BORN AGAIN! :
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. – John 3:3
Born again. Do you know what Jesus had in mind when He said those two words to Nicodemus? He was talking covenant talk. He was telling Nicodemus what it meant to have a covenant with God.
Let me paint the picture I believe was in Jesus' mind. Imagine a baby, a little baby born of an unwed mother. No one knows who its daddy is and no one wants to know. He is a child that nobody wants. He doesn't belong to anyone.
Now, picture the best kind of family you can think of. A family that loves God. The man has a good job. They're blessed financially. They're givers and lovers of people, and they fall in love with this baby. Before long, they adopt it.
What's happened? That baby was reborn. He got a new set of parents. Through adoption, he has now become an heir. Why? Not because of anything the baby has done. Those parents didn't say, "I want you to look at that baby. I'm so impressed with all that child has done for us. He has certainly earned our love and respect."
No, it's a baby. It couldn't have done anything to earn its new life. This man and this woman agreed together out of the love in their hearts and bestowed grace on that child. Now he has access to everything they have. When they offer him a bottle, he doesn't knock the bottle away and say, "I'm so humble and undeserving. Just give me water."
Of course not. That baby acts like part of the family--and not just part of the family but the best part of the family. Because in Jesus' day a covenant or adopted child had the same birthright as the firstborn son.
That's what Jesus was talking about when He said, "You must be born again." He was talking about grace. He was talking about a new relationship of favor. A new family. A new authority. A new power.
If you feel unworthy to receive the rich blessings God has for you today, think about that. Meditate on it, so instead of worrying about and struggling with the needs in your life, you can just walk boldly into the throne room of your Father and receive help to get those needs met.
Discover what it really means to be a blood-bought child of Almighty God with a big brother like Jesus. Discover what it means to be born again!
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
You are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church. —Matthew 16:18
My friend wrote a letter to his newborn child that he wanted him to read when he was older: “My dear boy, Daddy and Mummy wish that you will find and stay focused on the Light. Your Chinese name is xin xuan.Xin means faithfulness, contentment, and integrity;xuan stands for warmth and light.” He and his wife carefully chose a name based on their hopes for their baby boy.
When Jesus renamed Simon as Peter/Cephas (John 1:42), it wasn’t a random choice. Peter means “the rock.” But it took a while for him to live up to his new name. The account of his life reveals him as a fisherman known for his rash ways—a shifting-sand kind of guy. Peter disagreed with Jesus (Matt. 16:22-23), struck a man with a sword (John 18:10-11), and even denied knowing Jesus (John 18:15-27). But in Acts, we read that God worked in and through him to establish His church. Peter truly became a rock.
If you, like Peter, are a follower of Jesus, you have a new identity. In Acts 11:26, we read, “The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” The name “Christians” means “Christ-ones.” You now are one of the Christ-ones. This title lifts up who you are and calls you to become what you are not yet. God is faithful, and He will complete His good work in you (Phil. 1:6).
Dear Father, thank You for the incredible privilege of being called Your child. May we understand more fully what it means to be identified with Your Son, Jesus Christ. Work in us and through us.
We honor God’s name when we call Him our Father and live like His children.
THE PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON
'...Everything I have is yours.' Luke 15:31 NIV
The older brother couldn't rejoice about his younger brother's homecoming because he resented it. He said to his father, 'You threw a party for him, but you've never thrown one for me! I served you faithfully for years and you never once acknowledged my service or celebrated my accomplishments.' (Luke 15:29-30)
We learn three things from the older brother. The first is about attitudes. Even though he was invited to the party, his anger kept him away. Why are you angry? You won't talk to anybody, or forgive anybody. You're afraid to love anybody, or reach out to anybody, or learn from anybody. You've blamed everybody for everything; now you're blaming God. Don't let anger lock you out, rob you of blessing, poison your spirit, and destroy your joy. Forgive, celebrate your brother, and walk in fellowship with your Heavenly Father. The second is about abundance. '...My son...everything I have is yours.' (Luke 15:31 NIV) Note the word 'everything'. God is a God of abundance, and if He blesses your brother and sister, He will bless you too. Indeed, when He blesses them, He still has more than enough left to bless you. The third is about access to your Father. As a redeemed child of God, you can approach Him at any time, ask for what you need and be confident that He will respond to you. '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 4:16 NIV) You say, 'When will God answer my prayer?' He replies, 'In your time of need.'
