How High Are The Heavens Above The Earth?

Monday, February 28, 2011 , , 0 Comments

PSALM 103:11 NIV
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;

If you understood how much God loves you -- your life would be different.

Fear and worry would have no power over you any longer. Fear has no torment for someone basking in the sunlight of Almighty God's love.

This passage in Psalm 103 attempts to picture the size or extent of God's love. It is not portrayed as simply big as the highest mountain. No, no -- far more. As high as the sky is above the earth. That is the picture God wants you to see when you think of how great His love is for YOU.

How do I know this? Just from what the Bible says. And from what God did in and through Jesus Christ to redeem you. He paid a mighty price for you -- because His love for you is so great.

But, you may ask, "Why is my life going so poorly if God really does love me so much?" That is a valid question, but not the same one as whether God loves you. The quick answer is that God has made provision for us -- but most of us are not taking advantage of the help He offers.

Put another way, we are not acting on God's instructions -- whether out of ignorance or for some other reason. When you don't follow a proven recipe you cannot expect a good outcome.

God has no desire to condemn us for our failure, but instead desires to invite us into His fellowship and His way of doing things. It is through His Word that this will happen in our lives. So, read the Bible to see how much God loves you, but also remember that it is because of His great love for you that He gave you the instructions found in the Bible. They are for your benefit -- not God's benefit.

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Forgive Others As God Has Forgiven You

Sunday, February 27, 2011 , 0 Comments

COLOSSIANS 3:13 NKJ
13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

Forgiving others for deep hurts seems to be one of the hardest things a human being can do. In fact -- very few are successful in forgiving.

Yet, in the Bible God commands us to forgive. Is God overly demanding, or...?

God is smart. That is why He commands us to forgive. (Also because He loves us and desires the best for us.) God knows how terribly destructive it is for us to harbor unforgiveness. Not forgiving someone can literally kill you.

Unforgiveness is a poison that eats away at your spiritual, mental, and physical health and life.

Knowing that, God strictly tells us to forgive. But how can we? We are just human, and we don't feel like forgiving when someone has wronged us severely.

(You may think it is impossible to forgive someone who hurt you. With God it is possible. He never asks us to do something we cannot do.)

The answer is in receiving God's help, enabling you to forgive. First, you must be "born again" spiritually by receiving Jesus Christ as Lord. That means you receive new life in your inner being, giving you a new nature -- a nature of love instead of selfishness.

Next, when you are wronged, you need to ask the Lord to help you forgive the person who hurt you. Having done that, you must make a firm decision to quit holding anything against that person.

Forgiveness is not a feeling but a decision to quit holding something against someone. When you forgive you must release them and forget it.

You must forgive by faith, after asking God to help you. Feelings always follow faith -- not the other way around.

How can we humans forgive others just as God has forgiven us? Having God's help is necessary. Only His love in our hearts can enable us.

You must forgive others -- no matter what they have done. To not forgive hurts you. You must forgive.

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You Are God's Garden

Saturday, February 26, 2011 , , 0 Comments

1 CORINTHIANS 3:9 LB
9 We are only God's coworkers. You are God's garden, not ours; you are God's building, not ours.

We discovered that God's Word is a seed (Luke 8:11). Now we see that the Bible says that we, as believers, are God's garden -- the place where seed is planted.

The question for you to consider is: who determines the harvest? God, or you?

(The harvest I speak of is the fruit, or result, of the Word of God. The harvest of blessing that God's Word produces in your life.)

I suggest that the harvest is mainly controlled by the one who determines what seed is planted. Would you agree?

If wheat seed is planted, it is unreasonable to expect a harvest of corn. If only a few seeds are planted, it is unreasonable to expect a large harvest. Wouldn't you agree?

Yes, you are God's field, but He allows you a lot of freedom to choose what will be produced in your life. And the main way you choose is by choosing what seed will be planted in your heart and mind.

You can choose something other than God's Word. You can also choose different areas of God's Word. Planting different scriptures will produce different results in your life.

If all you ever plant are scriptures on the new birth, you cannot expect to have a huge harvest of healing or financial blessing in your life. The choice is yours.

