......mountains

The gift of eternal life is given to those who have faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of sin. This precious gift is never linked to a specific amount of faith; rather, the only requirement of the gospel is that our faith be genuine. In fact, Jesus stated that a small amount of faith can accomplish more than we can imagine.

"If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."Matthew 17:20

Jesus used the example of a mustard seed because it was the smallest seed known. A few chapters later He made a similar statement; "If you have faith and do not doubt...you can say to this mountain, 'Go throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done" Matthew 21:21. If we are a child of God then we have already been given sufficient faith by Jesus, "the author and perfecter of our faith" Hebrews 12:2. There is therefore NO obstacle which cannot be cast aside!

Genuine faith implies an alignment with the will of God. Jesus even said, "He can do only what He sees His Father doing" John 5:19. This is why we don't see individuals moving physical mountains today - it's not in the will of God. However, it is most definitely in God's will that we move all mountains which threaten to block our path toward Him or hinder His plan for our life.

If we believe, we ought to be living our life according to His truth and the faith we have been given! Though we may face mountains in our job, relationships, finances, health, kids, or parents; though we may face temptations or addictions which appear impossible to conquer; though we may battle a low self esteem which says we can't or are unworthy, we must believe the Word of God is true! "With God ALL things are possible" Matthew 19:26. Though we may not understand, we must believe, in faith, that God is infinitely greater than the bounds of our understanding. We are not walking alone and NO problem is beyond His ability to direct.

If we desire to live the full life God intends - the life that honors Him with every move and even every breath - then God's Word must become our foundation. Whatever problems we face, we must fall on our knees with humble submission to His will and seek His face in prayer. Then we must rise up and step forward without doubt, and, in His strength, believe we have been given the faith to move mountains. 

- steve troxel

.....give

Greg Anderson, in "Living Life on Purpose" tells a story about a man whose wife had left him. He was completely depressed.  He had lost faith in himself, in other people, in God.  He found no joy in living. 

One rainy morning this man went to a small neighborhood restaurant for breakfast.  Although several people were at the diner, no one was speaking to anyone else. Our miserable friend hunched over the counter, stirring his coffee with a spoon.

In one of the small booths along the window was a young mother with a little girl. They had just been served their food when the little girl broke the sad silence by almost shouting, "Momma, why don't we say our prayers here?" 

The waitress who had just served their breakfast turned around and said,  "Sure, honey, we can pray here. Will you say the prayer for us?" And she turned and looked at the rest of the people in the restaurant and said, "Bow your heads."   Surprisingly, one by one, the heads went down. The little girl then bowed her head, folded her hands, and said, "God is great, God is good, let us thank him for our food. Amen."

That prayer changed the entire atmosphere. People began to talk with one another. The waitress said, "We should do that every morning."

"All of a sudden," said our friend, "my whole frame of mind started to improve. From that little girl's example, I started to thank God for all that I did have and stopped majoring in all that I didn't have. I started to be grateful."

"In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thes. 5:18 

.....listen

Without any debate, or even apparent doubt, Abraham set out with Isaac and a bundle of wood and began to obediently climb the mountain of faith. What special quality did Abraham have which allowed him to make such a climb? Only one! He believed God; "Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness" Genesis 15:6. Clearly, belief is tied directly to trust and obedience. Abraham believed God had a purpose for giving him such a command and he immediately obeyed.

Many of us are longing for clear direction from God. Although we probably pray that His direction does not require the extreme sacrifice of Abraham, we are ready to follow and are currently in a mode of waiting. Waiting can be very frustrating and sometimes cause us to speed up God's timing. But we must continue to patiently seek the Lord, trust there is a purpose in the wait, continue to grow and mature, and be obedient to the things God has already given us to do. His direction will come - and when it does, we must be prepared to follow.

And yet, there is a mature part of Abraham's climb we often overlook. Perhaps if Isaac had been born ten years earlier, Abraham would not have been mature enough to make such a climb. Abraham's mature faith had learned to ALWAYS keep his eyes on the Lord - always listen for His leading - even after his direction appeared clear.

"He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, 'Abraham! Abraham!' 'Here I am,' he replied."Genesis 22:9-11

What would have happened if Abraham had become so focused on "the mission" that he failed to listen for the voice of the Lord? Abraham was being obedient to the call of God, but right at the point of absolute obedience, God changed direction; "Do not lay a hand on the boy" Genesis 22:12.

The call of God is not a one-time event; it is an ongoing, moment by moment relationship of love. We are never sent on a mission which leads us away from the presence of the Lord. Rather, we are called to follow, making the journey hand in hand, and step by step. 

Let's continue to grow ever closer to our Heavenly Father. Let's trust Him more, love Him more, and always, always, always, listen as we climb.

- steve troxel

.....fear

And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness Acts 4:29

Peter and John had been ministering in some pretty amazing ways, teaching faithfully that Jesus had risen from the dead. Their teaching and the healing of a lame man drew some attention from the Jewish leaders, the elders, and the teachers of the law, so they were arrested and questioned. 

