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God Has Kept Me Here For A Reason
Repeat after me: God has kept me here for a reason. I survived
because
He has a plan for me. All my bad relationships, the addictions,
the
consequences, the bad credit, the repossessions, the death of my
loved
ones, the back stabbing from my friends, the negative thoughts,
or the lack of
support; I made it because I am blessed! I release and let go of
all past hurts, misunderstandings and grudges
because I am abundantly blessed! I recognize them as the
illusions they are,
and sent from the enemy to kill my spirit, steal my joy, and
destroy my
faith; For God is all there is. All else is a lie!
Now give yourself a hug, wipe your tears away and walk in
victory!!!!!!!! I love you, but more appropriately God loves you
BEST!
Be blessed and know that you are at one with THE SPIRIT OF THE
LIVING
GOD!
And may the Lord keep watch over you and me. Genesis 31:49.
Amen!
Now since you are a true child of God, you know that with every
blessing, a blessing is required! So be a blessing to someone
today.
A
Powerful Witness
Brent Barnett
There is no greater
impediment to the progress of the gospel than Christians who
live hypocritical lives. The world can sympathize and be
forgiving when it comes to the errors which befall us due to our
fallible humanity. After all, we all make mistakes. Yet, what
the world cannot tolerate is preaching from a person who has no
credibility because of a lifestyle that goes directly against
the message preached. Indeed, God has ordained things to work
such that the lost see Christ and believe His testimony to be
credible when we live our lives as if Christ is truly alive and
at work in our hearts. Thus, if we claim to be Christians and
yet fail to let Christ rule in our hearts, we blind people from
seeing Christ. Our testimony is a very serious matter because
it is a powerful influence in pointing someone toward or away
from Christ and salvation.
The Bible gives us
several identifying marks which all Christians should possess
and live out. The first is love. John 13:34-35 says,
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another,
even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By
this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have
love for one another." We
must love all people, even those who irritate us to no end, who
curse our God, and those who would like nothing more than to see
us suffer. No matter what, we must be kindhearted and care for
the well-being of others ahead of our own. In a world devoted
to self-seeking and where love has grown cold, this surely makes
believers stand out. A second identifying mark is unity. John
17:21 says,
"That they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I
in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may
believe that You sent Me."
If the world can see a unified family, a unified church, or a
unified Bible study group, for example, then they might believe
that Christ is indeed the Messiah sent from God to redeem the
world from its sin.
The world understands
division, destruction, and an "every man for himself"
mentality. But to see a group of people live with kindness and
gentleness toward one another even when they have nothing to
gain from doing so, this is a sign from heaven that Christ is
indwelling these people. A third mark is holiness. Hebrews
12:14 says,
"Pursue peace with all men,
and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord."
A consistent and
God-honoring lifestyle is necessary for true love to be
manifested, to be seen, and to accomplish its powerful
witnessing work. If we live like the world, how can the world
see Jesus in us? We must obey Romans 12:9 which says,
"Let love be without
hypocrisy." A fourth mark
is good works. Matthew 5:16 says,
"Let your light shine before
men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify
your Father who is in heaven."
Christians might have love in their hearts and be walking in
obedience, but if they are not putting their love into action,
the world is not getting a chance to see Christ.
When love is acted out in
good works toward others, the world can see and praise God in
heaven. The church should be known for its pure and undefiled
religion, going to those in need and seeking to meet their needs
(James 1:27). Finally, a fifth mark is our hope. 1 Peter 3:15
says,
"But sanctify Christ as Lord
in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone
who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet
with gentleness and reverence."
The world should be able to see the hope which we have no matter
what circumstances we face to the extent that it makes them ask
us how we could have such a hope despite what is going on in our
lives or around us. Whether things are good or bad, it should
be obvious to all that we still believe that God loves us and
that God is on the throne.
As we live out these
identifying marks, the world will have to take notice. Perhaps
we will be persecuted, but then again, we might just have a
chance to share the gospel. Regardless, it is by God's design
that the gospel is advanced through His people, and therefore
His people must provide evidence to the message preached by how
they live their lives. May God give us grace to let Christ
shine brightly through us this day and each day forward for the
sake of the testimony of our Savior.
The
Difference Between Covering and Covering Up
Alan Riley
"Let
us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good
deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the
habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the
more as you see the Day approaching."
Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV)
If you hang around with
church folk very long, you will hear them speak about
"covering." I remember when I first heard this phrase, I
assumed they were talking about covering up. But there is a
huge difference between covering and covering up.
