THOUGHTS FOR TODAY

Vows made to You are binding upon me, O God; I will render praises to You, For You have delivered my soul from death. Have You not kept my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living? Psalm 56:12-13 (NKJ) Matthew 19:23-26 And Jesus said to His disciples, "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. "And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. And when the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, "Then who can be saved?" And looking upon them Jesus said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:23-26 (NAS) Romans 3:23-26 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Romans 3:23-26 (NAS)

THIS IS WONDER

Our journey began at Genesis through Exodus. On the way, we saw Leviticus recording the Numbers of people at Deuteronomy, while Joshua was waiting at the beautiful gate for Judges to see Ruth calling loudly "Samuel, Samuel". At a stage, the first and second Kings of Chronicles were coming to visit Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther for the misfortune of Job, their brother. Then they noticed that Mr. Psalms was teaching his children Proverbs concerning Ecclesiastes and Songs of Solomon. This coincided with the period that Isaiah and Jeremiah were engaged in Lamentation for Ezekiel and Daniel their friend. By that time, Amos and Obadiah were not around. Three days later, Hosea, Joel and Jonah travelled in the same ship with Micah and Nahum to Jerusalem . More also, Habakkuk visited Zephaniah who introduced him to Haggai a friend of Zechariah whose cousin is Malachi. Immediately after the old tradition, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John got involved in Acts with the Romans who were behaving like the Corinthians, who were also always at loggerhead with the Galatians. At that time too, the Ephesians realising that the Philippians were close to the Colossians, suggested to the Thessalonians that they should first of all see Timothy who had gone to the house of Titus to teach Philemon his younger brother how to read and write Hebrew. On hearing, James asked Peter to explain to him how the three Johns have disclosed to Jude the Revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Have God’s love today!!!

LOSING YOUR LIFE FOR HIS PURPOSES

"For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will save it." - Luke 9:24 When the time came for God to fulfill Joseph's dreams, Joseph himself had virtually no interest at all in it. Jesus said, "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will save it" (Lk. 9:24). God wants to teach us a different set of values so that the kind of thing we start out wanting becomes secondary. God has something in mind for us that is far greater than the interest we began with. Joseph's day of exaltation had arrived. Yet, through it all, a very real humiliation had to take place. We know about the humiliation Joseph had experienced for 13 years after being sold by his brothers into slavery, then taken to Egypt. We know how he was falsely accused and cast into prison. Then came a different situation. Joseph had had a triumph and was given an exaltation, but the kind he really never asked for. He did not appear to be all that interested in what was about to happen. He watched as the Pharaoh took his ring off his finger and put it on Joseph's finger. Joseph never asked for that. All he wanted was to go home. He longed to go back to Canaan, to see his father, and to have his dreams fulfilled. Therefore, here we find an extraordinary incongruity: a humiliation in the heart of vindication. A triumph that was the opposite of everything he, himself, could have envisaged. Joseph wanted to go home, but a one-way ticket to Canaan wasn't available. Before he knew it, he had Egypt in his hip pocket. He had never prayed for that. But God wanted Egypt. What God wanted is what Joseph got. Joseph was given something that he could be trusted with because it didn't mean that much to him.

NEW THINGS

"Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on
toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward
in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:13b-14

Our past can be a hindrance or a help in moving toward God's purposes
for each of us. For some, the past has meant pain and heartache, and
grace is required so that we do not let our past dictate our responses
to the future. If we allow our past to make us a victim, then we have
not entered into the grace that God has for us. If we live on memories
of past successes and fail to raise our vision for new things, we again
are victims of our past.
"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland" (Is.
43:19). Our past should only be viewed for what we can learn from it. We
must move forward and avoid viewing the negative or the positive for
more than what we can learn. Many have allowed their past to dictate
their future. God is always about doing new things in our lives. He
gives fresh revelation of His purposes in our lives. Do not live in the
past. Do not hold onto bitterness that may hinder God from doing new and
exciting things in your life. He turns our wastelands into streams of
water to give life, not death.
How have you viewed your past? Has it hindered you in some areas of your
life? Have you relied on past successes to dictate what you will do in
the future? Put aside such thoughts and allow God to do a new thing in
your life. Ask Him to help you see the new things He wants to do in and
through you today.
"When your memories are bigger than your dreams, you're headed for the
grave" [Author unknown].

