How to Reduce Stress

• Pray
• Go to bed on time
• Get up early so you can begin your day unrushed
• So no when projects won't fit your schedule or will compromise your mental health
• Delegate tasks to others who are capable
• Simplify & unclutter your life
• Allow extra time to do things and to get places
• Take one day at a time
• Seperate worries from concerns; if a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it and let it go.
• Keep Mouth Shut: this single piece of advise can prevent a lot of trouble

Think on These...

Trust in God with your whole heart, and lean not to your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. Psalm 84:11

For we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:18

Don't Buy a Lie

"And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God." (Deuteronomy 28:2)

Well, brother, in the end I'm sure you'll see these financial problems are actually a blessing in disguise." Have you ever heard anybody say that to someone who's hurting financially? Chances are, you have. It's a popular idea. The problem is, it's a lie used by the devil to keep believers down.

As a result, many believers today are suffering one financial defeat after another. So let's go to the Word of God today and get the issue of prosperity and poverty straight. Let's find out, once and for all, which is the blessing, which the curse.

You can find the answer to that question in Deuteronomy 28. What God describes in verses 1 through 14 is the blessing--prosperity. In verses 15 through 31, God describes poverty--and He has called it a curse.

The curse is meant to destroy. Not to teach people a lesson. Not to make them more spiritual. But to destroy them.

Regardless of how intense the lack is, the nature of poverty remains the same. It is, and will always be, a curse.

Satan has gone to great lengths to convince God's people that poverty is a blessing in disguise. But poverty is something the devil contrived!

Don't buy into his lies. Get your thinking in line with the Word of God. If you're a born-again child of God, you no longer have to live under the curse of poverty or any other curse for that matter. You've been redeemed!

Scripture Study: Deuteronomy 28:1-31

Frugality Opens Doors to Giving, Enjoying God's Blessings

"Now gather the leftovers," Jesus told his disciples, "so that nothing is wasted."

Jesus set a great example for frugality. Even though He had performed a miracle and fed a crowd of 5,000 men and an undisclosed number of women and children with only five loaves and two small fishes, He instructed His disciples to gather up the leftovers. When it was all said and done, they had gathered 12 basketfuls. Now, Jesus, you may wonder, was that necessary? You could have thrown that extra bread away. All you had to do was perform another miracle and make more bread when You needed it. Through His actions, Jesus was showing the importance of not squandering what God has provided—even when it appears that you do not need the excess.

I talked to a couple recently who had lived a rather lavish lifestyle, but through a series of misfortunes lost everything. They are starting to rebuild their lives and are working at jobs that pay much less than they were used to making. I queried them about the role they had played in their financial decline, and they confessed that they were partly responsible. I concluded from a casual observation of their current behavior that a lot of their old wasteful habits were still alive and well. They called it "generosity" when they gave a 95 percent tip to the restaurant's parking attendant. By no means am I opposed to such bigheartedness, but when you are trying to stabilize your finances, you need to understand that frugality is a significant part of spirituality and God is not pleased when we engage in extravagance.

In one of His parables, Jesus talked about a son who convinced his father to give him his inheritance before the appointed time. "

A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and took a trip to a land, and there he wasted all his money on wild living"(Luke 15:13 NLT).

When the economy turned sour, he could only find work feeding a farmer's swine. He almost starved to death. At one point, he became so hungry he had to eat the pods that the farmer fed to the swine. I can imagine him sitting there by the trough dividing the food between himself and the pigs: "swine," "mine," "swine," "mine." He then realized that his father's servants were living better than this. He humbled himself and headed home. His merciful father was glad to receive him and gave him a big welcome back party. Of course, by having the party, the father was by no means condoning his son's wastefulness, but rather celebrating his coming to his senses.

Are you wasteful in any area of your life, or do you actively seek ways to practice frugality? For instance, do you allow your children to open a can of soda, take a few sips, and then trash it? Did you know that there are special lids available at the supermarket that will allow you to seal the can and preserve the fizz? Are you too embarrassed to ask for a doggie bag when you eat out? Do you bring home leftovers from your restaurant dining and then allow them to spoil in the refrigerator before you can consume them? Do you consider reusing plastic lunch bags, especially when you only use them for dry goods such as chips and cookies? They can be recycled at least once after a quick swipe with a damp towel. Do you always turn the lights off when you leave the room? Do you use both sides of the paper when printing drafts of reports—at home and at work?

