The Word For Today: You’ve Been Forgiven, So Live Like It!

‘I will…remember their sins no more.’

Hebrews 8:12

When Satan brings up your past, remind him of what God has said: ‘I will…remember their sins no more.’ It’s not that God’s forgetful; it’s that He chooses not to remember your sins. And when you choose otherwise, you question His forgiveness, allow the enemy to guilt-trip you, and forfeit the confidence you need to receive what God has promised you (See 1 John 3:21-22).

When you keep rehearsing your past you not only keep it alive, you empower it. What you keep on deposit, you’re more likely to withdraw and act on in a moment of weakness. Just as nobody knows when a dormant volcano may erupt, you can’t predict when an unresolved issue will resurface, turning your words into hot coals and your behavior into a blaze of destruction.

Only by accepting God’s forgiveness, and forgiving yourself and others, can you break the hold your past has over you. Shame isn’t a blessing; it’s a weight Jesus bore for you on the cross. So set it down and walk away! God’s Word says, ‘As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us’ (Psalm 103:12 KJV).

Notice, there’s a North Pole and a South Pole, but no east or west pole. Why? Because that distance is infinite and beyond measure. Are you getting the idea? Any time Satan brings up your past it’s because he hopes you’re ignorant of the truth, or he fears your future and wants to rob you of it. Don’t take the bait! Point him to the cross of Christ, refuse to discuss it further, and keep moving forward.

Ezek 3-4, Heb 6

Give God His Tithe (1)

‘A tithe of everything…belongs to the Lord…’

Leviticus 27:30

Instead of saying, ‘I’m giving God my tithe,’ you should say, ‘I’m giving God His tithe.’ But you say, ‘I earned it, so I own it.’ No. The Bible says, ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein’ (Psalms 24:1). God owns every square foot of land on earth and every person who walks on it—including you. You’re not an owner, you’re a steward! And while a good steward deserves to be well rewarded by his master, his first priority is to please him and carry out his will.

The Bible says, ‘A tithe of everything…belongs to the Lord…’ Get your thinking straight on this issue! In God’s eyes 10 per cent of your income is ‘dedicated funds’ to be used for one thing only—His purposes on the earth. And tithing isn’t how the church raises its budget; it’s how God raises His children. We distort God’s Word when we teach tithing as a means of getting money to pay off church debt, or as a substitute for other worn-out methods of fundraising, or as a cure-all for the church’s financial shortfalls.

The Bible says, ‘…son (daughter)… give me thine heart…’ (Proverbs 23:26). When God has your heart’s deepest affection you’ll give gladly, not grudgingly. The first man in Scripture to tithe was Abraham. Why did he do it? Gratitude, because God had delivered him from the hand of an enemy who was out to destroy him.

Has God delivered you? Has He blessed you? Then show your gratitude by giving Him His portion!

Jer 37-39, 2 Tim 4

You Need Friends Who Encourage You

‘A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.’

Proverbs 17:17

If you’re wise, you’ll surround yourself with people who support you emotionally and spiritually, and you can share your dreams and ideas with them. C S Lewis and J R R Tolkien were members of The Inklings, an informal literary discussion group associated with Oxford University. It comprised teachers, writers and friends who met regularly at a well-known Oxford pub to discuss passages from their favourite books as well as their own writings.

In 1936, they decided the world needed more novels that had faith and morality as their central theme. Lewis and Tolkien decided to write science fiction after realising the inferior quality of similar stories being published at the time. They literally tossed a coin to decide who would write a book on space travel versus time travel.

Tolkien got the time travel nod, but his early efforts with such a story never really worked out. Later, however, he would achieve great success with The Lord of the Rings.

Lewis wrote his famous series of novels called The Space Trilogy, and from that momentum he eventually penned The Chronicles of Narnia.

Now, you may not reach that level of success, but you’ll go further with the encouragement of true friends than you will without it. So ask yourself what’s involved in cultivating the kinds of friendships that’ll help you fulfil your God-given potential. It may mean coming out of your shell and reaching out to others. Could you encounter hurt and rejection? Sure! But you’ll succeed only if you’re willing to take that chance.

Jer 34-36, 2 Tim 3

Don’t Be Inflexible

‘…Naaman…went away in a rage.’

2 Kings 5:12

As a general in the Syrian army, Naaman was accustomed to having things his own way. So when Elisha told him to dip seven times in the muddy Jordan River to be healed of leprosy, he ‘went away in a rage’. He said, ‘Aren’t there cleaner rivers? Couldn’t the prophet just lay hands on me and heal me?’ Fortunately, he listened to his servants, swallowed his pride and received a miracle.

There are important lessons here. Since all progress calls for adapting to change and overcoming obstacles, ask yourself:

1) What’s at the core of my fear and anger over this situation? Am I afraid of the unknown and the changes it may bring?

2) Am I being inflexible and trying to impose my will and wishes in this situation? Am I willing to forfeit God’s perfect will by resisting a change He’s orchestrating? Many of us miss God’s best. Why? Like Naaman, we are accustomed to being waited on and having our ego stroked. E.G.O. means Edging God Out! Are you doing that?

3) Am I being lazy or incompetent, not wanting to invest the necessary time and effort into the change? Unless you’re willing to change, you won’t grow. And if you don’t grow, you won’t position yourself to receive the blessing God has in mind for you.

Charles Franklin Kettering said, ‘The world hates change, yet it is the only thing that has brought progress.’ Today ask God for the emotional and spiritual strength to embrace the changes He’s bringing into your life, and to help you to see them as being for your good (Romans 8:28).

Jer 32-33, 2 Tim 2

Never, Never Quit!

