LOOK UNTO JESUS

By Joseph Prince – Posted June 26, 2017

Hebrew 12:2

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…

What does it mean to look unto Jesus? Well, we can think of it like this: If you are drowning and somebody walks past you, you do not look at him. You look unto him. When you look unto him, you are turning to him and expecting him to rescue you.

In the same manner, you look unto Jesus expecting Him to save, heal and protect you because you know His mighty power and sacrificial love for you. God’s Word says that we are to keep “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith”. That is how God wants us to live.

So if you have a recurring migraine, keep looking unto Jesus. See Him taking that migraine upon His body on the cross and say, “Lord, I thank You that by Your stripes I am healed.” (Isaiah 53:5) As you keep looking unto Jesus, your healer, that migraine will have to bow to His finished work!

If you have a financial lack in your life, just keep looking unto Jesus with confident expectation that He will provide for you and deliver you from your lack.

“But Pastor Prince, is it really so simple? All I have to do is look unto Jesus and He will bless me financially?”

Yes, it is that simple. The problem with us is that we tend to look unto ourselves. But we cannot save or deliver ourselves. Even the apostle Paul struggled when he depended on his self-effort. That is why he said, “For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.” (Romans 7:19) It was only when Paul looked away from himself and unto Jesus that he received his deliverance.(Romans 7:24–25)

My friend, if you have been looking unto yourself, it is time to start looking unto Jesus. Look unto Him, the author and finisher of your faith. And soon, you will be looking at your healing and provision!

Thought For The Day

Look unto Jesus, and expect Him to save, heal and protect you because of His mighty power and sacrificial love for you.

Nothing But Christ

By Joyce Meyer - Posted June 26, 2017

For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified. And I was in (passed into a state of) weakness and fear (dread) and great trembling [after I had come] among you. And my language and my message were not set forth in persuasive (enticing and plausible) words of wisdom, but they were in demonstration of the [Holy] Spirit and power. 
—1 Corinthians 2:2-4

I’ve tried to imagine what it would have been like to go to Corinth or other Greek cities at the time of Paul and try to speak to those wise, brilliant thinkers. After studying every parchment given to me, and gaining knowledge of all their arguments, I would have prayed for God to help me overcome their objections.

We don’t know what Paul did, but his answer is astounding. Instead of going after them with great reasoning and sharp logic, he went in exactly the opposite direction. He stayed in Corinth a year and a half, and many came to Christ because of him. Later, when he wrote 1 Corinthians, he said, “For I resolved to know nothing . . . among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified” (2:2). That’s amazing. If any man had the ability to reason with those Greeks and could show them the fallacies of their logic, surely that man was Paul. But, being led by the Holy Spirit, he chose a defenseless presentation—to let God speak through him and touch the hearts of the people.

Now, centuries later, I appreciate his approach—although I didn’t always feel this way. For a long time I wanted to explain and reason out everything, but when that didn’t work, I ended up feeling miserable.

I’ve always been curious, always wanted to know, and always wanted to figure out the answer. Then God began to work in my life. He showed me that my constant drive to figure it out caused me confusion and prevented me from receiving many of the things He wanted me to have. He said, You must lay aside carnal reasoning if you expect to have discernment.

I didn’t like loose ends, so I felt more secure when I figured things out. I wanted to be in control of every detail of every situation. When I didn’t understand or was unable to figure things out, I felt out of control. And that was frightening to me. Something was wrong—I was troubled and had no peace of mind. Sometimes, frustrated and exhausted, I would just give up.

It was a long battle for me because I finally admitted something to myself (God knew it all along): I was addicted to reasoning. It was more than a tendency or desire to figure out things. It was a compulsion. I had to have answers—and had to have them right now. When God was finally able to convince me of my addiction, I was able to give it up.

It wasn’t easy. Like people who withdraw from drugs or alcohol, I had withdrawal symptoms. I felt lost. Frightened. Alone. I had always depended on my ability to figure things out. Now, like Paul, I had to depend on God.

Too many people assume that relying only on God is something we do easily and naturally. It didn’t work that way with me. But God was gracious and patient with me. It was as if He’d whisper, You’re not there yet, Joyce, but you’re making progress. It’s uncomfortable because you’re learning a new way to live.

God wants us to be victorious—and I knew that all along. Now I walk in greater victory than ever before—and I no longer try to reason out everything before I act.

Heavenly Father, thank You for being so patient with me and people like me who feel we must have all the answers before we can act or trust. In the name of Jesus, help me to simply trust in You, knowing that You will give me what is best for my life. Amen.

Thy Kingdom Come

By DR. David Jeremiah – Posted June 26, 2017

Thus says the LORD of hosts: “In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”
Zechariah 8:23

Recommended Reading: Isaiah 52:8-10

Sometimes people write down their long-range goals in terms of education, vocation, travel, family, hobbies, and more. Later in life they look back and realize they achieved all their goals but in a time frame and manner they never imagined. They saw the highpoints of life; what they didn’t see was the schedule and situation.

The Old Testament prophets were like that. They saw what God was going to do in the future—Messiah, kingdom, Israel, Gentiles—but not the exact time frame. In terms of the kingdom of God, Zechariah foresaw the nations streaming to Jerusalem to learn about God from the Jews (Zechariah 8:22-23). Isaiah saw a time when animals and humans would live in peace together (Isaiah 11:6-9). But it was up to the New Testament writers to identify when this kingdom would come: when Jesus Christ returns to earth to reign for a thousand years (Revelation 20:1-6).

Don’t despair at the trouble in today’s world. When the Prince of Peace returns, there will be peace on earth.

I will place no value on anything I have or may possess except in relation to the kingdom of Christ. 
David Livingstone

Light in the Darkness

By Joel Osteen – Posted June 26, 2017

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE:

(Psalm 112:4, TLB)
"When darkness overtakes the him, light will come bursting in..."

TODAY'S WORD:

Everyone goes through seasons of difficulty or times when things just seem dark. During these challenging times, know that you are not alone. God has a plan to drive out the darkness—He will flood you with His light! Notice that in today’s verse it doesn’t say, “The light will come trickling in.” No, it says that the light will come bursting in! That means suddenly, you will see God’s goodness. Suddenly, you’ll be promoted. Suddenly, the answer will come! 

If you’ve been going through a difficult time, get ready for the goodness of God in a new way. Know that His light is about to come bursting in! Get ready for breakthroughs. Get ready for promotion. Get ready for restoration. You may have had that problem for a long, long time, but today could be the day that it turns around. Suddenly, things can change! God wants His glory to be seen on you. He wants you to stand out in the crowd. He wants you to be so blessed that everyone around you can see His goodness on you! So keep standing, keep believing, keep hoping and keep declaring His Word because His light is going to come bursting in!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your light that drives out every trace of darkness! I choose to expect Your goodness. I choose to focus on Your faithfulness. I trust that You are working behind the scenes, and I expect that You will turn things around for my good in Jesus’ name. Amen.