“Test all things; hold fast what is good.”
1 Thessalonians 5:21 (NKJV)

OCTOBER 21 - “Keep the door SHUT!” Whatever was going on inside that apartment surely couldn’t have been good. Crashes and bangs at all hours of the night, then loud music blaring, and piercing screams, then more bangs; the couple who lived inside kept to themselves, never making friends or even greeting any of the neighbors. But it really wasn’t all that odd because everyone knew they had something to hide.

Men and women of integrity, however, have nothing to hide. They are willing to open themselves to personal examination. Trust is the foundation of all leadership, and integrity is the foundation of trust. Those around us and above us have a right to examine our lives. Why is that? Trust can then be built, and our influence increases. In order for my relationships to trust me, I must continually walk a life of integrity. Since 1975 I have walked that path and have seen their trust grow stronger. Although integrity creates a trust within
those who follow your example, it also keeps you from ever walking in the wrong direction.

Embrace examination as much as Jesus did! Personal examination causes us to measure our progress and it brings to light areas we need to confront and correct. As we grow in character, we influence a greater
number of people, and our stock grows in the eyes of those above us. Let us never forget that integrity is proven by the willingness to be examined.

Father, I thank You that I am willing to open myself to personal examination. I test all things. I examine myself and I hold fast to what is good.

Family Scripture Reading

Proverbs 25

Featured Resource

Envision Week 2009 - USB

If you are tired of storing dozens of CDs, we have a new product just for you! You can save yourself some space and get Envision Week on a USB drive! Easily upload the audio files to computer! Place your order online today! Entire audio set of morning and evening messages.

Posted under Integrity

“And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint…”
Romans 5:3-5 (NKJV)

OCTOBER 20 - I noticed that those who understand success and have achieved success view failure differently from those who don’t succeed. The way we interpret failure determines how far we go with the hope of becoming all God desires for us to become.

Bricks of disappointment pave the road of progress. The greatest writers, most successful athletes, and most talented inventors convey their stories of how temporary setbacks played a crucial part in their success. Failure is never final, but quitting is! Those who endure the pain that comes with failing ultimately succeed in any endeavor. Success does not mean avoiding making mistakes; it simply means the ability to press on when failure comes knocking on the door. The only people who avoid failure completely are those who never leave their home and try. Also remember that:

• We must not fear the pain of failure.
• We must face it courageously as David did, and use it as a means to accomplish our destiny.
• We must have the right attitude, so that failure is neither fatal nor final.

In Proverbs 24:16 the Bible tells us, “Though a righteous man fall seven times, he rises up again.” We must rise up also if we desire to experience true and lasting success in our lives.

Father, I thank You that I count it all joy when I fall into various trails knowing that the testing of my faith produces patience, character, and hope, and that hope will not disappoint me.

Family Scripture Reading

Matthew 26

Featured Resource

Envision Week 2009 - USB

If you are tired of storing dozens of CDs, we have a new product just for you! You can save yourself some space and get Envision Week on a USB drive! Easily upload the audio files to computer! Place your order online today! Entire audio set of morning and evening messages.

Posted under Success

“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”
John 15:10 (NKJV)

OCTOBER 19 - Noiseless as the center of a dark cave, she crept softly downstairs, a sole nightlight illuminating the hallway. The microwave clock read: 3:36, a flare of excitement blasted her heart, although her eyes could barely focus. He had summoned her once again—a rendezvous in the middle of the night, an uninterrupted appointment in which His heart would be revealed.

There is a protocol when it comes to knowing what God desires, and as we continue on this journey through life, we must move beyond the place of contentment with what God merely requires, and move to the place of seeking what He truly yearns for and desires. God does not reveal His deepest desires to everyone. He does not
share the desires of His heart until we do what He requires — the things He instructs in His Word. Psalm 25:14 tells us, “Friendship with the Lord is reserved for those who fear Him. With them He shares the secrets of His covenant.” Let us not overlook that word “secrets.” That word gives a picture of two people sitting together in close deliberation in an intense, intimate setting. Within this setting, God establishes His covenant with those who fear Him.

If we truly want to know our assignment from God, we must choose to do the written will He set before us. God labeled David, “A man after My own heart,” not because God favored him, but because David lived a life of obedience to His Word. As we obey, we qualify to know the desires of God’s heart.

