God's Plan for Our Lives

(Acts 26:16-18)

Does God really have a plan for our life? One of the most asked questions I
get daily, and have throughout my years of ministry, is whether God really
has a plan and purpose for our life. Let me assure you that there are no
accidents, no coincidences with God. The one who created the universe and
everything in it, did not just create us in His image to drift from birth to
death with no purpose. Those who are into science will tell you that the
incredible perfection of creation could never have just happened, and while
some forms of life may undergo a sort of evolutionary process to a small
degree, all of this did not just "happen" and work itself into perfection.
Years ago, a dear friend of mine, who came to know Christ because of the
irrefutable evidence we have from science, told me that the creation of the
universe and the incredible precision it takes to operate properly could
have never "just happened by some accident." He said it would be the
equivalent
of taking an expensive, finely-tuned Swiss watch apart, throwing the
thousand some pieces in the air, and having it land in perfect working
order. My
friend, the universe did not just happen, God created it. You did not just
happen, God created you. God did not just create all of this because He was
bored....there is a divine plan and purpose for everything, including your
life!

The scripture text today is God revealing to Paul the plan He had for his
life. Most of us will never have a Damascus Road experience where God calls
down to us and gives us the exact plan for our life. However, as we are
surrendered to His will, he will move us and position us, exactly where He
wants us. He will open doors, close doors, and lead us to the very place,
at the very time. As you are surrendered to Him and His plan, there are no
accidents where you live, work, go to school, recreate...who your neighbors
are, the people that are in your life. God strategically places us, as His
instruments so we can do our part of fulfilling His master plan.

The key, of course, is to be surrendered to Him. If we rebel, if we don't
listen, if we do it our way and not His way, then of course His plan will
never be fulfilled. That becomes our choice each day...to live our life our
way or His way. When we do it our way, we then bear the burden of coming
up with our own plan each day. It is amazing how we try, try, and try, and
it never seems to work out. We may be successful in one area of our life, but
miserable in others. You see, when we operate under God's plan, He takes into consideration ALL areas of our life. Our work, finances, relationships, service to Him, and recreation, He has ALL aspects of our life covered. That is why some people you see may have a great plan for their finances and be very successful by the world's standards, but total failures in their marriage or as a parent. Or some may have a great home life, but always struggling financially. The point is, when you are operating under your plan, it will never all work, all the time. There is a fatal flaw....it is your plan, not His.

I will be praying for you today to open your heart and really talk with God
about whether you are operating day to day under your plan or His. Surrender is the first step; that takes faith and trust. God will never let you down,
He will never disappoint you, just love and bless you daily. He does have a
plan for you, now it is up to you to open your heart and life and let Him
fulfill it just as Paul did.

Tap Into The Power of The Holy Spirit

(2 Timothy 1:7)

Today is the day much of the world celebrates Halloween. Rather than
dealing with what Halloween is and isn't, let me simply say that too many
believers
take on the superstitions and mindset of this world. They become fearful of
days like Halloween, possible "end-time" dates on the calendar, and of so
many other world related events and customs. Today's scripture tells us
that God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power. You do
not
fully comprehend the power that a believer in Jesus Christ possesses. As a
follower of Christ, you can tap into the never ending power of God's Holy
Spirit, which gives us the advantage over any superstition, calendar date,
let alone anything this world can throw at us.

To me, Halloween is just another man-made holiday that the world celebrates.
I totally am aware of the historical roots of this pagan holiday, what it
represents, and why people celebrate it. What else do you expect? From a
person that is lost and without Christ, why wouldn't something like
Halloween appeal to them? When you are lost, unsaved, and without Christ in
your life, you are always looking...searching for answers. You have no
compass
to guide you and the "feel good now" philosophy makes sense.

My challenge to you is to work hard every day living a life that the world
can look at and see is different. Be bold in your proclamation of why you
live the way you do. We can never stop these types of days because of the
sin-filled, unsaved world we live in. It is a by-product of unrepentant
lives. Our goal as believers isn't to fear these types of days, but
recognize the daily responsibility we have to be God's witnesses and a
living testimony of His grace and goodness.

I am praying for you. I pray today you will have a spirit of boldness, not
of fear. Realize your responsibility as His child to live a life showing
this world there is another option. Let those in your life understand that
there are answers, real answers that make sense out of this life. I pray
today that God will instill in you the realization that you truly are the
light of this world and to let your light shine brightly.

When We Fall Short

(Romans 3:23)

Today’s Devotional is meant to encourage you, despite the fact we all sin and fall short of God’s glory. The key here is not if we sin, but when we sin. What is our response to be? I love you, and care about you so much. One of the tricks of the enemy is to use your sin against you–to tell you that you are no good. You are not worth of God’s love and grace. Let me share this with you. On that point he is right. We are not worthy. But because of Christ, WE BECOME WORTHY! You see, when you know Christ as your savior, it is not your unrighteousness that God sees, but it is the righteousness of Christ. In Romans chapter 3, this issue is looked at from the stand point of Christians having a free pass to sin. No! It is because of His love and mercy we work NOT to sin. You see, when you recognize what God has done for you, the natural response is not to run to sin, but to run from sin.

None of us are immune from sin. That is why God gives us His special promise in 1 John 1:9. It tells us if we will confess our sins, He will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. That is to be our response when we fall short. Humility. Sorrow. Coming to the Lord with a contrite heart asking for forgiveness. The goal then is to trust His Word, know He has forgiven us, and move on. You see, we are no good to God when we allow our sin to strangle us, to paralyze us. The enemy loves to use our sin against us, to hold it over our head. But the Bible says that when God forgives us, He not only forgives, but forgets. If God forgets, then we need to as well.

We try our best each day. We are all faced with the temptations of this world. We are all faced with the traps the enemy lays for us. From time to time we ALL fall into sin. It is important not that we sin, but how we handle the sin. Running from God is a natural response, but the wrong one. Running TO God is what He expects of us. All we do by running from God is compound the problems. We quit reading the Word, quit praying, quit going to church. All of that then makes us even bigger targets for the enemy, and we ultimately fall deeper into sin. The key is to have the guts to say “I sinned.” Go to God and ask forgiveness. Deal with whatever the consequences are of your sin, because there are always consequences. Move forward.

Part of the key to living a victorious life for Christ is handling our failures. Not letting our failures compound themselves. I will pray for you today, to really look at how you handle it when you sin. We all do from time to time, and having a game plan to accept our failure, and get back on the battlefield is critical. The key point today my friend is not if we fall short, but when we fall short, what is our response going to be. Go to 1 John 1:9, and then move forward. God has much for you to do. He has a great plan for your life. The quicker you get beyond your failures, the quicker He can use you and allow that special plan to unfold.

When We Fail To Do The Things We Should

(Romans 7:15)

How many mornings do you wake up and ask yourself why you did what you did
last night? Paul summed up man's propensity to sin when he stated that "he
did the things he didn't want to do, and didn't do the things he wanted to
do". How many days have we started wondering why we do things we know we
shouldn't, yet fail to do the things we know we should. This my friend is a
struggle man has dealt with since the Garden of Eden. It has to do with our
free will that God has given to us to make our own decisions.

God could have made us like robots, preprogrammed to do exactly what He
wanted. Instead, He gave us free will to make our own decisions.
Ultimately the decision boils down to living a life of obedience or a life
of
rebellion. Every time we make a choice, we are choosing to live as an
obedient child of our creator or as a rebellious one. In most situations,
the choice is very clear and there is no doubt that we are either obeying or
rebelling. There are some instances when it may not be as clear, and God
has given us His Word to determine what it is He would have us do.

My only purpose for stating what many are afraid to say this morning is that
many of you are not enjoying the fullness of God's blessings in your life.
You don't enjoy that peace that passes all understanding or have the joy
that someone in a relationship with Christ should have in their heart. All
I can
do is to encourage you today to take inventory of your life and the
decisions you make each day. Are your choices in accordance with God's Word
and a
choice of obedience? Or have you chosen in some areas to live in rebellion?
God wants to bless you in ways you can't even imagine. But God cannot and
will not bless disobedience. It may be very difficult for you, but He will
help and give you the strength. I am praying that you will open your heart
this day and begin to erase those parts of your life that are keeping you
from knowing the fullness of His love and blessing.

I love you and care about you. I am praying for you today. May His
strength and grace be with you in great abundance this day. May this day be
a day to honor Him in the greatest way you can, thru choosing to live
as an obedient child. God bless you!

