Let God Interrupt You

by Joyce Meyer - posted February 20, 2017

…And who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this and for this very occasion? 
—Esther 4:14

Have you ever noticed that the men and women we read about in the Bible and consider “great” were all people who allowed God to interrupt their lives and were willing to make tremendous sacrifices for Him? 

Joseph saved a nation from starvation, but not before God dramatically removed him from his comfortable home where he was his father's favorite and allowed him to be imprisoned for many years. Joseph probably wasn't planning a life of hardship and rejection, but God took him through those things in order to position him to be in the right place at the right time. But Joseph could only know that after the fact. 

Esther was a young maiden who undoubtedly had plans for her future when suddenly, without warning, she was asked to enter the king's harem and gain favor with him so she could reveal the plan of wicked Haman, who intended to slaughter the Jews. She was asked to do things that left her frightened for her life, but her wise uncle knew that God had brought her to this point in her life and allowed everything she had endured in the past to prepare her for a moment of greatness. 

These people had plans, but they let God interrupt them and they followed Him instead. If you will decide that you don't mind having God interrupt your life, He can prepare you too, for moments of greatness and use you in awesome ways. 

Love God Today:“Lord, interrupt my life for Your purposes at any time and in any way You see fit.”

This is the Day

By Joel Osteen – Posted February 20, 2017

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE:

"This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."
Psalm 118:24, NKJV

TODAY'S WORD:

It's easy to come up with excuses to delay our happiness. All the time I hear things like, "As soon as I get out of this problem, I'll be happy." Or, "As soon as I lose ten pounds...as soon as my business grows…as soon as my child straightens up…" No, if you don't put your foot down and decide to be happy right now, there will always be something to keep you from being happy. Let's get rid of the excuses and make the decision to enjoy life right now, today. God never intended for us to put off our happiness. That's why David said, "This is the day the Lord has made! I will rejoice and be glad in it." He was saying, "This is the day to be happy; not tomorrow, not when the weather clears up. Not next week, when I don't have to work so hard. Not next month, when I make it through this difficult time." No, choose to honor the Lord right now by choosing to enjoy your life. This is the day that the Lord has made!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

"Father, thank You for this day. Thank You for another opportunity to sing Your praises. I choose to set my mind and heart on You. I choose to rejoice and be glad in You in Jesus' name! Amen."

THE GIFT OF NO CONDEMNATION

By Joseph Prince – Posted February 20, 2017

                  










John 8:11

…”Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

When Jesus was on earth, a woman caught in the act of adultery was brought before Him by the scribes and Pharisees, the religious mafia of His day. They tried to trap Him by posing a question that was difficult to answer: “Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” (John 8:5)

Jesus answered, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” (John 8:7) The scribes and Pharisees began to leave one by one till none of them were left.

The people in the crowd who wanted to condemn the woman could not. But Jesus, the only one in the crowd who truly had the power to condemn her, would not. He then asked her, “Woman…Has no one condemned you?” (John 8:10)

He spoke such words of grace to her because He loved her. Also, by asking her the question, He was giving her a chance to speak words of no condemnation to herself—“No one [condemns me], Lord.” (John 8:11)

Jesus not only spoke words of grace to her, He also gave her the gift of no condemnation—“Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more”. It was when she received the gift of no condemnation that she had the power to “go and sin no more”.

Today, you have the gift of no condemnation because the Son of God was condemned for all your sins. (Romans 8:1) Today, God cannot condemn you when you sin because He is faithful and just to what His Son has done.

So if the devil tries to convince you that God is angry with you when you blow it, just say, “God does not condemn me today because He has already condemned Jesus at the cross 2,000 years ago!”

Unfortunately, we still hear people saying, “Go and sin no more first, then I won’t condemn you.” Maybe you have been saying this to yourself too. But God says, “I don’t condemn you. Go and sin no more.” He gives you the gift of no condemnation, so that you have the strength to go and sin no more!

Thought For The Day

You have the gift of no condemnation because the Son of God was condemned for all your sins.

Overachievers in Christ

By DR. David Jeremiah – Posted February 20, 2017

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Romans 8:37

Recommended Reading: Romans 8:35-39

Sometimes we find ourselves at a loss for words. We feel something so deeply we can’t find words to express it. When the New Testament writers occasionally faced the same problem, they borrowed rare, specific Greek words to convey their meaning—like Paul did in Romans 8:37.

In Romans 8:31-39 Paul details the impossibility of the Christian ever being separated from God’s love. Even though we experience trials, Paul wrote, we are “conquerors” in Christ. But “conquerors” wasn’t enough; Paul needed a stronger word. So he used a very rare Greek word, hupernikao. Huper is the basis of our English word “hyper”—it means above, beyond, or exceedingly. And nikao means to be victorious. Together as one word, they mean “more than conquerors” or “exceedingly victorious.” And that’s what Paul says the Christian is in Christ. Through Christ, the believer is triumphant over every trial and tribulation in life. No wonder he writes that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ (Romans 8:39).

In Christ, you are an overachiever, a hyper-victor, an exceeding conqueror in the face of every obstacle in life.

There is no higher priority in the believer’s life than to delight himself in the love of Christ. 
Maurice Roberts

 Read-Thru-the-Bible: Numbers 33 – 36 Numbers 33 - 36