1 Timothy 2:1-2

"I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty."

That verse is clear, isn't it? The instruction is plain. Yet even in these
tumultuous days when our nation is so desperately in need of God's guidance, most of God's people don't do what that verse commands.

Why not?

I believe it's because most of us are overwhelmed by the problems we see around us. "How could my prayers make a dent in the national debt?" we think. "How could my faith affect foreign policy?"

In other words, we fail to pray because we fail to realize just how powerfully our prayers can affect this country.

It's time we caught hold of that. It's time we realized that if we'd just be obedient to 1 Timothy 2:1-2, there's no council of any kind on earth, no king, no president, no congress, no anything that could overthrow God's purpose for His people.

Pray for your nation (Zimbabwe). Every day. And never again underestimate the
world-changing power of those prayers.

READ: Daniel 2:1-30

Make a fresh commitment today to walk in union with your God.

1 Corinthians 2:16
"For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct [Him] and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ, the Messiah, and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart."

Isn't it exciting to realize that you can hold the thoughts and feelings and purposes of God's very own heart in your heart? Isn't it thrilling to know the Creator of heaven and earth wants to be one spirit with you and transmit His thoughts to your mind?

First Corinthians 6:17 says that when you were joined to the Lord you became one spirit with Him. He came into union with you so that He can talk to you heart to heart. God wants you in this harmony with Him so that His thoughts can become your actions. He wants you to walk so closely with Him that you never lack power to
overcome the evil of this world. He wants you to be so in tune with His Spirit that you are able to feel His heart of compassion toward those around you who are hurting or bowed down with sickness and pain. He wants to be one with you, so He can reach out through your hands and fulfill His purposes in the earth.

Make a fresh commitment today to walk in union with your God.
Give your attention to His Spirit in your inner man. Determine to yield to His voice and not to the voices of the world or the flesh!

READ: 1 Corinthians 2

"And hope does not ashamed us; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." Romans 5:5

Don't ever worry about not having enough love inside you. The Word says God's love is shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Ghost. God's love is in you. What you need to do is make a decision to let it flow.

Pray this prayer today.

"In Jesus' Name, I make a fresh and strong commitment today to live the life of love, to let the tenderness of God flow through me and heal the wounded hearts of those I meet.

"Father, teach me to love even when things go wrong. To be patient and kind when the children are underfoot. To overlook the spiteful words of an angry spouse. To rejoice when someone at the office gets the raise that I thought I needed.

Teach me to talk in love, to lay gossip quietly aside and to take up words of grace instead."Lord, Your Word says that Your love is already inside me...that it
has been shed abroad in my heart. So today, I resolve to remove every obstacle that would keep that love from flowing freely into the lives of others. I put resentments behind me, and I forgive all those who've done me wrong.
"In the days ahead, cause me to increase and excel and overflow with Your love. Cause me to be what this world needs most of all...a living example of love. Amen."

READ: 1 John 4:7-17

Don't just read the Word. Meditate on it today.

Genesis 15:5-6
"And [God] brought [Abram] forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness."

Do you ever have trouble believing the Word of God? Not just agreeing with it mentally, but really believing that what it says will work for you?

I do. There are times when the promises in the Word stagger my mind. There have been times when I've felt so defeated and the circumstances around me looked so bad that it was tough for me to believe I was "

more than a conqueror" even though I knew God said I was.What do you do when your mind staggers like that at the promise of God? You meditate on that promise.

Scriptural meditation simply means thinking about and reflecting on the Word of God. It means pondering a particular scripture and mentally applying it to your own circumstances again and again until that scripture permanently marks your consciousness.
Don't just read the Word. Meditate on it today.

READ: Romans 4:13-25

Let God's Word be your watch

Psalm 141:3 "Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips."

Do you really believe that you need to watch over your mouth? Most believers don't. You can tell that just by listening to their conversations. They profess, for example, to be trusting God concerning their health. But you're likely to hear them say something like this: "I'm just sure I'm going to get the flu. I get it every year. I'll be sicker than a dog too, you'll see...."

