THE PROMISE

Genesis 12:2
I will cause you to become
the father of a great nation.
I will bless you and make you famous,
and I will make you a blessing to others.



Genesis 12:2 features the promise that God made to Abraham, the fatherly root of Israel. Being faithful to His promise, God used Abraham's lineage to bless us with the gift of the Lord Jesus Christ. This was the mystery that the Jews were just not able to see despite their religious nature. God revealed through the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 3:4-6, "In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus." Have you taken part in the promise that God made for you?

A FORGIVING HEART

Luke 17:3-4
I am warning you!
If another believer sins, rebuke him;
then if he repents, forgive him.
Even if he wrongs you seven times a day
and each time turns again
and asks forgiveness,
forgive him."



Lord Balfour once said, "The best thing to give to your enemy is forgiveness; to an opponent, tolerance; to a friend, your heart; to your child, a good example; to a father, deference; to your mother, conduct that will make her proud of you; to yourself, respect; to all men, charity." The definition of charity is love, and the genuine love that people gracefully show is symbolic of the love God Himself gives to man. The forgiveness for one's enemy that Lord Balfour references can only be possible when a graceful love is resident in your heart.

LIKE IT NEVER HAPPENED

Romans 4:8
Yes, what joy for those whose sin is no
longer counted against them by the Lord.



A mother asked her little girl who had been sent to her room for being naughty, “Did you tell God about your being so naughty and ask to be forgiven?” Her daughter responded, “No, I didn’t think you’d want the scandal known outside the family.” Sometimes, people are paralyzed with fear of what other people will think about their personal situations. Because of this fear, some will hesitate to confess the wrongs that have been done in their lives, thereby becoming a slave of the coverup. The Bible says that if we confess our sins to God, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins. Do it and experience the joy of being free from the slavery of your sin.

UNFAILING LOVE

Exodus 34:6
He passed in front of Moses and said,
"I am the Lord, I am the Lord,
the merciful and gracious God.
I am slow to anger and rich
in unfailing love and faithfulness."



When Moses received the law from the Lord, God introduced Himself to Moses as the merciful and gracious God. This was the first time that God had personally issued written instruction to men. Prior to implementing the law, He gave the underlying source and foundation which is His mercy, grace, love and faithfulness. God's implementation of law gives our lives a focus onto His very purpose for our creation. Without this foundation of mercy, grace and love, man would be prone to wander aimlessly without purpose. By standing, however, upon the foundation given to man, we become the recipient of His complete and unfailing love.

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS

Philippians 4:8
And now, dear brothers and sisters,
let me say one more thing
as I close this letter.
Fix your thoughts on what is
true and honorable and right.
Think about things that are
pure and lovely and admirable.
Think about things that are
excellent and worthy of praise.



It’s just way too easy to set our minds upon bad, ugly, or even evil things. Don't let your mind fall into that pattern and trap. Rather, keep your eyes and mind focused on things that are true, honorable and right, dedicating everyday to the source of joy and encouraging others to live this way, as well. As you experience the circumstances of daily life, keep meditating on that which is "pure and lovely and admirable." Take the time to praise the Lord for beautiful thinking because doing so leads to beautiful living. How often do you set your mind to think about things that are excellent and worthy?

SHARE THE GLORY

1 Thessalonians 2:12
We pleaded with you, encouraged you,
and urged you to live your lives in
a way that God would consider worthy.
For he called you into
his Kingdom to share his glory.



There are really only two responses when God calls you: obey the call or ignore the call. Life Magazine once printed a story about President Kennedy during a tumultuous time:

One morning President Kennedy was in his bedroom when a special, top-secret telephone began to ring. He, expecting the worst, picked up the receiver. He said, "This is the president," the voice startled on the other end, "I must have the wrong number; I’m trying to reach a French laundry." White House communications experts never figured out where the call came from, or how it had been patched through to that vital telephone line.

In stark contrast, when we call upon the Lord, God knows exactly who we are and He responds righteously to our pleas. Because of His response, when He calls we must righteously and reverently respond to His call and obey. When we respond in this way, we are called into His Kingdom and we share in His glory.

MIRROR'S REFLECTION

Psalm 119:9
How can a young person stay pure?
By obeying your word and
following its rules.