Taking Time to Rest

(Matthew 11:28)

We have become so busy every day, our lives so tightly scheduled, that we never seem to have an opportunity to just relax, and allow our minds and bodies to refresh. When was the last time that you took a few hours and did nothing but just relax? In this fast-paced society where we push ourselves to the limit constantly, it is no wonder why so many turn to alcohol, drugs, illicit sex. It is no wonder why so many end up in the hospital. We end up burning out our minds and bodies and try to find the temporary relief to just get through one more day.

God never intended for his creation to live this way. Productivity is fine, but to never stop and relax and allow ourselves the time to recharge–is destructive. Our original purpose was to serve and glorify our Creator. How can we do this when we are so focused on all of the things of this world that occupy our time. In our busy day, the first thing we neglect is our time alone with God. Our time of fellowship with Him, in prayer, the word. How can we truly have a personal relationship with someone that we never take the time to be with?

Let me encourage you today. Slow down. Make time each day to fellowship with God. You can do more in His strength than you could ever do in your own. Why try to do it all with the little bit you have, when He can do it all with the might and limitless power of the Creator of the universe! Today, the Lord is saying to you, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Stop, relax, refresh. Take the refreshing that can only come from God. My friend, you will be able to do more, accomplish more, feel better, and enjoy life when you are living each day in His unlimited strength and not your own.

I love you and care about you so very much. Realize our physical bodies can only take so much. Even Jesus had to “get away” at times. He had to be alone. If the Son of God had to rest at times, how much more must we? Trust me, you can do more, accomplish more, be a better servant if you are rested, than by pushing yourself to the extreme. I will pray, today, that you take the time this day to rest. Do nothing. Enjoy the quietness of the day. Let your physical body recharge so that you can be all God intended you to be. Take time to rest.

Being Single And Patient

I realize that many of my Devotionals deal with
husbands and wives, parents and children. I also realize that many of you
are not married at the present time. In our society, you are almost looked
down on if you are not married or involved in a relationship with someone.
Many people feel like something is wrong with them if they are single.
Being single is OK. Whether you are single because of a divorce, your
spouse has died, or you have never married, IT IS OK. The point I want to
share with you today is to be patient. I can assure you, 99% of the
relationship problems I deal with each and every day can be traced back to
people who were inpatient...good people who jumped into relationships
outside of God's timing and ended up paying a big price. I realize that
loneliness will cause you to make poor decisions, but you have got to
understand the consequences of those decisions.

The number one problem in relationships is that there is no spiritual base.
While money, communication, and other issues are the most popular reasons
for problems, I assure you the lack of a spiritual base in the relationship
is the reason these other problems exist. Not having a secure spiritual
base is why God said to not be unequally yoked. He knew without that base,
the relationship could never survive. The base starts with the personal
walk each person has with the Lord. It is then solidified by both people
bringing their faith together as one. The Bible talks of the man being the
spiritual head of his home. It is important for a man to take this job
seriously, and be the priest in his home. It is his responsibility to help
merge his faith and that of his potential wife. Praying together. Reading
the Word together. Serving the Lord together. These are all ways for two
people to lay a solid and secure spiritual base. Let me tell you this.
WITHOUT A SPIRITUAL BASE, NO RELATIONSHIP WILL LAST OR HAVE ANY LONG-TERM
SIGNIFICANCE.

While I realize finding someone physically attractive, someone with a nice
personality, someone with a good job, may all be criteria in finding a mate,
if you do not focus first on the spiritual side of the relationship, it is
doomed. I want to tell you now, without hesitation, the reason for the
high divorce rate amongst the people of God is because there is NO spiritual
base in the relationship. This is why patience is critical. While the
downside to being single is loneliness, the upside is it allows you to grow
and develop a real walk with Christ. It also gives you the power over what
relationships you will enter into. There is a power in the fact you have
choices you can make. Be picky. Be patient. You do not have to find
someone today. This is where your faith and trust in God becomes important
as well. He knows your needs and desires. Trust Him. Have faith in Him
that He is going to bring the right person into your life.

I love you and care about you. It hurts me to know many of you are hurting
from the loneliness of being single. I pray that today you will refocus on
your walk with the Lord. I pray you will realize there is nothing wrong
with being single. I pray you will know that God understands your needs and
desires, and He will bring the right person into your life. I will add,
that like everything, it is a combination of God's sovereign will and our
responsibility. You cannot expect to sit in the house and wait for the
Lord to send the right person knocking at your door. Like all battles, you
need a game plan, and you need to be faithfully executing the plan each day
to see victory. My emphasis today, though, is that as you are out looking for
a mate, remember that unless your relationship has a spiritual base to it,
it will not last. Being single is OK. Use the time to solidify your walk
with Christ. Be patient. Never forget that the Lord loves you and will
bring the right person into your life. Trust Him and wait on His timing.

Selling Your Soul To The Devil

(Mark 8:36)

What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?
Last night, my wife and I went to see the new comedy movie "Bedazzled." Not a
very good movie; however, for more than likely unsaved Hollywood writers,
had a great deal of truth in it. The premise was the devil, played by model
Elizabeth Hurley, granted an average young man 7 wishes in exchange for his
soul. Of course the young man wished for what most 20 something young men
would want. Lots of money, power, a beautiful wife, intelligence. As he
used up the wishes, the old adage, "be careful what you wish for" became
very real. In one line, he told the devil, "you don't play fair". All in
all, it was a very average movie, not that I am a critic, but would give it
a C. By the way, it is rated PG-13, no sex although sexual situations, and
the language was actually very tame. It actually isn't a bad movie to see
if you try to view it from a theological perspective.

The point of the Devotional today is that while we can laugh at this
Hollywood portrayal of "selling our soul" to the devil, the reality is we
actually do it. How many times in our life have we literally sold our
souls, turning from what we knew was God's will to fulfill our will. Every
time you choose to rebel against God, you are selling yourself. The sad
reality is that you always sell yourself cheap. What you give up versus
what you get is never worth it. I first heard this passage of scripture
back in 1989. It was at one of the lowest points in my life. I had
literally sold myself for the things of this world. I was driving down the
freeway in Chicago at 3 a.m. I was soon going to have to pay for all of my
rebellion. As I flipped through the radio stations, I came across the
booming voice of Dr. Joseph Stowell who bellowed..."what does it profit a
man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?" Despite my
rebellion, despite having turned my back on God for so many years, it was as
if God Himself was calling down from the Heavens to me.

To their credit, the Hollywood writers of Bedazzled did show in the end
that if we deal with the devil, we lose. No matter what we may get, it is
not worth our soul. Let me take it to the correct conclusion that, of course,
they did not. Even if we had everything we wanted in this life, even if we
had all this world had to offer, what is it worth in the light of eternity?
You see my friend, this life as we know it is very brief. It is but for a
season. Eternity is for everlasting. Our focus, our goals, our motivation
should not be solely focused on this existence, but our everlasting
existence. That is why the most important decision we will ever make in
this life is where we will spend that eternity. Let me say, if you do not
know where your eternity will be spent, you can make that decision now.
Simply go to my website www.liveprayer.com and click on "Salvation." God
loves you, and has made a way for you to spend your eternity with Him.

I love you. I care about you so much. Almost without realizing it, we
often sell ourselves to the devil. The Lord told us clearly, you cannot
serve two masters. Each time we make a decision, we are choosing which
master to serve. We will either serve the god of this world, or the God of
the universe. When we choose the god of this world, we are never satisfied,
never happy, it never really works. When we serve God Almighty, we then can
know the true joy, peace, and abundance this life can offer. It works. I
will be praying for you to choose God. You see, when you choose the god of
this world, it requires you to pay a price. When you choose God your
Creator, the price has already been paid. He says "Come all you who
are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and
eat!" You see, Jesus already paid the price.

Pressing On

(Philippians 4:12-14)

Some days when you wake up, you just don't feel like fighting
any longer. You are tired of the battles, tired of the struggles, with no
desire to keep fighting. Paul in his letter to the church at Philippi,
gives
us some great daily advice. He says, "Forgetting what is behind, and
straining toward what is ahead." How often are we weary and tired because
we are still looking back, allowing those problems and situations to hold us
down? Listen, what is past is past. The enemy wants to hold you back
by keeping you focused on the past. I am telling you today to let it go and
live for today. Focus on today and tomorrow, not yesterday.

