Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!

Today’s scriptures are about working with the Lord to stay away from evil. The bible teaches us that God will deliver us from evil; all we have to do is ask. However, we must be open to Him, in order to honestly be delivered from evil. One of today’s scriptures says: The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Matt. 26:41) We’re taught that Jesus offers us freedom, but what exactly are we being freed from? We’re being freed from the penalties and bondage of sin. The flesh is a major part of that bondage, and before we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, we’re a slave to it–our every waking moment is spent trying to please the flesh. There are plenty of Christians who are still slaves to their flesh–it’s like the gate has been opened to allow them to roam free, but they stay in the cage.

I think the Apostle Paul said it best when he wrote: So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. (Gal. 5:16 NIV) So you see if we allow the Spirit to lead us, then we’ll be able to easily overcome the temptations of the flesh. However, if we’re trying to keep up with what’s hip and happening, and do what the world does, we’ll fall short every time, because “worldly” people, live by the flesh. If we’re seeking pleasure all the time, then we’ll allow the flesh to lead.

Jesus once said: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Matt. 16:24) What do you think He meant when He said “let him deny himself”? If we want to follow Christ, we can’t very well give into our flesh, it’s a conflict of interest, or an oxymoron (we can’t have a “Holy flesh”). Jesus said we must turn away from our “flesh pleasing” way of life, take up our cross and follow Him. See when Jesus took up His cross, He was going to Calvary to give up His life for us. So we must take up our cross, and be prepared to give up our “worldly” life for Him. It’s not a death sentence for us, but it’s actually a life sentence. When we make a commitment to follow the Lord, and focus on what He has for us, then we’ll go on to live in victory. Jesus is the better choice, because pleasing the flesh often leaves us hung over and empty. However, denying ourselves and following Him, gives us fulfillment, peace, joy, and happiness, all the days of our life. Hallelujah!

If we want God’s best in our life, then we must allow Him to deliver us from evil. Some of us pray that every day in the Lord’s Prayer, but we don’t know how to surrender to Him. We must understand that being a Christian is not just a title, but it’s a way of life. We must be aware of His presence and seek His guidance with each step. It’s very important to surround ourselves with positivity, and the Word of God, so we can stay in touch with Him. We can’t expect to grow in our Spirit, and never pray, read the bible, listen to gospel music, or watch any TV or online ministries. These are ways to ensure that we’re always feeding our Spirit. You better believe that when we’re listening to secular music, or watching something raunchy on TV, we’re feeding our flesh, and those desires become stronger, and more attractive. The law “you reap what you sow” applies to everything.

I’m a strong advocate in the fact that life is what you make it–you get out of it, exactly what you put into it. Jesus never promised to wave a magic wand and make it all better, but He challenged us to take up our cross and follow Him. Being delivered from evil has to be something that we really want, and following Jesus frees us from evil’s reign over our life. We cannot serve man and God; it just doesn’t work that way. If you’re a Christian, but truly feel like you’re a slave to the flesh, then you haven’t taken up your cross yet. Start by learning who Jesus was as a man, and who He is as our Lord and Savior. If you don’t know Jesus as Lord, then you’ll need to start by inviting Him into your life. Once you do that, you can pray and ask God for deliverance, in Jesus’ Name, and He’ll give you freedom. For more information, please take a few minutes to take the God Quiz right now. My favorite verses today are: Two things I request of You (Deprive me not before I die): Remove falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches—feed me with the food allotted to me; lest I be full and deny You, and say, “Who is the LORD?” Or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God. (Proverbs 30-7-9)

ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455595&dtype=Scripture

http://www.intouch.org/broadcast/today-on-radio

http://www.joycemeyer.org/OurMinistries/Broadcast/

I love you!

Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!

Today’s scriptures are about serving the Lord. Service is required of all believers, the Apostle Paul wrote: You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. (Gal. 5:13-15 NIV) God commanded us to love Him, as well as each other, and as I’ve said many times before, love is an action; it’s not just something that we say but something we do. The best way to show our love to God is through service. We can serve Him in many different ways, so it’s best to find your calling and follow it. When we serve God with love, our heart will automatically be fulfilled.

The opposite of love is hate, so it’s important to point out where Paul said, “If we bite and devour each other, we’ll be destroyed by each other.” As believers we become a part of one body, which is the Body of Christ; a brotherhood of sorts. In this brotherhood, we’re responsible for taking care of, and supporting each other, in order to promote growth in the entire Body. Too often the Christian community finds itself divided amongst each other, and that’s what the devil wants. When we become divided, we’re weakened, and can’t stand as strong as we could if we’re united. We must be careful not to look down our noses at people who are lost, because we were once there. All too often, we see people who have been blessed with tremendous wealth and resources, and they sever themselves from people less fortunate. Then there are people who are too busy working to “build a life”, that they can’t possibly take on another “project”, until they reach their life’s goals. We must be aware of our demeanor and attitudes at all times, because we can destroy others, by trying to build up ourselves.

