DARE TO DREAM

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“I will give you a new heart.  I will give you new and right desires.  I will put a new spirit within you.”—Ezekiel 36:26(LB)
 
Are you willing to dare to dream?  Or is fear of failure or rejection keeping you shut down and imprisoned.   You are an important creation of God, and He wants you to desire His best.  “But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’ But God has revealed them …” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).  You were created for a particular purpose!  Go ahead and dream and ask God to direct you.  Remember, many great visions start with small dreams.   Michelangelo, the great sculptor, bought a chunk of marble which others thought was inferior.  When asked why, he replied, “Because there is an angel locked in that marble, and I must set it free.”
 
No matter where we are in our self-evaluation today, we can move on.  We can dare to dream.  Dr. T.L. Osborn, once said, “When I think of any one who is imprisoned by a sense of inferiority because of race, color, social, academic or economic status, or when I see someone who is lonely, abused, discouraged or afraid, I know that inside that individual is a super person whom I must find the way to set free.”  Because Dr. T.L’s messages are so uplifting and positive, they help to remind me of God’s original idea for me: to share His life and His abilities with me, to make me happy, healthy, talented and prosperous.  Jesus summed up the Father’s will for me when He said, “…I come that you might have life and that more abundantly” (John 10:10).
 
In Barbra Streisand’s powerful film, YENTL, an intelligent young woman grows up under her rabbi father’s religious dominance.  As a female, she is forbidden an education, prohibited from reading rabbinical books, predestined to a lifetime of female inferiority and servitude.  Her hunger and thirst for knowledge coupled with her determination caused her to break sacred rules…she dared to read the Talmud.  She went as far as, disguising herself as a male in order to pursue Talmudic studies as a yeshiva—the sacred domain of male’s only.  She is finally alienated from her people and journeys off into the distance with a boatload of seemingly displaced nonpersons in search of a land that is free of religious bigotry.
 
Her sin?  She dared to desire and look beyond religious limitations.  She dared to dream that God must be as good to women as He is to men.  As Yentl struggles with her free spirit and struggles with religious prejudice, she expresses her desperation in some awesome songs. 
 
She asks:  Where is it written that I cannot be the person I am meant to be?  Describing the narrow views religion has permitted her to glimpse, she realized that she had only been allowed to see a piece of sky.  Now she had stepped outside and looked around, having never dreamed the sky was so wide or so high.  Because of her new found knowledge, Yentl is now born into a new world.  She has a voice now.  She has a choice now.  
 
She asks the question, why is a bird given wings, if not to fly?  Why have eyes to see and not see? Or arms to reach, and not reach?  Or a mind unless you are meant to question why?  Or why have thirst if not to drink? 
 
The entire, moving story, dramatizes the glorious enthusiasm of a person who has at last understood that God gives us the power of positive desire.  When at last you understand that you are a new creature and that old things have passed away, at last you can say with Paul, “Those who belong to Christ have nailed their natural evil desires to his cross and crucified them there” (Galatians 5:24 LB).
 
F.F. Bosworth said, “Always desire what God desires, and desire it for the same reason He desires it, and then His Holy Spirit will work with you to achieve what you want.” 
 
Prayer—Father I thank You for the power of positive desire.  Today, I examine my desires and I ask the Holy Spirit to shine His illumination upon anything in me that is not from You.  Lord, I repent of __________________and I ask You to forgive me.  Help me Father to desire what You desire for the same reason that You desire it, in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

 

 

 

OBEDIENCE IS THE PRODUCT OFA RELATIONSHIP

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“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.”—Deuteronomy 30:19
 
Obedience is fundamentally rooted in trust, and shows our worship and appreciation to Christ.  We identify with Christ as our Lord not just in words, but also in deeds that demonstrate our words through practice and action, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does” (James 1:22-25).
 
In Deuteronomy chapter 30, we can see a clear comparison of the blessings of obedience, and the curse of disobedience.  Our human sinful nature leads us to do our own thing, and the society that we live in thrives upon it.  However, God is calling us to love, trust and obey Him.  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; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20).
 
When we practice obedience, it means we are not ashamed of the Gospel, as Paul proclaimed in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believers, for the Jew first and also for the Greek,” so that our devotion becomes contagious to those around us.
 
Obedience is not something we dread, or feel we have to do, nor is it bondage in a negative sense.  Obedience is a natural outflow out of a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.  Today I challenge you to get to know Him more intimately.   
 
Prayer—Father I repent of the times I have not trusted You and have chosen to be disobedient to Your will for my life.  I ask you to forgive and cleanse me from all unrighteousness according to your Word.  Lord I ask You to help me fully trust You and be obedient to You.  I choose to worship you in every area of my life, in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

 

SEIZE THE PROMISES

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“And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”—John 1:5
 
John 1:5 states the light shines in darkness, but "the darkness comprehended it not". The word "comprehend" does not mean that man did not understand or realize the light God had given him. We can understand this by defining the Greek word from which the word "comprehend" is translated. That word is "katalambano" and literally means, "to apprehend" and means to "to lay hold of so as to possess as one's own, to appropriate; to seize upon, take possession of.”  The word does not mean man could not understand the light of the truth, but that rather he refused to embrace it.
 
