Running From Sin

(Genesis 39:12)

This may seem like an easy question to answer, but think
carefully before you answer. Do you run away from sin, or do you run to
sin?
If you answer honestly, you will have to admit there have been times in your
life when you were guilty of running towards sin, or at least NOT running
when you saw sin coming. I have spoken in past Devotionals about the path of
escape God not only always provides, but promises. There is that instant when your spiritual instincts are telling you exactly what to do. That, my
friend, becomes the moment of truth.

In today's scripture, Joseph saw sin coming. Realizing his own human
weakness, he literally ran from it. THERE IS NOTHING COWARDLY ABOUT RUNNING
FROM SIN. As a matter of fact, it is an act of cowardice to NOT run from
sin. It is like saying, "OK sin, here I am sin, powerless to stand up to
you...just run me over." Anyone can do that. It takes a spiritual giant to
see sin coming and flee from it. The Bible even tells us to "flee from sin."
It is an admonition we need to take more seriously.

The question then becomes, why don't we run from sin? There are two answers
to this. First though, I am not questioning your love of Jesus, even though
sin is rebellion against God. It is because we either, a) don't trust our
spiritual instincts enough to "see" sin coming, or, b) we simply love the
sin
more than the Lord at that moment. That may sound harsh, but it is very
true. Jesus told His disciples that if they loved Him, they would obey His
commandments. As His disciples, we ultimately get the opportunity to show
our love for Him often. It is usually in those cases when we have the
opportunity to run from sin, or stay and indulge in it. Remember the next
time you want to tell Jesus you love Him....show Him by following His
commandments.

I love you and care about you very much. I realize that many are in
difficult situations today because you have succumbed to sin's
temptations...you stayed instead of running. Running is hard. It actually
requires a supernatural strength we only posses through Christ. Again, that
is why that intimate daily relationship with Him is so critical to our daily
walk. It not only strengthens us, but sharpens our spiritual instincts so
we
can see sin coming and run from it. I will be praying for you to really let
these words sink in today. For many, they are very difficult words, but
necessary. They are said in love to help you avoid falling into the traps
the enemy sets for you. Let me leave you with this encouragement. God
BLESSES obedience. Not only is it our most effective way of proving our
love
for the Lord, but a side benefit is that God blesses our obedience. I am
convinced that Joseph reaped the blessings of God for His obedience. What
God did for Joseph, He will do for you. Remember that the next time you see
sin coming...and run!!!

The Word Of The Testimony

(Revelation 12:11)

Many days, I drive into the offices of
Liveprayer.com and wonder if what we are doing really matters. Going
through so many prayer requests each and every day, 7 days a week, every
kind of tragic situation you can imagine, wears you down and makes you
wonder whether there even is a God out there. Even in these brief moments
of weakness, God is faithful to send forth each day, in the midst of the
requests...the "word of testimony". God knows how weak I am, how small my
faith is, and has to remind me constantly of his awesome power and might.
Today, whatever you are facing, let me assure you, there is a VERY real
God. He loves you unconditionally. He understands your hurts and pains.
He will help you to overcome, to be victorious in your life, if you simply
put your faith and trust in Him!!!!!

The second day Liveprayer was in operation, our on-line pastor that day was
leading a man in Nebraska in the sinner's prayer. At that very moment, a man
in Hong Kong was at his brothers house. His brother, who was a Christian,
had somehow heard of Liveprayer, and they were watching our LIVE feed. The
man had lost his business that morning and was in great pain. He heard the
man in Nebraska accept Jesus and asked his brother if he could accept Jesus
in his life too....

A mother in Arizona had a son in a coma. She asked for prayer. After 9
months of being in a coma, the doctors had given up hope. I got an email
from this Mom last week saying her son was out of the coma and
awake..........

Last Monday night, I prayed for over 13,000 marriages that were in trouble.
Tuesday night an email came in from a man who was in court that day to sign
his divorce papers. He told me how when he picked up the pen to sign his
name, his hand was frozen. Something came over him and he started crying.
He asked his attorney for a few minutes and went in the bathroom. While in
the bathroom, the conviction of God came over him and he got on his knees,
recommitting his life to Christ in that bathroom. He and his wife are in
counseling and prepared to make their marriage work....

In 9 months, we know of over 1,000 people who have accepted Christ through
Liveprayer.com. We have documented hundreds of people who God has healed.
Countless marriages have been restored. Scores of people have been
delivered from drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and pornography. Incredible
financial miracles have happened to people. Many relationships between
family and friends have been reconciled. Not a day goes by when we aren't
informed of some great miracle occurring in the life of someone who has come
to Liveprayer.com in their hour of need for prayer, and God has answered. I
share these brief words of testimony with you to encourage you today that
you to can overcome whatever it is you are facing in your life. My Bible
says that God is no respecter of persons...He doesn't discriminate in
handing out His blessings. What God has done for someone else, He will do
for you. Use these words of testimony today to overcome whatever hurdles
you face in your life today!

Why People Do Bad Things

(Galatians 2:2)

Explaining why people do bad things. Not a day goes by that I don't
receive several emails asking if God is SO good, SO powerful, then
why do
people do such evil things. Rather than going into a complicated theology
lesson, let me try to help you understand the evil men and women do this
way. For those who have been raised in Christian homes, made the decision to
come to know Christ at an early age, and have lived your life for Him from
early
on, God bless you. You have missed out on a lot of the pain and heartache
that sin and rebellion cause people. For those who came to Christ later in
life,
or perhaps lived in a rebellious state like the prodigal son, then you will
be
better able to understand what I am going to say today. The bottom line is
that when a person is without Christ, ANYTHING is possible.

I think back on rebellious periods of my life and am ashamed and saddened
by things I have done before. I can't even imagine that I was the one that
did them. Thus the scripture, "Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a
new
creature". You see, when a person accepts Christ into their life, they
actually become a new creation. The old is passed away and they become
new. Prior to that new birth experience, in the old state there are no
rules,
no laws other than those each man puts upon himself. There is no absolute
truth as we find in God's word, since the only truth is what each man
believes in his/her heart at the time. You can understand that under these
conditions, people are capable of anything, including the incredible evil
that we see each day in the world we live.

The answer to why God doesn't do something about it is also found in
scripture. We know that there is a coming day of judgment. There is a day
coming when everything we know will pass away. There will be a new heaven
and a new earth. Part of our problem is that we are so conscious of time, we
fail to comprehend that to God, a thousand years is as a day. We want
everything now. We want our food now, our mail now, our phone call now,
our money now. We are into instant answers and instant gratification. God is
not
bound by time and while we may think He isn't acting on the things we see
as wrong, He is, but it is happening in His time, not ours. The Bible is
clear to point out that everyone of us will one day stand before the
Judgment
seat of Christ and give an account for our life. That is not a fairy tale,
there are no special passes to miss this event...we will all stand before
that
seat of judgment one day. Evil will be judged, maybe not at the exact
moment we
would like to see, but the Bible is clear that there is a day of judgment
of each one of us.

I pray today that this has helped some of you better understand the
never-ending question, especially among nonbelievers, as to why God allows
evil to exist. Evil exists because the heart of a man or woman without
Christ is filled with sin and capable of anything you can imagine. Maybe
this will also better help you understand my passion, my drive, my desire
to not only help people in their time of need, but help those who are lost
find Christ. That is why I continually challenge you to stretch your faith,
challenge you to do more each day to serve God, because it is in our
service that lives are touched, hearts are changed. Evil exists because men
and
women without Christ have sin-filled hearts. I pray today that you will
make it a renewed priority in your life to step forward and let God use you
to
touch people. He uses us as His instruments in the lives of people to help
those who are lost find Jesus. That and that alone is the ultimate answer
to the problem of evil in this world, helping the lost find Christ and
become
new creatures.

Faith Is What We Believe

(Hebrews 11:1)

Faith is what we believe, not how we feel. One of the requests I get daily
is from people who just don't "feel" God. Or, they were once "on fire" for
the Lord and just don't "feel" Him like they once did. Don't make the
mistake of judging your relationship with the Lord or your service to God
based on how you feel. Our relationship with Christ isn't an emotional
experience. We accept Christ by FAITH. It is a relationship built on
"faith", and not "feelings". Feelings will betray you since they can change
from day to day, even minute to minute. Our faith, however, is not based on
how we feel, but what we believe. Just like your feelings may change in
regard to your spouse, parents, children, friends...it doesn't stop them from
being who they are in your life. You accepted Christ by faith. Our
relationship with Him is one of faith. Just because your feelings may
change, your relationship with Him does not.

As you mature in Christ, as those who have walked years with the Lord can
attest, you rely less on how you might feel and more on your faith. The
wonderful thing is that God is the same "yesterday, and today, and
forever". God is immutable, a $5 theological term that means "unchanging".
So
regardless of how you might feel, God is always the same. His promises are
the same, He is the same, there are no surprises from God. He doesn't
change the rules on you at a whim. His love, His concern for you never
diminishes
or fades away. The longer you walk with Christ, the better you get to know
Him, the more you realize that you don't have to rely on how you feel. You
can count on your faith, what you believe, to guide you through this journey,
because God never changes.