I have practiced frugality as far back as I can remember. In fact, Darnell teases that I squeeze each dollar so tightly it's a wonder I don't rub George Washington's face right off the front of it. Yes, I turn the bottle upside down and get the last drop out of everything. I pick up every penny I find when I'm out walking. As Benjamin Franklin said, "A penny saved is a penny earned." I use vinegar and water instead of the fancy cleaners to clean glass and shiny surfaces. I do everything I can to save money—not to hoard it, but so that I can share it. I can't think of a single thing I have ever purchased that has brought more joy than writing a check to someone who desperately needs it. We are never more like Christ than when we are giving.

I want to be careful to balance our discussion by warning that we should not allow our desire to be frugal to keep us from fully enjoying the things that are within the bounds of what God allows. I thoroughly enjoy the breathtaking view of the city from my home. My husband and I have made great sacrifices in putting the needs of God's house before our own desires. Therefore, we refuse to allow Satan to make us feel guilty about what God has provided.

Frugality is not a call to poverty, and it certainly should not take the fun out of our lives. It is important that we enjoy the abundant life that Christ came to give us. It is equally important to understand that abundance is not to be equated with extravagance. God blesses His children with abundance so that they can bless others with their overflow. If we are all poverty-stricken, how will we have an overflow?

Frugality is simply avoiding waste. Wastefulness will keep your finances in a tailspin. Frugality is evidence that God can trust you with increased resources because you have learned how to manage what He already supplied.

Deborah Smith Pegues is an experienced certified public accountant, a Bible teacher, a speaker, a certified behavioral consultant specializing in understanding personality temperaments, and the author of 30 Days to Taming Your Tongue. She and her husband, Darnell, have been married for more than 27 years and make their home in California.

The Peace of Jesus

The peace of Jesus belongs to you ~ confess these scriptures over your life daily to empower you to walk in His unfailing peace.

You give me strength and bless me with peace. - Psalm 29:11

My heart is not troubled or afraid Jesus, for you gave me Your peace. I will not be agitated or disturbed. I will not be fearful, intimidated or unsettled. - John 147-28

I put on love, the bond of perfection and I let the peace of God rule my heart. - Colossians 3:14-15

Lord, give me peace at all times and in every way. - 2 Thessalonians 3:16

You guard me and keep me in perfect peace as my mind is confident in You. - Isaiah 26:3

Knowing Versus Doing

Philippians 3:10 - I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection....

If I asked you the purpose for which God made you, what might you say? You might give a lot of answers that required some action on your part. However, the simplest answer to that question relates to one primary thing: fellowship. The most important thing God desires from us today is to have a deep and intimate fellowship with each of us.

The apostle Paul said he wanted to know Christ, and by knowing Christ he could experience the power of His resurrection. I find this to be the hardest thing for many of us businesspeople to do. So often it is much easier to be busy with the urgent (or even Christian) activity than spending quiet moments before the Lord. Before we realize it, days have passed since our last quiet time with Jesus.

Jesus understood how important quiet moments were with the Father.

"After He had dismissed them, He went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone" (Mt. 14:23).

The more mature I become in my relationship with the Lord, the more precious this time becomes to me. It is a time I look forward to almost daily. It offers me a time to reflect, to share my concerns with my Lord, and to hear Him speak. In the last few years I have begun prayer walks, which accomplish three things: fellowship, prayer, and exercise. It has changed my prayer life. I have come to understand that Jesus views us as His friend and He wants to spend time with us. We are depriving Him of His time when we put Him aside for the urgent. An interesting thing happens when we make prayer a priority: Urgent things seems to wane as we focus on Him. He makes all these other things fall into place.

Are you taking the time to get to know Him today?

Spiritual Warfare

Ephesians 6:12 - For our struggle is not against flesh and blood....

Have you ever heard someone say, "I will never do business with another Christian"? I hear this comment quite often in my dealings with Christian businesspeople. This comment represents the battle that rages against us by the enemy of our soul to destroy the witness and effectiveness of Christian businesspeople. We must realize that we are in a war-a war for the souls of men, a war to discredit all that a Christian stands for, a war that is designed to divide Christian against Christian.

Satan's ploy in the life of Christian businesspersons is to do several things to make them ineffective as soldiers in the marketplace. First, he wants to discredit them by allowing them to fail other people in their professional services. This often shows up in failing to perform what they committed to do or performing in an unsatisfactory way. Sometimes, this is a result of a downright failure of the businessperson to perform with excellence. In other cases, it may be a misunderstanding in the midst of the service that causes strife and division instigated by the enemy.

