Punch a Hole in the Dam

Kenneth Copeland

"So [Israel] came up to Baal-perazim, and David smote the [Philistines] there. Then David said, God has broken my enemies by my hand, like the bursting forth of waters; therefore they called the name of that place Baal-perazim(Lord of breaking through)."
(1 Chronicles 14:11, Amp)

Like the bursting forth of waters. I love that phrase! It paints such a powerful and accurate picture of a breakthrough.

Do you remember the story of the little boy who saw a leak in the dam and plugged up the hole with his finger? He knew that the force of the water flowing through that one tiny hole would have enlarged the leak with every second that passed. And, as the dam gave way to the pressure, that tiny trickle would have quickly become a raging flood.

As you reach out your hand in faith, expect God to break in upon your enemies just like He did for David. That's how your breakthrough will come like the bursting forth of waters!

Punch one little hole in that wall of problems, and no devilish dam will hold you back. Dig one tiny hole in it with your faith and with the Word of God.

Then keep tearing away at that hole by speaking out that faith day after day. Don't quit! Because God's forces are backed up behind you like an ocean of spiritual water. Each time you speak a word of faith, they leak through. The more you speak and the more you pray, the bigger that leak will get.

Begin your breakthrough right now. Say, "Lord Jesus, I rejoice today that You are Lord of my breakthrough. I thank You that the flood of Your power is about to sweep through my life. I know there is no problem that can stand against it. Poverty can't stand against it. Family problems can't stand against it. Nothing the devil can do can stop my victory. I praise You for it NOW! Amen."

Keep praying that. Keep believing that. And before long, the forces of God will come bursting through, demolishing every obstacle in their path!

Scripture Study: 1 Chronicles 14:8-17

Overcoming Our Past

Os Hillman

Judges 11:29 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah.

We've all heard stories of individuals who have overcome extreme hardship during their childhood years. Children of alcoholics, orphans who never have parents, loss of parents to a fatal crash, childhood disease-all difficult circumstances to overcome.

Jephthah was a man who overcame his obstacles and refused to allow his circumstances to prevent him from becoming great in God's sight. He was born to Gilead, a result of his father's adulterous encounter with a prostitute. Gilead's wife bore more sons, decided to reject Jephthah, and drove him away from their home saying, "You are not going to get any inheritance in our family because you are the son of another woman." Imagine the rejection this young man felt as he was cast away from his own family.

This experience taught Jephthah to become a hardened warrior. Today he probably would have been part of a street gang. As he got older, his reputation as a warrior became known to those in his country-so much so that when the Ammonites made war on Israel, the elders of Gilead went to Jephthah and asked him to be their commander. Jephthah had to fight off those feelings of rejection from previous years.

"Didn't you hate me and drive me from my father's house?" he responded. He overcame his hurt and pain, and responded to the call God had on his life.

It is said that if we were to help the butterfly remove itself from the cocoon, the butterfly would not be strong enough to survive. It is the struggle that prepares the butterfly to become strong enough to fly. Without the struggle in the cocoon, it could not survive as a butterfly.

The Lord prepares each of us in similar ways. Some of our childhoods seem to have been harsh and born from a seemingly unloving God. However, the Lord knows our struggle and will make our life an instrument in His hand if we will follow Him with an upright heart. He does make all things beautiful in His time if we are willing to be patient.

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!

Dr. Creflo A. Dollar is the senior pastor of World Changers Church International, a 25,000 member church in College Park, Georgia. He is committed to changing the world one person at a time, and his award-winning "Changing Your World" television broadcast reaches nearly one billion homes worldwide. Visit www.CrefloDollarMinistries.org to learn more.

Let Peace Rule

Gloria Copeland

"And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from the Christ rule(act as umpire continually) in your hearts--deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds.... And be thankful--appreciative, giving praise to God always."
(Colossians 3:15, Amp)

Have you been praying that God will let you know whether a certain action you want to take is agreeable to His will or not? Let this peace of Christ be your guide. Let it help you settle the issue. If you start to take that action and you realize you don't have peace about it, don't do it.

Remember, though, that this inner leading of the Holy Spirit, this subtle sense of uneasiness or peace He gives you, is something you have to watch and listen for carefully. He generally won't just come up and knock you out of bed one morning and tell you what you need to do. The primary way He speaks to you is by what the Bible calls an inward witness.

