Inevitably, there will be times in each of our lives where we miss the game-winning shot. We all fail. We all fall short. But do you know something? God has never sought after perfect people.
Think about it. Moses murdered someone and then went into hiding. David committed adultery, and had a man killed to cover it up. Samson chose a woman over his calling. Peter pronounced boldly he had nothing to do with Jesus Christ, not once, but three times! These were not accidents; these wereintentional sins.
God had every right to smite them. But what did He do? Heused them.
Moses became the deliverer of millions of Israelite people. David was one of Israel’s greatest kings. Samson’s calling was never revoked. And out of all of the disciples, it was Peter whom Christ chose to build His church.
Maybe you, like these men, have made some pretty poor choices. You may have experienced disappointment in your marriage, or maybe you have given up on a God-given dream. You wonder to yourself if things would look different if not for that one bad decision. Can I remind you of something?
Isaiah 43:25 says, “I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”
God is in your corner! He is for us, not against us. He forgives us because He loves us, blots out our mess-ups for His own sake. He chooses not to bring up our past, yet sees us for who we will be. If He isn’t holding your wrongs against you, why are you holding them against yourself?
Honestly repent of that which is holding you back, praise Him, and know that you are standing on a firm foundation. One that has unlimited second chances.
It is possible to miss more shots than you make and still win the game!
Prov 15:18: "The quickly angered man stirs up contention, but anyone who controls his temper calms a dispute."
Читать полностью…Heb 13:6: "Hence we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?"
Читать полностью…“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?”
Lk 6:32 NKJV
The love talked about in Scripture isn’t a sentimental emotion that gives you goose bumps. It’s compassion, caring, and concern for the well-being of another. It’s based on commitment, not convenience. It’s an act of your will, not a reflex of your emotions. Jesus asks a question that’s a real traffic-stopper. “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit?” (vv. 32-33 NLT). Loving is the hardest thing you’ll ever do, and it will require all the grace God can give you. Jesus continues: “Love your enemies! Do good to them! Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over…The amount you give will determine the amount you get back” (vv. 35-38 NLT). You say, “That’s a high standard!” Yes, that’s why it’s the winning strategy.
“Love never fails.”
1Co 13:8 NIV
The Bible says, “Love never fails.” Think about it: Money doesn’t bring happiness, fame doesn’t bring self-worth, and revenge doesn’t bring satisfaction. The only thing that neverfails is love. When Mother Teresa addressed world leaders at the United Nations, she was asked, “How can we have world peace?” She replied, “Go home and love your family.” If we all did that, “Paradise Lost” would become “Paradise Found”! Napoleon Bonaparte’s intellectual greatness and intense egotism make his alleged tribute to the supremacy of leadership by love, all the more striking. He said, “Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I myself founded great empires: but upon what did the creations of our genius depend? Upon force. Jesus alone founded His empire upon love, and to this day millions would die for Him.” Sometimes leaders are just power-holders. Because you can’t love others without making yourself vulnerable, they see expressing love as a weakness. But the fact is you can’t love and “keep all your options open.” To truly love—whether it’s your spouse, your children, or the people you lead—you must give yourself unreservedly in such a way that you can be hurt and even rejected. The fundamental principle on which power-holders operate is to protect themselves and everything they have. Whereas the fundamental principle of true leadership is to give of yourself with no holds barred. Love as an intrinsic characteristic of leadership seems outmoded, yet according to Scripture it’s still the winning strategy. The Bible says, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2Ti 1:7 NKJV). That’s why love is the winning strategy.
Even if salvation by good works were possible, no man can ever be sure that he has performed enough of them to secure his salvation.
Charles Spurgeon
*[[Ecc 3:14]] ISV* I have concluded that everything that God undertakes will last for eternity—nothing can be added to it nor taken away from it—and that God acts this way so that people will fear him.
Читать полностью…“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
-Matthew 11:28
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“He took the path to her house.”
