Friday, October 31, 2014

You Reap What You Sow

GALATIANS 6:7 NKJ
7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man
sows, that he will also reap.

The Bible says it, so you can count on it.

EPHESIANS 6:8 NKJ
8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the
same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.

LUKE 6:38 NKJ
38 "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed
down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your
bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be
measured back to you."

The world has a saying for this, "Whatever goes around, comes
around."

If you are unkind, you can expect unkindness to come toward
you.

If you are merciful, you can expect others to be merciful to
you.

If you are generous, others will be generous with you.

You cannot expect to plant carrot seeds and harvest tomatoes.
It does not work in the physical realm, neither does it
work in the spiritual realm. You will reap what you plant, and
only what you plant.

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.

PROVERBS 11:24-25 NKJ
24 There is one who scatters, yet increases more; And there is
one who withholds more than is right, But it leads to poverty.
25 The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will
also be watered himself.

Whatever you need, or whatever you desire in your life -- give
that to someone else.

If you desire friendship, be friendly to others. If you desire
forgiveness, forgive others. If you desire to be loved, show
love to others. If you desire money, give some money away.

MATTHEW 7:12 NKJ
12 "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to
them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

SAY THIS: I will reap what I sow.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

God Raises The Dead

ACTS 26:8 NKJ
8 "Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises
the dead?

Note the present tense of this verse. It does not say God
previously raised the dead or God will only raise the dead in
the future.

Our God is "I AM" -- not "I WAS" or "I WILL BE" (Exodus 3:14).
In other words, God is always the same and He can raise anyone
from the dead at any time without breaking a sweat.

JOHN 5:21 NKJ
21 "For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them,
even so the Son gives life to whom He will.

Elijah (1 Kings 17:20-22) and Elisha (2 Kings 4:32-35) both saw
the dead raised.

Even after his death, touching the bones of Elisha caused a
dead man to come back to life (2 Kings 13:21). This caused the
word of Elijah to be fulfilled that Elisha would have a double
anointing, enabling him to do twice as many miracles as Elijah.

HEBREWS 11:35 NKJ
35 Women received their dead raised to life again. And others
were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might
obtain a better resurrection.

Included in the faith "hall of fame" in Hebrews 11 are women
who received their dead raised to life again. So it was a
choice made by these women to press in and receive something
extraordinary from God.

Surely this includes the women mentioned in the above accounts
with Elijah and Elisha. But there could have been others!

Not only did Jesus raise someone from death three times during
His earthly ministry (Luke 7:14, Luke 8:54, John 11:41-44), but
in John 14:12 Jesus said those who believe on Him would also do
the works that He did.

We assume that raising the dead is not in exactly the same
category as healing the sick, for Scripture mentions only three
people Jesus raised from death, while multitudes were healed by
Him. Notice also that most of the people raised from death in
Scripture were young.

During His earthly ministry Jesus also commanded His disciples
to raise the dead as part of their ministry.

MATTHEW 10:8 NKJ
8 "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out
demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

Then in Matthew 28:18-20 (what we call the Great Commission),
Jesus told His disciples to teach others to do everything He
had commanded them -- even to the end of the age. So our
calling today is to do exactly what Jesus commanded His first
disciples to do.

MATTHEW 28:18-20 NKJ
18 Then Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority
has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit,
20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded
you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
Amen.

After the resurrection of Jesus we find both Peter (Acts 9:40)
and Paul (Acts 20:10) raising someone from death.

So eight individual people are mentioned in the Bible who were
raised from the dead. This does not count Jesus or the "many"
mentioned in Matthew 27:52-53 who were raised after His death.

Abraham, whose faith we are to imitate (Romans 4:12,16),
believed God would raise his son Isaac from death (Hebrews
11:19).

In our day, as people have begun to literally believe what the
Bible says, there are numerous testimonies from around the
world of people being raised from death.

Certainly, not everyone will be raised from death during this
present age. Jesus did not raise every dead person to life
during His earthly ministry and we are not supposed to raise
everyone either. But why should we think it is a thing
impossible for God to do?

Death is an enemy (1 Corinthians 15:26), and at the Name of
Jesus every knee must bow (Philippians 2:9-10). As believers we
have been commissioned to use the authority of Jesus' Name.

So, if you believe the Lord is directing you, use the authority
of Jesus' Name to speak life to a dead body. If they don't come
back, rejoice that they are in a better place, but at least you
acted in faith -- which pleases God.

SAY THIS: I am a believer! I believe God can, and does, raise
the dead. He is the Great I AM!

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

What Is The Devil's Authority?

The devil obviously had access to Adam and Eve in the garden of
Eden. Scripture does not tell us why God allowed this. One
theory that makes sense involves mankind being allowed to judge
the devil, possibly after the devil complained that God was not
just or fair in condemning him. First Corinthians 6:3 does say
that Christians will judge angels — and the devil is a fallen
angel. If this theory is correct, God would have to allow the
devil access to influence mankind, or be seen as unfair by all.

The devil gained a certain amount of control over mankind by
Adam's disobedience, which plunged Adam and all his descendants
into spiritual death.

At the time of the temptation of Christ, recorded in Luke 4,
the devil obviously had a great amount of authority in the
world system.

LUKE 4:4-7 NKJ
4 But Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written, 'Man shall
not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.' "
5 Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him
all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6 And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give
You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I
give it to whomever I wish.
7 "Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be
Yours."

Through His death and resurrection, Jesus defeated the devil
and stripped him of his authority (Colossians 2:15, Hebrews
2:14-15).

Because Jesus announced that He had all authority after His
resurrection (Matthew 28:18), the devil evidently retained no
authority.

However, in the Epistles, the devil is still called the god of
this world, or age (2 Corinthians 4:4). This does not mean that
the devil is the god of the earth, but of the ungodly world
system. He has this control through the yielding of ungodly
people to speak his words and do his deeds.

The devil gains a measure of authority through any human being
who will yield to his ideas and speak them, or act on them.
Even Christians can, like Peter in Matthew 16:23, fall into
this trap.

A perverted use of this authority is exercised when people
"curse" or "damn" things or people. We should use our authority
to bless — not curse.

All authority the devil may be using now is illegitimate. Only
through deception and ignorance is he able to carry out his
evil plans in the earth.

If the Church of Jesus Christ fails to exercise its God-given
authority against the devil, he will operate virtually
unhindered. This is because unsaved people are already under
his dominion, and find it hard to resist him (John 8:44, 1 John
5:19).