So many I deal with every day are in a pit of quicksand called yesterday's
problems. First of all, whatever those problems are, it is time to turn
them over to God and start living for today. Most of what is going on isn't
going to be fixed quickly, isn't going to have an overnight answer, and is
going
to take a power much greater than yourself to fix. After all, if you could
fix
it, you would have already. Turn it over to God. Does that make it go away
magically? No. But it does put it in the hands of our Lord who can start
working it through and getting you beyond those circumstances.

In the meantime, you have today in front of you and tomorrow on the horizon.
Get out of the quicksand of yesterday and start living for Him today. You
will be surprised how much quicker and easier your past problems work out
when you are concentrating on serving the Lord today. I understand that
there are many complicated and difficult situations many of you are facing
today. I am not trying to minimize those in any way. I am encouraging you
to quit focusing so much on the problems of yesterday and start making the
most of your opportunities today, looking towards the challenges of
tomorrow. Looking back can paralyze you, looking forward can energize you.
Press on!!!!!

Our Obligation to God

(Luke 17:7-10)

I want to expose one of satan’s great lies that he has sold to believers. The lie is, “God owes you because you serve Him.” The truth is, God does owe us. He owes us eternal banishment to Hell. You see, we all sin and come short of God’s glory. The Bible clearly says there is, “None that does good, no not one.” It is only because of God’s unconditional love and mercy for each one of us that He has made a way for us to escape eternal separation and everlasting punishment. By His grace, He sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins, paying our debt for us. So how could we ever, under any circumstances think that God owes us anything.

You see my friend, the root of this lie is found in the world system. The world system says, “Work hard and be rewarded.” The world system says, “Get paid.” The world system says,“Don’t do anything for free.” Of course, we know that the god of this world is satan himself, who the Bible says in John 8:44 is the “father of lies.” So many believers take the world system into their Christian life and somehow buy into this lie that God owes them because of their service to the Kingdom. We have to understand that when we accept the Lord into our life, as Paul says, we become “slaves to God.” Peter writes, “Live as servants of God.”

You see, we are NOT in an employer/employee relationship with God, but a master/servant relationship. Read what 1 Corinthians 7:22 and 23 says: If we understand that we are servants, exactly what does that entail? A servant is to be obedient. Ephesians 6:5 says, “Slaves obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you obey Christ.” The number one duty of a servant is obedience. A servant is faithful Read Colossians 3:22 and you understand that a servant is faithful whether his master is watching or not. I’ll let you in on a secret though. God is always watching and I am convinced much of what we go through in this life is a test of our faithfulness. We are faithful, not because of what we might get, but out of gratitude for what our master has already done for us. Lastly though, a good servant has a desire to please his master. Read Titus 2:9 and you will see there should be a burning desire to please our God. We serve God out of a desire to please Him.

You see, the truth is God doesn’t owe us, we owe God. We are His servants, and as servants, it is our duty to be obedient, faithful, and pleasing to our master. Because of His grace and mercy, God does bless us along the way, but a true servant lives for only one reward. It is what I live my life for, and what you should be striving to live your life for. To one day hear my master, my God, say, “Well done thou God and faithful servant.”

I love you, care about you, and pray that you will open your heart to God to receive this special message today. Never forget, God owes us nothing, we owe Him our lives. We are not an employee of the Kingdom, we are servants of the Most High!!!

Man/Woman Relationships.

(Genesis 2:18-24)

With yesterday being my 17th wedding anniversary,
I
felt led to deal with one of the greatest prayer requests I get daily on our
Liveprayer.com website and in my personal email. Libraries full of books
have been written on the subject of man/woman relationships, it is the
source of some of our greatest joy in this lifetime as well as our deepest
pain.
There are NEVER easy answers due to the complicated nature of each one of us
individually, than trying to blend two unique people into one relationship.
Rather than try to deal with this very sensitive subject from a broad
perspective, let me try to narrow the focus and deal with many key issues
based on our final authority for all matters of life, God's Word. Let me
say right up front, every situation is different, every situation has its'
own
unique circumstances. All I am going to do is to try to open up a little
bit of what the scriptures have to say, so don't get mad at me if you don't
like
what God has to say. Also, I can tell you from years of counseling, that
most people are in difficult situations because they have ignored God's
Word. Making a decision to follow God's plan is going to be the first step
for
many of you to get out of some very difficult relationship situations.

In the Book of Genesis, Chapter 2, we see the man/woman relationship
introduced. You will notice this was God's idea. God had very clear
defined roles for the man and for the woman. God's plan was for one man,
one woman,
one lifetime. This is serious. I am very much against young adults under
18 involved in dating. There are raw, new emotions that can lead young
people
into life destructive situations. Young people dating is like letting a
12 yr old drive on a crowded freeway. They can probably do it for a while,
but a
crash is inevitable. The choice of a mate for life is very serious, and
there is
no such thing as "casual dating" because your feelings aren't casual. There
needs to be much prayer, much pastoral counseling, and clear signs from God
on both sides that this is what God wants for both the man and woman.

Once you are married, there are a whole set of new hurdles. People changing
and not being the "same person I married." Infidelity, which for the record
is not only sin, but just a totally selfish act that never has a happy
ending. Conflict over raising children, money, where to live, activities,
etc., etc. Divorce, which by the way the Bible declares "God hates." This
is why, just like you must work daily at your relationship with God...which
if
you noticed from past devotionals includes actually spending time with God
daily...you MUST work daily on your relationship with your spouse. It
doesn't happen by osmosis. The two keys have to be spending time together
and communication. A relationship where either of these elements is missing
is doomed. You cannot make two unique people into one without spending time
together and communicating. I am not even going to discuss a man and woman
living together out of the covenant of marriage. That is pure unadulterated
sin and there is no condition when it is acceptable. Again, don't get mad
at me, God wrote it not me.

I pray daily for so many requests that deal with this issue. Young people
caught up in romances at an age when they have no business being intimate or
emotionally involved. Married couples going through separation or divorce
over a myriad of issues. People who are single fighting through difficult
issues, usually from disobeying God's plan. I want you to understand
because this is such a common issue. You can do it your way, or you can do
it God's
way. God's way works, your way doesn't. And you can't try to combine the
two either. There is an incredible amount of peace and joy and intense
gratification from a proper, Godly relationship between a man and woman.
There is an incredible amount of pain and heartache and intense grief that
can affect you for the rest of your life from an improper ungodly
relationship.

I will be praying for you today to let God speak to you today. You know
where you are at in regard to this issue. God can heal wounds, help you to
overcome if you are serious about doing it His way. I am believing today
for the marriages of those in trouble. God is a God of restoration. Don't
give
up. I love each one of you and care about you. Be encouraged today. God
has a plan. He didn't leave it up to us to figure these things out. Follow
His
plan and I promise you that you will experience the best this life has to
offer, because that is all God ever wanted for His children.

Going To Church

(Hebrews 10:25)

During the upcoming Christmas season, it is one of the two
times a year almost
everyone who even professes a belief in God makes it to church. The other
is, of
course, Easter Sunday. I thought that would give me an opportunity today to
address something I deal with daily in prayer requests I receive here
at Liveprayer.com, and that is how important it is to go to church. Not
just on the special
holidays, but to be part of a local fellowship of believers. Let me make
this point perfectly clear up front. Going to church and belonging to a
local body of believers IS NOT AN OPTION. Read today's scripture verse from
Hebrews. This is God telling you NOT to stop meeting together. Even in
the early church this had become a problem. Never forget my friend, the
church is NOT a man-made idea, it is a God-made idea. This was another way
God provided for His children to remain strong, and live productive
victorious lives. Trust me, over my years in ministry I have heard every
rationale for not going to church and the only one that is valid is when you
are physically unable. Sleeping in does not count as physically unable by
the way. Not going to church is living in rebellion to God's will for your
life.