Make the decision right now to set a watch over your lips. Determine to consistently fill your mouth with the Word of God. "Attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings" (Prov. 4:20). Let God's Word be your watch and everything you say will take you a little further upstream!

READ: Romans 10:8-17

"Behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Corinthians 6:2

Did you know that Jesus has unlocked the prison doors of guilt that have kept you captive? It doesn't matter who you are or what you've been. I don't care if you've been a prostitute, a murderer, a thief, a drug dealer, or a churchgoer who's never made Jesus Christ Lord of your life. The Bible says that today is the day of salvation.

A new life is only a prayer away.

Mary and I discovered that for ourselves more than 10 years ago. Actually, it was Mary who took the first step. She found out that the Bible said that not even a sparrow falls without God's knowledge. "Well," she thought, "if God knows and cares when the sparrows fall, He must know what terrible shape my life is in right now. And if He cares, maybe He can do something with it."

Mary didn't know anything about the Bible. She didn't even know for sure that God would let her start over. But when she told Him she wanted Him to take over her life, something supernatural happened on the inside of her. She was born again.

"But what about my past?" you may say. "I feel so guilty about it!"

When you've been born again and made a new creature in Christ--that past doesn't belong to you anymore. And it would be ridiculous to walk around feeling guilty about someone else's past, wouldn't it?

What would you think if I took a little baby on my lap, a pretty little thing just a few months old, and said, "Oh, isn't she precious? But just think about her past."
You'd think I was crazy! "What past?" you'd say. "She doesn't have any past!"

Well, it's the same way with you once you've been born again. You don't have any past. Your life begins again the day you make Jesus Lord of your life. Then, when Satan comes around trying to remind you of what a worm you were before, just tell him he's knocking on the wrong door.

You've been kicked around long enough. There's no need to wait any longer. The prison door is open. Walk through to Jesus and let your life begin again today.

READ: Matthew 10:29-33

"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Matthew 26:41

Have you ever been frustrated with the weaknesses of your flesh?
Have you ever resolved never more to yield to a particular sin, yet when the temptation came, you fell right back into it? It's happened to all of us. Even the disciple Peter. He swore he would never deny Jesus...but he did it anyway, time and time and time again.

There is, however, something we can do to keep from falling prey to temptations like that. We can "watch and pray." That's what Jesus told Peter and the other disciples to do in the Garden of Gethsemane. He knew they were about to be tempted, and He knew that the weakness of their flesh would overcome them if they didn't strengthen
their spirits through prayer.

So, He's given us the ability to pray in other tongues, to strengthen our spirit and build it up until it takes ascendancy over our flesh. As we pray in the Spirit, Romans 8:26 tells us, the "(Holy) Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf".

READ: Matthew 26:30-44

His mercy surrounds me even today!

Psalm 136:1
"O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endured
forever."

God's mercy endures forever! His willingness to act on man's behalf is still operating in the earth. His mercy never runs out. Neither has it abated or weakened.

It has been thousands of years since the Lord said His mercy extended to a thousand generations, and His mercy continues to reach you day after day. He is still plenteous in mercy unto them that call upon Him. With your spirit, dare to stretch your faith to take in the boundless mercy of God. And say with your mouth, "The Lord He is good and His mercy endured forever. His mercy surrounds me even today!"

READ: 2 Chronicles 5:1-14

The Lord is looking to see His reflection in your life!

1 Peter 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

I've been in full time ministry just over 2 years now, and boy, have we had our share of trials and tribulations!

Sometimes when we are in the midst of trials we start to wonder -- Lord, will it ever end? In case you haven't noticed, it doesn't. But the good news is that with each faith-testing experience, our ability to deal with these trials and tribuations becomes better and our faith grows stronger!

In this scripture, God compares our faith to a most precious and beautiful metal -- gold. But when mined, this precious metal doesn't look very precious! It's dirty looking and black. How does gold become beautiful? A refiner takes the gold and carefully melts it in a melting pot -- slowly raising the temperature -- but never to the point where it boils. As it melts, slowly the impurities rise to the surface and he will scoop away the dross leaving a beautiful pot of gold, ready to become your next ring or bracelet. Here's the amazing part. The refiner knows his job is done when he can look into the melting pot and see a reflection of himself.

