HomeARC ML 0826
DAILY MIGHT #8--AUGUST GP 826
August 1
"Heaven and Earth shall pass away, but God's Word will never pass away!" (Mt.24:35)
In especially trying times, you should live more in the Word.--You must put your faith in the Word! It doesn't matter if everybody in the whole world backslides, if everybody in the whole world goes haywire, if the whole Heavens and the whole Earth pass away, you'll still keep going for God if your faith is in the Word!--No matter what happens, you will still stand if you keep on God's firm foundation of faith, balanced firmly with His Words.
I can fail, you can fail, the whole world can fail. But God's Word will never fail!--When everything is in chaos and it seems like all is confusion and stormy, real stormy, retreat into the Word!--"Faith cometh by hearing the Word!" (Rom.10:17) Often if it were not for that spark of faith, you'd just flicker out! It's like God blowing on the little ember, and bringing it back to life again! It comes so much through hearing the Word!--His Word is always a comfort and the voice of His Spirit is always an encouragement in the hour of greatest trial, even when everything seems to have gone wrong and you're in danger, trouble or distress.
Isn't it wonderful to have God's Word for our encouragement!--Thank God for the comfort of His cleansing Word!
527:46 66:18 -- 527:46; 739:6 -- 309B:44 527:45 -- 399:62 -- 66:18,12 -- 581:31 155:5 -- 581:38
August 2
"Even more than the milk of the mother to the baby which is thirsty, am I unto thee."
The baby deliberately, when he sucks, creates a vacuum inside his mouth which pulls the milk out of his mother's breast.--"So shall My bosom satisfy thee with the milk of My Word to the strengthening of thy sinews in the Spirit!" -- But you have to first create a vacuum inside your heart: "Lord, here is this empty space--You fill it!"--"For I am He that filleth all things, to pour out upon the thirsty ground, to beautify the lowly life, to enlighten the darkened minds."--(A picture of very hard, dry ground:) Every crack in the parched earth was one of His children opening wide to drink the Water of His Word. But the water rolled right off the unyielding hard ground which would not receive it, and into the cracks that eagerly accepted it!
"Oh, why dost thou doubt and make thy soul impoverished for lack of faith? Even the little child has more faith. Kiss the Son! Kiss Me as the breast of thy mother, that I shall nurse thee, and thou shalt put thy mouth upon Me and My breast and nurse from Me the milk of the truth that I have given unto thee."--"So shall I satisfy thee, and thy heart shall be filled with righteousness, and thy mouth with good things, and thy soul shall be satisfied, for thy spirit longeth unto Me! For thou shalt be filled to overflowing!"
77:37 73:6 -- P:2 - 73:6 -- 9:12 -- 152:9 82:16,26 -- 152:27
August 3
Learning, learning, learning--it never ends! I love it!
We'll always be learning until the day we die.--Every day we learn some new obedience, just like a little child. Every day he learns something new. God's Word even says of Jesus that He "learned obedience through the things which He suffered"! (Heb.5:8) And that "He grew in stature and in wisdom." (Lk.2:52)
We are now, in a sense, rehearsing for what is to come.--Like little children playing at games, doing what they expect to do when they're older.--This is the whole purpose of life: To prepare us for the next life.--We are now in our training period in this life in preparation for ruling the world in the next!--In the Millennium we are going to have to learn how to run the whole world.--And if we do not pass these tests and complete these grades and learn these lessons in this life, we shall surely be unfit to rule in the next, in the coming Kingdom of God!--So for God's sake, let's learn our lessons today and get them down pat!
What a glorious day that will be! Even now Thou art preparing us for that day! For he that is now faithful in these things that are least, shall also be faithful in that which is much.--And he that hath done well with a few talents, Thou shalt make ruler over cities! (Lk.16:10; Mt.25:23)
510:27 714:17 -- 727:109,104 185:82 -- 332B:5 -- 727:103 -- 315A:17 - 727:103 -- 315A:17 -- 727:148 185:56
August 4
If you've got God with you, you're unbeatable, no matter how small you are!
The giant Goliath ridiculed the little lad with he slingshot, but when David cut loose with just one honest bit of rock, the Philistine phoney fell flat on his face!--"He is but a little lad in rough attire and of small stature. What can he do? He hath but a sling and five little pebbles. And yet My Spirit was upon him and I did cause him to triumph over Goliath, the giant, where Saul had failed, and My people Israel had failed, and all of their armour had proven to no avail. Even so also with this My New Church--out of nowhere and from nothing with but a single pebble and a simple sling and none of the armour or entrappings with which the Old Church hath surrounded herself."