The reason God has made this part of our life with Him is because to stay on
track, there are many basic things we MUST do. We MUST pray and read the Bible
every day. We must be part of a local fellowship because it is in that
fellowship we are spiritually fed and nurtured. It is in that fellowship we
make friends with other believers. It is in that fellowship that we usually
find ways to serve the Lord. It is in that fellowship that we grow
spiritually. Before you say it, let me. There is, never has been, and
never will be a perfect church, simply because it is made up of imperfect
people,
from the pastor on down. That is a fact. For those of you looking for a
church home, the best advice I can give you is pray, find a place where the
Word of God is preached in an uncompromising way, find a place that is not
operating in contradiction to the Word of God (example: A church that
promotes an unscriptural lifestyle such as homosexuality, or a church that
does not accept the basic tenants of faith such as the virgin birth, who
Jesus is, the work on the cross. You will have to pray about doctrinal
issues that are in contention and let the Holy Spirit guide you. But having
done in-depth study on the denominational differences, there are really no
major tenants in dispute among the major Christian churches). And find a
place where you feel you can grow spiritually as well as serve the Lord. I
have found after preaching in over 500 churches of every denomination, that
the key is the shepherd, the pastor. I have so much respect for those God
has called as pastors. I honestly prayed that God would never call me to
pastor. It is one of the most difficult jobs in the Kingdom. However, it
is important to find a true shepherd as in John chapter 10.

I am praying today that during this Christmas season you will come under
great conviction
about becoming part of a local fellowship if you are not already. It is
important to your life and relationship with God. You will never
grow spiritually mature without this being part of your life. It is
impossible. It is also a reason many are struggling in their life. You are
out there alone and make an easy target for the enemy. There is safety in
numbers. As I normally do, I am going to let you pray about this. One
thing I realized early in my ministry, I cannot force someone to do
something.
God didn't make us that way. He gave us the free will to make our own
decisions. My job is to tell you what the Word says, what God wants from
your life, and how you can become all that He has raised you up to be. Like
in everything, there are basics. Without doing the basics, it just doesn't
work. Going to church and being part of a local fellowship is one of the
basics and critical to your spiritual health. I am praying in earnest that
this
message is finding fertile ground in the hearts that need to hear these
words today. Make it a part of your life not just
on Christmas and Easter, but part of each week.

I love you, am praying for you, and trusting God that those who are not a
part of a local church will make that commitment. Remember,
it is not an option, but something God requires. Be richly blessed today.

Private Thoughts

(Psalms 119:59)

Every now and then, I like to let you in on some of my private thoughts.
There is so much going on in the world at large, in the work here at
Liveprayer.com, in my private life. I don't mind sharing some of these
things with you, since I consider you not only my friend, but I know the
commitment many of you have made to pray for me and this ministry. These
thoughts will give you some direction on how to pray.

.....I am praying daily, and fasting several days a week for the upcoming
elections. Despite all of the very important issues that are on the table,
I personally feel the pro-life issue will have more impact on this nation
spiritually than anything else. After over 30 years of this nation
approving of the killing of millions and millions of unborn babies, the
destruction to the lives of so many men and women who have lived through
those decisions in their personal life, we as a nation must say THIS IS
WRONG. How can God bless us when we are so blatantly living in rebellion?
May He put into office those who will have the conviction and courage to
bring Biblical standards back into the national conscience.....

.....I have been praying for those families who lost loved ones in the
attack on our Navy ship the Cole last week. It is a reminder that the
freedom and liberties we enjoy and take for granted are not free, but have
been purchased with the blood of so many courageous heroes over the last 200
plus years. Those in our armed services must be in our prayers each day, as
they sacrificially give of themselves so that the rest of us may live in
this great land without the fear so many throughout the world live in each
day....

.....I am praying for the Lord to move on the hearts of those in leadership
in the Middle East, so that there may be peace in that region of the
world.....

.....I pray daily, not just for those who send in their prayer requests to
Liveprayer, but for all my other friends who receive the Daily Devotional
each day. I realize everyone is facing some sort of problems in their life,
and pray that they will find the Lord's strength in their time of need to
see victory.....

.....I pray that the Lord will continue to send people to pray and
support Liveprayer.com as we reach out to the hurting and lost
each day....

.....I pray daily to keep my wife my number one priority after my
relationship with Christ....

....I pray the Lord will continue to encourage me and keep me focused on the
work He has given me to do, despite the trials we all face in day-to-day
living.....

.....I continue to look forward to fulfilling all God has for my life, and
that glorious day when I will be "home" with Him.....

Satan Is The Great Justifier

(Genesis 3:4,5)

From the advent of man's first sin, satan has
been on the scene helping to justify man's rebellion against God. Sin was
foreign to man at first, but now after generation upon generation, it is
almost a natural inclination. For those who live their lives without the
Lord, without the discipline of His Word, man and sin coexist with little
standing in the way to stop it. Even those who know Christ as their Savior,
while under conviction, still often coexist with sin in their life. You
see my friend, the problem with sin is that it is like cancer. Once you let
it into your life, it spreads into other areas. Over a period of time, it
has infested every aspect of your life. You even begin doing things you
never would have imagined possible. But when there are those moments when
you feel guilt, when you feel conviction, when your conscience begins to
bother you, there is always satan ready to step in and help you justify
sinning.

Just like in the Garden of Eden, as satan helped Adam and Eve justify their
sin, the enemy has not changed his game. Every day I get email from people,
good people, many who are working hard at following the Lord in their life,
who try to justify the sin in their life. They will take a truth from God's
Word and spend paragraph after paragraph trying to explain why it is OK for
them to disobey what God's Word clearly teaches. As I read the words, I
know that I am reading the words that were given to this person straight
from the pits of hell itself. You see, when you want to sin, when you want
to rebel against God, satan will give you the justification so that in your
mind it is OK. Just like he helped Eve justify in her mind why it would be
OK to eat of the fruit God had strictly forbidden them to eat, satan
will be there to encourage you.

I love you. I care about you. I am here each day to encourage you, pray
for you, and let you know that you are not alone. Today it is my goal to
help you clearly see how satan will give you whatever justification you need
to rebel against God. The Word of God is very clear, very plain, and is not
to be compromised. To do so is a personal choice based on the free will God
has given us all. Just remember that God will not and is not going to
bless sin. However, He will bless you for being obedient. That really
becomes our choice. We obey God and our lives are blessed because of it, or
we rebel and deal with whatever those consequences may be. Don't ever
forget, the Bible tells us clearly that it is the goal of the enemy to kill,
steal, and destroy. One of the easiest ways for him to accomplish that is
to encourage you to sin. Remember, the enemy knows the Bible. He knows
that blessings accompany obedience and that consequences accompany sin. Here is
the bottom line. Remember this. THERE IS NO...NO...NO JUSTIFICATION FOR
SIN....EVER.

Changing Your Circumstances

(Proverbs 14:23)

As you can imagine, each day the volume of
emails that pour into Liveprayer.com are mostly prayer requests from people
living through very difficult circumstances in their life. The special word
I have for you today is that God wants to help you change your
circumstances. While prayer needs to be the first thing we do and a key
part of the process throughout, God expects us to do our part in the
changing of our circumstances. So many people who are hurting, in the midst
of dealing with great problems in their life, will simply live each day with
those problems and do nothing. My friend, your circumstances are not going
to change until you make the effort to change them. You are not going to
magically wake up one morning and have everything be OK. That is not
reality. If you want things to change, then you need to be an active part
of making that happen.

Like everything, there is a right way and a wrong way to make changes in
your life. As I mentioned, prayer is the first step. The second step is
getting a game plan. Use others in your life you can trust to help you
formulate that plan. The plan will usually not be something outlandish, but
will normally be very practical and based on good common sense. Also,
whatever plan the Lord helps you formulate, realize that it will not be
something that will cause things to change overnight. You didn't get into
the problems you are facing overnight and rarely will God deliver you from
them overnight. Almost always, our problems are traced to sin and rebellion in
our life, doing things our way instead of God's way. He will usually let
us work our way out of the problem slowly over a period of time. It is
never easy, but we start to learn basic principles like self-discipline,
trusting God, and depending on Him in every way. These are good things that we should incorporate into our daily lives to help us avoid the problems this
life throws at us in the first place.

Once you have the plan and are working at it faithfully each day, you will
start to see things in your life change for the better. Again, the changes
won't happen overnight, but gradually, day by day. The worst thing you can
do though is do nothing. You can not expect your circumstances to change by
doing nothing. The reason I find most people don't take an active role in
the changing of their circumstances is because as painful as things may be,
they are scared of change. The Bible tells us we are not to have a spirit
of fear. If you are serious about seeing your circumstances change, then
you must get serious about trusting God to help make those changes. We are
often more comfortable living in the pain we know, than trusting the God who
has promised to set us free through His love.