If you read the first verses in Acts 4, you might think that these men had no fear! They bravely stood before the Council and answered the questions being asked of them. Acts 4:13 says, "The members of Council were amazed to see how bold Peter and John were and to learn that they were ordinary men of no education." However, later we see that they are released with a threat… under no condition were they able to teach in the name of Jesus. And although we see the brave reply from Peter and John, this strong warning instilled fear. 

Our natural response to such threats might be to withdraw to avoid further consequences. However, Peter and John joined with other believers, and together prayed to God. They believed and trusted that God had them there for a reason, and they wanted to be obedient and continue the work God had set before them, so instead of asking God to miraculously make the opposition disappear, they asked for boldness to speak God's message. After they prayed, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and God granted them the boldness they prayed for. 

We all have fears. There is no question about that. Often, we feel tempted to give in to these fears and let them stop us from doing what God has called us to do. Instead of giving into fear, we need to move forward trusting that God will provide what we need to boldly face the opposition we may encounter. Fear only grows when we let it stop us. However, our faith can grow greater than our fear when we obey God and continue taking steps forward. Our fears will diminish when we choose to embrace the boldness that we have in Christ and His Spirit that lives within us. 

.....goodbye

But when Pharaoh saw that relief had come, he became stubborn. He refused to listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had predicted. Exodus 8:15 

The ancient Egyptians worshipped the Nile River, which included the god Hapi, who was considered the god of the Nile. Obviously, this river was important to them because it was a source of life. So, when God sent ten successive plagues on Egypt, He started by turning the Nile River to blood. It’s worth noting that the ancient Egyptians were fanatics about cleanliness. Thus, to have their beloved Nile suddenly turn to blood was a severe judgment. God was saying, “Here’s your god. Where is he now to save you?”

Then Pharaoh’s magicians came along and turned what little clear water that was left into blood as well. Of course, it might have been a little more impressive if they had turned the bloody water to clear water. However, Pharaoh’s heart simply grew harder, and he persisted in his rebellion.

Next came an invasion of frogs. In addition to the Nile, the Egyptians worshipped a frog-headed goddess called Heqet. In effect, God was saying, “You want gods? I have gods for you. Let the festivities begin.”Everywhere they turned, there were frogs. The Bible tells us there were even frogs in their beds and in their ovens.

Amazingly, Pharaoh had his magicians come in and imitated this plague with even more frogs. But this was getting on Pharaoh’s nerves. He called on Moses and Aaron to get rid of the frogs.

In Exodus 8 we read, “So Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh’s palace, and Moses cried out to the Lord about the frogs he had inflicted on Pharaoh. And the Lord did just what Moses had predicted. The frogs in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields all died” verses 12–13

The land stunk with the odor of dead frogs. But then we read, “When Pharaoh saw that relief had come, he became stubborn. He refused to listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had predicted” verse 15.

 “This one is getting to me. Call on God. Get me out of this.” So, that is what Moses and Aaron did. God answered their prayer, and the frogs died. And when Pharaoh saw the crisis was over, he backed out of his promise.

This is typical of some people today who call out to God in desperation. They find themselves in a mess they created, so they cry out to God for help. But when He graciously condescends and helps them, they essentially say, “Thanks, God! See You next crisis!”

A hospital chaplain kept a record of two thousand patients he had visited, all apparently in a dying condition, who showed various signs of repentance. Among those who had been restored to health, the chaplain felt that only two showed a marked change in their spiritual lives after their recovery.

In other words, when people thought they were going to die, they called on God. But when they recovered, they basically forgot about Him. Let that not be said of us.

- greg laurie

.....infiltration

 “These teachers oppose the truth just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses. They have depraved minds and a counterfeit faith.”—2 Timothy 3:8 

God directed ten plagues against Egypt, and each one of these plagues dealt with one of their deities. The Egyptians worshipped thousands of gods. They worshipped the Nile River as a god. They worshipped the sun. And they worshipped the animals. In fact, they worshipped just about anything we could imagine.

Interestingly, the serpent, specifically the cobra, was an important symbol for the Egyptians. And what was the first miracle that God performed through Moses and Aaron? Aaron threw down his staff, and it turned into a serpent. Pharaoh’s magicians said they could do duplicate that, which they did. But Aaron’s staff consumed the magicians’ staffs.

From this first miracle, God was saying to Pharaoh, “I am more powerful than you. My power is greater than your gods.” Still, Pharaoh didn’t believe. His heart only became harder.

Two of Satan’s most effective strategies are imitation and infiltration. He will try to stop a work altogether, but if that isn’t successful, then he will imitate. In this way, he seeks to minimize the power and glory of God and neutralize the impact of someone’s life and testimony.

For example, Jesus told a story about a farmer who sowed a field of wheat, but in the darkness of night, his neighbor came and sowed weeds among the wheat. This type of weed, also known as darnel, is almost identical to wheat in its initial stages of growth. To the undiscerning eye, it’s difficult to detect until later, when the weeds grow up and choke out the wheat.

The devil uses cheap imitations in the same way. How many times have people said the reason they aren’t Christians is because there are so many hypocrites in the church? That puts followers of Jesus Christ in the very uncomfortable position of trying to defend people who don’t live what they say they believe.

