THERE IS NO SPOT IN YOU

By Joseph Prince – Posted April 27, 2017

Song Of Solomon 4:7

You are all fair, my love, and there is no spot in you.

Jesus tells us His bride, “You are all fair, My love, and there is no spot in you.” But our reply to Him tends to be, “Me? All fair and no spot? You don’t know me, Lord!”

Do you really think that God doesn’t know you?

God sees reality like no one else sees it. He sees the perfection of His Son’s finished work in your life. By one offering of Himself at the cross, Jesus has perfected you forever! (Hebrews 10:14) You have been made the righteousness of God in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21) And you will never find any spot in this righteousness that Jesus died to give you.

So God wants you to see yourself righteous—all fair and spotless in Christ. Every day, be conscious of your righteousness in Christ. Say, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ. There is no spot in me whom He has perfected with His blood.” When you do that, you are honoring Jesus and His finished work.

If you are conscious of your sins, then you are not honoring the work of Christ. You may think that you are being humble or holy by being sin-conscious. But do you know that the Bible calls sin-consciousness an “evil conscience”?

Hebrews 10:21–22 tells us that since we have Jesus as our High Priest, “let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience”. What does the writer of Hebrews mean by “an evil conscience”? If you read the beginning of the same chapter, you will find that he is talking about a “consciousness of sins”. (Hebrews 10:2) Paul calls it a “conscience seared with a hot iron”. (1 Timothy 4:2) The Greek word for “seared” here is kauteriazo, and it means to carry about with you a perpetual consciousness of sin.

So don’t carry with you an evil or seared conscience. Your lifetime of sins has already been punished fully in the body of Jesus at the cross. Be conscious, instead, of your perfection and righteousness in Christ. Because of what Jesus has done for you, you can boldly declare, “I am all fair. There is no spot in me!”

Thought For The Day

See yourself righteous—all fair and having no spot in Christ.

Fully Loaded and Totally Equipped

By Joel Osteen – Posted April 27, 2017

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE:

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made...
Psalm 139:14, KJV

TODAY'S WORD:

Did you know that when you compare yourself to others or wish you were like someone else, it’s like saying He just didn’t do a good job? It’s actually saying, “God, why did You make me subpar? Why did You make me less than?” Realize today, God didn’t make anyone inferior. He didn’t make any person second class. No, you are a masterpiece! You are fully loaded and totally equipped for the race that’s been designed for you! 

Today, let your attitude be, “I may not look like someone else or have the job that someone else has. That’s okay. Nobody will ever be a better me. I’m anointed to be me. I’m equipped to be me!” Remember, it’s easy to do what you are equipped to do. Don’t fall into the trap of trying to be like someone else. Accept who God made you to be and embrace the good things He has prepared for you!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Father, thank You for making me. Thank You for equipping me to fulfill my destiny. Today I choose to focus on what You’ve placed in my hand knowing that as I am faithful to You, You will direct my steps. I bless You and praise You for who You are in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Heart Surgery

By DR. David Jeremiah - April 27, 2017

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32

Recommended Reading: Ephesians 4:25-32

On September 7, 1896, a young gardener was walking in a park in Frankfurt, Germany, when he was attacked and stabbed in the chest. He was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, and Dr. Ludwig Rehn decided to open the man’s chest and perform surgery directly on his heart. Up until then, the heart had been considered the center of the soul and was untouchable, beyond the limits of surgeons. But Rehn successfully repaired the wound to the man’s right ventricle and, in so doing, wrote a new chapter in medical history.¹

None of us wants to go through heart surgery; but when it’s necessary, we’re glad for the medical pioneers who perfected the process.

The Great Physician has been performing open-heart surgery from the very beginning of history. He knows how to heal our spiritual heart disease and to give us new hearts, open hearts—open to others, open to forgive, open to be conveyers of His kindness. Let Him open your heart to the needs and cares of those around you.

Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
Mark Twain

God Gives the Victory

By Joyce Meyer - Posted April 27, 2017

You shall tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the serpent shall you trample underfoot. Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name....
—Psalm 91:13-14

God created each of us with a free will. This gives us the ability to make our own decisions apart from outside influence. Satan tries to force us to do things by placing outside pressure on us, but God attempts to lead us by His Holy Spirit. Jesus is not demanding or harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing. He is humble, gentle, meek, and lowly (see Matthew 11:29-30). We are indeed complex creatures. Our mind can think one thing, while our emotions want something else and our will certainly seems to have a mind of its own. 

Once a person's willpower is renewed by God's Word and she knows enough to choose good over evil, she becomes very dangerous to Satan and his kingdom of darkness. The renewed person can override all the negative things Satan has planned by exercising her willpower to agree with God and His Word.

I have discovered that doubt is a thought planted in my head by the devil. He uses it to keep me from enjoying my life and making progress in God's good plan for me.

Lord, thank You for the power of Your Word to renew my mind. I choose to stand with Your truth and overcome the darkness that surrounds me. Amen.