Free From Fear

Free From Fear For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. - 2 Timothy 1:7 What would you think if I told you that you could live without fear? Would you believe me if I said that despite what you saw on the news tonight, you could be perfectly at peace? Impossible? Unrealistic? No! You see, fear isn't just a reaction to external circumstances. It's a spiritual force. It begins inside a person. And it is totally destructive. In fact, fear is Satan's primary weapon. He moves in response to fear, the way God moves in response to faith. He challenges the promises of God with it. An excellent example of this is found in Matthew 14 when Jesus invited Peter to come to Him on the water. "But when he [Peter] saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me" (verse 30). What enabled Peter to walk on the water? His faith in the Word of Jesus. What caused Peter to sink? He saw the wind boisterous and he was afraid. It wasn't the wind that defeated him, it was his fear of it! He looked at his circumstances, gave into the fear, and the result was defeat. If Peter had kept his focus on Jesus, his faith would never have wavered. All the blustering and blowing in the world couldn't have drawn him off course. Faith is developed by meditating on God's Word. Fear is developed by meditating on Satan's lies. Such fearful meditation is called worrying. Don't do it! The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit. Use it to fight Satan every time he comes against you. Hold up your shield of faith and quench all of his fiery darts. Speak words of faith and fear will depart. By Kenneth Copeland

He'll Make Up for Lost Time

He’ll Make Up for Lost Time TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten...” (Joel 2:25, NIV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria Friend, God knows how to make up for years you’ve lost in your life. No, you can’t relive your childhood, but God can make the rest of your life so rewarding, so fulfilling that you don’t even miss what didn’t happen in the past. You may feel like you wasted years in a relationship that didn’t work out. But God can bring somebody into your life so great, so fun, so friendly, so attractive that you don’t even remember the years that you’ve lost. You may have spent years on a job that turned out to be a dead end. You were working your way to the top; things didn’t turn out like you had hoped, and now it looks like there’s a big waste of time. You may not see how you could ever get to where you want to be, but don’t believe those lies. God knows how to make up for lost time. God can accelerate things. God can bring opportunities back across your path that you missed that will thrust you years ahead. It may not have happened the first time, but God will always give you another chance. He’ll make up for the lost time and bring you out better and stronger than ever before! A PRAYER FOR TODAY Father, You are my Redeemer. Thank You for Your promise to restore to me the years that have been lost or wasted. I receive Your promise by faith. I put my trust and hope in You and believe that my best days are out ahead of me in Jesus’ name. Amen. — Joel & Victoria Osteen

Get Ready for ther New

Get Ready for the New TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined.” (Luke 5:37, NIV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria Are you ready for a new chapter in your life? Sometimes, in order to move forward into the blessing God has for you, you have to be willing to let go of the old. The things that are behind you are not nearly as important as what is out in front of you. It’s time to get ready for the new! You may have had some unfair things happen, things that you don’t understand; but let me tell you, you have come too far to stop now. Instead of allowing those things to hold you back, why don’t you let go and take a step of faith into the new? It’s time to get a new, bigger vision; it’s time to get a new, fresher outlook; it’s time to rise up with a new attitude! Instead of settling where you are, pick up and move forward. Have the attitude that says, “I may not understand it; it may not have been fair, but I am not getting stuck on this page. I know God has a new chapter for me — a chapter filled with blessings, favor and victory!” A PRAYER FOR TODAY Father, thank You for Your faithfulness in my life. Today, I choose to trust You with my past, present and future. Give me wisdom to discern the seasons of my life and teach me to embrace the new things You have in store for me in Jesus’ name. Amen. — Joel & Victoria Osteen

The Blessings Maketh Rich

Head for the Light

Head for the Light

We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts. - 2 Peter 1:19

Sometimes when we need insight into a problem, we try to get it by focusing our attention on that problem. We study it. We ponder it. We examine it from every angle. But the Apostle Peter gives us a different approach. He says we should take heed (or focus our attention) to the written Word of God until the answer to that problem dawns on us through the light of revelation. We use the term "seeing the light" in natural things all of the time. We say, "Have you seen the light on that yet?" meaning, "Do you have insight into that situation?" Well, the entrance of God's Word into our hearts brings spiritual light (Ps. 119:130). It brings the insight we need. Have you ever been in a dark room and tried to find your way out? Or lost outside in the night? What is the first thing you look for in these situations? Light! It could be coming from under the door or shimmering from a lamp in a house far off. But either way, you head straight for it. You don't waste your time studying the darkness. You don't focus your attention on that. You fix your eyes on the light because you know its brightness will drive out the confusion of the darkness and orient you to your surroundings. If you need insight on some problem or situation you're facing, pay attention to the Word. Head for the Light and the answer you need will dawn on you. By Kenneth Copeland