I love you and care about you so much. I pray today that those of you who
are dealing with circumstances in your life that need to be changed, will
heed this special word today and get serious about making those changes.
God will give you the wisdom to formulate a workable plan, He will give you
the strength each day to follow through, and He will lead you to victory.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO LIVE IN PAIN ANY LONGER. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO LIVE IN THE
CIRCUMSTANCES YOU ARE IN ANY LONGER. TODAY IS YOUR DAY. TODAY IS YOUR DAY.
TODAY IS YOUR DAY. NOW IS THE TIME. TRUST GOD AND LET HIM LEAD YOU OUT OF
EGYPT AND INTO THE PROMISED LAND. THE SAME GOD THAT LED THE CHILDREN OF
ISRAEL FROM BONDAGE MANY YEARS AGO, IS THE SAME GOD WHO WILL LEAD YOU OUT OF
BONDAGE TODAY!!!!!!

Serving God When We Don't Feel Like It

(Psalms 2:11)

One of the spiritual tests God
allows us all to go through is serving Him, even when we don't feel like it.
How many days do you wake up, maybe not feeling well physically or dealing
with problems in your life, and serving the Lord is the last thing on your
mind. Sickness, of course, is one of the elements of this sin-filled world we
must all face in our life. One reason I talk so much about staying in
shape, eating the right things, not doing things that will harm your body,
is because we need to do all we can to insure we stay in the best health
possible. I also talk extensively about staying connected to the Lord on a
daily basis, having that intimate daily walk through the Word and through
prayer. These are also preventative things we can do to hopefully make good
choices throughout our day that keep us from getting into the types of
problems that can consume our life. The fact is, however, we won't always
feel our best. We will be facing the day-to-day problems of life. The test
is to serve God despite what we are dealing with in our own life.

I have been so fortunate all my life. Other than sports-related injuries, I
have been in excellent health. I get very few colds, so when I am not
physically feeling well, that is something I don't face often. Like
everyone, I deal with the real life day-to-day issues at home, with family
and friends, here at the ministry. I can tell you that there are days, many
days, when I simply do not feel like serving God, despite that is what He has
called me to do...and I have committed my life to do. Of course, we all need
to use common sense and try to live the balanced life I speak of often, but
serving God is not just something those like myself in full-time ministry
are called to do, but it is something every child of God is called to do.
It is not an option, it is a commandment. It is not something we do when we
feel like it, but it is what our life as a Christian is to be about. You
see, despite how you feel or what you are going through, it never negates
the call God has on your life as His child to serve Him.

When I talk of serving God, that comes in many forms. For most it is simply
living your life each day in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. Being the
mom, dad, sister, brother, husband, wife, God has called you to be at home.
Being the "salt of the earth" at your job or school. In most cases it is
simply living a Godly life before this sin-filled world each day. Being
kind to others. Helping someone in their time of need. These are all ways
we serve God. Of course there are many other ways we serve God, through
activities at our church, working with a ministry, serving your community.
These also are ways we fulfill our obligation to serve God with our lives.

Most days, serving the Lord is not a problem. But there are days when we
just don't feel like being a servant. At those times in my life, I press in
to that daily walk with Christ. I ask Him for the strength to accomplish
all He desires of me that day. I realize that in my own strength, even when
I feel great, I can't accomplish anything. So it helps me to focus on my
dependency upon Him. It is true. When I am weak, He is strong. It is
amazing how many of those days go by quickly, how there are special blessings on those days. You see my friend, the Lord will always help you to serve Him, follow Him, and honor Him with your life...and He will bless you for it!

I love you and care about you so much. I pray today that despite what you
are facing in your life today, you will not forget that serving the Lord is
not an option we have. As His children, it is a mandate clearly laid out
in His Word. Jesus was our example. His life was a life of service. You
will be surprised how the Lord will not only make you feel better throughout
those difficult days, but He will bless you in ways you never imagined. You
hear me say often, when we are about His business, He will be about our
business. So true. Many times those impossible situations become possible. Not because I did anything, but because I was obedient and followed God. The spiritual test for you is, the next time you don't feel well, the next time the problems of life seem overwhelming, don't forget that we are here to serve and glorify Him with our lives. While satan can't have the souls of those who know Christ, he can do his best to keep them from serving God. Recognize this trick and serve Him despite the problems, in the strength God can give you. You will be blessed for it.

Time to Testify

(Revelation 12:11)

The Bible tells us that there are 2 things that satan hates. First is the blood of the Lamb. That is understandable because it is by the blood of Jesus Christ our sins have been washed away. Second is the word of their testimony. Now why would the enemy hate that? Because it is by the word of our testimony that we tell others what the Lord has done for us. It is by the word of our testimony that we give hope to someone who is going through exactly what we just came through the strength to carry on. It is by the word of our testimony that we proclaim the enemy to be a liar and defeated foe!!!

I have heard many say that they don’t have a testimony. My friend, if you know Jesus as your savior, you have a testimony. Your testimony is that once you were lost, and now you are found. Your testimony is once you were blind and now you see. Your testimony is that once you were going to hell and now you have a mansion being prepared for you in Heaven. YOU HAVE A TESTIMONY!!!

The greatest and most effective way to witness isn’t by memorizing passages of the Bible, or being able to answer all of the tough questions. The most powerful way for you to witness is by simply sharing with someone what the Lord has done in your life. The answered prayers. The blessings. What God has done for you personally is the best thing you can share with someone who needs Christ in their life.

I get so many wonderful and powerful praise reports about how the Lord has used this ministry as a tool in people’s lives to help them see a prayer answered or a miracle in their life. When you go to our website, www.liveprayer.com there is now a place right on the front page marked PRAISE REPORTS where you can click and share your praise report. Each day, we will feature one of the praise reports so that the tens of thousands who visit Liveprayer.com daily can read how God has worked in someone’s life, giving them the hope they need to trust God in their own life and situation.

I love you, care about you deeply, and want you to know God has put me here to help you in your time of need. Never hesitate to contact me. I will pray for you, help you any way that I can. I thank God each day when I wake up for giving me the opportunity to share His love with so many people around the world. He is a great and mighty God, and we must never forget to share that with those He brings us into contact with. I will be anxiously waiting each day to read the incredible ways God has moved in the lives of His people, giving them a testimony to share with the world.

Staying Connected

(John 8:12)

Living many years in Chicago and being a huge fan
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, moving without the ball. The basics were
the foundation from which he was then able to do the more spectacular and
the bedrock of his game. 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
360 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, 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?

Honor Your Pastor

(Jeremiah 3:15)

Today is the day most Christians go to church. It is
the only time most of you ever see your pastor, and that is usually from
your seat in the sanctuary as he leads the worship service and preaches the
message. Having preached in over 500 churches of every denomination
nationwide, I can honestly tell you that for most pastors, Sunday morning
is their favorite day of the week and the one day they usually feel their
work for God really has the most meaning. You can never know or really
understand the pressure most pastors are under. If it was only getting up on Sunday morning and being the "man of God" it would be wonderful, but that is not reality. It is a 7-day a week, 24-hour a day calling. Many have outside jobs. There is the constant pressures of raising the budget, dealing with the interpersonal problems that always exist when you have a group of people, and overseeing the political infighting that often occurs, on top of the spiritual requirements of shepherding the flock, having an anointed word each week for the various services, and other requirements the office of pastor carries with it.

My prayer for you today is to support your pastor. Pray for your pastor
each day. John 10 gives us the picture of the ideal pastor. Pray that your
pastor will be able to tear away from the distractions of this world to be
the Shepherd described in John 10. God has placed that pastor in your
life to guide you, spiritually nurture you, and have spiritual leadership
over your life. Do all you can to show your love and appreciation for all your
pastor does for you, most of which you may not even recognize. Also, God
has placed your pastor in your life for spiritual leadership. When you come
into times of crisis, don't hesitate to go to your pastor. That is ultimately
why they are there, to help you and guide you through those difficult times
in your life.

I love you, care about you, and pray for you daily. Let this day be a day
to remember your pastors in prayer and recognize them for all they do for
your life. God has called His sheep to be obedient and obey those in
spiritual authority. Take inventory and see if you are fulfilling this
admonition, and ask God to help you. He loves you so much that he has
placed your pastor in your life to shepherd you and guide you in your
spiritual journey. Show your love for Him today by praying for and supporting your pastor.

