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          The Word is important. 

Nothing in all of creation has the power that the Word of God has.  Believers have total access to this miracle-working, life-changing, victory-producing power.   The All-Powerful Word was not only for the days of the Bible.  It is for us today.  God spoke in the past and continues to speak to us in the present through His Word.    His Word carries the anointing to accomplish what God desires and what believers need.    

          God said:

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth:  it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish (Asah: to do or to make;  to create)  that which I please and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it… Isaiah 55:11 

          When God sends His Word out it always brings something back.  When we send His Word out in faith, it brings something back.   God’s Word is a carrier.  It carries stuff.  It brings things in and it takes things out.  God’s Word will never “not do” something;  it accomplishes, it creates, it makes, it does things.

          God’s Word will accomplish what pleases God.  What is it that pleases God?  Jesus said: 

Fear not little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom…   Luke 12:32 

          God pleasure is to give us the Kingdom.   

Here are some of the things God’s Word does, it:

• Produces faith 
• Reveals God  
• Saves sinners
• Renews the mind of believers
• Sanctifies Christians
• Chastens the Body of Christ  
• Recreates and brings to life the dead human spirit
• Overcomes the world  
• Makes us like Jesus

          The Bible tells us that the Word is Alive and full of Power. 

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the di­viding asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a dis­cerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.   Heb. 4:12  

          According to this verse, the Word is “quick” or “alive.”   The Word is locked and loaded and ready to produce.  The Word has Heaven-potential in it.  Whatever is in Heaven is in the Word.   There is life in the Word.  There is healing in the Word.  There is deliverance in the Word.  There is prosperity in the Word.  There is victory in the Word.  There is restoration in the Word.  There is peace and joy in the Word.  There is strength in the Word.  There is protection in the Word.  There is comfort in the Word.  There is assurance in the Word.  There is salvation in the Word.  The Word is God and God is the Word.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.   John 1:1 

          When we believe the Word and speak the Word in faith, it will produce what God produces.  There are no restrictions in the Word.   Nothing that is good is held back.  

For the Lord God is a sun and shield:  the Lord will give grace and glory:  no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly…  Psa 84:11  The Word of God is the WORD OF GOD  

          The Word of God is inspired, inerrant, and infallible.  It is authentic, it is alive and it is eternal.   It is full of miracle-working power.  It is God-Breathed.  It will never pass away.  It is with us now and it will be with us in heaven. 

          Holy men of God were inspired and moved on by the Holy Spirit and what they spoke and what they wrote be­came the written Word of God.  However, the Word of God existed before it became a written word.  All creation had its birth out of the Word which God spoke.  Only after the establishment of the human race, did that Word become a written word.

For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.   2Pet. 1:21   

           That record is com­plete and suf­ficient and it is the foundation and primary message of the Church today.   It is relevant and up-to-date.  It needs nothing added to it and it needs noth­ing changed in it.  It is perfect and it is finished.  

The Word of God is the Will of God

           It is His Testament… it is what He desires for His creation.  The Word reveals His eternal purpose for the Earth, for the Heavens, for the Nation of Israel, for the Church and for the believer.  The Word is the written down Will of God. 

The Word of God is the key to bringing God’s Will to pass on earth

          When we believe the Word, say the Word and do the Word, we bring God’s Will down from heaven and release it into the earth.  Jesus prayed for the Will of God to be done in earth as it is being done in heaven.  (Mat. 6:10)  When the Word prevails, heaven’s power is re­leased on earth and God’s will is done. 

          God’s will is accomplished and established through the Church.  The Church can accomplish the Will of God on earth by doing the Word of God.  When we do the Word we accomplish the Will of God.

The Believer can live and keep from dying only by the Word

…that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.   Deut. 8:3

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that pro­ceedeth out of the mouth of God. Matt. 4:4   

          If we are to live to the fullest poten­tial of God’s plan, we will do so only by the Word and through the Word.  The Word is able.  The Word is adequate.  The Word is enough. 