So, you have to listen. You can't just stay busy about the things of the world all the time. You have to give Him time and attention.

Also, watch out for strife. If you're irritated and upset about things in your life, it will be very hard to receive that quiet guidance from the Holy Spirit. So take heed to the instructions at the end of this scripture and "be thankful... appreciative, giving praise to God always." Maintain a thankful, grateful heart. You'll find it much easier to hear the "umpire of peace" when He makes a call.

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Scripture Study: Psalm 95:1-7

A Fleeting Shadow

Os Hillman

Psalms 144:4
Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow.

Every time I fly over a large body of water, I imagine opening the window of the jet and pouring out my coffee into the immense body of water below. I imagine the time that I spend on this earth compared to eternity is no more than that cup of coffee. The incredible size of the ocean compared to one small cup of coffee is what our life is like compared to eternity. Why then do we invest so much in temporal pursuits when we know that our investment here can have so much impact on our eternity? It is the great paradox of human behavior, especially for Christians.

Does your business life have an overall ministry objective to it? This does not mean we must be constantly involved in "Christian activity." It only means that we should be about what God has called us to do with the motive of being obedient to this mission. Do not let the worries and cares of this life keep you from having an eternal impact on the lives of those you meet each day. Satan has a way of keeping our focus on the problems of today rather than the spiritual opportunities before us. He is master of the urgent, not the important.

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Sandpaper People

By Micca Monda Campbell

“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1John 4:11 (NKJ)

Devotion:

Have you ever encountered a “sandpaper person?” You know, someone that rubs you the wrong way. Most of us want to run and hide from sandpaper people. Sometimes we escape them, but not for long. Eventually, we will run head-on into another one. Why? Because God is doing some of His best work in us when He places sandpaper people in our lives.

Have you ever noticed how hard it is to love a sandpaper person? They’re usually arrogant, mean, rude and selfish. They like to demand their own way and boast in their accomplishments. Yet, God has called us to love all people—not just the lovable, but the unlovable as well. The Bible says, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11).

You may be thinking that’s impossible. You’re right; in our own strength we can’t love the unlovely. Yet, God’s love is different than ours. We express love according to how we feel. When a friend is caring and helpful, we feel loved and then we express love back. We call that kind of love—“friendship love.” When being close to our spouse gives us a warm fuzzy feeling, we call that—“being in love.” However, if we love only according to our feelings, then we will never learn to love the unlovable, because the one thing we don’t feel around a sandpaper person is—love.

While most love according to their feelings, God’s love is more of a response of the will. Examine 1 Corinthians 13:4 as it explains how biblical love responds:

Love is patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, never haughty or selfish or rude. Love doesn’t demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong. It is never glad over injustice, but rejoices when truth wins out. If you love someone, you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You’ll believe in him and always expect the best of him, while defending him. (NKJ)

That is how God loves us. No matter how mean or selfish we are, or how many times we settle for our own way of doing things instead of His way—God still has the capacity to love us. When we truly realize how God, by His mercy, has loved us to the end of our meanness, selfishness and pride, then no matter how heartless another person may be, we can chose to respond to them in a loving way also.

We respond to all people with love when we choose to see them as a valuable person created by and in the image of God. Love is not a feeling; it’s a choice. It’s a choice that leads to lovely responses toward others.

So how is God teaching us to respond with His kind of love? You guessed it—by not “losing it” with the sandpaper people in our lives. When we respond to the meanest person we know with the loving kindness of God, then God has done one of His best works in us. He’s taught us how to love as He loves!

Dear Lord, thank you for loving me not because I’m lovable, but because You are love. Help me to love the unlovable in my life the way You have loved me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Sandpaper People by Mary Southerland

30 Days to Taming Your Tongue by Deborah Smith Pegues

Micca Campbell’s Testimony DVD

Do You Know Him?

Application Steps:

Stop running from sandpaper people. Instead, pray for God to bless them and give you opportunities to show them love. God will begin to change your heart toward them and a lovely relationship will begin to bloom.

Reflections:

Who is that sandpaper person God wants to use in your life to teach you how to love?

Does your love for others match God’s example of love in 1 Corinthians 13:4?

Will you allow God to do a good work in you by loving your sandpaper person, simply because He has loved you?