‘Commit your actions to the LORD, and your plans will succeed.’

Proverbs 16:3

The moment you start believing you’re successful enough to rest on your laurels, you’re in trouble. You’ve put a lid on your growth! Solomon wrote, ‘Do you know a hard-working man? He shall be successful and stand before kings!’ (Proverbs 22:29 TLB).

Success is always a possibility, but never a guarantee. It belongs to the man or woman who’s willing to show up early, stay late, go the extra mile, and keep asking, ‘Is there a better way?’. An agency once created an ad for an automobile company. It said, ‘At sixty miles an hour the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock.’ When they ran the ad by the company’s CEO, he smiled and said, ‘I guess we’ve got to do something about that clock!’.

A young man once asked Henry Ford, ‘How can I make a name for myself and be successful?’. He replied, ‘Decide what you want, then stick with it. Never deviate from your course no matter how long it takes or how hard the road, until you’ve accomplished your purpose.’

Successful people have one thing in common: they refuse to quit! No matter how many times they fall, they get back up, dust themselves off, learn from it, and start over. Paul J. Meyer says, ‘99% of those who fail are not actually defeated, they simply quit.’

The Bible says, ‘To win…you must deny yourselves… things that…keep you from doing your best’ (1 Corinthians 9:25 TLB).

The only people who never fail are those who never try. So keep going, and don't even think about quitting!

Luke 21:1-19, Ps 113-115

Long Distance Relationships

What comes to mind when you hear somebody say they’re in a long distance relationship?. Bravery?. Stupidity?. What?. A long distance relationship for those who don’t know is the kind of relationship that involves 2 different people living in different countries or different states or in the same state but different cities. Like an actual real relationship but with both people miles and miles away from each other. Some people would say long distance relationships suck!. Some would say that being so apart from that person you care so much about is a sign that the relationship is real and strong and true. While everybody has their different opinions about long distance relationships, the honest truth is,  a long distance relationship is just a fantasy waiting to be made reality.

Falling for somebody so far away, making different promises to them, hoping that one day fate would make you two meet, not being entirely sure if you will be attracted to them when you finally see them, basically holding on to what you feel for them, etc. All that and more are just some of the truth surrounding long distance relationships. Different questions pop up on both ends. Are they being faithful to me as I to them?, do they feel the same way?, what if we don’t connect face to face?, Am I making a mistake?, etc.

As much as there is nothing wrong with long distance relationships, there is everything wrong with it. First, before even going into a long distance relationship, consider the distance. I mean, consider the distance, the fact that you won’t able to see them as often as you would/might like to. Then think about if you are the type to stay away too long from that person whom you care so much about. Then think about if you could afford going to visit/meet them or sponsor them coming to visit/meet you. Then think about the whole thing; is it worth it?, does it make you happy?, are you willing to put your relationship life on hold for somebody miles away from you whom you’re not even entirely sure about?, etc.

It’s a lot of work this long distance relationship thingy. Sometimes, you just want to cuddle on those cold days or nights, sometimes you just want to gist and share stories or jokes or experiences, sometimes you just want to hang out with them and do fun stuff together, sometimes you just want to chill in and watch an interesting or boring movie together, sometimes you just want to do a lot of stuff face to face together with that person. Oh wait! what about those days when you yearn for the softness of a woman or for the strong grip of a man?. It can be hard!, right?.

In recent times, the advancement of technology has made it somewhat easy. With the likes of Skype and other social media platform features, it doesn’t feel that much of a long distance relationship. Communication and keeping in touch is made easy. You can basically bring that person along through your daily activities. Social media is a consolation for the distance…but for how long?. How long till one of you caves?. How long till one of you can’t do it anymore?. How long till one of you bows out?.

If you’re in a long distance relationship, hold on. But if you ever feel like you couldn’t do it anymore, the other person deserves every right to know. Don’t leave them hanging. Don’t go AWOL on them. Don’t hurt them by not giving them closure. If you’re thinking of or considering starting a long distance relationship with that person whom you’ve grown to care and feel something strong for, then go ahead. It’s a beautiful thing. You should. I personally think that, feelings that stand the test of time and distance and all the challenges that come with not being right next to each other are the strongest.

The Word For Today: Strengthen Your Marriage

‘Husbands…be considerate.’ : ‘Wives…be…worthy of respect.’

1 Peter 3:7 : 1 Timothy 3:11

A couple celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversary was asked the secret to their success. The husband replied, ‘The day we got married we agreed that if an argument arose I’d go out and stand on the porch until I cooled off. And it worked like a charm; fifty years of being outdoors in all that fresh air was exactly what this relationship needed!’.

If you’ve been spending too much time out on the porch, here are three ways to strengthen your marriage:

1) Commitment – ‘You’re first.’ Speaking those words on special occasions is easy, but you need to speak them seven days a week. A film star who’d been through several failed marriages told an interviewer, ‘I’ve given up trying to find the right person. Now I’m working at becoming the right person.’ That formula always works!

2) Concern – ‘What do you need?’ Husbands and wives are as different as chalk and cheese. And to complicate things further, their needs change according to the season of life they’re in. So when you ask, ‘How are you today?’ slow down and listen. Your wife may not want you to solve the problem, but to share it. Closeness in marriage isn’t an accident: it’s a decision you make, and keep making every day.

3) Coping – ‘We can work it out.’ Marriage may alleviate the problem of loneliness, but it presents the challenge of getting along with another person. It teaches you that you can’t always avoid conflict, but you can make it work for you.

The truth is, unless there are two winners in a marriage, there are none at all.

Ezek 1-2, Heb 5