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God's Word Is Like A Seed

Friday, February 25, 2011 , , 0 Comments

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

A seed is powerful.

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

A seed begins its growth in secret (underground).

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

A seed takes time to produce.

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

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

A seed is persistent.

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

A seed is not affected by other seeds.

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

A seed will stop growing without nourishment.

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

More seeds planted produce a larger harvest.

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

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

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Who Is Right?

Thursday, February 24, 2011 , , 0 Comments

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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God Is Rich In Mercy

Wednesday, February 23, 2011 , , 0 Comments

EPHESIANS 2:4 NKJ
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

The devil promotes the lie that God is mad at people and anxious to condemn them, but the Bible says that God is rich in mercy.

Mercy means not getting what we deserve.

Rich means an abundant supply -- more than enough.

The Bible says 41 times of the Lord that "his mercy endures forever." Psalm 136 makes this statement in every verse.

PSALM 136:1 NKJ
1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

We may look at people and think they don't deserve another chance. They may have blown it again and again and they may seem hopeless to us. But God looks at people differently. He looks at them through eyes of Love and sees their potential and so shows mercy.

Yes, God is against sin. But it's because He loves us, and knows how harmful sin is.

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Jesus Perfectly Pleased The Father

Tuesday, February 22, 2011 , , 0 Comments

God not only approved of everything Jesus did -- He was very pleased with everything Jesus did.

JOHN 8:29 NKJ
29 "And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."

Why is it important for us to look at this?

Many people are unclear what God's will is in many areas. There is much confusion over what many call "acts of God" which bring destruction. But if we understand that Jesus always did God's will perfectly, and that God was thrilled with everything Jesus did, then we can examine what Jesus did and see what God's will is.

Did Jesus ever make anyone sick -- even to teach them something? Did Jesus ever tell anyone it was not the will of God for them to be healed? Did Jesus ever tell anyone that God would not love them and help them? Did Jesus ever destroy anyone's property or steal it from them? Did Jesus ever kill anyone's family member?

No. Never. Jesus did what was pleasing to God. Those things are still not pleasing to God, and He should not be blamed for them.

Is God pleased when people are helped? Is God pleased when people are healed and delivered from bondage? Is God pleased when people's needs are met? Is God pleased when people have their sins forgiven? Is God pleased when people know that God loves them?

Yes. Those are the things Jesus did, and He perfectly pleased God.

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To See God, Look At Jesus

Monday, February 21, 2011 , 0 Comments

Do you want to know God? Get acquainted with Jesus through the pages of the Bible.

JOHN 12:44-45 NKJ
44 . . .Jesus. . .said, "He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me.
45 "And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.

JOHN 14:7-10 NKJ
7 "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him."
8 Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us."
9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, `Show us the Father'?
10 "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.

Why am I stressing this point? It's simple. Most people think highly of Jesus of Nazareth. After all, there is not anything to fault with Him. But when it comes to God, most people blame Him for a lot of bad stuff.

The truth is: looking at Jesus gives you a perfectly clear picture of what the invisible God is like. Any other picture is a lie and a distortion.

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God's Word Will Make You Free

Sunday, February 20, 2011 , , 0 Comments

John 8:31-32 NRSV
31 Then Jesus 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."

Many people think God's Word will put them into bondage. (I used to think that.) Like most of the world's ideas, this is opposite to the truth.

A major reason people go their own way instead of turning to Jesus Christ is because they think following Him and His Word will restrict them and keep them from enjoying life. What a deception!

The only way to know true freedom in this life is found through the Word of God: the Bible.

Also notice that the "truth" Jesus refers to is found in His Word. Just knowing any "truth" does not guarantee freedom.

If you desire freedom, you now know the guaranteed formula to achieve it. Will you follow the directions?

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How God's Word Will Make You Free

Saturday, February 19, 2011 , , , 0 Comments

John 8:31-32 NRSV
31 Then Jesus 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."

Notice carefully what Jesus actually said. It is not those who "start in the word" or "try the word for awhile" who will be made free. You must continue in Jesus' message -- His Word. It must be His accurate message -- not just someone's idea of it, or tradition.

Some translations use the word "abide" instead of "continue." Abide means to stay somewhere continually. Either way, the meaning involves staying with it.