As members of the body of Christ, we have been delegated the
use of His authority on earth to see that God's will is carried
out (Matthew 16:19, Luke 10:19, Philippians 2:10). We must
exercise that authority.

SAY THIS: My Lord Jesus defeated the devil, stripped him of his
authority, and gave authority to me over all the power of the
enemy as a member of the Body of Christ on earth.

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

What Is Bible Hope?

ROMANS 8:24 NASB
24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not
hope; for why does one also hope for what he sees?

When the word "hope" was used in the New Testament, it meant
something different than the word "hope" as we use it today.
Today when we use the word "hope" we usually mean something
which is only a desire or a wish -- not something we are
actually expecting.

Most Bible teaching on faith and hope uses this modern meaning
of hope, instead of the Bible meaning. And that has made it
difficult for us to understand the Bible teaching on hope and
faith.

In the New Testament the word hope means "a positive
expectation." It is a positive image of what we actually expect
in the future. Hope always deals with the future, never the
past.

Because what we hope for is always in the future, that means it
cannot be seen yet. Remember, Romans 8:24 says, "hope that is
seen is not hope."

The only way humans can "see" anything that has not yet
happened is by using our imagination. So there is no
possibility of Bible hope without involving our imagination. To
hope, we must use our imagination.

Fear is actually the opposite of Bible hope. Bible hope is a
positive expectation based on and supported by a belief in
God's Word. Fear is a negative expectation based on and
supported by a belief in something bad. Both involve the
imagination, the seeing part of our thinking, the ability to
visualize something before it happens.

Faith in God produces Bible hope – expecting good to happen.
Faith in bad things produces fear – expecting bad to happen.
Faith is the support, the foundation, the underlying thing
under both hope and fear.

You cannot have hope (which is a positive vision of what you
expect) without faith (which is a choice to believe) in
something. You cannot have fear (which is a negative vision of
what you expect) without faith (which is a choice to believe)
in something bad.

Our beliefs are the foundation, the solid footing which support
our hopes or fears, and enable them to exist. So when your
beliefs change, your hopes and fears will also change.

All your beliefs are a choice you made at some point in time,
allowing them to become part of your belief system, which
provides the basis for your hopes or your fears.

Many think Bible faith is an attitude, outlook, or state. But
those describe Bible hope. Faith is primarily a decision, based
on evidence we judge worthy of being acted upon.

A literal meaning of Hebrews 11:1 is "Faith (in God) is the
support for our hoping, a refutation of things, not coming from
the senses." (Hebrews 11:1 does not give a definition of faith,
although it seems like it in our English translations. It
simply tells us something faith does, which is to give support
for our positive expectation of the future.)

So our faith in God undergirds our hope. The foundation upon
which our hope rests is faith in God. We expect (and imagine,
of necessity) good things to happen because of our faith in
God.

SAY THIS: Bible hope is a positive expectation based on a
decision to accept God's Word as truth.

Monday, October 27, 2014

Be A Giver

God is a giver and desires His children to be givers. Giving is
the opposite of selfishness. Giving is love in action. And God
blesses those who give.

LUKE 6:38 NIV
38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed
down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into
your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to
you."

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.

MATTHEW 10:42 NIV
42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these
little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he
will certainly not lose his reward."

2 CORINTHIANS 9:6-8 NIV
6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap
sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap
generously.
7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to
give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a
cheerful giver.
8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in
all things at all times, having all that you need, you will
abound in every good work.

HEBREWS 6:10 NIV
10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love
you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue
to help them.

LUKE 12:33 NIV
33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses
for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven
that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no
moth destroys.

ACTS 20:35 NIV
35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard
work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord
Jesus himself said: `It is more blessed to give than to
receive.'"

God designed His system with incentives to encourage people to
give. He has promised to bless those who give, both now and in
the age to come.

SAY THIS: I will be a giver, like my Father in Heaven.

Sunday, October 26, 2014

How To Minister Healing

Every believer in Jesus has authority to cast out devils and
heal the sick.

MARK 16:17-18 NLT
17 These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe:
They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in
new languages.
18 They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they
drink anything poisonous, it won't hurt them. They will be able
to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed."

Never try to prove you can handle snakes or drink poison
without harm. The context of this Scripture is about believers
going into all the world to proclaim the Good News of Jesus. As
we do that, God's promise is that nothing can stop us, not
demons, dangerous animals, or dangerous food and water. Paul
shaking off the deadly snake without harm in Acts 28:3-6 is an
example of applying this passage correctly. Then verse 8 is an
example of a believer laying hands on a sick person and healing
them.

JOHN 14:12 NLT
12 "I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the
same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am
going to be with the Father.

Jesus said those who believe in Him would do the same things He
did. That includes healing the sick.

You could argue with this. But is it really wise to argue with
God? Instead of arguing, we should be asking for more insight
and understanding so we can grow up and do what Jesus said we
would do.

ACTS 10:38 NLT
38 And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the
Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good
and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was
with him.

God is now with you! Around you are many people being oppressed
by the devil. Your job is to set them free!

You will do it in Jesus' Name, which means representing Him. It
is not something difficult, but simple to do.

Speak directly to the demon or sickness and command it to
leave. Then speak directly to the body or body parts and
command them to be healed. If possible, touch the person with
your hands.

For example, take someone by the hands, then boldly say,
"Disease and everything afflicting this person, I command you
to leave now, in Jesus' Name! Body, receive the healing power
of God and be healed now!" Then tell them, "You are free
because Jesus Christ has brought healing to you. Give all
praise to Him. Expect a full recovery." Then tell them to do
something they could not do before, like get up and walk.

Often you will see instant change, but sometimes healing is a
process over a short period of time. Either way, because of the
authority of Jesus Christ which you exercised, the demons and
sickness have no choice but to leave.

SAY THIS: I can, and will, do what Jesus said I can do.

Saturday, October 25, 2014

Cursed By Blessings?

PROVERBS 10:22 KJV
22 The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no
sorrow with it.

What we might consider "blessings" don't always help people.
Sometimes they hurt.

We don't always know what is best for us. Often, what we think
we want turns out to be a big mistake.

Consider the case of two girls: one extremely beautiful -- the
other quite plain looking. Because of her natural beauty, the
one becomes totally self-absorbed. Thinking herself superior,
she grows haughty and proud, and, although rich and famous, has
no true friends.

She selfishly only seeks her own welfare and gives no thought
to other's desires or happiness.

