“‘Now, O King, establish the decree and sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter.’ Therefore King Darius signed the written decree. Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.”
Daniel 6:8-10 (NKJV)

SEPTEMBER 5 - We can never know the true character of an individual until we see them tested and tried. Daniel exemplifies this principle so perfectly. Although the decree went out stating that everyone who prayed to another besides the king would be killed, Daniel responded as though it were just another day. He went before the window in his room, facing Jerusalem as established by the Hebrew law, knelt down, and gave thanks to God, as was his custom.

Daniel’s decision revealed he was truly a man of God. He trusted God and proved it by his response to the pressure life placed on him. Although life offers many rainy days, our response reveals our true character. Just as Jesus tested His disciples when the storm stirred upon the Sea of Galilee, life brings about storms. Who we truly are is ultimately revealed.

We must cultivate the character of God within our lives and stand ready for the rainy days to come. How will you respond when the storms hit your life? I believe we will all respond as Daniel did…trusting God.

Father, I thank You for the peace that surpasses all understanding. I am an overcomer and walk above the pressures of this life because I possess Your character.

Family Scripture Reading

Revelation 22

Featured Resource

Give Up Worry Forever - CD

It is estimated that more than thirteen million American adults are chronic worriers. The National Institute of Mental Health says anxiety disorders are America’s most commonly reported health problems. The medical community also confirms that a significant portion of physical sickness and disease is caused or exacerbated by mental/emotional triggers such as stress, worry, anxiety, fear, and depression.

God equipped you for every good work! Choose today to put the Word of God into practice and see peace begin to rule and reign in your heart!

Posted under Character

“David was now in serious trouble because his men were very bitter about losing their wives and children, and they began to talk of stoning him. But David found strength in the Lord his God.”
1 Samuel 30:6 (NLT)

SEPTEMBER 4 - Our response to the storms life thrusts our way is dependent upon the perspective through which we view them. There are many today who tell God how big their problems are. They unceasingly tell God how they are not going to make it. Then there are those who tell their problem just how big their God is, and they declare the words of their father until the problems cease to exist.

In 1 Samuel 30, we see that David faced many troubles. The Amalekites took captive David’s family and the families of his soldiers, his army was bitter and wanted to stone him, and Saul continued in hot pursuit
of him. Yet, David maintained his poise unlike any other. His response was one few are willing to make. He turned his attention to the one and only God and began to encourage himself in the Lord. The moment David began to focus on God, his perspective changed. He knew God would take care of him.

We must respond the same way when Satan attempts to knock us out of the ring of life. We need to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

Father, I thank You that I can rejoice during times of trial in my life. I respond to the issues of life with confidence knowing You are the great Jehovah. I choose to bring everything before you with a thankful heart. I encourage myself in You knowing a man whose focus is upon You remains poised.

Family Scripture Reading

Revelation 21

Featured Resource

Living In God’s House - CD

God has great plans for your life. But none of those plans can be accomplished apart from God. Only when you abide (live) in Him can you see your divine purpose fulfilled.

In the same way that different people choose different places to live, Christians seem to choose different levels of abiding (living) in Christ. The degree to which we choose to live in Him determines how far we go or grow in Him.

If you choose to live in the “outhouse,” you may not have the pressure or maintenance of an intimate relationship, but neither will you have the rich amenities and lavish abundance of living in the “castle.”

After listening to this powerful and creative message, you will be ready to upgrade your living arrangements and move up to abiding intimately with Him!

Posted under Change

“Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.”
Ephesians 4:31 (NKJV)

SEPTEMBER 3 - “NO! NO! NO!” Stomping her feet, then throwing herself down dramatically, banging her head against the supermarket floor, the twoyear - old screamed, completely aware that by throwing such a tantrum, Mother would have no choice but yield to her desire for three new toys and a bag of chocolate candy. Calmly pulling the child up from the ground, escorting her speedily out the front doors, in the privacy of their automobile, that mother knew what to do—she knew how to conquer negativity in her child’s life so that it would not ultimately master her thoughts—in fact, three or four swats would conquer it for sure! And if we, as grown adults, refuse to eliminate negative things from our lives, those negative things ultimately destroy us, and there is nothing we can do about it.