The result in both cases is the same: a division among Christians and even non-Christians, further resulting in a damaged witness for Christ. The apostle Peter admonishes us to

"live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us" (1 Pet. 2:12).

There are times when each of us is thrust into situations out of our control. Sometimes this results in our inability to pay a bill on time, or to deliver a service. Defeating satan in these battles requires extra communication with those with whom we are dealing. If the motive of your heart is to do right, then God will give you favor in order to work through these difficult spots. Ask God today to show you where the enemy is seeking to make you ineffective.

We wage a spiritual war that is not flesh and blood. We must fight this war with spiritual weapons applied to practical daily living.

Turn Your Kids Around

"And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children." (Isaiah 54:13)

Too many Christian parents today are wasting time worrying about their children.

Years ago, Gloria and I saw the devil trying to get a foothold in our children's lives, so one weekend we got our concordance and four or five translations of the Bible. We began to search out scriptures and write out agreement prayers concerning them.

We tore into the devil with the Word of God and started saying, "Thank God, our children are not going to hell. Thank God, they are taught of the Lord and great is their peace!" Instead of walking the floor and worrying about the problem, we walked the floor and praised God for the solution.

Things didn't change instantly. We still had to go through some tough times, but the Word began to turn things around. Today, our children are serving God with all their hearts.

If your kids are headed for trouble, don't waste time worrying. Start believing! Get the Word working in their lives. Bind the devil with it and tell him he can't have them. Then follow the instructions in Matthew 9:38: "Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers" into the field who can reach your children. God knows who they'll listen to, and He knows how to bring those people into your children's lives at just the right time.

Grab hold of God's Word, refuse to let go where your children are concerned--and sooner or later, that Word will grab hold of them.

Scripture Study: Psalm 127

Paneled Houses

Haggai 1:4 - "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?"

There is a crisis of grand proportions in the spiritual house of God today. The moral fiber of our world has eroded. Greed, idolatry, and pleasure are the gods of our day. And it is no different in the Body of Christ.

The prophet Haggai wrote about a people who had lost concern for the need to build God's house because they were so focused on their own worldly needs. It is a dangerous place to get with God. When our world begins to focus around increasing our pleasure, building bigger and better homes, and failing to make what is important to God important in our own lives, this should be a warning to us.

Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. "It is written," He said to them,

" 'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it a 'den of robbers' " (Matthew. 21:12-13).

Jesus came into Jerusalem and found the businesspeople buying and selling in the temple. As far as they knew, this was an acceptable practice in their day. Their fathers did it, and now they were doing it. It was business as usual. Jesus got angry, turned over the tables, and said that His house was a house of prayer. He found the businesspeople of the day seeing His house as a place for profit, not prayer. They had stepped into a place of complacency that was not acceptable to the Lord. When we begin to blend in with the moral condition of an ungodly world, we begin losing God's perspective on life.

It is easy to begin blending in with our culture and to accept what is being modeled by the ungodly. God called us to be salt in a world that needs much salt.

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men" (Mt. 5:13).

Each of us must ask ourselves if we have lost our salt. Are we having an impact on our world? Or is our world having an impact on us? Ask God to give you a vision for how you can be salt to your world today.

Think on These...

Faith is the assurance that when I come to the end of the light of my understanding, and step off into the darkness of the unknown, I will step off on solid ground, or you will give me wings to fly.

From Milk to Meat

"For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat." (Hebrews 5:12)

Do you want to know why the Body of Christ has been in such a mess over the past few years? Do you want to know why the devil has been able to make a public display of our weaknesses? Do you want to know why, instead of being unified and strong, we've often been torn apart by division and criticisms that come not from without but within?

It is because, as the Lord said in Hebrews, the people of God have need of milk and not of strong meat. They're babies! The people of God for the most part don't know His ways.

That's why He's commissioned you and me to train believers who are unskilled in the Word of righteousness and help bring them to maturity.

"Sure," you say, "you're a preacher, but what about me? What can I do?" Well, I'll tell you. I believe God has called us both to do something. You'll find it in Hebrews 3:13.

"Exhort one another daily, while it is called today."

That's no longer just a Bible verse to me. It's a direct command from the Lord. Gloria and I received that command a few years ago when we were preaching in Australia. It prompted us to step out in faith on daily television. But it's not a command that was just meant for us. It's one we all must obey in our own way.