The Apostle Paul is one of the most quoted and recognized servants in the bible, and I believe God used him in such an awesome way, because most human beings can relate to Paul’s life, from beginning to end. Paul wasn’t a perfect man, but he surrendered to, and served under Jesus Christ—he died for the sake of the Gospel. Paul said, in his speech to the Ephesian Elders: I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents.” (Act 20:19) Through all that Paul faced—persecution, abuse, false imprisonment, torture, or whatever else you can think of—he refused to stop serving the Lord. He fought so that the people that came after him wouldn’t have to fight as hard. He preached the gospel to empower and inspire the lost [and believers], to grow in Spirit and truth. I learned from Paul that life won’t always be easy, but we must press forward for the Lord, because our rewards are much greater in Heaven.

Paul ended this speech with this: “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” (Acts 20:32-35) When we trust God with all our heart, it’s so much easier to live by this simple principle, because we truly believe that God is going to supply our every need. When strive to give first, we’ve truly taken on the heart Jesus Christ. Jesus was the ultimate servant of God, and His life was more about us, than it was about Him.

I remember not too long ago, I was in this total “woe it’s me” season, complaining about how hard life is, and how I always put everyone else’s needs in front of my own. There was one moment that I heard the Spirit say, “it’s not about you Saundra”. Right then a light bulb went off, and I finally started to get it. Everything isn’t always all about me, and I needed to step outside of myself, and try to see life through the eyes of Christ. It wasn’t until then, that I realized what life was all about. It’s not about how much you can receive, or how hard you work to accumulate riches, but it’s about how much you give. From then forward, the answer to all of my problems was, “It’s not always about you Saundra”, and that helps me step back, and see God’s part in every situation. If you’re struggling with service, keep reminding yourself that it’s not all about you. We’re here to accomplish something much deeper than we could imagine. I’m not telling you to forgo all of your plans and goals for the future, but to seek God first. Follow His lead and I promise you’ll find that service is always at the top of His list.

When we accept Jesus as Lord, we become one with Him, and He begins to work on our heart. When you take on the heart of a servant, strive to follow His lead. If you haven’t confessed Jesus as your Lord and Savior, or aren’t sure where you stand with Him, take a few moments to take the God Quiz right now, you don’t have time to waste. It’s time to start storing up your treasures in Heaven. My favorite verse today is: I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. (John 15:16)

ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455511&dtype=Scripture

http://www.intouch.org/broadcast/today-on-radio

http://www.intouch.org/magazine/daily-devotional

I love you!

Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!

Today's scriptures are about being in love with Christ. How many of you know how it feels to be "in love" with someone? Hopefully you've each had the opportunity to experience this wonderful gift from God. To be in love, means that you have completely given your heart to another person. Your main concern is pleasing them and making sure they're happy, because they've made you so very happy. You think about them constantly, want to be near them all hours of the day, and you thank God for them being in your life. You consult them before making major decisions, because you value their opinion. Does this sound familiar? Being in love usually means that the person loves you just as much, or even more. How many of you would say that you feel this way about Jesus? I will shout it from the rooftop; I am in love with Jesus Christ!

Jesus loves us so much that He laid down His life for us. Not just physically, but His entire life. He said: As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. (John 15:9) Jesus spent His days on earth making sure we had everything that we needed, and not only the people who were physically with Him, but all of us. He taught from His heart, fed the hungry, healed the sick, and led the lost. He never judged anyone for who they where in the past, but He judged them by their heart. His love was so strong that He willingly endured torture [which led to His physical death], for every living soul. How could you not love Him for that? He saved you! He loves you, and works each day to make sure that your prayers are heard, you're blessing are bountiful, and your heart is full. His love is unconditional, and He doesn't care if you’re rich, poor, old, or young. He loves you even if you once hated Him, He's just that wonderful!

When I was young, I would go to church and see people crying, running around, and falling out, and I wondered why. I wondered how could they make fools out of themselves like that, and questioned whether they where just putting on a show. However, as I got older I realized that they were in love with Jesus, and didn’t care who knew it. They each expressed their love in different ways, but they felt His love penetrate their whole heart, and had to share that feeling with any and everyone. I know that feeling now, because when I think about Jesus my heart gets filled with so much joy that I can't help but praise Him! I talk about Him to anyone who's willing to listen, because I want them to feel the incredible love and joy that I feel in my heart. I think about Him each day, and hope that the life I lead is pleasing to Him, and seek to become closer to Him. When I go a few hours without talking to Him, my heart aches for some type of fellowship with Him, and I have to at least thank Him for His grace and mercy. I can't go a day without Him, and I'm so grateful that I've come to this point in my Faith walk, because it's exhilarating and fascinating, awesome and amazing.

