“While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
2 Corinthians 4:18 (NKJV)

AUGUST 29 - When Jesus came down off the mountain following His powerful sermon, great throngs began to follow Him. Their attention was focused upon the Man who spoke, produced thoughts and expounded wisdom like none other. And that clearly was the purpose of His sermon—to capture their focus so it would eventually alter their lives. If something captures your focus, it eventually alters your life. The emotions you feel, whether good or bad, reveal what snares your attention. God gave us all the power to control our focus. You don’t have to live discouraged, sad, or depressed! You can, through choosing your focus, live a happy, joyful, and  peaceful life. Please remember:

• Harboring negativity prevents you from achievement.
• Negative thoughts keep you from pursuing what you want.
• If you think you can’t, you won’t, and you will never walk in the destiny God has for your life.

Anything you want requires you to passionately pursue it, otherwise you fall short every time. Focus on God’s Word, go after everything He promises you, and experience Heaven’s blessings. Today, practice thinking upon that which is good and pure. You’re destined to win!

Father, I thank You that I do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary and subject to change, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Family Scripture Reading

Revelation 17

Featured Resource

You Are Healed - Book

From God’s perspective, health is not something that we lack and must try to attain. Rather, it is a possession that is already ours – but the thief is trying to steal it!

1 Man’s Opinion or God’s Word on Healing?
2 Healing Must Be Pursued
3 Different Ways Jesus Heals
4 Believing God For Yourself
5 Adjusting Your ‘Receiver’

Posted under Focus

“For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.”
Hebrews 10:36 (NKJV)

AUGUST 28 - “You’re taller,” the petite woman said to her six-foot husband. Stretching his toes to peek at the lines, scanning like an eagle over his territory, he motioned his wife. “This one’s the shortest by far.”
Since neither of them had much patience when it came to waiting, wouldn’t you know it, it just had to happen. The line they rushed into had some sort of mishap, a breakdown with the computer, a huge malfunction.

Now this couples’ patience would genuinely be tried! But patience is not the ability to wait in line without getting frustrated. Patience is the ability to withstand the pressure, lies, and temptation to shortcut God’s system to obtain that for which we believe God. Many Christians buckle under pressure and never experience true fulfillment. The enemy attempts to wear us down. If he causes us to grow weary, he limits the size of the harvest we receive. The more we sow, and the longer we are willing to hold off the harvest, the greater the reward. We live in a society that feeds off the desire for instant gratification. Desiring something before we are able to handle it or before our harvest is mature hinders us from walking in abundant life.

I see many young men with high aspirations in life refuse to hold on for the long haul. It is a rarity to find an individual who decides to sow and refuses a harvest today, knowing it will be greater tomorrow. We must learn to wait and prepare, knowing that God is never late to promote. Never forget, the more we sow and the longer we hold off our harvest, the greater our future.

Father, I thank You that I endure patiently and obtain Your promise. I need endurance so that after I do Your will, I receive the promised harvest.

Family Scripture Reading

Revelation 16

Featured Resource

Your Spiritual Quotient - CD

What did Abraham, Enoch, Joseph, Jesus, and Paul all have in common? Why can some people withstand the trials of life and others buckle under pressure? The Answer: The SQ Factor.

In this dynamic series, Dr. Robb Thompson answers these questions and more. He teaches you not only what the SQ factor is, but also how to develop it in your life. With clarity and convincing scriptural support, Dr. Thompson illustrates that every failure in life can be traced back to a compromise of one’s integrity and character. You will be reminded that the choices you make are the only factors that decide whether you will be overtaken with rewards or with consequences.

Make the decision to rise above self-interest and personal gain. Develop your Spiritual Quotient and embrace the greatness that lies within you!

Posted under Patience

“He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but  was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.”
Romans 4:20-22 (NKJV)

AUGUST 27 - She didn’t know if she could do it, but by putting faith in God she would really try. Carefully listening to the Teacher’s words, the part about “loving your enemies, even those who hate you” stayed like a rock inside her mind. Her brother-in-law cursed her, falsely accused her, and humiliated her in the marketplace. But looking at things the way God sees them, through the window of His Word, she quickly made the decision: I will no longer hate, but love. I love him because of Your love for me. Likewise, the apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” According to this passage, we can only see into our future through the window of God’s Word.

We cannot see Heaven’s plan for our lives until we look through God’s eyes. God called us to walk by faith and not by what we see. As many of us already know, faith is the substance of the things we cannot perceive with our senses. Just as the woman who heard Jesus’ Words decided to love her brother-in-law, seeing things as God views them, when we begin to meditate upon the Word of God and view life through His eyes, then we see clearly what Heaven prepared for us. We can never experience what our spirit man cannot see. Let us focus upon God’s Word to paint a picture that will one day become a masterpiece. Begin to view life through the window of God’s Word and see how beautiful life truly is.

Father, I thank You that I am built up through Your grace. I am raised with Christ. I set my mind on Heaven’s riches and the things above where Christ is seated.