There is only one time in
the New Testament that the word "cover" is used in that context,
and that is in I Peter 4:8 -
"Above all, love each other
deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." (NIV).
Sometimes this passage is misinterpreted to mean that our love
for each other blots out our sin. Make no mistake: The only
love that can cancel out sin is the love of Jesus manifested in
his death on the cross. What Peter is talking about here is the
unconditional love and acceptance that should be present in the
Body of Christ creating an environment where we feel safe and
secure to confess our sins to one another and repent.
James also painted this
picture of how the church ought to function in his epistle:
"...confess your sins to each
other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The
prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."
(James 5:16, NIV)
Sadly, in most church
fellowships that love and acceptance is not present. This
results in an environment where we dare not confess our faults
to each other for fear we will become fodder for the gossip
mill. Here's another way to look at it: When we don't have the
love covering, we have a cover up. So we come to the one place
on earth where we should be able to be real and we put a mask on
and hide what we are feeling, what we are thinking, and what we
are struggling with.
There is no doubt in my
mind that the epidemic we are currently seeing in moral
failures, divorces and scandals among pastors and church leaders
has it's roots in the lack of "covering love" present in the
church. In most cases, these Pastors were too proud or too
isolated to seek out accountability partners.
For every high profile
leader who fails, there are scores of deacons, elders, teachers
and others in the church who suffer the same fate out of the
spotlight. This is why the divorce rate is higher in the church
than outside the church! You don't dare come to church and
admit you and your spouse are struggling and need prayer, help
and support, so you suffer in silence while your marriage and
family crumbles around you.
This lack of "covering
love" in the church is the spirit of the Pharisees, not that of
Jesus! When Jesus encountered those struggling with sin He
responded with compassion and understanding, saying "I don't
condemn you." He did this, even though He is the only person who
has the right to condemn sinners. You and I don't have that
right. We are like the Pharisees with rocks in their hands
waiting to throw them and the sinful woman; When Jesus reminded
them of their own sin, one by one they dropped their stones and
walked away, knowing they were every bit as guilty as she.
If your church, Sunday
School class, or small group doesn't provide this atmosphere of
acceptance, you need to seek out accountability and covering for
your life. Covering up your sin will only result in repeating
the same behavior. So, find a group of people that you can be
totally transparent with and hold each other accountable. I am
not exaggerating to say that failure to find accountability in
your life can result in at best stagnation and at worst ruin for
your spiritual life and your reputation.
Seeking out and taking
advantage of an environment where love covers will be one of the
hardest, yet most rewarding things you will ever do. You cannot
put a price on a clear conscience, and the knowledge that there
are people who know you completely yet love you anyway. It is
in this environment that you can begin to understand the
unconditional love that God loves you with. And you realize
that you aren't the "Lone Ranger." Your brothers and sisters
are struggling in the same areas that you are struggling in!
Caring
Means Confronting!
Bishop E. Earl Jenkins
"An honest answer is a sign of true friendship."
Proverbs 24:26 (TEV)
It's much easier to remain
silent when others around us are messing up, but it's not the
loving thing to do. Most people have no one in their lives that
love them enough to tell them the truth, so they continue going
the wrong way. Usually we know what needs to be said but fear
keeps us from saying it. "An honest answer is the sign of true
friendship." Sometimes caring means confronting!
Paul writes,
"If someone in your group does
something wrong, you who are spiritual should go to that person
and gently make him right again" (Gal 6:1 NCV).
That's what 'spiritual' people do! The trouble is when an issue
pops up that might cause tension, it's immediately glossed over
in order to preserve peace. Mr. 'Don't-rock-the-boat' jumps in
and tries to smooth everyone's ruffled feathers, the issue is
never resolved and everyone lives with an underlying feeling of
frustration.
"No more pretense. Tell...the truth. In Christ's body we're all
connected to each other...When you lie to others, you end up
lying to yourself" (Eph 4:25 TM).
Now frankness is not a license
to be rude and say anything you please. Thoughtless words wound
people.
"Never use harsh words when you correct an older man, but talk
to him as if he were your father. Talk to younger men as if they
were your brothers, older women as if they were your mothers,
and younger women as if they were your sisters" (1Ti
5:1-2 GWT). Bottom line: whether in a marriage, a friendship, a
church or a business, until we care enough to confront and
resolve the underlying barriers, we'll never grow close to each
other!
