House of Glory

Fix Your Eyes On God’s Unshakable Word

2012-01-19T03:16:00.000+07:00

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)

People of the world feel helpless as the systems of the world go up and down. They turn on the television and they hear, “This war will plunge the world into a recession.” They open the newspapers and they read that “Unemployment is at an all-time high”.

Beloved, God does not want you to feel helpless because you are not of the world. (John 17:16) You are of God and therefore need not be subject to the world’s systems. Whatever the world’s situation is, fear not because “God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus”.

Notice that Philippians 4:19 says that “God shall supply all your need”. It does not say that God may supply some of your needs. It also says that God will do it “according to His riches”. It is not out of His riches. If a millionaire gives you a hundred dollars, it is out of his riches. But if he gives to you according to his riches, it means that he is lining up his millions for you!

Lastly, the verse says that God does it “according to His riches in glory”. It is not according to the riches of your company or how well the economy is doing. No, it is according to God’s riches in glory!

So how do you stop yourself from feeling helpless in uncertain times? The same way I stopped myself from getting seasick when I was on board a navy ship for the first time during my National Service stint. A senior naval officer had advised me, “Don’t look at the waves around you. Look at the horizon far away. Look at that stable, stationary line and you will feel better.” When I fixed my eyes on that unshakable, unwavering line, even though the ship bobbed up and down in the rough sea, I did not feel so seasick anymore.

My friend, don’t look at your circumstances or the bad things that are happening in the world because you will get “earth-sick”. Instead, look at the unshakable, eternal Word of God. Your heart will become stable and you will see your God supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus!

© Copyright Joseph Prince, 2009

Change Your Vocabulary

2012-01-19T02:10:00.003+07:00

You need to learn a new kind of vocabulary.
Instead of saying, “I have some failures,” say, “I have some lessons.”
Instead of saying, “I have some problems,” say, “I have some hidden blessings.”
Instead of saying, “I’m going through a crisis,” say, “I’m going through a transformational experience.”
Instead of saying, “I don’t have money,” say, “I’m temporarily broke but the blessings are on the way.”
If you want to change your life, you need to change your talk.
Everyday, a tidal wave of words flow out of your mouth.
Studies say that men speak 20,000 words a day. And women speak 30,000. (I didn’t invent that. Just reporting the facts. But I’m sure you know of some exceptions. There are men who speak 50,000 words a day, like Preachers like me.)
Don’t be shocked. If you live until 90, a typical person would have spoken 730 million words. If someone just recorded all that you said, and put them in book form, you would have written 14,600 books.
Pretty amazing, right?
But it’s not the quantity of words that’s important. It’s the quality of the words that’s important. The quality of your words will determine the quality of your life—including the life of the people around you.
Do your words bless or curse?
Do your words heal or cause disease?
Do your words give life or give death?
Do your words nourish or poison?
Do your words lift up or lower down?
Do your words encourage or discourage?
Be careful with your words…

3 Kinds Of Bread
You know this already—God’s Word is like bread. It always nourishes. (Matthew 4:4)
But here’s something you may not know: God designed your words to also become nourishing bread.
But in reality, our words aren’t always nourishing.
In fact, I compare our words to three kinds of bread: wheat bread, white bread, and waste bread.
Wheat Bread has all the nourishment intact. It hasvitamin B6, vitamin E, magnesium, zinc, folic acid… And fiber. (That’s why it’s chewy.) Fiber prevents heart attacks and sweeps your intestines clean.
White Bread tastes nice and soft and delicious. But it doesn’t nourish. It doesn’t make you healthy. Because white bread is made of white flour, and it’s stripped from all vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Waste Bread is bread that is stale. It’s already covered with mold and bacteria. It can actually poison you and make you sick.
Our words can be like one of these three kinds of bread.
Let me explain…

1. Wheat Bread
God wants your words to be like Wheat Bread. They nourish you and they nourish others.
The bible says that what we say should be good and helpful and encouraging (Ephesians 4:29). If it’snot good and helpful and encourage, don’t say it.
Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. (Proverbs 16:24)
One day, I was going through a crisis. Correction. I was going through “a transformational experience”.
It was a time when both my ministries and businesses were going through a tough time. I felt beaten. Defeated. Worn out. I exhausted physically and emotionally.
Right after the Feast, a woman came up to me. And she said, “Bo, you don’t know how you changed my life. Spiritually. Emotionally. Financially. Thank you so much…”
I’ve heard those lines before. Many times. But at that particular time, when I felt discouraged, those words healed me.
But let’s admit it.
Many times, our words don’t encourage at all…

2. White Bread
Many of our words are like White Bread. We speak without purpose. We speak without love. They don’t discourage, but they don’t encourage too. We speak uselessly.
Jesus says, You can be sure that on the Judgment Day you will have to give account of every useless word you have ever spoken. (Matthew 12:36)
What is the Bible saying? Don’t waste your words.
If you have an opportunity to encourage, to inspire, to lift up, and to coach someone—do so. Because people are hungry for nourishment, wisdom, and love. Don’t waste your time by speaking empty words.
And what’s the worst kind of bread of all?

3. Waste Bread
Like Waste Bread, your words can poison.
Your mouth is a deadly weapon.
Your words can destroy your children and their future. Your words can destroy your families and your friendships. Your words can destroy your world.
One day, I was talking to a young man who was messed up. He didn’t finish school, he didn’t have a job, he was taking drugs…. In other words, he was really lost.
And then we began talking about his father.
That was when his face began to grimace in pain.
He said, “Brother Bo, I’m 23 years old. In all those years, I’ve never heard my father say nice things to me. Not once did he say he was happy with me. Everytime he talked to me, it was always to tell me I was wrong. And he kept telling me, ‘I’m ashamed that you’re my son! You’ll never amount to anything!’”
Words killed his future.
Because words can be poisonous.
Everytime you open your mouth, you can choose: You can cure or you can curse. It’s up to you.

Let me tell you a true story.
There were two altar boys who lived in two different cities serving in two different churches, but both of them wanted to become priests.
And both of them had the exact same experience.
One altar boy was late for Mass. Because he was in a hurry to do everything he needed to do, he accidentally hit the chalice that contained the wine.
After the Mass, the priest called the boy and shouted, “Get out of here! You’ll never serve as an altar boy!”
At another church, the other altar boy was also late for Mass. And he too hit the chalice that contained the wine, pouring it onto the red carpet. After the Mass, the priest—who happened to be a Bishop—called the altar boy and said, “Hey, everybody makes mistakes. I’m clumsy too. So you know what? Maybe you’ll become a priest too…” and he chuckled.
30 years later, that altar boys became Archbishop Fulton Sheen, one of the most loved religious leaders in America.
The other altar boy? He became Joseph Tito, the ruthless dictator of Yugoslavia, and an atheist.
Words are powerful. They can heal. They can bless. They can encourage. Or they can also curse. They can destroy.
Let me give you four examples.