"For Jesus is with His children and He will go with them against all their enemies and overcome all evil, and there is none that can stand against Him, and He will overcome the gates of Hell!"--"Therefore how shalt thou fail, for I am with thee and shall never fail and shall be with thee unto the End! So fear not, but go forth and fight thou the battles of the Lord, for it is impossible that thou shalt lose or that thou shouldst fail!"--"Go forth in the power of My Spirit and the anointing of My Oil and the authority of My Appointment, conquering and to conquer the giants of this day!"
171:18 225:8 -- 117:7 115:15 -- 128:22 -- 117:8
August 5
Everything in the spirit world seems to move so slowly and so beautifully, almost like in slow motion....
Usually they only move quickly at the judgements of God--otherwise so slowly, peacefully, like a slow motion dance!--Everything seems to operate in a kind of silent music--quiet music--beautiful--just like the harmony of the spheres--the music of the stars! It's so peaceful.--Everything in absolute harmony--everything absolutely beautiful!--There are still animals and birds playing in the garden--birds flying from tree to tree. Everything is happy. Birds don't sing mournful songs, but happy songs. The animals are playful and happy.
All the people are walking and floating at the same time--with no effort to it, they do it with ease. There's almost no gravity for them.--You just float--It's really wonderful! Even when you're walking, you're kinda floating! It doesn't seem like your feet hardly touch the ground! Nobody's in a hurry--everybody's happily taking it easy and smiling and talking to each other! Everybody's graceful! Unbelievably beautiful!
It's a beautiful place to be, full of beautiful people having a beautiful time. They are better off, rid of the heavy old flesh and all its problems!--The spirit world is wonderful!
651:76 651:76 -- 75A:12,5 -- 80:12 80:39 -- 75A:66,26 680:73,54 -- 713:65
August 6
"Many are the afflictions of the righteous!" (Psalm 34:19)
Afflictions of whom? Not of the wicked, but the afflictions of the righteous!--"But the Lord delivereth him out of them all!"--The Lord allows these things as tests to strengthen our faith and to get an even greater victory out of seeming defeat.--Some things happen just to keep you close to the Lord--sickness, trouble, problems. Sometimes they happen to drive you closer to each other. Sometimes they happen to keep you humble. Sometimes they happen to make you pray--all kinds of reasons for even having troubles! So even troubles and tribulations are good for us. Thank You Lord!
Whatever God does, He does it in love.--And "all things work together for good to them that love the Lord." (Rom.8:28) God is not going to let anything happen to you, His child who loves Him, except what is for your good.--So even though "many are the afflictions of the righteous", the Lord is going to deliver you out of them all, no matter how many or what! A--L--L, ALL!--Not just some or a few or most or many, but all!--All of them!--So we can expect God to deliver us according to His Word.
"Now therefore, lift up that which is cast down and strengthen the feeble and encourage that which is turned out of the way.--And rather let it be healed--for this is the will of God!"
599:78 569:10 -- 717:6,22 -- 739:41 203:45 -- 739:9 -- 551:19 -- 599:78 -- 569:109,110 19:3
August 7
The spirit world is all so real and down to earth!
God's visible creation is an illustration of the things in the spirit, of that which is invisible. (Rom.1:20) Therefore the spirit world is not so terribly different from this present existence that we can't even comprehend or understand it. Otherwise, when we got ushered into it, we would be completely lost!--It would be just too far out, too totally different, we couldn't even relate!
Some people are going to be surprised to find out that things haven't changed all that much! -- We are going to be much the same as we are now, except that we're going to have supernatural bodies. We will look like we do now, just as Jesus did after His resurrection.--You're going to have a lot of the same characteristics.-- It's still going to be you.--But you'll be better off and in more direct communication and obey better because you'll be under more direct control. "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord!" (2Cor.5:8) You'll be like in the presence of the Lord all the time!
Are you ready to go? Are you working for Jesus?--Are you under God's control now? If so, the spirit world will not be too strange for you, and the transition from this life to the next will not be too great a change. You'll still be God's child, in His care, and accustomed to doing His will.--And you'll enjoy it, as now!
622:32 620:2,3 629:59 -- 620:4 -- 680:71 -- 622:49,50 628:56,57 -- 622:51
August 8
This is the most wonderful life in the world!--I love it!
We have found the Truth and a happy new life in Jesus and the living waters of His Word and the fellowship of His children on the bright sunny mountaintop of the Kingdom of God!--It's like Heaven on earth!--Our lives overflow with joy, and our satisfaction knows no bounds, and our happiness knows no equal.--We have everything we've always wanted, including forgiveness of sins, faith in God, love in Christ, something to really live and work for, peace of mind, health of body, and joy and happiness and love and laughter forever after!
We are already enjoying a foretaste of Heaven on Earth!--This is like a little bit of Heaven on Earth, this sweet fellowship we have in love one for another right here.--We are living the way people are going to live in love and sharing and sweetness and light and joy and praise and song and worship in the Millennium!--Right now we've got the same love, the same fellowship, the same sweetness in spirit and joy and blessing.
