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February 28 niceA Place for Jesus
Can you imagine going home tonight and getting ready to go to bed when, all of a sudden, you see someone walking up to your front door and knocking? Lo and behold, it is Jesus. How would you react? Of course, we know this isn't going to happen. The Lord isn't going to physically come to our homes and knock on the front door. But let's just let our imaginations run wild for a moment and pretend that He was. Let's turn the clock back to 2,000 years ago and imagine that Jesus Himself was knocking at your door. Would you open it up and gladly welcome Him in? Or would you feel a little apprehensive? The fact is, we should be living our lives in such a way that Jesus Christ Himself could come walking into our homes at any moment and we would welcome Him without embarrassment. The Bible says that Christ should be able to settle down and be at home in our hearts. That is an interesting statement to make to Christians. But those were Paul's words to the church of Ephesus. He said, "I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts. . . ." The phrase Paul used doesn't just mean that Christ would simply live in their hearts. The reality is that He lives in the heart of every believer. The point Paul was making was that Christ should feel at home in their hearts. Is Jesus at home in your heart right now? Is He comfortable? Is He at ease? February 20 Got to read Why Read The Bible? "I'm a busy person. I have a lot to do. Why should I spend my time reading the Bible? I don't have time to do all I need to do as it is." "I already believe in Jesus Christ, that He's the Son of God and my Savior. I've already heard the Gospel." "Why should I read the Bible?" Read the following Scriptures. Then, if you still wonder why you should read the Bible, you need help. JOHN 8:31-32 RSV 31 Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." JOHN 14:23-24 Rieu 23 Jesus replied: 'If anyone loves me he will cherish my word; my Father will love him and we will come to him and make him our abode. 24 He that does not love me neglects my words. Yet the word you hear is not my own but that of the Father who sent me. ACTS 20:32 NKJ 32 "So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. SAY THIS: I will read and study the Bible. February 19 .Who Can Be Against Us? ROMANS 8:31 NKJ 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? We all face opposition. No one likes it. But opposition is a fact of life on earth. But here's a more important fact: with God for us, opposition doesn't really matter. With God on our side, what does it matter who opposes us? The worst anyone can do is kill us -- which would be doing us a favor. (Being a martyr for Christ and going to be with Him in Heaven is not bad!) And never forget: God IS for you! PSALM 56:9 KJV 9 When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me. PSALM 118:6-7 LB 6 He is for me! How can I be afraid? What can mere man do to me? 7 The Lord is on my side; he will help me. Let those who hate me beware. SAY THIS: God is for me, so no one can successfully be against me. January 20 .Keep Your Eyes On The Prize PHILIPPIANS 3:14 KJV 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. What will really matter at the end of your life on earth? Will what you are giving attention to now still be important then? Or, will you be filled with regret for what you did -- or didn't do? Distractions abound. TV, phone calls, web sites, books, movies. It might be a good idea to stop and evaluate how you are investing your time. 1 CORINTHIANS 9:24 NIV 24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Run to win. Win what? The true prize is to know God intimately and be His friend. 2 CORINTHIANS 4:18 NIV 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. One day, possibly soon, you will stand before God. Why not order your life now based on that "final reckoning?" A wise person would not invest everything in something temporary. A wise person invests in something that will last. Invest your life wisely! SAY THIS: Lord, help me to keep my eyes on what is important and lasting. January 05 :) Father's Faithfulness
PSALM 27:10 NKJ 10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me. Normally, one's parents are among the ones who can be counted on to help and love and support -- no matter what. I recall reading that the mother of a convicted mass murderer said he was still her son, and that she still loved him. That is natural. Yet, sometimes parents do forsake their children. But God's love for you is more dependable than the love of a parent for their offspring. ISAIAH 49:15 NKJ 15 "Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. Concerning earthly love, none is greater than that of a mother for her baby. Yet even that can sometimes fail, in extreme circumstances. But God's love for you is deeper, stronger, and more sure. HEBREWS 13:5 NIV 5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." People will fail you. You may even fail yourself. But God can be trusted. He will never fail you. He will never give up on you and never turn His back on you. He promised! Does this mean God will always protect you from everything unpleasant? No. Not any more than a good earthly parent can keep their child from every unpleasant experience. We must grow up. We must learn to walk in faith and love, and to overcome. But God will be there to help you. And to make sure that everything does work out for your good in the long run. Trust in the Father God. He is more dependable than friends or family, and He loves you more than anyone else ever will. SAY THIS: God will never turn His back on me. He is always available to help me. December 29 :) You Can Be Free JOHN 8:31-32 NRSV 31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." Everyone wants to be free, but many have given up hope that it is possible. But Jesus gave a promise, valid for you today. You can be free! Many suffer from physical problems. Jesus' promise includes you! Some are bound by debt. The promise of Jesus applies to you, also! Others