Power Verses:

1 Peter 1:22, “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.” (NIV)

1 John 4:7, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” (NIV)

John 13:35, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (NKJ)

Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G, Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.Proverbs31.org

Called to Intercession

Kenneth Copeland

"Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted."
(Matthew 5:4)

Do you know what Jesus was really talking about when He said those words? He was talking about the mourning of the intercessor. He was teaching about the comfort that comes to the intercessor when he is assured by the Holy Spirit that he has prayed through.

To pray through means "to break through the barriers that have stopped the work of God in the lives of others." It means using your spiritual armor to push back the forces of darkness that surround them.

There's a desperate need for believers who are willing to do that today. There's a need for intercessors who will go before God and reach out for His mercy and compassion for the sinner, for the sick, and for this downcast world. For prayer warriors who will stick with it until they have the assurance inside, in their spirits, that every barrier is broken and every area of bondage has been abolished.

God is looking for intercessors like that--and there are certain things that won't happen on this earth until He finds them. There are blessings and moves of God that won't come until someone gives birth to those things by prayer.

Even the Lord Jesus Himself was ushered into the earth by intercession. Remember Simeon and Anna? They were both intercessors, prayer warriors of God. They'd spent years in spiritual mourning, praying for the Messiah to come. But when they were done, they experienced the comfort of the Holy Spirit. For when they saw Jesus as a tiny baby in the temple, they recognized Him and rejoiced.

If you're wondering if you're one of those who's been called to intercession, then you probably are. God is calling believers everywhere to experience that unique kind of mourning and comfort that only the intercessor knows. He's calling you to lay down your life for others through prayer.

Somewhere in the world, someone needs you to pray them through. Spend some time on your knees today.

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Scripture Study: Luke 2:1-38

It’s Not About You!

Charles Swindoll

I need to underscore a foundational fact: God's goal is not to make sure you're happy. No matter how hard it is for you to believe this, it's time to do so. Life is not about your being comfortable and happy and successful and pain free. It's about becoming the man or woman God has called you to be. Unfortunately, we will rarely hear that message proclaimed today. All the more reason for me to say it again: Life is not about you! It's about God.

How can I say that with assurance? Because of Paul's response in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10:

Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

That's it! He got it, too. And he went with it for the rest of his days.

When you and I boast of our strengths, we get the credit, and we keep going under our own head of steam. But when we boast in what He is doing in the midst of our brokenness, inability, and inadequacy, Christ comes to the front. His strength comes to our rescue. He is honored.

Don't miss that point. The very things we dread and run from in our lives are precisely what brought contentment to Paul. Look at the list: I am content when I lose. I am content when I am weak. I am content with insults. I am content when I am slandered. I am content in distresses. I am content with persecutions. I am content with difficulties and pressures that are so tight I can hardly turn around. Why? “Because when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). Knowing that brought the apostle, ablaze with the flaming oracles of heaven, to his knees. What a way to live your life-content in everything-knowing that divine strength comes when human weakness is evident.

Paul recommends an attitude of unselfish humility. Quite remarkably, you never read where Paul said to his Roman guard, while he was in prison: “I need you to do me a favor. Next time you happen to be near one of the Emperor's assistants, urge him to get me out of this dump. I shouldn't be here in the first place. I've been here for one year, seven months, four days, five hours, and nine minutes, and that's long enough.” Paul's attitude of unselfish humility prevented him from keeping meticulous records of the wrongs done to him in Rome, or anywhere else for that matter. He was in prison by divine appointment. He willingly submitted to his situation.

Christ modeled the great emptying-out principle that permeated Paul's remarkable life. If we want to learn contentment, developing an attitude of unselfish humility is the perfect place to begin. Start with your family or neighbors. Model it before your employees or clients. You won't believe the impact that sort of selfless mental attitude will have on the people. You won't have to raise flags or pass out tracts. Just demonstrate an attitude of unselfish humility. The results will amaze you.

Paul exhorts believers to have an attitude of joyful acceptance. Paul minced no words about how believers should relate to one another. “Do all things without grumbling or disputing; that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:14-15). He sought an attitude of joyful acceptance, free of petty disputes and bickering. He pled for authentic joy. Nothing is more contagious!

Adapted from Charles R. Swindoll, Great Days with the Great Lives: Profiles in Character from Charles R. Swindoll (Nashville: W Publishing Group, 2005), 313, 337.