So thank God for the freedom He's given us and the unity He's given us and the joy He's given us and the happiness to enjoy life to the full!--Every day with Jesus is better than the day before! Hallelujah! Thank You, Jesus! He's wonderful!
58:25 360:54 -- 524:41 -- 526:8 -- 529:49 148:35 -- 399:61 -- 148:35 -- 399:131 631:20 -- 58:32
August 9
When you start to decide to serve God, all Hell breaks loose!
If the Devil can just scare you out before you begin, then you'll never even get started and you'll never accomplish what God wants you to do.--So the Devil pulls out all of his big guns and his big-wigs and everything in his bag of tricks to try to keep you from starting to serve God!--Because if he can just keep you from starting, he figures you'll never serve God!
It's the witness the Devil fears!--Every one that is won is a threat to hundreds of others of his, so he's out to stop each one the best he can. He knows he's going to lose others from his clutches because of you!
In the testing time before the beginning of His ministry, even Jesus was carried out into the desert and tempted by the Devil himself!--Imagine! The Devil was allowed to carry His physical body around and really test Him, attack Him! (Mt.4:1-11) But under the attack He never yielded but resisted the Enemy with the Word of God and refused to yield, until the Enemy saw Jesus wasn't going to give up, and then he quit.--So for God's sake and the sake of others and your own sake, don't let the Devil frighten you or bluff you out of what the Lord wants you to do before you even get started!--"Resist the Enemy and he'll flee from you!" (Jam.4:7)
739:53 1:43 -- 739:53 717:10 -- 551:16,15 717:6,5 -- 1:43 -- 551:38
August 10
Start the day off right: Hear from the Lord!
The Lord speaks in a still, small, but very definite, very firm, but very loving voice--but if you're too noisy you're not going to hear it! You're going to have to get quiet by yourself -- somewhere, somehow, sometime--if you're going to hear from the Lord!--He'll solve a lot of your problems before the day even starts if you listen to what He has to say. But if you go plunging into all your problems and troubles and your work without stopping to talk to the Lord and get directions from your Commander-in-Chief, then you're going to be like a soldier who's trying to fight the war all on his own without listening to headquarters. You need to have prayer and listen to the Lord!
If you really want to hear Him, He'll talk to you.--It doesn't have to be out loud, it doesn't have to be with an audible voice. It can just be in that still small voice that you feel inside of you. Sometimes it's not even words, just an impression that you have.--If you really believe and ask the Lord, and you want to hear or see, you won't be disappointed! And that thing you see or hear with the eyes or ears of your spirit, that's the Lord--and it will be such a comfort to you! Expect God to answer!
Everyday should be a new day, a new experience, a new listening to the voice of the Lord, praise the Lord? You can hear from God everyday!
606:32 74:10,16 -- 638:33 74:11 -- 638:13,14 -- 73:1 638:12,13
August 11
Real love is to fulfill the part that God created you to play.
God said to Saul, "I will make thee another man", and to David too--God made him another man. He turned him into something he wasn't.--It's almost like playing a role. But when God has given you a role to play and you can play it with divine anointing and real inspiration of the Lord and by the power of His Spirit, you become that creation of God!--God has His Own plan. God has His Own way. God knows what He's doing. So for God's sake let Him do it and just look to Him to find out what He's doing, and what He wants you to do.--What you don't want to do is miss His best--the highest and best thing God wants you to do.--The boat that could get you to where you can really accomplish something.--God's special place for you in His Kingdom!
If you're willing to be what God wants you to be, not what you are, but what God wants you to be, then He can mightily use you!
So are you willing, not to present your programme to God for His signature, not even to be presented with God's programme for your signature--but are you willing to sign a blank sheet of paper and let God fill it in without your even knowing what His programme is going to be?
685:27 328:18,19 -- 4:41 -- 332A:72,73 -- G:14 328:24 74:7
August 12
Do you want a crown?
The crown is not your salvation! You have Eternal Life through His Son, which is the Gift of God --and you cannot lose it, for He will keep you! This crown is your reward, given only to winners! Only to those who run and win the race.--You've got to earn your laurels in this fight!--You must endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, and entangle yourself not again in the affairs of this world, that you may please Him Who hath called you to be a soldier. (2Tim.2:3,4)--But if you don't, you will lose the reward, miss the fruits of glorious victory, and another will take your crown that God intended for you--because God's going to get the job done somehow.
So watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation that might lead you astray from the straight and narrow way which leads to a higher crown and greater reward! Amen?--Fight the good fight! Keep the faith! Finish the course!--And win the crown! Keep your eyes on the goal and your hand on the plow! Don't look back!--"Then thou shalt receive a crown of life for thy faithfulness unto the end!"
