Do You Believe In Love?

Do You Believe In Love?

MATTHEW 5:44 NKJ
44 "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse
you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who
spitefully use you and persecute you,

Most people believe in force: guns and armies.

Most people believe in money: "financial power."

Many people believe in education, that "If we just educate
people enough we can change the world."

Hardly anyone seems to believe in the power of love to change
things. No one seems to think it would do any good to "turn the
other cheek."

Jesus didn't tell us to "turn the other cheek" just so we could
get beat up more. Jesus believes in the power of love. Jesus
believes that evil can be overcome with good.

ROMANS 12:20-21 NKJ
20 Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is
thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals
of fire on his head."
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

God still believes in the power of love. He believes that if
you love enough, and for long enough, people will finally come
to their senses and respond to that love.

JOHN 13:34-35 NIV
34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved
you, so you must love one another.
35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you
love one another."

Jesus said the mark of His believers would be their love. Where
did we go wrong?

SAY THIS: Lord, help me to believe in love, and to act in love.

Believe What You Say Will Come To Pass

Believe What You Say Will Come To Pass

MARK 11:23 ESV
23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be
taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his
heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it
will be done for him.

Most people have no problem believing what God says will come
to pass. But not many believe that their own words will come to
pass.

You may think it unbelievable to even consider that what you
say would come to pass. But Jesus told us that's part of how
faith works.

"How can it be possible?" you may ask.

For most of us, it will mean we will have to stop much of what
we have been saying. Idle words will have to stop.

But it is possible! If you restrict your words so that nothing
you say is contrary to God's Word, then you can believe that
what you say will come to pass. Because you will only be
speaking in complete agreement with what God has already said.

This won't happen overnight, and it is not easy to completely
control your tongue, but it is possible with God.

JAMES 1:26 NLT
26 If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue,
you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.

JAMES 3:8 NLT
8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full
of deadly poison.

We need help to control our tongue. So we must not depend on
our own self-will or efforts to change, but look to God for His
help.

SAY THIS: Lord, please help me to always speak in agreement
with Your Word, so I can believe what I say will come to pass

Surrounded By Favor

Surrounded By Favor

PSALM 5:12 NIV
12 For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround
them with your favor as with a shield.

God's favor can change your life.

Someone who is favored is called a favor-ite.

(The New Testament teaches that being righteous (in right
standing with God), is a gift we receive when we receive Jesus
-- not something we attain by our works.)

So, the promise of Scripture is that God surrounds you with
favor. What does that mean?

Favor is the blessing of God making people like you and treat
you well.

Is it automatic? We have access to God's grace only through
faith (Romans 5:2). So, you will never experience the fullness
of God's favor without believing for it.

Faith is released through words. So every day thank the Lord
for giving you favor with people, for surrounding you with
favor!

Don't say, "People don't like me." or "Everybody seems to be
against me." or "I never get a break."

Instead say, "Thank you Lord for giving me favor with people."

Then watch God begin to move on your behalf!

SAY THIS: Thank you Lord for surrounding me with favor.

Dedicate Yourself To God

Dedicate Yourself To God

"They do not know the thoughts of the LORD, and they do not understand His purpose." – Micah 4:12 NASB.

God's people were surrounded. There seemed to be little hope. Micah described how many nations would be "assembled against" them (v. 11), eager to
accomplish their purposes. These nations would act with confidence—certain that they would be successful, sure that God's people were vulnerable.
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But these nations did "not know the thoughts of the LORD." They didn't
"understand his plan" (NIV). In fact, they didn't realize how little they really
knew. Their conclusions might have seemed logical. They might have thought that they had superior weapons and resources, that their plans were
foolproof, that their victory would be inevitable.
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But they had neglected to consider God. He hadn't factored into their worldview or their plans.
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How easily anyone can be like those ancient nations: The armies and generals who seek to dominate with their weapons, politicians who fight for
control, mighty corporations accumulating their assets, terrorists who seek to spread fear with their threats, proud celebrities who seek to shape the
thoughts of society to conform to their biases.
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Even Believers can forget God and approach life as if He were not present—as if they were forced to make decisions on their own, fight their own
battles, and struggle through life. But everything changes when we start with God—when He is not an afterthought, but the center of our lives.
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Today, dedicate yourself to serving God. Fill your mind and heart with His Word, and make it a priority to develop a more intimate relationship with
Him. Ask Him to give you His wisdom and His perspective on the world. Let Him give you His peace so you can move forward with boldness and confidence,
freed from fear and worry. Believe Him for victory in every area of your life!
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Prayer: Our Loving Heavenly Father, grant me more of Your wisdom. I seek Your Kingdom. Thank You that I can trust my life to You. Thank you for
hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In Jesus Loving Name I Pray, Amen."