It's a real struggle for people to be clean on both the inside and the outside. Regarding the outside, people are pretty conscious about their personal hygiene and grooming. In fact, there are those that would stand in front of the bathroom mirror for what may seem like forever just to make sure everything is clean, prim and proper. Keeping one's spiritual life clean requires the same kind of diligence. We should look in the mirror daily with the Word, cleansing our hearts and minds in obedience to God. James 1:23-24 teaches us, “For if you just listen and don't obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.” Put in the time and effort to work on your spiritual life, just like you would put the time and effort into your physical appearance.

EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL

Ecclesiastes 3:11
God has made everything
beautiful for its own time.
He has planted eternity
in the human heart,
but even so, people cannot see
the whole scope of God's work
from beginning to end.



Upon completing a painting, the famed artist Marc Chagall would use God's perfection to authenticate his effort. Chagall once said, “When I am finishing a picture, I hold some God-made object up to it — a rock, a flower, the branch of a tree or my hand — as a kind of final test. If the painting stands up beside a thing man cannot make, the painting is authentic.” Don't base yourself upon the standards set by the world, comparing yourself to man-made achievements, man-made determinations of success or man-made determinations of beauty. Everything God created is sublime and beautiful - and that means you, too.

GOD IS DEAD?

Romans 1:8
Let me say first of all
that your faith in God
is becoming known
throughout the world.
How I thank God
through Jesus Christ
for each one of you.



The late 19th century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche challenged the foundations of Christianity when he wrote, "God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it?" In a tragic demise, Nietzsche died suffering from syphilis, 2 paralyzing heart attacks, pneumonia and a mental breakdown; his last writings before death were his rambling "Madness Letters" which were sent to his friends and colleagues. The irony of Nietzsche's claim is that God is alive and that His will remains the same. Nietzsche, however, is long dead with his "will to power" buried with him. Use your life to let the world know that God is alive and well, and shine His light upon a world that needs to know the truth.

COUNTERFEIT

2 Corinthians 11:14
But I am not surprised!
Even Satan can disguise
himself as an angel of light.



2 Corinthians 11:14 is a warning to the "religious." The verse also acts to encourage people to make the Word of God the standard of their personal belief systems. Upon recently visiting my local city hall, I noticed new brochures on display that educated residents about security markings on cash because of a recent burst of counterfeit bills into our local economy. Similarly to counterfeit bills, there are people that will offer false teachings that will appear to agree with the Lord Jesus, His teachings and His words. They will sometimes appeal to you in His name, using His practices. They might even behave the way you think a Christian would behave and even look the way you think a Christian would look. Don't fret, however, because the Word of God can be used to identify the "security markings" of the truth given to us by the Bible. Take the time to read the Bible, to meditate upon the Word and let Him reign throughout your life. Do these things and you'll have no problem detecting a spiritual counterfeits that will try to fool you.

THIS SIDE UP

Hebrews 11:5
It was by faith that Enoch was
taken up to heaven without dying —
"suddenly he disappeared
because God took him."
But before he was taken up,
he was approved as pleasing to God.



There are those among us that would tell people that there are many different ways to get into heaven. Religions or good deeds are the typical ways that non-believers would suggest to reach heaven. Unfortunately, to propose such a thought would be among the biggest frauds that religions could lead a person to believe. Make no mistake, religious leaders that preach that a religion or good works can get you into heaven are guilty for the hell bound souls that never heard the truth because of their lies. There's a funny story I'd heard about a factory foreman inspecting a shipment of crystal vases that said to a helpful newly hired packager, "I see you did what I asked. You stamped the top of each box, 'This Side Up, Handle With Care.'" The packer responded, "Yes sir, and just to make sure, I stamped it on the bottom, too." Don't add to or subtract from the Word. The confusion caused may leave you with someone's blood on your hands.

NOT BOUND

2 Timothy 2:9
And because I preach this Good News,
I am suffering and have been
chained like a criminal.
But the word of God cannot be chained.



History tells us that first century Christians fled and lived in the near 600 miles of underground cavern tunnels outside of Rome. During the almost 300 years of suppression, ten generations of Christians were buried in those catacombs with the death count somewhere between 1.7 and 4 million. Within these underground dwellings, inscriptions of Scripture can still be seen on the catacomb walls. One of the most frequent inscriptions is the sign of the fish, but the inscription that best describes their faith is, “The Word of God is not bound.” If your faith is rock solid, there are no chains strong enough that can ever hold down what God can do with your life. How rock solid is your faith today?

BOREDOM

Isaiah 49:4
I replied, "But my work all seems so useless!
I have spent my strength for nothing and
to no purpose at all. Yet I leave it all in the
LORD'S hand; I will trust God for my reward."