However, maybe they aren’t believers at all. Maybe they’re weeds among the wheat. See how effective that ploy could be? Someone who claims to be a follower of Jesus contradicts it by the way they live. Then a nonbeliever says that person is a hypocrite.

Yet who is to say that individual is a hypocrite—or even a Christian? Maybe the devil is using such a person for the very purpose of keeping nonbelievers from coming to faith.

The Bible tells us that Pharaoh’s’ magicians, known as Jannes and Jambres 2 Timothy 3:8, were imitating what God was doing, thus making it look as though it wasn’t genuine. And it was a very effective strategy.

We have to be careful. We’re living in critical times. While we read of many miracles in the Bible, no one ever claimed to have a miracle ministry. Believers in the early church answered God’s call to preach the gospel to nonbelievers and teach the truth of God’s Word.

Miracles happened when and where God wanted them to happen. 

This reminds us that signs and wonders should follow believers. But believers shouldn’t follow signs and wonders.

- greg laurie

.....God

Dear God:

I want to thank You for what you have already done.

I am not going to wait until I see results or receive rewards,

    I am thanking you right now.

I am not going to wait until I feel better or things look better,

    I am thanking you right now.

I am not going to wait until people say they are sorry or until they stop talking about me,

    I am thanking you right now.

I am not going to wait until the pain in my body disappears,

    I am thanking you right now.

I am not going to wait until my financial situation improves,

    I am going to thank you right now.

I am not going to wait until the children are asleep and the house is quiet,

    I am going to thank you right now.

I am not going to wait until I get promoted at work or until I get the job,

    I am going to thank you right now.

I am not going to wait until I understand every experience in my life that has caused me pain or grief,

    I am going to thank you right now.

I am not going to wait until the journey gets easier or the challenges are removed.

    I am thanking you right now.

I am thanking you because I am alive.

I am thanking you because I made it through the day's difficulties.

I am thanking you because I have walked around the obstacles.

I am thanking you because I have the ability and the opportunity to do more and do better.

I'm thanking you because Father, you haven't given up on me.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me" Philippians 4:13

In Jesus name, amen

.....last

On the evening before He was crucified, Jesus ate one last meal with His disciples. For three years, the disciples had been instructed by Jesus and witnessed His miracles. He had taught them many lessons about the Kingdom of God...and about His upcoming death: "He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock Him, insult Him, spit on Him, flog Him and kill Him" Luke 18:32.

Now with less than one day to live, Jesus told His closest companions that one of them would soon betray Him; "The hand of him who is going to betray Me is with Mine on the table" Luke 22:21. Naturally, the disciples were shocked! But their focus soon turned to trivial matters.

"They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this. Also a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest." Luke 22:23-24

These men were eating supper with the Creator of the Universe and witnessing the most awesome events in the history of the world. And yet, in this last day, with only a few remaining hours, their concerns drifted to matters of position and status.

It's tempting to criticize these first disciples: "How could they be so self-consumed?" But then, how often do we make this exact same mistake? With our eternal Home just around the corner, and a Savior who is willing to walk every day by our side, how often do we become absorbed in the non-eternal?

Sure, we have responsibilities and concerns in our daily walk. Our finances or health may look uncertain and require extra effort. The harsh words of others may offend and cause very real pain. But when properly viewed against the backdrop of eternity, each worldly issue must shrink to the near trivial. If we really understood the glory we will one day see and how soon all else will fade away, we would be much less concerned about how things appear in the eyes of the world.

With wonderful hindsight we can say the disciples should have known their time with Jesus was short. They should have seen the events unfolding, taken advantage of every precious moment, and worshipped Him with every breath, every heartbeat, every thought, and every word - but they didn't.

And now, with the foresight given through God's Word and the guidance of His Spirit, we face the same challenge! Our Father has called us into a deep and personal relationship with Himself through faith in His Son - and our time is very, very short (much shorter than we realize). 

What concerns or passions will consume our time and energy? 

With all we have been given, what will we now do with this last day?

- steve troxel

......strongholds

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:4

The Bible says when Christ comes to live in your heart, old things are passed away, all things become new 2 Cor. 5:17. The Lord has put a new Spirit in us. Previously, I could not understand why so many of us who proclaimed Christ had such little impact on the kingdom of darkness. It seemed to me that our culture would be impacted much more if His children walked in the light as Jesus did. Jesus impacted His culture like no other man.

I saw many believers, who proclaimed Christ, living no differently than a person who had not claimed Him as Lord. These men and women had a form of religion, but little power that reflected Christ's rule in their lives.  Then, one day, God took me through a time of testing that led to a discovery of generational influences that impacted the way I viewed people and circumstances on a subconscious basis. I discovered this was a stronghold that had been implanted many generations earlier. Because the stronghold operated on a subconscious level, it was not easily recognizable. 

Strongholds keep us from being free to reflect Christ in and through our lives because they require allegiance until they are dealt with. Strongholds can often be so hidden that we would not even identify them as evil. A stronghold of fear, control, rebellion, insecurity, idolatry, pride, or bitterness may be hidden until it is revealed through circumstances.