The only way gold will become more precious is when it's placed on the fire! In the same way, the impurities of our lives must be exposed to the fire so that the Lord can scoop up the filth that shows itself when we get hot!! Notice, though, that He'll never allow us to boil! And then, when it's all said and done, He can look upon us and see the beauty of His reflection!

Please, let's not despise the trials we're facing today -- on the contrary, let's embrace them! The Lord is using these things to prepare us to do great things for Him! Respond to the Lord today by saying what do you want me to learn from this today, Lord? And watch how the Lord blesses you through the fire!

Be willing to eat the good of the land!

Isaiah 1:19
"If you will only obey me, you will eat the good things the land produces."

A healthy body. Enough money to pay all your bills and extra to invest in the work of the gospel. A godly marriage and happy, healthy children. Peace of mind. God has prepared a banquet full of blessings for you.

But those blessings are not just going to fall in your lap. You must be willing as well as obedient if you're going to eat the best from God's table.

So, be willing!

Don't be willing for Satan to put sickness on your body. Be willing, instead, to be well! In honor of Jesus' sacrifice at Calvary, refuse to accept anything less than divine health.

Don't be willing to live in lack, but be willing instead to live in divine prosperity and abundance. Refuse to allow Satan to stop the flow of God's financial blessings to you.

Be willing to receive God's best plan for your marriage and your children. Don't settle for the "norm" in the world. Live above it in a home full of love and harmony, a home that is what God meant it to be.

Don't allow Satan to substitute anxiety and ulcers for the peace and undisturbedness that Jesus bought for you. Be willing and obedient to cast all your cares on Him, for He cares for you.Refuse to be robbed of the banquet of blessings that have belonged to you since you became a believer. Be willing to eat the good of the land!

READ: Deuteronomy 8:5-20

Death!

Hebrews 2:9"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man." Death. It's not a popular topic--even among believers. In fact, a great many are just plain scared of it. Oh yes, they talk about having eternal life. Yet when the devil tries to threaten their earthly survival with sickness or calamity, they panic. Why? Because they haven't learned to look at death through God's eyes. Even though their spirit has been made immortal, they haven't renewed their minds to include that truth. If they had, when the devil tried to push their panic button, they'd just laugh and say, "You can't scare me, devil. I've done all the dying I'm ever going to do!" That's true, you know. The Word of God says that you, as a born-again believer, are never going to see death (John 8:51). Jesus has been your substitute. He suffered death, so you wouldn't have to. And when He was raised, Hebrews 2:14-15 says, "He destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And delivered them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." READ: Hebrews 2:9-15

Courage comes from faith!

Joshua 1:9
"Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be dismayed: for I the Lord your God , am with you wherever you go."

Courage comes from trusting God. It can't be mentally drummed up. It comes from believing what God says regardless of what the circumstances look like. Courage comes from faith!Where does discouragement come from? From fear and unbelief.
It comes when you listen to the devil's lies about what God is not going to do for you.

As the people of God, you and I must shake off discouragement and rise up with courage! We must quit looking at our own abilities and failures and limitations and start looking to God. We must rise up in the Name of Jesus and the power of His Spirit and establish the kingdom of heaven upon earth.

If you've been discouraged lately, stop listening to Satan's lies. Stop receiving evil reports. Whenever someone tells you God is not going to deliver you, just tell them, "He's already delivered me in the Name of Jesus."

Once you begin to realize who you are and what you've been given by the power of God, you'll quit letting the devil run all over you. God didn't suggest that you be strong and courageous. That is His command!

READ: Joshua 1:1-9

Believe, confess and receive your miracle today.

Romans 10:10
"For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Do you need a miracle? Then believe it, confess it and receive it!If you don't have enough faith yet to believe for the miracle you need, then you can get it. "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17). So start filling the ears of your heart with the Word until faith for your miracle is born.

That's what the woman did who had the issue of blood. She believed in her heart that Jesus would heal her. Then she spoke her faith out loud. Then she acted on that faith--and she received her miracle.

