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God Has Kept Me Here For A Reason

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!

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

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

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!

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.