Note that Jesus said in verse 32, "and you will KNOW the truth . . ." Just hearing the truth does not necessarily make you free. You must KNOW that it is the truth. When you KNOW something, you will act on it. If you are not acting on something, you do not yet truly KNOW it. You act on what you know.

Hearing the truth is not enough. Loving the truth is not enough. Even speaking the truth is not enough. You must continue until you know that you know that you know that you know. Only then are you at the point where truth will make you free. The reason is that only then will you be able to act with faith and boldness on God's Word.

The devil is against you and is intent on keeping you in bondage. Only when you KNOW where you stand will you act in faith and overcome the strategies of the devil.

You may ask, "How can I KNOW the truth? I just have weak faith."

Jesus gave the answer: continue in His Word. As you continue in the Word of God you will become convinced -- you will know -- you will have faith. When you reach the point of knowing something -- you will act on that knowledge. In this way the truth will make you free.

This works in every area of life: your relationships, your health, your finances -- everything. Continue in the Word of God in any subject -- and you will eventually see the fruit of freedom in that area of your life.

God gave you His Word for your benefit -- not for His benefit. He already knows the truth, and always acts on it. You are the one who needs help. Because God loves you, He gave you His Word.

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You Are A Citizen of Heaven

Friday, February 18, 2011 , , , 0 Comments

PHILIPPIANS 3:20 NRSV
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

As a believer in Jesus Christ, you have a new citizenship. Your name is written in Heaven. Heaven is your homeland.

Because you are its citizen, Heaven is responsible for you. If necessary, Heaven will send its soldiers (angels) to assist you, and when necessary, to evacuate you.

Although we live on earth, we operate under the laws of our homeland, Heaven, as well as the laws of earth.

As a citizen you have certain rights and obligations. To understand them you need to read the Bible with the help of illumination by the Holy Spirit. You need to ask the Lord to teach you and give you understanding of these things.

COLOSSIANS 1:13 NRSV
13 He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son,

As believers, we are no longer under the authority or control of the devil. We have been transferred into a new kingdom.

One of our rights as citizens of Heaven is to resist the devil and all his works. Anything that is of the devil, we do not have to submit to.

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Jesus Revealed God To Us

Thursday, February 17, 2011 , , 0 Comments

2 CORINTHIANS 4:4 ICB
4 The devil who rules this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe. They cannot see the light of the Good News -- the Good News about the glory of Christ, who is exactly like God.

What is God like?

Before Jesus of Nazareth came on the scene, the human concept of God was a bit fuzzy. (It still is for those who have not understood this truth.)

But Jesus perfectly revealed to us what God is like. He was (and is) Heaven's perfect representative.

COLOSSIANS 1:15 ICB
15 No one has seen God, but Jesus is exactly like him. Christ ranks higher than all the things that have been made.

COLOSSIANS 1:15 WEYMOUTH
15 Christ is the visible representation of the invisible God, the Firstborn and Lord of all creation.

HEBREWS 1:3 WEYMOUTH
3 He brightly reflects God's glory and is the exact representation of His being, and upholds the universe by His all-powerful word. After securing man's purification from sin He took His seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

The scriptures above should have made it clear that God is like Jesus. Now let's look at a verse summarizing the life of Jesus on earth.

ACTS 10:38 NKJ
38 "how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

Notice that Jesus went about DOING GOOD -- not doing bad. Not hurting people, but helping people. That is what God is like.

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How Much Does God Love You?

Thursday, February 17, 2011 , , 0 Comments

Only God can answer this question. Fortunately, we have a book available where we can find out what God thinks: the Bible.

(What a wonderful thought that is! We can read and know what GOD thinks! Don't let yourself be robbed of this great privilege by being too busy.)

PSALM 103:13 NIV
13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

One way we can begin to get an inkling of God's love for us is to know what it is like to have our own children. Psalm 103:13 tells us that the same deep feelings a parent has for their child, are also present in God toward us. The word in this verse means much more than "compassion." It is a very deep feeling -- hard to express in words. This is what God feels for you!

(You may wonder why. I may wonder why God would feel that way about you or me. All I can say is: parents can think their own children are really special, even though others may think they are quite normal!)