For many people, this is a big hurdle to cross over...the hurdle of
feelings versus faith. I will be praying for you today to really understand
that
you don't have to count on the way you feel to determine your walk with
Christ.
It is not measured by goosebumps. That is why I stress so much the daily
time with Him, the 30 minutes or so at the start of the day in the Word
and prayer. Just like you can never develop much of a relationship with
your
friends without actually spending time with them, so it is with your
relationship with Christ. How can you have a relationship with Him, when
you never spend time alone with Him? Today is the day we go to church. Our
focus tends to be on God and the things of God. I pray that you overcome
the
hurdle of feelings versus faith, and really commit to having a serious
relationship with Christ. That doesn't happen overnight, just like an
earthly relationship doesn't happen overnight. It is a day-to-day
commitment.
Make that commitment today. Luckily for us, He never changes, so He is
waiting
for you.

Making Jesus Proud

(Acts 7:54-60)

The ultimate goal of every follower of Christ is to
become more like Him each day. We read about how Jesus lived His life. We
study the way He handled different situations. We carefully dissect His
words. The whole point is to become more like Him. The popular phrase
"what
would Jesus do" helps to remind us during our busy days, that when we face
decisions, we should stop and ask, what would Jesus do? You see,
Jesus came to this earth and lived as a man. He walked the same roads we
walk. He saw the same things we see. He felt the feelings we have. While
remaining 100% God, He was also 100% man and comprehends what we go through
in our day-to-day lives. Because of His virgin birth, He was born without
sin, and then proceeded to live His life without sin. He set the example
for
all of us to follow. He gave us the standard by which we all should be
striving to live up to each day. By living like He did, we make our Lord
proud of us.

Many see this as an unrealistic goal. While in our own strength I agree;
however, when we are living in His strength...it becomes very real. You
see,
when Jesus left this earth, He promised a comforter...someone to come along
side
to help. That promise was fulfilled on the day we celebrate as Pentecost
with the advent of the Holy Spirit. One of the benefits of accepting Jesus
Christ into your life is to receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The
Holy Spirit gives you power to live beyond yourself when you are yielded to
that power. The Holy Spirit is what brings you under conviction when you
are
not living a life pleasing and acceptable to the Lord. It is the Holy
Spirit
that enables you to live a Christ-like life, thus making Jesus proud of you.

The person and power of the Holy Spirit has been the subject of much poor
teaching. I am not going to get into any theological debates over this
issue and will instead stick strictly to what the Bible clearly teaches.
At that
moment of being "born again", you receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
There are Biblically documented gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit now
available to those who will allow the Spirit of God to rule and reign in
your
life. It is the Spirit of the living God now residing with you that gives
you
the supernatural power to love your enemies, forgive those who harm you,
overcome the trials of day-to-day life, defeat sin in your life, and know
God's love in ways you never experienced before. It is the Holy Spirit that
guides and directs you throughout the day to keep you on the path God has
chosen for your life. It is only because of the Holy Spirit that we can
live like
Jesus did, and make Him proud of us.

You will be in my prayers today as you think about these words. The most
effective way to make Jesus proud of you is to live like He did. In today's
scripture,
we see Stephen being stoned to death and asking God to forgive those who
were
killing him. This is exactly what Jesus did on the cross. It was only
because of the
power of God living in Stephen that he was able to do that. Was Jesus
proud? There
is no other place in scripture that says Jesus was standing. Search the
Bible. It always
says Jesus was sitting. Why was Jesus standing in this instance? I believe
it was
because He was so proud of his servant Stephan that He actually stood to
welcome
him into Heaven. My challenge to you today is to act like Jesus and make
him proud
of you.

Putting Your Troubles On Hold

(Mark 6:31)

Today is the start of one of those famous 3-
day weekends we all love so much here in the US. For most, it is a time to get away from
the pressures of work and relax. Even if you have to work during
this holiday weekend, let me encourage you to spend as much time as possible
in the next couple of days putting your troubles on hold and focusing instead on
rest and relaxation. I am not trying to minimize the complex and difficult
situations many of you are facing, but we MUST find pockets of time in our
life to put the burdens down and rest. You are much better equipped to
handle life's problems fresh and energized than when you are tired and
running on fumes. It is in those run down times when our problems look
insurmountable and we are most apt to become depressed and lose hope. Even
Jesus had to get away once in a while to recharge and refocus.

A time of rest does many things for you. It helps you, of course, to regain
your physical strength. Just as important though, it allows you to regain
your mental strength. Fighting day after day wears us down mentally, and we
get so focused on our problems that we lose sight of possible alternatives that
may help us in our struggles. Getting worn down also causes us to lose
perspective, and it can snowball, causing us to forget that God is
still in control. Most important though, a time of rest helps us to refocus
on our personal relationship with the Lord. In the midst of our trials, we
can miss out on that daily, intimate time with Him which just compounds the
problems. That time of rest allows us to not only recharge our bodies and
minds, but our relationship with the Lord.

Just hours before going to the cross, Jesus told His disciples that in this
life they would have many trials. He did not want them to be deceived into
thinking that just because they had walked with Christ, they were immune
from life's problems. But He promised them that He would always be with
them. We are heirs to that promise as followers of Christ. It is the Christ
living in us that gives us the ability to live overcoming and victorious
lives. Never lose sight that the Bible tells us we are more than conquerors
through Him. That means whatever you are facing today, whatever obstacles may be
in your life, because of Jesus you can overcome them and be victorious. So in
these next few days while you rest, while you recharge, dwell not on your
problems...but on the fact that we have total victory in Jesus!

I love you and care about you. Many will be traveling this weekend and you
will be in my prayers for traveling mercies. I pray that you will have a
wonderful few days of rest and relaxation...that you will be able to spend
quality time with family and friends...and most important, that you will spend some
quality time with the Lord. He loves you, cares about you, and will make you
adequate each day for the challenges that you face. Focus on living life in
His strength and not your strength, and those burdens won't seem as heavy.
Enjoy the holiday as you put your troubles on hold, and find that peace that
passes all human understanding in Him.

Loving Your Enemies

(Luke 6:27-36)

Today, I want to share a special word which will help set many of you free. So many of you have lost focus on the direction God has for your life because you have let the enemy distract you. Someone in your life, possibly someone very close, has harmed you. They have hurt you. They have done things to you that has caused you to hate them. The Bible, however, tells us to hate no one. Jesus said, “We are to love our enemies.” The legitimate question you ask is how is that possible after what has been done to me?

You see, in our own weak flesh, it is IMPOSSIBLE to love our enemies or forgive them. That is something we can only do empowered by the Holy Spirit. Only in a relationship with Jesus Christ do we have the capacity to love anyone, let alone our enemies. But as followers of Christ, it is what we are required to do. See, here is the trick of the enemy. You get caught up in hatred of someone, and pretty soon it consumes you. It causes you to become bitter. After a while, you even start blaming God. Remember, our purpose is to serve and glorify Him with our lives. We become distracted from that purpose when our hearts are filled with hatred. Subsequently, the enemy wins since he keeps us from our God-given purpose.

That is why we need to go to the Lord in prayer, ask Him to help us have love for those who have wronged us. God even promised, “It is mine to avenge, I will repay.” Let me put this in another light for you. When we sin, we are directly rebelling against God. Yet, even in our rebellion, God loves us. You see, He never asks us to do something that He hasn’t already set the example for. You will not even begin to know the freedom in your life when you begin loving your enemies. Many of you are bound by your hatred, and the Lord wants to set you free. This message is for you today. Take a minute now, wherever you are, and ask God to forgive you and help you to love your enemies. You can count on my prayers as you follow the direction of our Lord. Of course, Jesus not only told us to love our enemies, He gave us the ultimate example as He loved those responsible for his Crucifixion. Can we do any less?

Overcoming Temptation

(1 Corinthians 10:13)

I spoke yesterday about getting a battle plan from
God to be victorious over the battles we face during this lifetime. Today I want to focus on the temptations we all face each day. It is giving into
those temptations that end up putting us in the battles we eventually have
to fight. So it is key to understand how to overcome the initial
temptations, thus avoid having to spend so much of our valuable life
fighting battles in our personal life which keep us from being the
productive servants God has raised us up to be. Hear this point clearly.
If satan can't get your soul, his next goal is to at least keep you so busy
fighting personal battles. The more time you spend fighting personal
battles, the less time you have to serve God. That is why overcoming
temptation is so important.

The Bible clearly teaches us that evil comes from our heart. The actual
progression is that it starts in our heart, moves to our mind, and is manifested
in our actions. That is why "creating a clean heart" is so important. That
is why it is important to stay in that deep, intimate, daily contact with
the Lord so that what flows from our heart is pure and clean...since that is
what dictates our actions. Temptations flow from the sin and evil still in
our heart, and then goes into our mind. It is in our mind that the
temptation finds fertile ground to grow. Again, I have spoken many times
how important it is to "renew our mind", how important what we put into our
mind on a daily basis is. It is in our mind that temptation grows and
ultimately manifests itself in our actual conduct.