Definition of Love

Dr. Frederick K.C. Price

I have a very simple – maybe even a corny and oversimplified definition of love. When I say, “I love you,” it means I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy. I want to be your companion, your provider, your lover, your confidant, your advisor, your friend. I want you to be the only woman in the world that carries my seed and mothers my children. I want only you handling the affairs of my household. I mean that I want to spend my life with you in every conceivable intimate way that there is imaginable. I am yours for life. I want you to be mine for life. That is the best way I can define love.

Some people are marrying because someone says they love them and because the person is a Christian and goes to church every Sunday. But that does not mean a thing! You could still be unequally yoked. It is so important to be equally yoked in spiritual matters first. Both of you should be filled with the Holy Spirit and speaking with other tongues. You should both believe in tithing. If either one does not believe in either of these two matters, you are unequally yoked.

II Corinthians 6:14:
Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?

This scripture usually is attributed to a Christian not marrying a non-Christian. But based upon what I have been able to see from the Word and from life, I believe being unequally yoked involves some additional criteria.

If one believes in divine healing and in exercising faith to believe God for healing, along with whatever help one may be able to get from the doctor, but the other does not believe that, then you are unequally yoked.

I think you should be equally yoked on the things that mean the most to you in life. Even though you may both be Christians, you need to sit down and talk about all these other areas, with spiritual things being first.

When you talk openly, you will discover what the other likes and dislikes. My wife likes a particular food that I do not like, but it has nothing to do with our relationship. I allow her the privilege to like it, and she allows me the privilege not to. So, we are equally yoked in that sense.

Such natural things can be adjusted. However, if you do not agree on the spiritual matters, like tithing, you are going to have real trouble. Start with the spiritual matters, then go on and talk about other concerns from there.

You must use honest communication; otherwise, you will be talking a lot and saying nothing. alk about whether or not you want children. Talk about where you want to live. What church you both will attend. There are many areas of living that need to be discussed before a couple walks down the aisle and says, “I do.”

I know of a situation where after the couple was married, the lady said, “Honey, I am ready to start having children.” The husband said, “What? I do not plan to have any kids!” Now what is she supposed to do? They are unequally yoked. They should have discussed that issue until each one understood clearly where the other stood. Here, she has given herself to this man and he doesn’t want kids. This is trouble with a capital “T.”

I think two people can make a relationship work under any circumstance if they agree as to what they are going to do. Some situations cannot be pre-planned, of course, but most things can.

Do your homework before you ever decide to get married because you are still going to have to adjust to each other. Just the psychological and physical adjustment alone is a big responsibility. So, all the other stuff should be ironed out beforehand.

Your focus during the spring season of romantic thoughts, leading possibly to marriage should be: Talk honestly. Get into agreement about things. Be equally yoked together. Then put things into operation.

The most important thing to remember is that God knows more about you than you do, so let Him in on your heart’s desire. He can arrange for you to have the best life partner that you could ever imagine. Before you start your game plan, before you begin talking to him or to her, talk to your Heavenly Faith first!


This devotional was excerpted from Dr. Price’s book, “Golden Nuggets: A Treasury of Wisdom for Both Ministers and Laypeople.” Please call us at (800) 927-3436 for a complete list of his products.

Dr. Frederick K.C. Price is the founder and pastor of Crenshaw Christian Center West in Los Angeles and CCC East in Manhattan. To obtain more information about his ministry, please call (800) 927-3436 or visit www.faithdome.org.

Uncommon Protection

Kenneth Copeland

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy."
(John 10:10)

Considering how much the devil hates people and how dead set he is on destroying them, it's no wonder we see so much tragedy and disaster in the world. In fact, it's amazing that we don't see more!

I asked the Lord about that one time and He told me it takes the realm of darkness a long time to set up major disasters. Take the aviation industry, for example. It's highly regulated and works hard at policing itself because safety is its product. You take a highly regulated system like that and the devil has to work terribly hard to cause disasters.

He can't just come roaring in and rip things up any time he wants to. If he could, he'd knock every plane out of the sky tonight. But he can't do it.

Why? Because he's bound. The Bible says he's bound to things that are common to man. He has to line up certain things in this natural, human realm before he can lay a finger on you. He has to use people to get his work done.

