THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

EVERLASTING RELEASE FROM OUR SINS

I imagine that when Satan and the forces of darkness saw Jesus BLOOD dripping down the cross, they said, Finally, we got rid of Him, and His blood is our PROOF. But as they were celebrating, the RESURRECTED Christ came toward them. Revelation tells us His eyes are blazing fire, His hair is as white as snow, and His face is radiating like the sun. Jesus said, Put the party on hold. I was dead, but now I am ALIVE forevermore, then He not only DEFEATED the enemy, but He took away the keys of death and hell. The Scripture says He rendered the enemy POWERLESS. They would never have had Jesus crucified if they had known the power of His BLOOD. Hebrews 9 says Jesus went into the Holy of Holies with His own blood to secure an EVERLASTING release from our SINS. Now we can live with the CONFIDENCE that all our sins past, present, and FUTURE have been WASHED away. That’s the POWER of the BLOOD.

Today’s Scripture

Revelation 1:18, NIV

I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHAT WE SEE AS A SETBACK, IS A SETUP FOR GOD TO DO SOMETHING GREAT

Late on the night before Jesus was crucified, He was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was under so much PRESSURE from what He was about to do that His sweat was like BLOOD dropping to the ground. We CELEBRATE what Christ did on the cross, which is the foundation of our FAITH, but the real BATTLE took place in the Garden. That’s where He made the DECISION to drink the bitter cup of the cross, knowing that out of this INJUSTICE would come His RESURRECTION and OUR REDEMPTION from our sins. There are times when life is not FAIR and we don’t understand it. That’s when you have to do what JESUS did and say, Father, even though this isn’t FAIR and doesn’t make SENSE, I TRUST You. I know that YOU’RE in control, and You will take this thing and work through it for my GOOD. Don’t get discouraged. What we think is a setback is really a SETUP for God to do something GREAT.

Today’s Scripture

Luke 22:42, NIV

Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

IT GOD ALLOWED IT, HE KNOWS HOW TO USE IF FOR YOUR GOOD

When Judas BETRAYED and tried to stop Jesus, it seemed like a bad BREAK. But Jesus had known that Judas was going to betray Him, and He hadn’t tried to stop him. Jesus understood that BETRAYAL was a part of His DESTINY. Had Judas not betrayed Him, there wouldn’t have been a crucifixion, and without the cross there wouldn’t have been a RESURRECTION, and without a resurrection we wouldn’t have REDEMPTION. The man who sold Jesus out for thirty pieces of silver was CRITICAL to His DESTINY. What am I saying? Don’t COMPLAIN about that person who betrayed YOU. If they walked away, they didn’t set you back; they set you UP. If that had not happened, you wouldn’t get to where you’re supposed to be. If they tried to push you DOWN and LIED about you, it may not have been fair, but NOTHING happens by ACCIDENT. If God allowed it, He knows how to use it for your GOOD.

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 34:10, NLT

Those who trust in the LORD will lack no good thing.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE MOMENT YOU ASKED GOD TO FORGIVE YOU, HE FORGAVE YOU. DON’T LET GUILT POISON YOUR FUTURE

The enemy will remind you of everything you’ve ever done wrong. It’s easy to live in regret, thinking about what you did or didn’t do. Don’t go through life looking in your rearview mirror, being down on yourself, living in regret. You can’t do anything about the past, but you can do something about your future. The moment you asked God to forgive you, He forgave you. Why don’t you forgive yourself and empty out all the guilt? Turn off the accusing voices that try to deceive you into living with condemnation.

None of us deserve to be blessed. We deserve judgment. This is what God’s mercy is all about. That’s why it’s called “the good news.” Your sins have already been paid for and forgiven. You don’t have to pay God back. When the accuser says, “You blew it again!” just answer, “I’m not perfect, but I’m forgiven, and I’m moving forward.” Don’t let guilt poison your future.

Today’s Scripture

Revelation 12:10, NKJV

The accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD CAN OVERRULE ANYTHING THAT’S HOLDING YOU BACK

So much happened at Calvary’s cross over two thousand years ago. Jesus Christ was mocked by soldiers, beaten, and nailed to the cross. It looked like it was over when they laid His body in the tomb. All of hell was rejoicing. They had finally defeated Him. But in the HEAVENS, God did NOT panic. He didn’t say, “What happened? My plan failed.” The earthly court said Jesus was defeated, but the JUDGE of all the EARTH said, “OVERRULED.” Jesus came out of the grave on the third day and declared, “I am He who LIVES. I was dead, but I am ALIVE FOREVERMORE.”

If God can overrule DEATH and the forces of DARKENSS, don’t you think He can overrule anything that’s holding YOU back? No matter what bondage or stronghold has held you captive, when you acknowledge Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, you receive His POWER that will set you FREE. BELIEVE in Him, receive His LIFE, and CELEBRATE true, eternal VICTORY!

Today’s Scripture

Revelation 1:18, NKJV

I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

JESUS PAID THE PRICE SO WE CAN BE FREE, IT IS FINISHED!