It wasn't Jesus' decision. He didn't suddenly say, "You know, I think I'll work a miracle for that little lady today." No. She made it happen. She took her faith and drew on the power of God. That's why Jesus said, "Daughter, your faith has made you whole" (Matt. 9:22).

You have that same opportunity. God's power is always present everywhere. Your faith will bring it into your life, body or circumstances. So reach out to Jesus. Believe, confess and receive your miracle today.

SCRIPTURE READING: Matthew 9:18-31

feast your eyes on this!

Proverbs 15:15 All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.

Solomon wrote, "a merry heart has a continual feast!" But why does it seem like so many of us are not feasting? How do we maintain a merry heart?

Too often, we brood and complain over all the things we lack. Somehow we've come to believe that if good things would only come our way, we'd be truly happy. But it's not good things that bring a merry heart - it's living a life of wholehearted faith!

Paul said that he was content both in want and in plenty! Mathew Henry said, "Discontent is a sin that is its own punishment and makes men torment themselves; it makes the spirit sad, the body sick, and all the enjoyments sour; it is the heaviness of the heart and the rottenness of the bones." A third-century man penned these last words to a friend: "It's a bad world, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret. They have found a joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasure of our sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world. These people are the Christians--and I am one of them."

Lord, help us not to focus on the worldly things we lack. Help us to master our souls and overcome the world. We want to be men and women of GREAT FAITH! Lord, you have come that Your joy would remain in us, and that our joy would remain FULL! Help us to experience the full joy you have for us today! In Jesus Name we pray!

Please, let's begin feasting and filling our spiritual bellies with the His Word! Let's make our mouths to be filled with His praise! The joy of the Lord is our strength!

Put the power of words to work for you.

Proverbs 18:21
"Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof."

Words are serious business. And, as believers, we need to get serious about learning how to use them. We need to begin to put them to work for us like God Himself does. The Bible tells us that He uses words to "call those things which be not as though they were" (Rom. 4:17).

Most of us don't have the faintest idea how to do that. We've spent our Lives "telling it like it is." We've constantly used our mouths to report on the sorry state of affairs around us. Thus, the very thought of calling "things which be not as though they were" seems a little crazy.

"You mean I'm supposed to say, 'I'm healed' when I'm feeling sick? I'm supposed to say, 'I'm prosperous' when I'm penniless?" we say. "That sounds like lying to me."

No, no. There's a vast difference between lying and speaking by faith. A lie is meant to deceive someone. It's designed to make someone believe something that's not true. But to speak by faith is simply to speak words that agree with the Word of God instead of the circumstances around you. It's speaking from your spirit instead of from your mind.

Begin today bringing both your tongue and your heart in line with the Word. Stop "telling it like it is" and start speaking and believing the promises of God. Put the power of words to work for you.

READ: Proverbs 15

Don't do that. Be patient. Give the Word time to do its work.

Deuteronomy 6:6-8
"And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt...talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. ...and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes."

One of the reasons Mary and I have seen the results we have in our lives is because when we realized what the Word of God would do, we literally immersed ourselves in it. We turned off the radio and television, we put down the newspaper, and spent nearly every waking moment of the time available either reading the Word, listening to tapes on the Word, or thinking about the Word.

All that time in the Word eventually had a powerful effect on us. It began to revolutionize everything about us. It began to turn failure into success.

All that didn't happen overnight, however. It took time. A great many believers don't realize that. They start out devoting themselves to the Word, but they make the mistake of expecting instant, miraculous results, and when they don't see them, they get disappointed and fall away.

Proverbs 17:14

"The beginning of strife is as when water first trickles [from a crack in a dam]; therefore stop contention before it becomes worse and quarrelling breaks out."

Throughout the Scriptures, God warns us about the danger of strife. Yet, it's still one of the most common problems among believers. We let it get into our homes, our work places, our churches...everywhere! Of course, we don't purposely let it in. We don't wake up in the morning and say, "I think I'm going to stir up some major strife today." We just inadvertently let it slip up on us one minor irritation at a time.

So, I urge you today to take a big stand against those little opportunities for strife. If you have a tendency to let things irritate you, decide to overcome that tendency. Arm yourself against them with the knowledge that this world isn't perfect, that there are people in it that aren't going to be nice to you. There are people who are going to stir you up and annoy you on purpose or by accident.