Many want to blame God for the problems in their lives.  Insurance companies even have a clause that defines unexplainable events as “acts of God.”  However, the truth is that all men are given the light of truth. God has gone to great lengths to redeem humankind from their sins and to provide for their every need. He came to this earth, God incarnate in man, to suffer, die, and be resurrected so that people would have a means to be restored to their rightful place before sin entered the world.  However must “apprehend, seize upon, take possession of, appropriate” all of the covenant blessings and rights that Christ’s redemption has provided for us. 
 
Today I challenge you to “lay hold of, apprehend” what you have need of. 
 
Do you need health today?  Seize the Word of God today that relates to your healing.  Use Scriptures such as 1 Peter 2:24, “Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.”  And Psalm 102:1-5, “Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!   Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercies,  Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
Do you need favor?  Meditate on scriptures such as Psalm 5:12 and 35:27.  For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield.   “Let them shout for joy and be glad, Who favor my righteous cause; And let them say continually, “Let the Lord be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”
Whatever you have needed of lay hold of it by finding scriptures that match your circumstance or need and then begin to mediate on them and confess them out loud.  It will not be long before the light of the scripture bears with your spirit that you indeed to possess these precious promises and your faith will grow doubt will flee and the blessings you are believing for will manifest into your life.  When we do these things, we truly “COMPREHEND” the covenant promises that Jesus Christ paid a dear price for—His precious blood.
God has set in motion that the just are to live by faith.  Therefore we must be a people of faith and comprehend the covenant promises.  We resist our enemy and contend by faith for the promises that He has made to us.
Prayer—Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for illuminated my spiritual eyes today.  Lord I ask You to help me apprehend all that you have planned for me, in Jesus’ name.  Amen.
 

 

FINANCIAL PRINCIPLES ARE WOVEN INTO THE SCRIPTURE

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“The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein.”—Psalm 24:1
 
A serious error is alive in the thinking of many Christians. Some Christians think that their beliefs and their wallet belong in separate areas. However, the truth remains the same:  financial health and obedience to God are inseparable.  He owns everything, “The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, says the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:8).  Cash, possessions, and ways to earn more are gifts from the Lord; we are simply stewards, “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1).)
 
A steward oversees the use and care of someone else’s riches.  “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful” 1 Corinthians 4:2.  A wise steward bases financial decisions upon the owner’s rules for using and multiplying material goods.  In our case, God has woven financial principles into the fabric of Scripture.  Since money touches nearly every aspect of life, it is mentioned over 2,000 times in many different contexts.   For example, God urged the Israelites to stay faithful to His teachings and to avoid the trap of self-reliance, “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day” (Deuteronomy 8:18).  He reminded them that the power to make wealth resides with Him rather than in their own hands, and remember everything that we do in the kingdom of God involves faith.
 
The minute a steward presumes that he owns the money he manages, mistakes are made.  He stops consulting the Owner and spends as he sees fit.  Even in trying to do well, the wayward steward is ruled by his shortsighted perspective rather than God’s omnipotent view and gentle guidance.  He will suffer the consequences of violating Scripture’s financial principles.
 
Faith and finances are permanently intertwined.  A believe must understand that he or she cannot keep his or her  money out of God’s hand, because He holds it all—he or she is simply managing it.  
 
Prayer—Father I repent and ask You to forgive me for the times that I have not used wisdom in my financial decisions and mismanaged Your money.  I surrender my finances to You and I thank You for Your wisdom directing me in all of my decisions, big and small. I purpose in my heart to remain faithful in what You have entrusted to me, in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

 

GOD IS GOOD—GIVE THANKS TO HIM FOR HIS GOODNESS

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“Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His Name.”—Hebrews 13:15
 
Have you ever heard the expression, “Stop and take time to smell the roses”?  What is meant is that we need to take the time to enjoy the blessings of what is going on around us.  Too many times are lives can become so full and busy that we simply do not stop long enough to pause and thank our Heavenly Father for the countless blessings He has given to us.  Other “things” seem to take priority over our expressing gratitude to the One who made everything.  However when we take the time to express our gratitude, our spirits then are revived, our strength is renewed, and our hope is inspired.
 
 Recently I had a conversation with a friend, she told me how she began to worship and praise the Lord for who He was and His goodness, and as she continued in this vain for several minutes His presence and peace filled her heart and mind so completely that the pain that had been saturating her body completely left. 
 
I challenge you to worship the Lord today for who He is.  Psalm 107:1-2 is an expression of thanksgiving.  Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!  For His mercy endures forever.  Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy.” 
 