Negativity is like a virus to a computer. Once you allow it into your system, it slowly kills you. And as in the case of this mother who desired to rid her child of negativity once and for all, the quickest way to rid ourselves of negativity is to separate from those who are negative. Negativity, you see, is a spirit that transfers from person to person.

Make a practice to see things from a positive perspective. When you make the life-changing decision to see things through the window of God’s Word, that negativity soon vanishes from your life, once and for all.

Father, I thank You that I put away from me all bitterness, wrath, clamor, and evil speaking. I decide to see things through Your Word and I choose joy.

Family Scripture Reading

Revelation 20

Featured Resource

Living In God’s House - CD

God has great plans for your life. But none of those plans can be accomplished apart from God. Only when you abide (live) in Him can you see your divine purpose fulfilled.

In the same way that different people choose different places to live, Christians seem to choose different levels of abiding (living) in Christ. The degree to which we choose to live in Him determines how far we go or grow in Him.

If you choose to live in the “outhouse,” you may not have the pressure or maintenance of an intimate relationship, but neither will you have the rich amenities and lavish abundance of living in the “castle.”

After listening to this powerful and creative message, you will be ready to upgrade your living arrangements and move up to abiding intimately with Him!

Posted under Negativity

“The hand of the diligent will rule, but the lazy man will be put to forced labor.”
Proverbs 12:24 (NKJV)

SEPTEMBER 2 - Diligence is defined as the determined pursuit of a worthy goal. We do not accomplish anything in life without diligence. It is the fuel that propels us above the rest. It refuses to quit or give up. Diligence stays active until completion or attainment of a desired goal. Diligence says:

• We must continually press toward God’s will for our lives.
• We cannot settle for second best.
• We must refuse the temptation to quit or stop trying.

The enemy disguised as inaction, however, is not going to back down without a fight. Whatever we desire, Satan attempts to stop us from achieving it. Only those who remain diligent and persevere rule in the end.

Jesus died so we could have an abundant life. That life is only achieved by those who are unwilling to stop when the times get tough. If we want to stand head and shoulders above the rest, we must refuse any backward motion and continue to press in when all others quit.

Father, I thank You that I do not cast away my confidence. I choose to diligently do Your Word, and I endure until the end, knowing that there is a great reward that lies ahead.

Family Scripture Reading

Proverbs 14

Featured Resource

Living In God’s House - CD

God has great plans for your life. But none of those plans can be accomplished apart from God. Only when you abide (live) in Him can you see your divine purpose fulfilled.

In the same way that different people choose different places to live, Christians seem to choose different levels of abiding (living) in Christ. The degree to which we choose to live in Him determines how far we go or grow in Him.

If you choose to live in the “outhouse,” you may not have the pressure or maintenance of an intimate relationship, but neither will you have the rich amenities and lavish abundance of living in the “castle.”

After listening to this powerful and creative message, you will be ready to upgrade your living arrangements and move up to abiding intimately with Him!

Posted under Diligence

“Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than price.”
Ecclesiastes 7:8 (NLT)

SEPTEMBER 1 - How many times have you come up to the final moments of a project and been tempted to take a break? In any endeavor, most people are great starters. They get in the middle of the project and start losing steam. Then, as they are about to round the last corner, the one that would take them to the finish line, they spin out of control! The last 10% of the project takes just as long as the first 90%! Are you guilty of this?

As Jesus’ fame spread, blind eyes were opened and every sickness and every disease was totally healed. Peering down upon the multitude, the Master inwardly shook—scattered abroad without a shepherd (their bodies, spirits, and minds flowing with the wind), people began to faint, their eyes, hearts, and souls growing weary of diligence, excellence, and completion.

Yet, looking on the bright side, if you turn that last corner without losing your focus, there is a great boost of energy that drives you like a racecar, straight to the finish. You can save yourself a lot of pain and lost time if you discipline yourself to take projects all the way through to completion. This, by itself, is able to welcome you into a whole new level of excellence.

Father, I thank You that You began a good work in me and You will carry it through to completion. Likewise, I thank You that I complete every work I begin with excellence and diligence!

Family Scripture Reading

Revelation 19

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!

Jesus went to the cross to deliver us, once and for all, from the curse of sickness and disease. So, why does divine healing often seem to be so elusive? It’s because the only proof we have of our healing, until it is manifested, is the written Word of God.

