People Are More Important Than Things

By Joyce Meyer - Posted March 17, 2017

Do not love or cherish the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. 
—1 John 2:15

One day my previous housekeeper was cooking a roast for us in the pressure cooker. She did something wrong and the valve blew off the top, shooting steam, roast, grease, potatoes, and carrots straight up into the air. The ceiling fan above the stove was on full speed. It caught the food and grease and sent them flying all over the kitchen walls, ceiling, floor, furniture—and the housekeeper. When I came home from work, she was sitting in a corner of the kitchen, crying. She looked so bad I thought she had received some tragic news. I finally got her to tell me what had happened; and when she did, I started laughing. By the time Dave came in, she and I were both laughing hysterically. She said, "I've destroyed your kitchen!" 

I remember telling her, "The kitchen can be replaced, but you can't. You're more important than the kitchen. Thank God you're not hurt." There was a time in my life when that would not have been my response. Before I learned that people are more important than things, I would have become angry and said things to make the housekeeper feel stupid and guilty.

If we love people, God can replace things; but if we love things excessively, we may lose people who cannot be replaced.

A Clean Rap Sheet

By DR. David Jeremiah – Posted March 17, 2017

Love . . . thinks no evil.
1 Corinthians 13:5b

Recommended Reading: Colossians 2:13-14

A rap sheet is often referred to as a Record of Arrests and Prosecutions, though that likely wasn’t its original meaning. Centuries ago it referred to a punishment as in a “rap on the knuckles.” Regardless of origin, today a rap sheet is a record of an individual’s criminal history. Unless a crime is officially expunged from the record, it stays there forever.

What if God kept a rap sheet in heaven on us—a permanent record of all our sins and failures? Every time we violated God’s righteous standards, our rap sheet would grow longer. Fortunately, the New Testament says that God took the list of all our violations against His law and nailed it to the cross of Christ, forever to be cancelled (Colossians 2:13-14). Our rap sheet has been erased and made clean. We have been forgiven by God. And because we have been forgiven, we are to forgive others as God in Christ has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:32). God is love (1 John 4:8, 16), and Paul writes that love “keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Corinthians 13:5b, NIV). If we are to love as God loves, we will keep no record of wrongs either.

There is no escaping being hurt and wronged in this life. Just make sure you forgive as God forgives and keep no record of those wrongs.

Forgiveness is God’s command.
Martin Luther

 Read-Thru-the-Bible: Judges 11 – 13

YOU ARE COMPLETE IN CHRIST

By Joseph Prince – Posted by March 17, 2017

Colossians 2:10

And you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

When you look at yourself, what do you see? Do you see someone who is imperfect and lacking in many areas, or someone who is whole and complete in Christ?

There are believers who see themselves as incomplete. This is because they are conscious of their lack and imperfections. They say, “There are so many things imperfect about me! How can I be complete if there are so many things I am lacking in?” They see their weaknesses, condemn themselves and feel inferior to others.

The good news is that God does not see the way man sees. Man sees the flesh. God sees the spirit. He sees us already complete in Christ. In spite of our imperfections, He sees us as new creations, partakers of His divine nature and more than conquerors over our faults. And He wants us to see ourselves the way He sees us.

What we think we need or are lacking in, whether it is godly character traits or physical health, we already have in Christ.

My friend, you are not going to be complete in Christ some day—you are already complete in Christ! And what remains for you to do is to walk daily in that completeness by believing that it is true and confessing that what you need right now, Jesus is to you. He is your complete forgiveness, complete righteousness, complete favor and complete protection.

So don’t focus on the lack you see in your life. Focus instead on how in Christ, you are complete in everything at this moment. And instead of weaknesses, lack and defects, you will see His strength, wholeness, soundness and completeness manifesting in you!

Thought For The Day

Don’t focus on the lack in your life. Focus on how in Christ, you are complete in everything at this moment!

Living the Full Life

By Joel Osteen – Posted March 17, 2017

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE:

The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness of it…
Psalm 24:1

TODAY'S WORD:

God wants you to live an abundant and satisfied life! He wants you to enjoy the fullness of the earth and experience His goodness everywhere you go. 

It’s easy for people to get stuck in a rut, doing the same thing the same way all the time. But when you open yourself to new people, new experiences and new ideas, you are making room for God to reveal Himself to you and work in different ways in your life. When you stretch yourself, you increase your abilities, and you increase your influence in the world around you. 

This week, make the decision to explore something new. Take a different route home from work. Try something new on the menu at lunch. Be open to new people who may not necessarily look like you or act like you. Let God direct and broaden your horizons. Look for new opportunities to grow and stretch so you can live the full, satisfied life the Lord has in store for you!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Father, I open my heart and mind to You today. I ask that You help me broaden my perspective. Give me courage to step out of my comfort zone so I can experience the full life You have for me in Jesus’ name. Amen.