Another way we can judge how much God loves us is by what He was willing to go through to redeem us and have us in His family. A lot!

We are familiar with John 3:16, but often being familiar with something keeps us from grasping it as fully and clearly as we should. Think about it: God so loved the dirty, rotten, rebellious world of people -- even those who hated Him -- that He decided to suffer the punishment that justice demanded so they could go free.

God loves you -- no matter who you are -- no matter what you have done. He loves you more than you can imagine or understand.

God loves you more than He loves Himself. That is proven by the fact that He put your interest and your feelings ahead of His own, choosing to suffer so you could go free.

How can anyone not love and worship such a Being as our wonderful God?

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The Difference Between Jesus and The Devil

Wednesday, February 16, 2011 , 0 Comments

John 10:10 NIV
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

There is a stark contrast between the Lord Jesus Christ and the devil.

Jesus is for you. He loves you and desires the best for you. He loves you even more than He loves Himself. He proved it by dying in your place. His desire is for you to have life in its fullness -- life as God planned it to be -- both now and for all eternity.

The devil is the opposite of Jesus. The devil is against you and is always trying to steal from you, kill you, and destroy everything that is good. The devil is selfish and does not care about you or anyone else but himself.

Can you trust the devil? Yes . . . to be the devil. You can depend on him lying and trying to always deceive you. The purpose of this deception is always to draw you away from God and His Word because that is your only source of help and deliverance from the devil's strategies -- which are stealing, killing, and destroying.

Can you trust Jesus? The answer should be obvious. Anyone who cares for you enough to die in your place, suffering for you, so you won't have to suffer, is trustworthy. Jesus promised to never forsake you. He will never quit loving you and trying to help you.

The trouble is, too many people hinder Jesus from helping them. They believe and follow what the devil says, and turn away from Jesus and the Word of God.

You need to invite and welcome Jesus Christ into your life -- in every area. He wants to help you, but will not force His help on you. If you don't -- the devil may get into those areas of your life and wreak havoc.

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God Is Not Guilty

Wednesday, February 16, 2011 , 0 Comments

JOB 40:8 LB
8 Are you going to discredit my justice and condemn me so that you can say you are right?

Many are quick to blame God for all the bad things in their life and in the world. "After all, God is ultimately responsible, isn't He?"

Is a parent responsible for the choices their grown children make? Certainly, they had influence in raising their children. But ultimately, each human makes their own choices and we are each responsible for our own actions. We cannot blame our parents -- our spouse -- or anyone else. If we choose to do wrong, it is our choice.

People are guilty. The devil is guilty. Not God.

"But what about storms, earthquakes, and such?"

Jesus rebuked the storm in Luke 8:24. Are we to believe that Jesus was rebuking something that God was responsible for?

Although it is not clear now to most people, one day it will be clear to all: God is not guilty of anything. The devil and people shoulder the blame for all the heartache, misery, and pain on earth.

JEREMIAH 9:24 NIV
24 but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD.

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Words Bring Success

Monday, February 14, 2011 , , 0 Comments

JOSHUA 1:8 NKJ
8 "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

God's Word never changes. What God promised would work for Joshua will work for you, also. The problem with most of us is that we are just too busy to put God's Word first like we should. But we are not too busy to work trying to get ahead. Explain that.

God never lies. Follow His instructions given above and you WILL have prosperity and good success. Maybe not in 10 minutes. Maybe not even for 10 years. But you will. God promises it.

Notice that Joshua 1:8 does not just say to think about God's Word. No -- the Word must continually be in your mouth! Words!

1 PETER 3:10 NKJ
10 For "He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking guile;

Speaking and thinking in line with God's Word will cause you to prosper and succeed. If you would like to see good days, the Bible admonishes you to watch your words!

Never confess defeat. Confessing Jesus as Lord of every situation brings glory to God.

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Rejoice In The Lord

Saturday, February 12, 2011 , , 0 Comments

PHILIPPIANS 4:4 NKJ
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

At least five times the Bible tells the people of God to rejoice in the Lord.

We may not always be able to rejoice in other people, or in our circumstances.