As she grows older and less attractive, she cannot live with
not being the center of attention. Lonely and depressed, she
finally takes her life.

The other girl, not being endowed with any great natural
beauty, is not tempted to be proud and haughty. She is forced
to develop in other ways.

She, being humble, is willing and ready to help others and
gains many friends. Because she could not rely on her natural
abilities in life, she was forced to turn to God and seek His
help. With God's life and love manifesting through her, she was
able to marry a godly man, and they raised a fine family
together and enjoyed a long and happy life.

Which girl was really blessed?

Just remember: what you think you want is not always what you
would really want. Be thankful for what you have and who you
are.

SAY THIS: Thank you Lord for my life.

Friday, October 24, 2014

Job's Blessings

JOB 42:12-17 NIV
12 The LORD blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the
first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a
thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys.
13 And he also had seven sons and three daughters.
14 The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and
the third Keren-Happuch.
15 Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful
as Job's daughters, and their father granted them an
inheritance along with their brothers.
16 After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his
children and their children to the fourth generation.
17 And so he died, old and full of years.

Many people talk about Job's trials, but few tell the end of
his story.

This is the same view many have of their own life. They are
looking only at their present circumstances, and not looking
forward to what the Lord has planned for their future.

JAMES 5:11 NIV
11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered.
You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the
Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and
mercy.

The devil tried to steal Job's faith and destroy him (Job 2:7).
But God protected Job and brought about blessing in his life.

After the devil's attack, Job not only regained all he
previously lost, but gained twice as much as before.

Because of God's blessing, Job lived a long and healthy life
with great wealth.

Job had the most beautiful daughters in the land, and you can't
have beautiful daughters without a beautiful wife.

Job also had the privilege of knowing God better than He did
before.

This is what the Lord has in mind for you, too. Blessings! It
is not God's plan for you to remain oppressed in any situation
of pain or lack.

Never forget that God is working, and things will change. Keep
your focus on God! Trust in Him! Rejoice in hope, expecting a
better future.

HEBREWS 6:12 NIV
12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who
through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

We have to continue in faith. We can't be moved by the present
(temporary) circumstances, no matter how difficult they may
seem.

SAY THIS: Job was greatly blessed of God. That's God's plan for
me, too!

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Meeting Together

HEBREWS 10:25 KJV
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the
manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the
more, as ye see the day approaching.

While the Bible does warn us, in the above verse, not to
forsake meeting together with other believers, it never tells
us how often we should meet. Neither does it say when or where
we should meet.

When we meet together, God did not intend for it to be just a
ritual, but something beneficial.

It should be a time of fellowship, learning, sharing, giving,
receiving, and spiritual encouragement. A time to build one
another up by what the other members of the body supply.

1 CORINTHIANS 14:26 KJV
26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one
of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a
revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto
edifying.

Although nothing is more important than receiving teaching to
help us understand and act on God's Word, that should not be
the only reason we meet together.

When the Bible was written, the only way to hear anointed
teaching of the Word was to physically gather together when a
Bible teacher was present. But today we are not limited to a
time or place, because of recorded media.

The reason for meeting together as believers is more than just
to listen to someone else "preach" to you. You need to become
involved.

A true "church meeting" does not require a large number of
people. In fact, a smaller group is often best, as it is easier
to share what you have and offer spiritual encouragement to
others, as well as receive it yourself.

MATTHEW 18:20 KJV
20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them.

Even two believers discussing the Word during their lunch break
is a valid expression of a "church meeting" according to this
verse. Jesus promised us, as individual believers, He would
never leave us. So, clearly this verse must mean Jesus
expresses Himself in a special way, as members of His body meet
together in His Name.

The New Testament refers often to believers meeting in their
homes. There is no reason believers cannot meet anywhere: on a
commute to work, at a restaurant, at an office, or even in a
church building. The Bible sets no limitations.

Of course it is absolutely vital to regularly feed on teaching
from God's Word to stay built up spiritually. But today, that
can be accomplished anywhere and anytime.

But too many believers stop with only being fed the Word. They
never share and interact with others. So they don't grow and
develop as they should. You always learn better and receive
more when you share what you have already received.

No one knows everything. But we all have something to
contribute. You don't have to be a super-saint to be involved
with others. You can meet with another believer (or maybe a few
others): a friend, neighbor, or family member. Just discuss the
Word. Ask a question if you have one. Share an insight if you
have one. Maybe pray for one another. Things like this are the
reason to not forsake meeting together.

If your church-going is just a ritual, and all you get out of
it is no more than what you could get at home, then changes
need to be made. But please, do not fall into the trap of
criticizing others for what they do, or do not do.

SAY THIS: I will continue to meet with other believers.

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Jesus Is The Good Shepherd

JOHN 10:11-13 NKJ
11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life
for the sheep.
12 "But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does
not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep
and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.
13 "The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not
care about the sheep.

Jesus is no hireling who might desert His sheep. If you belong
to Jesus, you need never fear being without help and provision.

Jesus promised He will NEVER leave us or forsake us (Hebrews
13:5). No matter what we face in this life (or afterward),
Jesus will be there with us to help us.

How can we judge whether a shepherd is good, or not?

We can only evaluate how good a shepherd is by the condition of
his flock. If the flock is not in top shape, or they lack
anything, it is evident the shepherd is not doing a good job.

Jesus is not just "a good shepherd." He is "THE" good shepherd.
He is the very definition of what a good shepherd is. No one is
better!

You may look around, even at your own life, and think that many
of Jesus' sheep are in bad shape.

Yet we must understand that if we run away from Jesus and
refuse to allow Him to shepherd us, it is not His fault if we
are in bad shape.

When we run off and do our own thing, we should not blame Jesus
if the outcome is not good.

If we do ever find ourselves in poor shape, we should question
whether we are really allowing Jesus to be our Shepherd, or
whether we have ignored Jesus and chose to go our own way.

So any time we find ourselves facing any trouble or need, our
first reaction should be to run to our Shepherd. He is always
ready, willing, and able to help us -- even to the point of
giving up His life for our benefit! That is how good and
dedicated our wonderful Shepherd is!

SAY THIS: I am privileged to have the best shepherd in the
universe taking care of me: my Lord Jesus Christ!

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Jesus Took A Nap

LUKE 8:23 NLT
23 On the way across, Jesus lay down for a nap, and while he
was sleeping the wind began to rise. A fierce storm developed
that threatened to swamp them, and they were in real danger.

