WHY GOD ALLOWS PAIN...really good

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This is one of the best explanations of why God allows pain and suffering that I have seen... A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: "I don't believe that God exists." "Why do you say that?" asked the customer. "Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things." The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber: "You know what? Barbers do not exist." "How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber. "I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!" "No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside." "Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me." "Exactly!" affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world." If you think God exists, send this to other people--- If you think God does not exist, delete it! BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO OTHERS !!!!!!!

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The Church's One Foundation: JESUS

Dear Brother/Sister in Christ,

In Job 14:14, Job asks, "If a man dies, shall he live again?" This question is essential to every human being. One answer is found in John 11:25-26. In this passage of Scripture, Jesus is responding to a statement made by Martha, one of the sisters of Lazarus. Lazarus was a dear friend of Jesus who had recently died, and Martha was saying that if Jesus had been there, her brother would not have died.

"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die...'"

What is crucial to understand here is that Jesus is not talking about natural or physical death. He uses this opportunity to state a profound truth that is the underlying foundation of Christianity. This foundational truth is that a person is either spiritually alive or spiritually dead based on the person's relationship with Christ while he or she was physically alive.

When a person believes and confesses Jesus as Savior and Lord, this person is deemed to have experienced the new birth. He or she is now alive to God in Christ Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:22). This person is then said to be born-again (John 3:3), saved (Romans 10:9-10), a child of God (John 1:12), or a Christian (1 Peter 4:16).

The opposite of saved is lost. Therefore, anyone who does not believe and confess Jesus as Savior and Lord is considered a non-Christian, a non-believer, unsaved, and condemned (John 3:16-18). However, the Word tells us in II Peter 3:9 that God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

When God created the earth, He invested the totality of Mankind in the first man: Adam. God gave Adam dominion over the earth and all that was in it (Genesis 1:26). The devil, in the form of a serpent, tempted Adam's mate, Eve, to eat of the fruit of the tree that God had commanded Adam not to eat. She succumbed to this temptation, and when she offered the fruit to Adam, he also ate of it.

In this act of disobedience, Adam rejected God's Lordship. By this deed, Adam put the earth and all Mankind, whom he represented under the dominion of Satan. As a result, Adam's rulership of the earth passed to Satan.

The most tragic consequence was that Satan's rebellious nature, called "sin nature," became a part of man's nature. The sin nature spiritually separated Mankind from God. This spiritual separation is called spiritual death.

God is so good, and loves you and me so much, that even though Adam disobeyed God, He did something about spiritual death so that we could escape its penalty of condemnation. That "something" is really a "someone"-His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus came to earth in human form. Through His death, burial and resurrection Jesus provided the redemption necessary for Mankind to enjoy the father/child relationship that had existed with Almighty God before Adam's sin. However, there is one stipulation. Every person, upon reaching the age of accountability, must now choose between having God as his spiritual Father (through Jesus) or having Satan as his spiritual head by not accepting Jesus as Savior and Lord.

Peter says in Acts 4:12: "Nor is there salvation in any other [referring to Jesus], for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

Jesus, speaking of Himself said in John 14:6: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

From these verses we can see that Jesus is God's only way for man to be saved and become spiritually alive.

Jesus said in John 5:24: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life."

Every person who comes into this world inherits his or her parents' sin nature. They received this nature from their parents, who got it from their parents, and so on down the line, all the way back to Adam and Eve. This nature is a spiritually dead nature. This is why the Bible says we move "from death into life" when we accept salvation through Jesus. The moment a person confesses Jesus as Savior and Lord, he or she immediately becomes the possessor of eternal life.

What It Means to Worship

Dear Brother/Sister in Christ,

When many of us think of worship, we think about a slow praise song, or waving our hands in the air during church service. But true worship starts on the inside of you. The Greek word for worship is proskyneo which means "prostrating, bowing to and laying aside our own self and our own life." To worship God is to bow your desires down before Him, and let His will be done in your life; it is an inward state of being that continually honors and reverences God.

In Matthew 4:10, Jesus demonstrates the manner in which we should always be willing to lay down our lives and our bodies as a living sacrifice, even during temptation. In this scripture, Satan was tempting Jesus by offering Him the world and the very kingdoms that Jesus had come to take back from him if He would bow down and worship him instead of God. In the face of this test, Jesus responded by saying, "Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord they God, and Him only shalt thou serve." Jesus laid down the temptation to yield to His flesh in order to accomplish a greater mission. So likewise, you have to be willing to put God before everything else in your life.

Can God trust that He can work out his plans and purposes through you? A perfect example of this is in Genesis chapters 42–46, when Jacob thought he had lost his beloved son Joseph forever. Through God's mighty hand, however, he reunited Joseph with his father Jacob and his brothers.

Joseph was Jacob's favorite son, and his older brothers envied him because of this. They sold him into slavery, and tricked Jacob into believing that his son had been fatally attacked in the wilderness. God was with Joseph, however, which gave him the power to prosper everywhere he went. He was thrown in prison after being falsely accused of rape, but he prospered even behind bars, and was promoted. Joseph eventually became Pharaoh's highest ranking official after he interpreted a mind–boggling dream for the ruler.

Years later, during a severe famine, Jacob's family came to Pharaoh for food. As the chief official, Joseph was the man who was responsible for supplying their need. When Jacob's older sons came to him to buy food, they did not recognize Joseph, and he used it to his advantage to see his younger brother Benjamin and request him to return to see him after their first trip to Egypt. Jacob feared the possibility of losing another son, but he submitted to what was being asked of him. As a result of his being obedient to Joseph's orders, and the will of God by releasing Benjamin to Joseph once more, the Lord was able to reunite this family, and restore what Jacob thought had been lost. Not only did Joseph reveal his true identity to his father and brothers, but God also used him as an avenue through which He could funnel his provision to them during their time of need.

Jacob operated in true worship in the face of fear, and losing something that was dear to him—his youngest son Benjamin. Are you willing to do the same? This is what worship is all about; a sacrifice must be given before the God–kind of abundance is released. What is God trying to get you to give up for His plans? It may simply be a good deed, money or clothing. Whatever it is, if you are holding something you treasure from God, you are keeping your Benjamin. You have to trust God, that he will bless you because of your sacrifice, and heart of worship toward Him. You cannot see it as a loss, but as a spiritual gain. When you lay your desires and your plans aside for God, He sees it as true worship.

