"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
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
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!
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
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
Monday, September 6, 2010
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.
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
"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!
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!
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!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)