God Bless you.

All The Promises of God

All The Promises Of God

2 CORINTHIANS 1:20 NCV
20 The yes to all of God's promises is in Christ, and through
Christ we say yes to the glory of God.

Although the entire Bible is a message to us today, not all of
it is written directly to us.

The New Testament epistles are written directly to us who are
in the church, the Body of Christ, which includes all
believers.

We do need to rightly divide the Bible, but since all the
promises of God are yes in Christ -- they find their
fulfillment in Him -- we can take any promise of blessing in
the entire Bible and appropriate it by faith.

God has blessed us with every blessing in Christ!

EPHESIANS 1:3 NKJ
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly
places in Christ,

Every promise in the Bible is not directed to us specifically.
But, by faith in Jesus Christ, we can appropriate every
blessing God has to offer.

When we do receive the promised blessings of God's Word, it
brings glory to God.

All this is not automatic. You have to actively receive. But
the main "activity" involved with receiving blessing from God
is believing. To truly believe you need evidence. That's why
you need to read and study the Bible.

SAY THIS: Every Bible promise of blessing is mine in Christ.

Accept God's Acceptance

Accept God's Acceptance

God accepts you, because of what Jesus did as your substitute,
and because He loves you.

EPHESIANS 1:6 NKJ
6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made
us accepted in the Beloved.

All barriers between you and God were broken down by Jesus
Christ. God forgave you, and offers cleansing from all the sin
you ever committed.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:18-21 NLT
18 All this newness of life is from God, who brought us back to
himself through what Christ did. And God has given us the task
of reconciling people to him.
19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no
longer counting people's sins against them. This is the
wonderful message he has given us to tell others.
20 We are Christ's ambassadors, and God is using us to speak to
you. We urge you, as though Christ himself were here pleading
with you, "Be reconciled to God!"
21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering
for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through
Christ.

God's intention is to have a family -- a loving family. He
wants you to be a part of it.

ROMANS 15:7 NCV
7 Christ accepted you, so you should accept each other, which
will bring glory to God.

SAY THIS: I accept that God has forgiven me and accepted me
into His family.

According To Your Faith

According To Your Faith

MATTHEW 9:29 NKJ
29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith
let it be to you."

God responds to faith.

God blesses people who have faith.

Don't you appreciate people who have faith in you? Well, God
appreciates people who have faith in Him.

But His reason is not just selfish -- as ours may be. God knows
His ways are right and bring blessing, while protecting people
from harm. So, when we have faith in God, we will follow His
instructions, and the world will be a better place.

When everyone has faith in God, and follows His way of love,
the world will be a perfect place.

Many people don't understand God because they think He should
respond to need, instead of responding to faith.

God doesn't do that because it doesn't work. Meeting human need
without them having faith in God brings no lasting benefit.

MATTHEW 8:13 NKJ
13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go your way; and as you
have believed, so let it be done for you." And his servant was
healed that same hour.

SAY THIS: God responds to my faith.

The Cross Symbolizes The Victory

The Cross Symbolizes The Victory


"Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void. For the
word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." – 1 Corinthians 1:17-18 NASB.

The Cross became a subject of intense study for George Bennard. Born in 1873, in his midlife, he went through a trying experience which caused him to
reflect on the significance of the Cross. After many hours in study and prayer, he concluded that the Cross was the heart of the Gospel.
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While conducting revival services, Bennard was inspired to write a hymn with words that "were put into my heart in answer to my own need." The hymn
was "The Old Rugged Cross," and soon after its introduction in 1913, it was being sung throughout America.
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This hymn tells of the power of the Cross in a clear, powerful way: "On a hill
far away stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame…I'll
cherish the old rugged cross, till my trophies at last I lay down; I will cling
to the old rugged cross, and exchange it some day for a crown."
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Paul told us that, to those who are not saved, "the word of the cross is
foolishness." But, if we are saved, "it is the power of God."
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How easy it is to fill our lives with pride and self, overlooking what Jesus has
done for us. But the Cross reminds us of the price Jesus paid. As Bennard wrote, "The dear Lamb of God left His glory above to bear it to dark
Calvary."
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Today, let God know how grateful you are that Jesus died for you. Remember that the Cross symbolizes the victory Jesus won. It is the power of God in
your life.
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Prayer: Our Loving Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Jesus to die for my sins. I will cling to the old rugged Cross and exchange it some day for
a crown. I am eternally grateful to You. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In Jesus Loving Name I Pray, Amen."
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God Bless you.

You Don't Face Life All Alone

You Don't Face Life All Alone



JOHN 14:18 BARCLAY
18 I will not leave you to face life all alone. I am coming to
you.

Being alone -- with no help -- is a horrible feeling. One the
devil would love for you to believe is your lot.