Family Scripture Reading

Revelation 15

Featured Resource

Your Spiritual Quotient - CD

What did Abraham, Enoch, Joseph, Jesus, and Paul all have in common? Why can some people withstand the trials of life and others buckle under pressure? The Answer: The SQ Factor.

In this dynamic series, Dr. Robb Thompson answers these questions and more. He teaches you not only what the SQ factor is, but also how to develop it in your life. With clarity and convincing scriptural support, Dr. Thompson illustrates that every failure in life can be traced back to a compromise of one’s integrity and character. You will be reminded that the choices you make are the only factors that decide whether you will be overtaken with rewards or with consequences.

Make the decision to rise above self-interest and personal gain. Develop your Spiritual Quotient and embrace the greatness that lies within you!

Posted under Perspective

“Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in His sight? Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house. Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.’”
2 Samuel 12:9-11 (NKJV)

AUGUST 26 - Originating with Adam and continuing until today, men and women reject God’s Word. Too often we want to do what we want to do, whether or not it accurately aligns with God’s Word. This factor causes multitudes of believers to suffer needlessly, and it gives the devil an open door to consume them as brutally as a lion on the plains of Africa viciously devouring his prey. Remember, Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus came that we may have an abundant life.

Having been taught with authority from Heaven, not as the pious, stony-hearted scribes, those who heard the “Sermon on the Mount” realized there would be consequences for sin. Jesus clearly exhorts us by telling us that the path of His will is narrow and often difficult. Along that path, however, we find a life that is overflowing with the goodness of God, but not without great struggle.

No one desires to struggle, but God’s best doesn’t come without cost, just as Jesus’ sacrifice did not come without great cost. In order to experience the blessings of God, we must first be willing to conform our will to the will of our Father.

Father, I thank You that I am willing and obedient, and I eat the best of the land. I keep Your commandment and pursue Your will for my life.

Family Scripture Reading

Proverbs 13

Featured Resource

Your Spiritual Checkup - CD Series

Have you accepted your new identity in Christ or do you continually deal with shame, guilt, and low self-esteem. The thoughts we identify with, whether good or bad, sculpt our destiny. Envision the marvelous transformation that would take place if we learned how to walk in our true identity. Imagine what life would be like if you were able to confidently identify with Christ instead of your old sin nature – nothing but victory, joy, and fulfillment. If you desire to learn the keys to walk in your new identity, this series is for you!

Posted under Consequences

“He must increase, but I must decrease.”
John 3:30 (NKJV)

AUGUST 25 - As the crowd felt the Son’s words pierce their hearts, words about heaven, giving, fasting, and forgiveness, astonished at His teachings, many began to voluntarily surrender their lives to Him. Christ, our prime example, completely surrendered control of His life to God. He willingly offered His spirit into the Father’s hands, fulfilling the Father’s will. To realize the immensity of His sacrifice, a great work must be done among the churches throughout the nations of this world. The last instruction of our Lord was, “Go therefore…” But have we truly surrendered our lives to Heaven’s desire? God wants all of mankind to know Him. We must realize that this work is the objective of every Christian. We are called to take them the good news and make true disciples. This commission must be the passion of our lives.

Throughout America, churches have reduced Christianity to a statement rather than a lifestyle. With no corresponding actions, our words are meaningless. We must demand of ourselves and of those with whom we associate an absolute and immediate surrender to the Word of God. We cannot approach the throne room of Heaven requesting our personal assignment without first embracing the call to preach the Gospel to the entire world. God promises to lovingly mold us, skillfully teach us, tenderly guide us, and powerfully use us, but we must surrender completely before He can have His way.

Without wavering, I cling to hope in Christ, and I am never moved.

Family Scripture Reading

Revelation 14

Featured Resource

Your Spiritual Checkup - CD Series

Have you accepted your new identity in Christ or do you continually deal with shame, guilt, and low self-esteem. The thoughts we identify with, whether good or bad, sculpt our destiny. Envision the marvelous transformation that would take place if we learned how to walk in our true identity. Imagine what life would be like if you were able to confidently identify with Christ instead of your old sin nature – nothing but victory, joy, and fulfillment. If you desire to learn the keys to walk in your new identity, this series is for you!

Posted under surrender

“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”
Proverbs 4:23 (NKJV)

AUGUST 24 - Like precious metals being reduced to a fluid, usable state, the very nature of God’s presence is refinement. God purifies our motives, decisions, relationships, actions, and shortcomings when we meet with Him. Consequently, God must have a soft heart with which to work. Soft means tender, pliable, and responsive to impression. James says God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Pride, however, is not simply a smug look and an arrogant attitude. Pride in a more subtle (but possibly more dangerous)  form is thinking we can meet with God because of our good performance.

Do you remember a time when you sinned and afterward felt like you couldn’t pray or worship God? Do you remember a time when you went for days obeying God’s voice and resisting temptation? That is when you probably felt much more qualified to meet with God. But if either of those situations is true, you’ve  experienced pride, simply because you depended on your own performance to be acceptable to God.