"Exhort one another daily." Pray over that scripture today, won't you? Fellowship with your Father over it. Ask Him how He wants you to fulfill that command. He may tell you to help support ministries like Gloria's and mine who teach the uncompromised Word of God daily. He may tell you to fill yourself so full of His Word that it spills out on everyone you meet and encourages them to go on--and grow on--in Jesus.

Whatever He says, do it! There's a Church full of spiritual babies out there and more are being born all the time. You can help bring them from milk to meat. Begin to exhort them. Today.

Scripture Study: Hebrews 3:7-19

Do You Know What to Ask For?

"And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight." (Mark 10:51)

All of us know what it's like to go round in circles. To pray our way through one financial disaster only to be met by another. To receive healing for one illness just in time to be knocked off our feet by the next.

Oh, we try. We pray. We exercise our faith. But we keep getting caught in the same old problems over and over again. Why? Because all too often, we don't actually know what it is we need to be praying for.

I can almost hear your reaction. "Believe me, Brother Copeland, that's not my problem. I know what I need. It's getting that need met that's got me running in circles."

That's what most other folks think too. So they spend all their time working on getting. They waste their energy praying for things they don't really need and asking for things they don't really want. Then they wind up going nowhere fast.

Look with me at Mark 10, and I think you'll see what I mean. Blind Bartimaeus sat by the roadside begging when Jesus passed by.

"And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.... And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way" (verses 47,50-52).

Now I want you to think about something for a moment. In the light of what the Scriptures tell us, how many needs did Bartimaeus have? Did he have just one? No! He wasn't simply a blind man, he was a beggar. He probably had more problems than you could shake a stick at, and all those problems would have seemed like legitimate needs to Bartimaeus. But it was sight he needed. If he could obtain his sight, all the rest would fall into line.

He knew that. So, when Jesus said, "Bartimaeus, what do you want Me to do for you?" he knew exactly what to ask for and he got it.

Jesus is just as available to you today as He was to Bartimaeus. He's just as willing to meet your need. The question is, do you really know what to ask for?

Scripture Study: Mark 10:46-52

Seeing Through God's Eyes

2 Samuel 1:12 - They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the Lord and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

How would you respond if you heard something bad happened to someone who had been trying to cut off your head for several years? King Saul had been seeking to kill David for many years before Saul was thrust into battle against the Amalekites. In this final battle, a sword killed Saul. When the news reached David, instead of rejoicing that his enemy was no longer a problem for him, he responded in a totally different manner. He mourned. Imagine that; he mourned for the one who sought to kill him.

This is a sign of one who can look past an individual who is the source of pain and consider how God views him. God looks on that individual and sees his needs and knows why he responds the way he does. When we begin to see people as God does, we'll no longer look at them as enemies, but as souls in need of grace. This is how Jesus could give of His life for us. He saw our great need, not what we did to Him. When someone wrongs you, do you seek to retaliate, or do you pray to understand the need behind the offender's actions? For several years a person was a source of constant pain and retaliation toward me. There was nothing I could do to change it. God allowed me to go beyond the person's actions to understand what was the source of his need. When I gained that understanding, God gave me a picture of this person inside a prison cell and in bondage. This bondage made him respond to life in this way. I was able to pray for him and genuinely love him in spite of the fact that he persecuted me. This is the kind of love Jesus wants us to have when He tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who spitefully use us.

I believe God does a special work of grace in those who go beyond the realm of normal response to persecution. He brings us to a level of grace we never thought possible. Describing how God worked in Joseph's life, Francis Frangipane reveals what happens when we tap into this grace:

God made him fruitful in the very things that afflicted him. In the land of your affliction, in your battle, is the place where God will make you fruitful. Consider, even now, the area of greatest affliction in your life. In that area, God will make you fruitful in such a way that your heart will be fully satisfied, and God's heart fully glorified. God has not promised to keep us from valleys and sufferings, but to make us fruitful in them. [Francis Frangipane, Place of Immunity (Cedar Rapids, Iowa: Arrow Publications, 1996), 93]

It's All In Your Mind

Your mind holds tremendous creative ability. That's why God gave you an imagination--so that you could create mental pictures, add faith to them and see those pictures manifest in your life.

Once you have an image in your mind of something you want to do or become, nothing can stop that image from coming to pass. Whatever you meditate on will become the blueprint for your reality. Too often, though, Christians suffer from "stinking thinking." They give the devil control of their minds by meditating on thoughts that do not line up with the Word of God. Then they reap the results of the curse because their carnal mindset produces the fruit of the flesh described in Galatians 5:19-21.