Pr 7:8 NKJV
Solomon writes, “I perceived…a young man devoid of understanding, passing along the street near her corner; and he took the path to her house” (vv. 7-8 NKJV). This guy’s mistake was being in the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong person. And the message is clear: If you don’t want to get burned, stay away from the fire! You can’t get hooked on cocaine if you never use it. You can’t become an alcoholic if you never drink. And you can’t commit sexual sin if you don’t allow yourself to get into the wrong situation. It’s impossible to escape completely from situations and people who may be potentially dangerous. But as Martin Luther said, “You can’t stop the birds from flying over your head, but you can stop them from making a nest in your hair!” The story’s told of an elderly man who noticed a little boy riding around and around the block on his bike. This went on for hours, and finally the man asked him, “Son, aren’t you tired? You’ve been riding around this block all morning.” The little boy replied, “I’m running away from home.” The man replied, “But you’re not running away from home, you’re just riding around the block.” “No,” insisted the boy. “I’m running away from home—but my mom said I couldn’t cross the street.” We’re all prone to wander, so God has laid down certain boundaries we should never cross, certain places we should never go, and certain people we should never accompany. There’s never a right time to be in the wrong place with the wrong person. So don’t go there.
Pray for understanding
“Give to Your servant an understanding heart…that I may discern between good and evil.”
1Ki 3:9 NKJV
Have you ever wondered why God made King Solomon the richest man in his day? Here’s the answer: “God said…‘Because you…have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself…but have asked for…understanding…I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days’” (vv. 11-13 NKJV). Before you ask God for material success, ask Him for wisdomand understanding. When you have those two qualities, God can trust you with material success because He knows you’ll use it to do His will and glorify Him. So what exactly is understanding? It’s the sum total of knowledge and wisdom! It’s the ability to interpret life as God does—to see what He sees in a person or situation. In other words, understanding is the ability to see through God’s eyes, hear through His ears, think through His mind, and feel through His heart. What’s the answer to marital conflict? Understanding! What’s the answer to parent-teen conflict? Understanding! What’s the answer to business conflict? Understanding! “In all your getting, get understanding. Exalt her, and she will promote you; she will bring you honor” (Pr 4:7-8 NKJV). The word for you today is: Pray for understanding.
“It is an honor for a man to cease from strife...”
(Proverbs 20:3, AMP)
A Mark of Honor
Oftentimes, challenges are merely distractions meant to keep us from pursuing our destiny. Maybe someone in the office isn’t as friendly to you as you’d like. Maybe you have a neighbor who always parks in front of your house and blocks your mailbox. Those things may be frustrating, but they have little significance when you look at the big picture. You can’t allow the little things to open the door to strife in your life.
In the Bible, just before David fought the giant Goliath, his brother Iliab tried to confront him. David knew that arguing with Iliab wasn’t even worth his time and strength. He knew his real battle was with Goliath, and he didn’t want to be distracted. He simply “turned away” from Iliab and kept his focus on what he was called to do. In our own lives today, most frustrations aren’t worth our energy. When we avoid strife, it is a mark of honor.
Today, I encourage you to turn away from strife. Keep your focus on what God has called you to do. As you do, you will live in honor, and you’ll move forward in the destiny He has in store for you!
He Delights in Your Prosperity
We serve a God of abundance! He doesn’t want you to have just barely enough to meet your own needs; He wants you to be so blessed that you have more than enough to meet the needs of the people around you. He wants you to be so blessed in your finances that not only can you pay your bills and accomplish your own dreams, but you can be a blessing to others.
In the same way that a parent loves to see their children doing well and excelling, God wants to see you doing well and excelling in every area. That’s why the scripture says that He takes pleasure in prospering you. But the key is that you have to make room for it in your thinking. You have to expect that He wants to bless you.
Today, begin to thank Him for His abundance in every area of your life. Declare that because you walk in obedience, God’s blessings are going to chase you down! Don’t just settle for a “good enough” mentality; develop an overflow mentality because He delights in your prosperity
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
-Ephesians 1:13-14
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How to get your prayer answered (3)
“Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us.”
Eph 5:2
Do you show a loving attitude? The Bible says, “Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us.” Your mouth is such a major part of your love walk. We fail to realize how much we can do for people by building them up with our words. And we need to be even more careful not to say things that tear them down. The Bible says “the heart is deceitful above all [else]” (See Jer 17:9). What vibes are you giving off? What are you “putting out there”? When we’re too busy to show love—we’re too busy, and it’s time to examine our heart motives and attitudes. How do we do that? By examining our tongue, and what’s coming out of our mouth. Do you remember the last time you went to the doctor and he asked you to open your mouth and say, “Aaah”? The reason they ask you to do that is so they can examine your tongue. Just like your tongue tells a physician a lot about your physical health, it can tell you a lot about your spiritual health. To get answers to your prayers you must search your heart in three areas: (1) Learning to abide in Christ. This will bring you to a higher level of spiritual maturity and help you discover the authority you have in prayer. (2) Speaking in line with God’s Word. This can move “mountains” in your life (See Mk 11:23). (3) Growing in your love walk. This opens up powerful opportunities for you to show others who God really is.
