Blog Archives
Our Daily Bread – Fighting Off Jealousy
Read: 1 Corinthians 3:1-10
The story is told of two shopkeepers who were bitter rivals. They spent each day keeping track of each other’s business. If one got a customer, he would smile triumphantly at his rival.
One night an angel appeared to one of the shopkeepers in a dream and said, “I will give you anything you ask, but whatever you receive, your competitor will receive twice as much. What is your desire?” The man frowned and then said, “Strike me blind in one eye.” Now that’s jealousy of the worst kind!
The self-destructive emotion of jealousy had the potential of tearing apart the Corinthian church. These believers had received the gospel but had not allowed the Holy Spirit to change their hearts. As a result, they became jealous of one another, which led to a divided community. Paul identified their jealousy as a sign of immaturity and worldliness (1 Cor. 3:3). These believers were not acting like people who had been transformed by the gospel.
One of the clearest indicators that the Holy Spirit is working in our lives is our contentment and our thankfulness for what we have. Then, instead of experiencing jealousy, we are able to genuinely celebrate the gifts and blessings of others.
we need and so much more. Help us to be content
with what we have, knowing that without You
we would have neither life nor breath.
Don’t Get Snared
Today’s Scripture:
You are snared by the words of your mouth… – Proverbs 6:2, NKJV.
Today’s Word:
During the 1990’s, Jose Lima was the star pitcher for the Houston Astros. One season, he won 20 games and was considered one of the best pitchers in the league. When the Astros moved from the Astrodome to their new ballpark downtown, the fence in left field was much closer than the fence in the Astrodome. It favored the hitters and made it more difficult on the pitchers. The first time Jose Lima went to the new ballpark, he stood on the mound, looked at the fence, and the first words out of his mouth were, “I’ll never be able to pitch in here. The fence is way too close.” Sure enough, he went from being a 20-game winner to a 16-game loser. It was one of the biggest negative turnarounds in the history of the Astros. What happened? He prophesied his future.
Today, don’t get snared by the words of your mouth. When negative thoughts come, don’t speak them out; instead, speak life. Speak hope. Speak blessing. Speak what you seek! Speak the Word of God so you can move forward in the victory He has prepared for you!
Prayer for Today:
Father, today I submit my thoughts, my words, and every area of my life to You. Help me, by Your Spirit, to speak life according to Your Word. Help me to stay aligned with You on the path of blessing in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Copyright © 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries
Our Daily Bread – Much Trouble
Read: Joshua 1:1-7
A young boy named Riley started a fight with Avery on the school playground after a soccer match. The teacher broke it up, and both boys were sent to the principal’s office. Later, Avery said, “And of course, like always, we both got in trouble.” But he shared that he learned a lesson: “God is always with us, even if we get in as much trouble as this.”
The nation of Israel was in big trouble. Yet the Lord promised the nation’s new leader: “I will not leave you nor forsake you” (Josh. 1:5). Joshua was taking over leadership of the Israelites after Moses’ death, just before they were to enter the Promised Land. Trouble was on the horizon with numerous military campaigns against their enemies coming up (8:3; 9:1-2). Without God’s presence, they couldn’t begin to acquire the land.
Joshua had a strong faith in the Lord, as seen when he spied out the land of Canaan (Num. 14:6-9). But God graciously gave him the reminder as he took over the leadership role that he could be courageous because of His presence. He promises the same to His children today (Heb. 13:5-6).
It’s a comforting lesson for God’s children of all ages to know: The Lord is always with us. Even when we’re in “as much trouble as this.”
and that You’ll never leave us.
Help us to hold on to that promise when
trouble seems to threaten on every side. Amen.
Back On Track
by Joyce Meyer – posted September 21, 2012
For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born
anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]. —Ephesians 2:10
We are God’s own handiwork. He created us with His own hands. We got messed up, so we had to be recreated in Christ Jesus. We had to be born again so that we could go ahead and do those good works that God had preplanned and predestined for us before Satan tried to ruin us.
Just because you and I have had trouble in our lives or just because we have made mistakes does not mean that God’s plan has been changed. It is still there. All we have to do is get back on track.
From the book New Day, New You by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2006 by Joyce Meyer. Published by InProv. All rights reserved.
Go Further, Dream Bigger
Today’s Scripture:
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. – Philippians 4:13, NKJV.