But, bless God, we're not bound to what's common to man. We're free to use what's common to God! We fight our warfare with uncommon weapons. What does that mean? It means you ought to have the devil wrapped up and sewed up. You ought to put him in a sack with a ribbon on top.

The devil can't cause disaster in your life unless he has been given place. He can't come in and start destroying and stealing from you unless he can get you into a place of sin, doubt, ignorance, or disobedience. So if he's been giving you trouble, ask the Holy Spirit to show you where you've let those things in. Then repent and get rid of them.

Once you've done that, pull out the weapons God has given you and fire away with both barrels. Pull out the Word. Pull out prayer. Pull out faith and use it to tie the devil in knots. Use the uncommon power of God to keep him bound and he won't be able to put anything over on you.

Scripture Study: Ephesians 6:10-18

Entitlements

Os Hillman

Philippians 2:8
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross!

Society today has duped many of us into believing that the world owes us. It owes us a good living, a loving spouse, good health throughout our whole life, sexual pleasure when we want it, and paid vacations the rest of our lives. The world has told us if we work hard and do right, we are entitled to these things. This is the Esau perspective on life. For a mere meal, he sold his own birthright for a simple pleasure to which he felt entitled.

Society and even the Church is more pleasure-focused than ever before. George Barna, the Christian researcher, cites,

We are not a society that simply enjoys its time off. Our leisure appetites drive us. It is increasingly common to hear people turning down job offers because the hours or other responsibilities would interfere with their hobbies, fitness regimens and other free time activities. Even our spending habits show that playing has become a major priority. The average household spends more money on entertainment than it does clothing, health care, furniture or gasoline. Recreational activities have jumped more than 10 percent in the amount of time given to them. [George Barna, Frog In The Kettle (Ventura, California: Regal Books, 1990), 82.]

What are the motives for our work life? Is it only to gain increased pleasure and leisure time? Jesus said He came only to do the work of the Father. I am sure that Jesus had times of refreshment in His life that allowed Him to get recharged for the mission God called Him to. However, He understood the balance of maintaining mission and play. When we view life with an attitude of entitlements, we are susceptible to becoming disappointed, resentful, and even bitter when our expectations go unmet. Ask the Lord if you need to relinquish any rights that may be hindering your freedom to experience His love and grace.

Changing Besetting Habits-The $10 Challenge

Os Hillman

John 8:34
Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin."

"I hate being late," my friend lamented. "It has been a problem for me all my life."

"Do you really want to change that?" I asked.

"Yes, I do."

"All right. Every time you are late to work or anywhere else where you have committed to be at a particular time you must give me $25."

"No way!" my friend responded. "I would go broke! But I will do $10."

"All right, $10 it is. It has to be a large enough amount of money for it to hurt your pocketbook."

"Believe me, that will hurt," my friend said. About a month later my friend found great motivation to be on time to every place she had to be. In the first week, I got only $10 from my friend. The next week, $20. The third week, nothing. By the fifth week, my friend had changed a lifelong habit that had hindered her all her life. In order for my friend not to be resentful of me for the money she had to give, we put it in a jar to be given to some other Christian cause. This ensured my motive was only for her best interest.

Some might be reading this now and say it is legalism. For my friend it was freedom. For the first time she had some means of changing a behavior that had caused her problems in relationships and her own work habits. Psychologists tell us that it takes 21 days to form a habit. So, if you need to change some habit, you need to be actively engaged in that new behavior at least 21 days. My friend needed help to change a habit she didn't like about herself. It took another individual to hold her accountable, and it took a potential loss of something to provide the added incentive.

A successful businessman was experiencing a difficult marriage. When counseling the couple over dinner one night, a friend of mine noticed that the man often criticized his wife. After further counsel it was determined the man simply could not love his wife. My friend asked him if he truly wanted to see change in his marriage. When the man said he did, my friend said, "Every time you criticize your wife you must agree to give me $100." This man was well-off and needed substantial incentive to change his behavior. After the man rebelled and retorted, he agreed in front of his wife. A few weeks later a report came back that things were changing. This man did not want to write any checks to my friend. Although it was a competitive game to the man, it was also yielding some positive changes in his marriage. He began to acquire the habit of avoiding criticism of his wife, which was killing her spirit.