How to get your prayers answered 2
“Treat them fairly…Then, when you call, the Lord will answer.”
Isa 58:6, 9 TLB
Are you self-sabotaging your prayers? God told the Israelites the reason they weren’t getting answers to their prayers was because they were engaged in finger-pointing and criticism (See vv. 9-10 NIV). Have you been guilty of that? It’s just as important to glorify God through the words you speak when you’re not praying, as when you are. The Bible says there’s a direct link between having a critical, careless tongue, and not getting your prayers answered. How you treat others will determine how God treats you (See Eph 6:7-8). God lays it squarely on the line: “Stop oppressing those who work for you and treat them fairly…share your food with the hungry and…those who are helpless, poor and destitute…If you do these things, God will shed his own glorious light upon you. He will heal you; your godliness will lead you forward, and goodness will be a shield before you, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind. Then, when you call, the Lord will answer…All you need to do is to stop oppressing the weak, and to stop making false accusations and spreading vicious rumors! Feed the hungry! Help those in trouble! Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you shall be as bright as day. And the Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy you with all good things, and keep you healthy too” (Isa 58:6-11 TLB). That means the answer to your prayers is contingent upon two things: your attitudes andactions toward others
“...Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.”
(Psalm 30:5, NLT)
Joy Comes in the Morning
When you wake up each morning, God sends you a special delivery of joy. It comes knocking at your door. When you get up in faith and make the declaration that “this is going to be a good day,” do you know what you just did? You just answered the door. You just received the gift of joy that God sent to you. The problem is that some people never answer the door. Joy has been knocking for months and months, years and years saying, “Come on! Let me in! You can be happy! You can enjoy your life!”
Make up your mind that You’re going to answer the door for joy. Wake up every morning and say, “Father, thank You for another beautiful day. I’m going to be happy. I’m going to enjoy this day. I’m going to brighten somebody else’s life. I receive Your gift of joy, today!”
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart.”
Mt 22:37 NIV
One day Christ’s critics asked Him, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” (v. 36 NIV). His answer is a timely reminder to both leaders and followers; it includes those who sit in the pews and those who stand in the pulpit. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart…all your soul and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” As a leader you must never leave a question in anyone’s mind as to who is God—and who isn’t. Namely, yourself! God said, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Ex 20:3 NKJV). And that’s important, because you’re never in greater danger than when people begin to praise you. Yes, we must teach people to respect, honor and reward good leadership, but the Christlike leader discourages adulation and shies away from the limelight. John the Baptist was so successful as a preacher that when he got through speaking, his audience flocked toJesus. Speaking of it, Christ later said, in essence, “John, you did your job well!” Apparently John agreed, for he said, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (Jn 3:30 NKJV). Isaiah wrote, “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up” (Isa 6:1 NKJV). The king had to die before Isaiah saw the Lord. Only when a leader becomes impervious to applause and approval and dies to ego, is God glorified in his or her leadership. Indeed, when Christ alone is exalted, the God-called leader smiles and says, “Thank You, Lord—that’s how You intended it.”
Transform Your Mind
Your life will move in the direction of your most dominant thoughts. If you’re constantly down on yourself thinking you’ll never get ahead, then you won’t. But if you’ll choose to believe that you are an overcomer, that you have victory up ahead, that God has good things in store for your future; then that’s what you’ll end up with.
That’s why it’s so important to make sure our thoughts are the same as God’s thoughts. Just like a computer, whatever you allow into your mind is what will come out in your attitude and actions. The more you meditate on God’s Word, the more you will transform your thinking to be like God’s thinking.
Choose today to focus on the Word of God. Allow your mind to be renewed. As you focus on God’s thoughts, you will become more like Him, and you will see His hand of blessing in every area of your life.
John 14:25-26: ""I have told you this while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything that I have told you."
Читать полностью…2Cor 4:16: "So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day."
Читать полностью…“Ye shall…be led forth with peace.”