Complement Or Complain
Admit it. Every child is part monster and part angel.
What part will win?
It depends on what part you pour attention to…
Behavior is the plant. Attention is the water.
If you tell your son a thousand times, “You’re a monster! You’re so disobedient!” you’re pouring attention into the monster part. And that monster part will grow, pushing out the angel part—until your child becomes all monster.
Instead of complaining, do the opposite: Complement!
It sounds nuts. But try it out.
For many parents, their preoccupation is to catch their kids doing wrong. Change that. Be preoccupied catching your kids doing good.
If he cares for his baby brother, “Son, I love the way you take care of your younger brother; I’m so proud you’re my son…”;
If you find him happy in your family meals, then tell him, “Thanks for enjoying our time together as a family; it warms my heart that you’ve grown up to be a loving boy.”;
Words like these will change your son.
Remember, your words can bring out the best or the worst in others.
It depends on what words you choose.
Why? People will treat you the way you treat them.
If you keep complaining about their bad behavior, you’ll get more of that bad behavior. If you complement them about their good behavior, you’ll get more of that good behavior.
That’s just how life works.
Here’s the principle: Your words create your world.
Which brings me to my second example…

Correct Or Criticize
Don’t get me wrong. You should correct. That’s part of love. You just need to know how to do it.
You can correct to love or you can criticize to shame. Love is both the motive and manner of your correction.
And always correct within the context of a deep relationship of trust. Don’t correct someone when the relationship isn’t strong.
But sometimes, we go to the other extreme. Even within a close relationship, we don’t correct. Because we want to be popular instead of loving. It’s true: Like Wheat Bread, correction is difficult to chew. It’s not as easy to eat as Wheat Bread. But that’s why you have to do it, because it’s nutritious.
Here’s a third example…

Refresh Or Ridicule
When I was a kid, I was never good in Sports.
So I dreaded Physical Education. Whenever I had P.E. class in the afternoon, I’d already be wishing I’d get sick that day. So that I’d have an excuse not to attend P.E.
Because almost every class, kids would ridicule me.
It didn’t matter if it was basketball or volleyball or soccer.
I was a klutz.
I couldn’t seem to hit or catch the ball. I couldn’t understand why I was so uncoordinated.
When I was 9-years old, my P.E. was baseball. And I was even more terrified.
True enough, at practice, I couldn’t catch the ball—even if I had that oversized glove.
I was so bad at catching, the Teacher assigned me to the farthest spot in the field. And with his booming voice, he told everyone, “Try to hit your ball towards that kid over there,” pointing to me. “Because he won’t catch the ball, and you’ll get a home run!” He laughed loudly, slapping his knee many times. And all the kids laughed with him.
I pretended to laugh too.
But my little heart was crying inside.
For the next 15 years, I never joined any sport.
When my teacher ridiculed me, something broke within me. Because my Teacher was a person of authority. In my mind, I told myself, “He must know what he’s talking about. He’s my teacher. He says I’m worthless. I’m the most worthless kid in the universe.”
Be careful with ridicule. Be careful with negative humor. Here’s my realization: Nothing hurts more than words. The Bible says, The words of the reckless pierce like swords. (Proverbs 12:18)
If you punch someone really hard on the jaw, the swelling subsides after some days. If you cut someone with a knife, the cut heals after some weeks. But if you say something deeply hurting, the damage can remain for the rest of your life.
Society values humor so much, for the sake of making people laugh, we ridicule other people. (I believe negative humor and poking fun at others has a place—between very close friends.)
But I realize that nothing can be more hurting than humiliation. I wish kids would come with a big sign that says, “Fragile—Handle With Care”. So that we won’t be careless with our words.
Don’t ridicule. Don’t shame people.
Use your words instead to refresh others.
Last example…

Gossip

When you want to gossip, bite your tongue. It will hurt you, but it won’t hurt your friends.
Someone asked me, “But I’m not spreading gossip. I’m spreading truth. She really is selfish and rude!”
But even if you’re right, don’t do it.
People are cruelest when they know they are right.
There are people who enjoy pointing out the mistakes of others. It’s almost a hobby. It has become second nature. They love sitting down in judgment and telling the world about people’s weaknesses.
“He’s a good speaker, but he’s full of air.”
“Shay’s pretty but not very bright.”
“My boss is a total jerk.”
“Barry looks like a retard.”
Are you going to say something nasty?
Just stop.
And if someone is about to tell you something nasty about someone else, excuse yourself.
You can say, “I don’t want to color my opinion towards that person.”
If you have no choice but to listen, tell yourself, “I’m not going to believe this one-sided story. I’ll suspend judgment and give the other the benefit of the doubt.”
Instead of gossiping about the garbage, gossip about the good. Spread the good qualities of the people around you!

Gossip Is Difficult To Undo
One day, a young woman spread gossip about an old woman living beside her house. And the old woman’s reputation was tainted forever. After a few months, the young woman had pangs of guilt for what she did. With much courage, she knocked on the door of the old woman.
When the old woman saw her, the young woman said, “I’ve done you wrong. I’ve come to ask for forgiveness. I’m sorry…”
The old woman said, “Come in.”
Sitting on the couch, she told her younger neighbor, “I forgive you. But can you do something for me? It’s a special ritual…” She stood up and entered the room and the kitchen. She came back, bringing with her a pillow and a knife. She handed them to the young woman and said, “Please go up to the roof of my house and stab this pillow and rip it.”
The young woman was perplexed. But she did what she was told to do. She went up the roof, plunged the knife into the pillow, and instantly, feathers flew far and wide, carried by the wind.
When she went down, she returned the torn pillow and knife to the old woman.
The old woman said, “I have one last thing I want you to do for me. Go out now into the street and collect all the feathers…”
A tear escaped the young woman’s eye. She knew her neighbor was trying to tell her something. “I’m so sorry, but that can’t be done,” she said. “They’ve scattered into different directions.”
The old woman nodded. “I’m not angry with you. I’m just giving you a correction in love. From now on, please only speak good words. If you have nothing good to say, don’t say it anymore. Because your words will be carried by the wind in every direction—and you won’t be able to take them back.”
And the young woman softly wept.
Friend, you can still gossip. But only gossip about the good in others. Broadcast the wonderful qualities of others to the world.

Conclusion: What’s Your Order?
So far, I’ve been talking about your conversations with others.
But remember, the most important conversation you’ll ever have in your life is the conversation you have with yourself.
What you say to yourself matters, because your words are prophetic.
Because life is like a restaurant.
And the universe is like a waiter, with pen and paper in hand, waiting for your order. What you constantly say, that waiter will deliver to you on a silver platter.
I know many people who curse themselves with their words.
I know people who put themselves down. They belittle themselves. They shame themselves.
I’ve heard people say, “I can’t do it,” and “I’m no good,” and “I’ll never be successful.” They don’t understand that they’re words are prophetic. They’re creating their world by their words.
I’ve heard poor people say, “I’m poor,” and “I have no money,” many times a day. Their words make their experience permanent.
Make a decision today to bless yourself with your words.
Complement yourself. Say good things about yourself!
Many times a day, announce to the world, “I’m blessed. I’m anointed. I’m favored. I’m a champion. I’m amazing. I’m a wonderful person. I’m rich in every possible way. I’m the beloved of God…”
This truth applies when you speak to others too.
Because you’re the first listener.
If you speak encouraging words to somebody, before you encourage that person, you’re actually encouraging yourself. But if you speak discouraging words to somebody, before you discourage that person, you’re actually discouraging yourself.
Speaking is like holding a knife without a handle. If the knife is sharp, it wounds you first before it wounds others.