We express praise and thanksgiving to God because He is good.  He bestows everything on us, and deserves our gratitude.  
 
God is good because….
He loves you.
He gave you breath.
He redeemed you.
He gives you the capacity to know Him.
He gives you the desire to trust Him.
He does not remember your transgressions.
He takes piety upon your needs.
He considers the poor.
He fulfills every promise.
He is trustworthy.
He is dependable.
He is always present.
He never leaves you.
He forgives us.
He receives us into eternity.
 
Your reasons for expresses your love of praise and thanksgiving to God can be never ending, and I pray that they will never be.  Let praise and thanksgiving become a regular part of your routine.  Allow your spirit to be revived, your strength renewed, and your hope inspired, as you offer up to Him, the fruit of your lips giving praise. 
 
Prayer—Father I thank you for bestowing your life of goodness and blessing upon my life.  Today I recommitment my time to include thanksgiving and praise to You for what You have done, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
 

PURSUE WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE

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“And behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?”—Matthew 19:16
 
The rich young ruler seemed to approach Jesus to seek salvation, in Matthew 19:16-22.  He ran kneeled down to Him, and openly professed Him as a Good Master.  What could be wrong with that?  First, he acknowledged Jesus as good, but not God.  Every major religion of the world acknowledges Jesus existed and that He was a good man, but they would not recognized Him as God.  If Jesus was only a good man, He could not save anybody.
 
Second, the young man asked what he could do to produce his salvation.  He trusted in himself and believed he could accomplish whatever good work Jesus might request.  This is completely opposite God’s plan of salvation.  “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).   Jesus obtained salvation for us by substituting himself for us on the Cross, and He offers salvation to us as a free gift.  All we must do is believe and receive.
 
Jesus did not come just to show us the way to God; He is the way—the only way—to the Father, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way the truth and the live.  No one comes to the Father except through Me’” (John 14:6).  Jesus had made this point publicly many times, and so He responded to the rich, young ruler accordingly.  He said, “God is the only one who is good.  You must accept me as God or not at all.”  Jesus was either who He claimed to be or He was the biggest fraud that ever lived.  He has to be one or the other, He cannot be both.
 
This rich, young ruler was not looking for the Savior; he was trying to be his own savior.  There are some people who are saved by grace through faith in Jesus, and then try to live their lives saving themselves.  The same grace that provides salvation is the same grace that will keep you until the day you enter heaven.   Salvation that Jesus Christ provided keeps on giving.  We could say it like this:  the blood of Christ makes salvation sustainable.  Although we as Christians may miss the mark, all that we have to do is confess on sins and He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness.   “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
 
Prayer—Father I repent for not trusting You, and trying to be my own Savior.  Lord, I look to You today to strengthen me, to uphold me, and to lift me up out of the miry clay so that I can stand before You whole and complete lacking nothing, in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

CHRISTIANS ARE DIFFERENT THAN THE WORLD

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And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said “I will dwell in them And walk among them.  I will be their God, And they shall be My people.”—2 Corinthians 6:16
Writing to Christian believers, the Apostle Paul is reminding them that they are not like the world.  Something is different about them.  He is saying that the Christ-believer is not like those who serve Satan; those who are of the world.  He reminds the Christ-believer that he or she is the temple of the living God and that He—God dwells with them and walks among them.
I want to encourage you today to be aware the God lives in you, and that He walks and talks with you.   He wants to have fellowship with you everyday.  Jesus came and restored the position that humankind had with God in the beginning.  Through His shed blood humanities relationship is restored with God.  However a relationship is two-way, it is between God and you; you and God.  A relationship functions only to the degree that the persons involved are committed to each other.  Our commitment to God is reflected in how we reflect Him to our world.
We can reflect God and His perspectives to the world, every time we encounter people and treat them the way God sees them.  Christ-believers are different than the world.  They are patient, kind, faithful and gentle.  Full of love, joy and peace and are self-controlled.  “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.  And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24).
Prayer—Heavenly Father thank You that You have made me into Your image and into Your likeness and that You live in me.  I ask You to help me be mindful that I am not alone that You are with me every step of the way and all through my days, in Jesus’ name. Amem.