You are NOT alone! Jesus promised!

When you feel alone, desolate, and helpless -- remember the
promises of Jesus.

HEBREWS 13:5 NIV
5 . . . God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I
forsake you."

Your feelings are not the true test of reality. God cannot lie.
He is with you now, whether you feel like it, or whether it
looks like it, or not.

Since God is always with you, it would be rude to always ignore
Him. So call on Him and discuss things with Him. Let God be
your friend. That's His plan.

SAY THIS: I am not facing life all alone. God is with me.

Why Read The Bible?

Why Read The Bible?

"I'm a busy person. I have a lot to do. Why should I spend my time reading the Bible? I don't have time to do all I need to do as it is."
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"I already believe in Jesus Christ, that He's the Son of God and my Savior. I've already heard the gospel."

"Why should I read the Bible?"

Please think about the following Scriptures. Then, you will  understand why you should read the Bible.

JOHN 8:31-32 RSV
31 Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

JOHN 14:23-24 RIEU
23 Jesus replied: 'If anyone loves me he will cherish my word; my Father will love him and we will come to him and make him our abode. 24 He that does not love me neglects my words. Yet the word you hear is not my own but that of the Father who sent me.

ACTS 20:32 NKJ
32 "So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

SAY THIS: I will read and study the Bible.

Don't Resist Him

DON'T RESIST HIM

 

 

 "Jonah had gone below into the hold of the ship, lain down and fallen sound asleep." – Jonah 1:5 NASB.

 Jonah had made his plans. He knew what he wanted to do. And he certainly wasn't interested when he learned that God wanted him to travel to Nineveh, which was over land to the east. Instead, Jonah went the opposite direction, boarded a ship sailing for Tarshish, and headed west by sea.

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 Jonah must have thought he would find fulfillment going his own way. But God knew better. He intervened, sending a great storm and hurling hurricane-force winds with such power that the professional sailors thought the ship was about to break apart.

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 Jonah might have realized that God was trying to speak to him. Yet, instead, he escaped into sleep. After the captain woke him up, he joined the other travelers in casting lots. It soon became clear that their troubles were on account of Jonah trying to flee from God. After he was thrown overboard, "the sea stopped its raging."

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 All of us should sympathize with Jonah. We all have had our own plans and dreams at times. There are things we haven't wanted to do. It can be easy to want to run away from God's call and be governed by our own ideas—to be like Jonah and try to escape and go our own way.

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 Yes, it can be difficult to trust in God and obey Him unconditionally, trusting
 that He knows best. It even can be difficult to recognize when He tries to get our attention—through storms or feelings of restlessness. But God knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows that we never will find true peace apart from serving Him.

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Today, remember that God has prepared rich blessings for you. He has a great plan for your life. Don't resist Him. Commit your life anew to Him. Listen to His voice. Seek to obey and follow Him.

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Prayer: Our Loving Heavenly Father, I surrender my life to You. Help me to know Your plan for my life. I commit my time, talent, and treasure to You. Use me to bless others. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In Jesus Loving Name I Pray, Amen."

Cry from depth of sheol

CRY FROM DEPTH OF SHEOL

 "I called out of my distress to the LORD, and He answered me. I cried for help from the depth of sheol ; You heard my voice…You have brought up my life from the pit…I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving. That which I have vowed I will pay. Salvation is from the LORD." – Jonah

 2:2-9 NASB.

"Jonah finally found the right perspective on life. He began to understand God's plans and his personal destiny. But this revelation only came when he was completely helpless and vulnerable."

" Prior to this point, Jonah had his own ideas, and he'd determined not to obey God's command to go to Nineveh. But, in the belly of a fish, he realized just how helpless he was in his own strength and wisdom. He was in "distress" and in "the depth of Sheol." By all rights, he should have been dead".

 Yet in "the deep," in "the heart of the seas" (v.3), God spoke to him. In a place with no way of escape, he realized he needed God. When he cried out, God gave him clearer perspective. He saw that "those who regard vain idols forsake their faithfulness" (v.8). He no longer would seek his own way, but was ready to obey God, regardless of the cost. He realized that all of our efforts are futile unless they're inspired by the Lord and done for His Kingdom. There is no hope or fulfillment apart from Him.

Often God needs to bring us to this point in order to help us turn to Him. We find ourselves in places where we're forced to seek Him. We then realize how much we need Him, and we become willing to put aside everything else and surrender to Him.
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 Today, surrender your life anew to God. Don't run away, but commit your life to serving Him fully and completely, freely and without reservation.
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 Prayer: Our Loving Heavenly Father, I realize how much I must depend on You. I trust You with my life. Guide me. Use me. Lead me. I surrender my life to You. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In Jesus Loving Name I Pray, Amen."
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