YOU ALREADY ARE, YOU ALREADY HAVE :
MARK 11:24 - Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
God’s Word tells us that we can have what we ask for in prayer—by simply believing that we already have it! As you are praying, know that you already have your answer or breakthrough—“believe that you receive them”. The Bible also tells us that we already have whatever we are praying for because we are already blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3)
And you are in Christ the moment you received Him as your Savior. So when you pray, you are actually releasing your faith to lay hold of what you already have in Christ. And as you keep saying that you already have it (Mark 11:23), you will see the manifestation of it in the natural realm.
In one of our church camps, a church member shared about the back problem she had had for 15 years as a result of a fall from her rooftop. She needed an operation to help stop the shooting pains in her spine. She had also been taking anti-stress pills for five years.
After coming to church, she realized that she had already received her healing through the finished work of Christ. Refusing the operation and even the pills, she would rebuke the pain which kept coming back, saying, “In Jesus, I believe I am healed. I am not trying or going to be healed. I am already healed. I have a brand new backbone for I am in Christ. As Christ is, so am I in this world.” It was not very long before this sister saw the manifestation of her healing.
Sometimes, the symptoms of a sickness or lack may return and you think that you still have not received your blessing. That is the time to release your faith and declare that you already have it. You are not confessing to get it. You are confessing because you already have it in Christ!
My friend, the Bible tells us that Christ is in us. (Colossians 1:27) This means that right now, your healing, wellness, family’s well-being and everything your heart desires are in you. So say, “I have everything I need in Christ right now!”
POWER TO PROSPER :
And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth... - Deuteronomy 8:18, NKJV
God wants to do something great in and through you. He has blessings in your future that you haven’t even thought of yet!
The Scripture tells us that He gives us the power to gain wealth. Wealth is simply having abundance. He wants you to live in abundance so that He can use you to be a blessing to others. When we do things God’s way, we get God’s results. In other words, when we live in excellence and integrity, when we follow the Word of God, we will walk in His blessing.
Notice one more thing about this verse. It says that “He gives us the power to get wealth.” See, God gives us the ability. He gives us creative ideas and inventions, but we have to be diligent to do our part and step out and use what He’s given us. We have to sow good seed in order to see the harvest that He has promised. Today, choose to be faithful. Choose to be diligent. Choose to follow God in everything and watch Him pour out His abundant blessing on you!
JUST WORDS :
Matthew 12:37, "For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."
God created the heavens and the earth and everything that is in the earth by His words (Heb. 11:3). The whole creation was made by, and responds to, words. Our words, when spoken in faith, release either life or death (Prov. 18:21) and will affect people, things, and circumstances. We can release the power that is in faith by our words.
Every word counts. There is no such things as an "idle" word which will not work for us or against us. Our words can be our most powerful weapon against the devil, or they can become a snare of the devil (Prov. 6:2). Faith-filled words can move mountains.
The faith that made Jesus marvel was a faith in the authority of the spoken word (Mt. 8:8, 10). We are to believe in the power of our words. If we begin to speak words in faith that line up with God's Word, then we will have the positive results that follow. But if we continue to speak words of doubt, we will eventually believe them and have the negative things that these words produce. Death or life are in the power of every word we speak.
Faith is released by speaking words. Jesus encouraged us to speak to mountains or to whatever our problem might be. Most people speak to God about their problem, but few follow Jesus' instructions and speak directly to the "mountain." God has put certain things under our authority and we must exercise it. When a problem stands in our way, we must speak to the problem and command it to get out of our way in the name of Jesus. Speak God's Word today. His Words will produce life.