Make up your mind that, by the power of God, you're not going to let them get your peace. That peace is so important to your well-being. It will keep your body healthy. It will keep your relationships healthy. It will put you in a place where God can guide your steps and save you from some very grave mistakes.

READ: Matthew 5:21-26,43-48

1 Peter 5:6

"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."

Are you ready to be free of care? If you are, just make this confession of faith:

I'm a believer. I'm not a doubter. The Word works in me; and at this moment, I humble myself under the mighty hand of God. I cast all my care over on Him. From this moment forward, I refuse to worry. Instead, I will pray. I will use my faith and believe, and He'll exalt me over the problem and over the devil. For I belong to Jesus and He cares for me!

READ: Psalm 55:16-22

Let the Word fight its own fight.

Isaiah 55:11 "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not
return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."

Did you know that the battleground for the problem you're facing right now is in your mind and on your lips? If you'll hit the devil with the Word and cast the care of the situation over on God, you'll win.

Remember this: It's the Word that does the work, not the one holding onto it. It'll work for anybody who'll put it to work. It'll work for you just like it worked for Jesus when He walked the earth.

He told Satan, "It is written!" No matter what the devil tries to tell you, refuse to let go of the Word. Tell him what is written concerning your situation. Let the Word fight its own fight. It'll whip the devil every time.

READ: Psalm 19:7-14

Mark 4:24

"And he said unto them, Pay attention to what you hear: The same rules you use to judge others will be used by God to judge you, but even with greater severity."

How many blessings are you going to receive from the Word of God? depends on how many you expect to receive. When God measures them out to you, He'll be using your measuring stick, not His own. He always works that way.

Two people can hear God's Word about healing, for example. One will measure it with faith. "Praise God, by His stripes I was healed!" he'll say. "I believe that with all my heart, and I'm going to keep on believing it until I receive my healing." The other will measure it with skepticism. "I don't care what Bible verses he comes up with," he'll say. "I just don't trust that preacher. I'll give this healing stuff a try, but I doubt very much if anything's going to come of it."

Both of those people will get exactly what they expect. God will measure to them just as they measured the Word. One will get healed...the other won't.

If you want to receive blessings by the bushel load, start going to the Word with a bushel basket. Put a big measure of faith in the hand of God. He'll fill it to overflowing and give it right back to you!

READ: Luke 8:1-18

It is vitally important that the Christian face be a smiling face.

Years ago this message was posted on the wall of a prominent department store:

The Value of a Smile

It costs nothing, but creates much.

It enriches those who receive, without impoverishing those who give.

It happens in a flash and the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.

None are so rich they can get along without it, and none so poor but are richer for its benefits.

It creates happiness in the home, fosters good will in a business, and is the countersign of friends.

It is rest to the weary, daylight to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and Nature's best antidote for trouble.

Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is no earthly good to anybody till it is given away.

And if in the last-minute rush of the day, the person you encounter is too tired to give you a smile, may we ask you to leave one of yours?

For nobody needs a smile so much as those who have none left to give!

Develop the love He has hidden in you.

2 John 1:6, "And what this love consists in is this, that we live and walk in
accordance with and guided by His commandments His orders, ordinances, precepts, teaching. This is the commandment, as you have heard from the beginning, that you continue to walk in love guided by it and following it."

Quite simply, God says love is keeping His commandments. That brings love out of the indefinite into something explicit. But God has done more than define love for you. He's given you instructions so that you can know how to love as He loves. By giving you His Word, God has given you His love manual in black and white. All you have to do is follow it and you'll be walking in love.

If you've made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life, you've already taken the first step of obedience. The love of God has been born within you. But, unless you take steps to develop it, that love will remain hidden within you. Love works in much the same way as the force of faith. Like faith, love becomes active through knowledge of
the Word.

Become love conscious by confessing and acting on God's Word today. As you meditate these scriptures, see yourself living the love life. See yourself walking in accordance with and guided by the commandments of Jesus. Develop the love He has hidden in you.

READ: 1 John 2:3-11

Have a victor mentality!