Isa 55:12
Perhaps you’re wondering, “What am I supposed to do with my life? What’s my purpose here?” God answers these questions through our abilities. He leads us to our life’s purpose through the skills and talents He has given us. God-given gifts are the skills a person easily performs, often without formal training. We derive great pleasure from doing what we’re naturally good at doing. So if you aren’t sure of your life’s purpose, just do what you do well and watch God confirm it by blessing your endeavors. Don’t spend your time trying to do what you’re not gifted to do, or what somebody else is good at. We know we’re operating in our gifts and calling when what we do ministers life to others. If what we do makes us miserable and fills us with a sense of dread, usually we’re not in God’s perfect will. He gives us peace and joy to let us know we’re fulfilling His perfect plan: “For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace.” Look at what you enjoy, what you’re good at, and what God is giving you the grace to do—then let God be God in your life. He wants to flow through you, and it may not be in the same way as He flows through others. Trust His ability in and through you, and don’t be afraid to be unique. God has a specific place and a specific plan for each of us. How will you know you’re in the right place fulfilling His plan? You will have peace!
“My heart grew hot within me…and as I meditated, the fire burned.”
Ps 39:3 NIV
When God gives you a vision for your life, it’ll burn within you like a fire that can’t be extinguished. The Psalmist said, “My heart grew hot within me…and as I meditated, the fire burned.” So, what lights your fire? What burns “hot” within you? When God calls you to do something, He creates within you both thedesire to do it and the power to carry it out. Though you feel inadequate and unqualified, stand on His Word: “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Php 2:13 NLT). Mahatma Gandhi had a vision of a free and independent India at a time when it was governed by the British. Henry Ford had a vision of every family in America owning an automobile at a time when people were frightened of his new invention. Daniel K. Ludwig had a vision of a self-supporting industrial region in the heart of the Brazilian jungle at a time when there was no industry, no electricity, and no city of any kind for hundreds of miles. Where do such creative desires come from? God, Who is our Creator! And when God gives you an 11-by-17 mindset, you’ll never be happy living in a 3-by-5 mental framework. Are there times when you’ll feel afraid and uncertain about what to do? Yes! Fear and faith are two sides of the same coin, and they’ll always be part of your thinking. But the one you choose is the one that’ll determine your future–and you get to choose!
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For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
-Hebrews 4:15-16
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Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
-Ephesians 6:10-11
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It is God who judges:
He brings one down, he exalts another.
In the hand of the Lord is a cup
full of foaming wine mixed with spices;
he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth
drink it down to its very dregs.
-Psalm 75:7-8
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“For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it.”
Eph 5:29 NKJV
When it comes to loving your husband or wife, the Bible uses the words “nourishes and cherishes.” The word nourish means “to build up, strengthen, develop, and sharpen.” The wordcherish means “to treasure, value, protect, and celebrate.” Do you recall how you felt as a child at your birthday party when you were treated like the most special person in the room? Now you’re older and more mature, but don’t you still want to be celebrated that way…just a little bit, once in a while? Come on, admit it—you know you do! Feeling celebrated in a loving relationship is essential to its health. It’s nice to be the object of the celebration, but it’s equally important to plan celebrations for and with your partner. Whether it’s for big occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, and job promotions, or smaller occasions that matter only to the two of you, making your mate feel special and cherished in ways that matter to him or her helps create a lifelong bond between you. Now, being celebrated doesn’t mean that life is always a party. Sometimes celebration includes comforting and consoling each other through the dark days and tough times. In fact, the ability to celebrate the joys of life amid its bitter downturns is a priceless quality you’ll find only in mature individuals. It’s easy to celebrate the good times, but you need someone to love you and stand by you after the holiday ends and the workday begins. So the word for you today is: Nourish and cherish each other!
You are Somebody’s Miracle
As a believer, God wants to do His work on the earth through you. You are His ambassador or representative. You have been given His authority and power. It’s easy to get focused on this natural realm and all the things that we need, but do you realize that you are equipped to be somebody else’s miracle?
Every single day, we have opportunities to show God’s love and compassion to others. We can meet their needs, bring them healing, and offer hope and encouragement. Every day, we can sow good seed into the lives of others that will reap an eternal harvest.
Today, look for ways to be a blessing to someone else. When you step out and pour into others, God will make sure that others pour into you. Let’s continue to work together to bring Him glory and build His kingdom on earth!
“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
-Revelation 22:12-13
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For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
-Ephesians 2:8-9
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