NO VERDICT OF GUILT

Romans 8:1-2 (NASB) Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

Romans 8:1-2 (MSG) With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ's being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. 2 A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.

When God does something, He does it right.  From the very beginning, when He created us, and all of life, He said, “It is good.”  Here we see that when God sent Jesus to the cross for our sins, He did not do a halfway job.  No, He went for the whole thing, and He finished it!  Then, He gave it to us.

For us that are in Christ Jesus, God has removed all condemnation that comes against us.  He has removed the verdict of guilt that was against us.  The way that He has done this is that He nailed it to the cross (Colossians 2:14).

We now stand before the great Judge, and He reads over us the indictments that are against us.  Then, He reads one thing that is for us, and that is that we have accepted His great plan of redemption.  The Judge then picks up the gavel and says out loud, so that the entire universe can hear, "NOT GUILTY!"

Again, this is not because of us, it is because of Christ in us, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).  So do not walk around with a load of guilt on your back.  Instead, thank your Father that you are free; you are free indeed.  Remember that who the Son sets free, is free indeed (John 8:36)!

Confession:  Oh, what freedom I have because of Jesus!  He has done it all for me, and because of His grace, I live a life of knowing that there is no condemnation to me.  There is no verdict of guilt!

Join us for our Bible Reading Plan this year.  Use the QR Code below.

PRISONER OF HOPE

Zechariah 9:12 (NKJV) Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will restore double to you.

If there is one thing that people need in our world, it is hope.  They need to know that there is hope that tomorrow will be better than today, and that the tomorrows will be better for our children, and our children's children.  When we look around us, we can get so discouraged and think there is no hope, and that we are prisoners of all that is around us.  But as we look at this verse, God's Word tells us that we need to be PRISONERS OF HOPE!

God wants us believing that there are better days ahead for us.  In fact, our best days are yet to come!  How can we say this?  Because our trust is not in this world system; our trust is in God.  His Word declares that there are more for us than against us.  In fact, His Word says that if God is for us, who can be against us?

God, our Heavenly Father, has not fallen off His throne and declared, "Oh no, the Democrats are running things now.”  Or, “I can't believe what those Republicans are doing!”  No, God is still God, and as we pray and stay in faith, we can see that the Greater One does live inside of us.  As we stay close to Him, He will never leave us or forsake us.

So today, whose prisoner are you?  Are you a prisoner of the things of this world system, or are you a prisoner of hope: a person who is bound to be victorious in Christ Jesus, knowing that everything that God has stated in His Word will come to pass?  All things will work out for those who love the Lord, and eyes have not seen what God, our Father, has in store for us.  So look up, and see that our God is a big God, and that we are winners because of Jesus!

Confession: Today, I declare that I am a prisoner of hope.  I declare that God, my Father, has great things in store for me.  I declare that I am a winner because of all that Jesus Christ, the Anointed One, has won for me.  My future is bright, and I am a prisoner of hope!

Join us for our Bible Reading Plan this year.  Use the QR Code below.

 

HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER

Psalms 136:1-9 (NKJV) Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!  For His mercy endures forever. 2 Oh, give thanks to the God of gods!  For His mercy endures forever. 3 Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords!  For His mercy endures forever: 4 to Him who alone does great wonders, for His mercy endures forever; 5 to Him who by wisdom made the heavens, for His mercy endures forever; 6 to Him who laid out the earth above the waters, for His mercy endures forever; 7 to Him who made great lights, for His mercy endures forever— 8 the sun to rule by day, for His mercy endures forever; 9 the moon and stars to rule by night, for His mercy endures forever.

Let us give thanks to the Lord today, because His mercy endures forever!  When we look at this Psalm of praise to our God, it shows us His power and His majesty.  Our God has created the sun, the moon, and the stars.  Our God has created the earth and all that is on it. 

Think about this just for a moment.  He made things so small that we cannot see them without the help of a microscope, and yet He made stars so huge that hundreds of our earth would fit inside them.  Our God has made the beautiful butterfly, and the huge elephant.  What variety, and what wonders He has created!  From Niagara Falls to the Grand Canyon; He made them all with His Word.

I love the last part of this passage: “His mercy endures forever.”  Our God is a God of forgiveness, and a God of bright futures.  He knows our frame, and He is quick to forgive us, release us, and give us a new start. 

So, as I always say, if you messed up, then go ahead and ‘fess up, and see the great compassion of our Father.  He will forgive you and give you a brand new start today.  Today is a new day!  Go ahead and make it a great one!

Confession: Today, I am forgiven.  I am a new creation in Christ Jesus.  Today, I have a new start.  I leave behind my yesterdays, and I take hold of my today.  I know that My Father has great things in store for me!

Join us for our Bible Reading Plan this year.  Use the QR Code below.

PEACE WITH GOD

Romans 5:1 (NKJV) Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Peace with God; what a beautiful thought!  I know growing up, I always thought that God was mad at me, and that He was looking for ways to make my life miserable.  Then, I was born again.  I let Jesus into my heart to save me from my sins, and to be my friend.  Once I did that, everything changed.  I found that God was my Father, and He wanted to take a Father's place in my life.  I found that He loved me and gave me His very best, Jesus, His only begotten Son.

