Eternal Perspective

From: Ambassadors For Christ International - John North

2 Corinthians 4:18 "We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal."

What things are not eternal? Jobs, money, promotions, winning, losing, travel, cars, computers, sound systems, clothes, physical appearance, houses, iPods, sex, popularity.

What things are eternal? God, your spouse, your kids, your parents, your relationship with God, heaven, hell, God’s Word, the spiritual impact of your ministry to others, the influence of your love in someone else’s life, the life-change of someone putting their faith in Jesus Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit through you.

Consider those two lists again. You get to choose whether your life will be focused on now or on eternity. God wants you to make a conscious choice to live for the things that really matter. The second list.

Listen And Learn

From: Boyd Bailey Ministries

Mark 9:7 "Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: 'This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!'" 
 
A heart full of love listens first to the Lord. There is a humility that remembers God created two ears and one mouth for a reason. The tongue, untempered by love, is a prime target for the tempter, Satan himself. However, love longs to listen and understand what Christ says, before making conversation. Words incubated in a heart of love have a positive affect on hearers. 

Love listens to Jesus before jumping to judgment. Love is slow to speak and quick to listen. It doesn’t seek to impress people with its smart and clever speech. Instead, it carries a conversation with emotional comfort and caring words. 

You are most comfortable in your own skin when your goal is to first listen to the Lord and then His precious children. Lovingly listen, some will invite your influence into their life. Consecrate your conversations to Christ and He will speak. Love listens and learns.

Lessons From God

From: Ambassadors For Christ International - John North

John 17:4 "Jesus raised His eyes to Heaven and said, 'I glorified You on the earth, by accomplishing the work that You gave Me to do.'"

What has God called you to do? It is an important question. God has placed you on this earth for a reason. God has a purpose for your life. That purpose gives your life meaning.

The great purpose of all of our lives is to know God, to glorify God and to share Him with others. But there is a more specific purpose for your specific life. And this past year fits into that purpose.

Look back over your calendar. How has God been working in your life? What lessons has He been teaching you? What has He been developing in your character? What have you learned about being a part of God’s work in this world?

How could you use your relationships more for God in the future? Ask Him to increase His work through you in the days to come.

God Is With Us...Now And Forever

From: Boyd Bailey Ministries

John 1:14 "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory..."
 
Wow! The Creator came to dwell with His creation. The all knowing One came to teach teachers and students limited by their lack of knowledge and understanding. The ever present One came to comfort hurting people stuck in their suffering. The all powerful One came to serve weak people, empowering them with His Spirit. The Almighty sent His only son Jesus into the world, fully God and fully man. Yes, the Word became flesh!

God is with us to face down our fears by faith. God is with us in our doubts. God is with us in our hurts, applying His healing balm of grace. God is with us in our transitions to grow our trust in Him.  God is with us at work and at home. God is with us in our uncertainty.  God is with us when we feel His presence and when we don't feel Him near. God is with us in our successes and in our failures. 

God is with us in our modern technology and our antiquated activities. The Lord is with us in our big cities and our small towns. Jesus is with us when we feel joy, laughter and loss. Christ is with us to comfort us in our pain and encourage us to persevere for Him. He is with us in the ups and the downs. He is with us and He is in us to work through us! "And know that I am with you always...! (Matthew 28:20) 

Ask God

From: Boyd Bailey Ministries

Hebrews 4:12 "For the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." 

Do you read the Bible for information or inspiration? Is your goal to study the Word, learn facts about God, or to know God? The Word of God is a hammer that chisels pride from your heart, a fire that brands truth into your brain, and a sword that slices ego from your soul. Watch for a Word from God, for it will lead you to success.
 
As you take time to meditate on God’s Word, it begins to marinate your mind with wise thinking. Life change results from a clear understanding of why you believe what you believe. Ask your heavenly Father to fill your mind with what really matters to Him.
 
Do you have a major decision you are facing? Ask God to enlighten your mind with His Word, "...that you may discern what is the will of God..." (Romans 12:2) You'll be glad you did!

Never Give Up Hope

From: Boyd Bailey Ministries

2 Thessalonians 2:17 "May Jesus Himself and God our Father, who reached out in love and surprised you with gifts of unending help and confidence, put a fresh heart in you, invigorate your work, enliven your speech."

Sometimes the Lord gives His children a promise or assurance that is not fulfilled until later in life. Hope in Jesus is a lifeline that leads Christians to trust in His promises. Hope holds on to God.
 
The coming of Christ at Christmas is our hope incarnate. The promise of His first entrance to earth took generations to fulfill, just as His second coming has. So, as we wait on our ultimate hope of reigning with Jesus, we enjoy His presence in prayer and faithfulness. 