The Two Phases – Anticipation and Reality!

Dear Brother/Sister in Christ,

"But the hour cometh, and now is..." John 4:23

Phase one: anticipation. This woman had lived through 5 failed marriages, become the talk of the town, and lost her capacity to trust others or respect herself. Then Jesus showed up and said, "The hour cometh." What a message: "Things are about to change. What you're weeping over today you'll rejoice over tomorrow." God's grace turns the failures of our past into fertilizer. Like a lily springing up in a mud marsh, God offers us: "Beauty for ashes, and the garment of praise in exchange for the spirit of heaviness." (See Is 61:3).

Notice when Christ mentioned this woman's past, He wasn't a Pharisee pointing an accusing finger. No, He was the Good Shepherd walking for miles to find one lost sheep; the great Physician pouring healing love into her deepest wounds; and "the door" that leads out of misery and into the life she always longed for.

Phase two: reality. "And now is." The waiting is over. Anticipation turns to reality and she seizes her moment. When Jesus said, "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give…shall never thirst" (Jn 4:14); she replies: "Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not" (Jn 4:15). She reaches by faith and receives what He has for her.

Then redeemed, recycled and redirected, this woman with a questionable past goes all over town introducing others to Christ. What a story! And what Jesus did for her He'll do for you. What He said to her He says to you: "Your time has come. Your breakthrough is at hand. Believe it, receive it and walk in it."

The Final Payment for Sin

Dear Brother / Sister in Christ,

I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. (KJV)Psalms 91:2

There is always a payment for sin. The wages, price tag, or salary of sin is death. Sin always equals death. But we must focus on the fact that the price for our sin has been paid. It was paid with the precious blood of Jesus. That blood bought us many things, one of which is protection from danger.

At one time in history, God accepted the death of animals for a temporary payment for sin. He would allow the blood of animals to cover our sin for a short period of time. But a temporary measure wouldn't get the job done. We needed not to have our sins covered up; we needed to have our sins washed away and the vehicle that would wash away our sins would be the shed blood of Jesus. Thank God for the Blood.

Jesus was qualified to shed His blood for us because He was a sinless man, anointed by the Holy Ghost. Even though He was tempted at all points like we are, He did not sin. And since He did not have any sin of His own, He was qualified to bear our sins. His sinless blood was shed to wash away our sins. It was His blood that finished the job. Therefore we live by the word, we live by the water, we live by the blood, and we live by the witness that is within us. Living by that witness is having faith in the blood shed for us.

When we have faith we please God (Heb. 11:6). We all want to please God. That being the case, we must first believe that God is. Additionally, we must believe that God is the rewarder, not the one taking from us. He rewards us, he does not destroy us. So we rest in His protection, knowing that He rewards us by keeping us from danger when we have faith in Him. We must believe He is a rewarder of them that seek Him diligently.

Jesus' blood was the final payment for sin. We now stand free from sin. We are in right standing with God, with all of heaven to keep us safe.

Scripture references: Hebrews 4:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21

GREATEST WEAPONS OF ALL

Each day I try to do my best to encourage you and give you practical
guidance to help translate your faith into your every day life. Today
is one
of those core areas that is critical to the spiritual life of a family.
Men,
you are REQUIRED to take the spiritual headship of your home and make
prayer
part of the daily life at your house. You should pray with your spouse
EVERY
day, and the two of you should be praying with your kids EVERY day.

Does this insure you have no problems in your marriage or with your
children. NO. But it must be part of our every day life to commit the
issues
we are facing to the Lord in prayer, to be thankful for all God does
for us
each day, to openly express our dependence on Him. For those single
moms and
dads, during this season you are in, you need to be the spiritual
leader in
your home and it is up to you to make time each day to pray with your
kids.
There is nothing greater you can do for your marriage and in the life
of
your family than that daily time of prayer together.

This is not a matter to debate. The Bible clearly tells us to pray one
for
another. How much more should we pray together as husband and wife, as
a
family unit? It becomes like everything else in our life, a matter of
priorities. It is amazing how much we can accomplish when it is
something we
want to do. However, there always seems to be reasons why we can't do
the
things necessary to maintain our focus on the things of God. I am not
talking about 5 hour long prayer meetings, though there may be times
when
that is greatly needed. Just taking 15 minutes, praying about the
issues you
are currently facing will make a great difference.

There is no better lesson for your kids than to see God answering
prayers in
their life, and not answering in some cases. It helps prepare them for
the
real world they are living in and helps them to learn to be dependent
upon
God each day. For a husband and wife, you share the most intimate
things
possible physically yet for some reason, you can't share in the most
intimate things spiritually. That never has made sense to me.

Trust me, I realize that this is a big step for many. Let me leave you
with
this challenge. Take the next 4 weeks. Make 5 minutes each day to pray
with
your spouse alone and another 5 to pray with the children. With your
spouse,
each of you take a few minutes to share your needs, then the husband
lead in
prayer for those needs. Before you end, each of you just take a minute
to
pray for your spouse, that God will bless them richly that day.

Same with your kids. Take a few minutes to have each of your children
share
the needs pressing, then dad lead in prayer for those needs.
Afterwards,
both mom and dad should pray over each child for God's protection and
blessings. A side note, keeping a prayer journal is a great way to look
back
after 6 months and see God's faithfulness. Simply write down the
request and
date...and then the answer when it comes and the date.

MAKE THIS A PRIORITY TO DO EACH DAY FOR THE NEXT 4 WEEKS. Trust me when
I
tell you that it will change your relationship with your spouse and
children. For those who have a spouse that isn't saved and isn't going
to go
for this, here is the plan. Spend a few minutes either at night or in
the
morning when your spouse is sleeping to lay your hands on them and pray
for
them.

I love you and care about you so much. Praying with your spouse each
day,
praying with your kids each day, doesn't make your home immune from the
trials and tribulations of this world. It will however keep your home
focused each day on the Lord, and who is in control. The journey of
faith we
are on is a 24/7 experience. Not one hour on Sunday, or every now and
then.
Can you see how much harder it becomes to be involved in sin when you
are
focusing on the Lord each day personally, and then with your spouse,
and
then with your kids? God will honor those who honor Him.

