Jesus used a seed. And normally, for a seed to grow and produce
a harvest takes significant time.

However, it is also clear that God can speed up natural
processes.

Here are three examples from Scripture: Aaron's rod that grew
almonds overnight, a plant that grew overnight which shaded
Jonah, and the boat immediately reaching the shore when Jesus
got aboard.

NUMBERS 17:7-8 NKJ
7 And Moses placed the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle
of witness.
8 Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the
tabernacle of witness, and behold, the rod of Aaron, of the
house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced
blossoms and yielded ripe almonds.

The book of Jonah tells of a plant that grew large enough
overnight to be able to shade Jonah from the sun.

JONAH 4:5-11 NKJ
5 So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the
city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the
shade, till he might see what would become of the city.
6 And the LORD God prepared a plant and made it come up over
Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from
his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant.
7 But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and
it so damaged the plant that it withered.
8 And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a
vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah's head, so that
he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, "It
is better for me to die than to live."
9 Then God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry
about the plant?" And he said, "It is right for me to be angry,
even to death!"
10 But the LORD said, "You have had pity on the plant for which
you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a
night and perished in a night.
11 "And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which
are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who
cannot discern between their right hand and their left -- and
much livestock?"

One time Jesus' disciples were in the middle of the lake rowing
in a storm. As soon as Jesus entered the boat, they were
immediately at land, which was about 4 miles away (a little
over 6 kilometers).

JOHN 6:19-21 NKJ
19 So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw
Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they
were afraid.
20 But He said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."
21 Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and
immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.

God is gracious and merciful. So while understanding the seed
idea is important, it need not severely limit us when God is
involved.

For example: healing is a natural process God created so the
human body will heal. However, we can pray for God's power to
cause the process to speed up so that healing occurs faster
than normal.

SAY THIS: God can speed up His harvest of blessing in my life.

You Are Not Under The Law

ROMANS 7:4 NJB
4 In the same way you, my brothers, through the body of Christ
have become dead to the Law and so you are able to belong to
someone else, that is, to him who was raised from the dead to
make us live fruitfully for God.

You are not under the (Old Covenant) Law as a way of being
right with God.

Just as a wife whose husband has died is no longer in that
marriage after her husband dies, we are no longer in a
relationship with the Law for the purpose of being right with
God.

ROMANS 7:1-2 NLT
1 Now, dear brothers and sisters -- you who are familiar with
the law -- don't you know that the law applies only while a
person is living?
2 For example, when a woman marries, the law binds her to her
husband as long as he is alive. But if he dies, the laws of
marriage no longer apply to her.

The Law is still good. For example, it is still wrong to steal
and murder. And it is still right to worship God. But we no
longer do those things in order to be right with God. Instead
we do them BECAUSE we are already right with God by being
joined with Jesus Christ.

Now it is His life in us that causes us to live right. We do
not live right in order to get God's approval. Instead we were
given God's love and acceptance as a gift (Ephesians 2:8-9,
Romans 5:17). Because of our union with Christ Jesus, we can
manifest God's will naturally from our new heart (Romans 5:5).
We have new life in us -- His life -- which causes us to act
differently.

GALATIANS 5:18 GWN
18 If your spiritual nature is your guide, you are not subject
to Moses' laws.

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."

ROMANS 6:14-15 NLT
14 Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under
the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the
freedom of God's grace.
15 Well then, since God's grace has set us free from the law,
does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not!

COLOSSIANS 3:3 NLT
3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with
Christ in God.

GALATIANS 2:19-20 GWN
19 When I tried to obey the law's standards, those laws killed
me. As a result, I live in a relationship with God. I have been
crucified with Christ.
20 I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now
live I live by believing in God's Son, who loved me and took
the punishment for my sins.

SAY THIS: I died with Christ, so I am free from the demands of
keeping the Law in order to be in good standing with God.

God Owns The Earth

1 CORINTHIANS 10:26 NKJ
26 for "the earth is the LORD's, and all its fullness."

God owns the earth and all its fullness because He created it.
And nothing that has happened since has changed who owns the
earth.

PSALM 115:16 NKJ
16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD'S; But the earth
He has given to the children of men.

This one verse taken alone could cause someone to think God had
given ownership of the earth to mankind. This is not so, as you
will see from the verses below. So it must mean that the Lord
has given us the use of the earth -- not the title deed of
ownership.