Furthermore, do not discount the hope you personally provide for other people. Your weekly visit to the nursing home gives life to those ebbing toward the end of life. Your coaching and mentoring of others gives them confidence and peace to persevere. Never give up hope and you will always be able to give hope. Hope in Jesus brings great joy! 

Specific Purpose

From: Ambassadors For Christ International - John North

Philippians 1:6 "I am sure of this much: that He who has begun the good work in you will carry it through to completion, right up to the day of Christ Jesus."

Your life has been—and is now being—carefully crafted by the Master for a specific purpose. Not just the general purpose that you would be a good person whose life honors God. God wants to use you in ways that only a person like you could be used. Has your life been full of hardship? Then God must want to work through you in a way that could only be done by someone who has faced hardship.

Do you have physical weaknesses and limitations? Rather than thinking they keep you from being useful to God, you need to offer your weaknesses to God and invite Him to use them! Ask yourself and ask God how your weaknesses can provide you with ways to minister for Him that you would not have had otherwise.

When you accept that God has a purpose in everything, then you live in the exciting potential of God at work in every situation of your life—even the unpleasant ones!

Your Spiritual Life

From: Ambassadors For Christ International - John North

Psalm 139:16 "Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were written all the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them." 

The secular world would like you to believe that your life has no meaning of its own, no higher purpose, that your life is the random outcome of a chance series of events emerging out of hundreds of millions of years of chaos.

But in this Psalm, God is saying to you, "I was intimately involved in making you. I have plans for you. You fit into what I am doing in this world."

If you have not yet discovered God’s plan for your life, I encourage you to begin focusing on your spiritual life. "Acquire a fresh spiritual way of thinking." (Ephesians 4:23) Spend time with God in prayer. Read His word, the Bible. Listen to what He is saying to you about your life. As you get yourself in a place where you are spiritually sensitive to God, you will find that He is leading you forward daily in His will for you.

Depending On God

From: Adrian Rogers Ministries

James 1:3 "Realize that when your faith is tested this makes for endurance."

A man had a grandfather clock. One day he felt sorry for the grandfather clock because it had a weight on it. And that weight was always pulling on the clock. The man said, "Oh, Mr. Clock, you’ve held this weight so long, I’m going to remove it and let you rest."

The clock protested, saying, "Don’t take that weight from me. That’s what keeps me going."

In the same way, the trials and tests of life are there for your endurance. They’re to keep you going, keep you trusting, keep you praying, and keep you depending upon God.

He Invented It

From: Our Daily Bread Ministries

Job 42:2 "I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be hindered.

After God allowed Satan to test Job by taking away his family, his health, and his possessions, Job lamented the day of his birth. In the following chapters, Job questioned why God would allow him to endure so much suffering.

Then with divine bluntness, God reminded Job that He "invented" life and created the world. God invited him to rethink what he had said. In drawing attention to His sovereign power and the depth of His wisdom displayed everywhere on earth, God exposed the immensity of Job’s ignorance. 

With great humility, Job responded, "I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be hindered. I have dealt with things I do not understand...things which I cannot know. Therefore, I disown what I have said and repent in dust and ashes." (Job 42:2-6)  

If we’re tempted to tell God how life should work, let’s remember He invented it! May He help us to humbly acknowledge our ignorance and to rely on Him—the Creator of the universe.

It's A Wonderful Life

From: Power Point Daily Devotionals  - Jack Graham

Ecclesiastes 3:1,11 "There is an appointed time for everything...God has made everything appropriate to its time..."

One of my favorite Christmas movies is the classic, It’s A Wonderful Life, starring Jimmy Stewart. It’s about this fellow named George Bailey who grows up in a small town and has great dreams and aspirations of seeing the world and making lots of money.

But through a series of circumstances that he couldn’t control, George never could get out of that little one-horse town. Every time he tried, something happened to keep him there. And to top it off, through a mistake one day it appeared that he would be sent to jail.

He was ready to end it all when an angel came to show him what the world would be like if he’d never been born. And George Bailey came to understand that even though he didn’t get to achieve his dreams as he planned, he did have a wonderful life that impacted many more people than he realized.

"George Bailey" is a great reminder to us all of the positive influence we can have on others. Thank God for where He’s placed you and the people you’ve been able to impact.

Beyond The Test

From: Bob Gass Ministries

John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who lives in Me and I in him, will produce much fruit..." 

Your faith level is revealed by hard times. When your back is to the wall financially, you need faith to believe God will provide. When you're battling illness, you need faith to believe God will heal you. When you feel lost and without purpose, you need faith to believe God has a specific plan for your life. Jesus said, "...He who lives in Me and I in him, will produce much fruit..." Notice, the blessing comes from staying close to the Lord. 

Yes, the Christian life is a battlefield. And the level of attack is determined by the size of your God-given assignment and the rewards that await you beyond it. So in that sense, Satan's attack is a compliment. 