People can be frustrating. People can be immature. People can be undependable. Need I go on?

But the Lord is different! God is dependable. God is faithful. God is honest. God is good. God is patient. God is kind. God is understanding. God is merciful and gracious.

MALACHI 3:6 NLT
6 "I am the LORD, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed.

When we focus on our circumstances, or on what people do, we can lose our joy quickly.

But with a true understanding of what God is really like, we cannot help but rejoice because of His goodness and greatness.

If you are not sure what God is really like, then look at Jesus Christ in the pages of the Four Gospels in the New Testament. Jesus Christ perfectly revealed to us what God is like.

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The Gift of Righteousness

Friday, February 11, 2011 , , 0 Comments

ROMANS 5:17 NIV
17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

The New Testament reveals the good news that God offers righteousness as a free gift to everyone who receives the Lord Jesus Christ.

Righteousness means right-wise-ness, or being right. So righteousness is right standing, or good standing with God.

Righteousness is a GIFT from God -- not something you can earn or achieve. God simply declares that you are innocent, as far as He is concerned, because you believe in Jesus.

You are righteous if Jesus is your Lord. In fact, Jesus is your righteousness. So, you are really as righteous as God is -- because He IS your righteousness. As a believer in Jesus, you will never be more righteous -- no matter what you do.

1 CORINTHIANS 1:30 NIV
30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God -- that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

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Leave Me Alone

Thursday, February 10, 2011 , , 0 Comments

JOHN 11:25 NKJ
25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.

The sting of death has been removed for the Christian believer by Jesus our Lord.

1 CORINTHIANS 15:55 NLT
55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?"

I am not afraid to die. There is no reason for any follower of Jesus to fear death.

REVELATION 12:11b NLT
11 And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.

I'm in no rush to die, for it's best to live a full life on earth and finish our race here. But after we finish on earth, death for a Christian believer is a promotion.

There are many people who claim to have visited Heaven and came back. I have never heard one indicate they wanted to leave and return to earth. They all say it is wonderful there beyond words.

What else could we expect from our wonderful Lord Jesus!

1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-14 NLT
13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.
14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.

When a Christian dies, they leave their body and go to be with Jesus (Who loved us enough to die for us). Why should we be afraid of that?

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

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Hold Fast Your Confession

Wednesday, February 09, 2011 , , 0 Comments

Confession is the act disclosing your sinfulness before God.
The Bible tells you to hang on tight to saying God's Word.

HEBREWS 10:23 NKJ
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. God has no reason to tell us to hold fast, or hang on tight, to our confession, unless someone, or something, will be trying to get us to turn loose of it and say something else.

HEBREWS 3:1 NKJ
1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus,

HEBREWS 4:14 NKJ
14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

Jesus is the High Priest of our confession what we say. He represents us before God with the words we speak.

The Bible says:
You are righteous in Christ. Romans 3:2
You are forgiven. Colossians 2:13
You are healed. 1 Peter 2:24
You are delivered from the devil. Colossians 1:13
You can do all things through Christ. Philippians 4:13
You are strong in the Lord. Ephesians 6:10
The Greater One is in you. 1 John 4:4
The Lord is guiding you. John 16:13
God is working in you. Philippians 2:13
The Lord is your helper. Hebrews 13:6
Jesus became poor to make you rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9

You may wonder why you should say what God says in the Bible about you. First, God is looking for faith, and second, it is the Word planted in your life that will make you free. Speaking God's Word is a way of planting it in you.

Yes, it can take faith to say what the Bible says about you. Especially when you don't feel like it and the circumstances don't agree, either. But we have to choose: will we rely on our feelings, or God's Word? Do we trust the circumstances more than God's Word?

But you may say, "What the Word says is just not true in my life." You are the establishing witness. God has said something about you. Now when you come into agreement with Him, it will become manifest in your life.

MARK 11:23 NKJ
2 "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will come to pass, he will have whatever he says.

Jesus told you that we will have whatever we say if we believe it. It will come to pass. So you see why the devil tries to get us to quit saying God's Word, which will set us free.

SAY THIS: I will say what God says about me regardless of my feelings circumstances.

