DON'T

DON'T TELL IT LIKE IT IS :

Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. - Proverbs 18:21

Words are serious business. And, as believers, we need to get serious about learning how to use them. We need to begin to put them to work for us like God Himself does. The Bible tells us that He uses words to "call those things which be not as though they were" (Rom. 4:17).

Most of us don't have the faintest idea how to do that. We've spent our lives "telling it like it is." We've constantly used our mouths to report on the sorry state of affairs around us. Thus, the very thought of calling "things which be not as though they were" seems a little crazy.

"You mean I'm supposed to say, 'I'm healed' when I'm feeling sick? I'm supposed to say, 'I'm prosperous' when I'm penniless?" we say. "That sounds like lying to me."

No, no. There's a vast difference between lying and speaking by faith. A lie is meant to deceive someone. It's designed to make someone believe something that's not true. But to speak by faith is simply to speak words that agree with the Word of God instead of the circumstances around you. It's speaking from your spirit instead of from your mind.

As the Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:13, "We have the same spirit of faith as he had who wrote, I have believed, and therefore have I spoken. We too believe, and therefore we speak" (The Amplified Bible).

Now that's important. Read that verse again. "I have believed, and therefore have I spoken."

There are some folks who speak the words, but they don't have the faith to back it up, and as a result, they fall flat on their spiritual faces. They didn't actually "call things that be not as though they were." They called things that be not the way they wished they were.

Those are two very different things. The words may be the same. But just wishing and hoping won't get the job done. You've got to "believe."

Begin today bringing both your tongue and your heart in line with the Word. Stop "telling it like it is" and start speaking and believing the promises of God. Put the power of words to work for you.

Choose to speak the Word of God out of the abundance of your heart and not what your five senses tell you and you will begin to see victory in your life.

 "A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul." (Proverbs 18:7)

WISDOM FROM ABOVE

The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable. —James 3:17

If Kiera Wilmot had performed her experiment during her high school science class, it might have earned her an A. But instead she was charged with causing an explosion. Although she had planned to have her teacher approve the experiment, her classmates persuaded her to perform it outside the classroom. When she mixed chemicals inside a plastic bottle, it exploded and she unintentionally unsettled some fellow students.

The Old Testament tells the story of another case of peer pressure. David and his men were hiding from Saul in a cave when Saul entered (1 Sam. 24). David’s companions suggested that God had delivered Saul to them, and they urged David to kill him (vv.4,10). If David killed Saul, they thought they could stop hiding and David could become king. But David refused to harm Saul because he was “the LORD’s anointed” (v.6).

People in our lives may sometimes suggest we do what seems most gratifying or practical in the moment. But there is a difference between worldly and spiritual wisdom (1 Cor. 2:6-7). Wisdom from above “is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy” (James 3:17). When others are urging us to take a certain course of action, we can invite God to influence our response.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Hold o’er my being absolute sway!
Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me.

One is truly wise who gains his wisdom from above.

VEINS OF GOLD

If we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection. —Romans 6:5

While visiting the charming Cotswold area of England, I purchased some bone china mugs as souvenirs. I used them carefully, but eventually one fell into the sink and shattered. I thought about that mug recently when I learned about the Japanese art of Kintsugi.

Usually when something breaks we are happy to repair it enough to make it functional again. But several hundred years ago, a Japanese artist decided he would make broken china beautiful. So he started using golden resin to hold the fragments together. Pieces repaired by using his method have intricate veins of gold.

Early in the human story, sin entered the world (Gen. 3). Theologians refer to the event as “the fall.” The inevitable result is brokenness. Life is painful because we keep getting hurt and hurting others with our sharp, jagged edges. But God doesn’t want us to stay broken, and His repair work turns our brokenness into beauty.
Like a Kintsugi artist, God repairs us. But He uses something more precious than gold—the blood of His Son. Instead of having veins of gold, we are united by the very veins of Christ. “We have been united together in the likeness of His death” (Rom. 6:5). Nothing is more beautiful than that.

He shed His blood, poured out His life;
He gave His all at Calvary;
Oh what can we give in return
For love so rich, so full, so free?

The price of our freedom from sin was paid by Jesus’ blood.

JESUS GOES BEFORE YOU :

JOHN 10:4 - And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him...

Have you ever seen a farmer trying to drive a bunch of geese from one location to another? He goes behind the geese, doesn’t he? Compare this to a shepherd who leads his sheep. He goes before them and the sheep simply follow him.

Jesus is our shepherd and we are His sheep. He does not drive us, but He leads us. Legalistic people drive others. Jesus leads. He goes in front of us. He is not like the sergeant who says, “Men, cross this river. I’ll cover you from behind,” because he suspects that the river is infested with crocodiles. Jesus is not that kind of leader. He goes in front of us.

In the Old Testament, Jesus led the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt. Do you know how Jesus appeared back then? He appeared in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Where was that pillar? It was in front of them. In fact, the pillar of cloud shaded them from the hot desert sun so that they were kept cool during the day. At night, when the desert got very cold, Jesus, the pillar of fire, gave them light as well as warmth. Whether He was the pillar of cloud or fire, He went in front of them.

As long as they followed Him, the Israelites did not have to worry about anything. Jesus took care of all their needs. He gave them water when they were thirsty, and bread and meat when they were hungry. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell. They were kept in good health throughout the 40 years of their wandering in the wilderness.

My friend, Jesus your shepherd wants you to just follow Him. As long as you allow Him to lead you, all your needs will be taken care of. He is your provision, healer, counselor, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification...He is everything you need Him to be!

DEMONIC

ANY REVIVAL OR RELIGIOUS MOVEMENT THAT DOESN'T DEAL WITH DEMONS IN IT OR IN THE PEOPLE IS NOT OF GOD BUT IS DEMONIC SENSUAL FLESHLY AND DANGEROUS

Matthew 4:24 Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.