When this life is over, and the angels beckon you, if what you did was right, God will never forget it! You'll shine as the stars forever! "Well done thou good and faithful servant--enter thou into the joy of thy Lord!" (Mt.25:21)
551:132 64:7 -- 551:51 -- 58:34 335C:33 -- 175:69 -- 94:10 67:9
August 13
There is always a great harvest of new souls waiting for you.
God is more willing to give than we are to receive. He'll always furnish the fields if we'll supply the labour. But He doesn't draft you: You have to volunteer!--"Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that He will send forth labourers into His Harvest!" (Mt.9:37,38)--And the first one He will send will be you for others to follow!--He'll be glad to send you, if you're willing--but you have to be willing. He likes whole-hearted volunteers!
The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few: But let me warn you not to say unto yourselves that there are yet four months and then cometh the harvest, but I implore you to "lift up your eyes and behold the fields already white unto harvest". (Jn.4:35)--"Thou hast seen it. I have shown it unto thee. It is white and ready and falling, and there are so few that are looking!"--Where are the labourers, and who will go for us, and is it nothing to all ye that pass by? Go now, for now is the day of Salvation! The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!
The fields and the doors are open!--The prospects are exciting, the experiences will be thrilling, and the results will be glorious!--So make hay while the sun shines. Gather in the harvest before the storm, for the night is coming when no man can work! (Jn.9:4)--Amen?
702:8 67:26 -- 510:53 -- 67:26 51:2 -- 89:4 -- 51:2 48:39 -- 49:37 -- 60:48
August 14
"Whatever thou spendest," He says, "I will repay!" (Lk.10:35)
The more you give, the more He will give you!--You can never outgive God!--Even though the poor widow cast in only a mite, it was actually all of her living! (Mk.12:44)--I'm not even sure the Temple needed it, but God honoured her sacrifice just the same. So you can even cast in all your living and still not hurt, because God will bless you for it. If your motive is right and your intentions are good and pure, God will bless you for giving.--Whatever we spend to rescue these people and save souls, He will more than repay!
God's way to plenty is to give it away, "he that scattereth abroad it increaseth". (Pr.11:24) Many selfish people don't look at it that way. They figure the more they can withhold, the more it's going to increase. But God's Word says: "He that withholdeth it tendeth to poverty." (Pr.11:24)--God's idea is, the faster you give it away and share it, the more He'll heap it on.--You're going to find out that you're not going to really be sacrificing at all! You're just going to be investing, and the returns are going to be far beyond anything you have invested! God's going to repay you!--"If thou wilt give of the portions I have already given unto thee, behold, I shall replenish it many fold!"
332A:49 727:53 -- 702:87 -- 336A:52 -- 702:88 -- 332A:51 662:54,55 -- 211:28 -- 332A:38,49 -- 215:43
August 15
We just thank You for Your love, Lord, how much You loved us.
God gave Jesus an opportunity to quit, gave Him a choice in the Garden!--And yet He deliberately chose to go ahead and suffer for us. Think of that! He said, "Father, if it be Thy will, let this cup pass from me", the cup of suffering.--"Nevertheless, not My will but Thine be done!" (Mt.26:39) Jesus could have quit and given up, taken the easy way out and refused to suffer so terribly for our sins, but He didn't quit!
"No greater love hath any man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (Jn.15:13), and Jesus was the Friend Who took the punishment for you!--"God made Jesus to be sin for us, Who knew no sin." (2Cor.5:21)--To make you clean, Jesus had to get dirty.--God's Word says so! "He bore your sins in His Own body on the tree." (1Pet.2:24) He had your sins on Him when He died! He even had to let God turn His back on Him, He had to think that God had forsaken Him, think of it! "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Mk.15:34)
Jesus in His death suffered not only physically, but also spiritually, such as the unsaved suffer in the afterlife for their sins.--Three days and three nights in Hell in the fiery heart of the earth! He suffered then for all the sins of all mankind! He died that you might be saved! Isn't that amazing?--Such love!
639:62 569:112,113 699:31 -- 526:18 -- 566:15,17,18 714:44,48
August 16
Thank God for delivering us from the carnal life of constant materialism and the failures of the flesh!
We own nothing, and nothing owns us--but the Lord! Praise God! What glorious liberty from the bondage of things!--"For a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth!" (Lk.12:15) Living, the real thing, doesn't consist of things at all, because things cannot satisfy! They may temporarily satisfy the body, but they can never satisfy the soul or the spirit of man which cries out to God its Father for the joy and happiness and the eternal fulfillment that only God can give and for which He created it to enjoy!