All strongholds are built in our lives as a result of seeking to meet one or more of seven basic needs God has created in us. Once we believe a lie that God cannot meet a need without our effort, we open our spirit to a stronghold. The more lies we believe, the more we invite these strongholds to take root in our lives. 

Are you ineffective in your Christian experience? Are there besetting sins that seem to recur in your life? You may find that Satan has built a fortress in your heart that has been there many generations. You must ask God's forgiveness for entertaining this stronghold, and you must renounce it. Then as Christ renews your mind and heart, you will see Christ's power released in your life like never before. 

- steve blair

.....spots

When we compromise any area of our beliefs, we are in grave danger of allowing the compromise to spread "through the whole batch of dough" Galatians 5:9.

In the days of Jeremiah, God warned the people of Jerusalem about the destruction which was coming unless they turned from their evil ways. But the people continued in their sin and refused to listen. God gave them many opportunities to repent, but they had become comfortable in their sin and were unwilling, possibly even unable, to change.

And if you ask yourself, 'Why has this happened to me?' - it is because of your many sins. Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil. Jeremiah 13:22-23

One of the devastating results of sin is that it causes separation from God; and separation causes the defense against temptation to weaken. Unfortunately, a weakened defense makes it easier to continue in sin...causing further separation. The cycle of sin and separation had continued in Jerusalem until sin was viewed as normal behavior. The "yeast" had been mixed into every part of the dough and their conscience had become "seared as with a hot iron" 1 Timothy 4:2.

People without Jesus have a difficult (if not impossible) time recognizing their sin. What we may see as sinful, they see as normal behavior which has no need of change. Rather than attempting to correct their specific sins, we must share the love of Christ - His purpose and plan of forgiveness - and help lead them to faith in the Savior. Only Jesus can create true change; only His grace can reveal and remove sin.

We also need to understand the perils of the sin cycle in our own life. Is there sin which we are beginning to view as "normal" behavior and allowing to hinder the joy of being in His presence? Is our sin forming "spots" which we now call ordinary and acceptable? Remember that sin causes separation which leads to more sin...and greater separation. This cycle must be recognized and stopped!

Although we may have wandered from God, all desire for change is fueled by the conviction of the Holy Spirit calling us to repentance, calling us to respond to the love of Christ, calling us to keep our conscience from becoming seared. Let's break the cycle of sin and return to a life which glorifies our Heavenly Father in ALL we do. Let's never become so accustomed to sin that we develop the unchangeable spots of a leopard.

- steve troxel

.....grace

As we continue to walk with our Heavenly Father and better understand His love, we ought to experience a sense of awe which we can't help but share with others.

The complete story of Jesus Christ, which began before the creation of the world and continues for all eternity, is a love story whose central theme is grace; "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8). The moment we believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sin, God lovingly welcomes us into His Family; this is His gift of Salvation! We are adopted into His Family before doing anything deserving of being called His child. This means our Salvation is never something we earn - it is a gift of grace.

Romans 11:6

"And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace."

If we come before our Heavenly Father thinking we can do ANYTHING which makes us deserving of Salvation, then we do not yet understand His gift of forgiving grace. God's grace is extended to all who believe, but we are called to believe His grace is both absolutely necessary AND completely sufficient.

If we truly believe, our life will produce fruit and we will do good works; "Faith, if not accompanied by action, is dead" (James 2:17). But our good works will never save us - Salvation is a gift. If we truly believe, we will desire to obediently follow; "We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands" (1 John 2:3). But our obedience will never save us - Salvation is a gift.

If we have never settled the issue of Salvation, then today is the day to "trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5). We must come before God with empty hands, acknowledge our sin and need for a Savior, and receive the gift of grace offered through Jesus.

As we then continue our walk with Christ, we learn to love Him with all our heart and strive to present our very best as we obediently follow and produce good works, bringing Him glory and honor in ALL we do. But while we walk, love, and strive, we must remember that our "best" is not what earns His favor. Our "successes" will not make us more worthy, and our "failures" will not cause us to lose His love. His gift is everything! Let's give Him everything in return as we continue to live each moment of this wondrous journey by trusting in His grace.

.....faithful

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself. Galatians 5:13-14

Mark Hatfield tells of touring Calcutta with Mother Teresa and visiting the so-called "House of Dying," where sick children are cared for in their last days, and the dispensary, where the poor line up by the hundreds to receive medical attention.

Watching Mother Teresa minister to these people, feeding and nursing those left by others to die, Hatfield was overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the suffering that she and her co-workers faced daily. "How can you bear the load without being crushed by it?" he asked. Mother Teresa replied, "My dear Senator, I am not called to be successful, I am called to be faithful."

Is your job to worry and stress about results?  No, you am not called to be successful, your are called to be faithful."

"He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much..." Luke 16:10

- david langerfeld

.....yeast

When God led the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt, He told them to prepare for a quick departure by making bread without yeast. He gave instructions to remember their departure through the celebration of Passover, also called the Feast of Unleavened Bread. During this celebration there was a seven day period when yeast was not even allowed in the home: "For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And whoever eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel" Exodus 12:19.