 

GAIN A PERSPECTIVE OF WHO YOU ARE

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“What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?  For You have made him a little lower than the angels,  And You have crowned him with glory and honor.  You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet.”—Psalm 8:4-6
By reading our scripture verse for today and meditating on its truth, you will begin to have an understanding that God loves you.  His plan for you has not changed.  He has crowned you with glory and honor.
God has given you a crown—a symbol of victory, success and high achievement.  Our enemy does not want us to believe that we have the victory.  He wants to sow seeds of distress and unrest in our lives to keep us from believing that we are the over-comers, the victors, and the champions and that we are successful and achievers of the dreams that God has given to us.   The important truth of 1 Corinthians 15:57 becomes and reality when you say with all confidence, “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (emphasis added).”  
Jesus Christ’s death, burial and resurrection restored the dominion that God had originally given to human-kind in the Garden of Eden.  Because Christ has given to the believer dominion, as a believer in Christ, you are the one in charge.  Satan and his cohorts no longer have the legal right to rule and reign in your life.  “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen” 1 Peter 4:11(emphasis added).
Allow your perspective of who you are in Christ to grow, develop and get stronger, by mediating upon the truths of the gospel of who you are in Christ Jesus.  “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” 1 John 5:4 (emphasis added).
Prayer—Heavenly Father, today I cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, those things that I have thought that do not agree with how You see me and what You think about me. I bring into captivity every thought into the obedience of Christ and I ask You Lord to help me see myself as You see me, in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

 

 

 

CONSCIENCE A GIFT FROM GOD

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“Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith.”—1 Timothy 1:5
 
Perhaps you have asked someone a question and their response was, “Let your conscience be your guide.”  Although in the English language this is a well-known expression, it is not necessarily good advice.  The reason why is because your “moral compass” is only as reliable as the principles with which you have programmed it.  If you store up proper biblical instruction and training, it will be dependable to help safeguard you through life.  But using false ideologies from popular culture to program your conscience will set you up for moral failure.
 
God has given each person a conscience as a gift intended to be a tool of the Holy Spirit who is our true Guide.  And as such, it is designed to protect you from going astray.  A trustworthy conscience reacts immediately to disobedience.  There is no making excuses and no waffling over whether or not something may have been wrong.  Here are some guidelines that will help you know that you can trust your conscience.  
 
1.      Jesus Christ is your Savior and Lord.
2.      The Bible is the basis for your conduct.
3.      You have a strong desire to obey God.
4.      Your conscience sounds the alarm when you consider a wrong direction in thought or action.
5.      You feel guilty when you disobey.
6.      You feel compelled to repent of your disobedience.
 
To develop a reliable conscience, read and apply scripture so that God’s principles will override any prior bad programming.  Then, under the Holy Spirit’s guidance, it will sound protective alerts.  Do not put faith on your conscience alone, but trust God to make it an effective tool for leading you.
 
Prayer—Father I thank You that You have given me a conscience to help lead me.  I ask You to help train my conscience so that it becomes refined instrument for the Holy Spirits use, to help lead and guide me, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
 

UNLOCK THE DOOR OF GUILT

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“For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.”—2 Corinthians 7:10
 
I once read a survey that asked 500 people what emotions that they felt when experiencing guilt.  The answers really touched my heart.  People reported feeling punished, depressed, worthless, rejected, and isolated.  A general sense of low self-esteem overwhelmed the people who responded to the survey.  There was no joy, no hope, and no vitality.  In a sense, it is as though the feelings of guilt had completely blotted out everything else in their lives. 
 
These are the same emotions that many who are imprisoned in the penal systems around the world feel.  Prisoners tell me that they feel especially guilty about their families and what they are going through.  I ministered to a prisoner, I will call Joe (not his real name), who was a member of a vibrant Bible teaching congregation before he was sentenced to twenty years for shooting a man while committing a robbery.  Joe was a broken man, both spiritually and physically when I met him.  The open door to the root cause of Joe’s many physically aliments: Guilt.  Through much personal ministry, Joe began to discover where his guilt was coming from.
 
Are you dealing with intense feelings of guilt right now?  If so, consider one simple question: Where does your guilt come from? 
 
Joe began to understand that God was not mad at him and was not holding anything against him.  Joe discovered where his guilt was coming from—the enemy and himself.  Although he attended a lively church, he never devoted any of his time to personal spiritual growth, and fell back into his old habits and old friends.  He was plagued by personal guilt, and guilt that the enemy would continually assault his mind with.
 
In 2 Corinthians 7:10, we see two forms of guilt.  One is a sorrow that comes from God.  This call to repentance is a tool that the Lord uses to draw unbelievers to Himself through salvation in Christ.  It also motivates believers to confess any wrongs causing “hindrance’” in their fellowship with Him.  A second form of guilt is the dark emotion that plagues people, like Joe, with remorse and the reactions mentioned in the survey.  Such sorrow is not from God at all, but from Satan.
 
If you have received Jesus’ free gift of salvation but still struggle under the assault of guilt, let Scripture assure you; these feelings did not come from God.  He is not attacking you.  Rather, He holds the key to unlock the door to your freedom.  Do not fall victim to the Enemy’s lies.  In Christ, you are forgiven and fee.  Stand tall.  Fight the good fight of faith and begin to say with your mouth that you are a child of God and are free from guilt.  Walk free today!
 
Prayer—Father I thank You for setting me free from guilt and shame.  Today, I will not allow the enemy to steal my freedom from me with feelings of guilt and hopelessness.  Thank You that You love me and believe in me and that You are not holding anything against me and that the Enemy’s power has been broken over my life in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.
 