What are the habits that keep you from becoming all that God may want you to become? Do you desire change enough to be accountable in a way that it costs you something when you fail? Ask a friend to hold you accountable in an area that needs change. You will find new freedom as you conquer old besetting habits.

Deliverence From Temptation

Bishop Keith Butler

The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: 2 Peter 2:9 (KJV)

God can and will deliver you from temptation. You just need to know what you must do to get free from a bad situation. Notice, in 2 Peter 2:9, that deliverance is linked with temptation. And note the word "deliver" in this verse, it means to rush or to draw. The literal Hebrew says, "It is the idea of water with a rushing current." In other words, to draw you right past it or to move you right by it.

For example, the Bible says flee fornication. What does the word "flee" mean? Flee is not hanging around to try and prove how strong you are. Flee means to leave quickly. When you obey the Word of God, God said He is going to draw you -- He is going to move you away from this situation. He is going to rush you past this. Because temptation is never supposed to be something you sit down and contemplate.

You are not supposed to sit down and contemplate any kind of temptation. If you do, I'm telling you now, the temptation will win. The reason why it is temptation is because it's tempting. And the more you stand there and look at temptation, the more your body will talk you out of moving away from it. It will rationalize; it will lie to you. Your body will tell you to just stay there for two more minutes and then you can go. But your deliverance is in the word of God, which says, "flee fornication."

Now, you can be delivered from all kinds of things. You can be delivered from him, you can be delivered from her, you can be delivered from them, you can be delivered from danger, and you can be delivered from drugs. You can be delivered from temptation. You can be delivered from financial bondage. Deliverance can cover a whole lot of things. And God will respond with deliverance based on the situation, the person, and their willingness to hear.

I am just giving you some information because people can often miss their deliverance by not listening to the Holy Ghost. They hear the Word taught and understand God will deliver but then they miss the fine print. As a result, they choke their deliverance.

It is established that God does deliver you. Now you need to ask yourself, how is He going to deliver you from the particular situation you are facing. Don't always look for a quick fix. Look for the prompting of the Holy Ghost. And look in the word of God.

Scripture References: Mark 14:38; Luke 22:46; 1 Corinthians 10:13

Bishop Keith A. Butler is the founder and pastor of Word of Faith International Christian Center in Southfield, MI, and Word of Faith Christian Center in San Antonio, TX. Bishop Butler ministers extensively in churches, conferences, and seminars throughout the U.S. and abroad with an emphasis on instruction and no-nonsense, practical application of God's Word. Click here to read more!

The Value of Words

Os Hillman

And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your "Yes" be "Yes," and your "No," "No"; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. -- Matthew 5:36-37

Imagine for a moment that you are living in Jesus' time. It is before Jesus has begun His public ministry. He is a carpenter in your local town of Nazareth. You have asked Jesus to make a table for you. You're on a deadline and you must have it in a week. You agree on the price of $100 for the table and the date of one week for completion. A week later you arrive to pick up the table. You lay your money down on the table and Jesus says, "Mr. Johnson, I am sorry but the table is not ready. I ran into complications. Also, I can no longer honor the price I gave you. It is now $150 instead of $100."

Two years later you hear about this same Jesus who is preaching to the local townspeople. How are you going to view this Jesus? You probably won't give much credence to His message because of your personal experience. Our lives have an ability to reinforce the message we stand for, or they can violate it and make it totally ineffective. This literally happens all over the world in different settings with Christian businesspeople. Our message becomes ineffective because we have not done what we said.

I know people who, when they tell me they plan to do something, I can expect them to follow through about 50 percent of the time. I am sure you have had the same experience. Words and commitments are made with little meaning behind those words. However, I know others who will follow through almost every time. The only time they don't is when something falls outside their control. I quickly learn whose words have substance behind them.

There are times when we are unable to perform or deliver what we promised due to outside influences. The key to turning these potentially negative circumstances into a witness for Christ is communication. If we are unable to pay a bill on time, we must communicate with those we owe and make a good faith effort to resolve it within our means. In these cases, God's purposes are being performed as well if we seek to do the right thing.

Do your words mean anything to those who hear them? Do you make commitments and fail to follow through on them? What would others say about how you follow through? Ask the Lord today to show you how you are doing in this area. You might even want to ask three people who are the closest to you how you fare in this area.