This world and its glory is dead as a door-nail, there's nothing to it!--Ask God to show you how much more He has for you--beyond what you have ever seen, or felt, or heard, or known! It's there--but He's waiting for you!--"Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth shall grow strangely dim, In the Light of His glory and grace." Hallelujah! Thank You Jesus!
Brush aside the dead leaves of past winters! Look for the tender green shoots of real life and love--Spring! The real thing, the living thing! -- "For He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness!" (Ps.107:9)
510:30 51:71 -- 255:95 399:58 -- G:22 -- 698:68 503:44,45 -- G:22
August 17
"The trying of your faith is more precious than gold, yea, than much fine gold!"
God tests our faith to see if it's real gold faith and we'll still believe and obey Him no matter what happens! Real gold--no matter how hot the test or how long it lasts--will still come out gold--even finer gold! Because the fire burns all the dross and the impurities away!--If it doesn't go through the fire, it's not faith. If it doesn't come out as pure gold, it's not faith! Because real faith stands the test whatever it may be!
Faith in God is the one true coinage of the Realm, which you can exchange one of these days at the Bank of Heaven for the genuine gold of His Kingdom!--But faith that cannot stand a test is no faith at all!--So let's try to be able to take our testings and our temptations.--And we'll enjoy God's really Golden Gates forever after in His really Golden City!
"Behold, I come quickly, and My reward is with Me and My fan is in My hand. Let every man examine himself according to that which is within him--whether it be of gold and of silver, or of wood, hay or stubble, which shall be burned."--"For thou shalt suffer many things, many trials, many tribulations and many tests before that day, but I will bring thee forth as pure gold, if thy faith fail not!"
254:3 313:29,31 -- 599:89 255:88 -- 88:23 -- 575:44 -- 313:37 19:36 -- R:8
August 18
This is where we're headed!
The Heavenly City, which will come down from God out of Heaven and dwell with men! This is the hope of all ages: That now-unseen Eternal World where we shall dwell with Him forever!--The Heavenly City described in the Grand Finale of the Bible, Revelation, Chapters 21 and 22, the thunderous climax of the symphony of God, a place of such resplendent beauty that it lifts you into the Heavenlies, beyond the imagination of man!--The Heavenly City of our eternal future happiness, our Eternal Home in Paradise!--"For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come!" (Heb.13:14)
The most stupendous things that you have never even dreamed of are already in existence right now, in that way-out Home of His children--that Heavenly City, "whose Builder and Maker is God" (Heb.11:10), and which our departed friends and saints are already enjoying! It's just about complete and ready to come down!--Us and our little mud-bound man never even dreamed of such things!
So keep your eyes ahead on the goal, like those in Hebrews 11, the Faith Chapter. They were willing to go through all the trials and tribulations and be strangers and pilgrims here and people without a country because they knew they had one coming!--A Heavenly country, a heavenly city, built by the Lord!
541:143 57:2 -- 46:25 -- 600:6 - 541:143 76:35 -- 75A:14 551:82,83
August 19
"Receive thou wine at the mouth of David!"
If thou wilt open thy mouth wide and receive it, I will not only give thee honey and sweetness from My mouth, but I will give thee wine of My Spirit and thou shalt tingle to the thrill of My ecstasies, if thou wilt receive it. Therefore, open wide thy mouth that thou mayst receive the wine of My Spirit and the thrills of the ecstasies of My love. For thou shalt be as one that is drunken with Me and one that doth revel in My love!"
If you can accommodate His new wine without asking why or trying to analyse its ingredients, God has such thrills and intoxications of the Spirit in store for you that you will be glad you drank it without question, and you'll be whisked off into a world which you never dreamed existed, where you'll enjoy the very wonders of total intimacy with God Himself in a wild orgy of the Spirit as His totally surrendered Bride!
"His Words are kisses to satisfy your bosom, My wonderful kisses of My love!"--"Therefore, kiss all the words of David and cherish to thy bosom and nourish them in thy heart, and thou shalt be satisfied."
"Receive it, receive it!"--"Drink of the waters of life which are given unto thee!"--Dive in! Swim! Revel in the deeps that God has given! Enjoy yourself in the depths of His Word!
94:10 152:16 286:23 503:70 -- 152:16 503:67 -- 254:16 -- 365:42
August 20
You can pray all the time!
You don't have to be down on your hands and knees praying frantically to be heard. Prayer is something you're doing all the time no matter what else you're doing.--It's like thinking on your feet!--You can be anointed and Spirit-led in anything you do! If you're thinking and praying about what you're doing and asking God for wisdom, He can inspire you!--"Pray without ceasing". (1Th.5:17)
Ask the Lord about everything before you do it. Make sure that's what He wants you to do. -- "In all thy ways acknowledge Him!" (Prov.3:6) We're all Christians, we love the Lord, this is our whole life--you mean we have to stop everything and say, "Jesus help us!"? But it reminds you and others and brings a hush to your spirit. -- The Lord wants to be recognised, He wants you to know that you need Him.--Because lots of things can happen that are totally beyond your control, but not the Lord's! So keep close to the Lord, constantly claiming the protection of the Lord, always asking the Lord to keep you, and bless and protect you.