On June 17, 2008, ExecuNet.com reported, “that the survey of 1,597 employed executives with an average annual salary of more than $206,000 reveals that 61% are satisfied or very satisfied with their current job, professional fulfillment varies significantly by function, with MIS/IT and Sales executives the most likely to be unhappy. Survey shows that boredom and shortage of opportunities for advancement remain key drivers.” You might be asking how a person that earns the above mentioned amount of money could still be dissatisfied or worse yet, bored? Well, boredom happens when a person very plainly doesn't know their purpose in life. If you find that you don't understand your life's purpose, seek wisdom from the Word. It's safe to say that when you find your purpose, it'll be a priceless treasure worth waiting for.

THE ROOTS

Colossians 2:7
Let your roots grow down into him
and draw up nourishment from him,
so you will grow in faith,
strong and vigorous in the
truth you were taught.
Let your lives overflow with
thanksgiving for all he has done.



Growth is always a process. Sometimes it's even a painful process. Every person who desires to try and climb the ladder of success goes through the process of educating oneself and having to pass all the required tests. As our faith grows, we have to learn from the Word of God and implement those lessons in our lives. When we obey God's desires for us, whether it be painful or filled with suffering, we pass the tests and find our faith increased because we now have proof that the Word of God is true. Are the roots of your faith strongly tied to the Word of God today?

YOUR SPIRITUAL RÉSUMÉ

Mark 11:24
Therefore I tell you,
whatever you ask for in prayer,
believe that you have received it,
and it will be yours.



In today's job market, your résumé is of prime importance because it's what you'll present as your personal record of experience, education and qualifications to perform a particular task. In accordance to one's résumé, a person may obtain an interview and depending on how that interview might go, a person may be given a job, salary and/or benefits. Similarly, Christians have a spiritual résumé that God will base a believer's faithfulness upon. Depending upon the strength of your spiritual résumé, greater doors can open up for you. In Matthew 9:29, we learn that the Lord Jesus told the blind that, "According to your faith will it be done to you." Based upon your spiritual résumé today, would you be given the opportunity to walk through greater doors?

BE PERSISTENT

Matthew 14:36
The sick begged him to let them
touch even the fringe of his robe,
and all who touched it were healed.



Our enemy has put together a strategy to get people to believe that they are losers. On the other hand, God has promised those that are faithful a winning victory. If you believe God's promise, the Word says you will need to have the kind of faith taught about in Romans 10:17, “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ.” When the sick learned that Jesus could heal their diseases, they believed and were persistent in following Him until they could just barely touch the hem of His clothes for the healing power. How persistent are you in pursuing His healing power and blessings for your life?

CHEERFUL GIVING

2 Corinthians 8:2-3
Though they have been going
through much trouble and hard times,
their wonderful joy and deep poverty
have overflowed in rich generosity.
For I can testify that they gave not only
what they could afford but far more.
And they did it of their own free will.



2 Corinthians 8:2-3 speaks of something that most people just won't understand at first glance. The first century Christians that Paul describes absolutely displayed the practice of true Christianity when they gave up everything they owned for God. Acts 2:44-45 teaches us, “And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything they had. They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds with those in need.” This is a display of simple obedience to the teaching of the Word of God. 2 Corinthians 9:7 tells us, “You must each make up your own mind as to how much you should give. Don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves the person who gives cheerfully.” Do you find that you are a cheerful giver? Would you give up everything you own for God?

BLIND FAITH

Hebrews 11:8
By faith Abraham, when he was called
to go out into a place which he should
after receive for an inheritance, obeyed;
and he went out, not knowing whither he went.



In Genesis 12:1-3, the Lord told Abram, "Leave your country, your relatives, and your father's house, and go to the land that I will show you. I will cause you to become the father of a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and I will make you a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you." What we see today in the faithful family of believers all began with a promise to one man whose family evolved to become the nation of Israel. Obedience and a blind trusting faith in God is what Abram had to display to receive that promised blessing that would go well beyond his living generation. If you exhibit that kind of blind faith, you too can be the seedling that can bring generations of blessings to your family. Is your trust in God strong enough for you to exhibit a blind faith in your walk today?

WHAT IS FAITH?

Hebrews 11:1
What is faith? It is the confident assurance
that what we hope for is going to happen.
It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see.