Jesus went on to say, in this chapter of John: If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. (15:10) To abide in His love means to stay in it, to be a part of it, to patiently await it, and dwell in it; in other words to be "in love" with Him. He said: “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends." (15:11-13) To be in Love with Jesus, means to love everyone around you. We get to a point where it just comes naturally. You want the best for everyone, and you’re quick to forgive them if they do wrong by you, and will help anyone in need. Jesus preached love, joy, peace, happiness, and life, not condemnation, death, or judgment. Jesus wanted us to have life abundantly, and to live and learn.

Love is a wonderful thing, because it comes from God. Remember, He so "loved" the world that He gave His Son, so that ALL will have life. The type of love that He offers can't be received from anyone else. His love is unconditional, pure, free, open, forgiving, merciful, and true. The best part is that He already loves you in this way; all you have to do is be open to receive it. Seek Him, in order to fall in love with Him, and your life will change forever. Once you've experienced the love of Christ, nothing will look or feel the same again. You'll be able to love others richer and more complete, without reproach.

If you don't know Jesus as Lord, you haven't TRULY experienced love. I tried my best to explain it, but I can't do it justice, you'll have to experience it for yourself. If you're lost and confused as to what you believe, especially with all of the attacks you see on the body of Christ, take a few moments to take the God Quiz right now. Say a prayer and ask God to open your eyes, and allow you to truly see love. I promise you'll fall in love with Him, but you have to seek Him, because you can't truly love someone you don't know. My favorite verse today is: My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord. (Psalm 104:34)

ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455462&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/broadcast/today-on-radio
http://www.intouch.org/magazine/daily-devotional

I love you!

Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Today's scriptures are about receiving a new heart and a new Spirit from God. I spent many years trying to be good, and do well on my own, but I had it all wrong. Knowledge is power, so when we seek God’s wisdom, we'll find everything we need to grow in our Spirit, as well as keep a peaceful heart. I'm so grateful for the Grace of God! When we come to the realization that we're inadequate, and cannot live a righteous life without Him, we'll surrender. We'll take on a meek spirit, and open our heart up to Him.

God wants our happiness, but happiness is impossible without peace. I don't know one person who just wants to be pure evil, because it takes more energy to be angry, upset, and mean; it's just plain exhausting. We were created with a conscience, which is a God-given sensor that everyone has, to help us recognize right from wrong. It's different, yet very similar to the Holy Spirit. Whether saved or unsaved, we’ll feel remorseful for the bad things, and proud of the good things we do; it's just in our nature. So believe me, that person whose main purpose in life is to make others miserable, is fighting his or her own demons. There's some type of pain on the inside of them, which makes them act and react the way that they do.

We notice the immediate remorse and regret in Adam and Eve right after they disobeyed God, and they didn't have the Holy Spirit within them. Before Christ, God used the conscious to persuade people to repent, and make sacrifices for their sins. He had many messengers, prophets, and His written Word, to help man avoid evil. Nonetheless, it wasn't until they surrendered to Him, could He change their heart. Today we're so very blessed to have Salvation, once and for all, through Jesus Christ. It's written: For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. (Heb. 9:13-15)
The best day of my life was when I received the call. I decided that I'd had enough of uneasiness, pain, heartache, anger, and utter chaos in my life. I grew weary, which was the most humbling period in my life. I was so weak from trying to fight my battles alone, that I literally couldn't get up out of the bed. I had been trying to change, and start going to church regularly. I wanted to stop the smoking, drinking, partying, lying, and other sins I was committing. I was tired of being tired, so I eventually I fell on my knees and cried out to the Lord. That was the moment I realized that I couldn't do it on my own. The more I tried, the harder it became. I asked God to fix me, renew me, and strengthen me, and that's when the light came on. I was filled with the Spirit, and my life changed from that day forward. What a lot of us don't realize is that when we accept Jesus as Lord, we become one with Him, and He's one with God. We cannot live in evil, because we're no longer subjected to it.

God will refine us, and start the rebuilding process, and sometimes things need to be torn down, in order to be rebuilt on a solid foundation, with a stronger frame. When I deliberately sought the Lord, things just started to change. I started to hunger and thirst for Him more, and found that my cravings for the ways of the world decreased. It's a daily walk with Him, and the enemy still works hard to take me out of this place, but Jesus said: My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. (John 10:27-29) I find true peace in the promises of the Lord, because I know that no matter what happens in this life, I am His.
I can't count the amount of times I heard a person say, I can't go to church, or surrender my life to God, because I'm not ready. People are under the notion that they have to become "better" in order to be saved. If there's only one thing you take from this message, let it be the fact that you're incapable of becoming "better" without God. He is who will make you righteous, but only when He becomes one with you. The only thing you need to do is surrender. Realize and understand that you need Him, and He'll show you the way. He has a calling on your life, and He's been knocking and knocking, waiting on you to answer that call. If you’re trying to "fix" your life before you answer His call, then you will never experience the love of God. Remember He said, "My grace is sufficient in your weakness".