DISCERN GOD’S CORRECTION FROM THE DEVIL’S ACCUSATION

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“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”—John 3:18
 
  Apparently there were a lot of people in Martha’s house when Jesus came to visit one day.  Mary, Martha’s sister, chose to sit and listen to what Jesus was saying, instead of helping Martha serve the people.  Martha became emotionally upset with Mary, and went to Jesus with her problem.  Jesus replied to Martha that she was troubled about a lot of things, but her sister had chosen to do the best thing, by worshipping Him (Luke 10: 38-42).  Notice that Jesus never rebuked Martha, but rather exhorted her that her priorities were not in order.  When the Lord deals with problem areas in our lives, it is always for our good—not punishment.  We should not receive it as rejection.  This is one way that we can discern God’s correction from the devil’s accusation:  Is it condemning?
 
God convicts us of sin, but He does not condemn us.  Conviction is solely for our good, while condemnation includes punishment.  Satan condemns Christians, but he does it illegally because Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.”  If we feel condemned, we have received condemnation and shame from the devil.  This is not from God.
 
The way the Lord convicts us is through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—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” (John 14:16-17).  This is always done in a positive manner that encourages us to turn from sin.  The enemy’s negative way condemns us for sinning, which makes us feel trapped in it; but the Holy Spirit gently and firmly leads us away from sin and gives us hope and faith to overcome it completely.
 
One of Satan’s lies is to keep Christians in bondage tell them that they have gone too far and now they are eternally condemned and separated from God.  However, this is contrary to the Word of God.  “Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?...Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:33-39).
 
Christ is not condemning you.  If you are about to sin or have sinned, He will let you know about it.  Just stick with Jesus and He will correct you and keep you out from under the devil’s condemnation.
 
Prayer—Father I thank You that You love me and that You are not condemning me.  Forgive me for the times that I did not know that You do not condemn, nor do you ever lead me into temptation, but You deliver me from evil.  Thank You for your correction in my life, lead me in the way of everlasting life, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

THE HOLY SPIRIT REFRESHES AND RENEWS

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“For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people, to whom He said, ‘This is the rest with which You may cause the weary to rest,’ And, ‘This is the refreshing;’
Yet they would not hear.”—Isaiah 28:11-12
 
Jesus told his followers that they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit and receive power (Acts 1:5, 8).  Acts 2 records the event of the Holy Spirit filling Jesus’ followers and their speaking in other tongues.  Peter proclaimed that this event was the fulfilling of Joel’s prophecy (2:28-32) which said, in part, “That I[God] will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy.  I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath.”   It was after they received the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues that the early disciples experienced divine encounters and it was through the Holy Spirit that they were refreshed. 
 
Peter and John were going to the temple to prayer when a begging lame man was completely healed because of a divine encounter (Acts 3:1-10).  Later, Peter and John were arrested and jailed because the man was healed.  The religious leaders demanded to know by what power the healing took place, and another divine encounter took place when Peter filled with the Holy Spirit answered them.  The religious leaders understood that these men were uneducated so they were moved by the words by which they spoke, plus the healed lame man was standing with them as a testimony.  After they were threaten not to preach anymore in the Name of Jesus, they were let go.  Peter and John reported back to their companions everything that had happen.  The congregation began worshiping and praising God and they said, “‘Now Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.’  And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they spoke the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4).  Their refreshing experience resulted in the word of God spoken with boldness.  Jude wrote a letter “To all who are called, sanctified by God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ,” saying, “But you beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit” (Jude 20).
 
Waiting before God in prayer will not only renew your strength, but it will also bring a great refreshing to your spirit.  Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:16, “That he [God] would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man.”  The words “renew” and refreshing” are similar in meaning.  Peter uses the word “refreshing” to describe what occurs in the Presence of the Lord, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19).  Notice in this verse the expression “times of refreshing.”  We do not get just one time of refreshing in our walk with God.  We can have continual times of refreshing as we set aside time to spend in God’s Presence, praying and worshiping Him in the Spirit.  We must need these times of refreshing and renewal, or God would not have provided them for us.  Praying in tongues builds our faith and opens our spirits to divine encounters and refreshes us.
 
Prayer—Father, as I pray in the spirit today, I am expecting experiences in Your presence that You have just for me.  I believer I shall have an increase of divine encounters and experiences in Your glory.  Even now, as I pray in the spirit, I am being refreshed, in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

 

 

CHRIST FILLS THE VOID OF LONELINESS

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 “…for He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”—Hebrews 13:5
 
People all over the world struggle with loneliness; however human beings were not designed to walk through this world alone.   Loneliness can cripple a person emotionally and spiritually.  We are made for relationship, which God gladly supplies.  
 