Today’s Word:
Today, I want to remind you of what God says about you. No matter what’s happening in your life today, remember: you are not limited by your resources, your family or your background. Almighty God has equipped and empowered you. He has given you creativity, ideas, inventions, skills and talents. Don’t you dare settle for a mediocre life! Today, I call forth the seeds of greatness inside of you.
Today, I declare that your best days are ahead. That you are going to go further than anyone in your family ever did; that you are going to dream bigger and live higher. I declare that you are a leader, an influencer, a minister of reconciliation. You are the fragrance of God to the nations.
Before anyone put a curse on you, God Almighty put a blessing on you. Walk and live in that blessing by following His commands and staying fully committed to Him in everything you do!
Prayer for Today:
Father, thank You for blessing me and calling me according to Your purposes. I receive Your Word which is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I will hide Your truth in my heart that I might not sin against You n Jesus’ name. Amen.
Copyright © 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries
The Unity Of The Faith
Posted by Joel Osteen on 9/21/2012
One thing I’ve learned in life is that you aren’t going to agree on everything with every single person you encounter. Backgrounds, upbringing, friends and family all have influence on people’s perspective. Scripture shows us in Ephesians 4 that our goal should be to come together in the unity of the faith in the knowledge of the Son of God. In other words, we are eternally connected by believing that Jesus is the Son of God; that He lived on earth, died for our sins, and rose from the dead so that we could live in eternity with Him. Unity in Christ is the foundation upon which everything else in our lives should be built.
My friend Andy Stanley talks about this in his new book, Deep and Wide—Creating Churches Unchurched People Love to Attend. He writes:
“For millennia, before the invention of concrete, builders used stones to lay a foundation for a new building. They gathered granite, marble, or limestone from a quarry and chiseled the material into giant brick-shaped blocks. They then selected one particular stone and designated it the “cornerstone”—the reference stone that would determine the placement of every other stone in the foundation. As they laid other stones end-to-end to form the outline of the building’s foundation, they made sure each one was level and square with the cornerstone.
In a clever play on words, Jesus used Peter’s nickname to connect his declaration to what was to come. The cornerstone or foundation for this new entity called ‘the church’ would be the belief that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Two millennia later, that is still the unifying factor within the church. Truth is, belief in Jesus as the Son of God is about the only thing all Bible churches hold in common. As Jesus predicted, Peter’s declaration became the common ground and a compass point for everything that was to follow.”
Today, instead of focusing on your differences, focus on your agreements. Focus on unity in knowing Christ and allowing Him to do His perfect work in every area of your life!
“This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13, NLT)
This Disobedience Of Unbelief
by Joyce Meyer – posted September 20, 2012
And Elisha said to him, Take bow and arrows. And he took bow and arrows. And he said to the king of Israel, Put your hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it, and Elisha put his hands upon the king’s hands. And he said, Open the window to the east. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Syria. For you shall smite the Syrians in Aphek till you have destroyed them. Then he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, Strike on the ground. And he struck three times and stopped. And the man of God was angry with him and said, You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Syria until you had destroyed it. But now you shall strike Syria down only three times. —2 Kings 13:15–19
It’s easy to say, “I believe,” but the true test comes when we have to act on what we believe. In this story, the king came to Elisha the prophet to seek his help in obtaining deliverance from the Syrians. The prophet told him to strike arrows on the ground as a symbol of Israel’s attacks against their enemy, but the king stopped after shooting only three arrows onto the ground.
Unbelief is disobedience. Period. Had the king believed, he would have struck arrows on the ground many times. Because of his unbelief, he stopped before he’d even gotten a good start. It is not surprising that Elisha became frustrated and angry with him. Incidents of unbelief are recorded throughout the Old and New Testaments. Unbelief seems to be at work in nearly every direction we turn. Matthew 17:14-20 records the story of a man who brought his epileptic son to Jesus for healing. He said, “And I brought him to Your disciples, and they were not able to cure him” (v. 16).
This boy’s father was hurt and disappointed in the disciples’ lack of ability to emulate their Leader. We might have agreed with him had we been in his place that day. After all, Jesus had been traveling with these twelve men for several months. They had repeatedly observed as He performed miracles wherever they went. In Luke 10, we learn that Jesus sent out other followers, and they performed a number of miracles and healings. Why couldn’t the disciples do them in this instance? Jesus had constantly encouraged them to heal the sick and do the things that He did.
Yet they were unable to heal the boy, and Jesus said: “O you unbelieving (warped, wayward, rebellious) and thoroughly perverse generation! How long am I to remain with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to Me” (v. 17). Jesus cast out the demon, and the boy was cured. Unbelief leads to disobedience.
