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Be Thankful For What You Have
COLOSSIANS 3:15 CEV
15 Each one of you is part of the body of Christ, and you were chosen to
live together in peace. So let the peace that comes from Christ control your
thoughts. And be grateful.
If you are reading this, there are literally millions of people
who would trade places with you. They envy you and would be very grateful to
enjoy all that you do.
Usually the more someone has, the less thankful they become.
So how can you overcome ingratitude? Only by changing your beliefs. As long
as you believe you're getting a raw deal, or less than you deserve, you will
never become a thankful person.
An attitude of gratitude is the result of what we focus on.
Remember, you deserved punishment. Instead, God gave you what He deserved,
and EVERYTHING you have -- every breath -- is a gift. Keep this in focus and
you will become a thankful person.
(An extra bonus is that a thankful person is a
happy person.)
HEBREWS 13:5 NIV
5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you
have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake
you."
What could be greater? Almighty God promises to always take care of you!
Never will you be forsaken! Never will you be left facing life all alone!
(You may feel forsaken, but it's a lie.)
A rewarding, satisfying, and fulfilling life does not depend on
being rich. Jesus is the one who told us, and He knows.
LUKE 12:15 LB
15 Beware! Don't always be wishing for what you don't have. For real life
and real living are not related to how rich we are."
SAY THIS: I will be thankful.
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Redeemed By His Blood
1 PETER 1:18-19 NKJ
18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver
or gold . . .19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without
blemish and without spot.
Some Christians shy away from talking about blood -- but not
the Bible. In fact, the Bible presents blood as an integral and
honored part of Christian teaching.
Blood represents life, and Jesus freely gave His life to redeem you.
COLOSSIANS 1:13-14 NKJ
13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the
kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His
blood, the forgiveness of sins.
The blood of Jesus -- representing the giving of His life --
was the payment for your freedom. You should give bold
testimony to the power of the precious Blood of Jesus. It is
what has set you free!
Sin opens the door for the devil. But Jesus' Blood cleanses us
from all sin and closes the door of opportunity to the devil.
1 JOHN 1:9 NKJ
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us
our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Jesus' Blood enables us to stand before God as if sin had never existed. We
have no other plea for entrance into God's presence but the precious Blood
of the Lamb.
HEBREWS 10:19 NKJ
19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of
Jesus,
The blood of Jesus represents all that God accomplished for you in His great
redemption.
We should display the token of Jesus' Blood over the boundaries of our lives
-- anywhere the devil might have an opening -- by releasing our faith in the
sufficiency of that precious Blood through words.
SAY THIS: I am set free by the Blood of Jesus Christ.
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Hang On!
HEBREWS 10:23 NKJ
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without
wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
Sometimes it seems like there's no hope and no help. Like you have no more
strength or ability to go on. You're at the end of yourself and just can't
do any more.
Don't worry. Just hang on to your faith in God.
God is faithful. He will not forsake you. He has not forgotten
you. (It just seems that way when you face a
trial of faith --
but it's a lie.)
It may seem dark and hopeless, but God is holding on to you.
God is working behind the scenes. Things will work out.
When you don't know what to do, just continue to trust in God, and know that
He is helping you. Persevere even when you feel like you can't. Just don't
give up.
JAMES 1:2-4 Barclay
2 My brothers, you must regard it as nothing but joy when you are involved
in all kinds of trials, 3 for you must realize that when faith has passed
through the ordeal of testing the result is the ability to pass the
breaking-point and not to break. 4 This ability must go right on to the end,
and then you will be perfect and complete, without a weak spot.
Trials are no fun. But we should not be surprised when we find our faith
being tested.
The devil is doing his best to steal your faith in God, but his
best is not good enough. God is greater than the devil. Hang on to your
faith!
Remember that God is for you. God is on your side. God will
help you and see you through.
Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Keep praising
and thanking God -- especially when you don't feel like it.
Don't give up. Hang on!
SAY THIS: I won't give up on God. I trust in Him. |
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Plead The Blood
Pleading the Blood of Jesus is not begging -- but a legal term.
REVELATION 12:10-11 NKJ
10 . . . the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day
and night, has been cast down. 11 "And they overcame him by the blood of the
Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives
to the death.
The devil is our accuser. The only successful plea is the Blood of Jesus.
Pleading our ignorance, our innocence, or our merits will fail. Only relying
on the Blood of our substitute sacrifice, the Lamb of God, will win our case
before God the Judge.
When we pray, we should base our prayer on the Blood of Jesus -- the price
paid for our needs to be met -- instead of on our need or our worthiness.
When we resist the devil, we cannot resist him based on who we are or what
we have done, but only on the price paid for our complete redemption -- the
precious Blood of Jesus.
Faith in Jesus' Blood, released in testimony against the devil, will always
cause him to flee. We must resist him, steadfast in faith, for as long as it
takes.
Our enemy can always be overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of
our testimony. We have victory over every evil because of Jesus' shed Blood.
PSALM 107:2 NKJ
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of
the enemy,
We must SAY we are redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb. Here are some example
statements you could use in pleading the Blood.
In the Name of Jesus, I plead the Blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ against this problem.
I cover my home with the Blood of Jesus to protect all
occupants and possessions from all evil.
Especially in times of violence we need to cry out for the
protection of the Blood for all our household. Parents can put
the Blood on their "door" -- taking in all that pertains to
them -- and claim salvation and protection for their entire
family. The Blood is the one thing that will keep your family
safe in these perilous days.
When we awaken in the morning we should call for the Blood to be upon us and
all that belongs to us. Before we sleep we
should, in the same way, call for the protection of the Blood.
SAY THIS: I plead the Blood of Jesus over all my
household and all our possessions. |
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