Today's scripture is one of God's special promises. God tells us that He
will always provide us a path of escape. That path of escape occurs while
the temptation is still in our mind. THAT IS THE TIME WE MUST OVERCOME
TEMPTATION. Once we allow it to live in our mind, the die is cast and will
ultimately result in our rebellious behavior. There is not one person
reading this that can say God didn't give you a path of escape. The problem
is, you chose to ignore it. Many times, He gives us many chances to escape,
but we choose to keep going right through the stop sign, right through the
red light, right through the barriers....and then wonder how we could have
gotten into such a mess. To overcome temptation, you MUST use the path of
escape God gives you while that temptation is still in your mind. Once you
decide not to use that path of escape, it is only a matter of time before
that temptation actually results in rebellious conduct.

I love you and care about you so much. I know so many of you are fighting
the battles of life each day. You are in very difficult situations. My
goal is not only to help you overcome those difficult situations, but help
you to avoid getting yourself in those circumstances in the future. Jesus
loves you so much. Having walked this earth, He understands your weaknesses
and has promised to help you to avoid the temptations of this life. Your
intimate daily contact with Him strengthens you, and your love and desire to
live for Him give you the motivation to take that path of escape He offers
and overcome temptation. You can count on my prayers, that you recognize
each day the temptations this life offers and use the tools God has given
you to live victoriously. Think of the incredible peace, joy, and abundance
this life can be when we are living for Him, serving Him, and not constantly
wrapped up in those personal battles. May you be committed today to take
that path of escape he offers the next time you face temptation, and live in
the victory Christ won on Calvary!

Battle Plan

(JOSHUA 6:8-20)

You must have a plan to win the battle! I get so many emails each day from
people all over the world who are in the midst of major battles in their
life. They are desperate, looking for something magical to happen to make
their circumstances different overnight. I pray that by now you know how
much I love you and care about you. I try to give myself each day to
standing with you and helping you through the trials of everyday life. This
is one of those days that I need to use some tough love on you. So many of
you have absolutely unrealistic expectations about resolving your problems,
that you need someone to tell you the truth. I hear over and over each day
people say, "God has abandoned me, He doesn't love me, or how could He make
me go through this." The fact is God has never left you, God loves you
unconditionally, and you go through most of the battles in your life because
you do not have a plan to win!

In today's scripture, we read about the plan God gave Joshua to take the
city of Jericho. Granted, it was an unusual plan, but it was a plan given
by God, that when faithfully executed, worked. When the Allies stormed the
beaches of Normandy on D-day, do you think they just woke up one morning and
decided to give it a try? Absolutely not. The generals spent months
planning, looking at all the different scenarios, strategizing, coming up
with the best plan they could to win that important battle. When you face
the battles in your life each day, why do you think you can just wake up and
wish those battles to go away? That is unrealistic. It is also unrealistic
to think that God is some genie in the bottle you call on when in trouble to
snap His fingers and make it all go away. The fact is, most of your battles
didn't just happen overnight, they developed over a period of time. Victory
will probably not happen overnight either, it will take place over a period
of time. Let me interject that God can do anything, and if He in His
sovereign will chooses to eliminate your problems overnight, He CAN do that.
However, that is normally not the way God works. He will make you work for
victory, because in the process several things occur. You learn how to be
obedient, faithfully execute God's plan for your life, and depend upon Him.

The question then becomes, where do I get this plan? God gives us His plan
for victory in many ways. This is again why it becomes critical to have
that intimate daily relationship with Him. It is in that close daily
contact through prayer and the Word, that He speaks to us. In our
circumstances He speaks to us. Through the counsel of others He speaks to
us. It is a combination of all the above that helps us formulate a
game plan, His plan to overcome and be victorious. One important element I
just mentioned was the counsel of others. God has placed mature, Godly
people in our life strategically to help us overcome our battles. Drop your
pride and reach out to the wise counsel of others. Let them know your
struggles and ask them to help you formulate a viable plan to see victory.
Once armed with the plan God gives you, it requires you to be like Joshua.
Faithfully and obediently follow the plan. Trust God and put your faith in
Him. He won't let you down.

I will be praying today that these words find a fertile resting place in
your hearts and minds today. Focus today on spending time with the Lord to
formulate a game plan to gain victory over whatever battles you might be
fighting today. God will give you the plan; then it is up to you to follow
the plan. There really is victory in Jesus. He has won the victory over
whatever battle you are facing 2000 years ago on Calvary. It is time to
start living your life in that victory. It is tough for God to use defeated
soldiers to fight the spiritual battles each day. That is why it is
critical to get victory in your life, so that you can lead others to
victory. May your number one priority today be getting a plan from God to
win the battles you are facing in your life, execute the plan faithfully,
and as my signature scripture from 1 Corinthians 15:57 says, "But thanks be
to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

A Spiritual Foundation

(Proverbs 22:6)

I want to give parents out there some encouragement
today. Often we get to a point where we wonder if anything we are doing is
really making a difference. Let me assure you, the most important job God
has given you to do is lay a spiritual foundation in the lives of your
children. I know many of you have been diligent in getting your kids to
church, involving them in activities at church, teaching them at home how to
pray, the importance of the Bible, and talking to them about Jesus. That
great promise in Galatians 6:9 tells us that if we aren't weary in well
doing, we will one day reap. We are so used to this day of instant
gratification, that we may forget that the things of God happen in His
timing and not ours. We may not be able to see the immediate affect in our
kids' lives, and even more disappointing, may watch them actually turn away
from the Lord as they get older.

Can you imagine how disappointed the father in the story of the Prodigal Son must have been, when his own son wanted to get his inheritance and leave
home? This father had the wisdom to know that God gives each of us free
will to make our own decisions, and there will come a time when our children
must make choices for themselves. He also had the faith in God to trust Him
to watch over his son. Lastly though, He put his faith in God's word that
promised him that the spiritual foundation he laid in his son's life would
sustain him in the dark moments of that young man's life. Let me just
interject a personal note here. In my darkest hour, having watched my world
destroyed before my very eyes, and ending up in Federal Prison, it was the
spiritual foundation my parents laid in my life that sustained me, and upon
which I was able to rebuild my life. Moms and dads...it works, I am a living testimony.

The key point today is don't get frustrated, don't get angry at God when
your kids aren't doing what they should, just keep being faithful to lay
that spiritual foundation in their life each day. There is no greater gift
you can give your children. There is nothing you will do for them that will
have a greater impact upon their life. Don't forget, the most important
decision any of us make in this life is about our eternal destination. The
spiritual foundation you lay in the lives of your children gives them the
opportunity to one day make that personal decision to accept Jesus Christ
into their hearts by faith. No one has a greater impact on them than you,
since each day they will make hundreds of decisions. Those decisions are
influenced by their environment, what they are taught, and how they see you
act in your daily life. I will be in prayer for you today to recommit
yourselves today to taking the job God has given you very seriously. THERE
IS NO GREATER JOB HE HAS GIVEN YOU THAN LAYING A SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION IN THE
LIVES OF YOUR CHILDREN.

I love you and care about you so much. I realize that your children are
your life, as they should be. Trust God's Word today, and know that the
efforts you make in raising up your children in the fear and admonition of
the Lord are not in vain. One day, maybe after you have gone on to be with
the Lord, those efforts will bear fruit. As I say often, you cannot
control the actions of another human being. But as parents, you have the
best chance of influencing the lives of your children, planting seeds that
will be there for the rest of their days on this earth. Be diligent about
the work God has given you to do, then pray, trusting God that He will do
the rest. The only one who loves your children more than you do is God
Himself.

Faith In God

(Isaiah 41:10)

As I was in prayer this morning about what God would have me say to you today, He brought this powerful verse from the book of Isaiah into my mind and told me that many of you today needed to be encouraged and reassured that God had not left you. The Bible promises us that He will never leave us nor forsake us. Let me say it this way, God has NEVER left you, although you may have left Him. How can you fear anything–any person, any situation, any circumstance, when God is there with you? But the promise of this verse just doesn’t end with His presence.

To me, the power in the verse is His promise to help us. Every morning, when I look into the mirror in my bathroom, the first thing I see is a Bible verse from John that simply says, “Without me you can do nothing.” I never want to start the day trusting in my own strength or wisdom, but trying to rely on what God provides. It is such a comfort to know that God is with me and that He is helping me. That is why I have such confidence, even in the face of what appears to be overwhelming odds. God is with me, He is helping me, and the Bible says that if He is with me, who can be against me! That promise also applies to you!!!!