• The Word will tell us what is to come and will prepare us for it

• The Word will make us strong and keep us strong 

• The Word will drive out sickness, disease, infirmity and weakness 

• The Word will keep us well, keep us whole, deliver us, and keep us in prosperity 

• The Word will convict and chasten us

• The Word will cut off the ex­cess and expose the unnecessary

• The Word will starve our doubts and feed our faith

• The Word will make us ready to meet Jesus 

• The Word will give us life and life more abundantly

• The Word shows us how to live and keep from dying

Word for Today:  May 21

The fact is, life does deliver some crushing blows

We need to “get real.”    It is unprofitable for us to live in some dream world where everything always is perfect.  Life is not some Hollywood American Utopia where there is no pain and no disappointment…  The devil is real and the kingdom of darkness is real.

Some of these contradictions that we are unable to understand are aimed at believers as well as unbelievers.  The church is not immune to demonic attacks.  In fact, the purpose and ploy of the devil is to kill, steal and destroy… primarily that and those who are not already “his.”   Therefore, how we react and cope in difficult and trying times is extremely important to the Kingdom of God.

We must understand that the “curse” is far reaching.  Even though the Redemptive Work of Jesus cancelled it for the Believer, its effects and influence is still very active in the natural world.  That’s why we are experiencing war and murder and injustice and abuse….  All manner of wickedness and evil that is contrary to the Kingdom of God.

The world we live in is influenced by principalities and powers and rulers of the darkness and spiritual wickedness in high places (Eph 6:12).  This is a principle that those in the early church were well aware of.  However, the Message that motivated those experiencing the trials and tribulations of such an unfair and unjust environment was a Message of great encouragement.  It declared that even though times were tough, they were Overcomers.

This is one of the recurring themes of New Testament Theology and it is a contemporary Message of encouragement to us as well.

For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world

Word for Today:  May 19

Do you have a need?

• Are you hurting?
• Is something in your way?
• What mountain are you facing?
• What valley are you in?
• Do you feel the pressure?
• Are you in a bind?
• Are you caught between a rock and a hard place?
• Are you stressed?
• Are you sick?
• Are you bound?
• Are you sad?
• Are you discouraged?
• Are you disappointed?
• Have your hopes been shattered and your dreams destroyed?

Where ever you are, God is there.

Whatever you are facing God is there.

However you are hurting, God knows how you feel.  He wants to help you more than you want help.  His great pleasure is to give you the Kingdom and get you out of your place of pain and disappointment.

Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:32

His Kingdom is a Kingdom of Peace and Rest and Healing and Abundance and Fulfillment and Satisfaction.  God’s Pleasure is to see that you receive and enjoy all the benefits of your Salvation.  That’s what He has provided for you.  That’s what He wants for you.

That is His will for you today

Word for Today:  May 18

God is so much bigger than we can imagine.

What He can do far exceeds our ability to understand and comprehend.  He is greater than the greatest, bigger than the biggest and more powerful than anything or anybody we can imagine.

John speaks of the “streets of gold” when he attempts to describe the splendor and opulence of heaven.  He is limited by the words at his command to describe what he sees in the spirit.  Did you know that the “streets of gold” are nothing more than the “garbage dump” in heaven?  The earthly streets that John knew about were littered with garbage in his day.  The inhabitants of the city would throw their trash and garbage into the streets and the traffic of human feet and the paths of plodding animals would pack down the garbage.  The streets in John’s day were the garbage dump.

If Heaven’s Garbage Dump is solid gold, I cannot begin to imagine what the houses and lands and habitations of the redeemed will be like.

Do you have a need?  Any need.  Big need.  Small need.  Few needs.  Great needs.  Many needs.  If your answer is “yes,” name your need.  Does it have a name?  What is it?  Call it out.  Give it a name.  Tell yourself what it is.  Tell the devil what it is.  Tell God what it is (even though He already knows.)  Is it a health need?  Is it a financial need?  Is it a marriage or family need?  Is it a spiritual need?  Is it an emotional need?  If you have a need, then God has the supply… and God is Able to get His supply to your need… AND HE WILL.

Philippians 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, (Jesus) and given him a name which is above every name:

Therefore, the Name of Jesus is ABOVE the name of your need.  And it is subject to that Name.