are bound by fear. You can be free! Many are bound by destructive habits they are unable to quit. Sin enslaves people, but you can be free from its power! JOHN 8:34 NRSV 34 Jesus answered them, "Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. Jesus will set you free from the power of sin. He will not take away your freedom to sin, but He will change you inwardly, so you don't want to sin. Real freedom is more than being able to do what you want to do. Real freedom is not having to do what you do not want to do. JOHN 8:36 NRSV 36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. Free indeed! The answers are in the Word of God: the New Testament. SAY THIS: I will continue in Jesus' Word, and as He promised, I will know the truth and it will make me free. December 21 ,Walk In Love EPHESIANS 4:31-32 ICB 31 Do not be bitter or angry or mad. Never shout angrily or say things to hurt others. Never do anything evil. 32 Be kind and loving to each other. Forgive each other just as God forgave you in Christ. As a human who has been hurt, you may find it impossible to forgive and walk in love. But as a child of God, with God helping you, you can do it. God freely forgave you. Now, with His love placed in your heart, you are to act like Him and forgive others. EPHESIANS 5:1-2 NIV 1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Putting others first is the essence of walking in love. Selfishness is the opposite of walking in divine love. COLOSSIANS 3:12-13 NIV 12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. If you are having trouble with this, just ask the Lord to work in you and change you. Tell Him you need help. SAY THIS: I can walk in love because the Lord is my Helper December 19 , God Can Be Trusted HEBREWS 10:23 NKJ 23 . . . He who promised is faithful. The devil is trying to get you to doubt God and His Word. The devil wants you to give up on God, to not trust Him, to not expect Him to do what He said in His Word. Do not give up! God can be trusted. Someone who loves you enough to die in your place can be trusted. Someone who created all that you see, and all that you don't see, can be trusted to handle whatever you face. TITUS 1:2 NASB 2 in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago, God is not a liar. Whatever He says comes to pass! 1 THESSALONIANS 5:24 NIV 24 The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. God is trustworthy. Don't be moved by the circumstances. God will not fail you. SAY THIS: God is worthy of my trust. I trust Him with my past, present, and future. December 12 todayThe Acceptable Time
Some people will say the reason they are not Christians is that it is just not their time yet. They don't think they are ready. That would be like someone who is drowning in the middle of the ocean saying to the lifeguard, "I am not ready yet." What part of dead do they not understand? I would say that if you are drowning, then you are ready for salvation. Unbelievers are in a worse state than a person who is drowning, because they are separated from God by their sin. If they are wondering when they should come to Jesus Christ, the time is right now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Not next month. It's right now. God says, "Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2). This is the acceptable time. We don't know how long it will last. There is coming a day when Jesus Christ will return to this earth for His people. There is coming a day when He will catch all true believers up into heaven with Him. We call it the rapture of the church. It is that moment that we look forward to as Christians, when we will go to be with the Lord. It is described in Scripture as happening "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (2 Corinthians 15:52). Now is the time when God is looking in grace upon those who are separated from Him by sin, and the gospel is going out to them. Now is the day of salvation. December 10 :)
"Treasure every moment that you have! December 07 you can do itYou Can Do All Things Through Christ November 29 .Your Best Defense
When the Bible tells us to "submit to God," and to "resist the devil" (James 4:7), it doesn't mean we are to go out and attack the devil. The devil will do the attacking. The word "resist" is essentially a defensive word meaning "to withstand an attack." Nor does the Bible say to "converse with the devil and he will flee from us" or to "consider all of the temptations the devil offers, then resist him, and he will flee from us." Once you start messing with sin and with the devil, it is only a matter of time before you get hooked. It is like the free samples you're offered when you walk though the store or the mall. You are given just enough to whet your appetite, but not enough to satisfy it. The devil has been at this for a long time. He is no idiot; he will not necessarily present his full agenda. Instead, he will say, "Take just a little nibble. Just have a taste for the fun of it. It won't hurt you. Just this one little time." And you know the rest of that story. This is why the Bible tells us to resist the devil. Keep as much distance from him as possible. Flee from temptation and don't leave a forwarding address. So where do we find the resolve and strength to resist? We need to submit to God as we resist the devil. "Submit" is a word used to describe a soldier under the authority of a commander and speaks of a willing, conscious submission to God's authority. It means to completely surrender yourself to the Word and will of God. That is your best defense. November 28 you chooseTHE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN THE WORLD TO KNOW IS WHETHER OR NOT YOU WILL SPEND ETERNITY IN HEAVEN OR HELL! ONLY THEN CAN YOU HAVE PEACE, PURPOSE AND JOY HERE AND HEREAFTER. EVERY MOMENT, YOU ARE ONE HEARTBEAT, ONE BREATH, AWAY FROM YOUR ETERNAL DESTINY! NOTHING IN LIFE IS SO IMPORTANT, SO URGENT, SO VITAL. YOUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST WILL DETERMINE YOUR DELIGHT HERE, AND YOUR DESTINY HEREAFTER. GOD LOVES YOU, BUT IT IS YOUR CHOICE, HEAVEN OR HELL! WHICH DO YOU CHOOSE?