Have you ever noticed that throughout Jesus’ life that He would say things like, “I must be about my Father’s business,” and “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working?” (Luke 2:49, John 5:17).   He was the first person that ever called God His Father, and through this we see how His life demonstrated that intimate connection with the Heavenly Father.  The Heavenly Father desires our companionship just like He did in the Garden before the fall.  In the Garden, He called out to Adam and Eve seeking them, “Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, ‘Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9).  God has not changed; He is still seeking those who are separated from Him and feel alone, “For the son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).  Only Christ can fill the void of loneliness in your life.  No man, no woman, no child, no object, or animal was ever created to take the place in our hearts that is reserved for God Himself.  He has said, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3).
 
Even when we feel that we are alone and that no one cares, nothing can compare to drawing near to God “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…” (James 4:8).  God wants every believer to completely trust that He is near.  And in case we forget that the Lord is near, He gave the Bible this consistent theme: I love you and I am with you always.  People need one another—Look around you and allow the Holy Spirit to use you to bear another’s burden in some way.  When we help others, our problems do not look as big.
 
Prayer—Father I thank You for reminding me that You are with me always.  I ask You to open my eyes to see someone that I can help with the resources that You have given to me, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

UNDERSTAND THE PRINCIPLES OF THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH

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“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever, that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in You.”—John 14:16-17
 
In some countries of the world, when some one makes a sworn testimony they must vow that the testimony that they give is the truth.  In America, and in most courts, the person giving the testimony will say something like this, “I swear that the evidence that I shall give, shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God.”  Christians receive the Spirit of Truth the moment that they are born-again; therefore, their “testimony” to the world stems from the Spirit of Truth.
 
When Jesus spoke the words, in our daily scripture, He clearly said that the “world” could not receive the Spirit of truth.  The “world” indicates the non-believing ones.  Meaning those individuals who are not born of the Spirit of God—the unbeliever.  Matthew Henry writes in his commentary concerning this passage in John 14 that “the disciples of Christ are here distinguished from the world, for they are chosen and called out of the world that lies in wickedness; they are the children and heirs of another world, not of this.” 
 
Scripture tells us that Satan is the father of all lies and deceit that is why it is so important for believers to have a clear understanding of the principles of the Spirit of Truth. 
 
These principles include: 
Ø  The Spirit of Truth is true and responsible to the believer.
Ø  He will teach you the truth and enlighten your mind with the knowledge of truth
Ø  He will strengthen and confirm your belief of truth and will increase your love for it. 
Ø  The Spirit of truth shall lead you into all truth and others by your ministry. 
 
The same Spirit that enabled the early Christians to leave all and to follow Christ, preach the gospel and work miracles, lives in you!  The same Helper that helped Jesus during His time of temptation is in you, to help you.  The writer of the book of Hebrews said it like this, “So we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6). 
 
As you go about your day, keep in mind that the distinguishing characteristic between the “world” and the Christian is TRUTH.  The Spirit of Truth not only guides and directs your path, but your testimony, as well.  Remember, that the way to overcome the “world” and its’ system is by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of your testimony.  “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 death” (Revelations 12:11).
 
Prayer—Father I thank You that you have given to me the Spirit of truth, my Helper, and with His help I will give testimony to Your wonderful works and glorify You in all that I say and do, in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

 

HABITS THAT PLEASE GOD

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“Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habits.”—1 Corinthians 15:33
 
It is an old saying, but a true one: First, you make your habits, and then your habits make you.  Some habits will inevitably bring you closer to God; other habits will lead you away from the path He has chosen for you.  If you sincerely desire to improve your spiritual health, you must honestly examine the habits that make up the fabric of your day.  And you must abandon those habits that are displeasing to God.  For instance, do you have a habit of watching or reading things on television or over the internet that you know are not wholesome, clean, or pure?  Do the people you are around tell coarse jokes and use foul language?  Are you cultivating a healthy spiritual atmosphere that will produce life, joy, power and peace in your life?  Or is the opposite occurring? 
 
If you trust God, and if you keep asking for His help, He can transform your life.  If you sincerely ask Him to help you, the same God who crated the universe will help you defeat the harmful habits and evil company that have here-to-fore defeated you.  So, if at first you do not succeed—keep praying and trying.  God is listening, and He is ready to help you become a better person. 
 
Prayer is a habit, worship is a habit, tithing and giving alms is a habit, kindness is a habit.  These are all pleasing to God.  Ask Him today to help you develop habits that are pleasing in His sight.
 
Prayer—Father I ask you to do a spiritual check-up of my habits.  Holy Spirit I ask you to reveal any bad habits in my life and evil company.  I repent of these things that You show me and now Lord help me to develop the habits that are pleasing in your sight, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

PLANT THE SEED: EXPECT SIGNS AND WONDERS TO FOLLOW

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“And these signs will follow those who believe…”—Mark 16:16
 
Jesus commissioned the Church when He said, “…Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.  And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they  will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover” (Mark 16:15-18).  The Church is you the Church is me.  When Jesus spoke these words, you and I were included in the commissioning. 
 