I want you to put this truth in your heart and mind, and start living a confident, victorious life–NOW!!! There is no better time than now to put God to the test. If He said it, believe it and live it. When you are driving down the freeway at 60 mph and there are cars all around you going just as fast or even faster, you are trusting those other drivers literally with your life. When you get on an airplane, you are trusting the pilot to get you up and down safely. There are so many times each day that you are putting your faith in trust in people you don’t even know. If you are willing to blindly trust total strangers every day, why not put your trust in the God of the universe. The God who loved you so much He sent His Son to die for your sins. The God who not only promises to never leave you, but help you.

I love you and care for you deeply. I want to see you rise above whatever the situations in your life may be and live that victorious life. Not only do you then become a living testimony of God’s power, but you are then free to serve Him without being so distracted by the events in your life. Overcoming the hurdles in your life, gives you the freedom to help others overcome their hurdles. Keep praying for this ministry, those who come to us each day for help, and those God will lead to us in the future. Your prayers and support make it possible for us to be here for people in their hour of need to share with them the hope we have in Christ Jesus.

Staying Connected

(John 8:12)

Living many years in Chicago, and being a huge fans of
the Bulls basketball team during their incredible string
of NBA championships, it was a special treat to watch Michael Jordan
perform his magic on the court. In the early years of his career, Michael
did many incredible feats that almost defied gravity. While he became well
known for the spectacular, most people forget that Michael had mastered the
basics...dribbling, passing, and moving without the ball. The basics were the
foundation from which he was then able to do the more spectacular. Our walk with Christ is similar in the sense that it
is the basics of our relationship that we must be cognizant of each day,
thus becoming the foundation of our Christian experience. Just like it is
not realistic to expect someone who never played much basketball to do a
slam dunk, people with little or no contact with the Lord each day have
unrealistic expectations about their Christian experience.

Let me give you one fact to start with that I want you to pay very close
attention to. THE ONLY THING THAT YOU WILL TAKE FROM THIS LIFE INTO
ETERNITY IS YOUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST. Think about this for a
minute. We spend so much of our life focused on education, career, making
money, family, friends, hobbies....we devote practically all of our time and
energy in these areas...yet in that twinkle of an eye when your life is over
and you pass into eternity, the ONLY thing that you will take with you is
your personal relationship with the Lord. I am not trying in any way to
diminish those things I listed, since it is part of the human experience we
all share. What I am saying is that we need to make sure that we take time
each day to nurture and grow our relationship with the Lord, since it is
something we will experience for eternity.

How do we do this? Stay connected. It goes back to the basics. We need to
take time each day to pray and read the Word, We need to be in a local church
where we have fellowship with other believers, are spiritually fed, and have
opportunities to serve the Lord. When people have sin in their life, the
first thing they do is quit reading the bible, quit praying, and quit going to church.
Why? Because we really are no different than our father Adam. Remember in
the Garden of Eden after he sinned. He was hiding from God. That is what
we do, we "hide" from God. That is the time we need God the most!!!!! That
is how satan tricks you into falling even deeper into sin, by
"disconnecting" from the Lord.

I will be praying for you today because I really do love you and care about
you. I will be praying for you to refocus on the basics, to stay connected
each day with the Lord. Your quickest way to defeat sin in your life is to
get immediately reconnected to God, confess your sins, repent, and get back
into that intimate daily relationship with Him that will help you from
falling. He loves you and will never leave you nor forsake you. It is His
desire to have intimate contact each day with His children. Since that is
the only thing we will take from this life into the everlasting, shouldn't
that be our desire as well?

Marriage Is God's Plan

(Genesis 2:24, Mark 10:9)

I have written past Devotionals on this subject and
will continue from time to time to address this most sacred and divine
institution. For most, marriage is God's plan for how a man and woman are
to live their adult life, have and raise children, and find that close,
intimate companionship we all desire to have during our years here on earth.
God's plan as laid out in the Bible is for one man, one woman, one lifetime.
As I have stressed before, that should be what we all strive to achieve.
Having said that, reality is that most of us have failed to meet that
perfect standard for any number of reasons. However, what is important is
where we are at today, and that is what I want to focus on.

As I write this, my heart is breaking because I know that many of you are in
the midst of very severe problems in your marriage, or the marriage of your
parents, a child, a family member, or close friend, and are looking at a
possible divorce. God says in Malachi 2:16, "I hate divorce." After
spending the bulk of today fasting and praying about the marriage of a dear
friend that is in trouble, I want to share this special word with you today.
I have counseled many couples over my years in ministry who were having
problems in their marriage. I want to encourage you today that I am a firm
believer in counseling as a critical piece to seeing a relationship
reconciled. Lack of communication is the number one reason most marriages
end up in divorce, and counseling often starts for the first time as
productive dialog to focus on the real root issues.

While that is an important element, the ultimate weapon is prayer. The
potential breakup of a marriage is one of those catastrophic events in a
person's life that can bring them closer to the Lord, can soften a hardened
heart to lead a person to Christ, and can be used by God in a very positive way.
Over the course of my ministry and in the 8-1/2 months of Liveprayer, I
have had the pleasure of seeing God work miracles and reconcile marriages
that were heading straight for divorce court.

Let me encourage you today. My Bible says that God is no respecter of
persons...that ALL things are possible with God. That means He does not
discriminate in handing out His blessings. The same God that has healed
someone else's marriage can heal your marriage or the marriage of someone
you deeply care about. No matter what it may look like in the natural, God
will ALWAYS have the last word. I don't care what you say, what a lawyer
may say, what a judge may say, what anyone says...I only care what God says.
God says He hates divorce. That means He is going to do His part in keeping
a dying marriage alive. I am always very practical and very realistic in regard to how we must handle the problems in our life. But I never, ever leave out the most important element..God.

I will be in
prayer for God to supernaturally restore marriages. I believe in
going to war with the devil. My Bible says that "greater is He that is in
me, than he that is in the world". That means God wins. So what am I
afraid of? Nothing. I am tired of seeing people's lives in ruins
and living in defeat. We are children of a King and will one day soon rule
and reign with Him. It is time to start winning and living in the victory
Christ won for us on Calvary!!!!

Tomorrow

(James 4:13-17)

The recent death of Cardinal John O'Connor, like the death of any celebrity, brings back to the forefront of our minds how brief this life really is. Some of the greatest responses to alter calls I have given over my years of ministry have been right after the death of a famous person or some disaster like a plane crash where many people died. Naturally, people don't want to think about death. However, when a family member, friend, or some famous person dies, it does make us realize that death is a fact we all must face.

Cardinal John O'Connor had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Thus the instant this life ended, he was ushered into Glory to be eternally with our Lord. Obviously God said Cardinal O'Connor's work here on earth was over and called him home. We are saddened by the loss, but joyous that he has gone on to his eternal reward. The most important point from this tragic loss is that life is brief, no matter how old we might live, and is described in the bible as a "vapor". No one knows the date and time they will finish this journey, only God knows that. It is vital to not only be prepared for eternity, but working daily, knowing that each day is a blessed gift of God and is not promised to anyone.

My main purpose in today's devotional is simply to get you to focus on the fact that tomorrow is promised to none of us. It is something we look forward to, plan for, but must understand is not guaranteed. Today, this moment, is the only thing that we can be certain of. Let me encourage you to live this day as if it might be your last. Love your family. Love those people in your life. Have hatred or bitterness toward no man. Love the Lord your God who you will be spending eternity with. Make a difference in someone's life today by living the life God has called you to live and be an example for Him. Let me ask you a serious question and prayerfully think about this today. If you knew that you only had 24 hours to live, what would you do in those last precious hours? Just something to think about.

I love each one of you and pray for you each day. I lay my hands daily on the massive list of names we send this devotional to worldwide. I pray that our God, knowing all things, will bless you, work in your life, help you through those difficult times, and open your hearts to be the children he wants each of us to be. In your day-to-day activities, never lose sight how short this life is. It is not something to fear, but a fact to embrace as we thank the Lord for another day, another opportunity to serve. If you know Christ as your Savior, your eternal destination is set. If today, you don't have that assurance of where your eternal home will be, please go to my website, www.liveprayer.com and hit the button marked "Salvation".

Pray before you listen to it, for God to open your heart to receive those words. Make the most important decision you will ever make in this life, to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, and His free gift of everlasting life. Please email me and let me know after you make that decision so I can pray especially for you and your new walk with Jesus Christ.

May His blessings be upon you this day, this special day, this day that is truly a gift from God.

Failure Is Part Of The Human Existence

Many of you are waking up, and there is one scripture that you need to hold onto today. Romans 8:1 tells us that, "Therefore, there is now NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus" (NIV).

Failure is part of the human existence. Each day we all fail to some degree. The Bible humbles us when it tells us that we have ALL sinned and fallen short of God's glory. A trip to the local bar or nightclub can often dull our senses and resistance and open us up to do things we normally would not do. Many use the night as a time to celebrate the end of the day and use drugs to get high. Many feel the loneliness of their lives to a greater degree and involve themselves in illicit sexual activity outside the bounds of marriage to try and dull the pain of that loneliness. Many fail in other ways.