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:19

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us… Eph 3:20

God is Able to meet your need TODAY.

Word for Today:  May 17

God has a plan.

God has a purpose and a design for all things.  As long as His plan is followed, His purpose and His design will come to pass.  When you by pass the Plan you by pass God’s purpose and God’s design.  When you work the Plan you flow in God.

A builder has a blueprint.  He follows the blueprint and it results in a completed structure that meets all the required specifications.

A cook has a recipe.  When the recipe is followed and all the instructions are obeyed, it results in a successful and delightful dish.

God has a Book.  It is the Bible and it is His Word.  When you abide in His Word and follow His Word, you have His Will and His design.  It is a winning will.  It is an overcoming design.  It is a FAIL-SAFE success system.

Read and follow the Instructions

“His Own Purpose…”

2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called [us] with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

God’s Purpose is for:

1.  Man’s Redemption

2.  Earth’s Restoration

3.  Heaven’s Completion

Let’s talk about the WHY of Redemption.  Why did God save you?  What purpose does He have in mind for your life?  What is the reason for your redemption?  We need to understand that no one is saved by accident.

Eph. 1:4   According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Eph. 1:5   Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 

Most people who are saved have no real idea WHY they ARE SAVED.  Salvation, to them, is equated with Religion or Church Membership or Doctrinal Creed or Denominational affiliation.  Most have been taught that Salvation is a convenient escape from Hell and that it good only after they die.  Some have been taught that SALVALTION is based on how they act, what they do or how good they are.  It is obvious that we need to know MORE about SALVATION.

There is reason and rationale behind your redemption.  You were and are saved for a plan and purpose… there is a plan in the Heart of God for you.  God saved you   so that you might demonstrate His Heart on earth.  

God knew you before the foundations of the earth were formed.

Ephesians 1:4  According as he hath chosen (to pick out, choose, to pick or choose out for one’s self)  us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

He knew you and loved you and planned on you before Creation.   He had you in His Heart.  He looked forward with great anticipation to the time that you would be brought into the dimension of Time and Space.  God orchestrated the genetic structure of all your ancestors…. all the way back to Adam…. just to produce in YOU the characteristics, talents, and abilities HE needs for this hour in human history.  God planned you with more care and creative genius than He planned anything else in all the Universe.  You are important to God.  You are in His Heart.  God has a reason for your life.  God has  purpose for your being here.

 Look at where you were:

 Eph. 2:2   Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Eph. 2:3   Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Colossians 2:13  And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

Look at where you are:

Eph. 2:1   And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins:

Eph. 2:4   But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

Eph. 2:5   Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

Eph. 2:6   And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

Eph. 2:7   That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Why did God save you?

God Saved you Bring you into His Family.

             God chose you, called you, and birthed you into His Family.  He made the earth for you, and He made Man for Himself.  God desires Fellowship and Communion and Friendship with you.  Agape (God-Love) craves fellowship.  We are love objects of our Father God.  He is our Father, and we are His children.  He longs to fellowship with you and to enter an INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP with you.   God want you to KNOW HIM.  (Epiginosko) He saved you to establish FELLOWSHIP with you.  “…who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ…”  (II Cor 5:18)

You are saved so that you may experience and enjoy all the benefits of Heaven before you get there.  God wants you with Him but before you get there, His Heart is that you might live in Heaven’s atmosphere while you are still on earth. 

 God saved you to make you like Him. 

God did not send Jesus to teach us…. He sent Jesus to Reproduce us.  God’s Heart is that you and I become LIKE HIM. 

            God wants you to be like Him.  He wants you to look like Him, talk like Him, think like Him and act like Him and He wants you to do it Right now where you are.  His greatest pleasure comes from the fact that you resemble Him.  You are recreated in His Image.  You are predestinated to be conformed to the Image of His Son (Rom 8:29).  He wants you to operate here on earth just as He operates in heaven.  God wants His Kingdom to come and His will to be done ON EARTH.  The way that His Kingdom comes, and His Will is done ON EARTH is when you act like Him.  When you live like Him.  When you think like Him.  When you talk like Him.  It is doing what God does the way God does it that changes the world.  When we realize we can be like God our whole perspective on life changes.  Why would God want us to be like Him if it were not in the realm of POSSIBILITY?  If we can be like God, we can do the IMPOSSIBLE.  If we can  be like God, no power in hell will ever defeat us.  If we can be like God, no sickness can overtake us.  If we can be like God all our needs will be met and all our dreams will be realized.  God saved you to be LIKE HIM.  His Nature has been imputed into you and your Recreated Human Spirit is now alive with the Life of God and you are MORE than a conqueror.