You
Must Set Rules
Dr. Frederick K.C. Price
You have to govern your life in
such a way that you cannot act without integrity, even when you
might want to. You do this by setting rules for yourself and
following them without exception.
These rules have to be based on
a standard you ascribe to in life that does not change,
regardless of the circumstances or consequences. Your standard
has to be something higher than the circumstances, because
circumstances come all the time.
These rules have to be made
known to the appropriate parties involved. One of the three
components of acting with integrity is to let people know where
you stand. Likewise, you have to let your loved ones and the
people you work with know where you stand in terms of the
standard and rules you have set for yourself since they are
likely to be the ones helping you to follow or carry out these
rules. They will also hold you accountable, which will help
you, stay on track.
These rules have to be set
before circumstances arise so that you are prepared to deal with
them. If you wait until you are in the midst of a challenge to
decide how you are going to handle it, you are likely to come up
with all sorts of ways to compromise.
Also, never leave room for
second-guessing or thinking twice about the rules you have
made. Stick to them. Be true to the standard you have set for
yourself.
For example, part of my
standard is not to be greedy for gain. I base this on the
character traits listed in 1 Timothy, which is part of my
standard. The rule I have set to be sure I stick to the
standard of integrity that I see given in the Bible is that I
always play by the rules. Even if no one else does, I will. It
does not matter; I refuse to gain dishonestly by circumventing
the rules, because to me this is being greedy for gain.
Now, as a minister, I am
considered self-employed by the federal government of the United
States. So I am responsible for paying my own taxes, just like
the person who owns his own business. Throughout the year, I
get a lot of money handed directly to me because people
appreciate the gift that God has placed in me and how that gift
has affected their lives in a positive way. Of course, it is
not me; it is the Lord that they appreciate. But since they
cannot physically give anything to Jesus and say, "Lord, thank
You," they give it to His servant or those who represent Him.
I am at the point now where
this is almost a constant thing. People will walk up, shake
hands with me, and leave a hundred dollars in my hand. Of
course, I do not know what it is at that moment. I just shake
hands, realize they have given me a piece of paper (it could be
a note or it could be money), and I put it in my pocket. I
never look at it right there. I say, "Thank you." And go about
my business until I am home.
No one knows what the person
has given me except that person, me, God and the devil. The IRS
does not know. Usually there is no record because it is a cash
transaction. So, there is no paper trail, no canceled check.
Over the course of a year, this can add up to a lot of money. I
could choose not to report this money, so that I would not have
to pay taxes on it. This would save me a considerable amount
since I am in a tax bracket where I have to give the government
53 percent of my earnings.
But I have a little book that I
keep, like a mini-pocket planner, in which I write down every
single dollar I receive. I make a record of it. I am not
required to do this as such. Yet, I do. So there is now a
record and this enables me to keep close track of how much money
I receive so that I can be sure to pay the appropriate taxes on
it. This may seem a little extreme, but I do not go to bed at
night wondering if or when the Internal Revenue Service is going
to come knocking on my door.
Because I have set and followed
rules for such a long time, I also benefit from having a
sensitive conscience. This is good in that I know I would end
up telling on myself if I did something wrong because I would
have no peace. No minute of pleasure or any dishonest gain is
worth giving up the ability to sleep at night. And this alone
protects me form giving in to a lot of temptations.
Consequently, there is no way I
could go to bed at night next to my wife after I had been
intimate with another woman. I just could not--not because I am
incapable of it, but because my conscience would not allow it.
This kind of sensitivity has kept me from ruining my marriage,
and this has been the ultimate payoff for me for living a
lifestyle of integrity.
This devotional was excerpted from Dr. Price's book, "Integrity:
The Guarantee for Success." You may call us at (800) 927-3436 or
visit our website:
www.faithdome.org
for a complete list of his products.
Equipped
for the Fight -- Part I
Bishop Keith Butler
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him, and honour him.
Psalms 91:15 (KJV)
Did you know that there are times that you
must stay in the fight? The word
"deliver" in Psalm 91:15 means to equip for the fight. God will
equip you for the battle. There are situations in your life in which He is
simply not going to move you anywhere; He is not going to lift you up and
carry you off anywhere; but He is going to give you the equipment to slug it
out right where you are and win. That is why you must get before God to find
out how He wants to deliver you in a particular situation. His will is to
deliver you. You just need to ascertain from the Spirit how God wants to do
it.