Here’s a giant revelation: We aren’t good enough. With that said once and for all, let us cling to Jesus and never stop trusting Him. It’s as if we were in a hurricane on an old wooden ship. All we could do to keep from being thrown into the deep would be to cling to the mast with all our might. With tears swimming in our eyes, we would endure the violently deafening storm at the strength of the mast. There would be no other option for safety because letting go of the mast to find another stronghold would mean doom. That’s the fervor with which we must cling to Jesus. A man with a soft heart realizes his hopelessness without Christ. He enters God’s presence on that merit alone, where God always meets with him.

Without wavering, I cling to hope in Christ, and I am never moved.

Family Scripture Reading

Revelation 13

Featured Resource

Your Spiritual Checkup - CD Series

Have you accepted your new identity in Christ or do you continually deal with shame, guilt, and low self-esteem. The thoughts we identify with, whether good or bad, sculpt our destiny. Envision the marvelous transformation that would take place if we learned how to walk in our true identity. Imagine what life would be like if you were able to confidently identify with Christ instead of your old sin nature – nothing but victory, joy, and fulfillment. If you desire to learn the keys to walk in your new identity, this series is for you!

Posted under Heart

“No, O people, the Lord has already told you what is good, and this is what He requires: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”
Micah 6:8 (NLT)

JULY 9 - On many occasions, it was young Jesus who performed the duty of reading the Scriptures on the Sabbath day. His Godly character was expressed by His great desire for the Word of God, making it His custom, when His peers might have been out doing other things. Godly character always expresses itself in conduct, inspired and guided by principle, integrity, and wisdom. The Christian life is something we are called to undertake, not because of a requirement, but because we willingly accept the invitation to give up our lives, desires, and opinions for those of Jesus Christ.

The word “duty” brings a sour face to many who hear it. Nevertheless, the moment we give our lives to Christ, we step under his umbrella of Lordship, cheerfully accepting our mission and its instructions. The crown of a man’s character is granted the moment he accepts his call to duty. We must choose our steps carefully and pursue God’s Word fervently, esteeming the duty of obedience above the relationships and opinions of others.

As we embrace the authority of God and of those under whose jurisdiction we must abide, we bravely pioneer the slender trail of obedience, regardless of what it may cost us. We are called to obey, regardless of how we feel, what we think, or what others do not do. Like Jesus, we must choose to please Heaven as our custom, knowing that we prove our love by following His instruction. We must move from the attitude of “have to” and embrace “want to” if we are going to fulfill the call on our lives.

Father, You told me what is good and what You require. I continue on the path of obedience regardless of the cost. I do right, I love mercy, and I walk humbly with You.

Family Scripture Reading

Romans 2

Featured Resource

Perfect Peace Pack - Special

Perfect Peace Pack contains:

2 Scripture Confession CDs
- Power Over Fear
- Your Worry For God’s Peace

Plus 2 mini-booklets of the scriptures

DVD with two messages:

- “Beating Worry and Anxiety”
- “Taking Control Of Your Thought Life”

Posted under Character

“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. ‘Eat and drink!’ he says to you, but his heart is not with you.”
Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV)

JULY 8 - Alter your thoughts, and you will be amazed at the rapid transformation of your life. Solomon understood this principle, stating, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”

• Any thought dwelt upon soon becomes a belief system.
• A belief system expresses itself in habit.
• Those habits determine our circumstances.

Although we cannot directly choose our circumstances, we can choose our thoughts, and so indirectly determine our circumstances. Any pattern of thought, whether good or bad, cannot fail to produce results in the character of an individual. The enemy understands if he gains control of our mind, he easily determines our destiny. The outcome of every life starts with a thought. Criminal or Olympian—both begin as thought. We can use this principle to create a great future.

Success is not a matter of environment. If it were, all the people in certain neighborhoods would instantly succeed, and all those in other neighborhoods would immediately fail. It is true that some environments may be more favorable than others. Nevertheless, when two people in the same environment have different outcomes, it indicates that success is the result of the way one chooses to think. What kind of future do we desire? We cannot allow ourselves to believe or expect a future contrary to what we think. As we think, so we are. Choose your thoughts wisely, for by them you become a living expression of Heaven, or you fade away into the sea of insignificance.

Daily Confession

Father, I thank You for giving me the necessary tools to create a successful future. I understand that my mind is the workshop of my life, so I choose to think only what is written in Your Word.

Family Scripture Reading

Proverbs 6

Featured Resource

Perfect Peace Pack - Special

Perfect Peace Pack contains:

2 Scripture Confession CDs
- Power Over Fear
- Your Worry For God’s Peace

Plus 2 mini-booklets of the scriptures

DVD with two messages:

- “Beating Worry and Anxiety”
- “Taking Control Of Your Thought Life”

Posted under Heart, Motives