YOUR ANSWER IS IN HIS WORD

By Joseph Prince – Posted March 31, 2017

Proverbs 4:20-22

My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.

God has given us a sure way to receive the answers to our problems and challenges. It is His Word. Every answer or solution we need is found in the Bible.

Yet, many Christians are not walking victoriously in certain areas of their lives. This is because the devil continuously wages a war of distraction against them. He has managed to take them away from the one thing that can bring them victory—the Word.

He will do everything possible to prevent them from opening the Bible because he knows that the Word will deliver them.

The distraction can be very subtle: A lot of things to get done, a lot of TV programs that interest you, or it may take the form of a big problem that makes you feel that you need to focus all your attention on it. The enemy knows that if he can get you to take your eyes off the Word of God, he can keep you from winning the battle.

When you are going through a tough time, it is not enough to know that God’s answer to the problem is “somewhere in the Bible”. Find the scripture in which God has promised the solution. Meditate on it until the truth of that scripture is revealed to you. When you do this, no demon or devil can prevent that word from God from bearing fruit in your life.

Even Jesus Himself used the Word to defeat the devil in the wilderness—“It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4) The way to defeat the enemy is with “It is written…”

My friend, there is no substitute for the written Word. God tells us that we will find life and health if we give our attention to His Word and keep it in the midst of our hearts. So get into the Word and let God’s promises abide in you.

Thought For The Day

Every answer we need is found in God’s Word.

Full Hands

By DR. David Jeremiah – Posted March 31, 2017

For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Matthew 6:14

Recommended Reading: Matthew 6:14-15

This verse is a reminder of the importance of forgiving others, but if we only focus on what God will withhold from us if we do not forgive, we neglect the role our spirit plays in forgiveness. Humility, compassion, and wisdom are necessary in the giving and receiving of forgiveness. The truth that each and every person has sinned and fallen short reminds us that everyone has a substantial debt they cannot pay. 

When our spirit is consumed with grudge holding, toxic emotions cripple us. Indignant judgment, poisonous anger, frustration, and bitterness aim to take up permanent residence within. The crushing result is a diminished ability to receive forgiveness. We descend into a tailspin of negative thoughts and emotions. With all our energy focused on the perpetrator, we forget our own debts. 

God’s generosity is an invitation to be forgiven and set free. When we forgive others, we experience that freedom once again. Instead of carrying the weight of unrelenting forgiveness, you can know the light, love, and freedom that comes from passing on the forgiveness you have obtained.

Nothing of spiritual significance comes without sacrifice. Your spirituality will always be measured by the size of your sacrifice. 
Jerry Falwell

 

 

Join the Party

By Joyce Meyer - Posted March 31, 2017

A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.
— Proverbs 15:13 

When Jesus invited people to become His disciples and follow Him, He asked them if they wanted to join His party. I realize He was talking about His group, but I like to think that traveling with Jesus was probably a lot of fun as well as a lot of hard work. 

Repeatedly throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus invite people to leave their lifestyles and side with His party, and He is still issuing that invitation today. Yes, there is work to do for the kingdom of God, but thankfully we can have fun while we do it. 

When we follow Jesus, we are not going to a solemn assembly or a funeral. We are joining His party that is full of life, peace, and never-ending joy! 

Prayer of Thanks: Father, help me to lay aside the burdens and cares of this world and receive Your joy today. I thank You that You want me to have fun and enjoy the life You have given me. With Your help, I will celebrate Your goodness in my life today and every day. 

A Vital Necessity

By Joel Osteen – Posted March 31, 2017

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE:

Set your mind and heart to seek (inquire of and require as your vital necessity) the Lord your God...
(1 Chronicles 22:19 AMPC)

TODAY'S WORD:

What things do you consider a vital necessity in your life? In other words, what can’t you live without? Most people would immediately think of food, water and shelter; but in reality, we can’t really live unless our minds and hearts are set on seeking the Lord. Sure, you can exist without seeking Him, but you are called to more than just mere existence; you are called to live - to thrive - to enjoy your life abundantly! 