It is time that we quit being so lazy, quit waiting until we are in the
midst of crisis to call out to the Lord. The reason we are so weak and
ineffective in our Christian lives is because we are lazy and do
nothing to
strengthen ourselves for the storms of life. When they come, we are
lost and
have no idea how to fight. A good soldier is always in training so that
when
it is time for battle they are prepared. The Bible tells us that our
enemy
is not of flesh and blood . . . it is a spiritual battle we are in.
Subsequently, it is critical that we are training daily to fight those
spiritual battles, both in our personal lives, and in the lives of
those God
has given us during this journey.

I will be praying today that you hear this word and act upon it. It
could be
the difference between seeing victory or defeat in your marriage and in
the
lives of your children. God is placing the weapons you need to fight
with in
your hands--use them. PRAYING WITH YOUR SPOUSE AND FAMILY IS ONE OF THE
GREATEST WEAPONS OF ALL!!!


In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller

Come back to him

After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, "I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me." John 13:21

Thought...
I can still remember my friend saying it in church one Sunday: "We think so badly of old Judas for betraying the Lord for 30 pieces of silver, but how many times do we betray him for nothing?" Ouch! What makes this so difficult for us to bear is Jesus' anguish knowing one of his own would betray him. Let's make every effort and call upon God's strength so that such betrayal can never be true of us! And if it ever is, let's make sure we run toward his grace with an honest desire to escape sin and come back to him!

Prayer...
Jesus, I am sorry for the times I have broken your heart with my rebellion and neglect. Father God, I apologize for my lack of passion and zeal for your Son's sacrifice that saved me from sin and death. I want to live more vibrantly for Jesus so others may see him and come to know him. It is in his precious and holy name I pray. Amen.

Divine Direction

Dear Brother/Sister in Christ,

Then some Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled him up and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. Thus they brought Joseph into Egypt." Genesis 37:28

Often, when we look for direction from God we seek the miraculous. We search for a sign, a voice or a vision to make our paths plain. However, God can and does employ more common (even painful) experiences in our life to provide direction for our lives. We lose a job, experience a break up in a relationship, financial instability, stricken with an illness or something is taken from us. These "life events" may be God's way of causing us to look in another direction. God will often close a door, to point us in the direction of another.

God has a purpose and plan for our lives. The problem is - so do we. Often our plans and God's plan are not the same. We often seek things that are short sighted. God knows this and allows certain events in our lives to point us in the right direction. Often these situations look nothing like what we think God's plan for our lives should look like. We must be careful not to misconstrue God's direction as persecution. "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).

If anyone's life demonstrates this principle it's Joseph. Joseph received a dream from God revealing his destiny. In his dream he was in a place of prestige and power. In a matter of days, Joseph went from being his father's favorite son to being a slave in a foreign land. He was thrown into a pit, sold into slavery and taken to Egypt to spend the rest of his life. Unbeknownst to Joseph, all of this was God's way of positioning him to fulfill his purpose in life. Joseph had to go into the pit, to meet Potiphar. Potiphar's wife had to falsely accuse Joseph for him to be sent to prison. It was in prison where Joseph met attendants in Pharaoh's court. It was because of this time in prison that Joseph received the opportunity to meet Pharaoh. When he met Pharaoh he entered into his destiny.

When Joseph laid his head down to sleep that first night in Egypt he was far from home, but squarely within God's plan. God declares: For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways, "declares the LORD." For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). I am sure Joseph saw the changes in his situation as set backs, when in reality they were setups. God was providing "divine direction" through what appeared to be disaster. Each disappointing turn in his life pointed him in the direction of his destiny and purpose.

Some of you may be experiencing what appears to be a disaster or dead end in your life, when in fact it's direction. As you experience your transition, never lose sight of God's sovereignty. Sometimes God allows us to lose control so that He can take control. When Joseph's brothers threw him into the pit, I am sure he had no idea he had taken the first step toward his destiny. After looking over his life and all that had transpired, Joseph was able to say to his brothers: "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result..." (Genesis 50:20). Everything he thought was an accident was really providence. It was divine direction!

God Knows You

To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. Proverbs 8:13

Thought...
When we have a deep and reverential respect for our holy God, we are going to love what he loves and hate what he hates. We need to realize, however, that the word "hate" is used very carefully in Scripture. This strong verb is not used often, and when it is used with God as the subject, the object of God's hatred needs to be noticed. God hates evil, which in this case is defined as pride, arrogance, evil behavior, and vile speech. These are things that Christians not only avoid, but they also loathe. God wants his people to be people of character -- people of humility, moral behavior, and helpful speech.

Prayer...
O holy and righteous Father, forgive me of my pride and self-interest. Forgive me for my arrogance and deceptive tongue. Remake me by your Spirit to be holy in word and deed, compassionate toward those in need, and freed from evil. To you, O LORD, be the glory in my life and in your Church, forever and ever. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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God Has Not Given You the Spirit of Fear

Dear Brother/Sister in Christ,

Wherefore, I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. II Timothy 1:6-7 (KJV)

If you live your life by fear, eventually it will destroy you. Fear is the opposite of faith, in that fear produces death and faith produces life.

In verse six, the Apostle Paul ministers to Timothy and lays hands on him. The power of God comes on Timothy and he is filled with the Holy Ghost. Then Paul tells him, you have a supernatural enablement to carry you through this natural problem. Now stir up the gift of God that is in you, Timothy, for God has not given you a Spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind.

Listen to me; if you are a Spirit-filled believer, these same words apply to you. It's time for you stir up the gift that is in you. You shouldn't be full of fear. The world is fearful because the only power they have is their own natural strength. But we are strong in a power that is beyond us.

So you don't have to live in fear. I don't know about you, but I will not concern myself with whether or not anthrax is in every envelope I open. Nor will I see anthrax every time some sugar or salt is on the table. Nor will I dive for cover every time I see an airplane over head, and I don't see a terrorist behind every wall; all that's fear.

Fear will destroy you. You may say, "But I don't have any natural protection." Yes you do. You have something better than natural protection---you have the Holy Ghost. You have strength that comes only from God, and God's strength is more than enough to deal with any threat in the natural.

Don't lean on the flesh; stay in the Spirit. You are going to have t o apply spiritual power to the natural circumstances in your life, but remember the victory is yours. The weapons God has given you are highly effective; they work against the enemy.

So refuse to live in fear, instead get stronger and stronger in the Lord. When the devil comes against you, remember God has not given you the Spirit of fear; you have been given a Spirit of power, and of love, and a sound mind. So be strong in the power that is beyond you; be strong in the Lord.