“What is man that thou art mindful of him?   and the son of man that thou visitest him?  For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels (Elohim), and hast crowned him with glory and with honor…”   Psa 8:4-5

            Now, what is God like?  What does God do?  What does He think?  What does He say?  How are His emotions?   What is His Heart?

            First, God is LOVE so God Loves.  God is Love.  All God does comes out of God’s Love.  God is Good and God is good all the time. God is Love and God loves all the time.  God forgives.  God does not hold grudges.  God is not resentful.  God does not wish harm or evil on anyone.  God loves with a special kind of love.  It is not sensual.   (eros)  It is more than brotherly.  (philios)  It is supernatural.  It is Agape.  It is love that is unconditional.  It is love that loves regardless.  It requires nothing in return.   God wants us to love like He loves.  He says love your enemies.  Pray for them that despitefully use you.  Do good to those who hate you.  Be kind to those who are mean to you.  Be like Jesus.  “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do…”  God is a Faith God, but God’s faith works by Love.  “Faith worketh by love…” 

             Love answers the “why” of creation.  Love is the reason for creation.  Love is the RATIONALE for creation.  All things have their beginnings in LOVE.  LOVE is the DIVINE FORCE that brought all things into existence.  All the CREATIVE MIRACLES of GOD have their birth in LOVE.  Love is the reason for our very being.  LOVE CREATES.  LOVE ACTIVATES.  LOVE MOTIVATES. All action has to be MOTIVATED.  All of GOD’S ACTIONS are motivated by LOVE.  God loved and HE CREATED.  (1) the Heavens for earth  (2) the earth for Man  (3) man for Himself.   Man (you and I) are the objects GOD’S LOVE.  

The KINGDOM of GOD is in you and that KINGDOM is adequate to supply all your needs.  Just as EDEN was adequate to supply all the needs of Adam and Eve so it the KINGDOM sufficient to supply all your needs in this life.  KINGDOM PRINCIPLES and KINGDOM LAWS operate by LOVE.  LOVE is the ROYAL LAW of the KINGDOM of GOD.  God put Himself inside of you when you got Born Again.  God put His Kingdom inside of you when you got Born Again.  God’s Kingdom works by love.  God produced you through LOVE and He reproduces Himself in you through LOVE.  When you operate in LOVE you reveal the Heart of God and release God to work miracles.  You are identified to the world by LOVE… “By this shall men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another…”  John 13:35.

LOVE is the method of operation for the NT Church.  The Church was born by love and initially operated through love.  No DIVISIONS… FACTIONS… PREJUDICE… COMPETIVENESS… JEALOUSY… The membership was “together” and in “one accord” and “had all things common”… ONLY LOVE CAN PRODUCE THIS!!  Love is UNITY and SHARING and GIVING.   AGAPE is the cohesive force that binds the BODY of CHRIST together.  Each “joint” (member) supplies this binding agent that unifies and bonds the Body together.  This is LOVE.  Agape Love.  The GOD-KIND of Love. 

And Love Never Fails….

Word for Today:  May 13

Be Faithful.

Reinforce your determination to hold fast.  To stand.  Do not let the attacks on your faith prevent you from KEEPING ON.  The one thing satan really wants to do is to make you give up.  Through the years, I have seen saint after saint weaken and fall because they did not persevere.

You can be faithful.  There may be many things you cannot do, but you can be faithful.  Just because your faith is under attack is no reason to ease up, let up, back up, cave in or quit. This is the VERY time you and I need to make our most positive and determined stand.