My friend, let me assure you that today, God still loves you. Whatever you may have done doesn't change that. Let me add that there are usually consequences when we fail, but our failure DOES NOT change God's love towards us! The Bible tells us in that great verse in Romans 8:1, that if we know Christ as our Savior, there is no condemnation. If God will not condemn you, why are you condemning yourself?

The Biblical formula is pretty clear. It tells us that if we confess our sins, God will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. First, ask God to forgive you for what you may have done last night. Second, stand on HIS promise that you are forgiven and cleansed. If that promise is true, than there really is NO CONDEMNATION. So my friend, quit beating yourself up . . . and get on with your life. God forgave you, forgive yourself.

Life is never easy, but don't make it more difficult than it already is. God forgave you, forgive yourself and start living again. Get up, spend some time in prayer and the Word of God, and live for Him today. Yesterday is over, today is the most important day of your life. God gave you the gift of today to serve and glorify Him. Move beyond the past and live for Him today. He loves you! I love you and care about you, and will be praying for you today. Remember Romans 12:1 this day.

Fasting

(Matthew 6:17,18)

Fasting has been one of the most misunderstood and misused practices in the Bible. The basic premise of fasting is giving up a normal daily activity as a sacrifice, to spend that time in prayer and seek the Lord. It is not supposed to be a physical endurance contest to see how long you can go without eating, but again, an act of sacrifice. It can be as little as one meal, one day, three days, there is no magic formula. Let me warn you, fasting can be very dangerous to your health! Anytime you fast over 24 hours, you need to be very careful, and I would suggest contacting your doctor to make sure you do it correctly. The reason you fast is to sacrifice the nourishment to your body and spend that time nourishing your soul. It is a way to focus solely on the Lord and to seek Him. Often fasting is done at times when there are major needs, and you need to really zero in spiritually on the Lord, seeking Him for answers. I routinely fast one day a month, but during major events or times of great need, will fast for 72 hours and try to spend much of that time just in prayer, living my normal life, but using the time I would normally be eating to just seek the face of God.

Fasting does not make you more spiritual than someone who does not fast. It is not a way to prove how spiritual you are. Again, it is a simple act of sacrifice to spend that time in prayer with the Lord. It allows you to hear God more clearly. It is a time to really get serious about praying over a certain situation or circumstance. It is a sacrifice on your part to get closer to God. That is a good thing. I would suggest that if you never fasted before, take one meal a week,, skip it, and in the 20-40 minutes you would normally be eating, go to a quiet place and just pray. Talk to God about those things in your life He needs to clean up. Talk to God about problems that only He can fix. One powerful way to use fasting is to fast and spend that time in prayer for someone else. Sacrifice that meal and spend the time praying for the needs of someone else. Powerful!

Coming Back To Give God Thanks

(Luke 17:11-19)

How often do we pray, asking God to help us with a need in our life, and in His mercy our prayer is answered? The real question for today is, after we get our answer, how often do we spend time just giving Him the praise and thanks He deserves? Mankind really has changed little over the years. In today's scripture, we read about the 10 lepers who were healed, yet only one came back to give Jesus thanks. It is easy to read that passage and condemn the other 9, yet each one of us has probably been guilty of receiving God's blessings and not being as thankful as we should be. We can get to a place in our walk with the Lord where we are used to His blessings. We can get to a place where we expect His blessings. As His children, we should enjoy the rich blessings of God in our life and live a life of faith expecting Him to bless us. The problem comes when we take His blessings for granted and aren't as thankful as we should be. We must never forget, we are blessed by His grace . . . not because we deserve to be blessed.

Today's message is not difficult or hard to understand. If nothing else, let it be a reminder to you to never take God's blessings in your life for granted. More important, never forget to show your gratitude for all He does for you each day. Growing up, young children are taught to say please and thank you. It is not only good manners to say thank you, but should be something we want to do. We pray, believe, trust, and see God work . . . the natural reaction should be one of gratitude. Our praise and thanksgiving should flow from a grateful heart for what He has done for us. The reminder today is to never forget when God is blessing you, that it is because He loves you and cares for you. The natural response to that love should be to love Him, adore Him, and give Him the thanks He is due. Check yourself and make sure you are not like the 9 who took their blessings and went on with their lives, but like the one who was grateful for what the Lord did for him.

It is out of love and caring for you that I write these words today. I pray that you continue to grow closer in your relationship to the Lord. Like any relationship, it doesn't happen overnight, but grows day by day. I can promise you that the most exciting days are still ahead. He has a perfect plan for each one of His children, and it is our job to stay close to Him so that He can work through our lives to reach others. I will be praying today that you will stay in that close, intimate, daily relationship with Christ that is the key to our life. Never forget that when you get off-track, overwhelmed by the problems this life can present . . . I will be here to help you. He loves you so much and so do I. You are never alone.

Telling Others

(Matthew 28:16-20)

One of the hardest things for most Christians to do is to witness. It doesn't matter how old or young you might be, male or female, there just seems to be a difficulty in sharing our faith. Let me give you a some basic practical help in this area. First of all, never forget, your best witness is how you live your life...not what you say. The unbelieving world has for too long heard Christians say one thing, then live in a totally opposite way. There is nothing more powerful to a non-Christian than how you live. Trust me, whether it is at school, at work, at play, if you have expressed a belief in Christ, people are watching you. They are not going to judge you so much by what you say, but how you live. You are truly a "living testimony" and how you live is the most effective and powerful witness you will ever have.

When the opportunity presents itself to vocally share your faith, the minute you get into a theological debate or Biblical argument, or try to make the case for the existence of God, you are going nowhere fast. People are afraid to witness because they feel inadequate answering the tough questions. Listen, it is nice if you can handle yourself in those types of situations, but rarely is a correct or adequate answer to these types of questions going to turn someone to Christ. You have a personal relationship with Jesus. Anytime you talk about Jesus with anyone, it should be in the context of what He has done in your life. The person you are talking to needs to know that this is not some ghost or imaginary character we have dreamed up, but that Jesus is real and has a real impact on your life. Your time of sharing should be focused on that aspect, what He has done for you, and the fact that Jesus wants to help whoever it is you are talking to.

Sharing your faith is kind of difficult for many, simply because you lack the conviction of what you believe. If you knew for a fact a bomb would explode at your office building or school at noon Tuesday, October 26, what would you do? Of course, you would do everything in your power to tell everyone to stay away, that something terrible was going to happen. You wouldn't hold back that life changing information from anyone. Well, if you believe that Jesus is Lord and those who accept Him will spend eternity in Heaven and those who reject Him, eternity in Hell, what are you waiting for? One of the big fears is that of rejection. Listen, they are not rejecting you if they choose to walk away, they are rejecting Christ. But don't forget, you can't save anyone. Only by the convicting power of the Holy Spirit does someone make that decision to accept Jesus. Usually, many have planted seeds, many have prayed, you are just the last link in God's chain. You did nothing but be obedient and allow God to use you to touch someone's heart. I was an evangelist for 3 years, preached across the country in over 500 churches of every denomination. When I gave the alter call and people came forward to accept Jesus, I knew it was nothing I said, but the prayers of many, the efforts of many planting seed in those lives over the years. God was just using me for the final step.

Witnessing is not an option, it is a commandment from our commander in chief. Get busy. Live right, holy and blameless before God and man, and take those opportunities God gives you to tell others what Jesus has done for you. God will do the rest.

A Mother's Love

(Matthew 15:21-28)

On this day in which we honor our mothers, I thought it fitting to share with you this wonderful story from God's Word that personifies a mother's love. I have often said a mother's love can be broken down into the 3 P's. Pleading, persistence, and prayer. I can testify today that the only reason I am in the ministry today is because my mother, who is with the Lord now, pleaded, was persistent, and prayed. I have no doubt that many of you know Jesus as your Savior because of your mother. So in honor of our mother's, let me break down the 3 P's of a mother's love for you.

A mother will plead for her child. It was the deep love for her daughter that drove the Canaanite woman in today's scripture to Jesus, pleading for mercy for her daughter. In our time of despair, "something" pulls us to God. Many people, who openly reject God, will cry out in a time of need. Even believers will live apart from Christ, not giving Him much time in their daily life...until the trials come. This mother, in her hour of need, knew where to go to plead for help. Persistence is something that defines a mother. Mom's have a God-given talent to stay on something, no matter how long it takes, to get the job done. Many times, God delays His answer to test our belief, much like He did in the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18:2-5. Are you serious about the needs in your life? Then don't give up...be persistent. Isaiah 65:24 gives us that special promise, "before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear."' God has promised to hear and answer our prayers, but that does not always mean in our timing. Often, we need to be persistent, like this Canaanite mother who was not going to be denied the miracle she sought for her daughter. If persistence defines a mother, then prayer is her greatest weapon. In verse 25 of today's scripture, we hear the simple prayer of faith, "Lord help me!" Moms are prayer warriors. Mom's know that it is prayer that moves the hand of God. Mom's know that prayer works because it demonstrates to God that we are powerless in our own strength and have put our faith in Him. Jesus healed this woman's daughter because of her faith!