We ALL have things that are trying to hold us back, whether it’s GUILT from past mistakes, TEMPTATIONS that we can’t seem to overcome, or a DYSFUNCTION that’s been passed DOWN to us. When Jesus hung on the cross, before He took His final breath, He said, “It is FINISHED.” He wasn’t JUST talking about His life and how He had finished His PURPOSE. He was putting an end to all the negative things that could keep us from our DESTINY. He was saying, in effect, “The GUILT is finished. The DEPRESSION is finished. The low self-esteem is FINISHED. The MEDIOCRATY is finished. It is ALL finished.”

Are there things you’re living with to which you need to say, “It is FINISHED”? Whatever that negative thing IS, ANNOUNCE to it, “It is FINISHED. The price has been PAID. I am FREE,” and in the UNSEEN realm, strongholds are BROKEN, chains are LOOSED, and FAVOR is RELEASED.

Today’s Scripture

John 19:30, NIV

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOU HAVE TO FORGIVE OTHERS SO THAT YOU YOURSELF CAN BE FREE OF THE POISON

As Jesus was hanging on the cross, having been BETRAYED by one of His disciples, falsely ACCUSED by the religious authorities, MOCKED by soldiers, and about to breathe His LAST breath, He did something SIGNIFICANT. He said, “Father, FORGIVE them, for they know NOT what they do.” They didn’t ASK for or DESERVE forgiveness. But Jesus was showing us by EXAMPLE to release the TOXIN of unforgiveness so that NOTHING will hold us back.

When somebody does US wrong, human nature wants to hold ON to the hurt and anger, to carry around a bitter GRUDGE. We think, I’m not going to forgive THEM. They don’t DESERVE it. But you’re not forgiving for THEIR sake; you’re forgiving for YOUR sake. Unforgiveness is a TOXIN that will contaminate your LIFE. When you forgive, as Jesus did, you’re not excusing THEIR behavior. You’re simply getting the poison out of YOU. You have to FORGIVE so that you can be FREE.

Today’s Scripture

Luke 23:34, NIV

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOU CAN’T PRAY AWAY THE WINDS, WHEN YOU’RE THE REASON FOR THE STORM

After God told the prophet Jonah to go preach to the city of Nineveh, he REFUSED and got on a ship headed in the opposite direction. So, the Lord sent a violent storm that threatened to break the ship APART. God knows how to get our ATTENTION. When you know you’re going the wrong WAY, things start to fall APART. You can’t PRAY away the winds because you’re the reason for the STORM. God loves you too MUCH to let you miss your DESTINY. Fortunately, when confronted by the sailors, Jonah admitted, “I’M the cause.” Taking RESPONSIBILITY is the first step to VICTORY.

As long as you make EXCUSES for what you know is WRONG in your life, the DIFFICULTIES are going to continue year after YEAR. God asks you to DEAL with any areas of COMPROMISE. He wants to grow you UP. He has some NINEVEHS for YOU to go to, PEOPLE for you to IMPACT, and NEW levels of your DESTINY.

Today’s Scripture
Jonah 1:12, NKJV
And he said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

BE CONTENT WHETHER YOU HAVE A LOT, OR NOT

After David had been anointed to be the next king of Israel, he spent YEARS taking care of his father’s sheep. David could have thought, God, what am I doing stuck with a bunch of SHEEP? But David knew that GOD was in control, so he just kept going to work with a good attitude, GRATEFUL for where he was. Because he was CONTENT in the shepherds’ fields, he made it to the THRONE. He passed that TEST. But if you’re NOT content in the season you’re in, even if your dreams DO come to pass, you won’t be SATISFIED. Discontentment will follow you EVERYWHERE you go.

You have to TRAIN YOUR MIND to be THANKFUL and SATISFIED with where God has you right NOW. Be CONTENT whether you have a lot or not. CONTENT whether your children are in diapers or in college. CONTENT whether you’re in maintenance or MANAGEMENT. Pass the TESTS on your way to the THRONE.

Today’s Scripture

1 Timothy 6:6, NIV

But godliness with contentment is great gain.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU MAKE THE DECISION TO BE UNCOMMON, YOU’LL SEE GOD’S UNCOMMON FAVOR

We are living in a day where it’s ACCEPTABLE to compromise standards, to take the EASY way out and not have INTEGRITY, to do what everybody ELSE is doing, to go where everybody else GOES, to think like everyone else THINKS. It’s COMMON. Complainers and compromisers are a dime a dozen. It’s NORMAL. But God did NOT create you to be COMMON.

God is looking for UNCOMMON people. People who have uncommon FAITH, who BELIEVE for things that seem IMPOSSIBLE. People who have uncommon COMMITMENT, who do the RIGHT thing when it’s HARD. People who have an uncommon ATTITUDE that’s POSITIVE when everyone else is negative. People who have uncommon INTEGRITY, who do not give in to temptation but do what they know is BEST. When you make this DECISION to NOT fit in, to NOT do what everyone ELSE is doing, but to be UNCOMMON, you will see uncommon FAVOR, uncommon STRENGTH, uncommon FRIENDSHIPS, uncommon INCREASE. God REWARDS uncommon.

Today’s Scripture

1 Peter 2:9, NIV

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.