When God established the various offerings through Moses, yeast became associated with an unworthy sacrifice; "Every grain offering you bring to the Lord must be made without yeast" Leviticus 2:11. About 1500 years later, Jesus used the symbolism of yeast to give His disciples an important warning.

"Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy."Luke 12:1

With this choice of words, Jesus warned that hypocrisy has the ability to contaminate our lives, and therefore the offering we present to God. The Pharisees had an outward appearance of godliness, but their hearts had compromised true worship and become contaminated; "On the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness" Matthew 23:28. When we examine our own heart, does it match how we appear on the outside? Or have we too become full of hypocrisy?

The symbolism of yeast gives another clear warning; "A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough" Galatians 5:9. Every day we are tempted to make compromises with the world, compromises which cause us to behave contrary to our professed beliefs. This is hypocrisy and must be avoided at all cost! Each incident seems so small - like only "a little yeast" - but soon the compromises work through all areas of our life.

The only worthy endeavor during our allotted time on earth is to present ourselves, with complete abandonment, as a living sacrifice to God; "this is your spiritual (or reasonable) act of worship" Romans 12:1. Our Heavenly Father is worthy of our very best...a pure and holy offering.

Let's celebrate our release from the slavery of sin by cleaning our home and removing all spiritual compromise. Let's give our whole heart to God in loving worship and guard against ANYTHING which pulls us away. Let's fight the hypocrisy in our lives and diligently guard against the yeast.

- steve troxel

.....confidence

"But there is a God in heaven..." Daniel 2:28

Day by day, the world is unraveling, becoming more frayed and afraid, more unstable and unsteady. We hear of wars and rumors of war, of false christs, of famines, of earthquakes, and of pestilences. Nations are rising against nations and kingdoms against kingdoms. Christians are attacked and slain at an accelerated pace. But there is a God in heaven.

We needn’t pace the floor at night or run around in a frenzy. We shouldn’t faint, fear, or fret. There is a God in heaven.

Daniel, too, lived in a churning world of change, empires rising and falling. His own nation, Israel, was wiped off the earth like a stain. But Daniel’s spirit remained steady because he understood the sovereign providence of the God of heaven. “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,” he wrote, “for wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings…. The Most High rules in the kingdom of men” Daniel 2:20-21; 4:17.

In the Last Days perilous times will come, but there is a God in heaven - and if you know Christ as Savior, this God is your God. He rules and reigns, and our times are in His hands Psalm 31:15.

"Nothing is too big for [God] to handle, and 

nothing is too small to escape His attention." Jerry Bridges

- david jeremiah 

.....please

Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God. Hebrews 13:15–16 

God can see our hearts. But God wants to hear it from our lips. It doesn’t matter whether we have any singing ability. Our worship pleases God.

Another thing that pleases God is giving to the work of His kingdom. The apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Philippi, “I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness. At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God” Philippians 4:17–18.

Some people get uptight in church when an offering is received. Yet the Bible promises God’s blessing if we will give to the Lord. Jesus said, “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back” Luke 6:38.

We cannot outgive God. It is a privilege. It is a joy. And it pleases God when we invest in His kingdom.

It also pleases God when we are witnesses for Him. Every Christian is a witness. But before we can effectively witness for God, we must first walk with God. It is the overflow of our lives.

For some Christians, it’s a big deal to talk about their faith. But if we’re walking with God and our lives are pleasing to Him, we will find that Jesus overflows into our lives. One of the greatest compliments a nonbeliever can pay a believer is when they say, “I don’t know what you believe. I don’t know what it is about you that makes you the way that you are. And I don’t know where you get this special something. But whatever it is, I want it.”

That is when we can say, “Let me tell you about my faith in Jesus Christ.”

I came to Christ because of the powerful testimony of a group of kids on my high school campus who truly knew what it was to walk with God. Before I heard a sermon, before anyone talked to me about my need for God, it was their lifestyle that got my attention.

Would your lifestyle reach anyone? People are watching you. 

Are you being a positive witness for Jesus Christ?

- greg laurie

.....testimony

John the Baptist had sent messengers to ask Jesus, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" Luke 7:19

"At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So He replied to the messengers, 'Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard.'"Luke 7:21-22

While it's good to be able to defend our faith, we will never convince anyone to believe by presenting Biblical "facts." The most convincing argument as to the truth of God's Word is to share how we have seen His Word come alive in our own life; how we have seen Jesus calm the seas and rebuke the storms, heal broken lives and answer prayers. 

We ought to share how we have heard Him call us to test the waters of faith and seen the waters become solid as we stepped; how we have experienced "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding" Philippians 4:7. When God's truths become real in our daily life, they cannot be argued against!

If His truths have not yet become absolute and unquestionably real, then we need to press VERY close into His presence and allow His light to shine in and through you each and every day. There can be no better preparation for sharing the truth than to live the truth and watch God work in a multitude of ways. 

Let's prepare to share the gospel; and when the opportunity arises, let's simply report what we have seen and heard.

- steve troxel

.....backward

O LORD, when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed Psalm 30:7

It is often difficult to recognize the hand of God when we are in the midst of adversity. We often feel God has hidden His face from us. When the Lord takes us through deep valleys, there will be fruit from the deep valley that we cannot see. You must press into Him with all you have during this time. 