The Last Days

One topic I never discuss in these Devotionals is
eschatology, or the study of the end times. Bible prophesy is a fascinating
subject. One of my dearest friends in the ministry is Perry Stone Jr. from
Cleveland TN. Perry is one of the world's finest Bible prophecy teachers.
My ministry was responsible for producing television specials with Perry
over the years that were viewed by millions of people on Christian and
secular television. I also helped Perry launch his new weekly television
program that is now on many fine Christian stations nationwide. As much as
I love Perry, prophecy is still highly subjective. There is much mystery in
the Word, and many, many differing views on this subject. It is the one
subject that you really cannot say someone is wrong, since it is yet to
happen. While I have personal views on the end times, and while I enjoy
Bible prophesy, my emphasis has always been on NOW...those things that we
absolutely know for sure from God's Word and our personal daily walk and
responsibilities as His children.

In light of the newest terrorist attacks on the US overseas, and the
escalating problems in the Mideast, many people are seeing history, even
bible prophesy unfold before their eyes. If these events mean anything to
you personally, this is the message they are screaming out. There is no
more time to play. There is no more time to be apathetic about our faith.
There is no more time to allow ourselves to be distracted by the enemy who
uses division in the body, our own personal weaknesses to keep us from
serving God. My friend, the battle cry has clearly sounded. The trumpet of
warning is clearly being blown for all to hear. The events that are
unfolding in our nation, around the world, right before our very eyes is
God's way of saying..."NOW my children, prepare yourselves and this world
for the return of Christ!!!". We can never lose sight of the big picture.
Jesus Christ is coming soon. In the twinkling of an eye. Are we really
ready for that? Is this world really ready for that?

One of my number one goals, as I have shared before, is to help you translate
your faith in Christ into your daily, real world life. You see, the
enemies 1 weapon is to get us so caught up in our weaknesses, problems,
cares of this life, that we become virtually ineffective for service in
God's army. When he can get your focus on yourself instead of your service,
he has won. He has taken you out of the game. That is why we must get a
handle on our own lives, so that we can effectively minister to others. We
must rise above our problems, so that we can effectively help others rise
above their problems. I have many friends that are involved in multilevel
marketing organizations. I think it is a creative and very legitimate way
to make money, if the company and their products and/or services are legit.
The key to success in the MLM world is mobilizing people. helping them
overcome their issues so that they can effectively help others in their
downlines be productive. That is the crux of success in that world. For me
personally, that is exactly what God has called me to do with my life, but
not for an organization and for money, but for the Kingdom of God and to
fulfill His plan for my life. It is time for the people of God to stand up,
become bold, and share with this dying and lost world the message that there
is hope and everlasting life through God's son Jesus Christ!

I love you and care about you very much. I have received so much mail in
the last day or so from people concerned about the events unfolding around
the world. Let me simply say this. Only God knows the hour, minute, second
of Christ's return. Until then, He has given us very clear instructions
that we are to be about His business until that glorious moment. You do not
have to be a Biblical scholar to read passages that tell us clearly we are
in the last days. His coming is very soon. Now more than ever we need to
get past our own problems, because God needs His children, all His children
on the front lines. Just like our brave men and women of the armed services
put their lives on the line daily in defense of our great nation, our
Commander in Chief is asking each one in His army to do likewise. This is
not a video game. The stakes are eternal life versus eternal damnation. Too
many of God's children are AWOL at this critical moment. I pray today that
you will hear His call to battle and understand that answering that call is
not an option. It is something each and every one of His children, His army,
is required to do each day. Answer the call, fight the good fight of faith.
These my friend...are the last days. Now..is the time.

Compromising In This Politically-Correct Time

(James 4:17)

One of the biggest problems
we have in our churches and in public ministries is compromising the Word of
God to conform to this politically correct day we live in. I have always
appreciated the work Dr. Laura did on her radio program in being bold enough
to give Godly, biblical advice to those who called. I have, and continue to
pray that her eyes may be opened to know Jesus Christ as her personal
savior. She was one of the very few in the secular world, with a national
platform, sharing biblical principles in relation to day-to-day life. As
you know, she has been recently under fire for her stand on gays and
lesbians. It has hurt her new television program. While I do not agree
that homosexuals are biological errors, since it is a conscious choice they
are making to rebel against God, she is correct that it is a perverse
lifestyle to God's plan, just like a man and woman living together without
being married is against God's plan. Her recent apology was troubling, since
it seemed to be motivated by a desire to save her professional career and
is an example of what many in the Christian community do daily.

My friend, there is no compromising the Word of God. I took much heat last
week during the five-part series on honoring your mother and father, mostly
from people who had been victims of abusive parents. I have taken much heat
in the past from many of the subjects I deal with in my Devotionals. That is
fine. However, the attacks should not be directed at me, since I am only
bringing forth what God says in His Word. If someone wants to challenge
whether homosexuality is a correct lifestyle choice, or honoring parents
that may have abused you is proper, or eating too much is a sin, then you
need to take it up with God, not me. All I am doing is proclaiming for you
what God is saying in His Word. And please, never blindly accept what I say
to you. Check it out for yourself. What I share with you is coming right
from His Word. The job God has given to me is not to say things to make you
feel good, although I pray you will find comfort in much of what is written.
But it is meant to help you stay focused on what God expects of your life,
and if that is in contrast to where you are at, then you need to discuss it
with Him.

I believe one of the main problems we have had in our churches over the last
30 years is the liberal theology that has infested the body of Christ. The
theology that is almost Unitarian saying "if you are a good person and try
hard, help some people along the way, you will make it to Heaven." Please
hear me. That is straight from the pits of hell itself! It sounds nice,
but it misses the one key element..our sin problem. Jesus said it the best,
"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by
me." My friend, in this day of excess, easily accessible sin, an
abandonment of our morals, now more than ever the church of Jesus Christ
needs to be preaching a message of personal responsibility. A message of
what God expects from our lives. An uncompromising message that it only
works God's way. A message that you must die to self daily. A message that
it is not our life any longer, but His. A message that does not compromise
the precious truth of His Word.

I love you and care about you. Now more than ever, we are living in a day
when we are chastised for not being "politically correct". Well, they hung
our Savior on a cross for not being politically correct, for not
compromising. That is the example He has set for us. Now more than ever,
we need to follow that example. There is no room, no place for compromise
in God's Kingdom.

How Short This Life Really Is

(Psalms 39:5)

Last week, the sister of a good friend of
mine passed away in a car accident. She was only 28 years old. I don't know
where she was at spiritually, whether she knew the Lord as her personal
Savior or not. I do know this. God will get His word to us at different
points in our life, especially for those fortunate enough to live in the
United States. Each person then has a responsibility what they do with
that information. One option is to dismiss it as a fairy tale and live life
apart from God. The other option is to accept Christ as Savior and live for
Him. It is the most important decision anyone makes in this life, since it
determines where you will spend eternity.

One of the problems we face, especially in our younger years, is that there
seems to be so much life ahead of us. In this limited experience we have on
earth, for most that is true. With the amazing advances in medicine, we
are now living longer. Being 60 or 70 seems like a very long time when
you are in your teens and 20's. But as you hit your 30's and 40's, you
start to realize the months and years seem to go by much quicker. I still
can't believe that the year 2000 has less than 80 days left. Where has it
gone? As you get older, you start to realize that life is indeed something
very fleeting and doesn't last that long. Grandparents die, parents die,
other family members and friends die. You become acutely aware how real
death is to the human experience. The many passages of Scripture that tell
us how brief this life is become very real to us.

The fact is, none of us know when this life will end. We hope to have long,
productive, enjoyable lives and live into our 70's, 80's, even 90's. Many
are fortunate enough to do that. But many aren't. Whether it is through
health problems, accidents, crimes, even suicide, many people never get to
experience a long life here on earth. That is why we should never take
tomorrow for granted and should treat each day of life like the special gift from
God that it is. It is also why we should never put off our decision on what
we do with God's Son Jesus Christ. The Bible says that "today . . . today . . . today . . . is the day of salvation." I pray above everything
else, that if you have NOT made your decision, you will at least take 5
minutes to get alone, pray..and ask God to show you the truth. You can go
to my website, www.liveprayer.com and click on "Salvation". Listen to
it. Ask God to open your heart to what the truth is. He loves you
and sent His Son to make it possible for you to have everlasting life. but
He also gave you free will to choose. He will not force Himself on you. it
is a personal decision each must make in this life.

