THE POWER OF THE BODY AND BLOOD

By Joseph Prince – Posted July 27, 2017

1 Corinthians 11:26

For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

Some time ago, one of our church members developed deep vein thrombosis (DVT) while on a flight to Israel. As she was disembarking from the plane, she collapsed. She was rushed to the hospital. But on the way there, her heart stopped beating. Apparently, the blood clot in her leg had gone to her heart, causing it to stop beating. The doctors managed to revive her heart after a few attempts, but she remained unconscious.

When I arrived at the hospital with some of my church leaders a few days later, I was told that her condition had worsened. She was in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). My leaders and I decided to partake of the Holy Communion in the ICU, proclaiming that Jesus had borne all her diseases, including DVT, and that His blood had already redeemed her from all curses, including diseases and death.

The next day, she regained consciousness! Her recovery was so supernatural that after a week of observation, she was discharged and was soon touring Israel with the next tour group that arrived there.

In another case, a church member’s elderly mother underwent a series of operations and her condition deteriorated to the point where the doctor told the family to prepare for the worst. The family took Holy Communion in the ICU. They even put a small crumb in their mother’s mouth and poured a little grape juice in. On the third day, something miraculous happened—their mother regained consciousness, got well and was discharged not too long after!

You see, each time you eat the bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death for you. You discern that the Lord’s body was broken so that your body can be whole. You discern that His healthy body has borne your diseases and pains, so that your body can be well. So when you eat the bread, you say that by His stripes you are healed. And when you drink the cup, you are drinking the life of Jesus which is in His blood.

Beloved, the life of Jesus is pain-free, disease-free and poverty-free. It attracts the favor and blessings of God. And because you have that life in you, it causes good things to happen to you!

Thought For The Day

Each time you eat the bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death for you.

Common People with Uncommon Goals

By Joyce Meyer - Posted July 27, 2017

Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams].
—Ephesians 3:20

God uses common, ordinary, everyday people who have uncommon goals and visions. That is what I am—just a common, ordinary person with a goal and a vision. But just because I am common and ordinary does not mean that I am content to be average. I don't like that word. I don't want to be average. I don't intend to be average. I don't serve an average God, therefore, I don't believe I have to be average—and neither do you.

Average is basically okay. It is not bad, but it is also not excellent. It is just good enough to get by, and I don't think that is what God wants us to be. I believe that any common, ordinary, everyday person can be mightily used by God. I believe that we can do great and mighty things—things that will amaze even us—if we believe that God can use us and if we will be daring enough to have an uncommon goal and vision. And what I mean by uncommon is something that doesn't make sense to the mind. We have to believe God for it.

In Ephesians 3:20 we are told that God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above and beyond all that we could dare to hope, ask, or think, according to His great power that is at work in us. God does it through us according to His power, but it is done through us, so we have to cooperate. That means we need to be daring in our faith and in our prayers. Some of us are not believing for enough. We need to stretch our faith into new realms. We need to be uncommon people with uncommon goals.

Constantly Speak

By Joel Osteen – Posted July 27, 2017

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE:

"I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises." 
(Psalm 34:1, NLT) 

TODAY'S WORD:

When you wake up in the morning, do you expect the goodness of God in your life? Do you set the tone of the day for success, favor and blessing with your words? Scripture tells us that life and death are in the power of the tongue. That’s why it’s so important to declare praises to God all throughout the day. Things may be bad all around you, people may be negative, complaining and discouraged, but don’t let that spirit rub off on you. The worse it gets, the brighter you’re going to shine. The good news is that no matter how you feel, no matter what’s going on around you, you can choose your words. There’s nothing that can stop you from constantly speaking His Word! 

Today, I encourage you to be determined to set the tone for your day, week, month and year by praising God and speaking words of faith over your future. Remember, when you put God first, He promises to honor you. He will pour out His favor on you and lead you into life, health, strength and blessing all the days of your life!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Father in heaven, I choose to bless You at all times. I choose to set the tone to receive Your favor, grace and mercy. Thank You for Your faithfulness at all times in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Pants on Fire!

DR. David Jeremiah – Posted July 27, 2017

Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?
Proverbs 6:27 (NIV)

Recommended Reading: James 5:1-8

Miami lawyer Stephen Gutierrez was defending a client accused of arson. As he made his closing arguments, he made a quick exit as his pants caught fire. The culprit was an e-cigarette battery, which ignited at the worst possible moment. Gutierrez was unharmed, but his client was convicted.

Allowing a bad habit to reside in the pockets of your mind or heart is dangerous, for you never know when it will ignite in shame, harmful consequences, or judgment. The apostle James warns about this twice. James 3:6 says, “The tongue is a fire.” When we allow the wrong words to slip into our conversation, it can burn up our testimonies. James later also warns against the selfish accumulation of wealth, saying, “Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will … eat your flesh like fire” (James 5:3).

Likewise, Proverbs 6:27 describes sexual immorality as taking fire into our laps, hoping not to be burned. Wrong words, covetousness, and sexual sin—these and other hidden sins—will come back to burn us. If you’re tolerating anything in your life that could flare up into sin, confess it to God. Don’t let Satan fan temptation into a flame.

Sin is like fire, because if you wait too long before you attempt to bring it under, the attempt is useless. The time comes when fire gets the upper hand.
E. A. Gillett