Let me repeat: The quality of your words will change the quality of your life.
Speak God’s words and change your world!

© Copyright Bo Sanchez, 2011

You Matter To God!

2012-01-19T01:49:00.002+07:00

… he calls his own sheep by name…(John 10:3)

Do you sometimes feel like you are just a face in a crowd or a number in a system? You are identified by your social security number. Even when you see the doctor, you are called by your queue number. If you feel depersonalized and dehumanized, that is exactly how the devil wants you to feel — that you do not matter much to anyone, especially to God.

But you do matter to God! He calls you by name. He knows exactly what you are going through and where you are hurting. He sees you and cares for you, just as He cared for the people when He first walked on earth.

My friend, He will do for you what He did for the woman in Samaria. There was a shorter route from Judea to Galilee, but the Bible says that “He needed to go through Samaria”. (John 4:4) In other words, Jesus deliberately took a longer route, so that He could stop by Samaria to speak to the woman who had been searching for something in her life to satisfy her.

This woman had had five husbands and the man she was living with was not her husband. Clearly, things had not been going right in her life. She was probably looking for answers and fulfillment, and must have felt ashamed about her failed marriages and current lifestyle.

Yet, in spite of all this, she mattered to Jesus! He needed to go to her to minister to her. And indeed, after she met Jesus, the perfect Man, she was transformed. She was no longer ashamed, and went into the city to tell the people about Him. (John 4:28–29)

Beloved, Jesus came a long way from heaven for you. You certainly matter to Him. He came to give you life and life more abundantly. (John 10:10) You are not just a face in a crowd or a number. No, He knows you by name and has a personal love for you. And in spite of the mess which you might be in, He wants to meet your every need and make your life beautiful!

© Copyright Joseph Prince, 2009

If It Matters To You, It Matters To God

2012-01-19T01:42:00.000+07:00

Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Luke 12:6–7)

Many Christians make the mistake of thinking that God is too busy taking care of the “big things” to be interested in the little problems they are facing. Are you one of them? It may be your child’s bed-wetting habit, a quarrel with a friend or the small pimple on your face. No matter how trivial it sounds, if it troubles you, then God wants to take care of it!

God wants to take care of every area of your life, even the smallest detail. He loves you so much that He knows the number of hairs you have on your head. And if your loving heavenly Father knows and is interested in the small details of your life, then you don’t have to overcome any problem on your own.

When my daughter Jessica turned three, my wife Wendy and I decided to bring her to Disneyland. Knowing that it was her first encounter with Disneyland and that she could be frightened by unexpected shocks, I decided to watch one of the theater productions which I had planned to bring her to, before I took her to watch it.

As I sat through the production, my mind was on Jessica all the time. I was thinking, “Is this too frightening for her? Will she like the mechanical singing bear? Is the place too dark for her?” I decided to bring her to the show only after I had seen it myself and was sure that she would enjoy it.

My friend, your heavenly Father cares for you in the same way as He lays out His plans for you. You are on His heart all the time as He carefully considers and makes plans for every aspect of your life, both big and small. And the very thought of you puts a smile on His face because He knows that the plans He has for you are plans to bless you. (Jeremiah 29:11)

So no matter what problems you are facing right now, you can rest in His love for you. There is no problem that is too insignificant for Him to handle. He is not just God Almighty, He is also your heavenly Father who loves you!

© Copyright Joseph Prince, 2009

Momentary troubles

2012-01-19T01:39:00.001+07:00

"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all" (2 Corinthians 4:17, NIV)

Are you facing a difficulty or trial that seems like it's been lasting a long time? Today's verse tells us that our trials are really only momentary. Compared with eternity, our troubles don't last long at all! As you stand strong in faith during times of adversity, you are building faith and achieving eternal glory.

If you are in the middle of tough times today, look to God. The Bible says that He is the Author and Finisher of your faith. He is the One who writes faith on your heart and then develops it to completion on the inside of you. He is building strength in you, He is depositing joy in you, and He is empowering you to make it through.

Today, be encouraged because what you are facing is only temporary. Victory is on the way, and it's closer than you think! Keep standing, keep believing, keep hoping, and keep confessing His Word because He is faithful, and He will complete what He's started in you!

Heavenly Father, thank You for working Your eternal glory in me. I cast my cares on You today, knowing that my trials and troubles are temporary. Thank You for Your eternal blessing on my life today and for leading me into victory. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Gratitude Is A Magnet

2012-01-19T01:32:00.002+07:00

Choose: 2 Weeks Or 40 Years?

There are two ways of living on earth: You can grumble or you can be grateful. Both habits are powerful. (I’ll explain in awhile.)
Do you know how long the Israelites travelled from Egypt to the Promised Land? The Bible says it took them 40 Years. I find that weird. Do you know how quickly it should have been? The distance from Cairo to Jerusalem is only 391 kilometers. That should have only taken the Israelites 14 days to travel from Egypt to Israel. But why did they take 40 years? Let me tell you one major reason: They followed the grumbling path instead of the grateful path. And the grumbling path is much longer than the grateful path.

40 years longer…

Think about it. They were rescued from 400 years of slavery. But they weren’t grateful. They saw 10 mind-boggling miracles, from water turning into blood, and a staff turning into a snake, and frogs leaping out of the lake… But they weren’t grateful. They crossed the red sea on dry land. But they weren’t grateful. A pillar of fire accompanied them by night and a pillar of smoke accompanied them by day. But they weren’t grateful.

I don’t know about you, but I want to enter the promised land quickly. And the way to do that is to learn to be grateful. What do you have that you did not receive? … Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! (1 Corinthians 4:7-8)

Marriages Can’t Be Strong Without Gratitude

Do you know why married people have affairs? It’s not because of sex. It’s because they grumble instead of being grateful. Your spouse has 90% of what you need. But because you’re not grateful for that 90%, you search for that missing 10% in a mistress. Someone fresh. Someone prettier. Someone more affectionate. Someone who smells nice. But when you go home, your wife smells of paksiw. She isn’t affectionate because she’s tired, taking care of the kids the entire day. So you have an affair. At first, it’s exciting. It makes you feel wonderful. But one day, you’ll wake up and realize you’re holding Miss 10% in your arms. You’ve lost your Miss 90% to get Miss 10%.

Gratitude Attracts Blessings

I know some people who can’t be grateful today. They’re waiting for something big to happen for them to be grateful. Some people say, “I’ll be grateful if I win the Lotto…” Or “I’ll be grateful if I get promoted…” Or “I’ll be very grateful if I have a baby…” Or “I’ll be grateful if I marry someone like Brad Pitt, or John Lloyd, or Bo Sanchez…” (I apologize for my hallucinations.) Don’t wait to be grateful. Be grateful now! Why? Because both grumbling and gratitude are a magnet.

Grateful people get more of what they’re grateful for.

If they’re grateful for happiness and love and friendships, they’ll have more happiness and love and friendships. If they’re grateful for financial blessings, they’ll have more financial blessings. In the same way, grumbling people get more of what they grumble about. If you grumble about your problems, you’ll have more problems. If you grumble about lack, you have more lack in your life.