Many times we get tired of the people we
work with, or tired of the job, or tired of the house we live in. Then we
make decisions based on what we feel we should do. It very well may be that
God wants you to stand right where you are. He wants to equip you to slug it
out and win right there. But He will not leave you to do it alone.
He said clearly that He would be with you
in trouble. God will be there with supernatural anointing: the anointing
that removes whatever is a burden to you, and destroys whatever is a yoke to
you. With that you have the ability to stay there and slug it out until the
devil high tails it and runs.
A good example of this kind of deliverance
is found in Deuteronomy 28. It says your enemies will come out against you
one way and flee before you seven ways. Picture it. If your enemies are
coming against you, and then fleeing in seven different directions, what are
you doing? You are standing ? not running ? but standing. You're not being
removed. You are standing. You are so equipped because you have a covenant
with God, and you whipped that situation so bad in the Holy Ghost that the
enemy is going in every direction trying to get away from you. That is why
you need to find out if this is the time to stay and fight. It is not an
anti-Christian act to stay and fight. It depends on what the Lord said to
do.
So, find out in your prayer time before God
what His direction is for you whenever you face a difficult situation. You
can be confident in God that when He says to stay, that means He will equip
you with all you need to win the battle. In God, you are the triumphant
church. That means that you win every time.
Scripture References:
Deuteronomy 28:7; Hebrews 10:38; 11:6
Tomorrow: "Equipped for the
Fight -- Part 2" by Bishop Keith Butler
© Bishop Keith A. Butler all rights reserved
Equipped
for the Fight -- Part II
Bishop Keith Butler
And call upon me
in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.
Psalms 50:15 (KJV)
God has many ways to deliver His
children. Sometimes, He will provide divine intervention for an immediate
deliverance from danger. Other times, He may simply snatch you out of a
situation preventing you from making a big mistake. Then, there are times
that you must stay in the fight. But, when that time comes, God is there to
equip you to win.
David understood this. Since he had
to fight wars all the time, he stopped asking God to take him away from
problems. David started asking God to give him the victory in it. His
attitude was, "I don't want to go anywhere. I am staying right here where
the heat is. And I'm going to win."
I'm like David. I like to stay there
and say bring the heat on. Let's win it right here, glory to God. There a re
situations you face in which you have to be like David. Instead of praying
to be removed, ask God how to win. Ask God to show you what to do and what
adjustments you need to make. Then stay there until you win. We serve a
mighty God, not a weak God. He is mighty to deliver you in anything you
face.
In Psalm 140:1, David says,
"...deliver me, O Lord..."
He is asking God to equip him for the fight. He is not saying, "get me out
of here." He is saying, "load me up and give me deliverance..." and he will
surely give God glory because of his victory.
In Psalm 50:15, God is saying that He
will equip you for battle here on earth and He is going to get glory here,
because He is going to cause you to win. Of course, after you win, you and
everybody else will be glorifying God. So it is time to stop all the crying
and saying,
"...well Lord why don't you take me out of this. I don't want to be here,
Lord. I am a Christian and they are talking against me."
Christians that talk that way need to
shut up. The Bible says you are the salt of the earth. You are supposed to
rub off on them who need preservation. They need you because they don't have
any salt. If God moves you, there will be nothing left but destruction. That
is why he put you there. He said that He would be with you in trouble. While
He is with you, He has provided for you the wherewithal to win. Pick up your
armor. Use the Word of God as your double-edged sword, in the name of Jesus.
Use the blood that Jesus shed for you and win, because you are a winner in
Jesus, the Anointed One.
Scripture
References: Psalm
140:1; John 16:24
Yesterday:
Equipped for the Fight --
Part I
by Bishop Keith A. Butler
© Bishop Keith A. Butler all rights reserved
The Bottom Line: God Wins
Alan Riley
When I was a boy,
the movie "The Exorcist" first came out. I was a very young believer and
was naturally curious about the devil and demonic activity. Plus, all my
friends were going to see it. So despite the fact I was too young to be
admitted into the theater (the film was rated R), I went to see it. Bad
idea. Although by today's standards the movie's special effects are
primitive and almost laughable, that movie scared me silly. I didn't sleep
with the lights off for weeks!