November 27 speak it!!!Hold Fast Your Confession  Your confession is what you say. The Bible tells you to hang on tight to saying God's Word. HEBREWS 10:23 NKJ 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. God has no reason to tell us to hold fast, or hang on tight, to our confession, unless someone, or something, will be trying to get us to turn loose of it — and say something else. HEBREWS 3:1 NKJ 1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, HEBREWS 4:14 NKJ 14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. Jesus is the High Priest of our confession — what we say. He represents us before God with the words we speak. The Bible says: You are righteous in Christ. Romans 3:22 You are forgiven. Colossians 2:13 You are healed. 1 Peter 2:24 You are delivered from the devil. Colossians 1:13 You can do all things through Christ. Philippians 4:13 You are strong in the Lord. Ephesians 6:10 The Greater One is in you. 1 John 4:4 The Lord is guiding you. John 16:13 God is working in you. Philippians 2:13 The Lord is your helper. Hebrews 13:6 Jesus became poor to make you rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9 You may wonder why you should say what God says in the Bible about you. First, God is looking for faith, and second, it is the Word planted in your life that will make you free. Speaking God's Word is a way of planting it in you. Yes, it can take faith to say what the Bible says about you. Especially when you don't feel like it and the circumstances don't agree, either. But we have to choose: will we rely on our feelings, or God's Word? Do we trust the circumstances more than God's Word? But you may say, "What the Word says is just not true in my life." You are the establishing witness. God has said something about you. Now when you come into agreement with Him, it will become manifest in your life. MARK 11:23 NKJ 23 "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, `Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will come to pass, he will have whatever he says. Jesus told us that we will have whatever we say — if we believe it. It will come to pass. So you see why the devil tries to get us to quit saying God's Word, which will set us free. SAY THIS: I will say what God says about me — regardless of my feelings or circumstances. November 26 WORDS Speak God's Word  EPHESIANS 6:17 NKJ 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; The sword, or weapon, of the spirit is not the Bible laying on a shelf, but God's Word being spoken by a believer. You must take it. Your spiritual weapon is speaking the Word of God. You must take the Word and speak it — just like Jesus did (Matthew 4:4). Our battle is not against humans, but evil spiritual forces, which requires us to use spiritual weapons to prevail and prosper. That weapon is speaking the Word of God. Jesus defeated the devil for you. However, you must enforce that defeat by speaking and standing in agreement with God. Only then will you see Jesus' victory manifest in your life. Of course, before you can speak the Word, you have to know the Word. It must be fed in before you can expect it to come out in a time of need. And you never know when you will be attacked with something designed to steal, kill, and destroy you. Keep on saying what God's Word says -- no matter what. HEBREWS 10:23 NKJ 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. Hang on tight to speaking the Word, because the devil doesn't want you to stick with the Word. Count on being tempted to NOT say what God says. The devil does not want you to use your spiritual weapon of speaking the Word. Speak the Word of God: 1. To yourself first. 2. To God in thanks and praise. 3. To the devil. 4. To circumstances. SAY THIS: I will say what God says. I will keep God's Word in my mouth. November 20 perfect friend A Perfect FriendPROVERBS 18:24 RSV 24 There are friends who pretend to be friends, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Would you like to have a perfect friend? A friend who loved you no matter what you did. A friend who would always be there when you needed them. A friend who knew you intimately yet still loved you. A friend who always encouraged you and never put you down. A friend who was smart but not conceited. A friend who had no personal problems to distract them. A friend who was powerful and famous, yet down-to-earth and approachable. A friend who is righteous yet merciful to others. A friend who never makes a mistake. A friend who enjoyed having a good time and sharing a laugh with you. A friend who had the knowledge and ability to help you with everything. |
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