Be grateful. And receive more blessings this 2012.

© Copyright Bo Sanchez, 2012

The boldest act of prayer

2012-01-19T01:27:00.002+07:00

“I entreat your favor with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise.” (Psalm 119:58ESV)

My perspectives on prayer have begun to change in recent years. I see it in a much bigger, and frankly more exciting context as I get beyond the idea of prayer simply being me filling the air with words at God (not just to God, but at him). No longer do I see it as simply laying out my needs, my wants, lifting up people as they pop into my head and then hoping I’ve covered my bases. That kind of praying didn’t change me a great deal and frankly, it still keeps the focus on me.

Asking God to change me instead of my circumstances is probably the boldest act of prayer that I embark on. It is what will change the way I see others. It is what will alter my perspective of the world around me. I would much rather ask God to change others or my circumstances than to be shown what it is about me that is ugly and needs to be surrendered.

Prayer that changes me is prayer that can’t be simply concluded by an “amen.” It is the ongoing conversation of prayer that reveals my weaknesses, exposes my truest needs, and changes my view of how I really want to see my life invested. It is that conversation of life with God’s Spirit that ultimately changes the way I am willing to invest myself. For me, that is the shift from prayer merely being an exercise that I had to engage in as opposed to embracing something that I could live as naturally as breathing air. My focus went from how to “do” prayer to how to embrace it and eventually, how to simply experience it happening.

It has only been since I began to embrace that way of being that I have sensed God challenging my generosity, my willingness to be inconvenienced, and the overall way I approach the things I see happening in the world that “someone should do something about.” It turns out that someone is I.

The Favor of God

2012-01-19T01:24:00.002+07:00

PSALM 5:12 THOU WILT BLESS THE RIGHTEOUS WITH FAVOR; YOU WILL ENCOMPASS THEM AS WITH A SHIELD

The Lord has really impressed upon me to encourage you at the start of this New Year with a reminder to make a demand on the favor of God like never before. In times like this, the favor of God is going to be one of your greatest assets. There are some things that will never change without God’s favor. You will never get the results you desire without manifestation of the favor of God.

When they’re saying that the housing market is down, that this is not a good time for selling a house, and yet you are trying to sell a house-what is it that’s going to get you that sale when no other homes are selling? Favor! When you’re trying to get that job and nobody’s hiring. What is it that’s going to get you over? Favor! I asked the Lord to give me a simple definition of the meaning of favor and He said this: it’s when people say no and circumstances say no but your God is saying yes. That’s the favor of God.

JOB 22:28 “THOU SHALT ALSO DECREE A THING, AND IT SHALL BE ESTABLISHED UNTO THEE: AND THE LIGHT SHALL SHINE UPON THY WAYS.”

Make a demand on the favor of God on your life every day. You decree it, you speak it out. You get up in the morning saying, “The favor of God goes before me today.” Throughout your day, whenever you think about it, you decree the favor of God. Before you go to bed at night, you decree the favor of God.
Don’t leave your house without decreeing the favor of God. That is as natural to me as putting my clothes on before I leave the house.

By consistently decreeing God’s favor and speaking out that truth, we will see it manifest in our lives-bringing us the promotions, the raises, the open doors-we will see relationships, circumstances and situations changed to our benefit- there will be battles won that we don’t even have to fight because God’s favor will win them for us.

Father, in the name of Jesus I am righteousness of God and God’s favor surrounds the righteous. It surrounds me. It’s all over me. It goes before me. I can depend upon it every day of my life. I decree out of my mouth that the favor of God is opening doors that no man can shut. The favor of God is changing things that even look impossible. The favor of God is working in my behalf. Thank you, Father, in advance for all the turnarounds, all the miracles, and all the breakthroughs that are coming my way because I have favor with you. Amen

Quoted from Adventures in Faith Magazine published by Savelle Ministry

Believing is receiving

2012-01-17T15:19:00.000+07:00

For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. (Mark 5:28–29)

You have heard people of the world say, “I will believe it only when I see it.” Generally, that is the way the world thinks. But God’s ways are not like the ways of the world. The world says, “If I can’t feel it or see it, I cannot believe the miracle is here.” God says, “If you believe it before you feel it or see it, you will see your miracle.”

Believing first before seeing the evidence of what we are believing for is called faith. Faith is like a spark and Jesus is the dynamite powder.

In the story of the healing of the woman with the issue of blood, there were many people who touched Jesus (Mark 5:31), but nothing happened to them. They didn’t touch Him in faith. But when the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years came to Him and touched Him in faith, He felt power leave His body (Mark 5:30), and it sparked off an explosion of healing in the woman’s body!

Hearing about how good, kind and loving Jesus was fired her faith to believe that He could and would heal her. So convinced was she (even when the condition in her body was still evident) that she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” Did she experience her healing first before she believed? No, she believed first in Jesus’ goodness and power, acted in faith and only then felt the healing in her body.

In the same way, God wants you to believe in His goodness and love toward you. He wants you to know how willing He is to act on your behalf to bless you, and how, with Christ, He will freely give you every good thing. (Romans 8:32)

He wants you to declare by faith that all is and shall be well with you, and to expect to see just that. And then, no matter how long you have had the problem, no matter how bad the experts say it is, an explosion of healing and restoration will take place, and you will receive what you are believing for!

Look Up

2010-06-22T08:46:00.000+07:00

"And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." (Luke 21:28)

It is my sincere hope and my fervent prayer that my brethren are all in the same frame of mind and that they are all, metaphorically speaking that is, looking up right now. We are so close to the return of Jesus Christ that many believers have moved into the position of being watchmen on the wall. The Israelites had their watchmen to sound the alarm when danger approached and the Christians today have their watchmen who are sounding alarms. Listen to the voices of those who are telling you to get ready for there is no doubt that we are on the very precipice of the Rapture of Christ's Church.

Letters from my brethren are continually flowing in concerning the Rapture, and folks are now becoming concerned with the lateness of the hour. Obviously many are now seeing the signs which are beginning to make a real impression on us. Jesus spoke of signs as future history as He sat with His disciples. He fully explained the end times scenarios which were to unfold. We can read all about them in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21. As we read those chapters the light begins to shine on us. What do those chapters say to those who are watching and waiting? Read them and at the same time read current world events and you'll come away thinking the Bible was written yesterday.

The signs Jesus addressed would begin gradually, and increasingly those very same signs would appear to be even more severe, ultimately bringing their frequency and severity to a raging crescendo of catastrophes. And what do we currently see unfolding before our very eyes? The beginning signs Jesus told us to watch and be mindful of. Remember, Jesus said that when they begin to appear "look up".

Right now, and each day from here until the Rapture, the signs Jesus spoke about will become so numerous and intense that it will be impossible to keep up with these events as they rapidly unfold. We can see that we are currently standing just this side of the seven year tribulation period.