Father, I thank You that I keep Your commandments and abide in Your love. I fear You, and You share the intimate secrets of Your covenant with me.

Family Scripture Reading

Matthew 25

Featured Resource

Peace In The Midst Of A Storm

Do you feel as if your mind has become a battleground of distressing thoughts and images? Do thoughts of worry, fear, inadequacy, and failure seem to enter your mind, no matter how hard you try to break free?

1 Identifying the Voices
2 The Keys of the Kingdom
3 Trust the Book, not your Brain
4 Get the Picture
5 What Are you Looking At?
6 Your Future is in Your Mouth
7 Be Responsive, Not Reactive

Posted under Obedience

“So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead).”
James 2:17 (AMP)

OCTOBER 18 - There are people today who wear the title of “Christian” but don’t live a life representative of Christ. Our pursuit of God is rock solid proof that we are truly Christ’s disciples. Jesus told us that we are to judge ourselves according to the fruit we produce. We are to believe what we do, not what we say. The same is true with others. We can’t allow ourselves to believe the best of someone when facts prove otherwise.

Jesus even warned others of the Pharisees. As Israelites, the Pharisees avoided all contact with the heathen as much as possible, even shunning the non-Pharisee as well, thinking him as unclean before God. Holding such harmful, legalistic attitudes, why didn’t Jesus just believe the best about these men? You must understand, Jesus had to protect others from being falsely led away, and therefore had to tell the truth. Jesus also understands that we always succumb to the level of pursuit of God as those with whom we associate. James tells us, “Faith without works is dead.” God did not call us to judge another person’s destiny; we must simply examine their actions according to the Word of God. All of us must ask ourselves two vital questions:

• Am I guilty of being a Christian?
• Is there enough evidence to convict me?

Our actions must make that clear; what we do is the proof that God did a new work in our lives. As we live for Him, confident assurance continues to rise within us. Let us prove today that we are a part of Heaven’s family.

Father, I thank You that I am saved, born again, and destined for Heaven. I believe in my heart and confess with my mouth Your Lordship over my life. I walk by the Spirit and not by the flesh.

Family Scripture Reading

Genesis 40

Featured Resource

Peace In The Midst Of A Storm

Establishing God’s Standard In Your Life

How would you define yourself? How would you define your values? If someone were to describe you, what words would they use? How do you respond when faced with life’s most difficult situations? In this live teaching from Singapore, Dr. Robb Thompson shows you how to establish your personal manifesto. The core standards that govern your actions are essential to defining who you are before God and all of mankind. Learn today what it takes to live uncompromisingly in a compromising world.

Posted under Salvation

“Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.”
Romans 6:6 (NKJV)

OCTOBER 17 - He just didn’t want to do it anymore. He had no desire for those old friends, held no interest in their tawdry amusements, and possessed no longing for their lurid jokes. Although they still called (hoping he’d forget all that “church” nonsense and come to his senses), he was finished, done, crucified with the One who was crucified for him. The above passage powerfully declares that we have been crucified with Christ. I can tell you from personal experience that this particular verse, when acted upon, is of inestimable value to us in our pursuit of God.

So many Christians still struggle with their past – with sins and habits that held them captive before they were born again. Many of these same people try to justify where they are in their spiritual walk because deep down inside, they are unwilling to repent and forsake their sin.

Notice that the Scripture says “our old self” was crucified with Jesus in the new birth. Our old sinful nature is dead. That is very good news for us because death is our only escape from those generational curses that attempt to attach themselves to our lives.

When we count our old man as dead and begin to walk in the newness of life that Jesus purchased for us, we fiercely break the power of those strongholds that controlled our lives for so long. So don’t give life to something God put to death. Instead, feed your spirit and walk in the fullness of all God has for you.

Father, I thank You that my old self was crucified with Christ. Everything from my old life was crucified with Him. I escape curses that attempt to attach themselves to my life.