Be faithful in your personal relationship with Jesus.  Be faithful in your daily faith walk.  Be faithful to your church.  Be faithful to follow the Word of God.  Be faithful in prayer.  Remember: the Word requires that good stewards be found faithful.   1 Cor 4:2.

Expect good things to happen any minute.

Keep your faith out for something.  Even though you get shot at and hit… keep believing for something.  Look for answers.  Expect results.  Do not be moved by the fact that you don’t see or feel anything.  Living by faith is living in expectance.  It is to be prepared for the harvest of the seeds you have sown…  Look for the increase.  Believe for the increase.  Expect the increase.

The woman with the issue of blood expected something to happen when she touched Jesus.  She pressed through all kinds of doubt, danger and hindrances.  She knew something good would happen when she came in contact with Jesus.

Live in expectancy

Word for Today:  May 12

Never give in.

Never give in to fear.  Never give in to discouragement.  Never be moved by facts or consequences or obstacles or impossibilities.  The God in you is bigger than man, the devil, any circumstance, any system, any movement, any government, any economy, any power…. nothing shall by any means harm you… when you go in the Name of the Lord God of Israel.  Don’t be afraid.

God was with Moses.  God was with Joshua.  God was with the Apostle Paul and all the leaders of the New Testament Church.  God is with us…  Even our enemies shall be made to be at peace with us.  God in us will strike terror in the hearts of those who resist God and resist God’s Word.  Don’t be afraid.

You have nothing to fear.  You have nothing to be afraid of.  God is with you.  God is in you.  His Power is working mightily through you.  Be courageous.  Be strong.  Be fearless.  Don’t be dismayed.  Don’t be discouraged.  Be aggressive.  Be on the attack.

The only way you can lose is if God loses…. and God never loses.  He never has and He never will.

Neither will YOU if you never give in

Word for Today:  May 11

Begin today with a positive attitude.

Never think weakness or failure.  Believe right and think right.  Your attitude will determine the condition of your faith.   The “artificial horizon” attitude indicator in an aircraft will tell the pilot what attitude the plane is in as it flies through the air.

Your attitude will indicate your thinking, your seeing, your saying and your doing.  Attitude is your present position.  Where are you now?  What is your attitude today?  How are you thinking?  What are you saying?  What are you expecting?

To fix damaged faith, reset your attitude to agree with the Word of God.  And the Will of God.  Flow in the direction of God’s leading.  Be sensitive to the Voice of the Holy Spirit.  Be deaf to the cries of the carnal man and to the vision of the natural eye.  Be encouraging.  Be encouraged.

See the best, talk the best, think the best and expect the best.  Be positive.

Because what you expect is what you usually get

Word for Today:  May 10

The prerequisite for seeing.

You will never “see the Invisible” until you are born of the Spirit.  The natural man cannot discern the things of God because they are spiritually discerned.  You cannot walk by faith unless you are Born Again.

The natural world burdens the heart of the natural man and its problems load his soul.  He can only see things as they are and he cannot look beyond the natural and see the invisible.

Nicodemus was religious.  Nicodemus was educated.  Nicodemus was righteous.  Nicodemus was seeking God.  Nicodemus was moral.  Nicodemus was LOST and he was BLIND and he could not SEE the INVISIBLE.  He would have made an excellent church member, but he was limited by lack of sight.  Jesus said, except a man be Born Again he cannot see…

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Joh 3:3

If Jesus said it, it must be important.  He wants you to be able to SEE the INVISIBLE and DO the IMPOSSIBLE.  Apart from the New Birth this is will never happen.

Many who are saved have difficulty “seeing.” It is hard for them to “forsake” and “endure.”  They are continually knocked down and overwhelmed by the enemy.  They are overcome more often than they overcome.  They are subject to worry, fears, doubts and discouragement.  They are depressed and done in.  They are unhappy constant victims of violent mood swings.  One day is good.  Then ten are bad.  One victory is won, then fifteen are lost.  Ground that has been gained is constantly being lost and retreat is the only way out.

We need to receive Power.  We need an encounter with the Holy Ghost that gives us the ability to resist the devil and win the battle, see the invisible and do the impossible.

John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:  Lu 3:16