I want to encourage you today to honor your mother. She is a great gift from God. For those of you who have been estranged or separated from your Mom due to the events of life, please swallow your pride and contact her today. No matter what may have happened in the past, tell her you love her. I understand that many mothers have not been what God wanted them to be, but through your love God can restore them. For those like me whose mom is with the Lord, let me suggest calling a local nursing home and finding out the name of a lady who has no family, no regular visitors. An inexpensive arrangement of flowers and 5 minutes of your day just to tell her she hasn't been forgotten on this Mother's Day, will touch a life like you cannot even imagine. I am a firm believer that the little acts of kindness, even to strangers, are our most effective and powerful ministry. Don't let this day pass without making it special for your mother or someone's mother.

I love you and care about you, and it is my goal each day to encourage you and challenge you to have that intimate daily relationship with the Lord He desires to have with us. I know from years in the ministry, one of the biggest concerns for moms is their unsaved children. Mom, let me stand in agreement with you today for your unsaved kids. If you will email me their names, that is all you need to do, just email me the names of your kids that need to know Jesus . . . I will pray in agreement with you for their salvation. It would be an honor and privilege to stand in agreement with you for the salvation of your kids, since I realize that is your number one prayer request. Send your unsaved kids' names directly to my personal email account, bkeller@liveprayer.com and we will believe together for their salvation.

To all the mom's out there today, may you be richly blessed on this day we honor you!

Bearing The Burdens Of Our Brother Or Sister

(Galatians 6:2)

Everyone who lives has those times when the burdens of this life can become overwhelming. Whatever the reasons, however it happened, you wake up feeling like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. The joy, the peace, the pleasures of this life seem so far away. I have been through those valleys, so I know how difficult it can be. I often talk to you about being in the will of God. That can be difficult at times determining exactly what God's will is for
our life, but there are some basics God expects us to do that the Bible clearly tells us are His will for our life. One of those is to bear the burdens of others. I want to really challenge you today, to put aside your cares and help someone you know who is struggling to carry their load today. I realize that you may be dealing with some difficult issues yourself, but there is someone God has placed in your life, a family member, neighbor, schoolmate, coworker, a friend....someone who is really hurting and struggling under the weight of their problems today. God is telling you to go help that person carry their burden today.

As we know, many people are reluctant to open up about the very intimate problems of life. That can make it difficult for someone trying to help. But even if they don't totally open up, just your interest, your compassion, your desire to help can make all the difference in the world. The Bible teaches that we really are our brother's keeper. Reaching out with the love of Christ to someone who is hurting is the ultimate ministry anyone can perform in this life. If you read the accounts of the earthly ministry of Jesus in the Gospels, you will see much of His ministry was one-on-one with hurting people. That is the example He has left us. I am challenging you today to find that someone in your life, hurting, falling under the weight of their problems, and pick them up. Pick them up and carry them for a while. It is what Jesus would do, it is what God is asking you to do.

I care about you deeply and want to see you enjoy all of the blessings God has for your life. Helping others in their hour of need is one of the greatest ways God can use your life, and you will be blessed beyond your imagination for your faithfulness. I really do love you and want to see you enjoy all the best this life can offer. Serving others is something you don't need a seminary degree for, you don't need any special training for, and you don't need to be appointed to do. Serving others is what God expects from all His children, and He has given you a new heart of love to make it possible to share that love with others. You see, without the Lord, we have a difficult time loving others. But when we realize how much God loved us and sacrificed for us, it becomes easy for us to then love others. Just let the love God has put in your heart flow into the lives of those around you. It is the greatest testimony you have.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is any way I can help you. You are special to me, and I will try my best to help you walk through the problems you are facing and see victory. God loves you, and my only desire is to see you become the best you can be for Him. You can do that today by finding a brother or sister in need, and helping them carry their burden. That is God's will for you.

The Need to Have Fun

(Proverbs 17:22)

The key word to living a successful life for God is balance. Solomon said it best when he stated that “there is a time for everything.” Having fun is a critical part of life and one that often gets overlooked when we discuss day-to-day living. God gave us life and having fun is an aspect of what makes our life enjoyable. We tend to focus on the trials and tribulations of daily living, the heartache and pain, but we also must look at the fact that there is great joy in life and having fun should be something we all strive to do each and every day. I am not in any way trying to trivialize the seriousness of the issues many of you are facing. All I am trying to do is get you to realize that we must make time each day to have fun, enjoy the gift God has given to us that is life. There is a time to be serious, there is a time to be battling with the issues each one of deals with, but there MUST be time to have fun.

God has made each one of us unique, and we all enjoy different things. I want to challenge you today, encourage you to take at least 2 hours this Friday or Saturday and do something you like to do. Maybe it is going to a baseball game, or going to the beach, possible for the women it is going shopping, or maybe to an amusement park. Whatever it is that you like doing, that makes you happy, treat yourself this weekend and have some fun. You have heard the expression that “life is too short.” It is very short, so we need to not only work at our God-given purpose of serving Him each day, but make sure we have some fun and enjoyment as well.

I read through the incredible amount of email that comes into Liveprayer each day, and understand that many of you are writing because you are in the midst of problems that require the Lord’s help in overcoming. However, in addition to dealing with life’s problems, we also must recognize our need to have fun and take the time to enjoy this life as well. When Jesus talks about the abundance of this life, he speaks of the peace and joy that can only come from being in a daily relationship with Him. That is where the true “fun” of this life stems from. When we are living for Christ, serving Him, even though we will always have problems, we can still have fun during the time God gives us here on earth. I realize that for many of you, life has not been much fun lately. It is especially for you that I write these words today. In the strength God can give you, set your burdens down for a while today and just take some time having fun enjoying life. It will help you to re-energize, refocus, and improve your ability to handle those problems.

I really do love you and care about you very much. Finding balance in life can be one of our greatest challenges. There just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day. My friend, there is just enough time each day to do the things God has for you, including using a portion of every day to do the things you find enjoyable. Remember, this journey is not a sprint, but a marathon. It is daily journey for the rest of our life. Taking time each day to have fun is an important part of the journey and one I encourage you to focus on each day.

Who Will Be In Heaven

(Ephesians 2:8,9)

As you can imagine, each day I get tons of emails with questions on all types of topics. Of everything we discuss, the most important subject is salvation. I want to use this time today to clarify for many out there who will be in Heaven. The salvation equation is very simple. It is: by God's grace, our faith, plus NOTHING. There is only ONE way to Heaven . . . a personal faith in Jesus Christ. There is only ONE road to Heaven. That means that the type of church you belong to will not get you into Heaven, no amount of good works will get you into Heaven, you can't buy your way into Heaven . . . the only way to Heaven is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. That is God's plan as He clearly lays out in the Bible.

The church is a place where people should be able to find a personal relationship with Christ, a place of fellowship, a place to be fed spiritually, a place where people can use their talents to serve God. Membership in a church WILL NOT get you into Heaven when you die. There are many people who go through life doing wonderful things, helping people, living good lives. There are no amount of good works you can do in this lifetime to eliminate the sin we were all born with. Being a good person WILL NOT get you into Heaven when you die. There is only one way to get to Heaven, and that is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ!!!

My friend, the message I want you to understand today is that God has made a simple way for His fallen children to be reconciled back into an everlasting relationship. Many have tried to complicate the issue of salvation. It is actually very simple. Recognize that you are a sinner. Repent, turn away from your sins and ask God to forgive you. Accept by faith Jesus Christ into your heart and surrender your life to Him. Why Jesus? Because in God's plan, it was His sacrifice that paid for our sins. You see, Jesus already paid the price for our sins. That is why there are no amount of good works, no amount of money, nothing you can do on your own because He already paid the price. Some feel baptism is part of the salvation experience, but baptism is simply an outward sign of the inward work of salvation. In essence, baptism would be a "work" and today's scripture clearly tells us that salvation is by grace, through faith, and NOT of works.

Some ask about those who accept Christ on their deathbed, and how unfair it is for them to go to Heaven after a life of sin and rebellion. First of all, in perspective, this life is but a "vapor" as the Bible calls it, in comparison with eternity. You have to remember that those who rebelled during their life and come to Christ at the end, missed the joy, peace, and blessings of this life and must have suffered greatly on the inside living apart from God during those years on earth. The important fact is that like you and me, they are sinners who are saved by God's grace. Many ask if you can lose your salvation. I am not going to get into the age-old theological debate of "once saved always saved", but will share my personal convictions from years of study of the Scripture and the limited understanding of God I have. Part of the salvation equation is God's grace. To lose your salvation means God would withdraw His grace. I have never been able to get over the hurdle that God would take His grace away, and, of course, the question becomes, at what point would He? I personally believe that if you make a sincere commitment to Christ by faith you are saved. If you rebel, you lose the blessings, the peace, the joy. Much like the prodigal son never stopped being His father's son, but lost out on the blessings of living in submission to his father and endured much pain and heartache for rebelling. The bottom line though is follow Christ and you never have to worry about losing your salvation.