This subject today also brings to focus what we really should be paying
attention to each day. First is our walk with Christ. it is the only thing
we will take from this life into eternity. Pray and read the Word. That is how
we stay in daily fellowship with our Lord. We need to be part of a local
fellowship to be fed and have fellowship with other believers as an avenue
for service. Serving God is not on option. It is something He has called
all of His children to do. We spend so much time of our life, such a high
percentage of our life on things that will be gone and meaningless when this
life is over, compared to the time we spend on fulfilling our real purpose.
That is to serve and glorify Him. That is why so much of what we do is
wood, hay, and stubble, and will be burned up. We need to be focused on
laying up those treasures that will stand the test of fire, doing those
things that can have an everlasting impact in the lives of people.

I love you, and care about you. I know that this is a difficult subject for
many of you, since I deal with it frequently. The reason I have, and will
continue to deal with this issue, is because it is so critical that we never
forget how brief this live is. We get so caught up in the things of this
world, the next thing you know it is over and we have missed so much of
what this life is supposed to be about. That is why so many deal with such
pain, heartache, and depression much of the time. You will never find the
true joy, the true peace, and the abundance this life can be, until you are tuned into a real daily walk with Christ and fulfill your God-given purpose.
Everything else will leave you empty and dry. Know I will be praying for
you today to never take this day for granted or put off until tomorrow the
most important decision we can make in this life, which is choosing to put
our faith in Christ; or once that decision is made, be all God has called
you to be. While this life is short, eternity is forever. When you know
Christ as your Savior, that eternity will be spent in fellowship with our
Creator.

Jesus Loves You

(John 15:9)

Many times we get to a point in our life where we feel
like no one really cares about us or really loves us. I want to assure you
this morning, that Jesus loves you more than you can ever know. Because He
came to this earth and walked where we walk each day, He understands the
problems and difficulties of our daily life. That is one reason why our
prayers have so much meaning. Jesus understands what it is like to have a
sick friend. He understands what it is like to have friends in trouble. He
understands when our lives are in a mess. Jesus knows, He understands, He
cares...and most of all, He loves you deeply.

I pray today, that you dwell on and find a place of understanding
just how much Jesus loves you and cares about you. Sometimes, just
comprehending this simple truth can make all the difference in our life. In
the complexities of our life, we often need to get back to basic truths to
maintain our focus. Nothing is more basic, more real, than the love Jesus
has for you.

As you go thru this day and deal with the day-to-day problems of life we
all face every day, keep in the front of your mind the love Jesus has for you.
Let that knowledge give you hope in the hard times and peace in those times
where things are going OK. As you make those daily decisions we all make,
remember, Jesus loves you and in our desire to reciprocate that love, we try
to do those things which will be pleasing to Him. Remembering His love for
us helps us to make the right decisions throughout our daily life.

I am grateful for each one of you and your concern for others.
Liveprayer.com continues to grow as we minister to more people every day.
Keep that website in your prayers as people find out every day just how much
Jesus loves them. Thank you for helping spread the word about this great
oasis of hope on the Internet. You are very special to me. I love you
and care about you so much. But more
important, you are very special to Jesus... and He loves you!!!

Sowing Into Your Need

(1 Kings 8-24)

There is a Biblical principle that I learned many
years ago that I want to share with you today. Biblical principles are
like scientific laws. They work. The law of gravity works; there are no
exceptions. Biblical principles work; there are no exceptions. One of
those Biblical principles is sowing into your need. Now trust me, many of
God's principles don't make much sense. But then again, when God gave the
army generals the battle plan for taking the city of Jericho, I doubt that
walking around the walls of the city and blowing trumpets was something that
made much sense either. I am convinced that many things God does, don't make
sense to us, because we have to realize that only God could make something
like that work. This principle is very easy to understand. You give when
you yourself have a need. Common sense says if I have a need, I hold on
to what I have, or my need becomes worse. I am sure that is what the widow
of Zarephath was thinking when the prophet Elijah asked her for her last bit
of food. This woman literally gave the man of God the last thing she had.
Talk about faith.

Faith is not a word, but it is a belief system. Faith is easy to talk about, hard to practice. The problem with exercising our faith is that our brain
gets in the way. The enemy puts doubt in our mind. Living our faith becomes the test of our Christian experience. From the thousands of prayer requests
we get here daily, I realize that so many of you are struggling with your
finances. There are many great Christian financial ministries that can help
people apply biblical principles to their financial life. I would encourage
you to invest a few dollars and study their teaching and follow those
biblical principles that can help you keep your financial life healthy. I
would encourage those of you today that are in the midst of a financial
crisis to sow into your need. I have done this continually throughout my
ministry. Even now as we work towards eliminating the debt of Liveprayer,
each week I sow a seed into other ministries knowing that God will honor my
faith and bless us in return. My friend, it works. Look at the widow.
She gives the man of God her last bit of food, and soon afterwards her son
dies. God blesses her faith by using the man of God to bring that son back
to life! Sowing into your need works. God's principles work.

I will be praying for you today. I care about you deeply and will do
everything I can each day to share the things God places in my heart to
try and help you along this great journey we are on. You are never too
young to begin applying God's principles into your life. What happens is,
when we obey and God's blessings flow from our obedience, our faith is
strengthened. The next time we have to exercise our faith, we do it more
readily since we already have seen God move before. We gain confidence that
our faith is real, God is real, and His way does work. I pray that you who are
struggling today will give into your need. I don't care where you give,
just give and show God you believe Him. God cannot lie, and His Word is the
absolute truth you can stake your very life and eternal existence on. Trust Him
today, and watch Him work miracles in your life.

Your Temple

(1 CORINTHIANS 6:19)

Keep your "temple" in good shape. Yesterday afternoon I had 2 minutes
left on the treadmill and began wondering why I was putting myself through
this agony 3 afternoons a week...10 minutes of abs, a complete cycle of
weights to hit all the muscle groups, finished by 30 minutes on the
treadmill. One hour of torture that I DO NOT like. So why do it? I have
been very blessed to have been one of those people who could eat pretty much
whatever I wanted and never gain weight. All my life I have played
sports...basketball, tennis, baseball, football. Two years ago when I hit
40, I realized that I couldn't just play and stay in shape, but had to
structure a regular work-out program. Again the question, why? Because
even though this life is brief, I want to be as physically fit as I possibly
can in order to serve the Lord.

There are enough spiritual hindrances to our service, without having
physical barriers as well. Does this mean God can't use you if you aren't
in tip top shape? Of course not. But imagine if you are in the best shape
possible, how much more you can accomplish. I have to admit, with the
schedule I keep, I HAVE to be in top shape to keep up. We have to use
wisdom to not overextend ourselves, because that defeats the purpose too.
The Bible clearly tells us that our bodies are the temple of the Holy
Spirit. We are responsible for doing our part to keep our "temples" in the
best shape possible so we can maximize the extent to which God can use our
lives. This is a specific word to everyone today to ask God how you can get
in and stay in the best shape possible. Many of you have simply neglected
this area of your life, and this word today is a wake-up call.

I am not going to say anything more. You get the message loud and clear,
and now it is up to you to either heed this word from the Lord, or ignore
it. I have to remind myself each day I go to the gym that this is part of
my responsibility in serving Him, to keep myself in the best possible
physical shape I can. Of course, exercise is only one facet. We also must
be cognizant of what we are eating. What we put into our bodies is critical
to staying in shape. Illegal drugs, alcohol, cigarettes...all pollute the
temple of the Holy Spirit. If you want the best scripture for not doing
these things, it is I Corinthians 6:19. Would you smoke pot in church?
Would you have a beer in church? Would you smoke in church? No??? Why???
Because it is a holy place. It is a temple where we go to worship God. Our
bodies are "our temple" and that is why we shouldn't be involved in these
activities since they defile the temple.

I love you and care about you. While I try to cover the spiritual side of
life, I MUST deal with the practical side of life as well. God has a great
plan and purpose for each one of our lives. The better we maintain our
bodies, and keep our "temples" in good shape, the better we are able to
serve Him. I will be praying today that you take this word to heart. I
speak of game plans often, and if anyone has a better game plan to stay in
shape rather than hitting the gym several days a week....I am open. I am
still waiting for the workout pill, but until then, I guess good old
fashioned sweat will have to do. I have found that time in the gym is a
great time to pray though. Trust me, whenever you strive to do what God
wants for your life, He will help you make it happen. There is much work to
do. God has raised us up to serve Him. Get serious about getting in the
best shape possible, so that you can run the race at maximum efficiency and
fulfill that plan He has for your life.

