Settling Disputes

Os Hillman

Proverbs 18:18 - Casting the lot settles disputes and keeps strong opponents apart.

We prayed about it. We discussed it. My friend had one desire; I had a different one. "Okay, let's settle the issue the way the early Church settled matters when an agreement could not be achieved. Let's flip a coin."

"You must be joking!" my friend lamented.

"No, the early Church cast lots often to determine a course of direction or even select the disciple who would take Judas' place."

"Okay," my friend agreed. We flipped the coin and the matter was quickly settled.

In the Old Testament there are many examples of casting lots for determining a decision. We hear little of this method today. Most of us do not want to release the decision process to this seemingly "flippant" process; yet the Lord says, "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord" (Prov. 16:33). Flipping a coin is the equivalent to casting a lot. It removes our own opinions and leaves the final outcome to the Lord. Pray before you take such an action. It will surprise you who is willing to submit a decision to the Lord and who isn't. It removes the element of control from both parties.

I believe the Lord would first have us make decisions through agreement and continued prayer for the decision. However, there are times when this approach can be the quickest and simplest. It removes each person's temptation to lord it over the other. Cast the lot and settle the dispute.

Think on These...

FreshOutlook magazine

We should all be like tea; our real strength
appearing when we get in hot water.

You have matured when keeping a secret gives you
more satisfaction than spreading one.

Whatever you begin in anger will end in shame.

A little lie is like a little pregnant, it doesn’t
take long and everyone knows.

Pride makes us artificial, humility makes us real.

A man wrapped up in himself makes a
very small package.

Go the extra mile, it is never crowded.

Battlefield Of The Mind For Teens - Part I

Joyce Meyer

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Our Counselor

Os Hillman

John 14:26 - But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

I was driving down the interstate feeling discouraged from an appointment I had just had. A former employee's company was seeking to displace me and my company as their source for our services. It had been one of many difficult events during those months. As I was driving, some words popped into my mind, No weapon formed against you shall prosper. I could not tell you where those words came from other than I knew the Holy Spirit was speaking them to me; I knew they were in the Bible. I knew they were in the Old Testament.

When I returned to my office that day, I searched for the key words in my concordance and found the verse. "No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you" (Is. 54:17a).

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would remind us of the things He desires us to know. There are times in our lives when the Holy Spirit speaks into our spirit words designed to encourage us or give us what we need at the moment. That is just one of the roles of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. The more you know God's Word, the more often you'll recall verses the Holy Spirit will bring to mind for a given situation. Study God's Word and allow the Holy Spirit to remind you of the things He desires you to know.

1 Peter 2:23

When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.

Remaining Vertical With God

Os Hillman

1 Peter 2:23 - When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.

Have you ever been wrongfully accused? Oh, the need to defend and justify becomes so great. "What will people think if they believe these things are true?" we reason. Imagine what Jesus thought as they hurled insults and threats upon Him. The God of the universe had visited planet earth only to be slandered and accused of blasphemy.

Jesus could have done two things in response. He could have used His power to put the people in their place. He could have responded "horizontally." He could have fixed the problem right then. However, He chose to respond in a different way. He chose to "entrust Himself to Him who judges justly." It requires great faith to entrust ourselves to God in the midst of personal assault. However, if we can do this, we will discover a level of grace and wisdom that will be birthed from this experience that we never thought possible. We will discover a freedom in God we never knew before. Whenever we suffer for righteousness without seeking to protect our reputation and rights, we are placing our total faith in the one who can redeem us. This activates God's grace in our lives and enables us to experience God's presence like never before.

Ask God to give you the grace to stay vertical with Him. Avoid the temptation of responding horizontally each time some event comes into your life that you want to "fix." Entrust yourself to the one who judges justly. It may be a divine appointment for your growth to another level in grace.

God Will Make A Way!

Joyce Meyer

No matter what you may be facing, God is in control! Learn to walk in peace and develop an unshakable trust in an unshakable God.

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My God Shall Provide

Os Hillman

Philippians 4:19 - And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Have you ever gone through a time of complete dependence on God for your material needs? Perhaps you lost a job and could not generate income on your own. Perhaps you got sick and could not work. There are circumstances in our lives that can put us in this place.

When God brought the people of Israel out of Egypt through the desolate desert, they had no ability to provide for themselves. God met their needs supernaturally each day by providing manna from Heaven. Each day they would awake to one day's portion of what they needed. This was a season in their lives to learn dependence and the faithfulness of God as provider. By and by, they entered the Promised Land. When they did, God's "supernatural provision" was no longer required. "The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate of the produce of Canaan" (Josh. 5:12). In both cases God was the provider of the need.

For most of us, we derive our necessities of life through our work. Like the birds of the fields we are commanded to go out and gather what God has already provided. It is a process of participation in what God has already provided. Sometimes it appears it is all up to us; sometimes it appears it is all up to God. In either case we must realize that the Lord is our provider; the job is only an instrument of His provision. He requires our involvement in either case.

You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms His covenant, which He swore to your forefathers, as it is today (Deuteronomy 8:17-18).

Acknowledge the Lord as the provider of every need you have today. He is a faithful provider.

Pressing Past The Pain Of Feelings - Part IV

Joyce Meyer

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Pressing Past The Pain Of Feelings - Part III

Joyce Meyer

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Pressing Past The Pain Of Feelings - Part II

Joyce Meyer

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Pressing Past The Pain Of Feelings - Part I

Joyce Meyer

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Divine Appointments

Os Hillman

Matthew 10:16 - I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

"Os is now taking over this division. He will be managing all of these activities from now on. You should know that he has a different management philosophy than what you may have experienced before. He has a biblical management philosophy. Os, would you like to explain what they could expect from you in this regard?"