God uses the deep valley to frame our lives to create a change in our nature, not just a change in habits. The depth and width of our valley is often an indicator of the level of calling and influence we will have on others in the future. Our adversity is not just for us, but others who will be in our future path of influence. This is not very comforting when you are in the middle of the valley, but know this is a truth in the Kingdom.

It is often years later when we discover the wisdom of God and why He intentionally led us through the dark valley. Life is often lived forward, but understood backward. It is not until we are down the road and we stand on the mountain looking back at through valley that we can appreciate the terrain God has allowed us to scale and the spiritual deposits He has made in our life while we were there. 

"He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into the light" Job 12:22. When you begin to realize this, you sit back and breathe a sigh of relief because you know that God was in control all along. It didn't seem like it at the time, but He was.

Do you find yourself in the valley? Now is the time to fully trust Him to guide you to higher ground.

- os hillman

.....messes

"Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, "It is written, 'My house is a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'" Luke 19:45–46

My wife and I are polar opposites when it comes to cleaning. My approach could be summed up by the procrastinator's motto: Never do today what you could put off until tomorrow. Cathe's approach is to constantly clean and organize so that over time, little messes don't become big ones. Obviously, her approach is the better one. 

In Luke 19, we find the story of Jesus' cleaning the house of God as He went into the temple and drove out the moneychangers. They were taking advantage of people and keeping them from God, and this angered Jesus.

I believe there is a parallel to our own lives. When we come to Christ initially, we ask for His forgiveness, and He pardons us of all our iniquities. In fact, we are told in 2 Corinthians 5:17, what a wonderful thing it is to realize that God has forgiven us of all our sin - we are "new creations". 

But as a little time passes, sometimes some of those old sins can find their way back into our lives. And that so-called "little" sin begins to grow and becomes a problem.

Does your temple need cleansing? Are there some things in your life that shouldn't be there right now? Are there some vices, some bad habits that have found their way back into your life? If so, give them to Jesus, let Him deal with them. Don't let little messes turn into big ones.

....tandem

Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction? Amos 3:3 

It was a unique time in human history. Before God’s judgment of the earth by water, people were very wicked—so wicked, in fact, that God was sorry He made them. Here’s how the Bible describes this time: “The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil” Genesis 6:5.

Yet in the midst of this dark environment was an individual who walked with God. His name was Enoch, and he showed that it is possible to live a godly life in an ungodly world. Enoch also was a prototype of a generation of people who will not see death but will be caught up to meet the Lord in what the Bible calls the Rapture. And we could be that generation.

The Bible says, “Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him” Genesis 5:23–24. When you’re walking somewhere, it means you’re making progress. You’re moving toward a destination, going from one place to another.

In the original language, the word the Bible uses for “walking” carries a lot of meaning. We also find a helpful verse in Amos 3, which says, “Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?” verse 3. Together, these passages give us a good picture of what it means to walk with God.

“Walk together” means walking in tandem or harmony. Think of a bicycle for two, a tandem cycle. If the rider in front is pedaling away while the rider in back is hitting the brakes, that is going to slow things down. The same is true of two people in a canoe. They both have to work together in perfect rhythm. If one person digs in the paddle like a brake, it will hinder both of them from going where they want to go.

The idea is that both need to get into harmony. Both need to move together. And that is what it means to walk with God. As followers of Christ, we need to get into harmony with God. It doesn’t mean that God needs to get into harmony with us. But often we think that is the case. We want God to bless the plans that we’ve made apart from Him.

Jesus said, “But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!” John 15:7. The second half of the verse about asking for anything we want. But let’s not forget the first half: “But if you remain in me and my words remain in you . . .” If we’re doing that, then we’ll start asking for what is aligned with God’s will. And that’s what prayer is all about. In the same way, to walk with God means to get into harmony with Him. Are you walking with God today?

- greg laurie

......hand

About 2600 years ago, God taught the prophet Jeremiah what it meant to be a sovereign God. He taught that His plan WOULD be fulfilled - one way or the other. Either His children would submit to His gentle guidance, or He would bring discipline to teach them the need for obedience.

Although God has the ability to directly give us understanding, His usual method is to teach us through His Word and then allow us to see the application and gain wisdom through our experiences. In order to give a clear understanding of His sovereignty, God told Jeremiah to go to the potter's house and wait for His message.

"So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the Word of the Lord came to me: 'Can I not do with you as this potter does?' declares the Lord. 'Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in My hand.'"Jeremiah 18:3-6

Jeremiah understood that God was the Potter and had total control over the shape of the clay. How foolish it would be for the clay to complain or rebel; "Can the pot say of the potter, 'He knows nothing'?" Isaiah 29:16. The Potter will continue to mold the clay. If the clay begins to harden in its unfinished state, the Potter loves the clay enough to crush it down, sprinkle it with water and begin anew.

The only way for us to become all that God desires is to yield and remain moldable. We have no ability to shape ourselves! The Potter is creating something eternally beautiful - we are being "conformed to the likeness of His Son" Romans 8:29. Oh, if we could only trust that His shaping is so much better than anything we could ever create. How prideful to think we can do better!

