THE WATERFALL OF GRACE

PHILIPPIANS 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;  You would probably have read this verse before, but would you like to know how to apply it in your everyday life? Let me give you an illustration to help you. Let’s say that you are one of those in your company eligible for a promotion and you will know tomorrow whether you get it. You want the promotion badly because it means more income for your family. So you lie in bed at night tossing and turning. You pray, “Father, please take away all my worries about this promotion. Give me faith.” One hour later, you are more anxious than ever. It seems like God is not answering your prayer! How come? Because you are not doing it God’s way.  Pray like this instead: “Father, I cast all my worries about the promotion into Your loving hands because You care for me and love me.” The Bible tells us to cast all our cares upon the Lord for...

ROMANS 8:16 NKJ  The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,  God has a plan for guiding His children in all the questions of life. God's primary method of leading us in matters the Bible does not specifically address, (such as which job to take or which person to marry), is the inner witness, which is a knowing communicated by the Holy Spirit to our spirit. It is not a voice, but an inner knowing.  ROMANS 2:15 NKJ 15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) Another term for the witness of the spirit is "peace."  COLOSSIANS 3:15 AMPLIFIED 15 And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise .... An umpire is responsible for making decisions. Our "umpire" is the inner peace, or witn...

1 TIMOTHY 6:9 NKJ     9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.  This verse seems to warn against any desire to be rich. Actually, as some other translations say, it is more of a longing to be rich, or a supreme goal to be rich that is being addressed. This is talking about more than a simple desire -- for every normal human should desire to improve and increase.  It is talking about a driving desire that causes you to be susceptible to temptations to do wrong, because you are willing to do anything to achieve your goal of being rich. It is talking about a person who is obsessed with being rich. Someone who puts every other interest behind the primary goal of being rich, no matter what it requires. Do you desire to be rich? Let me ask it this way: "Would you rather be rich or poor?" "Would you rather have more than you need so you can share with ...

1 JOHN 4:8 The person who doesn't love doesn't know God, because God is love.  Wouldn't it be nice to live where every one loved and was loved with a perfect love? A place where there was no selfishness, where everyone put the interests of others before their own interests. The good news is that there is such a place! It is where Jesus is Lord. It is the Kingdom of God, which could also be called the Kingdom of love, because God is love.  Everyone is invited. All are welcome. There is room for everyone. There is just one problem. If you are allowed in -- while still a selfish being -- you would ruin it for others. So you can't enter until you are changed, made right, made into a person of love, a person who is not selfish. "But all humans are born selfish! We can't help it! It is who we are ." JOHN 3:3 GWN 3 Jesus replied to Nicodemus, "I can guarantee this truth: No one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." ...

MARK 11:23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  God says that we will have whatever we say. So whatever we want to have, we can say it and have it. Unfortunately, we often say what we don’t want to have. For example, we say, “I don’t know why I go through my money so fast every month. Even when my boss gives me an increment, there never seems to be enough money.” And true enough, we see a lack of money at the end of every month.  You see, you will have whatever you say, good or bad. So why not change what you have been saying to, “From now on, I will have more than enough because Jesus became poor at the cross, so that I might be financially supplied—2 Corinthians 8:9. So lack, be gone in Jesus’ name!” Whatever mountain of difficulty you have, be it a mountain of debt or serious health cond...

MATTHEW 4:3-4 NKJ 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." 4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.' "  When tempted, Jesus did not use any supernatural powers to resist the devil. Jesus simply quoted the written Word of God to the devil. You must do the same thing. Jesus was our example, showing us how to overcome the attacks of our enemy. Notice how the devil came to tempt Jesus -- with a thought -- a thought contrary to the written Word of God. Then after Jesus quoted the Bible, the devil also quoted the Bible but twisted the meaning.  Jesus responded only with another verse from the Bible. MATTHEW 4:6-7 NKJ 6 and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you,' and, 'In their hands the...