Scripture References: Isaiah 35:4-8; Matthew 10:26-28

When God Puts You On Hold

Dear Brother/Sister in Christ,

Wait for the Lord; Be Strong..." Psalm 27:14

If you're a seasoned air traveler, chances are you're familiar with the term "holding pattern." That's when your plane is unable to land because of unfavorable ground conditions. Generally the pilot announces that he's been told to maintain a holding pattern pending an update from the control tower. It happens regularly, so planes have to carry enough fuel to stay airborne till they can land safely. The Bible says, "Wait for the Lord; be strong...let your heart take courage." When God puts you in a holding pattern it's not just a question of having enough faith to receive His promise, it's also a matter of having enough "spiritual staying power" to stay airborne until it comes to pass. That's why you need to carry enough spiritual fuel to handle delays and wait for clearance.

The Bible refers to the Holy Spirit, "a rushing mighty wind" (Acts 2:2). After God had delayed Noah long enough to accomplish His purpose, "He sent a wind" (Ge 8:1 NIV). Anytime a wind comes from the presence of God it blows away all hindrances and obstacles, it dries the ground under your feet so you can move ahead. It demolishes the spirit of fear and heaviness that makes you want to quit.

David asked God, "What is man that you are mindful of him?" (Ps 8:4 NIV). Even in times of frustration and waiting, God is still thinking about you and working everything out for your good. His delays aren't denials. So, when you sense a divine breeze in your spirit, rejoice, it's a sign that He's clearing you to land and good things are about to happen!

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The Bible is Your Instruction Book

The Bible is Your Instruction Book

Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby. 1 Peter 2:1-2 (KJV)

Before we were saved, we were easily filled with anger, easily filled with wrath, even with malice. There were times when we just felt mean. Nobody did anything to us, but we just did something to somebody because we felt like doing it. Now that we are born again, we must put away anger, wrath, and malice.

Malice is an intent to commit an unlawful act or to cause harm without justification. Now some folks are just downright mean. Do you know anybody like that? They can be downright ornery. They have no reason to plot to do something against somebody, but they do it anyway.

It is unfortunate, but before we were saved, we acted with malice. This is a non-Christian behavior. But now that we are saved, it is time to put that away. Christians do not plot to harm other people with or without reason. Christians think the best of every person. And since you are thinking the best instead of harm, you are planning blessings for others, with or without reason.

Children get angry and act with malice like that all the time because they have not been taught yet. They haven't learned how to resist the enemy and how to flow in God's love. So, you will see a kid and nobody has done anything to that kid. But that kid will sit there and plan how to 'do in' somebody, and then he will do it. Have you ever watched what two and three year olds will do to each other? One kid will be playing by himself, and another kid will set a trap for him. Or he might come over there and whop the other kid upside the head for no reason. That is the nature of sin. Those are the clothes that you had on coming into this world.

But it is time to put on some new clothes now. You are no longer of this world now that you are born again. You are in this world, but you are not of this world. Therefore, you do not operate the way the world operates. You have a different instruction book. It is called the Bible. And the Bible will help you to put off that old way of malice and put on the new way of love.

Scripture References: John 10:10; 1 Corinthians 5:8; Colossians 3:8

Salvation

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12

Thought...
While many substitute Messiahs have been offered, only the True Messiah saves. While we often live for many lords, only one Lord liberates and sets us free from sin and death. While many ways are claimed to bring us close to God, Jesus insists that he is the only way. So we're driven to one ultimate reality: do we believe salvation is in Jesus alone, or do we not. It's our choice. But what we decide about Jesus is really deciding about everything. Is Jesus your Lord? Is Jesus the name above all names in your life? Is Jesus your Savior? If not, then please reconsider, for the Bible says: "Salvation is found in no one else."

Prayer...
Thank you, Almighty God, for choosing to share your grace with me in Jesus. May I never take the precious name of Jesus in vain. May Jesus himself come and reign as Lord in my heart and in my life. May Jesus be seen in the way I treat others. May Jesus know that there is no other rival for my allegiance to him. In that precious name of Jesus, your Son and my Savior, I pray. Amen.

Get the Family Together

Dear Brother/Sister in Christ,

If you love someone, you care very deeply about the things they care about. If something is important to one you love, it is important to you.

Did you know that unity in the family of God is very, very important to Jesus? It is so important to Him that in the garden shortly before the soldiers arrived to arrest Him, Jesus prayed that we would be one just as He and His Father are one. Here's what He prayed:

"I'm praying not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me because of them and their witness about me. The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind— Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, so they might be one heart and mind with us. Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me. The same glory you gave me, I gave them, so they'll be as unified and together as we are— I in them and you in me. Then they'll be mature in this oneness, and give the godless world evidence That you've sent me and loved them in the same way you've loved me." (John 17:20-23, The Message)

Sadly, you don't have to hang out at church more than a few minutes to realize that we are not one. In fact, the Body of Christ couldn't be more disunited. We're fragmented into hundreds of denominations, and even within those denominations the members can't even agree on the smallest things.

I am absolutely convinced the disunity of the Body is the devil's proudest accomplishment in the last two thousand years. Think about it: If you were the devil, how would you go about making sure the world didn't come to know Jesus? He can't discredit the Savior; He is blameless and spotless. He can't discredit God's word; it is truth without mixture of error. He can't discredit the message of the Gospel; it is the power of God unto salvation. So what's the devil to do to slow the spread of the Gospel? He went after the weakest link of the chain - us.

The devil is a liar, but he's not stupid. If he can get you and me arguing and fighting with each other we'll be so busy going after each other we won't take the time to tell others about Jesus. And that is precisely what he has done so successfully for most of the last two thousand years.

Here's the truly heartbreaking part- We've been separated for so long and the divisions run so deep that most of us have a great distrust for anyone who proposes unity among the various factions of the Body of Christ. I might have to admit that you are my brother in Christ, but if you adhere to a different belief than me about when in the course of history Jesus is going to return or whether or not a gift of the Holy Spirit is still valid today, I can't worship with you, I can't fellowship with you, I can't work together with you to win our city for Christ, and in a lot of cases I will preach against you in my pulpit. God help us! No wonder the world looks at us and decides they don't want what we claim to possess!