Speaking for myself, I can hardly wait to get up in the morning to see what has transpired overnight with my country and world events. I know the signs are emerging exactly as Jesus foretold. I'm not frightened by those signs, no, not at all. Instead I'm encouraged and even excited with each sign that unfolds. We, that is those who follow Jesus Christ, were given our history lesson in advance for one reason, so we would know how very close His return is and put forth a definitive cry of warning to those who are still lost.

As we watch world history unfold around us we are to prepare ourselves for the inevitable, "...then look up, and lift up your heads..." Luke 21:28. But more importantly we are to spread the Gospel of Christ as never before. We who are believers in Christ must not allow ourselves to be muted, but clearly and concisely speak the truth to all who are perishing.

So, what are the signs Jesus spoke about? Let's take a look at a few of them, sign by sign. First of all we read "Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them." Luke 21:8. We've seen the damage wrought by those who've falsely declared that they are the Christ, and through their deceptive ways many have been led astray. Clearly not everyone has heeded Jesus' words. We aren't going to stop these deceptions from occurring but we need to be on guard, ever watchful, and ready to confront deceptions.

Secondly, we read "But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by." Luke 21:9. Jesus basically tells us that these are non-signs. Not to get all worked up over rumors of wars and even full blown wars when they take place because they are ever constant and somewhat predicable, they've always been numerous as well as frequent, so essentially they're non-signs.

In three of the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus lays out a scenario that pretty much details the future of humankind. "Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake." Luke 21:10-12. Surely we've all witnessed, either by reading about them or being there firsthand, great earthquakes in many different (divers) places. They are increasing in intensity and frequency, and apparently, according to many scientists, we haven't seen anything yet.

All of the above mentioned signs Jesus prophesied are going to open up for many to behold in the last days, but for the believer in Christ we will only see the beginnings of these signs "And when these things begin to come to pass..." Luke 21:28. "Begin" is the key word here; believers won't be on earth for the brunt of the action.

Nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom, this too is currently in the making and can be somewhat unnerving as we read about all the saber rattling. And Israel is constantly being blamed for every little skirmish. One of these days, and very soon I'm afraid, either North Korea or Iran will push the rest of the world into another world war.

Certainly, we are currently witnessing around the globe and within the boundaries of many nations, turmoil, nation against nation, their own citizenry rebelling and fighting in the streets, many are being slain and many more are being injured, and for what? Because their governments, in many cases, have cut back on the handouts people were accustomed to receiving. It takes money and lots of it to withstand the turmoil besetting the world, and this world's economy is very much at risk of failing. The US economy is teetering on a knife edge; watch for the turmoil of aggressive demonstrations beginning to occur here in the states in the not so distant future.

The unrest now surrounding Israel due to the flotilla incident is a worldwide phenomenon; the hatred is obvious in practically every nation. We are seeing the stage being set for the prophetic war of Psalm 83. This unrest will continue and worsen as the days progress. Most of Israel's enemy's are arming themselves to the hilt. They have one purpose in mind, one agenda, and that is the annihilation of Israel. Their only reason for living is to eliminate Zionism from the face of this planet. God says in His word to pray for the peace of Israel and we should be doing so daily. But we also know that God's hand is upon Israel and He will not allow the annihilation of His chosen people no matter how many come against her.

"Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it." Zechariah 12:2, 3. The scriptures are clear, and they point out that every nation will come against Israel and that God will destroy them. Seemingly, since all nations wish to curse Israel and to do so without fear of God's retribution, believers should be keenly aware of just what's around the corner. Every nation is going to be in that mindset of destroying Israel; clearly those who faithfully follow the Savior of the world should be looking up.

Earthquakes, pestilences, fearful sights, great signs from heaven will only be as a prelude for those of us who are in Christ to be witness to. But for those folks who remain on earth after the Rapture, they will witness the full force of all those prophetic catastrophes.

Besides all the news on the national and world fronts which clearly indicate the last days are upon us and that we should be "looking up", there's a strange spiritual, supernatural side unraveling before us. Jesus also tells us of a great apostasy (falling away from the faith) in the last days. This phenomenon is quite pervasive. How do I know? By the many letters I receive concerning the inability of many believers to find a Christ centered, Bible believing congregation where they can attend worship services. I can tell you all, that the apostasy Jesus speaks about has now infiltrated many a Christian Church worldwide.

When these things begin to come to pass? My brethren, they've begun. Interestingly, an unthinkable event occurs in the 8th chapter of the book of Revelation which may give us reason to pause and reflect as we read "And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed." Revelation 8:8-9. I wonder if that mountain could be a mountain of oil seeping from a broken pipe out in the Gulf of Mexico. Could this catastrophe be a prelude to fulfilling Revelation 8? We're told by the scientists observing the leakage that the oil under the water now resembles huge plumes, kind of like mountains, and the US coast guard is using fire to disperse that oil. Certainly a catastrophic event is unfolding before our eyes. Just my thoughts.

At any rate our days on planet earth are clearly numbered. As such, those of us who are diligently following our Lord Jesus Christ and His commandments should be in the midst of the unsaved sharing the Gospel of Christ with them, praying for the ones we've spoken to who are fence setting, and looking up intently as our "redemption draweth" so very close.

The Painful Road to Greater Results

2010-06-15T09:22:00.000+07:00

"I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." (John 15:1)

When it comes to growing things, I'm not exactly Seedling Sam the Gardening Man. I grew up in an apartment in the city, okay? But my farm girl wife and some friends who have amazing green thumbs have taught me a lot about how things grow and flourish. I was reminded of one of those lessons when I read an article about growing blueberries in our local newspaper. The writer of that article is a recognized expert on blueberries. He explained how one of his most important steps in making blueberry bushes fruitful is to chop off branches. Sounds destructive, but actually it's constructive. He prunes away a lot of top branches so the interior branches are exposed to the sunlight. The result? Big blueberries and lots of them!

I need to understand this pruning thing. It's one of God's most important tools in growing me - and you, for that matter. In fact, some of the difficulty and loss that you're experiencing right now may actually be your Heavenly Father cutting you back to help you grow. And the results are going to be far greater than they ever could have been if He left what He has been taking away.

As Jesus was in His final hours before the cross, He prepared His disciples for the battles and the assignments ahead with some powerful teaching. And since they saw grapevines pretty often, He chose that as an analogy of their, and our, relationship with Him. In John 15 , beginning with verse 1, our word for today from the Word of God, Jesus says: "I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." In short, leaving you less so you can do more.

Jesus went on to explain that all the things we do for Him have to flow from our deep relationship with Him - "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing...If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given you." If you keep loading up on Jesus and getting ever closer to Him, your life is going to be really fruitful. You're going to make a greater and greater difference with your life than you've ever made before. You're going to be more and more spiritually magnetic, and having you around is going to be more and more like having Jesus around.

But before the fruit, comes the pruning. I imagine if a vine could talk, he'd say to the pruner, "You're killing me, man!" And the gardener would say, "I know this hurts, but I'm actually removing things you don't really need so you can explode with greater fruit." That may be exactly what's happening in your life right now. It doesn't feel good, but it is good. God is lovingly removing things you think you need, but things that may be holding you down, holding you back, or holding you captive. The cutbacks are painful, but your Lord is taking out and subtracting so He can shine on what's left and do what He could never have done if you still had what you've lost.