So many people are driven -- feeling and acting like the
responsibility for running the whole world is on their
shoulders.

But Jesus was able to relax. Arguably, He had an important job
to do. Yet He had balance in His life. He knew when it was time
to take a nap.

Jesus also spent whole nights in prayer. So, His example does
not encourage laziness or apathy. Just balance -- and trust in
God, instead of worry.

Some may think it would be a sin to "take a nap" because we
should always be working. But Jesus never sinned, and we may
safely follow His example, and keep our lives in balance.

SAY THIS: I will relax and trust God.

Monday, October 20, 2014

God's Way Is Best

PSALM 18:30 NKJ
30 As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is
proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

Life's biggest temptation may be to doubt God. But God's way is
perfect.

DEUTERONOMY 32:4 NKJ
4 He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are
justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and
upright is He.

God simply knows more than we do. Just because something seems
to us like it would be good, does not guarantee we are right.

God has much more experience than we do. We need to trust in
His love, heed His warnings, and follow His instruction given
to us in the Bible -- not just to please Him, but for our own
happiness as well.

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;

Because of the curse resulting from mankind's rebellion against
God, death in all its forms operates on earth. But we can
escape that curse by choosing God's way, which is a way of
blessing and fullness of life.

God's way is exactly what you would choose if you knew as much
as God knows. If you had all the information available to you
that God does, you would make the same choices.

God operates out of love for us, never out of selfish motives.

God's instructions are not to deprive us, but to protect us and
bless us. God knows and understands how things work, and He
wants to share the truth with us -- for our good.

SAY THIS: I trust my Heavenly Father and know His way is always
best for me.

Sunday, October 19, 2014

3 Keys To A Happy Marriage

(Or, any relationship.)

JOHN 13:17 KJV
17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

1. Be thankful.

It all starts with attitude. If you don't stay on the positive
side, failure is inevitable. You cannot have a happy marriage
without happy people. Have you noticed that unthankful people
are never happy?

2. Express your appreciation.

Let your spouse know by word and deed that you appreciate them.
Be specific and lavish in your praise and thanks. Nothing
encourages people like encouragement.

People love people who love them. If you want your spouse to
love you, the best thing you can do is love them, and let them
know it.

3. Aim to please.

If you make them happy, you will be happy. True happiness is
never found in trying to please ourselves. Fulfillment comes
from accomplishment, and the greatest accomplishment is helping
someone else in their life.

SAY THIS: With God's help, I will have a happy marriage.

Saturday, October 18, 2014

God Enjoys Happy Children

1 CHRONICLES 16:31 NET
31 Let the heavens rejoice, and the earth be happy! Let the
nations say, 'The LORD reigns!'

There is plenty to be unhappy about on earth. But we can always
be happy about the Lord and what He has done for us. We don't
have to continually focus on the bad things happening around
us.

When we rejoice in the Lord it makes us feel better, and the
Lord enjoys it, also.

ZEPHANIAH 3:17 NLT
17 For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty
savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his
love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you
with joyful songs."

God rejoices over you! He loves you more than you realize!

God created you to live with positive emotions. He is happy and
He wants you to be happy, too.

DEUTERONOMY 12:7 NLT
7 There you and your families will feast in the presence of the
LORD your God, and you will rejoice in all you have
accomplished because the LORD your God has blessed you.

Under the Old Covenant God set aside times each year for His
people to gather and rejoice in His goodness. We should learn
from this that it is good to celebrate God's goodness.

ISAIAH 65:18 NLT
18 Be glad; rejoice forever in my creation! And look! I will
create Jerusalem as a place of happiness. Her people will be a
source of joy.

God's creation should cause us to delight in our wonderful
Father God and His amazing ability, creativity, and love.

The Lord enjoys seeing His children grow up to become like Him.
God likes us to be joyful and happy -- just like He is. It is a
choice we can make!

JOEL 2:21 NLT
21 Don't be afraid, my people. Be glad now and rejoice, for the
LORD has done great things.

Life is not always easy and perfect. The natural flow on earth
is not happiness. But by faith we can look past our temporary
circumstances to our eternal God. We can choose to rejoice and
be happy regardless of our circumstances. This is part of God's
instruction that will enable us to walk in victory and
overcome.

PHILIPPIANS 4:4 NLT
4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again -- rejoice!

SAY THIS: I am one of God's happy children.

Friday, October 17, 2014

Jesus Rose From Death

MATTHEW 28:5-6 NKJ
5 But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be
afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.
6 "He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the
place where the Lord lay.

Jesus Christ's resurrection is either the supreme fact in
history or a gigantic hoax. If Christ's resurrection is true --
we ignore its implications at our own peril. If not, then
Christianity is the biggest fraud in the history of the world.

Christ's resurrection forces the question of Christianity's
validity from being merely a philosophical issue to being a
historical one.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a fact verifiable from
history. No one can challenge Christ's resurrection -- if they
take an honest look at the evidence.

Only those who never study the evidence -- or who refuse to
listen to its testimony -- could deny the resurrection of Jesus
Christ.

Many learned men have tried to disprove Christ's resurrection --
only to become believers instead!

Some people refuse to examine the evidence, because they do not
want to believe in Jesus Christ and submit to Him as Lord.

The facts remain. Confucius' tomb, Buddha's tomb, Mohammed's
tomb, and Lenin's tomb are all occupied.

But Jesus Christ's tomb is EMPTY!

REVELATION 1:18 NKJ
18 "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive
forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death."

SAY THIS: I believe that Jesus Christ rose from death.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

A Relationship With God

HOSEA 2:19-20 NLT
19 I will make you my wife forever, showing you righteousness
and justice, unfailing love and compassion.
20 I will be faithful to you and make you mine, and you will
finally know me as the LORD.

Sometimes God illustrates His relationship with His people by
using the human relationship of marriage, the most intimate
relationship between human adults.

By using this illustration the Lord is trying to help us
understand His feelings: His deep love toward His people, and
the pain caused by their unfaithfulness and lack of love for
Him.

EPHESIANS 5:31-32 NLT
31 As the Scriptures say, "A man leaves his father and mother
and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one."
32 This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the
way Christ and the church are one.

Whenever I have been tempted to complain about how my wife was
treating me, the Lord has gently shown me how I was also
treating Him in the same way. For example, if I thought she was
not giving me enough attention, I realized I had been treating
the Lord the same way. (I have a wonderful wife, but our
relationship has had to grow just like every relationship.)

