Friday, December 29, 2006

BVOV Audio Podcast for Friday, December 29, 2006

from BVOV Audio by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland

Joyce Meyer: "Be Still and Know That I Am God"

Let be and be still, and know (recognize and understand) that I am God.... —Psalm 46:10

One of the most awesome commands that God gives to man is, "Be still" (Psalm 46:10).

Our activity when birthed out of the flesh actually prevents God from showing Himself strong in our lives.

This doesn't mean we are to be passive or lazy. It means we are to do whatever God leads us to do, without running ahead of Him in the energy of the flesh.

We need to be careful to submit our ideas and plans to God, then slow down, and wait. Make sure there is a sense of peace to go along with the plans and ideas. Ask the Lord for His will in your life, then be still and know that He is God.

Learn to trust the Lord without having to know what He is going to do, when He is going to do it, and how He is going to do it. Just let Him do it.

If you will turn your heart toward God in loving trust, He will do what needs to be done.

God gives His highest and best to those whose trust is in Him. Be still and let Him show Himself strong in your life.

Do This:
Be still and know that He is God. Be assured that as long as you trust Him, He will never fail you or disappoint you.

Gloria Copeland: "Remember Noah"

"And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." (Genesis 6:7-8)

One of the dirtiest, most damaging lies that the devil ever told you was when he said, "You aren't important." Don't you ever believe that.

You are important! Every born-again member in the Church of Jesus Christ has a part to play in God's plan. God has something for you to do that no one else can do just like you can. If you don't take your place and do your part, things won't be quite right.

I can just hear you thinking, "Oh, Gloria, I'm just one person. What could I possibly do that could be so significant?"

Look in Genesis 6, and you'll see the answer to that question. There you'll see that the people on the earth had gotten so wicked that God had regretted that He'd made them. He was ready to wipe the whole population out--but He didn't. Why? Because of one man: Noah! One obedient man saved the human race.

Think about that. What if Noah had said, "Well, this is just too much pressure for me. I can't live upright before God in the middle of this ungodly generation. I mean, everybody around me is living the other way. Every man around me imagines only evil in his heart. I can't make any difference in this dark world anyway. I'm just one man."

Praise God, Noah didn't say that. He didn't picture himself as an insignificant man whose life didn't matter. According to Hebrews, he saw himself as a man to whom God had spoken and by faith he obeyed God. And because of that he ended up being the only thing that stood between mankind and total destruction.

Next time you're tempted to shrug off the instructions of God and be disobedient, next time you catch yourself thinking, "It doesn't matter what I do"--remember Noah. Consider the fact that, whether you understand it or not, God is counting on you to carry out your part of His plan. Live like you're someone important in the kingdom of God. And sooner or later you'll realize, you are.

Scripture Study: Genesis 6

Christ makes everything new

Joel Osteen

Today's Scripture
"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me." (Psalms 51:10)
Today's Word from Joel and Victoria
With the new year comes fresh starts, resolutions, and new beginnings. It is a time of making plans, setting goals, and writing visions. But the greatest "new start" of all comes through Jesus Christ. II Corinthians 5:17 says: "Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a NEW creation; the old has passed away, behold the new has come."

If you need a new beginning this year, in any area of your life, allow Christ to make you a new creation and the old will pass away! He will put a new and right spirit within you when you call upon His name! This year, make your relationship with Him your number one priority. As you develop an intimacy with Him through daily prayer and the study of His Word, you will experience the joy of newness of life!

A Prayer for Today
God, this is the year I put You first. I want to start with a clean slate and begin anew as I develop a deeper personal relationship with You. Thank you for sending Your Son who gave His life so I could have a new beginning.