To keep the devil from gaining a foothold in your life, you must develop a sound mind that is completely controlled and directed by the Holy Spirit. In other words, you must renew your mind with the Word of God. Romans 12:2 says,

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

When you become born again, your spirit instantly changes; you are recreated in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17). Yet your mind is not recreated. You must conform your thinking continually and on purpose; it is not an overnight, one-time event. Renewing your mind to God's Word every day is vital. By reading the Scriptures and meditating on them thoroughly, your thinking will be transformed to line up with the mind of Christ. And when you have the mind of Christ, you can do anything!

When you set your mind on the Word of God, you'll also experience soul prosperity and peace (3 John 2). The Bible says that the issues of life flow out of the heart (Proverbs 4:23). The word heart in this scripture actually refers to your soul--your mind, your will and your emotions. If you can control your mind, you can control your destiny. But it will take a quality decision on your part to dedicate your life to changing the way you think.

First Thessalonians 5:23 says,

"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

It is God's will that your mind, will and emotions be whole, with nothing missing or broken. As a Believer, you can receive a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). It is then up to you to enforce and maintain soundness of mind by keeping your thoughts and imaginations in line with God and His Word (Isaiah 26:3).

When your mind is focused and directed by the Word, you will position yourself for success. You'll have wisdom, discernment, insight and the ability to accomplish anything. A renewed, Word-controlled mind guarantees abundance and prosperity in every area of your life. Don't let another day go by without a daily dose of meditation. Set your mind on the Word of God and let it become the focal point of your life and purpose!

Think on These...

Refuse to touch God's anointed.

Where there is no progressive, spiritual revelation the people perish.

God watches over His word for a purpose ~ to perform it!

What you are asking for is already done ~ at the cross.

Delight Yourself

"Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord." (Psalm 112:1,7)

The man who makes a habit of delighting in God's Word will have a heart that's fixed! He can make it through disastrous situations without losing his balance. His mind's made up before he ever gets to the disaster. He's victorious before he ever gets there. A person like that is hard to whip!

The sad thing is that most believers wait until the disaster hits before they start trying to establish themselves on the Word. They wait until their back is against the wall. Then, suddenly, they get real spiritual and start fasting and praying...and all too often they find they've started too late.

That's like a guy who finds out a burglar is in his house and then starts looking for the barbells, so he can build up enough muscle to throw the burglar out. He ain't gonna make it! If he'd been working out instead of watching television every night, he'd have been ready. But as it is, he's headed for a painful defeat.

Be ready before the devil breaks into your house. Get your heart fixed. Turn off the television. Turn off the distractions of the world and turn on the Word. The time to start establishing yourself on it is right now!

Scripture Study: Job 22:21-30

Caring Means Confronting!

"An honest answer is a sign of true friendship." Proverbs 24:26 (TEV)

It's much easier to remain silent when others around us are messing up, but it's not the loving thing to do. Most people have no one in their lives that love them enough to tell them the truth, so they continue going the wrong way. Usually we know what needs to be said but fear keeps us from saying it. "An honest answer is the sign of true friendship." Sometimes caring means confronting!

Paul writes,

"If someone in your group does something wrong, you who are spiritual should go to that person and gently make him right again" (Gal 6:1 NCV).

That's what 'spiritual' people do! The trouble is when an issue pops up that might cause tension, it's immediately glossed over in order to preserve peace. Mr. 'Don't-rock-the-boat' jumps in and tries to smooth everyone's ruffled feathers, the issue is never resolved and everyone lives with an underlying feeling of frustration.

"No more pretence. Tell...the truth. In Christ's body we're all connected to each other...When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself" (Eph 4:25 TM).

Now frankness is not a license to be rude and say anything you please. Thoughtless words wound people.

"Never use harsh words when you correct an older man, but talk to him as if he were your father. Talk to younger men as if they were your brothers, older women as if they were your mothers, and younger women as if they were your sisters" (1Ti 5:1-2 GWT).

Bottom line: whether in a marriage, a friendship, a church or a business, until we care enough to confront and resolve the underlying barriers, we'll never grow close to each other!

The Difference Between Covering and Covering Up

"Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV)

If you hang around with church folk very long, you will hear them speak about "covering." I remember when I first heard this phrase, I assumed they were talking about covering up. But there is a huge difference between covering and covering up.

There is only one time in the New Testament that the word "cover" is used in that context, and that is in I Peter 4:8 -

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." (NIV).