There may be times when we have rough edges which must be removed. There may also be times when we need to be crushed down so the shaping process can start over. But we must trust the Potter and believe the results will be worth any pain or discomfort; "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us" Romans 8:18.

Our Heavenly Father is in complete and loving control. Let's daily be filled with His Spirit and commit our lives to His shaping process - a process which undoubtedly will last a lifetime! Let's remain moldable clay and yield to the shaping of the Potter's Hand.

- steve troxel

.....helpful

Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. Ephesians 4:29

I have preached, taught, and written about those words more times than I can count, and I still choose to say things far from good or helpful. Sometimes, it happens when I’m watching sports. Sometimes, it happens when I’m in traffic. Sometimes, it happens when I’m tired and frustrated. Sometimes, it happens after a long and frustrating day.

 

None of those situations allow me to ignore that God wants me to “let everything I say be good and helpful, so that my words will be an encouragement to those who hear them (or read them).” If so, I the following suggestions are offered: 

Pause and think before you speak. 

If I never see this person again, how will they remember me? Will my words encourage or discourage this person? Is what I am about to say worth hearing? 

Make sure that what you say is worth hearing. 

Does anyone need to listen to this? Is there any real value in what I am about to say? Will what I am about to write, speak, or repeat make a difference for good, or does it only feed my ego?

If your words are not good and helpful, and they are not worth hearing, don’t say them. 

“Don’t talk unless you can improve the silence.” Silence might be better. Speaking what is right and good is especially true when wanting to comfort someone who is hurting. 

Let’s work on our speech. Let’s strive to share only what is good and helpful so our words will encourage those who hear them. We may not change the whole world, but it surely will change the world for the people around us. 

By God's grace good and helpful.

- tom norvell

.....youth

All through the Old Testament, God called the people of Israel to worship Him as the One True God. He spoke through Moses, the priests, and the prophets, but the people continued to turn away. Even after the Babylonians invaded Jerusalem, God continued to call His Children to return to Him - to return with ALL their heart!

During the Babylonian captivity, God told Ezekiel to proclaim His Word to all the people of Israel. Ezekiel gave the people several illustrations of how far they had fallen, and how much sorrow their sin was causing for a loving Father. Through Ezekiel, God said the people of Israel were like a helpless newborn baby who had been thrown into an open field; "Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, 'Live!'" Ezekiel 16:6.

They had done nothing to deserve His favor, but the Israelites were chosen to become a great nation, set apart and devoted to God. Without His grace, they would have been as lost as the newborn in the field - but God said "Live!" He picked them up, cleaned them off, loved them, and made them beautiful...but His Children forgot His love and abused His grace.

"You trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute. You lavished your favors on anyone who passed by and your beauty became his...such things should not happen." Ezekiel 16:15-16

The people of Israel forgot all God had done and gave their love to other gods (spiritual prostitution). They used the grace of God for their own benefit and forgot their previous condition: "In all your detestable practices and your prostitution you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, kicking about in your blood" Ezekiel 16:22.

God loves us so much...and it breaks His heart to see how we abuse His gifts. Without the saving grace of Jesus, each of us is as helpless as the newborn baby. Without Christ, we have no hope of survival: "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" Romans 5:8. We were lost in our sin until God reached down, picked us up, and said "Live!" Thank You Lord!!

Let's remind ourselves of the miracle of Salvation! Though we have done nothing to deserve God's grace, He reaches down and gives us eternal life, cleansing us of our sin and making us beautiful in His sight. We who believe have been born into God's Family. Let's not abuse His gift by forgetting when we were helpless, "naked and bare." 

Let's give Him ALL our love and always remember the days of our youth.

- steve troxel

.....priest

 "Our high priest is able to understand our weaknesses. When he lived on earth, he was tempted in every way that we are, but he did not sin." Hebrews 4:15

This is how J. B. Phillips translates Hebrews 4:15:  "For we have no superhuman High Priest to whom our weaknesses are unintelligible - he himself has shared fully in all our experience of temptation, except that he never sinned."  

It's as if he knows that we will say to God... "God, it's easy for you up there. You don't know how hard it is from down here." So he boldly proclaims Jesus' ability to understand. Look at the wording again...

   He himself. 

        Not an angel. Not an ambassador. Not an emissary, but Jesus himself.

   Shared fully. 

        Not partially. Not nearly. Not to a large degree. Entirely! Jesus shared fully.

   In all our experience. 

        Every hurt. Each ache. All the stresses and all the strains. No exceptions. No substitutes. 

   

Why? So he could sympathize with our weaknesses!!!

Our High Priest understands! He knows!

He knows our temptations.  He knows our weaknesses. He became one of us Philippians 2:6-8; John 1:14 and he understands our every hurt, our every ache, our every pain, our every tear, our every fear and yes, our every weakness!!!

.....gift

We are often encouraged to share the wonders of God's love through the uncompromising truth of His Word. There are so many all around us who are in great need! We live in a lost and dying world full of people who desperately need to know God's plan of forgiveness and restoration. But as we share the truth and minister to others, let's also remember to make the time to personally receive ALL our Father has to offer.