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 seeking 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! Any time 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 have 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!

The Unquenchable Thirst

(John 4:14)

My wife dragged me to the grocery store last week.
After spending 15 minutes getting all of the things I like, I took them to
the cart and was promptly told why everything I had chosen was no good.
Having no real argument to keep my Twinkies, ice cream, M+Ms, cookies, and
other items of equal non-nutritional value, I took everything back. In the
process, I found myself in the soft drink aisle. It was incredible to look
at the number of various brands of soft drinks, 40 kinds of bottled water,
numerous specialty teas, on and on they went. This was in addition to an
aisle where they had about 100 different kinds of juice drinks, not to
mention good old milk. I started to think about how much we drink every
day. Of course from a physiological standpoint, we need a certain amount of
fluids each day. But I was just thinking about how much we drink, and
drink, and drink, and yet are never really satisfied for very long before we
need to drink some more.

Sin is also an unquenchable thirst. Once we start on a road of sin, we can
never get enough. Even when we are tired of it, we still continue. You see
my friend, when you are involved with the things of this world, you will
never find real satisfaction. There may be a temporary joy, but it is
quickly gone and replaced by emptiness. The Bible says we have ALL sinned
and fallen short of God's glory. We all know what it is to sin. We all
know the temporary "high" sin gives us. But we also know the emptiness when
that short-term high passes, then the guilt and the shame. Sin comes at a
very expensive price. For the little bit you get, it can end up costing you
everything.

My appeal to you today is on a very practical, common sense level. All I
ask is that you are honest with yourself. When you have sex outside of
marriage, whether it is in an adulteress relationship or fornication, there
is a very short period of pleasure involved. All I want you to do is weigh
what it takes to achieve that few seconds of pleasure, and ask yourself if
it is worth it. Is that few seconds worth how you feel afterwards? Or
what about those fighting the sin of alcohol, or drugs, or gambling. When
the buzz, the high wears off, is it worth it? I don't care what the sin is,
the results are the same. There are a few seconds of enjoyment, but at what
price. This doesn't even factor in the consequences down the road.
Unwanted pregnancies, disease, becoming addicted to a certain sinful
lifestyle, losing all of your money, divorce, losing your children, public
shame, destroying your career, the potential disastrous consequences are
endless. All of that for a minimal amount of pleasure from whatever sin
you choose to engage in.

I bring a message like this today because I really do love you and care for
you. Having lived my life for many years in absolute rebellion to God, I can
personally attest to the high price of sin. I can also personally tell you
that when we surrender and live life God's way, under His plan, dedicated
to Him....we find a peace, happiness, joy, and contentment that isn't
possible chasing the things of this world. The things of this world, no
matter how much you get, keep you wanting more. There is a perfect peace in
serving God. A perfect peace when you are fulfilling your God-given purpose
to serve and glorify Him with your life. Jesus spoke of drinking and never
being thirsty again. That water is available to you today. If you are
tired of paying the high price of sin, if you are tired of never being
satisfied, Jesus says come to me all you who are burdened, and I will give
you rest.

I realize that turning from sin is not easy. But God can give you a
game plan, people to hold you accountable, and the strength to be victorious.
I will be praying for you today. Sin simply doesn't make sense. It is like
paying $42,000 for a $1 hamburger. If I am going to pay $42,000, I want a
piece of the farm and the animals. Sin is a bad deal all the way around.
Count on my prayers today that the Lord will quicken this message to your
hearts and help you realize what a bad deal sin is, and how God has
something so much better for you. Sin always leaves you wanting more, but
following Jesus gives you perfect satisfaction.

Not Debatable - Our Mother and Father - Part V of V

(Proverbs 23:22)

Honoring your mother and father is NOT a debatable issue. I realize from
the incredible amount of mail I received this week, that this series has
been a great blessing to many, and very difficult for others. For those who
have been blessed and encouraged, use it as a reinforcement of this word God
has given to us in this important area of our lives. For those who have
been challenged, even hurt by this series, let me say that I love you and
would never intentionally hurt you. Many of the things I write are
difficult, and God uses them in many ways to reach people at the exact point
of need they may have. Don't ever think it is a coincidence when you read
these Devotionals, and for those who have struggled this week, know God is
speaking to you in a very clear and loud voice.

I know from years in the ministry, through thousands of hours of counseling
people, and from an untold amount of prayer requests, many of you had very
difficult childhoods. You did not have a Godly mother or father. There may
have not been much, if any, love and nurturing. In some cases, there was even
physical and sexual abuse. The very legitimate question is "how can I honor
a mother and/or father like that?" The answer lies in taking the whole
counsel of God. I have found that when God says something in His Word over
and over, especially in the Old Testament and again in the New Testament,
He is trying to emphasize a point. Honoring your mother and father is not
just an idea, or a suggestion, it is a COMMANDMENT. It is not only a
commandment, but something God mentions all throughout His Word. He
obviously wants us to understand His feeling about this issue.

In my spiritual growth, one of the biggest problems I had was the passages
in the New Testament that told us to pray for and honor those in leadership.
That meant a Christian living in Nazi Germany was supposed to pray for and
honor Adolph Hitler. That made no sense to me at all. As one who loves the
history of the early church, I am acutely aware of the government in place
at the time these words were actually written. It was a Roman government
that was killing Christians in the most brutal ways, and doing all in its
power to wipe Christianity from the face of the earth. Yet God said to pray
for and honor those people. It made no sense. Then the Holy Spirit took me
out back one day and had a little talk with me. First, we look at time in a
much different way than God does. The Bible says a thousand years are but a
day to God. God is not limited by space and time like we are. The entire
course of human history is a blip on the radar screen compared to eternity.
Everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen, is all part of
God's plan. Why God allows certain people and nations to rise up is
something only He knows. How it works in His plan and purpose is something
we will probably never fully understand. What that means to us is simple.
We are to obey, exercise our faith in God, and trust Him. We pray for our
leaders, no matter how ungodly they may be, because God told us to. It may
not even be possible in our flesh, which is why we must call upon the
strength God gave us. It is how we pray for our enemies as God tells us to
do. It is how we forgive those who hurt us as God has told us to do. It is
the same strength Jesus Christ used to not only pray for His enemies, but
literally forgive those who nailed Him to the cross. For those who had
ungodly parents, bad parents, unloving parents, abusive parents, whatever
the case may be, honoring them IS NOT an option but a commandment.

As we close out this series, let me encourage you today. If your mother
and/or father is still alive and you have a good relationship with them,
don't neglect them. Call them, see them when you can, do special things for
them, most of all, spend some time with them. Our time with those we love
is so short even in the best case. They will be gone before you know it, so
don't take them for granted. If your mother and/or father is alive and you
haven't had that good of a relationship with them, do what you can to mend
the fences. Again, they are the only parents you will ever have, so
understand how special they are. I understand that they may not be
receptive, but that that is between them and God. You do your part, pray,
and leave it in His hands. If you have a mother and/or father that have
caused much pain in your life, you may need some Christian counseling to
help you over those hurdles. At the very least, you can pray for them.
Remember, God will supernaturally empower us to do those things He has
commanded us to do. He helps us obey Him. Tap into that power and do what
He has asked each of us to do. Once again, honoring our mother and father
is not just the right thing to do, it is something God has commanded us to
do. It is not open to debate.

I love you, care about you, and will be praying for you. I know God will do
incredible things in many lives through this 5 part series. The most
important thing we can do in this life is to be faithful and obedient
children. That is not always easy to do, but we have to try. God will
bless us when we follow Him and do it His way. My prayer is that you will take
a few minutes today to pray and ask God how you can best honor your mother
and father. He will guide you, show you the way, and supernaturally
strengthen you to make it happen. Our purpose is to serve and glorify Him
in our daily lives. Honoring our mothers and fathers is one way that we can
fulfill that purpose. Make it a high priority in your life today.

***I realize that many have not had the type of relationship with your
parents God intended. For many, this week will bring up many bad memories.
It is not an accident. For some, God wants to help you get them behind you
once and for all. For some, you may need to deal with these issues in an
ongoing counseling situation. I personally know the folks at
www.barnabus.com . They do a great job. In the past, I have led many to
their Christian Counseling services and have received nothing but good
reports about them.