Keep us close to You and help us to stay close to You in Thy will, Lord, and obedient, following moment by moment. Every moment keep our hearts right with You, Jesus, our motives right, our will right, and everything right with You. Thank You Jesus!
638:30 74:5 -- 328:42 - 638:30 706:29,31 100:19 -- 710:64 -- 353:333 639:61
August 21
Eternal Salvation by Grace means once saved, always saved!
"He that believeth on the Son hath Everlasting Life." (Jn.3:36)--Right now!--No if's, and's, or but's about it.--You already have it. You don't have to worry about, are you going to have it, or are you going to fall from grace, or are you going to manage to stay saved, or are you going to manage to keep true and then finally be given the reward of salvation for your faithfulness. Salvation is not a reward!--It's not pay, it's not wages! It is a gift that you don't earn by faithfulness or by any kind of works of your own.--And that's all there is to that--nothing else, no other way, no righteousness of your own, none of your own good works.--None of these can keep you saved any more than they can save you in the first place! Only Jesus can do it!--"The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ," His Son. (Rom.6:23)
A works Salvation is no Salvation at all! -- You cannot be good enough! No matter what you do, it won't save you!--"For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." (Eph.2:8,9)--It's impossible to save yourself!--You have Eternal Life through His Son, which is the Gift of God--and you cannot lose it, for He will keep you! You are His child!--You're the Lord's forever!
73A:8 45:13 -- 708:65,66 -- 45:13 -- 526:16 69A:37 -- 527:71 -- 526:17 -- 527:72 -- 64:7 -- 551:11
August 22
It's amazing the power the Lord gives us!
We're saved, we've got God, we have the Lord, we've got the Holy Spirit, we've got the greatest power in the world! We're going to be all right, God's going to take care of us, no matter what happens!--"Behold, I give unto you power," Jesus promised, "over all the power of the Enemy: And nothing shall by any means hurt you!" (Lk.10:19)--The power that God has given is able to destroy the works of the Enemy. By God's Word, His Truth,. His revelations, He destroys the power of the Enemy!--The darkness is all around and seems much larger than the light, and yet it can't overcome the Light!--It thunders and rages, and it storms, but it can't put out the Light, because it is afraid of the Light! It can't even get close to it, because the Light destroys it!--For "God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all!" (1Jn.1:5)
"Therefore, fear not, for I am thy God and thy testimony and thy peace and thy great fortress round about thee which is in the Heavenlies which no other power can touch, which is above all earthly powers, and none can stand against thee, for I am thy God and thou art My children."--"Praise be unto God for His mighty wonders, and the great power He has given unto the children of men!" Thank You for Thy power, Lord, that surrounds us, and lights us, and causes us to glow!--God's power is the mightiest of all!
271B:9 551:26 -- 686:108 -- 363:57 -- 214:23,22 -- 686:101 128:17 -- 214:24 -- 306:67
August 23
When you're weak, then you're strong, because His strength comes in!
No matter how young you are, no matter how little you know, no matter how few talents you have, or how poorly you speak, God can use you!-- In fact, God said He takes the foolish things to confound the wise, and the weak things of this world to confound the mighty, and things which are despised and things which are not, to bring to nothing things that are. (1Cor.1:27,28)--The very fact that you don't feel like you can do it and you feel so humble about it and you don't feel capable of it is the best thing possible. Because then you will seek the Lord, and God will manifest Himself!
So if you feel you are nothing, and you're no good--then cheer up!--God can use you!--But what the Enemy ignores and tries to help you forget so you won't claim the Lord's help is, "When I'm weak, then I'm strong, for His strength is made perfect in weakness." (2Cor.12:9,10) I've known many times when I was weakest in the flesh that I was strongest in the Spirit, because I just had to completely throw myself on the Lord. You don't know how you're going to make it, but He can make it for you!
We're nothing and He's everything! We merely "have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of ourselves." (2Cor.4:7)--His is all the glory!
717:1 G:14 -- 706:45,46 G:14 -- 717:23,24 698:67,68
August 24
"With His stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)
Our bodies belong to Jesus. Jesus has bought our souls or spirits with His blood and we are saved, but He has also bought our bodies with His sufferings. He died for your salvation, but He suffered for your healing.--His body was broken for us for the healing of our bodies. There is salvation both for the body and for the spirit!