Pruning is actually God's loving surgery to let His light go deeper into your life than it has ever gone before. You may not enjoy the process. You probably won't enjoy the process - but you, and everybody else is going to love the results!

You Belong to God

2010-06-15T09:03:00.000+07:00

"My beloved is mine and I am his" (Song of Solomon 2:16).

So there was Paul in the midst of a tempest. Yet somehow, he had an amazing calm in the midst of this storm. We too have our storms in life, and we wonder how to get through them. Here is one of Paul's secrets to surviving life's challenges. He belonged to God

Again, Paul said, "Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me." Do you belong to Jesus? It can make all the difference. Only the follower of Jesus Christ has this confidence. In the Song of Solomon, we read, "My beloved is mine and I am his" (Song of Solomon 2:16).
Over and over in Scripture, we are given the analogy of being in a relationship with God like that of a bride to a husband to whom she is deeply in love with. This reminds us of His affection and love toward us. But we are also given the analogy of a sheep belonging to a shepherd. In John 10, Jesus told us that He is "the good Shepherd and we are his sheep." This reminds us of His constant care and awareness of our whereabouts. It's hard to be proud about being compared to a sheep. They are basically defenseless, vulnerable, dim-witted creatures. But when under the care of a loving shepherd, they are safe and content.

We are also given the analogy of a child to his father. Romans 8:15 reminds us, "For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, 'Abba Father'" (NKJV). This reminds us of His tenderness and protection over each one of us.

My children have always had special access to me, as well as my total, unconditional love. That, of course, extends to my grandchildren as well. When my granddaughter Stella sees me, she does not ask for permission to approach. She just says "Papa!" and I stop what I'm doing and pick her up and hug her. We are also told in Scripture that we are his very property. We read in 1 Corinthians 6:19, "You are not your own" (NKJV). In the Greek, it is "You are not your own property. You are bought with a price."

If something belonged to a king, it carried his seal. In the same way, 2 Corinthians 1:22 says, "He has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment of everything he will give us" (NLT).
I read a story about an old gentlemen who known for his godly life. One day, someone asked him, "What do you do when you are tempted, old man?" He replied, "I just look up to heaven and say, 'Lord, your property is in danger.'" Yes, we are His bride, children, sheep, and property. And when the Devil sees that "I.D. tag," he respects it.

And just like Paul, we too can say, "I belong to God!"

Just Walk

2010-06-15T08:52:00.000+07:00

And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. (Genesis 5:24)

Again and again the Bible uses the picture of walking to describe the Christian life. Galatians 5:16 tells us, "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." Ephesians 5:2 says, "Walk in love." And Colossians 2:6 says, "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him." In 1 John 1:7 we read, "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."

Genesis gives us a great example in Enoch of walking with God. And though there is not a lot about Enoch in the Bible, what is there is fascinating. We read in Genesis 5:24, "And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him." The phrase, "God took him," could also read, "God translated him" or "carried him over" or "carried him across." Enoch did not have to die like everyone else. He just took a walk one day and went home.

Enoch is an example of how we are to live as last days believers. Notice the Bible doesn't say, "Enoch sprinted with God." Rather, "Enoch walked with God." Walking speaks of regularity. It speaks of doing something over and over.

I was always a good sprinter, but I was never a good long-distance runner. I would have a burst of energy, but then I would give out. In the same way, people will have a burst of energy in their Christian life, but then they crash and burn. They will get up again and go for awhile, only to run out of steam once more. It is better to simply walk with God and be disciplined enough to maintain that relationship.

Are you walking with God? Keep walking. Stay with it. Be regular. Be consistent in your relationship with Jesus Christ.

When Nothing's Happening

2010-06-14T12:33:00.001+07:00

"Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this...be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him" (Psalm 37:5, 7).

I seem to vaguely remember this old nursery rhyme from when I was a kid. It went like this: "Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?" If you asked our grandsons that question, they'd probably say, "Real slow!" Maybe that's why Mary was so contrary. Last spring, the boys worked with their Dad to clear a little area in the yard where they could have a vegetable garden. And they were all excited about planting those seeds in the ground: tomato seeds, green beans, carrots, and lettuce. They went out the next day to look at what they had planted. Nothing. Then the next week, and the next week, and the week after that. They watered the garden when it didn't rain. They pulled up weeds. For the longest time, they went out to that garden to see what was happening and nothing was happening - or so it looked. Had they tried to dig up the seeds to see if anything was happening, they would have ruined everything. But you know the story. It finally happened: The tomatoes and beans and carrots and lettuce. It just took a little while.

Something had been happening all along to those seeds. Just because you can't see what God is doing doesn't mean He's not doing anything! In fact, that may be something important for you to remember right now. You've been praying about that need, that situation, that person for a long time and it looks like nothing's happening. Key words: looks like. When a seed's been planted, it looks like there's nothing going on for some time until that plant breaks through and ultimately produces some wonderful fruit. When a new life has begun in a woman's body, it doesn't look like anything's happened for quite a while. But every day, that life is growing where we cannot see it grow. Until it first reshapes that mother's body and ultimately appears as that precious little baby being born.

The problem is that when it looks like nothing's happening, we tend to say, "Well then, I've got to do something!" And most often, it's the wrong thing; like digging up the seed to see if it's growing or plowing up the garden because it looks like nothing's happening. In 1 Samuel 13, beginning with verse 7, our word for today from the Word of God, we have got a sobering example of how much we have to lose when we can't wait for God to do it His way. Saul, Israel's first king, has been told by God's man Samuel, "Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt offerings...but you must wait seven days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do."

With the Philistine forces massing against them, the Bible says, "Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel, but Saul did not come to Gilgal, and Saul's men began to scatter." Saul panicked, and he did what no king was allowed by God to do: he offered the burnt offering himself and he crossed a sacred line. And "just as he finished making the offering, (the Bible says) Samuel arrived." And Samuel asks, "What have you done?" Saul answers by talking about what "I saw" ... "I thought" ... "I felt." Samuel says, "You acted foolishly. You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you...now your kingdom will not endure."

Saul forfeits the major legacy of his life because of disobedience that disqualified him; a disobedience that came because he couldn't wait for God to do it His way. You and I are so prone to making that same kind of mistake. Nothing seems to be happening, things are starting to fall apart, and it looks like we're at the point of no return. So we take matters into our own hands and, in so doing, we ruin what God was going to do.
God is so often the God of the eleventh hour. He waits until the moment when everyone will know it had to be Him. He waits so our faith can stretch farther than its ever stretched before so He can do greater things for us than He's ever done before.

God is working in ways we can't see, so ultimately something beautiful will be born for all to see. So, as the Psalmist says: "Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this...be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him" (Psalm 37:5, 7).

Be On Your Guard

2010-06-14T11:56:00.000+07:00

So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. ( 1 Thessalonians 5:6)

When we study Bible prophecy, it should move us. It is not just an academic exerciseit should result in a movement of our hearts. In fact, the teaching of Christ's return is a litmus test of where you are spiritually.

If you are right with God, then hearing that Jesus could come back at any time will motivate you. It will purify you. It will cause you to want to be right with God. And so it should. But if you are not right with God, then hearing about end times events will frighten you. It will alarm you. The person who is not where he or she ought to be spiritually will not be looking forward to the return of Jesus at all.