If you don't know Jesus, then don't wait any longer, ask Him to come into your life today! He doesn't care what state your life is in, or how many sins you've committed, He'll take you just as you are. You're clay, and He's waiting to mold you. As my Pastor taught us this past Sunday, the good thing about clay is if you notice a blemish or make a mistake in your sculpture, it's really easy break the mold down, and start again fresh. Don't allow the enemy to lie to you any longer, submit to the Lord, and allow Him to mold you into the beautiful Spirit you're intended to be. My favorite verses today are: There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4:1-6)

ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455450&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/broadcast/today-on-radio
http://www.intouch.org/magazine/daily-devotional

I love you!

daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY TUESDAY!

Today's scriptures are about living in the midst of evil. Yesterday I started to write about the nature of the flesh, which is very pertinent to today's message. The “flesh”, which was created from the dust that comes from the earth, is the body’s natural form. Adam and Eve are responsible for mankind’s free will, and the knowledge of “good and evil”. Consequently, we're born into a sinful nature, and our flesh wants whatever it wants, when it wants it. In the flesh we are of a carnal mind, so we often give in to our every want and desire, without hindsight.

As we know, everything we do has a consequence, good or bad, so living by the flesh has proven to be very dangerous, to say the least. It's written: As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. (Eph 2:1-3) Wow! Paul describes us as "objects [or children] of wrath" when operating in the flesh. Wrath is a really strong word, but now that I think about it, before I surrendered my life to Christ, I can remember the wrath that was caused by me, or was brought to my life. It came because of the poor decisions I made in the flesh. I am proud to say that Jesus Christ is the best thing that has ever happened to me!

When we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, we're anointed with the Holy Spirit. Our spirit is being transformed, and we begin to take on the heart and mind of Christ. We begin to thirst for the Lord, and to quench that thirst we must learn who He is, and pray for the strength and wisdom to overcome the world, and the things of it. At the same time, we have to live on this earth, and mix and mingle with unbelievers, and the flesh heavily influences us. The enemy glamorizes everything, to make it seem more than it really is. As we grow in our spirit, we'll begin to realize just how empty the ways of the world are, because God will reveal the truth. It's written: Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. (Romans 8:5-8)

You may be asking, "How can I live above the world, but still be very much in it?" The answer lies in one word, "surrender". When we come to a realization that we cannot do anything without Christ, we'll begin to surrender to His will. Surrendering means to live on purpose, and with a purpose, as well as looking to Christ for guidance. Our main goal is fellowship with God, so we must do just that. We must spend quality time with Him, by studying His word, praying without ceasing, and meditating. Those things seem so simple, but because we're in constant battle with our flesh, it's harder than you may think. The enemy will throw so many things in our way to keep us separated from God. It's up to us to recognize what’s of the Spirit and what's of the flesh, and quickly avoid or lay down the things not of the Spirit. You must understand that it's not all about you, just as Jesus did right before the time of His crucifixion, when He told God "not My will, but Yours, be done". (Luke 22:42)

When we're continuously focused on God, we don't have time to focus on the world. Constantly thinking about how we can please Him, will give us an inner peace, which surpasses all human understanding. He'll give us the strength to move a mountain, but keeps us meek and compassionate. I speak from personal experience, almost like the Apostle Paul. I've been extremely low in my life, and I've watched the wonder that is Christ flourish in my heart, mind, body, and Spirit. I still struggle in my flesh daily, but the struggle isn’t my main concern. I've experienced rewards for right choices, and punishments for wrong, so I'll choose God over anything else. I surrender each day, praying and asking Him to show me His way, and give me the wisdom to complete His will, and that He does. I sometimes fall short, because I'm a human being, but I try my best, and I love God with all of my heart, that's all He asks for.

If you haven't accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, you're still in the flesh. You must confess to God the fact that you're a sinner, and ask Jesus to be Lord of your life. God will forgive you of your sins, and fill you with His Holy Spirit, and you will forever be changed, once you surrender. Jesus prayed, ” Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil", so ask God to help you over come the world, and surrender to His Spirit. If you're not sure of your Salvation, or want more information, check out Dr. Stanley’s God Quiz. My favorite verse today is: The Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and keep you from evil. (2 Thessalonians 3:3)

ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455419&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/broadcast/today-on-radio
http://www.intouch.org/magazine/daily-devotional

I love you!