1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

In 2nd Samuel Chapter 9 we read of the story of King David and Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth was the son of Jonathan and the grandson of the first king of Israel, King Saul. After Jonathan's death, David went forth to show kindness to Saul's house. Mephibosheth had become lame at the young age of five -- he had lived his entire life as a cripple. When David calls him forth, Mephibosheth replies "What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?" His identity was completely based on his disability, when in fact he was the grandson of a king! He had forgotton his royal lineage and was wallowing in self pity. Yet David looked beyond his disability and recognizing who he was, offered him a place at the King's table.

How much time do we spend wallowing in our own self pity, groaning about things with which we struggle daily...so much so that it becomes who we are! The enemy would love nothing more than to keep us focused on our disabilities so that we are distracted from the calling of God on our lives. He wants us to have a "victim mentality". But let's not lose focus of the reality of who we are. In Jesus we are a chosen generation, part of a royal priesthood, and the King has offered us a place at His table! We are heirs of His great throne!!

Guys, in Him, we should have a victor mentality! Press forward -- know who you are in Him and take your rightful seat at the King's Table.

Fight the fight of faith

2 Corinthians 12:7
"And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me."

The devil has used the traditional teaching of Paul's thorn in the flesh to talk believers out of the blessings of God for years, to try to convince us to settle for everything from sickness to sin--and to do it of our own free will.

It is perhaps the most destructive and the most widely accepted misinterpretation of Scripture that exists in the Body of Christ today. Tradition says that God gave Paul the thorn in the flesh. What's more, tradition makes the thorn into some great
mystery. But the Scripture doesn't say that at all!

It says that the thorn in the flesh was a messenger of Satan. Not God-- Satan! The thorn was quite literally just what Paul says it was--a "messenger sent from Satan."

Don't allow the devil to talk you out of your victory. Throw tradition aside and dare to believe the Word of God. Fight the fight of faith, and just like the Apostle Paul, you will see the salvation of the Lord!

READ: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Life awaits us!

Philippians 3:13-14 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

There are two kinds of birds that roam the desert: vultures and hummingbirds. The vulture thrives on a diet of rotting meat. He flies overhead searching for traces of leftover carcasses from slow-footed critters eaten by wild animals who’ve already had their fill.

Hummingbirds, on the other hand, will sweep through the desert, passing over all those repulsive, dead animals and seek colorful patches of beautiful wild desert flowers. They will suckle the delicious juices of those sweet desert blossoms and be satisfied.

While vultures look to the dead for their survival, the hummingbird seeks the living! Likewise, some of us unconsciously look to our past with its regrets, failures and sins to keep us alive. We think that somehow by looking back to those dead things, we might find some motivation to keep surviving here and now. But let’s take a lesson from the hummingbird.

Guys, let’s sweep past that which is dead and focus on the sweet new life -- the exciting future that God holds for us as we continue seeking Him and moving forward in our relationship with Him!

Beware!

Matthew 10:16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

Nature provides us with an illustration that closely parallels the insidious tactics employed by our adversary. According to scientists, Artic polar bears feed almost entirely on seals. To enjoy such a meal, they sometimes resort to a cunning bit of trickery. If the hole through which the seal gets his food is near the edge of the ice, the polar bear will take a deep breath and swim under water to its exact location. Remaining below the surface, he will then make a tiny scratching sound, imitating a fish. When the charmed seal hears this, he dives in for a quick supper, only to find himself suddenly entrapped in the huge, hungry embrace of his predator.

God has sent us forth as sheep among the wolves. There are so many theories disguising themselves as Godly. We're hungry for that meal -- but we must be wise enough to make sure it's not a trap! Keep reading and studying the Word of God! Pray and ask Him to reveal His truth.

Guys, the enemy loves to tempt us with a 'treat' so he can devour us! Don't take anyone's word but God's!

Determine to become a Word addict.

1 Corinthians 16:15
"Ye know the house of Stephanas...and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints."

I want you to begin to develop an addiction today--an addiction to the Word of God. That may sound odd to you, especially if you don't have much of an interest in the Word right now. But, believe me, it's possible. I've done it myself and I've seen others do it, time and again.