Some think the earth belongs to the devil because some
translations of 2 Corinthians 4:4 refer to him as the "god of
this world." But the word translated "world" in this verse does
not mean earth, but a time period.

2 CORINTHIANS 4:4 NKJ
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.

Some think the temptations of Christ in Matthew 4 prove the
devil has a legal right here on earth.

MATTHEW 4:8-9 NKJ
8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain,
and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
9 And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You
will fall down and worship me."

For this to be a real temptation, the devil had to be able to
give what he offered Jesus. But here again the word translated
"world" does not mean earth. It means the world system, or the
governments of mankind who were alienated from God. That just
means mankind has yielded to the devil, but it gives no proof
that he had ownership or control of the earth.

The devil has no legal authority to control the earth. He only
operates here by deception and by influencing people (who do
have a right to use the earth) to do wrong.

God still owns the earth!

LEVITICUS 25:23 NKJ
23 'The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is
Mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with Me.

JOB 41:11 NKJ
11 Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him? Everything under
heaven is Mine.

PSALM 50:10,12 NKJ
10 For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a
thousand hills.
12 "If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is
Mine, and all its fullness.

HAGGAI 2:8 NKJ
8 'The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,' says the LORD of
hosts.

PSALM 24:1 NKJ
1 The earth is the LORD's, and all its fullness, The world and
those who dwell therein.

SAY THIS: My Father God owns the entire earth and all the
wealth it contains.

The Purpose Of Life

God created mankind primarily because He desired to have a
family. In order to truly fellowship with God, man had to have
freedom of choice. Unfortunately, man used his freedom to rebel
against God and fell from fellowship with God.

When man fell he came under the dominion of the devil, because
he followed the devil's suggestion to disobey God. With this
came spiritual death and a new nature which was selfish. Man
became self-centered -- actually worshiping himself by making
every decision based on what was best for him. The result of
this selfishness is evident all around us: horrible misery and
suffering.

God is just and obeys His own laws. Justice requires that
rebellion be punished. To be just, yet allow mankind to come
back into fellowship with Him, God Himself came to earth as the
man Jesus Christ. He suffered a horrible death as the
substitute for all mankind, taking the punishment we deserved
for our sins. Because of what Jesus did, God could justly
forgive all sin, and open a way for all people to come back
into fellowship with God.

Jesus Christ Himself is the only way to God. Only by receiving
Jesus can we enjoy the benefits of His sacrifice, which sets us
free from sin and its judgment.

Our life on earth now is testing and preparation for eternity,
to determine our place in God's family. This is not determined
by human beauty or achievement, but by our willingness to
submit to the lordship of Jesus Christ. When we submit to
Jesus, He begins changing us into what He wants us to be.

When you come to Jesus, He changes you inwardly. As you
continue following Jesus and obeying His Word, your inward
change will continue manifesting outwardly, causing people and
circumstances around you to change also. God will continue
working in and through you until you become like Jesus Christ
in your thoughts and actions, as well as your nature.

SAY THIS: Thank you Lord for your great plan!

Gift Or Purchase?

There are four possible ways to obtain something you do not
have.

1. Steal it.
2. Create it.
3. Purchase it.
4. Receive it as a gift.

As you know, stealing is not a legitimate way, and we have not
yet learned how to create something from nothing. So that
leaves us with paying for something or receiving it as a gift.

If you pay any amount, or trade anything in exchange for what
you are receiving, then it is a purchase. For something to be a
gift, you cannot pay anything to get it.

If someone said "I will give you my new car for only one
dollar" they would be wrong. Paying only one dollar for a new
car would be a great bargain, but it would not be a gift, but a
purchase.

We need to understand this clearly. When the Bible says God has
given us a gift, we need not -- in fact, we cannot -- pay for
it in any way.

Trying to pay for a gift is a refusal to receive it as a gift.

EPHESIANS 2:8 NLT
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't
take credit for this; it is a gift from God.

Salvation is a gift! (Salvation means more than going to Heaven
when we die, but includes deliverance and safety from all that
would harm us.)

Your salvation is a completely free gift! Jesus paid the full
price, so you don't have to pay anything for it! And you CANNOT
earn it by anything you do.

The New Testament tells us that right standing with God is a
gift (Romans 5:17, Romans 3:21-24). We receive this wonderful
gift when we receive Jesus.