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God Really Does Love You

Tuesday, February 08, 2011 , , 0 Comments

1 JOHN 3:1 NIV
1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Yes, you have heard it before. No, you don't understand it yet.

Ephesians 3 mentions praying that believers would know the love of Christ -- which is really beyond knowledge. In other words, you need a divine revelation to understand God's love for you.

EPHESIANS 3:19 ICB
19 Christ's love is greater than any person can ever know. But I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with the fullness of God.

Yes, you know that Jesus died for you, that God watches over you, protects you and provides for you. But that does not really give you insight into how God feels about you. He could do all that just because He felt obligated to take care of you because He created you.

No. That is not the whole story. God LOVES you.

"But why would God love me? I don't even love myself" you may say. Well, pray for a divine revelation -- that is really the only way to know.

However, for those of you who are parents, this may help give you a little insight. Think about the love you have for your children. Can you adequately communicate how you feel to them? Well, our human love for our children is just a shadow of God's love for you, as His child.

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God Is A Father

Tuesday, February 08, 2011 , , , 0 Comments

EPHESIANS 3:15 AMPLIFIED

15 For Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named -- [that Father] from whom all fatherhood takes its title and derives its name.

I have included these different translations, with the notes from the margin, to show that the Bible says that all fatherhood derives from God. In other words, God is the original Father. Everything good that fathers are, was in God first. All earthly fatherhood is but a replica of what was first in God.

EPHESIANS 3:14-15 NIV
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father,
15 from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.

NIV NOTE: Or whom all fatherhood

EPHESIANS 3:14-15 NRSV
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,
15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name.

NRSV Note: Gk fatherhood

One mission of Jesus on earth was to show us what God was like, to reveal Him to us. Jesus introduced the concept of God as Father. The Jews did not know God as Father because the Old Testament does not teach it. No other religion had looked to God as a Father. Instead God was generally thought of as a judge at best, and often as a despicable character who could only be trusted to let you down; someone who would play tricks on you just for his amusement, and delight in disappointing you.

Concepts of God haven't really changed much, have they!

But Jesus revealed to humanity that God was not like they thought -- He was a good Father. Not someone who would do them wrong, but someone who would take care of them with their best interest always at heart. Someone who would love them more than they loved themselves.

How do you think of God?

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You Choose!

Tuesday, February 08, 2011 , , , , , , 0 Comments

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

Most people don't realize that God has given them the power to choose whether they will be blessed.

We choose whether to go God's way and be blessed, or ignore God and go our own way and reap the unfortunate consequences.

God has given humans an amazing freedom to make choices. God does not force blessing on us -- we must choose blessing by choosing God and His ways.

God did not create us to be puppets, robots, or slaves. God desires a family He can fellowship with. There would be no joy in being loved by a robot who had no choice, so God created us with the freedom and the right to make choices.

With our right to make choices also came the responsibility to make them. So we must make choices. God does not make our choices for us.

How do we choose life and blessing? By what we choose to think. Our thoughts guide our actions. That is why feeding or meditating on the Word of God is so vital. The thoughts we allow to dominate our consciousness will determine the focus and direction of our life.

We choose whom we will serve. We choose who and what will influence and thus govern our thoughts and actions.

JOSHUA 24:15 NKJ
15 "... choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve .... But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

When you make a choice, you need to express it by your words. You need to speak and let the universe know where you stand.

SAY THIS: I choose God. I choose blessing. I choose life. I choose health. I choose prosperity. I choose Jesus Christ as my Lord.

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Does God Choose When We Die?

Tuesday, February 08, 2011 , , 2 Comments



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

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

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

But the Bible gives us a different picture.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PHILIPPIANS 1:21-23 NKJ
21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.

23 For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.

Paul, who wrote Philippians, obviously believed he had some choice as to whether to stay here or die. We have the same choice. Even if God may know when we will die, that does not mean He chooses it or causes it. This be difficult for us to understand, because we are bound by time. But just because we do not understand something, does not mean it can't be true. God knows more than we do! God knows the future, but He still allows us to make choices. Somehow, not being restricted to time like we are, God knows what will happen in the future, without robbing us of our freedom to make choices.

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

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

2 comments:

What Is The Kingdom Of God?