You will be regularly pruned for greater fruitfulness. But don't give up, and don't collapse, for beyond this test you'll have a testimony to God's goodness.

Feeling Trapped

From: Bryant Wright Ministries

Exodus 14:21 "Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided." 

We all have times when we feel we have no options. Maybe we're in a job crisis and we feel there is just no way out. Sometimes we don't have a job, money is rapidly running out, and we're beginning to feel despair. Sometimes it's in a marriage that seems hopeless. There are many possible scenarios, but they all have this in common: It seems like we've run out of options and we don't know what to do. We feel trapped in a hopeless situation with no possible way out. 

We can learn how to face these crises by remembering the children of Israel. They faced a stormy sea to the front and Egyptian soldiers to the rear. Talk about having no options...they truly had no way out! But, if you'll remember, God led them from desperation to complete victory. 

Realize that the same God who parted the Red Sea is standing beside you whenever you think you're out of options. There is no lasting defeat for children of God; He always gives us the option of allowing Him to lead us, teach us, and build our faith. If He parted the Red Sea for the people of faith, then through faith, no situation is hopeless.

There He Is

From: Ambassadors For Christ International - John North

Psalm 32:8 "I will instruct you and show you the way you should walk, give you counsel and watch over you."

When your world falls apart around you, you might be tempted to push God away. But that is like pushing away medicine when you are sick! God, the Great Physician, wants to come and heal your soul. He will minister to you through His word.

God’s message to you in this passage today is that He has given you His word for just such times as you are facing right now. In His word you will hear His voice in your heart assuring you that He still loves you, helping you to see your valley from a new, higher, more positive perspective, revealing His purposes to you, strengthening and encouraging you, giving you hope.

When you open your Bible and say, "Lord, I need to hear from You."...there He is! 

Spiritual Gifts

From: In Touch Ministries

Romans 12:6 "Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us exercise them: ...prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, mercy, giving and leadership."

God gave one or more spiritual gifts to every single believer to aid in the work for His kingdom. We each need this special "wiring" to carry out our unique role in His plan. He knits that spiritual gift into our personality and inborn talents to create a useful and effective servant. And just to be clear, there is no such thing as a non-gifted believer.

Believers are the Lord's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for the purpose of good works. Spiritual gifts are not our own abilities. The Holy Spirit manifests them through us. Remember, it is the sap running from the vine into the branches that produces fruit (John 15:5). In the same way, the Spirit lives and works through God's followers to bring forth acts of service. The Lord's power is behind it all.  

God's awesome power is present in and available to every believer. The Holy Spirit equips us to obey the Lord in whatever He calls us to do. We need to get busy using that spiritual gift for His glory.

The Living Word Of God

From: Michael Youssef Ministries

Romans 15:4  "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." 

We live in a world where God has been marginalized, and human wisdom has been elevated. Truth has ceased to be an absolute because every opinion is equally right. Outward appearance is more important than inward commitment. Emotions have overruled logic and intellect. 

The Bible stands against the mentality of this world, and often that is difficult for people to accept. Human thinking leads to suffering, but God's Word points the way to everlasting life. The Word of God will strengthen us against the current culture. Only through constant prayer and Bible study can we recognize the will and mind of God: "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to discern what God's will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will" (Romans 12:2).

We all have a choice between life and death. This world offers only death, but the words of the Bible show us the way to life. Commit to reading and living the Word of God to not only change your life, but the lives of those around you. 

Love

From: Through The Bible Daily Devotionals

1 Peter 4:8 "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."

Peter reminds us that love is to be the one gift we place above all others. This love is not the fickle kind that demands a certain response or it will be withdrawn. This is a love that covers a multitude of sins. It is a love that is willing to overlook offenses against you. Peter calls it a deep love. It should be as deep as the well of Christ's love for you. What He has given you He expects you to pass on to others.

Love is the one thing that will keep your priorities straight when things fall apart. It will help you avoid the natural instinct to put yourself first instead of being aware of the needs around you.

When chaos strikes, if we are not clear minded and self-controlled, we will be swept along with the crowd. Only when the Spirit of God is our guide through daily life, will we be able to hear His guidance when our world goes mad.

True Citizenship

From: PowerPoint Daily Devotionals - Jack Graham

Philippians 3:20 "But our citizenship is in Heaven, and from it we also await a Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ."

America is known as one of the most religious nations in the world. And sometimes I think that’s the problem—because so many here in our nation don’t realize how much they need to repent and turn to Jesus Christ.

Many people are surprised to hear that America isn’t as important in the scope of eternity as they might think. In fact, this great country isn’t a blink in the eye of God’s Kingdom plan. Our true citizenship lies elsewhere.

As a nation… as a people… as families… and as individuals, we have to turn to God. We can’t place our hope in the men and women who make the laws in Washington. Our true hope lies in the one whose Kingdom will last forever and ever. Place your trust in Him today!