Jesus’ power and instructions to us are still the same.  We are instructed to preach the gospel—plant the seeds of the good news everywhere we go, and when we do, we are assured that signs and wonders will follow.  Demons will be cast out, people will be filled with the Holy Spirit and speak in other tongues, the sick will be healed, if we drink anything deadly or take up a serpents they will not harm us.  These are the signs and wonders that we are to expect when we plant the seed of the gospel into people. 
 
Be assured today that every time God sends you, the resurrection power of Jesus is working in that situation.  He does not leave you alone—He goes with you and works with you by the agent of His Holy Spirit. When you tell someone that Jesus has already suffered the penalty for sickness and disease, you are then planting the seeds of healing in their life.  Believe that when you lay hands on the sick that the sick will recover.  
 
Too many times, we take the One out of the situation that is working with us.  When we do, we are then on our own.  Whether it is because of pride, self-will or fear, we do not allow the One who knows all things to work in the situations.  We are to lay down our wills.  God will work His will in the situation when we lay down our own wills.  All of heaven is waiting to back up God’s Word—all we have to do is obey and say.  The Holy Spirit wants to work with us, by confirming the Words with signs following, when we believe.
 
Prayer—Heavenly Father, today I surrender my will, my fear and pride to You.  I lay it on the altar of repentance and I ask You to burn it up so that I can be pure and holy before You.  Help me to see people in my world around me as You see them and tell them the good news.  Thank You that when I speak Your Word You will confirm it with signs and wonders, in Jesus’ Name.  Amen. 

 

MAINTAIN YOUR FOCUS

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“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”—Isaiah 26:3
 
In the midst of difficult times and adversity, it is easy for our trust to flounder and for our eyes to drift from Jesus to the problem.  Once our focus shifts away from God, the problem becomes magnified.  Negative thinking can overwhelm faith and extinguish courage.  It is during this time that we may be tempted to quit.  This is what happened to Peter the night that Jesus was arrested.
 
Before Jesus was betrayed and arrested, He told His disciples that they would come upon difficult times, and that they would all “stumble.”  He assured them that He would meet them again in Galilee; however, at the time the disciples did not grasp that He was talking about His death and resurrection.  In fact, Peter boldly declared that he would not “stumble;” but Jesus told him that he would deny Him that night three times before the rooster crowed.  Not long after Jesus told His disciples this would happen, Judas betrayed Him and Jesus was arrested.  During all of the dangerous turmoil surrounding Jesus’ arrest and being brought before the high priest, Peter mingled with the crowd pretending to be one of them.  However, a servant girl thought that she recognized Peter as one of Jesus’ followers and accused him.  Peter denied the accusation by saying, “I do not know what you are saying.” A short time later another girl accused him and this time he said with an oath, “I do not know the Man!”   Then the third time he was accused by several other people of being with Jesus and he responded with cursing and swearing and denials of knowing Jesus.  “Immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.’ So he went out and wept bitterly” (Matthew 26).
 
Peter’s experience paints a clear picture for us today.  Although Jesus had forewarned the disciples what was about to happen, Peter still tried to work things out in his own strength which was a dismal failure.  Too often, we tend to see the adversity or difficulty in terms of our own strength and resources rather than God’s.  However, when our focus shifts to a godly perspective the doom and gloom of failure, turns to gladness and we experience joy.  The Lord has told us that we would experience adversity and difficulties in life, but that we are to have peace and to be happy because He has already won the victory for us (John 16:33).  We can be like the Apostle Paul, by keeping our focus on the Lord, and saying with him, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).  When we say what God’s Word says, our faith is encouraged and our focus is maintained. 
 
Prayer—Father I purpose in my heart to keep my eyes and heart focused upon You at all times.  With Your help, I will never falter nor fail, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

DOUBT A CRUEL THIEF

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“So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”—Hebrews 3:19
 
In this scripture, the writer of Hebrews is reflecting on the deliverance of the children of Israel from bondage.  The Lord had brought the people out of bondage with great miracles.  But because of doubt and fear, they were then unwilling to step into the Promised Land They did not believe that God had promised to give them the land.  They allowed circumstances to dominate there conclusions on the matter rather than God’s word.  They were not resolved.  So it is in that context that we are delving into the thought in Hebrews 3:19.
 
Notice that the only reason they could not enter into the promise was because of unbelief.  It was not the armies of Canaan that prevented them from entering.  It was not the waters of the Jordan River that prevented them from entering, it was nothing tangible.  It was only their doubt.
 
Dr. Ladonna Osborn had this to say about doubt: “Doubt is a cruel thief that steals from you all of the promises of God that He has given to you so that you can receive His provision.”  What God says is truth in spite of all circumstances, but it requires faith for us to align our attitudes with the Word of God.   Faith is what abolishes doubt.  You cannot live in faith and doubt at the same time. 
 