Tuesday, February 08, 2011 0 Comments

ROMANS 14:17 ESV
17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and
peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. A kingdom is the domain of a king. It is wherever a king governs, or is in control.

A king can be in control without being physically
present. Wherever his ideas and rules are governing is part of his domain, or kingdom.

This is the point of Romans 14:17. God's kingdom is not just a location where you would live (eat and drink), but it is everywhere we allow God and His spirit to govern us.

So the Kingdom of God includes everywhere the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is acknowledged as King. It is where His ideas govern and where His rules are obeyed.

1 JOHN 4:8 ESV
8 Anyone who does not love does not know
God, because God is love.

God is love, so the Kingdom of God is the Kingdom of Love. There can be no selfishness in the Kingdom of Love. In the Kingdom of Love, everyone delights to help others. Not by force, for it will be our joy to do everything we can to benefit everyone else. (Therefore it will be Heaven!) Every inhabitant will have the same nature as Jesus Christ, a nature of selfless love for others.

LUKE 17:20-21 NLT
20 One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, "When will the Kingdom of God come?" Jesus replied, "The Kingdom of God can't be detected by visible signs.0021 You won't be able to say, 'Here it is!' or 'It's over there!' For the Kingdom of God is already among you."

So the Kingdom of God is not restricted to a certain place or time, like Spain or the USA -- or
even Heaven. The Kingdom of God is everywhere that God is accepted and acknowledged.

The Kingdom of God is everywhere the nature and ideas of God govern. The Kingdom of God means the rule of God, where God's Word (His ideas) are followed. Not acting on God's Word is stepping into the kingdom of darkness.

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Life Can Be Tough

Tuesday, February 08, 2011 0 Comments

JOHN 16:33 ICB
33 "I told you these things so that you can have peace in me. In this world you will have trouble. But be brave! I have defeated the world!"

Jesus never promised us that everything
would be perfect here on earth. He recognized that we would encounter trouble. But His instructions were to be of good cheer -- not to let it get us down. As we encounter difficulties in life, it will help us to remember the big picture. First, God is our Father and has a wonderful eternal plan for us. We are His children and He loves us.
Second, this time is but a training period for our future life with God. We are supposed to be learning to trust God and to obey Him.

So, every problem we ever face is an opportunity to walk in faith and please God. Every problem is an opportunity to overcome with God's help. How can we expect to receive the blessings promised to the overcomer if we never have anything to overcome?

What is the answer when we seem overwhelmed with trouble? Look to Jesus. He has already won the victory. He has overcome and defeated the world. In Him is victory.

You may ask how you can look to Jesus. It is mostly a matter of focus -- what you choose to
think on. What God says in His Word will set you free and give you peace. What the circumstances say is not the final word.

So, go to God's Word. Cling to the promises. Speak them. Sing them. Shout them. Rejoice over them. And thank God for them.

Also, you need to develop a closer relationship with the Lord. That is His desire and it should be yours. All relationships are based on communication, so you must talk to the Lord to deepen your relationship with Him. Develop the habit of talking with Him about everything. You can speak freely to Him -- after all He knows what you are thinking anyway

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What You Say Is What You Get

Tuesday, February 08, 2011 0 Comments

MARK 11:23 NKJ
23 "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says
to this mountain, `Be removed and be cast into
the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but
believes that those things he says will come to
pass, he will have whatever he says.

Jesus said that you will have whatever you say -- dependent on believing and not doubting. Think of that. What you say determines what you get in life. It did for the children of Israel. And the Bible says the things which happened to them are lessons for us.

NUMBERS 14:28 NKJ
28 "Say to them, `As I live,' says the Lord, `just
as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do
to you:

PROVERBS 6:2 NKJ
2 you are snared by the words of your own
mouth; you are taken by the words of your
mouth.

Words can get you in trouble. And words can deliver you (see Revelation 12:11 and Romans 10:10). Words control your destiny.

All of us face trouble in life and it can sometimes be tempting to wonder why God does not help us sooner and in greater measure. While there is much that we don't understand, we must, on the basis of what Jesus said, realize we are responsible for what happens because of the words we have spoken.

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