The Bible gives very specific instructions regarding what people who are living in the last days ought to be doing:
So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. (1 Thessalonians 5:68)

There are people today who are asleep in the churchnot just physically, but spiritually. They hear the Word of God, they take it in, and they become spiritually lethargic. They become spiritual connoisseurs: Well, that sermon wasn't as good as the other sermon the other day. But I like this other preacher a little bit more. . . . That is not what this is about. These truths should be motivating us to live godly lives.

We need to wake up, to pay attention. The signs of the times are all around us. Jesus Christ is coming back again!

Overcoming Our Past

2010-05-25T15:53:00.000+07:00

"Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah." (Judges 11:29a)

We've all heard stories of individuals who have overcome extreme hardship during their childhood years. Children of alcoholics, orphans who never have parents, loss of parents to a fatal crash, childhood disease - these are all difficult circumstances to overcome.

Jephthah was a man who overcame his obstacles and refused to allow his circumstances to prevent him from becoming great in God's sight. He was born to Gilead, a result of his father's adulterous encounter with a prostitute. Jephthah's half-brothers decided to reject Jephthah, and drove him away from their home saying, "You are not going to get any inheritance in our family because you are the son of another woman." Imagine the rejection this young man felt as he was cast away from his own family.

This experience taught Jephthah to become a hardened warrior. Today he probably would have been part of a street gang. As he got older, his reputation as a warrior became known to those in his country, so much so that when the Ammonites made war on Israel, the elders of Gilead went to Jephthah and asked him to be their commander. Jephthah had to fight off those feelings of rejection from previous years.
"Didn't you hate me and drive me from my father's house?" he responded. He overcame his hurt and pain, and responded to the call God had on his life.

It is said that if we were to help the butterfly remove itself from the cocoon, the butterfly would not be strong enough to survive. It is the struggle that prepares the butterfly to become strong enough to fly. Without the struggle in the cocoon, it could not survive as a butterfly.
The Lord prepares each of us in similar ways. Some of our childhoods seem to have been harsh and born from a seemingly unloving God. However, the Lord knows our struggle and will make our life an instrument in His hand if we will follow Him with an upright heart. He does make all things beautiful in His time if we are willing to be patient.

The Plans of Tomorrow

2010-05-18T12:04:00.001+07:00

"You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." (James 4:14b)

A group of workplace believers meet at my office every week for fellowship, study, and prayer. One man attended our group for several years. Jim was well liked and in good health. One Thursday he showed up as usual. The next morning I received a call, "Jim is dead! He died in his easy chair last night!" Jim had no prior problems and there was no indication he was about to go be with the Lord. Naturally, it came as a shock to us all.

Whenever things like this happen close to home, it brings us face to face with our mortality. A friend of mine said he was challenged by someone to do an experiment. He challenged him to live his life for one year as if it were the last year he would live. He responded to the challenge and did as proposed. It changed his life forever. He began to focus on different priorities and people when he viewed life in these terms.
James gives us a perspective on viewing tomorrow.

Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that" (James 4:13-15).

Life is fragile. Consider where you are investing your time and energies. Someone once said they had never heard anyone on his deathbed say that he wished he had made more money in his lifetime or he wished he had made a certain deal. Usually it is something like, "I wish I had spent more time with my kids." Ask the Lord to give you His priorities for your life.

An Encounter With God

2010-05-11T15:36:00.001+07:00

"So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision, I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless." (Daniel 10:8)

Daniel received a vision that troubled him greatly. He wanted understanding of this vision. He set himself out to understand the vision by fasting for three weeks. Three days after his three weeks of fasting, a messenger of God appeared to Daniel. The messenger explained that Heaven had heard his prayer from the first day, but the angel was temporarily prevented from coming by the prince of Persia, a demon angel, who sought to thwart God's messenger from coming to Daniel.

There are times in our lives when we must set ourselves to seeking God with all our hearts. It is in these times that we hear from Heaven in ways we may never have experienced before. Daniel's perseverance in prayer was rewarded with a personal encounter with Heaven. However, in order to receive from God, Daniel had to be left alone, have his strength removed, and be placed in a helpless condition. When we have no ability in our own strength to move Heaven or the events around us, we are in position to hear from Heaven. It is the acknowledgment of our humanity and our frailness that places us in a position to have a personal encounter with the living God.

Do you need a personal encounter with God today? Do you need God to intervene on your behalf? Seek Him with all your heart. Demonstrate to Him you are serious. Get alone and acknowledge your helpless condition before Him. He will reward you with His presence.

When God Seems Far Away

2010-05-06T12:54:00.000+07:00

"Why, O Lord, do You stand far off? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?" (Psalm 10:1)

One of the great mysteries of God is His ways. Some of His ways almost appear to bring us into the most difficult places, as if He were indifferent to our circumstances. It would appear that He is turning His head from our sorrows. These events in our lives have a particular objective to perform for us. That objective is to bring us to the end of ourselves that we might discover the treasure of darkness. "Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness" (Job 30:26).

When we are taken into these dark periods, we begin to see light that we never knew existed. Our sensitivities become heightened and our ability to see through spiritual eyes is illuminated. Unless we are taken into these times, our souls never develop any depth of character. We do not gain wisdom, only knowledge. Knowledge is gained through understanding; wisdom is gained through the experience of darkness.

After we go through these periods, we discover that God was, in fact, with us throughout the entire time. It does not feel or appear that He is there when we are in the midst of the dark periods. However, He is there walking with us. He has told us countless times that He will never leave us. However, when we are in those dark periods, it does not feel like He is there because He does not rescue us from the circumstances. He does this for our benefit in order that we might become more like Jesus. Jesus learned obedience from the things He suffered (see Heb. 5:8). What does that say about how you and I will learn obedience? Embrace the dark times and gain the wisdom that God intends for you from these times.

Tests of the Heart

2010-04-28T15:59:00.000+07:00

"Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands." (Deuteronomy 8:2)

Has God performed a heart test on you lately? There are times in our lives when God leads us into the desert in order to let us find out what is in our heart. These times can be very difficult and humbling. They can test our mettle like no other time. Desert times often mean we are living without those things we are normally accustomed to: water, food, limited supplies - and with few comforts. In modern terms, it may mean a different environment. God is performing a very important work during these times. He wants to know if we can be obedient to Him in these times; or will we be obedient only when times are good?

"He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you" (Deuteronomy 8:3-5).

These desert times may mean experiencing new ways of provision from the Lord. Like manna from Heaven, it may mean seeing miracles we've never seen before. Like clothing that never wears out, it may mean seeing your normal capabilities expanded. Like walking hundreds of miles without pain, desert experiences provide new lessons and new experiences that only these times can teach us.

What desert experience has He brought into your life lately? Perhaps it is a lean time in business. Perhaps it is a new environment. Whatever it is, when God decides to bring new disciplines into our lives by bringing us into the desert, do not fear the heat that is sure to come. He is walking beside you in order to test you and find out what is really in your heart. Ask for His grace to pass the test. He wants to bring all of His children into the Promised Land.