If you look at the disunity in the church and consider how many hundreds of years it took us to become this fractured, it is so easy to give up hope. There's no way we can ever put this back together again. We can't even get 10 people in our church to agree, how can we even dare to think the Body of Christ can ever be united this side of eternity?

But I still believe in and serve a miracle-working God! A God who spoke the universe into existence with the power of His Word. A God who time and time again has done the impossible. The Bible tells us in no uncertain terms that nothing is impossible for God. And in the Garden hours before He died for you and me Jesus prayed - not that you and I would agree on everything, but that we would be one.

God, get your family together again!

The Lord will Fulfil

Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.
Romans 14:1
Thought... Parents are careful and tender with their newborn babies even though babies are demanding, messy, and sometimes difficult. When parents aren't this way with their babies, they are recognized as abusive and dangerous. So if new Christians are newborn children of God, shouldn't our patience be greater, our words more tender, our understanding more generous, and our care more attentive?

Prayer... Father in heaven, forgive me and stir me to action. I am ashamed that I have not done more to nurture those newborn babies in your family. Give me greater patience with their failures and greater passion for their struggles so that they won't have to feel they are journeying on their own. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

The Absence of God's Love

The Absence of God's Love
Bishop E. Earl Jenkins

"God…Separated the Light from the Darkness." Genesis 1:3 NIV

A university professor challenged his class: "Did God create everything?"

A student replied, "Yes." The professor continued: "If God created everything, then He created evil too. And since our works define who we are, then God is evil."

The class became silent. Suddenly another student raised his hand and asked, "Professor, does darkness exist?" The professor responded, "Yes." The student replied, "No, sir, darkness does not exist. Darkness is just the absence of light. Light, we can study, but not darkness. In fact we can use Newton's prism to break the white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. But you cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present."

Then the young man asked, "Sir, does evil exist?" Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course." To this the student replied, "No, evil does not exist, sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. It is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness, a word that man has created to describe the absence of light. God did not create evil. It is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. Evil is like the cold that comes when there is no heat, or the darkness that comes when there is no light." The professor sat down.

The young man's name was Albert Einstein.

Love God?

Love God?
Dr. Frederick K.C. Price
When I first got saved, I used to have a problem trying to relate to the Father and Jesus in an attitude of love. It was difficult because I had never seen Jesus or the Father, and the only way I knew to love was, in some way, to tell someone you loved them. Or you could hug them, kiss them, hold their hand, cuddle them, or give them something. I tried telling God that I loved Him, but I never really felt satisfied that I was expressing that love. I could say, "I love you," and that was nice for starters, but that was not sufficient by itself. To me, there had to be some demonstration that went along with what I said.

One day, I was reading the Word, and I found out how to love God. I found out how to love Him in a way that I know I am loving Him, that He is receiving my love, and that He is satisfied with my demonstration of my love to Him.

Jesus says in the first part of John 14:21:
"He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me...."

I want to immediately arrest your attention to the fact that when Jesus says commandments, He is not just talking about the Ten Commandments. If you think only of the Ten Commandments, you will shortchange yourself. Anything God says to do is a commandment. God does not fool around with suggestions. He does not mess with reading between the lines. He directly tells you what He wants. When He tells you, it is a command—no ifs, ands, or buts about it. The reason we should do it, according to Jesus, is out of love. If we love God, we should make it a point to do what He commands in John 14:21-23.

"He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And He who loves Me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it that you will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?" Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word...."

That leaves a whole lot of people out of the picture. If you are doing God's Word, you are tithing. You are not a fornicator, an adulterer or adulteress, or a gossiper. You are not lying, nor stealing. You are doing everything God tells you to do in His Word. That also means that you are seeking the Kingdom of God first, and His righteousness. You have time for Bible studies. You have time for prayer.

Also notice that Jesus does not use the word perfect here. We should be glad for that. If the word perfect were in this verse, it would leave us all out. Praise God that word is not there.

Jesus goes on to say in John 14:23-24:
Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and my Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. "He who does not love me does not keep my words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me."

This is how God interprets your love to Him -- not by sending Him a card at Valentine's Day, not by sending Him a box of candy. Jesus says, "If a man loves Me, He will keep My word." If you love God, you will do His Word. Jesus also says, "He who does not love Me does not keep My words." A person who does not love God is someone who is not doing His Word -- and you have to be the judge as to whether or not you are doing God's Word.

Accept the Lord -THAT IS A FACT

If the one you love and care about dies without Jesus, they will go to
hell
for all eternity! Several weeks ago, I was asked by a man to go visit
his
87-year-old father in the hospital. His health was failing fast and
the
doctors did not expect him to live more than a few weeks. This man
told me
his father had refused to go to church during his life, didn't want to
hear
"religious talk," and stated often that he didn't care what happened to
him
after he was dead.

I went to the hospital and spent about 20 minutes with this elderly
gentleman, talking to him about Christ's love and about how God desired
to
have an eternal relationship with him. He was fairly polite but very
adamant about letting me know he lived his entire life without God and
had
no desire to start believing in some "invisible man in the sky." He
asked
me to leave and let him die in peace. Sadly, I deal every day with
people
like this man whose hearts are so hardened they simply don't want to
hear
anything about the Lord.

I got a call a few days later from the man whose father I had visited.
I
could tell he had been crying and he had a difficult time telling me
that
his father had passed away the previous night and wanted to know if
there
was any chance his father was in Heaven. I told him that if his father
had
decided in the last moments of his life to accept the Lord into his
heart by
faith, then yes he was in Heaven. However, if he had continued to deny
Christ's love and died in his sins, then sadly he was lost for all
eternity.
One of the most difficult things I have to do each day is tell people
that
if their loved one dies without Jesus, they will spend eternity in
hell.

(This is why I tell you often what we do every day here at Liveprayer
is so
critical and why we are constantly being attacked by the enemy. We are
literally warring with satan 24/7 for the eternal souls of men!)

My friend, what drives me each day is the reality that every second of
every
day people are dying and going to hell. Hell is a place that was NEVER
intended for man. It was created for satan and the fallen angels that
followed him. God's desire is that ALL come to repentance and that
none be
lost. Let me clear up a misconception many people have. God doesn't
send
anyone to hell. Let me say that once more. God doesn't send anyone to
hell. The only way you can get to hell is to CHOOSE to go there. The
only
people that go to hell are the ones who make the choice to spend
eternity
there with satan and the fallen angels.