Today and everyday, set your mind and heart on seeking the Lord! Write down your favorite scriptures and commit them to memory. Whenever you can, think about those verses. Meditate on God and His infinite love. When you require the Lord as a vital necessity, you will truly live and enjoy the abundant life He has in store for you!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Heavenly Father, today I choose to set my mind on You. I seek You with my whole heart. Show me Your love and character today. Show me Your ways that I may walk and live closely with You. I love You in Jesus’ name. Amen.

  

Ready Minds

By Joyce Meyer - Posted March 30, 2017

Now these [Jews] were better disposed and more noble than those in Thessalonica, for they were entirely ready and accepted and welcomed the message [concerning the attainment through Christ of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God] with inclination of mind and eagerness, searching and examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
—Acts 17:11

One of my much-published writer friends taught a series of classes at a writers’ conference on beginning writing. He wanted to reach people who felt God had called them to write and show them how to get their articles and books published.

At the beginning, he asked the attendees how long they had been writing and if they had ever been published. Two women, who sat in the front row, said they had both been writing for almost twelve years, but had not yet published anything.

At the end of the first lecture, my friend overheard one of the women say to the other, “Oh, we know all of that. We don’t need to come back to this class.”

They may have already known the things he was teaching, but there was no evidence they had applied what they knew. He also commented that the most eager students in the classroom were those who had already begun to publish. They wanted to learn and improve. Only people who are humble enough to continue learning will ever succeed.

That incident makes me think of an event in the book of Acts. The apostles Paul and Silas preached in Thessalonica, and the people tried to kill them, so believers helped them flee. From there, they went to the city of Berea. Luke records that the people there were fair in their thinking. They received the message “with all readiness,” or, as I like to say, they had ready minds.

That means those were people who were open to God—they were willing to hear what God said, no matter whether it was good news or bad.

If I asked any group of Christians, “Are you ready-minded?” they would immediately say that they were. That’s what we assume being a Christian means—ready, open, willing to hear God, and to be obedient to what He says.

For many people, being ready-minded means that they are ready and open if the message is what they want to hear. If it’s not what they want to hear, they don’t try to kill the messengers like the Thessalonians, but they say, “Oh, we know all of that,” and stop listening.

What does it really mean to be ready-minded? It means being willing to turn away from every lie and deception that Satan offers. It means being willing to say, “I was wrong.” It means that instead of listening only for what we want to hear, we listen for what we need to hear.

To be ready-minded means we discern the source of the voice. We love to hear words that make us feel good and encourage us, but we don’t like words that make us aware of our shortcomings. In Satan’s battle for our minds, one of his tricks is to convince us that a message isn’t important or that we already know it. He may even say that the message is not correct, and by doing so, he prevents us from hearing what we really need in order to gain our own freedom.

For example, a pastor preached a sermon against gossip one day. He aimed his message at one woman—who delighted in telling people tales about others. What she didn’t know, she allowed her imagination to fill in. At the end of the service, she said to the pastor, “That was an excellent message. A lot of people in this church need to hear that.”

The pastor said she wasn’t being sarcastic or hypocritical. She simply didn’t get the message. She didn’t have that ready mind—the mind that was open to receive a message of grace and help from God. It never occurred to her that she needed the message. To have a ready mind is not always easy. In fact, the more seriously the Holy Spirit wants to deal with us, the more Satan tries to convince us that we already “know all that” or it’s not something we need to hear.

Lord Jesus, please give me a ready mind. Enable me to hear You clearly and easily. Enable me to say, “Yes, Lord,” no matter what Your Spirit has to say to me. I want to have a ready mind that pleases You in everything. I ask this in Your name. Amen.