Your Daily Kick in the Pants

Jim Messmer - Washington, Illinois, USA

Proverbs 3:11-12 - My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in. (NIV)

Exodus 15:7 - In the greatness of your majesty you threw down those who opposed you. You unleashed your burning anger; it consumed them like stubble. (NIV)

I must reluctantly wonder whether the average person checking in on a daily devotional seeks praise instead of reproof, and a pat on the back instead of a kick in the pants. However, I'm finding that I'm continually judging myself, attempting to reprove myself, as sometimes there is no one else around to do it, except the Holy Spirit. When it comes to daily devotionals, I believe that reproof is as much needed as praise, and, personally, I would prefer reproof most of the time, over being schmoozed.

I know I'm a sinner in need of daily realignment and continual growth, and I would hope that's how everyone else would feel too. God scourges those He loves, and these days a good spiritual scourging is so hard to come by. You're more likely to get, "Oh, that's okay, don't be too hard on yourself. God loves you anyway, knowing you're the product of a dysfunctional family." Who will discipline us in righteousness, if not the church? We love to bask in the warmth and mercy of the "suffering servant", but have we repressed the reality of the approaching "conquering King", whose holiness consumes sin like dried stubble? Has the church become too soft, too conciliatory in our day? Is righteousness and obedience being promoted as strongly as they should be?

Who dares call anything sin any more? It's as if we now believe in universal salvation, because everything has an explanation, and is justifiable in its own relative context. God has been reduced to the one who cleans up all our messes. He is our servant, who makes things right again, after we have allowed ourselves to experiment with unlimited self-fulfillment. God has become the icing on the cake, not the bread of life. And then there are those who believe godliness is the end point of man's own spiritual evolution, as if all we needed was enough time to get there on our own, with Jesus, Buddha, and whoever else we might admire setting the example to follow. All interesting psychology, but erroneous theology! How does one incorporate original sin, moral depravity, and sanctification into a light and fluffy devotional? The kind of devotional we need should be entitled, "Your Daily Kick in the Pants"!

Lord, we invite You, in Your great love for us, to discipline us into the ways of Your holiness.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:23-24).

Kenneth Copeland: "Hit Him With the Rock"

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters." (Psalm 23:1-2)

Have you ever thought about David and wondered how a shepherd boy could become a man after God's own heart? A man so strong in spirit that God chose him to be king of Israel? I have.

In fact, I asked God about it, and He showed me that revelation was what turned David into such a spiritual powerhouse--revelation that came to him through hours of thinking about the things of God. I imagine the day he wrote Psalm 23 he was just sitting and singing praises to God and meditating on His goodness. Just fellowshipping with Him when suddenly the anointing of the Lord came upon him and he said, "The Lord is my Shepherd!"

Suddenly he thought about the sheep he watched over as a boy, I faced death for those sheep. I led them where pastures were green and waters were cool, clean, deep, and peaceful. He kept on meditating on that until it started to thrill him. When the lion and the bear came, didn't He prepare a table before me in the presence of those enemies? He gave me victory. "My God! My God will fight for me. The Lord is my Shepherd! I shall not want!"

That revelation welled up in David so strong that the devil couldn't beat it out of him. So when Goliath tried to make a fool out of Israel, David went after him. Goliath was able to scare off everyone else, but he couldn't shake David because he had a revelation inside him that said, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for my God is with me." That revelation enabled David to say, "I come against you in the name of the Lord of Hosts" and to send a rock sailing into that giant's brain.

Is the devil out to destroy you? Do what David did. Meditate on God and His Word. Sing praises to your King. Fellowship with Him until the revelation of who He is in you starts to thrill your soul. Then tell the devil, "You're not going to kill me. The Lord is my Shepherd!" Hit him with the rock of revelation knowledge, and you'll knock him flat every time.

Scripture Study: Psalm 23

When God Seems Far Away

Os Hillman

Psalm 10:1
Why, O Lord, do You stand far off? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?

One of the great mysteries of God is His ways. Some of His ways almost appear to bring us into the most difficult places, as if He were indifferent to our circumstances. It would appear that He is turning His head from our sorrows. These events in our lives have a particular objective to perform for us. That objective is to bring us to the end of ourselves that we might discover the treasure of darkness. "Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness" (Job 30:26).