The truly sad part was that for a period of time after seeing the movie, I
gave the devil way too much credit. I worried that he was just waiting for
some sin in my life, some rebellion against God, any crack in the dam of my
faith and he would charge in and exploit that — maybe even possess me just
like he did little Regan in the film. The devil's mission is to steal, kill
and destroy, and I let him steal from me my peace, kill my joy, and destroy
my effectiveness for Christ for a time.
I'm afraid that many of us do the same thing — we give the devil too much
credit. And we're old enough to know better! When Jesus Christ is Lord of
your life, the devil's power over you is limited. His schemes are only as
effective as you allow them to be.
A gifted Bible teacher once told me he could sum up the book of Revelation
in two words: God wins. I like that, because I know that because He lives,
I will live; because He reigns, I, too will reign; because He wins, I win.
This week, we've been exploring the subject of Spiritual Warfare in our
Daily Devotionals. We've been reminded to walk in our authority as a child
of the King, that we are well equipped for the fight, and that the Angels of
God get involved with us to take back what the devil has stolen.
Here's the bottom line: God wins. Through Him I can be more than a
conqueror. In His strength, I can resist the devil and he will flee from
me. And I can rest in the assurance that greater is He that is in me, than
he that is in the world.
Walk in victory in Jesus' name!
©
Streaming Faith  all rights reserved
The
Battle for Your Garden
Dr. Creflo A. Dollar
There is a very real spiritual battle
that is going on in the life of every Christian and it revolves around your
spiritual "garden," which is the ground of your heart. The enemy is
constantly seeking to overtake Believers' lives by planting the wrong kinds
of seeds within them. He does this through thought injections that are
designed to create wrong images in their minds. As a soldier in the army of
the Lord, it is your responsibility to vigilantly guard your heart and mind
with the Word of God. This will keep the weeds out of your garden and ensure
that the seed of God's Word grows up in your life to produce an abundant
harvest.
Every day, Christians are barraged
with images, words and suggestions that try to sway them away from the truth
of God's Word. Whether it is a news report that glorifies the work of the
enemy, an ungodly television show or even a billboard that promotes an
ungodly lifestyle, there is no escaping the fact that we live in an
environment that is determined to plant the wrong seeds in us. But God has
given us His bag of seed that we must plant in our hearts. It will grow
healing, deliverance, financial wealth, joy, peace, happiness and all kinds
of promises from God.
The key to making sure your garden stays "weed-free" is to guard it. You must
continually keep scriptures before your eyes, in your ears and coming out of
your mouth. Satan is on a mission to try and dominate your life and all he
does to accomplish his goal is get you thinking about his suggestions.
Though they may sound good, don't take the bait.
It is critical that you become a
custodian over your thought life and refuse to accept the enticement of the
devil. Adam and Eve fell prey to his schemes in the Garden of Eden because
they failed to guard what God had entrusted to them. Satan showed up in the
form of a serpent and made a suggestion to Eve. His question, "Hath God
said...?" planted a seed of doubt in her mind as to the validity of God's
instructions to her and her husband. Although God had already told them that
if they ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil they would
surely die, Satan challenged God's Word. Isn't that what he is doing today
in the lives of Christians? God has said one thing, and he comes with a
contradictory statement to try and get us to doubt or question whether or
not God's way is best.
Unfortunately, Adam and Eve succumbed
to the temptation of the devil. Once they "took" his thought injection, they
began to be moved by their emotion, noticing that the fruit looked good and
appealed to their hunger cravings at the time. Their feelings led them to
act in a way that separated them from their connection and fellowship with
God. Their decision to disobey ushered a curse into the earth. They allowed
the devil to pollute their garden simply by accepting his thoughts.
You may be wondering how you can
avoid being infected by the enemy's thoughts. Although you may not be able
to stop the thoughts from coming, you don't have to accept them when they
come. The Bible gives clear instructions on how to handle ungodly thoughts
when they show up. Second Corinthians 10:4,5 says,
"(For the weapons of
our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of
strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth
itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every
thought to the obedience of Christ."
Your weapon against negative thoughts is the
Word of God! When those suggestions come to your mind, open your mouth and
confess God's promises in faith. This is what it means to capture your
thoughts and cast them down. There is no thought or imagination that can
stand against the Word. It is the final authority in your life.
Don't ever get slack where guarding your heart is concerned
for the issues of your life flow out of it (Proverbs 4:23). Be a good
custodian over your thought life and feed your spirit the Word of God on a
continual basis. When you do, you will protect your garden and see the
promises of God become a reality in your life.
© Creflo Dollar Ministries all rights reserved
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