In August of 1949, Billy Graham said, "I was so filled with doubts, I then took the Bible up into the high Sierra Nevada mountains in California. I opened it and got on my knees. I plead, 'Father I cannot understand many things in this Book. I cannot come intellectually all the way, but I accept it by faith to be authoritative, the inspired Word of the Living God!'" Records show that by the age of 89, Billy Graham's faith in the Christ brought him to personally advise nine U.S. presidents and lead more than 400 crusade events in over 185 countries. His is a truly amazing story of how a strong faith can open the gates for God to do wondrous things with ordinary people. Where is your Christian faith today?

PERMANENT IMPACT

2 Timothy 2:15
Do your best to present yourself
to God as one approved,
a workman who does not need
to be ashamed and who correctly
handles the word of truth.



The only thing that will ever have a permanent impact on the world is the life of a person who gives his life to God to do His will. It's fair to say that either a person is fully approved by God or that He finds a person shameful. Our Lord Jesus taught us in Hebrews 10:7, “Then I said, 'Here I am – it is written about me in the scroll – I have come to do your will, O God.” To this day, Jesus Christ is still impacting the lives of the faithful because all that mattered to Him was to do the will of His Father. Faithful believers need to take the time to share the Word of God accurately with the unsaved and then put sincere effort into living right to bring a permanent impact upon the world.

LEAVE A LEGACY

Ecclesiastes 2:21
For a man may do his work with wisdom,
knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all
he owns to someone who has not worked for it.
This too is meaningless and a great misfortune.



Ecclesiastes 2:21 is all about the misfortunes of success. You might gain and amass all the wealth you can, but at the end of the day you can’t take it with you. All of it becomes meaningless unless you leave a legacy that turns misfortune into fortune. Jesus taught us in Matthew 16:26, “And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process? Is anything worth more than your soul?” Leave a legacy by making people remember God movement in your life and use everything you have to bring people to Jesus Christ. If today was your last day on earth, how would everyone remember you?

THE SECRET WISDOM

1 Corinthians 2:7
No, the wisdom we speak of
is the secret wisdom of God,
which was hidden in former times,
though he made it for our
benefit before the world began.



The greatest privilege given to us by God is the revelation of His wisdom. Matthew 11:25 says, “Jesus prayed this prayer: ‘O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding the truth from those who think themselves so wise and clever, and for revealing it to the childlike.’” He also said in Mark 10:15, “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." The secret has already been revealed to those with a childlike faith. The Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 1:4, “Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.” Do you have a childlike faith?

INNER STRENGTH

Ephesians 3:16
I pray that from his glorious,
unlimited resources he will
give you mighty inner strength
through his Holy Spirit.



When critical decision making is required and you don’t know what's right or wrong, your inner strength needs to overcome your physical strength. When temptation comes upon you, rely on the inner strength given to you by the sweet Holy Spirit, the third person of the Holy Trinity. Roman 8:6 teaches us that, “If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace.” You can’t really successfully control your own life because your own personal strength will ultimately allow sin to exist in your life. However, if you let the Holy Spirit be your mighty inner strength, your body becomes a living and breathing temple of strength through the Holy Spirit. Which do you find yourself exerting more throughout your day, your inner strength or your physical strength?

PREACH IT. TEACH IT.

2 Timothy 4:2
Preach the word of God.
Be persistent, whether
the time is favorable or not.
Patiently correct, rebuke, and
encourage your people with good teaching.



Mature and responsible people work whether they like it or not. They go to school and study whether they like it or not. There’s a story about a preacher who had an urge to preach in a church building with no congregants in the pews and he preached as if the place was filled with people. Many years later, he was approached by a man who said to him, “Sir, you saved my life.” The preacher asked, “How so?” The man replied, “I was passing a certain building one day and hearing a voice, I stood and listened from the outside. I was an ex-convict and in despair, but that day I received the Lord after I listened to you.” Keep preaching the Word because you never know who might be listening, learning and changing the direction of their lives.

REMAIN FAITHFUL

2 Timothy 3:14
But you must remain faithful to
the things you have been taught.
You know they are true,
for you know you can
trust those who taught you.



As a person journeys through different discipline levels of academic challenges, that person will be bombarded by different philosophies. Generally, these thoughts are man’s attempts to find solutions to truly make man’s life better. The irony of these philosophies is that they're just trying to achieve what the Word of God has already accomplished. Always remember the truth you’ve learned from the teachings of the Word of God. The Bible is the only absolute teaching that can transform a life completely for the better. Learn it, share it and then change the world around you. As we're taught in 2 Timothy 3:14, "remain faithful to the things you have been taught." Have you been faithful in your life and your actions to the things the Word has taught you?