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. – John 3:3
Born again. Do you know what Jesus had in mind when He said those two words to Nicodemus? He was talking covenant talk. He was telling Nicodemus what it meant to have a covenant with God.
Let me paint the picture I believe was in Jesus' mind. Imagine a baby, a little baby born of an unwed mother. No one knows who its daddy is and no one wants to know. He is a child that nobody wants. He doesn't belong to anyone.
Now, picture the best kind of family you can think of. A family that loves God. The man has a good job. They're blessed financially. They're givers and lovers of people, and they fall in love with this baby. Before long, they adopt it.
What's happened? That baby was reborn. He got a new set of parents. Through adoption, he has now become an heir. Why? Not because of anything the baby has done. Those parents didn't say, "I want you to look at that baby. I'm so impressed with all that child has done for us. He has certainly earned our love and respect."
No, it's a baby. It couldn't have done anything to earn its new life. This man and this woman agreed together out of the love in their hearts and bestowed grace on that child. Now he has access to everything they have. When they offer him a bottle, he doesn't knock the bottle away and say, "I'm so humble and undeserving. Just give me water."
Of course not. That baby acts like part of the family--and not just part of the family but the best part of the family. Because in Jesus' day a covenant or adopted child had the same birthright as the firstborn son.
That's what Jesus was talking about when He said, "You must be born again." He was talking about grace. He was talking about a new relationship of favor. A new family. A new authority. A new power.
If you feel unworthy to receive the rich blessings God has for you today, think about that. Meditate on it, so instead of worrying about and struggling with the needs in your life, you can just walk boldly into the throne room of your Father and receive help to get those needs met.
Discover what it really means to be a blood-bought child of Almighty God with a big brother like Jesus. Discover what it means to be born again!
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
You are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church. —Matthew 16:18
My friend wrote a letter to his newborn child that he wanted him to read when he was older: “My dear boy, Daddy and Mummy wish that you will find and stay focused on the Light. Your Chinese name is xin xuan.Xin means faithfulness, contentment, and integrity;xuan stands for warmth and light.” He and his wife carefully chose a name based on their hopes for their baby boy.
When Jesus renamed Simon as Peter/Cephas (John 1:42), it wasn’t a random choice. Peter means “the rock.” But it took a while for him to live up to his new name. The account of his life reveals him as a fisherman known for his rash ways—a shifting-sand kind of guy. Peter disagreed with Jesus (Matt. 16:22-23), struck a man with a sword (John 18:10-11), and even denied knowing Jesus (John 18:15-27). But in Acts, we read that God worked in and through him to establish His church. Peter truly became a rock.
If you, like Peter, are a follower of Jesus, you have a new identity. In Acts 11:26, we read, “The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” The name “Christians” means “Christ-ones.” You now are one of the Christ-ones. This title lifts up who you are and calls you to become what you are not yet. God is faithful, and He will complete His good work in you (Phil. 1:6).
Dear Father, thank You for the incredible privilege of being called Your child. May we understand more fully what it means to be identified with Your Son, Jesus Christ. Work in us and through us.
We honor God’s name when we call Him our Father and live like His children.
THE PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON
'...Everything I have is yours.' Luke 15:31 NIV
The older brother couldn't rejoice about his younger brother's homecoming because he resented it. He said to his father, 'You threw a party for him, but you've never thrown one for me! I served you faithfully for years and you never once acknowledged my service or celebrated my accomplishments.' (Luke 15:29-30)
We learn three things from the older brother. The first is about attitudes. Even though he was invited to the party, his anger kept him away. Why are you angry? You won't talk to anybody, or forgive anybody. You're afraid to love anybody, or reach out to anybody, or learn from anybody. You've blamed everybody for everything; now you're blaming God. Don't let anger lock you out, rob you of blessing, poison your spirit, and destroy your joy. Forgive, celebrate your brother, and walk in fellowship with your Heavenly Father. The second is about abundance. '...My son...everything I have is yours.' (Luke 15:31 NIV) Note the word 'everything'. God is a God of abundance, and if He blesses your brother and sister, He will bless you too. Indeed, when He blesses them, He still has more than enough left to bless you. The third is about access to your Father. As a redeemed child of God, you can approach Him at any time, ask for what you need and be confident that He will respond to you. '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 4:16 NIV) You say, 'When will God answer my prayer?' He replies, 'In your time of need.'