Broken Pottery

By DR. David Jeremiah – Posted March 30, 2017

But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.
Job 23:10

Recommended Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

If it’s broken, throw it away. This is how the world handles brokenness, whether it is things, strategies, or even people. The Japanese art form of kintsugi, “golden joinery” or kintsukuroi, “golden repair,” flies in the face of this conventional wisdom. Shattered pieces of pottery are carefully reunited into a whole using a costly lacquer containing powdered gold, silver, and platinum. Transformation is the result. Common pieces of pottery are transformed into unique pieces whose value skyrockets past what they were formerly worth.

What a beautiful picture of God’s redemptive work. Whether our brokenness is the result of circumstances beyond our control or our own regrettable choices, Jesus beckons us to Himself. As the Creator and Artist of the world, He gently reunites us to God, our true selves, and one another. He promises to use us for His glory and to make us whole. What shattered area of your life will you bring to Him today?

“How do you know when the gold is purified?” we asked him, and he answered, “When I can see my face in it [the liquid gold in the crucible] then it is pure.”
Amy Carmichael

Get Filled Up!

By Joel Osteen – Posted March 30, 2017

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE:

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled
(Matthew 5:6, NIV)

TODAY'S WORD:

Sometimes, it’s easy to get wrapped up in taking care of the people around us. You may find that you’re always giving, taking care of the children, working overtime at the office, or helping that friend who is struggling. And that’s all good. But if you’re not careful, you can end up feeling rundown. That’s why you have to take time every day to get filled back up. Your first priority should be taking care of yourself and making time to get into the presence of Jesus.Throughout scripture, we see that in God’s presence there is fullness of joy, fullness of peace, and fullness of victory. In His presence, you’re refreshed and restored. That’s why it’s so important to take time every day to read your Bible and meditate on His promises. We have to be diligent to have that quiet time with Him. 

Today, take time to get alone with God and just say, “God, I love You today. Thank You for my life, for my family, for the opportunities You’ve given me. Lord, I know every good thing comes from You.” When you live like that, with your heart connected to His, you’ll be refreshed, restored, reenergized and filled up for the journey of life! 

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Father, thank you for filling me with Your strength. Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus so that I can be righteous in You. I hunger for Your truth and seek You first. Draw me to You and keep me close to You always in Jesus’ name. Amen.

RECEIVE BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH

By Joseph Prince – Posted March 30, 2017

Galatians 3:5

Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?...

Imagine that you are at a healing service. An alcoholic walks into the church reeking of alcohol. He sits behind the pianist, a nice elderly lady who has been serving in the church for 50 years. Both of them are suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. The healing power of God is present. In an instant, the alcoholic, who has never been in church before, gets healed. The pianist does not.

Most people, on hearing stories like this, would get upset and confused. They might ask, “Shouldn’t God heal this nice, old lady who has been serving Him faithfully all these years, and not that debauched drunkard?” You see, many people still believe that God heals only the deserving.

But that is not how God works. God looks at faith, not works. His power is made manifest in those who trust His goodness instead of their good behavior. So if we go back to the above example, God wants to heal both the alcoholic and the nice elderly pianist. All they need to do is to receive by grace, or unmerited favor, through faith.

You see, we cannot earn the blessings of God. We receive them by believing God’s love and grace toward us. If we receive the greatest blessing—salvation—by simply believing that Jesus did it all for us and not by working for it, what makes us think that the other lesser blessings can be obtained by our works?

So if my daughter Jessica falls sick, I don’t go to the Father and say, “Father, heal my daughter because I am Pastor Joseph Prince and I preach healing to the people.” No, I go to Him by the blood of Jesus and say, “Father, I thank You that 2,000 years ago, Jesus bore Jessica’s sickness in His body. On that basis alone and by Your grace, I pronounce her healed in Jesus’ name.”

When you simply believe that you receive your blessings based on Jesus’ finished work and by His grace alone, you will receive your blessings!

Thought For The Day

God’s power is made manifest in those who trust His goodness instead of their good behavior.