He's already paid for, not only your salvation, but He has paid for your healing. He shed His blood for your salvation, and what did He do for your healing?--By His stripes ye are healed!--He suffered for your healing. So we can claim it, even as a part of His atonement. We can claim it as a part of what He paid for. He paid for it, it's yours already for the asking.
So if you've been sick and you need healing, take it by faith and it's there for you!--God cannot only do it, but He wants to do it! He's more willing to give than we are to receive! Believe God! He never fails!--Even when we are faithless! Hold Him to His Word! He says "Command ye Me!" (Isa.45:11) Have desperate prayer, and expect a miracle! You do your part, and the rest is up to God.
"The Great Physician now is near, The sympathising Jesus; He speaks the drooping heart to cheer, Oh! hear the voice of Jesus!"
753:22 753:27,51 -- 337B:12 753:50,49 337B:19 -- 87:16,4 399:40
August 25
It's impossible for you to get the victory! Only Christ can!
You can't get the victory!--You have to come face-to-face with the facts.--You can't do it yourself! Only He can do it! Just give Him a chance! Let go--and let God!--"Not of works, lest any man should boast!" (Eph.2:8,9) Only God can give it! You can't earn it, work for it, work it up, pray it down or pray it through!--It is the gift of God!
We're not the Christian Endeavour Union!--In other words, we're not "Christian Triers", but "Lord Letters"! For without Him we are nothing and can of our own selves do nothing!--Only God can do it. We must simply be willing and yielded to Him, and make the decision that we want it without reservations!--We can get the victory if we choose to, because God's got it for us and there's oodles of promises on it. If we will do our part and forsake our sins and make the right choice to do God's Will, He'll give it to us.--The Lord always gets the victory!
So if you're down in the dumps, then dump it on Jesus!--You can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth you!--Call on the Father for help and He'll chase away all the giants of discouragement, doubt, fear, gloom and despair and turn your ashes into lilies to make you all happy again!
25:8 25:8 -- 297:58 -- 33:3 - 25:8 159:7 -- 71:44 -- 334A:32,33 -- 579:98 399:50 -- 33:18 -- 290:7,172
August 26
The one who trusts really rests in the Lord.
If you know that God loves you and cares for you and is going to take care of you no matter what happens, you can have peace of mind and you can just rest in the Lord knowing He's going to take care of everything.--But if you're in a big stew, confused and worrying and fretting and fuming, you're not trusting. You don't have the faith you ought to have.
The secret of that calm and peace and rest and patience and faith and love is resting in the Lord!--Getting calm before the Lord and praising the Lord and seeking the Lord first.--Trusting is a picture of complete rest, peace and quiet of mind, heart and spirit. The body may have to continue working, but your attitude and spirit is calm.--Jesus said, "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest!" (Mt.11:28)
Help us Lord not to be so pressured that we put off our time with Thee. Help us to put Thee first each day, spiritually to bask in Thy sunshine, rest in Thy arms, drink deeply of Thy Word and inhale of Thy Spirit! Hallelujah!
"There is a place of quiet rest, Near to the heart of God. A place where sin cannot molest, Near to the heart of God. O Jesus, blest Redeemer, Sent from the heart of God, Hold us who wait before Thee, Near to the heart of God."
306:10 306:4,5 -- 74:21 98:4 - 74:21 -- 106:56 606:7 399:62
August 27
It takes Thy Spirit to open our eyes and show us Thy Truth!
"Open mine eyes that I may see"--that's the first requirement. (Ps.119:18)--I didn't find the truth until I began to heed His Spirit -- the Voice of His Spirit in His Word.--When I began to really dig in the Bible as a young Christian, I found out that I could get more from the Holy Spirit and from the Lord by studying the Word directly myself without the interference and influence of another.
God knows His Own Book better than anybody, and the Holy Ghost is the best Concordance I've got. He keeps popping Scriptures into my mind all the time, right on the button, right on the subject, even some I never dreamed were related to that subject, or never even thought of in connection with it.--And when the Lord gives you something in the Spirit, and definitely applies a certain verse of Scripture to you, it's like a key that unlocks the door to the whole passage--the corridor that leads to other doors of other Scriptures, which He opens to your view through the eyes of the Spirit!
There's no end to God's good gold!--His mine is full of it! But you can only get at it all through the Spirit.--You can dig it out just like I do--right out of the Bible! You need to dig for it and ask God to help you find it! -- Let Him speak to you through His Word!
100:7 399:126 -- 96:17 -- 709:35,36,41 62:15 -- 96:16 324:46,28 -- 231:9 -- 526:46
August 28
With faith, believing is seeing!
"Keep Thou my feet. I do not ask to see the distant scene; one step enough for me."--That's the walk of faith! Jesus has to lead you. He has to encourage you no matter how dark the night, even if you can't see ahead, just put your hand into the hand of God!--"Look thou, therefore, unto Me and not unto men, and hear thou My Words and not man's words; for behold, I am with thee and I will help thee."