PERCEPTION IS NOT REALITY

"The lions may roar and growl, yet the teeth of the great lions are
broken." - Job 4:10

In the advertising business we often say that "perception is reality"
for the person who views our advertising message. It does not matter
whether the audience believes the message to be true, only that they
perceive it to be true. Their actions will be the same whether they
believe it or only perceive it.
The enemy of our souls is very good at this game. He may bring on us
what we perceive to be true when it is a lie. It may appear that there
is no way around a situation. He may bring great fear on us. When we
buy into his lie, we believe only what we have chosen to perceive to be
true. It usually has no basis of truth. Such was the case when Peter
looked on the waters during a night boat journey with the other
disciples. At first glance, he and the disciples screamed with fear,
thinking that what they saw was a ghost. It was actually Jesus.
Satan's name means "accuser." He travels to and fro to accuse the
brethren. He brings an impressive front to all he does, yet behind that
front is a weak, toothless lion with a destination that has already
been prepared in the great abyss. He knows his destination, but he wants to
bring as many with him as possible; so he often has a big roar, but
little bite.
The next time some event comes into your life that creates fear and
trembling, first determine the source. Look past the emotions and
evaluate the situation in light of God's Word. Perception is not always
reality.

WANTED: PEOPLE OF INTEGRITY

It was D. L. Moody who said, "Character is what you are in the dark."
When there is no one to impress, that's when true character, or
integrity, is revealed.
Humorist Will Rogers understood the meaning of integrity when he said,
"So live that you would not mind selling your pet parrot to the town
gossip."
How much influence can a person of integrity really have on others? If
we look at the example of Moses, we discover that a little character can
go a long way. As long as Moses was around, his influence was so
profound and significant that it kept people from doing the wrong thing.
After Pharaoh allowed the Israelites to leave Egypt and God miraculously
saved them from Pharaoh's armies at the Red Sea, He began to lead them
in a very clear and obvious way. During the day, He provided a cloud.
When the cloud moved, they moved. When the cloud stopped, they stopped.
At night, a pillar of fire led them in the same way. God provided for
their physical needs as well. Every morning, there would be fresh manna
waiting for them for breakfast. God faithfully provided it every day.
All they had to do was gather it up and enjoy it.
The Israelites were surrounded by miracles and God's supernatural
leading, yet in a relatively short period of time, they turned to
idolatry. Their problem came down to one thing: the shallowness and
superficiality of their faith. It was as though their relationship with
God depended on Moses' presence. They never seemed to develop a
relationship with God of their own. While this is a wonderful tribute to
the influence of a godly man, it is also a criticism of their lack of
personal faith. Their relationship with God depended upon Moses'
relationship with God, and that is never a spiritually healthy thing to
do.
It is true that God can and will use people in our lives, but here is
the problem: even the greatest men and women of God have the potential
to fall. If you look to people, you will be disappointed ultimately. We
must never let people take the place of God in our lives. We must look
to Him, because He will never let us down.
When Moses temporarily left the Israelites to go up to Mount Sinai and
receive God's commandments, everything fell apart. As soon as he was
gone, they began looking for something to take his place. Hence, the
plans for the golden calf began. This ultimately led to a pathetic scene
of sexual immorality and full-tilt idol worship.
We can't really blame Moses because, in his defense, it was his personal
godliness and integrity that had kept them in check up to this point.
That is pretty amazing when you consider that Moses was leading more
than two million people. It reminds us that God can do a lot with a
little.
Maybe you are the only committed Christian in your family. When you get
together for family reunions, you are the minority. Or perhaps you are
the only Christian at your workplace. Maybe you are the only Christian
in your classroom or neighborhood. It can be so awkward and
uncomfortable. Often, we want to get out of situations like these. But
did you ever stop to think that God put you where you are to be a godly
influence?
That is what Moses was. Imagine how hard it must have been for him.
These people were filled with unbelief and constantly whined and
complained. But through his personal integrity and godliness, he
influenced them for good. How we need more people like him who will make
a difference in the lives of those around them.
In Ezekiel 22:30, God said, " 'So I sought for a man among them who
would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land,
that I should not destroy it; but I found no one' " (NKJV). God is still
looking for men and women who will stand in the gap and serve as godly
influences in this world.
Are you seeking to be an influence on those around you right now? If
someone were to interview people who really knew you well, what would
they say about you? Would they say that you are a man or woman of God?
God help us to be men and women of integrity.