JOHN 1:17 ESV
17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came
through Jesus Christ.

Too many have not yet understood that the New Covenant is based
on an entirely new approach. The Old Covenant (the law of
Moses) required people to perform to gain God's help and favor.
It was based on our human performance. But the New Covenant is
based on the performance of Jesus Christ, and our faith in Him.

If we have to be "good enough" for God's blessing, then we are
trying to pay for a gift. But it is impossible to pay for a
gift! When we start paying for a gift we turn it into a
purchase. And God does not have anything for sale! God will not
allow anything so precious as His love to be bought by our good
performance.

GALATIANS 5:4 NLT
4 For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by
keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have
fallen away from God's grace.

When we try to pay for God's gift, we "fall from grace." That
means we are trying an inferior approach that will not work. It
means we are still trying to earn God's love and acceptance
instead of receiving it as His gift to us.

SAY THIS: There is no possible way I can ever purchase, pay
for, or achieve good standing with God. It is a gift I must
accept by receiving Jesus Christ.

I Am Wrong

"What are you wrong about, preacher?"

I don't know. If I knew I would change.

"Then how do you know you're wrong?"

Unless I'm perfect and know everything -- I must be wrong about
some things. I just don't know what.

"But I thought preachers knew everything."

Some of them may think they do. But even the Apostle Paul, who
wrote most of the New Testament, said he only knew in part.

1 CORINTHIANS 13:12 NIV
12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we
shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know
fully, even as I am fully known.

There are two ways to face life: thinking you know everything
and are doing everything right, or realizing you are not yet
perfect. The first way is pride, the second is humility.

If you think you know everything, you cut yourself off from
learning. If you think everything you do is right, you almost
eliminate any chance of improvement.

Do you really desire to never know more than you do now? Would
it please you to never make any progress from where you are
now?

Then, to protect you from the enemy of pride, start each day
saying, "I am wrong. Lord, show me where to change."

Pride stunts your growth as a person. Pride retards progress.
Pride robs you — and can kill. Pride causes strife and destroys
relationships. Pride isolates. Pride closes doors of
opportunity.

Humility is the only antidote for pride and all its horrible
consequences.

The first step to wholeness is to realize you have a problem.

SAY THIS: I am wrong. Lord, please correct me.

The Bible Gives You Instructions For Victory

JOSHUA 1:8 NLT
8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it
day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in
it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.

God has the answer for every problem. God's Word is God's
wisdom (Luke 11:49).

The Bible is God's message, given to you from His heart of
love, so you can know the truth, and have a sure foundation on
which to base your life.

The Bible was not given to put you down, but to raise you up.
Not to put you in bondage, but to make you free! (John 8:31-32)

God's Word gives you dependable truth you can use to form your
beliefs, so that your beliefs will line up with the reality of
how God's creation works. God alone knows all truth, and in the
Bible He shared what you need to know to live a blessed life.

Follow God's instructions and things will go well with you. The
answer for success in life is to do what the Bible says to do,
because it is truth.

SAY THIS: The Bible is my instruction book for victory.

Why I Speak In Tongues

1 CORINTHIANS 14:18 NIV
18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.

Speaking in tongues is speaking in a language you have never
learned. It is a supernatural act possible only by the help of
the indwelling Holy Spirit.

MARK 16:17 NKJ
17 "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name
they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;

It is estimated that today over 500 million Christians, in
every country on earth, do speak in tongues. It started on the
day of Pentecost, as recorded in Acts 2:4.

ACTS 2:4 NKJ
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to
speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Every believer can speak in tongues, if they desire. It is a
free gift available to all believers.

1 CORINTHIANS 14:5 NKJ
5 I wish you all spoke with tongues . . . .

I think this doctrine has been so controversial because the
devil is against it, knowing how helpful it is to believers.

I have no desire to argue with anyone. I do desire to see
everyone enjoy all the benefits God has freely provided for us.

I speak in tongues because:

* It allows me to communicate with God better. There are things
my mind just cannot put into words which I can express through
the spirit by praying in tongues.

1 CORINTHIANS 14:2 NKJ
2 For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to
God . . . .

* It builds me up spiritually and refreshes me.

1 CORINTHIANS 14:4 NKJ
4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself . . . .

There are other benefits. I hope you are enjoying them, too.

SAY THIS: Thank you Lord that I can speak in tongues.