GALATIANS 1:15 …God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace,  Beloved, you are not an accident with no destiny. God has called you from your mother’s womb. You have a special calling and a destiny in Christ, and it is all by His grace! There are Christians who are called by God to be doctors. But I believe that among them are those separated from their mothers’ wombs for the healing ministry. They are passionate about seeking cures to alleviate the sufferings of humanity.  Likewise, I think that there are Christians who are called by God to be teachers in secular schools. But among them are those separated from their mothers’ wombs to be Bible teachers. What gives them tremendous fulfillment is seeing lives saved and transformed under their teaching. What about those famous magicians you see performing tricks on television? They have a love for the mystical and supernatural. If they were to become Christians, they might just become prop...

Sorry, you have it backward. God is trying to get you to do what He wants, because His way is perfect, and yours is obviously not. PSALM 18:30 NKJ 30 As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.  You don't need to get God to do anything. God knows what to do. You are the one who does not know what to do. Imagine a two year old child telling his parents what they should be doing. It is even more crazy to think we know more than God about what is best for us, and that we need to tell Him what to do. This attitude indicates immaturity. If we were so good at figuring out things, we should be running the universe instead of God. But look at what our decisions have produced -- a mess. What we need is new management, not just to get God to do something for us. Even if we were to get God to do what we think He should do for us, would it really fix our life? For example, many people think getting a lot of money would so...

ROMANS 12:19 NLT  Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, "I will take revenge; I will pay them back," says the LORD. When people do us wrong, not taking revenge is difficult. It seems natural to fight back when someone attacks us. But the Bible tells us to let God judge them. This is not saying you should never defend yourself, or what belongs to you. But do not seek revenge after you have been wronged. Instead, let God handle it. People who try to take revenge, usually end up committing more injustice. Often a deadly cycle develops. Instead of taking revenge, God's Word tells us to bless our enemies. PROVERBS 25:21 NKJ 21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; MATTHEW 5:44 NKJ 44 "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, Go...

1 JOHN 2:12 NLT 12 I am writing to you who are God's children because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus.  COLOSSIANS 3:13 NIV 13 . . . Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  GALATIANS 5:14 NIV 14 The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."  For many people, the hardest person to forgive is themselves. If God can forgive us, then we can, and must, forgive ourselves. Not to forgive ourselves is to exalt ourselves above God. If God can decree that we are forgive-able, but we say we are too bad to be forgiven, we are saying we know more than God. Should your standards be higher than God's standards? He forgives. Why won't you forgive yourself? The devil wants you to stay focused on your past and your failures, so you will not receive God's blessing. God wants you to believe His Word and focus on His victory so you will have a better future. Which one will you choose to follow?  SAY THIS: Because God has ...

EPHESIANS 2:8-9 NLT 8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. Being saved, and in right standing with God, is a gift!  It is something we don't deserve, but is freely given to us anyway. We cannot earn it no matter what we do. Deliverance from the curse, and right standing with God, is available only as a free gift. ROMANS 11:6 NRSV 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace would no longer be grace. It is not what we have done that matters, but what Jesus did for us. He was our Substitute, suffering what we deserved, so we could receive what He deserved as a gift. God Himself has done what is necessary for us to be saved and be in right standing with Him. Now we must believe in what God has done, and thank Him for it.  ROMANS 4:5 NLT 5 But people are counted as right...

* People who are generous givers are blessed. 2 CORINTHIANS 9:6 NKJ 6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.  PROVERBS 11:25 NKJ 25 The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself. These verses reveal truth, but not all truth. So we cannot ignore all the rest of God's instruction and expect to prosper just because we give something. * God does not require everyone to give away everything they have. But He does tell all those who are rich to be generous givers and not trust in their riches (1 Timothy 6:17-18).  Jesus told one specific man to give away everything, but did not require this of everyone. As Jesus' disciple, we must be willing to give our all (Luke 14:33). But Jesus does not require that be done before we can enter His kingdom. * God is pleased when His servants have an abundance.  PSALM 35:27 NKJ 27 Let them shout for joy and be...

GENESIS 39:2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man…  You may have no qualification, position or money—nothing in the natural. But when the Lord is with you, you will end up with everything because He will cause you to be successful. Joseph had nothing when his Egyptian master Potiphar bought him from the slave market. Yet, even then, it was said of him, “The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man...”  Joseph the slave a successful man? He was a nobody with nothing, not even a shirt on his back, not a dime to his name, no family members with him and no friends to turn to. All he had was the presence of the Lord. But it was precisely because of this that he was successful wherever he was. He eventually became the most powerful man in Egypt, second only to Pharaoh, who set him over all the land of Egypt. Joseph was given power, authority and riches (Genesis 41:40–44), all because the Lord was with him.  A junior college student worshiping...