You don't even always have to know what He's going to do. Sometimes even if He didn't show us right away what to do, He went ahead and did it Himself.--And we didn't even find out what He'd done until after He'd done it!--So have faith and trust Him that He knows best!
Lord Jesus, we put ourselves in Your hands and trust You to take care of us.--There are many things yet that we don't understand, but we know that you'll show us in Thy time. In the meantime we have to just trust Thee and obey, Lord, whether we understand or not. Sometimes it's been blind obedience, but you've never failed to bring something that has opened our eyes and shown us that there have been good results in some way, some fruit, some effect.--So help and strengthen us Lord. Most of all, help us to trust You, Jesus, for everything, Lord. You never fail!
313:11 399:17,18 -- 19:29 4:38 -- 313:27 599:90 -- 639:50,51 -- 599:95
August 29
I'll take the mountain!
As in every "Pilgrim's Progress", it is sometimes a "rough and a rugged road with a hard and a heavy load, and the people you meet aren't always kind"!--On the way up. But they're even worse down in the valley, and in the valley they will do everything they can to discourage you from climbing the mountain. -- When you're on the bottom, you have nothing to lose. There's no way but up, and the bottom is the safest place in the world. But when you're getting to the top, there're going to be 10,000 people trying to pull you down and keep you from making it.--They want to keep you shut in down in the valley and in the mud and in the mire! Take the mountain and you'll leave the multitudes behind!
It's a seemingly insurmountable, mountainous job, but there are no Alps to the men of faith! All things are possible to him that believeth, and with God nothing shall be impossible! Hallelujah! Have faith and start working, climbing! It's gonna be a rugged climb, but the view from the summit is worth it, every rocky step of it. Look forward and up to heights you're soon to attain and views you're soon to thrill to if you keep fighting, climbing, winning and don't quit!
Life is on the mountain! Get out of the valley!--Head for the high country of heavenly hearts in heavenly lands of the Spirit!
B:11 150:4 -- B:10 -- 182:16 -- B:6,12 55:45 -- 727:157 B:31 -- 316:29
August 30
"The Lord loveth a cheerful giver." (2Cor.9:7)
God wants people who are cheerful givers, who are voluntarily giving because it makes them happy and cheerful, because they know it pleases the Lord and they're helping others. -- But some people say: "The Lord gave me these things! I couldn't give it up now! He certainly wouldn't expect me to forsake it now!"--But that's what He gave it to you for!--So you could forsake it!--For His will, or give it to the poor, or let God use it in some way.
But when we don't give willingly, we don't give cheerfully, then we're not really giving. -- And when something isn't freely given, don't think you're going to get credit from the Lord for it, or else you're likely to be like the Scotsman who thought he was throwing a copper penny into the church offering bag, but suddenly noticed as it left his fingers that it was a gold Sovereign! When he suddenly saw what he was losing, he tried to snatch it back, but the usher put his hand over the bag and said, "Oh, no! Sorry. Once in, forever in!" So the rich Scotsman said, "Well, at least I'll get credit for the Sovereign in Heaven!" "No you won't," said the usher. "You'll only get credit for the penny!"
So are you going to give cheerfully? Then you get a lot of credit for it. Amen?
575:131 575:162 -- 727:67 575:131 -- 528:45 575:150,131
August 31
We've got a lot to be thankful for!
Isn't it wonderful to know Jesus? Isn't it wonderful to be saved? Isn't it wonderful to have God in your heart?--"Look, and behold thou these days of Heaven upon Earth and be thankful 'ere they perish and shall be no more."--This is only a little sample. Thank You Jesus for it!
Thank God for your blessings! Thank God for the Family, thank God for the love, thank God for salvation, thank God for His protection, thank God for His provision, thank God for everything!--"In everything give thanks!" (1Th.5:18)--Thank You so much, Lord, for Thy protection, care and love, and Thy constant guidance and supply of our every need. Thank You, Lord, for how You've helped, blessed and kept us, used us and made us a blessing.--Thank You for all Your blessings, thank You Jesus! Praise the Lord!
"Even as the bottle hath been placed to thy mouth to rejoice and make glad the heart of man, so have I caused thy heart to be made glad because of all the things that I have done for thee and given thee, and all that which I have promised thee!--Lift thy hearts therefore unto Me in praise, and thank the Lord!"--"In whatsoever state you're in", whether "abounding or abased", be thankful for your many blessings and that Jesus loves you and your loved ones love you and we all love you!--Is your heart full of thanksgiving? Thank You Jesus, amen?
242:17 638:73 -- 395:43,52 551:49 -- 55:76 -- 341:56 -- 638:69 82:16,18 -- 325:22 -- 638:69
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family