Losing Your Life for His Purposes

2010-04-19T12:45:00.000+07:00

"For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will save it." (Luke 9:24)

When the time came for God to fulfill Joseph's dreams, Joseph himself had virtually no interest at all in it. Jesus said, "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will save it" (Lk. 9:24). God wants to teach us a different set of values so that the kind of thing we start out wanting becomes secondary. God has something in mind for us that is far greater than the interest we began with.
Joseph's day of exaltation had arrived. Yet, through it all, a very real humiliation had to take place. We know about the humiliation Joseph had experienced for 13 years after being sold by his brothers into slavery, then taken to Egypt. We know how he was falsely accused and cast into prison.

Then came a different situation. Joseph had had a triumph and was given an exaltation, but the kind he really never asked for. He did not appear to be all that interested in what was about to happen. He watched as the Pharaoh took his ring off his finger and put it on Joseph's finger. Joseph never asked for that. All he wanted was to go home. He longed to go back to Canaan, to see his father, and to have his dreams fulfilled.

Therefore, here we find an extraordinary incongruity: a humiliation in the heart of vindication. A triumph that was the opposite of everything he, himself, could have envisaged. Joseph wanted to go home, but a one-way ticket to Canaan wasn't available. Before he knew it, he had Egypt in his hip pocket. He had never prayed for that. But God wanted Egypt. What God wanted is what Joseph got.

Joseph was given something that he could be trusted with because it didn't mean that much to him.

The Graduate-Level Test: Self-Defense

2010-04-16T16:52:00.000+07:00

"He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun." (Psalm 37:6)

As a believer grows in trusting obedience and love, God often brings a test that seems uncharacteristically cruel. The test: being wrongfully judged by those close to you. It is not for the reactionary. It cannot be passed over by simply gutting it out. Supernatural grace is the only means of passing this one. It is one of those tests the Savior had to experience Himself when being tried by the court of public opinion, the religious community, and the government of His day. His response to the government was silence. His response to the religious establishment was silence at the final judgment. To the rest of His accusers He remained quiet and left vindication to the Father. He lived the commandment He gave to the disciples:

"But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked" (Luke 6:35).

How do you react when you are accused or mistreated for no reason? Do you listen quietly, or do you justify each and every action? Most of us take pride in doing what is right and expect the same from others, especially our brothers and sisters in the faith. Jesus knew that if you were to be a true follower of His, you would enter this test eventually. It is part of the program. The workplace gives ample opportunity to be wronged, misunderstood, and maligned. When God brings a measured assault against one of His children, it is to find out if he truly believes in the cross. The cross is where each of us is given the opportunity to die to our pride, our reputations, and our ego. When He allows a measured assault upon us, it is to find out if the cross is sufficient. He wants to see if we will seek to rescue ourselves. Jesus said if we die with Him, we will be raised with Him. When God allows satan to bring the measured assault, ask God for the grace to cling to the cross. Let the pride and arrogance that Jesus wants to remove from our lives be crucified. Thank God for the opportunity to be crucified with Christ. Then your righteousness will shine like the noonday sun and the justice of your cause will be in His hands.

Friendship in the Pit

2010-04-13T11:34:00.000+07:00

"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." (Proverbs 17:17)

"I am in there again," I told my friend. "The pit." A time when no one can cheer you up and you wonder if there ever was or is a God. Have you ever had such times? Discouragement can be devastating even to the best of saints. It can bring us so low. The writer of Proverbs phrased it well when he said, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick" (Prov. 13:12). When we get so low that we despair of our belief, we can identify with the prophet Elijah who wanted to die after being so discouraged with life.

"I'm coming over," my friend said.
"Aw, you don't have to do that," I said.
"I'm coming over. We're going to pray."

About 30 minutes later my friend walked in the door. We sat in living room and my friend began to pray. I didn't feel like praying. I was too deep in the pit. All I could do was listen. After awhile my friend was quiet. We both sat quietly for ten to fifteen minutes, praying quietly to ourselves. Suddenly my friend said, "First Thessalonians 5:24!"

"What verse is that?" I asked.
"I don't know," she said. "That is the verse He spoke to me."

I grabbed my Bible and looked up the verse. "The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it."

We laughed. Can He be so personal? Can He care that much? That night I grew more in my love of my two friends, not to mention being brought out of the pit. Do you have a friend who is there when you need somebody at any hour of the day? Are you there for your friend? Ask the Lord how you can be a better friend to someone today.

It is Finished

2010-04-05T15:40:00.000+07:00

When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John 19:30)

When Jesus said, "It is finished," surely he was expressing relief that his suffering was over. "It is finished" meant, in part, "This is finally over!" But the Greek verb translated as "It is finished" (tetelestai) means more than just this. Eugene Peterson captures the full sense of the verb in The Message: "It's done . . . complete."

Jesus had accomplished his mission. He had announced and inaugurated the kingdom of God . He had revealed the love and grace of God. And he had embodied that love and grace by dying for the sin of the world, thus opening up the way for all to live under the reign of God.

Because Jesus finished his work of salvation, you and I don't need to add to it. In fact, we can't. He accomplished what we never could, taking our sin upon himself and giving us his life in return. Jesus finished that for which he had been sent, and we are the beneficiaries of his unique effort.

Because of what he finished, you and I are never "finished." We have hope for this life and for the next. We know that nothing can separate us from God's love. One day what God has begun in us will also be finished, by his grace. Until that day, we live in the confidence of Jesus' cry of victory: "It is finished!"

Do you live as if Jesus finished the work of salvation? Do you have confidence that God will finish that which he has begun in you?

PRAYER:

"How can I ever find words to express my gratitude to you, Lord Jesus? You did it. You finished that for which you had been sent, faithful in life, faithful in death. You accomplished that which no other person could do, taking the sin of the world upon your sinless shoulders . . . taking my sin so that I might receive your forgiveness and new life. All praise be to you, gracious Lord, for finishing the work of salvation. All praise be to you, dear Jesus, for saving me!" Amen.

Embracing the Lean Times

2010-03-31T10:28:00.000+07:00

"But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him." (Jeremiah 17:7)

Have you ever considered at what point a test becomes so difficult that you decide you can no longer trust in God and you must take over to solve the problem? The prophet Jeremiah describes a situation in which the temptation to solve a financial problem can become so great that we trust in man's way to solve it.

This is what the Lord says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit" (Jeremiah 17:5-8).

Jeremiah drew a sharp comparison between the man who trusts in his own effort to solve his problem and the man who trusts in God when he cannot see the outcome. The man who trusts in God bears fruit despite the circumstances in his life. He does not shrivel when the heat comes; in fact, his roots go deeper into God's grace. He continues to bear fruit in spite of his circumstances.

Recently, a friend from South Africa explained to me that whenever a plant lives in an arid climate, the roots drive deeper and deeper into the soil to get the water they need. This forces the plant to develop a root system that is far beyond the normal plant because it is forced to go deeper to gain the water it needs. Sometimes God forces us to go deeper into the grace of His love in order to build a greater foundation in our own lives. These lean times are designed to accomplish this in us. If you find yourself in this condition, ask the Lord who provides the water for our soul for the grace you need today to continue to bear fruit in the desert.