I am encouraging you today to resist doubt.  When you are having doubtful thoughts, or feeling anxiety over what might happen you are giving your attention over to the negative circumstances.  Resist those things.  Hold fast by faith to the promises of God.  He has promised to deliver you, to provide for you, to be your protector, to be your defender, your wisdom, your righteousness for you.  He is the one who has promised:  to never leave you, to never forsake you, to never withdraw His Spirit from you, to offer you this great salvation, to be the voice that says this is the way to walk in. 
 
You have these abundant promises.  Doubt will come in a little subtle cancerous ways to steal from you everything of God; purpose in your heart not to let this happen.  Through this devotion understand that we are putting up a guard against the doubt that the enemy will bring.  And you are being called to the challenge of faith to live today in absolute confidence in God. 
 
Prayer—Father I thank You that when the enemy comes to assail me with doubt that I can stand firm in faith believing Your promises because You are trustworthy, and that my faith in You will never fail, in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

KNOW GOD’S CHARACTER TO DEPEND UPON HIS PROMISES

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 “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.”—2 Corinthians 1:20
 
A promise is valuable only if the one making it has trustworthy character and the ability to carry through.  In today’s world, people may promise us many things, but do they possess the character and have the ability to carry through?  Scripture tells us over and over again that God’s promises never fail.  Our heavenly Father is truthful, faithful, loving, and all-powerful.  You can base your entire life on His promises, secure in the knowledge that He will do just as He has said.
 
The Christian’s life rests on the foundation of God’s promises for today and for the future.  That’s why my goal is to encourage you to read your Bible more and help you believe in and take advantage of the wonderful array of promises found throughout His Word.  You can trust everything that our heavenly Father has said because His Word shows Him to be…
 
Truthful—The Lord knows what is true and speaks honestly in all matters.  Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not a man, that he should lie; … hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”   We humans are pretty weak-willed.  Sometimes out of fear we will make an impulsive promise, even though we know we cannot keep it.  But God does not need to do that.  For one, He never feels threatened or pressured.  But most important, the Bible says He simply cannot lie, “That by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God lie, …” (Hebrews 6:18) and, “In hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began” (Titus 1:2).   His promises are based on His infinite knowledge and truthfulness. 

Faithful—Scripture compares the Lord to a shepherd who, “He will feed His flocks like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young” (Isaiah 40:11).  What He has planned for us, He will bring to fruition, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).  Our heavenly Father does not waver in His intentions or will.  In Matthew 24:35, Jesus explains, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”  In fact, God goes out of His way to guarantee Himself for all eternity:  “My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of my lips” (Psalm 89:34).  Then He backs it up by doing what He says.

Loving—God is love, “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love’ (1 John 4:8).  God’s love for us was demonstrated at the cross.  He sent His son Jesus to die by crucifixion and thereby take the punishment for our sins.  The Savior experienced God’s wrath against iniquity so we might know only His love. “For God so love the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16-17).   This is the ultimate proof of His devotion to us.
 
All-powerful—Divine power created the world and raised the Savior back to life, so we know God has the ability to carry out all His plans.   In Colossians 1:17 we find that, “And He is before all things, and in Him all things consists.” And in Revelations 19:6, “And I heard, as it were the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thundering, saying, ‘Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!”  Our omnipotent Father will keep every one of His promises.
 
Prayer—Father today I lay all of my insecurities of not trusting You aside.  I understand that I can trust You with everything because You are truthful, faithful, loving and all-powerful.  Today I choose to trust You in everything that concerns my life, in Jesus’ Name.  Amen. 
 

 

RECOGNIZE THAT LOVE WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

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“But God demonstrates His own love toward us in, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”—Romans 5:8
 
There is an idiom that says, “You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.  This means that it is easier to persuade people if you are nice to them rather than being confrontational.   God does not force people to receive Him, but it is His goodness that draws people to Him.  “… that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4). 
 
The first of four things to know how love will change your life is:
 
love sees the possibilities.    God sees beyond where you are now.  Love sees beyond the wreckage in your life. The Lord sees you where you should and could be.  Love believes the very best for you.  “The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples.  But because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 7:7-8) . 
 
Love never gives up.   The times in your life when things look hopeless and there seems to be no way out, ask your Heavenly Father for help He will abundantly show mercy and help.  “Call unto Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3).   Rely upon God’s love and mercy in your life instead of your own human understanding.  “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loves us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)” (Ephesians 2:4-5)
 
love always pays the price.  Christ’s love for you has paid the price for the change in your life.  “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us…” (1 John 3:16).  “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s own life for his friends” (John 15:13).
 
love always wins.   When you comprehend that God is not working against you and that He is working for you, it will change your life.  “What then say we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies, also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written:  ‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, not angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:31-39).
 
Prayer—Father I thank You that Your “love force” is working a change in my life, and drawing me closer to You, in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.