What a way the Lord has of illustrating things and teaching us!

God has feelings, just like you do. God is a Person. He does
not enjoy being ignored, neglected, or disrespected any more
than you do. Fortunately for us, God is not controlled by His
feelings, but always acts in line with His Word!

God's plan is not to force us to do His will. His objective is
for us to freely desire to do His will. God gets no pleasure
from forcing us to love Him or do His will.

God already made the first move and now waits for us to
reciprocate. He loved us first and demonstrated it at Calvary.

Of course the devil, the father of lies, tries his best to
deceive us into thinking God doesn't care and doesn't deserve
our love. What a lie!

SAY THIS: God desires a close relationship with me, so I will
not disappoint Him.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Offering Time

2 CORINTHIANS 9:7 NIV
7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to
give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a
cheerful giver.

Most people regard offering time as a necessary evil, at best.

As usual, our ideas are much different than what the Word of
God teaches.

God does not encourage giving just to meet the needs of His
work on earth. No, God does it for our good, so that we can be
blessed. (Also, to combat selfishness.)

Every offering time is an opportunity for us to worship God and
express our love to Him in a tangible way. But God, being so
good, has designed it so that when we do give to Him it also
functions like planting a seed, which will produce a harvest
of blessing in our life.

God designed His creation to work in such a way that money and
blessing will come back to us in even greater measure than we
give out.

2 CORINTHIANS 9:6,8 NIV
6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap
sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap
generously.
8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in
all things at all times, having all that you need, you will
abound in every good work.

One way the devil tries to suppress the spread of the Gospel is
by making people believe that messages like this are just to
get money, as if preachers dreamed up the Bible for their own
benefit. No, God planned all this, and He is smart enough to
know that without adequate funding, those whom He has called to
teach and equip His people will be held back, unable to be as
effective as they should be.

When we give to those proclaiming the Word of God on earth, God
considers it giving to Him, and a seed sown.

A farmer does not hate planting his crops. Farmers don't whine
about having to put their seed in the ground. No, they look
forward with joy to the time of harvest they know is coming,
because they understand how seeds work.

If we believe God's Word, then we know our giving works exactly
as the seed the farmer plants in the ground.

You don't have to believe this (or anything God teaches us in
His Word). But surely you can understand that refusing to
believe God's Word is NOT a way to please Him.

SAY THIS: I will plant my financial seeds with joy and
thanksgiving, as I worship God with my money.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Recognize Your Enemy

1 PETER 5:8-9a NLT
8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He
prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to
devour.
9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith.

The devil is your enemy. His forces are the ones causing you
trouble. (And their main target is your faith.)

God is not your enemy! God is for you. He is on your side.

People are not your enemies. They sometimes act like enemies --
but they are not. They are only relatives in darkness who are
believing lies and being influenced by the devil.

EPHESIANS 6:11-12 NLT
11 Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand
firm against all strategies of the devil.
12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but
against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world,
against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil
spirits in the heavenly places.

Although Jesus completely defeated the devil and gave us
authority over him, the devil is still free to tell his lies
and try to deceive people.

The devil is a liar and a deceiver (John 8:44, 2 Corinthians
11:14, Revelation 12:9). He robs people by getting them to
believe lies. He attacks with thoughts of doubt and fear. We
must resist those thoughts and refuse to speak them.

Be aware also that the devil may even try to misuse Scripture
to deceive you (Matthew 4:5-7). So we cannot take Scripture out
of context and try to make it say something which it does not
really say, and which does not reflect God's nature.

2 CORINTHIANS 10:4 NLT
4 We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock
down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false
arguments.

We are involved in a fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12), so we may
have to struggle to hold on to faith in God's Word (Hebrews
4:14, 10:23), and not give in to fear and doubt.

We receive God's provision by faith so we must believe what God
says. We must not allow the devil to rob us through doubt and
unbelief.

SAY THIS: I will not believe the lies of my enemy, the devil.

Monday, October 13, 2014

How Does God Bless Us?

Does God bless us by giving us everything we think we should
have, even if it's bad for us?

Does God bless us by always letting us have our way -- whether
it's the best way for us, or not?

Does God bless us by letting us get away with self-destructive
behavior?

Does God bless us by letting us mistreat other people with
impunity?

Does God bless us by giving us more responsibility, more money,
or more fame, than we can handle?

Does God bless us by allowing us to never face the consequences
of our actions?

Does God bless us by never allowing us to struggle or overcome
difficulty?

If God blessed us in any of those ways, He would not be a good
Father.

God blesses us by changing us into what we should be. He makes
us to BE a blessing. That puts us into God's category, where we
can enjoy fellowship with Him -- which is the greatest blessing.

GENESIS 12:2 NIV
2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I
will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.

SAY THIS: Thank you Lord for your blessing.

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Prosperity Preachers

Sometimes people ask me if I am a "prosperity preacher."

The term "prosperity preacher" is a critical term some use to
put down those who preach God's will is prosperity.

After thinking about this, I believe there are only four
possible positions on this issue.

1 Preach prosperity is God's will for people.

2 Preach prosperity is NOT God's will -- leading people to
believe poverty is God's will.

3 Preach prosperity is God's will for some people, but not for
everyone.

4 Don't preach anything about the subject. Just keep quiet
about the subject of money.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems these are the only
options. Either you preach God is for prosperity, God is for
poverty, God has some special favorites, or just keep quiet
about the whole issue.

For those who might think it safest to ride the fence and not
say anything, realize that Jesus spoke more about money than He
did heaven or hell. The Bible is not silent on the subject, so
we should not ignore the subject either.

For those who think God shows favoritism, the Bible clearly
says otherwise six times (2 Chronicles 19:7, Acts 10:34, Romans
2:11, Ephesians 6:9, Colossians 3:25, 1 Peter 1:17).

Admittedly, there are warnings in Scripture about the dangers
of prosperity. And we should not ignore them. Money, just like
fire, can cause great damage if used wrongly, but is a great
blessing when properly used.

Money is certainly not the most important thing in life. Nor
can we judge a person's spiritual condition by their financial
condition. Yet we all require material things in order to live
here on earth.

Surely our Father God, who Jesus taught is superior to earthly
parents (Matthew 7:11), desires for every person to have all
they need.

No doubt there may be some who preach prosperity imperfectly,
with the wrong emphasis, or with wrong motives. But they are
not my servants, and to their own Master they are accountable,
not to me. It is not my job to criticize other preachers and
call them names to put them down.