I love you and care about you deeply. I pray that this helps many of you clarify in your mind and heart the most important issue of our life . . . determining where we will spend eternity. If you are reading this today and do not have the assurance that you will spend eternity in Heaven, or you have never accepted by faith Jesus Christ into your life, than let me encourage you to do it today. The Bible tells us that TODAY is the day of salvation. Don't wait another minute. Take a few minutes and go to my website, www.liveprayer.com and click on the menu item "Salvation". Listen to this short message on salvation, than as the Holy Spirit brings you under conviction, pray the special prayer to accept Jesus Christ into your heart as your Lord and Savior. Email and let me know you have accepted Christ into your heart, and I will be happy to send you at no charge some special information to help you in your new found relationship with Christ. May you be richly blessed today as God quickens to your Spirit these words. For those who know Jesus, let me challenge you to print this Devotional and share it with at least 3 people in your life who need to know Jesus as their personal Savior. I will be in prayer with you for these words to open hearts for the Holy Spirit to bring them under conviction.

Life is From God

(Genesis 2:7)

There are some subjects that I never feel a need to deal with in an expansive way in these Devotionals, because the issues are so black and white. I have been asked many times over the last 8 months on what I felt about abortion and that hotly debated subject. My friend, as much as that issue has become politicized, it is a non-issue in my mind since the Bible clearly says that life is from God. It is a precious gift from God, and only God has the right to say when it is over. Just so there is no misunderstanding, life begins at conception. At that miraculous point, even in its most basic stage, it has a God-breathed soul and NO ONE but God has the right to say when that life should end. God has given us free will to make our own decisions, so for those who do not agree with this point of view, that is your God-given right. However, this is not my opinion, it is God's opinion. You either accept His Word for what it is or treat it like some book of stories and nice teachings. That is why those who live in rebellion to God MUST trivialize His Word. His Word is absolute TRUTH and to live in opposition to the Bible, you have to reject it.

It was touching to watch the Mass for John Cardinal O'Connor as his lifetime view on the sanctify of life was reiterated. Within a few seconds, there came a thunderous applause, followed by a standing ovation. Cardinal O'Connor lived and taught that it is God who gives life and only God can take life. Abortion is murder. Even staunch supporters of abortion rights like President and Mrs. Clinton had to stand in the midst of the resounding ovation. My friends, let me say again. The sanctity of life is NOT a political issue . . . it is a spiritual issue!!!! It is a pillar in our spiritual house that has been compromised and destroyed over the last 35 years. Legislating the right to have abortions was a natural flow from the rebellious lifestyles we accepted in our society that caused so many unwanted pregnancies. As this pillar has been crumbling before our very eyes, it has allowed the pillar of marriage to weaken and crumble as well. The moral decay in our society has infiltrated every segment of our society, even to the highest echelons of government, as our presidency has been made into a national joke, a former Speaker of the House has divorced his wife for a woman he had carried on a long-term adulterous affair with, and people in our nation's largest city actually think it is OK for their mayor to have a girlfriend on the side. These are perfect examples of why we must follow God's Word and be in prayer for those in leadership over us. Listen to me, the moral decay of our society is NOT a political issue . . it is a spiritual issue.

It has been my longstanding personal philosophy that the only way to see legitimate change in our society is by seeing hearts changed and lives transformed by the power of God..one at a time. I have no illusions of trying to save the world, only God can do that. The job He has given to me during this season of my life is to be faithful to those He places in my path each day through this ministry. That is why each day I do my best to warn you, challenge you, encourage you, rebuke you, and support you in being all that God has called you to be during this life. Reversing the moral decay of this society is only going to happen as each one of us wakes up each day, lives our life in a way that is pleasing and acceptable to God, and serves Him to the best of our ability. Let me say a quick word to those of you, men and women, who have lived through the tragedy of an abortion. What has happened is in the past. Satan will try to use something like that to deter you from serving God, trying to convince you that you are not worthy, etc. That is a lie from the father of lies. God loves you, will forgive you, and wants you to move on. Your best way to get beyond this or any sin in your life is by serving Him with all you have from this day forward. He has saved you, forgiven you, extended His grace to your life because He loves you and wants you to enjoy the peace and joy only He can give.

I love you and care about you deeply. I know the hurt many of you have carried with you, some for many years because of things you have done in your past. Today is the day to deal with it once and for all. Trust His Word that says "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." God has a perfect plan for the rest of your life. It was God that gave you life, and it is God that will determine when it is over. Until that time, our purpose is to serve and glorify Him each day. Life is precious, so treat each day for what it is . . . a gift from our Heavenly Father!

The Need For Accountability.

(Exodus 18:17-24)

In talking about the subject of accountability, we need to start at point A. Do you even believe you need to be accountable to someone? Do you need to be accountable to other people? Do you need to be accountable to God? In talking about this subject, you must first be convicted by the Holy Spirit of its importance in your life. When we feel something is important, then we get serious about it. The Bible tells us that "each of us will give an account of himself to God." I think we all understand that and accept that our lives are accountable to God. But it is a long journey still ahead of us from today until that day we stand before God...and we are walking through this life in these weak clay tents called "flesh". That is why God has given us pastors, brothers and sisters in Christ to make this journey with, to help us, encourage us, rebuke us, and challenge us along the way. Listen to me carefully.

NO MATTER HOW FAR DOWN THE ROAD WE GET IN LIFE, NO MATTER HOW SPIRITUALLY MATURE WE BECOME . . . WE CAN'T DO IT ALONE!!!

Look at Moses. Here is the man God used to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt, the man who stood before God and received the Ten Commandments, a man as close to God as few who have ever lived. Moses still needed to be accountable to and receive counsel from others. The Bible says that "a wise man listens to counsel", that "plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisors they succeed". So what keeps us from being accountable, allowing others to help us along life's journey? Sin and pride.

The Bible tells us that "all have sinned and come short of God's glory". None of us are void of sin in our life; however, our response to sin is the key. God tells us to confess our sins and He will forgive us. Ultimately, it is only the power of the Holy Spirit that can help us defeat the sin in our life, but we need our brothers and sisters in Christ that we are accountable to to help us through those day-to-day struggles we all face. The only reason we don't use that resource God has given us is because of our pride. The original sin in the universe was pride, and the Bible warns us about pride throughout. We refuse to get help in dealing with the sin in our life because we are too proud to admit we need help. Listen, you can't overcome sin alone or you would. The Bible says to "confess your sins to each other and pray for each other that you may be healed". You can't do it alone and God never intended for you to try. To be victorious, you need to be held accountable.

I love you, and I care about you. I want to see you living the victorious, abundant life God has promised for His children. We are all accountable to God for our lives. He has placed mature brothers and sisters in our life to hold us accountable day to day, to help us to stand and not fall. Forget your pride, and use this gift from above. It is better that we find a brother or sister to be accountable to now to help us be victorious over the sin in our life, than to have to one day stand before God and explain why we were not the productive children He called us to be. Our purpose is to serve and glorify God with our lives. Being accountable is one way we can overcome our own shortcomings to fulfill that purpose. I will be praying today the Lord brings the right person into your life for you to be accountable to.

Eating to Excess

(Proverbs 25:27)

In my years of ministry, I could always get the "Amen corner" into my sermons when I preached against homosexuality, preached against the more visible sins. On those occasions when I mentioned gluttony, it usually got very quiet. I realize this will be a difficult read for many today, but that is one reason I am here . . . to challenge you. Let me say right up front, gluttony is a sin. Anything you do in excess, to your detriment, to the detriment of your ability to serve God, that is ahead of your daily relationship with God is a sin. I know that sometime this week, many will be sitting down to some incredible feasts. I am not saying you shouldn't, and I am not saying you should not enjoy food. I believe God gave us food to nourish our body, taste buds to enjoy food, and eating is part of our life. Gluttony, however, refers to eating in excess. I know many fine men and women of God who have tremendous lives and do great work for the Lord. However, this is an area they struggle with and that is why I bring it to you today.

Like all sin, gluttony can be overcome, not in our own strength, but in His. Like all sin, if you fight this battle, you need a battle plan. God can give you that plan, the strength to carry it out, and the perseverance to get victory. Like other sins, though, the question becomes, do you really want to win? Do you really want to conquer this foe? Do you even recognize this is a problem in your life?

At this point, you have either accepted through the prompting of the Holy Spirit that this is an issue in your life, or you have realized that this is not something you battle with. If you are in the latter category, then I would encourage you to pray for those who do fight this battle each day. I have no doubt you know people in your family, school, workplace, and church, that are going through this struggle. Pray for them today. Pray that the Lord would open their eyes and show them this is a problem. Pray that they will have the courage, like anyone who is dealing with a particular sin, to admit it and allow the Lord to walk them to victory.