PAUL'S PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT

"I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the
fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death,
and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." - Philippians 3:10-11

We hear a lot these days about planning and goal setting. Proponents of
planning say, "If you aim at nothing, chances are you will probably hit
it." They say that to wander aimlessly through life is like sailing a
boat without a sail and rudder. You end up wherever the wind takes you.
Paul understood his personal mission, which should be the personal
mission of every believer in Jesus Christ. It is the one summary
statement that best describes the purpose of our existence on earth and
the goal of our Christian experience. It can be reduced to three
important characteristics.
To know Christ.
To know and experience His power.
To identify with His sufferings.
All that flows from these three objectives becomes a by-product.
Salvation is a by-product. Miracles are a by-product. Christlikeness is
a by-product. Paul's focus was on relationship. He understood that the
deeper the relationship, the more power he would experience. He also
understood that as he grew in this relationship, there would be
suffering. Whenever the Kingdom of Light confronts the kingdom of
darkness, there is a battle, and this often results in casualties.
Christ confronted these earthly kingdoms and suffered for it. If we are
living at this level of obedience, we, too, will face similar battles;
it simply comes with the territory.
Does this sound like your personal mission statement? Is your focus in
life centered on knowing Christ and the power of His resurrection? If
not, press into Him today in order to begin experiencing Christ more
intimately.

PASSING THE TEST

"The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of
your neighbors-to David." - 1 Samuel 28:17b

When God anoints a person, a pattern of testing appears to take place at
specific times in the leader's life. God often takes each leader through
four major tests to determine if that person will achieve God's ultimate
call on his or her life. The person's response to these tests is the
deciding factor in whether they can advance to the next level of
responsibility in God's Kingdom.
Control-Control is one of the first tests. Saul spent most of his time
as king trying to prevent others from getting what he had. Saul never
got to the place with God in which he was a grateful recipient of God's
goodness to him. Saul was a religious controller. This control led to
disobedience and ultimately being rejected by God because Saul no longer
was a vessel God could use.
Bitterness-Every major character in the Bible was hurt by another person
at one time or another. Jesus was hurt deeply when Judas, a trusted
follower, betrayed Him. Despite knowing this was going to happen, Jesus
responded by washing Judas' feet. Every anointed leader will have a
Judas experience at one time or another. God watches us to see how we
will respond to this test. Will we take up an offense? Will we
retaliate? It is one of the most difficult tests to pass.
Power-Power is the opposite of servanthood. Jesus had all authority in
Heaven and earth, so satan tempted Jesus at the top of the mountain to
use His power to remove Himself from a difficult circumstance. How will
we use the power and influence God has entrusted to us? Do we seek to
gain more power? There is a common phrase in the investment community,
"He who has the gold rules." Jesus modeled the opposite. He was the
ultimate servant leader.
Greed-This is a difficult one. Money has the ability to have great
influence for either good or bad. When it is a focus in our life, it
becomes a tool of destruction. When it is a by-product, it can become a
great blessing. Many leaders started out well-only to be derailed once
prosperity became a part of their life. There are thousands who can
blossom spiritually in adversity; only a few can thrive spiritually
under prosperity.
As leaders, we must be aware when we are being tested. You can be
confident that each one of these tests will be thrown your way if God
calls you for His purposes. Will you pass these tests? Ask for God's
grace today to walk through these tests victoriously.