All you have to do is make a decision to give yourself to it. To focus your time and attention on it. The more you give yourself to it, the more your desire for it will grow. Eventually, it will consume your thinking.

So determine to do that. Determine to become a Word addict. Once you do, you'll
never be willing to live without it again.

SCRIPTURE READING: Hebrews 4:1-12

No other can deliver like Him!

Psalms 91:7,10
"A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling."

So, no matter how terrifying things around you seem to get, trust God. He'll always be faithful. He'll never be out doing something else when you need help. He'll be right there to deliver you from any problem, any catastrophe, any kind of devastation.

Let Him prove in your life what He proved in the lives of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: No other can deliver like Him!

SCRIPTURE READING: Daniel 3

God's grace is sufficient for you!

2 Corinthians 12:9
"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

When you run into an impossible situation, a situation you simply don't have the strength or the ability to handle, are you often tempted to simply give up and accept defeat? Don't! Instead shout, "Glory!" because the Word says God's strength is about to be made perfect in you.

So, if you are facing a crisis today
If you're sick and medicine has failed you
If your finances are out of control
If your family is falling apart
If bad habits have you hope-lessly bound
If you've done absolutely all you know to do and you still haven't gotten results
Then rejoice! For when human strength ends, the power of God excels!
Only believe!
God's grace is sufficient for you!

SCRIPTURE READING: Acts 14:1-22

The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit.

2 Timothy 1:7 "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of
love, and of a sound mind."

What would you think if I told you that you could live without fear? Would you believe me if I said that despite what you saw on the news tonight, you could be perfectly at peace? Impossible? Unrealistic? No!

You see, fear isn't just a reaction to external circumstances. It's a spiritual force. It begins inside a person. And it is totally destructive. In fact, fear is Satan's primary weapon. He moves in response to fear, the way God moves in response to faith. He challenges the promises of God with it.

The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit. Use it to fight Satan every time he comes against you. Hold up your shield of faith and quench all of his fiery darts. Speak words of faith and fear will depart.

SCRIPTURE READING: Psalm 27

Good news

2 Corinthians 5:19 "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation."

Very few unsaved people today have ever really heard the good news. Why? Because too many Christians are busy telling the world God is mad at them. And telling them that they're terrible and wrong. Some call that good news, but it's not, and it's not what God has commissioned us to share.

Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, God has cleansed and forgiven and restored to Himself every man, woman and child on the face of this earth. All any of us have to do now is receive that good news. That's the good word God has given us. That's the word we need to share with those who are lost. If we'll do it, I can almost guarantee you, they won't stay lost very long.

SCRIPTURE READING: 2 Corinthians 5:10-21

When God speaks, don't waste a moment

James 1:6-8 "He that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and
tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways."

What happens when you hesitate to do something God has told you to do? Your adversary takes the first step. The devil gets the jump on you. If you want to live by faith, hesitation is one of the most
hazardous habits you could ever have. It comes from being indecisive. The Bible says a man like that is "unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything he thinks, feels, decides"

When God speaks, don't waste a moment. Step right out in faith. That way, you can always keep the devil a step behind you!

SCRIPTURE READING: James 1:1-8

Start possessing your Promised Land!

Numbers 33:51-53 "When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan; Then ye
shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you...and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it."

God has given you a Promised Land. It's a place flowing with milk and honey, where your every need can be met. A place where you can keep sin underfoot as you rule and reign with Christ. A place where no weapon formed against you will prosper. A place where you are seated with Christ in heavenly places, far above principalities and powers--far from oppression.

As you study the Word of God, you'll find that's an accurate description of the kind of victory you should be experiencing in Christ--not in the sweet by-and-by--but right here, right now.

You may say, "Yes, that sounds nice in theory, but I'm dealing with reality here. The rent is due, and all I see is sickness, oppression and fear. This doesn't look like much of a Promised Land to me."

Are you still letting the devil live there? He's not just going to pack up and go home, you know, just because God has promised you victory. You have to kick him out.

Don't let him dwell in your territory. Force him to pack up and go home. Start possessing your Promised Land!

SCRIPTURE READING: Mark 16:17-18; James 5:7-9