YOU ALREADY ARE, YOU ALREADY HAVE :
MARK 11:24 - Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
God’s Word tells us that we can have what we ask for in prayer—by simply believing that we already have it! As you are praying, know that you already have your answer or breakthrough—“believe that you receive them”. The Bible also tells us that we already have whatever we are praying for because we are already blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3)
And you are in Christ the moment you received Him as your Savior. So when you pray, you are actually releasing your faith to lay hold of what you already have in Christ. And as you keep saying that you already have it (Mark 11:23), you will see the manifestation of it in the natural realm.
In one of our church camps, a church member shared about the back problem she had had for 15 years as a result of a fall from her rooftop. She needed an operation to help stop the shooting pains in her spine. She had also been taking anti-stress pills for five years.
After coming to church, she realized that she had already received her healing through the finished work of Christ. Refusing the operation and even the pills, she would rebuke the pain which kept coming back, saying, “In Jesus, I believe I am healed. I am not trying or going to be healed. I am already healed. I have a brand new backbone for I am in Christ. As Christ is, so am I in this world.” It was not very long before this sister saw the manifestation of her healing.
Sometimes, the symptoms of a sickness or lack may return and you think that you still have not received your blessing. That is the time to release your faith and declare that you already have it. You are not confessing to get it. You are confessing because you already have it in Christ!
My friend, the Bible tells us that Christ is in us. (Colossians 1:27) This means that right now, your healing, wellness, family’s well-being and everything your heart desires are in you. So say, “I have everything I need in Christ right now!”
POWER TO PROSPER :
And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth... - Deuteronomy 8:18, NKJV
God wants to do something great in and through you. He has blessings in your future that you haven’t even thought of yet!
The Scripture tells us that He gives us the power to gain wealth. Wealth is simply having abundance. He wants you to live in abundance so that He can use you to be a blessing to others. When we do things God’s way, we get God’s results. In other words, when we live in excellence and integrity, when we follow the Word of God, we will walk in His blessing.
Notice one more thing about this verse. It says that “He gives us the power to get wealth.” See, God gives us the ability. He gives us creative ideas and inventions, but we have to be diligent to do our part and step out and use what He’s given us. We have to sow good seed in order to see the harvest that He has promised. Today, choose to be faithful. Choose to be diligent. Choose to follow God in everything and watch Him pour out His abundant blessing on you!
JUST WORDS :
Matthew 12:37, "For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."
God created the heavens and the earth and everything that is in the earth by His words (Heb. 11:3). The whole creation was made by, and responds to, words. Our words, when spoken in faith, release either life or death (Prov. 18:21) and will affect people, things, and circumstances. We can release the power that is in faith by our words.
Every word counts. There is no such things as an "idle" word which will not work for us or against us. Our words can be our most powerful weapon against the devil, or they can become a snare of the devil (Prov. 6:2). Faith-filled words can move mountains.
The faith that made Jesus marvel was a faith in the authority of the spoken word (Mt. 8:8, 10). We are to believe in the power of our words. If we begin to speak words in faith that line up with God's Word, then we will have the positive results that follow. But if we continue to speak words of doubt, we will eventually believe them and have the negative things that these words produce. Death or life are in the power of every word we speak.
Faith is released by speaking words. Jesus encouraged us to speak to mountains or to whatever our problem might be. Most people speak to God about their problem, but few follow Jesus' instructions and speak directly to the "mountain." God has put certain things under our authority and we must exercise it. When a problem stands in our way, we must speak to the problem and command it to get out of our way in the name of Jesus. Speak God's Word today. His Words will produce life.
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