These were the words spoken to me by a non-Christian CEO recently when he decided to increase my responsibilities in the company. We had never spoken of spiritual issues before.

Each business day, you and I will have the opportunity to stand before presidents, marketing directors, secretaries or other coworkers to create a defining moment. When that happens, there is a good chance you will be thought of as someone to avoid. You might be considered "religious" or "fanatic." If so, consider this a great compliment because it says you are standing apart from the crowd.

Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. On My account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you (Matthew 10:17-20).

You may never be flogged for your faith. However, you may very well be brought before others to give account for what you believe. It may be at a water cooler, or it could be during lunch with a coworker. In whatever situation you find yourself, the Holy Spirit awaits the opportunity to speak through your life to that person who needs to hear. Ask the Lord whom He wants to speak to today through your life.

Never Say...No Way! - Part I

Joyce Meyer

The Spirit of God lives inside you. He wants to guide you and provide for you each and every day. Discover how, with Him as your source, you never need to say, “There’s no way!”

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Lifebit

FreshOutlook Magazine

Attitudes are contagious…

is yours worth catching?
Hebrews 1:9

Laugh a Little...

FreshOutlook Magazine

Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves for they shall
never cease to be amused.

One day, Joe, Bob and Dave were hiking in a wilderness area when they came upon a large, raging, violent river. They needed to get to the other side, but had no idea of how to do so. Joe prayed to God, saying, "Please God, give me the strength to cross this river."

Poof! God gave him big arms and strong legs, and he was able to swim across the river in about two hours, although he almost drowned a couple of times.

Seeing this, Dave prayed to God, saying, "Please God, give me the strength and the tools to cross this river."

Poof! God gave him a rowboat and he was able to row across the river in about an hour, after almost capsizing the boat a couple of times.

Bob had seen how this worked out for the other two, so he also prayed to God saying, "Please God, give me the strength and the tools, and the intelligence, to cross this river."

Poof! God turned him into a woman. She looked at the map, hiked upstream a couple of hundred yards, and then walked across the bridge.

Think on These...

FreshOutlook Magazine

With each passing day, I realize more and more the impact our attitude has on our life.

Attitude is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company ...a church ...a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past; we cannot control how other people will act or react. The only thing we can do is make a choice ~ choose life or death ~ and that is often determined by the attitude we choose to have. I believe that life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it. I also believe that it is often our attitude that gives God the door in to work on our behalf or our attitude that keeps that same door closed. Today, choose your attitude carefully – it will determine your outcome.

Worry, or Worship?

Joel Osteen

Today's Scripture
"We have no power against this large army that is attacking us. We don't know what to do, so we look to you for help." (2 Chronicles 20:12)

Today's Word from Joel and Victoria
The enemy would love to get you worrying instead of worshiping God. When the devil brings you thoughts of worry, anxiety and fear, let them be a reminder for you to thank God that His answer is on the way. Say, "Devil, thank you for reminding me," and then say, "Father, I thank You that You are at work on my behalf." That's what King Jehoshaphat did. The people of Judah were surrounded by three major armies. It didn't look like they had a chance. This godly king was probably bombarded with thoughts of fear and anxiety. But he gathered the people together, lifted his eyes toward heaven, and prayed the simple prayer in today's verse. Jehoshaphat's prayer was answered. God told the people to march right in to the enemy's camp, singing and shouting praises on their way. Notice, they weren't worrying—they were worshiping—and God delivered them. Do you need a victory in your life? Then learn to worship instead of worry!

A Prayer for Today
God, You are truly the great God who is the Provider of everything we need, and much more. I want to be a worshiper instead of a worrier, so today I claim Your promise of deliverance from thoughts of fear or anxiety. Thank You for giving me the victory. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Habits That Will Change Your Life - Part III

Joyce Meyer

Do you desire more joy, peace and a greater sense of accomplishment? These inspiring teachings include some of the building blocks you will need to begin a whole new way of life.

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Stand Against the Devil's Strategies!

Kenneth Copeland

"Leave no room or foothold for the devil give no opportunity to him." (Ephesians 4:27, Amp)

If you give the devil place, he will take it. You have to stay alert and keep your shield of faith high because if you don't, he'll turn around and steal back from you the ground you just took.

There have been people who have received their healing and have fallen back into their old thinking patterns of sickness. They let their faith down and gave the devil an opening. When he came along with an old symptom, they weren't ready for him. They fell victim to his counterattack.

You can stand successfully against the devil's strategies! But before you do, you're going to have to make three quality decisions.

First, you must make the Word of God the final authority in your life. Line up your thinking with whatever the Word says.

Next, you must decide to live your life by faith in what God has said. The Bible says, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God."

Finally, you must decide to live by the love of God because faith works by love. Without love, your faith won't function. Without the Word, you can't have faith. So don't try to make one of these decisions without the other two. You need to make all three of them. This lifestyle of the Word, faith and love keeps you in a place of resistance to the devil!

I suggest you get alone with God and pray:

In the Name of Jesus, I commit myself from this day forward to live by the Word of God, to live by my faith, and to live by the love of God.

Decide today to give the devil no place!

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Scripture Study: John 15:7-12