Maybe they are not perfectly balanced in their teaching. Maybe
they don't know everything. But I don't either! (And neither do
you.)

But surely the correct approach is not name-calling, trying to
tarnish the reputation of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

I think the right attitude is the one Paul had, that even if
people were preaching with wrong motives, Christ was still
being preached -- so he rejoiced.

PHILIPPIANS 1:17-18 NLT
17 Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about
Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely,
intending to make my chains more painful to me.
18 But that doesn't matter. Whether their motives are false or
genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way,
so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice.

The reason the devil wants people to use such disparaging names
is because he is afraid people will find out the Bible really
does teach God's will is prosperity for all people -- which it
is.

Poverty is not God's will for any person!

SAY THIS: Lord, please help me to pray for my brothers and
sisters instead of calling them names.

Saturday, October 11, 2014

Eternal Life

ROMANS 6:23 NKJ
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Eternal life, or everlasting life, is more than living forever.
Eternal life is the life of God, the Eternal One.

The Greek word "aionios" is usually translated as eternal or
everlasting in the New Testament. (From this word we get our
English word "eon.")

"Zoe" is one of several Greek words that are translated life.
According to Vine's Dictionary, zoe means "life as a principle,
life in the absolute sense, life as God has it. . . . Eternal
life is the present actual possession of the believer because
of his relationship with Christ. . . ."

A note in the Translator's New Testament says, "In the New
Testament eternal life is that kind of life which is given to
all true believers in Christ. The word `eternal' draws
attention to the quality of that life, not to its duration in a
temporal sense. Thus eternal life can be experienced by
believers even while subject to the temporal conditions of
earthly life. Translators should be careful to avoid
expressions which mean no more than a timeless continuation of
life after death."

More than three times as many scriptures refer to eternal life
as a present possession, than as a future possession.

JOHN 5:24 NKJ
24 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and
believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not
come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

There is only one way to get eternal life. When a person is
born again by receiving Jesus Christ, eternal life is imparted
to that person's spirit -- making them new inwardly.

1 JOHN 3:14-15 NKJ
14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we
love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in
death.
15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that
no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

From this passage, we see that eternal life is a present-tense
possession which changes the nature of a person: turning them
into someone who cares for others. Eternal life enables people
to overcome selfishness.

Just as something with fish life in it could do what a fish
does, so someone with God's life in them can do what God does
-- which is walk in love.

SAY THIS: God has given me a new kind of life through Jesus
Christ -- His life.

Friday, October 10, 2014

Think You Know Something?

1 CORINTHIANS 8:2 NIV
2 The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he
ought to know.

1 CORINTHIANS 8:2 LB
2 If anyone thinks he knows all the answers, he is just showing
his ignorance.

A problem we have is that we don't know what we don't know.

(Certainly, we can trust in God's Word (the Bible) and know it
is truth -- as long as we are accurately reading it.)

Just like you, I evaluate things based on what I think I know.
I evaluate myself. I evaluate others.

But are my evaluations correct? Do I know as much as I think I
do? Am I using the right criteria? Do I really see the whole
picture as God does? Am I really qualified?

What should we do? We have to make choices everyday -- which
implies making judgments in the sense of making evaluations. We
have to proceed based on the best information we have at the
time.

But just remember, not one of us knows everything. So walk
humbly before God and mankind. Those you think are wrong today,
you may realize tomorrow are actually right.

If we are wise, we will live in the constant realization that
we need God's wisdom and guidance in all we do. God is not too
busy for you to talk with Him about every decision you face --
no matter how small it is.

SAY THIS: God is the One Who knows all things -- not me.

Thursday, October 09, 2014

The Blood Speaks

HEBREWS 12:24 NKJ
24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood
of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

The Blood testifies that Jesus set us free from all the curse
and made us able to partake of the inheritance of the saints.
The Blood testifies that Jesus bought our redemption and set us
free from the devil.

EPHESIANS 1:7 NIV
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness
of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace

God worked when the blood of Abel cried unto Him -- how much
more mightily He will work when it is the blood of His own Son
that cries.

By speaking words of faith, we agree with what the Blood says
concerning our total and absolute redemption and freedom from
the curse.

ROMANS 5:9 NIV
9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more
shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!

HEBREWS 9:12 KJV
12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own
blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained
eternal redemption for us.

SAY THIS: Jesus' Blood declares that I am free and forgiven.

Wednesday, October 08, 2014

Jesus Paid For Your Prosperity

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, by His sacrifice on Calvary, paid for your prosperity.

(The word translated peace in the verse above is "shalom." It
means well-being in every way, not just inward peace, but what
can be seen by others, and includes material prosperity.)

Everything Adam lost through the fall was reclaimed for mankind
by the sacrifice of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:21-22, Romans 5:15-
19). Jesus took the punishment necessary for us to have peace
and perfect well-being.

With Jesus, God gave us everything He had (Romans 8:32). God is
not holding out on us. He has given us richly all things to
enjoy (1 Timothy 6:17).

All the blessings of Abraham are available now to all people
through Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:14). These blessings include
good standing and fellowship with God, abundant riches, and
long life (Genesis 13:2, Genesis 25:8). Abraham enjoyed all
these blessings because of His faith in God.

Jesus has been appointed heir of all things, including the
Earth, and we are now joint heirs with Jesus (Hebrews 1:2,
Romans 4:13, Romans 8:17).

But just as the children of Israel had to actively dispossess
the giants in order to possess their promised land, which God
said He had given to them, so we must actively possess our
inheritance in Christ Jesus. God's promises must be actively
received by faith.

We possess what God said is ours, not by killing those who
possess it now, or stealing from them, but by blessing them. As
we bless others through ways like providing excellent goods and
services, in return we prosper by God's blessing. By helping
others we are blessed.

While all things are ours, we reap a harvest of blessing based
on what we sow. It is like we inherited the whole farm, and are
therefore rich, but if we don't plant anything, not much of
value will be produced. So our prosperity is given to us in
seed form.

Now we live by the perfect law of liberty: whatever we sow, we
reap, multiplied (Luke 6:38, Galatians 6:7).

God does not send money out of Heaven. But He does send ideas.
If we obey the ideas and put them into action, we will reap a
rich harvest of God's blessing.

Jesus is our wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:30). As we allow Him to
live His life in and through us, His wisdom will cause us to
increase and prosper in all we do.