Let me tell you something. After nearly 2 decades of evangelistic
ministry, I can assure you that very few people actually want to go to
hell.
For most people they either don't believe there is such a place or
nobody
has ever told them how they can avoid ending up there. VERY FEW PEOPLE
REALLY WANT TO SPEND ETERNITY IN HELL. With the better percentage of
two
full generations having never even gone to church, we have more people
than
ever who are dying and going to hell simply because they didn't really
understand that when they died they were either going to spend eternity
with
God their Creator in Heaven, or be eternally separated from God their
Creator in hell.

That is where my passion comes from to use the power of the Internet to
reach millions of people all over the planet each and every day with
the
hope we have in Jesus Christ. That is what keeps me getting up night
after
night, week after week, month after month, now year after year at 11
p.m. 5
nights a week to go to a TV studio and use secular television to reach
the
lost and hurting masses with the message that Jesus loves them and that
without Christ they will die one day and be lost for all eternity.

I do what I do each day because I know that if your dad or mom, your
brother
or sister, your husband or wife, your son or daughter, your neighbor
for
friend, your boss or co-worker, the people in your life die without
knowing
Jesus, they will spend all eternity in hell!!!

I love you and care about you so much. I love you enough to give my
life
every day to bring you the Absolute Truth of God's Word and the love of
Jesus Christ. My heart breaks when I get the emails from people who
have
lost loved ones and friends. It breaks even more when I find out their
loved one or friend didn't have a relationship with Jesus since I know
that
this special person in their life is in hell for all eternity. We get
so
caught up in so many things during this life, but there is nothing more
important than telling people about the fact that Jesus loves them and
without putting their faith in Christ they will die and be lost for all
eternity.

You can't force someone to get saved. That is a choice they have to
make
for themselves. But you can certainly make sure they know about that
choice
and how critical it is since what they do with Jesus will determine
their
eternal home. What they ultimately choose to do is something they have
to
decide for themselves. However, if you love and care about the people
who
are in your life, you will love and care about them enough to tell them
the
fact that if they die without Christ in their heart they will spend all
eternity in hell.

The great evangelist DL Moody stated one of his greatest regrets in
life was
the night of the Chicago fire. He preached that night and instead of
giving
an invitation, he told the audience to think about his words and come
back
the next night. I submit to you today, that a man or woman of God in a
church service, or in any type of meeting or conference, or in any
media
appearance, who doesn't use the opportunity to tell people how to
accept
Jesus as their Savior is committing spiritual malpractice!!! The only
thing
we can really offer this world is Jesus, and there is no excuse to not
use
every opportunity we have to tell people how they can know Jesus as
their
personal Savior.

Let me be blunt. You can do all the "seeker" services you want, think
outside the box and use every creative means possible to reach people,
but
if once you have reached them you don't use that opportunity to tell
them
how to be saved, you have accomplished NOTHING. The fact is, people
die
every second and if they die without Christi in their heart they are
going
to hell for all eternity. THAT IS A FACT. How can any man or woman of
God
know that fact, have a group of people assembled, and not use the
opportunity to tell them how to be saved?

People deserve to know the truth and to not tell them is no different
than
if you knew a building was going to blow up in 10 minutes and sat back
and
didn't tell everyone to get out. In the end, you can't trick people
into
getting saved, you can't play games to get them saved, you can't hope
they
figure it out for themselves, at some point you simply have to be blunt
and
tell them that they will die one day and at that moment if they don't
know
Christ as their Savior their soul will be lost for all eternity!!!

The Bible states that when a person comes to faith in Christ, the
angels in
Heaven rejoice. As I look at the salvations reports from the Internet
and
TV program each day here at Liveprayer, I know that each person is
someone's
mom or dad, someone's husband or wife, someone's son or daughter,
someone's
boss or co-worker, someone's friend or neighbor. The fact is, the
people
you love and care about in this life will die one day and at that
moment
they will either be in Heaven with the Lord or forever in hell. Please
don't neglect to tell them about Jesus and His love for them.

I can promise you today that with whatever breath I have left in this
life,
I will continue to spend each waking moment doing everything I can to
reach
the lost and hurting masses throughout the world, including your loved
ones
and friends, with the message that Jesus Christ is the way, and the
truth,
and the life, and that nobody comes to the Father except through Him
!!!


In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller

Never forget, helping others

Helping others is not an option. One of the most compelling things
about
the accounts of Jesus' life in the Gospels is His compassion for those
who
were hurting. Jesus loved people. Jesus had a heart for those who
were
looking for hope. It does not take a Biblical scholar to understand
that as
a child of God, helping others is the main job God has given us to do.
The
scriptures are full of exhortations to help those in need, the poor,
the
widows. While the needs of some people are obvious, we are also to be
there
for those whose needs may not be as obvious, the spiritually poor.

You see, the spiritually poor are looking for answers to the questions
of
life. When the challenges of this life become overwhelming, they are
looking for answers, looking for hope. A person in this state of mind,
at
this place in their life is in desperate need of a word from God.
Where
does that word come from? From the people God sends into their life,
YOU
AND ME!

I realize many of you today are facing great battles in your life.
Struggles with sin. Struggles on your job or at school. Struggles in
your
family relationships. Struggles with your finances. Struggles with
your
health. Let me share something with you that I learned years ago. It
was
at the height of my personal struggles, when my natural tendency was to
focus solely on the battles I was facing, that I would seek out ways to
serve God by helping someone else.

Even though my battles didn't go away, they became more manageable.
The
struggles weren't as difficult and answers to my problems came a little
easier. Why? I am convinced the Bible teaches us that if we will be
about
our Father's business, He will be about our business. It is a
spiritual
principle that works!!!

I want to challenge you today. Pray about who it is God has put in
your
life who is hurting and needing hope in the midst of a difficult
situation.
It may be someone in your family. Possibly a friend. Maybe someone at
church. It could be a person at your work or in your school. God has
strategically placed you in the life of someone today who is hurting
and in
need of a word from God.

Once you have prayed and God shows you who it is, reach out to that
person.
Have a cup of coffee or a bite to eat with them. Go do something
together.
Get that person in a one-on-one situation and let them know they are
not
alone in their battle, that they are not alone in whatever they are
going
through. You are there to stand with them, to pray with them, and to
help
them see victory. Often, it is not necessary to do more than just
reach out
in love to that person who is hurting, for them to see and feel the
love of
Christ coming from you. I have always said it is usually not what we
say,
but what we do that shows the Christ in us to others.