Sometimes this passage is misinterpreted to mean that our love for each other blots out our sin. Make no mistake: The only love that can cancel out sin is the love of Jesus manifested in his death on the cross. What Peter is talking about here is the unconditional love and acceptance that should be present in the Body of Christ creating an environment where we feel safe and secure to confess our sins to one another and repent.

James also painted this picture of how the church ought to function in his epistle:

"...confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." (James 5:16, NIV)

Sadly, in most church fellowships that love and acceptance is not present. This results in an environment where we dare not confess our faults to each other for fear we will become fodder for the gossip mill. Here's another way to look at it: When we don't have the love covering, we have a cover up. So we come to the one place on earth where we should be able to be real and we put a mask on and hide what we are feeling, what we are thinking, and what we are struggling with.

There is no doubt in my mind that the epidemic we are currently seeing in moral failures, divorces and scandals among pastors and church leaders has it's roots in the lack of "covering love" present in the church. In most cases, these Pastors were too proud or too isolated to seek out accountability partners.

For every high profile leader who fails, there are scores of deacons, elders, teachers and others in the church who suffer the same fate out of the spotlight. This is why the divorce rate is higher in the church than outside the church! You don't dare come to church and admit you and your spouse are struggling and need prayer, help and support, so you suffer in silence while your marriage and family crumbles around you.

This lack of "covering love" in the church is the spirit of the Pharisees, not that of Jesus! When Jesus encountered those struggling with sin He responded with compassion and understanding, saying "I don't condemn you." This in spite of the fact that He is the only person who has the right to condemn sinners. You and I don't have that right. We are like the Pharisees with rocks in their hands waiting to throw them and the sinful woman; When Jesus reminded them of their own sin, one by one they dropped their stones and walked away, knowing they were every bit as guilty as she.

If your church, Sunday School class, or small group doesn't provide this atmosphere of acceptance, you need to seek out accountability and covering for your life. Covering up your sin will only result in repeating the same behavior. So, find a group of people that you can be totally transparent with and hold each other accountable. I am not exaggerating to say that failure to find accountability in your life can result in at best stagnation and at worst ruin for your spiritual life and your reputation.

Seeking out and taking advantage of an environment where love covers will be one of the hardest, yet most rewarding things you will ever do. You cannot put a price on a clear conscience, and the knowledge that there are people who know you completely yet love you anyway. It is in this environment that you can begin to understand the unconditional love that God loves you with. And you realize that you aren't the "Lone Ranger." Your brothers and sisters are struggling in the same areas that you are struggling in!

Rev. Alan Riley is the Director of Web Operations for Streaming Faith and serves as the Managing Editor of StreamingFaith.com. He is an ordained Baptist Minister and a frequent contributor to the Streaming Faith Daily Devotional. His personal blog can be found at www.alansblog.com.

Choose Life

"For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." (Romans 8:6)

If you were given the choice between life and death, which would you choose? The answer seems obvious. But, in reality, it's not.

You see, choosing death doesn't necessarily mean jumping from the nearest cliff. It's much more subtle than that.

The Bible says death is being carnally minded, being entangled in this present worldly realm. The Bible also tells us what life is. "My son, attend to my words," says Proverbs 4:20-22, "...for they are life!"

To be worldly-minded is death. To be Word-minded is life.

In Luke 10, there's a story that illustrates this principle extremely well. It's the story of Mary and Martha. You probably remember it. Mary was sitting at Jesus' feet listening to Him teach while Martha was bustling around in the kitchen cooking dinner for everyone.

Finally Martha couldn't stand it anymore. She came to Jesus and said, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do all the work myself? Tell her to help me!" Jesus answered, "Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:41-42).

Mary had set everything else aside, so she could hear the Word. But Martha had let the seemingly important business of living take priority over the Word. She'd chosen death, not life.

You see how easy it is to slip into that?

"But Brother Copeland," you say, "if I didn't spend all my time taking care of the business of living, my life would fall apart!"

Oh, really? Martha probably thought that too. She probably thought if she didn't cook dinner for all those folks, they'd go hungry. But they wouldn't have. Jesus had miraculously fed multitudes before and He could have done it again in Martha's home. She could have plopped herself down at Jesus' feet, and they could have had a banquet at God's expense!

Don't make the mistake that Martha did. Don't get so entangled in the business of living that you choose death by default. Decide to put the Word first place. Choose life!

Scripture Study: Romans 8:5-13

Think on These...

We were created to overcome, not avoid.

Your attitude determines your altitude.

Sometimes what you do speaks so loudly, that what you are saying goes unheard.

You can conquer if you only believe.

Faith is who you are when no one is looking.