Jesus said God feeds the birds (Matthew 6:26), yet we see they
have to gather their food. God does not carry food to their
nest and put it in their mouths. In the same way, God is also
our provider, but we must do as He directs. We cannot be lazy
or rebellious and expect blessing.

We don't have to earn God's prosperity. Jesus already paid the
full price for us. We cannot add to the perfect sacrifice of
Jesus. But we can only receive this blessing through faith
(Romans 5:2). So we must believe it!

When we believe something, we will act on it. If we believe
prosperity belongs to us, we will not allow the devil to steal
it from us. So we must resist doubt and unbelief, tools used by
the devil to steal from us.

SAY THIS: Jesus already paid for my prosperity.

Tuesday, October 07, 2014

Pray Through Daily

Many have criticized the old phrase "praying through," by
rightfully telling us that now there is no need to struggle in
prayer, since Jesus has already won the battle for us.

The devil is defeated, and any child of God has the right to
use the Name of Jesus and immediately be through the devil's
resistance and be heard by our Father God.

However, in life we must deal with things of the flesh and this
world, which can pry our focus off God.

Spiritually, we can grow dull. It can seem like we are in a
fog. Things are not clear. We do not have a note of victory and
triumph. We can, and must, press through these impediments.

Pray through -- until praying is not hard. Pray until you enjoy
it, because you have broken through the things of your flesh
and this world that would hold you back from enjoying daily
fellowship with your Father God.

MATTHEW 26:41 NASB
41 "Keep watching and praying, that you may not enter into
temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

SAY THIS: I will "pray through" every day.

Monday, October 06, 2014

God Still Loves You

ROMANS 8:38-39 NLT
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from
God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,
neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow --
not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love.
39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below -- indeed,
nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from
the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

At one time you may have believed God loved you. But now,
because of what you have done, you may not understand how God
could possibly still love you. But He does!

ROMANS 5:8 NLT
8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die
for us while we were still sinners.

God loved you while you were a sinner, in rebellion against
Him. And He has not changed His mind!

We must understand that God does not love us because we deserve
His love, but because it is His nature to love.

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

Why does God love you? Because He has a loving nature. And
because He created you.

We tend to evaluate people, including ourselves, like we would
a factory: by what we produce. But that is the world's way of
thinking, not God's.

I certainly have been like that. When I did good things it was
easier to think of myself as a good person who God would love.
But when I was not accomplishing much, it was easy to think of
myself as worthless.

Although God did create us with the ability to do good works,
we don't have to do good works for God to love us.

God does not love us because of what we do for Him, but because
of who we are -- His workmanship, His children, made in His
likeness.

The world values us by what we produce, but God values us for
who we are.

You are valuable and precious to God, not because of what you
are able to do for Him, but because of who you are. You are His
creation.

God knows your true value because He created you in His image.
You may only see your present situation, but God sees your
potential and your future.

A good father does not provide for his children based on what
they do for him, like a pimp or a slave master, but on the
basis of his love for them as his children.

Although a good father may use incentives to encourage and
train his children in right behavior, he would never withhold
his love or necessary provision for his children until they
perform perfectly and produce abundantly.

Jesus taught that we should relate to God as a good Father. God
is raising a family, and He will not disown you just because
you make mistakes. Jesus, as your Savior, has accepted
responsibility to teach, train, and mature you into the person
God intended -- someone everyone will love.

God never will give up on you. You were created in His image,
determined and designed by God to be a glorious creature. Just
because you have not yet lived up to your potential is not
enough to cause God to discard you. God is patient, and He is
still working on you, making you what you are supposed to be.

No doubt you have made mistakes -- we all have. But God's love
for you is not dependent on you being perfect.

There may still be consequences from your bad decisions, but
God giving up on you will never be one of them.

SAY THIS: God still loves me, no matter what I have done, or
failed to do.

Sunday, October 05, 2014

God Has A Plan

JEREMIAH 29:11 NIV
11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD,
"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you
hope and a future.

Genesis 37 tells the story of Joseph being sold into slavery by
his brothers. At that time, I'm sure it didn't look to Joseph
like God had a plan -- at least not one that was good for him.

Joseph surely thought what many of us have, "Why did you let
this happen to me, God?"

No doubt things looked clearer to Joseph later on when he was
ruling Egypt and was able to save his entire family from
starvation. (Genesis 45-50)

Often life may seem confusing and out-of-control. But don't
despair. God has a plan for you which He is working out. If you
could only see the end He has in mind for you -- you would
begin to rejoice and thank God right now. (Hint, hint.)

SAY THIS: God has a plan for me, and I will trust Him to work
everything out in my life.

Saturday, October 04, 2014

Importunity

LUKE 11:5-8 KJV
5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and
shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend
me three loaves;
6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have
nothing to set before him?
7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the
door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot
rise and give thee.
8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because
he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise
and give him as many as he needeth.

The lesson of this parable is NOT that we must persist in
prayer to obtain an answer from an unwilling God. But that we
should be bold in asking.

A parable may teach by showing similarity or by contrasting
differences. The point here is based on contrast. This becomes
more clear, just a few verses later, in verse 13.

LUKE 11:13 KJV
13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto
your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give
the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

How much more willing is God -- than any earthly friend!
Friends may sometimes be undependable, but God is always
dependable! God is "rich unto all that call upon Him" (Romans
10:12).

Read the story again and you will see that Jesus was asking a
question: "Who would have a friend that would not help in a
time of need?" Someone like that would not really be a friend.
A friend would not say, "Don't bother me!"

However, even if the friendship was not that strong, if someone
has the boldness and audacity to ask for help in the middle of
the night, they would not be refused by someone they knew.

Even if it was inconvenient and they really didn't want to
help, if you have the nerve to knock on their door and present
your request, they will not ignore you. Your audacity and
boldness will overcome any reluctance they might have, and you
will get your request.

This assumes some relationship was already established. For if
you knock on a stranger's house at midnight insisting they give
you something, you are more likely to be met with a weapon,
instead of having your request granted.

Understanding this about human friends, HOW MUCH MORE your
Father in Heaven, who is perfect, can be counted on to help
whenever you come to Him. The key is that you must have the
confidence to come and make the request.

Note that this person was coming to get something for someone
else. There is nothing wrong with asking for help when we need
it for ourselves. But Jesus was especially encouraging us to
ask boldly for help for other people. They may not have a
relationship with God, so they can't ask Him for help and have
confidence in receiving an answer, but you do, and you can!