I love you, and care about you so much. I will be praying for you
today
because I know you are going through problems in your life. I am
reaching
out to you to let you know I will pray for you, I will stand with you,
and I
will be here to help you overcome whatever the battles are in your
life.
God has given us each other because He never expected us to go through
this
journey alone. We are to bear one another's burdens.

Today, reach out to that person God has placed on your heart. Show
them the
love of Christ through your actions. Let them know they are not alone,
that
someone cares for them. That can be the difference between victory and
defeat in their life, between them living without hope, and moving
forward
victoriously over the problems in their life. Never forget, helping
others
is not an option, it is what God has called His children to do.


In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller

Pleasing God

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God-through Jesus Christ our Lord! Romans 7:24-25


Thought... While marred by sin and death, human beings are still created in God's image and fashioned in our mother's womb by his Sovereign care. But we bump up against the hard reality of our weakness and failure. We cannot be like God in his most defining attribute, holiness. We sin. We rebel. We fail. We do what we know we should not do. We neglect the important matters of God's will and nit-pick at nothing. With our words, we hurt and injure those we love. Who can save us from these bitter and limiting realities that we find in ourselves? Praise and hallelujahs go to Jesus when we trust him as our Messiah and Lord, since he can then save us from these evils and make us ready to live a life of blessing to others and to God.

Prayer... Worthy of praise and honor are you God Most High. You are mighty, holy, and beyond compare. You have also chosen to be loving, generous, merciful, forgiving, and tender with us, your children. Thank you for being God, just the way you have chosen to be God. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Are You a Checklist Christian?

Are You a Checklist Christian?
Dr. Creflo A. Dollar

Are you a checklist Christian? Do you keep a running list of all the things that you've done hoping that you will obtain favor with God? Do you tithe, religiously attend church service and quote scriptures in order to prove that you're righteous? If so, you may mistakenly believe that your checklist of good works will cause you to gain acceptance with the Father. I have good news for you! When you make Jesus the Lord of your life, you become the righteousness of God. It is through His shed blood that you have right standing with God, not through your own efforts so you can throw away your checklist!

Salvation is a free gift that is available to every person. The day you become born again God declares you righteous. To be righteous means to be in right-standing with God and able to stand before Him without a sense of guilt, condemnation or inferiority. Righteousness is something that is not earned; in other words it is something you do not work for. It is a privilege made available to you through and by the blood of Jesus who died on the cross for you. "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Accepting Jesus into your heart is the best decision you will ever make. When you confess Him as your Lord and Savior, you are cleansed of all unrighteousness and are made a new creation in Him. When you sin, or miss the mark, repent and ask God to forgive you. He is faithful to do it every time you ask (1 John 1:9).

Along with righteousness also comes the gift of God's grace. God's grace is His unmerited favor and love. Unmerited means that you do not earn or deserve it; but God gives it to you anyway. If you want to walk in power and be an overcomer in this life, all you have to do is receive God's grace and righteousness. You don't have to sin if you don't want to and God's grace is available to help you overcome temptation when it comes.

Since righteousness is a free gift, why would anyone work to become righteous if they have already been declared so by God? Many times it is simply because they don't understand that their efforts don't change their status with God. Righteousness is something you receive by faith. Romans 10:3 says, "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God." In these last days, Believers should be walking in the righteousness already established for them through Christ Jesus instead of trying to establish their own.

The problem with being a checklist Christian is that the person becomes so focused on his or her works that they forget to acknowledge Jesus and the righteousness that has already been given to them. Galatians 2:21 says, "...for if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die" (New Living Translation). When the person acknowledges that he or she has been made the righteousness of God, they are giving credit where credit is due—to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

No matter how many "goodie-goodie" things you do, they will not make you more or less righteous. No matter how long your checklist of works is, it alone, will not get you into Heaven. Joining the choir won't make you righteous and neither will feeding the hungry or praying three times a day. God expects you to do what is right and appropriate. He does not expect you to be perfect. Just by being His child you are already acceptable in His eyes.

If you find that you are depending more on your checklist than you do God, it's time to throw that list of works out the window. Understand that God loves you whether you have a list of good works or not. In fact, the good works that you seek to do should spring from the truth that you are the righteousness of God; righteous people do righteous things.
God loves you so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to take your sin upon Himself and die so that you would be able to be free from it forever. You now have a right to get answers to your prayers, ask forgiveness of your sins and be cleansed (1 John 1:9). If you haven't accepted the free gift of salvation and are ready to do so, simply ask Jesus to come into your heart and accept it by faith!

VICTORY OVER WHATEVER SITUATION

A Super win for a Super coach and man of God! There's an old saying,
"Nice
guys finish last." I've never agreed with that statement and on Sunday
night it was once again proven to be wrong when the Indianapolis Colts
beat
the Chicago Bears 29-17 in Super Bowl 41. The Colts are lead by their
coach, Tony Dungy, who is the ultimate "nice guy" in sports. He
doesn't
yell at his players, he doesn't unleash tirades strewn with curse
words,
you'll never hear of Coach Dungy breaking furniture or attacking
cameramen.
In this "win at all costs" era of high-priced professional sports,
Coach
Dungy actually believes faith and family comes before football. He
lives
his faith on and off his job as the head coach of the Indianapolis
Colts.

While the national media wanted to focus on the fact Dungy was the
first
African-American head coach to win the Super Bowl, Dungy was much more
interested in letting people know that while he is proud of that
accomplishment, he wanted everyone to know that first and foremost he
was a
Christian man who loved Jesus Christ! He is an unashamed follower of
Christ
who is always willing to be part of any event that is designed to
promote
the Christian faith. While Dungy appears to be timid and soft-spoken,
he is
a bold and powerful spokesman for the cause of Christ!

It was not an easy road to that moment Sunday night as Tony Dungy
hoisted
the Vince Lombardi Trophy over his head, symbolic of being the world
champion of professional football. For years he was passed over for
head
coaching positions despite the fact he was clearly qualified to take
the
next step from being a coordinator to a head coach. Finally in 1996,
he
got his break when the lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers hired Dungy after
their
top two choices turned down the job. Dungy inherited a franchise that
had a
history of losing, one of the worst in all of pro sports.