Family Scripture Reading

Matthew 23

Featured Resource

Peace In The Midst Of A Storm

Establishing God’s Standard In Your Life

How would you define yourself? How would you define your values? If someone were to describe you, what words would they use? How do you respond when faced with life’s most difficult situations? In this live teaching from Singapore, Dr. Robb Thompson shows you how to establish your personal manifesto. The core standards that govern your actions are essential to defining who you are before God and all of mankind. Learn today what it takes to live uncompromisingly in a compromising world.

Posted under Identity

“Make me walk along the path of Your commands, for that is where my happiness is found.”
Psalm 119:35 (NLT)

OCTOBER 16 - The high road is the road God desires for us to take in every situation we encounter. We may think that the devil is our greatest enemy, but the truth is, mediocrity – settling for something less than God’s best – is a greater enemy. That is why we have to determine that we will always pursue the divine in every area of our lives.

One of the problems I have discovered in the body of Christ today is that so many individuals live in mediocrity; yet God called us to take the people for whom we are responsible to a higher level. We must be the ones to take a stand and show others how to live a life full of God.

We have been given a divine mandate to help people eliminate the “just good enough” attitude – the attitude that says, “What I do with my life is good enough. Everything is just fine; I don’t need to change.” We must, however, continue to press for a better life every day. The excellence we live today is not good enough for tomorrow. Jesus gave His excellence in everything He did—therefore, we must in turn, desire to give Jesus more tomorrow than what we gave Him today.

Father, I thank You that I examine myself daily and deal with any weakness or flaw in my life. I look forward to my future as I take care of my present. I do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow worries about itself.

Family Scripture Reading

Matthew 23

Featured Resource

What Is Your Manifesto?

Establishing God’s Standard In Your Life

How would you define yourself? How would you define your values? If someone were to describe you, what words would they use? How do you respond when faced with life’s most difficult situations? In this live teaching from Singapore, Dr. Robb Thompson shows you how to establish your personal manifesto. The core standards that govern your actions are essential to defining who you are before God and all of mankind. Learn today what it takes to live uncompromisingly in a compromising world.

Posted under Excellence

“…whoever desires to be great among you must be your servant.”
Mark 10:43 (AMP)

OCTOBER 15 - Sitting with tax collectors and thieves; lingering around town with the mentally ill and infirmed; preaching to prostitutes and to those the Jews despised; it was Jesus’ true desire to demonstrate the qualities of a servant’s heart. A true servant isn’t one who just serves others. There is a difference between being a servant and serving. Becoming  a servant begins with one’s heart. Our attitude determines the level of fulfillment we receive from serving others—

• What is our motive for serving others? (That is a question we must ask before we bow our knee to serve.)
  Why do we do what we do?
• Is it to get something in return, or because we want to bless someone? (We must always remember God looks at the heart and judges the motives behind our actions.)
• Do we attempt to bring harmony through our serving or simply try to get brownie points?

David cried out to God, “Lord, search me, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! See if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way of everlasting life.” Serving people must be done out of a pure desire to honor God. Today is the day we must decide to be joyful, love-motivated servants of the living God. This brings true harmony to any team environment.

Father, I thank You that I am Your true servant. I serve out of a pure conscience, giving others what they desire. I do not serve to gain a place before them; I serve to please You by serving Your people.

Family Scripture Reading

Matthew 22

Featured Resource

Peace In The Midst Of A Storm

Establishing God’s Standard In Your Life

How would you define yourself? How would you define your values? If someone were to describe you, what words would they use? How do you respond when faced with life’s most difficult situations? In this live teaching from Singapore, Dr. Robb Thompson shows you how to establish your personal manifesto. The core standards that govern your actions are essential to defining who you are before God and all of mankind. Learn today what it takes to live uncompromisingly in a compromising world.

Posted under Servanthood

“Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, ‘Let us go up at once and possess it; we are well able to conquer it.’ But his fellow scouts said, ‘We are not able to go up against the people [of Canaan], for they are stronger than we are.’”
Numbers 13:30-31 (AMP)

OCTOBER 14 - You can say what you have or you can have what you say. Since the fall, man filters God’s Word through his experience. We erroneously tell God:

• How big our situation is.
• What is happening to us.
• Why we may not make it.

However, we should instead tell our situation just how big our God is. Is God’s Word true or are circumstances true?