Why was the person shameless in asking? Because he was his
friend. He had a relationship, so he boldly did something out
of the ordinary, knowing he was being unreasonable, but having
confidence to do it because he knew his friend. Although the
friend, at first, realizing how unreasonable the request was,
talked reluctantly, nevertheless, granted what was asked.

The word translated "importunity" in verse 8 is a Greek word,
used only once in the New Testament, which literally means
"without shame." It pictures someone without bashfulness or
reluctance. Someone who did not hold back, or hesitate. Someone
with audacity, even recklessness in their disregard of anything
stopping them.

These descriptions indicate faith -- a belief that if I make
the request, it will be granted.

Unfortunately, some modern Bible translations translate this
word as "persistence." This is simply because many people, even
translators, have not clearly understood this parable.

Translation is not an exact science, but is subject to the bias
and level of understanding of the translator. So every
translation is affected by the beliefs of those who do the
translating.

In this parable, the person did not stand outside the door for
days on end while continuing to ask for bread. So the point
cannot be to just keep on asking for a long time, but to be
bold in asking, instead of being held back by fear or doubt.

Persistence in prayer (in the sense of keeping on asking for a
long time) is not the idea Jesus was encouraging in this
parable.

The point isn't that God is reluctant and needs to be
persuaded. But that we should not be reluctant asking God for
help. Jesus makes the point clear in the next verse by saying,
ask and you will get, etc.

LUKE 11:9-10 KJV
9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and
ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh
findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Some translations insert the idea in verse 9 of "keeping on"
asking, seeking, and knocking, but that idea is not from the
Greek New Testament text, but from the Latin translation.

Nothing in this parable gives us any evidence it took a long
time for the request to be granted. Instead of getting the idea
of knocking on a door for several years from this parable, we
should realize Jesus was encouraging us to be bold in asking
for God's help, especially for others.

So don't hesitate! Don't think God is too busy, or the need is
too small or too big for God. Even a human friend will help, if
asked. HOW MUCH MORE will your Heavenly Father who loves you,
and also loves those you want to help.

SAY THIS: I will be bold in asking God for help -- especially
for other people's needs.

Friday, October 03, 2014

Sprinkle The Blood

1 PETER 1:2 NKJ
2 . . . in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and
sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace
be multiplied.

By faith we can sprinkle the Blood of Jesus on people who come
to us for help. The Blood is a token of Christ's total
redemption, signaling the devil that he must flee. By faith in
that precious Blood all can be delivered.

Blood in the human body brings healing to sick tissue. The
Blood of Jesus brings healing to His body as well.

LEVITICUS 17:11 NKJ
11 `For the life of the flesh is in the blood . . .

Blood delivers everything necessary for the members of a human
body and carries away waste material. Jesus' Blood also brings
life and nourishment to the members of His body, and rids us of
everything that is of the curse.

When the Israelites in Egypt had blood on their door, no evil
dared enter their dwelling. Likewise, we are kept safe through
the protection of the divine Blood of Jesus.

Jesus' Blood overcomes the devil and all he has done. Believe
it in your heart and say it with your mouth -- until you see
complete victory.

2 CORINTHIANS 10:4 NKJ
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in
God for pulling down strongholds,

By faith, sprinkle the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ anywhere
there is evidence of satanic effort to stop the complete will
of God in your life.

Let us use all our weapons: the Name of Jesus, the Word of God,
and the Blood of the Lamb.

SAY THIS: By faith I apply the Blood of Jesus to my life and
property.

Thursday, October 02, 2014

The Message Of Revelation

REVELATION 1:1 NKJ
1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show
His servants -- things which must shortly take place. And He
sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,

Books on the "end times" are very popular. People are
interested in knowing the future.

Some think the Book of Revelation is a step-by-step guide to
what will happen in the future, but not every Bible teacher
agrees with this interpretation.

Although I taught on the Book of Revelation in a Bible School,
I admit I don't have it all figured out.

But the first verse reveals what is the true subject of the
Book of Revelation -- Jesus Christ. It is about the victory of
Jesus Christ, revealing to us that He will triumph over and
banish all evil.

The Book of Revelation is supposed to give us comfort and
encouragement, not by revealing to us the Antichrist, but by
revealing to us the victorious Christ.

At one time I thought I needed to thoroughly understand the
Book of Revelation so I could know the future. Now I realize my
motivation was more one of fear and lack of trust in God than
anything else.

We don't have to know the future in order to be safe, because
we know the One who holds us and the future in His hands. He
has promised to provide for us and protect us. We can trust Him
and not be afraid.

Nations come and go. But God, and His Word, are forever.

All God's promises will always be true. He will take care of
His people no matter what happens. Period. God loves us and He
is faithful. We don't have to worry about the future. All we
need to do is trust God and obey Him, day by day.

So what is the primary message of the Book of Revelation? Very
simple. Jesus Christ comes out on top. He puts an end to all
the evil and suffering and misery in this world. And it will be
worth it to remain true to Him -- even through all the evil
this world is currently experiencing.

Jesus wins! Those who stick with Him also win!

That's the message!

SAY THIS: The Book of Revelation reveals the triumph of my Lord
Jesus Christ and His elimination of all evil.

Wednesday, October 01, 2014

Divorce

MALACHI 2:16 NIV
16 "I hate divorce," says the LORD God of Israel, "and I hate a
man's covering himself with violence as well as with his
garment," says the LORD Almighty. So guard yourself in your
spirit, and do not break faith.

God hates divorce because He loves people. Keep that in focus.
Divorce hurts people, so God is against it. But God is NOT
against the person who is divorced.

Many reading this have been divorced, and would agree that
divorce is no fun for anyone. It is devastating, ranking right
up with the death of a spouse or a child in causing stress.

Divorce does not usually solve problems, but creates more
problems. Whatever is causing conflict and trouble will almost
surely still be there after a divorce.

If you are thinking about getting a divorce -- don't.

(Of course, if your life is in danger, you should protect
yourself.)

With God's love and faith, anything can be faced and overcome.
God, who raises the dead, can also resurrect your marriage and
give you love for each other.

If you have been divorced, God is not mad at you. He still
loves you. (Remember, the reason God is against divorce is that
He loves you and wants to spare you the pain and suffering.)

Divorce is NOT the unforgivable sin. And remember, when God
forgives He forgets. While it is true that you may continue to
suffer effects of a divorce in this natural realm, as far as
God is concerned, it can be forgiven and forgotten.

SAY THIS: God hates divorce because He loves people, including
me.