JAMES 3:15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.

DONE AS YOU HAVE BELIEVED :

MATTHEW 8:13 - Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.

What are you expecting God to do for you today? Do you believe that God will respond according to your expectation? When Jairus, distraught at the sickness that was claiming his daughter’s life, fell at Jesus’ feet, he entreated Jesus to personally come to his house to lay His hands on his daughter so that she would be healed. (Mark 5:23)

But do you know that Jesus can heal at a distance? He didn’t need to go to Jairus’ house to heal his daughter. Still, Jesus went and didn’t even chide Jairus for his little faith. He met Jairus’ expectation—his little daughter was raised from the dead that day. (Mark 5:41–42)

Why do I say that Jairus had little faith? Because there was a Roman centurion who came to Jesus about his servant suffering at home. He recognized the power Jesus had and asked only that Jesus “speak a word, and my servant will be healed”. (Matthew 8:8) Jesus told him, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” True to the centurion’s expectation, his servant was healed that same hour.

My friend, there is no particular level your faith must reach before God gives you what you are asking for. Your faith does not initiate God’s giving. He has already given to you all things that pertain to life and godliness. (2 Peter 1:3) His blessings are pressing on you already! Regardless of the level of faith you are at, He will respond. Jairus needed Jesus to go to his house to lay His hands on his daughter, and Jesus did. The centurion only needed Jesus to speak a word for his servant to be healed, and Jesus did. He met both their expectations.

My friend, don’t fix your eyes on how much or how little faith you have. Fix your eyes on the One who loves you, who has already given you what you need. When you come to Him, simply believe that He is waiting to meet your expectation. He will say to you, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.”

MOVE FORWARD :

Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. - Isaiah 43:18–19, ESV

Oftentimes, people get stuck in life because they’ve been hurt or betrayed, and they end up settling where they are. They allow the disappointment to keep them from the divine appointment. Don’t let that be you! Don’t let what somebody did or didn’t do for you be an excuse to live sour. Don’t let a bad break, a divorce, a betrayal or a bad childhood cause you to settle where you are. Move forward and God will pay you back. Move forward and God will vindicate you. Move forward and you’ll come into a new beginning.

Nothing that has happened to you is a surprise to God. The loss of that loved one didn’t catch God off guard. The business that didn’t make it, the relationship that didn’t work out did not stop God’s plan for your life. Now, the real question is: are you going to get stuck, fall into self-pity, become bitter, let the past poison your future? Or, are you going to shake it off and move forward knowing that your best days are still up ahead?

DON'T GET IN A HURRY :

And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt...talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. ...and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. – Deuteronomy 6:6-8

One of the reasons Gloria and I have seen the results we have in our lives and in our ministry is because when we realized what the Word of God would do, we literally immersed ourselves in it. We turned off the radio and television, we put down the newspaper, and spent nearly every waking moment of the time available either reading the Word, listening to tapes on the Word, or thinking about the Word.

All that time in the Word eventually had a powerful effect on us. It began to revolutionize everything about us. It began to turn failure into success.

All that didn't happen overnight, however. It took time. A great many believers don't realize that. They start out devoting themselves to the Word, but they make the mistake of expecting instant, miraculous results, and when they don't see them, they get disappointed and fall away.

Don't do that. Be patient. Give the Word time to do its work.

Jesus once said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matt. 4:4). The Word of God feeds the spirit man just as bread feeds the body. Food has to be built into your body. The vitamins and minerals it contains have a cumulative effect on it, don't they? In fact, almost anything that affects your body instantaneously is considered dangerous.

Much the same thing is true with the Word of God. It has a cumulative effect. Yes, at times God will act instantly and perform a miracle, but only to get things back on track. What He really intends is for you to feed on His Word to grow in strength and in faith and to bear fruit in due season.

So don't get in such an all-fired hurry. Stay in the Word. Be patient. The results will come!

 IT'S WHO YOU KNOW

John 9:30 "The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes."

JOHN 9:28-30

The "acid test" of whether or not someone is of God is by his actions. Jesus' actions were so miraculous and overwhelmingly consistent with God's Word that any reservations about whether or not He was of God should have been set aside. But, as in Mark 7:13, they had exalted their own traditions above God's Word, thereby making the Word of God of no effect in their own lives. Just as in this instance nearly two thousand years ago, theologians today are sometimes the last to accept a move of God if it violates their traditional beliefs. "The common people heard him gladly" (Mk. 12:37). "Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth" (1 Cor. 8:1).

In spiritual matters, a person can educate himself in theology to the degree that it does more harm than good. It is possible to win a theological battle and yet lose the war for a person's heart. Arguments over points of theology often distract from the more important issues. There is no premium on ignorance, but love is infinitely superior to knowledge. We should learn all we can, but we must make our knowledge a servant to love. "The greatest of these is love" (1 Cor. 13:13).

If anyone's quest for knowledge leads them away from knowing God, then it would have been preferable for them to stay ignorant. What we know is not as important as who we know (speaking of the Lord). Our most important goal in life must be to love God and be known of Him.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY :

“My heart is confident in You, O God; no wonder I can sing Your praises with all my heart!” (Psalm 108:1)

Dear Heavenly Father, I praise You. I honor You. The heavenly blessings come down to me with the morning shower. The heaven is open as my new song from my soul turns on the button of the floodgate so blessings pour down on me. So I will wake the dawn with my song and revive all nations with my heartfelt prayers. As soon as I pray, You answer me; You encourage me by giving me strength. Bless me O God; for I am Your chosen servant and favorite Child.

Gratefully, in Jesus’ holy name. Amen !!!

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