dickbraswell

Word for Today:  May 25

God established the family.

The first human He made was a Husband and Father.

The second was a Wife and Mother.

The first family was given the awesome responsibility of “replenishing” the earth.

The family is more important than the church.  The family is more important than “religion.”  The family is more important than being “spiritual.”  The family is more important than anything God planned for the welfare, protection and propagation of the human race.

The family was established before the church.  It was on earth and functioning before Israel became the Chosen People… the Grand Plan through which God would send a Savior and redeem the world.

There is a Biblical pattern and plan for the family… It is simple and it is clearly stated in the Scriptures… One man.   One woman.  One time.  Forever.

The plan is defined and explained in the Word as follows:

• Husbands… love your wives. (Eph 5)
• Wives… submit (yield) to your husbands… (Eph 5)
• Children… obey your parents…. (Eph 6)
• Families… serve the Lord. (Jos 24)

…but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Simple.  Plain.  Unquestionable.  Imperative.  Fundamental.

Word for Today:  May 24

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

Word for Today:  May 23

What pleases God?

What is it that really pleases God?  What one thing brings Him the most pleasure and fulfillment?  What gives Joy to the Lord?

When we receive to the fullest measure what He has freely provided, God is pleased.

Our acceptance of and confidence in His Covenant moves us into the place of receiving the Kingdom and all Kingdom benefits and provisions.  This is what brings joy to the father.

  …for the joy of the LORD is your strength.  Neh 8:10 

The joy in this verse is referring to the Joy God receives  (as well as us) when He sees us living in and receiving  the Supernatural Strength which comes from the blessings and benefits of our Salvation.

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

Word for Today:  May 22

Refuse to compromise.

The Hebrews, Shadrach, Meshach and Abendego, refused to give in to fear, or defeat or to compromise their faith.  (Daniel 3)

Their difficult situation made them more determined to remain true to their convictions.

Remember, if satan cannot get you to quit, he will try to get you to compromise your good conscience.   he is anxious for you to EASE UP.  he does not want you to “go too far…”  he wants you to back down and cool off.  he will attempt to make you rely on reason.  he will work to encourage you to recalibrate your convictions.

You have an opportunity right now to stand or compromise.  You can do what is comfortable, acceptable and “politically correct” or you can maintain your position boldly for Jesus.

You can do what is right or you can back down and compromise.

The choice is up to you

Word for Today:  May 21

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.  Maintain a thankful heart.

Word for Today:  May 20

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, anything, 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.

God was with Moses.  God was with Joshua.  God is with us…  Even our enemies shall be made to be a peace with us.  The move of God in us will strike terror in the hearts of those who resist God and resist God’s Word.

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.  Be not dismayed.  Be not 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 to fear

Word for Today:  May 19

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 18

What is the cause of conflict?

The Believer is constantly bombarded by conflicts and difficulties.   satan buffets and tries and tests and tempts.  Many are the afflictions of the righteous… and we can all say “amen” to that.  We must remember, however, that the Lord delivereth them (us) out of them all…

The Faith Life is filled with confrontations and conflicts.   Remember, Conflicts will control you or you will control conflicts.   Your spiritual (and natural) success depends on what you KNOW and what you DO with what you KNOW.   Some have grown “weary” in well doing.  Some have “run out of gas” spiritually.  Others have retreated from their faith stand and wandered back into religion, doubt and reasoning.

Understand that satan wants to stop you (before you go “too far”).   he wants to keep you from getting where God wants you to be.  he will set traps, and build obstacles and release devices and fiery darts to hinder your spiritual growth and development.  he wants you to ease up and finally, give up.  he will move you into doubt and negativism if possible.  he wants to make you an embarrassment to the Church and the Kingdom of God.  he wants you sick and weak.  he wants you to feel bad and worry.  he wants you broke, poor and destitute.  he will turn up the heat and tighten the screws to keep you frustrated and stressed out.  he wants you dead and out of his way.

REALIZE that conflicts come from hell.  God is not the author of conflicts or the Creator of obstacles.  God is a Helper and not a hinderer.  God is a Multiplier and not a subtractor. God is a Good God and He does Good things.  The devil is bad and does bad things.

Simple as that

Word for Today:  May 17

And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.  Mark 11:22   

“Have the Faith of God.”  You have the same kind of Faith that God has.  Faith is a Divine Attribute of God.  When you and I got Born Again, we received an impartation of the very Nature and Character of God into our Recreated Human Spirit.  When we were Regenerated, we were “RE-GENED…”  God Supernaturally changed and altered the Genetic Mapping of our human nature.  He “imputed” His Faith into us.  NOW… we have the same kind of Faith God has.

Just as you received certain biological and genetic characteristics from your earthly parents at the time of your conception and birth, you also received certain Spiritual and Supernatural characteristics from your Heavenly Father at the time of your Spiritual Birth.  You look like your parents.  You have personal and emotional characteristics like your parents.  The color of your eyes.  The color of your hair.  Your complexion.    Your size.  The way you walk.  The way you are physically composed.

All these were built into you… mapped by the genetic structures of your parents… and passed on to you at the time of your physical birth.  If all these intricate and miraculous PHYSICAL attributes were placed in you when you were born, the wonderful supernatural SPIRITUAL characteristics of God Himself likewise were imputed into your recreated human spirit at the time of your Spiritual Birth.

We are partakers of His divine nature…  (2pet 1:4

Word for Today:  May 16

The faith of God.

And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.  (Have the faith of God)  Mark 11:22

If the faith of God is the creative force behind all creation, (and it most certainly is) and if you and I have the same kind of faith, (and we most certainly do) then we have access to the most awesome force known in the universe.

• Faith is substance.
• Faith makes.
• Faith creates.
• Faith moves things. Even mountains.  Faith moves sickness.  Faith moves problems.  Faith moves poverty.  Faith moves circumstances.
• Faith gets out of the boat and walks on water.
• Faith makes something out of nothing.

The remarkable and almost unbelievable truth is that God has given you a determined amount of His Faith. (Rom 12:3)   What have you done with it?  What are you doing with it?  What do you intend to do with it?  What will you do with it RIGHT NOW?  Use it or lose it.  Put it in motion or let it sit there.  Launch out or stay in your safe, comfortable, unthreatened place.

Faith is ACTION.  If it is not Moving, it is not really FAITH.  It may be in your head, but you need to get it out of your head and into your heart and out of your heart and into your hands and feet.  You have it.  God gave it to you.  It is the same kind He has.  It has power to create.

Use it