I found out that He wanted to take my hand and walk me through the valleys of life.  He promised me that He would never leave me, and never forsake me.  Just as I, an earthly father, want the very best for my children, so I saw that God, my Heavenly Father, wanted the very best for me.  Since then, it has truly been an adventure and a blessing!

So, where are you in your walk with your Heavenly Father?  Do you have peace with Him?  From this verse, we see that it is available to us, and it is by faith that we obtain it.  The first part of this verse says, "Having been justified by faith."  Our justification comes through faith in the finished work of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.  It does not come by how good we can be, but by faith in His great atonement for us.

So, instead of looking at all your mistakes and shortcomings, look to Jesus, and see His perfection and holiness.  Then see yourself “in Him.”  See yourself justified, or “just as if you have never sinned.”  See yourself at peace with God, and talk to Him as if it is true, because it is!  That is how God, your Father, sees you, and that is how He wants you to live!

Confession:  Today, I see myself as justified and at peace with God.  I see myself holy in His sight, not because of what I have done, but because of what Jesus, my Lord, has done for me.

Join us for our Bible Reading Plan this year.  Use the QR Code below.

RIGHTEOUSNESS

Pastor Diane

Isaiah 32:17 (AMP) And the effect of righteousness will be peace [internal and external], and the result of righteousness will be quietness and confident trust forever.

I love this verse, especially in the Amplified Bible.  It shows us how important understanding righteousness is for the born-again believer.  Righteousness is simply “right standing with God,” and it only comes through faith in Jesus Christ.  (2 Corinthians 5:21)

This verse is saying, however, that we have to understand righteousness in order for it to make a difference in our lives.  Many people are righteous, but they do not know what that means.  Because of this righteousness, I can enter boldly into the throne-room any time I have a desire to visit with my Heavenly Father!  I do not have to fear circumstances and situations around me, because of my fellowship with Abba Father.  The effect of righteousness, knowing who I am in Christ, gives me internal, and external, peace. 

And then, there is more good news!  Because of this righteousness, this right-standing with my Father, I will live a quiet, peaceable life!  I can rest in that relationship.  That internal peace, that quietness, will mount guard over my mind and heart (Philippians 4:7).

And lastly, because of this righteousness, I will have confident trust forever.  Trust in what?  Trust in God, knowing that He loves me, and that He paid the enormous price for restoration of fellowship with my Heavenly Father.  I will never have to wonder if He changed His mind.  I will never have to doubt that His love is unconditional and eternal.  I can enter boldly into His throne room to talk to Him, because He made me righteous, and that will never change, no matter what I have done, or not done!

Today, be confident in your righteousness!

Confession:  Today, I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.  I have internal and external peace, because of this great gift.  The result of righteousness in my life is quietness, and confident trust, forever.

Join us for our Bible Reading Plan this year.  Use the QR Code below.

GLORY IN GOD

Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NKJV) Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; 24 but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.  For in these I delight,” says the LORD.

There are many in the world that think that they have so much talent, power, and money.  I have found that the best thing to glory in is my Heavenly Father.  He is my everything!  My Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills, my Father walks on streets of gold, and my Father is not cheap.  He has blessed us with so much, and when He knows that we can handle more, He blesses us with more!

I have found, over the years, that it is so much better to live for Him, and to give our lives as a complete surrender to His will, and as we do, all provision is there.  So who do you glory in?  Do you glory in the things you own (things that will one day pass away) or do you glory in Him who created all things and upholds all things? 

When we read the Bible, we see the mind of Almighty God, and it imparts to us an understanding of the knowledge of His will.  That is why the last part of these two verses states that we are to understand and know Him.  We are to understand that He is the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.

That is our Father!  He is always exercising lovingkindness to all those whose hearts are towards Him.  So today, set your heart on God and you will see a change in your life that is beyond words.  Give Him your all.  You will never regret doing that for the King!

Confession: Today, I make a decision to live for the King.  I make a decision to know Him intimately.  I want to know Him, not just know about Him.  I want Him more than silver and gold!

Join us for our Bible Reading Plan this year.  Use the QR Code below.

WALK THIS WAY

Isaiah 30:21 (NKJV) Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.

Can God speak to us?  Well many other verses shows that He does.  There are times that we are just doing our thing, and we will feel like we heard a voice behind us.  Do not always throw that away, thinking it was just the wind.  At times, it can be God's voice.

Now, I am not saying that every time you hear something that it is God's voice.  But I have found that at times when I am seeking God about something, I need to be sensitive to His voice.  He might want to speak in a word that just gives me understanding.

Many times, it is not even a whole bunch of words, but one word from God can change everything!  I have had times when I would just hear a single word, and I could not get away from it.  I would find out later that it was the Spirit of God trying to get my attention.  At other times, we hear something deep within us, and again, it is the precious Spirit of God speaking to our spirit.

So when you hear a voice to the right or to the left of you, do not always throw it out.  Say, “Lord, are you trying to say something to me?”  Stay close to His voice, listen, and then when He does speak, train yourself to obey it.  Obedience always brings reward, and the reward here is that God can trust you with His voice.  As you trust Him and obey, He will continue to speak to you more often.

Confession:  I am learning to follow the voice of the Spirit of God.  Today, I will listen to His voice speaking to my heart, and I will obey what He says to me.  My Heavenly Father does speak to me, because He can trust me with His voice.

Join us for our Bible Reading Plan this year.  Use the QR Code below.