God calls that which does not exist as though it does exist. Let us do the very same thing and begin to declare what God speaks in His Word. We must refuse the temptation to believe our circumstances over His Word. Believing and acting on God’s Word is the key to receiving anything promised from the Lord.

God responds to our faith, and our circumstances respond to our actions. What we say and do determine the outcome of our lives. Let us be willing and obedient to believe only what our Heavenly Father says about our situations.

Father, I thank You that I keep a watch over my tongue. My tongue has the power of life and death. I choose to speak Your Word only, holding fast to my confession of faith. I am satisfied from the harvest of my lips.

Family Scripture Reading

Proverbs 20

Featured Resource

What Is Your Manifesto?

Establishing God’s Standard In Your Life

How would you define yourself? How would you define your values? If someone were to describe you, what words would they use? How do you respond when faced with life’s most difficult situations? In this live teaching from Singapore, Dr. Robb Thompson shows you how to establish your personal manifesto. The core standards that govern your actions are essential to defining who you are before God and all of mankind. Learn today what it takes to live uncompromisingly in a compromising world.

Posted under Experience

“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all Godliness and reverence.”
1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NKJV)

OCTOBER 13 - One of the most damaging things we can ever do to ourselves is disregard a person in authority over us. In doing so, we actually show a disregard for God’s authority in our lives. We forget that every one of our thoughts, words, and actions is a seed we plant in the field God gave us.

A disobedient individual is someone who continually shows disregard for the instructions that are required of him. He might even be a nice person; however, when an authority asks him to do something, he just doesn’t seem to find the time to do it. We cannot operate that way in the Kingdom of God if we expect to be used by Him. With God, everything is very precise.

• Does He forgive us? Yes.
• Does He love us? Absolutely.
• Does He think we are wonderful? We are tops in His eyes!
• But are we going to be used by Him? No!

Why not? Because Proverbs 25:19 says, “Putting confidence in an unreliable person is like chewing with a toothache or walking on a broken foot.”

God does not put His confidence in an unreliable person because He doesn’t want to put Himself through that kind of pain. Let’s be reliable and prove our love for Him by respecting those in authority
over us.

Father, I thank You that I pray and intercede on behalf of my authorities and I give You thanks for placing them in my life.

Family Scripture Reading

Matthew 21

Featured Resource

What Is Your Manifesto?

Establishing God’s Standard In Your Life

How would you define yourself? How would you define your values? If someone were to describe you, what words would they use? How do you respond when faced with life’s most difficult situations? In this live teaching from Singapore, Dr. Robb Thompson shows you how to establish your personal manifesto. The core standards that govern your actions are essential to defining who you are before God and all of mankind. Learn today what it takes to live uncompromisingly in a compromising world.

Posted under General

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Matthew 6:34 (NKJV)

OCTOBER 12 - “I know you have promised us a house, God,” the young woman prayed tearfully, “but when is it coming? And where is it going to be? And how is it all going to come about? And…” People who live by their emotions often want to know what God is going to do with them in the future. However, they haven’t come to terms with this basic principle of character stated above. There is no bright future for us if we refuse to confront the weaknesses in our character; for as soon as we arrive at tomorrow, it is renamed today—complete with the same problems that limited us yesterday. That is why we must thoroughly fix where we are right now.

Therefore, it is essential to ask the needed questions and find out what must be fixed in our lives before we can be promoted to the next level. After making the necessary changes, we must then ask more of the right questions so we can move further along the road toward excellence.

We must examine our present beliefs and actions, discover what hinders our walk with God, and then take the necessary steps to deal with those weaknesses. As we make things right in the present, God promotes us.

Father, I thank You that I examine myself daily and deal with any weakness or flaw in my life. I look forward to my future as I take care of my present. I do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow worries about itself.

Family Scripture Reading

Matthew 20

Featured Resource

What Is Your Manifesto?

Establishing God’s Standard In Your Life

How would you define yourself? How would you define your values? If someone were to describe you, what words would they use? How do you respond when faced with life’s most difficult situations? In this live teaching from Singapore, Dr. Robb Thompson shows you how to establish your personal manifesto. The core standards that govern your actions are essential to defining who you are before God and all of mankind. Learn today what it takes to live uncompromisingly in a compromising world.

Posted under General