When we are taken into these dark periods, we begin to see light that we never knew existed. Our sensitivities become heightened and our ability to see through spiritual eyes is illuminated. Unless we are taken into these times, our souls never develop any depth of character. We do not gain wisdom, only knowledge. Knowledge is gained through understanding; wisdom is gained through the experience of darkness.

After we go through these periods, we discover that God was, in fact, with us throughout the entire time. It does not feel or appear that He is there when we are in the midst of the dark periods. However, He is there walking with us. He has told us countless times that He will never leave us. However, when we are in those dark periods, it does not feel like He is there because He does not rescue us from the circumstances. He does this for our benefit in order that we might become more like Jesus. Jesus learned obedience from the things He suffered (see Heb. 5:8). What does that say about how you and I will learn obedience? Embrace the dark times and gain the wisdom that God intends for you from these times.

Sometimes You Get Stuck on the Highway of Faith

Today’s Scripture Reading: Matthew 17:14–21
Key Verse: : Matthew 17:20

I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

God, is something wrong with me? Why is nothing happening?” Have you ever felt stuck, even though you knew you were operating in a degree of faith? Do not stop; you are experiencing only a temporary delay.

Always remember that when God speaks to you and gives you vision, He never gives you a bad idea. Because of His nature, the Creator can give you nothing but perfection. He is perfection itself.

This also means that God does not have nightmares and or get nervous about the future. He knows the end from the beginning. So although things do not look good now, just keep diligently seeking Him by faith. You need to be diligent in order to turn that corner and escape that temporary “sticking point.”

The flip side of all this is simple: if you do not keep after faith—if you do not go after God—then your hope and inspiration will die. Remember: you do not diligently seek Him merely by showing up at church on Sunday!

Stick with it. Do not give up on your dream or on the all-wise God who gave it to you. Keep after it in faith!

Today's Prayer:
Make this faith declaration with me: Jesus, I refuse to give up! I will turn this corner. I look to You more and more. I believe that with Your help, this too will add to my destiny.

Psalm 15

A psalm of David.

¹ LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary?
Who may live on your holy hill?

² He whose walk is blameless
and who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from his heart

³ and has no slander on his tongue,
who does his neighbor no wrong
and casts no slur on his fellowman,

⁴ who despises a vile man
but honors those who fear the LORD,
who keeps his oath
even when it hurts,

⁵ who lends his money without usury
and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
will never be shaken.

Is Your Gift Bigger Than You?

Bishop Donald Hilliard

O Lord, who may dwell on Your holy hill? He who walks with Integrity." Psalm 15:1-2 NAS

You wouldn’t give your 5-year-old a 12-gauge shotgun or a big Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Shotguns and motorcycles are great – but they’re for adults. You need maturity to handle them. Giving such gifts to your child would endanger them, and everybody else around them. The gifts just don’t fit the person.

Perhaps you’re a talented individual. God’s given you some large gifts like the ability to speak well, or organize things, or create and design. But we sabotage ourselves when our gift becomes bigger than we are. How does this happen? When we begin to lean on the talents God gave us and don’t mature emotionally and spiritually – we ruin our chance to use those talents as God designed them. When our character doesn’t keep up with our talent, we learn to “wing it” through life. We live on the surface but lack real strength underneath. And it shows up when the crisis hits, the storm comes, or we are under pressure. You can’t “wing it” when it comes to character building.

The greater the size of your gifts, the more you must dedicate time to developing your character. Eugene Peterson paraphrases the Psalmist in The Message: “God, who gets invited to dinner at your place? How do we get on your guest list? Walk straight, act right, tell the truth. Don’t hurt your friend, don’t blame your neighbor; despise the despicable. Keep your word even when it costs you, make an honest living, never take a bribe. You’ll never get blacklisted if you live like this” (Ps 15:1-5 TM).

So, do you live that way?

Bishop Donald Hilliard, Jr. is the Pastor of one church in three locations in New Jersey: Cathedral International in Perth Amboy, Cathedral Assembly by the Shore in Asbury Park, and Cathedral Assembly in the Fields in Plainfield. Dr. Hilliard's willingness to say "YES" to the Lord fostered his ability to grow the church from 125 in 1983 to well over 5,000 members today. As a result of Dr. Hilliard's unwavering faith, multifaceted mindset, and ability to trust in the Lord, over fifty ministries are at work within the three cities. For more information on Bishop Hilliard's ministry, visit www.thecathedral.org.