 Money is not true riches. LUKE 16:11 ESV 11 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches?  Money cannot buy lasting happiness and fulfillment. If money guaranteed happiness all rich people would be happy -- but they're not. Money will never love you back. Money is only a tool to use on earth.  LUKE 12:15 ESV 15 And he said to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." * You cannot serve money and God. LUKE 16:13 NLT 13 "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." You can serve God and have money. But you cannot serve two masters at the same time. Only one can ultimately control you. * Loving money leads to evil.  1 TIMOTHY 6:10 NKJ 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds o...

EPHESIANS 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation…  When the phone rings at odd times, most people think, “Oh dear, it must be bad news.” They don’t think, “I wonder what the good news is that it cannot wait till morning!”  When we hear, “The boss wants to see you,” instinctively, we think, “Oh dear, this is not good.” But how do we know that it is not going to be about a promotion? Our minds are inclined toward the negative. So to guard our minds against negative thoughts, we are to put on “the helmet of salvation”, which is “the hope of salvation”. (1 Thessalonians 5:8) If you are going through a trial right now, putting on as a helmet the hope of salvation means that you have a confident expectation of good coming your way. It means that you choose to believe that this trial that you are going through is only temporary because God will see you through it. It means that you believe that this difficult period will end with your salvation—your preservation, wholeness, w...

1 JOHN 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us…  You may know that God cares for you and loves you, and that He demonstrated His love for you by dying on the cross for you, but do you believe it? It is one thing to know about the love that God has for you, but another thing to actually believe it in your heart. It is one thing to know that the sun shines on us during the day. But it is another thing to believe that the sun is still shining even though we don’t feel its warmth and all we see are dark clouds. Sometimes we are slow in believing God’s love for us when we are going through a tough time. But God wants you to know and believe that He loves you in the midst of the deal falling through, when that job is slow in coming, when the boss is fault-finding or when your child still refuses to come home. In the midst of the pain, He wants you to know and believe that He is wholly on your side defending and taking care of you. And if God, the most...

ROMANS 14:10 NLT  So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.  Many Christians seem to have the idea that their job is to evaluate others and point out errors and shortcomings. But our job is not to condemn other Christians!  ROMANS 14:4 ESV 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. We can share truth with an attitude of humility, respect, and concern for other's well-being, pointing out areas where we think they may not yet have a correct understanding of Scripture. But name-calling, fighting, and public ridicule should never happen among Christians! Privately correcting someone in humility is quite different from arrogantly condemning another brother or sister publicly. We can teach truth without mocking, ridiculing, and condemnin...

1 CORINTHIANS 15:10 NIV  But by the grace of God I am what I am.... ROMANS 12:2 WUEST 2 And stop assuming an outward expression that does not come from within you and is not representative of what you are in your inner being but is patterned after this age; but change your outward expression to one that comes from within and is representative of your inner being, by the renewing of your mind, resulting in your putting to the test what is the will of God, the good and well-pleasing and complete will, and having found that it meets specifications, place your approval upon it. God is a brilliant Creator. He only makes originals -- not copies.  According to Ephesians 2:10, you are God's work of art. God made you unique. So be all that God created you to be. Don't try to be someone else. Don't try to be an ear in the Body of Christ, if God made you a foot. Just be yourself. This does not mean that you cannot improve, or grow. Growth is part of God's plan. And we ...

ROMANS 5:20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,  When a top executive is charged for corruption or a church minister is caught in the very act of adultery, you will probably hear the phrase “fallen from grace” being used of them. We have come to believe that when someone falls into sin, he falls from grace.  But God wants us to know that when someone falls into sin, he does not fall from grace—he actually falls into grace! Thank God His grace is there to put the person back on his feet. The Bible tells of prostitutes and corrupt tax collectors—sinners—who fell into God’s grace and got back on their feet. If the sin in their lives could stop God’s grace, they would never have been able to receive His grace of healing, help and power to live right.  Now, it is important you understand that God hates sin because it destroys our lives, relationships and bodies. Sin is evil! But sin is not overcome ...