But here’s the end of the story. When the disciples asked Jesus why they couldn’t heal the boy, Jesus’ answer was clear: “Because of the littleness of your faith [that is, your lack of firmly relying trust] . . .” (v. 20).
I feel sure that Jesus’ answer caused the disciples to examine their hearts and to ask what held them back. Why didn’t they believe? Perhaps they had allowed negative thinking to enter their minds. Perhaps they weren’t able to grasp the fact that Jesus wanted to use them and empower them to perform miracles.
Of course, we know from reading the book of Acts that once they were filled with the Holy Spirit, the disciples demonstrated God’s supernatural power at work—but not in this story. He said to them, “I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father” (John 14:12).
The promise remains valid to this day. Unbelief will keep us from doing what God has called and anointed us to accomplish in life. It will also hinder us from experiencing the sense of peace He wants us to enjoy as we find rest for our souls in Him (see Matthew 11:28,29 KJV).
When God tells us we can do something, we must believe that we can. It is not by our power or our might that we are able to do what He tells us to, but by His Spirit working on the inside of us that we win in the battle of unbelief.
Lord Jesus, forgive my lack of faith. I know that when I don’t believe, I am disobeying You. In Your name, I ask You to help me push away every bit of unbelief so that I may focus on faithfully following You. Amen.
From the book Battlefield of the Mind Devotional by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2006 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.
Speak Vision
Today’s Scripture:
The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. – Proverbs 18:21, NIV.
Today’s Word:
Every word you speak matters. Something you say may seem insignificant to you, but to someone else those words can be life changing. When you use your words to lift someone’s spirit and speak words of vision and life over them, you are depositing seeds that will last throughout eternity.
It’s especially important to speak vision into our children. As a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, teacher or friend, the children in your life need to hear on a regular basis that they can do something great with their lives. As parents, our words carry incredible weight. That’s why you should never put a child down. Don’t ever say, “You’re slow, clumsy or dumb. Why can’t you make good grades like your sister? Why can’t you hit the baseball like your cousin?” Those words are seeds. They can take root and affect that child many years later. Too many people have been crippled by low expectations. But today, all of that can change. Today, you can start to speak vision over yourself and over the people in your life. Today, you can call out the seeds of greatness in others and stir up the gift of God inside. Today, speak life, speak hope and speak vision!
Prayer for Today:
Father, today I choose to speak life. I choose to speak hope. I choose to speak vision. Let me see the people in my life the way You see them. Let me see the potential You have placed in them so that I can call forth their seeds of greatness in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Copyright © 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries
You Are More Than a Conqueror
by Joyce Meyer – posted September 19, 2012
Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us. —Romans 8:37
Some people believe the only way to victory is to somehow avoid having problems. But I have learned that real victory is not in being problem free. True victory for the child of God comes when there is still peace in the soul right in the midst of the raging storm—when tragedy strikes and one can still say, “It is well with my soul.”
This can only happen when you are looking at Jesus instead of your circumstances.
The key to having victory is understanding it only comes “through Him who loved us.” If you are facing problems that seem insurmountable, remember you are a conqueror through Him. Allow God to strengthen your inner man. When you are strong inside you can defeat anything that comes against you.
From the book Ending Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2004 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.
Live With An Eternal Perspective
Today’s Scripture:
…It is more blessed to give than to receive. – Acts 20:35, NIV.
Today’s Word:
So much of our culture is inward focused. People are conditioned to think, “What’s in it for me?” But the most rewarding way to live is not with the attitude, “How can I get blessed today?” No, if we are always self-focused wondering how we can benefit, that’s living with a shallow, temporary mentality. Instead of looking out only for your good, turn it around and say, “How can I be a blessing to others? Who can I inspire to rise higher? What seeds of greatness can I call forth out of someone?” Friend, that’s living at a higher level.
Today, I encourage you to be on the lookout for ways to be a blessing to other people. It’s amazing how one word of encouragement can change the direction of a person’s life forever. When you reach out and speak faith over others, when you speak vision and cause others to rise higher, something supernatural happens to your own life. It won’t be long before you see yourself excelling and rising up higher when you live with an eternal perspective!
Prayer for Today:
Father, help me to live with an eternal perspective. Help me to stay focused on meeting the needs of others. Let me be Your hands and feet, let me be Your mouthpiece and bring You glory in everything I do in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Copyright © 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries
I Am Lady Fab 