If you are struggling in this area today, I will be praying specifically for you today. I realize what a difficult struggle this can be. God is more than able to give you victory, but my prayer for you today is that you recognize the issue is very real. I pray that you recognize it as a problem. I am confident that if you take that first step, God can and will help you overcome this struggle in your life. I love you, care about you, and realize the sensitive nature of this sin like any sin. But there is no use in hiding it or candy-coating the problem. It is time to recognize it as a problem, get busy fighting it, and letting God help you become victorious over this part of your life.

Trying To Negotiate With Satan

(Genesis 3:1-6)

One of the most stupid things we can do in his life is try to negotiate with or talk with Satan. Now I realize many people doubt that there really is a Satan, that he is some mythical character with horns, a red cape, and a pitchfork. Some think that Satan is not real, but what we call the evil side of life, something to blame all of the pain and suffering on. As in everything, rather than try to sort through what we think Satan is, let's go to the Bible and see who he really is. In Ezekiel chapter 28, we find out that the devil was at one time an angel, with access to the very throne room of God. Isaiah the prophet tells of his fall in chapter 14, after Satan desired the very throne of God and is cast out of Heaven because of pride, taking along 1/3 of the angels who followed him. A quick side note. Maybe now you can see why pride is so dangerous; it was the original sin in the universe. Satan is intelligent, has a memory, a will, emotions, and great organizational ability.

THE DEVIL HAS READ THE BIBLE!!!

Think about that. If your enemy has read the Bible, how much more do we have to? He is busy. He imitates God, perverts the Word of God, hinders the works of God's servants, blinds men to the Truth, accuses Christians before God, tempts, afflicts, deceives, undermines the sanctity of the home, and tries to disrupt the prayers of God's people. Can you see why he is so dangerous?

However, let me clearly tell you that his powers are limited. He is NOT omnipresent. He cannot be in more than one place at a time. He is NOT omniscient. He does not know everything. He is NOT omnipotent. He is not all powerful. These are only attributes of God himself. Also, and hear this clearly . . . Satan can DO NOTHING apart from God allowing it to happen as in the example of Job.

The good news is that he has already been defeated by Christ. God foretold of Satan's demise even as early as Genesis 3:15. Knowing that prophecy, Satan and his demons must have been rejoicing as Christ took His last breath on the cross. However, their rejoicing turned to terror just 3 days later when Christ rose from the dead. The resurrection of Jesus Christ sealed Satan's doom once and for all. The Bible tells us that his final destination is the Lake of Fire for eternity. That is why it is so sad to see people reject Christ. They are going to spend eternity in a place that was never created for man, but for Satan and his fallen demons.

My prayer for you today is that you will recognize who your enemy is and stand in the midst of whatever he may try to throw at you. Satan's final resting place will not occur until after the millennium, which is after the 7 year Tribulation, which happens after the Rapture. Until then, we still have to contend with Satan and his hosts. Satan claims authority over this world, which is why he is called the god of this world. He has the power to blind sinners to the truth, contends for the saints to destroy their lives of service and their testimony. He is a very real foe that we must contend with. That is why the Bible warns us to be self-controlled and alert, to submit to God and resist the devil..to stand firm in the faith. Ephesians 6:11 tells us to "put on the whole armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." Ephesians 4:27 says " . . . do not give the devil a foothold." Those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ are protected by His blood. We do not have to live in fear, but in victory. When Jesus was in the wilderness and Satan came to tempt Him, Jesus didn't try to negotiate with him or debate him. He simply stood on the Word of God. Stand on that word today that says "greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world." The best way to deal with Satan is by taking souls on the way to Hell, and reroute them to Heaven. I love you and care about you. Live in the victory that Jesus Christ has given us each and every day!

Choose Who You Will Serve

(1 Kings 18:16-39)

At the time this Biblical account is happening, there is a famine in the land. People were starving, looking everywhere for food. It is my opinion that we have a famine in our land today, only it is a spiritual famine. People are starving for the truth and looking everywhere for answers to deal with day-to-day life. During Elijah's time, God's people were being blamed for many of the problems the people of that day were facing, much like in our society Christians are fair targets for any kind of criticism. In this politically correct time, it seems the only group you can get away with publicly condemning are those who profess Jesus Christ as their Savior. The truth is, in Elijah's day, and in the age we live, it is God's people that keep society from completely melting down. We are the spiritual glue that holds society together. We would be living in total chaos without people who loved and served God.

Just as Elijah challenged the people to choose which God they would serve, we have that same decision to make today. The choice in this passage of the Bible was between the false prophets of Baal and the God of Israel. Our decision today is the same. We can choose to serve the false prophets of this world or the Son of the living God, Jesus Christ. Let me warn you, this is not a game, it is a real life decision that determines where we spend eternity. The sacrifice is not a bull, but our very lives.

The false prophets of this world claim they have the answers. They have the answers in the psychic hotlines. They have the answers in alcohol and drugs. They have the answers in money and material possessions. They have the answers in illicit sex with many partners. They have the answers in empty rituals, in idols. The only problem is, when you need them there is no response. In times of trouble, these false prophets of this world are nowhere to be found. Jesus Christ claims to be the way, the truth, the life. He claims to be God.

JESUS PROVED HIS CLAIMS. THEY WERE VALIDATED BY GOD ALMIGHTY WHEN HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD ON THAT GLORIOUS SUNDAY MORNING!!!

When He rose from the dead, all He said and taught was validated. He promised never to leave us or forsake us, and that promise was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost when He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell and empower believers. Millions of lives in the last 2,000 years have been transformed through a personal faith in Christ. Jesus is alive today and at the right hand of God, interceding for those who believe in Him!

Elijah challenged the people to "choose today who is going to be God of your life and follow him." Jesus told us no man can serve two masters. There was only one winner that day on Mt. Carmel. The false prophets of Baal failed to produce their god; however, the God of Elijah, the God of you and me, answered by fire that day and is still answering the cries from His children today. I will be praying today that you will make the only choice there is . . . Jesus Christ . . . the Son of the living God!!!

The Renewing Of Your Mind

(Romans 12:2 )

I am convinced that outside of John 3:16, the most important verse in the Bible is Romans 12:2. You see, the foundation of who we are and the decisions we make that lead to our actions, come from our mind. This act of renewing your mind becomes the most important task a new believer has, and not doing so is the number one reason people backslide. Think about it this way. The things you see and hear go into your memory. The more you do something, see something, hear something, the more of your memory is taken up by those things. For example, those who are into pornography have a tremendous problem kicking that problem. Why? Their memory banks are full of the images, sounds, and just looking at an attractive person can trigger those memory banks into full action. You see, before we get saved, most spent many, many years filling their memory banks full of ungodly content. When a person accepts Christ, those memory banks are still full of that content.

The renewing of a person's mind needs to become one of the very first priorities in their new life with Christ. All of the ungodly content did not get there overnight, and it does not leave overnight. It is a process. The process involves replacing the existing ungodly content with new Godly content. That is why reading the word is so important. God's Word acts as a spiritual detergent as it replaces the garbage in your mind with God-inspired content. That is why it is so critical what you watch, what you listen to. What is in our mind ultimately manifests itself in your day-to-day decisions and actions. The reason most new believers fall away is that they never successfully clean out the old thoughts and information in their mind with clean, God-inspired information. It is similar to programming a computer. The computer basically does exactly what the program says. Your mind reacts based on the program that is in your mind. If that program is full of ungodly information, you have a big chance of being involved in ungodly activities. If it is God-inspired content, then you are more likely to be involved in God-honoring activities.

This basic concept of renewing your mind is the most important process any believer can go through. Many have been walking with Christ for many years, yet have never really totally cleaned out their mind. They have learned how to compartmentalize their mind and keep the ungodly content in a back closet..hidden away in the back. But trust me, not dealing with that closet will ultimately result in major problems in your life at some point. I am praying and fasting today that this powerful message, straight from the throne room of God, will make an impact on your life. This is a message that needs to be printed out and passed around to your friends, associates, schoolmates, bible-study, Sunday school, and hung on bulletin boards in churches. Not enough sermons are preached on this most basic issue that is the cause of so many of God's people falling away. My prayer is that you will sit down after reading this and ask yourself what is in your mind that is not God-honoring, then make an effort to spend each day cleansing your mind. Don't forget, the cleansing process is only part of the problem. You then have to KEEP IT CLEANSED by not putting ungodly content back in. This battle is won or lost in your mind. Realize that your mind is the battle zone and treat it accordingly.

PROTECT IT!!!

I love you and care about you deeply. I am fasting and in prayer today, asking God to let this Word today find it's way into many hearts and lives. This is critical to our ability to serve God and is a war that must be won. God will help you. God will strengthen you in this renewal process. Recognize its importance and begin this process today of renewing your mind so that you can be the best servant for the Kingdom possible, and know the joy, peace, and blessings this life has to offer. It won't happen overnight, it is a process . . . day by day. Your number one weapon is His Word. Start the process today . . . it will change your life.