However, in 6 seasonS, Dungy turned the Bucs from a perennial loser
into a
winner. Despite 3 successive trips of the playoffs, he was fired when
ownership determined that Dungy simply couldn't win the big game. The
very
next season, with Dungy's successor John Gruden at the helm, the Bucs
won
the Super Bowl with virtually the same players. This only fueled the
conversation that Tony Dungy was a good coach but he simply couldn't
win the
big game.

Coach Dungy was not out of work long. He was immediately hired by the
Indianapolis Colts who had a great offense but a horrible defense.
Dungy's
specialty was defense and he came to Indianapolis with the job of
rebuilding
the Colts defense and leading them to the Super Bowl. The Colts have
had
much success in the 5 years Dungy has been their head coach. Over the
past
3 seasons, they have been one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl,
but
always fell short. Again, the talk of Dungy not being able to win the
big
game was always front and center with each season-ending playoff loss.

ALL OF THAT TALK IS NOW OVER. TONY DUNGY HAS NOT ONLY WON THE SUPER
BOWL,
BUT BASED ON HIS COACHING RECORD, HAS NOW ALL BUT ASSURED HIMSELF A
PLACE IN
PRO FOOTBALL'S HALL OF FAME. MANY WILL POINT TO HIM BEING THE FIRST
AFRICAN-AMERICAN TO WIN THE SUPER BOWL, BUT TONY DUNGY WILL TELL YOU
THAT
WHILE HE CONSIDERS IT AN HONOR TO BE ABLE TO BREAK THAT BARRIER, HE IS
MOST
PROUD OF HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST!

Many of you are fighting battles in your life today, just like Tony
Dungy
has fought in his life. I want to share with you today a word of
encouragement to help you see victory in whatever battle you may be
facing
in your life today. While you have to sit down and formulate a battle
plan,
a strategy to win, the most important element of all is having the
confidence to win. YOU CANNOT WIN A BATTLE IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE YOU
CAN! Let
me say that again. YOU CANNOT WIN A BATTLE IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE YOU
CAN!
Before you sit down to put together your battle plan, you must first
have
the confidence that you CAN WIN!

Most of the national experts said the Chicago Bears would beat the
Indianapolis Colts in the Super Bowl. Had the Indianapolis coaches
and
players gone into that football game with that attitude, there is no
battle
plan in the world that would have allowed them to win that game. I
guarantee
you that every expert in the day of David gave him no chance to defeat
Goliath. Had David went into that battle with that attitude, there is
no way
that he would have defeated Goliath. YOU CANNOT WIN A BATTLE IF YOU
DON'T
BELIEVE YOU CAN!

So, the logical question is where does this belief come from? It comes
from
our past experiences with God. You see my friend, the Bible proclaims
that
God is immutable, never changing. It tells us that Jesus Christ is the
same
yesterday, today, and forever. What that means is the same God who led
you
to victory in the past is the same God who will lead you to victory
today!!!
The great warriors of Israel had NO CONFIDENCE that they could beat
Goliath,
but David did. How could this young man, a non-warrior, have such
confidence? Because of his PAST EXPERIENCES WITH GOD!

In the anchor verses for this Devotional found in 1 Samuel Chapter 17,
David
tells Saul that he can beat Goliath because in the past, as he was
watching
his father's sheep, he had to kill a bear and lion that had tried to
kill
the sheep. He simply said that the same God who gave him victory over
the
bear and lion was the same God that would give him victory over
Goliath.
David had the full confidence in knowing that the same God who led him
to
victory in the past was the same God that would lead him to victory
now.

My word to you today is that no matter what your "giant" is, the same
God
who delivered you in the past is the same God who will deliver you
today! I
don't care what your battle is, God won't let you down. Does that mean
that
you can just sit back and achieve victory? Of course not. You still
have to
prepare a battle plan, you still have to go out and execute your battle
plan
just like David did but the key is, you can go into that battle with
the
full confidence and knowledge that the same God who led you to victory
in
the past is the same God that will lead you to victory today!!!

I love you and care about you so much. I hurt today because I know that
many
of you are facing incredible battles in your life but I want you to
take a
few moments right now and remember the battles that you have had in the
past. Remember those times in your life when you had to depend totally
on
God and how He led you to victory. Encourage yourself today by thinking
of
those impossible situations that you faced in past years, situations
that
looked overwhelming. Remember how you called out to God for help and
how God
gave you a plan of attack and as you faithfully executed that plan, you
got
victory over that situation. THAT IS THE SAME GOD WHO WILL LEAD YOU TO
VICTORY OVER WHATEVER SITUATION YOU FACE TODAY!!!

I will be praying for you today, praying for you to see victory in
whatever
battles that you are facing. As you look to God for a battle plan, as
you
look to God to help you execute that battle plan, never forget that the
same
God who has led you to victory in the past, is the same God who will
lead
you to victory today. Tony Dungy is a winner. Not because he wins
football
games, or because his team won the Super Bowl, but because of his
relationship with Jesus Christ. It is his faith in Christ that has
seen him
through the difficult times and now to victory. Today, it is your
faith in
Christ that will see you through your difficult times and lead you to
victory. HAVE THE CONFIDENCE TO WIN!!!

In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller

(C) Copyright 2007, Bill Keller Ministries. All rights reserved.

The Lord is my Banner

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17

Thought... He doesn't waver! Isn't that comforting? God is consistent and in his consistency, he gives good gifts. He created the world in all its majesty and gave it to us to use. When sin strangled life, God gave us the promise and executed it through Abraham and the Israelites. When death claimed us, he gave us Jesus, crucified and resurrected, to give us the assurance of our victory over sin and death. There is no shadow in that brilliant light and we are assured that light will keep on shining!
Prayer... Gracious and generous God Almighty, thank you for consistently giving me your grace, your gifts, your love, and your promises. I have no one; I have nothing, that compares to you. Thank you for all your many gifts in Jesus name! Amen.

Jesus is calling

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,Calling for you and for me;See, on the portals He's waiting and watching,Watching for you and for me.Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading,Pleading for you and for me?Why should we linger and heed not His mercies,Mercies for you and for me?Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing,Passing from you and from me;Shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming,Coming for you and for me.O for the wonderful love He has promised,Promised for you and for me!Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon,Pardon for you and for me.