When Jesus asked the Samaritan woman for a drink of water, she thought the request was quite odd since Jesus was clearly a Jew, and Jews did not associate with Samaritans; "How can you ask me for a drink?" John 4:9. Rather than explain His radical views on social interaction, Jesus took the opportunity to introduce the woman to the gift of God.

"Jesus answered her, 'If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water.'"John 4:10

If we only knew! I often imagine a loving Father who has given the greatest gift the world has ever known. We approach and examine the gift. We ask questions and study the gift. We even shake the gift and then proudly display it on our shelf, but we never actually open the gift and receive what's inside. If we only knew! "Every good and perfect gift is from above" James 1:7. His gifts are perfect; and if we only knew, we would open and receive them with abounding joy!

His gift of living water is still available today. This gift refers to our Salvation by the spiritual transformation of our heart, but it also refers to His on-going gift of a victorious life of peace and contentment; "Everyone who drinks this water [from the well] will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst" John 4:13-14. His gift of Salvation is free through faith in Jesus Christ, and peace is assured through a humble submission to His will. But we continually rebel and pump from the wells of this world - we drink polluted lies and continually thirst for more.

Approximately 650 years earlier, God gave the same message to the people of Jerusalem: "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken Me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water" Jeremiah 2:13. If we only knew! We sit beside a Spring overflowing with the best tasting water imaginable, but we turn away and pump sludge into our broken pots.

God has great plans for each of us - plans much bigger and brighter than anything we can accomplish through our own effort. Let's rediscover the gift of living water and put an end to our thirst! Let's return to the Spring and continue our journey in obedience. Let's drink freely and daily receive His perfect gift.

- steve troxel

.....water

"He poured water into a bowl and began to wash the followers' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him." John 13:5

To place our feet in the basin of Jesus is to place the filthiest parts of our lives into his hands. In the ancient East, people's feet were caked with mud and dirt. The servant of the feast saw to it that the feet were cleaned. 

Jesus is assuming the role of the servant. He will wash the grimiest part of your life - if you let him. The water of the Servant comes only when we confess that we are dirty. Only when we confess that we are caked with filth, that we have walked forbidden trails and the wrong paths.

We will never be cleansed until we confess we are dirty. We will never be pure until we admit we are filthy.  We will never be able to wash the feet of those who have hurt us until we allow Jesus, the one we have hurt, to wash ours!

- max lucado 

......faithful

 "God is faithful." 1 Corinthians 1:9

When the X-ray comes back and it doesn't look good, remember... 

     God is faithful.

When you read that hearbreaking note from yuor mate, remember...

     God is faithful.

When you hear the worst kind of news about your children, remember...

     God is still faithful.

He has not abandoned you, though you are tempted to think He has. When we are pressed near to the heart of God, He is faithful and He will hold us!  "In His love... He redeemed them, and He lifted them and He carried them." Isaiah 63:9

   

"He will never leave you nor forsake you." Hebrews 13:5

He's Been Faithful  [Lyrics by Carol Cymbala]

   When my strength was all gone

   When my heart had no song

   Even then, He was faithful to me

   Every word He’s promised is true

   What I thought was impossible,

   I’ve seen my God do

   He’s been faithful, faithful to me

   Looking back, His love and mercy I see

   Though in my heart, I have questioned, even failed to believe

   Yet He’s been faithful, faithful to me

......fix

 "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith." Hebrews 12:2

Fix your eyes on the Lord!
   Do it once!
   Do it Daily!
   Do it ten thousand times ten thousand times!

When your schedule presses,
   when your propects thin,
   when your hope burns low,
   when dreams die,
   when the walls close in,
   when the prognosis seems grim,
   when your heart breaks,
Look to the Lord - and keep on looking at Him. 

 
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
   Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
   Look full in His wonderful face;
   And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
   In the light of His glory and grace.
 

......bad

 "Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." Colossians 3:2

 Apple-picking is a favorite family activity, but there are a couple of rules to be followed; for example: pick the large, ripe apples only from the trees and not the "drops" (the ones that have fallen to the ground).

When there is a quota to meet, or a certain amount of apples to be picked in a certain amount of time, it can be very tempting to get ahead by picking through those "good" apples that are on the ground. Although the apples on the ground look appealing, when they fell to the ground, they got bruised. Those bruised apples will rot quickly and will most likely spoil the entire bushel.

Many things in life are like those apples. People — even Christians — work so hard to gain many enjoyable earthly things. But, like those bruised apples, earthly things don't keep. The world defines "good" things as having the best clothes and cars, money, popularity, or a good career. Although those things are nice to have, they only last a short time. 

Doing and choosing things that please God will insure lasting treasure. God desires us to work for eternal, heavenly rewards. Your workplace is more than just a way to earn money, it can also double as a way to share Christ with others. Your actions and attitudes are the biggest testimony we have! God isn't opposed to our successes. But when our success takes God's place in our lives we begin to spoil, and at that point we begin to bear rotten fruit instead of good. 

Jim Elliot once said, "Only one life — 'twill soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last".