Nevertheless, God’s Word is all the proof we need! Dr. Thompson shows you how to apply the principles of God’s Word to your life, until you experience the divine health in which God intends you to walk. This book equips you with the spiritual prescription needed to attain health, wholeness, and vitality in your body.

Table of Contents

Introduction

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 Completion

“…it shall be done for you as you have believed.”
Matthew 8:13 (AMP)

AUGUST 31 - “Please God, help me find them.” Searching everywhere, she continued to pray. When her brother called, he prayed too. Suddenly she thought: I was wearing that red coat…It must be… Extending her fingers inside the left pocket, there they were—the keys to her mailbox! The moment she realized those keys were missing was the moment she began to pray. And why did she bother to pray? She prayed because she rightly expected something in return—God’s favor and assistance, the bountiful difference between harvest and a barren field.

You may have been taught it is wrong to expect something in return when you give to God, thinking it is a form of greed. Well, let’s examine that teaching. Did you expect forgiveness when you confessed your sins to Christ? Of course you did! Was that greed? No, it was simply trusting God’s character, exactly as the woman who lost her keys. In the same way, neglecting to expect a harvest from your seed steals the pleasure God enjoys from blessing you. God’s greatest pleasure is to be believed. Expectation is the key ingredient that makes the seed work for us.

Whenever we come across a promise of God, we must expect that it will happen in our lives. God is not a respecter of persons. If He did it in the past for His children, He will certainly do it for you. Our faith moves the hand of God. Our obedience to His Word, wrapped in expectation, is what allows Him to move as He desires in our lives. As we sow a seed to meet a need we face, let us expect the promise of God
to come to pass for us.

Father, I thank You that You do not lie. What You speak comes to pass in my life. I place an expectation upon the promises in Your Word, knowing that it is done unto me as I believe.

Family Scripture Reading

Revelation 18

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!

Jesus went to the cross to deliver us, once and for all, from the curse of sickness and disease. So, why does divine healing often seem to be so elusive? It’s because the only proof we have of our healing, until it is manifested, is the written Word of God.

Nevertheless, God’s Word is all the proof we need! Dr. Thompson shows you how to apply the principles of God’s Word to your life, until you experience the divine health in which God intends you to walk. This book equips you with the spiritual prescription needed to attain health, wholeness, and vitality in your body.

Table of Contents

Introduction

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 Expectation

“…it shall be done for you as you have believed.”
Matthew 8:13 (AMP)

AUGUST 30 - “Please God, help me find them.” Searching everywhere, she continued to pray. When her brother called, he prayed too. Suddenly she thought: I was wearing that red coat…It must be… Extending her fingers inside the left pocket, there they were—the keys to her mailbox! The moment she realized those keys were missing was the moment she began to pray. And why did she bother to pray? She prayed because she rightly expected something in return—God’s favor and assistance, the bountiful difference between harvest and a barren field.

You may have been taught it is wrong to expect something in return when you give to God, thinking it is a form of greed. Well, let’s examine that teaching. Did you expect forgiveness when you confessed your sins to Christ? Of course you did! Was that greed? No, it was simply trusting God’s character, exactly as the woman who lost her keys. In the same way, neglecting to expect a harvest from your seed steals the pleasure God enjoys from blessing you. God’s greatest pleasure is to be believed. Expectation is the key ingredient that makes the seed work for us.

Whenever we come across a promise of God, we must expect that it will happen in our lives. God is not a respecter of persons. If He did it in the past for His children, He will certainly do it for you. Our faith moves the hand of God. Our obedience to His Word, wrapped in expectation, is what allows Him to move as He desires in our lives. As we sow a seed to meet a need we face, let us expect the promise of God to come to pass for us.

Father, I thank You that You do not lie. What You speak comes to pass in my life. I place an expectation upon the promises in Your Word, knowing that it is done unto me as I believe.

Family Scripture Reading

Genesis 33

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!

Jesus went to the cross to deliver us, once and for all, from the curse of sickness and disease. So, why does divine healing often seem to be so elusive? It’s because the only proof we have of our healing, until it is manifested, is the written Word of God.

Nevertheless, God’s Word is all the proof we need! Dr. Thompson shows you how to apply the principles of God’s Word to your life, until you experience the divine health in which God intends you to walk. This book equips you with the spiritual prescription needed to attain health, wholeness, and vitality in your body.

Table of Contents

Introduction

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 Expectation

“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